Sewing Buddy Challenge #2 - COLOR

I have a sewing buddy. Her name is Nicole. She is an amazing seamstress. Need proof? Check out this dress. Or this blouse. Do you remember the amazing messenger bag she made for our last challenge? After I saw that bag, I knew I had to really step up on this challenge. We came in third for the last challenge and I'd like us to move up this time around.

The assignment was simply "color." Each buddy pair could do what they wanted with color. One person could make a skirt and their partner could make a coordinating blouse. Nicole and I chose a color scheme that suited us (yellow and aqua/turquoise). Originally, we were both going to make aprons and kitchen accessories. But I needed a sewing machine cover more, so I switched. We both feathered our nests where we needed it most.

Here is a picture of the cover that came with my sewing machine.

Yes. Awful, isn't it? It's like a hospital gown for a sewing machine. Yes, I definitely needed a new cover.

And here is the replacement. Compared to the "hospital gown," this baby is an A-lister Emmy dress.

I purchased this pattern a while back and put this project on my 3Q FAL list. I just didn't know I was going to love it so much. The pattern was well written, with lots of pictures online as reference. (And I know I should have cleared out all my "stuff" in my windowsill, but I'm trying to keep it real. I have bizarre clay creations from my daughter and pictures of my family and a Hoops and Yoyo audio birthday card up there. What of it?)

I special ordered the measuring tape twill ribbon from this shop on etsy. The buttons were also a special order from this shop. I love that they have a flower in the center. Great customer service from both shops, by the way.

I used Robert Kaufman Essex Linen in Flax and I'm so happy with how easy it was to work with. I'm not a grey girl. Or a gray girl. I have lived in Seattle. I like bright colors. But the grey really makes the yellows and aquas stand out. Which is true in Seattle as well. When the sun shines there, it REALLY shines.

The part of the mat that sits under the machine was free motion quilted in random loops - shocker - and I did some straight line quilting on the patchwork blocks. The bag has two magnetic clasps so I can detatch it. It's supposed to be a thread catcher, but I use it for my basting pins instead.

I got to decide on the pocket sizes. I've got one for my screwdrivers, one for a seam ripper, one for my phone. They are pretty handy, those pockets.

There was just enough hand sewing to provide some nice details without being overwhelming. I do appreciate that sort of thing.

And because we got an extension, I thought I might make a little wall hanging:

And I made a project bag, using Ayumi's tutorial:

Oh, and here is the pincushion that goes with everything else. The ribbon isn't sewn down, so you can slip your embroidery scissors under it and they will stay put. Clever, no? I've got a pair of Eiffel Tower scissors (could these be any cuter?) on my Christmas wish list.

My buddy Nicole put together an amazing ensemble for her kitchen. She made herself some potholders and oven mitts (and can I say I envy her yellow Le Creuset just a tad more than I should?). I love those birds and the quilting on the mitts:

And she designed, yes, DESIGNED, this apron. With a matching turquoise spatula. Adorable!

Because she has better computer/photo editing skills, she put together our composite picture for our entry into the contest:

Head over to the flickr pool to see the rest of the Color Challenge entries. I'd join you, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we win the top prize this time around.

Friday Finish: Almost a week early!

Happy Friday everyone! It would be a happier Friday for me if it weren't for all the smoke in the air. We're sort of surrounded by wildfires and controlled field burns right now - nothing close to cause much more than breathing problems for us. We keep the house closed up, which means it's stifling at the moment (curse the twats who didn't put in A/C). I'm a fresh air girl, and me no likey.

Poor kids are bored, so I've lifted the mid-week movie rule (after school lessons and piano practice). While they watch, I sew.

My Sewing Buddy and I fared pretty well the last go 'round and I'd like us to do even better this time around. This time, color is the assignment. We could coordinate things like skirts and blouses, or simply choose a color palette that suits us both and create our own projects. We chose yellow and turquoise, although I went with more aqua-tones, but they'll fit. Nicole, my buddy, has created some long overdue kitchen accessories (super cute potholders) and an apron is forthcoming, which I can't wait for.

I've been needing a sewing machine cover for oh so long, and when I saw this pattern, I knew it was perfect. Loved the sewing machine mat, and the thread catcher is going to be my basting pin catcher instead. I loved the patchwork, as well as the handstitching and buttons and twill measuring tape ribbon. Loved it all.

I'll save the big picture for the big reveal next week, but here are the close up teaser shots:

I won't link up today because I don't have the big finish picture up yet. And I've got a wall hanging that might get worked in, so there could be more to the mix. For once, I just want to sit and look at my covered up sewing machine.

Aw, heck, I'll link up to Sarah's blog anyway. I feel like whooping it up that this is finished!

WIP Wednesday: scraptastic day!

My Christmas quilt is quilted (meandering loopy stitch, but I like how it turned out) and I'm binding both the Valentine's quilts tomorrow. So Friday will be a big Friday finish.

Today, I'm playing with scrappy aqua and yellow squares. I'm working on my sewing machine cover and accessories for my Sewing Buddy Challenge. I've got a month to go, and I'm just waiting for all the other things to come in the mail. It's going to be a fun mail day soon. I'll have to take pictures of my haul for sure.

See you on Friday!

Make-A-List Monday, er, Tuesday

Since I'm still buried in laundry from our trip, I figured you'd be forgiving if I was a day late on this post. If you aren't forgiving, go ahead and try to tell me about how mad you are. I can't hear much under all this laundry.

I thought I'd get more done on my stitchery last week. I spent 11+ hours in the car after all. But between keeping kids fed and entertained, let alone keeping the decibel level tolerable, I wasn't able to pull it out as much as I would have liked.

So I'm still working on stitchery #4 - The Apothecary. I like this one. I especially like the jars in the windows and the sign out front: "Lost Small Dog - Call Dorothy." Cracks me up.

And I'm also getting started on my Sewing Buddy project. My buddy and I won third place the last challenge, and we're doing our best this time around. It's all about color, and we've chosen these colors for our projects.

I'm going to make a scrappy sewing machine cover, table mat and maybe a wall quilt if I can get to it. She's making some kitchen accessories and an apron. I can't wait to see what she ends up making. It's going to be gorgeous!

Hope your week is awesome - I'm getting organized and busy. School starts up next week, so this girl has some lesson planning to do.

Friday Finish: Cutting it Close!

I like deadlines. I really do. I mostly like the whooshing sound they make as they fly right past me.

I think I might have given my sewing buddy heart failure. I cut this one a wee bit too close for comfort, even for me.

When you're making quilts, you sorta forget all the notions that go along with bags and clothes - zippers, buttons, grommets, interfacing . . . And in my small little town, grommets and grommet tools are challenging to come by. Walmart actually saved the day, believe it or not.

I didn't love the pattern. I'm a one step per step kinda gal. Don't give me multiple instructions in a single step. Drives me batty.

Still, it turned out pretty cute, don't ya think?

The fabric is from Micheal Miller's Backyard Bug and Bella Butterfly collections. (As a small aside, I think it's awesome that I can buy fabric from Fabric.com through Amazon. I'm always getting Amazon gift cards as gifts and I don't always want books. And free shipping if I spend $35? Can't beat it. The only downside is you have to buy 1 yard cuts, but I'm kinda okay with that.) Okay, back to the backpack.

A girly girl I do not have. She refused a butterfly backpack. She preferred the fabric with snakes and bugs and critters. This was no surprise, really, as she asked for stuffed snakes and dinosaurs last year for her birthday. She loves raptors and orcas and rattlesnakes. Her nickname is Bumblebee and I buy brown pants for her because she is always in the dirt.

 See, that's one of her snakes in there. One of several.

Love my adventurer! She kinda reminds me of Ellie in "Up" actually.

Adventure is out there!

My sewing buddy, Nicole, made a coordinating messenger bag for her little guy. Seriously, could this bag be any cuter?

The stats:

Both bags are from Michael Miller Backyard Bugs/Bella Butterfly fabric

My bag pattern: Daisy Girl Backpack by Fig Tree & Co.

Her bag pattern: from Oliver + S Little Things to Sew (which I am totally buying and making messenger bags for my boys)

Linking up for Sew and Tell and Whooping it up at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Have a great weekend - we'll be missing our man on his special day, but we sent him some love in the mail.