First Quilt Ever

My favorite craft blog in the world is Obsessively Stitching.  She is so creative and most of the projects are inexpensive which is always a plus.  A few weeks ago she started a tutorial called "First Quilt Ever".  I wanted to join, but I was barely managing to brush my teeth every day and take care of Landon let alone start a pieced quilt.  About 2 weeks into the tutorial, I felt the craft itch really, really strong.  It was rainy Saturday and Ryan was watching Landon.  I started looking through my many, many boxes of fabric to see if I could find fabric in a box that would work.  And then I the idea came.  Back in 2001 when we first started trying to get pregnant, the Blue Jean Teddy Bear was really popular.  Every fabric store had tons of fabric.  And I bought it up a little here, a little there, and little more over there.  And I ended up with an entire box of Blue Jean Teddy Bear Fabric.  Back in 2001 when I had no idea it would take more than 3 months to get pregnant, Ryan and I hand quilted a Blue Jean Teddy Bear baby quilt. (I know, I made Ryan help me...) A quilt to be used for our first baby.  And then I made bumper pads.  Now I have about 4 or 5 Blue Jean Teddy Bear quilts put away waiting to be used.  Plus I have a box full of coordinating fabric. I've match it up and have 7 more Blue Jean Teddy Bear quilts ready to be made. 

So in that lovely box, I found remants and pieces of fabric, 9 in all and I decided to go for it.  I was going to make the quilt with my Blue Jean Teddy Bear fabric.  It took me 3 days, but I busted out the steps and got l caught up. 

And there it sits, in my craft room, waiting for the border (which I need to take a picture of it pieced together).  I got distracted with several other projects while I was waiting for the next step on Obsessively Stitching.  And I just haven't made it back to it yet.  And partly because I'm scared. I don't want to mess it up.  I worked so hard on it and it looks so good, I'm afraid I'll ruin it when I start the dreaded machine quilting.

a shortage of pillowcases

Somehow during our 10 marriage, Ryan and I have not accumulated extra pillowcases. Pillowcases in my house growing up were everywhere. Perhaps it is because when someone couldn't figure out what to make for the homemade gift, the default gift was a pillowcase.
This week I got fed up with not having a clean pillowcase in the house. I ventured into my craft room, found some flannel I had been toting around for years that was given to me (thanks Joan) and 20 minutes later, I had solved our problem. I'm probably whip up a few more sometime soon, but this should work until then.

It's hard to tell it the picture, but I used a cute decorative stitch with red thread along the top.

Just a few cards

I had quite a few thank you cards to write, but I realized I was almost out of cards. So I made a few up, and then I made a few more and a few more and a few more. Soon I had over 200 cards. Not all are thank you cards, some are Congratulations, Happy Birthday, Just Because and some are for babies. I still need to attach a little accent/tag on each one. This should last me for a while.

It's addicting..and I used 2 full glue sticks!

Most people have 9 months...

Most people have 9 months to prepare for a baby. Sometimes a baby will come early and shorten the preparation time, but the majority of the world has 9 months.

We had 9 days...just 9 days to prepare for this. Although we have been waiting for years and years, 9 days is just not a lot of time.

Landon Kyle Jacobs

3/5/10 at 1:58pm

8lbs 2oz and 19 inches long

We have the most amazing birth mother ever. She is an amazing woman who we hope will always be a part of our lives. We are so grateful and humbled that she chose us.

I finally did it. I finished the last denim quilt for Ryan's 3 siblings. I would say I'm done making denim quilts, but I will probably end up making a few more in my lifetime. I still want to make a new one for me. I made my denim quilt more about 20 years ago and it has had a good life, but eventually it will need to be retired and replaced.


Did I mention I love flannel?

I am addicted to flannel

I love flannel. I love looking at flannel. But even more I love buying flannel. Which would explain the 4 boxes of flannel I have sitting in my craft room closet. I can't help it. I can't resist buying it. Mostly I make flannel baby blankets and sometimes doll blankets, but most of the time it just sits in a box waiting for me to actually have a child so that I can use it.


Since the whole kid thing wasn't happening for us, I started making flannel baby blankets and giving them away. It was actually therapeutic for me. And it enabled me to continue to buy more flannel to feed that addiction.


I've had several friends the last few months have babies and I decided I need to send a flannel baby blanket their way. These are a few of the ones I've gifted in the last few weeks.

A new toy for me

I not sure the life span of a cutting mat. I've had mine for at least 7 or 8 years and it was in pretty bad shape. I have cut so over 1000 denim squares and more than 80 flannel baby blankets. The mat is no longer self healing, it's beyond hope of healing.

I've been wanting a new cutting mat, but they are just so expensive. I found a great sale over the holiday weekend - 50% off with an additional 10% off coupon. It's a different brand than my old one, but the new one is double sided so maybe it will last twice as long (hopefully).

My old Olfa mat next to my new Fiskars mat.

My first attempt in a long time

I haven't tried machine quilting in a long time. In fact, I've only machine quilted 2 baby quilts with mediocre results so I've been hesitant to try again.

I decided to start with a very simple pattern, straight lines sewn at a 90 degree angle.

I really like how it turned out. And of course, I didn't make it for me, but I like it enough that I want to keep it. Just like all the rest I make :)

Another I-spy

My latest craft obession just happens to be I-spy squares. Thanks to Care of Obessively Stitching, I've found my newest addiction. (Her husband was one of my friends in Ecuador).

Last week (or maybe the week before) she started another I-spy swap, but I had worked a really long day at work (like 12 hours) and by the time I got home and saw the swap, it was already past full. But she had linked to another I-spy swap and lucky for me, there was room. Here's my squares that I sent in.

I can't wait to see what comes back.

Another denim quilt

I love flannel and I love shopping for flannel. I found this cute frog flannel during the after thanksgiving flannel sale. Ryan's sister loves frogs (or at least she did at one time) so I started forming an idea. I still had plenty of squares left to make another denim quilt. This one didn't take near as long as the last one and the best part was Ryan helped me tie it so it was only on the quilt frames for about 24 hours.

Cute Frogs!

More Raggedy Ann and Andy

I picked up this fleece panel of Raggedy Ann and Andy several years ago when I was collecting RA&A fabric. Since my sister, Lara, is going to have a RA&A baby room, I've been making all sorts of things for her with the fabric. I made this during summer, but I couldn't post it here since she might see it.

I used pinking shears to cut the strips around the edge so I could tie them. It took hours and I ended up with very sore hands and a blister or two. Later Crescent, another sister, told me she had a cutting blade that cut like pinking shears. Next time I'll borrow that.

I gave it to Lara for Christmas. Hope she likes it because I sure do.

Erin's scrappy quilt gifted to Alisa

I haven't posted on here in a while. It was all about keeping the secrets at Christmas. I made several presents for my sisters in November and December, but I couldn't post them here just in case they happened to look here. I'll post those projects soon, but my sister Erin just sent me a picture of the scrap quilt she made. Another sister, Alisa, saw her making it and begged her to give it to her. Then she begged to borrow it "one day". They she flat out asked to borrow it. Still the answer was no. Then on Christmas morning she opened up her gift and got her wish. The scrap quilt was hers to keep! (or that's the story I was told)

Erin with the pieced front of the scrappy quilt.

The back of the scrappy quilt

Erin used upholstery fabric scraps that she picked up from somewhere (thrift store maybe?). I'm just in love with scrappy quilts lately. Now she needs to make another one for her to keep. But if she does, maybe I'll ask for that one.

Fleece quilts from scraps

I have a really hard time throwing away scraps. I just think I need it some day. Especially when it comes to scraps of fabric. I have several boxes of just scraps. And to my credit, I have used those scraps for different projects. Remember the bags we made while my nieces were here? From the scraps box...but that could be a completely different post...things I've made from scraps.

This weekend I got the crafting itch. It's been a while since I've spent some time in my craft room. We've been spending most of our time working in our backyard getting it ready for sprinklers and lawn and a better garden area. I wanted to make another fleece scrap quilt. I made one exactly 1 year ago and something in me needed to do it again.

Several years ago (probably 5 or 6) my sister picked up some fabric scraps from somewhere, maybe the DI, I'm not sure. She kept them for a couple of years, then she passed them onto my mom who kept them for a couple of years. My mom was cleaning out getting ready to move and she gave them to me. I packed them up and moved them with us to CA and them moved them to CO. As I was unpacking and settling into our new house in CO, I went through all my fabric boxes to see what I had and to pick out some projects. I looked in the big bag of fabric scraps and decided I was never going to use these, I had no idea what I could even make out of this weird fabric. It was a fleece of sorts, but a bit like carpet (but really soft). I finally gave up and threw the bag of scraps in the trash. Not even 20 minutes later I ran to the trash to fish out the scrap bag. I just couldn't do it. There must be a use for these. I finally decided to make a blanket for us to use to while watching TV on the couch. I cut squares out and it was not as big as I wanted so I added some flannel squares from the same flannel I used for the backing to make it a little bit bigger. This has ended up being the warmest quilt in the house. We love it!


After a church service project last year, there were scraps of fleece left that were about to be tossed into the trash when I asked if I could take them home. The bright blue plaid and circles fleece I got free from Craig's list last year. The grey squares came from a failed fleece jacket for sewing class my sister did in school. My mom didn't want to waste the fleece as it was expensive so she had my sister unpick everything and then she stored the fleece for however many years and finally cleaned out and I took it. I knew at some point I would have a use for it. And the other squares are scraps from projects I've worked on.


For the back, I used some navy flannel I've had kicking around for years and didn't know what to do with it. I stitched it all together this weekend and then tied it. I'm thinking of giving it to my brother for a wedding gift for when they are too poor to heat their house and need a cuddle blanket for the couch. I'll have to see when the time comes if Ryan will actually let me part with the warm fuzzy blanket.

Raggedy Ann and Andy

I love Raggedy Ann and Andy. Several years ago they made a comeback in popularity and there was a plethora of cute fabric to buy. I bought up as much as I could find with future plans of a Raggedy Ann and Andy nursery. But as time went on, I found other fabric for a nursery and then another idea as well.

My sister decided she wanted a Raggedy Ann and Andy nursery. Now I could put my boxes of fabric to good use for her.

I made these Raggedy dolls for her birthday. It was a pretty simple kit. I bought the panels for the bodies and the panels for the clothing. Everything was pre-printed so I just cut and sewed.

The best part is I made a set for me and a set for her. Everybody needs a set of Raggedy dolls.

Levi Quilt

When I was about 12, my madre helped me make a levi quilt. I still have that levi quilt today and more amazing, I still use it. It is like a right of passage in my family. All of my sisters also made a levi quilt. It's just something we had to do. So several years ago my madre gifted me some supplies. She had already cut out enough 6 inch squares to make a quilt, then she decided she didn't really need another levi quilt. Lucky me - I got out of a lot of the hard work.


I really wanted to make this for my brother-in-law's family. He and his wife have 5 adorable girls so it was only appropriate to find some cute girl flannel for the back. Then I found the perfect flannel with a rainbow of pastel colors, but it all stayed boxed up for a couple of years. But I finally broke it out this summer and started on it. I got the denim part sewed all together and ready for the girls to help me tie it.

Laying it all out

Denim part on the quilt frames with Tessa hiding beneath

With the flannel on top ready to be tied


The four center squares have pockets from a pair of my old jeans and from a pair of my hubby's.

Finished product :)

The girls helped me get it on the frames and then they helped me tied it as well. I finished binding it just in time for it to go in their suitcase for the trip back east. I loved how it turned out. I still have enough squares for one more quilt. Now I'm looking for some more cute backing for another quilt for another sister-in-law and her cute family.

Watermelon and justice for all

I found this fabric panel a few years ago for $1. I panel had all the different pieces printed on it, all I had to do was cut it out sew, it together, add batting and hair. Super easy. Well I finished a few years ago, but never had a place to hang it up during July. I was finally able to bring it out for July and put it up. Super easy and very inexpensive!

Blanket-a-thon 2009 Part II

This one now one of my favorite baby quilts ever. Ryan bought this fabric for me when we were living in Provo when we first were hoping we were pregnant (8 years ago). I must have commented once while we were in a store that I liked it, because he bought the panel for me a while later for my birthday. I put it away in box and kind of forgot about. In my continued effot to finish 1 project every 6 days, I dug it out and fell in love with the panel and immediately had ideas on how to finish it. I quilted it with cotton crosheen in a variegated orange around some animals and around others I used blue. I loved how it turned out. Definitely a keeper!

I love Strawberry Shortcake (the old one) and when I found this fabric a few years ago, I couldn't pass up. Besides, one can never have too many baby quilts right? Although with no kids, it makes a little less sense to have so many...

I found this panel on clearance a few years ago while shopping and fell in love with it. So simple and girly. And so far, most of the stuff I made was boy stuff (I just didn't find girl fabric I liked as much).

I quilted it with pink cotton crosheen and then used some pink satin binding I picked up for free somewhere. The next step caused me grief and pain. I sewed one edge of the satin binding down and then proceeded to pin the other edge down so I could hand stitch around the rest of the quilt. Oh how I regretted the decision to use that satin binding. I took it to work to hand stitch on my lunch break. The first day I only got about 6 inches done. I was frustrated. this was going to take forever. After a few more days, I got the hang of it and managed to finish it quicker than I thought. I'm not sure if I'll ever use satin binding again. Once might just be enough.

I picked this panel up at a clearance table back in Provo. But there was only 2/3 of a yard and not enough to make quilt. I cut some strips to put at the top to enlarge it to a yard and then turn it into a baby quilt.

I picked this panel up the same time as the previous one. It is a cute rag doll pattern. I tied this one with cotton crosheen as well (can you see my pattern for quilting and tying with cotton crosheen?) I wish I could keep them all!

Not by me, but wanted by me

Isn't this the cutest quilt? My creative brain just can't think this way, but I love that others can.

Someone I don't know (but I adore her stuff) is having a fabulous giveaway. Head on over to Pigtails and Snails to leave a comment to put yourself in the running. Wouldn't you like to have this?

Harry Potter scarf

Ryan rarely asks me to make things. So when I asked me to make a Harry Potter scarf, I had to say yes. Well, I wanted to say yes, but I was a little bit overwhelmed. I don't really knit and I have only ever in my life knitted one thing. Dishcloths. The same thing over and over again.

I searched the Internet and found a pattern and instructions I liked. I had my craft friend, Joan, help me start.

I had never used a circular needle and I had never switched yarn in the middle of project before. She helped me get started and I set off. I worked on it every day at lunch and at night. By the time Christmas came, Ryan opened up about 40 rows of knitting and a skein of yarn. I vowed I would finish it in January. Well, things happen and I almost finished it. We moved and moved again. I finished the scarf in June 2008...18 months after I started it. Then we moved a few weeks later and the scarf was lost. I was devastated. I was not looking forward to making him another one.

I opened up a suitcase to pack for a trip and there it lay...the Harry Potter scarf I had worked so hard on. Ryan was ecstatic! And I was relieved.

Winter crafts

I've been lugging these items around half finished since 2005. So one week, I made it a winter craft week and finished these up. The Santa and Snowman with arms going on a holiday basket that I fill with differnt things (I also have a witch) and the other snowman is for a door or wall hanging.

Now that we live in an area where it gets cold and snows, I'll actually get an opportunity to use display them next winter.