sew&tell v.1.0.8. - another one of those weeks

Oh how I wish I could tell you that this lovely is mine, all mine.

photo courtesy of sewtakeahike

But it's not.  It's the lovely and talented Penny's of Sewtakeahike.  This was her big finish for the week and I am so impressed with what she's done here.  This is not your ordinary string quilt!  It took planning, a lot of sewing, and a few hiccups along the way.  But it is absolutely gorgeous!  Please go and see her finish post here.  And then tell her how awesome she is and that she should send the quilt to me that you have really clean teeth (wha??? When she's not sewing up awesomeness she moonlights as a dental hygenist!)

I think it is so cool that this is all made from scraps that she aquired from her bloggy friends!  I'd like to think that orange Amy Butler lotus lily pad you can see there is some I sent her, but I can't remember.  Penny and I forged our little bloggy friendship last year when I offered to send her some hot pepper jelly and we started swapping and emailing and chatting.  I'm so happy to count her among my imaginary bloggy friends!

On a related note:  Penny is also the mastermind behind the FMFF blog - if you love Denyse Schmidt's Flea Market Fancy line you must go check it out.  If you aren't sure what the hype is all about, well then, check out, another dear imaginary bloggy friend's (Dana) finish this week with her lovely FMF wonky log cabin quilt.  Dana, you rock!

I'm sorry I'm not setting a good example (again) by not having anything to share this week.  I'm feeling bad, but I'm also sick (again), my hubby has been out of town all week (again!), and things have just been super busy.  BUT, I do have that dress to finish for next week.  No getting out of that one!  And I have something else 'cooking' that I'll fill you in on later.  It will explain A LOT.

Can't wait to see what you've gotten done! (p.s.  Thanks to all of you who are linking up!  I just realized there are some people who have linked up since I last looked - sorry I didn't get around to commenting sooner!)

If you are new here to sew & tell, here are the few short rules:

1. Link to a post about a finish you had this week (don't just link to your blog, please!)

2. Link back to this post so more peeps can join in the fun! If it is a post from earlier in the week, just please add a note about sew & tell . Now that we have a button this is super easy - you can just cut and paste the html from over there on the right sidebar!

3. Enjoy getting motivated and patting each other on the backs in the comments! This is the funnest part about sew & tell - sharing and inspiring! 

Oh, and if you post after Friday - make sure to leave me a comment so I know to come see you!


 

project with a deadline

Most of you know my husband is a Marine.  Every year we have to get to go to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  Actually, it's pretty fun - I mean we get to go out sans kids and I don't have to cook.  And the place we are going again this year happens to have a really good food (including the desserts - and oh, how I hope they make us crab cakes for the appetizers, but I digress...).

The biggest problem is the dress.  I hear Ball and I think, full-length prom-like dress.  For the last 5 years, I've either worn old bridesmaid dresses (one while I was 8 months pregnant!) or I've borrowed them from friends.

This year, I decided to be adventurous.  OR crazy, one of the two.  I decided to make my own dress.  But I decided to buy a simple pattern (no darts or princess seaming).

 

(please notice my messy table.  I'm just keeping it real.  Go read Amy's excellent posts here and here.  I love her writing - she always expresses in words so well what most of us are thinking and/or feeling.)

I was originally going to go with a Dupioni silk - mostly because wearing silk is amazing - but it's also wrinkly and stains easily and they didn't have a color I liked.  I did however find this cool embroidered taffeta, for lack of a better word. It drapes a little softer than the old stiff stuff.

And this event is next Saturday, in November.  And it's getting chilly here - so I'm going to do view C with a little more substantial sleeve.  I probably ought to find a shrug to wear or something.

Wish me luck - I haven't made myself a dress since college (that was too long ago to admit).  And I'm really nervous about getting the right fit.  Hopefully this looser fitting style will accomodate me.  :)

I'm pretty sure this won't be sew & tell for this week, but will have to be done by next week!

sew & tell v. 1.0.7 - cupcake pincushion edition

Yesterday while I was looking for my muffin tin papers I came across these little beauties that I bought in the dollar bin at Target last fall!

Silicone baking cups!  I bought them with the intent to make pincushions.  I thought to myself, "Self, you still haven't made anything for tomorrow's sew & tell - you could whip one of these up!"

So I did.  And only finished 15 minutes ago.  If I had a more cooperative glue gun (or better glue gun skills) it would have been super quick.

Who doesn't love a little ric rac?  I think I've said that before...

There you can see the top a little better.  That's one of Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market prints.  Love it!  I'm going to have to make myself one now - this one is going to a friend for her birthday.

If you are new here to sew & tell, here are the few short rules:

1. Link to a post about a finish you had this week (don't just link to your blog, please!)

2. Link back to this post so more peeps can join in the fun! If it is a post from earlier in the week, just please add a note about sew & tell . Now that we have a button this is super easy - you can just cut and paste the html from over there on the right sidebar!

3. Enjoy getting motivated and patting each other on the backs in the comments! This is the funnest part about sew & tell - sharing and inspiring!

autumn colors and pumpkin bread turned muffins

This is my favorite tree in the fall.  I drive by it every day on the way out of my neighborhood.  I had to stop today and get a picture.

There are so many different colors in there - I just love it!

I bought this mum last spring.  After it bloomed and died I kind of neglected it for a while.  Then my mom suggested I put it in my flower bed.  It kind of just sat there all summer and early fall.  A couple of weeks ago the buds started coming out on it.

They really are pretty, unassuming little flowers.

I have yet to get my sewing area back in order.  I have a project I can do by hand for sew & tell tomorrow, but I'll keep it a secret.  Instead of sewing I've been baking today.  I used my SIL's (Laura) recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip bread and turned them into muffins (Go bug her to post her recipe and to finish her Amy Butler yoga bag for sew & tell this week!)

But let's be serious.  They aren't muffins - they're cupcakes.

Especially when you make pumpkin cream cheese icing to put on top.

And I'm perfectly okay with that.

You can pretty much use any pumpkin bread recipe.  Mine made 12 regular sized muffins (20 minutes @ 350), 1 mini muffin pan full (13 minutes @ 350), and two smaller loaves (probably should have been 3.... still trying to bake through the middle, it's been 45 min.  Final time: 50 min.)

I had some pumpkin cream cheese from the deli and added a little butter and powdered sugar to make the icing.  Delish.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing
1/3 C pumpkin cream cheese (whipped or softened)
2 Tbsp melted butter (makes for easy hand blending, no hand mixer required)
1/3 C powdered sugar
dash or more cinnamon
Blend together with a fork and dip mini cupcakes directly into bowl and eat immediately spread on cooled cupcakes.

sew & tell v.1.0.6

I was a little worried about sew & tell on a week like this.  A week where there was really no sewing at all.  I've pondered all sorts of things to show you or to talk about, something so I wouldn't come off as being lazy and not getting anything done!  Well, sometimes life just gets in the way.   So, I've decided on weeks like this, I'll have to just feature some of you on here!

Today I wanted to show off the darling bag my sister-in-law Laura made.  It's a holiday-themed take on the Amy Butler Birdie Sling.

You'll have to head over to her blog to see the candy corns on the inside and read about her love of Halloween.

What I wanted to say about Laura is that she is amazing!  This is her first real sewing project, and she did such a great job!  I wish I could take credit for holding her hand through the whole thing and showing her the ropes - but alas, she lives in San Diego and I'm in Virginia.  All I could do was field questions over the phone.  But really, she didn't need me.  She's one smart cookie and I'm so proud of her!!  I'm sure she'd love some bloggy love - you know what to do!

Can't wait to see what you more-productive-than-me people have been doing the last two weeks.  Remember, you can post from the last two weeks, you can even put up two links if you have more posts to show!

If you are new here to sew & tell, here are the few short rules:

1. Link to a post about a finish you had this week (don't just link to your blog, please!)

2. Link back to this post so more peeps can join in the fun! If it is a post from earlier in the week, just please add a note about sew & tell . Now that we have a button this is super easy - you can just cut and paste the html from over there on the right sidebar!

3. Enjoy getting motivated and patting each other on the backs in the comments! This is the funnest part about sew & tell - sharing and inspiring!

friendship bag swap

I am going to try and not whine too much here.  But really, I'm still recovering and haven't has a good night's sleep for a while.  My house is torn up from getting new carpet - which really is a good thing, it's forcing me to clean-up, declutter, and reorganize.  But I'm tired.  And my sewing area has been dismantled and I have so many things I wish I had the energy to do right now.  Okay, whine over.

Oh and before I forget - thank you to everyone who sent me get well wishes, really, this crafting/sewing blogging community is the NICEST!!

Last Wednesday, while I was dying napping after my ear infection diagnosis, my daughter brought me the mail.  (Yes, I was out of it so much that my 3-year old got the mail from the postman.....don't judge me - she's almost 4.)  In it was my swap package from the lovely and talented Deborah.

How did she know?

She must have been stalking my blog and known how much I love blue! (and with brown to boot!)


She must also have ESP - I need quilt labels!  I don't think I've labeled a single quilt I've made (not that it's been that many mind you).

And the Wizard of OZ!? How cute!  I remember the yearly showing of the movie on T.V. as a kid - what a treat!  And we had a little Toto dog who loved to see 'herself' on the screen.

and look at this cute little button box!  Perfect for keeping some pins and whatnots.

or maybe I'll just stash my M&Ms in there. mmmmmmm. (The tin may or may not be empty now....)

Sew & Tell resumes tomorrow!  Remember you can post from the last 2 weeks since we had the Blogger's Quilt Festival last week.  Thanks to all the sweet comments on my quilt.  As soon as things slow down a bit I plan on attacking the list of entries!

blogger's quilt festival - fall 2009

I had a hard time deciding what quilt to show.  Really I haven't completed THAT many and the ones that I have completed are pretty simple.  I chose this one for sentimental reasons.

I made this quilt for my baby (who will be 2 in January).  I was just happy I got it finished before his 1st birthday.

I picked out these fabrics for a pinwheel quilt my mom and I were going to make for me.  I wanted a queen sized quilt, so I had A LOT of fabric. Since that plan was hatched about 10 years ago, my tastes have changed a bit.  I didn't really want a blue and yellow quilt now.  But hey!  Perfect for a baby boy!

And with that much fabric I was able to make FOUR of these and give the other 3 to several dear friends who were also having baby boys around the same time!  I love that our boys all have the same blanket to love.

I strip-pieced this so I didn't have to cut out any individual squares.  That made it super easy and efficient when making 4 of them!

My aunt Mary did the quilting on her long arm and it's just a cute all-over stipple (next festival I plan on having a quilt I've quilted myself!)

Thanks for visiting and thanks Amy for hosting this great festival!!

My little guy just came up to the computer and saw this picture and shouted out "Blankie!!" as only an almost 2 year old can do.  I'm so glad he loves it and that it's HIS blankie.

bronchitis + ear infection + 7 days = unproductive

Hello friends!  I've just been double-whammied in the illness department.  With everything else that's going on, this is not fun.  I guess I should be happy that it's not swine flu.  But then again if it were, at least I wouldn't have to worry about getting it later.

Boo hoo for me.

Really though, I wanted to remind you about the Bloggers Quilt Festival this weekend!






Considering the fact that I'm lying here hardly able to move, while coughing up a lung a little sick, our Sew & Tell this Friday will be to go to Amy's site and participate in the quilting festival. Either by sharing a quilt or just looking at everyone else's! And don't forget the prizes!!

Next week Sew & Tell will resume and you can share projects from this week and next!

Oh, and again Amy Butler is killing me with new office supplies.  If I had a large disposable income I think I would have new bedding, new rugs and new desktop organizers, all from her site!


Speaking of Amy B. I didn't want to be totally picture-less.  This is one of my favorite stash pictures.

ahh, there, I feel little bit better already.

sew & tell v.1.0.5 or friendship bag swap

I just barely finished up my little friendship bag for the swap that's due on Tuesday.  Rachel, of P.S. I Quilt and Moda Bakeshop, wrote a great little tutorial for it.

I'm warning you now though, don't make one if you can't resist small adorable little bags.  You will want to make a million more!!

When I realized I could use my Hushabye (Tula Pink) charm pack and some extra yardage I had I was so excited!  I think it's adorable!  And I  really don't want to send it away.

This is my first attempt at free-motion quilting.  I hope my partner doesn't notice (or care).  It's a little, um, shall we say..... wonky?

But I really love how quilting blends all the different prints together.  And how about the inside?  The stripe in this collections is SO striking.

I even patchworked the handles from four of the leftover charms.

All in all a fun little bag and I see more in my future.  Perfect for hanging on someone's doorknob with a little treat inside!

Now that she helped me model it (so you can see how little it is) she doesn't want to get rid of it either!  So, off to the post office.  (That's a chore in and of itself!)

Now it's your turn!  What did you do this week?
Please follow the sew & tell rules below.

1. Link to a post about a finish you had this week (don't just link to your blog, please!)

2. Link back to this post so more peeps can join in the fun! If it is a post from earlier in the week, just please add a note about sew & tell . Now that we have a button this is super easy - you can just cut and paste the html over on the right sidebar!

3. Enjoy getting motivated and patting each other on the backs in the comments! This is the funnest part about sew & tell - sharing and inspiring!

I will be gone a good part of the day, but I promise I'll come see you when I get back!

finally a block

I had a few battles with this - mostly because I haven't done many of these and I'm the planner type and these are definitely not planner-type blocks.  But it's okay.  I think I actually like it!  I figure I can get one a day done for the next couple weeks and have enough for the top!

I'm pretty sure i need to sash this in white too.  For brightness' sake!

Remember sew & tell tomorrow! (I guess I have to get something done since I already showed you the block.....)