A Little Happy Dance
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Do you know what this is a picture of? (which I borrowed from Art and Soul Retreats) I mean, besides a whole lot of awesome? This is my next vacation. I just bought plane tickets to go to the International Quilt Festival in Houston in November. My sweet cousin (who just started a quilting blog with loads of great information on it) lives just outside Houston, and she invited me to come and stay with her and hang out in this crowded mess for three days. And my heart skipped a few beats and I jumped up and down and found the best deal possible on plane tickets and snatched them up. And I am SOOOOOO excited. Yay! I am putting myself on a strict savings plan so I have a little wad of monies to spend here. And I am stuffing an extra duffel bag in my suitcase when I go I’ll probably need it. I am still doing the Happy Dance, I can’t wait for November!
That was my biggest exciting thing that happened this week. All other free time this week has been spent on the couch curled up with a seemingly endless amount of sewing to do. I found this Andover Fabrics My Girl Friday print (I think it’s called Alphabet Soup) last week and I knew just what I was going to do with it. It was just crying to have all those little letters hand quilted around. And it looks SOO cute. It’s just taking a lot of time, and hand sewing by your self can get a little boring or tedious, no matter how cute the alphabet is. Thank goodness for Netflix.
This quilt has a 44″ square of alphabet soup in the center, and then a 6 inch border of that cute stripey stripe. The back is green polkadot and the binding will be in yellow. It didn’t take very long at all to sew it together and sandwich the batting. (I used spray adhesive and then threw in a few safety pins for good measure. And it’s a good thing I did. I am just quilting it in my lap and there seems to be a lot of turning and twisting involved to go around all the curves and bends of those letters.) I am pretty sure it’s going to take me until TaxDay to finish quilting it. Part of me thinks that it’s an awful lot of work for a quilt to eat snacks on and learn letters, but I still don’t think there would have been a cuter way to do it. So I am still happy with my decision to do it this way. I am watching a lot of movies and I’ve been sewing all through naptime each day this week. I figure that since Tuesday I’ve probably put in about 20 hours. And I am almost 1/5 done (insert happy dance here). I have another little bit and I’ll have a 12″ swath (can you call it a swath if it seems kind of little? It was a lot of work, so I’m calling it a swath.) down one side. Each time Scott looks at it he says “That is so much work,” or “That is so big”, or “That is going to take forever.” But he always follows it up with “And it looks great, it really does look awesome.” And I agree! After I am done and it gets washed and gets a little crinkly and puckery it is going to be just the perfect place for animal crackers and water (No red juice on this. Ever.) and to learn our ABC’s.
Not a “finish” exactly, but I am linking to Amy’s Sew&Tell anyway.
pinksuedeshoe 
This is sooo cute! I can see how it would be a pain to quilt around the letters, but it just makes the quilt. It will be worth it when you are done.
So very cute! Definitely no red or purple juice.
beautiful quilt…lucky you i wish i could go for a retreat like this one day…
Love this. The quilting really makes it special. Keep going.
Oh my goodness, I am SOOOO jealous that you get the go to the quilt festival this year! It sounds like quilt heaven 🙂 I’m impressed that you’re tackling such a huge hand-sewing project. You’re a brave soul, and I really do think it will be worth the effort!
The first thing out of my mouth when I saw your post was, “Ooohh!” I would love to go to this show. Have fun and spend some money on some goodies for me. 😉
When you hand quilt, the quilt means so much more. Doesn’t it? It takes so much effort and love on your part!
What beautiful fabric! The quilting around the letters will make it so special!
I’m loving this Alphabet Soup! Great hand quilting….and a good excuse to watch movies. While you are doing the happy dance about Houston, I’m here green with envy 😉 Sounds like a blast. It is on my quilting Bucket List. Enjoy!!!
Great quilting. All of my hand projects have fallen to the wayside in favor of quickness. I have gotten more impatient as I have grown older!!! I know, that should be the other way around!!!! Love those letters!!
Blessings,
KT
I LOVE it! I’m excited to see it when it’s finished. It really is beautiful.
And as for the trip–well, I’m not in the quilting world yet, but that looks like such a fun adventure! You are definitely right about doing the happy dance. What a good week for you!
That’s a lot of stitching but so worth it! I hope we’ll get to see the finished quilt:)
I love it! And totally counts if you’ve already put in 20 hours. You should watch the new Emma. I watched it on You Tube and it wasn’t too bad. It’s up there in 10 minute segments. But so so so good.
Can’t wait to see this when you are finished. and I’m still trying not to be supremely jealous of your trip in November!!!
That alphabet soup quilt is adorable. I am envious of you re: your trip to Houston later this year!!!! 🙂
What a wonderful quilt! Lots of love is going into making that quilt. My daughter lived 30 minutes away from Houston and I got a chance to go to this awesome quilt show. Unfortunately, she’s moved to Tennessee … wait! I think that’s not too far from Paducah! Well, not this year, but maybe I’ll make there for next year! Have fun in Houston!
Oh this is so cute and can totally understand your need to hand quilt round each letter. I would do the same. It is really making each letter stand out. Nice work!!
Cute project–you’ll LOVE the show in Houston. And be prepared to shop:)
Love the quilt. I want to go with you to the quilt show. Thye have the one coming up in Minneapolis, but it’s not open to the public, Fooey. What I do when I travel is to mail stuff back to me at home in the flat rate boxes, so I don’t have to worry about hauling stuff home. We go to vegas once a year and I have sent back boxes (yes multiples) home. Part of it allows me to take the trip off my taxes, Business expenses and all. Keep a journal of your expenses and business cards of who you talked to at the market. I tape receipts into the journal and the business cards too.
carol
Woo! How exciting! I’ve always wanted to go to Quilt Market. Would you mind taking me a long in a second duffel bag?
And the hand quilting is so stinkin’ cute!! Okay, you’re totally motivating me. (I did buy that fabric for myself, right after I cut some for you!) 😉 So those quilts can be like our matching ‘wonder twin’ rings, or something.
Super fercute!
xox
oh my goodness, that alphabet fabric is too cute!!!
this is amazing1 i love love the hand quilting
I’ve been out of town for spring break and am just now reading lots of your postings. Did you know I’m from Houston (but living in San Antonio right now)? Let’s totally meet up while in Houston! Must know what town you’re staying in– I have friends all over Texas, and maybe we can meet up for a sewing date somewhere.
Pink,
This all happened before we met. What a super exciting vacation and I love Creamie’s Alphabet quilt. We need to have a sew day soon so I can see this beauty up close and personal. We both have so many projects going on. We’re going to have to have about a hundred sew days in order to finish everything, that is if we quit adding to our lists (just added something new to my list yesterday . . . what was I thinking?), so we’ll just always have to have sew days.
xo -E
Do you know where I could find some of that cute alphabet fabric? Or the name of the fabric company?
It was from cosmo cricket several years ago… At least three. I don’t remember the exact name, alphabet something. It came in pink (this one) and green. Good luck, sorry I’m not more helpful! I don’t even have a teensy scrap left anymore and no selvedges to help me out!
e.