Kitchen Goodies Swap Sent

I am getting really, really close to wrapping up all my Spring swaps. After this one I just have one more to go for my LQG. I don't exactly know how I stumbled upon the Kitchen Goodies Swap but something compelled me to join in the fun. After careful research (AKA blatant stalking) I decided to create a table runner for my secret partner. This was my first table runner and it came together so quick and easy. I really love it. In fact I'm considering creating a simple tutorial for the project. What do you think?

I decided on a simple circle motif using the ever popular color combo or red and aqua with Kona Ash for the background. Then, another first... I decided to quilt it with hand stitching. I have never hand stitched a quilt before. It always seemed too time consuming and difficult to get the stitches to come out just right. After thinking about it I decided there was no better time than the present to step outside my box and just try it. I absolutely swoon over hand stitches and I know I'm not the only one. You know what I discovered? I think I adore hand stitching because hand stitches aren't perfect and they are beautiful because of the imperfection... the humanity if you will that they add to a project. I think I'm hooked!

And because I can't just send along one thing (I have a problem, I know) I whipped up some matching, reversible circular coasters complete with hand stitching.

I rounded out the package with a couple extra goodies and sent it off to my secret partner. I hope she likes it as much as I do!

MMM Package On It's Way

Life has not settled down at all, alas I have been neglecting my little blog. That's not to say that I haven't been working like a busy little bee, indeed I have. I just haven't had the time, or the energy to write about it. The project I'm working on currently is killing me slowly. Even when I sleep I can't get rest because I'm dreaming about work. Don't you love stress dreams? So bear with me if I continue to post rather sporadically over the next month or so. It will be all over very soon, I promise.

The few moments I do get to sew are a respite for me. I completely threw myself full force into the project that is now happily on it's way to it's new home with my secret partner in the MMM Swap on Flickr.

Well, my cathedral windows aren't perfect but I am proud of myself for the effort and if my partner doesn't like the imperfect corners she can always throw buttons on to decorate and cover them. What I really love about this pillow are the fabrics. I had so much fun picking out fabrics with a vintage feel for my partner. I fell in love with them so much that I ended up using some of them in Ivy's Quilt and then I turned around and bought more yardage of each so I can eventually make a quilt for myself out of them. That's how much I love these fabrics. And I think the Kona Ash accents them perfectly. I really hope my partner feels the same.

I took a risk with the back of the pillow and used some Little Folks Voile. Voile can be slippery and difficult to work and it's also more sheer than a regular quilting cotton but I think it came together nicely and I am proud of the effort. And did you know that this is actually the first pillow I've ever made? (Well, if you don't count the one I made for Mother's Day in 1984 with the drawing of the dinosaur in fabric crayon on the front. I love you Mom!) I'm ready to start making more pillows for our home. They're super quick, easy and gratifying.

I also used some of the scraps from the vintage inspired fabrics I pulled for my partner to make a scrappy DSLR camera strap slipcover for her. I rounded out her package with some Little Folks Voiles half yard cuts and I threw in a bunch of extra goodies (that didn't make the picture) like thread, scissors, buttons, chocolate...

Swaps are fun but they can be stressful. I've participated in a lot of swaps and bees over the last year. I always try my best to please my partner and create something special that they really, really want. As always, I really, really hope I hit the mark and created something special for my partner. I did a lot of stalking and research and planning before I dove into my project for her. Now the waiting game is on. Fingers crossed she falls in love with it all.

do. Good Stitches March Blocks

Emily's Inspiration Board

It's no big secret that I love circles so I was thrilled when I saw Emily's request for circle blocks from the Hope Circle. She asked for two 12.5" blocks featuring circles on white using the colors Sky, Slate, Peony and Sunshine.

I pulled some fabrics from my stash that I think (hope) matches Emily's color palate, and even cut into some of my precious City Weekend for the first time. Emily certainly has a great eye for color. This is going to be one gorgeous quilt, dontcha' think? I can't wait to see it come together.

Here's a tip for the day: To make my circles I have a set of half circle rulers that I use on the fold of the fabric. They're easier to use than you think with a rotary cutter. A little trick I use is I slightly angle the blade of my rotary cutter into the ruler. I feel like this helps me follow the curve of the better and it's so much easier than cutting them out with scissors.

The blocks are off to Emily, now. Hope she likes them!

Round Robin Progress

The end of another month is upon us. I can't believe it's already April, I mean, seriously, folks, where is the time going? I have been able to finish all of my bee commitments for the month which is a huge relief for me, especially since I will have very limited sewing time this weekend because I'm flying to New Jersey tomorrow for work. I'll be shooting all weekend and then flying back home on Sunday. I am planning to take a couple projects that require some hand sewing with me so I can sew on the plane.

Over the weekend I finished up my round on Julie's center in the round robin. I added in some fabrics from my own stash that I think accent her color scheme.

I don't want to spoil the big reveal for Julie so I'm just offering a sneak peek of a corner I worked on...

The quilt is now off to Jorie now and in one short month it will be back home with Julie! I hope she likes it!

Village Quilt Progress

Thanks for the input on the do. Good Stitches Hope Circle's Village Quilt. I decided to go double sided and I think it's going to be cute.

I used Kona Silver to sash the "Big City" side. I'm also adding some yellow handstitching to the sashing to make it look like a real road.

And the "Enchanted Forest" side is sashed in Kona Grass...

And while I was piecing this I had to stop and admire the free motion detailing that Natalie of Threaded Mess added to her block. Seriously I was totally inspired by it. I am so scared of free motion quilting so I stared at the beauty of the back of her block for a while when it was on my design wall. The funny thing is, after I had admired the stitching and took pictures of it to show all of you, I started to clean up I noticed a note in the package that she sent to me apologizing because she got "lazy" this month. Can you imagine? I want my lazy to look like that! I think sometimes it's the beauty in the simple things that can be the most breathtaking.

Sorry for the short post. I worked late into the night yesterday and was up working again at 4 am this morning. Yikes! Stay tuned for the finished product very soon.

Cathedral Imperfections

I've been making progress on my handmade item for my secret partner in the MMM Swap. I have been wanting to try my hand at cathedral windows for a long time. In fact, I did attempt them once before, over a year ago, but I quickly scrapped them as I realized that their imperfection wouldn't mesh well with the friend I had in mind for the project.

These puppies are complicated. And they look scary. The hardest part is getting the corners to match up when folding the origami squares. They're completely imperfect and I've had to rip out and re-sew several corners. I wonder if they're too imperfect to send to my swap partner.

Am I being overly critical?

While the Hubs is Away...

The hubs is off to Spring Training with his dad and he took this little number with him...

So for the next four days I have the house all to myself. In fact, right after I dropped him off at the airport I pulled out my design wall and some projects that I want to attack this weekend so I could get a head start. The dining room is already a disaster!

Unfortunately I will be working all weekend too, so my sewing time will be somewhat limited but I'm planning to use any spare moment I can find to create. In fact, this morning I started putting the village quilt that the amazing ladies in the Hope Circle of the do. Good Stitches Bee helped me create. Initially I was planning to use all the blocks on the front but as I started laying it out I began to think that instead I would create a smaller, double sided quilt. One side would be the "big city" complete with town square in the middle and sashed in gray...

The other side would be the "enchanted forest" sashed in green...

What do you think?

Am I heading in the right direction or should I put them all on the front of the quilt and add some more blocks?