WIP Wednesday

Sorry for the absence; I think I got burned out on the 2 quilts I was working on.  They had very important deadlines (which I ACTUALLY met for once), but they wore me out.

I have still been sewing, but I haven't felt like talking about it, so I'm easing in with a WIP Wednesdays!

 I've been working on Christmas stuff the past week or so because . . .

Hurray! I LOVE Christmas, and Miss A is really excited, too! This is the first Christmas she really understands what's going on, so she's pretty happy!

She INSISTED on an orange tree . . . We're still working on the bleeding maroon thing!

So I am finishing her Christmas Quilt. It's a pattern on the Purl Bee, and I had the top all cut out last year, but nothing sewn!

This is my favorite! The seam lined up completely by accident!

This morning It's basted and ready for quilting! It's so small it should only take me an hour or so!

Can't see the forest for the trees!

Also, I've finished quilting my DMQG Round Robin from last year! I didn't do the top justice with my quilting, and the back is horrendous, but the top really makes me happy!  I'll be binding it this this weekend!

That blur is Miss A trying to steal ALL the Christmas quilts!

I don't have any good pictures of the Franken-quilt, but I hope to get some on Sunday (I finally got my camera back, but I'm out of practice, so these are all Phone photos again!) and I'll do a Finished Friday on Sunday!

See ya!
EL

WIP Wednesday

Hello! :)

Jumping right in because *someone* is begging to sing and dance. I'm doing this in between songs, during my breaks! (this girl NEVER stops! I'm so tired!!!) :)

I'm still working on my pixel quilt. No new pictures, sorry.

I've bought new fabric for a HUGE project due about the same time, so I'm trying to do the pixels quickly before the new fabric gets here. (My uncle is getting married, and they want a Guest Quilt instead of a Guest Book. Guess who volunteered to make the blocks! I'm crazy! But they are worth it!)

I also have been working on a Mini Quilt for the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild Mini Quilt Swap! But it's a surprise, so I can't show you much.

Solids only! Super fun!

But I can show you pictures of my embroidery. There are several ongoing projects!

Belle by Aneela Hoey

I worked on Belle at the beach a few weeks ago. I made her a red-head like Miss A, and I'll probably end up putting it up in her room! She loves balloons!

This one is the most important!

This was my second attempt.

I'm so lucky, my friend Michelle of Urban Spools has asked me to teach a class in embroidery!

Little Abel

We are doing Abel the Stitch Explorer by Follow the White Bunny.

It's a great sampler, and I'm hoping people like it enough to sign up!

So if you're in the Dallas area on October 12 or 16 and want to learn to embroider, I'd love to see you there! :)

See ya!
EL

WIP Wednesday

Just a quick apology about the photos, my camera is broken, so you get phone photos! Hurray! ;)

I have MANY projects going (I love to start them!),

but I'll just stick to the ones that are most important right now!

I'm working on a pixelated quilt for a very special birthday at the end of October.

Section #1

It's from the book Pixel Play by Emily Cier, given to me by my awesome SIL! This book has some REALLY cool quilts in it!

The strips are super small, though, finishing at 1" tall, the smallest is 1" x 1" (and there are a TON of those!) So it took a little organization to keep them all straight.

2 of 3 poster boards filled with strips

 There are 7 sections of the quilt, each with 10 strips in it. It takes me about 2 1/2 hours to finish a section (the ironing really slows me down). But I definitely think it'll be worth it!

I'm also making a banner for my SIL's baby shower on Saturday. The baby's gender will be a surprise, so the name will be, too. So this banner will say "Baby J" when I'm finished.

Triangles!

Those are the things I'm working on today!

See ya!
EL

WIP Wednesday

So, I was going to post this last week, but things got crazy and I didn't  have time . . .  the funny thing is, I couldn't tell you what I did that made it so crazy! That seems to be happening to me more and more lately, I feel like I run and run, but I have nothing to show for it except a dirty house and a hungry kid!

Maybe that's why I like to quilt . . . at the end, I have something tangible to show for the work I've done!

Anyway . . . off the soap box, and onto the WIPs!

I'm working on a little something for the DMQG swap next week! I'll tell you all about it after the meeting!

I'm about to start on a little string block (these paper squares are 3.5").

This will soon become a pillow for my bed! I plan on using I'm A Ginger Monkey's pillow tutorial to make sure it's pretty!  (I got this extra Hope Valley fabric from my friend Lisa's big destash!)

These strips will hopefully be a pillow for Miss A's bed.

There are things afoot for Mother's Day! (Sorry, I love to say afoot! I'm a Doyle fan!)

I'm *this* close to finishing another receiving blanket! All I need to do is add my sign and wash it! Then it's off for a new baby!

I've whipped up the top for S's birthday quilt. It's the Modern Cross Kit from Pink Chalk Fabrics. It's not long enough for the hubster to stretch out under, so I'll be adding some borders before I finish it!

Hopefully, I'll have something finished to show you on Friday, or at least have a plan for some finishes to tell you about!

See ya!

EL

Progress

More washing and ironing . . .

More cutting and sorting . . .

Auditioning fabrics . . .

And Ernst is home! Hopefully I'll have some time to sew tomorrow and Sunday!  Maybe then I'll have some actual finishes for you!

Cross your fingers!
EL

WIP Wednesday

Right now, everything is a WIP! Ernst is still at the spa, so I'm getting random stuff done.

There's been washing . . .

 And ironing . . .

and cutting! (My favorite part! :)

I've also done some organizing, and I have a LOT of WIPs and Wish-Lists!

My main focus this  month will be Mother's Day gifts for my mom and MIL, and a 30th birthday quilt for my hubby!

(This is a screen shot of the quilt from the Pink Chalk Fabric website.)

I'm doing this Modern Cross for him from Pink Chalk Designs (out of the book We Love Color). It's an amazing book! So pretty and inspiring!

Hoping to get that fabric washed, ironed & cut this weekend!

Hope you're getting stuff done this week, too!

See ya!
EL

{Wo} Man with a Plan!

First and foremost, sorry for the crummy pictures. My house is a cave today!

This weekend, I am a Wo-Man with a Plan! On Monday, my beloved Ernst is going to the spa. (Yes, I do name my sewing machines; yes, I do name them boy names; and yes, I did name this one after the smart kid on the Swiss Family Robison because Bernina is a Swiss company!) Since I will probably be 2 weeks or so without a machine, I need to get some things done in preparation of no machine!

Most importantly, I am going to use these pink and brown fabrics (from It's A Hoot by MoMo for Moda) to make 2 Wonky Cross blocks. My amazing friend Amanda from Panda Bear Quilts is making comfort quilts for her 2 nieces that lost their father suddenly and tragically. If you want to help out, or just read about it, you can here. It's a super easy pattern, so I'll just whip them up and send them to her on Monday!

I also need to catch up on my Lucky Star BOM by Don't Call Me Betsy! The March block is the Ninja Star, and just the name cracks me up! I need to get this done before the next block comes out on April 1.

There is a slight possibility I'll get this done. It's my monster Christmas Quilt from the DMQG round robin last year. If I can just finish the quilting and get the binding on, I can do the hand binding while Ernst is away. The problem is, I'm not nearly as far along as I remembered being. Hmmm. :/.  We'll have to see.

And if I get everything else done, and if I can work up my courage to try something new, and if all the stars align, and if I can procure enough wine, I might use this pretty fabric (Modern Blooms by Hoffman Fabrics) to whip something for Miss A to hunt Easter eggs in. Maybe.

And finally, I just wanted to show you something pretty! I got a gift card to my favorite online fabric shop, Pink Chalk Fabrics, for my birthday. I bought stuff for other projects, but I had to slip this bag of pretties into the cart just for me! I haven't even opened them yet! They just sit on my craft desk, making me happy. Maybe I'll bust them out while Ernst is away!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll let you know on Monday how it went!

See ya!

EL

WIP Wednesday

Sorry it's been such a long time since my last post . . . we lost one of the best men I've ever known last week, and I didn't feel much like sewing or talking. But this week I've been doing a lot of both . . . so I thought I'd share!

I have been working on a Tribute Quilt for my amazing grandmother who turns 90 on Saturday! NannyPud has been quilting since before I was born, and is extremely talented and prolific! For her 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren (not to mention countless in-laws, friends, and random people), she has made TONS of quilts! But I don't think anyone has ever made her one! At least, not since she was a little girl!

(This is a block from the quilt.)

So last year, I decided she needed a quilt for her 90th birthday. I sent off 5" squares of Kona Snow to my aunts, uncles, and cousins and had each one send me back something.

(Here is Miss A's)

I added pictures on printer fabric and random color squares, and here is the quilt!

(I'll get a better picture at the party and show you later!)

I'm working on the binding tonight, and hopefully I'll have it all done tomorrow. We'll present it to her on Saturday at her big party! I'll write a post all about the quilt on Sunday and show you some of the amazing squares I got back!

Until then, I'll be binding and reminiscing!

I'll leave you with my view from my quilting spot today!

(Miss A playing with my mom and dad!)

See ya!
EL

WIP Wednesday

Honestly, I have a TON of Works-In-Progress (WIPs). I counted last year sometime and had about 30. That number has only increased! The problem is, I love starting quilts, but don't have enough attention span to work through them when I get stuck. My favorite part of the process is cutting the fabric! (And yes, I will cut your fabric if you piece mine! I get asked that ALL THE TIME! ;)

But I will show you the WIPs I'm focusing on this week!

First of all, I became an Aunt for the first time last week! My sweet niece was born on Wednesday, February 6. We didn't know she was a girl until she was born, but as soon as I found out, I ordered Anna Maria Horner's Receiving Blanket! My SIL  made Miss A one when she was born, and it was the BEST BLANKET EVER!

Anna Maria Horner puts together the absolute softest flannel and sweetest voile! I wanted to pick my own fabrics, but I'm not good at matching colors, so I ordered her kit. I'm so glad I did! The Raspberry kit has the most beautiful colors!

I received the fabric yesterday, and put it together last night.

All I have left is to finish the binding so I can give it to her next time I see her!

I'm also working on a real quilt for The Niece from Material Obsessions called The Zoo. Her nursery is done in wild animals, so this works for her!

As you can see, I have a bit more to go!

Finally, I decided to make myself quilt labels. I ordered some amazing ones from an Etsy Shop called MommieMadeIt last year, and LOVED THEM! The only problem was I had to buy a TON (like 60) and we all know how bad I am at finishing things. I think I only used 5 or 6, and they had the year stamped on them, so it didn't really work out. This year I'm making my own.

I simply made 4 columns in a word document, wrote my name and year, and inserted a clip art picture. I'm planning on cutting the columns out and hemming the sides. Then I'll just cut them out as needed and sew them into the binding.

I hope they work out!

See ya soon!

EL

First Finish!

I have my first finish of the year! :)

Problem is, it's not on my WIP list! Oops. But at least I have momentum!!!

Here it is.

My awesome SIL gave me 2 iPhone cases for Christmas, both cross-stitch! We found them on Pinterest . . . here is the link from it.

I decided to use the pink one to make my own design. I wanted to showcase my love of quilting, so I put a wonky star on it . . . then wrote out Wonky Star, mostly because I like to say "wonky"!

I wanted to white one to show my quirkier side . . . if you don't know what this is, you may want to skip to the end. If you do . . . it's DOCTOR WHO! I ADORE this show! :) I got the cross-stitch pattern from an amazing shop on Etsy, the CraftyCompanion! This woman is wonderful! :)

Well, it's a finish at least! Stay tuned for more!

:)

EL

Happy New Year!

I bet you never expected to hear from me again!

The past year or so has been (as you might expect) extremely busy. Not much crafting has been going on in this house, but I think that's about to change! (Knock on wood).

In the past month, the house has gotten mostly organized, thanks to Christmas guests, and Miss A has decided that napping in her crib is finally acceptable! Hurray!!! :) Things are falling into place for crafting.

Basically, for the new year, I made a list of all of the WIPs (Works In Progress) that I have at least started. There are 30 of them. YIKES!!!!!

My resolution for this crafty year is to have half of them done by Christmas 2012. Think I can do that?!?!

I've made myself the counter to the right to keep track. I won't bore you with the whole list, but I will keep you up to date on my progress.

Until I actually have progress to report, though, I will show you a Christmas present. My grandmother and great grandmother pieced this top while my grandmother was pregnant with my mom. My grandma quilted it and gave it to my mom as a high-school graduation present.

I love this! This Parasol Lady is my favorite!

I plan on making something similar for Ali, and my mom (probably tired of me asking for pictures so I can work on a design) decided to give this to me. I ADORE it!

Yea for quilty gifts! :)

Thanks for sticking with me. Hopefully I'll talk to you soon! :)

Bye!

EL

Darling . . . it's been too long

I know, I know . . .  I'm a horrible blogger. It's been, what, 2 weeks? But it's been a crazy 2 weeks. Here's a quick recap:

Went to Austin to meet this sweet girl, Riley-

Here I am with Riley. She is so sweet. She's a month old and is SO TINY! She spent most of the time sleeping in her swing, or screaming in some one's arms, but she actually slept with me. Most babies tend to freak out when I hold them, but she didn't.  My cousin says it's because she's family, so she automatically loves me. I like that. I love her too.

And Daddy (mine) with Riley.

Momma and my grandmother (Nanny-Pud) with Riley. This is her ninth great grand child!

And lots of other wonderful family members, but only so many pics can fit. Came home on Monday and saw Red for the first time in like a year! I'm not showing that picture because I look like I've been shot at and missed and sh** at and hit. It's not a good picture. Then had the week from H E double hockey sticks at work (I don't like to talk about work, but believe me, it was bad.) Then, we got to see some more friends we hadn't seen in a while. . . Rockey, Lindsey and little Laney!

Isn't she precious? She's a year old, and she is the happiest baby I've ever seen!

Then the dishwasher died and Steven's shower exploded (not really, but it did require a plumber on Monday.) The new dishwasher came today, a week after it went out. I've been washing dishes by hand (it sucks, really bad). But its here now, so that's good.

Another, good thing, the flowers are blooming.

These are my dianthus. I LOVE THEM!

As I promised (so long ago) here is a sneak peak at my latest work in progress. I keep thinking I'm almost finished, but it never gets there. This is the first quilt I've made for someone who isn't family, so they don't have to love it. I'm extremely critical of it, and I'm not really loving it, but S thinks it's cool looking, so I guess it's OK. Maybe next week I'll have more pics for you. You can tell me your opinion.

By the way,"Hi" to Mary and Fi. They both have commented on the blog, but I don't have emails, so I can't say hi back. Love you and miss you both! Quilting hasn't been the same since our Monday Night Craft Night (and blenders of margaritas)!

See ya!