[new treasures hunted]

So yesterday I was needing a little pick-me-up. The week was hard. The rain was falling. The adorable 4 yrs old was happy with a new dvd for the drive. The Tim Hortons "steeped tea, double double, milk" was cooling in the cup holder. I was all ready for a little road trip. After receiving email from Hamels for a few months I decided it was time to pay a little visit. And since I was feeling particularly self-controlled I figured it was a safe day to visit a fabric shop without fear of blowing the grocery budget! [wink]

I have to say, it was totally worth the little drive! Adorable store, lovely in-the-country location, very kind and helpful staff! And... the quilts. Oh my! The samples and the kits and the FQs and the F8s and the roll ends and discounts and jelly rolls and charm packs... oh my!


So much to take in. So much to run hands over. So much to dig through and sort through and dream about. It was like sinking into a perfectly warm bath after a cold day. Just... ahhhhhh!
Little man and I spent an hour in the store, a good chunk of that time sitting together on the lovely hardwood floor of the attic show room (where the deals are!!!) treasure hunting for fat eighths through a basket big enough for the Duggar family picnic. So fun! And the ladies didn't mind my 4 yrs old boy's exuberance. Or his touching hands. Or his wiggle-dancing bottom as he performed for them and told them again and again that "this fabwik is foe me and this fabwik is for my big bwudder". So adorable of Mr. C and so kind of the staff. Definitely made the store all the more impressive to this shopping momma!

I am so excited to be chopping the fabric up and getting a project so near completion in only a day! Just waiting for the kids to watch their movie and get to bed so I can get the iron going and get the seams steamed and get the last chevrons sewn! I'm using an easy log cabin ruler that totally rocks! Since I'm a visual learner I put little letter stickers on my table to help make the sorting and coordinating process less stressful, and it worked! These blocks are coming together lickety-split!

Can't wait to finish the fourth and final block! I had to stop working on it tonight because the temptation was to 'just get it done' and I didn't want to sacrifice my straight (wahoo!!!) stitching by ruining the final block! Doesn't it look so sweet? And all from a handful of 99cent F8s! Sweet, indeed!

[found it: gift card holder tutorial]

HOORAY!!!!

THANK YOU MODA BAKESHOP AND THE LOVELY QUILTERS WHO POST THERE!!!!

THANK YOU, FRIENDS, FOR SEARCHING FOR ME... I WANTED TO POST THIS QUICK TO SAVE YOU THE WORRY! [SMILE]

Here's the tutorial, in case you'd like to make one yourself: Punch Card Holder Tutorial

[in search of gift card holder tutorial

Please help?!

I know that just recently I saw a gift card holder tutorial and, silly me, I didn't bookmark it. [insert pout] Does anyone know of a sew gift card holder tutorial somewhere in cyberspace... there are only about 2 bzillion blogs I follow weekly, so I'm hoping one of you bookmarked it and can let me know! [smile]

THANK YOU!

[first 'real' quilt block ever]

Ta da! I did it!!! I used Riel's great tutorial and made my very first, very own Fussy Cut Scrappy Square (wonkified... cuz straight lines sometimes freak me out but wonky helps me free up to play!). My strip sewing is more wonky than I probably was going for... but ultimately I aimed for 'consistently inconsistent' and am happy with the end results. LOL


I struggled a little because I'm really bad at reading instructions (just ask my husband!) and then I got lazy (because I took the laptop upstairs and was too lazy to go get it so I could re-read the tutorial) but I did it all the same! I would have had the 12.5" finish that Riel wrote of, but my scraps weren't as long as hers (these were from my ticker tape quilt scraps) so I adjusted accordingly. Look how pretty it looks all squared up!

I decided to try and enlarge the square to get it closer to 12.5, plus my scrapbooking background suggested that the colours wanted a little grounding to hold them in and make them stand out better. My kids have been dragging this random FQ of lovely lovely fabric from our dearly, departed, Great-Nana's sewing stash so I grabbed it off the coffee table (I know, why do kids put things in such random places?!?!) and decided to create strips. Since I don't know how to do math and measuring very well, I just pulled out this 3" ruler and cut 1" strips from the lovely lovely fabric. I really like how the navy ties it all together! I can just hear Great-Nana cheering, see her big smile, see her hands clapping with delight that I have sewn this block. Seriously, heart is busting with pride just from the memories of her grandmotherly delight in her family!!!

I love how spring-y and cheery this block has turned out! It's speaking to me of a little book bag for my daughter's violin books, or maybe a cushion to bring some sunshine since the weather isn't! Even as it is, this block just makes me smile on this cold, cold wet day!

[playing around a little]

Guided by a tutorial. Inspired by the amazing Riel's sewing freedom and gorgeous selvage works! The fussy cut butterfly reminds me of Jane (Want it, Need it, Quilt!) and the fun and 'just do it' energy I'm going with is Riel's (The Q and the U) amazing freedom about sewing!

Tutorial here:
http://quispamsisquilter.blogspot.com/2010/09/fussy-cut-scrappy-square-tutorial.html


Pardon the poor photos but I'm going through Riel's tutorial on my laptop and thought I'd snap a quick photo or two on Photobooth on my laptop! May you be inspired today!

[quilts for queensland]

Paying it forward...

Have you heard of the devastating flooding in Queensland Australia? So much loss, so much sorrow, so many people have lost everything. Join me in sending some quilting love to help ease the sorrow of the people of Queensland.

What you can do, how you can donate, ways to show some love and how to pay it forward...

{Quilts for Queensland}

[winning]

Hello All!

Thanks for the encouraging words about my little piggies, that was so nice!!!

Just a quick up date that I have been victorious!!! After ripping out the teeny tiny stitches (oops, didn't check and the stitch length on my machine was bumped to 'microscopic' so it took eons to rip those suckers out!) I watched yet another tutorial (sorry I didn't link it, just typed in "wonky blocks" into YouTube and watched the first one that came up) and figured it out!!! My little piggies are happily bordered with the lovely dark brown and looking fabulous!!!
HOORAY!

I did work on layout today and even rigged up a 'design wall' of sorts... you'll have to wait and see because guess what?!! Madame Samm has invited me to be a guest blogger over at Stash Manicure in March!!!! I was stunned and humbled and excited and curious when I received her email. I mean... come on... a newbie quilter like me drools over you big league quilt bloggers... seriously, drool!!!!

Jane, Riel... I know that you two and the many other gals whose blogs I follow would have great insight and fun stories to share... consider becoming a guest blogger yourself at Stash Manicure!

[don'tcha wish that you could be a fly on the wall]

Okay. So I have said it before and I'll just restate it again before going any further... I am a newbie quilter. I have no idea what to do with the fabric. I can still remember the disaster of my grade 8 Home Ec nightie. I am just winging it and repeating to myself, "If Riel can do it, I hope so can I" (She's my hero and can be found at The Q and the U ).


So with all that working against me, and after getting a true quilter's corner set up in my craft room, I decided to just give it a whirl and "go with it" in hopes of success! I had purchased several $2 scrap bags at the LQS a few weeks ago and was super excited when my sweet 3-turning-4 yrs old pointed out "It's Olivia!!!" with an adorable squeal. And with Jane's flair for fussy cuts (she's another hero of mine over at Want it. Need it. Quilt.) I decided to get some fussy cutting practice and make me some piggies for block centers. I counted and measured and then counted and measured, took a deep breath, said to myself, "It's just scraps!" and zinged that rotary cutter through...and it worked! Ta da!!!


Then came the tricky part. Feel free to giggle, guffaw, laugh out loud. I won't mind. I was laughing at myself as I was butchering my first wonky block piggie. I've watched tutorials. I had built up my courage. Obviously my skill is far, far, really far behind! LOL But, I tried.

I guess if I was going for peek-a-book windows or something... I was 1/2 right, see 2 corners over and 2 corners under. [insert eye roll here] And when I find my seam ripper and discombobulate this poor block, I shall try again!

Don'tcha wish that you could be a fly on the wall... and giggle along with me as I figure this whole quilting thing out?!?! I sure wish you could be here with me, cuz I *know* there has got to be a better way than mine! LOL And don't you love that sweet flannel I'm going to back this little quiltie with?!?!? Since the quilt is for my son, I will be adding some of that lovely blue into the Olivia blocks... once I figure out how to do that!

Ah, if you don't laugh, you'll cry... so we laugh!!! [smile]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!