coasting along...

Did you see the great coaster tutorial over at allsorts? These are fun, easy and just begging for a hot cup of tea. I found these beautiful Alex Anderson fabrics at my local quilt shop, and knew that the patriotic colors would be just perfect for some people on our gift list.

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Speaking of tea...I've got some new teas to enjoy during my gift-wrapping sessions. The last one, Bigelow, says on the back that the other seasonal flavors are Apple Cider, Ginger Snappish, and Eggnogg'n. I'd love to try the eggnog flavor, but can't find it at the stores. :(

ok...I got a little carried away

Remember earlier this month when I showed the holiday magazines I'd gotten? Remember that the Cutting Edge had adorable wee ornament/package decorations by the very talented Hillary Lang? Well I started out with two....aren't they cute?!
Then I got caught up in the cuteness and decided to make a few more...well...14 more actually!! (Watch for upcoming info about a cool new-to-me stuffing that I used for these.) Created assembly-line fashion from beginning to end. But I severly underestimated the length of time they would take. Why do I *always* do that????


Regardless, I'm really pleased with them...and they will be gracing many a gift.

remember the recent WIP photo?....

Well, that pile of green fabric became a Chelsea Tote from Lazy Girl Designs. It has seven interior pockets in the circumference. And at one pocket edge, I added a small loop which I slipped a little lanyard clip onto. (A little blurry, but I think you can distinguish what I'm referring to.) This is so a spare key can be clipped in...never be locked out of the car again! This is a feature I've been adding to all my most recent bags/purses. Just seems like a nice "extra" to me.

the weekend's WIP...

thoughts...

Well, there was a recent article about sewing becoming trendy once again. Which got me thinking....when was it ever untrendy? Really. The article mentioned the societal changes of the '60s and '70s, and I'm sure that had a big impact, but I've always known people who've sewn and quilted. And I've been doing it for many years now myself. I really think sewing is a wonderful and magical thing, and it will never be "untrendy" with me. Anyway, you can read the article here.

This all got me thinking about my own sewing and where it began. And as I thought about it more and more, I realized that I had forgotten the *true* beginning of my sewing. Home Ec in junior high. We had to make a simple alternating block baby quilt. I sewed mine on my mother's old green and white machine. This big and bulky beast only does a straight stitch, forward and reverse. Plain jane. I even remember when she bought it at a yard sale when I was about six or seven. That machine still lives today. I don't think my mother ever uses it, but occasionally my father does! (Go Daddy!!)




Well, my seams didn't match perfect on every block. And somehow I managed to machine quilt this without a walking foot, without too many puckers. The beast did a simple but effective job. And I got an A+.

Sadly, it didn't even get used much when Morgan was a baby, because of the blue. (People always commented that she was a cute boy, even when she was dressed in pink from head to toe. Argh!)

So I thought now would be a good time to document it with some digital pics. Hmm...I really do love this quilt.

drum roll, please.............

ta-da!!!! Here is the Jedi costume that I was all wrapped up with (for what felt like forever...sorry, Honey). I made everything here except the pants. Inner tunic, outer tunic, cloak, belt, even boot covers. The boot covers were made the night before Halloweeen...bought the pattern, came home and got right to work on them. They are just a "make do" for now because he couldn't find appropriate boots. The belt was actually finished about 15 minutes before leaving for trick-or-treating because I ran out of matching thread and had to get more that afternoon (thanks Shirley...glad you were there!!!).

Oh, btw...he grew the beard specifically for this costume. And after this photo shoot, he went into the house and proceeded to go back his old clean-shaven self! Yay!!

Btw - I loaded these photos on the small side, for those of you on dial-up. Just click on a photo if you'd like to see more detail in a larger pic.

an update...

Dark Brown Allova Micro-suede
Dark Brown Vinyl
Beige Cotton Crinkle Gauze
White Muslin

What do these things have in common? Well, they are all part of that huge project I've been working on. That project that looms over me like a bad dream! Within the next several days, I should be able to reveal this project in it's entirety.



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I've also been working on a butterfly pouch from the Omiyage book, handstitching bits here and there when not at home (waiting for my daughter at school, etc.).



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Look at the weather we've had lately! ACK!!! We've barely had fall, and already, the snow is flying.

a quilt for an old friend...

Please allow me to introduce you to Bertram Bear. Isn't he charming!

He was a gift to my daughter several years back at Christmas time from an aunt and uncle. He's a bear from Christmas Around the World. He even talks thanks to a small recording chip...he'll playback your message whenever you press his hand.

Well, way back I promised Mr. Betram that I would make him his very own quilt sometime, but unfortunately I had never gotten around to it.

On Saturday, dear hubby went with some model railroad buddies to Horseshoe Curve in PA. So...needing a quilty fix and contemplating what to make, I remembered Bertram and the idea I've had stored away in my brain for his quilt.

The general idea came from an article in Miniature Quilt Ideas Magazine #30 regarding an antique chinese coins quilt for an 1800's doll bed.

I expanded on the chinese coin idea and created a strippy-quilt for Bertram with old-fashioned scrappy charm. It measures 10-1/2" by 13-1/2".

most recent LGD purses

Well, as I promised someone ...*wink*... here are the two most recent purses I've made, both by Lazy Girl Designs. I really love her patterns...very clear, with excellent photos for each step. Hmmm, guess that's why I own just about every purse pattern she's made. She has a great yahoo group too, by the same name. The group has a great bunch of ladies. And, as a member, you can check out pics of all the gorgeous purses others have made with the LGD patterns.

This first one was made with the Veronica pattern.






And this was made with the Chloe pattern. I really like the look of the stacked buttons.

omiyage daffodil pouches

Oh my gosh these are fun!! "Betcha can't stop at just one" should be the warning for this pattern!! They're great take-along projects. All of these were cut out before I acquired the asian themed fabrics over the weekend. Hmmm....now maybe some in the asian prints?!??...................

first Omiyage projects...

I'm really enjoying my new Omiyage book. The photographs are beautiful.

I set out to make a daffodil pouch right away. Here's my first one.













My daughter was excited when she found out there were dolls in the book. She chose this one, called the raindrop doll. It's a pouch as well. The main fabric is from a fat quarter she picked out at the quilt shop a long time ago. She also picked out the beads.

ufo - snowman quilt

Here's an in-progress snowman quilt. The pattern is in this book. So far, I've hand appliqued the snowman figure, hand buttonhole stitched the hat/scarf/star, and hand sewn the saw-toothed borders.

ooooh goodie!!!

Yesterday, I was able to pick up my copy of the book Omiyage by Kumiko Sudo. Wow, what beautiful projects. (I had to order it from our local Borders store. Not a single book store or quilt shop within an hour's drive had it. It's something of a wasteland around here at times.) Anyway, I was practically giddy! I've seen around the net several of the daffodil pouches others have made, and I was so intrigued. I can't wait to get started. Yes, of course I have plenty of quilting UFO's I could be working on, but they've been UFO's for a while now....they can wait a little longer!!!

first postcard

Well, I know that lots of folks have already been making fabric postcards. But I just made my first one. I'm very pleased with how it came out. Of course, I already have ideas for many more. Including a special series. But just like everything else, I have more ideas than time!! We'll see :)