shade garden quilt

So, yeah.  I've been making stuff (I swear!!!).  In fact this quilt has been done (and living with it's new owner) for months but I'm just getting around to posting about it now. 

This quilt was made for a wonderful friend's new baby boy, "D".  A total cutie.  And lucky younger brother to big sister "G".  Also a total cutie. 

For this quilt I used Michelle Engel Bencsko's line she designed for Henry Glass Fabrics, Shade Garden.  I actually acquired these fabrics by purchasing a fat quarter bundle that she donated to crafthope during the crafthope for haiti drive (which I also donated to).  There are a few sellers that have her fabrics on etsy, but she also has her own shop, cicadastudio, which carries the same fat quarter bundles.  I see she's on vacation now, but should be open soon.

I love these fabrics.  Sweet little flowers, sprouts and trees, and my favorites, the snails and mushrooms.  I chose more of the boy-ish colors and cut them all into 9" squares.  The back is a print used in the front and I quilted it with double squares.  I made a square block 1/4" in from the seams, and then another one a couple inches in from that. 

I love how it turned out - very simple and clean - but I do wish the quilting would have shown up better.  It was the first time I strayed from my cream colored quilting thread and went with something a bit more coordinating, so perhaps that was it.  It was fun to make though and I hope D loves it!

april blocks

It's about time I actually do some crafting posts around here, eh?  Not just "I don't seem to have time for crafting" posts.  Because I do have some time (just not "being able to sew 3 dresses a day time!)...and here's what I've been up to. 

I thought for sure I had posted my April bee blocks already, but alas, there the post was...sitting in my unpublished posts.  Oh well...better late than never!

First up is my block for Greta of the Modern Tradition Quilt Bee.  I LOVE love love this block.  Love it.  Here is her inspiration quilt and that totally sold me when I saw it.  So I'll totally admit to cutting extra 3 1/2" squares for my own (someday....). 

Next up is Tracy of Nittany Block Party.  She basically wanted total improv blocks (basically, as long as we used the fabric she provided we could make whatever we wanted).  Since I had just done my zig zag quilt and was totally on a half-square triangle kick, I went for two blocks utilizing those. 

I'd love to do a whole quilt out of half square triangles like this someday. 

Finally, a paper-pieced Tea Leaf block for Margaret of the Bee's Knees Bee.  Normally this block is appliqued, but since many of us had never done curved blocks before she created a paper-pieced version for us to follow. 

I'll admit...I struggled with this one.  The paper piecing part is easy.  I actually really enjoyed it.  My problem was more with the fabric.  I changed my needle, made sure my machine was working right...but I struggled with those batiks something awful.  I had trouble in places where many seams joined, and also had trouble doing the stay-stitching at the end.  Blech.  I just hope they turned out okay!

I still have more to show you all!  May blocks...and two quilts I've done that I have yet to post here.  I'm really falling behind!

300 sales (and another change!)

(A word of warning....this is long.  I wanted to write something short and sweet about the changes and well....all this stuff just started flowing out!  So if you do read it all, thanks in advance.)

Today I officially hit 300 sales..wow!  It seemed fitting that on this day, I'd also go ahead and announce a change coming to the shop.  Actually, I've already started making the changes, and more will be made over the next few days. 

I've loved having this shop.  For more than a few reasons.  I really have found a passion with sewing that I haven't had before.  Sure, there are other creative outlets that I enjoy and have done well with, such as home remodeling (maybe some day I'll actually get around to sharing some of those photos!) and gardening, but nothing quite like the sewing.  Maybe part of it was how quickly it all came about....  I signed up for one sewing lesson, and within days bought my first machine.  I bought some patterns, and set out to start sewing my own things that I had never made before.  I took one more class, and I was utterly hooked.  The serger purchase soon followed.  And literally, less than three months later, Noah and Lilah was born.  And Lilah was born, literally, smack in the middle of all this.  It's been fun, exciting, and a total whirlwind to say the least.  The extra money is nice as well.  We could really use it right now.  We're doing some things with our finances and the extra money is a nice thing to have (and would actually be a key to success)...but of course that means I should also pare down on my fabric purchases, ahem.

But time......ahhhh.  What is that?  I think in the beginning it was so easy to get things done because I had a newborn who slept like a dream (or at least for some reasonably long stretches) where late at night I'd sew and sew and sew.  But that got old, quick.  I was tired.  And I was crabby.  So then I started sleeping again (phew!) and sewing nights and weekends.  But then I was just missing my family. 

Let's face it....I had turned my passion for sewing into a "job".  Which is fine and dandy, if you have that one thing I lacked...time.  I would often wonder how so many other etsians kept up....were they working late nights and weekends like myself?  Were they missing out on quality time with there family just as I was?  And so many other things fell by the wayside during this time....we have rentals I have to keep the books for, a house to keep clean, kids to dress, keep clean, and most importantly, love on, have fun with and just ENJOY.  Enjoy this very short time in their lives which are so fleeting and I'll wish I could have all over again a short time from now, I'm sure.  I'm lucky to be at home with them.  Extremely.  There is honestly no where else in the world I'd rather be right now.  We gave up a lot, financially, for me to be home with them.  But it's been totally worth it and I'd do it over if I could. 

Long story short - as much as I'd love to keep going on the customs, I just can't.  At least not at the pace I had been.  As some of you know, I've been selling fabric for a time now, and that has been going really well.  But I've also decided to start selling some of my fabric as DIY kits, perfect for beginning sewists or anyone who'd like to just buy a small amount of fabric for that one project and nothing more!  I'd really love everyone who has ever said "Oh, I wish I could sew!  That's so cute!" to actually try one of my kits and realize just how easy it is. 

So, there it is!  I've started rolling some of the DIY kits into the shop and will continue to add more as time allows.  Which with this busy family, could be anytime! 

And with that, I'm off to tball!  ;-)

scrap winner!

I used random.org and it chose:

Congrats Tanya!  I'll shoot you an email soon.  I have company this weekend, so it might not be until tomorrow, but I will be in touch!

scraptastic!

100 posts!  I feel like I go through such stages of post, post, post and then you don't hear from me for a bit, that it's hard to believe this is my 100th post.  But it is!  Just to make things a little more fun, I thought I'd do a giveaway.  You see.....I have a bit of a scrap problem...

I seriously need to pare down my scraps.  So, I'm giving away a scrap bag - the equivalent of 2 yards by weight of scraps.  They'll be my pick, but I'm game for various colors or pieces if I have them.  You can see there are some unicorns (and even some sleeping beauty!) in there, but that's about my extent of purple.  Maybe you want a rainbow of colors to make a rainbow zig zag quilt?   Or maybe there are some mermaids you have your eye on? 

You can enter three ways: 

1. Leave a comment in this post.  No need to be a follower (though I do appreciate it!)
2. Share on Facebook using the @NoahandLilah so I can see it on my page! (leave a separate comment)
3. Blog about it - leave a link to your blog so I can see it as well (leave as a separate comment)

That's it.  Have fun!

ETA:  Oh - and I'll leave this open til noon on Friday.  I'll announce a winner shortly thereafter.  Thanks!

Comments closed.  I'll announce a winner shortly!

fabric!!!

So while I'm taking a small break from custom orders, I'm also realizing that I have more fabric than I know what to do with.  So, I've decided to sell some of it to make some room. Most of what I have listed now is Heather Ross (including a few hard-to-finds like Sleeping Beauty in Plum or the Purple Unicorns that are now out of print).  Get it while it lasts!

red, white and {aqua}

I have a little red, white, and blue aqua of my own this 4th of July!

I've been receiving some of my June blocks for the Modern Tradition bee.  Aren't they beautiful? 

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and safe 4th of July!

:: this moment ::

:: this moment :: - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, join in over at SouleMama.