QUILTING makes me smile!

A couple months ago, I decided to try quilting. I wanted to find something that I could do on my days off work and since my friend, Alexa already learned how, I figured she could help me along the way. It started out with a few "crafternoons" and then while we were home for our annual trip, my wonderful mother in-law shared her amazing sewing room with me and that's when I got hooked!! She taught me a lot as far as the terminology and techniques... then when we went to Jo-ann Fabrics, I just fell in love with all the different patterns and colors, my mind just keep spinning with ideas of who I could make the quilts for. When I got back from annual leave, I started going to sewing class on Monday nights with my next door neighbor, Katie. It started out as just her and I and one other girl and has quickly grown to 7 of us American girls! The class is so nice because we are able to bring whatever project we are working on and the teacher, Maria, just walks around and helps us! A couple of the quilts I have been working on were for gifts, so I had to wait for them to receive them before I could do this post. But here is what I have been up to the past couple months....

 

I love the colors yellow and gray and decided to make my first quilt with them!

 

 

 

This quilt is for Keegan Bradley Wolfe, Brieann and Matts new baby boy! The colors represent West Virginia University and Marshall. Brie and Matt are fans of rivals teams in WV. Keegan will have to decide one day which side he is going to choose to root for!

 

The quilting is of small footballs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pirate quilt is for Casey's 2nd son, Sterling Andrew Foster! The boys have a toy room that is pirate themed, so I thought it would be a perfect addition to the room!

 

Our Family Stockings!

 

 

 

The colors of my mom's quilt match her bedroom so she can use the quilt when she cuddles up in her room to read and the quilt can stay upstairs away from the pups! :)

 

 

Luca Kingsley Collins was born in August and I was so excited to be able to give him this when I met him for the first time in person! If you look closely you can see the Koala bears! :)

 

This quilt is for my sister, I think it might be my favorite pattern so far! It was so easy to do and looks so fun! Her room is black and white so I figured that this jelly roll would be perfect! The back is white flannel so its very soft and Rocky's hair wont show up as bad.

 

 

 

This quilt I made for my mother-in-law. I absolutely love the colors in this layer cake, the pattern was also very simple but I really like how it all goes so well together. The color scheme is similar to the Smith's living room. This backing is sateen and I must say I think it is now my favorite! Its so soft and silky feeling! Rita is a quilter as well, however, she has never made anything for herself. Now she will have a super comfy quilt to cuddle up with!

 

 

 

Australia Inspired Christmas Kangaroo and Koala oven mits and hot pads for my mom, mother-in-law and myself of course!!

 

Current projects are a hexagon quilt for myself and a tree skirt for myself! Jason is also getting a hunting quilt, with camo and he is requesting that it has buttons and is big enough so that he can use it as a sleeping bag.. we shall see what I can figure out to meet his request! ;) I will post those once they are complete! :) Jason is thrilled that I have found a hobby that I enjoy but I don't think he was aware of the costs involved with just making one... oops! But I remind him that hunting isn't a cheap hobby either... so we are even! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkled with Love

I suppose we are reaching that age when everyone is beginning to start families and I must say I absolutely LOVE it! Its so fun to help friends plan for their babies arrival and shower them with gifts. This weekend I hosted my first baby shower for Alexa. She is due November 14 the same day as Brieann, my best friend from home. It has been so fun hearing both of their stories and different events that have happened along the way. This is Alexa's second baby so we called it a "Sprinkle"

Melbourne

Last weekend Jason and I spent the weekend in Melbourne. So far, I think this may be my favorite city in Australia... only compared to Sydney so far. We did actually get to spend a few extra hours in Sydney due to a changed flight, delayed flight, canceled flight all which ended up being a 12 hour layover! But we enjoyed an excuse to see the Sydney Harbor again!

We finally made it!! Melbourne is such a nice, cute city with a lot of cafés and coffee shops in the ally ways. There is so much to see just from walking around the city! We were so excited to visit Melbourne, not only to see another Australian city but we also had friends that live there. Tom was one of my roommates in college. He lived with me and two other girls (poor guy). Tom was raised in Melbourne and came to EKU to play tennis. After graduation I wasn't sure if we would see him again, of course all of us girls said we would come to visit him and see Australia, but who knew it would actually happen!! Jason's friend, Joe, from high school also lives in Melbourne. Him and his wife relocated to Australia for work and unlike us, have been lucky enough to end up in a big city! It was so nice to catch up with old friends from the US on the other side of world!! The weekend that we were there was also the Grand Final for Australian Football League. The city was packed and had such a fun atmosphere... reminded of us of what it would be like for the Superbowl. We watched the parade and walked over to the see the stadium as well. There was definitely a lot of purple and yellow... just not on the same shirts or else we would have thought that we were in Minnesota Viking Territory!

 

 

 

 

Sports Channel Coverage for the AFL game

This is a bar under the bridge!