I hate quilting...#1

I really do hate quilting. I signed up for quilting classes a few years ago...Bought all the fabric and everything, and a few lessons into it I dropped out. I think if I were more patient I would love it. That's why I wanted to sew a quilt - as part of this whole patience and persistence mission I'm on. Anyway, I have wanted a beach blanket forever, so this is the most simple quilt in the universe - patchwork squares with no binding. I machine quilted it which turned out surprisingly well and now I think I hate quilting a little bit less...Now we are ready for summer and the beach! Unfortunately, when I woke up to finish this yesterday, there was a blizzard hovering over our house. So, for now we are laying on our beach blanket in our living room, imagining warm rays of sun on our faces and cool breeze in our hair....

Too hot...

My dad has 5 sisters and every single one of them is overflowing with artistic talent. I'm currently obsessed with my Aunt Trice's new book 101 Tea Towels. There are SOOO many cute embroidery patterns in it, I've just finished the first in the three bears set, and I can't wait to start on the days of the week towels. Buy this book on Amazon, and check out her other books while you're there...

Happy New Year!

So, a new year's confession....Duh, I'm not a good blogger. But that's still okay because my excuse is that my whole experience isn't about the blog, but about the outcome and the tangible things that I make with my own two hands. The only problem is that I'd love to have a record of all the things I've learned, so I'm really going to try to be better....So, here goes!
My favorite things from December....

I loved this idea from December's MS Living - hers was a little fancier with a big Christmas bow, but I like our simpler version. I don't think I'll be able to take the Christmas cards down 'til next Christmas...So many beautiful cards from beautiful friends!!

I got some pretty yarn and made this simplest wreath of the century - just wrapped yarn around a foam wreath blank. The sequin yarn is SO awesome and actually very soft. Trying to think of something else to make with the leftover....


I was so happy when I found this fabric for my girls' Christmas dresses. Another Simplicity so easy (really easy) pattern. My favorite part are the little red leather bows I found at Martha Stewart's Craft Sale...It was a lucky miracle that I got to go to her office in the big city with Angela and Paigie - we had so much fun and the people watching was pretty unreal. Picture a tiny set of twin men dressed in ultra-tailored suits and bowties...A guy wearing a sequin eye patch...Only it was non-functional and had a hole in the middle. The ultimate fashion statement.



We made some easy elastic thread scarves for gifts - the serger was my best friend...

Sometimes you have to let the little cooperative model call the shots...I swear on my life she comes up with those poses all on her own. Best ever.

Hustle and Bustle

Big things have been happening around here! Some of the biggest:

Reluctantly, this banner came down. Let's just stay we had a little spooky spirit right through Thanksgiving...
My mother and father-in-law came to visit and left me with a little gift.....A SERGER!!! Best day ever. They must really love me (just kidding, I knew they loved me before they bought the serger!). They are the best. Mostly I've been playing around with it and figuring out how to use it (the model I got is SO EASY to use, more on that later). I started with a little project that's been on my list forever. I had this little hamper from Ikea that was a a good design, but the actual bag on it was made of plastic: ugly, tearing off mess. I set it in my storage room to wait for the day I could sew a new one, and I did it! Easy. Just took apart the old one and copied the pattern. I'm lovin' it.


Next item: pajama pants for J. I used a Sew Easy pattern that it turns out is really boxy and goofy, but I'm happy because now I know how to make pants. They are SO EASY! Er, I mean sew easy?


Many more projects to update. Now I need sleep!!!

Two little indians...

Josie became set on being Pocahontas a few months ago and I stewed and stewed about how I would make her dress. Once I started, everything kind of just came together and I had so much fun making the pattern. I learned a lot and studied my sewing books on necklines, facings, sleeves, and zippers. "Tiger Lily's" dress was very simple to make and only took a couple of hours from start to finish. I sort of copied a dress she already had and made a diaper cover from Dana's pattern at Made.

My mermaid

Josie pretends to be a mermaid all the live long day. All the costume fabric at Joann's was 60% off, so for her birthday I decided to surprise her with a mermaid get-up. It was soooo much fun to make and I honestly feel like I've found my real passion in sewing....pattern making. Just having an idea in my head and working it out is my favorite thing and so gratifying. This one was easy - the only tricky part was not being able to try it on her while in the process, since it was a surprise!

Freezer paper

I learned about freezer paper from Dana at Made, and basically it is my dream come true because it's the simplest way in the world to screenprint. Where has freezer paper been all my life??? I have tons of fp projects floating in my head...