Noah and Lilah

giveaway

2010-11-20T10:08:00.002-05:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted, but I'm hoping to remedy that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I've updated my blog template (and lost my widgets in the process), and also wanted to let you know about a giveaway I'm doing.

I first found Little Birdie Secrets when I was searching flickr and google for some bunting pictures, since I'm making some for a friend. I'm completely obsessed with it lately, ever since my friend Erin made some for her family's celebrations as well as gifts for family/friends.

In the process, and I'm not really sure where or how, I came across this adorable quilt:

You can read all about it here. Isn't it awesome? I definitely have this on my "must-do" list now.

She's currently hosting a giveaway for Noah and Lilah over there, so head on over to check it out. Ends tomorrow night! I can't seem to link to that specific post, but scroll down a few days and you'll find it on the main page. Good luck!

2010-11-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

Has it really been almost two months? I guess so!

I'm destashing again! I have bolts of Echino & Kokka (including Heather Ross) and I'm trying to cut down on my shop fabric so I'll have more time for quilting after the holidays. Check it out here!

Peace Light Love - fabric destash

2010-09-10T19:31:00.000-04:00

For those of you that follow me on facebook, you already know about my new shop, Peace Light Love, where I'll be selling fabric, DIY kits and patterns, but I'm also coming to terms with the fact that I have wayyyyyyy too much fabric, and I really need to destash. So, I'm getting rid of some things. And hint, hint...some of it is out of print and hard to find (especially the precuts!).

Check it out here.

shade garden quilt

2010-07-30T17:21:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-27T13:58:00.001-04:00

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!)

2010-07-26T18:54:00.000-04:00

(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!

2010-07-10T09:21:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-07-07T09:13:00.005-04:00

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:

Leave a comment in this post. No need to be a follower (though I do appreciate it!)
Share on Facebook using the @NoahandLilah so I can see it on my page! (leave a separate comment)
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!!!

2010-07-06T12:13:00.000-04:00

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}

2010-07-04T15:24:00.000-04:00

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 ::

2010-07-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

:: 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.

back in the saddle

2010-06-14T18:58:00.000-04:00

So what does a girl who admits to being a little "burned out" on sewing do bright and early on the morning after her first craft show?

More sewing of course! For my lil' guy this time.

4 new pairs of shorts/pjs/loungers! They work for it all, really. All made with fabric that I've had sitting around (and even one I bought especially for him - love those swirlies!). (And man...can you tell I'm a genius with the camera or what? Yeah, I know - I need some white balance lessons....).

Gonna be a BUSY couple of weeks around here. I have quilting bees to catch up on. Birthday bunting to make. A couple (or more!) of quilts to finish. And a handmade doll to boot. One just like this little girl....

Eeek! Wish me luck!

changes are a comin'

2010-06-08T15:10:00.000-04:00

I've been crafting...in quite a few ways lately! But I seem to have no time for blogging. That and it started to feel a bit like a chore....which is always a sign to back off. So I did! ;-)

The other thing that is beginning to feel like a chore somewhat is the shop, to be quite honest. I love it, I truly do....but with summer and sun and warm weather and strawberry picking and the pool open and bike riding and ....you get the idea. I'm starting to feel burnt out on it. I want to craft, but I don't want to do it because I have to. Or at least not this time of year. Maybe in the winter when it's cold and snowy and we're holed up indoors. But not now. I just feel like I spend time working on orders and then I don't spend time working on the things I really want to work on. Like baby and birthday quilts (the number of quilt ideas I have in my head right now is scary). I want to make Noah shorts and have time to do it...not put it aside for another day because I have other orders to fill, know what I mean?

So I've decided to make a change, at least temporarily. I'm closing the shop to custom orders. I'll leave it open for now in case there is something someone has really been wanting to order, but then I'm closing it up for a craft show I have this weekend, and when I open it again on Sunday, I'll only have ready to ship items in there. I will still be selling, but I'll be listing things only after I've made them (when the mood strikes me!).

And I'm hoping that doing this also means I'll be here more often. When blogging isn't about "getting my name out there" for the shop, but more about the art of crafting...the process...and why I do it.

I only learned to sew last May (I bet some of you didn't know that!), and I truly feel that I was meant to do it. I am mostly self-taught (especially in the quilting department), and it brings me joy and satisfaction in a way I haven't experienced often. I love quilting, and feel that is where I am the most creative. I have so many ideas but I just seem to have no time to bring them to fruition. I'm hoping this changes that! ;-)

zig zag baby - blogger's quilt festival

2010-05-21T09:45:00.002-04:00

This was not the quilt I hoped to be showing you today, but it's a quilt I love nonetheless! This is a quilt which I recently did for a friend of mine who had her seventh baby. This friend also happens to be my midwife's assistant, and was present at Lilah's homebirth. It was inspired by this quilt that Alison made of Cluck Cluck Sew.

She had no idea what she was having so I waited to start it until I knew what she had. I happen to be part of a great group here in town (but chapters are available nationwide) of Holistic Moms Network. Each time a new mama has a baby, we take turns making dinners for about 10 meals or so and spread it out over the first few weeks. I purposely asked to have the last possible meal so I could get this quilt done as well!

I cut all the squares the weekend before and then spent a few nights making the half square triangles. Then (and this is one of the reasons I love this quilt!) I put the entire thing together in a few hours on a Sunday (the day before I delivered it of course). I will admit to cheating a little....I machine stitched the entire binding. I normally will machine stitch to the front and then hand stitch to the back, but at this point, exhaustion from too many other things (craft hope bean bags, numerous shop orders, also trying to create inventory for a craft show I'm doing next month) led me to go this route.

This might seriously have become my go-to baby quilt!

I backed it with a boyish print (Alexander Henry's 2D Zoo in pool) all in one piece (again...exhaustion!).

Now, because I just have to...here's the quilt I was really hoping would be done for the quilt show. I am hoping to finish it in the next week and a half or so...or at least before the craft show as I'm hoping to display it and a few other quilts there!

But while you're at it, look at the quilt that Carla made using this same block, and even this one on flickr! So gorgeous! (and make me want to finish my quilt even more quickly now!)

craft hope

2010-05-20T07:56:00.000-04:00

These are the bean bags I completed for craft hope and their Liberia Orphan Education Project.

March blocks in May

2010-05-16T07:38:00.000-04:00

Yep...no better way to remind myself just how "on-top" of the blog I've been than to post blocks I've done 2 months later (not unlike my February blocks in April post).

First up are Debbie's house blocks for the Bee's Knees Bee. These were a super fast, super fun take on "house" blocks that I've seen all over flickr. Of course, I could use some help on making sure my fabric lines up in the same direction (eek!).

Lesly's blocks for the Modern Tradition Quilt Bee were called Granny's Flower Garden. I loved making these. The colors she chose were so spring-y and beautiful, and the essex linen background fabric was just lovely. I can imagine the gorgeous quilt these will make!

And finally, Carla had us do some wonky log cabin blocks for the Nittany Block Party Bee with Nicey Jane fabrics. I love these fabrics...I have the entire Nicey Jane line and haven't yet cut into it. I could easily see myself making one of these for myself. I've never been the hugest fan of log cabins, but I do love the wonkiness of this one and I think I see a wonky log cabin quilt in my future!

babies and butterflies and bean bags, oh my!

2010-05-12T16:52:00.000-04:00

Babies...as in mine wearing his....

and the other one now walking!!!

Butterflies...both worn and held.

And bean bags.

These are a project I signed up for with craft hope. I said last year that I really wanted to get involved in some craftivism this year, and I certainly am. I donated items to Craft Hope for Haiti earlier this year, I'm now particpating in this project, and I have another (unrelated to craft hope) coming soon.

The bean bags are due Friday, and I just started today. Which means I'm a little behind the eight-ball, but I must admit is typical. What can I say...I work well under pressure!

Far Far Away 2!!

2010-05-04T15:15:00.002-04:00

I couldn't reveal pics of the fabrics I ordered before, but now am able. Here you go!

Of course I would have loved to simply get the entire line, but only chose a few for the shop. For anyone interested in the full line, I know sewdeerlyloved will be carrying all of it when it comes in.

What do you think? Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel are cute, but the Owl and the Pussycat are by far my favorites! ;-)

fat quarterly

2010-04-27T08:39:00.001-04:00

The farmer people.....yeah. Don't mind that post. It was meant for my family blog, but I can't delete it from the reader. Anyhoo....

Did you see that the very first issue of Fat Quarterly is now available for purchase? Packed with six patterns, designer interviews and more. Check out their blog to see all of the amazing photos of the items featured, and click here to purchase for yourself from their shop, or here to purchase a gift for someone else from their etsy shop.

I'll be back soon...so much to talk about. My string-x quilt, online quilty ettiquette, and a new finished quilt. I've also added some new items to the shop! Dolly and Me items for your little one and her doll, and Mommy and Me items for you and your little one!

nittany block party quilt top

2010-04-19T11:42:00.002-04:00

I unpacked all my quilt blocks from my nittany block party and threw them up on my design wall. I became so giddy with excitement that I just had to snap a picture with my camera phone (of all things) and put it up on flickr.

I'm not sure what "Explore" is, but apparently my (horrible) photo made it there and is racking up views and faves like crazy. Eeeks! Why oh why did I have to take such a horrible picture? Well, it's good motivation to get this baby finished and take a proper picture! I'm *loving* this so much right now! Can't wait until it's done....but that may be a while. I have big plans for the back as well, so I have quite a few more blocks to make.

february blocks in april?

2010-04-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

Well, not really. These blocks were made in late February/early March before I left for Vegas. But just now getting around to posting them.

First up, some flying geese for Claire:

And then some log cabins for Leanne:

In super fab fabric news...I have some Far Far Away Part 2 on order. YAY! I'm not allowed to post pics just yet, but can't wait to add fun items to the shop (and of course some quilts) with these awesome fabrics!

hellllloooooooooooooooooooooooo

2010-04-01T07:22:00.003-04:00

Is anyone out there? Remember me?

Phew! That was a long break! I was feeling a little burnt out on stuff, and had a crazy March. A trip to Vegas with some of my girlfriends (so not what you're thinking....we also had 11 kids in tow!), a couple of huge wholesale orders, and all the quilts, not to mention personal stuff like taxes and the like....I just needed to take a breather! So I gave myself until the end of March and now we're back to hit it hard!

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post and quilting questions. I think kwiltmakr hit the nail on the head. When I went back to quilt again I tried to ease up on the fabric and as she said, just guide it. No more skipped stitches! I think I was just putting a little too much of myself into it.

I'm hoping to have a few new things to show you soon, including my February bee blocks (can't believe I haven't shown those yet!), March bee blocks and some quilts.

For now, off to enjoy the weather. 70's and sunny here this week....truly amazing weather!

boys boys boys

2010-02-27T17:42:00.002-05:00

Only significance of this post name is that the three quilt tops below are all intended for boys.

My latest quilt top, for Noah.

Another quilt top, for a special baby!

And this one isn't actually a quilt for a boy, but the remaining squares I had cut of another quilt-top I'm currently piecing for a boy. As you can see, I've been busy quilting (or more accurately, piecing!).

But now I need some help. I'm currently quilting the 2nd quilt shown above and am having trouble. I have to admit...quilting is by far my least favorite part of making a quilt. I have had problems since day one with every quilt top I've ever done. Some have been easier than others, and some problems have been minor with some being downright disastrous (and therefore quilt tops ripped apart, scrapped or still sitting unfinished...).

The problem I'm encountering now is this....I'm using my walking foot and doing some straight-line quilting. Problem is, I'll be quilting along...and everything is going fine....and then all of a sudden it skips on me. So I'll have stitch stitch stitch and then s t i t c h . One big long stitch. Make sense?

I know it would be SO much easier to show with a picture but I'm currently at my MILs and can't do that easily right now. If anyone has any insight for me I'd greatly appreciate it! I have a new needle in, checked to make sure my bobbin is in right, etc. The quilt is so fab I want to finish it so badly but sometimes you just need to set it aside and walk away...kwim?

Time for a glass of wine. :-)

oven mitts

2010-02-22T08:33:00.004-05:00

Last year (meaning, Christmas of 2008) my mother-in-law made this fabulous kitchen for Noah using nothing but some stock cabinets and scrap wood. Yeah, she pretty much rocks. Noah loves it, and uses it all the time.

He loves to cook on it while we're cooking meals and he gives us plates of his food for us to eat with our other food.

He was all bummed out while cooking one day last week because he couldn't find one of his missing oven mitts. We looked for it (although admittedly - rather quickly and not that hard!) and couldn't find it, so I suggested that mom make him a new matching set. His face lit up when I said it, and Lilah was taking a nice long nap, so we headed straight downstairs to work on it.

I let him pick any fabric he wanted and he chose this solid blue. I happened to have some grosgrain ribbon in one of my drawers so he also picked the colors for those as well as the bias tape.

He was so excited when I finished the first one (which came together in all of 10 minutes - nice!) that he started running upstairs before I reminded him we had one more to make! And then of course, once we were done, they immediately had to go on their designated hook.

I hope we have lots more fun projects like this to come!

going solo

2010-02-19T12:12:00.003-05:00

Helloooo?? Remember me?

Yeah, I'm around. Been solo parenting this week so all of my attention is focused on the kiddos. And we've had a blast! But wow...it's exhausing. Single parents deserve a medal or something. Seriously. Of course it doesn't help that I purposely shirk my sleep time to watch half-pipe competitions til midnight. But wow - was it worth it!

Lots of crafting going on around here lately. Lots and lots and lots. And even a tiny bit of sewing. Noah requested some new oven mitts for his play kitchen. Fun!

Pictures to come...

february quilt blocks

2010-02-09T16:07:00.007-05:00

I've been up since 3am with my lovely 7 month old. Honestly a rare thing for her. But if you're going to be up, why not blog too, eh?

I just wanted to share some of the quilt blocks my Nittany Block Party pals made for me. So.freakin.awesome. Seriously. I am already loving this quilt. See Carla's block below.

Beth's block above.

And Ruth's block above. As Carrie of Sex in the City would say....hello lover!

I love each of them and can already see the quilt coming together! I better get started with some of my own now! Thanks ladies!

what i've been up to

2010-02-09T15:25:00.005-05:00

Lack of posts...I know. Business has finally rebounded from the post-holiday lull, and I've been filling wholesale orders to boot! I also still (never seems to end....maybe because I can't seem to stop buying fabric....) have new fabrics and new dress styles and things to add to the shop. All in good time.

I wanted to share my new shop cards with all of you though. I LOVE them! Of course, they're moo minicards, which means that they're gorgeous and small and perfect! I had been seeing them as I ordered things off of etsy, and just loved them. Then I also saw a discount on the Chiot's Run blog.

Bummer is the discount is over, but honestly, the cards are worth it! It works seamlessly with etsy (you get to auto upload the pics right from your active listings) and the pictures look just as beautiful on the cards as they do online. I'm loving filling orders right now and getting to tuck one of these into each package!

Of course it helps tremendously that I'm so lucky to have Kelly Anderson shooting many of my items for me. Seriously, she SELLS my stuff. I mean, I of course love my items and think they'd sell without her, but I truly believe and know that I sell so much more because of her. The pictures are that important. And they rock. She rocks! Seriously...if any of you are in Arizona, check out her blog and that should be reason enough to book a session with her!

I also recently ordered some boutique labels due to my increasing wholesale orders. I also like to be able to put these in my reversible styles since I don't include a hang tag with those...I really like the child to be able to wear it reversible without worrying about a tag. Loving those too. Purchased here. Gotta love the fellow etsians!

Other things I've been up to? Our days have been filled with crafts lately. There is glitter everywhere. Seriously. On clothes...shoes...socks...floors...tables...I don't think it's leaving! And now we're expecting around 9 inches of snow so I'm hoping to take Noah sledding tomorrow!

sherbet stars

2010-02-01T08:18:00.005-05:00

This is my first finished quilt of 2010. I'm calling it sherbet stars...I started the stars when Block Party introduced the friendship star block back in November. I saw that they were planning on introducing the next block on February 1st, so figured I better get a move on finishing it!

The sherbet part comes from the colors which came from a quilt bundle from Fabricworm which I blogged about here.

I did very little quilting. From the get-go with this one I knew I wanted to simply outline each star. I thought I might add more, but as I got closer and closer to finishing, I chose to leave it with just that much.

For the back I used a Kona solid in Apricot and the binding is Celery I believe. I also added a strip bordered by the white muslin used on the front. Each square in the strip is a print used in the stars on the front, with the exception of the green centers.

I love love love how this quilt turned out. Part of it is probably the fact that it's my first non-square patchwork quilt. But it was not without it's challenges for me. And I'm not gonna sugar-coat it and gloss over that. I think that's part of craft-blogging. We don't always get it right and we aren't always without our share of challenges. So, where do I begin?

First off, the only thing I don't like about heavily pieced blocks is the bulk you end up with in the seams. So, I think I'm learning to like pressing down the center of seams. Also, I LOVE the color and softness of the bleached white muslin in the finished product, but I do not like piecing with it. I think it's really thin, stretches too easily and creates problems in that way. And finally, I had a problem on the binding of this one. I've never gotten totally and completely done with a quilt only to realize I missed about a 3" to 4" strip on the front where the binding missed the quilt top! And there's nothing like getting totally and completely done with a quilt top, finding an issue like that to totally and completely deflate you. But life goes on! So, in all honesty, I haven't fixed it yet. It should be a quick fix since it's only that small section, but after looking at it yesterday I just had to put it down, and WALK AWAY....know what I mean?

My next quilt is going to be for Noah. What happened to the quilt I planned for Christmas you ask? Oh - well, that's a looonnnnggggg story. Quilt is still in progress. I want something quick and fast and easy so that's what the next one will be! But I have so many other quilts I want to do this year....a zig zag quilt, I have the entire lines of Nicey Jane and Hope Valley to use. I want to do Oh Fransson's Paintbox Square quilt (in two versions).....the list goes on. Back to quilting!

Modern Tradition Quilt Bee

2010-01-31T16:39:00.002-05:00

Here is my block for Melissa for the Modern Tradition Quilt Bee! I'll be honest...I've totally been procrastinating on this one. But it wasn't bad at all. Just very time consuming. But I do love how it turned out!

She supplied the white and yellow and wanted us to choose a coordinating fabric (in yellows, pinks, whites or oranges) from our stash. So I had the perfect fabric. Some Amy Butler Martini in yellow, orange, and pink!

The picture was corrected for darkness, so the colors look far more saturated than they are in reality. But the picture was way too dark otherwise.

my turn!!!!

2010-01-20T12:00:00.021-05:00

eta: I'm about ready to give up on blogger with this font size thing. So for now, I'm leaving it! ;-)

Well, it's February!! Okay, maybe not. But close enough. February is my month for the Nittany Block Party bee and I can't even begin to describe how excited I am about the block I chose for this one!

Where do I begin? Well, this is actually the quilt that inspired it all. Aneela of comfortstitching came up with this one last summer. I immediately fell in love with it and knew I had to make one. But I didn't really know when or what colors or anything.

photo courtesy of comfortstitching

Until then I saw this....

photos courtesy of film in the fridge

Ashley of Film in the Fridge had this as the back of her nine-patch quilt. I love nine-patch quilts, but the back of this one won me over.

I LOVE the dark Kona coal and all the scrappy colors with the white border. Love.it.

So, this is what I came up with:

And again - I love it! The one thing I wish I maybe would have changed is to have a larger white border, but for every bit I make that larger, either the gray or colors get smaller. At some point I might re-work this block to make it a different size and play with that stuff, but for now, this works!

Technically what I've shown is only a half block, as the block (as the original tutorial is written) makes a 14"-ish block out of four 7.5" (or in my case, I squared to 7.25").

I'll be sharing more (and hopefully better pictures!) over on the Nittany Block Party blog in the next day or so for anyone who's interested in making something similar!

Wanda's blocks

2010-01-20T10:05:00.004-05:00

Wanda's blocks for January, Nittany Block Party.

Wanda wanted 12.5" improv blocks with "people" fabric in the middle. I didn't think had any people fabric and then realized my mermaid fabric would work. So I chose the aqua mermaid and went with coordinating aqua/green/brown fabrics.

For the second block, I remembered I had some of Aneela's beautiful fabric (her own designs!) and chose the cute skippity girls. I love this block - I love the cute little girls and tried to stick with aqua/blue and red pops of color. And of course, how could I make a block with little jump-ropers and not finish it off with some Katie Jump Rope fabric?

Aren't they so cute? I could do a whole quilt in this color scheme - I love it!

I hope Wanda likes her blocks. They're going out today!

While you're at it, check me out on papernstitch over the next few weeks!

design wall

2010-01-19T08:37:00.005-05:00

Guess what I have!!!

A design wall! Okay, so it's pretty rustic. I literally just cut a large piece of batting from my stash and secured it to the wall with a staple gun. But I love it! It's so nice to be able to hang quilt blocks on and not have to worry about the floor, table, etc.

I have quite a bit more on there now than is shown in the picture, but you at least get an idea of some of the things I'm working on!

haiti

2010-01-15T15:22:00.002-05:00

The tragedy unfolding in Haiti right now is heartwrenching. I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone reading this just how bad it is. I'm trying to do what very little I can to help by donating some items to a good cause. So, if you've ever been interested in one of my items, now would be a great time to buy one!

Craft Hope has opened up a shop on etsy and every item being sold (including my dress) has been donated by the crafters. The proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders. Even if you're not the market for a dress, please check out the shop. There are some amazing things that have been donated and it's for a great cause that desperately needs the funds right now.

the bee's knees

2010-01-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

Late 2009, I chose to join a quilting bee for the new year. This coincided with Block Party's announcement that they were doing a book and were hoping for more online quilting bees like their own. For those that don't know, an online quilting bee is a way for 12 people to come together for a year and take turns making blocks for one another. For your month, you choose the block, send out the appropriate fabrics, give guidelines on color & style if people can build from their stash, and once completed they send their blocks back to you.

I wanted to join for a few reasons. I thought that it would be a great way to push myself to finish more quilts this year. I love quilting, but the shop often robs me of quilting time when filling orders. But, as with anything, when I have a deadline or a commitment, I find a way to make it happen. I also thought it would be a great way to try and learn new blocks, especially things I might not try on my own.

So, I ended up joining three quilting bees this year. Nittany Block Party (though the Illini in this house would object strongly to this bee's name!), Modern Tradition, and The Bee's Knees. You can find links to each bee's blog on the right hand side of my page, and also find our groups on flickr.

The first blocks I worked on this month were for Tracy of The Bee's Knees. She wanted Wonky Pinwheels and has a blue/brown combo going - very pretty!

Here are my blocks for this month. I hope she likes them!

These were easy blocks and went together fast. I'm especially glad I checked our group blog before putting them together as the tutorial she provided has the smaller part of the pinwheel towards the center - opposite of what Tracy wanted. Phew!

I already have 2 of my blocks picked for this year (one more to go!) and my first month is February for the Nittany bee. My biggest problem was deciding which of the two to do first! But, I figured out what I want last night and will spend some time tonight working on some practice blocks. I'm working off a tutorial for a block but want to change it up a bit, thanks to an inspirational quilt. More on that later!

happy day!

2010-01-12T09:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a particularly happy day for me. A birthday full of special things. Cards from my kiddos. Breakfast made for me by my wonderful hubby. A fun morning of sweet times. Lunch out with the four of us. A "yes" day for my son (and therefore pretty stress-free for me!), and an evening of quilting!

I'm a very lucky girl!

Remember this block? What I've turned my attention to next. Loving the colors - can't wait to see it all pieced!

new styles!

2010-01-10T19:30:00.005-05:00

I've been doing some sewing of new spring items for the shop! Excited to roll them all out, but even more excited for my photographer, Kelly Anderson of Kelly Anderson Photography and Design, to receive the items and take pictures for me.

I try....I really do. But I just simply lack the awesome photography skills necessary to capture the items in their full glory like Kelly can! Well, that and she also happens to have two very adorable models available 24/7. My only willing model (Noah doesn't count when it comes to skirts and dresses!) can't even walk yet. I think that may be a sign that my "boy" items need to come sooner rather than later! ;-)

Here are some sneak peeks in the meantime. These are just a few - there are more already listed in the shop and even more to come! Tomorrow, more quilting!

new year, new look!

2010-01-05T10:56:00.004-05:00

I decided to change up the look for the shop a bit. I liked my original logo, but I created it myself and thought it was a bit too cutesy for what I was after for the shop. So, I hired an etsy artist to create a new look for me. I'll be sticking with this look now and the nice thing is I can change out the photos as items sell out and new ones are added, etc.

What do you think?

Happy 2010!!!

2010-01-01T21:15:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year! So hard to believe it's 2010 already. 2009 seems like a blur to me...so many new things. New gardens (we more than doubled our garden beds this year), new baby, new hobbies (sewing, knitting and quilting) which ultimately led me to this blog and my shop. I want to thank those of you out there reading this blog, following along and commenting. Means a lot to me! And thanks also to all my customers! The notes I get telling me how much your little ones love their Noah and Lilah items just absolutely make my days and bring a smile to my face. Really and truly make it all worthwhile, so thanks again!

I have big plans for 2010....so many new shop items to debut (and not just at Noah and Lilah...HomeModern also!), new studio space, three online quilting bees...just to name a few. Much more on all that to come, but in the meantime, take a look at what we've been up to over here (and why I haven't posted since before Christmas!):

my studio a few days ago...

my studio as of this morning!

I really should have taken a proper "before" photo - it had been serving as a playroom for Noah and had nothing but the center light fixture you see in the picture for lighting. Also, the left wall lacked drywall completely. Quite a bit of progress was made in the last week or so. Very exciting! I'll be sure to update you on progress as we continue! Now, I need to finish organizing in there. ;-)

um, yeah.....

2009-12-21T12:04:00.002-05:00

After cutting 200 squares, 50 circles, and getting ready to start applique-ing, there's nothing like having your son announce that "I don't want circles....I want squares like Lilah's quilt."

Sigh.

Luckily I have a solution to the problem. The fat quarter bundle I bought the fabrics with came with a fabric panel. Phew! This is one time I'm actually really glad I involved him in the process and didn't wait to completely surprise him on Christmas. I wanted to, but it's just not feasible. He often comes downstairs to play while I sew, and I just can't do it in complete secrecy all the time. Well, unless I start working a LOT sooner than I did, that is!

Off to start a new quilt.... :-) And actually, this one will be a LOT easier now too! Guess it worked out great for everyone!

modern baby boy quilt

2009-12-17T22:33:00.007-05:00

Phew! Finally done!

It's funny, I read a post a few days back on Amanda Jean's blog about how she made a doll quilt, and she said that the smaller the quilt, the longer it seems to take. I related to that so much with this quilt. I purposely chose to use a layer cake for this quilt and make it a baby size, so I knew it wouldn't take me long. I pieced it at my mother-in-laws two weeks ago and sure enough - no problem. Basted and quilted it at the same time. Again, no issues. But the binding....UGH - the binding on this one!

I only screwed up one corner....but it was still quite the trouble. I had to seam rip it, then cut off and replace the binding (thus also creating extra seams in my binding....and who wants those?). Then stitch it back down. Only - I mananged to stitch up to the corner, stop, and instead of flipping over my corner and starting again, I stitched it down! So, once again, I ripped that up and re-stitched it. And once again I stiched the same exact piece down in the same exact way!!!!!!!!!

Luckily those last two issues were super quick fixes but I seriously don't know what my issue was at the time. I'm happy to say it's done though.

Anyway - enough with the problems. Let's talk about the good stuff! I LOVE these fabrics. The line, again, is Arcadia. I used a layer cake and chose to select squares that did not have any of the contrasting orange fabric. I have another quilt planned with those fabrics! I selected one of the leaf prints from the front for the backing and bound it in a solid chocolate brown. I did minimal quilting on this. I only did straight lines vertically and horizontally through the center of each square. It measures approximately 37" square, and is now for sale in the shop!

I actually meant to post this a few days ago and have been very busy with new yummy things!!! I have a new dress for Lilah in the works that will also be a new addition to the shop, and Christmas projects are in the works. I started a quilt for Noah, inspired by this quilt, and have a few other small gifts planned. I honestly have no idea if I'm going to get them done or not. I simply waited too long to start. I thought I was going to have more free time this week to work on these things but for various reasons the hubby is going to be working his planned vacation. ;-( Oh well....I'll do what I can! Wish me luck!

another new dress

2009-12-17T08:03:00.008-05:00

I have a large number of new items I plan on adding to both shops in the coming weeks. In my home shop I have napkins, bowl covers, kitchen wetbags and reusable snack bags.

At Noah and Lilah I have lots of new fabric selections for spring, as well as a new skirt style, top/pant options for both boys and girls, a reversible sherpa-lined vest for both boys and girls as well and two new dress options!

One of my new dress options is a reversible pinafore I was asked to create for a friend. I'm happy to say that they will now be in the shop!

This dress below I had the pieces all ready for before we decided to change up the lining (reversible) fabric to an Echino fabric. So, another sample sale option for a lucky customer!

I really love this dress. I'm trying to decide if I want to nix the "all one piece" style and add buttons or snaps instead. I actually prefer the dress be all one piece - just less "fussy" kid dressing in my opionion, but stitching where the two pieces meet gets a tad bulky. Even that isn't as much of a problem if you have two sides that are perfectly coordinating.

In the case of this dress though, one side being black and one side being red - I had to choose cream (my thread of choice in most cases), red or black. I decided to go with the black on this since it was the more "focal" fabric. So, the thread blends seamlessly on the front, but is a nice contrasting fabric on the red side. Some may like this, some may not.

In any case, I'll be adding this dress to the shop at a sample sale price later today! And more pinafores to come soon!

all in a week's time...

2009-12-12T22:00:00.004-05:00

Gosh - almost a whole week without a post. And here I went and promised a new quilt sometime on Tuesday-ish...

Well, not for lack of trying. In fact, I pretty much had it all ready to go. Quilt pieced, basted and quilted (lightly...you'll see!) and then I attached the binding. After attaching it - I folded it over and clipped it down ready for the final step. Can you see my clips below? Yes, paper clips....hey...I use what's available and what works!

In doing so I found my quilt edges to be a bit "bulky" so I did a little trimming. See the pile next to the machine below?

And in doing so clipped a bit too much....

UGH!!!! Clipped the corner right off the binding!

I can't even explain how upset I was when I realized this. Especially since all the other corners were fine. So...I decided that the best course of action was to set it aside and get through the week and return to it another time.

I'm planning to rip it off at that corner only, re-attach new binding and sew it back down. Hopefully it goes as well in real-time as in my mind. What can I say....a lesson that shows my newbie status. But ya know....it's one of those lessons that really teaches you, ya know? I don't think I'll ever clip a corner again....

I should have it soon....though this time I won't make the mistake of guessing when. ;-)

giveaway winner!

2009-12-06T17:27:00.004-05:00

Wow - 167 entries! Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway, checked out the shop and left comments. So many Olivia fans out there (and probably even more ironic since we're not big "character" people ourselves...I've never seen the show, never read one of the books and my son, for example, has no idea who Mickey Mouse is. And no, I don't think that's a bad thing!)

I used random.org again and the winner is:
#2 - Karamat, who said:

The Olivia set is my favorite! I love that pig... I even wanted to name my daughter Olivia... he he he.

Congrats!

For everyone else, I'm not going to leave you empty handed! For anyone else who loves Olivia and wants to get one of these sets from my shop, be sure to mention "giveaway" in message to seller at checkout for 10% off (refunded via paypal after payment)! This offer is for the Olivia items only and good through next Sunday, December 13th. I even added just the skirt for anyone who wants a skirt without the top. Order today or tomorrow for guaranteed delivery by December 20th - just in time for Christmas!

Hopefully tomorrow I can show you my latest quilt. It just needs a binding.....fingers crossed I can get it done by then! If not, then Tuesday!

shop open and last holiday orders!

2009-12-03T07:44:00.003-05:00

Looking for the giveaway? Scroll down!

The shop is re-open. The last day to order and guarantee Christmas delivery is December 6th. As a final push to get rid of my holiday fabric, I'm not only offering 10% off holiday items, but also FREE SHIPPING on all holiday items!!! Good through Sunday, December 6th. Order now before they're all gone!!!

giveaway day!

2009-12-02T08:07:00.006-05:00

It's giveaway day on Sew Mama Sew! I'm giving away one of my Olivia the Pig skirt sets. Also available in my shop (temporarily closed so I can catch up on orders!), the winner will receive the set shown in black polka fabric in any size up to 5T.

Leave a comment to enter. Winner will be announced on Sunday night! Make sure I can click your name or leave me an email so I can reach you. Good luck!

Comments closed....winner will be announced shortly!

giveaway winner!

2009-11-29T09:26:00.004-05:00

I used random.org to select the winner and the winner is......

#4 - Me aka Supermom (also signed Margaret), who said:

Lovely - this is some of my favorite fabrics. I would use it to start a Project Linus donation quilt for 2010, ...all in the spirit of giving and Thanksgiving.

I love the idea of this! I'd love to see some pics when you're done.

Thanks everyone!

gratitude and a giveaway

2009-11-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

(ooops! I was saving this for tomorrow but hit "publish" before changing the date...oh well!)

I hope this post finds all of you having a safe, relaxing, happy holiday with your loved ones! I am spending it with mine, and am so grateful for so many things....my fabulous husband, my amazing and healthy children, good food, friends & family....

I could go on, but you get the idea! How about a giveaway?

This is for one fat quarter of each of the prints shown below - mermaids, underwater sisters & seahorses in aqua. Leave me a comment to enter....maybe tell me what you'll use them for. I'll leave the contest open until 10PM EST Saturday night. Winner to be posted that night or Sunday morning.

Good luck!

crafty-less??

2009-11-24T10:15:00.002-05:00

My posts have been few and far between lately. Not for lack of crafting of any kind, but more due to my inability to find the time each day to post.....or take pictures.....or make anything personal (i.e. - not shop-related).

But the end is near. I really enjoy having the shop, and I am in full-fledged holiday shopping rush sales mode. I'm just riding the wave now until my holiday fabric is gone, and then a well-deserved break is in order. I have so many other things I want to get started/work on/finished....and the rapidly approaching holiday reminds me of how far behind I am on all of that! Many handmade gifts are planned, so I need to get crackin!

But lots is happening still. Most crafting has been taking place in the kitchen.

3 bushels of apples were turned into:

• Applesauce (no recipe needed....apples and cinnamon only!)
• Apple cake (I canNOT remember where I found this recipe...pretty sure it was linked from another crafty blog...anyone?)
• Apple Pie Filling

And during said "kitchen crafting" there was music:

Much less "cutesy" than a lot of kids music. We've been dancing in the kitchen (to which Lilah responds with fits of giggles!) and Noah keeps making regular requests for it. We were at Barnes and Noble buying Food, Inc. and he saw a CD with a plane on it and that was that.... And no, there are no songs about planes. Bummer.

His other regular request is "Please Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna. Go figure. ;-)

I still haven't had a chance to make the item I planned to giveaway as celebration for my 100th sale, but I'll be doing that soon. Check back here on December 2nd as I participate in Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day! But a giveaway is still in order....check back here on Thanksgiving for some gratitude and a giveaway....fabric related!

another quilt....finished and started!

2009-11-19T13:57:00.005-05:00

We've had a bit of illness around here. First Noah, then Derrick, and now Lilah and I. Nothing too crazy...just yucky colds, but enough to make me want to lay in bed under the covers with a great movie and a hot bowl of soup. Oh...wait...I have kids. Scratch that idea!

I was hoping to have a giveaway today, but the time spent caring for the not-so-well little ones left me with no time to finish the item for said giveaway. In good time.... (and I recently scored some recently out-of-print & hard to find fabric....so maybe a fabric giveaway is in order soon as well....).

I at least wanted to show my last quilt. Another wonderland patchwork quilt (AKA, the quilt that Ashley made famous!). In fact, I see that Ashley has two Wonderland quilts for sale in her shop! Grab them before they're gone!

I've also been following the Block Party blog and they rolled out a tutorial for Friendship Stars. I had recently purchased a quilting bundle and thought this might be a fun quilt to make with them! I might have to fit some of the variation stars in there as well (I'm partial to the orange one myself!)

Anyone else following along and making friendship stars?

orange flowers

2009-11-14T21:20:00.007-05:00

We had the most beautiful weather here today....mid 60s...sunny...spring-like! Which was such a treat because we had our family photos taken today. The photos below....they are thanks to the hubby. He's taking a photography class and he's practicing every day.

I had this shirt in mind for months for Lilah.....I had this fabric in my shop as part of a line I purchased and since it was more of an accent fabric it never sold - even though it was one of my favorites!

So as soon as I had this idea I yanked the possibility of it selling from the shop. I had to make this top....and I had to have this hat!

First...the top. The top is easily made by using my peasant dress pattern and simply shortening it. And with the serger - I can make the top in no time once cut. The elastic in the arms and neck take the most time! I love this as a toddler top because it fits generously...which in my mind means comfort. And as you can see, it easily layers over long sleeves for the cooler weather. Our pics were in the morning when there was still a bit of chill in the air.

And the hat? ...or hats in this case. They hail from Portland Beanie Company on Etsy. I had actually planned to feature them in my "friday finds" yesterday, but ran out of Friday....where do those hours go?

Anyway - Nili was amazing. I had planned to order these weeks ago (our shoot was actually supposed to happen over Halloween weekend and then with family in town and lots going on we postponed) so placed an emergency rush order last Sunday. I had them in hand by Thursday! And they are so beautiful and comfy and FUN to wear! I actually put Lilah's hat on as soon as we received it and immediately started taking pics....I left it on far too long due to the cuteness factor!

And celebration is in order! I actually hit a milestone today. 100 orders on Etsy! I am so grateful....it has been an amazing experience thus far.

A very special (and somewhat different!) kind of giveaway is in order. Coming later this week - stay tuned!

curveballs

2009-11-11T15:47:00.004-05:00

Life is funny. There's always curveballs in there...

Last January I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. No biggie (though I'm certain I didn't say that at the time!). It is a huge change, but once you get used to and find really great substitutes for bread, pasta, etc. it gets pretty easy.

But every once in a while I cheat. And the way gluten works....those cravings come back and sneak up on you and then you cheat again....and again...

Last week our little guy was diagnosed with the same thing as his mama. So, back to square one for me...and really means we're going gluten free as a family. Too hard to have wheat-based stuff in the house that your three year old can't eat and then try to explain to him why he can't eat that through tears.

Luckily we haven't encountered too much of that just yet. All these months of "mommy can't eat that or she'll get sick" and "mommy has special bread" have helped. And if you ask him he'll make the cutest face you have ever seen (no seriously....it is!) and tell you it was because of his blood test. Which he was so fearful of, and was such a complete and total champ during - he watched and everything!

Anyway, now I'm trying to plan Thanksgiving (which we're driving 5 hours for) with two gluten free and one vegan and trying to locate a local free-range turkey (our fault for not ordering ours sooner) and all that while also planning a trip with some girlfriends in Vegas in March and multiple quilts I'm juggling and shop orders and ......my head starts spinning!

See now....she has the right idea! I think I'll go join her! ;-)

block party quilt along!

2009-11-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

Have you heard the news? The ladies over at Block Party have started a new quilt-along! But not just any quilt-along...there's a book, and bees, and a giveaway...!

Too much to talk about here. Head on over and check it out!

eva

2009-11-04T09:12:00.005-05:00

This little baby is something I put together for my new niece. I mentioned it a while back but never did get around to showing you. (and don't mind the creases...its' been sitting and waiting for me!)

This was made with 2 charm packs of Eva by Basic Grey for Moda. I like to lay them out (when for a baby) in a nice 9x9 square pattern, resulting in a finished size of about 39" x 39" - great size for a playmat.

This is a beautiful collection of fabrics, and quite pretty for a little girl I think. I like it because it has some pink, but notn too much, and I love the darker purples, aubergine and lime colors mixed it.

The beautiful paisley and wonderful prints are my favorite!
I will admit when laying out the squares that I felt some of the squares are really dark - almost too dark. But then once you get it all together with the pops of lime and really pale pink it works really well together! I'm hoping to get it quilted and finished this week.

two little fishies

2009-11-01T08:24:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween! My lil guy had a blast trick or treating (though as expected, what a bit apprehensive at first.) You know how it is...once they realize they're actually handing out free candy just for walking up to the door they get a little more excited!

We're lucky to live in a community where the whole neighborhood comes out for the event. Kids, parents - even some of the local cops and firefighters were walking and riding motorcycles handing out candy. Pretty neat!

Well, here is the big reveal!

I have to admit that as I sewed the scales on I was a little worried he was starting to look more like a bird than a fish! Luckily, the backside was a little more telling:

Noah is at the age where Halloween really starts to make sense. We've had a lot of fun making his last two costumes...I can't wait to see what he wants to be next year!

olivia & olivia

2009-10-30T18:53:00.007-04:00

I recently had a custom order for a very special Olivia's birthday. She loves Olivia the Pig, so her mom contacted me about making a dress for her. So, I purchased some fabric and got to work!

While the dress I had intended did not quite work out (long story...) we changed up the dress style and made it with that. It turned out so cute and since I basically ordered the fabric just for that dress (with a little extra just in case of any mistakes) I went ahead and made her a matching skirt set as well!

I listed the skirt set in my shop and within 45 minutes I had someone who wanted it. It's kind of funny to me because I honestly had never even heard of Olivia the Pig until I was approached by Olivia's mom about it.

So, tell me everyone...does your little girl love Olivia? Should I add more sets to the shop? If there is enough interest I just may!

halloweens of years past

2009-10-30T10:00:00.002-04:00

It's getting late, but I'm still working with an orange little fishy (I obviously started this post last night...but the youngest little fishy needed her mommy!)...

I thought I'd post some "preview" pics of the costume but it's late so it's dark, and the lighting is really bad down there right now. Few more weeks 'til proper studio lighting!

So instead I thought I'd take you on a tour of Halloweens past. Well, the last 2 years anyway.
Noah's first Halloween. Lion costume from Old Navy. Cute as heck, so so un-original and ....easy!

Noah last year...an airplane! We have to give daddy most of the credit for this get-up. He worked to mold and glue the foam (in many stages) until it was just right. It was so darned cute...and he had tons of compliments on it!

early holiday sale!

2009-10-28T19:31:00.002-04:00

I'm busy busy making costumes for 2 little fishes, but in the meantime I thought I'd offer my blog readers a special sale.

Now through Saturday, use the code "holiday" in message to seller to get 10% off any item in my holiday section. And all orders over $100 get free shipping always!

Become a follower of my blog to see offers like this first!

Back to my fishies...

nine weeks? really?

2009-10-27T18:44:00.005-04:00

I was driving yesterday and saw a storefront sign that read:

"GIFT SETS ARE HERE. ONLY 9 WEEKS LEFT TIL CHRISTMAS"

OMG really? It sounds so close when you count in weeks! And I have so much yet to do! Like, Noah's quilt, a few more for gifts, try to lose a few more pounds before I pack on some more eating all that delicious yummy food.....wait a minute. It's not even Halloween! And I'm not ready for that either!

Yep, it's Tuesday before Halloween and I have yet to finish Lilah's costume. Or even start Noah's for that matter. But that all changes tonight! I had a crazy weekend of sewing (again thanks to the awesome hubby) and I'm all caught up on orders through yesterday, filled an order for my photog for 17!!! items, and sewed a few extra things along the way.

Like this:

We worked on the nature table a bit. It's looking a little...um...sparse right now. Noah and I have some nature walks through the woods this week planned to collect more!

But the table was even more sparse-looking until I added this table runner!

I just love the Timeless Treasures Apple collection - such great fall colors and themes. I thought some chocolate brown fabric with the apples would be great - and I love it!

It measures 70" x 15" and is pieced on the top and pieced on the bottom as well, but is still solid chocolate. It's an addition I plan to make to my new shop, HomeModern, here in the next few days. Along with matching napkins in this combo and other fall & autumn appropriate colors. Stay tuned for that!

But my favorite new addition to the nature table is this lovely autumn tree I blogged about here.

Isn't it just gorgeous? I absolutely love it! So glad I ordered it!

Now, off to fashion a couple of little fishies!

winter blues

2009-10-24T22:24:00.005-04:00

Well, not here anyway. But on Etsy!

Check out my first Treasury collection of winter "blues"!

friday finds :: fabric

2009-10-23T13:50:00.004-04:00

So, I finally took the plunge and added quilts to my shop! I loved making Lilah's so much and my niece's - so I thought they'd be a great addition there. I'm only going to make one at a time...so when a listing sells, it won't be relisted until I have the sold one complete. I just really want to give them the attention they deserve (especially with the other sales I have to manage).

The quilt I added is the same as the one I made for Lilah. It is made with the wonderful Wonderland fabrics by Momo for Moda. This line is actually out of print now, so I'm lucky that I was able to score the fabrics this late in the game at all! I love the fabrics though -super fun - scissors, butterflies, vines, polka dots...great stuff!

I love designer fabrics. I'm not particularly fond of the novelty stuff you normally find at Joann's and Hancocks. I do have fabrics from there, but they are not what I sew from mostly. I find the selection online to be far better (obvously) but I really do see a difference in quality too. Heavier weights, softness, etc. Though I certainly take advantage of Joann sales when I can (I stock up on batting and Kona solids when they're on sale or I have coupons!)

The fabric sellers on Etsy are great. Great selections, great customer service - I love shopping with them! And everyone I've ever bought from ships priority - so I have my fabics most of the time within 2 days!

Fabricworm is no exception. Great customer service - amazing selection - and crazy impressive sales record to boot! One thing I LOVE about her shop is that she puts together these amazing quilt sets - fabric that is not from the same line but are all in similar colorways and look great together! I was perusing her shop and fell in love with a couple of the options she offers, and think they may become more quilt offerings in the future!

For those of you that like my snowman skirts (and judging by the way they're selling MANY of you do!) check these out:

These are Bloom and Grow by Riley Blake. The same company that the Be Merry line is from. This shows how you can create essentially the same quilt but just from different colorways. Great option for twins! While you're at it, check out Riley Blake's Just Dreamy too. Love that line!

Here's a great modern option for a boy quilt. A mix of designer fabrics in blues and greens! Love the Alexander Henry in there!

And this is a beautiful collection of different designers in orange, pink and green! She calls this collection Pretty in Rainbow Sherbert. Isn't it great?

If you've never tried any of the fabric sellers on etsy, I urge you to try them out. Really, you can't go wrong!

why my guy rocks

2009-10-22T16:33:00.010-04:00

So, as I hinted to yesterday, my hubby just plain rocks. Seriously.

Now, I know there are guys out there that are great guys...and many are also great partners. And there are also tons of great dads. My guys is all of the above...and then some!

He's a total 50/50 partner. He helps around the house...a LOT. He cooks, he cleans, he does laundry. And dad....I can't even begin to explain what an amazing father he is. And not just because of how he is with the kids, but also because of how he supports me and gives me that extra "oomph" when I've had one of "those" days. (C'mon you stay-at-home-ladies! I know you ALL have them!)

Yesterday I had a ton of errands to run. We participate in a CSA and although the produce is done for the year, the farmer still has fall stuff available which we planned on getting for canning and cold storage. Potatoes, onions, pie pumpkins, etc. Then, I had to take both kids with me to go apple picking! We already went and picked a bushel, but we made some applesauce and we wanted more and with the gorgeous weather we were having I figured it was perfect timing!

So, while I ran around and did all of that, guess what my hubby did? He ran to Joann Fabrics, and bought me some much needed sewing notions. Is that not totally fab or what?

And also.....last week when I was feeling a bit down, guess what my guy did? This:

He bought this one day last week and put it together! And I think what's even more amazing is that the shelving is actually a temporary fix until I get my new basement STUDIO!!!

We've already discussed the plans and I'm so excited! In the works are a built-by-us "L" shaped sewing desk, extra large cutting table that will be hinged to the wall for storage up and out of the way when not in use, built-in shelving for bolts of fabric, and a built-in clothing rod for those ready-made items that need to be stored!

We've been in this house for almost two and a half years now. It's a new house and has a full basement and my hubby has been slowly adding wiring, drywall (which the builder left behind!) and lighting to the basement for the entire time we've lived here. He had declared a few weeks ago that we were finishing the basement this year. I'm really excited about the whole thing - it's a nice large space, my studio will be down there and still have plenty of room for the whole fam to hang out. And I'll be sure to keep you all in the loop as it progresses!

Which brings me to another segue....I used to think that I was never a "creative" person. I liked DIY stuff on our house and working in the yard/garden but never thought of myself as crafty. It kind of all struck me one day when I realized that I've been crafting my whole life (even as a child) but just never saw any of it that way. I made candles when young, sewed (only hand stitching), did needlepoint, and many other things. As I grew older I did less of those and more "home" based crafts. Our wedding was very DIY (we did all the invites, flowers, etc) and we have done a TON of DIY'ing to our last two homes and a little here as well.

So, over time I'll be bringing you some "craftiness" DIY-style (think before & afters). And of course it would also go hand-in-hand with my new Etsy shop (coming soon)...HomeModern. I'm trying really hard to get things together to put in the shop...but got kind of slammed in the last week with orders for Noah and Lilah (which is so fantastic!). I'm about done with all of those so hopefully after this weekend there will be some items unveiled!

rejuvenation

2009-10-21T14:46:00.003-04:00

Thanks for the kind words everyone! Sorry for the absence - I wasn't avoiding the blog, but rather was spending a few lovely days with family and getting caught up on necessary activities (you know....like apple picking, making applesauce...stuff like that!). And I have the best hubby. Really, the BEST!!! More on that later!

I'll have a proper blog post tomorrow, but in the mean time, go check me out over at Grosgrain! Yep, you guessed it. ANOTHER giveaway!

Enjoy!

funk-y & quilty

2009-10-15T15:03:00.004-04:00

Unfortunately, nothing cool and funky to post about...more about me being a bit "funk-y" lately. Just a lot going on, and maybe even the weather has had a bit to do with it (quite cold and way too much rain lately!) Like many women, I had post-partum after my son pretty bad, so it's something I have to keep an eye on.

In happier quilty news, I have finished most of Lilah's costume!

Yep, she'll be our little quilty "gold" fish! Completely Noah's choosing, (color and all) and I think he made a great choice! I'll just come right out and tell you that Noah has decided to be a fish as well (seriously, how cute is it that he really wanted to be the same thing as his new baby sister?) but he's going to be an orange fish. And his costume will be different, obviously. Kind of hard for a three year old to walk in that get-up!

I used this idea for her costume. The idea I originally had for hers is actually what I'll be doing for Noah now. That one is all me though! We'll see how it turns out!

new things

2009-10-13T07:08:00.004-04:00

For the most part, I'm a self-taught sewer (well, and knitter actually...). When I started, I took two classes (a pillowcase and an apron), but that's it. I'm always a bit nervous when I try new things, but how else will I learn? Though truth be told, there are times when I'd really just prefer a "hands-on" lesson from an expert!

Here is my latest "lesson": a hidden zipper! This zipper is for a fitted jumper dress I'm making for a special little birthday girl. I had a request for a custom item from her mom. This little one's favorite pig just happens to be Olivia. So, I purchased some Olivia fabric and I'm making the dress out of red polka-dot fabric as a tester. The dress is adorable, and is going great except for the zipper.

It's actually not going poorly, just not as well as I might hope. Luckily, there are fabulous tutorials out there (tutorial starts about 3 mins in), and now that I've done it once I'm fairly certain I know exactly what to do next time. The zipper is in and functions just as it should, but the finishing isn't what I want. So, I'll make another (and another, and another) until it looks as it should. Luckily, it's a custom order for a local mom that I know (and birthday isn't until early November) so I have that flexibility!

I'll be sure to share the finished product when it's just right!

friday finds :: autumn tree

2009-10-09T17:00:00.003-04:00

I've decided that rather than feature my "Cool Stuff" section on the left I'm going to start doing a "friday finds" - where I feature some things I'm loving at the moment. These will be items that I've found on my own, and not asked to feature in any way. I'm just putting them here because I think they're so fab!

I've been wanting to do a nature table for some time, but we've never quite gotten around to it. The console table that used to be across from our table in the kitchen (it's really more of a buffet) has been in our foyer so that there was room for Noah's play kitchen and table in its place. The art and carft supplies have found a home there, so I figured this really is the best place for it. Perhaps it will provide some inspiration for future arts and crafts!

So, in determining the types of things to put on it, coupled with Noah's increasing interest and knowledge of the changing seasons, I contacted our library to put together a learning packet for us. Our public library system here is fantastic. There is a very large homeschooling community, and so the library offers incredible resources for them.

I was able to tell them how many items I would like (25 or as many as 100!! Great for teachers...), the reading level and interest level of my child, what types of materials I want (books, DVDs, CDs, etc.) and even request specific titles. They will take this info, put together an entire packet and have it ready and waiting for me!

So, next Wednesday we'll be picking up our packet geared toward a 3 year old with letter recognition, all about the changing of seasons with a focus on autumn and winter, with some Halloween stuff thrown in. Seriously, how cool is that?

Back to the nature table. I've found the most incredibly perfect centerpiece for it!

Isn't that just gorgeous? I can't even remember how I came upon it, but it was sold when I found it. I saved it in my faves on etsy and contacted prettydreamer to see if she could do another for me, and she was happy to oblige! I can't wait to receive it! This is going to be the centerpiece of our autumn table.

She has many other beautiful pieces in there. Check it out!

I'm off to relax with the family....hubby's promised me a fire tonight! ;-)

autumn is here...

2009-10-08T20:05:00.009-04:00

Something so completely and totally evident the last few days is that autumn isn't just coming....it's here! The weather has turned downright cool (or in the case of last Wednesday night, frosty!), the wind has been blowing, the trees are turning and well....it's nearly mid-October!

I was so dreading this just a month or so ago. I was born and raised in Chicago. Then spent 4.5 years in Central Illinois at college. Then spent 2.5 years working in Chicago. And then....we moved to sunny, warm, beautiful Phoenix! And last winter was dreadful. It felt like winter for 6 months. For me anyway....I don't like cold weather.

But I have to admit....I do love autumn. And I love winter. Pretty much right up until Christmas time. And then I'm done. Ready for spring & summer. And of course, in these parts, we have a good 3 months or so of winter left. But the changing of seasons is so significant to me. One of the things Derrick and I discussed before we moved away from Phoenix was how we couldn't imagine raising our kids there, having grown up in 4 season climates ourselves. And so here we are!

I feel so ready for autumn now! I'm craving cooler sweater weather, fires in the fireplace (one of my very favorite things in the whole wide world), fires outside (okay...I like to burn stuff!), and the changing fall colors.

More on that tomorrow.... In the meantime...here are some fall-related pics from this past week!

More evidence of fall....corn stalks and pumpkins at the zoo!

I love sumacs. Their changing colors are amazing...

Oh yes....it's upon us!

I just have to share this while this picture reminds me of it. We don't watch a ton of TV around here. For one reason - time. I don't really get how busy families have time for it. But we also don't want our kids to grow up in front of it - so we make sure to not have it on "just because" all the time. We both grew up that way and want to avoid that for our kids. Noah has watched TV though, of course. We don't restrict anything. I think that can be worse, actually. For whatever reason, every show he's watched has been watched one at a time. Meaning, when he wants to watch TV it's one thing and one thing only. For months. First it was Doodlebops. Then it was Little Einsteins (my least fave). Then it was Peep (my absolute fave - GREAT kids show). Now it's Big Cat Diary (thus the leopard pic). So when we went to the zoo on Monday he had to bring his binoculars and look at all the animals through them just like they do on Big Cats. It was hilarious (and incredibly adorable)!

Yes, we live in Indiana (and I need to work on my photography...it's coming!)

The only maple tree in our yard. Well, technically not IN our yard but in view of it. All the rest are oaks and pine. And maples are, of course, my favorite.

Another "have to" share. I wore this to the zoo (pic courtesy of Noah) and received so many compliments and questions on it while there I thought I'd mention it. It's called a Peekaru. Meant to work with many carriers, it has a hole for baby's head and neck and is worn comfortably. I wore this with our Ergo baby carrier. I originally bought it from Baby Cotton Bottoms. I hear they don't carry it anymore, but it's a great shop for any other cloth-diapering families out there (which we are as well!)

monday night brunch

2009-10-07T18:02:00.010-04:00

As I mentioned on Monday, I went to a cooking demo at Williams Sonoma that night. They did an autumn brunch menu. It was soooooooooooo delicious! Here's what we had:

sorry for the bad pic....took it with my blackberry!

Marscapone stuffed french toast with pumpkin butter

Brown sugar and cardamom bacon

Quiche Lorraine (with gruyere and sausage)

Roasted potatoes

Bloody Marys

Vanilla Lemonade

It was seriously so delish. The lemonade has to be my new favorite drink! I'm a fan of pumpkin but not a HUGE fan, but I really enjoyed the french toast. I think if it had been made with pumpkin bread it would have been overkill for me, but since it was just the pumpkin butter it was just right. The quiche was perfect - light, flaky, buttery crust and quiche perfectly cooked. The bacon (one of my all-time fave things to eat) was amazing, and the potatoes were tasty as well.

Anyone hungry yet? I'm making this for "brinner" tomorrow (well, minus the french toast...saving that for the weekend!)

Speaking of weekend, I have a new quilt top done (have had for about a week and a half) but need to baste, quilt & bind. Hoping to be able to show you that soon!

Also, check out Andi's blog for a great bag giveaway!

shop changes...

2009-10-06T22:19:00.003-04:00

I'm making a few changes to my shop pages. Namely the announcement page, policies, etc. Because I'm noticing just a few too many similarities between my shop and others. And really, who wants to be just like everyone else?

Disappointing only because of how much effort I put into all of it originally. Blech.....

Oh and can I just say....you aussies are breaking the bank! Holy shipping charges! Eeeks!

But I still love ya! :-)

happy anniversary!

2009-10-05T14:57:00.010-04:00

really cheesy wedding photo....i really need to get these negatives digitized

Actually, it was 2 weeks ago today. And that meant 7 years. 7 years that feels so much longer (we've been together 10 years in March) and yet so much shorter at the same time. I mean, gosh - I have a three year old!! How did that happen?

To celebrate we went to a really nice restaurant not far from our home, Joseph Decuis. Soooooo delicious! I had the diver scallops and thought for sure mine would be better than Derrick's (he ordered the halibut) but alas, I'm not quite sure. The garlic ravioli with his was divine! Everything was delicious....the wine, the food, the dessert. I can't wait to go back!

I have food on the brain because I'm headed to a cooking demo at Williams Sonoma tonight, featuring Autumn Brunch. Yum! (I wonder how much gluten will be served....hmmmm)

what are we up to?

2009-10-03T11:00:00.001-04:00

Every year, Derrick goes and meets his college buddies for a weekend back at college. They do the usual....go to a football game, hit the bars, catch up with one another and reminice about old times. This year I was going to ride along and drop him off and continue on down the road to where my 2 lil' brothers live (and my 2 nieces and nephew). But, with Noah having the abscessed tooth, I didn't really want to get so far from home. So, we're staying put this weekend.
So....I decided it was time for a very timely and important project. Any guesses?

Here's a hint.....

princess (and pretty) in pink!

2009-10-02T14:02:00.004-04:00

I completed the Princess and the Pea dress for my recent giveaway, and while I don't intend to share pictures of every item I ever make, since I don't offer this fabric in my shop I wanted to share here. Ashley was the winner and she chose the princess fabric in the pink colorway.

Once again, I really love how it turned out! Though I must add, yet again, that this double gauze can really take some getting used to.....um, yeah. I added a slightly larger bias tape to this one and I'm totally loving that!

You should have it soon Ashley! I hope you love it!

rollin' around

2009-10-01T10:33:00.004-04:00

My baby rolled yesterday!

Personally, I think she was just so enamored by the quilt that mommy made her!

My other baby, on the other hand, has not had such good luck. Poor little guy has an abscessed tooth! Isn't that just horrible for a 3 year old? Ugh!!!!

Has to get the sucker ripped out next week (though that option appeals to me far more than a root canal, which I've had...and is NOT fun!)

modern handmade child

2009-09-30T09:27:00.003-04:00

I've recently become a member of the EtsyKids team, and wanted to share with you their amazing magazine.

http://modernhandmadechild.com/

Featuring all handmade, high-quality children's items! And not just clothes...there are party ideas, costume ideas, crafts, tutorials, and even recipes. Check it out!

it's here!!!!!

2009-09-28T10:48:00.003-04:00

My Heather Ross goodies came! I was so excited to get home on Saturday to find my package! And inside......

Race cars, bicycles, horses, flowers, and this really cute Japanese print. Along with some wool felt, ribbons, bias tape, thread, embroidery thread, and lots of buttons. All kinds of goodies!

Love me some bikes!

Seriously, how cute is this?

Unlike many, I didn't request any one thing. Because honestly, I couldn't decide at the time. But now I really wish I had requested some Goldfish I Have Loved (in the bags). Anyone out there have any? Anyone interested in a bit of a swap? I'm excited to see what others have gotten!

Thanks Heather!! You rock!

treasury!!!

2009-09-26T08:10:00.002-04:00

On etsy, it's usually a pretty big deal to be included in a treasury. They are filled with gorgeous items grouped in various ways...often by color, theme or whatever strikes a person's fancy. The hope of course, is that your treasury will make it to the front page, resulting in a gorgeous front page for etsy, and lots of visibility for those lucky enough to be included in one.

Well....it happened for me! I received a convo and figured it was the usual "quesion before a purchase" that I sometimes get, and was surprised (and thrilled) to find out it was a convo of the curator who included my item in her treasury! I was so stoked!

Check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=84221

fabric sale!!!

2009-09-24T17:31:00.002-04:00

I just received an email update from the etsy shop that carries a few of the patterns I use, and this woman used to have a fabric shop. The fabric shop is now closed, but she still has LOTS of fabric left over, so she's offering Amy Butler for $6/yard! Plus it's a grab bag - which I think is just fun (like scrap bags!). Check it out here.

Now....where is my Heather Ross stuff? Hmmmm....

progress

2009-09-20T14:21:00.004-04:00

Now that I have finished Lilah's quilt and Noah's hat (never mind the new one I have to start now for Derrick...) I've been wanting to get back to the quilts I started and haven't touched in a while. Opening the shop took a lot of time initially, and getting as many orders I did (in the shop and outside of the shop) was surprising and time-consuming. Since then I've had a bit of a lull, which to be honest I haven't minded, since I'm finally able to work on some things for "me" again!

First up...I volunteered to make one of Amanda Jean's blocks for the quilt she's doing for Quilts of Valor. She wanted them by the end of the month, but I didn't want to wait that long, since with the shop, I never know how busy I'm going to be. I put it together yesterday and I'm sending it off tomorrow!

Next up is my Arcadia quilt. I saw this style (and tutorial) over at Carly of Quiltville's blog (and she had one for sale in her shop at one point) and fell in love with it. I LOVE the Acadia fabrics and just HAD to make this quilt when I saw it. This one is a gift as a very special "thank-you".

And on to the 9-patch quilt-a-long. I'm using the Arcadia fabrics for this one as well...and I have to admit - I'm not loving it so far. Problem is, Amanda Jean's 9-patch that she posted was so fantastic, and it sounded like so many of the ladies used scraps for theirs, and I honestly just didn't have enough scrap variety at the time to go that route. We'll have to see though....once I get them all done and add some white sashing it could really change things for me.

As for progress...? Well, the 4 blocks you see was all I had done. And we're on day 63 according to Amanda Jean. Since taking the pic I've made 5 more, but obviously have a ways to go if I'm going to get caught up and finish by next Sunday!

And I also have a very special baby quilt I'm hoping to make and complete in the next 2 weeks! More on that later! Don't want to ruin any surprises!

giveaway winner!

2009-09-18T19:55:00.005-04:00

I decided to enlist some very important help for this giveaway. I had Noah pick the winner for me!

Here he is....had to get some chicken and potatoes dinner in first!

And here is the winner! #10 - Ashley! Congrats Ashley! Email is forthcoming!

Nite! We're trying our first ever "movie night" tonight! Noah doesn't ususally sit still for that long... ;-)

this dress...

2009-09-16T09:41:00.003-04:00

has really gotten the better of me! Now in this beautiful eggplant print - for sale in the shop!

princess and the pea

2009-09-13T13:28:00.012-04:00

I did quite a bit of sewing yesterday. 2 dresses, a shirt, and 2 skirts. I've been wanting to use some of my Far Far Away fabrics to make something for Lilah since I received them a while back but like many, had trouble cutting into it!

I ultimately decided to make this dress:

I love love LOVE how it turned out!!! At first, I thought the print might be a bit large for the size of the dress (I made a 2T - so nothing she'll be wearing anytime soon!), but I now think it's perfect!

Isn't she cute?

The pattern is the Kyla pattern from Froglegs and Ponytails and is available in her shop here. I already use her Caroline pattern as my pillowcase dress (and yes, she allows her pattern to be used to make items for sale! Gotta respect copyright!) and I LOVE both of them. Her patterns are nicely laid out, easy to follow, easy to cut, and are finished beautifully! And being a pdf, they can be printed anytime you need a new size to cut, which I then save in my templates drawer in my organizer. Very nice!

This dress is actually a reversible dress, and although I did create it in the reversible style, I don't really plan on reversing it. The double gauze fabric is really thin and light (but oh so soft!) and I felt the white muslin on the inside would be a good lining.

I will say -working with double gauze is interesting. It's kind of.....sticky. Know what I mean? Not literally sticky silly! But that - catching on another fabric that it rubs against kind of sticky. So, when you're doing certain things (like trying to slide the exterior into the interior to sew it shut and properly line up) is a total pain, but then it also works in your favor as well - like not having to pin quite as much once you get it all nicely lined up because it stays quite well on its own! And once it's done - it's a dream! Super soft, nice drape - just really cute!

I changed up a few things - like the tie straps (and think I might try this one with snaps next time), and the bias tape. I simply used some white that I had laying around (does anyone else love working with bias tape as much as me?).

Anyway - I really love it and I totally wish she was able to wear it now!

So guess what...GIVEAWAY!!!!!!! Yep! I'm keeping this one for my little girl, but my giveaway will feature this dress, just as I have made it here, in the fabrics shown below! I'll make this dress in a size 12-24 mo, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 - using one of the Far Far Away fabrics shown with white cotton muslin for the lining and a white cotton bias tape at the bottom.

Shown above are unicorn in orange & blush, and princess in blush, pink and blue/orange. Please leave a comment in this post to enter and comments will close on Friday September 18th at 7PM. Good luck!

COMMENTS CLOSED - WILL ANNOUNCE WINNER SHORTLY!

I L L - I N I !

2009-09-12T20:21:00.005-04:00

That was the inspiration for the first hat I knitted. I made it for his father's day gift (and yes, he's an alum of Illinois). A bit early for cool weather, but he loved it...and so did Noah! He promptly asked me for one of his own. So, right away I started Noah's hat. And then it was put down. And then I prepared for a baby. And then I had a baby. And so the hat sat longer.

But it was time to finish the hat - and I finally did! On our drive home from my in-laws this past weekend, I put the finishing touches on the hat - I really only had the crown to finish at that point.
For both hats I used this ribbed beanie pattern from Wooly Wormhead (I had originally found it on ravelry), and made a few adjustments. I wanted to knit on circular needles, so I did - and only switched to DPN's at the crown. For Noah's had I also made it a bit smaller than the pattern indicated - making the appropriate reduction in multiples of 8. The yarn I used was Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand Dyes in Midnight Blue and Nectarine. They really were the closest "Illinois" colors my yarn shop had.

Only problem? Well, the hat on Noah wasn't quite as large as I would have liked. So, we tried Derrick's on him and it fits pretty great. So, looks like we're going to hand Noah's down to Lilah, daddy's down to Noah, and I better get knitting on a new hat for daddy! (and maybe one for myself while I'm at it!)

no hats....yet!

2009-09-11T21:10:00.006-04:00

Okay, I know I promised hats. But it (meaning pictures really) just hasn't worked out. The boys have just been go go go every day and I have yet to nail them down together (mostly means my son won't sit still or put the hat on!). I promise tomorrow! ;-)

So, I thought I'd post about the mini-hexes I worked on over the weekend!

They're coming along nicely! I really do love working on them. I have a few things that are really calming for me. Knitting is one. Yoga too. Mowing the lawn is another (and one I'm not proud to admit. Horrible for the environment...really unnecessary...an exercise in vanity really, but I love seeing overgrown lawn get cut down row by row in such an orderly fashion. Anyone guess my birth sign? ;-) ) Vacuuming also - though can vary with children underfoot.

And now paper piecing hexes as well!

It truly is calming. Aneela's original post on this said "I have discovered the tranquility that is......... handstitching paper pieced hexy's!". I totally agree - and get it! Even the cutting for these wasn't bad! (and I despise cutting...)

This pile is what I worked on over the weekend. And more have been done since. Today I sat in the shade of the garage while Noah rode his trike around Lilah and I in circles. Lovely! We had a truly lovely late summer day. I'm so lucky to be home with them!

I'm still not sure what they'll become. I had lots of ideas while falling asleep last night. There is still the absurdity of a quilt in the back of my mind. My next task is to determine exactly how many of these that would take and then go from there... ;-)

lilah's quilt!!!

2009-09-09T13:55:00.004-04:00

It's done!!!!

I am totally and completely in love with this quilt!!!

After ripping apart my first attempt at a quilt, I wanted to start with something smaller - thus a baby quilt for Lilah. The idea came from Ashley at Film in the Fridge - she's done 3 of these so far. The prints are adorable (Wonderland by Momo), and I was actually just one square shy of having enough, so one pretty square of Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks in the middle.

I actually had the idea to leave it a plain cream piece and embroider her birth info on it, but eventually decided against it (next quilt maybe?).

I also did the same quilting as Ashley - lines 1/4" to either side of the seams. I really want to learn free motion quilting, but figure these nice straight lines are a good starting point for me!

The back is a cream colored cotton from Joann's. I wish now I had splurged for one of the other prints, but was wanting to see how this one turned out first!

The binding is also the green polka dot from that line. I used AmandaJean's tutorial on binding. It went fine -but my stitches are by no means hidden and seriously need some work (and took forever...seriously - does it always take that long?). But I don't care.....I still love it!!

And I have more! Tomorrow....Noah's hat!

mini hexes

2009-09-04T08:42:00.002-04:00

Look at this!

Seriously….how many degrees of awesomeness is this? Little mini-hexes and with Heather Ross no less!

I purchased this lovely little bag from Aneela. I absolutely love it! Great little snippets of fabric, very well put together, and made to hold tiny treasures! How I came to find this little shop from across the pond is a bit of a story.

It all started with this quilt, made by Ashley of Film in the Fridge. Ashley makes amazing quilts – just about every one she does has me drooling for one of my own. So, of course when I saw that beauty, I had to find out how to do it. Which brought me to Aneela’s flickr group for half hexagons. Which then brought me to her blog. Which is where I discovered English paper piecing – mini hexes to be exact.

So, what is my bag for? English paper piecing of course! Look what I’ve been up to!!!

Fabric all cut and ready to be pieced to mini hexes! I’m not using hexes quite as small as Aneela's (yet). And I had every intention of doing these out of Far Far Away fabrics, but then started cutting some out of scrap fabric (recognize any of these from my shop?) and a brown/pink/pale green/pale yellow kind of palette just came to be. I think these fabrics are so pretty together! I would honestly LOVE to do an entire quilt out of these, but soooooo not sure I’m up for that just yet.

See those “In Progress” projects to the right? See the “Completed” ones? That’s right – there are none!!! Not since I started this blog anyway. The shop has taken up quite a bit of my time, and I’ve fallen dreadfully behind on things I really really need to finish! With a current lull in sales (just in time for our Labor Day weekend!) I’m determined to turn that around! You have a promise from me….my next blog post will be with a completed project off that list! The pressure is on!

If anyone is at all interested in the mini-hexes…I found this great little tool that allows you to create them (based on the size you want). Very handy!

Now if you’ll excuse me…..I’m off to add Dresden petal paper piecing to my “wish list” and decide which of Aneela’s bags will hold those little treasures! ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

changing seasons

2009-09-01T09:13:00.006-04:00

The weather we've been having is strange. This whole summer has felt unseasonally cool to me. Sure, we've had periods of warmth (and even really hot weather. Heck, the day Lilah was born I think there was a high of 95 or so!), but just so different from last summer. Hot. Long periods with no rain. Brown grass.

Not so this year. Our grass right now (which we rely solely on mother nature for whatever water it gets) is lush and green. The lows the last two nights have gotten down to 45 degrees. 45!!! It's only September 1st and it feels more like October 1st. (Luckily, the next week or so is shaping up nicely for late summer/labor day weather!)

The cold weather sure does make me think about autumn though. In a way, I find it depressing. Not because I don't like autumn. I do. Love it actually! The sweater weather. Changing colors (something you don't get in the desert of Arizona where we spent 6.5 of our last 8 years). But it reminds me winter is coming. I love winter...right up until Christmas time. And then I'm so.over.it.

Anyway, all these reminders of autumn have me sewing lots for autumn. So take a look at some of the items I've been creating, mostly for the shop. And hard to believe, but I have holiday prints washed and ready to be sewn this week!

And seeing all of these prints together makes me really want to invest in some great solids. I have so many prints but not enough solids. I want to start mixing it up a bit!

a stroke of luck!

2009-08-27T12:39:00.011-04:00

You know you're in trouble when the boxes that bring you fabric start to reach this size. Eeeks!

But seriously, when they're filled with these goodies? I love me some Heather Ross. Far Far Away, Mendocino, VW buses, goldfish - you name it. Of course getting your hands on some of that stuff is darned near impossible without spending a fortune (or prying it from the death grips of some Heather Ross fabric horder).

So imagine how I felt when I saw this: a Heather Ross sale!!!

I made it in - by sheer luck I think - and I'm so excited to see what kinds of goodies I get! I'm quite certain the fabric gods were looking down on me that day - so to "pay it forward" so to speak, I'm promising to do a giveaway for something when I get my loot. I have no idea when that will be, of course, but stay tuned!

And sneak peek: some holiday fabric I plan to start making things for the shop for! I have a new dress I'm hoping to debut this weekend, but we'll see. I currently have 5 orders to fill! (these are good problems to have!)

go go go!!! STOP!

2009-08-24T08:35:00.001-04:00

There are times when we really need to listen to our bodies. I'm experiencing one of those times right now.

You see, in the last week and a half or so, I have been working out, going on playdates, driving to the farm for our CSA, preserving food, sewing, opened my shop, sold 8 items, changed many diapers....you get the idea. And all this while getting an average of 6 hours of sleep a night. Which is fine....but I guess not fine for me right now.

I'm nursing a baby (who is just 2 months old today!) and battling thrush to boot. And to make matters worse, I've now come down with mastitis for which my midwife has ordered me to 24 hour bedrest. So I sit. And I lay. And I think about all the other things I should be doing. No wait...scratch that. Could be doing. Because I'm doing exactly what I should be doing.

Laying in bed...resting...and nursing my baby!

the winner is...

2009-08-21T19:28:00.003-04:00

"made just for me" (aka Amanda). Congrats! An email is forthcoming.

I used Random Integer Generator (random.org) but I can't figure out how to post the results here. Other than this:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:6
Timestamp: 2009-08-21 23:31:13 UTC

Thanks for the comments everyone!

ETA: I learned this evening that Amanda has her own site on etsy as well. Check it out here.

midwest summer

2009-08-21T11:44:00.003-04:00

bean picking

topping and blanching

heirloom tomatoes

gorgeous (and sweet like candy) watermelon

and, um....what the top of our gazebo looks like after a night of tornado watches

Hope everyone is enjoying summer as we are!

Final reminder to enter the giveaway below.

Last day! I'll announce the winner tonight at 7PM!

dresses!

2009-08-18T16:03:00.002-04:00

The dresses I've made are familiar to all of you now. But now I have them listed in the shop! I'll be sure to get some ready-made in there soon, but for now, at least the option exists for people to buy one right away and have it customized! I also have an idea of a jumper dress for this fall. Hopefully I'll be able to play with that soon!

Also, be sure to comment in the post below to win a free skirt! Pass it along to your friends and family too!

first sale!!! (and a small giveaway)

2009-08-17T22:17:00.005-04:00

Today I can celebrate my first etsy sale! YAY!!! Two actually. I sold two skirts today in my shop and I'm thrilled about it! Thrilled enough that I want to keep the momentum going and I want to do a giveaway!!!

So, leave me a comment here if interested and you can win any skirt in my shop. You pick the size and the fabric - ready made or custom if need be. I'll close it and post the winner by 7PM Friday night. Anyone who buys from my shop gets an entry per purchase. Buy one item - get one extra entry. Buy two - get two. Make sense? Good luck!! (and thanks Amber!!)

new fabrics!

2009-08-16T21:07:00.003-04:00

What a week. CSA pickup and delivery on Wednesday, Holistic Moms meeting about homeschooling on Thursday followed by lots of running around, preparing for and celebrating of Derrick's birthday. Friday was massive sewing, business dealings and setting up shop. The entire week was also filled with massive sewing, craft space organizing, working out (I have some, ahem, baby fat to lose...) and lots of hugs/kisses/playtime with the kiddos. And then 4+ hours of car shopping yesterday. Needless to say, I'm exhausted! But tomorrow is a new week. Time to do much of it all over again!

First off, I promised you all a tutorial on freezer paper stenciling. I first saw this in Amanda Blake Soule's The Creative Family. I just did a quick search and realized that Jean from The Artful Parent has the same info here. So, I won't type up a long tutorial as a way to avoid re-inventing the wheel! And I must say, I love the designs she used. I might have to start doing some stencils on my tees as well!

And now...goodies! Here is some new fabric I've recently received and will be making things for the shop with soon!

First up....Timeless Treasures Apple. I LOVE this fabric - perfect for fall. Just love those cute owls!

And this is Chestnut Hill by Joel Dewberry. Ironwork in Lichen and Narrow Stripe in Eggplant. I think the gold and eggplant make this a beautiful fall combo as well!

Get them while they last!

Oh my!!!

2009-08-14T19:49:00.002-04:00

What a week! Seriously, a crazy, tiring, ambitious, crammed week.

I'll be back with more on that later (or more likely, tomorrow) as well as a tutorial for those of you interested in freezer paper stenciling, but for now.....

my shop is open!!!! Check it out!

Freezer Paper Stenciling

2009-08-12T22:42:00.003-04:00

Noah has been really into "creating" lately. Painting, playdoh, drawing, cutting and gluing with paper, and making ice sculptures have been his favorites lately. So, when he said he wanted to paint yesterday and pulled out the fabric paint as opposed to the tempera, I thought it sounded like a great idea!

We even made a special trip to the store for new t-shirts to paint! Before doing that, Noah told me he wanted a helicopter t-shirt. So, we went looking for helicopter silhouettes online. We found one, and of course it showed up with a bunch of airplane ones as well, so we printed out both.

Below are the finished products. Noah also chose the color. He wanted them both purple!

And of course he wore the airplane shirt all day today. A long, fun, busy, dirty day (as you can clearly see in the picture below). But hey - isn't that what kids are supposed to do in the summer? ;-)

skirts!

2009-08-09T07:24:00.004-04:00

Well, at least one for now!

But LOTS more to come! I've been wanting to make skirts for quite some time, and they seem so easy it seemed silly to buy a pattern. But, I also wanted to have some kind of sizing "template" for when I want to make skirts for a general size (more on that in a bit!).

I originally tried the Lazy Days Skirt pattern over at Oliver + S, but to be quite honest - it is NOT meant for small kids. I originally made the above shooting for a 2T size, and going from selvedge to selvedge is just entirely too large for that. I also think the ribbon at the bottom is cute, but I like to change it up a bit too, so I added the same fabric I did on the bottom of the lemon dress I made last week.

Long story short, I think the skirt could easily work for 18mo to 2T, but it was a really good first shot and I have my own little pattern figured out now!

And what will I be doing with these LOTS more skirts? Well, selling them!

After some really amazing positive feedback I received on the dresses I posted last week (both here and on Facebook) I decided to go ahead and open an etsy shop. I'll reveal that in the coming days...but for now...back to sewing!

new dresses

2009-08-01T15:44:00.002-04:00

Here are the two finished projects I was talking about! Dresses for a sweet (and absolutely adorable) little girl from Noah's class last year!

day 11?

2009-07-30T17:38:00.002-04:00

Today is day 11 of the quilt-a-long. Rut roh!!! I'm, uh, a little behind....

But, I'm hoping to have 2 completed projects to show you tomorrow!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with my cuties...

After all, the blog is named after them!

pillowcase dress

2009-07-26T18:33:00.008-04:00

This weekend I was able to get some sewing done. Not as much as I would have liked, but anything is better than nothing!

First up was this dress that I made for Lilah. I love this pattern (yes, I'm still so new to sewing I had to use one! haha!) because it finishes off the dress so nicely! The bias tape, the large hem on the bottom, etc.

I'm making the same dress above (different fabrics) for a girl that was in Noah's class this past year. I have the fabrics and am hoping to get all the fabric cut tonight!

Then I spent some time cutting fabric for my next quilt. Well, since I actually have 3 going at once right now I guess that's not very specific....It's a squares-within-squares quilt that I saw, and modified to be jelly roll/charm pack friendly. I'm making it as a thank-you for my midwife, so I only have three weeks to get it finished! Luckily, all my print cuts are made, and now I only have to cut the white fabric!

And today is day 7 of the 9-patch quilt along. Which means that if I do nothing more today, I only have 3 to catch up on. Unfortunately I have so many irons in the fire I think that is exactly what will happen!

fabric and yummm...

2009-07-24T11:21:00.006-04:00

I recently bought some fabric scrap packs from Ashley over at Film in the Fridge. The pack she sent me was awesome!

A great amount of fabric for the money I spent, and they're all awesome pieces! I'm so excited to have some decent scraps to use! I'm thinking these may be a good start to a coin quilt!

I also noticed today that she posted she'll be putting some new ones together, so check them out!

I also follow along with Amy Karol's blog and she posted about this tea cake from Rustic Fruit Desserts the other day. O.M.G. Serious goodness. I made it for my boys (as I'm gluten-free and wasn't about to tinker with a recipe I had never even made!) and did try a piece myself. I don't have celiac - only gluten intolerant - so I will admit I cheat every few weeks as of late. It was so good - words cannot describe.

I noticed that someone posted in the comments that you can get this recipe through Gourmet.com's cookbook club, so I was able to get it that way. But seriously bought the book after eating it. It's that good!

day 1

2009-07-20T18:52:00.003-04:00

Today is officially day 1 of the 9-patch quilt-a-long, so I made sure to get started!

I spent some time cutting squares this weekend. Not many, but certainly enough to get me started!

And today, I was able to get a few put together! We're only supposed to do one a day, but I'm certain there will be days I won't get to sew at all, so this way, hopefully I won't fall behind!

I'm using Arcaida by Moda. I love this line! I'm excited to see how this comes together!

Meanwhile, I have another quilt I'm using this fabric for that I need to start ASAP (I'm giving it as a gift to my midwife, and I see her again in about 3 weeks I think...), as well as a few dresses I've committed to finishing. I like having stuff to keep me busy. Sewing is such a great de-stresser for me!