Serious Cuteness...

Sorry, I couldn't help it. So not sewing related. Just going through pics of the last few weeks, Wooden Shoe Tulip festival (great colors, so amazing, and fun for the kiddos).



Manzanita in April - Brrrrrr! That didn't bother them though.

Sew Full Week

So I've been waiting for a chance to cut into my Hushabye stash. I love this line for a baby quilt, so I was really excited to hear about a friend of mine due with a little boy later this summer.



On Saturday evening the Portland Modern Quilt Guild had a sewing night at the Modern Domestic studio, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get a head start on this quilt. I decided to make crazy 9 patch blocks using Oh Fransson's tutorial. Three blissful hours of sewing with no baby or toddler interruptions, no having to turn off the iron and put it up high after every press, no having to pick up every pin the second I drop it, and no diaper change interludes. Nice. (Not to mention the lovely conversations with some cool new quilty friends!) I started with 18 squares of fabric and got all but the last seam on each block sewn. So, 18 more seams and the blocks are done. Then to decide how to set them... These are going to have to sit on the back burner for awhile though. I have some more pressing projects lined up for the next few weeks.

In other exciting news, my quilting rulers are really coming along, and I'm planning to open up a shop soon where you can buy them online. These rulers are drawn by me, and cut and etched on my husband's laser cutter in our basement. The smaller sizes are cut from scraps, so a great way to save them from going into landfills. We try to use up every little piece! This line of rulers is pretty exciting for me, I've always been able to design and cut the exact size I need for any cutting project, and I'm hoping to be able to offer the same service in my shop - you design a custom ruler and I make it. Look for more info on this in the next month, and look for a sample set to show up at Modern Domestic for you to try out in the next week or so! The brand is "tab-slot", i'll let you know as soon as we have a website up.

Rag Quilt Lovey for a Cute and Crazy 1 yr old

Yay! I managed to get Little Bitty's lovey done, which is great because we're having a little family birthday party for her in a few days. Now i'll have time to run it through the wash/dry a few times to fray it up for her. This is my first rag quilt, and I'm surprised at how quickly it went together. I used some scraps, some stash, and one bit from a vintage sheet. The middle piece is leftover from shortening her curtains, so it'll match her room. I'm thinking that these will make great baby shower gifts, they're super quick and really cute. Also the perfect size to put over a newborn in their carseat or pram.

Tonight is the 2nd meeting of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild, and I'm excited for the potholder swap. I can't wait to see what all of these talented ladies have come up with!

1 Project Down, Many To Go

Thursday is the second meeting of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild, and our activity is a potholder swap. I finished mine yesterday. Yes, I had a whole month, and yes I procrastinated, but I work better under pressure anyway. I think it turned out cute, I hope whoever gets it likes pink. Maybe it's a bit too girly for kitchens, I don't know. I really love this Amy Butler fabric though, and I had mostly small pieces left, perfect for this project.


We're having a tenant move in with us in May, into our master suite. Times are tough right now, and we have alot of space. So this past few weeks we've been moving into our daughter's bedroom, and she's now moved into her closet. This is my new sewing/cutting area, a bit scaled down from the ridiculously luxurious space I had before, but very functional. Notice the pink, girly curtains. My husband isn't too thrilled with them, but I don't mind.

This is bitty bunchkins new room - her closet. I tried to cute it up a bit with a new little rug from Ikea, and I hung up the comforter from her crib set. It's plenty of space for a 1 yr old. Both of the kids love being in there. Ok, interlude overwith, I must get back to emptying out the master bath.

Finally finished!

After 3 nights of hand stitching, I've finally got the quilt finished. I haven't brought it into my son's room yet for photos, mostly because I'm not sure I can find my way though the toy minefield. I did the quilting at Modern Domestic's Friday night 'sewcial' on their fancy machines. That was a total blast, I'm looking forward to many more Friday nights of sewing with friends.



Now onto my next project...
I don't know why, but generally when I'm deep into a sewing project I always come up with a ton of ideas for other projects that I JUST HAVE to start right away. So on the list right now are:
1. hot pad/pot holder for the Portland Modern Quilt Guild's April meeting
2. rag quilt lovey for my daughter (her 1st birthday is in a few weeks)
3. cutting up vintage sheets into fat quarters for the Vintage Sheet Swap
4. lap quilt for my parents using some of the sheets that Mom gave me for the swap
I could go on... but instead I should go clean my kitchen :)

In The Works

So my son is 2 1/2, I love his room - love! It was my first foray into modern 'murals'. The room is huge, way more than a toddler needs, but I find myself spending alot of time in there, it's our preferred play room. It gets the best light in the house, and has the most toys.

I've been wanting to make him a quilt for a long time, the colors in his room are my favorite colors and my fabric stash reflects that. Now that he's in a 'big boy bed' I've decided to start sewing all of my scraps together kind of randomly and seeing what I can come up with. I didn't have a plan when I started, but now I think I do.


I started with a bunch of narrow strips and just pieced them all together, it was kind of liberating to sew without a plan. Then with some of my bigger scraps I made some semi-wonky log cabinish blocks, (I don't know all of the technical terms), but basically I just winged it. I started the sashing the other day, and am anxious to get the rest of it pieced, but can't seem to find a few minutes to do it.

Here are a few of the blocks:
Here is the layout, I'll finish the white sashing and bind it in the stripe fabric from the center block. The colors should look great in there, now I just have to find some time.

No, it's not perfect, the wonkiness is in all different directions, some of the strips are random, wild colors, but I like it, I like that it wasn't planned.

Jumping in

Well, here goes... I've been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now, but between 2 tiny kids and rearranging our house for a tenant I just haven't had a minute. In fact I haven't had a minute to sew either. Right now though Miss Bitty Bunchkins is sleeping (a rarity), and little Mr. Digs is happily playing trains all by himself.

A bit of background: I remember watching Mom sew from my childhood - halloween costumes, clothes for us, curtains, mending, the possibilities seemed endless. I was interested in creating from a young age, but didn't actually learn how to use a sewing machine until jr. high I guess. I made a bag or 2, and hemmed some pants, but not much more. During college I started a quilt that I never finished - life got in the way, but I fell in love with the geometry of it then and still love it now. When pregnant with Mr. Digs I dove in to making cloth diapers - they were totally cute, but took days to dry (which I didn't find out until after he was born, so we just bought some). After the diapers I decided to try to make some stuff for me, (who?) yes, me, that person I forgot about. So I started making handbags. I love bags, too much maybe, I thought this would help quench my thirst without having to drop tons on designer bags. It did, but it caused another problem - a fabric obsession. Oy, who knew fabric could take me over like that. Anyway - to end the rambling, I'm now an amateur sewist with a fabric problem, or a fabric enthusiast with a sewing problem. Whichever.

I'll leave you with some images, and hope to be back very soon!

A diaper clutch/changing pad - made for a friend's baby shower:




Handbag (design by Lisa Lam) made from a pattern I purchased from http://www.u-handbag.com/