Recap/ Rant

Last week was one of those weeks where it seemed like I never stopped. One thing to another all week long with me trying to squeeze in sewing whenever I could. I am left missing my blog and at a loss of where to start. Here's my week in a nutshell starting last Monday.

• Working on the auction again this year call and email people for donations.
• Haircut and color (got to keep that gray away)
• Lunch with my Dad.
• Clean clean clean Portland Modern Quilt Guild board meeting at my house I am the new secretary.
• Volunteer to teach art for my son's class at school.
• One child to Do Jump one child to fencing.
• Volunteer to teach art for daughters class at school.
• Auction work and sewing, think about blog posts don't have time.
• One child to piano lesson.
• Clean clean clean host cooking party at my house.
• Stinky stinky dog to groomer.
• Sew 
• Big fun party to go to Saturday night.
• Stinky stinky dog number two to groomer.
• Stayed up too late Saturday not getting a lot done Sunday.
• Sew

Throw in there feeding and managing the family, my husband is a big help in this department, trying to keep up with blogs and swaps I'm in, and taking care of chickens. I don't think it was a bad week I had some really fun things going on it just left me a little out of breath.
I did manage a little sewing and am almost half way though piecing Avery's quilt top it deserves it's own post but I just have to show you a little peek this is one section.

 It's simple but I love how it's coming together.

Thanks for letting me rant a little!
 Pétra

Stash Time

I have been trying to keep my purchases under control lately but is that possible? I've been adding to my stash just a little here and there. 

I'm always happy to have some Heath on hand so I replenished my grey, added this green that I love, and a little more Navy which looks like black even in person but the navy peaks out when you need it to.

The fabric on the left I actually got at the Sewing Summit but I think it needs a little attention. It's Melrose from Red Rooster Fabrics and it's so soft. I had never heard of Red Rooster before and they produce mostly traditional prints but this one shows that you can find some modern gems anywhere. On the right is a little of Ty Pennington's Water Flower I am just loving circular prints lately!

The newest additions. I was so surprised to win a giveaway recently through Stitched in Color and got to pick out $25 of fabric from Contemporary Cloth YAY!! I went for some fabrics that I have been wanting to work with for awhile but never purchased. Daisy Janie Shades of Grey Pinstripe and Chain Link, Cloud 9 Cut Out & Keep Proteas and Splinters, and Cloud 9 Nature Walk Groove Sky. Now what will I make with these?


Pétra

Eggs!

The chickens have been doing well enduring the cold weather, and lately a lot of rain, but still no eggs. A few weeks ago we decided it was time to make these eggs happen! From what we've read that means lighting the coup so we have a light on for a couple of hours in the evening now. After hearing some ruckus out in the coup over the past few days we knew the eggs would be here soon and today is the day! They're little ones but the shell's are nice and hard and I can't wait to try one in the morning. 

Pétra

Happy People Day People!

Today my son is 11! When he was little and it was someones birthday he would say "Happy People Day People!" he always comes up with the funniest things to say. 
 As Moms we can all gush but I have to a little for this day. I love that he still holds my hand, gives me spontaneous hugs, has a close relationship with his lil sis, is creative, LOVES to read, and so many other things Happy Birthday Avery!

Visiting at Sew We Quilt

Today I am guest posting over at Madame Samm's sharing my favorite tool. This little gem.

Have you met Madame Samm yet? If not check out her site she's all about connecting all of us quilters together and sharing the love. Go on over to get the whole scoop on the Machine Quilters Friend The Ultimate Stiletto, my handy little tool. 
Pétra

A Breakthrough and an x & + Block

I had a great breakthrough yesterday with Avery's (my son's) quilt! I am going to make a little progress on it and then share some more but starting from scratch did the trick and I'm feeling much better. 
 Because I have been following Rachel's Scrap Attack I've been thinking a lot about what I'm going to be doing with my scraps. I've loved the x & + block since I first saw this quilt made by Leila at Where the Orchids Grow. 

Isn't it gorgeous! I think it's her use of neutrals with little pops of color that really make it work so well. If you haven't already seen some of the x & + madness on Flickr you should check it out. It's safe to say this was all inspired by Setsuko Inawaga's submission to the Tokyo Quilt Festival a beautiful quilt.


I thought I'd try making a block today for a little fun and to see how it goes. I followed Badskirt Amy's block tutorial and wa-la 40 mins later my first block. 

Measures 8" with seam allowances.

As predicted I love it! It did take a little longer to make then I thought it would but a few things would speed that along. Cutting scraps for multiple blocks at once, finally making that pressing table to put beside my machine, and chain piecing. Also to make the quilt more successful Amy recommends cutting the x's on point when a pattern is directional like the stripes. It's not hard it will just take a little getting used to before the cutting speeds up. I'm planning on making my own x & + quilt after I finish Avery's quilt but I might make a few blocks here and there when I need to switch things up.


 Are you doing anything with your scraps these days?


 It's been awhile since I've been to Our Creative Spaces check out what's going one this week.


Pétra

Things don't always go as planned!

It's about 25" square and I went with Navy Quilters Linen for the sashing.

After finishing this the other day and giving it to my friend, yay she loved it, I was so excited to get working on my son's quilt. I wanted to make it last summer but had to work on other things so now his quilt is top priority! I started by looking at sketches and putting fabric on the design wall, made a few blocks happy happy and then screech it's a mess. Maybe I've been planning it in my head too long or maybe the way I chose the fabrics over a long period of time just doesn't work but it's definitely not working. After I thought I'd figured it out yesterday and then realized no I really hadn't I had to take a step back. Today I decided it's time to get unstuck so I'm abandoning my previous sketches and blocks and starting over! I feel better already but I still feel a little trepidation wish me luck!


Pétra

Scrap Attack Quilt Along!

This weekend I started working with my scraps for Rachel's Scrap Attack that started this month. To get the ball rolling I'm making a mini quilt for a dear friend of mine that is hitting one of those big birthdays (you know who you are so don't ruin your gift if you are reading stop)! I only knew the color palette I wanted to work with and wasn't sure on the design. I pulled out my scrap bins selected a big range of fabrics and started making some improv blocks. Once I had the first one going I was able to weed out fabrics I knew wouldn't work and then I just kept going.

Now I have four blocks and the composition for them but really don't have the right field fabric to tie it all together. You'd think when I have almost ten variations or blues, teals, and purples one would work but I feel like a neutral would be better. So I am off to Fabric Depot today to find the right one. For the rest of my scraps I'd like to do something a little more structured I'm thinking of the Japanese + & x quilt  Amy of Badskirt has a great tutorial here but I'm not sure if my scraps are big enough so I'm still looking around. 

 Pétra

200!!

 I noticed a few days ago I had 199 posts and 199 followers and then yesterday I received my 200th follower! Yay it was Amy from made During Quiet Time who I got to know through Pot Holder Pass which was my first online swap, her blog, screen printed fabrics, and her hubby's cool seam rippers (more available in Feb.)! While Amy was my 200th follower thank you to all 199 of you for coming to visit my space and the feedback you have given me over the past 199 posts! Now on to my 200th post which is a photo extravaganza my final post on my biggest challenge yet Nathaniel and Kristi's wedding quilt!! Lots of photos coming your way.

One of the many incarnations of the quilt.

I started the quilt with sketches and fabrics I knew would work with the colors of their bedroom and that would have special meaning to them. There was a lot of arranging and rearranging on the design wall. 

I wanted to have some blocks that were a very symmetrical mixed with some wonky ones. I also wanted to have thin lines of color that brought out the magenta in the Habitat and Sugar Skull fabrics.

The kitty fabric is for their cat Monkey (their baby) who does have crazy eyes like the lower kitty. I also had fun fussy cutting sugar skulls and dots.

This was my first quilt to send out to a long arm quilter and Nancy of In Stitches did an amazing job! She is a Rock Star quilter incorporating these images into the quilt...

Dragonfly's for Kristi's tattoo.

A light saber for Nathaniel's laser request.

Also skulls for Nathaniel. There are some quails quilted in as well which was on the wedding invitation. 

Lucy checking me out, I couldn't resist!

Label, it was perfect how the scrolls in the quilting match my little symbol I have been incorporating in my work. 


I am doing a little coffee toast right now here's to Nate and Kristi and 200 more posts!


Pétra
edit: of all the times to loose a follower it was with this post so I am technically at 199 198 hoping to get back to 200 soon : (