February NewFO

 

So hard to believe that February has flown by...time to post the results (or lack thereof) to the 2013 NewFO challenge being hosted at Cat Patches.

This month I participated again in the Sassaman Challenge. This time the challenge was to complete a quilt top using Jane Sassamans' Ocean Wave recipe. So – Ta Da! I actually completed quilt top #2.5. The great news is that I now actually have something to baste and quilt and bind, OH MY!

Here is that little gem:

Secondly, I started and completed (sort of) my first blog hop challenge. I signed up for the lovely Madam Samm's All About Me Hop. I made the following tote bag out of my little block and filled it with FABRIC! The unfinished part is that I am still trying to visit all of the participant sites. The results are amazing. If you want to see all the entries, you can check them out on Pinterest 

I did a tiny (teeeny teeeny tiny) bit of FMQ work on my Express Your Love quilt that Leah Day has been leading. My goal of quilting daily has gone a bit awry. But she does look rather lovely hanging on my wall, spewing threads accusingly at me.  I promise you, I will do her proud (someday).

Now, I’m not keeping count, but I do have the 2 “promised” starts that I had assigned  myself:

January – new rug for the bathroom – um not started.  Well kind of – I did buy the fabric.

February – start my first leather bag project – ummmm not started.   I did buy the fabric – the half cow I mentioned in a previous post.  And another 2 yards of pink leather just in case. 

So that’s where I am.   For March – I have some interesting things coming up.   Stay tuned, because if you're reading this and not sewing, you’re not finishing anything either. 

Have a great week -

Eunice

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people”. Victor Borge

It’s All About Me

First of all, welcome to all my guests.   Thank you for stopping by.   In trying to be a good hostess,  I am sharing my most favorite cookie recipe (courtesy of creationsbykara.com )   Is it rude to ask you to bake them yourself?  I am going to try that the next time I invite people to my house. 



http://www.creationsbykara.com/2010/12/maraschino-cherry-bars.html

Now, enough nice stuff – this is all about me.  I have hinted that I was working on my Blog Hop Challenge – It’s all about me.  Here are my efforts unveiled!

This is a great little pattern by Amy Bradley, and as always, she has incorporated her amazing sense of humor to this pattern.  I like the way the block turned out – it’s a bit scary, but I think she actually looks like me. 

I was trying to decide how best to show off this lovely lady –  and decided the best thing is for her to accompany me to the fabric store.  This way I know she will get out a lot.  So I found this shopping tote pattern in my book – One Yard Wonders.   This is a a good go-to book when you want to whip up something out of your stash.  This tote pattern is for a collapsible bag that you can keep in your purse, ready for any unplanned  fabric grocery shopping..   The photo in the book showed a baguette, I immediately thought “yardage”.    I think I can actually fit a bolt in here
.  
The handles look a little funky in the picture because I wanted to showcase the block, but they do function nicely.  

Have a great week – and thanks for stopping by. 

Eunice

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people”. Victor Borge

I’ve been remiss…

The nerve of some people.  Just because they send you a check, they automatically think you should come to the office and do your job.  I mean, really.  

So what that means is - yes I have been working very hard lately so have been a bit remiss in my blogging duties.  I babysit  manage a large team of childish professional people who can’t seem to do their jobs without whining.  Wait – do I detect a note of whimpering, she asks?  Ok, Ok, I’ll move on.   I just wanted you to know that I have not be lying on the beach sipping Mai Tai’s.  (Which is a scary thought in itself.)

I have been sewing – basically trying to cram 9,000 hours of projects into 12 hours of available weekend time.  I think I will be finished in about 2192.   I am formally announcing that my great, great grandchildren will receive fabric as their inheritance.

So, exactly what have I been working on? 

First, I bought some fabulous Dear Stella fabric for this month’s Jane Sassaman Challenge.  



The monthly challenge is to use a recipe from Jane’s book to combine prints into an amazing quilt. 

Our challenge this month was to follow the Ocean Waves Pattern.  This was a challenge for me (my 3rd quilt top) because of all the points that had to be aligned. I opted for using a lot of solids, because at some point, I will actually QUILT something, and thought this will be a good place to start. 
Plus, I really like the peek-a-boo effect of the prints in the corners. 

 
 

Jane will be posting all the entries later today – check them all out on her site HERE 

And check out her scrumptious fabrics – nothing says spring like Jane's amazing prints.


Secondly,  I am also participating in the All About Me Blog hop being hosted by those wonderful ladies over at Sewwequilt.  As always they are doing a magnificent job of cheering us on.  If you'd like to see all the enties in one swell foop (Ha!)  check out the pinterest site:  

http://pinterest.com/mdmsamm/it-s-all-about-me-blog-hop/


Which brings me to my inaugural posting for (drum roll, please) AHA MOMENT OF THE WEEK WEEK Week (that’s an echo)

Lesson #1  When something doesn’t look right, stitching over it 27 times, does NOT improve it.  What it does give you is a 2” thick lumpy mess of stitches that were obviously repeated 27 times.  Honey, you ain’t foolin’ no one.  This one was too far gone  even for Jack, my trusty ripper.  It is now hanging on my – “When you only have 12 hours to sew, don’t spend 9 of them restitching the same thing”  wall.  I did not accomplish much that day.



Have you had an aha moment recently? Share – c’mon no need to be shy. 
Have a great week!

Eunice

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people”. Victor Borge

What’s O’Reilly doing in the Murphy Bed?

I have exciting news – THE MURPHY BED is installed!!!!!  For those of you who don’t know exactly what a Murphy Bed is, here is a quick tutorial.  (I’m not sure if it’s the same guy who made all the laws, but his bed is kind of neat.)

Why a Murphy bed, you ask?  Well, basically I had a choice - guest room or sewing room.  Hmmmm……guests = 2 weeks a year, maybe.  Sewing = 2 1/2 weeks a year   Winner (ding, ding, ding) = Sewing.  Because, after all, it IS all about me. 

Was a compromise possible?  In the spirit of good hostessing  I reviewed:

Sleeper Sofa
Futon
Air Bed, Day Bed, Dog Bed (x-large of course)

Pretty much anything that would allow me to use all of that queen-size space space in the middle of the room.  Waaaay to big to be just a cat lounger.

Space Hog

And as tempting as it was to use comfort, or lack thereof, as a way to control use of the guest room,  I really wanted my Mom to sleep in a real bed.   So,  I begged, pleaded and cajoled, and Kenman the Magnificent built me a Murphy Bed.   So here it is:



Closed (Makes a great design wall)

Open

When guests arrive, I merely put my folding table away, and the room becomes a queen size bedded bedroom again.  

The room is actually quite large - this is one corner, so my sewing machines all have good hidey nooks as well. 

Pay no attention to the Rose Colored Carpet – it’s those funny glasses you have on.  And Kenman the Mag, is at the hardwood floor store as we speak…

I'll keep you posted on the progress.  

 

Happy Sewing!

 

Eunice

 

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people”. Victor Borge

 

NewFO January Results

  As part of my 2013 non-resolutions, I had pledged a pledge to follow along with a very clever lady by the name of Barbara over at Cat Patches who has started a linky party for those of us who feel we don’t have enough UFO’s.  At the end of each month we are to list what we started and did(n’t) finish.  So, not sure how this happened, but January has practically suddenly vanished and it’s time to tally up.  
1. My original post had pledged this  great little rug for my newly updated guest bathroom.  

I did actually open the pattern, and read it. I also purchased fabric, so I think this qualifies as officially started. Wow, I have  UFO!

2. I also accepted the monthly Patchwork, Sassaman Style challenge being hosted by Dragon Threads.   For that one, On January 1st, we were told which pattern to use from  Jane Sassaman’s book.   We had to complete a Quilt top and submit it by January 24th.   So, I bought some fabric and I am happy to say I met the deadline, and (BIG BONUS) I now have a quilt top to actually quilt!  (Big Thanks to those of you who voted for me.  You encouraged me to keep going!)  I’ll be getting a new pattern tomorrow, so will start the whole cycle again.  By the end of the year, I should have 12 quilt tops in my UFO pile!!!

 

3/4. I worked diligently on my Stitcher’s Garden BOM, bought some fabric and started adding all the borders.  Then I re-organized my Stitches in Bloom Blocks.   I hadn’t looked at them in several months, so was actually excited to see them again.   In celebration, I bought several more yards of B&W fabric. (For those of you keeping track, I now have 302 yards)

 

6/7. I have 2 main goals for this year – learn FMQ and do more embroidery.  To honor those goals, I ordered the cheater fabric from Spoonflower, so that I can follow along with Leah Day’s Free Motion Quilting Project. Jumping right in, I basted it and started doing the outline stitching.   For one brief, crazy moment, I thought about practicing, but heck, that’s what Jack is for.

 

For the embroidery, I always love a challenge, so decided to buy a cowhide (yes, I did) and did some testing.  

You’ll see updates on all of these projects in the coming weeks, so tune in.  The embroidery on leather is rather fun.  February’s pledge happened to be a new bag, so the leather thing is actually on the schedule.

 

 PS:  I’m starting to see a pattern here.  No time to figure it out – the fabric store is closing in an hour.  Gotta run!

Keep Smiling!

Eunice
 
“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people”. Victor Borge

What a week!

Wow, I’m not sure where to begin…sew many things going on (that might be slightly overused, me thinks).  At any rate, let’s dive in:

Last week I hinted at a quilt top I was working on for a challenge.  Well, I finished it and submitted it.  Woo Hoo, a real honest to goodness quilt top!.  The challenge is called Patchwork Sassaman Style, based on Jane Sassaman’s book by the same name. 

 

It’s a monthly challenge with a new recipe revealed on the first of the month, so I’m considering it a type of BOM. If you want to see the entries, check out One + Four-Patch Challenge.

 

My Quilt top is Entry  C, just in case you might want to vote.

 

Next, I am working on a project for the Sew We Quilt  “All About Me” Blog Hop.   (Button to the left) . I should probably have mentioned that I have no idea exactly what a blog hop is.  Do you think that might be important.  Hey.  I did mention that I jump in with both feet.  Well, it’s not due until February, but when you only sew on the weekends, I thought I should get started.. I can’t reveal anything yet, but here’s.a teaser:

As if all of that wasn’t enough, my lovely, Spoonflower cheater cloth arrived, so I can finally start quilting along instead of just reading along. This is from the very talented Leah Day and her Free Motion Quilting Project.  I got it basted, which was an experience unto itself. That experience deserves a separate post.

 

 

I actually did work on my Stitcher’s Garden BOM, I added 3 more of the sashes/borders.


Wowza, my first experience of pushing a big old quilt through a sewing machine.. hmmm, large object, small space.. reminds of something…(Is this going to get painful??? Give me drugs NOW!)

 

Have a great week!
“laughter is the shortest distance between two people”. Victor Borge

Nothing Sews like a Bernina…

I seriously think I am going to start a goofs page.  This is my latest:

Yes, that’s  a Clover pin that I sewed right through.  Even Jack the Ripper had a tough time with that one. I am happy to report that there were no casualties.  The needle was quietly retired to be used later as a picture hanger.  

This week, I was working on finishing up a quilt top for a challenge that Dragon Threads is hosting.  Leave it to me to decide to do a bias cut, on point, setting triangles quilt pattern for my first pieced quilt.  I'll show more pics next week, but here is a preview:

Happy sewing this week! 

Update on the BOM’s

Well, my big score this week was that I actually found the fabric that matches the inside sashing.  I had decided that the quilt of many colors would do best if I repeated the sashing.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough, so technically, it got delegated to my UFO pile.

Then Ta Da – I stopped at a quilt store (how unusual…)  and there it was!  Now I have enough to continue.  I think it looks great with the navy blue that repeats throughout.
  Unfortunately, I have started a new project, (or 6) .  So I didn’t get to work on the applique BOM.   I did start thinking about my other BOM WIP, which has embroidered blocks – my fave!  I’m scared to death to piece anything with pointy points!  
Here are some of the blocks. 
 
Most of the blocks are stitched out, but I still have several steps to go I am liking the black and white sashing, but have no idea what to do to join these puppies together.   I have a while to decide though.  This is my to do list before that can happen:
1. Remove all basting stitches
2. Trim any stray jump stitches
3. Remove all stabilizer – it’s all tear away and there are some tiny places
4. Add sashing to all blocks
5. STOP buying black and white fabric.  300 yards should be sufficient. 
Have a great week!

NewFO 2013

For those of you that don’t know what a NewFO is it is an attempt for us Newbies to not be left out.  I mean, check it out – everywhere you look there are all kinds of Linky parties going on celebrating the piles of UFO’s out there.  (a whole nother topic of discussion for one of these days.)  I mean, there must be a bazillion lonely, disconnected blocks out there.  Anyway, I digress.   If you are a new quilter/sewer/embroiderer, you are probably still in the mode of trying to complete everything before starting something new.   We say – balderdash!  (Really, we do say that..)

So a very clever lady by the name of Barbara over at Cat Patches has started a linky party for us.   Here are my pledges for the year.  Please note – I am still trying to complete my 1989 New Years resolution to stop procrastinating so I am limiting my pledge to only 9.  A good compromise, I think.  

 

January – a new rug for my bathroom

 

February – a new bag for me, and an excuse to play with leather

 

March – a new quilt – because I KNOW I will have all my BOM’s caught up

 

April – speaking of BOM’s…

 

May – a wall hanging for my office.   I’m sure it will be great even though I’ve never done paper piecing

 

June -  nifty hat for me.  Just in case I do decide to start golfing again

 

July – No excuse not to ride my bike to the store (wearing my nifty hat)

 

August – Another BOM to ensure I will  have sufficient UFO’s for next year!

 

September – November – Remember to start the Christmas stuff sooner than Christmas Eve!

Nice Surprises

Ok, I'm a bit late with the 2012 recap, and I'm so new to the whole quilting/embroidering/blogging deal that it's a bit daunting to try to capture it all. But, I had some really nice surprises in December, that I would be really remiss if I didn't acknowledge them.

First of all - thanks to Michelle over at Quilting Tutorials, who was kind enough to host the 2012 Christmas Quilt show, I was the winner of an ASF Beam and Read Light. It's a great hands free light, which I've been using while knitting and watching TV - it's great! I'll post more on that later.

 

(Be sure to check out Michelle's blog by clicking on the link above. She has the most amazing FREE block. You won't want to miss it!)

Secondly, I took a second leap of faith and committed to

Craftsy Gemini's winter Mug Rug Swap.

My swap partner, Emily, sent me the most beautiful mug rugs. Can you believe that killer piecing? Mad skills, don't you think? (Eat you heart out, these are mine!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the ones I did for her. I thought a SoCal Girl could use a taste of winter so I stitched her some:

 

The nicest surprise of all was making a new friend, so thank you Vanessa for hosting such a great event!

So, Happy New Year everyone! I hope the rest of the year continues to be filled with Nice Surprises!