Made On Main Street

Untitled

2012-02-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

Why Untitled? Hmmmm, well that's just how my brain is working these days. Not a ton of creative juices flowing over here. Just finished up 2 weeks of passing around an illness in our house, and I was stuck with it last week. Haven't been sewing alot, (but I want to!). It just seems like every time I get a few moments to myself I determine that it would be better worth my time to clean the kitchen, or do laundry. I'm sure that's just my brain making excuses for being in a creative slump.

So here is the one thing I have worked on recently. It's going to be a baby quilt!

A good customer of mine had me make this template set for her, it was her idea, and she spent some time with me tweaking it so it would work just perfectly. Let me tell you, it's super, super easy to sew up. It's a very gentle curve, no pinning or gluing required. The 3 pieces sew up super fast to make 1 unit of the 4 unit block. In the pic above, the top 4 blocks are all sewn together, and it was about a total of an hour an a half invested, cutting and all. I'm hoping to get these templates listed in the shop in the next couple of weeks. I'm going to have the designer name the template set, and show us her lovely (way more awesome than mine) quilt top soon.

I love collaborations like these, they are especially helpful when I'm having a hard time coming up with my own designs. This is sort of a variation on the "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" traditional quilt block, the first antique quilt image I found of this is here. This is a bit different though, and way easier to sew. Really, it's hard to come up with a totally 'new' concept or quilt block, people have been doing this for 100s of years, it's almost all been done before in some form. That being said, it does take a lot of time and thought to go through the process of making these things geometrically perfect, and coming up with easier ways of putting the elements together. And testing, lots of testing. I really do love a math challenge though, and this one was fun to work on.

I haven't been doing nothing though, I've been hitting the gym pretty hard these days, and have made some major strength improvements. Like an 133 pound clean and jerk! (Oh, I love the names of Olympic lifts...) Any other quilters out there doing Crossfit? Initially I thought people at the gym would laugh at me about the quilting hobby, these are pretty hardcore peeps, right? Well, there a bunch of crafty types there, knitters, sewists, etc. Love that about Portlandia... Cheers all

A Big Finish and the Tall Triangle

2012-01-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

I finished a quilt - for reals!

This one has been in the works for awhile. I've been hoarding this Appleville fabric just waiting for someone I know to be having a baby girl. Back in November I got the news that I needed to start a baby girl quilt, yay! (Not for me - I'm done with that baby business.)

A friend had requested a triangle template to make a quilt that she had been thinking of, (I think similiar to this quilt). So I thought I'd test out the template while making this baby quilt, you know, two birds, one stone...

I came up with a bunch of patterns with tall skinny triangles, but eventually decided that I like this spikey one that has sort of a "Charlie Brown stripe" effect. It's pretty bold and contrasty, should be interesting for a baby to look at. I hope.

Plus I LOVE the panels in this fabric line, so I made the back a feature too, it's pretty reversible.

I'm super happy with how it came out, and particularly love the woodgrain binding. I can't wait to wash it and pass it on to it's new little owner this weekend.

I'm going to be listing this template in my shop today, on discount for a week to celebrate my first new template of the year!

Here's a drawing of the template, it's a 12" tall triangle with a top angle of 22.5 degrees. It'll be named the "tall triangle". As I was trying to figure out how to use it to make this quilt, I came up with several ideas, here are a few.

I also used the template to make my PMQG holiday swap gift for Elizabeth. I made an Ikea style bag for her to transport her quilts back and forth to her classes that she teaches and meetings and such. I didn't get a pic of the finished bag (working until the last minute - you know how that goes) but here's a progress shot:

Anyway, I think it's a pretty versatile template, and hope some of you can find a use for it. I have a couple more triangles ready to list soon as well, so keep and eye out. Cheers!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T12:41:00.000-08:00

I've been spending lots of time reflecting these past few weeks, do you all do that? I'm really looking forward to a new year with a brand new start. Let's just say 2011 hasn't been my favorite year, but I have high hopes for 2012 and a really bright outlook.

I've been doing more thinking and designing than sewing the last couple months, (and spending lots of time with my little beastlings). I feel like I'm going into the new year with a fresh perspective.

My plan (for my shop - and my sewing ~~habit~~ hobby) is to introduce a bunch more useful templates, with beautiful examples of how to use them. Afterall, design is my first love. I'd like to have lots more giveaways, and host a contest or two. Thanks so much for sticking with me this year! Cheers to you all and a wonderful BRAND NEW YEAR!!

sneak peek of my first finish of 2012

and first new template design

And the Winner is...

2011-12-16T17:37:00.000-08:00


#86

Ambersaid...: I'd love the hexagon templates.; December 13, 2011 12:28 PM; Congratulations Amber! I'll be sending you an email shortly!; Thank you all so much for entering, it was wonderful to read all of your lovely comments!!

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!!

2011-12-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! Sew Mama Sew Giveaway day!!

Time for me to shamelessly promote my tiny Etsy shop.

For those of you new here, I make and sell acrylic quilting templates and rulers, check out my shop to see what's available. (I do custom orders too!!) These are the same great quality of the major brands you buy in your LQSs. Mine are laser cut and etched here in my home. Here are some examples of what I have in my shop, and some pics of what I made with them:

I'm offering 1 commenter on this post 1 item from my shop, your choice! I'll happily ship internationally as well. So leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite size/shape ruler/template is, or what you would like to see in my shop in the coming year. My valued followers may have a second entry - just let me know you're a follower (or you can become one).

Good luck today, and have a wonderful holiday season!

Winner will be chosen on Friday, Dec 16th at 5:00pm PST

What the heck have I been doing?

2011-11-20T14:18:00.001-08:00

Well, lets see - not much sewing going on, but I've...

...moved my sewing space into the guest room and gotten it all set up for heavy use,

done a bunch of crocheting (for the 1st time!),

It's going to be a blankie - for me!

trying to keep these 2 out of trouble...yes, she's trying to change her own poopy diaper, and who the heck knows what he's doing. Yes, she got up there on her own.

Trying to keep them from harming the Grandparents chickens who are staying with us for a bit,

attended a fabulous (as always) PMQG meeting,

thinking I'm seriously clever for this, then realizing that 4 yr olds can open child safety devices and 2 yr olds can ask them to, better go mop the bedroom floors again...

checking out lego dragons, etc,

the dreaded grocery shopping with the race car cart that noone of the earth can possibly control,

thinking of how to put together these lovelies for our guild holiday swap,

a bit of designing...

and finally finishing up this potholder for our swap with the KCMQG.

So, no, not much sewing, but a whole lotta life.... Phew, I'm tired. What have you all been up to?

Cool Messenger Bag for a Hip 8 yr old

2011-11-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

A while back I received a request for a 'hip' messenger bag from my 8 yr old neighbor. She's way ahead of her age in her fashion and design sense. It was her birthday in September and I decided I'd try to pull it off for a birthday present. Fast-forward a couple months and here we are.

Aren't they cute?

I think little Sis wants one too...

She picked out the fabrics herself, and wrote a cute little wish list for the bag including diagrams (in elevation!). I love this seed packet fabric, and I had just enough. It has a shimmer to it that I just can't capture on my silly phone camera in a dark house at night ;)

She requested her name on it (easy with my new love of laser cutting fabric).

A place to attach her lunch bag.

Inside pockets for a laptop and other goodies.

Front pencil pockets - which again, my phone camera can't show too well.

This was a fun bag to put together, and I think she officially has the coolest bag in school.

Now I think it's time to resume my search for the missing camera.....

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2011-10-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

AND Mini Quilt Sew & Tell!!

I wanted to link up to the current Blogger's Quilt Festival because I have really enjoyed following it in the past. There's always so much inspiration to be had! (edited to add:) AND I want to link up to this wonderful mini quilt challenge hosted by Amy - go check out the wonderful eye candy!!

I haven't finished a (real) quilt in awhile. Just small projects. But a small quilt is still a quilt, isn't it? This is a tiny quilt that I made for The Post Sewing Summit Swap that's going on right now. I know I've been mentioning the Summit alot, but, well - it's the coolest thing I've done in awhile.

I have a cute little mini quilt to share. In this teeny plus quilt, I've tried to incorporate my partner's color and fabric likes with my love of geometry. The quilting sort of represents river rocks and little echoing waves of water. I'm not much of an improv quilter - I usually like to have a plan. This was fun though, it was nice to let go a little bit. I really like the juxtaposition of orthagonal geometry with wacky quilting, I think I'll try to explore that more.

So I let my 4 yr old 'borrow' my camera (it's a point and shoot) a week or 2 ago. I need 10 minutes of quiet, so I said - here go take some pictures. I haven't seen it since. I've really looked for it too. Damn kids :) OK, I've learned my lesson - 10 minutes of quiet isn't worth losing a camera. So I'll be doing all of my picture taking with my outdated iphone 3. Yuck, sorry for the horrible quality.

Enjoy the Quilt Festival!!

Winner!

2011-10-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

...and the winner is:

crangelsaid...: i would love to try apple core or retro Flowers, but Apple core would be my first choice. thanks for the opportunity. Prayer for quick recovery.
my email c--------w@yahoo.com; October 17, 2011 9:23 AM; Congrats Crangel! I will be in touch about your template.; Thanks so much to everyone who played a long!; I'm going to try to do this more often, so keep checking back.; Cheers all

Drunkard's Path

2011-10-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

I've recently had a bunch of requests to add drunkard's path templates to my shop. I wasn't sure which sizes would be popular, so I made 3 different sets. A 4", a 5", and a 6".

I couldn't sell them without testing first... so here is what I made with the 4" set. Just a simple quilted pillow, with a traditional circle pattern. This size set is really cool because you can cut both pieces of the block out of 1 charm square. No really. The waste is less than a square inch, it's really cool. One of the (many) very cool items in my Sewing Summit swag bag was a kona solids charm pack. Mine was in the 'dusty' palate, which wouldn't have been my first choice, but it worked for this scrappy pillow which is destined for a friend, who I know will love it. Incidentally, everything I used in the making of this pillow (except for the muslin) was received at the Sewing Summit weekend, either in the swag bag, or from giveaways. The thread and batting included. I still can't say enough about how awesome that weekend was.

What types of templates or rulers are you guys looking for? Give me some ideas, I'm really open to suggestion! Cheers!

PS: check out some other Sew Modern Monday creations here!

Sewing Summit - Was it All a Dream?

2011-10-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

*giveaway now closed*

So I spent last weekend in Salt Lake City at the Sewing Summit. It's a super cool sewing/blogging conference that's going to happen once a year - this was the first one. It was awesome. No really - Awesome. It was so super cool to meet up with all these ladies that are super into sewing and creating and design. Loved it - very inspiring, I'll totally go again next year. I didn't take a camera, so here are some of my horrible phone pics of the Fabric Shop Hop I went on last Friday. Was it just a week ago? It kind of all seems like a dream already.

50 fab ladies on a bus shopping for fabric. Noone threw up (bus driver was sketchy).

There were ducks hanging out in front of Pine Needles Shop

This creepy thing was also hanging out there. Who did this, and why?

Monica got a pretty end cap at Material Girls shop - I touched it a bit

Worst picture ever - my loot from the shop hop. Not too much damage done...

Seriously cute faces I cam back to after 3 nights. One is flipping me off and the other is putting on her 'smile' face. They were way more into the salt water taffy that I brought them, than me.

So overall, it was a blast, I learned, I met awesome peeps, I laughed (a lot), I drank (a little), I crocheted (more on that later), and I just had a big smile on the whole time.

I'm not the best writer - many others have summed things up alot better than I can. Check it out.

OK, I have actually been back for awhile and I have sewn 1 thing...

My fave local quilt shop is Cool Cottons... I live literally 3 blocks from it. If you ever see me there in a car, shame on me. A couple of weeks ago I was in there and found this super weird/cool fabric with dress patterns all over it. I had to have it.

Not long after, the Quilt Club started up, and I found the perfect use for that fabric. Here's my 1st 'homework' block from quilt club. I screwed it up, then compensated for it. I like it, it's a little funky. I think I'll use this same combo of fabrics for the whole club quilt.

OK, WOW, long post - sorry. So if you made it this far, how about a treat? Maybe a giveaway? One lucky reader will receive their choice of 1 item from my shop - just leave a comment telling me which one sounds best...I just added some new ones too! 1 comment per reader - and I'm gonna make this a quickie, because my hubs is having hernia surgery next tuesday, so I'll pick a winner at 5pm on monday the 17th, hurry up, and make sure I can find you. Cheers all, have a happy and safe weekend

More Like A 3-Weeker Than a Weekender

2011-10-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

OK, well, here she is: my Weekender bag in all her glory. Complete with adjustable shoulder strap and matching luggage tag. I won't lie - this bag was a wh0re to make, but I am absolutely in LOVE with it. I changed a lot of things from the pattern, so I cannot blame the pattern - it was clear and I did not follow the instructions. I'm really bad at following instructions.

Weekender Tip #1: Follow the pattern - not me

What did I change from the pattern? Well, lots of things - basically the whole construction of the bag. I constructed mine very similarly to Michelle's Weekender. I wanted pockets on the inside and no saggy lining, so I basted the lining to the bag pieces before I put them together - leaving 2 big shaggy seams exposed on the inside, which I had to cover with bias binding. I ended up having to stitch the bias on my hand because my machine wouldn't sew through all those layers. I also added an adjustable shoulder strap so I can wear it across my body - I rarely have a free hand.

Weekender tip #2: don't use a heavy canvas/duck cloth for the piping fabric

During my construction of the bag, I put my poor little machine to the test. I ended up using the piping foot to guide the bag through, but had to use my scissors as a presser foot to press the fabric together before each stitch. It took FOREVER. I couldn't pin the sides to the middle section, I did however end up using staples and that worked fine.

Weekender tip #3: Staples are better than pins

I added a 10" zippered pocket to the outside of the front pocket - to keep things like ID/plane tickets safe. That part was easy and didn't interfere with the construction of the rest of the bag.

I also added a zippered pocket and 2 open pockets to the inside lining of the bag. Even though I love how these came out, it was a huge pain in the arse to sew over these extra layers of fabric when attaching the sides to the middle section.

Weekender tip #4: If you add inside pockets - don't let them go all the way into the side seams

So maybe my favorite addition to the pattern was the bag feet (acorn nuts with allen bolts on the inside).
My hubs help me cut a masonite hard bottom for my bag, and I attached these 'feet' right through the fabric to help protect and extend the life of the bottom of the bag. It's also now super sturdy. I just added a false bottom that matches the lining to cover up the ugly masonite.

Weekender tip #5: Read the whole pattern through before starting, and understand all the cutting that you have to do.

The cutting is the biggest part of this bag, and it took FOREVER. It can be very frustrating when you want to just jump right in. It's also pretty boring.

So that's it! I'm off to The Sewing Summit this Thursday! Hubs and the kids are going to take care of each other for 3 whole nights. I can hardly wait - but there's still so much to do before then. I'm just really, really happy to have finished this bag in time to take with me.

Also check out Megan's bag!

No Turning Back Now...

2011-09-23T07:47:00.001-07:00

Well, here it is - my Weekender Bag, up through step 7:

It's kind of like a rite of passage in the bag making world, isn't it?

It's gonna get tricky from here on out - which is entirely my fault. I cannot just follow a pattern. I have to customize it. I need lots of pockets inside, an adjustable shoulder strap, clips for small bags and keys, etc, etc. Because of my changes, I'm worried about the installation of the lining as outlined in the pattern, I'm afraid it won't be sturdy enough to hold loaded pockets. Sooooo..... how do I move on from here? I'm thinking Michelle's solution may be the one for me. But I'll likely tweak as I go. My hope is to take it to Sewing Summit! T-minus 2 weeks and counting.

Cheers All

I Made a T-Shirt!

2011-09-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

I've never attempted this before. A first. I bought knit fabric at Fabric Depot's outdoor sale for $3.00/yard, I got a pattern (by Figgy's - Tee For Two), and away I went. I traced and cut last night, went over design options with my 4-yr-old this morning before school, and sewed the whole thing while fighting off an active 2 year old this afternoon.

It was actually pretty easy - and I'm generally not a knits person. He loves his new pirate ship shirt! It's pretty darn cool looking, for being made by his Mom ;)

I think I'll make a bunch of these, since I have like 10 yards of knits now, and I only used about a 1/2 for this. Cheers All, hope back to school is treating you all well!

Swap in Swap out

2011-09-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some swaps over on flickr this summer. My latest is called 'For the Love of Solids'.

This is what I've just sent off to my partner:

A mini quilt, and a pouch.

I used the same block style that I had designed for the Jay McCarroll Challenge.

I'm pretty much in love with it, and really wanted to hang it on the wall of my dining nook, but I didn't.

It took me 8 straight hours to cut and piece these 4 blocks. I love all-day sew-ins at fabric depot sponsored by PMQG.

Here's the back.

This is the AMAZING package that I received from Sarah all the way from Shetland:

It's pretty fabulous really, a wonderful 20" cushion cover which looks like it was born to live in my house. I guess it was :) , this totally darling quilted tic tac toe set which has been envied by everyone that has been through my house in the last few days,

and a gorgeous colorblock zippered pouch that I'm just totally in love with, stuffed with goodies in the form of fabric and candy.

I keep thinking, oh, I maybe don't really have the time to do anymore swaps for awhile, but then I get a package like this, and, well - I'm probably going to sign right up for another one :)

Cheers all!

Sandbox Pants

2011-09-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

I hit some Labor Day weekend sales on Saturday morning with my lovely friend and neighbor Beverly. We first went to Modern Domestic . They had a fabulous sidewalk sale, where I picked up 4 new feet for my dear little Janome (including a ruffler foot!!). They also had a $1 bin, $5 grab bags, and 50% off magazines, books and patterns - I partook of all of those. The pattern I got was this Oliver & S one. I got the 4-8 sized pattern since my son is 4. Turns out I should have bought the 6 month-3t one, because he is nowhere near a size 4. Maybe for Junior high.

We also went to Fabric Depot to check out their outdoor sale which has an extra 10% off thru the weekend. I picked up all apparel fabric - so unlike me. But I scored this lightweight stretchy black denim for $3/yd and also some blue denim and a really lovely plaid twill type fabric for the same price.

I traced the pattern smaller than the size 4 lines, trying to interpolate it to about a 3, but used the size 4 pockets. My little guy picked out the 'bee' fabric for the pockets, and very excitedly helped me use the tailors chalk (all over the rest of the cut of fabric, and on the tablecloth). It was a super easy pattern to follow and put together. I made sure to take extra time on my topstitching because I picked a nice lime green thread to go with the waistband.

I serged all the inside seams and then topstitched them down to lay flat. I had to re-learn how to make buttonholes.

I even lined the front pockets with the bee fabric. So cute. I'm really happy with how these turned out, but I may have to go hunt down the smaller size pattern - The 3 was still huge, I had to really tighten up the elastic in the back to keep them up, and my daughter now wants some, and she's a size 2 (so maybe 12 month ;).

I would definitely use more of their patterns, so cute, and so easy to follow, even for a new-to apparel-sewist. So we're looking at 90+ degrees for most of the week - Vaughn had no interest in modelling these pants. "Momma, it's too hot for pants, I won't wear them". Nice. We have another week before he starts school. I. Can't. Wait. I mean, I'll miss him....

Jay McCarroll Habitat Challenge

2011-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Have you guys heard of the Jay McCarroll Habitat Challenge put on by Free Spirit and The Modern Quilt Guild? Well, all of the members of our little PMQG were given a fat eight bundle of some Jay McCarroll Habitat fabrics and asked to make a 12.5" square block adding only solid fabrics to the Habitat. These will then be assembled into a quilt for a local charity. I think this is a great challenge and was eager to participate. I knew I wanted to design a block for this challenge, and this is what I came up with:

I took my Habitat and added 2 aquas and 2 yellows, and started cutting and sewing curves (yikes). Super bias-y and stretchy. OK, so this block won't be going viral or anything, but I like how it looks, and I hope quilting will flatten it out. (Sorry Nancy.) Check out the Flickr group for the challenges from all the different Mod Quilt Guilds!

Then I played around with how these blocks would look as a quilt:

I kind of like it (lots)...but I don't know if I want to sew it. Hope you're all having a great quilt-y day!

Cheers, Jill!

A Busy Summer, and Some New Pillows

2011-08-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Summers are pretty busy around here... camp, beach trips, fairs, swimming, birthday parties, yard work, construction projects, friends and family visiting from out of town, brew fests. You get the picture. It's hard to fit sewing into that schedule - but surprisingly I have found some time.

I tend to do things backwards. We (ok, I) decided to re-do our family room. This involved some demo, some wall building, and dry walling. Really, I had the vision in my head awhile ago, so I decided to make some throw pillows for our newly revamped space before I started the revamping.

I wanted to use these pillow to try out mini-samples for some quilts I have in my head. The first one is the squares in descending sizes, I have a plan for a twin quilt with a similar pattern (in much different colors).

The second was this apple core pattern. Which I have to say was kind of a beast to sew together. (I'm new at curves.) It turned out looking fine, but I quilted the heck out of it. I think I will not want to deal with a whole quilt of apple cores.

I backed them both in chocolate Alexander Henry Heath, which I love. I also quilted the back which gives them such a nice sturdiness and texture. I'll make 2 more in these colors for our final family room re-do. I think maybe a tumbler pattern, and maybe something else with curves?

I really love my new pillows!

Pillows are great little projects, I love the sense of accomplishment I get from finishing something. I did the square one in 1 day, while wrangling the kiddos - and the apple core took maybe 2 or 3 days between kid antics.

Hope you're all enjoying your summer!!

Cheers, Jill

A Catch-up Post and Some Randomness

2011-06-02T15:26:00.001-07:00

Lots going on here, but nothing really too exciting - ever have that problem?

My son finished his first year of preschool, he's changed so much in the last year, I'm a bit emotional about his first school year ending.

My Dad came from Buffalo for a visit and stayed with us for 3 weeks. 'Nuff said.

My Mom is coming next week and staying for 10 days.

My daughter slept through the whole night and stayed in her crib until 8am this morning - this has NEVER happened before, she's 2. I haven't slept for a whole night in 2 years.

My husband is working on 4(!) projects at one time, which is relatively equivalent to 4 full time jobs. He builds architectural models and he's been a bit dry on work for awhile, so this is good, but I miss him.

My sewing machine is a bit dusty. So sad.

I have completed a few things though. The Portland Modern Quilt Guild had a block swap/challenge with all solid fabric. So we each brought in a 12.5" square block made of all solid fabric, and did a blind swap. Then we made a project (pillow, mini quilt, etc.) out of the block adding our own (solid) fabric and returned it to the original block-maker. I received Cherri's block, and made her a pillow out of it, here it is:

Cherri's block ended at the blue/purple edge, and I added the gray and everything outside of that. It was a super fun project.

My block was turned into a darling little pillow by Michelle, unfortunately I can't take a picture of it now, because my son (who doesn't nap) is napping on it right now.

We also had to bring in a 6" block each to be added to the PMQG banner for the Sisters quilt show, where several members (including me!) will have quilts on display. I used my leftovers from Cherri's pillow to make a simple block.

I received my pouch from the Pretty Little Pouch Swap! It was made by the lovely Naomi (linen&string). Look at all the sweet goodies included in this fabulous bag! I adore the fabric covered magnets which live on my magnet board in the kitchen (where greasy little hands can't touch them).

Just look at the gorgeous little details she added. I LOVE this bag, I've already used it several times to carry sewing essentials to meetings - and I've gotten tons of compliments on it. I intend to use it as a toiletry bag for travel, but it's so pretty, I don't want it stashed away when we're not traveling.

I did actually make a whole twin sized quilt top out of sherbet pips... just haven't gotten around to taking pics of it. So stay tuned!

Mother's Day Nicey Jane Quilt

2011-05-15T16:22:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jen and I were having a mellow playdate and missing Megan. The kids were so unusually quiet that we started 'playing' with fabric. I was telling her that I have a couple collections that I bought, that I LOVE, but I'm afraid that if I don't use them, I may lose the love someday, and I'd hate for them to go unused. Let's face it, all of our tastes change, and styles change. But I am seriously still in love with Nicey Jane in a major way. Jen and I went back and forth about what to do with it, and we finally ended up at a lattice quilt with big blocks of the prints to show them off.

CAD drawings and came up with these 2 schemes:

I finally settled on the second one and off I went. It was a pretty quick top to put together, but Jen put a whole quilt together in this pattern in about 2 or 3 days, beating me by about, oh, a month.

Here is the finished product. I managed to quilt the whole thing free motion on my tiny Janome Jem 720. It's the 1st quilt that I've free-motioned on my baby. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

The pattern on the back was inspired by this quilt that I found over on flickr.

I gave this to my Mom for Mother's Day, I really love this quilt, and really love my Mom. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

note: all pictures of this quilt were taken by Jen Bailly (bettycrockerass)

A Pretty Little Pouch

2011-04-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, pretty by my standards anyway. I really love this box-style pouch shape, so cute. I also LOVE the Ruby Star Rising fabric. I paired it with linen and kona solids in aquas and yellows to compliment the Ruby colors. I followed this tutorial for the pouch. It's fully lined. I hope my partner in the swap likes it too!

It's a gorgeous, sunny day here in P-town. I think I'll try to go soak some of it up before it disappears. Cheers all!

Project Modern Challenge 2

2011-04-13T09:26:00.001-07:00

Woah, I can hardly believe it! My yellow quilt is one of the winners of Project Modern Challenge 2! I'm super excited! All of the entries in the flickr group look amazing, so I'm really surprised I'm one of the chosen 3. Here is what I submitted:

This quilt measures 62"x50"

This quilt is called "Yellow Quilt". I was inspired by a very bold, graphic photograph I came across of a tile pattern on the side of a building. I had been wanting to make a quilt for our brown and yellow family room, so I decided to take this image and translate it into a yellow quilt. This is a color that I have not worked with much and I wanted to really challenge myself. My process started with pulling the original photo into a CAD program and drafting a pattern for the quilt over the photo. I then took the drawing and 'colored' it with several different schemes in Illustrator until I came up with one I liked. With my color scheme in hand I ordered 10 different kona solids from the yellow palette. I didn't end up using all of the solids, I really wanted to add some prints for a bit more of the fun, modern feeling that I was going for. It was really hard to find fabrics that gave me the feeling I wanted and were truly monochromatic. The solids range from the palest wheat-yellow to a deep ochre, and the prints are all yellow on yellow and simple dots. It was really fun and challenging to make a quilt with a limited palette like this, and it has given me a lot of confidence that I can step out of my comfort zone and come up with an end result that I am really proud of.

I'm just still kind of blown away and in shock. Thanks Malka (The Challenge 2 Judge)!

A Process Post

2011-04-11T14:17:00.001-07:00

So I made a monochromatic quilt for Project Modern Challenge #2. I thought I'd give you all a little insight into how crazy my process is when designing a quilt. Remember that I was trained as an Architect and not in using textiles in any way. So this whole process just seems normal to me - even though looking at it all spelled out it seems a bit insane and ridiculous.

It all started with a really cool picture that I happened upon on flickr while searching for cool pics of Architecture. This is the picture. I did not take this photo, I just found it online.

I really like the movement in this pic and thought it'd make a great quilt - a great monochromatic quilt. So my first move was to draft it up in AutoCAD. I draft EVERYTHING up in AutoCAD. I'm weird that way. This is what I came up with:
Pretty do-able for a quilt, 29 rows made up of little pieces. Then I imported the file into Illustrator and colored it. I decided on yellow, because we have a brownish room in need of a yellow quilt. This is what I came up with next:

I really fell in love with the yellow image and was highly motivated to keep going by this point. So my next move was to separate all the rows out and dimension each piece for cutting. This terribly dull and boring image was what I came up with next:

I used this as my cutting guide to cut out 1 row at a time. I was afraid to cut anymore than that for fear of getting pieces mixed up. Oy, it took awhile to get all of the rows made up, and i did make a few mistakes in the process and ended up ripping some pieces out. I know, this is all the boring part, I'll show you the finished product in my next post. How do you guys go from idea to cutting fabric? Anyone else feel the need to put everything into the computer before cutting? Cheers, Jill

Pouches! A New Swap

2011-03-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Anyone else doing this swap?? It looks fun, I signed up - hope you do too!

This is my inspiration mosaic

Michelle of 'I like orange, too!' is hosting - check it out...

What is all this MADNESS?

2011-03-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Mug rugs, snack mats, coasters, mini placemats - call them what you will, but they are all over blogland right now. Thanks to MugRugMadness I'm now feeling compelled to post about the snack mats I made for the Portland Modern Quilt Guild's February swap.

Blind swap. Simple concept. I decided to make 2 because they are quick and fun. Both are improvised, I had no idea what they would end up looking like when I started. I also used entirely scraps for both.

Fronts:

Backs:
That's it, not the most exciting crafting in the world, but they're just so fun and quick to make, I can hardly resist. Can I just say that I really dislike the term 'mug rug'? I don't have the same issues with it as Jen does ;) but I prefer 'snack mat' - thank you Megan for that perfect substitution.

Anyway (thanks to Kristen and a long story)- I was the lucky recipient of this:

A true work of art by Elizabeth. I love it, and won't put snacks on it. It lives on my desk. I think it is happy there.

I also changed the look of my blog - what do you think, better, worse, fine, you don't care? Let me know!

Cheers all, hope spring is coming your way (and my way too).

Oh Echino, I love you!

2011-03-27T17:01:00.001-07:00

I want to thank Jen Bailly (bettycrockerass) for taking all the pictures of the quilt in this post.

This is the cozy couch quilt I made for my son for Christmas. I totally forgot to post about it, and realized last week that I didn't even have a picture of it. My daughter's quilt got finished first, and it was a race to get this one done in time - but I did. They both love their quilts and regularly snuggle with them on the couch.

Can I just say that I LOVE Echino fabric? It's so bright, graphic, and bold. It is also a joy to work with the cotton-linen blend. I used some kona solids and some 100% linen in this quilt as well. I think it turned out really fun, and we all kind of fight over it a bit in the evenings.

It's backed with a piece of minky that I got at 50% off, and it quilted up pretty nice. It was a bit heavy for my walking foot to pull through, so I had to help it along quite a bit. Even so, it wasn't all that bad to quilt.

We just rolled back into town after a long spring break weekend at the coast....ahhh, the ocean air does wonders to my mood and my brain. I feel pretty much ok for the first time in awhile. Cheers all!

Holiday Gift Giving

2011-03-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know that the Holidays are LONG over, but I did manage to take some pics of pillows that I gave as gifts, and wanted to share. Way back in August I took this class which was taught by Elizabeth on free motion quilting. I wanted to practice what I learned so that I didn't lose it. I ended up deciding to make pillows for a bunch of people on my gift list so that I could get a lot of quilting time in. I think it really helped, I got way more confident with free motion. Now I just need to get up the courage to do it on a whole quilt...

Plus - everyone can use a another pillow, right? Also, please try to ignore that huge mess in the background and all the unfinished walls with no trim. Cheers all!

1 More Block

2011-03-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I've made 1 more block for my son's quilt. I was inspired by Megan and Christina, it's my first time trying paper piecing. I love how it turned out, but it took FOREVER and made a huge mess. It wasn't hard, but I still managed to screw it up a couple of times. So now I have an 'X' and an 'O', and I think that may be the name, or at least the theme of this quilt. X's and O's (cause I love the little bugger so much), or tic tac toe (because of the grid) or something like that. It's still really just an abstract concept, and I'm hoping it'll just come together.

I'm finding that I'm still really, really tired from my new medication and I'm not getting a lot of time to sew, but I'm more inspired then ever lately. I have like 100 projects in my head. Maybe more. I need to maybe start writing them down - before I lose them. This Thursday is our March meeting of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild (I can't wait!), and I also have a neurologist appt that day. I hope he can give me some insight, or advice, or anything.

In super exciting news, my Etsy shop - tabslot is sponsoring a giveaway at I Like Orange, Too! Check it out!!

Cheers all!

Happy Birthday to Carla!

2011-03-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

I love Carla! She lives next door to me, you can't really choose your neighbors, but if you could I would have definitely chosen Carla! She's a very cheerful, inspiring Momma of 2(!) teenage girls, leader of a household and Social Worker. On top of all that, she's just f-in awesome and I love hanging out with her. Anyway, I made her this pillow last week. At least I'm pretty sure I did, I'm having periods of amnesia due to my seizure, and I'm now only partially remembering making this. It's definitely fabric from my cabinet though :)

Hope all you NW'ers are enjoying the wonderful sunny warm day, as we're enjoying it, I'm thinking of all the people suffering in Japan.

Grey Day

2011-03-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

It's a pretty grey day in P-town. This is what my desk looks like right now. I think I'm trying to find some summer in the blue and green fabrics. I'm having a rare moment of quiet here and I almost don't know what to do with myself. So much has happened since I last posted! I think I decided that it's really ok if I'm just an occasional poster. I just don't have my sh!t together like alot of you lovely, creative Mommas out there. But I think I'm ok with that. My house is a mess, my kids eat granola bars for lunch, my 3 1/2 yr old still poops in a diaper, my dog eats off the kids plates, we have crayon drawings on every surface of the house - but I'm ok with that. We had a scary week here, I had a grand mal seizure, which I haven't had in 11 years. It's made me realize that I need to stop sweating the small (and not so small) stuff. I need to try to get as much rest as possible, hug my kids as often as I can, and try to enjoy every little stupid, silly thing we do together - even if it's just playing with train tracks or folding laundry.

So I made this green and blue block out of Kona solids the other day, and I can't stop looking at it. It was going to be for PMQG swap, but I may love it too much. Then I thought I might turn it into a pillow for my son's room. Now I'm thinking it may just turn into a twin quilt for him.

I have lots more to share! It's just gonna happen slowly. I hope you're all enjoying the beginnings of spring...

Who Knew?

2010-11-07T18:10:00.001-08:00

So I really had no idea that when preschool started the rest of my life would be on hold for awhile. 2 days a week of school with lots of shuttling back and forth, and 2 other days of therapy - speech and OT. I'm barely at home these days, and since the little one doesn't nap too much, I'm never alone. My poor sewing machine feels very neglected.

In the past month (and a half!!) since I've last written, I've completed 1 project, and it was already pieced way back here. Regardless, I'm completely in love with this quilt and very proud of it. Yes it's simple, but it turned out really cool and it just may be my favorite one that I've made so far.

I love the minky back, it is so soft and warm! I was afraid to quilt with minky, but it honestly wasn't that bad. I loaded it up with spray baste, and I didn't have any problems with shifting or stretching.

In other news, I had closed down the etsy shop until I could get myself back into a routine, and I think we're almost there. I'm planning on opening the shop back up sometime this week when I can get a few minutes at my computer without anyone jumping on my lap. So look for it, and for a giveaway to go along with the re-opening!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope everyone has been enjoying their fall and is looking forward to the holiday season. Cheers!

A Girly Birthday Pillow

2010-09-25T12:47:00.001-07:00

Initially I wasn't sure what I'd use these fabrics for. I liked them, but they weren't my usual 'style' (whatever that is!). This week I knew I had to make a birthday pillow for a very special (and girly) 7 year old. As I was going through my stash looking for pink and purple I came across this stack (I believe it's Remix by Robert Kaufman Fabrics), and I knew this is what it was meant for.

I didn't have a plan when I started this, and I didn't have much time. I just started sewing random widths of the print strips to 1" white strips. When I finished that I wasn't in love with it, so I started cutting that up and sewing it back together all flipped around, and this is how it ended up. I actually really like it and think it's a pretty fun pattern.

I almost free-motioned it. Almost. I chickened out though. I really need to get back to Christina's free-motion quilt along so I can boost my confidence a bit. I decided to just do diagonal lines at random distances apart. I like it, I think it works for the pillow, and it went REALLY quick.

The back is a simple envelope closure. I love the striped binding on this. I just love striped bindings in general. Well, it's a sunny day here in P-town, probably not many of those left, I'd better go enjoy it. Or clean up my garden...

A lopsided pincushion...

2010-09-21T17:47:00.001-07:00

I had a great time at the September meeting of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild last Thursday. Elizabeth did a great presentation about beer cup fabric dyeing and Jen did a cool presentation on pincushions. As usual there was a great show and tell.

Well, it turns out that at next month's meeting there will be a pincushion swap. So I decided that since I have not made a pincushion before I should try early in case I have to re-do it. Well, I have to re-do it. I named it the color wheel pincushion, and I like the overall look of it, but it turned out all lumpy and lopsided and not quite round. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

At least I now have a pincushion, I didn't have one before. This one should be happy on my little sewing desk. This is the bottom of it - reversible!

Not a Baby?

2010-09-13T18:33:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that this sweet, tiny little baby has grown into this little boy, who is starting preschool tomorrow. Seriously, can it have been 3+ years already?

Well, he had to have a special new backpack for the start of school. I had been saving this awesome Japanese train fabric for something special for him, and it was perfect for a backpack!

I did buy a pattern for this because I needed to get it done quick and didn't feel like I had time to think about designing a pattern.

It's fully lined in a bright lime green Kona, and I did buy the piping instead of making it (like I said - super quick).

He loves it, and he can't wait for school to start...

...the little one loves it too. I really hope she kind of forgets about it soon, I don't think I can make another one right away, it was a bit fussy to sew. Tons of layers!

A Challenge? I'm Always up for a Challenge...

2010-09-10T15:43:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm always up for a challenge that can be completed in 1 toddler naptime...

Last Friday I was at Jen's house with Megan and all of our kids (6 in total) having a little (Mommy) playdate. Jen bought a 3 pack of Moleskine gridded notebooks and gave one each to Megan and I. We gave ourselves a challenge to give the notebooks a fabric cover in our own 'style'. Then we could each post about them and compare what we came up with. Here's what I came up with. I don't know if I really have a style, but I definitely have a philosophy about 'crafting' and creating. Do it quick, get it done, and (hopefully) make it look good.

It's pretty simple, I decided to sew right to the chipboard cover of the Moleskine, there's no quilting and no batting, and it can't be removed without totally destroying the book. I had originally thought I'd do a removable one, but then, I like the idea of making a new one with each new notebook, and since I store my old sketchbooks to reference, this will let me easily recognize the one I'm looking for. I totally raided the scrap bin for this one. I did simple wonky log-cabin-ish piecing (very technical term), and finished around the edges with some selveges.

I added a little strap with a velcro closure to keep it from flying open when I dump my diaper bag, and a little pocket for a pencil and scraps to match or inspire. I think it's pretty cute, and I'm looking forward to a lot of sketching!

To Quilt Along, or Not to Quilt Along, that is the Question

2010-09-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've gone back and forth on this one for awhile. On one hand, a lot of the fun of making something is designing it. But, on the other hand - won't I learn a lot by following someone else's expertise? Well, I've decided 'to' quilt along. Two 'quilt alongs' in fact. The first one I'm going to do is Christina's from A Few Scraps. She's doing a free-motion quilt along, and this is something I really want to get better at. Plus, the top was a cinch to piece. So there it is, in all it's glory, in the pic above. Ready to quilt along with Christina! (I swear I ironed it before I basted it!)

The second quilt along I'm joining is Elizabeth Hartman's Tokyo Subway Map Quilt Along. You all know her from Oh Fransson! I really like Elizabeth's bold, graphic designs, and feel like this is a quilt I will really appreciate for a long time. Also, what I'm finding about these quilt alongs is that sometimes it's nice for someone else to do all the thinking and math for you. Especially since I can't seem to shake this baby-brain thing. Does that ever go away? Anyhow, I have gathered the fabric for this one, but have not even started cutting. That's how I'm going to roll on these things, I'll always be a few steps behind.

Which online quilt alongs have you all participated in? Doing any right now?

Well, happy holiday everyone. We're heading out to Pacific City today, to spend a few days on the beach with these little beasties before the 'freedom' of summer ends. I'm not bringing my machine, but I am bringing all that fabric to cut up for the Tokyo quilt. Maybe I'll have some piles to show you later in the week. Cheers!

First Pass: The His 'n Hers Kindle Cover

2010-08-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've got a to do list longer than my grocery list right now, and since I haven't shopped in 2 weeks that's saying something. So when my husband's new Kindle arrived in the mail I saw an opportunity to procrastinate even more and make up a cool cover for it. He ordered the new Kindle 3 with wi-fi, it's really pretty stinkin cool. It's super small and it seems really delicate. I had grand plans of making a cool, quilted cover - but those were traded for, make it quick, get it done now because the kids are going absolutely crazy, and what did you feed them??

So I did some quick measurements and calculations (ok, my computer did the hard work) and came up with a pattern that should fit this little guy really snug and protect it pretty well. I wanted something that my husband would be happy to carry, but was still cool. The Echino bus fabric was perfect. I did a simple flap closure, and had the hubby cut 1" circles out of orange velcro on the laser cutter for a closure. I thought of a snap first, but I didn't want to have to put pressure on a point on the Kindle to close the cover. I normally don't like working with velcro because it always looks like a kindergarten craft project when I'm done with it, but the laser cutter and some super slow sewing solved that. I know you can buy pre-cut circles of hook and loop tape, this would work well too.

As I was thinking about all the innards and lining of this bag, I thought about how cute and cool it would be to make a little patchwork pouch. Then I thought, well why not make one for when I use the Kindle? Well, I don't have time for that - it's redundant anyway. Ah ha moment - I should make this bag reversible!

Flip it on through and this is what you have! I think it's really cute, albeit unpolished. Hence, the title - First Pass. It's a little poufy, and the topstitching is terrible. It barely fit around my sewing machine to topstitch it - a problem I haven't figured out how to remedy yet. Having the plain linen blend fabric at the top of the pouch prevents any 'girliness' from showing when it's turned out to the 'his' side, but gives it a clean look on the patchwork 'hers' side. It's lined with a layer of sew-in fleece (I would have used fusible, but it's more expensive so I don't keep it on hand), and a layer of PUL - that's polyurethane laminate - the stuff used in diaper covers to prevent leaks. So it's also water resistant - in case I happen to be carrying it in a diaper bag with a leaky sippy cup.

I think it was a good first pass, it was super quick, I like it and it will get used. However, I feel the need to refine it a bit and do a second pass. Next time, I NEED to photograph my process so I can do a little tutorial. I do have drawings for the pattern too. Does anyone else have the new Kindle? I'd happily share the pattern - it does fit like a glove. Have a great weekend!

Easy Piece

2010-08-22T14:05:00.001-07:00

Phew - that was a busy week!!
Kind of glad it's over - even though there was a lot of fun involved...

I'm starting to think about Christmas gifts (I know - a little late off the starting block...), and I have all of these super fabulous vintage sheets laying around. I decided to try to make 4 comfy couch quilts to give as gifts but I wanted something that went together really quick. This is what I came up with. Just a simple patchwork design, 4" finished squares, with some 8" squares thrown into mix it up a bit. I also added some kona solids to give it a more bold looks, and I love the way it came out. I got some minky at fabric depot for 50% off (!!) to back these with. I haven't done a minky backed quilt yet - so if you guys have any helpful tips or tricks, let me know!

Also, this week was the PMQG's August meeting. It was a blast! Christina did a great presentation and demo on free motion quilting, and she's also hosting a quilt-a-long on her site - check it out. There were several other people demoing as well, and I feel like I got a lot of good tips. Can't wait to have some time to myself to try it out.
There was also a hexagon swap at the meeting - these are the castle peeps (and coordinating) hexagons I brought in, and Tania picked them. Hope she has fun with them!

These are the hexagons I picked - how cute! I don't know who made them though - let me know if they are yours, I want to say thanks!

Last but certainly not least - I want to show off the super adorable needle book and fab lush fabric that Megan gave me. Seriously, how cute is this? I LOVE the wizard of oz fabric, and look at the inside - it's the yellow brick road! It really was a good week - just a long one.

An Orange Pillow and a Cool Class

2010-08-14T08:41:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I had the chance to attend a Freestyle Quilting workshop at Modern Domestic (our local sewing studio). The class was taught by none other than Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Frannson!. There were some other ladies from the PMQG there too, which made it extra fun! Joan, Amber, and Katie were all in the class.

We started off the class cutting and making 12 mini quilt sandwiches. Elizabeth then went over the walking foot and we all did a bunch of practice quilting with the walking foot using different methods. We did some 'wonky' straight lines, some random diagonal lines, some offset outline stitching, and a continuous geometric design which I ended up using in my mini Castle Peeps quilt.

Next we put on the darning foot and worked on practicing some different styles of free-motion quilting. We worked on stippling, long loopy lines, and pebbling. Elizabeth had us first draw these patterns on paper to get the hang of it. Then off we went. It's a lot harder to get a nice even stitch out of these patterns, but I'm surprised at how quick you can fill up a 12x12 area. The pebbling took the longest, but seemed to be the most forgiving. The stipple went quick but was the hardest to make look good. I have a lot more practicing to do before I use these methods on a whole quilt, but I really like the look, and enjoy doing it.

Thanks to Elizabeth for a great workshop and giving me the confidence to jump in to free-motion quilting. Here is Elizabeth's example pillow, and here is the one I came up with. Covered in a baby:

I've Developed a Leak

2010-08-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Did you ever feel like you have so many ideas bubbling around in your head that if you don't use some of them they will leak out of your ear? I think that's started happening to me. I feel like I've been blogging about the same projects for months with a huge backlog of ideas.

The truth is, I don't really get a lot of time to sew. My 2 little ones keep me pretty busy most days. Last week however, I was able to take a few hours to myself here and there and knock out this little doll quilt/wall hanging that I've had in my head for awhile now. It was intended to hang on the wall in my daughter's room. It matches the decorative painting that I showed you in my last post. It was inspired by this doll quilt. I was able to get it quilted at the PMQG's sewcial at Modern Domestic on Saturday night. Loads of fun. I may have had a few margarita's beforehand, but I don't think the quilt suffered much from it.

Before the Sewcial, I was able to attend Elizabeth Hartman's (Of Oh Fransson), freestyle quilting workshop. It was super informative and super fun! I had never tried free-motion quilting before, and this helped me to jump right in. I haven't finished my project from the class yet, because I wanted more practice time with my free motion skills. Elizabeth is a quilting guru, and I would recommend this class to anyone looking for a jumpstart into quilting, or to hone their skills. I'll post more on this when I actually get the pillow done!

I did finally finish my daughter's new wave quilt, and even got the chance to wash it. So crinkly and lovely...

(This quilt is so bright and lovely, why can't I get a good picture of it? They all look washed out! Any photography buffs out there that can give me some tips? I work with a point and shoot - Canon powershot SD1100. I have no idea how to use it to it's fullest.)

The other exciting thing that happened this week was receiving my lovely package of hexagons from Shelly at PinkPunkBoutique! These were from the flickr swap organized by Heather and Kerri. Thanks ladies for organizing, and thanks so much Shelly for my super cool hexies and pouch, I'm in love with them! I've decided that I need to use the hexagons on something that I will see/use every day. I have a few ideas in the back of my head. I'm hoping I can keep them from leaking out. ;)

A Step Closer

2010-08-01T16:55:00.001-07:00

I made a quilt for my son, and was feeling pressure to make one for my daughter as well. She loves to climb into his bed and roll around with his quilt and it makes him pretty mad. I love the idea of using old sheets for quilts. Especially the really 'retro-cool' ones from the 60s and 70s. I got some vintage sheets from my Mom, and did a few flickr sheet FQ swaps to build up my stash. Alot of the sheets have really cool patterns or stripes that I thought would look better with a bigger, pattern that has simple geometry. I really love square patchwork type quilts, but thought that I'd do something to compliment the cool painting we did on her walls.

Anyhow, I came across Oh Fransson's New Wave pattern (available for free on her website), and thought it would be a perfect match for Syd's room and the vintage sheets I'd been collecting. I made myself a plastic rotary cutting template with the laser cutter to make cutting the pieces easier, and it really did make it easy. This pattern is quick to piece, and I love that it makes such a statement for not so much time spent.

I really love when you have the binding sewn on and flip it over and clip it, and for the first time you get to see how the 'finished' quilt will look. Such a cool little sneak peak. I wasn't so sure how I was going to feel about this one while I was working on it, but I'm really happy with how it's turning out. My favorite thing about it is that it's made with sheets from my folks. One was a wedding shower gift (the one right next to the blue flower one), and the binding was cut from pillow cases that belonged to my Dad before he met my Mom.

Look Familiar?

2010-07-26T19:32:00.001-07:00

I have been pretty busy over the last week, most of it did not involve sewing. My husband's business is finally starting to pick up a bit (phew!), so I've been with the kiddos what feels like 24/7. We all cycled through a nasty summer cold, had 2 more family birthdays, and got a cool new swimming pool. My wonderful husband did feel bad for me not having ANY 'me' time in awhile, and took the kids over for a few hours on Saturday AND Sunday. It was awesome. I worked on a bunch of long overdue stuff. First to get finished was this bag that I made for my friend Lily to donate to a charity auction that she is working on. Yes, it looks just like this bag that I made a couple months ago. I really loved the design, so I just mixed up the colors a bit, and I think I love this one just as much.

The hexagons do take awhile to sew together, but I don't think the bag would be the same without them. I'd love to make this same bag in a bunch of different colors. We'll see if I get around to it. I love the cute polka dot interior with my silly label - I think it makes it pretty fun. I hope they get alot of money for Intercambio de Comunidades, that's the charity that the auction will benefit. I was trying to figure out how many hours I spent on it - but with all the hand stitching it was impossible to track (plus I'm really slow).

Ahhhh, we've finally reached kiddie bedtime - I'm off to relax, or fold laundry...

Traveling Hexagons

2010-07-15T16:06:00.001-07:00

Well, tonight is "Hexagon" night at the PMQG meeting. We're learning all about paper piecing and we're going to share projects we've made using hexagons. We'll be breaking into small work groups to cut, baste, and piece together little 1" hexagons. Since I'm leading one of the small groups, I thought I should make myself a cute little "traveling hexagon" kit.

I recently bought the book I Love Patchwork by Rashida Coleman-Hale, and it has an adorable little travel sewing kit in it. I did modify the design a bit, the original had a little pincushion in the middle section, but I wouldn't be needing that for paper piecing. I added a pocket instead, and I also added a spool holder.

Now I can fit my templates, paper pieces, scissors, thread, and needles all into one cute (and very brightly colored) package. I'm really looking forward to seeing the quilt guild ladies tonight, and having a look at all of their wonderful hexagon creations!

A Matching Purse

2010-07-13T17:49:00.001-07:00

I had some scraps leftover from my summer diaper bag, so little Syd got a new purse. She's very excited about it. She carries it around and fills it with her brother's toys. Oh, and apparently tupperware. Just too cute not to share.

Summer Diaper Bag

2010-07-11T10:17:00.001-07:00

I was finally able to finish my summer diaper bag that I had been planning for awhile. I made the piping and the strap way back here. It was my first time doing piping, and boy did it go smoothly with a piping foot. I made the bag at Modern Domestic, and their machines didn't even flinch at the massive amount of fabric, fleece, interfacing and cording that I sewed though. The exterior is an Amy Butler print that I have been drooling over for awhile, I just couldn't figure out what I would do with such a big print. This bag really shows it off well though.

The interior is a Michael Miller ta dot, I love the color of this one. The binding and piping are another Amy Butler print. The strap is a ribbon sewed to plain old cotton webbing - a great way to spruce up a basic material.

The inside has a key clip, 2 big pockets for diapers and wipes, and a cute little cell phone pocket with my fancy label on it. I didn't follow a pattern for this one, I just kind of had the image in my head. That proved to be a bit difficult since I started it one Friday and finished it the next. I really should have written down some measurements. Anyhow, it did turn out pretty nice, and I'm pretty proud of it. I finished it just in time too, it's my birthday today - so it's my present to myself.

Baby Boy Quilt

2010-07-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this quilt here and there for awhile now, and I finally got a chance to get it done today. After a long night, that had followed a long week, I was able to get out of town and spend the afternoon with my friend Jan who is house-sitting at a gorgeous property in Corbett, on the Columbia River Gorge. It was a beautiful day. We had a few drinks, walked around the property a bit, but spent most of the day lounging on the amazing deck, that was more like an outdoor living room. I'm pretty sure Jan even dozed off a bit. I couldn't though, I was on a mission to finish hand-sewing the binding, and I did, finally!

The quilt is based on this one by Elizabeth of Oh Fransson! I changed the block size and set them differently though. The dogs were very interested in what I was doing. They kept wondering when I was going to let them lay down on it.

Here's the back, I had 1 block left over and then used some yardage of the same line as the front - Tula Pink's Hushabye. It makes a sweet baby quilt, but the prints are similiar enough that the 9 patch part doesn't stand out from a distance. I still really like it, and think it makes for a soft, soothing baby quilt.

It's in the wash/dry now, getting all crinkly and wonderful - off to it's new home soon! Happy 4th everyone!

Hexagon / English Paper Piecing Tutorial

2010-06-30T18:44:00.001-07:00

My first tutorial!! OK, I know it is pretty basic, this is (hopefully) a good start for someone who hasn't paper-pieced before. English paper piecing is a type of hand-piecing fabric shapes using paper templates. Fabric is basted to the paper templates and then sewn together. The paper can be removed after all of the pieces are attached to each other.

PART 1: basting the hexagon to the paper piece

A note on sizing: These hexagons are measured along 1 side. So, a 1" hexagon will have a finished size of 1" along 1 side.

You can find these hexagon templates in my etsy shop on the sidebar, they have built-in seam allowances for perfect cutting. Tabslot is the name of the etsy shop.

STEP 1: Gather your materials. You'll need a rotary cutter and a template (if you don't have a plastic template, cut one out of paper, and use it as a guide to draw a hex on your fabric - then cut using your ruler as a guide).

STEP 2: Cut out your fabric. Make sure you have at least 1/4" seam allowance all around the hexagon. Some people cut squares from their fabric and baste those directly to the hex paper (this is totally fine, it's a matter of personal preference), but I like my backs neat and tidy, and I think you can get more out of your fabric if you cut a hexagon.

STEP 3: Grab a hex paper to use for basting. You can buy these precut, or cut your own. I use regular printer paper (use your junkmail to recycle). I re-use my papers many times, just iron them after you pull them out. TIP: You can use a hole-punch to make a hole in the paper to make it easier to get them out after you take out the basting stitches.

STEP 4: Place your fabric wrong side down on a hard surface, and place the paper centered on top of it. Finger press one side down using the paper as a guide.

STEP 5: Continue finger-pressing. I first press three opposite sides (not touching each other).

STEP 6: Finger press the remaining 3 sides. Prep your needle and thread.

Some notes on thread: I first tried using red thread, thinking it would make it easier for me to keep track of. I ironed it, and it bled. Don't use red thread. I then used my cheap 100% polyester thread, thinking it was a good way to use it up. I ironed it on hot and it melted to my hexagons. If you use poly thread, turn the heat on your iron down.

STEP 7: Start basting! I like to put my needle in through the back first, that way it's easy to find the knot to clip later.

STEP 8: Bring your needle back up through the paper and all near a corner.

STEP 9: Take a stitch over that corner and back down though the paper, then back up near the next corner.

STEP 10: Continue this pattern all the way around the hexagon until you come back to your first stitch. This will hold down the corners of the seam allowance, giving you that nice, crisp hexagon shape. Tie off to your first stitch (or how ever you are most comfortable tying off - keeping in mind that these stitches are made to come out).

STEP 11: Cut your thread and baste your next hexagon.

STEP 12: Admire your adorable new creation. This is what the front will look like. Now's a good time to give these guys a good hot press.

PART 2: joining your hexagons

STEP 1: Take 2 hexagons and place them right sides together, making sure you note where the sides to be sewn together are. Things can sometimes get all mixed up with these 6 sided guys.

STEP 2: Insert your needle under the seam allowance but on top of the paper, going directly through a corner. I am right handed, and I find it easiest to sewn the side from right to left.

STEP 3: I use a ladder stitch to connect my hexes. Follow the red arrows above to see the path that the thread will travel. I keep the hexes right-sides facing while I sew, but thought this view provided a clearer explanation of the stitch. After my needle exits at the end of the seam, I come back in for 1 more locking-stitch to really keep the corners together.

STEP 4: Tie off and admire your work! I find that the ladder stitch is pretty invisible, even for beginners. I like to piece columns first, then sew the columns together to make a field.

Giveaway at the Portland Modern Quilt Guild's Site!

2010-06-30T17:06:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone! Check out this great giveaway at the PMQG's website:

Neglect

2010-06-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

That is what my sewing machine is feeling right now. I have a bunch of 'in-progress' projects, but they're all in the hand sewing stage.

I'm working on a second 'hexie' bag, using the same design I used for my Paris Hexagon Bag. I should probably photograph my progress in case i ever want to make a tutorial or pattern out of it. Anyhow, this new bag will be in aqua and red with a stone color canvas for the main bag, and it will be donated to a silent auction to benefit Intercambio de Comunidades. I still have alot of hand sewing of hexagons to do before I get back to my machine. I'm also sewing the binding on a baby quilt for a friend due with a little boy later this summer. I was able to do all the quilting at Modern Domestic on Friday evening, I really love working on those Bernina's - real work horses.

Also, I may have given in and dropped a chunk of change on a 1/2 yard set of the new Heather Ross Far Far Away II. Really, it's so cute, how could I not. I really have no idea what I'm going to use this for, but it has to be something special. I hope to update some time in the next week with a finished project, but who knows.... it's summer, and it gorgeous out and the kids don't want me to sew.

Yummy Kona Solids

2010-06-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, I was lucky enough to be able to get out of the house with only 1 kid and head to fabric depot where they were having a huge sale. 35% off all fabric. I don't usually get a ton of stuff there, but they do have some nice sales and that's a great opportunity to stock up on some basics - like Kona solids for example. I picked up this yummy stack of solids and a couple of dots to add to my stash as well. The red dot is Amy Butler, and the green is a Michael Miller. I was also lucky enough to run into some awesome PMQG ladies: Lisa and Beverly. (Thanks for the Jam Lisa, I can't wait to break into it!) Lisa and I wandered around the huge store and saw some really cool stuff. She even picked up a few great remnants at 50% off. We talked about how we were both inspired by Joan's presentation about Amish quilts at the last PMQG meeting. Let's see what we can do with that inspiration! I'm looking forward to using some of these delicious solids in my next projects!

Paris Hexagon Bag

2010-06-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

I really didn't have a plan for these hexagons when I started them, I just thought the fabrics were really cool. Some of the fabric is from Cool Cottons, and some is from here. Well here is what I came up with. It's a simple sling bag, perfect for a trip to the library or the farmers market. It has 1 open pocket inside and a little clasp for my keys. This is the first time I used my little labels, I think it looks cute.

It's almost cooler than a lot of my purses and my diaper bag. Maybe I will use it as a main bag for awhile - just to show it off. The hexagons are 1.25" quilting cotton, and the main body is an organic cotton canvas that I picked up at Cool Cottons, I love the weight and feel of it.

A Bag for Mom

2010-06-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

I can't figure out why I keep starting new projects, but I'm going to just let that question ride and go with it. Mom and I walked over to Cool Cottons the other day, it's a few blocks away from my house (dangerous), and I just needed a half yard of a solid brown to mix in with my Paris hexies. Well, I don't think I could ever leave that shop with just a half yard of a solid. I picked up a couple half yard of tufted tweets, and my Mom fell in love with this bird fabric. They had an Amy Butler swing bag on display, and Mom really liked that too. I already had that pattern and had made one for me and one for my cousin. I offered to make one for Mom, and she bought the fabric. I brought the project to the PMQG sewcial at Modern Domestic last Saturday and was able to complete most of the bag. It turned out really cute, and will be a nice summer bag. I added a zippered pocket and 3 open pockets on the inside so it can be used more like a purse. Even though I haven't really started on my new bag, I feel like I accomplished something this week. Happy Birthday Mom! You're the best :)

More hexagons??

2010-06-02T16:14:00.001-07:00

Why did I make these? Really, I'm in the middle (ok the beginning) of another project and I have Mom flying in tonite and staying for a week - do I have time for yet another project? No, I don't, but I can't help it. I think I might be obsessed with these little things. I cut about 20 more too, it's just so easy to do with my template. Now I need to laser cut more papers to baste them up with. I think I'm envisioning these in a vertical stripe 3 hexes wide with a brown stripe on either side then pieced into a linen market bag. Any other ideas? My favorite one is the little Eiffel Tower, so cute. Cheers everyone, hope you're enjoying January, uh, I mean June...hard to tell

I need (want ) a new bag

2010-05-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

I probably have more than 20 bags laying around. I love them - all kinds, sizes, and shapes. However, I need a new one. I just can't find the exact bag that I'm looking for, so I'm going to make one. I picked up a yard of that luscious tangerine and lavender Amy Butler print at a sale this weekend and also bought some coordinating dots and stripes. It's gonna be a messenger style bag, but a bit smaller than the big diaper bag that I've been carrying around. I sewed a cute ribbon to some cotton twill tape for the strap, and made some piping with the striped fabric. The dots are for the lining. I don't have all the hardware and specifics figured out yet, so check back for updates. Hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful sunny afternoon!

Weiner Dogs and Hedgehogs

2010-05-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

I finished the twin red and aqua pillow covers that I've been working on for a little while now. Of course, I don't have the right size pillow forms, I need to run out today and get some. These are going to my BFF for her birthday (over a week late I might add - and they still have to travel across the country). I really like the way they came out, they're very bold.

I'm so tired that I actually forgot what I was writing about. I guess I'd better continue this post later and enjoy the last few moments of nap time. Hoping for more than 3 hours of sleep tonight, and a clear head tomorrow.

Update: got the pillow forms, here they are in final form!

Hope they look great on your new red couch Neaf! Sending tomorrow...

Work in progress and Work completed

2010-05-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

I'm really into pillows lately, and circles I guess. A pillow is something I can complete in a pretty short time, it gives me a chance to try out a lot of different things, makes a big impact in a room (and a great gift), and gives me a sense of accomplishment a lot quicker than a bigger project. And with 2 little ones at home it's nice to get that feeling. This one is squared up to 15 inches and I can't decide if I want to add a border of Kona deep red (which is the color I'm using on the back), or to just leave it. Any thoughts? It has a twin (fraternal, not identical) that isn't as far along.

In other news I (finally) finished the set of 4 placemats and napkins for my MIL. The first 2 were given on Mother's Day and it took me this long to finish the rest. Next time I make placemats I probably won't hand stitch the binding on the back, that took awhile. It looks really cool though.

I'm really looking forward to the PMQG's meeting and charm swap tonight! Can't wait to see what Elizabeth has planned for our charm square "challenge", all very exciting!

Sushi Circles Pillow

2010-05-18T16:35:00.001-07:00

Sushi Circles Pillow
Originally uploaded by madeonmainstreet

Yay, finished the pillow! Simple diagonal quilting, and a machine stitched binding. Not sure where it's going to live yet. I still have to wash the cover and see how the circle edges fare.

Cutting Circles

2010-05-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

So I was testing out the new circle cutting template I made the other day - and what better way to test out a new template than with a Heather Ross print? I just got a leg panel of her sushi print from this shop, which I love. I was going to make some hexes with the sushi, but I actually love it in circle form. It really takes a tiny bit of the fabric and makes it special. A whole quilt like this would be really cool, but I have neither the patience or time right now, so I think it'll be a pillow. The circles are raw edge, appliqued - so they'll fray. I also used the linen blend left over from this project. These circles are a 2 inch diameter and although I was able to cut them out fine, I think that this was the absolute bottom limit for diameter with this kind of template and an 18mm rotary cutter. When I put this template in the shop, I may go a half inch bigger for my smallest size so everyone doesn't go wrecking their blades. You can barely see the template in this pic, off to the upper left above the rotary cutter. It's hard to take pics of clear plastic. Especially when it's cloudy out.

I did manage to piece it and sash it, I like how it came out. Especially considering I was just testing out the template and didn't really have a project in mind. Happy accident, a phrase they used in Architecture School alot... ;)

Tab-Slot is up and running!

2010-05-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

OK, finally we have the Etsy shop up - here's the address:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TabSlot

I still have many more listings to add, but can't seem to wrap my head around it with two little ones jumping on my lap and hitting my keyboard. So please stop back by to check on the updates. Portland people, save on shipping and just convo me for a custom listing and pick-up arrangements.

Quilted Hexie Pillow

2010-05-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

Well I got my hexagons onto a pillow finally, and I think it looks cute. It's for the kids playroom, to go on the fold out couch/bed thingy. I need to get a proper pillow form for it though, this one is pitifully under-stuffed and rectangular. Which isn't working for the square pillow cover. Hexes are Heather Ross, background is Kona coal and binding/accent is Tula Pink Hushabye. I think it's really cute for the playroom which has dark gray walls and a light tan couch. My son likes the gnome with the wheelbarrow the best.

Mother's Day Present (to myself)

2010-05-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yay, my package from Spoonflower arrived! A few weeks ago, I was thinking it would be cool to have a little logo or tag to add to some of the handmade gifts that I make. Now, I don't intend to sell any of these handmades, I barely have time to make gifts as it is. Still though, it would lend a professional touch. I wanted it to be a bit abstract, and not really have my name on it. I came up with this logo one of my sleepless nights (using photoshop), and uploaded it to Spoonflower. Two weeks later I got my super cute (at least I think so) yard of fabric. Now I have to finish something to put it on. Really though, after seeing it, I think it would be cool to just use the print to make a bag.

Well, I'm off to enjoy my Mother's Day (alone). My husband is taking BOTH kids to spend the afternoon with his parents. Happy Mother's Day to me :)

I'm a follower

2010-05-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

OK, what can I say, I've been seriously trying to avoid making any of those adorable little hexes that everyone is posting about lately, but the truth is, I'm a follower.

It's deadline time at our house, which means my husband is working mad hours to get a project out the door, this includes working until 2 or 3 am some nights. We usually have other people helping him out here, so last night the lovely Bev was working with him. I get really lonely for adult conversation during these stretches, so after the kids were in bed and I folded the laundry and couldn't think of any other reason to hang out in the basement I decided I needed some hand sewing to work on. Out came the Munki Munki and the brand new tab-slot hex templates to take for a test spin. The templates work great, they're clear plastic - so easy to see where you're cutting, and you can cut with your rotary cutter using the template, so super easy. I also made a template to cut the paper, which I did with an x-acto. They went pretty quick and easy, and for my 1st hexes I think they look pretty good.

I'm pretty sure I'll make these into a pillow, I don't have much Munki Munki laying around, so I can't make too many more. These are too addictive - really, if you don't want your house and kitchen to pile up with filth, don't start making these!

I'll be able to offer the templates to you through tab-slot hopefully next week! Just need to get through this deadline!!

I LOVE this fabric!

2010-05-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

I spent another Friday evening sewing at Modern Domestic with friends. It was great, lots of chatting, lots of sewing. It's really the only time I can get anything done. But I didn't technically get anything DONE. My task was to make a set of 4 placemats and 4 napkins for a Mother's Day gift for my MIL. (I haven't even started anything for my Mom yet.) Well, this was as far as I got. 1 placemat almost done. Oy.

I am just in love with this Matryoshka doll fabric, it's so adorable. I bought 1 yard for this project, but I should have some left over to stash away for something else. I don't usually work with a lot of red, but I am really liking the way this came out. The red is a Kona cotton and the rest is a linen/cotton blend that is just so soft.

Hopefully I have some time this week to work on the rest of these, or start something for my Mom. Does anyone want to come play Nanny?

Serious Cuteness...

2010-04-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-27T10:49:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-13T18:16:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

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/