All she needs is Binding

Here is the latest quilt that our group Quilting for Kids has made using this tutorial. 



I just have to finish up the binding tomorrow and she'll be off to the boy in the foster care system.



I can't wait for him to receive it.

If you helped out in making this quilt, you can go over to flickr and tag yourself in it.  I just learned that you can do that.  Pretty cool!



I did straight line quilting in the diamond patterns that you see.  I was nervous about doing it because it seems like whenever I use my walking foot to straight line quilt I always end up with folds because the fabric gets pulled.  I hate that! But I saw Leah Day do straight line quilting as free motion quilting, with a different foot, so I tried it.  The lines are not perfect.  Occasionally wonky and sometimes flat out crooked, but the over all effect is what I wanted.  It was much easier to do it this way, than with the walking foot, where you have to turn the whole quilt so much.  So go check out her method.  I'll definitely be doing it again.


Here's the wonderful people who helped make this quilt.  In no particular order.  Would you go and tell them what a wonderful job they did?

Kelly from http://craftytwinmommy.blogspot.com/
Melissa from http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/
Jenn from  http://knotted-thread.blogspot.com/
Ella from http://throwawenchintheworks.blogspot.com/
Katy from http://thelittlestthistlecraftshop.blogspot.com/
Lisa on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/1145113
Sarah from http://sarahlaucamp.blogspot.com/
Melissa from http://www.achildofthewildblueyonder.blogspot.com/
Deb from http://triostitchstudio.blogspot.com/
Shanna from http://fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/
Toni on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/43767908@N08/
Toni from http://hoosiertoni.blogspot.com/
Danny from http://www.mommyforreals.blogspot.com/
Colleen from http://colleenamareena.blogspot.com/
Christine from http://punkinhandmades.blogspot.com/

If you'd like to join Quilting for Kids, please feel free to sign up! Also, grab a button for your blog and spread the word.  Thank you!

I'm linking up with some great ladies. JAQS Jenna CanoeRidge Quiltstory

Bees

Here's a look at a few of the bee blocks I've sent out the past few months.

This was for the 3x6 Bee, where we each make the same pattern block for each member, but use the colors that they specify.

I saw something similar to this along the way somewhere, and used it as inspiration, but I don't think there is an actual pattern for it. I just paper pieced the "rays."

These are the blocks that I received from this quarter. It was a great "hive." I was impressed with the blocks they made!


I'm also in the flickr group do. Good stitches. You can go on over and join up if you'd like.

These are a few of the blocks that I've sent in.

This was made using the tutorial here from FiTF.

This block is from Quilt Dad called Modern Starlings.

And look at these finished quilts! It is so cool to see my blocks in these quilts. They came together so beautifully.

My Love Grows and Grows Quilt

A long time ago, when I was in kindergarten, I met a girl named Rebecca.

We were friends off and on throughout elementary school, but really became close in middle school.  We became inseparable friends.



We have shared so much in life: kindergarten, sixth grade, high school, and college graduation, we were each other's Maid/Matron of Honor in our weddings, we even started having children at the same time.  I started the tradition of boys in the families and ended up having three.  We thought we would both end up with three boys, but along came the only girl, Zoe.

We even went through miscarriages at the same time.  God truly blessed me when He gave me a friend in Rebecca.

When we were in high school, I made a silly little thing out of a plastic butter container.  On the top was a flower and then when you opened it, there was a long stem with leaves.  On each leaf it said a word, "My love for you grows and grows."



When I saw the design for this quilt, I knew this had to be a quilt for her.



While other friends were BFF's, we were Best Friends "For Always."



I thank God for a friend who knows me better than anyone else, who has been there through good times and bad, and will be there....for always.

And can you believe that when I gave her this quilt, she pulled out the flower that I had made for her almost 17 years ago! The red petals of the flower have faded and now they match the peaches in the quilt almost perfectly.





I even wrote love "for always" on the flower. We are truly blessed to have each other!


Adapted from Stems Quilt Pattern by Fig Tree Quilts

Sneak Peak

I had to unpick about 70 inches worth of free motion quilting on the border. I was soooo frustrated!

Everything was going well. When I checked the back, as I do from time to time, the tension was totally out of whack! I don't know what happened!

Anyway, it's all out, and I started back up and then.... I ran out of thread!

Was hoping to get this all the way finished today, but not so sure now.



Linked with sewHappyGeeek and QuiltStory and SewChatty

So, Sewing is not all Sarah does

I like to make my kids' birthday cakes really special.

We start talking about them weeks before their birthday. They get so excited about their special cake.

Here are the cakes I made for my two older boys this year.

Rylan turned 7 in November, and he is all about Tron Legacy. It's a total boy movie.

I made it using cupcakes and just laid them out in the shape I wanted, then added a few more details. The pictures aren't the best, but it was great in person, just what he wanted.

Nathan turned 5 in December. He is all about pirates. Pirates of the Caribbean or Jake and the Neverland Pirates, it doesn't matter. He's there with his pirate hat on.

So I made him this pirate ship cake. It was actually fairly easy. He LOVED it!

How do you make birthdays special?

Birdie Stitches Quilt Finished!

I finished my niece Hannah's quilt just before Christmas.



I joined in with Little Miss Shabby's Birdie Stitches.



It was a nice relaxing quilt to make throughout the year.  I enjoyed it and when I gave it to my niece, her mother cried.  She loved it.



Hannah loved it, too.  She pointed at each little picture and babbled about it.  It was really cute.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I am sooooo late!  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.

I know I did.  We had so much fun as a family.  It flew by, though!


The quilts were a great hit with my nieces (really my sister and sister-in-law, since the girls are so young still.)


We really were blessed to be together with family and friends.


After that, we hit the ground running.  I've been in four states so far this year!  And my husband is still working his way back home on Monday.  Can't wait for him to get here. 


So, with a new year, a new quilt has been started.



It's something that I saw from Fig Tree Quilts a long time ago. 


I used two charm packs of Buttercup from them as well.  It's all pieced now, except for one last 4 inch piece of white for the bottom.  I can't believe I ran out!


I'll be stopping by the store tomorrow for more of that so I can get it basted before my hubby gets home.  The backing is all ready, so is the binding.  I'll be trying some new free motion quilting on it.  I can't wait to show you!