Monthly Archives: October 2013

WIP Wednesday: I Seem to Have Misplaced My Saddle

WIP Wednesdays

I’d be happy to get back in the saddle again if I could find it.  I did get on a roll today and whip up 7 zippy wallets; six are for classroom auction prizes and one was for my daughter. She originally said she wanted to bid on one of them, but I told her she could just pick out some fabric and I’d make her one of her own. She immediately whisked it off and stuffed it full of… something, so it didn’t make it in the photo.

I’m torn between starting prep for my quilt retreat in a couple weeks and going back and stitch down the applique on Dresden Garden. I suspect I should start the applique stitching and take a break to cut things for the retreat when I get bored with it. We’ve also got a birthday party this weekend that I need to make a couple presents for (embroidered pillow case and maybe a totebag?).

And of course the pre-work for the next Bonnie Hunter mystery has been posted. Sheesh.  No mention of strings, though, so here’s hoping it’s basic units!

Sunday Stash: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

Sunday Stash

As promised, a big old goose egg on all fronts this week!

I have a podcast recorded (in Audacity), but somehow the configuration on the computer I have with me on this trip is not exporting the MP3 properly, so will have to wait until I’m home tonight to export and post it properly.

  • Used this Week: 0 yards
    • Sad trombone!
  • Used year to Date: 347.75 yards
  • Added this Week: 0 yards
    • Woohoo!
  • Net Used for 2013: 168.25 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 135 yards (34% of total used)

See more stash reports at Patchwork Times!

HtbaS - Episode 152

Not a lot of sewing this week. so I talk about my travel and conference a bit and a shocking amount about fashion which proves why this is a quilting podcast and not a fashion podcast. Here is a picture of Finnegan the cat in my suitcase at my parents’ house.

Finnegan is a Helper CatUPDATE: This episode is obviously crappy quality, and will henceforth be known as the “Lost Episode”.  I’m taking it down because I can’t fix the audio, and the 24 minutes I recorded is not worth the hours of research it would take me to figure out. Talk to you on Friday!

WIP Wednesday: Not a thang.

WIP Wednesdays

WIP (almost) WednesdaySince I’ve been traveling this week I’m not working on CRAP. I brought stuff to work on, but haven’t touched any of it.  That might change in my 4 hour layover in the airport tomorrow on my way to Virginia to help my folks out for a couple days.

I think I get to go Universal tonight and visit Harry Potter world, though!

 

Park West Bag - Finished!

Finished Projects

Park West BagI recently had the opportunity to test a new pattern for Sara over at Sew Sweetness: the Park West tote! Since I’ve been on a bag-making tear lately, I didn’t really *need* a new one myself, but I showed it to my mom and she was interested, so this version is for her.

Mom said she wanted some browns, so when she was down the other week visiting she picked out a couple prints from my stash, and I pulled in a coordinating blue and orange to finish out the accents and the trim.

Like the rest of Sara’s patterns, this bag’s instructions are easy to follow and well documented with lots of photos. It uses Soft & Stable to give the bag body, and the zippers (one interior and one recessed in the top) are easy to install. The recessed zipper might look intimidating, but I promise it’s not that scary! It’s probably easier to install than the interior zipper.

Park West BagYou can check out all the other versions of the Park West bag over on Sara’s blog.

Sunday Stash - Thinking Big, Working Small

Sunday Stash

Just a few small finished this week as I prepared to go out of town.  I made a badge holder and a small zippy pouch as well as some zipper bags to donate to Wellspring.  I’ve also got the center for my Dresden Garden basted and ready to stitch down, but had to put that off until I return.

  • Used this Week: 1.25 yards
    • 0.75 yd for various pouches (3 for charity, one for me)
    • 0.5 yd for neck wallet and zip pouch for work conference
  • Used year to Date: 347.75 yards
  • Added this Week: 0 yards
    • Woohoo!
  • Net Used for 2013: 168.25 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 135 yards (34% of total used)

See more stash reports at Patchwork Times!

HtbaS - Episode 151

Maintaining the same standards of professionalism you’ve come to expect! This week I talk about mean girls, boogers, pants (or lack thereof), and even some sewing.

My Open Wide Pouch from Noodlehead:

Noodlehead Open Wide pouchThe current layout for my Dresden Garden center:

Dresden Garden

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Happy Podcastiversary!

State of the Sewing Room

Three years. THREE years today. Holy crap.  Here it is by the numbers:

  • Number of podcasts: 150. This over a three-day weekend’s worth if you listened to them all the way through.
  • Number of quilts and sewing projects: Over 150. Based on my Pinterest boards, it’s 149, but I know there were things in 2010 I finished that didn’t make it on Pinterest.
  • Number of hours of me crying on the podcast: Probably an hour if you string those moments together. Sorry about that.
  • Yards of fabric used since Jan 2012: 897. Holy moly.
  • Pounds of me lost: 37.
  • Number of times I’ve said “So there’s that.”: No idea. How drunk are you by now?

Typical quilt of mine from 2010 versus 2013:

 

Thanks for sticking with me, guys. The next 150 are going to be epic.

WIP Wednesday: Scrapitudinous

WIP Wednesdays

Scrapitude Step 2

Well having finished the Jingle blocks, I turned my attention to the latest step for Scrapitude.  I seem, however, to have extra parts leftover; specifically, more than the 8 triangles from the 2 7/8″ squares that were mentioned. But either that will work out, or it won’t. Or I can’t count for crap.

I have plenty of cutting to catch up on as I prep for my parent’s king-sized quilt and my overnight retreat in a month. I also have the ongoing Dresden quilt parts, which are still being pieced as leaders and enders.

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

And when I’m not working on quilts, I’m making a Creeper shirt for my daughter, to go with the Creeper skirt. And the Creeper headband she also wants. And I might even whip up something for ME to wear at some point since many of my clothes are starting to not fit in a way that is not suitable for wear outside the house. While I’m happy to have lost the weight, it is rather troubling to consider my pants falling off while outside my house.

Jingle Blocks - Done!

General Quilting,

Jingle pieced block 8At last the Berry Siege of ’13 is OVER!

But first the final pieced block, complete with the sort of weird lighting you’ve come to expect from this blog.

And finally, here are final three applique blocks:

Jingle appliqué block 7
Jingle appliqué block 6  Jingle appliqué block 8

I swear I will raise one of my kids to be a botanist and genetically engineer food so they develop a berry with legitimate corners we quilters can applique without shame! In the mean time, I’ll settle for drinking a lot of eggnog around Christmas while this quilt is displayed so I either won’t notice the semi-pointy berries due to blurry vision or just won’t care due to being drunk.

I’m looking forward to the finishing directions, although might take liberties with the setting triangles for the center piece so they offer a little more interest.