Crackpot Quilters’ Blog

I can’t remember when I first started to think about making myself a purse using these fabrics from my stash, but I know that I actually began work on it in January when we were visiting our friends Mary and Ron in Florida. It is based very loosely on the “Ribbon Purse” in 101 Fabulous Fat-Quarter Bags by M’Liss Rae Hawley. As you can see, there is not a ribbon on it, but it is approximately the same dimensions as the Ribbon Purse, and it has a squared-off bottom, which I think I will like. The front, shown here, was pretty easy to design.

Here is the back, somewhat busier than the front, but I like it. It required several re-do’s and rearrangements, but it was fun to piece.

This is an attempt to photograph the inside, showing one of the two pockets. I like purses with lots of pockets of just the right size because I hate to fumble around in my purse trying to find something.  I have not yet put the purse into service. I have no idea what I am waiting for. I am  curious to see how well it works for me.

The 2008 Summer Crackpot Quilt is finally completely completed. Here is complete photodocumentation.

Quilt Front

Quilt Back (pretty boring)

Label

by Nancy

It’s been a little while since I last posted, but in the meantime, I’ve completed the top to the Butterfly Quilt for my college roommate’s baby. I’m very pleased with how it turned out. And I purchased no fabric for this quilt! Amazing! I did have to purchase the batting, but I think that will be all. As you may be able to see in the picture, I have pin-basted the quilt, so now I am ready to machine quilt it.

by Nancy

My college roommate is expecting her second child in late April or early May, and she found out not too long ago that it will be a girl. So, I have started to think about what I’d like to make for her quilt. I decided to use these fabrics that Marty gave me for Christmas:

I found a quilt in Debbie Mumm’s Cuddle Quilts for Little Girls and Boys that was done in horizontal rows. The top and bottom rows were a stripe print, and in the middle were some rows of coordinating prints and applique. That got me thinking of doing this quilt in rows, also using the striped print as the top and bottom rows, with the butterfly print in the middle, and with two rows of paper pieced butterflies. There’s lots of the paisley print, so I could use that for the backing. And hopefully there will be enough left over to make a pillowcase and/or a doll quilt for the baby’s big sister. I looked through my sash and found fabrics for the paper pieced butterflies, so I don’t need to buy any fabric for this quilt! I haven’t done any paper piecing for a while, but I made my first butterfly yesterday, and it looks good. Updates and pictures will be coming as I make more progress…

Nancy is not the only Crackpot who can do bibs, although she is probably the one with the largest potential market for them. But there is a new baby boy across the street from us (in Dottie Fischer’s house, for those who know the neighborhood), and bibs seem the ideal handmade gift – quick and easy. Here are my offerings, front and back.

by Nancy

After completing several construction bibs, I set about doing some bibs in more “girly” colors. It was actually a little harder than I’d expected – who knew there were so many different shades of pink? I have much more experience with things for boys, but eventually my creative juices got flowing, and here’s what I came up with:

small baby bib

medium toddler bib

medium toddler bib

by Nancy

I got our two quilt tops from this summer, along with two other quilt tops that I made a while ago for possible sale but then wasn’t happy enough with and decided not to finish, all ready to mail out to Project Linus this morning.

As I was getting these quilt tops out, I came upon the Crackpot Round Robin in progress quilt. I haven’t forgotten about it, though I haven’t added anything to it, either, but I did want Crackpots to know that it is still around and will get added to someday!

by Nancy

My goal for 2010 is to “try, try again” to sell quilts and related items for babies and toddlers. To that end, I am working at increasing the number of small items in my portfolio, such as bibs, placemats, pillowcases, and crochet food and animals. I was at JoAnn’s over New Year’s weekend when the clearance fabrics were an extra 50% off, and I found a cute construction print for just $1.50 a yard. Lee had recently mentioned to me that the Noah’s Ark bib I had made for Gabe was the only one that he couldn’t pull off (due to the ties instead of velcro or snaps) and that fit him well, so it seemed like a great opportunity to make a new bib or two for Gabe and some others for eventual sale. I hope to get my portfolio in order and then get up the courage to ask the owner of a high-end children’s boutique downtown if she would be interested in selling any of my items. I also hope to take part in my town’s hand-made market, but that is not until next November. I’m considering etsy as well.

Anyway, here are the bibs.

Large toddler bibs with pocket:

Small baby bibs (front and back shown):

by Nancy

front:

back:

Even though Christmas is over, I still had my Christmas fabrics out for a while and was having fun playing around with them. We’ll just call it an early start on next year’s gifts! 🙂 My roommate from college is expecting her second child at the beginning of May, so I decided to make this bib for the baby’s first Christmas.