What does August bring again?

Seems like things are going a wee bit slow but so fast at the same time.  It's the time to gather fresh fruits and veggies.  A freezer is full and the garden hasn't started producing what it does yet.

My last few weekends not only has these beauties . . .

25 pounds of Walla Walla sweet onions in the freezer.  Yes they say onions turn weird in the freezer but I can't tell.  It's so convenient! 

 I also am the one of the two queen bee's in my Aqua and Red Bee.  These ladies so rock!  Many of them were willing to make me two blocks.  Once these return I'll have an entire top ready to go.Once I figure out the sashing.

Here's a photo of the fabrics being sorted to ship out.  Ohhh pretty. 

I'm taking a beginning quilting (machine top stitching) class this next month. . once this is done maybe this will be my first experience (after lots o' practice)

I have to say these are pretty darn fancy pictures from my new Droid 3 phone. .oh la la!

Mug Rug - check. My first handmade item swap - check

Mug Rugs. . such wonderful projects.  They are small and take less time. . right .. nooooooo.  I signed up for Sew Happy Geek's Mug Rug Swap v.2 way back when.  I was so lucky to get a wonderful partner that loves everything.  So the world is wide open.  :)  Easy right?

All that runs through my head is an episode of the show Radio Lab called Choices. How am I ever to choose what to do?  I needed something simple, fun, but something that my partner may love.  Here's what I came up with.

A wonky star because it's all the rage.  I added the border down the right side because I HATE wasting fabric.  Look it totally matches.  :)

The quilting was a new experiment for me.  This totally adds to the effect of a quilt or a mug rug.  This is yet another reason why I haven't finished many quilts.  It's the commitment of it all.  I didn't feel comfortable using a colored thread and I couldn't bring myself to handstiching. . so I tried this.

The back are the cute cups I purchased for something just like this.  I have more of this and other 'coffee' stuff just waiting for mug rugs!



The binding is something else.  I used Very Kerry Berry's Single Binding Tutorial .  And look it totally worked.  Not only did it work but I HANDSTITCHED the binding on. . eep! I'm a rockstar!

I know that it's not perfect but it's so perfect to me and I hope my partner adores it too.  For being my first mug rug ever  - I'm proud!

Mid-Summer 2011 Summer Projects Check-in and WIP Wednesday 8.10.11

Did I say that I love lists?

Yep - love them.

I had to resist some awesome fun things going on around me.  Although throw a bee at me, mug rug swap, or another bloody QAL - and I'm in.

Right - where was I . . . 

yes - lists rock!  

 I made this list while it didn't feel like summer.  That was a whole 3 months ago. . pfft.  At the time these felt like very reasonable goals.  Especially when I don't have my 11-year old stepdaughter and I have all the time in the world.

NOT

I did join in Fairy face Design's Summer Sewing Plans.

I posted about it HERE

Here's a recap of how I've progressed through my list:

1. Dresden Plate fabric for bee.  Uhhh not sure right now.

2. Finish {Modern 12} quilt top. . nope still hanging on my design board

3. Sliced Coins QAL quilt top .. nope still in a neat cute pile

4. Knitted sweater for a gf's baby girl. . . no but I've looked at it a few times.

5. Summer top for me. . nope

6. PJ Pants for fella. . lalalala I can't hear you.  {That's a no}

7. Summer Dress for gf's baby girl . . YES!  See my previous posts here or here

Ohhhh Pretty dress!

 


8. Postage Stamp Quilt. . don't even want to see this

9. Choose blocks for my remaining bee's.  YES!  I've done most of this. 

I even whipped up a test block for a bee next month.


10. Birdie Sling .. sigh - no



 
11. Baby quilt . . no but I got 2 blocks worked on.  Yippee!




Wow. . well for only 11 things I've not touched as many as I hoped just 3 months ago.  But this list is grand and does remind me of my WIP's.





How are your summer plans going?

I'm adding this blog post the lovely Lee's WIP Wednesday

Go check out the other amazing things happening
around the craft world.

Halfway done before it even starts

So apparently being late with a few bee blocks in June flowing over into July and even hyper boosting me into August.  It's helped that 4 amazing gals get me their fabrics even before August started.  And I got to it. . yeah!

I finished a few blocks and a few cute things on the side.

Aqua and Red

Both this bee's gals sent their packages!

First Jacque requested a mixture of smaller wonky stars.  The packages came all prepared with no guesses.  There are the two blocks I made for her.  

I really enjoyed making smaller than I'm used to blocks. 

Second guiltyquilter wanted some grand flying geese.  I so keenly started cutting into the fabric without thinking.  Le'sigh.  Thankfully I had some matching white fabric. 


I whipped this up and I always use scraps to keep the chain piecing going on my machine.  

So why not just make another matching block.. . :)

Orange you Glad

This bee has the most talkative gals I've seen.  They are super sweet.   This month, Grendelskin, requested for our hive to work on a Happy Zombie block from the Quiltmakers 100 quilt blocks Volume 2 #115.  

Thankfully my girlfriend came over for a quilt day when I broke out this block.  She was completing her Geese in the Park quilt top from Freckled Whimsy. She talked me through the no waste flying geese blocks that I didn't see the included instructions for until the block was done.  

A lovely quick and easy block.

Sew Modern Bee

I also got to make My Fabric Obsession her blocks for the month. She has a great tute for this as well.  These were super fun! 


Here again I made a mini block from the scraps.

These are some seriously adorable blocks!  I so can't wait to see this finished.

I even dove into one of my own projects before the weekend was over.  But alas Monday is here again.We'll see what I can get done this week.

I'm linking this post up.

Go check out the other amazing things happening

around the craft world.

Finishing up all my July Bee Blocks . . . aka WIP Wednesday 7.27.11

For starting out behind the 8-ball for this month. . I've made it my mission to not fall behind again.  My own projects (which I don't have that much passion for right now) are sitting.  But it doesn't mean that I can't work with other people's fabric to make them some wonderful blocks.

What have I done?  I've made myself (really some other gals) some blocks!

Red and Aqua Bee

This bee is a shortened time-frame (which feels great) but that means we have two lovely gals to sew for each month.

These two beauties are what I made up for toerintx.

One of her inspirations is Fairy Face Design's Dresden quilt

I really enjoyed working on these.  Oh the things I learned along the way.  These are way different than "traditional" Dresden plates with the leaves. I might say harder.
~~~

The second gal for this bee was the lovely tinkingalong had us make anything we wanted with her yummy aqua and red fabrics.   

I did this flying geese block but then had enough left over for another block.  Only after I finished the blocks did I read the instructions asking for no wonky.
Sorry beauty.  I must say that I'm not a wonky lover myself but this blocks has enough for me not to feel dizzy.

Threadheads

This month we got to sew for Fairly Mairly

She chose a block inspired from Block Party.

She even made an awesome tutorial. After reading this a few times, I had to wrap my head around the freezer paper was just a ruler. . nothing to do with paper-piecing.

WOW.  I so want to keep these.  I love the purple, I love the Joel Dewberry fabrics.  And I'm so interested how she'll put these together.  If you go to this group you can only imagine what the possibilities are for these blocks. 

{Sew Bee It}

The wonderful Say Yes Juliet {her blog is here} has started off this bee.

How grand to make cross blocks for her.  These were fun and OH the creations everyone has made!

I have to say that these are my favorite gals to sew for. I'm biased as I know a few of them personally and I twitter with a few of them.  I am in awe of ALL their talent each and every one of them. And this is only the beginning.

  
That's what I've being up to.  Go check out my July Bee Block photo set.  There you can get a re-cap of all my creations that I rocked this month.  

I'm adding this blog post the lovely Lee's WIP Wednesday

Go check out the other amazing things happening
around the craft world.

Feeling the love

Oh it's so grand to get mail.  I'm completely spoiled anymore.  It's not just bills that come in the mail.  It's mainly fabric or bee blocks.

In addition to bee blocks I'm now getting a few other items in the mail. 

Jenna  sent me a mug rug.  Oh gush!  

It's just lovely.  I took this photo and now it lives on my jewelry case in my bedroom.  

The colors are perfect.  It has a little Joel Dewberry in it {swoon}

And the stitching is perfect.

I also got my Sew Mama Sew Giveway winnings.  I won a handmade gift. 

I didn't realize how much more I adore this than supplies.

Look at this LOVELY hand-knitted shawl

made in New Zealand by Amber of What to Make Next?

International mail rocks my world! I heart my virtual friends.

My sister spoiled me this year.  She gave me her cast off i-Phone.  Oh darn!

This arrived this month.  I can only say I love my sister more than pie.

This is will be a a regular thing with me in the sewing room.  I can keep tabs on my twitter feed, listen to Pandora, AND I can have a tute up.  Oh how I love my sister!
{oh and play scrabble, listen to my favorite radio station KEXP oh yeah and rent things from my public library}

Last but not least,  I won a giveaway I entered on Rosey Little Things

I was able to spend a few dollars at Novica?
What's Novica?  My fella knew, I did not.  From their own words . . Novica is a mission-driven website associated with National Geographic working with thousands of talented artisans around the world. Check out their unique gifts, stylish jewelry, exclusive paintings, and one-of-a-kind, handcrafted furniture and home decor: http://www.novica.com/

Not only did I get a rocking ring {YEAH} I got this entire package.  How fun it that!

WIP Wednesday 7.20.11

What Wednesday again. . this comes around a lot faster than I expect.

FINISHED:

Oh this week has been productive.  I would have loved to finish more but I'm super proud of myself.

First I made up an Oliver & S dress right before the recipient arrived.  Here's the post I made up this past Monday.

I've been procrastinating on this .. and tada.  Something off my list.

I was almost tempted to make those PJ pants for my fella but I didn't.




I did finish up some bee blocks and also put a huge dent in a few others.

Here's the two blocks for the Queen Bee in Aqua & Orange

That's right. . another set of garden fences.  These are lovely and I love how quick they come together.

What are the chances that in two bee's the ladies choose the same block.  Oh how fun!

And I also finished a block for the Orange you Glad Bee.

This block with some awesome helpful hints went together much better than I previous attempt at this block.  Starch is your friend!

NEW PROJECTS: 

None.  I did clean my sewing space.  My fella wasn't able to see the difference.  Sigh!  But I swear it's better than it was!

Works in Progress:

- Mug Rug for Swap

- Bee Blocks. . this one is so in the bag!

Things I would love to be working on but are on hold:

-Postage Stamp Quilt

- Quilty Gift for GF

- Arcadia quilt

- Sliced Coins Quilt

- Choose and cut fabrics for Dresden quilt

- Finish top for quilt for nephew

- Summer top for me

- PJ pants for fella

- Summer dress for friends little girl

- Pick fabrics and blocks for on-line quilt bee's - the other ones I'm in

- Birdie Sling bag

- "baby" quilt  

-Skill Builder Blocks

-Embrodery 101 blocks (these are on the cutting table. . does that count?)

I'm adding this post to be part of

I'm excited to join Lee at Freshly Pieced this week.  Go check her and many other great folks.

 

Ice Cream anyone?

Aren't weekends grand.  I love when they happen and I not only get to sew but I get a to visit with people who feel like family. 

My Lou came to visit with her family.  Since she was coming I quickly whipped up an Oliver & S - Ice Cream Dress.  And I really did whip it up!  I spent around 3 hours tracing, cutting, and sewing this beauty up.  I was completely shocked how lovely this went together.

I highly recommend this pattern line now that I've made something up from it. I'm still kinda in shock I remember how to sew clothing.

I used some of the precious to me DS Quilts fabric and a button from my Grandmama that passed away almost two years ago. 

I adore being able to use my talents for my loved ones.

I love you my dearest Lou and family.




I'm linking this post up.

Go check out the other amazing things happening
around the craft world.

WIP Wednesday 7.13.11

What a good sewing week.
Twitter, rocking out, and sewing.  Oh the girls life!

Finished:

A few bee blocks

The past June blocks that I blogged about here

I also added this cute Snail Trail block because I was so late in getting my blocks out to my {Modern 12} bee-mate.

Sew Modern Quilt Bee

Monday was a busy day as I also had to finish up a flower for a few bee blocks.  There were some awesome fabric flowers but I decided I wanted to knit something up for Issabella the Cat.

Here's the flower I whipped up {took me much longer than I anticipated}



I even started in on my *July* Bee Blocks for the Sew Modern Bee Queen Bee - mad for dyes

I haven't been able to work on a garden fence before.  These fabrics were cut out so perfectly it was a dream!

Can you see my goof on the block to the right?  I didn't until seeing in the photo.  The small pieces don't match up.  Ugh!  But the queen bee said not to worry about it! So I won't. :) 

I also finished up the sewing of  2 mug rugs I have started {no photos please - they are supposed to be suprise} What to do for the stitching. . ohhh dear!

New Projects:

None. . really!

Works in Progress (WIP):

Because it's offically Stashtacular!


~it's time to get the July bee blocks done but also tackle some that's on my list show here (sigh)

- Knitted sweater for 18 month old

I'm on the arms - finally.
Slowly I'm telling ya! Didn't help that I forgot this at my parents when I went to go visit them a few weekends back.

Things I would love to be working on but are on hold:

-Postage Stamp

-Mug Rug for Swap

- Quilty Gift for GF

- Arcadia quilt
- Sliced Coins Quilt
- Choose and cut fabrics for Dresden quilt
- Finish top for quilt for nephew

- Summer top for me

- PJ pants for fella

- Summer dress for friends little girl
- Pick fabrics and blocks for on-line quilt bee's - the other ones I'm in
- Birdie Sling bag
- "baby" quilt  
-Skill Builder Blocks
-Embrodery 101 blocks (these are on the cutting table. . does that count?)

I'm adding this post to be part of

I'm excited to join Lee at Freshly Pieced this week.  Go check her and many other great folks.