Busy Busy Busy

I got up this morning and it was a cool 68*.  I thought I was in heaven!  I took the kids to school and then went for  a walk.  I listened to Duran Duran's Rio, as I walked.  I know, I just dated myself.  I have now walked a total of 4.4 miles!  OK, that's not much.  I hate to sweat and I hate exercise.  So, 4.4 miles is a good start for me.  Now if I can just stop eating sweets!

I have a lot going on this week.  I am working 3 days.  My #1 daughter is turning 8.  We are planning a Clue party.  Based on the board game.  I am Mrs. Peacock.  I have to plan a scavenger hunt between now and Saturday!

Funny story....I was trying to follow this other quilting blog, and somehow I ended up following myself!!  I am not technically gifted.  HA HA HA.

I just joined my first swap.  I joined the Gen  X Quilters(& Y too) Ho Ho Holiday Swap.  You can sign up until October 1.  We are swapping fat quarters and Christmas ornaments!  Sounds like fun to me.  Now I just need to find some nice Christmas fabric!  Mobile is sadly lacking in the fabric department.  We don't have a single Quilt Shop :(  We do have a few sewing machine shops that have nice fabric.  I will be heading over there as soon as the party is over!  Gotta Run.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Mug Rug

I have found another cool trend on the web.  Mug rugs.  I know, I'm a little behind.  I finally made me one.  It is so cute.  I'm using it now!  I used a paper pieced pattern by Linda Causee from 365 Foundation Quilt Blocks.  Such a cool book.  I added chenille by the inch to the pumpkin.  Every time I wash it, it will get fuzzier!  I already have an idea on making several more.

He's so bright and cheerful.  My kids keep taking him.  I guess they need one too.

Happy Quilting

Caren

Christmas is coming!

I have been busy sewing this week.  I made this really cute wrist pincushion.  It is the basic flower pincushion on a cuff band.  Super simple to make, and so much fun.  I found the pattern here.  I think several of these will be made before Christmas!

I also made this CD holder for my mom for Christmas.  Shhh!  Don't tell her it's a secret!  I found the pattern in last year's issue of QuiltingArts Gifts.  It was simple and quick as well.  The background fabric was sunpainted last year with my mother's flowers.  And yes that is a well known fairy.  The pink flower was fused and everything was free motion quilted.  The lace was also painted.  There are a few beads added for sparkle, as well.  The button was one of my grandmother's.  I generally don't buy shank buttons.  I think these would make nice needle cases, too.  I have to try that later!  These were so much fun to make.



This is the inside



At this rate I will never finish my sewing list!  I still have binding to do and work on the Winter quilt!  So much to do.  I had better go get started!

Happy Quilting!

Caren

Spotted a giveaway!

I just signed up for this giveaway at millies.  She's giving away an AccuQuilt Go!  Sounds like fun to me!  I also made the cutest wrist pincushion.  I'll post pictures later.  Another announcement.  The October Friday Night Sew-In is October 15.  Be there or be square!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Play Day

I woke up way too early this morning...4am.  It did allow me to get some of my housework done before I took the girls to school :)  Yesterday, I started making pincushions.  Oh, they are so much fun.  I don't need a pincushion.  But after seeing all the cool kids had pincushions, I had to make one...or two.  My kids love to stuff them.  They get a kick out of pulling the fiberfill out and stuffing it in the fabric.  It amazes them how much can actually fit.  Although I may have put too much in one!

I also made 2 journal covers.  Well, one is totally finished.  The other is halfway finished.  I need to tweak the directions.  The cover came out super tight.  The button closure looks like its about to pop.  I added a pocket for pencils on the inside.  It looks pretty good.

OK. Totally not quilting related.   I put on a dress Sunday for Church and it was too tight.  I have got to lose a little weight.  Maybe if I announce it to the world I might actually do it!  I've seen this button for improve your butt challenge.  So I am jumping in.  There's no more ice cream in the house!  The weather should be cooling off, so I won't have any excuse not to lose weight.  I don't want to be Twiggy, I actually like curves.  I just don't want to buy new pants!

Happy Quilting

Caren

Finishing projects

Today I have been finishing my projects.  I only have about 100, give or take a few.
Sewing list
1.  finish baby doll dress
2.  sew on girl scout badges
3.  Finish  memorial quilt, binding is all that is left
4.  make 2 journal covers
5.  make a pincushion
6. work on Winter quilt

It doesn't look like I have accomplished much.  The memorial quilt, I started 2 weeks ago.  The one with the button basket.  I finished the top.  Today I quilted all the pieces and sewed them together.  I used strips to sew the quilted pieces together.  Kind of like a quilt as you go.   It looks pretty good.  The colors are odd!  The peach was my Grandmother's favorite color and the buttons were hers.  The flowers remind me of her, even though they don't match!  The red centers are because she always said a quilt had to have red.  I have an idea that she liked red, but felt red was not a "good" color!  The fabrics around the medallion were from my Grandfather's work shirts.  Except for the navy blue.

I didn't want to add too many fabrics.  I mainly wanted to use just his shirts.  The colors are odd, but they seem to work.  I like it.  I had trouble quilting the flannel, it wanted to move.  All that is left is the binding, sleeve, and label.  I really want to put something in the pockets.  Any ideas?  This quilt will not win any awards, but it will make my daddy very happy.

I am in such a need for ice cream.  I have my Winter quilt laid out to work on, but I just can't seem to do it.  Who can quilt a winter scene when it's 95* outside?  Maybe it will cool off a little, soon.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Friday Night Sew-In

Last night was the Friday Night Sew-In.  I spent 2 hours on the white elephant that has been taking up space in my sewing room for the past 3 months.  My daughter, 7 years old, went with me to the fabric store.  With her own money she bought a pattern and fabric to make her baby doll an outfit.  I knew when she bought it I would be the one to put it together.  Finally, after months of putting it off I started it.  I finished the shirt.  I still have to make the jumper.  Don;t laugh.  It took 2 hours of periodic frustration to get the shirt made.  I hate to make clothes.  Doll clothes are even worse.  But, in the end she was thrilled, that almost makes it worth while!

The things mommy will do for the little ones!

Happy Quilting

Caren

Painting Fabric

I spent several days this week painting fabric.  I love yellow, so I used that as the base color.  The fabric was white when I started.  The first piece was painted with yellow paint.  I wet the fabric really well, so the color would move through all of the fabric.  It came out a beautiful butter yellow.  Then I took the same yellow paint, unthinned, some orange paint, and Shiva paint sticks.  I used a piece of metallic ribbon with holes and painted more yellow.  I used a stencil brush and just went in circles over the ribbon.  I bounced a sponge up and down in orange for spots.  Then I took an old quilt stencil and my Paint stick.  I used a stencil brush again and created the flowers.  I think it turned out pretty good.

This other piece had the same yellow base coat.  Then I used washable blue gel glue to make swirls.  I let it dry all night.  Then went back with the same yellow and orange, mixed with water, and applied the paint over the whole thing.  I let it dry.  Heat set the color and threw it into the washing machine to get the glue out.  It turned out pretty good.  I have never used Glue Resist before and just wanted to try it.  Now I just need to decide what to use it for!

I really enjoy painting fabric.  It reminds me of kindergarten!  Don't forget about the Friday Night Sew In tonight.
Happy Quilting
Caren

Friday Night Sew-In

2 Posts in one day!  Talk about progress.  I just signed up for the Friday Night Sew-In for September 17.  The idea is to spend Friday Night sewing.  Working on some of those UFO's I have floating around my sewing closet!  I'm sure no one else has those.  I will post what I worked on, on Saturday.  So, check back to see what I was able to accomplish.

Happy Quilting

Caren

New project- Memory quilt

Friday I was looking through my email and came across a slide show from The Quilt Show.  You can see it here.  Didi Salvatierra had a small quilt using buttons to make a basket.  Theme of all the quilts for the contest was New from Old.  When I saw it I knew I needed to create one similar to it.  My grandmother has Alzheimer's.  Recently I had received a large collection of her buttons.  I've been looking for project to use them in, as a memorial.  This was the perfect idea.  So, on Saturday night I started my little quilt.  When I finish, the button basket will be the medallion in the center.  Surrounding it will be pieces of my Grandfather's work shirts.  He passed away this summer.  I plan on giving it to my father for Christmas.  Thank you Didi for the idea.

Happy Quilting

Caren

Seasons Series, Winter part 1

I've been messing with my blog layout.  All those colors were making mu eyes hurt.  Hopefully this will be better.  Eventually, I'll try to make my own banner.  I started on the Winter quilt.  First, I want to show you the sketch I made 2 weeks ago.  Don't laugh.  I've never had art lessons.

Now, lets see what the start of the quilt looks like.

They are close.  I want it whimsical, retro colors, and just plain fun.  I want to do more embellishment on this one.  Mr. Snowman needs help.  He doesn't show up very well.  Oh!  I melted a piece of the tulle that is covering the snow.  I have to fix that.  I know irons and tulle don't mix, but though I could risk it  :)
I was getting into my Saturday routine.  Sit down at 1:30 and watch some sewing programs on PBS.  I saw Nancey Zieman make a nice jacket in 30 mins.  Actually I think it was 3 jackets.  Must be nice!  Then my favorite show Quilting Arts TV, was supposed to come on at 2pm.  It didn't happen.  They had another quilting show on, Eleanor Burns.  I like Eleanor, but I was expecting Art Quilts.  They aren't interchangeable.  Oh! Well, I guess I'll go marinate some chicken for dinner.  Bummer!!!

Caren

National Sewing Month

I've been busy writing for Associated Content this week.  It's been so much fun.  I'm trying to come up with some easy projects to write about.  So far I've written about the joys of Yo-yos!  You can read the articles if you wish, there's a link at the bottom of this page.  Here are the pictures.

Next week, I will start working on my Winter Quilt.  I've got the background cutout.  I'm still thinking of how to arrange it.  Happy Quilting,  Caren

Fall, part 3

It's finished.  I'm still sick, but I am thinking about my Winter quilt.  The Fall quilt was fun.  My husband loves the tree.  I added a bead for the door knob and ribbon work for the pumpkin vines.  I ended up just binding the quilt, a border took away from the whole.  I free motion quilted it, using a swirl pattern for the wind and long lines for the grass.  I think it turned out pretty good.  One goof....the binding.  I hate binding.  I have never been able to do great binding.  Every quilt show judge takes off for my binding.  I did find this great tutorial on binding at Crazy mom quilts http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html .  I'll try that next time.

The Winter quilt is going to be much brighter and a little whimsical.  I'm thinking about using aqua, pink, red, and lime.  I want a little bit of a retro feel.  We'll see.

Happy Quilting!
Caren

I have my first follower....Yipee!

Welcome to my blog grandmarockton!  I would give a shout, but I'm a little under the weather today. 
I'm almost finished with the Fall quilt.  The orange border didn't work.  All of my oranges were way too neon!  So disappointed.  But I did keep with my goal of not buying anything.  Everything came out of my stash!

I was thinking about my grandmother this week.  She has Alzheimer's, when I was younger she taught me to quilt.  I went into my dungeon (quilting closet!) and started looking through the few treasures I have from her sewing box.  I have a few hankies as well.  I am trying to come up with something, some sort of quilt to highlight what she has meant to me.  I have a few wooden spools of thread  (do they even make thread on wooden spools anymore?) , a well used thimble, a piece of tatting, and a ton of buttons.  Some still have a piece of fabric attached, they were cut off of old clothing.  That's one lesson I learned... don't throw buttons away.  The YLI thread isn't old, but it still has the threaded needle stuck into it!  The little booties were my fathers.  So cute.  I arranged them all just to look at them, to see how an arrangement would look.  I have something brewing in the back of my mind,  it just may take awhile to form.

So if the person who taught you to sew or quilt is still around, take the time today to thank them for the gift they have given you.  Try to go see them, give them a hug, and a kiss.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Fall, part 2

I worked on my tree yesterday.  It was drawn using the oak tree in my backyard as inspiration.  I layered diffeerent fabrics on a piece of double sided fusible web.  Heat set it, and cut it out.  Then I placed it on the background.  I love my tree!  It was so much fun.  I thread sketched it down to keep any little bits from falling off  (that didn't get heat set witht the iron).

Then I cut up little snippets from the dyed fabric, after they were placed on double sided fusible web.  It was a pain placing each piece of fabric on the background.  I had to make sure they were sticky side down.  I do not want to buy a new iron today!  My little girl loves the swirling leaves.   I have had this hanging up all night.  Looking at it to decide on a border or not. 

To Border or Not That is The Question?
I originally wanted a one patch border all around, a way to use up my stash.  (As if that is actually possible!)  Looking at it now, I think that would be too busy and would take away from the piece.  My husband agrees, he thinks I tend to go a little overboard.  I like busy!  At this point I am thinking a 2 inch brownish border, maybe a 1/2 inch tiny inner border of orange.  I really want to use orange for some reason.  Or just bind it.  HMMMMMMMMMMM................  I have to think about it.

Happy Quilting!

Caren

Fall, Part 1

Never work on a quilt after 10pm...if I begin to ramble, forgive me.  I started on the house.  I originally tried a paper pieced house, but it was too boxy.  I even added curtains, but it still didn't work.  I drew out this 2 story kind of wobbly looking house with a fence and pumpkins in the front yard.  I like it much better.  Hopefully it will work.   I drew the tree while looking at this monster oak that lives in my backyard.  It looks permanently windblown!

Now, I am auditioning doors and windows.  I want the illusion of a face.  I don't want them all to be the same color.  I'm playing with variegated fabrics.  Will see how it works.

I'm not sure about the red door.  Looks too bold.       I think I like the last photo.  I haven't had a lot of sleep.  I think I will look at it a while before I decide.  The house fabric is great.  I got it from a friend who used shaving cream marbling.  I love that fabric it's so cool.            Happy Quilting!

4 Seasons Quilt Series- Fall

I was watching Shark Week  reruns last week when I got the idea for this series.  I want to make 4 small wallhangings that depict the seasons.  Since fall is almost here, I am starting with that season.  Each of the quilts will have a tree and house as the focus.  I tie dyed fabric for the leaves.  Pictures were in the last blog entry.   The border will be a one patch, small squares.  My hope is to NOT buy anything!  I want to use as much of my stash as possible.  I don't want it to look too country or primitive.  I want a more modern feel.  I've been brainstorming houses.  I drew out a pattern for a paper pieced generic house.  It does have curtains!  I'll have to try it, to see if it works.  Check back for the next update.

Tie dying fabric using Dye-na-flow.

Sunday night I decided to tie dye a piece of fabric using Dye-na-flow.  I plan on cutting it into snippets, for a tree.  I used rubber bands to bind certain areas.  Then I soaked it  with water. 

 I used cut up straws to suction up the dye and drop it on the fabric.  I used Sun yellow, Bright Orange, Emerald green, and Brilliant red.  I threw the whole thing in a bowl for about 15 minutes to sit.  The colors were really bright at first.  I was afraid  They would be too bright.  They dulled somewhat, and where they mixed, some nice  brown colors came through.  Then I took the rubber bands off and laid it on a covered piece of heavy cardboard to dry.

Three days later I heat set it with an iron.  The colors will look really nice as leaves.....I hope!  The piece was ironed a lot.  The wrinkle  lines are from the tie dying.  It's an illusion! I almost hate to cut it up.  The fabric was originally a beige muslin.

I love painting fabric.  My table unfortunately has suffered greatly!!  I can never remember to use a vinyl table cloth. 

Happy Quilting.