Wordless Wednesday (gonna give this a try)

Fabric Choices for the Upcoming Swaps

Maybe some of this...

or Maybe some of this....I really like that bright yellow stripe with the bright floral


Last night I got recruited to make two aprons for thank you gifts for our Junior League Event. I need to dig around and see what patterns and fabric I have for that too.

And because I can't help myself - I have share this great giveaway at Raggedy Station aren'tthese fabrics wonderful.

Look What the Mail Man Brought me Yesterday!

Originally uploaded by amysgreatadventure

I have some swaps coming up so I've been looking around for various fabrics for bits and pieces. When I was on one of my fav sites Fat Quarter Shop they had some great things I couldn't live with out.

Who knew comic books would save me?

Originally uploaded by amysgreatadventure

I was slowly being buried by bits of fabric, with no where to hide. When Karen mentioned that Regena has said that she'd read on Totally Tutorials about using comic book backing boards for making mini fabric bolts. Karen posted hers after she'd gotten them all bundled and I loved how it looked. I ordered mine last week so I could have them this weekend for a major craft room overhaul. I love them!


See how tidy they look in the drawer? They are archival too so they won't harm the fabric.

I got mine on Amazon.

Rainy Sunday Means Sewing Sunday

I was awaken yesterday at 4:30 am but one Dazzi Dachshund demanding that she needed to got outside by standing on my head. This in turn work of precious little Dott who said, "yeah, I need to go too" by standing on my chest and licking my face. Up I went to let them out and then they came inside wanting breakfast at 4:30 am mind you. So instead of listening to them dance and bark at me, I fed them. Now I'm awake - like really awake. I made a cup of coffee and waited a few minutes to see how I felt about going back to bed. Instead of sleep, I decided to sew. I sewed 4 aprons and finished up at 3 in the afternoon.






It was a long hard day at the machine but overall I am very happy with the results. Now if only I could sleep a little to catch up...

Aunt Pitty Pat's Mug Rug Swap

Originally uploaded by amysgreatadventure

I recently participated in the Aunt Pitty Pat's Mug Rug Swap. My partner was Cathy and she wanted a blue and white theme so she could use it longer than a Christmas colored one. This was so practical of her.

She sent me this adorable snowman and Mug with a them being Peace. I really just adore it. She sent along some great coffee and beautiful tin and recipe of her favorite sweet treat. I really think it was all so very thoughtful.

For her, I sent my snow flake themed mug rug and I hoped she enjoyed it as much as I did making it.

It's not how you fail but how you recover...

Originally uploaded by amysgreatadventure

So a while back i was working on this apron and i snipped the fabric panel with my scissors leaving a gash in the fabric. I got so mad and frustrated i stuck it in the bottom of my UFO stack until I could even look at it again.

I took it out on Sunday to see if I had it in me to find a fix. I ended up cutting off the offending gash, adding some ric rac and a binding of the same fabric.

I hope it works...



Then I finished up last night the other apron for the other cousin...tonight I need to make the mom + sister aprons of this family and figure out 2 little girl aprons...yeah no time like last minute.

Completion

Originally uploaded by amysgreatadventure

Last night two things took place, I finished the cross stitch I was working on and a winner was selected for the give away!


Congratulations the fat quarters go to Candi from the QB - Candi, I will try to locate you through your blog and the QB.

Now off to finish up the apron for a cousin using this pattern that Karen posted and used for her daughters Christmas apron.!

Happy One Hundred Give Away!!!

Originally uploaded by amysgreatadventure

It's finally here so I can give it away to some creative sort! In celebration of 100 posts, I am giving away 7 lovely Petalicous fat quarters by Nancy Thias for Marcus Fabrics.

Just leave a comment and how you met me or found my blog and I'll select the winner by random number generator. The deadline to submit is 6 pm pacific time, Sunday, December 12th. I will post the winner on Monday, December 13.

Good luck and happy posting.


*Update, if you post on the blog or on my flickr page of the fabric, I will enter you into the drawing. This way you have two ways to comment. One comment per poster will be used.

Give Aways

Just a few thoughts on give aways here in blog land. I've seen everything from Kitchen Aid mixer at Pioneer Women's blog, to fat quarters on I don't know how many sewing blogs. They are the most incredible things. You follow a few simple rules and you are entered to win.

My friend Karen is having a give away as we speak. She is giving away the most awesome sewing organizer that she made in this adorable fabric. Of course I signed up but so can you. Go check it out.

Stay tuned for my own give away when I reach 100 posts!

Sewing Mishaps

I worked on this apron for Cousin #1. See post from Saturday. It's has ric rac, crushed velvet trim, top stitched pleats.

Than I added a linen ruffle to the bottom edge and wanted to hand finish the back with some lace hem tape. So I started trimming off to 1/8" to the seam so the hem tape would lay flat.

When it happened. I nicked the skirt with the points of the scissors. I got so frustrated and I mean boiling mad at myself. Is it fixable - yes but I'll need to applique, add a linen flower, or another row of ruffles. Or something! I was almost finished except I wanted to hand stitch the back of the waist band and the hem tape.

Now it's all jumbled up on my sewing table waiting for me to come up with the right solution.

Madness I say!

Dyer Sheet Quilt Update

So I took the leap today. I started to assemble the dryer sheet quilt. I didn't want it to be just scrappy. I wanted some sort of a pattern so I came up with this 25" square. I've made 2 full squares and estimate 6 more to go to have enough for a twin quilt. I'm going to add some sashing to squares.

Here is my favorite square.



and here is the second square I got finished.



I think they are ok for a scrape quilt. There is a pattern right? You can see it, it's just not me right?

It's Raining Again

Sounds like I don't like it but I do. I miss rain living here in Southern California. It's rained all week and it's been wonderful except for the traffic.

I woke up kind of early and the dogs and hubs are still sleeping so I've been in my sewing room scheming about what to start on next.

Being that we hope to go back to Seattle sometime during the holidays, I want to finally sew up the aprons for my husband's cousins. So I got the fabric out that I bought for them and pressed it. One cousin wants a full apron - the greens and orange fabric and the other cousin wants a half apron the salmon and linen fabrics.


I also was struggling with my Christmas quilt. The flannel backing just didn't really tie it all together like I hoped. I pressed it and the binding down and it looks much better.

Now I have this "fall" fabric 1/2 yard stack that I bought thinking I'd make a table runner. Well, I pressed that too thinking the rain is in my favor.


Then there was that stack of beautiful fat quarters that I bought thinking it would work for FAS 12 swap that I didn't use. I pressed them too and they may get worked up with that red jelly roll I bought for the Cherry quilt because I think it will be pieced up with the polka dot fabric.

Rain - yeah - you can stay for a while.

Process of Creativity

I was thinking about how I go through a process when I want to make something. Especially, if I don't have a pattern or a guide. On sewing blogs I sometimes see where the design has been drawn out. I will occasionally scribble out a sketch of what I want to make.

My process is one that works or mulls inside my head for days - sometimes weeks. This week I was chatting with Karen and Regena about an apron idea I've been thinking about. One where the bib buttons on and off so it can be a full and/or half apron. I'm sure this has been done before, but I don't have a pattern and I'm pretty sure of my design right now.

In my mind this apron skirt is mostly white (not a good apron color). It has splashes of bright color stitched here and there. The bib is mostly red with some white dots or flowers. The attachment of bib to apron is by a row of big red buttons - probably 4 shiny buttons, 1 inchers. The ties and waist band are some sort of fabric with all the colors - white, red, yellow, green, blue and the ties are wide and long for double wrapping for a bow in the front. I see some bright felted flowers somewhere too.

None of this is written down on a sketch pad or scrape of paper you see because it's all in my head still.

Wait.

Rudy the Reindeer

Originally uploaded by amysgreatadventure

So I made Rudy yesterday as part of the Christmas in July event. I ordered the pattern from Banberry Place in San Antonio and sewed in up in about 3 hours total.

The instructions were great and easy to follow - I was so happy for this as I have had a hard time sewing little things in the past - see the red pig post.

I learned from this pattern to sew the pieces together before you cut them out of the fabric. Makes a huge difference. I also learned that stuffing holes really should be at least an inch and that the wooden skewer is key.

I think that I may make a few more Rudy's as stocking stuffers or present toppers for Christmas.

I am so happy with how he turned out!