Monday, September 30, 2013

Jelly Rolls and Pink Elephants

This has been a good sewing week.  On Sunday, while the boys were watching football and arguing all the fine points, I locked myself in my room and sewed.  I put the jelly roll quilt together and cut the blocks for the pink elephant quilt.  I've got three tops finished.  Now it's time to finish the quilts.




This was made using this pattern, but I totally copied this quilt here -- amazing that it looks as different as it does.


 

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Next year ...

Image from here.
 Every year on labor  day there is a walk across the Mackinac Bridge.  Here's the recap from this year.  http://www.mightymac.org/bridgewalk.htm  I wanna be there in 2014.  This is going to be on my list next year.  Anyone care to join me?

15 Minute Challenge

Finally, a week worth talking about .. I posted pictures yesterday.

Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - menagerie blocks (3)
Thursday - three more menagerie blocks
Friday - four more menagerie blocks
Saturday - made felt bags
Sunday - menagerie blocks (3)
Monday - finished the menagerie blocks!! yay!


A very good week for me.  I'm hoping to have more of these.

The theme this month was on learning something new every day.  I don't know that I learn something new every day, but it happens quite a bit, but it's not usually big things.  Just little things here and there, whether sewing or real life.

To see how others did this week, check out the 15 Minute Challenge at  Life In Pieces -- or better yet, link up and let everyone know how your week went.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Pink Elephants in the Post

As usual, I am at a loss for a name for my blog post.  I love the 15 minute challenge on Tuesday, because, like a uniform, I already know what the name is going to be.  No decisions on my part.  It's not that I don't like cute/clever names, but they take work and it's too much for me.

I ordered some fabric on line last week, to make a couple of girl quilts.  I was hoping that one would come today and it did.  It is, in fact, pink elephants -- the pink version of the blue elephants from my blue elephant quilt (another creative name).


 Here is the blue elephant quilt, which I love.  I plan to make something similar with the pink.  Something simple. 


Next, my dear friend Amanda made a quilt for her little boy.  Here's a picture of the finished top. Isn't it great!!  She is one of the people who helped me get started with quilting -- she has a great eye for colors and patterns! Hopefully she'll forgive me for stealing the picture from facebook.


Anyway, she gave me her leftovers from this quilt.  I didn't take a picture of all the scraps but I can't wait to figure out what to do with them.

The other fabric I ordered online was a jelly roll of Simply Style by V and Co.  I had seen this jelly roll quilt and I had to have it.  I am going to be totally unoriginal and make one like it.  When I looked today to see when it was going to be delivered, the shop I bought it from was on vacation.  Boo hoo.  I was upset that it would be a while before it would come.  I resigned myself to waiting.  However, when I came home today, this is what I found!! So very exciting.


I finished making the blocks for my rainbow menagerie or whatever it will be called.  Now I need to sew the blocks together.  Here's the first layout I tried. I'll try some other layouts later this week and decide which way to go.


I just love the reverse blocks. 


All in all, a pretty good sewing/fabric kind of day.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Another Project

So, here are some pics of my current project. 



I didn't fussy cut the animals, but I think that's okay, though on some of the blocks you only see the back end of some of the animals (like the top left corner of the yellow block).  I would think that somewhere there would be a bunch of blocks with just heads, but it doesn't seem to work that way.
 


Here are the four colors together.  I think it's looking pretty good.  There are four reverse blocks as well; one in each color.  I'm excited to see how it will look when the blocks are all done.  Makes me wish I had a design wall.  Some day I will.  For now, I'll have to be content with a design floor.

I was just thinking that what happens with me is that I get started on a project and I get all gung-ho* and work to finish it, and then there's nothing to do so I stop sewing for a bit ..  The solution is to have multiple projects, all the time.




*such an odd phrase.  wonder where it came from?

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

15 Minute Challenge

Well, even though I'm not having a stellar week, I thought I would jump back in.  Here's how it looked.

Tues - nothing
Weds - nada
Thurs - zip
Fri - decided on next quilt pattern
Sat - zilch
Sun - cut fabric for new baby quilt using menagerie fabric
Mon - made two blocks

This is the pattern I'm using for this fabric.


To see how others have done this week, check out Kate's 15-minute challenge.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Bags and Dresses

So, my older daughter has been in town since right before the wedding.  She just left tonight, an hour ago.

I wanted to make her a dress from a pattern and fabric that she had bought (and cut out) several years ago.  I sewed the first couple of pieces together and remembered how difficult I find sewing clothing and decided that I couldn't get it done before she left.

She had also asked me to hem some pants and repair her bathing suit.  We decided that I wasn't the best person to hem the pants so she took them to the cleaners.  However, I did make the bathing suit repairs.

We went out today to pick the pants up from the cleaners and then went to a fabric store to try and find some fabric for a quilt I'm going to make for her best friend.  We didn't find any fabric that we liked, but I got some fabric to make her a make up bag similar to the ones I made for my niece's wedding in April.

The fabrics.



This is the pattern I used.  I think she is happy with it.  I think it looks nice.

I also got some rocket ship fabric.  I need to see if I can find the coordinating fabric on line.

p.s. I forgot to mention that I also sewed my finger.  crazy .. I thought I would slice it before I sewed it.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Paul & Caro's Wedding - Part II

The wedding date has come and gone.  Here are some pictures from the big day.

The groomsmen waiting for the groom to join them. 

Me and the groom!

Mikey, the ring bearer.

The bridesmaids ..

The happy couple!

A tree signed by the guests.  You put your finger print and then signed your name.

Me, my niece, and my DIL.

Me and my sister!

Me and my husband!

My youngest son and his wife.

Dancing with her father ...

My oldest and youngest sons, with my DIL.

Katie and Dustin!

A sparkling send off!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Paul & Carolina's Wedding - Part I

The first part I want to talk about are the parts in which my husband and I were most involved.  They are 1) the rehearsal dinner and 2) the biscotti "party" favors.  My husband was fitted for a tux (pretty standard) and also attended the bachelor party.  My duties were to dress nicely, make the ring bearer pillow (I made two: one for the rehearsal, one for the wedding), and to make the biscotti -- a gift bag for each guest with three biscotti in each bag (with 120 guests, that makes 360 biscotti).  Fortunately, each batch only takes about an hour and a half, beginning to end, and there are 30 biscotti in each batch.  I had also gotten my son a white paisley tie made which he used either for the rehearsal dinner or the wedding, not sure which day he wore it.






Here are a couple of the dresses I tried on .. I'm not too excited about them (but thank goodness I've lost weight) ...

I think the one on the far right is the one I got.

Our entire family was in the wedding party except for DIL1 and the two youngest grandchildren.  My two sons were co-best men and the bride's two sisters were co-maids of honor.  My two daughters were bridesmaids.  The two remaining groomsmen were a cousin and a good fried of my son.

Here they are at the rehearsal.











And here are some pics from the rehearsal dinner.  My phone died so I didn't get enough.



My three daughters (DIL, OD, and YD).

and, my soon-to-be four daughters (DIL1, OD, YD, the bride)

My YD (youngest daughter) and DIL.

My YS (husband of DIL and father to the three grandchildren).

Mother of the bride and groomsman (cousin).


2024 : Week 29 : July 15 - July 21

July 16 - Poor Charlie July 19 - Hanging with Rowie   July 20 - Cousins July 20