January 2014 goals

I missed posting my goals on the Lovely Year of Finishes - I missed January last year, too.  I decided to hold myself to making, at least, one quilt a month. This month, I would like to complete my lazy girl quilt.

These are the circles before I sewed them together.

Trying out different layouts.

I really enjoyed making these ring segments. My problem is that the quilt isn't as large as I would like it. I want to be able to snuggle under it on the sofa. I'm going to make some flying geese blocks to be the border.

It's so great to see all the scraps of things that I've made through the years.

I hope that I can finish this quilt this month. I'm also working on starting some other quilts to help my monthly finishes. It's a lot of fun to challenge myself to finish some works.

In more personal matters, I've given up sugar this month - it has been difficult, but not impossible. It's been two weeks today and I've only had one minor cheat - I had a bite of cake. It was chocolate mousse cake so it really couldn't be avoided. Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday.

Make something awesome today!

So wotcha workin on?

WIP Wednesday in da house!!!

finishing up (backing/quilting/binding) this plus baby quilt.

finishing putting together my frugal girl top.  I have all the ring strips finished. Just need to cut the white and sew the circles together. Here's hoping that goes well.

Linking up with Freshly Pieced.

Make things.

Wednesday stuff

Hola! I have been trying to get to the sewing machine all day to no avail. I cut some strips last night:

because I wanted to make this, or something like it.

But I just can't get to the machine.

The quilting on my butterfly garden quilt is stalled. I did four blocks and couldn't do anymore.

I helped a friend make her Halloween costume over the weekend. I sewed up a hood thing for her Ezio Auditore costume. When I get photos of her in it, I will post.

I've got a bag of tulle and satiney material for a fairy princess costume to be worked on as well. When am I going to do any of this? Tonight. I promise. Tonight I will work on... something.

I saw this cool black widow spider yesterday. It caught a grasshopper. It's not there today, I don't know if my husband killed it or not. But it was quite Halloweeny

a good shot of the red on it's belly

she kept lifting the grasshopper up - amazingly strong creature

scary spider, beautiful, but scary

Linking up with Lee@Freshly Pieced.

Green

WIP Wednesday 10/2/13

I've got lots of projects in the works:

I pin basted this bad boy on Sunday and I'm ready to start quilting.

I found the inspiration for my next quilt start - gonna work on this today - very excited.

I've got four of these tablet covers ready to be put together so that I have some to put on my etsy site. I will have these finished by Friday.

So, I've got lots to do - lots to start and finish. So excited. I feel like I'm finally out of my funk. Gonna go and paint with my girl before I get started on the machine. linking up with Freshly Pieced.

Make something!

WIP

I can't leave well enough alone. I got the back for my butterfly garden fence quilt finished last night:

butterfly garden quilt back

I'm really happy with it and I can't wait to finish the quilt. But - instead of working on sandwiching and pinning this quilt today, I decided to cut a star surround 48" block. Why? Why did I do that? AND, to add insult to injury, I cut the pieces wrong. I didn't really pay attention to the fabric requirements and cut the fabrics wrong. DUH!

So... I'm putting the star surround away - just for a little while, until I can get the fabrics together for it, properly, and cut it right, paying close attention...

I'm gonna go out to the apartment and get the batting out and sit down on the floor and pin baste my quilt so that I can start quilting it tonight (which is what I should've done hours ago...)

Linking up to Lee @ Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday.

Green

Nothing is working.

I sewed and sewed today and I didn't do it right. I wanted to make some houndstooth blocks and I just didn't do them right so I ended up with these:

I was so proud... do you see the mistake?

Then, I got clever and cut the strip sets the right way just a smaller size ... there's still something wrong.

all the wasted fabric wahhhh! :( 

okay... I can make some of these blocks or something else with these little squares.

So I realize what I did now - I needed five strips in my set instead of only four. I will try again and make it happen.

Then, my daughter had her first sleep over tonight and I just miss her. She couldn't wait to get rid of me, either. And she didn't call. She's three-and-a-half and ready to leave home.

I did get to Kinko's to print out my paper piecing bee pattern for September and one that I'm considering for my month to try out. I also printed out my Roly Poly pattern, but I'm unsure how to use it. I bought the fabric and I'm ready to make it, but it was expensive to print out and I don't want to mess it up. I suppose I should make some tissue paper pattern pieces, but I don't know if I have enough tissue - I'm a mess and nothing is working right. I should've picked up a six pack at the store this afternoon.

I guess I'll go make something! Linking up to Freshly Pieced.

Some stuff I made and who wants to link up on Mondays?

I made a few things that I wanted to show off and I went looking for a Monday link-up and couldn't find one, so I'm thinking about starting my own.

First, the completed thingys:

a tablet cover - even better than the first

different fmq in each strip of Glimma

inside

This one even stands up.

Star Trek communicator cell phone holster for my mum.

up close of holster

I just had to make another tablet case. This one is much sturdier and just better. I think that the first one will have to go in a box of stuff that I've made and my MIL will get the good, Glimma tablet cover. I will make another for me and am going to be making more in different sizes for my etsy shop. They are so fun to make.

The second thingy is a holster for my mum's cell phone. She complained to me that she doesn't always have pockets in her pants, or she doesn't like to use pockets - I'm not sure, now. but she definitely wanted some sort of carrier that she could wear that would hold just her cell phone. I made this one out of star trek fabric with a navy blue/gold sparkle dot on the inside. The strap is long enough to wear cross-body and she can also tie up the end and wear it over her shoulder. I'm rather pleased with the result.

I was wondering if anyone would like to post here on Mondays? I was thinking about hosting a "look what I made" link-up for things that you've stitched up over the weekend. Please let me know if you are interested.

Linking up with Lee@Freshly Pieced.

Baby (girl) quilt

I've been working on my baby girl quilt today. I was able to piece the back, make the sandwich and get it mostly quilted. I'll work the quilting a little bit more when my daughter goes to sleep - if she ever goes to sleep - tonight.


Here are some photos of the progress:

This is a triangle that I made but decided not to use on the back

I decided to go with just a strip for the back which I cut in half to make two strips

The quilting in process

 This is my second time using the spray baste and the brand that I used doesn't stop the pieces from shifting. I'm not really happy with it. Also, it smells horrible and I even used it in a very well ventilated room. I don't know - I'm not impressed so far. I suppose I still needs some more practice using it. I'm stitching on the diagonal and then 1/4" away from that line. I'm using a pink thread on the top and the bobbin - I like to be able to see the stitches. I may add another quilting line, but I haven't decided yet. I'll add the binding tomorrow and have a completed, small quilt for Friday! Whoo hoo!

Linking up to Freshly Pieced.

Happy Hump Day!

WsIP... but finished tops

*** I have to use this post again because I recently got a virus on my computer and have no access to my photos. -will post more later when I get my machine cleaned later today. Green***

Today I've got baby quilts on my mind. I'm sandwiching my girl baby quilt and my boy baby quilt tonight and I can get started on the quilting tomorrow. I hope to have them both finished by Friday for a fabulous finish into the weekend.

Here are both tops completed:

Baby girl quilt

Baby boy quilt

They are both made with HSTs, just different configurations. I'm not sure now if my aunt is going to buy one of these quilts. My mother told me that my aunt wanted to buy a baby quilt from me once she knew the sex of the baby. I started making these more traditional kind of baby quilts for that specific purpose and now she may not buy one??!!?? Oh well. If she doesn't buy one, I'll just post them on etsy. They were really fun to make so far. I'm just going to do some stitch in the ditch quilting to keep them puffy - thinking about using a high loft, poly batting for these as well. The poly batting is warmer (so I understand). They are pretty small, but I remember that I didn't want to take a giant, full-sized quilt when I had my daughter - these are the perfect size for cuddling with in the carseat or stroller.

I'm also working on the quilted bag for my MILs Samsung Galaxy II Tablet. I'm still contemplating putting in the lining and all of that - my brain gets so confused about which to flip inside out, which side to put the velcro tab, and all that...

I've also been obsessed with knitting socks. I started a pair for myself with Loops and Threads luxury sock yarn (60% fine merino superwash/30% nylon/10% cashmere) in Ocean colorway. These are toe-up socks and I'm actually getting pretty fast knitting on the size 1 needles. I spotted an awesome pattern on knitty for some double heelix socks that I'm itching to make. How cool are those?

So much to finish... Linking up with Freshly Pieced and crazy mom quilts.

Make something!