Birthday Gift :: Success!

Today was Stella’s birthday (Sarah little girl).  She turned seven.  What the heck do you get for a 7-year-old little girl?  That’s what I started asking myself yesterday (yes, i’m a procrastinator…remember…). 

I started with an idea and let my imagination run with it.

This is what I came up with.  What little girl (or boy for that matter) wouldn’t like a sketch portfolio?  Colored pencils and sketch pad all in one place.

And color coordinated, too!

It was my first attempt, another will be made with some adjustments (and maybe another after that).  And then a pattern will find it’s way to the shop.  We’ll see how this week goes.  Goals are nice, but as I'm fond of saying: life gets in the way sometimes.

Yesterday’s Trip :: Fabric

First of all, thanks to everyone for your well wishes (since replies to comments have been slow in coming).  Today I was SO tired and didn’t do a whole lot.  I didn’t even think I’d make it to blogging today.  But, obviously I have.  I hope to be back to feeling better (in some respects) in about a week or two.  Just need to be good about taking my thyroid.  Missing the last few weeks was a BAD idea.  And I know this.  Sometimes life just gets in the way. 

So yesterday’s trip was to pick up some fabric from a local (online only) fabric retailer.  I was lucky enough to stumble across Aunt Bea’s Sewing Basket and find that she has some great prices on fabric.  She is going to be retiring and trying to liquidate her stock.  She has an awesome deal going on: order 30+ yards and get it for $5/yard (if it’s more than $5/yard, that is).  My mom was putting in a huge order and Sarah and I added a few yards, too.  Ever wonder what 31 yards of fabric looked like?  Well, that pile is 31 yards of fabric!  I got the three in the top photo plus a yard of Heather Ross’s blue horses.

I was so lucky to find that she was in Portland and asked if I could pick up our order.  I was anxious to get the fabric, and of course it was nice to save on shipping…31 yards = REALLY HEAVY!  After that I made a stop at Cool Cottons.  I wanted to get some of Amy Butler’s lime green dots, and they just happened to have a small amount left.  (They still had some left yesterday if your looking for lime.)  So of course I had to redeem my filled punch card!  Just look at all of my finds.  The top two fat quarters are part of Erin McMorris’ Wildwood line (Lime Wallflower and Sophie’s Garden) and the bottom two are part of Lizzy House’s new Red Letter Day line.  Did you know Lizzy just moved to Portland?  And that Erin McMorris currently resides here?  Normally, I wouldn’t have bought pink fabric, but it was so cute.  Just had to add it.  There are a few new baby girls soon to be entering the world, and they might need a quilt with this in it.

This was new since last time I was in.   I’m not sure who the manufacturer is, I didn’t pay attention when I was getting my fabric cut.  I was trying to keep Brice happy on my hip.  He LOVES fabric shops and just wants to get down and touch all the fabric.

The selvage is so cute on this one.  I emailed the shop to see who it’s by.  I’ll post it here once I hear back.

I was only going to get a half yard of this, but decided I'd better get a yard.  I could see this being a top of some kind for myself this summer.  I’m not really big into making clothes (I think sewing my prom dresses did me in)…but I might have to make an exception for this fabric.  Now I just need to scope out patterns next time I’m at Fabric Depot.  This is part of the Gipsy Glitter Collection by Art Gallery Fabrics.

Except for the “feeling cruddy” at the end of the day, it was a good day.  I hope to be back to my usual blogging (and sewing) self next week. 

Falling Behind

Okay, I've typed and erased this post a few times.  I hate days like that.  I was typing about why I seem to be more absent from the blog lately…but I always struggle with how personal to get on here.  Let’s just say for health reasons I haven’t been able to get to the computer much these last few weeks.  Some of it of my own doing (bad about taking daily medication) and some of it out of my hands.  Hopefully I will begin to feel better this week.  At least you’ll know why I'm absent.  And seeing as I've been asked so much this week: No, I’m not pregnant. (Why is it that an almost 30-year-old, married woman can’t feel nauseated without being asked this?)

So I know I promised the quilt block to be posted on Sunday, but life has a habit of getting in the way.  So it will be sometime this week.  I started working on it yesterday, but got feeling ill and spent a lot of time on the couch.  I have to go out today to pick up some fabric and I'm just hoping I don’t start to feel ill again.

I cut this sleeve out some time ago, but just assembled it yesterday.  Sewed the button on this morning.  Isn’t it cute!?  Always hard to give the cute ones up to the shop.  I have an idea for something new for the shop, and I hope to be able to get the supplies for it when I'm out and about today.  Maybe I can show you tomorrow…

Kind Of (Sort Of) Block Night

I have no blocks to show you.  I told you I felt off, and that just carried over into block night.  We didn’t actually get our block done.  Sarah looked at (and decided on) fabric for her project (pictured above).  Liz started cutting pieces for her block and did a tiny bit of sewing. 

Sarah worked on a skirt (dress?) for her little girls birthday this week (we’re all jealous of it and want one).  …anyone have some Heather Ross Mushrooms on white they are willing to part with?  I drew up the template on the computer for our next block night in two weeks.  But I didn’t get a block done.  I am going to work on it tomorrow and post the tutorial.  I guess this block will all be homework for us. 

The real point behind the block night is to sew and visit with friends, and that mission was accomplished.  We played with fabric, chatted, had some good food and drinks…  So can’t really complain about any of that!  Brice was kind of a pain about going to sleep, seems to be a new phase we’re going through.  So I think that is what prevented me from sewing…mostly.

As promised, here’s the fabric that arrived yesterday.  I know I said I don’t normally order online, but I had to pay my mom back for some fabric she bought for me, and she specifically requested two yards of Red Henna and a yard of the Pink Apple Dot from Sandi Henderson’s Farmers Market line.  I couldn’t order fabric for her and not get something for myself.  So I picked up a few fat quarters of fabric I’ve been eyeing for awhile. 

I ordered from Fabric Closet on Etsy.  I can’t say enough about how much I love this online fabric shop.  She has so many of the fabrics I love in one spot.  Her shipping is reasonable and I got my fabric in 2 days.  From North Dakota to Washington state.  2 days!  That is phenomenal in my book.  I also love that you can get fat quarters or fat eights of any of her fabrics, and for a very good price.  I HIGHLY recommend this shop next time you’re looking to purchase online.

From bottom to top: Michael Miller: Jungle Box; BJ Lantz: Freshaire Floral in orange; Erin McMorris: Park Slope - Flower Field in Pink, Wildwood - Forrest in lime, Wildwood - Buttons in olive, Wildwood - Checked Floral in grey.

Discombobulated

I feel so disjointed this week.  I don’t like when life is so “off”.  I like order and routine.  I had a weird dream last night, and in ways it was very telling.  I don’t like dreams like that.  They throw me off.  Maybe this next week will put things back to rights.  Another “mini” log cabin…I have plans for it, let’s just see if I can get it put together this weekend.  It will find its way to the shop when I'm finished.

Tonight is block night.  Late by a few weeks, but it’s been a busy month!  My mom will be missing out as she is in Arizona, but we’ll catch her up when she gets home.  I think I know what block we’re doing tonight, but we might change our mind.  I still have to draw up the template in Illustrator and print it out.  We’ll see if I get the energy.

It’s gorgeous out today.  I just want to sit in the sun.  I’ve been playing with my new lens and having oh so much fun.  …but I have things I want to get done.  Laundry, cleaning house, watering plants, entertaining baby among all of that…  OH!  Fabric just arrived in the mail!  More on that tomorrow…

What a week!

I should have known it wasn’t going to be just one of those days, it was really going to be one of those weeks!  The last 36 hours have been spent sick as a dog with the stomach flu.  I don’t think I've actually ever had the stomach flu before.  It was awful.  Almost as bad as when I had pancreatitis.  At least with that I was at the hospital with drugs to help.  I’m still recovering, but at least I’m not praying to the porcelain gods.  I’m looking forward to actually eating today.

Before I got sick, I got a few things made.  Another moleskin and two PURPLE coffee sleeves.  Listed in the Etsy shop and ready to be snatched up. 

And, a few hours before I got sick, I got to play with my just-arrived Mother’s Day gift: a 50mm f1.8.  I love it.  Now I just need a 28mm prime lens and I'll be a happy camper…for now. 

Today is a big day for us.  Brice is one!  Hard to believe that just a year ago I went into labor at 3am – admitted at 6am – epidural – coding (bad bad bad) from bad epidural – another epidural – slept through my whole labor and got woke up to push for 15 minutes to welcome Brice to the world at 5:35pm.  It’s been a rough year, but I've survived.  One down, countless more to go!

What. A. Day.

The last 48 hours have been something.  Found out I'm going to be an aunt [!], my great uncle that we just visited in Arizona passed away yesterday and Brice was a holy terror today.  He climbed out of (and took a header from) his playpen (he’s so like his mom, it’s not funny) he slapped me, bit me, wanted me to hold him all day, wouldn’t eat, split his lip open trying to open a bathroom cupboard door, wouldn’t go down for bed…and I’m doing it all by myself today (and tonight).  I am seriously ready to scream.  I think I need a hot bath and a good smut book.  If I was a big drinker, I think I’d open a bottle of wine.  But it will just go to waste with only me to drink it.

I was asked today where I buy my fabric.  I don’t have an FAQ page, but maybe it’ time to think about starting one.  For now, I'll just fill you in on my “spots”…  You can find links to a lot of the places I shop on my side bar under “Where I Shop”.  A lot of them are local, but there are some out of area for me…but I don’t order online from them.  I usually visit them once (or more) times a year on road trips.  I’m not big on ordering fabric online.  I like to see and feel and have the instant gratification of it in my hands after payment.  I’m quick to give a good review to a great fabric shop and add them to that list.  If they are there, then you wont be sorry you’ve done business with them. 

Even though some of my favorites, like Cool Cottons, don’t have an online ordering system, I'm sure if you were to call/email them after seeing some fabric I've purchased from them, they would be more than happy to take an order over email or the phone and send it out to you.  As for online ordering, my mom LOVES ordering from Sew, Mama, Sew – they are just in Beaverton, OR so we get our orders SUPER fast.  I am looking forward to putting an order in with Pink Chalk Fabrics.  The only drawback for me is that I have to pay tax since we’re both here in Washington state…and tax up her way is a little higher than down my way.  It’s always hard to pay tax and shipping, it ends up being almost another yard of fabric!  I think that’s the primary reason I don’t order online.  If I do order, it’s usually through various shops on Etsy for a specific fabric. 

Another way to find some of the shops I've visited is to follow the Quilt Shops label on my sidebar.  When we travel I try and take photos outside the shop and then type a little about it.  I’m always too “afraid” to ask if it’s okay to take a photo inside.  I know that shops don’t like that because they are afraid you will “steal” their staging ideas (or quilt ideas).  Well, at least that’s what happened to my uncle when he snapped a photo of some bolts a few years back for my aunt. 

This cute little moleskin is for sale in the Etsy shop.  At least I got something created.

New Tutorial + Winner!

My new tutorial is done and listed in the shop.  The shop description says it better, but it basically is a tutorial helping you to make a box to the size you want.  There are directions and diagrams as well as worksheets to fill out and help you along the way.  I’ve also included 6 project ideas and diagrams with dimensions as further example for making your own.  There are so many uses for these fabric boxes.  Making them your own size allows you to make them to fit any space you want.  Or, you could make them for a gift.  Wouldn’t it be great to have one made up to fit a finished quilt in?  Just wrap a big satin ribbon around it and gift! 

I finished this this morning…hence the late “morning” post.  Yesterday just got WAY too busy.  But in a good way.  Sarah took some pictures of Brice and I…and of course he was a little stinker.  I did get my crocheted item done and gave that to the little rugrat.  
 
I think it’s safe to say he liked it.  It’s a rugby striped blanket.  Hard to believe I couldn’t find a pattern for it when surfing around the net.  That’s okay.  I just made my own.  I still need to get the directions typed up for it.  I also want to make a diagram.  I’m a visual person and really appreciate the Japanese crochet diagrams.  Once that is made I’ll post that to the shop as well.

Ok, on to the winner.  Via the random number generator, (holy cow, there’s 51 of you!) the winner is #48 – Suzy from Suzy dinspiried!  I hope you’ll take my word for it, cause I don’t want to print screen – paste into Photoshop – crop – save for web and then go find and post.  Suzy: email me and let me know if you would like a custom made sleeve (we’ll discuss fabric) or one of the patterns from the shop. 

300

No, not the movie (which I still haven’t watched all of)…but 300 posts!  Seems like a milestone of sorts.  I’ve been working on that new tutorial for my Etsy Shop, but my efforts were hampered a bit.  I’ve been sick the last few days.  But I'm recovering and just about done with the tutorial. 

I’ve also been working on my crochet project the last few days.  I’m just about finished.  Which is a good thing, since Brice REALLY loves it and keeps trying to take it.  It doesn’t matter where I put it, his arms always seem to be long enough.  It’s so nice to know it will be well loved.  I’m also going to toss that pattern in the shop when I’m done. 

So post #300 seems like a good time for a giveaway!  The giveaway this time will be for a custom (made just for you) coffee sleeve OR your choice of one of the patterns in my shop…because I plan on adding these two new patterns this weekend.  All you need to do to enter is leave a comment.  If you feel so inclined, tell me your favorite fabric right now.  You have until 6am (PST) Monday to leave a comment.  I’ll announce the winner in my Monday morning post.