fabric shopping with a new friend

I can't remember exactly when but some time ago (at least a year) a fellow quilter/blogger and I figured out we both grew up in the same little city, Spokane WA. (I live just outside Spokane, but I always say I am from Spokane) Leigh lives in Utah and was in town last week with her family on vacation. We were able to meet up for lunch and some fabric shopping....we both had a great time. I can't say I have ever shopped specifically just for fabric with someone before and I could easily see myself doing it again with Leigh....I don't recall many lulls in the conversations...we talked about blogging, family, kids, religion, Spokane, quilting...you name it...I had a great afternoon and we were both kid free! :)
Some of the fabric I picked up are these beauties....I LOVE LOVE LOVE these clocks!! So stinkin cute! I showed it to my husband and he immediately could pick out a clock that he remembers his Grandparents having....I already have set aside some of this for my doll quilt swap partner as a goody to go with her mini.

And these glasses, my daughter just loved them....she picked out a pair that look similar to hers.

If I am ever in Salt Lake I will have to do some fabric shopping with Leigh....it is more probable that she will be back in Spokane sooner then I would go to Utah (you never know though) and I hope we can do it again....it was so nice to put a name with a face and a voice and just chit chat in person....thanks Leigh!

quilt for the camper

I made another quilt this week, this one is for the camper.....I backed it in snugly, warm flannel. All the fabrics for the quilt front except the solids were given to me last summer from my bff's mother-in-law Cynthia. (Hi Cynthia!) I call Cynthia my fake mother-in-law, I guess faux mother-in-law sounds prettier. My mother-in-law passed away 2 years ago, so I adopted Cynthia for myself as her "sewing" daughter-in-law because her 3 daughter-in-laws do not sew/craft. Last summer she gave me a TON of fabrics from her stash, a TON! She also gave me all the left over fabrics she had from making a few of the grandson's camping quilts....so I used those leftovers for a quilt for our camper, ta da!!

All of the print fabrics are from the same fabric line. I was coming up a bit short after I had already started cutting so I ran to JoAnn's and found some solids that coordinated, I think it turned out really well. I'm sure we will put it to good use this weekend, it is supposed to be a bit chilly and damp.....but of course, it is Memorial Day weekend, why would it NOT rain! :/

gift revealed...

This past weekend my hubs and daughter flew down to Arizona for our niece Cindell's graduation from Northern Arizona University. The following pictures are of her graduation gift. I made her a throw using the snowball block with Heather Bailey's Pop Garden and Bijoux fabrics, she loved it!

up close

Here is the quilt before it was quilted by Christina. I met Christina "online" about a year ago, I love her blog, her photo's, her quilts and she does some longarm quilting too. She lives in Vancouver, WA and I was able to meet her in person on my trip to Portland in March.....she did such a great job!

Here is Cindell after opening her gift last week, I am so glad she liked it! I thought the bright colors and feminine prints fit Cindell, so did she!

Congratulations Cindell!!

EDIT: top 3 photos are from Christina too, thanks!

To Pam from Kristine

I sent off the placemat for my swap partner Pam last week, yesterday I received an email that she got it, yeah it arrived safe and sound to Florida!
Pam mentioned she liked greens, blues and aquas.....after looking through her flickr favorites I noticed she liked the "wonky stars", stacked coins and zig zag patterns....so I thought to myself "self, I think I will make her a little sampler". This is what I came up with.

I must say I actually like it better vertically, Pam I hope you like it, I enjoyed making it for you!

she liked it!

My BFF Cheyenne opening her birthday present I made her. :)

She loved it!

I finished another quilt top yesterday, this one is a special gift for a special someone in May. I am going to meet up with Christina while in Portland this week and she is going to quilt it for me. I know it will be a hard one to give away but I can't wait!

pattern test

Recently a friend of mine mentioned in her blog that she had a new pattern that she was working on, I volunteered to "pattern test" for her, is this not the cutest wallet ever!?
I really enjoyed making this, it can hold your keys, your id, several debit/credit cards and even has a little coin purse with a zipper. :)

I had never made anything before that needed a snap, I was a bit intimidated but after doing some pounding and a little bit more pounding (enter husband curious for the pounding coming from the sewing room) I got it finished.

I used up a little bit more of my au.then.tic fabric. You can buy the pdf pattern here.

don't look!

I made another one of these lovelies, "French Roses" soft edge applique quilt by Heather French. This is a birthday gift for my BFF Cheyenne who the title is written for. I told her not to look at my blog until after I see her on Saturday unless she wants to spoil the surprise....she won't look, I know it. :)
This is the 2nd one of these I have made. I made another one in August for my friend Nissa's birthday as well. They are SO easy and after several washings and dryings the edges of the raw applique just look so vintage and cozy. I still need to make one of these babies for myself.

All of the fabrics are from Heather Bailey's "Freshcut" line that is being discontinued, it is made up of lovely, feminine prints....all of Heather Bailey's fabric lines are lovely and feminine. :) There is also an Amy Butler dot here and there and a few other miscellaneous prints from my stash for the leaves, LOVE using stuff from my stash!!

Another raw edge applique quilt on my "to do" list is here. Isn't that awesome? I have a baby quilt to make for a former co-worker having a little girl in August, I have another raw edge applique quilt pattern up my sleeve for that one too...more on that later.......

friendship bag and friends

I had a nice weekend! Friday I received my friendship bag from Kathleen, I LOVE this bag!!!! I had seen it on flickr and fell in love with the entire thing....cuff, bag and button, just darling!! In it she had these cute little finger puppets for my kids...I had to hunt them down to take their picture...

I also had a few chances to hook up with some girlfriends, that does not happen very often and especially twice in one weekend. The first picture is of my good friend Tari and I at this awesome pub in Spokane called The Elk, yummo!! It was so nice to catch up face to face instead of over the phone or email...she lives in North Carolina now with her little family so we don't see each other very often....Saturday night I went out with my SIL, her bff and another friend Sheila...Spokane has a piano bar now and this was a BLAST, I had so much fun just kickin up my heals to dueling pianos of all things...we had a great time as you can see from the picture....

gift for Nissa

I made this quilt for my girlfriend Nissa's birthday...I think she liked it! :) I am going to make another one for a girlfriend's birthday in March :) and then I need to make one for myself because this was a hard one to give away!!!! I have another set of friends....4 of them.....might need to make this for a Mother's Day gift for each of them this year...not sure if I will have the time, energy or $$ to whip out that many for Christmas....we will see!