Frivolous Necessity

Flora

2012-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

I finally made something for my Etsy shop! YAY!

I can't explain how happy I am, but I'm sure any quilter out there with small children (or other large distractions) understands!!

I've been playing with Flora by Lauren and Jessi Jung for Moda.

Fabric I bought at quilt festival a little while ago.

It's been quite the pick me up from the dismal weather that is winter.

OK, enough pictures.

I can't stop clicking sometimes.

Eh, I blame it on the camera.

Back to those whining kids...

"How dare you stop in to share a quilt?

We NEEEEEEED apple juice!!!!!!!"

Oh, what has become of my life?

My life?

Oh, who am I kidding?

Rough Terrain

2011-12-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

Now available at an Etsy shop near you...

A gift and another advent calendar

2011-11-17T19:35:00.001-08:00

My very wonderful awesome friend had a baby boy about a month ago and it took me (sadly) this long to get her a present...

and of course I had to make it. :)

I was thinking of the Thimble blossoms "Swoon" block but my internet was down and I couldn't get it...

Never to be slowed in the groove, this is what I came up with in the heat of the moment.

I found it surprisingly similar from memory.

But this minkee fabric for the backing!!

I about died when I spotted this at quilt market and HAD to have it just for this purpose.

Quilting it was dreamy too.

Love.

It very much made me want to keep it.

I hope she liked it just as much!

I also had a request for a custom advent calendar with loops and buttons.

I really liked how it turned out so I thought I'd share.

I love it when others give me more ideas!!

And I HAD to post this photo of my darling husband who was ever so willing to help me take a picture of it tonight.

You'd never know from the picture that he really didn't act how his expression implies he should have!

You definitely can't think of having a merry Christmas with that Scrooge face looking at you.

Much Requested

2011-11-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

It's finally available after many, many, many, many requests. :)

You can find it in the shop.

P.S. I went to Quilt Festival this weekend, drug two (actually well-behaved) children in a double stroller through it, spent more than I should have, and definitely want to quilt my brains out now. Prepare yourselves for coming posts... hehe.

Halloween 2011 Costumes

2011-11-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

After much sewing, more sewing, shopping, sewing, painting, and more sewing...

The costumes for this year's Halloween:

Jolly Holiday Mary Poppins and Bert.

The dress with added ruffled lace trim and satin ribbon. Dreamy.

(oh yes, I used bridal lace. I thought the lady cutting it was going to die when she heard I was making a Halloween costume out of it.)

The hat with flowers and tulle.

The 4 layers of skirt with ruffled lace trim and lots of little satin bows.

Bert with straw hat, painted (by me) suit coat, and bright blue bow tie.

The bamboo cane, of course.

Little suit pants and the all important blue socks.

My husband thought the socks were too much.

I thought he should have thanked me for not getting him white shoes.

HAHA!

And one last walking photo, just for good measure.

That kid is so happy it makes me happy just to think about him. :)

Rapunzel Costume

2011-10-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

Made a Rapunzel costume.

"My flower" is modelling it for me.

Used eyelets for the lacing holes in the faux corset.

The back with invisible zipper closure.

The front lacing, lace, and ribbon embellished sleeves.

I think the sleeves were the biggest "pain" to making this costume.

The whole front.

I love the light and dark purple combo.

I also need to convince my daughter that purple is her color.

I like her in it better than pink.

Unfortunately, the current order of her favorite colors goes:

1 - pink

2 - purple

3 - purple-y pink

Wow, I would never have guessed that my girl would, well, be a girly girl.

Too bad for her that this costume is for one of her best friends (who I made Minnie Mouse last year).

She's been wearing it all morning and quoting scenes from Tangled and making me be the wicked Mother (why do i have to be the bad one?) and dad be Eugene. :)

Some beautiful Terrain

2011-09-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

This fabric line - Terrain by Kate Spain for Moda- was instant love.

I could gush about the colors for days.

I mean, look at that orange.

I'm not sure I've ever met an orange I didn't like.

And with the perfect purples, pinks, and teals...

A recipe for quilting happiness for sure.

You should try to get this joyous fabric while you can!

I hear it's going fast.

A while back I got this lovely from a wonderfully nice man and then bought some more to make this very pokey zigzag quilt:

It's in the shop.

Modern Swirly Pillows

2011-09-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, still a pathetic title.
But I have brain fog.
I got the boy's ear infections too.
Not complaining though because it means that dad has to take care of me and the kiddos and I get to sew. HAHAHAHA!
So, where was I?
Oh yes, those pillows.
Made these out of scraps from this quilt.
Swirly quilting and straight quilting.
Very fun, modern, and cheerful.

In the shop.

Hometown 2 (my titles are so creative)

2011-09-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Pictures as promised, a lap quilt in Hometown by Sweetwater for Moda.

I went for the off centered square in a square in a square block and enjoyed reading each and every "hometown" on those awesome fabrics.

I found soooo many I had been to, a few that I would like to go to, and some that I had no idea where they were.

I've never had to read and quilt at the same time before.

Oh, and Houston was on there TWICE. :)

Available in the shop.

Home Sweet Home

2011-09-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Pathetic at sewing and blogging lately.

I have lots of excuses as usual. Ear infections, messy house, laundry, gymnastics classes, etc.

Maybe I'll get around to correcting some of those "problems" later... maybe.

On to the good stuff.

It's "Hometown" good!

Some raw edge applique letters... always a favorite of mine.

Plus, it

Some little paper pieced houses... a new favorite.

Always fun to try something different.

I actually enjoyed it.

What am I saying?

Of course I enjoyed it. :)

In the shop. (as usual.)

I have more to show you soon.

A lap quilt, coasters, a charity quilt, advent calendars, baby quilt... the list is forEVER long so we'll see how long it takes to get them all done.

I know I can't be the only one who does this.

And it's an endless game too.

I bought another jelly roll, bali pop, and some other fun stuff yesterday at my LQS.

Never a dull quilting moment. :)

Meadow Friends

2011-08-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, trying to sew while the little guy is awake is getting almost comical.

This is not supposed to be how this toy functions.

But the little man doesn't really care how things are supposed to function.

He is only interested in getting as high as he can and maximizing the danger factor of a given object.

This is the point at which the camera went flying to the side and I raced to catch the impending crash!

So, what did manage to get finished today - Baby Quilt in Meadow Friends by Deb Strain for Moda.

Great fabric collection - lots of rich colors and adorable little frogs, lizards, hummingbirds, and well, meadow friends :)

It's even named properly.

In the shop.

Happy Halloween!

2011-08-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Got a few things done this week and a few more in progress. A few table toppers and a bunting in Trick or Treat by Deb Strain for Moda. I quilted these in non-parallel straight lines for a spiderweb effect.

Not the best picture - but it made me smile back at it. :)

I love the quilting for these. Even the husband liked it! WOOHOO!

Patchwork bunting.

Very fun and a really quick project.

I recommend it!

These are in the shop too.

This is the story

2011-08-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

of how I died... jk.

But it seems like it in the sewing part of my life!

Couple problems.

We moved - in and of itself not such a huge problem.

This little man learned to crawl and pull up to stand/cruise about a month ago - HUGE problem.

I now play slave to hovering over him to prevent unnecessary bruising (note right forehead damage in photo) and brain damage.

This exacerbates the first problem - STILL have not fully moved in. YIKES!

So sewing has been limited to the evenings and an occassional nap.

I'm sure he'll get some stability soon and all will be well again (with gates all over the place).

I should stop complaining, I really do feel like the luckiest mom the world to have him!

But... enough of those evenings have finally added up and I've completed a little project with the most delicious looking slice of fabric cake ever.

Ruby.

Couldn't you just eat it?

Or at least let the sewing machine and rotary cutter "eat" it...

I also made another in the fresh and popular grey and yellow color scheme.

I like them both for different reasons.

Both are also in the shop.

Pattern to come tomorrow.

Little Apples

2011-07-28T09:55:00.001-07:00

First, a little story.

Yesterday while I sat sewing, my 3 year old was playing with her little VTech toy that has a keyboard. She typed in "MODA" and then said, "Mommy, I typed the word Moda because I love them."

I asked her why she loved Moda.

Her response, "They are nice and send you all the pretty fabric."

HAHAHAHAHA!

So, not only does my 3 year old know how to spell "Moda" but she also loves them for sending me pretty fabric!

Brainwashing = SUCCESS!!!

Now if only they would send it for free. ;)

On to the quilt de jour...

I love the little drawings in Aneela Hooey's new Little Apples for Moda fabric line.

These little images DEMANDED to be fussy cut and framed.

Okay, maybe that's a bit much.

But they did politely ask me to do so.

I obliged them.

This line definitely has some fall flair to it.

The quilt is baby sized at about 36" x 36" and is in the shop.

Tracks in the Snow

2011-07-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

From a distance the fabric actually doesn't look all that "Christmas-y" but it is BasicGrey's Jovial for Moda.

The idea behind this one is tire tread.

This concept will likely be a pattern for you soon.
Just have to iron out a few kinks.
Like the ridiculously non-standardized measurements.
I squared them up to 1/16th inch increments.
Odd, huh?

Runner is in the shop.

Etchings

2011-07-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

I was just wanting to play with these fabrics (Etchings by 3 Sisters for Moda) and thought up a little table topper for it.

This fabric line has some awesome achitectural drawing prints that will be fun to buy in yardage when they are available in stores.

Of course their floral designs are exquisite as always.

This one is also in the shop.

Christmas in July isn't over yet!

2011-07-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Christmas in July is definitely a quilting thing.
My husband just doesn't understand.
I walk around humming and sometimes singing LOUDLY all sorts of Christmas songs.
All the new Christmas fabrics are hitting the stores with projects to do.
And because it's only July I buy TONS of it knowing that I'll have plenty of time to make things. **insert sarcastic laughter here**
This idea was born a few weeks ago and after spending half a day drawing and coloring (with the help of my 3 year old - she really colored a lot of it for me) I had a pseudo-pattern ready to go.
Then I just had to execute the plan.
And I really really liked the results.

This one is a Stylized Christmas Tree Wall Hanging in 12 Days of Christmas by Kate Spain for Moda and it's in the shop.

Pleated Skirt

2011-07-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

This afternoon was a bit of a "I'll do this to pretend I don't have to do that" kinda things...

I should be packing.

We move THIS Saturday.

I have packed maybe 10ish boxes.

Instead, I sewed this little skirt for my little who.

I could pretend that I needed to use the materials up so I didn't have to pack them... but that would hardly justify the time.

This was a nice and quick little project though.

I'm working on an outfit for "the boy" right now too.

Baby sizes are VERY inaccurate.

This thing would fit an 18 mo. old easily.

Based on the weights in the pattern sizes it should have fit him now. Grrr...

Happy girl in her new skirt.

Note the high heel "clickity" shoes in the fabric!! (Red Essentials Studio E fabric)

My little who has an OBSESSION with these shoes.

She even managed to get me to buy her a pair of high heels. :)

Countdown to Christmas

2011-07-19T09:52:00.001-07:00

So, a little bit of a funny story which may or may not make you think I'm nuts.

I am, by the way.

I've had this quilt done since Friday.

I had the pillow done.

Well, almost.

I just needed a little more binding fabric.

The quilt shop that carries it was (of course) an hour away.

With two kids and people in town over the weekend that was impossible to accomplish.

Plus, my hubs works across the street from it 3 days/week so I couldn't justify the drive.

Well, I was nagging, nagging, whining, and nagging some more at my hubs.

It was driving me up the wall!

Finally (miraculously), he said he'd pick it up on his way home from work yesterday.

He didn't work there yesterday, so he actually drove 45 minutes out of his way to make his commute almost 2 hours just to get me ONE EIGHTH yard of the red dots fabric I needed one day sooner.

MAJOR brownie points.

In the world of quilting husbands - that makes him the BEST!

I really do love him. :)

It's 53" x 53" and the pillow is 18" x 18" - the quilt, pillow, and PATTERN (I know, seriously on top of this one) are in the shop!

I adore these fabrics. I am going to have to get some more and redo my stockings this year.

So, you'll probably see the ones I made last year and hung for a couple days listed in the shop too. :)

The matching pillow.

The whole stack.

Lost in the mix

2011-07-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Sugar Pop runner already in the shop, but it was quickly forgotten and never was blogged! :(
I got a little carried away with the walking foot and the straight quilting lines, but it makes for a wonderful texture.

All better. :)

S'mores!

2011-07-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Don't these colors look just like S'mores?

Why do I always associate fabric with food?

Could that possibly be healthy?

The hubs thought this was an exercise in self-torture.

But to me it was more of a challenge to see how small of an item I could make an entire charm pack's worth of fabric not throwing any of it away.

Pretty small.

34" x 15.5" and that was with the borders!

After having finished it and laying it on top of the "brown couch" (yes, we give our couches very creative names) I realized I should have made it into two matching throw pillows.

It would have been perfect.

Spot on color match with the light brown in the fabric line.

Mmmm, I wonder if I can get more of this.

Anyway, this one's in the shop.

Flurry in July in Texas.

2011-07-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

The impossible?

Yes.

But this was a great way to celebrate my 4th of July weekend.

Only one color off of appropriate for the holiday too!

Flurry.

Measures in at 38" x 47" and features some fun quilting and applique borders.
More pics in the shop.

Happy 4th of July!!

Fat Quarter Shop

2011-06-28T12:02:00.001-07:00

Long a favorite of mine, Fat Quarter Shop now offers my patterns in their Downloadable PDF Patterns section HERE.

Seriously, how convenient.

So many to pick from - I may never see the light from under the pile of fabric again!

Good thing though, I'm a huge fan of SPF infinity for a reason.

New Quilt Patterns

2011-06-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have a LONG list of promised or intended quilt patterns to create.

But at least I've got two new ones now available in the shop.

Happy quilting!!

Jackpot

2011-06-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

So now for what happened on Thursday...

I went into my very tiny (but very awesome) LQS to buy a binding for the little applique runner I just posted and there was an older man in the back talking to the owner.

Turns out he's "Jim the Moda Rep."

He was really friendly and as I was talking to him I saw fabric sample packs in a suitcase by him and asked if it was Ruby.

It was.

Then I said, "I'll bet you have some Terrain in there..."

He said he did and asked how I knew about the coming lines.

I told him I was an addict.

He smiled and said,"Just wait right here. I'm going to get something for you."

He came back with THIS!

Made my day.
And that's hard to do when you had oral surgery the day before and you are dragging two small kiddos to the quilt shop.

I LOVE orange.

And Kate Spain makes it even more beautiful with the other perfect shades - especially this particularly cool blue and purple mix that I can't even find a name for... maybe I need to work on my color vocabulary.

All yummy.

Moda's Deb Strain's Nature's Gift Runner

2011-06-20T10:18:00.001-07:00

...like the "mother's sister's friend's baby thing.

haha, yes, I just made myself laugh.

I'm just that dorky.

Little Christmas wreaths applique and patchwork table topper.

I really liked the "formal" look of it but the hubs said he thought it was just "okay."

Since when does he get a "real" opinion????

Good thing it doesn't bother me. lol.

This gorgeous fabric line is Nature's Gift by Deb Strain for Moda.

Anyway, it's in the shop as well.

Along the Path in Central Park

2011-06-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

I made this last week but literally ran out the door to Dallas for the weekend on Friday before I got this posted.

I'm just glad to have made it home with all the wildfires and highway closures.

Let's just say the return trip was nuts.

Another in Central Park by Kate Spain for Moda.

I love the purple tones she chooses - just wait til I tell you what happened last week...

In the shop.

Sugar Pop! Twin Quilt

2011-06-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

I got another custom order for a twin quilt in Sugar Pop! to match the baby quilt.

Someone's going to have a cute room!

Turns out a coin quilt is not the easiest pattern on this scale.

Good to know... 600+ pieces later. Haha!

I love that backing fabric. Another finish - 67" x 87" - whew!

My tiny quilting muscles were barely adequate for maneuvering this quilt about... need to work out.

Yeah, well see. :o)

Some little stuff

2011-06-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

I've been entertaining myself with lots of little projects lately in addition to the larger stuff I'm working on.

The Heather Bailey pattern for pincushion/stuffed animals starting with the elephants:

Some old scraps elephants for a two year old birthday partygift.

Michael Miller Elephants for my little who.

I've got some more of these in the works.

I really really was terrible at making softies the first few times I tried.

So I quit trying.

Who knew that a pattern could help so much.

HAHAHAHA!

I rarely sew with patterns, but I learned my lesson on these...

Nostalgia hot pads.

Nostalgia Coasters.

Bar Harbor Coasters.

In the shop (except for the elephants).

Hexagons by Machine

2011-06-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try sewing some large hexagons by machine for a while now.
I came across this fabric (Beach House by Blackbird Designs for Moda) in my stash and thought it would be a good use for what's left of it.
I would definitely recommend this method.
I was actually amused during the piecing.
You can try out the method I used by watching the video here.
It's 16" x 27" and in the shop.

Birdies Skirt

2011-06-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

This post is for Grandma.

She called me all excited one day about some awesome new Studio E Essentials fabric that was for sale at my LQS and asked how many yards I needed to sew a skirt for my little who.

Nevermind the fact that she can sew... :o)

And I finally got pictures of her wearing it.

I convinced her by telling her she didn't HAVE to smile.

LOVE those ruffled shorts underneath!
No panty exposure!
I'll get a picture of the other skirt asap... "p" being the operative part of that.

Giveaway Day Winner

2011-05-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

So without further ado, the winner is (chosen using random number generator)... #13 (howtoraiseamommy).

I will be contacting you today!

Congratulations and thanks to everyone for playing along!

Frolic

2011-05-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

This finish was worth a frolic!
Twin-sized even.
I rarely make anything this big.
I'm still not sure what the "occasion" was but I like the results.
This was a very fun fabric line to play with as well.
It's a good thing there are LOTS of amazing fabrics out there to play with or all of us quilters would get bored.
Up next... well, where do I start? how long do I have? ;o)
Should you feel the need to give this one a good home with lots of snuggles, it's in the shop.

Flutterby Baby Quilt

2011-05-24T13:29:00.001-07:00

Looking for the Giveaway Day? Click HERE.

But another quilt added to the stack!
I love when my stack grows!

Ladybug applique 33" x 34" baby quilt in Flutterby by Tula Pink for Moda.

I pulled the ladybug design right from the brown fabric to make something pop.

I've actually made a lot of things now out of these fabrics and the husband thinks I should be tired of them by now... but I can't get tired of them.

I like them too much.

It's in the shop.

Sugar Pop!

2011-05-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Looking for the Giveaway Day post? Click HERE.

Just wanted to share this custom quilt I recently finished.

It's the Loaded Sandwich Pattern in Sugar Pop by Liz Scott for Moda (customer's fabric choice).

I ended up liking it though I'm always afraid of purple until it's finished in the quilt.

Don't ask why, I don't know.

I used to think I didn't even like it.

Wierd, huh? How can you not like a color?

And there's ALWAYS leftovers...

So I made this little coin quilt 35" x 40".
This one's in the shop.
I like the funky factor in these fabrics.
I've got a LOT of projects "on deck" right now so hopefully I'll find the time to finish them soon.

Giveaway Day!!

2011-05-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!
It's "Giveaway Day" at SewMamaSew and I've decided to play along and giveaway a little something to you:
This little table topper in Sunkissed by Sweetwater for Moda.
It's about 17" x 23".

To enter just leave a comment (with contact information if you are a "no-reply" blogger) and if you want, tell me what you like to do Sunday nights before the week gets started and crazy!
Happy sewing!!

Free Quilt Pattern for Applique Sashiko Circles

2011-05-18T09:49:00.001-07:00

Download the FREE PDF HERE!!

So I thought I'd share this little pattern with all of you.
I would sell it but I wouldn't want to be blamed for someone's frustration with the time commitment, etc. of this pattern but I enjoyed it and most of the fun quilting projects out there are very time commitment heavy.
The smaller sizes are VERY do-able.
It's designed for raw edge applique with charm squares but you could also use any scraps that are appoximately 2.5" x 5" or larger.
Anyway, I'll stop talking so you can start quilting!
Have fun!

Summer House Flowers

2011-05-16T15:24:00.001-07:00

Summer House by Lily Ashbury for Moda.

Table Topper - 23" x 29".

And now my husband is MAKING me run out the door or I'd tell you more. :o)

In the shop.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-10T07:03:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day.

I thought I'd share mine and give ya'll a sneak preview...

My little girl, now 3, made this at church for me.

Silly how special these things are to her mom. :o)

Her precious handwriting.

But, never to be outdone... the husband totally surprised me with this card:

The best part wasn't the gift card...

The best part is the amount.

BHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

I could have laughed forever as no such amount is possible.

Was it a subtle hint or an invitation to spend more than the card has on it?

I'm going with option B, :o).

Oh, and that "sneak peak" thing in the background...

Fabric is "Summer House" by Lily Ashbury for Moda - large appliqued flowers - some patchwork not shown... just needs some binding.

Nostalgia

2011-05-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

After months of slowly working on this project it is finally done.
Doesn't everyone have a hexie project in the works??
It definitely seems like it out there in blogland.

Oh, and confession... I follow WAY too many blogs.
Hundreds.
I'd be scared to count them up.
I'm sure I could double my productivity in life if I didn't, but I love them all.

And now that this hexie project is done I have the impulse to start another...
Oh, those cute little ADDICTIVE hexies.

The fabric is Nostalgia (April Cornell, Moda), a lovely little floral line with soothing colors.
More pics in the shop too.

Just Wing It

2011-05-02T18:59:00.001-07:00

Also to try this week, flying geese...

"Just Wing It" just made me think of it... and then I thought, "eh, why not?"

But when someone (momo) designs that beautiful of a fabric... it has to be a whole quilt back. HAS TO BE. haha.

They ended up at baby quilt size.

And to continue on with my new tiny half square triangle obsession...

A rainbow - also a first for me - in Just Wing It.
Love this one.
It's just so happy.
More later...
These are in the shop.

Charlevoix

2011-05-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

Had a little fun with some new things this past week.

First up, a scalloped edge.

I've had the tool for making these lovely edges for months now but I've been slightly intimidated by them.

Only because I didn't want to leave what I knew worked already.

Well, you can't play it safe forever.

Charlevoix Table Topper 20" x 20"

Up next, diamonds.

I saw this really cute blog picture and tutorial of an argyle pillow.

I thought to myself, "self, that argyle looks pretty easy, and I can quilt the crossing lines."

I really didn't think this one through very well.

Turns out diamonds are incredibly tedious to pin and sew... incredibly.

Especially when you make them this small.

But I like the look so well, I'd do it again.

Charlevoix Table Topper 17.5" x 24"

They look like a wonderful picnic at the park to me!

More pics in the shop.

Ooo, and I have more to post in a minute.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

I made this one for my little who for Easter!
More pictures posted here.
Happy Easter everyone!!

Cultural Literacy

2011-04-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

So even my mom didn't "get it" and I feel the need to clarify. Baby Elephant Walk is a song... kinda like Pink Panther or something. Check it out. (I played it as a kid on the piano.)

Baby Elephant Walk

2011-04-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

Don't know how many people out there get the reference.

Sometimes I assume everyone will know exactly what I'm thinking all the time.

But you know what happens when you assume...

Anyway, this is my latest creation to go into the shop.

I need to share pics of something I made for ME later.

So a few details:

Appliqued elephant 38" x 38" Baby Quilt in Lily and Will II by Bunny Hill Designs for Moda.

The shop has more pics.

Now back to the lovely stash of fabrics to play!

Modern Workshop

2011-04-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

I also finished these little guys!

They are sooo saturated with color!

I had no idea how awesome they were until I had them up on the design wall.

Even hubby called them "vibrant."

It's Oliver and S's line Modern Workshop for Moda.

Pillow and table topper are also in the shop.

Chrysalis

2011-04-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

Had a little fun with a Chrysalis {by Sanae for Moda} charm pack.

I had wanted to try a "Kaleidoscope" type quilt block for a while.

The hot pad came about as a result of my inability to throw away even the tiniest little scrap from these great fabrics.

I think these fabrics would also make a great bag.

Anyway, the hot pad and table topper are in the shop!

Max and Whiskers

2011-04-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

The finish of Max and Whiskers - whew that was a LOT of outline stitching!

Even quilted in the ditch.

41" x 34" of happiness.

And the pillow "inspired" by my child's disaster of a play area (a.k.a. my whole house) but I can't be too hypocritical. I won't even take a picture of MY play area right now. :o) Both are in the shop.

Preview of Max and Whiskers.

2011-03-31T18:04:00.000-07:00

I never do this hardly. Show anything "in progress" that is... but I'm rather infatuated with this fabric line (Max and Whiskers by BasicGrey for Moda) and I actually wasn't a huge fan of it until I saw a finished quilt in it - the COLORS! Goodness I love them. And the prints are very adorable. Oh, and there's a touch more City Weekend that needs to be posted as well tomorrow. See? Too much sewing time on my hands this week :o) Well, there's never too much.

City Weekend

2011-03-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

Possibly had WAY too much time for sewing this week - but don't tell my kids or maybe they won't be so good next week. :o) A fun little playmat in City Weekend by Oliver and S for Moda. More pics and details here.

Sunkissed Nine Patch

2011-03-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

This nine patch has been staring me down from across the room on the design wall... and it won the staring contest. It's about 49" x 43" and 100% Sunkissed fabric - saturated in spring. Love. More pics here.

Good use for a quilt.

2011-03-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

I had never really thought much about it - but all my quilts are quite awesome photography backdrops for baby photos.

My photography friend (you can check her stuff out here) suggested it and I love it.

I love that this is how his first photo shoot went.

Took another round to get any non-screaming photos.

He's very sensitive to anything disrupting his routine.

Maybe it was swing time.

Seriously, he loves that thing.

Lemon Meringue

2011-03-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

Invisible zipper...

Yellow and white tiny polka dots...

Yellow and white striped knit pants...

Blue skirt...

Green and white polka dot ribbon...

Applique lemons...

Applique lemon pockets...

Polka dot blue and green ribbon bow...

The whole thing...

A friend asked me to make this for her daughter... based on the Lemon Meringue character in Strawberry Shortcake.

What a fun challenge!

I have a strange desire to put lemon pockets on everything now too.

I mean seriously - those things are cute!

The manufacturing of zippered clothing has definitely improved in the last few years. I've actually gotten to the point that I can just do it and not dread it! Ha!

More to post tomorrow - my light went away...

Yes, I personally own rights to the sun.

Child's Tote

2011-03-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Custom ordered child's tote.
My little who wants one too.
Back to the cutting table I go.
I think I should add a ruffled top...

Spring without allergies

2011-03-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Table Topper in Sunkissed by Sweetwater for Moda.

This is one of the only way I enjoy spring without getting the full allergy attack.

Just beautiful spring colored fabrics all over the design wall.

More coming in this line too... hopefully later this week.

Also, it's in the shop.

Prayer Flag Table Runner

2011-03-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

I had a hankering for a quick split nine patch quilt.
But then it sat for two months without binding.
Sad story huh?
I know, every quilter has this story.
But it still seems like a tragedy every time.

This one is a table topper in Prayer Flag by April Cornell for Moda. (shop pics)

And now with this one off the table I can focus a little better on my current quest with Sunkissed (Sweetwater)... It's making spring even better :o)

A Slow Walk in the Park

2011-03-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

I feel like everything takes forever to accomplish now.
A simple run into the store to grab 3 items takes over a half hour.
Efficiency is a "thing of the past" these days.
Such is life.

But with much effort and my running outside at dusk to get this picture - this quilt happily moves to the completed column in my head (you know, that endless to do list that lives in there!).

It's a large baby quilt/small lap quilt size (40" x 50") in Central Park by Kate Spain for Moda (love).

More pics are posted with the listing in the shop.

I'm sure none of you other moms ever find that there's too little time in the day, right? :o)

Its a Hoot

2011-02-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

While I love, love, love holding my little guy and playing with my little girl, I NEED my quilting therapy.
I've only managed to eke out this little baby quilt but it was wonderful to do.
Not to mention that it gave me a much needed excuse to go to the fabric store to get the backing and binding fabrics.
So this little HST quilt is 36" x 36" and in the shop with more pics.

Just posting this I've been multi-tasking having a conversation with the very imaginative 3 year old and holding the sleeping baby...
this is why being a mom is fun, right?
(only problem is that the 3 year old keeps wanting me to close my eyes as part of her game...)

Cappuccino

2011-02-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

Cappuccino Quilt

I'm so excited to be able to post something new to the blog and shop!

Finally.

For it to take me a month to finish a lap-sized quilt is slow.

At least this one was pretty enough not to get sick of it in the interim.

I still love it.

Fabric is Hoffman bali batiks - Cappuccino - and it's listed in the shop if you would like to see more pictures.

I also plan on listing this as a pattern very soon too if you are interested in having one of your own.

Time for a break

2011-01-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share - finally.

He made it, perfectly, on Jan. 12, 2011.

Kayson Ellis Stanworth, 7 lbs. 0 oz. and 20 inches.

Me bundling him up in his quilt. I love it all around him. He is such a sweet little guy. He's everything I wanted!

I also crocheted this little hat for him - he gets cold so easily!

And now I guess I'll have my "maternity leave" from the sewing machine - I'm actually sending it out for a "tune up" which will take about 3 weeks.

And then... oh my! I'm sure I'll have more ideas and projects stored up that I'll be dying to do!

Nesting turned quilting...

2011-01-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

So, we'll just pretend it hasn't been a month since my last post.
Lame, I know.
But at least I've been sewing my brains out and having a blast doing it.

Baby quilt with staggered squares in Pure by Sweetwater for Moda.

Baby quilt in Tweet Tweet by Keiki for Moda.

Lap quilt in Pure by Sweetwater for Moda.

Baby quilt in Lollipop by Sandy Gervais for Moda.

Another baby quilt in Pure by Authentic for Moda.

Obviously, I had a little too much fun with the Pure fabric line. I couldn't stop! I loved it. And the backings on these are all exquisite fabrics. Check them out with more pics in the shop.

On a side note - technically I'm due today... no baby yet though. Little guy is being stubborn but I'm hoping to be induced tomorrow morning if nothing happens today. So I guess all my nesting energy got channeled into making these quilts and some things for the little boy. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that he'll pop out today.

Does stitching induce labor? I'm sure we could add it to the list of crazy wives tales.

"Twas the night before Christmas..."

2010-12-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

"The stockings were (FINALLY) hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there..."

These 6 quilted stockings were made modifying (okay, lots of modifying) the pattern on the Moda Bakeshop in Crazy 8 by Sandy Gervais.

My little 3 year old daughter has been quoting this book and even this line for days now.

We've never actually spent Christmas at home and probably wouldn't have if I were not 2.5 weeks from due on Christmas day.

That's just not a risk I'm willing to take.

And I know there are only 3 of us at present...

but coordinating stockings would be hard to come by in the future if I didn't just hoard the fabric for years waiting for children-to-be...

My little "who" is expecting a baby in her stocking from Santa this year.

Specifically, a pretend baby.

So I still have shopping to do!

This afternoon I hope to be able to get some good things for it and somehow buy them right in front of her without her knowing.

She's ridiculously intelligent and NEVER forgets anything - even from over a year ago - things no one else even thinks about!

Makes my mom job just a little extra difficult at times.

She knows exactly what presents (at least the ones I bought in front of her) are in which boxes under the tree already even though she didn't see me wrap them.

Grrr...

The only surprises are the ones I bought while she was reading a book (she reads very well - books like How the Grinch Stole Christmas). NERD! Eh, so am I...

Next year there will definitely be "Mom only Christmas shopping."

.!@#$%^&*(Punctuating)_+

2010-12-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

Just realized it has been a while since I had anything finished to post on the blog!

But I have lots of fun stuff today.

This is a stacked squares table runner in Punctuation by Sandy Klop of American Jane Patterns for Moda - 18" x 41" - so happy.

A wonky windmill baby quilt also in Punctuation - 30" x 38" - and backed with the punctuation striped fabric from this line - check it out in the shop.

I love that fabric.

Maybe I need more of it.

And another quilt in Hushabye by Tula Pink for Moda - 45" x 67" - all in the shop.

Now to sew some Christmas gifts.

Oh, I am soooooo behind!

25 Days in 12 Days of Christmas

2010-11-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

So the math may sound a little screwy but it just HAD to be made.
The "in-laws" were here for Thanksgiving and this sadly had to take a back seat to the festivities.
It's too bad that real life has to interfere with my sewing life. :o)

This happy fabric line makes me love Kate Spain even more.
It's a wall hanging advent calendar (with sleeve) with large pockets (the larger the chocolates the better, right?) and it's in the shop.

Gobble Gobble Turkey Day is Coming!

2010-11-18T14:46:00.001-08:00

Better late than never right?

I know I'm not the only procrastinator out there.

I was seriously "sitting" on this projects in one form or another for probably at least two months.

This fabric (Gobble Gobble by Sandy Gervais for Moda) has made it's way into many a project as well though this might be my absolute favorite.

It's 20" x 39" and in the shop.

Happy Turkey Day!

Whimsy Quilt

2010-11-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

Toddler Quilt in Whimsy by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda - 41" x 60" in the shop.
I'll have a pattern for this up too in a bit.
It was so fun to make - it practically assembled itself...

But seriously, how cute is this fabric line?
Vintage children's toys with dots and rickrack... and words!
I LOVE fabric with words... is that strange?

Trespassing with Fandango

2010-11-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

Oh, yes I did! I HAD to though! Okay, so maybe it wasn't THAT necessary... But it was fun and made my day slightly adventurous... pathetic, I know.
The golf course is right across the street from us and it just looked so pleasant today.
This new quilt friend is all half square triangles in Fandango by Kate Spain for Moda.
It measures 49" x 59" and is in the shop with more pictures.
These little flags of beautiful fabric are just sooo cheerful I love them.

On a side note, have you ever discovered you are covered in what my husband has termed "thigh dandruff"??
Well, apparently knit pants are great for collecting the little fuzzies that fall off of all the pinked edges of Moda's precut fabrics.
Not to worry...
It just means I'm having a great day!

Twirl Skort in Alexander Henry Apples

2010-11-12T09:54:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd share my opinion on this little pattern...

It's the Twirl Skort by Sew Sensible and it is definitely awesome.

My daughter (sadly) hates dresses.

She'll wear them only when it's "dress time" - like church (or any other event I can convince her is a dress only place to go).

So this is some perfect middle ground for her.

She loves the hiding shorts under the apples.

They look more like a second skirt layer which makes me happy too.

And I don't have to tell her all day that no one needs to see her princess panties... :o/

I really do have to tell her that a lot in dresses and skirts.

So I think I'll also make some of these with just the shorts so that she can wear them under other dresses and skirts.

Maybe she'll even decide she like dresses then!

I also made a matching apple appliqued t-shirt to match. And she looks so stinkin' cute that we had to take photos (all morning in this perfect 72 degree weather).

It's an Alexander Henry fabric... with a coordinating brown dot fabric (Tweet Tweet by Keiki for Moda).

Fruitcake

2010-11-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this just look like the perfect kind of presents?

Fabric ones that you don't have to wrap or clean up after... :o)

Definitely been in "Christmas mode" of late.

Fabric is Fruitcake by BasicGrey for Moda.

It's 22" x 25.5" and it is also in the shop.

Figgy Pudding Table Runner

2010-11-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

Well, the weather isn't cooperating for beautiful pictures...
I guess fall/winter/spring has come as they are kind of one season in Texas (mind you we are still running the A/C... )

But I'll at least show you what I made yesterday and today that's finished.

It's 28" x 19" and the fabric is Figgy Pudding by BasicGrey for Moda

There will be more pics in the shop...

I also have another runner in Fruitcake also by BasicGrey that I'll get pics of soon... I'm quilting it now.

Up next on the machine is a baby/toddler/lap quilt in Whimsy by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda.

Then a HST quilt in Fandango...

I must be nesting with all these projects underway...

We have 8.5 weeks... AHHHH!!!

Pink Lilly and Will

2010-11-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is a large baby quilt for my cousin. She's (finally... after 2 boys) having a girl.

Pink Lilly and Will (Bunny Hill for Moda) is SUCH a cute line!

Love, love, love!

All half square triangles...

Damask print back in pink.

Plaid pink for the binding.

Hope she loves it!

More Bliss

2010-10-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

So, for that "more to come" finish -

I have had this table topper laid out in fabric pieces for quite a few days now...

'bout time it got assembled.

I really do love this fabric line.

It's so cheerful!

Applique Leaf Table Runner in Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda - 18.5" x 31" - in the shop.

This little runner is for my sister-in-law.

She requested the modern blue floral design fabric for a little winter decor.

I rather like it... and the pattern.

Hope she does too.

It should be on it's way soon... :o)

Photo Shoot of Mom's Quilts

2010-10-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Took my mom's quilts out for a photo shoot this morning.

She did such a fabulous job on them!

(Recognize the patterns? :o) They're mine.)

I did the quilting, backing, and binding on these for her - isn't that almost cheating? ;o)

Hope you like the pictures of your babies mom!

Blissful Day?

2010-10-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

On the upside, at least one part of my day was blissful!!

We won't discuss the disaster of a day I had...
Anyway... this one is -

Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda

Table Runner in Zigzags!

Swirly quilting... yum.

18.5" x 31"

More pics in the shop.

More to come...

Origins

2010-10-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Origins by BasicGrey for Moda

I should probably thank them for designing this fabric line... I'm loving this color scheme!

Baby Quilt - 34" x 39"

More pics in the shop!

Christmas is Coming...

2010-10-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

And I'm not even ready for Halloween yet!
I still have to make my daughter's costume.
But this one made me so happy to make.
Merry Christmas!
Applique Table Runner Posh by Chez Moi for Moda - 19" x 39"
In the shop (with more pictures).

Minnie Mouse Costume

2010-10-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

A little dress sewing going on this last week...

And here's one of them - a Minnie Mouse Costume Dress with matching bag...

I'm debating posting a tutorial on how to make this little purse since I designed it this afternoon pretty quickly - always nice to make something cute and easy!

What do you think?

More Arcadia - in Hexagons

2010-10-05T11:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I warned you I couldn't stop playing with this fabric!
Good thing I got enough to play with for a while since this stuff is really hard to come by...

It's 37" x 42.5" and in the shop as well.
The little one goes down for her nap here in a half hour...
What to do? What to do?

QUILT!
(of course.)

Posh

2010-10-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

I've had a pretty good weekend for sewing - which makes for a pretty good weekend. :o)

I spent most of it sewing and singing "The Little Mermaid" songs to myself...

My daughter is obsessed with this movie and we have to watch it every other day.

Coasters in Arcadia by Sanae for Moda.

Can you tell I'm in love with this fabric yet?

I have another item to take photos of and share today too. :o)

Baby girl quilt in Posh by Chez Moi for Moda - 39.5" x 43.5" of delicious fabric! Yum!

Check it out in the shop.

More from this weekend

2010-09-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Baby Girl Quilt in Hushabye by Tula Pink for Moda - 39" x 52"

Table Topper with Ric Rac in Gobble Gobble by Sandy Gervais for Moda - 17.5" x 25.5"

Stacked Coin Quilt in Arcadia by Sanae for Moda - 34" x 34"

Happy Monday!
The overcast sky has not made for good pictures...
so the weekend sewing frenzy had to wait to get it's picture taken.
:o)
Worth the wait?
These were such a treat to make.
I love having great fabric with which to play.
It makes sewing so much more enjoyable!
All in the shop.

Sewing Frenzy

2010-09-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

Fall Harvest Table Topper in Gobble Gobble by Sandy Gervais for Moda - Appliqued Leaves!!

Baby, toddler, or lap quilt in Hushabye by Tula Pink for Moda - LOVE nested boxes!

My husband is doing some dental CE this weekend...

oh, I definitely have a PILE of sewing plans to keep me busy during his absence.

Up first and done are these two now posted in the shop and everything!

Onward through the list I go!!

Quilting Humor, More Arcadia, and Flutterby Quilt

2010-09-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

A few new additions today!
The ever fashionable zigzag Flutterby (Tula Pink for Moda) baby quilt with appliqued ladybugs...

This is a variation on the quilt I did a while back posted here.
Another Arcadia (Sanae for Moda) table topper with assymetric squares in squares.
Straight line quilting - I'm really starting to like this quilting method more and more.
I love how stitching in the ditch defines the blocks.

A little conversation while browsing through the 500+ quilting blogs I follow...

me: What do you think of this one?
husband: It looks pixelated.
me: It's a quilt, moron!

And of course, they are in the shop as usual.

Nine Patch Arcadia Baby Quilt

2010-09-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

Took me a week to get this posted.

I blame the weather (raining all last week), the trip to Dallas this weekend, and the cute little thing I chase around that makes me tired.

This one was so fun to make.

Arcadia by Sanae for Moda

Each square finishes at 1.5" x 1.5"

Quilt finishes at 41" x 41"

And check out the scrappy binding! Love!

And it is in the shop.

The logic pattern

2010-09-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through a craft magazine that was STUFFED to overflowing with Christmas crafts. By the end of it, I was humming Christmas songs and driving my husband crazy.

So I immediately had to make something Christmas-ish.

Voila - table runner from Harmony by Jan Patek for Moda.

I had lots of fun with the quilting too - (see the shop for more pics.)

Then it occurred to me I was skipping some holidays - Halloween's in 2 months!

So logically (don't laugh, there really was so logic here)

I made this appliqued pumpkins table runner (Pumpkins Gone Wild by Sandy Gervais for Moda) and LOVE the applique!

And LOGICALLY, I needed to make some coasters...

Now they are all in the shop and at least there's a reason behind the randomness of my sewing... now for fall/thanksgiving stuff!

New Coasters

2010-08-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Had a coaster day last week... took me this long to get it posted.

I've been distracted, by my sewing machine!

I'm working on a Christmas table topper (I know, I'm being a little premature... but the fabric was talking to me!).

More of that later... and the boy baby quilt I'm making too!

Busy posting day... some finishes... finally.

2010-08-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Table runner in Make Life by Sweetwater for Moda.

Matching coasters...

Pinwheel Baby Quilt in Freebird by MoMo for Moda.

Table topper in Arcadia by Sanae for Moda.

For more pictures, check them out in the shop.

New Skirt for the Girl - and more to come!

2010-08-20T08:46:00.001-07:00

So this last weekend I made this little skirt.
Pattern found here.
But I did a "double" elastic waistband with 2 thin pieces of elastic separated by a quarter inch in the casing.
This makes it very comfortable and soft around the middle.
Even my little who likes this one! Yay! More to come... I've been busy sewing!

Beach House

2010-08-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

Long time no post...

I thought I'd share this custom order lap quilt in Robyn Pandolph's Beach House that I recently did.

I'm now in LOVE with these fabrics. They are so cute and girly!!

Tired = Lazy

2010-07-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

I've been one tired and lazy girl.
First we moved...
then the early prego tiredness kicked in... good grief.
The last thing I wanted to do was sew (or cook, or clean, or do laundry, or even get off the couch).
HAHAHAHA!
Well, I think it's getting a little better and in light of that - I made some coasters... just to get my feet wet. :o)
Happy Fourth of July!

More Bar Harbor

2010-05-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

With the florals from this fabric line (Bar Harbor by Minick and Simpson for Moda) charm pack I made this little table topper (18" x 29") that is posted for sale.

(Diane, you should recognize this project since you were here for the start of it and are at least partially to blame! hehe. also at least partially to blame for that massive Arcadia purchase.)

The "non-florals" were used here.
I really enjoyed this fabric line.
Up next... ARCADIA!!!
It's already in the works (and if I wasn't lazy I would show you my progress).

A little more Kashmir... IV.

2010-05-17T11:39:00.001-07:00

I just couldn't get enough so I whipped this one up last night and put the binding on this morning... 35" x 41".
My day is already better with this to look at!

The sun was out... for two minutes.

2010-05-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

The sun has been absent for days now... and pictures of quilts in terrible lighting make them look terrible.

So I can finally share this one with you (and list it in the shop)!

It's an oversized baby quilt - 43" x 57" and it's just dreamy!

Ahhhh, pretty fabric!

So feminine!

I really liked the binding right on the edge of the blocks without borders for this one.

Seriously, I've been stashing this fabric for a while... refusing to cut into the sweetness.

Some more quilty things with this fabric will be coming soon to the shop soon.

Ready for summer yet?

2010-05-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

I'm ready for the spring season to be over as "allergy season" should be it's name.
I made this one a week ago... but it took me this long to get it posted.
I have plenty of excuses for the slowness of my online life this last week...
but i'll spare you for the time being.

This little appliqued table runner is 28" x 20" and is fabric from Bar Harbor by Minick and Simpson for Moda...
I just saw these fabrics and instantly saw the future project from it.
I love it when that happens! It's in the shop (with more pictures) too.

I've been a very busy girl!

2010-05-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

My sewing this weekend... Make Life (Sweetwater) HAD to be one of them.
Serene "Beach" batik fabrics... ahhhh...

And a little Verna (Kate Spain) brightens everyone's day!

One beautiful fabric!

The whole thing. Love.

I love quilting. Good thing I have a shop so I'm not buried in quilts! I'm sure I will be anyway someday...

Cherry on Top

2010-04-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

A little quilting fun today with the happy cherries (Moda Mary Engelbreit Recipe for Friendship).
My adventure for the day entailed trying the technique I found here for the binding... FABULOUS!
The irony is that the binding was the "cherry on top" for me!
I seriously don't think I will ever do it any other way!
Thanks for the tutorial.

I have a bunch of WIP right now...
they are all screaming at me to get off the computer and give them a little TLC.

Zigzagging.

2010-04-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Echo quilting on the zigzags... fabric is Mary Engelbreit's Recipe for Friendship for Moda. Love.

The back and binding are one of the red prints...

A happy quilt in the grass.

And a happy me looking at it.

I wanted a zigzag quilt too.

Everyone else in blogland seems to have one.

And I was jealous.

Oh well, once you're old enough you don't have to stay jealous for long.

Happy Sunday sewing!