honeybee handmade: Kelly's Garden

Hello folks!

Again, I must apologize for my lengthy silence. Going full-time at work has definitely taken it out of me! July isn't going to be any better, but I'm hoping to knock out some unfinished projects, particularly some wedding quilts that need to be finished up before September!

On the business side of things, I've made some progress in how I present my products. My dear friend Katharine designed an official logo, which I've already used on home made business cards. It is so much more cost effective to make your own, and it just takes a pack of card stock, a cheap printer, and a knowledge of Microsoft Word (or Pages, for those of us with MacBooks). Katharine also created these adorable instruction cards for my "machine washable" goodies!

Although my Etsy sells have ground to a halt over the past few weeks, I've kept busy with commission work. JT's Nana has asked me to make her matching quilted travel bags: a large tote bag and a backpack. The fabric is waiting to be cut for those and I can't wait to get started! I also finished a french braid quilt top today for a very special young lady! More on that to come :)

My latest completed quilt was so fun to make, and I just love its history!!! A long time friend of our family came to me with a very unique request: to make a quilt that spanned four generations! So here's the family tree...and an explanation of this quilt's journey.

Kelly's great grandmother embroidered 12 beautiful squares.

Kelly's grandmother Charlotte had the squares made into a quilt. It is not pictured here because...let's just say we're not sure how much quilting experience its maker had.

Kelly's mother Paula bought the very sad-looking quilt to me in hopes that I could remove the original squares, and create something that looked more professional and more fitting to Kelly's personality. I was thrilled! I did my best to provide a fresh, bright backdrop for the timeless embroidery, while maintaining a traditional design. I used simple sashing and borders in bright, bold prints to bring out the vibrant flowers in the original squares. I also used crisp, white broadcloth to give the eye a place to rest.

Of course I am still learning and fine tuning my skills. For some reason I struggle with long, straight lines on quilts, particularly when it comes to borders. Some of the places where the sashing cross are a little uneven, but I have to say it's much better than the previous quilt! I am very pleased with how it turned out, and I hope that Kelly will love it when she receives it!

Below is my favorite picture of this project. I thought that it captured some of my more precise angles, as well as the adorable chevron binding. And then I noticed my "photo-bomber". Can you spot her?