TGIFF2: Swept Off My Feet...

I got it finished!!!!  I took the purple/green table runner to class with me on Wednesday night and got the binding hand-sewn by the end of the evening!  I was very proud of myself on this table runner because I used some straight quilting, which may sound strange but 98% of my quilting has been stippling for the past year.  I ran out of batteries so I was not able to attempt a few more shots as I usually do.

I am also able to add the two fall mini-quilts I finished on Tuesday, the reversable baby shoes finished today, a set of 3 vinyl bean bags with a little carrying box/bag (I also thought it could be used for tossing them into) and one of the dresses I cut out on Tuesday for Christmas presents.


I was going to try to get more projects done but I ended up twisting my ankle (trying to find a battery).  I now have to spend some quality time with my feet up (somehow being 6-months pregnant magnifies this in my husband's mind)!  I have several more Christmas presents to get started and finished so I can ship next Friday, so this will be a very busy upcoming week!

New projects (since last FIF)- 4

In progress - 17 (Getting the numbers down!)

Finishes (Since last FIF)- 6

So, linking with Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF) being hosted this week at Quilt Matters!

WIP: "Time Is Ticking Away..."

Welcome to another month and another Wednesday!  Halloween is over, but the season of Fall is just starting to hit Texas.  I have been tossing around ideas on what to use my Grand Finale fat quarters that I have been hoarding.  The first project that I have been tempted to use them on is this cute little mini quilt. In addition I used some fabric from two other lines by Sandy Gervais,  Tranquility and Awesome, to cut out pieces.  I have been inspired by a recent quilting magazine to adapt one of their patterns into a leafy table runner, but we will see how much ambition can be mustered up.  I still have not yet completed the purple, green and white table runner.  My husband plans  to help me (or better said I am planning on him to help) spray baste it this weekend or at least in the next week so I might get it quilted, bound, and mailed off before the end of the month!

So my WIP this week is:

New projects -2

In progress - 29 (Yes I have a problem)

Finishes - 2

I'm linking with Freshly Pieced for WIP

On another note, I was not able to post on Monday my final count for my first official "Stash Report" because I got the flu over the weekend and that pretty much wiped me out!  If you look at the pictures below you will see how far my unruly pile of fabric has come over the past month and a half.

Sept 13, 2011- This is just the beginning

October 17, 2011- Things are looking colorful

November 1, 2011- About as full as these bins can get!

I was able to run by JoAnn Fabric's to pick up some empty cardboard to put some of my large yardage fabrics on; they give them away at no cost at our local store.  I have about 1 rubbermaid tote full of fabrics needing cardboard transfers still.  So including the 10 little totes, the 11 card-boarded fabrics, one shelf in my hallway, and the rubbermaid tote I am running at about 700 yards of fabric so far, even with having given away about 97 yards of fabric on Friday (there's another 40 yards in a bag waiting for pick up)!  The last remaining number to put a figure on is the back corner of my closet where about 20 rolls of decorating fabric is hiding out.  I am hoping to make a decision on what to keep by the end of the month.  Hopefully I will be back on Friday to post on my finished projects!

WIP: "When the Leaves Come Falling Down..."

Somewhere (else) the leaves are falling and the air is cooling down in anticipation for a coming winter (in other places besides Texas).  In our household we have the apple cider simmering on the stove in my efforts to foster the scents of the season (as well as a spice candle burning).  I've also broken into my Sandy Gervais stash of fabrics to get in a little fall sewing.  The Fat Quarter collection shown in the picture is from her Grand Finale line of fabric, I also have a scrap bag from her fall line from last year (I will have to look up the name when I start posting the projects), and two layer cakes from her Tranquility line.  All these are such beautiful fabrics, it is hard to choose exactly what to do with them to do them justice.  I have plans for wall hangings, wall hangings, and perhaps a quilt as well.

In my second picture is the start of a table topper that is a request for a friend.  The pieces are extremely small compared to other projects I have attempted in the past; in the end they should look like stars.  Have you noticed another theme in my pictures today?  Nugette has been jumping into most of my pictures lately.  It's something I did not anticipate for picture taking while I am pregnant.

I look forward to posting some cute projects on Friday that I have finished this week.  Monday, I hoping to have a rough number for a stash report!  If you have time, take a look at our baby-name contest on another post or my husband's blog.

Lap Quilt Finished!

I finished the binding on lap quilt this morning (I am attempting to get up at 7AM every day).  I tried to take pictures out in the courtyard of my apartment building at lunch time when all the children and their Mothers leave the area for the AC inside.  I learned two things, a) it is hot and sunny, I should go inside too, and b) I really am not that great at taking pictures.  I used some of my precious "Lovely" fabric designed by Sandy Gervais.  I have a few blocks left of the Stars that I will perhaps make into a table runner.  The pattern is from The Moda Bake Shop, called Charming Stars Quilt.  I modified it a little to use the green fabric with white poka-dots instead of white.  I might try to take a better picture tomorrow; I am not sure if you can see the Stars in the middle.  For the back I used a yellow/white check print and scraps of fabric from another quilt using the same fabrics.  I was inspired by Julie at Jaybird Quilts to do something with my Quilt Backs.  I am hoping to do more interesting things in the future.

I won a contest!

It was my first year to find out about "Give-a-way Day" which is hosted by Sew Mama Sew each year.  Each year a list of blog sites and stores sites sign-up up to give something(s) away.  This year it was divided into three categories, there were sites from all over the world participating, and the lists were massive!  I was having a bad recovery week and thus was only able to check out about 20 blogs on one list and maybe 4 blogs on another list.  Today my package arrived in the mail from Karamat; I was informed a few days ago that I won!  

What did I win?  Well, Karamat has an etsy store which sells fabric.  On her blog she required each person to pick two yards of fabric they would like from the Etsy site and make a comment.  I pointed out the listings for one yard of each of the prints from the "Frolic" line that is in the first picture above.  In the second picture the new fabric is tucked in with the "frolic" stash.  You may be able to tell that I end up stashing more from Sandy Gervais' lines than any other fabric designers (she currently has 1.5 drawers with her name on it), although I have started to branch out a little.  I originally saw a line of fabric called "Fresh Squeezed" in a quilting magazine and really liked it.  It could not be found, but "Frolic" was by the same designer and had similar prints that I really enjoyed.  

Moda Bake shop has a great pattern using "Frolic" called "WhirlyWheels Baby Quilt" that I was drawn to, so I started collecting fabrics.  However, in the end, I could not bring myself to cut into the fabrics since it was my first foray into the lands of designer fabrics and so I made this pink quilt last year for a friend out of other fabrics. I found another Moda Bake Shop pattern inspired by "Frolic" that I will be attempting in the future.

A Start and a Finish...

Hello, this is my first blog posting. I love to read postings about quilting and other crafty type items so I thought that would be what I wrote about as well. I am hoping that there will be improvement in my writing as time progresses, but for now please take me with a box of salt and a little bit of sugar.

This quilt I like to call the "Modified Postage Stamp" type quilt. I had seen there was a "Postage Stamp Quilt-a-long" being held by a bunch of bloggers online this past January. I do apologize that I cannot remember who they were. From their idea I modified the pattern to use charm squares instead of Jelly rolls and added the Aqua fabric between blocks and around the outside of the blocks. I had some "Lovely" Charm squares (by my favorite fabric designer Sandy Gervais) and I wanted to do something that would showcase all the pretty colors and patterns in the fabric. The Aqua fabric that runs between the squares, also used for the binding, was a simple print that I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics. This is the first of my baby quilts that I have made to put in my stack for selling. This year I decided that I would not give everything away as I normally do. I am also finding some neat little projects one can make for babies and as gifts. I will share some of those links in the future as I find them and try the projects out.