A sweet blanket for a sweet boy.

I finally finished this small baby blanket for my friend Laurie's son, Alexander. He is a sweet boy who has the greatest baby laugh. I started to work on it in March, before he was born in April, but my machine started to act up. Then we moved and next thing I know it's July and I still hadn't finished it. Thankfully it matches she bedroom set. It's a little crooked like all my quilts are but made with love. Who can go wrong with Classic Winnie the Pooh? Also the picture is not great but it will have to do. Now on to all the squares I'm doing for a family square swap!

A crooked quilt of blue

I saw this pattern earlier this year on Amanda Jeans blog "Crazy Mom Quilts" and I loved the simplicity
of sewing squares upon squares and frayed edges. I found this brown and blue coordinating material at
Hobby Lobby and immediately knew it would be perfect for Ava. Sewing the top was very easy and fun
but the quilting was more of a challenge. Not because it was mentally hard but it meant a lot of pivoting
under the machine. It took a lot longer to do but well worth the wait. This picture is not great, you can't
see the cuteness of the frayed edges and the crumpled look of it. If I ever get a machine with a longer
neck I would love to make this again but not until then. Now on to the next.

Sewing Machine Interview for Sew Mama Sew

What brand and model do you have? Brother XR7700

How long have you had it? For a little over a year.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? $119.00 from Costco

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? Quilts, basket linings, girly things, anything !

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I sew more lately. I have made 3 quilts on it, a few blankets, a wall hanging, some basket linings. I try to sew as often as I can.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I love my machine. It was a great upgrade from what I had before.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? The computerized stitches. I love that it tells me what feet I need for what stitch. I also love that it came with so many accessories.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? The threader seems to give me problems. Still it's better than not having one.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it! At walmart I found a machine for the same price that had no where near the amount of accessories nor stitches. I bought it anyway as I was upgrading from a really old machine and needed to stay in a certain price range. Brought it home and liked it but then 2 days later found my machine at Costco for a better price and all the extras! Was thrilled to take the other back to Walmart and tell them I got a better deal!

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Yes for those who want a good machine at a fair price and are relatively new to sewing to quilting. It's so easy to use it makes new challenges less intimidating.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? The accessories, the stitches, consumer ratings, cost, and will it meet your needs.

Do you have a dream machine? Yes! A Baby Lock Allure

Ava's Quilt

My daughter snapped a picture of me as I worked on her quilt. The idea for this quilt is from one done by Amanda Jean at http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-make-ragged-squares-quilt.html. It looks a little messy with the strings but once it's done and washed it should be a very cute quilt. I like the extra weight it has, it will be nice during the winter. The goal is to finish this weekend so I can work on another quilt inspired by Amanda Jean using blocks made of 9 patches. I cut 180 + patches last night and need to get another 135 done today so I can have enough to make 35 squares, one for every year that have been married! So much to do and so little time.

Being Inspired

After looking at the many many giveaways listed on Sew, Mama, Sew I became inspired to create a project of my own and avoid the beast (Ava's blanket) which I need to finish basting. I used this project to try out free motion quilting but found it to be hard and I think I might not be doing something right. Be that at it may I finished it and this is the result. I am excited to use the notebook although not sure when as I have stoped applying for all jobs until the end of summer. I do plan to oneday take a free motion class to get better at it!

Neptune Mini Quilt

I made this mini quilt using Neptune by Moda and I loved how it came together.  I had a few things about it that I didn't like being the thread but i loved the material and the colors.  I did decided after it was done never to sew when I am tired.  It caused some problems but all in all I like it and hope she does as well.  Now to finish the twin size quilt for my oldest girl.  

Squares of Pink

My second quilt made for my second child.  I envisioned this quilt to be a little different than what it became but I love it still.  My rotary cuts leave much to be desired and they squares became smaller and smaller as I tried to get them to be uniform.  As a result I added the white sashes to lengthen the quilt.  As with my first this quilt was a learning experience to me and with luck I'll keep improving!