My first contest! Come and get 'em!

I've been hinting. I've been teasing. Now I think its time to start having a little real fun around here. Are you in the mood? What would you say if I waved this under your nose: Would you say, "Yes, please!!"?? How about if I said you had to be patient a little longer for the big payout, but that I would love to share one of these to tide you over?: It just so happens that someone around here had a birthday last week. Someone who has a mother that happily supports a hobby that has begun to clothe her granddaughter in exceptionally cute outfits. The crowning gift in said birthday celebration just happened to be one of these: Oh yes. It is my first serger. I don't have a clue where to even start with this darn thing, but I'm giddy at the prospect of learning. I mean really, look at these dials! They must hold the keys to sewing magic. I'm sure of it. So here's the deal. I think my serger needs a name. I've never been one to name my cars or computers or gadgets, but for some reason I think it is time to break that rule. My quandary is that I'm horrible at the naming game. In comes that beautiful little charm pack featured above. Let's have a contest!! The rules are insanely easy: Name my serger! I have a sewing machine, too. If you feel it needs a companion name feel free to add that in your entry. Or just name the serger, no pressure. Tell your friends, spread the word, enter as often as you like! I guarantee to leave this contest open for at least 1 week. If I haven't chosen a winner by the end of 7 days, I'll extend the contest until the right name comes up. The gifted writer that offers up the winning name will be the recipient of the charm pack. Is that easy enough? Let the christening begin!

Giveaway Time!

Another chance at $50 in free fabric! This time it is Rachel from P.S. I Quilt giving away a certificate to the Quilt Shoppe. The Quilt Shoppe is celebrating their 2nd birthday with 25% off your order. Imagine just how much further your $50 gift card could go with that kind of deal! They have Fig Tree's Mill House Inn in stock and I just might have to grab some precuts. I've had my eye on that line for months!! Unless you beat me to the punch and win the card instead. Darn you.

I know summer's not over, but. . .

I went to my favorite quilt store (a big pilgrimage of an hour and a half away) with the purpose of picking up fabric to try another dress for the peanut. I got sidetracked like a moth to the flame with this: I'm thinking fall. Pumpkins. Turkey. Apple cider. And one very cute table runner. What are you thinking?

Fabric stash: Fact or fiction?

My fabric buffet, originally uploaded by *jenny b allsorts.

One thing that continues to perplex me as I read through all my favorite quilting blogs is this infamous and somehow mysterious "stash" everyone is always talking about. I'll be the first to admit that I am a type A control freak in most areas of my life. Quilting appeals to me because of the symmetry of the patterns, the balance of colors, and the ability to have something beautiful come out of a distinct set of precise instructions.

Every project I've made so far was entered into with purpose. A specific color pattern was chosen, a design selected, and materials purchased thusly. The few scraps I have in my studio are remnants from previous projects. I definitely don't have enough scraps to create something fresh and new out of the leftovers, yet. I suppose that will change over time.

But blogger after blogger refers to the ever-growing stash of fabric in her collection. I'm stumped! Are you actually buying fabric for the sake of buying fabric with no purposeful intent?! If so, how do you decide what to collect? Do you stick to general color palettes? Do you have future projects in mind? How much yardage do you allow yourself to purchase of any given piece?

This is a completely unsettling train of thought for me. I'm imagining my next trip to my favorite quilting store. Aisle after aisle of cottony goodness. I have enough trouble narrowing down selections when I have a purpose, what on earth would I do with free reign?? I'd be worse than a kid in a candy shop. I'd have the fabric equivalent of the most horrendous gut ache of all time.

I'd love some feedback here. How would you describe your fabric shopping habits? I'm thinking I need to be going at this an entirely different way and would love a little hand holding. Teach me, oh wise ones.

The siren song of stitching

There are other things I'm supposed to be doing right now but I just can't ignore the calling from this pile of fabric any longer. I've washed it. I've ironed it. I've smoothed out all the nasty wrinkles. I assured myself it was just to save time later. Today is for cleaning. For cooking. For bill paying. Alas, that's just not going to happen. I'm worried for my family. Once I dig in to this project, there's no telling when I might surface. Please send pizza or they may starve tonight.

Sharpening my ax

I've got so many things I want to show you, but I need to keep them under wraps for now. All I can say is that my to-do list is mounting and mounting and most of it is of the everyday household kind that's not any fun to write about. On the other hand, some of it is very fun like the projects behind this pile here: But I can't seem to get to this stash fast enough these days. This morning I found the most perfect quote on Twitter: "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I would spend six hours sharpening my ax." - Abraham Lincoln Those words could not be more true for me today. I need to spend some time honing my skills and making plans before I cut into some of the fabric above. My husband's famous: "Measure twice, cut once." also comes to mind. Maybe it's just a good day for quotes. Or for ax sharpening. Or for popping open a Diet Coke and thinking about ax sharpening. Yeah, that's it.

I'm dreaming of a Moda Christmas

Didn't I just announce the start of summer yesterday? I'm a little chagrined to admit that I just ordered a boat load of yardage of Three Sister's Glace' for multiple Christmas projects I have planned. I've always wanted sentimental holiday decorations because it reminds me of growing up in my mom's beautifully decorated home. Every corner of the house was decked out with her own personal touches and to emulate that experience for my own little peanut, I've started adding to our own holiday collection. 

Last year I made a fantastic Advent calendar that I'm pretty pleased with. This year's plan is to start earlier and shoot for a Peppermint Posies quilt and throw pillow, a tree skirt, and a table runner. I've had my very first fat quarter bundle sitting on my desk for over a month now just waiting for the yardage to become available. Having learned my lesson from a few disappointing late orders, I'm jumping on the yardage that just went on sale today so that I have all the materials I need to complete these projects. I'm hoping I ordered enough extra to be able to make a few gifts with my leftovers but I won't know till I really dig in.

I guess it is quite possible I'll be humming a few Bing Crosby tunes come July. All I know is I'm already excited to see how things look with our tree.

A Tale of Two Quilts, Part 2

In all my years of quilting, I have never used the same pattern twice. Generally I make a quilt for a very specific purpose so there's never been an opportunity to repeat myself.  Earlier this spring, in an attempt to try my hand at actual quilting (vs. the hand-tying finish I usually use) I made a small baby quilt for a gift. I should have known better than to experiment on a gift since during the process I made many newbie mistakes. I would never feel right giving away my "flawed" little quilt.  Despite the mistakes, this quilt turned into one of my all-time favorite blankets so I decided to start over with new materials but used the same pattern. I'm astounded what swapping up the fabric can do even when the pattern is the same. 

Now that both quilts are finally bound and finished, I thought it would be fun to post side-by-side comparisons. The first quilt used Wonderland by Momo. The second is constructed from Snippets by American Jane. I used an accent strip on the back of each with a shade of yellow fabric that coordinated with the front.

Quilt 1: 

To finish the quilt, I used an all-over stipple pattern. I definitely need more practice at this!

Side-by-side comparisons:

Quilt 2:

When I finished this quilt, I decided to try the stipple effect just in the cream borders. I am really pleased with how it makes the colored rows pop.

The stipple pattern made a really fun effect on the back with rows of "puffier" blankie. I think this will end up being the perfect baby gift. I am so glad I experimented with this finishing style!

Feeding the Fabric Obsession

Oooh, here's another one. This makes me want to run down to my basement and dig up some old Target lamps I know are collecting dust down there. Rachel from P.S. I Quilt is brilliant. A long time ago I decided I would never again attempt sewing anything that required a curved angle. This adorable lamp shade makes me want to pitch that promise aside and grab the nearest Moda honeybun. I think I could easily find a spot for some Patisserie inspired lighting in my house.

Sounds dirty, but it isn't

I recently heard someone describe how they feel the urge to "pet the fabric" at quilting stores and that sentiment set off bells in my ears. That is exactly how I feel about the experience but never considered that explanation for it. It's been a few years since I last made a quilt and for some reason I've been literally overcome with the urge to start creating them again. I'm utterly addicted to the gorgeous Moda fabrics over at Fat Quarter Shop and when a fresh order is delivered to my doorstep, the petting is all that more exciting because it is the first time I've seen the fabric in person. I'm starting a project next week that will have me testing out new skills and I can't wait for the learning to begin.