Scrappy Pincushion Swap

Last month I signed up for the Scrappy Pincushion Swap on Flickr. After checking out my partner's favorites and looking through her Flickr pages I narrowed my decision down to two different designs. So what better than to combine them and make one design out of the two. One side is made using this tutorial and the other is made out of a grid of one inch squares or postage stamp blocks. The zigzags were easy to make and even easier to attach following the tutorial. The yellow and gray prints are Andrea Victoria by My Minds Eye. I love these prints! The black and white is part of the Kiwi line from Timeless Treasures. The white and tan solids are both scraps linen I had leftover from other projects. Now I'm off to work on October blocks for the Vintage Sheet Quilting bee and I need to start getting my act together as far as decisions for the Savvy Seasons Swap due later this month.

September's Vintage Sheet Bee Block

I am so far behind! I finished September's Vintage Sheet Bee blocks today. Colima chose a flower block for which she sent us yellow and white squares for the corners. We could then add any colors from our stash. Being so far behind schedule, I was able to see a few of the completed blocks and even though I have a pretty good stash of vintage sheets I didn't have enough fabric in the pattern I wanted use, so I opted to use one pattern/color for the entire block. I also cut the scraps into smaller squares and made a 5 inch block. I'm not sure if she can use it but she had requested us to start with either 5 1/2 or 6 1/2 inch blocks which indicates to me that she is planning to have some smaller blocks in her quilt. The block made from scraps measures 5 inches. I hope she likes them!

Back with a Vengence!

So after a long busy month I'm back! Sorry for the absence but between keeping a sick grandson and a long trip to San Diego, California there hasn't been much time for blogging. I have tons of pictures of San Diego and projects. I hope to find time in the next day or so to post some. Right now though I need to get busy and finish my pincushion for the Scappy Pincushion swap on Flickr. It has to go in the mail by tomorrow as well as my Septembers block for the Vintage Sheet bee. I also have all the blocks from my month to photograph and post as well! Then there's the beautiful items I received from the Urban Home Goods 2 swap. And then and then and then.... so much to do, so little time!

Another GO! Giveaway!

Head over to Sweet P Quilts and sign-up to win an Accu Quilt GO!. I would love to win one of these so I could cut up all those scraps lickety split and just start sewing away!

While your there be sure to check out Pauline's wonderful tutorial on using the GO! strip cutter.

Daisy Doodle Giveaway!

I really need to win this one! If I don't, I may be forced to stray from my fabric diet! Cindy over at Rose Room Quilts is having a giveaway to celebrate the opening of her new Etsy shop! It is open now and until Friday, August 27th. She is giving away a fat quarter bundle of Daisy Doodle fabrics by Michael Miller! I heart Michael Miller's fabrics! My mind is swimming with all the possibilities, a non pink quilt for a new baby girl, a cute quilt for a teenager or just a quilt for ME using this design by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson! fame! Sashed in black or gray or maybe a pretty turquoise would be beautiful!

Accuquilt Go! Giveaway

Jackie over at Canton Village Quilt Works is giving away an Accu Quilt Go! Cutter this weekend! Head on over and enter for a chance to win one of these great tools!

Update

You'll have to wait a couple of days for the rest of the sewing room update. I hit a small snag but I know when you see this picture, you'll understand.

Sewing Room Makeover, part 1

I am just about finished cleaning out and reorganizing my sewing room. I did this room for under $500 using things I already owned and purchasing a few things including a desk, chair, lighting and cabinets. What a job! I was totally clueless about how much stuff was actually stored in that room. So let's start from the beginning. This is the smallest bedroom in our house measuring approximately 10 X 10. Last fall, I purchased a quilting machine requiring me to move everything out of the room so the machine could be delivered. While the room was cleaned out, I repainted, made and hung new curtains, we pulled up the carpeting and installed laminate flooring. Sorry I don't have any before pictures. The machine was delivered and it didn't take long before the room became a sort of catch all for everything because there was just no organization. So last month after I dropped my machine off for servicing, I decided to clean and reorganize the entire room. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't get anything done in there and was back to sewing on the kitchen table. I couldn't find anything without taking my life in my hands! Here are a few before photos which were actually taken after I had started pulling everything out of the closet (I didn't take photos of the stuff stacked in the hall). Beware and be scared! Far Corner (don't hate the lamp, as ugly as it is, it is a great light source!)

Inside Large Cabinet Stacked Full Containers

Now for the afters:

This is taken as you walk into the room. I made an ironing board to fit the top of the cabinet so I wouldn't have to drag the ironing board out just to press seams and blocks. Sewing Area immediately to the left as you walk in the room This is my design wall with new storage cabinets below and the ironing area. Opposite wall with another cabinet and closet. Tomorrow I'll show you the insides of the cabinets (which are all full) and provide the juicy details about how I saved on everything in this room!

And The Heat Wave continues...

Today is yet another 100+ degree day in the great State of Texas. While it seems like we've had these temperatures all summer, Weather.com reported today that we've only had 17 days of it. I don't care if it has been 17 or 100, I'm just plain tired of it!

Running errands is miserable. The stores feel cool when you first enter, but the longer you are there, it begins to feel less cool and sometimes downright hot. Then it's time to get in your car and it's like getting into a nice preheated oven.

At home, with all the shades drawn, curtains closed, ceiling fans running on high, the air conditioning constantly runs from about 11 am and can hardly keep up. I can hardly wait for the electricity bill.

Yesterday evening the water temperature in our pool (gets full sun from about noon on) was 92 degrees! Oh yeah, that feels really good, not.

We won't even discuss the humidity! UGH!

Fat Quarter Shop Giveaway

Julie over at Jaybird Quilts announced a giveaway from the Fat Quarter Shop consisting of a fat quarter bundle of the entire line of Pure by Sweetwater for Moda! How great is that? Be sure to visit Julie and sign up for a chance to win!

Made by You Mondays

Today I am participating in Made by You Monday sponsored by Skip to my Lou and Desing Wall Monday sponsored by Patchwork Times. I had several projects I thought about showing but many are finished without pictures! So today I am showing my Vintage Sheet Bee Blocks. I made one for an example for my bee buddies but they were so addicting, I seem to be working on these every time I get a free minute. I used this tutorial and changed the size of the block to 12" and cut my strips no wider than 1.5" just to give it a little more variety. I really like this project because there's no paper to tear. I hate tearing paper!

July Vintage Sheet Bee Blocks

I finished the vintage sheet bee blocks for July. Bethany requested wonky stars using her fabric as well as some of each particpant's stash. Bethany's fabric was a beautiful deep gray sheet. At first I was a little hesitant as I wasn't sure what fabric to use with the gray. I finally pulled a multicolored piece with a white background and I think they turned out beautifully. I fussy cut the center of the star so that the flower becomes a secondary point of interest. I hope she likes it.

Urban Home Goods Swap

About six months ago I decided to participate in my first online swap on Flickr. It turned out to be a lot of fun and included a lot of really talented people! My secret partner received a table runner made with linen and hexagons, a few refrigerator magnets and a note pad made from a photo frame and hexagons. My partner also liked pin cushions and this gave me the chance to make the Henrietta pincushion. I forgot to take a photo of everything prior to sending to my partner so I had to wait for her to recieve it and post photos in the Flickr group.

I received the coolest stuff from my other partner. She sent me the cutest apron, basket and one of the coolest reuseable shopping bags I have seen!

Round 2 of the swap has begun and I spent a good part of my morning going through the photo files on Flickr to find some favorites. Finding is not the problem, as I seem to LOVE everything I see on there. Here's my mosaic for this round.

I got all my blocks for the Vintage Sheet Bee cut, marked and ready to go in the mail tomorrow. I forgot I had the month of August, so I'm running just a little bit behind! I have chosen spiderweb blocks for my month using this tutorial from Sew Mama Sew by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh Fransson! fame. I changed her measurements from an 8 inch block to a 12 inch block. I really love the samples I have made up!

Roman Holiday Finished!

I finished this yesterday and just in time too!

Earlier this summer, I was approached by a dear friend who was looking for donations for a silent auction for a UPRA rodeo. Of course, I said sure I could donate a quilt. I knew I had this kit stored away in my disaster area (see pictures from this post). I found the kit and began cutting! What a nightmare! It took me almost 1 full day to cut out those blocks. Each piece was cut on the bias. I know I ripped every row apart at least one time. I'd think I had the seams lined up and once I got the row sewn and opened up to press, the seams were off and not just a little bit either! I'm glad I have it done and I will deliver it later today.

Quilts

A little eye candy....

Just keepin it real....

So I finally decided that I couldn't stand my sewing room one minute longer! I have had a sewing room for about a year now but I find myself still sewing on the kitchen table and having all my fabric and accessories all over the house. To be fair, these pictures were taken after I pulled almost everything out of the very small closet. (Pretend the pictures are turned right side up, I'm not sure what's going on with them!) My goal is to have the room cleaned out and cleaned up and organized no later than Friday, August 13, 2010. I think that's a good goal.

See that generic black clock on the wall? We'll be fixing that to make it look great!