Quilted Tote Bag

This was my first attempt at sewing/quilting together a bag that has round handles and a diamond pattern instead of squares. It was more challenging than I anticipated and should I ever decide to do a similar project in the future - I think I will try a different approach.

However, I do think it will work perfectly for carrying my laptop and notebooks to class this semester!

Tote Bag

Today I sewed together a small tote bag (11.5" X 7.5" with a 4" bottom) out of fabric left over from my recent pillow covers project. The material is heavy and made for outdoor items - which makes this tote bag weather durable and washable.

Black & White

Yesterday I made a bag with the leftover material from the baby blanket I completed this past weekend. The purple material on the inside of the bag is the only fabric not used in the blanket and was left over from a different project. 

One Flower

Two Flowers

Top View

Handles

Quilt Squares

I have also spent this weekend working on a baby quilt for a friend (she is having a girl). Below is a sneak peak of the squares I have been working on (apologies for the lighting and quality of the photos - they were taken from my phone). I will be posting the final product in a couple weeks after she has seen it. I don't want to ruin the surprise. 

This one is my favorite!

Pillow Covers

I finished two more pillow covers for a friend this weekend. The striped material has a smooth and silky texture whereas the print material is more of an outdoor fabric with more defined threads. I didn't choose the material for this project, but I really like the contrast of the two together.

60th Anniversary Quilt

My grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this June 3rd. I have been working on a crossword puzzle quilt with all the names of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (including spouses). This project has been in the works for about a year. 

Ryan (my husband) helped cut out the majority of the letters! 

We are having a family reunion this weekend to celebrate. Grandpa and grandma were very surprised when they opened this gift. Happy anniversary! 

Quilt pattern.

Final product. 
Unplanned - but the headboard and bed skirt matched perfectly!!

Checkers

Finished my latest project this weekend. Ryan and I don't have a checker board and I thought it would be fun to play at my family reunion in a few weeks with the kids. So, I quilted a checker board and made bean bag game pieces. The pieces have a crown on one side and are plain on the other. I got the idea from Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/pin/176695985353038653/. 

King Me!

Red Bean Bag Pieces.

Checker Squares 3.5" 

Finished Product!

Pillows Cont.

Finished the last pillow of the set of three this weekend! This one is also 14" x 14" and has a slit in the back for easy removal. 

Pillows Covers

Just finished making pillow covers for a friend.

Four throw pillows - two square
18" x 18" and two round 14" x 6".

The round one have ties on each end made from the same material as the covers and the square ones have a slit in the back for easy removal.

Baby Quilt

One of my close girl friends is having a baby girl and I am thinking of making a quilt for her. Here is the current pattern I have been playing with... The stripes would only be 2.5" thick - making the quilt a little over 4' x 4'.

I also might add some layers to the flowers to highlight the petals. What do you think?

New Quilting Project

I have a new quilting project that I will be starting directly after the completion of my current project, which I am hoping to finish this coming weekend.

I will be making this quilt for my grandparents on my father's side of the family. It contains all the names of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (including their names and the family's last name).

There will be a total of 124 letters and the background design is made up of 6 colors (3 shades of blue and 3 shades of green). I am planning on doing the letters in a black print material, but I am not completely sure on that yet.

More updates to come once I buy the material and start cutting my squares!

Pillows cont.

I completed another pillow this morning to go along with my current quilting project. There are going to be a total of three pillows altogether.. here is number two.

This one is 14" x 16" round and has ties on both ends for easy removal. I used black shoe strings for the bows because they are somewhat easier to thread through the small pocket. Once inside I cut them to an appropriate length and tied knots on each end.

I plan on completing the third pillow this coming weekend..

T-Shirt Project

This weekend I also turned one of my Indiana T-shirts into a tank top with adjustable straps.

The tutorial provide by the website says to use the bottom of the shirt for the straps; however, I used the bottom of a different black t-shirt that was too large for me. I also made the straps one long piece of cord that tries on one shoulder instead of on both.  

I got this idea from Pinterest and website: http://followpics.com/refashioning-a-t-shirt-into-a-tank-top-i-dont-wear-tanks-but-i-imagine-that-ill-be-making-many-of-these-for-my-kiddos/

Pillows

Just finished a pillow this weekend to match the quilt I am currently working on. I used a sewing machine to quilt around the leaves and tree trunk after ironing each piece on with applique. I will also be making a matching pillow with red leaves and a round pillow with stripes in brown, red, and green.

I got the idea from Pinterest and the website: http://www.addicted2decorating.com/30-diy-decorative-pillow-tutorials.html