Big Boy Room

Amidst all the cars, sea of Legos, video games, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, soccer, karate, laser tag, did I mention video games?, just sometimes I'm able to do something with my boys that actually interests me as well as the boys.  A few summers ago I was working on a project and Thing 1 said he wanted to sew something.  Of course, that prompted Thing 2 to want to participate as well.  I proposed they help make a quilt for Thing 3.  It look well over a year, but the boys stitched all these car blocks and road sign blocks for their baby brother.  I handled the piecing and quilting but what a special project to work on with the boys and to have for the youngest of the family.  Of course, this called for a room makeover, converting Thing 3's room from a little boy room to a bigger boy room.  The finished piece is now proudly hanging on his wall.

 

Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen cross stitch projects hang over the new dresser.

This adorable kid table has been passed around the family quite a bit.  It was in my hubby's room when he was young, I believe it spent some time in storage to then be dug out for my nephew's room.  It has now made it to Thing 3's room and looks so cute!

The Transportation quilt on the bed was originally made for Thing 1 when his nursery was converted.  We worked on each block together, him deciding which car or truck block we would make next and what color it should be.  It has spent time on the beds of all three boys now.

The name letters were super simple to put together.  A little bit of paint, some striped scrapbook paper and a few top coats and voila!

A special little corner for reading and a few toys.

Thing 3 loves his new room!  I wonder how long the Car theme will last before it needs another update.

Sweet Baby Girl Quilt

Being a mommy of three boys with 4 nephews and only two nieces, it's not very often I get the pleasure of making something girly.  In fact, when the opportunity came up to make a friend of mine at work a baby girl quilt, I jumped at the chance!  I do have some pinks and purples but they are very dated and mainly scraps.  What's a girl to do?  Go shopping!!

 

 Aren't those just yummy?

There are a handful of traditional patterns I have yet to make that are on my "bucket quilt list".  I have always wanted to make a double wedding ring and the dresden plate.  Those two patterns are high on my list to make at some point in my life.  The dresden plate pattern has always felt overly girlie to me so I haven't chosen it...until now. 

The plates are machine appliqued with an invisible thread so it went together quickly.  I kept the quilting very simple.  A sweet flower in the center of the plate, a quarter inch stitching around each petal, a repeat of the sweet flower with a leaf vine connecting them around the plate and a simple zig-zag thru the pieced sashing. 

Many of my projects in recent years have seemed to have a need for speed.  I have always been a girl for tradition.  Especially when it comes to quilting.  Hand quilting and hand applique were the only way to go.  Insert three young men into my life with a career that keeps me hopping and there just isn't time if I ever want to complete a quilt in less than a year...or several.  I started machine quilting after "Thing 2" was born and haven't looked back.  I hope that someday in my future I will be able to get back to quilting my work by hand.  For now pieces will need to be done for speed, and functionality. 

I hope this quilt sees many spit-ups, diaper blow-outs, drool and many, many washes.  It's just as sweet as the baby girl who will use and abuse it.

Shop Hop

Shop Hop.  One of my absolute favorite days of the year!  My bestie and I have participated in the old lady road rally, or Western Washington Quilt Shop Hop for several years.  What could possibly be better than spending an entire day driving from one quilt store to another until you drop! 

For those of you that have never experienced a shop hop, let me explain.  All quilt stores in a certain region participate in Shop Hop.  Each store creates a block all using the same line of fabric.  At each store you receive the block pattern, and the fabric to make the block.  You have a passport that gets stamped at each location.  If you visit 16 stores you can turn in your passport to be entered in a drawing for multiple prizes. 

For us it's not about the blocks, it's really not about the prizes.  It's about spending time with my bestie.  Having time for girl talk.  Visiting some fantastic quilt stores and being filled with ideas and inspiration.  It absolutely feeds my soul.  I wish I could run thru these stores snapping pictures of everything we found, but they tend to frown upon that.
This year I managed to keep myself to three new projects.  Two of which I already had on my list of upcoming projects.  I just found the inspiration and fabulous fabric for them.  I only picked up one new project that wasn't on the project list.  This adorable fabric just jumped out at me to make a travel sewing case. 

This was a leisurely year only making it to about 13 stores in one day but it was filled with wonderful conversation and creativity.  I'm inspired to lock myself in my sewing room and not come up for food or screaming kids outside the door.  No matter how loud they or my stomach are.