2/21/10

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon...

Here's that baby quilt I told you about.
With the "Wheels" fabric? By Riley Blake?
'member?
So this is what I decided on.
Yes, those two oranges in the middle of the third row irritate me. Not enough to rip them out, but enough to make me twitch a little.
Just a little.
Here's the back.
If I sound "meh" about it, it's because I am. Not the back. I like the back. But the front is just sort of... sort of... meh.
I auditioned borders, and sashing, in all sorts of colors and sizes.
Nothing worked, so I've decided no border. No sashing.
I hope the baby likes it more than I do.
But then I started something that I like much better!
Remember me telling you about "FabFanatic"?
I love them, I really do. So I thought I'd mix all the fabrics they've sent me into one quilt to celebrate.
I picked the "Posh" pattern from Moda fabrics.
Just something that would showcase large pieces. And after that red and white beast, something quick and easy sounded good too.
The design wall (flannel backed Christmas tablecloth, bought on clearance and stapled to the wall next to my bed) isn't big enough to hold the whole thing, so I'll have to put it up in sections.
But I'm out of white fabric now, so I think it's time for a movie and some popcorn.
It's a good way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.
The Pup agrees.


2/16/10

Atreyuuuuu!! Atreyuuuu!!

DONE!!
Well, sort of.
I gritted my teeth, closed my eyes and powered through.
Two rows became four, and four rows became eight,
and before I knew it, (almost three weeks late) the whole top was done.
Ahhhhhhhh...
I've named it Atreyu, from the Neverending Story. It's the never ending quilt.
It still needs that border row, and then I have to think about borders, and backings, and binding, and bourbon.
But I'm calling it done for now.
I've gone to such extremes on this quilt.
I loved it, I hated it, I was indifferent to it.
I started out trying to pick fabrics that would look really nice next to each other, then graduated to not caring what went where. Then came the actively clashing stage. Maroon fabric? Clearly it wants to live next to the orangey one! And they both have apartments next to the pinky ones!
Mwahaahaahaa!
That's where the bourbon came in.
My dear friend asked what one does with a thing like this. Do you give it to charity? Or lock it in a closet for ten years, until you can look at it again?
I suggested wearing it as a dress, every single day.
It was a hard won victory.
This is my favorite block. No fussy cutting at all, this flower just ended up centered in there.
Dang, I didn't notice those two polka dots so close together... Maybe I should rip it out?
Nah. It looks perfect to me.

2/11/10

Here comes da bride...

WHAAAAT?!? A Non-Quilting post?
It could happen.
And I suppose it should every now and then.
So my friend and I went to the Bridal Expo a week or two ago, and I tried out my new camera! It's no secret that I hated my old camera. HATED IT! With an active sort of hatred that really should be reserved for nazis or people who park in handicapped spots, but no. I hate my camera just that much.
But no longer!
I now have a Canon PowerShot and it is da bom. Or, would be, if kids still said that. Which they don't. But it is. Really.
Check out these pics!
Don't you love this background? I so want to do this. Not for any particular occasion. Just for, you know, like a Tuesday.
It was at the Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz. Notice the glass ceiling please. When it gets hot, they can open it up.
I love the Cocoanut Grove.
Do you like your roses with a little bling?
But check out the handle! (Handle? Stems?)
GLAM, BABY!
Karyn? Here's your wedding cake! Isn't it gorgeous?
Here's the thing I fell in love with. In love. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
Love. It.
Loved it so much that I took it home with me. The florist was a friend of my friend's, and we loitered until closing so that she would give it to us. Then my friend gave it to me, because she's a totally awesome, generous person, but also because I was licking it and petting it and wouldn't let go of the leaves.
I'm subtle like that.
The same florist made this woodsy beauty. I fell so much in love with the succulents in the arrangements that I went out and bought a couple and potted them. They're on my window sill at work.
This one too! EEE!!! (swoon!) Really, that's the one I'd have for my wedding.
I really liked this one too. You think I might have something for bright colors? Hmm.
These glowing 'coffee tables'??
Yeah, I could make those. Those are awesome.
And this chair? What does this chair have to do with anything?
Nothing.
It was in the bathroom.
I just loved it.
Thanks for coming along! I wish you could have tasted the cakes too!
Yum!

2/8/10

I'm still here!
And I'm still working on the Red and White Snowball quilt.
I have not quit, I WILL not quit! I will finish this thing if it kills me.
I was feeling so proud of myself, I had thirty blocks left. Then eighteen blocks left! An end was in site!
I could do this! I could finish!
Then I realized that I still have the little half, or rather; third blocks left for around the outside.
Ok, no problem, I can do this.
So it's only...
40 more blocks. five pieces each, that's only...
Eight thousand, three hundred and fifty pieces.
OH MY GOD!!
It's the never ending quilt!!
But I will prevail, I have been cutting and sewing and cutting... and sewing...
Sigh.
So did I tell you about this FabFanatic site?
It's like a Costco for fabric. You place orders for fabric lines, and when they have enough orders to fill a bolt, they order it, cut it, and send it to you! No overhead; so cheaper prices!
I signed up for the "Stash Builder's Club", and here's my first shipment!
A little Nicey Jane, a little Park Slope, a little Good Folks...
Love it!
I should make something just out of these fabrics, to commemorate.
I can't wait for my next shipment. February's fabrics are Amy Butler! Can't go wrong there!
And when I just couldn't look at red and white for one more minute, I started making a baby quilt with this "Riley Blake - Wheels" fabric.
Cute, right? It's boy, without being BOY.
I like that.
And then, just because I was high on making straight squares, I started this quilt, for a friend.
It's from a pattern from Laurie Shiffrin's "Batik Beauties".
Me likee...
Now back to those (sob!) triangles...