Top Secret Sewing

I am doing a "job" for someone.  Luckily, I was pretty pleased with my quilting performance.  This is the first time that I have ever sewn a project for someone else to give to someone else.  She did the piecing and I am finishing up the quilt.  I am getting paid...in fabric.  I think I need some of that Verna.  I am going to work on the binding this afternoon.

Check these blogs out

First, a big thank you to Bobbi.  I won these great gifties at Bobbi's blog, Crafty Vegas Mom.  Bobbi is just the sweetest, and I really enjoy her projects over on her blog.  She had her friend, Heidi, organize these Friday Night Sew-Ins.  I participated in the last one.  They are currently taking sign ups for the next one on Heidi's blog.  I have found this is a great way to get a project done, especially if  you need a little incentive to get moving on it. 

Finally, last week after I had problems with my comments section not showing up, I went looking through all of my blogger menus to fix it.  I saw that they had an updated posting system.  SO, I updated and I just love this new compose menu.  It makes uploading photos even better and gives you choices after you are done uploading.  You should check it out. 

Just when you thought the party was over

Last night, at about 9...the house was quiet. I decided to try Monica's Pennie Pockets with some Valentine scraps I came across. Here is a picture of one of them. Buddy is going to take it to his teacher for Valentine's Day.

What a fast project. :) Seriously fast.

Done

Thanks for inviting me to the party.

Update on Valentine's Party Project

To view the final update. Please go here.
Sorry. I see to be having a problem with blogger. Hopefully the comments section shows up here.
UPDATE: Things seem to be zipping right along here. I like this pattern, a lot.
Here is the finished top.

Here is a shot of the quilting process.

So far our only oopsie of the day. I knocked my little basket of safety pins all over the floor. Luckily, my lil' knight was quick to help.

The quilting is done. I am going to have a bite to eat and maybe start with the binding. What progress have you shown????

Valentine's Day Sewing Party

Sorry. Blogger is giving me a headache. Check here for updates on my party project.




So today is the big party. I am about to go into the sewing room...hopefully to sew and not to get distracted and start, heaven forbid, cleaning the room. Remember I am working on a table runner, similar to style of Crazy Mom's quilt found here. I was thinking of using bias binding and not straight edging the tumble blocks, what do you think?????

To get in the Valentine's Day mood, I watched Pride and Prejudice last night. I just love that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.

I will be back with updates throughout the day. Please stop on by.

Marabella

Go on over to Kati Cupcake's and get entered to win some beautiful FQ's from the Marabella line. What are you waiting for, go here now.

I just received some Kati Cupcake's patterns for Christmas, she sure has it going on!!!

I am getting ready for the Valentine Sewing Party. I have my project picked. It is a quilt by Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts . . .who I am missing terribly. I found her very inspiring. I am going to take her quilt version and instead sew a table runner. I had just enough charm squares left from last year to do it. I have my material cut. I am ready to sew. I do need binding material though.

Friday Night Sew In- Plus CGQC finish

We all had fun here at DQ at the Friday Night Sew In.
As you can see, even Buddy came into the sewing room to hang out. He had his new Nintendo DS that Santa bought him. He has been enjoying playing his new games. I thought it was nice he came in to hang out with mom instead of dad!
Honestly, I can admit that if it wasn't for the sew-in, this purse would still not be done. Thanks to Heidi for organizing the fun. I am glad to be done with this purse. I had problems every step of the way on it, mostly due to my own silly mistakes. I think I would make it with sturdy interfacing though instead of batting, it was very difficult to sew straight (which I did not) at the end due to the thickness, even with my walking foot.
I am so relieved to be done though. It is a nice design. I should have opened it up for you to see how the top split open for a large (20 inch) zipper opening. It has great pockets on the inside, too. It just isn't my best sewing. It is funny how you get to the point, you stop thinking yourself a beginner and then along comes a project, that totally proves to you how much of a novice you still are.

What are you gals up to this Saturday morning???
Here is a picture of Buddy enjoying the snow earlier in the week.

It's another party!

Kelly and Joan have cooked up some more fun for the CGQC! A sewing party with a Valentine's theme next Saturday the 23rd. I hope to be able to participate.

Mill House Inn Bags- Moda Bake Shop

I love the Moda Bake Shop. Seriously, it is best. These are Mill House Inn Bags which was a tutorial on MBS by Our Cozy Nest. You can find the tutorial here. It is a really great tutorial, you'll be able to follow it. I think any level of quilter will like it, and can easily adapt the quilting step to their level.

I made myself one and one for a friend. I am going to use mine as a purse, since I think it is the perfect size. I added some interior pockets. I also interfaced the lining with a sturdy fusible interfacing. This gave the bag extra support, they can stand on their own. It did make sewing a couple of areas (particularly my pockets and the around the top of the bag where the seams met) a bit more challenging. But, in the end, I like a really sturdy bag. I still have to find the perfect buttons to sew on the front, for that loop closure you see sticking up the back.


One more thing to note, in the first step of the tutorial it has you cut the honeybun strips. I did not do this. Instead, I sewed the entire strip. By doing this, I had enough stripped together for 3 bags (if you cut carefully)....and still over half of my honeybun strips left untouched. You probably could get at least 6 of these bags made out of one honeybun, for those of you making gifts. It would be good to know before picking up the yardage. Oh, I also made my straps 28 inches long each. So, I cut 2 strips (4 inches wide).

Also, a shout out to Fig Tree Quilts.....how I love thee. You can see where I mixed in just a touch of Joanna's previous collections into this. I love it. I loved picking thru my Fig Tree scraps bags and realizing that I could make a whole lot of these bags with my scraps I have saved. What fun!

Lastly, have you signed up for the Friday night sew in? Handmade by Heidi has organized a sewin Friday, January 15th! I'm totally in for that.

Hip to Be Square- finished!

I loved this pattern because it was so quick to sew. And it is makes a nice big quilt as you can see. If you have the pattern, be sure to check out the designer's website because there was 1 size error on the block sheet.

Sew on Ladies!!

Baby it's cold outside

I hate to complain, but it is 6 degrees outside. 6 degrees people! I hate winter. You folks out in the sunnier states, I know you are grinning as I moan on. Seriously, we went to church this morning and I thought my face was going to crack from the bitterness of the cold. It is miserable. Then we had to go grocery shopping. It is too cold to do any of this.

What else is a girl to do but stay in and quilt??

Here are my quilt blocks for my Swanky Quilt Kit. All the blocks are done. I just need to sew them together. The colors are a bit subdued. The photography department here at DQ was having a bad time of things. There was a terrible glare from the sun/ and a bit shadey part. BUT, rest assured, this is the first I've seen the sun in days and I was not going to shut the curtains! At least it can look warm in here.


Look at this cute pincushion mom gifted me! I love it. All that cupcakey goodness....none of the calories! Sorry the photo is a bit blurry. I am just too lazy to go retake the photo though.
Sew on ladies, sew on.