Fabricgasm

A new year...

2011-01-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

A new blog. And I swear this is the last time I'm changing.

Promise. But sometimes you have to go on a few dates before you find just the right fit :)

www.piecedonearth.blogspot.com

Sew Bee It - Sample Block for January

2011-01-02T18:50:00.001-08:00

Sew Bee It - Sample Block for January
Originally uploaded by MeredithQuilts

It's my month in Sew Bee It! I thought about a few different ideas, but then I remembered this post and this quilt.

And now I want to do my own version!

Bee Members: Mail is going in the mail on 1/3/11. Please choose two words - FOUR LETTER HAPPY VERBS - and post your choices on Flickr.

The black & white fabric should be used for the lettering, on a white background. This section should measure 8x11 (unfinished) or 7.5x10.5 (finished).
Then, add a scrappy border out of the colored fabrics to bring the finished size to 12x15 (cut border scraps to 2.5'' high for this).
The gray polka dot fabric should be used with the colors - not with the blacks.
I was running short on the plain white, so please use wisely.
Send scraps back, please!

Here is a link to some great letter tutorials!

UPDATE: PLEASE, NO APPLIQUE - Thank you!

A Notion or Two - For Jenny #2

2010-11-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

A Notion or Two - For Jenny #2
Originally uploaded by MeredithQuilts

Jenny had us embroider a wish for her and her husband. This is part of an Emerson quote that has stuck with me..."Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."

What a fun quilt idea!

A Notion or Two for Tara's Vintage Camper Quilt

2010-11-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

A Notion or Two for Tara's Vintage Camper Quilt
Originally uploaded by MeredithQuilts

One of my favorite Bee blocks! Totally not my style, but that's the point of a bee, right?

Bee Inspired Quilt Top

2010-08-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Bee Inspired Quilt Top
Originally uploaded by MeredithQuilts

My own personal Mount Everest! I didn't think I would EVER get this pieced together because nothing was the same size, but alas, the top is finished and waiting to be quilted! And I'm a better woman because of it :)

This was the result of my first virtual quilt bee - "Bee Inspired." What a fabulous group of people!

Dresden Plate for Amber (A Notion or Two)

2010-05-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Dresden Plate for Amber (A Notion or Two)
Originally uploaded by MeredithQuilts

I was really intimidated by this, but pleasantly surprised by how quickly it came together. Love it!

Whirly Giggles...Done!

2010-03-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

This is on its way to Texas for my friend's newest baby...I'm really happy with how it turned out. I hope he loves on it for a long time...

I just love this fabric...

And I kind of love the way the quilting turned out on the back. The back and sashing were done in a lightweight denim...

I've been hexed...

2010-02-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

So I just finished a block for my Bee Inspired group. Natasha gave us all two colors of fabrics and gave us a pattern for a hexagon block.

The hexes had to be hand pieced, and let me tell you, anyone who has made an entire hexagon quilt, of any size, has my utmost respect. These little guys take some time! But, the results are pretty spectacular.

This got me looking at some other hex quilts on flickr...here are some of my favorites...

Grey Cottage Studio uploaded this photo of a quilt she found hiding in a closet...can you imagine the time that was put into this?

And the colors in this one by PurpleFern are just gorgeous...

And this one by RedPepperQuilts...is brilliant. If you look close, you'll see that they figured out a way to machine piece the hexagons. Now, I might have to try that.

Here is a whole discussion on the method.

2010-01-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already heard, http://www.crafthope.com/ has set up an Etsy shop full of donated items - 100% of the sales will go to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. My favorite items include this, this and this.

Whirlygiggles make me smile...

2010-01-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a quilt for a friend's
baby boy that will be arriving soon...

This is my first time to make whirlygiggles, and I love them.
Such happy shapes, aren't they?
I'm also in love with the wiener dog fabric...

And if I could find any more of that
Word Search fabric by Michael Miller,
I'd buy a whole bolt of it...
but alas, it seems to be extinct :(

Oh my...

2009-12-30T17:50:00.001-08:00

Where has the time gone? Oh yeah...I've been turning this:

Into this:

I've been drooling over the Garden Party line for a long while, and working with it was a joy. I'm not one for using other people's patterns...I normally love making my own thing up as I go along. But, the pattern that Anna Maria Horner did to go along with this line was too good to pass up.

A friend and I did it for our work's silent auction. And guess what? That said friend went and won it. I'm just a teeny bit jealous!

This project combined with the holidays has resulted in me neglecting this little blog of mine. But it's about to be a new year...and that means getting things back on track!

[Buy Garden Party on Etsy]

Why didn't I think of this?

2009-11-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

I've heard of co-ops for groceries...well now there's a co-op for buying fabric. How. Cool. Meet Fabfanatic - where you can place an order for soon-to-be released fabrics for around 60% of their retail price.
In their own words...

"The co-op is a group of people, in this case fabric buyers, who pool their resources to purchase the latest crafting and quilting fabric designs just as a quilt shop would, except co-op members will get the fabric shipped to them at the same time it would arrive at your neighborhood quilt shop. As a member of the co-op, you can order as little as 1 yard or several bolts, depending on your needs.Just take a look at our fabric gallery and reserve your cut. You’ll receive an invoice for your order and a deadline to submit your payment via Paypal for the fabric and flat rate shipping costs. There are no hidden fees. We’ll place the order and you’ll get an estimated shipment date. "

Day of the Dead

2009-10-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

These prints by Alexander Henry actually made me want to learn more about the Day of the Dead. All of the images surrounding this holiday are so mysterious and beautiful.

The more I learn about this Latin holiday, the more I like it. A day to remember family and friends that have passed away...You can celebrate by telling stories, praying for loved ones, or simply by eating the favorite foods of those who have passed. It's coming up on November 1st, and I plan on eating a bowl of crackers and milk in honor of my Grandpa and eating some biscuits and jam which always reminds my of my sweet Granny Nelle.

You can see this entire collection - Folklorico - by Alexander Henry here...

or buy it on Etsy here...

Where has the time gone?

2009-10-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

I'm LONG due for a post. Yikes! Time flies when life gets busy!
I'm sure this isn't news to my fellow fabraholics, but have you seen Amy Butler's new line "Love"? It's pretty wonderful if you ask me. I would even venture to say that I love it. Ok. Enough bad jokes.

Check it out on Etsy...which is your favorite pattern?

Fall Fabric Wreath

2009-09-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Fall definitely has some of my favorite color schemes. Orange with dark red and a splash of bright green...there's just something comforting in that trio of autumn.

I had the urge to make a fall wreath for our front door, but I could really find any samples of fabric wreaths that I liked. Then I remembered those little flowers from a couple of weeks ago and went to work. Here's what I ended up with...

And my urge is now satisfied! Ahh...feels good.

A Gift for Mr. McScruff

2009-09-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

After a lovely dinner with my husband sitting outside in the first chilly day of fall, all I wanted to do was come home and sew something. There's something very "fallish" about sewing isn't there? I used some of my scraps from the curtain and pillows to sew a new bed for Mr. Brody McScruff. I had two extra standard size bed pillows, so I made this to fit them -

and in about two seconds this happened...

and then this...

I think he likes it? We picked him up a year ago this week...love you Brody McScruff!

Stash Building

2009-09-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

So many times I walk into a fabric shop and feel paralyzed...I want everything. So I buy nothing. It's normally on a Friday afternoon right after I've left work. That's my all-time favorite shopping time. But it's no fun walking out empty-handed!

So over the last few weeks I decided to fight the paralysis by allowing myself to buy anything that caught my eye - anything that I loved for any reason at all even if I had no idea what it would be used for, but I limited myself to spending no more than $10 on any single trip. Now - four trips later - I have so many scrumptious fabrics that I adore...and I can't wait to use them!

Here's the line-up:

1. Hancock Fabrics - 6 quarter yards and several sales! Only $10!

2. Cotton Patch - This was a new shop for me. It was super cozy. These don't match each other at all, but I was drawn to each one for some reason...2 fat quarters - $5

3. Hobby Lobby - I always forget about Hobby Lobby! They produce the Brother Sister line exclusively for their stores, and there are some lovelies in that line. I couldn't resist these two...and they were 30% off! Two half-yards - $only 4!

And last but not least this quirky little print I found on the clearance table at the Quilt Sampler for $3.99 a yard! My friend Lauren is learning to sew and I met her for a little shopping trip. I didn't know what I would ever use it for until...

Lauren shared a certain pattern with me...
Only a sneak peak for now, because it's not done, but I'm in love!

Fabric Cravings

2009-09-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

I've been drooling over this fabric by Laura Gunn for a while now, but alas, my fabric budget for the month is S.P.E.N.T. So, I'll just have to get my kicks from internet window-shopping for now.

Go to Laura's Blog

See the whole fabric line produced by Michael Miller

Buy it on Etsy

So what are you drooling over lately?

Flora & Fauna - Sneak Peak

2009-09-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

Patty Young posted a sneak peak of
her new line, "Flora & Fauna," this week on her blog...

It looks lovely. I love the bee hive prints.

See other Patty Young designs on Etsy.

Spoonflower Winner!

2009-09-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

And the winner is...Jennifer Baker!

Congrats, Jennifer! And thank you for giving me a reason to order a yard of this lovely fabric (of course I have to keep half of it for myself!) Send your address to fabricgasm at gmail dot com and I will send it off to you as soon as I get it!

If you didn't win, but still want the fabric, you can order it from Spoonflower's Etsy shop until Wednesday.

Sunday Sewing: Clip Ring Curtains

2009-09-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Our back door has had some old, dingy mini-blinds on it since we moved in back in February. I finally ordered some fabric (Wood Fern in Moss from the Nigella line by Amy Butler...an oldie but a goodie!).

Today I whipped up some clip ring curtains for the door. I had enough left over for a pillow cover. Our back den has a sort of natural, earthy feel to it, so I think this is a good fit.

Buy Nigella on Etsy / Buy Nigella on eBay

p.s. don't forget about the giveaway :)

Spoonflower {and a giveaway!}

2009-09-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

So...Have you heard of Spoonflower? It's a nifty little site where you can have your own design (or photo or whatever) printed on quilting weight fabric. You heard me right. Anything you want...on fabric...to be made into anything you want.

So, each week they hold a contest to pick the favorite design of the week. Whichever design wins is sold by the yard in their Etsy shop for a very limited time. Cool, huh? Here's this week's winner which was designed by Juliann Law:

Well, I've been looking for an excuse to do two things 1) Order a spoonflower design and 2) Have a giveaway. Guess what?!? This is my 10th post! Let's celebrate!

I'll give 1/2 a yard of this awesome Christmas fabric to one lucky winner.

You can enter up to 3 times:

Leave a comment with an answer to this question: What was the last piece of fabric that you bought?
Subscribe to my blog and leave me a separate comment telling me. (If you're already a subscriber, just leave a comment saying that)
Post about the giveaway on your blog with a link - and leave me a separate comment telling me

No entries after midnight on Sunday (9/13). Winner will be announced on Monday!

The Cutest Halloween Fabric I've Ever Seen....

2009-09-09T18:07:00.001-07:00

I was just perusing (don't you just love that word?) Etsy, and I found THIS...the cutest Halloween fabric I've ever laid my eyes on...

It's called "Trick or Treat Street" by Sheri Berry for Northcutt Fabrics.

The fact that she throws in a teal print is so unexpected and PERFECT! It's like a bohemian Halloween. LOVE. IT. Oh - and that bottom print? That's a striped print that includes snippets of all the different patterns in the line. Imagine the possibilities for THAT.

For some reason the supply of this lovely line
seems to be limited, so if you want some...you better hurry!

Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay

Five Flannel Picks for Fall

2009-09-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Doesn't the coming of September just make you want to buy new pencils, make some hot chocolate and curl up in some flannel pjs? And then you realize that it's still 95 degrees outside and you're sweating. But still...it's definitly not to early to plan some fall projects. So here's a few things that I found while searching for fabulous flannel fabric (try saying that 3 times fast!).

Here is Chic Bebe by David Textiles...gorgeous! (Bonus! It comes in a pink colorway too!)

{ Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay}

***

Riley Blake is a new-to-me designer, but judging from what I've found lately, I like her! Here is Just Dreamy in Flannel:

{Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay}

***

Here she is again! I love when Christmas is done in non-traditional colors.
These are from the Be Merry line by Riley Blake:

{Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay}

***

Ooooh...can't you just see little feet poking out of pajamas made from these???
Funky Monkey by Moda:

{ Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay}

***

This is one of my very favorite lines - Charisma by Chez Moi for Moda - and supply is limited!

It's already vanished from Etsy...Buy it on eBay before it's all gone!

So...are you working on something in flannel? What is it???

Just Because...

2009-09-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

Please go out and buy a yard of fabric that you have absolutely no idea what you'll use it for...just because that's where creativity can come from...and because it's 40% off through Saturday.

Five Fabric Lines for BOYS

2009-09-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

Oh Boy! by David Walker for Free Spirit Fabrics

{Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay}
Bonus! Free Pattern from Free Spirit

***

Robots by David Walker for Free Spirit Fabrics

{Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay}

Bonus! Free Pattern from Free Spirit

***

Cogsmo by Cosmo Cricket for Andover Fabrics:

{Buy it on Etsy}

Bonus! Free Pattern from Andover

***

Bot Camp by Michael Miller:

{Buy it on Etsy / Buy it on eBay}

***

All Star by Riley Blake:

{Buy it on Etsy}

So have you found a great fabric line for boys? What is it? Where can we find it?

"Monaco" by Dena Designs

2009-09-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

It's patterns like these that make me obsessed with fabric.
I mean, just look at it!

Monaco by Dena Designs with Free Spirit Fabric

BUY Monaco FROM ETSY
BUY Monaco FROM eBAY

And a bonus...
Free Spirit has a free quilt pattern for this fabric line...

Half Homemade...

2009-09-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

I remember watching a cooking show once where everything was "half-homemade" - store bought products were mixed with other ingredients to come up with quick and easy dishes. Well - today I had a half-homemade fabric project. I finally mustered up the courage to cut into some of my Charisma fabric (by Chez Moi with Moda) and used this tutorial to make a fabric flower - sooo easy! It took me less than 30 minutes. Then I attached it to my new bag from Target. I'm n love with it. I want to make a million more little flowers an attach them to everything I own. But maybe that would be a little overboard...

BUY Charisma FROM ETSY

BUY Charisma FROM eBAY

{Hint: eBay currently has a MUCH larger selection of this line}

Buy the bag from Target {Bonus! It was only $10!}

Pure Cuteness...

2009-09-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Heather Ross's new line - Far Far Away? It's the definition of "adorable" in my book! My sister-in-law just bought some of this, and I'm totally having fabric-envy. Any fabric that incorporates the Princess and the Pea has to be a winner...

BUY Far Far Away FROM ETSY

BUY Far Far Away FROM eBAY

In Love!

2009-09-02T19:13:00.001-07:00

Just discovered that my current favorite fabric line has been translated into handhooked wool rugs & pillows...LOVE THESE! You can order the rugs for $120 or the pillows for $56-$98.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER DIRECTLY FROM ANNA MARIA HORNER...

Inspired by Fabric...

2009-09-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

I was taking a bath tonight and it hit me - Carrie Bradshaw has shoe-gasms and I have fabricgasms. Seeing Amy's & Anna Marie's designs for the first time sparked a desire in me to create - to sew - to quilt. Beautiful fabric has made my world more beautiful. So welcome to my blog - a place where I'll share the most inspiring fabric designs I can find. Stick around...there's more to come!

I finally have curves!

2009-08-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

August Bee Inspired Block for Krista
Originally uploaded by MeredithOK

I just tried a curved pattern for the first time for Krista's month in Bee Inspired. I was a little nervous about this, but I used this tutorial which worked perfectly...

How to Host a Swap...Without Going Insane

2009-08-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

One of our swap participants asked that I blog about the actual process of managing the swap. It seems complicated, but really it's very straitforward, and anyone can do it. So...here's how it worked...

I co-hosted the swap with my sister-in-law, Wendy. This was nice because it cut down on the work for one person. She coordinated all the sign-ups and sent instructions to everyone. I received all the fabrics, distributed them, and will mail them out.

We had 20 participants (including ourselves) who each sent 20 4 inch squares of 10 different patterns (total of 200 squares from each person). Each person will get 200 squares back, but with 200 different patterns. So, just remember that the amount of fabric people send will be the same amount that they get back.

This meant that I was collecting 4,000 pieces of fabric which seems overwhelming, but really, it was just a matter of storing them until I was ready to distribute. Whenever I got a package in the mail, I'd mark the person down, and stash their squares in my very sophisticated storage system...

Once I received everyone's squares, I started the process of distributing them into 20 different stacks. Starting with the first pattern...

And going through all 200 different patterns...I'm sure there are lots of ways to do this, but by doing it all at once, and one pattern at a time, I could be sure that each person got every single pattern. This took a LOT longer than I thought it would. About 4 hours. But I got to touch every single piece of beatiful fabric, so that made it worth it :)

We also asked each swapper to send a self-addressed stamped envelope with their fabrics. This made it MUCH easier to package the squares up to send out.

And tomorrow I will head to the post office!

So that's pretty much it! Not so scary, huh? This was my first swap to host and it has been a great experience! I highly recommend it!

And then there were 4,000!

2009-08-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

It's official...I have 4,000 squares of novelty fabric in my house! Here are the last three sets...Hopefully I'll have everything divided up and ready to ship on Monday. Also, I had a request to do a blog post about the process of hosting a swap in a semi-organized fashion. Stay tuned.

On to the important stuff...

Gina from TX sent these in...aren't those lips cool?

(Public Service Announcement: My camera is off. way off. It needs to go to the camera graveyard. That cute froggie is actually on HOT PINK fabric.)

Anna from WA sent these...*Gasp*

And lastly...here are my picks. This was my first time to shop specifically for novelty fabrics and it was SO MUCH FUN! When else do you have a reason to buy singing pigs or wiener dogs?

So that's it...now on to make some sense out of this craziness!

Bundles of Love

2009-08-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

Or as I'm calling it..."Purge for Peace"...

I ran across this blog about 30 minutes ago. The woman's husband is in Iraq and is collecting bundles of fabric supplies to hand out to Iraqi women who can use the items to make a living. Um - yes! Sign me up!

So in less than 30 minutes I gathered up a stack full of supplies that will soon be on their way to the middle east...

Several yards of solid fabric that didn't make it into my "Bee Inspired" quilt
Lots of extra fat quarters left over from the vintage sheet quilt I did last year
4 balls of yarn from my crocheting days.
A pair of the 53 pairs of scissors living in my house
3 spools of thread
Extra pins
Buttons & velcro
A few pieces of ribbon
A travel sewing kit filled with goodies

And I even found an extra tote bag to bundle it together!

I don't even know where that bag came from...isn't crazy how much extra stuff we gather?

Go over to see Kristin if you'd like to participate...it will make you feel good, I promise!

I SPY a Swap!

2009-07-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law and I are co-hosting a swap called....

{drum roll}

I-SPY a swap!

The details:

The first 18 people are in. Go to Wendy's blog to sign up...

Each person will send (20) 4" squares from each of 10 novelty fabrics (a total of 200 squares) to me by August 1st.
You will receive (200) 4" novelty squares (enough for 2 small I-SPY quilts or 1 large one). We’re hoping to send packages out by August 15th, but that depends on how long it takes everything to come to us.
Live outside the U.S.? No problem! Just try to get your fabrics to us a little earlier.

We'll post a list of participants' blogs on each of our blogs, so hopefully you'll go visit everyone's sites and leave some bloggy love, make some friends, and generally fill the world with peace and happiness.

Just because we like you, we’ll even draw up and post some patterns you could use for arranging the squares in order to get a certain sized quilt.

A few thoughts & guidelines on the fabrics…

Most fabric stores have a dedicated novelty fabric section. Generally these are fabrics with objects…animals, food, people, etc. It may help to think in terms of things you could use for the I-spy game. (I spy the letter G, I spy a sushi roll, I spy a monkey eating a banana, etc.)

In order to avoid duplicate patterns, go on a mission for some really obscure, hard-to-find prints that aren’t available at the chain retailers.

No team prints or licensed characters (SpongeBob, Dora, etc.) So, for example, a print with basketballs would be great, but a Dallas Mavericks print is not. Or a print with ducks wearing hats is great, but Donald Duck is not.

The object in the fabric should be distinguishable in a 3.5x3.5 square (which will be its finished size). Keep this in mind when choosing fabrics. Either go with small prints or be ready to fussy-cut.

You can get (20) 4" squares out of a 1/4 yard cut of fabric or out of a fat quarter. So you'll need to purchase at least 2-1/2 yards of fabric.

What is an I-Spy quilt? It's a quilt made with novelty fabrics. And it's a wonderful toy to play I-spy with. Great for traveling with kids or rest time or when you need something to occupy little ones. How to play? Take turns spotting something in the quilt, maybe "I spy, with my little eye, a frog in a tutu!" And then the first person to point out the tutu frog on the quilt goes next. And so on. Hours and hours of fun!

Win a watermelon! (quilt)

2009-05-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I missed the deadline to get in on the giveaway action tomorrow. Darn! BUT...my very-creative sister-in-law is much more punctual than me! Head on over to her blog tomorrow to win this adorable watermelon quilt...

Inspired...

2009-05-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted something on here, but I'm going to play the "I just bought my first house" card and not feel so bad about it! Anyhoo...I signed up for the Bee Inspired quilting bee hosted by Rachel, and so far, it has been great fun. I have made two blocks so far, one for Rachel and one for Dianah...

A Pinwheel for Rachel...

And a Vacation Home For Dianah...

AND, even more fun (for me), April was my month, so I have been getting all sorts of awesome blocks in the mail! This is my first quilting bee and I am definitely a fan! Here are the fabrics that I chose...

This is my inspiration quilt...

And as you can see from the Bee Inspired Flickr Pool, I am getting some awesome blocks! I even got a block from the famous Quilt Dad! This is so fun! Yahoo!

Back in the Saddle...

2009-02-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

So part of the reason I had a huge lull in posting anything on here, is that I've had the quilt of death hanging over my head since mid-October. It was supposed to be a Christmas present, and it was supposed to be fabulous. This was my first major quilting disaster. It took way longer to get the top pieced than I thought it would, the colors did not come together like I had hoped, and when I began quilting it, I ended up with huge nasty wrinkles in the backing from not using enough safety pins. Since I had already missed the Christmas deadline, I decided this weekend to set it aside and allow myself to not care about it anymore. Perhaps I will fix it, perhaps I will rip it apart. Perhaps I will send it to my worst enemy. Either way, I have declared myself FREE!!!

In celebration I decided to try a little improv project tonight, and all of the sudden I remembered this whole quilting thing can be so satisfying. This is nothing like what I thought I was going to end up with, but I'm loving it.

I had a piece of embroidery that I did about 5 years ago that I decided to put at the center...

I used scraps for everything, and I think I'll make this into a pillow...since it matches our bed perfectly...which was not part of my plan. I guess that's why it's called improv...

Back in the blogging business...

2009-01-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

I just realized I haven't posted anything since November...YIKES. Here's a few things I've been up to since then...

* Finished quilting the Ranch Quilt
* Started a quilt for my dad that's giving me major problems. Lots of choice words being thrown around.
* Taught Brody to "Sit, Brody, Sit. Good Dog."
* BOUGHT A HOUSE...and it has been declared...I shall have a sewing room.

I Really Want this Fabric...

2009-01-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

And they're giving it away!

http://the-fabric-shopper.blogspot.com/2009/01/fabric-giveaway-anna-maria-horner-from.html

I Came Home to Pure Goodness!

2008-11-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

Good Thing #1: My ALQS2 Quilt Came from my partner, Susan. I LOVE it! It's a mixture of batiks and other fun, bright fabrics...Isn't it awesome? I can't wait to find the right spot for it!

Good Thing #2: Susan sent an adorable pin cushion and some green & blue fabric squares along with the quilt. Bonus!

Good thing #3: My husband was cooking dinner when I walked through the door. Doesn't he look cute standing over the stove?

After our UTTERLY BIZARRE* day yesterday, today was filled with PURE GOODNESS!

* A long story about a bite of chicken, the VA Medical Center, and a 500 mile trip to Little Rock...all for naught.

Another Little Quilt Swap

2008-10-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

My quilt has been received by Amy - Glad you like it, Amy!

Another Little Quilt Swap - Preview!

2008-10-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Finished! I just finished my quilt for Another Little Quilt Swap. Here is a preview...I've covered the center section which contains some embroidery work specific to my partner. So...until s/he receives it, this is all you get to see! I'm really pleased with it...I hope s/he is too!

Want to win a quilt?

2008-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

"Pigtails & Snails" is giving this FABULOUS quilt away. Want to win it? I do!

If I've been MIA lately, there's someone to blame...

2008-10-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

his name is Brody McScruff. And quilting has taken a backseat to him...at least until he stops peeing on everything. But who could be mad at this guy?

Ranch Quilt

2008-09-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

My grandfather's house burned down in January, and his new house was just finished. So...I decided to start on a quilt to give him for Christmas, and the Chinese coin pattern came together rather quickly. Yeah for easy patterns! Here is the top...with some ranch-y fabric touches (he lives on a ranch). I now have it basted and ready to quilt...I just need to psych myself up for that part!

ALQS2

2008-08-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am taking part in Another Little Quilt Swap, and I was way excited to get the info for my partner. I've been really debating on what to do, and have landed on these fabrics...the top one is a thrifted apron, a few are from Joann's, and several are from Moda's Wee Play line. Luckily, I will have plenty to make myself something afterward, because I am really liking these colors...

A Gift for my Sis...

2008-08-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

So even though I never had a sister growing up, when my brother got married I FINALLY got one. And, as fate would have it, she's trying to figure out this sewing thing at the same time I am.

I just sent her this "thread catcher" for her birthday which was a modified version of this pattern. It was made mostly out of fabric I had on hand...except for the large thread pocket which was made from a tote bag I found at a thrift store. I had a hard time letting go of it, and want to make one for myself now. Here, it is modeled by my girl...

Happy Birthday, Wendy! I'm so thankful for my fun sister!

Vintage Sheet Quilt

2008-08-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Finally this week I was able to turn some of those thrift store sheets into a quilt top. It was an easy project after all those angles in my first two quilts. I can't decide what to do with this one after it's finished...hmm...

Here are the strips in progress...

Finished Top...

And a close-up of some of the fabrics. Half came from thrifted sheets and half were new fabrics from my stash...

Quilt-A-Long...Finished!

2008-07-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

I finished the quilting on my quilt-a-long quilt that I started this winter. I love it! It's about 45x60 and is perfect for curling up with on the couch. Thank you Amanda for all the tutorials!

Holy Jackpot, Batman!

2008-07-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to stop by a thrift shop on my way home from work, and despite the bad part of town, it was totally worth it...the sheets were plentiful and everything with a blue tag was 1/2 off. I had never been there before, but I will definitely be going back. I can't imagine that I can use all of this fabric, so I may try to sell some of it. If anyone out there is interested, I would definitely swap some of it for some Amy Butler or Robert Kaufmann fabric...stuff I can't seem to find here in OK.

Here they are...my favorite is the second one from the left on the bottom row.

And when I opened it up, there were birds!

Finally Done...almost!

2008-07-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

I started working on this quilt-a-long this winter, and I finally finished the top this weekend! I have it basted and ready to quilt...can't wait! I didn't realize when I bought the fabric how 70's-ish the patterns were, but I really like how they all came together. I bought bright blue thread to use for the quilting on the brown sashing and think I will use regular white thread for the rest of it. Still thinking though...

A Gift for Parrish's Sweet Grandma...

2008-07-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Parrish's sweet grandmother, Shurlee, always snags quilting and sewing books for me from the thrift shop she volunteers at each week. She told me that she really liked pink, and I took the hint...

I found the pattern at Joann's - I haven't given it to her yet, but I hope she likes it!

My First Quilt...

2008-07-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

Since I got a sewing machine for Christmas, I thought it would be great to make a quilt for my mom's birthday (January 13th) Ha! Needless to say it ended up being a combo birthday / mother's day gift. It was far from perfect, but I loved doing it and I'm pretty sure she loved getting it. I'm now addicted...and I really can't believe I started a blog for this! I'm telling myself it's not nerdy, but creative...and being creative is very cool, right?