I'M HERE!  IN THE USA!!!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY TOO!!

Amal's Scrap Quilt - DONE!!

I love, LOVE setting goals and accomplishing them!  I had started and finished the tops of two scrap quilts.  One for each kid.  Then, they sat for almost one and a half years!  I put my mind to finishing these two quilts before school lets out and I DID IT!!!

Here you see the design that Amal chose from my book of free motion designs.  I had her trace it onto paper with a pencil and then I went over it with a Sharpie so I could see it.  The placing of this was a monumental headache!  Thank God I am a patient woman!

Of course, it did not take long for Uki to claim her spot/s.  She was attacking the black design or the moving white fabric as I was trying to work.  I had a visual.  If either one of my kids were to climb up and do this I would scream at them; but somehow, Uki gets away with it!  hahaha

This was a very difficult photo to take!  As I was marking the very secure design; Uki took to rubbing her cheeks on the end of the watercolor pencil.

Here she looks away; so innocently; but you can see the fabric is screwed up and in, yes, IN her claws!

She is too cute.  Really!

Ah, enough of the kitty and on to the quilting!  I used two shades of pink for the quilting.  The darker pink was in the bobbin and the lighter was what was on top.  It was so much fun quilting this non-stop free motion design!  I did have to end a few times for this reason or that.

Uki, AGAIN!  She was trying to jump into one of my cubbies so I helped her.  This one is the mismatched-I-don't-know-what-to-do pile.

Amal did not want anything quilted and ESPECIALLY not any stippling in this section.  After I did the hearts; I felt it really needed something.  The quilt spoke and that was that.  I got on with the stippling.  It was fun!

Here you see the simple criss cross in the center of the quilt; the stippling in the first border; and the hearts in the outer most border.

TA-DA!!!

Another shot to prove that all the markings came out!  

And my baby girl holding her much coveted quilt! 

After all these years quilting; after all the projects that I have started and finished; this is the FIRST ONE FOR HER!!

edited to add:  I am entering this quilt into the Blogger's Quilt Festival - Fall 2012!  

Quilt Measurement:  59" x 64.5"

Special Techniques used:  nothing really

Quilted by:  Me, Alia!

Best Category:  Favorite Scrap Quilt; Favorite Home Machine Quilted Quilt; Favorite Throw Quilt

Thank you for stopping by as always!  

Peek A Boo Quilt - DONE!!

I have indeed been so remiss in keeping up with my blog!  I realized that I hadn't seen a whole lotta green from my PAB quilt.  When I looked back; I realized that I indeed took the pictures but did not upload them.  So, here I am.  Not one post today but two!

I took a class with a friend here in Muscat.  Most of the ladies were filling the barn doors with kid-friendly pictures; suitable for a baby.  I decided since my baby is 13 and I ain't gavin' no mo', that I would put pictures of the four of us plus two kitties.

Of course, Uki had to help.

I was done quilting and in the process of trimming off the edges to put the binding on.

I extended the quilt out and Uki wasn't bothered.  She actually loved being covered.

Here she is trying to get out.

Or is she?  In all of these posts, you can peek at my quilting.

And this is where it got a bit hairy.

She loves this ruler!

She got under again.  I put the ruler and rotary away so as not to freak out anymore than I was.

She loved it and would not budge!

She made sure I wasn't cutting off this end of the quilt any time soon!

Ta Da!!  The finished quilt!

And a closer view...

Here is Peaches

Ali holding Uki the day we brought her home.

Waqar

Ali the day he was born.  His very first picture ever!

Amal on the day Ali was born!

Me as a little girl in St. Louis

Uki

My Mom, my sister, and I dancing at the St. Louis Zoo.

Amal two years ago with my pose!

Wow.  This was picture heavy!  I really like my looped quilting; hand quilted barns and the fact that I opened up the windows.  I also like my whimsical flowers in the borders and my hand covered buttons.

Thanks for stopping by!

I did it!

I finished a quilt top!  I can't quilt it until I quilt two others that have been sitting around for one and a half years!  I finished one of those!

FINALLY!

First of all, Ali hung my Peek A Boo quilt in my sewing room.  He also helped me hang his name so my wall isn't so one sided!

I was quilting his quilt here over the chair.

The quilting I chose to do was a basic criss cross using my walking foot.  It went pretty smoothly.

Here you see me quilting on the middle part.

Another sample of the quilting.  I was emphasizing the block which consisted of 25 squares. 

I chose this Cat Tail blue for the binding as the border was a squiggly as well.  Blue as it was for Ali and seemed the most appropriate for this quilt.

I zoomed out on this one.  Love the whole aesthetic!

I spent many hours sewing on the binding.  It actually started hurting my arm.  Uki knew this  you see, and stopped me!  She jumped on my lap late last night and then I realized that I was in pain and it was passed 1:30am.

I like to use these binding clips to hold my binding on as I work down towards my left.  I have a whole system.

I don't know why I took two pics here.  But I will talk about the dragon fabric.  I did not have enough so had to add yellow to it to piece the backing.  It is so Ali.  He told me the other day, in a way a sweet 13 year old boy would, that the front had, "Just  a little too much pink, Moooommmm!!!".  Hmmmm, bummer!

Ta da!  Here is the finished quilt!  I really like it and the simplicity of the quilting.

And here is the lucky boy.  Amal is on the other side holding it up.  I think he will sleep with it tonight!  It feels good to get this done!  I started on Amal's Scrap Quilt already too.  So pretty!

Here is the backing.  He likes this side more!

Thanks for stopping by.  I am determined to finish my daughter's quilt.  Then, I will be piecing together the left over batting from these two and basting my recent top.  I don't know if I will get that quilted before I go home to the UNITED STATES!!!

I'm coming home Mami!