WiP Stuff I've Been Working On

I have actually been doing some things for the past few weeks. I just whipped up these adorable little crochet pumpkins.

I am working on another one that is a little larger than these two. I may make up some to give away for my birthday this weekend.

I whipped up some gauntlets out of felt this evening for my daughter's Batgirl costume.

I saw some cool ones made out of long black opera gloves but they cost $13 at Party City and I paid $1.50 for this felt. She loved them so that's all that matters.

I'm almost finished with an afghan for my neighbor. We have the same birthday (this Saturday).

I have also decided on how to do my curtains for my kitchen so those will be getting done fairly soon. I will post pics as I get done!

WIP Wednesday!

I can't believe it's Wednesday again already. I will be at the school this morning watching my 7 year old's award ceremony for 1st grade so I made sure to get this written up ahead of time! Tomorrow is the 5th grade ceremony; we're a bit excited because this is a bit of a graduation for my daughter since she'll be moving to middle school next year...even if it is across the street! 

Well, so far I have been working away with my Good Fortune charms.

And I added a border to my Skill Builder top so I just need to get a back put together for it! I ended up using some of the leftovers from the back of my niece's quilt. I think it looks pretty good. 

Sorry for the bad picture. Where I have to stand to take a picture of my design wall is right in the middle of my sewing armoire and table, so it gets a little tight! This quilt still does not have a definite home yet so hopefully I'll figure it out by the time I'm done with it. But I am also excited that hubby changed out the light bulbs in my sewing area (the basement) and I hope that means pictures will look a bit better from now on!

How is your progress this week? 

WiP and an Appliance Question

I'm still trucking along on the quilting on Alye's quilt. I'm done with 1/4 of it.                

I decided that, since I don't like total symmetry but I didn't want to do FMQ on it, I would do straight line quilting but mix it up a bit. Here is my idea for the design.

So far so good!
And now for opinions!
My dryer is starting to die, and we have had on again/off again issues with the washer so we are now looking. I was tempted to go with a front loader for the washer but have not been impressed with all the negative comments I hear about them (moldy smell, slimy seal if not allowed to dry between loads). My sister has one and she has had those very issues. So I am asking for opinions. What kind of washer/dryer combo do you have? Is it fairly new? Top or front loader, and what is your opinion?

WIP Wednesday...Yes, I fell off the Planet!

So what the heck have I been up to? Life, mostly. But I have been trying to get my sewing mojo back in gear. I have a niece who is turning 18 this weekend and going to college next year so I decided that would be may of getting around making quilts for the nieces at Christmas. I made one two years ago for the niece whose name we drew. Then last year we got the same niece's name so I let it slide. This is a way around making it just a Christmas thing. I've just got to decide which of the multiple quilts I have in progress to finish for her! I need to finish them all but one needs to be quickly so here are a few options.

The Skill builder Sampler from Leila's blog. I did the first twelve blocks; the first 11 are in the orange, blue and green but for some dumb reason, the last one has some red and black (UGA colors) so I would probably need to pick one more block to do. Then sash, make a back and quilt it.

Then there's the red, black and white quilt top I just received back from the Quilt U Be Mine Round Robin.

 For this one I will need to expand it a bit more to get it lap size. It's only 41 inches square right now so I would need a good 15-20 inches more around, then a back and quilt it, of course.

Another option is a double slice quilt like the one I did for Mack. I started this one with my quilting guild and got the idea to use a layer cake of tone on tone prints I got participating in a swap with Bree and Julie over at Distant Pickles a while back. I wasn't sure how I liked it. It was so busy with the colors that it really didn't allow your eye to rest anywhere, so I decided to play with some black sashing to give it a sort of stained glass feel. I love how the black makes the colors pop more.

The bottom row was where it was going before. Just for the heck of it I placed a black strip on top to see how it's going to look and I like it even more.

I just can't decide if I'd rather have the strips a little thinner.

Another option is the gray, yellow and aqua granny square I was working on. It's currently behind the double slice on my board, and I was too lazy to take it down for the picture.

I know, but I'm tired! We got a new dog Sunday and I've been doing some house training! I'm so tired of walking already!
Anyway, quilty decisions to make and quickly!!!!

WiP Wednesday

I was thinking today. For me to have been so prolific with quilting in 2011, I hardly produced anything in 2012. I really have begun to think that putting myself under a lot of stress to finish a few that were "due" took some of the fun out of it for me. I have sort of been throwing myself into crochet again to keep myself  "craftily occupied" and the quilting urge has slowly been coming back. While it continues to surge, here are a few of the things I'm working on in the meantime.
A crocheted throw for my daughter (currently about 28" long so I've got a bit more to go!)

I started with two row lines of color with alternating two row lines of black. I've graduated up to 4 row lines and will do 6 row lines next so the colors are gradually getting larger. There will definitely have to be some blocking done on this one.

A basket weave throw for me in gray

Sorry about the picture quality. Next time I will not be using the cell phone! This one is currently about 15" long.

And a new scarf for me.

This is a v-stitch cluster and done in bamboo yarn. So incredibly soft! Just love it! 

I do have a few more things done but they have to be sent off so I don't want to show any hints here until they reach their destination.

 Ooh pretty! Lee got a new button!

WiP and Black Friday Happiness...

I have done some sewing but I've mostly done some crocheting. I tend to be a bit OCD and I have shifted back into crochet which quickly eats up my time, so I have to MAKE myself carve out time to sew. Of course, when you're not paying close attention things happen like this.

Something's really not looking right there on the sides. I'll be fixing that in a bit.
As far as the crocheting goes, some I can't show cause they're gifts but here are a few.

Ruffle scarf number 1...

ruffle scarf number 2 (love this yarn; hard to see but it has pink, brown, and orange in it and it's very soft!)...

and a basket weave scarf. I may add some fringe to this one.

Did you come across any cool deals for Black Friday? I hit my local LQS and picked up some Thomas Knauer Pear Tree and some Amy Butler Soul Blossoms for $5 a yard. I'm doing well for backing fabric right now.

Love that Pear Tree; it has a pretty sheen to the fabric. I also picked up some yarn and some Simply Color charm packs from Craftsy but those aren't here yet. Can't wait! As far as Christmas items go, I picked up a few things from Amazon only to get them here and realize I ordered the wrong thing on one of them. So that one will have to be exchanged for the correct thing (video game for the kids).

And how sweet is this? Kelly over at Live.Love.Create had a giveaway on different pins used for fabric. I didn't actually win the pack she was giving away but she dug around and found a few duplicate pens to give me and another follower.  Bloggy friends are great! Speaking of bloggy friends, I'm linking up!

WiP...With a Doozy of a Headache!

I am posting quickly because I volunteer at the school library on Wednesday mornings so I've got to go get ready! I started posting it last night but had a horrible headache and ended up on the bed with pillows on my head until I got rid of it. Then I had to wait for the nausea to go away cause it hurt so bad it made me feel sick. Oh joy. So glad that's over with!
If you're looking for my #notgoingtosewingsummit giveaway, check it out here. Otherwise, here goes the weekly progress!

I got my next Carpenter Wheel layout on the carpet. It just needs to be sewn up.

I also am working on the charm layout for the bottom half of my Yule Pop which can be seen here, and I now have 9 gray, aqua, and yellow granny squares which can also be seen here. I know a lot of you went to Sewing Summit. I can't wait to hear more about those trips. What's up at your sewing pad?

WiP Wednesday: Where Seussical Takes Over!

There once was a cat that appeared in some books
A cat with a hat gets some very odd looks!
The stories about him were loved far and wide,
So an idea was hatched and his words were all eyed!

A musical! That would be totally perfect!
They set out to work, which stories to select.
This one and that one, add music and lyric
A Flibberdiflibert and a blue haired old Wirick!

It all came together and all went quite well,
So well, in fact, oh do let me tell!
People all over the world started singing it,
Some were quite fab and some were just winging it!

Til one day the theater in my town decided
It was time to perform it, so a director presided.
He chose all his characters, surprise and "gaw-lee",
One of the characters chosen was me!

Practices started and singers were singing
Dancers were dancing and springers were springing!
I got so darn busy, things weren't getting done
No sewing, no crafting, but I'm still having fun!

What IS done? Bottled Rainbows and a cover is started
for my new Nexus 7 (cause my hubby's big hearted!).
A border I added to a Mystery Block
That's it. There's no more. So no more small talk.

I'm done. That is it. Nothing here left to say.
So get back to sewing and have a great day!

WiP: Where Horton Interferes with Progress

We had a busy weekend around here. Well, it wasn't so much the weekend itself as it was Monday. A friend's daughter (who also happens to be one of my daughter's friends) wanted to try out for the community theater's version of Seussical, but had never done an audition. Her mom brought her over Friday and I worked with her a little on her piece for the singing part of the audition. Then she ended up spending the night over here the next night. Sunday was okay, but by Monday the chaos started again. The kids had swim class, then VBS last night. After dropping them off, I decided to go to the Seussical auditions myself (I may regret admitting that on my blog if I don't get a part!). I had been goofing around with the song "Oom-pah-pah" from Oliver! and ended up doing that. They had us read and do a bit of a dance routine as well. We'll see how it all turns out. My neighbor does a lot with this theater and one of his daughters has started getting parts there as well. She auditioned and read for the baby kangaroo from Horton Hears a Who. I read for Mayzie. I wasn't as familiar with that story line.

***Update: Just got my email for a callback! That will be Wednesday night so I'll have to let you guys know how that works out afterward!***

There actually has been a little sewing in between all this as well. My kids have been getting buttons at church for the summer so I made them both lanyards to keep them on.

I've also been working on Bottled Rainbows. I have 5 in my finished stack, and three other blocks made and in my "to be finished" stack.

I've actually got the blue tacked on and it's sitting on my machine ready to get finished.

WiP...A Whole New Bag!

Looking for a Pay It Forward? Please check out Pam's here. She hasn't had any response for it as of yet, but is excited about the process.

I've been planning this for a couple of weeks but when I saw Purse Palooza out there, I made myself wait before making it. It got me all motivated! My first bag endeavor for the month is a new beach bag! Check it out!

This is from a free pattern over at Reanna Lily Designs. I used the polka-dot fabrics from a charm swap I participated in with Lindsay over at Craftbuds back in January. I was a little worried that it might be a bit overwhelming but I really love how it turned out. I used solids on the sides with polka-dotted pockets for both sides. I kept one side pocket whole and divided the other into sections.

I used muslin on the inside just to keep it basic. And (though my FMQ is not great) I wrote 'beach' on the both sides. This thing is huge. It's got two large beach towels in it for the picture but it could hold at least two more easily which is perfect for us. And it's just in time for swim lessons!

I also am up to 3 on my Bottled Rainbows. The orange and red blocks are made; I just have to put the scraps on.

Linking up to Lee's!

   

WIP...Where I forgot it Was Wednesday...Again!

Wednesday? Seriously? I totally forgot again until I pulled up my blogger and saw Linz's post said WIP. This is getting to be a habit! But, in my defense, it's been a crazy week with hubby being off Monday for Memorial Day and yesterday for his grandfather's funeral. I sort of lost track of time.

So, without further adieu, the progress for the week as it stands right now! But first, if you are looking for a Pay It Forward to join, check here for mine.

I had one child graduate kindergarten and one graduate 4th grade! Woohoo!
I finished my granny square baby quilt!

I am also finishing up another quilt top but I can't decide which way I like it better. I had to take pictures because it was a bit busier than I expected so it was hard for me to see the patterns it made.

In this version I tried to link up some of the colors but not all, giving the impression that there were some "roads" and some "dead ends."

This version is where the fabrics are set up to create diamonds. I think if I do it this way I will try to set up some colors to actually meet and make X's like you see the blue almost do in the lower left hand portion. The pink almost does it right next to it.

Oh, and I got some mailbox goodies yesterday. Hollie from Undercover Crafter sent me some Kona scraps I won from her. I was shocked at how many there were!

Linking up to Lee!

And speaking of Lee...ahem...

Yo Yo Yo! Watch out cuz Lee's gettin' all gangsta in yo' bidness with some FQ to the machine! Lee "The Feed Dog" Henrich and the Fat Quarter Gang are gonna rock yo world with some hands on stitchin'. Say what? Check it all out at dis' place here. That's just how they roll, see?

WiP Wednesday: the One I Forgot...

Okay, so yes, I forgot it was Wednesday so this is going to be a quick one! Gotta go finish my Granny Square quilt!
Number 1: My SMS Giveaway is here if you are interested!

Number 2: My secret project this past week was a Hello Luscious lap quilt I did for a former student dealing with leukemia who just had a bone marrow transplant. More pics and the story here.

Number 3: Yesterday I posted a quick tutorial for making a wrist pincushion using some of those trendy interchangeable open faced watchbands. Interested? Check here.

Number 4: I am almost done with my Granny Square baby/child quilt but I am having computer issues. I am on our home computer right now because for some reason blogger is not working correctly for posting on my laptop. Right in the middle of entering giveaways the other day, it said there was a RealPlayer update so I have no idea if it was the update that did it or something from the giveaways, but it now says, "Your browser is no longer supported by Blogger. Some parts of Blogger will not work and youmay experience problems. If you are having problems, try Google Chrome/Dismiss."
I have the searched the net for fixes but nothing has worked. I also tried to download Google Chrome and it won't let me. Basically I can't post from my laptop. I can put pictures in the block but it won't let me type. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I may be going to visit the Geek Squad again. Sigh...

WiP: the One with a Secret Project

Yup, you heard right. I have a secret project going on. I cannot BEGIN to tell you how hard that is for me. I post everything as I do it. This project is very near and dear to my heart though. All will be revealed (hopefully) Friday for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival though. This project has to be done by Thursday and I only just started it Monday. Yikes! I have to say this is the fastest I have ever made a quilt in my life and hopefully I will never have to make one this fast again. Quilt? Who said quilt? I don't know what you're talking about...(whistles nonchalantly and looks away...!).

So what have I been doing this week? Well, I finished an iPad case for my sister that can be seen here.

I also got to play jelly roll races with some members of my quilting guild with the results seen here.

I have done some more Granny Squares and only need 4 to finish up the baby quilt top. I have got to get this one done but I got distracted by a different project. Here are the Granny Squares.

As for the project that distracted me? Well, it would be the secret one. I know, I'm dying to tell you! I'm really not good with secrets. So I'll show you a little hint.

Okay, that's all I can show you, sorry! It's pinned and ready to be quilted so I'm headed to my sewing room as soon as I have breakfast!