Something Special for Someone Special

I met my dearest girlfriend Lisa in November of 2004, she was newly pregnant with her youngest daughter.  This little one would touch my life in a special way.  Actually all of her daughters are dear to me and I love them all.  But her pregnancy and delivery of this youngest child was special as I had the opportunity to witness faith in action as her family faced the very real possibility that their precious baby girl might not come home with them but instead go home to Jesus just after she arrived.
I also witnessed prayer answered in miraculous ways as her life was spared and she was gifted to a family and faith community that loves her and where she brings great joy to many.
Our families share lots of time and laughter together and we are blessed to have our lives intertwined in faith and friendship.  As we have now moved to live in the same town, I get to see this little girl more and as her 9th birthday approached, I wanted to do something special for her.
Finally an idea sparked and I set to work.  These are the things I made for her birthday.

Every dolly needs new underthings

white muslin edged in pink lace details and bows

white muslin petticoat with white lace details and tulle

And of course, pajamas and a robe are required with a new sleeping bag.

Flannel with a mock pocket

Flannel with white lace edging and a fabric tie

pre-quilted and fully lined with cotton print and an attached pillow

a glittery accent for fun

I machine quilted a design on the pillow to add a bit of fun

And every American Girl doll needs a ball gown and fancy cloak for parties.

Lavender satin with lavender lace edging & ruffles and an attached tulle wrap

stretch purple velour with white braid trim and lavender satin lining
Muff has an accent of beaded lace and is also satin lined

Happy Birthday to the littlest J and may you have as much fun with these as I did making them for you.

**Model doll is "Kit" and belongs to my own dear daughter who graciously loaned her to me for fitting and pictures.  Thanks Jess!

A Phone Clutch Bag (for me!)

Sometimes I get a pattern just because it catches my eye and it takes me a while to get around to actually MAKING whatever it is.  Not really too long on this one as it looked like it would be a quick little project.

I bought the pattern here: Sew Thankful - I've also purchased quilting thread from them in the past and am happy to recommend them!

I decided late one evening to begin this little project for myself and hunted up some left-over fabrics to use as well as a random zipper from the stash I keep on hand.  The pattern called for using a 9" zipper (cut down) but since the size I made (middle one) didn't need one that long, I used a 7" one I had hanging around.

The fabric is all 100% cotton quilting fabric and I used the fusible fleece and interfacing I had on hand (no idea what brands).  It came together fairly quickly and after one small alteration of direction on my outside pocket (because I accidentally reversed the dimensions on the pieced panel) and the alteration on the strap (I didn't have a swivel clasp), it only took a few hours to complete and I'm pleased with the result.

Two outside pockets and 3 inside (2 for cash/cards & 1 little one for a lip balm)

In looking at these photos I suddenly realized that I have fabric from 3 projects represented here - one quilt and 2 different table runners. Gotta love not wasting the scraps! 

Just a Sweet Baby Quilt

I took these random squares...

And began building a baby quilt for a baby girl that is scheduled to arrive late summer I believe.  The ladies group at the new church we are attending hosted a shower for the new mom and since quilts are what I know... that is what I thought I'd give as a gift, well-laced with lots of prayer as that is what God has gifted me to do. 

I built a center and added some borders and corner posts

Then added a few more borders and corner posts 

And a final set of borders with 9 patch blocks as corner posts

This was FUN!

Backed in soft cuddly flannel

Quilted with an continuous line design that I think is called 'flower-power' in a variegated King Tut thread color: Liberty.  I was very pleased with the over-all effect and the new mom seemed pleased with the gift.

The quilt finished at approximately 46" square, cotton top and flannel back.  Machine pieced and quilted by me using both my Janome machines and my New Joy quilt frame.

*Several of the photos were taken with my cell phone and the lighting/quality wasn't as good as the ones taken with a regular camera and natural lighting.

Playing with an Idea

I stumbled on a logo design site and I'm playing with some ideas...

Tangible Love

I often feel like I don't have a lot of gifts that God can use to bless others, but a quite a few years ago a dear woman offered me the chance to use something I love (quilting) to bless others and it changed a lot of things in my life.  It gave me the opportunity to make love & prayer tangible through thread and fabric and a bit of time.
It also taught me that a 'yes' to God is never wasted and even when we think it small, He can transform it into so much more.
So I said another small 'yes' and made this quilt - with more prayer than probably any other one I've made - perhaps because of the size it allowed more time to pray.  There was the piecing of the top, the pressing, the quilting at the frame and approximately 270 inches around by hand for the binding - many hours of prayer poured out at the Throne of Grace on behalf of people I don't know well but that God has put on my heart in a special way.  Time very well spent and fervently offered as service to the One who can touch hearts, minds, bodies & souls in ways we cannot know or imagine.

Scrappy version of a pattern called "Take Five"

The top is machine pieced cottons and the back& binding is flannel.  Machine quilting done on my New Joy Gold Frame w/ the Janome 1600P using King Tut variegated threads -- "Freedom" (blue/cream/red) on top and "Sands of Time" (cream/beige) on bottom -  in an edge-to-edge leaf design. 

As this was my last project for the quilt ministry at our former church, I am praying it will bless the people who will receive it in a very real way.

Quilt Ministry Baby Quilts

**Photo Intensive Post**

Other than the 2 quilts I'd done for the twins born last year, I hadn't had opportunity to get many of the baby quilts finished.  A dear woman I serve with monthly is about to become a great-grandmother and that event (probably happening this week!) was a catalyst to not only quickly create a very special quilt for the soon-to-be-born great-grandson, but also to finish up some of the other projects I've had hanging around.
I do have one more large special project that isn't quite finished yet and that may get it's own post... or not... it's emotionally special for me and I may just keep that private.

First is the newest quilt - for Elijah Robert - who will (Lord willing) arrive safely later this week.

The quilt is an enlarged version of a block I had seen a long while back and I transformed it into a full size quilt pattern - sort of an intertwining ribbon design.  It is made with 100% cotton quilting fabrics for the top in animal/Africa/safari prints that I just love.  The back is an all-over animal print flannel that should be snuggly for a small boy.  It is quilted edge-to-edge on my New Joy Frame with the Janome 1600P, using KingTut "Pharoah's Treasure" variegated thread in shades of green/gold/burgundy in an all-over leaf pattern.  The top is machine pieced and the finish binding is done by hand.

Next are 4 quilts that haven't been made for anyone specific as far as I know, but have been prayed over for whatever precious child God will allow them to be given to in the future.
First up are two 'girlie' quilts.  Both were made when the quilt ministry was in the capable hands of others and I just had opportunity to work on and finish them.

This one was machine pieced and sent out to be quilted by another generous lady with a giving heart.  It is all cotton, pieced front and back with an all-over large meander design.

Here we have a simple design, machine pieced in sweet small print cottons and then hand quilted in double heart designs and some outline work on the chenilled blocks.

The colors in these photos are very off - the closest one is the last one.  This is a full flannel quilt - both front and back.  Simple 4 patch blocks are alternated with solid squares and machine pieced and quilted in a broad line grid. The colors are soft 'baby' greens, yellow and big eyed owls.  So cute!

This was such a fun quilt to make - I adapted a pattern I'd seen in a magazine and built the colors off the backing fabric.  When you are working with mostly donated materials, you sometimes have to wing it.  We had this large piece of John Deere themed fabric and it was great for a back.  I dug through the stash to find fabrics that would coordinate and put this together.  It is in an all-over 'raindrop' pattern (again on my New Joy/Janome set up) using KingTut "Sands of Time" variegated cream/beige thread.  All cotton fabrics, machine pieced and the binding is scrappy and hand-finished.

Special thanks to my very helpful daughter for helping me with all the photos out in the chilly sun-porch.

May God richly bless each little one who will be receiving these gifts of prayer.

Blessings,

Chenille Dishtowel - scrap/stash buster project

A few weeks ago I was visiting a dear friend and she was so excited to show me this very awesome project that one of her sisters had created.  A chenille dishtowel!  So clever and handy and useful - just my idea of a perfect little project to use up odd pieces of leftover fabric (or that random piece of fabric that you really don't know what you were thinking when you acquired it).
When I got home I googled for a 'how-to' and what do you think?  The first link I found was to her sister's blog with the tutorial right there!  So marvelous! She has lots of clever and nifty things on her blog - you should absolutely check it out!  Olive Leaf Journal

So on to my attempt.  I randomly grabbed some fabric and roughly cut a big rectangle for the back then layered the 3 slightly smaller pieces on top.  I used my walking foot and stitched through all the layers in a diagonal row pattern - trying to keep them roughly even without measuring or marking.  The next one I make will absolutely have more real measuring and perhaps some marking. I then used my big shears to slash through the top 3 layers between the stitching lines - being careful to NOT cut the back piece (light purple w/ flowers).  After I had the cutting finished, I folded/pressed and stitched the backing as a binding.

Then I tossed it into the wash with a few times with other laundry to give it the chenille effect.

It came out great and I mailed it off (as a surprise) to my friend for her to use since she was the one who had given me the idea in the first place. :-)

Now I need to make a few for myself.

Happy sewing!