Weekend Sewing

I accomplished a lot sewing-wise this weekend. I don't know where I got all of the energy from considering how exhausted I feel today. Maybe I had the motivation because most of the projects I completed had fast approaching deadlines.

First, I made a peg bear for a 2 year old's birthday party. The birthday boy loves anything car oriented, so I used one of the few car fabrics I own. I have plenty of other transportation themed fabrics - but it was kind of strange that I didn't have a ton of car options. The little boy seemed to like it - so that made me happy.
I don't know if I will ever get into making Halloween costumes, but I knew I could make a trick or treat bag. Halloween was postponed till this past Friday night due to the weekend's snow storm that brought down power lines, trees, and resulted in thousands losing their power for days.

I had some Riley Blake Halloween fat quarters that did just the trick for this easy project. I used a pattern from The New Handmade: Simple Sewing for Contemporary Style by Cassie Barden.

The only thing that about killed me was turning 1" tubes of fabric - with a layer of batting - right side out. I had to have Nick help me and it delayed me so significantly that the bag wasn't ready till about 10 minutes before we had to leave.

I finally made two blocks for the Hip to Bee Square bee. Both of these blocks were easy and I am embarrassed that I was given 2 months to complete them and I was still a week late. The Kona coal pieces I was given for the stacked books block (left) came from two different dye lots- I find it very annoying that Kona can't tweak it's process to make all of it's Kona consistently "colored."

Finally, I made binding and attached it to my Dots and Ties Quilt - now I am doing my favorite part: hand-sewing the other side. Stay tuned for a big reveal of the completed project!

Quilts at Quilt Market

(A Moda representative showing off a creative use of new Moda basics - I would totally wear that skirt!)
This post will show the quilts that I took pictures of at Quilt Market. Quilt Market is definitely not a "quilt show" but there is plenty of eye candy besides forthcoming fabric lines. My pictures originate from either the Schoolhouse classes (all day Friday classes mostly geared towards shop owners) and a few were taken on the floor of the market.



Alice and I loved this beauty made out of Flower Sugar fabrics. It's difficult to tell from this mediocre picture - but those blocks are made of dresden blocks with yo-yo's on the inner circle. Sandy Klops Mono Pez quilt showcases the basics in this line beautifully:

Cinderberry Stitches from Lecien has their first new line that is so cute and whimsical: Woodland Utopia.

Andover showcased some of its' newest children's lines- Meet the Gang

and Outfoxed:

We went to a "Schoolhouse" with Valori Wells, Tula Pink, Amy Butler, and Anna Maria Horner. Tula Pink had made a completely voile quilt out of all of their fabrics to showcase what a whole quilt of voile feels and looks like. It was gorgeous!

Anna Maria Horner showed us how to use her Loulouthi velveteen and ribbons in quilts:

Here's the ribbon quilt with a pintuck design:

The colors and saturation of the velveteen fabrics really makes me want some for myself even though I haven't been too sold on the whole velveteen thing.

Thanks for visiting!

QM Accessories Made by Me

Before I went to Quilt Market, I knew I wanted to make myself a bag. I decided to go for a "fall" theme mostly to narrow my focus because choosing fabrics from my stash is often the most time consuming task when it comes to doing a project. I chose Denyse Schmidt's County Fair posie for the handles and Heather Ross' wildflowers from FFA III for the body of the bag. I used a self-published pattern found on etsy called the Nikki bag. I used random brown prints for the lining and pockets: a Michael Miller daisy print and a "Baubles and Bits" print for the pockets. The pattern was perfect- I had no trouble following it at all.

I also decided to make a "pocket clutch" by Keykalou Designs. This project was SO fun and easy to make. I can see making many more of these and I would also like to enlarge the pattern and make bigger versions.

I wanted to use the same fabrics as I had for the exterior of my Nikki bag, but I didn't have enough fabric. Instead, I used Henna Garden and a FMF print. This clutch was a perfect holder for my prescription glasses.

One of the most fun aspects of these projects was that Denyse Schmidt herself complimented me on the Nikki bag (she's the designer of the handle fabric!). I promise I didn't use her fabric to suck up to her but it was cool that she noticed it!

Quilt Market Fall 2011

If you are looking for a recap of stellar fabric collections that were displayed at Quilt Market, I am afraid I cannot provide that. Kim Kight at True Up is posting frequently about all of the new lines.

My purpose in attending Quilt Market entailed meeting and talking to lots of people from fabric and pattern designers to bloggers to fabric company marketing directors, etc. I loved being able to meet so many people and it wasn't even that intimidating. It's a cliche - but really - it was fun to meet so many nice people and realize that although I put them on a pedestal - they are all just normal people! I met so many people that I didn't get pictures of: Denyse Schmidt, Anna Maria Horner, Sandy Klop, Laura Gunn, Sarah Jane, QuiltDad, etc.

My favorite experience was getting to meet Anne Kelle - she was SO nice and sweet and she actually remembered the whale blanket I had made for Gregory a year ago. She had had a friend make a girl version for her and I told her that she should have called me and I will make her another one (since she gave it away to a friend having a baby girl!). My friends took pictures of us together - so I will post one of those when I get a copy. This pattern designer, Carolyn Friedlander, was a doll. I fell in love with her tree quilt.

Here's Lu Summers - one of Moda's newest designers - a gal from England who was so friendly. Looking forward to her new line this spring - Summersville.

I was able to take a class with Eleanor Burns on doing "sassy stars." Ms. Burns is so funny and you can really tell that she loves what she does. I had to tell her that her "Log Cabin in a Day" was one of the first quilts I ever made and it really got me started with my quilting hobby.

Alice and I were able to meet Aneela Hooey - designer of Sherbet Pips, Little Apples, and the newest: A Walk in the Woods. I told her that I love her fabrics and am making a quilt for myself.

I was nervous to meet Ty Pennington but figured, why not? His new line is very striking!

Sandi Henderson was probably the most down to earth designer I met - the kind of gal you would want to live nearby so that you could have playdates with your kids together and grab lunch now and then. She's got a lot in store for all her fans - I am excited!

Of course I had to get a picture with the Cat in the Hat. The only Robert Kaufman designer I didn't get to meet was Laurie Wisbrun - to my great disappointment!!!!

Rebecca got to meet Melody Miller and was so EXCITED! I love the typewriter print for her new line.

I really didn't take enough pictures at QM - but the whole weekend was a busy blur. The most pictures I took were of Sarah Fielke's work. I will have to do a separate post on that - and it's great timing because I just long-arm quilted the Dotty for Dresden quilt yesterday!

Thanks for visiting! I have a lot of posts in store for the blog right now - maybe a little more about QM but I also have managed to complete quite a few projects lately!

Bloggers' Quilt Festival Entry

I am dying to share pictures from Quilt Market but I came back to a long power outage and ended up camping out at my parent's home for the past few days. We finally came back last night and I am exhausted and trying to catch up around here.

Meanwhile - I didn't want to miss my chance to enter the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. I am choosing to showcase this mini quilt - a birth announcement quilt made for my son, Gregory. He was born in October - hence the foliage theme.

Most of this quilt was done by hand via English paper piecing, needle turn applique, and embroidery. I love having pieces of one of his baby shirts in the hexagonal background - it's the little white print with tiny bikes on it. This small quilt took a lot of time and it only measures about 18 x 20.5". But I love it and I am proud of my original idea to create a fresh/modern looking keepsake for my son and finally find a way to use paper pieced hexagons without committing to a HUGE project.

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Monday

I am up to 42 Pips blocks. Still need to add the 4 white corners on each block to create the octagon look but I think I have finally hit my "groove" where this project is concerned. Only 30 left to go! Quilt Market is only a few days away and I am pretty psyched! I am making a new "fall" bag for the trip out of these two lovelies from my stash:

A Quilt for a Special Baby

I finished this quilt top a little while ago and finally made the time to quilt and finish it this week. It is for a good friend who is having a baby girl in early December. I had her choose fabrics from my stash and I added a few. It was a little crazy not using any blue and having someone else control what fabrics would be used - but I am glad I did because she has a specific theme for her nursery. The Children at Play fabric (center of every nine patch) limited the kind of design that I could do on this quilt. But I like how it all came out.

I used another Marden's find for the back: Doll Babies by Henry Glass.

I bound the quilt with an old Alexander Henry print from my stash.

I enjoyed making this quilt - it was quick and I am proud of the good looking sashing I managed to achieve- sashing is always difficult for me!

9 Patch Lattice - Girly Style

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments about the puppy pj's - he hasn't even worn them to bed yet - due to typical toddler messes before I could even get him in the crib. But they're in the wash now and he will wear them soon!

Last week I was feeling in a funk about my sewing - I am so bored of my WIP's and didn't have any motivation to tackle them. So I decided to start a new project for a friend from college, a little girl quilt for her daughter. Here it is, the 9 Patch Lattice by Elizabeth Harman, pattern found here. I pretty much finished the whole thing in 3 days - luckily Gregory took long naps and I had my husband look after him when my husband got home. I was very focused! I loved working with these fun fabrics - Urban Circus, Flora and Fauna, Mezzanine, Urban Zoologie, Children at Play, Garden Party, Pop Garden, etc.

I quilted it in a squiggly pattern where I purposely made loops that crossed over each other - it was actually not as easy as stippling and I don't think it looks terribly wonderful - but I am fine with it.

The backing is that Hallmark print that I bought at Marden's. When I went in August - I only picked up a yard. When my friend Alice was going to Marden's soon after I had went- I asked her to pick me up some more and I was so grateful when she brought back 5 yards for me! It's just the cutest fabric.

The quilt is bound in Michael Miller Ta Dot in Berry.

Now.... back to my WIP's!

Puppy PJ's

I didn't finish these in time for Gregory's birthday but that's okay. I used some Claire Block in brown by Jennifer Paganelli and Aneela Hooey's Sherbet Pip puppies to make these "Bedtime Story" pajamas. I used the size 3T- expecting these to be pretty big on my son- but they are actually ready to wear for him even though he barely turned 2. Getting pictures of my little guy is not easy - he moves too much! I find that half of my pictures are taken when he's "locked in" the highchair.

I am happy to say that he likes these - he even asked to wear them today. I need to find the 3T Urban Circus pair I made a while ago - better get him to wear both sets frequently before he grows out of them!

Calling all Tula Pink Fans!!!!

I am destashing fabric in my Etsy shop. I still have the Hushabye listed and I added Full Moon Forest and Plume today. I like Tula - but maybe not enough to devote my ever-dwindling supply of "free time" to using up these fabrics.

I promise to show some real sewing projects ASAP. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

WIP Wednesday

I finally succumbed to the AH Ghastlie craze and got some of this clever Halloween fabric with a filled punch card at Quilter's Way (is there really anything better than "free" fabric?!). I have been slowly quilting the Strips and Bricks quilt in a very dense straight-line quilting. I will be lucky to have this finished by Thanksgiving.

Gregory's 2nd birthday is this Sunday and I really need to get moving if I want to give him anything handmade. I am starting with a pair of Oliver and S Bedtime Story pajamas. Yes, I use his high chair as an ironing station.

We Have a Winner!!!

Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway and for their sweet comments. I had never done a giveaway before and it was hours before one person entered. I had begun to worry if giving away a gently used item really was tacky. I only had 15 entries but that was great! So I just used random.org to draw a number and it is...... #13! Who says the number thirteen isn't lucky? So the winner is the woman with the screen name: UBee - please email me with your address. Congratulations and thanks to all who entered.

Welcome October

I've started to work on several things at once. Unfortunately, I have had to seam-rip almost this entire clamshell quilt - I had added more rows (since this picture was taken) only to soon discover that the quilt top was widening as I went and the only way to fix it is to do it over. BOOO!!!! I am thinking about attaching the pieces to a big piece of muslin to keep it straight next time- is that a good idea? I made this little guy for a one year old's birthday party we're going to this weekend. These Peg Bears are SO cute!!!

This picture shows you how much bigger the Habitat bear is than the original size pattern.

I have been enjoying returning to my Bird Bath quilt. I really enjoy shuffling through my fabrics to find complementary combinations for each block. I added 9 blocks this week - only 52 to go!

A few weeks ago we had a sew-in at Erica's house. It was a much needed break from my crazy toddler! I didn't really have a great portable project to bring, so I brought a bunch of fabrics to cut into strips for a simple patchwork quilt top I am planning. It was a good project to bring - as I hate ironing and cutting - but having the company of friends made it fly by.

Thanks to those who entered the giveaway- I will draw a winner tomorrow.