Thursday, September 29, 2011

Flying Geese

I found a little time yesterday to start my flying geese mini quilt project. Love making organized stacks of fabric. Something about it is so satisfying.


There are a million other projects I should finish before starting this new one. Sometimes one needs a new project to get inspired, right?


I'm using the Quilt in a Day Flying Geese ruler and this mini quilt tutorial from Purl Bee for inspriation.

What are you making this week?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Harvest

If I don't do a quick post today, there's no telling when it will happen. In the battle between parents and children, the children are winning today. Hands down. Olivia is presently screaming in her room because I told her she needed to have quiet time. Key word - QUIET!

Anyway, we did have a nice weekend and managed to finish a couple harvest-y of projects.

First up, a pumpkin made from this tutorial.


I think it looks okay in our family room - nice and festive. (Thanks to my mom for helping get the pieces cut and leaves embroidered!)


Olivia and I had a sewing date with my friend, Patty, and her daughter. We made ghost decorations out of muslin and batting.


The girls drew faces on them, and they were strung with floral wire to a piece of fabric. Great project for the under 10 crowd if you're looking for a fun Halloween activity - with parental supervision of course!


Finally, we made Halloween bunting using Alexander Henry's The Ghastlies fabric. Such a fun line in a spooky-silly way.


Hope you're getting this week off to a great start and are doing something fun to mark the beginning of autumn!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Flurry

It's been a flurry of activity around here. I feel like I never stop moving. There's the laundry to keep up with, children who need fed, bathed, changed, mail to sort, coupons to clip, carpet to vaccuum. Yesterday, when both girls were having breakdowns simultaneously, my husband and I looked at each other and I said, "They're trying to kill us!" :-) True, this is a happy time, though exhausting.

Isabelle turned one month this weekend. She has gained three pounds in four weeks, which is pretty amazing for a nursed baby. I bought monthly stickers to take her photo from this lovely shop. She has definitely filled out in her cheeks and legs (and wasn't feeling a photo shoot yesterday!).




Anyway, I finished another Simple Little Runner for a wedding gift, this time out of Kate Spain's Flurry. It was washed and wrapped within hours of the event! But a win is a win, right?


I just love this collection with the pop of bright blue. 


I did simple meandering quilting and used solid fabric for the backing and binding. Hope the happy couple will enjoy bringing this holiday decoration out for years to come.

If the stars align, I am going to record a podcast this morning. Stay tuned for a jam-packed episode! There is so much to share. :-)

Friday, September 16, 2011

Misc.

I have a hodge podge of information to share with you this morning.

First, lost in baby land, I completely missed the sign ups for the sixth round of the Pillow Talk {Swap} on Flickr. Did you get in? If not, join me on the side lines cheering on the amazing work we're about to see. The talent in this group is unbelievable!

Next up, my Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild friend, Heather, had a fantastic link to a Wall Street Journal article on Denyse Schmidt on her blog Olive & Ollie. A wonderful read!

Do you ever have design freeze? This is the situation with my master bedroom. It's basically a very ugly blank canvass right now. Nothing about it says "sanctuary." Instead it says "depression." So, I happened upon West Elm's room concept ideas when searching for new bedding (yes, I know I could make a quilt, but it will take too stinkin' long!). The site even tells you what paint color to use - Amen! Can't decide which I like better -

 

Which do you like?

Finally, I love it when my customers send me photos of the projects they complete with fabric from the shop. Makes my day! Tina was sweet enough to share photos of an adorable bag she completed using Strawberry Fields fabric.






She used Lila Tueller's Cambridge Cargo Bag pattern - under the Pink Fig Design label. Isn't it beautiful? The finishing touches like the buckle and pocket flaps make it look like it was bought in high-end a store. Thank you, Tina, for sharing your work with us! (BTW, love the music on Lila's blog! Click the link, turn up your speakers, and get ready to groove!)


Wishing you a great weekend!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Wedding Bells

In the next several weeks, we have two weddings to attend. It's been over a year since we've attended a wedding, and now we have two back-to-back! I love weddings... Always a sap with my tissues in the church pew.

Anyway, I decided to make each happy couple a table runner using this Moda Bakeshop recipe. The first is complete!


I used one Sweetwater Hometown charm pack, Hometown backing, and a little Bella Solid in Ivory to complete the project. It uses minimal yardage and came together so quickly!


I opted to not use ric rac and keep it a little more simple as I think this will appeal to the recipient's taste a little better.


The backing is Cross Town in Cream. I like the scale and simplicity of this print.






I made a set of four coordinating napkins out of Flower Shop in Mist using this tutorial from Skip to My Lou for instructions on how to miter corners. It was a bit fussy to get right, I must say.


I hope the bride enjoys this set as much as I did making it for her!

Monday, September 12, 2011

The Before

I held back showing you pictures of my new attic sewing space because it wasn't perfect yet. The truth of the matter is that it may never be. So, here goes...


I have one adorable square window on the far wall of the space. I made a little valance from this fabric and have my sewing table with machine, serger, and notions. This is the mid-day light that casts into the space - the most direct it ever is, at least this time of year.


My iron is conveniently set up right next to the sewing table. Stacks of plastic containers of fabric fill the space beneath the table. Seriously, I think I have enough stuff to sew for the next eon!


The boxes stacked to hold my yarn look dangerously close to buckeling! I like having them on display, though. That way I don't forget what I have - plus all the colors together are kind of pretty. Books are propped against the yarn containers loudly mocking me for barely having made anything from them. I can't be the only crafter with this problem, right?


 On the left long wall, I have several Ikea shelves full of bolts of fabric. They're organized by line and then by print. Pre-cuts and fat quarters are stacked on the top shelves as are remnants. I'm very protective of this space - no one is to enter without first washing their hands and then asking permission! I'm a real sticker about that. And, yes, that is an Anna Maria Horner rug on the floor. It used to be in my foyer, but it suites this room much better.


Here is all the Echino and Kokka fabric - what a happy, fun shelf! It's Olivia's favorite to "shop" and tell me which ones she likes best, which is usually all of them. "Mama, I like this one, and this one, and this one... oh, and this one..."






I try to keep the fabric like I would organize it if people were coming in to shop it in person. It keeps me on top of inventory, and makes fulfilling orders a little more simple, especially if I have to call in reinforcements (a.k.a. hubby!).






Opposite the fabric is my cutting table. This creates a nice work flow cutting down the number of steps between bolts and cutting. Here is the business person coming out in me - efficiency!


Next to the cutting table is one of my favorite organizational purchases - a wire drawer system from Ikea. On the top, I keep shipping supplies (packaging tape, Sharpies, business cards, etc.). Then, each of the other three drawers are dedicated to my current personal projects - one for each of my daughters and one for household/gift projects. This keeps everything neat and visible, and it's the first thing I see when I enter the room.


Finally, here is a view of the other side of the room. The entrance is from my master bedroom. My desk is against the wall opposite the window, which is nothing special to look at, though I probably spend more time here than at my sewing table. :-(

These are the "before" pictures of this space. There is much decorating to be done in this space- mini quilts to be made and hung, sewing-related decorations to be purchased, design wall to be assembled, etc. As I make significant improvements, I'll show you updates. I created a Pinterest inspiration board (at time of writing this, Pinterest is experiencing issues and not allowing me to link to the board. Find me as Sarah Hibner and then look for my board called something like Dream Sewing Spaces) of other sewing spaces to keep me going.

I feel spoiled and grateful to have this wonderful area dedicated to my passion. The fact that many sewers only have their kitchen table, a closet, or a corner is not lost on me. With that in mind, I'm going to get in gear and show my appreciation for this space by making it an inspiring creative place to be!

Hope you all have a great week!