Summertime project?

I recently saw that Downey supports a program called Quilts for Kids in hospitals. The kit and fabric is free, you provide the batting, and then the return shipping to send it back. I have not yet wanted to tackle a quilt project, but I think this is a great way to learn and to help bring some joy to a kid in a hospital.

I am going to request a kit, even though I doubt I'll get to this anytime soon. However, the site suggests saving $$ on shipping by ordering your friends' kits. So... anyone else interested in doing this with me? Let me know and I'll order a few kits.

Scrap quilt!

I love this idea to use up scraps and to make a low-key quilt. Seems like something that would come together pretty quickly! Thanks to sewmamasew for highlighting it!

quilt along

leigh and i are going to make this.
there's a quilt-along on this gals blog.
we're about a week or two behind, but think
we can play catch up, since she's just at the cutting part.
ha.
i've got a two year old who is outgrowing her crib.
i'm sizing this up to a fit her new big girl daybed.
leigh is making the lap-size one so that
she has something to snuggle up to when
she watches american idol and so you think you can dance.
ha again.
do you ladies want to join us in the fun?
who doesn't need a mod quilt in the house somewhere, SERIOUSLY?

Finally finished!

Hi, guys! I'm excited that my first post here is a finished project - it will allow me to get this one off my list and get started on more fun things...

Not that this wasn't fun. Way back in September, Sew Mama Sew posted this tutorial... and I knew I wanted one for my kitchen. Not long after, our kitchen rug finally died - the backing had disintegrated and was sticking all over the kitchen floor. So my Patchwork Kitchen Mat idea started to take place in my mind...

Six months later, it is finished. Voila!

This is my first real "quilt," although I really shouldn't put that in quotes. It is a real quilt - I guess I did that because... I'm going to walk all over it every day, and that feels kind of wrong to do to a quilt.

Here's an up close detail...

The quilt design is nothing fancy, and I didn't even do any hard quilt stitching - just straight lines like recommended in the tutorial. I HAD to use the apple and pear fabric from Alexander Henry in the mat, although I am not so much a pale blue and pink girl, so I went with the browns. And the Farmer's Market apples from Michael Miller make me want to cry they are so cute - so I put them both together so I could enjoy them everyday. Kelly had helped me pick out more prints that worked with these, but I kept seeing this in my mind, so I went with it.

Now I just hope my hubby doesn't think this is too... girly. My 3 year old has already told me he loves it, and apparently he loves laying all over it. Perfect for when I want to do dishes.

I do have tons of links to share - I have a folder in my favorites named "I want to make NOW!" So I'll go through that and start posting the links to get them out there - and you guys can hold me accountable to actaully make them!