A little sewing here and there....

FINALLY, FINALLY feel comfortable in my new sewing studio and been working on several projects to get out the door...and a few just for fun....

For my "Let's Be Together" sewing block swap:

For the shop:

And for me:

Now working on more new class samples....never ending story :)

Doing a Little Twisting

I'm ready for this weekend...the pool opens which mean, kids are outside and I have inside time with my machine!! WHOO HOO!!


Have you seen this notion:

Well, I decide to try it out and make a example of the technique for the shop.  Let me say I was very impressed!

All you do is sew 5" charms together, add a 3" border around your charms:

Then, you take the little square using the lines and match up to the seam lines on your "sudo" top:

And cut out all the squares:

Resew the new squares in the same order and you get the tessellating effect:

Finished top:

I think using Kaffe Fasset fabric doesn't have a good design element for this project because they are small.  I think fabric with more solid colors - verses multi-color will show the pinwheels.

Now I just followed the pattern that came with the notion, but you can easily make this larger and make a baby size quilt. They also have a larger Twister avaiable for layer cakes - which I'm considering purchasing.

I'm planning a project with this new technique in mind and can't wait to share it!

Tuesday Ramblings. . .

No tips for today - I think I'll just start doing that once a month.  I have other things to share.

First the winner of my birthday drawing is:

The lucky winner is: Sallie.  Sallie, I've emailed you so I can get this little package out to you!

THANK YOU for all my birthday wishes!!  I had a wonderful weekend in Florida.  It was perfect.  Long car drive with a dear friend spent talking and catching up on life, a night on the town in Key West, being hit on by a 20 something year old (yah, he was a bit intoxicated), and having sushi at 10pm on Saturday!  Just a wonderful weekend to come home to spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon with my hubby.  Here's a few pictures from my weekend:



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Now some more sewing from last week.  I've designed the Shop Hop Block for Gina's and then finished it up with a small setting for a table topper.  We'll make kits of these to sell during the annual East Tennessee Shop Hop that goes from June 2nd - 11th.

A lot going on this week . . .girls both have BIG weekends coming up, including Senior Prom, so there will be last minute shopping and planning and little sewing I think - we'll see.

It's Tuesday!

And with that brings more painting in new house and more sewing!

I got a little sewing done over the weekend - some cute pot holders for the shop - I have never made one before and it was a new thing to bind a circle - easy, except for making it a continuous binding.  As I tell my students I'm still a newbie - always learning.  I'm very tickled how these turned out though.  The pattern is in the latest Quilt Magazine with a few free patterns with the fabric on their site (and lots of other free patterns):

  

I use to be an avid QNN.com watcher, but once they started charging yearly fees, I stopped.  One of my first and neatest notions I purchased based off of one of the early videos was this Brandy 9" Circle Template and the Brooklyn Revolver Rotary Mat on one side and a ironing mat on the other.  I don't use this too often, but I'm grateful that I own it to use it when I do need it:

I also received my Autumn Swap gift from Heidi, it's a wonderful tote and a zipper pouch - I LOVE them both!  And they are in use already!

More pictures later this week.

Happy Monday Morning!

Without further delay, the lucky winner of Friday's Charms is (according to Random.org) is sweet 16, who is Robin!  I'll email you shortly to get your mailing info.  Thanks to everyone who commented--looks like you all were busy this weekend!

I did get a bit of sewing in, time with family, football games (ugh...still not happy with the Ravens), Chinese food, Big Ed's pizza, and lots of hubby loving ....it was a very good weekend indeed!!

I do have some pictures to share.....I received my second towel from Cindy in our Towel Swap II, isn't he adorable:

I got my towels for Februarys's swap.  They will be different, but I'm excited with what I have planned for the towels - that is one of my milestone goals for this week (will post those later in the day):

Then, because of the "Meet The Teachers" Event at the shop, I had to finish up another sample.  I finished making a sample for my Quilting Basics 102 class:

Also, was able to squeeze in one more block for the Goose Tracks:

I think both classes are filling up!  My Pizza Party class is also filling up...the event was a huge success and I got to meet a lot of "regular" customers.  I normally work in the back so I don't get too see alot of faces, that is why I'm so excited to be teaching again!

I also got my BOM from the 12 Days of Christmas this weekend and my Tonga BOM....so I'll have BOMs to work on this week!  Also a lot of work on the computer and more sewing for work.  Glad to be at home today, going to be busy today!!

Weekend overview. . .

A lot to share this wintery Monday morning here in East Tennessee...first can we get a brrrrrrrrrrr.... :)

Had my first class at Gina's Sewing Center this weekend.

As I tried to explain all the options of technique, thread color, layouts and watching bright excited smiles with blank bright eyes.  I think they got the gist of it :)  My class is full with 10 ladies all doing different blocks and techniques for the Rose of Remembrance Block of the Month program!

I think the best part was knowing several of them decided to take the Quilting Basics 101 class with me next week - I must have presented myself as knowing a lot of good useful information, huh??  And a few more joined the Hoopsisters Goose Tracks BOM next month!  So, I have groupies!  You have no idea how wonderful that feels. 

This BOM hosted by the shop is only meeting quarterly and I personally not doing the entire quilt -- the little table runner I did was my extend of this quilt.


And Michele over at the Quilt Gallery is hosting another swap that I'm joining!!  The Mug Rug Swap!  I really do prefer swaps with a finish project - saves me headaches later with trying to find a way to finish up x-number of blocks that aren't done properly.  Go over and check it out---it is a fast turn around swap, but still do-able:

And finally my design wall and this week's projects:

This is going to be my HoopSister's Goose Tracks background, I'm going to start making blocks this week for this monthly class.

I offer a "Pay It Forward" post on my Facebook over the weekend, so I dug into my stash and pulled all sorts of things from it!  It excited me to know I'm using my stash and knowing folks want it :)  I spent most of Sunday cutting up 5" squares and sewing them up making little sets of .....secret stuff to pop into the mail over the next few weeks.  I'll share pictures as they arrive to their new destinations :)

 

And one more picture, here's the block I made for Ms. Linda for our first month of Let's Bee Together Swap, it has arrived safely in her hands:

Whew, what a long post!!  

 

One more thing to say, Happy Birthday to my future Daughter-in-Law, Fallon!  Hope your day is filled with sweetness! 

 

Boy, I sure was wordy today!  Have a great Monday!

Caught by surprise . . .

I was so not expecting SNOW.  The weather man said pack an umbrella we are expect .25" of rain and there might be a chance of a flurry.  2" of snow later and roads now freezing up overnight, looks like the kids will have another missed day of school.  We are suppose to get a few more inches throughout Thursday then something like 4 over the weekend......mmmm, I thought I moved from Maryland.  Apparently I brought the weather with me :)

My neighbor fell on the ice and hurt her back pretty badly.  Our apartments don't like clearing our walks off, I have a feeling things might change now - maybe.  I need my own salt bag and snow shovel.

I spent most of my day off from work doing my volunteer work for MAQ.  We have announced our instructors for this year's retreat and we are very excited to have longarm classes available.  This retreat is going on 24 years old and last year we had 215 students with 21 instructors.  I highly recommend making the trip to Maryland with your friends for this retreat.  Visit our website (that I create and maintain).

Then I found time to get most of my sampler done - I have 4 friendship star blocks to whip out and I think it will be done before I get to work today....of course depending on if my kids have school.

Well looks like January is starting off well with the cold and snow....means LOTS of great sewing days!!

Update: No freezing overnight and kids only have a 2 hour delay....whew...

Memories . . .

So, as I was digging through my small limited stash deseperately looking for fabric to make samples, I came across this and laughed:

Why?  Because I made this about 10 years ago for my older sister.  The blocks were part of a swap and I used my brand new Brother 8200 machine playing with all the stitches and never gave it to my sister - I think more of embarrassment than anything.  Because a few months after I made this my sister sent me this one for my birthday:

I decided to hang it up for January in my living room.  She said it was a mystery quilt and I love it and use it all the time. This is the first time I have hung it up.  Here's the label -  - - 2001!

LOL, I realized taking the picture I hung the quilt upside down! DOH!  Unfortunately, my sister no longer sews or quilt so I'm very blessed to have this piece from her.   Thank you again Lisa!

I did find some fabric for one of my samples:

L-R: My backing, outer border---I LOVE this Kaffe Fasset sea shells and need more for stash, I will only use 1 1/4 yds --I have 3, inner border and the last 3 are for the blocks.

Hope to whip this top and quilt together by this afternoon!

Thursday stuff

I normally don't look forward to the weekend, I take each day as it comes.  Yet, I really need Saturday to hurry up and be here so I can get something done around my house.  It's hard keeping up with yourself some days and I'm falling behind on simple household tasks.

Well, took my funky shoes back and order the right size and got the style I really wanted- - -they should be ready for pick up on Monday.  Still excited - can't wait to have them in my hands and retake the picture!

Well, it took me two weeks, but I finally finished cutting all the dresden blades for my new dresden quilt.  There are 3 sizes of dresdens - this is the largest size.  Using LOTS of fall colors!  Unsure when I'll actually start sewing, but I think the cutting was the hardest part on this.  Granted it took me awhile to be inspired, but I learned some new things using EQ7 to design the top.

Yesterday I spent 2 hours non-stop and whipped out this apron for work:

Thanks to my eldest daughter, Bri for modeling it.  I need an apron now that I'm managing inventory at the shop here and being Halloween is my favorite theme (next to beachy) and fall starts in a week....perfect combination!

And finally, this is my new shop sampler I'm working on.  I'm not a Kaffe Fassett fan, but these look like fun to work with.  I have a feeling I might actually want this sample back.  I'm using a pattern from his new book that have diamonds in it....another first for me.

Is it Friday yet?  I want to just sit and sew!

Hump Day!

If you have notice my blog, up in the right side corner I have a milage marker - I keep forgetting to add my workouts, but my goal is to become a runner!  Yesterday, I took another step to that goal by purchasing my running shoes - only to realize after wearing them for about 30 minutes one shoe is just too small.  Now these are some funky shoes, but being the owner of flat, wide, bunion feet this concept of barefoot running is important to me.  Now one shoe that did fit well and felt great! I'm off this morning to exchange them and try the next side up.  I did try on what I know to be my larger foot in the store, but never thought it would make a difference in my other foot.  It could be the shoe too...we'll see.  They are called Five Fingers by Vibram.  I wanted to get the newest style Bikila but this store didn't them yet and so I got these TrekSport instead. 

Just had to share them because I'm so excited and enjoying this new hobby.  I've been walking, but plan to start some running patterns next week!

Ok, enough about my feet :)  I know you really want to see what I've been sewing on.  Well, doing more samples for my new shop including some Rose of Sharon patterns for a Block of the Month I'll be hosting in January (but I'll share that later ;)  and this Brown and Green beauty  The pattern is Alex Anderson's Spring Fling and was quick and easy to put together.

 

Well, it's Wednesday and it means my day off from work and lots of chores and errands to do!  Have a great day!