Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

The Block That Had Me Cussing...

Let me introduce you to this block. It's a Farmer's Wife block. It's an uncooperative block. I really extremely very much dislike this block. I almost gave up on the FWQAL because of this block. Number 18 Century of Progress. 10 seams that meet in the middle. This is the second one I made. I'm still mad at it!

I really made a mess of the first one. This is the first one. I ripped this one apart so many times that it really looked bad. I was having fits. I absolutely could not get my center seams to look good.

 I really didn't care for the lay out suggested in the book either. So weeks and weeks later I took another stab at it and made the block in the first picture. It's still not great. The seams are awful. But I am NOT making another. I couldn't skip it either. I want to make every block from the book. I guess I will just like some better than others.  I was hoping to really catch up with the quilt along. We'll see....

Here's block 17 Cat & Mice. This one was okay :)

I have 18 made now and I think the FWQAL will be up to 56 blocks by the end of January. Realistically I know I won't get that many made in a month but I'm going to keep working on it. Did any of you making these blocks have trouble with number 18?

Here's a sneak peak of something I'm working on for one of my dearest friends. An anniversary gift. She was married in Jamaica and her husband sent me a message asking if I could make this for her. I have a bunch more to do but I like the way it's coming together.

★☆★☆The Quilted Castle Riley Blake Tuxedo FQ Bundle Giveaway WINNER!!!★☆★☆

The winner is # 30, Lorrie! Congratulations Lorrie! Thanks to all of you who left comments  telling me about your quilting inspirations. I enjoyed reading all of them. Thanks to The Quilted Castle for a wonderfully generous giveaway!

A Sweet Top

I finally have my Sweet quilt top put together and I couldn't be happier! This is my absolute all-time favorite fabric line ever.

I bought a fat quarter bundle of Sweet by Urban Chiks a couple of years ago. I found a remnant of the pink peeps at my LQS but I couldn't find anymore of it anywhere local. I ordered the bundle and saved it for so long, using just a few pieces here and there. Last year I decided it was time to make a quilt with this sweetest of Sweet fabric!

 

I wanted the peeps to be the center piece or main attraction. They are my favorite of all the prints.

This is the biggest quilt I have made so far. I know I'll be wrestling with my sewing machine when I quilt this one. I'm just going to stipple it. I think ... I hope ... :)

★☆★☆This block is from Amanda Jean's tutorial! ★☆★☆

My Needle Book From nanaCompany (Amy's) Tutorial

 The fat quarter bundle giveaway is here.

 I've been mixing in a few small things that I want to make for myself with Christmas sewing for others. It's a nice break and most of the little projects take no time at all to finish. Amy @ nanaCompany has a really fun tutorial for a super cute needle book. I pulled fabric from my scrap bins and got started.

 I was really happy the tutorial called for 1.5" squares because I already had some cut when I made the border for this quilt. No cutting, less time, bonus :)

For the front of the needle book I appliqued a strawberry. I added a smile because I thought Amy's birthday cake with the smile was really cute. I thought the strawberry might look cute with one too.

It was really fun embellishing the felt pages.

I used the tiniest buttons I could find to secure the ric rac. I love that ric rac. It's only about a bit more than 1/8 of an inch wide, teeny tiny.

I added a little piece of material to hold my needle threader. I got to use the cute pins I made too!

This is a really fun and quick tutorial. Thanks Amy! I love my little needle book :)

Tuxedo by Riley Blake Giveaway from The Quilted Castle

I am so happy to share with you my newest sponsor, The Quilted Castle. Many of you already know about this fantastic on-line quilt shop, but for those of you who don't, please go check it out. I've spent a lot of time on their site and I have quite a list going. Some of my favorites are:

 

This egg print from the Pear Tree collection by Thomas Knauer for Andover Fabrics. I love it!

I really, seriously want this I Heart 12 Fat Quarter Set in Blue by Rashida Coleman Hale. 

 I would like any of these Echo prints.

Oh, my list goes on and on. This shop has so much to choose from. I always gravitate to the Japanese prints and they have plenty of them too. It's a great shop.

The Quilted Castle has very generously offered a Fat Quarter Bundle of Tuxedo by Riley Blake! 24 fabulous black, white and grey prints.  I love the dots!

To enter just leave a comment. You can just say hey or hi but if you feel like it tell me what inspired you to start quilting / sewing!

I'll announce the  winner Tuesday Dec. 27th! Good luck! 

☆☆☆ The Quilted Castle is also having an awesome giveaway on their Facebook page for a $50.00 gift certificate o their store. Go like their page before 12/31/2011! ☆☆☆

Christmas Birdie Tutorial

Hi there! Hope you all had a great weekend. Back in November Heather and Megan from Quilt Story asked me if I would be a part of their Christmas Tutorial series they were having. I was thrilled for the invite and I made a Christmas Bird quilt for them. If you'd like to check out the tutorial it's here. I even made templates! That was exciting! I'm not much of a formal pattern follower or maker so I hope it's easy to understand. Let me know what you think!

Little Lamb Bag

 I made another bag using Ayumi's Pattern. This one is for one of my girls.

 I bought this Japanese print with the little lambs from Kerri's shop back in June. I had it folded really pretty and was using it to top a little bookshelf. I was saving it for just the right project but I wanted to display it in the meantime because it is just too cute.

I could make a ton of these!

I love this bag!

I know it will be well loved too.

This is the inner lining. I had a hard time choosing between this feedsack print or the pink Lori Holt Sew Cherry Print, which to be the lining and which to be the drawstring cover. I finally decided on this option.

Here it is with the drawstring cover pushed into the bag. Did I mention I love this bag?!

Leila's Scrappy Organizer and Keyka Lou's Dumpling Purse

 I finished the Dumpling purse and Scrappy Organizer for my bag.  They are so cute and now I have a matchy-matchy set!

In all of my sewing I've never put a zipper in a bag and I didn't even realize it until I started sewing the dumpling bag. But it was smooth sailing. My stitches are a bit wobbly in some parts but not too bad.

The instructions were very clear. This is the larger (which is still quite small) one. I might make the little one too.

It holds my change and Purell and Swiss Army knife. What more could you ask for? Although it was tough putting that dirty change into my cute little purse.

I used an invisible zipper which I quite like. See just a bit wobbly!

Next I made Leila's Scrappy Organizer.

 It's perfect for holding my license, library card, etc.. I put my pens in here too!

This is the outside. So cute.

I finally go the chance to use this vintage button that I have been holding on to for so long. I think it is perfect for this!

Thank you ladies for putting out great, easy to follow tutorials!
I've had so much fun sewing all of these!

A Little Sewing for Myself ☆☆ Ayumi's Lunch Bag ☆☆

Last night I started making a bag using Ayumi's tutorial. Her tutorial for her fabric basket is my go to for a cute little gift. You can stuff a little doll quilt and pillow in there perfectly! So I knew I would love making her Lunch Bag and I finally had the chance to do just that last night. I love how easily it came together and I absolutely love the bag.

  I used a vintage linen I found when I was looking for inspiration for my cocorico bee block for Annabel.

Then I tried to pull some coordinating prints from my stash. I am so happy with it. Next I'm making a cute little Dumplin purse to coordinate with my awesome new Lunch Bag that I will not be using as a lunch bag but as a purse. Now back to Christmas sewing.....

Fat Quarterly Aurifil Thread Challenge Review

Hey there! Hope everyone is having an excellent weekend. I wanted to let you know that my review for the Aurifil Thread Challenge is up over at Fat Quarterly. Please stop over and let me know what you think. I had a ball using those beautiful threads!

Playing with Thread

I got to play with thread this weekend. A couple of weeks ago Lynne posted on her blog about an Aurifil Thread Challenge that she was organizing for Fat Quarterly. I clicked on over to the challenge putting my name in the hat but not fully expecting to be able to participate because there was only room for 10 people and there were already many more comments than that when I commented. But I was one of the 10 selected! I was so excited I couldn't wait to get started. My brain started working overtime thinking about what I wanted to do. My thread arrived Saturday and I was able to complete what I made this weekend. I was a mad woman sewing like crazy and tossing scraps behind my back like Eleanor Burns. I felt like electric was pulsating through my body (probably just the 3 cups of coffee I drank). I was afraid to lose even a second of creative energy. I think I channeled that energy well. I will share what I made soon :)

Did you sew this weekend? What did you work on?

Fabricworm Giveaway Winner....

The winner of the Fabricworm Fat Quarter Giveaway Bundle is ....

120

purduepam said...

Birch fabrics are great. I have used some of them in a quilt and loved how it felt.

November 28, 2011 8:14 PM 

 

Thanks Pam! I'll send you an e-mail for your info!

Thank all of you who entered. I enjoy hearing about what fabrics you want. Some were new to me and they were all great!