WIP: Dinosaur Whole Cloth Quilt

My friend and coworker loves many things, but two that stand out are Dinosaurs and flannel shirts. I was in Joann's and happened to come up with the best quilt for him, well NOT him his nephew. This way his nephew always has his uncle near him. I think its cute.

Well anyway I thought so!

That is before I tried quilting shirting flannel. It sucks! I also have two big factors working against me.

1) I sure as shit did NOT spray baste the flannel side enough! No way!

Those are not straight, not even close! And I hate when the fabric comes up and is puffy!

On my last quilt the quilting was my best EVER!

2) I have a McGivered quilt guide. Let me tell you it sucks. There is no hole on my walking foot for it to slide into! So it keeps moving on me!

Electrical, masking, and a toothpick and it sucks. :(

At least from the Dinosaur side things look a little better. The basting spray worked and the fabric isn't super puffy like on the other side.

So I will power through and finished it, but don't you hate when a special gift doesn't meet your standard? 

DIY Kindle Paperwhite Sleeve

I received a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas and my birthday. I am notorious for breaking and destroying things. So I got straight to work on a fabric cover for it.

Everything is scraps but the outside. Although, I did find it in the remnants bin at Joann's!

I quilted in the ditch on the front like the pattern suggested. Can you see i followed the cream zig-zag line for the back?

Things I Learned:

- My lining is a tad too big. Maybe I should have used a quilting cotton instead of a thin flannel. But it is super thin!

- The interfacing on the lining is awkward to work with. I think i should have trimmed my 1/4 inch seem on the lining down a little. I definitely have wrinkles on the lining that are not cool!

- I thought the soft fuzzy flannel would be nice to protect my kindle, but I think it is harder for the kindle to slide with it. I guess it if keeps it from sliding out it is a good thing.

So I fixed it! (Well part of it)

I pulled the lining out and seam ripped the last seam that closes the opening. Then I just stuck my scissors in the hole and sniped some of my 1/4 seam! Then sewed up the hole! It is definitely a little bit roomier in there now! YAY!

Fence & Rail Baby Quilt Finish!

After what feels like forever I have finally finished my fence and rail baby quilt! The top is made out of a jelly roll. I am a bad quilter and do not know the fabric line. Opps!

This quilt is a milestone for me because I was able to go from start to finish on the quilt and do it all myself! It feels good to need less and less help each quilt. Ok I admit, I did need to double check on the sizing and how to use my binding tool.

I followed the chevrons on the back as my quilting guide. I am so proud of myself because I didn't mark my quilt lines, but trusted myself to sew a straight line down the middle of the chevrons. I do think this is my best quilted quilt yet!!

I even got to use my first custom label! I know they are small and a little on the boring side, BUT I thought I'd start somewhere.

I do have to say that I am not super in love with them. When I tried to hand sew them the fibers kind of broke apart. So I machine stitched it to make sure it didn't break out of my hand stitches.

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

Montana String Art

Like everyone else on Pinterest these days, I have been wanting to make my own string art. Having just left my beloved Montana, I thought what better way to bring MT to my new home.

The string is a nice bright green, but it seems to be shy and look white :(

Things I learned:

- The nails looked better the more I hammered them in, but then they poked through the back. Careful!

- Staining plywood is awkward. Definitely leave it to sit longer than you might a good piece of wood.

- The heart is harder than it seems. I had to wrap mine with string for it to really show up as a heart.

Can't wait to make another one! I think I am going to try a word or saying next!

Climbing Rope Door Mat

I have had this old climbing rope for years. It has literally been put into storage three times! When I moved to AZ I gave myself and ultimatum, either make it into a rug or throw it away. So that night I googled it and made it. Here are some photos!

I followed directions here.

Need:
Old climbing rope
Staple Gun
Caulk, super strong glue, or some really strong/durable sticky something!
Duct tape

Ok so some directions say use needle and thread to hold your rope together as you turn in around into a spiral. I say nonsense! Use a staple gun! But use lots of staples. My first attempt didn't stay flat. I wound the rope too tight and didn't use enough staples!

Then cover with glue. I used a piece of cardboard to spread it around. Make sure you get it in the cracks!!

Let dry over night. Then cover the bottom with duct tape. I know it is lame, but it does need a little extra on the bottom. I think they are best for indoors not out. 

And voila !