Quilt of Dreams

It's time for the 2008 Quilt of Dreams Contest. These quilts go to children at St. Jude's research hospital. Check out their website:

http://www.quiltofdreams.com/

or go to Hancock fabrics for a brochure. You need to use at least 50% of the 2008 fabric which is now available at Hancocks. The fabric is inspired by children who are fighting or have won their battle with cancer. There is a printable brochure on the website with all the information you need. The quilts are due August 31-September 2, 2008 at any Hancock Fabrics.

This is the one I made last year, Web of Dreams. I was hoping it would go to a girl. This year I am sewing for a boy. I am looking for patterns, so any ideas would be helpful. I know how blessed I am, this is just one way I can give back.

There's something in the air

Look what Marcus brought home from school today. Apparently they are reading Eric Carle books this week and he made a caterpillar using tissue paper. He was very proud of it. I had to post this because this seems to be the theme this week. I absolutely love this.

A Very Hungry Caterpillar

This is it! The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I finished this on Wednesday, took the photographs, wrapped it up and airmailed it to Australia. Sometimes it's like giving away a child. This one hurt. Much love went into this quilt. The colors were striking, the quilting was super fun and best of all Dahlia loved it. I always know when I have a hit when she says it's "so so beautiful." I keep looking at the scraps on the table thinking how much I adored this fabric. I think I can make a few blocks to put in my scrap quilt. Thanks to everyone who offered comments on it, and aaaaaahs, you are all so great! And to Alexander - don't let your mom fold this up and put it away, make her let you get it dirty, and drag it everywhere! Tell her that Neil and Marcus used her bibs until they grew out of them and they are quite stained, but in the end I ironed them and put them in their scrapbooks. They remember using them and that is marvellous.

Skeletons in the Closet

Okay, this is for Kira who thinks I finish things and always get my projects done. I won't take a photo, because this is embarassing enough. I have skeletons, yes it's true, lots of them!

TWO (not one) thirties fabric quilt tops
Unfinished circus quilt top
Unfinished Princess quilt top
Unfinished ocean quilt top
20 trick or treat bags left over from last years fall festival (at least they are finished)
Enough blocks for three "I spy" quilts, not sewn of course
A Dahlia kit and fabric for a quilt for Dahlia (naturally) collecting dust (not really dust)
4 Christmas panels and co-ordinating fabric for some future date when I make Christmas panels and can give them as a gift. Ask me what year.
Christmas fabric which I intended to make matching stockings for the family. Hmmmm.
A half finished Easter wall hanging, pinned together.
Fifteen out of fifty crazy log cabin 12x12 blocks for a queen size quilt which I had hoped to finish in May. (Darn Carpel Tunnel)
Six receiving blankets and burp cloths sewn and turned but not stitched down. Still those are closer to being done than other things.
Forty yards of Halloween fabric. Why? Because I have a weakness.
A collection of newsprint and vintage looking fabric, for what purpose I have no idea. I figure someday there might be a reason, but for now it's just a collection.

I'm afraid if I go on I might start feeling ill. Okay Kira. Feel better?

Sugar and Spice

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice! Snips and Snails and puppy dog tails. Matching quilts for two teeny twins. Making two quilts at the same time is something of a challenge. Doing one project is often enough, but getting two ready to go out the door on the same day. Whew. These were made for my good friend Susan's twins. I loved the paper doll fabric.

Convergence

Jamie asked me to post a photo of the convergence quilt I made for my brother. It's black and white, mostly for contrast. My brother decorates only in white, but making this with only white on white fabrics was not worth the effort, I could have just done whole cloth quilting for basically the same effect. Anyway, the fabric is a variety of small print black and white with a keyboard and circuit board fabric as major components. The whole thing was done in a convergence pattern with rough edged circuit board appliques. Also, here again you will notice the bra fabric. It's been quite popular.

Today I am working on the most fabulous quilt. It's the very hungry caterpillar and I am just getting ready to put on the binding so there is no finished picture yet. I have so far invested 13 quilting hours into this gorgeous quilt for my friend Nikki's baby Alexander. I may never even meet this little boy but my heart and soul go into this quilt. And I have to share pictures. This has been so much fun to make. I have to send to Australia where I will likely never see it again, but I hope I do, and I hope when I do that it's tattered and worn and stained and loved. That's my dream for this quilt. Nikki, let him drag this thing everywhere.

memory quilt

Okay, I haven't put up a new post in a while. I have been busy working on an impossible memory quilt. I have never worked with such mixed media. There were jeans and satin, t-shirts and velvet. And I had to bring it all together. It was an amazing but time consuming experience. All the little dress blocks are backed with muslin to keep the 6x6 shape. I think in the end it all worked out but there were definately some worrysome moments. Seems like this is just like life with my kids. So many different variables and I have to bring it all together in the end. It's never what I think it will be in the end.