Happy 2014

This is my first post since Jan 1, LAST YEAR!

That makes me a bad blogger.

I'll do a year in review and then we're going to move on and past it and start over!

I did go back and reread my goals for the year.

My personal goals were to:

Blog more often.

Lose 10 pounds.

Find and stick to an exercise plan.

Obviously, I didn't blog more often. I was really sick with my migraines at the beginning of the year and that kept me down and out. Then, I was running around like a chicken without a head when I finally got on some meds that worked and it was time for my daughter to graduate from high school. Lots of family staying here, graduation, parties, senior events, it was a whirlwind.

After that, the longer I stayed away, the harder it got to want to post a blog. I was embarrassed at how long it had been. Now, I am just starting over!

Losing 10 pounds....well, I did do that. I lost some weight when I was so sick last winter, but then I think I gained it back when I started feeling better. Being sick is an awful way to lose anyway. But this fall, I went on a migraine diet which eliminated so many things that I did lose about 9 pounds that I am managing to keep off. Of course, the Christmas cookies are not helping! LOL

I'll get back on track soon!

And exercise, schmexercise! I don't have time!

My sewing goals were:

Valentines quilt top

Allies quilt

Sew Spooky

Swoon

More bags

Etsy Shop

I'll have to see if I can take some pictures, 2013 was actually not too bad of a quilt year, if you don't mind that I got most of them done in the first half of the year.

I did finish my Valentines quilt, and in time for Valentines day. The top was done, but it needed basted and quilted and I did it. Not only did I do it, but I free motion quilted the whole thing. It was the first time I've FMQ something that big (twin size) and I love how it turned out.

I also basted and quilted Allie's quilt. Again, the top was done, but with company coming for graduation, getting her quilt on her bed was a priority. This one was a full size and I just straight line quilted it.

Swoon....I think I only had 1 block done.....maybe 2 or 3, if I can recall what was on my sewing room wall. (looking back in my blog, I see a post from April 2012 where I say I have 2 blocks done! So, I think I had 3 done at this point.) Anyway, I finished the other 6 blocks, set them with the borders and sent it off to be quilted. This was another priority so that it would be on my bed by the time company got here for graduation.

Sew Spooky...well, that's not exactly done. I finished the applique and got the quilt top done and basted. And I have the whole middle FMQ. But I ran out of steam when it came time to straight line quilt the bat borders. So, its on the back burner (again) until next year, when I can hopefully pull it out and finish it.

I made a few new fun bags. I think 3 and they were all the same, just different fabric.

And I put nothing in my Etsy Shop.

Looking back, it doesn't seem like I did too bad!

Now its time to take my daughter to work, so I'll have to update you more later.

Happy New Year!



Me and My Sister Designs

I won a prize!!! I am so excited!

Me and My Sister Designs were giving away boxes of Twirl scraps and I won! Yeah!

Thanks Barb!!!

So, the box arrived on my front porch and when I bent down to grab it, it was too heavy for one hand!
Holy cow, how much fabric is packed in here, I thought?!?!

The answer was ALOT!

Check out these pic's! You'd think Allie won instead of me!

We are both really excited and can't wait to find something to do with Twirl!

Pardon the messy living room, we were still in the getting ready for christmas mode! Its clean now!



The End is Coming

Really?
The Rapture is happening this Saturday?
I guess I should get ready!

Wait.....yeah, I'm probably not going.

I'm too skeptical of all of this talk.

But, that's not what I am here to chat about.

I've been sewing and sewing!
And dealing with a stubborn migraine that is not going away,

but that's beside the point.

Yesterday, I finished Allie's 4 layer skirt.

So cute!
She picked out the fabrics, and they came out beautifully together.

Of course, she had to wear it to school today.

And, here's her first quilt square.

I'm not going to say she is doing it all on her own,

cuz I seem to be doing an awful lot of pinning and all of the cutting.

And some of the ironing.

BUT she is doing almost all of the sewing.

I also started my new spring/summer purse yesterday.

Finished it today, so voila, here it is:

And, I finished a dress for Samantha. Maybe she'll try it on later and I can get a pic.

But, its one of those fabric's where the top is already smocked, so all you have to do is sew a seam down the back, hem it and its done.

An easy cross off on the list, so that makes me happy.

I have another one of those to do for Allie, I'm just waiting for her to get home so I know how big to make it.

My pace right now is one thing crossed off her day.

If I keep up this pace, I'll be done in a month! LOL

The FNSI is tomorrow night.

Are you signed up?
If not, check it out here.

Not sure yet what I will be working on, but you know my list is long, so I'll find something.

Messenger Bag

When we went out of town last month,

I stocked up on some quilting magazines.

Two 18 hour drives requires alot of reading material.

One of the magazines I picked up was this:

See the cute little bag in the top right?
That's on my to do list. Somewhere.

But, inside the magazine was a purse/messenger bag free pattern.

And, coincidentally, my oldest daughter has been asking me to make her a messenger bag.

She wants it for the Hawaii trip, as well as day trips where she needs a bit more room and an "over the shoulder/across the chest" strap for comfort.

I should have taken a pic of it on her, but I didn't.

Here is the outside.

The pattern was easy to read and came together very quickly.

I did make a few, small changes and learned some things along the way.

I added heavy duty interfacing to both sides of the bag body to help it hold its shape.

(Haha, what I learned was don't add that until AFTER you have forced the body through the handles to get the bag right side out!)

Cassidy also informed me that she had no intentions of using it reversible, as it was intended, so could I please add some pockets to the inside.

(would have been nice to know this BEFORE I sewed the bag together)

And, lastly, I added a zipper....I have no idea why someone would want a bag or purse that has no closure! Yikes, talk about theft waiting to happen.

Here is a pic of the inside:

And so, the first item has been checked off the Hawaii to do list.

After I finished this, I started Allie's 4 layer skirt.

But I promised myself I wouldn't post pics of anything until they are done.

I got all the layers sewn together, the zipper in and the hem done. All I need to do is add the yoke lining.

For now, I have eaten so I am going to take a migraine pill and go back to bed, in hopes that I can save this day from being headache hell.

Just as a btw, Allie has been working on her quilt the last few days.

I'll take a pic later and update you on her work!
So cool to see her working on a full size (well, twin, but you know what I mean!) quilt!

My daughter, the quilter

Allie is 10.

She's my youngest daughter

and the only one who seem's to have

a genuine interest in sewing.

She is always *making* me buy her fabric.

Either for her to make stuff herself,

or for me to make for her.

She also loves to sew scraps on whichever sewing maching I am not using.

She actually has her own box of scraps that she keeps on my shelf

and is constantly going through and playing with.

Today, I was napping on the couch

(Late night and too much to drink, LOL)

and, apparently, she decided she wanted to sew.

Which was fine, really.

I don't mind and I trust her to use the tools

correctly. After all, I taught her how.

She decided to make a quilt square.

On her own.

With no help.

Here it is

I have never taught her to do this.

She cut the inner green square. Added the blue triangles.

And then added the border. She also used the fancy quilting stitch to dress up the middle.

She knew not to use the iron without supervision,

so, she finger pressed the seams open until I showed up to iron.

Not only am I impressed with her skill

(not perfect, but darn good!),

but she learned this by watching me.

How cool is that??

January!?!

Hard to believe that I haven't posted here

yet this year! YIKES!

Its not because of a lack of new things

to talk about.

I've been busy sewing!

So far this year, I have already completed

quite a few things!

• I helped Allie finish her very first quilt

• I quilted the winter table runner for my dining room table
• I started and finished the winter table square for my kitchen table

• I made Allie a pajama shirt and eye mask and helped her make the pants
• I made Nick 2 pairs of pj pants
• and 2 new pairs (shirts and pants) of pajama's, plus eye masks
• 2 new eye masks for my neice and nephew

Allie!

Allie.

What words can I use to describe her?
Fun. Loving. Energetic.

Attitude-y. Funny. Athletic.

Busy. Cool. Friendly.

And after yesterday, I can describe her as a

seamstress in training.

She went with me to the fabric store the other night.

We spent her money and bought her a child's Singer sewing machine.

It took D batteries and only made 2 stitches.

No bobbin.

And it was LOUD.

But she loved it.

We also bought some fabric for her to make a

few things for herself and her favorite

stuffed animal.

By the following morning, I hated that machine.

And all she had done was practice on it.

So I decided to teach her on my machine and we

would return the other one.

Yesterday she made several things:
A reversible blanket for a stuffed animal.

2 pillows for that animal.

A mattress.

And a purse/bag.

She had some help. Grandma is here and me.

But for the most part, she did it all herself.

I am so proud.

She spent the evening trying to decide what to do next.

She couldn't decide between curtains, pajama pants,

or a quilt.

She decided on all three.

I have most of the fabric for those things here at home.

But I needed some other quilt fabric and she needed some

to go with what she had picked out.

So, back to the fabric store today.

Got all that we needed and returned the small machine.

We're both happy.

Me-I'm thrilled she wants to do this with me!