Sew Sunday - Swaps

Confession - I am a procrastinator.  I rarely get anything finished ahead of time.  I have on occasion done so, but those are the exceptions and I always think something is going to take less time than it actually does.  This is not just in sewing, but my entire life.  This will trip me up when I have to get up at 4 am to get a government form completed that is due that day!  Or complete a swap item that needs to be mailed that day!  

I was in the Sew Sew Modern 2 Swap and I waited until crunch time to finish my items.  I knew what I wanted to make for a few weeks and I had the patterns.  I had them finished a day late, but checking the list of senders I'm not the only late sender, so although I would feel better getting out on the day due, the next day doesn't make me feel too bad.  I will still try in my next swap to do better!

My partner said she liked Echino - something I love too!

I put together the Divided Fabric Basket ( pattern from Noodlehead).  I can get this together now almost without looking at the directions, this is the 8th one I've made.  I love this basket and I hope all these people I'm making them for like them too!  I made the handles with bright pink, my partner said she liked jewel tones, and the pink matched the colors on the front pocket of the basket.  

I also made my partner a Super Tote using the pattern from Noodlehead.  She asked for a tote with a zipper closure.  

I used Echino fabric for the Super Tote

There were a few extras thrown in with the two sewn items.  My partner should receive today, and I hope she will be happy with her items.  

I received my swap items last week, and I am so happy with them.  My secret partner made me a tote (can't have enough of those) and a small knitted bag.  I love the little bag, I have never received anything like that, and I don't knit, so that was really special.  She said the bird on the tote was inspired by a Charley Harper drawing.  I adore this tote! She also included a bit of chocolate no longer available for photographing.  

I am going to work on something this weekend that is WAY behind and show next week.  I hope everyone is doing something they love to do this weekend - summer is here!  

My Gran first dip in the pool, he wasn't quite sure what to make of all that water and no shampooing.

Sew Sunday

After the beginning of last week I was feeling just slightly burned out on sewing for others.  When that happens, I can sometimes take a break and put my sewing room right (I did a little of that) and because it is Quilt Market weekend, I spent way too mcuh  a little too much time drooling and scheming how I'm going to buy all that new fabulous fabric  looking at photos from Portland.    To help me ease back into happy sewing I finished up a quilt I've had on my list for the Gran.  And I have stopped looking at QuiltMarket photos.

For the Gran - using Riley Blake Peak Hour fabric

You know what was amazing about this?  It was just the fabric, I didn't do anything but add borders.  Yay for great fabric!

I outlined the vehicles and meandered through the white, and the result is the little cars look like I spent hours appliqueing.

The backing fabric was off white and the vehicles were all scattered about, like how the Gran will start to throw his cars and trucks around when he can grab them.

This is his quilt for my house.  He already has several for his own house.

I'm going to steal him for awhile today so he can sit on it (he almost can sit by himself) and I can get a photo of the two of them together.  In the daylight, not these crappy night time photos because when you can only sew late in the night that's all you get.   I wanted to have something up for this Sew Sunday!  I have plans plans plans for this week, which I'm sure by Monday morning will all have been shredded, moved, manipulated around, but I have all my supplies to work on the Super Tote, and I want to start that today.  

Beep Beep!

Sew Sunday

Happy Mother's Day all, I am late getting Sew Sunday up - and I have little to show today.  I have plans for the day, which involve my sewing studio and fabric flying around the room, but little to show for the last few days.  I have finished another fabric basket, but haven't photographed it yet.  Besides, you may be tired of seeing those!  

I'm finishing up a Mother's Day gift today.  And then for myself I plan to make the Super Tote by Anna.  I can't wait to give this a try!  I ordered fabric last week to use, I do have to go out and get elastic, but other than that, I'm ready to go.  

I have a swap item to finish today too, so a busy day but what I want to do on this Mother's Day.  Thanks for visiting, and I hope you get to do what you want on your day too!  

I was able to get a super photo last week, all five buns together.  It's hard to get them in one photo, they move quickly or something across the room sparks their interest.  They were all getting cranberries - which they don't get often, it's a treat - and they all sat still long enough for a few quick photos.

We have Peanut (brown lop) Velveteen (grey mini rex) Bandit (white with black, Netherland dwarf) and Patch & Stitch (white netherland dwarf).  Stitch is the boy all white bun, he is slightly larger than Patch and he actually has a small patch of black behind his ear.  We had already named him Stitch, so even though he has the 'patch' that isn't his name.  

Sew Sunday

I had a little bit of inspiration the other day, and did a lot of fabric pulling.  Yep, liking this, looking good.

Did some cutting.  I used the print as inspiration for the color choices. Yep, liking this, looking good.

More cutting into triangles.  Still looks good.  I'm on a roll. 

And boom.  Hit a brick wall.  This is just too busy.  I so wanted this to work, but the print is lost with all the colors.  I am bummed.

So I pulled out a solid and went through a couple to find something that I liked and it may just go this way.  But I am pondering.  This helps the colors quite a bit.  But I really want to use the print.  This is based on the pattern by Alison Glass, Spectrum which you can find on her website.  (p.s. she used a solid, because she is smart like that)

While I ponder what to do about this, and figure what to do with this gorgeous print, I am going to get to some bee commitments and swap items today.  Are you on Instagram?  I'm fairly newish to that site, but I'm loving it so far.  I post some progress photos there.  If you are on there and want to see instant images, plus bonus images of the bunnies.  I'm FairlyMerry on Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest -
What will you be working on today?  

Sew Sunday

What a week - Spring is here and the yard beckons, and the deck, and the lawn furniture, and the flower beds.  Then it turned back cool and rainy - so yay, back to the sewing room.  

I did get to finish the borders on this top.  The corners required more work after deciding on what I was doing with the borders, I had to make additional diagonal strips to have the corners match up with the rest of the diagonal strips.  Do you get that?  Because I'm confused reading it.  

I really like this, and now I won't want to give it up.  But I will.

Finishing up a few bee blocks - this one for Modern Mavericks - we are making black and white modern dresdens.  Anything goes, I like those directions.  

And these are the last two blocks for the 3X6 bee.  I have to get them out on Monday.

I'm scared to list what I need to work on today -

VBMQG pillow cover for swap

Postage Stamp Blocks for swap 

Traveling Quilt pass

Stripper Quilt pass

Back for finished top

Paper piece blocks for Forest QAL 

I hope to have at least a few of these to show later in the week.  And then edit my blog for spring, add some more blogs I read to the list, fix that Instagram link - I can't remember where I got those cute little link buttons for flickr and pinterest, so I have to find them all over again and make anew.  

I'm practicing on Instagram - I like it, I think.  Figured out how to follow and I'm working on that #hashtag thing.  My follow button is on the right side bar, if you want to look me up - I'll be happy to follow you too!  

Sew Sunday

I also had a Sew Saturday.  

And look.  A clean surface.  It happens.  Rarely.  We won't talk about the other surfaces in the room, or the floor, I have artfully edited the photo to only show the table.

On Sew Saturday I finished everything (but the quilt) for a friend's nursery.

Crib Bumper Pads, Pillow, Changing Pad, and Divided Fabric Basket all using Sarah Watts Timber and Leaf, the choice of the baby Mama.  

Problems.  The pillow cover was just too large for the pillow form, it was loosey goosey.

And I sewed the label on upside down.  Oops.

After going to bed, and being kept up by the realization I screwed this up, I finally figured out I could still turn the pillow cover inside out and tighten up the seams, and un-sew the label and re- apply.  Oh, right, sleep. All good now.

I bought the pattern for the Divided Fabric Basket by Noodlehead  a couple of months ago and this was my first opportunity to make one.  

I had a couple of un-clear moments with the pattern, as  happens all the time sometimes for me when following a pattern.

I used the pellon 808 and the fusible fleece on the outside pieces as directed, and I think I'm in love, I will be making more, especially one for me.  (The back fabric is a Riley Blake fabric)

I bought a plain changing pad and added fabric from the line to the top to match the rest of the pieces for the nursery.

Today I am working on the back for a quilt - more to come on that one!

Sew Sunday

I know I have been absent - not only from here, but also from sewing all together (thank you for asking!).  We had company for a week at Easter, and after that, I just was not feeling all that much like sitting down at my machine.  It happens.  Then when I  finally was ready to jump back in, Sully went all crazy town on me.  He had to go to the doctor and have a check up.  Turned out what I thought was bobbin tension was lint.  Lint.  A big pad of felted lint all up in there.  

Sew, here we are at Sew Sunday.  I have so many projects today to complete!  (yeah, due to lack of enthusiasm earlier in the week) Starting with these baby crib bumper pads I have almost finished, just one more pad to go.  This is the front and back of one bumper.

This was my first time making these, I made it more difficult than the directions by adding the quilted back to the bumper pads, I mean, I'm a quilter, we quilt stuff even if it isn't called for in the directions.  I misunderstood the ties, or maybe it was wishful thinking - Each pad required 4 ties, my original 12 only went half way.

Finished five bumper pads, the sixth one just needs to be put together, all the parts are made. These go out Monday to the Momma.  Quilt to follow for baby boy on the way.  And maybe a pillow.  And a crib skirt.  But that's it. 

I'll be working on bee blocks and postage stamp blocks today, as well as the one bumper.

Here is my low volume postage stamp quilt in progress.  It seems more 'low volume' in person that this photo appears.  I'm really liking this one, and I'm not sure where the finished quilt is headed.  

Here is updated photo of Stitch, who now needs his own quilt.  We put this one down because he would chew the carpet in this one spot, now he prefers to lounge on the quilt.  Smart bunny.  He is four months now, and goes to the bunny vet next week for some snipping.  Patch is the baby girl bunny, but I don't have a close up of her, you know girls, they need to be all prettified for their photos ( and also sitting still, which is hard for me to catch Patch doing).

I hope you will join in with your projects for Sew Sunday.

Keep Calm and Quilt On!

Mary

Sew Sunday Link Up

Yay, it's Sunday, a day when I try to relax and work on crafts, sewing projects, bee projects, no matter, as long as I can sit down at my machine and work at a fun pace.  What are you working on today?  

Grab your button on right side bar.

I finished the top for the Pantone Emerald Challenge, now I'm debating if this is it, or does it need more.  I'm going to have to enter it today so a decision will be made.  I didn't quilt it yet, so it will go in the 'quilt top' category.  

Here is where I first wrote about my process and the fabrics I used.

This was a complete improvisation, I did cut the beginning strips with a ruler, but after that I cut up the strip sets free hand.  It was at this stage that my husband came in and wondered why nothing was squared up, why the lines were all wishy washy, and he said 'I just don't get it.' So that is what I am calling this quilt.

I Don't Get It.

I did have to square up the center of the top to be able to add borders.

I Don't Get It is very narrow, only 42" wide

Finished right now at 62" X 42" 

The button is on the right hand side bar!

Sew Sunday Link Party

I'm going to start up a Sunday Sew Day Linky Party
I would love it if you joined in!  

My hope is to link up with other blogs - visit them - see what other sewest are working on

find things I like and want to make too!

Here's the button

Grab your button here

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What am I working on today?

I sewed on a button.

Him:  My button came off - will you sew it on or do I have to take it to a tailor?

Me:  (eye roll) I can sew it on.

Him:  Because my shorts are still sitting in your pile waiting for you to sew on the button.

Me:  Well you aren't wearing shorts right now are you?

I don't have a good track record with mending, hemming, or button sewing.  Sometimes I have waited so long the clothes don't fit or aren't fashionable anymore, and it isn't even on purpose.

I'm also working on bee blocks sometime today.

If you want to link up today - please do, and put a link back to my post, please.

Today is kind of a test run, I spent most of the day figuring out how to post everything, next week I'll have the page ready to go right away on the 17th.  If you have any issues, comment or email me - so I can get everything working right.

Keep Calm and Quilt On!

Mary