Just Needed A Sewing Fix

This week I had just a little time to sew and a small packet of new charms. I SHOULD have finished up a project or two, but I just wanted to make something for me and more important, I wanted to finish it! I had just gotten a packet of charms from Sandy Gervais--I think a collection of Fresh Squeezed. It is so bright and happy--the perfect colors to go with my dishes and things in my dining room. Since my sewing machine is in my dining room, I decided to make something like this, using this technique.

It worked pretty well. Next time, I think the interfacing technique would look better with smaller squares. I experimented a bit with a small 9-patch, quilting it with batting, and it looks nice, although a bit stiff (as Alicia Paulson warned). All in all, it makes a cheery addition to my dining room, and I think it'll help keep the dust off my machine. Thanks to Tiny House via SewMamaSew Blog and PosieGetsCozy for the great inspiration!

Summer

I am so excited. After lurking about blogland since last fall, I have joined Doll Quilt Swap 7. After exploring my swap partner's blog an flickr posts, I have almost decided what to make. I think I can make it both modern and retro--I'm tempted to make two, as many in the DQS7 discussion have mentioned.

I DID make zucchini cake the other day, using this recipe from Tasty Kitchen. It's supposed to be bread; I baked it as a sheet cake. I also cut the oil to 3/4 c and the sugar to 1 3/4 c. The pineapple makes it sweet enough & good for breakfast, too! It has been so cool and rainy this July I was beginning to wonder if it would ever feel like summer (only 3 weeks until school starts!). Zucchini helps.

Once I get some photos, I'll show another project I actually finished this week. It is so great to start and complete something!

Sidetracked in September

I spent quite a bit of time making a background and some layered petals for my September sunflower page last Sunday, but the rest of the week I've been sidetracked. Aside from little distractions like jobs (mine may disappear it turns out) and getting new health insurance, I've been trying to get some things made toward an Etsy shop. This week I spent working on a collection in green & navy with butterflies--kinda of Asian in fall colors. I will have a table runner, micro runners, and coasters.

Then yesterday I discovered some great Halloween fabric at the local shop--kinda vintage style with black cats and pumpkins. I just love it, and I'm not even much of a novelty fabric person. So this afternoon I made a cute apron out of the Halloween stuff.

As soon as I get the scanner stuff figured out, I'll post a pic of my September page in progress. I'm not quite sure how to do the leaf, but I suspect I should just do what will get it done so I can start beading. Of course, several have posted that they have already finished their pages (!), but I will be happy with finishing it this month.
Peace,
KQuiltyBee

Bead Journal Project Choices

Since September is near, so I've been figuring out my personal parameters for my pages over the next 12 months. The Project's Rules stipulate that each of us sets a size in advance to use for all of the pages. Also, the pages must have beading on them. Other than that, we are limited only by our imagination. After lots of thinking and discussing and trying out possibilities in my head, here are my personal guidelines for BJP 2008:

1. Each page will be 5 X 10 inches, vertical orientation.
2. Each page will use only recycled/upcycled materials. (I have enough of everything I could ever need--fabric, beads, batting, and just plain ole junk :))
3. Each page will experiment with a new (for me) technique--I have a couple years' worth of Quilting Arts magazine, among other things, and I would like to try all kinds of things. This is the place to do it.

So I'm ready to rock-n-roll! This project inspires me to get a lot of sewing things organized, even if it's in my dining room, and I can't wait to just make things for no reason other than I want to.

To fresh starts & new years,

Kolleen

September Sunflower

Ok, so I know it's not September yet, but my mind has been swirling with choices for the September Bead Journal page. The sunflowers outside my kitchen window are calling, with all their raggedy brightness. Really, they are on their last legs yet still so bright and even optimistic. Maybe what I love most about them are that they are all "volunteers" some even rogue sunflowers, sprouting up and absolutely flourishing in places they don't belong (however, since we were gone when it was time to plant the garden, eveything is rogue--only the roses are on purpose).

Because these sunflowers are all reseeded from last year, they are an interesting mix of different types--now I have no idea which ones they are. Some are bright yellow, some are orangey with rusty streaks in toward the center, some are 20 feet tall! Regardless of their lineage, the bees and butterflies and some kind of black wasp love them. We even saw a hummingbird today (rare for us).

What does all this have to do with my bead journal page? Well, September's page will celebrate the rogue sunflowers. I have all kinds of yellow, orange and brown beads and fabrics.

The new technique? I've been reading 49 Sensational Skirts and I'm going to try one of Willoughby's layered template techniques for the petals.

I think I may have to start today--I just can't wait for September!

Peace,

Kolleen a.k.a. KQuiltyBee