100 Quilts 4 Kids!

Welcome to the third stop on the 100 Quilts 4 Kids Bloghop! I recently joined the DC Modern Quilt guild. Each year, the group runs a charity quilt drive called 100 Quilts 4 Kids, the goal of which is to make and donate 100 quilts to a charity that will provide them to kids in need. This year’s fantastic cause is the Carpenter’s Shelter in Alexandria, VA which serves over 1000 homeless children and adults … Continue reading

#makeaquiltmakeafriend

I had such fun making this little mini for my partner in the Schnitzel & Boo Mini Quilt Swap!  She said in her interview questions that she loved foxes, and I took that and ran with it. I call him “Foxy” My original plan was to use the cross stitch block pattern by Pile O’ Fabric and the fox pattern by Making Life Prettier, but I wanted Foxy to be smaller and I was just … Continue reading

It’s been a while OR, what I did in my year-long hiatus from blogging

baby laying on a color quilt

It’s been quite a year in Alyson-land.  I mean, I worked, I played, I made some quilts, oh and I had a baby. The heck you say? Yes, yes, I know.  Most of you already know.  But I did kind of leave the blog hanging and I thought i would catch you up, just in case.  So here she is, Erica Beth. Born January 31, 2014 at 7:22am. I couldn’t have been more surprised when … Continue reading

Work in Progress: Zakka Style Baby Quilt

Hey look, it’s my First. Ever. WIP Wednesday post!  I so rarely take pictures of items that I’m working on, usually reserving the “big reveal” for the finished product.  Over the long weekend I did a lot of sewing but didn’t fully finish anything, so I took pictures anyway. This is a baby quilt pattern from Zakka Style: 24 Projects Stitched with Ease to Give, Use & Enjoy by Rashida Coleman-Hale.  I know I’m way … Continue reading

Farfalle Baby Quilt

Do you know what Farfalle is?  It’s the pasta that’s shaped like a bow. You know, this stuff: Did you also know that “farfalla” is Italian for butterfly? Neither did I… ANYWAY…this weekend, I made a flying farfalle quilt as a well-past-due gift for the baby of some friends.  (The baby is now 4 months old, so it’s not THAT far past due…) What a fun quilt to make!  I love how this turned out…well, … Continue reading

Nubees Block Swap update

So I’m still swapping like a mad woman in 2012.  I finished up two new sets for my hive members just this past weekend: For Hive #1, March/April 2012 swap I made up a block based on the knee socks quilt block from The Modern Quilt Guild:  The tutorial for the original block can be found here: http://themodernquiltguild.com/2012/03/04/100-days-week-of-using-what-you-have-knee-socks-quilt-block/ .  I’m going to have to explore it further soon, I love it that much. For Hive #8, April … Continue reading

“Missing Rail” Tutorial

I made this quilt for my friends and their little girl (who should be here any second!), using those brilliant prints – Mendocino by Heather Ross. I’d been holding onto the fabrics for a while and I finally figured out what was stopping me from really getting down to working with them – variety. Somehow I’d managed to only get the fabrics with light or white colored backgrounds – mermaid on white, octopuses on pale … Continue reading

Are you envious?

I finished my Envy blocks for the February 2012 Nubees Swap! I really didn’t think I would get them done so quickly, but I started sewing last night and just couldn’t bring myself to stop until I was done.  I’m really loving the look of the Envy block. I had a little bit of trouble with the block initially – turns out the needle wasn’t centered in my sewing machine’s throat plate so I was … Continue reading

Swappin’ it up in 2012

I’ve decided that I really need to connect with more quilters, like-minded or otherwise.  I follow several blogs of friends, casual aquaintences, and people I don’t actually know  – you can find that list over here on the right —> But, I don’t really chat much with those folks.  And I’ve been missing having a sewing buddy.  To that end, I’ve opted to join some swaps!  Years ago I used to participate in swaps through several … Continue reading