I've been working a little

 Monday night sewing at my place has been really fun.  It is the highlight of my quilting life right now and makes me so much more productive!!  Last night I helped my new friend make her first quilt top.  I'll share more about it on Friday.... But today, still geeked from sewing night I got something quilted!  I wanted to make a coverlet for the guest bedroom.  And I wanted it to be plain, because I keep the Forties Fruity Filmstrip at the end of the bed, and I wanted the quilt to be the big deal, and the coverlet to just look nice with it. 

With talk of a possible visit from Nate's Godparents in early July, I finally had the motivation to get this thing quilted.  I told you I just need a deadline or two! 

I just did simple stitching across in a natural wavy line.  It was a bit boring, but I got through it with a little gossiping on the telly this afternoon.  Thanks Erin and Jackie!!

While I liked the price tag on this project since I used two ten dollar sheets from Target... I must say I wouldn't recommended it.  The sheets are nice but boy did I get big bubbles threatening big puckers.  I'm glad its over now.  Maybe I'll bind it in the near future... but maybe not.  You know I'm a procrastinator, so it might not happen until late June.

 YAY for getting some sewing done... and YAY for warm weather!  We have a fun packed summer planned for the Monster. 

different

I finished this quilt top yesterday.  Its from the Old Red Barn Co. round that Jaybird Quilts taught.  It was sort of due back in October.  But I was getting ready for a move and everything and it just didn't happen. Oh well.  It is totally different from the type of quilts I usually make??  No WHITE???? WHAT???!!!  I am a little uncomfortable.  I like it a lot, I'm just uneasy about how dark it is!

The hexagons were fun, and I have plans to make another to keep. (Mine will be soaked in white) 

P.s.  did you notice both sets of toes peeking out from behind the quilt?  Like father like son eh?  

I LOVE THEM!!

Snappy Quilts

During the fabric party Julie told us about her favorite quilt shop, Snappy Quilts.  So my mother in law and sister in law and I went to "look".  It is a really awesome shop.  Tons of modern pretty fabrics.  I almost didn't buy anything, because it was almost impossible to choose. And because I purposely didn't go with a pattern in mind.  But I managed to pick up some really nice fabrics.  My sister in law helped me out a ton, and it was so nice to have someone with another set of eyes!  Not that the hubs isn't helpful.... well, no, it IS because the hubs isn't any help picking out fabrics.  It just made it more fun, and I am really excited about what I could make with my new fabrics!

Here is my score!

Most of the prints are Art Gallery Fabrics.  I don't know that I had ever heard of this company, but I sure do dig their stuff! 

 The gray floral is the backing.  I just love it!

I think I am going to do some version of this pattern. I'll have to tweak it a bit but I think it will be pretty cool.  I'm excited again!  It has been a little while since I have been geeked about a new project!

I can hardly wait until next month when Becky, Julie and I go on a real fabric hunt.  eeeeek

The Purge Party

margaritas 

Julie's current project

A little sew and tell

The purge party at my hotel room.

Julie and Melissa scanning the loot

My high school friend Julie, my sister in law Rebecca, and my mother in law Melissa.

They each claimed a bunch... we had margaritas, and laughed, and chatted.  It was a riot for me.  

But I still came home with a box full.... ding dang it.  I'll have to figure something out.  

Comfy K9

She hardly ever has to put her bum on the hard bare floor.  Ahhh to be a quilters dog... there is almost always some batting laying around to sit or lay on.

Age Progression

Every year when the bolt of batting arrives we document the occasion. 

Tree Tops

Since we moved to South Dakota I haven't said much about this place, unless I mention the weather. But I went to a playgroup onbase and met a few girls that sew and/or quilt! Cool right?! Then I got invited to play Bunko, which is also cool. Between the playgroup and Bunko I have met a bunch of really awesome women! So a couple girls saw some of my quilts on Facebook and said they wanted to learn how to make my tree quilt. I always like sewing with others so I was game. Tonight they came over to make their very own tree quilts. I had the background patchwork ready for them when they came. Otherwise I just sort of supervised, and it was so fun for me! I think they are happy too, cause they are making really beautiful quilts!!

Kristen hadn't used a sewing machine before, but she did really great!

This is Briana cutting her tree trunk. She knows how to use a machine and she went to town!

Kristen went nice and slow, and did a really good job. I think she will learn to be more comfortable with just a little more time at the machine.

Briana flew behind the baby Juki! This is a good action shot eh?

Looking good!

A few hours later. Finished tree tops! I quilted Briana's while they finished with Kristen's leaves. I'm going to quilt the other one tomorrow.
Don't they look awesome?!

There is something about passing quilting on to others, that makes me super excited about quilting all over again. Even when I'm bored with my current projects and I'm not finishing a lot. Watching others learn something, makes me super geeked about this hobby!

Purge Update

Have you lost hours of your life looking through the quilts over at the Quilt Festival?  I have!  

Its been GREAT!

I have heard a few concerns about the purge I mentioned on Thursday.  No worries, I still have TONS of fabric left.  Its just that I cannot work in my current situation.  Its too much and its keeping me from quilting happily.  So this is what I am taking to Denver for my friends to go through.  Its mostly leftovers, and fabrics I've used and used and am just done with now.  

 I really went to town in my sewing area after I picked out all of the fabric that is going.  It feels so much lighter in there to me!  I could probably use a little (or a lot) of therapy.  I don't know why I have these spurts of, lets get rid of all this crap!  But my poor sweet husband is very supportive.  

 The pink tote and green basket thing are full of the scraps I'm going to keep to cut down for the scrap quilts I have in mind.  SEE!!  Thats still a lot! I haven't totally lost it.

And this is whats left in my stash cabinet.  Its mostly stuff for projects on my to do list.  I've never been much for buying a hunk of fabric just because.  I get way more excited hunting for fabrics for a specific project.  All that stuff I am giving way is whats left from past projects, especially because I used to buy plenty of extra just in case I totally screwed something up.

This I can handle.  Its a good thing.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

The Spring Blogger's Quilt Festival is going on over at Amy's Creative Side.  Its always loads of fun to go over and look through all the awesome quilts.  But don't start looking if you need to get anything done in real life, because you will probably loose all concept of time and sit there cruising blogs for hours at end.  I highly recommended it.

Here is my entry.  The quilt I finished a few weeks ago for my bed.  Its not a super challenging pattern, its the 4th time I have used the Round One Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along pattern.  But what made this quilt so special to me is that I quilted it!  ME!  In my dining room!  Usually for a full sized or larger I send my quilts out to a long arm quilter.  She does a great job, but I just wanted to see if I could quilt it and save myself a little moo-la while I was at it.  

Granted I do have a capable machine with a large enough throat.  But it was still a lot of work, and it took a lot of adjusting, occasional whimpering, and a few bouts of cursing. And I was terrified. 

But I did it!  And I did a good job.  No puckers!!  It was my quilt miracle of the year.  

I hope you have a fun time at the quilt festival!!

the Urge to Purge

I have a weird thing in my brain that requires me to purge all the junk in my house every so often.  I never know when it will hit, but when it does, the things I have stupid hoarding feelings towards are fated to be tossed or donated.   Right now that dominating thing in my head wants to get rid of nearly all of this stash/scraps and start over.  

I need a solution. Preferably before dinner, because I won't be able to sit down for dinner with this disaster staring me down.

Chain Piecing

These are a lot of fun!

Sometimes I think I have more fun sewing on Monday nights just because I am thinking about The Strip Teasers sewing together.  Even though I'm not with them, it makes my work more fun just thinking about the dirty jokes and deserts they are sharing back in the mitten.  That joke about the old men with the prostitutes just kills me!!

Melissa's Birthday Quilt

I can finally share the mystery quilt!  My mother-in-law opened it today.  She is drawn to funky modern/retro   prints, but I'm not sure she buys them for herself.  This quilt was fun for me to make.  

I quilted it here and there and up and around.  Just however I felt like it, and just however it ended up.   

I hope she will enjoy this quilt.  Its always more fun for me to make a quilt that will be gifted.  Thats probably why I haven't finished much lately. No birthdays no new babies, so I'm just farting around with whatever and nothing is getting finished.  Maybe I should make my Christmas sewing projects list so I can get cracking on that!  I'm craving a deadline or two.

Weekend Update

Were you wondering what I was doing all weekend??  I decided to work, not blog.  And I did get a bunch done,  plus I went to play Bunko on Saturday night.  I had so much fun, and I won 13 bucks! 

I made these boxes yesterday for the mother's day gifts I sent our moms.   

This is the majority of what I did.  I pieced and basted 3 baby quilts.  One of them I managed to get quilted.  And I made a tote bag.   

I made our dog a new bed.  Its not stuffed yet, but I was happy I made it.  I used scraps from KT's quilt and some courdroy I had in my stash for no particular reason.  

I was pretty proud that I managed to do a flap so I can take the stuffing out to wash it easier.  Thats the way it worked in my head!  

I pieced this top....

And I basted these two quilts.  I'm going to quilt and finish them up and send them to Japan.  I have one other top for a quilt I'll send too, but I need to figure a backing for it.