Work in Progress: Like a Road Trip

I started another one of these last weekend.  This is destined to be a gift.  I was so surprised how quickly I had all the strips done.  And then by the time I finished sewing on Sunday at 2:30 pm, I had the top altogether.  Somehow it seemed that the last one took way longer and I am baffled.  I guess it is like when you go on a road trip.  It seems that it takes such a long, long time to get there but the return trip is so much shorter.    Next weekend will be the back, and sandwiching and maybe, just maybe I will get it all quilted.

A little stash building

I took advantage of the no shipping a few weeks ago at Sew Sisters.  I found lots on sale and added some prints from Tula Pink's Slow and Steady line and then a few others fun prints.  I took a picute of the selvages if anyone is interested.  The Anna Maria Horner print is such a wonderful low volume option.  And there is just something wonderful about the Bear Essentials prints from P and B Textiles.

Sew Sisters has new fabrics added to their clearance section and an awesome deal on Aurifil basic threads (white, grey and natural) if you need any. 33.3% off but only in January.

Workshop coming up

I am going to a Katie Pedersen next month and I picked my fabric for the class.  I think it is quite awesome.  Cannot wait.

I started another...

I started another one of these to give as a gift.  Husband wanted me to give away the one I already finished but I wanted to keep that one.  So here we go again.  I had to let it stew for a bit on the table as a pile of fabric. It was just a little bit tricky to motivate myself when it was going to be a do-over but once I got started, I got over it.  On to the next set of colours next weekend.

Sewing pants

This weekend was all about baby pants.  The little dude is growing fast and furious and is now 6 months old. He is a seriously cute.  And when his mommy says he needs new pants then Gramma has to get busy.  The 2 black prints are Robert Kaufman knits and the Adventure Awaits print is from Spponflower.  Nouveau Bohemian is the designer and it was printed on the organic cotton knit which is to die for.  Just saying.  

Then I made the sweatshirt which is a Brindille and Twig pattern.  The Canada Goose print is from Spoonflower as well and the same designer. Now here is the story.  I decided yesterday to be brave and change the thread on my serger from white to black since I was sewing black stuff.  Yesterday it worked perfectly.  I tied the thread to the thread.  Bing bang boom, I had black thread on the serger and then I changed it back.  No problem! Until today when I was serging the sweatshirt and I decided to switch to black thread again for the ribbing.  The thread broke and I had to re-thread the whole thing.  OMG.  I had the Youtube video.  I had husband holding the flashlight.  Cursing.  Thinking I needed to buy a new serger.  One for white thread and one for black.  But with husband's help, we got it done  I seriously cannot thread a needle, never mind a looper.  Serger threaded.  Sweatshirt done.  And black thread is still on the serger.  Blah!

For Pebbles

  Name:  For Pebbles

Design:  4 " squares

Size:  35"" by 45"

Fabric: Stash fabrics, Michael Miller Kiss Dot in FOg, for binding and in the quilt

Quilted: by me with Aurifil  50 wt in white cross hatch

This is my first quilt finish of 2017.  Back in the swing of it.  We are expecting a new grand baby in May.  A wee girl.  And she is being referred to as Pebbles at the moment.  This is for Pebbles.  Shabby pink rose and classy grey all mixed up together for a wee baby girl.  I backed the quilt with a delicate floral on white flannelette and quilted it in a cross hatch in Aurifil 50 wt in white.  I made a similar quilt months ago and our daughter in law thought it was a good one.  This will be one of many to be sure because babies need more than just one quilt, don't you know?  I think our grandson is up to 4 quilts now and he is just 6 months old!

And did I mention we have had unheard of snow.  Good grief!  We have so much of it!  It is hanging off the barn roof in curls and so much of it has already fallen off the roof in big snowbanks.  Let me just say it was no easy feet stomping through the snow to take these pictures.

Basics

I have been reading the reflections and  predictions on Sew Mama Sew for the upcoming year in quilting. Trends and so on.  Very interesting.  And a few of those quilters interviewed are saying what I have been noticing over the past while.  The new fabric lines come at us fast and furiously.  It is hard to keep up with all the bounty.  I find myself gravitating more to solids, and near solids when purchasing fabric of late. And it seems that other quilters are sharing that idea and there have been a lot of major de-stashing on Instagram as quilters try to re-focus their fabric stashes.   I have my go tos.  Reliable basics which include the Kona cottons.  I have been stocking up on the brilliant colours found in the Moda Basic Grey Grunge line and I am such a fan of Alison Glass's Endpaper line.  Oh my goodness!  The colours are to die for.

Some of my absolute favourites are Clown Stripe by Timeless Treasures, Kona White, and I love, love love Michael Miller's Kiss Dot in Fog.  I buy Kona white by the bolt and keep yards and yards of the other two in my stash.  The threads of choice have to be Aurifil 2024 and 2600.  What are your fabric go tos?

Happy New Year!

Starting with some treasures that my Mum tucked in my Christmas stocking.  Oooo!  Some real oldies in there.  The silver coloured oval with the bar in the middle is apparently a scissor sharpener.  Some lovely old needle packets, a needle book in the shape of a sun hat, some old bodkins and a Necchi sewing machine threader.  Fun!

We were so lucky to have our family with us for Christmas.  Our wee grand baby stayed for most of the break, along with his Mum and Dad and that was just the best.  He is a world class snuggler and is already 6 months old. 

I  did not sew at all during the two week break except for a few Christmas makes just before the big day. We also got hammered with a sick thing that went through the house.  Blech!  I did make some table runners for gifts.  And some things that I even forgot to photograph.  Good grief!  So here we are in January, snow covered and under a winter storm advisory again!