sew & tell: v3.2 ~ a quilt (but not mine)

Hello! I wanted to share a quilt with you today! It's not one that I made, but I did help with the fabric selection.

I have a good friend here who's husband is deployed.  He will be home on R&R soon and she wanted to surprise him with new bedding.  She picked out a quilt from Amy's book and I helped pick some fabrics to go together that weren't too feminine or masculine.  I think we struck a good balance.  And besides, each print was made by 3 of my favorite designers.

Lime Full Moon Dot by Amy Butler, Putty Henna Garden by Sandi Henderson, and Magnolia Bloom by Laura Gunn.

She whipped this quilt up so quickly it's inspiring.  I think this is only the 2nd quilt she's ever made.  The first one was made a month prior!  This is my same friend who made all the skirts.  The girl has drive! 

I'm impressed with Amy's patterns too - this one was brilliantly put together.  All of these blocks are strip pieced into the same block and then just turned to create the pattern.  Genius! 

I wonder if there is work in just choosing fabrics.  THAT, I could do, because I'm the worst at finishing things in a timely manner!

Can't wait to see what you have finished this week!

Please follow the guidelines as spaces are limited - linky will close after the first 30 entries. I will try to monitor the links to make sure everyone linking up is playing nice.  :)

Linky Rules.  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 (HTML on my sidebar).

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

instagram much?

I'm kind of in love with instagram.  I like it better than Facebook.  Liking things better than FB isn't that hard these days though, is it? 

I wish I had a better camera on my iPod Touch, but it's fun taking pictures while I'm out and about, kind of like notes in a notebook.

And sometimes when I can't grab my other camera I can take a quick picture to send to my friends.

Date night last weekend consisted of a visit to the bookstore.  I love the smell of Barnes and Noble.  I worked there as a second job during one of the years I was teaching school.  I loved it!

And look at the crafty books I spotted, that now I think I have to have.

Are you on instagram? What's your user name? Mine is amylouwhosews. Happy Instagram-ing! I'll be looking for you!

The Sewing Summit

I'm sure you've heard of the Sewing Summit. Right?

Did I remember to mention that I'm going to be there! Are you?

I'm so excited I can't stand it!  I registered all teh way back when they first opened registration.  Mrlouwho was supposed to be deployed and I was looking forward to a little get away.  Since then his deployment has been pushed back so he's home (sort of) and he's taking a few extra days off work to spend with the kids so I can go and spend some time with my mom too.

I'm totally not prepared and will be lucky to show up in clean clothes with make up on.  I know there's lots of sewing prep going on and I would love to sew up a new wardrobe, bag and fabric flower accessories, but, you know how it goes.

I'm trying to decide what, if any projects I'm going to take to work on. I left this quilt in Utah with my mom this summer, she said she'd help me get the back pieced together.  This is my rough draft of the back...

Maybe I'll work on it.  It's about time I finished it!  I made it 2 summers ago!  It would be awesome to have it there for when I meet Dana the first time.  After all she inspired it!

But in reality, I think I'll just be talking everyone's ears off!  Won't it be fun to be in the same room with a bunch of other sewing bloggers!?  I love it.  You all know how I love bloggy meetups.

So leave a comment and let me know if you are coming!  I seriously want to meet you!

a knitted treasure

It's hard to believe she'll be 18 months old soon. She finally started walking about a month ago. But really I wanted to show you this amazing dress that my dearest Allyn knitted for her (is the past tense of knit, knitted?)

I can't believe how perfect and tiny these little stitches are. I can't believe she frogged a cardigan she started to make this instead.  I can't believe she did this while taking care of 5 kids and getting ready to deliver her 6th.  She is AMAZING.

This will be a dress we treasure long after she outgrows it. Thanks dear friend.

sew & tell: v3.1 - super soft and girly ruffle scarf

I haven't been this excited to share something in a long time! I dreamed up this scarf a week or two ago and couldn't go to sleep the other night until I threw it together.

It all started when a good friend of mine, who loves the beach, started getting ready to move to Rhode Island for a year~where it is cold in the winter, much colder than here. I wanted to make her a scarf that would capture a beachy feel while keeping her cozy while she is out walking her dog in the cold. I bought some fleece at Hancock's during their 54% off sale last week and got to work. Fleece buying note: when you buy fleece make sure you get the most expensive kind - it's washes up the best and keeps it's softness. I can't remember the exact name, but it was about 9$ a yard before the sale.

I paired the winter blue fleece with Sandi Henderson's Dahlia (Farmer's Market) and Michael Miller's Dandy Damask for the ruffle. I also used this combo in this dress (which I love!) The scarf turned out so cute I have to make another one for me!

I think I'll take pictures of the process and maybe, just maybe write up a tutorial? Are you interested? I think I'll be making these for gifts this winter. Don't you want one? I'm thinking I need to make one with the new Joel Dewberry in aqua and orange **swoon**.

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In other news, I made up with this skirt (we were having a little tiff).  I was making it for another friend (more to come later) and am FINALLY getting it off to her in the mail.  It's just like mine.

See, I have been doing some stuff! It helps that my husband was gone for the last couple of weeks in training and I could totally take over the dining room and not worry about having to clean up to eat dinner in there.

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Now a few notes on Sew & Tell.  I've been mulling over a lot of things that I love about it and some things that I don't love.  I've decided to limit the number of entries to 30.  So when there are 30 linkies, that week's list will close.  This will help keep it manageable for visiting everyone who is sharing each week.  Yes, EACH week!  I'm bringing on some friends who will regularly post so that I'm not on the spot each week.

So please follow the guidelines as spaces are limited. I will try to monitor the links to make sure everyone linking up is playing nice.  :)

Linky Rules.  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 (HTML on my sidebar).

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

merry fall!

Well, hello there friends! I know I've been in absentia for a little too long. As has Sew & Tell. Without boring you with all the details I'll just say this. I've lost my blogging mo-jo a little bit. I'm sure you are not surprised. Things have been busy with my oldest starting real school this year, mrlouwho being gone a lot in preps for a deployment, babies at home to take care of, and still not having that sweet spot in my house for taking photos.

Plus, I know there are so many blogs out there to read, and I only want to blog about things that are fun and encouraging, so that I'm not wasting your time when you come visit.

Along these lines, dear Kim gave me a little pep talk last week, and I think we came up with a solution for bringing back weekly Sew & Tell. More details to come. THIS Friday! So get your projects and posts ready to link up.

I have been sewing quite a bit actually. It's amazing when you don't blog as much you can get a lot more things finished! I wanted to share with you today what I chose for my month of my quilt bee, BeeTweet. My month was August and I have had some Christmas prints laying around~ I actually won them in a giveaway a couple of years ago.

 I sent my group this inspiration mosaic for what I wanted. I was thinking, whimsical and Christmas (obviously).

I was late (of course) sending my fabric out and they are starting to trickle back in.  These are the 3 I've gotten so far, and I'm so excited to get the rest!

I'm thinking of a square in square type of sashing. I hope it will be as cute in my head...

See you soon!  Sew & Tell on Friday!!

of bee blocks, hurricanes, head colds, and excuses

There is a reason I wasn't going to join any more bees or swaps this year. You want to know why? I am TERRIBLE with deadlines! I can blame it on the power being out during the hurricane, getting my first child ready for kindergarten, this horrible cold I've had for a week now, or downright fear of doing blocks I've never done before. And then there's the keeping up with 3 kids and trying to keep my house clean.

Okay, those all played a part, but the real excuse? Procrastination. And I feel REALLY bad about it. So to dear Darci and John, I'm SO SORRY!!!

I've actually had these stars done for a while. I love doing them - we used this tutorial.  I love the green background she chose.  It's a bold choice and one that will work well with all of her fun bright things!

I haven't sent them off yet, because Darci and I are doing another little separate swap and I have yet to finish up my part of that. UGH. The guilt. She already sent me what she made. AND IT. IS. AMAZING. I can't wait to show it to you.

Now John (aka Quilt Dad) asked for spider web blocks. And I. Was. Scared.  But once I read the tutorial and started sewing, I realized they aren't much different from a string block.  And I love the way they turned out!!

As always, I put off starting them because I was afraid of ruining them!  Especially since he sent this gorgeous Tula Pink Flutterby fabric which is out of print.

Once these are all put together it is going to be stunning.  I can't wait to see it.

So now that school is getting in full swing, I'm at the end of this cold, and I don't think we have a hurricane hitting us this week, I might actually be able to get some more sewing done.  Let's hope so!