a work in progress

That describes my sewing space perfectly.

A work in progress.

A couple of weeks ago I got the best deal on some plastic tubs at Canadian Tire.

Like almost free kind of cheap!

so of course I bought lots!

and then I went back and bought more for my scraps-larger ones...

the smaller ones are shoebox size and they fit my other WIP's perfectly!

which made me and the hubby happy.

less than $15 = happy hubby

organized sewing space = happy ME

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so what are these other WIP's?

Well there are more than I'd like to admit....

AND this does confirm to my hubby that I'm good at starting but not so great at finishing...

but it's all relative--

and now that I'm organized--it'll be so much better!

I've told myself that once there are no more boxes for a project then I can't begin anything until I finish one--so on with the show

this one is a scottie dog for my dear middle child who has asked for a "dark blue" polka dotted dog stuffy.

SPECIFICS: Scottie Dog (free) pattern from Denyse Schmidt HERE

STATUS: so far the front patchwork is done and the back will be made from the royal blue felted sweater in the picture

Next up, a quilt made with a layer cake of my fave Sweetwater fabric called MAKE LIFE...

this quilt is a modified Disappearing 9 Patch using a special cutting method

SPECIFICS: Easy Bake pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew available HERE

STATUS: blocks completed...now I have to sew my quilt top together

now this quilt has been put away for a good reason.

I'm mad at it.

Mainly, it's just not going together right and is just not playing fair.
So I put it away and was going to leave it there for a LOOOOOONG time but then taking it out to take these photos did spark a tiny desire to see it finished....

and then as I folded it up and put it back in it's tub--and saw all the stray threads--

I remembered all the seams I've ripped out on this baby and it may stay out of my sight for a bit longer :)

SPECIFICS: fall quilt adapted from the Sugar Pop n' Change (free) pattern

STATUS: retired until further notice

These lovely blocks were gifted to me from Heather Bostic of (House) of A La Mode fame.

She was making a quilt in aqua, grey and orange 'til her hubby nixed the orange and then lucky me!

So far there aren't enough to make a quilt the size I'd like so I need to add to it...

SPECIFICS: inspiration quilt HERE

STATUS: blocks in progress

Lastly, probably my most favourite project at the moment.

A quilt for my pumpkin's bed (double) made with the love Sultry fabric by Basic Grey for Moda.

Using a couple of layer cakes to make an oversized version of the Disappearing 9 Patch.

Take a good look at this fabric--isn't it so pretty?

I just love it in all it's pinks and limes and browns.

thanks to my mom who understood my need for this fabric and came to my aid with her credit card until I could pay her back--now that's love! Thanks mom!

SPECIFICS: Disappearing 9 patch (oversized) --my first bed quilt

STATUS: initial blocks sewn--slicing and dicing, trimming and quilt top sewing in progress
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So I guess that's most of them that I'm working on however I have tons more swimming around in my head.

And I may have just purchased a layer cake of Lori Holt's new line "Sew Cherry" to make a quilt for someone super special but it won't do to name names at the moment

*wink wink*

Scrappy Mug Rug Madness!

Remember when I told you about my Mug Rug Swap?

Well I just finished another one and I realized I never actually did show you what I did for the first one back in 2010...

so let's start there... this is the one I made for my partner...

using Make life fabric :)

the back--My fave!

and this is what I received! soooooo spoiled I am!

So fast forward to the beginning of March 2011... This is what I sent to my partner...

She likes vintage and pleats and bright colours. I used a vintage pillow case and added in some brown pleating.

Topped it off with some free motion quilting--first time EVER!!! (thanks to my handsome hubby and my SWEET Janome Horizon sewing machine-score!)

Well, I hit a home run on this one--she loved it!

and then I received the most fabulous mug rug Sweetteamom .

She put so much thought and detail into it! I love the rainbow and she snuck in some of my fave Make Life fabric (the red word fabric) and then the grey cross is to symbolize my dad in that he's always with me in my heart! AWWWWWW!

She totally cared! And I love it!

I kinda don't want to spill coffee on this one :)

Connecting Threads

What do this quilt...

and this quilt....
have in common?

Well they're not quilts at all!

well, not yet anyway!!

Have you ever visited Connecting Threads??
you should!

Both of these quilts are designs that I made using their on site Kit Builder and both quilts made honourable mentions in their most recent Kit Builder Quilt Contest!!

Their fabrics are affordable, beautiful and quality cottons!

They offer sampler packs in fat quarters, stacks (10" squares), and charms (5"squares) as well as yardage in solids and prints, funky and traditional.

They also have thread, quilting tools and this amazing option of the Kit Builder on their site.

You just download a pattern, and it lets you pick and choose how to make that design with any of their fabrics and then calculates fabric amounts and puts it right into your shopping cart if you choose!

Both of these quilts were free downloads but they are now adding quilt designs by designers!!!

so cool!

Connecting Threads is sending me a fabric stack (10"squares) of their entire solid collection.

OOOOOOOOOH I cannot wait!!

Thank you Connecting Threads!

BASTE

the joy
of a nearly finished quilt
and the excitement of one little boy anticipating a new quilt on his bed.

catching up

I have been embarrassingly behind on my blocks...

both in making them and blogging about them!

So here goes!

Coffee Improv Blocks for Jan of Hip 2 Bee Square


These were for January 2011

Next up: 3x6 BEE blocks

In this bee you make 7 of the same blocks using your own fabric and the colours choices by your fellow bee mates...
aqua, red and white

pink, red and white

a baby quilt inspired block of green, yellow and white

black, white and yellow

a baby boy quilt block--no specified colours

and this was for my friend Tong (from the Great White North Bee) and was my favourite...

blue, yellow and gray

My colours for this swap were yellow and grey but I've yet to make myself a block.

I'll show you my blocks from my fellow bees another day, once I get my last one :)

The following block was made for Quynh in the Hip 2 Bee Square

The theme was bubbles and I had a terrible time with the circles!

But mine looked like most of the other ladies so I guess I didn't do too badly.

This was November's block.

For the December blocks of the Great White North Bee

Jen entrusted us with some much coveted Heather Ross fabrics to make confetti blocks

using this tutorial...

I got super behind on these because they scared me!

Alot of seams! Not my forte...

Barb asked for pink stars for January's blocks for the GWNBee

I love the look of the ohio star quilt block and used this tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop.
(this is the same tutorial I used for the blocks above)

The pinks she sent were so pretty :)

now I want a pink quilt!

I'm still behind on the last block for the Tethered Threads 2 bee and then I'm caught up for 2 weeks...

Then more fabric will arrive...

Love Nest

My new "friend" is Carina Gardner.

Have you ever heard of her?

She's a fabulous new designer for Northcott Fabrics and her second line is called Love Nest.

This is my favourite new novelty line of fabric!
Isn't it fabulous?

It's all hearts and flowers and paisley's but my fave is those birdies up there.

When I came across this fabric I knew I had to have some!
so I right away called my LQS who is now looking into carrying some of Carina's new lines for the spring/summer but couldn't get me any Love Nest.

I was bummed and then Carina herself sent me a 12 fat quarter set!
Can you believe it!

I'm planning on making a table runner for Valentine's Day with it but in the mean time...
look who got into it first!

She's so proud to be sewing--
and yes--
she did pick this out fit out herself! :)

this little quilt is the beginnings of a 100 days project for school.

more on that later...

but a BIG THANK YOU to Carina Gardner!!!

p.s. check out this quilt that Carina just designed!!!
fabulous!

fears

I am afraid.
nothing scary, but it holds me in its grasp and I stress...

After reading this post by Anna of Noodlehead fame--I don't feel alone.
not completely.

This was my comment on her blog after reading this:

"i fear wasting fabric...the fabric industry is so cruel...it turns over fabrics too fast and just when i get the nerve to use my beloved fabric it goes OOP and i can't get it anymore. i stand stuck in this place.
my husband does not understand.
nice to know that someone else does :)"

note: OOP means Out Of Print.
as in done.
gone.
finished.
nada.
a bazillion dollars on Ebay for the world's last remaining fat quarter that someone else is selling because they were smarter than me and bought lots so now they can share it and get their projects done.

hmph.

yes. it's the strawberries all over again.
why do I obsess?

My hubby asures me "we can buy more fabric.
They will design fabric that I like just as much. take it one project at a time."

Problem is that it takes me MONTHS to finally begin a project and then the amount of fabric I have limits my creativity.

Fabric is expensive!
I don't want to waste it!

'cause once it's gone. it's gone.
so sad.

Hubs said to me the other day,
"you're getting a nice little stash of fabric now. Great for creativity."

umm...yeah.
except, no.
practically every piece of fabric I have was bought for a purpose.

It's not a stash.
It's a hoard.
waiting it's turn.
hmmmmm.....
time is also a problem.

I'm not entering any more quilt bees so that I can work on my own stuff.
promise.

what's that?
no I'm not crossing my fingers behind my back.

Swaps don't count do they?

hmmm.... could someone pass the strawberries please?

TO BE CONTINUED...

Good news and some crafty goodness

First the GOOD NEWS!!!

I'm 3 centimetres dilated!!!

Yay!

this baby is on it's way soon!

Now, an udate into the crafty goodness around here as this will probably be my last post until after baby #3 joins our family....

I finished my quilt!

and it's at the quilters and I should have it back by the end of the week!

Here is the top:
and here is the backing:

i chose to have it professionally quilted because my hubby wanted it to have a soft cuddly scrunchy look and I can only do straight quilting.

Can't wait to bind it and throw it in the wash!

Pumpkin is attending her first ever real birthday party!

I saw this post on Bridget's blog, Everyday Chaos, in the morning and by the afternoon I had a gift!

Yeah!

It's getting sunny around here and the kids were due for Big Kid sunglasses.

I had seen this idea on Disney's blog (which sadly she is no longer writing)

and bought me some potholders.

Jazzed them up and instant sunglass cases!

and best of all--

No scratched lenses!!

Lastly I bought a pair of jeans for Pumpkin hoping they would fit.

no such luck. too short!

So they instantly

(or should I say after I decided what to do with them)

became some super ruffly and fun capris!
they were so easy and she gets lots of compliments!

So there you have it!

hopefully the next time we talk these 2 will have a new sibling!!

Wish me luck!

progress...

ready to be pieced....

I'm loving how quickly these HST blocks come together...

this is one Cotton Blossoms layer cake and 6 extra squares of fabric...

(my layer cake was missing 4 squares)

We'll see how I like it once it's all pieced :)

swaps

My June blocks for the Tethered Threads 2 Block Swap have been done for a bit but I've not shared them....

Fabulous fabric!!
I wasn't so sure about my wonkiness...
"wonk" I've noticed, does not come easily to me...

but I think Kathy likes them, so I'm safe :)

I have also joined another swap called the GREAT WHITE NORTH BEE

I'm excited as this is a group of ladies that are all Canadian (like myself) but love designer fabrics and the look of a more modern quilt design.

These are my June blocks for Kristy, our bee mama....

Wonky again!

It was fun and using so many different fabrics and bright prints was a thrill!

her quilt is going to be delicious!

I joined the swap late so the July block will not be coming to me as she doesn't have enough fabric for me to do a block for her.

that's okay--i'm going to be busy with a baby anyway.

My month isn't until February so I have time to decide what I would like.

I'm so enjoying the swap process.
It has opened up opportunity for me to really stretch and learn.

I'm excited for more fabric to show up on my doorstep so i can play with it!

I may be inspired...

but man,

am I tired!

I see a quilt though...

this one is going to have to wait until after baby is born but

I've got big plans!

almost...

I almost...

had enough fabric for the backing of my quilt--almost...

I almost...

ordered fabric online

I almost...

spent an hour scouring etsy for the perfect fabric for the back of my quilt

I almost...

paid for shipping to Canada instead of sending it to my mom because I needed it now...

I almost...

had to wait 2 and a half weeks for fabric to arrive

(top fabric: Cotton Blossoms by Bonnie and Camille, bottom fabric: compliments of Fabricland)

I almost...

used my very favourite Full Moon Polkie by Amy Butler

but it didn't feel "right" with the rest of the fabric.

I almost...

walked right past this fabulous brick coloured chicken scratch fabric

I'm so glad I didn't!

I almost...

don't know what I like better...

vertical?

horizontal? either way, (thoughts???)

I almost...
passed up a chance to find this fabric for $3 a metre!

sometimes shopping in Canada for fabric isn't all bad.

(for those that don't know--Fabricland is the Canadian equivalent to JoAnn's fabrics but not quite as good--but it's growing on me!)

***I almost think the word "almost" looks funny to me now that I've written it so many times in this post