I need opinions....

I'm done with the girl version of the Oh Deer! quilt's blocks but I cannot decide if I should do the same striped borders like on the boy version or go with white...

Possible girl version

-OR-

Boy version with striped border

So, what do you think guys???

White or Stripe??

   

Quilting the Bento

I finally got the bento quilt top done and sewn together. It is using the Tim Beck for Moda "Apple Jacks" line and is made with a Jelly Roll (or 2 1/2" strips cut from yardage).

 

 

 

 

Then I had to grow some cohones and try to figure out how to use the Flynn Quilt frame I bought after Christmas. For those of you that do not know what it is HERE is the website. I was scared let me tell you. I watched the video like 3 times and then took my laptop into the sewing room to watch while putting the contraption together. I'll do a full review on that  later though.

I'll just say it was not for the faint of heart.

Apple Jacks

So I finally started cutting into my Moda Apple Jacks fabric. I love it so much and loved just looking at it; but I bought specifically for a little boy's quilt, so it had to be done. It is for my nephew Eric who is making his arrival sometime in June. I actually got mine from Fabricworm.com back when it was available everywhere...not so much anymore. 

Anyhow, I have been dying to make a bento box quilt so I am using this strip pieced method I found on QuiltsofLove.Blogspot . Her blog is chock full of great tutorials, pointers and tips so I highly recommend you check it out!

The best part about this quilt is that it only takes 27 2.5" strips of the solid and half a jelly roll (or 20 2.5" strips) for a 60x60 quilt. :) I have almost enough to make a second quilt! 

The only fabric you don't see here that I am using is the apple print I picked out with the aqua back ground. I think it will be perfect for the bias tape!

Cutting it up

It has been another long week here at the MadebyMomma house. 

I have gotten both the boy and girl versions of the Salt Water Taffy quilts cut out. 

I am using the Oh Deer! by MoMo

 for Moda line. 

I just had to have this fabric and I got it at a good price so it was meant to be:)

No need to adjust your monitors; the boy version has ivory accent and the girl's is white!

This particular pattern takes one pattern jelly roll and one accent color jelly roll as well as one charm pack. 

I am working on a post/review of the Simplicity bias tape machine. The big man got it for me for Christmas and I'm using it to make the bias tape for the The blue-green sea quilt.

On top of that the little man was sick this week. Throwing up Tuesday and Thursday. Big man took him to the pediatricians on Thursday and he has a double ear infection and according to big man the biggest tonsils on a child his age the pedi has seen...

So he is on antibiotics again and I'll be taking him back in 3 weeks for a recheck. Unfortunately, his tonsils have been this size since the beginning of the month, we already did one course of abx for this. He might be heading for a tonsillectomy but we'll see!

An unrelated question : 

At what age would you let your child go on a vacation/cruise with out you?

The Blue-Green Sea Quilt

I finally finished the blue-green quilt top using a jelly roll. 

All but three fabrics came from my stash! 

Which I promptly replaced with other fabrics from JoAnn's; but, in my defense, I only meant to buy the 5 yards of kona white for my other two quilts! I came home with over 15 yards of miscellaneous yardage

...and five patterns. 

I now just have to pick a border and get the binding made.

I like the movement in it. It was VERY hard to keep the pattern/non-pattern straight. I messed it up a couple of times! 

I pieced the quilt top and labeled the rows by number lengthwise and letter width-wise on the seam allowance. I didn't start doing this until I was part way done though.

I'm feeling like this quilt needs a solid border fabric or else it will be much too busy. 

What do you think aqua green or olive green??

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Well not really chicken but a jelly roll!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've already sent Donna her winning E-mail. However, like 99% of giveaways if I don't hear back within 2 days another winner will be chosen.

 I look forward to hearing from you Donna!!

Another finish!

I've finished a quilt that I have been dragging my feet on. I always seem to do this. I love to start the quilt tops but hate the actual quilting process.

This one is a present so I can not show the whole thing but here is some snippets!

I decided to go out on a limb here and use a wide double needle for the quilting. It worked just okay. 

This is a picture of the front in the left lower hand and my hand made bias tape. On the top right hand is what the quilt looks like on the back using a double needle. I kinda like the zigzag look there.

For a tutorial on how to make bias tape go HERE.

As much as I drag my feet finishing a quilt I jumped right into another. While my sewing machine cooled down I started using up MY jelly roll to make these.

I used the some of the fabrics that are in my GIVEAWAY . It is only going on for ONE more day and if you were looking for some inspiration....go and enter:) Low entries here so you have a good shot at winning!

I used this VIDEO posted by MissouriQuiltCo. This was made by 3 Dudes Quilting originally though I believe. The only thing that I did differently was that I only used 3 strips vs. their 4.

Working on an "old girl"

JC Penney 6936

So I inherited this "old girl" from my mother. It has been stored under the stairs for at least 8 years. Prior to that it was in a closet in our old house in Michigan. This is the machine so many years ago I learned to sew on...we won't talk about how many years ago that was! 

Well, this machine has seen better days and now has some stiff (and younger) competition. Machines today can not compete however with the power of the older sewing machines. My harp space on my Brother sewing machine is NO WHERE NEAR the size of this one. So I really do want to "save" this machine. I've cleaned her up and oiled everywhere I can find...but she still squeals (very loudly) like a dying pig. . . I will have to keep looking for the source. 

On the off chance you have this machine...do you have the manual?? Ha I don't.

Do you remember the first machine you sewed on? Do you remember the first thing you have ever sewn?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway going on now for a 40 strip Jelly Roll!

Enter :

HERE!!!!

Giveaway

Who likes a giveaway?

I know I do!

I know I was talking about doing a Jelly Roll Race quilt previously and while I was sitting cutting my 2 1/2" strips I decided, "hey, I bet I have enough to giveaway a 40 strip jelly roll."

So a giveaway was born. 

Up for you viewing pleasure:

40 - 2 1/2 inch strips made up of 6 prints. 

These are prints from my stash and come from various sources. 

This giveaway is for residents of the US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway