so happy to sew

Granny Square Goodness

2012-02-27T09:57:00.002-08:00

These are too much fun. By finishing three this weekend, I am up to nine so far and I am going for very scrappy and bright. I may make the centers different in some, but not all cause I don't really care what the rules are. The whole point of granny squares in crocheting is to use up extra bits of yarn so I am trying for the same look for me.

I am placing more grey, brown and black into the design without sacrificing the brightness.

I press towards the white and the strips are pressed away from the center. I want to connect them the way they are, but my dilemma is how to press the blocks when they are sewed together. I may opt for a one inch sashing to set the blocks.

I have been leaving them up on my linen inspiration board which creates pure motivation every time I walk by to make more!!

Hanging out with Modern Mondays with Meagan and BOMs Away (a finished Block Link Up) at Lyn's.

TGIF

2012-02-24T10:48:00.001-08:00

I worked on a lot of UFOs and finished some WIPs these last two weeks.

I tried paper piecing and found this pattern to try. It was easy when I got the hang of it. Amanda has a great tip for anyone who tries this. Megan worked on one I loved and I knew I had to make one too. I hadn't seen it for months and just linked to it today, but it seems I picked the same binding. It's funny how the subconscious works!

I added some perle cotton handquilting, but after washing I realized that the white was not prewashed and the puckering wasn't what I wanted for something I wanted to sit under a vase of flower. Noted for next time.

It peaked my interested so my son and I embarked on a mug rug paper-piecing project. While I positioned the paper and fabrics, he sewed accurately on the marked lines of the pattern!

It was so much easier than explaining how to make an accurate quarter inch seam. I sewed the binding and its corners on. Then he sewed the binding on the back, pinned by me, and my jaw dropped.

He actually was able to stitch in the ditch accurately. My husband was like, cool, but you guys know how hard that is!! I love sewing with my kids. My son was so proud of himself.

I made another pincushion for Jenny. My first got lost in the Christmas mail, but I am so glad she got this one. I added a few scraps to hopefully alleviate the waiting.

Then I picked up a really old WIP.

This is a star quilt that has been staring at me for 10+ years. (gasps) I am hand piecing them. I have twenty stars in completed rows of twenty. That's where time got away for me for a few years. Something about having 3 kids. ;) Now the rows are being sew together. I haven't finished it because it makes me want to cry. It doesn't reflect my fabric choices at all these days and takes time away from other quilts, but it would be a shame to leave it unfinished. I started it before I had a machine. Ack. Either way I am going to press on. What's a few more years, right? I fondly blame Amanda Jean for picking this one up again! :)

I am going to enjoy my time today visiting Amy, Sarah and Amanda Jean this week and finding what other finishes are out there.

I ♥ Granny! (squares)

2012-02-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes my mind goes blank when I have to sit down to write a blog post. Usually it's, "Ooo the kids are asleep!", and then I want to crash and watch too much TV. So the last couple of weeks have been hectic and I have been on a new diet. Seeing some results, but the worst part is no sugar, no gluten and no caffeine. Yikes! I am getting used to it, but the first few days made me realized how addicted I am to all of it.

Of course I am getting addicted to something new.

I am finding Quarter Square Triangles and some Half Square Triangles avoid fabric waste. I used 4 1/8 inch and 2 3/8 inch squares of the Kona Snow respectively. Tracy mentioned this in the flickr group's discussions and it has worked beautifully. I starched the squares before cutting and as a rule kept the bias edge on the bottom as I sewed. All blocks finish at 9 inches square.

I may have figured out my attraction of Granny Square Quilts. Each square is like a mini quilt with it's own cohesive color grouping that could be used in a larger quilt, but with a lot less work and instant satisfaction. I need that!

Plus, I have no idea how to make granny squares by crocheting! Check out Blue Elephant Stitches if you want to see a finished quilt and tutorial. Here is another Flickr group.

After the sixth 20 inch block of my 1 inch postage stamp quilt,

these granny square blocks seem easy enough and I am using every bit of the stash! Can't beat that! Will you be making a Granny Square quilt with the Old Red Barn Quilt Along? I will be making it when I have the time and who knows what size it will end up.

Hanging out with Modern Mondays with Meagan and BOMs Away (a finished Block Link Up) at Lyn's.

The Last Take Your Time Tuesday

2012-01-31T09:08:00.000-08:00

Soo... what do you think?

I'll add some half flowers on the border and then add a row of solids-scrap hexagons-solids. It will measures 63 by 82 inches then. I ran out of Kona Bone so there will be some reordering and hoping the Kona matches. It is based on a quilt by badskirtAmy.

I will be ending the linky today since there doesn't seem to be that much interest in sharing handwork in progress or not. Thanks for playing along.

So what have you been working on this week? So what have you been up to this week? Do you have some handwork to share? Link up, add the Take Your Time Tuesdays button on the sidebar to your post and be sure to visit and leave comments on each other's posts!

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Patchwork Potholder- Zakka Style

2012-01-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

This is completed project number 3 this year. I'll always smile when I pull these out in the kitchen.

Two of the potholders have cute and helpful pockets on the back to protect you from the oven. I figured only two since I would only have at most two hands in the oven at any time.

I used the book Zakka Style compiled by Rashida-Coleman. This particular pattern is from Kim at Retro Mama.

I did not sew the single fold bias ends together and instead folded the raw edge by a 1/4 inch. I tuck the other end, about 2 inches, into these folds. Then I sewed by machine and hand stitched the back.

You can't tell it wasn't sewn either.

Anna pointed out Aneela's Sherbet Pips red dogs in this potholder/hotpad is her favorite. I used at least 1 novelty print in each.

I realize that my kids have found that the stiffness of the Insul-Bright batting and the linen is absolutely perfect for a game of indoor Frisbee. How cheeky, eh? These will be freely throw all over the house before they find their proper use looking beautiful in my kitchen.

I used the last of my linen from the big box store and it is time to graduate to some better 100% linen. I would love to hear what brands you use and who you buy from. I also wonder if anyone has blended a natural linen with Heather Ross's Far Far Away 2 and 3? I have both of some stashed away waiting for the perfect linen. I am itching to dip into it. Help?!

I am enjoying my time today visiting Amy, Sarah and Amanda Jean this week and finding what other finishes are out there.

Take Your Time Tuesday

2012-01-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

I was feeling a little color blue with all the rain and clouds. Rain is a rarity out here in the desert so I am always excited when it comes. The kids actually love to run outside and get wet. We hunt for the umbrella that we bought at Disneyland, and we can never find it when it rains. It is broken of course, from playing with it in the sun, but we don't feel the need to repair the few spokes that are in disrepair.

I was suppose to blog on Monday, but I was having too much fun combing doll hair and playing in tents to write on the computer. I think we spent two hours painting on and off during the day. It makes me think about how this time, with the kids at home, is going to go so fast. So my time blogging might lose out other than this Take Your Time Tuesday and that is OK. I am also not making any more new quilts this year either. My heart isn't in it. I don't want to miss out playing Star Wars or Princess or just lay on the floor and put puzzles together. At the very least I don't want to look back and think I missed something.

I think the rain and water made me pick these hand stitched sewing lovies this week. I failed miserably myself, but manage to make a rainbow of some Katie Jump Rope. My pincushion I made for Giveaway Day was lost in the mail. :(

Rainbows...

Raindrops...

Flickr- barefootsheperdess

Bluebirds...

Flickr- my_studio

Mermaids...

Flickr- isisjem22 (made by Kelsey Creates)

Raining Cats and Dogs...

Raining Cats and Dogs- artist Helen Remick

closeup- artist Helen Remick

The half yo-yos are hand appliqued with small cat and dog figurines hiding in the drops!

So what have you been working on this week? So what have you been up to this week? Do you have some handwork to share? Link up, add the Take Your Time Tuesdays button on the sidebar to your post and be sure to visit and leave comments on each other's posts!

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Swoon or not to swoon?

2012-01-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

I thought about a color charm combo for a Swoon quilt, for a day, but the thought of that many separate scraps to cut is too overwhelming for this girl. I really want to try this beautiful quilt pattern!

I really like this color combination of solids, Kona, Bella, Free Spirit, you name it, and Cherie by Masha D'Yans for Clothworks. There are 9 fat quarters

fuzzy phone pic :(

and a tenth that I could fussy cut for the center of the star.

My only problem is the background. The white FQs would disappear into the Kona white background. I could use a light pink background fabric, but I think the whole modern quilt design becomes way too girly?? Ash? I am tired of gray.

I could also cut the whole lot into solids/Cherie HSTs with about 5 or 6 improve log cabin blocks scattered about to frame the fussy cut prints. That would make me happy too.

That's my dilemma. That and how in the world do you cut and sew linen bias binding around curves!!?? I suppose I'll figure out the answer to that question tonight.

Sweet Sixteen

2012-01-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

After a few midnights, more than a few coffees, no scissor attacks from short people, a holiday or two of distraction, and running out of Kona Snow by less than a few inches, 16 blocks are done. A completed Supernova top should happen shortly. This will go off to a longarm quilter. I needed to admit I piece better than I quilt.

I am getting much better at HSTs and I am beginning to become friends with them. After this, the Swoon quilt looks doable, but making a small project for the home using this pile instead. (Debating and resisting the urge to make a color charm Swoon.) You'll see the results soon. It's project number 3 on my list to make 52 little pretty things for the home this year.

And... if you're thinking about buying some Pezzy Prints for your stash just do it. They are gorgeous in person.

Linking to WIP Wednesdays.

Take Your Time Tuesday

2012-01-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a week of sewing where you end up with a sore shoulder and it seems like you haven't made a dent in your sewing projects? That's what happened to me. I made a ton more American Jane Wee Play hexagon flowers and have finished the lot of them. I have over 1200 hexagon and counting stitched together. The Cathedral Window seems like it is halfway there, but it is daunting to think about what I have left.

So in perfect judgment I started a little cross stitch project. This is a freebie from The Workbasket.

30 by 51stitch count, white evenweave, Weeks Dye Works thread

I used to cross stitch a lot, but got sidetracked by all this quilting. I actually intended for the blog to have both. This particular stitchery is made from a variegated thread on a fabric called evenweave. It is not aida or linen, but it is very good if you want to learn to stitch on linen. I will never go back to aida as the holes in the fabric do not appeal to me and linen comes in a very large array of colors and size of weave. I use James John petite tapestry needles to save on thread waste. I am making another hedgehog in brown varigated thread on linen and hope to use one of them on an ipad cover.

I'll leave you with a few pictures that have been inspiring me this week.

You had me at Hello...

Q is for Quilter

Eeep. Look at these trees.

merwing✿little dear at Flickr

Need I say more than handquilted red and white...

Red and White Quilt from Infinite Variety- photo Laura Chau Flickr

Here are hearts for the holiday around the corner.

patterns available here at Carina's Polka & Bloom

As a side note, I've always thought the Hello Kitty would make a great embroidery along!

So what have you been up to this week? Do you have some handwork to share? Link up, add the Take Your Time Tuesday button on the sidebar to your post and be sure to visit and leave comments on each other's posts!

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Take Your Time Tuesday

2012-01-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Rashida's book, Zakka Style, is beautiful. I love linen and I can finish most of the projects in a day. They are perfect for gifts and just to enjoy in your home. This is project number 2 in my goal to make 52 sewing projects this year. This project is from blogger Theresia who contributed a design from the book. Here is a pincushion and a Sewing Kit to organize all your bits and bobs.

I added some embroidery on the outside as well.

Here's a bigger one for the sewing machine.

It comes in helpful when working on this.

At most I have some beautiful table runners right now and hopefully I will have 4 mini Cathedral Window quilt sections by the end of the month. I will be adding pieces of the border to parts of these. They will be a nice Kona that I would like to match it to the lime green.

I am having some pretty funny computer problems right now. I couldn't edit any of the pictures on Picasa and my period key does not work! Zoe broke off and stole the little rubber contact piece. So cut and paste is my only option besides using an exclamation mark at the end of every sentence! Forgive me if I miss some punctuation.

So what have you been up to this week? Have a Happy Tuesday!

A Boy And His Fish

2012-01-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

Just more bookmark fun around here. I had to make one for Andrew. It may contain my all-time favorite designers' fabrics.

DenyseSchmidt, SandiHenderson, HeatherRoss

The slanty A was to have more embellishment, but I like the lefty look. Some little bits of stitching and an applique fish in his bubble were added to this one.

It quickly went to reside in his Star Wars Lego Sticker book. It made me think of coordinating threads and how I wish I had a project for these.

I am glad I have a party to go shopping for because the cement mixer truck across the street is really loud! The neighbors are putting in a pool. When I am about town I hope nobody notices the pink neon food coloring that graces my palms and nails. Geesh. I can't believe Anna's 7! She wanted a Hello Kitty Birthday which is why I have the crazed hand look. I invited the entire class of 24, you have to invite everyone to be fair, and I might have them all come including some neighbor kids! Help! See you soon, if I survive!

Take Your Time Tuesday

2012-01-03T00:28:00.000-08:00

Whoohoo! I have any official blog button for Take Your Time Tuesdays. You can now share and add something pretty at the same time to your blog's sidebar.

This is a weekly blog meet up for any embroidery, hand-quilting or applique in any step of the process. My hope is you will visit on a regular basis and be inspired!

Did you notice I changed the blog header? Notice the name change popping up on your blog rolls? I decided to change the name since I will be sewing more than anything else here on the blog. Weird, huh? I thought I was a quilter, but... since I like to hand quilt, I collect quilt tops. I have many languishing in a dresser drawers. I know I am not the only one. So I'll make some mini quilts and enjoy that! These are the four large hand-quilted ones that I would like to finish by the end of the year. Maybe I am a quilter after all??

1. Single Girl
2. Kaliedoscope
3. Supernova
4. 30s Cherry quilt
5. American Jane hexagons (pieced only)

I have been working hard on my Cathedral Window and I am absolutely sure that it will be finished by the end of this year. All the blocks are completed for a 65 by 80 inch quilt. They need to be pieced together and I will show you that next week. I love the oranges and lime green that Sandi Henderson designed her fabric in.

I pulled out a stack of books that will be used! It seems that this Christmas was the year of the books. We must have had a stack a foot and a half high between us and the kids! I love that! Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics and her One Yard Wonder Sew Along did me in and I am going to tackle some clothing and crafty projects.

My goal this year is weekly small, achievable, hand sewn sewing projects. I see so many possibilities in these books! So many of the projects in these books in my sewing library are easily finished in a day or two. I think Zakka, simple beautiful things for the home, is the way to go this year. Create, create and create!

So I have been making bookmarks for the kids this week. Just crimp and use raw edges. I added red perle cotton embroidery and quilting around the second rectangle. I have more color combinations in the works than just this one.

I'll share more of them finished on Friday. I wonder how small I can make the fish to eek it out of that tiny Heather Ross scrap! My daughter requested these fabrics and I was inspired by Bobbi's.

Anna has been reading Diary of Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever during naptime. She really needed this bookmark. I found the reading level online and was blown away. It is definitely not first grade reading and she is doing so well with it. It is really a cute series.

What have you been working on this week or have finished for the holidays? You can link up your blog below. Now you can add the blog button to the bottom of your posts too! Eeep! Happy Tuesday!

Take Your Time Tuesday

2011-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

I am having fun looking at all the comments from my last post. I will be taking a little break after today so you can save your hand stitched gifts for a link up in the New Year. I will also get together a button before then! I will be baking lots of cookies, starting with some Peanut Butter Blossoms today. The really good/sad part is I am lactose intolerant so I will be making not eating any. Doh. I had one of those mornings and spent way too long getting Anna to school so that's why I am soo late with a post.

I finished another block last night and I laid out my Cathedral Window blocks and my goal is to have something quilt-sized to share in January.

What have you been working on this week? Can you sneak us a peek? You can link up your blog below. Happy Tuesday!

Giveaway Day: A Katie Pincushion

2011-12-12T04:30:00.000-08:00

This will be my first time participating in Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day. I've been quilting and sewing for years now and love all hand stitching. Sometimes I can't help myself by adding that extra bit of love. So I spent more than a few hours making some special for you.

This item is a pincushion made from one of my favorite lines called Katie Jump Rope and is made by a favorite technique. The 1/2 inch hexagons are carefully hand appliqued to 100% linen. The pincushion doesn't have any special fillers and measures about 5 inch square. It reminds me of my Single Girl, which is in the process of being hand quilted. As soon as I make this pincushion design I seem to be giving them away. I hope I can give it to someone who loves it as much as I do.

My question for you, to be answered in your comment, is, "What is your favorite sewing or quilting project that you have finished this year?"

If you leave a link of your special project, I will check it out. No need to follow to win, but I will be sure to look you up. Check my WIPs or Finished Projects if you would like to decide to come on by again.

Please make sure you are not a no-reply blogger and I encourage any other bloggers other than blogspot to leave email information so I may contact you.

Thanks and enjoy the week perusing the many blogs linked at Sew Mama Sew.

Take Your Time Tuesdays

2011-12-06T08:14:00.001-08:00

It's 27 degrees (F) and freezing out here in the desert. I have Christmas tree lights up in the front and back of the house for aesthetics and practicality. I am hoping the decorated lemon tree does not get frost damage, but winter has to come sometime. What better way to beat the frost that to finish a quilt?

Made with Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips- Moda

Anna and I have made her first quilt together. She sewed all the squares together, I added the border, and it went off to my finished tops pile. You can read about her working on it here. The hand quilting was finished this last week.

I added Xs and Ox for hugs and kisses inspired by the block print,

straight lines for the edging, and hearts for the border.

The hearts were made from a template from a cousin's wedding favor tag. My grandma said, as any true quilter would, "Oooh that would make a great applique heart." And so it did in on another quilt and as a hand quilted border here. It makes *my* heart happy.

I love the scarves as the border and Anna's favorite print as the backing, the pink doggies.

So I guess four people efforts went into this quilt. Such as when our resident diapered quilter-in-training finding unique quilting approaches in scissors. Now didn't that look lovely.

I showed Anna what Zoe had done to it after I fixed it and she just laughed. You can read my freak out post here. Of course there is one tiny hole I missed that will get patched up soon with her favorite doggie fabric. This quilt was worth the extra effort and time. She looks happy with it and that is all that matters.

What have you been working on this week? You can link up your blog below and your happy handmade project! Happy Tuesday!

WIP Wednesday: Hope Valley Supernova

2011-11-30T10:21:00.001-08:00

This is my dining room table in real time a couple of minutes ago while picking colors for another Supernova block.

Hope Valley Supernova

I plan to make the next couple of nights some late ones and have a top soon. I am still indecisive about its size. It goes so well on our queen bed and our gray-blue paint. Sigh... I could make two blocks in a night and be done, twin size, or make six in the next week to have a decent queen sized quilt. What to do??? I am having Supernova fatigue... On a side note, my husband, the literal guy that he is, has been calling it the asterisk quilt.

I am going to take a break and do some boring sewing today after lunch. Something about a binding and hamper repair... Zoe has a fun appointment to get some shots, after I pick Anna up for school, so the afternoon is full. So what are you really up to today?

Take Your Time Tuesday

2011-11-29T00:42:00.001-08:00

I've been away from my computer this and that has been a good thing. Family time, Thanksgiving dinner, potty training, trimming the house and trees with lights, getting out all the decorations took a lot of time. I don't do any shopping on this weekend either and prefer to spend it with family instead. I did break down Monday and bought some half priced fabric for quilt backs. Can't resist that.

I finished another Cathedral Window block... and that's about it for handwork this Tuesday. Any of you have better luck?

Are you working on any holiday projects? I want to make a table runner and a tree skirt. My tree definitely needs some pants like these!

Now for those rules, regs and important stuff...
1. Please be nice and encourage each other.
2. Peruse all the links and leave comments here and for others.
3. Backlink to my post here at the end of your 'Take Your Time Tuesday' post so others can join the fun.

You can link up your blog below! Happy Tuesday!

It's a Supernova!

2011-11-23T08:14:00.001-08:00

This quilt was long overdue in its making and I get to share it this WIP Wednesday! When I saw Lee's Supernova I knew it was perfect for my Hope Valley. I didn't have the time to make then during her quilt along so it go some attention this last weekend.

Yay! It is amazing how quickly it has been coming together. I am following her original piecing method and many of the blocks are the same. It is refreshing to follow a pattern and not have to think! I have twelve blocks cut and they are being made in assembly fashion. We have had a lot of crayola time this week and the two littlest ones have been wonderful.

So I am off to make some cranberry sauce, stuffing and some pies. I have a theory that every Thanksgiving dish that includes cranberries and gravy is perfection! What do you think?

Take Your Time Tuesday

2011-11-21T22:04:00.001-08:00

So how did you all make out this week with your hand quilting or hand pieced work? I actually go distracted by an entire quilt and may be able to share a finished top on on my blog very soon. I think the word may be obsessed. The funny thing is I really didn't understand Hope Valley when it first came out, but it has a sweet vintage look.

an excuse to play with instagram

So to start something new I thought I might try to finish something old. The Anna's Sherbet Pips quilt is almost finished and awaiting the binding to be applied by hand. There is a spot I missed, damaged by a scissor incident by a diaper-wearing quilter-in-training, but a cute applique should do the job of repairing the square. The hexagons are quickly be added to as well.

Moda's SherbetPips & AmericaJane

It might be silly, but I just figured out what Sherbert Pips actually are. I never really knew and I don't think they exist in the US, at least not commonly found. Sweet candy!

nom nom nom!

I would love to see how your week went!

Now for those rules, regs and important stuff...
1. Please be nice and encourage each other.
2. Peruse all the links and leave comments here and for others.
3. Backlink to my post here at the end of your 'Take Your Time Tuesday' post so others can join the fun.

You can link up your blog below! Happy Tuesday!

Hello Kitty Love

2011-11-17T08:42:00.001-08:00

Isn't this freaking adorable? It's perfect. Red, aqua, kitty... I wish my daughter was wee bit older!

If you as into Hello Kitty as I am there is a contest here where you can win the Janome green Hello Kitty sewing machine and lots of fabric to go with it!

Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics is looking for wonderful tutorials you have written in 2011 that would be great as holiday gifts. Give it go!

Take Your Time Tuesday

2011-11-14T19:26:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the first Take Your Time Tuesday, where we celebrate all that is made by hand with needle and thread.

Each Tuesday I will be posting my handmade projects and their progress. All of them seem to take quite a while and I want to make each a finish with you. With handwork as a favorite choice, many of these projects won't be finished soon. As your amazing projects come to completion, let's keep each other motivated and celebrate our hand stitched finishes. I know I am going to be humbled by the talent I will see.

I am pulling out an UFO. This was a quick fix using reproduction 30s fabrics. I used an embroidery stitch for the stems and hand appliqued the rest. I got addicted to perle cotton and put it aside. It's a quick table runner pattern from the Happy Zombie that I made into a wallhanging. Ignore the floating leaves, that's all me. I do want to finish it by Christmas.

Since I been going on about my Cathedral Windows, I wanted to show that I have actually made more than a couple of them. You must think I show the same 3 or 4 repeatedly photographed and rotated carefully! I'll show them all laid out together when I finish the last 4 or 5 blocks.

My hexagon quilt is being modified. I made some calculations and I'll need a row and column for a twin sized bed. Since this is on my bucket list of quilts I might as well make it fit a bed. Why be in such a hurry, right? So twenty more flowers it is. I basted these hexagons this weekend and I am adding more in the green and blue colorway to cool down the color scheme.

Anna's quilt is so close to being finished, but I'll show you it next week since I only got a few stitches in it this week.

Now for those rules, regs and important stuff...
1. Please be nice and encourage each other.
2. Peruse all the links and leave comments here and for others.
3. Backlink to my post here at the end of your Tuesday post so others can join the fun.

Maybe I'll get all techie and make a button so you can link here quicker, but I enjoyed a long weekend in Zion NP and was a complete slacker.

Add caption

Can you blame me?

You can link up your blog below! Happy Tuesday!

Windows and Hearts

2011-11-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is the 16th Cathedral Window block and it will be finished today or tomorrow. The other block is in this post here. I was especially happy that some orange henna could be added. Thanks Jenny! Yay! It's silly, but those temporary basted threads in gray are really bothering me. I keep on thinking they look like crazy pet whiskers. Although, I do love the no-pin basting method.

Anna's almost finished quilt, love saying that, is getting a border of hearts.

I am using a blue washable pen to trace and mark the intervals. I still can't figure out what to do with the striped border, but maybe a simple cable will work.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday.

I really need to catch up on emails and blog reading today. Which may or may not happen. I feel really guilty. I have been feeling under the weather due to some possible food allergies. I haven't been at the machine for weeks either. Under a quilt on the couch feels too good. It's really frustrating when food is an enemy. Going out for dinner is impossible too. The good news is by eliminating non-nutritional processed junk, I have lost 20 lbs since August. Enough whining... just wanted to tell you why I am an almost no commenting/responding internet recluse lately.

Pips And Pomegranates

2011-11-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

So Take Your Time Tuesdays is a go for next week. Mostly because I have to figure out some linky stuff. Maybe I'll make a button, but I am not sure I even know how to do that. Anything made with fabric by hand or being finished by hand by you works.

Anna's quilt is getting some TLC and the hand quilting is coming along. I am working on the borders now.

I am also staring at some yummy pomegranate jelly setting on my kitchen window.

It didn't set the first time, but I did the whole canning process/routine over again. It's made from our tree in the backyard and it took about 20 pomegranates to make eight half pints. One is in the fridge already and I am determined to have some toast with it at lunch. Yes, organic juice from the store would have worked too but this is my work from beginning to end! Very satisfying and even more yummy to eat.

49,800 Stitches

2011-11-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

I have 83 of these hexagon blocks done to date. Since I like numbers... that's 24 seams, 25 stitches over 83 blocks which is 49,800 stitches give or take a few. Yikes!

This is the 15th block or so of my Cathedral Window. Does anyone actually own an antique CW quilt? I have some questions for you.

Anybody interested in a weekly link up with just hand-stitched or hand-quilted projects? I rarely finish a project weekly. I thought it might be fun to share those long term WIP projects in one place and celebrate long awaited finishes together. Maybe call it Take Your Time Tuesdays? What do you think? Any takers?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

Red Angry Bird

Springtime Placemats

2011-10-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

An old UFO has become finished. It may or may not be because I need more room for fabric and more unfinished quilt tops. I fell in love with this fabric of garden herbs in bloom.

They were not without their mishaps. Hypothetically, this was suppose to make it to the trash on Wednesday.

And running out of thread Thursday night didn't help. The 8th placemat was inches away from being finished.

They will look good with these coasters on the springtime kitchen table. I like how the 1 inch grid worked out. Blue painter's tape to quilt the straight lines worked beautifully.

The coasters are a design from Joelle Hoverson's book Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts. There is an 8th coaster somewhere, but it's under a coffee cup somewhere.

With minutes to go on this Friday...

Can't wait to visit you all at Amy's Sew and Tell, Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday and Sarah's Whoop Whoop Friday today and this weekend!

Hedgies, Hexagons and Herbs

2011-10-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

These hexagon 'blocks' should be finished by Friday and layout decided on this weekend so it can actually be made into a quilt top. I have about 10 left out of the 83. Whoohoo!

Here are three of eight placemats I have been making quilting progress on. I am a free-motion dropout and went with a grid, with the help of some painters tape. I actually machine needle stabbed my finger while practicing the FMQ this weekend. Not good- I almost thought I needed stitches! They will be my Spring placemats. I love the herb fabric and I have had this UFO hanging around for years! I am finishing it for Friday.

Anna's quilt has been basted too. All good, even after 'the incident'. Any damaged fabric was replaced. I am at a loss at how to quilt it. I need to think fast! Help.

And... EPIC happy mail week... hedgehogs! Squeal! I am always looking out for these little guys. These are going to make a great quilt by Christmas! I am thinking the greens/yellows would make a great bag mixed with some linen. BTW, did I ever tell you my etsy name? hedgehogandthefox!

Outfoxed- Lizzy House

I also found an Ipad ap called Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts. I could stare at these quilts for hours. A-maz-ing! All the red and white quilts are here.

image Thinc Design

I am hoping to share some finished projects this Friday! :)

Scaredy's Reading Quilt

2011-10-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Scaredy Squirrel Reading Quilt is finally finished.

The name is the first thing my kids called it and it stuck. We fell in love with the cute squirrel fabric. The Scaredy Squirrel series is one of our all-time favorites.

How can you not like this neurotic little fella?

Frolic by Wendy Slotbloom, Deer Valley and my favorite Wild Thyme fabrics were used to make it look boyish. 'I' think the flowers are boyish! No pink and pastels so we're good!

It uses Amanda Jean's zigzag technique that uses rectangles instead of half square triangles. I love that. She can always think outside the box! It took me a weekend to piece. That seems to be a habit with me. Quilt tops that are finished in a blink of an eye, but forever to quilt. I have a stack to go through.

The kids were given their quilt at *last* Christmas. It measures approximately 44" by 68" so they used it all winter at reading time. It's perfect for all three on the couch with an adult, and I gradually added the pick-stitching with perle cotton whenever I felt like it. I had already stitched in the ditch along the zig-zags with the sewing machine.

Yup, I just wanted to get the quilt used and not left in the sewing room. It was thrown it in the dryer last night at 10. Which is the reason these pictures aren't the most stellar. I'll add my obligatory quilt zombie picture later this afternoon.

My finger, the one under the quilt, is being nursed back to health. I hand quilted a good half of it this month. Is there a secret to not jabbing yourself? What kind of stitch size do you like? I am still undecided on the style of spacing I used- big stitches...little space between the stiches or both the same? My Kaliedoscope and Single Girl are calling to me next.

Can't wait to visit you all at Amy's Sew and Tell, Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday and Sarah's Whoop Whoop Friday today and this weekend!

help a couple of bloggers out?

2011-10-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, could you help a couple of bloggers out?

First, Amy Webb of AmyLouWho has had some problems with her blog. I have linked up with Sew and Tell for a while now and it was my first linky party. I like these linkies because I get to meet new people and make new connections with bloggers that have the same interests. She is now blogging at her new address, http://www.amylouwhosews.com/, and you can help her by updating your gadget's link or visiting this Friday's Sew and Tell. You can read the full post here about how her old blog is being held hostage(sold off) for $2,800! Boo on Go Daddy! Really? Who has that kind of money?

I also would like you to go visit another blog and vote for this funny mummy at Parenting. Illustrated with Crappy Pictures. Actual voting link is here.

(I hope she isn't too mad I stole this cute guy from her blog.) She captures, with side splitting humor, the craziness of being a parent. I swear she has a hidden camera at my house!

Maximum Cuteness(or, tiny little manipulators),
Appreciation Deficiency(or how to get more ice cream),
and Going Viral are some of my favorites. So vote often? Vote at least twice? ;)

Take a few minutes and help some ladies out. Purty please?! Let me know if you do.

Those Three Quilts

2011-10-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks I worked on my major projects. I *really* want to finish these three quilts.

Another postage stamp block is completed and placing it next to the other three made me feel like I was getting somewhere. This measures about 40 inches square. I am having issues with the blocks not being square by a quarter inch to half inch, but I am hoping it will iron out in the end- fingers crossed.

Here is a closeup of the back of my hexagon 'blocks'. I always wondered what the back of these types of projects looked like when figuring out how to paper piece. So here you go.

I complete the petals then add the center with one thread. Then the ecru borders(Kona Bone), which are pieced by themselves, are added in one or two threads. Since the paper is not basted, I can slip out the papers when each hexagon is surrounded.

I thought I would be overwhelmed, but I only have 30 flowers blocks to add. I have completed piles of flowers and edging waiting to be sewn together.

Another block is completed in my Cathedral Window. I think this makes 13 or 14? I have 5 left before the bigger piecing begins.

On another note, I ordered some sale fabric this week from iltec on etsy.

Sherbet Pips-Puppy Dog Tails in Lemonade

The secret of the shredded quilt is now safe. Anna will love the dogs as her quilt back. It was her favorite print. It was more cost effective than wandering around my LQSs and 'needing' other things as well!

American Jane Hexagon Madness

2011-10-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

After last week's setback, I pulled out my hexagons. The girls love the flowers. I love that the hexagons are starting to look like a quilt.

Wee Play and Punctuation fabrics

Of course, I have been seeing that the scissors are hidden a bit more carefully. See you Monday!

OMG! What are you doing??

2011-09-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

That's what I would have said if I had been there for this:

Anna's Sherbet Pips quilt has been waiting on batting and I finally was able to buy some this weekend. I picked up the quilt and its backing off the dining room and now I realize why my husband found Zoe walking around with some scissors last week.

This is what I get for making dinner. This is why I have zipped sewing bag within a zipped sewing bag. Why I have Ziploc container with all my machine feet, thread, bobbins and stuff with extra tape to hold it shut. Why my rotary cutter has a container that even I have trouble opening. Why I don't display any of my fabric on shelves. Why I don't have pretty couch pillows. Why the Featherweight went away again after being attacked by the seam ripper. Why quilts take freaking forever and then I am afraid to use them. This why I am really close to giving up blogging, creating, and sewing altogether for a really long time. So I sobbed for a half hour and maybe why I am sharing this is that maybe you don't think I am a weirdo... crying about snipped fabric.

I forgive her. She was trying to be like Mommy and probably singing a Zoe narrative song when she did it. "I cut. I cut fabric." At least it wasn't the whole quilt top, other than the border, any other favorite OOP fabric, my Cathedral Windows, or the long lost UFO blocks I just finished. I have replacement fabric and I'll find more backing at the store, so it's no big deal to fix.

It is a big deal for Anna. She made this herself. I am going to hide it from Anna, until she's older, and fix this during naptime. The two yards of backing looks like Swiss cheese so I am going to make up a story about how these dots for my Anna Dot were too small to fit after all. I need to preserve the sister love and all. Besides, one day they will make a great set of quilters. We will, however, hide the scissors better from Zoe until then.

Warm/Cool Block of the Month

2011-09-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

When the kids ate lunch, I finished the last 2 seams of my cool colorway BOM.

Here are the other blocks I finished this weekend, after feeling better on Sunday, and earlier this month.

I really like the practice these blocks have given me. They are made with Marti Michell templates and I will be using the templates in the Farmer's Wife QAL. They have a bit of a learning curve and I honestly hated them at first. That is, until I figured out how to use the blunt corners correctly to make my blocks have more accuracy.

These are the cool blocks together.

Wheew! One more warm block to go.

Checking In

2011-09-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

I have been sick and totally uninspired to attend to my blog in anyway. I have been sick since the third day of school! Many things have changed this year. The schedule for the school day starts an hour earlier and I am not a morning person. Naps have had to be earlier too and most days are nonexistent. This translates to less blog and sewing time. My son has just caught another cold and I am waiting for it to cycle through the family again. Is it weird that I am hoping to get it this weekend?

I have however swapped fabric and cleaned up the sewing room. This is what lies waiting on my table while I need to sleep off the next cold.

I know, right? Linen scraps, happy button jars, an almost finished block, Katie fabric that I wish I had more of, Mendocino mermaids, a Christmas postage stamp quilt, a favorite book, a pillowcase missing ric-rac, a quilt in need of batting, Pumpkin Henna from Jenny, a violet Hoffman batik, and a happy burst of charm color from Kati at from the blue chair. I left out the Color Wheel Swap charms out on the table, after receiving them Tuesday, because they make me happy. Actually all of this makes me so happy!

Ok, still keeping the fingers crossed I am not sick this weekend get some of this sewing done and finish the quilt I have been curled up under all month. Life could be worse.

What's on your sewing table today? Are you still out there? And yup... that's as clean as mine gets. Mind you I haven't shown you the disaster of the table that my sewing machine is on!

Putting The Pieces Together

2011-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

A bit overwhelmed with the last summer heat wave and school beginning is a good way to describe where I am right now. Anna was sad all weekend about school starting, she wanted to play more, but on Monday she couldn't be more excited. I love the toothless grin.

I have been working on one quilt project the last couple of weeks.

Without the addition of a border of green, my Cathedral Window quilt is all set to be appliqued. The kids suffered through keeping the loft clean for 24 hours so I could lay it out on the floor.

made with Sandi Henderson fabric

All the white units are pieced and I have seven more blocks, on the outside in the picture, to go. It measures 60 by 75 inches. I pieced and appliqued nine blocks this summer and I think I'll finish this new set by the end of September. It always seems to be almost finished, but I realized today I may only be halfway done. Tired of it yet? I love it, but being a one quilt girl is hard.

Does anyone have 3 inch square scraps of Henna in pumpkin to swap/share? I figure if this is going to be my orange quilt it should have some in there. Ideally I need one 12.5 inch square.

After our 109-112 degree heat wave last week, I didn't want anything to do with batting, basting or quilting. The good news is the batting fairy delivered and there is a sale on all batting at my LQS. I use Quilter's Dream Request, the thinnest loft, for all my quilts. My quilt tops might actually get quilted. I am wondering if you use any other cotton brands with success. It's a bit odd that I wait/balk on spending money on batting after I buy all that fabric. Although I am glad I waited this time.

I finished some kids pillowcases for their Christmas presents and bought some DS Sugar Creek and I am making some pillowcases with it for my husband and I in more respectable colors. I am going to sneak some lime ric-rac in ours.

The best part about these are there are no serging or unfinished seams. I wish I knew how to crochet some fun trim on a single fabric pillowcase. I actually tried that on my own and it was a complete failure! I have an orphan pillow case with holes around the edges in my sewing room. I am thinking about pom-poms and ribbons to fix it.

The charms go off for the Color Wheel Swap today. I am getting excited about what will come back.

So...
This week's stats:
New projects - 1
Completed projects - 1
Currently in progress - 14

Stick A Fork In Me Sunday #5: The Star Wars Cake

2011-08-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

Every birthday I like to make a themed birthday cake for my kids.

This year it was the Tangled Birthday cake,

we've had a Hello Kitty,

and my son's Star Wars cake.

He actually asked for a zucchini bread birthday cake. So there was something healthy in it, right? We make zucchini bread with regularity in the summer and instead of bread we make cupcakes. The kids love them. The recipe for that, if you're interested, is here in a post from last year.

Anything I ever learned about fondant and buttercream icing I learned here at Peggy's Baking corner! I have tried the premade fondant in a box and I have found that a simple recipe using marshmallows is tastier and easier to make.

The ingredients for faux fondant are

1 bag of mini marshmallows, 16 ozs

(They have change the packaging this year so weigh out 16 ozs of marshmallows from two 14.5 oz bags)

1 2 lb bag of C and H powdered icing sugar.

Additionally, you need

2 to 5 Tbs. of water

1/2 cup Crisco.

Melt the marshmallows in a bowl in the microwave. It takes me usually about 2 or 3 minutes in 30 second intervals. Dump the marshmallow bowl into a bowl with the powdered sugar. Mix the powdered sugar with the marshmallow with a spatula greased with Crisco.

Use the Crisco to cover your hands and knead the mixture with your hands. The Crisco isn't an ingredient, but just a tool to keep the marshmallow from sticking unmercifully to you. Having fun yet? You should only add water if the consistency of the 'dough' is dry and breaking apart. It will feel like Play-doh.

Place, covered with plastic wrap or bag, in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The extra bits of powdered sugar will dissolve and be incorporated into the fondant. Carefully wrapped, this is fine in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

My cake schedule usually looks like this.
Tuesday: make fondant
Wednesday: dye fondant
Thursday: cut out shapes for decorating
Friday: Bake, ice and add fondant decorations

I dye the fondant with regular food coloring. The only colors I use a special Wilton icing colors for is Royal Blue, Red and Black.

You will never get past a pastel looking Lightening McQueen red unless you use these. I have also heard that a lot of Red food coloring tastes awful, so adding the Wilton no-taste red will make the icing or fondant taste keep its normal flavor. I use a tooth pick and add a little at a time. I knead and twist the color into the fondant.

Use a rolling pin to whatever thickness you need and press the cookie cutter into the fondant. Refrigerate the design on parchment paper and add to the cake later with a bit of buttercream icing.

I bought some Williams-Sonoma cookie cutters to make these designs.

How cute would a fondant polka dot cake look or a pink Valentine's cake with lots of red fondant hearts? Any cookie cutter would make a cute design.

I sometimes cover an entire iced cake with fondant icing like the Star Wars cake and the Rapunzel cake. Think of fondant as pie crust. You roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick, or less if you can manage it, and lay it over the cake. Avoid touching it with your fingernails as it will leave a mark that is hard to remove.

I smooth the edges and cut them with a pastry scissor. You will have a ragged edge, but overall the fondant will lay flat.

The edge or any imperfections get covered up by the designs or piped icing. I had tears in the Rapunzel tower fondant so I added a flower. I had bubble or two in the SW cake so I added a ship there. More icing can't be a bad thing on a kid's birthday cake!

I really like Coolest Birthday Cakes for ideas. I hope you try this! I know my kids love it!

WIP Wednesday #6- Where are the coffee fairies?

2011-08-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wake up in the morning, wash your face with the hair conditioner by mistake, and realized that no amount of coffee is going to make you perky, alert and ready for anything that comes your way. Yup. Three days with a feverish child who finds your bed at night to play footsy with your nose does that. But I digress...

I have not completed much the last few days, but I bought some fabric to start a pillowcase project for the kids. This Friday is the FNSI and I am determined to sew up three pillowcases for the noodles.

I also bought some fabric for the Color Wheel Charm Swap that Katie is hosting at from the blue chair. I had green and green-yellow.

I bought what I loved so I hope others will too. They are still waiting to be cut up, as I slightly freaking out that I will let the rotary slip in a caffeine induced haze.

I also finished one block for the Cathedral Window quilt and I realized I was running out of background units.

So I got on my sewing machine to sew more up. This is the last of them. *happy dance* Nice and repetitive which is very easy to do while sleep-deprived.

I have been using Susa Glenn's Little Turning Tool to make these squares have beautiful perfect little corners.

I did finish a little pouch for hexagons a while back, but forgot to share since it went immediately into use. I failed on its original intent, ipad cover, but now it holds hexagons to be pieced. I finally figured out the whole zipper thing. Yippee!

It resides in my new bag I was gifted last week. I am not sure if the intended purpose was sewing, but it had oodles of pockets for everything and well... I love it! Thank you my special women in my life!

So...
This week's stats:
New projects - 1
Completed projects - 1
Currently in progress - 14

What I did this summer

2011-08-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I have been working on a Sherbet Pip Quilt since this last Saturday. Here is the result of our efforts.

The Baby Sherbet Pip Quilt Zombie...

The Moda charm pack...

The layout...

The favorite fabric...

The in-action photos...

The journal...

The unexpected spot we love the most...

This is a great beginner quilt since the top is made of one Sherbet Pip charm pack and some 3 by 5 inch rectangles so we didn't have to worry about lining up any corners. I just wanted to work on a quarter inch seam with her. Oops, we did add a row from some squares I cut from my Pips stash, because she thought it was too small.

I did the pinning and ironing and we sat two chairs side by side at the sewing machine together. She sewed that entire charm pack up by herself. I helped with the borders, as the quilt top was too bulky for her at that point. She said it reminded her of the American flag? It looks like three flavored ice cream to me.

I said 'freeze' a lot so she wouldn't run over the pins. Some seams will hold better than others. I love that she ran to the other room and yelled to her Daddy, ' Look! Look what I made!' Tear... I am seriously impressed.

We will send this to the quilters, *cough* Mommy, and it will hopefully be done before school starts in a couple of weeks.

Dear Anna,
This week has been sheer joy to spend with you. This is the best birthday that a Mommy could ever have. I love you so much.

Mom

Just a Peek...

2011-08-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

It isn't my WIP, it's my daughter's! I am so proud of her! Our favorite part is the cute pink hedgie!

WIP Wednesday: #5- The Cathedral Window Quilt

2011-08-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Since I have a lot of projects, this week I'll share the one I have made the most progress. My Cathedral Window Quilt has 111 windows completed. I originally had a goal of one a day, but now it seems I average exactly 1/2 window a day.

before:

after:

Three bottom blocks from the before picture are filed away, and I will more than likely pull them out this week. I finished the top right one this morning. I'll attach and fill in all the missing windows much later, as the 15 inch blocks fit perfectly in my storage cabinets.

The lower row has some earlier odd blocks, but that was before I realized I liked making 9 unit blocks. Right now it measures 45 by 45 inches and I need to add another row and column of blocks before I add a border. I'll add another single unit colored border and do some hand quilting on the edges to finish. It should end up being 70 inches square.

So here's hoping that I'll finish it this year.

On another note, does anyone have advice on applique needles? I use size 11 James John milliners and I always seem to tarnish them within the week or bend them. Is there ones that are stronger? Or do I need to buy in bulk! :)

This week's stats:
New projects - 0
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 14

Garden Party HST Quilt

2011-08-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Having some Garden Party half square triangles leftover from my Single Girl quilt, I had to become creative.

I was originally going to use it for the border, but didn't like the look. There were too many for a pillow, but not enough for a quilt. I was inspired by a modern baby quilt at the little red hen and decided to showcase them on a solid.

I wanted to experiment with quilting something other than straight lines and went for some texture like her quilt did.

It took lots of thread! Mettler 642 is a perfect match for the Kona Coal. I just wiggled this quilt under my walking foot. It was fun and relaxing to just let the pattern happen. I stitched in the ditch around the 3 inch half square triangles.

It measures 44 inches by 64 inches and it sits next to the Single Girl quilt on my couch. I might take a break from the Kona coal, but it's great for kids with gray socks on the living room couch. I didn't think the seam from the backing would show too much, but I guess that is what happens with quilting on solids that close together! Any name suggestions for this quilt??

Stick A Fork In Me Sunday #4: Brownie Love

2011-08-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

I love a good brownie and have been on the search for an homemade recipe. I found one at Food and Wine and it is delicious with its twist of Mascarpone cheese. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of my finished brownie pan, but that says it all.


original recipe here at food and wine

Mascarpone Brownies:

Brownie Batter:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Mascarpone Swirl:

1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces mascarpone cheese

I used the following Ghirardelli chocolate and mascarpone cheese.

Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-inch-square baking pan or use parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium saucepan, melt the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate with the butter over low heat.

I use a glass bowl over boiling water to avoid burning the chocolate.

Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 cup of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla. Whisk in the whole eggs, one at a time. Whisk the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until the brownie batter is smooth.

In a bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the egg yolk and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan. Dollop half of the mascarpone mixture on top and cover with the remaining batter. Dollop on the remaining mascarpone mixture and swirl the batter a few times with a knife to create a marbled effect.

Doesn't that look pretty?

Bake the brownies for about 40 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Be sure to not let the Marcopone brown.

Enjoy your homemade brownies! Next week, I'll share how to make fondant for that perfect birthday cake!

WIP Wednesday: #4

2011-08-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

I am really happy with this one...

Completed:

I finished my Kaliedoscope quilt top. I used DS Quilts Picnic and Fairgrounds. It measures 72'' by 84'' and is a generous twin sized quilt. Thanks Elizabeth for the QAL motivation this July! It will be hand-quilted and yo-yos attached at each intersection.

I am going to use size perle cotton in red on the white and maybe some other colors in the triangles. I was inspired by a quilt that did not credit the designer. I thought it was her design. It's poor etiquette not to credit the pattern designer! It would have saved me a lot of work too. As of today, I have no idea where I originally saw my inspiration quilt!! However, from a later search of "stashbuster" on google, I discovered it was the Stashbuster Quilt from Material Obsession 2. Well... let's just say that book and Material Obsession 1 and 2 were put on my Christmas wish list!! I love this and this version of it too. (They are not the ones I originally saw online, but are incredible.)

I am not sure how it is made in the book, but I used entire selvage to selvage lengths of fabric in random strips from 1.5 to 2.5 inches.

I use all of the new Denyse Schmidt fabric line and when through almost a half yard of each. It seemed like it took forever. I use 6.5 inch strips for the border and I have tons of leftover. I need a Stashbuster for my Stashbuster now! :)

Ongoing Projects:

I am also working on my Cathedral Window quilt from this post here. I am learning that if I am a one quilt girl with a very light sprinkle of side projects, I can get somewhere. I have 3 and 1/2 Cathedral blocks done since this Saturday.

I regret not working on them sooner. Once you set up the blocks, it is just a bit of applique. I made a mini with 2 inch windows, but I like this larger window size of 3 inches. I really want to finish and try some hand applique projects, but I am being good and finished up the projects I have started.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:

I actually went through this and it is depressing. I wish I knew a longarm quilter in Las Vegas that I trusted to do some serious professional custom work.

Sampler 1
Autumn Sampler 2
Almost Liberated Amish Ohio Star
Into the Woods Flannel Log Cabin
Blue-Yellow Pinwheel
Single Girl ( hand-quilt)
Kaleidoscope (hand-quilt)
Happy Zombie Cherry (almost finished hand-quilting)

I hope to finish the bottom three this year.

No progress:
I didn't touch my postage stamp quilt (20 by 20 1 inch blocks) so my goal is one block for August.
As of last month, blog break, the American Jane hexagon flowers are finished and this week I will decide on a random layout to start attaching them together. I started this last September so I am happy with the progress.

This week's stats:
New projects - 0
Completed projects - 0 or 1 if you count quilt tops!
Currently in progress - 14 (It feels like a whole lot more!)

Cathedral Windows

2011-08-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have thoroughly enjoyed this summer, not knowing the day of the week, and having the days slide by.

It will be nice to blog more often and I am almost ready for {Sew} Modern Monday.

I have finished my Kaliedoscope quilt top, as of last week, but mother nature just won't cooperate.

I finally had sun, but my quilt ended up like this- even on the ground. It was too windy to shoot any quilt zombie pictures, unless you want a sushi quilt wrapped husband trying to hold the quilt in the breeze.

Level Failed.... My ipad has become a wonderful time suck during this blog vacation.

If you want to see the entire top successfully photographed and another finished quilt you are welcome to visit later this week! :)

This weekend, I managed to complete a block of nine Cathedral Windows. The applique is going fast and I am halfway finished another.

I recently found out Sandi Henderson is also releasing a Henna Garden collection. You can vote here to let her know what your favorites are. Mine is pumpkin and I would love an aqua. Do you have your favorite colors? I adore this design that goes with almost everything!

Family Moments

2011-07-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

I have finished a quilt, a quilt top and another is in progress.

It seems like I have lots of sewing things to blog about, but I am also spending as much time as possible with these beautiful people before the summer ends too soon.

I'll be officially back August 1. :)

Under The Needle

2011-06-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Enjoying some quilting time...

Playing with these...

I may have something finished to show you soon...

Sew and Tell/ WIP #4: I Love A Good Deadline!

2011-06-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Here is the damage on my BOM-14 blocks since Sunday the 12th. Now I can dig into my pile of DS Fairgrounds and not feel guilty starting my Kaleidoscope Quilt. I am so thankful for the extra time to plan for this Quilt Along. I looove deadlines. These two quilts are not going to be my all-time favorites, but I love the challenge that each block brought. Three more blocks in each colorway need to be finished. I'll actually try that as Blocks of the Month and I'll have this finished by the end of summer. My favorite block is the one in the center.

Warm Colorway:

Cool Colorway:

Names of blocks: 1. Spyglass 2. Ballroom Dance 3.??? 4. Jacob's Stepladder 5. Oh My Star 6. Spinner 7. Tulip 8. Grandstand 9. Rosette

After this, I decided that the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along is not for me right now. I think in January I will enjoy doing it a little more. I have a Cathedral Window Quilt, a Postage Stamp Quilt (true 1 inch version), Dresden Plate Quilt, and a Hexagon Quilt that are begging for my attention and that's plenty of a challenge for me. That's 4 precision quilts enough for me. I'll be insanely jealous until the end of the year. Trust me.

On To More Blocks...

2011-06-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

I finished a couple more...

I think I did this one twice, considering all the seam ripping that went on.

I like how a block design is on point within another frame or outer block.

I am losing steam fast, but I am enjoying all those empty plastic bags. It feels like exercise. You hate to start each time, but it feels fantastic when you are done. Too bad this doesn't burn calories! I also am glad I was able to figure out which fabric goes with which block pattern! Whoo-hoo!

So if I made a list...
3 blocks- finished at an unknown time
10 blocks- finished since last Saturday (previously cut out)
3 blocks- halfway pieced in some form or another
2 blocks- cut out ready to be pieced
6 blocks- need to be cut out and pieced.

My goal is to make 5 more blocks at the end of the week. Then I can get going on those QALs.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments this last week. Comments like yours make my world a little more warm and fuzzy. I have been overwhelmed with the kids on vacation. I am being terrible with the email. Forgive me. I'll be better... Pinky swear, K?

Stick A Fork In Me Sunday #3: Apricot Jam

2011-06-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

I had a long week in the cooking department too. Thirty pints of apricot jam just got preserved for the year. It's the favorite of the kids and I like the fact it only has three ingredients and I know what they are. They keep on the shelf for up to a year.

I bought the Complete Book of Home Preserving this last week. It's got some great recipes in it. I am going to try making some plum jam for a friend since her tree is producing more than she know what to do with. My husband and I also bought a pressure canner for preserving tomatoes. We want to make our own salsa and can tomatoes so I am hoping this will allay any our fears about canning vegetables.

Here is how you make apricot jam and I hope you can enjoy that amazing off the tree taste like we do all year long.

Apricot Jam
Ingrediants:
1.5 kg of apricots
1.25 kg of sugar
3 Tbl. of lemon juice

Wash and then cut in half apricots.

Measure out 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1.25 kg of sugar.

Place all of the apricots in a large saucepan with about one-fourth of the sugar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and a 1/4 cup of water. Stir until sugar is dissolved . Boil on medium high until the apricots are soft and add the remainder of the sugar.

Boil over low heat for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. The jam should darken in color.

Check to see if the jam is done by doing a jell test. Put a spoonful on a plate let it cool in the fridge. If it jells, wrinkles when the plate is put on its side, it is ready to put in your pint jars. This recipe makes five pints.

Use a Water Bath Canning Process to preserve the jam for a year or refrigerate cooled sealed jars and eat within a few weeks.

In preserving any type of food for long periods of time, I would check the National Center for Home Food Preservation and Pick Your Own as great sites to get started and see if this is for you and get additional canning information.

Also, to all those father's out there, Happy Father's Day!! I thought this would give you a chuckle even though it has been out for a while on YouTube.

Trying To Play Catch Up

2011-06-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

I bought it. The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt seems pretty popular right now. Something to do with a Quilt Along with Andrea and Amanda?

I couldn't get it online anywhere! The person at the register at Joanne's and I had an exchange like this:

Register lady: Are you actually going to do this?
Me: ah... Yes.
Register lady: (gasps) Oh my gosh... really?
Me: Yup. I am going to work on it since there's a FWQAL online.
Register lady: Wow. I don't know how you could do this... (strange suspicious befuddled look)
Me: (Shrugs. Smiles politely.)

I am going to try to use the Marti Mitchell template sets, not the templates on the included CD. On her website, she says she has a list of what templates she used for what block. I am hoping I hear back about my emailed request in the next week or so. I have been using the templates in my other 12.5 inch blocks. They are really accurate to an eighth of an inch or less. I don't usually use templates, but they seem to work well.

I finished one more UFO block last night during the FNSI. The other three are all in some form or another halfway done.

I am going to find some caffeine now and finish them! I have the Kaleidoscope Quilt Along and this Farmer's Wife Quilt Along to plan for and I am going to this UFO done!

The Mini Blockapalooza Continues

2011-06-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have finished a few more block. Tonight, if I finish what I start, I will have 16 blocks done. I am going to make good use of the Friday Night Sew In. I can't believe that will make 12 blocks this week. I'll have to spend the weekend cutting out the others, but the fabric is so mixed up. It's sitting in a pile in a draw in some kind of order I forgot. So much for putting aside something for just a moment.

Here's the project in pieces.

Here is the result of the last two days.

Sigh... they make pinwheels look like child's play.

There are pros and cons about having to do two blocks in different colorways. They are great for experimenting with pressing and getting the points right. At the same time when you are finished with one, you have to make that block twice!

Anna and I also made a 'quilt' for her princesses. The original pillow, glued onto cardboard(?), and the fabric for the bed was kinda yucky. I had her try a 1/4 inch seam. That was hard. I wanted to say I can do it, but that's not the point, right? She did a great job holding the fabric and even used the foot pedal. We sewed a rectangle and then turned the backing and linen inside out. We made a pillow and added some stylish ribbon perfect for a princess.

I have been working during naptime, but even a sneaky 'sleepy' noodle can wake up, unbeknownst to mom and dad downstairs, tiptoe into her sleeping brother's room and have a little fun.

She removed her shirt and found herself a canvas. 'Look mommy. Look!" After we talked about where you draw with markers, my husband and I were giggling as we washed her little face and belly! "Look mommy, daddy. My belly. My belly clean." Ohh, my sweet one... please stay little.

WIP Wednesday #3

2011-06-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a mini blockapalooza around here. Before I start more projects, I want to get to a few UFOs done that are making me feel guilty this summer. Bags of cut blocks, ready to be pieced, were dumped out onto the dining room table. They were made with templates that have mean learning curves, but yield nice points and 12.5 blocks that are only 1/16 off versus the usual arbitrary quarter to half inch inaccuracies. Five were finished since this last Sunday. I am so serious about finishing this! I also have a pile of fabric from this BOM that needs to be cut, but I have to do some detective work to see which fabric goes with which block.

Cool colorway:

Warm colorway:

I realized that my piecing skills have improved so much over the last two years so these blocks were a lot easier than I thought. Some of these blocks were cut out in '08. Ouch. However my machine completely died in the middle of it and I had to wait a year before I bought my new machine. I collected the blocks, month by month, cut, bagged and tagged them for later, and promptly forgot about them. Soo... now is later. Not withstanding the fact that my fabric tastes have completely changed, I like them. Moreover, I like the challenge of finding the perfect 1/4 inch scant seam and making all the those points line up.

This leads me to the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along. I have been working on these thinking it would be nice to work on some piecing skills over time. I am feeling the urge to go traditional with my block designs and make a scrap happy modern fabric quilt. I also found out that the plastic Marti Michell templates will help me with the blocks in this quilt too. I hope it will improve my quilting skills. A couple of 6 inch blocks a week doesn't seem very hard.

Maybe I should start with the hardest ones now that I am motivated and finish with the easy ones? Either that or instead of a Farmer's Wife I'll end up a mistress. And yes there is a flickr support subgroup for those of you mistresses who want to make a smaller version.

Also... Here's my six year olds WIP! This is her first attempt at stitching and I told her to stay on the marked lines and make the stitches small.

Give Anna some love!! :)) I am so stinkin proud of her. We have been having some artsy-craftsy time together while the other two nap. She wants to learn how to quilt and blog this summer. I squeezed and hugged her more than a few times hearing that.

I am now on twitter too. If you care to follow there @sohappytosew. Let me know if you are too. I got over the obligatory lame first tweet yesterday. Make me a less lonely tree in the forest. K?

I'm a Happy Camper

2011-06-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Happy Camper top is finished. Here's a sneak peak. I have to make a creative back since I have a back two inches too short for the width. So much for me messing with the pattern. I have a cool idea for the back, but it may take a couple of weeks. I will say the idea makes me smile every time I think about it.

Here is the Scrap Basket Sensations book, making today a good mail day. I won this from Sinta at the Pink Pincushion. I am going curl up on the couch and have a good read. I see two quilts already that interest me!

I also won a yard of fabric at Pink Chalk fabrics at their 50 yards of fabric blog giveaway. They are working through the book One Yard Wonders. It is in their 23rd week and it a great jump into sewing with soo many fun projects that need only a yard! It is interesting to see how each project turns out. I think I may buy a pattern or book with the certificate. Any advice?

So yup... this is a great Friday!

WIP Wednesday #2

2011-06-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

New Projects:

I've got out my DS fabrics for the kaleidoscope quilt along. I hope Elizabeth doesn't mind. When I first saw them, I thought they were begging to be put into a summery picnic quilt. This is perfect. I thought of making a mini quilt, but I want to jump all in.

I also got out some Japanese linen for an iPad cover. I'm leaning towards the green Red Riding Hood. I really want red polka dots, but I think that would stand out at Starbucks.

Works in Progress Currently:

All of the Cathedral Windows are basted and ready to go. As you can see I have started another project with some American Jane Happy Camper fabrics. I whipped up 40 nine patches from a jelly roll yesterday using a Moda Bake Shop tutorial. It's moving along very fast. I love nine patches. Those will make a border around a solid so I should be able to show a top very soon.

My American Jane Wee Play hexagon flowers are almost done too! I started these hexagons in September. All 1000 hexies were cut and basted by December, that's the addicting part, and now all the flowers are pieced. Almost... The pile on the left has centers to be sewn in, but hopefully that will be by the end of this month??

I won a book from Sinta at Pink Pincushion, sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop, and now I think I can bust through some jelly rolls that have been abandoned in the closet.

picture from pink pincushion

I ended up buying a fat quarter pack of solid fabrics to go with Kate Spain's Flurry here.

I have a jelly roll of 12 Days of Christmas, from another giveaway last year, and I thought they would match. The blues are a little different, but not that noticeable. The solids were of different varieties and I thought the Free Spirit solids felt so much smoother and softer. I may have to rethink what solids I buy.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Pinwheel Quilt- this summer
Single Girl Quilt- this fall
HST Quilt- this month

This week's stats:
New projects - 2
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 11

I am enjoying the Las Vegas 70 degree weather in the mornings. The park is a delightful place to induce those afternoon naps, err... quilting time!

Kaleidoscope Quilt Along

2011-06-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

Go check out the fun at Don't Call Me Betsy.

I'm in. Are you? I am going to start with a mini, but you know how that ended last time!

Stick A Fork In Me Sunday #2

2011-06-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been filled with the children enjoying the company of Poppy. They were thrilled to spend time with him. I think Anna said that she was having her 'most favoritist time' with him. :)

fabric: Gypsy- Pillow and Maxfield

I had some very ripe apricots from our backyard tree that needed some attention. Yesterday, I made some apricot jam with them. The name of the recipe is Apricot Honey and that name certainly fits since the results are more like a very thick syrup than jam. I halved the the recipe. Our tree is a Royal Apricot so perhaps there is a higher water content. I had to sneak a picture before it was all gone. By the end of this week or next, it will be placed on waffles, PBJs, fruit tarts, and whatever I can enjoy it on or in!

I did not process the jam since it will be gone very, very soon! I am also trying to wait patiently for our local farm's apricot crop to be ripe. We make enough of another apricot jam for the year. I will share the entire process soon.

On another note, I am getting closer to finding out what our mystery plant in the backyard is.

I am betting on watermelons. I think there are female and male blossoms with the larger blossoms having a green globe under the flower. Here it is with the flower not opened yet.

I think they may be too round for squash? We will see.

Enjoy the jam. It takes 20 minutes and you have some fresh fruit spread for the week. I will be making my favorite fresh bread, which can be found here, and enjoying that picnic style outside. Yumm!

Thread Rainbow

2011-05-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

I found these in an old container while cleaning up my sewing room.

These 70s/early80s 100% polyester darning spools were mixed in with old name tag ribbons my mom sewed into my clothes for Girl Scout camp. ...and towels ...and undies ....and whatever else they could be sewn into. :)

I almost threw them away, but the spools are so cute. They are shorter than the width of a quarter and some do not seem used. These spools may have a purpose with the purchase of a glue gun. I am thinking something color wheelish. They need to be put to good use soon or I might have to check into crazy mom quilts' 12 step program...

Stick A Fork In Me Sunday

2011-05-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

I thought I might share the recipes I am making on Sundays when I have more time and the week has slowed down. Realize that I take the recipes I find and I mess with them so much that they are unrecognizable from the original recipe. Maybe that's why Nana-made recipes are so hard to duplicate?

picture from myrecipes.com

I am a salad dropout! It is hard for me to think beyond a little bunch of greens, tomato and onion. Don't even ask me to make my salad dressing... So I am trying to branch out and find tasty options.

While making this I discovered that Cobb salad was the invention of a restaurant manager, Bob Cobb, at The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles in 1937.

". . . its origin was quite by accident. One evening the original owner, Robert H. Cobb, went to the icebox and found an avocado, which he chopped with lettuce, celery, tomatoes, and strips of bacon. Later he embellished it with breast of chicken, chives, hard-boiled egg, watercress, and a wedge of Roquefort cheese for dressing, and the salad was on its way to earning an international reputation."

Silly me, somehow I thought the name had something to do with corn on the cob rather than leftovers! I adapted it from Ivy Manning's recipe in Cooking Light. I wonder if it is a Cobb salad if it doesn't have cheese? Thinking back, shredded cheddar cheese might have made a welcome addition to my adaption of the salad!

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:
* 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salad:
* 4 slices center-cut bacon
* 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 8 cups greens (various types of lettuce, spinach)
* 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
* 1/2 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
* 1/2 cup diced avocado (I used the whole avocado)
* 1/4 cup chopped green onions
* 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation
1. To prepare salad, cook bacon on a foil cover cookie pan in oven at 350 until crispy. Cool and crumble to add to salad.
2. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk; set aside.
3. Arrange 2 cups lettuce on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 2 teaspoons bacon, 5 tablespoons chicken, grape tomatoes, 2 tablespoons avocado, 1 tablespoon onions, and about 1/3 cup beans. Drizzle vinaigrette evenly over salads.

I decide to not use all the beans on the salad since there was a yummy looking recipe on the Kroger can.

picture from grouprecipes.com

Corn And Black Bean Salad
1 15 oz can black beans
1 12 oz can whole kernel corn
1 medium tomato, finely diced
3 green onions, finely diced - use red onions instead (1/4 cup)
1/4 c lime juice
1 t cumin powder - use fresh cilantro instead (2 Tablespoons chopped)

I used 12 oz of organic frozen corn and replaced the cumin powder with fresh cilantro! I also used red onions instead of green. I don't usually like bean salad of any kind, but this was very yummy.

It's was nice to have so many fresh veggies on my plate. Any favorites on yours?

A Morning at the Farm

2011-05-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am thoroughly enjoying farm fresh produce!

I went to the local farm with a friend who had never been there before. This is what I ended up with! Well almost...The spinach/lettuce and the smaller apricots on the right are from my backyard. The type of apricots I like for jam are just not ready yet so I found some others at the farm for the kids to devour with their PBJs. I'll check next Saturday for sure.

I am still not convinced my mystery plant, aka Walmart Watermelon, from the compost will produce anything. A few blossoms fell off and did nothing. Anybody know what could be going on? There are plenty of ants and such ending up in the blossoms so they are getting pollinated. I think I need to wait. Is anyone sure these are watermelon? I do have some rogue tomato plants growing here from last year so I can always make room for those instead after enjoying these pretty yellow flowers.

Being in the middle of projects, I'll show you how I feel about my postage stamp quilt.

Doesn't it look like it goes on forever? - block number 3 out of 16 done.

I also basted my Cathedral Window blocks. That was boring, but worth it since I can just pull them out and have fun...play...applique.

On another note.... I am totally frustrated on another quilt! I have to pull out and take apart a crap load of HSTs going the wrong way. I almost cried about having to redo the points. I don't have a lot of HSTs in my quilts because I am too picky. The annoying part is was suppose to be the-easy-quilt, the-timeout-from-crazy-projects-quilt and now it has become I'm-not-showing-pictures-until-it's-done-quilt. Oh well! I think today I am going to take a break and actually read a book! Anybody know some good Sci-Fi books?

WIP #1 - Cathedral Window Quilt

2011-05-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is my first Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday so here goes... :)

I have made very good progress on my Cathedral Window quilt. It felt good to lay it all out on the floor instead of agonizing over each block and its window fabric individually. The most difficult part of this quilt is finding the time to make all the white background units on the machine.

I made 81 units into 9 blocks, and I am working on the temporary basting by thread part.

I don't use pins. I hope to baste all 9 by Friday to start the hand applique part. It will be nice to have a prepped block to instantly pull out and work on. The pieces between the blocks, the ones hanging off the block, will be added at a later time when the blocks are sewn together.

I am debating adding units of Kona green all around the edges as a border. Any ideas on what your favorite color of green is with Meadowsweet?

Hopefully this quarter of the quilt will be done by summer. You can check out the tutorial for my method here if you're interested in this type of quilt.

I think I am suppose to make a list of my WIPs here. Yikes!

This week's stats:
New projects - 0
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - hmm... lots, but these are actively being worked on and you can see them on my new WIP page above!

Postage Stamp
American Jane Hexagons
Cathedral Window
Dresden Plate
Concrete Log Cabin- my goal is for this to be a top next week

I'll hopefully be more organized for WIP Wednesday next week. Thanks for visiting.

Help out a little bit...?

2011-05-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

I would like to direct you to go out and check out Dana's blog over at Old Red Barn Co. She is holding a quilt fundraiser for the tornado ravaged town of Joplin, Mo.

A residential neighborhood in Joplin, Mo., is seen Monday, May 23, 2011 after it was leveled by a tornado that destroyed nearly 30 percent of the town on Sunday afternoon. The twister cut a six-mile path through the city. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Adam Wisneski)

Every little bit can help.

FNSI and a giveaway

2011-05-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to finish the block last night, but it went from the last post to this. I'll finish it by the end of the weekend.

Anna 'graduation' went well. She says she is now a first grader even though there is 12 more days of school! She is very proud of her new graduation necklace.

Just thought you might like a heads up on a giveaway too.

Yup, I'm kinda into those fabrics. Can you tell!? My favorites are these aquas with a bit of fuchsia!

A Cute Gift Bag

2011-05-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

I made this yesterday using my crafty powers.

Seriously... I needed to make something and actually finish it! It is for a child's birthday this weekend. It will hold an opened birthday gift with all those tiny fairy pieces and accessories. I am hoping it helps to not lose all those pieces. Isn't so unfair there isn't a simple carrying case included with all that super tiny stuff?

It uses my simple fabric gift bag with a few changes. I used one longer piece to have the lining fabric peek out at the top and added a flat tube of fabric on each side to add some ribbon ties. My pieces were 10.5 by 16.5 (polka dot fabric) and 10.5 by 18.5 inches (swirly fabric).

I found my hexagon template. Whoohoo! I also have my pieces for another postage stamp block laid out for Friday Night Sew In.

I will have to fit it in after kindergarten graduation tonight! Super exciting night!

Sharing this here with some friends.

Distractions

2011-05-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

I been enjoying being distracted by the Blogger's Quilt Festival and I have been thoroughly distracted from any sewing these days. I have been finding inspiration everywhere, but in my sewing room. I really love this quilt or this quilt or this quilt. However, here are the piles on my sewing desk.

Like the runner that is currently like my blog header, I have some hexagons that need to be sewn up into a quilt. I lost the hexagon template and need to cut a few more hexagons out of some fat quarters. I want to blame it on the three kids, but I am sure it was put in the safe place that is hiding from me for the moment.

I also sewed and folded some Cathedral Window units. Nine units will make a 15 inch block. I'll baste the fabric into 10 blocks this week. Then the hand applique will go fast. It's having large blocks of time to sew that seem to be the problem around here.

At least what I consider the boring parts are done on these quilts and the fun can begin.

On another note, have you noticed the after Market sales! I am holding back, but I really am crushing on some older Anna Maria Horner voile. I also am in love with this sweet line too. Any new lines of fabric or old that you are crushing on lately?

Blogger's Quilt Festival Spring 2011

2011-05-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

I am excited to participate in the Quilt Blogger’s Quilt Festival again.

Being a busy mom of three, it makes it difficult to find the time to sew, let alone blog. I sew at night and, when I can, during naptime! You can see my WIP page if you care to check out my current projects. If you comment, I will be sure to visit your blog’s quilt this weekend!

My quilt for this weekend’s quilt festival is a Single Girl quilt. I whined in January about not having one from Pottery Barn as designed by Denyse Schmidt. I came upon the Single Girl Quilt Along on Katy’s blog, I am a ginger monkey, and began to cut into my Garden Party and Katie Jump Rope fabrics.

Along the way I was scared of the curves and constantly confused, but I learned so much!! The support group was fantastic on flickr and I would suggest to join a quilt along to anyone who is tentative about a quilting making project!

Before making the queen sized top, I made a baby sized version of it inspired by the quilt along button.

I didn’t think I was going to finish the quilting in time for the Blogger’s Quilt Festival, but I have a thing for self-imposed deadlines. I am so happy to be able to share it with you. Two weeks ago I basted this quilt and began to hand quilt it in DMC perle cotton 8 in color 718. Or what I like to call 'In Your Face Fuchsia'!

It measures 42 by 49 inches and uses Kona Coal and Anna Marie Horner’s Garden Party. I love the big stitches and it went along super fast using this pick-stitch method. If you haven’t tried hand quilting have a go with it and embellish your machine quilting!

Thanks for visiting!

Amm yum yum yum...

2011-05-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love breakfast. It must be my favorite meal of the day. I think it might be the fact that you can pour sugar onto everything and get away with it!! My favorite is waffles. Waffles with strawberries, jam, syrup, whip cream... but on a weekday it is too hard to do this and make it to school with the kids on time. My husband usually makes the waffles every Saturday before the kids go to their tennis lesson and I get to sew with Zoe. He has the recipe memorized! Last week our waffle maker broke and we had to buy a new Belgium one. It had one of those recipe booklets that you look at once and stick into the cabinet and let gather dust. We did get two very yummy ideas out of it- waffle french toast and chocolate waffles. I'm kindly requesting the later for Mother's Day.

Here is the result this Friday...!!

...amm yum yum yum!!

Easy, super fast and much better than my usual french toast. (I usually use a recipe of 1 egg per piece of bread and add some milk to soak the bread.) Mine are usually soggy and burnt and these were crispy and perfectly cooked on the inside. Get out your abandoned waffle makers and enjoy the next best thing!

My Single Girl will be done soon.

I have been looking at the pictures and have been finding the color is always off. The colors look neon sometimes.

The aquas are too bright and the green yellow isn't that garish. Any ideas why? Is the background of coal colored fabric messing with the camera's automatic settings?

After I get the arc in the hoop finished today, I will feel like I am on the home stretch.

Sharing the sewing week with friends here ...

My Hand Quilting Project: Day 3

2011-05-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

This has to be quick since I have a half hour of naptime left and I need to use it!

I did however finish a lot these last few days and 'In Your Face Fuchsia' colored perle cotton is growing on me!

I basted alot and I am not regretting that. It really holds the layers together. If I had used pins I would have more shifting than I have now. I do not like having to stab stitch where the rings meet. That is the most difficult part of the process. Pushing the needle through 6 layers is not too fun. The negative space is the most relaxing part of the quilting.

I have been using a nifty tip to avoid lots of knotting and beginning threads. Double the thread length and bring the thread halfway through the fabric. I come back to the loose threads and continue in the opposite direction. It cuts down on the wear and tear on the perle cotton and saves time for quilting, not knotting.

Here's a link to a tutorial that describes how to hand quilt. I use the same method.

Anyway I though you might know what I was up to. Thanks for the encouraging words! Catch up with you later.

My Hand Quilting Project

2011-05-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

I am just slightly intimidated by the colors I am using for this baby sized Single Girl. The fabric is very bold and I want to bring out the color explosion I see. The camera seems to magnify it. Scared me says, 'I really want to use a safe gray matching thread that won't show all the errors that I think I am going to see.' Instead, I will be using perle cotton 8 in DMC thread 718, also known as "In Your Face Fuchsia"! (no...not really...) What am I thinking?

I also want this done in two weeks time for Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival.

Can I do it? One block took two days... so 4 blocks equals 8 days + 2 for binding and washing.... maybe... maybe?

Sew and Tell: Single Girl Mini Quilt

2011-04-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hmm... what have I been working on this month. The answer is lots, but hardly a true finish in sight. :) I really wanted to get going on some hand quilting so I started on the lonely Single Girl block I had in Katie Jump Rope fabrics.

It will reside in my sewing room until I finish quilting the queen sized one this fall. It makes me happy to have this little finish when I have a huge one to quilt. It took 2 days or 4/5 hours to quilt and I will admit I put on the binding at 11:30 last night. It seems wonkier than it is, because I took the picture below the quilt on the wall, not straight on!

For the larger quilt, I did eight blocks of the quilt and then repeated the process of templates, rings and quadrants making with the last nine. It was a big mistake since I knew how tedious the cutting could be. I looked at the fabric that needed to be randomly sorted in a a ring again and stopped in frustration.

I don't do random easily.

I told Anna, my 6 year old, to go 'quilt' for me and lay out the fabric the way she wanted it. I gave her the requirement that same fabric patterns and the same colors couldn't touch. This ring mini quilt and the additional 8 blocks in the quilt are in the fabric order that she chose. Oh my! I love my little girl.

I had to push through the project at the end since I was getting absolutely tired of the whole thing. I finally finished the Single Girl queen top here, with a poem of sorts for a smile or two.

I basted the mini quilt this Wednesday morning. I used DMC perle cotton 8 in ecru and an embroidery needle. This thread conditioner called Thread Heaven from 123stitch.com came earlier in the week. It stops the thread from shredding and the results were amazing!!! You lightly brush the thread between your finger and the conditioner, it looks like chap-stick (so much so I had to tell the kids not to use it like that), and brush off the excess. I used it for the thread in the binding and it was a much faster process with less tangles and less wasted thread. I hope it doesn't create a problem in the long run, but the packaging said it was acid free and I did wash the quilt.

Two pieces of batting were whip-stitched together for this mini quilt. I thought it would leave a bump in the middle so I hide the stitching under the center seam of the block. Now you can't tell this was made from two separate pieces of batting. Yay!

Do you love the texture of making something stitched by hand? I wish all my quilts could be hand quilted this way. My stitches are way smaller that the stitches are on the front, but they are getting more uniform in size. The quilt lines are 1 and 1/4 inches apart.

I also worked on another block for my postage stamp quilt this week. Each square measures 1 inch. My finished blocks are measuring 21 by 20 inches exactly, instead of 20.5 inches square, but I don't care. As long as this is consistent, all the blocks will fit together. I have bagged all the square units, cut from strips, and all I have to do is take one ziploc bag out and play with what's in there. I don't think the quilt would be consistent in color and fabric variation, if I didn't do that.

Fourteen blocks more to go...

Sharing the sewing week with friends here , here and here...

Mystery Plants

2011-04-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

I use compost in my garden and keep it in my garage in the winter. It's in a plastic trash can of all things. This method really does work! Don't tell my HOA. My strawberries are twice as tall as they were last year and the berries look larger and healthier. I have also heard that you let compost rest for a couple of weeks before you plant. I think I know why. These healthy plant germinated and I had no idea what they were.

I racked my brain... green beans...peppers... cantelopes...zuchinni...??? A seed popped up with the leaves today and now I know what all of these are: Walmart watermelon! I am kicking myself for not buying those organic ones at Whole Foods.

watermelon

More Walmart watermelon!

So much for putting that in the compost... So I might leave them, in this raised box, since I read they do not cross pollinate with my Wisconsin melon. Maybe I'll be wrong, but it will be a wonderful experiment for the summer. I suppose they need to be thinned now.

I am playing with fabric too. Old methods... new fabric...

Just thought you might actually want to see something made with this fabric instead of those glorious stacks popping up all over the place. ;)

Flea Market Fancy Collection Reprint

2011-04-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

I hope you can forgive a second post in one day. This is what I found on my Facebook today.

Finally Flea Market Fancy that the rest of us can afford. I believe I may be on a fabric diet until then. Are you as excited as I am??

Thank you Denyse Schmidt!!!

Single Girl Verse

2011-04-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

A girl complains she has no quilt for her bed.
She sees one at Pottery Barn instead.
The price is too high and too dear.
Her fairy Godmother does not appear.
She buys up a stash of Katie Jump Rope.
For two years she feels like a complete dope.
A pattern is bought and put on a shelf to be made.
More fabric is needed, "how 'bout a trade."
She procrastinates on how it is to be done,
The directions seem too scary and not too much fun.
Three other girls sing their siren song,
"Why don't you join this Single Girl Quilt Along?"
She buys up Kona by the yard.
It really can't be that hard.
Templates and pieces of fabric are cut out.
Threads are flying everywhere, the husband pouts.
A test pillow soon turns into a quilt.
With some Garden Party, there can't be much guilt.
Now on to some Katie Jump Rope in plaid,
She tries not to cry and not become sad.
What if she cuts those daisies and dots all wrong?
She throws herself into the project headlong.
Rings to quadrants and quadrants to blocks,
She's up to midnight in her pajamas and socks.
Laundry, dishes and beds need to be made so,
Is this quilt going to be another UFO?!
The kids are fed pizza by husband with flair,
As she disappears into her sewing room lair.
Finally, the stripes, daisies and ribbon flowers,
Are sewn furiously into the wee hours.

Flickr support groups and blogging friends,
Certainly helped her reach this so happy end-
A Single Girl quilt is lying blissfully on her bed.
Isn't that quite enough to be said??

(I will be sharing this with some friends this friday at Sarah's blog. Take a peek! )

In Color Order

2011-04-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Why did I take a picture of it? 'Cause.

American Jane hexagons (60)

I just love color order. Don't you?

These are a nice in front of the TV project. Lately I have bored with TV shows.... Any movies or shows on online/Netflix good to rent?

And on my last post about Denyse's fabrics, they will be online mid-May... :)

So, if it were you...

2011-04-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

vintage charm or the greens and blues...?

Denyse Schmdt- new line at Jo-anns

Or is it a question of how much do they have?

Single Girling Along

2011-04-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Singles Girl quilt top is almost completed. Here is a sneak peak. I am shocked at the size of it, having to hand quilt it up, but I think it may be my most favorite quilt by far!

Andrew said, "Wow!! How you make this?" My response was and is usually "Carefully" or "Lots of pins." I have got to get better answers...

It has to come up off the living room floor soon. Zoe started to do her dancing thing on it with her two year old bare feeties. I had to tell her no, :(, and her reaction was, "But it fun!!" OK, you have my heart there...

The first thing we will do, when it is finished my sweet Zoe, is dance on it.

Sharpie attack!

2011-04-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

I thought I might share this trick with those of you who have kids and have lost hope in having nice furniture. We do love the vintage charm right? I have a nice Ethan Allen hutch in the dining room and I found my oldest name and date on it in Sharpie. The date, really? Can you see where I removed it below?

Here is a letter removed...

with a simple eraser from a pencil!!

She will remove the rest when she comes home from school.

How is your Monday going?

If you have been wondering...

2011-04-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

this is where I have been for the past few days...

Have you ever been this desperate to finish piecing something with matching thread?

I messed with the tension and it actually worked. Shussh... please don't tell my Bernina dealer...

BTW... 206 followers... you like me, you really like me... :) Thank you for reading my blog! It really does make me so happy! xoxo Have a happy weekend!

Art Gallery Fabrics Giveaway Winner

2011-04-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

The winner of this beautiful pile of fabric, randomly picked, is

Alhambra and Girly Girl Art- Gallery Fabrics

Diane H said... From the Moda Bakeshop I really like these
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2011/03/simple-spring-table-runner-or-place.html#more
Thanks for a chance.

Congratulations Diane! Don't forget, if these catch your fancy, TheFabStore is having a sale. Just mention SOHAPPY10 in your custom order to recieve a 10% discount on anything in her store until April 11!

You all convinced me to try out my luck with zippers and I even made 12 blocks, lickety split, in two naptimes.

The pattern is super easy and beginning quilter friendly! There are so many reasons why I like Kelly's pattern at Blue Bird Sews. I used these 4 fat quarters and two coordinating Kona solids, aqua and peony! I am going to set them on point randomly. You'll see soon!

Happy Dresden Flowers

2011-04-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

I made these Dresdens last year in the spring time in my quilt along. The kids call this the flower quilt: Happy Dresden Flowers. I was too lazy to take pictures of it earlier in winter light. I've been a terribly lazy photographer and actually have two finished quilts that met the same fate. Once a finished quilt ends up on a bed it doesn't get its picture taken. It might take another year to get this finished so I'd better share the work in progress.

I chose the Irish chain because there was space and I was on a nine-patch kick for a while last year. It just seemed more fun than sashing. I already have the hand quilting pictured in my head for those spaces.

I figured out how to paper piece the traditional ice cream border using Golden Threads tracing paper. Yeah... I have to get to that part. There doesn't seem to be a tutorial on this at all and most Dresden quilts today use a solid border! I spent hours looking in frustration, but I didn't find anything that looked right. Michelle had a beautiful picture of her grandmother's quilt that she sent me a pattern tracing of, but I realized that I had to increase or decrease the size to make it work along two 18 inch blocks. So...

On the copier, I messed with this pattern, called the Friendship Ring or Aster Quilt in this book, until I had the right widths to fit my quilt. Yeah, fancy borders have lots of math.

I am not sure you have heard of Ruby McKim and her patterns, but she was one of the top quilters of the 30s. Her work was published in One Hundred and One Patchwork Patterns in 1931. Many of her patterns were released in magazines and newspapers and she sold quilt kits and precut kits associated with her book. I bet you she would have been a popular blogger today. The book is free online now at her family's website and worth a look through! Some of her embroidery patterns like Roly Poly Circus are still being sold. I adore Monica's. When I saw the hand writing on most of the patterns I let out an squeak since I had it in my sewing room the whole time! (The garish 1962 version instead of the soft lavender 1931 version.)

Here is one of my favorite parts.

THE DRESDEN PLATE QUILT
A PICTURESQUE quilt named for exquisite old-world china comes to us as the Dresden Plate. It must be of dainty colors, irregularly placed so the whole will blend as a flower garden.

Our pattern, No. 419 at 10c, gives cutting units for blocks and border, even for the border corner, with instructions. Or this pattern sheet is included in order 419A at 20c which also has twenty different ready-cut prints for one block. These are finest 80-square prints, specially selected patterns in lovely light colors, and enough for 20 blocks ready-cut is order No. 419X at $.2.00; or No. 419M at $4.00 includes the 20 background squares and ready-cut border for foot and sides. It is left straight across the top.

So, if you were wondering if I got to play with my fabric yesterday, I did at 11:00 at night and should have my units completed for a Supernova block today. Yay! My giveaway comments will also close today. If you haven't entered today is your last chance!

I am adding this to Whoop Whoop Friday and see you Monday!

bits of joy on my kitchen table

2011-03-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Some yummies from my garden...

and bits of fabric joy...


Hope Valley- fat quarter pack from Mountain of the Dragon on esty

Now I can only hope for ~~a naptime~~ an early bedtime to allow this momma to play...

A Giveaway And Some Progress Made

2011-03-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

The baby sized Single Girl is finished.

The half square triangle borders were scrapped and I followed Denyse's pattern. I like how the rings take center stage. Every picture I take of these Garden Party fabrics come out a little different, but take my word they look fabulous in real life. I will be hand quilting it in a violet.

Eight rings of my Katie Jump Rope are finished, but I needed a break from it all. This is the postage stamp box that got my attention.

With a bit more of mindless cutting and sewing 1 1/2 inch strips, I have enough pairs, fabric and white background, cut for 16 blocks. Whoohoo! There will be 6,400 squares of fabric when this quilt is finished. I guess it makes sense that it took until March to have it all cut out. It takes about three hours to put one block together so I am glad I doing a block per month. What a break, huh?

I entered my postage stamp block and my winning cathedral window block in Quilt story's block contest. I want to thank those judges who voted on it. I love the trophy Heather and Megan. :)

I won a gift certificate for some beautiful fabric available from The Fab Store. I bought some red and white for a redwork project this Christmas

Redwork Rendezvous- Alex Anderson

and some Art Gallery fabric.

Alhambra and Girly Girl Art- Gallery Fabrics

You can visit Becky's shop, The Fab Store, here at esty! If you can't resist... Becky is offering a coupon, SOHAPPY10, 10% off, until April 11.

I want to have some fun and I thought I might share 4 fat quarters of the Art Gallery fabrics with you. (Doesn't it look so good with the Kona Aqua?) So... let's have a giveaway.

Let me know, in your comment, what small project you have seen on a sewing blog, that would work with these four fat quarters.

I need a break from all my long term projects that don't seem to have an end in sight. The comments will close this Friday. Are you in? One comment for an entry and you must be/become a follower. A random generator will be used to select the winner on Monday. So let's hear those suggestions!

This post will be joining other creative posts at Sew and Tell, Sew Modern Monday, and Fabric Tuesday.

Supernova Quilt Along

2011-03-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Single Girl is coming along well and some blocks are done. No pictures unless I get something substantial done. I have another cold so piecing it is getting on my nerves. I will finish most of it this weekend.

The Kona Kaufman Snow is working out and the comments on my last post were interesting. If Kona solids seems to be of lower quality at different places, doesn't this make the customer insecure and possible switch to a brand with more consistency instead? I know it makes me feel that way. I guess the lesson learned is stay away from discount stores.

I am making a pillow during this quilt along, but this design has been on my favorites list for a while. My bedroom furniture is in a colonial blue and the New Day colorway of HopeValley is a perfect match. Maybe I will make a quilt of it this summer.

You are not too late and can check it out here.

American Jane Hexagons

2011-03-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday night I did complete the borders, but did not sew them on the blocks. I have half inch seams on the SG blocks. The 3 inch HST were a quarter inch short when sewn together and I didn't feel like dealing with the exact trimming that needed to be done to put them tegther. It was too late for thinking straight with a rotary cutter. So it will be a project for naptime.

A better solution seem to be to work on another WIP. Ten of these American Jane hexie flowers were completed this weekend. I have forty and will need about 100 full flowers to get a respectable sized quilt.

The petals are attached first and then the center is added with one thread. It seems to be the faster method for me.

I washed the 8 yards of Kona Snow for the Katie Jump Rope Single Girl. It was dried damp and folded over the stairs balcony on a towel. It has very little wrinkles so the background pieces will be cut out today. It also seems a bit thicker to work with.

Have you noticed a difference between the Kona sold at discount stores online and ones that are not? Is it a myth that the Kona is of different quality at particular stores? I wish I knew the answer to that. It seemed thinner than the coal color I have, but is it because of the dye that is added? Hmm...

Edited: I just found two yellow stains, selvage to selvage direction, that are about 8 inches long 3mm wide. Since I washed this fabric it's my problem now, but sigh...

HSTs for FSNI

2011-03-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the advice all! You're the best. I may change the red since it can be easily swapped out. It's on the end of the ring. I think my problem with the Katie block is all the different values of the fabric. The Garden Party fabrics are all medium except for the darker purple.

I am going to work on the SG border for FNSI. (That's Friday Night Sew in for those of you in the know. A ton of us get together, link up on Friday and share our efforts on Saturday.)

If I make it through this pile, I can mark the quilting design. Whoohoo!! I am going to try a purple, but you all are so right about aqua looking amazing with the Kona coal. Check this out here. With my handy craft knife I am cutting a stencil from my extra template plastic. I figured one of the kids might rip the paper version. You know the one whose name starts with z and is under two?

I scored it on both sides of the marked line and peeled up the black marking. It works pretty good. Though money would be well spent if there was a template for this.

Ok... time to get to work.

The One Ring

2011-03-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

That title should mess with someone's search engine...evil laugh...

Is it me? I am just not loving the order of these Katie Jump Rope fabrics and I can't figure out why? I might be too close to the project and just need a fresh look at it from some sewing friends. Is there something just not right? I have eight full rings of these. I didn't follow Denyse's pattern. I can always reshuffle the colors on the other eight. Be brutal and honest. Just tell me to shut up and sew and if you want to.

Shut Up And Sew. That would make a great blog name.

Single Girl Quilt Progress

2011-03-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

This was the result of working late last night. As usual, I was apprehensive. With the help of Denyse Schmidt 's brilliant design work and half inch seams, the ring blocks came together very well. I will admit they were not perfect, but I need to embrace a bit of wonkiness in my life.

I didn't have too much rippling of the Kona Coal or rings since I starched and eased the edges to match the rings to the background. The rings were a bit bigger than they should be. A lot of steam pressing helped too. Any wrinkles will crinkle nicely when this is hand quilted.

While I am somewhat allergic to pins, I think they were necessary.

A border of half square triangles will be added and I will/should have a finished top by Friday.

So what color perle cotton should I use? Aqua? Green? Varigated?? Saw this and I am intrigued. Anyone familiar with the brand Lisbeth? I am leaning toward a violet.

Depending on how much work gets done on the Katie Jump Rope version, I will be committing to this quilt along too.

Testing... Testing...

2011-03-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Remember this pile here in January.

Garden Party by Anna Maria Horner

Remember this post here? Can you imagine my surprise that this post came along here at i'm a ginger monkey?

Here is my test block for the Single Girl Quilt Along. I succumbed to the lure of Kona Coal and this grey craze going around flickr lately.

(Yes I know it's the same as the quilt along button and that makes me feel silly, but my favorite Garden Party seemed like the perfect choice.)

It is to become a test quilt very, very soon. How could I stop at just a pillow?

It is so mine.

Now it seems so easy to sew those Katie Jump Rope rings. If you are still in analysis paralysis in this quilt along, get to it! I'll tell you a secret. I was scared each step of the way, but I managed it and it wasn't that bad at all!!

I'm sharing this block at Sew Modern Monday hosted at Canoe Ridge Creations.

The Love Strip Quilt

2011-03-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

I pieced and quilted this strip quilt within two days. I added the hand quilting and sewed the binding on, to be hand sewn to the back, within that same week. This was an absolute miracle with three kiddos. It has been resting on our couch in the loft for weeks until it was finally finished last weekend.

Thanks for all the well wishes. They warmed my heart.

The applique is raw edged and I managed to sew it to the top, with a quarter inch foot, before it was sandwiched.

I will be embroidering "all you need is love..." on one of the white strips on back. I'll get to that soon.

Again, this was super easy. I am not sure it needs a tutorial. I used 9 different quarter yard cuts for the top and half of a twin sized batting. The strips, increased in size by half inches, from 1.5 inches to 3.5. I didn't pick anything larger because I didn't want to quilt anything beyond quarter inch seams. The backing was pieced with what I had of L'Amour by Moda. I was happy that I used what I had on hand. I added the stitching by hand, ecru perle cotton, along the strips that were dark.

It measures about 42 by 70 inches, perfect for the couch. Anna said to me, "Mom... you make the best quilts." She gave me a big squeeze too. Aren't they the best?

If I do this again, I will square up smaller groups of strips since the entire quilt ended being a parallelogram. (The pieces migrated to the right or left.)

Anna was very excited about the Daddy-Daughter dance. Last night, we took the opportunity to take some pictures in front of our blooming apricot tree.

I will say that taking pictures of three little ones is like herding feral cats. This one is good, even if it is slightly out of focus. They were told to hug and Zoe is such a good listener.

I am adding this to Sarah's Friday, "Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?" linkup party.

Just A Few Things...

2011-03-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

I am feeling a whole lot better. The family that visited caught the crud too and are finally getting over it. We certainly want a redo visit soon!!
The crud was awful. Two of the kids ended up with ear infections.
I lost ten pounds and gained back some of it. So I started a diet and it's working.
The Love strip quilt is done. I'll post tomorrow.
Anna is super excited about the Daddy-Daughter dance tonight. She was so excited, she came to my room at 6 am and was wearing her polka dotted party dress and wanted me to do her hair.
Last week, Anna was told in tennis that her overhead smash and forehand were amazing. She then instantly asked how her backhand was. I'm loving that Type A personality. :)
Zoe found out, in gardening, you don't eat the dirt no matter how much topsoil looks chocolaty.
Andrew likes my Single Girl quilt rings, because they look like a race track and he made sure to show me with his matchbox cars. I finally got my Kona Snow today and need to work on that this weekend.
It's 75 out and spring has arrived!

See you tomorrow! I'll have pictures and paragraphs!

See you in a bit...

2011-02-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

So sick. All the best laid plans, ideas, goals... are being ignored for some good rest. I don't feel like doing anything. I am hoping the antibiotics help the bronchitis. All the kids have bad coughs in one form or another too. The good news is the Love quilt is was done last Friday except for the binding. It will have just have to be patient.

I will catch up with you all soon.

Single Girl Fabric Choice

2011-02-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

This pile of fabric, collected over two years, is good and bad.

Good, because I love just patting it and looking at it this way. Bad, because I have to cut into it this week and I am overcome with the usual anxiety of cutting into a super pretty stack. You need to have 'that' perfect quilt. Do you know what I mean? I guess I can't get any perfect than the Single Girl. Err...

I think I need to hire some cheerleaders...

The Love Quilt

2011-02-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

This quilt top was finished this weekend.

I have had this fabric since last year and needed to make something cute out of it. It'sL'amour by Sandy Gervais. It's the "everyone else made something inspiring with and I had to have it because it was steal on sale, but a year later I was wondering what I bought it for" fabric.

It was made of fabric cuts, selvage to selvage, from 1.5 inches to 3 inches, in half inch increments. It measures 68 inches by 41 inches, perfect for snuggling under the couch with a sweetheart. It was cut and sewn in one day and is perfect for a beginner. I added the love applique, raw edged, since I couldn't stop humming the Beatles song All You Need Is Love. I am torn as to which quilting method to use, but I am going to decide tonight and try to finish it by Friday. Nana comes! And Great Nana!!! We love you and can't wait!

Happy Valentine's Day all!!

p.s. My Cathedral Window quilt block won over at QuiltStory! :)) Look over there for some serious block inspiration.

I am adding this to Sew Mondern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations and at Fabric Tuesday at QuiltStory.

Mmmmm...

2011-02-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

These were the best cookies in the world...

Zoe kept asking for coo-coo's. We now know where the family saying, "Coo-coo all gone", comes from.

(Note: I added 1 cup chopped walnuts.)

I blame Dana and Jessica with their recent chocolate chip cookie posts! Jessica's recipe suggestion, check out her post, is going into the 5 star recipe vault!!

Noontime Naps With My Noodle

2011-02-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Wow! This week went fast. This is the rocking chair where I have spent my noontimes. My hexagon box has come in handy while waiting for Zoe to slowly fall asleep. She fights sleep so badly between each eye rubbing with her tiny fist.

It goes to show you that you need nothing fancy to do some hand sewing. A pincushion, needles, thread and a good pair of scissors. I think I am up to twenty flowers. My Cathedral Window block is curled up underneath all of those hexagons. It's a good mess.

This shoebox is my favorite sewing container and those shoes from LL Bean were totally worth it!

A Block Party!

2011-02-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

QuiltStory is hosting a Block Party. I have decided to enter these two blocks.

The first is my postage stamp block.

It measures 20 by 20 inches and is made of 400 random one inch pieces. I plan to make more of these in a block of the month format to have a finished quilt at the end of the year. It has some has favorites from 2010: Kona, Michael Miller and, my favorite, Holiday Happy from Happy Zombie.

The next block is from my Cathedral Window quilt. The units are sewn by machine and each window is hand appliqued. My goal this year is one-window-a-day and so far I have kept up and have 38 windows completed. Whoohoo! I am usually a terrible procrastinator.

Both will be entered in the traditional category.

Have you entered a block? Make sure to visit all the wonderful blocks entered here.

Cathedral Window Quilt Tutorial Part 2

2011-02-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Now that you have your units... How do you piece a Cathedral Window Quilt???

Take six and line up the edges that are the same length. There may be some that are too long so decide which units match best with each other.

Why six? It fits in my hand comfortably and if you like more- go for it.

By folding and ironing them, there is a crease to sew on. Lay wrong sides together to sew.

Lightly mark creases with a marking pencil. Match each fold and pin the end if needed. (I don't use pins or marks. I use my seam ripper as a stiletto to feed the fabric into the machine.)

Backstitch at each end for about 5 stitches, taking care to go over the same stitches. Trim the thread. There is no need for any knots.

Some corners will not match and so you will have to pin them. Ease the longer to match the shorter edge.

You might have a corner like this:

As long as there is no hole, the corner is fine and will roll. Ideally, the corner should lay flat and match.

Here is a prepped "block" without any "window" or insert fabric added. Press with steam. This will be the last time an iron will touch the fabric. Whoohoo!!

Temporarily sew the corners of all flaps together. Do this with some extra "ugly" bobbin thread. This will be temporary and will be removed, once the windows are filled in this block, and replaced with matching thread.

Now that the units are secured, lay your fabric in each square pictured here.

Sew the fabric squares down. Baste through the fabric at least four times. This works better for me than one pin. I also don't need to lose pins on the floor with kids or a pet to find them.

To sew the window, pop the knot through the underside of the fabric that will be rolled.

With the Kona Snow, I am using Auriful 50/2 in the color 2000. It matches very well and is very thin. This hides applique stitches. (The red is so you can see it here in the pictures.) The window does not need pins.

Use the left thumb and index finger to hold and constantly adjust the fabric to get a nice curve. ( Lefty will hold with right hand and applique with left hand.) The genius of the window is all the edges are bias edges and will fold and give nicely.

From here, applique to the corner. If you have hand stitched binding before, it is the same idea. See this post for hand applique tips.

red is for demonstration purposes only :)

The corner is difficult since the fabric can shred or slip. (Edited: I have had no problems at all with Robert Kaufman Kona cotton in Snow. Use this over muslin with confidence!) Make the size of the insert fabric bigger if you have this problem. I add an eighth inch more.

Remember this?

Starting Fabric Square ---- Resulting Unit Made ---- Fabric insert needed

10.5-----5-----3 1/8

9.5------4.5

8.5------4

7.5------3.5

6.5------3

Pick the size of insert fabric that works for you. Here's a formula: Divide the length of the unit by the square root of 2 and then subtract a half inch to get an idea of what size fabric insert to start with. (Mine: 5/sqrt(2) - .5 = 3.03 or 3 1/8 in)

At the corner, stitch through the two white folded edges three or four times depending on the thickness of the thread.

It will show and that's OK. Continue around the window and repeat for the other corners. (Counterclockwise for righties, clockwise for lefties? Pick a way that works.)

When two blocks are completed, remove the temporary basting thread. Open the unit flaps that do not have fabric added to them.

Sew blocks together, using the same sewing method at the top of this page.

To permanently hold down the window corners sew a cross stitch though the corners to the backing. I go through the first layer, but not to the back of the quilt. I am at a loss at what is traditionally done so let me know it there is a better way.

When I get to the edges, I will show you a great way to finish your quilting with some hand quilting.

Anybody up for making cathedral windows? Part 1 can be found here.

January and February Quilty Goals

2011-02-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to show my sewing room all tidy and neat, but it 'seams' not to be. It always ends up being a mess 5 minutes after 'that' idea. So what have I been up to?

Sewing Room Mess:

Dining Room Mess:

First, I have had some success in helping Zoe stay in her room during naptime. Of course that doesn't mean sleeping in bed. I hear "Wee wee wee..." and then I find her asleep in her glider. Some days she tries on all her shoes before she is overcome by sleep. That's my girl!

So Happy Sewing This January:

Postage Stamp Quilt: The directions are strip piece the 1 1/2 inch strips to the Kona White and cut into confetti. Iron and piece randomly as desired. Easy right?

Actually, once the cutting and ironing is done the block finishes in about a couple of hours and I don't have too much trouble getting the corners to line up. The Kona does not stretch. It's all the prep work that's tedious. How big? Dunno. I'm not sure how much fabric I have. I am thinking 16 blocks to make it 80 by 80. I might throw in a block of some 2 inch squares to show off some of the fabrics better.

Amercian Jane Hexagon Quilt: I have about 90-100 hexagon flowers to piece so I finished 11 this month.

The Good Folks Hexagon Quilt: It is being prepped. That means a lot of cutting out hexagons and using a template. The top will come together in matter of weeks once that is done.

Single Girl Quilt: I have been staring at the Katie Jump Rope fabric and wondering how to start this. I have cut out all the templates. Whoohoo! Not as hard as one would think. I did them during Play-Doh time in the mornings this week.

Cathedral Window Quilt: I have been keeping up it have 35 windows done. It takes a half an hour to finish a window now.

For February, I am going to try to
1. cut out and sew a test block of the Single Girl in Garden Party,
2. keep up with One-Window-A-Day Cathedral Window Quilt,
3. make a postage stamp block,
4. cut out all the Good Folks hexagons to machine sew,
5. try to finish ten more of the hexagon flowers, and
6. finish a pillow with the crazy nines.

I am going to stick to a block a month schedule. Oh and blow all February and March's fabric budget on Kona. It's 7.00 at evil franchise store! Anybody know a great place to buy it online? I'm not going to buy anything until the SG rings are finished.

I did have luck finding the rest of Katie Jump Rope Fabric for the SG. Over the summer I saw these on sale and ignored these great boyish fabrics.

I bought the top four at Sew Fabulous Fabric last week. (The other two are from stash.) Stephanie is great and the prices are reasonable. It was nice to find what I was missing all in the same spot. I may use up the scraps and add some solids for a boyish looking quilt. What do you think? Do yah got goals for February?

I'm on a little break

2011-02-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Just look at the company. Can you blame me?

Garden Party- AMH

I'll be back by Friday. Pinkie swear. 'K?

Snow, Snow And More Snow!

2011-01-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Yeah... I have a thing right now for Kona.

I Am Enough

2011-01-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

I thought I might share this special link from Leah at The Free Motion Project.

"...in every person, there is overwhelming perfection just waiting to been seen and acknowledged."

Wow.

More sharing here.