Sew This is My Life

Its coming along....

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

...here's a sneak peek at the Sewing Room (or Sewing STUDIO?!) progress:

Embroidery hoops as wall art!

...and a fun little stack of fabric to be turned into living room pillows sometime in the near future, give or take 6 months.

I'm not known for being specific, have you noticed? haha

Made Monday {Spool Birds}

2012-01-23T23:14:00.001-05:00

Today I'm sharing the other half of the project - to be shipped to their new home in Kentucky tomorrow!

These 7 little birdies are going to be turned into a mobile for a brand new baby girl to be born in a few weeks, a good life for these birdies, to be sure. And the baby will hopefully enjoy these birding hanging above her crib. I'm sure lots of cooing will be involved - hopefully no crying!

They wanted to peer out the window - who am I to say no?

Seven different fabrics, then I mis-matched the tops and bellies to give them a fun look.

This is my 3rd batch of birdies, the first for my son's nursery, and the second for my sisters wedding.

Here's the easy-peasy pattern from Spool should you ever want to make a flock of your own.

I added a little loop on each birds back (hand quilting thread - which is a bit stronger than regular thread) so they can be hung instead of mounted on TOP of branches, per the request of said baby's momma. Excellent idea - I may try that method some day!

Starting tomorrow I'll be putting the final coat of paint on my new fabric storage! Yippeeee!

I realize that's not sewing, but its sewing related. OH and after that, maybe tomorrow night, I'll start piecing the back for this quilt! Now that the top is finished....

What sewing plans do you have for this week?

{a one session stroller quilt}

2012-01-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

A finished stroller quilt in one sewing session! In my world, that's a feat!

Remember the braid block from yesterday? There she is... nestled between girly pink and some polka dots on grey... what could be better?!

Some non-parallel straight line quilting...

A little Amy Butler with a scrap or two of Sherbet Pips for the back... a reversible quilt, in my opinion!

The quilt measures 17"x22" and is cozy in strollers, infant carriers.... and I actually carry one this size in my bag as a quick changing mat! I hope baby girl (yet to be born in the next couple months) loves it!
(edit: this blankie is for a customer/friend of mine who is expecting... I know what you were thinking!)

the french braid block - new to me!

2012-01-17T16:41:00.000-05:00

I've had this block on my to-try list for quite a while now... so I thought what better chance to try it than on a stroller quilt! This block is about 5.5" x 17". I had seen this photo on Flickr and decided it looked easy enough! And it was! No pattern... just strips 2" wide.... and varying from 5-6" long. Fun!

{And I know how to french braid hair, too. There's your Cristin fact for the week.}

Oddly enough I started AND finished this quilt all in one evening! Shocking!!! Well, I was shocked, as most projects take me multiple naptimes/post-bedtimes to finish. Not this one, for once in my life.

Photos of finished stroller quilt coming tomorrow!

On my cutting table...

2012-01-15T23:44:00.001-05:00

And finally ready to be sewn together!

30 - 11.5" string blocks
started back in September 2010 with the help of a virtual quilting bee, original post here - holy cow that was a while ago!

I was able to finish up the final blocks at the CMQG sew-in last week, and I'm quite happy with the size of it! 66" x 55" seems like a decent sized lap quilt to me! Plus I'm plumb out of the white kona strips for the middle diagonal so this is it. Notice all the scraps from trimming these buggers from 12" to 11.5" square? They're great fun to sew up, but trimming them is difficult because the fabric seems to want to stretch if its not done just so... lots of patience, spray starch, and diet coke.

I do hope to get this top finished in the next few days! I've been wanting to finish this one for a year and a half - about dang time!

What are you working on this week?

Pezzy Giveaway winner...

2012-01-14T13:27:00.002-05:00

And the winner is....

#40 Elena who said:

"Fun! Wish I could have come! I would make something in a square tile situation....like layered tiles."

Congrats girl! I'll be contacing you to get your mailing info... your pezzy charm pack will arrive soon!

And thanks to everyone who commented - so many great projects to make from these charms!

My Sewing Space - v4.0

2012-01-10T14:34:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my sewing room!

So we've been in this house for less than a month and my sewing space (previously known by the old owners as the dining room) is coming together! At least this side of the room is...

You can read a bit about my fabric storage dilemma here, although I've already got it sanded and ready to be primed and painted asap. So I guess there's no turning back now! And the cabinet will be white, so the furniture colors aren't too crazy in this room... it IS the first room you see when you walk in the front door! Eeek~

The walls are a light-medium gray color and I quite love it! The sewing table had a recent paint job too - to bright fuchsia. I probably wouldn't do high-gloss again because it takes weeks to dry, but other than that, I'm smitten! Waaaay back in the day it was our kitchen table, part of a 5 piece set from Ikea. I kid you not.

Four embroidery hoops are ready to have fabric tucked into them - I just need to choose which fabric! Why so many decisions still to be made?!

I also plan to put up a design wall next to my sewing table, using that cool DIGNITET Curtain Wire from Ikea. I've actually got 2 sets of wire and hooks thanks to my little sis, who always has my back! So one for the design wall, one to actually hang curtains on. Here's my next decision: What fabric to use for curtains???? I'm baffled... maybe something yellow and grey? Possibly graphic and bold? Possibly Echo by Lotta Jansdotter?! Any suggestions? Leave me a link to any bright ideas you may have for curtains!!! Its next on my list to buy! (Nothing too girly - my husband still has to occasionally glance in this room and I don't want him to cringe at a wall of overly-flowered curtains.

{Pezzy Giveaway}

2012-01-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

Have you ever visited FabricShack.com? I've bought a few things from their site and noticed once or twice that they're located in Waynesville, Ohio. Well I'm in Columbus and always thought "Where the heck is Waynesville? Probably up near Cleveland.... too far to drive. Meh."

On the contrary.

Waynesville is just southeast of Dayton, completely NOT where I thought it was. My friend AnneMarie coaxed me into taking a little road trip there this past Saturday and in about an hour and a half we were in fabric heaven! I kid you not, they actually have two buildings about a block apart - one for home dec fabric and one for quilting fabric! Thats how huge it is! And it was busy the entire time we were there.

They had loads of batiks, mixers, semi-solids, and traditional fabrics... but they had lots of modern collections too - from Heather Ross to the below Pez by Moda (although yardage is unfortunately not yet available.) So I grabbed the above stack in practically no time, much of which was clearance for $3.98/yd including the mustard Lotus by Amy Butler! I felt it was my duty to pull it out of the scrap bin and bring it home to cuddle with. Seriously.

And guess what I brought back to share...

a charm pack of the Pezzy Prints! One for me, one for you...

{ COMMENTS NOW CLOSED! }

Leave a comment telling me what you'd create with this charm pack, be as specific or vague as you like!

Just be sure to LEAVE A WAY FOR ME TO CONTACT YOU otherwise I'll choose a different winner.

No contact info = no entry

(Sadly that happened when I gave away an Accuquilt Go!Baby Cutter a few months ago so I had to draw a different winner.... it happens people!)

International entries welcome... I'll draw a name some time this Friday, January 13th. It could be your lucky day!

ps - I am in no way affiliated with, paid by, endorsing, advertising for, or associated with, Fabric Shack. It was just fun shopping there in person - so I thought I'd share :-)

Mr. Cheesy Face

2012-01-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

We say to Eli, "Let's see your cheesy smile!"

And he delivers every time!

yummy fabrics + smoke & mirrors

2012-01-05T22:11:00.002-05:00

(before I begin my actual post:

Have you been following the "100 days of quilting" on the Modern Quilt Guild's blog?!?!?! Guess who's quilt was featured today! Her name begins with Cris and ends in tin :-)

I'm so honored to be given that shout-out from THE Modern Quilt Guild! And to see all the other gorgeous (and in my opinion, WAY awesome-er) quilts than mine! So today I was pretty much on cloud 9. *sigh*)

Ok.... anywho

I couldn't help myself, on Christmas Eve I said "Merry Christmas" to myself and grabbed these lovelies from Pink Chalk. Man I could spend a mortgage payment in that shop!

There's something about circles that just draw me in - especially in 6 colors! I probably have too many dots/circle prints so I thought grabbing a few scissor prints along with a random aqua chevron print was a good idea, for good measure.

Modern Whimsy by Laurie Wisbrun for Robert Kaufman

Half Moon Modern Zig Zag by Moda Fabrics

Half Moon Modern Scissors by Moda Fabrics

And its more smoke than mirrors...

My fabric stash has steadily been growing over the past four years so now that I have an actual sewing room all to myself I thought "Hey, I need some proper storage!" Which led me to this cute antique china cabinet at a second-hand furniture store... for about half the price of a similar hutch at Ikea.

Here's the problem: The entire cabinet reeks of cigarette smoke! So gross! There's no way I can load it up with fabric and other fibers without everything smelling like an ash tray. Its really a shame because its solid mahogany and cute as a button. So.... I'll be painting it sooner (as in THIS WEEKEND!) rather than later (which was going to be this coming summer.)

After a bit of research online I found out that wood absorbs smoke, it doesn't just sit on top of the wood. It cannot be wiped off, rubbed off, or cleaned off otherwise. So paint (or varnish) is the only answer, thus sealing the smoke in. I'm hoping it looks just as good in white, and that the smoke smell is sealed in permanently!

If not, I guess I'll be seling it on Craigslist and and looking for another one. I hope its less than a $200 hassle to paint it. I guess I'll be finding our very soon...

Color Blocks Placemats + Napkins - a finish!

2011-12-30T22:00:00.000-05:00

I can finally share these photos now that Christmas has come and gone!

Four quilted place mats and four napkins went to my little sister, since I knew she had been looking for these particular colors for ages.

I had seen this free tutorial from Oh Fransson! and I knew it was the perfect project for Christmas!

Here's the links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4, should you be interested to whip some up yourself! I don't usually follow patterns, but these turned out so great I may try a pattern again someday... just joking. Sort of.

I did try some loopy free-motion quilting, which was easy, quick, and afforded a nice bit of texture and interest to the place mats.

Fabrics used:

Heather Baily's "Pop Garden" and Kona cotton in Aqua.

For the backing and napkin centers I used Essex Linen in Natural.

I know these are going to look fabulous in my sister's kitchen!

And now I think its darn time to do some sewing for my new home! Ok, I've already started sewing and the living room curtains are already done... but a table runner, sewing room and bedroom curtains, and lots of throw pillows are in order, just to name a few.

Stay tuned!

And I consider myself back to blogging now that our big move (plus the Holidays) is over... I've missed my quilty friends! Its good to be back :-)

Buddy the Elf! What's your favorite color?

2011-12-22T21:31:00.001-05:00

Best. Christmas. Movie. Ever.

What's yours?

{natural backdrops}

2011-12-08T15:56:00.001-05:00

Whilst trying to add a few items to my Etsy Shop left over from last month's handmade shows... I had no idea how to photograph some 9ft banners in a creative way- until I looked out the back window.

There - freshly chopped down and stacked along the property line - was a huge pile of firewood! The neighbor who cut down this tree must be OCD like me since every piece was almost exactly the same length, thus lending this lovely wood pile wall for my shop photos!

I'd say it does the trick! So before you drive all around town trying to find the perfect spot for a photo shoot for that newly finished quilt, or what-have-you... first glance out your window! You may be surprised at the beauty just waiting to be discovered. Yes, even in the backyard.

When we move into our new home in less than 2 weeks I may still have to take my photos over here - on the neighbors woodpile. Good thing its a NEW pile of wood - and won't be thrown into a fireplace for a year. My fingers are crossed at least!

Moving Onward

2011-12-07T10:19:00.001-05:00

If you've been wondering where I've been lately... here's the scoop:

We've finally found a house, closed on it, and have started adding a few personal touches!

Like removing the wallpaper in my sewing studio which has really opened the space... so much better!

This front hallway also had the pink and blue wallpaper, its gone! Thank goodness it was properly installed (10 years ago when the house was built?) so it came down easily with peeling off the top layer then using a wallpaper steamer on the glue paper.

Here's the living room - yet to be painted a super light aqua green, which will hopefully go well with my choice for curtains - Sandi Henderson's Secret Garden in Paisley Garden. I LOVE this fabric and I think I'll probably hate the paint color until the curtains are up. And if I still hate the paint color, I'll have to figure out a new color, because I'm set on my curtain fabric choice! Any suggestions for another color? The fabric looks "turquoise blue" but is actually closer to the green family. Eeek!

Here's our master bedroom. And yes, I chose that shade of green! Its inspired by Kona Grass Green so it will compliment my bed quilt. Its quite bold, and a tad darker than I wanted, but I think it will grow on me once all the furniture is in and the bed is made.

(love the double closet that runs the whole length of that wall!)

And here's my lighting fixture tip:
Overstock.com has THE best selection and price on modern lighting fixtures!
I purchased this one for the eating area and this one for the sewing studio.... go ahead, try to find decent pendants at a big box store.

So this is where I've been hanging out for the last week or so. I've been able to do a little sewing, mostly on a secret project for Christmas, which I'll share after the fact. Sorry... no sewing pics to share until then. What have ya'll been up to? Are you finished with your Christmas Sewing??

Fabric Love

2011-12-06T17:58:00.001-05:00

Some classics I needed to restock:

Erin McMorris: Weekends and Wildwood

Sandi Henderson: Henna Garden

Heather Bailey: Pop Garden

and... just for the fun of it:

Daiwabo: Blue Hippos

All these goodies are still on sale at Hawthorne Threads!

{a dozen bibs} JCC Handmade show this Sunday!

2011-11-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

My second and final handmade show is this Sunday!

~ JCC Handmade Show info ~

If you're in the Columbus OH area come check it out!

65 vendors - and loads of great Christmas gifts to be found!

Seriously, if this Sherbet Pips bib doesn't sell, I'm keeping it. Oh wait, there's two - I'll definitely be pocketing one of them. Someday Eli might have a little sister, right?

I'm almost out of craft show mode... then on to Christmas Gift sewing mode!

Echo {echo echo echo} + great news!

2011-11-12T19:34:00.001-05:00

I've admired Lotta Jansdotter for quite some time, ever since I first bought her Simple Sewing for Baby book a few years ago! The fabric she used in the book was so fun and I've always wondered how to get my hands on something like that. Well, Lotta has come out with her very first fabric collection and I'm smitten! It's called Echo - and you will not be disappointed!

I didn't purchase every print in the collection, but I got my favorites... in half yard cuts!

I figure I'll be able to make a good sized quilt and them some! Thank you, last Sunday's craft show, for sponsoring this purchase. haha

prints with a white background

prints with a colored background

On to the good news!

No, not THAT good news...

We finally have a new house! We close in a couple of weeks and guess which room this is:

Well, obviously, its the dining room... but its going to be my sewing room! ALL MINE!

Note the horrendous wallpaper - it will be on its way out not long after we have the keys. I plan to do a soft grey in there to keep it light and bright, and so photos will be easier to take. And this light fixture, if I'm lucky.

Yay!

Its all come down to this...

2011-11-08T23:22:00.000-05:00

The Birds of a Feather Handmade Show was this past Sunday and it was a huge success! Due to its uniquely MODERN theme we were inundated with shoppers all day, I sold the Timber quilt (yaaay!) and had loads of fun with Carla and Amanda, my fabulous assistants.

Oh, and my fabric fund is fully funded now!

The blue ladder, um, I mean quilt rack, worked out wonderfully!

Everything sold well minus the bunting (odd, right?) and the pillows... but thats ok, I have another handmade show in 2 weeks so maybe they'll find new homes there.

The hand towels were probably most popular, followed by the pot holders and baby bibs!

me + sister

Sadly, it was my first weekend away from Eli. I really did miss my little guy! There were lots of moms shopping with their babies and toddlers but all I had was this little photo of Eli showing off his drool bandana.

To restock:

mug rugs

hand towels

bibs

lanyards

and if time permits - another quilt + a Scottie Dog or two!

So how was your weekend? Visit any handmade shows? Man I love this time of year!

{friday favs}

2011-11-04T15:23:00.000-04:00

1. Pillow Swap pillow, 2. Ruby Star Spring Placemats, 3. Bibs Galore, 4. Pillow talk {swap} Finished!, 5. "everything's coming up rainbows" , 6. Bee Modern Too - July block for Casey, 7. do. Good Stitches | October, 8. Off Cenetered Sherbet Squares Front, 9. Doll Quilt

Your Personal Invitation {Birds of a Feather Fair}

2011-11-02T15:12:00.005-04:00

Do you live in, near, or around the vicinity of Florence, Kentucky... or Cincinnati, Ohio?

Well I am personally inviting you (yes, YOU... In the pj's!) to visit me at the Birds of a Feather Fair which is a Modern Handmade Show being held this Sunday at the Hilton in Florence!

I guarantee you'll find some Christmas Gifts worth giving, and probably something for yourself too!

Want to see a preview of items you'll see at the show? Check out the BoaFF blog, and you'll even see a little something from Hazelnut Designs (me!)

My booth will be near the center of the show, just look for the blue ~~ladder~~ quilt rack!

Gaah! Ok, back to sewing for me! Just a few more bibs... and maybe a quilted scottie dog or two then I"ll be ready!

See you this Sunday!

{Eli's Banner Quilt} Blogger's Quilt Festival: Fall 2011

2011-10-30T18:34:00.003-04:00

For all of us who do NOT get to attend the Houston Quilt Market there's the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

Thanks to Amy, we can all enjoy a plethora of fabulous quilts from the comfort of our own homes, coffee in hand, jammies on.

I'd like to share one of the few quilts I was able to finish this year, Eli's Banner Quilt!

This past spring I was utterly itching to finish a quilt and I was inspired by this lovely little banner quilt so why not give it a go on a larger quilt? For my boy, Eli. (now 19mo old!)

So I pulled out my stash of Ikea flat sheets and duvet covers, decided on this tan flat sheet for the background then started digging through my scraps for the flags. The "strings" the flags fly from are actually lengths of selvedge I save for just such the random occasion.

I decided to do a quick and decidedly fun loop-d-loop on the long-arm machine at my LQS, and it was a FAST quilting session to say the least! A record, I think, completely quilted in less than an hour.

Scrappy binding with all my favorite non-girly prints including kei honeycomb, DS quilts, and Joel Dewberry's woodgrain print in brown trim it nicely.

I realize this is a whole cloth quilt, as zero piecing was done on it, but I just love it! Its impromptu, simple, fun, and done in 4 days!

Another fun little tid bit: The Modern Quilt Guild will be featuring this quilt during their 100 days of Modern Quilting series starting this January! Yay! So look for it on their blog!

Thanks again to Amy for hosting this fabulous virtual Festival!

{Pillow Talk} + Wallflower in Mustard

2011-10-27T12:09:00.001-04:00

Pillows.

They're in your family room, living room, bedroom, maybe even in your office or kitchen.

The odds are your dog or cat has her own pillow! So what took me so long to decide to whip up my first pillows? I have no idea. But I'm so glad I did... and I'm hooked!

I wanted something more 3-dimentional to showcase at Craft Shows this November so I thought, "Hey, should I attempt to make some pillows? Dare I try?"

Well, I tried. And it was way less painful and tedious that I thought it would be! Its more like making a couple of mini quilts! And more functional if I do say so myself.

I used the (free!) Stripe of Strips pattern and dug into my scrap pile to make the center strips. LOVE how they turned out especially with the Kona cotton in Coal added! And I broke down and used the much hoarded DS Quilts fabric for the back and binding. Binding these pillows like a quilt is not in the actual pattern, but I love how it looks so I wandered off the pattern. Shocking, I know.

Trust me, if these pillows (for some crazy reason) do not sell I will claim them for myself!

Otherwise, I'll be making a new set for the (yet to be purchased) living room... and bedroom... and Eli's room... and the entry way... and my car. And even one for Hazel!

OH and maybe they'd make good Christmas gifts for sisters and sisters-in-law?

~~Nooooooo... they'd hate them!~~ Ok, maybe they'd love them.

And for those of you obsessed with fabric in the mustard range of color, or Amy Butler, or both... I actually found a shop on Etsy selling this Lotus Wallflower pattern in mustard yellow!!! And not for $16.99 per FQ!

I decided to bestow 1/2 yard to my fabric stash because, well.... just because.

What's the one fabric you'd looooove to have but just cannot seem to find it?

My Ladder Theory

2011-10-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

What does a quilter do when she does not want to lug her brand new dark wood quilt rack to two different craft shows next month? Well she wracks her brain for Flickr images she's seen in the last two years... and I could not find the photo but a very resourceful gal at a craft show in PA was using a LADDER to hang quilts and blankets on! How genius!

I scoured Craigslist and found this plain old 5' ladder someone was dying to give me for just $15. Most home improvement stores don't even carry wooden ladders anymore as they're all made of composite/plastic... so I was thrilled to find this practically new "quilt rack" for CHEAP in the next burb over!

I removed all the stickers, then added a coat of spray primer and two coats of spray paint and shazaam I have a collapsible customized quilt rack for my two shows... yay! And it isn't bad for taking sewing photos either!

I've been working on said craft shows since July so here are a couple more items I've whipped up!

Some girl bibs made from Amy Butler home dec fabric, I believe its the "LOVE" collection. Backed with white terrycloth. And I used the bib pattern out of my Lotta Jansdotter baby sewing book, although squared off the bottom edge. I rather like my new label placement... makes it look legit, ya know?

This is my favorite bib... bold, bright, and says "I'm a girl but where's my plate of spaghetti!? Bring it, Mom!" Eli has a couple of these bibs (in greys/reds/black) and I love them!!!!

Then there's the release of Jessica Levitt's new book, Modern Mix! I actually don't own the book (yet!) but I think it will be in my grubby little hands by Christmas, even if I have to gift it to myself!

Well there's been a whirlwind blog tour for this book and one of the patterns from the book is actually available for FREE as a PDF. These colorful strips are going to turn into two pillows, 18" square, each! I 'm going to flank each stripe with Kona Coal... yum!

You can find the free PDF pattern for these pillows at Sew, Mama, Sew!

I just dug thru my scraps and voila, I loved how it looked... and it was SO easy to sew! I know I say that all the time but this pattern is great! I'll be sure to share my finished pillows soon, promise!

So what have ya'll been up to? Have a productive weekend?

Aqua Inspiration

2011-10-14T17:05:00.000-04:00

Aqua Inspiration found on Pinterest my newest addiction!

i. want. this. machine!

this salvaged wall needs to be turned into a quilt! next on my list for sure!

The most perfect bedroom I've ever seen.

And last but not least a funny little snippet about boys, and the goofy things they say.

If Eli ever starts talking then I'll start sharing his crazy ideas, but until then, I've got nothin'.

His list of words is limited to "All done!" "Ama" (Grandma) and "ck" (truck.)

Have a fabulous weekend and maybe I'll see you at the Craftin' Outlaws alternative craft show tomorrow (10/15) in Columbus Ohio. I'll just be there Christmas shopping, not as a vendor.

Go!Baby Winner!

2011-10-14T14:29:00.000-04:00

Our winner is #14 - Tracy!

I've sent you an email to get your mailing info and which 3 dies you'd like!

Congratulations!

And to everyone who who came in 2nd place, make sure to put this Baby on your Christmas list, you will NOT be disappointed! Less cutting time = more sewing time!

Accuquilt Go!Baby Giveaway

2011-10-10T14:44:00.002-04:00

Now is your chance! One lucky STML reader will win an Accuquilt Go!Baby along with 3 dies of your choice... read my review to learn more about this Baby and see the sewing machine cover I whipped up in no time! I hate all the time (and accuracy) it takes to cut fabric for quilts and this is the perfect solution! Portable, no batteries required - it'll cut your cutting time by up to 90%!

I'm smitten, can you tell?

~~Here's how to enter~~: comments are now closed!

1. leave a comment on this post - tell me how you would use this ingenious fabric cutter, or which die is your favorite! (one entry)

2. sign up to get 22 FREE patterns from Accuquilt by following this link, all you need is an email address... come back here and leave an additional comment that you signed up. (one entry)

INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES WELCOME!

** please be sure that an email address is available on your profile or is included in your comment - NO EMAIL ADDRESS = NO VALID ENTRY)**

So that's 2 potential chances you have to win over $250 worth of fabric cutting yummy-ness! I'll draw the winner this Friday at 2pm (EST) so that's when comments to this drawing will be closed. I'll announce the winner here on Friday and send them an email too. Now off you go, and good luck!

Go!Baby Fabric Cutter review {& giveaway on monday}

2011-10-09T15:18:00.000-04:00

So I was given the opportunity to try out the GO!Baby Fabric Cutter by Accuquilt and can I say, I'm in love! Up until now I've avoided odd block shapes like the tumbler but with just a few cranks of the handle, I had 104(!) 3.5" tumbler blocks cut in 20 minutes! And each one is cut perfectly, dog-ear corners and all! I also have the drunkards path die and the quarter-square triangle die, again, more blocks I probably wouldn't attempt to cut by hand because I love sewing and quilting 100x more than I like cutting fabric. As odd as that may sound!

No batteries required for this GO!Baby cutter - its all done with old fashioned elbow-grease, a crank handle! Which means you can take it with you and not have to worry about batteries or power cords!
It cuts 6 layers of fabric like a charm, and just a tad bit of wasted fabric. Well worth the time savings! It also cuts paper, although I have yet to try that.

I was able to whip up this fun modern sewing machine cover with just 16 3"(finished) tumblers and some Kona cotton in coal. Its basically a mini quilt with 4 ties to keep your sewing machine cozy and dust free.

Available in my ~~Etsy Shop~~! SOLD!

Want to get 22 FREE Quilt Patterns from Accuquilt? Click on the above icon and just enter your email address - simple as that!

I will be giving away one of these GO!Baby Fabric Cutters to one of my readers this coming MONDAY (10/10/11) so be sure to come back on Monday and enter to win!

And on a side note:
Is anyone else completely bummed that they are not attending the Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City this weekend? I have two local sewing/blogging pals who are there right and I am just daydreaming about all the fabulous people they're meeting, the Fabric Shop hop they went on last night... the all night sewing room at their hotel, the classes, discussion panels, fabric swaps.... *sigh*
Maybe next year they'll move it closer to the Mid-west? Anyone with me?!

Hoarding my Pips no more

2011-10-05T17:42:00.003-04:00

I've been drooling over all the pretty pillows on Flickr for who knows how long!

Two little charm packs of Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips were sitting patiently in one of my fabric bins (aka moving boxes) and I've been wanting to use them in a manner befitting of such fun lively prints.

So in my usual manner of sewing... I made up this pillow as I went!

I used 4 rows by 4 rows of 5" charm squares, which happens to make (roughly) an 18"square pillow cover! Top + batting + creme backing then a bit of straight line quilting...

Some fun coordinating fabric for the back to make the envelope opening...

I put WRONG sides together (plus lots of pinning) and did a narrow zig-zag stitch to attach the back to the quilted front... then I added the binding just as if it were a quilt! Worked out perfectly!

A boy version is also in the works using the red/blue/grey Pips... so I need to venture down to Sew To Speak for some backing and binding! Wow, I actually have a good reason to buy more fabric for once! Sweet. Just like Sherbet Pips.

I still have an entire pack of Pips (+10) left over from these two pillows... maybe a quilt is in order! Along with some added solids? Hmmm

And Hi from Hazel!

how to make fabric labels

2011-10-02T22:10:00.000-04:00

Over the past few years I've gotten more than a handful of inquiries about the labels I attach to my sewn items. Baby quilts, burp cloths, bags, mug rugs... I attach them to almost everything I make. I like the 'professional' look it lends to handmade items.

So I thought I'd give you a quick run-down of my process for creating these lovely little tags.

Here's what you'll need:

1" cotton twill tape (or whatever size you'd like) - I get mine on Ebay

Fabric ink pad

your personalized stamp - mine was custom made by foryoo

Pinking shears or even plain old scissors

~ roll out your twill tape

~ stamp away - but leave about 2" of space in between to cut and sew the label on to your item

~ WAIT about 24 hours for the ink to set

~ press with super hot iron to permanently set the ink, and it will never wash out

~ clip with pinking shears or scissors and they're done!

I typically finger press each end under then sew it on for a nice finished look, and so the tag won't unravel after a zillion washings.

Now... non-baby quilts - those tags are a whole other animal. I'll save that story for another day!

And HAPPY OCTOBER! Man, its such a great month... and the weather is finally cooling off so its time to break out our quilts! Yay!!

new favorite sewing toy

2011-09-30T18:17:00.001-04:00

I'm kind of a sucker for notions... and I recently brought home a new blade for my Olfa rotary cutter!

The pinking blade!!! I have pinking shears but the pinking rotary cutter is waaaaay more fun!

I wanted to break in my new blade so I decided a fun little bunting was in order. It took me all of an hour to cut out 17 (woah that's a lot !) 4" tall flags, pin them into the binding, and sew a quick zig-zag stitch down the whole thing.

The pinking blade is thicker than the standard straight blade but man it cuts like buttah... no joke!

Even through Amy Butler's "Love" home dec weight fabric. I'll be making more of these sassy little buntings to sell at the craft show in November! So fun!

Made Monday

2011-09-26T20:13:00.004-04:00

And when I say Made Monday I mean I actually made all 5 of these today, on Monday!

Shocking, I know. Well, for me it is.

My usual time frame is more like 4 days or a week, but Eli has been napping longer than an hour lately so I'm taking full advantage of it. For sure.

5 little lanyards

Pieced with all my favorite oranges, blues, and greys.

Awesome tutorial here. And its simple to boot!

Possibly the perfect Christmas Gift... and you could attached a gift card to the hook!

Sweet lobster-claw hooks with gunmetal finish - scored on Etsy, where else.

And don't you worry, I kept one for myself too - since my car likes to automatically re-lock the doors 30 seconds after I hit UNlock. My keys have a new home, and it stays around my neck until Eli is securely strapped in and I'm in the drivers seat ready to peel out.

Plus its dang cute, and I love it!

Friday Fun! Toddler Sewing

2011-09-23T14:20:00.000-04:00

I'm sorta timid about clothes making... but I don't really count these fleece shorties as clothes.

They're actually meant to be a breathable cloth diaper cover!

At home we use prefold cloth diapers and its nice to put a breathable cover on Eli every now and again... so his tooshie can get some airflow.

I want to make these in the LONGIES version (as in long pants) in a jersey fabric. Just to wear as

comfy everyday pants. I wonder if I could adapt them to my size...

The pattern is from Apple Dumpling Gear on Etsy. SO easy to sew, as it only took about 5 minutes to cut out the pattern, then another 15 minutes to sew them together.

He's blending into the grass pretty well!

Stand still for goodness sakes! Good, thank you!

"Look mom, a truck! I love me a truck driving by!"

I love to see Eli wear the things I make... maybe I should delve into clothes making more often.

Customer Love!

2011-09-21T16:58:00.004-04:00

I received a lovely little note from this little cutie's mom & dad! It was her 1st birthday and they just adored my handmade 1 onesie so they had to send me the pic!

It's quite fun creating these baby birthday gems so I've added even more to my shop!
Custom Orders make me smile too~

what I've been up to...

2011-09-19T22:23:00.006-04:00

1. finishing potholders
(may need to make more, so fun!)

2. cutting 104 tumblers
(anyone want to win a Go!Baby Fabric Cutter?! more on the cute cutter soon!)

3. turning tumblers into mug rugs!

4. not pictured (thanks to a dark rainy day today) my newest sewing machine cover also using
these great tumbler blocks...

There's my life in a few sentences...
what have you been up to?

ahhh family

2011-09-17T14:34:00.003-04:00

This has been a busy week so not much sewing has been happening, but thats ok. I've been reserving this photo for such a week.

Eli + 3 sisters + Mom

(me? I'm on the far left)

Sewing To Be Continued SOON...

Clean + Fuschia

2011-09-08T17:19:00.006-04:00

To all my wonderful readers:
THANK YOU for such great suggestions on my fabric washing problem!
As you can see, I decided to go with the hand-wash in sink suggestion and it came out totally sans-tangles! I did a quick squooshing of water out in a towel and tossed them in the dryer.. and no knots or loss of yardage! Fabulous!

I still may try a few other options such as tossing in a few yards with a load of clothing (really? fascinating!) or pinking the cut ends. I just bought a pinking blade for my Olfa Rotary Cutter and I'm kinda pumped to give it a whirl...

And - good news! We potentially have found a house to call our own... but its a Short Sale so we're now waiting for the sellers bank to approve our offer BUT I've already begun brain storming decorating the inside. Uh, Pinterest to the rescue! I'm addicted to pinning Home Decorating ideas... although everyone seems to use a white (or off white) couch in their livingroom... which is SOOOO not going to happen in my world.

Toddlers + light colored anything = disaster

Anyhow... back to my original thoughts...
I've decided to paint my sewing table Fuchsia. Hi-Gloss Fuchsia.
You see, I potentially have my very own sewing room in this new house... which used to be called the formal dining room! Its directly to the right when you walk in the front door, so I want my space to look sassy, well put together, and bold. For the walls, I have no idea yet!

Here's my paint choice:

Which, via a happy coincidence, matches my new pair of Crocs. I pinky swear that these gosh-awful boat-esque shoes will never be seen on my feet in public - but they'll make great house shoes as the main floor is all hardwood and tile. Fun eh? I think so!
~~~
I've been busy finishing up a load of potholders and just yesterday cut out a bunch of 3" tumbler blocks for a load of mug rugs! Yes, a craft show is looming in November... I'm excited!

The beauty of the tumbler cutting: it only took 20 minutes to cut 104 blocks... more on that soon!

on my cutting table

2011-09-01T12:37:00.002-04:00

Potholders! In various stages of completion...

I finished 2 and noticed they weren't quite the same size, so I decided that 7"x7.5" will be my standard... as most people probably prefer a set that match, in terms of size, at least.

This made a decent dent in my scraps, thank goodness!
No pattern as usual, I just wing it.

Basic instructions:
~ Sew fabric strips of varying widths together until you get a square about 7.5"x8"
~ Use some sort of heat-resistant material for the batting, I used Quilted Ironing Board Covering which was suggested by an employee at JO-Anns.
~ Cut heat resistant material about 8.5"x9"
~ Choose a coordinating cotton (or home dec weight) fabric for backing, make it larger than the batting.
~ Sandwich all 3 layers together (I use quilt basting spray, LOVE it!)
~ Quilt as desired.
~ Choose another coordinating fabric and bind just like a quilt. Add loop if desired.

I experimented a little bit, love the wavy quilting!

Was it dumb of me to make girly pink potholders? Anyone out there have a pink kitchen?
Who knows, some bachelorette might be dying to own pink potholders. Or orange ones, for that matter.

One can hope.And I'll be honest.
I haven't actually tested a handmade potholder yet so I was skeptical as to the heat-resistant-ness of the batting I used. Everyone online seems to use a layer or two of Insulbright... but it just seems so thin to me. Yeah, I like to be different. So I just ran upstairs, put a bowl of water in the microwave, and boiled it. Success! The ironing board stuff protected my hand and made for a nice cushy cooking experience.
So, note to self: If its good enough for an ironing board, its good enough for the kitchen.

What's on your sewing table/cutting table/design wall/knitting needles/crochet hook/loom/pottery wheel/easel/dining room table?

Tangled: I need your 2 cents!

2011-08-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

I rarely pre-wash my fabric. EXCEPT for when I'm making something (non-quilt) that will be washed ALOT, often, and all the time. Like hand towels, and pot holders, grocery bags and drool bibs, etc. I'll be making the above items in bulk for an upcoming craft show so I proceeded to throw half a dozen cuts of fabric into the laundry.
And it came out in a single ball, and tangled to boot.
HELP!

Is there really a way to prevent all the strings from coming loose from the fabrics in the first place?
I've tried pinking each corner by 1/2" - didn't work.
Wash each one separately? Too time consuming and wasteful (water, energy etc.)

After 30 minutes of careful scissor work I untangled the mess and had enough loose strings to weave a whole other FQ of fabric. Help! I'm open to ANY suggestions on how to prevent this from happening later this week when I wash another load of fabrics.

Maybe I'll just start washing ALL fabrics when they enter my house so they're ready to go no matter what project I'm working on... naaaah - thats never going to happen! haha

WIP Wednesday - Habitat Quilt Top

2011-08-24T10:18:00.008-04:00

[Sorry about the sunlight splattering my photos... bad location for a photo shoot? Hmmm yeah.)

Here's my only quilt WIP I have going on at the moment. Its only halfway put together, so it should end up being twice this size! I'm thinking lap size.
You can read a little more about it here. The solid is Kona Cotton in Aqua, and the prints are
HABITAT by Jaye McCarroll... and I plan to have the entire thing DONE by mid-September for the Modern Quilt Guild Challenge.

I spotted a little critter stealing tomatoes from the garden. Its so difficult to get rid of those little buggers!

Once its finished, it'll sit for a few months before its gifted to a special someone for Christmas.
Its only the end of August and I already feel behind in my Christmas gift sewing! What is wrong with me?
Oh yeah, I have a modern craft show on Nov 6th and I'm freaking out that I won't have enough inventory ready! So I've been more focused on that lately...

I've admired this quilt design for a while now, and again, thought I'd try it out, although a slightly different layout ... so far I love it, and is super easy to work up. Very little measuring required, just up my alley!

I've linked up with Freshly Pieced for her WIP Wednesday series! Go check it out!

And I have to sneak in a photo of Eli, for any family that stumbles upon this post!

Fav {F-Words}

2011-08-22T11:36:00.005-04:00

Fun Fabrics!
The first two at left are from the newest DS Quilts collection at Joann's! Joann's hasn't posted them yet on their website so here's a link to the collection on Etsy.
In the middle is "Whimsy" by Heather Mulder Peterson & Deb Mulder for Henry Glass... purchased from SEWN in Cincinnati! Cute shop!
My personal fav, the brown geometric print is "Nutmeg" by Caleb Gray from Groove... sort of reminds me of the Pez fabric that is so hard to come by.
And the dotty-birds fabric on white is "griffith song" by Alexander Henry. I think its yummy!
I only have plans for the first 2 prints, and the others will be added to my stash.

On a similar note - I found out today that Flea Market Fancy (aka FMF to those of us obsessed with fabric) is going to be re-released early 2012! I'm sure this is old news to some people but I thought I'd share anyhow. I didn't care for this line at first but man has it grown on me. I don't actually own any of it because it was out-of-print before I stared sewing... and I refuse to spend $14+ per FQ to get my hands on some. Thus, I will start saving my pennies and see if I can't jump on some good ol' FMF this winter! What do you think? Love it or hate it?

Also included in Fun Fabric: an Ikea Duvet Cover on CLEARANCE for $9.99!
Do you know how much fabric that is? LOADS, actually, its 102" x 86" per the package... and 2 king size pillow cases! I'll add the pillow cases to my stash, and save the duvet cover for quilt backing... man I love Ikea. I should have bought 3. Why didn't I buy 3?

Family!

We were in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania last weekend visiting Eli's Great-Grandparents.
It was Eli's first trip to PA and he did exceptionally well so much driving!
All the family enjoyed seeing Eli, and I'm sure he wore them out, even if they won't admit it.

One final favorite F-word:
Finding money in coat pockets! Yay!
And that never happens to me thanks to Dave Ramsey's cash envelopes.
Once a year its nice to find mis-placed money, I say!

Farmer's Wife QAL: 8 down, 103 to go!

2011-08-10T21:20:00.006-04:00

#3 Basket and #4 Basket Weave
I'm not going in order (1-111) by any means... although it may appear that way. I wanted one easy block and one challenging block, and I'll be honest, that random piece of paper with the pattern for the basket handle was driving me crazy so I had to get rid of it, and make the Basket block!
8 down and 103 to go!

And I've decided the layout will NOT be on point, rather laid out per below... a more modern take, but I think it will work out just fine. I also want to bump up my blocks per week, to 3 instead of 2 and maybe I'll catch up to the majority of participants on Flickr.

Oh Baby! Look what came in the mail the other day!

My new Go! Baby Fabric Cutter!
I'm excited to give 'er a whirl, stay tuned!

Eli {a progression}

2011-08-07T22:24:00.004-04:00

[ gaaah! not on my quilt blocks!]

and.... finally taking a 20 second break on the swing.

All those photos were taken in a 3 minute time span... no wonder he's gone back to two naps a day! To give me a break!

The Modern Quilt Guild: Jay McCarroll Habitat Challenge

2011-08-04T16:39:00.005-04:00

The Modern Quilt Guild has chosen the next challenge! Fabric designer (and winner of the 1st season of Project Runway, eek!) Jay McCarroll is a one-of-a-kind guy and his collection, HABITAT, is nothing short of fantastic.

I'm typically more of a monochromatic fabric girl, but I'm rather enjoying brain-storming this challenge: create any quilted item you like from HABITAT. Sounds easy, right?
Well, sort of, after I narrowed it down that I did actually want to make a quilt... not a quilted bag, table runner, or pillow.

We each received 6 fat eighths (1/8 of a yard or 1/2 of a Fat Quarter) and after sleeping on it I chose to chop a good portion into triangles of varying sizes, and angles, although each triangle does contain a 90 degree angle, for simplicity sake.

Aqua Kona Cotton + HABITAT = new and delicious, in my book!

~~~~~~~
Are you part of the Modern Quilt Guild in your local area? If not, find your guild on the right side-bar of the MQG site, or start a chapter in your area, if not!

An Etsy Update + Giveaway

2011-07-31T11:14:00.000-04:00

First:
Looking for a fun little giveaway to enter? I'm helping to sponsor the 1 year Blogaversary over at Jar of Vintage Buttons so head on over and show Leslie some love!

Second:
I've added a few new goodies to my Etsy shop!

Mini Bunting Flags

(meet 1 yr old Brooklyn, my fab baby model!)

and a few 1 onesies!

Now, I need to start ramping up my sewing efforts for a craft show I'm participating in -- in November! I know, its ages away but I'd rather spread it out instead of sewing 24/7 the month before the show.

I hope you're having a great weekend! Happy Sunday!

Farmer's Wife QAL: 6 down, 105 to go!

2011-07-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

Ahhh... Monday morning!

Don't you just love waking up to the sun shining, birds singing, and your 16 month old son covered in poo? Nothing like an early morning bath scrubbing to get the blood pumping.
We survived, all things poopy are being laundered (probably multiple times) and life goes on.

Moving on to more pleasant thoughts:
FWQAL blocks! Hip hip horray!

I'm still pretty early in the process, only having 6 blocks finished, with 105 to go... and thus I haven't yet decided if I'll place the blocks on point, like above, or... hmmm, NOT on point, like below. I'll show both options until I decide. These are old style blocks but made with modern fabrics, so what is a quilter to do? Go old-school or modernize? The book puts the blocks on point but I'm not sure it suits me.

#39 Friendship and #19 Checkerboard

Here's what all 6 blocks look like together. Right now the red block stands out, which bugs me, but I'll work in more red to balance it out. I think some deeper blues, and oranges will help too. Its slowly coming together and I even splurged on a 6.5"sq quilting ruler to easily square up each block. I'm loving it so far!

This week I'm working on backing and quilting this lovely top for charity via the Columbus MQG. If you're in the Central Ohio area, our next meeting is this Thursday @7pm! Whether you've been quilting for 20 years or 2 weeks, do consider coming!
{stepping off soap box now}

How are you all handling the heat (if you're in the 2/3 of the US with record temperatures?)
We've been going to the pool a lot, and staying in the air conditioning mostly. Oh, and sipping on the best homemade iced coffee EVER. Yum!

Eli + Homemade Iced Coffee

2011-07-18T13:00:00.002-04:00

Eli:

We're walking into church Sunday morning and Eli spots this motorcycle in the parking lot.
I find out it belongs to the drummer so while heading to our car afterwards we take a little detour and let Eli check it out. He was very impressed, and loved sitting on it! Eli is a mans man through and through, can you tell?

Breakfast at Aunt Carla's house:

Shoes are a fav toy... and little man finally put my sandal on correctly, between his toes! He was walking around like that for a while, which made it difficult to get a good shot. I'm about ready to seriously start saving for an SLR camera... my little Canon PowerShot is not cutting it!

Iced Coffee:

Have you been looking for THE best iced coffee recipe? Well you're in luck! I found it via one of my favorite quilting blogs, Film in the Fridge, and the original recipe is found here... SO YUMMY!

We were in the thick of moving last weekend but now we've settled in, I've unpacked my sewing stuff and now I can get back to my FWQAL blocks, a half finished bag, some place mats, and a charity quilt I need to back and quilt. Lots to do - but I love it!

No sewing to speak of...

2011-07-06T16:19:00.007-04:00

... but we had a fabulous Independence Day weekend! Eli enjoyed a ride on Grandpa's boat...

He then promptly fell asleep half way through the ride. I don't blame him, the motion was putting me to sleep too! Swimming at the beach, a cookout, then fireworks were enjoyed as well.

Eli showed his eco-friendly side by creating a hat from "found" materials. Cute eh?

I was able to find some free-time and managed to cut out all 106 templates for the Farmer's Wife QAL, yay! Before they were cut I had each sheet of paper laminated at Office Max for about $16. And here's how I've decided to organize them:

Ziploc baggies numbered 1-15, 16-30 etc. should do the trick! Now there will be no hunting through a bazillion templates, just grab and go! I've even got the fabric picked out for my next two blocks. Now, if we can just get past our move this weekend (eek!!!) I can unpack all my sewing stuff and get on with my stitching addiction. We will only temporarily be living with J's parents until we find the right home for us... which could mean more sewing time for me, with an extra set of adults in the house. Right? Hmmm we'll see!

Tell me what you've been working on lately! I need my sewing fix!
A bag? A quilt? A cute little baby outfit? A skirt for yourself?

Farmer's Wife QAL: 4 down, 107 to go! {+ Eli}

2011-06-22T14:00:00.008-04:00

#41 Friendship Star
{sewed up pretty quick, right?}

#60 Noon & Light
{yeah, this one was a booger - LOTS of tiny pieces and it took forever... but I love how it turned out!}

4 down, 107 to go! Don't think about it Cristin, just do two every week and there will eventually be 111 done! Right? Right!

And I have to sneak Eli in too! He was lounging on the kitchen floor the other day and he stayed still long enough for me to snap a photo. This kind of stillness doesn't happen very often!

What's making you smile this week?

The Farmer's Wife Quilt-A-Long!

2011-06-18T13:48:00.006-04:00

I've been sucked in an there's no turning back now!
My book finally arrived from Amazon (they took forever!) and then of course I found out Joanns carries it in-store and I could have gotten it cheaper, and instantly. Sigh - I guess thats life.

Anyhow - here's the gist of it:
Join in the Flickr group, get your hands on the book and make 111 blocks, each 6" over the course of the next year or so. That's 2 blocks a week! Yeah, sounds manageable, right? I think so! Otherwise, I would NOT have added this to my sewing list.

The story behind the book is quite interesting, and I'm looking forward to reading through it as I make each block. Back in the 1920's a question was posed to the readers of The Farmer's Wife Magazine; "If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you, in the light of your own experience, want her to marry a farmer?" Well I know very little about farming (although I've lived in Ohio my entire life) so this is kind of intriguing to me. Every now and then I think I'd like to be Amish... minus the no electricity thing. Cook, garden, and sew all day? I think I could do it!

So about the QAL: The blocks are very traditional, and there are a bunch of templates to help you cut out your fabric for each block. Now... you know I'm not a very traditional kind of girl, so I plan on using all my fav fabrics which will give a nice modern twist to the project! And these are all SCRAPS - no buying fabric for this quilt - unless I run out of scraps (not likely!) and need to supplement. Here are my larger scraps:

And... my smaller scraps!

Here are my very first two blocks!
They turned out a bit larger than 6.5" so I suppose I'll just trim them all down at the end.

"Spool" #84

"Economy" #29

I'll try to do one harder block and one easy block each week, just so I'm not stuck with all difficult blocks at the end. So what do you think? Am I crazy? Probably. Will I enjoy it and make time for it? Absolutely! I need to exercise my precision when it comes to piecing... so this Farmer's Wife QAL should do just that!

I'll be blogging and posting photos each week as well, so I can see my progress, and share it with all you lovely readers too! I know there are loads of people who read the Flickr group just to see everyone's blocks.... and that's fine to do if you're not up to the actual sewing part of it!

Keeping with the Banner Theme...

2011-06-17T11:40:00.008-04:00

I've been on quite the banner kick lately: cards, bunting, a Banner Quilt, and now a tote bag!
This was a custom request from a fellow crafty gal in N. Kentucky I had met at the craft show I was a part of last December. Leslie is now putting together a MODERN craft show called Birds of a Feather Fair this coming November, I'm excited to be a part of it! If you're in the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana area, check it out!

Anyhow, back to the bag:
I don't really use a tote bag pattern, I've made so many of them I know to cut the fabric about 20" tall and 18" wide, then I do french seams on all 3 sides, finish the top, and add straps - no biggie.
I pulled out some of my smallest pieces of scraps to make the little flags. The edges are finished so this bag can be washed and washed and the bunting should hold up for a long time!

I've been wanting to make my own bias tape so I bought a 1/4" size Clover at Joanns and used some of my Amy Butler quilting solid (kind of a taupe-y gray color) to make the line the bunting hangs on. The tape was a cinch to make! If you can't tell from the photo, the flags are free to flap in the breeze, they're only attached at the top! Fun!

Here's the back, same as the front, mainly. I did square off the bottom (aka adding "gussets") to give extra width to the bag, so it measures about 4" wide.

And... an inside pocket for good measure.
I'm thinking I may need a jumbo sized one for the pool this summer!

So now that this little project is done... I can start the Farmer's Wife QAL!!! Oh, you haven't heard of it? Well its all the rage... join in!!!
More about that tomorrow!

Banner Quilt for Eli - Finished!

2011-06-13T13:01:00.000-04:00

I've been itching to make a quilt for Eli but life has been so busy lately (our house is now in contract - yay!) ... you know how it goes...
I decided to make time to put a fun Banner Quilt together and 4 days later, I had it almost done!
I was inspired by Rylee's Quilt, although it's a smaller girl version.

Technically, this is a wholecloth quilt which means each side is one whole piece of fabric, no blocks to be sewn together, which is why I went for it! Here are some other examples of (proper) wholecloth quilts on Flickr. Wholecloth quilts can be quilted VERY intricately, but I didn't go that direction, since this is only a play quilt for little man.
The front is a flat sheet from Ikea, the backing is half of a duvet cover also from Ikea... both already in my stash! I didn't spend a single dime on new fabric for this quilt, woohoo!

I did some loopy quilting on the mid-arm machine at my LQS, and to my surprise, I had it quilted in a little more than an hour! Yay! Its different from my normal (aka boring) stippling... gives it a bit of movement, and makes for a nice soft quilt!

I cut out the banners (or flags or bunting) from scraps and zig-zag stitched them to the top before it was sandwiched. Easy peasy! I finished that step in 2 sewing sessions. Then I added the string they appear to "hang" on, which is just selvedges sewn together end to end to stretch all the way across. I was winging it, can you tell?

After scouring my stash for binding options, I ended up pulling some brown wood grain (Joel Dewberry,) Kei Honeycomb in Red, and some mustard colored DS Quilts (Denyse Schmidt for Joanns) and I do love how the binding looks!

I realize this is not a quilt-show-worthy piece of art, but finishing it has really soothed my quilting itch while our home is in limbo! Plus I've been on a bit of a banner/bunting/flag kick lately, what does that say?
(oooh tomorrow I hope to post about a bunting tote bag I just finished too!)

Here's Eli testing out his new quilt... that face is him saying "oof" looking for doggies in the neighbors backyard.

Finished Size: 62" x 76"
Uses: rough-housing, tent building, dragging around, wrestling on, cuddling under, and picnicking

{One final photo of Eli and his Grammy}
Thanks to my little sister, Carla, for allowing me to play with her fancy SLR camera - I want one!!! It shoots like butter, er, slices like butter, or shoots like an NBA player? Its a sweet camera, end of story.

Wordless Wednesday {WIP}

2011-06-08T16:20:00.002-04:00

Girl Gifts

2011-06-01T11:02:00.004-04:00

I've been on a gift kick lately! Baby showers, birthdays, bridal showers, graduations.... this time of year is always full of said events, right? I can't always MAKE a gift, but I was able to work it in for two lucky girls:

This fun banner and matching banner card was whipped up in an afternoon for a cousin who is graduating from high school. I hope she finds a spot in her dorm room at Case Western Reserve for it! So this is for the 18 year old...

And for the newborn:
A stroller quilt and two drool bandannas for a Friend's new baby girl to arrive this summer!

I just can't get enough of the drool bandanas! Eli has two and he wears them daily... teething just makes babies drool a lot, so why not stay dry in style? I love the pattern - two bibs whip up in 15 minutes or less! Its from the book Simple Sewing for Baby - if you're a beginner sewist, pick it up, you won't be disappointed!

Oh man, and this yellow Henna Garden fabric is one of my favorites... I had to sneak it into the quilt, and I love the robins egg blue binding... not too girly, but still feminine.

And HAPPY SUMMERTIME!
We went from 40F degrees to 90F in about a week, but who cares! Its time for boating, beach, pool, and the zoo!

My Sewing Space

2011-05-27T09:50:00.001-04:00

Welcome! If you're stopping over via Gen X Quilters then grab a comfy seat, a cup of tea of coffee and visit with me! I'm especially happy to be featured for Follower Friday as AnneMarie has such a fun blog and I'm lucky enough to know her personally as we both live in central Ohio and attend the same Modern Quilt Guild! Yay for real-live sewing friends!

I wanted to show a few more photos of my sewing space, as I'm completely smitten with a new way of folding fabric, arranging In Color Order, and such.

Now, this is not a NEW way of folding, I know, but Jeni's series "The Art of Choosing" really encouraged me to get my act together, fold fold fold, and try to figure out if I'm lacking certain colors or fabrics in my stash. Her series also gave me great tid-bits of information when I am buying fabric, to know if it will be a good fit in my stash or not.

I have decided I have very few stripes, TONS of polka dots, and not near enough yellow, brown or purple... so there's my excuse to go shopping! I know, right?!

See my chair cover? That's my very first successful attempt at free-motion quilting! Its just stippling, but man I was a happy camper when it finally clicked!

And last but not least - McDonald's has an Iced Coffee to die for! See it occupying my mug rug? So yummy! Get it with sugar-free vanilla syrup and its virtually guilt free.

Thanks for stopping by, feel free to stay and browse around!

WIP for Eli

2011-05-26T13:59:00.005-04:00

What does a stack of scrap fabric, an Ikea flat sheet, and an Ikea duvet cover have in common with Eli?

It will soon be a quilt for him!
Well, really for anyone who needs a cozy blanket while they're in our home. For as long as I've been quilting, you'd think my house would be chuck full of quilts. Alas, its quite the opposite! Eli has his crib quilt in the nursery, and I have my SNTM VQB quilt on our bed. Thats it! Sad, I know! I've had a quilt like this on my mind for weeks now.... so I decided to just do it already!
Thus, it will be remedied soon! I'll be at my LQS tomorrow to quilt it on their mid-arm machine.

What have you just been ITCHING to sew lately?!

Simplified Rainbow Quilt - Completed!

2011-05-24T17:24:00.003-04:00

Simplicity. Sometimes its a welcome thing. At least for me...
Just today I discovered the (apparently) huge debate amongst quilters regarding the "dumbing down" of quilting. I'm both fairly new to quilting AND love simple designs. I've gone out of my comfort zone and tried some crazy hard blocks thanks to a couple of Virtual Quilting Bees I was a part of last year, and I discovered I didn't WANT to make an entire king-sized paper-pieced art quilt. Its just not my cup of tea. I've definitely become more adventurous since I started quilting two and a half years ago... but simplicity is where its at for me. Partly because I don't have TIME to make 956 teeny tiny complicated blocks but mostly because I prefer to finish a quilt than have 97 started projects and never finish one of them.
I know for a fact there is an audience for fancy "complicated" quilts; there is an audience for simply designed quilts; and they may be two completely different groups of people.
But that's ok, afterall.

Maybe its not so much what was said, its the actual term DUMBING DOWN....

Moving on:This quilt is simple, and small, I admit!
But it hangs in my sewing room and it makes me smile every time I see it. Its my first wall-hanging!
Finished size: 24" x 28"
Inspired by Red Pepper Quilts
Fun to make: YES!
Quick to put together: YES!

Fabric used: 1 charm pack of Kona Brights plus Kona Coal grey
Quilting: Free-motion on my domestic Janome machine
Binding: Sugar Pop by Moda
Batting: Warm and White cotton

Now go sew something already! ;-)

Eli + Unexpected Awesomeness!

2011-05-14T14:30:00.003-04:00

Random Story: I received an email from Angela at Fat Quarter Shop saying that I was the winner of their weekly giveaway! I was shocked because I've won one giveaway in the last 3 years... so this was a nice surprise! Its the Pure Elements Fat Quarter Bundle (by Patricia Bravo for Art Gallery) and can I just say the colors are genius! Very vibrant and deep... I'm thinking of pairing a print with each color to make a color block quilt. Although I'm sure I won't get to it anytime soon, as usual. The fun Munki Munki prints just came to mind but I only own one print (Pink ice cream trucks) so I'd need to do some major swapping to have 9 other prints.
OR
Do you happen to own some Munki that would match any of these colors? I'd be willing to chop these FQ's up and share, if you shared your Munki! haha
My wheels are turning now....

And then there's Eli:

{13 months)
His new favorite toy is the bakeware drawer under the oven. He looks comfy in there!
Eli also enjoys taking cookie sheets into the living room and sitting on them like a wagon, or sled. Creative little guy - and funny to no end!

It's about time...

2011-05-13T18:16:00.004-04:00

It seems like its been ages since I listing anything new in my Etsy shop, so over the last week I've been able to whip up two (count em TWO!) mug rugs! For me, quite the feat! Why has my sewing time been so sparse?

Our townhome is officially:
- FOR SALE -
(and making it look spotless for website photos and showings takes a lot of time!)

(All of these photos were taken as soon as the realtor finished taking his photos for the listing website... no baby gates, toys, or clutter to be found!)

(the toilet has since been child-proofed!)
But now he loves to flush it... sigh.

My poor sewing space has been reduced to this... but still usable, and my projects are tucked away in boxes in the next room, so I'm ok with it. I kind of like it all neat and tidy... see that rainbow quilt on my cutting table? Its going to get quilted tonight! *huge grin*
... AFTER Eli is in bed!

Anyone have fun tips for making showings super special? I always make sure there are fresh flowers out, and a treat on the kitchen counter. What else can I do?
We've had 3 showings in the last 2 weeks. I consider that progress in a market like this!

Bright Contrast

2011-05-02T23:37:00.005-04:00

I think mine was the most basic of basic quilt tops shown at the CMQG two weeks ago. I've only been quilting for a bit over 2 years so I don't feel too much pressure to be all complicated and fancy schmancy. (Ok, sometimes I do feel the pressure but I do not succumb! I have a 1 year old for goodness sake!) We were challenged to each design a quilt with the "Bright" Kona charm packs that RK so generously donated to our (and every) modern quilt guild.
This is what I came up with. Well, I didn't even come up with the design, I first saw this Zig-zag quilt on Rita's Flickr stream ... it was a more earthy colored quilt and I loved it and wanted to try it for myself. I LOVE zig-zag quilts, had never made one, and thought hey, I need to atleast try this! I do love how it turned out!

But I think I would have laid out the colors differently if I could do it again. I kept the colors in order from the charm pack, started at the top left, went straight across, then dropped down and straight left and so on.... I should have started in a corner and gone diagonal. Hmm, following the zag, if you know what I mean. Lucky for me I happen to have the other halves of all these Kona squares so I may just have to make another quilt and lay it out again, but better. That's what happens when you're crunched for time and just want a completed top to bring for show and tell!

To quilt it I'm mulling over some free-motion zig-zagging along the coal gray. I'm hoping for an organic design but still showing off the waves of color.

Sugar Pop (by Moda) will be just the ticket for the binding... colorful, but not too crazy or too big of a print. Yes I know, I never buy Moda but this collection just begged me to buy some! Plus how could I not add this and this to my stash?

The back will just be solid grey, maybe ash grey. I think this will end up being more of a wall-hanging so why fool with a fancy back? My first wall-hanging quilt!

The Babies {together again!}

2011-05-01T23:22:00.003-04:00

Lucy, Lucy, my Eli, and Jolie

"Time flies" as the saying goes, and time flies especially fast when it comes to babies! Remember when they were this small and this small? Well I do! Now they're all over 1 year old already... sigh.

Us four mommas were able to catch up while the babies played then we all went out for lunch... fun was had by all! Then nap time was had by all babies :-)

{Things I love}

2011-04-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

Denyse Schmidt has a new line of fabric at JOANNS, of all places! You'll find it under the label "DS Quilts" and there are a plethora of prints, in 2 colorways. These were the 5 prints I loved the most so I grabbed them up!
I know... Joanns! Which means you can use coupons too!

Eli is not a thing that I love, but a little boy that I love! Today he was wrestling with my granny square blanket and I had to snap a few shots. At one point he was rolling around on the ground with it wrapped around his waist. Don't worry, I was keeping an eye on him. But as you can see - he won the match!

The newest thing I love... finding cute baby shoes on Ebay for cheap!
I found, bid, and won these Keen sandals for Eli for a mere $9.53! Most of the auctions for similar sandals were ending between $18 and $20 so I consider this a deal!
(This particular listing spelled it "Keens" with an (s) on the end so I think that's how there were only a few bids... gotta love typos!)

What are you loving these days?
Oh, and can you say SPRING?! There's another thing I'm loving!
Even though we've had over 12" of rain this month alone, I'm still loving it!

{THAT quilt}

2011-04-21T17:00:00.002-04:00

Commissioned quilts can be difficult, at times. That's why I've only ever agreed to a handful in the 3 years I've been quilting. This quilt was NOT difficult, and do you know why? Because I loved all the fabric, the design... pretty much everything about it. And it was on the small side, only 35"x45". So very doable, and enjoyable to create!

This side was inspired by Rita over at Red Pepper Quilts, but I didn't use any solids like she did.
Ever wonder how to make strip quilts without all the strips going curved? Check out Ashley's mini tutorial, she's got some fabulous tips! Not to mention a gorgeous new baby boy, Max!

Its rather hard to see, but I did straight-line quilting in sets of 3, going the long way.
I really like how that turned out!

The other side (not really the back, as I consider it a 2-sided quilt) is really fun, and was inspired by this block that I received from one of the girls in a virtual bee I was a part of via Flickr.

{I've said it once and I'll say it again - if you've never joined a quilting bee, virtual or otherwise, you need to just do it already! Don't know where to start: check out this thread}

Washed and extra crinkly!

I rather adore the green Katie Jump Rope binding.

While I was taking photos of the quilt, I couldn't help but notice the pear blooms on the tree in the garden. I hate this tree because it blocks all sunlight into the garden, but at least it looks pretty for a few days, eh? I would chop it down in a heartbeat but it would smash the fence... thus, it must stay. grrrr
Or maybe there's a way to kill it... must google that!

Finally, Eli. It was a windy chilly day.... and we thought a ride in his new wagon would be fun.
I didn't bring a winter parka for him, of course, so a huge hoodie to go over his spring jacket did the trick.
And did I mention he's walking?! He is. Everywhere.
And he's not far from running, too. Yikes!

What have ya'll be up to? Lots of quilting and sewing I hope!

{Quilting}

2011-04-09T08:39:00.002-04:00

Quilting is now finished and its time for binding!
I used masking tape to make nice straight lines... easy, right?!

The girls and I are heading off to the Quilt Festival in Cincinnati today!!! I'm really looking forward to it ~ my first ever visit to a quilt show!

Sneak Peek: Baby Girl Quilt

2011-04-05T21:06:00.005-04:00

I'm working on a commissioned baby quilt for a new little girl to arrive later this spring, and I must say, I'm really enjoying the process!

I've been given a bit of freedom to design this quilt and I'm using this quilt and this quilt block as inspiration... as the mom-to-be really liked the look.

A finished quilt is soon to appear!
(finished size will be 35" x 45")

What's on your sewing table this week?

The Birthday Boy!

2011-04-05T12:33:00.003-04:00

1 year old already! Where did my baby boy go?

A Charming Challenge

2011-03-28T11:00:00.001-04:00

The lovely people at Robert Kaufman Fabrics furnished our little Columbus Modern Quilt Guild with Kona Charm Packs to play with! A challenge has been made for each of us to create a quilt centered around these 42 squares of Kona solids (the Bright Color Palette)... and we can add one additional solid and also a print, if we so choose.
The Theme: Summertime Fun!

I've been racking my brain and have finally decided how to chop up and sew together this rainbow of fabrics! I'm adding Coal Kona for sure but have not yet decided if a print will be added... maybe for the binding?
My inspiration came from Rita... but I won't say exactly which pattern, you love a surprise, right?

We'll be sharing our progress at the next meeting on April 21st... hopefully I have a completed quilt top to show! My fingers are crossed!
If you live in or around Central Ohio - and love to quilt, or even want to LEARN to quilt, come to the next meeting! We gather at Quilt Trends close to I-71 and 161.

I personally love being a part of this group! Its one thing to have 'online' quilting/sewing friends on Flickr, Etsy, etc but to be able to chat face to face with local gals and learn from each other in the process... I'm finding it priceless!

Mr. Blue Eyes

2011-03-21T23:32:00.014-04:00

*almost* 1 year old

loves the beach

(only!) 2 teeth
can walk if he holds your hand
has a smile that will melt your heart

loves his dad
refuses to say mama

wrinkles his nose to say "woof" like a doggie
but it comes out "oof"
can sign milk and all done
is becoming more cuddly, finally

loves all four of his aunts
lights up when he sees his grandparents
can climb stairs like nobody's business
flirts with girls of all ages at the grocery store

enjoys fruit, cheese, lasagna, and beef stew
hates to nap but usually succumbs
has blonde roots
loves his doggy Hazel
always waves hello and goodbye

Thanks to Aunt Carrie for taking these awesome photos while we were visiting sunny Florida!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T16:00:00.000-04:00

tag! you're it!

2011-03-15T18:16:00.006-04:00

Freshly attached to the quilt, so its now officially done!
{I don't consider a quilt done until it says who it belongs to and who made it, when, and where}
Sister doesn't have a decent iron (a quilter's nightmare!) so the label is poorly pressed, but she didn't care.
And thats about the only quilt I've finished in the last three months... hmmm.
I'm working to rectify that problem though! Promise!

Sunday Stash {Pips!}

2011-03-06T23:30:00.008-05:00

It's still Sunday, right? Right, just barely.

The mailman brought me a fun little package from Fat Quarter Shop!
I didn't think the long awaited "Sherbet Pips" by Aneela Hoey came out until April but I did receive the email from FQS that they had charm packs, layer cakes, and jelly rolls IN STOCK!

What's a PIP, you ask? I have no idea. I tried to google it but nothing seemed to answer my question. Is it a monetary measurement? Or maybe its short for "Pippi Longstocking?" I imagine it to be a type of British candy, for some reason. Anyhow, I digress.

So I pounced on 2 charm packs (each pack consisting of 42 - 5" squares of the entire line!) Yes sir-ee Bob, I'm a happy girl! Now, if only the yardage were available... then I could make a major dent in my checking account~

I pulled my three fav prints, below... Mmmmm yummy!

Now the important question: What shall I create from these 84 squares?
A quilt, most likely... if the most perfect design were to cross my path.

Boy Bibs!

2011-03-02T16:48:00.006-05:00

You won't find a spot of pink or a flower on these drool catchers! If you haven't been following "Celebrate the Boy 2011" over at Made by Rae... you're missing out! Sometimes it seems like boys get the shaft when it comes to cute handmade items like bibs, pants, and the like. Well I decided Eli needed a few new fun boy accessories that are not only modern but all boy!

I own a handful of baby sewing books by the likes of Amy Butler and Lotta Jansdotter to name a few, and these bibs and drool bandannas are both from Lotta's baby sewing book! They were quick and easy to sew up, which is a prerequisite for me these days!

Apparently I hate blue... but thats ok - if we happen to have a girl someday, we'll be ready!

The pattern for these bibs actually had a rounded bottom but I squared them off for better coverage, and I think it makes them unique from store-bought bibs.
Who knew a few scraps from other projects could go so well together? A little Tufted Tweets from Sister's quilt... a little Alexander Henry from a tote bag, and a titch of Full Moon Dots and Katie Jump Rope (which I can't seem to be rid of!) Well, not that I hate them but I've been using up scraps for what seems like ages and I'm tired of looking at them! Maybe I just need to go fabric shopping, right? Right! Oh wait, I already did! Sherbet Pips just became available at The Fat Quarter Shop - what are you waiting for?! Snag a few charm packs or FQ stacks!

Finally:
One of my quilts is featured over at Sew We Quilt in the banner! How fun!
I just love March... green IS one of my favorite colors!

Florida Fun!

2011-03-01T18:18:00.005-05:00

We just returned from a long weekend in Tampa Florida! It was almost like a little family reunion as it was both my sisters, their husbands... then we drove to Palm Beach Gardens and spent an entire day with my moms side of the family whom we haven't seen in YEARS.
Eli even met his Great-grandma for the first time!

The above photo was taken at the NY Mets spring training game we attended on Sunday... it was a great little game and the weather was gorgeous!
After this long winter in Ohio... Florida was just the ticket!

Lattice Quilt for Sister

2011-02-23T09:00:00.004-05:00

Our household has been under the weather for the last few weeks so I'm just now getting these photos posted. I DID finish the quilt in January as promised... as its a late Christmas gift!
It's already living with my sister in Kentucky and I know for a fact she'll get tons of use from it!
(Her husband is warm-blooded and their house is always cold!)

A few stats:
size: about 70x70"
fabrics: Red colorway of Laurie Wisbrun's "Tufted Tweets" along with other various black/grey prints
Batting: Warm and White
Quilting: all-over stippling done at my LQS mid-arm machine!
Inspired by: Ashley from Film in The Fridge

The back is pieced with leftover fabric and 4 blocks that I started out wanting to use on the front then I decided the red and yellow together looked a little too... meh. Reminds me of McDonald's... or a hotdog. All the solid greys you see is Kona Ash and Kona Coal, my go-to solids!

My sister and I took these photos a couple of weeks ago on the COLDEST day of the year, of course. It couldn't have been more than 2 or 3 degrees outside. My fingers were frozen after about 3 minutes of camera work so the few quick shots you see here is it. I haven't finished the tag yet so once I get that stitched on maybe we'll be able to take a few more.

What's keeping you occupied this winter? Do share!

Amy Butler In-Person!

2011-02-16T15:35:00.003-05:00

I'm so very lucky that Amy Butler lives just outside of Columbus and she made an appearance last night at my favorite little Fabric Shop, Sew to Speak!

My friend, AnneMarie, and I waited in line for an hour to meet Amy and boy she didn't disappoint! She was so friendly and took the time to sit down with us, chat, and sign out books.
She was truly amazing! And all her yummy designs were strewn about the shop, not to mention all the FABRIC we were drooling over but didn't want to get out of line for.

Amy Butler is the first celebrity, of any kind, that I've ever met (I'm lame, I know!) and it was just really great... I highly recommend meeting her if you ever get the opportunity!

Befitting an Arctic Day

2011-02-10T17:45:00.005-05:00

I finished this Eggplant colored afghan for my SIL last Friday... happy birthday Jess!
Its rather large, big enough to snuggle under for a nap.
The yarn is by Caron (1lb per skein) and this took 2.5 skeins.
The pattern is just a rectangular granny square. I rather enjoy a pattern you don't have to count... I prefer to crochet mindlessly while watching tv, chatting in the car, or waiting at the Dr. office.

I've got a few quilty projects in the works... one big, a few small.
And I'd love to find a pattern for little boy (infant to toddler size) pants. I've seen them around the web but need to do some more research to find a free or inexpensive pattern. Or maybe just buy a {used} copy of AMH's book, Handmade Beginnings. But why would anyone want to sell their copy? The book has gotten such rave reviews! Hmmm...

**edit** I did find a cute little pair of pants in Simple Sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter. Might give that a try this weekend! AND was given a link for these adorable little "Big Butt Baby Pants" perfect for cloth diaper bums! How can I choose? Or shall I make both...

Homemade fun

2011-02-05T10:01:00.004-05:00

Babies love to make noise. What better toy to make that noise with that good ol' pot and pans and wooden spoons? He's completely OVER his own baby toys so we had to get creative.
Good thing his birthday is coming up... maybe a few new toys are in order?

If you have a 1yr old... or know a 1yr old... or USED to have a 1yr old...
What were their favorite toys at that age?
(All babies love electronics but there is no way in H-E double hockey sticks he's getting an iPad!)
I need ideas. I have no clue! And our space is small so its gotta be compact. Yeah, I know. Good luck with that :-)

Due to the weather...

2011-02-02T12:27:00.006-05:00

We are NOT venturing outside today! First it was freezing rain, then heavy downpours, then ice falling off the roof at 3am! Now everything is frozen again (~1" of ice,) its snowing, and 30mph winds. The boy and I have been battling a head cold since Saturday so thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Winter. Instead, we'll drool over some yummy fabrics! The above stack is from Sew Fresh Fabrics and Hawthorne Threads. Delicious! I have no plans for any of them except I suppose the dots will become binding for a quilt.

Circa 50 FQ collection from my wonderful SIL, Kristin.
These will for sure become a family quilt.

(These are my fav prints from the collection!)

And last but not least, a fun little stack gifted by my older sister... from a cute little shop in Georgia called Fabrika! The bicycles are my favorite! Too fun!

So have you been reading the series The Art of Choosing by a great blog called In Color Order?
Jeni is doing a series of posts about how to organize/fold/display/store/buy fabric!!! I don't know about you, but I need some advice! My fabric stash is on the verge of out of hand! I think I need to arrange by color... but what does THAT really mean? Well go check out her blog, you will not be disappointed!

Long Arm of the law...

2011-01-26T18:47:00.009-05:00

The Law of Long Arm states:
You will quilt that 6'x6' quilt in no time!

Its true! I took the class to learn to use this amazing, fast long arm machine at my LQS and now I'm hooked! It took an hour to set up (thanks for your help Jen!) then I went to town doing a meandering stippled free-motion design and boom! One hour later I was done!

This sweet piece of technology has a stitch regulator so EVERY stitch is the same length... no matter how fast or slow you move. Yes, its my new best friend when I have a large quilt to finish.
Baby quilts I can still manage on my little Janome at home.

If your local quilt shop offers Long Arm rental time - take advantage of it! Learn how to use it and you'll be amazed how quickly and easily the quilting part will go! No more wrestling matches with big quilts at home. Yay!

And I just finished the binding on this quilt today and its in the dryer as we speak... will be handing it over to my sister this weekend! And I think a little photo shoot is in order!
Only about a month late as a Christmas gift. This year, I'm starting my Christmas projects in June. I kid you not.

ps: My new crafty friend, Leslie over at Jar of Vintage Buttons, is featuring me on her blog today!
I met her at a craft show in N. Kentucky and she's even putting together a MODERN craft show that will be held this November in Florence! More info to come! Thanks for the love, girl!

I dare you

2011-01-25T19:11:00.006-05:00

I dare you to find a better looking front door wreath for $7!
I saw this wreath at Little Scraps of Happiness and filed it in the back of my mind. (Be sure to check out the link to Design Sponge.... where the idea originally came from!) My non-Christmas, non-Fall wreath was faded and worn so I decided to check out Joanns for a new neutral wreath.
I didn't find anything I liked for less than $20 and remembered this gorgeous heart wreath!

I am NOT a "crafty" person... but I was able to create this wreath in less than 2 hours.
Really. You should try it! I may need to make a non-heart one for March-August! Now... what color(s)???

$2.99 for 1 yd of red felt (72" wide)
$3.99 for the foam heart
straight pins I found in my sewing room
equals this:

Bee Block for Amanda!

2011-01-22T16:21:00.005-05:00

For the final month of the {Bee}-autiful VQB Amanda requested 16" square blocks that were non-wonky and bento box like. She's going to be chopping these blocks into quarters to yield 4 8" blocks then sewing them together like this. I really do think its going to look amazing!

sdlkfj

lsdkjf

WIP Wednesday

2011-01-19T18:53:00.003-05:00

Lattice top: Done!
Backing: In the works!

I'll be quilting it on a long-arm machine at my LQS and I'm pretty excited about it!
To quilt a 72x72 inch quilt in an hour... instead of 4 days on my little Janome...
words cannot explain.

My New Favorites - Part Two

2011-01-18T00:01:00.006-05:00

{scroll all the way down for Eli}

These red, grey, and black blocks will soon (ahem, tomorrow) turn into a quilt top! I'm thinking this design will be a new favorite for sure! Said quilt is a belated Christmas gift for my little sister and new BIL. All of the red fabric is the red colorway of the Tufted Tweets collection which is just too fun... I was inspired by Ashley's quilt and just had to give it a go. Each block is 12.5" square and the grey is Kona Ash, love it!
Speaking of favorites...
Columbus finally has its own branch of the Modern Quilt Guild! We've met twice and meet again this Thursday at 7pm. If you're near Central Ohio and love modern quilts/sewing... come check it out! We also held a little Sew-In this past Saturday and that's how all the above blocks came to be finished so quickly! Its amazing what one can accomplish in 3 hours of uninterrupted sewing time!

And here are more new favorites!
My family finally noticed I'm addicted to fabric so for Christmas I received this gorgeous FQ set of the "Sanctuary" collection by Patty Young. I am SO saving this stack for a quilt... if you have any suggestions on a pattern that uses fat quarters, do share! I'm awful at deciding on a quilt design!

More fabric favorites from Christmas!
In particular, the top fabric has numbers in handwriting and I just love it! Ready? Its from Ikea!
Which means NOT expensive!
Perfect for a quilt back, no?

And last but not least - Eli! I had to get a few shots of his messy self after eating squash and beets... no babies or small animals were harmed, I promise! I realize he looks like a carnivore here. The red stuff is BEETS, people!

WIP Wednesday

2011-01-12T20:30:00.005-05:00

So this is one of my two big WIPs... daunting eh? I had some help making all these string blocks thanks to the lovely ladies of the {Bee}autiful VQB on Flickr. Um, back in September.
Each block is 12" square.

Not surprisingly, I don't have near enough blocks as I'd like! And I'm nearly out of the Darcey fabric that makes up the blues and greens. Therefore, I'll be mixing in a few other non-Darcey prints of similar blues and greens... hopefully it won't throw the whole thing off.
And if it does, I'm keeping this quilt - so no one will be the wiser. Except me.

I'm also thinking of dividing sets of 4 blocks with white sashing, (like this) although I know that will diminish the overall impact. I'm just looking for ways to make it BIGGER. I'll work up some more blocks and see how big it turns out. Or I could add an outside border? Not a huge fan of borders but to make it bigger... might do the trick!

Anyone want to swap their Darcey fabric with me?
I have Japanese grey elephants... :-)

Eli's First Christmas

2011-01-11T19:52:00.005-05:00

Enjoy!

Thanks to my wonderful sister for shooting these photos of Eli... and to the Grandparents for picking up this adorable little Santa suit!

Frame worthy for sure!

ps - Eli said "dada" tonight for the first time! But I'm pretty sure its just a bunch of consonant sounds he's making. Nothing deliberate. If that were the case, he'd be saying "Hazel" and "Mama" first!

My New Favorites - Part One

2011-01-06T23:00:00.001-05:00

I received these Gingher 8" Knife Blade Scissors and I have to say, they are pretty sweet!

They cut through fabric like butter. And I'm not joking. Buh-bye old worn out scissors!

AND

Under the scissors... my new copy of The Practical Guide to Patchwork
by Elizabeth Hartman (of Oh Fransson!)... my new favorite book! If you love her quilts and fabulous use of color, you will not be disappointed in this book! It lays out the basics of how to construct a quilt, how to choose and cut fabric... plus there are 12 of her quilt patterns so you too, can create a gorgeous quilt of your very own! The Birdbath quilt is my favorite, I think.
If you have never made a quilt, after reading this, and following Elizabeth's precise and intuitive directions... I'm sure you could sew one in no time! Well, not no time - some time, but you know what I mean.

Another favorite: a new quilting design! Not NEW as in never been done before but new to me... and I love it!
I was inspired after seeing this post from Elizabeth, who like me, usually does a standard stippling on quilts. It was really fun, but hard for me to break the curvy-ness of my old ways, so not every corner is crisp like it should be. I'll definitely be trying this on other quilts! Love it!

What have you tried that's out of your realm of 'normal?'

Macbook Sleeve for Sister

2011-01-04T14:30:00.000-05:00

My sister requested a cover for her 13" Macbook so I came up with this fun little
design using teal Echino fabric and a super soft plush minky inside.

An elastic loop and button finish it off for a nice secure fit.
I hope it made her Christmas (and laptop) a little more cozy.

Done!

2010-12-24T11:58:00.004-05:00

Two Dresden Plates are DONE! And already mailed off to Angela... hooray!
More details on said blocks here.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a great weekend of festivities, family and friends!

A Boy and His Bath

2010-12-21T13:49:00.006-05:00

Forget the boats, he loves the Burts Bees soap bottle!

I'm trying to savor every moment - he's growing so fast!

Dresden Plates in Progress

2010-12-21T13:26:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the Virtual Quilting Bee I'm a part of... I get to try all sorts of new techniques!
Angela sent a bunch of Katie Jump Rope fabric (one of my favs!) for us to turn into 2 Dresden Plate blocks! I've never ventured into this area so I dove in this morning! The tutorial we're using is from the Sew Mama Sew! blog and created by Elizabeth of Oh Fransson!

Angela sent us pre-cut pieces so the hard part was done! I finished piecing this circle in about an hour so its quite manageable! Next is to attach it to a creme 16" square block then add the center fabric to finish it off.
Thanks, Angela, for helping me master a new block and get over my fear of 'messing it up.'

Timber Quilt

2010-12-15T22:04:00.009-05:00

{ quilting }
all over meandering free-motion stippling
My little Janome really does a nice job, although every now and then it skips a stitch causing the darning foot to get caught on the thread. Then I start to get angry.
Which is why I took training classes to use the big, cool, phat LONG ARM machine at my LQS...
More about that in January, to be sure!

{ size }
60" x 42"
Lap Size, I'd called it.
I was going for "get it done fast" so I used 9 whole fat quarters, if you cannot tell.
Does that make me lazy? Nope, just in a hurry to get a bagillion things done.
You've done it too - be honest.

{ fabric }
Front: Jessica Levitt "Timber" collection in berry.
LOVE IT!
I also added a FQ of "In The News" newspaper looking fabric... its rare (OOP?) but I still have another FQ left. I'm hoarding it for a black and white quilt I hope to start some day.
Maybe in 2011? I do hope so!

{ fabric cont. }
Back: Kona Cotton in "terragon" which is a nice little contrast to the pinks and blues on the front. I was a tad short on the green yardage so I dove into my stash of Leaf Path from the Dill Blossom Collection (which apparently is hard to find now as well because I can't even provide you with a link!) What's up with that?

{ binding }
Pieced... A little In The News, a little green and a little creme.
In The News is my favorite, no doubt!
On larger quilts I like to finish the binding by hand.
It just seems proper. Call me old fashioned.

Available in my Etsy shop. Makes a great gift! (wink wink)

Fabric and Christmas Trees!

2010-12-12T14:13:00.006-05:00

I went on a bit of a bender at my fav local fabric shop... MAN was it FUN!

left to right:
It's a Hoot by MoMo for moda
Hoodie for Blank Textiles in Grape
Hope Valley by Denyse Schmidt Designs

Urban Circus by Laurie Wisbrun
Weekends by Erin McMorris
(those bicycles are just too fun - I love them!)

Zoo Menagerie by Eleanor Grosch for FreeSpirit
Urban Zoologie (Whales in Bermuda) by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman
Urban Circus by Laurie Wisbrun
Urban Zoologie (Owls in Bermuda) by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman
...

Yesterday we were able to go and pick out our Christmas Tree!
It was fairly mild and sunny plus Eli was great for the whole trip, couldn't have asked for more.
The tree is currently half decorated...
We will finish decorating it today, really.

Sneak Peek

2010-12-08T23:21:00.004-05:00

A Christmas gift... for whom I cannot {yet} say.
But I love this Japanese Echino fabric! I believe its a linen cotton blend and its quite substantial; a bit thicker than quilting weight cotton for sure.

How are your handmade gifts coming along? Don't be dismayed, do share :-)
I am the first to say I still have A LOT to do!

And Then it was Over

2010-12-05T19:24:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was the craft show I've been writing about lately... my very FIRST craft show... and for the last two months sewing items for. And now its over! Yes, I'm somewhat relieved. I can now move on to sewing for Christmas AND re-stock my Etsy Shop, among other things.

Anyhow - back to yesterday's event: It was held at a church in Florence, Kentucky, and the show workers were amazingly friendly and helpful! They even had men out front at 7:30am to help us carry things inside... which was great!
Carla and I set up the tables then moved things around three times before we decided on the final setup about 15 minutes before the show opened at 9am.
The best selling items were the burp cloths, hand towels, mug rugs, and zipper pouches. Unfortunately I brought home all of the quilts, stroller quilts, baby elf hats, and sewing machine covers. I guess I chalk it up to it snowing all day and I think that deterred some people from venturing out, or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

I had my first sale after an HOUR into the show. That kind of took me aback but I kept telling myself that this was a different kind of crowd... grandma's, good ol' folks, and people who have never heard of Etsy or know anything about modern crafting/sewing/quilting. The above quilts stayed nice and cozy on Grandma's quilt rack as none of them sold... but that's ok. Tomorrow I'll be listing them on Etsy and I'm sure they'll find a nice home.

Overall it was a great experience! There were a couple of vendors that had adorable little booths, were on Etsy, and obviously had done a craft show or two in the past. They approached me to ask if I'd be interested in a MODERN "craft show" next November and of course I said YES! They were super sweet girls and I think the networking I did at this show could be worth a lot.

**A HUGE THANK YOU to my mom, Carla, and Amanda for coming to support me (and help with Eli) yesterday!**

A Banner Day

2010-12-02T15:45:00.000-05:00

Juuussst about ready for Saturday...