wallflower quilt

I designed my own quilt. I sat and measured out all the dimensions and had to do a lot of math but I really found it fun and rewarding. It was much more time consuming because after cutting a piece I would sew them together and then cut more and so on to make sure my math was right. I didn't want to do all the cutting and then go and sew and it be all wrong!!! I really love the colors and the bigger prints. Now I need to figure out the back.

I will be doing another one from scratch again...but I need to finish the 4 quilt tops I have before starting a new one....yeah we know how well I do with that!!!!!

not diggin' this quilt

Ok I went to put a dent in my flannel and came up with this combo and I'm not into it. I like the design just the colors aren't my favorite together. It will still be a nice warm quilt to snuggle with it just isn't going to win any prizes.  Flannel is also more stretchy and I had a harder time keeping things even. Towards the end I just wanted to get it done and since I am not liking it too much I really didn't care anymore. It does look better in person.....

I went to Joann's today to pick up batting and they are giving the store away!!!  Just about Everything is 50% off. I was so proud I didn't buy one ounce of fabric. I stuck with my batting and that's that. I do want to maybe go back at the end of the week and get something. I should help stimulate the economy!!!!

legwarmers

I found these cute socks at walmart.  They are knee high adult socks and I thought they would make cute legwarmers for P. I cut the feet off and sewed the edges on my machine. I am thinking it would have turned out better on my serger but maybe I will try on another pair. I really like the waviness along the bottom so I think next time I will pull the material a little more while I sew to get more of that look. I did each one a little different so the one is more wavy than the other but not too noticeable. If it bugs me too much I can cut the bottoms a little and resew.  They are going to look cute with a valentine dress that I am still trying to figure out what I am going to do for it. 

Wizard of OZ quilt

I just finished this quilt. I don't know what happened but when I was stippling the thread broke about a million times!!! I was getting so mad I was ready to throw it out in the snowbank. I changed the needle twice and that didn't help. I went slower that didn't help. I had bought some new thread and I am thinking that was the culprit. I was able to do the binding during nap time. The back is part of an orange sheet from the thrift store. It worked out perfect. It is a smaller baby quilt measuring about 37x35". It is perfect size for my 2 yr old and she was already snuggling up with it after her nap. I guess we will keep this one and I'll have to figure out something else for the triplets. They aren't due for a little while so I have time. So this is my modified hour glass and I like how it turned out. The random full squares add a little more to it. I hope i don't have more issue with stippling when I do my valentine quilt. I think I have figured out the back and will be using everything from my stash but I have to buy more cotton batting for the middle. I am all out. I have a 50% joann's coupon that I can use in a few days so I will be buying it then so I'll just have to work on some of my other projects. I have some fabric for a valentines dress that I need to start. Maybe tonight after bedtime I can figure out the design I want to do and cut it out.

valentine charm quilt

So I did exactly the opposite of what I said yesterday. I started a new project before finishing the old ones. I bought the moda candy kisses charm pack and the scrap bag. I have used the charm packs before but never tried the scrap bag. Basically inside the bag is 40 coordinating fabrics that measure about 3" by 40" and are the selvages. It works out great for longer pieces. The charm packs are 5" square so I put them in the middle. I cut 2- 2.25"x 5" strips and sewed them on either side of the  5" charm then cut 2- 2.25"x 8.5" strips and sewed them to the top and bottom so you end up with 8.5" squares.  In this charm pack there are 37 squares and I ended up using  35. I also used some off white fabric to use to make the quilt a little bit bigger. I will use all the extra scraps from the strips I cut to piece the binding. I just need to figure out what I am going to use for the back.  I have decided that I need to have a quilt for every holiday.  Now I have a huge pile of pretty selvages that I need to figure out how to use them.  Crazy mom Quilts did an adorable selvage checkbook cover that I might have to duplicate. 

v-neck dress

Here is another dress from the gracie pattern. I am into paisley right now. I have always loved paisley it was popular in the 80's and I am such a 80's girl. It has made a big comeback in fabrics lately so I am loving it. I am trying to find some fun paisley fabric for a tote for me for spring.  I love the rolled hem edge on this dress. It saves so much time and I really like the look of it thanks to my new serger I got for Christmas...thanks Greg you're the best husband. It saves so much time when it comes to making clothes. I need to call and get signed up for classes so I can use it to it's full potential. I think I am done making skirts and dresses for Presley for a little while. She is pretty set for spring/summer. I think I want to try working on jean embellishing.  I started quilting the wizard of oz quilt and ran out of white thread. How did that happen??? I thought I was stocked up but they are in cream and natural.....no white. I put in an order but it will be a few days before I get it in. I might just have to run to Joann's and pick up a small spool to finish my quilt. I also think I need to pick up some fabric for the binding I am not seeing anything in my stash that will work.  I have a couple other small projects that I am working on and my goal is to finish them before I start anything new. That is a huge challenge for me. I get bored so easily and start new stuff before I finish the old. That is a goal for 2009....finish a WIP before starting a new. Unless I run out of something and can't finish it. 

Gracie dress

Here is a dress I did from one of the patterns from "gracie' from sandi henderson. I just need to find 2 buttons and sew them on and it is done. I ran out of material and the bottom should have been more ruffled but I just had to make it the same size as the next tier up. I really love this blue fabric it is not something I usually buy but I went out of my color box and I really like it. Now we just need to wait for warmer weather before she can adorn this lil' cutie. I love the neckline on it even though it was a little bit of a pain to get right. I think I need to find a pattern for a shirt with this neckline for me. I think amy butler's tunic it sort of like it. I might have to try that this spring.

not the way I envisioned

Ok so first of all it is going to be much smaller than I thought. I don't have nearly as much fabric as I thought I did. It is going to be a baby quilt if best. It also is a modified hour glass because I just didn't like the smaller wizard of oz all cut up so I stopped making triangles and figured I would throw full squares in randomly to see the print better. That is what I get for not pre planning and just jumping into it. It also looks very christmasy with the colors. I think instead of the white I should have used an orange. Oh well a little late now. It will still be cute. The smaller size will be much easier to quilt. I also have a friend that is pregnant with triplets so I need to have a few baby quilts on hand. She is having 2 girls and a boy so this will cover one of them if I don't decide to keep it for Presley. This is going to be a great unisex quilt.

hour glass quilt

I decided to do a quilt with the new fabric I picked up yesterday. I was going to do a skirt but I have been making so many skirts for my daughter she really doesn't need another one right now. I also needed a change of pace and get away from making clothes right now.  I haven't made an hour glass quilt yet so I decided to do one with with material but I felt bad about cutting up the wizard of oz material. I think it losses it charm being cut so small but I think it will still look cute. I just had a 1/4 yard so I had to use a 4.5" square to get the most out of the material without any waste. I am not sure how big I am going to make it. I think I want it a little bigger than a lap quilt. Depending on how it starts coming together I might make it a twin size for her future bed. I am still so up in the air as to how I want to decorate her "big" girl room.  She is still in her crib and I hope to keep her in there till at least 3. I am so bad about planning out my quilts i just start cutting and I never really know what it is going to end up as but they always seem to work out. For the white fabric I am using one of the white sheets I picked up at the thrift store. It is a super soft material. 

more of my shopping spree

These 4 fabrics I bought in just 1/4 yard each. I think I will do a patchwork skirt in it. I love the japanese import called wizard of oz in red. I love so many of the japanese imports they have such cute designs. It is a real heavy weight fabric just like a canvas feel to it. The other 3 I think are Michael Miller. I love the primary colors. I might have to get something else for the hem but I will see if I can squeeze the whole skirt out of the 4 prints. I have used this pattern quite a few times and just love it. I love all her patterns. Very easy to follow and sew up so quickly.

1970's vintage sheets

I was at the thrift store today looking for jeans to embellish on for my 2 y.o. and came across these 2 sets of 1970' looking sheets. They were in good condition and look like they are from either late 60's or 70's. There was just something about them that I liked and usually I am not a fan of the colors from the 70's. I decided to try a quick little skirt to see what I thought. I'm not sure??? Part of me likes it and part of me doesn't. I think if I get a fun shirt to go with it my little girl could pull it off. Maybe a little white apron on top of it might look better. Now I have a ton of the material and all for just 2 dollars so it didn't break the bank. I might cut out a few butterflies from the fabric and some flowers and applique them on a white tee and see if that makes the outfit. It actually looks better in person even though my hubby said it looks like you cut up a curtain and made a skirt. 

I made a trip to crafty planet today. They are one of the only ones around here that carry a bunch for the designer fabrics. I spent about 2 hours just drooling over all the beautiful designs. I ended up buying 3 different prints of Sandi henderson's farmers market.

 

Gathering marathon

All the outfits I have been making all require so much gathering and I'm getting real good at it. I find it so relaxing just sitting and pulling the gathers. I must be that boring to find gathering so much fun!  My new Sandi Henderson "gracie" pattern came in the mail and I have been working on a couple outfits. The instructions are done so well all in color with great pics to show step by step so the very beginners could follow along without any problems. The tiered dress collar didn't go so hot. I put it in upside down so out came the seam rippers and finally after a few choice words I got it right.  It always takes me one round of the pattern before I get it right....I am so bad at reading the instructions I just go and before I know it out come the seam rippers. I am just so impatient. The dress also called for buttonholes and it has been quite awhile since I have done any so I actually had to pull out the ole viking manual and read how to do them again. They turned out just ok. I just need to buy a couple buttons to sew on it and then the dress will be done. I made it in a 3T and it fits my 26 month old just perfect so I think I better do more 4T's for the rest if I want them to fit all summer. She is a big 26month old but I am thinking the patterns might run a little on the smaller side. I will have to see how the 4T size works. I prefer them on the bigger side so she has some room to grow.