Pretties

Fabric on the design wall:
The Quilted Fish Sugar and Spice
Heather Bailey Nicey Jane Hello Roses
Lori Holt Bee in My Bonnet Sew Cherry
Sarah Jane Children at Play
Tanya Whelan Grand Revival Dolce
Basic Grey Blush
Lecien Flower Sugar
Bonnie and Camille Ruby
Denyse Schmidt Picnic Dots
Michael Miller Strawberry Tea Teapot and Flowers
Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow Flower Fields
Timeless Treasures Sketch
flannel

Pattern:
Moda Bake Shop Chenille Quilt by Pam Lincoln 
  
Recipient: my niece:)

Tomorrow is my first guild meeting EVER!!  They are called the Tarheel Quilters Guild.  My friend, B. invited me and I simply could not pass up an afternoon of sewing time.  Oh no, no:)  I have a few projects besides the chenille top to work on.  I will be seam ripping into my Lucky Stars block to get that 1/2" difference in check.  I may bring my Dancing Stars top to hand stitch some more.

Look what I ordered from Fat Quarter Shop recently!  With the free shipping on orders over $40,  I snatched 6 spools of Aurifil 50 wt Mako cotton.  This thread purchase was a long time coming.  I did a lot of research before hand and spoke with friends around bloggy world here and there for a long time.  I am psyched to say the least about using this thread!!!!!!  While there, I found a grey Sketch print by Timeless Treasures for the pillows I plan on making for my living room couch *one of these days.*  This is the pattern I have been drooling over.  Lone Stars have entered back into my world.  Yikes!  Keeping my fingers crossed it works out a lot more smoothly this time around.  Here is the pillow where my original inspiration came from.  Karen of Laughter in Quilts did this one and I do believe she did a remarkable job with the pattern!!


I also bought some Aurifil colors over at Red Rock Threads in Silver Grey,Ice Blue and Sand for a great price!

 I opened up a spool the other day with B. so we could undertake some *necessary* touch testing!  Oh my it is soooo soft and worth all those pennies!!  Long staple cotton just sounds wonderful doesn't it??!!!!

Now if I only had something to quilt--NOW!  hehehehe

See ya'll soon!

Sara

Twigg Studios

April it is!

Looks like we are in for a storm here today.  The wind is wildly blowing the trees around.  Ayden and I had to visit the dentist this morning for 2 fillings.  This was the first time he had to be numbed.  I thought he did fairly well with the pinching feeling.  You know that annoying sting you get?  At the end of the shot part,he began to cry a bit.  For some reason, it had me teared up too.  It's a mommy thing!  The boy is fine though!  We went to Walmart and he picked out a Nerf gun.  Much deserved in my opinion.  Clearly he is doing good now.  Running through the house with his gun, yelling "Uhuh I gotcha!"  while cracking the trigger!  He's a toughie:)

With the weather this way presently, I am so glad we were able to get to the park yesterday.  Ended up staying over two hrs.  After our picnic lunch, Ayden went scoping out some kids to run around with on the playground.  I sat there and worked on my Dancing Stars quilt with some perle cotton in navy.  I have the center blocks done and working my way outward.  It's a great project for those park days! 

tulip eye candy at my house

The day before our park trip, we had some friends over and while the kids played, my friend, B. and I went upstairs to the studio.  B. has been sewing her bindings on by hand and she wanted to learn how to machine stitch one on.  She is entering it into a local quilt show.  I showed her my technique and then also told her I originally learned from Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts. It felt really good to teach someone a skill for sewing!! 

I showed her around my studio to include this huge pile of scraps from all the baby clothes I cut up the day prior for my next commission.

I have learned a lot about garment construction from this cutting adventure!  Live and learn goes without saying almost!

All stacked up in 3 different sizes using this pattern.  Sometime next week, I will be cutting into some Kona Ivory for the sashing. 

In the meantime, I picked up some flannel for this pattern by Pam Lincoln over at Mama Spark's World.  I ordered a pair of chenille scissors as well that should be here today.  I will be using a charm pack of Posy and some coordinating prints for the top patchwork squares.  This is a quilt for my new niece!  Eeeeek!!!!  I may,just may,get started today.

My March block for Lucky Stars BOM.  Looks can be deceiving.  This is actually around 1/2" too short.  Oy vey....it's a seam ripper kind of job here:/

All those seams could be tricky.  I think I can rip out the two halves and then take those 2 and split them apart.  Sew them back together with a scant 1/4" seam and I am really hoping that will do it!!  REALLY hoping! 

Check out all of my paper pieced stars on my new design wall!  It's about time I say!  I bought a really big piece of foam board at Lowes. First I taped the batting to the back.  Then I added staples.  The hubs nailed it to the wall and for about $30 I have an awesome design wall!!!!

We celebrated the hubby, Josh's Bday the other day as well.  I made some homemade chili in the crockpot and we had the above ice cream cake for dessert.  I don't think you can ever go wrong with ice cream cake!!!  It was a pretty low key celebration.   He also bought a much wanted bow and arrow online which came today.  I may start calling him Robin Hood!  hehehehe  Soon Ayden will be his sidekick! 

Love to you all!!!

Sara

Crazy Mom Quilts

Threads Gone Wild!

5 days to quilt this bad boy!
No hair loss.  Thankfully.
Baby clothes survived.

Thread loss?
(In a good way.)  kinda.

2 trips to Joanns for a medium sized Gutermann and the smaller 110 yd spool and I ask why do they make 110 yard spools!!!  Probably so this lady can go the first time and think "Oh this is enough thread.  No PROB!"  Then drive all the way home to have to come back the next day:/:/

At least I was able to pick up some Krylon Spray paint and scrapbooking paper for my illustration.  That makes me happy!

First I had to paint the frame.  Did I scrape the old wood color off?  No...durrr..ah well back to the drawing board.  Yes,yes I scraped the 3 coats of banner red off and then started over.  It is shiny and not perfect,but well who is-ha!

All of this run around took me two days embarrassingly enough.  If you click on the pic you can see the glitter paper  I chose to cover my cereal box matte.  I think it adds a nice glitzy,glam, extra pizazz to this already sweet little print!  Keeper!!!!

The quilt was still on the machine, though, so in between the frame dilemma chaos, I was quilting away or trying to;)

There is a zig zag pattern through each block which for some of them was quite "on the edge of my seat" kind of quilting.  You know the kind where you are really hoping it all goes smoothly.  All OF IT.  Some were good and some were trying.  The jersey knit blocks and, specifically, smocking outfit were NOT fun.  I changed my needle after a handful of these buggers due to some online searching late in the afternoon one of those days.  (It all becomes jumbled at some point!)  I was using an 80/12 and then I jumped up to a 90/14.  The larger needle really handled well on my heavier appliqued blocks,but still not good for the jersey knit.  I really needed a ballpoint needle folks:(  Somehow I managed and prayed.  Seriously.  There was also a small problem with thread.  Besides it constantly disappearing, there was also an ugly lint pile up developing below.  Darn it.

Hope ya'll don't mind all this complaining.  Trying to be real!

The setbacks that I was having did force me to step back several times and take a break.  This allowed me to get a new,fresh start each time.  I also go on Flickr to search out new quilting designs to keep me moving that creativity to the next level.  For the center, I did microstippling.   This wasn't planned originally,but after becoming soaked up in my improving stippling I kept going.  At some point,I then, realized I was doing microstippling.  Now I had to do the whole center that way.  Yikes!  I do love the way it turned out.

The next border with the colorful squiggles I did in swirls which I am quite pleased with those.  The  green border further out, I  did in large and small loops and the dinosaur border is in a squiggly/wave line.  That one is my favorite.  The movement is extra special.

I used a broadcloth in lime green for the binding.  It pressed very nicely and clung to the quilt edges with ease.  Another spool of Gutermann in lime for the binding. 

The backing is full of great designs!  Now I can smile:):):)

Point taken.......

Jersey knit fabrics need a ballpoint needle.

Baby clothes are soooooo cute,but a challenge to quilt with those buggers.  Challenge can be met!!

I am totally trying Aurifil.

My friend, Dana @ Old Red Barn Co. has me convinced.

I may be critical with myself and the quilting process,but in the end I love what I did with this quilt.  There are some wonderfully, soft pieces of clothing throughout that are so lovely and the depth of the quilting has made it a nice medium weight to keep a kiddo nice and comfy!  I am pleased to have been able to create memories for a mama whom loves her children dearly.


Love ya'll!!!!

Sara

Keeping my Eyes on the Prize

Many aspects of my day to day have been near stagnant and they need a good swift kick in the toosh!  This is mostly out of my power and due to impatience.  I am not a very patient person as is.  Having my son has helped.  Greatly.

If I start something,I HAVE to finish it and in a timely fashion.  It's the way I am wired.  I know that if I ignore the project, it will take quite a bit for me to get back on track.  Hence,I am organized and ready to plug away at it and stay clear of the ugly latter result.

pin me!

Today started off really odd at my home.  I slept in BIG time.  When  I did wake, my son and I had to leave in 10 minutes to make it to his PreK.  Oh boy!!!  Quickly we dressed, grabbed a granola bar for Ayden and ran out with some umph!  We arrived at school with a few minutes to spare.  One problem.  The parking lot was barren.  Uh yeah.  This mama didn't get the memo that wasn't school this week!!!!!

Sounds like a good chance to head over to Hobby Lobby and scope out some things for this:

I saw a great tutorial the other day on how to make your own matte for a picture frame.  Score!  Well I should have brought the illustration done by Tasha Horsley with me I guess because I couldn't make up my mind without it, it seemed.   Ah well we walked around and took in the whole store's variety of crafty items instead.  I had forgotten how wonderful this store was!!

Back to the illustration.  I LOVE IT.  L.O.V.E.  IT.  Tasha wrote Sara,Grandma and Auntie Kathy on the nameplates attached to each desk.  Each of the girl's hair color also matches each of our specific color.  My Grandma passed in 2005 and sewed from time to time and my Auntie Kathy is a very talented seamstress.  She once made a whole elementary classes costumes for a play.  She has also made me a princess costume for Halloween one year and countless other costumes.  Quilts have also been in her bag of talents as well! 

It took awhile for Tasha to get this illustration completed.   {Here is where that patience comes sneaking in again as I had mentioned a bit ago;)}  She is a tad busy,though, with a new fabric line in stores and a new one coming soon and kids and so on!!!!  Any who Tasha also included this postcard image she designed.  I will be searching out a frame for this cutie too!  Loveliness.

After the Hobby Lobby trip, we went home for some lunch and then I ventured upstairs to get cracking on the borders for the very last commission quilt of 3 for those kiddos of R.  Borders!  We had words let me tell ya:/  BUT it is done and the backing is made with loving care and so on and so forth.  Of course the backing ended up having a border effect too.  That border must think he's slick.  {Yes I have deemed it a "he."}

As pictured above, it is now begging ready for pinning.  Dun,dun Dun........it is a painstaking task,but it will be accomplished because that is how I roll remember!  Ha!

THANK goodness for this intoxicating hyacinth in the room.  I need to bottle this stuff.  Better yet find this smell in a candle or SOME thing!!!!!!

It will make pin basting sooo much less tiresome.  Please feel free to buy one and enjoy:):):):):):):)

This stack of cotton heaven is being craved by me as well.  I have been so busy with other things that I haven't even been able to really look at them:(  I am going to be an Aunt for the 1st time!!!!!!! I have a baby girl quilt for my new niece,Natalia {she will be here in June!} to make and the middle Posy fabric bundle would really kick it off with a bang!  I ordered the last charm pack of The Simple Life by Tasha Horsley and a bundle of Lizzy House's Constellations while at it.   All courtesy of westwood acres on Etsy!

The Pink Chalk crew had some lovely solid bundles left over from the Solids Club and so I jumped on it.  I never get a chance to do that so three cheers for that!  

Pink Chalk people YOU ARE AWESOME too btw!!!  2 days to get to me in NC from WA!!!!  Absurd!  I am excited to try the Free Spirit solids in this blue stack!!  Have.not. yet.  Crystal and Ice.  The names are so wonderful!

Catch you later friends!

Sara 

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