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.

It's International Quilt Day

Yay!!! I can't believe it's here - International Quilt Day. It actually doesn't mean much for me since I am otherwise engaged today, but I hope to find time, later, to work on my QAYG blocks. I'm going to take the blocks from the Simply Modern Bee that I'm participating in (my month is March) and quilting them before putting them together. I'm kinda excited about this process as it is not something I've done before. My other ideas for the blocks are to deconstruct them in some way, like cutting them into four and reconstructing the blocks as I go - or cut some in quarters and some quarters on the diagonal. I don't know. I just want to spice up this block a little more. It could be that I'm just tired of looking at the garden fence blocks since I made 12 of them. I tend to get a little bit bored with an idea and want to hurry up and move onto the next, more exciting (NEW, shiny thing) project. I love all of the blocks that I've received so far, but I just feel like I want something different. I think I'll just stick with the quilt as you go concept as I'm just not feeling that ambitious.

Last night I finished my Fabulous Fifty quilt for my uncle's 50th birthday party this afternoon. Whooops! I just called and apparently the party is next Saturday. Well, I'm ahead of the game, then and I can enjoy looking at this beautiful quilt for a week longer. It is small: 52" square, but it's an okay size to put over yourself while sitting on the sofa. The green batik on the back is lovely - and I used monofilament thread on the front and a nice blendable, blue, cotton on the back. It was my first time using monofilament successfully. I tried before but it just kept breaking on me - my machine is set differently now and the top tension is pretty low, so the thread stayed together.

Now that I'm free this afternoon, I'll have more time to explore the blogosphere and read some posts for IQD. I'm also linking up to SewCalGal's linky party.

Here are the photos of my Fabulous Fifty quilt:

Fabulous Fifty quilt - front

Fabulous Fifty quilt-front closer

Fabulous Fifty quilt - back (Oh! how I love that little red/beige square)

Happy Quilting in 2013!

Two starts/finishes for March already

So... I've already started and finished two projects this month. I'm super excited. I'm finally getting the hang of managing my home and my work and my hobby. Well, I say that today, because I've been quite productive - that could all go to hell next month, or tomorrow even. Anyway, here are photos of my recent accomplishments:

Hexie pillow top with hand quilting

putting together exploded star w/cat butt

finished exploded star top

The hexie pillow is actually completed, I just don't have a photo of the finished pillow yet and the exploded star quilt is sandwiched and I will begin the quilting tonight - I'm planning to give this to my uncle for his 50th birthday on Saturday - I hope I can finish this in time so that I will actually give it to him.

Now go and make stuff!
Green

February Finish

Okay, so it wasn't everything I wanted to finish for February, but I did start a few things and I will have a more extraordinary finish for March.

This month, I started and finished these wonderful, felt, hot cup holders for my daughter's teachers for Valentine's Day. Here they are:

I had a lot of fun making these. They are so cute and simple. I think the teachers really liked them, too. I did make one for myself to keep on my single cup french press that I keep at work.

I made a few other felted goodies but I can't blog about them because they are presents that haven't been delivered yet.

I really hope to finish something better next month. I have a few projects up my sleeve that I need to start and work on for better finishes in the months to come.

Happy Tuesday!!

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

Getting Started

Hi! I've been blogging for a few years and just recently my blog (itsnotsoeasybeingreen.blogspot.com) has started to become more and more about quilting and sewing. I wanted to make a bit of a transition and have a blog dedicated to sewing and quilting and knitting and fiber-love of all kinds and this is it.
I plan to start moving some things over in the next few days. I would really love to post tutorials and patterns, since I usually design my own quilts. I love modern quilts based on traditional blocks and patterns. I like modern fabrics and lots and lots of color.
I hope you will join me in this journey. I look forward to making lots of quilting and sewing and knitting friends from everywhere.
Today I am thankful for community and resources.

Get your sew on!
Green