Finally got some pictures posted of the Africa quilt. It turned out pretty well. It's sort of reversible since I pieced the backing. I totally stepped out on a limb while quilting this. I had never done a quilt this large, which was a challenge. I also just tried all new techniques from stuff I had seen online. No stippling here! I think it turned out great. I'm really proud of it! I'm definitely going to use some of these patterns in other quilts!

Also I included a picture of a quick little wall-hanging that I made for my Secret Santa at work. I'm a little disappointed how you can't really see the appliqued holly leaves too well. but overall, it was quick and easy and I think she really liked it.

Cross it off my list!

I have finished the epic "Africa" quilt and gifted it to my sister-in-law. (although I need to steal it back to take a few pictures) I can officially cross it off my list. Now that brings me to looking forward to a few things on my list that should be completed this upcoming year. I am working on a few projects for friends who are expecting since it seems that everyone has chosen 2011 to be the "year of the baby". Those are obvious deadlines I have to comply with, but I've got several started. I'm also starting to think about what projects I'd like to do this year for myself. There is a Valentine's Day wall panel that I've started quilting and should finish before Feb. 14th so I can hang it up. I've always wanted to make a red, white and blue quilt for the summer. (I think that project will wait) I need to get my Etsy site up and running again. There are a few fabrics that I've got in my stash that I've reserved for "something for me" because I love them so much. The problem is that I don't need more quilts. Hmmm...and I can only make so many baby blankets because I will only have so many babies to keep them for. (number to be determined) So, I don't know what I'll do with some of this fabric. Projects will pop up, I'm sure. For now, I just want to try to get some projects off my shelves and lighten my load for the new year. We'll see how that works. For now, I'm digging in to putting away Christmas messes and enjoying the last few days of my twenties while I still can!

Quilting Adventures

I wasn't brave enough to title this "Quilting Disaster", but that's about what I've got on my hands. So the grey square quilt with fabric from Africa is pin-basted together and I started quilting it last night. Oh my. I'm seriously worried about the stability of this thing. I have already noticed some of the seams were coming unsewn. I'm quilting it tightly, but I'm not sure it's enough. I have put all this work into it, and I think I'll be happy with the way it turns out, but I should have just stopped after I washed the fabric and said, "This will not do!" Oh well. It will hold together for awhile and I'll just tell her not to wash it. Like, ever. :)
Of course, it's not that bad, but it's not great. We'll see how much luck I have repairing some of the little seams and then how it looks after I'm done quilting. By going over as many seams as possible, I feel like I'm reinforcing it, so hopefully that will add a lot of stability.
I've put any other projects on hold until I get this done for the obvious reason that, if I start something new, I will tend to work on that too much while the other, more pressing project gets neglected.
After I made the fabric basket in the previous post, I thought about making some Christmas-themed ones to use as stockings this year. I have to work, so people will be coming our way and it'd be nice to have something to put a few little things in. My family always did stockings and I want to keep the tradition going. Without stockings for the others, those fabric baskets might just do the trick. Not to mention, they'd be a whole lot easier to stuff!

A Few Pictures

So this has been what I've been up to lately. Well, sewing-wise anyway. Not much has happened in the sewing room recently. Here are two projects I've managed to work on.

A cute little fabric basket...made from a tutorial online. Also a quilt made from some fabric that my sister-in-law brought back from Africa. It's been a little tough to work

with since after I washed all the starch out it kind of slithers around. But I think it's turning out well. I just need to figure out how I'm going to quilt it.

Finally some pictures!

Hey how is it almost November?

I've been busy doing non-sewing things lately. I have fit in a little time here and there and I do have 2 things to take pictures of but that will have to wait. I had a day off last Monday and I thought it would be nice to organize my sewing room a little. I've been digging through fabric and a lot of it has ended up in piles around the room. As I was "organizing" I found some "projects" that were just hanging out in the back of the closet so I started in on those. I also dug in on some more burp cloths that I had cut out but not sewn.
Burp cloths were something that I registered for when I was pregnant and I didn't end up getting them at my shower. I was going to buy some, but then realized that they were a) expensive and b) easy to make. I had some old towels that were re-purposed and it took me minutes to sew something up. I've now classed them up a little bit by buying towels that are "back to college" deals at Wal-Mart and I love to give them for gifts. You don't really think about needing them, but then all of a sudden your baby is spitting up all the time and wiping it away with your T-shirt doesn't seem okay anymore. We started off with about 5 in the rotation and that number grew to about 25 relatively quickly.
I'm still plugging away on baby quilts. I'm giving one away tomorrow so I'll take pictures of that. I've been having fun with some African fabric that my sister-in-law brought back from her travels. It's very patterned and after I washed it, very difficult to sew. I added in a neutral color to tie them together and give your eyes a place to rest. We'll see how it works out. That's all I'm going to say because it's supposed to be a Christmas present! :)

Over My Creative Block

So I finally got something together I was happy with. I had planned on making a quilt top using the brown and green petals and appliqueing them in a pattern. I got 4 of them done and they were crooked and I just thought they looked dumb. I couldn't imagine them working well so I scrapped that plan and went for something easier and better looking! It was a little heart breaking to rip out those stitches, but I've learned in the past that if you just can't see the final product and you don't like the start you've made, then it's time to think again!

I'm Still Here!

Yes, I'm still here! It's been awhile since I've even been in my sewing room. I have been working on some hand quilting and am starting to have night sweats over the fact that 4 of our friends and 1 co-worker are pregnant. That's FIVE quilts! Luckily I have 3 tops that are awaiting basting and quilting, but I'm a little concerned about the timeline. Luckily only one is in December and the rest are in March and April.
Hoping to get some more quilting time in this week. I'm trying to find some inspiration for a project that I started this weekend but I'm not liking how it's looking...I hate that. I hate to undo all my little applique stitches, but it might just be better in the end. Hm.....
Happy Fall in the meantime and I'll try to dig up some pictures of something pretty to look at...

Finding a Sewing Place

My son turned one yesterday, and I found myself thinking, "Wow. It's been a year. I would have thought that I would have it more together by now." It's true. I still feel like I'm trying to find a balance that works for me. So far, there have been bright spots, but mostly I feel as though I'm just keeping my head above water. I'm still trying to decide where sewing and quilting falls amongst all my regular chores. I have pledged to keep the kitchen clean and picked up and I have mostly succeeded in doing that. My husband helps me with laundry and I do grocery shopping and meal planning/preparing. But after I put my son to bed, I have a list of things in my mind that I should do while he's sleeping. Sometimes I do them, but I've also been known to put those things off to wander down to my sewing room and do a little work before I head to bed. I'm actually happy because when I was pregnant I pretty much assumed that once I had my baby, I wouldn't be sewing much if at all. I've actually been able to accomplish many things and haven't slowed down too much, which means I'm either a) a multi-tasking bad-ass, or b) I was quite inefficient with my time before. Okay, maybe a little of both.
Quilting has always been a creative outlet for me that is relaxing and centering and I'd be less happy if I had to give that up. But sometimes I feel that I'm making a decision between leaving something kind of important behind or doing something creative that is tugging on my sleeve. Guilt, anyone?
We'll see. Hopefully this winter will slow down a bit and I'll find more time and energy to accomplish all the things I need to. For right now, I'm playing it by ear.

Pictures!

O My Christmas Stars!

Well, I finished quilting and binding the Christmas Stars quilt. I made a slightly "off" choice on the binding. (green) I could have used red, and would have preferred it, but I didn't have enough leftover yardage and I hated to introduce a new fabric to the mix. The backing fabric which I did have leftovers of would have just been too busy. So I used a remnant of plain green. It's okay. Still thinking red would have been nice but I had the green... it was there, so I just went for it.
Sorry there aren't pictures yet so you really can't see what I'm talking about. But I will get to it.
Also the baby quilts I need to make are stacking up as 4 friends have 2 babies due in December and 2 in February. At least I think three of them are finding out the sex so that makes it easier for me. I don't care much for gender neutral stuff generally.
I'm afraid this blog might be a little neglected since football season is starting soon, but I'll try to post once in awhile if I manage to get anything done...ever.

Already August

I can't believe how quickly this summer has gone. Don't get me wrong; I'd rather summer lasted 2 weeks and then fall would last 5 months. We are nearing football season which will be crazy-busy with Hawkeye games on the weekends, lots of guests, cooking and baking and recovering on Sundays. Before I know it, we'll be nearing the holidays and I will have to make a mad dash to get Christmas shopping done. But these few months are my favorite of the year by far.

I tried out echo quilting on my machine for the first time the other night. I was pleased with how quickly the baby-size quilt was finished. I found it difficult to be as accurate and consistent as I would like to have been (some wobbles and a few jagged corners), but it worked out great and I sewed binding on last night. Probably not something I'd do on too many quilts, but on some it would work out great. Pictures to come. (this is the "monogram" quilt I ranted about previously)

Other than that, I haven't taken a lot of sewing time in the last week, but that's OK. I have about 4 things to be quilted on the docket with the first order of business being my Christmas quilt. Really really want to have that done in time for actual Christmas. After a disappointing fall last year in which I had 2 projects in the last stages but never got to use them during the season, I'm hoping that I can finish Christmas Stars in time. And on the bright side, I have 2 new quilt projects to decorate with this fall. Then on to Valentine's Day!

We finally got our cable set up after a little hiatus. I went a year without having DVR on my TV upstairs. I know this sounds a lot like whining. But, well...I am whining. It will just be nice to be able to record my TV shows and watch them in a place that's convenient to me without having to kick my husband off his favorite TV. Plus the basement is really cold in the winter and I like to turn the fireplace on and watch "my" TV upstairs. Hopefully I won't get in trouble for referring to it as "my" TV. :)

It's funny how little things can make you a little bit happier. Although, doing without can be a good thing, too. I feel ridiculous for even mentioning it in a way, since plenty of people get along just fine without things like DVR or multiple TVs. Like whining about not having A/C...I mean, I grew up without it but somehow I feel like I'll die a hot, steamy death if I have to live without it for a little bit.

Anyhow...hoping this week wraps up quickly and maybe I'll even get some sewing done this weekend! Oh, and my son in almost walking for real now so that's super exciting. Hopefully we'll get some good video of it this weekend.

Process

Here are a few pictures of a quilt top that I put together Monday. I was feeling proud of myself for crossing a lot of things off my quilting "to-do" list and rewarded myself with starting a new project. I have read a lot about the Process Pledge in various blogs and I like the idea of it. I'm not sure how much process there is with this one because the construction is really straight forward. I had seen this woman on the bus on my way to work that had a purse with a graphic print on it. I got home and drew a picture of it in high-tech Sharpie. ( last image here)
I did have to work out the measurements for the blocks because I have made them in the past using 2 inch strips and only 3 layers, but I felt that would make the blocks (these with 4 layers) way too big. I cut strips at 1 1/2 inches to start and then measured and recorded as I sewed. As long as I stash the paper in a safe place, I will be able to recreate this pattern easily going forward.

Overall, I'm not completely thrilled with the contrast. I love the top in general, but as far as matching my "inspiration," I don't think it's successful. I should have used more charcoal, maybe in place of, say, the stripe to unify the whole thing. In fairness, the purse of my inspiration was only 2 colors, so if i would have done that, it would have been more like the drawing but that wouldn't have been very interesting as a quilt.

In other quilty news, I have been working on the green/cream quilt. I decided on a couple to give it to since they are getting married in September. I took the back to a place where they do custom embroidery to put their names on it. I'm really pleased with the way that turned out and it was only $7.50! Hopefully I'll get it pin-basted together soon so I can start quilting! More on that later!

Pictures

I finally got those pictures taken. I ended up taking them in our basement so it's not great light but you get the idea.

A Few Things Crossed Off My List

This weekend was good for quilting and good for me! I was able to sneak in a little early-morning work and bits here and there and got a couple of quilts quilted and bound as well as two things pin-basted together so I can work on getting those quilted. (I think that's a run-on sentence. I'm just not sure I care.) I haven't taken pictures yet, but I will. Mostly because the last 2 times I've thought to get the camera out it's been dark out and I want some natural light for the photos. I finished a rocket themed kids quilt (for no one yet) and a fall-ish wall hanging that I had tried to hand quilt once and machine quilt twice. No joke. I ripped it all out because I couldn't get anything to look good enough. I think it was mostly the fault of the quilt being pretty ripply and so I ended up quilting the heck out of it so that it would look mostly mashed down. I think it will look really great this fall, even though I'm still deciding on where to hang it. It's pretty large as far as wall hangings go, so I need to find a blank wall. I pin-basted my Christmas quilt and also a little panel for Valentine's Day that I think will be really cute.

Overall, I haven't felt totally inspired as I've been working on these things. I mostly feel like I'm doing chores and crossing them off my list. But I'm still accomplishing things and I won't get any downtime until January to just sit in my sewing room and play because of football season and the holidays. For now, it needs to be about just getting things done and dreaming about the projects to come.

I also realized that we have a friend that's about to have her baby and I didn't have a quilt for her. I found a cute pattern on http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/ and it was so easy! Here's my beef with it, though. (I'll take a picture of it later) It's called the "monogram quilt" or something. It's really just big blocks of fabric with some sashing and a giant letter appliqued in the center. But it's really cute. So I downloaded the pattern and actually tweaked it a little because I like a smaller quilt better. Then I was looking to make sure they had the patterns for all the letters of the alphabet because I'm not good at free-handing 12-inch letters. Yeah. They only have the pattern for "B" which is shown in the pictures. Now apparently "B" is for baby. First off, why would you call it a Monogram quilt if there is only one letter option? I thought monogram meant your inital pretty specifically. Secondly, who in their right mind is going to go to all the work of applique and then give a quilt that has a giant "B" on it to a baby named Gabrielle or Jackson or Micah or Julia? Not me. I can just imagine some poor new mother opening that gift and being totally confused about the quilt. Kind of crazy if you ask me. But it was a really cute design (and did I mention easy?) so I just put it together and I guess I'm going to wing it as far as the letter goes. We'll have to wait until they name her, too.
Well sorry for the mini-rant. Just don't get it is all. Hope to get pictures up soon!

I finally got all the stars appliquéd and the squares sewn together. I actually have the backing all planned out, too. So unlike me. :) Maybe I'll get it pin-basted together soon so I can think about quilting it. Thinking maybe echo quilting around each star or something.

I started a ticker-tape quilt on a whim. Thought I was really making headway but then I realized when I took it off the machine that I had actually only completed a tiny portion of the rectangle.

Turns out someone wanted in the picture!

Finally, I just wrapped up a finished quilt for a little guy that was born a few weeks ago. He lives down the street from us. He was born a little early, so I'm glad I already had it done. That's about it from around here. I feel like I have a lot of projects underway. Hopefully more progress soon!

Finished Tent!

I finally finished the project I had been working on. Saturday morning I had a "Make-It-Work" moment (I could almost hear Tim Gunn saying it) and got it done. I wasn't sure how it would go over, but it turns out it was a hit! I was unsure about it because it was kind of big, and giving someone something that takes up a lot of space can be unwelcome. Kind of like when I gave our friend's boy a drum for his birthday. The kid loved it, but I'm guessing the parents are probably sick of it. I should revise my gift-giving guidelines. :) Also, I was unsure about the finish level of it. I didn't know if it would look cheap or poorly-made. In the end, she seemed to like it and her parents were at the very least, great actors. :) I learned a few things during the course of it so it hopefully won't take long to make one for my son. When I get around to it. After all those other projects that are hanging around in my sewing room.

I, of course, didn't take a picture of it before I gave it to her so I'll have to try to snatch a photo off of Facebook. We'll see how that goes.

I'm loving my new darning foot and have done some free-motion quilting recently. No finished items yet, but I'm close. Hopefully I'll get some time in the next few days. I also have about 27/35 appliqued stars done, so I'll be sewing that together sometime soon, too. Oh, more things to quilt!

Weekend Doings

I had a great weekend with some shopping, some cooking, and some quality time with my baby boy. I have yet to take pictures of anything I've been working on, but hopefully I'll get around to it soon.

I had some strawberries from my mother-in-law's garden that I needed to do something with so I made some preserves. Those strawberries are just so tasty! You can't get that kind of flavor from a store-bought berry. I tried making jam/jelly one other time and I guess I thought it would turn out really thick and jelly-ish. But it was thinner and runnier. I thought I had done something wrong so I got rid of the jars. :( I actually think I just didn't realize the recipe was for jam, not jelly. But it tastes great, so who can complain about that!? Next time I'll use more pectin or another recipe if I decide I want different results. (My husband thinks it might slide off his toast. Hmph.)

I got to spend some time shopping with my best friend in Des Moines, which was time well spent as usual. I went to church on Sunday to say goodbye to our pastor who is retiring at the end of this month. He baptized my son and welcomed us in as new members, so it was kind of sad to see him go. Hopefully the "new guy" will be just as good!

I have made some progress on this play tent and I can't wait to get some pictures of the finished product. It is turning out really cute! Just a little more work to get the fabric to stay on the structure and then some girly accessorizing is probably in order. Ribbons! Glitter! PINK PINK PINK!!

I'm also halfway done with the applique for my Christmas quilt. It's going well, although I'm not good at the sharp points on the stars. but I'm learning and I've already decided it doesn't have to be perfect to be something I really enjoy.

Lastly, I finally got a new darning foot for my sewing machine. I currently use a Singer 212-2 and I love it. I thought the quilt was pulling too much so I lowered the feed dogs. That didn't help, so I figured it must be the foot. I think something with the tension was messed up after a tiny part fell off. I originally thought it was inconsequential, but I guess it made a difference because now that I have the new foot on, it works incredibly well. In fact, too well. I have to slow down so my stitches aren't an inch long!

Well, looking forward to a 3-day weekend. Maybe I'll get some more things done. My goal for this week is to get some pictures uploaded here! Wish me luck!

What a Sham!

I had put together a scrappy Irish Chain quilt about a year ago and my brother's girlfriend had offered to have her mom machine quilt it for me. I have tried to take pictures of this quilt but because it's so large, the pictures haven't turned out very well. My husband and I decided to use this new quilt for our bed in the summer since our down comforter can get to be a little much. Of course, I realized that our duvet cover shams didn't really go with the quilt, so I toyed with the idea of making shams. I wasn't sure exactly how to go about it, but I sketched out a plan and the last time I got some free time, I just started sewing. I decided to put the same binding on them that is on the quilt, and I think they turned out well. The only hesitation I had was that they aren't quilted so they have a different look than the quilt. After some reflection, I decided I was too glad that they were finished to really care.

My next time-sensitive project is a play tent for a little girl who's turning one year old soon! It's going to look like a teepee of sorts but with PVC pipe poles and lots of pink and green fabric! I've seen projects like this and have a plan in my head sort of, but I still haven't bought the PVC. We'll see how much work it takes to get it standing.

I took some time to fold and reorganize all my fabric last night. It's not the first time I've done it, but after you dig through and pull stuff out and put stuff back, you'll need to do some re-organizing. It's always an eye-opener. It makes you see how much fabric you have (too much), and cringe at some of the ugly stuff (why why why did I buy that?), and it makes you ready to start new projects! I also saw some fabrics that brought back memories of when I bought it, quilts I'd already made using some of it, etc. and that was nice, too. I really don't spend a lot of money on fabric because I try to get them on sale or better yet clearance, but sometimes the lure of the sale has, I'll admit, bitten me in the butt. A few years ago, the Hancock Fabrics next door went out of business. I was excited about getting their usually pricey fabrics on sale. But they were very stingy in their marking-down process AND they required a 2-yd cut of the really cheap stuff. Boo! For someone who rarely makes large quilts that use more than 2 yards of fabric total, that isn't very useful. I waited them out until they were like $1.99-$2.99 a yard and then bought! I got some good ones to be sure, but I also got some that I'm not sure how I'll use them, if ever. I guess they are destined for backing!

I also don't usually buy, say, all the fabrics from one collection or design series, either. That leaves me hunting for things that will work together when I start a project (or sometimes in the middle of one!). I think it is good for me since it forces me to think through the colors/pattern/contrast issue on my own. It also, no doubt, has lead to buying more fabric. You know...I have this great print! But I need this solid, this stripe, etc. to go with it. So off to the store. But often enough I'll look through my stash and find just the right thing to go with, and it works, and it is great.

All this to say that although I have some guilt about how much fabric I have, sometimes it's worth it because you have exactly what you need without running out to Joann's. Of course, if I needed any sort of justification, I'd more readily point to other blogs and the pictures they have posted of all their sewing rooms. I have very little fabric in comparison. "Of course", (my husband would say) "what's important is what you will/can use before it goes out of style and you won't use it anymore." True. My grandmother had so much fabric after she passed away that was unusable or at least undesirable that we gave a lot to Goodwill. Polyester in a rainbow of colors, an entire bolt of sweater-knit, and fiber-fill for days. She also had 2 freezers of food and a wall of canned items but we won't get into THAT.

My point is? Well, I realize that I need to balance projects I can actually complete with the fabric I allow myself to buy/hold on to. What good are 18 new fabrics if I will only complete 1 project each month for the next year? My inflow has to at least match my outflow for now, I think. I plan on quilting for a long time, but you also have to be realistic about how much you'll be able to complete. Another thing to think about it SCRAPS. This is an area where I'm failing a little bit. I have made several projects using scraps, but they seem to multiply when I look away. I really appreciate any patterns or ideas that utilize scraps, but they seem to hardly make a dent! Oh well. I guess you have to see the big picture. And I can continue using scraps for years and years. I'm not usually a resolution type of person, but maybe I should challenge myself to make 2 scrap projects a year. That would at least keep them at bay. For awhile. :)
What about you? Do you have stash-guilt? Do you limit the new fabrics you buy? How do you use scraps?

Delta Patchwork

I just got some fabric from Delta Patchwork and I'm really excited about it! I saw an ad for them in the American Patchwork & Quilting magazine and went to their website. They have great deals! I got some Moda fabric for $3.99 a yard. Plus, they shipped really quickly (it went out the same day!) and my fabric came wrapped in a cute package with a hand-written note! Wow!
I got a really cute Valentine's panel and some coordinating fabrics that I'm excited about. They have a bunch of their Valentine's-themed stuff on clearance now so go check it out!

Scrap Happiness

I was thinking about all of the projects that I'd like to do and then I started thinking about all the projects that are in various stages of completion in my sewing room. Kind of depressing. There are a lot of things that I get excited about and start in on and keep on going until it's finished. But there are just as many things that start with a bang and then fizzle out. One of my goals is to finish up these projects so that I can move ahead to other projects. I'm banning myself from starting a whole new set of problem projects before my others are done. But then again, I'm not the type of person to only have one thing going at a time.


Still, I finished quilting this monstrosity of scraps this past weekend. It isn't pretty and I'm not sure I'd even give it to anyone because it's really funky. But it's done and it will probably wear well since there's so many seams! I also used this Strawberry Shortcake fabric for the binding and I had JUST ENOUGH so it's gone gone gone from my stash. Yes! It was one of those fabrics that you're really not sure why you bought it and just want it GONE. Well, I can check that one of my list. Finally!



I've been looking around the Internet at some quilts, which always gets me in trouble. I see something that I just HAVE to make, and then I can't stop thinking about it until I do it. Not the greatest for someone who already has a lot of unfinished things going on. Yesterday I saw this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67604797@N00/3919285645/
Uh oh. So last night I started cutting some scraps for this new project. I got to thinking, though, that maybe I need to be careful about the colors I use. I actually bought some scraps from a fellow blogger, Kristin, and I thought it would be nice to use them. But they're not all coordinated by color or anything. So I'm going to have to see if it will look good or just too crazy. It's funny to look at a bunch of scraps and not have a single memory about them. They are not familiar to you at all. You can't remember projects you used them for or where you bought them. Some of them you like, some you don't.
Well, we'll see how this plays out. I'm also messing with my sewing machine because I'm having issues with free-motion quilting. Maybe need a new darning foot. Oh, and I'm knee-deep in a Christmas quilt. Help! :)

Finishes

Here are some projects that I've been working on. I saw a throw pillow a few months ago that used the Cathedral Windows pattern. I had never seen anything like it and I loved it! I will probably try to make a bigger quilt one day, but for now, just trying the technique out was enough for now. I love how it turned out!

I had these 3 blocks just sitting around and I thought I should do something with them. I was going to make a few more blocks, but I couldn't figure out where I had put the instructions for how to make them or measurements, etc. so I just decided to use the three of them and make a wall hanging!











I also had this scrappy top just folded up in my sewing room and although it's a little crazy, I thought I would just put it out of my misery and quilt it already! I'm almost done with it and that will be another thing to cross off my list! Yay!

Seizure

I had a nice little surprise finish this weekend with a quilt that I have been stepping around for some time. I call it "Seizure" because I figure if you look at it long enough, it just may give you a seizure! I had it basted and ready to quilt forever ago, but it just never made it to the top of my list. I started hand-quilting it, and then stopped in favor of other projects. Friday night after I put my son to bed, I looked at it and decided that I was going to go for it. I ripped out the tiny bit of hand quilting there was (normally that would make me cringe, but there was literally about 12 inches of it total) and started in looping around in orange quilting thread. In no time at all, it was done! And it turned out great! I don't know what I was waiting for, frankly. So I slapped some binding on it and it's ready for...something other than waiting to be quilted! CHECK!! I got the fabric on clearance as part of a tote bag pattern. It's pretty wild and not really my taste, but someone out there might just like it!

I have the day off tomorrow and have declared it (to myself at least) as the day to "Cross Things Off the List" in honor of my triumphant finish of "Seizure". Wish me luck! It's a LONG list! :)

Christmas in...May?

I've been holding on to some Christmas fabric for about 2 years now. It's sat in my sewing room in a plastic bag and every once in awhile I take it out and look at it and try to figure out what I could do with it. I love the fabrics themselves, but I couldn't think of a way to use them that I would be happy with so I would just pack them back up for another time. So many of the Christmas quilts out there are too country or too cute. Anyways, I finally found something I thought would work and so I just started cutting fabric. Just dive in, I say. It's going to involve applique, so I can get more practice with it. I might even try machine applique rather than doing it all by hand. And maybe, just maybe I'll have it done in time for Christmas. Well, I can hope, right?
On a non-sewing note, I've been dealing with some office politics lately. Turns out, I really hate that sort of thing. My husband is KING of those sorts of things and I'm hopeless. I generally really love going to work and all, but lately, it's just been frought with negative feelings and the tiniest bit of dispair. I felt like I had things in balance and I was proud of that since I recently had a child and was sorting out how everything would work out in my home/work life. Back to the drawing board, I guess. Nobody really reads this, so I guess it's okay to complain a little. Hopefully things will start looking up soon. Rickets!

Finally!

I finally got past the sewer's block and decided on some borders for this quilt. Of course, I'm still working on the backing which is another story. And don't even ask me about binding. But the borders. The BORDERS! They've been sewn on!

Spring...I guess I'm glad you're here

I took some pictures this morning of some colorful improvements that prove spring is here. I've never really liked Spring that much, but then again, I'm glad it's not snowing anymore. I like summer even less because I don't like to be hot. But there's something nice about blue skies and the sunshine. Oh, and air conditioning.

I remember growing up, we never had air conditioning. Well, we had one window unit in our dining room. But no central air or anything for our bedrooms. What a bummer. I used to just lay on the sheets with no covers and pray for it to rain so the humidity would cease for a little bit. Sometimes we would all give in and sleep on air mattresses in the dining room. No wonder we spent so much time at the pool!

Now I'm such a baby when it comes to sweating the minute you walk outside in the summer.

We finally got some chair cushions for out patio chairs and I decided to put up a wreath that I made that's nice and summery. Since I love fall so much, I tend to decorate in those colors most of them time. So adding a little more color into my life is a good thing. Maybe I'll get some sewing done one of these days. Still mulling over choices for the borders, backing, etc. for the green/cream quilt.

Progress

Hey! I found those pictures of the quilt I worked on this weekend. I'm at a throw-size right now and I'm debating whether I want to make it into a queen-size quilt or not. Also, I need to figure out if I want to add borders and what kind would look best. I have some green fabric leftover that I could use or maybe darker brown/tan? I rarely do a quilt without some sort of border, but maybe this one doesn't need one. Hm.