Embroidery

This is what I've been doing.  I've taken up embroidery and I really like it!  I went to Google images and found this cute picture of yarn and knitting needles. I printed it out and traced it onto the fabric and embroidered it using a backstitch.

And then framed it.

Here's what my craft room is looking like.  It's a continuous work in project.

I stenciled the word onto the wall and that is fabric bunting above it.   

I really need to get going with my kaleidoscope quilt.  I still haven't finished cutting all the triangles yet and the QAL is over!  Yikes!  I'm going to make an attempt to finish by 8/5 so I can be entered into the drawing for free fat quarters. 

I'll post again today when my camera batteries are charged so I can post pics of Lady Liesl and stuff I've been knitting. 

New Craft Room!

I finished my In Color Order warm-cool quilt-along wall hanging!  It was quick to put together.  And now it's hanging on my wall.

I have been working on changing our guest bedroom, slash, office into a craft room.  I decided to paint the walls a turquoise blue, with red accents.  I have this adorable blog to blame for my new color obsession. 

I have always wanted a fancy chandelier and now I finally have one...in my new craft room!

 The color theme for my craft room is aqua/turquoise and red.  (BTW, is there a difference between aqua and turquoise?)   It still needs more work, but this is what I have done so far.

And here's Lady Liesl taking a nap on the couch of the craft room.

Isn't she adorable?

Froggie For Caleb

We went to Hanford (about a couple hours away from where we live ) last weekend and, on the way home, it was nighttime and we could hear the frogs croaking.  After we got home, my son, Caleb, was still curious about the frogs and wondered what they were doing.  Even the next day, he was still thinking about the frogs.  So, of course, being a knitter, I had to knit him a frog and this frog pattern has been in my favorites on ravelry for a long time.  So here's the froggie for Caleb.  Just finished it today.

As you can see, Caleb loves his new froggie!  He can't wait to go back to Hanford and catch a frog like his daddy promised him they would do!

As a side note, there's a Strawberry Fields by Moda charm pack giveaway over at stash resolution.  Go enter it for a chance to win it!

Another Quilt-Along

After seeing this quilt-along, I couldn't resist joining it.  I'm doing the mini quilt size, which is 20" x 20".  These are the fabrics I'm using.  16 cool color prints and 16 warm color prints.
I had to buy some fabric for this project since my stash is so scarce, but my local quilt shop has a bucket full of fat quarters for only $1 each! 

And these are my 64 squares total, 3.5 inches, ready to be pieced together.

 So exciting! I can't wait to see it all come together!

A Sight For Sore Eyes

     

Enough Said.

One-Hour Project

I saw the ladies from The DIY Dish video podcast make this pin cushion on their latest episode and it is super easy.  I just had to make one.  It took me just under an hour!  It's the first pin cushion I've ever made. 
                                          


                                                                       Here's one side

Here's the other side, with pins.

Now I just need some sewing friends to make some for so I have an excuse to make more! ;)

My First Quilt-Along!

I've decided to join a quilt-along!  I've never done triangles before. So this will be a learning experience for me. I can't wait to get started!

A Quilt For Me

Here's a block for the next quilt I'm working on.  And...it's for me!

The pattern is from this beautiful book.

And when it's done, it will look like this.

I'm using a Bliss by Moda charm pack I already had.  The pattern said I could get 6 leaves from one charm square.  Well, I got 10 leaves from one charm square.  So all the front takes is one charm pack, plus 2 yards of fabric for the background.  Not bad! 

24 leaves are appliqued onto 16 12.5 in x 12.5 in squares.  The cutting out of the leaves went by surprisingly quick!  Now I'm just ironing them on and will get them stitched.  I'm enjoying every step of the process so far!  And it's for me!  That may be the best part about it! :)

My Fabric Hutch

I'm so excited I finally have a decent storage for my fabric stash, even though it is pretty scarce! 
I found this at a thrift store today.  Only $50!  Not bad, huh?  I guess this means I need to buy more fabric so I can fill it up!  :)

My First Pillow Cover!

I'm finally done with this pillow cover!  I started it when I was still working on the nine-patch quilt and had to put it aside for a while to finish the quilt by Mother's Day.  This took a lot of work!  There's another tutorial included in this one for a different version of it.  I will make it, but after a little break! :)  I'm really happy with how this one turned out and it adds some much needed color to my living room.
(The fabric is Kumari Garden by Dena Designs.  Love it!)

And here's the back of it.  I used the envelope style for the back.

Another Bag!

I made another one of these cute market totes, exactly the same as I made the one for my stepmom for Mother's Day.  This one is going to my sister.  Her birthday was on May 1st.  Better late than never! 
I love making this bag.  It's so quick and easy to make!  I hope she likes it!

                               Here's the inside of the bag.  It has a little pocket on the inside.

Mother's Day Gifts

I'm finally all done with the nine-patch quilt!  Overall, I'm happy with it.  Let's just say the washing and drying does wonders for camouflaging mistakes. 
It's been mailed and received by my mother-in-law and she loves it!   Yay!

                                
                                 Those are my kids' handprints appliqued on the back of the quilt.

And this is a bag I sewed for my stepmom.  She's already received it in the mail and loves it!

Happy Mother's Day!

Quilt Top Is Finished!!

I'm so excited to be done with the nine-patch quilt top!  It's taken me about a couple of months. Once the nine-patches were done, it's been going really fast!  I've started on the back, but I'm not quite done with it yet.  I'm doing the same back as the tutorial's.  It looks easy and simple.  I need to get this done before Mother's Day.  It's going to my mother-in-law.

Easter Treats

My kids and I made some Rice Krispie Treats for Easter tomorrow.  We started to do the egg-shaped ones, but that didn't work out so well.  So we just used a cookie cutter after it cooled and decorated them with M&Ms.  They are so cute and yummy!!

My quilt is coming along nicely.  I'm happy with it so far.  I have two more borders to add to it before I'm done with the top.  I'm a little nervous about quilting it because I don't have much experience with it and I have to use my little sewing machine to do it.  I'm going to try a meandering pattern for the quilting, which I've never done!  Wish me luck! :)

 

Nine-Patch Squares Done!

I've been using this tutorial to make this quilt.  I'm so happy to have all 24 nine-patch squares done!  The pattern says to lay out the squares to your liking and then, next, I will start the white sashing.  I'm so glad to start a new part of the quilt.  These squares were starting to get a little boring! :)

Beautiful Fabric!

I made my first online purchase of fabric at Swell Cloth on Etsy.  I got seven fat quarters of Dena Designs-Kumari Garden.  I am planning on using this fabric to make these cute pillow covers for my living room couch.  I love how they are folded so neatly and were packaged so nicely!  And I got them within three days!  That's great customer service!  I will definitely be ordering more from Swell Cloth in the future!

The white envelope-looking things is a white fabric that I have to cut and press first before I start to use the colored fabric.  I hope it turns out as good as it does in the picture!

Lamp Shade

My husband brought home a lamp for the living room and it just had a plain canvas fabric for the lamp shade.  So I decided it needed a little color.  I cut 8" x 2" rectangles from a Moda Breakfast At Tiffany's layer cake and chain pieced them together, sprayed a little basting spray, and then did a running stitch around the top and bottom.  Now it adds a little color to my living room!

Finished Projects

I have two full days of depos the next two days.  So I was anxious to get a couple of things I've been working on finished.  Here's a wall hanging I started a few days ago.  I got the idea from this cute blog. 

In case you can't read the embroidered words, it says, "Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."  I just love that quote.  I found it online.

And this is a hoodie that I knit for Lady Liesl, my little West Highland Terrier.  I used exactly one ball of Manos Cotton Stria.  I'm going to make her another one that is a little bigger.  I think she likes it!  What do you think?  ;)

Current and Finished Sewing Projects

I haven't been doing so much sewing lately.  More knitting.  But here's what I've been doing lately.

                                       I finished this banner for my daughter's room.  It's really long
                                       so I had to take two separate pics of it.  It says Caitlyn's room.

I started a nine-patch quilt out of a Moda jelly roll.  Still working on the squares.

I'm itching to sew a small project that can be finished quickly so I can get that accomplished feeling.  I'm thinking about sewing some pillow covers to go on square throw pillows for my couch in my living room.  We'll see though. :)

I'm on a Roll!

Now that I've finished the Lollipop quilt, I can't seem to stop sewing!  It's starting to get addicting for me!  I started this Skinny Verna table runner yesterday and finished it up today with the binding!  It was so quick and easy!  I love it.  I am using it as a runner on my piano.

                                             

                                                 I can't wait to start something new now!!

Lollipop Quilt Done!!

                                   I am so happy my son likes it!  Here he is, holding his new quilt!  He even picked out the backing fabric.  We were at Beverly's and I told him I was looking for a fabric for the back of his Lollipop Quilt and he saw this and said, Look, Mom, Lollipops!  So this was the one he wanted.

My Little Prince and Princess

My daughter, Caitlyn, made these cute little crowns for her brother and herself out of paper and tape.  She is so creative!  Here is a rare moment when they are getting along.

Lollipop Quilt

My New Year's resolution is that I want to learn how to quilt.  I don't know anyone that can teach me.  So I'm learning by the internet and from books.  I'm thinking about taking some quilting classes. 

I've attempted to make a quilt for my daughter and I'm not happy with the way it looks.  This Lollipop Quilt is going to be for my son.  Hopefully, it will turn out better than the one I made for my daughter.  I'm at the part where I will use the fusible web to attach the lollipops to the squares.  So far, it's really easy and lots of fun.  I've been enjoying every step of the process.