Sew Creative

Vision Forum

2011-11-21T10:12:00.002-05:00

Over the past year or so, I have been doing a lot of research into homeschooling and family organizing. I found a lot of useful resources from Vision Forum. We love the seminar cds and Christian books as well as their toys. I am grateful for their help and encouragement to our family!

Sail Away

2011-03-31T16:05:00.006-04:00

Though I have not taken the time to blog, I have been sewing. With just a week or two until my grandmother came, I decided to make a quilt for her. I picked an Ikea sheet for the background (the color is nearest to Kona Glacier), and cut it into 6 inch squares. As I love FilmintheFridge's Dinner Date and Flying Farfalle quilts and they are so easy to make, I was going to make one of those. My 6 year old wanted to help, so I let her pick out the fabrics for each of the triangles. As I made each of the blocks, she would lay them out into "wonky diamonds." As I finished piecing all the blocks, she begged me to sew the quilt like that. Since the quilt was going to be a gift from both of us, I just went with it (though I wasn't sold on the idea)!
When I was almost finished piecing the top, I tried to sew my finger into the quilt, resulting in a trip to the ER. After that, I asked m y sister to help me finish the quilt. She quilted it and did most of the binding. We named the quilt "Sail Away" because some of the wonky diamonds look like sail boats. (Click on any of the pictures and then click again to see more detail.)

Most importantly, my grandmother LOVED the quilt!

The back is made pieced from leftovers from the front. You can see the quilted lines much better here!

I just wrote the label on the quilt.

Just because my sister loves folded quilts!

Long Absence

2010-09-06T13:39:00.002-04:00

I have been tempted just to let my blog go as I have been gone for over 3 months. I find it hard to update my blog regularly and flickr and facebook. Anyway, I'll try to be a little better. I do have a good excuse for my absence. I am now 27 weeks pregnant. It has been a rough one, but we are excited to welcome our baby #4 in December!

Sense and Sensibility

2010-05-17T10:12:00.001-04:00

Check out this new sight for new productions of Sense and Sensibility! I love Jane Austin's books, so this really intriques me.

http://sensibility.com/

Little Going On

2010-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't been sewing much lately. In the vintage sheet bee, Jane of Fancy Two asked for pinwheels. I looked at all of Rachel's tutorial on PS I Quilt. I decided on pinwheel number 3. This was the first time I have made half square triangles, and I liked the process! I hoped to get a chance to make another pinwheel block, but didn't get the opportunity.

Rainbow Cake

2010-04-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to make a rainbow cake for a long time. This is my first attempt and definitely will not be the last!

A Boy Bag

2010-04-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

My little boy loves toy cars. He tries his hardest to carry as many cars as he can where ever he goes. He shoves them under his arms, in his arms, and piles them high holding them in place with his chin! To make his task a little easier, I made him a boy bag to carry his cars in. I really wanted so cars fabric that was not connected to the movie (which is all I have in my stash). At Joann's, I found this great Alexander Henry Historic Highway print. I thought it was perfect for a bag to carry cars. My son seems to have mixed feeling about the bag. He loves to put his cars into it, but he wants me to carry it!

More Bulk Cooking

2010-04-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

The menu this time is:

Cliantro Beef
2 Aimee's Quick Chicken
Chicken Fajitas w/ Mexican Salad (not frozen)
2 Honey Mustard Chicken
Jerk Chicken
One Pan Chicken (I didn't do the potatoes to freeze.)
3 Orange Chicken
3 White Chicken Chili
3 Pulled Pork Tacos
6 Spaghetti Sauces
2 Slow Cooker Lentils and Sausage
2 Easy Pork Marinade
2 Pesto Chicken
3 Olive Beef
Sesame Pork Roast

With the help of my husband, I made 18 meals one day. Then my mom came over and helped the next day, and we made 14 more meals. It seemed to be one of the easiest once a month cooking session I have had!

The Twin

2010-04-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

I finished the second wonky star blanket! My older daughter had been very upset that I didn't do her's first. (I guess she is used to being first as she is the first child!) But less than a week later, her blanket is ready. She is very happy with the way it turned out, especially the minkee!

Half way there!

2010-04-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

I have finally settled on a design for my wonky star quilt. It is going to be fairly normally laid out with five stars per row and six rows. Between the first and second rows and the fifth and sixth rows will be a row of 15 mini stars. I finally finished 15 large stars and 15 mini stars. I am so happy with them, I just wish that I could finish them more quickly! I am ready to see the finished product!

Five new mini stars!

A couple of stars to add to the constellation.

This is one of my all time favorite vintage prints!

My daughter's favorite:

Bee Quilt Top

2010-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

I finished!!! The center has been together for a little while, but the border took a while to put together. I think it perfectly matches the business of the quilt.

Star Blanket

2010-04-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

My little girls love the wonky stars I have been making. They asked me to make them a big wonky star blanket. This is my interpretation of that request! I made the wonky star and backed it with quilt batting and quilted it. Then I backed that with minkee. The first one is finished. Hopefully I will get the other one made very soon!

One New Star

2010-04-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

One day, my sister came over to cut vintage sheets and exchange fabrics. My mom stopped by and was asking about wonky stars. I sat down and made this one quickly to give her the idea of how they are made. I know have 11. I am getting to the point where I hope to put these all together.

Quilting Bee Blocks

2010-04-07T07:57:00.002-04:00

Have you guys seen QuiltingBeeBlocks.com? It is a spin off of the flickr group by the same name. The site has a lot of info on quilting bees and how to join one. Check it out. Right now they are having a really cool giveaway.

At the Beach

2010-04-05T08:39:00.003-04:00

We had a great time visiting our friends in Wilmington, NC. The beach was great, and the fellowship was even better!

Another Bee Addicted 2 Block

2010-03-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I loved making these blocks for Liz. This is my second one. If I had time, I would love to make another one. With everything going on, I just can't. Oh well, these are going to make a beautiful quilt!

Water Bottle Holder

2010-03-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

My little boy is getting big enough to carry his own water bottle, so it was about time for me to make him a water bottle holder. My sister wanted to make some for her little ones, but wanted help. I showed her how to make one while making Kyle's. Check out Megan's water bottle holders. I finally cut into my cogsmo fabric and used a little for this project. The quilting seemed to be a given with the fabric, but it took more effort than simple stippling would have. I love the results!

Hot Air Balloons!!!

2010-03-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

My family has taken a liking to Hot Air Balloons. It might seem a little strange, but they are such neat air crafts! We went to a hot air balloon festival last year as a part of our summer vacation. This past weekend, we went to another show in Macon, GA. Tunes and Balloons were a small part of the annual Cherry Blossom festival. It didn't have nearly as many balloons as the previous festival, but there were 12 balloons, most (if not all) were different from the ones we saw last time.

And the Winner is...

2010-03-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

number 5! Jodie from Sew Handmade. I hope you enjoy the minky and fabric! Thanks for entering my little giveaway and helping me to celebrate 100 posts!

My Baby Turned 5!

2010-03-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

(Check out my giveaway!)

My oldest just turned 5! I am amazed that it has been that long ago, but it feels like just a year has gone by. I definitely notice that I am getting older through milestones like this, though I don't feel it. I asked Avalyn if she felt older now that she was 5. She said she felt older. She is so excited about getting more responsibilities and being "a big girl"!
For her birthday, she asked for dirt as her dessert. I obliged and also made water. We had blue jello with swedish fish in it (our water) and chocolate pudding (made with almond milk because of Kyle's allergy) mixed with cool whip and oreos. Gummy worms were added to the dirt for fun. The kids loved the dessert, and got really messy as you would expect.

Vintage Sheet for Swappin'

2010-03-18T19:16:00.003-04:00

(Check out my giveaway two posts down!)

I ran out of space in my flickr account for March! We are only half way through the month! So to add to the vintage sheet theme I have going this month, I have some up for exchange in addition to what I have posted on flickr.
These are all pillowcases that I have cut from before, so I might have a couple of fat quarters left from them.

Top left is rated a 4, bottom left and bottom right are a 3, and top right is a 1.

I believe all of these would be a 3 to a 4.

Both of these would be a 4.

All of these would be between a 3 and a 4.

Working on a Border

2010-03-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

For my Bee Addicted 2 quilt (it needs a name!), I am doing a "solid" border and a pieced border. The solid border is the tie-dyed blue fabric that is in the quilt. The pieced border is made up of scraps from the fabrics in the quilt. The strips are between 1 inch and 3 inches wide.

I wanted a random look, but not too random! So I started in an orderly manner.

Apparently, I am too orderly because I have several strips that are the exact same prints together! Look closely and you can see what I mean.

To be more random, I have now put all my scraps in a container and will choose them from there. I hope it helps!

100th Post Giveaway

2010-03-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

(The giveaway is now closed.)

I am not very good at keeping up with my blog! But I have made it to 100 posts, so I am going to have a giveaway to celebrate! Thinking about what to giveaway, I will offer some Minky Dots in either pink or blue (your choice), coordinating fabric, and satin binding. I might throw in some extra notions or fabric, we will have to see!
Just leave a comment here by Sunday night (March 21). Post about my little giveaway on your blog, come back here and let me know in the comments, and you can have a second chance to win. I'll choose a winner on Monday morning.

28th Cover Up Quilt Show Part 3

2010-03-15T16:04:00.007-04:00

(Click on any of the pictures to see it much larger!)
Oh my goodness! I love Cathedral Window quilts! I was amazed to see two of these quilts at the show. They were absolutely beautiful.
I think the windows on this one were about 2 inches or so. I love the colors!

These windows are about 1.5 inches. I can't believe all the work involved and how many different pieces were needed.

I love the black background and the variegated thread used for the quilting. Also the bright colors are very attractive.

More stars. These are made with half square triangles.

I like the way these blocks were put together. Again I love the stars!

I am always interested in seeing red, white, and blue quilts in the hopes finding one that isn't too patriotic. This one is very interesting.

The greens in this one was really interesting. Looking at the picture now, I don't like it as much as at the show!

There was a wall of churn dash quilts. This one was the most interesting.

I like the light and dark value quilts. This one is really nice!

28th Cover Up Quilt Show Part 2

2010-03-15T15:31:00.007-04:00

(Click on any of the pictures to see it much larger!)
I have never seen a wedding sampler in person. These blocks were no bigger than 6 inches. Each one is different! It is really nice.

I love the stars here. (Can you tell that I like stars?!)

The color combination here is great! I wish I could make this one. I love the small squares and the border.

Check out this Kaleidoscope Quilt! I really wish I had gotten a close up of this one. Each hexagon is the same exact piece (or pattern) of fabric. Beautiful!

This is another Lone Star quilt. I really liked the light and dark log cabins around the border. (I am not usually fond of log cabins.)

I love the idea of using scraps to make a quilt like this one and pulling the whole thing together with a solid coordinating color.

I have never seen a quilt like this one. I love the look!

And another Lone Star quilt.

28th Cover Up Quilt Show Part 1

2010-03-15T14:29:00.007-04:00

(Click on any of the pictures to see it much larger!)
My sister and I decided to go to a quilt show hosted by the Bulloch Hall Quilting Guild. I was really excited as it was to be the first show that I have ever been to. Now that I write about it, I have mixed feelings. See my sister and I have 6 kids between us all under the age of 5. They are mostly good kids, but the ladies running the quilt show didn't handle them well. We kept getting comments to watch the kids, or be careful with something or other, or got some ugly looks from some people. We decided to take the kids outside and let them play in the yard while we took turns looking at all the quilts. I wish I could have looked at the quilts more thoroughly, but with the kids running around outside, I didn't want to take too much time. And I felt out of place being probably 20 years younger than the next youngest person there!

One part of the quilt show that I thought was really interesting was a challenge to create interesting quilts with pieces from unfinished vintage quilts. Here is a sample of a vintage quilt square that was given out to use to make a new quilt.

There were a lot of great pieces, but as soon as I took this picture, I was told I was not allowed to take any more in this room due to the vintage nature of the pieces.

Megan and I really liked this one. It uses all batiks. The quilting was also really interesting as it looked like wood grain or something like that.

This crazy wonky long cabin quilt was really interesting. I am sure I could make something like it with my scraps! Not sure I have the patience to hand quilt this much though!

Megan really liked this one. I am guessing (and fairly confident) that this one was paper pieced.

I really love the little squares in their jewel tones. I think a full mosaic quilt in these colors would be amazing!

This star quilt isn't too exceptional, but the fact that it looked like an I-Spy quilt with photos added in.

I was amazed at this heirloom quilt with these photos used for the squares. It was really great!

Check out these brilliant colors! This was a part of a stain glass cross quilt. There wasn't much room to take a full picture, but this quilt looked great up close.

I think this quilt was one of the most amazing. It was all pieced and very intricate.

Megan really liked this one. I love daisies. I assume this was paper pieced. I guess I might have to try some paper piecing one of these days.

I LOVE lone star quilts! There were several at the quilt show. This one is probably my favorite. The colors are amazing and the borders are exquisite!

Bee Addicted 2 March

2010-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

For March, Liz asked for rectangle and square blocks, not necessarily symmetrical, but not wonky . Using this as inspiration (a block Liz liked), I made this.

I hope to make another block in the next couple of days.

Vintage Finds

2010-03-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

After the block I made for the Vintage Sheet Bee, I decided I needed more vintage sheets in shades other than white. I went out with three kids in the rain looking for some. My determination was rewarded with two interesting pillowcases and a full size sheet.
This is a king size pillowcase with a major printing problem! There is plenty of unblemished fabric, but there is also a large area where the fabric must have been folded when the printing was applied. It could make really interesting stripes in a design! I hope to be able to use all of the pillowcase.

The next pillowcase I found was very 70ish with browns and oranges. Not much like the rest of my collection, but adds variety.

The sheet is the greatest find of the day, and probably the best in the past month or two! I liked this one so much, that for a little bit, I thought it was a modern reproduction done in softer colors. But looking at the tag, it is from the 60s (I believe)! The butterflies are so cool! I used the flash for some of the pictures, and it made the white butterflies stand out amazingly well. In reality, they are pretty hard to see! In any case, this is about the coolest vintage sheet I have found in a while. Oh, and it gets better, it is full size. More fabric to play with!

A New Thrift Store

2010-03-12T14:30:00.004-05:00

There is a new thrift store near us! It is an outlet for three other thrift stores in the Atlanta area. How cool is a thrift store outlet! Anyway, there model is that they put out new stuff on Thursday and prices start on $1.75. Each day the prices decrease by $.25 until Wednesday when everything is $.25. I found out about this thrift store on a Tuesday night and decided that there would be nothing left that I would want on Wednesday. So I went today. Everything is $1.50. I found 4 skirts and 2 shirts for me. I bought a couple of things for my kids. The best things I got are a set of vintage curtains (I think were made from a sheet) and a set of midnight blue twin sheets. Both of these are going be great for sewing. I will use the blue sheets as background for an upcoming quilt! The vintage curtains will be great for the Vintage Sheet Bee. It looks faded on one side, but it looks right somehow. The faded part is yellow, and the regular part is orange.
Here you can see the regular print:

And the faded side:

Not too bad. It is very different from most of the vintage sheets I have. I know that is good, but still a bit unnerving!

March Vintage Bee Block

2010-03-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the vintage sheet bee, Rachel asked for block 'o strings. I had never tried paper piecing, and this is about the simplest ones I have seen. I wasn't so sure how I liked this block because my vintage sheets have more whites in them than could be desired. In the end, I think it really looks good!

This is what the blocks look like before you cut them down to size.

I really love the way the white paper looks with the lines sewn into it. I am thinking that I quilt done like this would look really neat. Maybe use a solid fabric with a high contrast thread. I will have to think about it a little bit more.

My Husband Sews!

2010-03-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

My husband, Adrian, has been working on an electronics project recently. With all the components put together, he needed something to house the circuitry. So, he bought the fabric and asked to have a little batting and sewed the whole thing together. He really enjoyed watching the sewing machine put button holes in his project. (The machine does this fully automatically.) I was a little jealous that he was using MY machine! Oh well, it is good that he can appreciate what I enjoy doing.

Hope Valley

2010-03-10T21:21:00.003-05:00

I bought the Hope Valley 24 fat quarter bundle! Since it was released (I believe in December), I have really loved all the prints in all the color ways. I haven't bought any because like most designer fabrics, it cost more than I wanted to pay. But this evening, while looking around on the internet, I found that many places were sold out of this great bundle. I talked with my husband about it, and he told me to go ahead and buy it!
I was so excited while ordering it, and I even squealed when I found a coupon code that brought the price down! There are so many possibilities in so much pretty fabric! I can't wait until I get it.

200 I Spys

2010-03-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

My sister and I signed up for an I Spy block swap. You send 20 4in squares from 10 different novelty prints, mail them to the hostess, and in a couple of weeks you get 200 different squares back. Several of the blocks were not really novelty prints, or were prints that I did not like (ie skulls), but overall, I got a lot of great prints. Thinking about how to use them, I came up with making three small I Spy quilts, one for each on my little ones. Then they can play with or against each other. We will see where the idea goes.

These are some of my favorites!

Final February Block

2010-03-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I loved the fabrics that we were sent for the February blocks in Bee Addicted 2. They were very calm soothing blues, browns, and creams. I made two blocks earlier in the month, but I really wanted to make one more. I made this little 6.5in block. It isn't as wonky as the photo makes it look.

Vintage Sheet Fat Quarters!

2010-03-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

I got my vintage sheet fat quarters!!! I mailed off 17 (16 for the exchange, and one as a gift for the hostess). Out of the 16 I got back, 9 are wonderful! The rest are nice. I can't wait to use these. Maybe I will get back to my wonky stars and add some more to my galaxy.

My favorites!

As a side note, this is post number 95. I just might have to do a giveaway for my 100th post. Check back in a couple of days!

Saving with Coupons

2010-03-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have always had a love/hate relationship with coupons. I love the idea of saving lots of money, but I hate that what I want to buy never seems to be available with coupons. Through the encouragement of friends and the need to save money on groceries, I have tried to followed Southern Savers for a while. I have also been collecting coupons for about a month. Saturday I tried my hand at couponing like they describe on Southern Savers, and I did what I thought was a great job! I got about $90 worth of groceries for $41. I saved more than I spent! Now as a caveat, I would not have paid full price for some of what I got. But what I bought, I paid less than I normally would have for the store brand at Walmart or Aldi. I don't think I bought anything I wouldn't normally buy except I bought more of some things than I would at one time before. (I usually buy that many canned greenbeans at one time!)

Trying New Cinnamon Rolls

2010-03-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

My little boy has a really bad eczema on his face and hands. In our quest to find the cause, we cut tomatoes out of his diet for almost a month. That didn't help, so we have now taken dairy out of his diet. I tried this new recipe for cinnamon rolls that has no dairy in it. The end result wasn't as rich as my regular cinnamon rolls, but was still very good. I added a glaze to the rolls to add to the richness. Adrian's comment was that now we know we can make good food that doesn't have dairy in it.

Dr. Suess' 104th Birthday

2010-03-02T20:41:00.002-05:00

In honor of Dr. Suess' Birthday, I made green eggs and bacon. (We didn't have any ham!) The kids loved it!

Face Blankies Once Again

2010-03-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Once again, I have made face blankies. I must say that I don't really enjoy making these, but they look great! I love my little boy's chubby feet being in this picture. These are for a friend who is pregnant with her third baby and her first little girl.

Bee Addicted 2 February

2010-02-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

February is Teaginny's month in our quilting bee. She sent out a variety of brown and tan fabrics. The above block is the favorite of the two that I have made so far. I love the colors and patterns together. Teaginny asked to have blocks made in sizes of 12.5 x 12.5, 12.5 x 6.5, or 6.5 x 6.5 inch blocks. I am still working on a 6.5 x 6.5 block, but you will have to wait to see that one! :)

Reusuable Snack Bags

2010-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

My mom started a bad habit of giving her grandkids pretzels when they are leaving for the ride home (all of 15 minutes). With all the plastic bags that accumulated in my sister's car, she decided to buys some reusuable snack bags on etsy. She bought some really cute printed fabric bags that were lined with a semi waterproof fabric and close with velcro along the top. I looked at the bags and knew I could make some for my kids.
I bought some ripstop (check out here and here) in blue and red and some velcro. When I got home, I realized I didn't really have many fabrics that looked good with the colors of ripstop I bought! I should have thought about what fabric I wanted to use before buying the ripstop, but I am a little too impulsive for that. I pulled out this hand print fabric I found at Goodwill over a year ago, and it was a great fit! I fussy cut the had prints and sewed them together. Then I sewed the ripstop and sewed the handprint fabric and the ripstop together. Finally I added the velcro. That is it, I now have three reusuable snack bags for my kids to carry their snacks in the car.

More Face Blankies

2010-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

A friend at church had a little girl recently. As a small gift, I made two face blankies. I really love the combination of pink and brown. It doesn't look too girlie or baby.

Cooking Once Again

2010-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

At the end of December, I gathered all my groceries for cooking again. Based on the last post about my cooking, it had been just about a month and a half since I last cooked a bunch of meals. I still had quite a few in my freezer, but I wanted to boost my stock, so I did some research and made my lists. Shopping without kids, I was able to go to Aldi, Costco, and have a quick stop at Kroger in less than two hours! I went to Walmart the following day and start cooking Friday.

My list this time is similar to last time.
Twelve Boy Curry
Cranberry Chicken
Autumn Stew
Bacon Colby Lasagna
Tailgater Chili
Spaghetti
Pulled Pork Tacos
Tropical Black Bean Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Split Pea Soup
Tomato Soup
Mini Meatloaves
Chicken Veggie Fajitas
Tamale Casserole
White Chicken Chili
Garlicky Pork Ribs
Slow Cooker Fall Pork Roast
Kalua Pig
Slow Cooker Casserole
Slow Cooker Meatloaf
Sausage with Sauce
Lentils and Sausage
Cilantro Beef

You will notice that a good number of the meals are Crock Pot meals. I am trying several new recipes. I love using my Crock Pot as it frees me up even more than the once a month cooking and it usually only dirties one pot!

Using some of these meals, the new ones have been very good. We have really enjoyed the Kalua Pig and have even made a second one! All of the meals seem to have frozen and thawed well. And I am freed up to do more cleaning, organizing, and sewing!

Vintage Sheet Bee Anyone?!

2010-02-18T12:27:00.002-05:00

I told you a couple of days ago about the vintage sheet fat quarter swap I got involved in. Jennifer, who is hosting the swap, has suggested starting a quilting bee using vintage sheets! I have signed up! If you are interested, check it out here.

Table Runner

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I got a little tired of all the "big" projects I have been working on, I decided to make a table runner for the top of my dresser in my bedroom. My hope is having something pretty on the dresser will help clutter not build up as I wouldn't want to cover up the pretty table runner. I have been holding on to my small stash of Katie Jump Rope fabric for something fun, and thought this was the perfect opportunity to use them. I just cut the fabric into strips of 1.5in, 2in, and 2.5in, then sewed them together randomly until the runner was long enough. It took more fabric than I thought it would because I am a bad judge of such things. The process of putting this together was almost therapeutic as my husband was sick and I was playing nurse.

For the back, I improvisationally pieced solid colors. The back took much longer than I expected! Improv isn't as easy as you would think! I started with big chunks of color, but when Adrian saw it, he said they looked like signal flags sewn together. So I started cutting them up and adding more colors in, but that took more thinking than I had wanted to put into it. Oh well, in the end, I think it turned well. Not quite what I want for my bedroom, but still nice.

Vintage Sheet Fat Quarter Swap

2010-02-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Jennifer over at Rosey Little Things is hosting a vintage fat quarter swap. Sign up ended on February 1, and fat quarters needed to be sent by the 10th. I only found out about this on the 11th of February. I emailed Jennifer and begged to be allowed in. She was so nice to let me participate. I sent this selection of fat quarters her way. I am excited to be a part of this swap as I am currently working on wonky stars made from vintage sheets!

Pre-Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T15:21:00.001-05:00

I hope you enjoy this beautiful cold (here in Atlanta) day!

Bee Addicted Quilt Top

2010-02-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

I joined a quilting bee back in September. My month was November. When I asked my partners to make strip pieced blocks in various sizes, I had no idea how I would use them. (That is probably not a good idea when asking others to sew something for you!) Over the past few days, I sat down and drew out some ways of using the blocks to make an attractive quilt. As the blocks were very busy (per my request), I decided to tone the quilt down (just a little bit) by adding solid and print blocks to the pieced blocks. I am excited about what I have come up with!

I have received all but two of my blocks back, and those two should be on the way now or soon, so as soon as I get them, I will sew this top together! I am excited to see it come together.

Top Left:

Top Right:

Bottom Left:

Bottom Right:

December Bee Addicted 2

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

For December, we were asked to make houses that filled the block. It needed to be 12.5 inches tall, but could be any width. I wasn't really inpressed with what I made. This was the first time I made a house, but I had envisioned something more. I was really happy with my little trees! I decided that this block fit the model of a typical metro Atlanta house. Big house with a tiny yard and two small trees in the front yard! I am not sure if I will attempt any more of these anytime soon.

Tree Skirt Finished!

2010-02-08T10:06:00.003-05:00

When I started making my Christmas tree skirt, I didn't realize I would have so many other things going on that I would not be able to finish it for Christmas. I actually finished the tree skirt on January 7th! Just in time to pack up all the Christmas stuff for next year. I was not really satisfied with the back, but the front is really nice.

This is the front before I quilted it.

Here is the back before quilting.

The finished product!

A Gift for a Little Girl

2009-12-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

As a last minute thought, I decided to make a little bag for a friend's daughter. I used upholstery weight fabric, so I didn't use interfacing. The bag isn't very stiff, but it holds it's shape pretty well. I hope it is used to gather lots of little treasures!

Morsbags

2009-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sew Mama Sew has challenged their readers to make 5 reusable shopping bags by Dec. 22. I don't know if I will be able to make that many with the other projects I have going on, but I have made two.
Back when I began sewing, just over a year ago, I bought a bunch of fabric from thrift stores in upholstry weight fabrics. I haven't used much of it, so this is a great opportunity to use some of it. The fabric for the two bags I made are from an old sheet, but the weight is heavier than normal sewing/quilting fabric. I used the tutorial on the morsbag website. I did modify it a little. The bag they show you how to make is just sewing two pieces of fabric together along three sides. This leaves a line along the bottom and makes for packing the reusable bag more difficult. I squared off the corners to make a "flat" bottom that will hold cans or boxes without pulling on the sides of the bag or distorting the shape of the bag. I am really proud of these bags!
Sorry, but I only have a picture of one of the bags. The other is the same fabric but with the strips running vertically.

Christmas Ornaments

2009-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last Christmas, I made some ornaments by covering styrofoam balls with Christmas fabric. It worked well and looked good. This year I decided to make some marblized glass balls. I think I ended up putting to much paint into the balls because they took several days to dry and they have little puddles of paint in the bottom, but some still look nice. I made 24, but I am only going to put 12 on my tree. The other 12 I am going to save to paper mache next year. The problem with them is that the paint did not adhere to the inside properly. This means that they are streaked and look odd to me. I will use them for another project next year, so all is not wasted!

Working on a Tree Skirt

2009-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

These are three blocks for the "back" of my reversible tree skirt. I decided the back would use all the same fabric. The recommendation of the tutorial by TallGrassPrairie was to use scraps from the front. She made improv Log Cabins, so I made improv Log Cabins with this bell fabric and made sure to keep the direction print all pointing the same direction. (That is a first for me!)

i

A King Size (partial) Finish!

2009-12-17T20:08:00.003-05:00

I finished the King Size Quilt top and back! I don't love it the way I thought I would, but I still have to follow through and be happy with the fact that I made it all by myself. I have looked into having it quilted for me, but I am not sure that I want to pay someone to do it for me. The only problem is that I am not sure that the quilt will fit into my sewing machine! Oh well, I look forward to having it completely finished.

This is the quilt back. I used the remnants of the fabrics used on the from and added the brown to darken the overall colors of the back.

Another Giveaway, but not Mine

2009-11-30T19:17:00.002-05:00

I know that this makes two posts in a row that are not about what I have done or what I am doing, but bear with me. You have a chance to win a twin size quilt! Head over to Marie-Madeline studio for a chance to win.
Well, I couldn't post a picture, but they have a great twin size quilt with using scraps from Anna Marie Horner (one of my favorite designers and bloggers).
Go check it out. And on Wednesday is Giveaway day at Sew Mama Sew, so check that out too.

Flea Market Fancy Freaks

2009-11-20T16:17:00.004-05:00

There are some really crazy people who are gag-gag over this fabric! I must admit that I really like it, though I never got in on the first selling of it. I hope they reissue it as I would love to turn some of the flea market fancy fabric into a quilt. Over at Flea Market Fancy Freaks, they are giving away some of this fabric. Go check it out!

Braided Bread

2009-11-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

I often make stromboli for a Lord's day evening meeting that allows for much fellowship that our church does once a month. This week I tried something different. The recipe is a Ham and Cheese Braid. I didn't have ham or swiss cheese, so I modified the recipe quite a bit. I used Roast Beef lunch meat, cheddar cheese, and diced onions instead of the filling called for in the recipe. The dough is interesting because it has dijon mustard baked into it. As you can tell, it looks so yummy, and it tastes great too!

More Wonky Stars

2009-11-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am coming along in getting my stars in line. I have 3 more big stars (for a total of 4) and 3 small stars. A layout that I have come up with calls for 21 big stars and 25 little stars. To make roughly a square quilt. I am not sure if I will stick to that or expand it out to make it bigger. For now I have a goal and I am having fun. The vintage sheets are fun to work with. I love the added thought that the quilt will have a history even when it is newly finished.

This and the next 2 stars are 12 inches square:

The next three are 4.5 inches square. They were hard to make than the big ones, but they are really cute!

This is the layout I am thinking about making. This pattern will repeat itself with little stars in the corners of the big stars.

(click on the pictures to see them larger!)

Amazingly Moist Choclate Cake

2009-11-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

In my quest to find a really moist cake, I came across this recipe for a Holy Cow Cake. I figured there was really no way it couldn't be moist as you pour liquid over it after it is finished baking! In the end, it makes an incredibly delicious cake that isn't too rich, but is amazingly moist.

Owls

2009-11-14T21:09:00.002-05:00

Avalyn wanted to make owl cookies, so in the middle of our once a month cooking, we made owl cookies. The recipe uses refrigerator sugar cookie dough. These were cute and fun. The girls love them!

Once A Month Cooking

2009-11-12T19:19:00.003-05:00

In response to a friend's questions on facebook, I thought I would write at least a little bit about how I do once a month cooking. I started by checking out Once a Month Cooking from the library. I tried their two week plan and thought it worked well for me and my family and gave me more time to do other things around the house, like sewing. Since then I have been doing it on a semi regular basis. I make a ton of meals at one time and use them of the course of the next month to month and a half. (We don't always pull food from our freezer some times we go out, or buy pizza or something like that.)
This month there are 21 different meals. 14 were prepared ahead of time, most of those (8) were doubled, and 1 was tripled. That leaves 8 to be made the day of use. I freeze most of the meals in the large ziploc style plastic containers that are about 6 in deep and 8 in long and 4 in wide. I bought these over the course of several months and just used freezer bags in the mean time. I do use some disposable aluminum casserole pans for some casseroles that need to be assembled ahead of time.
We have a stand up freezer that we use. I know all these containers would not fit into our regular freezer. With the ziploc bags, they stack quite a bit flater, so they would fit more easily into a normal freezer.
The menus change based on what I want to cook and what I know freezes well.
This month's menu is:
(Prepared ahead of time):

2 Colby Beef Lasagnas - I fry the bacon before I do anything. I assemble the whole thing then freeze it. When I want it, I thaw it, then bake according to the direction. (The key is thaw at least over night!)

2 Tailgater Chilis - I let this simmer for a couple of hours then let it cool and freeze. Just thaw and reheat.

1 Hashbrown Pizza - This recipe is not the best, it has some interesting potential, but I haven't found it yet!

3 Bacon Chicken and Dumplings - I add carrots and celery to this recipe and make through adding the crumbled bacon. Then I freeze it.

1 Lentil One Pot Casserole - I have never tried this one before, but I want to incorporate more of this kind of meal.

Autumn stew - this has stew meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, and a little bacon.

2 Honey Mustard Chickens - A friend made this for us and topped it with bacon and cheddar cheese! I usually cook the bacon ahead of time and freeze it in a separate bag, then just thaw cook and serve.

2 Emeril's Beef Stroganoff - This meal is great! It takes some time, but is well worth the results. Once it is put into the casserole dish, it freezes well. Just thaw and cook like the recipe says.

2 Honey Mustard Mini Meatloaves - I make the meatloaves, and freeze them uncooked with the sauce in a separate container. I thaw and cook as the recipe says. I don't make the potatoes, only because I haven't tried freezing those before.

2 Cranberry Chickens - I make this minus the ranch dressing. (The version I have didn't call for that.) The combination didn't sound good to me the first time I made it, but it is REALLY good and the kids love it too!

2 Twelve Boy Currys - This is a great recipe and recommends some fun topping to make it more interesting for the kids (big kids included). I have never really liked curry in the past, but this is now a family favorite.

2 Spaghetti Sauces - This recipe is very good, nothing really out of the ordinary, but good!

1 Pulled Pork (for tacos) - Such an unusual combination (in my mind), but so good! Mix everything together and freeze. When you want to eat it dump it into the crock pot and there you go!

1 Cilantro Beef - Another absolutely amazing meal. Make up through the marinating the meat, then freeze. When ready to eat take out of the freezer and cook in the crock pot. The Pico de Gallo and Citrus Onions are great too, but I don't think they freeze well.

(planned for):

Rice with Pork chops - The version I have calls for a stick of butter, and you top it with pork chops while it is cooking.

Split Pea Soup - I often just mix things together, or buy a mix. Here and here are two recipes that I draw from.

African Peanut Soup - Another unusual combination, but a great soup!

Chicken Tortilla Soup - A recipe where you dump a bunch of stuff into the crock pot and let it go. Good stuff!

2 Aimee's Quick Chicken - Yet another unusual combo, but a good one that everyone here loves.

Chicken Parmesan - This is an old fake it don't make it from real simple magazine (though I couldn't find it with a quick search of their website). It isn't great, but it is different for us and really easy.

Calzones and Pizza - I just use a homemade pizza dough recipe and make either form as I feel the need. I stuff (or top) them with whatever I have on hand. One of the best is just sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.

I hope that helps. THe recipes that don't have links, I can send to you if you want them. I couldn't find these easily available on the web. So the next question (and the one I am currently pondering) is, what's for dinner!

Block Party!

2009-11-02T16:19:00.002-05:00

There is a quilt a long starting soon over at Block Party. They are going to be writing a book about the experience of virtual quilting bees, so it should be fun for all. Check it out.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T08:00:00.001-04:00

A little spiky haired monster wants to wish you a Happy Halloween. He is a little sad that it has come so quickly this year (and that he is not going to see the next one).

This little one didn't have enough hair to wear it like his buddy. He found a good solution: the ever popular comb over.

Enjoy the day. I am sure that I will.

A Garage Sale Find

2009-10-30T08:01:00.000-04:00

Back when I was still in college, I would often go garage saling with my mom and sister. One day, I found two table runners. (I only have pictures of one of them.) They are both linen and hand cross-stitched. Looking around for interesting things to post about, this caught my eye. I am guessing that these are at least 50 years old, but probably older as the lady who sold them to me was old and said that her aunt (or mother or someone closely related to her) had made them. It goes to show that you never know what you are going to find when you are hunting (as we call garage saling and thrifting).

Wonky Star

2009-10-29T07:54:00.003-04:00

After cutting my vintage sheets and pillowcases, I just had to put together this wonky star. I really want to make a whole quilt like this, but it will have to wait. In the mean time, I can look at this pretty piece!

Giveaway Winners

2009-10-28T14:18:00.005-04:00

That is right I said winners. As I started to cut my vintage pillowcases, I decided to see how many and what prints I had in my vintage sheet collection. Much to my surprise (not really), I had way more than I should have! I cut into those too! So I have two prize packages. The first winner will get her pick, and the second will get the other package.
The first package is:

11 vintage sheets cut at 1/2 a yard by the width of the sheets. (I think most of them are twin size, though a couple are a larger.)

The second is:

2 vintage pillowcases and 16 fat eighths cut from the pillowcases I showcased on the giveaway post.

The first winner is 5: Liz B. said...

This is a wonderful collection of vintage linens! I love quilting with them, it's such a nice "green" thing to do! Thanks for the chance at your giveaway, you're very generous!

The second winner is 20: katevet said...

Great fabric! would love to use them to make baby clothes for my little one!

I will send you an email so that I can get your address and your choice Liz. I can not get your contact info katevet, so email me at notyetvegan(at)yahoo(dot)com with your address.

Thanks to all of you who entered my giveaway.

Playing with Pipe cleaners

2009-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

My kids LOVE pipe cleaners. They are happy just to carry them around, but also love making things with them. We made glasses. Then we attached a mustache. Finally we added a crown, and all were set! Who knew that these little fuzzy things could produce so much fun!

Secret Project

2009-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

How can I post regularly on sewing projects when all I have been working on is my secret project and my zig zag quilt? I am sorry, but hopefully I will work on something more intetesting soon! Don't forget to enter my giveaway.

Thoughts on Charitable Giving

2009-10-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

Thinking about posts ideas and with some good ideas from Cath at ChunkyChooky, I wanted to mention a charity that I am personally attached to. The charity is called Unique. They do research on rare chromosomal disorders, keep a database of people with disorders (to help provide info to them), and many other things. The organization is located in Great Britian and has been useful to my family. Our second daughter has a rare chromosomal disorder that is providentially mild. It took over a year to diagnose (not a long time considering, how long others have had to wait for answers), and the results were unusual. She has a disorder that only 2 other people in the world have (based on what we have been told). It has been interesting, frustrating, and very rewarding.
What is your favorite charity?
(And don't forget to check out my giveaway.)

Outside

2009-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

We love to play outside! Today not much sewing has gotten done, but my kids and I enjoyed some time outside.
Don't forget to check out my giveaway.
Have a great Saturday!

Feeling Like Fall

2009-10-23T08:11:00.002-04:00

I love this feeling of fall. Here it has been much colder than normal the last several days, but it is starting to get to a good temperature for playing outside again. These apples along with the smell of cider, really brings home the fact that it is late October. What reminds you of fall?

One More Example

2009-10-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

I am really having fun making these blocks. This is the one that I converted from a 6.5 x 12.5 to a 6.5 x 18.5. I like the diagonal pink in it! I am not so sure about the tiny strip on the right, but overall I am happy with the block.

Giveaway Time!!!

2009-10-21T14:27:00.006-04:00

*The Giveaway is now closed*

I am so excited to be able to host a giveaway! I have wondered what others would like and what I could offer. I finally settled on some fat quarters or fat eighths of vintage pillowcases coming to a least a total of 1 yard, but probably more.
Here is a preview of what I have and will cut for the winner (click on the pictures to get a bigger, closer look at the pillowcases).

Pinks/Reds:

Yellows/Oranges:

Blues/Greens:

To enter, leave a comment letting me know what you would like to do with the vintage fabric. Post about my giveaway on your blog, and I'll give you an extra chance. Just leave a second comment with a link to your blog entry. That is it. I'll use a random number generator to find a winner next Wednesday (Oct. 28th).

Just for those of you who love vintage sheets and pillowcases, this is a picture of my favorite one.

Crocktober

2009-10-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

A great Crockpot recipe! Just thought I would share since it is crocktober.

Pulled Pork Tacos
2 cups Salsa
2 Tbs Chili Powder
2Tbs dried Oregano
2 Tbs unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp salt
1 2.5 lb Boneless Pork Butt or shoulder (or pork loin), trimmed of excess fat
Corn or Flour Tortillas
Cilantro Sprigs
Sour Cream
Lime wedges

Combine Salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 tsp salt in a slow cooker. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cook covered until meat is tender and pulls apart easily, about 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Shred pork and stir into cooking liquid. Serve on warm tortillas, with cilantro, sour cream, and lime.

More Sample Blocks

2009-10-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

I had so much fun with the first couple of blocks that I made, that I made a couple of more. The first one is a 6.5 x 6.5 inches and the second is 6.5 x 12.5 inches. I didn't really like the second one as much as some of the others, so I decided to make it into an 18.5 x 6.5 inch block. (I don't have a picture of this new one yet.)

This one resembled a chair to me, maybe that is why I wanted to change it!

This one was in my mind during the making of the first several blocks. I had to put it together.

November Sample Blocks

2009-10-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

I decided to ask those in my Quilting bee to make blocks of multiples of 6 (adding a half inch seam allowance) and made up of strips of various widths. As I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted, it was hard to decribe to others. I made these three sample blocks on Friday to give some idea of what I was thinking.
This rectangular block was the first I made and I love the triangle in it. That is where I started making this one, the rest kind of happened. It measures 6.5 x 12.5.

Next I wanted to make a 6.5 in square block and just started putting some of the scraps from the previous block together and this was the result.

The last block was a little bit more interesting as I had the idea to incorporate the fan shape. Once I got it fairly square, I cut it to what I thought was the right size (12.5 x 12.5). I looked at it in respect to the rectangle and realized something was wrong. I had cut it to 9.5 x 9.5. That is was necessitated the strips on the left and top of the block. This block reminds me of a sunset for some reason. I guess the rays fanning out through the clouds. Any way, I am fairly happy with the results of this one.

Here all three are laid out together. I hope to make at least one more 6.5 x 6.5 inch block. These were really fun and almost completely improvisationally done.

Yet Another Bag

2009-10-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

I had so much fun making the first two bags, I had to work on another one to work out a good size. This one is 1.5 times larger than the happy little bag, and .5 time smaller than the selvage bag. It is really girly, but I think I like that!

Selvage Bag

2009-10-17T08:30:00.001-04:00

After making the little bag for my niece, I decided to try to make one for me out of selvages. It took me much longer than I expected, and it is much bigger than I was planning. (Yes, I know. I measured and should have know how it was going to turn out.) The bag is a great library bag and I have already used it for that purpose.
(Don't you love my 1970's wallpaper?!)

Here is detail of the main body of the bag and some of my favorite selvages.

Here is the detail of the strap. I decided I wouldn't be satisfied with the bag if I didn't use selvages on the straps. I think it looks great!

Have you ever worked with selvages? How did you do it?

Selvages

2009-10-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

Selvages have been on my list of things I wanted to use ever since seeing this amazing dress! After making the happy little bag, I decided that I would make one for me with selvages as the main fabric. Here is the work in progress. If you want to see more selvage projects there is a blog devoted to them.

The List is Amazing

2009-10-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

It is amazing how many things I have on my sewing to do list! I have so many ideas that I want to do, so many unfinished projects that I started and haven't been motivated to finish, and so many tasks that just need doing. The last couple of days I have completed a few of these tasks.
Our laundry basket is a side by side cloth bag that is divided in the middle. About a year ago, one of the girls thought it would be fun to get into one side of the laundry basket. Instead, she fell onto the divider and ripped it about half way down. Looking at it, the fix seemed easy enough, but I had to wait until there were no clothes in it and then disassemble the frame (not that big of a deal, but my accuse anyway!). Finally this week, I sewed it up! Yeah, that one is off the list.
My husband has been asking me to make him a book mark for his Bible. It was really easy, but again, I had to find the stuff, wait, then hand sew. All of which I don't do well. But I couldn't put it off any longer, so I finished it up on Tuesday!
About a month or so ago, I bought the girls a Curious George duvet cover from the thrift store. It was made from the original "goes to the zoo" prints of flannel and was obviously hand made. The girls loved it and wanted to use it as a picnic blanket. I wanted to sew it closed so that they didn't hide trinkets in it. Finally yesterday I took the buttons off and sewed a zig zag stitch around the perimeter. The girls LOVE it! Another one down!
Three things off the list about 25 more to go! Am I patient and diligent enough to pursue this list without starting something else? I think not. Just look at these great airplanes! I have to make one, or two, or three. Who cares that I don't have any idea what I will use them for. They are too cute! And what about the wonky stars? I want to make those too. One day, I guess they can be added to the list, just not yet.

A Giveaway

2009-10-15T08:24:00.003-04:00

As a part of blogtoberfest and to celebrate reaching 50 posts, I am going to host a giveaway. I will post details on the giveaway when I hit 50 posts (I am currently at 42), which should next week!

Fried Apple Oatmeal

2009-10-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, another apple dish! When I do something, I tend to go overboard. Fortunately my family is eating it up, and loving it! This recipe was much easier than I thought and looked like a much nicer breakfast than just plan oatmeal.

Happy Little Bag

2009-10-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

My sister and I got together to let our kids play. She mentioned in passing that she loved the bag my daughter was using. As I won it during the Sew Mama Sew giveaway day from Brown Robin, I didn't really know how it was made. As we talked, I examined the bag, and grabbed some fabric. Within the hour, I had all the fabric cut out. I had to wait a bit to go buy the rick rack, but other wise this was about an hour project for me. I LOVE the result! In fact, I love it so much I am working on a larger version for myself! I think the bag is about 12in x 10in.

The happy little pink elephant!

Apple Pie

2009-10-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

My husband loves fruit desserts. He has gotten several recently! With apples in abundance, the kids and I made an apple pie with a lattice top. So pretty!

Chalktober

2009-10-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

Home made sidewalk paint, kind of counts as chalk right? My kids love it as much as chalk and get as messy with it as with chalk, and when it dries, it looks like chalk!

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

2009-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Flour, sugar, oil, apples, a large mess, sticky kids, beautiful cake, ....

two attempts to make sauce correctly,

one happy husband, priceless.

November is My Month!

2009-10-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

In my quilting bee, November is my month. After sewing up the block for Wendy, I decided that I needed to get on the ball about picking out my fabric. I really wanted to use fabric from my stash, so I picked out some black and white prints and some bright colors. I am not completely set on several of the fabrics, but for now it will do. Though, I might replace two or three of them in the very new future.
Note: I have changed out two of the fabrics that I decided didn't go as well as I wanted, but you will have to wait to see them. :)

Blocktober - Quilt Bee Block

2009-10-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was quilt block day, and true to form, I am late with it. Though, I did finish this block on Wednesday. This block is for my quilting bee, Bee Addicted 2. It is 16x16 and made of vintage sheets. Wendy is going to cut the squares into 4 pieces and put them back together in a bento box quilt. It is going to be a good looking quilt and I am looking forward to seeing it finished.

Quick Scarf Project

2009-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back, I bought a large t-shirt at Goodwill and turned it into a scarf using this tutorial. I had planned on using it myself, but my little 4 year old laid claim to the scarf as soon as she saw it! I quickly made another one for my 3 year old. I really like this easy project, and hope to make at least one more for myself when I get another t-shirt in a color that I like.

Wordless Wednesday - My Secret Project

2009-10-07T08:00:00.002-04:00

Stalled in the Process

2009-10-06T08:00:00.002-04:00

With Blogtoberfest going on, I really feel inadequate with how little sewing projects I have to show you! I really have been working on some quilts. Several were posted about earlier with two Toy Story quilts to finish for friends' birthdays and a baby blanket for a little boy who should make his appearance this month, but never really completed until now. Other quilting projects like my zig zag quilt has stalled in the process of piecing. I am about half way done, maybe a little less. I really like the excitement of starting something new, but I really don't like the follow through! I am working on that though, really. In addition to these things, I am working on a secret project that I am enjoying a lot, but am unable to share right now. All of this makes for a boring sewing blog. Sorry, I will try to pick it up!

The strips for my zig zag quilt coming out of the back of my sewing machine. I think this looks so cool!

Less than half of my stack of squares for my zig zag quilt. It is so monotonous sewing these into strips! I wish I enjoyed this part as much as the first part.

Airplane Blankie

2009-10-05T07:53:00.000-04:00

I used the experiements with quilting techniques to make this little blanket. My sister would call this a face blanket. The backing is flannel, but I think I like it even more than the quilted front. The blue satin binding matches the airplanes perfectly. I really love it! It is going to be a present for a little boy due this month.

Flocktober

2009-10-05T07:30:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of Birds take a gander at these from Zoo Atlanta.

The Flamingos! Not the best picture, but you can see the little gray babies. It is amazing that their legs are thicker than their parents' legs.

The Parakeet house is the newest attraction at Zoo Atlanta, and it is really neat. Here are just a few of this pretty little birds.

Woktober (ie cooking)

2009-10-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Stromboli. What is that you ask? It is basically a pizza rolled up into a loaf of bread. So Yummy! I made two of them, one for church pot luck and the other for my family. Unfortunately I never seem to remember take pictures of these kinds of fun things! I forget until about now when I want to share with you what I have made.
The basic recipe is to make a dough that you like for pizza (mine follows), when risen, roll it out thinly, top it with a chunky sauce, pepperoni (or whatever toppings you like), and cheese. Then roll it up from the long side and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 40 - 60 minutes depending on how thick your loaf is.
Yummy!
My general recipe for pizza, calzone, and stromboli dough:
I like to use 1 package active dry yeast disolved in one cup of warm water, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt,1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, and 3 cups of flour, proof yeast, mix all ingredients, and let rise 1 hour.

Rocktober - A day late

2009-10-03T07:38:00.003-04:00

Recently I have been listening to a lot of books on cd. I particularly like Clive Cussler books as they don't require a lot of concentration but are action packed. Currently, I am listening to Dark Watch. When I want to listen to some music, I pull out Pedro the Lion. My favorite song that they have done right now is Be Thou my Vision. Check it out, they are pretty good!

Helping with Quilts of Valor

2009-10-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

Bushfire Quilt Project - Wonky Star Block 2, originally uploaded by BooDilly's.

A few weeks ago, AmandaJean at Crazy Mom Quilts asked for help to put together a couple of quilts for Quilts for Valor. I had so much fun making three blocks for her, but I forgot to take pictures of the great wonky stars I made! Here is the one from the tutorial we were asked to use.

Blogtoberfest Begins

2009-10-01T07:55:00.003-04:00

It begins with a kiss and a thermometer. I try to rouse myself enough to know what is going on, check the clock (it is 5:35), and then drag myself out of bed. My dear husband has been up for at least a half hour, but it is now time for me to get up and moving. Several minutes later, I stagger downstairs and grab a glass of water to rehydrate my mouth. Sinking into a chair at the kitchen table, I try to wake up enough to converse with my husband. We read Proverbs 1 together and pray for our day, our taskings, and our children. Adrian then heads off to work, while I realize I am now too much awake to go back to bed. So I grab the laundry and start a load, unload the dishwasher and reload and run it, cook a meal for a friend, and eat breakfast. Now it is 8 am and I can feel like I accomplished something today! I might move slowly through the rest of the day because I am tired, but I will get to sit at my sewing machine during the kids' nap time and that will be good. How did it your day begin?
To join the Blogtoberfest, go here and check out badskirt.

September Quilting Bee Blocks

2009-09-09T08:15:00.002-04:00

September Blocks, originally uploaded by notyetvegan.

I joined a quilting bee about a month ago and just got my first batch of fabric a week ago. Linzi asked for improvisational log cabins with added pink if we had any that would look good. These are the two blocks that I came up with. The one on the right is the first block that I made, so it is less scrappy. The one on the left has a lot more seams as I was trying to make it work out with the scraps that I had. I was amazed at how little fabric I had left over. I feel like I used the fabric well. I am really happy with how these blocks turned out.

Zig Zag Quilt

2009-08-28T15:53:00.002-04:00

Zig Zag Quilt, originally uploaded by notyetvegan.

I have been working on a zig zag quilt that is made from rectangles (not triangles)! It has been SO easy and fun to make so far, though I am not even close to do. I really like it. What do you think of the vintage sheets?