Summer Sewing Goals

I was catching up on reading favorite blogs yesterday and came across a post by Jeni over at In Color Order on her summer sewing goals.  Her post made me consider what I hope to get done this summer.  Once my Super Secret Project is done that is.  So I made a list.  Here are the things that I want to accomplish in the next few months.  I admit that the list is quite, shall we say, adventurous?, hopeful?, ambitious?, extreme?  All of the above!  It's quite the list but hey, a girl's got to dream, right?

Here it is in no particular order:

1. Finish Renae's quilt (only a year late!)

2. Summer shorts for everyone.

3. Quilt for my bed

4. Summer top(s) for me

5. Cathedral Window Wall hanging

6. Other wall hanging

7. Inspired wall hanging

8. Christmas bags x's 3

9. Finish Caitlyn's quilt (only 10 years late)

10. Kitchen curtains

11. School outfit for Chickadee

12. This space left blank intentionally for projects that I may have forgotten that I want to do.  

 13. Like the shower curtain using Heather Ross' Mendicino fabric I've been saving

Here's the fabric I have picked out for one of the wall hangings.  Isn't it wonderful?  I love how happy the fabrics look together.  It just looks so summery!  I love fabric.  And color.  And colorful fabric even more. 

Here's to summer sewing,
A

The Viking beat up my White. . .

I've had my new sewing machine for a few months now and while I had a bit of trouble adjusting to the computerized machine, I realized last night that it actually is better than my old mechanical machine.  What brought about this amazing epiphany?  I sewed on my old White.  I was feeling a little guilty for neglecting my old friend these past couple of months.  I couldn't believe how loud and clanky it is.  Did it really always sew that way?  How did I survive all these years?  The presser foot lever I thought that I would miss so much, well, not so much.  I kept forgetting to put it down!  See, the new Viking lowers the foot automatically when you start sewing.  I thought that I didn't really like that particular feature.  Boy was I wrong!  I do like that I have more control with the mechanical machine but the niceties of the the Viking make up for that pretty handily.  So today I took down the White and set the Viking up again.  It'll probably be awhile before I'm tempted to take out the old machine again.  Poor girl.  

I can't feel too bad though 'cause look what I got done. . .

So speedy!!

 

Only a few more squares to go and I can put the Super Secret project together!  I'm hoping to finalize everything this weekend and have it to it's forever home by the end of next week.  Keep your fingers crossed that Gus takes his nap every day! 

This is my favorite block so far.  I just love the way this project is coming together!!

Addie's Quilt

Addie's quilt is sewn (with much love), quilted (with more love) and gifted (to be loved).  I made it a generous 70" square so that she won't outgrow it.  Plus, there's more room for Mommy and Daddy that way!  

I free-motion quilted this colorful baby blanket.  It was quite the adventure.  I had never done it before and only attempted it this time because 1) I didn't want to take the time to send it off to be quilted,  2) stitch in the ditch was to boring for Addie and 3) I wanted to see if I could.  Turns out it's fun.  Really, really fun.  My first few attempts were, shall we say, less than good.  Way less.  I'll have to show you those feeble first tries sometime.  Once I got the hang of it though, wow!  Did I say how fun it was?  I can't wait to finish up my next quilt just so I can do some more.  

My quilting is far from perfect but I had such a great time, I didn't even care.  Now I'm off to start my Super Secret Project.  Hooray!

A pre-quilted picture.  I definitely need to practice my photography skills.  This is my best picture of the entire quilt.  Eeps!

Last Day of First Grade

Well, I guess my little Chickadee is all grown up. Tomorrow is her last day of first grade and I'm a little sad. Sad that time is going by much faster than I would like it to, sad to be saying good-bye to her teacher and sad that one day I'll be writing that tomorrow will be her last day of high school. Oh, hold on. Tissue break. . .

Anyway, to celebrate a wonderful first grade year Chickadee's class helped me to make this for their teacher:

Isn't it wonderful? We were supposed to give it to Ms. McGuyer tomorrow on the last day of school but we were too impatient to wait so we took it in today.  The kids were very excited to see their artwork displayed on the quilt. And I think that Ms.McGuyer was pleased as well. It took a little legwork to get this done without her knowing. The art teacher at school helped. A lot! I took the supplies in one day last month and the kids did their squares as an art project. Then I added the borders to each child's drawing and sashed them together. Finally I quilted around the outside, inside and middle of each border with matching thread. I wanted to create a clean, simple design that would make the art stand out. I think it worked out pretty well.

Here's the back:

A. holding up the quilt for me!

I love the back!

Things I learned from this project: 

1. Clipping all the thread as you go really is helpful at the end.

2. Next time I would like the kids to draw self-portraits.

3. It's time for a new sewing machine.

4. I should learn to take better photographs. 

Here are a few more pictures from this project:

the beginning

after the sashing

choosing layout

my square

Gus's square

washed, dried, and ready to go!

Hurray for . . .

Renae! It's another dreary day here but I'm so excited. I finally (almost) finished the quilt for Renae. For those of you who don't know, Renae is the wonderful blessing who came and stayed with me for over two weeks just to help deliver my baby Gus last year. I truly could not have survived not only the delivery but the terrible case of Crankypantitis I developed those last couple of weeks.

On one of her visits the year before Gus was born Renae found a lovely quilt at Pottery Barn she liked. Of course I quipped "I can make that, only better." So we went fabric shopping last summer and I  came up with this. . .

And made this. . .

Now all I have to do is get the backing ready and send it off to be quilted. I would quilt it myself but it's too big for my little machine and I would like it to be done sometime in this century. You know, as excited as I am to get this finished and off to it's forever home, it sure looks mighty good on my bed. . .