Finishing things up

This past January, I made it my goal to finish all my half-completed projects, before letting myself start new ones.  I don't know why it's so hard to get them out of the drawer and finish, but boy does it feel good after I'm done.  Kinda like cleaning bathrooms, I guess.  =) 

This baby quilt (available in my Etsy Shop) was a fun project for me to improve my paper piecing skills.  Kite Tails is a free PDF pattern by Amy Friend of During Quiet Time.

The colors are just so fresh and soft.  Perfect for a sweet baby girl, I think.

After making Audrey's purple quilt, I used leftover 2.5" strips to make this twin size quilt.  I seriously love it.  When I started quilting this one, I thought I was fairly good at FMQ (free motion quilting), but once I started in on the loop pattern, I realized how much room for improvement I have.  But I still think they are charming.  =)

This throw-size Dutchman's Puzzle quilt top has been sitting for at least 3 years.  The fabric is a mixture of Ruby (by Bonnie and Camille) and other scrappy reds and aquas.  Can you tell they are my favorite? (right up there with black stripe binding. =)

My WIP (work in progress) list is shrinking rapidly, and my Etsy Shop is re-stocked.  I work so much better when I don't have a bunch of unfinished projects hanging over my head.  How about you?
 

Baby Quilts

This past week I added a few Crib Quilts to my Etsy shop, and gifted one to a friend of mine who just had a baby.  It felt good to finish up a few things.  And looking at all these quilts, it's is impossible for me to choose a favorite out of the bunch. 

This first black PLUS quilt is backed in a large-scale floral, and is the perfect combination of modern meets romantic, making it simple and timeless.

I especially love this next one.  The color of the backing is fabulous.  It's an amazing tangerine color, from the fabric line Wee Wander (called Summer Ride in Melon) and is covered in whimsical dancing horses and little girl riders. 

Gray PLUS quilts have such a soft look to them.  Especially this one, with it's powder blue backing fabric - full of all the things little boys love: trees, puppy dogs, and swings.

  

And for my friend's baby (they named her Penelope Jane - isn't the that sweetest?), I switched things up a little.  Still the classic black and white PLUS front, but with a super delicate powder blue polka-dot on the back, and a bold splash of Miss Kate red scallops for the binding.

So that's what I've been working on lately.  And boy does it feel good to finish things up and get to mark them off my {long} list. How about you?

 



The start of an Etsy Shop and Grand Opening Discount!

I know I've been talking about opening an Etsy shop for quite some time.  And since it doesn't make sense to just look at this gorgeous stack of quilts forever (though I'd love to!), today's the day to share this handmade wealth, and let these quilts make other homes happy and cozy.   Feel free to head on over if you want to take a look. 

Etsy Shop: RedRainbootsHandmade

 

Also, to celebrate the grand opening of my shop (yay!), I'm offering $15 off your purchase, with the code "HAPPYDAY15".

(through Tuesday 9/2/14)

(here's a peek)
:: twin size 

:: throw size

:: crib size

Aren't they fun?

 

:: A quilt for a very special cause

I recently made this Baby/lap quilt out of my Arcadia scraps from the Square One quilt I made awhile back. 

I donated it to a special auction on Instagram that @CraftersForCourage organized to raise funds for CourageWorldwide.  They were raising money for Courage House - a home for minor girls rescued from sex trafficking.  They desperately need fund in order to help more girls, and it was such a special thing to be part of.

Quite a few people donated handmade items, there were many generous bids, and over $5600 was raised for Courage House.  The very sweet Theresa (@luckyhanks) placed the winning bid on this quilt, and it was sent off to her a few days later.   And now it's freshly washed, crinkled and put to good use in it's new home.

Quilt Info:
Pattern - "Square One" out of Camille Roskelley's book Simplify
Fabric - Arcadia and some Moda Bella cream
Backing and Binding fabric: JoAnn Fabrics

:: "First" Quilts

"First" quilts are unique.  Full of mistakes and imperfections, but also full of lessons learned,

skills aquired, and a love discovered.

 

Really, the very first quilt I pieced, quilted and bound was this one. I'm almost embarrassed to show you, but it does need to be given a special honor, as this quilt was the catalyst to my quilting career.

It's not necessarily colors I love, but it was a great beginning "block-of-the-month" quilt I did at my local quilt shop. And feeling the need to finish it (ie - learn to machine quilt, buy a quilting foot, and figure out how in the world I make a binding!) was what got me going. I learned so much on this quilt. And for that, I love it.

This next quilt was also a "first" for me.  The first baby quilt I ever made. And the first quilt I ever gave away.

I made it for a childhood friend of mine who just had her first baby girl. Before she went into labor she didn't know what she was having.  So once the baby was born and we found out it was a girl, I hurried to buy the fabric. I think I cut, pieced, quilted and finished it in 1 week! I was so excited to make this for her and get it mailed off to Maryland.

 

pattern:  Sweet Pea by Camille Roskelley

fabric:  Sunkissed by Sweetwater (Moda)

quilting:  loops and daisies

Ellie also made her "first" quilt almost 2 years ago (when she was 4).   She would sit on my lap at the sewing machine and piece together the squares, "just one more, Mom...just one more."   When I put a label on the back, she insisted on naming her quilt Liz.  I think cause the fabric line was called "Bliss".

 

 

This was anoter one of the first "real" quilts I machine quilted.  I really like those daisies 'n loops.  They are so feminine.

Hope you're not getting tired of all these quilts.  There are a few more to come!

 

-Julia

:: Baby Quilt #2 - Houndstooth

So now that you know about the baby girl quilt I made, it's time to talk baby boy quilt.   Before Blaize was born, we hardly dared to hope it might be a boy.  And even though NOT finding out what we were having was hard... Oh, it is so incredible at the end!

And after seeing this pattern, I knew I wanted to make a houndstooth baby quilt.

The backing fabric was a vintage print of Goldilocks and the 3 bears.  But it was really the bears that won my heart.  Especially "mummy bear".

 

 

I machine quilted it using my walking foot, in a simple grid pattern.  Not too much to make it stiff, but enough to give it texture.

 

 

Baby Blaize sleeps under it every night, and I love seeing that houndstooth peek out of his crib at me every time I walk in the room..  Almost as much as I love seeing his little face peek out above it.  =)

 

Quilt Pattern:  Houndstooth - by V and Co

fabric:  Moda Bella Solids, Bunny Hill Blue

white and background (not sure)