Wow, neglected blog!!!!!!

My life has been rather disorganized for a while now. I just relized that it has been forever and a day sence I posted. It  has also been  quite a while between touching my sewing machine. I have not abandon my blog life  has just put it on hope.

My Jennifer's bag!

I have had an idea in my head for months now; of this new bag I wanted to make, but I could never find a fabric that spoke to me, until the day I went into one of our LQS and  saw this pattern. It is not exactly what was suck in my head but so close I bought it! Gee thanks to whoever did the hard work on this pattern you saved me time.     

                                        

 Where this pattern was not exactly what I had in my head but it was very close and being so busy with life, sometimes we just have to compromise.  The instruction were ok, not perfect but who's ever perfect. There are a couple thing I'm not sure what she was thinking,  but they work.  The import thing I learned about this pattern is it is not a pattern you make out of scraps it takes quite a bit of fabric because the pieces are so big.  ( I guess if one wanted make it all pieced like a quilt then you could scraps, I don't know if you'd lose the look though)

                                        

                                  This is the outside of the bag and the strap it's all one piece.

                                                             Outside contrast and strap.

 This is the inside of the bag, both sides get this big strip across them, they make pockets. She leaves it to your own opinion as to where you want the pockets. I choose one large section the middle in which I added a zipper pocket! (not in the pattern) leaving two smaller pockets on either end. The opposite side I simply divided into three pockets.

 I love my finished product ! In the end this bag has 10 pockets not counting the big center pocket of the bag.!!!!!! I did use my mine for about a week when I opened the trap up and shortened it three inches!!!! So if you like your purse a little higher keep that in mind when using this pattern.

You can find more bag patterns at Sewphisti-cat.com, they have lots of fun patterns.

Welcome to my break through!

Its very possible she is what messed up the blog!

Greetings!  This is my first post of the year thanks to this wonderful thing we call technology. I have been locked out of my blog since shortly after the Fall Quilt Festival, thanks to google and my computer arguing. I have finally cracked through the problem. I hope ....     In  the mean time I have finished up several projects big and small. I could easily overwhelm everyone today with the photos I  have found on my computer while locating my quilt.  But I'll be nice a spread them out a little.

In November I got my master bedroom quilt back from the quilters.  I was so excited to get the binding started and get the quilt on my bed. However someone else in our house has proved far more excited.

Meet Molly! She is so in love with this quilt that no matter where is is she is on it!

Introducing my Crosswalk quilt!

 It's done!!! Yeah I was so excited that I put it on the bed with out even giving it, its first washing. Hmm, suppose I should have... Being totally honest I don't know if the thing will fit in my washer. I hope so..

 This is the piecing I did on the back of the quilt!  It is spaced perfectly so when you flip the quilt over the strip of color lay just perfectly across the foot of the bed..



Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog I hope to bring more post soon... Sorry about the break.

One Challenge One week Complete!!!!!!

This week my challenge was to complete the quilt I was working on and finish my Christmas place mats! I am proud to announce that they are both completed, Plus some!!!!!! I have been rather productive this week, that even includes doing  the house work too. HA HA! We all know how sewing sucks us all in and house work suffers. But not this week, with the exception of the bar where I cut my fabrics. I certainly hope that everyone elses  week went as well with their Challenge items.

These Place mats were a long time coming project! I received the pattern last October and I purchased fabric in November, Alas that's all the farther they got. The fabric was put into the stash drawers after Christmas and the mats were not getting done. So this year I was determined to get them done.  Come to find out they were so easy!  They are simply two pieces of fabric, the only machine quilting is the corner miter seems, then you turn them and decide whether to use a decorative machine stitch or  to hand stitch them closed; which I chose. My fabric is so busy it didn't need the distraction of a visible seem. So there they are 8 Christmas place mats completed!

What is this? Is what you're thinking or your thinking its a place mat! Well those of you thinking it a place mat are wrong. :0)  It is a water proof mat for a baby!  We used to be able to by this  fabric that is was rubbery on the inside and flannel on the outside. The exact name eludes me.  But anyway it is super hard to find and this was my last piece of boring white.

So I decided cover it!  I think it is way cooler this way. It is the size of a standard place mat,  so it should be very usable and pretty to look at. It is totally water proof, so the many things that babies share with us will not get on that favorite bedding or clothing or guest lap or dad's best suit etc.... And it's totally washable!

Grab ball! Its jingles and it squeaks not to mention the fuzzy texture, what baby won't love this!

Ok, so now you have seen my place mats and my extra projects I took on this week, you probably are thinking where is  the quilt I mentioned.  Well, you have to wait! Sorry! I am saving it for the Quilt festival!

However if you look carefully at this photo there is a sneak peek!

Hope to see you next week for the quilt festival. Feel free to follow my blog or even look through the older posts  and leave a quick note. I do my best to respond to all posts. Thanks for stopping by.

Be sure and Check out the other challenge participants at Amy's Creative side

The wedding gift quilt I made!

This quilt is a disappearing nine patch. I make my squares a little different then I was taught...As you can see I laid my whole quilt out with only  the 1/4 square not the four already sewn together.. I like the control on the patterning and colors staying separated that I get this way verses the randomly sewing four back together after cutting them apart.

I decided to machine quilt this one myself! Heres my sandwich! Great idea that taping it down. Thanks Amy! However the pinning sure got challenging in the cramped space of the kitchen once the quilt took it all up.

 After deciding on my pattern, off to taping I went! I like the blue painters tape to mark my pattern but was out so masking tape is a good second, though it sticks more.

 All taped up with the pattern, rolled and ready to go! This is my largest machine quilting project! it was so fun. I was so proud of myself and nervous at the same time. After all this is a wedding gift!

But in the end it turned out so good.

 All done! Washed and shrank! I am very happy and proud of the result. If I have not started this quilt with the purpose of giving it away it would have been so difficult to do. I love it.

 I remembered a tag!!!!!  Pslams 115:1, there names and who made it.!

 My first totally complete quilt this year! So many small projects this year and several tops done but first one totally complete!

August Sewing in a nut shell!

This month has been a busy one with summer coming to a head. And  the kids getting ready for school, who knew it took so many little details to get them ready. As soon as I think they have it all we remember something else.  In between all the running of social activities for kids and doctors appointments and house work I managed to find sometime to sew.

Week 6

      For those of you that have been following, you know I have been working on my sons  Shadow quilt and  Amy's creative side quilt along quilt. I have also add a disappearing nine patch to the mix(But you will have to wait to see that, I working on it for a possible gift!) All of which I have managed to get to the point of calling them quilt tops! Two tops still need sashing and one I am debating adding a sashing to make it larger.  All three quilts are special in there one way, but I have to say my quilt along quilt has been the most challenging!  Amy  designed a beautiful quilt which has been so much fun to see how different everyones' quilts are.

Week 7

 The down side to that is, I challenge myself to make it so much more perfect; like anyone can see any flaws over the Internet: So there was a lot of ripping so seams to make them match perfectly or  as close a I can get.  Amy designed the pattern for beginners and where I am not a beginner, I am a self proclaim triangle avoid er. Not anymore though! I am quite comfortable with them now!

Week 8

I am even working on a design using HST's. But don't hold your breath that project would be down the road. But When those ideas hit you have to get them on paper.   But back to my quilt squares. As I was so excited and post to Amy  that I had caught up and they were all done, no sooner did I discover that three were larger then the rest. Not just a little but almost a have inch! Can you guess what I did?

you already seen the blocks. There beautiful! But not for long!

I ripped them apart!

notice the ironing board cover ick! time for a new one

I ripped the three blocks apart to discover I either forgot to trim them altogether or trimmed them using  the wrong line on the silly ruler. Either way my blocks were all to big! resulting in over sized blocks! The lesson learned is take your time, know when your tired and its time to stop sewing and oh the important one TRIM CAREFULLY!   

                                       

The three remakes!!!!!!! I am actually happier with all three so the time was worth it!

But my struggles didn't stop there! I struggle with finding a good sashing white wouldn't work. I found this sashing you see at  Quilted Straight quilt shop, the shop owner was very helpful in helping my work through my total mind block.  I came home all happy cut my strips to discover I couldn't decide on the little cap squares!

Choosing my cap squares! None of which did I like!

Again off to the LQS this time I went to Kingston Quilt shop which was a gamble they are in the process of being sold and there stock in low! But the gal that help me was great.  So I found a fabric easy! And now my quilt top is done!!!!!! Yeah! I may go back and get some more of the cape square material to add a border to enlarge the quilt a little. 

                                      

Its done!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!! Well  the top anyway!  I think I know what I want for my back!

And I'm really leaning toward an extra border piece. Decisions, Decisions!

My Western Washington Shop Hop finds!

I finally had a chance to sort through my Shop Hop stuff. I have 16 of the quilt squares they give out, plus I bought last year shop hop fabric to finish a quilt I bought fabric for last year and a new pattern BQ3. I have to say not a bad hall for a small budget.

This is the actual shop hop fabric! It is really nice, I didn't like it at first but when I some of the things that people had done with it I was super excited. (I forgot to take my camera this year)

This is the prize I won at Bayside quilting in Olympia. They have a big shop, and always play fun little games and give you tickets for watching there demos and the then does a drawing with a prize wheel. Kinda fun this yer my mom and I both won back to back and the same draw. Mom won some quilting patterns. If you find yourself  down in the area it is definitely  worth stopping in.

Amy's creativeside quilt along/ Week 1

 simple mosaic, or 16 patch.

Week 1  of Amy's Creative side quilt along! This week featured two block that were quick and easy! I love how both blocks have turned out and I am excited to see the rest of the blocks as we go.

My blocks side by side!

Week 1

4 patch

If you think you interested in doing this fun quilt along it the pattern is a fun sampler that Amy has designed it is great for beginners.

It's at the quilters!!!!!!!!!

Front and back done!!!! I took it in to the quilter to ask a few last questions and she said I'll take it!!!! SWEET............... Now, when October comes she'll quilt it!

Yes, I said October. This quilter is very good and very popular! So I will wait. She has been great I  asking her all the silly question that came into my head being that I have never taken a guilt to be machine quilted. I have been very nervous, checking out everyones quilting to see how their stitches are and how much care they took with the spacing etc.   I am very at peace with my decision. So now to work on my next project while I wait.

(Sorry the one photo isn't the best the sun was so bright that day I have close the curtains.)

My sons quilt is started!

This is Fabric from the Shabodi Dragon store in Tacoma! Love there selection, I picked this up last year at the Shop Hop 2009 and here I am just now cutting it out two weeks before Shop Hop 2010. The colors were picked for my son who sent me with a list of acceptable print types and colors!  After careful deliberation orange and blue is what I choose.  I officially have it cut out and I started sewing it at sew club Wednesday. I have a wappin 3 squares sewn a 90 rectangles to go!, They make the squares! So many little parts!!!!! They pattern still worries me.

Major Progress!!! It's a quilt back finally!

This is the quilt back to the quilt I started last year with Old Red Barn quilt along last year. I did manage to complete the top of the quilt , but life got in the way of the back.  In my determination to finish up my UFO's I have been going through the pile and its turn has popped up this last week.  After remeasuring to figure out where I was happy to discover that the quilt back was ready to sew!  Two days later we have quilt back!!!! Yea!

It is all ironed and ready to go to the quilters. I need to give the top a super good ironing and anchor the edge seams, but as I can not decide which quilter to  use I have a little time.

Surprise in the mail!

In a day and age where most of us dread the mail for fever of another bill to deal with, it is really nice to open the box and find a package! Thanks to Amy for having Spring festival and thanks to Green Fairy Quilts for sponsoring and offering up this lovely prize!

I Love the three patterns they choose to send I think that layers of love will be the first too get used, but it won't be anytime soon, I'm still working through my UFO's I am determined to get some of this stuff done! Garden party uses applique so that one is interesting, but I'm not into the raw edge style so I need to look closer at the direction, which at a glance looks rather complete!   When I get to these, which at being added to my I want to makes! (IWM)   I'll let you know how they turn out.

My free motion setting isn't working correctly? HMMM not sure. Help!

Does anyone else out there have a huskquvanra Shaphire 850? I am trying to figure out what Im doing wrong with the free motion setting. I have put the check mark in the free motion box, but the dogs dont drop and if you try to put them down they dont stay. It will let you free motion fine and then all of a sudden  the machine will try to take over and then shifts back. I'm bummed out.
  
If  you can help please do?

Grrr!

I miss measured!!!!!!! GRRRRRR!
 Now I have to piece a piece of the table cloth that I didn't want too. I can't stand big mistakes.

Sew Seeds for Haiti

Check this out! This is something that all can help with!  Sew them yourself or buy the fabric for a friend. Do whats right for you but this is the neatest way to help I've seen.

sewing seeds for haiti

Table Runner!

I love this Table runner! I was introduced to the pattern at my mother sewing group, nice ladies.  If you have been following my blog you know that I started it quite at while ago. Life just got in the way. I finally decided to stop the merry go round I call my life and make time to finish this project.  I love how it turned out, I  decided to pick up fabric for making cloth napkins to match. They are still in the works though.

Lesson learned!

  
        Ok, I am not the best at computers and I am the first to admit that.  However surfing I can handle, so I thought until earlier this week, when I realized that my credit card had two different charges on it from the company I ordered my latest must have book.  Read and click very carefully! I got charged for my book and a membership fee that I discovered is a monthly 9.95 charge whether you use the site or not.  (on careful research of there web site) Thank goodness it took only a short phone call to cancel it.  However this made my book not a good price! OH bummer!

       The upside to all this is I now have my quilt book that I spent time looking for on all over the County. None of the quilt stores had it and I just had too. There is a quilt in there that for some reason really floats my boat even thought it is super simple.        

Baby blanket/Car mat

     This road print material I have had in my stash forever now! I bought it years ago thinking my son would like the roads but knowing he was almost to old. Go figure, he didn't want it.  So I decided to shelf it, with the thought I'd use it as a gift for someone.  Here we are 8 years later and the fabric has been Sewn.  I have a sweet friend that just had baby number three and I decided, she was the perfect person for this material.  I have paired it with a super soft flannel on one side and the roads on the other. I quilted the two together by following the roads. I am excited to know that someday these road will have Hot Wheels and Army Men on them, until then it can help keep him warm.  One other fun fact I did the quilting using my daughter little 13 stitch Janome(mint green hello kitty).

All the threads are trimmed, it ironed and folded ready to go to Post office.... But oops i need there new address.  Go Figure.