Quilt Block Exchange Completed!

Remember this block I did back in September/October? Well, I finally got it back along with 15 other blocks done by guild members. I am really happy with what everyone added. I won't include all of them in one post because there are too many.

Vintage Apron

I was asked to help the young women in my ward to make aprons for the upcoming pioneer trek activity. I made this from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules sewing book with some vintage fabric I had in my stash. It took me 3 hours to make. I already helped the girls start their aprons- they all did a great job. We will be finishing them in a few weeks.

Fabric Finds

As requested by a friend- here's the fabric I bought at my latest trip to Marden's. This is the girly themed fabric collection by Henry Glass. Most of this is also Henry Glass with one Michael Miller and another Denise Schmidt.

Momo by Moda- a line that is now discontinued- so I had to snatch some up.

What I Am Working on Now

I finally am getting around to make the bumpers for the boy themed nursery. It was a hard project a couple months ago, but it feels like it's going smoother this time around. Nick and I both have a feeling that we're having a boy... so we will see. I have so much fabric and ideas for girly projects- I am definitely open to doing more boy themed stuff, but there is just not a lot out there!

Favorite Fabrics

I thought I would share pictures of two of my most favorite fabrics:

Healther Bailey's Peonies in Red- I have about 2.5 yards of it and I have at least two quilts planned from her PopGarden line- which will include heavy doses of this! This is one of the first contemporary fabrics I spotted as I slowly discovered the world of bright and beautiful fabrics. I have at least 5 yards of this, as I have a purse and two quilts planned with it. It's Timeless Treasures "I Spy."

Right now, this is my favorite fabric. It's the first Japanese print I have ever bought and I am definitely impressed- it's an adorbale design, clearly printed, and gorgeous, soft fabric.

Quilt Block Exchange

This is one of the last quilt blocks from the guild's exchange. I was amazed at the versatility of the blocks already completed- 2 cat themed novelties, chili peppers, Oriental, and a butterfly...... I added a flower theme.....

Amy Butler's Everything Bag

I showed this project in progress a while ago. The pattern is from Amy Butler's Little Stitches
It's a diaper bag. It was really hard to make mainly because of the stiff divider within the bag... I had to get some help with it. I think I might make a matching portable changing pad to go with it.

Mini Messenger Bag

For Christmas 2008, I received a very cool book- The New Handmade and it had this patern for a mini messenger bag. I am keeping this one for myself!
It's perfect for carting around the small essentials- it has a cell phone pocket on the side that you can't see in the picture. I made this bag out of Erin McMorris Park Slope line.

Keepsake Quilting Trip

It's becoming abundantly clear that I need to take photography lessons..... but anyway, I figured if I post an occasional fabric stash picture, it might make me feel more accountable to actually do something with my supplies rather than keep acquiring more. Soon after Nick left for DC, I consoled myself by heading to the famous Keepsake Quilting in Meredith, NH. The bundle on the right is my attempt to fold fabric like Keepsake does. Most of this fabric is from a certain line of fabric, but I can't remember what it's called..... It will make a beautiful quilt- the cherry fabric will probably be reserved for an apron.

Melly and Me Purse

I had a lot of fun making this purse. It's made from fat quarters and a quarter yard of Amy Butler's Midwest Modern fabric line. It's a present for a friend of mine.

Apples Quilt

This is the quilt I will use for a baby boy someday. I recently added the borders and will soon send it away to be quilted. When it is finished, I will take a better picture and post it.

Crafty Yard Sale Finds

Yard sale season has started again- I am excited but sad to see my Saturdays of sleeping in as a thing of the past.... A couple weeks ago, I was thrilled to get this vintage quilt top for only $6- it's in excellent condition with no tears, stains, or funky smell..... :) At the same yard sale, I found 19 of these log cabin quilt squares. They are already quilted with a backing, so I am not sure how I will put them all together.......

I forgot to take a picture, but I also was so happy to find a TON of vintage buttons for $8. It was a yard sale I almost didn't go to because viewing from my car, the sale looked like a ton of junk- but when I told the lady what I was looking for, she went back into her house and came out with a sack full of sorted buttons and another jar- full!

African Themed Cross Stitch

Here's another cross stitch completed, I just need to do the outlining stitches. The background with all of the leaves was a lot harder than I expected because it's reliant on shading.

Business Card Holder

I altered the pattern for the Bend the Rules Cashless wallet to make a business card holder. The fabric is Denise Schmidt Flea Market Fancy. I still need to put a snap on this little guy.

Charming Handbag

Here's the "Charming Handbag" I made for my swap partner (see previous post). It was an easy project. I really lucked out in finding ribbon that matched the lining very well.

Confession

There was another reason why I didn't post too much in late January and most of February. I had barely found out that I was pregnant and immediately started making the baby stuff! I know I am crazy, but I am pretty determined to not learn the gender of the baby until he or she is born. (Hey, there are only a few really great surprises in life). So I have until late Sept to make all of the boy and girl themed stuff.... Two of the baby quilts I have already posted pictures of are intended for that purpose.

Here's some burp cloths and baby bibs I made a while ago. The pint is really bright and busy, so it's hard to tell that I did an applique cherry on each one. It was a fun, easy project.

The picture below is a very time comsuming project that I am dreading to repeat for the boy themed nursery...... bumpers! They look like they might be easy, but they are a lot of work! I am happy with how they came out, they will model better when setup in the crib.

Sorry for the delay

My computer has not been working- it is torture to write one simple email because it takes FOREVER to boot up and can hardly handle logging onto Internet Explorer. I know that if I loaded my SD card from my camera onto it, it might combust. So, yes, I have been doing LOTS of sewing- but all the posts are going to have to wait till Nick comes for a visit next weekend. I will use his laptop to get my pictures onto here and schedule a bunch of posts.

I was able to get this picture off a Flickr post, it's from the Bend the Rules Swap. People from all over the U.S. signed up to make one of these "Charming Handbags" from the Bend the Rules Sewing book. This is a picture of the bag and "cashless wallet" I received from Jodi in Texas. She did an awesome job- it felt like Christmas when the package arrived.

Handmade Gifts

A person who sews will ALWAYS have a special appreciation for handmade gifts. Nick's Grandma sent me this pretty Christmas stocking recently that I will have to put in use this December....

If I had a sewing machine that could do letters, it would be a lot of fun!
And here's a rag quilt Missy (Nick's sister) gave us for Christmas. I love the colors especially. She is a new sewer and I am really impressed with how well she made this! Thanks Missy!

What I Am Working on Now

This mess is sitting on my ironing board.... it's about 15 pieces in process of becoming a large tote bag.... One of the first steps had me driving an hour away to my friend's house to get help in interpreting the instructions after hours of frustration with a seam ripper and reading the pattern repeatedly.... I will post when it's done.

I'm Back!

Sorry it's been so long since I posted last. January/February has been BUSY! I haven't been doing a lot of sewing lately- mainly due to the fact that my husband is leaving for a Washington DC internship, so I have been spending more time with him rather than ignoring him while I hide up in my sewing room. I know I will have tons of time to sew (and blog) while he's gone. Joann's had a President's Day weekend sale on interfacing, so I stocked up! I have about 5 projects waiting for me.....
I have had to keep up with the quilt block exchange.... This is the one I had to do for January: (the first picture is of the blocks completed by other members, and the second picture is of the one I completed.) I am pretty happy with the way mine came out. The lady included a handy gadget called "Thangles" that made doing the triangle units QUITE easy to do!

I have been asked to do a sewing group for my church and have recently started it. People aren't as excited about sewing as me, but I think we will have fun. We're going to try and do simple projects together once a month, I will let you know how it goes.

Oh! And as an update to my previous post, Westminster Fabrics withdrew their policy of having a price freeze after I stocked up on a bunch of their stuff. Go figure.