If Quilting Was My Day Job...

Monday, August 6, 2012

Quick and Easy Baby Quilt

I love making baby quilts for friends and family! There is nothing better than welcoming a life into the world with something soft and handmade. However, sometimes time can get away from you.

I have recently found that panels can be a huge timesaver without taking away from the handmade look.

They can be quite impressive with the right quilting, borders, and binding accents. Plus they help you save time and money.

So the next time you realize that a baby is due any minute and you still haven't started a quilt, check out your local quilt shop or Joann Fabrics for a fun and cute baby panel to create a handmade quilt.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Perfect Back for a Baby Quilt

If you have never tried backing a baby quilt in Minky/Cuddle/Fireside fabric, I highly recommend it!!!

I just finished a baby quilt for my first nephew and the directions said that I would need 3 1/2 yds of material for the back and that I would need to piece it.

I thought to myself, "Hmmm, there must be an easier way." And there was! I purchased a 60 inch wide Cuddle fabric and it required no piecing. Plus I only needed 1 2/3 yds instead.

Talk about saving money!

So the moral of the story is, for baby quilts (and most likely any smaller throw) Minky/Cuddle/Fireside is super soft, cheaper in the long run, and requires no piecing.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Fabulous Photo Puzzle

As I was packing for our move I came across a puzzle tin that had been a Christmas gift a few years ago. As a surprise, my mom had a picture of my husband (then boyfriend) and I made into a puzzle. It was such a fun gift! Not only did we enjoy putting the puzzle together, but it was of us!

This idea got me thinking two different, exciting, thoughts!

1. You could take a picture of your quilts or craft masterpieces and have them made into puzzles! That way you could enjoy putting your work-of-art together over and over again and this time your family could help!

2. You could take pictures of your children, entire family, or favorite vacation destination and have them made into puzzles. Then your children could put together puzzles of themselves or places they have seen. Why put together a random landscape, when the landscape can be yours?

Just some creative thoughts! I know that I will totally be taking advantage of this more often as I travel with my husband, for projects in my classroom, and later in life, when we have children of our own.

Here are a list of websites I found that offer photo puzzles! Enjoy!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Moving A Sewing Room

My amazing husband and I just bought our first HOME!!!!

That huge change is what sparked this next quilter-on-the-go blog post.

Moving a sewing room can be a daunting task, but Sterilite show-off storage can work miracles! Plus it is currently 50% off at Joann Fabrics! I stocked up and stowed away. All of my projects, stash, UFOs, and tools are safely stored in hard plastic containers, with snap-on lids, and transparent sides. It will make moving and organizing our new house a breeze. Plus, I can keep all of the items stored and find them easily whenever I have the time to get crafty! It's awesome!