In Secret

I've been sewing steadily.  It just stinks that I can't share.  I want to keep the projects secret until they are gifted.  If you follow me on Instagram you have seen the baby quilt top I have finished.  I'm looking forward to blogging about it soon.  In the mean time I wanted to share this board I put up in my sewing room.  

 I saw an idea like this on Pinterest looooong ago.  I was thinking it would be hard to find a piece of sheet metal and get it cut... Well guess what!  I was at Lowe's and in the area of metal pieces for venting and dryer tube stuff there was a precut perfectly sized piece of sheet metal.  It measures 24 x 36 which meant I was able to find a premade frame at HoLo in the open frames section.  The sheet metal was 9.99!  The frame was 49 but I used a 40% coupon.  So not as expensive as I had worried it would be.    

 It hangs right near my cutting table.  I have IG photos I printed off on magnets of different parts of the quilt process, photos of friends and family, postcards...

 ... quilt ideas....

.... and a few little fun souvenirs and pretty magnets.    

I'm very happy with this fun addition to my sewing area!

Rowing Right Along

 I've been having a riot trying to catch up in the Row Along.  And I finally did!  Now I'm anxious for the next row!  

 Whenever I think to take photos, of course it's night-time.  I'll post a good photo after the next row!

Since the rows are set aside for now, I've started a baby quilt for my new due in June niece.  Actually we have two new nieces due in June.  I'll start the second one after this one is finished.  I'm going to keep it a secret until I mail it to my sister, but here is a sneak peak!  

Everything I'm working on lately is SUPER fun!  This is why I love quilting.

Sewing Again

You know I've kinda been MIA.  I took a whole week off from sewing.  

Kristen and Julie during our fun sewing weekend, we had a lot of candy.

Then a quilty friend from high school came to visit and we had a really a fun sewing weekend.  

my new friend at the sewing machine.  He is very supportive of my back stitching.

Then I took another week off from sewing.  

leftover dresdens wall hanging.

I started putzing around in the sewing room slowly.  

more dresdens.

I don't think I was burnt out.... but I definitely deserved a little break.  I really busted my hump in November and December.  

 Then on Tuesday I was cruising the blogs I follow and I saw this post.  So since I'm always super impulsive I decided I would dive in and start this Row Along.  And since I was so well rested from my weeks of non sewing... I dove right in and whipped up the first two rows that day.... I have to catch up after all!

 Wednesday I whipped up rows 3 and 4.  

I was talking on the phone and was explaining my progress and the person asked "where's the monster?"  Uhhh.. I had to think.   Well I remembered to pick him up from school at least, but otherwise I hadn't been paying too much attention to his whereabouts.  I know I gave him some chocolate chips and he grabbed a handful of scraps from my trash can then ran off to his room.  Every once in awhile he comes down for more chocolate chips... sometimes he grabs more scraps from my trash.  Then he dashes off for an hour.  As long as he isn't stuffing the scraps in any orifices I'm cool with it, and super grateful I have a monster that is more than happy to entertain himself for hours, especially when I'm on a roll like this.  

 Today I have the 6th row done and parts to the 5th row going.  

While my parenting during the past couple of afternoons has been relaxed dont worry... I don't always bribe him with chocolate chips(they were dark chocolate btw, doctors say its healthier) and at least I wasn't parking him in front of the TV!  Plus, tonight is family game night!  

I-Spy

 I finished this quilt the other night.  I really like it, and the monster LOVES it!   

 I'm really glad I did the thin sashing so its not too busy.  Sometimes I-Spy quilts are way too busy for me.

 The border and binding came from my stash.  

 The backing too.  The monster loves picking things out of this busy print.  

 He was very excited to model the quilt for me.

 love him

Its hard to get a photo of him in focus since he's always on the move!  He's just a happy active boy.  

Tops and Real Life

I have a lot to show since the last time I checked in.  However I haven't sewn in a week. I'm not sure why.  I think maybe because last week was the first week things were back to normal, hubs at work, monster at preschool.... plus the monster started ice skating lessons last week so that added a new thing to my schedule.  Sometimes I'm not so great at juggling new things on my to do list.  Its alright though, I have a lot to work on this week, if I decide I want to.  

 I sewed my I-spy top really quickly.  I think I love this pattern with the squares set in white.

 I was thinking this quilt will be a fun sofa quilt for the monster, but maybe I should gift it to one of the new nieces/nephews expected this summer.  My sister and the Hubs' sister are both pregnant and due within days of each other.  I think this quilt is gender neutral-ish right? I could wait and see what my sister is having then the backing could be more girly....if she is having a girl.

 I started working on my log cabin quilt one day and the next day I had a top!  The Eleanor Burns quilt in a day method is bizarre but FAST! 

 Deciding on a layout was almost impossible.  I literally had to promise myself I could make another someday and try one of the other layouts.  It was such a tough decision.  I love it though!!!

 I finished the top for my scrappytripalong.  I need to pick up some backing material.  I have to say I don't love these fabrics still. But I'm glad to get them out of my stash!  I might do another quilt actually using my scraps.  

 I have been working on mass production of the pieces for this quilt's blocks.  

 I have all of my plum HTSs sewn, some pressed, some pressed and clipped!

 But I still have all of these to sew together... maybe during Days this week.  (I cannot wait to see what happens at Gabby and Nick's wedding!  I cannot believe Chad was the one sneaking around eavesdropping to find out Will is the father of Gabby's baby!  OH MAN!!  But I like Chad.... and I still want him to end up with Abigail...But I think she will be POed that he interrupted the wedding like that since Gabby is like her BFF)

Anyhow......

 Another reason I took a few days off!  My sewing room got its distant thunder paint!  I love it.  It doesn't photograph very well but its very pretty, or maybe it should be considered handsome... I just love it though!  I hung up a wall hanging and my Farmers Wife quitter mini quilt... and I'm going to do the ticker tape on the other two canvases... soon, maybe.  

And I also LOVE that the colors in my drunk geisha poster go so well with the new paint color!  Seems fated.  I got that poster 6 years ago at the Sapporo Beer Museum in Sapporo, Japan. I had no idea this vintage beer ad poster would be a perfect compliment to the bold color of my sewing room in South Dakota, years and years later.  Sometimes my life is nutso, but it works. 

Age Progression

I mentioned yesterday that I took the traditional age progression photo when I opened my new batting bolt.... so for fun here is the progression....

My how he's grown.

David told me that I have now quilted more than a football field worth of quilts.  He said a football field and a kickoff....whatever that means.  

Fresh Starts

You know from my posts last month that I busted my hiney to clean up some UFOs so this year could be a fresh start. 

 I spent the week or so I had after I finished my last deadline project to clean up my sewing space and purge some scraps. 

I got everything tidy.

 

 Hung up some of my mini quilts finally.  I also purchased my much needed bolt of Kona white.

 I had purchased my new bolt of batting a few months ago during a big sale but I took it out of the corner and got it ready to go.  I still have a quilt or two worth left on my last bolt.  But getting the bolt out of the box helped my sewing space seem more put together.

 I took the traditional age progression photo of the monster on the bolt. 

After everything was nice in there... I started working.  I love fresh new projects!!  

These were my I-spy squares laid out.  I pieced my top and have the backing assembled also.  I just need to baste it sometime.... like if I ever mop the kitchen floor.  

Then I began cutting the squares for this project.  I have been planning this out in my head for weeks.  I saw this block in the In Color Order HST BOM.  I singled it out as awesome and decided to make a quilt.  I chose three fabrics at a quilt shop using a color way I found on design seeds. This project is so exciting to me.  I have about a thousand HST units to be sewn... but I'm not in any hurry.  I think it will be a great easy project to work on, set aside, pull out again and again for the next couple of weeks or even months.    

This fresh project was unexpected.  I was watching the photos of the scrappytripalong and I was dying. I wanted to make one so bad!  I did not feel like cutting a crap ton of strips so I pulled out a jelly roll that had been laying around and got to work.  I know its not really 'scrappy' bit its still exciting to me anyhow.  I think it will get scrappier as I go along.  I had trouble with these fabrics a few months ago with a layer cake I was using, so I added the white on the long diagonal to break it up because I know I'll need it.  

I'm going to start a log cabin quilt along with my real life long distance quilt friends.....That will mean a fourth quilt project to juggle, but I think I can handle it.