Happy Monday to Meeeeeeeeeee!

So yesterday was a pretty great day overall. In the morning I had the joy of discovering I'd won 20 fat quarters of Riley Blake's fabric line, Sugar and Spice! from the ever vivacious Lisa Marie of That Crazy Quilty Girl. How fun! I'm considering using them to participate in her Row Robin quilt along:



Lisa Marie might have suggested that there was some empty space in the box still and she *might* have to fill it up with some other goodies. *Oh darn* :^) I will be sure to post some pictures when my big box o' happiness shows up. Whoop! Whoop!

Last night I hit up Fabric Depot and didn't buy any fabric. I should win a prize for that.... oh wait. I just did! Hehee. But I was able to pick up some much needed supplies of the more lasting variety: quilt ruler (dresden plate), flat head pins, marking pencil and a few goodies for the Sisters "Sisters". I was proud of myself too for putting back a charm pack, a $20 ruler that sharpens your blade for you as you cut and a few other items I truly didn't need but really wanted, thereby saving myself at least $50.

And since I can't share what I've been working on (as it's a surprise for the ladies at the Sunriver House) I will share my sewing room trash can and let you try to suss out what I've been working on. ;^)

ACCESS DENIED

Normally I'd be down in my sewing room working on something right now but DH's cousin is visiting from Nebraska and he's asleep in the guest room right next to my sewing room. I'd hate to wake him. Bummer. I've got such a bug to work tonight. I need to finish up the very last one of the Sisters projects then make the secondary "thing" that goes with them.... which should go super fast as they're easy peasy! (one seam) Then I can start cutting out the fabric for the Sisters quilt I plan on working on while I'm out there. I've been planning this quilt for a year and hot dang, if I don't want to get started. I'm trying to figure out what I can do tonight in the meantime. I also want to make a list of UFO's for the Summer UFO Club. I need to finish some stuff. FINISH. Not just work on, take out and admire then put away, think about... but actually WORK to FINISH. Heh. I need to empty the boxes for my next round of projects. Heehee.

Nooooo!

Oh crap. I'm *so* tempted to do this as it's one of my all time favorite patterns. I already have another finished quilt top like this I need to quilt but, but, but... It's so CUTE!

::trying. to. fight. urge.... losing. battle.::

Mailer

Here's a *great* tutorial for sewing up a sturdy mailer made from paper grocery bags. I made one last night. It was quick, fun and very functional. Yay!

Super Secret Project and Quilting Instruction

Sadly I've got nothing I can show even though I've been working in my sewing room. I've got four of my secret projects finished up and only need to make four or five more. I really enjoy working on them - good thing! They're for the gift exchange all the "girls" are doing at the Sunriver house this year. One month to go - I'm so excited! Four days of quilting and no cleaning or cooking or kid watching. Woo!

In other news I gave the one seam bias binding tutorial to the church craft group. It went pretty well. I did wind up giving the presentation twice because several people showed up 1/2 hour late. At least I had an extra yard of fabric that was all sewn up and ready to go. Since most of the group are knitters or crocheters they were wondering if I would give them a few classes on how to quilt. I think I might do it, but I have to create a lesson plan and figure out how much time and effort I want to invest. I guess it's just a matter of communicating to the group and seeing how much interest there really is.

Fabric Friday - Flannel Back

I picked up this flannel backing fabric to go with this top I made a while back.



I'm not sure that it does though. I'm going to have to reevaluate what I want to do. I really like flannel for the back of quilts but can't always find a good match up. I think in future I should take the top with me to the store when picking out backing fabric instead of just winging it and trying to remember off the top of my head if it's a good match or not.

I'm feeling rather mischievous

In just a wee bit over a month I'll be headed out to Sisters Oregon for their annual outdoor quilt show. I'm so besided! I stayed with Heather of Quilt or Stitch last year at a place in Sunriver and had a ball. I'll be going back again this year and thought it would be a fun thing to make everyone a little goodie. I spent last night trying to figure out colors and patterns that would work best for each of the seven other women in the house. I hope I make something they all like. ^^

Fabric Friday - Sherbet Pips, a bit more

So a few Fridays ago I showed some Sherbet Pips layer cakes I'd picked up. Yay Sherbet Pips! Then I was thinking it was awesome that I had the layer cakes but happens when I finally get around to making a top and want matching border fabric and or binding? So I might have had to go out and buy a bit more. I'd hate for the quilt top to be somehow incomplete. I love the idea of using the scarf fabric as the binding.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - keeping the pointy bits where they belong

One of the little things I keep around my sewing room is a jar. Sounds exciting yeah? Well it can be.


I don't know about you but after a sewing machine needle gets dull and is done being useful I hate to throw it in the trash. I mean if I have to reach my hand in there later for something (like I accidentally threw away a bag of rubies and diamonds or a scrap of good fabric and later realized I needed it back) I wouldn't want to stick my hand in there knowing I might get poked by a needle too dull for fabric but sharp enough to draw blood. I really don't want to see blood while I'm sewing. I like to keep that stuff on the inside where it belongs.

This is where my "fancy" jar comes in handy. It was an old cleaned out spaghetti jar but really any jar with a lid will do. I tried to pick one with a pretty lid but you could paint the lid or decorate it however you see fit. To spiff up the jar itself, I made a modified version of a coffee cup sleeve to wrap around it. See? Pretty. Easily updatable. Then I got out my hand-dandy drill and drilled a quick hole in the top of the jar.


Now, whenever a needle goes bad, I just drop it through the hole. I don't even bother to take the lid off. If I accidentally knock the jar over nothing spills out and I don't need to take the lid off for any reason really, other then to take a picture showing you a few pointy needles at the bottom on inside. See? They're harmless down there!

WIP Wednesdays - Plan C

It's was so nice to have a whole EIGHT HOURS to quilt without too much distraction. I packed up my stuff and headed off to the PMQG's All Day Sewing Day at Fabric Depot last Saturday. It was great to hang out with the girls and sew. You might remember Plan C from my UFO list (if not, click the tab above). Lookie! It went from scraps of fabric to something that might actually resemble a quilt top soon. Woo!


*Someone* really wanted her picture taken with the quilt in progress. She's too cute. How could I say no?