Vintage Sheet LOVE!

I'm so inspired by the Jeni's blog In Color Order... she is young, talented, has an obviously great understanding of color and she makes me want to go back and be 20-something again!!  Such energy and such a promising future in quilting, in my opinion...

Anyhow, I've been reading her posts about using vintage sheets for quilts and I decided to take the plunge.  Here are pics of my recent purchases...  Most have come from Etsy shops (search vintage sheets or vintage sheet fat quarters) and a few from Ebay.  Rebecca bought me some for my birthday and I bought some during a few late night online shopping expeditions...

It is definitely different than working with quilt shop cottons.  They smell like polyester when you iron them...but they don't need to be ironed coming out of the dryer.  They are different weights...depending on use, or original fabric.  I think most are part cotton/part poly... I really need some orange, green and purple to round out my stash.  I've also ordered full size sheets from Ebay for backings, borders, backgrounds, etc.

You know, I love working with the plaid shirt fabrics for manly quilts--this is the girly version of that idea, I think.  I'll let you see what I'm working on as soon as I get some more HSTs together!!

Happy Quilting....

Block Swap...

We are doing a Block Party-like swap at the LVMQG.  I made my blocks for Sharon...but I can't remember the name of the line of fabric??  Anyone???

There are actually two blocks there...they are not sewn up the center.  ;-)  This was an interesting block... What is that fabric???  Ack!!!

EDIT:  My friend Cola sent me the link to the fabric: From Little Things...Thanks, Cola!!!

http://www.sarahfielke.com/products/fromlittlethingsfabric/


The LVMQG is planning a retreat to Utah in about a month.  I need to get together some "kits" of my own so I have something to work on... I've never been on a retreat before but I'm sooooo excited!!

Happy Quilting...

My pillow!

The LVMQG hosted a pillow swap and all of our finished pillows were revealed last Thursday.  We each picked an "inspiration fat quarter" from Quiltique and exchanged it with another guild member.  My pillow was made by Sharon from Sew Extreme... I LOVE it!!  Mine is the one in the front, with the white background and pink/orange strips.  It looks like a books on a shelf to me... :-)

I'm sort of inspired to make another pillow for the guest room...we'll see when I can get the time to get that done!  I had to steal this photo from the LVMQG site because I never can seem to get a picture during the day when the light is good.  I usually blog at night and without a good daytime pic I'm screwed!  I wrote this post several days ago but with out the pic...well, what good is a post with no picture??

Thanks, Sharon!!

LVMQG Pillow Swap

Here are the pics of my pillow...the first pillow I've made in over 20 years!!

My swap partner picked a FQ of the green fabric that is fussy cut on the right side...the "Josef Mar...." fabric.  I added the other greens and some linen fabric that I had around and Ta-Da!!  My partner requested "traditional colors, modern design" and I hope I hit the mark :-)

The reveal/swap is tonight...I'll show the pillow I receive on my blog tomorrow!!

Happy Holidays!!

I'm back...and sewing.  It has been a while since I've posted or sewn anything--but I have a lot of great changes to tell you about!!

First, we moved to a much bigger house!  We have spent the last month renovating and moving...it really sucked!!  Our old house was a small 3 bedroom/2 bath with a pool (that I hated) and our new one has 5 bedrooms, a loft, a mancave (for Ryan) an open kitchen and living room, etc.  Twice the size, less payment per month.  Yeah!!  But the best thing of all  is that I have a sewing room again!!!  Check it out...

I made some curtains for the sewing room... "Just Wing It" is the fabric line...

I also got this fabulous vintage Ethan Allen hutch off of Craigslist for my sewing room... Lots of room for misc sewing implements, etc.  Very cool, in my opinion.  I've become a Craigslist junky--don't let me get started on my other purchases!!

And here is Buddy is his bed in my sewing room.  I bought the sherpa-like throw to match the aqua/yellow theme that I'm going with...but now Buddy looks a little Liberace-like.  I guess the aqua isn't as masculine as I'd hoped....Thank God he is color-blind!

The real Liberace....they could be brothers!!

I made an excellent pillow for the MQG pillow exchange on Dec 29th.  I can't show you the front, but here is the back...just lovely, for my first pillow.  Seriously, I was lucky that the damn pillow fit in the cover I made for it.  Really...why does a 12" pillow require a 16" square...honestly about a 17" square for the cover?  Maybe I should have read some directions online??  Oh well...I also might not have left enough overlap on the back side....2" instead of 3-4"??  Who knew???  I could try to put in a button and buttonhole but what if I screw it up??  Better leave well enough alone...

The good news is that I don't have to shop for Rebecca.  This year, I bought her a roof for Christmas and she bought us a house!  Yeah....no lines for those purchases...

Happy Holidays!

Warm/Cool Quilt is finished

I finished this about two weeks ago and hung it up behind my dining room table.  It measures 56" x 70"....

I also have been working on some blocks for the Modern Block Swap at the LVMQG.

I made two spider web blocks for Tracey...Her kit was super organized and the directions were easy to follow.  I'm really enjoying this block swap and I hope we do another in 2012!!

I haven't been getting much sewing done lately as my job is kicking my butt!!  I spend all my time writing lesson plans, lessons, grading tests and calling parents.  It looks like this year is going to be very long....I guess that is why they call it "work"!!!

Happy Quilting!





Modern Baby Quilt!

My blog is so neglected.  Sorry....it has been a busy few weeks starting school and finishing up summer projects.  A friend adopted a baby last month so I needed to throw together a quick quilt for the shower this month....Her request was "green" and it is a boy.  I used Kona Raffia as the solid and a variety of greens from Quiltique...

It measures 50" x 50".  I plan on trimming and binding tonight.  I quilted it using my wavy stitch on the Viking--it only took me two episodes of Law and Order!!  My plan is to get it bound tonight during "movie night" with my family!  I think the movie is 10,000 BC??  Hmmm....

Last month I did finish quilting the charity quilt...and I even made a coordinating table runner for the Mesquite auction in November.  Sadly I didn't take a pic of the table runner to prove I did it (LOL) but I swear I did!!  Here is pic of the finished quilt...

I'm back on the blogging and sewing now, I promise!!  Next project is some placemats that will match my warm/cool quilt that I finished last month and forgot to photograph prior to sending it to the longarmer.  Anyhow, game on!!  Happy Sewing!

ps...here is a pic of my son....He is starting middle school this year and he is a fantastic kid!!