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Yarn, in need of a good home

March 29, 2010 in Crafts | 7 comments

I am in the middle of re-organizing and cleaning my sewing space (aka guest bedroom), and have come to terms with the fact that I am simply not going to be doing any knitting or crocheting anytime soon.  And the yarn is taking up valuable real estate for fabric, so it must go.

Do you want it?

Yarn Stash, ready for a new home

It’s a mixed bag, for sure.  Some soft wool, some squeaky acrylic. Some bulky, some fingering-weight. 3/4 skein of one, five skeins of another. Heck, I’ll even throw in the half-completed sweaters for you to frog and get more yarn out of.  There’s a darn good amount of yarn, there.

Yarn Stash, ready for a new home

So, here’s the deal: I want it out of my house. I would love to trade it for some hard-to-find fabric, so if you’ve got some to offer, let me know.  Flea Market Fancy, out of print Heather Ross, a charm pack of Wee Play, whatever.  I’m not asking for a lot, but I’d feel a little better if I got something in return for all of this wool and cotton.

Yarn Stash, ready for a new home

(Oh, and you know how I feel about people who flake on this sort of thing… don’t make me publicly call you out. That’s all I’m going to say about that.)

Yarn Stash, ready for a new home

If you don’t have anything to offer but still want the yarn, let me know anyways and maybe I’ll pull a random commenter to share the wealth. You never know, people may only offer me creepy clown novelty prints, in which case I’d rather just ship the yarn and not get anything in return.

Yarn Stash, ready for a new home

Since this is going to require a rather large box to ship, I have to keep it to U.S. people, only.

Anyways, leave a comment by this Friday, April 2, if you want in!

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Trichromatic

February 28, 2010 in Finished Objects | 2 comments

Does it seem like I’ve fallen off the face of the earth? Because I rather feel as though I have.  In the last month, I’ve been attempting to potty train both of my 2.5-year-olds (with some substantial success, and some substantial bumps in the road, as these things go), having some running setbacks in the lead-up to my very first race (5K next Saturday), and generally felt like I have lost my mind and my motivation.

But I have been sewing. A lot of progress, and as of this weekend, I finally feel like I’m caught up and can breathe. The big finish to cross off the list is my swap quilt for DQS8.  For whatever reason, I had a really hard time settling on a design for this quilt. I considered what felt like a million different things. My swap partner has different likes than I do, as well as some fairly specific preferences for color. I’m not sure why, but it just really stumped me.  Eventually, though, I hit on string blocks and I’m really glad that I did.

DQS8 - Trichromatic (front)

My partner specifically requested black and red, with the possibility of some other colors, so I just ran with it.  I’m of two minds on the string blocks. I think they’re cool, a nice way to use up scraps, and all of that. But they’re kind of a pain to put together, I think especially when I was trying to do them all at once. Maybe I’d feel differently if I was doing at as a long-term scrapbusting project, but as this was all at once, it felt a little tedious.  That said, I liked the way they came together, and I actually really loved trimming them down after they were all done.  It went from this messy, chaotic pile of scraps, to a nice, neat stack of perfect blocks.  After that, of course, it was all super fast.

As I often do, I polled Twitter for suggestions on how to quilt it.  A friend suggested concentric squares and I immediately knew that was the right way to go. I marked them all out with washable pen, and they’re about an inch in between each one.

DQS8 - Trichromatic (back)

Anyways, I’m happy with it. I enjoyed making it, even if I had a bit of a hard time finding my way there. And I’m hoping I struck a good note between trying to make something that my partner would like, while also making something that I feel good about.  I know the latter is true, and the package is headed out in the mail in the morning, so hopefully the former will be true as well!

Not sure if I’ll do the next round of the swap. I like it, but I think I was a bit over-committed this past month or so, and should consider saying “no,” even though it sounds like fun…

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Olivia’s House

November 3, 2009 in Quilts | 6 comments

Yesterday the mail carrier brought the most awesome package to my house: my swap quilt from Michelle for the 2nd placemat quilt swap!  Holy crap, do I ever love it.

PQS2, Recieved!

Can you stand the awesomeness?  I love the whole scene.  The cherry tree, the house, the little dog, everything.  Love the colors.

PQS2, Recieved!

The quilting is to die for.  On the white parts, she did the teeniest little stippling I’ve ever seen. Yes, I had to put a nickel there, so you could get a sense of scale! That’s some serious skill, people!  And I love the effect of the brown thread on the applique.  Gives it a sort of hand-drawn look that is SO cool.

PQS2, Recieved!

The details are just awesome.  My kids love hunting for the little peeks of Olivia here and there, and would you believe the house’s chimney even has smoke coming out of it?!

PQS2, Recieved!

And because she’s an all-around awesome person, she even sent these little house softies/ornaments for my kids. Could she be any sweeter?  The kids love them, and I’ve decided to call the whole project Olivia’s House.  It just works.  It’s AWESOME.

I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy!

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Chicken in the Kitchen

October 25, 2009 in Finished Objects | 5 comments

I finished this one about 10 days ago, and can give the full reveal now that I know it has been received.  I participated in the second Placemat Quilt Swap on Flickr, and Michelle was my partner. I have had this silly little idea in my head for a while, and thought it would be just right for a “placemat” swap, even though I knew Michelle wasn’t planning on using it on a table.

PQS2 for Michelle

It’s a few prints from the Lizzy Dish line, with one goofy Kaufmann chicken interrupting the party.  I got the shape/template from Amanda Jean‘s most recent tutorial for Moda Bake Shop.  The back is those great egg beaters, with a bright striped border.

PQS2 for Michelle

There are some incredible quilts going around in this swap, and I always feel like I’m on the lame end, because I just don’t make those gorgeous art quilts that I see.  But it was a fun thing to do, anyways, and Michelle was super sweet and says she really likes it, so hooray!  I can’t wait for the next DQS sign-up… :-)

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For Me?

September 22, 2009 in Quilts | 5 comments

Ooh, ooh!  You can just imagine the happy squeals when my mail carrier arrived yesterday and had a big envelope for me, all the way from Australia!

DQS7 - Received!

Hooray, it’s my adorable DQS7 swap from Erin!  It is so lovely.  Great colors, simple but pretty blocks. Adorable cherry print on the back, and a great purple (arguably my favorite color!) binding.  I love it!  And just because she’s sweet, she included some TimTams, which she says are a big favorite in Australia. I tried one last night, and I can see why!

DQS7 - Received!

I’m not the only one who adores it. My daughter carried it around for half the morning, mostly saying it was her “dress” and delightedly pointing out all of the colors.  Erin, clearly she is a big fan of your work!

DQS7 - Received!

DQS7 - Received!

So thank you, thank you!  What a delightful package to get in the mail.

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Appreciation

September 16, 2009 in Finished Objects | 8 comments

I’m sure that making quilts has different meanings for different people.  For me, especially when I’m making it for another person, I really try to make something that the person will like, something they want, something they will enjoy.  While there’s certainly a creative/artistic aspect to quiltmaking, I generally like to make them in the hopes that they are enjoyed and put to good use. So just imagine how tickled I was to get these pictures:

Could Marie’s kids possibly be any cuter? They’re adorable, and I’m so happy that they liked their new blankets.

Indeed, even my own little girl has gotten into the act, finally using one of the first doll quilts I made to “make baby all cozy.” Warms mama’s heart, to be sure.

Putting the doll quilt to use

Of course, there’s the flipside, when these things go off into nowhere and you have no idea if people are happy, disappointed, or indifferent.  Sadly, at the moment, that’s the status of my Doll Quilt Swap.  I sent the quilt, along with a charm pack I thought my partner would like and some treats for her dogs, early last week. Tracking info on the package was weirdly ambiguous, and no response to emails from our swap mama.  Obviously, I have no idea what’s going on with this person.  Part of me is really cranky about putting thought and effort into something and not getting so much as an acknowledgment of receipt.  But the mother in me worries. Is she OK? Is there something going on in her life?

Anyways, if she stumbles on this post at any point in time, I hope that she got it and likes it and that everything is alright.  And I did enjoy the process of coming up with something special for someone else, and hope to do another swap sometime soon.  But I won’t lie, it’s kind of rough to spend the time and energy making something essentially as a gift that you really hope they’ll like, and then… silence.

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Doll Quilt, done, and other progress

August 24, 2009 in Finished Objects, Piecing | 8 comments

I am very pleased to announce that my DQS7 quilt is complete!

DQS7, Finished!

It’s sort of a nine-patch of wonky log cabins, if that makes any sense at all.  Nice, bright pieces from my scrap pile, with a bit of white to give it some space.  The quilting is done in white thread in a sort of square-spiral to mimic the blocks. I didn’t measure it, but I think it’s about 20 inches, square (before washing, haven’t decided if I’ll wash before sending or not).

DQS7, Back

I really like the back, and think my partner will, too.  That big pink floral was in my scrap bin from a previously abandoned project, and I’m glad I got to use a nice big piece of it.  The label might be my new favorite method, courtesy of Sarah’s tutorial.

DQS7, Folded

I thought the crazy colors and sort of wild, almost sparkly print for the binding worked pretty well. I was worried it would be too busy against the front, but I think it’s OK. And it’s only a doll-sized quilt, after all, I think you can get away with it being a little busy and not have it get overwhelming.

Anyways, it’s done! Yay! Just want to get a goodie or two to send with it, and then I’ll ship it off to its secret new home.

In the meantime, I’ve also finished the two ragged-square tops for Marie’s kids, and just need to baste and quilt them. Marie, I hope you like the preview!

Two ragged square tops

I’ve also got two commissioned quilts for baby boys in the works, both of which were requested to have some blue and brown, so I’m actually using a lot of the same prints.  The pile of fabric was just sitting up on my shelf, mocking me, so I finally did all of the cutting yesterday just to feel like I was finally making progress on them.  One will be a small version of the stacked coins quilt, the other will be a zig-zag.

Brown and blue coins

Brown and blue strips

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What I like

July 20, 2009 in Quilts | 2 comments

I’m totally jazzed up for the Doll Quilt Swap, and I believe we are to expect our partner assignments sometime Wednesday. There are several suggestions for getting the word out to your (secret) partner to let them know what you like and what you want.  Some people are putting together inspiration mosaics and posting them to the Flickr group.  Some are trying to update their Flickr favorites.  Another person suggested an actual blog post on your likes and dislikes, and I thought I’d try to put one together.

Honestly?  I like just about everything.  There’s very little I straight-out dislike.  And there are plenty of things that, while I wouldn’t do them myself, I think they’re lovely and would be simply tickled to get it in a swap.

I suppose I am not really into things that are, for lack of a better word, country-ish.  I think “traditional” quilts (Ohio Star this, Walking to Oklahoma that) can be quite lovely and impressive, but it’s not necessarily what I gravitate towards.  It’s just not my cup of tea, as far as what I choose to make.  I’m also not into a very fall-ish color palate right now. This one I made for my stepmom?  Yeah, doesn’t really resonate with me at all, but she liked it, so that’s cool.  And I suppose I don’t really get into holiday-themed things, since I don’t tend to swap out the decor in my house by season or holiday.

What I am particularly digging right now are fairly modern designs.  I like almost anything AmandaJean does (of course), and same with Red Pepper Quilts and Film in the Fridge.  Links to more folks I enjoy following are on the left sidebar.  As for other styles… I’ve seen some incredible applique and embroidery work, and while it’s not something that I do (AT ALL!) myself, I think it can certainly be wonderful when done by those who are good at it.

Anything else helpful to know about me? Hrm. I can’t say I have a single favorite color, as I have seen things that I love in seemingly every color of the rainbow.  I like pretty vibrant colors, and I think throwing in a solid neutral (white/gray/etc) is very pretty, but certainly not everything I like has solid white in it!  I have two rather active toddlers, so probably best not to put too much effort into delicate beading that could be ripped off by little hands (and swallowed!).  Though, honestly, whether it’s something kind of artsy or fancy to hang on the wall or something meant to be in the playroom with the kiddos, I think either would be great.

I’m relatively new in the quilting world, and still have a ton to learn. I just love to see what other people come up with and try out new things that I see and think are cool.  And I think the great part about a little quilt like this is that it gives you an opportunity to experiment with something new without spending too much time and money in case you don’t end up loving it.  So, dear Swap Partner, I leave it entirely up to you, and I’m sure I’ll love it!

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Performance Anxiety

July 16, 2009 in Binding, Piecing, Quilt-Along | 5 comments

Because I’m a glutton for punishment and having five projects on my to-do list, I decided to add two three more. Gah!  As it is, I finally have all of the fabrics I needed for Mary‘s daughter’s quilt, and have started putting the blocks together. Mary, hope you like the little preview!

DSC_0051

As for new stuff, I couldn’t resist joining the next project that has grown out of the Old Red Barn Co quilt-along: zig-zags! I’ve done a zig-zag before, of course (the baby for whom it was destined arrived yesterday, welcome to the world, Marcella!). And I have another one on my to-do list (a “commissioned” quilt for my husband’s aunt). But the ORBCo version will actually be done with half-square triangles. Plus, I’ve got a fat quarter bundle of Neptune just begging to be used.  I think I’m going to do two small (40″ square) quilts, one a little more girly and one a little more boyish.  Yes, I have boy/girl twins and a thing for fairness and symmetry, why do you ask?  Thankfully, though, these have no particular deadline, so they can get bumped down in the priority list if they need to be.

DSC_0048

And finally, I’ve joined my very first swap!  I’m doing the DQS7, and I’m both excited and totally nervous. What if the person I get is actually a REALLY good quilter and I send my lame beginner stuff and they’re really disappointed?  Gah!  But I’m looking forward to having an excuse to try something new and send it to someone who will hopefully enjoy it.  We’ll get our “assignments” next week, so I look forward to trying to figure out what my partner likes and figuring out what swaps are all about.

In the meantime, I’ve got two nearly-finished items on the pile for the trip to Chicago.  Binding attached, all it needs is the hand-sewing on the back.  It’s the nine-patch quilt and a cute little sock monkey baby quilt for my friend’s second son, due to arrive in the next week or two.

DSC_0054

I’ve got (theoretically) 12 more sewing days until we leave… we’ll see how much more can get added to that pile! I’m hoping for at least one more, but who knows what life will throw my way in the meantime.

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