Undecided. Need some help

Another UFO/WIP is now in top form.  But I'm not sure about it.  A few years ago, my cousin and her new family took a trip to the UK to show off their new baby boy to her husband's family.  She brought me back a fat quarter bundle of very cute fabrics and I tucked them away until inspiration struck.  I had found a pattern (Snapshot by Terry Atkinson in her Happy Hour pattern book) to use with them, cut them, pieced a couple of blocks and again, tucked them away until inspiration struck again.

I think what made me put these blocks and fabrics away is while I do like the fabrics individually; together, not so much.  But I wanted to get the blocks pieced and together in a top so I finished those up yesterday.

Here's a problem that I'm having.  The pattern has 6" borders but since these blocks are so busy, I'm tempted to leave it off.  The three choices I'm debating:

- use the pink cupcake fabric as the border.  I found some online that I can get
- use a solid soft pink and/or green as the border - a possible double border; thin green border with a wider pink.
- no border at all

close up of cupcake fabric that I'm debating for the border

The top is a decent lap size the way it is right and I plan to give it to Punkie anyway.  I have plans to find any cupcake novelty fabric for the back.  Just to add some more fun to it.  I am happy to have these blocks out of my WIP/UFO basket!

So what do you think?  Border or no border?  And if you vote border, which idea do you like?

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Friday Night Sew In Results... A few days late

Hello there!  Well, I DID participate in the FNSI but just took the time now to snap a couple of pictures.  The weather here has just been gray and cold, wet and dreary.  And my motivation went with it.  Truly has been lazy weather.  Today, the sun is trying to peek out and it has warmed up.  My heart goes out to those in the Midwest with the weather they are having.  I hope that sometime soon, they will catch a break.

A few years ago and a visit to TX, I purchased a table runner pattern, charm packs and yardage to go with it.  I started making the blocks when I got home from that trip and never thought of it again.  It's been my mission since I've been home to work through at least some of my WIPs and get them done.  I finished piecing the table runner a few weeks ago and I quilted it during this last FNSI.  Nothing fancy.  Just some straight line quilting.

I used Cotton Blossom charm packs.  It will be for my buffet or table this Fall.

Today I pulled out another WIP and I'm getting blocks pieced.  Maybe by the end of the week, I'll have a top to show you.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Friday Night Sew In - TONIGHT

I signed up.  Have you?  I don't know what I'm going to work on.  I have a tablerunner that has been in my WIP stash for about 2 years now.  I finally got the top pieced a couple of weeks ago and then I walked away from it.  Maybe I'll prep it and get it quilted.  It's dark in color so it will be for either my dining table or buffet for the Fall.

But more exciting news... we have a new mattress being delivered this afternoon!  HOORAY!!!  Maybe I'll get a decent night's sleep tonight for the first time in months.  We got the Tempur-Cloud Supreme.  Oh what a COMFY mattress.  I can't wait to get to sleep tonight!  I REALLY wanted the ergo adjustable foundation where I can raise my head and feet too but my husband wasn't buying it.  Shucks!  Maybe we can upgrade in the future.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Elephant Fun

You remember Patches?  My BFF's oldest daughter spotted Patches and asked if it was for her.  Her Mama told her no but said that "my friend Jennifer will make you one."  Julia said "my friend Jennifer will make me a yellow elephant!"  How precious is that?  Her friend Jennifer sure did make her a yellow elephant.  Well, I wish it was a bit more yellow but I was having a hard time finding yellow fat quarters that I liked.

Julia's elephant

And so that little sister didn't feel left out, I made her a pink and purple one.

Sydney's elephant

and here they are, posing together.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Danger, Will Robinson!

Oh boy.  I'm in trouble now.

There is a family owned sewing and vac business in my area.  They have a few locations spread throughout the state and they do carry fabric.  A smallish selection but it's there.  What I like about the shops is that they carry more of the fabrics that I like (Riley Blake, Heather Mulder Peterson...) but they are out of my way so I don't go to them very often.  If I go, it's a "special" trip.

I got their newsletter/ad pamphlet in the mail yesterday.  One of their locations is moving in June.  Moving RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER from my mom's house!  Seriously.  I would drive by it every time I went to visit my mom!

I didn't know it was literally at the stop light where I turn to get to my mom's until this morning.  The address was bugging me.  It sounded familiar so this morning I did some searching.  I googled a bunch of the big business along the route to figure out their address and once I hit it, I realized just where this new shop is going to be.

When I visit my mom, I will have to leave my credit cards at home!  Too tempting!

On another note, looks like my 12 Days of Christmas BOM post has been restored from the whole Blogger mess.  If you missed it, it's a few posts down.

Have a great weekend!
Jen

Onto the next steps

I'll have to re-write my post from yesterday on my 12 Days of Christmas BOM but for right now, I would like to share my Bliss disappearing 9 patch blocks with you.  I have 25 blocks pieced and I was going to make more but I think 24 is going to be plenty for my new idea; well, until I measure things that's my thought.

Before I tell you my idea... here are a couple of snapshots of the block (please ignore all clutter in the background)

Now for my idea.  Our bedroom gets a bit chilly in the winter.  My husband needs to look at the heating duct work and figure out what he can do to fix that.  We have an outdoor wood boiler that heats our house and it is located at the opposite end from our bedroom.  For whatever reason, the heat just isn't strong on our bedroom side of the house.  Like you all needed to know that.  ANYway... I was going to have these blocks become a traditional quilt but I have since decided to make a duvet cover for our feather duvet insert.

I've been looking online to get some ideas on how to construct this duvet cover but everything I ran into pretty much just uses two sheets so here are my thoughts.  Tell me what you think.

I have decided to back the completed top with a solid and do some (very light) quilting.  Reason is this, I don't want to see my block seams.  I want to believe that if I do this, it will help with washing and drying.  For the backing, I'm leaning towards Bliss flannel OR that Moda Snuggle fleece.  Just for extra warmth.  The fleece may be too much with the feather duvet so I'm still kicking the idea around in my head.  But it would be so snuggly!

My next steps are to sash the blocks but more importantly, find my other duvet covers that are hiding in this house somewhere and measure them to make sure I have enough blocks and figure out how wide of a border to add.  And to figure out how to actually finish the open duvet end.

I'm excited to do this.  I hope it comes out as well as it looks in my head.

Have a great day!
Jen

Of course

My post from yesterday has disappeared with Blogger's earlier issues.  Looks like I'll have to sit down and figure out what I said. 

I'll be back again shortly.