more fabric love (and a winner)

Thank you again for all the support on my new pattern!

So without further ado... a big congratulations to Mary for winning the Rouenneries Deux layer cake and pattern!

I decided to give away an extra copy of the pattern, and Jenny won that one!  (I'll be emailing you ladies)

I look forward to seeing both of you, and any one else in our quilt along group.  It's a casual quilt along, that you do at your own pace; I really just wanted a place to be available to answer people's questions and see everyone's work.  Kelly did do an awesome job testing for me, and gave me very valuable feedback for clarifying, but if any of the rest of you have a question or just want to show off, that is a good place to go.  I won't be giving explicit cutting or piecing directions; we'll basically be sharing our work.  So if you love the pattern, and want to join with us... please do so. :)  (AND -- for any of you paper pattern lovers, I called a printing company yesterday to figure that out; they will hopefully be available soon).

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For the first time this week, both my children are sleeping. 

I didn't know what to do with myself; I just knew I had to stay QUIET so as to not jinx it (seriously, Scarlet has been cat-napper extraordinaire, and Steiger hasn't been napping at all).  

Cutting is quiet, and since I went on a teeny tiny fabric binge this month, I started cutting.

These aren't all the exact fabrics I'm cutting right now, but some of them are in my pile. 

I've decided I'm going to make a Spring quilt, and I'm going to name it "Favorite Quilt."  If the fabric doesn't make me feel happy, it doesn't get included.  

Anyway -- my mouse might have got me in to a little bit of trouble.  (side note to my Honey -- they were all really good deals... extra coupons on top of sales kind of good deals, and it motivated me to pull out more things to destash, so it's like breaking even if you really think about it -- and I promise I'll wait a long time before I do it again...yes, I feel guilty...)

Lots of pretty blenders... if you're curious about any specific ones, click on the picture and I'll name them for you in flickr (or leave a comment if you don't have a flickr account).

But who doesn't love a rainbow, right Kelly?

I practiced incredible restraint with the Pez prints, and only got a FQ bundle with a few selected half-yard additions.

I just love these Michael Miller "Falling Flowers."

(and again Honey -- I wanted to get all the color ways, but stuck with these four; you should be proud because they were on sale and I have had them in my virtual cart for a couple months).

I snagged a few pieces from Heather Bailey's re-release of Fresh Cut (oh how I wish that woman would release a new line... and soon!)

And of course, I had to get some Flea Market Fancy Legacy. 

My fabric.com history told me I hadn't placed an order since October of last year (!!!), which really I just used to justify my bad behavior. 

I've decided next year I'll need to give up buying fabric for Lent.

♥

(but they're so pretty)

WIP Wednesday - folding fabric

I have a real problem when it comes to getting my laundry off the couch and in to whichever drawer or cabinet it may belong to.  Normally, it sits for quite some time until I begrudgingly fold them, and hope that I can beg Jay to put them away for me.  It all goes back to my childhood... From the time I was eight years old, I did virtually all the folding for my family, until I left for college.  If you know anything about high school boys, you know... that's a lot of clothes.

Anyway.

The kind of folding I've been working on this week isn't that kind.

I have stored my fabric in plastic totes.  The trouble with those plastic totes is that, in order to not have to climb in to the closet to get them... I leave them out.  Then, digging through all the fabric to find what I'm looking for... well, that wasn't always easy either.  So after promising my husband over and over that the fabric all over the house situation could be improved, he went and picked up a new (to me) hutch from my mom's storage shed.

And I've got four totes down, with a couple more to go.  

Here it is...

On the top I put my "blenders" -- sorted pretty much by color.  The top shelves have the 1/2 yards (or whatever is cut to the WOF), the bottom shelf has my neutrals, solids, and fat quarter size pieces (far right are my French General pieces too).

I'm making "mini bolts" for the bottom shelves.

I started earlier today, after the UPS man brought my comic book boards (yes, I do like French General).

And then we went swimming (because swimming, while pregnant, feels SO good I can't even say)...

So these neutrals are still waiting for me.

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In other news...

32 weeks tomorrow.

Linking to Lee's  

Speaking of Lee -- She has entered a beautiful fabric in a contest... You should go vote for her here.  

This is her fabric swatch... so cute methinks.

Speaking of contests... I entered my niece's quilt in Riley Blake's "Cruisin'" contest... You can see it here, and vote for me in a couple days, should you be so moved. :)

(I'll do a full post then, but it really turned out cute).

I made a cream pie last week.

and put strawberries on it.

Thank you for all the love on maybe baby boy's quilt  (and the belly too).  I really need to find me some energy to get that one, and this one all finished!  Steiger decided to break his water at 38 weeks... which gives me 6 weeks to go!  Eeps!

a pretty rainbow

This whole working outside the house thing has its plusses and minuses.

minus:

I got nothing sewing related done this week... (had an appointment on Thursday that took nap time, and then we celebrated Jay's birthday yesterday... at P.F. Chang's... which is over 1 1/2 hrs. away one-way).

plus:

I could afford this stack of fabric when it was on sale at fabric.com.  I managed to squeeze it in to my cart 15 minutes before the deal ended, AND I had a coupon code. :)

I arranged it all like a pretty rainbow, and was happy.

For those who'd like a closer up look:



Henna Garden, Honey Bee, Amy Butler dots...



a little Modern Meadow, Dance with Me, Ta Dot, Nicey Jane, and Haven's Edge.

If you're my M {cubed} partner... hop on over to flickr land, and let me know what you'd most like to see in your package (if you don't mind). ;)

60 sewing days until...

Christmas!  (not to panic you or anything)

I'm on my way, but I've got a list (and just like myself, I keep adding to it).

At least I'll have a few decorations though. :)

There was a package waiting for me when I got home from subbing on Friday (Steiger was with Daddy in the harvester)... Kendra spoiled me in the All About Christmas Swap.



She sent four stockings (she was planning ahead with me, in hopes that the fourth will be in use for next Christmas), some kid friendly ornaments (thank you!), a super cute pillow that will match my Christmas Bee quilt PERFECTLY, a book on decorating (she's been reading my blog and knows I need all the help I can get!) and some cute fabric pieces.  Thank you Kendra!  (I got to know Kendra through flickrland... I love that place). :)

 

Carol (aka mamacjt ... aka Doll Quilt Queen) was my partner.  Here's what I sent her.



I really wanted to keep this pillow for myself (especially now that it would go so well with the one Kendra sent) ;)

 


The little ornament wall hanging was a leftover from this.  I had made a couple of the blocks from jaybirds' hexagon quilt along, but knew the rest were not going to happen this year.  So I used them in this little wall hanging, and loved how it turned out.

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I mentioned at the top we have 60 sewing days until Christmas.  Here's what's on my sewing table.

Reworking my tree-skirt design for my sister-in-law (and myself)...

And my goal is to not buy any presents this year, but to just make the gifts I've purchased fabric for over the months (with specific recipients in mind)...

You might notice those above projects aren't necessarily my first choice in fabrics... 

so I've got a few to finish up for myself too (as soon as we get that new machine -- crossing fingers!)

One from a long time ago to finish:

And a couple more...

(Patterns and/or tutorials coming soon for these last two)

Last but not least -- 

I've got 5 days to finish Steiger's Halloween costume, and this little custom quilt needs to be finished and  sent on to its tiny owner!

Back to sewing for me!

naturally.

(The Go! giveaway should be the next post!) :)

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I sold a little quilt.

So naturally...

...I bought some fabric.

It had been way too long (about 3 months I think, not counting a few yards of white and stone)

Some Bliss*



Some Farmdale.



Some dots.



and some solids.



Wow that felt good.



*I was subbing a couple days this week, and S went to stay the night with his grandma (his first night away!)... he did great, and even though I missed him like crazy, I got a whole quilt top done.  I hope to have it to show you soon... I think I'm gonna try to write up the pattern for it. :)  UPS still has my backing fabric.

For a little guy

I got a commission project, and it showed up on my doorstep today (thank you fabric.com)

I think I'm going to use Julie's Circle Around design... at least for one side.  I'm going to leave the other side a surprise.

It will be twin-size, and I have more fabric than I need, but I (and the mama ordering) wanted scrappy and reversible, (and Hawaiian of course).  (But you know... on second figuring, I don't think I'm going to have too much extra!)

So here I am showing it off to the little recipient's mama (and the rest of you). :)

Not my typical fabric choices (what, Tracey...surfin' monkeys aren't your thing?)... but I think it's going to be so cute!

Now to get to work!

Hunky Dory indeed

This is what I started with.

And here are the results of a couple nap-times...

♥

(used this tutorial for the blocks)

For the hexagon quilt-along

I have been loving 12 Days of Christmas ever since I saw Kate preview it way back in December.

I bought the FQ bundle as soon as Leah listed it at Burgundy Buttons.  And then a jelly roll.  And a layer cake.

I started cutting it up for this pattern.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who ♥ this line...

This is for the hexagon quilt-along.

Can't wait.

I've been sewing curtains, as promised to the hubs long time ago... but as soon as those are finished, I'm cutting in to this!

I thought I'd get a picture before I did. :)

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One more thing...
Speaking of Christmas fabric, and Leah, she's having a giveaway!

Go see.  Her shop is great.

What I discovered this morning: an artist and fruitcake

I was busy getting stuff ready for Jay's lunch when I noticed Steiger was no longer pushing his "chugga-chugga."

















Naturally, I looked about.  He didn't answer, or come crawling out around the corner immediately, and  he wasn't standing in his favorite window.  I quickly discovered him tucked between the chair and couch.  Doing this...

It's the basket where I keep all my quilting magazines and patterns.  I've been trying to get a few minutes to draw out a design idea (that's my graph-paper tablet), so the pencil and paper were sitting on top.  He knew just what to do with them!  (clever little man)

I also had a box of fruitcake delivered to me!  It's for my next modabakeshop project!!! :) 

Christmas can't come too early, can it?

Help me decide! Which poppies?

I need to make a valance for the freshly painted bathroom.

I'll probably add a stripe to the top or bottom, but one of these 2 fabrics, Poppy by Laura Gunn, will make the majority of the valance.

So do I go with the green on green look?  With the aqua dots and pinky-red roses?

Or, my favorite of the line... the gray, with spicier red?

The paint is called "Aloe Vera," and is almost the color of honeydew.  Very fresh.

Thoughts?

I'm leaning toward the green, because I like the idea of putting aqua in there, and I wouldn't have to take back all the towels I bought at TJ Maxx.

I haven't forgotten you Davi!

It will be late and will have to be sent to you via mail or the next time I visit, but I've started.