Back to School I Spy

Back to School I Spy, originally uploaded by myittybittyquilts.

My youngest went off to Kindergarten this year. I'm caught somewhere between *sniff* and Yay! Well, anyway, each child needed a nap mat. The teacher sent home a note saying that they could simply bring a towel for a mat, but there was no way the son of a quilter was taking a towel for a mat :) I saw this great I Spy pattern written up by Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Fabrics for Craft Hope. I knew that I wanted to make one, but I made a few changes (as usual!) Check out the great FREE pattern!
Quilted in an allover stipple using variegated thread. I "enveloped this quilt and backed it with Minkee. I'm not thrilled with the result. As you can see the edges are pretty wavy. But little guy likes it and that's really what it's all about. I have a feeling it won't help him nap, though, in a room full of kids :)

Sewingmamas.com Summer Doll Quilt Swap

SMSummerDQS, originally uploaded by myittybittyquilts.

Here is the little quilt I did for my partner on the www.sewingmamas.com doll quilt swap. I saw a mini Trip Around the World in an old (at least 20 years!) quilt magazine and sketched out a version in my handy dandy graph paper notebook, adding it to my to-do someday list. Just a few weeks ago, I saw that the super talented Red Pepper Quilts had done one of these in stunning primary colors. LOVE! Well, that quickly moved this project up from the TO-DO to the MUST-DO :) I was pretty sure that I didn't want to just cut and piece all those little pieces so I used a very thin fusible web and ironed on all the squares (cut 1 1/2" each), then sewed the vertical seams first and then horizontal. I used some of my favorite bright summery fabrics all framing that one little Heather Ross mushroom.
I quilted this little one in an all over diagonal pattern and bound with a solid red.
The quilt is in the hands of my partner now and I think I might need one for my wall, too :)