orange peel quilt-a-long

Posted on 08.22.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

Well, I had so much fun with the last QAL that I’m jumping in on another! This one is for the orange peel quilt-a-long, hosted by Julie of button-button.

In keeping with pushing myself to try new things, this project definitely fits the bill. The technique we will be using to make the orange peels is all hand-stitched appliqué. I’m a little afraid of anything involving hand stitching so this will be a challenge. But I’m looking forward to learning something new!

If you’ve been tempted to join in on a quilt-a-long but have been worried about feeling rushed, this might just be the perfect one for you! The plan is to go at a nice easy pace. You can also pick your project size based on how much time you think you’ll have. Better yet, you don’t really even have to decide on a finished size to get started, since you make one block at a time. I’m planning on doing a lap-sized quilt, but this would be fantastic as a mini or even a cushion.

Head over to button-button for all the details. Julie has also posted about materials and fabric choices here to get everyone started. I’m still a little stumped about fabrics, but reading her post definitely gave me some ideas.

I’ll be sharing my progress along the way, here as well as on instagram, so stay tuned for more!

Have a fantastic weekend :)

xoxo

robot summer shorts

Posted on 08.21.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

So, Summer Kid’s Clothes Week has come and gone… I didn’t get as much done as I wanted, as I was knee-deep in the Sea Breeze Mini QAL. But I did find time to make a few things that I’m happy with. First up, this fun pair of robot summer shorts!

I used the free Summer Shorts pattern from Caila Made, found here. This is a great unisex shorts pattern, and a quick and easy project. And I’m loving this playful FunBots print from Ann Kelle.

The only thing I did differently from the directions was to reinforce the seams for added durability. Made By Rae has some fantastic tips on sewing seams that are built to last.

Seeing as these are for my very active 2-year-old nephew, reinforced seams seemed like a good idea. Not to mention, no raw edges to fray with repeated washings. Definitely worth the extra effort.

I also added a bit of grosgrain ribbon to help identify the back from front :)

Can’t wait to show you what else I made, just have to wait for it to get to the recipient so I don’t spoil the surprise!

xoxo

quilting for a cause: 100 quilts for kids

Posted on 08.03.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

100 Quilts for Kids is an annual charity quilt drive that encourages quilters to make and donate a quilt to a child in need. This year it’s being hosted by Quilts in the Queue and it runs from August 1st – September 30th. There’s still plenty of time to get involved in this quilt-a-long for a great cause. Last year nearly 200 quilts were donated, and they’re hoping to surpass that this year.

If you’ve ever thought about making a quilt for charity, here’s your chance!

All the info you need to get started can be found here.

xoxo

sea breeze mini QAL: the big reveal!

Posted on 08.02.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

You guys! It’s the big reveal day for the Sea Breeze Mini Quilt-A-Long! And my quilt is actually done! Woo! I had such a blast making this, can you tell?

I’m so happy with how the top turned out. The more I look at it, the more I love it! Such fun, vibrant colors. It just makes me smile.

I decided to keep the back simple and let the quilting be the main attraction. I used an awesome neon yellow thread from Coats & Clark. It’s intense, but I couldn’t resist!

I struggled a little with how exactly to quilt this. I knew I wanted to try something different and I’m pretty satisfied with how it turned out. And by the time I was done, I was much more comfortable burying my threads (bonus!). It just took a little getting used to :)

In keeping with the bold graphic look, I pulled a fun black and white print from my stash. Go big or go home, right?

So that’s it! I hope you love it as much as I do.

I’ve had such a great time being part of this quilt-a-long, I’m a little sad to see it come to an end! I’m completely blown away by all the fantastic translations of the Sea Breeze Mini Quilt pattern. What an inspiring group of quilters!

Thanks again to Angie for being such a fantastic host. Be sure to head over to Gnome Angel to see all the finished pieces. And you can vote for your favorite while you’re there! Voting is open 5 August 9:00am AEST – 7 August 5:00pm AEST (or for my friends in the States, August 4th at 4pm PDT – August 7th at 12am PDT… did I do that right?).

Have a good one!

xoxo