#21 New Beginnings

 Let me say that this week has had its challenges....mostly emotional!! My husband and I just got back from taking our son and last child at home to college. I have been on a roller coaster of emotions all week. Fine one moment and on the verge of tears the next, out right crying when I least expect it. Sunday morning I drove to church with Adam and on the way there talking to him about school, I broke down and cried. (we both joked about how much of a nut I am!)  I have tried so hard to stay busy just to keep my mind off of the inevitable. It is so much harder this time than with the other 2 kids.... or maybe it just feels that way. On the way home from dropping him off I told my husband we should mark the calendar, because everything changed today! I know he'll be home weekends, holidays and summers, but he's tasting freedom and when school is over, he'll want to be on his own! As it should be!
 I will have to come to terms with the fact that we have reached the threshold of "empty nesters" !! I'm just glad that I have about 3 years to prepare myself to cross it!! lol
Enough about this or I will probably start to cry again!

On to happier  (or at the least  less emotionally charged)  new beginnings....a new Instagram friend @francesnewcombe (Belly Buttons Boutique) has helped me give the blog a new look! Really she did it, I'm just posting it!! A new background and banner! (oops technical problem! hopefully the banner will be up soon) 

What I've been up to:

I finished the String of Pearls QAL on time!!! 

oops I forgot to add the black border before I loaded it to quilt!! Oh well! So I improvised and although not quite what I was going for I like the way it turned out!! Another learning experience!!

For the bindings Made strip sets and cut at 2.5"

sewed them to a 1.5" strip of black

I prefer to hand stitch the bindings

 

I found the Lunch Bag and the Origami Drawstring Bag on Belly Buttons Boutique (link above)

Lunch Bag

Origami Drawstring Bag, this is adorable! A center drawstring pouch and to side pockets with flaps

 Another 3 blocks in the City Sampler QAL

This sampler table runner is constructed from the blocks I made in a beginner piecing class I took when I started quilting almost 2 years ago now!! When does a WIP officially become a UFO?? lol Oh well either way, it's done!! 

Keeping to my promise, I quilted with a stippling stitch!! It was amazing! A few minor not worth mentioning errors! (keeping it real!) It felt really good!! More practice, more experience, more joy!!!!


If you are following the blog, I did promise more on the baby quilt this week, but between the roller coaster of emotions and a bad back, I just didn't get there!! Next week for sure!!

Happy Sewing!

Late Entry:

The request for a Favourite Tool Linky Party has come from Sew Mama Sew !

My problem... How do you choose just one?? So I choose my utensil holder!! With all of my favourite tools, right at my finger tips!! Marking pens, pencil, rulers, scissors, rotary cutter, that purple thang, magnet (pick up pins), bookmark (for paper piece folding) and of course my reading glasses!!! (because without the glasses nothing is going to be right!!! lol)

#19 Quilting Again

Last week I shared that my main sewing machine and long arm sewing machines were both not working. Well I am still down my main sewing machine (repair shop) but received the new screen for long arm and am up and running!!
So as promised on Instagram here are some of the mistakes in my quilting...

I am having a hard time learning on the quilting side of this art form, of making quilts!! I am self proclaimed, although I think my friend Kellie would readily agree, a bit of a perfectionist where quilting is concerned. Which I think is a plus on the piecing side of the equation, just not so much on the learning side of quilting!!! I see and hate every little missed curve, the stitch in the ditch that isn't quite in the ditch (with gray thread on black fabric), getting into the grove only to forget where exactly I'm going next.....you get the picture. I know it is crazy, I've only free motion quilted one quilt before this one, and I am expecting my body to be able to do what my eyes have only seen, the first time perfectly!! Not like I am putting any pressure on myself, lol!!



















Oh, well I am learning slowly to let go of the expectations and hope that every quilt shows improvement, so I can feel good about the big picture.  For now I will try and take my own advice, and "breath and enjoy the ride"!! Because half the fun of an adventure is getting there!!!
(I have to say in the light of a new day.... the mistakes are still there but I don't seem to mind as much!)

This is what I've been up to:

The Craftsy 2012 is sashed!! Just needs borders!! Still trying to decide what look I want?? I'm thinking of making strip sets of all the fabrics and cutting them at about 3" for the sides and a bit larger top and bottom for the border, if that makes sense? Any ideas or if you agree, please leave a comment below!!!! 

The quilt as you go project is coming together nicely!! I ended up with (64) 5.75" blocks.  I have to agree with Kelly over at My Quilt Infactuation, who is using her scraps in a new free form project,  my scraps seem to be multiplying not decreeing as I sew too!!

Than I found a tutorial on another new friends blog for composition book covers!! Check out the tutorial over at Jacquelynne Steves, The Art of Home

I shared that I was a part of Round 2 Sweet Pouch exchange and my pouch partner sent the cutest little pattern in with my sweets! I got that made this week too!! Ooh and I forgot to mention and take pictures, my  sweet pouch is reversible!!

#18 A Slower Week

I'm still sewing, but at a much slower pace, with my main sewing machine in for repair and my long arm down with a dead computer screen!! Yikes!!! Luckily I just purchased a smaller, lighter machine for taking to classes!

OOh, before I put up the rest of the QAL pictures I promised I have to share pictures of the pattern I tested for Kristy at Quiet Play. It is an amazing pattern!!

 I accidentally took the picture turned! The dark blue should be the square and the light blue on point!! But you get the idea!!














Here: 4 block repeat!! Just love this pattern!!
It's a nice pattern to piece too! You can cut strips and even sub-cut into blocks because nothing is really added at crazy angles!! (Minimum waste)

Well onto the rest of the QAL pictures!!

9. String of Pearls

Nothing really to add for the String of Pearls, but for those who don't follow me on Instagram....

here is the completed front....

and the back.....

and loaded ready for the machine to be repaired so I can quilt this beauty!!

8. Bloom Bloom Pow

I can't tell you how happy I am to finally have this pattern together!!!! I love how happy it is!! I found this one really scary (newbie, fears) but it was more scary in my mind than in actual execution!!  So if you are thinking of doing it....go for it!! Take your time with the seams and pressing, because they do get bulky in the centers!! And if you look close at some of my apple green blooms you will see I made an error when sewing a strip set together and some of my shadow peddles appear to be falling off!! I only share this for anyone struggling with too much perfection....(me) lol!! I'm learning to let somethings go and embrace shall we call it "beauty in the imperfect moments of life"!! And its all ok!! and I still love it!!

                                                                                                                                                                 

Also if you have seen the Bloom Bloom Pow QAL the sides were suppose to be trimmed off to square it up....I couldn't bring myself to cut off what took so long to accomplish!!!! Instead I added triangle wedges to the ends of each row. It worked out great!!

2. City Sampler

This one is so not my normal style, but I'm loving the bright, happy, bold quilt this will be!! Just says fun!!

Oh and in case you are keeping track, to keep me, on track....I have 3 sides sashed on the Craftys BOM 2012!! Hoping to have the other side done today and square them up!! 

I'm going to a have a pile of my own quilts in no time!!! Ya!!

Have a great week everyone!!

#11 So Tempted to Start More Projects.....

I have been reading so many Blogs and they are so good! So much information out there and so many projects to try!! Like the QAL at Happy Quilting Melissa's blog            

                                                                                                                               
and Sew Mama Sew, has the Modern BOM 2, and a Sewing Match contest,

  also Craftsy just sent me info on a  Mystery Quilt, taught by Amy Gibson....and that is just the ones I've noticed in the last few days!
Ok so let's be honest, well I mean me, lol!! I signed up for the first project the Sewing Match is doing, design your own A Line Skirt, through Craftsy, it was half price, and I am hoping  I will be able to master a pattern!! The nice thing with the Craftsy classes, I don't have to start until I want to, once you purchase a class ( and there are some for free) it is always available to you. So no pressure!!
I also signed up for the Amy Gibson, Mystery Quilt!! I couldn't help myself, a mystery...using Amy Butler's Belle line, top fabric included in the class price (US and Canada only) and 35% off!! Can't wait for the fabric to arrive, class starts Aug 1. (stand alone class will be available for purchase around or on Aug 1, for outside the above mentioned areas) I feel like a comericial... but this is just info, no affiliations, I'm excited about!!

Anyway onto the WIPs:

I continue to work on the Bloom Bloom Pow, its on the design wall waiting to be sewn together!! I'd been looking at it for a few days desiding if I liked my placement, when I realised I had flowers with petals falling off!!! Somehow the gray and white got switched on one of my strip sets so 2 of my green gray combinations look like they are loosing their petals! I just laughed, and I couldn't help but think of one of the girls I follow on Instagram, whose user name is perfectionnotincluded. Perfection is over rated!! I love it! It's mine!! and now mine is unique!! ; )

I  completed blocks 22-24 of 100 of Tula Pink's City Sampler

and my top is sewn and my back is ready for the String of Pearls QAL 

Hopefully that will be finished in the next week or 2!

And lastly....I signed up at a local quilt shop for a Dress making Class!! OOh Boy! I really want to be able to make at least a dress and a skirt, being 5'10" it is hard to find cloths long enough!! I know boo hoo, I hear from my friends who are shorter, they have to shorten everything... to which I say...at least you can remove extra material, I can't add material that isn't there! The usually agree!! ; )

So wish me luck, and if anyone out there is a clothing sewer, any helpful tips would be appreciated!!