Oops!

This post is called "Oops" for more than one reason. First, my last post was called "Latest Projects" and I forgot to add this quilt top to it since I finished it today while BOTH KIDS were napping! Hallelujah! Second, there is a mistake in the layout of this quilt...see it? Two browns on top of each other. The top row should have been switched the other way. Too bad I didn't notice it until all the borders were sewn on and I was taking this photo! Sorry, Karen, but it's still cute!!! The fabrics are Hoffman's boy's colorway of "In the Wild" and the sashing is a smaller giraffe print. Cute!

Latest Projects

So, I told my friend MaryLou that I'd sew a custom bolster pillow for her daughter's room back in May. After she dropped off the pillow form and fabric, I promptly put both where the kids couldn't get to them and forgot about it. Fast forward to July. She emailed me to see how it was coming along and I told her she could pick it up in 4 days, that I was just about finished. I figured that by giving myself a deadline, I'd get it done, but boy was that dumb. It did get done in time, and is nearly perfect, but I almost killed myself the night before the deadline doing the entire project in 4 hours. I'd never made a pillow cover nor inserted a zipper nor attached piping to a project. I just winged it. Thank goodness I had an arsenal of great reference books my husband has bought me over the years--I love him! I had three great basics books I just kept shuffling through until I'd find what I needed. And you know what? Zippers aren't that hard! Here's the finished project (52 inches long):
I hope it looks great in her newly redecorated room!

Using Leftover Scraps

So here are the two latest projects I've been working on...

First, I made Daughter #1 a HUGE sock money quilt about two years ago with Moda's Funky Monkey and Monkey 'n Round lines by Erin Michaels. It was one of my first quilting/sewing projects that I tackled after FINALLY learning how to load the bobbin thanks to the local Parks and Rec sewing class:) Anyway, I bought a fat quarter set of 25 or so fqs thinking that would be enough fabric, but because the blocks had to be fussy cut since the blocks are on point, I made so many cutting mistakes that it was like the neverending fabric buying extravaganza (thank you Over the Rainbow Quilt Shop for your low prices). So, I ended up with TONS of scraps. In fact, I probably have enough to make two more of this size quilt. Here's what I came up with with the leftovers:

I can't get over how cute these monkeys are! Sister-in-law Robin made a beautiful knitted monkey to go with the quilt.

Then, I finally finished hand sewing on the binding to the backing of this owl quilt. The colors are stunning in person.

I HATE hand sewing, so usually I try to self-bind all my creations, but lots of people prefer the heirloom quality of the traditional binding.

Both quilts are for sale in my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBusyBeeQuiltShop?ref=seller_info

Have a great week!