Jaceycraft

Happy mail, part two

2012-01-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

Do you know Chicken Julie? She is amazing, as evidenced here. We met on flickr a few years back, and I've adored her ever since. We decided to do a little swap last year, because she wanted some fingerless mitts. She made me a little mini and a tee-shirt for Oliver.

We decided to swap again, and she blew. me. away.

Just look at the loveliness.

The way she uses selvages is so inspiring. I love the plus/cross design she created with her rainbow pieces.

And look at the quilting. Just look!

As if the mini wasn't enough, Julie also sent along some extras:

She made some matching selvage potholders, an adorable black and white fabric, some homemade washi tape, and some jam (not pictured)!

Jules, you are awesome! I sent her package out today, and I'll share that with you later this week!

*Total tangent, but I looked up the proper spelling of selvage/selvedge. Apparently, both are correct! I always wondered. Selvage is the US version of the word, and selvedge is the British equivalent. Who knew??

Happy mail, part one

2012-01-28T13:41:00.000-06:00

This was a week of ups and downs, but I've been lucky to have some happy mail this week. Surprise mail always brings a smile to my face! It's nice to see something other than bills occasionally! First up, on Wednesday, after getting home super late, I received two surprise packages (and a fabric package, *cough cough*!).

The first was from Ella. You may remember the Bohus Pillow I made for her in December.

She found these adorable Munki Munki pajamas at Marshall's and got me a pair! Fabulous! I think that headband is especially awesome!

The second package was from Sharon, one of my Sewing Summit peeps.

She sent this fun gift, with a frog tape measure, stitch markers, a handmade pouch (made by another friend), and a coffee cozy she knit using the stitch pattern from my scarf pattern!

She also sent this beautiful sock yarn. It's Brown Sheep Company yarn. I didn't look at the details yet, but it feels like 100% wool.

Thanks to both of you for having perfect timing!!

Linky loos for you

2012-01-27T08:24:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday to you! Thanks to you all for the comments on "My Word".

So, I'm excited for the weekend. Tomorrow, there will be (cup)cake tasting and flower picking (or selection, rather. I'm not actually going out in the fields to pick flowers...). Here's a random collection of links for you. I'll be back soon with several knitting FOs, and some sewing, too!

I want to knit this so badly.

I love these hoops by Lucky Jackson. She does one each day. Such a fun project!

I want to make this soup. Yum!

Speaking of food, this is one of my new favorite food blogs.

Still speaking of food, I highly recommend this cookbook. I've already tried a couple of the recipes, and I've always enjoyed her blog. Tasty stuff!

I'm going to be stitching this soon!

I'm in love with Shapemoth's latest creation, for the FTLOS swap. She was my partner last round and made me this:

She's so talented!

Lastly, enjoy this by The Staves (only audio). They opened for the Civil Wars last Friday, and they are fabulous.

Have a great weekend, crafty peeps! I hope you get to do fun things!

My word

2012-01-24T07:58:00.000-06:00

I've never designated a focus word for the year. I know many bloggers do, and I always enjoy reading these posts, but it always seems impossible to pick just one word.
But last night, as I was falling asleep, it popped into my head.

Voice.

VOICE.

You see, I've always had trouble speaking up for myself. I'm so non-confrontational, it's absurd. I'd rather be a little uncomfortable or inconvenienced, than to have to upset or disappoint someone else.

This is okay, to an extent.
Yet, I'm starting to find that voice. In two instances this year, one small and one big, I've spoken up for myself.
Perhaps it's turning 30 that gives me more courage, or maybe I've just decided enough is enough. Either way, I feel a surge of pride when I think of these two events, especially the bigger one.

I'm also hoping to strengthen my blogging voice this year. I have all of these ideas and plans, but don't have the time to execute them. I'm going to try to work on that this year as well.

A little of everything

2012-01-23T10:14:00.000-06:00

While I still think setting the wedding date sooner rather than later was smart, I really miss my low-obligation weekends. Spare sewing/knitting time has been scarce these days, but I've managed to make a little progress.

I made some flannel pillowcases this week. I picked up this lovely Anna Maria Horner flannel from Pink Castle Fabrics. Luckily, my friend Chris (who I get to see in a few weeks!!) sent me a large scrap of another AMH flannel, which I used on part of the cuffs for a little contrast.

I've accumulated quite the collection of sewing/quilting books! The top few were Christmas gifts, and some of the bottom ones are from my grandmother's stash. There are a lot of fun projects and techniques that I hope to try someday soon! In this photo, you can also see my growing AMH Good Folks collection. I just adore this line, and have been lucky to find pieces here and there, through swaps and etsy purchases.

I've been knitting on a few gift projects. I have two knitting FOs that I can't share until they're received, so it should be a couple of weeks for those. BUt this hat is destined for Elliott's mom. She asked for a knitted hat, and I just couldn't refuse. I'm using some Sundara Aran Merino (from a holiday gift bag). This yarn is beautiful! I love the slight variations in color, and the texture is lovely. The pattern is Stephen West's Windschief. I've already started the decreases, so I should have it finished soon.

And a little Bella action to complete this post.

I wish you all a good week!
I vow to have my list of 2012 goals up before the end of the week!

Stash enhancement and a dgs block

2012-01-18T17:58:00.000-06:00

I've gotten lazy about photographing new stash, but I have a couple of new things to share.

I picked up two fat quarters in the Spoonflower Buy One, Get One sale late last year. Both designs are by Holli Zollinger, and I LOVE her fabrics. I'll probably have to pick up some more of her designs later this year.

I also picked up some favorite fat quarters from two new(ish) lines: Domestic Bliss by Liz Scott (the designer of Sugar Pop, which was part of the fabric used for my Wonky Bee quilt last year) and Amy Butler's Lark. I LOVE the colors of the Domestic Bliss line, and the green lanterns from Lark are a favorite print right now.

In bee news, I've joined a new bee (crazy, I know) called Bee a Modern Swapper. It's an interesting setup. Every other month, it's a regular quilting bee with two blocks due, but the in-between months have optional small swaps that you can participate in, or not! For the first part of the year, I'll opt out of those swaps, but after the wedding, I may join in!

In do.Good Stitches, the Love circle made herringbone blocks for Rachel using her tutorial, which you can find here. This was a fun block, a little challenging at first, but very thoroughly explained. And the result is awesome!

I made a second block that I wasn't planning to send (it was just a little short), but Rachel said she'd find a use for it, so off it went!

I plan to revisit this block at some point. Very fun!

Wedding stuff

2012-01-16T08:54:00.000-06:00

As you can already tell, I'm not going to be posting tons of wedding stuff. I'm not sure everyone wants to hears about it, but I thought I would share a little info for those who are interested.

I found a dress recently (pictured here with Jill and Jenny, my maid and matron of honor), and we've set an April date, as in 2012. So, that's happening SOON. Crazy soon.

A lot of details are taken care of. I found a venue that takes care of things like tables, chairs, linens, plates, etc. They also provide the food, so after the menu is finalized, that will be done as well.

My sister commented that I'm more into the planning than she thought I would ever be, but I definitely don't see any bridezilla moments in my future. ;)

Jill has been such a great sister and maid of honor. Yesterday, she took engagement pictures for us. I haven't seen them all yet, but here's a favorite.

I've definitely noticed a shift in my free time (i.e. crafting time). I have been working on a few secret knit projects that I can share soon. I've also had a few other things in progress that I'll be able to share soon.

WIPs to finish

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

Like most of you crafters, I want to make all of the things! I tweeted the other day that I feel directionally challenged when it comes to crafting.
I feel pulled to several projects and crafts. To find some direction, I first want to document my list of outstanding WIPs.

There are a few I'm not listing, but these are the items I most desire to finish.

Knitting

First up, the embarrassing 3.5-year-old Central Park Hoodie. I'm so painfully close to finishing. All it needs is for me to finish picking up the second side of stitches and knit that button band. Then, seaming.

Second, the Gray Skies Cardigan. This one is another nearly-finished sweater. I think I have one partial sleeve to finish and seaming.
COME ON.

I've also got two single socks that need buddies.

I'm also close to finishing my Stripe Study shawl.

Quilting

I have four quilts-in-progress at the moment.

There's Single Girl, which I haven't touched since April.

There's Bottled Rainbows. I've completed four of the sixteen blocks, and this is a long-term project. I like to do a block every now and then, but it would be rad to finish this before the end of the year. The bright side is that it's quilt as you go, so, once the top is complete, the rest should go really quickly.

There's Rain or Shine, which is probably the closest to being finished. I only have six more blocks to make for the top. I've actually been working on this one for the past few days. I'll have an updated progress photo to share soon.

And of course, there is Swoon.

I've made six out of nine blocks, which you can see in my Swoon flickr set. Lucky for me (and you!), Katy has assembled a group of (300+) quilters for a Swoon-along! Feel free to join in on the fun and make your own Swoon!

In the next few days, I'm going to share my additional goals for 2012. But you can surely expect to see progress on these nine projects in the upcoming months!

2011 Favorites

2012-01-10T20:00:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed compiling this list last year, and I thought I'd do it again.
So, here are some of my favorite things from 2011:

Favorite Fabric Line:

I love Outside Oslo, and used it on two projects (one of which, I carry every day!)

Favorite Album: Civil Wars-Barton Hollow and Death Cab for Cutie-Codes and Keys

Favorite sewing project of mine:

The flying geese mini I made for my mom

Favorite new movie: I didn't see many movies in the theater, but I had fun watching Scott Pilgrim vs. the World this year. Fun and nerdy.

Favorite TV Show: I've recently been hooked on Fringe, thanks to Brooke and Amanda

Favorite Bella picture:

Favorite Olias picture:

Favorite crafting moment:

Sharing my first pattern

Favorite new-to-me blogs: Ellison Lane and
Needle and Spatula

Favorite new recipes: Smitten Kitchen's Roast Chicken with Dijon Sauce and

Brown Sugar Cookies

FO: Fenced Foxes

2012-01-09T17:30:00.000-06:00

I seriously love this quilt. The pattern, from Elizabeth Hartman's book, is called Fenced In.

It was very easy to size this down for a baby quilt, but I skipped adding the outside border. I used only Lizzy House Outfoxed prints, purchased from Pink Castle.

I also used stash solids, including Kona Corn Yellow (back), Kona Stone and three greens (not sure which ones) for the binding. I used an emerald green Gutermann thread for the quilting.

I think Jessica really loved the new quilt, and it was so much fun seeing old friends at the shower yesterday. From left to right, Kristen, Jessica, me, Julie and Laurie. I've known all but Laurie since elementary school, where we were all girl scouts together! Laurie went to our high school, too.

I know baby Wyatt will enjoy his quilt!

FO: Nicke's Curvy Echo

2012-01-06T08:30:00.000-06:00

It seems strange that I only met Nicke last year. We've become such good pals, and it feels like I've known her longer. I say "known", but we have not yet met in person. I think that will happen this year, though!

We recently agreed to do a swap, and she received her package last week.

Like most of the sewing and quilting community, Nicke fell hard for Lotta Jansdotter's line, Echo. I've fallen hard for this fabric, too. There's no question of that! I've already purchased some for myself to make a fun new project! Oh, but back to Nicke's pillow! This was not my first time sewing curves, as evidenced by my lingering Single Girl (I desperately want to finish that this year!).

For Nicke's pillow, I used some templates my grandmother shared with me from her stash. It was an old package, with two sizes of Drunkard's Path templates, and also, a clamshell template, which I am still investigating.

This was a perfect excuse to do more curvy sewing, which is fun and impressive!

My favorite part of this pillow is the yellow stitching. My mom gave me a fun box of assorted Guttermann thread for Christmas (too bad, but it's no longer on sale!), and this happy yellow was crying out to be used. The pillow is envelope-style, and I backed it with some It's a Hoot Chocolate brown dot fabric from the stash.

I knew Nicke would be thrilled, because I didn't want to give this pillow away, which is always an indication of a good gift! I will share what Nicke sends me in return when the time comes!

Oh, p.s., if you are intimidated by curvy sewing, you should check out Rachel's new class!

I hope you all have a fun weekend!

Hello, 2012

2012-01-03T09:02:00.000-06:00

Well, hello! I hope 2012 is treating you well so far. I have a lot of things to share with you. First up, I met a blog friend last week.

Rue was in Texas last week, so I made the drive up to New Braunfels to meet her in person! We agreed that after talking online for so long, it was a little weird to be sitting across from one another. She's so sweet, and her little Tadpole is even cuter in person. And look at that completed Stripe Study she's wearing! Mine still isn't finished, but I am working on the border, so it shouldn't be too much longer!

I'm so glad I got the chance to meet her!

I've been working on a baby gift. My first best friend ever is having a baby this month. Her shower is this weekend, so I finally started on her present last week.

I'm making her a Fenced In quilt from Elizabeth Hartman's book. And of course, I am using the adorable Outfoxed prints by Lizzy House. Love!

I finished the quilting this weekend, and the binding has been pinned. I should be able to finish in time!

I'm also moving ahead with some wedding plans! I found a venue this weekend, which is really setting things into place! I'll share more on that soon.

Have a great week, everyone!

FO: Avalon Squared and #500

2011-12-29T07:30:00.000-06:00

My friends, what a fabulous way to celebrate my birthday today. This is post #500 on little old Jaceycraft. Woo! That's amazing. I know I'm talkative, but I'm impressed!
So, I would like to have some sort of giveaway to celebrate this, but I think I'll wait until the new year, especially since SMS Day was not so long ago (like, 2 weeks).

So, in the meantime, I can finally share my sister's quilt with you!

Here it is!! Avalon Squared. I've named it this for two reasons. The majority of the fabric is Avalon by Jay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabrics. Also, as I was trying to decide on a pattern that would let these bold prints shine, I came across a quilt called Avalon in Material Obsession. So, Avalon Squared!

I backed the quilt with an old sheet from the linen closet. I'm glad I used a solid, so that the quilting can shine. I quilted each block a little differently. The block on the right with the pebbling caused many uttered expletives. I broke three needles while doing the pebbles. Odd, since Ella's Bohus Pillow didn't give me any such troubles. I'm guess it was the weight of the quilt.

I used Joel Dewberry's Herringbone for the binding, and there's also an FQ of his Woodgrain in the quilt.

The quilt is approximately 60" x 80", so it's a great couch-size quilt.

It really was hard to let this go. These photos were taken by Jill. I finished Thursday (just three days before Christmas), and then we experienced several days of dreary weather. Jill was nice enough to snap some pictures yesterday and share them with me.

I also made some pillowcases to go along with the quilt!

I know I mentioned this before, but Jill is an amazing sister. She has made my 30th birthday something truly memorable. I feel so lucky to have love, support, understanding and friendship in you.
Thank you again, sister!

And happy new year to you all! Thanks for being a part of this space with me.

Wordless Wednesday: Bella

2011-12-28T16:19:00.000-06:00

Happenings

2011-12-27T11:54:00.000-06:00

I hope those of you that celebrate Christmas had a lovely one! My weekend was hectic, but very enjoyable. After traveling most of the weekend, I was happy to pull up to my house Sunday night. I had a few packages waiting for me when I arrived, so it was like Christmas all over again!

I received this special package from my good friend Rachel. She shared some homemade huckleberry jam, one of her signature calendars, and two skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Loft! Wow. Rachel is such an amazing person. I so admire that she loves her work, and I always enjoy seeing what crafty things she's doing. Thanks again, Rachel! I'm touched.

You may remember the Echino stag and Melody Miller tea cup pouches I made a few weeks ago? Those were for Rachel, along with one of my coffee (or tea) cozies)!

My other package was a large box of fabric from Pink Castle Fabrics.

I splurged on some Half Moon Modern scissors and the green chevron print. These prints are so bright!

I also scored a layer cake of the amazing " A Stitch in Color", Malka's new Moda line. I have a small piece of her hand printed fabric, so I was anxious to see the Moda-printed line in person! It's vibrant, and I'm already dreaming up ways to use the prints.

I also got a couple of yards of Anna Maria Horner's beautiful new flannel, which I plan to quickly transform into new pillowcases. The thought of a flannel pillowcase seems cozy.

In other swap and gift news, I received my #ssswap last week. My secret santa was Megan!

She made me an adorable zipper pouch, and sent along some stitch markers and some homemade caramels (which have already been devoured!). Fun! Thanks, Megan. I love it all!

Last, but certainly not least, my pal Amy, made lots of these adorable pouches in different fabric combinations. She gave one to each attendee of the HMQG holiday. These are so cute, and I love the kitty print!

Well, that's all for today.
I managed to finish the big secret project, which was a quilt for my sister. She loves it, however, the weather was so dreary all weekend that no pictures exist yet!

She has promised to take some photos soon so that I can share the FO with you!

I've been thinking about my 2012 crafting goals, and I'll be sharing them with you soon.
Oh, and I have a small birthday this week, too. ;)

Talk soon!

2011 Goals: A look back and a video

2011-12-23T08:03:00.000-06:00

I LOVE making lists. LOVE. Earlier this year, I made a list of goals for the year. As I make my list for 2012, I thought I'd share my results of this year's list.

2011 goals
1) No yarn purchases in 2011, with noted exceptions:

Result: Mostly win.

The only yarn I purchased this year was the Wollmeise Claudia offered to bring me (um, and I just bought a Sundara holiday gift bag. oops). The only other yarn stash additions were handspun offerings from Sara, Sam and Elizabeth.

2) Finish the Gray + Pink + Yellow quilt and make two additional quilts

Result:Total win. You can see my quilt set here, but I finished three large quilts and several minis this year.

3) Complete the swaps I've joined

Result: Again, Total win. I participated in three quilt bees and SIX public swaps. I also participated in several private swaps, which I'm now addicted to. You can see my swaps and bees set here.

4) Complete the two pairs of socks I've started, and two additional pairs

Result:Um, less than win. I knit one sock this year, and it was not a match for a previously knit sock. LAME.

5) Finish the colorwork hat I've started, and one additional colorwork project (I've got to get better at this!)
Result: Half win! I did complete my color work hat, which I love. But no new colorwork projects this year. Next year, for sure!

6) Finish both my CPH and the Gray Skies Cardigan

Result: FAIL. Yes, that deserved to be bolded. I didn't finish either one of these, although a little progress was made.

7) Knit Beatnik
Result: Nope. But I didn't buy yarn for it either, so that counts. A little.

8) Sew three garments for myself

Result: I made two skirts for myself, but I don't count it as a win, really.

9) Clean out and donate from closets, cabinets

Result: I made lots of progress in purging stuff this year. I hope to continue to do so, as I make the move to Elliott's house. Or, our house. ;)

10)Blog more often

Result: Total win. My post count for 2011 is just about double my 2010 count. I've been in this space more often, and I've enjoyed it!

11)Take more pictures

Result: I would say this is pretty much a win, although I have short-term plans to make a lightbox for myself. As the winter light takes over, I notice a drastic drop in the number of pictures I've taken.

12)Attend the Sewing Summit in October

Result: Yep! I did that!

13)Use fabric and yarn stash on projects I can enjoy

I guess this is a partial win. I've gotten better about making things I'll actually use. However, I still have an addiction to shawls, even though I've not found myself wearing them yet.14)Exercise at least once a week

Result: Um, next question, please.

15)Finish Jill's house items

Result: I'd say I'm okay here. I still have some curtains to make for Jill, but she's gotten some fun handmade stuff this year. But I will stick to my word and finish the other curtains!

16)Travel

Result: No good here. I only went on one out-of-state trip (Utah). But at least it was a new-to-me place, and it was beautiful!

When I look at this list, it doesn't seem like I accomplished very much in 2011. Then I watch the video below (which is all thanks to C and her lovely 2011 video), and I think, "oh, yeah. I did some stuff."

Jaceycraft 2011 from Jacey Lucas on Vimeo.

I hope you'll watch it. And then I hope you'll make your own over at Pummelvision.
*Note: the very last image in the video has a swear word. I haven't blogged this yet, but I wanted to make a disclaimer.

If you'd rather peruse the photos, I made a Crafts in 2011 set.

Winner!

2011-12-19T18:08:00.000-06:00

The winner of the SMS Giveaway day is Amy! Amy is blogless, but did leave an email address, and she's already responded to claim her new pouch and fabric.

I got a little stressed reading all of your comments. We all have a lot of finishing to do! Thank you all for entering.

I've been hard at work on a secret project for a loved one. I'll be able to share after Christmas!

I can share one crafty thing from the weekend.

I made two quick and easy appetizers for the Houston Modern Quilt Guild holiday party. I made cheese straws and mustard puffs. I think "mustard puffs" is a truly hilarious name for a food. Both of these recipes were very easy to make, and the results were delicious!

Our party was a huge success. And I'm excited to say that I'm the historian for our guild this year! Our group is a lot of fun, and I'm excited to be a part of it!

I'm working on a couple of end of year posts, so between that and some finishes, I have lots to talk about!

A few fun things

2011-12-15T18:30:00.000-06:00

Here's one of the fun gifts I've gotten for my birthday this month. I actually got two of the same shirt (we're returning one); Elliott and my sister both had the same idea!

I have a new favorite cookie. These were incredible! They are Brown Sugar Cookies.

While I was working on the giveaway pouch, I made these pouches over the weekend for a good friend.

It's been fun playing with the Echino fabrics I've been ~~hoarding~~ saving!

I'm woefully behind on photographing my stash enhancements, but I did manage a photo of this Dear Stella. I just love those stars!

I've been hard at work on a secret project for a certain family member. I'm almost done, though. I'll be sharing it with you after it's opened on Christmas!

FO: Ella's Bohus Pillow

2011-12-13T08:03:00.000-06:00

Looking for the giveaway post? Here it is!

Now that Ella has received her giveaway pillow, I can share it with you all! In her comment, Ella mentioned red, mulberry, mustardy brown and linen. Based on these colors, and from reading her blog, I had a pretty immediate vision of what I wanted to make. I remembered seeing the Bohus Pillow in a copy of Stitch Magazine (Summer 2011 issue). My only problem was that I didn't want Ella to have to buy a circle pillow form, or to make one. So I modified the design to be square.

Really I just used the templates Stitch provided, and improvised the rest.

I used some 1001 Peeps for the center star and the back pieces, and some Essex Linen for the background. The burgundy and mustard pieces are from the stash.

I hand quilted around the center piece with some Perle Cotton, and then machine quilted the rest.

This is an especially exciting project for me because it's my first time to use pebble quilting. You can tell where I started, in the top center. The stitches there are not quite the right tension and are a little messy. As I worked my way around, I could see and feel a difference in my stitching. I was floored when I finally started getting the rhythm of free motion!

When I finished, I had to really take a step back. This pillow is so much different than my normal style. In the end, I love it. I got to practice some unfamiliar techniques, like applique and free motion quilting.

I hope Ella loves her pillow!
I still have the third contest pillow to make, for Virginia. Hopefully, I'll have that to share ~~before the end of the year, or~~ in early January!

Giveaway: Echino Style

2011-12-12T07:57:00.000-06:00

Once again, I'm excited to participate in Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day!

If you're new here, welcome!

I decided to share a little Echino with one lucky commenter.

This weekend, I took a break from my gifty to-do list, and made a little pouch. I love the little strap, and I used that same fabric for the lining.

With the pouch, I'm adding a fat quarter of the Echino London print in aqua.

I'm happy to ship this internationally!

One entry per person. To enter, just leave a comment telling me something you're hoping to accomplish or finish before December 31st.

You can enter until 3 PM CST on Friday, December 16th. I'll draw a winner over the weekend.

Thanks for visiting! I'll be back soon to share my latest pillow.Comments are now closed.

Seven things?

2011-12-08T18:18:00.002-06:00

So, I mentioned here that Shannon passed on the Versatile Blogger Award to me. Thank you so much, Shannon!

I've been trying to decide what seven facts about myself to share, and here's what I've come up with:

1) I have one sibling, Jill. She is incredible.
She is in the process of celebrating my upcoming birthday (that would be thirty, by the way) in a huge way. She sneakily contacted family and friends, and asked them all to celebrate my birthday with a thirty-day countdown to turning thirty.
Each day, I have a small gift and/or card to open.
It's overwhelmingly kind, and I feel so lucky to have her in my life. And I'm thrilled that she will be my Maid of Honor next year.

2) As a kid, I was a seriously picky eater. All I would eat is meat and potatoes, and carrots. I never thought that I would grow up to be such an adventurous eater, but here I am!

3) I've had two broken bones and both were a result of falling.
In second grade, I fell off a horse and broke my arm. In fourth grade, I fell out of a tree and broke my wrist.

4) I first learned to sew when I was younger than ten. My grandmother taught me to make scrunchies. I had such style, and scrunchies to match all of my outfits. Yep, I'm a nerd.

5) In periods of super craftiness, my sewing area often looks like this. Since this photo was taken, I have cleaned up a bit, but yeah. Messy.

6) I'm left handed, but with some sports and activities, I do better with my right hand.

7) I've never lived in another state but Texas. I've traveled a fair amount (with hopes for more in the future!), but it seems I'm pretty rooted here.

So, maybe you learned something new about me today!

Now, it's my turn to pass this award to a few of my favorite bloggers. I've made so many friendships through my blog, so this was a difficult choice. Today, I would like to share this award with:
Sara of The Knottygnome Knits - Sara spins, sews, knits, crochets, designs and embroiders. And she does all of these things very well.
Amanda of My Sewcial Hour - I met Amanda at the Sewing Summit, so I'm new to her blog. She's got a great sense of style, and I'm especially loving her Farmer's Wife quilt block progress (I think I'm going to have to start my own version next year, by the way...)
Nicke of Kiss Kiss Quilt - Nicke is a kindred spirit. She is hilarious and kind.
And finally
Tamiko of Patchwork Notes - Tamiko is so cool. Her Special Friend pillow is high on my to-make list for the new year.

So, that's it! Whew. Long post. Thanks for hanging in there!

Melissa's Quilt

2011-12-07T17:52:00.000-06:00

As I was browsing through my flickrstream, I realized I never shared a collaborative quilt I helped Sara and Nicke make.

I made these blocks to contribute, and Sara assembled the blocks and quilted them beautifully.
This was a gift for our friend Melissa, who is expecting her second child. You can see the finished quilt here and also here.

These three girls were lots of fun in the Wonky Bee this year, and it was fun conspiring to make something special for Melissa!

Distraction (i.e. not on the to-do list)

2011-12-05T08:25:00.000-06:00

Something has wormed into my brain and distracted me from my to-do list. I'm knitting the super lovely Stripe Study. To make it more fun, I'm knitting along with Rue, Lauren, Phoe, Minty, Wynk, and, well, anyone who wants to join in! If you'd like to join, we're mainly just keeping track of progress over on twitter, using the hash tag #stripestudy . I know we're tempting Rachel something fierce!

I knew the shawl would be enjoyable, because as I've already pointed out, I love knitting shawls. Even if I don't WEAR shawls often.

I'm using two stashed yarns for this. The aqua is Hazel Knits Sock in Beach Glass, and the brownish-gold is Sundara Sock Yarn in Ancient Place (I think? The color name is handwritten).

Yep! I'm hooked.
I've also been making progress on the list. I'm down to 12 items.

Sent: SS Swap

2011-12-01T16:21:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm down to just fourteen items on my gifty list (and I should mention, some are commitments, not truly gifts)!

As mentioned here, I participated in the Secret Santa Swap that Sukie organized. And my partner received her swap last night, so it's safe to share the other details. You've already seen the fabric basket I made. My partner, Kaki requested red, white and aqua items, and is especially in love with the new(ish) Children at Play fabric line by Sarah Jane Studios. It just so happens that I had recently purchased a little of the pinwheel fabric from Pink Castle Fabrics, and with some more help from the stash, I knew Kaki was going to be happy.

Along with the basket, I made a little mug rug, featuring an embroidered pinwheel (which I drew). I also included the rest of the pinwheel fabric and some Ruby scallops (used on the mug rug and for the basket lining).

Based on her tweets last night, I am pretty sure Kaki is a happy girl!

Now, I just have to sit tight and see what my santa brings for me!

Eep!

2011-11-29T08:56:00.000-06:00

My Magnolia Lane Mini is a finalist for the final month of Celebrate Color! I'm so excited!!

There's lots of great entries in each category; I'm interested to see which projects win this month!
If you haven't already, be sure to vote for your favorites!

Oh, also, I'm having a cookie making session with my mom and sister this weekend.
Do you have any MUST MAKE recipes to share?

I might have to make these this year...

FO: Stockings for Jill and Ryan

2011-11-28T08:53:00.000-06:00

Whew! What a nice long weekend! For those of you in the states, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving with your families. I got a lot of time with my family and Elliott's. And yes, I'm engaged! I don't have any details to share on the when or how, but we know it will be sometime next year! For now, I'm just enjoying the feeling. I'll share more with you soon!

In the meantime, I crossed a couple of things off of my gifty list this weekend.

My sister asked me for Christmas stockings, personalized for her and her boyfriend, Ryan. Using Fabricworm's tutorial and some Alexander Henry Holiday Hoot fabric, I came up with some pretty fun stockings!

I worked on the embroidery over the holiday, and finished them up yesterday afternoon.

It's always fun to stitch up words in embroidery. And of course, Bella always likes to help.

The pattern was very easy to follow, and the second one came together better than the first.

I'm linking up today with Megan this morning!

Gifty to-do list, part #1

2011-11-25T10:59:00.001-06:00

Let me preface this entry by saying, my list of things to finish before the end of the year is twenty-one items long.
And to answer your question, yes, I'm a little crazy for that.

However, I got down to business this past weekend, and was able to cross several tasks off the list.

Item #1: My November "Love" do.Good Stitches blocks
I'm in a new group this month, and Lee chose these fun asterisk blocks.

Item #2: I'm in a secret santa swap via twitter, hosted by Sukie, and I finished my first item over the weekend. There is a cost limit of $15 for the swap, which is a fun challenge! I used Ayumi's super adorable fabric basket tutorial. I want to make more of these. LOTS more.

Item #3 (in progress): I'm making stockings for Jill and Ryan this year.

I'll share more from the list throughout December. Hopefully, I can get everything finished in time!

What's on your gifty to-do list?

(nearly ) Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T14:12:00.001-06:00

Details forthcoming!

FO: Kate's Plus Pillow

2011-11-22T07:35:00.006-06:00

I finished the first of the giveaway pillows. Kate received her pillow this weekend, so now I can share it with you!

Kate adores green, and I just happen to have lots of green in the stash (I love it, too!).

I've been dying to try a plus quilt, and when I looked at Kate's favorites, I knew this would be a perfect excuse to do so.

Honestly, the layout is the only tricky part (and I can imagine doing so for a full quilt is pretty arduous, especially with curious kitties!). I LOVED making this! I used Essex Linen with the prints, which include a recently stashed Suzuko Koseki, some favorite dots (Amy Butler, Ta Dot and It's a Hoot!), Joel Dewberry faves, Leaf Dots, Sundae Stripe, etc. Ah, lots of favorites here, really!

I quilted the front, and resisted the urge to make this an envelope style pillow.

I installed a zipper, which I then had to rip out and try again. My first zipper looked nice, but was not big enough to wedge a pillow through! Ha. Lessons learned! So, a second zipper was installed, but next time, I'll stick with what I know!

I think Kate was really pleased with her pillow! It was especially fun to make this for her since I met her at Sewing Summit.

In other pillow giveaway news, the first winner that didn't respond sent me an email the same day I posted about the replacement winner.

Virginia had never won anything on a blog before, so I decided I will honor her winnings. So, two pillows left for the giveaway. I've started on the second pillow. Hopefully, I'll be able to share it in the next couple of weeks!

A surprise from Jessica

2011-11-21T11:31:00.000-06:00

Do you know Jessica? I really enjoy her blog, and her adorable crafty style. She's made some really fun things for her kiddos, and I'm really in love with her recently finished Loulouthi Tiles quilt from Rachel's free pattern.

So, several weeks ago, I sent Jessica some patterns I received at the Sewing Summit. The patterns were for little girl's clothes, and I thought she would enjoy them.

Well, fast forward to Friday afternoon, I get a surprise package from Jessica. In a completely unexpected and generous gesture, she made me a fabulous mini quilt!

How fun is that??!??

She also included a very sweet note, so thanks again, Jessica. You completely made me day!!

Yesterday, I tried to spend some time cleaning up my sewing area, and that included hanging some of my recently acquired minis.

On this wall, we have the Solids swap quilt I received from Shape Moth, and Jessica's mini.

Above my sewing area, I have the Post-Summit swap mini I received from Di. I still have two more minis to hang, so my collection is steadily growing! Ah, happy walls.

I've got lots of sew-y progress to share with you asap!

Post-Summit Swap: Received

2011-11-17T06:30:00.003-06:00

I have been so fortunate in the swaps I've participated in. The Post Summit Swap is definitely not an exception. Here is the mosaic I created as an inspiration for my partner:

Please click through to see image sources

And my partner, Diane totally rocked it!! She made me an adorable mini quilt in the always awesome grellow color scheme:

Please excuse the bad lighting, but you can see how gorgeous it is! And look at that little pouch! A kitty! What???
Here's a better shot of the pouch that Diane took. So yeah, I truly love these goodies she made me!

Thanks again, Diane! I intended to get it up on the wall this weekend, but hopefully, it will be hung sometime this week!

Misc. sewing ramblings

2011-11-15T17:54:00.002-06:00

So, I never heard back from one of the pillow winners, and gave a deadline of Sunday. So, without further ado, the new winer is #7, Ella! Oh, and I'm hard at work on Kate's pillow. I hope to have that one in the mail this week! I'll share pictures once she receives it!

Also, I realized I hadn't shared my latest Swoon blocks with you. I finished these on my vacation a few weeks back.

Swoon #5, using Modern Meadow Plaid and Kona Teal Blue.

Swoon #6, using Modern Meadow Herringbone and AMH Innocent Crush "Maybe".

Only three blocks left to go! Woo!! Can't wait. I have high hopes to finish this lovely up before the end of the year (possible, but not probable!).

I also finished up Bottled Rainbows block #5, in what I think is Kona Caribbean. Love! Who knows when I'll finish this quilt? Not anytime soon, but I hope to get a block or two more done before the new year!

Card making party

2011-11-14T08:32:00.000-06:00

My sister and I had a little girly get-together this weekend. We invited several friends over, scoured pinterest for recipes (and came up with some real winners!), and even had party favors. We spent Saturday getting ready for the party, and then enjoying our friends' company and making cards.

Unfortunately, I was too busy having fun to take pictures during the party, but I do have some prep shots to share with you, as well as links to the recipes we used.

Links to recipes (except sangria, corn chowder and caramels):
Veggie tartlets with pesto sauce
Roasted squash and red pepper quesadillas
Ginger cider bourbon (we tweaked the measurements to: 1.5 parts ginger ale: 1 part cider: .5 part bourbon
Maple Apple Tartlets

The apple tartlets were the only food I got a finished shot of. They were delicious and easy to make!

I mentioned party favors, too. Jill and I went a little overboard, but we had a lot of fun with it.

Jill got little Yankee candles and some homemade jam from etsy for everyone, as well as sharing some scrapbook paper and adhesive. We also shared little rolls of washi tape, purchased here on etsy.

I made coffee cozies, using Jeni's tutorial. I loved making these, and I actually have a few left over to gift next month.

Here's mine!

So, that's the party recap. I made some sweet cards (including one with a robot!).

I hope you had a fun weekend, too!

FO: Magnolia Lane Mini

2011-11-11T08:12:00.000-06:00

Back in May, I started a new project using Oh Fransson's Map of the States tutorial. It's the block we used back in February, for do.Good Stitches, and I enjoyed it so much, I thought I'd do it again.

Using mostly Laura Gunn's Magnolia Lane line, which I love, I added a few coordinating stashed fat quarters. Unfortunately, I lost steam and only finished three of the blocks and then the project sat. Until last month, when I accepted that I would probably never make enough MOTS blocks for an entire quilt. As much as I love them, they're not the fastest block to complete.

So, a mini was born.

I added my favorite shade of Painter's Canvas - the hunter green - to finish out the front.

For the back, I used a leftover piece of Magnolia Lane along with Kona Brick. To quilt, I wasn't quite ready to try free motion, but I made a semi circle in the corner, and then from there quilted diagonal lines radiating from it, sort of like sunshine, I suppose!

For a little FMQ experimentation, I added my initials and the year in the corner. I've never really labeled my quilts, but I'd like to start, and I like the way this little addition looks. I really love the yellow border I chose. I was initially going to use Kona Brick (same as the side back piece), but the yellow really pulled everything together (I think it's Kona Curry?).

I was extra motivated to finish this last night (although it's not yet been washed!), so that I could link up with amylouwho's mini party. I'm also submitting the mini to Celebrate Color this month!

FO: Opus Spicatum

2011-11-10T06:06:00.001-06:00

Before I get into today's post, I have to share two things about the SGS pattern. First, pattern writing takes serious attention to detail. The proof of this is that I made a VERY simple mistake. Hopefully, any of you that have started knitting so far caught the error, but my cast on number is 33 stitches. It should be an even number. I have fixed the pdf to call for 32 stitches of cast-on. I'm so sorry for any confusion that error may have caused. A big thanks to Rachel for catching my error.

Also, Claudia shared her SGS Scarf progress! I'm so excited about this. Claudia, thanks for giving it a try! It looks awesome so far!

So, on to today's post!
Colorwork freaks me out. I LOVE it (as evidenced by my growing pinterest board), but I find it really daunting. Last year in late October, I decided to cast on for a much-loved pattern, Opus Spicatum. I tried two colorwork tools to see what worked for me, this metal one, and this plastic one. But because of my knitting style (not really correct, but a version of English style), neither of these tools really worked, and I left my progress here:

Yeah. For pretty much an entire year, that's how it looked.

But then, while I was on my little vacation, I knew I'd be finished with the SGS Scarf pretty quickly, so I grabbed this to work on. I'm so glad I did, because I was able to finish it.

I don't know if it was the time away from it, or the fact that I got more comfortable with holding the two colors of yarn (with no tool, just held them both in my left hand), but something clicked!

I used two lovely shades of RYC Cashsoft Aran, and size 7 needles for the brim/size 9 for the body. Followed the pattern exactly!

Raveled here

Now, I'm trying to decide what colorwork project to knit next!

I'm entering this into Celebrate Color.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T07:04:00.002-06:00

SGS Scarf Pattern

2011-11-08T06:43:00.021-06:00

I have to say, I've always had aspirations to write my own patterns.

Then Rachel gave me the push I needed when she asked me to contribute to Celebrate Color. I was thrilled, and a little scared. I originally started this scarf pattern back in June, but when I made a trade on Ravelry for this gorgeous wool/alpaca blend in my favorite color of the season, well, I was inspired. I love, love, love this shade of yellow. And I didn't think I could wear the shade, but I think it works!

I'm proud to share with you this free scarf pattern.

I hope there are more patterns in my future.

SGS Scarf Pattern - Jaceycraft 2011

You can click on the link to download the free pattern, or you can also find it on ravelry later today.

Thanks to Rachel for the push that I needed!

I hope you will try out this pattern. If you do, I'd love to see!

I think the gathered stitches make such a great texture! The pattern is easy enough that you can probably knit one up quickly as a gift. And don't be intimidated if you're new to knitting; this pattern only uses: knits, purls, K2Tog (knit two together), and KFB (knit front and back). I recommend Knitting Help if you need help with these stitches.

And here's a shot of me (and the scarf) with the cutest kid ever.

Oliver (Elliott's nephew) is so sweet and special to me!

I used a DK weight yarn for this scarf, but a worsted weight will work just fine!

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment here or email me!

Thanks for checking out my first pattern. I hope you enjoy it!

Unplugged

2011-11-07T08:27:00.000-06:00

I didn't intend to be offline for most of my vacation, but that's what ended up happening. I ended up out of town for the majority of the week, but I'm back to regularly scheduled programming, with a mere 747 entries in Google Reader. Hmm. That's going to take a while...

So, a few quick things to get the week started:
-Tomorrow, I'll be sharing my first knitting pattern, and it's free!
-I received a Versatile Blogger award from Shannon of Hello, My Name is Quilt(!), so I'll be posting about that soon.
-My sister and I are having a little fall party this weekend, so I've been hard at work on some coffee cozies using Jeni's tutorial

-I also bought some washi tape to share with the guests!
-I still have not heard from one of the pillow winners, VeeBee (blogless), so if you're reading, please email me! I think I'll wait another week, and then pick another winner, if they don't respond. I have not started on Kate's pillow yet, but I will this week!

I have a few other things to share, but all in due time!

I'll see you tomorrow for that pattern I promised!!

Post-Summit Swap

2011-10-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I have a hard time resisting a swap. I've been good lately, but when Liz decided to organize a Post-Summit swap for Sewing Summit attendees, I jumped in. I knew there was a good chance I'd be paired up with someone I met there.

As luck would have it, I got Liz's name!

After looking through her favorites, I decided to make her a mini-quilt with some flying geese.

I used some lime and aqua scraps (some of which were picked up at the Sewing Summit), along with Kona Caribbean, and quilted around the geese.

I especially like the parallelograms in between the geese.

I backed the mini with a piece of Tula Pink's Prince Charming. Love it!

You can see the whole package I sent to Liz here in her photostream.

I haven't received my package yet, but the swap ends next week, so I should see a package soon!

I hope you are all having a fabulous Saturday. I'm actually enjoying a few days off of work at the moment, and have lots of crafty things to show you soon!

Autographs

2011-10-25T17:17:00.001-05:00

Have you ever gotten someone's autograph?
Honestly, besides Gordon from Sesame Street (who I oh so excitedly met when I was three or four; hmmm. I wonder where that picture is!), and a few Disney World employees, I don't have any autographs.

But Saturday, I got a fun one!

Ysolda's class was very informative, and she is just as cute in person as she seems online.

I'm eager to use her tips to make another sweater, and hopefully, one that fits much better this time!

I'm especially enamored with Laika!

Speaking of knitting books, I'm destashing a few titles, in case anyone is interested. If you are, let me know!

So yeah, back to my question, do you have any autographs?

Bottled Rainbows and October blocks

2011-10-24T07:18:00.000-05:00

After months of marination, I finally finished another Bottled Rainbows block. To refresh you, here's a picture of the ones I previously completed:

. And my newest block:

. I started a blue one right after completing this, but as usual, it will probably be awhile before it's completed.
That's just how I roll.

I also finished up my do.Good Stitches blocks for October, in the Comfort group.

These are made using Quiltville's String X block tutorial. It's a fun way to use up scraps, for sure.

As of next month, I'll be joining the Love circle of do.Good Stitches.

Return of Sunday Stash

2011-10-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

Some lovely Kumiko Fujita prints have been added to the stash.

Check out this awesome chair that Badskirt Amy recovered with the calendar print!

FO: 1001 Peeps Mini

2011-10-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

So, Deirdre, sister of Yarndude, and I have been blog friends for years. Like, I found a comment from her on this 2008 post, which in blog years, is forever
(side note: I love looking at older posts and seeing such improvement in my knitting and photography skills!).

So Deirdre and her husband moved a few months back, just across town. But she had some serious issues moving into her new place. Her great sense of humor made light of the situation.
My favorite tidbit she shared was the doorbell. Hilarious. So, as she was sharing her moving woes, I started thinking about some sort of housewarming gift.

Enter the 1001 Peeps mini.
Deirdre is learning to sew, and she's always so encouraging to me about my finished sewing projects (btw, she's an amazing knitter! AMAZING.). I knew she'd enjoy a little mini quilt to hang in her new place.

I started with some Lizzy House 1001 Peeps. By the way, I seriously love Lizzy House. She's awesome, and I may have nabbed one of her destash boxes last week.
I'm eagerly awaiting Outfoxed!

So, back to the mini. I pieced my little hexagons, and instead of piecing them together (mostly because I was still not feeling very confident on doing so), I decided to try something a little different.

I really liked how the hexagons looked with the quilter's linen, and decided to just randomly sew them onto squares.

I backed the quilt with a favorite Joel Dewberry print, the herringbone from Modern Meadow, and it's bound with a Tina Givens print (part of a giveaway from Erin last year!). I hand-stitched the back of the binding (I think I'm getting better at that!).

Deirdre emailed me that she received the mini last night, and I think she really likes it! So, yay!!

I'm entering this into Celebrate Color, in hopes of winning some Outfoxed!

Have a great weekend!!

Winner(s)!

2011-10-20T17:15:00.001-05:00

Olias is not relevant to this entry, but he is cute, which is reason enough to use the picture!

It was hard deciding how to pick a winner for my pillow giveaway.
I originally intended to pick based on the pillow descriptions in the comments, but I am biased because I know a lot of you, whether virtually, or in real life! I couldn't pick a favorite description, so, I relied on the ever-famous random number generator instead.

So, the winner is commenter #17, VeeBee, who said:

"My couches are red, so I"m thinking reds, off-white, black, greys. Love stripes, and wonky stripes. I value solids and simplicity. Modern, chic! Can't wait to see who wins and what you come up with."

I couldn't resist picking a second winner, though, so the second random winner is, someone I know! It's #31, Kate, of Needle and Spatula! Kate said:

"Oo, what a fun giveaway! I am not super helpful in describing my preferences since whenever I see a modern quilty pillow I pretty much usually think, fun, I like that! Improv piecing or traditional blocks, linen and prints or lots of solids, echino or AMH or amy butler, understated or bright colors... I am sure I would love it! The pillows in your mosaic are all great. If I actually win I can try to do a better job actually giving you ideas if you want, but if you wanted to just make what you felt like I bet I would love it! "

So, congratulations to both of you!

The only bad part about a giveaway is disappointing the non-winners.

I plan to do another giveaway like this eventually. It's fun to make you gifts!

I'll be sure to share the pillows with you once they're finished and received!

Texas State Fair

2011-10-18T18:28:00.004-05:00

First things first: I've now closed comments on the giveaway, and I'll be announcing a winner in the next few days!

I visited the Texas State Fair in Dallas this weekend with Elliott and his family, a first for me. It's a festival that pays homage to the deep-fried food, among other things.

I heard they would be serving fried butter, and I was definitely envisioning a whole stick of butter, which is repellant.

However, we discovered these lovely little bundles of dough, with a little pocket of butter inside. We opted for the honey, cinnamon and sugar variety, which tasted like Sopapillas. We also tried fried pizza (an actual slice of pizza, fried-we think there was some ricotta in it; tasty!) and the best dish of the day:

Fried Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. So tasty.

Luckily, I shared these calories with three other people, so I don't feel too guilty.

Beth and I also enjoyed the arts and crafts building. I snapped a few pictures of fun things.

I love these knitted monsters!
I also thought these quilts were nice!

The best part of the fair, though?

Seeing Oliver, of course!

Totally unrelated, but you have to check out the Sewing Summit photos Betty Crocker Ass just posted! So many good ones!!

FO: Floral Circles Skirt

2011-10-17T08:53:00.001-05:00

Back in September, I received a fabric order from Pink Castle Fabrics. A beautiful floral Lecien print was included, and I immediately wanted to make a skirt with it.

I've long been a fan of the My Folklore prints. Some of the first fabric I ever purchased and used was from this line.

The new prints are just as fun, and I have a few other cuts in that box from Pink Castle!

So, the skirt!
I picked up Simplicity 0498 at a Joann's sale months ago, and felt the cut would be more flattering than my last skirt attempt.
Verdict?

I like it! I had the navy blue binding in the stash, and I think it adds just the right amount of contrast. I adore the pockets, and the length is very flattering.

I will enjoy wearing it this fall (maybe with the black boots I never seem to pull out of the closet!). The print is conservative enough that I can wear it to work, but fun enough that I can wear it elsewhere.

The pattern is pretty easy to follow, although it appears to be discontinued.

I'm entering my skirt into Celebrate Color, my first entry!

By the way, you've still got a little time to enter my pillow giveaway!

Giveaway: Pillow style

2011-10-14T14:06:00.001-05:00

So, I've been wanting to do this kind of giveaway for awhile, and I've decided it's time.

I really like handmade giveaways, so I will pick a winner to receive a custom made 18" pillowcase!

To enter this contest:
talk to me about your favorite color or color combinations, and favorite styles of patchwork.
Do you love stripes?
Do you prefer only solids?
Are you crazy for Echino?

Tell me about your preferences in your comment.

The pictures above are pillows I've made before.

Please, only one entry per person!

International entries are welcome.

If you are a NO-REPLY blogger, please leave a way to contact you!

Comments can be submitted until Tuesday morning, around 10 am CST.

Good luck, and thanks for entering!

SS: Stash and Classes

2011-10-12T18:27:00.002-05:00

One last sewing summit post! Becky wanted to hear about the classes I took and see the new stash. I will happily oblige. ;)

stash.

I participated in the Shop Hop, which was a bus full of 50 quilters, hitting three shops in the SLC area. We visited Pine Needles, Quilt, Etc. and Material Girls. It was really fun, and all three shops had something unique to offer. I only took a picture at two of the shops, but I encourage you to check them all out if you're ever in Salt Lake.

Pine Needles

Material Girls

Although I tried to show some restraint, I ended up with quite a nice stack of new stash enhancements.

Some of these were freebies (and some freebies are not pictured; I'm still trying to unpack and organize). Also, some of these were from the fat quarter swap that Kaelin organized. Very fun! I'm especially excited about that stack on the right. I am IN LOVE with Cosmo Cricket's Circa 1934 for Moda. Such a great line! I grouped it with some other fabrics I got that I think work well with it.

So, one of the new people I met is Sharon, of A Prarie Sunrise. While we were there, she offered to whip up a sketchbook for me.

It's so cute! I also may have enabled her into buying some yarn at a great shop we visited (I DID NOT buy any yarn!! Ahem.)

classes.

I took: Improv Piecing, Garment Making 101, Specialty Seams, Refashioning Garments, and Free Motion Quilting. I had an early flight on Sunday, so I didn't make the last session. I enjoyed all of the classes. I really wanted to take Jeni's and Amanda's classes, too, but there just wasn't a way!

Some of the classes were hands on, while others were seminars. I snapped a picture of two of the things I worked on to share with you.

Free Motion practice

I have a long way to go with Free Motion, but it was fun to just go with it! Luckily, I was sitting next to a guru, who was more than happy to share her wisdom. Thanks again, Angela!

The specialty seams class ended up to be a workshop for zippers, but it was okay, because I'd never tried oilcloth before.

I made this pouch in the class.

Thanks for letting me share about my experience at the conference. My sewing area is a complete mess right now; must get organized!

So much to say

2011-10-11T17:29:00.001-05:00

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I knew the Sewing Summit would be fun, but I didn't know I would come back feeling this.
I feel refreshed (even though I barely slept).
I feel more confident.
I feel inspired.
I feel that there are others in this world that truly get me.
I feel connected.

I remember saying Saturday morning that this whole conference was like the internet had come to life. And I guess that's the best description.
We all read blogs, comment on flickr pictures, favorite projects, etc. But knowing the person behind the blog or account makes the project come to life.

Before Sewing Summit, I had only met a handful of friends in real life that knit or sew. I didn't know what I was missing, I guess.

I don't mean to be mushy, but seriously, it was the most incredible experience. [Also, I recently realized that I say seriously a lot. A lot.]

So, I could go on for hours about the cool friends I made. But I won't, in order to keep this short. I'll just say I wasn't disappointed in any of my interactions. Everyone I met was nice. Lots of fun, silly girls!

I met Claudia! I've been following her blog for quite some time, and she is amazingly kind.

A few months back, she offered to bring me some Wollmeise, as she lives very close to the shop.
I hesitated for, approximately two seconds, since I had committed to buying no yarn this year. But then I came to my senses and said yes. We worked out a spending limit, and she was able to get me four skeins (one of which is a gift)! Ah, love.

She delivered it, and an adorable pouch in person!

How cool. Thank you again, Claudia!

Meeting Rachel was another big moment, especially after our duffel bag swap. She's just as sweet in person as she seems to be.

I also had a serious fan girl moment when I met both Splityarn and Stitchy McYarnpants! Awesome chicks, both of them.

And of course, I also HAVE to thank Erin and Amy for the amazing collaboration that led to this weekend. You are both genuine, and as other bloggers have said, you are my heroes. Thank you.

Unfortunately, I took way less pictures than I intended (the light was kind of poor in the hotel). If you'd like to see more, check the Sewing Summit flickr group, and Claudia's photostream!

P.S. Is there anything you'd like to hear more about from the conference? The classes? The local shops? Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be happy to share more if you're interested!

P.P.S. Of the projects I brought, I only worked on one. But I helped teach several fun ladies to knit!!

The dark side

2011-10-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

Hi there!

So, I have loads to tell you about the Sewing Summit, but I'm still getting back into regular life today, so for now, I'll say, it was amazing. Seriously. I have a few pictures to share, but the lighting in the hotel was not great, so I didn't take as many as I wanted to.

I haven't taken pictures of the goodies yet, but I'll do that tonight, and be able to share later this week.

For now, I wanted to share that I've joined twitter, in case any of you would like to hook up there.
Some of my new SS friends lured me in, and I think I might already be hooked!

I hope you all had a great weekend.

I'll be back soon. Oh, and I haven't forgotten about that giveaway I promised you!

Overprepared

2011-10-06T10:09:00.000-05:00

I'm curious, when you go on a trip, do you overpack projects? Do you bring more WIPs than you could possibly need?
I do. I like to be prepared for whatever crafting mood might strike me.

Case in point:

My pile of projects for the Sewing Summit.
And please keep in mind that I'm not checking any luggage. I travel pretty light, but I don't skimp on projects.

I'm actually sitting here, debating whether I should remove one (or, let's be honest, two) of these projects.

Pictured above, we have a new embroidery project, a Bottled Rainbows block (with a bag of scraps), some paper pieced hexagons in various green scraps, and the test knit-in-progress. I also may have cast on for a new knitting project which is not pictured.

So yes, I probably can safely remove at least one of these projects.

Dilemmas, dilemmas.

I will be sharing pictures over the weekend, and I hope you all have a great weekend, whatever your plans!
I promise to have a fun giveaway next week, okay?

Getting ready

2011-10-04T18:44:00.001-05:00

I'm making a list of the things I need to bring with me to the Sewing Summit, and I'll definitely be bringing along my new laptop sleeve:

I love it, and I'm so glad I chose to match my favorite Jane Market Bag, which I'll also be bringing along. I used Oh Fransson's tutorial shared on Sew Mama Sew. It's a quick and easy tutorial, but I skipped the fusible fleece, just because I didn't have it on hand.
Sometimes, my impatience gets the best of me. Instead, I used a flannel fabric, and lightly quilted both exterior pieces.

Along with the amazing bag Rachel made for me, I should be set! Ah, I'm really getting excited about the trip.

Now, one thing that did not get finished (or even started), is the pajama pants I kept talking about. I kept putting it off, mostly because I knew there was going to be a great deal of improvisation necessary, and it just felt like too much work. Eventually, I will have a pair of foxy pajama pants, but not for the Summit.

Swoony Swoon

2011-10-03T12:19:00.004-05:00

Well, my weekend was very productive, although I didn't accomplish everything on my list.
It's funny how you set out to accomplish certain things, and then distractions lead you in a new direction.
Or is that just me?

Swoon was the main distraction for me this weekend.

I finished two blocks this weekend.
And I may have even started cutting for a third late last night... Maybe.

The first one, above, was made from a great Anna Maria Horner Innocent Crush print and one from Josephine Kimberling's Just Dandy collection. And of course, I'm using Kona Medium Gray (or grey) for my background.

And the fourth block:

This block might possibly be my favorite (although my first might be, too).

I just love this fabric combination. I used a favorite Metro Living print, but I'm not sure what the second fabric is. I purchased it from Fabricworm sometime last year, and there is no selvage.

I will probably not finish block #5 before I leave for Salt Lake, but these two lovelies will tide me over until I can get back to Swooning.

Favorites and my weekend list

2011-09-30T06:46:00.006-05:00

Click on the picture for photo credits!

I've got a lot on the weekend to-do list, since the Sewing Summit is next weekend! Yikes!

I need to make those pajama pants I told you about.
I want to make a laptop case, in either this (on the right) or this (scrappy) fabric.
I'm trying to get this finished before I leave, so I can report back to Rue on her beautiful design. I'm so close!
As usual, I'm being overambitious, and I'd like to finish this skirt. All I have left is the hem!
Pack for the summit
Laundry (before the packing, of course!)
Haircut

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things, but I love a good list!

Have a good weekend, friends!

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday: Eep!

2011-09-28T08:35:00.000-05:00

I get to take a class from the amazing Ysolda next month in Austin! Woo!

What are you watching?

2011-09-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

So, I'm curious, when you're sewing, knitting, or otherwise crafting, what do you like to watch? I'm always up for new suggestions, and despite my frustration with Netflix and/or Qwikster, I use both the instant queue and DVDs to keep myself entertained while crafting.

Lately, thanks to Kara, I have been enjoying The Forsyte Saga and Bleak House. I've also been channeling my angst-y teenager side by rewatching Felicity.

Some other shows that have a high re-watch value for me are Gilmore Girls, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Firefly and Six Feet Under.

So, what are you watching during your crafty time?

To and from Rachel

2011-09-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure you all know Rachel, right? If you don't, take a minute to go check her out. She's the mastermind behind do.Good Stitches, Bottled Rainbows, and more recently, Celebrate Color. She's so creative, sweet and just a lovely person!

Rachel and I were chatting about Sewing Summit several weeks ago, and after hearing Jeni's plan to make a Simplicity duffel bag (pattern 2274), we decided to do a swap. I made her a bag and she made me one. There were moments I questioned my sanity. Like when my needle continuously fell out of the machine. I honestly don't know why. Oh, yeah. Maybe because I was sewing through burlap webbing, batted layers, etc. Yeah, maybe that's why. So, a quick trip to Joann's for some heavy duty needles fixed that problem!

This pattern is not complicated, it just takes time (and patience) to construct. I chose straight line quilting for the body of the bag and sides. I thought it would look nicer with the fabric, and I hope Rachel thinks so, too.

There are three awesome things about a swap like this.

One, I would probably never ever make myself such an elaborate bag. I have a perfectly good duffel bag that I've had since like, 1992. It has few scuffs, wear and tear, but it does the job. Laziness often wins when you're crafting for yourself (gifts are an entirely different story!). I wasn't really drawn to the pattern, but after seeing Jeni's awesome FFA II version, well, I was sold.

Two, I get to step out my comfort zone and work with a fabric palette catered to the Rachel. We chatted about desired colors and patterns, but she didn't know my final fabric choices and vice versa. It can definitely be intimidating (and I definitely had a few self-critical moments of worry), but it's so much fun to plan a project with someone else in mind.

I'm feeling pretty proud to have this bag finished, and I hope Rachel will enjoy using it.

I used Joel Dewberry's Ginseng home decor fabric, and the interior (as well as the zipper tabs) is Alexander Henry's Heath in Chocolate (also home decor weight). The bag has one side pocket with a zipper and a front pocket. Speaking of zippers, I used my zipper foot for the first time. I've always just stuck with my regular foot, but the specialty foot was pretty fun to use. I'll definitely do that again. Also, any sewing on more than one piece required the walking foot (so much thickness).

I really love the mix of fabrics. I hope it's not too busy for Rachel, but I thought a little variety would work well on such a big bag.

And finally, in return for my hard work, I get to enjoy the fruits of Rachel's labor on my new bag. Every time I look at it and use it, I'll think about our fun swap.

Look at the hand-stitching! So sweet. And the fabrics Rachel used are so much fun.

Thank you again, Rachel! I can't wait to meet you in person!!

Treasures

2011-09-22T18:31:00.002-05:00

I shared a couple of new-to-me items on flickr recently, but forgot to share them here.

My mom has had this printer tray for ages, and passed it on to me recently. I debated painting it, like some you can find on etsy, but I have decided to leave it bare. I really love this tray, and will probably hang it on the wall it's laying against in the photo (in the living room).

On my last visit to see my grandparents (earlier this month), my grandmother gave me this piece of tatting.

She couldn't remember who had given it to her, but she's had it for decades (tucked away in a drawer for awhile now).
Isn't it incredible?
I'm excited to have such an amazing piece, which just needs a good (delicate) washing to remove a couple of stains.

I'm not sure if I will try to hang it, or use it on a table top (although kitties might be less likely to destroy if it's not on a flat surface!).

What about you? Any treasures you've discovered, or re-discovered lately?

You know what they say

2011-09-21T11:48:00.000-05:00

I named the test-knit project (for Rue) "Put a baby in it", and my first best friend ever just let me know she is having a boy early next year. So all of a sudden, this sweater has a recipient.

I'm much further along than the picture shows (which is good, because my deadline is fast approaching!). I finished the body up to the armhole joining this weekend, and cast on for the second sleeve. I'm hoping to get some more quality knitting time this weekend, and I should be able to wrap this up next week. Rue is releasing the free pattern very soon, so stay tuned for that on her blog!

Also on the to-do list?

A pair of foxy pajama pants, of course! I bought some Monaluna Anika to make myself a pair of fun PJ pants for the Sewing Summit. Let's just see if I can whip those up in time. I sure hope so!

I'd also love to make a laptop case like Jeni's, but that may be pushing it.

And don't even get me started on the rest of the to-do list. There is always too much to do, but I like it that way.

I was able to resist the Pretty Little Pouch sign-ups, but it was hard! If you have never done a swap, it's a great way to get your feet wet!

Kindred spirits

2011-09-19T11:45:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, I forget how lucky I am to be a part of our community. I was reminded of that fact several times this week. First, when I received ShapeMoth's package, and then again, when I got an unexpected gift from Chawne If you remember, she was one of the shawl winners, and in a most generous gesture, she sent me something in return.

I am now the lucky girl with a mini-compost of my very own, as well as an amazing hand-print by Margot Bianca. There's also a wee pouch by Splityarn for me to enjoy.
Wow. Amazing. Thank you again, C, for your sweet gift!

Now, I've got a lovely space above my ironing board to enjoy.

The final reminder of community I received this week was attending my first Houston Modern Quilt Guild meeting. Meeting quilters in person was exhilarating, and made me even more excited about the upcoming Sewing Summit. In fact, I met some gals who will be attending, so I'll know a few familiar faces!

You can look at this photo to see what some of the members did with the Habitat challenge! Very cool projects going on.
I'll definitely be attending more meetings and events, and they're having meetups during the International Quilt Show, too!

September bee blocks

2011-09-17T10:42:00.001-05:00

Bee blocks are always fun to sew. I have gotten to try many new techniques, and it's a great way to dabble with a block I might not otherwise try for myself.
For Rachel's do.Good Stitches this month, my circle is making the July Modern BOM. Jenn wanted one in pink/orange/yellow and one in blue/green/gray.

I ended up making one extra girl block because my measurements came up just a little short on the first one. These were fun and fast!

For the last month of the Wonky Bee (not forever, but we're taking a few months off), my pal Nicke asked for Wonky Shoo-Fly blocks using the It's a Hoot! fabric she sent.

I love this line, and enjoyed these quick blocks.

For the Love of Solids - complete

2011-09-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

Now that I've both received and sent in the Solids swap, I'd like to show you the results!
So first, I received from ShapeMoth. My package flew all the way from Germany, and it contained:

this incredible metal-frame pouch (just look at that linen!), and

this beautiful mini-quilt. I love the gradient effect and the quilting is fabulous.
Joanna really spoiled me with these lovely items!

On the other side of the swap, I sent to Krista. Krista really wanted placemats or an apron. I almost made an apron, but I was afraid not many people would have requested one, and I didn't want it to be obvious she was my partner.
So, placemats!

Krista's favorite solid is Kona Butterscotch, so I paired that with some lovely blues, yellow, and a few brighter solids.

Krista has three kids, so I wanted to make sure everyone had their own placemat.

When I made that decision, I didn't think about all of the hand sewing it would entail, but I'm so glad I didn't skimp.

These were really fun to make, and I know Krista really loves them!

I quilted each one a little differently, and bound them in various solids.

The triangle quilting was my favorite (I didn't want to let that one go!).

I also whipped up a little zippy pouch to send along, and stuffed it with some solids and a couple of prints.

Swaps are super fun, and I'm so glad I jumped in for this one.

I don't plan on joining any others until the new year, but I'm sure I will be tempted. ;)

P.S. I'm planning to post my very first tutorial here soon!

Have a great weekend!

FO: Figgy Toast

2011-09-13T17:53:00.001-05:00

Look! Actual finished knitting!!

I LOVE these mitts. You have probably already stumbled across Sam's blog at some point (and if you haven't, please do! She's super talented), and she is the spinner of the gorgeous yarn I used in these mitts. I purchased it from her shop, and funnily enough, it was in my stash just under a year before I broke it out for the mitts.

Toast is a super simple pattern, and such a great use of handspun. After seeing Julie's version, I was pretty much sold.

There's not much more to say about these beauties, except that I will definitely be wearing them regularly!

Raveled

Flashback Friday and some links

2011-09-09T06:15:00.004-05:00

I liked posting the picture of my dad and I, so here's another one of little Jacey. I loved wearing my dad's giant cowboy boots when I was little. You can see my sister Jill in the crib.

Onto the links!

My aunt Mary gave me a sackful of butternut squash this weekend, so I think I'll be making this soon.
I have so much love for Chawne's Composting. I am going to start cutting some scraps this weekend, in fact!
Did you see this beautiful Retro Flowers quilt pattern?
These make me happy.
I'm kind of obsessed with making Etsy treasuries. Here's one I made yesterday.
I'm loving the new Colette patterns. Cute!
Jeni's Single Girl is awesome!
After seeing this, I immediately wanted to go camping. Incredible shot!

Have a great weekend, peeps! I'll have some FOs to share with you next week. xo.

Upside-Down Spiced Peach Cake

2011-09-07T12:10:00.006-05:00

I got the itch to bake on Monday, after lots of driving across Texas all weekend. After picking up some beautiful peaches at the grocery store, I came across a recipe in my mammoth resource for desserts by Bon Appetit (a birthday gift from Jenny and Adam) that caught my attention. There was only one ingredient I didn't have on hand: cardamom. I used cloves instead. I used a springform pan, which I think was a mistake.
The gooey topping (or bottom layer) oozed. out. of the. bottom and left a nice sugar glaze on the bottom of my oven, which I will be cleaning tonight (or at least, this weekend).
It was worth it.

Recipe, adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts:

6 T. butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 medium peaches (about one pound), pitted and sliced thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 9" cake pan (you could probably use a square brownie pan, too)
Combine flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and honey, and bring to a boil. Let boil for two minutes and immediately take off heat and pour mixture into greased baking dish.
Using hand or stand mixer, beat remaining four tablespoons of butter until fluffy.
Add sugar. Blend.
Add egg. Blend.
Add half of flour mixture.
Add yogurt.
Add remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Arrange peaches in a single layer over honey/brown sugar layer in dish.
Dollop cake batter over peaches, and then use a spatula to smooth out the layer.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (mine took 35, but the recipe called for 40). Cake should pull away from the pan at the sides. Use the ever-trusty toothpick test to check doneness.
Cool in pan for five minutes.
Using a platter, cover cake pan (don't burn yourself like I did!) and flip over so that the peaches are on top.

Marvel at your skills.
Cut cake and enjoy every bite.

Second Swoon

2011-09-06T17:51:00.001-05:00

After a weekend away, I was so happy to be back in my sewing space yesterday. I have tons of things to do, but I decided to indulge in a second Swoon block.

You can see my first block here.

I'll be back soon with a yummy recipe to share!

If I wish it

2011-09-01T13:31:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I wish I lived somewhere else. I've lived in the Houston area all my life, and there are things I really love. But the heat. The humidity. I could probably do without those. Also, the lack of "seasons".

This photograph was not taken in Houston. I took this at Berkeley last December.

I so desperately love the colors of fall foliage, and I dream of living in a place where I can really experience them. Then winter comes, and I feel pretty good about my locale.

To pretend fall is nearer than it is for me, I started a pin board to get me inspired. Now I'm dreaming of warm fall shades, jewel tones and ashy gray. I'm thinking about bonfires, carnivals, trench coats and knits.

Speaking of knits, I finished half of one this week.

My first Toast mitt is finished, and I'm halfway done with the second.

In thinking about fall, I'm also pretty excited about this month's color focus for Project Spectrum:

It's yellow! I do love yellow.

I'm going to link up with Rachel today as part of Celebrate Color.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T17:47:00.000-05:00

Anna Maria Horner's Perle Cottons in Geranium

Winners and some DS projects

2011-08-30T14:20:00.000-05:00

Well, winners have been picked via rng! Our winning numbers were #8, #1 (really? that's pretty rare!) and #25. So, the winners are: Susan, Chawne and James-Linda (Who is actually, Linda)! I've already got addresses from all three, and will be sending out the shawls this week.

Thank you so much to all that entered. It was fun hearing about your current craft obsessions! It feels good to get a few of these FOs out of the closet (and it also allows me the freedom to cast on for a new shawl soon! It's a sickness, I know.)

I wanted to share a couple of projects with you, which have DS Quilts in common.

I, personally, do not love the entire DS Quilts first line that came out, but I do love the print I used in both of these items very much.

First up, I made this skirt from Butterick pattern 5613.
The reason you're not viewing a modeled shot is because it looks frumpy as all get out on me. I think you have to be a size two to be able to pull this off, due to the gathered waist.
I thought it would be a good "masking" choice, but no, it adds more than I actually have around the waistline.
Not good.
I'm debating whether I should try to salvage it. I do love the style, and maybe I could pull it off if I reduced the amount of gathering at the hips. It has pockets, which are pretty awesome!

Until I make up my mind, this sits unhemmed.

My other DS project is a win, though!

I bought Anna's Gathered Clutch pattern awhile back, and finally tried it this weekend.

I used Kona Daffodil, Annie's Farm Stand Seed Catalogue, and the DS Quilts print, as well as a vintage zipper from the stash. This was a great pattern, and I will definitely make more of these in the future.

P.S. Thanks to my sweet boyfriend, I have AC in the car again! It was a little cheaper than expected, and I didn't have to suffer in the August Houston humid heat.

Flashback Friday and some links

2011-08-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

My sister has been going through old photos and scanning some favorites.

She came across this one of my dad and I. Look at that little belly. Oh, goodness. Things are difficult with him, so this picture makes me a feel a mixture of things.
Cute, though.

As I was driving into work this morning, I realized that my air conditioner has gone out. Not cool, literally. So, I guess part of my Saturday will involve getting that checked out. My little Civic is ten years old, so I really can't complain too much.

I can't end this post on such a unhappy note, so here are some links!

Tilt-shift Machu Picchu

I love this incredible hand-crafted bird!

Look! Knitting Narwhals!

I just bought this lovely pattern by The Sometimes Crafter.

I love this foxy hoop made for the Solids Swap. So cute!

Oh, and have you heard about Celebrate Color? I'm interested to see what Rachel has in store!

Have a great Friday, peeps!

P.S. If you're looking for the giveaway, it's here until Sunday night.

Giveaway: handknits

2011-08-25T06:12:00.006-05:00

Shawls are so much fun to knit. I love that you can get out your yarn, needles, and pattern; five minutes later, you're off to the races with a new project. No need to check for gauge, no need to do any preparations whatsoever. Just knit. It's freeing, and it's often my go-to project when I can't think about the details.
I'm sure you know how that goes. Sometimes, you just need to start crafting.

Why am I telling you this?
Well, the problem is, I don't really wear shawls. I've given several away to family members, but I still have quite the collection. And so, friends, I'd like to share with you.

I have picked out three shawls to share with my readers. I love each one, but knowing that they are being enjoyed and worn would make me a happy girl.

First up, my Starry Night Shawl, from Kate's Multnomah pattern. I knit most of this shawl while I was in Boston with my sister, two years ago.

Second, my aptly named Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine. This is the Traveling Woman pattern, another favorite. I knit this in February of last year, and named it after one of my favorite Spoon songs. I used Shibui Sock yarn, which I love (and have more of in the stash!)

Finally, Apple Ishbel is available. This was my third time to knit Ysolda's Ishbel pattern, which shows how much I love it. This pale green yarn is a very soft blend of alpaca, silk and cashmere.

I just realized this, but I'm sharing one shawl completed from 2009, 2010 and 2011. Neat!

So, to win, leave me a comment (one per person, please!) telling me about your favorite crafty project of the moment (either yours or someone else's). Also, please tell me which of these shawls is your favorite!

You can enter until Sunday night.
Good luck!
Three winners will be chosen early next week. International entries are welcome!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T06:28:00.000-05:00

do.Good Stitches update

2011-08-23T12:42:00.001-05:00

I forgot to share my do.Good Stitches blocks for August. This month, we made Greek Cross blocks, using the Summer Sampler tutorial.

I would love to make a quilt of this block. Angela is only waiting on one set of blocks, and I love the way the group looks so far!

Rachel has done such an amazing job with the DGS group, and there are new circles all the time! I've really enjoyed making monthly blocks for the group.

Also, if you follow that link to her blog, she featured my mom's flying geese mini quilt! Thank you, Rachel!

Progress & Project Spectrum

2011-08-22T09:20:00.000-05:00

Please click through to view the sources/original photos

Now that it's August 22nd, here's my August Project Spectrum inspiration mosaic. I've been thinking of pinks and purples all month, but just got around to making the monthly mosaic.

Earlier this month, I cast on for a pair of Toast Armwarmers with some stashed GLBLF handspun, in full PS spirit. Sam's handspun is incredible, and this skein is no exception. Even though we've had at least three weeks of triple-digit heat, I'm dreaming of cool[er] temperatures as I knit these.

I started another new knitting project as well. My friend Rue is releasing a free pattern soon for an adorable baby sweater (although it's not quite as adorable as the baby in it!), and I'm test knitting it! I've never test knit before, and I'm pretty excited about it!

I cast on for one of the sleeves about a week ago, and here's my progress so far. This uses fingering weight yarn and size 1 needles, so it's going to be a while! I am enjoying the process, though, and the yarn I'm using? Sundara FSM, a Christmas gift from Elliott, is amazing to knit with. It's so soft.

FO: Mom's Mini Geese

2011-08-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it's finished.

I finished hand sewing the binding Monday evening. This has not been washed yet, but I'll be doing that before handing it over to my mom. I'm really happy with how this turned out, although I do see some imperfections.

If I were to make this again, I would probably add a border to the perimeter, as some of my geese got shortened. I just looked at the original again, and it did not have this problem, so user error strikes. I might have used a wider binding than it called for, or maybe my border idea would solve it for me.

I also am not 100% satisfied with my quilting. I think I had some unevenness in my seams, which made the quilting used in the original difficult to do.

On the other hand, I think it makes for a simple backing.

I am very happy with my fabric choices. When I originally posted my progress shot on flickr, there were calls for an aqua, lime green or yellow binding. These were all fun and smart color choices, but in the end, I think my mom will appreciate the lime green.

Olias and I actually enjoyed the slow process, and watched several TV episodes while doing so (Season 2 of Lost [my first time through], The Forsyte Saga [Kara shoutout! I love it!] and one movie: Roman Holiday).

I guess the bottom line is, while this is not perfect, I learned a lot and I do love the look of it. And I know my mom will see past the imperfections and marvel at the time I put into this for her.

She has gotten back into sewing lately, and wishes she had more time to devote to it. I hope hanging this in her sewing room will inspire her to sit down at the machine soon!

And it begins...

2011-08-17T06:18:00.001-05:00

I blogged Friday about my new obsession with Swoon. I indulged this weekend by making my first block.

Instead of using a white background, I chose Kona Medium Gray, my favorite neutral. The two patterned fabrics in this block are Monaluna Mingle Dots in Steel Gray and Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow Flower Fields in Lake.

I had a lot of fun picking my fabrics for this quilt, and I can't wait to see the next block come together. I think I've decided that this will be my new bed quilt!

I can see a big difference in my confidence level when tackling the HSTs and geese in this block. I'm sure a good deal of that confidence comes from my work on mom's mini quilt. Speaking of her mini, I am finishing up the binding. I've sewn the first side on (by machine), and I'm hand sewing the second side. I hope to be done later this week.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

2011-08-15T18:34:00.001-05:00

Cauchy got me re-obsessed with The Perfect Scoop. I had big plans to try a lot of flavors this summer, but you know how it goes. Summer gets busy. Before you know it, it's August and you've only made one batch of ice cream.

My sister gave me the perfect opportunity to make up for it, though. She invited Elliott and me over for dinner last night. We grilled a delicious dinner, and I brought dessert.

This deliciousness only consists of six ingredients. I was so proud of myself for being patient and letting this firm up. The last time I made ice cream, it was good, too, but a little soupy.

I heart my sister. Lots. And I heart peanut butter ice cream!

The only thing it might have been missing was a little bit of crumbly peanut butter cup...

Winner!

2011-08-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

Het there! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty fun, and I have a few things to share, but for now, we have a winner, people!
It's... #6, Elizabeth! Her comment cracked me up:

I would love to win this- I've been thinking about trying some embroidery for awhile now, but can't justify to my husband why I need to spend money on yet ANOTHER craft... but if I won it he couldn't argue with that.... :)
Thanks for the opportunity!

So yes, Elizabeth, your husband has no room to complain!

Elizabeth, I have emailed you!
Thanks to everyone for entering.

I'll be back later tonight with some craftin' progress!

Fabric Friday and some linkies

2011-08-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

Recent stash enhancement involving some elephants:

From L to R: Violet Craft Peacock Lane Menagerie Yellow and Falling Flowers Gray, Melody Miller Ruby Star Spring Bloom Tomato Vine, Daiwabo Elephant Walk in Orange and Melody Miller Ruby Star Spring Bloom Nightlite

And a scrappy purchase from Starlit Nest:

Lots of lovelies here!

I've got Swoon on the brain. Hardcore. I already bought the pattern and I've picked out my fabrics. I blame Nicke. I also blame this and this and this.

This kitty cracks me up.

I heart this Pouty cloud.

I hope you all have lots of fun this weekend!
And you've got until Sunday to enter the giveaway, if you haven't already!

Solids Swap Progress

2011-08-10T19:52:00.001-05:00

Well, my partner has been a little quiet in the Solids Swap, but I'm moving forward, with hopes that she'll like my project.

I'm more or less working with this stack of lovelies. I've added a few more pieces, and I removed the Kona Ash, and am instead using a white (I think it's Kona Snow). I worked on this for a few hours yesterday, and I posted this sneak peek last night:

I still have a month before it's due, and I'll need it. I've bitten off a mouthful with this, but hopefully, it's worth it!

Giveaway: Embroidery Package

2011-08-09T14:33:00.001-05:00

Up for grabs today is a copy of Aimee Ray's Doodle Stitching. I bought this for myself a few months back, but I found that it just wasn't what I was looking for. Don't get me wrong! I love Aimee Ray's work, but I was in search of something with more designs, something like her other book, which I may end up getting at some point. So, I decided to share this book with one of you. If you're just starting to dabble in embroidery, or would like some specific project ideas using it, then maybe you'd like to enter! I'm also including several new thread colors and a new pack of embroidery needles for you to get started.

To enter, leave a comment (one per person, please!). International entries are welcome. I'll accept entries until Sunday evening, 6:00 PM CST.

Thanks for helping me destash a lovely book!

Hey, brother.

2011-08-08T17:54:00.001-05:00

Sara asked for wonky log cabin blocks this month in the Wonky Bee. The quilt is meant to match an Arrested Development-inspired pillow she made, which I absolutely love!

After making the two required blocks, using both scraps that Sara sent as well as some stash goodies, I felt the need to do a little embroidery for her.

And so, I did.
If you haven't seen Arrested Development, stop what you are doing and fix that via hulu or netflix instant.

I think Sara's quilt will be very fun!

Coming up shortly, another August giveaway.

A winner (and also, my mom loves purple)

2011-08-03T18:59:00.010-05:00

Before I get to the FOs, we have a little business to attend to! The winner of the Malabrigo Sock yarn and a ravelry sock or shawl pattern is... lucky # thirteen! Congratulations, Huei Sei! This yarn will be on it's way to Malaysia very soon!

I'm sorry I couldn't share with all of you that entered, but take heart;
I'll be sharing more goodies throughout the month. Promise!

Speaking of purple, if my mom could be completely surrounded by the color, I think she would. Her husband might not like it, but that would be her choice!

My mom recently celebrated a birthday, and I came up with three projects I thought she would enjoy, each in purple fabrics.

I made her an iPad pouch for her new toy, using Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2. [Side note: I'm such a huge JD fan. I can't recall a line of his I haven't loved, and I can't wait to get my hands on some Heirloom!]

I didn't use a pattern for the pouch, and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

I also made her a Jane Market Bag. I've now made at least four of these, and I thoroughly recommend the pattern.
I'm not sure what the exterior fabric is. It's from my grandmother's stash, but it's a really soft cotton. It kind of looks like a Kaffe Fassett print, but I'm pretty sure it's several years old. The pocket fabric is by Kitty Yoshida.

Finally, I've been working on the amazing July mini quilt from the purl bee. I should be finished with it in a week or so, but now that I've shown my mom her last present, I can share it with you.

Geese! This is my first experience with flying geese, and I. am. hooked. Seriously! Geese are so much fun. The cutting is a little intense, but the result is just. Well, it's satisfying. I've since finished the top and pinned it (I'm using a very PLAIN backing). I hope to finish the quilting this weekend.

Happy birthday again, momma! I love you!

Progress: Rain or Shine

2011-08-02T06:58:00.005-05:00

I guess I forgot to blog about this quilt. I started these blocks back in May, but didn't get much farther than cutting all of the squares. I spent a little time on it this past week, and I'm really excited to see a quilt starting to take shape.

Using fun fabrics like these makes me happy, especially after long work days like I've been experiencing this summer. I have many more blocks to make, but I'm happy to make a little bit of progress on it.

The pattern for this quilt is by Elizabeth Hartman, from her awesome book. Oh, and if you haven't already seen this, Kaelin's version of Rain or Shine is incredible!

Much better than last month

2011-08-01T07:24:00.002-05:00

Considering my June knitting progress, it's amazing that I was able to knit an entire sock in July. Not a pair, but one sock.

It's a very fun sock, and I hope to make it a match very soon.

In other sock news, I got this incredible skein of handspun sock yarn in the mail.

It was completely unexpected, and guess who spun and sent it? Sara! She said the colors reminded her of my recently finished Wonky Bee quilt. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it, Sara! It's beautiful. Thanks so much for thinking of me. I will definitely have to pick a fun pattern for these, although maybe plain stockinette is best for the handspun. Hmm. I'll let that marinate a while while I decide!

And even though it's not handspun, you've still got a little time to enter the giveaway for some sock yarn and a pattern!

Food Friday - On the grill

2011-07-29T14:03:00.002-05:00

My mom made these stuffed jalapenos last weekend. She makes them for most family gatherings. I have a hard time not consuming the entire plate. They are so easy to make and always delicious.

Then, last Saturday, Elliott and I made Chicken Souvlaki using this recipe.

It, and the accompanying grilled veggies were perfect for a hot summer day, along with the homemade Tzatziki sauce.

What's your favorite grilling recipe?

A yarny giveaway - Project Spectrum style

2011-07-28T10:35:00.001-05:00

As part of my efforts to reduce stash, I have decided to share some items with you. So, in August, I will have three giveaways. Each will be related to a different craft, so hopefully, there will be something for everyone!

Giveaway one is all about the knitting.

One winner will receive this skein of Malabrigo Sock in Eggplant (here's where Project Spectrum comes to light, since August's color focus is pink and purple). The winner will also receive an electronic sock or shawl pattern of his or her choosing.
I think the easiest way to do this will be a gift on ravelry for the pattern. If the winner doesn't have a ravelry account, we'll work something out to make it fair.

How does that sound? Any takers? I've sung the praises of Malabrigo before. It's lovely, squishy stuff.

International entries are welcome.
One entry per person.

I'll take entries until Monday, August 1st, 8:00 PM CST.
If you are a no-reply blogger, PLEASE leave your email address so I can contact you.

ETA: Comments are now closed.

FO: Wonky Bee Quilt

2011-07-27T18:18:00.003-05:00

I'm so pleased with my Wonky Bee quilt. The coolest part is that five other crafters contributed to it. Now, it's this fun collaborative quilt that I get to enjoy in my home. Each time I look it, I can remember the process, and the people behind it. Sara really deserves the biggest thanks, since she came up with the Wonky Bee group over on flickr. She, along with Carrie, Melissa, Nicke, and Jessica, are all part of this finished quilt.
They each sent me two spiral log cabin blocks, based on the amazing Julie Frick creation found here, which is the ultimate inspiration behind this quilt.
To make this type of block, you use the same process as a log cabin, but you start with a five-sided piece of fabric in the middle, rather than a square.

I sent a bundle of fabric strips to each member, which consisted mostly of the Moda Sugar Pop line, as well as some coordinating prints and solids (Kona Tangerine, Kona Eggplant, Hope Valley Canyon Stripe in Fiesta, Mendocino orange Kelp Forest, etc.).

I decided not to sash the blocks, and I really like to craziness going on here. I used two borders to give the quilt a better size.

For the back, I took some inspiration from my good friend Jules, and made a selvage block. The back makes me very happy.

Again, I give heartfelt thanks to my fellow bee members!

You can read previous entries about the Wonky Bee Quilt here and here.

For the Love of Solids

2011-07-25T18:21:00.000-05:00

I joined another swap. I only have two monthly commitments on-going (do.Good Stitches and the Wonky Bee), and when I saw Sara joined in on this, I thought, why not?

Please click through the photo for sources!

I'm hoping for a mini-quilt or a laptop cover, and some half-square triangles or other strong geometrics would really make me happy.

It should be a fun challenge to only use solids for this project, and I have plenty in the stash, thanks to the PCF Solids Club.

New camera strap!

2011-07-23T17:33:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the lovely Gabrielle, I have a new camera strap!

It's awesome. She used some beautiful fabrics to craft this for me, and I couldn't be more thrilled. She also sent me some scraps, consisting of Mendocino, Joel Dewberry and Echino. I have coveted the blue Mendocino, which is the most difficult to track down, so that alone was worth the swap we made!

I first noticed her camera straps during the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day in May. I didn't win, but then Gabrielle loved the Buttercup Bag I made for Jenny. I offered to make her one in exchange for a camera strap, so here I am, with my very own!

Thanks, Gabrielle. I love it lots!

P.S. Check out the bag she made for the Goodie Bag Swap. It has rivets!

FO: Pips Baby Blanket

2011-07-21T06:49:00.000-05:00

When I first started playing with my charm pack of Sherbet Pips fabric, I didn't know what I would do with the finished project. Then Weezalana posted that she was pregnant. I knew it would be a good gift for her, so I volunteered to send her something homemade. I just got word that she has received the quilt, so it's safe to blog about it now.

This was my first time working with half square triangles. They're pretty versatile. I loved rotating the triangles around, trying to pick a layout. I like the Kona Medium Gray with the bright Pips fabrics. It provides a little balance, I think.

To keep things simple, I decided to do some diagonal quilting in just one direction.

I had one difficulty when I was quilting (a little bit of bunched up backing), and the unfinished project sat in time out for a couple of weeks. After unpicking a few rows of quilting, I got back on track.

For the binding, I chose this Paula Prass print that I've had in the stash for a few years. I think it's a great binding choice (dots always work!).

I don't have a picture of the entire back, but it's mostly Kona Medium Gray with some of this Amy Butler Honeycomb print, which I used up making this backing.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with this quilt, and I hope Christine and her new little girl enjoy it.

Jam and yarn

2011-07-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

If you're not already familiar with Elizabeth's blog, you might not know that she is a talented knitter, quilter, and jam-making woman. I've been reading her blog for quite some time, and she's always so personable in her responses. Over the months, I've grown quite fond of her, and when she recently posted about her Strawberry Balsamic Jam, I emailed her asking if she'd be interested in a trade. When I opened my package of goodies, I couldn't believe it.

Elizabeth sent me SIX jars of jam.
Six. Different flavors.
Peach with pineapple sage.
Triple Berry.
Strawberry Lemon Basil.

I die.

And then, to top it off, she sends me an amazing skein of her own handspun. The colors are gorgeous, the yarn is so soft. It took all of my willpower not to immediately cast on with this yarn.

I cannot say thank you enough, Elizabeth. You're an awesome friend. Sometimes the blog world makes me a very happy girl!

If you'd like to see what I sent Elizabeth, here's her post.

Stashy Stash and some links

2011-07-15T15:57:00.001-05:00

I've been bad about posting stash pictures, so here's a few recent enhancements.

I picked up a FQ stack of Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley line. It wasn't a line that grabbed me right away, but now I love it! Perhaps it's all the amazing finished quilts that made me think twice!

I also picked up these three AMH prints last week. The two on the right are from Good Folks, an out of print line, and the left is a favorite from Innocent Crush.

I love the whimsical It's a Hoot! line by Momo for Moda. Rumor has it, my one and only sister likes it too, so this might become a quilt for her someday soon!

And a few random flickr faves for you:
Laff cat
Amazing quilt by Summersville with her hand-printed fabrics
I love this birdie mug rug
Lindsay's finished Bottled Rainbows quilt is beautiful!
The ever-inspiring Chawne is spinning some beautiful handspun lately!
I love this zig zag solids quilt

Have a great weekend, all!

Kitties!

2011-07-12T18:52:00.005-05:00

The Fourth of July marks my family's annual gathering. This year, it was held at my grandparents' farm, a place that holds millions of happy memories for me.

There are some new kittens at the farm right now.

My mom rescued one who got abandoned in a pigeon coop. Liz is considerably smaller than the other kittens, but is gaining strength and eating plenty.

I texted Elliott while I was there to say, "I'm bringing home some kittens!".
He did not acknowledge my comment.
He knows me well.

This is Golden Boy. I wish I could have captured the cuteness of these two playing together, but all I got was some blurry shots. They are quick!

I recently finished up my do.Good Stitches July blocks.

Spiderweb blocks are so beautiful, but they are definitely time consuming. This is a perfect bee block, because it takes a lot of patience to make just one block, let alone enough for an entire quilt.

That reminds me. I'd like to do something with these blocks I started back in January.

By the way, I finished my Wonky Bee Quilt. However, this is a crazy work week, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to post pictures. I can't wait to show you!

Pour le weekend

2011-07-08T17:55:00.001-05:00

Even though my weekend plans include some work time tomorrow (and possibly Sunday, depending on how productive my Saturday time is), I also have some fun things planned.

I want to start this small project for a gift. I've already picked out my fabrics and started ironing. I think the cutting will be the most time-consuming part.
I'll be quilting my Wonky Bee Quilt.

I've actually already started the quilting and I'm so excited to finish this project! It will definitely be happening soon-ish.
I hope to knit more on my new sock.
I get to see an amazing concert tomorrow night with Jiller.

Also, thanks for sharing your favorite cast-ons in my last post. I'm definitely going to have to give Judy's Magic Cast-on a try, as it seems to be a favorite.

Have a great weekend, all!

One sock on, one sock off...

2011-07-06T19:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, you just have to admit defeat (or defeet, if you're super corny). After months of languishing on the needles, I decided to frog my Marlene sock progress.

I had concerns about how saggy this sock was on my foot, and I finally frogged it last week. The lovely MadelineTosh Sock yarn will go back into the stash, and I'll try again. It might have been the needle size, or maybe I'll try casting on with less stitches, but it just didn't work out.

It was pretty calming to rip this baby apart and rewind the yarn cake. I would rather destroy progress than be unhappy with the finished sock.

I also cast on for a new sock on the 4th of July. While my boyfriend watched some soccer, I worked on this beauty.

This yarn is The Plucky Knitter's MCN Fingering in Nautical Mile, a perfect way to start July's Project Spectrum focus on blue. It's the perfect blue and just slightly semi-solid. I'm using a pattern from Wendy Johnson's Socks from the Toe Up called the Trilobite Sock. Kind of a perfect match, I think. [Side note: It's hard to get your hands on Plucky Knitter yarn, but damn, is it ever worth it. It's so soft and vibrant.]

The stitch pattern is really lovely so far. I'm hoping to get an actual sock completed before the end of July. Whoa. That would be amazing for me. If you're new to sock knitting, Wendy's book is a great resource. There is a section at the front dedicated to explaining the various cast on and bind off methods for socks, as well as some variations on the heel.

I love the Turkish Cast-on best, and that's what I'm using here.

If you knit socks, what's your favorite cast on for a toe-up sock, or do you prefer knitting from the cuff-down?

Finished!

2011-07-05T18:18:00.000-05:00

I mailed out my embroider-bee blocks last week, and I haven't sat down long enough to share the final block with you.

I'm not sure of the designer of this pattern, as it was something I found online a few years ago. If anyone knows, please tell me, so I can give credit where it's due! This little squirrel is so cute, and I enjoyed stitching him.

Here are the four blocks I made before they were mailed off to their new homes. I really enjoyed the embroider-bee!

I haven't received my blocks yet, but I know they're on their way to me! Here are links to the blocks made for me:
by ams2010
by TinyAcorn
by LittleLoops
by Scruffycat1970

Thanks, ladies!

A huge thank you

2011-07-02T13:28:00.001-05:00

I recently had a string of good luck with winning some blog contests. I still can't believe it!

First up, (and I must admit, I'm painfully late in getting around to posting this first one), I won a beautiful knitting pattern book from the lovely Nova!

As part of her annual Novakkah celebration, she gave away this Rowan Purelife pattern book. I just love Nova's blog, and she's so generous to turn her birthday into an event of giving!
Thanks, Nova!

More recently, I won a fun new pouch from McIntyre Girl.

She let me pick any pouch I wanted from her shop, and I chose this Aviary 2 version. I love the pleats, and Aviary 2 is definitely a favorite!

Thanks, Caitlin!

Finally, I won a new photography book from the Sometimes Crafter!

I cannot wait to peruse this, although I'm going to have to prevent my sister from stealing it! You can read Christina's review of the book here if you'd like more information.

Thank you again to Nova, Caitlin and Christina!

Food Friday

2011-07-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, I made this seared tilapia for myself. Elliott doesn't really enjoy fish, but when it's just me for dinner, it's a favorite. I added some of my recently made tomato jam to the fish as it finished cooking. I love roasted broccoli, but since I didn't have any fresh, I just used steamed broccoli to go with it, along with some couscous. Man, I love couscous. I grated a little fresh parmesan over everything, because, yeah, why not?

I recommend giving the tomato jam recipe a try. It's the perfect way to use up a giant pile of tomatoes. It's a smoky, sort of sweet thickened sauce, and is also delicious on ciabatta.

I will definitely make more before the summer ends.

A really tiny amount of knitting

2011-06-30T18:47:00.001-05:00

Green is abundant in my stash, but apparently, time to knit this month was not. I cast on for this scarf the first week of June, and this is as far as I got.

Luckily, there's no stress of me needing to finish a wool scarf for many months, but I hope to work on this more soon. I absolutely love the color. It's close to the perfect green, in my opinion.

And the texture? I can't get enough of it. Malabrigo is a great choice for defined stitches.

Coming soon, some thank yous, and come back tomorrow for a return of Food Friday!