I'm alive!

Hello all my lovely readers out there, you are there...right?

I just wanted to check in and let you know that I am still alive.  Things got a little hairy since I took my business statistics final (which I passed! by the skin of my teeth...)  I took my final and then my body went into total shut down mode and I was sick for almost a full week.

Anyway, all better now!  And I am busy working at both jobs and working on my UFO's (that's UnFinished Objects for those who aren't up on the hip quilting lingo..).  

I have been working on an amazing quilt that I call "the denim quilt" for well over 3 years now and I am having a hard time making myself finish it.  It's such a huge project and I know I bought the fabric without having a plan and measurements worked out. Bad, bad idea.  I have made a promise to myself that from now on everytime I go into my sewing room I will work on the denim quilt for at least 15 minutes before I start something else.  That way I hope to eventually finish it (which could possibly be soon by the rate I've been going in my sewing room).

I finished a baby quilt top I need to post a picture of, and I have also started a knitting project for a gift. AND I started a small project for my nephew Dalton today. AND my aunt sent my mom a new quilt pattern which she of course forwarded to me, so of course I have to start on that!

Tonight after I got home from work I sorted all of my fabric, which I do from time to time.  So now it's all nice and organized so I can continue with my projects.

Well I'm off! I'll try to post pictures soon!

Pin Cushion

Here is a pin cushion that I actually made for Dan as a token of my love (hehe).  I made it to be a door stop, which was a bad idea AFTER I found out he had to throw it away because my brother-in-law's dog tore it up. I was sad but I didn't invest any money into it. Atleast she didn't get his quilt!

The pattern is actually a chicken and the pattern is called "Pollo Loco".  I made it into a bull because it's Dan's favorite animal.  The picture isn't great, but it's the only one I have.  I made a little snout and ears and a tail, and I used two black pins for the eyes. To put it together I quilted it in the ditch myself since it was a small project.  Then I attempted to put a little heart on his tush free hand but that didn't work out so well with the machine haha.

Horses

Here is a lap quilt I did, the pattern says it's actually a wall hanging but I like to keep it on the back of the couch.  One day I'm sure it will belong to a little boy :)

I forget exactly what the pattern is called but I got it out of a Fons & Porter magazine. It was really easy to do and the horses I used the pattern out of the magazine and cut out the fabric and fusible interfacing and ironed it on and then I sewed around the edges to be sure it will stay on.  Looks neat!

Kitty Cats

Here is a quilt...I'd say its "toddler size", that I started when I was in 5th grade. My grandma taught me how to embroider by hand and this was my very first project.  I finally set it together with yellow gingham sometime in 2009.  In this picture it's not quilted yet but I used the same yellow gingham on the back and the binding is a pale baby green.  Good for a little boy or girl :)

Christmas Items!

Hello all!  I have been wanting to blog since Friday but with work and school, I had to slow down a little.  But after Tuesday at 3pm (when my business stats final is over...) I will be sewing!

Here are a few Christmas things I have made...

 This I made in 2007 while I was still in college in Springfield.  Thank you JoAnn Fabrics for having a handy little kit.  It was still a lot of work, don't let the kit fool you.

I wanted a Mrs. Clause stocking for me but I think this one is really pretty.  I made this one in 2009.  Thank goodness for those handy little kits.  I have decided I will not do another one of these for a very long time.

I haven't put a back on this one yet but I just wanted to use up some scrap fabric to make something to go on the back of our couch for Christmas time.  The red fabric has little holy leaves and berries.. but it doesn't show up well here.  The green fabric has Santas and snowmen :)

Now I have to go fix jeans with holes in them...

Invisible Zipper: I own you

Okay, so I have been working on my paper for International Management...I really have.

But I was lurking around on http://www.quiltingboard.com/ I found this awesome avatar someone had...

 Sometimes this is how I feel.  I know not everyone grows up with a quilting background and a family that sews all the time.  I will continue the family tradition and my future kiddos will love and respect and understand how amazing quilts are.

Okay okay. I didn't make the dress, but Dan's brother, Seth, brought this to me. It belongs to a friend of his; it's not his dress...just to clarify for everyone (haha).  But this is the first garment that I ever successfully put in an invisible zipper! On the FIRST try!

Now back to school work that I need to do.  Blech.

Tessellating Leaves

Here is a lap quilt that I made for my mom.  I made it out of clothes I remember her wearing to work when I was very young.

 The pattern is called Tessellating Leaves in a book titled "Stash-Buster Quilts" by Lynne Edwards and the book has a lot of really neat patterns for using up those leftovers. 

Over the summer this year I acquired some of my grandma's clothes (which will come up more later) and this was a skirt that was in the bunch.  So I put Grandma's skirt for the back :) and I used it for the binding too.

Dog Bed

Here's a dog bed I made to avoid spending $35 or $40.

Here is my beautiful dog model Penny.  She is wrapped in 2 1/4 yards of fleece fabric.  I only used a little over a yard..but for some reason my brain decided I need extra. That's okay, the remaining fabric will be used later.

My mom donated a "sponge" she found in the basement for my cause.  So I made a "pillow case" out of the fleece to fit the sponge and then stuffed around the sides with stuffing.  At the open end I wrapped it like a Christmas present and sewed on three snaps so the cover can be taken off and washed as needed.

With the fabric and snaps the total cost was less than $10! What a deal!

The finished size is about 20" x 48".

"Birthday Cake" and a baby quilt

Yes I have already studied for two hours this morning...business statistics will either be the death of me...or be totally useless knowledge I had to pay for. (My apologies to those out there who actually use this type of mathematics...but no, I will never believe you if you try to explain to me how I will use it).

SO, down to business..
Here is a present I made my friend Emily this year.  I went to school in Springfield for two years and I wasn't able to be with her on her birthday this year because I moved home to KC in 2009.

 Not to toot my own horn or anything...but this is probably the most amazing seam I've ever done!  

 I put it in a shadow frame for her, and when I went to visit her she had it hung up in her apartment :)

The block is called "Birthday Cake" and I found it onhttp://www.quilterscache.com/ which is an amazing website with SOOOO many blocks and pattern ideas!  If you go to this site and still don't have any ideas...then you didn't try.  (I also hand stitched her name in it)

Here is the front of a quilt I made for my friend Laura who had a sweet little baby boy.  I used fat quarters and I just kinda made up the pattern....I think I cut the pieces 3 1/2" x 6 1/2".  All blocks have three different color blues and each block is rotated (vertical and horizontal)

Here is the back.  I love polka dots for babies...boy or girl.  I have a wonderful lady who quilts for me here locally and she does such an amazing job!  One day I hope to own a quilting machine but my husband insists I absolutely cannot take over his man cave with it.  But I must admit the guy let me have a whole room for my sewing room AND THEN let me put my "extra stock" in tubs in the garage on HIS shelves :)  What a sweetie pie.

Soon I'll post a picture of my sewing room! After I clean up all my projects haha.

Enjoy your day! There will be more later!

Bag for Kodi

Hello again. As we all know Christmas is fast approaching (as is finals...blech) and there is so much to do! 

Here is something I made for my niece Kodi for Christmas...

Front! With a K for Kodi!

Back! I don't know why it loaded sideways...oh well.

The flowers are tacked down and they are actually covering up big holes I had to sew up.  The purse used to be a pair of my brother-in-law's pants that he gave me a long time ago for a yard sale.  I thought, No one will want these with the huge holes so I'll just make something out of it...and that was about 3 or 4 years ago.  And I finally did!

(P.S. All the pockets are still fully functional!)

Inside is lined with green and black flower fabric.

I hope she loves it! I'll let you guys know.

It was super fun to make, the only part that was a little bit challenging was getting the bottom of the purse to sit the way I wanted it to.

Today is supposed to be gorgeous! 55 degrees! So I might get to break away from studying to crochet outside!

I am also happy to say I have decided to take part in Project Linus (http://www.projectlinus.org/) and I hope to start working on blankets and quilts for that soon.  As soon as I have something ready I will of course post pictures! 

More later today!

Man Quilt!

Yes, I am already addicted to blogging! Why did I wait so long?!

Here is the last one for a bit, seeing as how I have to carry on with my life outside of the internet..

Here is a quilt I made for Dan in 2007.  AND it does fit our huge bed.  The little pillow I made to go with it, and I also made two awesome pillow shams...but I can only find one since we moved...

I call this "The Man Quilt" because there is no pink and no flowers.. He loves it!

The pattern is called Block Twist by Thimbleberries.

Something came over me in 2007 and I made LOTS of quilts for Christmas...once I find the pictures of the other ones I will post them.

Enjoy your day!

Turning Twenty!

Last post for today because I should be studying for business statistics (blah) or going into the office...

But this is the first quilt I made! It's a turning twenty and if you are a beginner I really recommend this pattern because it is super easy and goes together really fast.  It has good sized blocks so it doesn't overwhelm you from the beginning and it gives you a huge sense of accomplishment.  

I made this in 2007 when I was a senior in high school.

Yes, I know the bed underneath it is too big haha.  I made this quilt in 2007 when I was dating Dan but we weren't married yet.  How was I supposed to know the man would eventually buy a cali king?  So the quilt is a full size but with my awesome brown blanket underneath it's good enough for me!

Aprons!

Hello again.
I have been taking pictures of things I've made and so I probably can't pinpoint an exact date on everything I post but I'll do my best...plus I know most everyone just wants to see the pictures anyway (haha).

My nephew Adrian just had his 2nd birthday and he LOVES to play cook and he always digs out everything he can get his hands on in my mother-in-law's cabinets.

So I made him a little apron.  It says "Chef Adrian" on it.....
SOOO CUTE in my opinion...and he loves it.

I have heard that my niece Kodi likes to steal it from him...she's 5 and loves to play dress up....so....

This is what she gets for part of her Christmas. It says "Cookin' Kodi".  I was thinking about doing cooking spelled with a "K" to go for the whole alliteration thing...but since she's 5 I didn't want her thinking cooking was spelled like that, you know? I'd never hear the end of it if she missed it on a spelling test.