Mustangs + 241

A huge happy birthday goes out to my little (and only) sister! She is one of the strongest women I know and I am proud to call her family. I know that she had an amazing day yesterday and received some pretty awesome loot (though I am a bit biased). I tackled Noodlehead’s 241 Tote Bag complete with inset zippers and it was a huge success!

As soon as I saw Cotton + Steel’s Mustang print, I knew I was making something with it for my sister. She has loved horses for as long as I can remember and this print is tasteful and well done. The 241 tote is the perfect size for my sister and I love the shape of it.

I paired the mustangs with a dark denim and gold zippers. The inside features a rich Kona Navy paired with Cotton + Steel’s XOXO in Toy Boat and gold.

I had some fun with the pockets and used Netorious in Teal (more Cotton + Steel!) for the lining. I used an awesome tutorial by Katy from The Littlest Thistle to help wrap my head around putting those zippers and pockets in the front panel of the bag. In many cases, I am a visual learner so I need a bit of help with the zippers.

I already have my next 241 tote designed and ready to cut out when I get some free time.

 

 

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A Birthday Quilt

I had the honor of making my paternal grandmother, Shirley, a quilt for her 90th birthday. It was a big occasion and the family celebrated with her first birthday party…ever! The entire paternal clan gathered in Zion, IL for the celebration. I had never realized how close they were to Lake Michigan until we got to the hotel. Boy was it cold but the view in the mornings was worth it!

Back to the quilt, talk about a huge honor (and undertaking)! It was a family project, my mom picked out the prints – Sunnyside by Kate Spain, together we picked out the solid – Pistachio! – and my mom and sister helped with the layout and provided the cheering squad.

The horrible cold snap we the country experienced at the beginning of January delayed my solid and binding fabrics arrival until a week before it had to be gifted. Needless to say, I worked quickly to get it together. The binding was stitched on the front right before bed on Thursday night and I flew out to IL on Friday morning.

The binding was done in the PHL airport, in the air and on my Aunt’s couch in IL. I finally enlisted my mom to help me finish (I even taught her a new stitch!). The quilt was washed, dried and the label was stitched on. It was done with 8 hours to spare!

I am happy to say that she loved it! I am always so relieved when the quilts that I make are well received. I have a secret fear of them being hated.

The back turned out to be my favorite part of the quilt. I had to get a bit scrappy because I did not have enough to do it entirely in the solid green.

And here is the family: Dad, me, Grandma, Mom, my sister and nephew! My favorite thing about the photo below is my almost two (!) year old nephew holding up the corner.

Quilt Details

Pattern: My own improvisation. I started with the Fat Quarter Shop’s Jelly Roll Jam and improvised after the first few steps. The back was completely improv.
Front: Sunnyside by Kate Spain – jelly roll & Bella in Pistachio solid
Back: Sunnyside by Kate Spain, white & green geometric is from my stash, and Bella in Pistachio
Binding: Skyward in Sprig, Kate Spain
Quilting: Center lines and border triangles – Aurifil 40WT #2600 (a pale gray), wavy decorative stitches – Aurifil 50WT #2024 (white)
Finished size: approx. 60 x 60″