my name is stefanie, and i am a craftaholic

school spirit

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

I love facebook for many reasons. Mostly because it has allowed me to reconnect with friends from different stages of my life... childhood, high school, college, sorority, work, etc. But I also love how it has allowed me to share my love of quilting with my friends. And every once in a while, I will get a message from a friend like the one I got from my friend Leighann a few months ago.

"Hey Stefanie- Do you still make quilts? I am looking to have my daughter Abby a Western KY quilt made for Christmas and wondered if you might be interested. The colors are red, black and white."

So that began a conversation about size, pattern etc. We settled on a twin size quilt and she really liked the Mix Tape Quilt pattern by Elizabeth Hartman. Once I had received the deposit, I got busy ordering fabric, including some custom designed by myself and printed through Spoonflower.

This quilt went together very quickly and would be a great beginner pattern. I would suggest that beginners start with a smaller size. This is the largest quilt I've ever made. It's HUGE and is going to look awesome in her dorm room.

I backed this with Dottie in Christmas Red by Moda and it is just so darn cute. I'm a sucker for red/white polka dots.

Because of the size, I opted to send this out to be quilted on a longarm. I found a local gal who does great work with pantographs and is SO reasonable. I think she only charged me $40 to quilt this (and it was back in two weeks). I just love the loopy look. I have used this same quilter on five other projects and she did a beautiful job on all of them. I will definitely be using her again. She doesn't have a website, so if you are interested in contacting her, please leave a comment and I can email her contact info to you. (PS - If you are a no reply blogger, be sure to include your email address in your comment).

I delivered this quilt (along with two others she ordered) to my friend Leighann last week and she loved them all. That's the most satisfying part... creating an heirloom that will be cherished for years and years.

counting stars

2011-12-20T10:30:00.000-06:00

I started my journey as a quilter almost two years ago. Since that first stitch, I've finished dozens of projects and this is only the second quilt I've completed for myself. I'm not complaining. It feels good to make something and give it to someone else, but every once in a while, it's nice to make something just for yourself.

I first saw this quilt here. I was instantly in love with it and bought the fabric immediately. I got busy with lots of other things, and was afraid I would let the holiday season pass me by with all the fabric just sitting in a drawer in my sewing room. Then one day, I made up my mind I was going to do this. So I pushed it to the front of my list (even ahead of a few custom quilt orders I had taken) and vowed not to put it aside until it was finished. Since I had three custom quilts to deliver before Christmas, I had to work quickly.

This was one of the larger and easier quilts I've ever made, which I didn't expect just looking at the pattern. It's just so gorgeous and I am so glad I pushed myself. After it came back from being quilted, I got it bound and it is so nice to snuggle up under this by the fireplace while I watch my Christmas tree spin round and round.

So, my advice to all my fellow craftaholics out there is very simple... make those creative projects for yourself a priority. You deserve something special too!

a day at the races

2011-12-19T16:40:00.001-06:00

Last month our guild held a Jelly Roll Race. For my non-quilting readers, a jelly roll is an assortment of forty 2.5" fabric strips. You can either create your own assortment or many manufacturers sell them in a range of coordinating fabrics. Basically, you sew the strips together end-to-end and then through the course of five "laps"of folding, sewing and cutting, you end with one quilt top. This is a super-quick way to make a quilt. These won't win any awards, but they keep you just as warm as those that require lots of time.

I knew I wanted to make something for Christmas. I had already planned a Christmas quilt for myself and knew my husband would want one too. I selected this really cute line of fabrics, you may recognize it from the pillows I posted a few days ago. I thought this quilt turned out really cute and best of all, it took less than two hours to piece. I sent this out to be quilted on a longarm, so all i had left was the binding. Easy peasy!!

so, how've you been?

2011-12-16T09:21:00.002-06:00

It's been a busy couple of months for this craftaholic and even though my blog hasn't featured any of it (yet), I've been busy crafting lots of pretties. I wanted to share these cut little pillows with you today. I made them for the Music City Modern Quilters Guild Secret Santa Swap. I was lucky enough to be secretly paired with my friend, Chelley. She always has a cute display of seasonal pillows on a little bench in her entryway, and I thought she would like these.

This was a super-simple design and pieced together in no time. Every bit of fabric used on the front was leftover scraps from the quilt tucked beneath the pillows in the photo above. More on that quilt later. I'm such a sucker for using some sort of white, and I can't get enough of straight line quilting these days. I just love the texture it lends to solids.I finished these with a really simple envelope back and added the red with green stripe as binding for a great pop of color. This was my third project using Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for Moda and I just love it. I have a few more things I'd like to make with it and I'm hoping I can get one of them done before Christmas (a girl can dream, right?).

This is just a tiny bit of what i've been up to recently, but i have six, yes SIX quilts that I've finished up in the last couple weeks that I can't wait to show you.

third time's a charm

2011-11-10T12:03:00.001-06:00

A few days ago, I put my latest Pretty Little Pouch in the mail for my partner. I have loved, loved participating in these fun swaps. This time around, I struggled with what to make for my partner. There was a bit of a difference in what she said she wanted and what was shown in her mosaic. I sometimes have a hard time verbalizing what I like too, so I went with the visual clues and hope I hit the mark.

This pouch features some tiny scraps of Verna I've been hoarding. Those of you who truly know me, know I don't usually save anything smaller than a 5" square, so you know I had to love this fabric to hang on to it. I set it against an Oatmeal colored linen, which I just love. My first instinct was to use white instead, but I know that can be a bit impractical, so i stepped out of my comfort zone a bit. I love the casual look it lends.

Minimal quilting on this piece... just enough to give a little texture and visual interest. I lined it with a really cute print from Verna. I've got just a tiny bit of yardage from that collection in my stash, so I parted with a small bit to finish this sweet bag in style.

My partner indicated she loved the Sherbet Pips line of fabrics. I happened to have quite a few scraps left from this quilt just waiting for a new home. I filled the pouch with all those scraps, a great sample pack of thread from my friends at Aurifil and a little pack of sewing machine needles. I hope my partner is happy with everything.

Only one swap left for me for the year. It's for the Music City Modern Quilters Guild Secret Santa Swap. I'm really excited about it and trying to decide what to make for my partner.

just what i needed

2011-10-19T17:35:00.002-05:00

I came home from running a few errands on Monday and was feeling slightly cranky. I'm not exactly sure why, but I was. Some days are just that way I guess.

Anyway, I stopped at the mailbox to get our delivery for the day and was intrigued by a padded envelope with a familiar return address label. To be exact it was the Signature Stripe Address Label from Stationery With Style. My customers don't normally send goodies to me in the mail, and I could tell from the feel of the package, it was probably something good.

Oh, it was good alright. It was good and perfect and lovely and positively gorgeous. Apparently my swap partner for Round 3 of the Pretty Little Pouch Swap was also one of my customers. How fun is that?

She said in her note that she was intimidated about making something for me, but considering what she made, I can't honestly figure out why she was ever worried. I was completely awestruck by the beauty of it. It has had me smiling for three days. Considering my mood on Monday, it was just what I needed, so thanks, Cherie. I couldn't love it more!

time flies

2011-09-26T06:32:00.002-05:00

I knew it had been a while since my last post, but 25 days... seriously?! This month has been crazy busy and I think it's just a foreshadowing of things to come between now and the holidays. We're in the final stretch folks! I need to get busy on some of seasonal projects... pronto!

One exciting development since my last post is that I have sold my first custom quilt. One of my childhood friends had seen some of my work on facebook and contacted me recently. Her daughter has just been accepted to Western Kentucky University for next Fall and she wanted to surprise her with a quilt for Christmas. The school colors are red, black & white and she wanted to incorporate the school logo somehow.

Since WKU is a smaller school, I knew I'd never find fabric with their logo, so I designed a print in two colorways and had it printed by Spoonflower (more on that later). My friend chose the Mix Tape Quilt pattern by Elizabeth Hartman... the perfect choice, I think.

By this past Saturday all of the fabrics had arrived. I'm thrilled with all of them... especially the Red Dottie by Moda. It just makes me smile. I'm happy to report that it's all been cut up and sewn back together. Love quick and easy patterns like this! Once I get the sashing finished up, it's off to the quilter. Yes, I am sending this one out. I've got several projects to finish up and I met a longarmer a few weeks ago and really want to give her a try. The price was right, too!

Hopefully I'll have a pieced top to show you in the next day or so. Hope you all have been enjoying a wonderful Fall. Like all the other seasons this year, Fall arrived in Nashville rather abruptly. No gradual shift from Summer to Fall and with the incredibly hot Summer we had, I was happy for the change. Now if we could just do something about all this rain.

obsessed

2011-09-01T08:57:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I saw this while scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed. If you've known me anytime at all, you probably know that this is right up my alley in terms of design and simplicity. I'm a little obsessed with this quilt pattern and am thinking about all the different fabric collections I want to make this in... Farm Fresh, Ruby, Bliss, Jovial, Countdown to Christmas, Flurry... I could go on. See, told ya I was obsessed. Based on my calculations (because I never follow anyone else's instructions completely) I can use 7 fat quarters and solids for the front. What a coinkydink that I have all these fat quarter bundles just begging to be busted. I think my list of quilts to make just got a lot longer!

Here's the tutorial if you wanna make this once or a thousand times over!

out with the old, in with the ... older?

2011-08-27T13:18:00.000-05:00

I've been spending a little bit of time over the past month or so getting my new sewing room together. I never realized how much work this was going to be. I'm trying to organize as a go. My old way of doing things would have been to drag all my stuff in there, heap it in a pile and figure it out later. I want to keep this space workable and in order, so it's taking a while to get everything in place. I've still got a long way to go, but today I took a step that I've been trying to avoid for a while.

When my Grandma Edi died, I was lucky enough to end up with two sewing machines. I got her mid-90's era Singer and her mother's (Grandma May, my namesake) National Sewing Machine Co. treadle machine. I've had this in my garage for a couple of years not really knowing where to put it in my house, as we don't have much space. My husband really pushed me to find a way to get this in the house, and when we decided to convert a bedroom to a sewing room, I thought this would make a wonderful little table for a TV and some other essentials.

After lots of heavy lifting, I can now enjoy sharing my space with a cherished family heirloom and the entertainment of my flat screen television. It's a perfect fit in my room and now that it's in place, I'm that much closer to having this room complete.

tasty early birthday

2011-08-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my sweet husband took advantage of his last day off for the month to do a little birthday shopping for yours truly. My special day is still a week away, but he couldn't contain his excitement, and wanted to give one of the gifts to me now. I was so thrilled with what he chose...

This amazing Breville Panini Maker. I just love Panini sandwiches! I have eyed these at Williams-Sonoma for years, but since we have a George Foreman that never gets used, I just couldn't justify spending the money. Now that I have one, I can totally see why this is so much better than the Lean Mean Grilling Machine!

I broke it in right away last night by grilling up some fresh veggies. Oh my goodness! It was so easy, and so good. I think this will have a permanent spot on the counter!

Do you love kitchen gadgets, too?

Have you ever made panini's at home?

quilting along... with myself

2011-08-23T19:31:00.001-05:00

I was feeling rather ambitious a few months ago and obligated myself for a couple of quilt-alongs. I'm trying to pretend that I'm not seven weeks behind on The Farmer's Wife. I will get caught up. Eventually.

Anywho... in the interest of actually getting something done, I made the decision to start on the Synchronized Squares Quilt-along (never mind that it's been over for about two months now). I've been dying to make a quilt for myself. I've been using a postage stamp quilt that was made by my great-grandmother about 70 years ago and I'm afraid either me or my dogs may ruin it. And that would make me sad. This project looked easy enough. So I pulled out some fabric and started cutting.

This is my first attempt at raw-edge piecing. I love the casual, scruffy look to it. But it's not as much of a disaster as a rag quilt (am I the only one who doesn't like those?). I followed the directions provided and although I'm making two more quilts based on this pattern, I am not following the designers directions anymore. I think the general idea was to make it easy, but I found it to be more complicated to do a bunch of pressing from the start and then things didn't match up right. It was not my idea of fun.

I love the look and that's why I'm making this at least two more times. This is just perfect for a baby quilt. I can just see a sweet little one playing with the softly fraying edges. One other tidbit if any of you are inclined to create this beauty... free motion quilting + raw-edge piecing = no fun. Not even a little bit. I'll do some fun and fabulous straight line quilting on the others and that should work just fine.

The best part, was finally getting to snuggle under my very own quilt. The first of many I will be making for myself. I'm kinda selfish that way!

make mine modern: sent

2011-08-18T18:37:00.000-05:00

It's been swap city around here the last few months. Lots of fun and I've enjoyed it, but I am really looking forward to some no-deadline crafting for a while. It's been a really crazy week at my house. My hubby injured his back, then became really sick and we spent some time at the hospital. This is the first chance I've had to document the package that I sent on it's way Monday.

For this swap, we were to send at least a yard and a half of fabric and a hand-made item for our partner. We fill out a questionnaire beforehand so we have an idea of what to give, but it's also a good idea to stalk blogs and flickr pages to get a better idea of your partner's likes.

I have been wanting to make myself a few zig-zag pillows for a while, so I decided to practice on my partner's goodie. Aside from the fabric, I am really nuts about how this turned out. The fabric is nice, but doesn't really go with anything in my house, so there was no chance of this sticking around here. I threw in some other goodies I thought she might like and then stuffed a flat rate box to the point of bursting and off it went. I hope she loves it.

more swapping

2011-08-08T18:24:00.000-05:00

Once was just not enough with the {pretty little pouch swap}. They started Round 2 a few weeks ago and I just had to participate. I decided to switch things up a bit this time and make a boxy pouch. These are great for so many things. While there is nothing little about this pouch, I think it's all kinds of cute and very functional.

My partner wasn't super-picky about what she liked, so I decided to design this as a reflection of things I really like. With that in mind, I used fabrics from Bliss by Bonnie & Camille (my favorite line) accented with a basic solid white. I chose to quilt this using a straight line method in white. I love the texture it creates... simple and subtle.

For the inside, I decided to laminate this great Bliss Check in Aqua to make it water resistant and easy-to-clean with a damp cloth. The seams have been dressed up with binding in the oh-so-popular Bliss Red Dot.

I really love this bag and am feeling just a teensy bit sad to give it away. Guess I'll have to make one for myself now!

at last

2011-08-08T15:43:00.000-05:00

I can now take this project off my WIP list. I am so happy to have it complete. It seems like completing this project presented me with many challenges... most of them of my own doing. I'm impatient by nature, and that character flaw follows me into quilting (and everything else I do). The look of this quilt appears deceivingly simple, and to some degree it is. Well, to be fair, it really isn't that complicated at all. It's just a big quilt. Because I was making this exactly as the pattern specified, I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. If I were making this purely for myself, I am sure I would make it a bit smaller.

Still no final decision about keeping or selling. I'm going to let this one sit for a while before I decide. If you love this quilt and want to make one of your own, Burgundy Buttons will have this available as a quilt kit featuring the Sherbet Pips line as I've used here. Be sure to keep checking their site to see when the kits are ready for purchase. (There is currently a kit for this pattern with Strawberry Fields fabrics)

rut roh

2011-07-31T11:44:00.000-05:00

I had an unfortunate incident yesterday. I was quilting an enormous quilt on my new cabinet (which i love) that has the oh-so-fancy electric machine lift. Unfortunately, I didn't have my machine placed properly on the platform and when I pushed the button to raise it up to table height, I snapped the presser foot connector right off. Not smart. After expressing a few choice words, I promptly ordered a replacement. What a bummer!

I was able to finish quilting, though. Thanfully my machine has a start/stop button, so the presser foot isn't absolutely necessary. It worked for FMQ, but I wouldn't recommend using that feature for anything else.

Have you made any dumb mistakes lately?

i'm still here

2011-07-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

Gosh, it's been a wee bit crazy the last several days. If you are a regular reader, you will remember that earlier this month, I ordered some new furniture for my sewing room. This was all very exciting, but I was not expecting delivery until August or September. Imagine my surprise when I learned on Friday that my furniture was in Nashville. YIKES!

This bit of news set off a flurry of activity. I still needed to empty the last of the guest room furniture out, patch & paint walls and trim, get the rest of the house clean so I could have all the carpets steamed, schedule an electrician to install a ceiling fan and light, order the wall shelves, and maybe a few other things I've forgotten. The only task left undone is the ceiling fan. I couldn't find anything locally, so I ordered online and will have to wait a few weeks before that part is done. This morning I assembled the new chairs and now I only have a few more hours to wait until my Koala's are delivered. Between the excitement and exhaustion, I can hardly stand it.

What have you been up to?

one step closer

2011-07-21T17:04:00.000-05:00

So yesterday, I shared my anxiety over my current WIP. I was not planning to show any photos until it was finished, but Leah really, really wanted to see it. So I obliged with a quick iPhone photo. I figured while I was in the sharing mood, I would let you all take a peek too. My apologies for the crummy pic.

Just for a bit of reference. The floor in this part of the kitchen is about 9" wide. That's how enormous this thing is and I am freaking out about how I am going to get this quilted on my little 'ol machine. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

feeling nervous

2011-07-20T09:42:00.000-05:00

I'm helping my sweet friend, Leah, at Burgundy Buttons with a quilting project. A few weeks ago she asked if I would test a pattern for her. She provided me with the fabric, as the quilt I make will be used as a kit sample. I finished piecing the top yesterday and I got the backing fabric sewn together this morning. Now, comes the quilting part.

Normally, this is the part of the process that I enjoy the most, but this quilt is so big that I am really nervous about it. It's about 75" square. The largest I've quilted so far was 65" square. I need to get this finished so Leah can get the kit on her site, but there's a part of me that wants to run and hide. Am I being silly?

I think I'll get it sandwiched and basted today and put off the quilting until this weekend. Afterall, I've got two weeks worth of Farmers Wife blocks to catch up on.

one fine day

2011-07-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a truly great day. A fun outing with one of my favorite people in the world, tasty lunch, seeing the new Harry Potter on a 78' screen in 3D, and adding a "few" new things to my stash.

I think this may be bordering on excessive, but my, oh my, it sure is nice to look at. Have a wonderful Saturday!

my first pattern

2011-07-13T06:50:00.000-05:00

It's official! My first pattern is complete and for sale. You can purchase your very own PDF copy from my etsy shop. I hope to have it available for sale through some online quilt shops soon as well. Thanks to everyone for supporting and encouraging me to publish this pattern.

making room

2011-07-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

There are lots of great new fabric collections on the way from Moda, which means, I need to clean out my stash a bit. I've recently placed quite a few things in my etsy shop and I'll be adding more later this week. Be sure to check it out. If you make a purchase, be sure to let me know you follow my blog and I'll be sure to send you an extra goodie.

week six - farmer's wife quilt-along

2011-07-07T15:32:00.000-05:00

Block 11 - Broken Dishes

If I had not rushed through this block, it would have been right on the first try. Since I was being impatient, I didn't trim & square my half-square triangles. Since they were slightly bigger than they should have been, my first attempt at the block was too big. So I took it all apart, trimmed the HSTs and put them all back together again. So much for wanting to finish in a hurry. I am very excited about how well everything matches up on this block.

Block 12 - Broken Sugar Bowl

This block came together quickly and without any un-sewing. I love it when I don't have to pick up the seam ripper.

good things come to those who wait

2011-07-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

I started quilting in March 2010. I had just left behind a career in Corporate America and was trying to stay within a budget. I had a new machine, loads of glorious designer fabrics and my dining room table. After a few months, my husband shamed me out of the dining room, and I invested in a sewing table... a $30 folding table from Target. It has served it's purpose, but I have been longing for a sewing space of my own. The wait is almost over, because today I had a fun conversation with a sweet gal from...

And she helped me order this...

and this...

and it will be delivered in the next 4-8 weeks. Which means, I have to get busy clearing out a guest room, repainting, etc. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I'm not usually a patient person, but I am so happy I waited for this, because it is truly more than I ever imagined I would be able to have.

week five - farmer's wife quilt-along

2011-07-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

I've had so many fun projects going on this week, I was so thankful for these quick and simple blocks. These came together easily and I was quite proud of the result if I do say so myself. Without further ado...

Block 9 - Box

Block 10 - Bowtie

Looking ahead in the book, next week will involve lots of broken things... dishes and sugar bowls. Can we say bulky seam allowances? Yikes!

how to build a better burger

2011-06-30T18:22:00.000-05:00

Start with a soft, golden, sesame see bun...

Next comes the thick, juicy, flame-grilled burger...

Don't forget the cheese! Here's a big slice of sharp cheddar...

I love a slice of red onion for a little bite...

You can't beat a fresh-from-the-garden slice of tomato...

Add some kosher dill slices for a tangy crunch...

How about a bit of buttery smooth bibb lettuce...

Now that's a better burger! Are you hungry yet?

This has been a really fun project and I sure hope my swap partner likes it. The theme is summer/barbeque. I thought rather than make a boring potholder from a novelty print, I would build a burger out of potholders. I'll wrap this up and send it on it's way to a new home tomorrow.

summer splash

2011-06-29T16:24:00.000-05:00

I looked to the season for inspiration for the tea towels for my swap. It was fun digging through my fabric stash and selecting some of my favorites to create the beach ball and flip flops.

Since I design my applique patterns in Illustrator anyway, one of my favorite tricks is to then cut the fabric with my Cricut. Anytime I can let a machine do the work for me, I'm in. After a a few minutes of cutting, these were a cinch to iron on. I love the look of blanket stitching on applique and it is quick and easy, too.

These will be on the way to their new home tomorrow. I'm kind of sad about that. Guess I may have to make some for myself. That will have to wait... as I have a giant cheeseburger to make. I'll be back in a few days to tell you all about it.

sneaky peeky

2011-06-29T09:57:00.000-05:00

I'm participating in the Potholder Pass Swap at the moment. I signed up to swap tea towels and potholders. I finally settled on the design for the tea towels and my fabrics are ready to cut for the applique. Here's a little sneak peek. I'll be back later with another look.

Have a fun day!

taste of summer

2011-06-24T08:31:00.000-05:00

Although I'm not a fan of super-hot, humid weather, there are many things I love about Summer.

Tomatoes from the garden.
Fresh corn on the cob.
Steaks and veggies on the grill.
Lazy days in the pool.
Cooling off with a cold beer or lemonade, iced tea, margaritas or mojitos.
Blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

Yesterday, this lucky girl got to enjoy all of those except the pool. Speaking of which, the month of June is almost gone and I've not been in the pool once. I must remedy that situation immediately.

As I was coming home from running a few errands, I noticed a truck by the road selling freshly picked blackberries. I do love blackberries so I stopped for a gallon and quickly ran home to whip up some cobbler. It was divine! Today, I plan to make some blackberry jam with the leftover berries.

**What do you love about Summer?**

week four - farmer's wife quilt-along

2011-06-23T08:51:00.000-05:00

I am now caught up with the rest of the group on this project. I have to say, these blocks are a bit addictive. After working feverishly for a few days to catch up, it was a bit of a let down to not keep working at that same pace. I will have to keep reminding myself that this quilt will be a marathon, not a sprint. With 103 more blocks to complete, it will be this time next year before I am reaching the finish line.

Block 7 - Birds in the Air

I am still not pleased with this block, but after multiple attempts, I finished with what I had in the interest of checking it off my list. I'm sure I will go back and re-do this one, but I simply could not spend one. more. minute. on this block the other day. 1" finished half-square triangles are no fun - just sayin'!

Block 8 - Bouquet

I probably should have put this block off until another day after all the frustrations I had with block seven. But, I didn't. Therefore, I spent a considerable amount of time unsewing for this block. This is not a fun task when you are paper piecing. Anywhoo, despite the trials and tribulations, I am pleased with how this one turned out. There is one point that doesn't match, but guess what... I. don't. care. I'm calling this one done and checking it off my list!

I'm thankful that blocks 9 & 10 look to be fairly simple and straightforward. Come back next Thursday to see whether that theory holds true.

week three - farmer's wife quilt-along

2011-06-21T12:18:00.002-05:00

Block 5 - Bat Wing

Although this looks pretty simple, I opted to paper piece this block as well. I love that my points are always perfect and the blocks always finish out at exactly the right size. It makes the perfectionist in me oh so happy!

Block 6 - Big Dipper

This block was quick and fun. I utilized the technique where you put two squares together, draw a line diagonally, stitch 1/4" on either side, then cut them apart on the drawn line. You have to do that twice to get each quadrant to work out. It wastes a bit more fabric, but it is so much more accurate than trying to piece individual triangles together.

week two - farmer's wife quilt-along

2011-06-21T12:11:00.002-05:00

Block Three - Basket

I opted to paper piece this block and I'm so glad I did. I got it right in one try.

Block Four - Basket Weave

Another quick and easy block. I opted to strip piece this block, which made it quick and easy.

All in all, I was pleased with how quickly my Week 2 blocks went together. I have chosen to my my blocks in the order they are numbered, rather than jumping around. This way I should be able to keep track of my progress a little easier.

week one - farmer's wife quilt-along

2011-06-21T12:06:00.001-05:00

There has been quite alot of buzz in online quilting circles lately for The Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along. I have seen the book many times at bookstores and fabric stores. It has called to me, but I had never purchased it. Last week I started hearing about a quilt-along that was being held online through Flicker.com. I went on the hunt for the book and I was lucky enough to it at my local JoAnn's for 40% off. I was instantly hooked and decided this would be a fun project.

I typically don't piece complicated blocks. I'm all about simplicity, but I do love the look of blocks with lots of pieces. This quiltalong is a great way for me to practice those skills without feeling rushed. At only two blocks per week, this is totally doable for me. I've chosen Sunkissed by Sweetwater for this project. As long as I keep my mistakes to a minimum, I should have enough fabric for all 111 blocks.

I'll be blogging about my progess every week. But, since I got started at the end of week three, I will have four posts this week to catch up.

Block One - Attic Windows

The book includes PDF templates on CD. I started out cutting fabric according to the templates and piecing together. My first block was pretty good, but still not quite right. So, I thought paper piecing would be a good idea. I opened the PDF in Illustrator and created the template. I finished the block only to realize that it was actually a mirror image of the correct layout. I had forgotten to flip the printout. Thankfully, the third time was a charm!

Block Two - Autumn Tints

After Block One, I needed a block like this! Nice and easy. I do have some minor inconsistencies, but fortunately, they are minor enough that I can still use this block. Once thing I've learned about working with such small blocks, even 1/16" variance can make a big difference in the final size of the block.

proud to be daddy's girl

2011-06-19T10:11:00.000-05:00

I have been blessed all my life to have a loving father. He was my first best friend and as time goes by, I become more grateful for each day I have with him. While I don't love him anymore on this day than any other, I do appreciate having a special day to celebrate all he means to me... and it is far more than words can say.

gift for dad

2011-06-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

Father's Day is tomorrow, so I spent some time today putting the finishing touches on a quick, easy and inexpensive gift for my Dad. He enjoys having his cocktail every afternoon at 5, so I thought some custom-etched bar glasses would be perfect.

I love the square shape of these glasses. I found them here and after two shipments, I finally got them just in time. My first shipment was apparently so damaged that UPS wouldn't leave them at my door. I would love to know how messed up it really was because I have seen some sorry looking packages at my door!

To make some for yourself, pick up some Armor Etch at your local craft store and just follow the directions on the bottle. I made my letter 'stencils' buy cutting the adhesive vinyl with my Cricut, applied the stencil to each glass, brushed on the etching cream and five minutes later they were perfectly (and permanently) etched.

Armor Etch works on any kind of glass, so you can use it on windows and mirrors too. I bought the larger bottle at Hobby Lobby for less than $10 and this project barely used any of it.

These would also make awesome wedding gifts and with all the super inexpesive glassware at stores like Walmart and Target, you can give a classy and practical gift for less than $10!

we have a winner!

2011-06-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway. I'm excited to announce the winner of the ultra-fabulous prize...

Congratulations, Catilin! I'll be emailing you shortly for all your info.

de-stashing, re-installing and a giveaway

2011-06-04T17:11:00.000-05:00

**Giveaway info at the end of this post**

It's been a busy week for this craftaholic... and not a good kind of busy, either. Lots of work getting done, which has put my crafty time on hiatus. I am hoping I can get back to the fun stuff in another week or so.

In an effort to gain control of my rapidly growing stash, I have identified lots of fabric that has to go. It is all first quality from Moda, but it's holding me back, man! I have listed several great things in my etsy shop... all significantly less than I paid originally. Please go check it out - and tell your friends! I really need to free up some space for all the great new stuff that's releasing in the next few months.

Last weekend I finally bit the bullet and bought a new computer. I am really hard on computer resources and my old laptop was really showing it's age. I "think" I'm am finally completely finished with transferring files and re-installing critical software. I'm thankful that this isn't a task I will have to endure again for quite some time.

One of the last fun projects I completed was making another fun Emmy Clutch. You may remember her sister from the pretty {little} pouch swap. Here she is again, but looking cool in aqua and lavender (loving this Central Park fabric I picked up on sale at my LQS). What do you think?

To keep me company while I'm so busy with icky work stuff, I thought it would be fun to have a little giveaway. So, if you wanna win this pretty little bag (and some other super-secret fun stuff from my little stationery business) here's all you've gotta do...

Leave a comment on this blog post (if your profile is set to no-reply, please leave your email address - or better yet, update your profile)
Double your chances to win, by following my blog, just be sure to leave a separate comment letting me know
Triple your chances to win, by favoriting my etsy shop, just be sure to leave a separate comment letting me know.

I'll keep the contest open through June 11, 2011. Then, I'll let the awesome bots over at RNG pick a weiner!! How fun is that? Hope the rest of your weekend is wonderfully restful!

xo,
stefanie

trying new things

2011-05-26T15:31:00.020-05:00

Since March 2010, I've completed many quilting projects. I've lost track of the exact count, but it is well over 30. I love the process of it and it definitely satisfies both sides of my brain. But, over the course of the past month, I've started branching out a bit. I think it's good for the creative process to dabble.
I have always loved the look of pillowcase dresses and I've been wanting to make some for several years. Last week, I stumbled across some fabric I purchased a few years ago along with the intention of making some sweet baby outfits for my niece, Josie. Seeing as how the dozen or so patterns I purchased are no longer suitable for her soon-to-be-five body, I scoured the internet for tips on making a pillowcase dress.

The result is four sweet little dresses. I enjoyed the simple construction, learned a few lessons, gave my embroidery machine a workout and had fun with ribbon and ric-rac. What's not to love about that? These should keep her cool during the hot Nashville Summer.

I just adored this print. The little roses are so sweet.

Jumbo ric-rac and polka dots were perfect for this dress!

Another sweet dress with a tiny floral print.

Can't forget the monograms!!

Pleating this ribbon by hand took quite a while, but I'm so glad I did it, it really added so much to the finished look of this dress.

As soon as her bloomers come in, I'll get those monogrammed (of course) and these pretty little dresses will be off to Miss Josie. Now that the dresses are done, I've got a bit more dabbling to do. Tomorrow, I'll be helping Royce make some baby hats and I just might make a few more pouches out of some great fabrics, I picked up yesterday.

Edited to add: I'm going to attempt to provide links to the sites I visited to get tips on making these simple dresses. Please note that I ultimately created my own method for making these, but I did use these sites as a guideline for sizing, etc.

Naptime Crafts - I liked that she included sizing for smaller tots.
Nancy's Notions - This downloadable PDF has instructions for making the dresses and a basic template for cutting the arm holes. This also offers larger size ranges.

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Verna's Coins

2011-05-20T16:45:00.000-05:00

When I decided I wanted to participate in the Blogger's Quilt Festival, I knew immediately which quilt I wanted to feature. I have been quilting for about 14 months and in that time, I have completed 30+ projects.

This has been my favorite so far. The pattern was modified from a Moda Bakeshop recipe. I wanted a larger quilt and only had one jelly roll to work with. I had been hoarding this Verna JR for about a year. My original plan was to keep this for myself, but for financial reasons I've decided to sell it instead. Don't feel too bad for me, though - I scored a Bliss JR last month in Paducah and I plan to make this quilt again in Bliss (which makes me swoon!).

What I love most about this quilt, is that it's the first piece I made for myself. Everything else I had made to that point had been a gift or something seasonal for the house. With that in mind, I took lots of time designing the pieced back and making sure everything was just so. It is a great representation of my design sensibility and color preferences.

Hope you've enjoyed this peek at my quilt. Be sure to head on over to the Blogger's Quilt Festival to see the hundreds of other gorgeous quilts being displayed.

swapped

2011-05-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

The swapping has been completed. Yesterday I had a wonderful surprise waiting in my mailbox. I requested a pouch big enough to hold all my essential quilting notions. This generously sized pouch holds everything I need and makes me wonder why it took me so long to upgrade from the ziploc baggie. My faith in swaps has been restored! She even included some lovely extras. Lookie, lookie!

pretty {little} pouch swap

2011-05-16T14:29:00.001-05:00

To swap or not to swap, that is the question.

About six weeks ago, I did something that shocked a few of my friends. I signed up for a swap. Before I get into the details of the swap, I should probably explain why my friends were shocked. I have been an avid paper crafter for a long time. About five years ago, I started doing quite a few card swaps. I loved the concept and I would spend hours designing a card and then making the required number of copies. For those of you who are not familiar with card swaps, typically everyone in the swap gets a card from everyone else who is participating. So, for some swaps, I was making close to 30 cards.

Unfortunately, I had obligated myself for several swaps before I had ever received any swaps back. So, by they time I got my first batch of swaps back, it was too late to back out. I was not prepared for what I found in the first package. I was so disappointed. It was as if everyone else used the swap as a means to use up all their unwanted supplies. I did donate the cards to charity, so at least someone will be able to use them, but I kind of swore off swaps in general.

When I learned about the pretty {little} pouch swap from my customer, Kelly, I was intrigued. I loved that we had the chance to provide suggestions of what we wanted and liked. I would much rather give something I know they like than to take a guess. So, I signed up and a few days later, got all the info on my secret partner. Today, I popped this little beauty in the mail and I can't wait for mine to arrive this week. This has been fun and hopefully there will be more swaps in my future.

Road Trippin'

2011-04-26T19:21:00.000-05:00

Gosh I can hardly believe it's been 15 days since my last post! Things have been a little more hectic around here than usual. I am easing myself back into corporate America, so I've not had quite as much free time as I was used to. I tell you, my days seemed pretty full when I wasn't working, but finding time to do the typical stuff like cooking and cleaning was a challenge those first few days back.

I've also been readying myself for a fantastically fun five day getaway for AQS Paducah. I'm leaving in the morning to meet one of my former work pals. We'll get her stuff loaded into my slightly overloaded Tahoe and make our way there. Also joining in the fun is my friend Royce and her good friend Paula. Should be loads of fun if Mother Nature can find a way to control herself.

Heavy (and lengthy) rains have caused flooding in the Paducah area, so much so that they had to re-locate many of the key components of the show away from the downtown riverfront area. Should be a bit of a stormy drive. Hopefully we are able to make it to our destination safely. Nothing like a few days crafting with friends. I'm sure I'll have lots of fun stories to share when I return.

my first sale

2011-04-11T08:35:00.000-05:00

This beauty sold on etsy last night. I am SO excited I can hardly stand myself! Guess I will have to whip something up this week to add back to the shop.

It has been unusually hot in Music City this past weekend. It was 90 degrees yesterday! Apparently Mother Nature was having a hot flash. It is supposed to cool down considerably today, but not before we have another wicked band of storms come through. Looks like I'll be comforting the pups alot today.

things that make you go hmmmmm

2011-04-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

I recently started using starch alot for quilting. It's great for pressing blocks into submission and I especially love how it makes my binding strips easier to handle. Just a few weeks ago I was commenting to my friend Royce that I was pleasantly surprised to find a full can of Heavy Duty starch in my utility room storage. I use the Premium variety for my husband's khakis because it doesn't flake.

But what I discovered yesterday has me feeling a bit uneasy. When we moved to this house just over two years ago, I packed a plastic bin with some random cleaning and household supplies from the utility room cupboard at our old house. This bin was just pushed aside in our too-small-to-park-my-car-in-it garage and forgotten about. Early yesterday morning I was on the hunt for some hydrogen peroxide and thought maybe there was a bottle in that bin. Imagine my surprise when i found four, F-O-U-R! cans of Faultless starch in there. I have no idea where it all came from. Did I buy it and if so did I fear the apocalypse was near so I stocked up? I'm doing my best to not over think this and just be grateful that I won't be running out anytime soon.

Do you ever find random stockpiles of household goods in your house?

having myself a sale

2011-04-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

The big AQS Show in Paducah is coming up at the end of this month. I'll be heading north to attend the show, shop and stay at my parent's cabin with a few friends for about five days. It's ALWAYS fun to get away, but the fun money fund is a little low these days, so I've decided to have a sale on the larger pieces in my etsy shop. For this weekend only, I've marked prices down 20%. If you see something you love, I hope you will purchase it. With Mother's Day, Graduations and Wedding Season just around the corner, it's a great time to pick up a handcrafted gift that will be cherished for many, many years!

cinco

2011-04-02T16:12:00.000-06:00

Today I posted four pretty new table runners/toppers to my etsy shop. In the last week I've made five, but this one is mine all mine! I've included photos of the rest below. They are all pretty, but this one in bliss is my favorite. Be sure to click on over to my etsy shop to see them all and if you feel inclined, go ahead and heart them, you know you want to.

assembly lining

2011-04-02T07:16:00.000-06:00

Every so often, I like to get several projects going at once. This past week, opened up a Moda Bakeshop Bar I had received as a gift. There were four little stacks of fabric in there... basically a charm pack cut in half. Only one of the fabrics did I love (bliss by bonnie & camille). The others are beautiful, but not really anything to get me excited.

In an effort to keep my etsy shop full of product at varying price points, I decided these should be whipped up into some cute and simple table toppers. To keep me motivated to finish them all, I have been working on them assembly line style. I started piecing Wednesday afternoon and today is binding day. I've cut all the strips (thank you Accuquilt!), sewn them together and now its time to press. I'm excited to have these done and a blissful new table topper for myself!

Be back later with some photos! Have a wonderful da!

bad news, good news

2011-03-28T21:21:00.000-06:00

The bad news is my sweet little quilt didn't get picked for an online feature. I'm somewhat disappointed, but I know that I will have something to share soon enough. The good news is that I've listed this beauty in my etsy shop. This was entirely my design and I really love the way it turned out. So much so, that I will be writing this into pattern form and that too will be in my etsy shop.

sunday snapshot

2011-03-27T20:05:00.002-06:00

It has been a busy weekend around here. My new washer and dryer were delivered Saturday afternoon and I've been giving them (and myself) quite the workout. It's so great to be able to get so much done so quickly!

Finally tonight I was able to spend a little time basting a quilt. It's all ready to go onto the machine in the morning.
How was your weekend?

what's new?

2011-03-25T18:45:00.000-06:00

It has been a fairly busy week here. I have a new quilt top complete. I wish I could share it with you, but I have submitted it for consideration for a Moda Bakeshop feature and am waiting to hear back. I'm not 100% sure what the 'rules' are about that, but I don't think I should feature here until I know if I've been selected.

I did some shopping today at my local Joann store. I received a 25% off entire purchase coupon valid this weekend and wanted to go pick up a few things. I was presently surprised that Kona solids were already 40% off, so with the coupon, it brought the price down to $3.15 per yard. That is way too good to pass up and I use so much white, that I decided to stock up. But now that I'm thinking about it, I probably didn't buy enough. Maybe I'll stop back by later this weekend to get a little more.

In other big news, my husband surprised me yesterday by purchasing a new washer & dryer set. They will be delivered tomorrow afternoon. I have already sold our existing set on Craigslist and a sweet girl who is just a year out of college is the proud new owner. There were lots of dust bunnies in there, so I've got some cleaning to do before the new ones are set up tomorrow. I'm really excited about this!!

It looks to be a fairly cold & rainy weekend here, so when I'm not slaving over the laundry, I plan to get some sewing done. Lots of projects on deck, I've just got to jump in. Hopefully I will have some photos to share with you tomorrow.

quiet day

2011-03-22T21:42:00.000-06:00

It has been kind of quiet around here today. We celebrated my husband's birthday over the weekend and through Monday, so I guess I was just a little tuckered out from all that. I spent a little time this morning working on a new quilt. Not sure when I will be able to share it with you, though.

I've really been trying to make a conscious effort to blog everyday this month. So far, I've been good about it, but it's days like these, when I would normally not post anything that have turned into lengthy absences from my blog. So, I'm posting anyway, even though I don't have much to say other than hello, and thank you for taking time out of your day to visit.

today i...

2011-03-20T19:20:00.000-06:00

-finished four hot pads
-facebooked
-felt chilly
-started a fire in the fireplace
-petted my dogs
-dropped nine (yes, nine) eggs on the kitchen floor
-cleaned the kitchen floor
-bought a birthday present
-set out balloons and birthday cards for my husband
-grabbed the paper from the curb
-sifted through the coupons
-cooked breakfast
-watched tv
-took pictures of hot pads
-edited photos
-listed hot pads on etsy
-dropped a whisk on my foot
-felt pain
-failed at making cream cheese icing
-called my friend royce
-removed winter shrink wrap from windows
-scrubbed window screens
-washed windows
-put up window screens
-felt hot
-felt tired
-succeeded at making cream cheese icing
-iced a red velvet cake
-cut my husband's hair
-fed the dogs
-took a shower
-treated my husband to birthday dinner out
-put on my pjs
-had some cake and ice cream
-watched a little more tv
-posted this list

what did you do today?

keepin' it real

2011-03-20T09:35:00.000-06:00

a few more

2011-03-19T14:03:00.000-06:00

It's another gloriously beautiful day here in Music City! I took advantage of the warm sunshine earlier today to snap a few more photos for my etsy listing. Hope you are enjoying nice weather today too!

pretty as a picture

2011-03-18T18:11:00.000-06:00

After a whole lotta messing around, I was finally able to get a few ~~(or, 97)~~ photos of my quilt. As I mentioned previously, I am listing this beauty in my Etsy Shop and needed some great shots.

Out of the dozens I took, these are the three best. It was getting late in the day, so I was fighting with sunlight that would be harsh one minute and grayish the next. I will try again tomorrow, but these have given me enough to at least get the item listed on Etsy.

So, if you've had your eye on this quilt, be a dear and buy it. It will be all yours, you just gotta go get it, right here.

finishing touch

2011-03-17T20:35:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I put the binding on my lovely stacked coins quilt. Forgive me for the blurry photo, not enough light this late for a good pic. I am so excited to have this quilt finished. Tomorrow I will take her outside for a photoshoot, then she will be the first, of what I hope to be many products in my etsy shop. I love this quilt so much and a part of me is sad to think of selling it, but for financial reasons I really can't keep it. I've got to thank my friend Royce for pushing me to use the pink binding instead of white. It really is the perfect finishing touch.

Please be sure to come back tomorrow to see her in all her glory!

wordless wednesday

2011-03-16T22:06:00.003-06:00

just like big john's beans and fixin's

2011-03-15T12:54:00.000-06:00

Pardon me while I take a brief break from quilting-related posts to bring you a recipe for a delicious side-dish. I grew up enjoying Big John's Beans and Fixin's with burgers and hot dogs. They were a staple in our house. This brand of beans has been discontinued and is no longer available in stores. I've been trying to reformulate that taste with other ingredients for a number of years and this past weekend, I think I finally got it right. So, without further ado...

Ingredients:
28 oz. can Baked Beans
6 oz. can Tomato Paste
2/3 C Dark Brown Sugar
3T Worcestershire Sauce
1C Diced Onion
1t Kosher Salt
1/2 t Black Pepper
4 pcs Thin Sliced Bacon

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except bacon in a large mixing bowl, mix well. Spray a 9x9 non-metallic baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour bean mixture into baking dish and top with bacon slices. Bake in 350 degree oven for 90 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

giveaways!

2011-03-15T10:35:00.000-06:00

Want some free fabric? Be sure to check out these great giveawayshappening in blogland:

Enter to win a free charm pack of a not-yet-released line from Robert Kaufman Fabrics at:

Jaybird Quilts

Enter to win SIX yards of your choice of Bella Solids, courtesy of Fat Quarter Shop at:

p.s. i quilt

Good Luck!

quick makeover

2011-03-14T17:48:00.000-06:00

I posted a few weeks ago about a new pattern I purchased from Vanessa at V&Co. It's the Houndstooth Quilt and it has been occupying my thoughts lately. I have a few larger projects on my mind, so I thought something quick would be just the right thing for today.

We've been in desperate need of some new pillows for the living room and these are just the right touch to freshen things up. Now, if only my husband can keep the sofa looking so neat.... yeah, right!

What did you do today?

making progress

2011-03-12T19:24:00.002-06:00

My stacked coins quilt is coming along. I finally finished all the quilting today. It has now been trimmed down, and the edges have been stitched with a loose zigzag. Now, it's time for binding... one of my favorite parts (really it is). I think I've decided to use a white binding, but then again, there is still time to change my mind.

Hope you have had a wonderful day. Don't forget to spring forward tonight!!

the start of something big

2011-03-11T16:38:00.000-06:00

Almost eight months ago, I designed a quilt to be used in our master bedroom. It uses drunkard's path blocks...172 of them. I chose Pure by Sweetwater for the fabric and I purchased it about six months ago. I was very busy last fall finishing my gift quilts, but that big stack of fabric has been calling me. Last night I finally answered.

The pieces have all been cut (thank you Go! cutter) and now the real work must begin. I've armed myself with a Curve Master foot, but I think I am going to have to practice ALOT before I can sew the good stuff pin-free with any confidence. I'm counting on you guys to keep me motivated and on track with this WIP.

a little birdie...

2011-03-11T08:07:00.000-06:00

--this giveaway is now closed--

... is having a giveaway. Fly on over to JaybirdQuilts and enter the giveaway sponsored by:

wordless wednesday

2011-03-09T16:31:00.000-06:00

the thing about f.a.r.t.s

2011-03-06T20:52:00.000-06:00

I am back home tonight after a quick trip to visit my family. I grew up in Golconda, Illinois, which is a sleepy little town overlooking the Ohio River. It also happens to be just a quick 30 minute drive to Paducah, Kentucky. Yesterday morning was cold, rainy and gloomy. It was the perfect day for a f.a.r.t.

I suppose I should probably explain what a f.a.r.t. is... before you quit following my blog. Fabric Acquiring Road Trips are a great way to spend a few hours, but they can be dangerous when you are trying to stick with a budget!

My mom walking into the store. Isn't she cute?!?!

So yesterday, I suggested to my mom that we take a quick trip to Hancock's of Paducah. I grew up shopping there, so I suppose you could say most fabric shops are a bit of a disappointment to me. We spent a little more than an hour picking out what we wanted to purchase. I restrained myself, and limited myself to about 10 yards, which included my favorite red dot from Bliss, some cute red, yellow and green stripes from Punctuation and a three different Bella solids.

My new stash. All kinds of lovely!

eye candy

2011-03-03T09:25:00.000-06:00

I love houndstooth and just last week I was thinking about how to design a quilt pattern to create houndstooth. Imagine my delight when I stumbled across this beauty last night. I'm giddy just thinking about all the lovely quilts I'm going to make with this. If you love it too, you can get a digital copy for yourself (only $7.50) right here.

quilting around

2011-03-01T19:40:00.000-06:00

Our kitchen table is round and 50" in diameter. It's also white. I love white tables, but I had never owned one before, so I didn't really think through the perils that would come along with a white table when I bought it a few years ago. I just knew that it met some important criteria.... it was round, it was white, it was exactly my style, and it was pub height (36").

I'm not really a table clothkind of girl, which is interesting because growing up, my mom always had some sort of tablecloth on the kitchen table (we weren't fancy enough to have a dining room). I do like placemats, but they are kind of difficult on a round table. Imagine my delight when I saw a free (bonus!) pattern from Moda for a 50" round quilt. It's made using an incredible wedge ruler and although it looks complicated, it is really so, so easy.

Round Tabletopper featuring Sunkissed by Sweetwater. This photo was taken prior to quilting & binding.

Last week I completed my third round table topper quilt. It's a perfect fit for our table and I like having it in place all the time. The previous versions were Halloween and Fall fabrics. I wanted something that would work well for Spring and well into Summer. It's a welcome reminder of the sunshiney days that are just ahead.

sneak peek: stacked coins

2011-02-28T16:13:00.000-06:00

I started this new quilt top a few days ago. It has been a while since I did this much piecing and I really enjoyed it. It's funny to think about that because I was so busy late in the fall finishing up all my gift quilts. Many of those were pieced back in late spring/early summer. I had forgotten how much I enjoy this part of the process.

This pattern was based on a feature on the Moda Bake Shop. I wanted the finished quilt to be bigger and use the entire jelly roll for the front, so I modified the pattern a bit to get the size I wanted. I'm thrilled with the results so far. I used one of my most coveted jelly rolls for this quilt. It is Verna by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics. I'm still not 100% certain about what the future will hold for this beauty, but this may very well be headed for Etsy.

a rug for my mug

2011-02-26T15:01:00.000-06:00

If you're a quilter, you've undoubtedly heard about the latest trend known as the mug rug. Over the course of the last several months, these bigger-than-a-coaster-but-not-quite-a-placemat darlings have been popping up all over the blogosphere.

Last weekend we held our latest meeting for the Music City Modern Quilters Guild. Our agenda for the day was to participate in the Java Mug Rug Challenge from our sponsor, Burgundy Buttons. It was fun to sit & sew with the other gals in the guild. I had not put much thought into mine beforehand. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, but no pattern sketches. I had been sick the week prior and just hadn't had the energy to get myself together.

Here was the result... I managed to do the entire thing, start to finish before I packed up to go home. Now that it's been photographed, I am left to sit and wait to see if Deb Strain likes mine the best. Oh, I really hope she does. To see the other entries into the challenge, click here.

back to my roots

2010-08-31T22:17:00.002-05:00

While I am admittedly a fan of almost all things crafty, my first love is papercrafts. More specifically, card making. This afternoon, I was able to spend some time crafting a few cards. After devoting so much of my time lately to quilting, it was fun to sit down and play with paper and ink today.

I am a demonstrator for Stampin’ Up!, and next week I am teaching a card workshop to a group of gals I used to work with. They pay a $10 class fee to cover supplies and my time designing the card samples, and then they get to recreate each of the cards twice. At the end of the night, they have six beautifully hand-made cards – a total steal for the money. Of course, I hope they will buy a few new products as well, but it’s not a requirement.

I let the upcoming Fall holidays be my inspiration for each theme. Stampin’ Up! has lots of great products that are specific to each holiday so deciding on which products to feature was a bit of a challenge.

There were lots of creepy and spooky stamp sets to choose from, but I just love the sweetness of the set that includes this image. The other great thing about this set is that it includes three other darling images. One for back-to-school, one for Christmas and the last one is perfect for Valentine’s Day. It’s great to be able to get a lot of use out of a set. For this particular card, I embossed the card base and cut the curvy shape piece using dies from the Big Shot. The image was stamped with Staz-On ink in Jet Black and then I hand-colored it with Stampin’ Up!’s classic inks using a blender pen. I finished it off with a wrap around of hemp twine.

I think this may end up being our Christmas card this year. I {love} Santas and this one us just the perfect Santa. He reminds me of the Sundblom Santa that was featured in Coca-Cola advertisements. Remember those? The card base is a color called Crumb Cake and it is a nice kraft color. I first stamped the Santa in Crumb Cake ink so I could faintly make out all the areas of the image. Then, I used a blender pen, a few classic inks and a white craft ink to color him in. Then, I re-stamped the image using Soft Suede classic ink to really make the design pop. If you are wondering how I was able to get the image exactly in the right spot the 2^nd time around, I used a magically wonderful tool called a Stamp-a-majig. I burned the edges of the card front using a stiff brush and some Soft Suede ink. I finished it off, by thoroughly inking the edges of the card front (again, with Soft Suede). The sentiment was stamped in White craft ink on Riding Hood Red cardstock that had been made pliable by curling with the edge of a bone folder. I did some light edge burning on that piece as well before I adhered it to the front of the card with some dimensional adhesive. I love how this card looks like it could have been made decades ago. It’s just the look I was going for.

Thanksgiving cards have become very popular in the last few years. One of gals requested I demonstrate a Thanksgiving card next week, and here is the prototype. I must admit, this design has been lifted off the pages of the newest Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalog. I made a few minor changes in color selection, but the overall design is not mine to take credit for. The largest image is actually from a stamp wheel. It was stamped in Versamark ink. I then dusted it with clear embossing powder, which was heat set giving the image a nice glossy tone-on-tone effect. This card is really quick and easy and could be something you could make dozens for and hand out to all those you wish to show your appreciation to during the holidays.

If you would like more information about any of the products I’ve mentioned in this post, please feel free to contact me via email.

thread

2010-08-26T15:17:00.002-05:00

Thread. As a quilter it is a vital component to our craft. I learned early on in my quilting adventure that not all thread was created equal. All of the “Learn to Quilt” articles I read emphasized that you would use cotton thread when piecing and quilting. So, with that bit of knowledge I ran to Joann’s and picked up a couple large spools of Coats & Clark 100% Cotton Thread. I went crazy piecing things together, quilted a few projects and then I started noticing some “issues” with my machine.

I was sewing on a Singer Futura SES2000. It has a detachable embroidery unit and was my first new machine purchase in February of this year. I noticed that it wasn’t working right when I would try to do a reverse stitch. It would mostly just stitch in one place. I called the 800 number for Singer support. The lady on the phone was super helpful and asked lots of questions. When she asked me what kind of thread I was using, I proudly told her Coats & Clark 100% Cotton. Then she asked what the weight was, I looked at the spool to see it was 30 wt, which I relayed to her. Then she said, you are using the wrong thread. Oh dear.

It turns out my machine “prefers” 50 wt cotton and all-purpose thread and a 40wt polyester or rayon for embroidery. I had been using Robison-Anton Rayon thread for embroidery and they recommended their cotton for my machine. The only problem is that it’s not readily available. At least not around here. I managed to find a local quilt shop that sold a little bit of RA 50wt super cotton, but they mostly sold the 25wt, which wouldn’t work in my machine. I bought a couple mini-king spools at about $7 each and headed back home. The good news is that my machine was very happy with the change, but I was sick thinking about how much I was going to spend on thread.

On a trip to Paducah, I happened to find a couple of king spools for $12 each… a total steal. I have used a good bit of both of those and have over a dozen quilts to finish before Christmas, so I worried about where I would be able to get more. I am happy to report that I found a great source online for my favorite thread. The prices are really great and shipping is always free (can’t beat that). Plus, depending on how much you spend, they give instant coupons. I stocked up on five King spools and five mini-kings for around $85. A lot of money for just thread, but hopefully this will get me through all my projects this year and then some.

Allthreads.com sells several brands, so even if your machine doesn’t have such discriminating tastes in thread, you should be able to find what you need.

Tools of the Trade: Machingers

2010-08-22T09:46:00.003-05:00

Since I began quilting about five months ago, I have done lots and lots of piecing, but I have only quilted about eight things. Four baby quilts and four table runners. In the beginning, I was quilting on a machine with a fairly small throat. It would be cumbersome at times, but I was able to make it work. Thankfully I had an extension table, which helped tons. While it wasn’t all that difficult to quilt, I knew there had to be a tool to make it easier.

One tool that I discovered at a local quilt shop is Machingers. I couldn’t believe how much easier it was to quilt when I was wearing them. The biggest difference was how I felt physically when I was finished. Before, my arms and hands would be really tired when I finished a project. I didn’t realize how much of a strain I was putting on that part of my body just trying to move my quilt around. I love this product and at around $8 for a pair, they are one of the less expensive tools I use.

I love that they are form fitting, but they aren’t hot. They are easy to get on and off and they come in a variety of sizes. If you don’t own a pair for yourself, look for them at your favorite quilt shop or they are readily available online. I have found them for as low as $7.09 at Create for Less.

**Do you use gloves when you quilt?**

Portable Design Wall Tutorial

2010-08-20T17:55:00.004-05:00

I’ve been cleaning, purging and organizing my studio to make room for all of my new quilting *stuff*. As I was sifting through the menagerie of things in the large closet, I came across an old fabric board. It is one of those accordion folded pieces of corrugated cardboard that can be used for measuring fabric. My mother-in-law had left it behind when she moved out of the house and I just stuck in the closet where it was forgotten about.

I was almost ready to put it in the cardboard recycling bin when I had a flash of genius (at least I thought so). You see, I’ve been wanting to put up a design wall for quite a while now, but haven’t really been too inclined to go pick up the lumber I thought would be necessary to frame it. I was making it overly complicated, I’m sure, but that’s just how my mind works. So on this particular day as I was feely woozy from the heat and tired from all the clean-out *stuff* I came up with a plan for how to turn that old, yellowed piece of cardboard into a design wall.

What you will need:
- Cardboard cutting board
- Felt (or other clingy material)
- Super 77 Spray Adhesive (only the strongest will do for this project)
- Fabric Scissors
- Hanging hardware of your preference

Step One: Spread your cutting board out on a flat surface, preferably OUTSIDE. I cannot stress this enough. Super 77 is M-E-S-S-Y. So unless you want everything in your house sticky and wreaking of heinous fumes, take it outside. I used my driveway.

Step Two: Spray the board liberally with adhesive. This is no time to hold back. Make sure you have even coverage as well.

Step Three: Carefully lay your felt on the board. Using firm pressure, smooth the fabric removing all wrinkles from the center outward.

Step Four: Once you have smoothed the felt completely, it is time to turn the board over. Using your scissors clip the corners as shown above.

Step Five: With the board still upside down, spray adhesive liberally onto the felt that is hanging over the edge, then wrap the felt around to the backside. Again, don’t skimp on the adhesive here.

Step Six: Finally, hang your design board

The greatest advantage to this design wall is that it is portable. You can still fold it up and take it with you. Perfect for quilting retreats or when you head out for a day of sewing with a good friend.

I was able to make this entire project using items I already had on hand. The only thing I had to purchase were the hooks for the wall. Speaking of which, here is a close-up of how I am hanging mine.

I used a curtain grommet machine to make the holes and then I inserted large metal grommets. To hang it, I purchased 3M Command hooks, which just add to the portability. Anytime I want to take this along with me, I can take the hooks as well and not have to worry about hanging it and causing damage to the walls.

One last thing to note. I noticed that the acrylic felt I used was pretty smooth, so to increase it’s cling-ability, I plan to rub it gently with a Scotch-Brite pad to make it a little more fuzzy.

Good luck making your very own Portable Design Wall. If you make one, please let me know, I would love to see how everyone else makes use of this tutorial.

Happy Crafting!!

Edited to add: There are several ways to hang this, so don't think that if you don't have a big grommet setting machine you can't make this work. Binder clips would make for a cute, industrial look. A few skirt hangers that have the pinch clips would give it a home-spun flavor. Make holes with a larger craft needle and string a fine gauge wire through the holes... there are lots of possibilities if you just use your imagination. Have fun!

pure heaven

2010-08-16T10:08:00.001-05:00

There’s a new fabric line hitting quilt shops in the coming weeks. PURE by Sweetwater for Moda is absolutely perfect. I have been waiting (rather impatiently) for this line for a few months now. So imagine my delight when I read that Julie at jaybird quilts is hosting a giveaway of a PURE FQ bundle sponsored by the fab folks at The Fat Quarter Shop. There are five chances to enter, and you can get all the details by clicking here.

oh happy day

2010-08-14T08:31:00.002-05:00

My very first new sewing machine arrived this past February. It is a wonderful machine and I have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of it. It does sewing and embroidery, and when I bought it I thought I got the deal of the century. I found it at costco.com for only $600, while it was retailing on HSN for anywhere from $1200-$1500. Thus far, I have done all my piecing and quilting with this machine, but it does have it’s limitations due to a small throat size.

A few months ago, I happened to catch a “Singer Hour” on HSN where they were featuring the Quantum L-500. It was like angels from heaven had carried this machine to earth to give me all I ever wanted in a machine. It was $1200 and so I cried. After losing my job last October I have really had to change my shopping habits. A year ago, I would have bought it on the spot. Flash forward a year and I figured the closest I would get to this machine was watching the HSN video on YouTube.

Every week or so, I venture over to craigslist to see what kind of machines they have. Imagine my surprise to see a listing for the machine I had longed for, for so many months. It was fate! The asking price was $900… totally out of my price range. Even though the listing said the machine was brand new, never out of the box, I honed in on two little words in the listing… MUST SELL. So, I quickly responded asking if they would accept $500. Then I started having heart palpitations.

The seller responded very quickly with a counter-offer of $600, which is a stretch, but too good to pass up. It turns out, the seller was a cute girl who just graduated with a fashion degree and she received this machine as a “prize” for winning a competition at school. She had three other machines and needed some cash to help her get out of mom and dad’s house. A win-win for both of us, and it made Friday the 13^th a great day for me. One I won’t soon forget.

Here she is fresh out of the box. No name for her… yet!

New Look

2010-08-12T20:07:00.002-05:00

I've had the hardest time getting Blogger to cooperate with me. It shouldn't be this complicated to get a post written and published to my blog, but for some reason, I have the hardest time. I just published a post I had started a few weeks ago. Am I the only person who finds the blogger photo upload/insertion process dumb? Why won't it put the photo where I want it? Does anybody really want all their photos crammed at the top of the post? If someone has any advice, please share, because there HAS to be an easier way!!

A blogging friend of mine recently told me that she sends her posts via email, so I tried it tonight. Although I did have to go in and relink my images, it is definitely quicker than trying to do the whole thing in blogger. Maybe I can start posting with some regularity now. According to my friend, Royce, my life is interesting enough to blog about, so we'll see.

Tonight I noticed there is a new template designer function and that's where I found this new template. Not much different than the plain white I had before, but I do like the shading on this new one. It adds a little something, something. My favorite feature, was the ability to adjust the width of my blog and the sidebar. It's the little things in life, you know?!?!

I hope to be back tomorrow with another installment of my Tools of the Trade series. I have so many great products to talk about.

Seeing Double

2010-08-12T19:45:00.002-05:00

I recently finished up a few quilting projects that were twins. The first set was a simple table runner pattern I discovered on Moda Bake Shop. I knew it would be a great quick and easy project for the new 12 Days of Christmas fabric by Kate Spain for Moda. And because it was so simple, I decided to make two. One for me and one to give to my Mother.

I had pieced the tops about four months ago, but had to wait until I could get some yardage to finish up the project. I quilted with a simple meandering and now they are ready to dress up a table for the holiday season.

For the next set of quilts, we know two young ladies who graduated from High School this year and I thought lap quilts would be the perfect gift for both of them. I had purchased fabric from the Hunky Dory line by Chez Moi for Moda Fabrics with the intention of making a framed charm square quilt but I really didn’t know who would be the recipient of said quilt. When we received the graduation announcements in the mail, I knew I wanted to make something for them, and then it hit me, that this would be the perfect use for Hunky Dory.

This collection is so young and fresh I decided that would be perfect for these girls embarking on an exciting new chapter in their lives. I followed my original plan for the framed charm blocks and couldn't be more pleased with the end result. I quilted both with a simple meandering pattern. I’ve sent them away to their new ownders who I am sure will enjoy them for years to come. They finished out at about 48" square. I still have enough jelly roll strips and charm squares to maybe make a little something for myself. For now, the leftovers can chill out in my stash drawer as I have so many other projects on deck.

have you missed me?

2010-07-22T22:38:00.002-05:00

I really suck at blogging. If I were a quitter, I would totally stop trying. I want to be one of those people who posts something every day, but I have a hard time believing that my life is interesting enough to document so religiously. I have had a lot going on since I last posted, so here are all the highlights in a handy, time-saving bullet point list.

I've pieced twelve tops. Mostly lap quilts, but a few table runners as well.
Spent four fun days with my mom and a college friend for a girls weekend in April.
Took my quilting buddy Royce up to my folk's place for a quilting retreat and shopping at Hancocks of Paducah.
Fell in love with a few new quilting tools.
Have had several fun and creative days with Royce working on projects.

What have you been doing?

i {heart} burgundy buttons

2010-04-15T21:41:00.002-05:00

Aside from loving crafts, I really love craft supplies. Because I am afflicted with the *need* to purchase every imaginable gadget for my crafts of preference, it's really important that I get my supplies at the best price possible.

My latest craft obsession (yes, obsession) is quilting. With that, came the need for all sorts of new tools and gadgets and lots and lots of fabric. The first project I planned was a lovely table runner that would require a charm pack from the Verna by Kate Spain collection for Moda Fabrics.

In my quest to find something locally, I stumbled across Burgundy Buttons. The owner, Leah, lives and works in my neck of the woods. As an Internet merchant myself, I wanted to support her business. At the time, I was so new to things, I didnt' realize just what a great deal her prices are. That is no longer the case. Her prices are without a doubt, the lowest I've found and her level of service is outstanding.

If you haven't experienced Burgundy Buttons for yourself, you really should check it out. Be sure to head over to her blog as well because she is hosting an incredible giveaway and offering a great sale on her already unbeatable prices.

verna's cutting garden: complete

2010-04-13T14:06:00.003-05:00

This particular project was the catalyst.

It drove me over the edge in more ways than one.

I spent a fun day at Royce's house several weeks ago. Up to that point, quilting had always been one of those things I wanted to try, but hadn't taken the plunge. After a few hours of looking at her stash of fabrics and leafing through some quilting magazines, I was becoming more and more interested.

Then, she introduced me to the Moda Bake Shop. Be still my heart. Lots of cute projects that were super easy. I was immediately drawn to the Verna's Cutting Garden table runner. With Mother's Day approaching I thought this would be a nice project. From that moment I have gone crazy buying supplies and lots and lots of beautiful fabrics.

Last night and several nervous breakdowns later, I finished it. I had purposely waited a few weeks to quilt this until my extension table arrived and I'm glad I did. Although there were many many mistakes made throughout the process, I love this and I look forward to seeing it grace my Mother's table for many, many years.

Tools of the Trade: Accuquilt Go!

2010-04-06T18:01:00.007-05:00

This post is the first in a new series I have entitled Tools of the Trade. My initial thought was to keep this series quilting related. Since I have such a broad spectrum of interests in the crafting world, I will be highlighting my favorite tools regardless of craft. I hope that regardless of your level of skill that you will find the information informative. Please share your comments - we can all learn from each other!No matter what your craft of preference, it is my firm belief that if you are going to participate, it is important to have the right tools. For this first post, I will be highlighting the Accuquilt Go! Fabric Cutter. I have no doubt there are experienced quilters who may question why I would choose to blog about this first as opposed to a basic supply like the rotary cutter... you may be one of them. So please stick around, grab your favorite beverage and read on.

In my opinion, accurate cutting is to quilting, what good footers and a foundation are to home building. If you don't get it just right, it will be hard on the pocketbook and hard on your emotional well-being.

Soon after I fell prey to the lure of quilting, I realized that all. that. cutting. was going to be an issue for me. Even though I am fairly accurate, the idea of spending immense amounts of time cutting fabric was not appealing. I am impatient. I want to get to the fun part faster! I have enjoyed the ease of die-cutting in the world of paper crafts for several years, so I really hoped there was an equally brilliant product made especially for fabrics.

While the price tag for the machine is high (MSRP is $349), I instantly felt that it would be a wise investment. Never one to pay full retail price, I searched the Internet until I found a retailer who has figured out a way to offer this item and the dies & accessories for a much lower price. It also helps to have a quilting buddy to share with. My friend Royce has purchased some dies and so have I. We share them and that eases the strain on the crafting budget.

I recently designed a custom quilt for my mother in law, the center panel is comprised of 5" charm squares. I literally cut all of the squares for this quilt in less than 10 minutes. With the strip dies, I can cut my binding strips for the entire quilt in about 2 minutes... and they are perfectly straight!

The Go! cutter won't eliminate the need for other cutting tools, but it does lessen the number of manual cuts significantly. The accuracy and time savings are what keeps me going back to this tool time and time again, and why I believe this is a tool every quilter (or quilting group) should have in their tool bag.

Edited to add: I have recently joined forces with a group of accuquilt bloggers organized by SewCalGal. By following this link, you will have access to dozens of other blog posts related to the Accuquilt Go! Cutting System.

Custom Quilt Update

2010-03-31T08:34:00.004-06:00

I've had to take a short break from sewing for a few days, so I thought I would post a quick update on one of the custom quilts I have been working on. I apologize for the poor quality photo. I snapped this quickly with my iPhone since my real camera wasn't handy.

This is one of the many quilts I will be giving to members of our immediate family for Christmas this year. I designed this quilt to use mostly charm squares. I have purchased a Go! Cutter (more on this in a separate post) and the charm square die and wanted to be sure to make use of it.

Because of the simplicity of the design, this pieced together very quickly, even though I made some critical errors (see this post). It took about a day to fully complete the topper, including the applique. I have one more custom quilt to cut, piece and applique. It is also a very simple design and will utilize Go! dies, which is a huge timesaver.

learning the hard way

2010-03-27T09:19:00.002-06:00

I'm new to quilting. Did you know that? I am also a "figure things out as a go" kind of person. That kind of thought process is a little dangerous when it comes to quilting.

Last night I was ready to sew the rows together on a custom designed quilt. I have been sewing for over 20 years off and on, so I was mostly concerned with the length of the rows matching up and getting that darn 1/4" seam allowance right. When it was all pieced together, i noticed my blocks weren't matching up with each other very well. That didn't sit to well with my perfectionist personality.

I spent some time with my seam ripper and pretty much had to take all the rows apart and this time, when i pinned it together, i also made certain to match up the blocks. The result... beautiful. I will try to post some pics in my next post.

Have a terrific day!

PS - If you are reading this on March 27, 2010 hop on over to my favorite online fabric shop and buy a few things from Leah at Burgundy Buttons. Her prices are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. and today only, she's having a fun sale. Just use coupon code: bright and save an additional 10%!!

there's a first time for everything

2010-03-25T07:19:00.003-06:00

I decided earlier this year that I would only give hand-made gifts this year. This will hopefully save some money and provide a good excuse to work on crafty stuff. I have really taken a liking to quilting. The fabrics available these days are just incredible. I love color & pattern, so it's been lots of fun exploring this new-to-me craft.

Between my family and my husband's family, I have lots of folks to make gifts for. The idea is do make a smaller something for birthdays & mothers/fathers day and a bigger something for Christmas. The challenge with this is that because my business gets crazy busy around mid-October, I will need to have most of my gifts complete by then, which requires lots of planning ahead.

When I started thinking about what to make for my father and my mother in law, I knew I wanted to make each of them a nice snuggly themed quilt. For these, I was not going to find a handy pattern online. No, I was going to have to jump out there and create my first patterns. I found the whole process fairly simple. I had a vision for what I wanted the end result to look like, and just translated that into blocks/strips to achieve the look I was going for.

This quilt for my father will finish out at 48" x 72".

This quilt for my mother in law will finish at 60" x 60"

jumping in!

2010-03-20T07:46:00.005-06:00

I love crafts. Did you know that about me? I have a pretty wide variety of interests... let's just say I shop in several departments in the craft store. One particular craft has been on my 'want to try' list for a few years, Quilting.

I got a new sewing machine recently and that has really fueled my interest in fabric arts. After I finished monogramming every towel and Vera Bradley bag I own, I decided it was time to conquer quilting. I turned to my good friend, Royce, for guidance.

I've known Royce for several years. She (yes, SHE) and I worked together before she got smart and left her job to do freelance work and spend more time making beautiful things. Anyway, she started quilting a few years ago, about the time she learned how to thread a sewing machine needle and has been encouraging me along this journey.

I intended my first project to be a cute little thing for my Mom. Before I could get started on that, I found a pattern for a quilted ironing board cover. I have been in desperate need of a new cover for so long and that fact became glaringly obvious as I was pressing fabric to be cut for my other project.

I re-prioritized my projects and now I have a super cute, but not-quite perfect cover for my ironing board. I'm happy with the results and motivated to start my next project.

Fabric used in this project: Frolic by Sandy Gervais Moda Jelly Roll

Special thanks to my new fave online fabric shop... Burgundy Buttons for the great prices and customer service.

let's try this again, shall we?

2010-03-20T07:29:00.003-06:00

When I originally started this blog, I had intended it to focus primarily on my crafty endeavors. At the time, I was a newlywed working full-time in corporate America, starting a new business and renovating a 30-year old condo. That sentence alone should tell you that I didn't have time for crafty endeavors. So, my blog became more about nothing and what I had started with high hopes and aspirations just turned into something else to keep me from getting my craft on.

So, what's changed? Well, quite a bit, actually. I'm creeping up to my fifth wedding anniversary, I left corporate America behind to focus on my growing business, sold our beautifully renovated condo and now in the throes of renovating a 30-year old house. I finally have time and energy to get my craft on again!

Whether you are an old reader or new reader, Welcome! I'll try to do better this time around.

Quick Update

2008-07-07T13:13:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted. Like all blog breaks, I never intend to take a break, it just sort of happens. So, before this turns into a slump, I thought I should at least post a line or two.

Summer is off to a good start. Things have been busy lately. Business is booming and it's such a great feeling to see this dream of mine continue to grow and evolve. It's shaping up to be a banner year and that really excites me.

I throroughly enjoyed the long holiday weekend. For the first time in a long time, I didn't have any obligations on the calendar! It was such a rare treat to just make up the schedule as it went along. I spent two blissful afternoons at the pool on Thursday and Saturday. Did lots of reading and Sunday, I took a nap IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY! I never do that unless I'm sick, so this was such an indulgence for me.

Rich and I were both off on Friday and had a fun day of hanging around the house while I cooked up a traditional Independence Day feast of barbeque ribs, potato salad, chilled broccoli salad, baked beans and cornbread. Then for dessert, we made sundaes out of my Island Inspiration brownies. We had his mom over for dinner and to watch the first inning of the Cubs/Cardinals game. It was a great day!

How was your 4th?

Color Inspiration Challenge #12

2008-06-21T16:36:00.004-05:00

I had a little more time to think about this challenge than last week. I'm not actually sure how the colors were picked, on my monitor I'm just picking up a chocolatey brown and white, but I was able to pull this palette together into a cute little pocket card.

What do you think?

Today's Faves

2008-06-16T15:33:00.006-05:00

Food: Thyme Grilled Chicken with Maple Chipotle Glaze
Drink: McD's Sweet Tea
Fruit: Sweet strawberries

Ice cream: Graeter's Coconut Chip
Candy bar: Mounds
Music: Lady Antebellum
TV Show: Jon & Kate + 8
Movie: Sex and the City
Book: Love the One You're With - Emily Giffin
Sound: The peaceful splashing sound of my float moving through the water.

Smell: Coppertone continuous spray sunscreen.

Sight: The latest release from Papertrey Ink
Touch: Floating in the cool water of the swimming pool on these hot days
Taste: Coconut-Walnut Brownies (oh, my)

Riding in Cars with Dogs

2008-06-16T11:04:00.004-05:00

This boy would love nothing more than to spend all of his days riding in cars. In the days when it was just the two of us, we took many drives together, but these days, not so much. Over the weekend I made a quick overnight trip to visit my parents and took Riley along for the ride. He loved every minute of the ride there and back (3 hours each way).

I snapped this shot of him while I was driving yesterday. (Don't freak, I just held the camera with one hand and kept snapping away - this was the only picture out of many that was usable.) It perfectly captures his fantastic personality and his love for the open road. I loved having him with me and it reminded me that I need to bring him along for the ride more often.

Color Inspiration Challenge 11

2008-06-13T21:29:00.007-05:00

It's time again for the kwernerdesign blog Color Inspiration Challenge. The palette and inspiration shown above is brought to us by Ikea. Read on to see my entry and to read a little bit behind the design.

I really liked the palette for this week's challenge. It was much easier for me than the previous challenge. As Kristina pointed out when she posted the challenge, the inspiration uses a great deal of white. I love working with white as much as I like working with color. In terms of impactful design, white, when used with limited amounts of bold color can really provide an incredible result.

This card is very simple, but I think that's what is most striking about it. I love the layers of petals, the dimension of the flower, the texture of the piercings really pop. This challenge was great fun. Hope you enjoy!!

Cardstock: So Saffron, Stampin' Up; White Opaque, Cougar
Inks: Rose Red, Old Olive, Craft White: Stampin' Up
Stamps: Friendship Blooms, Lots of Dots Jumbo Wheel: Stampin' Up
Tools: 1" & 3/4" circle punches: EK Success; Mat Pack: Stampin'Up; Stampin' Dimensionals: Stampin' Up

Haves & Have Nots

2008-06-09T13:39:00.002-05:00

This looked like a fun activity. I've seen this on several blogs over the last few days and decided I would play along.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula (and not bloody likely too, either!)
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (Tennessee, that is)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse (by accident, but still...)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing Nyquil helps)
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird (if this can include the one found on both my hands he he)
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox. (Holly Hobbie!!)
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers (i hate that i have to admit to this)
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Photo Mosaic

2008-06-09T13:07:00.003-05:00

Back in February, a few of my scrapbooking friends introduced me to photo mosaics. It is form of scrapbooking, where you cut photos up in to small squares and adhere them to a piece of 12 x 12 paper to form a grid pattern.

I was intrigued by this concept, but to be honest, not excited about the prospect of cutting photos into little squares. So, when Marc posted the TOP challenge for this month, a light went off in my head. So, using some of the photos I used for my initial grid, I have created a photo mosaic.

Now that it's all together, I definitely would choose other photos next time. It's helpful if your photos have similar background. I will try this again to see if I can achieve the look I am going for, but thought I would at least post this to see if it might inspire anyone else to do the same.

Please email me if you would like instructions on how to do this.

No Show and Tell

2008-06-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

Rich and I returned from a great weekend trip to Memphis last night and I have nothing to show. Believe it or not, I didn't take a single photo. So if you want to know what we did for three days, you'll just have to read on :-)

We got ourselves packed and the boys loaded in the car to leave the house at 8:30. Dropped the boys off at the kennel and headed west. We got about 45 minutes down the I-40, only to realize that I had left my corporate card at home. (*&^*)&%(*!!! Although this trip was mostly pleasure, it was a business trip and I needed my corporate card, so back to the house we went.

We finally arrived in Memphis about 2:30, and headed straight for the tournament. It was SO HOT this weekend. Holy moly... these are August temps! Luckily we had passes for the cabana (thank you FedEx) on the 18th green, so we were able to sit in the air conditioned comfort and enjoy some great food and cold beverages.

We left there and checked into our room at the world famous Peabody Hotel. After a brief rest, we changed and headed across the street to The Rendezvous for some of that great Memphis Barbeque. From there, it was back to the hotel, where we grabbed dessert and went back to the room.

Rich had to leave around 6:15 Saturday morning to go play golf, so I lounged around for the morning and then headed off to Archiver's. I had been looking forward to shopping there for the past month. Oh my goodness... all sorts of fantastic goodies to bring home. After the very intense shopping, I headed back to the hotel to meet up with Rich. He was tired from his golf game, and wanted to rest for a while before heading out to dinner.

We chose to eat at Cayenne Moon, cajun restaurant just a few blocks from our hotel. The food was incredible! We both love cajun/creole cooking, so this was a great treat and got me looking forward to my upcoming trip to New Orleans in September (Natasha, I'll be emailing you about a get together!).

We finished off the night with Indiana Jones. What a strange movie...

The tournament was calling our name, so we headed back over for a while Sunday morning before we started on our way home. But, not before one more stop at Archiver's... it's probably a good thing we don't have one here in Nashville. I would be broke, for sure!

On our way home, we stopped in Jackson, TN to have lunch at The Old Country Store. Oh my goodness! I am not a buffet kind of girl. I typically refer to it as fondled food. But, this place is so good. Lots of great country cooking, so I am willing to look past the fact that it is served on a buffet. I ate way more than I should have, but I made up for it by skipping dinner.

It was a wonderful trip and so great to get away, but sleeping in my own bed last night was heavenly.

How was your weekend?

What's up with the heat?

Birdies, Blues and Barbeque

2008-06-06T07:30:00.002-05:00

Rich and I are heading off for a fun weekend in Memphis in about an hour or so. We're going for the St. Jude Classic PGA Tour event, but are looking forward to hearing some of the great music on Beale Street and a tasty dinner tonight at The Rendezvous.

This will be my first trip in many years without a computer... I'm a little apprehensive about leaving it behind, but I just feel like I need to get away. Besides, it's not like I don't have a full browser and email on my iPhone, so I won't be completely shut out. I haven't told Rich that I am doing this yet, he will be COMPLETELY shocked.

Have a great weekend, ya'll!

Let's Polka

2008-06-04T20:52:00.008-05:00

This card is for my latest card swap over at splitcoaststampers. If you are a scrapbooking or card making enthusiast, you should check out that website. There is great information available in the forums. That's where you can sign up for swaps like this one. The gallery is also a great place to go for a little inspiration. Lots of gorgeous eye candy!

The theme for this swap was Let's Polka. The only requirement was that we were to use polka dots somewhere on the card. I created this layout in February, and loved it so much I thought I would make a few tweaks and use it for this swap. It's a very fun little card and the sentiment makes it perfect for just about any occasion... or no occasion at all.

Cardstock: Soft Sky, Stampin' Up; White Opaque, Cougar
Inks: Soft Sky, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip: Stampin' Up
Stamps: Polka Dot Background, Make It Count, Polka Dot Posies: Stampin' Up
Ribbon: Fern Gingham, Offray

I made it!

2008-06-04T08:53:00.002-05:00

So very excited this morning to learn that my father's day card was selected as one of the Top Ten submitted for kwernerdesign's Color Inspiration Challenge 10. I really struggled with this color combo, so just finishing was an accomplishment.

Take Out Photo - June Challenge: The Grid

2008-06-03T20:41:00.004-05:00

My blogging friend, Michelle's husband just started a new blog. He's an amazing photographer and is sharing some of his genius tips and tricks. This month, the challenge/tutorial was how to create a grid of photos using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

Creating the grid and following that pattern wasn't much of a challenge for me. Although, I will say the graphic designer in me, just wanted to bypass this step in Photoshop and just lay it out in InDesign. I am not a pro at Photoshop... I can find my way around to do some very basic stuff, but Illustrator and InDesign are definitely where my strengths lie. But, I did learn some cool tricks in Photoshop that I am quite excited about. Thanks Marc for the tips and for hosting this awesome challenge. Looking forward to learning more from you!

Here is the result of my efforts. What do you think?

Color Inspiration Challenge #10

2008-06-01T15:13:00.005-05:00

This is the first time I've been able to participate in these challenges. Normally, these run during the week, when I don't have time to sit and think about how to make a design work with a specific color palette.

Since we were working with more masculine colors, I wanted to craft a card to give to my Dad for Father's Day. I learned some things in the process of making this. I don't have many stamps that are appropriate for a card for the male gender. I don't like working with a blue/green/yellow color scheme. And most importantly, never loan your stamp pads out! I let my friend borrow these colors because 'I dont' ever work with these colors'. Thank goodness I have all the markers!

Given these 'challenges', I am pleased with the results. The numerals are a perfect choice for this card. My Father was a mathemeatics instructor, so this will have extra special meaning for him.

2008-05-30T13:33:00.003-05:00

Looking for something crafty to do this weekend? Why not participate in the kwerenerdesign Color Challenge? Head on over to her blog for all the deets, or if you're not interested in playing along, you can always just skim through all the great eye candy.

Lost in Ribbons

2008-05-30T09:04:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, I stumbled onto the a blog post by Nichole Heady with Papertrey Ink. She posted photos and information about her new home studio. To my delight, she posted lots of specifics, which is going to make it so much easier for me to use many of her ideas for my space as well.

So far, I've taken two steps in this process. I've purchased the white photo storage boxes (thank you 1/2 price sale at Joann's). Yesterday I began the tedious, task of organizing my ribbon. ALL. MY. RIBBON. Between my shopaholic tendencies and Kristi's generosity, I have more ribbon than I know what to do with.

To get it organized, Nichole recommends wrapping it around old-fashioned clothespins, sorting by color family and storing in great glass candy jars. Here's a photo of how she displays/stores it in her studio. It's so pleasing to the eye, and the best part is that you always know what you have and it takes up much less space than spools.

Last night, I sat down on the couch with a grocery bag full of loose ribbon, 60 clothespins and a box of straight pins and got to work. I like having mindless work to do while I"m watching TV. I thoroughly enjoyed the season finale of LOST and filled up all of the clothespins I had. Still lots more ribbon to convert, but I'm very excited about the progress.