Dr. Seuss Birthday Quilt

One month into 2013, and I have one finished quilt under my belt- not too shabby!  I love Dr. Seuss, and the fact that I read his books as a child and now my friend's kids are enjoying them.

My sweet friend Kiara's son turned one, and had a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party to celebrate!  Once I spotted the sweet Robert Kaufman Dr. Seuss fabrics on Etsy, I knew that a Dr. Seuss Birthday Quilt was in order for the big party!

I used Patchwork Plaza's One Block Two Block Red Block Blue Block quilt pattern.  Kiara and I took laid out the fabric, and then I whipped up the quilt in a day or so.  There are hardly any matching seams, thus the quick sewing!

My friend Joyce did the long arm quilting for me.  I love the circles and the choice of yellow thread. 

The quilt is backed with all of Dr. Seuss' book titles, and bound in a red and white stripe.  The quilt is so fun and colorful- perfect for a one year old!  :)

Progress!

With the Bestie QAL well underway, I'm excited to share my first Flea Market Fancy Swoon block- ta dah!!!  Each block takes roughly 2 hours to sew, and is 24" square.  These blocks are seriously huge- which I love!

 

 

If you haven't joined the Bestie QAL, don't fret as there is still time!  We chose to use Flea Market Fancy and the Swoon quilt pattern, but there are no rules for this QAL so feel free to start something off of your to-do list!  As always, if you need a Bestie I will volunteer (feel free to ask Jana and Jackie about my Bestie skills, as they are quite top notch!).  :)

We've also set up an official Flickr Group for the Bestie QAL, so feel free to join and browse (one of my favorite past times!).

Simply Color Plus Quilt

Its so hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone!  This beauty of a quilt was a Christmas gift for a very special guy.  I've always found it hard to select fabrics for a manly quilt, let alone a Christmas present for someone special...like a boyfriend!

I went to a local quilt shop one day at lunch, looking for the perfect "manly fabric" (although I was skeptical that such even existed), when I stumbled upon a selection of Simply Color by V and Co. (only green, blue, and gray - paired with Moda Bella Solids).  I went home and thought about what I had seen at the quilt store, and while rummaging through my stash I found an unopened fat quarter bundle of Simply Color, that I had picked up at Sample Spree in Kansas City, MO (Spring 2012).  With that, the "manly quilt" was born.



I used In Color Order's Plus Quilt Tutorial for the pattern, and most definitely recommend it.  I'll be the first to admit that cutting 320 4.5" square is not something to write home about, but the end result most definitely is (wouldn't you agree?)!

I started this quilt well after Thanksgiving, with the goal of having it completed for Christmas (which I accomplished- thank.you.very.much!).  The cutting took time, sewing the quilt together was quick.  My sweet friend Joyce did the long arm quilting for me, and I took the time to hand stitch the binding (which I finished Christmas Eve morning).

Detailed view of the long arm quilting, the chevron stripe binding (my favorite) and the backing.

Another detailed view of the pieced top and long arm quilting- love!!!

Bestie Quilt Along - Details

Besties are great, aren't they!?!  Way back when, I had a brilliant idea of having identical Bestie quilts, you know so that you can snuggle "with your Bestie" wherever you are!  

Cue the music for the introduction of the Bestie Quilt Along (QAL for short!).

I, along with my quilting Besties Jana and Jackie are hosting a Bestie Quilt Along- are you interested!?!  The details are quite simple.  Select fabric and a quilt pattern with your Bestie, and make identical quilts!  For this QAL, Jana, Jackie, and I will be using Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt, and the Swoon Quilt Pattern by Camille Roskelley.  The best part, is that there isn't a rigid QAL schedule that you need to keep up with, just sew at your pace and know that others are rooting for you to finish.  

Feel free to use the fabric and pattern that we're using, or come up with your own combination- the choice is totally up to you!  Need some help?  What about Simply Color by V and Co. paired with In Color Order's Plus Quilt?  Or Flutter by The Quilted Fish paired with Oh, Kaye (or Fantastic-O Fat Fun) by Threaded Pear Studio? Or Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt paired with Stitched in Color's Scrap Attack Triangle Quilt?

I'd love to hear if you're interested in joining; simply leave a comment below and I'll work on setting up a Flickr Group, so that we can share progress photos!  :)

Coming Soon - Bestie Quilt Along!!!

 

Details to follow, tomorrow morning!  :)