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: last quilt of the 3Q FAL

Finish it up Friday is back at crazymomquilts and I'm excited to have this quilt finished. The last of my 3QFAL quilts (link up will be next week - hooray!). I'm also going to link up with Sarah, who is back in the saddle and quilting again!

I mentioned earlier that there was a mistake and I was determined to fix it. Armed with a seam ripper and my father's choicest curse words (don't worry, they are PG ones, and funny too!), I took out the offending block and turned it the right way. Phew. Now I can look at it and not go bonkers. Well, until I tie a big red bow around it and ship it to its new home. I'm liking this business of gifting quilts. Kinda fun, don't ya think?


All in all, I finished 9 of my 20 projects for the FAL. Two others would have been done (the R2D2 quilt and the other Christmas quilt), but we had a Minky SNAFU for poor R2 and then a backing hiccup for the Christmas quilt. So those go to the top o' the heap for next quarter. Along with the other projects. I'm working on getting organized for that FAL post. Need some new pictures so you don't get bored looking at the same ones every time.

But first on my list for next week is basting my monster of a string quilt. I think I'm going to enter it in the Blogger's Quilt Festival next month, so I've got to get going on it. The fun part will be the basting. It's so huge, my living room floor isn't going to cut it. Might be using the gym floor at my church next Tuesday night while my daughter has her activity.

Have a lovely weekend. I'm finishing up a dress and waiting for my cushion pattern to arrive so I can whip that one out. With any luck, I'll get it done by Sunday afternoon for the big Sewing Buddy reveal. Here's hoping!

And next week, I'll share my cutting plans for next weekend. It's like prepping 20 meals on one Saturday, only in this case, it's prepping 20 quilts. Okay, not 20. But a lot. More to come!

Friday Finish: with a question: Would you wait?

Oh Nellie, will this be tough!

I have one finished bed-sized quilt flimsy. It's ready to be quilted. I've got the backing pieced together (yellow Minky) and I'm making the binding. Then there's my Sew Cherry Granny Squares quilt that I'm putting the border on.

So why wait? Because they are flipping queen-sized quilts and I've never done one that big. With a Minky backing (on one at least) no less!

My options are these: go ahead and try to quilt them on my home machine and hope they turn out better than I think they will. Or wait. Until next summer. Yeah, you read that right. Next summer.

See, we're moving next May. And where we are moving to has a shop with four Gammills. They rent them by the hour and I could go and quilt my big quilts on a long-arm. The thought makes me a little bit giddy. You take their class first and learn how to use the machine and then you get to quilt like crazy.

So, what would you do? I really really want these quilts done and on my bed (well, rotating out), but I want the quilting to make me happy.

Thoughts?

Before I sign off for the day, I have another finish for you. My other Valentine's quilt. 

Now, I know what you're thinking. You might be thinking I'm trying to pass off the same quilt. But I'm not. Two different backs. And with this one, the first one, I didn't turn the blocks in all the right direction. So they are a little mismatched and crazy. But I'm over it.

See, different back. Love those panels.

If all goes well, I will have 11 projects from my 3Q FAL list done. Maybe 12. Out of 20. Not too shabby!

Make-A-List Monday: Hey, it was a holiday

Not that we did anything special on Labor Day, but I gave myself the day off from blogging. Since I'm the boss, I get to do these things. Since I don't get a day off from anything else in my world, I'm allowed.

What was on my list last week?

• Finish toddler quilt.

 Done. Blogged here, but here's a picture of it:

I love it. Baby girl loves it. I love that sort of outcome!

• Get distracted by packages arriving in the mail.

 This wasn't hard at all. This stack of gorgeousness arrived and I couldn't stop touching it and playing with it.

I'm on the look-out for a truly stunning quilt for my daughter's bed. Maybe even two if I use some white (or, dare I say it, gray?) in there. Any ideas? I need something that has fairly big blocks, since there are some big prints that beg to be fussy cut. Here's what I was thinking.

Source: flickr.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Or this:

Source: flickr.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Or this:

Source: thehappyzombie.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Or this:

Source: ohfransson.com via Jennie on Pinterest

Or this:

Source: elle-mental.blogspot.com via Jennie on Pinterest

I'm really leaning towards this one at the moment:

Source: freshlemonsquilts.com via Jennie on Pinterest 

 

• Cut and sew a Superman library bag for my littlest guy.

Not done. Fabric didn't arrive. Boo to that! I ordered it from Fabric.com through Amazon and it still isn't here. Never mind that I placed an order with Fat Quarter Shop and Green Fairy Quilts on the same day and they both arrived within 2-3 days. This Fabric.com order has taken nearly 2 weeks, and it's a whole lot smaller than the FQS one. Grrr.

• Cut fabric, interfacing and fusible fleece for sewing machine cover and table mat.

Done, and I even got started on this project. Pincushion is all finished. Waiting on my piping so I can get the rest finished.

• Cut more Lucy triangles (when fabric arrives).

Done. Got a big ol' gorgeous stack of triangles now. I'll lay them out next week, I hope.

• Sew up my project bags for the Sewing Buddy challenge.

Kinda got sidetracked making my pincushion. But they are there. Waiting.

• Cut out dresses for my oldest girl. Using this pattern, and I'm so excited for it. 

Got the skirt and waistband cut, but I need to cut the bodice and get started. She's super excited for these dresses.

Okay. So not bad. Now for this week:

• Piece the red Minky back for my son's R2D2 quilt (as soon as that *#%& fabric arrives)
• Baste his quilt
• Figure out how the heck I'm going to quilt it (maybe I should do that while I wait!)
• Finish thread catcher and sewing mat for Sewing Buddy challenge
• Sew up project bags for Sewing Buddy challenge
• Cut out bodice for my daughter's dresses
• Cut binding for string quilt and R2D2 quilt
• Cut and sew library bag for my little Superman

Oh, and here's another finish for you. I would have blogged it last week, but my camera battery died and some little person, who is cute nonetheless, stole my charger. I was almost forced to subject you to my horrid cell phone pictures when my amazing husband surprised me Saturday night with this:

 

I'm more than a little excited about it. People who say that it's not the camera, it's the photographer, are, well, in my opinion, liars. That's like saying that it's the chef, not the stove. I acknowledge the training and skill it takes to snap great pictures. But give a chef a campfire and expect them to create an equally delicious meal and they are begging for their professional stove. Just saying. I'm already getting better pictures with the auto settings on this one than I ever was with my little point and shoot. For good reason.

So I'm just arguing that anyone can learn to take great pictures, but it does start with a decent camera. I know this one isn't anywhere near as fancy (or as expensive) as they get, but it's a starter one for me.

Okay, so on to the finish. Mark this Christmas quilt off the list. Wish I had some fake snow to make it more festive, but we'll deal. Or not. If you want to send me nasty-grams, go ahead. But it's September, so I might not pay any attention because I'm listening to my favorite Christmas albums.

My oldest two are arguing over who gets to sleep with this already. Might have to make another one?

Linking up for Fabric Tuesday over at Quilt Story. Check it out - they have an adorable Out to Sea quilt on display!

WIP Wednesday: Deliver me from Distraction!

I know I'm not the only one with this problem. I've been so productive lately, but then new fabric shows up and I want to dump the old, tired, I'm-bored-with-you projects and play with the new shiny, pretty fabric.

For the record, I was not this way with boyfriends. Or shoes. I have shoes that are 15 years old that I love. And I've been married 11 years. So this is clearly just a fabric thing.

But here is a finish for you from my 3Q FAL list! I had a Love U jelly roll that I'd cut into 2.5" squares. I pieced them into fun nine patch blocks and made a baby quilt a while back for my sweet little girl. She's outgrown it, so I used the rest of the nine patch blocks to make a toddler-sized quilt.

I love that it isn't entirely girly with bright oranges, yellows, greens, blues and reds as well as pink.

I love these little snails, marching around in a circle (sort of).

And the owls make me smile. I didn't know I was such an owl person until recently. And little missy has an owl costume for Halloween. I love it!

Backed in the green butterfly and flower print, bound with the green dots. It's perfect. And I think she likes it!

As for WIPs, there are too many to count! So for today, here's what I'm doing:

Cutting the binding for my string quilt.

I don't know what it is, but I just don't like making binding. It's so tedious. I've got some Star Wars binding to make too.

Also on my list:

Cutting interfacing for my bags and sewing machine cover. I felt really ridiculous taking photos of interfacing. It's like photographing your underwear when you're doing laundry. Not exactly super glamorous. Well, maybe your underwear is fancier than mine. But let's stop talking about underwear. Here's the progress on the sewing machine cover, mat, pincushion, and thread catcher.

My WIP list is mostly about finishing things.

To Piece:
Quite Contrary quilt
PKM Dresden plate quilt
Cowgirl Saltwater Taffy quilt
Christmas string quilt
Lucy's Crab Shack triangle quilt

To Quilt:
Yellow and Orange string quilt
R2D2 quilt
3 Christmas quilts

To Avoid:
Halloween fabric (making bags in October)
Two FQ bundles of Apple of my Eye
Gypsy Girl FQ bundle that is arriving today (for a quilt for my daughter)

Linking up!

Fabric Tuesday: first finish of the week

And thus begins the parade of finishes. I'm so very happy to have these ones off my top shelf (and off my 3Q FAL list). It's getting pretty empty up there, which is such a great feeling!

This is one of two matching quilts. I bought at FQ bundle of L'Amour fabric a long while back and made it into two lap quilts. Two panels came with the bundle, so I pieced them into the backs.

More loopy meandering, with a few hearts thrown in there for practice.

My first bit of distractions came with the mail yesterday. Two packages, just for me.

I've got big plans for most of it. I bought that Madrona script fabric just because. Sometimes you just need to do that sort of thing, right? I'll be cutting that stack o' Lucy's Crab Shack into big triangles today.

The UPS arrived a day early with my Fat Quarter Shop package. I sorted it out into projects. First, my tree skirt. So very excited about this one. That would be Cherry Christmas there and I'm in love.

The binding for my string quilt, so the only excuse I have now is I need a place to baste it. I'm trying to find a time to go to my church and use the gym floor. We'll see how that works out.

Fabric for my daughter's dresses. Girl loves her purples. Cutting into these as soon as I'm done with a couple other cutting projects.

That's all for today. I'll be back tomorrow with another finish. Guess this is what happens when you send your husband back to law school.

Oh, and linking up over at Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday. I'm loving the baby things I see over there. Don't have much need for them myself anymore. My baby is deciding to stop being a baby.

Little turkey! But she's cute, so I can't help but love her.

Have a great Tuesday - see you tomorrow!

Make-A-List Monday: I get to quilt!

I've never thought of myself as much of a liar, and I swear I'm not. I mean, not really. Oh sure, I might fib here and there, but it's not a habit.

So I'm confessing that I lied about doing prep work. Sort of. I ran out of prep work I could do. All my projects need something else (something I need to buy), so I have to wait.

So I got back to quilting. I've quilted two small lap quilts that were on my 3Q FAL list. I'll be binding both of them this week.

And I basted this baby last night. She's a monster, but I'm excited to get it done.

Absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder. I made this quilt top last summer (I know, I know) and I want to make another one now! The real question is - how to machine quilt it? I'm a little tired of my loopy meandering, but I don't want to straight-line it. Circles? It's a Christmas quilt, so flowers won't work. Sigh. Wish I had a long-arm.

So the prep work will return once I have my new supplies in hand. But for now, I've got to get some more work done on that monster of a list I made for the third quarter. It's half over, and I'm not halfway through my list!

Have a great week!

p.s. Thoughts on a Christmas I-spy charm swap? I'm thinking of hosting one.

Friday finish: the early morning edition

Rolling pins Christmas quilt, made using a Riley Blake Candy Christmas fat quarter bundle, and used the Me and My Sister Rolling Pins pattern.

Friday Finish: Finally, pictures!

Even a quick weekend trip can totally throw off your sew-jo. I've been trying to get back in the swing of things and get to work on stuff, but boy howdy is it hard.

This finish has been finished for a bit now (for my 3Q FAL plans), but I haven't had a chance to take any pictures of it. Until today. I wanted to go to my favorite bridge, but it's windy and I'm not too keen on it falling in the muck. Guess the backyard will have to do.

I seriously love this quilt. I love the colors in this fabric line (Apple of My Eye from Riley Blake). I love the binding - the red/pink herringbone print. Love the back too - the red/pink daisies on aqua.

I know I've gotten a little crazy with the triangle quilts, but it's fun and different for me. I've got one more in the works, made from Lucy's Crab Shack. If I cut a few more triangles, I can make one big enough for my bed. Although I don't need it, but since when has "need" come in to the picture? If our power ever goes out in the wintertime, we're going to be just fine!

The best thing about these giant triangles is how easy they are to put together. The hardest part, really, is laying out all those triangles and keeping baby girl off of them. She likes to rearrange them for me. Silly girly.

I got some fun mail yesterday too - my Accuquilt circle cutters, so I can finish up my PKM Dresdens. Anyone have a great suggestion for a hand-applique book/video/tutorial? I'm in desperate need!

I'm linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, who gets to piece while at the beach - lucky! Also linking up with amylouwho for Sew & Tell Friday - you must go check out the cute jammies she made for her littlelouwhos - adorable!

Make-A-List Monday: where I don't have a picture of my finish!

I finished it, I swear.

I have at least five adult witnesses, plus my children and theirs, to swear they saw the finished quilt (from my 3Q FAL list - the sports one).

I just never got a picture of it. It's in the hands of our awesome friends in Seattle. We were so busy the whole time we were there, we didn't have time for quilt pictures. Crazy, I know, but that's life. Maybe I'll ask them to take a picture and send it to me. Then I'll have my proof for you!

We did have a fun weekend. Air show on Saturday, awesome Chinese food Saturday night. Now I'm back, my phone is fixed (LOVE having that man home), I have a new watch (gorgeous anniversary gift!), and I'm ready to work.

Okay, so on last week's list, I had this:

1.  Piece back for Hall of Fame quilt. I totally rocked this one. The fabric arrived Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
2. Baste, quilt and bind Hall of Fame quilt. After I pieced and pressed the back, I basted this baby and started quilting. At 12:30 a.m. (I had to feed my kids, get the to bed, and oh, pack my car!), I stopped. I was 2/3 done but I was exhausted. Woke up at 6:30 and finished it by 7:30. Bound it and called it good. They were thrilled with it, so that's awesome.
3.  Play with HSTs. Meh. Didn't feel like it. But I did do something else, but I'll post later about that.

And now we're on to this week. 

Here's my list:

1. Press Cowgirl HSTs.
2. Clip dog-ears off HSTs.
3. Sew together Cowgirl pinwheels.

I'm sticking with three sewing things because we've got fun stuff planned and lots of housekeeping to do before school (law school and homeschool) starts up again for us.

Oh, and some cool pictures, so my blog isn't super boring. I love airshows.

The first two, in case you are interested, are the Patriots. They are a civilian flying team, made up of retired Blue Angels and Thunderbird pilots. They are awesome.

And yes, that's an explosion in the right up there. It was really loud and shook the ground. I was in line for pizzas and these teenage girls behind me were freaking out. One of them was screaming, "Why is the smoke BLACK?!!" Um, it's not going to be pink, sweetheart.

And this was the best picture I could get of the Thunderbirds. They are the Air Force equivalent of the Blue Angels.

What's on your list this week? I promise more sewing related pictures tomorrow and Wednesday.