Christmas Tree Skirt

I finished off my sisters Christmas gift yesterday.  So excited to cross another thing off my ever growing to-do list.

Seeing that I do not have my tree yet to model the skirt I pulled out my wooden tree. (I love this thing, my mom made it and it goes on my porch every year)

This tree skirt is huge!  It is 60" across.

I love all the colors in this skirt, they are not all traditional but are all really fun.  The back is a plain white lining.

I used the tutorial from Sew Crafty Jess.  Instead of measuring each wedge, though, I made myself a template out of mat board.  If I do it again, I think I would add the batting when I have the wedges in sections of 4 in the quilt as you go method to make it easier to assemble.  I put 2 ties on the skirt, too, out of the fabric I used as the binding.

I love it and I hope my sister will, too.  It is one of her Christmas presents.  Wohoo, another thing off my list!

I am entering it into the 2012 Christmas Quilt Show.  Go and check out all the quilty Christmas fun over there.

I won, Yay!

So I know I just wrote a post that I wont at Helping Little Hands, but I also won recently over at Victoria Findlay Wolfe Quilts.  She had a giveaway and I was lucky enough to win these two reproduction print bundles from Newcastle Fabric. (LOVE!)

Can't wait to play with these fabrics!

Working on my list...

I have been busily sewing along this week.  I have the quilt top done that is a Christmas gift for my sister to give to someone.  And I finished the top of the tree skirt for my other sister.

This thing is huge!  I saw this skirt over at Sew Crafty Jess and thought it was so fun.  The only thing I changed was instead of cutting strips of fabric to cut my wedges from I made a template out of mat board do I could cut directly from yardage.  No to baste and quilt it. (still trying to figure that out... maybe some stippling to make it fun).  I think I am just going to back it in some muslin and I have a fun stripe for the binding.

I won... :)

I was doing a happy dance last week when I got some fun mail... recently I won a giveaway at Helping Little Hands.  Polly was giving away and awesome necklace from Boutique Academia.  She has math and science related jewelry!  How perfect is that for the math and science geek that I am? (Seriously, I love math and physics and can't help that I took many classes for fun in college.)
It came packaged with a cute wire bow.

I chose the constellation Plieades (Seven Sisters) necklace.  I love it!  I am, though, actually thinking of giving it to my sister because I think she will love it, too.  I guess that means I will have to order myself something then.

Thanks Polly!  I love it!

T-shirt Quilt Complete!

It's done... doing a happy dance!

I have finished up the t-shirt quilt that I have been working on and tomorrow I will be bringing it to it's owner.  I have had these t-shirts for a while now and they sat and sat until I broke down and pulled them out and chopped them up. (I was really nervous to start!)  I added lightweight fusible interfacing to the back of each t-shirt and chopped them to about 15"x 14".  I framed out each t-shirt block with blue sashing that I cut at 1.75 inches.  Then, I backed the blocks with my cotton batting and did the quilt as you go method on the t-shirt part with a quick free motion squiggle.

All the t-shirts are from athletic events that he had been in.

Many based in good old NJ. :)

I stitched in the ditch to attach the backing in the main lines across the quilt and around the squares.

All set to head to it's home.

I hope that my friend likes it since I am happy with how it turned out.
Quilt Stats:
64" x 84"
24 t-shirts
Quilted by me, at home, quilt as you go

And yay... I can cross another thing off my 100 Day Hustle list.

Edited to say... He loved it!  Wohoo!  And asked if he could give my numbers to his friends who would want the same.

I am linking up to Connie's Linky Party Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

My slow going hustle

I signed up for the 100 Day Hustle over at Kelsey Sews about 50 days ago and I can't believe we hit the half way point.  I feel like a slacker, or at least I did... the half way point kicked me into getting some major work done.  So here is my list so far;


1. Complete horse show ribbon quilt. - Done! (And sent back to VA)

2. Haunted house mini quilt - Done!

3. T-shirt quilt - I'd say I a close to my half way point...

I sashed each block and added batting. 

I am free motion stippling each t-shirt in the quilt as you go method.  

4. Matt's space quilt -  Have some triangles cut for it.  Hmm... Christmas is coming fast!

5. Mom's blue quilt.  Chopped up a ton of blued into 2.5 inch squares so need to lay it out and get started on it.

6. Finish Mom's hand stitched pillows. - They are at the top of the blue pile now instead of the bottom.

7. Work on my kayak quilt design. - And it still sits waiting... still waiting

8. Patchwork chevron with Lucy's Crab Shack - Nope - this is now a next year project.

9. Christmas charm quilt - This is changing to Christmas log cabin style tree skirt because that is what mom wants and she will be helping - now she wants it to look like Christmas ornaments and it is back to being all on me.

10. Quilt for Aunt Carol for Christmas. - She wants blue, thinking string quilt, but it must get done since I made one for Aunt Viola and will never hear the end of it (haha).

11. Christmas things for my two sisters.  (Thinking edging dish towels and making potholders for some stuff for my one sister and still no idea for the other)

I have added to the list though...

Joined the scrappy stash quilt along... I have 20 blocks done, wont be done in time for link up.

Finished baby strip quilt for fun.
Whipped up some mini granny square pin cushions.  

Gave Aunt Viola a hug with Aunt Viola's Flower Garden quilt  

Created "Chasing Rain" baby quilt.

Joined the Scrappy Swap  (my package is waiting to go)
Joined the postage stamp  swap at Curious Quilter.
Made and donated 3 baby quilts to the church for hurricane Sandy victims.
Halfway done with a baby quilt for another friend and need to make a quilt for his older brother.
Floor pillows for my nephews for Christmas. 

Oh and I need to make a baby quilt to send to a friend in Germany!  She is expecting and we don't think it is a boy anymore (haha).  

Must stop adding to my list and start really finishing things!  

Bye bye hair...

So I have been growing out my hair for a very long time, with plans to donate it when I cut it. Today was the day. Actually, I couldn't take it anymore. It was just too long for me. So I bit the bullet and made the appointment and got it cut today. Just a couple pictures of before and after. She made it look so cute before I left the salon, but having to clean a couple inches of snow off my car when I left made it get wet and curl so at least I know it curls well, haha.  She cut off just over 12' of hair that I will be donating.  It is my second time sending my hair off to a good cause.

Before I left to chop it off.

Last time I had to dry and straighten it
at this crazy length.

Slightly curly and wet from the snow (snow!)

I straightened it.  It had some serious poof
after it finished drying from the snow.  

Anthony's Quilt

This quilt was made a while back, it is Anthony's quilt.  It was my first try at the disappearing nine patch pattern and it was super easy and looks great.
I used a bunch of fabrics with cars and other things that go on it that I had collected because they were too cute to pass up when in the sale rooms.

With the fun patterns, I added in a few solids to help calm down how busy the fabrics felt.  I quilted it with the squiggle stitch over the seams then added the binding by machine (my favorite way).

It is backed it was a large stripe that I did a little piecing to.  (It was too much like a circus tent without the added strip.)  

This quilt was given to Anthony for his first birthday, his whole family loved it.

I'm linking up to Freemotion by the River Linky Party Tuesday  and to Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday. Go check out all the fun link ups!

Happy Halloween

Today is the Halloween in NJ and yesterday I saw my nephews and gave them their Halloween treat bags.  I call the bag my 10 minute tote because that is ll it takes to make them.

I grabbed 2 Halloween prints and a solid, cut out 2 squares of each print and 4 of the solid, and then cut 4 straps.  I sewed them all right sides together then added the lining and straps, top-stitched and tada... a bag was done.

We added in some matchbox cars and treats for the boys.  Love those guys!

I am a Jersey Girl

As many of you may know, I am a proud Jersey Girl. Born and raised. I live in Ocean County and as you may have seen on the news or the internet the shape of the shore has changed forever. People's homes, belongings, livelihoods were all washed away into the ocean this week with hurricane Sandy. I am lucky, my family is lucky, we are all fine. My sisters, parents and I made it through with no damage to our properties only downed trees and loss of power.  But up the road from me, my friends, my neighbors, even other family members were not so lucky.  After over 50 years in their house, my friends parents and grandparents have lost everything. Their home flooded as they were sitting in the living room.  My neighbor is housing her parents and her sister and brother in law because they are not allowed to go home yet, that is if there is still a home to go back to in Seaside. And my Godmother and Uncle are not sure if their home in Lavallette will be there.  I have many more personal stories of friends and neighbors because as you can tell this is my home. My beloved Jersey Shore.

So here is my call for help.  I am asking if you can send a donation... A blanket, a quilt, clothing, toys... Anything.  My area has been devastated and I know that the amazing  blogging community is always willing to step in and help. If you leave a comment in this post I can send you my address.  I will make sure that donations go where they are most needed.  Also Jennifer at Knotted Thread is making quilts to send home to NJ, too.  You can help by sending her quilt blocks.

I already have a lap quilt and two baby quilts ready to go along with some blankets that I have been saving.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite memories of Seaside. As a child, every Easter Sunday my dad and I would go to Seaside to buy our ride tickets for the summer because they were buy one get one free. I would always weary Easter dress and bonnet.  I loved walking on the boardwalk all dressed up.

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Wohoo!  It's time for nominations for Blogger's Quilt Festival!

I have my Chasing Rain Baby Quilt (number 195) in the festival, but there are so many amazing quilts entered.

I have been so inspired by so many of the quilts that I will be a sewing machine over the next few months!
You should check them all out!