My Quilt Story...and a little giveaway!

My baby clothes quilt is featured on  Quilt Story today!
So, I think a giveaway is in order!
I have 3 copies of Quiltmaker 100 Blocks Magazine Volume 7 from May which features my pagoda block and 99 more lovlies!  And, I will have to spend some time shopping for the perfect fat quarter or two to go with the magazines, between now and then!

Here is one of my quilt tops from my pagoda block.


Hop over to Quilt Story with the above link, then leave me a comment here about which part of the Baby clothes quilt you like best.  Leave me a second comment if you are a follower or become a follower of Simplify and Quilt.  A third chance to win will be based on you becoming a follower of Poodles in the Stash at http://threepoodlesquilting.blogspot.com/ .  Leave me a comment here about that as well!  I will draw three winners on Wednesday afternoon, sometime after 5pm. 

A Finish and The First Quilt I Ever Made...

Here is the completed baby clothes quilt.  It went with its owners just a few days ago.  I really think it came out beautifully and they seemed VERY happy so I am thrilled!

Then, yesterday, I helped my husband clean out the garage which was wayyyy over due!  I came across a box that was labelled Winter Clothes,  but when I opened it, this was the first thing I saw...

It is the first quilt I ever made, circa 1990.  I have been looking for it for months and obviously, it was not in any of the boxes labelled as bedding or linens. 
It is made out of drapery samples and a few fabric scraps from my mom's sewing stash.  The green was purchased especially for the quilt.  My Grandmother supervised its' construction.

It was then taken to "Cat's Paw Quilting"- a woman in Los Alamos who had a long arm in her home.  She quilted it and bound it for me. 

Here is a close up but you still can't see the alternating hearts quilt pattern that I have since done freehand on a quilt that I did a few years ago.

This fabric, in the top middle has always been my favorite one.  Sorry, I didn't get a better picture, it is a bird and flowers.  You can see the quilting a little better here.

This quilt is worn thin as my husband and I have always used it on our bed until just a few years ago. 
I think I will try to find a place to hang it or some other way to display it.  This quilt means more to me now than I ever would have imagined upon making it.  I think I will make a label for it since it has gone all these long years without one.  The label will have more special information on it now than it would have back then anyway.

Baby clothes and Hawaii Sunset

I have been working on my Hawaii Sunset quilt in the evenings.  It is slowly coming together.  I am pinning almost every seam while adding those flying geese borders.  Tedious but I want the points to come out well.  I traded blocks with Andee and Amy for these and, while we are all pretty good seamstresses, our flying geese have slight variations in size.  I absolutely love the way this quilt is coming out and am hoping to get it ready for the state fair which means I have to have it ready in JULY!  Better get moving.

Here are a couple of blocks from the baby clothes quilt I am making for a customer.  I think it is coming out very well also!  I now have all thirty 18 inch blocks made.  Need to finish trimming them and get them put together.  This is my priority this week since it needs to be finished by the first week in JULY. 

I think I will be quilting this one with just an all over meander so that I can go around the buttons, and appliques.  It is a very heavy quilt since most of it is flannel and t shirt material that all had to have interfacing added to the back.

 I am also fitting in customer quilting so I am keeping very busy.  Haven't been to the grocery store in a while.  Last night was tuna casserole because Tuna was the only meat in the house :).

And, here is how I began my day today.  I was thinking about going running which I haven't done in about a week and a half but when I got up, I noticed that two toes on my left foot were very sore-must have kicked something yesterday but don't remember.  So, I harnessed up my poodles and we went for a walk in the park.  Oliver, on the left, is gaining way too much weight since he is taking his seizure medicine.  Gotta get him slimmed down a bit. 

How do you like that twisted leash?  They play May pole the whole time we are walking. 
Guess I better get moving on all these July deadlines...
Happy stitching!

Dr. Who craziness...

My daughter is CRAZY about Dr. Who.  Her 15th birthday is just around the corner-we went shopping for some of her presents the other day because some things she just has to try on!  She chose a tardis t shirt dress and red converse-specifically for a school drama club event- and a t shirt and Dr Who wrist bands.  All of these items are for her birthday.  However, I am constantly trying to get the girl to carry a purse so that she can keep track of all of her electronics etc.  So, today I pulled out the blue Kona and went to work.  The words are embroidered with my embroidery machine, windows are wonder-undered on and then a straight stitch around the edge, and the black is satin stitch on my regular machine.  It was just a pattern I had stuck in the closet.  I shortened the strap considerably and I am still not sure it is short enough. 

I added the inside pockets that were part of the pattern but I made them out of some of my London themed fabric that is actually meant for a quilt for my sister that I will get to some day...

I have to say that I am very happy with how it turned out.  If she doesn't like it enough to carry it, I might have to...So, there will be a little surprise for her birthday, this and a Dr Who wallet that I ordered from the UK because I couldn't find it anywhere in the US. 

These are some of the blocks for a quilt I am working on for a customer.  It is made from all of her daughter's baby clothes.  The blocks take a LONG time to trim the clothing items, iron interfacing on the back, and trim to a usable size and then put together.  There are six 18 inch blocks here.  I think I need 30 or maybe even 36! 

Here are three more... they all still need to have their final trimming. 
I think it will be late in the week before I get a day to work on these again. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring!