A Holiday Gift

So about 4 1/2 years ago while I was pregnant we drove to New York so help clean out my great aunt's house as she moved to a nursing home. She spent her entire life in her parent's home so this was also where my great-grandparents lived and where my grandmother was raised. I have many childhood memories of holiday meals and summer picnics there. So fast forward to a very hot summer where we're helping move boxes and furniture from NY to GA. It was a lot of work and honestly we weren't even the one doing the bulk or the hardest of the work, but we were happy to think we were helping out in some small way.

So the boxes came to GA where they sat through the somewhat tumultuous end of my pregnancy and the move to a new house. Then the box was moved from the garage to the storage room and it sat for a few more years.

My 81 year old grandmother is joining us for Thanksgiving this year and even though she's still willing to travel I know that won't be the case forever, so I thought this is the year. The year to unpack my great-grandmother's china and actually use it. Keep in mind I had never seen this china. But no matter what it looked like I thought it would be a lovely reminder of family and a special detail for my grandmother.

Harper and I unpacked the dishes this morning and I was shocked to see that the colors matched my own taste and colors so exactly. The green is the perfect color of our dining room and what I would have chosen if could go buy any fancy china. It seems like such a gift. It makes me feel more connected to my great-grandmother gone so many years. I hope it helps my daughter connect to her history. I hope it makes this year a more memorable day.

So here's to family and the gifts they give across the years and miles - wishing you and yours a relaxing and enjoyable holiday!

Work In Progress Wednesday :: Holiday Beginnings

It's that time of year again when my thoughts start turning to...teacher gifts. We love ALL the teachers at our school and I want to do a little something for what turns into a lengthy list of them so I'm always looking for good ideas to make in quantity. This year I'm thinking mug rugs, along with a mug and some hot cocoa or coffee packets. Maybe some home made cookies too if I'm feeling really energetic.

So I'd love to hear your favorite teacher gifts ideas! Oh and if you have a mug rug tutorial you love I'd be thrilled to have a link to it in the comments. If there's any interest I can compile a list of good mug rug tutorials and post it next week - Happy Sewing everyone! (Cute mug from IKEA).

Linking up with Lee for WIP Wednesday.

Finish It Up Friday :: Massive Maples

 Happy Friday everyone! Is it me or are the weeks just flying by lately? Despite a truly crazy week I did manage to squeeze in another Massive Maples top - I just love this pattern so much. Plus it's really a testament to how fast it sews up that I was able to get it done it just a couple days. I almost went ahead and started quilting it last night but I knew I wouldn't get that part done in one evening and I wanted to share it, so I waited. But I have some more Chicopee for the back and the binding is made so I'm ready.

These four Chicopee prints were intended to be another Super Tote but then they just seemed so wintery and perfect for another one of these quilts that I just couldn't resist. The background fabric is Timeless Treasures Sketch in black and white - another GREAT stash fabric that seems to go with everything.

I posted my original quilt on Monday in this post, complete with measurements. I paid more attention this go round and can add that you need about 2/3 yard for each leaf fabric, 2 yards background and 4 yards for the backing fabric. I make my binding 2.5" wide and I cut 7 strips that size - I probably could have cut 6 but I'm always afraid of running short.

Many thanks to my design-astute husband who suggested this layout - I love it.

I think this makes such a great "mom" project, one you can complete relatively quickly and easily. Right now with two little people running around all week plus the other demands of life I want projects I can get done and feel good about, this fits the bill and looks awesome to boot. A win in my book!

Hope everyone has a good weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday.

Massive Maples

You guys! I am SO excited about this quilt! Did you ever get an idea that you just couldn't wait to see come to life? This was one of those ideas. I was looking at and admiring (envying) all the maple quilts being made seemingly everywhere (Instagram) when I got the idea to make them BIG. Surely if I super-sized them I could knock one out in almost no time I told myself. I didn't use any super precious fabric in case my math was off (a very likely scenario) and I got to work immediately. Ignoring all other WIP's and most housework of course...

and IT WORKED!!! Four massive blocks later and I had a quilt top! If you follow me on IG you may have already seen that I had a quilt (this quilt) that had to be un-picked and re-quilted after an unfortunate incident with a meddling teddy bear but I persevered. It is making me oh so happy.

Want the measurements so you can make one of your own? This pattern seems to be pretty easy to find, I know the Modern Maples pattern is in Pretty in Patchwork: Holidays and in 500 Quilt Blocks. You can also google "maple leaf quilt block Tutorial" and you can find many, many examples. If you know how to sew a half-square triangle (HST) you can probably even figure it out on your own!

So here are my measurements:

This will give you a 30 1/2" block - four of them will give you a nice sized lap quilt at 60" square. Am I still planning a maple quilt out of the smaller blocks? Absolutely. But now I can enjoy this one in the meantime. If you need one right away, like I did, this version might be for you too. Massive Maples: Immediate Gratification!

We did a field test with coffee and donuts right after the photo shoot and I'm happy to report it worked out very well ;-)

Finish it up Friday :: AMH Mini Quilt

So a while back Kristi over at Schnitzel and Boo decided to host a mini quilt swap just a fun little swap before the holiday madness sets in. I love to make mini's so I was in!

It's hard to guess what someone else's tastes really are from a short survey and a few Instagram pictures but since my partner listed AMH as one of her favorites I decided to just go with that.

I'd also just received Lynne and Kerry's AWESOME book and it served as a wonderful source on inspiration - so many gorgeous block ideas. Many of the blocks aren't ones I'd want to tackle a whole quilt out of but would make fantastic mini's - like this 12" Economy Block variation. The hardest part was choosing the right values to make the colors really pop - after that the piecing wasn't so bad! The border was a stroke of pure luck and I am completely in love with it. I'm adding a few henna scraps as a little bonus :-)

And yes, I put a bird on it. Teehee!

Another shot of the back. It could almost be reversible. Heading to the mail with fingers crossed it arrives safely and that my partner loves it as much as I do :-)

Happy Friday all!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday.