Oct
20
Beebolt Charity Block
Filed Under Giving, Quilting, Remembering, Sewing | 3 Comments
So at the Sewing Summit, in the swag bags, we got a tiny little plastic zipper bag with 9 three inch squares of fabric from beebolt. The idea is to make a block, send it in, and at the next summit the resulting quilt will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to Project Linus.
What fun! I knew I wanted the block to be perfect (because have you seen some of the work these ladies do?), and I’d heard that paper piecing would make it so… So I tried it. No, it didn’t work the first time. I’m not that lucky. I had to pick the first quarter of the block out about 3 times before I finally got it right. And they weren’t kidding, it really works fabulously! I never could have gotten all those points to line up in the center without cutting any of them off.
The only question I have is, if everyone participates, that’s like what? 200+ 8.5 inch blocks? That’s gonna be an awfully big quilt. So I wonder if they are going to just choose a few, or if they’ll make multiple quilts. Obviously not everyone will participate, I’m sure that was anticipated, but still…
On the other hand, if they make one giant quilt, think of what an awesome living room couch pillow fort that would make!
Oct
13
Home from the Summit
Filed Under Quilting, Remembering, Sewing | 1 Comment
I can’t believe it has been nearly a week since I left for the Sewing Summit. It was such a nice weekend. If nothing else, it was two consecutive days of NO children whining and just plain me time. Amy and Erin did such an amazing job pulling the whole conference together. Everything from the sewing room to the choices of classes (and their speakers!) was just perfect. I learned lots and got very inspired to start even more projects.
I also really enjoyed meeting some of the writers for blogs I follow, as well as lots of other nice ladies whose blogs I’d not heard of before. My RSS feed reader is going to be jam packed as soon as I get through the stack of cards I brought home. Just a few of the great women I met: Faith, her sister Rachel, Kathleen, another Rachel, Jessica, Amanda, Darci, Chris, Tracey and her mom, Diane and the list goes on! (I apologize if I don’t have your blog linked… send me an email or leave a comment and I will fix that.)
Classes: I really enjoyed every class I took. I learned something new in all of them. First up was improv piecing with Jess followed by Free Motion Quilting with Allison. These two classes alone were enough to have me itching to get home to all my UFOs. But wait, there’s more! After lunch was a class on Creative Fabric Selection (aka, color!) by Jeni where we all got free Kona Color Cards! Such an amazing gift. Finally on Saturday, the most inspiring and most talked about class: Marvelous Mini Quilts taught by (yet another) Amanda. On Sunday I took a couple of classes that I hoped would help me with blogging. The first was a photography class taught by Vanessa… the best tidbit from that class was the whole skit about how to make your thighs not touch in a photo… You had to be there, it was hysterical. And finally, one last class on blogging and social media that just spoke to the geek in me by Dana.
For all the fun it was, I had a few low points. I’m not really the kind of person who is comfortable breaking into a group of people to join the conversation, so I spent some time on the outside of the rooms just people watching, especially at the opening mixer. I was also excessively tired that night, so I was kind of out of it anyway. I did have dinner at the Red Iguana 2 with Kathleen (who I spent a lot of time with) and a bunch of people who shared my love of mole. I was the instigator of this outing, and one of the drivers, and I managed to get us lost in downtown Salt Lake City. Yeah, that was the last time I drove.
Saturday morning was a much better time. The lobby wasn’t overcrowded with sewists at 5:30 in the morning, and so I had a chance to introduce myself to Faith and her sister. They are so sweet and such fun to talk to. I decided after breakfast to really push myself to introduce myself to other people in the room and not cling to one set of women. I think I was fairly successful, but still felt a bit of an outsider even into the evening. It also didn’t help that I was constantly running up to my room to pump for the baby. Next year that will NOT be an issue.
Yep, you heard me. I’m so excited for next year already. I’ve spent waaay too much time pouring over all the photos on the Flicker group since I got back. And reading all of the recaps of the weekend. I was hesitant to post because I really did not take many photos. (The one at the top is a view out my hotel room.) I regret that now, but again, I’m not the kind of person who feels comfortable asking for others to take photos with me. Call me weird… I do.
All in all, it was a successful venture… even if I’m already missing the baby free restful nights.
Sep
26
Mini-Quilt Monday #4
Filed Under Crafting, Quilting, Sewing | 5 Comments
It’s so hard to believe this is the fourth and final Mini-Quilt Monday brought to us by Faith at Fresh Lemons! It’s gone by so fast and I’ve had a really great (though busy!) time. I’ve loved all the motivation to actually finish some things… even if they were just mini projects. I had so many ideas, that I am a little sad that I’m out of Mondays. I will definitely have to do this again… but not every month, nothing else would ever get finished.
So today’s project was also inspired by Faith, who posted her name badge for the Sewing Summit as her mini quilt for week #2.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when I started this. I knew I wanted my avatar… and I knew that I wanted the font that I’ve used on everything from this website to my sew in tags. Other than that, I just decided to wing it.
There was no way I was going to try to piece that avatar, so I looked up how to print on fabric using freezer paper, and printed it on cheapo muslin from my last JoAnn run. (Like $.50 a yard after all the awesome JoAnn coupons!!!) At the same time I printed my name using my font in really pale gray letters so I could embroider over them. I’ve never done that kind of embroidery (or any kind for that matter) before, so I’m stoked with how it came out.
You’ve probably noticed my obsession. with. solids. lately, so once again I hit my scraps and just started stacking them together with the printed/embroidered stuff until I got what you see above. Not my usual colors at all. I also left several unfinished edges showing. gasp.
The back. I’ve got the option to hang from a lanyard, or pin it to whatever (probably my bag).
And I have to shout out to Faith, because I wouldn’t have even known about sewing summit if it weren’t for that mini-quilt Monday post, and now I’m going! I can hardly wait!
Sep
22
Moo to you too!
Filed Under Crafting, Geeking, Quilting, Sewing | 3 Comments
Look what I got nearly a week early:
Mini-moo cards for taking to the Sewing Summit. And just as a side note, they have a 25% off deal going on right now too. I swear they aren’t paying me to say that… but they could.
This isn’t the first time I’ve ordered these cute little calling/business cards. I used to include a couple in every Etsy order I shipped. But since I haven’t sold anything on Etsy in — well — forever, I decided to get some cards that don’t have my etsy shop URL on them. Besides, the old ones only have my banner on the non-text side. (I’m not sure whether to call that the back or the front.)
This time around, I wanted to feature some of the stuff I’ve made over the years. You’ll probably recognize some of the photos I’ve used if you have been a long time reader. Some of you might even have the item in the picture in your possession. When I opened up the box and started to pull one of each card out I was shocked at just how many photos I had chosen. Ah, well, variety is good, yes?
As always, the quality of these little cards is just stunning. Heavy paper, crisp clear photos and text, and packaging to die for. I heart tiny boxes. What can I say? It seems to run in the family… you should see my grandmother’s collection of boxes, it’s taking over her living room… and Alexis immediately wanted to know when she could get her hands on this new box… hehehe. (As another side note, she thought that the little blue droplet on the edge of the box meant that the cards were waterproof.)
Seems I’m not the only one with this idea. Lots of the other summit attendees have blogged about their cards recently. I can’t wait to start trading them!
Sep
19
Mini-Quilt Monday #3
Filed Under Quilting, Sewing | 6 Comments
Might I present Mini-Quilt #2 for Mini-Quilt Monday #3. And my first entry for Celebrate Color!
Yo-yos. 100 of them to be exact. In, oh-so-untypical fashion, I tried something new in a small way. And boy am I glad of that. 100 yo-yos may not seem like much, but it took me a week (on vacation) to make them, and another week to sew them all together. I can’t even imagine how much work is involved in making a whole bed cover!
And I learned a bunch along the way.
For example. How to make a yo-yo. Ha ha. I had to ask Alexis. She’s made them before (taught by her grandmother) and I haven’t. My first few were obvious. You can see one in the middle of the third picture. It’s the yellow one in the bottom corner. I didn’t realize I was supposed to be “hemming” them as I went around the circle. Oh. Yeah. Pulling them shut after I figured that gem out was a lot easier.
Sewing them together. I had them sewn into rows before I figured out a better way to join them. Whip stitching. No. Blind hem stitch. No. Running the string through a small section on one, then through a small section on the other and then pulling it tight? yes.
Still. It came out well.
I think I will hang it over my desk, or over my sewing desk. Not sure which. Alexis told me she thought I should keep this one. Why thank you, my dear. It’s so nice to think mommy deserves something once in a while.
