September 21, 2011

WIP Wednesday

I don't know what it is about Atlanta and football, but it is huge!  Especially college football.   I grew up in North Carolina where college basketball was king.  (I'm all about some March Madness- go Blue Devils!). 

I didn't even understand the rules of football until I was in the high school marching band and actually watched games (mandatory).  So even after living in Atlanta for 5 years, I'm still amazed with how big football is around here! 

My friend Sara asked me to make her a Georgia Tech bag that "was Gerogia Tech-ish, but not screaming GA Tech.  The lining can scream it though!".  I'm using chauwall's Large Vinings Bag pattern, a Richloom fabric, and a Georgia Tech fabric. 


This pattern makes a nice roomy bag with cute pleats on the outside of the bag that give it a tailored look.


I'm making an extra-long adjustable strap so Sara can wear it as a shoulder bag or a cross-body bag.  I'm modifying the inside pockets too.  I made this bag for myself a couple months ago and although there are tons of pockets, it's hard to stay organized because my things tend to fall out of them.  It's the only annoyance I have with this bag. 

Instead, I'm going to put in a single pocket on the lining and a key chain strap so Sara can hook her keys to it and they'll always be handy! 


I have a couple other goodies I'm making to help her stay organized, but that'll have to wait for the final reveal post.

No farmer's wife blocks this week.  Guess I'm not actually a farmer's wife... more like a steady girlfriend.   Interested, but sometimes other things get in the way.  I'll get back to it soon though!

There's also been a lot of baking going on around here.  I love, love, love Starbuck's petite vanilla bean scones and I found this recipe and decided to try it last night.  It was my first time making scones and I think they turned out pretty good!



Light, airy, and most importantly: tasty!  

The recipe called for full-fat sour cream, but I used low fat and they still turned out wonderfullly!
 
 
This week's stats:
  
Completed: Baby A's quilt
 
In Progress: Sara's Georgia Tech bag
 
In the queue:
  • Christmas Quilt
  • Baby B's blankets
  • Hope Valley quilt
  • Sewing Room accessories: sewing machine cover, string catcher, clip boards, quilt/design boards, embroidery kit
  • top secret bag design
Completed projects - 1
Currently in progress -1
No Progress- 2
In the Queue- 7
 
 

September 20, 2011

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Baby A's Quilt

Baby quilt #2 is under my belt!  A sweet friend of mine is having a little boy anytime now and I wanted to make her something special:


I've gotta say, I'm getting pretty good at sewing squares together.  It's such an easy way to make something so personal and fun-- I really love this pattern for a quick and easy baby quilt.   I whipped it up in about 2 afternoons. 

I call it "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles". 


The thing I love about making baby quilts is that I get to use some really cute fabrics!  This one is made completely of Robert Kaufman prints:  Remix Argyle and Zig Zag, Ready, Set, Go! Airplanes, Helicopters, Trains, and Traffic, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas- Lime spots in cotton and flannel.


The backing is flannel and I.LOVE.IT!   So perfect for snuggling your baby on a crisp, fall night!  It's also super-soft and will be great for "tummy time" or play time or whatever-- 


This was also my first time making my own binding.  It was super-easy and affordable and gives it all that custom look.  I will never buy binding again (if I can help it).

I really like how the zig-zag fabric did with the binding.  I didn't necessarily try to create a color progression around the perimeter, but I love that it happened naturally.  The other fabric up for grabs was the aqua with white dots.  I think that would have looked really nice too, but I was worried that back would be too dotty. 

I didn't put the letter "A" on the back because this baby hasn't been born yet and what if they don't name him what they think they will!?   I also couldn't bear to cover up any of that soft, snuggly flannel.   

I am so pleased with the way this quilt turned out and I hope baby A and his family love it!


Next up: I need to make some girl quilts!!

September 14, 2011

Feeling Stitchy


Lately I've gotten into embroidery and I needed something to keep me organized.   I really loved what Nova did over at Cuppa and a Catch Up to keep herself organized and I was really inspired blatantly copied this lovely kit.   I have been obsessed with gray and Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley collection (i know, about 2 years later) and I felt like it would be a perfect fit!  I also had to throw in the lovely green scissor pattern by Cosmo Cricket that I picked up at Whipstitch the other day. 

The largest pouch is about 12"x12"- perfect for carrying everything I need to get stitchy- and has my initials embroidered at the bottom.    I love the quilting too-- kind of a modified chevron.  I think I'm going to use the same process for some flannel blankets for Baby B. 


A floss bag.  I have another in the works as a catch all for pencils, doo-dads, and anything else I might need but don't want tangled up in thread.   The floss skein embroidery is based on Wild Olive's drawing.  (love her little characters and drawings!-- everything looks better with a little smile). 

And finally, a needle book.  Based on these two tutorials by Ever Kelly and Jamie at Sew She Sews.   I modified the case a bit from what Jamie instructs- completely leaving out the bias tape and snaps.  I like the ribbon closure and it adds a little pop of color and texture.   The pockets are perfect for floss and things, but my snips tend to slide right out.  Next time I make one of these I'm going to include a separate, triangle pocket for the snips (or attach Velcro to the top of one of the pockets?).   I also forgot to stitch "needles" on the outside of the book- I got too excited to see how it would turn out!- but no one knows that but you and me. 


Confession: bright zippers make me happy.


This week's stats:

Completed: embroidery kit

Stalled out:
No progress: Baby G's Quilt

In the queue:
  • Christmas Quilt
  • Baby B's blankets
  • Hope Valley quilt
  • Sewing Room accessories: sewing machine cover, string catcher, clip boards, quilt/design boards, embroidery kit
Completed projects - 1
Currently in progress - 9

Now head on over to Freshly Pieced and see what everyone else is up to-- There's a ton of creative types over there!





September 7, 2011

I'm a Farmer's Wife!

I'm officially a farmer's wife:

The Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-Long has been wandering out the sewing blogosphere all summer and had piqued my interest, but I've got to admit I was pretty turned off by the historic fabrics and colors.  Don't get me wrong, I think traditional quilting is gorgeous and the reproduction fabrics are really amazing, but it's just not my style (not that's I've been doing this long enough to have a definitive style- 1 month- but I'm definitely attracted to modern fabrics, styles, and colors).

Then I found the flickr group and saw how well modern fabrics blend with the traditional quilt blocks and I was hooked!   I know this is a pretty ambitious project for a beginning quilter, but I've always been a jump into the deep in kind of girl anyway.   I've already learned a lot just this week!  For instance-- half square triangles-- who knew that you had to cut the triangles larger than the template for them to fit?  Not me!  Luckily, Lori Holt to the rescue with her fabulous tutorial!  I have a feeling I'll be referencing her other tutorials before this project is over. 


Another handy tip I learned from Lori: design boards!  
Add caption
These are a definite must-have for any project with intricate blocks and were so easy to make:  foam board, scrap batting, and fabric strips.   Add hot glue and you're organized and ready to sew!  (tutorial here).  These will come in hand for a while.


Now, without further ado, the five blocks I made this week:


#16 Calico Puzzle

#21 Contrary Wife

#71 Puss in the Corner

I will probably remake this one-- the corners don't quite line up and I'm not in love with the busy-ness of the corners-- they blend in with the pink dot DS Quilts fabric.

#81 Snowball
I am going to remake this one-- I like the fabrics, but I messed up the top-- I want the corner stripes to be turned opposite and that didn't happen.  Need to pay better attention to that when I'm sewing... like I did with....

#84 Spool
I modified my "spool"-- I wanted thread on it.   I like the way this one turned out.   I especially like the way the "Hometown" fabric looks as the body of the spool.

I'll be keeping up my progress over in the side bar. 

This week's stats:

Completed: design boards

Moving Along:   

No progress: Baby G's Quilt
In the queue:
  • Christmas Quilt
  • Baby B's blankets
  • Hope Valley quilt
  • Sewing Room accessories: sewing machine cover, string catcher, clip boards, quilt/design boards, embroidery bag

    Completed projects - 1
    Currently in progress - 10

Now head on over to Freshly Pieced and see what everyone else is up to!