Quilting for Wren

25. August 2011 · 3 comments · Categories: Bias Tape Projects, Quilting, Sewing
My very good friend Wren found out about six weeks ago that she has stage 3 rectal cancer. She has a husband, a three-year-old boy, a one-year-old boy, and a baby girl on the way.

Hexagon Adult Quilt 1

I made her a quilt to use during chemotherapies, surgeries, and really any time she’s a little chilly. Hopefully this will bring her and her family a little brightness in such a hard time.

Hexagon Adult Quilt 5

I used two Ruby layer cakes, Kona Cotton in Show for the sashing, and Bliss for the backing and binding. The backing is flannel and is so soft. I love that the fabric designers are a mother and daughter team (Bonnie & Camille). It’s kind of perfect. The pattern is Hexagon Park, slightly modified to be a little bigger.

Hexagon Baby Quilt 1

And, of course, I couldn’t leave out baby girl who is on the way, so I saved some pink from the layer cakes and made up a smaller version for her.

Hexagon Baby Quilt 4

If you want to keep updated on Wren and her family, her church is posting updates here, and there is a Facebook support page here.

Farmer’s Wife Quilt-Along

19. August 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along, Quilting, Sewing


They got me. All of these posts (and this and this) about the Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along sucked me in, and I couldn't help but join in. So I bought some 1930's reproduction prints on Etsy and started cutting.


First up is block one, Attic Windows. (Yes, I'm going in order. I can't help it.) The purple print has tiny elephants and the pink print has little duckies. Super cute.


Block two is called Autumn Tints. Lots of florals in this one.


Block three, Basket. The handle is only glued on at this point because I don't have the right color of red thread to applique it on. Thank goodness for glue.


Block four, Basket Weave. I think this is one of my favorites so far. I like straight lines. Nice and clean.


And block five, Bat Wing. Apparently I need ironing lessons. :) I think this is going to be a fun project!

CVS, Week of 7/24

17. August 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Couponing, CVS

CVS, Week of 7-24

This week was extremely exciting because I had literally ran out of shaving gel the day before. Perfect timing! I bought:

  • 6 Kleenex boxes, $0.88 each  with two $0.50 off three newspaper coupons = $4.28
  • 10 Skintimate shave gels, $2.19 each with a variety of coupons adding up to $4.30 and $10 ECBs = $7.60
  • 1 U by Kotex pads, $3.49 with one $1 newspaper coupon and $2 ECBs = $0.49
  • 1 Papermate Pens pack, $1.99 with $1.99 ECBs = free
  • 3 Softsoap hand soaps, $2 each with two $0.35 newspaper coupons and $1 ECBs each = $2.30
  • 1 Re-Nu contact solution, $7.89 with a $2 newspaper coupon and $6 ECBs = free

Net cost: $15.74. It’s nice to see my stockpile grow again; most of these items haven’t been on sale for a while, so I was definitely running low.

YTD OOP: $90.56
YTD Savings: $513.75
YTD eBay sales: $2.97

Summer Quilt Retreat

13. August 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Quilting, Sewing


Picture via Wimberly Quilt Ranch

Last weekend some friends and I set out for a fun weekend of distraction-free quilting, sewing, paninis, and wine at the Wimberly Quilt Ranch. Let me just say that this was one of my favorite weekends… ever.

P1020948

The workroom was amazingly huge and had ironing boards with crazy robot irons, tons of tables, a real cutting table, and design boards all over the walls. It was a quilter’s dream! If my husband would let me cover the walls entirely in design boards, I would totally do it.

Quilt Retreat 8-11
Thanks to Denise for the pictures. I got too distracted by sewing
and only ended up with a picture of my project!

My first project for the weekend was a quilt top using some of Denyse Schmidt’s new DS Quilts Collection line from Joann’s. I picked the Snapshots quilt pattern from The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartmann.

Snapshots Quilt Top

This pattern took a long time because of all the pinning to match seams, but I think it turned out really cute. It’s nice and light and bright without being overwhelming. I only had six half-yards of the prints, so I’m very pleased that so little was enough to not look repetitive. My other projects are still works-in-progress, so stay tuned!

On the way to the ranch, we stopped at a quilt shop in Dripping Springs that we had heard good things about called Valli & Kim. I don’t have any pictures, but let me just say we spent an entire hour in there, and could have easily emptied our wallets. They are filled floor to ceiling in gorgeous designer prints, ric rac, oilcloths, and anything else you can think of. I know we’ll be making this stop every time we go to the ranch.

I definitely can’t wait to get back, and maybe next time it won’t be 106 degrees so we can spend some time outside on the patio!