Maple Leaf Quilt

My wonderful friend Denice got married last weekend, she is like a sister to me, and I love her!  She definitely deserved a quilt for her special day.  She was having a Fall wedding, and so I was excited to make her a quilt to go with that theme!

I pulled out a stack of Chocolat fat quarters by Moda that my friend Julie had given me last year.  I have been saving them for the perfect quilt.  I was having a hard time choosing what pattern to use.  I wanted leaves... like this quilt

And I liked the log cabin too!  Like this one...

Finally I asked my friend Jenn her advice and we settled on one with BOTH LOL!  It has leaves and log cabin blocks.

The pattern is from this Thimbleberries book.

I made the quilt a bit smaller by taking out two rows of blocks, I didn't have the fabric to make a bigger quilt!  I love how it turned out, it's warm and cozy, and it's almost Christmas like, so she can use it all winter long on her couch!!

I pulled fabrics from my stash to piece the back together, I like how it turned out.  And it used up some stash that has been sitting for awhile.  My friend Barbara quilted it for me on her longarm.  She knows Denice too, so it was a gift we both gave her.  So sweet.  Barbara quilted an allover swirling leaves pattern on it using a yummy gold colored thread.  She is so good at quilting!  

WIP Wednesday

After making the stockings last week, I started stockings for my sister!  I get to go see her next month and want to have them done so I can take them with me.  She requested stockings made with blue and silver fabrics.  It worked out perfectly because I had made a blue and silver quilt a few years ago and have tons of scraps and fat quarters leftover!  Yay!

Here is my progress so far.

Still stitching names on cuffs.

Here is the quilt I made a few years back from that fabric, I put it on my bed in the winter, it's soooo pretty.

I also finished a small baby quilt, it is adorable!  I used a charm pack of Mary Engelbreit fabric, and gingham prairie points.

It's really warm and snuggly with minky on the back and cotton batting.

P.S. It's for sale in my Etsy shop!!

And let's see, my dear friend Denice is getting married on Saturday, and I made a quilt for her... here is a sneak peek.  I've been working on it for over a month.

I'll show more later, just in case she is reading this LOL!  Linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.

The stockings were hung

The stockings were hung, on the back fence with care... hehe

I took the opportunity for a photo shoot outside today, the weather in Portland has been amazing, gorgeous, sunny, warm... I am starting to think I don't really live in Portland...

I finished my family stockings today!  I am so excited about them, you have no idea.  I had the best time hand quilting them all over the weekend.  Here they are all ready to be stuffed with goodies in December!

Again, I used the pattern {Merry} which you can instantly download from the Thimble Blossoms shop!  It's a great pattern.  I embellished it by adding names to my stockings, so I had to finish the cuff a bit differently, but it wasn't difficult.

My first time doing english paper piecing using hexagons, so fun!

Ric rac cuffs, so cute :)

ZigZags

Patchwork

Pinwheels

This Kate Spain fabric is on the back of all of them

And the inside of them is aqua polkadots

Let it be December, then I can hang these up!!

Aqua Reef Studios

I have a little announcement to make...

I opened an Etsy Shop!!  It is called Aqua Reef Studios, it has been my little dream to do this for several years now, so I decided to finally do it.  I know all of you lovely blog readers have been such good friends to me, always building me up and giving me confidence, so thank you!

I am open for custom orders to make zippered pouches, and quilts, if you see things you like in the shop (or something on my blog that you liked), and want it in a different color, I will be happy to oblige.

Here is the  link if you'd like to visit.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AquaReefStudios

Making new stockings!

My family has Christmas stockings that are all mis-matched.  Mine was made by my Grandma when I was born, and is starting to wear out, and I don't want it completely thrashed.... Curren and Jessie's are from Target a million years ago and BORING, and Mark's is from who know's where?  It is high time I replace them.

I have been eyeballing Camille's adorable stockings {Merry Pattern} since she wrote the pattern for them, and I decided to just go for it!  By the way, you can instantly download this, which helped enable me even further.

I am doing stockings using aquas, reds, greens, greys and white.  They are bright and cheery, and so far, I am in love!  I started with the main print you see below, it is a Kate Spain by Moda design, though I am not sure from what line!

I have the main stocking bodies done, I am embroidering our names on the cuffs now and will assemble them soon.

This will be mine, and this is also my first attempt at hexagons eeeep!

This will be Jessie's

This will be Curren's

And my hubby's.

My sister has asked if I can make her family stockings too, and I figured I'd better make my family some first to you know.... test drive the pattern before I make hers LOL!

Halloween Swap

I signed up for another swap over on Pink Stitches!  She had a Halloween Swap this time, and it is a secret swap.  I had a lot of fun putting this together, and it got me in the mood for Fall!

There is a great tutorial on the Pink Penguin for adorable little baskets, I finally made one.  And I had to make potholders too, just because.

This pig fabric cracked me up!

I found a cute notepad and coffee mug to throw in the package as well, I hope my partner likes it!  Happy Halloween!

Sewing Friends are the best.

My friends and I have recently started meeting regularly to sew and hang out.  When I was able to quit working back in June, I really wanted to start a sewing group with all of them, and it has started happening!  We meet twice a month to sew, and once a month to go shopping, it's been a dream come true!

We recently had a sewing night at my house, and everybody was making some great stuff.

I learned to make ruffles for some adorable aprons... 

Joni and Colleen working away, notice my husband and daughter on the couch in the living room, they just love it when all my friends come over LOL!

The whole crew!  I had to document this, it was too fun.

Jenn and I both finished a quilt that night!

Colleen was making the CUTEST baby quilt, with itty bitty buntings.

Joni was sewing together a quilt top using blocks her friends had made for her when she moved away from South Carolina, look how nice it is!

Sarah came to learn how to sew, she is helping Barbara and I make aprons.  She did so well, now she wants to make some tablerunners and placemats.... what?!?  I love to get people hooked on sewing.

Jenn working on binding her quilt.  I love ya girl.

The night was fueled with Snickers, Whoppers and Dove chocolate.  Here is to many more sewing nights!!  I love my friends.