Progress

My oldest is a huge fan of his bow and arrow….so this pattern suited him well. 

Not gonna lie this one takes awhile to make up in a twin size…but its really satisfying once its done!  I finished this top right before we moved…I’ll post it when I get my camera unpacked in the next year or so.

My view this week has been boxes and tubs…tubs and boxes. I bought this sewing table at a thrift store and even though its pretty sad right now it will be oh-so-lovely refinished.

Just look at those pretty legs!  Can one be jealous of a table?  :)

Boy 2 Quilt

Last week sure got away from me…the days go by too fast to spend time sitting at the computer writing blog posts!

  This was such a fun quilt to make…simple quilts like this never disappoint.

I cut 84 - 2 1/2" strips from my stash, then sewed them into pairs and cut them into 8" strips without pressing first.  Then I sewed the strip sets together until they were in rows of 34 – 2 1/2" strips each.   After all 12 of my rows were done I pressed the seams of each row in alternating directions to create locking seams…so all those seams fit together like butter…or margarine…there were a few that didn’t cooperate.

The size is 68" x 90", twin size.

Speaking of Boy 2 he got a haircut (this is pre-haircut…luckily).  I put it off because I hate cutting his hair…it’s Mom torture.

I’d rather scrub out my oven and your oven than give him a haircut.

Today I am scrubbing out my oven…and the entire house in preparation to move on Friday.  I can think of 100000 things I’d rather do…except give haircuts to squirmy 2 year olds.

We are moving back to Seattle…where hopefully we’ll stay for a looooooooooooooooong time!!!

Making headway

Now that summer is half over (how???) I started making headway on my summer sewing goal…making bed quilts for my boys. 

I decided to make different patterns but keep the colors/fabrics the same since they share bunk beds…and their Mom is a matchy-matchy freak.

I went with a simple strip quilt for boy #2, I love the way its turning out.  My sewing helper agrees…

…she’s very agreeable when she's being held or smiled at and talked to.  It really makes me cranky that she’s getting bigger, I want her to stay a newborn for at least another year!

Tutorial: Strip and Flip Baby Quilt

This fun scrappy quilt is quick to put together and great for beginners. Use lots of different colors to keep it bright and fun…or just a few colors to keep it calm and simple.

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Finished Size:  36" x 41"

1.  You’ll need to cut 27  color strips 2" x width of the fabric (at least 36") and

 2 white strips 1 1/2" x width of the fabric (at least 42").

2.  Lay the color strips out in the order you want them.

3.  Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew the strips into pairs first…then sew the pairs all together.  Alternate the sewing direction when sewing the strips/pairs together, and don’t pull the strips…this will help prevent stretching and keep the strips straight.

4.  Press the seams open.  This takes a bit more time but the nice straight seams are worth it!

5.  Fold the length of the quilt top in half and align it carefully on the cutting mat.  Trim the edges straight until the quilt top is 35" wide.

6.  With the quilt still on the cutting table, make a cut 8" in from the right side.  Make another cut 5" in from the last cut.

7.  Sew a white strip onto each side of the 5" strip.  Press towards the white strips and trim the ends.

8.  Rotate the strip 180 degrees, and sew the strip back in between the larger pieces to make the quilt top.  Press towards the white strips.

Fast, fun, and CUTE!

Rainbow Baby

This was such a fun quilt to make.  I had a few quiet hours to sew and there’s nothing like a simple quilt for some (semi) instant gratification.  It used up some of the small strips hidden in my fabric piles  I couldn’t bear to throw into the scrap bin just yet. 

I can’t wait to quilt this one…I’m thinking free motion swirls…maybe even small loops.  I have the tutorial almost all written up so I’ll get it posted soon…but for now  we are headed to Yellowstone!  It’s just over an hour from us and the ice cream cones are worth the trip.  :)

Time

I get asked the "how do you find the time to sew?" question a lottttttttttttt.  

I’m blessed to have a dedicated sewing space where I can leave my stuff out and come back to it throughout the day.  The day I took these pictures I cut fat quarters while my youngest 2 kids slept…and in between making lunch and replacing band-aids I cut out some more.  So by the end of the day I had all my fat quarters cut into pieces for a quilt.

And if you looked under my cutting table you’d see this:

My oldest likes to get out his art stuff and have his quiet time while I sew…I should really get him a table.

I rarely find a big chunk of time to sew while my kids are up.   So my kids go to bed at 8, we tidy up the house, and then I usually sew or do computer work for an hour or more. 

This little gal is on my hip ALL day long…so unless I can do it 1 handed…it doesn’t get done while she’s awake.  Which is OK…cause I’m in love with her.

By finding small bits of time here and there to cut, make a block, or sew a row together…you’ll be surprised how much you can get done.  You might even find you’re more productive when you know you only have 15 minutes to sew like mad!

I wonder all the time how some of my favorite bloggers find the time to sew, decorate, have 6 kids, feed 6 kids, take pictures of 6 kids and then blog about it.

What’s most important is that you find what works for you, and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.  Which is hard…I know.  :) 

I saw that on facebook and it made me laugh….and it made me glad that I live in this day and age.  I certainly wouldn’t get any sewing done if I had to get my "hair in order" before I sewed!

Christmas in July

Last week I had this cute bundle in my mailbox all the way from the UK.  This line is Cherry Christmas by my friend Aneela for Moda.  I love Aneela’s work because she mixes my favorite basics with the sweetest little illustrations.  This line does not disappoint!  It will be available this month.

I’d been thinking about what I want to make with this bundle when I pulled out my Fourth of July quilt.  It’s the perfect pattern for these cute Christmas fabrics! 

So add that to the list of want-to-makes.  I want to make this quilt with Cherry Christmas…I have six months to get’er done so I’ll have no excuses if I don’t!

Have a Happy and Safe 4th to all my friends in the USA!