Pinky Soiree is done!

This quilt has been YEARS in the making! One of my first fabric purchases when I started sewing in 2010 was a scrap bundle from someone on Etsy which had a few honey bun scraps of Soiree by Lila Tueller in it and I fell in love. Once I found out what the fabric line was, I purchased a few honeybuns and started in on this quilt. And then it sat... for a year +... waiting for me to quilt it.

Recently I was the super happy winner of a giveaway on Lila Tueller's blog and won another honeybun of Soiree so I was able to make this quilt queen sized which is AWESOME :) The fabric has been out of print for a couple years now and I still can't believe my luck that I won that giveaway!

After I made her bigger I took her to my wonderful local long arm quilter and she did a fantastic job on the quilting - I couldn't be happier!

And finally... after 2 years of waiting, here she is, completely finished and on my bed :) 

This is one of my favorite OOP lines - so bright and cheerful! I love the various dots and stripes and leafy prints throughout the whole line. Makes me happy to see it on my bed every day :) I am hoarding a little bit of yardage and a charm pack so I can make some matching pillows when I have time in the future.

As I finally finished her this month, this is also my submission for the "My Precious QAL". Check it out - super fun flikr group and great motivation to STOP the hoarding and START the sewing :)

Sick sewing machine = super sad me!

There are 2 things that keep me sane after a long day/week at work - ok well other than my wonderful hubby and my loveable dog - 1. Running 2. Sewing

Fortunately I did not break a leg because I'm sure that would be a longer, more painful, and more expensive process... but it is almost as bad. My sewing machine stopped working!!

I hadn't used her in several weeks and finally 2 Saturdays ago I thought to myself "hey, I don't have any homework, I should work on my hubby's blanket!" so I started sewing and what happens... "URRGGHHHH beep beep beep beep beep" and the needle won't go up and down and the wheel on the side that turns that turns with A LOT of difficulty and only a little bit. Absolute tragedy people... I'm seriously almost in tears just thinking about it again.

I stared at her with shock and horror and thought to myself "maybe if I turn her back off and on again, she will work"... same result. *sigh*

So this weekend I had a lot of free time and kept forgetting that I couldn't sew and would go to start a project and would then remember. It seriously happened more than once - sad, I know. I'm only 29... where is my memory going? lol After that I decided I needed to get her to the repair shop so hubby and I went on our lunch break today (yes we work together - awesome to the max ;-)). Sure they can fix her for me, no problem... o wait... $120!! Are you kidding me? I love my machine but c'mon... she cost $300 and you can find her at Walmart these days for $240! I just stared at him in shock and disbelief and said ok, I guess I'll have to think about it... which he didn't seem to appreciate but hey, I'm not made of money!

I called one other place and they said $90 just for a basic tune-up, any parts or repairs would be extra - yikes! I called one last place in the area and they said it was ridiculous that I would even ask for a general repair cost without them knowing 20 different things about the machine blah blah blah blah... yea, great customer service right? Let me run on over to the store right away after that... hahaha NOT!

Sooooooooo I am sewing machine-less for right now. Oddly enough I happen to have 4 non-functioning sewing machines in my 1 bedroom apartment, that seems wrong to me. My grandma gave me her old Jenome but the reverse lever doesn't work and how does one sew without a reverse stitch?? So that isn't an option to hold me over right now either. I do have a old treddle machine but it is from my great grandma and I'd feel AWFUL if I ever broke it and I don't even know if it works - the belt is looking super worn and there is no chance we are lifting that beast back into our car to take it somewhere anyway. And I have a random vintage singer I picked up at an antique store a few months ago. The cord was cut by some dufus so it isn't useable but it is cute :) Soooooooooooo... lots of decorations, no functioning machines haha.

While writing this whiney post I've also been texting with my mom and she is going meet up with me tomorow to take it home with her and see if she can maybe get it working for me. She has been sewing for years and years and on lots of different machines so maybe she can work some magic. If not, it is worth a try. I'll try to make the teary-eyed sad face go away now and get through my work day.... big whiner, I know ;-)

Apparently I am emotionally attached to my sewing machine... but then again, I'm emotionally attached to my running shoes so I shouldn't be surprised haha. C'mon... tell me I'm not alone in this weirdness.... ok maybe no one else is attached to their shoes but sewing machine? There must be someone else! lol

Empty Wish-List - is it possible???

You absolutely may not believe this but my fabric wish-list is EMPTY!!! There are a few prints that I would like to have from new lines coming out, but nothing I’m saving for really because:


1. I have WAY too much fabric and need to stop buying it!

2. I am broke because I am saving for Sewing Summit (aka paying our family budget back for my plane ticket) :)

Uncanny… I know! No fabric lines to stalk, no wish list to check each month… it is kind of nice tho, I have to say. Every time I get a sale or shop email I am just ignoring and deleting them – no matter how awesome the discount or deal!

Let’s be honest here tho – another reason for the above is because I already purchased all of the lines I want for this fall :) Maybe not as much of each line as I would have liked, but enough and that will have to do.

1. Brrr! – on my desk and waiting to be made into something fabulous!

2. Nursery Versery – A few ½ yards and FQs are on their way to my house – hopefully by this weekend!

3. Perfectly Perched – A FQ bundle and a couple extra FQs are also on their way to my house - love love love!

HOWEVER – it is still crazy that there are no lines between now and the end of the year that I’m dying for. Maybe I need to do more research? Hahaha.
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of great lines out there and new ones coming out soon – I just don’t have any “must have immediately or I’ll cry!” favorites remaining which is nice because my list was rather long and has taken a lot of time and saving to get through :)

Now if only I could stop obsessing over running shoes (Vibram five fingers – o my gosh I am obsessed) and gear, I’d be set and my budget would be a lot happier. Baby steps… baby steps…

How about you? Any remaining big wish list items for this fall – fabric or otherwise?

… o yea, and by the way, HELLO! I’m sorry I’ve been away so long! Homework and the draw of the great outdoors has kept me away along with a general disinterest in sewing lately. I just want to sun, run, hike, play play play lately :) But hopefully there will be some sewing soon and I have a few older things to show you anyway… more blog posts to come soon, I promise!