Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sanity Restored and a Giveaway

I got to play with fabric this weekend!! I told myself I was going to, and I did. I did not do any work at all yesterday, and it was GLORIOUS. What I did do, was this:

Okay, well first, this came in the mail! I didn't get to play with these fabrics yet, but I'll get there soon!


I made my own quilting gloves from this tutorial! I had fun with this, can't you tell?

I started two mug rugs for my mom's birthday, one of which is pictured here:


And, I started making her a small wall hanging for above the oven - when I'm done, I'll take a picture of it in place. Something NEEDS to hang there!
Alas, I did not get my sewing machine out - it needs a good cleaning and I did not have the time to do that (I really had fun with my fabric though), but there you go. If I'm home again next weekend, I'll do that and start sewing. Also, I almost forgot - I started cutting strips for my future mother-in-law's table runner. Pictures to come.

Finally, there's a great giveaway going on at Learn 2 Quilt Online - four different prize packages, and four winners! You can enter here:

I'll write again soon! Week 2 of teaching AP history in a high school... coming right up. Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry



Even though I am a new quilter, and I am still working on my techniques, I wanted to enter the Blogger's Quilt Festival. I really love this quilt, although it was before I learned what Dresden circles are (which made it relatively difficult to make), and it was my first time using applique. Again, I really wish I had known what a Dresden was when I made this... but I was new (and still am), and I was confident that I could do it. I also did not use interfacing. I've learned.

"Beach Babes" is for my best friend Kristina, who loves going to Aruba and the beach. I knew I wanted to make her a quilt for her birthday. Something fun, creative, and special -because she was the first roommate I could live with amicably - well, more than amicably (which is how we became such good friends). She changed my outlook on college and the rest of my time there. We also went to the beach a couple of times this summer. I could not wait to give it to her, and actually brought it over on move in day this year, a month before her birthday. I literally could not wait! I think that's one of my favorite parts - giving the quilt to the person it is intended for.


Here's the back (and my adorable little sister):

The waves were the hardest part in the beginning. Then, the sunset. Appliquing the palm trees was easy, though :)


The top of the finished quilt - Again, I wish I had known more about interfacing, but oh well. I didn't know how to use it, or what to use... also, I'm on a college student's budget, but now I'm willing to use it on my next quilts. It's worth it.

I put in little details: beach chair, beach ball, and flip flops! Can you see them? The flip flops are to the left of the beach chair.
I do my own quilting, and I was experimenting with waves (which I am getting good at, actually) and swirls (which did not go as well as I hoped because of the lack of interfacing). I'm also a self-taught quilter, so I'm learning all the time, I feel like! Thanks to Amy for organizing and hosting the festival!

For anyone who is just viewing my blog for the first time, I can't sew right now :( - I'm in the middle of a very intense semester of college and there is NO room for my sewing machine in my little dorm room, nor do I have time (I teach at a high school in the morning, then I have college classes after, and then I have to do that homework and fix lesson plans for the next day). My days are literally FULL. However, I plan on sewing over winter break, and a LOT in the summer, so hopefully you will become a follower and see what I will be doing in the months to come! For now, I post about my fabric purchases and giveaways. Just so you are aware! :)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

Another GO! Giveaway!

Maybe one day I (or someone I know) will win a GO!, right? All these giveaways make me hopeful! Micki at Irish Muses is offering one, plus 3 dies. You can enter here: http://thedote.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-time-for-accuquilt-go-giveaway.html

Bliss Fabric Giveaway!

Adrienne at Little Bluebell is giving away a whole stack of Bliss fabric! Ahh! SO generous, and also kind of funny, since I almost bought a Bliss charm pack today and bought Fandango instead. Anyway, there are a bunch of ways to enter here :)

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Story of My First Quilt


The first quilt I made was just this past June - and it was for a lovely little girl who a) was just born a week ago and b) would be calling me Aunt Jess one day anyway, but now it will be real because I will be part of the family! When I made the quilt, her name wasn't even picked yet! A lot of big, important things have happened since June :)

Well, I made this quilt for Camryn. I can't wait to meet her. As I said in an earlier post, I got into quilting in the first place so I could make a t shirt quilt, but I wanted to try my hand at something a little easier (and MUCH smaller), too. And, this is when I knew I wanted to keep quilting even after my t-shirt quilt.

This is the front:

Here's the back. I've improve my straight-line quilting since then :)


I wanted to use more than the typical "girl" colors, so I used all of these, and the orange backing. It was hard to part with but I know its going to someone deserving -my beautiful future niece!


Saturday, October 16, 2010

Fabric Splurge!


About a week ago, I bought fabric. I don't feel guilty at all.
When I got home from school yesterday, one package had arrived.
Then, today, two more =D
I'm excited.
Here they are. I can't wait to cut into them.

From Joann's, because they had a great sale of 1/2 yard fabric:




From the Fabric Shoppe:



I love getting fabric in the mail! =D Everything is right in the world.

Also, I found out today I won one of the Fall into Fall Giveaways! Over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, a blog I read all the time, I won a quilting book ("Stitch n Flip Quilts" by Valori Wells)! I can't wait to look through it and use it on one of my next projects. Thanks to everyone for hosting the giveaways!

What a great day for quilting :) I even put a patch on a very special quilt - the first one I ever made (at the beginning of the summer) is finally going out to the most beautiful baby girl, my future niece, who was just born on Thursday. I'll post about it in the next couple days!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Quilting Book Giveaway!

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, a blog I've been following for a few months, is giving away five different sewing books! You can win one by entering here:

Table runner giveaway

Kim at Live Well, Love Much, Laugh and Quilt Often is participating in the "Fall into Fall Giveaway" and she's giving away an AMAZING autumn table runner and an adorable handmade pumpkin. You can enter here:

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