Kindle Cover

I recently got a Kindle Fire. To be honest, I'm sort of on the fence about it...it doesn't seem to work perfectly as either a tablet or an e-reader (because of the backlighting). But, it was free, and it's a handy, fun little toy. I kept my regular kindle for reading, and mostly use this one for accessing the internet.

To keep it from getting scratched, I decided it needed a cover. I used this tutorial, which was clear and easy to follow. And I ended up with this:

A quick, easy project. So quick and easy, in fact, that I repeated it to make a matching cover for my camera :)

(Interesting how these photos look like completely different colors, but it is in fact the same fabric...hmmm....)

And, because I can scarcely believe how big I am getting...unattractive self-photo! Six months down, three to go. (I actually took this photo almost two weeks ago...and the belly has continued to grow since then!)

A Baby Quilt

I started this quilt ages ago. I think I finished the top last fall. However, it is now bound off and ready for a happy home :)

The quilt is mostly based off of this tutorial from Oh, Fransson! I just adjusted the size based on how much fabric I had.

I also had the opportunity to try a new binding method on this one, which saved a lot of time. I used this tutorial. And, the back looks something like this...

Perfect for a little boy, I think :)

More T Shirts

I've said before that we have way too many t-shirts.

And these quilts are addictive. So simple to make once you get the hang of it! Here's my latest:

And the back...using bits of the backs of the shirts.

The best explanation of how to do this that I've found is here at Maiden Jane. No batting to fuss with, no binding...just the fun parts :)

Welcome back, me!

Wow, it has been a long time since I last posted! Sometimes, you know, life gets in the way...and for the past few months I have been working on a big big big project that I will share here soon. It has kept me from working on much else, but today I would like to share one of my favorite things about our new house: my craft room!

Here's our lovely house:

And here's what the room looked like before:

Until we discovered that the carpet was hiding hardwood floors! So now, it looks like this:

And, it has a closet! Someday, it will have a door on it. Maybe.

It is soooooooooooo nice to have a little space to work in...and when I leave a project half-finished, I can just close the door! I haven't been working on much, but I have been playing around with some chevrons, inspired by these ones:

Source: hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com via Erica on Pinterest

and this

Source: beesquarefabrics.blogspot.com via Erica on Pinterest

but I didn't really think the whole project through before starting. So, I made something like this:

 but it only makes a smallish rectangle. So, I figured I could make two from the jelly roll I had, and then went out and bought another one...so I will have two rectangles that I am currently thinking I will piece together into a quilt top. To be continued.

Christmastime is here...

So I thought I'd share a finish of a project I started forever ago :) I first blogged about it here...and finally finished up a few weeks ago. I followed a tutorial at Oh, Fransson! by Elizabeth Hartman, and although this project was time consuming, it was totally worth it!

Each square is a little pocket, so you can add a little treat for each day of advent!

(If you look closely, you'll see that this quilt, like everything else in my life, is covered in cat hair. Sigh).

Merry almost Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

So, I made some Christmas placemats. Mostly, I wanted to practice my quilting, so I made each one like its own tiny quilt, binding and all.

I tried out a different pattern on each one.

It was a fun project. I made some matching trivet/potholder things out of scraps too.

In the pictures, they don't look quite square...but they are, I promise :) Although I think my camera has something on the lens...

In any case, happy Christmastime!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Today I am linking up to the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side. She has an amazing collection of quilts on display, submitted by hundreds of bloggers. Stop by and be inspired!

For my contribution to the festival, I want to talk about my favorite quilt I've made so far. I originally blogged about it here.

First of all, I love scrappy quilts. I love how the randomness of a million different fabrics comes together to create something that, amazingly, looks planned.

From a distance, they look like simple colored blocks. When you look close up, though, you see something new every time.

This was one of the first quilts I ever made, so I learned a lot from the process! It was the first time I had ever tried paper piecing, which was really fun. Thinking about this project makes me want to try it again!

 This quilt is also special to me because I made it as a gift for a very special lady. Growing up, she was like my second mom, and I gave her this quilt as a thank-you gift because last year, when I got married, she hosted a beautiful bridal shower for me. 

So, that's the story of my favorite quilt. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out the other quilts showcased at the quilt festival!

I-Spy Baby Goodness

Two lovely ladies in my department are having babies this fall, and so I wanted to stretch my quilting skills and try a few baby quilts. I have liked the idea for awhile of doing an "I-spy" quilt, but finding all those fabrics and cutting them into tiny squares would be waaaaaay too taxing for me...so I bought some from Sew Together on etsy. They're adorable! I got a set of doubles, so I could make each quilt like a matching game (I'm a teacher, so of course everything has to be educational...)

My first quilt ever was a disappearing nine patch, and I used the same pattern here, based on a tutorial by Obsessively Stitching. (The same blog guided me through my first quilt ever!) Aren't they cute?

Since I've been reading about it so much lately in the bloggy world, I decided to sign them. It was quite tricky, but I figured out a method that worked for me.

It has become somewhat of a tradition in my department that I always knit little animals for my co-workers when they have babies, and I didn't want to disappoint on that front...but I went in a slightly different direction. For the past few months I have been obsessed with this book:

So I made some monster friends:

My mom gave this one as a gift to a friend's son who is welcoming a baby sister. This is my favorite.

After all, what could be snugglier than a giant monster? She's big enough to double as a pillow.

Knitting has been my go-to craft this month because hubby and I have been moving - we are staying with my parents for awhile while we finalize the sale on our (hooray!) new house. I just broke out the sewing machine today, so hopefully I'll have some new projects to share soon!

Home Sweet Home!

And back in front off my sewing machine!
I have a few projects in the works, but Rufio likes this one the best.

More to come!

Scrap Happy

Today is a beautiful day in Middlebury, Vermont.

Last week, as I was leaving church, there was a box in the front yard labeled "Free to a good home". Since I like free things, I took a peek.

Scraps!!!

None of the pieces are very big, but there are some really cute ones. 

Since I am still working on my scrappy quilt, I took them home to become part of my collection.

Then, today, I took a stroll downtown to check out the fundraising "Peasant Market" at the local church. There, I found...

 More scraps!!!

　All this scrappy goodness for $3.

Just look at those little scottie dogs!!!

And, because I am a sucker for all things handmade...

 Some pretty hand embroidered place mats and napkins.

A few years ago I would never have thought I could get so excited about a few scraps!

Inspiration

I'm often inspired by my friend Carole Ann at Connect the Dots Crafts. She is creative, talented, and generally awesome.
Last year, while I was visiting, I saw some super cool things she had made, which she blogged about here. See those trees? AMAZING, right? So I asked her to teach me how to piece hexagons, which she did. And then, I completely copied her idea. Check it out!

It looks lopsided in the picture, but I promise it's not actually like that :) I bound it up like a little quilt, and as soon as I can get the hubby to break out a hammer and nails, I'll hang it on the wall.
Thanks, Carole Ann!

T-Shirt Quilt: Part 2

I actually finished this ages ago, but didn't get around to taking photos because it was on our bed!

I made this using Maiden Jane's T-Shirt Quilt Pattern, which I highly recommend. I tried figuring it out on my own the first time I made one, but her way was much easier :) This one showcases some of my hubby's old t-shirts - mostly from high school.This one is my favorite...

Isn't she cute? And on the back...

smaller squares from old PJ pants with cute patterns.

In other news, my dear friend Carole Ann at Connect the Dots Crafts featured little old ME today as her "Creative Friend". I'm flattered! Check it out here.  Thanks Carole Ann!

Scrappy goodness!

I love scraps.
So, when I came across this tutorial last week, I had to try it.
So I made one.

And then I made a few more...

I love the effect!
All in all, I have a dozen or so. But I think I'm going to hold out and make some more to do a bigger quilt. Problem is, I've used up most of my viable scrap bits...so I might have to wait until I've generated some more scrap material!

In other news, my grandma has agreed to guide me on my first foray into real clothes-making. Today we picked out a pattern and some fabric - stay tuned!

Wedding gifts

The pictures aren't great, but these are the quilts I made for my parents and Keith's parents as a thank-you for helping plan our wedding.

I followed Obsessively Stitching's First Quilt Ever tutorial for both, and it made the whole process so clear! It's amazing what you can learn from the internet...

I also wanted to share some AMAZING wedding presents we received from Carole Ann of Connect the Dots Crafts...personalized aprons! Each one has an applique of our initials.

Rufio says, "Happy Halloween!"