So many things going on

This blog has been pretty much abandoned for the month of August.

Some positive things that have happened:

• Joined the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild and had a great time at the August meet and sew. There are so many interesting ladies making gorgeous quilts. I can't wait to get to know them better this year.
• Cut out and started sewing a kaleidoscope quilt using Don't Call Me Betsy's QAL directions. I'm way late for the QAL though.



My first four kaleidoscope blocks

• We're in the process of completely remodeling our kitchen. It's chaos in the kitchen since before Labor Day. 

Still a lot of work to be done, but it's looking good!

• My hubby and daughter are great.

Some negative things:

• Had emergency surgery a little over a week ago. The double whammy is that I was pregnant and we lost the embryo too. The pregnancy was ectopic and couldn't go forward. I was bleeding internally and there was nothing else that could be done but surgery and removing my whole tube on one side. I've got to go back to the doctor today as one of the incisions opened up. I'm ready to be part of the world again but the grieving still continues.
• The art director at work is leaving and today is her last day. She has become a good friend and will be greatly missed although I'm very happy for her. Work is at it's busiest time of the year plus I've been out for a week, so it will surely be stressful to go back. I'm not even sure if I'll make it into work today after my dr appointment.
• We've had no kitchen sink or dishwasher (our countertops for that matter) since before Labor Day. The counter people come in a bit over a week. Then hopefully later that day or the next day, our sink and dishwasher can be plumbed in. Thank goodness for Costco and easy to prepare or heat up meals.

A favorite quote

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
– Theodore Seuss Giesel

Just about in time

I'm now the proud aunt to my first niece! I have two adorable nephews and I'm happy to now have a healthy niece.

I've been working on her quilt. All I have left is the blue polka dot binding. It is so adorable. The line is Buttercup and I think this has been one of the hardest times I've ever had lining up my seams and points, but soooo worth it. It's not perfection, but pretty darn good. :) I can't wait to see her sometime in August. She's an 8 hour drive away so we can't just hop over and see her.

As a note: I hope to be closer to her than my nephews because we'll speak the same language. That kind of puts a damper on a relationship to be across an ocean and not have a language in common. Can you feel the guilt from my words though? I just don't know how exactly to become close to them. Anyone else out there in that situation and have any ideas?

Catching up

I've been working on a few things, slowly but surely.

For Aunt Gee Gee

The first one is a bit of a bomb as I didn't think it would turn out to be such frou frou pillow. It is for my great aunt who has just been moved to a nursing home. I wanted to make her something to cheer her up. She's a colorful gal who's a little loud, so I still think she'll like it. It should bring a little pop of color to her room, if nothing else. I consulted with my grandma, her sister, on the color scheme options and she picked this one for her.

first time free motion quilting on my Juki--love it!

I've also been working on a quilt for my soon-to-be-born niece. She'll be my first niece and I'm super excited for my brother and his wife. Confession: I hired a babysitter for this afternoon to get time to quilt it.

fabric is Fig Tree Buttercup

The last is a gift for my mom for her birthday. I hope she'll love it. A LQS closed its doors so I scored a ton of stuff for her (and me, too). There's some yummy Central Park, lots of books, a white and a graphite Sewline pencil and quilting gloves. Another confession: I'm having a hard time not keeping those fabrics for my stash! I picked up the cute basket at the thrift store. I love finding unique things to put gifts into, especially something that has some usefulness.

Quick little baby shower gift

One of my co-workers is having a baby shower tomorrow, so I decided to try making one of those taggie-type toys. It is really cute and colorful. I hope all those colors are interesting to her coming baby girl. I didn't follow a pattern or anything. I winged it. The back is the same pink fleece that is the background of the photo. The best part? I had all of it in my stash of fabrics and ribbons. Yes, I may have a problem. lol!

Replacement Apron

This cute apron will be off to it's new owner on Tuesday. Jamie, thanks for the patience! I hope this one makes it all the way to you and not just the envelope.

Tsk, tsk, tsk

Shame on the postal employee that stole the apron I made for Jamie. It arrived to her with my note and an otherwise empty but sealed envelope. I've known for a while but it took a bit of wind out of my sails.

I've also been busy with my parents visit from out of town and a chest cold that I came down with right before Memorial Day. I'm still coughing a bit from that one and was tired for sooo long. I think I'm going to sew this week! Woo hoo! First up, a new apron for Jamie even though she kindly said that isn't necessary.

Winner can now cook a chicken dinner (with a cute apron)

Congrats, Jamie! Random.org picked your comment number 77 as the winner of the apron.

It was so fun to read through everyone's specialty in the kitchen. Thanks so much for entering. And thank you Sew Mama Sew for putting this together. I discovered a lot of great blogs in the process!

I hope to hear from all of you again!

May Giveaway Day

**Giveaway closed. Thank you for all the comments!**

I'm participating in the Sew Mama Sew May Giveaway Day. Up for grabs is this super cute apron.  Half aprons come in handy, especially in time for BBQ weather.

I love the colors. So summery!

Apron with my little herb garden

Closeup of the fabrics.

It is fully reversible.

All you have to do is tell me what your cooking specialty is. I'll draw a random name May 25. Make sure to leave me an email address. Thanks for stopping by!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I just finished this quilt in the nick of time. I knew when I heard about Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival that it was just the incentive I needed to finally get the binding put on. I just finished the binding an hour ago. Here's an earlier post with more details on the pattern and fabric.

Please excuse the craptastic lighting and photography. It's raining outside but I didn't want to wait to post.

Star-in-a-day

I bought most of the material and the pattern for this quilt last summer while in my hometown. I live pretty far away, so that means something to me. A while ago my mom had also pointed out that we don't have any quilts hanging up, odd for a house of someone who loves to quilt. I took that as a challenge and this quilt is the result. We're lucky enough to have some large vaulted areas in our house and this will soon hang on one of our high walls in the family room. (We've got some wall painting to finish up and then it will be put up.) I'll think of where I came from when I look at it, not to mention that the pattern is striking especially from a distance.

It's a pretty big quilt that is basically one block.

beautiful quilting by Deb Geissler

 The colors of the fabric are much more beautiful in person. I was having a hard time getting them to look as rich in the photos.

Wanna swap?

Anyone from Australia or New Zealand want to swap US DS Quilts prints for your prints?

Mother's Day treat to me

I got to sew up a Phoebe purse for Mother's Day. It was so nice to start and finish a project the same day. I had seen Angela's and I couldn't resist. It is a great shape and is a nice size.

I took the extra step to do the fusible fleece to give it more body. I did end up breaking 3 sewing machine needles in one place though. I guess 4 layers of fabric, 3 layers of iron on interfacing and 1 layer of fusible fleece was a bit much for my machine. The sad thing is that it was my Juki that couldn't handle it, but my 10 year old Kenmore cheapy sewed through it with no problem. I think my Juki needs a service.

I had the fabric already. I just loooove those Heather Bailey flowers. I think I need more. :)

the contrast lining

Pattern: Phoebe bag free pattern from Artsy Crafty Babe

Fabrics: Heather Bailey Nicey Jane Hello Roses (dove) and DS Quilts Fairgrounds modern tile

More retro apron fun, this time for me!

I made another apron. This time I added 2" to the width at the center, and it turned out perfect. I've got the decent amount of wrap around my hips and my bust. I also did more simple attachment of the waist ties without the knot. That is about perfect!

Lined with cuteness!

Pattern: Retro Fun: Vintage Style Apron free pattern from Sew4Home

Fabrics: DS Quilts Picnic line and navy bias tape

Retro apron fun

These aprons might be addicting. I'm already making another one for myself and giving this to a friend. It's a wee bit small on me. Not horribly, but just a little. I don't want to feel like a fat guy in a little coat so I'm making another for myself but just a little larger. (I'm a size 12, fyi... did I just admit that publicly??)

Those fabrics look made for each other

Fun knot detail

Pattern: Retro Fun: Vintage Style Apron free pattern from Sew4Home (with seriously easy to understand directions and lots of photos)

Fabrics: Hoodie’s Collection Vegetable Patch Tomatoes and DS Quilts Picnic Pink and Red Dots, ecru bias tape

Notes: I just sewed on the straps instead of making button holes, and tacked down in front of the knot so it lays down better.

My Irish eyes are smiling

Map of Ireland quilt

We just got back from a trip to Ireland with my daughter, husband and in-laws. It was a lot of fun. We went to Dublin, Galway, Connemarra Mountains, Ashford Castle and Cong Abbey, the Cliffs of Moher, Woodstock, and O'Briensbridge.

Galway

Cong Abbey

Cliffs of Moher

There wasn't much quilting going on but I did get a quarter meter of one print. The one shop I found had almost all fabric that is from the US, at a considerably higher price than here. I did find a very small exhibit of local quilts in Galway, though. That was a nice surprise!

Galway Icons quilt

 

Galway (great inspiration for some applique, too)

Scene from my sewing room

for my niece: expected to arrive later this summer
(I couldn't help starting this new project. I'm so excited!)

Thank you, Vickie!

I'm so so so so so so lucky to have won a gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop from Vickie over at Spun Sugar Quilts. She's got a great blog and is really fun to follow. Her tutorials are awesome too. I think I had permagrin for a week after winning. Fabric!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

I had a dream cart with fabrics to make new pillows for our living room. We are living in beige-land and need some color. After much deliberation and consulting with my husband, I came up with these two designs.  I've really been into teal lately and can't wait to incorporate some of it into our space.

Here is the fabric, in real life. I think it will be fun and can't wait to put them together. That one on the top is a cotton/linen blend from French General. The texture will add some dimension to pillows.

Coming up empty handed

I'm a little bummed that my fabric design wasn't in the top 75 for the Project Selvage contest. There are some prints that I liked that didn't make the cut either, so in some sense I'm in good company. Oh well. At least I put it out there and it was a good exercise. My background is not in illustration or surface/pattern design, but I am a graphic designer. I would like to pursue fabric design still. OK... enough of my pity party.

Go vote for your favorite out the terrific designs here! There really are some fantastic choices.

Naptime Quilt

I've finished this for my daughter the week after Valentine's, but what can I say... things have been hectic. We've had one illness after another, after another, around here. I'm looking forward to spring! These colors are definitely a spring-y combination. The best is that my daughter loves it.

This sews up super quick. I added an extra fabric strip row to each side of the quilt so it will last my daughter a while. The green gingham on the back has some significance for me. When I was little, I had a favorite pillow that was green gingham satin. I couldn't sleep without that and my blankie.

Perfect for a two year old who loves pink

Quilted row by row, by me

Pattern: modified from For Ella's Sister from Jacquelynne Steves of The Noble Wife. Note that this pattern is better if you don't pre-wash. I did and mine had enough shrinkage that I had to piece the long strips and the sashing strips. I didn't pay attention to the 42" width. Ooops!

Fabrics: primarily Quite Contrary by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake, Nicey Jane, a pink print I bought while in Australia by A Day in the Country, Flutterby, Sweet, Meadowsweet, Tracy Porter, and old pink print from Possibilities, plus some random scraps. The backing is a small lime gingham, which I think might be Moondance.

Project Selvage

Mod Monkeys

I just got an email thanking me for participating in Project Selvage. I'm crossing my fingers to make the top 75. There is some excellent competition! There are 1,092 entries, making the odds of being selected for the next round 6.8%, or less than 1 in 14. Many of the designs are just fantastic, so it will be interesting to see which ones Michael Miller selects.

I've never met a quilter I didn't like.

Life is too short to not have fun. When I think of quilting, I don't think serious. I think fun! It seems like some people are taking things too seriously lately. Live, and let live. What technique, fabric line, fabric style, quilt style, etc. that another quilter is using is cool with me. All of it will be created by a friend in quilting, someone who shares the same passion for a craft I love.

I've created this button to declare my attitude toward the art form. Feel free to put it on your blog too!

Starting a new kind of diet

1 yard in allowed for every 10 yards out. Starting..... NOW. :)

Recovery gifts for a friend

Chop, sew, chop, sew, chop, sew, quilt, bind.

Pillowcase

A friend and colleague has been terribly sick with cancer treatments, so I made these to help cheer her up. She said cool colors are what makes her happy. I made the pillowcase because she's been spending so much time in bed. The little table mat can go wherever. It could be nice for a large placemat, too. It is the first time sewing with batiks and with doing my own improv piecing. I hope they do cheer her up!

Happy St. Patricks!

Here are some green earrings I'll be sporting today. I just made them on Tuesday. May the luck 'o the Irish be with you.

Coral + Grey

I'm going to enter this necklace in a bead contest. It is sort of on a whim. I'm soooo not a professional beader or even someone who does it regularly. This came as a kit with some of the beads but you are supposed to make whatever you want out of it. It is due to be turned in tomorrow so wish me luck!

My favorite part is the waxed linen chain

It can be worn long or short.

In the works

I can't believe I'm finally cutting into these fabrics. They've been stashed away for awhile. Temple Flowers was Amy Butler's second line ever, I believe. The only thing holding me up from starting sewing is that I want to get my hands on a few Parisville prints to add into the mix.

I'm cutting out 10" squares and am going to make a potentially huge half square triangle quilt. I want to show off these fabric designs. I still have lots left over so I'll probably make another quilt out of them in the future.

I told my hubby I'd like to use these fabrics as a quilt for our bedroom and to redecorate. I think he just saw dollar signs and said no. I'm going to have to work harder than I thought to get him behind this one. Darn!