Indecisive Cristin Needs Help

I need help deciding how to layout about 180 half square triangles... this is not all of them, but sampling laid out one evening after work, before it got too dark to take proper photos. So lets call this Option A:

I've always loved the look of zig-zag quilts, so I tried this on for size. Option B:

The evening I took this photo was dreary rainy with crappy poor lighting, so sorry. But you get the gist of it. Sort of concentric diamonds... I do like it! Option C:


I won't be home this weekend to play around with more layouts, but here is another layout I really like, just found on Flickr today. (from Duckyhouse) So... I think I'll make a decision soon and start trimming trimming trimming to get EVERY square exactly 4.5". Sound like fun? Feel free to stop over and lend a hand :-) Happy Weekend to you!

Possability #2 - Fabric for Nursery

It's not a secret, I LOVE Amy Butler fabric! This combination of Midwest Modern and Midwest Modern 2 prints are gender neutral and bright, and could really compliment the neutral tan walls in the nursery. This honeycomb design is probably my fav!




Yes, no, maybe so? I think its in the running. Obviously I borrowed the photos from QuiltHome.com - one excellent fabric shop!

Tomorrow: test designs for my HST quilt-in-progress!
p.s. HAPPY FALL! I love fall... sigh~

For the Love of Ikea Shelving

I recently purchased these for my 'sewing room' that will now become the nursery.

Baby books, blankets, trinkets and who knows what else will soon be adorning these shelves. They're "floating" which I like, and are actually an espresso color, not black. Might go nicely with this crib, I think.


For now, my humble fabric stash rests on them, but may be finding a new home in the basement along with my sewing machine and cutting table. Possibly this weekend!
(We're finally getting new carpet in our condo!!! Yes, I'm excited! Thus, all the moving of rooms.)

Sneak Peek

Over the last week or so I've been working on these half square triangle blocks... soon to turn into a quilt top, fingers crossed! Rita over at Red Pepper Quilts has made a handful of really gorgeous quilts using the same kind of block, and I've just been enamored with them!
Now... to get just the right layout - that will be the challenging part. This quilt will be a Christmas gift, if all ends well ;-) For whom? I cannot yet say....

And the winner is!...

Kate from The Garden Bell! Congrats Kate! I've commented on your blog and as soon as I get your address, I'll pop that fun little quilt in the mail to you.


And I apologize for being a day late getting the winner posted... I randomly spent all of yesterday in Cincinnati hanging out with my little sister. It was well worth the 4 hours in the car. She packed a picnic for us, we had an impromptu tour of the city, (a quick afternoon nap) then a spot of shopping at the Gap Clearance center for maternity clothes.... and Fondue Dinner at her friend Rachel's house. All in all, a very enjoyable Saturday.

I've also been working on a boatload of 4.5" Half Square Triangle blocks... more on those tomorrow. Rita over at Red Pepper Quilts has been a big inspiration of mine, so I've finally put a charm pack to good use. Seriously, tomorrow I'll post some pics. Off to bed!
How was your weekend??? Good, bad, ugly? Hopefully not ugly~

Possability #1 - Fabric for Nursery

Make sure you've entered my giveaway ending this Friday - HERE - and learn why I'm discussing anything Nursery :-)

This fabric already happens to be a part of my stash, thanks to QuiltHome.com for bequeathing me with their "blog of the week" prize a few weeks back! $20 shopping spree - yes please! So I randomly chose these fabrics, which I loved on their own... and I recently realized HEY! those might make for one Modern, Gender Neutral nursery!


I love the birdie fabric which pulls the cherry red/orange and lime green out of the other fabrics... and adds a fun print for baby. I do obviously love polka dots... although I'm not sure about the green Full Moon Polka Dots - should those be taken out of the stack? Opinions please... if you have one.

The wood grain might make nice curtains... possibly pieced with a strip of birdies in there? I'll probably be winging it (no pun intended!) when its actually time to sew. A baby quilt is DEFINITELY in order... and a crib skirt and curtains. I may stick to plain white fitted sheets a la Target to keep it simple. Unless - someone has an ultra easy way of making fitted crib sheets. The elastic makes me nervous. So, any thoughts, opinions, suggestions on this fabric for a fun Modern nursery? OTHER fabrics you think I may like? I am kinda holding out to see Amy Butler's new line, Love, which comes out soon. Too girly, possibly, but there are some dots in there I want to consider first!

Belly profile pics to come eventually, and new shelving pics (God Bless Ikea!)

Vote for Little Hazel! Cutest Dog Competition

Friday’s Big News and a Quilt Giveaway!

(comments now closed... check back soon for the winner!)

If you guessed that we’re moving to Shri Lanka, you’re wrong!

We’re going to have a baby!!!! Exciting, eh? Well, for us it is! This will be our first rug rat, and first grand baby on both sides of our family. So, lots of Firsts which calls for my first ever GIVEAWAY!

(back of quilt)

Justin was kind enough to humor me and do a mini photo shoot of this lovely baby snuggle sized quilt. That’s right, its about 16”x18” and suitable for a plethora of uses, my favorite being a security blankie for baby. The remaining plethora: stroller blankie, doll quilt, wall hanging, place mat, loin cloth, doily, or doggie quilt. Ok, loin cloth, maybe not.

The center strip consists of some Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, and even a bit of frogs from Alexander Henry. Solid grey is Kona Cotton and binding is pieced... just the way I like it. Stippled to boot and washed/dried to crinkly perfection.

Leave me a comment and you’ve got yourself 1 chance to win this quilt! For an additional chance, Tweet this post and come back and leave another comment that you did, along with your Twitter link. Giveaway will be open until next Friday, September 18^th. I’ll post the winner sometime on Saturday. (Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you, otherwise you’ll no longer be the winner.) Winner: I’ll email you to get your mailing address!

Oh, and a few fun details: Baby is due about March 30^th, I still fit in most of my regular clothes, and yes, I will be creating the crib bedding and curtains for the nursery! Hello – its me we’re talking about here. I don’t just leave things like that up to Target or Babies ‘R Us ~ how does gender neutral and Modern sound? (We will find out the gender ahead of time, but I want to be able to use it for baby #2 should that happen) If you have any suggestions on fabric, leave me a link! I’m indecisive at the best of times… I’d love to see your fabric suggestions!

Justin practicing his baby holding skills :-)

WIP Wednesday ++

In honor of my favorite cozy item, the QUILT, I was inspired by many a Flickr photo to create a little patchwork afghan of my own, out of yarn I already had stashed away.

I started making granny squares in 2 colors... and will end up with a total 32 squares, half solid, half two-toned. Stitching them all together now that could be a whole OTHER story! Stay tuned!


On another note, my good buddy Dez was itching for a Hazelnut tote bag of her own... so we riffed through my favorite local fabric shop and voila! Dez choose this lovely Anna Maria Horner fabric from the "Drawing Room" collection. A quick hour later (after a few weeks of procrastination) this fun tote bag was finished. She looks quite happy, so I'll call it a success! Thanks for modeling for me Dez - you're a hottie!


Finally - this Friday evening I will be sharing some HUGE news - along with a giveaway! So be sure to check back then for the particulars!

Grey Tangerine Stacked Coin Quilt Finished!

Here she is! Finished over the weekend, and photographed in all its crinkly-quilty goodness! This first shot was taken to humor the lovely ladies of this flickr group, who happen to have shoes to match their quilts, or is it the other way around? My shoes were purchased way before this quilt was thought up, if you were wondering.

But back to what matters - the quilt! I used some Amy Butler tangerine Lotus prints, which I just love, and added some grey (or gray?) Kona cotton to round it out.

The backing actually took me much longer to put together because I didn't have a plan, and just started playing with the pieces I had left, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Justin prefers the back, I prefer the front, so lets call it reversible, ok?

I always enjoy a pieced binding so I used whatever 2.5" scraps I had left. I'm trying to preserve a few decent sized pieces of the Full Moon Polka Dots... so using some of the Kona felt fine to me. Am I selfish, yes. Do I feel bad about that? no. You'd do the same, surely!

Quilted by stippling... after much frustration with my machine which is in dire need of a yearly checkup. I think the undercasing is just too full of lint to work well anymore. Mr. Sewing Machine Repair Guy, you'll be seeing me soon. Which, I guess is a good thing because that means I use my machine. A lot.

Now listed in my Etsy shop, ready to come live with you!

Measures approximately 45" square.