Christmas is Coming

And I'm not ready.  Yikes where has my time gone??  I'm working on a couple of quilty items for my girls, but need ideas for the rest of the family.  Free time is going to be limited as things heat up at work, so they have to be quick and easy.

Last year I made cute kitchen towels, a small floor rug, mini tote bags for lunch boxes and a lap quilt.  Oh and a couple tripple zip bags.  Maybe I can whip up a few more of those, they were quite the hit and so easy to make. 

What are you working on?  I would love to hear your ideas.....K

"In Hand" EPP Party 2

Well this seems like a fun little party to join over at Splish, Splash, Stash!!  I love my EPP and sharing it on my blog, but for some it can be a bit boring seeing the same thing over and over again, when really I am so excited about sharing the 1 block that I worked on for hours!!   I am always drawn to the complex, I don't know why, things may start simple but I just like adding more.   I have been slowly working on my EPP quilt that is a version of Broderie's Candied Hexagons that I found on flicker.  Here are some pictures.... They started out simple like this...

Then started to get more complex....

And  this pink and grey one has been getting pinned like crazy on Pinterest even one  pin by Lori Holt. This is her fabric line that I am using.  Really weird because I am just a small time blogger doing this to amuse myself and keep focused on my art while working a very demanding job in retail.  My therapy as it were. 

 This one has a bit of bleeding from the printed lines on the template but it will wash out on the final quilt.  

This is the current WIP.....I started using glue stick to fold over the edges but that not be good for long term projects.  We will see.  

You can see all my blocks on my Flickr page. Here.

Off to go work on my Christmas present list, happy sewing, K

Sunday WIP

Just some photos today......

My  Sunnyside zigzag in progress.  Lots of bias and wonky spots.  We'll see how this quilts up....

The back is a full set of layer cake layed out in a graduated light th dark.  It's not the right sizzle so I have to add some sashing to right size it.  Love these colors so much!!  

Happy sewing, K

It's Halloween time!

I am entering this into the Quilters Blog Festival over at Amyscrestiveside.com in the appliqué category and the wall hanging catagory.  You should hop over and see all the wonderful quilts on display.  Tons of nice prizes too!!

So here is it.....an all original design by Me!!  I made this for my daughter to hang on her front door.  My favorite part is the cauldron of eyeballs....the story behind the dress you ask?  When my girls were little the oldest hand sewed the witch dress for her baby sister with stars and moons. (My kids are 10 years apart).   She made the entire dress herself, cutting all the pieces and completing when I was at work.  Makes a mom so proud, so of course a witch dress is not complete without moons and stars.  

Vintage photos, my baby is 19 now, no more trick or treating 😫

FMQ with some pumpkin and vines that I saw on Leah Day's site.

A little raw edge appliqué , fussy cut to get some spooky eyes, and some hand stitching.

Spider in Huntersville NC, luckily I don't see them that big here in Southern , CA.

So go check out the Quilters Blog Festival voting starts on Monday.   

Weekend Sewing

This weekend I am working on my Kate Spain Sunnyside jelly roll.  I usually don't buy precuts but I have to say they are a timesaver and if you are not sure about the fabric line it's a great way to see all the prints a line has to offer.  I do have to admit I love, love, love the color pallet and am going to be real jealous of the recipient of this quilt.  I do have to have it done by early dec for shipping to one of my favorite girls.  This quilt features a chevron of diamonds and is super cool!!  Matching the points is definitely challenging but will be well worth the effort.  Here is the first color way diamond.

Zippered Phone Wallet

  Sharing some pictures of this fun little zippered phone wallet I made this week.  I'm super happy with how it turned out, I think I am going to make it into a tutorial.  Once I got all the measurements right it was a breeze to put together.   I love the gusset on the side, it's so easy to get my phone or cards out of it.  I just need to find some hardware and I will add the wrist strap..DONE...I picked up the zipper at a craft show yesterday and it was the perfect size and color but they didn't have any swivel clasps.  What are you up to this week?

Linking up my quilty finish in the TGIFF! linky parties this month:

1. • October 18 - M-R @ Quilt Matters
   • October 25 - Jen @ Quilter In The Closet

WIP

Here is my latest works in progress....

  I made a new IPAD cover with my pattern that I purchased last year on etsy from napkitten   It is the best pattern hands down, has the best look and functionality than I have seen in any other pattern.   The pattern has over 40 pictures on how to make the frame that goes on the front, how to ensure all the ports are not covered and the front facing camera etc... I added the Velcro, not part of the pattern and my first one was fine without it, but it makes me feel more secure.   I love how it came out.  I actually wore out the last one.   I used some batiks from Hawaii that I picked up several years ago.  Here are some pics....

Next up I worked on a postage stamp quilt in Riley Blake Avignon.   I bought this for another project and when it arrived in the mail the colors were not right so they went into the stash.   I had a little mishap during late night sewing that I didn't find out until I started spritzing  it with water to get all the seams pressed perfect.  It looked like my seams were too loose....turned out I grabbed the bobbin of water soluble thread!!!  Disaster😩

So back to the machine and reset those seams.  I hope I found all the bad ones....I'm gonna have to give it a soak to make sure before I add a back and quilt it. Update, there are still 2 long seams that have to be redone this weekend...ugh!!!

I bought new fabric for a super secret quilt for my daughter for Christmas.  I am making if from the Moda Bake Shop site.  It's a chevron quilt using Kate Spain Sunnyside and white solids.  I did a practice block so I could practice cutting the triangles correctly and lining them up to get al the seams matching.  With the water soluble bobbin of course.  : (  , I can fix it now that I know it's in there.....turns out it's pretty easy and with the jelly roll it should come together pretty quickly. 

And now I just have to bind a new set of pot holders is made for myself!!  I used my hoarded Sweetest Thing by Riley Blake and 2 layers of insul bright and 1 layer of warn and natural.  They are pretty thick and FMQ was a bit hard but I love them!!!  Pics to come later....off to enjoy my last day of vacation before the Retail Wars start up!!   Only 74 days till Christmas.....Happy Sewing, K

Sunday Report

Wow, I have had a great week, resting and sewing the days away.

  I made a new IPAD cover with my pattern that I purchased last year on etsy from napkitten   It is the best pattern hands down, has the best look and functionality than I have seen in any other pattern.   The pattern has over 40 pictures on how to make the frame that goes on the front, how to ensure all the ports are not covered and the front facing camera etc... I added the Velcro, not part of the pattern and my first one was fine without it, but it makes me feel more secure.   I love how it came out.  I actually wore out the last one.   I used some batiks from Hawaii that I picked up several years ago.  Here are some pics....

Next up I worked on a postage stamp quilt in Riley Blake Avignon.   I bought this for another project and when it arrived in the mail the colors were not right so they went into the stash.   I had a little mishap during late night sewing that I didn't find out until I started spritzing  it with water to get all the seams pressed perfect.  It looked like my seams were too loose....turned out I grabbed the bobbin of water soluble thread!!!  Disaster😩

So back to the machine and reset those seams.  I hope I found all the bad ones....I'm gonna have to give it a soak to make sure before I add a back and quilt it.

I bought new fabric for a super secret quilt for my daughter for Christmas.  I am making if from the Moda Bake Shop site.  It's a chevron quilt using Kate Spain Sunnyside and white solids.  I did a practice block so I could practice cutting the triangles correctly and lining them up to get al the seams matching.  With the water soluble bobbin of course.  : (  , I can fix it now that I know it's in there.....turns out it's pretty easy and with the jelly roll it should come together pretty quickly. 

And now I just have to bind a new set of pot holders is made for myself!!  I used my hoarded Sweetest Thing by Riley Blake and 2 layers of insul bright and 1 layer of warn and natural.  They are pretty thick and FMQ was a bit hard but I love them!!!  Pics to come later....off to enjoy my last day of vacation before the Retail Wars start up!!   Only 79 days till Christmas.....Happy Sewing, K

Agility day

Just had a great morning running agility with my fearless pup Skittles.  Had to wake up super early on this fine Sunday, so we could run before it got too hot.  Here is a pic now that we are home...she is all pooped out!!  Now it's time for Game of Thrones marathon and some hand quilting.

Took a crafty class on hand quilting, with Andi Peredia,  very good I would recomend it!!

Happy Sunday, K

Blog anniversary

Oh my gosh it has been a whole year of blogging!!   Wow it has been such a fun year.....first off I finished some UFO's with Leah day  and worked on my FMQ skills,  made lots of  beautiful Christmas presents from a bunch of cool tutorials that if I hadn't started blogging I would have never found. I made a bunch of tripple zip pouches (super fun).    I have found lots of blogs to follow and love to see what my fellow sewists are doing every week.  Family and friends don't always "get" why I love sewing and making things, but you do!!  Oh and I joined not one but 2 Flickr bee groups.   Get your hex on and the postage stamp swap, great fun if you've never tried it.  I learned how to use Flickr! got better at taking and editing my photos. I even went on a scrappy trip abound the block ( I didn't finish the world trip) I even learned a bit of Zentangle.   And I started my first journey into hand quilting on my fantasy flowers quilt!!

  Over all a great year.  I tink it's time to go browse some blogs and get some new present ideas.  Only 93 days till Christmas...

Happy Sewing, K

Sewing Sunday- Do You Like To Sew By Hand???

What's a girl to make today?  I finished up my mini quilts and am ready to start up something new but need some inspiration!!  I still have my WIP hexies, going a bit slower in these lately.  I did design some pretty complicated patterns and those itty bitty pieces are holding me back.  I do need to gt back to my goal of 5 a week.  

Working on my hand quilting, Fantasy Flowers, that is going well. I guess I count that in lengths of thread done each day. 

 One 18" strand a night is pretty good progress.  

I am leaning toward an acho quilting around all of the appliqué for a dense stipples look.  See my pinterest for examples.

I am adding bits of colored 12 weight thread or pearl cotton as I go.  Not sure I  like the way they look on the back. I might use matching thread to go all the away through first and then do embellishments in just the top layer and batting.  

As this is my first hand quilting project not all the stitches go through to the back.  It bothers me but unless I feel it right away their is no way I am going back and rip them out.   I have tried using a hoop and just can't get the knack of it so I prefer hoop-less, with a rocking stitch from the right to left or top to bottom.

.

Would love to hear some tips on hand-quilting.  I did find a blog with absolutely gorgeous hand quilting by Tim Latimer but he doesn't have a lot of how to's.  I pinned a bunch of examples on my pinterest and will keep looking for inspiration....

Do you like hand work??  Love to see to see your pictures!!  Post your link in the comments section

Off to go quilt...happy Sewing, K