starting over

Noah is almost one (!), and I'm starting to get a decent amount of crafting-time in. I've been busy! I completed 3 quilts, a bunch of baby hats, a few pairs of pants... the list goes on. Now all I have to do to make those projects count is to blog about them!
Here we go:
Two matching quilts for two completely unrelated baby girls:

Pinwheels for my friend Grace's soon-to-arrive little girl, and...

...zig-zags for my friend Jamie's little Natalie.

I was inspired to pair my charm pack (Moda Wee Play) with the plain white fabric by a swap project at Chickpea Sewing Studio. I love how it makes the colors pop! The blue binding was binding tape I stumbled upon at the store one day. As far as I can tell, the only real advantage over making your own binding is that it fit all the way around the quilt in one piece. It wasn't cut out 100% straight and it wasn't ironed super-neatly either, so I ended up ironing it flat, then folding it and ironing it again. I was sort of annoyed about that, but it did turn out very nice, so I will probably consider using it in the future.
I think she approves. :)

baby project, baby

blocks, arranged
Originally uploaded by girlwithgreencard and fabric!

I bought these fabrics back in June, and even commented on the flickr photo that I was "so excited to get started" on the quilt. Pfffft.
NOVEMBER. That's all I have to say. NOVEMBER.
Anyways. The blocks are done, now I just have to turn it into an actualy QUILT by SATURDAY.
Then I have to go to a babyshower, which is not very high on my list of priorities. In this case even worse than usual since 1. I'm pretty sure I won't know any of the guests, but only my friend who is the pregnant lady being showered and 2. I see no conceivable way of putting myself in charge of the games (which is my strategy of avoiding participation, for lo, I hate party games).
Should be fun, right?

in the projects

On Monday, once I'd had confirmation that I do indeed have a job for next school year, The Husband told me we'd do whatever I wanted that evening.
So I took him to JoAnne's (duh!). I decided to use the last few weeks of freedom to make a queen-sized quilt for our bed. I'm a little afraid of working on such a large project, but I figured that it was "now or never" and decided to just jump in.
Naturally, I've been knee-deep in quilting and sewing projects ever since (I'm planning on cutting the pieces for the Big Quilt today).
The projects, they are numerous. Curtains, chair cushions, place mats, a blouse, another skirt... the list goes on.
The one thing I've actually completed (and within less than 24 hours) is a quilt for another friend in Germany who is having a baby in September. They're not finding out if it's a boy or girl (which, to the quilter in me is incredibly frustrating because of color choices, but whatever), so I decided to use the 10" squares of the Dick and Jane collection I just HAD TO HAVE a few weeks ago.
First, the quilt was going to look like this:

Then, I realized that I made the white sashes and yellow squares really small because (SMART!) I forgot to add seam allowance (should have had breakfast before starting!). With time constraints and my need for this project to be FUN (rather than the inevitable fudging of corners and ripping and re-sewing of tiny seams), I decided to go without the sashes:

I chose 15 of the large squares and cut each of them into four 5"squares. Then, I arranged them "randomly" (making sure to mix them well and not make the pattern look like the pieces are arranged "on purpose").
Once the top was completed, I ran to JoAnne's (after all, it had been two days since my last visit!) for batting, backing fabric, and yellow quilt yarn (okay, and a fat quarter, BUT HOW CAN I HELP IT? THEY ARE STILL ON SALE!). By 8:30 last night, the three layers of the quilt were safety-pinned together and I was quilting and watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Your mother was a hamster, and your father smells of elderberries! I fart in your general direction! I pick my nose at you!).
Two movies later (Serendipity and Calendar Girls, FYI), the quilt is done:

Now on to cutting the Big Quilt...
(PS: Pictures are larger on flickr!)

sad sale

Saturday, as The Husband and I were driving home from the bank, we happened upon a yard sale (and by "happened upon," I mean we were driving along when I spotted these quilts and yelled "Quiltsatayardsale, quiltsatayardsale, PULLOVERPULLOVER!).

Each of them was $45, and as soon as the word "fortyfive" left the lady's mouth, I remembered that I was carrying a $50 bill with me... I was excited. SO excited. I was going to buy a vintage quilt! YESSSSS! I looked at each of the quilts. They were deliciously old, unevenly bleached by the sun, tattered, stained, and one of them even sported a rip. I loved them, especially this one:

But as I was mentally preparing to barter for this quilt, I suddenly realized that I couldn't go through with it. I thought I'd hang the quilt on the wall in my studio, but then I'd have to look at it every day, and frankly, as much as I loved those quilts, they depressed me. It seemed fundamentally wrong to me that these well-loved quilts should be sold to random people on a sunny Saturday, forever separating them from the family that ought to be cherishing them and handing them down to the next gereation.
And so I chickened out. And the rest of my sunny Saturday had a sad aftertaste. I'm not cut out for antiquing, I suppose. I can't shake the feeling of "that's not mine." Weird, huh?

fabric for addicts

fabric for addicts
Originally uploaded by girlwithgreencard

Well, friends, I'm glad I'm not participating in a certain challenge (though I could probably really benefit). I was in a fabric store on Monday ($5 grab bags!!!), bought some delicious fabrics online on Tuesday, and ended up at JoAnne's again on Friday with my new friend Lary. She's pregnant and I seized the opportunity to have someone to quilt for immediately (cause I'm giving that way) and offered to make her baby a blankie.

Irritatingly, she's not finding out if she's having a boy or a girl, so unisex was the order of the day when we chose fabrics. We settled on a vintage Americana theme, and I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THESE FABRICS! If only I didn't have to focus on finding a job and do silly things like "grocery shopping" and "cooking dinner"...

Anyways, as soon as there's a break in the depressing job search routine, I'll be quilting.

how to tell when you're overwhelmed and/or distracted

99 cent fat quarters
Originally uploaded by girlwithfabric.

I saw that Blair is making this quilt. Kinda cute, I thought, and emailed a link of the pattern to a friend, along with some other sewing talk. She replied back and mentioned "30 fat quarters."
Last night, I was a wee bit frustrated with my day (had to fill out COMPLETELY UNECESSARY PAPERWORK) and decided to hit JoAnne's on my way home for a quick pick-me-up on sale fat quarter. I thought about the quilt pattern and bought the 30 fat quarters I needed. And felt better.
Until I looked at the pattern again this morning and realized that I only need 14 fat quarters for that quilt top.
*sigh*
Oh well... just have to make it a little bigger, then, won't I?!!

Zip Quilt Kit

Mail
Originally uploaded by girlwithfabric.
Melissa over at Under Construction has come up with a wonderful little doll quilt kit, designed for people who have never quilted (or sewn) before but would like to give it a try. I was one of the lucky "guinea pigs" to get to try out her pattern.
It was a fun, quick sew - exactly what I needed to unclog my creative flow (there have just been too many large projects lately).


Zip quilt kit
Originally uploaded by girlwithfabric.
Doesn't she have a great eye for colors? I would have never put the torquoise/blue with those greens, but it totally works!


doll quilt layout
Originally uploaded by girlwithfabric.
I decided on a random layout, and it took me forever to make it look random. Ironic.


tying the doll quilt
Originally uploaded by girlwithfabric.
I had never tied a quilt before, and Melissa's instuctions worked beautifully.


doll quilt done!
Originally uploaded by girlwithfabric.
All done!


doll quilt in use
Originally uploaded by girlwithfabric.
Amy the bear would like to thank Melissa. Finally, she has a lovey and doesn't need to be afraid of the dark anymore.

catch-up

I've been having quite the week with allergies and job-related drama and PMSing, but am happy to report that I'm feeling much better today, and that I've gotten quite some crafting done. See for yourselves:

item #1: Purple Dress

I finished the pants and the hat. I decided to improve the pattern by making the hat reversible, which turned out a wee bit crumply, but mostly fine and definitely reversible.


I'm calling the whole thing a success!

item #2: Knitting
I needed something to do while watching a movie last week, so I dove into my yarn stash and taught myself to cable from this book. I had somehow thought that cable-ing was extremely difficult and only to be attempted by knitting super-heroes, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was and by how well I did with it.

The yarn was an inherited left-over, so the one ball I got was all there was. The pattern I was working with is for a jacket, and since I didn't want to end up with a one-sleeved jacket or anything similarly embarrassing and frustrating, I decided to turn this first attempt into a little clutch purse, lined with satin or some other fun fabric.
Then I moved on and bought this lovely green cotton ease, which I'm very much in love with even though it's only 50% cotton. It won me over with its pretty colors and soft softness. I'm making this jacket. Cute, huh?!


It's turning out well, isn't it?!

item #3: Quilting
I have a friend who had her second baby on Tuesday. I'm making dinner for them next Sunday, so this should be done by then. So far, the progress is promising...

It's going to be a nursery wall hanging, and my plan is to quilt the two boys' names into it. Thankfully, they're both short names. :)
(individual star pictures on flickr)

item #4: boldly going to where I've never gone before
I'm getting an application for a booth at the annual local craft fair this October. Booths run upwards of $150.- and I don't have anything to sell (at this point). But I made the call!