Blogger's Quilt Festival - {truly} smitten

Well hello there!  If you are visiting from the Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy, Welcome to my little space!

My entry into the spring quilt festival, is my {truly} smitten quilt.

I started this one awhile back...sometime last year.  I wanted to make a lap/toddler bed sized quilt for Emma.  The Hunky Dory line (Chez Moi for Moda) was perfect for her quilt.  The pastel pinks, blues, and greens --- so sweet!

After seeing Anna's Smitten quilt during a PMQG event, I fell in love with the pattern (by Rachel Griffith).  The quilt came together so quickly and then I got stuck.  I really wanted to try something different with this quilt --- a different style of free motion quilting.  At the PMQG retreat in November, a few guild members offered some suggestions for quilting and an idea was born.

I stippled in the white space, out-lined the prints with straight line quilting, and added a flower in each square.    I can see the progression of the free motion flowers from ehhhhh to ok, good enough.  What I was going for and what I ended up with were 2 different things but I love the result.

This is one of the "better" flowers!

I backed the quilt with a pink Kona solid and used the same for the binding.

Emma's still in a crib (YAAAY!) so for now we use this quilt to cuddle with on the couch.

Hi Paigey-dog!

Thanks for visiting!

PMQG Spring Retreat

The Philly Modern Quilt Guild is having a retreat this weekend.  This will only be the second time I've ever spent the night away from Emma.  The first time was the fall PMQG retreat!  I'm taking off Friday and spending the entire weekend sewing with friends.  It is going to be glorious!

There is so much I need to do to get ready ---- I have to pack clothes & toiletries, quilting/sewing projects, knitting(??), fabric (you know, just in case), and goodies.  To bake or to buy delicious treats?  And wine/beverages?  You better believe it!  I should go make my lists.  You know, it's the only way I get anything accomplished and not forget anything!  It should be a fun weekend and I'm sure you can join in on the fun on Instagram :)

Spring is here!

I'm not sure what it is about this beautiful weather, but I have so much energy and motivation to get things done.  As the weather gets nicer, we're spending more time outside each day --although I'm sure my allergies are going to start at any second.

Emma & her rock collection

This little girl loves to spend time outside, especially if Maggie and Paige are out there.  That's perfectly ok with us because the neglected gardens need a lot of work.   We're currently working on cleaning up the yard, taking breaks to play with bubbles, and are planning to get a few toys for the back yard once we receive our tax return.  It's fun to splurge every now and then.

When we're not outside, I'm dividing my time between the woodland sampler {April is fabulous!}, my springtime sampler frames {never-ending}, sewing my hugs and kisses blocks, and knitting.  It's craziness.  The weather is almost nice enough to do hand sewing on the porch in the evenings.  Can.not.wait.

April Just 3

A little March re-cap for you:

1. Finish hand sewing the binding on Emma's Smitten quilt - Done!  Can't wait to get outside to photograph it.

2. Piece blocks for my Hugs and Kisses quilt - Done!

I wish I could rotate this :(

3.  Knitting goal -  Finish finger-less mitts so that I can stop freezing my butt {or hands} off at work - Done!

Having goals definitely keeps me motivated to get stuff done :)

April's Just 3

1. Finish piecing the Hugs & Kisses and Cherish Nature quilt blocks into tops (baby steps here, people!)

 2. Knit a pair of socks (a sock,  maybe? baby socks?).  I only have one more knitting class left and I really need to learn how to turn a heel.  I'm hoping that by knitting baby socks I'll get to the heel quicker and my teacher will be able to show me how in class. {Pattern is Jelly Bean Socks from Spud & Chloë.}

3. Make Miss Emma some clothes - quick change trousers, anyone?  I'm hoping Emma will still fit into the 18-24 month size but I may have to make them a little longer for my string bean.

What are your goals for this month?

Linking up:

A week in the life of the CraftyProcrastinator on Instagram

If you're on Instagram, I'm craftyprocrastinator. And well, if you aren't, you should be!

Instagram is my new favorite social media app...I love seeing what everyone is working on (stitching, sewing, quilting, knitting), the materials/eye candy (yarn, aurifil - did you see the Tula Pink aurifil collection?!, and of course fabric), and even what everyone is baking/cooking/eating.  Yum!  Plus it was a great way experience Quilt Con last month without being there.

Bad {work} day yesterday...stopped at Starbucks for a little relief.  It only took 20 minutes with one person ahead of me in line!

Finished knitting a hat...quickly frogged said hat because errors (holes) and sizing

Birthday cupcakes made by Heather.  Yum!

The only way I get to sew during normal hours is to let her "sew" too.  Set her up with a pattern, fat quarter bundle, and sometimes a few blocks and she's entertained for awhile.

Birthday breakfast in bed on the couch.  I woke up too early to be surprised by Chris & Emma with breakfast in bed.

I caved....I said I wasn't going to, but I did.  Spring is my favorite season.  How could I not? #springtimesampler #frostedpumpkinstitchery

Part of my Just 3 goals for March.  I'm finished the 2nd fingerless mitt and just need to figure out a proper bind off technique.  Suggestions?

Woodland Sampler - Cross Stitch

When I was alot younger, my mom used to do cross stitch.  We were on vacation at the shore and one of my aunts came over and taught her.  I remember it so vividly because I wanted so badly to learn at that time.  My mom made so many cross stitch patterns when I was growing up...Christmas stockings, Christmas tree ornaments, and numerous wall hangings.  If you had a baby during my mom's cross stitch days, sure enough you would receive a framed cross stitch with the baby's name & birth date.  Each time she finished a design, we would take it to get framed.  You know, the kind of place where you pick out a frame and a mat, you pay an arm and a leg, and they would frame it for you.  They always looked so beautiful and still do some 20+ years later.

When I was old enough, my mom finally taught me how to do cross stitch.  I would start one and she would finish it.  I never had the attention span to finish a design.  The only one I ever finished was for a friend who was getting married....and well, that marriage did not last.

When I saw the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery's cross stitch patterns I knew it was time to pick up the hobby again.  Their patterns are super adorable.  Have you seen their winter wonderland countdown sampler??  It's on my wishlist.  I signed up right away when I saw they were releasing a Woodland Sampler starting in January.  Each pattern/design is released around the 1st of the month and so far I'm loving it!

January - Snowy Deer Couple

I stitched up January's pattern while I was recovering from a minor surgery.  It kept my hands busy while I was stuck laying in bed for a few days.

February - Midnight Raccoon Bandit

February's block isn't completed yet.  I think I'm going to outline around the raccoon's eyes a little more and fill in the moon.  Probably filling the moon in with the dark blue so that the "e" in February is visible.

March - Marchy McMushroom

March's block only took part of an afternoon.  I might still add a teeny-tiny shamrock in front of the "M" but I'm not sure there's enough space.

I had always intended to make a cross stitch for Emma's birth, but was too worried I would lose interest and never finish.  Since April 1st is so far away, I'll probably purchase another Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery pattern and add Emma's birth stats to it because the poor girl has next to nothing hanging on her walls!

Emma (in January)

Bee Blocks 2.0

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited this bloggy space.  I always think I’m going to have more time than I actually do.  Making big plans to clean, sew, or visit with friends…which always ends up never happening for one reason.  

She sure is cute though!

I’ve managed to keep up with my bee blocks for the Simple Bee though.  It’s been easy since I’m using my own scraps and the blocks are easy.  See for yourself!

March Bee Block for Alisha

April Bee Block for Anna

April Bee Block for Heather Rae

We’re using the Garden Fence Block tutorial from Hyacinth Quilt Designs.  My month was March and I requested red and aqua.  I’ve received most of my blocks already and can’t wait to put them together.

Thankful for….

these two.

Things are so different this year!  Who knew last year that this year I’d have this little one!

She’s changed so much already.  It feels like she was just born yesterday but she’ll be a month on Sunday!

So much to be thankful for this year!  Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Baby Emma

She’s here!!

Baby Emma was born on October 27th.  She was a whopping 8 lbs 6 ounces and 22 inches long.  Everything went well besides the 25 hours of labor in the hospital. 

Emma is a little over two weeks old now so I snapped a few pictures of her on the latest quilt I completed.

This is a cheater quilt that I started at a guild sewing night.  I saw the fabric print on someone’s blog (can’t remember who) and knew I needed to make this for the baby!  It’s perfect for tummy time. I quilted it using an all over stipple and backed it with a  Kona cotton solid.  I saved the binding until I was “too” pregnant to feel like doing any other sewing so I finished it just days before Emma’s late arrival.

We’re all adjusting to being sleep-deprived and I almost feel like sewing again!