Early Morning Damage

As I type, it's 4:47 a.m. and I've already spent nearly $50 on fabric. Yes. I'm an addict. But, at least not in denial about it, right? Admitting the problem (who says this is a problem?) is the first step... :-)

Bought some good stuff... More on that later. Hehehe...

I received information on my {Urban} HOME Goods swap parter yesterday, and OMG! I'm totally freaked out by who my partner is. It's kind of someone famous in the quilty bloggy world... So, I really need to up my game for this.

Spent a good portion of last night stalking this person's blog and Flickr favorites to figure out what I'm going to make. It's a secret swap so I can't divulge too much but will share sneaky peaky's with you along the way.

Here's what I've been working on... Week 4 of the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along. Totally need to get my act together and catch up on this QAL this week. If I do wheels 5 and 6 before Saturday, I'll be golden...



So that was the pretty. Ready for some UGLY?


And this... Yikes!


Oh, and this too. Double yikes!


Very frustrated but pushing forward practicing little every day with my new sewing machine and long arm quilting system. Does any one know what might be wrong? More importantly, what can I do to fix the jamming issue?

Anyway... I have some embroidery to get on a hoop tonight! Pics of that to come. :-)

Stash Resolution Episode 2

Episode 2 has been sent to iTunes. Here are my show notes, as promised. :-)

Thanks to all my new and returning listeners for reaching out and contacting me. Feel free to leave a note here or send me an email at stashresolution@yahoo.com

What's Happening in my Life
Aullwood Audubon Center





Brother Nouvelle 1500s
Grace Frame
Grace Mini Pinni (this is the one I got)

What I'm Working On
Free embroidery pattern link
Tea towel pattern link
p.s. i quilt pinwheel quilt along
Nine Patch Lattice Quilt


Margaret's Hope Chest
Plain Talk Mittens


Knit Picks self-striping sock yarn
Noro sock yarn

Tips & Techniques
Thangles

Bad Stitches Happen to Good People
No major heartbreaks to report! :-)

Product Reviews
Quilts & More magazine

Pinwheels Week 3 - In the Bag

Hello, my blog friends. How is this week treating you? I'm gearing up for a very busy day... Glad I had a little while to myself this morning to whip up these pinwheels.


Week 3 finished! My half-square triangles are getting better each time, but it is painstakingly SLOW... Each blog takes me a good hour. Is that on average?



Here's how they're all looking together. As you can see, I have some major, major squaring up issues and my first blocks really are way too small and will need to be remade. Ugh...


Finally, I'm working on a new grocery bag holder for my house. Fabric is Hello Betty from a honey bun purchased last year. I put the elastic in this morning. All that is left is to add the ribbon and close it up!



The tutorial is from Make it and Love it. She actually uses wider strips at 3-1/2". But, as long as the final dimensions match, you could really use any width strip as I did, using honey buns or any other width you'd like.


Anyway, happy Thursday (because that means it's almost Friday!!).

In Stitches

So, I picked up a new skill this weekend - embroidery!

I found this lovely pattern on this blog some time ago and have had a list of the embroidery floss colors it calls for in my purse until this Saturday when I ran into the store for some muslin and finally bought the materials.

The pattern is by Carina and is called Parterre du Feu.

My first try looks respectable, right?

Carina has other lovely patterns for purchase on Artfire (the one above is a free download).

I'd like to try this one...

And this one...

I also completed Week 2 Blocks from p.s. i quilt's pinwheel tutorial. My blocks are much more accurate this time around.

With that, I wish you a great crafty week!

Fabric Friday

If I were buying fabric, I would totally buy Rainy Days and Mondays, designed by Melimba & Beccabury for Riley Blake Designs.


This would make a sweet Spring quilt... April showers...


The supporting fabrics are as sweet as the feature with their tear drops shapes.


And the color pallet is cheery, a nice contrast to the weepy subject matter. I saw this on The Fabric Shopper at some point this week, and it literally made me smile.


I mentioned last week that I am buying fabric again and that I'd get back to you on why. So, I still believe in using scraps and all of that. But, I was feeling like I didn't have a good enough stash to really work from. There wasn't enough choices to make decent sized projects, and I really am just getting started in this hobby - it's been about 9 months. Plus, I'm in a "seize the day" mindset lately and feeling that deprivation is silly because tomorrow we might not be here. Depressing, right?

I don't know... moral of the story is, I'm buying fabric again with a monthly budget toward the hobby with the goal of building up a solid stash and really working on my quilting skills.

Okay, with that, have a great weekend! Talk to you soon.

Urban {Home} Swap

I joined another swap called the Urban {Home} Swap organized by the same lovely people - Kerri and Heather - who coordinated the Pillow Talk {Swap}.

This swap is all about home decor. Going beyond pillows, ideas for projects include wall hangings, table runners, sewing machine covers, placemats, etc. Fun, right?

One of the requirements is to make a mosaic of home decor items that reflect your own personal style. Here is mine...


In other news, have you heard about Craft Sanity's apron contest? Check out the entry information in the link. I'm considering using my Plume charm pack and ric rack to make up something. Winning entries will be posted online and displayed in a traveling exhibit. The best part is the contest is part of a domestic violence awareness event, and winning entries will also be auctioned off to benefit the group organizing the event.

Every Stitch a Prayer

This quilt is for a very special little boy in my life who loves penguins and is undergoing this third round of chemo this week.

I hope the soft flannel brings him comfort in this time of great discomfort.


I hope the weight of the quilt is for him the love that is surrounding him in thought.


I hope the prayers in every stitch bring him back to health.

This may not be the prettiest quilt I ever make... but it is surly the most beautiful of intentions.

If you have your health, be grateful. If those whom you love have their health too, be joyful... Because you never know what tomorrow may bring...

Show Notes for Stash Resolution Episode 1

My first podcast is posted! Check it out on iTunes by searching for Stash Resolution.

feed://stashresolution.blip.tv/rss/itunes/

Segments and topics included are:

Introductions

Sew Stitch Create

Within a Quarter Inch

Amy Butler Birdie Bag

Olivia fabric

What I'm Working On

Quilts & Sewing:

Nine Patch Lattice Quilt

Heather Bailey Nicey Jane

Pillow Talk {Swap}

Cathedral Quilt Tutorial

Knitting:

Ishbel

Elsebeth Lvold Silky Wool

Boutique Knits

Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool

Plain Talk Ruffled Mittens

Side Slip Cloche

Tips & Techniques

I talked about project management and finding times to quilt by using a crafty schedule on my home bulletin board.

Bad Stitches Happen to Good People

This week, my disaster was the pinwheel that went very, very wrong. Without a doubt, it was due to operator error and has nothing to do with the p.s. i quilts lovely tutorial.

Fabric & Yarn Product Reviews

Amy Butler Love

Sandi Henderson

Quilt Market Videos

Portabello Pixie

Help me name my segments! Email me at stashresolution@yahoo.com. I will select my top three for each segment and put up a pole for all my lovely listeners to vote on!

Fabric Friday

If I were buying fabric (which, by the way, I am again... more on that later), I would (and might!) totally buy Japanese Fairytales and Friends fat quarter bundle from SewDeerlyLoved on Etsy.


For $27, the bundle comes with 9 fat quarter cuts of precious Japanese prints and Kona solids. The endearing patterns would make a perfect baby quilt or lap quilt in a home that can swing having a vintage look mixed in with other decor.

In fact, I enjoy hanging out at SewDeerlyLoved's shop and purusing her wide selection of import fabric. There are some amazing designs out there, like...

This...

This... MUST get for my daughter...


And this...


This weekend, I plan to catch up on p.s. i quilt's pinwheel tutorial quilt along. Check out this Flickr group - the talent is amazing!

What do you plan to sew this weekend?

Easter Kitchen Table

I took the left overs from the American Jane Happy Campers quilt and made a table runner. I ran a simple cross-hatch quilt lines through it and voila!


My mom found this cute Easter egg holder at a vintage store. Isn't it adorable?



The table runner washed up perfectly - love quilty-crinkles. It's the perfect size for my kitchen table - about 2' x 3'. The colors are fresh and spring-y, with coordinates nicely with the fantastic 55-degree weather we've had the last few days.

Hope your world is starting to turn to spring too.

Too Bad, So Sad

So, my big weekend quilting plans were promptly squashed Saturday when I realized my brand-new sewing machine is a lemon. Ugh! Long story short, I either need to convince the company I bought it from to exchange it, or I have to drive it an hour away to have a Brother-certified repair shop look at it. I'm seriously considering doing a hate campaign against the company I bought the sewing machine from; they have been less than helpful through this process.

I'm left with this huge quilting frame and no way to try it out... Bummer. Big bummer. It will probably be weeks before this problem is resolved. Trying to have a good attitude - thinking about how I can get some quilts pieced to quilt when the new/repaired machine is here. But, it's tough... I spent a lot of money on this - and we all know that money is not a joke these days. My family made a sacrifice so I could have my new machine... Now we have a hassle on top of it... Okay. I'll stop my complaining now. No one likes a complainer, right?

In good crafty news, I finished this quickie project this weekend - a piece tea towel. Pattern by Tallgrass Prairie Studio. Check out the tutorial here.


Also, I changed the razor in my rotary cutter this morning and - wow! - what a difference a new blade makes! It cuts a million times better. Why did I put this off for so long?

Have a great crafty week!

p.s. Podcast is still in the works. Need someone to look at my computer - it's not accepting audio feed from an external source. I'm trying to use a USB head set - not the internal mic in my Mac. Any advice out there in blogland? Please post a comment if you do. Thanks!

Fabric Friday

No time to blog this a.m. but wanted to leave you with this...



New from Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow.



This is what I'm going to buy to make this queen-sized quilt for my bed...


Happy weekend, my friends!

p.s. My quilt rack comes tonight. Will have updates for your next week. :-)

A New Toy!

My new sewing machine arrived yesterday!


I also had another lovely package in the mail. Check out this crafty goodness from Hawthorne Threads - a stack of Heather Bailey Nicey Jane for Olivia's twin-sized spring quilt.




Finally, here is my progress on the Spring Birdie quilt. Haven't quite decided if it should be a quilt or table runner. What do you think?