The drunkard continues on! :)

A mini drunkard's path pillow with leftovers from my PTS10 pillow ~ absolutely keeping this one! 

I've decided I really like circle quilting too!

Finished package ready to go!

I finished up a pouch and a quilt card for my partner this week so the lovely little package is all ready to go out in the mail next week.

Feels good to be done ahead of schedule and I'm sooooooooooooo excited to see what I'll receive from this swap in the new few weeks! June 3rd is the official mailing deadline so I'll have to patient a little longer... *sigh*

Now I have 1 month to work on my "Swappers Anonymous" items for Diane and Marika, woo hoo! This is going to be a fun "friend swap" with these wonderfully talented ladies! It is funny that in honor of the fact that we all sign up for WAY too many swaps, we decided to do our own little swap... counter productive but still awesome, hehe.

Bee Blocks ~ I'm on a roll!

I was so productive a couple weekends ago... just not productive enough to finish this blog post haha.

My Bee group is making Flags for Boston this month ~ here are the 2 I sent over for the exhibit this coming Memorial Day:

To read more about this exhibit in Boston, go here.

I'm also helping with another special project and made these fun blocks for it:

This was a fun non-stressful bee block month. It is nice being done early ~ I already have some ideas for my June blocks and then I will be done done DONE with Bees! While I've loved all that I've participated in, I am definitely ready for a break from Bees and hopefully getting a few of my own quilts done the rest of this year!

Stay tuned for June x & + blocks! :)

Drunkard's Path Pillow ~ PTS10

O man... this wants to stay on my couch and be snuggled!

My Pillow Talk Swap 10 pillow is ready to go ~ just need to put together some little extras and it will probably head out next week to my partner! I decided to use Madrona Road text for binding, I love the way it finished the pattern off. It is so hard to part with this one but I'm hoping my partner will love it as much as I do!

Feels good to be almost done with another swap. I need a break from swaps... lol, did you ever think I'd say that? Seriously tho... there are so many "I want to make this" or "I need to finish this" projects sitting around my sewing room. June is the time to get to those... I hope ;-)

PTS10 ~ Pieced & Ready for quilting!

After a nice long break (aka chores and sleeping) I felt ready to piece together my PTS10 pillow this morning. A friend commented that it reminds her of Moroccan Tiles and I really like that image and do agree, especially with the darker background it does have that feel to it.

I am pretty much loving this pillow top. My piecing isn't 100% but I got it as close as I could and I'm pretty pleased with the results of my first large curved project. My next task is to quilt it... I am going to follow this tutorial and try for concentric circles, scary! PTS is not for the weak of heart... I always like to try something new and a little challenging each round so I'm going to give that quilting a try and hope it works out well!

Now I have a dog to walk, some chores to do, and a few bee blocks to make for this month... as well as a few small Mother's Day presents to finish up. Busy busy... hope you have a lovely day everyone!

Pillow Talk Swap ~ Round 10

Another Swap?! I know I know... I am ridiculous this year but seriously... I am sooooooooo sad everytime I've had to pass up a round of this swap and don't miss it if I can help it! The sewers in this group are so incredibly talented... I am so inspired by the projects everyone makes and always receive gorgeous pillow covers in each and every round!

Although my friend and I were talking about how we needed to stay out of swaps because we've done so many this year, probably half of which because we egged eachother on lol, we agreed this one could not be passed up :)

I started off with this fabric pick for my partner ~ she likes color and these all seemed pretty cheery to me:

Not everyone loved my selections but my partner seemed to be interested in them so I decided to keep going once I received my background fabric. I am thinking of some type of drunkard's path variation, haven't decided 100% yet what direction I am going in but this is what I have so far:

I love the brights with the darker cross hatch background and really like how this is coming together so far. Waiting for my partner to comment to see if I should keep going ... but I may continue anyway because even if she doesn't like it, I want to finish this and keep it for myself! :)

I am trying to not just choose something directly from her mosaic, but be instead inspired by the colors, fabrics, and shapes she has chosen and make her something unique and especially made just for her. I have plenty of time to start over but I am hoping I am not off track with this because I think it is really fun ... but in the end I want to make her something she adores so I'm fine starting over if needs be. We shall see!

Until then... I have a very empty evening ahead of me and lots of sewing to do ...... so I should get on that ... or go take a nap... both very tempting options haha.

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday! The sun is shining here and I'm having a much needed wonderfully relaxing day after a super long week at work ~ thank goodness!

Modern She Made Round 3 ~ Finished & So happy! :)

My Modern She Made partner received her mini-quilt and needle book this week ~ she seemed really happy with her package which always makes me glad to hear. I tried to make something she would love and put a lot of time and energy into this package, so I was glad to hear she was excited that it came to her! Always feels good to hear that your partner specifically hoped to receive what you sent them :)

I am always nervous and excited for my partner to receive their package and I was glad it made it to her so quickly. The next fun part is wondering what I will receive from the swap and stalking packages through the "sent & received" discussion feed :)

I have to say, there was a beautiful mini-quilt from Lori H. in the photo feed that I was in love with from the first sketch and fabric picture she posted. I didn't think I would be lucky enough to get something from her because she is so amazing but I kept stalking the package anyway :) She mailed on Wednesday so I told myself if I got a package today or Monday maybe it could be from her! There were some other things in the feed I thought maybe could be for me and would have been really happy with  ~ but I was holding out hope I would get Lori's mini. 

Well... I came home to a package today after going out to lunch from a friend and guess who's name was on it! That is right... I got this beautiful mini-quilt from Lori ~ posting her picture because it is way better than mine lol:

Isn't it beautiful? I've been wanting something in a pattern like this ever since my friend Marika made a kaleidoscope pillow last year. When I saw this in the feed I hoped beyond hope it would be for me and now I am the proud owner of this beautiful quilt!!

She also sent me a bunch of thoughtful and awesome goodies with this quilt, as if I needed anything else! Check out that awesome keychain, fabric, ribbon, thread, and even a handmade monster! I am so spoiled and could not be happier with this entire swap experience ~ I had an awesome partner to make something for and had an amazing woman make something especially for me! A++ to round 3 of Modern She Made :)

Aside from the Pillow Talk Swap, Modern She Made has been one of the only swaps I've participated in that I've want to continue in round after round. I'm selfishly hoping that they will wait a few months for round 4 so that I will have time to participate since I'm pretty booked up for the next few months and REALLY need to take some time off of swapping after all my other projects are done in June! 

 The organizers are great, they do a wonderful job keeping everyone informed and upbeat, and I've enjoyed ever partner I've had & received beautiful creations from those who've gotten me as a partner. They also keep it interesting by incorporating a new shape each round that has to show up in our piecing, quilting, etc. The first round was a circle, the second round was a triangle, and this round was a star. 

Love it and hope to have many more happy rounds ahead of me in the future! 

QAYG ~ An experiment

I decided to try something new and chose a "quilt as you go" pillow tutorial from Let's Eat Grandpa. 6 hours (and only minor cursing) later ... I finished this:

Although it was just for practice, I took a chance and used some of my favorite fabrics and o buddy am I in love!

I can't say I would do this all in one sitting again, 6 hours of QAYG is a bit too much for my patience and nerves, but it is super easy and lots of fun. Let's Eat Grandpa has some amazing pillows she made in this style and I'm hoping to try more colors next time and get a little closer to her awesomeness.

For my first try tho, I'm pleased as punch with my new pillow :)

April finishes ~ finally! :)

As April comes to a close I am happy to report that all swaps and bee blocks are finished as of today and ready to mail this coming week, woo hoo!

First up is my Modern She  Made swap package:

This Lonestar mini-quilt is definitely one of my favorite swap items I've made over the past couple of years. It turned out around 27 x 29 ~ not as "mini" as I was going for but hopefully my partner will like it!

I used this tutorial from Better Off Thread: http://betteroffthread.com/2012/08/19/scrappy-lone-star-tutorial-part-1/

I also made her a little needlebook based off of this tutorial from Nanacompany: http://nanacompany.typepad.com/nanacompany/2011/10/needlebook-tutorial-by-nanacompany.html

I've never made a needlebook before but it seemed like a cute and useful "extra" so I thought I'd give it a try. 

Hope my partner likes her package! I am a little nervous and super excited to see what I will receive in this swap!

Up next are my April Bee blocks for Aylin:

I have to admit that I couldn't figure these blocks out from the instructions at first and I was pretty stressed about them all month. I finally realized today, after asking again for additional instructions, that pictures were included in the original write-up but since I'd opened it in a web browser, all I saw before was text! DOH! After seeing the pictures it all made sense to me and I was able to whip up these 4 half blocks pretty easily. I feel so bad for making Aylin doubt her instructions and have to deal with my bazillions of questions!
I really like the effect these blocks create when put together and can't wait to see her finished quilt ~ the blocks I've seen so far together look awesome! Off to Germany these little blocks will go as of Monday/Tuesday! 

It feels good to have everything finished up on time and ready to send out! And it isn't even Sunday yet, woo hoo! 

I have to admit, even tho I shouldn't have, I did sign up for another swap. I know I know, this is my 4th big swap in a row on top of my 6 months bee and really stupid of me... but I can NEVER pass up the Pillow Talk Swap! The one time I did, I absolutely regretted it!!

So here is my inspiration mosaic for my partner:

I included a bunch of my all time favorites so I can't wait to see what she will make me!

My partner's mosaic is very interesting and challenging... so I need to do a lot of brainstorming before I get started. I'm hoping to pick a pattern and pull some fabric for her approval tomorrow. It feels good to have a whole afternoon/evening to work on something else after church tomorrow, now that the above projects are completed! This one is due June 1st so I need to stay on top of it so I'm not stressed out by the end of the month with this and bee blocks again!

I'm also doing a personal swap with 2 friends due by the end of June. We are making a large and a small item for eachother... I need to get going on those as well so I will be busy busy until the end of June and then no more swaps until Pillow Talk Swap comes up again!!

I've loved most of the swaps I've been in but I've tried out too many in the past year+ and haven't always been pleased with the result. I've spent a lot of time, creativity, and money on these swaps and really need to just back off for a while. I've learned which ones I love and which ones just are not worth it, and am ready for a break.

I've decided that I'm only making space in my life for the Pillow Talk Swap for the rest of the year and ignoring all others, no matter how intriguing they may seem! I have tons of personal projects that are waiting to be finished, plus new things I'd like to start for myself, my home, and my family... so that is what the second half of this year will be used for. 

Until then... stay tuned for more swap progress in May & June :) Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Full Moon Lagoon ~ The new Mendocino?

I was browsing on Hawthorne Threads the other day and came across Full Moon Lagoon by Mo Bedell and I immediately fell in love. Fuchsia and sea horses? Yes, I'm sold! 

Full Moon Lagoon at Hawthorne Threads

I think one of the things that really grabs me about this line tho is its similarity to Heather Ross' Mendocino line

So what are your thoughts? Loving both? Neither? I am definitely putting Full Moon Lagoon on my wish list! 

Happy Easter!

Apparently the expiration date on the Peeps package is no joke... who knew Marshmallows could turn so evil... but still so cute! hehehe

Being the strange Aunt that I am, I made these little cuties for my niece and nephews who are visiting my Mom this week during their Spring Break. Heading over for an early Easter dinner today since they have to head out tomorrow morning for the long drive home. Hoping they like their new little friends! 

Happy Easter! 

Modernista Swap Received

Last week I came home to find this cute swap package on my doorstep from my Modernista partner:

The pillow cover allows for a bed pillow squished in there, which makes it super big and snuggly! The bright basket and coasters will be well used in our apartment ~ always love getting such cheerful gifts!

I am always sad at the end of a swap, even when I receive a lovely package and have a happy partner who has received there's. After months of plotting, posting pictures, commenting, and wondering what package is mine when I check out the Flikr feed... I always feel a little lost when it is all wrapped up and over. I aimlessly wander through Flikr... waiting for the next Swap to begin so I can start obsessing all over again haha. Anyone else feel this way? Or is it just me who is OCD about stalking Flikr lol.

Luckily for me, I was already signed up for another swap on the tail of this one! Modern She Made is focusing on stars this round so while it is time to say goodbye to Modernista, it is also time to start plotting my MSM project... stay tuned for updates :)

Weekend Sewing

Saturday I spent the afternoon with a friend of mine who I haven't seen in a month since she found a new job and we don't work together anymore. After we went out to lunch we decided to make softies. Generally I thought we would make a few and have a good ol' time together... but both of our softies thwarted those plans and between fabric choices and pattern issues, it took us around 5 hours to finish lol. We did however have a FABULOUS time together... and both finished our softies... so in the end I would say it was a success!

I made a crazy little bug and she made this cool Jamaican pony... or at least that is what we are calling it lol.

I was pretty lazy most of today because I have a headcold again... or the same one that just decided to flare up and make me very sleepy and stuffed up, ugh. But I was able to get my 2 bee blocks for the month finished this evening so I am VERY happy about that!

This month's Queen Bee wanted tangerine/orange/lemon colors for a beautiful citris dresden wedge quilt. I was disappointed on Thursday to see that my Joanns did not carry the Easy Dresden tool but luckily I was able to order it on Friday from Amazon and it arrived on Saturday, much to my surprise and delight! I had til the end of the month to mail these but I'd prefer that she receive them by the end of the month, so I was glad to finish them up today. It was fun trying a new block and picking out these bright Summer colors for my bee member. 3 months down and 3 more to go!!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! Booooooooooo to Monday morning looming just around the corner tho, agh!

Yay ~ she liked it!! :)

My partner received her swap package today ~ that is the advantage of us only living about 1 hour apart, quick shipping! She seems to really love it and I'm soooooooooo glad! It looks great on her couch too!

 

 Always makes me so happy to receive a happy email from a partner when they receive their package. I was pretty sure she was going to love this because she commented through the whole process, but actually having her see it in person and be excited is even better :) A job well done, another swap almost over, and I'm wishing I had a break ahead of me but alas... I signed up for A LOT this spring hahaha. 

We'll see what lovely package comes my way for this swap ~ end of the month is the last day to mail so I could have a couple weeks to wait but that is ok. 

Now on to bee blocks to finish out the month! Dresden tool, here I come!!!!!!!!!!

Aeroplane Bag ~ A Sew Sweetness Pattern

Sara of Sew Sweetness just released her newest pattern ~ the Aeroplane Bag ~ check out her blog post for more information!

This big beautiful bag comes in a regular and long version, I chose to make the regular version. The pattern calls for By Annie's Soft & Stable for the top panel to add padding and shape, along will Peltex for the bottom panel to add more stability. This was my first time using Peltex and I have to say, I am a fan ~ it certainly gives a nice solid base to this bag that holds its shape well.

As soon as I saw this pattern I knew this was a bag I was going to want to keep so I pulled out my hoarded Melody Miller fabric and went to town making a patchwork panel for the front and back. I have to say all in all I am pretty pleased with my work and am super excited to have a unique travel bag to use next time I have to carry around sewing supplies or go on a short trip.

If you are looking for a supply/over night bag that is large, functional, with easy to follow instructions that are achievable for an intermediate sewer, I highly recommend you check out this wonderful pattern by Sara!