Autumn Runner

To surprise my mom on Thanksgiving, I made her this Autumn Runner.

This summer, on one of our fabric shopping sprees, she helped me pull together 12 different autumnal prints, so I used them to make big maple leaf squares.

The runner ended up being about six feet long (whoops), but it fits perfectly on the dining table at my folks' house.

 I didn't want the quilting to compete with the bold shape of the leaves and the busy fabrics, so I stuck to a basic 1/4" outline of the leaves.

 And I think my mom was pretty pleased with the outcome!

 Speaking of pretty pleased, I just have to share these "outtakes" as well, as they make me crack up every time I look at them!

 My little brother was a good sport about holding the runner so I could photograph it, and couldn't resist hamming it up for a the camera after a while - isn't he the cutest?

Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a great weekend! (Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts)

Coffee Sleeves

Talk about a scrap-buster! The other day, I whipped up a handful of Coffee Sleeves using only scraps from various projects... what fun!

You see, there's a craft bazaar at my hometown church, and my mom is hosting a table. A while ago, she mentioned that if I had anything to add, she'd be happy to put it on the table... so I finally finished up some projects and shipped them off to her, and these babies were in the box!

As someone who enjoys Starbucks treat everyday every now and then, I've used my fair share of cardboard coffee sleeves. While those are fine, I'm pretty pumped about these handmade versions: not only did I use Insul-Bright (an insulated batting), which keeps the heat towards the cup and away from the holder's hand...

But I also added a strip of elastic, so these cuties can fit most sizes of to-go beverages (as well as pint glasses, my clever brother informed me after I sent him an early demo).

Finally, each sleeve was made with scraps leftover from various quilts I've made, so they're all really colorful and pretty, in my humble opinion! :) Hopefully the shoppers at the bazaar will think so, too!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend! [Also, I'm linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts]

Dusty Diamonds

 I finished up this baby quilt the other day, and I've decided to call it Dusty Diamonds.

I wanted another chance to use my diamond ruler, and these sweet fat quarters from my stash seemed like the perfect pairing.

As a new quilter, I've been working on accurate piecing, and this was a perfect practice project... and  I'm proud to admit that many of those angles actually line up!

In terms of photo location, this mural graces the wall of a business in my neighborhood... how fun, right?

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts - thanks for stopping by!

Autumn Pillow

The other day, I pulled together a few scraps autumn-inspired fabrics to make this pillow cover.

I don't know what it is, but I'm totally in love with HSTs still; this time, I broke up the randomness of the triangles with a band of neutral fabric.

Thanks for stopping by and happy November!

Halloween finishes!

With Halloween just around the corner, I've been busy finishing a few spooky projects.

First was this pillow cover: I used some Drunkard's Path blocks and some scraps for this geometric pillow.

And to keep with the spooky theme, I FMQed it with a spiderweb design.

This is my first attempt at the web design, and while it was a little tough at first, I had an absolute blast! Hopefully the recipient of this little pillow cover will enjoy it! :)

I had a bit of Halloween fabric left, so I whipped up a little project for my place, too! The people who live in my NYC building all decorate their doors pretty elaborately for Halloween. Honestly, some of the decorations get a little spooky (especially the ones that are motion activated... not exactly something an alert NYer can get used to). But I love that so many people get into the holiday, and not one to be left out, I made this quick door hanging.

I'm a sucker for HSTs - they're just SO neat and organized to look at! And, I must say, I'm getting much more accurate when sewing them... all that practice finally paid off! I also used some old wire to make a whimsical little hanger- now all I have to do it get it on my front door, right?

Thanks for stopping by - can't wait to see all the other finishes at Crazy Mom Quilts (it's been a while since I've been able to participate)!

Halloween Table Runner

I don't know about you, but it seems like Halloween is just around the corner - they've even started displaying candy corn in my local drug store!

So the other day, I dug into my fabric stash and made this Halloween Table Runner as a gift for my mom.

I actually picked up these festive fabrics at a quilt shop in Marshall, MI, over the summer, and I had a blast making my first Drunkard's Path blocks. I didn't have a template, so I got creative and used a cake pan... not a bad solution in the end, I think! I finished it off by quilting it with curly-q pattern.

This was a really fun project, and I hope my mom likes it!

I'm linking up to Crafty Mom Quilts - thanks for stopping by!

Wonky Stars

I finally finished my Wonky Stars lap quilt.

This is biggest project I've completed, by myself, to date. AND, it was my first attempt at free motion quilting.

I used some bright, Joel Dewberry fabrics for the stars, and a simple green with white polka dots for the back of the quilt. The background of the stars was a lovely blue print I found at my LQS, and the binding is a coordinating Kona solid.

I'm so pleased this little project is finished...

Now the next question: what will I do with it? :)

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom Quilt's Finish it Up Friday!

Hexie Pillow

Well, my first EPP project is finished: a Hexie Pillow. 

Though I machine quilted most of it, I did add a bit of handquilting in the center hexagon for a bit of interest.

This is actually a pillow cover with an envelope opening on the back (don't you love those Shelburne Falls prints?). I was making this pillow on the fly, so I created the hexagon pillow insert using stuffing from an old, regular pillow.

The pillow isn't perfect, but it sure is a fun addition to my decor! *Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts today!

Right Angles

Right Angles: Mitten to Apple original

I finally finished my first HST project, which I'm calling Right Angles.

Right Angles: Mitten to Apple original

I've always loved the look of quilts made with random HSTs, so this was my first attempt at that.

Right Angles: Mitten to Apple original

I don't know about you, but making something 'random' is really hard- I just want there to be a pattern! Since I couldn't fight every natural instinct, there's a little order to the HSTs, but I think overall it looks fairly chaotic.

The quilting is basic - just 1/4" off the seams.

The HSTs are DS Quilt Collections from Joann's, and the batik (framing and backing) are from a quilt shop.

Right Angles: Mitten to Apple original

I love backing quilts with batik - that fabric is so forgiving of spills and stains! I have no problem plopping a batik-backed quilt on the ground for that very reason!

Right Angles: Mitten to Apple original

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts' Finish It Up Friday - thanks for stopping by!

Right Angles: Mitten to Apple original