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.