big stack

all the squares are pinned and batted

the first 8

here are the first 8 plaids

first draft

we decided this wasn't big enough so this was just the first draft. looks nice though

good company

as usual, he's helpin me

right there

oh what, this isn't for me?

draft 2

with 2more types of plaid, it's now about 90x77 inches

do i have something on my butt?

nick somehow got him tangled up in crepe paper.

not an action shot

he just laid like that for a while

hidden gem!

I got this fabric because the colors are pretty...I wasn't so sure about the texture...until now!!! it turns out one side is fuzzier than the other...jackpot!

he loves flannel...

have I mentioned that? I'm a big fan of that fabric too. I got extra of it. :)

al borlen would be proud...

...I'm working on the rag quilt I'm making for nick's couch. I have I think 9 or 10 flavors of plaid here, all of which I just can't wait to wrap up in. I'm cutting them into 12x10 inch squares and then I'll count how many I have to see how big it'll be

official finish

I think with this, I'm going to call your quilt officially complete. can't wait for christmas!!!

made especially for you...

taadaa! like everything else, it's close but not perfect lol

33 days left...

I'm waiting for the iron to heat up so I can make a label for your quilt.  I'm using leftovers of the pink lining, with green thread to make a "Made especially for you by Kathryn LeBlanc" label for your quilt.  I feel like, given how many of your quilts had that (with your name, obviously) on it, it's only fitting that the one made *for* you should as well.  :-) 

I got a thank you note from you for the pj pants.  You told me I should keep a photo album of gifts I've made for people...little do you know.  :-)  It'd be cool to have physical pictures all in one place though.  I think I'm going to keep this blog going though, so I can keep notes on ideas and what worked and what didn't too.  Maybe after I give you the quilt, I'll even let you be a writer on here so you can contribute too if you want.  :-) 

Iron's ready.  I'll post pictures. 

Not out of the woods yet...

Man...every time I talk to you, it gets harder not to tell you about your quilt (or any others I'm planning, since I don't want to give it away even a little bit).  I feel so bad, too!  I told you about the flag and the bag, and I can't even hint that I'm doing something WAY better for you!  IT'S KILLING ME!!!!  I hope you're not hurt that I wouldn't make something for you first...I really want to tell you, but it's only 35 days until Christmas.  ARRRRGGGGHHHHH

another christmas present down

the flag is done! as usual, not quite perfect, but what can ya do

always...

...that's the piece I just cut out. like 5 minutes ago. sigh. at least he's upstairs.

lone star

first panel of the boy's flag is done. I got WAY too much duck cloth for this lol

The Texas State Flag

I've decided two things:
1. I'm going to keep this blog going even after Christmas, so you can keep up with whatever projects I'm working on (unless they're for you, then I'll keep them hidden :-P). I'll reset the permissions so anyone can see it.
2. I'm going to attempt to make The Boy a Texas flag for Christmas. This is the official description of the flag:


The Texas State Flag: "'The state flag consists of a rectangle with a width to length ratio of two to three containing: (1) a blue vertical stripe one-third the entire length of the flag wide, and two equal horizontal stripes, the upper stripe white, the lower red, each two-thirds the entire length of the flag long; and (2) a white, regular five-pointed star in the center of the blue stripe, oriented so that one point faces upward, and of such a size that the diameter of a circle passing through the five points of the star is equal to three-fourths the width of the blue stripe.'"

I think I want it to be pretty big (not huge, but big enough to hang on his wall). I'm thinking I'll make it 20-by-30 inches. That makes the stripes 20x10, and the star...something that I'll figure out later. :-)

Made It!!!

OMIGOSH Mom, you have NO idea how hard this weekend was!!  You guys came to visit, and we had a TOTAL blast...but all I could do was concentrate on NOT telling you about the quilt!  I did good though!  I hope you'll laugh when you read this, but all I was thinking all weekend was "I didn't get you a razor, Mom!"  :-D

Retrospective

So in review, I would have done the borders TOTALLY differently.  I'm going to try really hard not to point out all the little glitches and poor stitching, etc...I'm sure you'll find it on your own lol. 

My next project is going to be another secret project (well, secret from the recipient)...I'm going to make Mai a quilt for her high school graduation in June.  I've already started collecting black and white fabrics, and I'll be looking for a few deep red ones to throw in as well.  I'm thinking I'll just do basic squares...maybe 3x3s...with a couple of borders similar to the ones on your quilt, then red binding.

Also, I sort of want to try doing a quilt sort of like those puzzles you see where the whole picture is made up of hundreds of little pictures...I wonder how I could do that, and what I could use as pictures.  Hmmmm...

mas mas fin

wide view. it's 2 am on a work night, so I'm gonna go to bed. :)

mas fin

the backing...looks better from far lol

fin

oh my gosh...it's actually done...

small problem...

...I cut too much off when I was trimming the backing. crap. wish I could ask you how to fix that.

back border

pinning the borders to the backside

more borders

putting all the borders on

first border done!

I like it! it's subtle, but still pulls out the heart. I'll finish the rest later.

more border patrol

I don't know if there's a better way to do this, but I'm sewing the whole border down. this is still the first one, and I'm not 100% sure what to do at the corners, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

border patrol

sewing the first border on...finally :)

more pants

he LOVES flannel :)

your pants

I cut your pants out! :)