Chains of Hope Class

 My chains are red, background blue. I really liked the rainbow pattern from the original, but I didn't have enough variety in my stash to do it, especially the black and whites - which I'm sorely lacking.

The teacher's display

Grace Sturdy Lite Machine Quilting Frame

Not too far down the road, I'm looking at maybe investing in a quilting frame. I am interested in the Grace Sturdy Lite Machine Quilting Frame, most obviously, because of the price. It's definitely well within the affordable category, and I can see how much more prolific I could be if the whole pinning on my kitchen floor and fighting with the quilt balled up in my machine process could be avoided...

Thoughts? Anyone use/own one of these before? Any other similarly priced alternatives? I've still got to buy my sewing table, but this is definitely on my list.

QAYG

Once my friends start having kids, I have a feeling this is going to be a very easy go-to method for making little blankets to bring to baby showers :)

Do You Live in Baltimore?

If so, and you enjoy quilting with modern fabrics, then consider joining the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild. I recently joined the sister branch in DC, and I really enjoyed going to my first event. I love the concept of online guilds where people can interact a lot more often than a once a month traditional guild meeting. We organize events, but the online function gives us far more opportunities to reach out and share photos, ideas, or ask for advice :)

New Fabric!

Ordered some awesome new solid fabric from Connecting Threads! 

Got some fat-eighth sampler packs, a bunch of fat quarters, and 2 yards each of black and white for background fabric. At $3.96 a yard, these gorgeous colors are so worth it!

Borders!

I finally got some sewing done! I added borders on my applique practice quilt. If you recall I was just making this quilt as a way to practice applique. I just plan to use it as a lap quilt for watching tv with the kitty. I added some borders from my favorite polka dot fabric. 

I think it looks pretty good for what it is. Now if I could only find my batting I could keep going... grrr moving really throws everything off! Oh well, at least I got some sewing done.

Yesterday I went to two quilt shops in Virginia to pick up patterns for the two classes I'm taking. I went to The Artful Quilter to pick up my pattern and materials for the Sophia Carry-All. I saw the sample and it's absolutely adorable! Plus it has a lot of new techniques for me. Adding a covered zipper, adding piping, and working with 3 types of interfacing I've never used before. Should be a great, challenging class.

Then I went to the Quilt Patch in Fairfax, VA. I got the book that we will be working from, and wandered around. I was going to allow myself to buy some fabric, but I didn't really see anything that grabbed me. I had liked some of the fabric at The Artful Quilter, but I may visit a few Maryland quilt shops to see if I like anything better for my carry-all bag.

Another Class Registration & Sewing Table Options

I signed up for another quilting class at a different quilt shop in VA. It's for a Drunkard's Path variant, which if you've read my blog in the past, is a pattern I've been dying to learn! I love the semi-circular patterns, but I have no clue how to sew with circles, so I'm super excited about this course.

I'm also trying to get my sewing area set up in my apartment. I brought no furniture with me to Vermont since the apartment was furnished, so when I moved down here to DC, I had no furniture. In my infinite wisdom, I decided it'd be awesome to buy a bar-height dining room table and chair set... which means I cannot sew in my dining room. *facepalm*

So. I decided to buy a sewing table, because if I'm going to have to spend $, why buy a generic desk. I don't have much money to spend, so cost is an issue. I also don't have a large amount of space in my apartment, so portable tables are definitely an option, so long as they're sturdy enough. A fellow blogger expressed her satisfaction with the Sew Ezi table, but the price isn't quite right for a recent grad. I found a similar table concept that seems to have gotten good reviews on a number of sites. I like that it is portable, folds up, and that the drop-in machine piece is adjustable to accommodate for a variety of different machines. Seems versatile, apartment-friendly, and the price is right. Anyone have any experience with the Arrow 98601 Gidget Sewing Table?

Amy Butler Bag Workshop!

I have signed up for my first quilting class in AGES! I'm so excited to take the Sophia Carry-All Class in November at The Artful Quilter in VA. Apparently I snagged the last available seat in the class - thank goodness I decided to call right away instead of waiting.

This is a link to the information about the pattern on the AB website. I have always loved Amy Butler designs, and its my first time taking a class based on one of the AB patterns. It includes a zipper, which will be great practice for me, since I've only sewn about 1-2 zippers total in my time as a quilter.

I also joined the DC Modern Quilt Guild. An online guild for quilters in DC. They have occasional meetings at The Artful Quilter, among other places. Hopefully it will be an opportunity for me to meet other quilters in the area!

Update!

Sorry I've abandoned this blog lately - I just spent the last month and a half moving and getting settled into a new job and life in Washington, DC. I have not had internet in my apartment, which greatly hinders posting! I also haven't got a space set up to quilt in, though I hope to do so soon.

I'm in the market for a quilt guild in the area, since I find joining clubs and guilds helps when you're new in town. You can make friends, and instantly find a place where you may not know anyone, but know you've got something in common to bond over. It's always good for me to find the local quilters and birders when I'm in a new place.

Here's to hoping I'll be fully settled in and back to sewing soon!

~L

Rain Rain, Go Away...

I desperately want to make a raincoat after seeing a fellow blogger's post about the adorable raincoat they made. Here's a great resource for sewing with coated fabrics. Maybe someday I'll be able to make a project like this...

Breaking the Dry Spell

I've been on quite a quilting dry spell. I broke it today procrastinating for finals. I worked a bit on the tree quilt. It's at an ugly stage, but I have faith that as it progresses it will get better again.

Christmas Quilt

The original quilt was made for me by a family friend when I was a baby. Over the years of use, it acquired a large blue ink stain on it. My cousin took out the portion that was stained, and put in it's place, the star block that you see, and added new borders to replace the ruffles that had been there before.

Now I'm re-quilting the top with a fresh backing and new cotton batting to replace the old puffy polyester filling. I did stitch in the ditch for the majority of it, but I may add in some free motion quilting in the star, and a bit more quilting along the squares.

Skirt-Making

I have somehow gotten a wild hair and am dying to make a skirt. Sew Mama Sew has a great listing of skirt tutorials to pick from... how to choose??

Eco-Plates

Check out this amazing disposable dinnerware - made from fallen leaves! Very eco-friendly!

Cookies and Some New Fabric

A few days ago, I stopped in to my local quilt shop since I was picking up my meds next door. I found a few fabrics that seemed promising as borders for my quilts, but I'll have to bring in the tops I've got finished so I can get going on them.

Since my cousin taught me to always buy a little something to support your local shop, I picked up two fat quarters of a fabric that really caught my eye. It's a black fabric with maple leaf shaped silhouettes on it, in orange, golden yellow, and shiny gold. I'm such a sucker for gold on black patterns. Can't wait to figure out what to do with them.

I played with a recipe from KAF, called the Mother Cookie. It's a bare-bones plain drop cookie recipe, meant to be used as a starting point for customizing your own drop cookie recipe. I subed in a bit of hazelnut flour and added in chocolate chips into mine. I'm going to have to tinker with the recipe a bit, but they were pretty yummy.

Also, I've been thinking a lot about trying hand-dyeing fabric. I'd especially like to try the snow dyeing technique that so many people are blogging about right now, maybe I'll order a kit...

Vermont Shop Hop

Kiinda want to participate in this, maybe I can find some guild members who'd do it with me...

On a Roll Today

For some reason I am on a quilting streak. Must be the long weekend allowing me to relax and get the creativity going =) I started a funky wall hanging. It's purple scrappy square background with a white tree made from snowflake fabric I love, and then probably birds appliqued onto the branches as well. We'll see how it develops and changes. Without a pattern to follow it can be whatever I want!!

Word Lap Quilt Minus Borders

Finished the Word lap quilt top, without borders yet of course. I need to find a black print, or perhaps a green if I can find the right shade...

The bird is my favorite part :)

Stuffed Animals and Applique

I went to JoAnn's today since they were having a sale. Bought a fabric gluestick for my applique, then got some fleece in animal print and mousey gray for making stuffed animals. I came across the cutest blog post about making stuffed toys, had to try it. Bought some black buttons to use as eyes and noses, for older kids, not small children or cats.

My "applique practice" Word lap quilt. Trying to decide what else to put on.

My kitty "monster" filled with catnip and stuffing for my real kitty

More Progress and a Few Setbacks

Well I got all my little 5 in squares sewn into 4 or 6 patches. It looks more cohesive already. I was cutting out my freezer-paper applique templates and sliced my finger with my rotary cutter. It didn't hurt too badly, but it bled like a stuck pig, and I apparently have no band-aids in the house. Oops.

The quilting gods must have wanted me to stop for the day, because I then searched for gluesticks, and the only one I could find was so dried out and shriveled that even slicing off the end wouldn't revive it. So, applique will have to wait for another day...

New Helper!

I went to a few animal shelters Monday and Tuesday, and finally, at the Addison County Humane Society in Middlebury, Vermont, I found my new roommate. She's an 8 year old, previously declawed female. She is a bit of a scaredy cat, but she's been an absolute love bug.

I've got a new project working, just a lap quilt for me to keep so I can practice skills. It's just little 5in squares I got from Moda, mixed in with a few 5in squares I already had. I'm sewing them together, then I'm going to practice some freezer-paper applique techniques to embellish the quilt.

Guess They Like It

My parents seem to be using the lap quilt I made for them. Caught my dad sleeping under it. Mom's modeling it for the camera to show the binding added on.

Goals for 2010

I fly back to Vermont from sunny gorgeous Southern California tonight. While I'll be sad to leave my family and the gorgeous sunshine, I'm excited to get back to my apartment and my sewing corner (can't rightfully call it a studio). I decided to lay out specific project goals for when I return here.

• Learn to put zippers in my purses
• Make a bag with a flap to cover opening
• Add zippered pockets into a bag
• Try my hand at pieced and appliqued circles
• Try the "quilt as you go" technique
• Find a class for an "art quilt"

New Year, New Quilts

Happy New Year all. I hope 2010 will be as good a year as 2009 was to me. My resolution is to try my hand at the quilt-as-you-go technique! What's yours?