Tempting...

Well, I'm back from my wonderful mini vacation! We drove down to Mesquite, NV on Wednesday (about a 7 hour trip), then spent Thursday in Las Vegas (just my sisters and I, mom and grandma stayed behind to hit the slots), and then cleaned my grandma's trailer home on Friday (holy BUCKETS! The woman has been a heavy smoker for her whole life and while the place was kept very clean, that stuff really sticks to everything, so much scrubbing was involved!) and drove home on Saturday! It was a whirlwind, but still some time away from home and responsibilities. Now I am pumped to get caught up with my life and back to my projects. Now, I am wasting away my time on the computer and stumbled across this Quilt Along:

(the button does not want to work here, so THIS is the link to the QAL)

It sounds like a wonderful opportunity to try out different blocks and learn different quilting styles. The way it works is like a Row Robin quilt. Back in the day, women would start with a row on their quilt, and then pass it on to another lady who would add a row, and on it went until the original lady got her quilt back. This is similar, other than you keep your original quilt the whole time, but five different quilt bloggers have designed and added their own row tutorial, one which will be revealed every Monday for five weeks!! I'm on the fence, but it seems like one I can make happen using just scraps and three yards of background fabric! How do i say no?? Anywhoo...I have lots to share with y'all later, but I'm off to get some unpacking, laundry and cleaning done. Am I the only woman who scrubs her house before going on vacation only to have it destroyed when I get home? Yeesh.

~Happy Sewing!~

Well, today is Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations and I thought I'd link up my Bits O Blocks quilt progress :D Go check out all the fun linkies and get INSPIRED, people!

Also, I just entered to win a FQ Stack over at Jaybird Quilts courtesy of Pink Chalk Fabrics. I love the thought of free fabric. It just makes me (and especially Mr. Polka Dot Apron) happy! If you love free stuff as much as I do, you should go check it out! Lots of fun happening in blogland. I'm going to post my WIP Wednesday on Tuesday (I know: GASP!) because I am going to be spending my Wednesday HERE:

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!! My sisters (I have four) and mommy and grandma are all going down to clean out my grandma's trailer home in St. George, UT and we are going to take a couple days to hit the strip! I think I've earned the right to be a geeky tourist and laugh until I pee with six of my favorite gals. I am also getting some Cortizone injections in my neck tomorrow (BTW, my spine in my neck grows backwards, weird, eh?) so I will do my best to post my WIP's but I cannot guarantee it. Anywhooo, I hope y'all have a super week as well!

~Happy Sewing!~

Bits O Blocks is ready to be basted!

Well, the top is finished! I am going to put a small border around it to give it a bit more body and make it a true crib-sized quilt, but other than that, the hard part (and fun part!) is over! I'm so glad I went with the orange, it really brightens it without it being over the top, I think :D. Anywhoo, the tutorial I used was from the "You Know What I Love?" blog, which is SUCH a fun blog to read and I highly recommend you check it out! She called her's bits and blocks and I called mine Bits O Blocks (I can't help how original I am sometimes...) I altered the pattern a bit by not making my vertical strips different widths, but 2 1/2 inches each, and doing less of them to make a more narrow quilt. I also added some sashing on the top and bottom of each 4-strip block to scrap it up a bit, even though it is all still in the same color- does that make sense? As wonky as it is, I still like to have some consistencies! So, here's the (nearly) final product!

Ta DAAAAAA!

Kolton managed to claim it for himself (and his trains) for a moment while I made sure Sam didn't stick his hands in the toilet (yeesh). He said "Mom, I LOVE this fabric- when you make me a quelt" (His pronunciation) So, I guess I know what my next project is, LOL!

Now onto the ironing and basting!

~Happy Sewing!~

WIP Wednesday

Wednesday already??!! So, I took your advice (well, most of you, anyway!) and went with an orange row. I went to my scrap stash (which is, at this point, a garbage bag) and realized...No. Orange. WHA???? How did that happen? So, I had to break into my Central Park (by Kate Spain) layer cake that I just got for the PS I Quilt QAL. Hope I don't have to use too much of the orange LOL! So, here is the row all ready to stitch together and add to the quilt. I think that's all I'll get done for today, as I am still busily unpacking and taking care of two kiddos with cabin fever!

Opinions? Anyone??

So, apart from linking up with "Quilt Story's" Fabric Tuesday, I am posting this to receive any opinions I can get regarding this unfinished quilt top. I want to add an additional row, but can't decide on the color. I am leaning toward orange, but red has crossed my mind as well. This is another baby boy quilt (they are sprouting up everywhere in my neighborhood!). I am planning on repeating the first three rows with the row in question being in the middle, so I want it to pop! So, any opinions would be GREATLY appreciated!!

~Happy Sewing!~

NOTE: Holy cow!! I would be remiss if I took full credit for this amazing design! I got the idea and tutorial from THIS site. So sorry for not giving credit earlier.

WIP Wednesday

Well, I think my mind is officially lost because I am starting up another QAL!! Any excuse to buy adorable fabric and sew to my heart's content while watching court shows on TV during naptime, right?? Am I RIGHT?? LOL- I wasn't joking when I said that quilting and sewing is my therapy- I guess I am in serious need! So, here goes, this QAL is with PS I Quilt which is a really delightful blog to read and you should all go check her out!

I will put up a button as soon as I can- either I am dumb (more than likely the case) or the button she has just isn't working. It looks like a totally do-able quilt and I can't wait to see how it looks in Kate Spain's Central Park line:

Heaven help me, here I go!!! I hope this counts as WIP because I have been shopping for fabric, and boy does that take WORK! :D I guess going through my scraps and getting moved into my new sewing room counts too, right?

~Happy Sewing!~

Here Come's Jonny Bag....

Here comes Jonny Bag,

Yum, yum, yummy.

He eats leftover toys,

And puts 'em in his tummy.

So keep your things,

Nice and neat.

So Jonny can't find,

A thing to eat!

So, this is Jonny Bag. A clever little idea given to my by my hubby, who learned it from his mother. She used to teach pre-school and they used Jonny Bag to persuade the kids to clean up all the toys before he got there. It works like a charm on my three-year-old and I'm going to show you how to make one today!

Start with the following supplies:

Pillowcase (I got mine from a fun sheet set at Ross), scrap white and brown (or black) fabric, a shoelace or length of fabric to make a drawstring with,and fusible webbing or Wonder Under (not shown).

Supplies

I didn't use stencils or rotary cutter for my teeth, I wanted this guy to be crazy and un-symmetrical, but feel free to be as much a perfectionist as you'd like! Doubling up my white fabric, I cut out four teeth, so each tooth has two pieces. I then sewed them together and turned them out and pressed like so:

Pressed teeth.

I then cut a line across the approximate center of the pillow case (again, no rulers, he's a monster, after all.)

Pin the teeth into place

Using you fusible webbing, iron on your randomly cut out eye pieces and stitch around the eye (I used brown thread, even for the white of the eyes, because I felt like it, but feel free to match up thread.

Here he is pre-stitchery (the pic I took up close of his eyes all stitched didn't come out right, but you get the idea...or do you?)

Finally, I sewed a small zig-zag square about two inches from the top of the pillow case (a buttonhole would work great, too) to run the drawstring through. I then folded down the top of the pillowcase and stitched all the way around to make the casing for the drawstring. Run the drawstring through and....here comes Jonny Bag!!

I give my little guy about 30 minutes to put his toys away before I start coming into his room singing the song (I can't find the track for the song. It is probably 30 years old or older, but you can just say it as a poem. If I get enough requests, I might put a video of me singing it if it will help- it just depends on your torture threshold! ) Trust me. It will only take one time for Jonny Bag to have a snack, and your child will be much more willing to clean up their toys!!

~Happy Sewing!~

My First Ever Quilt Along!!

I am finally taking the plunge and joining in a Quilt Along (QAL) hosted by the blog "Don't Call Me Betsy" that I secretly stalk for inspiration. It is a Kaleidoscope pattern and something I have never tried before. Who doesn't need more challenges in life, right?! I have wanted to join a QAL for a long time but a few petty things have held me back. What if everyone laughs at my fabric choices? What if my seams and corners don't line up and EVERYONE notices and never reads my blog again because they have lost faith in my abilities (and by this, I am speaking of my whole 2 followers and the tens of people who have read my blog so far)??? However, I have been looking for an excuse to purchase the Bliss line of fabric from Moda and I feel like this is an really good excuse. I am surrounded by boys in my life, and I truly love it, but I long for girly things around me and this line of fabric just screams feminine. So, I held my breath and pushed "submit order" for a fat quarter bundle of a few of these fabrics:

And now I am squealing inside because I am actually. doing. it!!!!

I will keep you updated on my progress. I can't wait to see it finished and laying across the chair that I plan on putting in my new sewing room, ready for me to snuggle up in on cold days while I peruse the net for quilting inspiration. Wish me luck!

And, in Sam-Bone related news, his surgery went well and now he has a little (5" X 1") stitched up section right along the front of his pelvis to add to his bandaged hands. That is where they took the good skin from to graft onto his hands. He's holding up remarkably well and we 'get' to go in on Monday to check his progress. Thanks for the well wishes I have received on Facebook and via e-mail from many of you. I'll keep you posted.

~Happy Sewing!~

Something Awful

Wow! A week already! Today's work in progress is my MOVE. Our house has been rented out for the last year and we are finally moving back in. I am so giddy over this I could die. I really didn't think I'd have any time to post anything today, but here I am :D . Little Sam decided to take a nap as I was preparing to go to the house and begin unpacking so I get a little break now. We are only moving half a mile away so I not pressed for time or anything. As I mentioned in my last post, I finished two quilts this week so I thought I'd share some pics of the second one. When I was growing up my Aunt Joann made each niece and nephew a quilt when we graduated from High School. Well, since I am the only one out of my siblings who sews regularly, I decided to take the torch and carry on the tradition. These quilts are called "Awful Quilts" by my aunt because they are awfully warm and awfully soft and awfully comfy, etc. They are good old fashioned no-nonsense denim quilts made out of jeans scraps and flannel on the back. I still have mine and love it to death. It is super heavy and perfect for camping and picnicking. I will try to get a picture of it once it is unpacked. My nephew, Blake, graduated from high school yesterday so I took on my first ever awful quilt! 8X8 squares of old jeans donated by various family members backed with camo/snowboarding flannel. It went together in a jiff and I did a good old fashioned quilt tying session because I didn't want to vary from tradition. So, here she is!

And here's the man of the hour! Am I really that short or is he just really tall? Congratulations, Blake!

In further news: A wonderful linking party is happening over at Blue Cricket Design today! Check out all the wonderful project ideas and tutorials she has posted and see if you can spot 'yours truly' :D