A Friday Finish -- Denim Rag Quilt

Just in time for tomorrows baseball game, I have a finished Denim Rag Quilt.

Denim Rag Quilt

I used a total of 221 - 5" Squares. And I still have about a million more 5" denim squares plus all my other denim cut-ups. I'll be sewing denim forever.

I had never made a rag quilt before, and found it was rather fun to do. I didn't worry about accuracy or quilting. I just zoomed through it. If I make another one, I'll make sure to sew a 1/3" seam allowance instead of the standard 1/4" seam allowance. All the tutorials said to increase the seam allowance, but I raced through this and didn't even pause to think about changing the seam allowance. Oh well.

Denim Rag Quilt

MK saw me taking pictures of this and immediately tried to snuggle into the quilt. She wrapped it around herself and said "Oh! This is so cozy!" I was having a hard time getting it away from her to take more pictures....but that's ok. I think she makes a pretty great model. 

Denim Rag Quilt

So happy to have this completed. We'll be taking this to the baseball game tomorrow. Depending on the weather, we could be wrapping this around ourselves or we could be laying it on the grass to sit on.

Linked up with TIGFF here.
Linked up with Link-a-Finish Friday here.
Linked up with A Lovely Year of Finishes here.

WIP Wednesday # 36 -- In Need of a Warm Outside Quilt

I'm tired of being cold. It's supposed to be spring! Not the rainy, windy, cold kind of spring. I want the warm, sun is shining, flowers blooming kind of spring. 

This year, I am determined to have a cozy outside quilt to keep me warm while I sit on the sidelines of baseball games and soccer tournaments. And when the warm, sun is shining, flowers blooming kind of spring finally arrives, this quilt can be a spread out on the grass for more sideline fun or summer picnics. 

Babco Unlimited - The Denim Project 

  For this denim rag quilt, I've sewn up these denim and flannel 5" squares. There are 224 squares! And can you believe I have barely made a dent in my denim? I'm still swimming in old denim. There will be more denim projects in the future.

A Friday Finish

Finally! I finished my Wheel of Fortune Quilt, and am so happy with how it turned out.

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

I can't even tell you how many times this project has been on my "I'm going to finish it this month" list only to be set aside for something else. My label on the back even has the date of July 2014--that's 10 months ago.

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

The quilting took a lot longer than I anticipated. I used a walking foot for everything. There were a lot of starts and stops with ends to bury. A LOT!

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

I received the best compliment when I showed this at guild meeting on Wednesday. A lady was astonished by the quilting and asked me if I quilt for others as well. I explained I quilted this myself on my Bernina, and do not quilt professionally. 

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

I'm so happy to have this one done. It's now sitting on our living room couch as a cuddly blanket for TV time.

Linked up with Link-A-Finish Friday here.
Linked up with TGIFF here.
Linked up with Show Off Saturday here.

The Next Generation

My mom found a working sewing machine for $7.00 at the local thrift store. It is definitely NOT a top-of-the-line machine. It's all plastic, except the needle, but it works. And is perfect for a 6 year-old little girl.

MK and her new Sewing Machine

The machine came with all the parts and works. I haven't tried to thread it yet, but I am hopeful it will work. This machine retails for $75.00 on Amazon. So, getting it for $7 was a steal. Way to go Grandma!

MK and her new sewing machine

MK was ecstatic when she pulled this out of the bag. First words: "Can you teach me to sew today?"

I didn't have time to start a sewing lesson right then and there, but I didn't want her excitement to wane. So, I told her she could start picking out fabric from my scrap bin. 

MK choosing her fabric

I thought she'd pick out a few pieces of fabric to practice on. Nope--she want all out and designed the quilt she wants to make.

MK and her Quilt Design

Fingers crossed that the machine works fine and that sewing lessons go well.

The Utah Quilt Guild has a children's category in their annual Quilt Fest Quilt Show. Maybe MK can finish this up and enter it in the show. We'll see.

Bloggers Quilt Festival

I only just discovered the Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side a year ago. And I know what you all are thinking: Where have I been? Under a quilt probably. 

I loved seeing all the wonderful quilts from around the world. I would hem and haw over which quilt to vote for. And I would visit all the blogs and find inspiration. This time, I've decided to enter a quilt! So exciting. 

This is my "Painting the Roses Red" quilt I made for our Utah Valley Quilt Guild Challenge. I chose the name after a lovely commentor said it reminded her of Alice in Wonderland in the rose garden painting.

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Quilt 

Our challenge was to make a quilt with the theme of "I looked out the window..." It could be anything you see out your window--it could be your car window, house window, workplace window, whatever. It also had to have a traditional block somewhere in the quilt. 

Can you find my traditional block?

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Quilt 

 My windowsill is a churn dash! (I'll admit I thought I was pretty clever.)

The little ladybug makes me smile. I found her in my stash and had to piece her in somehow.

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Quilt 

This is only the second quilt I have machine quilted myself. I admit I was very nervous about ruining my wonderful quilt top with my beginner quilting skills.

I quilted the flowers in wavy circles to mimic the flower petals. The green leaves were quilted in a pointy stippling to make it look like foliage. The sky received spirals. Then, I did a spiral feather thingy in the churn dash border and a loopy figure 8 in the blue border. Overall, I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Quilt 

I had to improvise with my thread choices. I had planned on using the same green varigated thread all over the backing. However, when it came to quilting the white churn-dash border, I couldn't get my tension right and the green kept pulling up to the top. It was so distracting. (And frustrating!)

I finally threw my hands in the air and quilted both sides with white thread. I was under a deadline and didn't have time for this nonsense. Now, when I look at the backing, I LOVE how it turned out.

Babco Unlimited - Painting the Roses Red Quilt 

You can read the original blog post about the design process here, the finished top here, and the reveal here.

Quilt Stats
Finished Size: 34" x 34"
Fabric: Assorted 100% cotton fabrics
Batting: Warm & Natural 100% cotton batting
Thread: Superior Threads Fantastico line, polyester variegated thread
Techniques: Machine piecing, Machine Free Motion Quilting, Hand Sewn Binding.

I've decided to enter this quilt into the Art Quilt category. (Kinda shocking to me because I wouldn't label myself as an art quilter. I would never have made something like this if not for my guild's challenge.)

 Linked up with the Bloggers Quilt Festival Art Quilt here.

WIP Wednesday #35 -- The Denim Project Continues

Babco Unlimited - The Denim Project

I'm working on my denim rag quilt. I'm excited to have this for the chilly nights at the ballpark. Last night was another game in the wind and occasional rain. Once it warms up, this will be a great blanket to sit on. However, right now I'm looking forward to the warmth.

I've cut up all my flannel pieces, and I'm all ready to sew them all together.

Linked up with WIP Wednesday here.

Spring is Here!

Spring is here! And so is spring ball. It's Baseball season and Soccer season. With all the time I'm spending at the ballparks on the sidelines cheering on my kids, the more I realize it is finally time to finish at least ONE of my denim projects--just an easy peasy denim rag quilt that I can take to the ballpark. 

I have all the pieces--TONS of denim I've pre-cut into 5" pieces and flannel fabric. I have denim needles and cotton thread. What more do I need?

Babco Unlimited - The Denim Project

My goal for May: A Denim Rag Quilt.

Ready, Set, GO!

Linked up with Lovely Year of Finishes here.

Where have I been?

I can't believe I haven't posted in almost 2 months. Life has been so hectic here lately that I've had little time to sew. But, it has been a fun hectic.  So what have I been up to?

1. A Family trip to Arches National Park

Arches National Park

Our family overlooking Delicate Arch. 

I had never been to Arches National Park. So beautiful! And so much to do--I had no idea! I want to go back, and so do my kids. 

2. Spring Soccer

My Son at one of this soccer games

My 9 year-old son loves soccer and plays for a local club. Spring games started up again. This means many weeknights cheering him and his team on. 

3. Spring Baseball 

An old photo of my son who loves baseball. (My photos from this season didn't turn out.)

My 11 year-old son LOVES baseball. His season has started, which means more weeknights cheering him and his team on. 

4. My own fitness make-over

(no photo here)

I think we've all know this story--you get on the scale one day and realize you are unhealthy. I was back up to my heaviest...actually a few pounds OVER my heaviest. And I was tired of not fitting in my clothes anymore. I've enlisted the help of Team THF and have been making a change. I've been working out and eating healthy. It's been a lot of work, but it's paying off. I've lost weight, gained muscle, and I can feel myself getting stronger. I have more energy, and just overall feel better. 

Although it's been a fun couple of months, I've missed my sewing table. I have only found bits of time to sit down and sew. My Wheel of Fortune Quilt has been sitting on my table so I can work on it whenever I get a few minutes. I'm so close to being done!

Wheel of Fortune Quilt

I'm half way through with quilting the borders. It's exciting to be almost finished.