Thursday, February 29, 2024

Books I've Read & Loved

 I read a lot and always love sharing my favorites. Here are a few of my 5-star picks from the last few months. I will note - these are affiliate links, which means if you purchase, I will receive a very small commission from the seller (*you will not pay any additional amount by using my affiliate link). 

I'll start with some of my favorite recent quilt books. Welcome to Woodberry Way is adorable an is a serious bargain at only $13! I have made a bed runner using a pattern from this book and the instructions were clear and easy to follow. 
This Barn Star Sampler is GORGEOUS. I haven't made the quilt (yet), but it stops me in my tracks every time I see it. I also love these kinds of patterns because I could very easily choose any one of the blocks to make a whole quilt with just that one block, so the possibilities are endless. 
I love Lori Holt's books and this Scrappiness is Happiness book is beautiful. I love a scrappy quilt. I am working on the main quilt from this front cover. One little thing I love about her books is they are spiral bound, which is so convenient so the book stays open and stays flat. 
Another Lori Holt book... Quilters Cottage one is little but the instructions and photos are so clear. I think I will probably make a table runner out of just the house and trees. 
Alright... on to non-quilt books. This new Kristin Hannah book, The Women, is SO good. I could not put it down and loved it so much. It's about the often overlooked role that women played in the Vietnam War and it was so well done and such amazing characters. I also have heard that they are making it into a movie, and I'm sure it will be great, too. She also wrote The Nightingale, and if you haven't read that yet, you should - it's one of the best books ever! 
The Library Book was a really interesting read about the history of libraries and how they have modernized with the times. There was a bit of true crime mixed in and a really interesting look at how the staff of libraries make such a difference in their communities. I loved it and - bonus! - it's under $10!
The Many Lives of Mama Love was not my usual read, but it was really eye opening about how normal, every day moms get involved in addiction and what happens during and after going to prison and rehab. I've mentioned before that I volunteer at my local NICU and have held and helped a lot of babies who have been drug exposed. This book gave me a new perspective. I've often said I started volunteering because I didn't know what to do about homelessness or drug problems in our communities, but I know how to make quilts and hold babies so that's where I will start. I think we all need to do something - anything! - to imrpove our communities in whatever way we can.
On a lighter note, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks was a much lighter read about a small town book shop and a newcomer who comes in a shakes things up. I almost always love a book set in a bookstore or library and this one is also under $10!
Generations is a non-fiction book that's heavy on statistics, but absolutely fascinating, especially if you are in a position of being in between multiple generations in your family. This book seemed like they interviewed my parents and my kids, it was so spot on in describing them both! I am somewhere in the middle of being a millennial and a generation x, so I didn't fit so neatly into one of these categories, but still found a lot I could relate to. It was particularly interesting to read the author and researcher's opinions on the futures of each generation
Hidden Potential was another interesting non-fiction read. I have two teenagers who are getting ready to launch, so I loved reading this book with them in mind. I also got the honor of being on a zoom video call with the author, which was SO cool! He was really fun and funny and clearly loves his job. 
Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors and she writes beautiful books. Tom Lake was one I listened to on audiobook (while quilting, of course) and it was narrated by Meryl Streep. AMAZING to listen to her voice. So well done!
Speaking of... The Dutch House is an older Ann Patchett book and this one is narrated by Tom Hanks. Who doesn't want to listen to Tom Hank's voice for 10 hours?! The book was great, too, but honestly I could listen to Tom Hanks read the phone book. 
And last but not least, Stars in an Italian Sky was a beautiful book set in both 1946 and 2017, with beautiful characters and lots of twists and turns. I loved this book. 

If you'd like some of my older book recommendations, check out blog posts here and here and here and here

These post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my small business. :) 

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Squares and Triangles Baby Quilt

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
I was inspired to make this quilt by this I Spy quilt by Woodberry Way. I had this on my "design wall" for a while without loving how it was looking, so I scrapped my idea to make a throw sized quilt and made it a baby quilt instead. I needed two more blocks, so I added the red triangle squares and that was exactly what it needed. Now I LOVE this baby quilt and it is my favorite of the six baby quilts I finished this month. I will be moving back to my original plan of making a throw sized version of this to keep. And I am toying with the idea of making it even larger for our bed, although we have pets that I don't trust so that probably won't happen. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
The light colored fabrics are mostly from the Riley Blake Hush line (affiliate link), with a few others mixed in. The solids are a variety of colors from the Bella line.  

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
The backing is a cute black and white animal print.
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
I used free motion for the quilting and a small gray polka dot for the binding. 

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Pinwheels

I made a baby quilt with half-square triangle pinwheels. I love how colorful and happy this quilt is. It's been a while since I made a pinwheel quilt and I still love them! You can view my first pinwheel quilt here - from 14 years ago! WOW!

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

I used a soft polka dot as the binding and backing for this one. 
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

 

Monday, February 19, 2024

Nantucket Half-Square Triangles

 I used Nantucket fabric to make a baby quilt with half-square triangles. I love these blues and greens!
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

I free motion quilted this one, too. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
The border and binding are both from the Dwell fabric line. I loved this fabric for the binding and immediately ordered more. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html


http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
The backing is a soft shiplap wood print.

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Simple Patchwork Baby Quilt : Pinks & Purples

 One of my favorite non-quilting hobbies is volunteering at my local NICU holding babies. It is the best! I love babies so much. 


I decided to make some quilts to donate, too. One fun thing about baby quilts is how fast they come together. And quilts for tiny NICU babies are even faster. 

I love a very simple patchwork quilt and have made a couple for donation. These are 5 inch squares. 
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
The quilt is free motion quilted and the binding is a gray swirl. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
The backing is a flannel cat print and is super cozy. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html



Simple Patchwork Baby Quilt : Blues & Greens


One of my favorite non-quilting hobbies is volunteering at my local NICU holding babies. It is the best! I love babies so much. 

I decided to make some quilts to donate, too. One fun thing about baby quilts is how fast they come together. And quilts for tiny NICU babies are even faster. 

I love a very simple patchwork quilt and have made a couple for donation. These are 5 inch squares. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

This one is backed in flannel with little hedgehogs. Cute and cozy!
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html


Saturday, February 17, 2024

Pink Simply Swoon

I made another version of the Swoon quilt. This is the Simply Swoon 42" version. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/2024/02/pink-simply-swoon.html
This pattern was super easy and came together so quickly. Love that!
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/2024/02/pink-simply-swoon.html
The two fabrics are both from Camille Roskelley's Lighthearted line. The larger pink floral is hard to find, but Amazon does have the smaller floral and some of the larger floral in the mint, which is also beautiful. There is a mint version of the small floral, which now I'm tempted to make another one in the mints!
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/2024/02/pink-simply-swoon.html

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/2024/02/pink-simply-swoon.html
The backing is small cupcakes, the binding is the pink and red stripes from the Lighthearted line, and the quilting is free motion. 
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/2024/02/pink-simply-swoon.html
My favorite color is pink right now, so this one hanging in our living room is making me quite happy. 
http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/2024/02/pink-simply-swoon.html
You can view all of my quilts here. Thanks for looking and thanks for supporting my small business and my affiliate links on this post. :) 

Monday, December 18, 2023

Quilt Fair

 I finished this quilt in August but somehow forgot to add it to the blog. It is made using Quilt Fair by Riley Blake (charm packs linked here, layer cake linked here). 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
This is the Chandelier pattern from the book Charm School by Vanessa Goertzen. If you haven't checked it out, this is a great book with lots of cute patterns. 

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html
This is my 117th quilt and you can view them all here. :) 

*This post contains affiliate links. 

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Little Women Quilt

As soon as I saw this Little Women fabric by Jill Howarth/Riley Blake, I fell in love. Little Women is one of my favorite movies and books. 

www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com
The pattern is Quilty Stars by Emily of Quilty Love. This was a great pattern and came together very quickly.   
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www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com
www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com

www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com

In case you wanted a closer look at those almond blossoms, here you go. Hope you don't have allergies! ;) 
www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com
www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Dining Room Wall Quilt

www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com

I used the triangle scraps from my low volume swoon quilt to make this sweet little wall hanging. 
www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com
It's made from the cream fabrics from various Bonnie & Camille fabric lines... my favorite. 
www.sew-handmade.blogspot.com
We recently became the new home for my husband's grandparent's dining room set. It's come together nicely. The buffet and table are from his grandparents and the clock is from my grandma. I also have my other grandma's sewing machine in this room, so it's quite the connection to our grandparents in here! 
I used this chicken wire board as decor and it "needed" a little wall hanging quilt. My idea is to use this board for holiday decor, but this quilt will be a nice neutral for in between. 

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