Finish it up Friday: Princess Birthday Quilt

 At last weekend's retreat, the first project I worked on was binding the birthday quilt for my daughter.  A few weeks ago, a kind friend allowed me to come over and use her longarm to quilt it.  I had been stressed about finishing the quilt, making secret sister items, and preparing my own projects for the retreat.  Being able to quickly longarm quilt this in one evening was a real time saver.

This picture shows the back of The Hideaway, where we had the retreat:

 The quilting is an all-over meander.  Time constraints didn't allow for anything more complex, plus the fabrics were so busy, I didn't think it needed too much more.

The pattern is "Kitchen Windows" from Elizabeth Harman's The Practical Guide to Patchwork.

I backed the quilt in coordinating prints from my stash.  I purchased the binding at a LQS; I need to get in a better habit of stashing fabrics larger than a half yard because it's almost always a struggle to bind from the stash.

Charlotte's birthday was on Monday, February 29.  She's a leap year baby and we tried to make the day extra special, since we could actually celebrate it on the 29th (which only comes every four years).

She likes the quilt and has slept with it every night since receiving it.  She does have a lot of quilts already but she was particularly excited about those adorable princess fabrics and I am excited I finally put them to use.

Somehow I got really behind on my "stash used" tally, so this accounting will reflect not only the quilt but several previous posts (secret sister items, 241 tote, Make it Take it tote):

Total stash fabric used in the past four completed items posts: 7.75 yards
Total stash fabric used since Januar 1, 2016: 7.5 yards
Total stash used to date: 15.25 yards

Linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Retreat February 2016

I think I'm mostly recovered from this past weekend's FRMQG retreat.  I didn't sleep too much but I had a great time.  I had my mom time her visit from NH to be able to attend with me and that was extra fun and special.  She and I get along great and although she is not as obsessed with sewing as I am, she's talented with the sewing machine and has fun being creative too.  

I finished the princess quilt for my daughter there but will share that finish on Friday.  My main focus of the retreat was a twin size Fancy Fox quilt.  I've had a FQ bundle of Jennifer Paganelli's Crazy Love for ages and I thought it would be fun to use with this pattern.  I also added other Lizzy House, AMH, and Alison Glass prints to the mix as well.  I made 48 blocks at the retreat and will share more progress on this quilt as I continue to work on it.  I will admit that it got really monotonous to do the same block over and over all weekend but the mindlessness of it allowed me to socialize more with friends and I liked how compact the process of piecing these was: I didn't have to spread out too much or monopolize the design wall.

My mom accomplished a lot at the retreat- it was awesome.  She finished this quilt top on Saturday afternoon:

She also made major headway on this Irish chain:

A big part of the retreat was the Secret Sister swap.  I spent a lot of time leading up to the weekend making items for my "sister."  For a while, I was a little stumped because her information sheet was sparsely filled out, her IG account had no crafty/sewing pictures, and she doesn't blog.  Eventually, the information I zoned in on was her penchant for the colors blue and orange as well as her love of Japanese and monochromatic prints.  First, I made a double scissors pouch (pattern from Make It, Take It).  This pattern was somewhat difficult for me and took way longer than it should have thanks to placing the magnetic snap in an awkward spot.  I still made it work.

Also pictured in this photo are some little snack gifts with notes that said, "Here's some encourageMINT to help you through the day" and "I hope you have an EGG-cellent time at the retreat."  The m&m's had a printout about being "Quilter's Helpers" and I got the idea from this pin on Pinterest.  I love cheesy, corny stuff like this and I wanted to have fun with it.

I also made the largest size of an open-wide zip pouch and fond a cute "J" (J for Jane) at Target to use as a zipper pull:

My last, final gift was a patchwork pillow made of monochromatic prints from my stash bins.  I used linen to frame the squares and did only straight line quilting through the orange plus to the sides of the pillow.  This pattern came from the book Pillow Pop and it came together so quickly and nicely.  I also used this tutorial to eliminate the bunny ears that appear on square pillows once you've inserted the pillow form.  It was easy and it worked well.

I always do a zipper-backed pillow:

The person who was my secret sister gave me some store bought items including some snacks, a small lotion, a chapstick, notepad, and a mug.  When it was time to do the "big reveal" and last "big" gift, she said she hadn't understood the swap and had nothing for me.  It was a very awkward moment for me and I will admit that it was upsetting.  I had worked very hard to make nice items for my sister and I had received nothing handmade.  Everyone else at the retreat had received the most gorgeous bags, baskets, pincushions, etc.  It was hard not to take the whole thing personally and I am not sure how this really even happened considering that everyone else followed the swap guidelines which were outlined quite clearly.  As a rule, I do not participate in IG swaps because of the anonymous quality of swapping online: there are too many horror stories of people being totally jilted and my sewing time is so limited.  I figured it was safe and meaningful to participate in a guild swap where I have the potential to build in-person relationships and where the chances of receiving nothing handmade seemed to be "zero."

There is a silver lining to this drama.  Three of my friends from the retreat noticed what happened and collaborated to surprise me with a purchase of some fabric at the pop-up shop that was being held there that weekend.  The row of fabric shown a the bottom of the picture is what they generously gifted me as well as the pattern pictured.  (The other items are things I bought myself at the retreat).   It meant a lot that they noticed my sadness and felt sympathetic to what had happened.  I felt like I really got to know them over the weekend and given my recent homesickness, it really felt huge to have new friends here in CO reach out to me in such a generous way.

I look forward to sharing the quilt finish from the retreat soon.  Thanks for reading.

A Finish and a Start

I've been having the hardest time being creative lately.  I recently told a friend that my brain can only handle something like a "quilt kit" lately.  That was hard to admit to, because I really dislike the idea of putting together something that someone else has designed and not even having the freedom of doing my own fabric selection.  But the thing is, my brain is at the point of not being able to handle anything more challenging.  

I will admit to dealing with some serious anxiety in my life right now: we've just hit the two year mark of moving to Colorado and I still don't feel "at home."  Colorado Springs is a big city that feels very impersonal.  I rarely see the same person twice when I go to the public library or a store.  I've been experiencing that disconnected feeling at church too, which has been the most painful.  I've found meaning and community among quilt guild friends and a MOPS group, but it feels like a difficult trade when I consider the meaning and connection I had with my mother.  She visits often and we talk frequently, but it's not the same as living close by.  

It's not just living in CO- I am sure a little post-partum, sleep deprivation, and winter blues are effecting me too.  

I explain all of this as an effort to be more personal here and less, "look at what I made."  It's interesting to know what goes on behind the scenes.  Although I enjoy sewing and quilting  immensely, it should never become a point of stress and major frustration for me.  So I am just trying to make what I feel like making and give myself permission to follow patterns and not try to create original masterpieces every time (as if that's what I used to always do.... ha!).  

This bag fits the bill for this new outlook I am trying to take when it comes to my sparse creative time.  I've made this "Make it and Take it" pattern a few times previously and I just felt like making one for myself.  I am ridiculously proud of my fabric combination here- lots of fun favorites with a shirting interior (something simple for the lining, since the exterior is so busy).  

So a big thing that has recently lifted my spirits is the upcoming guild retreat.  I signed up a few months ago with some trepidation.  My big question was, "Will my baby still be breastfeeding then?"  To his credit, my husband was supportive of the idea and I felt determined that I would pump if I had to.  A few weeks ago, I ended up weaning Owen.  I'll spare you the details but it was the right decision for both of us.  I am glad I didn't let nursing the baby stop me from signing up for the retreat!

One project I will work on is a Hello Kitty quilt, QAL hosted here.  My daughter is a die-hard HK fan and this QAL was just too cute to resist.  My only concern is that the hostess hasn't posted block instructions since Feb 2 and all of the blocks were supposed to have been posted by now (per her own schedule).  I am not one to get impatient or frustrated with the amazing people who take on such big projects for the benefit of others, but I am going to work to prepare another project for the retreat as well.  

I've spent the last week cutting up all of the squares for this pixelated quilt.  I was so proud to finally start a "scrap quilt"- as all of these squares are from scraps with a little stash addition of dark and medium gray:

Another fun thing to share: this past Saturday was the FRMQG anniversary party.  The guild leaders contacted sponsors and had generous presents for every member in attendance.  We had a little game of passing around the wrapped gifts, and I ended up with a very heavy Lord & Taylor box, filled with fabric!  I was so overwhelmed to receive all of this- apparently one of my friends was worried I was disappointed- but I was truly shocked that I would receive something so great.

These are some of my favorites from the box:

Soon I will have lots more to share from the retreat, the secret sister gifts I've been working on (also for the retreat), and I have nearly finished the quilt I have made for my daughter- who turns four next Monday (on Leap Day!).  Thanks for reading.

241 Tote for Me

The most recent theme for Le-Challenge is the word "round."  It was an easy decision to make myself a 241 tote after having had so much fun making a few for gifts at Christmas.

I had fun pulling fabrics from my stash: an Echino remnant from making this bag ages ago, a scrap from making this quilt, brown bees on pink, and a Japanese Cinderella print.  

For this bag, I used a rectangle ring on just one side of the bag and I like the look much better than having a ring on both sides.

Here's a better picture of that adorable Cinderella fabric. My three year old daughter LOVES the character and it was fun to use this fabric.

Sewing the curved seams of this bag is not difficult at all.  You've just got to take it slowly and remember to clip the seam after you've sewn it.  I have been sewing curves in bags for several years now and I have found that doing so has prepared me for sewing curves in garments.  It's great when skills learned become part of one's "toolbox."

Linking up to Le Challenge, Finish it up Friday, and Scraptastic Tuesday.

WIP Wednesday: Kitchen Window Quilt Top

This top came together fast!  I've had these Ann Kelle princess fabrics for a while and I wasn't sure how to showcase them.  I was very close to making a "giant star" quilt but grabbed some of my quilting books to look for other ideas before I started to cut.  I soon came upon the "Kitchen Window" pattern from Elizabeth Hartman's The Practical Guide to Patchwork: New Basics for the Modern Quilt Maker.  

This pattern was so easy and so effectively showcases large scale prints without having to resort to simple (boring) patchwork.

All of these fabrics came from my stash except for the black sprinkle print from Cotton and Steel.  I bought that at a LQS and it goes great with the black on white pin-dot I used for sashing.

I definitely feel comfortable quilting this on my domestic machine but I hope I can have the energy to tackle it at night, after my daughter is in bed.  I've managed to keep this project a secret from her so far.....

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

WIP Thursday: New Projects in Progress

Amidst all the little-girl dress sewing, I have been dabbling in several quilt projects.  This week, I cut almost all of the pieces for a "Windowpane quilt."  My daughter's fourth birthday is coming up and I've had these princess fabrics since July (I even spent my own birthday money on them!) and its time they finally became something.  

The Liberty Lifestyle fabrics from the Bloomsbury range are my all-time favorite fabric collection.  I made an X-Plus quilt with them a few years ago but I want to revisit these fabrics again and have quite a bit left.  I am endeavoring to make another quilt in the Swoon pattern- this time with 16" blocks instead of 24".  I am having trouble committing to either a 2 or 3 fabric pattern.... I made the block on the left and now I can't decide if I should continue with three colors or start fresh with just a LL fabric and one other stash fabric.... (as shown in the second picture in this project).

I realize the red version of the block is more striking and vibrant but the green one is beautiful in its simplicity and I'm a little worried about figuring out 14 more fabric combinations (with a three fabric scheme) that will work well with this pattern and these fabrics.........  Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

A while ago I cut everything to make a girls version of my Circle Circus quilt.  I am proud of myself for having it all cut, so the next step is appliqueing all of the circles onto the squares.  I may save this project for the summer when I go to New England for several weeks since it's ready to go and would be easy to take with me.

I've made a start on the pattern in the book "The New Hexagon."  Three of the fifty hexagons completed.  I've tried glue basting for this and the jury is still out for me regarding that technique.....

This last project is not for a quilt, but for another Weekender bag.  I love my first version but really wanted to make one that was more scrappy/patchwork-ish.  I am in love with warm colors these days and I am pretty excited about this!  I have set aside the other hexagons to work quickly at making a big scrappy hexagon panel for one side of the bag in a gold/pink/plum color scheme.

Apple Picking Dress

 As a little treat to myself, I made another dress quickly after finishing the Betty Lou Dress.  Oliver and S patterns are so personally valuable to me: they've taught me how to sew little girl's dresses.  If I had started out with other patterns that weren't so well written, I don't think I'd have this obsession.  I love the process of learning one of their new patterns and moving along through every step.  When I work on a new-to-me pattern, the process has the excitement of putting together a fun puzzle.

I received the Apple Picking Dress pattern for Christmas and quickly made a size 5 of "View A" out of a Cotton + Steel Lucky Strike fabric.

I wasn't sure if I'd love the style of this dress but now I am smitten.  It's so classic and sweet.  My fabric choice made it seem especially retro, in a good way.

This dress has the potential to have a totally different look with different buttons.  I am wondering if I should have chosen something that would've contrasted with the fabric more but I am okay with my choice too.  Sometimes making the decision is easy when I think about having to make yet another trip to Joanns.

Total stash fabric used in this post: 2 yards
Total stash fabric used since Januar 1, 2016: 5.5 yards
Total stash used to date: 7.5 yards

Betty Lou Dress

Here's another dress I made for my daughter this week.  Shocker.  I know.  All of my blog readers that are strictly quilters may be gone by now.  Of course, interests, time demands, and needs change.

I bought this pattern, the Betty Lou dress, during a great Black Friday sale. For less than $5, I got a bargain!  I was a little nervous to try a PDF pattern that was just under 50 pages, but as you can see, it worked out:

i

I did find this to be a challenging sew but not enough for me to never return to the pattern again.  Gathering the ruffles was very tedious and the bodice ruffle took me at least a full hour.  I also struggled with the instructions - it wasn't the clear, concise format I've been used to.

I purchased the fabric from an after Christmas sale at $5 a yard.  That kind of price was perfect for a project like this, especially when I thought I needed 1.5 yards of each fabric.  (It turned out I needed a bit less of each, as I have some leftover fabric besides scraps).

Stash used in this post: 2.5 yards
Stash used since January 1, 2016: 3 yards
Stash used to date: 5.5 yards

Thanks for reading!  I am going to sew another dress this week but I've also started a brand new quilt.  I'll check back in soon.

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday.

Baby Girl Quilts x2

I had all week to make a baby quilt for a shower that was scheduled for this morning.  I was excited to finally try making a pixelated heart quilt.  I used a Valori Wells butterfly print from my stash to inspire a warm pull of stash fabrics in deep and vibrant shades of plum, orange, and red.  I considered surrounding the heart in low volume prints with white and pink but soon discovered gray was a better way to go.  

The funny thing that happened was, on Thursday night, when it was all put together, I decided I simply couldn't part with it.  I want to do more with this piece and I wasn't willing to quilt it up, bind it, and give it away so soon.  

So I decided I'd better make something else and began this second quilt yesterday around lunch time, finishing around 1 am (with lots of interruptions, of course, including the monthly book club I attend).  

I am really pleased with how this came out too. Here's my personal feedback on the quilt:

The bad: I will admit I am embarrassed with how wonky the whole thing looks.  I really don't think I trimmed it crookedly after quilting.  I don't think I ever had this problem when I pin-basted and I am wondering this has anything to do with spray baste?  The edges are definitely kind of wavy.  The picture, which was done in haste, as I was running late for the shower this morning- makes it look pretty crazy but I promise it looks pretty cute in person.  If anyone has any insight into this, please let me know.  Edited to add: I don't think it's the spray baste- what has changed is that I have been machine binding my quilts.  Am I wrapping it too tightly?

The good: I LOVE the bear print and this pattern showcases it beautifully without wasting a lot of fabric by way of fussy cutting.  Matching prints from my stash was a little difficult but I think I did decently and I am giggling at all the coincidental "b" words in this print: bear, balloon, bike, bird, and butterfly.

If you ever want to do this pattern yourself, it's so easy.  The measurements I used are: two 10.5 x 40 panels of the bears and the strips measure 2.5 x 7 and I used 60 strips from 11 fabrics.

This week was personally difficult for me because my baby has had a terrible cold which I also caught from him.  We've both been miserable.  Yet somehow I persevered with these two projects.  The deadline of the baby shower was a BIG motivator to work on these but I also think my enthusiasm was linked to starting something new and fresh with fabrics that I was excited about.

This has helped me understand myself better: maybe I am sewing so many dresses for Charlotte and avoiding my WIPs because I am tired of my old projects and I enjoy the almost instant gratification of finishing up a dress in a day or two.  When I am not excited about a project, I do everything to avoid it!  So I decided I am going to give myself a break and allow myself to start some new quilts, which also relates to my goal this year of tackling some stacks of fabric that have been waiting for my attention.  There will come a time when I will feel motivated to deal with my currently uninspiring WIPs- and there aren't even that many: I think there are only four.

Stash fabric used in this post: 3 yards (not including the heart quilt top)

Linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

106 Yards in 2015

Here's a picture of (approximately) 106 yards of fabric to represent my accomplishment of 2016: I used up 106 yards from my stash!  My goal had been to use up 50 yards- I tried to be conservative, considering when I made the goal in January, I knew I would be having a baby in May.  

It was an interesting process to see how much fabric different projects really used up.  And it felt gratifying to see that my use of fabric is substantial, even with the significant life event of adding a third child to our family.  I plan to keep track of my stash used in 2016 but I am not going to aim for an arbitrary number of yards to be used up.  I could easily use up lots of fabric if I only made simple items like pillowcases and whole cloth quilts.  What I am really interested in accomplishing in 2016 is to work on some projects that have been waiting for far too long: I bought the fabric, I mixed in stash favorites, and these piles have sat and waited for years.  I am particularly concerned about any kid-themed quilts.  I want those done for my children to enjoy- it will be too late when they're teenagers and older.

My favorite project of 2015 was my Swoon quilt.  I can't believe how fast it came together and I love everything about it.  I wish more projects would feel so effortless.

And I certainly embraced my love of making dresses for my daughter:

I am still mulling over specific goal ideas for 2016.  Right now I just feel overwhelmed because my baby is fighting a never-ending cold, my sewing room is a mess, and I am so sad Christmas vacation is over and I feel the need to establish a real routine- which just feels overwhelming!  I will get my sew-jo back soon, I am sure!  I have to get a baby quilt done for this Saturday- so I will be sharing that soon.  Thanks for reading!

Sunday Stash: Presents Received

Just for fun, here's a "Sunday Stash" post.  I make gift giving (for myself) easy because I always have my eye on a sewing book or fabric range that appeals to me.  The books I received for Christmas include:

The New Hexagon by Katja Marek

Quilt Lovely by Jen Kingwell

Old Quilts, New Life by Sarah Fielke

Beyond Snapshots by Rachel Devine and Peta Mazey

I am especially excited about The New Hexagon (I also received the paper pieces to make the 52 unique EPP blocks- totally worth it to not photocopy and cut from the book!).  I realized I had recently been quite keen to do the EPP for Owen's stocking and that this might be a fun project to work on when I have the desire to sew but only the energy to watch Netflix.  More on this project, coming soon!

Nick generously gave me lots of fabric for Christmas: Ella Blue Basic bundle (left), Paper Bandana (right), and Lecien Modern text basics (bottom).  The Ella Blue collection is my favorite- I am sure these versatile fabrics will appear in many projects.

Finally, The Intrepid Thread had some killer end-of-the-year deals that will feed my interest in garment sewing.  The purples/grays will be two dresses for Charlotte and the others are designer knit fabrics that I couldn't pass up at $5 per yard!  I am so excited.  I've never sewn knits before but for such a bargain, I am willing to try.

Linking up with Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash.