QAYG ~ An experiment

I decided to try something new and chose a "quilt as you go" pillow tutorial from Let's Eat Grandpa. 6 hours (and only minor cursing) later ... I finished this:

Although it was just for practice, I took a chance and used some of my favorite fabrics and o buddy am I in love!

I can't say I would do this all in one sitting again, 6 hours of QAYG is a bit too much for my patience and nerves, but it is super easy and lots of fun. Let's Eat Grandpa has some amazing pillows she made in this style and I'm hoping to try more colors next time and get a little closer to her awesomeness.

For my first try tho, I'm pleased as punch with my new pillow :)

April finishes ~ finally! :)

As April comes to a close I am happy to report that all swaps and bee blocks are finished as of today and ready to mail this coming week, woo hoo!

First up is my Modern She  Made swap package:

This Lonestar mini-quilt is definitely one of my favorite swap items I've made over the past couple of years. It turned out around 27 x 29 ~ not as "mini" as I was going for but hopefully my partner will like it!

I used this tutorial from Better Off Thread: http://betteroffthread.com/2012/08/19/scrappy-lone-star-tutorial-part-1/

I also made her a little needlebook based off of this tutorial from Nanacompany: http://nanacompany.typepad.com/nanacompany/2011/10/needlebook-tutorial-by-nanacompany.html

I've never made a needlebook before but it seemed like a cute and useful "extra" so I thought I'd give it a try. 

Hope my partner likes her package! I am a little nervous and super excited to see what I will receive in this swap!

Up next are my April Bee blocks for Aylin:

I have to admit that I couldn't figure these blocks out from the instructions at first and I was pretty stressed about them all month. I finally realized today, after asking again for additional instructions, that pictures were included in the original write-up but since I'd opened it in a web browser, all I saw before was text! DOH! After seeing the pictures it all made sense to me and I was able to whip up these 4 half blocks pretty easily. I feel so bad for making Aylin doubt her instructions and have to deal with my bazillions of questions!
I really like the effect these blocks create when put together and can't wait to see her finished quilt ~ the blocks I've seen so far together look awesome! Off to Germany these little blocks will go as of Monday/Tuesday! 

It feels good to have everything finished up on time and ready to send out! And it isn't even Sunday yet, woo hoo! 

I have to admit, even tho I shouldn't have, I did sign up for another swap. I know I know, this is my 4th big swap in a row on top of my 6 months bee and really stupid of me... but I can NEVER pass up the Pillow Talk Swap! The one time I did, I absolutely regretted it!!

So here is my inspiration mosaic for my partner:

I included a bunch of my all time favorites so I can't wait to see what she will make me!

My partner's mosaic is very interesting and challenging... so I need to do a lot of brainstorming before I get started. I'm hoping to pick a pattern and pull some fabric for her approval tomorrow. It feels good to have a whole afternoon/evening to work on something else after church tomorrow, now that the above projects are completed! This one is due June 1st so I need to stay on top of it so I'm not stressed out by the end of the month with this and bee blocks again!

I'm also doing a personal swap with 2 friends due by the end of June. We are making a large and a small item for eachother... I need to get going on those as well so I will be busy busy until the end of June and then no more swaps until Pillow Talk Swap comes up again!!

I've loved most of the swaps I've been in but I've tried out too many in the past year+ and haven't always been pleased with the result. I've spent a lot of time, creativity, and money on these swaps and really need to just back off for a while. I've learned which ones I love and which ones just are not worth it, and am ready for a break.

I've decided that I'm only making space in my life for the Pillow Talk Swap for the rest of the year and ignoring all others, no matter how intriguing they may seem! I have tons of personal projects that are waiting to be finished, plus new things I'd like to start for myself, my home, and my family... so that is what the second half of this year will be used for. 

Until then... stay tuned for more swap progress in May & June :) Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Full Moon Lagoon ~ The new Mendocino?

I was browsing on Hawthorne Threads the other day and came across Full Moon Lagoon by Mo Bedell and I immediately fell in love. Fuchsia and sea horses? Yes, I'm sold! 

Full Moon Lagoon at Hawthorne Threads

I think one of the things that really grabs me about this line tho is its similarity to Heather Ross' Mendocino line

So what are your thoughts? Loving both? Neither? I am definitely putting Full Moon Lagoon on my wish list! 

Happy Easter!

Apparently the expiration date on the Peeps package is no joke... who knew Marshmallows could turn so evil... but still so cute! hehehe

Being the strange Aunt that I am, I made these little cuties for my niece and nephews who are visiting my Mom this week during their Spring Break. Heading over for an early Easter dinner today since they have to head out tomorrow morning for the long drive home. Hoping they like their new little friends! 

Happy Easter! 

Modernista Swap Received

Last week I came home to find this cute swap package on my doorstep from my Modernista partner:

The pillow cover allows for a bed pillow squished in there, which makes it super big and snuggly! The bright basket and coasters will be well used in our apartment ~ always love getting such cheerful gifts!

I am always sad at the end of a swap, even when I receive a lovely package and have a happy partner who has received there's. After months of plotting, posting pictures, commenting, and wondering what package is mine when I check out the Flikr feed... I always feel a little lost when it is all wrapped up and over. I aimlessly wander through Flikr... waiting for the next Swap to begin so I can start obsessing all over again haha. Anyone else feel this way? Or is it just me who is OCD about stalking Flikr lol.

Luckily for me, I was already signed up for another swap on the tail of this one! Modern She Made is focusing on stars this round so while it is time to say goodbye to Modernista, it is also time to start plotting my MSM project... stay tuned for updates :)

Weekend Sewing

Saturday I spent the afternoon with a friend of mine who I haven't seen in a month since she found a new job and we don't work together anymore. After we went out to lunch we decided to make softies. Generally I thought we would make a few and have a good ol' time together... but both of our softies thwarted those plans and between fabric choices and pattern issues, it took us around 5 hours to finish lol. We did however have a FABULOUS time together... and both finished our softies... so in the end I would say it was a success!

I made a crazy little bug and she made this cool Jamaican pony... or at least that is what we are calling it lol.

I was pretty lazy most of today because I have a headcold again... or the same one that just decided to flare up and make me very sleepy and stuffed up, ugh. But I was able to get my 2 bee blocks for the month finished this evening so I am VERY happy about that!

This month's Queen Bee wanted tangerine/orange/lemon colors for a beautiful citris dresden wedge quilt. I was disappointed on Thursday to see that my Joanns did not carry the Easy Dresden tool but luckily I was able to order it on Friday from Amazon and it arrived on Saturday, much to my surprise and delight! I had til the end of the month to mail these but I'd prefer that she receive them by the end of the month, so I was glad to finish them up today. It was fun trying a new block and picking out these bright Summer colors for my bee member. 3 months down and 3 more to go!!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! Booooooooooo to Monday morning looming just around the corner tho, agh!

Yay ~ she liked it!! :)

My partner received her swap package today ~ that is the advantage of us only living about 1 hour apart, quick shipping! She seems to really love it and I'm soooooooooo glad! It looks great on her couch too!

 

 Always makes me so happy to receive a happy email from a partner when they receive their package. I was pretty sure she was going to love this because she commented through the whole process, but actually having her see it in person and be excited is even better :) A job well done, another swap almost over, and I'm wishing I had a break ahead of me but alas... I signed up for A LOT this spring hahaha. 

We'll see what lovely package comes my way for this swap ~ end of the month is the last day to mail so I could have a couple weeks to wait but that is ok. 

Now on to bee blocks to finish out the month! Dresden tool, here I come!!!!!!!!!!

Aeroplane Bag ~ A Sew Sweetness Pattern

Sara of Sew Sweetness just released her newest pattern ~ the Aeroplane Bag ~ check out her blog post for more information!

This big beautiful bag comes in a regular and long version, I chose to make the regular version. The pattern calls for By Annie's Soft & Stable for the top panel to add padding and shape, along will Peltex for the bottom panel to add more stability. This was my first time using Peltex and I have to say, I am a fan ~ it certainly gives a nice solid base to this bag that holds its shape well.

As soon as I saw this pattern I knew this was a bag I was going to want to keep so I pulled out my hoarded Melody Miller fabric and went to town making a patchwork panel for the front and back. I have to say all in all I am pretty pleased with my work and am super excited to have a unique travel bag to use next time I have to carry around sewing supplies or go on a short trip.

If you are looking for a supply/over night bag that is large, functional, with easy to follow instructions that are achievable for an intermediate sewer, I highly recommend you check out this wonderful pattern by Sara!

Swappy Update ~ Finally!

Hellllloooooooooooo! I'm back from our quick week trip to Germany for a family reunion and getting back into the swing of things ~ including sewing!

I am soooooooooo excited to show you all the newest bag I made as a tester for one of Sara's patterns but that will have to wait until she releases it. Mean to tease you, I know! All I can say is large travel bag + Melody Miller fabric = I'm in love! As soon as I got back from Germany I hit the ground running to get this beauty done by Sara's deadline ... glad I volunteered for it tho because I am loving her pattern for this one and soooooo happy with my resulting bag! Stay tuned later this week for pictures!

Outside of making that big beauty, I've been working on my swap item for the Modernist Homemade swap. This round they are focusing on the living room ~ which to me really means ANOTHER PILLOW! hahaha Not that I don't have a bazillion... 1 more can't hurt right?? I also requested a mini quilt to hang on my sewing room wall since that is the room I mostly "live in", I figured it counts :) We'll see what I end up with! We have to ship at the end of the month... I am a bit nervous but keeping my fingers crossed that it will be awesome!

My partner had some rather specific details in her mosaic and information, from which I created this lovely pillow cover for her. I am in love with these x & + blocks and her color scheme is not one I normally would have chosen but I really like the way it came together!

I decided to go with some straight line quilting in a X formation and was a little more daring than usual by choosing mustard colored thread. Not sure if you can see it here but I got the right side quarter finished last night. I really love the texture it adds to the pillow cover without taking away from the fabrics/design of the blocks themselves. Hoping to get this finished tonight and start working on her small item this weekend. I have until the 31st to mail so I am doing great with time... just love getting things finished up and on their way!

I also have 2 Dresden blocks to make for my Bee this month which are on the agenda for next week at the latest. My group is soooooo fast and everyone else is done with their blocks but I figure as long as I am not late, it works out! I need to head to Joanns and get an EZ dresden ruler to make this month's blocks ... will add that to my to-do list for the week which is just growing and growing, yikes!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful and productive week!!

New Page ~ Handemade Items For Sale

In an attempt to curb my hoarder tendencies, I will be listing items for sale from time to time. Take a look at my sale page and contact me if you are ever interested in anything listed there or having a custom item made! I love all my creations but sometimes they need to find a good home so I can keep sewing and learning!

In other news... I'm back from a quick trip to Germany! I will post a couple pictures soon... we got home Wednesday night and jumped back to work already Thursday morning so I haven't even had time to unpack!

Pictures and crafty updates soon, I promise... hope everyone is having a great week!

Japanese x & + Block

Have you seen this cool tutorial by Badskirt Amy? It is for the Japanese x & + Block, which was inspired by Setsuko Inawaga's submission to the Tokyo Quilt Festival. 

I am thinking of using some of these cute blocks for a swap item in the near future so I decided to make a practice block tonight. I like how it turned out... even tho it was a little smaller than hers when I squared it up because I can't sew straight to save my life ;-)

I am thinking of making this one into a mug rug with a grey border around it. We'll see tho... for now it is just a happy practice block hanging out on my cutting board. 

I really should be packing because we are heading to Germany for a quick trip to visit the in-laws and I haven't cleaned nor packed at all.... but that is what tomorrow night is for right?? :) 

Wishing everyone a lovely week and I'll catch you when we get back later on! Happy Sewing! 

Locked & Loaded Bag ~ A SewSweetness Pattern

My friend Sara of SewSweetness has been on fire lately creating awesome new bag patterns! She released another one today ~ The Locked & Loaded Bag. For more information about the pattern and to check out the loveliness here from all of her testers, click here.

I was lucky enough to get to be one of her testers and I will tell you - I LOVE this bag! It was a lot easier and faster to put together than the Dot Dot Dash, as there are no external zippers or top zipper panel to wrestle. The interfacing is the same in both bags, Annie's Soft and Stable, and I really like how it gives the bags such great form and stability without being stiff or crunchy.

If the Dot Dot Dash makes you a little nervous, I would definitely suggest trying out the Locked & Loaded bag first ~ there are a lot of similarities as far as construction and interfacing, but I think this one is more intermediate level and less complicated to tackle... as well as being good practice for moving up to the dot dot dash next if you so desire.

I was a little nervous about the twist lock on the front but it is super easy to put in following Sara's instructions and looks super fancy when finished! I also really like the little flap at the top because it gives you the chance to add in a second fun fabric ~ like I did with the hedgies... love those hedgies!

I've been using this bag for the past 2 weeks and upsetting all my Vera Bradley bags :) It is just so cute and holds so much! For reference, here is a picture of it open in front of my sewing machine... it is a big bag!

If you are looking for an intermediate level pattern to make a lovely large bag  and try out some new things like an adjustable strap, inner zipper pocket, and twist lock closure... this is the pattern for you! And for me... I will definitely be making another one of these in the future :)

Stay tuned for more reviews of Sara's bags in the future ~ I love this girl's style and can't wait to see what she will come out with next!

Please excuse the mess ~ Blog Under Construction

Dear Readers,

I am doing a little rearranging of my blog today so please excuse the multiple changes you may see as I try out a few new backgrounds, layouts, etc. I like the dynamic view but it doesn't show my buttons or other information from the right scroll bar, which I miss, and have been asked about by a few viewers.

I am also working on a new tab for an upcoming retreat I am sponsoring in the Fall ~ as well as updating my project tabs.

Stay tuned and hopefully I'll have a cute new blog face to show you soon!

Thanks for your patience!
~Tiffany

Patterns, swaps, and bees - o my!

January was a super busy month for me! Felt like it was a tornado most of the way with a hurricane at the end! I was able to get everything accomplished, with a little leniency from a friend on one deadline, and I'm glad to start February with a new slate. 

First up was a pattern I helped a friend test from her new line of bag patterns - I ADORE her creativity and style and am so happy to be a tester for Miss Sara of Sew Sweetness. The pattern I tested was Dot Dot Dash - you can find the complete information as well as lots of fabulous tester photos of bags using this pattern HERE.

I always wanted to make a cross body bag with an adjustable strap and I jumped at the chance to test this pattern for Sara when I saw her announcement about it on facebook. The top zipper panel also intrigued and scared me, and I was interested to try out this new interfacing - Annie's Soft and Stable. While the interfacing is a little pricey and not super easy to get offline, I trusted Sara's judgement and gave it a try. Boy I am sure glad I did because this stuff is GREAT - it provides a sturdy shape without being stiff or crunchy and also provides a bit of padding to the bag which is nice in this technology age where most of us have some kind of e-reader/tablet device to lug around. 

Not only do I love the finish product, I learned a lot of great skills along the way. Sara's instructions are easy to follow and she provides lots of photos to go along with the descriptions which helped me a lot. I believe in the future she may even have some video clips on her blog of the more tricky parts of making her bags, which I think is a great idea. I fully recommend this pattern to an advanced sewer, or an intermediate sewer like myself who wants to take on a new challenge! 

I was not paid to test nor advertise this pattern ~ I am a follower of Sara's blog as well as a friend, but I am also a critical sewer who is happy to recommend this professionally put together pattern after trying it out myself. 

Next on my list of January finishes was the Sew Sew Modern swap. This was a fun swap with a great group of talented ladies! I was the first to receive my swap items and I was blessed with a fabulous package from Natalie. She spoiled me with a bright cheerful pillow, a squishy pillow form to go inside, and this awesome monster friend to snuggle up with! I received it after a rather terrible day at work which made it all the more wonderful and just what I needed to cheer me up! 

Not only did Natalie send me those wonderful gifts, she even included some yummy treats for my dog! He has stomach issues and has to take a daily antibiotic so I am really picky about what he eats but these were natural dog treats and he did really well with them. Such a sweet and thoughtful swap partner!!

I didn't take a picture of my swap package all together but I sent the below items to Patrice of Pink Patrice and she received them today - yay! She seems pretty happy with them which makes me happy, especially because they were hard to part with! I love having partners with similar taste because it is easier to make things that I love ~ but so hard to send them away. haha Glad she enjoyed her package and glad I have a little break from swaps for the moment. 

My last January finish was my Bee Blocks for "The Modern Stash Bee" for my friend Whitney. I am a bad swapper because I am sending them off late this week, but she has been an absolute dear about it. These blocks were made with this Spiderweb tutorial which I fully recommend ~ super easy to follow and makes some great 12.5" quilt blocks: http://sewingbymoonlight.com/2012/11/spider-web-block-tutorial/

I expected to have a full week to finish them up at the end of the month but my Grandma ended up in the hospital and passed away suddenly last week. Needless to say... that was the hurricane that hit this tornado of a month and we still haven't recovered yet. My grandfather passed away less than a year ago and I wasn't able to attend his funeral so I am glad my husband and I made the trip to Kansas this past week. It was hard to be there but good to get some closure and say goodbye, as well as support and be supported by my extended family. I'm still not processing it all yet and I'm sure it will take a while to realize I won't be calling her at holidays, going out to Kansas to visit, nor making that Sunflower dresden quilt I'd planned for her this year. She was a beautiful and wonderful woman who made me proud to be a Rogers and set a great example of being a good mother and supportive wife that I will definitely try to emulate in her honor. She will be missed but I know goodbye is really "til we meet again" and hopefully that knowledge will see me through the sad times ahead. She is with my grandfather now and as someone has to keep that feisty man in line up in heaven, I guess we can let her go and look forward to seeing them both again. 

... Sorry to get so personal but sometimes I just need to let it out without the sad faces and hugs to make me tear up, so ... there it is. 

February is a new month with some fun projects ahead so stay tuned. I may be a little quiet for the next week or so as I try to process and get back into my daily routine but I look forward to sharing with you later in the month and seeing what you all are up to as well! 

A lovely year of finishes - February Project

I joined up with A lovely year of finishes ~ my UFOs from the last couple of years are out of control!

For January - my plan WAS to finish quilting this top and bind it - it is only a lap size and I'm half way done with the quilting... figured I should start off easy ;-)

Well... January felt like a tornado ending with a hurricane so I'm recycling this project and post for February. Hopefully I will have more luck this month and actually get this quilt finished!!