Baby Love Quilt from Simply Retro: Finally Getting Things Done...

Well, I am finally getting SOME things done.  I feel like something always suffers not matter what.  For example, I finally get some time to finish a sewing project but then there is a pile of clothes that inevitably needs to be washed or dishes to be cleaned...I am sure you know that I mean.  Anyway, I am a pretty big fan of Camille Roskelley and her latest book, Simply Retro, is great!

 Simply Retro by Camille Roskelley

More specifically, I really like the majority of the projects in the book and that is pretty rare for me.  Since I downloaded the book, (freakin' love Amazon and my Kindle Fire, by the way) I have been making big plans to complete several of the projects and the first one I managed to get finished is the Baby Love wall hanging.  It is an over-sized block pattern that I decided to add a monogram to.  I used some left over fabric from the quilt I made for my youngest daughter, who is also known as the Goob, sound familiar?  Then around the monogram letter I just pulled out some of the graphics from one of the prints and boom....a monogram quilt block wall hanging.

I also tried to branch out a bit and use some new quilting designs and techniques.  I really love the way the "pebble" design looks but it is super intense to do.  Then again, it could just be me making it intense.  I have a tendency to quilt my patterns really small, as you can see with the pebbles.  Even if I try to make it larger as I move along it gets smaller and smaller....annoying.  Anyway, I also tried wood grain, a couple of different leaf designs, basic lines, etc....it was fun to play around a little with the quilting design.

I had also been itching to try my hand at embroidery.  Unfortunately, I was so eager to just do it that I did not do enough research.  I sort of screwed up trying the knots on the back, if that is even what you are supposed to do.  The front looked great but the back was a mess and the knots that I tried to tie would not stay, etc.  I ended up putting some fusible interfacing behind it to make sure the strings/knots stayed put.  Looking back it probably wasn't the best idea I ever had, but hey at least next time I will know to get my basics down before jumping in.  Regardless, here is the end product up close.