New Project Alert - Sparkle Punch!

I wanted to keep making Swoon blocks, but I ran out of white.  (I use Kona Snow for my white, FYI.  You know, in case you want to get me a gift.)

SO, I decided to start on a SPARKLE PUNCH quilt!  Here is a pic of the inspiration quilt from Oh, Fransson:

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First I needed to gather up a bunch of colors and patterns to make the stars.  My inspiration for this quilt was this funny typewriter print fabric from the Melody Miller Ruby Star Shining collection:

So I picked a bunch of turquoise, teal, blue and green prints and solids to go with it and decided to use a neutral-color for the background fabric.  

Since the quilt is made of 3.5" squares, next I started cutting out squares.  Hundreds of squares!  So many hundreds of squares!

About 400 neutral squares:

And I don't know how many colorful squares:

Then I organized my squares into zip lock bags!

Time to start turning the squares into stars!  Here is my first star:

Only several hundred more to go!

Swoon Times Two

I finished my first Swoon blocks!  Remember the grey and green one?  It went from this:

To this!

I liked it so much I made another one right away!

These blocks are pretty challenging for me because seam inaccuracies are very apparent, and I am not the most accurate sewer.  But, I can tell I improved from the first block to the second one, so I'm going to keep trying.  Personally, I find if I just slow down on every step -- cutting, pinning and sewing -- things look much better.  LIFE LESSONS!!!!!!

Gum Drop Pillow!

I finished the Gum Drop pillow!   Wow, that has a lot of fluff in it.  I had to go back to the store twice to get more fluff!  I probably could have stuffed more in it too (that's what she said).

If you want to make one of these, I say GO FOR IT!  It was super easy and fun.  A good project for a beginner.  I am new to the world of using paper patterns and found this to be very self-explanatory.  Just remember to get enough fluff!!!

PICS!  Here is the pillow on a stool so you can see the sides:

Here is the pillow being held by a five year old for size reference.  It's heavy!!!

And here is the five year old playing Wii on the pillow!  He likes it!

I know, I know ... someone needs a haircut.

Another New Project Alert! Swoon Quilt

Yesterday's Gumdrop pillow is aaaaaalmost finished (I just have to get more fluffy innards at the fabric store).  With that pretty much done, I decided to start on a Swoon Quilt!  I really love this pattern even though it is NMS (not my style).  It's an 80"x80" square quilt made of nine large blocks:

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I'm making the quilt using these Ruby fat quarters from the Fat Quarter Shop, which are also NMS.

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So much red!  Gross.

To ease myself into it, I'm starting with green and grey.

If you decide to make a Swoon quilt, you can join the SWOON ALONG club.  Almost 800 people are doing it!  I also want to issue a warning:  the cutting for these blocks is TRICKY!  Lots of 7/8ths and you really have to be super accurate to fit all the cuts into one fat quarter.  I messed up!  So I had to make some Frankenstein-blocks:

Just adds to the homemade charm, I suppose.  Pics of a finished block soon!

New Project Alert! Gum Drop Pillow

Were you ready for some FOOTBALL?  No?  Me neither.  Rather than watch the Super Bowl this past weekend, I decided to start on a new project!  The Amy Butler Gumdrop pillow!  Don't they look fun and sassy?  I need one as an ottoman type item in the living room.

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I picked out this charcoal and white print fabric - Ghastlie Clover by Alexander Henry.

I started cutting out the pattern and marking up the fabric with a chalk pen...

Finished Gum Drop to come!!!

Project Checklist is Over!

I have officially decided that Project Checklist is over!  To date, I have completed 5 out of the 6 items on the list!  That's pretty good if you ask me -- a solid B grade.  

That sixth item is just going to have to wait.  I don't want to work on it right now!

I also realized that finishing the Modern Meadow quilt means that my bedroom makeover from last July is finally done as well!  Let's take a little time to reminisce:

Here is the gross BEFORE:

Here is the mildly pleasant DURING:

And here is the exciting AFTER!!!!!!!!!

Well, what do you think?  Do you notice any differences?  Do you love it?  Do you hate it?  Do you love to hate it or hate to love it?  

Project Checklist - Item 5 - Bedroom Accessories Completed!

Another project from the "to do" list is complete!  Let's find out more about it!

My sister in Maine has three kids in two bedrooms and apparently they often get sick of each other and decide to switch rooms.  In the most recent switch, my nephew and niece switched beds, and my sister asked if I could make a new fabric cover for the headboard.  Sounded easy enough!

Once the fabric was selected, I ordered it right away!  That was good!  Then it all just sat there...... for several months.  Once I finally tackled the project this past weekend, it only ended up taking about an hour.

The headboard cover is just a simple rectangular type thing:

The corners came out nice and boxy:

I had some fabric left over, so I made a fun little pillow to match!

CONFIDENTIAL TO FRANKLIN:  SORRY YOU HAD TO SLEEP IN A GIRL BED FOR SIX MONTHS!