Thursday, May 26, 2016

Filling the Gap

Lots of "everyday crap" happening in the past 2 months since I last posted. Of course, spring time is the busiest time for substitute teachers, so that's kept me out of trouble and out of my sewing room. I also put in 3 weeks of working with 1st and 2nd graders with state-mandated tests. Spring is my favorite season, but it's never a relaxing one for teachers. Our Spring has been, for the most part, a wet and chilly one. We were still running the furnace last week!

Since I couldn't be outside in the garden or walking the dog on those wet, chilly nights, I propelled myself up to my sewing room! Yes, there is a silver lining with Mother Nature and her moods! I found a quilting improv block that I liked by Christa at Christa Quilts. I enjoyed making one so much that I continued on and made 8 more for a baby quilt. I used many of the same fabrics from the Tula Pink City Sampler blocks, but chose the "boy" colors.


Above are 2 of the 9 blocks.
These gave me very good practice with getting those corners and points just right!
 
 
A photo of them arranged together, before the stitching together and the borders.
Love my purple-polka-dotted feet?
 
Sewing them together was a breeze and I even enjoyed the quilting and binding steps!
I think I'm getting hooked on this quilting thing.
Somebody once told me that could happen.
 
Then on one of the first sunny mornings, I took my finished quilt outside for a photo shoot. Shoot, I think they turned out pretty good!
 
My label!

The pieced back.
 
The front.

And another front shot.
 
I used a simple cross-hatch to quilt it together.
 

 
Leaving you with a photo of Miss Sophie.
She does NOT like her photo taken (kinda like her mama).
In fact, her facial expression rarely changes.
I snapped this one when I asked her, "Are you hungry?"
 
Yes, yes, she was hungry.
 
 
*Thank you to Lara at BuzzinBumble for encouraging me to get another post up!
Have you heard about her newly published book Crafted Applique?
Check out her blog!

8 comments:

  1. sophie... of course you're hungry. It takes a lot of energy to look so cute
    LeeAnna at not afraid of color
    with an equally hungry poodle

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  2. Kathy, I was so happy to see your post in my email. I'll have to nag you more often, LOL. You sure have had a busy spring! I love what you did with Christa's block - it made a really great quilt. Nice mix of colors and fabrics too.
    Little Sophie is so adorable that she doesn't need to change her expression. She probably learned that this one will get her everything her puppy heart desires. :)

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  3. A beautiful quilt, adorable dog, and I LOVE the name of your blog!!!

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  4. My daughter is swooning over cute little Sophie. Oh my, what a face! Your improv stars made a fantastic little quilt. I'll bet the stars were fun to make, too. I totally hear you on Spring being our busy time. May is a difficult time in school - no matter what role you play. This has been a very tough May for my school, with all sorts of personal crises among staff (three of us have had children or spouses in the hospital for long stays this month) babies coming early, and a water contamination issue which triggered a no air conditioning isse (just at the temps hit 80!) SO! I feel ya! Hang on, Summer is right around the corner.
    I look forward to following you!

    Tami

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  5. Well I for one am very pleased to see a new post with SUCH a pretty quilt! That Sophie is too cute; reminds me of my brother's dogs, Sam and Sophie! Your Sophie is a combo of Sam (black and white) and Sophie (white with a bit of tan). Yay for Lara bugging you, and oh boy, do I clearly recall the craziness of May and June as a teacher...glad that crap is out of my life...it was good crap for the most part, but it's good to be done. :-) Do you have a baby in mind for this terrific quilt?

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  6. Sophie is a cutie. I was reading Sandra's blog and just had to come check out a blog where the name ended in 'everyday crap'. I can SO relate to that.

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