Mia's Strawberry Shortcake Quilt Completed!

I had hoped to post these pictures last week on my New Hampshire adventure, but I just never managed to get around to it.  Here are a few pictures of the finished quilt in it's new home.

Hanging over the crib that will be Mia's after Ari outgrows it.

Helpfully held-up by my brother, and proud father, Joe.

 The pieced back is not *perfectly* centered, as I would have liked.  But somehow I think Mia will forgive me.

I have to admit that after stitching all the binding on by hand, I really was craving some good old fashioned strawberry shortcake, so I made some for my parents and I.  Buttermilk biscuits, split, buttered, and grilled till golden and crispy along the edges, drenched in strawberries and whipped cream.  Trust me, it's a million times better than those terribly greasy yellow sponge cakes.  Grilled biscuits.  They're the way to go.

Strawberry Shortcake Anyone?

The top of Mia's baby quilt is together, and I'm really pleased with it.  It is definitely reminiscent of the Strawberry Shortcake that I remember from childhood. I should be able to piece the back and quilt it tomorrow morning.  There may be some binding to hand stitch on the plane, but it *should* be ready by the time I get home on Tuesday.

In other news, I posted two copies of my Across the Universe bracelets yesterday morning, and they have both sold already!  Better go pack them up for their new homes.

New Quilt in the Works

I know I promised to get back to quilting, and then proceeded to keep posting jewelry, but I really do have a quilt in the works.  A Strawberry Tea Party quilt for my new niece Mia. 

Block prints in pink and green.

Yesterday morning I fussy cut all the focal print blocks.  I think I'm now shy of what I needed for the focal print on the backing, but I've got good sized pieces of all the block prints left over, so I'm sure I'll be able to piece together something cute.

Teapots, Cupcakes and Birds on Teacups will be the centers of the focal blocks.

I also got the print blocks cut.  I know I'm supposed to mix them up more, but due to the fact that one of the prints is being used in two colors, and I seem to have picked a lot of dots, I think I'm going to have to go with only 4 distinct pairings.  So far, the only one I'm not sure about is the green and white Honey Vine print.  I'm afraid it's not going to read as green enough.

Ok, off to piece these blocks together.  I'm trying to get through at least one portion of the quilt each day, so hopefully I can take it with me when I go to visit my family in NH next week.  Cross your fingers for me!

I thought this Blog was about quilting?

Dear Jennie,
I thought this blog was supposed to be about making quilts.  I was under the impression you started it to keep you accountable to yourself for making the quilts for friends and family who can't seem to stop getting married and having babies.  What's up with that?
Love,
Jennie


Oh Jennie,
You are absolutely right.  I did start this blog to keep myself working on the MANY quilts on my current list, and I am certainly behind on that front.  I can only say that with quilting, like every other craft I enjoy, I go through phases.  But, there is hope on the horizon!  I got a good kick in the butt with the birth of my beautiful new niece Mia, and finally decided on a quilt pattern and fabric for her.  I'm going to be making the Frames pattern, from Oh, Fransson's Simple Modern Baby Quilts pattern out of Michael Miller's Strawberry Tea Party line.  They remind me of Strawberry Shortcake from when I was little.  Aren't they cute?

In addition to that, I have to start working on my sister-in-law's wedding quilt for September, and thanks to a kind donation of fabric bits and pieces from alwaysinmyroom on Craftster, I have a TON of new food fabrics to start work on a Jar Quilt.  I'm not sure who this will go to yet, or if I'll keep it for myself, but I just can't resist the lure of all the cute food fabrics out there. (These are two of my favorites: I love the labels and fallen over jars in Quilt Cookies Jar Quilt, and the baskets and crates in Judy Wright's Bountiful Blessings Quilt.)
So yes, I promise to work on quilting more very soon.
Love,
Jennie