Stitchin' It Up!

My roommate and many friends would attest that - while normally you would find me stuck behind whatever book I've been reading (still usually the case) - I've been spending a significant amount of time behind my sewing machine as well. My most consistent project has been making what most of my family and friends have used as scripture bags - I think I've made about six of these since December '08:


Amongst some other small projects (i.e. mending), I recently completed my first *quilted* blanket. Normal my blanket adventures have included two flat panels, some batting, and tied-yarn-tufts. I decided that for my next quilt - a baby shower gift for one of my very best friends - I would venture into the unknown. My experiment turned out better than I ever imagined!


So, the fabric was pretty basic - all my *quilting* involved was running my regular sewing machine alone the lines around the animals on the top (admittedly much more involved than I had originally anticipated). When I delivered the gift to my friend, her grandmother was ranting at how well I'd done. She also asked me how I didn't get the "infamous puffiness" in the middle of the pattern, to which I replied, "I figured I'd start in the middle, so that any puffiness could be hid in the binding." My friend's grandmother was very impressed at my forethought - especially since I'd never even helped in *officially* quilting anything! She told her granddaughter, "That's one smart friend you've got there - don't let that one get away!"

My next adventure - a little sommin-sommin like this:
(actual pictures forthcoming... eventually)