Stash and Sew

Owl Be Yours

2012-01-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

I made these for my sister-in-law for her birthday. She loves owls.
I had seen something similar at Kohls and thought, "I could make those." I embroidered the words with my machine, which was super easy. I don't know why I've never tried it before. I liked them so much I made a set for me. I told my sister-in-law I'll make her another towel with two owls and put on it, "I love my hooters." Too much? Maybe. Maybe not.

Valentine Sweetie

2012-01-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

A teacher at my school is having a baby girl. She's due in February- the perfect opportunity for a quilt in yummy pinks and chocolate browns. Her shower was last week Thursday but I just couldn't get it done by then- I finished a day late. But I decided to hold onto it through the weekend to get some pictures of it.
Wisconsin winters are so gray- blehk! I can handle the cold- it's the grayness that wears me down. But Saturday was sunny and gorgeous! So I tramped into the back yard with my snow boots and camera. The neighbors probably think I'm screwy hanging quilts on the fence in the dead of winter.
The pattern was Sweet Pea from Camille's Simplify.
Love Love Love this book. Eye candy galore! For more lovelies, go browse through her blog.
I hope mom and baby love this quilt as much as I do- it's hard to part with all those yummy valentine colors- makes me want to eat one of these cupcakes. Deelish!!

Puppy Quilt

2012-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

I had quite a bit of puppy fabric left over from this quilt.
So I used what I had left for my cousin's baby shower. She's having a boy, which gave me a reason to use what was left.
A simple design that shows off those cute puppies.

Pre- Halloween Fun

2011-10-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I cranked out Dorothy's costume in a day- something I hope to never have to do again! (Every year I promise myself I'll get started ahead of time and every year-well, you know what happens!) I used this pattern from Simplicity (4139), and I have to say when I first looked at the number of steps I was a bit nervous. But the directions were so clear, it went together very easily.
And Dorothy was all ready for her costume dance Friday night- ruby slippers and all!
Saturday night it was pizza mummies.
So yummy- they were scary!

October Love

2011-10-02T07:19:00.001-07:00

October has got to be one of my favorite months of the year.

Besides my obvious love for Halloween,
I love the weather- cool but sunny.
And I love the sound of the leaves crunching under foot.
And I love the fall colors- the oranges, yellows and reds.
And of course- witchy green :)

Alpaca

2011-09-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

I bought this yarn from Shady Haven's Fiber Designs at the state fair this past August. Love. It is so soft. It's hand dyed and the colors are gorgeous.

Some-Bunny Loves You

2011-09-17T09:07:00.001-07:00

I made this bunny for a little girl who hasn't been feeling very well. Her mom is my daughter's dance teacher. I got the pattern here.
She's all ready to give big cheerful hugs!

Completed Log Cabin Baby

2011-08-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

The Log Cabin Baby quilt for a friend of mine due in October is finished!
I am so ahead of the game for this fall. But it's back to work next week so that feeling will be short lived, for sure.
I have to admit that I love the piecing process much more than the machine quilting process. If I had my ideal, I'd probably hand quilt most of my projects- it's what I did before kids. But at this point of my life the time factor plays a huge role in what I choose to do.
So machine quilting it is.
The binding is on and it's ready to be given away when the time comes.

Log Cabin Baby

2011-08-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the color scheme I've chosen for the log cabin baby quilt.
That floral fabric on the left was the jumping off point for the colors.
I really do enjoy choosing the fabrics and I even like the cutting of all the pieces. But now comes the really fun part- arranging all the blocks.

Yo Yo Quilt Top

2011-08-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Yo Yo Quilt Top is finished! I had to sew all those yo-yos to the last row. Whew! I've got the batting and the backing and now need to pin it.

But before I do that I need to get to work on that log cabin baby quilt.

August Already?

2011-08-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

How did August get here so fast? It's amazing how quickly summer flies by.
We've been enjoying lots of juicy watermelon this past week.
And now we're off to enjoy a few days away with lots of sun and swimming.

Going Yo-Yo

2011-07-29T07:52:00.001-07:00

I am almost done with the quilt for my daughter- one row to go. The quilt needs 27 yo-yos.
Let me just say that I know some people love making yo-yos. I don't. I procrastinated making these until I absolutely had to. It took me a good part of the day.
After I put the kids to bed I still had 5 to go, so I bit the bullet and finished them. Am I glad they are DONE! Maybe I'd enjoy the process more if I was just making them for fun, not to finish a quilt. Mmmm- maybe not.
Here's a sneak peak at the quilt. Not much more to do now that the yo-yos are DONE!
Did I mention how glad I am that they are DONE!!! :)

Log Cabin Inspiration

2011-07-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

1. Quilt Dad 2. Ellis and Higgs 3. Red Pepper Quilts 4. Canadian Living

It's a Girl!

2011-07-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from work is due with her third child in September. Her first two were boys, but this time around, it's a girl!
So I thought she needed a very girlie quilt- with lots of pinks and purples.

I had some leftover pieces, so I pieced the back like this.

Another friend from work is due in October with her second girl. I made this quilt for her first daughter. I've been playing with my fabrics to think of what to do the second time around. Log cabin maybe?

In the meantime, while I mull it over, I've been working another UFO- a quilt for my daughter. It's applique and I used my machine's blanket stitch. I have to admit, I love the the process of getting the applique pieces ready- the tracing and cutting and ironing. But I get bored with stitching all that blanket stitch. It takes FOREVER! And I usually end up taking a "break" that lasts like, years instead of days. But Claire has been begging me to finish it, so that's the motivation I needed. I'm almost done, so pictures to come soon.

Happy Stitching!

Cork Wedges

2011-07-22T06:40:00.001-07:00

I've been shopping for some cork wedges to wear this summer. Love these from Steve Madden.
And these from Nordstrom's. Love the buckle!
But I went to Target yesterday and I found these on clearance for $6.24. Come to Momma! I especially love these because of the color- a pop of red is always fun- and they will take me right into fall since they're more of a shoe than a sandal. Don't you love it when you find an awesome deal?

Paisley Blue

2011-07-21T06:21:00.001-07:00

I can finally check this UFO off my list. I started this quilt years ago. It was a quilt kit from Joanne Fabrics. I fell in love with the colors and started buying the blocks. Unfortunately I only got 9 of the 12 blocks. I searched far and wide but the final 3 I could not get my hands on.
Every summer I go through my UFOs and decide which ones I still want to finish. I had contemplated getting rid of the thing altogether. It just needed the borders.
But when we bought some new living room furniture I realized this would go perfectly with our new couch and chairs. So I bit the bullet and finished it fast. I'm really glad I did. I've renamed it Paisley Blue since (1) I love that fabric in the quilt and (2) I can't remember the name and I don't really feel like taking the time to search it out.

Happy Sewing!

4th Celebration

2011-07-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

There's something about the 4th of July that really makes me crave red, white and blue.
I made this tablecloth- the perfect red big gingham check for the holiday. And the napkins- what says 4th of July more than cherries? And I have always loved cobalt blue in the kitchen.
I picked up this plain blue dress from Walmart, believe it or not, for $14.
Then I added a red fabric flower and a grosgrain ribbon and voila- a perfect outfit for the holiday.
Here's my girl! She had to march in 2 parades. See those pink cheeks? She loved it!
And my boy, who had to sit through 2 parades- but don't let him fool you- he loved it as well, or at least, he loved all the candy that was thrown his way!

Hope you had a Happy 4th as well.

I'm In Love

2011-07-02T18:58:00.001-07:00

With this gal- Sarah Richardson. I absolutely love her design style. I've been watching her since Room Service, which, by the way, has photos and info on all the old episodes online here. And I watch Design Inc as well. But my latest obsession has been with this:
I love this quilt- I've always wanted to do a red and white quilt, but haven't...yet. For those who don't know Sarah, she recently had a series, Sarah's Summer House, in which she renevated her cottage getaway. The episodes can be found on HGTV here. I've watched them over and over- I play them while I'm sewing.
And really, who wouldn't be obsessed with the notion of (1) owning a cottage getaway and (2) having the resources and skills to completely remodel and decorate the entire thing. The fabrics she shows in the episodes are to die for!!
And seriously, take a look at the bathroom- a marble floor. And it doesn't show in the photo but go see the episode- she puts this stone tile on the shower floor- it's like a foot massage every time you shower!

P.S. I love how the Canadians say "progress" with a long "o" sound- don't know why, but I do!

Star Light Star Bright

2011-06-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

I made this quilt for a special little boy who's been dealing with some tough stuff.
I think the bright yellows, oranges, blues and greens are cheerful colors.
And stars always bring hope that wishes will come true.
Our thoughts and prayers and with Charlie and his family.

June Showers Finally Bring Flowers

2011-06-25T08:02:00.001-07:00

The month of June thus far has been gloomy, wet and cold. Depressing, really. Today was the first day we've seen the sun in over a week.

To celebrate, I took some outdoor photos of the flower applique quilt I finished (after starting it like 4 years ago!).

Let's hope this sunny, warm weather is here to stay for the rest of the summer!

Make Up Bag

2011-06-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

I made this bag from this book. The fabric is from Jo-ann Fabrics. I used the interfacing called for in the book, but because I used quilting cotton instead of a heavy weight, it didn't have as much body as I would have liked for a bag with that much shape.

A Work in Progress

2011-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

I am working on revamping- something I've wanted to do for a long time but just always put it to the bottom of my "to do" pile.

So please, pardon my mess as I redo, and learn along the way.

Fall Patterns

2009-09-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

I ordered these two items from Fig Tree & Co and they are in the mail to me! After making those apples I saw the above pumpkin and had to have this kit. So cute! I can't wait- don't you just love getting presents in the mail?

I started this jacket, style E a couple weeks ago. Haven't done anything since. I've got the collar and sleeves to put on it yet.
I'm making this above costume for Claire for Halloween. I've cut out the dress and apron and hope to get some done this long Labor Day weekend.

Happy First Day of School

2009-08-31T18:46:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the kids. I made some patchwork apples for Matthew's teacher and some of my close friends at school. (with a few extra for me)

They were easy to make. I first cut the fabric in random sqaures, rectangles and triangles and then sewed the peices together until I had the size I needed. Then I folded the fabric right sides together and cut out an apple shape.

I sewed down the side and across the bottom and turned it right side out. I gathered the top and then, using a long embroidery needle, thread down through the bottom and then up through the top a time or two to pull the apple in. I used a golf tee for the stem and made a small leaf and tacked it to the top near the stem.

Claire and I made cookies as a thank you to our school secretaries. The first weeks of school are always pure chaos for them and they always manage to stay smiling through it all.

A girl needs her apron.

Pouring in the chocolate chips...

And the greatest reward for helping mom... a lick of cookie dough!

Summer Fun Review

2009-08-22T19:02:00.001-07:00

A photo review of summer fun we had this year. Tomorrow is our last day of vacation. It's on to another school year- Matthew as a third grader and Claire one step closer to kindergarten. But for now, we remember when our days were filled with ......

sand castle building...
getting feet wet in Lake Michigan (brrrr!)...

enjoying the view...
carnival birthday celebrating...

drying off after sprinkler chasing....

keeping the ball from the dog...

and eating veggies from the farmer's market.

It was a fun summer!

Last Minute Sewing

2009-08-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

Only a few short days left of our summer vacation. Monday it's back to work. Which means I won't be able to do much sewing because the beginning of the year is so busy. So I've been sewing like mad trying to get some things done.

I finished piecing the baby quilt and need to find a border fabric. Not sure yet what color I'll go with- I'll take the quilt with me and auction a few colors to see what looks best.

About 10 years ago I bought these great drawstring pants at Urban Outfitters. They were very basic- no pockets or anything fancy, and made out of black cotton. But the fit looked great on me and I actually bought 2 pairs- the black which was full length but short enough to wear with flip flops and a gray pair that was cropped. I loved those pants and through the years the color faded so I re-dyed them several times. Eventually I passed them on to Goodwill and I've totally regretted not keeping them. At the very least I could have used them to create a pattern to make a new pair. Sigh! Lesson learned.

So now I've been trying to make a pair that fits and looks as good.

I made the view A of these pants in a medium. They were way too high in the waist- like up over my belly button, so I took several inches off. But they're also too big around. I love the wide leg- it looks good. I made them out of 100% cotton and they are so soft- they'll be great for around the house. So now I'm trying to decide if I should make a size small- and if I do I'll have to decide if I'll need to shorted them in the waist again. Or I could make View B with the yoke but leave off the bottom panels so they'll be cropped. Still thinking...

I also thought about making the pants in the below pattern.

This is my go-to pattern for a drawstring A-skirt (the middle length). I love this pattern- it's simple and fast and really flatters my shape (I tend to be bigger in the hip and butt areas). I've made many of these skirts- it cotton, rayon and wool; and they've all looked great.

Here's one I made this week for fall. I'm excited about it because I used my new overcast presser foot for the seams and they look great. I also used a new blind hem presser foot and the hem turned out perfect. Plus, I finally was determined to learn the auto button hole on my machine (Bernina 440) so I was able to have better looking button holes for the drawstring.

I also made the wrap skirt from this book.
Here it is- it also turned out well and I'm looking forward to wearing it this fall.

State Fair Fun

2009-08-17T11:01:00.001-07:00

We went to the Wisconsin State fair and had a great time. Boy was it HOT outside. But we were still able to enjoy all the fun.

Grilled cheese made with real Wisconsin cheese. Yum!

Coloring in the cow barn.

Riding the bumble bee....

and the trucks.

And of course sliding down the big slide!!

Quilt to Be

2009-08-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

Got the fabric for a baby quilt I'm going to make for a teacher at my school. She's due in November. Not sure yet what the quilt will look like- I've got some ideas though. Love the bright, fun colors- such happy colors!

My Summer Reading List

2009-08-13T13:25:00.001-07:00

Summer is always the time when I catch up on some reading. During the school year I pretty much fall asleep 10 minutes into reading a book, so I mostly read magazines during the school year and save my major book reading for summer. Here's what I read this summer:
Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang. This was in the "new nonfiction" part of the library, which means it can only be checked out for 2 weeks. I was wondering if I'd even be able to finish it because it's like 400 some pages, but it was so good I read it in a week.

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Michael Perry. Perry is a Wisconsin author and so I was compelled to read this book because of that and because of my interest in sustainable living. I really enjoyed this book!

Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin by Norah Vincent. An interesting look into treating those with mental health disorders- I enjoyed Vincent's perspective and appreciated how much of her personal story she shares.

It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong. Absolutely hilarious and so so easy to relate to!

Olive Kitteridge: Fiction by Elizabeth Strout. The only fiction book I read and it was a book every woman should read. Olive is a multi-dimensional character and there is some of her in all of us.

I had a great summer of reading and was lucky that I enjoyed every book I read. Unfortunately it's back to school in a little over a week, which means I will have to put other books I want to read on hold until next summer.

Snuggling

2009-08-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better then a cozy flannel quilt to snuggle in when watching a movie!

I started this flannel quilt for Claire last year and was determined to get it done before it got cold again. Her room is the coldest in the house and she is always waking up in the middle of the night and needing to be covered up again, which gets VERY old, VERY fast. Let's hope this does the trick. I made two matching pillow cases and have enough fabric left over so I'm thinking of making her a doll quilt as well.

Ben

2009-07-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

We had to put our cat Ben down. He had gotten sick in the spring- what seemed like the flu- and we were just about to take him into the vet when he got better. He started eating again and was back to his "old" self. But then a month or so later he seemed to be drinking alot and we suspected he had diabetes.

In the end, we found out he did have diabetes, but seemingly as a result of a virus that had attacked his pancreas. His kidneys and liver had also been affected as a result and so there really were no options. It was heartbreaking and with the decision to put him down came the guilt of wondering what would have been the result if we would have taken him in way back in spring.

Ben was a wonderful cat- very gentle and patient and loving. We rescued him from the Humane Society before we were even married- and he led a full and happy life. Still, even though he was a "grandpa" and we knew his time would come, it was so very hard to let him go. We miss him.

We've had some fun days at the beach- playing in the sand- what could be better?

This is my June CMP ATC- the theme was "Ingredients" which was very tough. But in the end, I thought about this sock yarn I've been knitting with- it's so soft and I love the fact that it's got Chitin in it. So I decided to use that as my inspiration.

I managed to finish piecing a quilt I started, like, over 6 years ago. It's all put together but needs the borders. Haven't been able to do as much quilting as I'd like because my Bernina's in the shop for cleaning and maintenance.

Luckily I still have my Kenmore, so I have been able to finish some sewing projects.

Like this bag...

Love the rose detail!

and this little makeup bag, both from this book.

Summer Sewing Fun

2009-06-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

Not quite the official start of summer, but I've been sewing like crazy. I always get alot done in the summer, when I only have 4 weeks of summer school to work. It's always a great time to tackle some UFO's, and of course start some new projects.

This is the baby quilt I made for a fellow teacher who is due in August. I originally started it for Matthew's teacher but then got inspiration to do the below quilt. I thought these bright colors would be perfect for a baby quilt.

Here's the quilt a made for Matthew's teacher. I just love those retro colors! I actually got some help on this from Kevin. He helped press while I sewed. I finished the quilt in less then a week.

The CMP ATC theme for May was "Choices" and you can see below that I was inspired by some tough life choices I plan on making this summer. I want low stress these next months!

We started off our summer vacation with a trip to the zoo. Popcorn and soda.

Walking on curbs.

And turning a cheek for a kiss. Welcome summer!

Vintage Wedding Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-05-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

Vintage Wedding Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-05-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sunny Days

2009-05-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

I finished this quilt for a fellow teacher who is due very soon. She doesn't know if the baby's a boy or girl and I think these colors would work for either. The picture isn't the sharpest, but I finished it late Wednesday night and gave it to her Thursday, so I had to snap a quick picture Thursday morning before work in not-so-ideal conditions.

I made my neice this swim suit and towel bag for her birthday and got it off in the mail this week. I can't get enough of that fabric.

And we had some great sunny days last weekend and this week. It felt so great to be out in the sun. I can't believe we only have two more weeks of school!

Bubble Blowing Skirt and Top GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-05-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

Bubble Blowing Skirt and Top GIVEAWAY!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T04:49:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! I was surprised with a day out yesterday. Kevin made an appointment for me to get my hair cut at the Aveda salon (I love Aveda). After that I stopped at the fabric store to pick up some fabric for a dress and a skirt. Then I went to the grocery store to get some gluten free chocolate chip cookie mix and bread mix. I've made the cookies before and although compared to the cookies I usually make, their just OK, compared to the nothing I've had since I've had to go gluten free- they are awesome! I'm looking forward to making the bread.

The washcloths are my mother's day theme this year. The ones above I crocheted for my grandma using Sugar and Creme. I am so making some of these for me.

And these I made for my mom using four different crochet patterns- a half double crochet stitch, a double crochet, and two different shell stitches. For these I used Lion Organic Cotton and it is so soft and snuggly. I couldn't afford to make a whole blanket with this yarn, but a washcloth takes up one skein, so it's the perfect gift.

And Claire made pictures for everyone.

Last night I started a snowball quilt for Matthew's teacher. There's only 4 weeks left of school and those are going to be so busy- I hope I can pull this off- the blocks so far are a little more tedious then I though because of all the small squares at the corners. But I got it all cut last night and the blocks pinned but not yet sewn. Well, if it doesn't pan out I could always give her washcloths!

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-04-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

Celebrate

2009-04-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

Matthew had his First Communion Saturday. It was a wonderful day. (Minus the pouring rain and cold- but resourceful Claire had her umbrella!)

I made Claire some strawberries in lots of yummy pinks and reds.

The pattern is in this book. I plan on making that bag on the cover too!

And I made Matthew some cookies, which he has been asking me for since I made the heart cookies for Claire on Valentines Day. This time I used bead sprinkles.

Projects

2009-04-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

I bought this book for my birthday and love almost every project in it.

I made these bunnies for Easter from the book and they were a big hit. They're the perfect size around for the kids to hold with one hand.

As I mentioned a couple posts ago, I love the work of Lucy from Attic24. She's got a tutorial for granny squares, which I had never made before and decided to give a try. I changed a couple minor things in her pattern, mostly because I kept making the same mistakes and decided just to go with what came naturally to me. I used some extra Cascade 220 I had on hand. I've been loving the yellows and greens lately- must be my hope for spring. I think I'll make a doll blanket since I don't have too much of these colors. Then I'll have to buy some more for a bigger project. She's got a new tutorial for a Ripple pattern that I want to try. I'm not crazy about the huge zig zags, but hers are subtle and gorgeous.

I needed a backpack for out Florida trip and really wanted one more complicated than this. But time was a factor and this is one you could sew up in just a couple of hours. I used this Amy Butler fabric I have had forever. I quilted it to give it some structure and it worked out really well for the trip.

I also made this small bag to put all those little things in my backpack. I love that fabric!

Pleated Petal Tank ANTHROPOLIFICATION GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-04-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

Pleated Petal Tank ANTHROPOLIFICATION GIVEAWAY!!!!

Fun But Exhausting

2009-04-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful trip to Disney last week. Our daily routine was to get up early, enjoy the parks before they got too crowded, and then head back to the hotel for a short nap before returning in the evening. When it was time to go home we were all ready. But it took several days to regain our energy once we were back. What a great vacation!

Before we left I had sent out my March ATC for the Creative Mom Podcast. The month's theme was "luck" and I titled my piece "Pot of Gold." Sorry for the less then great photo- but I was in a hurry to get it in the mail and in Wisconsin in the spring the wait for a sunny day could take weeks!

We got home from our trip late on the Thursday night before Easter so there were plenty of preparations to make before the holiday. The most important, of course, the egg coloring. You need to keep a close eye on things to ensure just the right color...

And the final results- always wonderful!

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-03-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Snow!?

2009-03-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say these pictures are from last weekend- but alas, they're from last June. I was wistfully looking at them as I listened to our weather forecast- a possible 4-6 inches of snow. This must be Mother Nature's April Fools joke!

The good news is we head out to Florida next Saturday for 5 days at Disney. So we will be getting a taste of sun and warmth...just what the doctor ordered to get through these last months of spring- because in Wisconsin our spring consists of cold and rain.

I bought this book with a gift card I got to Barnes and Noble. I want all the stitch guides Harmony Guides has published. Because I don't have much time during the school year, and because I am always wearing a scarf at work and at home, I knit alot of scarves. But it can be boring to knit up scarf after scarf in the same rib pattern. This book is perfect to get ideas for stitch patterns so I'm not getting bored.

I started this scarf with some Lamb's Pride worsted I bought last fall. Of course the photos don't do the color justice. It's a gorgeous bright spring green.

It's a diagonal pattern that uses a 10 row repeat.

And browsing through my regular blog reads last night, I came across this blog, Attic24, where Lucy shows vivid colors and lovely crochet stitch patterns in hexagons and granny squares with a fresh and modern look- makes me want to refresh my crochet skills and try some of these. What a lovely blog!

Summer of 69 Thrift Store Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-03-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

Summer of 69 Thrift Store Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sweets

2009-03-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make some cakes and cupcakes for a while. I bought this book this fall from Maw-Bell Designs. It has a pattern for a cupcake and a slice of layer cake. Yummy!

The newest issue of Quilts and More also has a slice of layer cake from Cindy Taylor Oates. Love her stuff! She also has this pattern for a cupcake. I bought this last fall as well.

Love, love, love her stuff- check out her blog at http://www.taylormadedesigns.typepad.com/

I made some cookies for Claire for Valentine's Day. I got the idea from Chasing Cheerios. I was catching up on my blog reading and ran into her post. It was a quick and easy project and the kids loved it. What's fun is they can turn over the cookies so they're plain when they come out of the oven and then they can "frost" them.

They have had so much fun with them that I've decided to make some round cookies in more Easter colors with beads for the sprinkles.

At Long Last

2009-03-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Where do I even begin? It's been so long since I've blogged. It has been a busy year compounded by some health issues. I've recently found out I've got a gluten sensitivity and since I've been on a low gluten diet I've been feeling much better. I am hopeful that this is the solution and that I stay feeling good. My feeling unwell did prevent me from blogging, but I was determined to keep on with my projects, even if I only sewed or knitted on the weekends. I made this cupcake doll quilt for my daughter. I had bought the fabric to make a bag but never used it. I've been trying to use from my stash as much as possible.

I made this colored pencil holder for my neice's birthday. It's from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. My niece celebrated her birthday in Chicago with breakfast at the American Girl store. Just Claire and I went- a "girls' weekend" and we had a wonderful time. The weather was crummy- rainy and windy- but our hotel was right downtown so we didn't have to walk very far. Plus, my mom stayed with Claire after she went to bed so my dad and I walked over to the bookstore. That was a treat in itself because it's rare I get to the bookstore without my kids. I love the bookstore, and even though I know I can buy a book cheaper online, I still love to buy books at the bookstore. It's part of the whole sesnory experience, and there's something wonderful about leaving with a book that I'm in love with. This time I bought Weekend Sewing by Healther Ross.

I have finally finished the paper doll quilt for Claire. It turned out really cute! Love it!

And I made a bag for me. Perfect for summer- it's very roomy so I could fit a beach towel or two, sunscreen, waterbottle and other items for our summer outings.

And I finished the Turning Twenty Quilt for our bed. I did get quite a few UFOs finished over the fall and winter. That's always a great feeling. Of course I've got many others left begging to be completed

Here I Am

2008-09-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

How did this much time go by? I have no excuses really, except that once school was done I was out of my "normal" routine and then before I knew it, summer was over and here I am- another school year begun.

Despite my lack of communication, I did do quite a bit of sewing over the summer.

I made this quilt for my friend who had a baby boy.

And here's my July/August CMP ATC: From Here to There

Grograin GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-09-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

Table Cloth Skirt and Dinner Party Top GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Check this out! SOOOO cute!

Dolls Etc.

2008-04-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about dolls. I bought this book a few months ago at Half Price Books. Mostly because I'm been into embroidery lately. I like quite a few of the patterns.

I especially liked these dolls.

And I started making one. I've finished the face.

And then we went to Half Price Books during vacation and I picked up these two. This week I was listening to back episodes of Craftypod and I heard the interview with Mimi Kirchner and then went to her blog to see her wonderful work. Very inspiring!

I also bought this book recently. I REALLY like it. It's been a few years since I made clothes for myself. In the past I did so often, especially before I had kids. But this book has inspired me to try again.
I liked this tunic, so I started with that.

The pattern was straightforward and the sewing easy.

The fit is not bad. I made the small size, and it fits well at the top and the the bottom. Around the waist area it's a little baggy looking, so I'm trying to figure out how to fix that. I was thinking of putting a casing and draw string at the back so I could cinch it in a bit. Or maybe some elastic that would gather at the mid back. Next time I may, with the gathering for the top band, make more of a box pleat in the front. Or maybe I just need to take it in at the side and/or back seams. I'm not really good at this stuff- figuring out how to improve the fit so it works for me.

Vacation Fun

2008-03-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

Claire had been talking about sunglasses and wanting her own sunglasses for weeks. Luckily the Easter Bunny came through and made a wish of hers come true! Matt had to celebrate with her.

And with the spring snow storm a snow man was definitely in order. Girl Scout Thin Mints made perfect eyes and a mouth. We had fun watching it melt quickly within only a few days.

We took a trip to Crate and Barrel to pick up a wedding gift for Kevin' s brother, and I couldn't resist buying these collapsible bowls. Of course rather than use them for cooking I put them to good use on my sewing table.

And you know it wouldn't be a vacation without some serious project completion. I made Claire a summer outfit.

It's from New Look pattern 6796. The top is adorable, although I had to practically pin Claire down to get her to try it on. The pants I'm not as crazy about. I'm going to make her the dress from the pattern, which is basically a longer version of the top. Lucy at One Block from Jollyville also made it and it is CUTE!!! I love it with jeans, so I may have to go that route with Claire.

I completed my March CMP ATC a while ago but just sent it out today. The theme: Perspective. Title: My Mind's Eye.
And I have finally pieced the Paper Doll Quilt. Now I need to get fabric for the borders. Judging by how long it took to do this, it may be awhile...

Mother Nature, She Mocks Me

2008-03-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Was I not just saying not even a week ago how spring was in the air? Serves me right. The second day of spring and we're in the middle of a huge snowstorm- which should be no great shock for me since I have lived in Wisconsin for my entire life. Luckily for us, we had no plans for this, our first day of vacation. So we've hibernated in the house playing, crafting and watching Star Wars- Return of the Jedi. Matthew has really been into Star Wars these last few months and we finally decided he was old enough to see the first three movies made. He was so excited he couldn't even sit still on the couch- he kept jumping up to get right in front of the TV and we had to keep telling him to sit down so everyone could see.

Matthew had asked me for a pencil case for school because he's been collected erasers- ones shaped like computers and cell phones and others in bright neon colors. I made him one out of vinyl.
Based on this one here in Denyse Schmidt Quilts. I like her thread contrast better so next time I'll do that.

I didn't want Claire to feel left out so I made her this cupcake purse. She loves her purses and carries them around with her bracelets and phone in them. She did not; however, like this one. She promptly tossed it on the ground after I handed to her and there it stayed until I picked it up and put it back with my sewing things. I'll save it for another day. She is sooo 2 years old. And very stuck in her ways. She won't wear any new clothes, which is of course a problem since she's really grown, and I have to bribe her or say things like "your cousin Sylvia has pants like these." Even then, I'm often dressing a screaming child. When we go to the store she'll want the toys she already has at home. Brother!

I was checking out Hello My Name is Heather blog, and looking at all the projects made from her Freshcut line of fabrics- there are so many talented people out there! That's when I ran into Ravenhill's blog and saw her dolls.
Needless to say I was wonderfully inspired and made this doll.

And with that, we'll blow you a kiss.

Spring Ahead

2008-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

As I sit here at 5:36, I can look out the window and enjoy the sun! It's taken our family a week to adjust to the time change, but now we are settled and enjoying the extra light each day. Plus, the weather has warmed (slightly) but enough to give just a hint of the spring to come. The many feet of snow we got this winter are now almost melted. And a short work week this week means the beginning of our spring break. We have not yet planned what we will do, but we're considering the possibility of a car trip to the south to enjoy warmer temperatures. We'll see.

Embroidery has been a topic of discussion among the Creative Mom Podcast yahoo group. It seems spring has brought along the urge for needlework, myself included. After buying and looking through Doodle Stitching this winter, I was inspired to make the February ATC: "Wings Resting."

And my cousin's baby shower brought another baby quilt. She is a dog lover, so I made this because the dogs on the fabric are so cute! I made some fabric blocks, one with a rattle inside, to go with the quilt. The pattern was in this month's Quilts and More Spring 2008 issue.

And my dear friend from work turns 30 this month. She's expecting her third baby in June, and she's been joking about her weight gain (because, and I speak from experience, when you gain 10 pounds in a month, you must laugh or otherwise, you'll cry!) So I made her some "sweets" that won't add to her weight. (Although with that I'm including some sweets that will!) The cupcake embroidery is from Sublime Stitching, another book I bought this winter. It has so many wonderful patters that you can stitch up quickly. And my second knitted cupcake turned out so cute, I think.

Gingerbread in March?

2008-03-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

I bought the book Knitted Toys at least a year ago and finally decided I had better knit a project from it. Choosing what to do is not easy, there are so many adorable toys in this book. I could knit almost every pattern in here. I wanted to knit two dolls for Claire, so I ordered the yarn. Matthew of course couldn't be left out, and he asked me to knit the gingerbread man. I had some left over yarn so I was able to knit it up in about a week. He loves it and it goes great with the cupcake in the kids' kitchen.

I was able to finish a scarf I'd been working on for over a year. I made some mittens out of the same yarn and I love them. I then started a scarf in the yarn on size 4 needles with a K2P2 rib. Talk about a never ending project! But now it's done and my mittens won't feel so lonely.

I had some left over yarn from a previous felt project so I knit up and felted this little bag.

With the snow we've gotten this year plus the cold streaks, there have been many weekends spent inside crafting. The kids and I found some old crayons so I chopped them up and they combine them in muffin tins. We baked them in the oven for a few minutes and now have some fun multi colored crayons.

It was my niece's birthday so Matthew and Claire and I made some clothespin dolls for her and her little sister.

Then I made a little apron for her with lots of pockets for the dolls.

We put it together with bags of supplies so they can make their own. How much fun will that be?

Two Happy Birthdays to Me

2008-02-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

So January 28th was the first birthday of my blog. So hard to think that I've been doing this for a year! And tomorrow is my 37th birthday. I think... Every year I sortof forget how old I really am and as the day approaches, I have to calculate my age-to-be based on my birth date. I try not to get to philosophical about the whole thing. It's a standing joke that every year I say I'll be 29. The year I turned 29 was very emotional for me. I got drunk, sat around and listened to all the music played in the 90's when I was in college and bawled. Since then, my birthday age has not bothered me. I think because at 30 I had my son, and since then I've been too busy to care about my increasing age. Besides, how can you be depressed on your birthday when presents are involved? Seriously!

So in celebration of my birthdays, I knit myself a cupcake from the One Skein book. I've wanted to do this since I bought the book, and now I'm hooked. It took a couple tries with needle size. I am a loose knitter and therefore had to go down to a size 2 for the base and 7 for the top. I made the base 2 1/4 inches tall as the pattern said, but it ended up being too tall, so I had to sew the top on further down. The next one, which I've already started, I'll make slightly shorter. It was quick to make and a lot of fun, so I can't wait to make more.

The theme for January's ATC was Beginning. I titled mine, "Beginning a New Day." A reminder that every day is new, and to live it that way.

And with the new year, I've been giving some thought to my word for 2008, something that will help to inspire me in my life and creativity.

com·plete

–adjective
1. having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full

2. finished; ended; concluded
3. having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality

4. thorough; entire; total; undivided, uncompromised, or unmodified

-verb (used with object)
5. to make whole or entire

6. to make perfect

7. to bring to an end; finish

8. to consummate

Resolutions and...

2008-01-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

My 2008 resolutions:
1. Walk at least 3 days a week during my half hour lunch at work.
2. Reduce my caffeine dependency (I am a coffee and Mountain Dew addict- my excuse is that caffeine is the only thing that keeps me, well, alive, at this point with two young children, a full time job and my sewing, knitting and crafting.)
3. Finish my UFO's!!!!
4. Start what I have planned- This is a major one for me because I am a perfectionist and this can really hold me back. I'll have a plan but will be afraid to experiment. Or I will avoid cutting into fabric until I have the "perfect" project, which never seems to come along.

I'm trying to come up with a single word to encompass these goals I've set for myself but it needs a little more thought.

Fabric bought for bags...

and kitchen accessories for Claire.

We set up her kitchen where the Christmas tree was and I made her a tablecloth. I want to make her towels and an oven mitt, placemats and an apron too.

Starting to piece together the bocks for a queen sized quilt I'm working on.

A dino quilt finished for a new baby.

I'm Back- Finally!

2007-12-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

Wow has it been awhile. It has been a busy fall for us, and unfortunately by blog has been low on the priority list- until now.

Right after we moved, it was Claire's 2nd birthday, so we had her party right before we moved.
It's hard to believe she's 2!

Even though I haven't been blogging since this summer, I have still been busy with many projects. I've been faithfully completing my Creative Mom Podcast Artist Trading Cards. I have not been faithful about taking photos of them. But here's one- I can't even remember which month it was, but the theme was around stories. So I created an image with fabric and machine stitching from my favorite story- the Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. I included my favorite quote from the story as well.

My cousin recently had her baby shower. I made her this chicken rattle.

And part of the theme of the shower was to bring a book, so I made this chicken counting book. I had the pattern for both from Martha Stewart.

Then I made a quilt with chickens and letters.

And here's my December ATC- Gift is the theme. So I made the top a gift with fabric wrapping and then you lift it to reveal another card on which I wrote: Life, Love, Family, Hope, Peace, Health.

July ATC: A Midsummer Night's Dream

2007-08-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

This ATC was a challenge for me. First, I usually do not work with human images, so that was a learning experience. I also used metallic fabric for the wings and another delicate fabric for the clothing, both which frayed easily. I machine quilted the hair, wings, clothing and background and I hand stitched the body pieces to make sure they didn't come off. With all those small pieces the fusible web did not adhere very well. It was a lot of work but I'm fairly pleased with the end result.

Summer Romance

2007-08-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

It was a typical summer romance: girl finds house, girls sells old house, girl loses new house to a noncontigent offer and now has nowhere to live... So she dresses up and goes to a party.

Things were going well- we put an offer on a great house with a huge yard and a pool. Plus it had four bedrooms (can you say studio?) and a finished basement (can you say playroom?) It was perfect for us. So in a whirlwind we cleaned our house, put tons of things in storage and put our house on the market. The day after we got a call- the owners of "our house" got a noncontingent offer and we had 72 hours to decide what we wanted to do. We had only just put up our house- we weren't sure how fast it would sell... So Monday morning we signed the papers to release the house to some lucky people. And Monday night we got an offer on our house. What a sucky day. So we're set to close September 26th. But we have no place to live as of yet.

On a happier note, I finished my August quilts. I bought the below in a kit last year and never finished it but it is now done and hanging in the living room.

So I finished my coin purses from the Pick Up Sticks kit I got at Stitch DC.

Here's the brown...

and yellow... The orange needs a zipper yet.

And I also finished the bracelet from the other Pick Up Sticks kit I got at Stitch DC this summer. The top is from the kit and the bottom is from left over yarn from my One Skein tote. These were so much fun to make and I plan to make more.

I loved the Pick Up Sticks kits so much I ordered another one from Lion- it was on clearance.

I've also had fun making these hair clips for Claire. Of course she refuses to wear any type of clip in her hair at this point, but I'm not giving up hope. I mean, how cute are these?

What!?! School supplies already?????

2007-07-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

So the bad news is, school supplies are filling all the stores, which means school is right around the corner. And I still have one more week of summer school before my vacation really can begin! The good news is, I've been very busy working to finish some projects and to start some new ones. Below, I finished the tote and felted it- it turned out great! I love the colors!

I also made a fabric envelope for myself. How cool is this fabric? I love the heads on the angels.

I used the same fabric to make a pin cushion. I was watching "That's Clever" on TV and one of the people had the coolest ring pin cushion and I thought, I could make one of those! So then I did a blog search because I knew I wasn't the first one to think to make something like this. Sure enough, I ran into a tutorial on How About Orange. I'm still perfecting my technique, but they sure are cute!

I also saw this tutorial, also on How About Orange to make these cool fabric push pins. It was so easy and I am addicted. I bought a whole bunch of supplies to make more. It's a good thing to keep my hands busy when I watch TV.

And here's my June ATC for the exchange. The theme was "At Water's Edge" and after several attempts, I ended up with this, called: "Throwing Pebbles." I quilted it with a metallic thread, which I had not used before because I always heard they were difficult to work with, but I had no trouble at all, and I like the effect it gave. I think I'm going to use it for July's theme "Midsummer Night's Dream." I haven't started it yet but I've got some ideas roaming around.

Long Time No Blog

2007-06-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

WOW! The last several weeks have been a whirlwind, as is obvious since it's been over a month since I've blogged. We recently got back from a week's vacation in Washington D.C. It was such a wonderful place to visit. We had a great trip, but was it exhausting with two kids! Luckily the people in DC were so very helpful and friendly to us. Above is Matthew, Claire and I in front of the White House.

Here's Matthew running up and down a grate as we waited to go up to the top of the Washington Monument. The Lincoln Memorial is in the background.

Here we are at a spring on the grounds of the Capitol.

Here's Claire posing in front of a mural at the zoo.

I finished my May ATC well enough before the end of May but did not send it out until May 30th. The theme for May was Reach for the Stars. I stitched darkening shades of blue fabric and then hand stitched gold stars with gold embroidery floss. Rather than bind it as I did last month, I stitched around the edge.

It's so very hard to believe that six years ago we were blessed when Matthew came into our lives. He is becoming more independent every day. He's almost perfected tying his shoes and he is reading fluently and is writing sentences on his own. He has always been very verbal and still to this day it amazes me his memory for things and his vocabulary. He's got this wonderful smirky smile (ses picture with me a few above) that has such as charm about it. Happy 6th Birthday Matthew!

The art teacher at our school, who also was Matthew's teacher at his school, had her second baby right before school got out. I made this quilt for the baby.

I hand stitched the fish in the white squares with a variety of colors.

Here's a close up of the fish.

My sister-in-law had her birthday in June as well, so I sent off this fabric envelope with stitched fabric cards of coordinating fabric. I saw something like this on another blog and decided to make my own. It was easy and it turned out really cute. I'm going to make one for myself as well, and probably others for future gifts. Happy Birthday Carrie! We love you!!

We wanted to do something special for Matthew's kindergarten teacher, so Matthew drew a picture of her and then I stitched it on linen with black embroidery floss and framed it. It turned out so great and she loved it.

Got lots to do. I haven't started my June ATC yet. And I have to finish a quilt for my friend's baby girl (born in March-yikes!). I'm almost done with my knitted tote- I just have to finish the handles.

While in D.C. I was able to go to Stitch DC, a knitting store. I only had about 15 minutes, but I bought two kits. One for a felted bracelet and one for three felted coin purses. I'd like to get started on those. Plus I got a cross stitch kit of Mount Vernon while we were there. I've already started that. For some reason I've been on a embroidery kick lately, so I'll go with that flow for a while. Lastly, I just got two books I had ordered today int he mail. I'll take a look and talk about those next time. Hopefully I'll be back in a habit of blogging every week or so now that things have slowed down. I start summer school on Monday so I'm off to enjoy my last days of no work.

Too Much Life

2007-05-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ever have too much life? That's how it's been these past several weeks. Things are always hectic at work at the end of the school year. There are last minute projects to finish, lessons to teach, paperwork to complete and the students check out for the summer early. On top of that, there's Teacher Appreciation, Mother's Day, Matthew's birthday, Father's Day, a vacation to plan and summer school to get ready for (I teach summer school and my husband stays home with the kids).

And inevitably, one or both kids ends up sick. This year it was a trip to the ER with my son after he had fallen from a slide at school and hit his head pretty hard. Everything ended up just fine, thankfully. And then right after my daughter developed Roseola, which is not too big of a deal really, just a low grade fever for three days and then a rash. But it meant staying home with her when we're already pretty close to being out of sick time for the year.

So, needless to stay, much of my creative time has been spent falling into bed exhausted each night. My knitted tote still needs several repeats. My wrist got sore after some marathon knitting and I had to take a break from it this week. I finished my May ATC and will post photos as soon as my husband gives up the camera. He's using it for a project with his class at school and apparently feels I may accidentally erase the photos from the memory card. Honestly, where's the trust? And I did make some fabric note cards for my mom and a small pineapple wall hanging for my grandma. I'm still working on the gift for my mother-in-law. But her and my father-in-law have been sick with the respiratory flu and we dare not see them until they're no longer contagious. So I'll be able to finish that this week. Plus, my friend from worked hired me to make 24 fabric note cards for her mother and mother-in-law. So life has been busier than usual. It always seems at this time of year there is definitely too much life.

But with those two adorable faces, who can complain!

Enjoy the Flowers Blooming Today

2007-05-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

It's been difficult this past week and a half to keep motivated. I've been really tired and by the time I get the kids to bed it's all I can do to fall into bed myself. Partly its because its the end of the school year and things are so hectic at work. Partly because of the great weather the past few weekends and we've been outside finally and it's exhausting.

I did get my May quilt done, a few days before May even.

And I've gotten through two increases of the four on the tote. I'm loving the colors and the stripe pattern. It's been hard to take in the car though because of the constant switching of color. So it hasn't been going quite as fast as the bottom.

Since I've been too tired to do much sewing, I have been able to do some reading. I recently bought Crafter's Companion, a book which highlights many of the talented crafters whose blogs I read regularly. When I first skimmed the book at the bookstore I almost didn't get it. I went through and looked at the projects included, and many of them seemed pretty basic and very similar to each other. There are 5 totes/purses out of the 17 projects. But then as I started to look more closely and do some reading, I decided to buy it after all. Now that I've read about half the book, I really like it. Each artist talks about why they create, what inspires them to create and how they set up their workspace. So many of the points made connect with my own feelings about creating- and what's been interesting to me is there hasn't been just one or two people that I have connected with- but really all of them have made statements that sound like my own vision for my creativity. We all have creative strengths and weaknesses, and this book has really helped me to consider what I think of as weaknesses in me.

I have always had a need to create, as far back as I can remember I enjoyed making things. I remember going to a wedding when I was fairly young. I took an empty shampoo bottle, cleaned off the labels and washed and dried the inside and I made it into a gift, writing some messages and putting them in the bottle. After the wedding, I got the loveliest thank you note. It was the best validation a young girl could have gotten, and that memory is with me still.

On the flip side, I also remember my struggles with "art" classes in school. I had (and still have) terrible penmanship and limited drawing skills. It seems my hands just cannot translate what I see. As a seventh grader, I remember working so hard on a project and being so proud of it, only to get D grade. It really was at that point of my life that I considered myself to be a non-artist. It is difficult still to think back on the frustration I felt at my hands not being able to do what I wanted them to.

It is these experiences, along with so many others, that have shaped my creative life and to some extent, have placed limits on my creativity that I still to this day have a hard time breaking though. I see myself as a literal artist when I so want to translate what inspires me into something new, yet me. Tami Palladino, who sent me her ATC for April entitled "Enjoy the Flowers" had written "Enjoy the flowers that are blooming today" on the front of the card. And for some reason that made me right away think of my children. Before that; however, I thought about April's theme "A World in Bloom" so literally. I thought of flowers. And after I saw her card, I realized that I missed so many possibilities.

And so the growing as an artist and a mother continues.... I will enjoy what is blooming today.

Could It Be? Yes, It Is! SPRING!

2007-04-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

Finally some wonderful weather here in Wisconsin! It was a great weekend of playing outside after a crummy week of being back to work. My husband and my brother went fishing so I took the kids to the zoo today. It was so crowded but we had a great time. It's great having a zoo pass and being only 10 minutes away because we can go there for a couple hours and we don't have to feel like we have to get our money's worth.

I finished the doll quilt for my niece's birthday. Another wonderful reminder of spring. I sewed on two flower buttons- so cute. I embroidered a ladybug...

and a butterfly...

and it turned out really cute. I made a pillow to go with it.

I also got some knitting done on my felted tote. I did most on my way to and from work- it's about an hour drive to drop off my daughter at daycare, my son at his school and then my husband and I drive to our school. The base is done and I'm ready to start the stripe pattern.

And yet another inspiration from spring... My son painted this at school, and I was so wonderfully shocked! His favorite color always seems to be black and most of his art work is done in ONE COLOR ONLY. We try to encourage him to use a variety of colors, but he has his own mindset. That is why this piece is so precious to me- the vivid colors plus the stripes and dots. I'm definitely going to frame it.

Teapots and Tiny Quilts and Aprons, Oh My!

2007-04-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm back to work after a week off. Sigh! The good news is that I finally finished this Teapot Quilt that I started last summer. It's from the Fons and Porter Love of Quilting May/June 2006 issue. It wasn't a hard quilt, and it's small, so there's really no excuse as to why it took me a year to finish. It sure feels good to have it done in time for this year's spring/summer season. I need to find a good place in the kitchen to hang it now.

I also completed my April ATC for the Creative Mom Podcast exchange. The theme: A World In Bloom. I used the same fabrics as the Teapot Quilt. Then I embroidered a ladybug and a flower. Remember, this quilt is only 2.5 x 3.5 inches. It's tiny! It was a real challenge to work in these small proportions. Instead of traditional batting I used Timtex as the middle layer to keep it very stiff, like a card. The backing is the red polka dot fabric and then I bound it with the green floral, as you can see. I machine quilted it around all the middle squares and the border. What fun!

I also finished an apron for Matthew. He picked out the colors and I worked on it after he went to bed so it was done the next day. He posed for this still in his pjs. We then got out all our pretend food and set up restaurant in his room. The red square in the middle is a big pocket. I was going to make one for my daughter as well but she had no interest in his, so I may hold off on hers a while. I am working on a jumper for her that I started- you got it- last year. I'm not even sure if it will fit her this summer. But if it doesn't, I'll give it to one of the moms I know who could use it. Right now I'm stuck because I have to put in 3 button holes, which I HATE doing- even more than zippers. And I haven't done any button holes on my Bernina yet. So I read the manual trying to figure it out. I'm just going to have to sit down one night and practice- not how I really want to spend an evening when I have so many other projects to do. I still have a baby quilt for my friend Lori's daughter and a birthday gift for my niece to make.

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful, but Sewing is So Delightful

2007-04-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

As a major spring snowstorm has hit Wisconsin, we have camped out for the day. We're all on spring break, which means we could just stay in our pjs all day. Matthew worked on his school project in the morning. He decided that for his project he would combine paint colors to see what he would get. So he's been painting swatches with two colors and then mixing them to paint a third swatch. I'm having him paint on card stock and then we'll take a square punch to make squares of each color. He wants to hide the resulting color to make it a guessing game for the show. So we'll cover up the resulting color so people can guess what the result will look like. Today he chose to combine red and white, yellow and black and orange and green. It was so cool to watch him go through the process and excitedly trying to guess what the resulting color would look like. He knew that the red and white would make pink, but the other two were harder for him to figure out. Afterwards, his dad said that maybe he should have just stayed with primary colors, but I'm glad he didn't. He already knows the primary combinations, so I thought his project should be his way to explore color and how they combine together. It's his project, and so I just got out all the paint colors we had, which is a huge tub-full, and I let him choose what he wanted.

I was able to get quite a bit of sewing done today while Claire took her naps and Matthew and his dad played. I finished this quilt for newborn Charley, and hopefully I'll get it in the mail to him this week.

Spring in Wisconsin? Yeah, right!

2007-04-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

Easter is tomorrow and it's snowing here in the Milwaukee area. Typical. We have no spring in Wisconsin really- it goes right from winter to summer. A couple weeks ago we did have a day or two of beautiful weather, in which I took all my spring/summer clothes out of storage. I don't know why I did this to myself. Every year I promise I will NOT bring out the summer clothes until May. But every year we get one or two nice days earlier, and I excitedly get out all the summer things and lovingly gaze at the pink and turquoise and aqua colors. And then, the temperature falls to 30 and it snows. And I am left depressed and I longinly gaze at all the summery items in my closet only to have to shove them aside for my black and grey turtle necks and sweaters.

At least I can use spring fabrics in my projects. That is my only solace at this point in the year.

I made these notecards for my friend Arran's birthday. They were alot of fun to make.

Yesterday we were visiting my in-laws in Racine and the Yarn Garden used to be right down the road from them. So I excitedly drove over to get soem yarn for a new project. But they had just moved to a new location, and the address was left of the door. I don't know the area well at all, so I was going to give up and go back, but then I decided that I NEEDED to work on something springy, so I stopped and got directions and I was on my way again. When I got there, they were unpacking and organizing and not really opened. But the owner let me come in and shop, which was so sweet and gracious. I got these colors in Cascade 220 to make the striped tote in the One Skein book. As you can see, I've already wound the first ball and I cast on late last night when we got home.

Rickity Rack...Don't Talk Back

2007-03-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

I had seen the Tie One On monthly apron themes and was really inspired. March/April's theme is rick-rack. And since my neice's 5th birthday was in March, I decided an apron would be a perfect gift. I made it reversible to double the fun.

I also made a matching hot pad and oven mit to go with it so she could play kitchen. Along with it, I made a recipe book. I just bound together some blank card stock pages and then stitched a spoon from the green fabric on the cover and wrote Recipes on the cover. I think she'll have a lot of fun with it.

My 5 year old son agreed to model for me with the promise that I would not show his face. He was embarrassed to wear a "girl apron," he said. But then he turned right around and asked if I would make one for him.

It's a Girl!

2007-03-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

I've been so inspired by all the doll quilts shown on the Wee Wonderfuls blog and others. Plus, my daughter has become a "little mother" as of late, and she has officially named her baby doll Jenna. (She calls every baby Jenna now). So to celebrate, I made Jenna a quilt of her own. Claire loved it and promptly put Jenna to bed, as any good mother would. I actually had planned to make a doll quilt for Claire out of the leftover fabric from the quilt I made her, but I've been undecided about the design- should I mimic the design of her quilt but smaller, or do something different? In the meantime, I found these great fabrics that, I swear, jumped off the shelf and into my arms begging to be made into a doll quilt.

As promised earlier, here are two of three rows from the Paper Dolls Quilt I'm making for Claire's room. Haven't done much on it this week-after a weekend of marathon sewing and applique on it I sort of burned out. Hopefully this weekend I'll be back on it.

And here's the two fabrics I ran across at least a year or more ago. Haven't decided what I'll do with them yet.

Wanted: Photographer

2007-03-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

OK, so just to remind everyone- I am NOT the photographer in the family. And here's proof, in case you doubted my lack of skill. I took at least 10 photos of my first ATC card for the Creative Mom Podcast March exchange. And the one below is the ONLY one that turned out. The rest ended up blurry or completely washed out...

Well, you get the idea of the card, right? It was a lot of fun and I'm excited to make more. I sent it out but have yet to hear from my recipient. And I have not yet gotten mine, but I am very excited to see it.

As promised, here's Charmin' the Monkey. My husband took this one for me, so it turned out much better than my own attempts. Hey, I can only get better, right?

I've been anxiously awaiting the two Japanese craft books I purchased from YesAsia.com. I got notice a week ago that they had been shipped, so they are on the way.

On Saturday I took Claire to the doctor for the third time because of a recurring ear infection. So she's now on her third antibiotic. And this one is upsetting her stomach, so she has been crabby and clingy since Saturday. Matthew ended up needing tubes when he was 18 months, so I keep wondering if she's on the same path. Hopefully after this round we'll be done. At least she takes it willingly- and it stays down. We used to sneak Matthew's into apple sauce and yogurt, and often he would throw it up as soon as he had it.

Miss Independent

2007-03-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

My husband is the photographer in our family. The only thing I know how to do is turn on the camera and take a picture. The pictures I've posted have been taken by me but altered by him so that they will upload. The problem is, I have to wait for him to find some time to modify whatever needs to be modified. And his time line for doing this is not the same as mine. So I need to learn to do this for myself. I spent the morning trying to figure out how to do this, but with no luck. And I must not have the correct key words in my Google searches, because I just keep coming up with how to crop a photo, which is not what I need to do. Anyone have a resource for me? I could ask my husband to sit down and show me, but that takes time and he is swamped with school work right now. I am a smart person, you'd think I could do this on my own...

I've finished the Charmin' the Monkey quilt and it was delivered last week. I've got photos- once I figure out what to do, I'll get them on. I've also made a lot of progress on the Paper Dolls quilt. The applique is almost done and I've begun trimming the blocks to sew them together- pictures soon. I did buy some paper dolls from the B. Shackman Company. I bought the Two Little Girls by Queen Holden. There's two dolls and lots of clothes for both, so I think I will frame one with some clothes and keep the rest for when Claire is old enough to play with them.

I also finished my ATC for the Creative Mom Podcast's March exchange. And, once again, I've got pictures on the way. The hardest part was getting started, but thanks to some advice from Heidi at heidicrafts.blogspot.com, I was able to overcome my anxiety and just get started.

Paper Dolls

2007-03-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

I've now finished 6 blocks of the paper dolls quilt and I'm really liking it. It will be perfect for Claire's room. I found a couple different paper doll fabrics that I'll use to make pillows and who knows what else for her room. My goal at this point is to get it all done before she moves into her toddler bed. I think that's a realistic goal since she's not quite 18 months!

I was taking a look at some blogs that are "new" to me, and coincidentally I took a look at the Angry Chicken blog. Lo and behold, Amy has a picture of some paper dolls she framed, and I fell in love with that idea! So I am on the search for some paper dolls I can frame to go in Claire's room.

I came across Amy's blog because I was looking up info on the Crafter's Companion, a book I've wanted to get my hands on. Amy was one of the contributers. Along my searches, I came across two other books that I preordered: one is Amy's book that's due out early summer I think: Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew and the other is Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects, also not due out for a couple months. I'm looking forward to all three books, but alas, I have to wait for them.

The fury before the cold...

2007-02-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

This may sound strange, but...you know how women go through "nesting" when pregnant? Well, I go through the same thing whenever I'm about to be very sick with a bad cold. On Friday the 16th I came home from work and had this burst of energy, which is very unusual for me on a Friday; usually I can barely get the kids to bed before I crash. Anyway, that night after the kids were in bed I did all the week's laundry and cleaned the whole house, including washing the kitchen floor. That NEVER happens- unless I'm about to get sick (or give birth). Sure enough, Saturday morning I woke up with that tell-tale tickle in the throat which turned into a stuffy nose and headache by noon which turned into "Who put these ten bricks on my chest?" by evening. It got worse from there. All week I suffered from extreme congestion and a terrible cough which no cold medicine known to man helped. That meant little-to-no sleep and of course it had to be one of the busiest weeks at work- and with two little kids, I'm down to like almost no sick days left.... so I suffered through the week and relied heavily on my wonderful significant other (Thanks, hunny!). And needless to say, no sewing or knitting or anything of any kind got done. Thankfully I seem to be on the mend, and only go through the occasional coughing jag, which of course still happens as soon as I lie down to sleep. But this week I am determined to get SOMETHING done.

One minor accomplishment- I did sign up for the March ATC exchange with Amy from the Creative Mom podcast, one of my favorites! I'm really looking forward to trying this out. It will be my first ATC and I'm really excited to give it a try. I'm looking forward to hearing what the theme is- she'll be announcing it today, I think.

Project Planning

2007-02-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

A month ago I bought a few fabrics to start my Celebration tote from the Quilted Bags and Purses book. Well yesterday I headed over to my LQS to look for a few more and to get some fabric for the binding of my Turning Twenty as well as some more for the border and binding for my Charmin' Monkey. Well, I got everything I needed except for the monkey fabric, so I came home and ordered it online.

I also ordered two patterns from Hillary Lang on her Wee Wonderfuls Blog. I got Spaceboy & Robot and Kitty, Bunny and Bear. My five year old son Matthew is so excited to start working on the robot and spaceboy. At least a year ago I took one of his drawings and turned it into a stuffed creature for him. He's loved it so much I've had to make several "repairs" on it. Then a few months ago I was relaxing at the bookstore in some rare time alone (hubby watched the kids) and I came across the book Plush-o-Rama by Linda Kopp. I bought it and brought it home to show to Matthew. He immediately fell in love with Onimushi, designed by Jen Rarey. I made it for him and he has given it lots of love as well. Since, then, I've been checking out a lot of other designers of cool creatures. I really like Lizette Greco because she uses her children's artwork as inspiration for her designs.

In the meantime while we wait in earnest for my orders, I will try to tackle the demon that is my Turning Twenty quilting dilemma.

Little Projects

2007-02-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

So I've been busy working on a few "little" projects to give myself a break from some of the "bigger" things I'm doing. I made this bag from the pattern in Quilts and More Winter 2006 Issue. The pattern is designed by Bonnie Kozowski. What's really cool about it is that the handles are two different lengths so that you tuck one handle through the other and that closes the bag. It's got pockets inside to put little things and I've been using it to carry my socks I'm knitting so I can knit on the way to work. I used fabric from the new Kaffe Fassett line. LOVE the colors!!!!

I got the idea for these cards quilted with fabric from the Denyse Schmidt Quilts book. I made 8 of them to give to a friend I work with for her birthday. They were alot of fun and didn't take long at all. After I made them I bought a whole pack of cards so I can make a bunch more.

Other than that, I've been working hard on the Charmin' Monkey quilt. No photos yet. I basically used the pattern for the applique, but after that I've done my own thing. I decided I didn't like the monkey set on the diagonal, so I put him straight. In the pattern the borders around the monkey are same sized charm squares. It looked too, well, square for me. So I varied the size and alternated the pieced shapes with 3 inch strip borders. It's looking really good so far. I'm almost done but I've run out of the fabric I was using for the strip border so I was thinking of ordering more so I could maybe put one more strip border on and then the binding. The quilt is going to my friend's newborn daughter Chloe. She's 3 months already so I have got to get this done!

Figuring it all out

2007-02-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

So it's taken me some time to get my photos on my blog. I'm still trying to figure out how to do all the things I want to do. Here's my Turning Twenty quilt. Still at a mental block about what I should do for the rest of the quilting.

Here's an up-close of the quilting I did for the square blocks...

So the quilting really sets apart those squares. I really like how it looks. If I do quilt the rectangles, I'm not sure what design to use. I was thinking about doing one or two and seeing how I like it.

Sew Much to Do, Sew Little Time

2007-01-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

So does anyone else have grandiose plans of all the things you will accomplish one you get home from work only to find that by the time dinner's made, kids are in bed and things are organized for the next day that you're too exhausted to even think, let alone sew? This is the story of my life right now. I have so many UFOs sitting around begging to be completed, I could probably never start a new project for the rest of my days and still die with things unfinished! Sigh! I did manage to knit about 10 rows on one of my socks in the last two nights-pretty pathetic though.

Right now I'm in the process of machine quilting my queen size Turning Twenty quilt. I got the Bernina 440 QE with the BSR about a year ago, right after my daughter was born. I did quite a bit of piecing and sewing on it but just didn't have the time to sit down and practice with the BSR. Finally I decided I was going to learn. I had never free motion machine quilted before, so there was a huge learning curve for me. I got tired really quickly of just "practicing" and figured I might as well just quilt a "real" project and let go of the fact that it would not be perfect. At least I'll be able to say, "This was my first quilt I free motion quilted. Look at how much I've improved since then." So I went on over to my LQS and bought some templates and just started. I've quilted all the square blocks with a large flower. I used a variegated thread and I like how it turned out, although there are many zigs and zags where I lost control of the fabric. Now I'm stuck because I like how the squares stand out. So I'm not sure if I should just leave it or if I should quilt something in the rectangles. And if so, what?

In the meantime, I've been appliqueing the blocks for my daughter's Paper Dolls quilt. I started it before she was born, and she's a little over a year now, so this had been a slow project. There is just a lot of applique and I find I get bored of doing the same thing. I just can't work on one project at a time start to finish. So I've been working on some other little things in between the two quilts.

I've been slowly making the Through the Year Quilts from Art to Heart. I made all of them for my mom and mother-in-law and finally started mine. I finished January in time to put it up and now I've appliqued February and just have to put it together and quilt it. Maybe I'll have enough energy to get it done tonight, since February is almost here...

Did it!

Wow, that was easier than I thought!

2007-01-28T19:43:00.000-08:00

So I finally decided after many months to take the plunge and start my blog. I am a 30 something wife and mother of two. And I am an avid quilter and knitter. My wonderful husband bought me my ipod for Christmas last year and since then I have been listening to almost every podcast on knitting and sewing/quilting. It was during the last year that I also began reading many blogs. But for some reason I felt at a loss when it came to starting my own blog. It was when I listened to Alex Anderson's BIG announcement in her 48th podcast episode and then in her 50th episode when she talked about learning new things that I decided I would just dig in and learn along the way. So here goes...