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!

Curves Class WIP

Well, here we are, {work in progress} Wednesday again! I have a couple of projects that are waiting in the wings with absolutely no progress lately. My Sparkle quilt is one of those as I am waiting on a fabric delivery to continue with it. Baby Swoon is in the same boat.

What I have been decent at is keeping up with my Curves Class projects. Here is my first improv piece. I made it into a potholder, again, for my sister who likes to cook.

I like it much better than last week's potholder!

My 'Rainbow Road' runner top is finished. I am making it to fit a specific table that my kitties like to sleep on. Here's a peek at the top.




















It was a good use of my scraps but I don't find improv curves all that enjoyable. Okay, that's probably not true. I think the scrap usage is the part I'm not liking so much. Although long curves with seams every inch or two, half being pressed the opposite way than I needed them was not fun. The throat plate on my machine is raised in the front, it catches every single seam allowance, pressed towards it or open. Pain.in.my...
I am skipping the Christmas Tree Mini project for now but would like to revisit it later on if I can find a good way to save the tutorial before the blog closes shop. If anyone taking the basics class has a plan for saving all the info, could you please let me know? I would really appreciate it!

Precise curves - I love em! My first two tries I found I was pulling the bottom piece too much, stretching it out of shape. This is when I cursed using that circle fabric. I made up some spray starch & tried again, more aware. Worked much better. I have yet to try the pinning method - honestly, I'm not sure I ever will.

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Happily in my playroom, brightening up our cozy corner

In unrelated news, my Pips Zig Zag quilt is all basted & ready to go! I am trying to hold off on quilting so I can keep up with class, but I'm not sure I can just have it sitting on my ironing board waiting for much longer!


 

Monday, again.

It seems that lately, Monday is a good day to blog. I usually sew like crazy on the weekends & not so much during the week, so I guess that makes sense. This weekend didn't see me in my sewing room as much as usual, but I do have a few small things to show.

My curves class goodies!

A couple of bibs. Used the pattern for one & traced a bib I own for the other

Also finished my scallop bunting. I made my scallops a little smaller than the pattern & added more. It was my first time making biased binding & that was really not very enjoyable! I would do it again...but only if/when I have to! I will have to take another photo when the bunting finds it's permanent home in the playroom.



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It was my little sister's birthday yesterday. We are the same age for about a month! I made her a pot holder. She is into cooking (I am into eating her leftovers!) and often has the family over for dinner. I'm sure it will be used plenty :)


Oh- my Moo business cards came in today! I usually get the minis but wanted to try the bigger (regular) sized cards. I just went with a pre designed graph paper image for the front. I can draw on them with my sharpie, which is sort of awesome! (That block is a bit sloppy...but I love the idea!) The back turned out okay. The colouring is off...but I can live with it. At least I got all my info correct!  Edit: Almost got it perfect. Missing a 'to' in my blurb at the bottom there. I knew I should have proof-read it 101 times! I'm sure I would have caught it that last time...


Linking up to Manic Monday & Sew Modern Monday again! You know, cause it's Monday. Again.

   

Completely Unplanned

Why? Why do I abandon my 'to do' list and start on something totally unplanned & random & with no place to go*? My WIP's include more Keyka Lou wallets, Aviary 2 baby quilt, Sparkles top, solstice stars/Craftsy BOM blocks, some prep for Curves Class...this is what I did instead of finishing any of that.




I saw Jeni's tutorial at the Moda Bake Shop on Tuesday. I guess it stuck with me because on Saturday I was tidying up fabric, came across a Pips charm pack & went straight to work! I only had 1 charm pack, so I didn't follow the tutorial - it's the same idea though. My top is 44 x 49".
I've ordered some more grey puppies, scarves & blue play dot fabrics for the backing/binding.

Without all the grey added in, I don't think I would like this top as much as I do. I tried to be a little random in piecing my charms (as much as I could handle!) and after it was all sewn up I saw some squares I would like to move around. Not really used to that! I *did* have to unpick one charm after it was already sewn into a big HST. The puppies were upside down, and that was not cool with me!

There is a local craft show coming up in May and I'll have a table there. A table for sure, not too sure what else will be there, other than this quilt.
*So. I guess it does have a place to go after all.  :)

See all that grass? This weather is so unusual. Nice, but it feels wrong. It's February & I live in Canada, so taking outdoor quilt photos without a coat & wearing running shoes is not something I've come to expect! It was really windy, that's why I stuck my top to some warm & natural, to try & help stabilize it a bit. It was whipped around really good out there!

It's almost swing weather!

Linking up my 'finish' to {sew}Modern Monday (I don't think of a quilt top as a finish, but I think it counts for this purpose!)  and Manic Monday!

Summer Sampler, so far...a couple seasons behind!

There was absolutely no start to a new block last night, so I will just show you what I have finished to date. I hadn't looked at these blocks in a while [months] and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I really like them! I remember liking them before, but I guess I forgot how much! It is totally motivating me to get paper piecing some more!





I finished up this top last night. I kind of needed the design wall space, so I figured I should get crackin on it. The corners aren't sewn on in this photo because it was snapped at nap time. I am not brave enough to sew at nap time, it is for cutting & ironing only!




I really love it! Might have to make the backing this weekend, finish it up & get it in the hands of it's rightful owner...she is coming up on 5 months old now, so I am beyond 'fashionably late' at this point!

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 :)