A New Varied Shape Quilt and its Story

I am calling this the "Baseball Quilt."  I was approached by a local friend to make a blanket for her son.  She is one of a few that is making this a surprise gift for his High School graduation.  Most parents ask the kids what shirts they want in their blanket.  But this young man has been involved in multiple baseball leagues since a young boy and she was able to set aside some shirts for the past year.

Not only did she have a pile of shirts, but she had his favorite blanket as a child.  The blanket was so washed and worn that all but hints of the color in the quilt lines were washed away.

She also had a vintage quilt that was at her grandparent's cabin. She figured this quilt must have been there since the 40s.  Her son loved the quilt, but it had a huge hole in the center.  I couldn't use it as the back of the memory blanket.  I also didn't think one square of the old quilt would fit in well either.

I envisioned making a blanket of various shapes so that I could incorporate the vintage quilt into the blanket without it overwhelming the design.  I also bought an Ohio State pillowcase to add a little bit of his future college into the blanket.

So I began with some graph paper.  Yes, a bit of math and planning was involved and it felt great to use it to create the design!

Then the cutting began.  From jackets to jerseys, shirts to sleeves, everything was a possibility.

I really love the end result!  

The special "lovey" blanket was also the special blanket for the graduate's younger sister.  She was not sure about giving it up.  So we took that blanket and incorporated it into two pillows - one for big brother and one for little sister.

Hers is smaller, with the blanket on one side and one of her big brother's baseball shirts on the other side.  I salvaged the ruffle to put around hers.  For his, I used the blanket and the quilt.

I went to the baseball diamonds down by the lake and you can see Mother Nature was working against me!

But I am thrilled with the end result.  As is mom.  She can't wait to give it to her son after he graduates tonight!

I am listing this on my website and in my Etsy shop.  As always, we start with a conversation.

Wednesday Sewing - Sewing Machine 911

I'm excited to share a free class from Craftsy with you today!  It’s called Sewing Machine 911, taught by Claudia Miller. Claudia teaches you to diagnose your machine’s symptoms, and easily fix the most common issues, including jammed machines, top thread breaks, needle breaks, and more. Claudia also explains the basic parts and functions of every machine. This class is perfect for beginners and advanced sewists alike!  I plan to take the class!  While you are there check out the great classes and patterns available on Craftsy, including my T Shirt Memory Quilt Blanket!

Design Idea - Crate Plant Holders

This mess is just a fraction of the mess we had sprawled across our house this weekend!  We have pretty much settled the college kids back home, but there was a pile of things that need to be stored until the fall.  Our attic, however, has been accumulating stuff for 24 years!  This is not a walk up attic.  We access it using a pull-down ladder and then have to crawl around on the "super-floor" my husband built.   Anyway, some things had been up there quilt a while - like old college notes and work presentations.  We did a massive overhaul of everything stored up there.  Each kid has one large plastic bin to be used as a "memory bin."  Special stuffed animals, blankets, etc.,  We have a lot of our classic toys stored up there, too, for the grand kids someday!  It was fun going through some of the items that we sorted into: recycle, garage sale and garbage.  I'll be sharing a few fun finds down the road.

My husband had his college binders in these wonderful wooden cantaloupe crates.  We have no idea where we got them!  We decided to use them around the house.  I hope they aren't too "college-dormish".  My house isn't exactly rustic in style, but our family room has touches of nautical elements (a post on that later, too.)  I think this fits in a bit with the nautical theme.

They also add a little vertical interest in some fairly large horizontal plains.

It's fun for now!  Who knows, maybe my son will take them off to college in the fall.  But for now, we'll enjoy them!

Monday Inspiration - Memorial Day Remembrance

'Memorial Day and Always - We Remember' by MaidenJane

In honor of our soldiers.

Iwo Jima Memorial U. S. Mar... BrendanReals $45.00	Memorial Day American Flag -... foreverphoto $8.00	Korean War Memorial - 8x10 P... apagnot $15.00	World War II Memorial, Washi... KlaireWarren $21.99
I Honor You - 8x12 Art Photo... JourneyBlueCre... $25.00	Civil War Photograph, Cannon... TaraFlyPhotogr... $25.00	War and Peace - Original Sig... liamparkinson $30.00	Documentary Military Photogr... andrealaraynee... $35.00
Thank You SEDImages $20.00	Gettysburg sunset 8 X 10 pho... BellaleeGifts $7.00	Let Me Go - Cemetery Print 5... InexplicableTh... $10.00	Lincoln Memorial - 8 x 10 Ph... PhotoImage $25.00
Helicopter of War - 8x12 Fin... StudioLPrints $49.99	Honor - A Field of Flags In ... robjohnsonphot... $25.00	Our Military Troops and Chop... VinylWallAdorn... $36.00	Lest They Be Forgotten... a ... maegirl1983 $30.00

Treasury tool supported by threequickquestions.com

New Sea Shell Bags

New Mesh Sea Shell Bags are in the shop!  These are usually made to order, so you can ask about quantities and strap sizes.  I also have a striped fabric shown in a photo below.

Thoughts on Life - "Ordinary" Days

I love my friend Sarah's "Ordinary Days" posts on her blog.  The past few weeks have been all crazy-like.  But I think those are my "ordinary days."   I was able to take some time out of my hectic schedule to enjoy a lunch and tea and the cutest tea room!

Annie looks adorable in this hat.  It was a complete splurge.  We went to Aurora Farms Outlets a few weeks ago and she tried this on in the Coach store.  Well, how could we not buy it when she looks so cute in it?  I was always a hat girl....

Our lunch and tea was delightful!  I had a wonderful English Breakfast Tea....yum.  Annie was disappointed that her older sister who had just come home from college couldn't join us, but she was earning money playing piano for another Mother's Day Tea....

Speaking of going out, here I am at a "Black Tie Optional" affair.  Colors were black, white and green.  I ordered a green necklace from Twillypop to jazz up a black dress I had in the closet.  I'm sticking my neck out to try to smooth out my turkey neck!  The room was art deco and the event was a blast.  It took place in the old Higbee Silver Grille - a restaurant in a downtown department store that we would visit at Christmas. We would get our hamburger in a special cardboard box shaped like an oven!

To say that I have been busy quilting is an understatement.  This is the first time I actually had more than one quilt to photograph!  I've always wanted to show a stack of my quilts.  Well, two of these are ready to ship out and the other two are from my dear college kids.

They came home - and as much as I'd love to say it's so special to have them home - it's a lot of adjustment!

First, there's the laundry.  Then the stuff!  That's my daughter's quilt on top of her pile!  And below you'll see it fresh out of the drier.  I'm happy to report the kids' blankets have held up well!

So, ordinary days....working, cleaning, going to baseball games, running, making dinner, going out to hear dear son, worrying until dear son comes home from gigs, computers, cell phones and chargers everywhere....

I wouldn't have it any other way!