Anna Michelle Quilts

Hello World

2011-09-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, when I said a while back that I wasn't the blogging type, I wasn't lying! Life is just so busy for me to find the time to sit and write about random stuff sometimes. I have to admit that I seem to be able to find the time to read about other peoples random stuff though, hmmm...

What brings me back, you ask? I was contacted by Brendan B. a little while back about doing a product review for a company called EasyCanvasPrints.com. I have never done a product review so I thought it would be kinda fun and agreed. He gave me the link and instructions, but I have to say that the site itself provides everything I need to know about ordering a canvas print. And the name really says it all, it was super easy!! Four easy steps, pick a canvas size, upload your picture, choose your border option, add image and color effects if you want. Boom, done! The only glitch I had was around the end when it was time to click "place my order". I couldn't find that button on my computer screen anywhere. I emailed Brendan and he responded very quickly, saying that the site was probably being updated. I tried again and it went through just fine. Not long after, I received a beautifully made canvas print of the two most wonderful children ever...

I am still looking for the perfect spot for this canvas. I know I'll find it soon. So, if you are in the market for a canvas print, this site is really one to be checked out. I love my canvas print. The hardest part really was finding the perfect photo for it.

dqs9

2010-06-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hi dqs9 partner. I know you are stalking me now that we know who we are making a doll quilt for. I don't have a lot of info posted about my favorites right now but I promise to do that within the next few days. Thanks:)

something new

2010-05-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

I come from a line of "crafters". Quilting, knitting, crocheting. I have tried all of these crafts but sewing is the one I went with. I like instant gratification. I'm not saying that quilts are made in a day, although some are, but it took me f o r e v e r to complete any kind of yarn project. And with my skills, knitting and crocheting never held my attention long enough to learn anything more than a straight line, rectangle, or any kind of decorative stitch. I still get the itch every so often to try it out though. I peeked at this blog a few days ago and found some wonderful crocheted granny squares. I love everything about them, the colors, pattern, the assortment. So I got to thinking, if I focused on one square at a time, what could be so hard with that? Well once I started looking into crochet patterns again I remembered that they are like a foreign language. I have no idea how to read them, or what any of those letters mean. I bought this book, mentioned on Quiltycat's blog, and it has an alternate way of reading patterns. By a diagram. Looks easy enough, if you know what a single crochet is or a double crochet is, all of which I forgot. My mom is too far away to teach me by hand, so a friend mentioned that her sister learned to crochet by watching youtube. Well, what do you know, they have some videos on there that were not too bad. I was able to watch them, cross reference to the crochet book with the terms, and I was able to finally follow a granny square tutorial on the purl bee. And here is what I have made so far..

I used an eco-cotton blend 75% recycled cotton yarn that I found at Joann's. I like that it is not real fuzzy like some yarns. It was nice to work with. I think it is funny that I used the same pattern for both squares, yet they look slightly different, and you can't tell from the picture, but they are different sizes too. Just goes to show that I have a long way to go with learning to crochet, but I am really happy that these are not my typical boring one colored rectangle/scarf!

another great tutorial

2010-05-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Blogs can be such a great resource. I bought this book a while back, and it has some great recipes in it. The problem I was having was with a covered, but not air-tight lid, bowl. I have a huge wooden bowl that I like to mix the dough in, but when it came time to cover it, no such luck. I was using saran wrap, foil, dish towels, you name it, but I just didn't like how all those were working out. So today I was checking out some blogs and found this. How cute, and sooo simple to make. Why didn't I think of it?? I hope it works...

never ending basket of love

2010-05-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day

mug rugs

2010-04-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

I just love the name, mug rug. Larger than a coaster, smaller than a place mat, perfect for your coffee cup.
These are a couple that I made to give as gifts to our bible study teachers. I am going to add a label on the back with all of our names. A gift card to my favorite coffee shop will go great with them, don't you think?

Some matching patchwork coffee cozies to match too.

chairs!!

2010-02-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

ok, I am in love/obsessed with these little quilts. I saw lucyellen's chair quilts on the doll quilt swap on flickr and I knew I just HAD to have one. But, what are the chances that she will be my partner, so as I often say to myself, if you want something done, do it yourself. I drew a chair on a piece of paper, cut strategically to make a paper pieced pattern, and went to town. Here are a few I have made:

scrappy green

outdoor blue

red

The last two have the binding sewn on to the front, just waiting to be hand sewn down to the back. ( In case you were wondering why the edge looked weird )

color wheel geese

2010-02-22T14:33:00.000-08:00

fun fun fun

book cover

2010-02-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

This was fabric left over from another cute little project that I did on Saturday ( forgot to take pics of that one, sorry ). I saw an idea in a magazine for a book cover, so I attempted it and I like the results. It came together fairly quick too.

back of cover

Sorry for the lighting. The two special lights that I had broke and I haven't gotten around to ordering replacements.

neighborhood quilt

2010-02-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

it's done! thanks to the quilter bee ladies who helped with it, i do love it:)

53 x 53

potato bag

2010-01-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, you guys have to try this out! It really does work!

There is a link on the bottom right for the tutorial on how to make this microwave potato bag. I stitched it up real quick while my son was eating lunch and popped some potatoes in and, like magic, 8 minutes later, perfect potatoes! I love mine smothered in ranch dressing, yum.

I wrote the baking directions on the inside flap with a sharpie so I wouldn't forget.

doll quilt swap

2010-01-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, my finished doll quilt for the dqs8. I sure do hope my partner likes it. I tried to incorporate her likes into this quilt, with the applique, color choices, and two wee owls keeping watch:) applique method tried from this tutorial

Another little finish today too was this one...

I really do love it

help hope!

2010-01-18T16:09:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling that most of you have seen this- Craft Hope by crafthope on Etsy. What a great way to help Haiti during this hard time. I have donated all the items I had in my Etsy shop, and although I haven't received a confirmation email yet, I think that all my items sold very quickly! All I can say is Thank You! There are a lot of generous crafters who have donated and there are some wonderful items listed in their shop, so check it out. Here is a link to the crafthope blog also.
Meanwhile, here is a sneak peek at what I've been working on for doll quilt swap 8. I have already changed my mind once, so depending on how this works out, you might see something totally different later on.

what I've been working on

2010-01-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

It seems that I have not been posting much. I have come to the conclusion that I am just not a blogger. I love to stalk other peoples blogs, but when it comes time for me to post, nahh.
So here are a few things I've been working on.
I joined this:

Modern Siggy Swap Block from ps i quilt

which lead to many little scraps that I decided to make into these:

from this blog

Happy New Year!

2009-12-30T16:56:00.000-08:00

Fun needle punched acorns.

I am really itching to expand on the needle punch and try my hand at sculptures, figures and things, but I just haven't found a good tutorial. ( it would probably help if I actually look, right? ) Does any one out there know of some? I already have this book, which has some good ideas, but I guess I want a little more.

secret santa

2009-12-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

I have made a little something for the secret santa exchange on Flickr. I looked up my partners favorites and this quilt was on there, so I thought I'd make her one. I don't have the time to quilt it so I am going to send it as is. Hope she likes it.

This is a stitchery that belongs to a friend. I just love it, so I am going to get together with another friend in the morning so we can make our own. Depending on how fast I can stitch it, I might make more to give as gifts.

winner for my first give away!

2009-12-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

Good morning all!
I went to random.org and the number it picked was 78, which was Abbington who said
"It's lovely - great work (and look at all the people who have left a comment to say so!) "
I have emailed Abbington for the shipping info I need, but if I don't hear back by Dec. 12, which is the Sew Mama Sew deadline for mailing, I will pick another winner. Thanks to all of you who stopped by, and check back later. I have been working on a Secret Santa gift for someone at the Old Red Barn quilt group on Flickr, and I will post a pic. I'm pretty sure she doesn't read the blog, but just in case, I won't post a name. I think she is going to like it!!!

first giveaway!

2009-12-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

I woke up to see that there were a lot of giveaways going on today. Sew Mama Sew is having a giveaway day, and while I think I am too late to get in on the master list that they have posted, I thought I could play along. I have entered a few myself, so why not give something too. I honestly don't know how many people actually check my blog out, could be two people, could be twenty, could be none and I would just keep the prize for myself. But lets get to it, right?

How about this?

I have to be honest, the quilting is not that great, but I do love this wall hanging. I made two, and I plan on hanging the other on my front door when fall comes back next year. ( Christmas decorations are taking over now! )
The pattern is from Material Obsession Two. Great book!

Just leave a comment. That's all. And like I said before, depending on how many people check the blog out, your chances might be VERY good.
I will leave comments open until Dec. 6 and I will post a winner Dec. 7. Leave your email so I have a way to contact you. If you want, you can blog about my giveaway, and I will put another entry in for you, but no pressure! I will try the random picker outer thingy for a winner, and I will ship internationally.
Thanks for stopping by:)
Check out Sew Mama Sew, there are some great blogs and giveaways out there!

( I just peeked and I did get on the master list. Also, the quilting on this one isn't bad. The quilting on the one that I am keeping for myself turned out kind of crazy. )

a few things

2009-11-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

I got my new lights in the mail yesterday and I have been playing around with them and my background and pictures. I like the results so far. Please check out my flickr site to see everything that I've been working on, this is just a taste! Btw, the quilt is for sale too, on etsy.

an Awesome! giveaway

2009-11-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

Check out this blog for a great giveaway. Believe me, you won't be sorry!!

href="http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com/fleamarketfancyfreaks/2009/11/its-time-for-a-flea-market-fancy-giveaway.html" target=_blank>

wip's and sewing bees

2009-11-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am, working on my latest quilt. Can anyone out there guess what it is? Yes, a string quilt. I actually started it a while ago, but it got pushed to the side when other projects came up. I decided I needed to finish it. I also got a little help, well not really, but my little man had a good time playing in all the paper torn from the back of each block. He was even making little piles out of the paper them jumping in it like it was a pile of leaves. Cute!

I have been sewing quite a bit, but I don't have many pictures. I want to play around with my camera some more to see what I can do with it. I ordered some special lights, and they should get here sometime this week. I know lighting is an issue for me, but more of the issue is not knowing how to use the features of the camera. So hopefully by next week I should have some nice pics. Who knows... I can wish, right?

On another note, I joined two more online quilting bees. One is a spider bee, sewing spider web blocks each month for other bee's, and the other is Cancer is Sew Done. We will be following Block Party! quilt along and then the finished quilts will be auctioned off to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. I am pretty sure there are spots available in Cancer is Sew Done if anyone wants to join! Click the link

first quilt for sale

2009-11-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

this is for sale in my etsy shop, click on the right

check this giveaway out, it comes from a great blog that i follow:)

mini quilt monday

2009-11-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

19 x 27

I still need to play around with my new birthday present. Nice camera, weird lighting on my part.

busy 2

2009-10-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day. There is a reason for it. I actually finished all these quilts around the same time, but I have been playing with a new camera and it has been taking longer to upload pictures. So I split up posts to give me a break from frustration.
This was the I-Spy quilt that has been sitting around just waiting to be transformed into a beautiful quilt. After I saw this post I decided to try the loopy quilting. I wasn't very pleased at first, but the more I quilted the more I liked it. Not to mention it was quick! I like how it turned out in the end and I will be doing this to more quilts!
I have one more quilt finish but I will post it tomorrow.

busy

2009-10-27T15:58:00.001-07:00

This quilt has kept me busy for some time now. It was one of three tops that my mom sent to me after my great grandma passed away. My great grandma hand stitched all of these little pieces together, wow, but she never got around to quilting it. It measures 72 x 88. The top looks like it was used though. It has obviously been washed because there were many places where it was fraying and coming apart. I don't think I did a very good repair job, but I did manage to quilt it without anymore pieces falling off. I do like the end result, and I hope my mom does too. This baby will be in the mail tomorrow.

place mat swap

2009-10-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I changed my mind, as usual.
I posted some pics of the two place mats for my online swap, but after quilting them, I decided on something else. The quilting turned out really yucky on the other two, so I don't want to post pics of them. I am satisfied with the two new ones. Here they are. Hope my partner likes them!

swap

2009-10-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been almost a month since my last post. I guess I've been busy.
Here is a little something I've been working on today. I joined an online place mat swap so I made up these two for my partner. I am fairly sure that she doesn't have my blog site, because I would like them to be a surprise. I have only pieced them, still need to quilt them.

They are supposed to be rotated, but as you should know by now I have trouble turning my photos on here.

I also made this little wall hanging out of the scraps from the colors.

ugg, rotated. I guess you can hang this anyway, but I plan on putting it up with the pink on the left.

Happy sewing until next time...

seeing squares

2009-09-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

I started this quilt top this afternoon while Kyle was napping. I felt like I needed a quick fix, something that I could create in a flash. It did take a little longer than his nap, but I managed to get it all together this evening. Now to quilt it.... not tonight though! I'm pooped.
p.s. I was inspired by this beauty

homes

2009-09-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

I think I could become addicted to making these little homes! They are so cute and so much fun. I know for sure that I want my fellow bee's to work on these for my Oct. blocks. I bought some light gray fabric, to represent our gray skies here in WA, and some various solids. I must say, these are better than my haunted house from before!

inspiration?

2009-08-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

So I follow this blog and this morning she posted this. So cute. I decided to try my hand at it, but I think mine turned out a bit on the creepy side. It looks like a little haunted house. And the one I did is a little replica of my house. Oh no. I still think I want this to be the inspiration for my quilting bee blocks. It would be fun to see what the other bees come up with. We'll see....

6 x 6 inch little block

I-Spy a quilt top

2009-08-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

59x68

Here is a quilt top that I just finished from the I-Spy square swap. Simple, but it took a few days to piece together. I didn't want to use black or white to separate the blocks, but I knew it needed something so I used a light gray. I think it looks pretty good. It was fun to see each block that everyone sent. You name it, it is probably in the quilt somewhere. This will be a good picnic quilt.

giveaways to check out

2009-08-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

http://ankastreasures.wordpress.com/

http://calamityjanescottage.blogspot.com/

http://modahomemom.blogspot.com/2009/08/dum-roll-please.html

Check the links to see some fun giveaways!

Meagan's blocks

2009-08-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well here they are, my first ever virtual quilting bee blocks! I can tell this is going to be a lot of fun. Meagan wanted a lot of little squares, and so here is my version. The one on the right was the block I made specifically for her, and the one on the left was made from the scraps. I really like them both, but to be honest, the scrappy block turned out more even than the original block. Go figure. I guess I might have been trying too hard with the original.
So the next sewing month for the bee is October, which is my month, and that means time to go fabric shopping baby!

finished 2 quilts!

2009-08-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Here are the two baby boy quilts I've been working on. They're done! I just pulled Kyle's out of the dryer and snapped some quick shots before I put him down for a nap with it. I think I was more excited than he was! ( for the quilt and the nap!! )
I hope to send baby B.'s quilt off to his parents soon. It should be ready for him when he decides to join the outside world:)

back from vacation

2009-08-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, back in the saddle. I had a great time, but it sure is nice to be home to enjoy some cooler PNW weather! We were gone during the heat wave up here, and I joked that I left WA and went to TX to get away from the heat! Anyhoo..
I just finished the zig zag quilt top that I started before I left. I really like it! I am going to call it snips and snails, cute, since it will be for my son.

42x43, rotated, can not figure this out!!!

I also did a quilt top for cousin J. Her baby boy is due next month! Parents are fans of.... yes the Dallas Cowboys. So I picked up some fabric while I was there. I sure do hope they enjoy the quilt!

42x44

On another note, here is another giveaway. Check this fun blog out to see what it is all about!!!

giveaway

2009-07-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, everyone out there!
Go check these two blogs out for some great ideas and a giveaway! Fun stuff!
I am on vacation in Texas and as soon as I get back home I can start sewing some more and blog some more too. Have fun and stay cool..
ps
Here is a basket I made last year for aunt D. and didn't take a pic back then before I sent it to her.

cathedral mini

2009-07-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a little quilt I started on Monday for Mini quilt Mondays.
The link to the tutorial is on my previous post. This was certainly a different way of sewing. I don't think I would have the patience for doing a larger version of this. A lot of folding and ironing. I machine stitched mine instead of doing the hand stitching. With a little one running around, I need to finish quick. Otherwise, wip's seem to add up around here. It was fun though, a change from the norm.

2009-07-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

cathedral block tutorial

fun stuff

2009-07-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Fun stuff and a finish. I made a few coffee cozies from the tutorial here. They are sooo easy and cute! These would be a fun little gift with a gift card or candies. I will be making more to give away!
I also finished quilting the scrappy circles baby quilt. I really like it! Simple stipple. 42x42

I started doing a zig zag quilt for Kyle. The Old Red Barn quilt along ended, but a group decided to stick around and work on something new. How exciting! I committed to the project then remembered I was leaving town for 3 weeks, so I jumped the gun and started already. Here is the rough layout for the quilt. I think it will look nice in the end.

Tata!

a tiny break from sewing

2009-07-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

I bought a felting book for my daughter, to try to keep her away from the tv this summer, and here are a few creations we came up with. I made the tiny stump with mushrooms and her's is the wonderful felted wallet. I love the book because it is very straight forward, with pictures and all. Sweet Needle Felts
I wonder what she will come up with next..

again, rotated pics!!!!! ugh

oh happy day!

2009-07-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

I just finished binding and washing R and T's quilt. I am so excited about the binding! I finally found a process that works for me. I love the look of hand stitched binding, but I hate the time it takes. So I have been playing around with different machine stitches to see how I can get a nice clean look on the front, while still catching the binding on the back. I have done many attempts, while all ok, but none that I was Really happy with. But this one, Yes! All I did was stitch next to the binding. So easy. Why didn't I think of it before? I can still see my stitches on the back, but that's ok. It is the front that I was having a time with. As long as I take my time I can catch the binding on the back without various missed stitches. I hope this all makes sense, probably not, but just know that I am happy! Yea!
here we go again with rotated pictures. i will figure it out. i will!

cute little quilt

2009-07-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

This is too cute! I made this while Kyle was napping today, he took a long one:)
This is great for all of those little tiny scraps that you might not want to throw away, but are too small for anything else. Tutorial here.
I might make a couple more of these.

postcards from paradise

2009-07-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a quilt top I just finished piecing together. I got the idea from another blog ( sorry, can't remember which one due to all my blog hopping :) that had a quilt named Postcards from Hawaii. Love the name! Some family members had a tropical theme wedding, and they are going to be celebrating their one year anniversary with a tropical theme party, so I will name this quilt Postcards from Paradise and give this to them for their gift. I think it fits it nicely...

done!

2009-06-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished binding and washing great grandma's quilt. I love the crinkly old look!
I tried a new method of binding and I am not too sure if I like it. I might try it again, but modify it slightly. Finished size is 72x80.
How in the world do I flip these photos??uuggg

Cyann's quilt

2009-06-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Cyann's quilt is done! I love the colors, so vibrant! This is the quilt that I have been working on for the Old Red Barn quilt along. It measures 77x67 inches. I am sad to finally be done with it because I was having a great time logging on each week to see where every one else was in their quilting process. I guess I can search around to see if someone else is going to start another quilt along :)

another backpack

2009-06-27T14:22:00.001-07:00

So here is another backpack that I made for my neighbor. After the two I made for her, she asked for another for her friend who is expecting. I hope the mom-to-be enjoys her baby gift as much as I enjoyed creating it!

backpacks

2009-06-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here are two cute little bags I made for my neighbor's children. I love how they turned out and I can't wait to see the kids wearing them around! Thanks to this tutorial for the easy pattern.

ps I am trying to rotate these photo's, but I can't figure it out. I am getting a tad frustrated, so turn your head for now to view them:)

great grandma's top

2009-06-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

I hooked up a quilt top that my great grandma made and started quilting it today. I love looking at all of the fabric that she used as I am sewing along. I recognize some pieces that look like my great grandpa's shirts. I don't know the year she made it, but it is old. It makes me wonder how long it took her to complete. This top measures 82x90. I wasn't sure about the design I wanted, so I decided to thumb through some great little books I bought by Darlene Epp that have a number of different freehand quilting designs in them. I decided a simple loop along the rows of rectangles would look nice. It is very easy, but it sure does use a lot of thread. I think I went through twice the amount that I normally would have used by now.
Time for some rest now, sitting on the couch trying to beat my daughter at Mario Cart!

Hope you had a Happy Father's Day baby, I miss you

beach

2009-06-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

this one's for you baby

I have been busy the last couple of weeks. Cyann is out of school now and we took a nice trip to the beach. It sure would be nice to have a beach house. One away from all the tourists. Relaxing.
We are also having a city wide yard sale that I've been trying to get ready for. We have a lot of stuff to sell. It would be great to unload all of it, and to make a little extra fabric shopping money in the process!

I just finished quilting Cyann's top, now I need to do the binding. I did this one in random straight lines. Well, as straight as I could get them. I am not too sure if I like the design, but I felt like it was right for the fabric.
I am excited to get one of my great grandma's quilts hooked up and start on that for my mom now!

Crazy C!!!

2009-06-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

I need a new camera to take better pictures.

Thank for the laugh this morning C.!
We got together to work on our dear Jane block this morning and C. went to town! I didn't know my machine could do that stitch! If she drives a car like she sews on a machine we all better watch out, she goes fast!
Don't worry, she took it out a started over. The block looks much better now.
Until next time..

circles

2009-06-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Scrappy Circles quilt top done and ready to be quilted. The layout is different than the pic I posted yesterday. I figured that this was how it was meant to be, all scrappy.

Here is the top for the Old Red Barn Co. quilt along. Ready to be quilted too. Now I just need to hook these up, along with some other tops I need to get done for my mom, and get to quilting!

circles

2009-06-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a rough layout for my scrappy circles quilt. I still need to iron and piece them together. I like it so far. This was fun to work on today.

Dear Jane

2009-06-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

I am going to start this one tomorrow with these fabrics. I am so excited! It will be my first quilt with curves but I read on another blog that it is easy because there are no seams to match up. I don't know how to do links yet, and it is late so I don't want to learn now, but I bought the quilt pattern from Carolina Patchworks on Etsy.

Here are my squares cut for the Old Red Barn Co. quilt along. I think this is going to be a little bit crazy because my blocks don't measure the size that Dana said they should. That's ok though, i am not worried about perfection. I am doing this one for my daughter, she likes yellow and orange. I want it to be a surprise! She is at camp this week so I can cut and sew without her looking over my shoulder.

Here is the first block for my Dear Jane quilt. I am going to be doing this journey with a friend, and her block was beautiful. ( sorry no pic ) We are starting way behind the rest of the group, but we are in no hurry. Link to the side, That Quilt

2009-05-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

I had fun with this one, no pattern, just random strips added to the star. I used my husbands old bdu's.

2009-05-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

Another baby quilt for a friend. Wonky log cabins. Cute

2009-05-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a baby quilt that I did for a friend. There are pieces of her husbands flight suit in it. I love it!