the year ends

Here we are, somehow, at the very end of 2012. What a strange feeling. This year was such a mix; by far one of the most stressful years in recent memory, with lower lows then I could have imagined. It was a hard one, no two ways about it, but we are coming out the other side {I hope} and the coming year looks bright. I don't want to pretend there were not plenty of very good moments, though. Parenting a 2-year-old is hard, but so much fun and she is definitely a bright spot on even the hardest of days. We also had a truly lovely vacation, and lots of other good moments to get us through.

Through it all, my sewing kept me sane. I learned and developed so much this year, I find it kind of incredible.  I finished 16 (!!!!) quilts, and 3 of them were queen sized! To be fair, some of them were simply wrapped up this year, but still.

I really worked on learning, at least on a basic level, how to make clothes both for me, and the little one and I am looking forward to continuing with it. I made so many bags, both big and small, some pillows, and even found time to knit a few things. This is just a sampling of my favorites.

I am really pleased with all I accomplished this year, and while next year isn't entirely clear at this point as we are still getting settled into our new lives, I think it will be a big one. I have so many things I am itching to start, but I still need to finish setting up my craft space and get my thoughts in order so I'll be back with that one in a few days. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a wonderful time ringing in the new year! I can't believe tomorrow is 2013! Here's to a fantastic New Year!

the final gift

I guess it's been weeks now, but this is the final gift I managed to get made this holiday season. It was for my mother and I am happy to be able to report that she loves it.

I used a pattern I have used a couple of times before, and I still love it. This time I lost my mind a little and decided that since I didn't have any single pieces big enough, it needed to be patchwork. and of course the squares needed to finish at 2". To be fair, I then got lazy and did solid pieces for the pockets, but that's okay. I used all home decor weight fabric that I had scraps of, and I still have way too much left. I probably should have quilted it a little more to make it sturdier, but it still works. I don't even know where the purple from the handles came from, but I was happy to find it. I used some damask that I still have lots of for the lining. I could have used it for the outer, but I didn't want it to match mine plus I would say my mom is more of a patchwork kind of gal.

So that's that. The next time I post it should be from our new southern home. I can't wait to be settled in and feel like we have a home again. Hopefully both the kid and the cat do alright on the long drive to a strange place.

I'm still alive!

I thought while I had a few minutes I would pop in and say hi :)  Things are crazy around here, to say the least. All of our belongings have been successfully moved to the new place of residence, and in another handful of days we will actually get to go join them.

Crafting has been very limited. I managed to start my socks, but that is about it. I really can't wait to get back to my sewing machine though. In the mean time, I have some definite fabric shopping plans for the future.

In other news, my sweet, sweet husband got me this pattern I fell in love with

Source: amitie.com.au via Cassie on Pinterest

Along with Sunday Morning Quilts, so I am a very happy girl. I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season. I'll be back in a few days with the other duffle bag I made as a gift and maybe a little recap of the year as soon as I can wrap my head around it.

a hummingbird

It's finally moving day. And guys, I. am. tired. It has been so crazy trying to get it all packed up and organized, but it is over now. At least the packing part, we'll worry about unpacking another day.  I am hoping by New Years we will feel like we have a new home and be at least a little settled, but I guess we'll see how quickly it goes. We still don't even know exactly what date our things will be delivered and even after we go meet the truck, we'll be heading back to spend the holidays with our families. So we are still looking at over a week until we are officially moved in. *sigh* Fun but stressful.

Enough about my moving woes, on to the little bits of sewing I have managed to do recently. I am most proud of finishing that stinking needlepoint, so I thought I would show you the final product. I seriously dislike needlepoint I think. And I guess it looks okay in the end, but I certainly wouldn't like it for myself. Thankfully I think my grandparents will adore it, and clearly that is what matters.

I am glad it is done, especially since I bought it to make for them probably 5 years ago and never did. Once I realized it was needlepoint and I had no idea how to do it, it got shoved in a box. And now I can go ahead and never make another one :) I even had that perfectly sized frame sitting around! It was pretty impressive.

So that's that. I have a couple more things to put up here, hopefully this week. I have to really get to thinking about my goals for next year and do a little reflection on this one, but that is something I always look forward to. I can't believe there are only 2 weeks left of this year! Hopefully everything goes smoothly today and I'll have something pretty in progress to show you Wednesday :)

WIP Wednesday {12.12.12}

Yes, I am excited about the date :) Anyway, I'll be honest, in all the crazy I almost forgot to post this today. Somehow I did remember, but I'll keep it short and sweet. It appears I did get a good amount done this week....

Completed:

feathers! - my most epic finish. I am so in love. If I didn't know it was going to such a great house where it will be loved, I wouldn't have wanted to let it go.

bag for mom- obviously I still need to take better pictures of it, but it came out well and I think she'll like it

seat belt cover - it ended up so cute! And she loves it!

lanyard - Easy and lovely.

Still to do:

key fobs - fabric is picked out, I just need to do it
needlepoint - I am almost done! But I forgot to take a picture...
gifts for the little one - better luck next month


Waiting:

*lilly belle - this is getting moved down here until I have time to get supplies and think about it again.
*wedding quilt -I think I know what I am going to do. But it might have to wait until I knock out some gifts....
*wedding quilt II- I know exactly what I am going to do, I just need to find out what colors would be preferred.
*baby quilt - still an idea just waiting for me to come play. Once I find the perfect fabric I will be on my way. Someday.... 

So, the list is almost done! Good thing since I am drowning in boxes and trying to explain to a 2.5 year old what the heck is going on. I am pretty much just waiting for February at this point, when things will really be more settled. For now, I am just trying to take it day by day and finish everything that needs to be done without losing my mind. Hope everyone is having a good week!

feathers!!!!

Ahhh!!! One week til moving day *cue panic*. So much packing still to do, but I suppose it will all get done. Makes me wish we didn't have so much stuff....and we've already gotten rid of so much! At least I am just about done all the things I need to sew with my machine. I made good progress this weekend on all that stuff, so soon I will pack it up and just have my hand work. I have mixed feeling on that; I do so love my sewing machine, but it will be nice to be making some things by hand like hexies, and socks, and cross stitch.

Anyway, on to the point! The feathers quilt is done!!!! I am so happy to be able to finally share this quilt! It is my first commissioned quilt and I have been working on it for quite a while now. It was made for the wonderful woman who took our family photographs over the summer. She requested the AMH feather bed quilt. Queen sized. This, my friends, is a very large quilt. It ends up 90" x 108" making it my largest quilt so far. And possibly my most epic :)

These blocks, while certainly beautiful, are a whole lot of work. Especially 57 of them. I used field study as the prints (15 out of the 36), kona charcoal as the stems, and a cream colored flat sheet from target for the background. The sheet got so soft after washing! The back is also a target sheet, this time gray, with a stripe of kona curry. I used a new-to-me batting this time, and I think I love it. It is nature-fill or something that I picked up at joanns. It is a blend of bamboo rayon and organic cotton and it is incredibly soft and has a great drape. I actually picked it up because I needed king size batting for this one so it needed to be packaged, and this was the one where I could quilt the furthest apart, but I ended up loving it and will definitely try it again.

The quilting is a zig zag in cream thread that follows the angles of the feathers. Since we decided to flip every other row of feathers, it worked out absolutely perfectly. It may be one of my favorite quilting jobs, I just love the way it compliments the feathers. I quilted random distances apart and it is certainly not perfect, but I love it.

I am happy to say that it has been received and the recipient loves it! It is also my final quilt finish of the year, which is kind of exciting. Now I just have a few more gifts to finish up and then I start wrapping! I do love that part a little :) So hopefully by Wednesday I will be finishing up the things I have left to sew and then the serious packing shall commence!

WIP Wednesday {12.5.12}

The race is on! I am furiously working to get as much done as I can in the next 1.5 weeks, and it looks like I am going to get all the important things done. I am going to have to wait on the gifts for the little one until after we move I think, but that's okay, I know she won't mind.

Completed:

bag for dad

Finished and I love it. I hope he does too and can use it.

Must Do:

feathers- I finished up the binding last night and it is currently being washed so I can photograph and send it out. Look for a reveal sometime next week!
bag for mom - I have one more piece to make and then I can quilt them and put it together. By the end of tomorrow I hope I have a finished bag.

seat belt cover - requested as a gift. I need to do this. soon.
lanyard - a graduation gift for my nursey friend
little ones gift - I know what I am making, but I need to pick fabric. It will probably wait until we move though.
key fobs - little gifts for everyone
needlepoint - Hasn't been touched since I have been focused on binding all week. I will pick it back up very soon though and hopefully finish it up pretty quickly.


Want to do (most of these will be for all the time traveling and away from my machine):
christmas pjs for the little one - clearly I will not have time. Unless I bring it and make it at my in-laws while we are there.....
hexie pillow - another thing I haven't touched all week.
hat for me
socks
cross stitch 


Waiting:

*lilly belle - this is getting moved down here until I have time to get supplies and think about it again.
*wedding quilt -I think I know what I am going to do. But it might have to wait until I knock out some gifts....
*wedding quilt II- I know exactly what I am going to do, I just need to find out what colors would be preferred.
*baby quilt - still an idea just waiting for me to come play. Once I find the perfect fabric I will be on my way. Someday.... 

I am getting there. Slowly but surely. And all the fabric I don't need right now is packed so that is good. Still too much to do and not enough time, but it will all work out in the end. I seriously can't wait to be unpacked and start some new things! In the mean time, here's hoping for a very productive week!

One more down

Happy Monday! I think. 2 weeks until moving day, but at least I have one more thing crossed off my list. This weekend I finished the bag for my dad and it came out really well. It took longer than I was hoping, but at least it is done.

I used the getaway duffle bag pattern again, and like the last one, I quilted it. This time I used a layer of felt for the inner layer and it worked out well. I was a little worried about it, but it seems to have a good deal of structure. I decided not to use the piping this time, which made it a bit easier and I thought worked better with the plaid, although the edges aren't quite as nice. I also added a snap for the outer pocket I added, which I think was a good call. It does get a little easier with each one I make and I am happier with the way they turn out. Even machine stitching in the lining went pretty well!I used a black fabric with brown dots for the lining. I originally bought it to use for my farmers wife because I thought the dots were gray, but since they weren't, it has been sitting around for a while now.

So at least that is done and I have started cutting for my mom's bag and I am over halfway done binding the feathers quilt. After that it is pretty much just small stuff. I can't believe how the time is flying. I have way too much to do. And I totally bought myself the weekender bag pattern so that is on my list for the new year. Along with a bazillion other things. I also can't decide which hand work projects to have ready for moving time. I really want to do my kawaii winter wonderland cross stitch, but I also have my hexies and a bunch of things to knit and I am trying not to start too many at once since then they will never get finished. But enough about all that for now. I am crossing my fingers that by Wednesday I have the panels for my mom's bag all ready and can begin construction!