Summer of Kate Spain Quilts

The bright, clear, cheerful colors of Kate Spain's fabric lines are calling to me this summer.  I finished up my second Kate Spain quilt top of the summer; the line is Sunnyside. The pattern is from Moda Bake Shop and is called "Basic Math Quilt."  The quilt uses one layer cake and is fun and easy to make.

I had the blocks made for awhile and then "rediscovered" them cleaning up a pile in my sewing room.  
This will be another great lap quilt for the couch for the summer to go along with my Daydreams quilt (see next photo).  I have the backing and binding purchased and hope to get it put together to start quilting on my next day off.

Edgar Poe loves Kate Spain quilts as much as I do.

With a Little Help from a Black Cat

Yesterday, Remy and I finished up the borders on my "Bounce" quilt.  I did the sewing while Remy did the supervising and the unnecessary application of cat hair (ahem!) 

I left the room for two minutes....

and Remy decided to roll around and wrinkle up the quilt....

It's a good thing he is so cute.

Lint rollers are another good thing.....

early morning light--wrinkles by Remy

Despite Remy's help, I finished up the quilt top and decided to photograph it on the fence this morning to avoid any cat assistance. I used a layer cake of Kate Spain's Cuzco, Moda Bella Solid in Tranquil Aqua, and was inspired by Thelma's version for the border.

This pattern was so much fun to make and would work well with any type/pattern of fabric.  I was really pleased that you could use a layer cake so there aren't scraps left over (I seriously have a scrap basket problem but that is for another day).

I think it took longer to lay out the blocks and decide how to cut them than piece the blocks.  The instructions are clear and it all pieced together perfectly.  There are a couple of different versions included in the pattern. I used version 2 for the star blocks (solid stars instead of pieced center blocks).  My version has two different size stars.  For the pieced border, I cut the strips the same width and grouped the strips by color (similar to Thelma's version).  I can't wait to get this one to a longarm quilter to finish up.

Bounce in Progress

 I am having so much fun making "Bounce" by Miss Rosie.  I've been working on it every chance I have and just have the two outer borders left to add.

I am using a layer cake that I have been hoarding saving just for this pattern.  It's "Cuzco" by Kate Spain The background is a Moda Bella Solid called Tranquil Aqua.

We've had lots and lots of rain in Santa Fe this past week and Northern New Mexico is out of drought status, which is wonderful.   

Flowers are blooming 

The sunsets are incredible

And rainy days are perfect for napping in boxes. 

Hope your weekend is great!

Late August Already?

Summer is zooming by here in Santa Fe.  Summer is a big tourist season and I have been super busy at Starbucks with all the extra people in town.  This week is Indian Market week  and the population of Santa Fe more than doubles.  Mr. SBQ and I will go downtown tomorrow as soon as the market opens and before I have to work in the afternoon.

I've been working on a few quilting projects here and there.  I did finish my second Charm Pack Cherry quilt. I just love the bright colors of Kate Spain's Daydream line with the periwinkle Moda Bella solid.

Purple was my favorite color as a child and this quilt just makes me happy. Stella and I can fully attest to the fact that this quilt is perfect for summer afternoon cat naps under the ceiling fan.

For the back, I chose the purple daisy print from the line.  I quilted it myself with my go-to Bernina wavy stitch.  This is a quick and easy way to quilt a quilt.

 More happy purple things at my house include these flowers blooming away in our back patio area.  The flowers we planted in early summer are doing well with the cooler and rainier summer that we are having in Santa Fe.  This is salvia and calibrachoa.

Late summer also brings an abundance of yummy blackberries to the farmer's market.  I made a blackberry-raspberry pie this week and it was divine!




















On warmer days, Stella likes to sprawl out on the cool wood floors.  

How are you spending the last weeks of August?

Quilty Daydreams

I will post more about my parents' visit and sightseeing around New Mexico tomorrow.  I just *had* to post this quilt top I finished today because the fabric just makes me happy happy happy.  I think it's all the purple.

As you know, I am a BIG fan of Kate Spain's fabric lines (if you click on the little label link at the end of this blog post, you can see all my posts about her fabrics).  I whipped up this version of Fat Quarter Shop's free pattern Charm Pack Cherry. I just love this pattern--it is fun and quick and makes great use of fabrics.  You can see my first one here.

For this version, I used 2 charm packs of Kate Spain's Daydreams line and Moda Bella Solid in Periwinkle.  This is going to be a bright and cheery summer quilt for my living room chair.  I need to get some binding & backing fabric and Aurifil thread to match the purple soon to get it finished.

Here's a couple of thrown-over-the-coyote-fence shots.


Yes, that is the real blue of the sky today. No need for Instagram filters in New Mexico :)

The invisible plants are growing nicely in my clay pots aren't they?

And here's some shots with Mr. SBQ

as quilt holder.

I finished up a couple of other projects that I'll show in another post.  My quilting assistants were a big help as always.  Do you think Edgar Poe, my quilting assistant, is dreaming of new quilts to sleep on? 

First Finish and First New Project for 2014

I finished the binding on "Minnesota Hot Dish" and it's all washing and ready for gifting.  I machine quilted it myself with some basic quilting stitches so I could get it done quickly.  I did a simple stitch-in-the-ditch grid and wavy-line horizontal quilting across the main part of the quilt and two rows of wavy-line quilting around the border.

I'm looking forward to Another Year of Schnibbles.  These are so much fun to make and it's a good way to use up some charm packs (or find excuses to pick up new ones).  I doubt I'll make the deadline for this month with moving, but I did make a start. 

This month's pattern is "Jersey Girl." I thought I'd get a late early start on the holidays and use Kate Spain's cutemous "In From the Cold" line.  I'm suing the gray-on-white star print for the background. 

 Two blocks done and I put my improvised sewing station away so the house could be shown this weekend.

Mr. SBQ sent this photo of Remy in his box.  Remy's expression made me laugh; he looks a little annoyed at something.  Maybe being interrupted from his afternoon nap? Apparently, the spoiled little guy has TWO boxes now--one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen.  

Schnibble for July's Parade

I was overjoyed that "Lincoln" was chosen as this month's project for Another Year of Schnibbles project because....

I already made mine way back in spring 2010.  I used Moda's "Verna" fabric line by Kate Spain and this started my Kate Spain I-love-all-her-fabric-and-her-cute-kitties fan-girl-ness.

Here is optimistic original post that said I would have it all quilted and bound by the weekend following April 3rd 2010....

April 3, 2010

and here it is today....

Ummmm... not quilted and bound and a rather bad photo since it is overcast & dark in my house today.

I think I remember seeing the backing fabric for this so I need to dig that out and hopefully it won't be another year (let alone three!) that this Schnibble will be done.

You can see all the great Lincoln projects on Sherri and Sinta's blogs.

I can't wait to see what the new project is for August.

My Favorite Schnibble Parade Entry

It is so hard to pick a favorite Schnibble quilt.  Usually it's the one I've just finished working on.  Since I *had* to choose for this month's parade, I chose "Doc."

These photos just don't do justice to the wonderful colors of Kate Spain's "Good Fortune" fabric line.  I used Moda Bella solid in Zen Gray for the background.  My favorite neutral, hope Moda keeps this color in stock.  The colors are just perfect for my living room and I hope to get this quilt professionally quilted and  hanging on my wall sometime soon.  

Here's another view outside last May.

Can't wait to see all the other favorites on Sinta and Sherri's blogs.

2012 Year in Review: Schnibble Style

I've had fun seeing how other bloggers did a "Year in Review" of the fun year-long "Another Year of Schnibbles" quilt along, so I decided to do one too.  Good thing you can search blogs (including your own) by keyword to remember what projects go with which month (and also to figure out if you missed a project or two or three).

 Way back in January (can we even remember way back in January????) was  "Full House."  I made mine in French General fabric (it still needs to be quilted).  

February. What was February?  Looks like I didn't make February's quilt called "i.s.t.h. (insert snappy title here)."

March was "T is for Thelma" aka Bibelot.  This was a fun quilt to make and a fun quilt to lay out all the blocks and hope that the cats didn't decide to "help" rearrange them.

April's quilt was an out-of-the-box quilt for me in colors and in flying geese (not a flying geese fan). I do like this quilt though and Edgar Poe seems to like it too. 

May was "Doc" and I made this version from Moda Zen Gray solid and Kate Spain's "Good Fortune" line.  I adore this quilt and as soon as it gets quilted, I'm hanging it up in my living room.

June's pattern was "Leap Year." There is nothing better than a 16-patch block.  I just love these made from the "Little Apples" line.  I used a lot of gray fabric this year.  I'm glad it was popular for 2012 and I hope I stocked up on enough for when gray is not a popular color.   

July was a choose your own Schnibble.  I love it when it's a choose your own.  I had to check my blog and see what I did for that month.   Oh look!  I made this older Schnibble called "Four Corners" out of Kate Spain fabric. I just love Kate Spain fabric. This quilt was fun to make with the happy Central Park charm packs I've been hoarding.  (I really need to get this one quilted too).

August was "Dimestore."  I guess I didn't make this one. What was I doing?  I need to go back and check my blog and see what I was doing in August.  Probably melting from the heat and complaining about the drought. Looks like I didn't do much of anything in August so let's move onto September.

September was "Speck" and look I actually have one that is quilted. AMAZING!  Called the media. (I am so slack about getting even these little quilts quilted.  It's just not my favorite part of the process.)

October was "Hubble." Oh how I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this quilt.  More Kate Spain wonderful lovely Serenade fabric and my favorite plumy goodness Eggplant Moda Bella solid. I can't wait to get my pennies saved up so I can get this one quilted.  Sigh. I have the backing and binding all ready. 

November's pattern was "Drop."  Didn't make this month.  October/November is always really busy for me.  

Here is December's "Morsel" pincushions. These were great fun and I think I *need* to make more of these in 2013.

Well I made 9 out of the 12 projects and enjoyed every one.  And 9 out of 9 project have gray fabric in them.  Love gray!!! And 3 out of 9 are Kate Spain fabric (did I mention I love Kate Spain fabric?) 

This was a fun year and I love seeing all the other versions out there in Blogland.  HUGE thanks to Sinta and Sheri for all their hard work and Carrie and Miss Rosie for their wonderful patterns!!!   

A Halloween Hubble Finish

Whew!  Got this month's Another Year of Schibbles quilt in just under the wire.  Yes, it is still hot from the iron and I had to take a not-very-good photo but it's done!

I used Kate Spain's Serenade line and Moda Bella Solid in Eggplant.  I love the autumn colors and can't wait to get it quilted.  

I also need to get a better photo outside when my quilt holder is home.

And how about a Halloween Remy photo?

Here is Remy in his disguise as The Creature Under the Bathroom Rug (with special effects flash).   

The Creature Under the Bathroom Rug appears most weekday mornings when I am trying to get ready for work.  

I'll tell you a secret:  The Creature Under the Bathroom Rug is more funny than scary.

Happy Halloween!

I'm Back! It's October! It's the end of October!

Sleeping on the job.  No help blogging here.

I did not realize it had been nearly a month since I last blogged.  Sigh.  What a bad blogger I've been this year.
















I just got back yesterday from a week long trip to Michigan to visit my family,

celebrate October birthdays,



and spend oodles of time with this little cutie

Mackenzie 2 1/2 years old.

 My sister-in-law, aunt, mom, and I spent some time sewing.  I finished the center of the Schnibbles quilt for this month "Hubble".  I am using "Serenade" by Kate Spain charm packs and Moda Bella Solid in Eggplant.

Love the autumn-ness of these colors.   

Mackenzie, dad, and I picked raspberries and made a raspberry pie.  Mackenzie *may* have eaten more berries than ended up in her basket.

Now to get caught up on everything.

July Schnibble: Four Corners

Love this line. I wish I had bought some yardage of the wonderful animal prints.

Thanks for all the great comments about my Civil War Block of the Week quilt.  Y'all lived through last year with me and for that I thank you!  For more reports from Stitch In, you can check out Pat's blog here

Back to Stitch In, I also finished my July Schnibble right in the nick of time for this month's Another Year of Schnibbles parade.  The pattern is an older Schnibble that's been hanging out in my box o' charm packs and Schnibble patterns for awhile.  It's called "Four Corners" and I used two  "Central Park" by Kate Spain charm packs.



The fabric is wonderfully bright and busy so I added the thin little sashing that is not in the original pattern.

Can't wait to see everyone's choices for patterns this month.  It will be another wonderful parade at Sinta and Sherri's I am positive.

Luck All Around

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend.  I had a busy week so it's great to have a couple days off to get some fun time in.

Yesterday I finished the top for this month's Schnibble parade.  This may be one of my favorite Schnibbles ever. I used Kate Spain's line called "Good Fortune" and the solid is Moda Bella solids Zen Gray.  I just love the colors in this line and also like the play on the theme of the card trick block (Good Fortune = Lucky; Card Trick block = Cards) 

Speaking of luck, I was super lucky to be a winner in Fabricworm's weekly giveaway. The line is called "Grand Hotel" by Jenean Morrison.  This line just says late summer to me with the great graphics and saturated colors.  Big thank you to Fabricworm!!! 

The cats are enjoying the warm sun and gorgeous weather we are having in metro Atlanta this weekend.  Here is Gomez lounging on a pile of quilts on the back of the couch in the late afternoon sun.  

Ahhh the life of cats.   This black cat sure lucked out adopting me.