LET US PAUSE.

I die over and over again for these sweet, sweet TOOTSIES! I had no idea my baby snuck her feet into my shot until I was looking through pictures later, which made for the most delightful discovery in photo-editing history.

OKAY UNPAUSE.

Wisdom

Here’s the list I kept of what I did differently from when I sewed these dresses with quilting cotton. It’s all the stuff that makes knit-sewing bearable (even enjoyable!). I:

• Sized down
• Used the walking foot on my machine
• Used a jersey needle
• Sewed every seam with a “lightning” stitch, as I called it because of how it looks (I think it’s officially called a stretch stitch)
  • Note: I top-stitched with a straight stitch on two of the dresses’ necklines, but in the future I’ll stick with the lightning stitch. With knits, you want your seams and finishes to stretch and maintain that great flexibility that gives them their comfiness. The straight stitch has no give to it, so not only will it take away that comfy factor, but its rigidity will make it more liable to break if you *do* stretch your fabric.
• Used the dental floss method for gathers—I know it sounds bizarre, but this is the best sewing trick I’ve learned in years
• Finished hems by serging the edges then folding over once and top-stitching (instead of doing double-fold hems)
• Sewed on the pockets without encasing the edges. Since knits don’t fray, I just ironed the pockets in half, wrong sides together, and sewed the pockets right onto the skirt, raw edges exposed and all. Suzy’s Bohemian Garden quilt showed me how this is 100% okay. Actually, most of what I learned about sewing with knits I learned from Suzy’s series of posts during the making of her Bohemian Garden quilt.

I also saved myself a bunch of time by not transferring any of the pattern markings onto my fabric, since I realized after making these previously that I didn’t use a single one.

Lining?

I sewed these with the lining like in the pattern, but Audrey from Hot Pink Quilts told me she made some Geraniums without the lining and finished the neck and arm holes with bias binding. I was too chicken to try it this time around but with three of these babies now under my belt I’m definitely taking Audrey’s advice and making un-lined versions next time. And I’ll keep using snaps instead of buttons since they’re both easier to install and easier to use.

Bloomers

As with my previous dresses, I made matching Tea Party bloomers, but for now I only have one pair because I ran out of elastic. The other two pairs will have to wait a few days.

Teeny Tiny!

Funnily enough, I sewed these in the newborn size for my now one-year-old. The newborn dresses I originally made her still fit as tops, plus she’s quite small for her age, plus I think the pattern runs large, which means that by the time I sized down to account for the stretchy knit fabric, I was back to newborn size. And I didn’t make them dress length because then she couldn’t crawl around in them. So these little dresses are worn like tops and fit her perfectly! Small but mighty, this darling of mine.

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Matching bloomers to go with my baby girl’s Geranium dresses (which still fit her at almost 11 months even though they’re the newborn size). Pattern here.

A running doodads zip pouch for my hubby, who’s running the Leadville Trail 100 this year. To make the insignia, I scanned the LT 100 bumper sticker and converted the image into an iron-on cut design for my Cricut Maker machine. I fused that to the oval background fabric, which I also cut with my Cricut, slapped some Heat-n-Bond on the back, ironed the whole thing to my zip pouch fabric, and zig-zag-stitched around the edge. Here’s the pattern I used for the box pouch–it’s one of the best tutorials I’ve ever followed!

A Mother’s Day rope bowl gift for the boys’ mom. Belated, because of course I ran out of the natural-colored thread midway through. Video tutorial here. Super quick and satisfying to make!

Donut potholders for my daughter’s dresser, upon which we keep all the lotioney things. Pattern here.

And a second quilt for my girl. I did already sew her a quilt before she was born, but that first one doesn’t have the mojo to be her most special treasure. It’s cute and lovable, but not soft or big enough, and we’ve barely used it. This one, however…

It’s soft and snuggly, with a minky backing and wool batting. It’s hand-quilted and tied (with machine quilting across the diagonal seams for security). It’s yummy in all the right ways. It gives me the warm fuzzies. It’s “THE BLANKIE.”

This is my design, for which I may or may not draft an actual pattern. It’s now finished except for the binding, and will be her first birthday gift IN A MONTH (!!!!!!!!!!!!). I can’t wait to share more when it’s completed!

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“It’ll be fine as long as it’s an easy pattern,” said I to my absurd self.

What my absurd self forgot is that, even when you choose an “easy” pattern (in this case, “Cielo” from the book Southwest Modern), there remain a FAIR FEW things to do once that easy-peasy top is finished! Go figure. But this would be fine, too, I guess, UNLESS you have a crazy infant who thinks she’s a toddler bopping around while you’re trying to get anything done. In that case, it’s not fine, and you’ll be left asking “why do I do this to myself?” repeatedly and maniacally throughout the entire process.

THAT SAID, and with a little help from some longarm superheroes, I got it done. And although I was able to wipe my hands triumphantly at the end of it, this project illuminated for me that my days of last-minute quilts are over—or at the very least they are POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

I’m still happy I did it.

The post Cielo Quilt appeared first on from Marta with Love.

The pattern features a holiday version of my original fall table runner, but the design itself is so versatile you could use any combination of fabrics. And it’s great as either a table runner or a wall quilt.

Note that the pattern gives instructions for the front design. The backing is super simple–I used a single piece of my background fabric, onto which I fused interfaced letters I cut with my Cricut Maker machine.

Here are the selvedges for the cute holiday prints I used in the pattern version, in case you want to replicate it:

Main

Binding

If you make one of these and want to share, be sure to tag your photos with #lagunatablerunner on social media so I can see your beautiful work! And please feel free to e-mail me your feedback or if you spot any errors–I’ve proofed it top to bottom but I’m still a sleep-deprived new mama! Anything is possible.

Have fun! I can’t wait to see what you make. XO

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[Cue joyful mommy tears, a daily Volume-2-of-Life occurrence.]

We welcomed Halina (pronounced “hall-eena”) seven weeks ago, and my brain processes the seven weeks as follows: (1) “Has it already been seven weeks?!” and (2) “Has it only been seven weeks?!” A peanut—5 pounds and change—but no less capable of turning our world on its axis. Life is so, so good.

We’ve done a surprising amount since she’s been born, but Halina and I have yet to spend time in the sewing room together. Thanks to an adventurous ultrarunner daddy (did I tell you he finished the Bighorn Trail 100 Run this summer? Yes, that’s 100 miles), I’ve been challenged to be brave and get outside for hikes and walks and trips to the mountains with Halina even in her earliest days. Initially, like for our first walk together at Evergreen Lake the day after coming home from the hospital, this required COURAGE. Halina seemed simply too small for this world. Although I was happy to be home, our mountain surroundings felt too rugged for our tiny one (a little dramatic, I’ll admit, considering the paved walkway at both the lake and our local park). But each day I grew braver and soon became truly comfortable on these outings, despite the daily rain we were getting during our afternoon walks.

After her third week home, when daddy returned to work, Halina, Layla and I took our first easy hike on our own. It was beautiful. Last week we loaded up the whole motley crew and journeyed to Casper, Wyoming, to watch the eclipse in totality. Yes, the traffic coming home was crazy. Yes, it was also worth it. Last night we attended our first baseball game as a family of five, which was likewise an exhausting success. As summer recedes, we’ll continue soaking up the easy strolls with Halina in a onesie and socks before outside walks become a more bundled affair.

In seven weeks I’ve learned that so much life can be lived with a newborn in tow, outside of the precious snuggles at home. And with all things we’ve done both here and out in the world, we’ve simply basked in the present moment and prayed thanks, over and over.

Now for sewing. My goal, which I’m memorializing here for accountability, is to sew each of the boys their own quilts for Christmas. I’m thinking some more simple patchwork (my favorite!), with either squares or triangles, or maybe some log cabins (another fave). My M.O. since baby’s birth has been small, reachable goals. So my reachable goal for this week is to pull the fabrics for the boys’ quilts, and to use only what I have in my existing stash. Let’s see how this goes!

For those of you who visit this space solely for the sewing eye candy, here is baby girl’s finished quilt:

Happy Labor Day! (Har, har, har.)

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The post Life, Volume 2 appeared first on from Marta with Love.

This quilt was totally unplanned (and secret–I’m excited to finally get to share!).

When I signed up for the April Sewtopia retreat in Denver all I really wanted to do was go and enjoy open sew time while working on my baby girl’s Geranium dresses. I didn’t even bring fabric for Lizzy House’s mystery quilt class because I had zero plans to start a quilt. But when I got there and heard Lizzy’s heartfelt and vulnerable speech about what quilting means for her–basically: love–the message so deeply inspired and connected with my own heart. (Plus I loved the pattern she was instructing on, a modern iteration of the classic square and compass quilt.)

So while everyone else got started on cutting their already-brought-with-them fabrics, my unprepared self headed over to the Pink Door Fabrics pop-up shop for some goods. The second I saw black yarn-dyed Essex with GOLD SPARKLE, I: (1) fell down dead, (2) was resuscitated, and (3) knew exactly who this quilt would be for. Stacy is my best friend of over 20 years, she was my maid of honor, she’s about to become god mother to our little baby, and she is 100% gold sparkle. She turned 30 this year, too–a quilt for her was simply meant to be.

So the sparkle Essex became my background fabric and I chose super fun, bubble-gummy Cotton + Steel prints for the rest of the quilt (spoiler alert: aside from being all gold-sparkly, Stace is equally fun-bubble-gummy). I was pretty full of myself while sewing this quilt because I knew without question how totally perfect it would all be for her. I just kept shrugging smugly and bragging to myself about how “she’s going to freaking love this so much. NO BIG DEAL.”

After piecing the top, which was my first experience piecing curves and SO fun, I sent this to my favorite long-armer, Susan of Modern Prairie Quilting, to do her magic for me yet again. We chose an animal stripe quilting design for this one and both LOOOOVE the result.

Here’s a pretty cool comparison of one of the “compasses” before and after quilting:

Yummy yummy!

The sparkle is hard to capture on camera but you can see it pretty well here, along with the label I remembered to sew on!

My wackadoo photography assistants paused some very significant bike-riding activities to offer their services, provided I allow a funny picture in exchange. A quilter always pays her debts,* so here it is:
*Dear husband (and whoever else lives willfully with a deep void in their lives): this is a Game of Thrones reference.

Not to brag, but I was spot-on in my earlier prediction: Stacy loves her quilt. And because she knows me and what quilts mean to me she’s in a unique position to truly appreciate the love in this gift.

Now wish me luck on my biggest love adventure yet. Next time we meet I’ll be typing with my baby girl by my side and sharing pictures of her little quilt in action. Oh, my…

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I’ve got a couple of finishes to share–including the quilt I made for our teeny baby gal who happens to be arriving in just a few weeks!–but here’s the only one I’ve taken pictures of so far. Our finished wedding quilt!

Susan of Modern Prairie Quilting long-armed these lovely infinity loops for me. (Oddly, pin-basting on the dining room floor and then free-motion quilting infinity loops didn’t sound that fun while pregnant?) Susan previously quilted my Field Study quilt which is arguably still my favorite. Anna Maria Horner prints + simple patchwork = what makes me happiest.

For the backing I just used a flat sheet from a Target sheet set! Not the first time I’ll do this and not the last. I also serged the quilt edge after attaching the binding but before sewing it down, as I’ve done for a few years now. I think it makes finishing the binding cleaner and easier, and I also think it makes it more secure. I always love the end result.

This quilt makes me so happy, even though it’s our “wedding quilt” but I finished it well past our first anniversary. Hey–we’ve been busy!

Here’s the most important picture: the post-wash snuggle/crinkle shot!

The post A summer finish appeared first on from Marta with Love.

I love this pattern, the newborn version of the Geranium Dress by Made by Rae. The construction is quality and clever, and the pattern is super simple and quick to sew. I taped my pattern pieces, transferred them to wax paper (per my usual), cut all my fabric, and sewed both of these dresses during my open sew time at Sewtopia a couple weeks ago. The only thing I had to do after the retreat was add my snaps (which I’m very glad I chose over buttons). Enjoy this sweetness:

I wish I added small objects to these pictures for scale because the dresses are TEENY. And, yes, I know: newborn dresses aren’t practical. I do not care. Even if she wears each of these ONE TIME it will have been worth it–they brought me so much joy and excitement to make. They likewise brought joy and delighted giggles to pretty much every woman who encountered them at Sewtopia. Priceless.

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Man, this top felt great to finish. I started it LAST JANUARY. All I need to do now is sew a backing and get it quilted up so it can live happily on our bed. I love it so.

The reason for this sudden sense of urgency? That would be a burning desire to move on to my next, most special project. Becaaaaaaaaauuuse the next quilt I make will be snuggling our own little darling starting the day she’s born. I’m SO thrilled to share that we are welcoming a baby girl into our family this August!

Ahh!

I’m imagining an improv log cabin number in yummy sherbet tones… She’s sure to love it.

The post A quilt top + big plans for a baby [quilt] appeared first on from Marta with Love.

I also have to gush over this witch hand-made for us by our amazing friend, Melia. How fabulous is “Wilhelmina”?!?! I smile each time I see her and am beside myself with gratitude over receiving a handmade gift. We feel loved.

I used black minky dot fabric for the back of this quilt and, like all minky-backed quilts, it’s super snuggly. Our boys super-duper love it. I referred back to my old minky blanket tutorial and finished this the same way (except: (1) I remembered to pre-wash my fabric; (2) I did quilt this one–a very simple zig-zag in the seams from each of the corners; and (3) I finished the edges with two rows of top-stitching instead of one because I like the way it looks).

Happy late Halloween!

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I’m also sewing! Proof:

It’s just that I’ve had some other things going on, too (marrying, honeymooning, stepmomming, grieving the loss of my soulmate dog, working, reading, breathing, loving). And amongst all this life-living my blog-writing has naturally fallen to the non-priorities list. But the start of fall shifted something, almost imperceptibly, and the wave of change and constant activity from the last few months has seemed to settle into a steady, blanketing peace the last few weeks. It feels like rest.

So here I am, saying hello and showing you how things are going on my current quilt, my wedding quilt, for which 18 of 25 blocks are DONE–oh, yeah!

Mere tiny piles are all that’s left in the to-do area!

I’ll report back once the top is finished, which should be soon.

It’s good to see you!

With Love,
Marta

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Sometimes the mere act of verbalizing a lack of progress gives me the boost I need to get going. Then there are those special times when the stars align and this shift in motivation coincides with a Colorado blizzard (and its resulting crash in internet service preventing me from working while stuck at home), creating the perfect storm–literal and figurative–of quilt productivity.

It turns out the snow day provided something I didn’t know I needed: some progress for the sake of progress.

Thankfully by the time we lost internet we had gotten enough work done to not panic, so I took it as a happy sign that the snow day must be my sew day. I got so much done! I pressed all my center star pieces, sewed said pieces together to make the center star for all 25 blocks, and cut some additional fabric for the remaining borders that will be added to my blocks.

Here’s where most of the blocks stand in their state of half-finished glory (with the last pieces of fabric that will be sewn together for borders lying on top of each finished center star):

The fun doesn’t stop there. I actually continued along my newfound getting-shit-done path this weekend by marking and piecing all of my half-square triangles (approximately one point five bajillion), and then breaking away from pressing all those to sew together one full, finished block (for the sake of my mental health seeing just ONE DONE).

Behold my future favorite block–I love the fabric combo here:

I’m so excited to see these all come together! But you know what they say: grunt work first, happiness later (I don’t actually know who says that). Appreciate my plight, fellow quilters, as I complete my next task of pressing and trimming half-square triangles. See you in a year…

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Since the last time I checked in, I’ve gotten as far as finishing cutting out my pieces, agonizing over print placement for a few weeks, changing up my plan and choosing a new background fabric, cutting required pieces of said background fabric, piecing a few dozen flying geese, rearranging some more, and allowing the blocks to relax on my sewing room floor indefinitely. They’re currently vacationing.

But little progress is still progress! With life being life right now–hasty, happy, and taking no prisoners–I’ve shifted my expectations about this quilt and relented to the likelihood that it will be a post-honeymoon finish. It is what it is, and I’m cool with it. I’m about to flatline I’m so terminally chill right now.

I hope this post finds you happy and afloat in a lazy river somewhere.

xo,
Marta

The post Terminally chill appeared first on from Marta with Love.

My quilts are an expression of personal love rather than of intended Art (capital A). I don’t make them to be hung and examined. Quilts like Jacquie Gering’s evocative “Bang, You’re Dead” are purposeful, and intended to serve as Art with a message. And they do send a message.

…But so do my quilts. Except that my message broadcasts to a smaller audience (the recipient), and is uncomplicated (you’re important to me; I love you). That’s not to say I do not take seriously the importance of the artistic process and aesthetics, and that I am not mindful about my materials–in fact, I obsess over these things. It’s just that my intention for the quilt is different.

In one respect, my quilting is for others–I give quilts as gifts. But in a much larger respect, in my mind, quilting is strictly for me and not for others; that is to say, I don’t need to fancy myself an Artist to feel joy and pride about my quilts. If you want to call me that, fine–I’m charmed! If you want to call me a crafter, fine. I am not demeaned. I simply do what I do and try not to be concerned with which SPHERE my art/craft falls into. I sew because it’s therapy; I sew because it makes me happy; I sew because I love color; I sew because creativity is important.

Do I enjoy sharing pictures of my projects on this blog? I do. The reasons are three-fold: (1) photography is another of my creative outlets; (2) keeping some sort of archive of projects is important to me–I enjoy looking back and reading what I had to say about past ones; and (3) I love to goggle at and be inspired by the work of others, and I delight in imagining that my fellow quilters could come here, to my humble space, to be inspired–even in the smallest way.

Quilters joke about the annoyance we feel at being asked to hem people’s pants or encouraged to sell our stuff on Etsy. But the reasons above, not pride in the one instance or insecurity in the other, are precisely why I do neither of these. I don’t quilt because I want to make money.* Nor is sewing–including hemming your pants–my job. It’s what I do to escape my job (I work with lawyers–lord knows I don’t need another job). So the temptation to feel insulted when people imply that your craft isn’t worthy unless you’re profiting from it is great–until you remind yourself that you are grounded solely in your own intention. Cliché? Meh. But it really doesn’t matter what other people think or how they view your chosen outlet for creativity. They can do their thing and you can do yours. I try my best to be kind and honor the creative outlets of others–no matter how “trivial”–rather than place some sort of arbitrary expectation on them and make someone feel bad about what they’re doing. If your creative outlet is Popsicle stick log cabins? GET IT, girl. Do your thing. I won’t suggest you sell them on Etsy.

It’s easy to fall victim to these thoughts of: If my work isn’t as artistically amazing as this or this, then why even share it? How can I possibly compare? How could anyone possibly find my work interesting or inspiring when THIS is out in the world? Well here’s my answer:

I’ve focused for years–then discovered Brené Brown had articulated it for me much more effectively–on this idea that I will not feel shame about my work, nor allow myself to be shamed by Artists about my work.** I will continue to put it out there, and what I will not do is be preoccupied by the potential judgment of it by others. Again: you do your thing and I do mine. Who am I to tell someone what should or should not fill up their soul? If my kinda quilts make me happy, and your kinda quilts make you happy, then kumba-fuckin-YA. High five. God bless. (Sorry for cussing in public, Dad.)

Now. ALL THAT SAID, do I prefer working with and feel more connected to fabric that I feel was made with thoughtfulness and artistic intention? Yes, I prefer that fabric over chevrons. But I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason I feel that way isn’t because I judge that fabric as being more worthy of the title of art, but because I can feel that the artist whose work this was poured more love and thought into their fabric than is required by the simple reprinting of a polka dot print in a different size and color. And I appreciate that.

*I do think acknowledging the value–in time and money–of quilts is a worthy topic, though. Check this post out if you’re interested.

**Edit: It’s important to add to this that I’ve never personally been shamed, nor has anyone ever been mean to me about my work. It’s the fear alone that is enough to paralyze some and prevent them from sharing their work.

The post Why I quilt appeared first on from Marta with Love.

Although 2015 was marked by my happiest ever life moment–my best friend asking me to MARRY his dreamboat self–that’s not the love I’m here to gush over (though I could do so, at length, until you all puke. Let me know if that’s something you’re interested in). What I’m really smitten and gaga and cross-eyed in LOVE with is the fabric with which I’m starting my first quilt project of 2016. My heart belongs to Fibs and Fables by Anna Maria Horner (okay, and to my LaMar)!

A half-yard bundle of Fibs and Fables was included in my Christmas gifts this year (alongside a copy of Lotta’s new book). And before my belly had even digested our holiday feasts, I got busy planning the quilt for our “marriage bed” (heh) that I would make with my new fabric. I love combining simple, neutral (usually white) bedding with colorful patchwork.

For this quilt, I knew I wanted bigger blocks, with a striking, somewhat traditional-looking pattern that would beautifully juxtapose these more modern, saturated prints. So I chose my sweet buddy Amy’s Potluck pattern from her uplifting book, For Keeps. I believe it will be perfect.

Side note: remember my sewing table? It’s in here! In a section about useful tools.

The quilt in the book is a 3-block by 3-block version with sashing (the blocks finish at 15 inches). I’m making a 5×5 version without sashing so I had to spend a little time recalculating my fabric and cutting requirements.

I’ve already cut out all my pieces and arranged swatches to pick which prints to use for each block. It may look random, but there is precision, rhyme, and reason in this fabric-picking! I had my little system, which I can talk about in a later post.

ARE THESE NOT THE YUMMIEST SCRAPS IN EXISTENCE?? A half-yard bundle is plenty for a super-sized version of this quilt. I even have enough for a 30-block (5×6 layout) version.

Next time I stop by here I’d like to share some heartfelt thoughts on the process of creating with fabric that comes from true art and intention. It’s a bewitching experience and I can’t wait to put those thoughts down.

Happy New Year! It’s going to be beautiful.

The post So in love in 2016 appeared first on from Marta with Love.