Spring Forward.

It's not technically the first day of Spring but yesterday it sure felt like it around here.  While the folks out East are suffering through killer storms, we enjoyed a warm afternoon out front with the kids and their bikes and scooters.

Goofy Aidan with some stop-action fun.

Makena didn't feel like having her picture taken much yesterday, but she sure did enjoy riding her bike and her scooter.  She even tried riding her bike without training wheels - atta girl!

The house work is winding down slowly but surely, and the end is justaboutalmostpracticallymaybesoon near.  The stairs have been recarpeted, the tile for the bathroom floors has been purchased and SHOULD be installed this week (or there will be one very sorry flooring contractor who will be refunding me my deposit if he knows what's good for him), and my brother is helping us this week with prettying up our wood fences and constructing a patio cover.  

I've spent hardly any time in my scrap room and just about all of my sanity-keeping time in my sewing room.  I've made some scrappy pillows to keep and as gifts:

And I've been working on some quilts:

This one is a funkified nine-patch quilt for my cousin who starts college in the fall. Nothing like a brand new cozy quilt for all those late-night study sessions, right E?  The majority of this fabric is left over from this quilt I made for my aunt for Christmas. I love how this fabric is floral and fun without being too girly. The white fabric is from a Moda jelly roll in white. Since I took this photo the top is now complete and I hope to get it sandwiched with the batting and backing tonight so I can start quilting it by the weekend. I'll probably do another straight-line pattern on this one. I will share it here when it's all finished!

I've also been working on what I'm calling the St. Brigid quilt. Chris and I were married at St. Brigid church and the St. Brigid cross has always been a symbol of hope for me. I originally started cutting my fabrics to make this quilt using the jelly roll strips but realized that I needed more than a single strip of the color strips and just started playing around with what I had. And I came up with the cross pattern that reminded me of St. Brigid's cross:

One 2.5"-wide strip of white and one 2.5"-wide strip of color cut from standard-width fabric and sewn together will net 9 4.5-inch squares (using a 1/4" seam).  So I get two complete blocks from each strip plus one left over square which I'll use for a more random-looking cross quilt later. The colorful fabrics I'm using here are from a fun set of reproduction feedsack prints from the 1930s or so by Windham Fabrics called Feedsack V (as in Feedsack Five). I love how fun and vibrant the colors are and I know this is going to make a darling quilt when it's all put together.  When it's finished, I think I might just keep this one for myself.

And this is the second version of this quilt so now my girls each have their very own so now I don't have to listen to the whining and the fighting over it anymore. For these two quilts I used a Moda layer cake and yardage from their Snippets line, and I did some free-hand quilting in a curly swirly loopy pattern:

 

(See honey? All those hangers we get when I buy clothes for the kids? I told you they'd come in handy.)

So this is what I've been up to with my idle hands and free time to keep my sanity these past few months. I keep busy making and finishing pretty things according to my own schedule and not according to a contractor's schedule or my kids' schedule or even my sleep schedule some nights. When it seems like I have so little control over what's going on in my life, I hide out in my sewing room, put on a movie or music in the background and sew away.

It was either quilting or vodka and porn. I think I made the better choice.

Comments

[Elizabeth]

*snort* you crack me up.

Maybe I'll come steal Makena's quilt in the middle of the night. Heh heh heh. Or, you could come fly out and teach me how to do it yourself. : )

[AllisonK]

Quilting any day!!!
Beautiful projects.
Gorgeous children!

[Dana]

You inspire me!
I will make a quilt. I will.

[alexandra s.m.]

Love your quilts, pictures and pages!
You make me laugh too so : Thank You! merci ;-)

[Lisa @celebrate CREATIVITY]

Tina, you've really taking the quilting thing and run with it.

Great projects and I really love those pillows.

Your kids look adorable on their bikes too.

[Lisa @celebrate CREATIVITY]

Oh, how I hate typos-lol. Of course, I'm always compelled to correct myself too.

I meant to say you've really "taken" the quilting thing and run with it.

[Rayna]

Lovely Tina! It's feeling like spring here too- I finally broke down today and allowed tank top dresses, which is what the girls REALLY want to wear, no matter the weather. Your quilts look great! I haven't done any free-motion quilting but you've inspired me to try!

[Kim Kesti]

So fun to catch up with you! LOVE the quilting projects. And the remodeling? Yikes. Bet it will be mucho gorgisimo when it's done, though. Hugs!
Kimmers

[Alis in Wnderlnd]

Im totally behind my blog reading. The funky nine patch is awesome. I might have to get out my sewing machine, but not sure I can add one more thing.

[Jody]

Hmmmmmm....I like vodka and porn.
I kid!
Such gorgeous creations,
and your quilts/pillows are nice too ;)

[bag girl]

Amazing quilt~~also it will take some time to finish it, but i think when i sleep in these lovely quilt at night, i will have a sweet good dream`~

[ריצוף אמבטיות]

Nice tutorial shared here. I like this pillow with beautiful design and colors. I like your way to represent this tutorial.