OLIVER'S BIG BOY BED BLANKET

We recently had the pleasure of a visit with almost two year old grandson Oliver who lives in Nashville. He is cute, smart, kind, a great eater and sleeper and just FUN to be around. The  two older grandkids, 10 year old Stella and 7 year old Sam got to come for dinner and a visit, we are always happy to see them--they are busy kids and even though they live 30 minutes from us, we don't get to see them very often.  Facetime is a blessing for grandparents and grandkids. Having them all together was a good time for all:

Because I will be traveling when his 2nd birthday party happens, I decided to get his gift ready early. This is Oliver's Big Boy Bed Blanket:

 

I saw an ad either on Facebook or Instagram and wondered if it was really as good as it looks. You never know. But after seeing it for a couple weeks I bit the bullet and ordered it. 

It's about 58" x 68", minky fabric both top and bottom, and really cute. It is called the ABC HIDDEN PICTURES QUILT PANEL from Block Party Quilt Company. I ordered their minky for the back as well. It came fairly quickly. 

Find the information here: Block Party Quilt Co.

I simply cut the top and back the same size, placed them right sides together, stitched a half inch wide seam all around the "sandwich", leaving a 10" opening for turning. There is no batting inside, just two layers of minky, so soft and cuddly. 

After turning the "blanket" right sides out, I hand stitched the opening closed. Then I quilted inside the outer edge about 1/2" to make it look like a binding. I quilted around the border separating the pictures from the words. Then I simply quilted a line between each long vertical row of pictures. This was enough. Minky is slippery and there are a few puckers on the back. I decided against going across each horizontal row too as that would only create more puckers.

It washed and dried great, no problems with that. All in all, I was satisfied with it. And the whole thing was done in less than two hours.

Oliver loved it. Did I say he's smart? He quickly picked out the tractors, dump trucks, cats, boots, etc. I hope he enjoys using it on his big boy bed. 

Giving gifts like this is what quilting grandparents do. It was fun to make and I can recommend this product so far. I don't think the colors will fade very much over time. It's not an heirloom meant to last forever, just a gift of love I hope Oliver will enjoy for a few years.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Stella and BB

 We were fortunate to have granddaughter Stella visit for an overnight recently, before she went back to school as a rising second-grader. She is a delightful child, funny, smart, pleasant almost all of the time, and very eager to try new things. 

After lunch the first day I asked her if she wanted to make a quilt. She jumped from the table and went straight to the studio. I had gotten out a large box of 6" squares I have been saving. I used to cut a 6" square from every fabric I bought and sorted them by light, medium and dark. That box:

Stella declared picking the perfect fabrics was the MOST FUN part of the making a quilt. And she was going to make one for herself and one for her 3 year old brother, Sam. I thought we would be lucky to finish one but kept that thought to myself.

I trimmed the squares to 5.5" since most had the selvedge with writing on it still included. I showed her how to operate the Singer Featherweight that will someday be hers. She could even thread the needle--thank goodness! It didn't take too long for her to get the hang of the best speed and keeping the seam straight, more or less:

She listened to instructions and concentrated hard on each step:

Several times she said "Sewing is FUN!" 

She learned to press the seams to one side and that an iron is hot. 

After an hour and half, her six rows were sewn together. We were both tired and it was time to make dinner, another activity she is good at.  The first day progress:

She told me to "make a video, and send it to Sam". You can see her personality here--she has Spunk! I LOVE spunk:

After breakfast the next morning we had to get to work. I showed her how to sew the rows together, stopping to take out the pins, and trying to stay straight. Before long, her top was done. And she was eager to make Sam's quilt.

Each fabric she selected was because "Sam will love this one". Remember, picking fabrics is her favorite part. She decided his would be smaller, because he is 3 and she is 7. 

Once his fabrics were all selected, she got to work piecing his top. And this time she sewed more straight and really knew how to use the machine.

I gave her a few fabrics to choose from for the backs of both quilts. She spent a few minutes making a careful decision on each quilt. I cut the back and batting for hers while she finished piecing Sam's quilt.  The "pillow method" was required for speed--we were running out of time--stitch all around, leave an opening for turning, turn the quilt right side out and the edge is finished. 

Stella learned to tie double knots with yarn used to secure Sam's quilt top to the back. I started straight line quilting hers while she went out to work in the yard with PopPop. When she came in and saw me quilting hers on the Bernina Q20 she wanted to help. She sat in my lap, I pressed the pedal, and she took off happily making swirls and loops on a practice piece. 

We made it, two quilts completely done in less than 24 hours. I gave her a Sharpie and told her to sign them:

The back of Sam's

The front of Stella's, she signed her favorite square

Then she got to show off her work to PopPop:

Sam's quilt

Stella's quilt

She loved the back fabric she picked for her quilt

We had a grand time. I hope she will want to sew some more when she comes to visit again. Kids Can Sew, just let them try. I didn't fret about perfect seams, some are somewhat crooked. She was being creative, we were spending time together, and that's all that matters.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

We Have Visitors!

 It's Spring Break and we have our grandies for a few days. Stella and Sam are all the things you want in littles: smart, funny, loving, kind and happy--most of the time! They are also Young and Energetic!

Just a few photos, since getting them both to stand still for a photo is a challenge:

Stella, 6 going on 16

Sam, 3, Stella 6, playing with the cat's favorite toy

The only way to get a photo of Sam is for Stella to hold him tight

They do come with a lot of stuff. including Mom and Dad pillows:

We took a ride across town to drop off my 3 quilts for the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville Fanfare Quilt Show. 

It will be great as always--if you are anywhere within driving distance, be sure to attend. Find all the info on my previous post: HQH Quilt Show. The dates are Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, 2022, Von Braun Center, East Halls 1 and 2, Huntsville, AL. .Hope to see you there--I will be the one looking especially tired!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Sam's "I Spy" Quilt

 My 3 year old grandson, Sam, recently moved from the crib to a "big boy bed" and he is so proud! His mother asked me if I was going to make him a quilt like I did his big sister, Stella. Well, YES, I am. So I knew I better get started.

Presenting the finished quilt to Sam--Spiderman is his current favorite block:

I wanted it to be an "I Spy" quilt--one with lots of figures he could search for. But I only needed a 3.5" square of each of those fabrics and didn't have more than a few that would work. So I searched Etsy for I Spy Charm packs and found several offerings. Most had 5"squares and that's fine. I ordered two packs, they were exactly the same, so I had 80 squares to choose from.

Log Cabin blocks were perfect since I could put the 3.5" square in the center and cut 2" strips for the light and dark logs. The strip fabrics I bought for Sam's quilt two years ago!

Sam came to visit while I was working on it and he loved it! He kept asking "BB, is this for ME?!" Yes, Sam, it is. He woke up from a nap to find the top all done:

The quilting was fun and easy to do, loop-de-loops on the log cabins, ruler work and free-motion wishbones on the border. And I quilted a large heart on each of the 3" center squares to secure them:

The border: 

Here it is all washed, dried and snuggly:

Sam picked the back fabric--cats--and I just had to enlarge it to fit: 

Every quilt needs a label:

Stella's quilt was much larger. I wrote about it Here  And her label:

I love making quilts for my grands. Wonder what I'll do next? 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Looking Ahead

 Things are starting to look up now as more than half of all eligible Americans have received at least one vaccine shot. I hope many more do so in the coming months.

This Fall sees the return of International Quilt Market and International Quilt Festival:

The deadline to enter the Judged Competition is May 27--all details HERE.

I will be there for 13 days as I enjoy the Special Exhibit "My Joyful Journey", featuring 22 of my quilts, from the somewhat humble early pieces to the four that have won Best of Show in previous judged shows. It shows my journey and progress as a quiltmaker. I hope I get to see you there.

Quilter's Select, by RNK Distributing, is the wonderful company that has agreed to sponsor my exhibit. I use and love their products, Quilter's Select Threads, Rulers, Rotary Cutters, Mats, and an ever-growing list of excellent quality and well-thought out notions and sewing supplies. Here are some I am using right now:

The most important thing now is to figure out how to box up 22 big quilts. My husband and I will be driving them down--they have to be there by early July. That will be quite a lot of boxes. A few are currently on the walls in my home, several are laid out on the extra spare bed and the rest are folded in a large bookcase. Wonder if I will miss them when 22 are out of the house.  After Festival  they will be shipped back to me. 

In August I will be flying to Rhode Island to present a lecture and an all-day workshop for the Ninigret Quilters. In late August I will be flying to Dallas to tape The Quilt Show again--really looking forward to both of those. In September it's a trip to Houston to lecture and teach for the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston. 

In addition to all the planning for these events, we have been doing some sprucing up of the front porch. I love the painted red front door and the painted battleship gray floor, which looks more blue than gray. Goes well with the "haint blue" ceiling. Add some new cozy furniture and cushions and we have a lovely spot to sit outdoors--only took 21 years to get it this way:

Being close to our grandkids is fun when we get to go to dance recitals and an outdoor lunch. Almost 6 year old Stella did a great job on a big stage, smiling and dancing through the whole number. High School Drama Club is sure to be in her future:

Sweet almost 3 year old Sam, is such a cuddle bug, eager for hugs and kisses. He did great sitting still on the front row and watching all the dancers. He thought the soloists were "pretty". He loves his PopPop:

I hope your life is starting to open up too and we can meet again as we, hopefully, cross paths in the future.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

This and That

I am having a great time working on Western Sun, a bucket list quilt for a while. There are 7 more full size blocks to go, 10 more half blocks, and the 4 quarter corner blocks.  Eventually, I will decide if the sashing will include cheddar cornerstones, like on the left side or be true to the original antique quilt and be all flying geese, all over:

 Just a few short other items--we have the grandkids with us this weekend so the schedule is "fluid"...

Sam, 2, is all boy--running, climbing, doing all the scary boy stuff. It takes two full grown adults to watch him at a big neighborhood park:

Now that he is 2, there are a few places he may go that require he has a mask. I made two for him--good luck to his parents keeping them on:

Stella, 5, is plenty active, she runs like the wind, but isn't so inclined to climb up a 10 foot rock. She likes the swings and rocking rides:

She also makes a new friend everywhere she goes. This little 5 year old girl was the latest--only problem? She feels inclined to invite these new friends to her house for a sleepover:

Once we could contain them, things were easier:

I thought I was done writing about the Donation Project the Sunday Sew and Sews completed for our friend, Janet. Seems there is one last article to share. The Huntsville Hospital Foundation received the quilts recently and published a very nice article about the project:

Covered in Love  It features the last photo taken of Janet, at the Sunday Sew and Sews January 2020 gathering, before any of us had heard the words COVID 19.  We are glad the quilts were well-received and that they will go to those who really need a quilty hug.

The 9 Patchalong presented by Natalia Bonner was fun and I enjoyed learning a few new designs with her Mini 4-in-1 and Mini Inside Out rulers. The link to the videos can be found on her website: Piecenquilt

That's it for now, time to chase after the kids!

Let's quilt,

Barbara

Littles Came to Visit

This post is more family than quilting--jump to the bottom for the quilt.

We had our grandkids for 4 days recently--their Mom had major surgery so they spent 4 days with each set of grandparents so Mom had a week to get a bit better before having them home.

My loves.  Stella is 5, PopPop is more, Sam is almost 2:

 The kids love each other, most of the time, always hug when meeting up again--this is a morning hug upon awakening:

 Stella is a super big sister, always watching out for her "brudder", and teaching him things, like "watch out for the street", "say please and thank you", etc.:

When my two sons were this size I was 40 years younger. Things I forgot:

1. Kids are loud
2. Kids are messy
3. Changing diapers is still not fun--at least we aren't using cloth diapers like I did in the Stone Age
4. Siblings fight over toys--buy two, if possible
5. Kids eat almost hourly--not a lot at once, just very frequently
6. PopPops are pushovers--whatever the grands want, they get
7. Sometimes an Ipad is your best friend:

Watching Disney+ while we watch the news

All in all, the kids did great and we managed pretty well. We did FaceTime each day with Mon and Dad--lots of kisses on our phone screens--and that helped. Stella would be really worried about Mommy for a few minutes then got busy being Stella and all was well.

She is a great picker of blackberries. The first day she picked these and said "BB, we need pie!" And so we had a blackberry pie. She also taught Sam not to pick the red ones, only the black ones:

The best things about Littles I forgot:

1. Snuggling up in a big chair to read books is wonderful
2. Laughing at all the funny things they say and do is wonderful
3. Watching them sleep is like seeing angels--and that is wonderful

So they are back home now. The house is more or less clean and tidy again, and really quiet. I can sew to my heart's content. It was good for all of us, especially Mommy and Daddy who were able to concentrate on Lauren's recovery, which is going very well.

For the next week or so, I will be hunkered down quilting my secret sewing project, which is on deadline:

Let's quilt.

Barbara AKA BB