I set aside this morning to start working on the crib skirt for the baby and by 2:30 this afternoon I finished it. The project wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be and I feel pretty good to have completed it in only one day. One-day projects are the best--especially when you can add in lots of breaks without falling too far behind. I ended up making a very basic crib skirt and it turned out exactly how I hoped. Not perfect, of course, but pretty darn good for a first attempt. The fabric is the same as what we used for the window valance but instead of orange, you'll see that it's green.
My mom spent the day with me today and we were super productive. We got three things done in the baby's room and together they've made a huge difference in the look of the room. First, my mom found an orange rug in Visalia and it looks darling in front of the crib. I've been looking everywhere for one and hadn't found anything even remotely as cute as the rug she found. It's hard to tell from the photo but it's fleece shag. Too cute. Second, we picked out the fabric for the window decor and then made and hung the orange valance in just a couple hours. Actually, my mom told me what to do and I did it on the sewing machine while she hung the curtain rod. And third, we made a cute green photo board and hung it in the room for future baby photos. Thanks to Michelle for the inspiration and advice on how to make it!
Last night I finally finished the lap quilt I made for the baby. It was a quick one to make but it took me a long time, thanks many stops and starts this past month. The fabric colors in the quilt ultimately became the inspiration for the colors we chose for the nursery itself--citrus with a hint of turquoise (ie orange, green, yellow and turquoise). I love the color combination and think it'll be a super cute room for either our boy or our girl. 
Today is my mom's big birthday and we spent last night at the cabin to help her celebrate it. We went for a walk, had pizza for dinner, played Scrabble and watched the Food Network and American Idol. It was a relaxing but fun day in the mountains. I made my mom this quilt for her birthday. In this photo she's got it folded in half so it's really twice as big as it shows, but you get the idea. It fits right in with the cabin decor so I hope it'll get a lot of use! Happy Birthday, Mom!
I started this lap quilt way back in 2002 when my mom gave me a kit with the fabric. I chose the layout and sewed the pieces together. Why I chose this layout? Who knows. I probably would have done the pattern differently if I got the kit now, but that's OK. After finishing my place mats this week I had the confidence to finish this little quilt. Each time it gets a little easier and overall I'm happy with how it turned out.
This afternoon I finished the place mat set I started in a recent quilting class. I thought it was going to be a quick little project when I started but it turns out it wasn't. This class taught me how to make this fancy little block, quilt everything together using my new quilting foot and then bind it with mitered corners. The place mats definitely aren't perfect but I'm happy with how they turned out.
It has been fall for a couple weeks but I'm just now getting around to decorating the house for it. My mom suggested I make a fabric wreath for our front door and I liked her great idea. After thinking on it for awhile this wreath is what I came up with. Chad suggested the raffia bow and I think it was the perfect touch to finish it off.
These past few months I've collected small wooden embroidery hoops to use to decorate my wall. This project has been on my mind for the last year or so but I just got around to doing something about it. I recently bought some new fabric from the quilting store near my house. They have a great selection of modern fun fabrics and this afternoon I framed and hung a handful of them in my craft room. I have a few more small hoops in ovals and circles sitting around but need to find the right fabric for them.
This week my parents generously bought me a Bernina walking foot for my sewing machine. I figured out how to assemble the pieces and hook it up to my machine, but really I have no clue how to use it yet. That's what books and classes are for, right? I'm excited to learn how to use it and get some projects finished that I've been working on. Thanks Dad and Mom!
My mom's birthday was Tuesday and I made this bag for her. It was harder and more detailed than the pattern let on but overall I think it turned out cute.
This year for Christmas I made star ornaments for the women and girls in our family. I stitched a combination of new and vintage buttons to the front of the felt stars. The vintage buttons are from my great grandmother's collection. I'm happy with how they turned out.
