A Productive August!

August was a busy month and a productive one for me. I finished more projects than I expected I might! I completed my lap size "Nine Patch Party Christmas" Quilt which now hangs on display at the the Quilt in a Day store where I work part time. It was a fun quilt to make, easy and quick! I did some basic quilting through the nine patches and free motion quilting around the poinsettias in the border.

(Here's a close-up of the quilt front)

Since this is a Christmas quilt I thought it only fitting to do a special backing, one with a cross in the middle, made from fabrics used on the front.

While I didn't finish all the projects I set out to complete, as mentioned in my previous post, I made a few I hadn't anticipated doing, including a re-useable tote, new valances for my master bathroom, two small pieced baby blankets, and a summer dress for Gigi (I fashioned a pattern from one of her other dresses!).

(It's next to impossible to catch Gigi smiling
when I snap a picture of her these days!)

(Notice her quick moving in this shot?!)

I've got another one of these cute dresses cut out to make in a pink Hawaiian fabric (one of my September projects to finish).

This month I also designed, appliqued, pieced and quilted a small wallhanging (this is a surprise gift).

I got my inspiration for this wallhanging from a napkin,
shown above with the fabrics I used.

I machine appliqued this mini quilt, with a palm tree, beach umbrella, sun and a 'surfer,' and used fabric with beach umbrellas for the border. (Machine applique is so easy when you use paper backed fusible.) I shadow quilted around the pieces appliqued and stippled in the border. My daughter loves this wallhanging so much I will most likely make her one. Actually, it looks so cute on my quilt hanger in my hallway, I think I will also need to make another one for myself!!

Oh, and I almost forgot, here's a picture of one of the quilts I finished in July:

"Our Quick Trip to Novato Quilt"

for our friends Nancee and Marc