Project Quiltway!

Hey all,



I am finally getting a chance to visit blogland. I have been working on an original design quilt for my LQS challenge, "Project Quiltway" which is a contest to create an original quilt and pattern. (speaking of which, Project Runway is coming back tomorrow. whoo hoo! can anyone top Christian?)





The winning quilt will be displayed in the store and the pattern will be marketed and sold by the store. Cash prize, too. Anyhoo, today was the get-the-picture-of-the-quilt-top-to-the-store deadline, so here it is:









It needs a good pressing, and the lighting is pretty sucky, but it is really cute and bright in person. 40 x 50 inches. I like it. Funky trees, lots of presents, some stars and a candy border. I can't think of a name. The trees are like a wintergreen color, and the background is cream with rosy pink dots, and then there are bright pinks and black dots thrown in. I was thinking of "visions of gumdrops" or "gumdrop trees" but there really aren't any gumdrops on it. LOL. Any suggestions??

(oh, and the melon quilt? I only need to finish the border! yee hah!)

Why is it that every year I think that I am going to have so much free time in the summer when the kids are out of school? what a crock, huh? we get busier!!





We are leaving on a Mexico cruise on Sunday. 18 people in our group, families with kids. I am really looking forward to it and have been mentally packing for about 2 weeks what I am going to bring. Guess I have to do it for real for it to count. Speaking of which, I have also been making clothing. I made the most awesome skirt EVER but I don't have a picture yet, so that's a tease. I made some tops for the cruise, too, and some dresses for my one year old niece. guess i need to get on the ball about pictures, eh?

By the way, here is a picture of my baby boy, who just graduated from High School:



TTFN all and stay fierce.

Monday, Monday!

What a month it has been! My oldest son is graduated, registered for college and moved out (sort of - his room here still has a lot of stuff in it). My youngest son is enjoying the lazy days of summer. He and I just went to Universal Studios Hollywood for a few days - I went to a conference and he went to to the amusement park with a friend. It was a nice little getaway.

Sewing, you ask? Oh, yes, I have sewed a bit. I made two large, piped, square bed cusions for my niece's daybed, two smaller pillows, and a neck roll pillow. I am proud of how they turned out. Zippers, custom made piping and all. Now I just need to do the bedskirt and a simple quilt. woo hoo! I have also made some random purse things and placemats, and I am *this* close to finishing the melon quilt. Hopefully, I will get to finish it this weekend.

Rachelle, who writes one of my fave blogs ever, Craft Rage, (see sidebar) has gifted me with 3 lovely patterns from her vast collection. All in my size, and so mod and chic, that I am going to try to whip one of the dresses up for the fourth of july. We are going to an outdoor concert and I think a chic retro dress will be perfect. Thanks Rachelle!!!

I know I have been remiss in posting pictures lately. I see that I keep promising. Alas, I don't have my camera with me right now, so I will try ONCE AGAIN to get on and post tonight.

In the meantime, enjoy these 6 unspectacular quirks about me, that I have been tagged by Alison at My Little Stitching Corner to provide:

1. I do not like tomatoes, yet I like ketchup, salsa and tomato sauce.

2. I cannot stand anything between my toes. No flip flops, no pedicure sponge thingies, no toe-rings. Freaks me out. I have considered having my nerve endings numbed so I can wear all those cute shoes!! ha ha.

3. I don't like gorey movies, but I watch reality medical and crime shows like Trauma Life in the E.R. and 48 Hours. And I love watching MMA (mixed martial arts) fighting, like UFC. My husband thinks its funny that I can't stomach fake gore, but the real stuff doesn't bother me. He is the opposite.

4. I spend a crazy amount of money on stationery and organizational supplies that I don't really use very well. I am terrible about sending actual written notes, and my stuff is not that organized.

5. I hate to be barefoot, except when I am sewing, then I cannot wear shoes. ???

6. I have recurring dreams about a house that I redecorate over and over. I have never been to that house in real life, nor do I ever redecorate the house I actually live in, nor do I always really like the way I decorate the dream house. I attribute this to the fact that I watch HGTV way too much.

That's it! So now I get to tag the next! And, the rules are:
Link to whoever tagged you
Mention the rules
List 6 unspectacular quirks about you
Tag 6 folks by linking to your post.

I will now tag:
Mar at Pincushion Diaries
Rachelle at Craft Rage
Mary Anne at Moonbeams in a Jar
Miss Kitty at Moonbeams in a Jar
Amanda at Busy Little Quilter
Pam at PamKittyMorning

Hope you all will play along!

Where Have I Been?

Wow. Where have I been, indeed!

What a stress filled few weeks I have had since the last post. Our oldest had his senior prom, which we hosted the pre-prom dinner for 22 kids. Wow. It was a success! The kids looked great. I will get around to adding pictures hopefully tonight.

Then work was just a big ball of crazy with two or three big cases commanding a lot of attention.

Then we bought a house for my son and his roommates to live in while they go to school, so a lot of time had to be devoted to that endeavor and getting it ready.

Next was a craft-a-palooza weekend I organized with my friends where I worked on my awesome melon quilt.

Followed by graduation!! Yay, our son is all graduated!! And we had a party at his new house that was just wonderful.

So, now that all that is behind me, I should be back in quilt and blog mode!! Just wanted to give y'all an update. (I have still been reading everyone's blogs even while I checked out for a bit.) I got tagged to tell some fun stuff about me, so I will post that later today when I post pictures.

Can't Find It! FOUND IT

Found it, thanks to Mar. I feel like Dorothy -- it was in my lap all along. It was in a magazine, not a blog. ha ha.
Ugh. I saw the simplest tutorial on how to make tiered skirts for little girls when I was roamin' the blogs yesterday, and now I forgot where it was, or even how I found it. If anyone is reading this and has a suggestion, please let me know. The author had broken it down by size 2-4, 5-7, etc. and used really pretty pastel fabrics. I want to make these for two little girls I know, but it would help to have the directions!

Thanks!

Pay It Forward!

Joining in the fun is so easy!! Leave a comment for me, I will select three at random to receive goodie from me. It will be handmade, and definitely quiltilicious. All you have to do in return is offer the same to those who comment on your blog. This will be interesting! Let's see if three people read this.

Let's Review.

I made a zippered pouch from this tutorial. OMG, how much fun is that! Thanks to Lisa for directing me there!

Hey, who is that peeking out?? Little Miss Thang!

Speaking of which, my friend Carol and I had a quilt-a-palooza last Friday, stayed out till 2 am. WOO HOO!! I know how to party, my friend! Here are our funky Janomes:

My lilliputian Lulu is working on SWELL:

She sews a fine seam, but she is LOUD.

While Miss Carol's HK machine (no name??) was hard at work making Carol's very first quilt!!

Wow, chicas, this girl is FAST. one day, one quilt. You go girl. (I haven't told her about borders, basting, walking feet, darning feet and binding yet . . . hee hee.)

Carol loves Fourth of July (well, all Holidays!) and this is going to be a mighty fine table topper.

I also finished the quilt top for Hella Pink. I like it. I confess that I don't love it like I thought I would. I do love that it is done, and it is cool that there are no fabric repeats in the interior of the quilt, and that I got the fabric at quilt stores all over the state whenever we would travel, but it is just not as wow as I thought it would be. I dunno. Plenty of other projects to love.

Anyhoo, now I just need to yup, baste it, quilt it, bind it. Thanks to Amanda Jean who gave me the inspiration to finish it!

Speaking of Amanda Jean, I started her quilt-a-long. Go check it out. Looks like fun. Can't wait to see everyone's results. Here is my block number one:

ok, I am trying another pink quilt. This one is softer, though. Maybe I will like it more.

Gotsta getta sewin,

Kristin

Too Much of a Good Thing can be Wonderful!

(mae west)

I tend to get mad at myself for not being content with finishing existing projects. I am always planning the next one, and looking at new fabrics and new patterns and new ideas. BUT THEN, I met this delightful woman who gave me permission to want more!

This is Marilyn Doheny with one of her stunning pieces of art.

In fact, one of her sayings is something along the lines of, if you are not wanting more, you are not reaching the limits of your creativity, and if you are not creating, you're really not living to the fullest. (She said it all poetry-like, but all I heard was it's ok to want more!)

I took a great class with Marilyn last Sunday, and as I told my husband when I returned, it was life-changing. Well, quilt-life changing, but still and all. She is amazing and her techniques are so freeing, you cannot help but become an artiste! You need to get her to your local quilt store or guild. You will be amazed at her quilts and her art, and even more amazed with her spirit. She is so inspiring.

ok, so, do ya wanna see some stuff I made? well, let me start by saying that the idea of this class or workshop was to make fun "critters" and flowers out of strip sets (strata) that are cut with a special angled wedge ruler, which are then appliqued on a background. the magic is in the fabric selection and the whimsy of it all.

My quilt is going to be loosely based on Alice in Wonderland. It is mostly going to feature the quiltilicious fabric from Tula Pink called Flutterby, (see earlier post) although there are more non-flutterby in this picture than others.

Here are some butterfly wings. Trust me. Imagine the body at the bottom of the arc. Then, I made some flowers, some caterpillars, some bees. BUT I can't show you those cuz they are supah top secret. (naw, I just forgot to take pictures and I am too lazy to do it now.)

Work has been way too hectic this week, so I am anxious to get back to this funnery.

But I am going to sidetrack from this project (Marilyn says it's ok, ha ha) because I am going to introduce LuLu (my Hello Kitty sewing machine -- see earlier post) to quilting tomorrow. Lulu and I are going to work on a Swell jellyroll and see what happens. I don't really have a pattern in mind. I am sewing with my friend who has the other Hello Kitty machine now. She is working on her first quilt, a red, white and blue rail fence. She and I picked out the fabric when I picked up my fun, sunshiny sunflower quilt from the long arm quilter last Saturday. I can't wait to show you that one, but first I have to bind it and wash it - it has raw edge applique that needs to get all raggedy.

Here is a bonus quote from Mae West:

when choosing between two evils, I like to choose the one I have never tried before.

I guess that's why I keep trying new patterns. good justification, eh?

oh, and here is a fun blog. It's super cute. trust me. although I read the title of it, and thought it would be something different. see if you agree.

oh, and go here to enter for a chance to win a beautiful quilt!!

can a girl have too much?

There is a lot of talk about being good and not buying too much fabric, using one's stash rather than buying more. . . well, I fell off of the wagon (oh wait, I was never on the wagon!) and bought a gawgeous bunch o' fabric for a class I signed up for at my LQS2 that was added at the last minute. Here is what I hope to make. My fabrics are yummy flutterby by tula pink for moda and a selection of randoms to mix and match. I did my own litle shop hop on my way back from Fair Oaks yesterday, where my job had taken me. No picture cuz I am running late and my camera is in the car, where I should be. BUT I did want to share the following with you:


A little craft humor sent by my sis-in-law. Pass it on to those you know who crochet. Now you know why the crochet:

The Dolls A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.For al l of these years , he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover.In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $ 95,000.00 He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, " my grandmother told me, the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll." The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness."Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of t h is money? Where did i t come from?""Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling all the rest of the dolls."A Prayer.......Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;Love to forgive him;And Patience for his moods; Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,I'll beat him to death, because I don't know how to crochet.

Happy Wednesday

Hella Pink!

Working away at the Hella (or Hecka) Pink quilt. Here is the layout my husband helped me select. My photo skills are lacking, but you get the idea, yah?


Then I tried Lisa Boyer's trick and made Hecka Black and White. Still looks okay I think. I put the lighter blocks in the center, again as Lisa suggested:
Ok, and check this out. This is Hella Trippy: impressionist quilt. No need to match those seams! Thanks to my photo editor software.


And these little blocks are the not hella pink enough:

They did not make the cut. Benchwarmers. UFO's. Didn't play well with others. Loners. Voted off the island. Auf'd. Fired. (I could do this all day!)

Hey Designers! Gather round. I have some news. (Gosh I love Tim Gunn.)
What do youz guys suggest for a Fierce Border for this quilt o' mine. I am thinking narrow stripe, then sawtooth half-square triangles, just like the pattern calls for. Dang, I am clever.

Has anyone seen a good pink-a-licious stripe that would be good for this?? I have several stripeys, but none that seem to want to be in this quilt. Hook me up. Seriously.

ok, I am putting this one away for the night, and moving on to THE DRESS! woo hoo!

Spring Break!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Easter was so much fun and food! The weather was so nice, we moved the party onto the back patio.








This is me, all Betty Crocker-like in a hand made apron my husband got for me for Valentine's Day.




My unbound quilts make good places to lie down and recover from chocolate bunny comas:


That's my kid on the left, the one on the right is a stunt double.

On Monday, we went to Lake Tahoe with the kids and a few extra stow-aways. Always an adventure in the testosterone zone. Snow, buffet lines, whipping wind, Red Hut Waffle Shop, scary movies, igloo building, texting girls, building fires (did you know peanut butter is an excellent accelerant? Did you know that excellent accelerant is more fun to say than to type?) and being slug lazy all figured in to our plans on this getaway.


My younger son on the left. Igloo building commences on the shore:




Dad acts as building inspector:








My oldest on the right, with another extra, on the way to the Casinos to meet some girls (God, give me strength!)




I brought quilting projects to the cabin, of course. We needed some estrogen input. I put binding on the Ladybug Parade, and on the table topper I made last week. I also shopped for more pink fabric, and cut out the patches for 12 more pinwheels for the Hella Pink quilt. Awesome finds! And, I did some handwork, English paper piecing on a patriotic stars mini quilt. Very nice retreat indeed. We returned on Thursday.



Today, final weekday of Spring Break, we went to the Jelly Belly factory, about a half hour drive from here. We being my youngest son Brian, my bro-in-law, another relation (step-aunt-in-law?) and her 5 y.o. daughter.






Rows of pink! Reminds me of a quilt I know. . . I just read the article in APQ about getting inspired by photos of your surroundings. I took a lot of pictures of rows of Jelly Bellies, so I think some fun quilts are about to burst forth. . .





Mr. Jelly Belly himself!







We rode that sugar high, boy!

And, there was an added bonus -- it was STICKER PALOOZA with Mrs. Grossman stickers there and guess what? I met Mrs. Grossman and she signed my sticker how to book! She said we are like "two peas in a pod" because we both love stickers. She was so sweet. Do you remember when these first came out? The heart, the bear, the duck?? I was crazy for these from High School on. The sticker factory and outlet are also near to where I live. Jealous much? (well, I have to pay ginormous property taxes next week, so don't be too jealous if you are out of state - we pay a hefty price to be close to sticker and sticky paradise)


I am also happy to report that I resolved my issue with my HK sewing machine (see earlier post)- and the real LuLu is on her way here, this time from Mississippi - still a southern belle! and the impostor is going to reform school - My friend who is in need of a machine for her and her daughter will provide the rogue a good home and proper upbringing. I am throwing in some quilting lessons to sweeten the pot. (*note, it is not a bad machine, just not the one I wanted)


I found a great blog that you all probably already know about. It is Busy Little Quilter, and she wants to know about how we all store, sort and hopefully use, our scraps. So here is a picture of some of my more artful scrap storage. Hey, the picture on the right is kinda like the jelly belly factory's trays of colorful beans!!











oh, wait, that's my trash bin!


How bout visiting her blog and adding your two scraps?













Wishing you miles of endless possibilities and a great gooey sugar high!! Kristin