Friday, May 29, 2009

daisies & ducks

I finished my daisy pillow! The back of the crochet is just a giant granny square. I attached it to the front on three sides. I'm going to get a 14 inch pillow form, cover it in the purple fabric & slip it inside. Then I'll slipstitch the fourth side closed. It will be so pretty on my bed!This morning I started playing around with my Red Letter day fabrics & next thing you know I had come up with this sweet outfit. I'm calling it "Duck Crossing" & I think I will put it in my Etsy store, if I ever get it up and running.
Here's an up close detail shot of the shirt. I'm going to see how many fun things I can make out of 12 fat quarters (& a few extra pieces, like the orange polka dot!)


Oh, & the quilt "kit" in Red Letter Day is all put together & ready for me to stitch it up when I go on retreat in a couple of weeks! Yay!
Happy Weekend everyone!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

working on a design...

qI've decided to make a quilt for my sewing room wall from my Red Letter Day fabric. This is my very fancy method for designing a new quilt! First I cut myself some 6 1/2 inch squares & started playing with a layout. I think this is the final one...
Next I decided to add some solids & tiny polka dots as accent fabrics....

Now for some fun. I have an awesome HUGE box of prismacolor pencils that were a gift from my hubby a few years ago. I sharpen up the ones that match the fabrics I'm using, grab my pad of graph paper & start drawing. Nope, no fancy dancy computer program for me!



After several scrapped ideas, here's the final plan!



I'm going on an overnight quilt retreat with friends next month, so I have prepared myself a "kit" for this quilt, all the fabrics are cut & ready in a big ziploc bag. So, you'll have to wait to see the finished product! Oh, & no promises it will stay the same! I have the right to change my mind along the way.
I've also been loving the crocheting. Here are three daisy granny squares (a fourth has since been added) which will become a pillow for my bed! It took me a few tries to figure this out, but I think I've got it now!
Happy Tuesday!





Friday, May 22, 2009

oh happy day!

You probably heard the squeal coming from our house to your house (where ever you are!) yesterday... ok, there were actually 2 squeals. The first was when I opened the mailbox & saw a big envelope from Pink Chalk Fabric. I forced myself to open all the junk mail first, in anticipation of what was inside.....
Two fat quarter bundles of Red Letter Day by Lizzy House! See how pretty they are all tied up nice? That didn't last long....
This one is my favorite colorway. It's called pond. Fabulous!
Oh, & the second squeal? That came when Allyson walked into my sewing room & saw what we (I?) had gotten! She likes this colorway better....
It's called galosh. & then she informed me that this is her favorite duck. No, I do believe she said that she IS this duck....
Whatever that means! I'm not sure. At any rate, I think Allyson & I are going to have to look at this fabric for a couple of days until we decide what it needs to become.
& for those of you following my granny-square-a-day progress..... 32 squares done!

Happy Weekend!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

crochet flowers

Yesterday I found two books of crochet flowers (one at Barnes & Noble & one at Joanns)
Now I am totally hooked on trying out all the different flower patterns! This one came out a bit wonky:

So far this one is my favorite I think!


Monday, May 18, 2009

weekend sewing, granny a day

A couple of weeks ago I found this pattern at the quilt shop. They had it made up into samples & I just fell in love with the bag! So this weekend I made this bag for ME! It's a bit bigger than my usual purses & I think it will be terrific with jeans....
I've also been cranking away at my granny-square (or two!) a day project. I have 29 squares done! And I finally tried one of the flower petal granny squares! It took me a while to figure it out, but I got it! I think making one of these per day would be a bit ambitious...


Tomorrow my girl will be home from college! I'm really looking forward to spending some time with her. It may slow my sewing/crocheting down a bit!

Friday, May 15, 2009

sewing for me!

Today I decided to make myself a new top to go with the pretty white capris I bought the other day. I've put on a bit (ok, more than a bit) of weight in recent months & really need some clothes that make me feel pretty. I had bought this pattern the other day.....
It was so simple! Took me about 2 1/2 hours from cutting to wearing! I think if I make the "skirt" piece about 10 inches longer it would be a cute & comfy summer dress. I'm going to try that! Of course, that will require another trip to the fabric store (oh darn!)
After I finished sewing it, I made my hubby take me out to lunch! He had taken the day off to get some things done around here. So we had a nice lunch out while the kiddos were at school. How many years until they are all moved out? Not many, I know. It will fly!
Happy Weekend!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

happy mothers day!

To all my friends who are mothers..... enjoy your day! & to my own mom, thanks for always being there for me! You're the best! My family took me to brunch today after church, at Laura's Bistro, a wonderful Gluten Free restaurant here in town. I could eat everything on the buffet & it was delightful!

Hey, Julie over at Tattered Threads & Willing Hands is having a giveaway! You need to hop on over there & enter, I know I'm going to!

Friday, May 8, 2009

friday at Ellyn's Place!

We've been experiencing computer problems in this household! One laptop (belonging to Steve) bit the dust this week, the desktop is refusing to access the internet.... so my laptop is the only one available for the internet (yikes!) and all of the pictures are on the desktop.... blogging is a challenge! But here I am, loaded some photos onto a disc & transferred them over. I'm pretty proud of myself for pulling this off!

Thought you might enjoy my origami hat! Miss Allyson is enjoying folding paper into all kinds of things & she insisted on photographing me in this hat!

Here is her 7th grade picture.... hubby says she looks like me. I say "I was never that pretty, especially not at the awkward age of 12! She is going through the preteen years very gracefully!
Yesterday I completed another LizzyB bag for a friend.... love this bag!


And of course, the granny a day continues! I believe today is day 10? Whatever day it is, there are currently 18 squares completed.....

The sun is shining, the rain seems to be taking a break, & I am looking forward to the weekend! Happy Mother's Day to all of my mommy friends! Enjoy your families.

Monday, May 4, 2009

hats, more grannys & my creative journey...


Yesterday the ladies at church had a luncheon & we shared our baby pictures.... here's mine! Nobody guessed it was me... even with my mouth wide open. After I told them though, someone asked if I was singing! Probably. We also wore hats at our gathering yesterday, in honor of the Kentucky Derby. Here I am, making a goony face, in my hat...& here is my friend Nancy, who had the fanciest hat at the party...I'm still working away at my granny squares. Here's the chain on day four (I told you I wouldn't be able to stick to one a day!) I've actually added 2 or 3 more since I took this picture.
Jodi, over on This, That and The Other shared her Creative Journey in her last blog post. What a great idea! So I thought I'd share some of mine too....
I think I got the crafty gene early on. My mom was always crafting & sewing... making us clothes, halloween costumes, fancy pillowcases, all kinds of things! I just naturally joined right in.
I think I first sat at the sewing machine on my own when I was about 8 or 9. That's when I made my yellow halter top . By the time I took home ec in 8th grade, I was sewing all kinds of things. My classmates were still trying to figure out how to cut out their skirts (with a waistband & 7 inch zipper) & I was putting in my blind hem. My skirt was pink & I made a pink gingham blouse to match! I remember embroidering when I was about this age too.
During college I worked at Minnesota Fabrics. What a great job! I got to make a lot of the samples then, & learned new skills. Candlewicking was big then (remember that?), & I went through a cross stitch phase. I just loved being around all that fabric & creative people!
Fast forward to the 90s when maternity & baby clothes kept me busy! I loved sewing for my little ones & still enjoy making them things today. Lucky for me, they appreciate it! Along the way I have also learned to crochet, quilt & even to weave baskets. I go through waves of scrapbook mania.... my books are sporadic. Some day I will pull that all together!
Now I am enjoying putting some of my designs on paper & hope to find an outlet for them soon. I do love to sew other people's patterns, but love creating my own even more. So that's my story!