June Blocks

I was so productive this weekend. I was on a roll. I finished all the quilt blocks for my bees for June along with other things. I'll show the rest a later day but here are the bee clocks for you to peruse.

I like this block for Rachel but I don't. I think its the colors mixed together. Or I am picky. Which is probably more like it. (it looks really crooked but it is the photo - I promise)
Michelle said we could do whatever we wanted including applique so she got this Big Birdie. I think its cute. I had the pattern out because I wanted to make a lap quilt out of it. I have all these great lime green and yellows.
Stephanie wanted a spider web block. I love the linen she chose for the center. I am annoyed with myself that two fabrics matched up in the corner. I was trying so hard not to have that happen. Hope she doesn't mind. I really want to make myself some spiderweb blocks. Hmmm...another to add to my list.

Isn't it funny though how some blocks totally work out and some don't. I could make the same pattern and I would hate one and like the other.

Sarah's Quilt

My friend Sarah was married last Saturday. I wasn't able to go because of M's recital and birthday party and it is was on the other side of the country. I made her a lap quilt as a gift. I am holding off on mailing it because she is movie to Hawaii in a couple weeks so it only makes sense to wait so I had time to procrastinate and finished the binding last night.

So this lap quilt is very simple. I wanted something clean and bright and I love the quilts at Twiddletails. Here is one that I really like and was going for a similar idea. Sarah is a neat freak and a very cheery person. The poor girl had to live with me and Andy. We aren't gross or anything but the two of us are not the tidiest of roommates. (We had another roommate but I don't remember her name- she was in her room the whole year getting stoned so we never saw her since that wasn't our scene.) We lived in this awesome 4 bedroom house that was on the verge of needing to be condemned. You had to pick up momentum to make it across the slanted kitchen and you had to be cautious near the microwave because the floor was soft. Andy's room was over my room and when her boyfriend was over I swear her bed was going to fall through the ceiling and they weren't even doing anything but sleeping! I loved that house. Fond memories. Good times.

Back to the quilt. I picked out three colors that I thought would look nice together. I thought about getting a purple but there weren't in the right color shade (all of it from Joann's). I then cut out squares of each fabric. I believe I had 3 pink, 2 blue and 2 green different fabrics. Then I sewed a different fabric same color on 2 sides. Then I added tons of Kona white. I wasn't trying to make a pattern. I made two rows I was happy with and repeated. It just ended up wit the pink and blue down the middle.

It was so quick to make it. I usually get carried away for gifts and make them huge so I used a lot of self control here. I did take it to Two Thimbles to get it machine quilted. I am not the best at it especially with my card table set up and since it was a gift... Totally affordable. I paid $45 and it was worth every penny. My mom had one done too and it turned out great. I had it stippled in a multi color thread. I did the binding multi color as well. I think it turned out really nice. I think Sarah will really like it buuuuuut maybe I should keep it. :) Go buy her a premade one at Walmart. Just kidding. I would never do that. My mom would have a heart attack if any of her children bought a blanket.

I lied- I did make something

Ok, I lied. I did make something over my vacation. I forgot about it until I saw in in our guest room in a Ziploc bag. When I made that orange bag, the first one I cut was too small so I threw it to the side and started over. Well, I didn't want to waste the fabric so I did sew it up. I didn't use a Chinese knot because it was too heavy for the bag since it was so small. So I used a yoyo and a covered. I used one handle instead of two for the same reason. Plus, on the inside I put a button closure. I sewed a button hole in the lining and then lined the button hole so if you were looking you didn't see the fusible fleece and then I sewed on a button. I should have taken a picture. Oh, last night I did get motivated and started sewing the binding on a quilt I made for my friend who got married on Saturday. I only did two sides before my hand was cramping and I was working in way slow motion since I was distracted by a documentary on Bruce Lee. He is so fascinating. I knew he was influential but I didn't realize that in so many fields he influenced so much change from martial arts, nutrition, how actors are paid, body building, film, music, philosophy, and he even designed exercise equipment that we are familiar with today. Wow! Can you imagine the influence he would have had if he didn't pass at the unfortunate age he did? Did you know that in Bosnia there is a statue there of Bruce Lee that represents mutli culturism. The documentary said something like "One thing we all have in common is Bruce Lee." Sorry that was a random strain of thought. Quilt almost done. There - back on track.

I have so much to do. I have fabric for 3 quilt blocks to make for my quilting bees, I still owe Chen a block, I have to finish a little gift I embroidered (I would show what I have so far but the person reads the blog occasionally), 2 bags for my office mates, a bag my friend asked me to make for her friend because she doesn't have the time (its a kit so that should be easy once she gives it to me), AND my mom commissioned me to make her a bag which I think is funny because she taught me to sew and she can make it herself but then again I gave her material this weekend to make me a kimono jacket and I could make it myself but I hate making cloths and I actually want it in the near future. So she will get it to me quicker. :)

Tonight I will get motivated. Really, I will.

My Baby is 4!

Sorry, I have been absent for a while. I had a nice 2 week vacation from work so at home I tried to stay away from the computer. I have a bad habit of checking my work email from home so I had to show some self control. I also did not sew except for the bag I made in the right measurements for myself (see previous post- exact same just a bit smaller.) I did have plans of sewing the whole time but the sun was out so we spent a lot of time at the park. Now I have a ton of stuff to make in a short period of time.

So, my baby is 4 today. I guess she is not a baby anymore. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. Her skinny long limbs and big ol' eyes. Time really does go so fast.

Saturday we celebrated by going to the FunZone with all her friends. Its a big warehouse with those gigantic bouncy houses. The kids were worn out in about 20 minutes. Everyone had a great time. M wanted a soccer theme. I don't know why. She doesn't play soccer or even own a soccer ball but about a year ago she said she wanted a soccer party and that is all she talked about for the entire year so that's what she got. See the soccer uniform? I also got her a soccer ball. I couldn't find a soccer cake and I didn't have time to make one since her ballet recital was the night before so she picked out a princess cake and I found candles in the shape of soccer balls so she was happy.

After, we took her to Red Robin with her friend J. J is one of my college friend's daughters. We live about an hour and 20 minutes from each other so we bought a membership to a Children's Museum halfway between our houses and we meet once a month. We get to gossip - they get to play. They both were so funny telling jokes and eating of course....macaroni and cheese. My husband told the old knock knock joke banana, banana, banana, orange you glad I didn't say banana? Then J retold the joke and mixed up the orange and banana and said "banana you glad I didn't say orange." Didn't make any sense but it was so funny. 4 year olds are hilarious.

Since today is actual birthday I made a mini cake for her last night and sent cupcakes to her day care/preschool. We'll bbq tonight and give her the last of her presents. My child is way spoiled. I think her dad may even pick her up and take her to Build a Bear. Man, I don't get this spoiled on my birthday!



M also had her first ballet recital this weekend. They were so adorable. I can't wait to get the video so I can watch it again (and probably again and again). I was back stage with her helping out so I didn't get the best view of her. She looked really nervous looking out at the audience. She was a fairy and she flew for most of it. They did really well though for their ages and how many people were in the audience (a couple hundred). It was at the historic Mt. Baker theater. I was surprised at how many people came and this is an entire weekend thing. 4 shows! (little kids only once) After the recital - we took her and her cousins out for ice cream at Mallard's. The best ice cream. All freshly made. Yum.

I hope to get to some sewing this week. I think I am going to make another ballerina for a birthday party this weekend so I kind of have to get motivated.

A New Spring Bag!

I really wanted something springy. I was using a dark purple bag that is much more for the Fall/Winter. So I found this fabric. I loved it. So bright- so cheerful. It has fabric covered cording braided for the handles. Really soft. Plus, I made a knot out of the cording for a bit of embellishment. The bag is lined with the beigey fabric and has a large pocket on the inside out of the orange. I had scraps. I also put two little pleats. I used fusible fleece as the lining. I like that it gives it a little stiffness but is still really soft. It really is great looking - not to toot my own horn or anything. (That is my office in the background. I took a quicky picture to send to my mom. She hates the fabric. We have very different taste.)

I brought it to work and my office mates (I share an office with 3 lovely ladies) all decided they want the same bag. One, wants the exact same bag and honestly, I wasn't too happy with my dimensions and she liked them so I just sold her my bag. The other one wants a navy flowered one. I have the perfect Michael Miller Fabric I bought last fall to make a shirt that I never made. Then the third will take what ever she gets. She isn't picky. She already has a bag I made her last year using Amy Butler's Nigella and her Swing Bag pattern. So she can wait.

Now I just have to remember how I made it. I usually write everything down but change my mind while I am making it and don't write down my changes. Bad habit- I know.

So, did you guess right?

Can you guess what I am making?

Can you tell by the picture what I am making??? I'm pretty excited. I should have it done by tomorrow depending on how much the sun and the kid distract me. With all this sun, I am afraid we are using up our summer days. We are hitting the 80's this week and that is warm for us in the Pacific Northwest!

Here are some blocks I did for the quilting bees. I didn't take pictures of one of them because I was annoyed with it. I hope she likes it though.

Colleen wanted squares, small strips and that sort of thing. She had a picture of a block she liked with the strips cutting across it and I loved it too so I thought I would try it.

This is for Mary. She was the first one for the Live Piecefully 2 Quilting Bee. She said to go for t without using deliberate star patterns. I used that, darn, can't think of the name, where you lay two fabrics on top of each other and rotary cut and then switch the cut pieces and sew them back together. Its hard to tell because the fabrics blend a bit. Mary also was the May person for another bee but that one I hated so I didn't take a picture. :) I had a picture of a drunkards path also but it is on my ill computer.

Well, I would love to hear you guesses on my project. :)

The winner is...

Wow! I can't believe there were so many comments. I have to tell you I loved the stories with the ugly projects. Most of them when we were just learning in school. Sadly, besides the outdated fabric- the shirt I made in my cooking class was awesome. I went to a ghetto school and we didn't have the money to actually cook in our cooking class so we could bring fabric in and sew.

When my projects don't work out I try to remind myself of something my mom told me trying to make me feel better. There is an Native American tribe that believes that humans cannot be perfect. Only the gods so when they are making quilts or other artworks they purposely put a mistake in it. Yeah, that's what I am doing. :) Anyway...you probably want to know the winner...so here you go.

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Timestamp: 2009-06-01 15:37:49 UTC

May 30, 2009 2:08 PM
Shari said...
When I was in art school I worked for three weeks on a painting. the day before it was due, I hated it, and painted white over the whole thing and painted for like 14 hours straight trying to finish the assignment. It was seriously the most hideous (6 feet tall and 5 feet wide t boot!) painting I had ever made! There was a portrait of me as a child, and a statue of a dancer, and a blue tile floor, and a sign that said "warning: pigs bite" HA! I must have been delirious painting at 4am! It was so ugly. But I swear I'm not lying, my painting teacher (didn't like this one) said it was "brilliant" The whole thing was so comical!!

Congrats Shari!

This actually reminds me of my high school water colors class except I was quite proud of my paintings. I was showing my art teacher my who was also my golf coach for the past four years my packet of art and all he said was, "Put it away. Just put it away." Shaking his head, with his eyes closed. Oh well, some of us aren't destined to be great painters or golfers for that matter.

Shari - I will try to email you but I will have to try from my hubby's laptop. (Shh..I'm at work now.) For some reason the links to emails don't work here. If you get to it before me - email me and I will mail you the goods.

Thanks for playing...