WIP Wednesday #10

Ok - I have to admit up front...I have no idea if this is really "#10" or not. And my brain is too fried to look. So, do you trust me? LOL!!!!

Grad school classes started yesterday and I haven't slept well since Sunday. I'm so nervous about taking on such a large responsibility on top of everything else I do.  As I walk around in my half-daze, I am starting to sound like the Little Engine That Could.... "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...". Really.

A little more coffee and everything will be ok, right?   ;o)

I did manage to work on a couple of WIPs this week. With Flipside being quilted, all that is left is the binding. Here is a close-up of the quilting. It was the first time I've used a pantograph and I really liked it. I see many more of these in my future.





I'm giving it away this weekend...assuming I can actually make myself do it. I desperately want to keep this one for myself. I bought the pattern and supplies fully intending it for me, but while making it, I knew exactly who I needed to give it to. (Sorry - no names, as there's a good chance that she reads my blog.)   :)





I promise - more pictures will be up next week.  I can't wait for y'all to see the full quilt.  It's gorgeous.

My other main focus for this week has been my Bethlehem Star quilt. I have *finally* put together some diamonds out of the ka-billion strip sets I had made.






In class this week, my friend Claire taught us how to put in the glow blocks using Y-seams. A new technique for me - and I must say, not as difficult as I imagined.





This makes two new techniques in this quilt alone - sewing circles and sewing Y-seams. Both were a bit cumbersome, but nothing that couldn't be handled. I love learning new things! (Of course, that may explain the desire for grad school, too.)

My last "WIP" is the 10-for-10 interview series. We started with Interview #1 yesterday and Interview #2 posts tomorrow. And there are giveaways with each one. I hope you'll join us! (You can keep up with all the giveaways on my 10-for-10 page).





Don't forget to link up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced - who just might be one of our upcoming interviewees later this month. *wink, wink*






Have a wonderful week, y'all!

10 for 10 #1 - Jennifer from Ellison Lane Quilts

***giveaway closed***

Hooray!!! It's finally here - time to start our 10-for-10 series. I hope you all are as excited as I am - we're gonna have fun!





Starting us off is the inspiration behind this series, my friend Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts. Jennifer recently did a similar series called "Big 5 Blog Party" and I loved the idea of getting to know other bloggers. I asked if I could steal her idea and she was very quick to agree, so it only seems right to have her lead us off!





Jennifer is the president of the Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild, which just started in June. In fact, the CLTMQG is what brought us together and we actually got to meet face to face at their first meeting. She's just as wonderful in person as she is on her blog.  She's been very encouraging, too, as I have been working through starting an MQG a little further north - the Triad Modern Quilt Guild.

If you haven't seen Jennifer's blog, you need to take a bit of time to visit.  She's currently in the middle of a Quilt Along - Across the Sea - with Fairy Face Quilts, and I'm sure there is still time to join up!  She has amazing projects showcased on her Finished Quilts page, and I'm always finding inspiration there.  Some of my favorites are:

Dreaming Under Dresdens

Rainbow Cabins

and

Running in Circles

I love Jennifer's bright and colorful fabric choices and the Dresden is high on my "need to try soon" list.  Be sure to go and visit her blog for even more inspiration!

And now....on to the interview.  Jennifer had some wonderful answers to my questions and it was a lot of fun getting to know her better.

********

If you won $3,000 today and had to spend it today, what would you buy?
I'd book a vacation for my husband and me. Just something for us - somewhere fun, maybe beachy, maybe a big city. It would be great to have a getaway just us!

What color scheme or fabric line are you loving right now?
Right now it is the Taza line by Dena Designs. I love those medalions. I just bought a bunch of Hope Valley after admiring it for a while (finally) and love it too. My fabric wish list would  be to have some Munki Munki gold fish, add some Echino to my stash, Flea Market Fancy (love!) and a stack of Liberty of London {sigh.} I am trying to build my stash by only buying prints that I love instead of whole lines.


What is one thing from your "bucket list"?
I want to see more of the US: New England in the fall, Montana in the summer, Chicago in the Spring, San Diego anytime! I've been really fortunate to have traveled in Europe but there are a lot of places in the good old USA that I want to see.

Is there a sewing technique or quilt block that you would like to try?
I really want to learn to paper piece. I am so inspired by Ayumi and Penny and everything everyone does in the Ringo Pie Bee. Seriously amazing stuff. I am determined to learn and hopefully one day, make things as amazing as theirs.

What hot trends do you see coming our way?
Goodness me, I'm pretty certain I am not an expert here but it seems that hand sewing is gaining popularity. I think it adds a special touch to something modern. I also love that modern quilting is growing and embraces personal preferences and free form styles and a more improvisational look. While I haven't made a quilt that looks like that yet, there are many in my head waiting their turn.


What kind of movies do you like and do you have an all-time favorite?
Chick Flicks! I am such a girl. :) My favorites are You've Got Mail, The Notebook, A Lot Like Love and yes, Twilight (although I like the books better- they are fabulous).

When you’re faced with a lack of motivation, what do you do to get re-energized?
I take some time off, from sewing or blogging. I blog when I want to, and I sew when I want to. Trying a new project- something fresh that requires me to think in a different way is also helpful. I've found that I like having a couple of projects going at one time is helpful because I get burned out working on only the same one.

What one piece of advice would you give a new quilter?
It's not that long ago that I was a new quilter so my advice would be to just jump in and do it! Creating a quilt is such a wonderful accomplishment and the finished product something you can enjoy for years after you've completed it. Also, don't be too hard on yourself if things don't line up perfectly or your straight line quilting isn't all that straight. You are making something handmade, something personal, something creative. Most likely, others will never notice and learning is all part of the process.

What is your favorite finished project to date?
My Dreaming Under Dresdens quilt.  It took 6 months to complete (with lots of starts and stops,) and I used my favorite fabrics.  I love how it turned out and that it will go on my daughter's big girl bed. It is definitely made with lots of love.


You have an unplanned evening alone with no responsibilities – what do you do?
Sew a little, play on the Internet a little and go to bed early. I still have a baby that gets up in the middle of the night. Sleep is precious!

********


Thanks Jennifer, for your wonderful answers and allowing us get to know you better!  I'm glad to see there's another Twilight fan out there (and I prefer the books, too!).  I'm also going to have to check out the Ringo Pie Bee a little more - you're right, gorgeous stuff!

Now, for our first giveaway!  Wondrous Woven Fabrics is sponsoring our interview series and all of our giveaways.  We'll be giving mini-bundles of Joel Dewberry's Heirloom fabrics in the Ruby colorway.  Today's bundle includes four fat-eighths - one each of Marbled Stripe Gold, Paisley Garnet, Ribbon Lattice Gold, and Marquis Garnet.






To enter the giveaway, leave a comment telling me which of Jennifer's finished quilts is your favorite.  

For an optional bonus entry, leave a comment telling me that you are a new (or not-so-new) follower of both Jennifer's blog and my blog. 

Limit two entries per person.  Comments close at 9:00 am EST on Saturday, Sept. 3rd, and I will draw a random winner at that time. 

Good luck!! Be sure to join us Thursday for interview #2.... Cara from Me? A Mom?.  See you then!

who's ready to play??

Fabric is cut and ready to go...




Our first 10-for-10 interview is tomorrow...and so is our first giveaway. Hope you're ready for some fun. :)

Finished it Fridays #5

Has another week already gone by??  I can't believe it.

School started up this week around here, so that's been all the buzz.  Hope you are settling into a nice fall routine.  I'm having trouble letting go of the summer...not ready for it to end!

Once again, I had a crazy-busy week.  My to-do list has reached a critical threshold and I've had to refocus on some non-quilty areas.  While I don't have any finishes to share, I was able to get my Flipside quilt quilted and have started on the binding.  It will be finished next week for sure...I'm giving it away on Saturday!

To say the least, I'm a bit frustrated at my lack of sewing time, so I'm depending on you to inspire me!  Let me see what you've done!!

about next week...

In case you haven't seen the button on the left, next week is a big week. I'll be starting a new series called 10-for-10. I've lined up some of my favorite (and hopefully, your favorite) bloggers and asked them all the same questions. Some quilt-related, and some not.  I've asked them about everything from giving advice to new quilters to sharing items on their bucket lists.  The answers are coming in and I can't wait to share them!!





So, who are the bloggers, you ask??  Well... I don't want to give away all my secrets, but I will give you a little sneak peek.  Some of the bloggers I have lined up include:

• Jennifer @ Ellison Lane Quilts
• Angela @ Cut to Pieces
• Elizabeth @ Don't Call Me Betsy
• Erin @ Two More Seconds

Of course, those of you who do math will see instantly that there are six more.   Not telling you those just yet.  I know, I know...such a tease.  :o)

To make things even more interesting, I've lined up a giveaway for every interview - that's right, 10 giveaways! Each interview will feature a mini-bundle of Joel Dewberry's new Heirloom line, donated by my friend Cathy at Wondrous Woven Fabrics. (Thanks, Cathy! xoxo)





Cathy is an absolute doll.  I've purchased from her several times and her customer service is outstanding.  To be quite frank, if it weren't for her generosity, these giveaways couldn't happen, so I hope you'll visit her shop soon.  Actually - you may want to visit real soon - she's having a sale...including fabrics from Central Park, Soul Blossoms, and Loulouthi.  :)



Lastly, I also wanted to make this announcement because there are two things you can do now to be ready when the series starts.

First - if you aren't already, you may want to follow my blog, either through Google Connect (the "Followers" at the right) or through e-mail.  The interviews will be twice weekly for five weeks. While I'm hoping to get them up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, life sometimes intervenes and it's possible that I may get off schedule. Following my blog is a sure way to not miss the posts. Also, several of the giveaways could have an optional bonus entry for followers...hint, hint.

Second - check now to be sure you are aren't a No-Reply Blogger.  Not sure what that is?  Basically, it's a person who does not have an e-mail address attached to his/her profile.  This means if you leave a comment and you are a No-Reply Blogger, I have no way of contacting you. If you don't want to add an e-mail to your blogger profile, that's fine.  Just be sure to always include your e-mail address in your comments.   If I can't reach you, you can't win.  And, as my son says, that's a bad day.  :o(

So, stay tuned and be ready to be entertained. I hope you enjoy these interviews as much as I have enjoyed getting them together.  The ladies in this group are simply awesome!

Finished It Friday - Number 4

Hi again everyone. How has your week been? It's been a little nuts for me and I've realized just how much I get done on the weekends - because I've had no time this weekend! I've had a busy week and with baseball and grad school starting up, I'm beginning to get a bit nervous.

My finishes this week? Only one.... but I'm loving it.





The pattern is from Kate Spain's April newsletter and it originally called for using laminated fabrics, but I used cotton with some interfacing added in for sturdiness. It's a lot bigger than I imagined (or intended) but has already served me well.  It's perfect for loading my quilt tops and batting as I head out to my LQS to use their long-arm machine. 

I'm desperately hoping for more time this weekend as I'm working on my Flipside quilt. I can't show progress pics on this one, though, as it's a gift and the lady getting it reads my blog. :o)


So tell me.... what did you make?? Can't wait to see all of your finishes!

Finished it... wait...a FEATURE!

We briefly interrupt our normally scheduled post with an important announcement...

I've been featured on Quilt Story!!!



Oh, I'm so excited!

Remember Matt's Coffee Quilt?  It's the feature today over on Quilt Story.   Please, go check it out - and then pop back over here for today's Finished it Fridays!!

Finished it Fridays #3

It's been a long, crazy week folks! So tell me - did you get much done??

As you saw yesterday, I finished my son's Guitar Quilt which is now hanging like a trophy on a quilt stand in our living room. It's definitely one of my most favorite finishes.




I also finished a few blocks this week. Two for the 12 Blocks of Christmas Bee and two for my friend Sharon for a Project Linus quilt she is doing.

For this month's (ok, ok...for July's...) blocks, Katherine asked for wonky log cabin blocks (Quilt Dad style) using some fussy cut reindeer fabric she sent.














Next up were the Project Linus blocks for Sharon.  She created the block for the Daisy Janie project a few months back and then decided to do a blanket as well.  She called for "blanketeers" and I signed up.  The blocks were a lot of fun to make and oh, so easy!  Her tutorial for the block is still up and there are a few days left to sign up for a block or two.  I hope you will!







Now it's your turn - show off your finishes!

Rock On! - another quilt finished

My son is a nut.

Everyone that knows us just muttered, "well, duh," and everyone that *really* knows us is thinking, "and I know who he gets it from...".

About 10 minutes after I gave my oldest son his quilt last summer, Trenton asked me when he would get one.  Having learned from previous mistakes, I made no promises but told him he would get one someday.   He wouldn't let up.

Fast forward to January and I was fabric shopping (gasp!) and I came across an amazing bundle at Fabricworm called "Folk Rock".  About the same time, I found an awesome pattern in a magazine.  So I paired the bundle with some Kona solids, a Michael Miller for backing and off I went. 

The top came together quickly, even with a few mistakes.  (Always, always check the pattern!)  And I actually finished the top in early February.  One month - not bad.  But then...blammo.  Crazy kid enters the scene.

As I'm showing off the quilt top to him, he looks down at the floor and sheepishly states, "You know, Tanner got his quilt for his birthday...".

"What do you mean," I ask, slightly panicked but mostly confused.

"Well, he got his quilt for his birthday"  (Oh, thanks for the clarification, dear.)

"So...are you saying you don't want yours until your birthday?"

"Yeah.  I think that would be good."

*sigh*

Now, any smart mama would go ahead and finish, then pack it away.  After all, his birthday is in August, and this happened in February.  Not me.  Never, ever have I claimed to be a smart mama.  Nope.  I tucked it away.

Fast-forward a few months and he's changed his mind yet again.  So, I yank out the top and get back to work.  I made up some wild-eyed crazy graphic for the back, which ended up being chucked for a simpler design and made an appointment with the long-arm machine only to be turned away when I got there. (Yes, I nearly cried.)  Finally got it quilted in July; finished the binding this week.

And here it is.... "Rock On!"



Unfortunately, I don't remember what fabrics were in the bundle...other than All Star by Riley Blake.  The guitars are Michael Miller, and Trenton picked those out himself.  In fact, it was the inspiration fabric.  He doesn't play any musical instruments, unless of course, you count the air guitar.  He's a pro at that one.



You can see the simplified version of the back above; I didn't have enough fabrics from the front leftover for the back. The label is below.



The label quotes Psalm 92:1-2 and ends with a note from me, "Your exuberance and spirit bring a smile to my face and happiness to my life. May God always fill your heart with joy." And I mean every word.

Trenton always keeps us guessing and more often than not we're laughing at his crazy antics. Just last night, we go out to shoot a pic or two and, suddenly we're in the middle of a professional photo shoot. Well, in his mind anyway. "Do this", "Now silly-face", "Here's like I'm getting ready to lay down." And so on, and so on...







Do you believe me now?  ... my son's a nut.



But he's my nut... and I love him.

WIP Wednesday #9

Here we are again with another project report.  My goodness, this week went fast!  Once again, I'm not feeling very productive, so I love being able to sit down reflect on my efforts.  Many times I don't feel like I've gotten anything done, but when I take the time to write it down, I see there has been movement.

Completed: Guitar Quilt!  I finished on Sunday night, with Trenton sitting beside me.  It was wonderful.  Come back on Friday for the whole story (and for Finished it Fridays). 

Here is a little sneak peek - he immediately snuggled up with it when I finished.





Ongoing:

Bethlehem Star - Finished a few more strip sets (to make diamonds) and all of the paper-pieced glows, including getting one into it's block.  It's my first time trying circles.  So far, so good.











Jane's Black & White quilt- Quilted on Thursday.  I hope to get the binding attached this week. 


No progress this week:

Sierra's Quilt
Mexican Star
Flipside Quilt 


New Projects:
I'm working on a tutorial for a guest blogging post I will be doing later this month.  It's a table-topper, and it's turning out very well!

I'm also working on an interview series that will start soon... called 10 for 10.





I'll be featuring ten of your (and my) favorite bloggers, asking them the same ten get-to-know-you questions.   We'll also be hosting a giveaway for each one, so keep your eyes open...you're gonna love it!

Happy hump-day, and enjoy your week!

more fabric

Saturday was a happy day, and I needed one after the week I'd had. Apparently, when a package of fabric hits my door, things just all sorta melt away...





Wondrous Woven Fabrics had a sale and a good one at that! 30% off quite a few lines.

From the top, fabrics one, two, and three are from Central Park (*squeal*) and will be transformed into a new tote bag for graduate school.  It starts Sept 1st and I'm starting to wonder what the heck I got myself into as I will continue to work full-time as well.

Fabric 4 is Sanjay in Red from Kumari Garden Holiday.  I'll be using it for the August Stitch-Along over at Feeling Stitchy.  We're going to be embellishing fabric with embroidery.  Here's a close up of it...still no clue on how I will embellish it.






Five is Laurel Dots in Cherry - another to add to my Soul Blossoms hoard pile stash. Actually - I cut into these on Saturday, but no details yet.  They are for a tutorial I'm working on for later this month as a guest blogger at Mauby's.  (So excited!!)

Six, seven, and eight are for hubby.  Yeah... I know I just finished a quilt for him, but I'm ready to do another.  These will be paired with the Joel Dewberry Aviary that I snagged at InTown Quilters during my trip to Atlanta.

I was also able to finish the top row of my We Love French Knots sampler.  To enter the grand opening giveaway, two of the squares have to be finished, so I'm good on that front.  I would like to finish the whole thing soon, though.  I'm trying to keep it on my end table... you know, so it won't be out of sight, out of mind.  :)





Happy Monday, y'all!