Saturday, October 23, 2010

Couch Quilt

Finally finished - only took about 6 months!  I didn't work on it regularly and it was made using left-over material from various other quilting projects as well as some random fat quarters.  Pattern is 'trip around the world' with a scrap-pieced border.

Photo indoors by me

Photo outdoors by Steve

Monday, October 18, 2010

And now for something completely different

I love to learn new things... at least when it's my own idea.  So I've been learning...


I started earlier this year and made several dishcloths.  Experimenting with the various stitches and pretending to follow patterns.  It isn't hard really, but does require a level of concentration and some time that I don't always possess in great quantities.
Nevertheless, I've been itching to move on to 'bigger and better' things in the world of knitting.  So I found the pattern "Easy Peasy Hat", purchased a skein of gray yarn and a circular needle... then everything sat on the floor by my bed for quite a while.  I need to work up to things sometimes.
Finally I found the time and needed concentration to begin.  So I set myself to make a hat for Steve to wear when he runs in the cold weather.  Which is a lot of the time here in NH.
I discovered that working with the circular needle is really cool and the project moved along pretty quickly to my great surprise.  It began to look like ... well... as Steve said... a gray circle thingy.  But I was making progress!
Finally - yesterday afternoon - I finished it!  It was a real, honest-to-goodness hat!  I had done it!
Steve even humored me and tried it on for me to get a photo.  He says it fits just the way he likes and he'll be happy to wear it.  

I warned him that when his runner-friends tease him about his funny hat, he is obligated to stick up for me.


Saturday, October 16, 2010

Another baby quilt

I've been on a kick lately to try and finish up odd projects and also to use up things I have already.  This is especially necessary when it comes to my sewing.  Do you KNOW how much fabric I have amassed over the last 9 years?
It's embarrassing to admit... there is so much that I forget what I have.  Not a good thing generally, though it has led to some happy discovering when I open the odd bin or drawer and find some perfectly lovely piece of fabric just begging to be used in some way.
Anyway - I had been 'using up' some flannels for a small baby quilt.  These are flannels from an assortment of projects in days gone by.  I finally finished the hand work for the binding this past week.  Now to decide what to do with this little snuggly bit of work.

Shows how long I've been collecting fabric.  This backing flannel was purchased to make "lovies" when Ben was just a baby.  He never took to the lovies the way Jess did, so I didn't use it then.

Yes - all the photos of the front of the quilt are sideways.  I couldn't figure out how to edit them on this computer.  Good thing the pattern works in any direction.


Monday, July 12, 2010

Another Giveaway!

Yet ANOTHER giveaway for some goodies from Marie-Madeline Studio!
Check out this one! See what is here!

A Giveaway!

One of the most fun fabric sites I've found just posted a giveaway!
You have to go check it out!

 

Quick!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Nursery Quilt

This is yet another baby quilt.  I made this to play with some techniques I'm learning and use of up some odds-n-ends of fabric from other projects.  I hate to waste fabric!
It is machine pieced and the bear shapes are machine applique.  The back is red flannel so it'll be snuggly (is that really a word?).   I gave this to our church nursery because I am a firm believer that quilts are to be used.

**update** For some reason the photo has disappeared... have to see if I can dig up another copy.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Another Quilt Ministry Quilt

This is another one from our Ladies Quilt Ministry at our church - Riverside Christian.  Aren't the cats just adorable?  Of course if you are not a cat person... well... tough! :-)


Monday, April 19, 2010

Quilt Ministry Project

Our church has a quilt ministry. We get together a few times each month to sew quilts for all new babies in our congregation. We just had the pleasure of finishing (and giving) a quilt that is one of my favorites so far.

Isn't it pretty?  The blues and yellow are so cheerful and fun!  It is a bit tough to see, but the woman who did our lovely machine quilting added boats & waves quilted into the plain white blocks.  This particular quilt was a gift for our Pastor's soon-to-be born newest grandson. 

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Apron Inspiration - cross post

This is a cross-post from my other blog.
Awhile back I was noodling around at Like A Warm Cup of Coffee and she was doing an apron give away from Flirty Aprons.  You have to check them out - they are sooooo cute!
I did not win the freebie, but was inspired to dig out a pattern I had bought back before Christmas to make my own!  So when my Mom came up for a visit on Saturday, we hit the fabric store and I splurged and bought some GORGEOUS Legacy quilting fabric to make myself a pretty apron.

My daughter J has been hanging around with me in my sewing area and says I will be stylin' when I make dinner in this beautiful creation! 




And one of the side benefits is that I love to sew anyway and with sales, coupons, & discounts - my apron cost $12.50 to make.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

One of my favorites

This is one of my favorite projects.  It is called "Carpenter's Wheel" and I made this as a wall-hanging for my parents.  It now hangs in their kitchen.  It is machine pieced and hand quilted.



Thursday, January 28, 2010

For a NY-er, Flannel Baby Quilt

This was a flannel baby quilt made for a runner friend from NY City.  The back was the white/crayon print flannel.  It was nice and snuggly.


Thursday, January 21, 2010

My Sewing Area

I have spent a bit of time rearranging things and cleaning and organizing in my sewing area.  It is about half of our finished side of the basement.  My oldest son has his bedroom in the other half.
"My side" is our old school area from when the kids were really small - hence the blackboard on one wall and the maps and such.  I also share my space with the dog crate for Piper.
I am not quite finished with organizing my fabrics into my new dresser storage space.  Oldest son was done using the large dresser and passed it along to me.





I also share my space with curriculum and book shelving for our home school.  As the kids are getting older, I have purged out a TON of books and have taken over some of the shelves for my fabrics, patterns and books.


Once I finish organizing and rearranging, I can get back to some of the projects I have in process and in my planning stages.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Valances that match



One of the really neat things about starting a blog about all my sewing is that I get to go back and hunt down photos of all the stuff I've done over the last 8 years or so.  And since at the moment I am not getting ANY sewing done, it's sort of nice to remind myself of all the things I have done.
Like these valances for our dining room that match the paper-pieced wall hanging I made for the wall.



 

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Fun project

This was a fun project - although it was a bit stressful to find materials that could be used quickly to create something the kids would actually wear.  This is also going back several years... they are beyond the princess & knight dress-up stage now. :-)

Saturday, January 9, 2010

My only paid gig




This is a quilted valance I made for a shower topper.  A friend paid me to make it to match a gift I had given her.
She had redecorated her bathroom and when I had seen the wallpaper border, I made her this wall-hanging as a gift.  It duplicated part of her wallpaper design.


Thursday, January 7, 2010

Nothing fancy



This is a 'rail-fence' quilt I made for my brother as a Christmas gift in 2006.  It is made from plaid flannel shirting and backed in fleece.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The beginning

I have been noticing from several other blogs I read, that it is not unusual to have more than one blog.  This seems especially true if you have a specialized hobby.  My husband has a blog for his running - a specialized passion more than just a hobby.
I decided a blog about my sewing would be fun.  Maybe.  Or maybe it's just a place to play around with learning more about posting and messing with templates and formatting and such. 
We shall see.

Welcome to the journey.  Push that pile of fabric off the rocking chair in the sewing room and have a seat.  Coffee is allowed... but only if you promise to be careful not to spill it on the fabric!