Slow Sewing

I have been slowly but surely getting these log cabin blocks assembled.

They are messy during construction. 

I need to get them done before school starts back up.

I'm only halfway. 

Only making one block per day.

I started doing several blocks at once to see if it goes faster. 

I still want to get the Fancy Forest done this year!  I need to run to Joann for basting spray!

Summerville II

This Christmas gift can be shared now!

This is the finished Summerville quilt I made with the leftover Avalon fabric!

It's pretty amazing for a scrappy quilt eh!

I hope it will be loved up and enjoyed!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Low Volume II

Well, it is August 26 and I sit here writing this post, which I will schedule to be published on Christmas Day after it's been gifted..... so even though the windows are open, and I'm wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, I guess a Merry Christmas to you is in order.  I've never finished Christmas gifts so early, it's really strange!  

I made this quilt for my sister.  My online quilt group was having a low volume swap, and I knew I wanted to participate so I could make my sister a low volume quilt.  

I love how low volume quilts have an aged look, even though they are brand new.  My low volume quilt is my favorite nap quilt and it's just the coziest.

I found a very low volume large scale print for the backing.  

My husband commented several times how it wasn't my normal.  

I hope Jaclyn will enjoy this quilt all year round.  

Have a Merry Christmas!

North Woods

It's so crazy strange to be writing and scheduling these Christmas gift posts now... 

Merry Christmas I guess from the me on October 8th.  

(I've been watching too much Lost, and they are in the time skipping stage.)

Anyhow.

This quilt is a gift for my sister-in-law and her sweet family.

I hope they all get to enjoy it during the holiday season.

Fabric: North Woods by Kate Spain

Pattern: Scrappy Irish Chain by Trish Poolson for Moda Bake Shop

Finished Death Star

I finished this Death Star mini quilt!

It is a gift for the monster's karate guro.

I have finished my Fancy Forest top! 

The backing is pieced and I have high hopes to get it basted tonight.

My most hopeful goal is to finish this quilt before the new year arrives!

I have Bonnie and Camille log cabins to assemble for the swap.

Yesterday I went though and found all of my Bonnie and Camille prints!

I hope I have enough.

Miracle of all miracles, my friend Miranda was able to come over to sew this past week.  

She brought me a really fun gift for Christmas.

I have mentioned wanting to make My Small World in passing, and so she give me the pattern and the booze I'll need to get started!  

It might happen next year.

Little Finishes

I have a couple of little finishes to share!

Like these tiny ugly sweater mug rugs. 

I sent one to my friend April, and the other is for my mother in law.

And my tree skirt is FINISHED!

I love it!

I think I will make stockings next year!

Skirt Sewing

I decided I needed to make a tree skirt so our tree skirt would coordinate with the Christmas quilts.

I went fabric shopping yesterday during karate.  I found awesome Evergreen for the project and I was so happy!

 

I am finishing up the binding now.  The hubs is on swing shift this week so I have tv binding time.

Plus a snow storm is headed our way!

Sewing Slump

It's hard to make myself sit down to sew. 

I did get a couple ugly sweaters quilted.

And I made the death star.  

I need a jolt of motivation. 

Life Changing Moment

Today I received my first Pattern Jams order.

See there is a world of quilt patterns I would love to make, but for my lack of skill/ patience.

This Big Game pattern is one of them.  

I think it's so cool.... but don't want to mess with the applique.

So, ta-da there is a company that lets you design entire quilts, and then they print them out for you!  Can you believe this?

This pattern has amazing shapes, shapes I know I don't want to even attempt!  

Boom design, order and it arrives.

Is it cheating?

yes

Is it expensive?

no

Is it fast?

yes

Were they fun and easy to design?

yes!

I feel no shame.

And now I have two great reasons to put fancy forest away for a stretch of time because I think I have burnt out on my fancy forest sewing.

Finished Star

Happy Thanksgiving!

The bird is roasting and most of my chores are done until it's time to put side dishes in the oven, so I thought I would check in.

With a couple of finishes!

I love this quilt.  I cannot wait to make another!

The quilting was a departure for me.

I want to get better, so I need to keep trying new things.

A couple weekends ago the hubs went hunting all day so I spent the afternoon making a farm fun panel.  These mamas and their babies are so sweet!  I made these as a Christmas gift for my new nephew Will.

And this is a Christmas gift too!  

A last minute addition to my sewing gift list!

I just love these fabrics.

This is a gift for my sister-in-law.

And now all of my Christmas sewing projects are complete!  

I found large gift boxes, packaged everything,  and wrapped everything!

The hubs secured a very large box for the big shipment of quilts going to my parents' home.   

Seriously.... I worked my tail off this year!

I made 6 throw sized quilts, 2 sets of Little Red dolls, and the Farm Fun softies!

And it's all done by Thanksgiving!

Now I have my Fancy Forest to finish and some ugly Christmas sweater mug rugs to make!

I hope you have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Star Progress

I got motivated to get the final border to this quilt.  

I stuck with my focus and basted and started quilting.  

I went with something surprising.

I always pick my thread color based on the front of the quilt, so in this quilt there was a lot of contrast on the backing.  It shows EVERY mistake. But I can't get better unless I keep practicing.

I kept on working.  

So now the binding is on and ready for tv time so I can hand sew it closed.  

I have two remaining gifts to make.  

One is easy peasy, a Farm Fun animal panel I am going to work on it today.

The other is a last minute decision.  A small throw sized Christmas quilt.  

I ordered the supplies the other day and I hope it will go together quickly.  

Thistles and Deadlines

Last weekend I got my thistles sewn for my Fancy Forest!

Then, with just my fireflies left, I couldn't resist laying my blocks out!

But I need to focus on the last of my Christmas sewing.  

I finally bought the fourth border fabric for this quilt.  

I just need to get motivated!

I have the backing and binding too, so no more excuses!

It might be time to turn on Christmas music.

After this project is done I have the Farm Fun animals to make for my nephew.

And of course, I just added a new project to my list.  So I need to get a move on!

Luckily my neighbor brought us chocolate covered coffee beans from Hawaii... I'll ration them for Christmas sewing!

So Many New Things

When I last checked in I had no idea what was about to happen... I thought I was just sewing fancy forest animals in my little corner of the world.....

And I was.

Then one day I whipped up a zippy pouch for my bottles of essential oils.  

Then my sister asked if I wanted to make a few to sell at an event she was having at her house in the beginning of November.  I was like sure.....

So I started sewing up oil pouches, then I was like I can make regular zipper pouches too....  Then I was like maybe I should make some flannel blankets too.

So I spent a week in mass production mode....seriously.... my husband was cooking dinner.  

He made pot roast, it was delicious.

  

So I was Instagram-ing this sewing stuff, and sometimes I accidentally click the thing that posts it to my Facebook too.  And people I know on FB started buying the things!  

So I started using my old abandoned Etsy shop to make it easy for them to pay, and then like.... I started listing things....

Then I'm getting orders, and going to the post office a lot to mail orders from my shop!

So I spent another week sewing more of the things so I could have some to send to my sister's event.....

And I printed tags, and business cards, and the whole nine yards.....

 So, I thought my Sunny Spot Quilts table should probably have an actual quilt for sale.  

So I spend an extreme amount of time trying to cut my enormousness stash of I-spy fabrics.  

I was frantic, but I managed to get one quilt finished in time to ship to my sister's for her event, which is this weekend.  

 The event is tomorrow, and I'm nervous she will have to mail all my stock back to me because it doesn't sell... 

But until I find out what a flop it is, I'm trying to be brave.

I'm going back to fancy forest sewing again.