Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Winner and some quilting pictures.....

First things first! Thanks to all who entered my giveaway, I am happy to announce the winner is Karen from Quilts Etc... So, Karen, send me an email with your address and I will get the fat eighth bundle sent right out! Congrats!!

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So, this quilt was made by a different Karen and it is lovely! I was happy to quilt it, this only took me around 16 hours, so it was a faster job for me, it was great to get the quilt finished so fast and even better to get the next quilt on the racks.  I am on a mission to get some things done!

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The request was funky feathers in the braided pieced quilting - I hope this quilting delivers that request. I loved this stitch so much I am working on a video tutorial for it! YAY!!

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I love how these circles look like beads down the quilt.

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White thread worked out great for the black/white fabric border.

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Here's a shot of the back.

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Have I ever told you how much I love free motion quilting? Well, I love it! I love the fact that each one of these feather swirls are different! 

I have a lot of projects to get done this week and I can't wait to get them done.  I am hoping to be better at posting, it is hard to post during the summer with all the family trips and fun times we are having - I am sure that when school is back in, things won't be so busy around here........fingers crossed!  

Thursday, July 26, 2012

It's Giveaway Time!!!

We are giving away a lovely new released Fat Eighth Bundle of Independence Trail by Minick & Simpson.  What do you have to do to enter?  Simple - all you need to do is visit our Future Precuts page where we've added November & December 2012 precuts and tell us which precuts you can't wait to get your hands on.  Leave one comment for your November choice and another comment for your December choice.  If you spread the word by blogging leave us a third comment to let us know.  This giveaway will end Monday night.  (all these future precuts can be pre-purchased now on sale if you want to make sure you will get yours before they sell out)

We also have 9 new fabric lines all at 25% off, visit our home page to see more!  Good luck!!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Only in my dreams........

I would say that I made this quilt and that it was mine! But then, I would be lying - so in my dreams and for just a few short hours I will have the most incredible quilt on my bed......and my only claim to fame is that I was able to quilt it.

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But then I think about really owning this quilt, and it sitting on my bed and realize that I would never let my kids in my room, I would always be telling (nagging) Clint to not sit on the bed - so really, this quilt belongs on a wall and that is where I believe it will be. Karin made this "Ladies of the Sea" quilt designed Sue Garman. Karin did a fabulous job and I would be lying if I didn't feel slightly pressured to make sure I didn't ruin this quilt.

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I can't even begin to imagine the needle turn applique involved in making this quilt. Seriously, I know that I wouldn't have the patience to make this quilt right now. But, I am always grateful when I get to be a part of a quilt that will be treasured for a long time. If you think you have the patience to make it yourself, all the patterns and kits to get yours started can be purchased here.

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So, this quilt was "simple" in the fact that I didn't have to think much about what I was doing. I had to draw a ton of lines, 1/4 straight lines on a 45 degree angle got a little tiring. Each block, from start to finish took me around 1 hour, some took longer than that. So, just in block work it was around 16 hours. The rest of the quilting, mostly pebbling took me 43 hours. So, 59 hours total to complete this quilt.

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I think the hardest part about this quilt was keeping the straight lines straight, I am not perfect, I am not a computer and I am the biggest critic of myself. But, it is so amazing how once you pull a quilt off the frames, the imperfections seem to disappear as you get the whole picture in.

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Amazingly enough, I enjoyed the pebbling more than I enjoyed the straight stitching. Although, my back was aching for a few hours after each quilting session. It's all worth it in the end as you can see the applique pop and become the showcase it needs to be.

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Because of the dense quilting in the background fabric of the quilt, I didn't feel like I needed to add more quilting to the applique and the triangles around the quilt. The triangles and sash needed to "pop" as much as the applique. Stitching in the ditch is always the best option to make each shape stand out.

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I used two layers of batting - I don't use one layer anymore - but for this quilt I used a wool batting and a Hobbs 80/20 batting. I think it worked out beautifully.

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I love this picture!!

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I used Kimono Silk Thread by Superior Threads for the first time. I have to say, I loved it! It's a strong, durable thread and super thin. I didn't have any problems with the thread and I am sure I will use it again. It's a little more pricey, but I think it is worth it for your masterpiece quilts.

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Close up of the pebbling! I think I like it!

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And, the back....oh yes, I think I love it!!

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The backing used for the quilt was so great, it's a map of the world, but solid enough in color to showcase my work. I love it when my quilting shows.

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I am so glad to have this quilt finished. It's one of those quilts that is hard to start because I get a little nervous, but the relief of the finished project is such an amazing feeling. Let's hope Karin likes it when she picks it up in the next half hour :-)

Monday, July 16, 2012

Saturday sewing

Good Morning Fat Eighth Bundle 

I was just itching to make something and usually my projects require the quilting machine to finish up, so I was racking my brain to figure out what to make. My daughter and I were talking about how she wants to make a dress and I pointed out the fact that I don't have any dress patterns so we couldn't make anything. We figured we would get some dress patterns from Grandma when we see her next and then the thought occurred to me that she had a skirt that we could mimic and make a scrappy skirt using some fabric we have in stock. Naturally we picked Good Morning by Me and My Sisters for Moda. She was so excited about the choice, and so was I!  Any excuse to cut up a cute bunch of fabric is always the best option!  

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So, Saturday afternoon quiet time was spent with my daughter sitting by my side and watching me sew this cute skirt together. I used 10 fat eights to complete this cutie, which means I can make two more skirts out of this particular fat eighth bundle. Yay for more options.  I forgot how much I like to just sew, it's been awhile.
 
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I had to use a zigzag stitch for the seams, realizing for the first time that I really want a serger.  I dropped that hint several times to Clint, so hopefully soon I can buy one.  The sewing possibilities will be endless.  Imagine that!  

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I love how it turned out and my daughter was so excited to wear this to church yesterday. I plan on making more skirts out of this bundle and now that I know what I did, the skirt will work up a little faster and I can do a tutorial on it. Now, that would be fun! So, get some bundles and make the little girls in your life a fun little peasant skirt! The bundles in the shop are 30% off now, so it's a great time to stock up!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Your fabric may have been manhandled.....

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The best thing about working from home is having the kids participate in the process. Our youngest has always loved to help his daddy put customer orders in the mail bags. Clint is super patient with him as he hands Clint each package, at least the ones he can pick up. Some of the boxes are a little heavy for this little guy. It seriously is so cute, he knows how to help daddy put packages in bags, but still won't talk. Go figure...

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So, I am up to my eyeballs in straight lines, 1/4 inch lines on a 45 degree angle to be exact. Add going around applique and well, that's too much fun, or is it? The hardest part about working on a quilt that takes a long time is the fact that I don't blog as much. But, it feels good to be getting closer to a finished quilt. I will be sure to share the whole quilt when I am done.

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Yesterday, when I was quilting, I decided to change the needle on my long arm - the thread was getting cut - and you know when you make a change to your already perfectly timed and tensioned machine, the thread tension starts to be obnoxious.  I hate that!  I had to walk away from quilting and do something else because it can get frustrating trying to fix the tension. These jelly roll strips have been sitting on my sewing table for months and since there's nothing more fun than sewing a bunch of strips together, that's what I did. I plan on making something for me, but quilting it first with some seriously cute custom quilting, I can't wait. It's going into my stash of finished projects ready to be quilted.

Okay, one last thing, we have a great deal on our layer cakes (4 for $25 each) going on right now - be sure to stock up! You can read the details here.   

Friday, July 6, 2012

Summer family time

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This is one of my first finished quilts!  Pretty sure it was an Eleanor Burns pattern.
 I have been busy, busy with the fam! With the 4th of July this week, we had a great time at the parade and going out to breakfast. I have to admit that Clint is the one that loves to go to these things. I like to avoid public crowds because I tend to get a little ornery. I'll explain....

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Um, he's adorable!!  The baby too...
  So, it is simple enough that we have to wake up early and get to the parade route asap so that we can get a good seat. We do this every year, and every year the same thing happens....

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My kids get pushed out of the way by parents and bigger kids that are anxiously waiting for candy hand outs. So, this year, as the crowds were pushing in - you can't see them in this picture - I told the kids to claim their territory and this is what they came up with.  It's really amazing that we come out for the parade every year and wake up early to get a good spot just to have people come in later and take over the space.  This is why I don't do crowds.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of how it was during the parade, but I was too busy grumbling under my breath.  Don't get me wrong, the kids have fun and this is why we go, but if I had my choice, I wouldn't go. What's wrong with me anyway?   Everyone likes these events right?

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The child does smile, but I am more worried about the picture of me...you are the same - admit it!
So, I thought it might be a good time to share my new hair with you. I figure I change my hair every time I have a baby, (that's not an announcement) but since my book deal went south I changed my hair immediately, it was just the change I needed to get my mind off of things. I also went to ULTA and got a whole bunch of facial cleansers and new makeup - apparently washing your face with hand soap is not a good idea, uh - who knew? So, I am allowing more time to take care of myself and I have felt a lot better about myself.  Happy wife means happy life!

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 I never have been a shoe girl, but my sister has convinced me of the importance of a good pair of heels. So, this mama is rockin' in her new heels and boy, it's going to take some getting used to.

I am getting some quilting done, I will share when I can.  I also have a giveaway going on over at Amy's and our shop has all our new releases on sale at 25% off until Monday, go check it out!  

I hope you are all having a fabulous summer!  Have a great weekend everyone!