Sunday, January 22, 2012

Made in Cherry QAL star

Made in Cherry QAL star by quiltyhabit
Made in Cherry QAL star, a photo by quiltyhabit on Flickr.

I've laid all the squares together and started pinning! I'm totally in love with it and have no qualms now about cutting into my purple stash. =D

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Made in Cherry QAL: Cutting Done! and Fabric Acquisitions

I'm about a week behind in the Made in Cherry QAL at Pins and Bobbins, but I hope to catch up a little bit by next weekend - I'm trying to finish another quilt simultaneously (isn't that how it always goes?) and student teaching is so much work it's not even funny (but I'm loving every second of it). I will post more about both the other quilt and my student teaching this week (I'm also super behind on blogs and don't think I will be able to catch up in the near future - sorry I haven't been commenting)!

pins & bobbins

This is the only QAL I've joined this year so far, and I knew when I saw the image above that it would be perfect for my prized purple fabric stash, which I've slowly been collecting for a year and a half.





My purple fabrics are some of my FAVORITES and it was difficult for me to cut into them (Central Park, Haven's Edge, Aviary 2, Terrain, Love, Tufted Tweets). Very. Difficult. However, lately I've been questioning the logic of really having a stash, and the more fabric I use to make something, the better. I want to make use of what I have.

Plus, cutting into fabrics means... more purple scraps!!



I can't wait to see the whole thing together. I'm using Kona Coal for the solid on the outside of the star.

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I've had a few amazing packages in the mail lately.


I won these 6" hexagons of Lark from Kim. Thanks Kim!! I'm still deciding exactly what I want to make with them.

Ceri sent me this fantastic package from the UK! I was floored when I opened the box. She sent me a beautiful Mary Quant panel which I had shown interest in a few months ago. 


She also sent my giveaway prize - a gorgeous makeup bag made with colors I like! (photo taken from her website):


Not only that, but she sent me TONS of scraps. Tons. She knows how much I love scraps. Also, several longer-length pieces of fabrics and two Echo FQs! Thank you SO much Ceri - you totally made my day. (P.S. Go congratulate her, she's a finalist in the Blogger's Choice Bundle Competition!


Finally, I had a gift certificate to SkyeReve Fabrics and bought some pretty half yards for my stash! I feel like most of these could actually make a quilt on their own. Thanks for the fast shipping, Natasha!


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Thank you to all those who were interested and those who publicized my possible Harry Potter craft swap! Unfortunately there is not enough interest right now - I think my next plan of action will be to contact individual bloggers who I know would love it, and possibly we can join up. I might wait until spring break to try this.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend and are sewing at least a little :)



Monday, January 16, 2012

Interest in a Harry Potter Craft Swap?

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I've always dreamed of swapping fun, crafty things (as a surprise, of course!) with someone else! Is anyone interested? It will be low-stress and fun. Please comment below! (I'm thinking February into March)

We can do it small, but I'd like to have at least 10 people, including myself. It would be a "small craft" swap - ie mug rugs, knitted hat/scarf/gloves (if knitting is your thing!), or ornaments, or a mini quilt... (and I'll come up with more ideas!)


Some questions I'm thinking of asking on a survey (so your partner can get an idea of what you like):
Which house do you see yourself in? What is your favorite quote (book or movie)? Who is your favorite character? If you were a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean, what flavor would you be? Are their any small crafts (like the ones mentioned) that you'd be particularly interested in receiving?

I can pair up people by continent, too (if there's enough people) so U.S. folks wouldn't have to pay too much to ship to Australia, for example, and vice versa.

Please comment if interested and feel free to share on your blog if you want! The more the merrier :) I'll decide by Sat. 1/21 if there's enough interest, and then I'll set up a questionnaire, make a button, etc.

If there isn't interest, I won't be offended! Just thought I would see.

Thanks!


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Quilty Habit #3: Taking over the House

I haven't done a Quilty Habit in a while (you can see the others on my page, Quilty Habits, on the top bar). This one is so true, and I know other crafters can attest to this!

I already unofficially took over the dining room as my sewing space (so much that people in the house call it "the sewing room" instead of "the dining room"). Luckily, everyone is okay with this and they've been more than accommodating.


It's actually a lot worse than this. These are pictures from a year ago. :)

The living room is the overflow space, often the place where my unfinished/half basted/half pinned quilts hang out (check out a sneak peek of my next project!!)


Two other things have occurred recently that are great examples:
2. ...when you're house becomes a quilt showcase (in this case, for drying t-shirt quilts)


3. When your shower drain gets clogged and your mom, literally, finds a sizable piece of fabric in there. This happened and I have no idea how! Not guilty!


Saturday, January 14, 2012

A Triad of T-shirt Quilts


Sometimes I love t-shirt quilts. After all, that's how I kindled a passion for sewing - I decided to learn how to make one a year and a half ago. But sometimes, my friends, they are the bane of my existence.

  

I love commissions and shop work, but they limit the time I can spend on my own projects. This is what I've been hearing in my sewing room as of late:

Hey Jess, remember me? I'm just WAITING for you to buy batting and make a backing... quilt me, please!


Hey you! The one covered in thread and nursing a case of FMQ arms (you'll know what I mean if you've FMQed a medium/large quilt)! You were going to make quilts out of us - we're still sitting here! Pretty, in  Moda ribbons, we know, but still uncut!



Me too! Your wedding is in nine months and you don't even have me planned out!


However, one of the things I LOVE about quilting for people I know is making something just for them. Personalizing it. Being there to see it when they open it. Some people don't understand how much time and thought (and money) are put into quilts, but I know that they still appreciate them. 

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So, within the span of a month (way back in October), I got three commission t-shirt quilts. My first commissions. I need the money (I feel like I should wear a sign around my neck that says: "will quilt for money or fabric") so I agreed. 
And, I know all of the kids they were being made for (two I babysat for for years, the other is my professor's daughter).
And I love practicing my FMQ on t-shirt quilts.

  
The two women understood that I was still in school, and wouldn't even be near my sewing machine hardcore until winter break. But, since student teaching is starting a long time from now
Tuesday, which is when I will be running around like a chicken with its head cut off (in a good way), I needed to get them done.

So done I got them.

I quilted the names of the kids into their quilts. It makes me so happy that I've been able to improve so much with FMQ over the last year. T-shirt quilts, although tough to quilt because of bulk, are not a huge deal anymore.

 

One (the yellow above, and the one at the beginning of the post, that I had to hang down from our deck) is a comparably LARGE quilt (I didn't measure it but it's nearly a queen size), so I was limited in my FMQ abilities. I didn't have the patience to wrestle more than I needed too.

On this one, I got really creative. Hearts, swirls, flowers, waves, you name it. Also, a scrappy purple/blue binding (which you can see on some of the other photos).

  

I lucked out hugely with the backing on the brother and sister quilts. The mom wanted a dark brown color so I ordered 8 yards. I literally JUST had enough. I thought I measured to have extra... but this is why I'm not a math major.

It was a little windy today...
  

I thought straight line quilting on the boy's quilt would be perfect. I love how it looks from the back, too!

Putting on that label always seals the deal. This is why I quilt!
(P.S. - that little drawing is a pig. She loves pigs. In case you were going to ask! :P)




Monday, January 9, 2012

Hodge-Podging (ie Catching Up)


Here's my hodge-podging for the week:

Today I went to Michaels because I heard that Kate Spain came out with some pretty sweet stuff with Central Park all over it...



Don't worry, it's not all for me ;) But I'm in love. All in the clearance section!

Fabric deliveries via The Intrepid Thread! I love Julie's shop and I regularly find myself stalking her store/blog just to see what's there... she includes a thank you card with a purchase and two charm squares (I was delighted to see purples from the Happiness line!) Thank you Julie!


GOOD FORTUNE - another gem by Kate Spain. I mean, does that lady ever sleep? She's had so many great lines come out in the last year! I bought this jelly roll with a gift certificate from the holidays :o) Hmm... what to make with it? That's for another post, I think. The wheels are turning...



Ty Pennington's Impressions - my mom bought this - we're going to start making a quilt together! More on that soon. I love this line in all the colorways - she wants these colors for her bed. I'm looking around for solids that match to mix in.


I was lucky enough to win a couple of giveaways from the big Sew Mama Sew day.
This Japanese fabric is from Sewing 1x1... SO cute!



And this lovely pack of Christmas fabrics is from Lucky Duck Dreams (I especially love the button print)...


Thanks ladies!! I see a Christmas quilt in my future... I think I finally have enough Christmas fabrics :)

I'm also waiting for a couple of other packages from Ceri and Kim!

Anyway, sorry I've been MIA for a week. I've been doing one or all of the following things during that time:

1. Babysitting (more than you would believe, but at least I've been earning money and the kids are cute :))
2. Trying to finish 3 commission t shirt quilts (post coming up! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!)
3. Working on my thesis (same thing)
4. Finding and purchasing my wedding dress (!!!!!!!)
5. Putzing around blogland, pinning on Pinterest, and wondering if I'll get to start a new project this week
6. Visiting my student teaching placement and shadowing my co-operating teacher (I'm super excited to start!)

Enjoy your day!





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