Saturday, December 19, 2009

random saturday

I am the happy owner of my very own Lisa Leonard necklace!!

Her work is gorgeous.

I had such a hard time deciding what to have engraved on it, but in the end I chose something simple and sweet. I absolutely LOVE IT! She has all sorts of gorgeous jewelry and her blog is beautiful, too. If you need a last minute gift, you can order one of these (until tomorrow) and have it shipped to you by Christmas. I don't think you could go wrong. :) Thanks, Lisa, for such a beautiful necklace.
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This is today's quilt project.
Picking out matching thread colors was so much fun. I know, I'm such a geek. ;)
I've had this quilt basted and ready to quilt since before Thanksgiving, I think. I was stuck on how to quilt it. I browsed the modern quilting stitches pool on flickr this morning and then started playing with designs.
This is what I came up with....sort of a double swirl. I love this quilting!! It's fun and easy and looks a little fancy, too. I'm soooooo glad that I stepped out of my stippling comfort zone. I'm having a blast with new designs.
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Trisha left a comment yesterday wondering how many WIP's I have done for the Joy in the New Year challenge. I only have 6 out of 19 done. (Time is ticking fast!!!) I finished 8 quilts since the signups, but 2 were new projects, so they don't count. I really need to knock out a few more before this year is done. How are you doing on your WIP's?
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Thanks for all the sweet comments on my candy cane quilt. My "eeek!!!" was definitely a GOOD "eeek!". :) And to answer Jessica's question, the candy cane quilt is a new addition to my WIP pile. But I just HAD to, you know?
Happy Saturday to you!

46 comments:

Laurel H. said...

Hey! I'd also left comments, asking about your number of wips, and if that great Candy Cane quilt was a wip or a new one; lol, it is a new one!

She has a great site in which she gives a new quilting pattern every day:
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/
You prolific quilters put me to shame. ;-)

lera said...

Love the start of the quilt. And I love the matching threads. Are you going to keep the bobbin white or change it up, too?

And beautiful necklace. Simple is beautiful.

Crystal Hendrix said...

I really like your new quilt! I can see that was one that you were doing color patterns! Good job on getting things done! I don't think I am going to get much done....Christmas has come and no money left to buy quilting stuff! I hate it when that happens!

CJ said...

The new quilt looks GREAT! such fun colors. Your quilting is fabulous! The swirls are all the same size even! This is still on your home machine right? I am trying to follow the line and figure out the swirl.
Smart girl on buying big spools of thread. I never seem to have enough of the right color.

Jessa said...

I am new to machine quilting my quilts (tied them in the past.) I love the way the quilting looks but so far am just stitch in the ditch or diagonals. I'd love to give stippling a try. Maybe on the doll quilt I'm making for my daughter. I never thought of changing out the thread color to match the different fabrics. Love it! That would be so fun to choose :) Loving your blog! Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

I've been so good about my UFOs and the other day I just had to start something new!

The quilt is beautiful of course.

beth said...

1. necklace is beautiful.
2. quilting is terrific.
3. glad you're like the rest of us who keep starting NEW projects even when there's old ones to finish!

Snooze said...

Such a beautiful necklace and the quilt looks great. Love the double swirls. That sort of pattern would have to be one of my favourites.

Tara said...

Such a smart lady to send people over to Lisa's blog! Beautiful necklace! I love the double swirl quilting--looks like you've been doing it for years. Do you use white in your bobbin?

sosarahsew said...

What is your backing fabric? It looks like lions and tigers and bears...oh my!

dolores said...

Love the quilting....I myself have been shoveling snow and I think it is all going to have to be shoveled again tomorrow!!

http://deeroodesigns.blogspot.com/2009/12/snowzilla-on-steroids.html

Seventeen inches and that was 4 hours ago and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon!:)

Sara said...

Beautiful new quilt...Really like it.

Susan D said...

Good job on the quilting. Very nice. I've done that pattern-- and I called it 'double bubbles'. It does look like bubbles.... Fun!

Kris said...

I really like that quilting! I may just have to try that one out!

Suzanne said...

Lisa's work keeps popping up on my radar. I am going to have to put one of those on my wish list.

I'm with you on the Joy challenge. I have made quite a bit of progress, finishing 4 1/2 of my 8 BUT, I've started numerous knitting projects and I have, have, have to make a quilt between now and Christmas eve for a guest. Yikes! One square at a time!

Natalia from Piece N Quilt said...

Very cute! :)

crazycrafter said...

I love the necklace! Also, the quilting is scrumptious! Your quilts always inspire me! Some day, I hope to learn to quilt a well as you do. Merry Christmas,
Hannah, age 12

Unknown said...

The engraving on your necklace is just beautiful!! I am sure you will cherish it for a long time to come. The quilt is just gorgeous and your quilting is perfect. Nice choice!

Andi said...

Another gorgeous quilt.
ANd a lovely necklace.
Glad you bought something just for you.
Andi :-)

Thimbleanna said...

Love your new necklace Crazy Mom! And that quilting is really cool. Thanks for the link -- I'll have to go and check it out!

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

looks good lady! I had key tags done last year for Christmas with all our names on it,one for each of us... they were so nice to have... the necklace is lovely!
Happy sewing! were getting SNOW! Starting to feel like MN around here instead of NY!

What Comes Next? said...

Cute necklace! and once again, a beautifulk quilt your are working on. Your quilting pattern looks perfect, too! I signe dup for the challenge with 7 WIPs, I've finished 2, and am currently in the process of quilting 2 more, but there have been a few other projects thrown into the middle, just like you!

peaknits said...

I love Lisa Leonard's goodies and treasure the necklace I had made several years ago with my girls' initials. I could really use another one...:) That quilt is fabulous and I love the quilting you have chosen!

Liz Jimenez said...

Love that double swirl! That'll have to go on my list. :-) It definitely gives it a pretty, elegant look. But still kind of whimsical. If that makes any sense!

And I did have to giggle about your candy cane top. All I could think was, "aren't you trying to get your WIPs done?!" Heehee.

Sara said...

Thanks for asking . . . I'm doing OK with the UFOs. Today I finished #6 of 9. Have two at the LA quilter which she will get back to me before New Years. So need to focus on ONE more. . .
Let's see, there's a Christmas set of blocks from 2 years ago. . . supposed to be for a grandchild. . . can I get that done by Monday night?

Kate said...

Crazy that you received a Lisa Leonard necklace. Lisa is one of my good friend, our children are the same ages and I've taught them in their sunday school classes. Wow! She is getting famous with all this jewelry making!! Enjoy her beautiful work. :)

Renee said...

What at super necklace!!
Going to go have a look, thanks for the link.

Trisha said...

Love that picture of the threads all picked out on your quilt. That double swirl quilting looks great.

Rose said...

Gosh, I haven't finished one of the WIP's I put down for the challenge, I'm halfway through cutting for one of them, but I think aside from a miracle of having 36 hours in a day for a week, I just won't make it!!!

Bonnie said...

I love the necklace and your double swirl quilting pattern? BEAUTIFUL! Great work, I can't wait to see it when it is finished!

Margaret T. Zenk said...

Gorgeous work. When I saw it I thought it was a table quilt with each of the blocks intended as placemats. Hope it's not (just speaking from experience)..
Beautiful necklace. Snowed in with almost 2 feet on Eastern Long Island...will definitely check out Lisa's blog.

Marjorie said...

The double swirl is my favorite machine quilting pattern...but I call it "olives" b/c the first time I used it was for a quilt for my mom. While I was quilting I was thinking of fond childhood memories of holidays where we thought the holes in the olives were for the sole purpose of wearing them on our fingers before we ate them.

Melanie said...

I really like your new quilt. I can't wait to see it finished. I love rainbows! And kudos on the double swirl! It looks great!

I've finished two of seven of my Joy UFO's, but I've added at least three new projects that were not on the list. I'm hoping the week after Christmas will be my get it done week!

Cheryl Arkison said...

Oh, you went with a 4 by 3 layout? Looks great! ANd fantastic quilting. Started my Quilt Along quilt this afternoon with your loopy quilting.

diplofam said...

Thanks for sharing the link for the necklace lady--until tonight, i still hadn't picked out a present for my mother in law. Now I can mark that off the list and I think she will really like the custom necklace-yah!

heather said...

very sweet!!! :)

Cristin said...

Oooh yum! I love the process of matching thread to a quilt :-) Gives me a reason to go to the fabric store! ...and Buy MORE thread than I need, haha.
lets see... WIPS - I had 8 that I fessed up to and I'm confident I'll have 7 of them done by 1/1/10. The 8th is a quilt that I've only cut the fabric for, nothing else done! Maybe I'll pull an all-nighter and get-r-done! (yeah right) Cheers!

Kristin said...

I love the necklace and the quilt top is gorgeous.

Lindsey said...

That necklace is great! I just won a lisa leonard necklace last month feel so lucky! I adore her designs...as I do your quilts ;)

Alyssa said...

I love the double swirl. I just finished making your stacked coins baby quilt. Can you share with us some tips on how you did the double swirl. I have reviewed your free motion quilting tutorial. It is actually how I learned to free motion quilt. But I am ready to try new designs now. Did you mark your fabric first or do it free hand. Thanks.

pratima said...

Your quilting looks so beautiful! Love the design and the quilt is looking very pretty :)

Anonymous said...

Don't you just adore her jewelry? Last year I bought the necklace with the bird and the pearl. I get comments on it all of the time. It has become my "go to" necklace.

Julie @ Jaybird Quilts said...

i like the double swirl... i may try it!!

trish said...

You are a great motivator! I have two quilts that I am working on currently and one I am hand quilting. So that makes 3. :o)
I am so excited to also own one of Lisa's necklaces. I just received it for Christmas and LOVE it. I even blogged about it today. :o)
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne

Em said...

I giggled as I saw the pendant, my brother in law and his wife are Kevin and Amanda and are expecting twins in May. Just finished their baby quilts if you want to come by and visit my blog. Under posting about twins... Fun blog you have to share!

Unknown said...

You are a great motivator! I have two quilts that I am working on currently and one I am hand quilting. So that makes 3. :o)
I am so excited to also own one of Lisa's necklaces. I just received it for Christmas and LOVE it. I even blogged about it today. :o)
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne