Tuesday, September 28, 2010

I'm in Houston

and I'm going to TWO quilt shops and then to IKEA tomorrow.

Jealous?!?

Pics to come... stay tuned!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

On Holiday

I love the way the Brits always say that they're on holiday.  That's where I am.

I've gone back to the town where I grew up.  Spending time with my family.  I've been homesick lately, so it's good to be back.  My Memaw greeted me with fried deer steak, fried squash and fried okra.  MMMMmmmm....  I rarely fry at home.  I've had fried food for every meal here.  I even fried my egg both mornings in bacon grease.   Delish.

And I've been sewing!  I brought WAY more projects with me than I'll finish, but I've made serious progress on my second butterfly quilt.  I also worked some on my Christmas hexagons.  I have a little somethin, somethin in mind for an upcoming swap or two.  Needing to whip out some hexies on this trip.

Tomorrow morning, I am going to lend some moral support to a longtime friend.  I am not going into details online, but it will involve sitting in a courthouse for a couple of hours, so I'll bring my cheerful hexagons with me to pass the time more quickly.  Hopefully, being there will be a comfort to her.  It's the sort of situation where there's not much I can do to help, so I'm glad that I can be there for her during this really difficult time in her life.

Anyways, I have been busy sewing.  Tuesday, I'll be driving to Houston to visit my mom and sisters.  I should say, my two toddlers and I will be driving to Houston.  NOT my favorite thing to do... but I'm missing everyone.  My hubby starts a new job tomorrow where he will be gone most of the week, every week, so I'm in no hurry to get home and face that music yet.

Just going to spend time enjoying my family and friends... and doing some sewing when I can.

I've been sitting in the living room listening to the baby monitors for the past 35 minutes and I think I might actually have two sleeping babies at this point, so I'm going to head to bed.  Night, everyone.  I'll try to post some pictures sometime soon...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Etsying

Confession time.

I had a crazy and unexpected expense a month or so ago... Bought my Bernina.  Named her Babs.

Intended to sell my vintage feed sacks that my mom (Barbara) recently gave me to fund said purchase.

Even told the hubby I would.  Then I didn't do anything with them.

He's been patient with me, not saying anything about it...  I'm sure he's waiting to see what I will do.

He did bring up the fact that when I shattered my IPhone screen this summer, I told him I'd sell it for a couple hundred dollars to fund a new I Phone 4... and then kept the old phone... and it's still shattered...  But I've found someone who will replace the screen!  How handy it will be to have an extra iphone for the kids...  (sounds reasonable, right?)

Now I don't know.  Not sure I want to part with those feed sacks!

Official excuse:  Haven't had time to research what they're worth.

Truth:  I'm a fabric hoarder.  And I'm greedy.  And I want them for myself. Even though I probably won't chop them up and use them.  I'll just pet them from time to time.

Also:  I am confused on a couple of things about Etsy/Ebay.  How do you figure out shipping?  I suppose they have some kinds of tools for that.

Also:  I Phone photos don't do things justice.  I need a new camera.  Cha-ching.

Future intentions:  Getting help from my friends who do Etsy on how to set up my shop...  Also making some other items to sell (doll quilts, ornaments, charm packs, etc.)

I feel better now.  Confession time is over.

All Aflutter

Lookie, lookie!




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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

All Aflutter

I'm cranking out pink butterflies like NOBODY'S business.  There's an epidemic of pregnant women in my life.  So fun!

Not quite ready to show pictures.

Patience, my fans... Maybe tonight after bedtime...

Monday, September 20, 2010

Recent Activity

I've been busy.  I just don't have any pictures to prove it.

Dropped WAY too much $ at Sarah's this weekend.  Bought fabric for my Christmas Swap on Flickr and for a couple of butterfly baby quilts I'm making.  I went to Harper's Sunday and bought backing for Katie's quilt (my Modern Quilt Guild Challenge Entry).  I also sewed for 3 hours at Harper's and then another couple hours last night.  Made SERIOUS progress on one butterfly quilt and I'm pretty happy with the way it's shaping up.  It'll have 56 different butterflies.  They're all pink.  Very girly.  Can't wait to see it all together.

I've also been working on a couple batik quilts.  One is going to be a big picnic quilt.  I made a picnic quilt like this before, but I've decided that both of my kids need their own, so I'm sewing together charm squares.  Also, I have some half square triangles that I'm sewing together to make another baby quilt.  Everyone's having babies...  But not me!

I signed up for an I Spy swap today.  Sending in 20 four inch squares of ten different fabrics.  I thought I might make an I Spy quilt someday.  Why not?  :D

I used my stash and found eight fabrics to cut up.  I have to go buy two more fat quarters.  Might run do that today.

I also need to buy some batik for an upcoming exchange at the Blue Valley Quilters' Guild.  Dark blue, I think.  Will have to wash it before I chop it up because batiks bleed so much.  I almost never pre-wash, but I try to make an exception with batiks.

I'll try to post some pictures of my quilting soon.  Until then, here are some pictures of the two items I received from the Urban Home Goods Swap on Flickr!  A pincushion and thread catcher and a wall hanging for my bathroom!  Sorry for the picture quality!  They're so fun!



Friday, September 17, 2010

Raggedy Ann & Andy

My mother-in-law, Janie made this quilt for Wyatt. I love the quilting pattern the quilter used (Baptist Fan). Reminds me of my great-grandmother, Grandma Nell always had fans hanging on her walls from funerals & churches.

Janie did a great job with the embroidery and her fabric choices for the borders are perfect.


When I was little, I watched Raggedy Ann & Andy. It was like Toy Story for my generation because it had us convinced that when we weren't looking, our toys came alive. I was pretty freaked out by this in general. After all, my baby dolls had very real looking eyes that would shut when you laid them down. I often turned all of my dolls away from me on their shelves before I could sleep. I didn't want them looking at me. :D





I love this little quilt.


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Thursday, September 16, 2010

These Will Be a Quilt Made of 54 Six Inch Butterflies


These will be butterflies, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.
I'm making two baby quilts and I have another set of all of these fabrics already cut out. One quilt is for my best friend who is due with a sweet baby girl in January and one for my cousin who isn't sure yet if she will have a boy or girl in April or May. I'm voting for her to have a girl.

Here's the tutorial I'm using:
mrsschmenkmanquilts.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/butterfly-bl...

I used this to make a few blocks for Toni in my KC Scrappy Bee and to make a table runner for my Urban Home Goods Swap and fell in love with the process and the results! You should try it too...

Saturday, I'm going to Sarah's to buy fabric to go with these. I need to find one fabric to be the body of each butterfly and another fabric to be the background around each butterfly. The fabrics pictured above are going to be the wings. There are two of each of the rectangles above.

Whatever I buy needs to be calm and NOT busy. I'm thinking maybe a chocolate brown and a slightly lighter brown? Thought about gray, but I'm afraid it will wash things out. Green might be a nice background but it'd have to be the perfect shade... I'm not sure.

What do you think, my friends?

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Kate's Baby Quilt


Kate's baby quilt, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.
I'm making this quilt for my littlest sister, who is 2 months pregnant. Way too early to know if it's a boy or girl, but I'm taking a gamble and making a boy quilt. She can only have it if she has a boy...

It's a very different approach in piecing than I usually take and I've really enjoyed it. This picture doesn't do it justice. I started with the darkest color in the center of the block and worked my way outward in a wonky log cabin fashion with lighter and lighter colors.

I've decided against adding a border and I'm thinking of quilting it with straight lines, maybe slightly diagonal... Not sure yet.

I can't quilt it yet because I don't have the backing ready and I don't have a walking foot yet for my new machine. Hopefully when I get the backing ready, I'll have the right foot.

Anybody have advice on how to quilt this other than what I mentioned above? I'm not solid with my free-motion yet, so I don't want to do something this big without my walking foot. What thread would you use?

I'm going to try to finish it in time to enter it in the contest at the Modern Quilt Guild. I have a couple of months to go, though.

Monday, September 13, 2010

November's Bee Vintage Block Details

I'm getting ready for November. That's my month in "Bee Vintage", my online vintage sheet bee. I'm going to ask each member to make a 15" wonky log cabin block made from 2 different vintage sheets. One that reads white & one that reads a color. What do you think so far of the sample blocks I've made?  This IPhone pic doesn't do them justice, FYI...






*** Edited to provide more details for my bee members****


15 Inch Wonky Log Cabin Blocks

This quilt is the inspiration for my request:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12260277@N07/4265049746/in/faves-25806308@N00/

Imagine how lovely it will be in vintage sheets!  Merry Christmas to ME!  I think this type of block will be fun and quick to make.

Details:  I'd like to request one block that is bigger than 15 inches unfinished (I will trim them to 15 inches) made out of just two different floral prints of vintage sheets in the wonky log cabin style.  I would like for one print to be predominately white (like a floral with a white background) and the other print to read solidly one color (like a floral with a pink background-not white, for example).  You can pick whatever color you'd like to go with the white print.  Hopefully, when I get all of my blocks, I'll have a nice assortment of colors.  There aren't any colors I'd like for you to avoid.  Even browns are fine.  I will trim all of the blocks myself to 15 inches when I get them from you.  If the spirit moves you to make more than one block, I'll dance a happy dance, but one block is all that is required.

See above for examples I've made of this type of block.

If making wonky log cabins is new to you, please take a minute to read this great blog entry I found on how to go about making them. 

http://blempgorf.blogspot.com/2009/08/advice-on-making-wonky-improvisational.html

Thank you so much!  I cannot wait to see what you all come up with!


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Sunday, September 12, 2010

An extra mug rug for Paula


An extra mug rug for Paula, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.

Playing around with wonky stars. Made a mug rug for Paula. :)

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Closeup of My mug rug swap item


Surprise!, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.
Here's a closeup of my mug rug.

Mug Rug Back


The Back, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.

It's reversible. My partner has a black and white kitchen... :)

Scrappy mug rug swap


Scrappy mug rug swap, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.

Here's the front of the mug rug I made for my partner. She likes polka dots and color.

Monday, September 06, 2010

Labor Day

This weekend was very busy with family events and I'm happy to say that the hubs is gone (probably to a movie or the bookstore), the kids are asleep and I can go upstairs guilt-free to work on quilts.

I have to work on organizing my paperwork for Quilts of Valor, though.  We're gearing up to award 38 QOVs to the WWII, POWs and a Holocaust survivor at a local retirement village in about 2 months.  I also have my regular list of people who need QOVs, too.  Time to get a friend to embroider some labels so that these quilts can be awarded.

I also have a couple of QOVs that are going to be in an exhibit at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS.  They're a two of my favorites.  After the exhibit, they'll be awarded to Kansas soldiers.  This is a yearly thing that the Eisenhower will be doing every year on Veterans' Day.  This year is the first time they've done it.  If you're interested, let me know.  I have some brochures and info on deadlines (October something) along with size requirements and other details.

So my sewing time will be spent doing paperwork today, but I might sneak in a minute or two to work on my scrappy mug rug.  Got one side finished, but I would like to make it reversible, so I need to get cracking on the back.

Leave a comment and let me know what you've been up to!

Friday, September 03, 2010

Kate's Baby Quilt

*** Edited to tell you that these pictures don't do these colors or the optical illusion of depth justice. ***

Kate's baby quilt, originally uploaded by nkiblueeyes.
Here are the two blocks I've completed. I have a bunch more in progress, but ran out of fabric. I bought a bunch of fat quarters but need more of the outer colors: green, blue, gray and off-white.

Trying to decide how to set these. Sashing or touching each other? If I sash them, I think I need to pick a different color. Maybe a snow white? Or a white linen???

What are your thoughts, people?

And while you're thinking, tell me how I should quilt this. I am thinking swirling outward from the darkest fabric (center of the block) might be cool. Not sure if I can pull it off with my darning foot, but I think with some practice, it's possible. What color thread? Hmm... Decisions!


*** Edited again to let you know that I went shopping today to get more fabric.  It's a good thing, too because they were almost out of the green!  Got a yard of everything except the green and I could only get two fat quarters of that.  Should be enough to finish the top and I'll have some to use on piecing the back.  Can hardly wait to get busy on it, but my weekend is a busy one. :(  ***

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

New Quilt for Potential Nephew

Did I mention to you that my littlest sister, Katie is pregnant?  She's 24 (almost) and this will be her first baby.  I think it's a boy.  He/she's not due until April or May so I have some time...  But I'm planning to make 3 quilts.  Initially, I'll make a girl one (haven't started it yet) and a boy one (so excited about this one) and one that would be fine for either (Batik quilt-Christmas gift)... and then she can have two of the three

She likes subdued colors... So I'm thinking solids... I started the most FUN quilt for her today.  Very out of the box for me... but I'm finding that I'm stepping more and more into a new style these days.  I am not going to post a picture of this quilt until I have a few blocks completed.  Should take me about 30 more minutes of sewing to get that far, but alas, I ran out of sewing time today and tomorrow morning is pretty packed.  Having friends/kids over to play and have lunch... might need a nap afterwards...  Obviously, I'm not going to get a very good night's sleep tonight, since it's 11:14 now...

Let me tell you a bit about this quilt.  It's a wonky log cabin.  I picked Moda solids.  About 9 or 10 fat quarters.  I arranged them from lightest to darkest.  I'm envisioning the darkest color fabric in the center of the block and the colors gradually getting lighter as they go out from the center.  Lots of browns/grays and a little green/blue...

If you know me, you know that using solids is a relatively new thing with me.  I didn't have ANY in my stash when I joined the KC Modern Quilt Guild a few months back.  I've made some progress in remedying that problem since then...  :D

So I'll do what I can to show you guys some progress with this quilt tomorrow.  Katie, if you're reading this, you'll ruin your surprise if you're not careful...