Christmas Table Runner

I made this little Christmas-themed table runner yesterday while I was on the bridge... I thought it would take a couple of hours (ha-ha)... Seven hours later, I have the perfect gift for our neighbors, Tula, Gary, and Jessica, who always invite Emily to join them for fun and good times.  In fact, they invited Emily over to spend the night tonight (Christmas Eve) so Jessica would have her best friend to wake up with on Christmas morning!  Tula is right, Jessica and Emily are like sisters!  And since we are Jewish, Emily has never gone to bed in a house that Santa visits, so I am anxious to hear all about it tomorrow!  (By the way, do you notice how green our grass is behind  the runner?  When is winter going to begin this year?  LOL)

Wonky Word Quilt

No pattern... Just a pair of scissors and two fat quarters!

Have you ever seen a "Wonky Word Quilt"?  I love these zany and colorful quilts designed by Tonya Ricucci... Her book is called "Word Play Quilts".  I didn't purchase the book, but I spent hours looking at images of quilts inspired by her designs.  The idea here is NOT to follow a pattern, to just go for it.  So, this is my first attempt and I kinda like it! (If you are a quilter, you can appreciate the letter "C" with the corners angled!!  Not as difficult as I thought it would be, but it required some thought!)  It took me about two hours to put this block together and after asking my friends on Facebook to describe me using 4 and 5-letter words, I have a list to make more blocks.  I just returned from the fabric store with other colors that match the tone and vibrancy of these oranges... and I will add to this post as I create more blocks. 

Alissa's Picnic Quilt

Alissa's Bridal Shower, May 2011

My niece loves blue and green so I when I went to the fabric store to pick out the prints for her wedding quilt, I was on the look out for those colors.  I fell in love with the the coordinating ladybug and lawn fabric... I added the red and white stripes and invented my own pattern... and it grew, and grew, and grew!  I think it is large enough to cover a king bed, but the quilt is for taking to the park or a ball game... something I hope Alissa and Andy do often... and I hope to see some babies crawling on this one soon, too!

Meister Xmas Quilt

Mrs. Meister is the best teacher in Brevard County... Lauren had her for 6th grade a couple of years ago, and now Emily has her too!  I decided to make her a quirky Christmas quilt using a fat quarter bundle I picked up at Hancock Fabrics.  It turned out so cute, I went back to purchase more of the fabric for other Christmas projects.  I used a heavy weight denim for the back and skipped using any batting between the top and back.  I hand quilted this one (my first attempt at hand quilting and my fingers are still sore a week later)!  I always hand-stitch the binding, but it was extra slow-going... the lack of fluff between the front and back made it quite a chore. I wasn't there when Emily gave the quilt to Mrs. Meister, but I told her to make sure she said that I made the quilt by hand!  You never know if non-quilters appreciate how much time these projects take!!  I'm still laughing at a comment made by my friend Karen, another mom of a student in Mrs. Meister's class, "Thanks a lot for showing me up, Shloe... I gave her a box of candy and a poinsettia!" 

Baby Hadley Quilt

This is the little quilt I made a couple of weeks ago when I learned that my friend at work, Lauren Miller, was having a baby!  I didn't even know she was pregnant when I was invited to the baby shower!  I went into action fast to make a homemade quilt that I hope baby Hadley will treasure.  It is a "quilt as you go" quilt... each strip of fabric was sewn on to the last right through the backing and batting.  Such a fun and quick way to put together a quilt fast.  Then I appliqued a little flower on the backside and used my new Viking sewing machine to embroider "Hadley".  So cute.  Lauren loved it. 

Hanky Panky in the Bridge House!

This is the "Hanky Panky" quilt I am making... I am so fond of the vintage 30's fabrics and thought this pattern was so sweet.  By the way, I bought the fabrics at the new sewing shop on Merritt Island called "Sew Central".  If you haven't been there yet, they have a nice selection of reproduction prints and they also have kits for this pattern available.  I made the kit and decided to make this quilt with my own fabric selections.  I have a lot of left-over scraps, so I am also making a doll quilt to go along with this lap-size.  I don't know what little girl will get this quilt one day... hope she loves it!

Quilting in the Bridge House

Quilting on the Bridge

Hello All,
In addition to teaching full-time for UCF, I work part-time tending the State Road 3 Barge Canal Bridge, the draw bridge that connects south and north Merritt Island.  I began working here in May of 2011 as something to do to keep busy for the summer and to make some sewing cash.  I was just going to work on the bridge for the summer but I love coming to work on the bridge and find it to be a wonderful hide-away, a quiet place to quilt, read, work on my homework, or grade papers.  (Occasionally, I do have to lift the bridge for a passing boat!)  I can't imagine a more beautiful place to quilt than the bridge house with its 360 degree view of the water (OK, and the traffic along State Road 3!)... but really, it is quite the spot for alone time, and boy, do I ever get a lot done!  I typically work three shifts per week, so that equals 24 hours total quilting time per week (and roughly $200 in my pocket to boot!).  Who else can say that they get to quilt in a glass room hovering above a beautiful waterway where dolphins and manatee like to play, and get paid at the same time??  I do!