Oliver's Quilt

 Hi, everyone! It's been almost a year since I've posted here and I miss you! I've got some catching up to do. It won't be chronological, but I hope to include all my finished projects since last August. Eek!

Let's get back in the swing of things with Oliver's quilt! My niece in California is expecting her first baby in a few weeks. She is doing the nursery in blues and gray with whales and octopi. How cute will that be?

 

I knew Preppy the Whale by Elizabeth Hartman would be the perfect pattern.  It was fun to choose a bunch of blues, but I had to throw in that one fun orange whale!

I recently purchased a ruler foot for my Bernina. I just happened to have a (never used) Leaves Galore ruler in my stash that was a perfect wave. It was thick enough for the ruler foot to run alongside with no trouble. For my first attempt at ruler work, I think it went pretty well!

 

 

The print on the back is pretty cute, but was just a little too narrow. A bit more orange to the rescue! When it came time to add the binding, I couldn't find the gray strips that I had cut out. (Don't you hate when that happens?) I dug into my bin of leftover bindings and went with scrappy navy blues. I think it probably worked better than my first choice gray.

 

I couldn't resist using the larger cut offs from the stitch and flip triangles. I'm keeping that little mug mat for myself as a souvenir!

 With a little bit of terry cloth and some leftover fabrics, I made a cute set of burp cloths from a tutorial by made everyday. 

Oliver's Quilt

47" x 50"

Started May 28, 2017

Completed June 10, 2017

Friday Catch Up

Has it really been two weeks since I've posted? It's easy to fall off the blogging grid when Instagram is so quick and easy. My apologies to those of you who follow along here, but not there.

I've been quite busy, stitching up a storm! I'll give you a sneaky peak of the two quilts that will be gifted tomorrow. Many more pics coming soon!

The wedding ring star for my nephew and his wife is done and it is massive!

The same couple is having a baby in July, and their baby quilt is done, too! Stay tuned for more, including a tutorial for free motion embroidery on a Featherweight.

I always like to do something extra for baby showers. This time, I made burp cloths using this tutorial on Made. I've been wanting to try them for a while, but couldn't find terry cloth that I liked. One day strolling through JoAnn's, the baby terry caught my eye. The gray chevron flannel matches the sheets on the baby registry. I strongly recommend pre-washing both fabrics as the flannel shrinks like crazy. They are super soft and cuddly. It's a good day when I remember to add my labels!

This week, I've been working on the center medallion for a guild raffle quilt. Since it was my bright idea to put a mariner's compass in the center, it was only fair that I should piece it. 

Julia was home last weekend to attend the ROTC military ball with boyfriend, Fred. She lucked out and found the dress for $19 at Marshall's. It took longer to find the shoes ($59). Not my best hemming job (somehow the lining was 1" too short) but it works. Her best friends did her hair, makeup and nails while I was at a quilt class. (FTW) They are a great couple and so happy together!

Yes, I did take that job. I will be training as a dental assistant, working two days a week. I spent way too much money at the uniform shop, but I love my fancy new scrubs. I'm going to try sneakers for a while. I'm not ready for Dansko clogs just yet. Yes, I'll probably start making my own scrub tops soon!

OK! That's all for now. It's time to get ready for a fun family weekend packed with a concert, baby shower, and first communion. Can we squeeze in a quick birding hike?