Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

I'm facing the changes. Because I have to.

A lot has changed for me since August. I had a bad job. It made me crazy. I was having panic attacks daily and I went to the doctor and she diagnosed me with Anxiety Disorder and gave me some meds.

I have been slowly healing and trying to adapt to a new way of life. I didn't really think that I had much stress in my life, but I'm finding out that I did. All the time.  So, I'm feeling better, I have a new job, I joined two quilt bees to keep me being creative. I'm trying to make time for knitting and yoga and reading and just a slower pace, less swirly lifestyle.

I did make those double heelix socks, though... here's a photo:

I started a pair for myself, but they are in the WIP bag that I've been carrying around with me for months. Those are black and lime.

I also made a bunch of different sized x and + blocks for a quilt that I want to make. I had the ladies of the We Bee With It bee make 12.5" x and + blocks and I have 24" blocks and 6.5" blocks. I think it will be a lovely quilt.

I'm also in a traveling bee and I can't wait to make my night sky quilt. It will be star blocks in dark, dusky colors. I'm super excited to do the traveling bee.

I really need want to make more time for sewing and crafts. I have a lot of plans for this year and I hope that I can make them happen. More on that at another time.

Have a good night and make something!

Green

Lazy Sunday

On Sunday mornings, I like to relax with my coffee and some Pinterest obsessing and plan out all of the things that I want to make. Does anyone else get so overwhelmed by Pinning all the things that you want to make and not actually make anything? There's so much! So many great ideas. So many innovative techniques. So. Much. Beauty. It's a mind swirl.

Last week I started knitting a pair of toe-up socks with Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel. I didn't make these zebra socks shown on the pattern book, but definitely something that is calling me (I just Pinned it - the obsession continues).

Aren't these AWESOME?

 

 

 

I just picked up some gorgeous, cheap, sport weight wool yesterday and #2 circulars for my next big project, the Double Heelix socks:

 

This pattern has daunted me for years and the other day I looked it up and, to my surprise, it made some sense. My heelix socks will be periwinkle/yellow and black/lime green. I think I'm gonna make a pair for Penelope, too. I hope the nature spun sport yarn works well and knits up soft for our tootsies.

I have been obsessing about quilts and haven't done much sewing other than some bee blocks in the last month. I really want to make:

1. A log cabin quilt
2. a flying geese quilt
3. a snail's trail quilt
4. a storm at sea quilt
5. a drunkard's path quilt
6. a monkey wrench quilt
7. a quilt with a leaf motif
8. a plus quilt
9. a union jack quilt
10. and the list goes on...

So many quilts, so little time.

I have also just taken on a ton of new work at my job. One of the event coordinators has left and I've inherited all of her conferences. October - November weekends will be completely insane. I will probably get some knitting accomplished but I can't take my sewing machine with me (too bad). I suppose this will be the year of knitted gifts.

Make something today!

Green

 

End of 2013

I can't believe that this year is almost over. I've been having such a great time. I have definitely gotten a little slack lately in writing my blog, but that's just the holidays, man. I've actually completed quite a few projects. I have two quilts finished in the last month and two embroidery projects (I love my new sewing machine) and I've started a bag and another two quilts. I'm busy, busy, busy - apparently, too busy to blog about anything.

Also, my daughter is turning four years old on Monday. I can't believe it. She's getting so big. Where have these four years gone?

I will post again for an end of the year wrap up along with my goals for next year. I'm gonna tear it up this coming year. I can't wait. This is gonna be  my year - I just have that feeling. So, stay tuned for greatness, folks. It's gonna happen.

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!

Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop and Architextures Giveaway

Greetings! Today is my day in the Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger blog hop sponsored by Plum and June. It's a really great opportunity for us new bloggers to get out there and make a name for ourselves, so a great big thank you to Plum and June for letting me take part.

Thank you all for stopping by and visiting my little corner of the interwebs. Since I don't have an "About Me" section on my blog yet, I will go ahead and give you a little background into who I am and why you might want to read my blog.

1.Go Boldly Quilt 2.heringbone and leaf mug rugs 3. Fabulous 50 4. paper pieced star 5, woven block for simply solids bee 6. Airmail stamp mug rug 7. HST baby quilt (girl) 8. Lone Star paper pieced block 9. Hexie pillow

All about me:

My name is Green and I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My husband and I have been married for 15 years and we have a three-year-old daughter named Penelope. We share our home with a cat (Mrs. Isabella Cat) and a new pony puppy (Lulu Grace).

I started this blog about six months ago as an offshoot of another blog that I used to write that was mainly about being an older mom and all the stuff that comes with that. As my posts became more and more about quilting, SoSewGreen was born.

I'm a self taught quilter and knitter. I have been knitting for ten years and quilting for about two. Knitting is wonderful, but it is less instantaneous than sewing.
I suppose I had a little bit of formal sewing training when I was in 7th and 8th grades. I ended up being in Home Ec for two years (it was my last elective selection both years). I learned how to use a sewing machine, then. I sew on a Singer Simple machine that my husband bought for me for about $100 from Wal-Mart. I would really love to have a fancy machine, but this one, surprisingly, does the job for me. I have been able to purchase many feet for the machine and I can do free motion quilting and sew curves and do just about everything I need/want to do. I would love to be able to have more fancy stitches since I love some toys, but... I can wait.

I have recently started joining swaps and bees. I'm currently working on the Simply Solids Bee (modern quilt blocks using solid fabrics) and the Bee(ful) of Paper (paper-pieced blocks only). I love joining bees because I'm constantly challenged with new techniques. It is a wonderful way for a beginning quilter/sewist to hone their skills. Also, since you are going to give the block away, you really want to make it perfect.

10 quick facts about Green:

1. I'm named after a Joni Mitchell song "Little Green"
2. I'm a singer and I used to work at amusement parks around the country in their shows
3. I have a BA in English
4. My mother is an artist
5. I have broken my left arm three times
6. It took me three tries to obtain my drivers license
7. I love Bollywood movies (my favorite actor is Shah Rukh Khan)
8. I love to learn new things and the next thing on my list is tap dancing
9. I started carrying a purse when I was 30 - until then, I always carried a backpack
10. I love to cook, but I hate making salad

Thanks for stopping by and listening to me ramble. I'm offering a giveaway to all of you who have read this far. Up for grabs are four fat quarters of Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander. I will choose a winner by random number generator on July 5th. Giveaway closes on July 5 at midnight. Winners will be notified by email. If you are a no-reply blogger, please remember to leave your email address in your comment so that I can get a hold of you should you win.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for visiting. Good luck with the giveaway. Now, go get your sewin' on!

 

Ugh!

I promised myself to get some sewing in today. I've been sick and have also been watching my daughter and it is not so easy. (cry me a river, right?)
So! Today, my husband took my daughter to the children's science museum which she loves. I was not invited. I will stay home and do my sewing and not speak to anyone and try to recover my voice as it was lost somewhere...

I will post some photos later.

I have been checking out the blogs on the let's get acquainted new blogger blog hop and there are some truly fabulous, brilliant quilters out there - amazing people, too. Check out this week's authors:

Leigh Anne @ Ella's Cottage

Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt

Sarah @ Quilt Candy

Jackie @ NW Patchwork

Liz @ Beadqueene's Bits And Baubles

Erica @ Happy Fabric

Stephanie @ Simple Sewendipity

Lauren @ Seraphym

Amy @ Cloud CouCou Crafts

To be continued...

Okay... I did get some work done. Here are the shots:

Herringbone cowl - in progress, but Erin the Zebra likes it so far

Baby girl quilt top ready for quilting and binding

working on Stamp blog hop block - top secret

part of Stamp blog hop block - shhhh!

 I got my Stamp block underway. I love it! I also got that albatross of a baby quilt (girl flavor) top finished. Yes! Now I just have to work on the baby quilt (boy flavor), finish my stamp block, finish my curvy block (and decide a use for that). I also want to make a sample block for the Simply Solids bee for next month - my month.

Okay, gotta get the dinner on.

Enjoy your weekend!
GC

Granny squares and broken tiaras

I finished my three, flirt granny squares for a table runner last night. I just need to sash them, sew them together and baste, quilt and bind and I will have a beautiful table runner or mini quilt to hang at my office - my new office is nice and big, but so gray. It really needs some color so I think project will help to liven it up a bit.

Penelope already broke the princess tiara/headband thingy that we got at Michael's yesterday afternoon. It is taped together and, while it still works as a princess tiara/headband thingy, she looks a little bit like the shabby, cheap princess from the wrong side of the tracks.

I will say goodbye to my hexie pillow and the fabulous fifty quilt today - it is nice to get to look at things a while after you've made them. This time I knew that I was not keeping these things, so I didn't get very attached to them. I really want to make another exploded star quilt because I like how it turned out, I just think I need to plan out the colors a little bit better so I have more control over where they land. That seems to be what I need to do next for my design process, really concentrate more over what colors to use and where to place them for the effect that I want to achieve. Usually, I choose the colors, but I don't pay much attention to them after they have been put together.

Things to think about...

a pretty, pretty princess...

No sleep - may as well quilt

My daughter did not sleep last night and, therefore, I didn't sleep last night. I had to stay home from work today because I just didn't think I would make it on two hours of sleep.
Oh bother. I guess I will just have to play with the girl and work on her broken dishes quilt when she goes down for her nap. I probably can watch a few episodes of Gilmore Girls while I'm sewing. What a lovely day.

March Finishing Goal

On this last day of February, I thought I'd get a jump on making my March finishing goals. I have a few projects that I want to start this month to prep for upcoming finish months, but the main thing that I want to finish this month is my daughter's broken dishes quilt. I have the lovely top completed it has just been waiting for sandwiching and quilting.
I'm going to start making some QAYG blocks - I'm thinking Granny Squares. I also want to make an exploded star quilt for a friend. I started this the other day, but when I don't draw a line on my squares, I end up not getting a very straight block. I tried to sew together some blocks the other day and they were all off. So frustrating. I don't know why I can't learn from my mistakes and just do the work that I need to make a crisp block.
Here's to making it work.

Get your sew on today!
Green

February Finish It!!!

I'm going to be participating in "A Lovely Year of Finishes." I missed January, but I'll start now and can, at least, finish 11 projects this year.
Here's how it works:
Each month pick one project, anything you like (it can even be an entirely new project, so long as you can finish it in the current month) and tell yourself, "I will finish it." Then write a blog post about the project and link it up to our Goal Setting linky party. Spend the rest of the month working on your finish. We will have a mid-month check, and though you are not required to link up to that post, it would be fun to see your progress! Finally, after you have finished your project, write a second (or third) post showing us your Lovely Finish and link it up to our "Finishes Party."
Goal setting - required link up (link starts 1st of the month and is open for seven days)
Mid-Month check in - optional (link starts on the 15th and is open for seven days)
Finishes Party - required link-up (link is open seven days before the last day of the month)

This month I will be working on:

• Valentine's Day runners/wall hangings
• a felt crown for a friend
• Penelope's broken dishes quilt (sandwich and fmq)
• starting a new pieced top
• asterisk bee block for February Simply Solids Bee

I know I'll finish more than one of these things, but let's concentrate on the Valentine's Day thingys. I really need to get these started and finished in a timely manner so they are relevant. That means this weekend, I think.

Be kind!
Green

You like me...

Ramona at ThreadTime has nominated me for the Liebster Award! I love awards. In daily life, when you're an adult, there is rarely a time when you receive any acknowledgement for anything you do. So, this award. This silly little thing is super important to me. Thanks, Ramona. I feel honored today.
 
To participate:
1. Thank and link back up to the one that nominated you (Me).
2. Answer 11 questions asked to you by me.
3. Tell us 11 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 11 of your favorite blogs that have less than 200 followers
5. Ask them 11 questions.

Here are Ramona's  11 questions to me:
1.  What’s your favorite book? or movie? My favorite book is The Great Gatsby. I have an English degree and I've read it about 20 times for school. I love it! I love everything about it. It is so American and so beautiful. If you've never read it - please do. It's short and wonderful.
2.  Cake or pie? Cake
3.  What sewing project was your all time favorite? I recently purchased some felt and I love sewing with felt. It's like butter in my machine and doesn't fray and the colors are gorgeous and rich and saturated - there's nothing that I don't love about sewing with felt.
4.  Do you have a favorite fabric manufacturer?  (Moda, Free Spirit, etc) I really like Moda, but I'm not that saavy about fabric manufacturers. I tend to pick fabrics for the color and print and don't always look at the manufacturer.
5.  Who is your favorite fabric designer? I didn't really care about this until recently. I like Jay McCarroll, Michael Miller, Riley Blake and Kaffe Fassett.
6.  Name a song that you never get sick of hearing. Distant Sun by Crowded House
7.  Where is your favorite vacation spot? here
8.  What brings you peace? Knowledge
9.  What makes you laugh? Everything
10.  Have you tried hand quilting, paper piecing, or embroidery? No. No. No.
11.  How many bees, guilds, or other sewing groups do you belong? I'm involved in two bees and I am a member of the Albuquerque Modern Quilt Guild in spite of only attending one meeting.

Eleven random things about me:

1. I love magic. I juggle. I want to make a superhero mask to wear to work.
2. I love Tori Spelling. I know we would be the best of friends.
3. I would love to have crafting be my job. How can I do this? If you know, please tell me.
4. I had my daughter at age 36. 
5. I want to have another baby.
6. I only started sewing two and a half years ago. I had taken Home Ec in seventh and eighth grades, but didn't continue until I  thought I wanted to quilt. I'm self taught. I just went out and bought a sewing machine and some fabric and "made it work."
7. I love Tim Gunn from Project Runway fame. I want to keep a little, tiny Tim Gunn in my pocket to ask questions of and to give me encouragement during my stressful days.
8.  I started a business where I ran a baby fair. I would love to have another baby fair.
9. I have insomnia and get five hours of sleep a night on average. Despite the lack of sleep, I am only tired in the morning.
10. I love to cook but I do not like to make salad-even when it only involves washing, drying and tearing lettuce. It is the most tedious task imaginable to me.
11. When I taught myself to knit I learned from a book. I learned the knit stitch and kept knitting rows and rows of a scarf and kept wondering why it didn't look like knitting. Why didn't it make the little "v"s? I finally figured it out - when I  TURNED THE PAGE. I needed to learn to purl to make the little "v"s. UGH!

My 11 Awardees:

1. http://craftyturtle1.blogspot.com 
2. http://SquawkThat.com  
3. lizmakesstuff.blogspot.com
4. fairlymerry.blogspot.com/ 
5. http://www.wafflekisses.blogspot.ca/
6. http://www.citricsugar.blogspot.com/ 
7.  http://wipgirl.wordpress.com/
8.  http://www.l3designs.blogspot.com/
9. http://lixiemakesit.blogspot.com/ 
10. http://www.lethargiclass.blogspot.com/ 
11. http://www.rachelboothhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/

 My 11 questions to you:

1. Chocolate or Vanilla (or other?)
2. Do you work outside the home doing something you like?
3. Okay, seriously, how much fabric do you have on hand?
4. Do you belong to any bees or guilds?
5. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
6. What is your favorite movie?
7. What is your favorite color?
8. Can you define Leibster and use it in a sentence?
9. Precuts or yardage?
10.  What is your favorite food?
11. Do you like to cook?

Be kind to each other and explore the blogosphere.

Green

Sew much to do...

I joined the Simply Solids Bee for 2013 and I just purchased  quarter cuts of nine colors of Kona. I love the beautiful solid colors, but I'm so used to using prints in my quilts and using solids sparingly to punch up the prints and have them read better, bolder. Working in exclusively solids is a challenge in itself and the first block is a bit of a challenging pattern for a beginner like me. But... I joined this bee so that I could  beef up my sewing skills and get some new techniques under my belt so... I will carry on with the duck creek puzzle block of which that is a great example.

In other sewing news, I'm participating in a pay it forward event this year where I have promised to make items for five friends. I tried this before and only made two things. There are so many more skills that I have this year so I know I can make five things. One of my friends wants a felt crown like the one I made for my daughter's birthday (see above). I don't think she wants me to put her age on the front, but I can put her initial or name.
Another friend studies the brain and I'm thinking about making an anatomical brain chart into a felted pillow.
There is also a sixth friend that is going to swap with me because we are both quite crafty and it's super fun to make something for her.

This weekend should be filled with sewing and creating and designing. I'm really excited to get started.

Sew on!
Green

Go Boldly

I'm working on a new quilt x-mas present for my mom. She is a huge Star Trek fan - a Trekker (do not say Trekkie unless you want to lose an arm). Every year and every holiday my mom gets something Star Trek. I had pretty much exhausted my ideas and then I thought I would make a Star Trek quilt for her. I love the idea of merging the traditional art of quilting and the ultra-modern idea of Star Trek. I bought some really neat fabric from Spoonflower - I didn't design my own, although I will in the future because that is just AWESOME - and I decided that the design would be all log cabin or at least log cabin inspired blocks. I have a few finished and they look like... this:

I'm really excited for this project and I can't wait for the x-mas day reveal.

Sew on, boldly!
Green