practice skirt

So I got my pattern and material in the mail so I whipped out a practice skirt to see how I liked it. The skirt is super simple and it turned out good. I don't like the material so much but it was in my stash and it was cheap to practice with. I didn't want to use my good stuff for the trial run. I will wear this one too but not loving it. It is a fun bright color for summer. I am so excite to make the one with my new material it is even prettier in person and such a soft cotton. I think it will lay much better than this stiffer material I used on this skirt. Don't mind my white pastey legs I do live in MN and only see the sun for about 5 minutes a year!!! Well that and being a strawberry blonde with freckles doesn't help either.....oh yeah and already having skin cancer..... Anyhooo I like the skirt but hoping to make this next one a wee bit smaller cuz I just have to lose a few lbs. before summer!!! I am going to the dentist on wed. I'll ask if he'll wire my mouth shut!!!

bella pants

So since I am waiting on my goodies to come in the mail I needed to get a sewing fix in today. I decided to make another pair of pants for my daughter since all her 2t pants have become high waters. I love this little pattern for a quick pair of pants. It goes perfect with this shirt she already had. I used what was in my stash and my poor stash has become quite depleted which is a good thing because I have been wanting to use up what I have but I have run out of things to make new. 

I couldn't do it!!!

I caved today and order some material!!!! I just couldn't to it for one stinkin' month. If it is any conciliation  I probably won't be getting the material till almost march and it is coming from march's budget. Plus I am making a skirt for me so really it should come out of my clothing budget right???;) Oh How we can change anything to fit our agenda.  I am so excited to see this new material in person. I so wish we had a big material store that carried these designer fabrics.  The one place that carries a good selection is about 40 minutes from me so not super convenient. There is a quilting shop close but they carry very traditional quilting fabrics so I usually don't like a lot of their inventory. Joann's is ok for some stuff but they lack in the fun trendy styles sometimes too. I like going to this one warehouse they have a huge selection and great prices but it is hit or miss with what they have in. I need something more edgy and trendy. I would love to open a little place of my own but in this market I don't dare even think about it. These are the 2 fabrics I bought and I think it is going to make one cute skirt!!! I am hoping to squeeze it out with just the 2 yards. It might be close and I'll see if I need something else for the waistband. I always do a test run with any new pattern on cheaper material from my stash to iron out any kinks. Depending on how much I like the fabric I might order a fat quarter sampler of it for a patchwork skirt for P and we will have our matchy-match outfit!!

10 more days

I have just 10 more days before my new budget for march starts!!! I am already jonesing for some new material. I am still undecided if I am going to make that soiree quilt bigger or leave it a lap quilt. I keep going back and forth. If I do decide to make it a king size it will take all of march and april budget to finish...... With that being said I might just stick with the lap size and redo our bedroom down the road. I really want to start making some skirts for me for summer. I just want to make a few swing skirts because if and when I lose weight they are still going to fit nicely now and later because of the lose fit. If I lose a lot of weight which is highly doubtful all I would have to do is make the elastic waist a little smaller. Ok I just decided to keep soiree a lap size and make some cute summer skirts for me!!! I really love this pattern and finally they have it in stock!!!I have been waiting for about 2-3 months and now I just ordered it. I am going to make quite a few for summer. With different material they will all look so different even though it is the same pattern. I am sooooo excited now. Hurry up 10 days!!!! Maybe my hubby will give me an advance for next month's fabric allowance???

Scrap quilt done

this lil' guy is done!!! I feel like everything is in slow-mo lately. I am not getting in as much time at the machine so things are taking a little longer to get completed. I really like how this little guy turned out. I think it is about 35' square. I will definitely do this design again. I finished it up with all scraps and it feels so good to put it all to use and not waste any fabric. The colors all go so well together too I love when that happens.  I will be donating this lil' guy along with a few more. I just need to get some labels put on so somewhere someone will say "who is this sheila from MN????" I used a white sheet for the back and the white on the front but after using sheets for a few quilts I realize that I just don't like the way they sew as much. They are so dense that the needle doesn't go thru them as easily when stippling and piecing. I will still use them once and awhile but I think I'll stick with quilters cotton for the most part. I do love the softness to the sheets though much more pleasant to the skin. I think tonight I will try to come up with some labels and get them printed on the fabric I have for it. 

embroidering

I spent the morning embroidering for a friend. I did her 2 daughter's pillow cases and easter basket linings. They turned out really cute and now I can pop them in the mail and hopefully she likes how they turned out too. I think I need to make something for Presley for her Easter basket too. This year will really be her first that she will understand a little more about the easter bunny and will love the treats in her basket. I also finished the scrap quilt top the other night, now maybe I can find something in my stash for the back and get that done this weekend. I also need to clean and organize my room again it is getting out of hand and I just don't do as well when my room is a mess I find that I don't want to work in it and the clutter makes me stressed and uncreative so that needs to get worked on. I need the creative juices flowing right now!!!

see the dust?

I haven't had a chance to turn on my machine since tuesday and now it is thursday~~!!! I know that is only 2 days but I feel like it has been forever. I might have time to do a little tonight after Presley goes to bed but it is good tv night tonight so that might not happen. I can't miss my 30 rock!!! If it is a repeat then I'll be at my machine. I have some embroidering to do for a friend so I need to maybe get to that. I want to try to get it in the mail on monday and this weekend is busy already with plans. Somedays I just wish there were more hours so we could get all the things we love to do in. I also am looking forward to longer days with the sun. I hate sewing at night because the lighting is so poor. I love all the daylight that comes in my window it makes sewing so much easier on my eyes. Here in MN it is dark by 4-5pm right now ...well maybe closer to 6 now but only cuz spring is coming...hopefully?? But to have it dark by 6pm it feels like you should be in bed shortly after. I love the summer it is light till close to 10 pm!!! I can't wait! This summer I just might have to bring my machine outside with a long extension cord and soak up some rays. If I ever do that I'll be sure to post a pic

practicing a scrap quilt

Ok since I can't buy anymore fabric for the month I started digging thru the scraps that  I cut up the other day and started practicing a different design. I like the design but I think I have to press open some of the seams where the triangles meet because it was a little more bulky trying to sew over them. I think I'll have to be careful when stippling over those thick parts. I have broken a few needles going too fast over real dense areas before. It is kinda scary when they break cuz sometimes the tip goes flying I almost should wear safety goggles!!!I am just cutting more squares for the border to make the quilt a tad bigger and use up those scraps. It will be about the size of a baby/toddler quilt and I will donate this one to project linus. There is a drop off just down the road so I have a few baby quilts to donate. I found this design in the jelly roll book. I just might have to buy the new one they are publishing. It comes out this summer and I really like this book so I am sure I'll enjoy the new one. Not sure how long if ever it will take my library to get it in. I am hoping to get this finished today during nap time.

soiree in progress

I have done almost all the top I just have a border to put around it and then the top is finished. I have to wait because 1 I spent my budget and 2 the soiree yardage isn't in stores yet I think it comes out later this month or next month. I could try to find something that would go with these fabrics but I think I'l stick with everything being from the same fabric line. I had a little left over and did a doll quilt top too but still have to wait to finish that till I can order the fabric. Now I just need to figure out what one of the 40 different fabrics in the pieces that I want for the border and then binding....then figure out the back!!! I love the colors in this quilt. I am so tempted to make it a king size and use it as our bedspread!!!  Our wall color is a light blue so it looks good with that. I have been wanting new curtains so I think I would use the stripe that is on the quilt. Hmmmmm.....Greg said he likes it even though there is a lot of pink in it so I just might have to buy another jelly roll next month and add to the quilt.... decisions, decisions. I have been wanting pink in my bedroom so now I can have it!!! Do I want to stipple a huge king size??? That task seems daunting. 

It's here

I just got home and this lovely package was on my doorstep just waiting for me!!! The colors are so beautiful and I can't wait to start playing with them. All other projects are taking a backseat for a bit while I give this beautiful jelly roll some of my TLC. I still need to figure out what I'm going to do with it so off to look at the book to make my final decision. I might have to order a couple yards of a couple of these prints and make a summer dress for Presley and maybe a matching skirt for me....we just won't wear them on the same days, well maybe one time for a photo op so I can tease her later in life that we dressed the same.

custom camera strap

So I have seen people do the custom camera strap and have been meaning to make one too.  My strap is different from most I bought this last year and it is so much more comfortable on my neck the original strap dug into neck and was so uncomfortable. So anywho most tutorials are for the basic strap so I had to come up with my own measurements. This was my first try. It fits but now when I make another one I might change a couple things. I have to add another 1/4" because I didn't have enough room to top stitch the one side. It works for now but I know I'll be making a few more to change around. No more boring black strap!!! now I have Elvis hanging around my neck at all times...makes a girl happy!! 

soiree on the way

I am so excited!!! I ordered my first jellyroll yesterday and hopefully it will be here for the weekend. I can't wait to see the fabrics in person I have only seen them in pics on the net but they look so bright and cheery....just what a Minnesotan needs in february after a long cold winter. I haven't figured out what design I want to do yet from the book but it is down to 3. I stopped at the thrift store and picked up a couple more sheets for backings and piecing some projects I have going on. I am trying to finish the top of the whirly butterfly quilt before my fabric comes so I don't feel too guilty starting a new project. that is one of my goals this year is to not have too many projects going at once. I think 4 -5 is a good number to keep WIP at. More than that I started getting stressed and feel rushed that I have to get them all done. So I have spent my budget for the month already and today is only the 3rd!!! It is going to take everything I have to not buy anymore fabric. I have said it out loud here so if you hear me mention anymore new purchases I am sooo in trouble and couldn't make it my first month on a budget. I will have to dig deep for this challenge and get creative with what I have.

organizing scraps

My scrap bins have been getting out of hand and I just didn't know what to do with them until I read an idea from the jellyroll book. It said to cut 2 1/2"  strips and save them for the jellyroll quilts. So I went thru all my scraps and the bigger ones I cut a bunch of 2 1/2"  strips and set them aside for when I decide I will do a quilt with them. I also tossed a bunch of real little scraps that I thought I might use but they were just taking up too much room and I know I would never use them. It is just so hard to toss any fabric. My mind feels so much less cluttered now that those bins are much more manageable. I have a bad cold and just not in the mood to sew but at least I got this done. I think I am going to order the new lila Tueller soiree fabric in a jellyroll and do a quilt I saw in the book. I am so excited to order it!!!

scored at the library

I had the 2 amy butler books on hold and they set them aside for me and then I found a couple more that looked good to check out some new ideas. I love the library lately. I have been wanting to make the wide leg lounge pants from the institches book for quite awhile so I just traced the pattern out and wrote down the instructions to make a pair. I need to get some new material for the project so hopefully I'll be making a pair soon. I need some nice lounge pants for around the house cuz I always seem to be lounging or at least not getting all dressed up on a daily basis.  I was hoping to find something for Presley to make from the little stitches book but it really is for babies under a year so I will return that one without making anything out of it.