Happy Birthday to Ewe!

Are ewe ready to party??

It's been a while since I've made a fabric post card, but wanted to send a special birthday greeting to a fellow sheep enthusiast.  So, out came the Timtex, fusible iron-on, the drawing paper and this little ewe was ready!

Thankfully, the post office cooperated and it landed in her mailbox on time.

Won't wait so long to make the next post card--these snail mail mini-quilts are a great way to try a new technique, play with some fabric and send some good wishes!

Mother's Day Is Every Day, Right?

While at MQX, I found a lovely booth where they were selling table runner kits quite reasonably.  The owner was so sweet-natured, it was hard not to make a purchase.  Fortunately, one kit was of pansies, my mother's favorite flower:

Biggest table runner I ever made--almost 53 inches!

Uses this opportunity to quilt more feathers with invisible thread--just love knowing feathers are there, even if they aren't too visible!

The fabric amounts were off a bit, so there wasn't enough for the backing.  My mom loves the Aunt Grace fabric, so here's the backing...

Each girl's dress is a fabric from the Aunt Grace line--very cute!

And the finished project:

The pattern called for thick bindings, but that made turning those weird angled corners too much of a challenge.  Would recommend for a project like this to keep your bindings as thin as possible.

Good think my mother is patient--this table runner is her final gift for Mother's Day (2011).

"Hairy" Up And Make These!

Found a fantastic project you can make in under an hour, but the process is so much fun, you may become addicted!  Our two girls have lots and lots of hair that needs to  be tamed and this reversible headband is perfect for the job! 

The step-by-step directions can be found at KC Quilts: Reversible Fabric Headbands and I was able to make three in about an hour, including the learning curve.

Here is a sampling of some I've made:

 

Made one for each of our daughters and one for a friend.  The elastic feature prevents any sized noggin from getting a headache.  If you don't have the time to make your own, some will be on sale at the Love Apple Quilter's quilt show in March (for details, go to Love Apple Quilters).  Hope to see you there!

Christmas Stocking

 

Been a busy bee getting last minute things done for Christmas!  This quick and easy stocking is for my hairdresser who has a room in her house decorated in pink, black and white.  Had found a fabric with poodles with bright pink noses and antlers--still amazed "Rudolf the Red Nosed Poodle"  was ever printed--containing the perfect coloration.  She loves all things handmade and keeps our entire family well groomed, so it was a delight to make for her.

Coffee Cozy

Better Homes and Gardens most recent issue of "Quilts and More" (Fall 2010) had a cute little project for your coffee drinking buddy--"Perk Me Up."  Designer Veronica Koh Eischeid did a great job of writing easy to understand directions and the project came together in less than an hour.

Made this little cozy for my dear friend's Friday night coffee.  We've been meeting at a local Starbucks every week for the past five years while our kids attend youth group and found it to be a wonderfully therapeutic way to end a busy week.  Now our oldest daughters are coming with us and, in spite of sitting on the other side of the room, are continuing the tradition of making time for lifelong friends.

This Year's First Christmas Gift

My wonderful husband has been accompanying me to The Village Quilter lately to pick up my Buck-A-Block so we can spend some extra time together.  He's been great at finding projects he'd like me to make and this month's find was a Biscuit Basket by Aunties Two.

Perfect size for mega biscuits!

Bird's eye view

Using a Moda jelly roll  and a roll of 1 3/4 inch stiffy stuff, the basket came together in a day. (If you recognize the fabric, could you please post the name in the comment section?  I always try to give credit where credit is due and I can't remember the name--a suspected episode of "Sometimers.")  The directions are clear and technique is easy to follow.  Was a little nervous about the binding since the basket barely fit into my sewing machine, but it was just as easy to do as a quilt binding.

Have an idea of who in my family would appreciate this cute little basket, but since they are regular readers of my blog, I don't want to spoil the surprise.  Excited to finish a project in a day, especially with the multitude of interruptions in my day--doctors' appointments, dishes, laundry, meals, etc.

"Summer Fun" Notebook Challenge Quilt

My big gift for Christmas last year was a Cricut electronic cutting machine. Have enjoyed the various paper related projects I've been making with it--love the accuracy of the cutting and the ability to manipulate shapes by size and orientation. When my DH gave it to me, he said he thought it could be used with fabric and I could use it in my quilting. Sweeter words were never spoken!

First, felt I needed to become familiar with how to use the machine with paper before I could start working with fabric. Then, after six months of practicing (and a smidgen of procrastination) the perfect project came along--a notebook quilt challenge with Love Apples Quilters. Seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally try fabric with the Cricut.

There really isn't much written about how to use fabric in a Cricut machine on the internet. What little I did read suggested ironing on fusible adhesive and using the paper as a stabilizer, putting it on the sticky mat, placing it into the machine and cutting away. Well, it doesn't really work that way. Found that sewable fusible peels away too easily from the backing, although did work on simple shapes. Peeling off the backing and then placing the fabric directly onto the sticky board didn't work because the sewable fusible doesn't provide enough stability. So, in a final attempt, I used heavy duty fusible on the fabric and placed it directly onto the mat and had success! (Took me five attempts to get the word "Summer" to cut correctly due to it's curlicue style. It felt really good to conquer that hurdle!!)

In addition to using heavy duty fusible, it was necessary to slow the cutting down to a minimum, increase the pressure and blade length (used it set on 4).

After learning a few of the secrets of using fabric on the Cricut, thought it would be a great project to test out using textile glitter to add a little sparkle in the lightening bugs' tales and on the flag of the sandcastle.

Here's how it turned out:

Notebook Quilt (8 1/2 inches by 11 inches) using "Stretch Your Imagination" cartridge

The little guy in the lower left corner is a cricket in his grasshopper pajamas--our girls are very concerned that crickets are black and grasshoppers are green, but a black cricket wouldn't have shown up on such a dark background. You have to love their desire for accuracy!

This little project, learning curve included, took me about a day to complete. Would love to make one for every season and am working on some more layouts.

Our New Mailbox

The time had come to replace the mailbox and it's pole. We knew it was time because the pole was rotten all the way through and no amount of boards stuffed at the base would prevent it from tipping over.

Rather than bring bodily harm to the nicest mail carrier we've ever had, the decision was made to replace the entire set-up. When the new mailbox came home, it gave me an idea--have seen painted flowers, light houses and John Deere tractors, but never a quilt block. Having the nicest and most long-suffering husband in the world, asked if it would be okay for me to decorate it. Thankfully (and predictably), he agreed.


Gathered my supplies--an EQ print out of a variable star block, some paint pens, chalk and a ruler. Colored the back of the print out with chalk and then traced it onto the mailbox.


The image was a bit fuzzy, but still usable. Settled down for a relaxing coloring session.


Here are the first two colors finished....

and here is the block all done! (Before the purple was dry, it was very pink, hence the smudge in the square.) Then I got to work on the other side. When both sides had their respective blocks, sprayed it with a satin sealant.

Here is our new mailbox out on the curb, waiting the hundreds of swaps to arrive. Thinking the mail carrier won't have the heart to deliver bills to such quilty mailbox.

Fat Quarter Bags

Hard to imagine it's almost been a year since we went to the Knoxville AQS show last July. (Harder still that it's taken me this long to finally use the patterns I purchased there!) Tennessee was a fantastic place to go for vacation--enjoyed the Smokey Mountains (met a black bear on the trail), Gatlinburg(Ripley's Aquarium is very entertaining) and Dollywood.

While at the quilt show, found a booth carrying patterns by a company called, "P. S. Gone Quilting." Very cute patterns were available--could have bought one of each, but ended up purchasing one for making lined drawstring bags from a single fat quarter, another for a red and white scrap quilt and a third for a collapsible bottle holder using tiny embroidery hoops.

Thought the drawstring bags would be a great item for Love Apple Quilters' 2011 Quilt Show boutique, so stole some time away from the usual schedule and tried it out.

What fun! The bag went together in less than an hour and provided all kinds of opportunities for embellishments! Added some beads to the coordinating ribbon ties, just to add a little bit of sparkle.

Did give the ice cream cones as a gift bag to a young sewer for her birthday and it was well received. Hope everyone who comes to the quilt show is equally pleased!

A Couple Completed Projects

A friend was having a birthday, so thought a tablerunner would be a nice way to celebrate. Found the pattern and fabric at Calico and Cotton in Ocean City, NJ.




The next project was a prize for a contest I had with BlockBuddies, my on-line yahoo group. We were starting a new swap and she picked the winning name.

It's a chocolate covered strawberry pin cushion. Just for fun, put some stuffing in a dish to look like whipped cream--the perfect fat-free dessert!! The winner seemed to appreciate my humble offerings and put it to good use.

Now, off to finish a UFO!

Spring Break Sewing Class

This year's spring break is a little unusual this year due to the snow--our older daughter had only Monday off while our younger daughter had the week off. Having only one child to entertain allowed for a long-overdue sewing lesson with her dear friend, a young lady quite enamoured with sewing.

Dug out my first sewing machine, a Singer I purchased when we first were married. This machine is something of a dinosaur, but provides a full education without the risk of overwhelming the user.

After finding a beginner's appropriate apron pattern (cooking is another of their passions), I took the girls to Joann's and had them to pick out whatever fabric they'd like. One young lady selected a chicken print for the main part of the apron with an egg fabric for the pocket. (Very clever!!)

Chicken and Egg Apron

Our daughter selected cherries for her main section with a back pocket--Mary Engelbreit would be so proud! (And who will be able to tell if it gets dirty?)

Cherries Jubilee

And, since Father's Day is around the corner (more honestly, at that time of year, I'm either at a loss for gift ideas or up to my eyeballs in deadlines), decided to make a very handsome one for my sweet husband. Here it is modeled by our older daughter....

Celebrating Daddy!

The girls did all the pressing and sewing--thought we'd save using a rotary cutter for another lesson. Am so very proud of their efforts and how naturally talented they are! Hope they continue to enjoy sewing!

Gift Card Holders

Have some gift cards to give to special friends, but just handing over an envelope with the cards inside makes me feel guilty for not being able to come up with the "perfect" gift. In an effort to improve the presentation, thought a customized wallet would be appreciated.

For the young gentleman of the group, I made a bi-fold wallet using a free pattern found on www.sewing.about.com/od/bagstotespurseproject/ss/menswallet.htm . The pattern is okay, but there has to be a better way than recommended to do the bias binding. After four attempts to make flat corners with the binding folded around the edges, decided to open the binding and sew it on like a quilt binding. The last attempt worked the best, but wasn't as perfect as I would have liked. Hopefully, he'll have so much money stuffed in his gift, no one will notice a wrinkle here or there!

For the two young ladies, one a teen and the other a near-teen, I made cell phone holders. Being "fashionistas," they like accessories for their cell phones. Being sisters, reflecting their personalities is a must. So, while shopping at Olde City Quilts in Burlington, I noticed a Quiltsmart cell phone holder pattern. Glad I got to make two of those--very, very clever and easy to do! Found some coordinating buttons and trims at Joann's and am pleased with how they turned out....and our own teen-aged daughter gave them her stamp of approval.

American Patchwork & Quilting One Million Pillowcase Challenge

According to http://www.dictionary.com/, the first definition of the word "challenge" is "a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc." This challenge was designed by AllPeopleQuilt.com to help those in challenging life circumstances. Donna, owner of The Spider's Web Fabric Shop (http://www.thespiderswebfabricshop.com/) has decided to use her Ohio store as a drop-off point. Thankfully, she needed samples and I was able to volunteer my sewing services.

The basic pattern was the first one I tried. Donna sent me a lovely combination of horse-themed fabrics. Took me less than an hour to do the entire project and only required very basic sewing skills. Followed the directions exactly, except for the band/body seam--to prevent ravelling, I pinked the edges on all the samples.

The second pattern has a ruffle. Now I know the prospect of making a ruffle strikes terror in some of the bravest of quilty hearts, but this design element was a piece of cake! Certainly added a nice touch to the pillowcase and would be perfect for a little girl. As usual, Donna's choice of fabrics was exceptional. Took about an hour to make, ruffle included.

Pattern three has a pieced hour-glass block band--and the wallowing piggy fabric lent itself to having"peeking" pigs in the center square. This pillowcase took a bit longer to complete, perhaps around two hours. But, I've never been known for speedy piecing--way too busy pinning.

Finally, pattern four has a simple patchwork design in the band. The piecing was quick and easy, allowing me to complete it in under two hours. The hibiscus pattern is complimented by green and red fabrics, giving it a Hawaiian feel.

Since each of these pillowcases are quick and easy enough to finish in an afternoon, try them all! Make two--one for a child in your life and one for someone less fortunate. AllPeopleQuilt.com has a map of participating stores listed on the website or you could send it to Donna's shop (address listed on her site).

Putting the UGH! in Ugly

Had the privilege of selecting a game for Love Apple Quilters last guild meeting. Regularly scour the internet for games suitable for workshops, but thought this game would be perfect to involve the whole guild.

About 30 of us all brought one yard of the ugliest fabric on our stash. Amazing how one quilter's "ugly" is another quilter's "treasure." We tore our fabric in two, keeping one half and passing the other half around the circle. The passing and tearing went on for three more turns. The challenge was to make a small wall-hanging out of what we acquired, without adding any other fabric.

Here's what I got:

Sort of redefines "ugly," doesn't it?

Looked at those five fabrics for two weeks before being inspired. Started to grow concerned when they started to look nice together...except for one. The small squares just did not fit in the abstract pattern of the block print fabric, no matter what pattern I picked.

So, I decided to tea dye the odd ball. Well, hours in a tea bath did not make much of an impact. Tried coffee next, without much success. Turned out a brown pencil did the trick! Pleating the fabric to show only the complimentary squares seemed improve the situation.

Here's what I made:

Thought a fitting name would be "Tile Work in King Neptune's Privy." Our teenage daughter is horrified I would use the word "privy"--fearing the Quilt Police will revoke my license, this quilt isn't making any public appearances, so she can save her embarrassment for a future event.

Here are a few of the other contributions:

Such a talented group of ladies! (No names were used to protect the innocent.) By the way, the first entry pictured won!

New Find: The Quilt Pattern Shoppe

Have a new on-line source for patterns! Could be a new addiction, since there are no shipping fees nor rides to a quilt store. Patterns are only a printer away!

Not only does The Quilt Pattern Shoppe (http://www.thequiltpatternshoppe.com/) have dozens of designers who have authored over 200 patterns from which to choose, but shopper reward points usable towards free patterns and other quilty goodies.

So, I decided to try one of their free patterns and downloaded the "Simply Hearts Table Runner." This two day project was well-written and easy to use. Two thumbs up for whoever proof-read this pattern!

Loved the chance to make a controlled scrappy quilted table runner. (Random and I don't usually get along.) Tried to pick out colors that complimented my Polish stoneware and ended with a very happy, springtime table topper for our kitchen.

Quilted Clock

Because the commute to Ohio is not reasonable for me and I'd love to work in her quilt store, Donna from the Spider's Web Fabric Store (www.thespiderswebfabricstore.com) kindly allowed me to bring home a kit from our Block Buddies retreat to make as a store sample for her new brick and mortar shop.

Donna selected a fabric with cats strolling in lines and a beautiful amber colored hand-dyed. Because it made more sense for the cats to march horizontally rather than uphill, the squares needed to be cut on the bias, making for an exciting time piecing and quilting. With a little planning and careful handling of the bias edges, the whole project came together by lunchtime.

The directions were well-written, but part of the clock assembly instructions were excluded. If you decide to make this project, remember to put the hanging bracket on the motor first (it isn't listed) or you'll have to take it apart later. (Not as much fun as it sounds!)

Off to pack it up for shipping--Tuffi is offended that I would make a clock with quilted kitties instead of dogs, but Wheaten fabric is hard to find!

Another Tote Bag?

Was shopping at The Village Quilter on Monday and was so inspired by this bag, ironically named "Must Have," (www.ModaHome.com) , I made an impulse buy. Would be a perfect bag to take on a shopping trip anywhere.

The nice features about this bag are the vinyl outside, long handles and rolled top. Well-written instructions made construction a breeze in only a few hours.

Thinking this one is going to my mother--she will love the fabrics, size and the easy-care exterior.

This tote is the second I've made in less than three weeks--thinking all this momentum will help me get some UFO's done!

Schlep Bag

This cute patchwork bag was made from a kit purchased from Calico and Cotton, Ocean City, NJ during the Shop Hop. (Worked like a charm during my Ohio trip to hold all the fabric and cheese purchases.) Thought the fruit fabric was so realistic and the ants a humorous touch. The kit contained everything I needed, complete with pre-cut squares, fabric handles and batting strips.

The kit consisted of 32 six and a half inch charm squares sewn into a diagonal setting. I did change the construction of the handles since it was too much trouble to turn such a long tube inside out and then feed a length of batting through. Reinforced the handles with five rows of stitching, just so that it can hold plenty of goodies on shopping trips.

The bag is reversible, so if one side gets dirty, you still have another side to use. Glad mine is bright red--maybe I'll remember to take it into the grocery store!

Block Buddy April Challenge

April was my month to decide our group's challenge, so I selected an easy project from All Stitched Up. ( www.allstitchedup.blogspot.com/2007/06/spiral-steno-pad-cover.html )

Was able to make this cute steno notebook cover with two fat quarters and a batting scrap in under an hour. The Dollar Store has the steno notepads for $1.00, so you have an inexpensive, thoughtful gift in no time. Would be great for keeping lists, college students or meeting notes.

Fabric Origami

When I was little, my dad would make all kinds of origami for me--samurai hats, water bombs, blow-up frogs and cranes are all part of some of my favorite childhood memories. He patiently sat at the kitchen table, teaching me the folds and how to read the directions when I was old enough to make them myself.

Since I have far more fabric than colored paper, decided to plunge into doing some fabric origami. Soaked the fabric in straight starch and allowed it to stiffen. Next time, will use Stiffy or a similar project to make it very stiff. The directions were frustrating --pretty much backwards. For anyone that tries this technique, always make the bottom of the box first, then the lid, regardless of what the directions tell you.

So, now my dad will have a fabric origami box holding a special Christmas gift from Arizona. What a wonderful way to continue a tradition!