The Wedding Gift

My nephew was married last month and this weekend is the family reception. When asked if the newlyweds tastes were more traditional or contemporary, the answer was contemporary. Last summer while visiting Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie Studio, she had a tutorial published on Sew Mama Sew's blog for a Contemporary Quilted Tree Skirt.

This week I have been working on piecing it. A fun departure from my *normal* sewing stuff, eh? The *traditionalist* in me insisted that I piece the mod trees in green and not red...so the tree skirt has a *green* feel to it. I plan to quilt it with snowflakes.

Stash Report Week #41

Nothing added this week and a few finishes! I'm heading back into the negative territory where I want to be at year's end...woohoo!

My Report:

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: 212 yards

Fabric used this week: -30.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -263 yards

Net fabric for the year: -51 yards (used!)

What I accomplished this week:

• quilt and bound Snail's Trail
• quilt and bound Halloween
• made 6 totes bags for cancer patients

Goals for next week:

• make Wedding reception gift

The Wedding reception is on Friday in Michigan...ummm...better get busy! :)

My Mom thinks I won't get the gift made...cash always works as a back-up gift, right?!

Four More Totes

Since I wanted to wash the fabric for my next project and the rye beige thread was in Baby, I decided to make a few more donation totes. I have used up all the home dec fabric I had and only scraps remain of the white/pink polka dot. I even had to use some of the lining fabric for a set of handles!

Finished Snail's Trails

Here is the finished Snail's Trail. Definitely a *swirly* pattern, a little long but there will be ample room to fold the pillows under the quilt when needed.




We found this Corvette Stingray fabric online last year.









The Corvette looks just like the one in the garage except:

On the fabric: black In the garage: white

On the fabric: 1980 In the garage: 1979

The only similarity that I can *see* is that they both are Corvette Stingrays...lol

I quilted it with the Contempo panto from Willow Leaf Studio. Straight lines, boxes and rectangles. I didn't think I would like this panto, but I do! A little Frank Lloyd Wright, perhaps?!

Thursday's Happenings

Last month at Day Guild, the gals voted to supply the patients at another Cancer Treatment Center with the tote bags and arm comfort pillow. This translates to every member made a commitment to make and donate two bags.

Here are my bags...one for each Cancer Treatment Center. I will probably make more as I have more of this Home Dec fabric for two more totes. I also have rather stiff black with white dots that would work for the totes lining...now to find a suitable fabric for the outer portion of the bags. :)

WIP Wendesday

I finished my Halloween quilt last night.

My pattern is based on Bonnie Hunter's I SPY A FOUR PATCH . These quilts make up really fast and are a fun way to use novelties. Usually I donate this pattern but this one is for me! Although, I have enough Halloween novelties to make another yet smaller quilt~Do you think a child would like a Halloween quilt at Christmas?!

I quilted it with Inkblot, which reminded me of ghosts!









I used this Alexander Henry 'Day of the Dead' as my backing. Just reported in on Sunday and out of the stash, with just leftovers!

And Now For The Pictures...

A few blogger friends asked to see pictures of the stash enhancement that occurred this past week and here I thought that I could casually mention the stash enhancement and just *gloss it over*. Not a chance!

Here you go guys, in no particular order:

On the left: backing for my Halloween quilt.

On the right: DD asked for a tote for her basketball gear...made out of basketball fabric, of course.


On the left: backing and maybe pillowcases for two nephews Christmas gifts. shhhh....it's a secret and yes, both boys did actually request quilts. One is 14 and the other is 8.

On the right: backing and maybe pillowcases for the Christmas commission quilts. Same family, the son likes basketball and the daughter likes soccer.

Top: DS said he would like more Classic Corvette pillowcases. Since this fabric matches the other quilt and pillowcases, I decided to order more.

On the left: Border for DS's Michigan State T-shirt quilt.

On the right: My SIL really likes roosters and chickens~thinking some sort of Christmas gift here. Maybe an apron or placemats or hotpads or...open to ideas!


Top: A couple yards each of the stars for borders and bindings on QOV's.

Below: A few more fq's to add to the QOV r/w/b stash.

Top: backing for the Wedding gift~it will be a Christmas theme and some 1/4 yard cuts as go-with's.

Stash Report Week #40

No finishes this week and a lot of buying. a.lot. too.much.

The damage report:

Fabric added this week: +43 yards
Fabric added this year: +212 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this year: -232.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: -20.5 yards

What I accomplished this week:

• finished piecing Snail's Trails to a flimsy
• finished piecing Halloween to a flimsy

Goals for this week:

• quilt and bind Snail's Trails
• quilt and bind Halloween
• start piecing Wedding gift

The Start of Something New...

...a Halloween quilt.

EDIT to Credit: This pattern is based on Bonnie Hunter's I SPY A FOUR PATCH!

October 1, 2009

This is my October view yesterday morning. The leaves on the trees are starting to color and there is a coolness to the air. Autumn has arrived at Bell Creek Quilts! We've had a few cool starts and the warm weather flowers are looking sad. :(

Perhaps the master gardener will be here this weekend to spruce up the yard for winter, if the rain stays away! :)

Are you tired of looking out the kitchen slider door? Our property actually ends at the bird house and the series of ponds are the subdivision green space complete with paths. DD and her BBF were enthralled when the front pond dried up after 22 days without rain~wish I had taken a picture of the girls *walking on the pond* :)