Monkey See, Monkey Done!

Tomorrow morning my daughters and I leave for a week in Upstate New York to visit my parents, brother and sister.  (Yes, I'm the nut who leaves 80 degree South Florida to go to 30 degree Upstate New York for spring break.  *sigh*)

Saturday will be my sister's baby shower and I finished Baby Boy's quilt this weekend.  I am **SOOO** happy with how it turned out!

Here are some close-ups of those little monkeys, who all match the decal on the wall of her nursery.

I also made a diaper stacker with a monkey on it (using this tutorial).  The green matches the window valances and crib skirt I already made her (and also used for the leaves on her quilt). The polka dots are sprinkled in to all the different items I've made her.  In hindsight, I wish I had made that monkey face a little bit smaller, but oh well!

I also made her a Boppy (nursing pillow) cover -- it's blue on the back -- and a small pillow to put on her glider.  I remember how many hours I spent in my glider as a new mom, so a little lower back support will be nice for her as she rocks her new precious baby boy to sleep.

As a completely random side note.... it was VERY hard not to write Baby Boy's name as I wrote this post.  My sister and her husband have picked a name but they're keeping it a secret (well, not from me, LOL).  I think that's a really wise move, as my 2nd daughter's name changed during my pregnancy because everyone had an opinion.  We needed a "J" name and my husband and I both loved Jaelyn / Jaylyn, but couldn't agree on the spelling (I liked it with an "e" and he liked it with a "y") so we changed it to "Jessica."  It was the right move (she's definitely a "Jessie") but sooooo many people had very strong (and loud) opinions on Jaelyn.... I swore if I ever had another one (which I do NOT plan to do, thank you very much), the name would remain top secret until he/she was born and it was too late to argue :-).

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

One Little Monkey

To call this week "chaotic" would be an understatement, so this post will be short and sweet :-).

In between about a bazillion other things, I did manage to finish one of the little monkeys on my sister's baby quilt.

Here's how the monkey decal looks on her nursery wall:

And here's how he looks on her baby-boy-to-be's quilt:

One down, two to go!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Support Breast Cancer Research & Receive a Free Pattern!

If you have read my blog in the past, you probably know that a good friend of mine (Luanne) and her team (Udderly Pink) are preparing to walk in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day (60 mile) breast cancer awareness walk  in Washington, DC in October.  This is Luanne's 5th time participating in this event and her team has a goal to raise $15,000 in the next few months.  They're well on their way but I recently sent them a box of goodies I'm hoping they can raffle, auction or sell to help raise money for their team.

One of the items was this HOPE quilt, along with a smaller (but similar) version*.  (You can see more photos here, in addition to the two below.)

I have put together a pattern for making these two quilts, and will email a PDF version of it as a THANK YOU to anyone who donates $10.00 or more to my friend Luanne and/or her team.  I know that might seem a little expensive for a PDF pattern, but you're not buying a pattern, you're making a donation to a great cause and receiving a free pattern as a Thank You gift.

Here's how it works:

1. Follow this link, which will take you to the team fundraising / donation page for Team Udderly Pink.  
2. On the bottom left of the page is a table with a list of the team members.  You can click on any name to read more about their personal goals for this event.  (My friend is Luanne, but you can choose any member you'd like.)
3. Once you have selected your team member and are on their page, look for the pink button on the top left that says, "Click to donate to name in 2013."
4. Follow the instructions to make your donation directly to Susan G. Komen on behalf of the team member you have selected.  All major credit cards are accepted.  By going through this site, you know the donation is going straight to the cause and will count for the team member you have chosen.  You will receive a receipt (via email) from "Susan G. Komen 3-Day."  You can use this towards a charitable donation deduction on your taxes and if you work for a company that matches charitable contributions, you can use this form to request a match.  The donation is in your name, not mine, and you know it's going to the right place.
5. Email me a copy of your receipt / donation confirmation email from Susan G. Komen --- my email address is kathydipp (at) hotmail (dot) com.  There is no credit card information in the email, but you can delete out the attachment and any other info you don't want me to see, before you send it my way.
6. Within 2 days (usually sooner, but just in case my computer blows up or something), I will email you back with a copy of the pattern for the 2 quilts shown above.

I know this is a bit more cumbersome than buying from an online shop -- but those shops take a % and you don't get credit for a charitable donation.   If you prefer not to use a credit card online and would prefer to donate via Paypal, email me and we can work that out.  (I'd have you Paypal the money to me, and I would then make the donation on your behalf.)

If you have any questions, please let me know, and thanks in advance for your support of Team Udderly Pink and the Susan G. Komen foundation!


* The pattern details:
The HOPE quilt measures ~ 42" x 58" before washing.  The Baby quilt version measures ~ 42' x 50" before washing.  The pattern is 10 pages long, including the patterns for the "HOPE" letters.  The pattern is a beginner level and goes together very quickly.  It can be modified in numerous ways (colors, lettering, size) to be appropriate for all occasions and personal preferences.  It includes color photos for any steps which are not considered "sewing 101."  

Please note that I am not selling a pattern, I am providing a pattern as a THANK YOU for any donation of $10.00 or more to the Susan G Komen 3-day for Team Udderly Pink.

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

This & That

I finally finished up the last project for my first box of donation items to Udderly Pink, a set of two kitchen towels.  (Come back tomorrow to see how you can help support them, too!)

I got those in the mail yesterday, along with the 2 needle cushions for my 1 Year Blogiversary and 100th Post giveaway winners.  Also in the mail are these 3 table runners, for my friend Adrienne in Phoenix.

The striped runners are for her bedroom --- dresser and nightstand.

The paisley runner is for the TV stand in her living room.

Adrienne picked these fabrics when I visited her in Phoenix in January.

Now that those small projects are done, I have moved on to the quilt I'm making my sister for her new baby's nursery.  The shower is on the 30th and I just started this yesterday.  Whoops!  After the quilt, I still need to make a diaper stacker, a boppy cover, a car seat tent (quilt) and hopefully a few other items.  I've got a lot of work to do!!

She really loved this quilt, but the colors weren't quite right.  So, I made a quilt top with her nursery colors / fabrics and started adding monkeys to match the ones on her nursery wall. 

The background (squares/rectangles) part of the quilt took less than 45 minutes.

Cutting out those monkeys took about 45 hours!

I've appliqued down the 2 tree branches and 1 monkey tail so far.  Once the monkey outlines are complete, I'll add the faces, bellies, ears and some green leaves.  Oh, and a banana :-).

Here's the nursery wall again.... The monkeys on the quilt will match the 3 monkeys on the right side of the window.

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Winners!!

I do have a few projects to share but I haven't gotten my act together to take pictures.... so for this post, I'll just announce the two **WINNERS** from the giveaway I offered last week, in honor of my 1 year Blogiversary and my 100th post.  To enter, all you had to do was leave a comment (or multiple comments) with a suggestion of a small craft project I could make to donate to my friend Luanne's fundraising goal for the Susan G Komen 3-Day (60 mile) walk in October.  There were SOOOO many great ideas, I'm glad the winner was based on Random.org and not me having to choose my favorite!  

Each winner will receive a copy of the pattern I wrote for my Ladybug Hugs HOPE quilt, as well as a machine needle cushion.  Click on "the giveaway" in the paragraph above to read more about those.

Now, without further babbling, the first winner (#11) is NEEDLEDMOM, who said, "Happy blogaversary. Your projects are just wonderful. How about a i-pad or reader cover? Those go up quickly and would be great for adding some cute embroidery too." 

The second winner (#27) is NICOLE, who said, "I think placemats with matching napkins are quick projects."

A copy of the pattern has been emailed to each of them and the needle cushion will be on the way as soon as I confirm their mailing addresses.

Thanks again to all of you who took the time to leave great comments and suggestions.  I can't wait to start making some of your projects!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

100th Post -- Giveaway and Finishes

Yesterday was my one year Blogiversary.  How did I miss that??  This is also my 100th post so as seems to be the tradition on the quilting / sewing / crafting blogs I read, I'm going to do a giveaway.  Actual, two giveaways -- one to celebrate my blogiversary and one for my 100th post.  The prizes are the same for each and details are at the bottom of this post... but you'll have to read about (or at least scroll past) my finishes first :-).

I finished two quilts this week, both of which use a pattern I made up.  I talked about them here, as well.  They will be sent off to my friend Luanne, who -- along with her team "Udderly Pink" --  is gearing up for the Susan G Komen 3-day (60 mile) walk in October (Luanne's 5th one!), to raise awareness of and funding for breast cancer research.  I'm hoping her team will be able to raise some money towards their $15,000 goal with these quilt and a few other goodies I'll be making for her.

This quilt is "cuddle size" and measures approx 42" x 58" before washing.

I really wanted "HOPE" to stand out, so I did a tight stipple on the dark pink and did not FMQ the letters.  I just never get tired of seeing how nicely washing/drying a quilt with cotton batting will "crinkle" it up!

One of the pink fabrics has awareness ribbons on it and another has words like "faith, hope, charity, love."

The back is one solid piece of fabric -- a tone on tone light pink print.  I hadn't planned to take a photo of that but since the wind was blowing, I ended up with one anyway.

I'm hoping I can use this pattern to help raise some additional funds for Luanne's team. This is a simple pattern, which is great for all skill levels and comes together quickly.  While that might be an incentive for some people, I know others (myself included) who would think, "I don't need to buy that, I can figure it out on my own."  So.... to incent those people to consider this pattern, I wanted to include a second size / version.  I did the math twice so you don't have to!  More details soon on how you can support Susan G Komen / Team Udderly Pink and receive a copy of this pattern in return.

This one measures 45" x 50" --- great size for a child, lap quilt or a wheelchair quilt.

I can't use ladybug fabric and *not* take a close-up photo!  

This one is backed with a light lime green flannel, to make is soft and cuddly.

I will be sending both of these quilt to Luanne, as well as this little zippered pouch I made with the help of my new embroidery machine.

Isn't this a pretty design?

I lined the inside with an awareness ribbon print.

The bag took about 30 minutes to assemble, once the embroidery was complete.

I'll also be sending Luanne this cute Vera Bradley wristlet, which is from the breast cancer awareness line.  Is opens up to store credit cards and money.

Now, what I"m sure you've all been waiting for.... the giveaway!!!  I will be giving away two prizes.  Each will include a machine needle cushion and a copy of the pattern I made for the quilts pictured above.  The pattern is a PDF file which I will email, and the needle cushion will arrive via snail mail.  I will ship anywhere in the world!

Sorry for the dark photo -- hopefully you can see that the sections of this needle cushion are labeled various machine needle sizes.  That way, if you change your needle, you can just poke it into the right section and don't have to remember which was the 100/16 or the 90/14 and so on.  Each size / section also has a row for needles used 1-4 hours, 4-8 hours, etc.  If you don't already know this (and you probably do!), the needle size and age/sharpness makes a HUGE difference in your finished product.

How to enter the giveaway:

1. Think of a small project (does not have to be your own idea, can be something you've seen elsewhere) that can be made fairly quickly (under 1 hour at the most, but quicker is better!), that would make a good raffle / auction prize for the fundraiser my friend Luanne is doing.  I'm hoping to make her more items to use at her fundraising events, but quilts take a lot of time and limits the number of items I can produce for her.
2. Leave a separate comment for each idea you have.  One comment = one entry.  There is no limit on how many ideas / comments you can leave.  If you have a link to a favorite idea / tutorial / example, I'd love to see them!
3. You do not have to be a follower of my blog and being a follower does not increase your chances of winning.  (Note: I would *love* for you to be a follower of my blog.... but do so because / if you want to.... not because it'll help you win a prize.  If you like what you see here, please follow!  If you don't, that's OK, too.... you can still share your ideas and be entered to win.)
4. I will use Mr. Random (random.org) to select a winner at 9am Eastern time on Monday, March 11.  Winners will be notified by email and I will post them on my blog later that day.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

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On Friday, I'll be linking up with:
Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for "Whoop Whoop Friday"

Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts for "Finish it up Friday"

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~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Flimsies & A Finish

On Wednesday I showed you a block that said "HOPE."  I'm happy to say the rest of that quilt top is complete.  This is a pattern I made up myself, after being inspired by a quilt pictured in a Joann Fabrics advertisement last fall.  The flyer was advertising fabric (not a pattern) and I saved it for a long time, hoping to use it as a guide.  Of course, when the time came to make the quilt, I couldn't find it anymore.

This top measures approximately 42" x 58" -- the perfect lap / cuddle size.  It came together in about 2 hours, plus the time it took to applique on the letters.  It used 4 pink fat quarters + 1.25 yards of white. 

I also made a smaller version, which measures approximately 42" x 50".  This one uses 3 fat quarters + 1 yard of the background (yellow) fabric and came together in under 90 minutes.  (The rectangles are straight on both of these... it's my photography that is crooked!)

Once completed, these will both be donated to a silent auction, which will raise money for my friend Luanne's Susan G Komen 3-Day (60 mile) walk, which is taking place in Washington, DC in October.  I'm also hoping to sell the pattern, with 100% of the sale price being donated to her team.  Their team's goal is to raise $15,000 in donations prior to the race.

I know everyone comes here for the quilts, but I still want to share the *BEST* finish of the week.... my crossing the finish line of my first ever half marathon!!  It was the Disney (World) Princess Half, held last weekend.  

Pre-race.  I'm in the green skirt.  My friend Luanne (mentioned above) is top left (pink shirt).

Here I am crossing that finish line.  The second "O" is across my nose.

Post-race with my friend Carolyn, who I run with on the weekends.  I may or may not be leaning on her in order to remain upright.  (That's a tattoo on my cheek, not a battle wound.)

Linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~