Sunday, September 30, 2012

Fresh Sewing Day, Blog Changes & Donktober

I was just blog reading and came across this post @ Missy Mac Creations.  About Donktober.  
Donktober


Which reminded me that I won a  pattern for a little stuffed donkey a while back.  Reuben the Donkey to be exact. You can find the pattern here. How cute is he?  Someday I will make him.. if not this Donktober, then one of these days!


pic from Vintage Ric-Rac

I didn't get a lot done this weekend, but I did work a little on the Jack Attack sashing, and a LOT on some blog changes. UGH!!

It started innocently enough, looking at cute free blog buttons..one thing led to another, and I found THE perfect template *swoon*, and in the process of importing it I managed to "break" my blog.  Yes, you can do that.. it kept saying blog broken and just showing a big broken blogger symbol on the screen...Eventually I was able to rescue it, and long story short, it's a whole new place, and I went a bit crazy with tabs.  So many possibilities!  I stopped just short of adding a "What I had for dinner.." tab. ;)

Almost done with the Jack Attack sashing, only three more strips to sew on, and then the top will be done.  If you've never done a quilt-along with Lynne @ Lily's Quilts, you totally should!  It's been great!  Going to go and link up with her for Fresh Sewing Day. September flew by!





Lily's Quilts

Happy Monday!!
xo
Thursday, September 27, 2012

Still Attacking the Jack Attack

After my break over the weekend to play with fun scraps, I was slow to get started on my third Union Jack.  I eventually got started on it yesterday, and I finally finished it tonight!











This one had its setbacks,though.. ran out of white fabric, so had to stop today and run out to get more, somehow botched up the cutting of the red and blue flag fabric for the stripes and had to piece it together to have enough. As in sew small scraps onto the center vertical strip to make it work without ordering more.  Luckily that fabric is busy, and you can't even tell.

The dining room light is not doing it any favors, it is much prettier in person!  

And then there were THREE! Yay!



My next dilemma is what color to sash them together with.. white? a lighter grey?  mottled grey?  lighter blue?  I haven't decided.



I also haven't decided if I am going to use the tea cups for the backing yet or not.



Feels really busy, but I do love them. That's what I'm thinking about this week, along with helping all day in the Kindergarten class yesterday.  Going back to help out again tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll get the sashing color all worked out soon, so I can finish this top. Hope you're all having a great week. Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

*Linking up with Thursday Think Tank and So You Think You're Crafty and Can I Get a Whoop Whoop*
Monday, September 24, 2012

Vintage Fabrics & Sewing Space & The 100 Day Hustle

Oh, the vintage scrappy goodness.. 

This last weekend, I took a short little break from the Union Jacks..to play with these.



*someday I will get a real camera and stop using my cell to take photos!*

Just having some fun, cutting them into varying widths and lengths, whatever I can get out of them. Some small pieces, some tiny, some of good size.  But these aren't just *any* scraps.  These were my grandmother's scraps.  I've been missing her lately, and playing with these bags of scraps makes me happy!  


*If I didn't know better, I'd think these dots were "MODERN".. I LOVE them.*

These aren't the scraps I inherited when she passed away, these are some scraps she gave me a few years ago, b/c she was going to throw them out.  



*Is this a vintage 30's print?  It kind of looks like it to me but I'm not sure.*

They were all bunched up in a trash bag, and had been in a trunk in her sewing (catch-all) room for who knows how many years.  Some even belonged to her mother or other relatives.



*This one is interesting..*

When I brought them home, I had to wet them and iron them like crazy to get them unfurled.  It was nuts, but it was so worth it.  I found lots of treasures.  They have been in gallon zip-loc bags since then.. I'm so glad I let them come out to play.  I had picked up five yards of this perfect vintage-y green a while back at my local craft shop for next to nothing, sale+coupon and all that.  I thought maybe I could do something with it and these scraps.  


In case I ever second guessed whether I chose the *right* color of green for the background for these scraps, I found a scrap of solid in one of the bags in a near-identical color. :)  

Here is another one..orange and aqua.. swoon.




So I'm thinking (obviously my quilter's A.D.D. has kicked in as I'm dreaming of starting more projects) that I'd like to eventually maybe make a modern-y, vintage-y, bookshelf-y quilt out of some of the scraps..  "Granny's Bookcase" maybe..

But for now, I'll just have fun cutting them into strips, when I need a break from sewing other projects.  I treasure these scraps that connect me to the bond I had with my grandmother. :)




Oh, and I found a couple of fun things last week to hang in my sewing space..


*cool hanging basket from a discount shop*

 *cool photo/card/quilt pattern hanger from a home store*


 Now I just want to hang out in there all the time. :)  And play! And that's a good thing.. b/c I am joining in the 100 day hustle over @ Kelsey Sews.  Click over to read all about it.  Or click on the button in my sidebar.  You have until Tuesday evening to enter.

Some things I'd like to get done in the next 100 days..

1. Swoon Binding
2. Jack Attack QAL finish
3. Label for Triangle Massacre
4. Lose 5 lbs. Does that count?  Maybe I'd better stick to sewing.
5. Get background fabric cut out for Impromptu quilt.
6. Cut some more strips out of the above scraps.

Now, it's back to Union Jack #3 for the Jack Attack tomorrow!


Happy Tuesday!!
xo

*linking up with fabric tuesday and tuesday treasures and freemotion by the river and WIP Wednesday*

Friday, September 21, 2012

FNSI Results

Last time I signed up for Friday Night Sew-In, I completely spaced and forgot about it, but NOT this time!

The Jacks are multiplying..





Had cut my pieces out early for the second UJ block in the Jack Attack QAL @ Lily's Quilts, and am happy to say that I finished it tonight. :)  Only one left to go.  Here is Jack #2.




I really like the blue fabric, it is Ty Pennington Impressions Medallion. I kind of wish I had ordered some more of it.  

Block #3 will be made out of these fabrics, I think. I'm curious to see how it will blend in with the other two Jacks.  



Overall, I'm happy with how it's shaping up. 

Oh, and look what I ordered from Pink Chalk Fabrics, it came today (so fast!):


Lily Ashbury Trade Winds Victoria Tea Party.  At first I thought it might work for the backing, but I don't know what I was thinking, b/c now, it seems a little busy for this quilt..  and the blue isn't quite right.. but it would be so perrrfect!  Tea cups and Union Jacks.  But it's okay, I am still in LOVE with it, and it was even on sale!  So I'm sure I will find something to do with it--even if it's just to pet and swoon over it.  Maybe it will get it's own Jack Attack top, with coordinating colors.  

Well, it's almost midnight here, so off I go.  Just wanted to post my progress report now, in case I didn't have time tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping by! Have a great weekend. Looking forward to surfing the FNSI links to see what everyone else worked on. :)

xoxo

*also linking up with amylouwho's sew-n-tell and can i get a whoop whoop @ confessions of a fabric addict and creative bloggers party and Craftastic Monday @ Sew Can Do and Make it Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House*

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Jack Attack Progress

Happy Wednesday and Hooray for the Jack Attack Quilt-along!

One Union Jack done, and only two more to go.  I LOVE big block projects.  Even though the larger blocks take more time, there's less sashing together and sewing into rows.  So they seem to go faster.

This is my first Union Jack block complete.. this is also my first QAL, and my first time trying freezer paper.  Well, I did Swoon-along, but I came so late to the party, I really don't count that one..  More things to add to my "Firsts in 2012" list. :)

 
Visit Lynne @ Lily's Quilts for the QAL details if you're interested in joining.  You can also check out her flickr group for other Jack photos.

And b/c I didn't want to lose my momentum, as this is a special surprise house-warming gift for my WB, who has been temporarily forbidden to read my blog, and b/c I'm having so much fun with it, I have started cutting UJ#2.  

I hope the red and blue fabrics that I picked will all go together in the end, and I hope she won't mind that I switched up the red and blue in a couple of them. Artistic license right? ;)  Yikes.  Fingers crossed.




Next one cut and waiting to be made:



And more late-night cutting, this time, the circa 1934 layer cake that I've been hoarding..  going to try to finish this by Christmas for my bro. and SIL.




..and one WIP I have yet to finish.. SWOON needs its binding. :/  Miles and miles and MILES of it.  That needs to be done by Christmas, too.  *sigh*  Miles.  I'm just going to have to make myself do it!  It will feel so good to finish it up.



Well, that is enough for a WIP post.  There are probably a couple of others that I could add in, but they may be considered UFO's at this point, instead of WIP's.  I just need to work on these three things and get them done before I worry about the other three (or four) things that I'm choosing to ignore at the moment. :/

Thanks for dropping in. Hope you're having a great day! :)
xoxo

*linking up with fabric tuesday @ quilt story, wip wednesday @ freshly pieced, and ttt @ making rebecca lynne*And click here for a sweet giveaway chance from 44th Street Fabric* *And another cool giveaway is here @ Stray Stitches*
Saturday, September 15, 2012

Jack Attack QAL

After finally finishing the Triangle Massacre, I was so excited to start on the Jack Attack QAL over @ Lily's Quilts.  

While waiting for these yummies to arrive from FQS.. (they came yesterday--YAY!)


..I decided to look for some fabric to make a practice-Jack.  So I found these fabrics at my local craft store, and set out to make block A.



I was so happy that the seams lined up correctly!  I'm liking how these fabrics go together, and after this stellar review from Lynne, "OMG, this red fabric is BRILLIANT!!! And then the blue is the Thames running through.  You have to make the whole thing in this!"..  I may have to use practice Jack on the front of the quilt. :)  Originally I was thinking about incorporating him into the back somehow, if he turned out okay. I hadn't thought about the blue relating to the Thames, but now that she pointed it out, I love it even more. Thanks, Lynne!  

Anyway, then came block B.. it was all going swimmingly well, when I realized I had sewn the B blocks backwards with the wide strip on the large triangle, instead of the small one.  Both of them. :(  So ripped them apart, cut new strips, and after lots of extra time, now have two A's and two B's.



And b/c of my mistake, I have to go back to the store tomorrow, and look for a little bit more of the blue fabric. If I can't find any maybe I can just incorporate one of my other blue fabrics. ?  But hopefully they still have it.

Originally, I had thought about making the quilt in Willow by Riley Blake but my Welsh bestie keeps mentioning how she'd love a red and blue Union Jack throw pillow or something to remind her of home.. so blue and red it is.  Maybe if I make another one for myself sometime, it will be out of Willow.  I think it would be really cool in soft colors.

For now, I'm trying to figure out which of my red and blue fabrics look the best together for the second and third Jack.  And I might make a bonus one to do something with on the back. This is going to be FUN! 

Hope everyone is having, or has had, a wonderful weekend!

xo
Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Triangle Massacre is DONE!

There has been a cease-fire, each of the 540+ triangles have received stitches for their injuries, and are healing quite nicely together. :)  Who needs perfect points anyway?



After the top was completed, it didn't take very much time to spray baste, and machine quilt it with really the only thing in my MQ aresenal, besides straight lines--wavy lines. 




Try not to look at the triangle there at the bottom of the pic.. you know the one with the point lopped completely off! Woops.



These Lucy's Crab Shack cruisers are my FAVORITE!!  That's the part that the hub won't see 'til Christmas.  I think he'll be happily surprised.  Not only is he into biking and that's why I picked it, but I realized the other day after the quilt was done, my beach cruiser is orange, and he's the one who bought it for me. :)  

After the quilting came the binding.  Decided to go with some green dots that I happened to have just the right amount of. They fit in with the scrappy theme.




I did it all by machine so it would be sturdier.



And then it was done!  I'm so happy to have these triangles done and not hanging over my head anymore! 

When my hub saw this quilt in this book, he asked for one just like it:



For being all scraps, I think it turned out pretty close.  Close enough anyway.  Just don't look too close at the triangles. LOL  Really.. I'm not at all anal about perfection, but some of them are sooo far off, it's slightly embarrassing. ;)  



No one tall enough to hold it up for me to take a pic.. only person tall enough is forbidden to see the back. :)  


Gonna wrap it up and hide it away until Christmas.



Now I've got to get to work on my trial block for the Jack Attack quilt-along.  Along with that, this quilt, and the cushion with the pleats from you know where..



and worrying about whether my son is going to cry at drop-off..(oh yah, did I mention he decided to wait until two weeks into school to start crying at drop-off?), that's about it for what I've been thinking about.  

Going to link up with Rebecca Lynne for Thursday Think Tank.

Also:
Transformation Thursday @ Shabby Creek Cottage
Gluesticks @ Brandy's Crafts
Look What I Made @ Creations by Kara
The Dedicated House
craftastic Monday
Monday, September 10, 2012

AMH/Toile Cushion Cover & Buttons


I've kind of been redoing our entry area lately--it has a new little bench, that came with a white canvas cushion that has small tufts sewn in, but no buttons.  You just see the thread.



Since I LOVE red toile, and Joanns had all of their home deco fabrics half off, I decided to get some and make some covered buttons. 



In retrospect, I wish I had gotten some bigger buttons to cover, they seem a little small, but I like them alright.



Well, I ended up getting a yard of the toile, just in case I might want to make a cushion cover... Then I had an idea..

I had found this fabric in the sidewalk bin at my LQS for half off..$5/yd!  It is a heavier weight AMH print.



I couldn't stop thinking about mixing it with the toile. I had it all pictured in my head.. either it would clash horribly or.. turn out just like I had pictured it.  Clashing PERFECTLY.




It could've turned out a total disaster, but I had to try it.  So I cut out 9" wide strips of the AMH print, sewed them end to end, folded them in half and proceeded to put a gathering stitch into the miles and miles of would be ruffle for the edge.  Except the fabric is too stiff, and my thread kept breaking when I was trying to gather it up. :(  So I ended up pinning it in small pleats all the way around.  Which took a LONG time. :/





Then I basted it in place.


Then sewed the backing on.


It took me most of the afternoon and evening, but it turned out just like I pictured it in my head!  I love when that happens. I just love it!  It is going to live here, on the bench with it's matching covered buttons, and this cow print cushion, or should I say faux animal hide. ;)



I'm so happy to say that it cost less than $20 to make!  And reminds me of the cushions I drool over sometimes at a posh gift shop in town--that cost $60-$80! *gasp*  I could never.



Gonna link up with Fabric Tuesday over at Quilt Story, and Tuesday Treasures over at Melody's House on the Side of the Hill. This week, my treasure is my sewing machine.  I don't know what'd I'd do without it.  Being able to create is one of life's greatest gifts!

(also Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog, and Sew Cute Tuesday at The Creative Itch, and Turning the Daunting into Doable at Project Queen. ..and oh yah..Make it Pretty Monday at the Dedicated House.  So many fun links to check out!)  

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Tuesday!
xo

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