red, purple & gray

Posted on July 25, 2011

I’ve been having such fun making this quilt! The color palette was inspired by a page in a Crate & Barrel magazine from last winter. I pulled out the page, but then promptly lost it (or perhaps saved it in some very special – unknown! – spot).

Anyway, I pulled out lots of fabrics – both solids and prints – in reds, purples and grays for this quilt. I have always liked the look of the Munki Martians quilt I made a while ago and decided to make something similar in this color palette.

I like the idea of using a solid and a print in the same color. I limited the improv blocks to just reds and purples – solids and matching prints, then added a dark gray border to each. It’s all sashed in a medium gray, which is a mix of a Kona solid and two prints in the same medium gray color. I’m excited about how it’s looking!

Posted in Posts about Quilts | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

a mobile out of fabric scraps

Posted on July 22, 2011

Just a cheap and cheerful little project. And a way to use up a few more fabric scraps! (love that!)

Max absolutely loves his fish mobile which hangs over his crib. He can spend quite a long time chatting it up with them as they spin around. I’ve wanted to get him a second mobile for him to look at while he’s downstairs, but kept thinking that I should make one.

Well, yesterday was that day – I grabbed a few fabric scraps and cut out some heart shapes. I sewed them together, sewing in a thin ribbon at the top of the heart. Then I just tied each heart to the inside of a wooden embroidery hoop and tacked it to the ceiling.

If I had spent more time on it, I might have made it look a bit more professional and a little less, um, thrown together, but I’m actually pretty happy with it overall. I like that it took literally no time, it used up some scraps and other craft supplies I already had on hand, and best of all, Max totally loves it.

Yay for quick projects! (Especially when they provide so much entertainment!)

Posted in baby, Fabric | Tagged , , , | 31 Comments

scrappy quilts?

Posted on July 19, 2011

So I pulled out all my fabric scraps the other day because they’re getting a bit out of hand and are starting to overflow their enamelware confines. It’s definitely time to make some quilts out of scraps! After letting Max play with them for a while, I sorted them into colors and I have high hopes of using them in a couple projects.

My first thought is to use them for blocks for this fun Summer Sampler quilt. I’ve never made a sampler quilt, so maybe it’s time?! I’m loving the look of this one, and I’m a fan of the ladies who have organized it (Faith, Katie & Lee). I already missed the first week, but now that I have all my fabric scraps out, I’m sure I can get caught up!

I’m also thinking that the longer strips could be fun in a quilt made out of Alissa’s block of the month, which was just posted over at Sew Mama Sew.

I particularly love how this one simple block can be used to create so many great designs. Alissa showed these great variations over at Sew Mama Sew. I can’t decide which one I like best, though for now I have my eye on either the first or last in the second row. We’ll see!

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Of course then I start thinking about how I could skip the scraps and make either of these quilts in some of the fun new fabrics that are out now, which of course is just my way of justifying another fabric purchase. The fact that Sew Mama Sew just sent out a coupon code doesn’t help either (15JULYPICNIC for 15% off in case you’re interested!) Oh, and while we’re talking sales, Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics is having her summer sale, and I noticed several prints I’d like to own… and I guess this is how the scraps keep multiplying!

Posted in Fabric, Quilt Blocks | 18 Comments