on a roll! {Spicing up the Kitchen Swap} update

Wow, 3 posts in one week! Are you sick of me yet?

I finished up and sent off my Spicing Up the Kitchen swap package a few weeks ago.  I wanted to wait to blog about it until my partner had received it.  And then I realized that I deleted the pictures of the completed project off my camera before I had actually downloaded them. Whaaaaaa?? I've never done that before and I am kicking myself!

This project was a lot of fun.  I love it so much I cut out a bunch of these so that I can make at least one more, probably 2.  I need to go get some more red polka dots.

When I started I was thinking I would make a cute half apron out of it.  But Barb is about to have her 3rd baby and I remember how I felt about tieing anything around my midsection postpartum.  I thought a table topper would be a better fit. Plus she has the coolest retro red table!

Here's a process pic I took, I got a little fancy free-motion quilting a flower in the center.  I just straight line quilted around the blades and zig zagged the circle in place. 

Then I stippled around the background and bound it in the red dot.

For batting I actually used insulbrite so this is heat resistant.  And the perfect size for a 9x13 casserole dish!

Luckily my partner, Quilting Barbie, took some great pictures of the package and the table topper on her table.  Here's one of the pictures:

The apple and pear fabric was a theme in her inspiration mosaic, I was so happy that I have it in my stash!  It's so cute on the back!

You'll have to go over to her post to see the rest.  And go to this post to see the dresden she made for the doll quilt swap!

This swap was so much fun and I hope to have it together enough to do another one soon!

a sew & tell redo

Sew & tell was kind of messed up on Friday!!  The linky tool has changed a bit and I haven't been keeping up with it!  The links weren't showing up and I was gone all day and didn't know it until later!

I couldn't post without pictures, so here's some fabric I bought recently...

I decided it would be a good idea to re-open the linky today and repost the list so that you could all see the links, visit them if you want, and add to it if you didn't get a chance to over the weekend!  Sound good?

What are you going to share with us today?

PLEASE READ THIS POST IF YOU ARE NEW TO LINKING UP!  :)

NEW RULES FOR LINKING UP!  Please read carefully.  The delete monster will be eating non-compliant links.

1. Please write the post for sew & tell - or add a blurb mentioning sew & tell to a post written since the last sew & tell.  If you are linking to a post with your own tutorial, please make sure it was a finish from this week and that the completed project is shown first.

2. One linky per person. (please put multiple projects in one post.)

3. Link to your specific post.  (See here for permalink instructions - or email me.)

4. Link back here with a link or a button.

5. Be sure to visit and leave comments on other's posts!

sew & tell - march 2011 - the bird quilt

EDITED TO ADD: I fixed it so the linkies are showing!! I'm so sorry!  I'm out of practice and just forgot to check a little box!! And I've been gone all day! Come back and link up!  :)
It's finished.  FINALLY!  And I don't think I'm going to do it justice in this post.  I learned SOOOOOOO much doing this quilt.

The biggest thing I learned was not really about quilting so much but about myself.  And I've known this somewhat already but it was totally reinforced.  I AM NOT A RISK TAKER!  If I haven't done something before I procrastinate doing ANYthing because I don't want to mess it up.  That's part of the reason this quilt has been TWO years in the making.  Really, if you added up the amount of time I spent on it, it's probably only about a really full week, not doing anything else.  If you count all the time I spent hemming and hawing over it and thinking about it, it's totally a 2 year quilt!

Some things I did for the first time on this quilt:

• Put together blocks that other people sewed.  There was some trimming and fixing to make them all the same size.
• Mitered corners for the window pane effect (that I'm not even really sure works).
• Free-motion quilting on my machine.  This is the first quilt I've ever done the whole thing on my machine.  (With the exception of a few block's I did at Kim's - who by the way, now has a BLOG!!!)

So, on the FMQ I tried a few different things.
a little stippling,

a lot of loop-de-loops,  (which I think hides more mistakes)

and I even tried my own pattern of leaves, trying to convey the birds in a tree idea.  But this design was trickier and I only did a couple like that.

There are a few things that I would do differently if I had it to do over.

• I used a varigated green Gutterman thread.  I love the thread, and I think it looks great on the back, but because of all the white in the blocks, some of the dark green REALLY shows my mistakes.
• I would scrap the shadow paned idea, since I don't think it really worked.

I do love this fabric on the back.  It's from IKEA.  I originally had a large brown bird print and bought the green for a friend.  But I HAD to go back and get this for the back because of the green, it was just too perfect.  Next time I'm near an IKEA, I'm stocking up.

Sometime last summer I took a poll on how I should bind it.  I took many of your suggestions and went with the Amy Butler Full Moon Dots in Cherry.  And I LOVE it!  And I really have learned to love hand-stitching down a binding.  And Burt's Bees Shea Hand Repair cream works just as well as beeswax or thread heaven to condition your thread.  In case you don't have the other two in the car with you but have some lotion in your purse!

There have been many times during the making of this quilt that I was so sick of thinking about it, sick of looking at it, and sick of quilting it. I told a friend yesterday I was going to stick it in a closet so I didn't have to look at it for a while. But really, I like LOVE it. Just not how long it took me to finish it.

And I do love how crinkly it is fresh out of the washer!!

My new goal: start and finish a couple quilts in a few months instead of a few years. But, oh yeah, I have another top I made 2 summers ago. I'm going to get on that.

What are you going to share with us today?

PLEASE READ THIS POST IF YOU ARE NEW TO LINKING UP!  :)

NEW RULES FOR LINKING UP!  Please read carefully.  The delete monster will be eating non-compliant links.

1. Please write the post for sew & tell - or add a blurb mentioning sew & tell to a post written since the last sew & tell.  If you are linking to a post with your own tutorial, please make sure it was a finish from this week and that the completed project is shown first.

2. One linky per person. (please put multiple projects in one post.)

3. Link to your specific post.  (See here for permalink instructions - or email me.)

4. Link back here with a link or a button.

5. Be sure to visit and leave comments on other's posts!

Coming soon-sew and tell!

My good friend Jessica asked me to take some pictures for her today. VERY important pictures.

You see, her husband has been away for a 7 month deployment. And she asked me to photograph their reunion.  *gulp*

Then I had a dream last night that I broke one of my lenses.  Not just broke, but smashed on the ground.  And then when I went to take pictures I got glass in my eye.  Can you say stress dream?

I really hope I don't screw it up!! I'll be back today with the sew and tell post, I promise. And maybe if I ask nice she'll let me share some pictures with you.

See you soon!

i miss blogging - Kim, this is for you.

I miss having the time to sit down with a picture or two and tell you all about a current project!  Making a change in my habits has helped me be more present for my life here at home, but I'm finding it hard to post as often as I used to, or would like.

I finished a really cool project for the Spicing Up the Kitchen swap I was in on Flickr.  And guess what I did?!  Took some awesome pictures and then formatted my memory card without uploading them!  AAAAHHHHHH!! I've never done that before!  At least my partner can take pictures for me.  I hadn't wanted to post them yet, because I think a couple things I sent might have given away my secret identity.  Soooooo, now I'm waiting not so patiently until she receives the package and then I can tell you all about it.

My friend Sara of Sew Sweetness started a Heather Ross quilt-along that I promised to be a part of.  A lot of people are already finished (like Sara, productive-queen) and I have yet to start.  Next week.  Maybe, or the week after. And if you don't follow her blog yet, you should.  She's amazing.  She just started blogging a few months ago and has so many cool projects and great pattern reviews.  Really, go check her out.

I also started a non-sewing project with a group of friends that is helping me get back into the groove of taking pictures (not on auto) and I'll be able to share more about that soon.  That is if you are even interested!

Here's two more quilt blocks I finished (late) for last year's bee.

And remember that post I wanted to write about what I learned while I took a break (2 months ago!), yep, haven't done that either.

The upside?  I am getting more sleep, I've started working out, and the sun is shining more! YAY!

Oh and I FINALLY got around to making one of these cake plates.

ask me about how I didn't know the leprechauns were coming and then we made a trap and didn't catch them but they left these nice cupcakes because they had already given out all their gold.  yep, mom of the year, right here.

Actually two.  I *heart* them so much!

Seriously so easy.  Candlestick holder (thrifted) + cute plate from Marshall's + gorilla glue.  Total cost? approx. 5$

and this little crumbsnatcher will be 1 next month!! REALLY? Where has the time gone?

I love her happy face.  She is a such a joy and has won us all over, without question.  And can you believe that sweater?  We rescued it from certain neglect at a thrift store before she was born.  Hand crocheted and never worn. We love it.

Oh yes! And then there's the amazing antique store I went to selling all things distressed in white, turquoise and green!  AMAZING.  I need to tell you about that too.

Soon.  I promise.  And next week?  I'll show you some progress on my HR quilt (because I haven't started yet and need someone to keep me honest).  And maybe we should have a sew & tell in March!  I almost forgot!

Thanks Kim, for chatting today and telling me you missed my posts.  Hope this one tides you over.

modern basics quilt book WINNER!

I had SO much fun reading everyone's comments on this giveaway!  And WOW!  What a turnout!  There were 249 of you so I turned to trusty random generator and he chose:

Congratulations Em!

This will be a great book for a beginner quilter!  You'll have to keep us posted on what you make out of it!

The one thing I learned from most of your comments is that most of us find the drive to sew not just for our own enjoyment but to bless others.  I think that's pretty amazing and a big part of why this sewing community is so great!  Glad to be among you!

Modern Basics book review and giveaway

Welcome to the end of the line of Amy's blog book tour!

Amy and I go waaaaay back! Well I like to think we do. I remember "meeting" her because I think we were both fairly new to the crafty-blogging scene and she was one of the first blogging friends I made. And a few months later when I visited Utah, I emailed her to see if she wanted to meet up and hang out. I remember her telling me her husband was worried I was some crazy person who may or may not be trusted. Little did he (or we) know the online sewing community is full of such niceness! And that more than 2 years later we would still be good friends!  It has also been fun to quilt with her in an online quilting bee.  And I can't talk about Amy here without acknowledging her part in inspiring Sew & Tell!

If you haven't heard yet, Amy has written a book!

I was so excited to see the book in person.  It is chock full of simple sophisticated quilt designs that even the earliest beginner could tackle.  The first page of each pattern has a photo of the quilt laying flat, supply lists, clear cutting instructions and suggestions for different sizes.

I love this window pane effect!

I've always loved a postage stamp quilt and this variation doesn't dissapoint.

This is the first project I have earmarked to make from the book!

 
I asked Amy a few questions so we could all get to know her a little better.

How and when did you learn to sew?
I learned to sew from my mom and 4-H.  Mom is left handed, and didn't want to teach me backward.  I was 10 when I started, and haven't stopped except for a few years in college.

What is your favorite thing about quilting?
I really love all of it, but my favorite is finishing the binding.  My husband has watched me lay a corner out, and see the first finished corner. Watching it be finished, is magic!

What is your favorite non-quilt thing to sew?
Bags!  I like to think up my own shapes/patterns and sew a new bag for each season.

What or who inspired you to start this book writing project?
As I started sewing more and more quilts, I was looking for simple and interesting patterns that could be finished easily in a week or two, instead of a month or year.  I wasn't finding them, and started sketching my ideas, which eventually turned into a book proposal.

Is there any sewing project or skill that intimidates you?
I'm not an expert at applique, but I don't let it intimidate me!  I keep trying it in small doses to gain the experience.

What is your biggest hurdle in completing projects?
Like any of you...TIME!  There's always a project, or two, on my brain waiting for the time.

What is your biggest asset in completing projects?
I'm very systematic in my approach, this helps keep me organized, and makes it easy for me to pick up where I left off. 

Are you indeed, superwoman? ;)
Hahaha, no.  I wish.

Fruit or Chocolate?
Chocolate - for sure!

Naps or sewing?
I wish my kids still napped!  I rarely nap, and much prefer to sew with my free time.

Thanks so much Amy for letting me a part of your tour! You can check out the rest of the blog tour posts here - there may still be giveaways open to enter! And if you are too impatient to find out if you win a copy, you can always purchase a copy here.

Amy has offered up a copy of her book to one of you!
To enter:  Leave me a comment telling me how long you have been sewing and if you have ever finished a quilt.  
Giveaway ends Tuesday March 8, winner announced on Wednesday! Make sure you leave an email in your comment if you are a no-reply blogger.  Winner will be drawn by random.org.
I love finding things out about you guys!  Good Luck!

tap, tap. . . is this thing on? (new winner picked)

I didn't hear back from the first winner for the pincushion kit giveaway, so I'm picking someone new!

Candy! I'm emailing you right now!  Congrats!!

And while I'm hear I'd love to show you another (late) bee block!  String block for Allyn!  Love it.

Be sure to come back tomorrow Saturday, March 5, for the final stop of the Modern Basics Book Tour!

Kaaaaaate! where are you??

You said you check in regularly - see you even said so in the comments!

Please leave me a comment with your email by tomorrow afternoon or I will have to announce a new winner tomorrow night. 

Another giveaway coming Friday as part of the Modern Basics Blog Tour!

long overdue quilting bee blocks and IS YOUR NAME KATE? (read this)

Actually if your name is Kate and you commented on my giveaway then go read THIS and get back to me, or I'll have to pick a new winner. 

*****
 These are a couple of blocks I did for mommymae for her month of A Notion or Two (laaaast year).  I'm not even going to tell you when they were due, it's too embarassing.  But know that this is one of the reasons I opted not to join in the fun again this year.  I was terrible with the deadlines!

She asked for drunk love in a log cabin a la Denyse Schmidt and sent some cute orange and turquoise fabric along with the writing paper fabric.  She asked that we embroider a wish for them on the block.

There was a small scrap of this cute Heather Ross alien print and decided to fussy cut two squares to use as centers.

How could I pass up a great Beatles quote (or Moulin Rouge, if you'd rather).

Besides peace = love, right?

and I could NOT fight the ET reference on this one!  Would you have been able to resist? The wish on this being that phoning home is a reminder of where your heart is.

I love the aqua and turquoise together. And I totally enjoyed the embroidery on these. Do you like my former-cursive-teaching-self's handwriting?

Are any of you participating in bees this year?  Where do you find your inspiration for your month?  I love working with others' ideas and fabrics!