A New Favorite Pattern (or a close second)

I think I might just have a new favorite dishcloth pattern. Or maybe just a second favorite. I got the pattern for free here and I must say I LOVE it! Super fast, fun, simple, and so very cute. I just love all the ridges -- super scrubby!It was nice to have a break from the grandmother's favorite dishcloths pattern that I make, but I couldn't resist making a few more, I just love that pattern.
*I think there was a total of twelve in this batch.

Quilts at the North Carolina State Fair

Last weekend, Dustin and I went to the North Carolina State Fair. It was quite the event! So much to see and do. Of course, the first thing I did was find my way to the quilt entries. They had the quilts set up on racks that turned but they had a fair worker that had to sit there and flip through all the quilts. One at a time...very slowly... while me and some other ladies sat and took photos. They were pretty far away so you couldn't really see much of the details on the quilts or the quilting, but at least you could see them. I must say I was kind of disappointed that you couldn't see all of them lined up, but I understand why they had it set up the way they did. I don't know if I'd like that many people touching a quilt I worked hard on. I think I sat there for thirty minutes while the lady flipped through all the quilts.

These are just a few of my favorites. To see more, check out my flickr page. I know they are not the best pictures in the world but they are the best I could do with the crowd, the lighting, and my little point and shoot camera.

I think this cathedral window quilt was my absolute favorite. Can you imagine how long this took? I definitely do not have that much patience. It was stunning. The lady that made this, also made the eyes for all the fishes. Super cute. And close up you can see that each fish is really detailed with seams that look like gills. Very impressive and another favorite of mine.

I just loved this one! Super cute.

One day....one day, I will learn how to make one of these. They are so amazing!

Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme

My mom made this quilt for a friend who is having a baby but sent it to me to quilt it for her. This is the second one that I have quilted for her, and I must say, I feel so honored that she would even consider me good enough to quilt them for her. Thanks mom for letting me do this, I really had fun with it. Of course, I did warn her that I am not a professional at all and if she doesn't like it she would have to unpick all of it. She just wanted a simple stippling for it, but I decided to try something new. I stuck with the stippling but I added some loops to it. I must say this might be a new favorite of mine. Super easy and fun! I think it turned out super cute! And the best part, she chose flannel for the backing! I just love flannel! And it was a super cute gingham - a favorite of my moms!

Blogger's Fall Quilt Festival

I participated in this quilt festival last April when Amy organized it. I had so much fun looking through all the blogs of everyone who had also participated. Seriously, there is so much inspiration out there. So many talented quilters! Go here to see all the great quilts for this years festival.

Park City Girl has organized another quilt festival. My favorite quilt is a new one. So new, that I just finished it! I have been working on this for a while and finally got it all put together. I am totally and head over heels in love with Moda's fabric line "nest". I originally made a quilt for my sister-in-law's wedding with this fabric. I loved it so much, that I purchased more to make a quilt for me.

(*just a side note-- one of the sponsors of the Quilt Festival is Wish Upon a Quilt, a local quilt shop here in Raleigh. This store is fantastic! I love it! This is also the place that I purchased all the fabric for this quilt. And it was all on sale! How great is that? If you are ever in Raleigh, NC you must stop by this shop. The ladies are super friendly, the fabric is fantastic, and prices are competitive.)

Inspiration for this pattern came from many different quilters. I have seen this pattern several times on Flickr and knew that I would eventually make one for me because I just loved it. This fabric was perfect for this pattern.
For the construction of the quilt, I used three charm square packs and about four yards of white fabric. I made them into half-square triangles and then placed them into the pattern. I even took the time to pin them so that the points would match up perfectly (most of them did, others not so well) and I must say it was worth the extra time that it took to make sure they matched up. I also added a five inch border around the edge to tie it all together (and to use up the rest of the white fabric. Let's just say, this white fabric is not my favorite and I didn't want any scraps left over.)

For the backing I used the paisley pattern from the fabric line. I added the remaining blocks that I didn't use for the front. What else was I going to use them for? Plus it makes the back a little more interesting.
To quilt it, I did a 1/4 straight quilting along the edges of each diamond (colors and white). On the border, I did a free motion quilting pattern with loops. (Sorry, no close up pictures of that).The binding is a teal green print from the line, also a favorite. After I finished it, I immediately curled up on the couch with it and watched a movie. It is perfect! Final measurements are about 65x80. Perfect for snuggling! I LOVE this quilt.

The best part -- I finally have a quilt made by me just for me!

Chalkboard Love!

I got this mirror at Wal-Mart for $2 on clearance. I came home painted it, messed it up, scraped it off, and re-painted it and now...a chalkboard.

It's new home on the wall. Perfect for writing love notes, reminders, or even the grocery list!

Kitchen Towels

I got this fabric from Jo-Ann's when it was on the sale rack a while ago, not really knowing what I should do with it. (I was in one of those moods where you really need to buy something but don't want to break the bank.)

So I finally pulled it out, ironed it, and measured it the size of a kitchen towel. I sewed a quarter inch seam around all the edges and Viola! New kitchen towels! This is another project that took less than an hour to make. I actually think this took less than thirty minutes! And the best part is that it cost me less than two dollars to make these!

Quilting Will Resume...

after nap time is done!I am getting close though! If only I could keep the cats off it long enough to get finished.