and then fade to black

I have a confession to make right now.

I am a Carolyn Friedlander fan girl. If she touches it, I will probably like it.

She is super sweet and awesome (I met her this fall). I sort of wish we were friends. I even got her to sign a block for the back of my Botanics quilt.

When buzz about her new line Botanics started making its way around the inter webs I knew I would like it. Some people call this a line of "blenders" but I sort of hate that term. I see this as a line of dynamic prints with great hue saturation (probably not saying that right).

This is the kind of fabric line that makes my life easy. I like to work with colors, I am not necessarily attracted to prints in my quilting. I tend to buy fancy multi-colored prints and then never use them. These single color prints are the types of fabrics I will use.

Also there are metallics and I like shiny things. This is metallics done right y'all.

I bought a charm pack of Botanics from someone on Instagram (check me out @stitchingandbaon) right after quilt market. As soon as I spread out the charms I saw the saturation spectrum and my orderly instincts felt the need to sort! Sort all of the things!

So I went from there, working with what I had…. which happened to include a couple of charm packs of Bella bleached white.

Then I added the negative space and here we are.

I heart you Carolyn Friedlander. Keep doing what you are doing. That is all.

I stamped my label onto the back of this quilt before quilting. This means I did not have to hand stitch a label anywhere. What do you think of this? Keep it going? Crazy sauce? Ambivalence?

Love you friends! Hope you had a Merry Christmas and are ready for an epic New Year.

Quilt Stats:
Name: Fade to Black
Size: 58" x 68"
Fabrics: All of the Botanics line, made by Robert Kaufman and designed by Carolyn Friendlander, Moda Solids Bleached White, and some Kate Spain (couldn't tell you the line name)
Pattern: My own (using the stitch and flip triangle technique)
Finished: December 2013
Quilting: Spiral from the center using Aurifil thread

Cat Lady (Meow) Quilt.

Today is a big day. I worked my last day before Christmas. I get a week off now. I have an unbelievably huge pile of sewing projects and Christmas cookies.

Meow.

I also get to show you my finished Cat Lady quilt top. Meow. For the Ladies Night Challenge.

This quilt was inspired by my Ladies Night bundle (still available at Sew Lux).

Meow.

It was also inspired by some amazing Elizabeth Hartman and Aneela Hoey cat quilts.  I elected to paper piece mine (because meow I hate measuring) and the sizing is totally different. If you are interested I could probably share my techniques. Let me know.

Finally, while I am talking about inspiration, I would like to thank Max the cat. He is the fuzziest meow cat in the world (sorry other cats) and provides the ultimate inspiration.

Each block measures 11.5 inches finished and the quilt is about 58 inches by 58 inches. It is now meow basted and ready to quilt.

In other news, we decided to extend the deadline for the challenge to December 31st. Now is the time friends! Sew something wonderful for yourself. Enter the drawing. There are fabulous prizes!

I love you all. Merry Christmas Eve Eve.

PS - Meow.

Star Finisher

I finished this quilt. Then I gave it away.

It was always for Meredith and Eric. A present to celebrate the love story of two dear friends.

Want to hear about their love story? Of course you do (PS - Meredith reads this blog from time to time, so, hey friend!).

Meredith became my friend when we were introduced at a party couple of years ago. It was basically friendship at first sight for me. I had to do some work to convince her. Well, as in I had maybe one too many cocktails and told her I thought we should be friends while we were talking. She thought I was loony. But, we were right for each other. Fast forward a couple of years and we are still friends (heart you, girl).

Meredith is the one who made me the quilty egg (and inspired me to make an egg-y quilt, see story here).

Meredith met this boy (Eric) and they were sort of friends. Then they took an intensive French class together and sparks flew or something like that. They knew it was right.

Then Derek and I started hanging out with the two of them. They were adorable. As a friend, sometimes you have a gut feeling about a guy your friend is dating, sometimes this is bad…. sometimes it is warm and fuzzy (you ALL know what I mean). Derek and I both had fuzzy feelings about these two.

The thing is Meredith and Eric knew this thing they had was special. They decided that they were going to get married. That spring (2013). Approximately one year after they started dating.

I immediately knew I was going to make them a quilt.

So, I asked the ladies from my Make it Modern Bee to help me make blocks (you know, so it would go faster). I received all of their gorgeous blocks right on time last summer and promptly did not finish the quilt until November (2013). If you didn't want to do the math that is about 7-8 months after the wedding.

Something about a quilt made out of love to celebrate love makes this special.

xoxo.

Quilt Stats:
Size: Big (75"+ x 75"+)
Block: Lone Starburst (by Six White Horses)
Bee Mates/Block Makers: Me! and the ladies from the Make it Modern Bee (Kelie, Samantha, Renae, Kelleigh, Becky, Karen, Jennifer, Jen, Audrey, Licet, and Jamie)
Fabric: Boy I wish I could tell you… the funky print on the back is from Ikea, the solids are all Kona.
Quilted: By me on my home sewing machine in a classic infinity loop with Aurifil Thread.

Ladies Night: Show me Yours

Hey Friends!

It is December 11th. I am officially freaking out about Christmas. I really only have two gifts left to make, but it seems like I am facing a never ending battle.

I feel like an elf in a sweatshop.

Good news everyone! (name that show?) I am done traveling until 2014!

Other piece of good news! It is time to show off (or start on) your Ladies Night Challenge projects. My challenge is coming along swimingly. For challenge info check out this super informative post.

Seriously, it is a little bit of pink and teal sanity. I am calling it my cat lady quilt. I will fill in the details when I finish the top. Clearly, it is epic.

Today is the first day to link up finished projects. You have until December 23rd (time that I clearly need).

If you have a finished project (quilt top must be finished top and anything else should just be finished) made from one of the three color choices, just head over here and enter in your linky info. Remember, you don't need a blog to enter! One entry per color way. If you need help with anything (including tough love or tender encouragement) drop me a line.

I promise mine will be finished by December 23rd.

Also, today I tell you what nifty things you could win if you link it up! We will be selecting three winners by random from anyone who has finished a project.

One winner will get a custom wonky triangle pouch made by me especially for them (first noted here). It will be pencil sized and made from a color of your choice with a first name of your choice. This is super limited edition (as in, I don't sell them and only my bestest friends get them, do you want to be my bestest friend?).

Another winner will get a set of three patterns from May Chappell, a super talented and amazing designer, quilter, and friend. The patterns will include her Lazy Sunday, Designer Star, and Fantastically Fussy. This would be an awesome score!

The last lucky winner will get a $30 gift certificate to Sew Lux Fabrics. Chrissy has some amazing stuff. I am trying really hard to not click on this and go shopping right now. It is that good.

So link up! Win something! See the other awesome makes. Make friend.

Love you,
Sarah

PS - I have actual FINISHED quilts to show off someday. When I have time. When the sweatshop closes for the season?