Weekend Production...yes there was some.

I feel like I accomplished a lot this weekend.

I showed the first knit t-shirt and skirt that I made for Grace's Felicity doll last Friday and I did cut out more.

The weekend total was 3 t-shirts, capri leggings, a skirt, and a pair of socks.

 I used an iron-on decal that said "Sweetie" and an ice cream for embellishment (Grace's suggestion so that they wouldn't be too plain).

I explained to her that I am done with AG clothes for awhile. I NEED to sew some things for other reasons LOL. I don't think she totally understands because 10 minutes later she asked when the next piece of clothing would be finished...ah I haven't started any new ones???

I was really planning on making her and her cousin pillows and a quilt for their  AG dolls and giving them IKEA doll beds for their birthdays March 15th and 16th. She can't know it's for her.  This could be a tough one to pull off.

Sunday Stash #2

Greenfield Hill... by Denyse Schmidt and Free Spirit.
At first glance this line didn't draw me in...then I looked at the scale and realized it would be good for a shirt and pants for Blythe (thanks to Amanda) or the American Girl Doll clothes that I have been begged for.
It's growing on me each moment it's here....

Still looking for Spring.

It was a blizzard here yesterday. School was cancelled, daycare closed.  We stayed home all nice and warm.

I mainly did mundane housework like laundry and dishes.  After that I sat sewed a bit. I have had this little outfit cut out for my daughter's American Girl Doll for 2 months. 2 months!

 I had to finish it. Plus I am really trying to master using knit fabric on my sewing machine. I have a ball needle for knits now and that helped...still I need practice.  Knit is a far cry from quilting cottons.

My goal today is the looks through the American Girl 18" doll patterns and cut more t-shirts, pants, skirts and pajamas. Grace seemed to really like this outfit and that it fit so well. The pattern I used is in the All Dolled Up book by Joan Hinds.  I used some knit from JoAnn's and Me and My Sister Oh! Cherry Oh! fabric from a Moda scrap bag from a few years ago for the skirt.  It went together pretty easily....except for the whole knit part. I will concur it though!! I will.

I am also trying to squeeze in a Moda bakeshop tutorial. There are a HUGE number of patterns coming on the bakeshop and so I have to take a number and likely won't have it on until April. I think you will like it though :)

Crush

That's what I would call it..

I am totally crushing on Blythe.

Truthfully I have wanted a full sized Blythe for atleast 3 years.

My husband traveled to Japan on business twice in the last 2 years and my only request was he buy me a Blythe. He found a few but he didn't care for the $$$. I can understand that.

I thought maybe it would be cheaper to bring one home than buy on ebay. 

It isn't.

So I have held off. Then I saw a Neo Blythe in person when I met Amanda at the CMQG.

I have struggled and fretted, searched on etsy and ebay and finally decided I was going to get one.

Well now IF any of you own a Blythe, Barbie, LIV, Bratz doll or any doll....you know how easy it is to pick just one....

rrrright....

just one.....

Then I fretted and struggled some more about which one to get, whom to buy from on ebay...

let's face it...

these dolls are not cheap.

So after all my fretting and worrying and such.

I decided on these 2 little sparks.

Mango and Guava.

They are on their way to the U.S. and once they arrive I will surely take pictures to share.

Currently, I am feverishly knitting a coat for one, making boat tops with City Weekend knits and planning a 100 other outfits for them.

Oh and don't worry....there will be quilts.

I'm still a quilting blog...just every once and a while...I fall back on knitting and dollying. And the cool part is that I have 2 daughters that I can dolly with too and they don't think I am a total dork.

Update on Simple Pleasures Stitchery

There were a few of you that were looking for a source for the Simple Pleasures stitchery...well I finally found one!!  I found the new Treasured Threads website.

Here's the link http://www.treasuredthreadsonline.com/store-detail.php?cat=4&ID=9

I have made progress on my stitcheries...in fact all 12 are done.

Here are my last one...

Now I just need to piece the quilt top and applique these in place. I just keep getting sidetracked with other projects.

you know me...same ol' story....

{I added the picture above just because it's pretty ;) }

Sunday Stash

Last Saturday I had the privilege to visit Sew to Speak in Columbus. This was my first visit. I stopped after we finished our sew in at Beth's house.

 It is a fantastic little fabric boutique. They have a bit of every fabric company, Kokka, Michael Miller, Moda, Free Spirit, Andover, Cloud 9 and so forth.

It was pretty cool...wait I think I said that already.

Here's the goods from my trip.  I tried to focused on Ruby Star Rising prints and Japanese fabrics. Fabrics that are hard to find at my local quilt shops.

I am not sure what I will make with them...they are just for my stash :)

We are still working on painting our guest room. It's a bright blue and covering that up is proving difficult. We have had to use a primer AND 2 coats of paint (ok my husband is actually painting).  It will be worth it in the end.

This is what I have been sewing. It's French Roses done in Darla. Yep my second Darla quilt. I LOVE the fabric line Darla.

Just think it's super sweet.

This is quilt is raw edge applique.

It's taken me quite awhile to get all the roses sewn down.

Now I am piecing the blocks to rows.

Once I get the border on, maybe I'll show it again.

Lately I have been super busy at my office and as a result I have neglected my blog. I hope to post more this weekend. We'll see because I am finishing up the bedroom switcheroo I did with my 2 daughters last weekend and moving the guest room around to paint to get ready for it's "Authentic" steamy windows quilt.

Oh and I am also trying to decide what pattern to make for a quilt for my office.

It is going to be modern and yet refined.

Those of you that know me, probably have figured out that I am still suffering from Quilt Attention Deficit Disorder.

 I have ordered not 1 but 4 quilting books from Amazon!

 I will blog them soon...and show you why I just can't seem to keep my head clear OR on a single project.

Spanish Tiles

I am so happy to be able to reveal my Spanish Tiles quilt.  

 You'll find the super easy pattern in Spring 2011 Quilts and More magazine.

I just received my copy today.

I love this quilt.

It is made with Moda Basic Grey Blush fabric line.

It has a bit of a Valentine feel I think.

This is the original 'Spanish Tiles' quilt.

I made it in Flutterby by Tula Pink.

It was made with charm packs that I had in my stash.

Tula Pink style Spanish Tiles hung on my living room wall for months. It about drove me crazy that I couldn't show it to you.

Check out the quilting done by Jackie of Canton Village Quiltworks.

She quilted both of the these for me.

 I love them both.

The picture do not do these quilts justice. I mean I know I am biased...but really to see the quilting textures and prints makes a big difference.

There are individual motifs in the plain squares that also look like Spanish Tiles. It's amazing.

I am excited to have the blush version of tiles back home, just in time for Valentine's Day and well to me it looks an aweful lot Valentine-ish. It's even quilted with this pretty artful heart pattern.

Notice how much the design changed in Blush? no yo-yos and no rick rack! totally stripped down. BUT still a great quilt. I loved it sooo much once it was bound and washed that I nearly refused to send to Quilts and More!

Anyhow, tomorrow I am off to sew with the peeps in Columbus.

Should be a grand Saturday :)

Wednesday

My illness has subsided.... finally. I am finally feeling more normal today. 

I was happy that a few of you knew where to find the 'old' episodes of Glee.

I was able to watch Sunday's epi and I watched last night as well.

 I thought last night was pretty funny, but I am like that.

I need a weekly dose of teenage soap opera to entertain me.

As with just about every part of the country we are having terrible weather.

Last week it was crippling snow and ice and this week it's bitter cold temperatures below zero!

When will it let up?

I don't know. I did try to bring the sunshine to my week with a few button pushes at The Fat Quarter Shop and Green Fairy Quilting.

I have been eyeing the Charlevoix line by Minick and Simpson. I really really want to make the Libery Road quilt. I don't have the pattern yet, but I thought a fat 1/8th bundle would be a good start for the quilt.

Pom Pom de Paris and Basic Grey just sort of jumped into my cart.

If I am motivated enough I will show you what I bought from the FQS in a couple of days.

I have a million quilt ideas for the fabric, just not enough hours in the day.

but heck, it sure is pretty to look at :)

LOL

Small green success.

So my weekend was productive.

I made 3 bindings.

I mainly wanted to finish my St. Patty's table topper.

 Then my quilter called and said he had my 2 quilts done.

 score!

With that I made the 3 bindings with high hopes of getting 3 quilts bound.

I machine quilted the St. Patty topper {Simplicity pattern by This & That},
bound it and washed it.

Here's some of the quilting. I am practicing more free motion.

I used to quilt my own quilts, but as time has become more scarce I backed off from that.

I lost skills along the way too :(

I hope to build them back up a bit and finish some of my smaller projects.

Here's the back. I used left over Shamrocks from another project that I made.

After I finished this little one, I decided to bind the Steamy Windows quilt that made.

After sewing the binding by machine and about to the hand stitching stage, I became ill.

I was so dizzy and nauseated that I was afraid to stand up!

I have a full blown cold now and the dizziness keeps creeping up on me.

I feel good that I finished the St. Patty topper.

I'd have liked to have finished more but it wasn't in the cards.

I was ill enough that I missed Glee. That made me a bit sad. I am hoping they show a re-run soon.

Okay I am off to work and tonight rest! I need it.

Thoughtful Thank You

This was the thoughtful thank you from my sister and Michele for the hosting the baby shower.

 Her and Michele went to the local quilt shop and asked for a fabric line that I wouldn't have ;)

They recommended Fandango.

Each of us were given different gifts that were something we'd like.

I was so excited to get a charm pack.

I didn't expect anything.

In addition to that, they included a candle for us to light when my sister is in labor.

I am sure they told me why I should light it, but there was so much going on that day...I've forgotten the actual meaning. At any rate, I know I will light it when the time comes.

I get this odd feeling that once my sister has her baby...I will be more home sick for Iowa then ever before.

St. Patty's Simplicity

Luck came my way and I was able to piece the Simplicity top last night.

I don't think the picture does it justice.

Now I have to decide on how to quilt it.

Maybe a meander or pebble quilting all over. I'm not sure yet.

So today is Friday, suppose to by my day off but I have already been to the doctor and at my office being the doctor. I'm tired. Have to decide what to do next my to-do list today.

Laundry doesn't look appealing.

Hmm....maybe I should create a new tutorial. Just don't have a solid idea yet.

I have some ideas but nothing 'solid'.

I have a package from Fat Quarter Shop coming today. Maybe that will inspire me to get creative?

I had another revelation.

I have an addiction to This & That patterns.

Here's my evidence.

There are 27 This & That patterns in the stack.

27!!

I've made a couple....but not nearly enough in my opinion ;)

So I decided to pick one each month to make.

Sort of a challenge to myself.

I'm starting with "Simplicity".

At the top of the stack in the picture.
Once I chose the pattern...I was stumped on what fabric to use.

This pattern looks so primitive. I have liked that more in the past and for the season of fall.

Right now I NEED spring!

So I rummaged through my stash of spring greens and lights.

Since St. Patrick's Day is my daughters favorite holiday, it seemed fitting that I go with this color scheme.

I spy Kaffe shot cotton, It's a Hoot by MoMO, Hoopla, Lakehouse, Pop Garden and Castle peeps ;)

I've already cut the fabric.

With any {luck} I'll have a top to show you tomorrow.

seriously

my cats have a kitty condo that is multi-levels. They have couches and beds...and MANY quilts.

But THIS is where Little Guy sleeps....on my unfinished quilt tops.

{huge sigh}

must get out the lint roller now.