September 30, 2012

2 finished quilts! {finally!}

I don't know why it takes me so long to finish a quilt. I love making the top--choosing the fabrics/colors, the design, piecing it together. I dislike making the quilt sandwich and pinning it. It takes up so much room and it's a pain in the rear trying to keep everything straight and smooth. Then there's the difficult decision of how to quilt it and getting those first few rows of quilting in. Binding used to be the most time-consuming step but since I started using Rita's machine binding tutorial, it makes for a quick finish. Yesterday I found some major motivation and finished 2 quilts!  I present to you my Polka Dot Pinwheels quilt:




I started this back in April. It sat around for a long time waiting to be quilted because I knew I wanted to do free motion quilting and I'm not very good at free motion quilting. I did FMQ just in the white areas. It turned out well and I like the effect it gives on the back of the quilt.

I also finished this random baby quilt which is the last quilt I will make with a hand-stitched binding. (The binding looks great but just takes too long!) The earliest record I have of it was back in April (when it just needed the binding finished) but I know it had been sitting around for awhile before that. I used Elizabeth Hartman's loopy flowers quilting tutorial.



(And sometimes your little helper thinks you're taking to many pictures of quilts and wants to get in on the action.)


Part of what got me motivated to finish these was Flaunt Your Finish over at OKC Modern Quilt Guild. Plus now I also have two quilts to share at the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild meeting on Tuesday.

OKC Modern Quilt Guild

September 27, 2012

Yoda costume

Since Halloween is a little over a month away, how about I share costume pictures from last Halloween? Yeah. I just realized I never blogged about the awesome Yoda costume I made for my Star Wars-loving son.


1) Jacket made from McCall's pattern (M6184).  I made the karate robe (view A) out of Osnaberg, but I did not use the extra facing  and left the edges raw so it would fray.
2) Hood from Butterick pattern (6695).  I used green fleece and made the tiger hood (view C) but made my own pattern for the Yoda ears. I used elastic thread in the bobbin to shirr some the forehead wrinkles.
3)  He wore brown pants and a brown shirt we already had.

4)  I made some stuffed Yoda hands and sewed them to a pair of cheap gloves.

The results were an adorable Yoda costume that garnered lots of compliments!


September 26, 2012

WIP Wednesday {9/26/12}

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

In my efforts to spend less time on the computer/in front of the TV, I actually have progress to share this week!

My polka dot pinwheels quilt?


All quilted and just needing a binding. You would think I'd take the safety pins out before I took the picture but you would be mistaken. :)

I've also made progress on the item I'm making for my partner in the WISH. do Good Stitches swap. Linen, patchwork, and quilting. . .oh my!

I started a baby quilt for my coworker who is due in February. I figured I had plenty of time until I realized that even though baby doesn't arrive until February, the shower will be in December! I'm making Ashley's (film in the fridgeconverging corners quilt. Even though the blocks take awhile it will be beautiful and totally worth it.  Mom is doing the nursery in orange, green, aqua and some gray--so pretty! I have 1.67 blocks done and only 18.33 block to go. I stopped when I ran out of green fabric but look what showed up in my mailbox today. . .
Lovely Riley Blake chevrons and dots from Stitches n' Giggles. They were on sale so I got a great deal and the shipping was super speedy! So tonight it's back to work on quilt blocks.


September 25, 2012

do the {100 day} hustle!

Kelsey over at Kelsey Sews is hosting is link-up to see how much you can complete in the last 100 days of the year. (It started 9/22 so I'm already a little behind of course!)

Kelsey Sews

All you have to do is link up your to-do list for the rest of the year. How great would it be to get some of those sewing projects completed and head into 2013 with a clean(ish) slate? Here's my very long to do list:

1)  Finish sewing the item I'm making for my WISH do. Good Stitches swap partner. I can't reveal it yet since it's a surprise, but here's what I have done so far.


2) Make a converging corners baby quilt for my coworker who is due in February but the shower is in DECEMBER! I need to get moving on this one!


3) Make some cute fabric baskets for the same coworker's nursery. And some stuffed toys. And some bibs.

4) Make my son's Halloween costume. I'm not starting this one yet since he was going to be an angry bird but decided last night he wants a Ninjago costume. How many more times will he change his mind before Halloween?

5) Make a convergence quilt for the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild challenge.

6) Finish 2 shopping bags for my aunt which I had planned to have done in August.  (She needs them for Christmas gifts so it's all good!)

7) Finish this stack--four quilt tops to sandwich, quilt and bind and one quilt to finish hand binding.


This isn't anywhere close to everything I want to complete this year since I haven't even started to think about my handmade Christmas gift list. But it's a start. I know I waste so much time on the computer and watching TV in the evenings and that time could be better spent sewing. So that's my overall goal--get my butt down in my sewing room in the evenings instead of sitting in front of the TV watching reruns!

September 12, 2012

wip Wednesday {9/12/12}

I haven't accomplished a lot of sewing lately.  This past weekend, my husband and I went on a whirlwind trip to Estes Park, Colorado for a former coworker's wedding.  So much fun and I can't wait to go back!

I did finally start quilting my polka dot pinwheels quilt--but I didn't get very far.  I'm attempting free motion quilting again and since I'm only quilting in the white areas it's good practice and not quite as frustrating.


I made a cute pair of reversible baby pants for my friend's newborn baby girl (Anna Maria Horner's quick change trousers from Handmade Beginnings).  Now I just need to make a basic top to go with them--any suggestions/links/tutorials?
I'm also making some stretchy headbands to go with the little outfit and still need to make some really big bows/flowers to clip onto the headbands.  Isn't that the best part of dressing a baby girl--the really big headbands? :)
(I'm thinking I need to buy some smaller alligator clips--those are looking really pointy for a newborn!)

Right now the house is quiet and it's raining so it's the perfect opportunity to get off the computer and go get some quilting done!