Custom String Lap Quilt in Thimbleberries Sweet Home Progress #1

I am beginning a new custom order for a customer in my Etsy shop, Busy Hands Quilts.  It is a Scrappy String Quilt in Thimbleberries Sweet Home fabrics with other coordinating Thimbleberries fabrics added in as necessary.  It will measure approximately 78" square when finished and will be the biggest string quilt I have ever made!  The blocks in the picture of the table runner / wall hanging above are 6" square, and the blocks in the lap quilt will be 9" square, set in an 8x8 quilt block layout.
My customer saw this 27" square quilt in my shop and requested a larger one.  Most any quilt in my shop can be made in the size and fabric selection of your choice.
Below are fabric swatches from the Thimbleberries Sweet Home line.  This line is from early 2013 and already is quite hard to find.  They are waaaay yummier in person, if that is possible!

Today's progress is the fabric arriving in my mail box!  I plan to press it all tonight.  
I will be using foundation paper from Missouri Star Quilt Co. rather than a fabric foundation.  I find that fabric foundations create a rather stiff quilt, which is fine for a wall hanging or a table runner, but a lap quilt should be soft and drapey, so I am using tear-away papers.  The papers come precut at 10", and I will use that size so I have 1/2" extra to square them up.
You can get your own custom quilt in many patterns, any size with your choice of fabrics at Busy Hands Quilts on Etsy!

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A Spring Dress for Millie

This is one of the projects I completed back in February/March while I was taking a break from blogging.  Millie, of course, is continuing to grow and always needs new clothes each season.  She is now taller than me, so I am officially the shortest one in the family!  

Dress Stats:

• Pattern:  Amelia from Marie Madeline Studio with grosgain ribbon added at the waist
• Fabric:  Just Wing It by MoMo for Moda
• Value:  Sweet!

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A Quilt Finish For My Mom!

For Mother's Day I finished this quilt for my mom.  She made the quilt blocks and assembled them together, and I added the borders and quilted and bound it.  She did her part several years ago, and I did mine last week!  It had been on a quilting hoop for awhile at her house, intending to be hand quilted, and when that didn't happen, it then sat in my craft closet for ... over a year ...?  Sorry, Mom!!  I kept dragging my feet because the blocks were set on point, and I couldn't decide how to finish it off!  When I finally made up my mind that it needed two borders and set my mind to just do it, the project was completed in two days!
My daughter Millie recommended red thread for the quilting - I was going to use green, but the red is a perfect choice, and I am so glad I listened to her!  I often always take her along when I am coordinating fabrics in a local quilt shop, and I always ask her opinion when I am selecting fabrics online or from my stash.  She is an invaluable help to me with her excellent eye for color.  Did you know ... she is only 12...?

Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  Fall Frolic by Evelyn Sloppy in 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts
• Size:  40" x 50"
• Fabric for Top, Backing, and Binding: Unknown flannel fabric collection, quilt-shop quality
• Quilting:  Allover meandering on my old Bernina 830 using deep red thread
• Batting:  100% cotton fusible
• Value:  Just right for my special mom!

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