Spotted Stones

Saturday Sewing

2012-02-11T13:18:00.000-09:00

Claire is going to a birthday party tonight, and decided this morning that she wanted me to sew her friend a bunny like the ones I made the kids for Easter. I couldn't resist her desire to give a handmade gift, so I put my other plans aside and started sewing.

The pattern is by Hop, Skip, Jump. I didn't have flannel, and Claire rejected regular cotton and linen because it wasn't soft enough. We found a piece of minky, and while I didn't think it would work, we gave it a try. Slippery stuff to sew up, but it's forgiving enough that any wonkiness doesn't really show. Phew. Claire even helped me stuff the legs and arms-- my least favorite part.

Yay for handmade gifts! And for getting to skip our trip to Target.

still not a seamstress

2012-02-10T07:32:00.001-09:00

I had quite a few readers ask me to keep posting about how I'm using my new serger. I've had fails and successes. First up, the fail:

I did try to make that 90-minute shirt from MADE. The issue wasn't with the tutorial, which is great, but with the pattern I drafted from one of Cooper's old onesies. Let's just say boatneck tops are not his thing. He's saying "cheese" in the photo but had previously yelled, "No Mama! No, no, no!" when I put it on him. I've since tried the raw-edged raglan shirt from Sewing for Boys, with some success up to sewing on the neckband. Problem is it uses only a sewing machine! No serger! Next try will be the envelope tee pattern from Growing Up So Liberated. And I'm going to do some simple flannel pajama pants for the girls.

Next, a success:

I'd say more about this project, but I've recently learned that Claire and her friends sometimes read my blog during computer lab at school. I don't think they'll have a chance again until next week, but I don't want to ruin any surprises. I'm working on Valentine's gifts for the kids-- and the serger was so dreamy for finishing off some edges in the construction phase. I'm still in love with the turquoise thread too and might never change it out.

So I've had better luck with projects of the non-clothing variety. I'm definitely going to keep trying though! I do love my serger.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

serging

2012-01-29T12:15:00.000-09:00

Rob surprised me at Christmas by buying me a serger! It's a Brother 1034D, which gets incredible reviews and is very reasonably priced (especially for a beginner like me). I've been wanting to learn to sew clothes for the kids for a long time, especially using knits. So I'm really, really excited to figure everything out.

Today I tackled what I've heard to be one of the trickiest things about sergers-- threading the machine. It went more smoothly than I thought! Gutterman thread was on sale at JoAnns last week so I picked up some turquoise cones along with basic white and grey. I thought it would be more inspiring to start with a fun color as I'm learning. And it's silly, but it really is more fun.

Since I'm not quite sure what to sew yet, I've just been testing things out on scraps. But then I decided to try the rolled edge hem first and make some cloth napkins.

I'm still sort of in shock that it was so easy! One thing I haven't figured out-- is there a way to do needle down and turn corners with this stitch? I ended up doing each side separately, then putting a dab of fray check on each corner where I had to cut the thread chain.

Now what to do next? I'm not sure I'm ready for clothes quite yet (although this 90-minute shirt from Dana of MADE seems doable, and I wouldn't risk much recycling a t-shirt). For those of you who have a serger, do you have advice for a beginner project?

weekend sewing

2012-01-22T12:45:00.000-09:00

Thanks to a quiet weekend at home, I was able to tackle two items on my to do list!

First up, some bee blocks for Krista. She's kicking off the first month of the Free Bee and has requested blocks similar in feel to these wooden trees (but without the stems). She only wanted one block, but I couldn't stop myself and did two. It was fun to sew up something so low stress.

Next, I completed my partner's bag for the Potholder Pass 10 swap!

My partner likes patchwork and modern fabrics. I used a grey Robert Kaufman Carolina Chambray for the main part of the bag, a Suzuko Koseki kitchen print for the panels, and a scrappy log cabin for the pockets.

It's lined with one of my favorite white and orange florals. I hope she likes it!

Ah, to be sewing again. It feels so good.

back in the saddle

2012-01-11T12:28:00.000-09:00

Thank you all for the sweet congratulations. I was a bit premature in saying I was starting to feel better. Shortly after I wrote my last post, I started feeling even worse! But I turned a corner late last week and my nausea is gone. What a relief!

It was just in time too, as I was way past deadline on a to-be-published project. It ended up with me designing and sewing a twin size quilt, start to finish, in just 5 days. I think that means I've gotten my sewing mojo back! One more deadline to go and I'll start making things that I can share in this space again. I just can't wait.

what I've been working on this Christmas

2011-12-21T13:32:00.000-09:00

Forgive me for not posting in ages, and not keeping the promise that I would at least try to do some recap posts about all of the great things that I've received or experienced over the last couple of months. A little something has had me a bit under the weather:

Baby #4 is set to arrive next summer. I remembered all too well from my past pregnancies how much "morning" sickness sucks, but I still wasn't prepared for the way it totally took me out of commission this go round. I haven't sewn a thing in weeks. I haven't even gone into my sewing room. There have been days where I've barely made it off the couch. Luckily I'm starting to see the light at the end of the first trimester tunnel, and feeling a bit better. Which is a good thing, because it's been hard keeping up with this birthday boy:

At two years old, Cooper is a smart and funny little guy. His great loves right now are Star Wars (he pretends to be Luke Skywalker and use a vacuum attachment for a lightsaber- pew pew!), Cookie Monster, Coldplay, spatulas, books, and ice cream. He counts to 13 (skipping numbers 4 and 11) and talks non-stop. It will be fun to see how he changes over the next year.

Merry Christmas! I hope all is well with your families and that you have a safe and beautiful remainder of the holiday season.

a super swap experience

2011-11-29T12:28:00.000-09:00

I feel like I'll be doing catch up around these parts over the next couple of weeks. I've had so many great things to share, but I've been too worn out to do much posting. So bear with me!

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After I pretty much freaked out in jealousy about this Krista's paperpieced pouch, Suzanne contacted me about doing a private swap. I'm back to swearing off large group swaps, but the idea of a private swap with her was totally exciting. Suzanne does beautiful work, and in return she wanted a version of Cooper's mini bike quilt (something I really enjoyed making).

This is the beauty I received, stuffed with fun goodies:

As if the paper-pieced perfection on the front wasn't enough, look what she stitched on the back:

Since I'm someone who pretty much stinks at embroidery, to get a peice of personalized loveliness like this is a dream come true. It so happens that this pouch is made to hold an embroidery hoop too. I can look at this for inspiration as I try to get better with my own projects.

In return, I sent her this little quilt for her bedroom. This design never gets old for me.

Suzanne and I are now both in the Pastiche Bee together, and I can't wait to get to know her better over the next year of making blocks. This experience is yet another testament to how great it is getting to know other crafters through flickr and blogging.

cyber monday (and tuesday!) sale

2011-11-28T13:36:00.000-09:00

Phew! I've finally listed all of my leftover craft show merchandise here in my etsy shop!

I've got Echino scarves:

Eye pillows:

Pouches:

and a few other goodies.

Use the coupon code HOLIDAY10 to get 10% off anything in the shop! Since I'm a bit late to Cyber Monday, I'm extending my deal through this Wednesday, November 30.

pouch factory no more

2011-11-21T12:53:00.000-09:00

This past weekend I took part in my first craft fair, at the Holiday Arts & Crafts Emporium. I won't lie-- I've been cutting and sewing like a crazy woman for the past month to prepare for it. The past week I've woken up with a start at 4 a.m. every morning, no alarm needed, and then I'd head down to my sewing room for a few hours before everyone else would wake up. It feels good to be done with that. Although it was also pretty nice to have that time to myself.

I shared a double booth with 6 other etsy sellers. We received a grant for part of the booth costs from etsy, hence the "etsy.com" booth name.

My table:

Lots and lots of pouches:

Key fobs:

And some iPad cozies (Made from a tutorial here at One Shabby Chick. Thank you Amber!):

I learned a lot from the experience. It wasn't a big money-maker by any means, and I don't think I had the right kind of audience for my goods. But I did have quite a few really great people come in and say that they loved what I make. I might give the whole holiday craft fair another go next year, but at a different venue.

I've got lots and lots of stock now for my etsy shop! I'll be listing items over the next few days and offering a coupon code for blog readers. I'll make sure to keep you posted.

Fat Quarterly

2011-11-15T12:29:00.000-09:00

I'm in serious re-entry mode after an incredible 4-day quilting retreat. More on that later! But I wanted to pop in and say that I've got a pattern for Baby Ingrid in Issue 7 of Fat Quarterly!

If you've purchased the issue, I'd love to know what you think. Have a fabulous Tuesday!

a pomegranate block for Annabel

2011-11-08T14:11:00.000-09:00

This was made for Annabel, whose theme last month was "orchards." This block design gave me so much trouble. First I tried to piece the background and inset the pomegranates. Then I tried to draft up my own paper piecing pattern. Both attempts were epic fails. It was depressing, to tell you the truth. I am a terrible, terrible paper piecer. Applique to the rescue!

Now you really must check out the other incredible blocks in the Cocorico Bee. Really, please do. You'll be blown away!

flurries

2011-11-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

It's been busy in these parts. With the first snow flurries came the overwhelming realization that there is a lot to do in the next few weeks! So a flurry of crafting activity soon followed.

The big thing is that I'll be taking part in a group booth at the Anchorage Christmas Arts & Crafts Emporium in two and a half weeks. I've been cutting lots and lots of fabric in preparation for doing a good deal of the sewing at a retreat (!) the weekend before. But I've also started assembling some smaller things.

Key fobs:

Bookmarks:

And craft aprons (one for me, and a few to sell):

I'm excited! In breaks I'm also sewing up some things for bees and a private swap. I'll have to share more on those later. Let's just say that some projects are easier to finish than others...
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Amidst this flurry of activity I also forgot to choose a winner of the Modern Blocks e-book. The winner is:

Which just happens to be Monica! Monica, you are a lucky lady (this is the second time she's won a giveaway here!). I'll arrange to have the e-book sent to you ASAP.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival Fall 2011-- a wedding quilt

2011-10-30T15:56:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year! Amy at Amy's Creative Side is hosting the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.

And I've got something new!

I made this quilt as a gift for my brother-in-law, PJ, and his wife Danielle. They married this summer in a beautiful outdoor ceremony.

The blocks are simple log cabins, sashed in a thin border of Essex linen blend. The fabrics include quite a few solids, Cloud 9 organics, and a few others. The grey sashing is Carolina Chambray in Ebony.

It's backed in one of my favorite Cloud 9 fabrics, Hydrangea. It washed up so beautifully! It's incredibly soft.

This is the first time I've had someone else do my quilting-- the quilt measures 62" x 78", and I wasn't sure I wanted to do it on my own machine. So I sent it off to my friend Krista Withers, who many of you know on flickr as lolablueocean. (Seriously, go to her photostream after reading this. You will be so glad you did!)She's a professional long arm quilter in Seattle and does amazing work, both personally and for others. This quilt is no exception! I pretty much gave her free reign to do something simple and modern. I love the boxy look she chose. She also chose a poly down batting that makes the quilt so lightweight and fluffy.

In order to keep the colors from being too "autumn," I decided to bind the quilt using a teal crossweave with a couple of shots of olive green.

This quilt is being gifted tonight. I'll admit that I'm always a little nervous giving a handmade gift. I hope this quilt will be used-- it was designed to be backyard, dog, and (hopefully someday) baby friendly!

Make sure to check out the other quilts in the Festival! Now back out to the snow...

in my mail

2011-10-30T09:59:00.002-08:00

Thank you for all of the nice comments and congratulations on my last post!

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I mentioned on our vacation recap that I came home to some pretty cool mail!

First was my package from the Hanging Hoop Wall Pocket Swap. It came all the way from Wendy in the Netherlands! She used some of my favorite fabrics, Echino, and paired it up with sweet little details like this beautiful mustard lace. It fits so perfectly in my sewing room!

She also included some pretty awesome goodies. Thanks Wendy!

The next was this incredible block from my friend Amy at During Quiet Time. Can you believe this?

photo taken by Amy of During Quiet Time-- hers are way better than mine!

Amy got her inspiration from a vintage ski poster. It's amazing really, and I'm still marveling at how she pieced it.

photo taken by Amy of During Quiet Time-- hers are way better than mine!

You can see her post about it here.

She made it for me as part of the Cocorico Bee. The theme for my month is "Let's Hit the Slopes." I'm excited to get blocks that will fit a winter and ski theme. Seriously, check out what the other members are doing in the group!

We finally got our first snowfall this morning. It's not the 10 inches that you're getting in the Northeast US, but I'll take it. I spent the early morning hours finishing up the binding for the quilt that I'll be posting for Blogger's Quilt Festival. Check back later for the details!

Have a great Sunday! Oh, and Happy Halloween!

I Make Modern Blocks

2011-10-27T09:56:00.002-08:00

Some of you may have noticed a button in my sidebar the last couple of months that alludes to something fun-- I've got two patterns published in Modern Blocks!

First up, Rolling Hills:

It's a simple block that features a gentle curve. When the blocks are arranged in a quilt, they create pretty waves. I've got one in the works that I can't wait to show you!

The next is Spool:

This is also a very simple block. When I created it, I imagined using it to make a sweet mini quilt for my sewing room. That's in the works too. And hey, check it out on the back cover!

Designing these blocks was a really fun experience-- one that I've been able to share with wonderful friends who are also in the book. Check out these posts from Krista, Lynne, and Angela to see what they've created!

I should have the real books in hand any day now (I can't wait!!!) but for now, I am happy to be able to give away one copy of the Modern Blocks e-book. ~~Leave a comment below if you'd like to win it! I'll leave comments open through the weekend and pick a winner on Monday morning~~. The giveaway is now closed!

vacation recap

2011-10-24T09:58:00.003-08:00

I'm still recovering from our long flight home from our vacation on Friday. Bring on the coffee!

It can be somewhat isolating living here in Alaska. While much of our family lives here, a lot of our extended family lives in the lower 48. I feel really lucky that we were finally able to put together a trip to see some of them. First we visited with Rob's grandmother, aunt (Hi Pat!), and cousins in Arkansas:

Then we drove down to Tyler, Texas to spend a few days with my grandparents (who I hadn't seen since Avery was just 6 weeks old):

My grandma makes Martha Stewart look like an amateur. Her entire home features beatiful things she's made, like this kitchen island decorated with print blocks she saved from her father's shop.

We had some much-needed family time together. But now we're glad to be home. One of the best parts of getting back was opening the mail that was waiting! I've got a couple of super cool things to share later once I get my camera battery charged up!

Not a bad way...

2011-10-17T06:46:00.002-08:00

... To start your 9th birthday. Happy birthday Claire!

Vacation life

2011-10-14T08:33:00.004-08:00

We're on a trip visiting family down south. First stop, Arkansas! The kids are having so much fun here. There are horses! And a potbellied pig! And everyone is just so nice.

I even figured out some crochet on the plane ride down. It finally clicked!

crochet school

2011-10-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

I can't crochet. I've tried teaching myself but never gotten past the chain.

Kristin, a member of the Anchorage Modern Quilt Guild, listened to my crochet woes awhile back and then surprised me with a mini lesson before our last meeting! She taught me how to double crochet after just a few minutes of instruction, then sent me home with the hook and the yarn. I thought I had it down this time.

Unfortunately, I have failed again. See the exhibit below:

I'm guessing this is some other sort of stitch to make curls or circles or something

That was my result this weekend after an hour of trying to figure out how to do single crochet stitch. I can't find my other swatch that looks like two teddy bear ears and a bunch of knots.

Sigh. So now I'm following Crochet School on Craftyminx. All this month, she is posting a daily lesson that will hopefully solve all of my crochet woes!

It's perfect timing too, as we're hitting the road soon and I need a simple travel project. A hook and ball of yard won't take too much space. Maybe I'll finally get it?

and the winner of the fall fabric giveaway is...

2011-10-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who entered! I made a big mistake asking about fall meals (and comfort measures in my other sneaky post for a chance to win). All I want to do now is make a big pot of soup and some pumpkin pie, then stuff my face with it while I lay under a big quilt in front of the fire! Soon, soon.

fall fabric giveaway

2011-10-08T09:37:00.002-08:00

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!
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I reached the 400 followers mark! To celebrate, I'm giving away this fall-inspired fabric bundle. The winner will receive fat thirds (did I make that up?) of six fabrics and three matching 8" zippers.

To win, leave a comment with your favorite fall meal! This giveaway will be open for a small window of time-- you have until tomorrow (Sunday) at 4:00 p.m. Alaska time to enter!

Good luck! And thank you for reading.

disappearing comments

2011-10-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Have you been having a hard time posting comments on blogger? I've been so frustrated, as my comments have been disappearing when I try to submit them on some of my favorite blogs. This may be the "duh" answer, but if you are using Internet Explorer or Firefox, just go to your privacy settings and set them to accept third-party cookies. Problem solved. I wish I had figured this out a week ago. I'm not very tech savvy.

this photo has nothing to do with this post-- these are just some echino patchwork pillows I made for the girls' room recently

If you chose to click on this boring, boring post, I'm going to reward you. See my follower box on the sidebar? I finally reached 400 followers today! To celebrate, I'm going to give away a little something this weekend. Stay tuned for the post. It will be open for just 24 hours and a one-comment-per-person kind of thing, with one exception. Comment here with your favorite trick to making your house feel cozy in the fall/winter months. That will get you another entry into this weekend's giveaway!

Have a good one! Off we go for some Friday night pizza...

no rest for the weary, unless you're a stuffed bear

2011-10-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned recently that things are really busy around here? I always think that once fall comes around, things will slow down. I'm always wrong. There is soooo much to do.

Anyway, to add to the busy season, I signed up for a big holiday craft fair the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Anchorage Etsy team received a grant to cover some of the costs of a group booth, so if all goes well, I'll need to make a lot of stuff! I've got a whole slew of ideas to try. One thing that's been on my list for possible sale is the Three Bears' Sleeping Bag by Florence at Flossie Teacakes.

I made the middle size (for Mama Bear) out of some cute hedgehog fabric I've been wanting to use for ages.

I'll admit, I only read bits of the pattern before I started. Because of this, I quilted the back of the sleeping bag (unnecessary), chose a precious pink Lecien stripe for the lining pieces (which no one will ever see) and skipped all instructions on applying bias tape around the edges (not smart for someone new to the stuff). So I ended up making bias binding like I would for a quilt, then folded it over and machine stitched it all around. Honestly, it doesn't look that great on the back and there is too much bulk. All my fault. I might need to suck it up and do it the right way (imagine that?). Although if I'm going to sell these things at a reasonable price, I'll still need to figure out the best way to machine stitch the bindings.

A big thank you to my sleeping bag model, Purple Baby. She was Claire's favorite for many years, but has been stuck in an under-the-bed bin for so long that I'm afraid she's been forgotten. Hopefully seeing her in the new sleeping bag will encourage Claire to add her back with the dozen or so stuffed animals that cover her bed. If not, I'm sure Cooper will adopt her as a friend for his Baby.

On a separate note, my sweet girls have decided that they only want to dress up as scary things for Halloween from now on. Claire insists on being a vampire, and Avery will be a zombie. Long gone are the days of hot dog and cow girl costumes :( I'm trying to feel better about it by making their costumes (see why I'm so busy?) and having some control, maybe by adding some humor or cuteness. Any zombie/vampire costume tutorials you've seen out there?

scenes from the weekend

2011-09-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

We're having amazing fall weather. Despite the cool temps (we were in the 20s this morning), we managed to have a lot of fun this weekend.

First, Avery and Claire ran a race. They did the school's cross country running program and did great. I'm so proud of them!

Then we were off to the cabin, where we spent a couple of days building a deck and spending some much-needed family time.

I'm in total disbelief that October is just a few days away. It's going to be a crazy month, so I'm making sure to get all of my bee blocks taken care of early.

First, my September block for do. Good Stitches. Natalie asked for a 6.5 x 48" block in gold, red, or plum with any piecing. I used my GO! baby and the tumbler die. Super easy!

Melanie requested two Trip Around the World blocks. She directed us to this tutorial and they came together quickly.

What's in store for your week? Is it fall where you're at?

be merry

2011-09-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, I know... Christmas is still three months away.

When I was digging around in my sewing room this morning, I found a bag of scraps that were already backed with fusible web. And I got the urge to revisit my "Be Merry" pennant quilt from last season.

This time I opted for stamping the text instead of stitching it-- what do you think? Better? Worse? Or just different?

I might be making a bunch of different versions for the shop this year. I always have more ideas than I do time, but hey, I'm thinking ahead. So it just might happen this year.

Hanging Hoop Wall Pocket Swap

2011-09-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

I joined one last swap for the fall- my dear friend Amy's Hanging Hoop Wall Pocket Swap. There is a small group of us exchanging some super cool sewing organizers made from the free tutorial here on Sew Daily.

Since we're such a small group, I don't want to give away any hints to my partner about how I chose the fabrics. But I will say that I may have gone a bit more crazy with the patterns than she would prefer. I just couldn't resist mixing some patchwork with that Echino fabric!

We've got snow on the mountains behind our house this morning. How about if we just skip fall and go straight into winter?

And no, I'm not kidding. Break out the hot chocolate and ski boots! I'm ready for it.

sneaky peek for the week

2011-09-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

We had a busy weekend, focused on some not-so-fun home and family projects that simply needed to get taken care of. I'm looking forward to a quiet house this week so I can complete an important project. Here's a sneak peek:

Stay tuned for more-- there's a pattern coming!

And in other fun news, I received my package for The Love of Solids swap from Jacey! She was so sweet and made a set of 5 placemats for my family. Each one is completely different, both in piecing and quilting. She also sent me a cool zip pouch and some awesome fabrics. It was like Christmas!

echino project tote and pouch

2011-09-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

I whipped up another Echino project bag and matching zip pouch yesterday. It's been donated for a local silent auction this weekend that will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

I made it completely out of stashed fabrics (linen, Echino, and Dazzle). Unfortunately, I'm down to a yard of linen. What to do? I may have to adjust my promise to abstain from fabric purchasing so that it excludes a few basics. Otherwise, so far, so good!

not fit for the farm life

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

You may remember that I joined the Farmer's Wife Quilt-A-Long earlier this summer.

The group is now 15 weeks in, and sure enough, I dropped out after 3. At the time, I wasn't sure exactly why I stopped. Maybe because the group got too big? Or was it the fact that I started to wish I had taken a different course with my blocks, using more prints like Kerry and Monica?

Well, the other day I figured it out. The reality is that I don't care for sampler quilts. I thought I liked them, but they're not for me. However, I still have a huge desire to learn how to make traditional blocks, plus I spent a lot of time on the ones I've already done. So I'm going to keep going in my own way, just using the individual blocks for things other than one big quilt.

To start, my first six blocks have been sewn into some pouches that I decided to list in my etsy shop.

I'll admit that I have a favorite:

And I just can't resist a good stack of zippers.

This week I'm offering blog readers 10% off any item in my shop with coupon code SSBLOGFRIEND10. It's never too early to stock up on holiday gifts!

it all started with the ironing board (a sewing room redo)

2011-09-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Let me start off this post by saying that I feel so incredibly lucky to have my own sewing room. When we remodeled our basement and included it in the plans, I couldn't believe it! Having my own space where I can go make a big mess, then shut the door and know that the dogs won't eat things and kids won't step on pins has made me so much more productive. This was the space, in a corner of an open family room, before we remodeled:

I love that blue, but what a mess!

And this was the space after:

neat and organized, but not as functional as I thought

When I picked the buttercream yellow paint for the room originally, I really don't know what I was thinking. The room doesn't have a window, so maybe I was hoping it would bring a sense of sunshine? Well, I never liked it. Everything clashed with it. Including my new ironing board cover from Target (at the beginning of this post) that Jenny told me me about after I fixed up the girls' bathroom. I had to have it, but it looked horrible in the room.

I started dreaming about new paint. And ways to keep Cooper from clearing off my bookshelves/dumping out boxes of snaps/etc. I made measurements and imagined all sorts of new layouts.

So last week I got to work. When Rob left for an overnight backbacking trip, I took advantage and made a trip of my own to Lowe's for a gallon of creamy vanilla paint, shelving, and two sets of coat hooks. In one 3-hour naptime (woo hoo!) I managed to move everything out of the room and do two coats of paint. That night I was able to install the shelving and start moving everything back in. By the time Rob arrived home the next afternoon, the room was finished. He inspected my work for safety's sake, and I was sewing again the next day.

It doesn't look this dingy in real life (remember, no windows!):

It's nothing fancy, but I love how it turned out. The best part of the room is that it's so much more functional. There is a ton more floor space, so Cooper or the girls can be in there playing (the other day Avery and Claire spread out and scrapbooked for hours) and I still have plenty of room to work. Eventually I'd like to make some floor pillows to make things cozy and a big detachable design wall for the wall next to my desk. But for now, it's just right.

jammin'

2011-09-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

I got a screaming deal the other day on 10 bowls of raspberries from a sweet older woman off of craigslist. One of the few things I miss from my old house, pre-Rob, is the huge row of raspberry plants that produced tons of berries each summer. Weird though that we're a third of the way through September and just getting berries-- in past years I'd usually start picking by the first week of August.

I was able to make 4 batches of jam and use up every jar that I had sitting in the cupboard and pantry. I'm all set for holiday giving, and the mismatched jars will last our family for awhile as well.

I usually make my jam late at night after the kids all go to bed. Avery and Claire helped me with the third batch yesterday, and Cooper milled around in the kitchen with no problems. But this afternoon when I thought I could get the last batch done, he took advantage of my need to be glued to the stove (stirring, stirring, stirring) and stomped in the dog water, cleared out cupboards, and even stole my chocolate protein bar off the counter to eat. Good thing he's so cute.

What's in store for your weekend? I'm hoping for a bit of sunny weather, and morning skies like this to justify the cooler fall temps.

everything's coming up rainbows

2011-09-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

I've completed my "Everything's Coming Up Rainbows" mini quilt just in time for my For the Love of Solids swap partner! She really hoped for something with rainbows. I was happy to oblige and play around with this combo again (I went rainbow in my "99 Bright Flying Geese on the Wall" doll quilt too), but this time just in solids.

The quilt is made of a combo of 20 different solids in a rainbow of colors, paired up with borders of white and Kona ash.

I couldn't resist going rainbow on the back as well.

But I did choose to keep the binding more simple with deep purple and shot of cerise.

For the bonus item, I made a tanagram fabric puzzle. I first saw the link to Beauty All Around's tanagram-esque fabric puzzle tutorial in a mosaic on the long thread, and I knew I had to give it a try! I made my pieces just a bit bigger though (they finish out at 4" square) and chose to topstitch around all of the edges instead of hand-stitching the openings. There are 42 of them after all! I think they'll provide a bit of fun for my partner (and maybe a small little someone else in her house).

I also made a matching pouch. The pouch is made from a strip of rainbow scraps and grey linen and features a lime green lining.

I figure my partner can use it for the puzzle pieces, or whatever else she wishes! (I have a rainbow zip pouch in a similar size that holds a small notebook and Cooper's crayons.)

All in all, this was a super fun swap to participate in! Everything I've seen in the For the Love of Solids flickr pool is amazing. It's fun to think about what might be coming my way!

airplanes

2011-09-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

The little airplane quilt is complete!

I was asked to make a quilt for a soon-to-be-born baby boy whose parents are both pilots. Because of this, I was asked to incorporate airplanes. I didn't have time to search out airplane fabric, so I found this paper-pieced airplane pattern on Quilter's Cache and got to work.

The palette features deep reds, blues, mustard yellows, and greens. I may have gone a little crazy with my combos on some blocks, but I think they all work. Fabrics include prints from Cloud9's Cut Out and Keep, Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow, Kei Honeycomb, Cosmo Cricket, Denyse Schmidt's Greenfield Hill, American Jane, and a few other lines. The grey sashing is Carolina Chambray in Ebony. The red crosshatch binding is Alexander Henry Heath in Tomato. I'm happy to say that every little bit came from my stash! Woo hoo!

I was also asked to make a coordinating doll quilt for the new big sister. I used an extra airplane block and scraps to come up with something fun.

It always feels good to finish a project, especially on such short notice! Now I've got a sewing room redo waiting for me.

what we've been up to

2011-08-30T13:35:00.000-08:00

I'm trying so hard to actually DO things (as opposed to just reading about other people doing things), so this poor blog has suffered. Now for what we've been up to:

I'm learning the art of paper piecing. Right now I'll admit that I hate it.

I'm working on this block for the cocorico bee (Lauree has a kitchen theme going right now) and meant to paper piece it, but just sort of free pieced it instead. It still needs a label for the cookie jar, which I think I'll stamp and applique.

So when I got a request to do an airplane quilt this weekend, for a baby shower that is THIS THURSDAY, I thought I'd force myself to do paper pieced airplane blocks instead of trying to find airplane fabric. It's taking FOREVER. But the blocks sure are cute. And I'll admit that I'm getting better stitching through that damn paper.

Rob and I ran the Lost Lake race on Saturday. We experienced 16 miles of mud and driving rain, the first 6 of which are uphill. I was so glad to see the finish, because I was very slow getting to it.

(sorry for the butt shot, #578!)

We let the girls play hookie from school and hit up the Alaska State Fair yesterday! We lucked out and had sunshine! This was probably the most enjoyable time I've had at the fair since becoming a grown up.

Now to attend to this guy, who is eating peanut butter graham crackers (and by eating, I mean licking off the peanut butter) and canned fruit for lunch because we are in desperate need of groceries. Costco, here we come!

It's going to be a busy week! Have a good one, and hopefully I'll be checking in later on with a finished quilt!

back to it

2011-08-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

We've been back from Seattle for a bit. Words really can't express how much fun I had on this trip! We were incredibly busy with plans that included baseball, family, and friends. I loved every minute.

Avery and Claire started back at school on Tuesday. Doesn't Claire look thrilled?

We were running late, she had a clothing emergency, and a fleeting ray of sunshine was in her face. Oh well. Maybe we'll get better pics next year. The good news is that the girls love their classes and are really happy to be back.

I'm happy to be on a schedule again too. I've been back in my sewing room every day this week, working on quilt backs and bee blocks. Here are my latest, two yellow/pink/brown improv blocks for the do.Good Stitches charity bee.

I'm also dreaming of a little sewing room revamp (paint, ugh! and lots of shelving) and planning some projects that are due this fall. It's right around the corner!

bye bye

2011-08-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

It's the last week of summer vacation, and we're heading where we'll hopefully find a bit of non-liquid sunshine and get to stuff our faces with Dixie's and ShiskaBerries. Yep, we're taking our annual trip to see the Red Sox play against the Mariners at Safeco Field! I also get to hang out with the fabulous Krista, otherwise known as lolablueocean. Woo hoo! She's a long arm quilting genius, so I'll be taking her a huge beast of a quilt top to work her magic on. It's a wedding gift for my brother in law and his new wife.

It's a sneak peek only, because I've got no time to figure out how to hang this thing up. I've got to pack! I spent the weekend running and painting, not getting ready for time away.

Speaking of painting, I figured it was time to combine my love of sewing with encaustics, so I played with thread and fabric in my latest pieces:

Fun, right? Have a great week!

a school bag for Claire

2011-08-04T06:15:00.000-08:00

I whipped up another messenger bag, requested by Claire.

Once again, she picked all of the fabrics (starting with the brown dotty stripe, because she knew I wanted something that would hide dirt). I think she did a great job!

I used the same messenger bag tutorial from mmmcrafts that I used for Avery's bag. But this time, I used both fusible fleece and an additional fusible interfacing (Pellon Featherweight I think, which isn't very lightweight at all) to give it the extra structure I wanted. I made the bottom deeper as well.

This girl definitely has her own cool style. I just need to figure out a way to stop her from growing up so fast.

from dungeon to 80s fab

2011-08-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

We have a list. It's called our "House Projects List," and contains everything from tasks like changing out the outlets from beige to white (easy) to completely renovating our backyard (hard and expensive). Painting and adding storage to the girls' bathroom have been sitting in the medium category for months, but I finally got the bug to get the job done this week.

The nasty before:

(((shudder)))

And the fresh-but-still-true-to-our-home's-original-1981-construction after:

I hesitated to even post about this because it's kind of a ridiculous "renovation" compared to the really cool interior design work that's in blogland. But I thought it would be good to see a real life, inexpensive before and after. Our house has slowly been losing value over these last few months, so I couldn't justify spending much money. The bathroom just needed to be more liveable. I also don't have a whole lot of free time on my hands, so all work was done during naptimes and while the girls helped entertain Cooper over the last two days. Total cost was less than $150 ("cumulus" wall paint, shower curtain, rugs, medicine cabinet, and countertop accessories). We already had the white paint and artwork (two which are school artwork by Avery!) laying around. Eventually I'd like to gut the whole damn room and erase 1981 forever. But for now this works. Avery and Claire think it's pretty. And I'm happy to finally cross it off the list!

get ready to sing...

2011-08-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

I just finished up my quilt for Doll Quilt Swap 11. I need to say right away that I was completely inspired, pretty much to the point of copying, Nettie's Rainbow Geese quilt. It is amazing. When I recover from this teeny version, I might have a go at pulling out my fabric stash again to make a big one just like her's. If you haven't checked it out yet, you must!

My quilt top is made out of 96 flying geese that each finish out at 1 x 2 inches when sewn together, making the overall size 12 x 16 inches. Although right now there are 96 flying geese, I've got 3 more on the label that will be stitched to the back to make it 99. I had to bring the count to 99 so I could name this quilt the obnoxious "99 Bright Flying Geese on the Wall." I could not shake the song "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" that kept playing in my head while I was sewing these things up, but with the words changed to be about the geese. "Trim one down, toss the scraps around, 96 bright flying geese on the wall" etc. What can I say, teeny piecing like this makes me a bit delirious. Do you have this song in your head now? I hope so. I don't want to be the only one singing it.

Including the white, backing fabric, and the other 3 geese (one is a repeat of a front goose), there are 100 fabrics in this baby. All from my stash! Yikes.

It's pouring rain today and DARK in our house, so a wall photo just wasn't working. My quilt model was less than enthused about her photo shoot today, but I got her with the rapid fire shots.

miscellany

2011-07-30T04:48:00.000-08:00

I've been on the lookout for the release of Cloud9 Fabric's Miscellany line for weeks. As soon as it hit Sew Fresh Fabrics on Wednesday, I had it in my shopping cart. And just two days later it was here at my house! Crazy fast shipping! I still can't believe how quickly it arrived.

Yum, yum, yum. And the prints are even better in person. Trust me. They're a must-have.

I couldn't resist using it right away, so I made a new project tote for a birthday gift out of the Candy Trees and Stacked prints. A twin is winging its way into my etsy shop as well.

a pair of pillows

2011-07-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

With all of the back-to-school sewing going on here (Claire wants a messenger bag for school now too), I decided to shelve my original cushion plan that used bunches of quarter square triangles and went the quick route instead. Enter the Echino cheater print:

The construction is super simple. Each pillow consists of an 18" square of the Echino and two 14" x 18" pieces of what has become my favorite fabric (from Jo Ann's of all places!), hemmed and overlapped to make an envelope back, and an 18" pillow form. I sewed them with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and zig zagged the raw edges to prevent fraying. Super easy! It took about 20 minutes per pillow.

Ah, much better. Rob cringed when he saw them (do all men hate pillows on the couch?) but Avery and Claire snuggled up with them right away.

Also, I decided to tweak my blog design this morning without much planning. Please let me know if anything looks weird!

reopened

2011-07-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

I've decided to reopen my etsy shop. I've listed some new log cabin zip pouches.

Plus I've decided to sell my Modern Mountains quilt. It was a tough decision, but Rob has the original version in his office already. I'd like to put some other artwork up in our home.

Take a peek at Spotted Stone Studios!

a school bag for Avery

2011-07-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

School starts here in 19 days. Can you believe it? It's the price we pay for starting vacation in mid-May I guess. I'm on top of things for once though and managed to make Avery's requested school bag with plenty of time to spare!

Avery originally wanted a tote with a zipper closure on top, but I convinced her to try a messenger style instead. Since we only had a half yard of the Appleville fabric she wanted to use, I put it front and center on the flap. We then decided on a dirt-hiding grey linen for the body of the bag. The flap is lined with Sevenberry school supplies fabric, the lining is a green seersucker, and the straps and outside pocket are Timeless Treasures organic crosshatch. Yummy!

I used this messenger bag tutorial by mmmcrafts but enlarged the length by 5 inches and the width by 2 to allow for more room. I also increased the seam allowances to 1/2 inch because of the fraying nature of the linen. One thing I wish I could change is the floppy nature of the bag. I interfaced it with fusible fleece, but looking back, I should have also added additional interfacing to stiffen things up a bit. I think I'll tack a fabric-covered piece of plastic into the bottom to add structure and experiment with a different interfacing in the future. The pattern itself is very easy to follow, and the bag came together in a single naptime.

Avery loves it too, although you'd never know it from her serious pre-teen expression.

collaborative sewing with kids

2011-07-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

I was in my sewing room this morning, stitching up more flying geese for my Doll Quilt Swap quilt, when Claire came in and started digging through my fabrics. And she asked me to sew her a bag. I tend to tell the girls that I'll sew for them another day, then that day just keeps getting pushed back and things don't get done at all. (I'll admit, I'm a selfish crafter and I usually have my limited naptime sewing time all planned out. I don't think I'm alone there?) So I told her to pick out fabrics and tell me what she wanted.

Claire started with the turquoise and pink plaid (because she likes fancy things like private school, and private school uniforms are plaid, you know) and pointed to my rainbow zip pouch, asking if I could make her's just the same but with a strap. I secretly hoped that the plaid would be part of the strip and that I could convince her to use some denim or linen for the main part of the bag. But no! She wanted it to be the main fabric, and her selection of accent solids and prints quickly followed. I found a piece of webbing for the strap, she picked out a hot pink zipper, and a half hour later we had a finished bag.

I won't lie-- this bag is not at all my style. The super bright colors and crazy mix of prints sort of make my eyes hurt. But Claire LOVES it. I love that she designed it herself and feels so proud about her choices. That's something I really have to remember about sewing for kids-- they have different ideas about what is fun and fresh. Those ideas are likely to be different than mine. And that's a good thing.

Next up is a school bag for Avery. She wants something big in place of a backpack and has picked out this Appleville print as her main fabric. Looks like I've got lots of bright sewing ahead!

summer swaps

2011-07-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

After swearing off swaps for so long, I found myself signing up for three this summer! I decided it was time to stretch my skills again by sewing for a partner's likes. And I got my wish. So far I've got two great partners, and they both have tastes pretty different from my own.

The first is Doll Quilt Swap 11. The rules are a bit different this round with no art quilts and a requirement of at least 6 blocks on the front. I've got teeny piecing planned. My partner loves bright, clean colors. Break out your sunglasses, because I've got them here!

I'm looking for something maybe a bit more mellow. Give me mustard over orange, and aqua over turquoise.

1. Triangles, 2. Squares quilt, 3. A year in scraps..., 4. from Helinaq, 5. squares!, 6. triangles, 7. Anniversary Crosses, 8. his rose garden is immaculate, 9. bag swap progress, 10. Yellow and Gray Triangles, 11. alphabet baby quilt, 12. YIP 365.341 :: Fish Baby Log Cabin, 13. Mini Quadrilateral Quilt, 14. The Art Quilt Collection, 15. Vivaldi finished, 16. Color Study: Nine Patch ~ 2002, 50"X50"

My Pretty {little} Pouch Swap partner seems to love all things pretty. Pastel pinks, aquas, and greens are her absolute favorites from what I can tell. I haven't sewn with these colors in ages! And I think only on a baby quilt.

I'm looking for something a little less sweet. Um, more mustard please?

1. #10, 2. flex frame pouch, 3. pretty little pouch front..., 4. his rose garden is immaculate, 5. head over heels quilt, 6. bag swap progress, 7. Yellow and Gray Triangles, 8. Untitled, 9. Rich cream clutch with applique abstract rose detail ... organic fabrics (1), 10. Mini Quadrilateral Quilt, 11. Hey Alice!, 12. table runner love., 13. Color Study: Log Cabin 2 ~ 2007, 14. the peaceful pincushion, 15. Andrea Block #2, 16. Concert Ukulele Bag

The third swap I signed up for is For the Love of Solids. Sign ups are still open until they hit 100 participants, so hurry up and add your name! I was blown away by other members' mosaics and just couldn't resist adding my name. There is so much inspiration out there.

Any grand plans for the weekend? I've got a pretty long trail run tomorrow (um, 15 miles? Help!) and then some birthday celebrations with family on Sunday. We're definitely taking advantage of summer.

and the winner of the GO! baby is...

2011-07-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Liz!!!

my friends are pattern geniuses

2011-07-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

My friend Amy at During Quiet Time has been wowing me for ages with her impeccable quilting and hand-printed fabrics. Have you seen her latest Catherineholm-inspired tea towels? Amazing. And now she's entered into the world of pattern design with her Ruched Happy Bag pattern and the just-released Vintage Collection Tea Kettle quilt block pattern, which I had the pleasure of sewing up last night.

I'm a complete newbie to paper-piecing. Well, I did make a circle of geese block once upon a time, but that was a hot mess. Amy's pattern is so clear though that I was able to draw from my basic knowledge of how to place the fabrics and sew with a very teeny stitch length and complete my kettle with no issues. (Well, with no issues regarding the pattern. I was not so precise with my sewing so my block ended up a bit wonky. Next time I'll follow the rules better for perfect results.) A beginner could do a bit of googling to learn the basics of paper piecing too and complete this as a first pattern no problem. I plan to quilt my block up into a little mini over the next few days so I can practice Amy's cool steam technique. If you want to know more about Amy and her crafting, you can read more about her here on a recent feature at Noodlehead.

Coincidentally, Anna at Noodlehead created the pattern for the 241 tote bag, which I sewed up times two last week for friends.

I made one from some circle-print japanese fabric (just like the first 241 tote I sewed up) and paired it with Cloud9 leaf fabric and some natural Essex linen blend.

The second is made from my all-time favorite Japanese grey woven fabric, some aqua Moda crossweave, and Cake Rock Beach dots. I lined it with another great Cloud9 fabric, Clearing.

The red tote is going to my friend Tregei in Montana, and the blue one is going to my friend Bridget as a consolation bag. Not because the 241 tote isn't awesome, which it is, but because Bridget asked me to sew her up a new purse nearly a year ago and I still haven't done it. If anyone knows of a really great pattern for a fairly roomy, no-fuss purse/tote with a zippered closure, please pass it on. Because draft after draft of my own attempts show that I need to leave pattern designing up to my friends. Thank you Amy and Anna for doing it right!

GO! Baby-- a giveaway

2011-07-10T21:50:00.000-08:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

It's time! AccuQuilt has given me the go ahead to give away a GO! Baby fabric cutter (plus 3 dies) to one lucky reader!

How to win:

It's easy! Just leave a comment! Are you a follower? Leave a second comment to increase your chances of winning. If your email address isn't published in blogger, make sure you include it in your comment so I have a way of contacting you (should you win). The winner will be chosen at random, and AccuQuilt will ship the GO! Baby anywhere in the world.

~~I'll leave comments open through this Wednesday, 10:00 p.m. Alaska time. Good luck!!!~~ Giveaway complete!

the big orange wall quilt

2011-07-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

The big orange wall quilt is done!

I actually finished this up late Sunday night, but a trip out to our cabin kept me from hanging it on the wall until last night. I got some amazing feedback about how to do the final layout (rectangular, dyptich, darker strips to add some assymetry). But in the end, I decided to keep it square and simple as was my original plan.

This quilt was a collaborative effort. 15 of the blocks were made by members of my Bee Liberated group on flickr. Even though the blocks are all very simple in their design and contain mostly the same fabrics, the fact that they were made by so many different people makes each one unique. It also turns out that one of my bee member's additions really made this quilt sing. Heidi sent me this center block made with teal and grey fabrics that I hadn't included in my packets.

Honestly, my first though was, "Oh, no! How are these going to work in the quilt?" But she also included extra pieces of that teal that I ended up using in many more of the blocks I made. Those spots of teal ended up creating movement in the quilt that I don't think I would have acheived had I kept only the original fabrics I had chosen. So thank you Heidi!

I still think the wall needs a few more things. But I think that can wait a bit. My other cushions will have to wait too. I've got things planned with the kids today and a fun weekend ahead of wedding and friends. But please make sure to check back on Monday-- I'll be giving away a GO! Baby to a lucky someone!

chiseled

2011-07-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

I wish this post was about my abs, but it is not. My midsection instead resembles the squishiness of this:

I made my first pillow today with the chisel die that I received with my AccuQuilt GO! Baby! I'll admit that my math is rusty though. I had the design all mapped out, then had to improvise in the middle of the process because I thought that the two chisels when sewn together were 12.5 inches tall, not 9.5 inches. Oh well, I added a couple of borders. I'll have another tutorial up later this week on the pillow I'm making from the quarter square die!

Chiseled Pillow Tutorial

Materials:

6 different fabrics, cut into 4" x 12" rectangles (You'll see I have 8 in my photo. Whoops! There was the math issue. You can use 8 fabrics like I did to get more variety, but you'll have 4 spare chisels to use in a different project.)

(2) 2" x 16.5" strips of solid fabric

(2) 12.5" squares of backing fabric
(1) 12.5" x 16.5" rectangle of muslin
12" x 16" pillow form
AccuQuilt GO! Baby and Chisel Die

Instructions:

1. Place three rectangles of fabric, stacked on top of one another, on the chisel die. Make sure to line up the fabric so that it covers the blades completely and that the grain is straight (the blades are set at an angle on the die for easier cutting).

2. Place the cutting mat on top, and roll on through the GO! Baby!

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other 3 fabrics. (See note 3 at the bottom of this post if you're using all prints for your fabrics. If so, you'll need to lay your second set of fabrics right side down.)

4. You'll have 12 perfect chisel shapes and very little waste!

5. Arrange chisels in your preferred layout and sew together. Sew them up in pairs first (one each from the top and bottom row), then stitch the six pairs together. Trim 1" off of each side so that the panel of chisels measures 9.5" by 16.5".

6. Sew the solid strips to the top and bottom of the pieced chisels to complete the top.

7. On each piece of backing fabric, fold one edge over 1/2 inch and press. Fold over again 1/2 inch and topstitch to create a finished edge.

8. Layer the pieces for final construction in this order: muslin, pillow top (right side up), and overlapping backing pieces (right side down). Pin layers together.

9. Sew around perimeter using a 3/8" seam allowance. Turn right side out, and stuff with your pillow form!

I've mentioned before that my family does not appreciate pillows on our couches. Cooper is already showing his disdain.

I expect it to get munched up by the dogs within a week or two.

Some notes about the above project:

1. It took me less then 5 minutes to cut all of the fabric into their rough rectangles, then less than 5 minutes to run them through the GO! Baby. Definitely a timesaver.

2. The notches in the dies make it super easy to line up the chisels for sewing. It makes piecing much more accurate than if I tried to sew up chisel shapes cut with a rotary tool.

3. One thing that I didn't get when I was first cutting is that the chisels all come out of the die exactly the same. I thought that I would get two chisels that were a mirror image of one another. Of course I looked at the instructions on the die afterwards, and they make that clear. Another whoops for me. It was okay because half of my fabrics were solids, so I could flip them over to make the design work. But if you're using all prints, you need to place half of your fabrics right side down on the dies, and half of them right side up to get six chisels of each orientation. That's the way to make the zig zag setup that I have in my pillow.

Let me know if you have any questions!

TGIF-- but it's not what you think

2011-07-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Sure, it's Friday. But today, TGIF also stands for This GO! is Fantastic!

The amazing people at AccuQuilt contacted me a couple of weeks ago asking if I would like to try out their GO! Baby cutter. I jumped at the opportunity, and my big box of happiness landed on our doorstep Wednesday afternoon. The girls and I had everything out on the kitchen table and played right away. So fun and easy to use!

I've got plans to make a couple of much-needed cushions this weekend for my brown leather couches using either the chisel or quarter square dies. Or maybe I'll use the tumbler, which has been a favorite of mine since AccuQuilt released their GO! cutters. You'll also have the opportunity to win your very own GO! Baby. Stay tuned! And in the meantime, learn more about AccuQuilt and get 22 free patterns here:

Hope you have a great holiday weekend if you're in Canada or the U.S.! Or a great weekend in general if you're not. Rob has a whole week off, so I'm looking forward to both the family and solo time that comes with him being home. Maybe the weather will surprise us and we'll have some sunshine too?

swoon

2011-06-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

I finished up baby Ingrid this afternoon.

The backing is a red polka dot Bliss flannel, found at my LQS. I was nervous about bleeding, but prewashing with a Shout color catcher took care of it no problem.

The binding is Kona Butterscotch. I bought it to use on my big orange wall quilt, but once it was auditioned for this quilt, I fell in love. I'll just buy more!

It's hard to give this up. But I'm thrilled that it's going to be gifted with a lot of love.

baby Ingrid

2011-06-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

A local woman contacted me on Monday asking if I could do a modern baby quilt for some special friends in time for a shower this weekend. Luckily, it's a mellow week for us. After chatting with her a bit, we decided to do a baby-sized version of my favorite quilt, Ingrid!

This was the original stack of fabrics. I added a few other shot cotton bits and a sweet white pindot.

And here is the completed top.

This has been SO MUCH FUN to make! I'll have it quilted up and ready for more photos on Friday.

(Oh, and I received a link to the professional photos from the marathon. After initially whining about my appearance (I imagined myself looking more buff and graceful, and it ends up I still have cheesy arms and feet that don't appear to lift off the ground), I remembered to be grateful for my healthy body. If you want to see proof that I actually did run the thing, here they are.)

I did it!

2011-06-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all of the well-wishes for Saturday's marathon! I read every comment but still haven't had a chance to reply.

I had a great time doing the race. The weather was beautiful and the atmosphere was exciting. I finished the marathon in 5:20:16, and I'm very happy with that time even though I was hoping to make it under 5 hours. I was right on track until around mile 20 when my lower back tightened up and I had to pull off the trail every few minutes to stretch it out. Oh well. I had various family members cheering me along the way, so hopefully I'll get some of their photos to share soon! The only one I have right now is a very unflattering self portrait of myself eating Cheetos after I was done.

Surprisingly, I'm not sore today, just a little tight in my hips. I'm even excited to get back on some shorter runs later this week. But for now, I'll relax and do other things.

ready to run

2011-06-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

My race day "things" are all laid out. Two nights of good sleep (I love you, Tylenol PM!) and copious amounts of Emergen-C have helped me kick the sore throat that was threatening to derail my months of training. I'm ready.

Around this time tomorrow, I hope to be crossing the finish line with a big smile on my face. Please send all the good vibes you can up my way!

some things are more simple than others

2011-06-15T21:09:00.000-08:00

First off, thank you for giving me so much advice on my big orange wall quilt! It's funny that the opinion is divided pretty evenly between making it square or rectangular. Lucia gave me some really great ideas for changing things up even more. I've been busy making up more blocks so I can play around with the layouts and make a final decision.

Finishing it up will have to wait another week though, since the Mayor's Marathon is on Saturday! Ack! I picked up my race jersey tonight.

I've been hit with a case of insomnia, which obviously is not good before a big race. I haven't slept well for over a week. I was up at 2:30 this morning and was not able to go back to sleep. It's not normal for me at all. The only good that came out of it was that I finished up this simple baby quilt for a cousin who is due next month (the baby's gender will be a surprise).

I sewed up the top and back and basted everything together yesterday while Cooper napped. This morning I was able to quilt and bind it in a couple of hours. Super fast.

While I really like the log cabin square and the pieced back, I feel kind of "meh" about using the Kona Snow for the background. I wish I had used something darker to set off the yellow. I'm trying to use items in my stash though and the only dark solid I had in yardage was Kona Charcoal. Too dark for a baby. I'm also wondering if the quilt as a whole is really right for a baby and if I should try another color scheme. Hmmmm. Maybe a good night's sleep will help me gain some perspective!

mulling it over

2011-06-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

I've got the busiest week ever coming up. Yet I have decided that I MUST finish the quilt that is destined for the big orange wall. The block pattern is "Kathy's Block" from Gwen Marston's book Liberated Quiltmaking II. All but a couple were made by members of the Bee Liberated group of Flickr. I'm expecting two more blocks that are winging their way in from the Bahamas any day now, then I'll be making the rest. That is, when I decide how big to make this baby. I need your help!

My original thought was to make the quilt a 5 x 5 square. Now that it's up on the wall, I'm not so sure that's the right choice. Thoughts? Do I go 4 x6? 5 x 6? This is one of those times where I wish I had photoshop so I could do a mock up.

I'll also take suggestions on how to quilt it. Oh, and any other way to spice up my boring living room. I may have to cave and do some throw pillows for the couches. I think the quilt is a good start though!

I succumbed to the pressure

2011-06-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, so no one was forcing me to join another quilt-a-long (sorry, unfinished Single Girl!), but I just couldn't resist all of the hype that's going on with The Farmer's Wife. This sampler quilt has 111 different traditional blocks. I started on the first three this morning.

Just 108 more to go! Needless to say, it's a long term project.

Now that all of my quilting bees are done, I joined back up with the do. Good Stitches charity bee and made my first blocks for the "Love" group. Lee designed her own block, "Hexing Around," for this quilt! Totally fun.

It's shaping up to be a good weekend. Rob and I have date night, and then tomorrow I'll be running the 5-mile Run for Women with my marathon team! I feel like I'm getting my sewing groove back too, so maybe I can squeeze something in besides blocks. What will you be up to?

Winner Creek

2011-06-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Please excuse the blogging break! It's harder than I expected to find time at the computer with all of the kids running around. I did do a bit of sewing with Avery and Claire last week though, so I'll share more of that in another post.

We really make an effort to get outdoors as a family in the summer. Yesterday we packed up and trekked down to Girdwood, which is also where we downhill ski in the winter, and hiked the Winner Creek trail.

The Winner Creek trail is really well maintained and perfect for families.

And the scenery is just amazing.

The coolest part of it though is the hand tram that you take to cross the gorge.

It was an amazing day. We even came home to rainbows!

I hope your weekend was just as beautiful.

a quick bag

2011-05-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

And an even quicker post. It's hard to sit inside at the computer when it's 75 degrees (in May!!!) and looks like this outside:

I've had this awesome printed panel from Amy for months. Even though she includes a pattern with it for making the cutest mini quilt, I always thought that I'd like it on a tote bag. But I never got around to making it. After I saw this bag yesterday, I had no more excuses!

Following the ever popular Jane Market Bag pattern, I grabbed fabrics from my stash and got to work this morning while the kids slept in. An hour and a half later, I had a bag.

I've also got a little helper who is popping a new tooth/getting over a cold and cranky as ever. The only thing that he wants to do is be held or play outside on the deck. So off we go.

Have a great weekend! I hope it's full of sunshine and fun.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival- Spring 2011

2011-05-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm sneaking in at the end of Amy's fabulous Bloggers' Quilt Festival this year to share my favorite (for now!) quilt. Meet Ingrid:

Ingrid is a quilt I finally sewed up earlier this year. She's made of bee blocks from the talented members of the Not Your Grandma's Quilting Bee group on flickr. I asked everyone to make blocks inspired by an incredible Ingrid Press quilt that I saw here. They are each sewn out of various cotton and linen neutrals, a piece of shot cotton, and a print (mostly Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks). (Click on the photos to see them more clearly.)

I chose blue and green shot cottons and a strip of more Good Folks for the backing, and quilted a basic loose grid to keep Ingrid nice and soft.

Although I think she's absolutely beautiful, I really love Ingrid because she is a family quilt. She spends her days crumpled up amongst legos and dog hair...

... and is well loved by all of my kids too.

Thanks for visiting! And make sure to check out the rest of the entries in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival too. There are so many inspiring quilts posted!

teacher thank you gifts

2011-05-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of school! When Avery started kindergarten, our district implemented a new calendar that runs from mid-August to mid-May. It still amazes me how quickly the end of the year creeps up!

Avery and Claire go to one of the coolest schools in town (in my opinion) and are surrounded by incredible teachers and staff. I had originally planned to do gifts just for their four homeroom teachers, but then the list grew to include everyone from gym teachers to the school secretaries. I needed to find a way to keep costs down. Enter the zip pouch!

I made 13 pouches, all of the same simple design. They are made out of what I thought was a grey crossweave (in reality it's more blue) and a single patterned fabric for the reverse applique window and lining. Everything came from my stash, including the interfacing and zippers. They sewed up quickly once I got an assembly line going.

Avery and Claire put each one together. Inside the pouches are some yummy chocolates, a handwritten note from the girls and me, and a $5 Starbucks card for the homeroom teachers. The two male teachers in the school get a Starbucks card and chocolate instead of the pouch. I attached a tag to the zipper pull that has each teacher's name so that the girls can easily tell which one is which.

I'll admit that this is not normal for me-- usually I have grand plans to make things but then run out of time and end up doing a last minute dash to the store for gift cards. I'm happy to have had the chance to do something more personal. On to summer!

a tale of banishment and a book bag

2011-05-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

I have a confession. I have not checked a book out from our public library in 11 years. I knew it had been a long time, but didn't know exactly how long until I went to get a new card last week. See, I had this nagging feeling that I had overdue book fees from my adolescence that were never paid. I was right.

When I tried to get my new card, the sweet lady behind the desk said, "Oh, my," and flipped the computer screen around for me to see. Across the top of the screen was the word "BANNED" and a note that I owed $30 for late fees that dated back to the summer of 2000. Whoops. At least it wasn't as bad as I thought. But banned? From the library? How embarassing. It was the summer I was newly pregnant with Avery and getting ready to leave for my senior year of college, so I blame it all on a freaked out preggo brain.

Luckily all is cleared up now. I am the proud recipient of a library card once again and plan to take the kids there quite a bit this summer. To celebrate, I made myself a new book bag out of some Alexander Henry Heath fabric and a pack of Umbrella Prints remnants.

It's lined with some an elephant fabric that worked just perfectly and has a dotty pocket just right for my card.

Now to make a list of books to check out! Any suggestions?

pretty {little} pouch swap complete!

2011-05-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

After swearing off swaps for a bit, you may remember that I couldn't help but join in the Pretty {Little} Pouch Swap on flickr. The pouch I made was well received by the fantastic Kerry of VeryKerryBerry last week. As members kept adding their pouches to the pool, I'll admit I was getting a bit antsy wondering which one would come my way. I loved so many of the pouches that were posted!

Well, I am so thrilled that my wait is over, because I received this lovely package in the mail today:

When I opened it, I literally squealed and started jumping up and down. Linda (lindakl on flickr), who lives in the Netherlands, made me this incredible patchwork pouch out of some of my most lusted after fabrics. She even lined it with the coolest hot pink Suzuko Koseki button fabric that I have had in and out of my etsy shopping carts over the last few weeks. Inside the pouch were so many great goodies too-- awesome Suzuko Koseki and Kumiko Fujita fabrics, fun trims, and a waffle cookie (that was immediately devoured).

Receiving such a wonderful gift was a great treat after a long day spent chaperoning the 2nd grade field trip to our local indoor water park. Linda, THANK YOU!

for Thomas

2011-05-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

Baby Thomas finally arrived on Saturday, just in time for Mother's Day!

Thomas' nursery was to be fish-themed, so I pulled out my stashed Heather Ross goldfish in bags pajama pant panel. And didn't you know? There is a fishy named Thomas.

I couldn't resist making a matching onesie to go with the quilt as well.

Without revealing too much information that is not mine to give, I will say that Thomas was one long-awaited baby. I am so thrilled for my friend Katrina and her husband, and I can't wait to travel to see their new little guy and give his chubby cheeks lots of kisses.

fun with blocks

2011-05-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

I was doing a little photo shoot of a fish today.

After school, the kids got in on the action.

I sent Katrina's baby goodies off in the mail today (come on baby Thomas, let's get this show on the road before Sunday!) so I should be able to share pics of the quilt next week. Now, back to getting ready for dinner a la Cinco de Mayo. Yay for scratch margaritas!

craft in action

2011-04-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

Isn't this why we all spend hours sewing up things like quilts and toys and clothes?

Please excuse me for my lack of posting. Part of it is due to being in a bit of a funk (long story short-- Avery and Claire are now spending more time with their birth father, which has resulted in a good amount of anxiety on my end). I'm also spending the majority of my free time during weekends and naptimes running my butt off (last Saturday was a half marathon, and this Saturday we're scheduled to do 230 minutes). But the best reason is that I'm sewing for a special little person who is about to be born. I don't want his mom (yes, Katrina, I'm talking about you) to see photos of his wee little things before she receives them in person. But within a couple of weeks I'll be able to share.

I hope you're all having a good week so far! Go make something!

ready

2011-04-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

The eggs are colored.

The rabbits are ready.

Happy Easter! I hope your day is full of chocolate bunnies and jelly beans! :)

bunny stuffing

2011-04-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

I truly hope you didn't click on over here hoping for an Easter recipe!

If you couldn't tell, I'm a bit pattern crazy recently. They are helping me learn to be patient and follow directions. I haven't felt up to working on my ongoing quilts quite yet, so I've been doing things like pouches and bags. I really wanted to sew something up for each of the kids for Easter this year and I decided to give a first try to softies. I settled on the fantastic Jack Rabbit and Rufus the Dog patterns from Hop, Skip, Jump.

As you can see, I'm using more of my fab DS Quilts fabric. Claire went nuts for the blue floral that is in the ears, so her bunny will get a skirt out of it (and I might even make Claire one to match!). I woke up an hour early and used the time to cut out all of the pieces. They sewed up so quickly during naptime this morning that I thought, "Hey! I'm going to get this done in no time!" Then I started stuffing. And stuffing. And swearing a little bit. And then I thought, "I don't think the kids are going to get bunnies this year after all." I could not get the fill into those tiny little stuffing holes in the arms and legs.

So I figured out a solution that is probably obvious to those of you who have made softies before. There are probably even better tricks out there (if so, please share them with me!). This is what I did:

I took the Dritz 1/2" turning tube thing that I had also used to turn the ears and limbs all right side out. I stuck it in the hole and pushed it down so it was all the way at the end of the leg/arm.

Then I grabbed a wad of stuffing (I'm using a bamboo blend that I picked up on sale at Jo-Ann's the other day) and stuffed it down the tube with the wooden stick. Then I did it over and over again.

It saved my sanity, and now the kids will all get bunnies. Hooray!

And now it's time for the winner of the 101 Patchwork Projects & Quilts magazine. The random number generator has spoken, and the winner is Emily off MLE Knits! Congrats!

Denyse Schmidt at JoAnn Fabrics

2011-04-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

First, thank you for all of the nice comments yesterday! ~~The giveaway for 101 Patchwork Projects is still going on, so~~ ~~pop over here~~ ~~to enter if you haven't had a chance yet.~~
....................................................................................................

If you are a fabric junkie like me, then you know Denyse Schmidt has just released a new line at Jo-Ann Fabrics of all places! Seeing how Alaska stores always seem to get things late (or get left out of the fun completely) you can imagine how thrilled I was to find all of the prints yesterday. I showed some restraint and only got 15 of the prints instead of the 21 available. The quality is fantastic! Super exciting.

I'm really trying to use even little bits of new fabric as it comes in, so this morning I tried a new pattern with it-- the Keyka Lou inset zipper pouch.

There were quite a few pieces to cut, but once that was done it sewed up very quickly. The zipped opening does end up a bit small for my liking, but it's still a great pouch. Next I'll try the clutch to see if I like that size better.

101 reasons to do a happy dance

2011-04-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

I just received my copies of Quilting Arts special publication 101 Patchwork Projects & Quilts in the mail. And guess what? I've got two projects in it!!!

The first is a simplified version of Rob's mountain quilt, called Modern Mountains.

The second is a version of the mini quilt I made for Cooper, called "Rolling on Through."

There is such a wide range of projects in this one magazine. Definitely one to check out! It's available in stores starting today, but ~~I've got an extra copy to give away! Just leave me a comment. I'll draw a name on Thursday!~~ Now, please excuse me. I feel a little jig coming on.

a pretty pouch

2011-04-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

When I got my partner assignment yesterday for the Pretty {little} Pouch swap, I couldn't help but head straight to my sewing room and try out an idea that was brewing. A little log cabin, some hand stitching, and a some happy polka dots, and here it is:

I will admit that I want to make oodles more of these. Oodles. So plan to see lots of pouches on these pages in the future!

some small things, and your favorite fabric shops

2011-04-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

My recent order from Wondrous Woven Fabrics. Yum-o!

Thanks to all who commented on my last post to share your favorite fabric shops. Here are the ones that you suggested :

Hawthorne Threads
Quilt Home
eQuilter.com
Fabric Shack
Fort Worth Fabric Studio
Canton Village Quilt Works
The Quilted Castle
Nido
Sew Fresh Fabrics
Delta Patchwork
Hancocks of Paducah
Burgundy Buttons
Keepsake Quilting
Connecting Threads
Fabric Worm
J&O Fabrics

And the list from my previous post:

Pink Chalk Fabrics
Sew Mama Sew
Purl Soho
Lily Bella Fabrics
Fabric Shoppe
Wondrous Woven Fabrics

In an effort to get out of my sewing slump and actually cut the fabrics that continue to pile up on my shelves, I've been doing some smaller projects this week.

We have a new table runner:

I'm trying to figure out the best recipe for a flat bottom pouch:

And even though Nova has essentially ruined it for everyone with her luscious pile of goodies, I'm working on my Umbrella Prints Trimming challenge projects. Here's a sneak peek of my progress so far:

You should check out the flickr pool of everything that is being made with these itty bitty scraps. Inspiring!
What are you up to this weekend? I've fully commited now to doing the full Mayor's Marathon in June instead of the half marathon, so I'll be running my tush off in the morning and hoping I still have something left in my legs for a day of spring skiing. Have a good one!

a note about buying fabric

2011-04-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

The mailman just dropped this lovely bundle of fabrics on my doorstep. I've placed many orders from Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics over the years and I plan to make many more. Some of these fabrics were on sale, many were out of stock in other shops, and others are simply stash builders. The solids on the top are part of the new Monthly Solids Club that Kathy has started. I love that there are Free Spirit solids in this mix, as I've never bought them before.

I mention Kathy specifically because she is the absolute best when it comes to customer service. I've chimed in on a couple of discussions recently on flickr regarding the atrocious packaging from a certain online fabric mega-store. I've only ordered from them twice, but have been appalled at the way they run their business. The fabric I've received has been incorrect, rolled into a ball, and shipped in a trash can liner. I've heard similar stories from many others. Sure, they've replaced my missing fabric and let me keep the wrong ones, and their prices are often hard to resist. But I want to receive the fabric I've ordered the first time. I want the fabric, which I've spent a lot of money on, to be packaged properly. That's why I have made a commitment to buy from smaller businesses like Pink Chalk Fabrics, and others who provide great customer service. This includes supporting my local quilt shops too. Some of my favorites:

Pink Chalk Fabrics
Sew Mama Sew
Purl Soho
Lily Bella Fabrics
Fabric Shoppe
Wondrous Woven Fabrics

Which online fabric shops do you love? We all spend a lot on our fabric, so I think we should spread the word about stores that treat us right and give them our business.

pretty {little} pouches

2011-03-31T16:20:00.000-08:00

After a big break from swaps, I decided to join the Pretty {little} Pouch swap on flickr. I think it will be a lot of fun to do something creative AND useful. Sign ups go until April 8th if you're interested in playing too. This is the inspiration mosaic I posted for my future partner:

1. Islands in the stream, 2. Untitled, 3. All finished with the quilting, almost finished with the binding, 4. echino box, 5. Embroidered pouch meets polymer clay, 6. small zipper purse, 7. mobile phone cover, 8. Andrea Block #2, 9. the peaceful pincushion

It's kind of a mix, but what is obvious is my love of solids mixed with bits of prints and handstitching. I'm just hoping that the partner I sew for wants a zipper closure. I just stocked up on a whole load of them from zipit on etsy. Such great prices and service (my order was shipped just a couple of hours after I ordered!), I don't know why I kept buying them individually at JoAnn's.

Quilt Story

2011-03-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to say that the mountain quilt that I made for Rob last fall is being featured on Quilt Story today! If you haven't seen it before, click on the button below to check it out.

I'll be sharing some more fun news about this quilt in the next couple of weeks as well, so stay tuned.

he walks!

2011-03-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Cooper started walking this weekend! He went from three timid steps at a time to suddenly taking off across the house. He is so proud of himself! Oh, and we also went cold turkey on nursing. When he signs for milk, he gets a sippy cup full of it. He may not drink it, but it keeps him from pulling up my shirt. I guess it's been a productive weekend for the little guy!

my 241 tote

2011-03-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

The lovely Anna of Noodlehead released her latest bag pattern on Friday, the 241 Tote. I snatched up the pattern right away and decided to make it my weekend project. I've said it before, and I'll say it again-- I'm not a pattern person. I have a very hard time following directions and tend to either give up on them or ignore them completely and try to do my own thing. But not this time. In fact, this was the first bag I've ever made from a pattern.

Anna definitely knows what she's doing. The pattern itself was written perfectly. Not a single error to be found! The curved construction was challenging enough to keep me on task. There are two options-- I chose the option with the exterior side pockets for my first try.

All in all, it only took a few hours to make, and will go much faster the next time around. I think choosing fabrics took the longest. I used a printed linen and striped cotton for the main exterior fabrics (from this shop) and denim shot cotton and a mustard japanese fabric for the pockets. The lining is mustard shot cotton.

I picked my fabrics, cut all of the pieces (save interfacing, which I picked up yesterday-- can you believe I didn't even know woven interfacings existed before now?), made the strap, and placed the interior pocket and magnetic snaps into the lining during naptime on Friday. I sewed everything else up last night in less than an hour after the kids went to bed. It felt so good to get it done, and I can't wait to load it up and use it tomorrow. Thanks Anna for making such a great pattern!

midweek mehs

2011-03-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

Why is it always so hard to come back home to reality after vacation? My brain is mush and I have little motivation to do anything. To top it off, it's been a crazy week for the kids and for Rob. Avery and Claire are both performing in the school talent show tonight.

Cooper is really keeping me busy too. After almost being weaned when we were in Hawaii (he only wanted to nurse first thing in the morning-- bliss!), he now follows me around all day crying, "Up!" and signing milk over and over again. I'm back to nursing him four times a day. He also stopped sleeping through the night again. He won't play with toys. But of course the good outweighs the bad. He turned 15 months old on Monday. His vocabulary just keeps growing (Dada, Mama, Sissy, Claire, puff, pat pat, cheese, hi there, bye bye, woof, honk honk, beep beep, Casey, Bubba (his blankie), diaper, Grandpa, etc.) and it's really fun to see him communicate through words and sign (unless it's about milk of course). I love watching him stand up on his own in the middle of the room and clap. He's so proud of himself! He finally took his first steps too on Sunday night, so we're just waiting for more confidence to follow and he'll be walking pretty quickly.

I did manage to rearrange my sewing room the other day and get everything in order. I didn't expect it, but I have so much more room now! I can even iron in there while I work instead of setting up in the laundry room/pass through down the hall. Score!

I've got lots of WIPs (over the couch quilt, patchwork quilt, quilts for the girls' beds) but until I get more free time, I'm starting back slow with things like bee blocks. As a whole, I'm creatively stumped. I know it will pass though. It always does!

Oh, one more thing. While we were gone, Ingrid was featured on Modern Day Quilts! Take a peek.

and we're back...

2011-03-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

Phew! We made it home this morning from Oahu. I'm pretty exhausted from the overnight traveling, but still feeling relaxed and refreshed from our time away.

As great as it was, I'm glad to be home! See you later this week with crafty bits.

taking a {spring} break

2011-03-08T09:44:00.000-09:00

Over the next day or so "my" naptimes will be spent cleaning house and packing suitcases instead of sewing. We're headed off somewhere sunny for a much needed break.

See you back here in a couple of weeks!

Ingrid

2011-03-05T07:58:00.000-09:00

She's done! I was able to stitch the binding on yesterday afternoon while the kids played around me. Cooper would crawl up to me every so often and tug at my loop of thread so I could say, "Boink!" and then would go play with toys. Pretty awesome and unexpected.

I loved the idea of hand quilting Ingrid, but reality kicked in and I did some loose machine quilting in a grid instead. I backed the quilt with shot cottons and a strip of Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party fabrics. This combo of minimal quilting and the shot cottons makes the quilt soooo soft. It's bound in Kona Snow with a little strip of purple shot cotton on one side.

Ingrid is staying with us as a family quilt. I'm going to pretend that all of that white is a great idea in a home with three kids and two dogs!

plugging away

2011-03-04T11:55:00.000-09:00

Ingrid is only a thousand or so hand stitches away from greatness. I may be a week behind, but I'm excited to get the binding done in the next day or two and get her all washed up!

Have a great weekend!

table runner for Rita

2011-02-24T14:13:00.000-09:00

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again-- when I married Rob, I not only got the best husband, but I also got the best set of inlaws that a woman could ever hope for. They are truly wonderful to spend time with and help us out so much whenever we need it. I'll never be able to repay them for all that they do. So when my mother-in-law, Rita, put a table runner on her birthday list last month, I thought it would be much more fun to make her one than buy one.

And it was fun (although it took me longer to decide on a design than I thought it would). Rita gave me some color choice requests, which really helped. I had 3 of the middle blocks sewn up and on my design board for a few weeks, unsure of where to go from there. When I was using scraps of essex linen to make blocks for Ingrid*, I realized that those shot cottons needed to be sashed. Then it all came together. I used four colors of shot cottons-- pine, pea soup, ginger, and nut. The backing is a Kaffe Fassett woven stripe that I just happened to have in my stash.

The binding wasn't sewn down all the way when I took the photos. I finished that up this morning as I sat in the orthodontist's office waiting room. This was possible, of course, because Cooper (aka Destructo Baby) was with his wonderful grandparents instead of tearing up piles of magazines like he would have done if he was with me. I was very happy to hand this gift over, albeit a month and a half past Rita's special day, as I went to pick him up.

What I was not happy about after I got home was this:

It seems that one or both of our dogs are experiencing a bit of separation anxiety any time we leave the house. Today it was the sippy cup (pulled off the counter). Yesterday it was a can of frosting and a pack of diapers (also pulled off the counter). Two days ago it was a plastic bag of pocket folders and a pack of velcro that were covered in tooth marks. Nothing is safe. Have I mentioned that my sewing room doorknob jammed so I removed it? I think I need to stop at a hardware store this afternoon before the dogs start eating my sewing supplies again.

* I decided that I'm going to give all of my quilts that I make an actual human name. I unofficially started calling the Aqua and Orange Mermaid Quilt "Trudie," after thinking of that stupid Sting song "Fields of Gold" every time I would sew on it. And fittingly, the Ingrid Press inspired quilt is now simply "Ingrid." I've always hated naming my quilts, so this is the path I'm going to take from now on. Dorky? Maybe. But easy.

bee blocks for February

2011-02-24T09:31:00.000-09:00

First, thanks for all of the nice comments about my Ingrid Press inspired quilt in my last post! I'm going to start the quilting tonight, so we'll see how it goes! I originally wanted a flannel back, but since I couldn't find one I liked, I've pieced together some green and blue shot cotton. It will be yummy.

I made two very different sets of bee blocks yesterday. First, some very bright frame-in-a-frame blocks for the Fussy Cut Love Bee. I loved the colors that Vickie chose! All of the fabrics were bright and beautiful.

And in contrast, a very mellow set of blocks for Sorrel's month of Not Your Grandma's Quilting Bee. I love the simplicity of the two fabrics in each block, and it's fun for me to try blocks like these from a pattern. Sorrell assigned everyone a week from Crazy Mom Quilts' Star Quilt Along (mine was week three) and asked us to do a setting block as well.

Both very different, but very fun to do.

a new favorite

2011-02-21T11:46:00.000-09:00

I sewed up my Ingrid-Press-inspired quilt top from the blocks I received from the Not Your Grandma's Quilting Bee. I received 20 blocks from the members and made 10 of my own to finish it out.

I love it.

A special thanks to Avery and Claire for being my quilt top holders, keeping it off the dog haired floors while I searched all over for the camera. Even though it made their arms tired. I love them too.

My goal is to have this one quilted up before Friday, and get the binding sewn on over the weekend. I can't wait!

a family photo update

2011-02-19T20:23:00.000-09:00

Claire lost her top tooth tonight, or should I say, she pulled it. All by herself. She's so proud.

I might need to lock Avery in her room until she's 35.

Cooper is such a little man, and growing so fast. He's about to pop his 5th tooth, will stand a bit on his own when we tell him to "let go," and favors things like vaccuum attachments to baby toys.

It's a total blessing to have healthy, happy kids.

A wee destash for a good cause

2011-02-14T12:57:00.000-09:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you all are "feeling the love" in one way or another today. Rob and I celebrated with dinner out and some small treats this weekend. Just perfect! I know that Avery and Claire are having a blast at school with their Valentine parties.

This weekend I also did my first team run with Team in Training, which raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you're not familiar with the group, please check them out. I ran the Dublin Marathon with them when I was in college, at a time when I didn't know a soul affected by cancer. Since then, I have had a family member beat lymphoma and seen both kids and adults go through leukemia treatments. They are nasty cancers, but survival is a possibility in good part because of the research that LLS does.

I signed up to do the half Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage this June. However, one of the coaches suggested that I train for the marathon instead, and then I can always back off of training later if I feel like I want to go back to the half. So that's the plan. I ran almost 5 miles in zero degree temps at a 9 mile/minute pace. Totally unexpected (I haven't run consistently in 2 years) and exciting!

Of course, raising money is a big reason why I'm doing this. So I've decided to do a bit of a destash in my etsy shop. 100% of the money from sales in the month of February will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Today I'm adding out of print fabrics, but I'll also be putting in some handmade items like my encaustic paintings for a steal and a couple of small quilts (the sailboat mug rug's going in next). Check it out! And of course, if you prefer to make a straight donation, you can click on the button on my sidebar.

instant gratification in the form of a rainbow zip pouch

2011-02-06T13:09:00.000-09:00

I got into a creative funk this week. I would go into my sewing room and just sit there, not wanting to touch my many works in progress and not feeling inspired to do anything else. I decided it was time to bust out of it, so when Cooper went down for his nap I made myself go downstairs and start sewing.

One of my more favorited mini quilts on flickr is the one that's in my header. I don't sew with batiks anymore, so I thought it would be fun to revisit the rainbow concept with different fabrics. I paired them up with a yummy black and white woven fabric I just received in the mail, which I love! The pouch measures about 10 inches square and will house my Prismacolor markers and a sketchbook.

It feels good to have something completed, even if it's a teeny something. Thank you for all of the feedback on my wall issues in the previous post! I'm going to talk it over with Rob, and if he's game, I think a quilt is in order for over the couch.

the after

2011-02-05T13:24:00.000-09:00

Ta-da!

I finished the painting (save a teeny bit of high work due to a broken extension pole attachment) on Wednesday night but didn't have the energy to post about it.

The after:

I'll be honest-- while I like the green, the orange is giving me fits. I need to mellow out that big expanse of wall over the couch (and that darn speaker), but I'm not sure what to put on it? I started pulling random artwork from around the house then got discouraged. I'm thinking it needs something lighter in color to tie in the green. It's just so hard to find something that I like that doesn't cost the big bucks. Maybe I'll quilt something? Any suggestions are welcome, because home decorating is not exactly my thing.

this week's crafting...

2011-01-31T12:55:00.000-09:00

... might be put on the back burner. I have felt the need to repaint our main living area and hallways for awhile now, and decided this morning that the priming just had to happen during naptime. Of course naptime is now over and I'm not all the way finished, but it's getting there.

My husband painted the dark red wall before we met, and the "Home Depot Orange" hallway within the first month that we were dating (before I knew I'd be living in this house). As much as I love color and pretty much all of the other color choices he's made in our home, these two had to go. The before:

The during (the orange went all the way down that hallway):

As much as I liked the idea of going neutral, we have too much cold and blah outside most of the year and really prefer color. We're trading the orange for a nice neutral green (Martha Stewart's Parchment Paper) and the red for a softer burnt orange (Martha Stewart's Yam):

Wish me luck! Hopefully there will be some good "after" photos later this week.

and the winner is...

2011-01-30T07:45:00.000-09:00

Comment #95, which belongs to Jen of The Quilty Home! Jen, I'll be emailing you for your adress in a bit. Thank you to everyone who entered! I hope you're having a great weekend.

One Year

2011-01-26T10:55:00.000-09:00

A year ago today when I started this blog, I had no idea that I would enjoy it as much as I do now. My first posts felt so awkward. I shared the link with just a few family members, thinking I would use this space more for posting updates on the kids rather than what I was making. I had my doubts about posting at all! But I remember the first time I received a comment-- it was from Monica of Quilt While You're Ahead, a blog I had read for years. It sort of blew my mind that someone who I had admired for so long had actually taken the time to look at my measly little blog and give me encouragement. (Monica, I don't know if you realize what a boost of confidence that was for me in the early days-- thank you! If you were here, I'd give you a great big hug.)

144 posts later I definitely feel like a part of the blogging community. I love the inspiration that I find, the friends I've made, and being able to share the things that I make with people who "get it." I know I'm not alone in feeling like I sort of have to justify my hobbies of sewing and quilting. My switch from working full-time to being a stay at home mom brought some insecurities about how I would connect with others and if the activities I did in my free time were, well, dorky. I'm happy to say those insecurities are pretty much long gone, and the time I spend connecting through this space is so vital and fulfilling in my life.

As a thank you to all who have read and supported me this past year, I'm giving away a fat quarter bundle of some of my favorite blue and green shot cottons and an Alexander Henry cotton lawn print. They feel like spring, don't they?

For your chance to win, just leave a comment! I will ship anywhere in the world. Just make sure I have a way to contact you! The giveaway will stay open until I pick a winner on Sunday morning here in Alaska. Good luck, and once again-- thank you!

Liebster Award

2011-01-24T19:05:00.000-09:00

Today I got two of the nicest emails from both Andie of Andie Johnson Sews and Alex of Teaginny Designs saying they had nominated me for the Liebster Award, which recognizes blogs of 300 or less followers. I tried to figure out where this Liebster thing started but had no luck. But it's nice to be recognized! To keep with the spirit of the award, I'd like you to take a look at a couple of my favorite small blogs:

Cut. Sew. Iron. Repeat-- I wish I lived a wee bit closer to Indiana so that I could see Jenny's fabric stash in person. She is a true fabric officianado, and makes awesome stuff!

Fluff & Nonsense-- Leslie used to live in Anchorage and she has an Avery too! I've always admired the quilts she makes, but baby Delilah may be her cutest creation yet.

This could be a quiet week. Cooper has a cold and is not sleeping at night. Again. I am soooo tired. But I will at least be back on Wednesday for my 1st Blogiversary Celebration Giveaway! Woo hoo! It's been a good year.

finally caught up

2011-01-21T13:31:00.000-09:00

I am finally 100% caught up on my quilting bee commitments! Phew! I hate being late, but that's the way I seem to be these days.

Dresden Plates for Valerie

Square-in-Square blocks from vintage sheets for Sharon

Purple and blue Cross Blocks for Natalie

and a simple log cabin block for Jean.

Now off to chase this little munchkin...

Have a great weekend!

a cover for the iPad I don't even have

2011-01-20T12:14:00.000-09:00

Three days ago I saw this iPad cover tutorial by Amber of One Shabby Chick. And for some reason, I just had to make one. Immediately. So I used a gift certificate to one of my local quilt shops and picked up the Alexander Henry Heath fabric I've been eyeing for a long time. The I sewed this up during this morning's naptime.

It's lined with a teal moda crossweave and will house the new-to-me iPad that I'll inherit from Rob once the second generation version comes out later this spring. That's right. This thing won't get used for months, because there is no way Rob is going to forego his nice leather case for this one. Which is alright by me.

Although, I really could have used his iPad today. I kept having to come back upstairs to view the tutorial on the kitchen computer, then remember the instructions on my way back down to the sewing room. Because of this, I messed up on the placement of my velcro and had to re-do it after the cover was all done so that the flap would work. I realized how great it's going to be when I can take a look at my favorite websites and blogs right there on my sewing table!

next up...

2011-01-20T04:00:00.000-09:00

Since I've been able to resist joining any new flickr swaps (and there are some REALLY good ones going on right now!), I'm rewarding myself by starting work on a big quilt for our family. I pulled my favorite fabrics-- the ones I've been hoarding, like mono pez and Uptown-- and cut them into 5.5 inch squares. I plan to add a few other prints, linen, and shot cottons to this current mix too.

I originally thought I'd do something with half sqaure triangles. But I think a very simple patchwork quilt is what I want the most. Who knows what will happen once I start sewing things together?

It feels good to create again, and even better to be creating things for my family. I've read from a lot of bloggers in the past few weeks that their focus for the year will also be on sewing for their own homes and family. What about you? What kinds of projects are you working on?

for the birds

2011-01-19T12:26:00.000-09:00

First, I must mention that I was so flattered to be featured on Jodi's amazing blog, Pleasant Home, on Monday. I feel so flattered! If someone had told me when I started this blog almost a year ago that I would have so many people reading and saying such nice things about what I make, I never would have believed it. Expect a blogiversary giveaway to celebrate all of this next week!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My pink and green bird quilt, made of blocks from members of my Fussy Cut Love Bee, is complete! The members of my bee were so creative with the IKEA bird fabric and black, white, and green color palette. Of course once I had everything laid out, I thought the colors I chose were too limited. The blocks seemed to get lost in their togetherness. I added raspberry shot cotton sashing, and suddenly all of the individual blocks started to pop.

The quilting is pretty haphazard. I started it during a 5 a.m. sewing session when everyone else in my house was sleeping, and my brain was still processing my morning coffee. So I just went for it, and did a different something in each individual block. The inside sashes have some loopty loops, and the outside has my new favorite free-motion design-- hills. The come off as scallops on a border like this, which is kind of fun. In typical fashion, I was not loving the quilting as I was doing it, but a quick wash and dry made everything good. Of course I may never again do quilting with so many stops and starts-- burying all of the thread ends took FOREVER.

The backing is a polka dot flannel sheet from Target. Cozy and perfect for snuggling-- which is good, because we're keeping this one.

Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a good one.

blue zoo baby quilt

2011-01-17T11:05:00.000-09:00

I finally stitched up the binding on this quilt that I'll be sending to one of my friends from high school, who had her first baby in September. I'm a little late with my gifting! A look back through my flickr photostream shows that I sewed the top in early October. I think I had completed the quilting a couple weeks later, and then it sat unfinished until last week when I pulled it out in an effort to put off doing a different project. I've found that when I'm stuck on something, to go and finish up a different work-in-progress frees up my brain and gives me some quality thinking time to figure things out.

I used Alexander Henry's 2-D zoo fabric, various Kona solids, a teal crossweave, and a bit of brown Katie Jump Rope basketweave. If I could have a do-over, I would have quilted the navy areas with a darker thread and maybe done something other than the zig zags. I'm not loving the contrast of the white thread. But it's done!

With the kids out of school today and more cold temps, I'll be spending some time binding my pink and green bird quilt. Half way there!

free piecing fun

2011-01-16T16:16:00.000-09:00

I was invited to partner up with one of my fellow Kristas, otherwise known as lolablueocean, for Sarah and Molly's Free Piecing Study on flickr.

The concept is that each month through October, each person make a pair of two blocks (of one or two different "patterns," depending on the month) for herself and her partner. At the end of the project, we should each have 30 blocks to use for a quilt.

January's blocks are a log cabin house block and a mondo bird block. I put together the house blocks this afternoon. Totally fun!

We're having ultra-cold temps here. It was -14 F when we woke up this morning, and it's not supposed to get above zero until later in the week. So while we've been housebound, it's been kind of nice laying low. I hope all of you have had a good weekend!