July Block

I recently join the Cheer Circle of do. Good Stitches started by Rachel and my first assignment was this block in blues.  The block is from a tutorial by Jess over at SewCraftyJess.  You should check out the baby quilt she made!


 I've never been in a bee before and I'm very excited!  I'm always awed by the talent, dedication and good will of the women in these circles and I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful group. I can't wait to see what other blocks I get to make {and share} this year. 

It Worked!!

This year I tried something different in the garden.  I planted a "Three Sisters Garden" in one of my beds.  A Three Sisters Garden is basically just a patch of corn, beans and squash planted together.  I've been interested in companion planting for a few years now but haven't put much effort into it.  The idea with the corn, beans and squash is that the nitrogen-fixing beans will feed the nitrogen-loving corn and the corn provides "poles" for the beans to climb.  The squash acts like a mulch to keep weeds down.  I was skeptical that it would work.  Not that a Three Sisters Garden would work but that it would work for me.  

When I went out to weed last night I found this:

It worked!  My beans, corn and squash all look great and the beans are actually climbing the corn!  I know that it probably makes me a big nerd but I am so excited!

 In other news, my tomatoes are sad.  Tomatoes have been the bane of my gardening existence for the past three years.  I think I have wilt.  Which goes away after something like 20 years.  {It's actually 3-5}.  This year several large, strong looking tomato plants sprung up in the garden on their own.  I'm fairly positive that the seeds were in the compost that I spread from my compost pile.  We've harvested tons of tomatoes so far and I thought that either: 1) The tomatoes came from a wilt resistant line or 2) I don't really have wilt, something else killed murdered assassinated my tomato plants.  Now many of the plants are dead or dying and I'm stumped again.  Now I think I may have a pest in the soil.  I may send one of the plants off with a soil sample to the state extension office.  Maybe they can tell me what's going on.  

I haven't been stitching much this week.  I've been planning lots though.  I'm working on my very first tutorial.  I'm very excited to share that with you next week.  It happened while I was working on Christmas gifts.  I also joined a charity quilting bee.  Another first!  I have several other projects in various stages of planning.  I have a feeling the rest of  my summer will be filled to the brim.  Hopefully that means I'll have lots to share.

 

This Week

This past week I sent my little Chickadee away to camp for the first time ever.  For the whole week.  She couldn't even call home once.  So just to prove that I didn't wallow in my own sad sadness thinking about children growing up and how much I missed my little girl, here are some not sad pictures.

I bought this fabric for the Quiltcon Challenge.   I love this color palette. I can't wait to get started!

I love this solid Kona cotton with texture.  I definitely see more of this in my future.

I finished my first pair of Christmas socks!  Hoo-Ray for me!! 

I started my second pair of Christmas socks.  I'm hoping that they won't take as long as the first pair.  Of course it would help if I quit ripping them out. Darn gauge.

This is my practice Cathedral Window.  I'm going to make this one into a spiffy little wall hanging, possibly for the kitchen.  After that I'm going to make that shower curtain I promised forever ago.

I found this fabric at Lark Cottons for way cheap!  And there's a whole yard of the brown octopus fabric and almost an entire yard of the seahorses.  Score!!  This is from the Heather Ross Mendocino collection that is now out of print, difficult to find and very expensive when you do find it.  I'm using this fabric to make the shower curtain for the hall bathroom.  In case you're tempted - it's all gone now. 

I made this dress for Chickadee while she was away.  I used the Agnes pattern from the Girls World book.  I made the 8-10 size which came out a little on the large size.  I probably should have measured her before I cut.  Oh, well.  That's what she gets for leaving me for Girl Scout camp two hours away.  

Nope, I didn't miss her a bit.  At all.  At least not so much that I gave myself a billion projects to  keep busy.  Of course not. . .

Shark Shorts

Summer must be officially here.  That's why Mr. Sunshine has sharks on his bottom.  I whipped up his first pair of Mama-made shorts this morning and he couldn't wait to try them on.  Now it might be impossible to change his diaper but I'm thrilled that he likes them so much.  I used the Flat Front Shorts pattern and tutorial offered by Dana over at Made.  The pattern is very simple, cute and free, what more could you ask for?  My only issue with the pattern is that the rise in the back is too short for Gus.  I'm sure that this is due to either an error on my part, the cloth diaper he was wearing, or the fact that he has a long rise.  I will be making more of these in the very near future with some minor adjustments of course.  Who else is whipping up cute things for their kiddos this summer?  

Prepare yourself for the cute.  I took a lot of pictures today!

Look at the sharks!  And the marker on my foot. . .

Shakin' the booty.

"That's all folks!"

Bandwagons

I'm not a fan of bandwagons.  I tend to avoid them as much as possible.  It's not that I don't admire popular projects or techniques, I've just always wanted to think of my creations as completely my own.  I know that it's not possible to not be influenced at all by other people's work.  It would be silly to think that every single idea I have springs from some completely new universe of creativity.  I just like to hold on to the idea that I am Original.  Just me.  So, despite how amazingly interesting and cool I think that selvedge quilts are I have refrained from joining in the strippy fun.  Until now.  What changed my mind? 

 These little guys.  

Organized.

Aren't they adorable?  I've been dreaming of what wonderful things I can make with them.  I liberated them from the edges of the Little Apples line of fabric I used for Chickadee's teacher's quilt.  I have more waiting.  Hmm. Selvedges.  

Here are some of the quilts  {and not quilts} I found as inspiration.  Enjoy.

1. Pillow talk swap - received close up, 2. Selvage Clutch Purse, 3. Selvage Book Cover, 4. selvagebag, 5. Bookshelf, 6. Pillow from Selvedges, 7. Midwest Quilt Show, 8. Salvaged Selvedges (2009), 9. selvedge bag, 10. My very own lap quilt, 11. Selvedge Quilt Top, 12. Spring Selvage Postcards

The above images are in my "favorites" on Flickr.  You can click on their respective links for more information.  If I have used one of your photographs and you would like it removed, please contact me and I will do so immediately.  Thanks!

The Secret Is Out!

The last day of school is tomorrow, which means I can finally share the Super Secret Project with you.

Ta-Da!!  It's a quilt for Chickadee's second grade teacher.  If you've been reading along for awhile you might remember the quilt I made for her first grade teacher.  I swore after that one that I would only do it again for a first year teacher or a retiring teacher.  And even then only if the teacher was really special.  Darned if the girl didn't get a brand new teacher this year.  To make matters worse, I really like her.  She student taught in Chickadee's first grade class and we were so excited when we found out that she was going to be with us for second grade.  So I had to make a quilt.

Back of the quilt.

This year I had the kids do self portraits with fabric dye sticks.  They look like oil pastels but are permanent.  They are fantastic.  The kids all did a great job too.  I framed each portrait in a semi-wonky star.  It was tricky since my star points were made with rectangles instead of the traditional squares, but I like how it turned out.  I used the Little Apples line by Aneela Hoey.  When I quilted it I wanted it to have a more whimsical feel so I outlined the stars in loopy doodles.  It really makes the quilt. 

Little Apple Binding

Doodles

 I know that Mrs.D is going to love this quilt.  I took the colors from the bulletin boards in her room.  Plus I sort of stalked her just a little bit on Pinterest.  I'm a little sad that I won't get to see it anymore but I know that it's going to have the most wonderful home. 

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