I Spy in the Park X2

As I continue to join the I Spy squares, I decided to go to the light side and join these with matching size squares in Kona Winter White.

 The border is an unknown green leaves print.  The backing is a piece that I have been saving and I almost couldn't bring myself to cut it, however, I am so glad that I did now that I can see the finished product.

 Playing the I Spy game on this quilt is like getting two games in one.  You can still play "I Spy" with your little ones but you can also flip the quilt over and play with miniature cars or animals.  The backing is " Park and Ride" The Alexander Henry Collection 2011.  I topped it off by binding it with the black and white stripes of Tidings" of Great Joy"  by   J Wecker Frisch for Quality Treasures.  Straight line quilting lets the I Spy pictures remain clear.

Two of these darling quilts are posted in my shop this week.

Carriage Blanket #5

I finally finished carriage blanket #5 in a series with subtle colors of Lion Brand Cotton Ease and one bright pop of color.  This last one has all the bright pops of color, Deep Purple, Rust Orange and Turquoise that were in all the others.  This would be a perfect shower gift even if the gender isn't known.

It is the Super Simple Baby Blanket from The Purl Bee.  I love the simplicity in all their patterns.  This blanket is light enough for warm weather but warm enough for cool nights.  Completely machine washable and dryable.  I have posted this blanket in my  shop today.

Love Lives Here.

This warm and wonderful baby quilt came together with another fabulous find at Fabmo.  A beautiful line of decorator fabrics already cut in 2.5 inch strips with a beautiful name.  "Love Lives Here" by Carpin for P. Carter P & B Textiles.  I added the tomato red and turquoise to bring out those colors in the prints.

 The sashing is Chocolat by SPX.  The backing is a wonderful geometric print call Primitiva by Jane Dixon for Andover Fabrics.

The binding seemed to bring all the colors together.  Fusions Ombre Collection by Darcel Phillips for Robert Kaufman.  I decided that the only way to quilt it was with straight lines emphasizing the stripes in a subtle pale green.

I can see more variations of this quilt in my future.  I love the deep rich colors and not all babies love pastels!  This little bundle is in my shop today.

I Spy in Black.

Quite some time ago, I participated in several "I Spy" square swaps.  It was great fun to receive 100's of squares of fabric that you don't see locally every day.  I kept the squares for a while, then sorted in different color themes or background before I started to make any tops.

Last summer I made the first quilt for my grandson, Theo, with squares that had black backgrounds and I surrounded them with black Kona Cotton. The backing is a colorful dot on black and I used a crayon print for the binding.

I had enough to make a second quilt which has now been posted in my shop.  This is a great teaching tool and can be played with all ages.  Start out simple with "I Spy" colors or shapes. As the kids get older you can play with more detail.  Great  way to wind down at naptime or bedtime.

Sweet Safari Baby Quilt

Sweet Safari is finished and posted in my shop today.

 I had a lot of fun quilting this little cutie once I decided on all the cross stitching.  It started out as a Layer Cake by Clotilde.com.  I added pale yellow Kona Cotton and cut up some of the cake into small sets of squares.  The backing just happened to be a great find from Fabmo and worked perfectly for the animal safari theme.  I was trying several different colors for binding but finally remembered that I had seen some Sweet Safari yardage and I opted for the little animal print for the binding.  I am also making some matching burp cloths with both prints.  They make wonderful shower gifts.

Life Happens!!

It has been a tough May and June to say the very least in our family.  My grandson was in a terrible auto accident on June 14th.  As a result, I have spent more time to and fro to the hospital than in front of my sewing machine.  I was able to get a lot of knitting and crocheting done as I needed to be portable but very little sewing.  I mentioned last month that I had a terrible case of startitis, so I guess it is a good thing that I have been able to  come down with a case of finishitis this week.  As we go through the week I will feature each of the finished projects that are going into my shop.

I received a wonderful package in the mail this morning that really picked my spirits up.  I had been trying to expand my networking over the last couple of weeks by adding new blogs to follow and other twitter accounts that share common interests.  I was over at Pile O' Fabric looking at Alyssa's latest project, and happen to see a contest she was having.  Well, I decided to enter, of course, and low and behold, I won.

 The prize is a marvelous boxed collection of Tula Pink, Aurifil varigated quilting thread.  Just in time for my case of finishitis.  Now the only thing I have to do is decide which beautiful color I should use first.  Thank you again, Alyssa for the wonderful contest.  I will be checking back often.

Twinkle Toes

A preview of some new upcoming items to the store.  These little new born booties or as they are called in French, Chaussons mignons, are just the cutest.  Thanks to the wonderfully clear pattern from Purline en vaudrouille, and shared in Ravelry.  The pattern is in French as well as English.  I am doing them in 100% wool to keep the little tootsies warm.  I just love how petite they are for the new wee ones.  More wonderful colors to come, and some that aren't so girly for the new little guys.

Sandwiched and ready to Quilt

Although my time was extremely limited this weekend due to commitments, I actually got three backs assembled and the quilts sandwiched and pinned.  Now they are ready for me to stitch away during the week, hopefully.  Next weekend is going to be so busy with graduation, out of town guests, and Father's Day that I have no choice but to catch time whenever I can during the evenings this week.  I am very happy with my Sweet Safari backing.  It is so fitting for a safari quilt in just the right color.  I will share a peek.

I also solved the problem I had with the backing for my Seaglass quilt.  I was just a bit shy on the length of the backing once I had put the borders on the top.  So I was lucky enough to have charm squares in the same fabric patterns to add a strip in the center of the back.  Really like the effect.

More Flannels Swaddling Blankets

There is another stack of the soft and thick flannel swaddling blankets that are ready for the store.  My resident photographer is falling behind in her photography duties this week.  There is also a marvelous stack of newborn bibs that are just as cute as can be.  They have wonderful cotton print fronts and terry cloth backs to absorb all those drools and spits.  They have easy snap fasteners.

I have spent the better part of the week reorganizing my sewing room and storage areas.  Moved a lot of books and magazines, as well as a lot of yarn that I need to be able to see, so I can use it. Also folded a ton of fabric and stacked so I can view it as well.  It stimulates the mind and reminds me of the different projects that I want to work on.  I always have projects with me whenever I leave the house.  Whether it is a knitting or crochet project or even a bag of YoYo's that are being created for a forthcoming quilt, it is important for me to be able to take advantage of any waiting  or down time that I may have.  I have waited in more than my share of lines or late appointments.

Now that I have organized, however, I have misplaced two large pieces of fabric that I was ready to use for backing.  So much for organizing.

I Spy Quilts

It seems like all of a sudden I have a large backlog of quilt tops.  I guess this is a sign of "startitis".  However, it could be worse, what if there were no choices to finish.   I have two or three "I Spy" tops to finish.  I even have the backs picked out.  Now I just have to stack and pin, and then of course, I have to quilt.  Doesn't sound like much when I say it that way, right??

These  bright prints with the black background are so outstanding.  They are wonderful surrounded by the Kona Black.  

Look for the the next batch to be with Kona Off White background and some large print backings.  I have truly enjoyed making the "I Spy" quilts for little ones.  It is such a wonderful way to teach and play matching games of identification.  The degree of difficulty can be increased if there are siblings that want to play along with younger ones.

Another Top Ready to Quilt

This was a fun quilt to assemble.  It is based on the 1600 design for Jelly Rolls.  A large crib size quilt with a nice solid border of Kona Cotton framed by squares from a charm pack of the same fabric line called Seaglass.  Beautiful greens and blue like sea water.  I have been sketching possible quilting stitches that would work with this layout.  I am almost there.

Up and Coming Quilts

So in between other sewing projects, like the flannel, swaddling blankets, I have several quilt tops that need to be layered, pinned, and quilted so that they can get in the shop.  I am going to share these as tops and then track them through to completion.  So here are the first few that are in the pipeline now.  Sometimes I get the top done and then get stuck picking a backing and a binding which means I can move forward.  Once I get the backing picked, I will proceed because I know will be able to take the quilt to find a binding if it is already quilted where I won't be so excited if it is not layered and quilted.

"Love lives Here" is named after the collection of fabric that makes up these squares.  I am so excited to layer and quilt this particular top because I love the way all the colors came together and I am crazy about the background fabric called "Chocolat".  One of my favorite things that I don't get enough of these days as I am watching my intake of everything.

I will share the backing and binding once it is finished.  This is such a rich collection of colors.  There will be more quilts in the future with this fabric collection.

Royal Baby Quilt

Next item for sale in the store this week, is a small baby quilt fit for a King or Queen, entitled Royal Baby.  This quilt measures 37 x 34 just the right size to wrap a baby in love without smothering it.

I created it from a wonderful charm pack of unknown name and backed it with this amazingly rich, Opulence, by  Paula Nadelstern for BENARTEX  loaded with purples and fuchsias mixed with gold.  The binding,  Super Gold by Sotiba Simpafric, takes the cake with bold gold geometric on Magenta background.  I chose to quilt in a light yellow gold thread with a simple block pattern so I would not overwhelm the backing.  The batting is 100% cotton, Warm and Natural.

As always, hop over to the store to see what is available.

The Store is Open.

After all these years of designing, creating, gifting, and enjoying among friends and family, I have finally been able to open an Etsy store, Donura Designs.  I look forward to being able to share my handcrafted items with those who don't have time or inclination to create something but can appreciate a uniquely crafted blanket or tote or anything else I have available.

I hope to be able to share here part of the process that goes into the items I create.  Whether it is the design and construction of a quilt or the yarns that I pick for a particular baby blanket, I hope to entice you to come to the store any time you are looking for a gift or an addition to your own home.   Please feel free to leave me comments with questions or suggestions.