Quilts | Goddess in Progress

Archive for quilts

Open For Business, Taking Requests

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (16)· April 17th, 2009

Well, I’ve gone and done it. I’ve opened my own Etsy shop: Teeny Tiny Quilts!

I’m not sure precisely how many hours I think are in a day, but I can’t help myself. I am loving my sewing, and especially these little doll-sized quilts. I’ve got four of them up for sale, and a few more in the works, but what I would love more than anything is if you have a custom request. Let’s say you like the look of the ragged-square quilt (shout out to crazy mom quilts for the tutorial and even the color inspiration), but aren’t a pink kind of person, or you want one big enough for a toddler bed… just use the “request custom item” link through my Etsy shop and we’ll come up with something good. I can also make two (or three) coordinating quilts, add little mini pillows and pillowcases, or probably anything else you can dream up.

So, please, check it out and let me know what you think. If you need a matching pair of doll blankets for your kids, a quilt for their new toddler bed, or a gift for a birthday or baby shower… I’m your girl.

Comments (16)

Categories : Crafts

Tags : etsy, quilts

Admitting you have a problem is the first step

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (7)· April 8th, 2009

Hi. My name is Liz. And I am rapidly becoming a fabric addict.

Making those doll quilts a few weeks ago seems to have lit some kind of fire in me. It was such a nice way to get back into the habit of quilting. Cute, fun color combinations mean I don’t have to take the choices too seriously. Small pieces meant I could use what I already had in my stash. Small size overall meant I could get from start to finish quickly. And, I didn’t feel like each one had to have its own purpose or recipient. I didn’t have to assign it to any one person, and didn’t have to worry about whether someone would like it enough to put it out on their couch or guest bed, or if they would just take it and smile even if it wasn’t their cup of tea. Dolls don’t care. Neither, really, do toddlers.

Plus, sewing has become something that I do just because I like it. I’ve been feeling kind of stressed out and overwhelmed recently. This age (times two) is kicking my ass a lot of the time. All of the day-to-day obligations (meals, naps, laundry, general childcare) take up so much time and energy that I don’t find I have anything left for larger-scale projects that I want/need to get done (purging the guest room closet, painting the mudroom, etc.). Sewing, though arguably not “productive” in that same way, is a little bit of escapism for me.

Anyways, so I’ve been working on a few more doll quilts. I have three in various stages of completion, and a plan for at least two more. I went to JoAnn’s just to pick up some batting so I could finish one that’s otherwise ready for quilting. I came home with this:

Yeah, that’s 20 more fat quarters worth of fabric. Five more yards to add to the stash. And that doesn’t include the other eight I bought last week that I haven’t used yet, or the 12 that I have used. While my stash is still nothing spectacular compared to “real” quilters out there…. it’s growing at an alarming rate. Some of them I bought in groups because I have a plan. Some I bought just because I thought they were pretty and I have no idea what I’ll do with them.

This is how it begins. This is how I will soon take over my entire guest room and turn it into my sewing den. That is, you know, as long as the kids continue to nap. And I continue to pay other people to clean my house.

Anyways. I’m admitting it. I have a problem. I will try to refrain from buying any more fabric for a little while.

Except… well…. I kind of need a black print for some binding… and…

Comments (7)

Categories : Crafts

Tags : fabric, quilts, stash

Finished for Friday – Doll quilts

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (12)· March 20th, 2009

[Don't forget to enter my LeapFrog giveaway... only a few days left!]

Finished for Friday is hosted over at Lit and Laundry. My accomplishment today is part of a little barter arrangement with a fellow twin mom. Her husband likes to build things, and got an idea to build a doll bed for their kids (BG twins four months older than my kids). They realized, though, that neither of them was much with a sewing machine, and the beds would be quite nude without linens. Enter the bargain: he will make an extra doll bed for my kids in exchange for my coming up with some bedding. Well, you know I was all over it.

In addition to being a good excuse to sew, it was also a fun way to go through my fabric stash and actually use some of the small leftover bits. In fact, the only thing I had to buy new was the foam for the mattress and filling for the pillows. It didn’t take me long at all, and now we will each have a mattress (poly foam covered in white cotton), two pillows with pillowcases (could they be any cuter?), and a quilt (measuring 15″ x 18″). I found a post on crazy mom quilts for some inspiration, but it was all quite easy.

The bright, sunny yellow one goes to my friends. I had a ton of that yellow lying around, so I used it for half the quilt top, the backing, and the binding.

The pink/green/blue one is to stay here. All of those fabrics are leftover from a quilt I made for my mom a few years ago, and I have always loved the combination. I was excited to use up what I had left in such a way that I actually got to keep it around the house.

Honestly, this was so much fun, I’m half tempted to make some more and set up my own Etsy shop. They’re small, they’re cute, they’re fast. Would it be a way to make a living? Hell no, as I somehow don’t think people are going to pay a livable hourly wage for them. But it’s fun for me, and I could use the few extra bucks for more fabric. Eh, we’ll see if it ever makes it past the idea phase.

In the meantime, a little bird told me the beds for these quilts are very nearly done… Can’t wait to see it all in action!

Comments (12)

Categories : Crafts

Tags : doll bedding, quilts

Stimulating the economy, one day off at a time

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (13)· February 22nd, 2009

I had a really, really lovely day of freedom on Saturday. I was well overdue for a little break from the kids, especially after the vacation from hell. I felt a little bad that I actually wanted a day alone even more than a day with M, but I guess that says something about how much I need to decompress. I mean, think about it… with the exception of naptime, I’m pretty much never alone! Sigh.

Anyways, I left before they were out of bed, and started the day with a leisurely breakfast at Starbucks. Ah, the inside of one! I usually go to the drive-thru!

Then it was time for my facial at Bella Santé, a super fancy day spa in the Boston area. Apparently voted Best of Boston a whole bunch of times. Holy moly, I can see why. You walk in, and immediately feel fabulous. Everything was super classy, relaxing, lovely. Not quite ostentatious, but you feel sort of wealthy just being inside. In a good way, without anyone looking down on you. If you’re not really the type to do the day spa thing, but feel like splurging every now and then? Go for the real thing, for sure. Don’t try and save a few bucks. Go for the best.

The facial itself was awesome. An hour of pampering. The room was cozy and warm, the massage bed extremely comfortable (complete with contours to rest your knees and warmed sheets). I got an extended scalp massage, all variety of exfoliation and creams, and even a quite unexpected foot and lower leg massage while my face was being steamed. I even went nuts and purchased the rather expensive cleanser and moisturizer she recommended. Hell, I turned 30, time to take care of my skin for real.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t spend all day at the spa. I had a haircut at 10:30. More luxury! Foils, a cut. My hair seems to keep getting a bit shorter every time, and I think I like it. My hair has been long and longer for ages, so sometimes it feels good to do something different.

It was just after noon when my haircut was over, but I was in no rush to go home. I would feel occasional twinges of guilt, but always remembered that a) I needed and deserved it, and b) M was fully supportive and was taking great care of the kids without me. I grabbed some lunch, and then headed for my third and final destination: the quilt shop.

I know, seems a little out of step with my other two pampering choices. If anything, it was more like something on my to-do list. I have a quilt that I’m stuck on and needed some guidance, as well as some thread. Plus, I’m considering starting a new one. But honestly, I love going to this store. And I usually only manage it with the kids in tow. That means I’m rushing to find whatever I need while throwing crackers at my increasingly crabby kids, who just want to run around and pull all of the fabric off the shelves. So the ability to just go, chit-chat, and take my time looking at things was one more luxury. I got the bits I need to finish my quilt-in-progress, and… well… I may have picked up some lovely new fabric to make my largest quilt yet: a queen-sized one, possibly for my very own bed.

Doesn’t it look scrumptious? And so not-winter-y? I’m not sure if it exactly goes with our bedroom, but I may just have to redecorate to accomodate it. Hopefully it’ll work nicely with this pattern from The Teacher’s Pet. It wasn’t a cheap day, by a longshot. Several hundred dollars were spent. Totally worth it.

Anyways, got home around 2pm and both kids were still asleep. It felt really great to have a break and do things by myself. I highly recommend it, and must aim to do it again before too long. She did say I should have a facial every three months or so…

Comments (13)

Categories : Just me

Tags : facial, haircut, quilts

Finished for Friday – Organization Edition

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (7)· February 6th, 2009

Hosted over at Lit and Laundry, go see what other people have Finished for Friday! And don’t worry, it doesn’t even have to be craft-related. And, um… wanna know what’s not finished right now? Yeah, that would be packing suitcases for tonight’s flight. D’oh! But, onto the craftiness:

This week, mine is all about organization of space. For a little while, I had taken over my dining room as craft-central. But it was getting unbearably messy, and downright ridiculous if we were actually trying to have people over for dinner. So we moved it upstairs to one of the only remaining potential places: the guestroom. Moved the bed over, hauled up a folding table from the basement, and set up shop. Now, if I could only actually find the energy and time to actually use it! Plus, it shares a wall with the nursery, which makes me a little wary to use it during the fiercely-protected naptime. But my new sewing machine is fairly quiet, so we’ll see.

I also finally organized my yarn and fabric stashes, such as they are. Compared to a lot of die-hard crafty folk, I know mine is laughably small. But it was enough that it was scattered all over the house in various bins and bags, and needed some containment.

I got three drawer units from Target, and with my trusty label-maker, I went to town. One unit for fabric (organized more or less by color), one unit for yarn (organized more or less by weight/gauge), and the last for all of the assorted supplies. Knitting needles, quilt patterns, fabric markers, excess ribbon, all of it. Finally, neatly put away. Ahhh.

If only I could say the same for the rest of my house. Sigh. I may need an intervention.

Comments (7)

Categories : Crafts

Tags : knitting, quilts

Finished for Friday – pin-basting

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (3)· January 2nd, 2009

OK, well… “finished” is a stretch. Head over to Lit and Laundry today to see people who have actually finished things.

While a lot of people go into crafty overdrive at the holidays, I had kind of petered out. I had a lot of crafty energy in the late summer and early fall, but was burned out by late October. Which means that the quilt I was making for my stepmom (who came and chose the fabrics with me back when she came to visit), kind of fell by the wayside. I finished the quilt top in no time at all, and even had the backing pieced together. But then… I lost energy. I moved my sewing machine and it still isn’t quite set up in its new home. And, frankly, the actual quilting part tends to be what stymies me.

But then Christmas came, and I had no finished quilt to give her, and was mildly embarrassed. There’s no real reason it shouldn’t have been done, except that, you know, life gets in the way. Determined to get back in the swing of things, last night I finally pin-basted that bad boy, and tomorrow I will clear space for my sewing machine and get to it. So, what I actually finished this Friday is pin-basting my stepmom’s quilt. Which, as far as the entirety of the project is concerned, is more of a mid-point than actually finished. But I’m finished pinning it. So I say that counts. It involved the better part of an hour on my hands and knees on the floor, messing with safety pins, and now it’s done. Ready for quilting and finishing.

Onward…

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Categories : Crafts, Family

Tags : quilts

Finished for Friday: Olive’s quilt

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (8)· October 24th, 2008

OK, in truth, I finished this one last Friday. But you have to spread these things out. This one is for this week’s installment of Finished for Friday, hosted by Lit and Laundry!

This quilt is for my sweet little niece, Olive. My very first niece, as a matter of fact! Anyways, I think all babies should have something homemade. Especially the babies in your own family.

It’s an incredibly simple pattern, but I love how clean and neat it looks. Everything lined up and straight. Organized. Purposeful. I have found I really don’t prefer the quilts that claim to be “scrappy” or random. The ones where the instruction says something like “put the pieces together in a way that looks good.” It drives me nuts. I can spend forever looking at it, thinking there’s too much pink over on this side, or too much yellow over there. It just isn’t enjoyable to me. I prefer instructions that say to put A next to B next to C. I have fun picking the fabrics and all of that, but I really want the pattern to just tell me what to do.

The other thing that this made me remember: I love sewing the binding onto quilts. For those non-sewers, that’s the very small outermost border (yellow, in the case of this quilt). It’s the very last step, and the only bit (in my world) that is in any way done by hand. Hand-sewing the whole thing would take me forever and I’d lose interest. I’m a machine quilter, all the way. But that last bit of the binding has to be done by hand. And while it can be tedious, I love the way it really finishes the whole thing. Both in the sense of being “done,” and also in the sense of pulling it together and making it look complete. The small, even stitches, the smooth enclosure of the outer raw edges of the fabric, the neat corners. It’s really satisfying in a total OCD kind of way.

Lest you think I’m a fussy neatnik, though, I also love the way the quilt looks after you send it through the washer and dryer. Immediately after quilting, it can still look very smooth and neat and almost too nice to use. But once it’s done and you wash and dry it, it takes on that slightly more wrinkly, textured, friendly look. And that’s what makes it feel more like a cozy blanket you’d use, instead of something fancy you’d fold neatly on a shelf.

Anyways, this one is Olive’s Christmas present, and I hope all six months of her likes it and keeps it for years to come.

Comments (8)

Categories : Crafts

Tags : quilts, sunshine and shadows

Finished for Friday: Rag quilts

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (21)· October 17th, 2008

My insanely crafty friend over at Lit and Laundry is hosting a new feature: Finished for Friday! Time for lots of show-and-tell for what we’ve made this week. Wohoo! Head on over and check out the other links, and submit your own!

The blocks have been sewn into rows and the seams pressed open.

Early last week, I talked about turning the old receiving blankets into quilts. I thank everyone for their suggestions, and started by making two small lovey-sized blankets with no batting. The two layers of flannel, alone, were plenty cozy. They’re each made from 6″ squares, five across and five down (well, 10 and 10 if you figure it’s two layers).

I can see why people get spring-loaded scissors for cutting all of the seams. It really hurts your hand with a regular pair of scissors!

I have to say, making my first rag quilts was pretty fun! It seems to take every rule of quilting and turn it upside down. Make your seams invisible? Nah, make them the big feature. Precise quarter-inch seam allowance? Instead, let’s do something like five-eighths! Wrong sides together, sew and make it all visible! It makes you feel like such a rebel from the usual precision and constraints of “normal” quilting. OK, maybe “rebel” is a bit strong. It’s just fabric, after all. But still, it was fun.

Both quilts, assembled and snipped and ready for the washing machine.

Close-up after one run through the washer and dryer. They're starting to fray nicely!

Beware, when washing these babies. The first time, they will completely clog the washer’s lint trap. Be ready to replace it, or your next regular load of laundry will have water spraying all over the basement. Trust me.

Have they become an instant hit with the kids? Nah. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Maybe they’ll be good for playing with dolls at some point. Who knows. They’re cute, and I’m happy. Oh, and I have so much cut fabric leftover that I clearly will have to make a bigger quilt for myself… Maybe a more traditional one, but a cozy flannel nonetheless.

Comments (21)

Categories : Crafts

Tags : quilts, rag quilts

Quilts!

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (3)· April 15th, 2007

It’s positively awful here in the greater Boston area. We had a “tease” week of 60s a little while ago, and now it’s in the low 40s and pouring rain. So cold and wet, there’s actually talk of cancelling or delaying the Boston Marathon, which has not been messed with previously in its 111-year history.

In short, a perfect weekend for sitting in my newly-remodeled den/office and sewing to my heart’s content.

Actually, it sort of started with the fact that I slept very poorly on Friday night. My husband came to bed around 3:30am (he’s a night owl, anyways, and a friend of his is in town staying with us). I woke up when he came in, which is not uncommon, but then found myself completely unable to go back to sleep. Long story short, I was barely able to doze on and off until I finally got up at 6:45. Took the dog out for her morning walk, and realized I still had several hours to kill before anyone in my house would be awake. So I decided it was time to work on the twins’ quilts.

I made all of my cuts for both quilts, since they’re the same pattern, just different fabrics. I started with the “boy” quilt, also known as the froggy quilt. Cute frogs, bright colors, not excessively gender-specific. By about 11:45, I was nearly done piecing the entire thing and my husband’s friend came downstairs. Woke up my husband, made some pancakes for all of us, and sewed the final outer border when we were done eating. Love it! It’s just over 4 feet square, and took me less than five hours from cutting to finished quilt top.

It was a great morning. A little dreary outside, but my new den is bright and airy, and my sewing table is doubling as my desk. Popped on my iTunes (Joshua Bell’s Voice of the Violin was followed by Eric Clapton’s Unplugged, which was in turn followed by Brahms, Symphony No. 4), and I was all set.

I realized, however, that I was kind of on a roll. I didn’t have enough energy to do much of anything else, and my husband’s friend left for the afternoon to visit some other folks in town. I stayed in my pajamas and leisurely kept right on sewing with the second quilt. I remembered I had made the earlier claim that I could piece both of them in a single weekend, and saw no reason to disprove that hypothesis.

While, compared to the froggy quilt, this one is somehow undeniably more feminine, it is also not terribly gender-specific. I’ve been struggling with the “color” issue with regard to the twins. I want to get/make them different (yet coordinating) things, but while I don’t want everything to be completely neutral (yellows and greens), I also reallly don’t want everything to be either blue or pink. These two quilts seem to be a decent example of being different enough, without being completely neutral or completely pink and blue. I worked on the “rainbow” quilt off and on, and finished it early Sunday afternoon. Same pattern, same size, different quilt.

I have yet to put either quilt together with batting and backing. I’m taking a class on June 1 to learn a better way to do the actual “quilting” (I know only boring things now), so they’ll pretty much remain in their current state for the next month and a half. Tomorrow it’s back to my Lucky Star class, to work on the quilt for my brother’s wedding. And the more portable yarn crafts (knitting and crocheting) are saved for train rides to and from work.

That’s all for now. Four days until the next ultrasound/perinatologist appointment, two weeks until my shower in Chicago. I turned 20 weeks pregnant on Friday, which was kind of exciting. Time is flying by. I’d better get cracking on those sweaters…

Comments (3)

Categories : Crafts

Tags : gender, quilts

Craft-tastic

By Goddess in Progress · Comments (0)· March 22nd, 2007

Woohoo, only one more week until the ultrasound! I wasn’t sure I’d make the seemingly endless 4 1/2 week wait, but now it feels reachable. I just can’t wait to see them!

In the meantime, I’m forcing myself to not plop down on the couch the moment I get home, and resort to delivery yet again. I’ve managed to cook most nights this week (including a super yummy Penne with Chicken and Broccoli from Cook’s Illustrated, the magazine from whence all good things come). I also started a new quilting class on Monday. We’re making the Lucky Star quilt, which is my first attempt at triangles. Hopefully it goes well, because it will be the wedding present for my brother and sister-in-law-to-be, whose July wedding I’ll be missing because of the pregnancy. I’ll try to remember to post pictures when I have something to show for myself.

I’m also getting excited to find out the babies’ genders so that I can start knitting and crocheting and quilting for them. For my knitting project, I think I’ll make ChildHood from Knitty.com. I’ve made it for a good friend’s son and my cousin’s fraternal twin girls, and it’s exceedingly cute and pretty easy. And even the smallest size tends to fit closer to six months old, so that should work out nicely. The crochet project will, no doubt, be a little blanket. Either the Newbie Shell Afghan from Project Linus, or the Easy Ripple Afghan. I’ve made them both for other babies, and they’ve actually become their “blankies!”

I debated what I really wanted to do for the twins’ quilts. I really want to make one for each of them, and of course my initial thought was to do something far more complicated than is at all necessary. In the end, I already have a pattern called “Just Can’t Cut It” (can’t remember the name of the designer). And the crib-sized quilt is only nine blocks, about half of which are just big 12″ squares of one fabric, and the others are super easy construction. I already made this one for a wall-hanging in my living room, and I think it’s the right choice for the babies. I can get some cute fabrics, but it doesn’t have to take me a month to put each one together. In fact, I bet I could piece both of them in a weekend. Not too shabby!

Well, thanks for tuning into today’s edition of the craft corner! Don’t worry, there will be plenty more pregnancy TMI to come. I’m just excited that, in a week, I can start thinking about buying fabric, yarn, buttons… Ooh, so cute!

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Categories : Crafts

Tags : crochet, knitting, quilts