quilt-a-long, week 1

Anyone care to do a quilt-a-long?

I'll give you instructions on how to make a quilt block each week.
At the end of 12 weeks you will have enough blocks for a great start on a quilt top. I was going to do a block of the month thingy with some friends back in Michigan, but before I got around to it, I moved away. So it has turned into a virtual quilt along, and you all are invited.

I chose some 30's prints from my stash and a cream tone on tone fabric.

Cut one square 4.5" from your print fabric

Cut 8 squares 2.5" from your print fabric

Cut 4 rectangles 2.5" x 4.5" from your background fabric

Cut 4 rectangles 2.5" x 8.5" from your background fabric

Sew together as shown



And there you have your first finished block.

So, who's in? I'll add a list to my sidebar linking to your blog (if you have one), assuming that anyone wants to join me.

edit: this would be a great stash buster quilt-definitely use what you have-I know I am. :) The one thing that I will be doing, (but you don't have to) is use the same background fabric for each block. You can make this as scrappy as you want. The accent fabric will use little pieces. For instance, I had a fat eighth of the red, and I still had some scraps leftover. This of course will vary with each block. Any further questions I will answer in the comments. (yay, I'm excited that you are joining in!)

winner

The winner of the purse is Linda!
Thanks to all of you for playing along.

project

I've started another quilt: house of girls II.

My friend Lucy commissioned me to make this for her daughter.

I've created a monster

I am trying to figure out how to put my spectrum quilt together.
(Click on each image to see the details.)
If I did it as planned, I have enough to make a king size plus. So that idea is out.
King size quilts are my limit.

I folded each strip in half, so some white shows through between the strips.
Getting closer.

And if you look at this version, without the extreme darks, I like it even more.
I just don't know what to do with it.
I have created a monster. No doubt about it.
The thought of cutting it the long way and making a ton of patchwork products crossed my mind. But then again, I am not ready to give up on this crazy quilt.

I welcome your suggestions, if you would be so kind.

offer

We got an offer on our house yesterday.
Woo-hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now we are praying that nothing falls through and that things go smoothly. We are looking to close sometime next month.

If you could see me now, you would see me jumping for joy.

patchwork obsession: part 22

stacked coins quilted purse

I have been blogging for one year (and five days) now. Woo-hoo. I don't even want to total all the time I have spent here in the past year, but it's been great!

So that means it's giveaway time again.

Leave me a comment and include your favorite color (just because I think it would be fun to know) and I will enter you into a drawing for this purse. (It's much cuter in person, trust me.) I will draw a name sometime on Sunday morning, November 11th.

If none of you comment, I wouldn't be heartbroken, because I love this purse so much I really want to keep it for myself! ;)

Thanks for reading.

meant to be

My mom loved to create things. She knit, crocheted, decorated and sewed. (She used A LOT of polyester, but hey, it was the 70's.) Anyway, my mom passed away in the early 80's when I was just a little girl. This awesome piece of fabric has been sitting in her cedar chest for about 25 years. A few years ago I asked my dad if I could have some of the fabric that was hers. He agreed, so I have been toting this piece around since then. The other night I decided to try my hand at skirt sewing. (Never mind that we just had our first few snow flurries of the season.) I didn't have to cut this piece of fabric a bit. I sewed it up the side. Hemmed the bottom. Sewed in a casing, added the elastic and sewed it up. It fits perfectly. Perfect length and everything.
I can't wait for summer so I can wear it.

My sweet, sweet boy said, "then when you wear it you can think of your mom."

Exactly.

I hate titles

For those of you who asked, the purse in the last post was just one purse...it was front and back. It's a fun challenge to sew with upholstery samples because there is only a bit of each one. And then you get to mix several fabrics together. Right up my alley. :)

I have a few links for you today:

Kari of Craft Happy is a new blogger. I can tell you firsthand that she has terrific taste in fabric! (Her and I did a fabric scrap swap for Quilt Patis.) Go check out her blog and welcome her to blogland.

Lindsay of countrygirlcityliving is a fantastic food blogger. She has helped me on several occasions with that never ending question, "What should I make for dinner?" That is a good friend to be willing to help out with such important issues! And she is as sweet as can be. My dream is to go to NYC to meet her and teach her how to quilt. :)

Daria of glittergoods makes fantastic pillows. I just recently found her site and I am in love with her work. The prettiest pillow in the whole wide world is in this post, second one from the bottom. Seriously.

Feel free to send me links that you love, too.

Thanks to all of you for your sweet and continual comments. I love how you all cheer me on. I can't say it enough...thank you! Without your comments blogging would be a drag.

sewing again

Last week when I was in Michigan, the ever-so-generous Amy Jo passed along more upholstery samples to me. I finally started sewing with some and they are great! This is the first thing I made in my new studio, and I am happy to report that the studio and I are going to be a great fit. It's not completely organized, but I couldn't wait to sew.

Amy is not a big fan of florals, (?) but who am I to complain, when that pretty fabric lands in my hands. Thanks Amy.

I don't have a specific person in mind for this purse yet, so it just may go in my stash of ready made gifts.
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I have come to the conclusion that whomever thought up daylight saving time must have wanted to torture parents with young children. It works every time. That one hour shift is enough to keep my children howling for a week straight. Like I need that!

birthday breakfast

My friend, Heather, is having a birthday this week, so this morning a bunch of us went out for breakfast to celebrate. I couldn't go empty handed (and of course I give handmade) even in the midst of a move. This is what I came up with. Beads compliments of my blogger pals Susan and Amy Jo. Thanks, my friends!

I knit this hat using the knifty knitter. I wrote a whole post about the wonders of the knifty knitter here. The hat that inspired this one is on that post as well. This is just the adult version.

I think I need to go out to breakfast more often. I had eggs benedict and hash browns. (YUM!) It's nice to consume all of your calories for the day in right off the bat. One less thing to worry about today. :)

studio progress

I saw this post and I thought I could join in the fun, at least for this week.

My creative space is getting an upgrade in this house....no more sharing with the laundry room. Although I was fine with that, I am thrilled that my creative space could now be called a studio. It still sounds a little weird to me, but it makes me feel more official. :)

It will actually be a studio/office. I get 7/8 of the room. My husband gets the remaining 1/8. (I'm sad to say that I am not joking.) I spent most of the day unpacking and organizing. It was so enjoyable. I have miles to go before I sleep.

You can tell that I am nowhere near settled because the sewing machine isn't set up yet. I had better get on that soon, or I will get all twitchy.

Also read about this, and think that I just may join in that fun, too.

it's moving day