Tuesday, November 8, 2011

2 Days at Home


My children's sitter is enjoying a well deserved vacation. As a result, I booked two vacation days of my own to spend with my babies. Would have been a great couple days, but my baby girl got sick with a sore throat and a fever. Since we were house bound, I was able to get some quality time cutting two quilts in preparation for the retreat with my guild in a couple weeks. I prefer to do my cutting at the kitchen counter, so this was making the best of a bad situation. I now have two quilts ready to sew!

This weekend I tried organizing my very disorganized sewing room and came across a bunch of kits I had not completed (or started). One was for a hand towel dress for over the oven handle. I have seen these done in the prettiest fabrics and with the nicest accessories. Today I finally got down to business. So cute!!! I would love to make more of these. Now to find the time, without having to have a sick baby :(

Happy Quilting!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Welcome Baby Duncan!

My grand nephew made his entrance into the world yesterday! A beautiful 8 lb, 3 oz healthy baby boy. I am so excited!! And happy that I have finally completed his quilt. It would have been such a different quilt had I known he was a he! However, I have no intention of starting over from scratch. I tried minky for the first time for the backing and I love it!! Not sure I don't want one of these myself :)


So now I definitely have to move on to finishing/making a quilt for my 4 year old. Sad to say I still have not done that. He is very interested in my quilting and always wants to help. And he is not unaware that I have made quilts for others but none for him. To ease my conscience today I made him a pillow case out of the some of the metres and metres of Cars fabric I have purchased over the years. Pretty sure it will never make a quilt, but I should make the fabric into dozens of pillow cases. It definitely makes for very happy little boys!


Happy Quilting!!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

What's Your Favorite Part of the Quilt Process?

I have finally machine sewn the binding on the baby quilt I have mentioned in the past couple of posts. I am looking forward to the quiet time I will enjoy tonight after my babies are in bed when I can cuddle up on the sofa with the quilt, needle and thread. Hand sewing the binding is my favorite part of the quilt process.

Don't get me wrong. I love picking out my next project, fondling the new, unwashed fabric and cutting every piece in anticipation of putting it back together into something brand new. But there is nothing like putting those last stitches into your quilt! It is such a personal thing. And the sense that a project is complete.... well that is fantastic! As the Queen of the UFO, I don't get to feel that sense of accomplishment enough!

Well, off to finish up the evening with my babes before I get to enjoy an evening of Drop Dead Diva and binding my quilt. What's your favorite part of the quilting process?

Happy Quilting!!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Time to quilt!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

So I missed having the quilt completed by the baby shower. I am very sad about that. However, the little one hasn't arrived yet, so I still have time. The top has been completed and sandwiched. Time to set up the table for a day of quilting!

If I didn't already have a time crunch for this baby quilt to keep me motivated, I have two new projects that I am itching to start. One is a "quilt as you go" quilt sampler strongly inspired by Amanda Jean's blog post last week and the other is a 30's quilt from Eleanor Burns book Egg Money Quilts! Because, what the Queen of UFO's really needs..... are two new projects.

Happy Quilting!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Back to the Sewing Room...


I have been away from my blog and my sewing room for months! This past week I've been on a mission for a beautiful baby who will be arriving in my family sometime in the next couple of weeks. I have 5 days to put the top together, sandwich, quilt and bind before the Shower. My job and beautiful children may get in the way :) Wish me luck!!

More updates are coming soon, but here are the pics to prove I am back at the sewing machine today.


Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Durham Trillium Quilters' Guild

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel of a very busy few months at work. Unlike the rest of my quilting friends, I rarely quilt after Christmas and love to quilt when everyone else is planning their spring gardens. I was not born with a green thumb!

I did want to take the opportunity to post the link to the new website for my Guild. Have a ever mentioned I am part of a Guild? If not, that is a huge oversight on my part! We are a "more the merrier" type of group. I am very excited about the spring retreat in April. Three days to get myself back on track is exactly what I need!

Happy Spring and Happy Sewing!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Away for a month? Really?


I have been busy. Very very busy. But apparently not busy quilting or writing my blog :( Along with two wonderful children and a fabulous hubbie, I have a job I love. But at times it can be very challenging. These days working and hanging with my babies is about as much personal time as I get! I even missed a quilting class yesterday..... and didn't even remember until today!! I need to get myself back on track!

As my happy thought for the day, I want to share a Paddington snowball/9 patch quilt I made for one of my best friend's baby boy. This isn't a newly finished quilt. It has been complete for almost a year. However, it makes me happy thinking about that cute baby boy. Today I just need that thought to inspire me to work on some other projects today.



Happy Quilting!

Monday, January 24, 2011

I Chose Red!

I was on a roll. I just had to put on the two borders and I would have a completed top! My daughter and I went to a new local quilt shop (Sew Have Fun!) and found a Kona red that is perfect for the inner border.... and the binding.... and the backing!! I love RED!!!! At the same time, she witnessed a children's Learn to Sew class that she just has to join! A great Saturday! We came home, put the fabric in the washer (I am always a prewasher, but with red fabric it is a requirement).... and then it happened.........

I turned on the computer to quickly check for updates on the Moda Bake Shop site. Progressive Dinner!! If you have not been following this Blogging Dream, fix that right away!! Some of my favorite bloggers, like Amanda Jean and Moda Lissa are involved, but I have also found a bunch of great new blogs. So instead of sewing this week, I have been reading other people's blogs! Although I am disappointed I haven't done a lot of sewing this weekend, I have done a lot of great reading :) Go check it out and put your name in to win the new book and the great Moda precuts!!!

Only two more days of Progressive Dinner and I'll get to my own sewing and have those borders on so I can sandwich my quilt this weekend and have it completed for Valentine's Day. That is my challenge to myself!

Anyone else have a challenge they are working toward?

Happy Quilting!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Decisions, Decisions

I have been in love with the same Moda layer cake for more than a year. Each time I looked at it, I had the incredible urge to buy it. But in my head, I could hear that little voice that says "You have so much fabric. Don't even think about it!" Well, after months and months, I gave in and became the proud owner of a Moda "Love Is In the Air" layer cake. The question was then, what to do with this fabulous assortment of fabric?

As soon as I got home, I jumped on Moda Bake Shop looking for inspiration. I love that site!! Then I saw it. Charming Hearts. Although the pattern is done in charm squares (therefore.... the name), a layer cake makes up easier and a little less scrappy. This is what it looks like so far, pieced on my design wall.

The pattern now calls for a dark mini inner border and then a scrappy outer border using the remainder of the layer cake/charms. What I am struggling with is what color to use as the inner border and binding. First I thought RED! But I am having such a difficult time matching the 'right' red, that now I am thinking chocolate brown maybe? Any ideas would be greatly accepted and appreciated!! :)

Happy Quilting!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Belated B-Day Gift for My Sister

For my sister's birthday this year, she requested a bag. Not just any bag. I had a picture she had taken on her blackberry and a challenge. It took months to figure out the picture was of the Miranda Bag from Lazy Girl Designs. The day I found the pattern, I was absolutely relieved..... and terrified. I quilt, but I do not do clothes or bags. Luckily, although my sister just loved the look of the bag, I loved the easy to follow pattern!! It was late for her birthday and Christmas, but I have finished it!! The pattern had step by step instructions with lots of pictures. Perfect for the visually oriented, like me.

One learning from my adventure. Although I love batiks and I love this bag, next time around I would chose a more consistently colored fabric. The great thing about batiks is how the fabric color moves and no piece is exactly the same. The thing that sucks about using batiks in a bag that needs four identical blocks is that no piece of fabric is exactly the same! It is more obvious in the picture than when you actually look at the bag in person, but still a note for next time!

Happy Quilting!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sewing with my Daughter


Today had a bit of a crumby start. An early morning at gymnastics isn't special, but I have a cold that is kicking me pretty hard... so it was a struggle. It is REALLY cold today, so the kids had cabin fever. For my daughter, who is 7, that means a day of sighs followed by "I'm bored!" As I was held up in my sewing room, trying not to spread my germs (that is my story and I'm sticking to it!!) she came in with those sad eyes that break my heart. The result was a great mommy & baby girl day!!

Since she got her sewing machine for Christmas, I have taken a lot of tips from the site http://www.kids-sewing-projects.com/. If you have read my blog or know me, you can probably guess that I do not do great at simple, "finish in a day" projects. Mostly, finishing any project isn't easy. Finding a way to teach Katie to sew while not loading my perfectionism "issues" on her was easier with this site.

Today was an awesome success for me and for her. What a wonderful day!