FO: Amanda's Sew Together Bag

A few years ago at the Stash Bash, my pal Amanda was kind enough to work on some Sew Together Bags that I cut out. In truth, she did most of the tricky sewing, and left me with a mostly assembled bag to finish.

Earlier this year, I decided to stitch up one on my own, and give it to her as a (very late) thank you.

I love the way it turned out. I picked colors that I know she loves (and I do, too!).

I especially love the yellow quilting!

Here is a shot of the one Amanda (mostly) sewed for me. I use it to house my in-progress aerial grove quilt. And speaking of, I hope to make some progress on this quilt on an upcoming trip!

Citizens of Textile tomorrow!

You may already know about Heather's newest project, Citizens of Textile. If not, in short, it's a small marketplace of handmade goods and fiber love. It's only available one weekend a month, with a few artists featured each month.

And I'm a lucky duck who is included in the October offerings! Tomorrow (Friday), at 5 pm PST, you can find a few of my handmades, as well as loads of gorgeous hand-dyed yarns. Also included this month, is Splendor Falls. She has made some amazing woven pouches!

Speaking of weaving, two of my woven scarves will be available in the sale this weekend.

My Oceanic scarf, which I love so much. The colors are just my favorite, and it's so soft and fine!

There's also this Rosy Mariposa scarf, woven from some treasured handspun from an old friend and some Malabrigo Worsted.

I also made a handful of needle rolls, using my pal Amanda's pattern.

Lastly, you can find a few of my quilted pillows, of the Halloween and Autumn varieties!

Oceanic on Ravelry

Rosy Mariposa on Ravelry

Around the World

You might have already seen Around the World posts in the blogosphere. I was invited by both Jessica and Elizabeth to join in (I'm a few days early for Elizabeth's tag, but I'm just going to post once!). Thanks for inviting me, friends! So, I'll jump right in with a few thoughts on sewing, and some photos that make me happy.

1. What quilting/sewing thing am I working on?

So, you may already know that I have many projects going on at the same time. I've tried to be monogamous, or monogamish, as C would say. I do tend to focus on a project with my whole head and heart, once I hit a certain point. Currently, the sewing project that has (most of) my attention is this curvy number.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

If I had to choose one word to describe my style, it would be scrappy. If I could pick a second word, I'd pick vibrant. I've been told that my pairing of colors or prints is unexpected, which I take as a compliment.

I think some people are afraid of making a daring choice, whether it be a print or color.

But quilting, as with any craft, should be about fun and expression. I like trying new blocks, new techniques, and new patterns. I like using every last bit of a fabric. Sorting scraps or pulling fabrics is lots of fun. Of course, having a well-rounded stash is part of that last bit.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

Creating gives me such a sense of confidence.

No matter how crappy a day is, if I can get a little sewing or knitting in, it's not so bad. I never imagined crafting would provide me with so much calm.

And I love giving handmade gifts. making something special for a friend or family member warms my heart.

I tag: Claudia, Amanda-My Sewcial Hour and Amanda-The Craft Junky. I met all three of these wonderful ladies at sewing summit. Claudia lives in Germany, and I'm dying to make her star plus quilt, which she's about to release as a pattern.
Amanda-My Sewcial Hour lives just a few hours from me, and I've had the pleasure of spending long hours with her at retreats, soaking up her amazingness. And Amanda-The Craft Junky, well, I'm amazed by her drive. She recently sold her screenprinted wares at two conventions. I don't know how she pulled that off, but she is awesome. I love talking to her about current and future projects.

So, that's it! Claudia and the two Amandas will post next week!

FO: Mustang apron

Thanks for your kind words on my Grenada photos. I'm sure I'll share a few more in the next few weeks. I whipped up a quick project this weekend, when my Cotton + Steel preorder arrived from Pink Castle. I decided to immediately cut into it. I've got a lot of projects in the works, so a larger project just isn't possible right now. But this apron gave me the gratification I needed!

It's a gift for Amanda, since she's vending at both LeakyCon and DragonCon very soon. You may remember this one I made for myself when I participated in a craft fair. The pattern is from Ruby Star Wrapping. For Amanda's, I used two Cotton + Steel prints, and I included the selvage:

I thought the message that Melody Miller used was very fitting for Amanda. I know she will be successful at her conventions!

FO: Wonky Bee Traveling Quilt

I love every square inch of this quilt. And I love the wonky bee girls (Nicke, Sara, Melissa, Jessica and Amanda) that helped stitch it.

The patchwork is eclectic and improvisational. The colors are bold and happy.

THe quilting is dense and in yellow thread.

I'm not sure how I could love this more.

You can read more about this quilt here and here.

Amanda's Traveling Quilt

Hello! Monday again, and I have something really fun to share. You may remember that this round of the Wonky Bee is a traveling quilt round. Well, we are finishing up an entire year of traveling quilts this month. I loved this experience! Each project was unique, we had two months to work on each quilt, and at the end, we will each have a fun project to finish.

I finished with Amanda's project. She created a pinterest board for inspiration, and asked for all things geek.

First, I decided to do a little embroidery.

I saved a template (found here on Pepper Stitches) for this embroidery ages ago, but never stitched it. It is stitched on a Kona solid, and I chose to stitch it in just one color. It's labeled, "Wonky Bee 2013 Mix".

Next, I decided to do a little Pacman paper piecing, as inspired by Happy Zombie.

Sew Hooked has all kinds of amazing paper piecing templates, including these for Pacman and Ghost!
I want to make more of these.

Using more of Amanda's fabric, I pieced this section together.

And the top! Each bee member contributed really fun things to this quilt.

This quilt definitely screams, 'Amanda'.

I can't wait to see what Nicke does with mine!

FO: Amanda's Pyrex Mini

My pal Amanda's birthday was last week. Her package from me (and also from Amy arrived just one day late.

Along with some yarn, I made her this mini. The Melody Miller pyrex print is one of Amanda's favorites, and she plans to make cafe curtains for her new kitchen with it. I thought she could use a table topper (or wall hanging) that coordinates with her future curtains.

I backed the mini with Essex Linen and quilted with random vertical lines.

I tried to cut the pyrex fabric so that the blocks wouldn't be perfectly fussy-cut, but instead, they would appear as a background to the wonky star.

The mark of a good gift is not wanting to give it, and that definitely applies here.

I also sent Amanda one of these, and kept one for myself. We (along with Jeni) are planning to make the Blossom Pincushion, from I Heart Patchwork, by Rashida Coleman-Hale.

That's all for today! I wish you a happy Monday!

FO: Improv Berries Mini Quilt

This mini quilt (right in photo) started during a skype session (seven weeks ago) with two of my favorite friends. We each worked on a brand new project during the chat.
It is always exciting to start something brand new.

I went through my solid scrap bag (an abundance), and then chose a couple of fat quarter prints to use.

I just started improv piecing, which always makes me happy. Before the end of our phone call, the top was finished.
And then, as usual, it sat for awhile. But this week, I quilted and bound it.

It is a tiny mini quilt, finishing at 15.5" x 15". It definitely has a springtime feel. I used a Lizzy House berry print from Hello Pilgrim on the back, and it's bound with a neutral snakeskin from Dear Stella. I did a combination of free-motion and straight line quilting.

Stash Bash recovery

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. Last week, I drove with three of my HMQG buddies to the Stash Bash, hosted by Frecklemama.
It was a 13-hour drive, but pretty enjoyable, considering the distance.

I didn't get much sewing done, but I finally managed to assemble my Wonky Bee polaroid blocks! I've had these blocks for about a year. I just love them, and my procrastination paid off! Since I waited so long, 23 came out, which is perfect. I used the gray camera print to help assemble the blocks. (You can find it here and here).

I also started some fun new wonky star patchwork, just because.

I worked on a few other things, which I'll share soon!

Most importantly, there was the social aspect.
Meeting new people, seeing old friends, these are the most memorable parts of a retreat.

I got to spend time with my favoritest friend, Amanda. We had a blast together, and she was so sweet to share her screenprinting process with us. She also brought all of her screens and let us print anything we wanted.

I printed this fun shirt! I also printed a tote bag; I'll share that soon!

I was also thrilled to meet Beth, of Stash Fabrics. She lives in the Atlanta area, and was so kind to be one of the Stash Bash sponsors. We had a great time together, and I loved being able to tell her, in person, how much I appreciate her sponsorship of my blog. I hope to hang out with her again soon!

While I didn't get much sleep, and am still slightly recovering, I always appreciate this kind of opportunity. I learn so much from my peers, and I can't express the kinship I feel after a weekend like this one.

Tuesday

Whirlwind week is in progress! Amanda left Sunday, and later that day, my sister and I left to visit our grandparents. We just got back, and I have a quick break before the next craziness begins!

I wanted to share a couple of fun things from Amanda's visit. We had the BEST time! We managed to get some sewing done, did a little shopping, and ate. And laughed. And ate. And played Mario Kart. Our main project was the Painted Portrait Blouse. I am really glad we worked on these together. There were times when one of us would get frustrated or confused. It was good to have each other for company and confirmation. We both managed to get our tops done. I'll be sharing mine soon! I managed to ask my sweet sister for a few FO shots in the country.

In the meantime, here's my finished yoke and a funny face.

I'll be back soon with a new Wiksten tank, my Painted Portrait Blouse, and a tree skirt tutorial (on Thursday) for the Holiday Craft bash!

Yay!

The rest of October is going to fly by! This week, a super fun friend is coming to visit! We've got plans to make metal clasp pouches, painted portrait blouses, and other fun things. There will also be a visit to the Lego store!

I'm washing this today for my Painted Portrait Blouse. It's Art Gallery, Indie!

I'm also finishing the flower star I showed you yesterday. My pieces are sewn together, so now it's all about ripping that paper!

Enabler alert: Brenda is having a huge sale to celebrate moving to a new space. As in, her house will be just a house, and not a fabric warehouse! You can get EVERYTHING in her shop for 25% off, with the code MOVING.

My to-do list is long, so I'm going to get back to it!

Miscellany

I can't tell you how happy I was to wake up this morning to cooler weather. I drove with my window down, and I'm fighting the urge to have the back door open at the house. I won't do it, since my kitties are 100% indoor. But I do think I'll have the windows open tonight!

So, I've got a handful of crafty things to show you today.

I managed to finish this sushi cross-stitch recently. I've actually started a second piece, this time Halloween-related. I'll be sure to share a picture of that one soon! The sushi pattern is from Frosted Pumpkin, of course!

I've also been on a major paper-piecing kick these days. You may remember the watermelon popsicle trivet I made for my mom this summer? Well, I've been piecing more popsicles this week. These are part of the Superbuzzy Super Penguin Quilt-Along, with patterns created by Ayumi.

I'm working on my third popsicle (the penguin!), and I do intend to purchase Ayumi's other blocks for this quilt-along. It's a fun challenge, and a chance to use some special tiny pieces from the stash.

I also finished up this scrappy log cabin pillow, which I've listed in the shop. I love working with scraps, and I made this pillow top with the "quilt as you go" method.
I haven't figured out if the shop will be something I maintain, but it's been a great experiment, at the very least!

Finally, I wanted to share these owly pouches I made.

Using some Essex linen, a stamp, and some owl ribbon from the stash, I made these fun little pouches in no-time flat. I've already set them aside for two special peeps, but I was thinking of making some more. I have a couple of other stampy ideas to try as well. I was inspired by my friend Amanda's recent screenprinting endeavor!

I hope you are enjoying a lazy Sunday today! I'm going to get back to organizing my scraps now; no easy feat!

Thoughts on selecting fabric

Raise your hand if picking fabric (or yarn, for that matter) is your favorite part of the project process.

I'm pretty sure if we were in a room together, there would be lots of raised hands right now. I certainly love other aspects of creating a project, but raw fabric has so much potential. I'm sure this is why stashing can easily get out of hand. When I look at fabric online (or very rarely, in a LQS), I immediately think something along these lines:

"what could I use this for?"
this would be great for x or y."
"ooh, what about using this for binding a quilt?"

This week, I was working on pulling a stack of fabrics for a little quilt-along I'm doing with my good pals Amanda and Nicke.
I'd thought about several different fabric combinations, but Monday night, I started with a single Lecien print, from the Fabulous Blooming collection.

Less than an hour later, I was staring at a lovely little bundle.

This print was not purchased with any specific purpose, and I've had it for months. I purchased it here at Superbuzzy, if you're interested!
So, my first step was to pull prints that matched the various colors in the Lecien print. I went through my stashed grays, black/whites, greens, blues and reds. I held up individual prints next to the Lecien one, to make sure the shades matched well.

It's good to be broad in this search, and you might end up with something unexpected. I chose twenty additional prints. The pattern size I'm making requires seventeen prints, so I then eliminated my least favorites.


I will be using this stack to make Cluck, Cluck, Sew's pow-wow pattern found here. I'm not crazy about the name, so I'm going to call it, "which way?" instead!
Some things to keep in mind when choosing fabrics:

• Keep the pattern piece size(s) and shape(s) in mind as you select fabrics. Most of the prints I chose are small or medium in scale, since larger prints could get lost in this type of piecing. 
• When starting with an inspirational print like I did here, be sure you consider how each print works with the group, as well as that first print. 
• Don't be afraid to try combinations you may not have previously considered.
• Consider value of the prints. In my stack here, I tried to choose prints of similar value, since there are so many colors involved. When you have only a couple of colors involved, it's easier to be free with the values.
• Having a varied stash certainly helps with this sort of exercise. In fact, this is a helpful way to identify missing colors/prints. As you can see, the lime/chartreuse green color is highly represented in my stash!

I'm going to speak to this process again when planning future projects, because I think it's interesting. I hope you do, too! If you have any questions, please let me know!
The girls and I will be starting the quilt soon.
Feel free to join in with us if you like!