New Dyes - amazing results!

The 2nd Annual Katie's Quilts and Crafts TIE DYE PARTY was a success!!
We use only the highest quality dyes, and do our dyeing the "professional" way, complete with all the high-tech chemicals and whatnot ;c)

In the past I have always used dharma, or  Jacquard procion mx dyes, this is the first time trying the "Grateful Dyes."  I am now a FAN!  This is certainly the best dye session I have ever had.  They are SO bright, and the wait time is much shorter.
Here's some photos:

Here's my package from GRATEFUL DYES!!   Pretty ROYGBV

 Me mixing up the chemical water - soda solution.

All the girls busy making their tie-dyes.

 Heather and Lauren, happy in their colorful mess ;c)

 I find it best to lay down some plastic (a garbage bag ripped open) then lay down a towel, and then do your dyeing on top of that.  The towel will soak up the excess dyes, so your garment doesn't get muddy.  I happen to LOVE my tie-dyed towels and use them daily ;c)

 I use an old drawer to nothing for my dyes

 Washing your dyes in the washer. .  the water is black ;c)

 Some tie-dyed cookies for the party!

 some finished tie-dyes hanging on the line.

 Tiffany and her awesome tie-dyed shirt!

 Amy and her amazing tie-dyed pillowcase!

 Yes she did!  Amy dyed some shoes!

 Another of Amy's tie-dyed pillowcases.

 Baby Miles got a few tie-dyed garments . . awww

 Amy's tie-dyed shirt!

 These next few are Sarah-Elaines tie-dyes:

 And these next ones are Ang's tie-dyes:

Next up:  I cannot WAIT to use these awesome dyes to dye myself some new QUILTING FABRIC!!  

Stay tuned!!

Crown Royal Quilt #2

***   Updated Nov 5 2013 ***

Hi everyone, I now have instructions to make this Crown Royal quilt (in 7 different sizes) available as a downloadable PDF booklet on my etsy page. Check it out now! 

https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/patterns/royal-star-/194359

Finished my 2nd Crown Royal Quilt!  This one uses 5 different styles of Crown Royal Bags.

 Here are all the bags all ready to be cut!

 Here are all the Crown squares cut!

 Top Complete!

 Quilted!

 This is the best photo I could get!

Here's a shot of the back of the quilt. . . we had a few extra bags for this quilt so I used them on the back ;c)


Again you can purchase this pattern as a downloadable PDF here on my craftsy page:   https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/patterns/royal-star-/194359

Thank you!

Puppy Baby Quilt

My Sister came up with the idea for this quilt.  She liked the MONKEY and OWL Quilts, but wanted one with a puppy theme.  Jamie is all into bassett hounds, and I TRIED to draw/or FIND a bassett hound drawing to copy.  but no luck.   I ended up drawing this little gal, who was inspired by several OTHER photos.  I'm not exactly sure what breed she is.   What do you think?  ;c) 

Finished Puppy Baby Quilt, for one of my sisters BFFs Jamie Jeffrey, who is about to have a baby girl!

My favorite part of this quilt was the quilting on the log.   My sister thought it would be a cute idea to have the puppy sitting on a log.  I cut out the shape, with brown fabric, and it definitely needed SOMETHING.   So I quilted the log in this woodgrain texture.  It added SO MUCH to the log itself, and the overall quilt.

Here's a photo of the BACK of the quilt, featuring the woodgrain quilting:

 For this quilt, I did the same format as the Owl and Monkey quilts.  I used Colored blocks quilted with feathers, and a white McTavishing background.

Brady's Baby Clothing Quilt & Sammy's Baby Quilt

I can make your own custom baby clothes quilt-
**See my facebook page for ordering and pricing information**

Two finished for the last few weeks.  I wanted to share them both with you guys here.
First, I finally got the opportunity to make a quilt out of baby clothes!  There was a mixture of knits, wovens, and fleece.   AND, since the clothes were so small, it was especially difficult to capture the WHOLE shirt logo without cutting into the arm seams.   BUT, we did it, and I think it turned out awesome!

 That's MOM (Beth) on the left, with her son Brady. . and that's me on the right.  We're in Jacqueline's back yard.. .she is Brady's grandmother (Beth's Mom.)  Her back yard is perfect for photos!!

Here's a photo of the back of the quilt, I used leftover woven fabric from Brady's little dress shirts, on the back.  Strip pieced them, and then added them in between two layers of Xtra wide quilt fabric!

And I just wanted to share with you my graph for this quilt.  As I've said before, every SINGLE quilt, for me, starts with a graph.  Graphing out my quilts is especially important for T-shirt quilts. I measure each block, then write in a brief (and I mean REALLLLY brief) description of each shirt inside the block.   Since we were doing BABY shirts, these blocks were especially SMALL. . making it especially CHALLENGING!   I thought this graph was really funny, and I'm glad noone else has to decipher it but me! LOL


My next quilt was a quilt for our church choir director Jack.  He recently had a baby boy and named him Sammy.   He told me to make whatever quilt I wanted, but gave me these specs:   Colors- blue and brown, Theme: Traditional.   When he told me this, I immediately thought:  SCRAPPY!!!   So, I went to the trusted QUILTVILLE site to look for a fun pattern to use for scraps.   I have always been drawn to her PLAYING WITH JACKS pattern, and so it was.

 I pulled out my 2.5" strips of Browns, Neutrals, and Blues.

 Here are all of my "jacks on six" or "double x" blocks finished and pressed!  They don't look like much now do they?  haha

 Here is the completed center top

 Top complete with borders!

 I REALLLLLY had fun quilting this quilt!!  I just love quilting patchwork !   And surprisingly, I don't get to do it very often!

 I stippled in all the neutral areas so that the "Xs" would POP!  Then I went in and did a one-line outline quilt all around the rest of the patches.

 I fused Sammy's initials onto the back of the quilt.   I did this after I made the sandwich, and just quilted over them!

 I tried something different with the feathers this time around - I quilted my feathers, and then did an echo stitch back down to the starting point.  I really REALLY like the way it looks, and plus, it's easier!  YOu don't have to either make a stop, and then reposition, OR follow your feather vein all the way back down!

 I really like this photo of the quilt - it shows off the quilting AND the back.

 Thank you hubby for helping me photograph (it's like pulling teeth God-love him!)

 We got a little bit of sunshine on the quilt, showing off the feathers!