DQS11 Done...and a giveaway!

Last year I made this string quilt with some "help from my friends" we swapped bags of scraps to make string quilts. It was so much fun that I have been wanting to make another one. This lovely quilt had 80 - 6" squares and took me some time to make, but when the Doll Quilt Swap 11 came around and I got in I was inspired. My partner loves bright colors so I thought this would be perfect!

So, I came up with an idea....a mini version of my quilt. Here is a peak of it before it was quilted... 

Well, I finished quilting it and for the most part love it. I really wished I would have gone a different route in the quilting, but it looks okay. I free-motioned flowers and swirls. I hope my partner loves it.

Here it is on the design wall.

I just LOVE stripes for binding....so fun!

Now it is all ready to mail out...I'm just finishing up the label. I will be posting this mini in the mail tomorrow....it has a ways to travel. *wink*

Now...for my last giveaway of the summer! I have discovered that I just love Camille Roskelley! Her blog is one that I frequent often and just love. I was pretty excited when I found out she lives in my town! So, for those of you out there that have seen her stuff and love her fabrics...I just had to buy an extra book and give it away! I love this book and wanted someone else to have it too! There are so many cute patterns and ideas in this book and it is a great addition to any quilters shelf!

For this giveaway I will make it easy....not too complicated. There are 3 ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment and let me know what you think of Camille Roskelley and her fabric lines.

2. Follow me on my blog.

3. Follow me on Facebook.

Leave a comment for each one and on Saturday morning (Aug 13th) I will use the random.org generator to pick a winner.

DQS11 quilt top done!

DQS11, a photo by HardyPartyof5 on Flickr.

I am so in love with this little quiltie! I am desperately hoping that my partner doesn't like it....but I know she will! :) This round the rules were no art quilts, only minis of bigger quilts....and since my string quilt I made for myself is my favorite quilt I have so far, I had to make a smaller version of her. Here she is....done! Now I just need to quilt her up and bind her...then wait to send her off.

Here's another angle of her.....

Isn't she stunning?   What do you think?

DQS11...let the sewing begin!

Idea #2 for DQS11, a photo by HardyPartyof5 on Flickr.

So the Doll Quilt Swap 11 has just begun and I made the cut! Wahoo! I love making these Doll Quilts! For me, I hang them on my wall in my sewing room and I get to enjoy them everyday!

Since I'm busy making 2 commission quilts and setting up my business, I decided that I should do something scrappy! So, I am making a smaller version of my string quilt that I made last year! This is going to be so fun! The harderst part is keeping it under 18 inches.

What do you think?

Via Flickr:
Scrappy strings.....any thoughts?

I am so lucky!

I just have to say that i think i am the luckiest person ever! My sweet DQS10 partner made two and couldn't decide which one to send me....so she ended up sending me both! Look at this adorable little quiltie.  I just love this! The birdie nest is SO stinkin cute and I just love her echo quilting! Thank you Wendy!

Look how sweet this is! The little birdies are chirping and the mamma is flying in!

Cute label!

And of course it's now on the wall!

I love it! SO MUCH!

my DQS10 JUST arrived today!!!!

i have been seriously STALKING my mailbox deliveries everyday in hopes of finally opening it up to see any sort of package inside! today.....i finally got my wish! my DQS10 was sitting inside wrapped up in some blue tissue paper nestled inside a priority envelope! i couldn't even wait until i went inside the house, i sat in the car and ripped it open! i squeeled outloud and my 5 year old said "You're happy right mommy!" oh yes!!!! that is an understatement! i absolutely LOVE this Doll Quilt and it is now hanging on the wall! (picture below) i received it from Wendy Ford and it is just lovely! to top it off....i just bought some scraps of this same fabric from my LQS last week because i loved the colors! how awesome is that?! i LOVE happy mail!

the cute label on the back

the wall of quilts! they inspire me!

what a happy day!

doll quilt finished!

here it is! my dqs10 ready to be sent out.  i finished it last night because A..it needed to be done and B...i have to take my sewing machine in for service and it will be in for about 7-10 days.  i don't know what i'm going to do with it gone that long. i am going to try and cope. in the mean time....enjoy these up close and personal photos of the mini quilt. tell me what you think.

the mini quilts i made to hang on the line. these were so much fun to make and not that hard.

i put multiple colors for the leaves because fall is my favorite time of the year and i love the colors it brings.

the little house on the hill.  i think i would love to live here...so quiet and peaceful...sounds so serine.

you can see the grass i quilted in for affect.  i think it makes the picture come to life by adding these little details.

grass growing on the hill...because we all know how hard it is to mow a steep hill....i do for sure...in another city we lived in.

i'm super proud of this quilty...it started from a drawing and now it is complete.  i was going to add a flag pole on the house, but my partner's flag was too hard to make this size, so i skipped it.  what do you think?

all i want to do is sew...

i'm trying to get in the mood, for the fourth time today, to read through my biology lessons. ugh. i tell you, there is a reason i am into english, writing and art. 

anyhow, i am starting today with two new challenges.  this is my first day of the dottie angel challenge, where i pledge to only buy handmade or thrifted items for my house and my closet.  i did have a spectacular find today at a local thrift store....

these were new and still in the box....the best part of it all was it only cost me .99 cents!  now....i'm in search for another set or two...time to change out the old dishes and get something new and fresh, with smaller portion sizes. i love that these bowls and plates are smaller so we won't fill up the plates to capacity each time and over eat.

the next challenge is a craft a day in february.  i decided to do this because i have my dqs10 quilt to finish up, my last two bees that are being neglected tremendously, my old red barn quilt along 9, my urban home goods swap, a quilt that needs to be quilted and three others that need assembling and finishing off. and to top it off, i need to finish assembling my tutorial quilt. **phew** just makes me tired thinking about it.

my three neglected quilts that need assembly.

my dqs10 ready to quilt.

my gorgeous OZ pinwheel quilt waiting for quilting. still not sure if i want to keep the backing fabric to make a skirt and just do a kona solid for the back. decisions decisions..probably why it's not quilted yet.

the rest of my orbc round 9 waiting for the finishing touches.

these two combos will be for my urban home swap..i'm going to make little storage bins...the tutorial is here. aren't they cute?

this beauty is for my tutorial for this quilt that i promised to make.

on top of it all...i have to study for biology and political science...the last of my generals before the fun stuff! wish me luck.  what are you up to this month? and this year?

Doll Quilt Swap 10 progress

I have to say that I just LOVE how this little lovely is turning out. I will be honest, I didn't think I could ever do anything like this and I am finding that it really isn't that hard.  I have always loved art and this is really just another way to express art.  I love these scenes and I think I am now addicted to making them, I am going to have to do more. 

I have everything in place and I used that fabric adhesive for the first time.  That stuff rocks! I have everything pretty much "glued" down until I get it quilted. I have to really think about how I'm going to quilt it, but I think it's going to be awesome! Stay tuned for more progress....

DQS10 Ideas.....

 This is where I'm starting with my fabric choices....what other colors should I do?

I am thinking this is way cute!  I might even change it up a bit....I think I'm going to sketch some more and see what I can come up with...What do you think?

DQS10 Here I come!!

Wahoo!!! I'm just a little excited!  Can you tell?  I made it in this round!  The Doll Quilt Swap 10 is going to be so much fun!  I was in round 9 and had such a great time stalking all the quilts, fabric and partners in question that I am super charged to do it again! 

Here is my mosaic of inspiration....

I keep thinking scrappy and straight lines.....I may change, but this is where I'm starting.....

My DQS9 Quilt arrived!!!

I'm the luckiest person ever!!!!  Look at this beautiful doll quilt I received from Sheree!  The coolest part about these lovely fabrics she used.....I gave her my opinion and she went with the ones I loved rather than her original idea!  How cool is that?  I mean, I actually commented on the fabric that she used.  For those of you who are thinking...."um, okay?"  The whole point behind the Doll Quilt Swap (DQS9) 9 because that is how many the group has done....you don't know who has YOU!  It's a surprise till it arrives in the mail!  So, not only did I get this gorgeous quilt, but I got the cutest tote bag to match...for when I'm buying all my fun fabrics and some FQ's of fabric!  I am just loving it!  I already have a place on the wall it is going to hang....right over our dresser!  Lots of white wallage going on there and that needs to be remedied quickly!  I just love it!  Thanks Sheree...... :)  Oh, and check out her fabric store! 

                                            Here is the front :

Here is the back!  Check out her fabulous quilting!

Isn't it the most lovely doll quilt you've seen?  I just LOVE IT!