Finishing more projects...

Christmas came so fast this year. It was my intention to make all of my gifts but I ran out of time as usual. I think I should start now for next year!! :) But who can really keep a special gift secret for a wholeyear?!!

This is my XO quilt for my niece...I've finally finished it...has special blocks that I designed and printed on my own printer that tell her birthdate, name, weight, etc. Riley and Oscar didn't want to leave it alone when I was trying to get pictures...

My first experience with cuddle fabric...ahhh...another niece was the lucky recipient of this super soft quilt. I loved making this one as it was easy - sew, flip, sew, flip...lucky for spray adhesive and a walking foot...and binding tutorials online for cuddle!! :)

And I made this fun stocking for a friend of mine by using the tutorial from a blog I enjoy reading: crap I've made

Well, I better get back to my ironing...!!! May you have a truly amazing new year!

More projects I've been working on soon...must take pics!! :)

I got a new sewing machine for xmas!! a dexter...

Ok...so it's new to me but very old!!! For Christmas every year my brother always tries to find unique gifts for me that have something to do with my hobbies. One year I got a very old gigantic camera that I have no idea what to do with...this year he gave me a dexter!

The manual has this statement at the end of it...I just laughed and laughed!!! :)

Started another project...

It's good to have friends who get excited about starting new projects! Two of my good friends and I seem to be good at getting each other to start new projects (and we are getting better at finishing some too...)

Here is a new project I started using MoMo's Wonderland (layer cake):

I still have some fabric left to make a few more blocks...then maybe some more rearranging...and then... :)

Getting into my sew zone...

Friday I was cleaning house and finally decided it was time to go through my sewing stuff and get a little more organized. Clean-up turned into moving rooms...creating a whole new space for my sewing space...and de-cluttering other spaces in my house is feeling a whole lot better. I love a clean house!

As for my fabric stash....hokey pete! I think this transition will be a good thing now that I know what I have and need to start using! :) Fabric is fun but I think I'm taking a break from shopping and spending time sewing so my stash does not get too overwhelming! :) (it might already be!!! but shhh!).

Quilt guild nametags...

I'm fairly new to the world of quilt guilds but at my local guild everyone wears a nametag (preferably made by each person). After you've been a member for 6 months, if you forget to wear your nametag or haven't made one yet, one gets to pay up!! I decided it was time I made mine...grabbed what I saw from the top of my scrap bag and a few pieces of rick rack...ran out of time to sew on the button before I raced off to quilt guild!!! But, here it is...my first ever "mini" quilt...aka nametag!! I love the "Y" from my leftover zipper!! (wondered what I could use that for!!!)

EXCHANGE of the purple quilt blocks...

Hello....yes, you!

Do you or someone you know love the color purple??

Are you interested in a purple 6-in square purple quilt block exchange? I received a letter from a friend with 2 fabulous purple squares (see above) and a letter to go along with an exchange. The idea...send 2 squares to the person at the top of the list, bump them off the list, add yours to the bottom, then give or mail the same letter with the new list to 4 of your friends with 2 squares of purple fabric! If your friends and theirs participate you will end up with 72 6-inch squares of all kinds of different purple fabric squares to start a quilt.

If you are interested, please email me so I can send you your first 2 squares and the letter!

projects that are getting closer....

Oooh la la....I love to see a project take "shape"!!! :) This past weekend a friend and I were able to help keep our favorite quilt shop in town open while the gals were off to quilt market! What a fun experience...and now I know just how hard our friends work to help customers find the "perfect" fabric to go with a project!!

We also had some good quality sewing time and my goal was to keep working on my UFO's so I can get more FINISHED! 4 days in the quilt shop...and only took home 1 yard of fabric...SHOCKING!! I'm still surprised...but know "I'll be back" (spoken in an Arnold S-kind of voice!)

Sticking to my goal was great as I was able to get CLOSER to finishing some very fun projects...

Pumpkins...Buggy Barn style! I love this pattern.

And very very close to finishing my "Big Bang". For this quilt top I've used "Wordplay". I love this fabric and can't wait to measure, cut, and sew the 4 pieces together!

Every morning on my way into the quilt shop I walked past this frog. He sits watching a fountain along the street in our downtown area. Quiet contemplation - a pose I adore and often find myself in...

Hope your week is swell! :)

Hip to Be Square complete!

It's always nice to finally finish a project - completely! I seem to have many started projects and several quilt tops ready for the quilting part...and this completed project is only my 2nd quilt completed.

I learned a lot about binding by machine. I know I need more practice but this was much easier than I thought...someday I'll try it by hand but this time I was on a deadline since I will be donating this to Girls' Council for an auction this weekend.

Here's the front:

And I pieced the backing with some leftovers...

I love this pattern. Might just have to make another sometime...it goes together pretty quickly!

Hip to be square quilt top in "Spa"

Hip to be square quilt top is complete and ready for quilting. I've been working on this project quickly as it will be donated at an auction to support Girl's Council. Can't wait to get this one quilted...next week!!

Local quilt fair = fabulous finds!!!

Well...last weekend was our local quilt fair/festival. This was the 2nd year I've gone. I did not enter a quilt as I did not finish in time...will make a plan for something to be complete for next year!

I do love quilt fairs though...lots of ideas floating around all over and vendors!!!! all in one place!

I found these lovely books....

I must say I love all of them. The book "A Boy's Story" is a fabulous book from out of Australia. It has the cutest designs for stitchers (which I'm very new to)...fun cartoons. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in making a great boy's quilt.

Collaborative quilting....WOW...what a find...it was in the used book section...I love everything about this book...so inspiring and such bright fun colors!!!

And Buggy Barn...they were the featured quilters. Pam and Janet were great!

I love their stuff and seeing them demo how their quilt patterns work makes me want to make one even more! The patterns don't seem very difficult, at all! My favorite pattern: Scaredy Cats.

Can't wait to make one!

Nutella on toast...have you ever had this?!! Mmmm.....it's dangerous stuff...I want more! Time for some dinner...

X's and O's...

I've been working on a quilt for my niece for a while now...simple really but the fun part was making my own fabric for it. Finally getting it to the quilting stage..yeah! I'm calling it X's and O's. Took me a long time to think about how I wanted to quilt it. A few of the fabric blocks I made have x's and O's on them...so far quilting the x's is easy!! :)

Now for the O's...

I think I could have used more safety pins! Next time...

Making napkins!

Napkins!! Another finished project...feels good to get things done.

Last week I had surgery on my hand so I have not been doing any cutting/sewing. It was nice to do something tonight and actually finish! :) These bright colors just make me cheery!

Mitered cornered edges made so easy! Thanks again to my favorite teacher, Eddie! :)

Paper and thread

I've been working on my free-motion quilting as I'm getting some projects finished. Today I decided to make this card with my sewing machine. It all started last Christmas when I told my brother I'd like to hand-make all my Christmas gifts...well, I ran out of time and didn't make anything! He made my gift...and ever since when we discuss exchanging gifts, he jokingly asks if we are going to hand-make them or not! So...

I decided to hand-make his b-day card!

I must say the stitching was easier with regular thread. I used some decorative threads on the outside and inside...they have much less give...but, I love how this card came out. I think I'd like to play more with threads and thread painting...I'm sure it would be a lot of fun!!!

This project was quite easy...feed dogs down, free motion foot on! Only thing that would have made it better are my gloves...I forgot to put them on...still worked out ok though!

Zippy Strippy Pouch!

I love working on easy projects that I finish quickly!

This pattern is great if you are looking for an easy pouch. The pattern comes in 3 sizes. This is the largest. What I love most about it: sewing directly onto the fleece lining. The inside fabric is fused onto the fleece and the rest sewn on top!

Zippers!!! Ooh...I'm so glad this was much easier than I thought it might be. I've only sewn zippers 2-3 times before. I see many more projects using zippers...

And this Hello Betty fabric...just love it! :)

Borders just make things better!!!

About 1.5 years ago I took a class last minute that would teach me a few techniques like applique and new blocks I'd never done like the hourglass and pinwheel. Since it was a last minute class for me, I grabbed some fabric I had from a kit, took it to class, and had to find more fabric for my background areas. I didn't really love the selection I had picked after I'd sewn things together...so this quilt top has been sitting in a bag ever since. (I really disliked it...)

I pulled it out the other day, per request of my co-worker who got me into quilting. She suggested I add some borders and finish it and maybe I'd like it better after. Well...she was right. It's still not my favorite quilt ever but I like it much better now with the borders. Perhaps this will be a good one to practice my free-motion quilting!

Pattern: "Heart and Home Quilt of the Month" by Suzanne McNeill. Next time I will take more time on my fabric selection!!! :)

The flowerbox:

The heart:

The tree: (my favorite block!)

The house:

Casserole Cover Complete!

Last Christmas my sister-in-law asked me if I could make a casserole cover for her. I'd never made one and had a difficult time finding a pattern I really liked. Time has been ticking so I thought I'd better get started and actually finish it! (in a timely manner of course!)

I cut out my pattern and pieces the other day, then spent some time today putting it all together. I must say I was quite disappointed in the actual pattern (one from a package of assorted kitchen accessories). The directions were very confusing and did not make any sense to me. So, I just made up my own way of putting it together - seemed to work quite well.

And here it is...

sporting Robert Kaufman's "Chopsticks Please"...

(with brown interior and handles made of basicgrey's "blush")

Log cabin paper piecing

I joined my local quilt guild this past fall and I'm so glad I did. It's great to see what other quilters are doing and I especially love learning new things.

Every year the quilt guild members create a quilt that is raffled off to help cover cost. This year's quilt blocks are paper pieced log cabins with colors that represent our local area...wine and wheat...onions too!! I've never done paper piecing before but found this to be quite easy once I got the hang of it. Here are my three...

I can't wait to see what this quilt will look like all put together! I'm buying raffle tickets!! Let me know if you want any too!! :)

Big Bang Quilt...

I love when I see a quilt in a magazine (like this one)and then find the pattern...or someone else finds the pattern and tells me how to make it!! :) Currently I'm taking a class at my local quilt store with one of my favorite teachers, Eddie Walker. She's amazing! (whips out a quilt, start to finish, faster than anyone I know!).

I love this quilt and I'm loving this pattern. Learning a lot of new techniques too! Can't wait for this one to be done!!!

Here is just 1/8th of the quilt put together...

Bliss...

oooh la la....Bliss...I love these fabrics and I love this quilt pattern...

Last of the churn dash...

Today I completed my last set of blocks for the churn dash block exchange. Every month for the last 6 months I made 12 blocks of different western fabrics. I can honestly say that I'm glad this one is over as I'm ready for making something other than the churn dash! It's a lovely block though and has been fun getting other people's blocks back. I wonder what I'm going to do with them all...something scrappy!!

Siggy Swap blocks complete! :)

Another project complete!

Modern Siggy Swap...make 101 blocks and sign them...turn them in, get 100 back. I can't wait to see what fabrics everyone else used!

I used "Eden" by Lila Tueller for moda:

A Special Gift

I recently learned the technique of printing on fabric and I'm so very thankful I know how now...it's made some great ideas become possible.

I'm drawn to photography for so many reasons. Many of my friends take some amazing pictures and I'm continually inspired. One such friend took a photo with a flag that I especially love. I secretly snagged a copy of it and printed it onto fabric and then made this beauty for a birthday gift. Honestly it was hard to give away...but I think I was more excited to see what he would think when he opened it!

Back side...in the shade...

Turns out he LOVES it! :) so glad...

Ottoman complete...

Ahhh...I always love it when I get a project completed.

I've had an ottoman for many years now that no longer matches anything in my house. I bought a cover for it (the kind that's a "one size fits all") but it never looked very good.

I found a website with a really great pattern for a slipcover!!

So...took my old ottoman

...time and patience...

and 3 broken needles later....

another completed project...now I wish I still had more of this fabulous fabric!!!

Time out for some travel!

I love to travel...

This past weekend took me on a trip to one of my favorite cities and areas of N California, San Francisco/Napa/Sonoma. I must say it was really too short of a trip...packed full of good things...here are just a few pics for some memories...

Circles are really popular these days...I love polka dots...and I see pac-man here...

San Francisco view from my friends' fire escape...my first time ever standing on one!

I love this picture...this piece just grabs me...wish it was hanging in my own house!


I went to a CE course at Ramekins (a culinary school) in Sonoma...the food was delish...too bad I did not learn to cook...instead, talked teeth...

Love this pic too...red barns...I like! Napa area...

My printed blocks (closer)

Here are just a few of the printed blocks. I designed them using word on my computer...then just printed directly onto my fabric with my printer. My favorite turned out to be the pink on white and yellow on yellow...pink on yellow is cute too! :) So fun...

So many possibilities...

Bubble jet....I see many fun adventures ahead!! :) Photos on fabric...future!!