Oh Clementine....

I had a fat quarter bundle of "Oh Clementine" fabric, from Allison Harris's collection. 

I really wanted to show off the sweet prints, so this pattern is perfect - "Sweet Life" from Thimble Blossoms book, "Simply Retro".

Instead of just looking at my precious bundle of fabrics, I decided it would be better to actually make

something out of them.

I asked my sweet friend, Andrea, of Andrea Quilts, to piece it for me.

She always does a beautiful job at piecing - it's such a treat to get my quilt tops back from her.

Thank you, my friend.

She has a darling blog...

...you can read about her process here.

 

 

It's a large bed size - 97" x 97".....so I added a cute center strip on the backing.

 

 

 I swirled the blocks, looped the background areas and feathered the sashing and borders.

 

 

It's finally getting warm enough here in Montana to take my quilts outside for a little photo shoot.

 

 

Another close up of one of my favorite fabrics...

 

 

 

I had a diagonal stripe fabric of yellow and white for the backing and binding.

 

 

We still have snow in the mountains - so pretty.

 

 

 My favorite block - I love daisies.

 

Ronda's "General's Wives" quilts - a beauty!

Ronda, from Idaho, sent me this absolutely beautiful "The General's Wives" quilt a while ago.

It's so gorgeous!

I love the Civil War prints she used.

She had Andrea, of "Andrea Quilts", piece it for her. 

Andrea's work is near perfection - she loves piecing quilt tops for others.  Just contact her through her lovely blog here.

 

 

I wanted to give each section of this lovely quilt it's own quilting design.

 

 I used wool batting - so soft and allows those sections to "show off".

 

 

Pretty red floral print.

 

 

The center block - appliqued stars.

 

 

 Ronda's backing is a simple shirting print - perfect. 

(I love quilting feathers)

 

 

An over-all "fluer" design.

 

 

 I attached the binding for Ronda to hand finish it.

 

 

Such a beautiful quilt - thank you for letting me add a 'bit' to it!

 

 

 

graduation t-shirt quilt

Our niece, Kamryn, from Colorado, graduated from high school this month!

A few months ago she sent a back pack stuffed full of softball t-shirts and very sweetly asked if I would make a quilt out of them. 

She had about 50 to chose from - mercy! 

So, I picked the ones I liked to create her quilt out of.

 

 

 

 I even made a pillow case...and put Air Force blue cuddle fabric on the back.

Kamryn has joined the Air Force - so excited for her!

 

 

 Here she is with her sister looking at the shirts - it was a fun memory lane moment.  (I'm standing shyly behind her in the door frame.  I don't like to have my picture taken!)

 

 

 Pretty girl - fun quilt!  She loved it!

 

I used a lightweight fusible web to stabilize the t-shirts then just started cutting....without a plan!

I wanted the random look. 

I don't normally make t-shirt quilts, but I love this girl so much - I was happy to.

 

 

If you would like a t-shirt quilt constructed, my very good friend, Andrea from Pennsylvania, will make it for you.  Here is a link to her blog - you can contact her there.  Just click on her "t-shirt quilt gallery".  She does a fantastic job - and she likes making them!

 

At Kamryn's graduation party they hired an ice sculptor. 

He carved an Air Force falcon - so cool!

 

We're all so proud of you, Kamryn.

 

 

Hexagon Quilt....

My non-sewing sister, Vicki, went shopping on the internet a couple of years ago, for some fabrics to give me as a gift. 

She is miserable in a fabric shop. 

She starts to hyperventilate when she enters a room with a sewing machine. 

She literally gets hives when we go to quilt shows - remember that summer in Preston, ID, Vicki? 

We had to find some Benadryl - FAST!

So - when she said she had purchased some fabric for me.........for no other reason than she loves me....I was shocked pleasantly surprised! 

She found these darling, "Color Me Retro", prints - 1/2 yard cuts of the entire line, and sent them to me. 

 

I cried when I opened them because I know how painful that must have been for her to shop for fabric. 

Gosh - I love my sister.

I knew I wanted  a quilt out of them which showcased the prints.

So I chose a giant hexagon.

I purchased this Hex 'n More ruler - it's wonderful! 

 

 

I asked my friend, Andrea in Pennsylvania, to piece it for me.

(If I try to piece something I know it will take at least 5 more years to get around to it!  That's just way too long to wait for something this cute).

Andrea used this "Candy Dish" pattern for the setting instructions.

Here is Andrea's blog post about her process.

This is my quilt top hanging on a door in her home.

I feel like I'm sitting in her pretty home watching her piece my quilt top!

 

 

Andrea did a beautiful job, as always, on my quilt top. 

It's so fun working with her.

She will sew a quilt top for you, too!

Just contact her through her blog.

 

I have a flannel backing and used 80/20 batting - I wanted a "snuggler".

 

 

I used a bracelet print from Lizzy House for the binding.

 

 

I quilted an all-over swirl pattern.

 

 It turned out to be a full size quilt - perfect size!

 

Thank you, my sister - Vicki, and Andrea for this wonderful quilt!

I love you both.....

 

Merry Christmas....

A handmade Christmas card from my sweet friend, Andrea, in Pennsylvania....

Let the goodie giving begin!  Cookies my daughter, Erin, and her little girls made....

Happy 35th Birthday - rotary cutter!

Several months ago, Robin, the Associate Brand Lead for OLFA, contacted me and asked if I would consider piecing and quilting an OLFA rotary cutter birthday quilt. 

She had my attention!

I thought about it for about 30 seconds and then jumped on it. 

I was intrigued! 

I also recognize when my commitments won't allow much of a time frame for something of this magnitude so I referred her to my sweet friend, Andrea, to do the piecing. 

She had pieced a quilt for me a while ago and I was thrilled with her work. You can read about it here.

OLFA has posted a page on Pinterest which shows each designer's block and their comments as to why they created it. 

It was actually quite a process. 

Robin, Andrea & I stayed in constant contact with each other to make sure we were all visualizing the same end result and staying within our deadlines.

OLFA sent out a little kit to designers all over the nation, inviting them to join the celebration. 

Each designer was asked to create a 6" block inspired by the rotary cutter and they had to include the iconic yellow color somewhere in the block.

36 designers across the nation joined the party! 

After they created the block, they sent it to Andrea so she could set them all together.

Here is where it gets exciting! 

Andrea started receiving them in the mail, (she lives in Pennsylvania), and started documenting the blocks and their stories. 

 

After receiving 36 blocks, Andrea went shopping for just the right color combination when setting the blocks together.

 

She did a great job designing the setting. 

Here is her design wall:

 

 

Andrea then sent all the quilt "parts" to me and I got to add my quilting touch to it.

I was shaking in my boots a bit nervous - I wanted the designers and OLFA to be pleased.

I had creative license to do whatever I wanted and I had a vision in my head.

 

 

I quilted diagonal straight lines, each quadrant being opposite from each other. 

And I wanted the shape of the rotary cutter (circles) somewhere in there, too.

 

 So I filled in the  rows of straight lines with bubbles.

 

  Each block is individually quilted (that was the really fun part for me!).

 

 

 

 

 

Andrea created a very cool label for the back with each designers name in the place corresponding with their placement on the front of the quilt - so clever!

 

 

 The quilt is now hanging at the Houston International Quilt Market and will travel to OLFA Japan next.

This was such a fun project!

 

Thank you, OLFA and Robin, for asking Andrea & I to share our talents with this commemorative part of history with you! 

 

You can read more about Andrea's "journey" with this project here.

 

Here is my rotary cutter family.....that first one is 35 years old!

 

What would we do without them?  eekk!