Forever has arrived!

I was sure the day would never come, but FOREVER has arrived!  What started as a giant box of t-shirts and 4 pair of pants.... over 2 1/2 years ago.... has finally become THIS quilt.  I couldn't be happier!

It measures 85" x 67" and is made entirely of my friend Shaun's clothes (mostly t-shirts) on both the front and the back.  The only exceptions are a few song lyrics he asked me to embroider for him, which I did on a white cotton fabric.

Though not a "traditional" quilt (and certainly not "traditional" construction methods!), this may just be one of my all-time favorite quilts.

Each and every block holds a memory and tells a story for Shaun.  I really can't think of a more special quilt than a memory quilt.

Can you spot the hidden ladybug, hand stitched into the block above?

Quilting this was quilt a workout... it was HEAVY and THICK!  It was equal parts sewing and wrestling, for sure.

For the most part, I quilted along each seam with a wave line and some loops.  I added loops to each intersection, and did a little FMQ in some of the plain filler blocks.

I didn't want to detract from any of the t-shirt designs, so I did not quilt inside any of those blocks.  I also didn't want this quilt to "crinkle" (and distort the shirt designs) so I used a polyester batting, rather than the cotton I typically use.

It is even bound with t-shirt fabric, which was not an easy task!  (Note: Spray starch is my new best friend!)

This quilt is far from perfect in terms of sewing, but it is still a "perfect" quilt --- full of love, warmth and memories for a very special friend.  After all, isn't that what quilt making is all about?

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Goodies

Last month, I joined my first ever swap.  So exciting!  This group has been together for almost a year and they swap mug rugs every other month.  They had an odd number of people so my sweet friend Ida asked me if I'd be interested.  Um, yes!!!

While I was away in New York, my package arrived (early) from Ida.  It took all I had not to open it right away, because I wanted to finish hers before I opened mine.  Hers went in the mail this morning so I finally allowed myself to open the one she sent.

LOVE!!!!

Aren't these fabrics beautiful?  I just love the colors and the ric-rac on the bottom corner.  She's a wiz with her ME (machine embroidery), don't you think??  She even added a heart (my maiden name is Valentine), my blog name and best of all --- ladybugs!!!  There's not a snowball's chance in Florida that a mug will ever sit on this rug, it's just too pretty!

She even signed it for me on the back, which I love.  Ida is the reason I own an embroidery machine, and I will always love to hate her (hate to love her?) for that, haha!

Below is a sneak peak of the mug rug I made for Ida.  I don't want to show the whole thing yet, but she should get it early next week so then I'll show the rest.  Though we obviously used different fabrics, I was amazed at how many similarities there were between them.  It's almost like someone gave us guidelines and we put our own twist on them... but really, the only guideline was "make a mug rug."  I suppose great minds just think alike :-)

The one I made (above) was completed (except for the binding) while I was in New York.  I didn't have a sewing machine, rotary cutter, mat or even a quilting ruler.... all I had was a FQ bundle, my hexie / hand sewing kit and some pieces of craft felt.  The one I made for her was done entirely by hand, except sewing the binding on, which I did when I get home.  I hope she likes it!

Many more updates but one thing at a time.... I still have 7 loads of laundry to do from our trip, and I've been home 5 days already!

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

The Forever Project - Part 2

It was over a year ago that I first posted about The Forever Project.  A friend of mine asked me to make him a quilt with his large collection of concert t-shirts.  I was happy to help, and he mailed the shirts to me in April 2011.  Yup, over 2 years ago.

His only request was that the quilt not end up looking like a giant checkerboard, which seemed logical enough at the time.  I got to work right away ironing fusible interfacing to the back of each design and cutting them out to (more or less) match the size and shape of the design on the shirt.  Then I put them into a drawer.  For a year.

In May 2012, I made some embroidered blocks, with song lyrics he had asked me to include.  Since I was thinking about this project again (finally), I pulled the stack of shirts back out of hiding and laid them out on the top of my king sized bed, which they covered completely.  I started arranging them and realized that I should have spent more time thinking this through.... it is very difficult to attach squares and rectangles into a quilt when every single one is a different size.  Back into a drawer the entire pile went.... for another year.... 

From time to time, I would think about this quilt, try to make it work it my head, but it never came out of the drawer.  About a week ago, I decided enough was enough, I couldn't *actually* take forever to finish this quilt, even though that's the quilt's name -- The Forever Project.  So, back out they came, for the biggest, messiest game of Tetris I've ever played.

Layout 1: Too long, not wide enough.  Too many small homeless pieces.

Layout 27: Getting better, but still not quite right.

Layout 43: If we lose a skull, this may possibly work... 

Layout 92: The skull makes it's way back in!

I ended up printing out that last picture and drawing boxes around the "sections" I needed to create, in order to put this entire quilt together.  I ripped a few seams, made a few more changes, and I think I *finally* have the final layout figured out.  Maybe.  My goal is to finish putting the top together this week, since I'm leaving for 3 weeks in New York on Sunday.  I know I won't have the back done, but I'll sleep much better at night knowing that "forever" may actually arrive!

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Summer Song quilt for Allie

Want to know the best way to make it rain in South Florida?  Let me finish a quilt and want to take some photos of it outside.  Works every time!  We're on day 487 of rain and gloom here.  OK, maybe only 5.... but still a lot when you really want an outdoor shot!   The grass was finally dry enough this morning to take a few photos, but of course, the sun went behind the clouds quickly as soon as I got outside.  My husband is now racing to mow the insanely high lawn before the rain begins yet again.

I found this fabric at Tuesday Morning.  I don't typically make such colorful, busy quilts, but something about these FQ bundles called out to me.  I'm really glad I listened, I think it's wonderful!  I see more color and more "busy-ness" in my quilting future!  The fabric is a Riley Blake design called "Summer Song."  The 2 FQ bundles were similar but one was in the orange scheme and the other in pink.

The quilt is for my younger daughter's BFF (Allie), who is moving far away to Minnesota next week, the day after school ends.  I am so sad for my daughter.  When she was 3, her BFF moved to Israel.  When she was 4, her new BFF moved to northern Florida.  Now, almost age 7, her BFF for the past 2 years is moving to Minnesota.  We wanted to send her away with a really special gift that she could keep forever.

I made a small pillow to match and quilted it all with my go-to "meandering squiggly stuff" in a bright pink color.  It measures 40" x 60" after washing.

I used a bright, striped binding (which also came in the FQ bundle).  This quilt used a total of 12 FQs for the front and about 1.5 more for the binding.  I think I'm in love!

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Better than a finish (but I have a finish, too!)

I have been traveling a lot (unexpectedly) for work, so sewing has taken a back seat... but the one finish I have (and a funny story to go with it), is COMPLETELY trumped by my sister's finish for this week....

Meet my new little nephew, Liam Christopher

Born Tuesday, May 7 (his daddy's birthday!!) @ 2:19pm Eastern

23 days early but still a healthy 6 pounds, 6 ounces

Mommy (my little sister) and Baby Liam are both doing great!

I can't wait to see pictures of him in his nursery, wrapped in the monkey quilt I made him!!

Now the one finish (or set of finishes) I have is a set of pillow covers for my friend Phoenix, who lives in Phoenix.  When I was there (for work) in April, I got to see her house and decide what colors to make (she has been undecided for a year!).  I got them completed and in the mail last Monday, and this was the picture I planned to show you in this post:

Pillow covers (with hidden zippers on the bottom) for two 24" pillows and two 18" pillows.  (She already had the naked pillow forms.)  I decided to buy two 12" forms and make those for her, too.  They're more burgundy than red, with cocoa brown, black and beige.  The 18" pillows are cocoa on one side and beige on the other.

Like I said, they went in the mail last Monday and were scheduled to arrive in Phoenix on Wednesday or Thursday.  On Wednesday morning, my boss called to ask if I could get on a plane (to Phoenix!)  THAT AFTERNOON for a meeting on Thursday.  As dumb luck would have it, *I* got to Phoenix before the pillow covers did!!  It sure was nice to see them in person, though, and take pictures of them on her couch!

You can see a mug rug I made her a while back on the ottoman.

I came home from Phoenix on Friday (yes, 10 hours of flying on 5 hours notice for 11 hours of meetings).  Now I've been home a whole 4 days.... and just found out I'm probably flying back there on Monday.  Maybe I should just leave my sewing machine at my friend's house.... it's not like I have time to use it here in Florida!

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Much ado about not that much

Busy, busy, busy... that's what I've been.  In the past 4 weeks I've been in New York, Arizona and several different parts of Florida.  I've been to Butterfly World, Flamingo Gardens, Animal Kingdom and Epcot Center.  I've cried more times than I can count over the bombing at the Boston Marathon --- as a mother, a runner and an American.  I've taken care of sick kids and a sick husband and now, I'm trying to take care of a sick self.  I've done very little sewing, but that's OK... I'm at home now, with the people I love the most, and counting my blessings every single day.  

Here are some photos of my recent adventures.

We fed the birds at Butterfly World.  Rachel may or may not have enjoyed this.

My younger daughter, Jessica, is in there somewhere under all that hair.

She was quite disappointed when I said it was time to pry the bird off her forehead.

I couldn't let them have ALL the fun :-).

Rachel, Jessica and Rachel's BFF, who I refer to as "Number 3."

Jessica got a monarch butterfly puppa at Butterfly World.

It "hatched" 3 days later and we set it free in our back yard.

If you're looking for a simple way to put your sewing skills to use to support Boston, check out To Boston With Love over at the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild.

I wouldn't call this a "craft project" but I used a Sharpie to make this shirt, which I wore on my run the day after the marathon bombings.  

With only 1 day notice, I made this tote bag for Jessica's BFF, Lotta.  She likes dogs so Jessica picked this fabric from my stash.  She told me Lotta's never had anything with her name on it because it's uncommon, so I got to put my embroidery machine to good use :-).

I was planning to take better photos (these are from my iPhone) but Jessica ran off to deliver it before I had a chance.  I "cheated" and used pre-quilted fabric for the lining, which allowed me to skip the fusible stabilizer step for the outer layer.

Change purse to match.

No trip to Phoenix is complete without a sewing request from my friend Phoenix.  (And I wouldn't want it any other way!)  This is one (of many that I'll get to) pillow cover for her couch.  She bought pillow forms a year ago but couldn't find covers that went with her decor, which has elements of brown, black and beige.  A few yards or corduroy and problem solved!  

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Lots of Travel = Little Sewing Time

My daughters and I had a great visit to Upstate New York last week for their spring break.  We got to spend time with family and friends and threw my sister a beautiful baby shower.  (Photos below)

I've only been back 4 days and on Sunday, I leave for a business trip to Phoenix (again) for a week.  Unfortunately, my sewing machine doesn't travel with me so there probably won't be much to share here for a little bit longer.

I did, however, manage to put together (this week) some birthday gifts for my little nephews, who turned 4 and 6 in March.  Their party is this weekend.  They'll each be getting a little backpack with a personalized towel, plastic tumbler and bottle of bubbles (and a gift card, not shown).

Derek (aka: D-Man) just turned 6.

Aaron (aka: A-Bomb) just turned 4.

Here are the bags (which double as gift bags!) all filled up and ready for a trip to the pool.

They look a lot better in person but it's raining today so I had to take the photos inside.

Though it's not her birthday, I also made a towel for my little niece, Megan, who is 1.

Now I have to figure out a hand sewing project to take to Phoenix with me.  I think it'll be this hexagon project, which I started last year and intended to be a quilt.  When I found out my sister was having a boy I stopped working on it and honestly, I'm not sure I'll ever finish this to a full (even baby sized) quilt.  Any suggestions for what these 1" hexies should become?  Here's one layout I was playing with, but I have (literally) hundreds more fabric hexies cut out and ready to assemble.

And now, a few photos from my trip last week:

Sarah opening her monkey quilt at the shower (with help from my daughter, Rachel).

The precious little boy who will sleep under that quilt.  I'm in love!

So happy I got to be there in person when this ultrasound photo was taken!!

My sister and I.  At 5'6", I'm the "really tall" one, LOL.

I'm not sure why we're both leaning so much... I think I was afraid to bump her belly :-).

With my baby brother at his restaurant (he's the Executive Chef) after the shower.

Jessica and Rachel adore their Uncle Chris!!

And this is what I did after the shower and after dinner.  It was a good day :-).

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~