I've been sewing! I just haven't been posting about it much, but I've got a couple in the queue.
Meanwhile, though, I've gotten a smartphone (yes, I'm waaaaay behind the times, I know!) and I got myself an Instagram account! I'm @wandering.minstrel -- are you over there? Let me know! :)
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Sunday, March 16, 2014
A Monster of a Tiny Pillow!
Big exciting news here last week: My six-year-old daughter finally lost her first tooth!
I didn't manage to get a tooth-fairy pillow made before it happened, but now. Now we are ready for the next one! Yesterday I spent a couple hours and managed to get this little gem together:
I first saw the idea for this little monster of a tooth-fairy pillow here, which includes a link to the Etsy shop where I bought the pattern. I resized it to 85% of the original size to make this one. Zoe helped me pick out fabrics, and the two main fabrics in the monster are leftovers from a pillowcase I made for her. I especially like this one because a teeny monster is just up my daughter's alley!
I don't usually do applique, so this was a learning experience for me. I used heat-n-bond to fuse almost everything, except the mouth I made from a folded piece of fabric so it would be a nice pocket for lost teeth and money:
The first tooth earned my daughter a rare $2 bill; I don't know if the Tooth Fairy will remain so flush with cash for the rest! ;P
I didn't manage to get a tooth-fairy pillow made before it happened, but now. Now we are ready for the next one! Yesterday I spent a couple hours and managed to get this little gem together:
I first saw the idea for this little monster of a tooth-fairy pillow here, which includes a link to the Etsy shop where I bought the pattern. I resized it to 85% of the original size to make this one. Zoe helped me pick out fabrics, and the two main fabrics in the monster are leftovers from a pillowcase I made for her. I especially like this one because a teeny monster is just up my daughter's alley!
I don't usually do applique, so this was a learning experience for me. I used heat-n-bond to fuse almost everything, except the mouth I made from a folded piece of fabric so it would be a nice pocket for lost teeth and money:
The first tooth earned my daughter a rare $2 bill; I don't know if the Tooth Fairy will remain so flush with cash for the rest! ;P
Thursday, February 6, 2014
I won! Now to February...
Hello, loves!
I'm very glad to have gotten involved in the Lovely Year of Finishes -- and what a reinforcing surprise I got this week, when I got an email that I was one of January's winners! I'm going to pick out a pattern from SewBitterSweet designs. \o/!
And that just makes me want to set some goals for February! But first, I have to share this, my very first go at foundation paper piecing: A mug rug, all for me at my office!
And yes, that IS the same mug that Greg House used to drink from -- well, the same brand and color, anyway.
I'm very glad to have gotten involved in the Lovely Year of Finishes -- and what a reinforcing surprise I got this week, when I got an email that I was one of January's winners! I'm going to pick out a pattern from SewBitterSweet designs. \o/!
And that just makes me want to set some goals for February! But first, I have to share this, my very first go at foundation paper piecing: A mug rug, all for me at my office!
And yes, that IS the same mug that Greg House used to drink from -- well, the same brand and color, anyway.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Two Babies, Two Quilts!
This past fall, near the end of the semester, two of my colleagues in my department had babies! Within about a week of each other! SO of course, I took the excuse to make a couple of wee quilts. :)
The first quilt I finished I made using a kit that my own Z and Mr gifted me for Christmas, back when Z was 2 (she's 6 now, if that gives you an idea of how long this kit has been in my closet!):
Crayon Confusion
40" x 40"
The first quilt I finished I made using a kit that my own Z and Mr gifted me for Christmas, back when Z was 2 (she's 6 now, if that gives you an idea of how long this kit has been in my closet!):
Crayon Confusion
40" x 40"
Sunday, January 5, 2014
A finish and a goal
Hello, lovelies!
I've been sewing, but I haven't been talking about it much, alas! The semester went well, and I'm enjoying the lull in between by doing some more sewing. (I'm in Wisconsin, where we're hunkering down for some serious cold. What better way to deal than by quilting?)
First, a major finish to share! It's been done for a while now (since mid-October, 2013), but it's the biggest quilt I've yet made, a sizeable queen-size that we've been enjoying on our bed. Based on the Line Art pattern, I adapted it to a giant queen size and used Origins jelly rolls to make:
Forest in the Air
I don't use all the panels on my sewing table all that often, but for this beast, I did!
I'm also hoping to join in with the Lovely Year of Finishes for 2014 -- I think it'll be a great way to keep myself with some sewing momentum on a more regular basis!
So, for the month of January, I am hoping to finish this baby quilt, for one of my friends who recently had a new bundle of joy:
It's pin-basted and ready to quilt; I hope this will be a fun and speedy finish. I hope y'all are staying warm!
I've been sewing, but I haven't been talking about it much, alas! The semester went well, and I'm enjoying the lull in between by doing some more sewing. (I'm in Wisconsin, where we're hunkering down for some serious cold. What better way to deal than by quilting?)
First, a major finish to share! It's been done for a while now (since mid-October, 2013), but it's the biggest quilt I've yet made, a sizeable queen-size that we've been enjoying on our bed. Based on the Line Art pattern, I adapted it to a giant queen size and used Origins jelly rolls to make:
I don't use all the panels on my sewing table all that often, but for this beast, I did!
I'm also hoping to join in with the Lovely Year of Finishes for 2014 -- I think it'll be a great way to keep myself with some sewing momentum on a more regular basis!
So, for the month of January, I am hoping to finish this baby quilt, for one of my friends who recently had a new bundle of joy:
It's pin-basted and ready to quilt; I hope this will be a fun and speedy finish. I hope y'all are staying warm!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Finishes galore!
WOW -- when I decided to put energy into finishing quilts this year, I wasn't sure I'd get this many projects out of my closet, but I managed! In the past couple weeks I've finished one, and I've got photos of another that I finished back in March.
Here's the Kaleidoscope quilt, made as a top right along with Don't Call Me Betsy's Kaleidoscope QAL :
I'd had the top complete and hanging in my closet (for an embarrassing amount of time) before I decided I should just quilt it by checkbook and get it DONE. I'm so glad I did!
I love the stripy border, and the summer's other big project has been our deck. My husband has been hard at work on that, and I repainted our chairs. Sweet, eh?
The other big finish is the Quilt of Valor I've been working on -- although it's not quite ready to send, as I have a label issue that I'll need to address:
I really love how the quilting turned out on this one:
I've got a few more things in the works, but the queen-sized line art quilt is off to the quilters, and so my big projects are now mostly DONE! Which means I can start some NEW stuff.
...Yeah, this is going to be dangerous.
Linking up with:
Here's the Kaleidoscope quilt, made as a top right along with Don't Call Me Betsy's Kaleidoscope QAL :
I'd had the top complete and hanging in my closet (for an embarrassing amount of time) before I decided I should just quilt it by checkbook and get it DONE. I'm so glad I did!
I love the stripy border, and the summer's other big project has been our deck. My husband has been hard at work on that, and I repainted our chairs. Sweet, eh?
The other big finish is the Quilt of Valor I've been working on -- although it's not quite ready to send, as I have a label issue that I'll need to address:
I really love how the quilting turned out on this one:
I've got a few more things in the works, but the queen-sized line art quilt is off to the quilters, and so my big projects are now mostly DONE! Which means I can start some NEW stuff.
...Yeah, this is going to be dangerous.
Linking up with:
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
FINISH! YAY!
I had vowed, this year, in my head, that now I am getting back into sewing I need to finish some of the projects that have been weighing on my consciousness, and I'm pleased to announce that I've got one done!
Here it is, the Layer Cake QAL quilt: Dream Cheerful!
I wasn't 100% thrilled with the border, when I added it, but after I got it back from the quilter's I decided I liked it! The quilting really made the difference with this one.
I replaced a couple of the blocks in this one with blocks from other sources, and I love how they turned out. Here's a close-up of the quilting, which was done at Loose Threads in Milton.
The back is a cheater print, and I like how it turned out, along with the stripy binding.
It's going to its new home tomorrow. I'm so glad I finally got it done!
Here it is, the Layer Cake QAL quilt: Dream Cheerful!
I wasn't 100% thrilled with the border, when I added it, but after I got it back from the quilter's I decided I liked it! The quilting really made the difference with this one.
I replaced a couple of the blocks in this one with blocks from other sources, and I love how they turned out. Here's a close-up of the quilting, which was done at Loose Threads in Milton.
The back is a cheater print, and I like how it turned out, along with the stripy binding.
It's going to its new home tomorrow. I'm so glad I finally got it done!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Hello, everyone!
Yes, yes, it HAS been quiet over here -- I've been away from the sewing and the quilt-blog world for a while, now! But, I wanted to share my most recent projects, since I'm back in front of the machine now that school's done!
It has been a week of rainbows for me here. First up, a garbage bag dispenser for Z's kindergarten teacher (click the pictures for bigger):
I bought this charm pack of rainbow batiks for the charm hexagon quilt I'm working on, which meant I had 2.5x5" coins that worked perfectly for this little project! I am ridiculously pleased with how this turned out, and I hope Z's teacher likes it!
AND THEN!
I can't take credit for the idea for this (I first saw it here, where her pictures are far better than mine), but it's such a good idea I couldn't help but do it for myself! I finally bought a Kona color card, and then...I cut it up! *GASP*
It's OK! I velcro-ed it back together!
The board I used is a 24x30" canvas, and the lesson I learned is don't underestimate how much velcro you need! I ended up using almost 21 feet -- so if you want to do this yourself, go ahead and buy the 20-foot box, you'll save a little $ and a couple trips to the store. :P
I'm still busy with a bunch of WsIP -- most of which are still listed here -- but I'm done with the Kaleidoscope quilt and nearly done with two more, so my finish-fest is underway this year. SO, I'm hoping for more frequent updates soon!
I hope everyone's doing well?
Yes, yes, it HAS been quiet over here -- I've been away from the sewing and the quilt-blog world for a while, now! But, I wanted to share my most recent projects, since I'm back in front of the machine now that school's done!
It has been a week of rainbows for me here. First up, a garbage bag dispenser for Z's kindergarten teacher (click the pictures for bigger):
I bought this charm pack of rainbow batiks for the charm hexagon quilt I'm working on, which meant I had 2.5x5" coins that worked perfectly for this little project! I am ridiculously pleased with how this turned out, and I hope Z's teacher likes it!
AND THEN!
I can't take credit for the idea for this (I first saw it here, where her pictures are far better than mine), but it's such a good idea I couldn't help but do it for myself! I finally bought a Kona color card, and then...I cut it up! *GASP*
It's OK! I velcro-ed it back together!
The board I used is a 24x30" canvas, and the lesson I learned is don't underestimate how much velcro you need! I ended up using almost 21 feet -- so if you want to do this yourself, go ahead and buy the 20-foot box, you'll save a little $ and a couple trips to the store. :P
I'm still busy with a bunch of WsIP -- most of which are still listed here -- but I'm done with the Kaleidoscope quilt and nearly done with two more, so my finish-fest is underway this year. SO, I'm hoping for more frequent updates soon!
I hope everyone's doing well?
Friday, April 6, 2012
Pay It Forward! (And a tablet computer finds a home...)
Hello, everyone!
Valiantly as I may try, it appears during-the-school-year is a hard time for me to sew and blog about it! So, I apologize for the radio silence, from here, and I'd like to note that it's likely to continue being quiet here until May, after finals are over!
But I *have* managed to get a little sewing done, to wit (click the pictures for bigger):
A tablet case! Yes, I finally, finally decided to buy a tablet computer -- long have I been tempted, but I resisted because I don't really need it. But! I'm going to be doing a big project over the summer and will get an extra stipend for it, plus I got tenure (finally!), so, Sid the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime has come home!
It's like an iPad, but running Android OS, which I'm finding I like quite a lot. Like my and my mom's Kindle cases, Sid's case is lined with flannel from one of my daughter's old receiving blankets. And the backside:
I used this tutorial at Sew Mama Sew, and you can see I didn't include the pocket. I like that tute a lot!
PLUS!
I received a lovely infinity cowl from Hollie at The Undercover Crafter, as part of a Pay It Forward:
Wonderful, isn't it? Thank you, so much, Hollie!
What's the idea behind a crafty Pay It Forward? It's simple! I have one year from when Hollie sent me my gift, and I will be making handmade gifts for three people who comment here. You won't know when you'll get it, but one day, you'll open your mailbox and you'll have something fun! Each recipient, in turn, would commit to then sending along handmade gifts to three more people, and lo, the cheer will spread everywhere!
So, I'll be using the random number generator to pick three lucky people -- please, only one comment per person! Anybody want to play?
Valiantly as I may try, it appears during-the-school-year is a hard time for me to sew and blog about it! So, I apologize for the radio silence, from here, and I'd like to note that it's likely to continue being quiet here until May, after finals are over!
But I *have* managed to get a little sewing done, to wit (click the pictures for bigger):
A tablet case! Yes, I finally, finally decided to buy a tablet computer -- long have I been tempted, but I resisted because I don't really need it. But! I'm going to be doing a big project over the summer and will get an extra stipend for it, plus I got tenure (finally!), so, Sid the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime has come home!
It's like an iPad, but running Android OS, which I'm finding I like quite a lot. Like my and my mom's Kindle cases, Sid's case is lined with flannel from one of my daughter's old receiving blankets. And the backside:
I used this tutorial at Sew Mama Sew, and you can see I didn't include the pocket. I like that tute a lot!
PLUS!
I received a lovely infinity cowl from Hollie at The Undercover Crafter, as part of a Pay It Forward:
Wonderful, isn't it? Thank you, so much, Hollie!
What's the idea behind a crafty Pay It Forward? It's simple! I have one year from when Hollie sent me my gift, and I will be making handmade gifts for three people who comment here. You won't know when you'll get it, but one day, you'll open your mailbox and you'll have something fun! Each recipient, in turn, would commit to then sending along handmade gifts to three more people, and lo, the cheer will spread everywhere!
So, I'll be using the random number generator to pick three lucky people -- please, only one comment per person! Anybody want to play?
Friday, January 20, 2012
It's Back: FNSI
The Friday Night Sew-In is TONIGHT, yay!
I'm a little on the late side, but I'm in! I'm going to try and get some real headway on my sampler quilts: Either sewing the sashing for the Quilt of Valor, or getting all the corners on the sashing for the Dream On quilt. Decisions, decisions...
There's still time to sign up and come sew tonight!
I'm a little on the late side, but I'm in! I'm going to try and get some real headway on my sampler quilts: Either sewing the sashing for the Quilt of Valor, or getting all the corners on the sashing for the Dream On quilt. Decisions, decisions...
There's still time to sign up and come sew tonight!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Kindle madness!
Ahoy!
So I gifted my mom with a new Kindle for her birthday, back in December, and after playing with it while we were visiting over the holidays, we decided we needed one, too. I really like reading on it -- it's very easy on the eyes! (Although the instant gratification of purchasing books over the wifi can be dangerous, indeed!)
And of course I want to carry it with me, so I needed to make a case. And then I needed to make one for Mom, too! (Click each picture to make it bigger, with much more detail...)
I used this tutorial at the Sometimes Crafter, and I had to adapt the size for the new Kindles. To get the shape for the flap, I printed the template and used the highly scientific method of folding and scrunching the paper (and growling at it) until it was big enough, since I didn't have access to a photocopier to shrink the template. *g*
For our Kindle case (the first two pictures), I used some leftover Origins jelly roll strips and the lining is one of my daughter's flannel receiving blankets -- I really like the way the flannel is so soft on the Kindle.
I decided that the first case was a little big, so I made Mom's rainbow case smaller, although the next one should be a hair bigger. The rainbow is from a Kona brights charm pack, and the gray is Bella stone. And I had a much longer rainbow than I needed, so I used the leftover to make a mug rug to match!
Linking with:
So I gifted my mom with a new Kindle for her birthday, back in December, and after playing with it while we were visiting over the holidays, we decided we needed one, too. I really like reading on it -- it's very easy on the eyes! (Although the instant gratification of purchasing books over the wifi can be dangerous, indeed!)
And of course I want to carry it with me, so I needed to make a case. And then I needed to make one for Mom, too! (Click each picture to make it bigger, with much more detail...)
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
I used this tutorial at the Sometimes Crafter, and I had to adapt the size for the new Kindles. To get the shape for the flap, I printed the template and used the highly scientific method of folding and scrunching the paper (and growling at it) until it was big enough, since I didn't have access to a photocopier to shrink the template. *g*
For our Kindle case (the first two pictures), I used some leftover Origins jelly roll strips and the lining is one of my daughter's flannel receiving blankets -- I really like the way the flannel is so soft on the Kindle.
I decided that the first case was a little big, so I made Mom's rainbow case smaller, although the next one should be a hair bigger. The rainbow is from a Kona brights charm pack, and the gray is Bella stone. And I had a much longer rainbow than I needed, so I used the leftover to make a mug rug to match!
Linking with:
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
WIP Wednesday and the Finish-a-Long
Good morning!
I've been on impromptu hiatus for so long I surprised even myself, but I'm glad to have a WIP Wednesday to help get back into the swing of things! And even better, this can also serve as my linky post for the first quarter of Rhonda's Finish-a-Long Party, which is a great idea! I encourage y'all to link up, if you've got a WIP or two in your closet that's making you anxious...
So, what do I want to finish in the next couple months? How about this:
This is going to be a Quilt of Valor--I've got all 12 blocks sewn, and now it's on to the sashing and borders!
And I'd also like to get this one to its person:
I just finished the last block for this, too--this is my Layer Cake QAL quilt (with two substitutions), and the sashing is a bit more fancy for this one, so that's the next step.
The next major finish-it goal, and this one's going to cheer up our living room:
The Kaleidoscope quilt! I know the picture is from August, but that is honestly the last time it got looked at--it's ready to baste and quilt, and I'm nervous about free-motioning it myself but I'm also rather looking forward to it as I know I can only get better from where I am!
And the last thing to finish:
The all-by-hand spring wallhanging! So far the quilting is going swimmingly, especially now that I have my glider chair in a location with excellent light and I can quilt very comfortably. It would be fabulous to have the spring wallhanging up during springtime!
And don't forget to link up with Lee's WIP Wednesday and check out the other fabulous in-progress projects...
The WsIP stats:
New projects: 0
Completed projects: 0
In progress: 9
I've been on impromptu hiatus for so long I surprised even myself, but I'm glad to have a WIP Wednesday to help get back into the swing of things! And even better, this can also serve as my linky post for the first quarter of Rhonda's Finish-a-Long Party, which is a great idea! I encourage y'all to link up, if you've got a WIP or two in your closet that's making you anxious...
So, what do I want to finish in the next couple months? How about this:
This is going to be a Quilt of Valor--I've got all 12 blocks sewn, and now it's on to the sashing and borders!
And I'd also like to get this one to its person:
I just finished the last block for this, too--this is my Layer Cake QAL quilt (with two substitutions), and the sashing is a bit more fancy for this one, so that's the next step.
The next major finish-it goal, and this one's going to cheer up our living room:
The Kaleidoscope quilt! I know the picture is from August, but that is honestly the last time it got looked at--it's ready to baste and quilt, and I'm nervous about free-motioning it myself but I'm also rather looking forward to it as I know I can only get better from where I am!
And the last thing to finish:
The all-by-hand spring wallhanging! So far the quilting is going swimmingly, especially now that I have my glider chair in a location with excellent light and I can quilt very comfortably. It would be fabulous to have the spring wallhanging up during springtime!
And don't forget to link up with Lee's WIP Wednesday and check out the other fabulous in-progress projects...
The WsIP stats:
New projects: 0
Completed projects: 0
In progress: 9
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year and a belated giveaway announcement
Hello, lovelies!
It's been many moons since I even logged on--suffice to say my semester got away from me and my sewing room got a bit dusty--but now that the semester's over I can breathe again and I'm back! I have a very belated congratulations to my giveaway winners, A.J. Dub for the hexagons and Lesly for the Luna FQs! Hooray, and thanks for stopping by my giveaway post!
I *do* have some progress to report: This past week, I've been clipping along on my hand-quilting and have gotten closer to finishing the two sampler quilts I've got going. To wit:
Block 11 for the Quilt of Valor. I'll be so excited to get this done!
And blocks 10 and 11 for the Layer Cake Quilt-Along quilt! Block 10 is the second block I decided to substitute, and the pattern is Love in a Mist from Modify Tradition. I love, love, love how this block turned out, but I wouldn't want to make a whole quilt of them, because hot diggety, that was a lot of HSTs for one block. ARGH.
The sashing fabric for the Dream On quilt is a solid orange--which to me feels rather bold!--so I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks put together.
As for the new year: I would like to finish the major quilts I've got in my queue: The two sampler quilts, my kaleidoscope quilt (which I need to baste and then I'm going to free-motion it myself: intimidating), and the queen-sized quilt for our bed. I have a couple of kits that I'm keen to get to, finally, and I'd like to get the seasonal wallhangings actually on the wall this year!
So we'll see how that goes...
It's been many moons since I even logged on--suffice to say my semester got away from me and my sewing room got a bit dusty--but now that the semester's over I can breathe again and I'm back! I have a very belated congratulations to my giveaway winners, A.J. Dub for the hexagons and Lesly for the Luna FQs! Hooray, and thanks for stopping by my giveaway post!
I *do* have some progress to report: This past week, I've been clipping along on my hand-quilting and have gotten closer to finishing the two sampler quilts I've got going. To wit:
Block 11 for the Quilt of Valor. I'll be so excited to get this done!
And blocks 10 and 11 for the Layer Cake Quilt-Along quilt! Block 10 is the second block I decided to substitute, and the pattern is Love in a Mist from Modify Tradition. I love, love, love how this block turned out, but I wouldn't want to make a whole quilt of them, because hot diggety, that was a lot of HSTs for one block. ARGH.
The sashing fabric for the Dream On quilt is a solid orange--which to me feels rather bold!--so I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks put together.
As for the new year: I would like to finish the major quilts I've got in my queue: The two sampler quilts, my kaleidoscope quilt (which I need to baste and then I'm going to free-motion it myself: intimidating), and the queen-sized quilt for our bed. I have a couple of kits that I'm keen to get to, finally, and I'd like to get the seasonal wallhangings actually on the wall this year!
So we'll see how that goes...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Surprise! There's actually progress!
Hello, lovelies!
It doesn't feel like I've been doing a lot of sewing since last Wednesday, but when I take stock of it, I've been clipping along! I have almost all the hexies sewn together for my Kona solids challenge mini-quilt, and I've started putting rows together for my kaleidoscope quilt. I'm a little intimidated to quilt it, but I won't ever get it done if I don't tackle it, right?
I've also been sneaking a half-hour here and there to work on my hand-quilting on the spring wallhanging. I finally got the right size needles and I feel like I'm getting the hang of it, and it's going faster than I'd thought--I'm already at the point where I need to move my hoop!
I spray-basted this, and so far the quilting is going smoothly. I keep having to stop and pet the quilted parts, though!
Just a reminder: I'm offering two fabulous prizes in my first-blogiversary giveaway, and entries are easy! Stop in on the giveaway post to enter--the giveaway closes on Saturday, so you've still got plenty of time!
The WsIP stats:
New projects: 0
Completed projects: 0
In progress: 9
It doesn't feel like I've been doing a lot of sewing since last Wednesday, but when I take stock of it, I've been clipping along! I have almost all the hexies sewn together for my Kona solids challenge mini-quilt, and I've started putting rows together for my kaleidoscope quilt. I'm a little intimidated to quilt it, but I won't ever get it done if I don't tackle it, right?
I've also been sneaking a half-hour here and there to work on my hand-quilting on the spring wallhanging. I finally got the right size needles and I feel like I'm getting the hang of it, and it's going faster than I'd thought--I'm already at the point where I need to move my hoop!
I spray-basted this, and so far the quilting is going smoothly. I keep having to stop and pet the quilted parts, though!
Just a reminder: I'm offering two fabulous prizes in my first-blogiversary giveaway, and entries are easy! Stop in on the giveaway post to enter--the giveaway closes on Saturday, so you've still got plenty of time!
The WsIP stats:
New projects: 0
Completed projects: 0
In progress: 9
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Happy Blogiversary to Me!
One year ago today, I decided to start my own little quilting blog: so I could comment, and join the community, and keep track of my own slow-poke projects.
It's been quite a year--I initially got back into quilting (after a six-year absence) to deal with an incredibly stressful tenure situation (which isn't resolved, but that's neither here nor there). I have found a lot of inspiration, community, and satisfaction in the online quilt-o-sphere, and what better way to celebrate that than with a giveaway of my own?
I'm going to be giving away TWO--that's right, TWO--fabulous prizes!
Number one:
I have some leftover bits from my Kona challenge classic charm pack--I have a stack of 2 1/2-inch squares that I don't have plans for, so: For this prize, I will baste those squares into 1-inch hexagons before I send them along, and you'll get a rainbow stack of hexagons ready for a project! Just like this one:
Number two:
My LQS always has some treasures that are out-of-print, and this one is no exception. For this prize, I'm offering one yard of fabric--four fat quarters of Luna II by Maywood Studios. These luscious chocolates will make a delicious little treat, or a lovely addition to your stash!
You'll get one chance to enter for each prize--I'll keep separate lists and use a random-number generator to pick the winners. To enter, comment and tell me what you'd like to do with each prize: for example, if you tell me you'd like to make a mug rug out of the hexagon prize, that counts as an entry on the hexagon list!
If you'd like to enter for both prizes, you can include your plans in a single comment. (I'm using 'plans' quite loosely, here--if your immediate plans include nothing more than petting the pretty fabric, that counts!)
I'd appreciate if y'all would spread the news of my little giveaway--or not, if you want a better chance of winning! *g*
The giveaway will close on Saturday, August 27th, at midnight CST. Please make sure you aren't a no-reply blogger, or if you are, please leave an email address where I can contact you to arrange for your prize.
A big thank-you to everyone who has made this year a good quilty one for me, and I'm looking forward to next year!
It's been quite a year--I initially got back into quilting (after a six-year absence) to deal with an incredibly stressful tenure situation (which isn't resolved, but that's neither here nor there). I have found a lot of inspiration, community, and satisfaction in the online quilt-o-sphere, and what better way to celebrate that than with a giveaway of my own?
I'm going to be giving away TWO--that's right, TWO--fabulous prizes!
Number one:
I have some leftover bits from my Kona challenge classic charm pack--I have a stack of 2 1/2-inch squares that I don't have plans for, so: For this prize, I will baste those squares into 1-inch hexagons before I send them along, and you'll get a rainbow stack of hexagons ready for a project! Just like this one:
Number two:
My LQS always has some treasures that are out-of-print, and this one is no exception. For this prize, I'm offering one yard of fabric--four fat quarters of Luna II by Maywood Studios. These luscious chocolates will make a delicious little treat, or a lovely addition to your stash!
You'll get one chance to enter for each prize--I'll keep separate lists and use a random-number generator to pick the winners. To enter, comment and tell me what you'd like to do with each prize: for example, if you tell me you'd like to make a mug rug out of the hexagon prize, that counts as an entry on the hexagon list!
If you'd like to enter for both prizes, you can include your plans in a single comment. (I'm using 'plans' quite loosely, here--if your immediate plans include nothing more than petting the pretty fabric, that counts!)
I'd appreciate if y'all would spread the news of my little giveaway--or not, if you want a better chance of winning! *g*
The giveaway will close on Saturday, August 27th, at midnight CST. Please make sure you aren't a no-reply blogger, or if you are, please leave an email address where I can contact you to arrange for your prize.
A big thank-you to everyone who has made this year a good quilty one for me, and I'm looking forward to next year!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Why yes, I do enjoy starting new projects!
...although I'm trying to finish some, too?
I haven't been sewing as much as I thought I would, lately, but I am feeling the end of summer fast approaching and have missed chatting fabric, so I thought I'd stop in and share what I have been doing. Which isn't so much finishing as it is starting new projects!
At the beginning of August we traveled north to visit my brother and his family, and since I finished the piecing on the spring wallhanging, of course I needed another hand-piecing project, right? So just before we left I cut the batik fabric I'd bought (ahem, six years ago) for the autumn wallhanging, and while on the trip I pieced almost half the blocks I need!
I starched my fabric before cutting it, and I'm unsure if I like hand piecing the starched fabric. We'll see how it turns out!
I've also started hand-quilting on the spring wallhanging, but so far I don't really have enough to show you. I think my stitches are horribly large, but I'll get it figured out by the time I'm done with the quilt. And the kaleidoscope quilt didn't get finished in time for the quilt-along prizes, but I'm getting close--the rows are complete, and the top is almost together!
And last but not least--the other new project! My guild (the Rock River Modern Quilt Guild) got some charm packs of Kona solids and we're challenged to make something with it--here's how far I am right now:
I already know the name for this one, and it's going to be a mini quilt for my sewing room wall. I'm very excited, as I'm really feeling like I'm designing this one, all by myself. (I really should identify which Kona solids are which, as it would be like having a 'color card' on my wall. *g*)
This is my 50th post, and I see that my one-year blogiversary is coming up on August 22--I'll be posting a giveaway that day, so make sure you stop by to check it out! :)
The WsIP stats:
New projects: 2
Completed projects: 0
In progress: 9
I haven't been sewing as much as I thought I would, lately, but I am feeling the end of summer fast approaching and have missed chatting fabric, so I thought I'd stop in and share what I have been doing. Which isn't so much finishing as it is starting new projects!
At the beginning of August we traveled north to visit my brother and his family, and since I finished the piecing on the spring wallhanging, of course I needed another hand-piecing project, right? So just before we left I cut the batik fabric I'd bought (ahem, six years ago) for the autumn wallhanging, and while on the trip I pieced almost half the blocks I need!
I starched my fabric before cutting it, and I'm unsure if I like hand piecing the starched fabric. We'll see how it turns out!
I've also started hand-quilting on the spring wallhanging, but so far I don't really have enough to show you. I think my stitches are horribly large, but I'll get it figured out by the time I'm done with the quilt. And the kaleidoscope quilt didn't get finished in time for the quilt-along prizes, but I'm getting close--the rows are complete, and the top is almost together!
And last but not least--the other new project! My guild (the Rock River Modern Quilt Guild) got some charm packs of Kona solids and we're challenged to make something with it--here's how far I am right now:
I already know the name for this one, and it's going to be a mini quilt for my sewing room wall. I'm very excited, as I'm really feeling like I'm designing this one, all by myself. (I really should identify which Kona solids are which, as it would be like having a 'color card' on my wall. *g*)
This is my 50th post, and I see that my one-year blogiversary is coming up on August 22--I'll be posting a giveaway that day, so make sure you stop by to check it out! :)
The WsIP stats:
New projects: 2
Completed projects: 0
In progress: 9
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sewing Ironically
Hello, lovelies!
This week saw me at an online-teaching workshop (to help me learn how to teach online courses), and our typical schedule allowed an hour for lunch--which, in true professorial fashion, meant we would sit around talking. So naturally, I brought my sewing (I'm putting the final borders on the spring wallhanging, and oh, what a joy to sew such long seams!).
At one point another young prof said something about a thing she'd like to do in one of her classes that was a bit outside the norm and many of us laughed about it being scandalous. I did a whole 'clutching my pearls' gesture--which caused a bigger uproar when J pointed out that I did it complete with a thimble on my finger!
He backpedaled a bit, saying that I know I look like an old lady while sewing, so it's okay: I'm sewing ironically.
Which then sidetracked the whole table into a discussion of how 'old lady' crafts are making a big comeback among our generation. I got to talk about how my tattoo-artist younger brother knits his own socks--and no, I have no clue how he does it. He has a bunch of little needles and giant meaty hands, it's just amazing to watch. :)
What do y'all think? Does it ever bother you that the 'image' of the craft is solidly in 'grandma' territory? (Of course, if you are of the 'stereotypical quilter' generation, do you feel hemmed in [ahaha, punny! *groans*] by expectations?)
As for me, I feel quite proud to be carrying on this tradition, and learning how to make such beautiful things with my hands. And I can get so much done, even while chatting with friends--I kind of wished I could sew while in session, too. :) I kind of feel sorry for my students who give me weird looks when I mention that I quilt, like they don't understand the satisfaction that comes from creating something.
Here's a finished project! This little counted cross-stitch took me forever to actually complete. The fabric is ivory, and the pale pink and pale ivory half-stitches were impossible for me to see what I was doing unless I was practically in sunlight, so I stalled at several points. Ah, well, it's done now! And looks lovely on my wall.
Linking up with:
This week saw me at an online-teaching workshop (to help me learn how to teach online courses), and our typical schedule allowed an hour for lunch--which, in true professorial fashion, meant we would sit around talking. So naturally, I brought my sewing (I'm putting the final borders on the spring wallhanging, and oh, what a joy to sew such long seams!).
At one point another young prof said something about a thing she'd like to do in one of her classes that was a bit outside the norm and many of us laughed about it being scandalous. I did a whole 'clutching my pearls' gesture--which caused a bigger uproar when J pointed out that I did it complete with a thimble on my finger!
He backpedaled a bit, saying that I know I look like an old lady while sewing, so it's okay: I'm sewing ironically.
Which then sidetracked the whole table into a discussion of how 'old lady' crafts are making a big comeback among our generation. I got to talk about how my tattoo-artist younger brother knits his own socks--and no, I have no clue how he does it. He has a bunch of little needles and giant meaty hands, it's just amazing to watch. :)
What do y'all think? Does it ever bother you that the 'image' of the craft is solidly in 'grandma' territory? (Of course, if you are of the 'stereotypical quilter' generation, do you feel hemmed in [ahaha, punny! *groans*] by expectations?)
As for me, I feel quite proud to be carrying on this tradition, and learning how to make such beautiful things with my hands. And I can get so much done, even while chatting with friends--I kind of wished I could sew while in session, too. :) I kind of feel sorry for my students who give me weird looks when I mention that I quilt, like they don't understand the satisfaction that comes from creating something.
Here's a finished project! This little counted cross-stitch took me forever to actually complete. The fabric is ivory, and the pale pink and pale ivory half-stitches were impossible for me to see what I was doing unless I was practically in sunlight, so I stalled at several points. Ah, well, it's done now! And looks lovely on my wall.
Linking up with:
Friday, July 15, 2011
Value in Repetition
Hello, lovelies!
I figured I'd reveal my Super Secret Sewing Project once it arrived at its destination, and today I heard that the package made it safely, so: Here it is! (Click for bigger!)
These are comfort pillows for a dear friend who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's headed in for surgery on Monday, and I hope she finds these useful and cheering! (The bone-shaped pillow is from this pattern on Connecting Threads, the bird is from this pattern by Pillow and Maxfield. The rectangular one was half-mistake, half-late-night-crazed-inspiration, and I really like the baffling baffled box pillow I ended up with. *g*)
I also attended a Rock River Modern Quilt Guild meeting this week, and had a lovely time chatting with everyone! Jeanne of Grey Cat Quilts talked about being in a 'sampler quilt mood,' as opposed to making the very same block over and over, and it got me to thinking.
Sampler quilts can be a lot of fun--I'm in the middle of my first two, right now, and it's nifty doing so many different blocks! There also seem to be lots of sampler quilt-a-longs going on in blogland right now, which is also great.
But.
I think there's a lot of value in doing the very same block over and over, too, especially for beginning quilters. (I think Jeanne's a long way from a beginner, let me be clear!)
For me, I don't think my skills particularly improve in one block, but across many--I would be far less confident with my kaleidoscope quilt if I hadn't had sixty-seven blocks of pinwheel practice with my Tweetygigs quilt. I'm finding my kaleidoscope blocks are getting better, too, and I'm only a third of the way through putting them together.
So I urge you, if you're a beginning-to-intermediate quilter, not to dismiss single-block quilts. Sometimes repetition really is the best way to learn!
(Linked with Fabric Tuesday, check out all the goodies there, too!)
I figured I'd reveal my Super Secret Sewing Project once it arrived at its destination, and today I heard that the package made it safely, so: Here it is! (Click for bigger!)
 |  |
 |  |
These are comfort pillows for a dear friend who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's headed in for surgery on Monday, and I hope she finds these useful and cheering! (The bone-shaped pillow is from this pattern on Connecting Threads, the bird is from this pattern by Pillow and Maxfield. The rectangular one was half-mistake, half-late-night-crazed-inspiration, and I really like the baffling baffled box pillow I ended up with. *g*)
I also attended a Rock River Modern Quilt Guild meeting this week, and had a lovely time chatting with everyone! Jeanne of Grey Cat Quilts talked about being in a 'sampler quilt mood,' as opposed to making the very same block over and over, and it got me to thinking.
Sampler quilts can be a lot of fun--I'm in the middle of my first two, right now, and it's nifty doing so many different blocks! There also seem to be lots of sampler quilt-a-longs going on in blogland right now, which is also great.
But.
I think there's a lot of value in doing the very same block over and over, too, especially for beginning quilters. (I think Jeanne's a long way from a beginner, let me be clear!)
For me, I don't think my skills particularly improve in one block, but across many--I would be far less confident with my kaleidoscope quilt if I hadn't had sixty-seven blocks of pinwheel practice with my Tweetygigs quilt. I'm finding my kaleidoscope blocks are getting better, too, and I'm only a third of the way through putting them together.
So I urge you, if you're a beginning-to-intermediate quilter, not to dismiss single-block quilts. Sometimes repetition really is the best way to learn!
(Linked with Fabric Tuesday, check out all the goodies there, too!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)