Fresh Sewing Day {April Finishes}

Well, I have never linked up to Fresh Sewing Day before; it's embarrassing how much I *don't* finish in the average month! April was a little different though. Here's what I've got!



The three quilts alone are a huge accomplishment for me. Throw in a bee block, a couple of pillows & a few small things for my upcoming sale, and I am starting to wonder what I was doing that was working so well for me in April.
Less tv, yes. More coffee, well, yes. The biggest motivator was probably my craft sale. I need deadlines. I need them, so I can slack off & then sew like a madwoman right down to the wire. It's just my style, I guess. Now I know - better plan for another show!?!

And I named her Baby.

So, way back...I forget when...I joined the swoonalong on flickr. I had already purchased the pattern & a quilt along was just what I needed. I finished one block. It is a large one, at 24"...but it was still only one. I loved her right away.
 With the pattern & fabrics both being so very awesome to start with, if there was something I didn't end up liking with this quilt, it was all on me. So...she sat around for a while, waiting to gain sister blocks to form one massive & glorious quilt. It never happened. She is an only child. She is my Baby Swoon.

Stats
Fabric: Heirloom by Joel Dewberry + Kona Med Grey & Bright Pink
Size: 39 x 48.5"
Pattern: Camille Roskelley's Swoon

I am linking up to Finish it up Friday & Sew & Tell.

  

Early next week, I will hopefully have some exciting news about all of my quilts being sold @ my Aunt's studio tour this weekend... if not, I still have one of those said quilts to show you, "Scallops" from Curves Class.

Leap Day wip

Happy Leap Day! One extra day...I know I always wish for extra time, but today doesn't feel like extra. It just feels like a normal Wednesday. It's one extra day before my birthday arrives...keeping me 31 for just a teeny bit longer. That is nice... yay for Leap Day! (I sure turned that around quick, didn't I? hehe)

I still have way more projects on the go than normal. All the fabric I need for finishing has arrived, so that excuse is now gone!
Sparkle - waiting on 5 more blocks, sashing, etc
Aviary 2 - haven't started on the back yet
Baby Swoon - haven't started the back yet
Pips Zig Zag - sandwiched, waiting to be quilted



That is my ironing board. Not that I can iron without moving everything off of it first! Where does the pile go? To the cutting table of course. Then back to the ironing board, etc, etc. It's a vicious cycle!
 Where do you keep your quilt tops/sandwiches?  I hate to fold mine up, so they get draped here once I need the design wall space for something new. Maybe this is why I prefer to go start to finish on one project!

I am quickly falling behind in curves class. Here is my Scallop quilt so far.



I'm fussy cutting the flower bits. Usually when I try too hard, I suck. So far, this looks like it might work out okay though. Speaking of trying too hard...my seams are not perfect. They are okay. Funny thing is, the best ones are the ones I did when I realised I had 7 mins before Parenthood started last night. Zipped right through them & they are awesome. Sheesh. Also, if you have not been watching Parenthood, you have been missing out. Truth.




I'm off to see some other freshly pieced creations over at Lee's!

Swoon, Sparkles & Swap!

Well...let's see...I feel like there's lots to update you on this week!
I signed up for the Craftsy Block of the Month. It's free, so I am only going to do the blocks that appeal to me most, or that will teach me something new. They will most likely be made with Modern Meadow & added to my 'summer sampler' quilt, which is turning into a catch all for random blocks!

Yesterday I made it into the Polka Dot Charm Swap! Whoo hoo! I have a few of the fabrics that will be included, mostly the 'Ta Dot' prints. So, I might decide to make a fun little quilt for the playroom. Or possibly just a ton of new bean bags! However they get used up, it's exciting to know all those dots will make it here eventually!


Some progress was made on my Sparkle quilt - too much maybe, as in the quiltalong, we are still piecing the HST's. Oops! I am signed up for Curves Class starting Feb. 1st, so I have been trying to finish up what I can before then. I am not used to having so many projects on the go. My usual style is to make a quilt start to finish & then move onto the next! Having the option of which project to work on is nice, but I worry this way will mean more things sitting unfinished!
Anyway, I have done all I can of my Sparkle until more Kona Med Grey arrives in the mail. Here is a mock up of what I have so far.

I placed what I could finish of the white block over my blue for a better visual

Swoon. Oh Swoon. Here is my one lone block. It is SO large, the next two regularly sized 12.5" blocks I made after it seemed way too small. I measured them to make sure, they just felt tiny by comparison!





The plan was to show you all my Summer Sampler blocks to date, but maybe I will finish off another one tonight & save that post for tomorrow...or Saturday.

 

w.i.p. - my first of the year

Now, I listed & linked to my plans for the immediate future in my last couple of posts, but here are some photos I took today. You know, the proof!

Swoon. I am really unsure as to how many of these blocks I will do. My 3 yr old niece was looking through my flickr favs of this block & saying, "that is so pretty", "I love that one", "look at those pretty colours!". She basically said every. single. one. was her favourite, and I feel the same way! It confirmed that my original swoon idea of making her a pillow was a good one. It also got me wondering if I should try some hand sewing with her soon...the fabric love seems to be there!
Here is my start. Medium Grey Kona & some Heirloom...

 


Next up - solstice star #1, ribbon star. Made up with Modern Meadow to fit in with my Summer Sampler blocks from last year. (Missing some background Raffia Kona in this pic, as I forgot to cut it out! Laid the block pieces out like so & thought, "how did I miss those?!"


 


These are the fabrics I've picked out for my Sparkle quilt. I hope to make it a baby sized (9 blocks) but am starting with these 4 to see how I like it. I believe cutting instructions come tomorrow, so my 1.5hrs of nap time is already spoken for!





I also have to vent just a little bit. My local quilt shop does not carry the types of fabric that I love. It's okay though, internet shopping is good to me! What I would love to pick up locally are things such as Best Press (or something similar, since I don't know the difference yet), an assortment of rulers (a square smaller than 6.5" specifically), fusible interfacing, insul-bright & quilting gloves. That was my list & the shop had nothing I needed. The woman working there told me to check walmart. Um...really? I was a little surprised that 1- she thinks walmart has all this stuff & 2- that she would rather I shop there. (Has anyone in a Canadian Walmart ever seen Best Press on the shelves?) I wish my LQS was more impressive. It would be so nice to purchase some items in person (no stalking the post office) & in CAD!

Linking up at Freshly Pieced today :)  

A little of everything

Well, it's 2012...not that I can remember it when writing the date yet! (Once last year, I apparently thought it was 1999, so there may not be much hope for me)

Here are a couple of little mosaics of 2011's projects. There are more, but my computer died last year & is still hanging around waiting for someone who knows how/if I can recover my photos... but I believe this covers all the quilts.

So far I haven't really done any sewing this month. So strange & I don't like it!

I shortened my little sister's curtains last night. I've sewn up a couple of simple made-from-one-fabric pillowcases. And that about covers it!

I have publicly announced on facebook that I am making another KeykaLou wallet for a family Christmas party prize table, so I better get cracking on that for this weekend.

 What I have been doing is signing up left, right & center for quilt alongs & other such things! I am taking Rachel's curves class that starts in February. I will be swooning along with Katy & approximately 300 others! I have also been wanting to make a sparkle punch baby quilt a la Elizabeth Hartman. So, we'll see how all that goes!

Also this year, I want to:

• make a sewing machine cover (finally)
• finish my summer sampler quilt, ideally before this summer!
• finish the Aviary 2 baby quilt in progress
• make more KeykaLou wallets
• make Mom's quilt, currently just a pile of fabric
• whip up a table topper for my playroom shelf, which will really be a 'cat mat'. Sort of like a mug rug, but bigger, for cats to nap in the window. A cat nap mat!
  
  I am sure there are more projects floating around in my brain (& on pinterest!), but for now, this seems like plenty to start! I hope that need to sew every night kicks in soon.