Thirty-six!

Tomorrow is my 36th birthday!

Earlier this year, Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts had a quilt-along.  She was making a 36-patch quilt because she was turning 36 this year.  I had never participated in a quilt-along but thought this would be so much fun.  I decided to join her and all the others in this 36-patch quilt-along.  My goals were to make a quilt "just for me!" and to finish it before my birthday. 

I did it!!

I used some orange fat-quarters that my mom had given me a few years ago (my favorite color!), and paired them up with some Ricky Tims Convergence fabrics.

It is the very first quilt I quilt myself on the long-arm.

I used a pantograph pattern called Halcyon.

As I have mentioned here, I am a perfectionist.  I must say though that I am quite happy with the finished product.  The more I look at it, the happier I am, and proud to say that I made it ALL myself!

I am happy to say this is MY quilt!

Someone decided to help me take pictures!

I am linking up to TGIFF!  Please head over to Life Under Quilts to see some other great finishes on this last Friday of 2011!

Merry Christmas!

In the last minute rush of things, I finished these mug rugs.

Aren't they cute!

A little smaller than I usually make mug rugs but they turned out great anyways, and my friends seemed really happy with them!

I added some decorative stitches along the borders and cross-hatched the center with invisible thread.

May your Holiday be filled with Joy!!  

(I just had to share this picture of our girls!)

TGIFF - Teacher's Gifts!

I have been showing you sneak peeks of the wall hangings I made for the teachers here and here.  

TA DA!!!  I am happy to say they are done!

They were machine pieced and machine appliqued using a button hole stitch and black thread.

All that's left is to make a small label for each of them.

I am really happy with them!

And thrilled they are done ahead of time!

The patterns are from the Be Attitudes book by Art to Heart.  I love this book and will definitely be making more of these mini-quilts.  They are the perfect little gift!

I am linking up to TGIFF which is hosted by M-R over at Quilt Matters this week.  Feel free to go check out some other great finishes!!  

p.s. M-R is also having a giveaway which is definitely worth checking out! 

A Finish, but not a quilt...

Unfortunately I got hit with a nasty, nasty cold a couple of weeks ago so no quilting got done.  I have had a lot of trouble getting back into my sewing room actually.  Last weekend my husband finally put up my design wall for me and some small bins I bought at Ikea to help organize my sewing room, however, I was called in to work 3 days this week (I do substitute work for the EAs at my girls' school).  No sewing... :(

I have managed to finish reading Jennifer Chiaverini's latest book though: The Wedding Quilt. 

I was lying on the couch, coughing my head off, one night, I thought it would be great to have The Wedding Quilt and get started on it.  I didn't really feel like heading off to the book store to get it though.  Luckily, my husband has a Kindle e-reader.  I kindly asked him if I could borrow it.  He got the book and within 5 minutes I was reading, didn't even have to get in the car!  I think I can definitely get use to that!  

I absolutely love Jennifer's books.  I get so involved and really want to go to Elm Creek Quilts.  It's really too bad it is a fictional place.  If you haven't read her books, I highly recommend them!  

I am off to embroider some labels now!

I am linking up to TGIFF over at Quokka Quilts.  Head on over and check out some great finishes!!