Ashley- Magazine Tote!

Hey there! So I've been looking around trying to find a new bag to try out and since I didn't really find anything on pinterest I went digging in my sewing magazines. That's when I came across an adorable little tote and dove right in. This is my finished product.

 

 

This was such a fun bag! And I love the interior fabric that peek-a-boo's out the front of the bag. This is the magazine I got the idea from. Simple Quilts & Sewing 2011 edition number #119.

 

 

 

And here is my tote next to the picture of the tote in the magazine. Not too shabby huh?

 

 

Go take a look online and see if you can't find the archive!

Alisha - A Lovely Year of Finishes February

If you'll recall I posted in January that I was participating in a group on Flickr that was all about finishing projects - not something usually up my alley. I'm so good at starting them and getting half way I figure why bother with finishing.... Until this year, I'm really trying to put fourth extra effort in completing projects and it's gone wonderfully thus far! If you'll remember my goal for February was to turn a quilt kit I bought about a year ago in to a completed quilt top and I did it - with time to spare even!!

Here she is: (yes my quilt top is a she!)

Isn't she beautiful!?! I went out of my comfort zone and placed all the pieces in a brown paper sack and just drew them out at random and sewed (another first for my OCD self). Some places don't have as much stagger as I wanted but I truly am happy with the way it turned out! Now I need to find my self a backing - any suggestions?

She might take up residence on my bed.. Not sure yet, my daughter might try to steal her though too!

Alisha - 10 Inch Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton Swap

Alisha here! Who doesn't love a great solid? I know I do but I've been a little lax in trying all the varieties available to me. If Kona has been all you've used as well (I promise I won't tell!) this is the swap for you. I made a post on flickr which you can find here, to try and judge interest for a solids swap. The overwhelming response was Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton in layer cakes size (10 inch squares). I promised I would get the swap up and running (and honestly, who isn't chomping at the bit for this one?) and here it is!

I borrowed this picture from Rita @ Red Pepper Quilts

Welcome to the 10 inch Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton Swap.

This will be a centralized swap, meaning, all blocks will be sent to me. I will sort them and send them back.

Please use only Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton, from a non-smoking home. Do not pre-wash. Iron for accurate cutting of squares.

Shot Cotton colors can be viewed here...

http://www.westminsterfabrics.com/pub/singlepattern.jsp?designer=Kaffe%20Fassett&image=&pattern=Shot+Cottons&img=SC34&collection=Wovens&category=0&catname=&newitem=0

Shot Cotton can be found at many on-line shops including: (I’m not affiliated with any of these shops just trying to make it easier for everyone to find.)

http://www.stitchinpost.com/shotcottons.html

http://www.hartsfabric.com/kaffe-fassett-shot-cottons.html

http://portsmouthfabric.com/Products.cfm?CategoryID=12

I will not be assigning colors you are free to select the color of your choosing. As soon as you pick your color, I ask that you post the picture and the color name. This will avoid duplications.

International members are welcome. I will Paypal you an invoice when I return your squares.

Here is the fine print:

*purchase 2.5 yards of a Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton

*you will cut 32~~ 10 inch squares

          ***You will need to have one continuous length of the 2.5 Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton
                Iron well, Fold selvedge to selvedge (trim selvages off, please).
                You will cut 8 ---10 inch strips the width of the fabric.
                Then you will be able to sub-cut each strip into 4--10 inch blocks
                4X8=32!

*post a picture of the shot cotton you choose with its name for all to see on the flickr site to avoid duplication

*mail to me and include a self-addressed stamped envelope inside your package, please use stamps. The PO does not care for the self-printed label. I use the flat rate envelopes for my swaps and have never had a problem.

* please place in a zip lock bag; include your name and flickr name.

* I will send you back one of each of the colors for a total of 32 different shot cotton colors.

There will be 32 spots available - once full I'll remove the sign up sheet from the blog.

Please mail your cut squares by March 25^th, 2013. I’ll sort and send fabrics shortly after they are all received.

The official swap page can be found on flickr here. Once you've signed up please head back to flickr and post your color selections!



UPDATE 3/18/13: We are full. Thank you so much for visiting and keep your eyes open for more swaps!

Ashley - Minnie Mouse backpack

     Hey everyone! So now that we have our tax return I am getting ready to fly home to see the family. You've seen my progress so far with the quiet book I'm making for the plane ride (I have more pages to post I promise I will get those up soon!). So since I have to buy a ticket for Melody too now, which is why I waited for tax season to go home because it's so spendy now lol, I have been panning on having luggage for her so I don't have to try and pack everything for both of us just in my bags because if I'm paying for the seat I'm going to take advantage of that space lol. I have a suitcase for her but I wanted a backpack for her that could be the bag under her seat that would hold toys and snacks so I got to work on a Minnie Mouse backpack for her.

 

 

 

 

     Didn't turn out amazing?!?!?!?! I put Minnie heads on both side pockets and also embroidered the M on the front too :) I LOVE my new machine!!! It's lined with the polka dot fabric on the inside. I can't wait to take it on our trip. Let me know what you think!

 



 

Ashley - My new miracle machine!

     I have been making hand bags as you have seen for a couple years now but I have always wanted the ability to customize my bags more then just fabric choices. So needless to say that got me wanting an embroidery/sewing machine. One machine that could do everything I wanted. My loving husband agreed to set aside part of our tax return just for that. Now if my business shoots off from the embroidery I really want to buy a Bernina 580E because they are an amazing machine ( they can bedazzle and paint designs on your projects, I kid you not) but way above our current price range. Since I already had a brother I looked into them and found my new love the Brother Innov-is 1250D. It came with 35 Disney characters over 100 other embroidery designs and sewing stitches. Very awesome.  As soon as I got it I put that baby to work!

Melody's favorite part of the machine.... the box it came in lol.

My new baby all set up!

Melody's favortie movie is.... yep you guessed it Monsters Inc. 

So we went to Walmart got a few cheap plain t-shirts and started making adorable little shirts. I'm in LOVE with this machine and well I just had to share! So now you know what I have been up to for the last week. Check back soon to see more awesome projects!

Alisha - Bowling Project

As you may or may not know both of my children are part of a Saturday morning bowling league. Both of the kids have been bowling on league since they were 3. They have the cutest little "jerseys" (collared shirts with their last names across the back). Over the coarse of the season they win patches based on their scores in relation to their averages. These patches then need to be sewn onto their bowling jerseys - I HATE this task. No matter how much I pin they always shift which annoys me to no end (Ashley will tell you I'm OCD like that). So I struck out looking for a better way - in walks stitch witchery! I love this stuff - cut it to fit under the patch and hit it with an iron. Viola, the patches stay where I place them on the shirt long enough for me to sew them down with my machine.

Here is what some of it looks like:

 After I got those on (and my daughter's - I had 8 total patches to sew on!) I started on my next project. I ordered a couple different types of charms to make earrings with so I whipped those up fora novelty sale to benefit the scholarship fund for the junior league bowlers. These were so much fun but I'm already out of the silver bowling pin and ball charms!

Alisha - February Goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes

So, as I discussed in my post yesterday I decided to join the group A Lovely Year of Finishes via flickr (you can find us here). In keeping with my renewed sense of quilting and getting things done I've already picked out my next project and here she is: (yes, the quilt is a she.. lol)



Isn't she a beauty?! I purchased this quilt kit from another flickr member back in March 2012 and tucked it away in my stash for later. Well the later is now and I plan to have this little baby transformed into a completed quilt top by the end of February. Is it too early to start thinking ahead to borders and a backing? What do you think?

Ashley - Quiet Book pages part 2

     So I saw a variety of ideas that I loved but I didn't want to make a page for each because this quiet book would become a quiet encylopedia lol so I combined the apple tree and garden page I wanted to do and I love the end result! Then I paired that page with the barn page that I loved from the blog I linked you to in the last quiet book post. I didn't use any template for either of these pages, I just took the ideas and ran with them and this is my end result :)

     I made a horse, cow, pig, and a chicken. Melody can pull out the vegetables in the gaden (radishes, carrots, onions, and potatoes) and the apples usually start up on the tree but I showed someone and she put them in the crate lol. She got the idea for sure. Melody also got mad when I made her put the carrot away (her favorite vegetable). I can't wait to get the rest of the pages done and to put it all together! Keep checking back for more quiet book pages :)

Ashley - Lanyard Revamp!

     So I have a lanyard that I've had since we've been married ( a little over 3 years ) and it started out white but now it's gross and stained even though I've washed it and everything so it was time to switch out the old nylon on there. I picked out a nice patterned ribbon and got to work and I LOVE the finished product.

 

 

Didn't turn out too shabby if I do say so myself and such a quick project!

Alisha - Back with a vengence

I'm back......

Where have I been you ask... Well, busy. :) Carrying my full time school schedule on top of the kids and volunteering at the school and bowling alley and it makes for a very busy Alisha. However, I've recommitted myself to quilting and to the blog! (Aren't we all so lucky?!)

To help me along on my new and improved me I found a support group on flickr. I loved the concept of this group of ladies and knew I wanted to join in the minute I read the description. A Lovely Year of Finishes is a large group of quilters that are looking to finish at least 1 project a month for the entire year and the best part is there are prizes! So to join the group all you had to do was pick a sewing project, a goal and post a before and after to the linky party (how easy is that?).

In January I chose a wonky star quilt that I had bee mates working on in Gone Quiltin' Bee. Here was my before picture:



I had 24 completed blocks and the remnants of the fat quarter bundle I started with. Instead of making a very vanilla quilt top with all the plain grey background I struck out to make mirror image blocks! By mirror image I mean I used the colored squares as the background and the grey as the wonky stars. I didn't want to overshadow the grey background blocks so I only made 6 mirror image blocks and pieced the top just in time for the end of the month.

Here is the finished product:





I love how it turned out - I'm still not 100% on the placement of the mirror blocks but it's together so no going back now! Since I still have a ton of fabric left over from the fat quarters I'm thinking the back will be a hodge-podge of all the left over fat quarters and I'm still contemplating a border (I'm thinking the bream background with purple flowers print).