Sunday, August 28, 2016

OMG, this is post 101!!! Mia's Quilt + Giveaways

It was Mia's birthday last week.  She turned one.

For Mia

About two months ago, her mom reached out to me to make a quilt from her old baby clothes.  She gave me a large bag of baby clothes.  Those little clothes are so cute. A monkey, a kitty, a bird and adorable phrases like - "Cute like Mommy" or "I make Mommy Smile" and more.

Cuteness - Cut up :-(

The bag had several onesies, one skirt, one cap and few jumpsuits. The cap had very beautiful pink roses.  To get any usable fabric out of it, I had to unpick the seams.  Cutting it out would leave a very skinny strip. The best piece was a pink and white striped skirt - definitely lot of usable fabric came out of it.
Squared

There was a large cat on one of the t-shirts. If I cut away the seams, a sliver of the cat's body would end up in the seam allowance.  Once again, I unpicked the seams on the stretchy fabric.  The t-shirt with the Disney princess was definitely going to be the focus of the quilt.


Kitty

Too close to the seam

Seam Ripped

Done, Phew!!!

Three nights in a row, I sat in front of the television, cutting perfect baby clothes into squares and rectangles.  To not focus on the destruction, I watched a sweet, romantic comedy - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.  Next night, I watched an uplifting Bollywood comedy - Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year. Third night, I watched "The Kids are All Right"
Interfacing

Now that I had destroyed so many clothes, it was time to interface them.  I knew it would be a tedious exercise but it took such a long time.  I spent almost 20 hours in just cutting and interfacing, even before I could begin piecing.  I was frustrated and it had begun to show.

Interfaced. Ready for Piecing

I could not have put this together without a Design Wall because all pieces were different sizes.  I started placing squares and rectangles on the wall, framing focus pieces. I sent a picture to Mia's mom and she was thrilled with it. In fact, Mia's mom is the best person I have ever worked with.  She had a couple of requests - including Mia's picture and the choice of the backing fabric.  After that, I had full-on control of the patchwork, layout, quilting, binding etc.

Design Wall

When I started piecing, I realized that all seams had to be pressed open. UGH...extra work.  Paul noticed my less than happy state.

Purr...

Paul: What is the matter babe? You don't look too happy.
Me: I am not enjoying making this quilt.
Paul: Why not? 
Me: It is a lot of work, it is tedious and I feel that my creativity is limited.
Paul: I think that monkey is really cute


Paul's favorite monkey

Me: I really like the pink roses

May favorite pink roses

Paul: What does the mom think?
Me: Oh she loves it. She has been very happy with the process.
Paul: Well, not all projects can be fun.
Me: Hmmmm...
Paul: Try to think about the little girl and the mom. And how much they will love it.
Me: OK.
Paul: It is not ALWAYS about you, silly girl!!!
I rolled my eyes.

Coming Together

I can always trust Paul to help me see the light.  With my maladjutsed attitude now corrected, I set to finish the quilt top.  The top finished at 47" wide and about 58" long. This meant that the backing would have to pieced.

Flimsy - Almost Finished

For the backing Mia's mom chose this Disney princess print. Yes, it is only 43" wide and  yes the print is directional.  So, I cut the excess length and then cut it into strips.   The strips were then joined end to end.

Maintaining Correct Orientation

I could not just add the cut length to increase width because then the princesses would become sleeping beauties.  Some creative rearranging solved the problem.

It works!!!

Chose a simple quilting pattern due to the bulk (knit+interfacing).  Almost there.

Quilted & Bound

For binding, I cut strips that were 2.75" wide instead of the usual 2.5" because I wanted to make sure that the bulk could be contained in the binding.  This also meant that when the two ends of binding are connected at the end, the overlap had to be 2.75"

I am the focus - Look at me

In the end, I am so glad I made this memory quilt, not just for Mia and her mom but also because I learned so many things about making Memory Quilts.

Cute & Cuddly

No, I did not forget to add the label.

Labelled!

Some of you asked about the label. When I was designing the label, I included care instructions on the back.  See picture below.

Label with Care Instructions

There were still a few scraps leftover.  And one of them - the yellow bird (duck/chick) was insistent that she be included in the party.

Hi there!

So, I made a large pillow - as my gift for Mia on her birthday.

Big Pillow

I have never had a better response to my quilt. As soon as Mia saw the quilt, she was on it, touching the bird and the kitty, and then moving to the next object that caught her eye. Mia's mom gushed and I beamed. Mission Accomplished!!!

Pillow Back

With Mia's quilt, I have completed the two monthly goals for August.  When you get the Blues was done earlier this month.  Did you accomplish your goals?   Do let me know.

I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties including One Monthly Goal.
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This is Post # 101.  I was so excited about my California trip that I forgot that the last post was Post #100.  Silly me!!! Time to set things right. With a Giveaway!!!

First Prize (1) - Craftsy Class
Second Prize (2) - FQ Bundle (5 FQs)
FQ Bundles
Third Prize (3) - Charm Pack
Charm Pack from Connecting Threads
There are a total of six prizes. You have two ways to win.
1. Since Craftsy is sponsoring the First Prize, do poke around their site and let me know in a comment what Craftsy class you'd like to win and why.
2. If you are a follower, you get an extra entry.  Just let me know in a separate comment, how you follow me.

It is important that I can reach you. If you are a no-reply blogger, please include your email in the comment. Or you can stop being a no-reply blogger. Check this out http://www.sewathomemummy.com/2013/01/are-you-no-reply-blogger.html

This giveaway is closed.

This blogpost contains affiliate links.

92 comments:

  1. This is such a cute quilt! Great job.
    I'd like Craftsy's Custom Bedding-decorative shams and bolsters-so I can learn to make shams to go with quilts.

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  2. I follow you on Bloglovin.
    Hope I'm lucky.

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  3. I think the class, Dot to Dot quilting, looks interesting.

    As for the quilt, Preeti it is adorable. This little girl will treasure her quilt for a long time to come. I know what you mean tho. TShirt quilts are tedious. I made one for my neice a couple of years ago. This coming winter I am making two, for twin neice and nephew's high school graduation. They are not very fun but they are so special for the recipient and that makes it worth it.

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  4. I admire your courage on this quilt. Piecing with knits is not for sissies! And the resultant quilt is adorable. It's no surprise that Mia loved fondling it. I'm sure it will end up as a major step in her bed time routine.

    Congratulations on 100 posts! I've been following your blog via Bloglovin for over a year now, and enjoy watching for your latest quilt. It was fun to discover that you know my sister Molly from the now gone Curves.

    Keep up the great work!

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  5. Oh, and the class I would love to win is Jacquie Gehring's Next Steps with Your Walking Foot.

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  6. Discover Design: Playing With Half-Square Triangles, because I would like to learn what designs can be made with all those leftover triangles. 24Tangent@gmail.com

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  7. Cute projects. Following on Bloglovin'. 24Tangent@gmail.com

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  8. I think the memory quilt turned adorably! I hope Mom and Mia's response to it helped you feel better about having spent the time making it! Thanks for the giveaway and comgratulations on your 100th post! If I could, I would love to take any of Jacquie Gering's Walking Foot classes.

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  9. What a sweet quilt for Mia! Every time mom see's that she will remember all of those sweet clothes on her girl. I follow you via email updates.

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  10. The class... Machine Quilting Beautiful Borders with Eva Larkin Hawkins!

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  11. Such a sweet quilt! And you made it beautifully, taking lots of extra steps, it'll be loved & well used I'm sure! And congrats on 100 posts too!

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  12. You have made such a happy memory quilt, just right for a little darling.
    I've made a couple of memory quilts too. One for hubby for a Big Birthday using some of his tee shirts. But the saddest ones are making them when someone has passed away. My grand-daughter's boyfriend died in a fishing/boating accident and I made a quilt for her and another similar one for Geoffrey's Mum using his tee shirts, work tops, even satin undies and ties. Sad to make, but it was nice that I could give them both something back to cuddle and remember him.

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  13. I follow you via email. I love your posts.

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  14. Excellent, excellent post, Preeti! You documented and explained each step of the process with honesty and finesse. And you did such a good job! I don't think I could have done it! I took a look at the Craftsy classes. I'm ALWAYS looking at the Craftsy classes. I'd want an FMQ class, but there are so many choices. I am also eyeballing the walking foot classes. Decisions, decisions, decisions! Congratulations on your 101st post! XO

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  15. I follow you via email to be sure I don't miss a post!

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  16. I'd love to win Natalia Bonner's new class! Congrats on your 101st post, and on yet ANOTHER finish, and ANOTHER happy customer, make that two, both mom and babe! How very YOU to make her a pillow, just adore that chick peeking out. I do not think I could ever do all this work for a quilt, nope. My hat's off to you. Yay for Paul keeping you humble. (but I think you do a pretty good job of that yourself, just sayin')

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  17. I follow you by email and by bloglovin'. :-)

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  18. I would love to take Gudrun Erla's class....

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  19. Id like to take a walking foot class!
    Samiam4321@aol.com

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  20. What a nice memory quilt. You did an excellent job. As far as Craftsy classes, any FMQ or quilting with your walking foot classes would be wonderful. It's great to finish quilt tops, it's greater to finish the whole quilt. Congrats on your 100+ post.

    tushay3 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  21. I follow your blog via Bloglovin and I enjoy traveling on your quilting journey.

    tushay3 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  22. What a lovely memory quilt!
    And thanks for the giveaway! There are lots of intriguing craftsy classes: I'm interested in Help How Do I Quilt It, Start Free-Motion Quilting, New Directions in Tumbling Blocks, Free Motion Fillers vol 1 & 2, and The Twisted Irish Chain.

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  23. And I follow you via feedly and email

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  24. Congratulations on your 101st post! This is such a lovely quilt it's no wonder that Mia and her mom were thrilled. Great job!

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  25. O.k. Preeti: Just in case I am still on a roll I'd like to wind free motion quilting secrets a Christina Camelli course. You did a wonderful job on the clothing quilt. It's so cute.

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  26. Congrats on your 101 post!! I follow you via Bloglovin!!

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  27. I would like to take a course in Craftsy to learn free motion quilting.

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  28. THAT IS AN ADORABLE MEMORY QUILT! I would like to have the Designing your wardrobe; Drafting tops by Suzy Furrer. I have all of the quilt one. lol, I may have a Cratsy addiction.

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  29. Beautifully done! Sometimes the ones we question our sanity on having every stated are often the ones that turn out to mean the most.

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  30. I love the quilt! I wish I had thought of doing this for my granddaughter, who is six now. What memories! I can imagine how delighted the mom was. I also appreciated your post on California. I just got back from a vacation there too. The Craftsy class I would pick is the Sew Sturdy Travel Organizer class. Time to start thinking about Christmas gifts! Thanks for great giveaway!

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  31. I follow you on Bloglovin. Thanks for all the inspiration!

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  32. This is really beautiful and well worth the effort.

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  33. Preeti, that little quilt is adorable! You certainly were dedicated to rip out all of those seams! But, wow!, the end result is well worth it.

    I've been eyeing Jackie Kunkel's Contemporary Curves: Double Wedding Ring Quilts. I'm thinking she may have an easier way to handle those curves, so it's been on my wishlist for a little while.

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  34. Oops, of course, I follow--Bloglovin' it is!

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  35. I would like to take Allie Aller's crazy quilts class

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  36. I love this quilt, my current fave for sure. Its so darn cute. Mia will love this forever. I mostly follow you through the MSQC forum, but have added to follow you through email. I enjoy your stories and your upbeat approach to life. I would love to add Contemporary Curves, Double Wedding Ring

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  37. What a lovely quilt you made! All the extra work you put into it paid off in beauty. I follow you by email.

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  38. I checked out the Craftsy classes, and there are at least a dozen I would enjoy--I hope I can wait until I win to pick the exact one I want!

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  39. Probably Patsy Thompson's Ultimate Free Motion. I need help here or maybe a Precut class.

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  40. Very lovely quilt, pillow too.
    I like this :
    http://www.craftsy.com/class/traditional-blocks-made-simple/158?_ct=sbqii-sqjuweho-dum&_ctp=7&rceId=1472466917290~hjjkyh1k

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  41. Love the memory quilt and pillow! A lot of work but they both look great. I would like to improve my photos and I think Fundamentals of Photography might be just what I need.

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  42. You did a fantastic job on the quilt and pillow, I am sure I would have felt the same way as you did-I can see that was a whole lot of work. I follow you on Bloglovin.

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  43. I have been thinking of Kimberly Enimo Jelly roll class.

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  44. I think memory quilts are difficult to make, but your hubby was correct in that we need to remember the 'why' and 'who' of the quilt. It sounds as if you hit a homerun and made the perfect gift for Mia and her Mom. Congratulations!

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  45. Congrats on this finish, Preeti! This was quite the undertaking but you have done an amazing job. The pillow will be the perfect addition to the quilt. Does the mother know you made it as well? If I could win an Craftsy class, I would love to have Creative Quilting with Rulers by Amy Johnson. I really need to step my ruler game up a bit.

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  46. It's very cute and I am sure will be well loved- well done on getting her done!

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  47. quick quilt as you go is a class on craftsy that i would love to take. thanks for the chance to win it.

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  48. I've had my eye on the "Design It, Quilt It" class by Cindy Needham for a while. It might be my Christmas present this year! Your memory quilt has inspired me; I can't wait to use my grandchildren's clothes to make one! Oh wait, I need grandchildren first.

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  49. I am in love with your memory quilt! Absolutely adorable & worth all that time for Mia's charming reaction! Congrats on your 100th post too, I enjoy following you!

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  50. Hi Preeti! Your memory quilt is lovely! You did a wonderful job with it. If I could win a Craftsy class, I would like "Start Applique". Applique is intimidating to me, but I want to start incorporating it in my quilts.

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  51. I am also a follower - on Bloglovin.

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  52. I so love reading your posts -- you must be an amazing person to be friends with! I would have agreed with you that it is a lot of work to cut up clothes and put them all back together as a quilt.
    I would probably like the quick quilt as you go class -- I need quick or nothing will get finished.
    Keep writing - you inspire me.

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  53. Such a great quilt! I have been there with making memory quilts, so I know the stress and beauty that goes into making them. This one turned out spectacular for a lil princess!

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  54. What a great post and how wonderful of you to make that quilt. You did an excellent job -- I especially like that you didn't just line up the little designs. Wonderful to follow your process too. That was a LOT of work. Hum, I'm going off the quilting track and say the Craftsy class I would like is My First Lace Shawl. Yea, I knit too and I've wanted to try a shawl pattern...

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  55. A beautiful memory quilt. What a special gift you've given - I can just imagine daughter and mother talking about that quilt in the years to come! Blessings!

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  56. Such a pretty quilt and pillow for a little girl! Thanks for sharing how you made it. A memory quilt is something I would like to make in the future.

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  57. I follow you on bloglovin. Congratulations on your 100th post!

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  58. Congrats on your beautiful quilt. It really is a stunning piece! Thanks for the chance to win. I really love craftsy classes. Underneath it all: guide to interfactings, lining and facings is on my wish list. Love to win that one!
    cottonpaperflowers at gmail dot com

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  59. I follow you by email and enjoy your blog posts a lot!
    cottonpaperflowers at gmail dot com

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  60. Great quilt! Love crafty....almost all their classes are wonderful...really need a machine quilting class! Mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com

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  61. Following you on email! mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com

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  62. What a sweet quilt, it will be treasured forever-especially by mom.

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  63. Preeti, you made a little girl very happy! I admire that you stuck with it. I can only imagine how time consuming it was, and I can only imagine how crazy it would be to work on fabric that isn't cotton! Good on you!!!

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  64. Preeti, this quilt is so adorable and so perfect! You did a really great job with it and all that tedious care was worth it. I made a quilt from baby clothes once and know how hard it is.

    Guess what! My last post was my 100th post too and I did not even realize it, LOL. Your post made me go look.

    I am definitely a follower of you in every way possible!

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  65. There are 5 Craftsy classes in my wish list. It's so difficult to choose. So I'll say .... hmmmm... Art Quilting Techniques with Wendy Butler Burns. I'd like to learn more about how to do that.

    Happy 101 Posts Preeti! And congratulations!

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  66. Preeti, the quilt is awesome. It's just so cute I must send a link to my sewing group to see what can be done with baby clothes!LeeAnna

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  67. Mia's quilt is fabulous and one you should be very proud of! I can just imagine how Mia's mom felt when she saw this. That thought would keep me going throughout a project like this. I have a "Paul" too and he always pushes me to the positive side! I am a Bloglovin' follower.

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  68. I have several Craftsy classes on my wishlist and one I'd really like to have is "Start Free-Motion Quilting" with Elizabeth Dackson. I can use more help with my FMQing!

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  69. What a great idea to use kids cloths as the raw materials, they come with such cute motifs.

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  70. Preeti, What a wonderful quilt. I have two granddaughters who would love your quilt. I especially love all the different fabrics you have used and the way you laid it out! What a blessed girl Mia is. And I love, love, love that yellow duck (I think it is definitely a duck) pillow. You are so much fun to follow. Thanks for the wonderful posts. Hmmm, if I was lucky enough to win a free class, I think I'd really enjoy and benefit from Patsy Thompson's Ultimate Free Motion Class. Congratulations on 101 Posts. Thanks for being the awesome and thoughtful person you are!!!

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  71. What a cute idea for a quilt! You did a wonderful job on it. :) I think I'd like Machine Finished Hand Applique. Thanks!

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  72. That's a sweet quilt. Glad you stuck with it!! I follow you on bloglovin! Congrats on 101!!

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  73. great quilt, Thank you for sharing the process - I follow you and I have word play on my wishlist at craftsy.

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  74. Congratulations on your 100 blog post milestone. I would like to take any class that would help me with foundation paper piecing. Just when I think I understand it, out comes the seam ripper, again. Thanks for the chance to win. momoftana at yahoo dot com

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  75. I had to start laughing when I read your post. I have a UFO that I was just thinking about this morning that I NEED to finish for a friend. She asked me to do the same thing with her two girls' baby clothes. It is going to be 2 queen size quilts! But I noticed at least 3 of the exact same onesies and jumpers in your quilt. The monkey, the green flowers, and the Too Cute one. I guess that is a sign that I need to finish soon. :)

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  76. Oh, my, so many classes...How about the Dot to Dot one with Angela Walters? I could use some new designs in my quilting toolbox. This quilt was a challenge, but what a wonderful result! And you went the extra mile with that adorable pillow. (And if you are going to put a princess in as a focal point, it might as well be that particular one. My granddaughter was obsessed with her for awhile, but the TV show is gentle with some good lessons, so it's okay in my book.) Congrats on your first 100 (101!) posts! And thanks for sharing what's on the care part of your labels.

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  77. I would like to take Craftsy's class on Precision piecing, and some on paper piecing. Thanks for the giveaway.
    cork@pa.rr.com

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  78. Adorable quilt and pillow, filled with so many memories for mom and Mia!! You've created something really precious :)

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  79. I would love to take the Craftsy class Word Play. I love buying fabric on Craftsy and I've taken classes before.

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  80. I don't think I have your patience! Bravo for seeing it through to the end and it was lovely that your work was appreciated. Thanks for linking up to #scraptastictuesday.

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  81. This is beautiful great job. I'm hoping that you can help me out with the quilt I'm working on. Customer wants me to keep some of the clothes in one piece including the sweatshirts and pants and onsies. She wants them on red fabric squares and they are bulky and won't lay flat. I don't know if I should try to sew them on the squares before I put the quilt together or after. Any suggestions. Mahalo

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