Happy New Year!!

My New Year's resolutions are to be a better blogger & finish up my unfinished sewing/craft projects. Basically it would just be nice to be on top of things.

So I'll share with you some things I've done since I last blogged... way too long ago!

My holiday decorations...

A wreath for my door:


A wreath pillow for the couch:


A 'jolly' pillow for the couch:


A'peace' pillow for someone else's couch but not the couch pictured:


A sweater tree for the mantel:


Some new stockings:


A new tree skirt:


A chalkboard banner that can be changed for any season:


Here are some of the gifts I gave this year...

A quilt for my mom:


A quilt for my brother's girlfriend Lindsey, she likes skulls:


Some custom Jeep seat covers for my dad:


A ball for my niece:


So as you can see I've been busy sewing just not sharing. So here's to a new year filled with sewing and blogging and maybe finally getting that Etsy shop up and running.

My first FINISHED quilt!

I started AND finished a quilt this week! I usually just start quilts and never finish them. It was a gift for my brother's birthday. I would have started it sooner but I couldn't decide what to make him and then I had to wait for some fabric to arrive. I wish I would have gotten a better picture but I finished at the last possible moment and didn't have anyone to help me take a picture.

This is actually officially my first finished quilt. I have several tops pieced but haven't finished them mostly because I have been afraid to ruin them. It is difficult to quilt large pieces on my machine and this quilt ended up with a few tension problems because of that but overall I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. 

Here is a close up of the blocks. I used Heather Ross LBAOM dogs in orange. My brother has two dachshund's so I fussy cut three of them from a fq I had and then used other orange fabrics for the remaining blocks.

I had the intention of using a single color for the binding but of course didn't have enough of one color remaining so I pieced together what I did have left. Also, in the interest of time I machine sewed on he binding. I made three passes that meander around the quilt so it looks like it was intentionally supposed to be sloppy.

The back of the quilt is Riley Blake flannel.

The finished size is approx. 50x72 and was intended to be a couch blanket. I wasn't sure if he was a blanket on the couch kind of person and luckily he is! I guess that runs in the family.

Folksy Flannel

THE FABRIC

THE PLAN

(colors are not representations of the actual colors to be used in the quilt)

By the time I finish this post it will be about 9:30am Chicago time. I plan to spend the entire day working on my Folksy Flannel quilt. There is going to be a lot of cutting and sewing and possibly (no probably) swearing as I have quite a intricate plan laid out for myself. Hopefully it comes out of my head like I want it too.

WASHED vs. PRE-WASHED

Just thought I'd share a picture of how much the flannel does shrink up. Both are 1 yard cuts of fabric. 

I am normally not a pre-washer but I read somewhere that flannel shrinks a lot. The top is pre-washed (I swear the other two sides line up perfectly) and the bottom is brand new. Selvage to selvage a fresh off the bolt piece is 44" and washed it is just shy of 41.5". 

So for any of you thinking of making a beautiful quilt... you might want to pre-wash. The designs aren't as crisp when you wash because the flannel gets so fuzzy but the good news is that it is still as soft as can be. 

Ok no more internet for me... it is quiltin' time. Or well I guess cuttin' and sewin' time... quilting will come later... whatever! 

Bee Blocks in Review 2010

Here are all the blocks I made for my various quilting bees this year. It is quite a few considering I only joined bees starting in April & May.

Happy New Year!

Modern Swappers 2 - Items Sent

Today was the last day to send my package to my Modern Swappers partner. I stitched right down to the last possible moment and got it shipped off just in time. My partner should have there package Monday if all goes well at the USPS. I will share two items now and the rest of the package after I know my partner received the package in case she is checking my blog. I want some of it to be a surprise.

The main item is several things in one. I love the sewing machine cover I got in the last round of Modern Swappers it looks amazing in my sewing room but it spends a lot of its time off my machine because I am sewing so much. So I thought to myself what if a sewing machine cover could serve a duel purpose. Lots of people have been making weighted pin cushion thread catchers to sit beside you when you sew. So I combined the two. When it isn't covering your machine, it sits under your machine. I have thought about the fact that you might not want this directly in front of you, so partner if that is the case hopefully you have something you can weigh it down with and use along side of you. Also the pin cushion is held on with snaps so you can use it anywhere as just a pin cushion and the thread catcher is also held on with a snap to make emptying your scraps easier. Partner I hope you enjoy your sewing machine cover/pin cushion/thread catcher/notions holder... in one!

I also made a wall hanging to match the cover as a decoration for her sewing room. I embroidered 'sew' on some tiny hoops and attached them to a small quilt. I have had these teeny tiny buttons for a long time and finally found a cute use for them.

The rest of the swap includes some little surprises and 1 1/2 total yards of fabric. I love this swap and can't wait to do it again! Hopefully my package from my mystery partner arrives soon.... I CAN'T WAIT!!! People put together some great packages!

The Pillow Talk {Swap} 4

I finally joined a round of The Pillow Talk {Swap}. I've been wanting to get in on one for a few months now. It is wrapping up and after going back and forth and back and forth on a design and fabrics, I finally dove in and created something that I was not so happy with. So I abandoned it and dove right back in and came up with something completely different, even with different fabric choices. I'm pretty happy with the outcome and hope to make myself one after the holidays.

Here it is:

Hope you like it partner! If not you can send it back!!

Some recent sewing projects

First up is another installment of the Quilting Journey Round Robin Bee.

This is a block for Krista. She requested 14" blocks (square or rectangle as long as one side measured 14") She is a Kaffe fan and unfortunately I am not so I had a really hard time picking out fabrics.

Below is my block (left) with Krista's block (right). I love how colorful her block is.

And here is the group so far:

Next I finished some fabric post cards for swap. They were supposed to be christmas or winter themed. The snowman one has "Think Snow" embroidered on the left hand side - it went to someone in Florida. I have three partners to send to. They left in the mail today. You can join our swap here.

Finally for the 3x6 bee I signed up to make an angel block. An angel block is a block made for someone that had a partner not follow through and send them a block. I made it just like the blocks I made for the 3rd quarter. She picked the colors: purple, red, gray. I picked the fabric and block style. I love how this one turned out. You can sign up for the first quarter beginning in January here.

So much sewing to do so little time. I still need to finish up my 3x6 blocks for the 4th quarter due December 15. Also due that day is my pillow cover for the Pillow Talk Swap and my swap package for Modern Swappers. I'm also behind on November blocks for Sew to Speak but I hope to get those tomorrow. Then I should be done and able to focus on making some Christmas gifts just in time for the big day.

Quilting Journey Bee

We are coming up on the halfway point for the Quilting Journey Bee. I recently finished up blocks for Elizabeth and Cindy.

Cindy wanted everyone to create blocks for her quilt neighborhood. Here is the progress so far:

I looks so amazing in person. Some day I'm going to have to make a neighborhood quilt I think.

Here is the block I made for her quilt:

I thought our neighborhood needed a "local quilt shop". Where else are we going to get fabric??

I also finished up blocks for Elizabeth. Here is the progress of her quilt so far:

She sent along the bird fabric in the center of each block. Below is my block (right) and her starter block (left):

I am really enjoying this bee. I hear there are FOUR packages heading my way. I hope I can stay on top of them so more don't pile up.

Quilting: Quilting Bee - The Stitchin' Bee

I just finished this one up today for September in The Stitchin' Bee. "Auntem1" sent some fabric scraps and asked us to create a house for her quilt neighborhood. The block could be any size. We could piece, embroider, applique whatever we felt represented our style. So of course I appliqued.

I'm in a few bees and making a quilt neighborhood is a popular theme. There are tons of great house blocks out there. I've had the idea to make a tree house for a while. I'm glad I finally go to do it!

August Bee Blocks

I just wrapped up my August bee blocks.

For The Hive Kristin sent out Alice in Wonderland fabrics. She is making a quilt to be auctioned off to benefit the Eugene Ballet company in Oregon. The white rectangles on some of the blocks will be spaces for dancers autographs.

For Sew 2 Speak Tamiko sent orange and aqua fabrics with a specific block in mind.

For The Stitchin' Bee Anne sent out grey, black, white and yellow fabrics for her quilt titled "The Math Curse". She asked for any style of block that included a math symbol. I chose infinity.

Shower Curtain

FINISHED

My new place is now complete with a new shower curtain! I decided I wanted a shower curtain that no one else had, so I made my own. Since I now have lots of fabric on hand I decided to make is a mix of lots of different prints. I even added my own grommets at the top. I actually started before I moved but wasn't able to get it finished until last week. It is up now and looking good!

One problem presents itself when piecing together a shower curtain like it is a quilt top... all those ugly seams on the back side. Sure it is facing the liner but I wanted it to look pretty. So I got some white fabric that was super cheap and not 100% cotton because who cares it is after all facing the liner and pieced together a back and then hemmed the edges.

I'm really happy with the finished result.

Quilting: Quilting Bees

FINISHED

I got everything done for June Bees so I can focus my energy on moving at the end of the month. I've been working on so much! With everything done for other people maybe I'll have time to finish my shower curtain tomorrow.

First up we have the Quilting Journey Round Robin Bee and two very different quilts. One is for Karie's son. She wanted to do something special for him since he is the youngest and always getting his big brother's hand me downs. She sent along Heather Ross goldfish fabric and asked for block in blue and orange using the print or applique blocks that didn't use the print. I ended up making two applique blocks.

Close-ups

The quilts journey so far. Her starter block is the top center, mine are on the left and the other three have been created by other quilters on the journey.

The next one is for Cindy. She didn't really have too many guidelines she said to just make whatever the starter block inspired you to make. She also said red was her favorite color. This is what I came up with:

This is the quilts journey so far. Her starter block is the top left.

And the finally I have June's blocks for Sew2Speak done. The request was flying geese. I'd never made this before and used a great method that didn't allow for too much wasted fabric like some of the other methods I've seen. You can find it here.

I should have pressed them better so they would have looked nicer in the pictures, but in my apartment I can't run the air conditioner and the iron at the same time without blowing a fuse. Then I have to go outside and downstairs to the creepy basement to reset the circuit... as I often forget that I have one going before I turn the other one on. The microwave causes the same dilemma. Anyway I didn't feel like sacrificing air for my iron especially since they were about to get folded and squished to go into their envelope for their journey back to Canada. I can't wait to move!!!