Quilt lab book :: calculus-it's not just for high school math anymore!

I got to sew again yesterday!!!  A little while ago former quilt bee buddy, sewing summit and stash bash fellow attendee and friend  Ali of AsquaredW asked if I'd like to make a project from her new book, Quilt Lab, and put my own spin on it.  When she said the Calculus pattern was one of the patterns available I broke out into a cold sweat remembering the day I was studying for my AP Calc test many years ago and then bailed because I just knew I would fail it!

Fortunately, Ali has transformed tricky math into fun QUILT MATH!! With a pretty project to show at the end of the assignment, I was okay with helping her out! hahahha!

This is what my Quilt Lab aka design floor looked like yesterday morning as I was working on the placement.

I used the second row pattern from the quilt to start my project. The blocks finish at 5" and I was thinking I would use this as a panel for a zippy pouch.  But I felt like the movement of the design was lost if I used less than 4 blocks wide and it ended up being about  20" long. So I decided to make a mini and use it in my kitchen!

I was a little intimidated by the pattern at first but once I figured out that I was just making triangles to sew into squares - I calmed down a bit! Ha!  I really loved the way it turned out!

I used Vanessa Christensen's Simply Color (moda) ombre gray and turquoise for the solids.  It was fun to play the gradation of color!

The polka dots were so fun - Teal Pearl Bracelets, a DS quilts dot from Joann's and the other print was in the quilting section at Hancock's.  I just love the minty/aqua/turquoise-y feel of it all.

The best part is it looks awesome in my kitchen and now my bowl of bananas looks even more enticing!

Ali, thanks for asking me to play!  It was nice to work on a project from start to finish and be so happy with the results! I'm thinking I'm going to try again and reduce the template size by 75% and make that zippy pouch!

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!

pinterest is dangerous.

Have you heard about Pinterest yet?  It's amazing.  A visual feast of all your favorite things.  It's like a room full of corkboards for you to pin all of your favorite pictures on.  It's addicting!

look at all the fun things I've found!

source: sugarlaws.com

The ottoman above and this glorious table and chairs can be found on my furniture love board.  When you look at someone's pins, it shows the orginial source. so cool!

source: hometowngirl.typepad.com

I have a board devoted to dish love too.

source: northerncottage.blogspot.om

source: bhg.com

yep, definitely a theme.  And that last room!! I can hardly breathe looking at it! (appropriately in room love).  Good grief!  I would never leave.

If your interested in what I'm obsessing over lately, just click on the Pinterest tab at the top of the page and it will take you to my boards.  But only if you can handle an assault of turquoise on your eyes.   :)

To be clear, I didn't take any of these pictures.  The original sources can be found by clicking through on the links to my pinterest page.