Quilt Finish!!

Finished a quilt. . .yes I did.

Ok, it was only a baby/crib sized quilt but it's still a quilt and it was a gift and everyone ooohhhh and aaaahhh'd over it and I totally got a buzz off the attention.  See, I don't lie here.  I like making things for folks when I know they'll really give me what I want, which is attention (just a moment of "ooh, it's so nice. .. you made it!")

Once again, my lack of photography skills rears its ugly head.  RAWR.

I used THIS pattern and it was very easy.  I used Ed Emberley fabric (as they did in the pattern) with the exception of one blender print and the border fabric.  For the borders I used a white on white with a non-directional pattern.

The backing was just the elephant print (the baby's theme was gray and elephants) and did super simple in the ditch quilting around every other block (with neutral colored thread).  The binding was wrap around style so the elephants would be on the front and because I just didn't feel that a hand stitched binding would be tough enough for a baby quilt, which know will get washed a TON.

Of course, I needed supervision.  Feline supervision.

So, Feline Inspector Number One, does it meet with your approval?

*Gene is not amused by my sarcastic tone*

"Well, it does stand up to vigorous rolling but the real test will be. . ."

Looks like it's a winner.

"Do you mind. . .I'm trying to rest."

And that is why the quilt had to be washed before I gifted it.  Well, that and I wanted to make sure the colors didn't bleed and that it would just survive the wash.  It survived and looked even better once it had that rumpled look.  I like that look (which is good because I hate pre-washing anything!).

I did try to piece the batting on this quilt and it was a big ole fail.  I think that's something I should try with a "for home" quilt and it might work but this was not the project for experimenting.

Pets on Quilts 2016

It's that time again!

Lily Pad Quilting's Pets on Quilts show.  (go there via the button along the side of the page or click that embedded link. . .go!)

This post is to show off my entry (cats on quilt) and the new quilt I made just for the show.  This show has become a way for me to guarantee I'll make at least one quilt a year (such an overachiever *eyeroll*).  This is my third year in a row participating so this is my third quilt.  Ok, to be honest, it's my second "real" quilt.  The first year I made a little wall hanging quilt but this year I made an adult human sized (read usable) quilt.  Not a lap quilt, either (not that they aren't lovely and technically usable) Hey, when I want to cover up just covering my legs ain't going to cut it.  I need to be covered chin to toes (and ideally, tucked under the feet though my quilts might be a little shy of being able to do that. . .but they are as long as, if not longer than I am tall, so definitely not lap sized).

Ok, let's not fall deeper down the well of how I like to cover up (trust me, I have a lot of peculiar covering habits, including making my husband use his own blankets. . .I swear that's the key to a happy relationship right there) let,s just see cute cats and quilts.

TA DA!

(shout out to my husband who's holding up the quilt.  Oh, he gave me a teen girl worthy eye roll and sigh when I asked him to help me.  He wasn't going to bite, but then I told he wouldn't even have to put on pants to help and that no one would see him in the pic, sans pants, he bit.  HAH, but now everyone knows he's behind the quilt in just a t-shirt and boxers, not that he's never been outside in just his skivvies before. . hell, he's been on the roof in just his skivvies. . .he's classy like that)

Yup, that there is a quilt.  I don't know the exact dimensions but it took just under four yards of fabric for the backing (two, two yard cuts sewed side by side to be wide enough).  I had plenty of over hang all around so I went the lazy route and just trimmed the backing down to 2 inches all around then folded it over to make the binding.  Holy crap, my lazy heart sored at how dang easy that was.  Yes, you get a stitch line all the way around the back of the quilt (because when I'm lazy, I'm super lazy and I machine stitched that lazy binding. . .what, I didn't have time to hand stitch that bad boy, I just finished this quilt YESTERDAY, yester-freaking-day, people. . .the last minute, I use it).

For the quilting, I stitched in the ditch around each of the big heart block units and then around the actual heart.  Then it needed just a bit more stitching so I quilted the heart shape again inside each heart.  You can kind of see it in the photo but I used tan/neutral thread (which I use for just about everything because. . .see above. . .I'm lazy).

The front is scrappy (reds/pinks with low volume white/off whites for the heart blocks. . .then a five inch border in between. . .the border is all the same fabric, a low volume white/white with little x and o's on it).

This is the backing:

I want candy!  I want CA-a-nDY!

I love novelty prints (and candy) and sparkle (there's some gold on some of the candies) so I had to have this fabric for the backing.  It's an off white background (looks white in that pic, but my pics are always crap because the lighting in my house is coal mine bad so. . .yeah).

But, but, but. . .this is supposed to be PETS on quilts. . .

"Get to it, mom."

Yes, Eugene.

He's scowling because I wouldn't let him gnaw on the plastic bag from the padding.

"No, I'm disappointed that you used that huge padding and had a ton of scraps left.  You should have measured and then bought a padding closer to the size you needed."

No, you're not that deep a soul, Gene.  You just wanted to chew that bag.

"Yeah, I did.  You're mean."

Hey, I did let you "help" with the quilt.

"Yeah.  I like being the first to hair up new blankets.  Take THAT, Murray!"

I think you also like the odd smell the padding has.  Anyone else notice that?  I swear, fresh out the package padding smells like dog biscuits.  Like a cracker-y, bland bread smell.  I think it's the starch in it or something.  It's not a bad smell, but definitely a smell.  (again, I'm lazy and don't pre-wash things. . .if I obeyed the quilting police I'd never actually finish anything and as it is now, I finish so few things so. . .YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, QUILT COPPERS!!!)

Gene definitely likes to get up on the new quilts first.  He likes to roll on them and kick them and. . .

Gene Green?  Nope, that's Gene SIMMONS right there.  Dang, boy, you have a long tongue.

He's not alone in liking to have a good bath on a new quilt.

Murray at least waits until the quilt it truly finished.

He also doesn't wrestle the quilt.  He has a more classic approach to breaking in a new quilt.

Aww, him's tie-tie.

(yes, I really do speak that line out loud to Murray on a regular basis.  And, you have to use your best Rudolph voice, you know, that little childlike voice baby Rudolph. . .from the 1964 cartoon. . .uses the first time he meets Santa. . .what?  like you aren't a weirdo?  yeah, right)

Gene, look here so I can get a super pretty pic of you.

"No thanks, mom.  Murray's up to something on the shanty town and I have to watch."

But not get up to investigate?

"No.  The table is still cleaned off and the new quilt lifts me up just enough I have the perfect perch to watch from here.  And that shanty town is really falling apart.  Maybe you could make a new cover for it?"

Yeah, I've been thinking about re-covering your shanty town for a while now.  Maybe that should be my next project.

"Well, put down that phone and get to it then."

Well, my feline overlords have spoken!

(too bad for them, I have to sew up some stuffed toys first before I even begin thinking about re-covering their shanty town. . .but I might be able to enlist my husband into helping with that project. . he showed interest before in salvaging the original shanty town so. . .we'll see!)

Thanks for visiting the blog.  Make sure to check out all the other folks sharing their fabulous quilts (and even more fabulous pets).

Swap Stuff: Patches and Stuffies and Bags, OH MY!

Time to show off two recently completed swaps.

WARNING:  SPOILERS AHEAD

(one of these hasn't been received by my partner yet but I have a few minutes to post this so I have to post while I can).

First up, a lone patch (this was already received):

The swap was a dictionary dip swap.  Just so happened, that was my idea for a swap, too (I don't host much, but I share ideas).  The dictionary dip is just like it sounds.  Randomly open the dictionary and put your finger down on the page.  The word you land on is the one you use as your prompt for your patch.

(I used to do dictionary dips all the time when I was deep into playing Sims 2.  I got some of the best names that way, including a Zweiback).

My dip word was "vacancy".  Ok, true confession, I did a best out of three.  I've always done dips that way (when I would dip for writing prompts, sometimes I'd do three and try to work them all into the writing).

This fabric scrap was PERFECT for that dip.  I just love having so much odd fabric in my stash.  Scrap packs for the win, y'all!

OK, next up is the swap that I just mailed out today.  I showed a few teaser pics of things on my instagram (@madameugly) but I'm showing it ALL here.

The swap was a Fandom in a Bag swap.  I like these but usually I wait to sign up to see what other folks have chosen as their fandom (the premise is, your partner tells you the fandom they like and you craft based on that).

For this swap you had to make a bag, two patches, a stuffie, and one additional item of your choice.

I got lucky.  My fandom was EASY (and something I also like!).  South Park!

For the bag you could just use the theme of the fandom.  (the example given was Harry Potter, and if you couldn't get Harry Potter fabric you could use "magic" themed fabric instead. . .or buy a bag in that theme. . .the bag didn't need to be hand made).

I was originally going to make a Terrence and Phillip bag (applique or some such) but I just wasn't in love with the idea.  While I was picking in my stash for fabric to make my original idea, I remembered I had t.v. fabric.  I knew I had to use it.  When I was looking for the lining fabric I discovered I still had enough of the punctuation fabric.

Punctuation = cartoon curses!

So the bag practically made itself (yup, used the Green Bag Lady pattern only a bit smaller).

Next up, the patches:

I LOVE THESE PATCHES.

They fucking rock.

(yes, I'm modest too!)

Mr. Mackey turned out JUST the way I wanted him to.  Sometimes you try to make your own version of some character and they really look like "fan art". You know what I mean, they're just a tiny bit "off".  Good and all that, but not quite there.  I think this Mr. Mackey is as spot on as possible.

(the only "flaw" is he should have stubble. . .the episode where he gets high and thinks his head is a giant balloon, he had stubble. . .I didn't realize that until I was completely done with the patch and was just looking at some South Park stuff online.  I thought it would bug me that I missed that detail but really, this patch turned out so well I'm ok with it.)

Ok, I know I should be such a braggart about it.  It really doesn't take a genius to trace a image from the internet and use it as a template to cut out felt and glue it down to some fabric.  Then add some embroidery.  It's really just advanced tracing.  But even if it is "easy" like tracing, you have to be careful and pay attention to detail.  I think I nailed the detail pretty well (ok, now I'm sounding obnoxious. . .I'll stop).

The second patch is so simple it's almost criminal.

Just some hand lettering with heat set fabric marker.  I almost felt like I was cheating with that one, but I brought it with everything else that I thought it was ok to be "weak" with the second patch.

Next up. . .I'm not use if this is the stuffie or the "other item".  Doesn't really matter.

It's Mr. Hat!

(bonus of Gene creeping him like a super creepy feline creeper, even giving the stink eye. . .nice).

(oh, he does have his mustache under the hat rim, the pic is just weak. . .empty puppets are hard to photograph)

This was trickier than I thought.  I totally had a "that's going to be sooo simple" attitude so you know that means I had to make some mistakes and re-do some stuff.

First, I made the body in the wrong color.  Yup, straight up made a green body.

Second, the body shape was all wrong.  I made a classic "little kid draws a ghost" hand puppet shape with the arms up.  Mr. Hat is not shaped like that.  His arms jut right out from his body at right angles.

Third, I didn't keep in mind that he has flesh tone hands and face.

So the first run at the body was just all wrong (it was still a good generic hand puppet all in green, but useless for what I needed).

Once I had the right colors, things went smoother.  No issues with making the body.  Even got the had going fairly well.  But (as you can see) I hit a tiny snag with the rim.  I just could not get that bastard to lay as flat as I wanted.  Looking back I see two things I could have done.

One, make it two parts (and put the seams at the sides).  I did it as one continuous circle with is what caused the waviness.  I thought about trying to fix it after the puppet was completely done but that would have lead to there being a fugly as hell seam right in the front of the rim which I think would be worse than the waviness.

I also could have made the rim on cardboard.  That would have forced me to make the darts (take up the slack, whatever it's called) as I sewed and pretty much guaranteed a really flat rim but I knew I was going to work with cardboard for the other stuffie based item (and working with cardboard gets annoying. . .and it makes thing harder to ship because you don't want to crush the cardboard).

So, Mr. Hat has one major flaw but he still looks pretty good.

Last but certainly not least. . .

HOWDY HO!!

Gee, Naomi, you smell so nice and flowery!   (Naomi is my partner for this swap. . .my sister said my partner was going to hankey their pants when they saw this. . .that's the ultimate compliment right there).

Mr. Hankey was pretty easy to make.  I just got out my favorite shit fabric (yes, I've used this fabric to make a turd before. . and pretzels. . .but not a turd pretzel. . .ewww!), drew up a pattern and that really was that.  He's a turd.  Turd are easy.

The only tricky part was making sure the glue held his face to the turd fabric.  It's kind of slick pile and I had to do some touch up gluing after the first round (to make sure the edges were really down so the whole face wouldn't peel up).

You can't see it in the photo (because I'm a lazy photographer) but he does have a black mouth with a red tongue.  The pic kind of makes it look like he only has big red kissy lips but that is NOT true.

I wish I had shorter pile pipe cleaners for the arms.  They do make less shaggy pipe cleaners but I couldn't find them (and you know I waited until the last minute to work on this project).  I had one low pile pipe cleaner in my stash but the damn thing was white.  NOT acceptable.

I just poked a small hole on each side of the turd and threaded the pipe cleaner through.  Bend the ends to make a small bulge (and fold down any jabby bits) and then sew the mittens around the bulge (I knew glue alone wouldn't do it, so I didn't bother with glue at all. . .glue never holds on pipe cleaners).

That there mug is why I wasn't keen to use cardboard on Mr. Hat.  I made Mr. Hat first and KNEW this mug was going to be cardboard-tacular (it's fully filled with cardboard, side, base, and handle).  So I was saving my annoyance to get through this mug since I knew the cardboard would make the mug so much better (than just doing double layer felt).  It made packing the swap a little more challenging but I had some bubble wrap to fill it with and then took some scraps of the t.v. and punctuation fabric and made a little wad to support the handle (so it wouldn't crush).  I also packed the box tightly so there won't be a lot of shifting.

I LOVED doing this swap.  Everything turned out so well and I'm so proud to give every item to my partner.  She always makes great swaps, so she's worth the effort (and, as I've already established, I seem to enjoy bragging about my mad craft-tacular skills, y'all!).

Next up?

A bag swap and fluff sewing.  I have chameleons and cats in progress and puppies cut (but nothing more done on them yet).   I need to get caught up on Fluff!

For a swap: Clowing Around

WARNING:  This post contains CLOWNS.

Twisty offered to give Orangina a little hair cut.  Orangina looks he's ready to escape on his tiny bike!

These were made for a swapbot swap.  It was circus themed art dolls.

I used the same clown pattern I used previously (from the book Sock it to Me).  But this time I added arms made from the toe pieces.  The pattern calls for cutting off the heel and toe for each shorty sock, so I had enough leftovers to ame arms, no problem.

This is Twisty.  It wasn't until I started calling him that (because of his pretzel shirt) that I remembered Twisty from American Horror Story: Freak Show.  My Twisty isn't evil.  Just a little devious (and lives dangerously, he runs with scissors!).

This is Orangina.  He's quite proud of his flowing orange locks, so Twisty's "offer" to take a bit off the top was just not well received.  He can, and will, escape on his tiny bike if necessary.  (and my sister reminded me of the Simpsons episode where Krusty the clown rides on that tiny bike. . .hadn't even thought of that but damn, that episode is so funny!)

Their hair is wool roving, which worked like a charm.

Of course, Feline Inspector Number One had to get all up in my face when I was taking the pictures.  Then he tried to eat their hair, the dirty little wool sucker that he is.

What's up next?  I have a two swaps to work on (one is short/easy, the other is multi-tiered and should be really fun to do).  I'm also still doing Fluff sewing.  Need to take a weekend and just churn out some stuff.

Teesha Bag for a Swap

I can show this off now that it has safely arrived at its new home (I didn't want to accidentally spoil this one since it was a big project type swap).

For the swap we had to make a bag using TM style patches.

Just like there are different acceptable (for the folks I swap with) types of TM style patches (well, there are two basic types:  puffy "original" style that are more like the TM tutorials and flat style which are more like little mini quilts) there are also different acceptable ways to make bags.  The standard (more TM type way) is to sew patches edge to edge to make the bags.  The way I prefer is to apply patches to a stand alone (basic) bag.  I think I like that way better because it lets me show off the actual bag a bit and since the bags we make usually have themes, I can get some fun theme fabric to act as mortar between the patch bricks.

My theme was Minions.

That there is one MINION-tastic bag.  I used the Green Bag Lady bag tutorial (only a bit smaller) since it's a very easy bag but always turns out nicely and is sturdy (but I always make my straps a bit longer since I prefer a longer strap).

Let's get a closer look at those patches.

Cyclops minion.  CHECK.

Wild hair minon.  CHECK.

(I forget their actual names but I wasn't really trying to make "bob" or "carl"  I just wanted to have at least one cyclops and three different hair styles for the yellow ones and one purple one).

Since I was being all matchy, matchy with this bag (I wanted all the patches to have the banana border, to have two minion faces per side and two "little minion/banana" patches per side).

I knew I'd end up using the minion beads and the banana beads again for this bag.  I also realized that some of the beads are cyclops and some aren't.  Very cool discovery.

The "bead/banana" patches are fairly similar per side but a little bit different.  I only had so many fabrics to work with and since I was going matchy, matchy I was ok with similar.

Purple minion.  CHECK.

I made all the minion portraits from felt and for the purple one I took the metal bristle brush and scratched up the felt to make it fluffy.  It wasn't as wispy as I'd really like (ideally this hair would have been like the mega block purple minion I have that has the best fluffy purple hair EVER. . .ask my cats, they grabbed it and lost it under the entertainment center and I had a mega embarrassing childish fit over it. . .hey, we all have our moments, right?) but I like the slightly more controlled hair on this.  Ultimately it will probably be better if this bag gets used with any regularity.  (the hair is glued down but still fluffs out a bit).

Comb over minion.  CHECK.

I love this one a lot, too.  The hair is what I love.  So stupid simple, too (it's just a few embroidered stitches. . .none of these minions are that complicated to make, just felt and glue, a bit of embroidery for the hair, and sew on google eyes).

See, similar but a little different.  I had to add something to the minion bead ones so they wouldn't be so boring.  A spot of embroidery does the trick nicely.

I really like the minion jumping for the banana.  It's so cute.

The lining was the low volume fabric.  I really like that fabric.  I still have a little bit of it (I have a little bit of all the fabrics) but this one is my favorite.  It's subtle in its novelty-ness.  I look forward to working it into some low volume quilt projects (I'm really into low volume prints right now. . .I'm late to the trend but that's nothing new).

What is that little gray blur there at the top of that picture?

"Hey, that's my paw, mom!"

Yes, Gene, yes it was.  The minute I started moving things around on the table to take pictures you know a Feline Inspector had to show up to oversee.  It is their duty and they take it very seriously.

"I'll just hold this for you."

Oh, so helpful.  Thanks.

Gene does look ravishing in that pic, though.  My new phone does take nice pics (and the lighting was good for this one. . .it's hit or miss depending on how I'm holding the camera).

"Dude, I'm looking GOOD."

Yes, yes you are, brah.

Some patches n'at for swaps

First, the patches.

This was for the embroidered patch swap:

My swap partner is a fan of hedgies so this was an easy swap.  I used the Teenie Tiny Menagerie book for the images.

And the back:

I've been itching to use this scrap for a while.  It's a trimming from the Heidi Kenney tattooed dolls (I stitched up years ago).

Next is a random act of kindness patch.  The recipient noted she wanted an Eiffel Tower patch (and she also likes butterflies).

Of course my stash has Eiffel Tower fabric (I think I got some in a scrap pack, I know I didn't deliberately buy it).

And the back:

Heather Ross Tiger Lilly fabric.  I love that line so much (and bought a lot of it!).


Next was the last round of the Disney themed patches, WXYZ.

All together.  Some of them were on the large size.

Time to break it down!

I think I always knew I was going to do a "disney" W for this one.  It was easy.  Just used my good black fabric pen and embroidered around it (to add texture).  It's on natural muslin.  The polka dot fabric appeared in another patch (that might have gone to the same partner now that I think about it!).

For X I was stuck for a second but then I thought X marks the spot.  Make a treasure map as a nod to all the pirate themed stuff Disney has done.  I really like how this one came out.  It's kind of abstract but you can still tell what's going on.  From the ocean you cross the river and go through the mountains to the X.  Simple, right?

The back:

This reminded me of compass needles.  That and I was feeling lazy and it was in the scrap bin I keep at my work table (I didn't want to walk up to the third floor to my craft room to hunt something else. ..I'm so lazy).

Y stumped me for a bit, too.  This round had all the "bad" letters.  Then I remembered the Mickey Mouse club song (and, of course, it gave me a crazy ear worm).  M.I.C (see you real soon) K.E.Y (why? because we like you!).  Speaking of lazy, I didn't feel like doing all the hand embroidery for the Y so I "cheated" and got a patch from the craft store.  I scored it for a DIME from the clearance bin.

The back:

I used that fabric before, too.  But the same partner didn't get it again (I know I used this on the Stitch patch which didn't go to this person and, yes, I used this because it was in the bin near me and I didn't want to go upstairs to get something else).

Z was SUPER easy.  ZERO!

This patch is simple as hell (total cheater patch with buttons!) so I added some sparkly floss embroidery (the black) and some glow in the dark embroidery (hard to see in this pic but it's pink and randomly stitched onto the white stripes).  I also placed the stitches far apart so I could get the ripply effect (pull them tight and pucker up the fabric).

The back:

(that's not a very exciting fabric but I took the pic so what the hell, I'll show it)

Lastly was the Junker Jane style doll.

Funky bunny, y'all!

Coming to a nightmare near you!

The body is the sleeve from an angora sweater (bunny theme!).  The arms and muzzle are from a wool sweater (felted, naturally).  It's some of the last bits from the single ugliest sweater vest I have ever had the misfortune to not only see but be able to purchase for less than $2 (it was Italian, too. . .not that I'm saying that's why it was so fugly but COME ON, it was a sweater vest, first of all, and those colors?  Yeah, it was a hot mess that needed to become crafts).  The teeth are some funky beads I bought a while back because they looked like funky teeth.  Nose is a stuffed toy nose I scored at a junk store, button eyes are also vintage.  Whiskers are shiney floss.

"What's THIS!"

That is not for you.  Get down.

*ignores*

"WHAT?!  Where has this been all my life and when can everything I own be covered in it now that I know it exists!"

Get down!  That's not for you.

*ignores*

"What is. . .ooh, fuzzy like the Kyle doll you took from us.  You are such a mean mother, not letting me enjoy your Kyle doll.  Or that purple minion with the hair.  You threw such a fit when we lost that.  Totally not becoming of you.  Mmmm, so fuzzy. . ."

GET DOWN!

-------

As is well documented, the Feline Inspectors were pleased with the fuzzy ends on the bunny's ears.   They also approved of the whiskers and the general tooth appeal of the felted sweater (Gene is a big fan of fuzzy wooly fabric. ..he tears up the best of the couch blankets because it's wooly. . .dirty wool sucker cat).  Their thorough inspection process landed the bunny a few trips on the floor and multiple rollings with the lint roller.  I couldn't turn my back for a second or they'd be on it.  This may be the first thing they both got super excited about.  The Ollie Memorial Quilt is a close second.