Shopping

I went into JoAnn's this morning for 1/2 yard of black lining fabric for The Boy's ring bearer vest.

This is what I came out with

They had restocked their clearance fabric!

I think the bright green will be great for sashing one of my Tic-Tac-Toe quilts.  The mermaid print will make a cute crayon tote.  Aren't the florals cute?  I know exactly what I'm going to do with the daisies!  I can't tell yet...have to wait until tomorrow.  I did get the lining fabric...it's black, not exciting at all.

I also picked up a few basket stuffers for the holiday on Sunday.  All together the total was under $26.  Not bad!

Design Wall Monday

I'm know I'm a day late, but I've been a bit busy.    It's gonna be a braided quilt.  5 braided panels with sashing in between.  I got the idea from Quiltville - Pioneer Braid Borders.

Check out more design walls at Judy's blog.

Whew!

We made it.  A whirlwind tour over Spring break.  It's done.  Whew.  We - My hubby and I decided to take the kids with us on our week long tour with the Ballet company.  He's the stage manager and I'm the costumer.

Everything went pretty smoothly.  The kids played with their crayon totes I had made them.  I had brought some hand sewing to work on but never had a chance.  I did sew quite a bit though.  In each town there are local ballet students that are in the show...usually the costumes for the locals are pretty generic and fit pretty well.

Not this time.

I had been warned that I would mostl likely need to let out some of the costumes, but I was completely unprepared to have at least six girls that didn't remotely fit into ANY of the costumes.  The dresses have fitted bodices and tulle and chiffon skirts.  There is only so much that can be let out of the bodice.  I was looking at a gap of at least 4 to 6 inches in the back, and nowhere to let out that much.  I had no clue what to do.

I went to find the Ballet Mistress, who also works on the costumes and I hoped that she had some ideas.... nope.  Not really.  She just looked at me with a stumped look on her face.

I sent to girls upstairs to the rehearsal without their costumes and sat staring at the rack of costumes waiting for inspiration to come.

The next day I found the local JoAnn's and wandered through the isles.  I came up with a plan.  I would make a panel to fit in the back that attached with hook and eyes, to the hook and eyes that were already in the back of the costumes.  (Of course I have no pictures of my brilliant idea, I was to rushed trying to get them all ready before the preformance that evening.)

It worked.  The costumes weren't pretty, but they fit and the panel wasn't noticable from the audience. 

After that, I did random mendings - a split seat in a pair of pants, a couple of split shoulder seams, reattaching hooks to tutus..

Lots of sewing - all on a machine that refused to function unless it was set to a straight stitch at the longest stitch width.  We had words, that machine and I.  It's currently sitting in the back of the van, destined for the repair shop.

All in all it was a good trip, but I'm glad to be home, showing in my own shower.

Sew In Results

I had a pretty productive evening!  I caught up with my Pinwheel Sampler:

One of the ladies participating in the quilt along commented that there was a lot of "white" in the quilt, so I opted to use the solids that were in the layer cake for these two backgrounds.  I made the tiny pinwheel cause I could.  I don't have a clue what I'll do with it, but it sure is cute.

I almost finished the crayon tote for the Boy: 

He loves Spiderman :)

I got about halfway through the crayon tote for Muffin:

And I cut and pieced the borders for one of the Carolina Christmas Throws.

All in all, a good night!

Artista Crayon Totes

Before Christmas I found this totally cute pattern from Frog Legs and Ponytails.  Generally I don't buy patterns but this one is totally adorable.  Also a selling point for me was the note that small scale production was okay.  I don't think I'd make any to sell, but having the option is nice.

There's room for eight crayons and the other side has two pockets.

The only change I made to the pattern was to add some stiff interfacing with the batting to give it a bit more shape.  The pattern has yardage requirements but I did it with fat quarters.

We're going on a "family adventure" next week and my goal is to have 3 of these completed.

The first one is done, just needs a button.

Can't decide which button to use though....

I think it turned out totally cute!

Friday Night Sew In

Tonight is the Friday Night Sew In for March.  I'm totally thrilled that I get to participate this month.  School is done, Hubby's out of town, the Boy is going to a sleep over.  YEAH!!!  Gonna get the girls set with a Princess Movie Marathon and work on WHATEVER I WANT!!!

My list includes:
Crayon Totes
Sewing the Binding on the Easter Runner
Pinwheel Sampler Block 4
Borders on Carolina Christmas

We'll see what I get done :)

Stress...

...takes its toll.  A week ago today I recieved a phone call telling me that the twins were going to the hospital.  They both had RSV and one had pnuemonia.  Ug.  The most helpful thing I could do was to stay at home with their oldest and my kids.  But I couldn't sit still.  I needed something mindless to do.

I finished my block swap block:

Then I finished piecing the Carolina Christmas tops.

I made two tops. Both are 48"x64"

Just need to add borders:

Both girls are home and healthy now.

Now I'm out of mindless projects!

March Blocks

Currenty I have 2 monthly quilting commitments, and really the lotto isn't a commitment, but it's fun.

My March Block Lotto blocks were super easy and addicting.

 

This month I joined the Quilt Block Swap and my first partner asked for "any star."  No color guidelines.  Well, I wandered through Quilters Cache and found Another Nine Patch Star.

 

 I think it's great.  Just need to sew the blocks into rows and then the rows together.

 

I've already recieved my block for the month.  A nice, simple friendship star.

 

Easter Table Runner

It's quilted.  I did simple lines following the "x's."

I like the back.

 

I had extra Easter and WoW strips.  I'm happy with it!

Now for the binding :)

Tic-Tac-Toes

The Tic-Tac-Toe blocks I won in January have been sent to the hanging file.  I don't have room for them in a drawer, which means I'm not working on them until there is space available.  In other words, they're on stand-by.

Before they got demoted, I did split them into two quilts - a "boy" one and a "girl" one.  Here's the beginning of the setting for the girl quilt.

The white frame will probably get trimmed down, too much white.

Baby Girl Quilts

Back before my sister found out she was having twins I offered to make her a baby quilt.

She found out she was having twin girls.

Two quilts. 

She found a pattern she liked in Debbie Mumm's Cuddle Quilts.  It's called "Flutterbye".  Then she picked her fabric - Hushabye Blush by Tula Pink. 

The pattern is very simple.  Six blocks with sashing.  Four of the blocks are no-brainer nine patches. 

BUT

Two of the blocks have a butterfly appliqued on them.

I don't like applique.

At all.

But I'm doing it.

I've got one butterfly done, just three more (remember - two quilts).

I have to think when I work on these, so I can't work on them when the kids are awake.

So it's taking up space in my third drawer.

Random Hugs

I found a string X tutorial somewhere, (I can't seem to locate it now).  The author used black fabric as the setting triangles, and her strings where all the same width.  I took that idea and smashed it into Bonnie Hunter's Random Ohio Stars pattern and Voila, Random Hugs.

Here's the plan:  (sorry it's hard to see, my scanner doesn't like pencil.

And here's some of the blocks

I've gotten all the Big X's strip sets sewn and cut into the right width.  I'm in the process of adding the setting triangles.  The strips for the little x's are all cut, but not sewn.

This project requires me to think while I'm sewing, so I don't tend to work on it that much.

Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along

I hadn't purchased layer cakes or charm packs before this, they're spendy and I'm addicted to the remnant bin.  I did find a Hello Betty layer cake on ebay that was pretty inexpensive.  I didn't notice that it was the "Retro" colorway.  Oh well.  It will still be nice.  So, that's what I'm using for my sampler. 

Block 1:

Block 2:

Block 3:

(You'll notice there is only one of these.  Still working on the second one.)

Once the second block 3 is complete I'll be caught up.  Rachel from p.s. i quilt, the hostess for this quilt along, shared a picture of the inspiration quilt, which had tiny little pinwheels in the sashing.  She isn't doing that for this quilt, but I opted to start making them from the scraps.

The Momma block is 12"  and the Bitty-Baby block is 3" 

Carolina Christmas Update

Last night I sat with my hubby and trimmed all the block while "we" watched 2012.  Totally unrealistic, super-sappy, fun-to-watch movie.

So now I can say I've officially finished Step 5.  Blocks are all made, just need the layout.  Well, I peeked ahead, and I'm not sure I want a full sized quilt.  I think I can make 2 throws using these blocks.   Here's one plan/idea:

It uses Bonnie's layout, just less blocks.  We'll see.  Since I'm using her layout (sort-of), I can sew the blocks into larger blocks and play with the layout.

Fun huh?

Works in Progress

It's Friday!  Yeah!!! I made it through a completely crappy week.  I won't go into it in this post, maybe later.  I decided to open up my cupboard and take stock of my Works in Progress.  I have three 12" x 12" pull out drawers that are the perfect size for storing current projects.

Underneath the drawers is a handy hanging-file slide-out thingy.

Drawer 1

Current Block Lotto Blocks

Carolina Christmas

Current Block Swap Block

Drawer 2

Random String X's

Pinwheel Sampler Quilt-Along

Drawer 3

Two Baby Quilts - for the Twins.

What are all these projects, you ask?

I'm gonna go through each one, in their own post, over the next week or so.

Easter Runner Top Finished!

Last night I put the borders on my Easter Runner! I was planning on putting the Easter print all the way around, but I like how it looks now, so I'm not ging to add anything.

Hopefully I'll have time to quilt it tonight, but I have to complete my homework and housework first. Something about clean socks for the kids and a kitchen floor that's not sticky...

Thanks for all the nice comments on the pattern and colors!  I can't take credit for the pattern, it came out of "Lots of Scraps, Time to Quilt"  a book I got at Christmas. 

I also worked on Block 1 for the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along.  I'm supposed to make two, and I have the second one all cut out, just got too tired to sew it together.  I adore Pinwheels :)

Design Wall Monday

Working on this Jacob's Ladder table runner for my mom.  It's for Easter.  The 4 patches are an Easter bunny print.  I'll be using the same print in the outer borders.  I hope she likes it!

You can see more quilter's design walls at Judy's blog.

Making Changes....

...is never easy.  Ever.  So I'm strarting on Friday, instead of Monday.  What prompts my changes?  These adorable girls.

In about a month, I'll be watching my twin nieces on Thursdays and Fridays from 9-2.  While it doesn't seem like ten hours a week would warrant major changes to my daily life, it does.  Especially since my family has been rather structureless for the past few months...random, crazy, stressful events back-to-back have made it difficult to maintain any kind of routine.

I am starting Spring Term of my online bachelors program at Oregon State, which requires me to take 4 online classes.  I also have my own three lovely children and the twins' older sister, who I affectionatly call "Monster."

I started by making a detailed layout of my day.  Now I need to stick to my schedule.  Which I've been attemping to do for the last three days.  So far, so okay.  Three major goals for my new routine:

1. - WALK whenever possible.  It is so much easier to buckle all the kids in the car and quickly run to the school and back, but we all need the exercise.  (This afternoon is my first attempt.)

2. - Housework and Homework first.  In otherwords, no turning on the sewing machine, no checking the email until the other stuff is done first.  THIS will be difficult.  I am addicted to my email.  But I think I can do it.

3.  Weekly craft time with the kids.  While this might not sound like a major change, my kiddos range in age from 8 to 4, so it has been difficult to find time and energy to prep and be creative with them in any kind of structured way.  My goal is to have Friday afternoons be our craft time, but I'm not sure that will happen today.

I'll keep you posted.

 - Kristin

Miss Mae's Garden Scrap Strips

Miss Mae finished all her homework for the week so she sat and read the guide lines for the March block.  She only had a couple of questions - why do they call it a log cabin block? and what are cool colors?

After she read through everything she went through my strips and picked out 10 different fabrics, making sure she had the required black and white.  She decided to do a "garden theme"  She did pretty good.

Maybe we'll start this weekend.

Another Giveaway

I was browsing for fabrics and found another giveaway.  44th Street Fabrics is giving away a 1/2 yd set of Love U fabrics.


Enter to win here.