Swappy Stuff - Pouches and Baskets and Blocks, Oh My!

After my swapping hiatus earlier in the  year, I have finally decided that a bit of judicious swapping would be fun. One of the first swaps I signed up for this year was the 4S Swap.  Originally titled the Sweet and Simple Scrappy Swap, 4S just seems easier, you know?  This round was baskets following the Birch Fabrics tutorial.  Anyway, I was gifted with this lovely package from Amber_Crawley.  So, so fun!  The paper pieced balloon is just awesome.  And being that I have just reorganized my sewing space, fabric baskets are especially welcome.

And while the front of the basket is just spectacular, the back is just as cute.  Love that eyeglasses fabric.  And all the dots.  I'm always in love with dots.

My little basket turned out well, I think.  While cleaning my room, I found a half yard of Hello Petal Jump Rope that I had no idea I had.  It made a great focal square in the middle of my QAYG panel, and a fun lining too.  The rest of the QAYG is just out of the scrap bin.  I love creating projects from scraps - it makes me feel so thrifty.

I used a different fussy cut square on the back.  

Last month, our ECMQG swap was Friendship Baskets using the psiquilt tutorial.  I received this fun little bag from Elaine.

Apparently I neglected to take a picture of the one I made, but it was similar to this one I made last summer from some AMH Loulouthi selvages my daughter sent me.  I love using selvages - especially pretty ones.

I've been playing along in the Sewing With Friends swap for a couple of years now, and this time I am swapping with my good friend Leona.  We met for dinner the other night, so I had a chance to take her her pouch for this round.  I used a fussy cut from the Heather Ross Crafty Chloe line she did for Hancock Fabrics a couple of years ago, and quilted it with the Bernina zigzag stitch #4.

On the back, I just used a scrap of Denyse Schmidt fabric from JoAnn's.  In fact, this whole project - with the exception of the fussy cut square on the front, was directly out of the scrap bin.

I used a piece of pink I found in my recent housecleaning for the lining.

One of the fun swaps I'm in this year is the Handmade Birthday Swap.  I've been making these little pouches for the birthday girls, filling them with a few fun sewing goodies.  This is my latest one, made from Hothouse Flowers, by Mo Bedell.  I just love these colors.  They make my heart sing!  This is from a FQ bundle I bought from Westwood Acres when I visited a couple of months ago.

The ECMQG does a block lottery each month.  Everyone who contributes a block also contributes a dollar, and one (or sometimes two or three) lucky winners take home enough blocks to make a quilt.  This month we are doing a 12-1/2 inch carpenters square (swoon) block.  These blocks are 1/4 the size of Camille Roskelly's Swoon pattern, but they still have a big impact.

We're also doing a wonky star charity quilt made from Moda's Sphere fabric by Zen Chic.  This is the block I made. Can't wait to see the quilt when it's finished.

Last of all, I'm working on a quilt for my friend Leona.  Once I got the blocks for the Block of the Month nearly done, she decided she really didn't want the quilt after all, as it held difficult memories for her.  I've been feeling guilty for almost a year, so when she said she wanted this Lazy Sunday (pattern by Lee Chappel) quilt out of AMH fabric (Dowry and True Colors), I jumped at the chance to make it for her.  I've got the blocks done (all 112 of them!), and now just have to put the top together.  I think this quilt is going to be fabulous - all those rich colors will just take your breath away, I think.

So, that's what's been going on in the sewing room this week.  What fun things have you been working on?

Yellow and Purple and Gray - Oh my!

I know I shouldn't complain because I'm sure there are folks in really cold places this February morning that are much worse off than I, but even though it's 60 degrees outside, I'm freezing.  I wasn't really aware of it though until the sun broke through the clouds and warmed me up, and once it went behind the clouds again, I decided I was really cold.   Nothing to do then but grab a sweater and a quilt (heaven knows there is no shortage of quilts around here) and sit down and tell you about my latest project before I manage to get up and start my day.

I decided to try another Newtown Auction pillow this weekend from the tutorial by Let's Eat Grandpa.  This particular one was inspired by a photo on Flickr by This Crafty Fox ~ Tiffany. 

I've tried this technique a couple of times before, and this is my best effort so far.  The first one I threw away....  The second one became a journal cover.

This one didn't turn out too badly.  And they're getting easier.  The technique isn't difficult, but it is deceptively time consuming.  Of course, the trick is to cover all the raw edges, which sometimes isn't as easy as one might think.  Some pieces end up almost entirely covered, so while it looks like you can use teeny scraps, the truth is - not so much.

And for me, at least, it's a fairly messy process as I dig through my scraps.

{The good news is that the pillow was made entirely from scraps, and we all know that makes me feel amazingly THRIFTY = something-for-nothing!}

The palette is so totally NOT me that it was a real challenge.  While there are a lot of yellows in my scraps, not so much with the purple and gray.  And I really had to dig through the stash to find the Sleeping Beauty print from Far Far Away II that I knew was buried there somewhere.  {Note to self:  I really need to do some rearranging in there to make things more accessible.}

And while I was at it, I decided to make a matching mug rug.  This went a lot faster, probably due to its size.

So that was some of my weekend sewing.

Now I'm off to finish a couple of things before my daughter comes to visit tomorrow.  So excited!

Catching Up - Part Three

So here we are at the third - and final - installment of my "Vacation Trilogy" - the one about the crafty stuff I did while I was gone.

(Aside from button necklaces, of course!)

It's pretty inspiring to have this just down the hall...  (Since I was so busy, I didn't take many pictures, so I've swiped Manda's IG photos - she does a much better job at the picture taking than I do!)

I folded a bit lot of fabric...  This one is the Low Volume Dots bundle.

And got to play with some more...  This is Briar Rose by Heather Ross, of course!

I cut and folded this very bundle - so pretty!  This is Nordika by Jeni Baker of In Color Order.  Isn't it dramatic?  Can't wait to play with this!

And helped ship some packages while the parents were gone - but not this many.

And I made this Christmas quilt top.  The fabric is Hip Holiday from Josephine Kimberling, and the pattern is Spin Cycle from Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew.  It was a beast to cut out, but fun to put together.

I hate trimming blocks, but love the little piles that the trimming creates.  It makes such a difference in the finished quilt to have all the blocks the exact same size.

And I put together a couple of quilt tops for Manda.  This one was finished, but she wanted to make it bigger.  She had all the blocks made so it was a simple matter to put it together.  If you want to make one too, this is the Seaside Chevron Hexagon Quilt on her blog.  One more finished quilt top in the stash.

I made Abby a couple of little dresses.  The pattern is the Geranium Dress by MadeByRae.  It's classic and super easy to put together.  And very versatile.  The fabric is Robert Kaufman chambray.  I loved working with it.  Such a nice hand.  And I think she likes it!

She hadn't worn this one yet, but she picked out the fabric herself.  I think she'll like it too.

I managed to get one hexie flower made - which is not too bad considering I only made hexies in the airport while waiting for flights.

I took a weekend pilgrimage to Idaho to visit my friends Carol and Brent.  They took me to the Boise Farmer's Market on Saturday.  It was really fun.  We bought some wonderful fresh-from-the-farm berries.  And the fresh-squeezed lemonade was delightful on such a hot day - it was 104 when I was there.

And she very kindly indulged me by taking me to this fun quilt shop down the road from her house.  I think I may have converted her - she's planning on taking a quilting class from them in August!  (Do I dare say I hope she's hooked??)

And, when I wasn't sewing or playing with the grands, I made a couple of blueberry pies.  You can find the recipe here.

And I might have brought a bit of fabric home... 


So, that's what I have to show for my vacation.  Fairly productive, and lots of fun!


But also very nice to be home.

Weekender - Take.2

If you are looking for the 400 post - Tula Pink giveaway, enter here.

I've spent the last couple of days making another Weekender bag - this one for my partner in the Sew Sew Modern 2 Swap.  This one seemed more difficult than the first one - partly because I tried a new technique, and partly, I think, because I didn't follow the directions as closely.  The new-to-me technique was a modified quilt-as-you-go technique.  I'm not sure if I like it or not, but I think I will experiment with it some more.  Elizabeth Hartman uses a similar technique, but densely quilts over each piece as it is added.  I didn't think I wanted that much quilting, but I may try it another time and see.

I'm not really a random/improv kind of person, so the random placement of the fabrics kind of drove me nuts.  But overall, I like the effect.  It is obviously something I need to practice.

I started with the Heather Ross vans/campers print, and worked from there.  Can you believe I actually used GRAY???  That was a total departure for me, and coming up with enough grays was a challenge.  I added some pinks in random places to liven it up a bit.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.  I hope my partner likes it. 

NOTE TO SELF:  The next weekender bag is for me!

HR FQ Giveaway - A Winner (and a Loser)

I have to apologize for the tardiness of this post.  I had promised that I would pick a winner on Sunday, but the prsd4tim2 household was taking turns feeling a little (lot) under-the-weather yesterday and it just didn't happen.

I really enjoyed reading everyone's comments about what makes the perfect tote bag.  Everyone seems to agree that pockets are the Number One Thing, followed by straps, and then other random and/or innovative details.  I will be doing an update of my 1-Hour FQ Tote on Leona's blog in two or three weeks, and I plan to incorporate many of your suggestions, so thank you all for your input.

By the way, if you like Tula Pink, Leona is giving away some OOP fabric this week.  When you finish here, why not hop on over and enter her bloggy giveaway???

And now, it's time to pick a winner of the super fun Heather Ross Crafty Chloe fabrics...

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 96 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Well, I never have figured out how to get the little widget thingy to work, but this was my first pick.  And wouldn't you know, #96 is Debbie, who is a no-reply blogger, isn't a follower, and didn't leave an email address.  Thanks for stopping by, Debbie, but you may want to adjust your email and privacy preferences, or leave an email addy in your comment.  I'm sorry I can't give you this yummy fabric because I don't have a way to contact you.

So, as promised, I'm off to pick another winner...

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 70 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

And #70 is Jessica, of the Quilty Habit blog.  I'm so excited I actually have a winner!  Yay!

#70

Jessica February 18, 2013 at 8:09 PM

I think the perfect tote bag needs a pocket somewhere!

And Jessica seems to echo everyone's first choice in tote bag perfection.

So thank you to everyone who entered.  I'm off to email Jessica now.

Be sure you stay tuned - I'll let you know when the Tote Bag Perfection post will appear on Leona's blog.

 

Last Day - Heather Ross FQ Giveaway

Today is the last day of the Heather Ross FQ Giveaway!  But don't enter on this post - be sure to go here and follow the instructions to enter. 

I have really enjoyed reading all the comments about what makes a fabulous tote bag.  I'll be incorporating many of them into my guest post on Leona's blog in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, head on over to the giveaway post and enter.  You never know  - it may be your turn to win!

Celebrating 350 Followers - Heather Ross FQ Giveaway

I noticed the other day that I had reached 350 followers on this little blog of mine!  I've been mulling over what I could do to say thanks to those of you who read about my crafty and quilty adventures, and I thought, "What could be better than to share some of my stash with them?"

I have some Heather Ross prints that BD#1 gave me last summer from her shop.  Aren't they cute!  This line was from Hancock Fabrics, and is called Crafty Chloe.  I think this is a complete collection of the prints, but if not this is a complete collection of what I have.  The selection is 5 FQ or 1-1/4 yards of fabric.  These prints are perfect for fussy cutting! 

I recently made a 1 Hour Fat Quarter Tote for a swap with the sock monkeys.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  Kinda quirky, but fun!  This is enough fabric to make one for yourself, if you so desire.

And I'll be updating the 1 Hour FQ Tote on Leona's blog in the not-too-distant-future, so be sure to come back for a peek.  I think she's planning a giveaway of her own soon, so you might want to check in sometimes...  just sayin'...

So how do you win these adorable prints?  Well, here's the scoop.

1.  Leave a comment below and tell me what makes a great tote bag.  Inquiring minds want to know.  What does a tote bag need to be "perfect"?

2.  Be (or become) a follower of my blog and leave a comment to tell me so (2nd entry).

3.  LIKE my Facebook page, and then leave a comment on the blog to let me know you did.  If you already LIKE my page, you can just LIKE the post to count for the giveaway.  =)  (NOTE:  Comments on the Facebook page are wonderful - and welcome - but won't count in the giveaway.  But you would make my day!) (Possible 3rd entry.)

4.  Post on your blog about this giveaway, then come back and leave a comment letting me know.  (Possible 4th entry.)

5.  Mention this giveaway on Instagram, Google +,  or other social media, and then come back and leave a comment.  (Possible 5th entry.)

So you have 5 possible entries to win the fun HR FQ bundle. BE SURE YOU ARE NOT A NO-REPLY BLOGGER.  The winner of my last giveaway was a no-reply blogger and I had no way to contact her so I had to choose another winner.  Too bad for her. =(

The giveaway will close next Saturday, February 23 at midnight.  I will let Mr. Random choose the winner sometime Sunday. 

Good luck!

Sew Sew Modern

So I finally decided on the pillow I was going to send to my partner and got it off in the mail last Friday.  I decided after stalking her blog, her Flickr photostream and her mosaic that she would be happier with a more colorful selection.  And so the plus pillow is heading her way.  Honestly, the more I look at this one the more I think that I'm going to have to create another one - this time for me.

I quilted it by outlining the pluses about 1/4 inch away from the edges. This was my first quilted project since Penelope came back from the doctor, and the tension is a lot tighter now.  It made quilting this a bit of a challenge at first.  (Guess it really was time for Penny to have a check-up!)

 The inner border is straight-line quilted and the outer border isn't quilted at all.  I like the different textures this gives the pillow and the way the straight lines cross in the corner. (OK, small amusements for small minds, but hey! - )

I made her a 1-Hour Fat Quarter Tote to go with it.  This one is a little quirky, fabric-wise, but I don't dislike it. 

I used some Heather Ross sock monkey fabric (from Hancock Fabrics last summer) for the main part of the bag, along with some pearl bracelets that I bought for something else and didn't use, and some random yellow with orange leaves that seemed to tie the two together.

I quilted it with some super-fast and easy loops, but they seemed to go well with the pearl bracelets.

So here's the little package that is winging its way to my partner.  I hope she likes it.