Year in review

Just a snippit of my 20 favorite quilts/sewing projects of 2010

Originally uploaded here

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year, see you in 2011!

iPad Cover

Hubby got an iPad for Christmas this year and asked if I'd make him a soft case to keep it in around the house, as it will be mostly used for "goofing" off with, and not really taken out and about.  I'm really trying to use up fabric from my stash, as I'm just plain getting tired of looking at the same stuff, but am really trying to hold off buying new until I use some of what I have already...

I found this blue plaid woven material and the lining is flannel.  About as masculine as I could muster with what I had on hand!  I loosly followed the pattern from the Moda Bake Shop I used to make my Nook cover way back when and doctored it to the dimensions of the iPad.

Because of an cutting error it wasnt quite as long as I'd planned on, so I added a little velcro to help keep it closed, but aside from that blip, this came together quite nicely and quickly!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and has a fantastic New Year.  I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions from everyone who stops by to see what I am up to...I started this blog earlier this year with the intention of having a place to document my quilting and sewing progress, and sometimes still can't believe that there are wonderfully talented quilters and sewers that take time out of their busy lives to see what I have created.  So again, I just want to say thanks.  I have learned so much from all my blogging "friends" and can't wait to see what 2011 has in store!

Jessica

Mini Quilt

This is my first attempt at a doll quilt size quilt, and I must say it was really fun trying out some different techniques I had seen on a much smaller scale.

This doll quilt was made using a tutorial from Ryan at I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts.  I had seen a picture of this pattern as a pillow on Flickr, and have had it in the back of my mind as an "I'd like to try that someday" project.  I am so so happy with the outcome and it came together quite quickly and easily. 

I am participating in the My Favorite Little Quilt Swap through Flickr, and the requirements are that you make a doll quilt that you like, and then vote on the other quilts completed.  The creator of the quilt that receives the most votes gets their first choice quilt and so on and so forth.  Such a neat idea!  This is the second round of the swap and the first time I'm submitting a quilt.   

This quilt measures approximately 18" square and was made using mostly all scraps in different hues of blues, greens and yellows. 

As for the backing, I pieced together a few strips of fabric in complimentary colors to the colors on the front of the quilt, and I think it shows of the quilting nicely.

Hopefully some of the other swappers like my mini quilt as much as I do!  I have irrational fears of feeling like the last kid picked in dodge ball if no one likes it...

I'll be posting a review of my Accuquilt Go! soon, I've tried it out once, and had less than stellar results...I also realized that my machine did not come with the instruction manual and fabric pick it was supposed to, so I'm going to exchange it for one that all the pieces, and give it another go before giving up... stay tuned!

Look what Santa brought!!

Can't wait to try this out!!

12 Days of Christmas

I stumbled upon a charm Pack of Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas for Moda I must have bought a while back and forgot about, and decided that I needed to whip up one more Christmas goodie!

This came together quite quickly, with the table runner top only taking a few hours one evening early this week, and finishing up the backing, quilting and binding this evening after work.  I think it took me longer to deicide on how I wanted to lay out the squares than to actually sew them together!

I settled on a nice simple layout of 10 rows of 3 squares with 1 inch sashing in between each block.  The finished runner measures 55 inches long x 17 1/2 inches wide.

Here it is in all its glory!  This may actually be one of my favorite holiday creations this year.  As for the back, I pieced together two rows of the remaining squares I had left over and pieced them together with some Kona white solid, nice clean and simple. 

I really debated on how to quilt this, I was going back and forth between straight line quilting along the outside of the seams, trying out some "holidayish" free motion quilting, or going with my favorite, stippling.  As you can see what won out.  I didnt want to take a chance ruining it some bad free motion quilting and I thought because the design was so simple, stippling would be in order. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and Merry Christmas!  See you with some non-Christmas-y projects next week!

Finished!

This weekend I was able to finish up all my Christmas sewing!  I wanted to use Noodlehead's tutorial for her lil cutie pouches to give to the staff at one of the doctor's offices we work in, and I thought these would be perfect with one of our homemade caramel apples. 

These really are super super simple to make, in just over 2 hours I had all 6 of these assembled and ready to go. 

Hopefully the girls enjoy them as much as I do!

I also used Noodlehead's tutorial for her gathered clutches.  These have been on my "To Try" list for forever, and I just never found the right time to give them a try.  I got my sister in law for our grab bag with my husband's family, and I needed a little something extra for her gift, and I thought this would be perfect!  After I made the first one, and again realized how simple Anna's tutorial was, I couldnt resist whipping up a few more to complete my Christmas "shopping".

I finally dug into my fabric that I purchased from Ruth at sewlovefabrics a few months back now.  I kept pulling it out thinking I'd use it for a project, but just couldn't cut into it. 

For this clutch I used some Meadowsweet prints from Sandi Henderson.  This is my absolute favorite.  It pained me to wrap it up and not keep it for myself!  I usually dont like to make doubles of things, but I think I might have to make an exact replica for myself.

The second I used some Anna Maria Horner Innocent Crush for the outside and some Tuffted Tweets for the lining. 

The third is some Amy Butler Lotus fabric.  I love these fabrics, but I'm just not crazy about them put together for this clutch for some reason. 

If you haven't before, definitly checkout some of Noodlehead's tutorials, they are super easy to follow and sew up quickly for adoreable finished projects.

I think I may have one more Christmas project up my sleeve...As I was picking out fabrics for these clutches I stumbled upon a charm pack of Moda 12 Days of Christmas that I had stashed away, that is screaming to be turned into a tablerunner, we'll see what I can come up with!

More tote bags...

I'm staying positive.  I will get all my projects finished in the next 7 days.  Hopefully.  Maybe?  Here's a few more tote bags that were requested by a friend of mine and my mother in law.

I again used the tutorial from jcarolinecreative.  Super easy to follow, however I omitted the zipper pocket on the inside and made just a plain simple pocket.   

This second tote almost pained me to create...as my friend requested I make a tote bag for her mom in Dallas Cowboy fabric.  Ick.  No offense to any Cowboy fans...but being a die hard Steelers fan, it was tough!  Haha. 



Anyways...back to the sewing machine!  More to come soon...

Tote bags

Apparently there is no such thing as starting "too early" when making gifts intended for Christmas...I swear I started working on things MONTHS ago...and here we are nearly a week and a half before Christmas, and I'm sewing like a mad woman to get things finished!

Just a few cute little totes I've whipped up...these are for a co-worker of my husbands who asked if I would make a few embroidered tote bags so she could give them to her nieces for Christmas.  Of course I said yes, and here they are!

She requested blues and greens for Maggie's bag, and being as those colors seem to make up a large portion of my fabric stash, I had lots to pick from. 

The second bag for Caitlin, she requested have bright fun colors and animal prints.  I managed to find a jelly roll I must have purchased eons ago that had some zebra and giraffe prints and mixed in some bright green and blue with it.

These bags measure appx 12" tall x 10" wide and 4" deep.  In making these, I basically followed Rachel from psiquilt's tutorial for her friendship bags, and altered the dimensions to what I wanted and added some personalized embroidery.  Super easy just a few hours to complete both bags!

I finshed these bags off with two of my personalized "handmade" labels, and they are ready be sent off to their new owners!



Ryan's quilt

Remember the Planes Trains and Automobilies quilt I was working on using my Simply Squares pattern?  Yes, it feels like it was eons ago that I started this, but its finally finished!  This quilt will be going to my co-worker and friend's son who is almost 2.  I was told he loves anything with wheels, so I used a bunch of "boy" fabrics, with cars, trucks, planes, wheels, etc. mixed with some bright bold polka dots. 

I hit quite a few bumps along the way, that had me tempted to scrap the whole quilt and start over, but I pushed through and finished.  I think my troubles mainly came from poor basting.  This was my second attempt at pin basting my quilt sandwich together, the first being my value quilt, and unlike the successful first attempt, this second attempt was not so good.  I swear, it looked nice and tight when everything was taped to the floor, I was even impressed with myself, but once I started quilting, it became apparent that there were issues.  The back of the quilt looks great!  No puckering or pulls anywhere, its the top that gave me troubles.  I started by quilting 1/4 inch on either side of the horizontal rows,  and then when I went to quilt 1/4 inch on either side of the vertical columns, I kept getting little puckers where my seams intersected, like I didnt baste the top tight enough.  This was so frustrating.  I decided to go ahead and finish it, and after washing, you can barely tell something is wrong, but I know its there.  Argh. 

Anyways, what are your secrets to successful basting??

The finished quilt measures 50 inches square, a perfect play size little boy quilt! 

I really like the back of this quilt, the bold primary colors just scream "boy" to me, and I think it shows of the (non-puckery) quilting very nicely. 

Feel free to give this quilt pattern a try, and let me know if you do!  I'd love to see it!

As for whats up next, I will be a bag making machine for the next few days!!  I have a few orders for some close friends and family to do, and I still have a few Christmas presents to whip up...stay tuned for a Christmas present extravaganza!

Ooey Gooey Goodness

Recipe:

Oreo Balls

Yield:  2 1/2- 3 dozen 1" balls

1 18 oz package oreos

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

Chocolate disks (to melt)

colored chocolate discs (to drizzle)

sprinkles

1.  Crush Oreos in food processor until very fine

2.  Mix together softened cream cheese and oreo crumbs until cream cheese is completely mixed into the crumbs.

3.  Roll mixture into 1" balls and place on tray.  Put tray of formed balls into refrigerator for appx 15 minutes to chill.

4.  While balls of oreo cream cheese mixture are chilling, melt chocolate for dipping according to instructions on package.

5.  Take oreo balls out of refrigerator and roll in melted chocolate, place tray of dipped oreo balls back in refrigerator until chocolate is hardened.

5.  Melt colored chocolate and using a plastic icing piping bag or zip lock baggie, cutting a very small opening in tip of piping bag, or corner of zip lock baggie, drizzle color chocolate onto chilled oreo balls.  add sprinkles to wet chocolate drizzle as desired.

6.  Enjoy! 

Mrs. Prindables who?

Just some pics of my mom and I's yearly tradition...A few years back we decided to try and make "Mrs. Prindables'" style chocolate covered apples, and they were a success!  Each year we've made more and more, and have it down to a system.

Yummy.  We dip the apples in caramel, and then press pecans into the caramel and then dip in melted milk chocolate and finish by drizzling in melted colored chocolate and sprinkle with sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet so that it sticks.

Package them in pretty celophane, and a super yummy homemade gift!

In addition to our apples we also do homemade chocolate covered pretzels (my favorite!), we did some that we dipped in melted peanut butter chips and then chocolate, some that we dipped in caramel and then in melted chocolate and some just good ole chocolate covered pretzels. 

The secret is to use the Old Tyme Snyders pretzels, not as large as sourdough, but larger than regular twists, so that they are a nice size when finished.

Packaging a dozen together with a pretty bow is another yummy favorite homemade gift!

All in all we made and packaged 4 dozen apples and about 8 dozen pretzels in about 5 hours!  Not too shabby for an evenings work.

Just a few pics of my quilted Christmas tree skirt in action!  This pattern is from Carol at mamacjt.  She has this pattern and a second tree skirt pattern available for purchase, I highly recommend!