"P" is for Patchwork

A patchwork quilt for Ben:

Twin size to fit his big boy bed:

And personalized on the back side:

Inspired by this quilt from Pottery Barn:

And this monogram style from Pottery Barn:

I combined the two styles and used colors to match Ben's bedroom:

Back when Ben was first born I had made a crib size quilt as a gift.

Ben's Mommy sent me this picture of him sitting on it:

Fast forward two plus years later and now he's ready for a big boy bed and a bigger quilt:

Here's how I made the quilt:


1. Cut 7" squares and layout:

2. Sew squares together:

3. Prepare the backing monogram.

Print out letter to size.

Apply double sided fusible to fabric.

4. Place letter backwards on light box then place fabric face down on light box and trace onto paper backing:

5. Cut out letter, place on backing and iron into place:

6. Zigzag stitch around edge:

7. Make quilt sandwich: backing, batting and top:

8.  Using safety pins secure quilt sandwich every 8" or so.

Then quilt on the diagonal.

9. Trim edges and add binding:

10. Press binding over quilt edge and fold in raw edge, then straight stitch in the gutter from the top:

11. Wash and dry and it's ready.

 Enjoy your new quilt Ben

Use it often (and wash it too!) because, as with everything, it only gets better with age.

I'm linking up to:

Whatcha Got Weekend @ Lolly Jane

SAS @ Funky Junk

Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertots & Jello

Sundae Scoop @ I Heart Naptime

Sister Sunday @ Sisters of the Wild West

Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table & Dreaming

Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative

DIY Fall Festival @ The DIY Showoff

Made by You Mondays @ Skip to My Lou

Making the World Cuter @ Making the World Cuter

Nifty Thrifty @ Coastal Charm

Tuesday Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Tutorials & Tips Tuesday @ Home Stories A to Z

Good Life @ A Beach Cottage

Delightfully Inspiring @ Delightful Order

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage

Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple

Share Awesomeness Thur @ The 36th Avenue

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring

Tickled Pink @ 504 Main

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

SAS @ Just a Girl

Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage

Remodelaholics Anonymous @ Remodelaholic

inspiration board @ Carolyns Homework
Textiles @ Freckled Laundry

"B" is for Bed #5

Doll bed #5

I know, you're having deja vu.

This is the last doll bed on the workbench for now.

And this one goes to the Spring Auction at the kids school.

The quilt is a Trip Around the World pattern made from 1" strips.

I made the bed from Ana White's plans here but modified the width.

Ana's plans call for five slats in the head and footboard, I only used four:

And I made the bedding which includes:

- 1 quilt

- 1 two-sided sheet

- 2 pillows with cases

- 1 roll pillow

One more bed done.

I'm linking up to:

"W" is for Winter

Winter is here to stay, time to get cozy.

Buddy boy all snuggled up under his quilt.

I love fabric.  And I love using it to make quilts.  This one was for my niece Lily:

We have them all over our house:

(and I made them all)

What I like most about quilts is their pieced quality, every one of them is made of a bazillion pieces painstakingly sewn together.

And they all tell a story, I remember where and when and why I made each one.

I think the reason I love making quilts is the pure process.
You begin with a bunch of pieces and end with one complete product.

I've been collecting fabric ever since college:

It's not too bad.  I like to say I inherited this trait from my mother, her collection is well beyond mine.

Thanks Mom.

I recently made these cute fabric balls for my trug:

They are actually balls of newspaper covered in fabric strips, so easy.

And all the doll quilts were made from my stash:

You can read about the doll beds here.

And the doll crib here.

And doll bed #3 here.

The best part about quilts is their utilitarian nature, they only get better with age, use and washing so I say go for it, touch them, wrap in them, turn on that DVR and get comfortable, winter will be here for awhile.