Thursday, February 28, 2013

a hodgepodge...

Firstly, I should confess I have a serious love of vintage cookbooks.  My fav, go-to cookbook is a vintage Betty Crocker.  It is in a three ring binder binding, and falling apart from use.  So back in December I thought I'd peruse ebay, just looking you know. 

vintage Betty Crocker cookbooks

I wanted the hardcover binding this time around, but most of the listings were for the binder style.  Somehow browsing became a systematic search for the binding I wanted in good condition for a price I could live with {I mean, if I waited I might not get one, right? why take a risk?}.   Next thing I knew, there was a 'you are the high bidder' notice on my screen.  I went to bed with 20 min on the auction, totally confident.  Next morning, I went to pay only to find out someone had swiped my cookbook!  can you believe it?

Let me just say, there was no way the next one was getting away!  No more sleeping before the auction ended!  And look, a Cooky Book followed it home, too :) 

Maybe I should also confess that I'm a competitive shopper.   A bit aggressive, too.  I now avoid fabric sales at my LQS.  The horrified looks on the other shoppers' faces were making me feel a bit guilty.  Not guilty enough to let go of the fabric, mind you :)  {really sweetheart, move it or loose it!}

ebay brings out the same competitiveness in me, so I thought I had better quit for awhile after I bought these two cookbooks.  Even though there is one more I have my sights on {you don't really expect me to tell you which one before it is safely in my hands, do you?} :)

after the snow storm

Lots of snow around here lately has made for beautiful scenery in the backyard, but let me tell you it is heartache in the driveway!  And we are supposed to get more everyday through the weekend.  I've had enough shoveling, sunshine please come back again!

circle of geese

I used my Over The Rainbow Batiks charm pack {by Moda} and some shade of grey Kona to make HSTs, then joined them together to make flying geese type units.  I don't know precisely which Kona I'm using.  When I got to the shop, someone had cleaned out nearly every bolt of Kona, including all the greys!  Some lady was at the cutting counter with them all, so I was more concerned with getting a darkish grey than reading the bolt end.  {see above confession}

*No old ladies were harmed in the purchasing of this fabric.  There was plenty on the bolt to go around!*

You can see some strip sets for my Postage stamp quilt, my Madrona Road squares stacked up, and the pile of the rest of the geese in the picture also.  These projects are hanging out in plain view as I rotate through, doing a little bit of work on each one.  I thought about moving them for the picture, but hey, what are a few WIPs among quilters, right?

rainbow batik geese

If confession is good for the soul, I'll be doing fantastic after this post!  Because I have another one for you :)   I bought the grey background without really looking through the charmpack first.  I mean, it said rainbow, and we all know what that means.  no need to check colors, right? 

I certainly wasn't expecting the brown fabrics I found inside.  I don't claim to be all that smart, but as far as I knew the b in roygbiv stood for blue.  I tried to ignore it, in a 'just sew it and when it is all together it will be fine' kind of way, but those browns {especially with the grey background} really bug me.   Maybe I'll hide them on the back of the quilt...?

how 'bout you and me go crash some linky parties, 'K? :)
Really random Thursday
Vintage Thingie Thursday
Tuesday at the Table

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Salt Air & tulips in the kitchen

Salt air table runner

My Salt Air table runner has been done for awhile now, but it has taken me almost two weeks to get a decent picture of it.

Salt air table runner 2

I was grocery shopping when I realised what the problem was; the runner needed a vase of tulips to go with it :)

Salt Air table runner & tulips


I made my table runner as part of curves class taught by Rachel of Stitched in Color.  This was my first try at improv curves, and I loved it!  I will definately be doing more of this someday!

For fabric, I used a charm pack of Salt Air by Moda that I won in a giveaway from A Girl in Paradise.  The batting I pieced together from leftover scraps.  And the backing and binding I also pulled out of my stash.  I had this marbled tan-ish fabric I bought for a specific reason, but I can't remember what it was.  Obviously, I never ended up using it for that.  The right side of the fabric was too dark so I turned it over and used the backside, which was the perfect creamy off-white.  I was so happy to be able to put this project together entirely from my stash!

Salt Air table runner 3

I FMQed this quilt using Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters.  I really love this book! 
If you want to read more about the making of this table runner, and see some close-ups of the quilting, you can read {this post}.

I will be doing some linking here:
A Stitch in Time
Submarine Sunday #20
Sew Many Ways
New to Me in 2013
Quilt Story
Freemotion by the River
Better off Thread
You Flew
Made by Me
First Friday Finishes
TGIFF
Whoop Whoop Friday

Monday, February 18, 2013

rainbow HSTs

HSTs; kona mystery grey & batik

I'm working my way through the rainbow making HSTs with a batik charm pack my Mom gave me :) 

Such a welcome break from 2.5" squares, which I've been sewing like a mad woman.  I'll be back with more soon!

Linking to:
Little Quilt Monday
Design Wall Monday
Show & Tell Tuesday
Fabric Tuesday

Monday, February 11, 2013

Salt Air & Waves, an update in pictures

binding a table runner

This is where I'm at, handstitching the binding on what will be a table runner.

practice FMQ swirls

I made a practice sandwhich before I FMQed the actual project {I usually skip that}

Salt Air FMQed with swirls

the swirly quilting design comes from Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters {love that book!}

FMQ swirls

{the backside of the table runner}

basting my Salt Air table runner

I pieced together batting scraps for both the table runner & the practice sandwhich

hand sewing the binding down...

I do love handstitching the binding! {and Wonder clips truely are wonderful!}

PS - I tried to do a wordless post, but I guess i just talk too much :)  i'll share more about this when it is done.  meanwhile, there will be some linking going on...
Design Wall Monday
Little Quilt Monday
Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesday
Show and Tell Tuesday

Friday, February 8, 2013

a pillow covered

giant car pillow

I braved a blizzard to go outside and take a photo of this week's finish.  That's because it has already been put to use and is living in it's new home, the minivan.  :)

Lately, my youngest son has been falling asleep in the car.  He looks so uncomfortable all slouched over, so obviously he needed a snuggly pillow.

I had a 27" square {so I thought} pillow form I bought for something else hanging around, so I bought some flannel from Joanns to cover it with.  My son helped sew it all together!  I love that he wants to learn to quilt & sew!  :)

It turned out fantastic, except the pillow form is more like 24" square so the cover is saggy baggy, but my son insists he likes it that way, so I'm not fixing it.

It's a Friday & I have a finish, so I'll be linking up to these fine parties:
Finish it up Friday
TGIFF @ Kit Lang Art
Whoop Whoop Friday
Link a Finish Friday
Creative Friday
{I am soooooo ready for the weekend!}

Monday, February 4, 2013

some improve curves

curves class / rainbow road

I'm working on a project from the second week of Curves Class involving improv curves.  The top is done, and I just need to baste, FMQ, and bind.

I used a sharm pack of Salt Air by Moda, and I love how the improv curves mimic ocean waves and extend the theme of the fabric! :)

fabrics for the Tripple Zip Along

I pulled these AMH Innocent Crush fabrics out of my stash for the Triple Zip Along!  Yesterday I cut them up, and hopefully today I will sew it all together!

Hopefully I will be able to get a bit of sewing time this week to turn these WIPs into finishes!

What sewing did you do this weekend?
i'm linking up to Design Wall Monday over at Patchwork Times!