Wednesday, January 27, 2010

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??

Monday, January 25, 2010

Eco-Plates

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

Sunday, January 24, 2010

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...

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Vermont Shop Hop

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

Monday, January 18, 2010

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 :)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

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

Friday, January 15, 2010

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...

Thursday, January 14, 2010

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.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

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.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

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"

Friday, January 1, 2010

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?