Home * Patterns * Tutorials * Made It * Our Story

Thursday, November 29, 2012

From blank pages... Linky #13

It's almost December! That means Christmas is almost here!! Have you started your Christmas sewing yet? I have, and have not... craziness! That is where my life is headed again. :) Anyway, what's on my mind this week is reorganizing my fabric! I have most of it sorted by color in big rubbermaid containers. Then I have a bin just for my favorites, plus a pile over there of more favorites, oh, and that other pile. All those extra piles are things I hardly ever dive into. I have this problem of collecting favorite fabrics and then not using them because I don't want them to be gone! I'm afraid I won't be able to find them again!!! I need counseling. ;)  Anyway, I am thinking it's time to just sort it all out! (except maybe a select few that I want to use for projects, or those super special fabrics.) Otherwise, it ALL needs to start mingling... and maybe that would help me destash more fabrics that I'm not ever going to use.

Here's an example of my blue/purple bin. :)

DSC_0853


and here's a pile of favorites! Can you tell what they are?

DSC_0856
ew. there are some fabrics on the top that just need to be put away. top left, not one of my favorites. lol.


Oh, and my Heather Bailey/Amy Butler/Denyse Schmidt bin. I like to call it collecting... not hoarding. ;)

DSC_0855



Otherwise I'm working with these fabrics to finish some more activity books and an Etsy order (she requested purple. Glad I have at least some good purple prints. Definitely lacking in purple. Yay! :)

DSC_0861

DSC_0864
this is actually two different bundles put together. One will be blue, one aqua.


I think everyone always says this, but I can't believe that another week has gone by already!! I just went back to see what I shared last week... sadly my cowl has been put to the side. I need to get a good travel pouch to put that in so I can carry it around with me more and get it finished! Maybe it will have to wait until our long road trip to Texas for Christmas. :D So excited to visit my sister in Dallas! (Oh! That reminds me I need to get ahold of all you sewing buddies down there and see if we can meet up for lunch one day or something!!! FUN!) :)


We also have a church Christmas party/talent show on Saturday. They asked if anyone wanted to display something, they could do that too. Someone suggested I display my quilts... so that might be fun! If I ever get around to calling the gal, I think I will. :) I'm kind of nervous about it though...


What are you working on? starting? Thinking about? Do you have a big Christmas list? I'll have to complete mine and share that for next week! I'm actually rather excited about it! I'll just have to tell my sister not to read my blog for a month. :)

Diane






Be sure to grab a button and add it to your blog post, or just link back! Let others know where you're linking up to! :)

from blank pages... linky party








Wednesday, November 28, 2012

W.i.P. Wednesday {11/28/12}

Well, I have definitely been busy lately and am loving it! My house on the other hand is not. ;) I think the most exciting thing I have in progress right now is a new pattern! I've had this one on paper since March and it's been killing me! One of those things I want to make so bad, but I'm trying to be good and get other things finished first. So to make a compromise, I've decided to let everyone else make it until I can get to it. :)

Neil named this one, Illusion, and I love it! :) Here's some mock up pictures I had on the computer to give you an idea of what it will look like:

The 12 inch block design


 Playing with color
 I think the blocks could also make cute trees if you arrange them differently. :)


As soon as I get feedback and some pictures I'll let you know what everyone thought of it and will add it to my shops! (I've decided to add all my patterns to Etsy as well. The free patterns that I have listed on Craftsy are $2 on Etsy to cover fees and my time in emailing out the patterns since they don't do automatic downloads. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know.) Though not all my patterns are free on Craftsy.


I've also got a good stack of quilts that are waiting to be basted and quilted (though I need a few backs as well still, and some need batting cut out). But they're basically ready to go! SO excited! I am GOING TO FINISH them this weekend at the latest!! I've got,

and a Christmas table runner, 

and that's all I'm going to think about until they're done. :)


I have finished up a few small items, though nothing new I guess. I also have a few orders to finish and send. I'll share more about those later. :)


What are you working on right now? How are your 100 Day Hussle projects coming? Do you have a lot of Christmas presents you're working on? (I need to get to those after I finish the above quilts and etsy orders... time is going to be tight as usual!) :)


I am LOVING getting back into sewing and being busy. 
I hope I can keep a good balance though... 
that's always the toughest part.

Diane

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Super Sale Tuesday!

Since it took me all day to get things listed in my shop yesterday, and I still have more things to add, I figure it might be nice to continue my Cyber Monday Sale onto today! :)

Use code "CYBERMONDAY" at checkout 
and save 15% on your complete order! 

OR 

since it's Tuesday, and nothing is ever special about Tuesday, I thought I'd start 

a FREE SHIPPING TUESDAY!
I'll try and remember and put up a new code every Tuesday, if I forget, remind me before you check out and I'll add it. :)

For today only use code "FS1127"
domestic shipping only. Sorry anyone international.


(please just use one code. I don't know if it's possible to use two, but just in case. Thanks!) 

 



Diane

Monday, November 26, 2012

Cyber Monday Sale!

Happy Cyber Monday everyone! I hope you have had a wonderful holiday and/or weekend! I think we actually finished most of our online Christmas shopping already, but I thought it would be nice to give a little to those who are doing it today! :)

For all my blog readers I'm offering 15% off of everything in my shop
Just use code CYBERMONDAY at checkout.
Code will be active for today only.
(or until I remember to take it down) ;)

I will also be adding more items to my shop throughout the day! Like fabric destash, more bags and other smaller items (great for gifts!!), as well as a new pre-order item that will only be available today!


Wanna see what it will be? (please excuse me, these are also photos of my first one, so the final ones I will be shipping out will be perfected - just haven't taken a picture of those ones yet.) :) I brought these to church yesterday and it kept my three kiddos quiet for a long time! Wahoo!! They love them. And so do I! :)

DSC_0878
 The Front
It's an activity book!




DSC_0882
The Back
  There is a large pocket between the strap and the dark pink. Perfect for loose papers, or whatever else is thin. I love that it's behind the strap so that it all stays in while the book is closed.


DSC_0894
Back Pocket

DSC_0888
The Inside
It will come with the mini clipboard, but NOT the twisty crayons (those are from Crayola. LOVE them! I think it would drive the price up too much to include them. What do you think? Would you rather pay more to have all the supplies?)
There will be spots for 8 crayons. And the little pocket with flap - great for small scissors, stickers, whatever. :)

  I will be picking out the fabric combinations, but will let you choose the color you want, AND boy, girl, neutral style. (or I'll try and get some fabric combination pictures taken before listing these. Anyway, I'm super excited! These will be today only - I think, and I'm only making a limited number of them. Hopefully soon I'll have a pattern up as well, but don't hold your breath for that. It might not be until after the new year. :)

DSC_0898


Visit my Etsy Shop HERE!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!
And guess what is next week? 
Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day!! Wahoo! :)  
 


Diane

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Travelin' Pic Stitch Blog Hop!


This post is part of the Travellin' Pic Stitch Blog Hop.  
From 1st October - 30th November we are hopping all over the world EPP-ing in some fantastic locations.  Check out the full list here and be sure to check out the other participants.

On 30th November it's over to you to link up for a chance to win these fabulous prizes!




Full details for competition entry can be found here.



**********************



 
 I think I had the hardest time picking out my picture and palette for this, even more so than making my block. ;) When I signed up for this blog hop I hadn't done any English paper piecing, so when I got into the Sewing Summit class with Katy of I'm a Ginger Monkey, I was super excited to get some awesome instruction. She is amazing! :) And now I feel like a pro. lol. not. :)


Here's my first picture. I really tried to get the red in the color palette, but no go. Oh well. I really love these colors. I think a pillow would be great!
IMG_2485_palette 
 I took this picture in 2006 when I went to Germany for study abroad. I stayed with a mission companion of mine that was from Hamburg. We had a GREAT time! She showed me some awesome sights, taught me all about Curry Wurst - YUM! and overall we just had a good time. Great memories. I think we were standing on the top of a church, or some kind of tower in this photo. It really was such a BEAUTIFUL city! Oh how I love Germany.



But then when it came down to actually picking my fabric, I decided to go with this picture instead.
I think I would like more of a brighter orange, somewhere in between the two in the palette, but those 4 colors to the right are awesome! I love this photo. This photo was taken in the botanical gardens in Wurzburg, Germany when I was on my mission in 2004. They had some pretty wacky things on the grounds, but it was really beautiful too. :)


So can you tell that Germany is one of my favorite places?! It definitely is. For so many reasons. :)

So now for the EPP goodness...

 EEP for the Travel pic stitch blog hop. Using the Spring Carnival template set by @imagingermonkey. just a few more orange triangles to sew in and it's done.


Ok, so I haven't finished it. I still need to sew on a few orange triangles, but it's getting there. I am LOVING it! I will have to get a better picture when it's not late and dark. 
I used the Spring Carnaval pattern that we used at Sewing Summit. (You can find Katy's links to this here, just scroll down a little bit.) I really like this design. :)  



Thank you for stopping by! I've loved seeing all the beautiful blocks people are creating with their pictures. A faboulous idea! Wouldn't it be fun to do a quilt with the inspiration photo printed in the center of each block? Like a memory quilt? I don't know. It could be cool. :)  I need to decide what I want to do with my blocks now. :)




Hope you all have a very wonderful weekend!! :)


Diane

 

Thursday, November 22, 2012

from blank pages... Linky and a Thanks kind of day!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope you have had a wonderful month and have a beautiful day. :) I love this time of year with all these great holidays, and they always seem to come and go too fast. Too much to do, but I love it all! Today I am grateful for the general store in town that carried just enough cans of cream of mushroom soup for the green bean casserole. Lol. We are going to spend the day with friends and I am SO excited! But that doesn't change that I'm a slacker and forgot to pick up my needed ingredients when I was at the store Tuesday. So I am grateful that my small town isn't TOO small. ;) Of course I am grateful for so many things! Especially my family! I have been spending so much time with them lately, and it has been such a blessing to all of us. I love my kiddos so much! I am also grateful for my wonderful hubby! He is continually an answer to my prayers and I love him. We've had some fun and exciting changes take place in the last week, and I am excited for this new chapter in our life. :) I am grateful for the gospel and the knowledge it gives me! Especially that we have an eternal family!! A few days ago we were in a different town and I lost Jacks. I could not find him anywhere!! It scared me so bad! I finally found him running down the storm gutter next to a busy street (on the other side of the building where we were). It definitely made me reflect on how much I love all my children, and how much they mean to me. But no matter what happens in this life, I'm grateful to know we will always be together. Families are definitely the BEST. THING. EVER!!! I am also grateful for friends, food, our home, and all that good stuff in life. :)

I am also grateful that I bought some knitting needles years ago that I have never used until now! :) My sometimes-tendency to buy things I "want to some day use" definitely has paid off with moving here. :) I started working on a honey cowl! I am so excited! I have wanted to make one for a while, and finally, thanks to Angela, got the motivation to. I cheered when I found that I had a circular needle the right size in my box of yarn. :)

I have started a honey cowl. :) I have made sooo many mistakes already, but for my 2nd knitting project, I'm feeling pretty good about it. I don't know if I'll ever finish it, but it is pretty addicting, so I think there's hope. It is not easy on the join


So this is my new beginning. :) Despite my huge pile of quilts that either just need to be basted, or get a back finished and then basted. I'm crossing my fingers for a basting party this weekend! :) Anyway, this is the 2nd knitting project I've ever done, and it is fun! I made a lot of mistakes in the first few rows, but I think I've finally got it down, and I don't think it's anything too noticeable. :) I am really slow at it. I hope I get faster so I can finish it!! and boy does it make my joints get sore. I'll have to see if I can start knitting not so close to my face. ;) heehee. Gotta see what I'm doing. :) I think if I end up liking it, and get faster at it, I want to make one of these for my kiddos too. I'm thinking they'll stay on better than scarves. Which is always good with kiddos. :)


Anyway... what are you working on? Anything fun or new?

And what are you grateful for??? :)


Diane






I want to say thank you to everyone who left a comment last week! I haven't had time to sit down and respond to them all, but I want to say thank you!! I really appreciate your feedback! It definitely made me think about things differently, and in a better light I think. All the comments helped. Thanks! :)

Oh, and I did decide to start getting sponsors for The One Stop Giveaway Shop! I am also going to be offering a free sponsor spot every month! So if you are interested in sponsoring, or just getting a free spot to share your blog or shop button, please stop by and enter! :)


from blank pages... linky party

Make sure to link to a post, and not just your blog. And please link back here so others can join in the fun!! If you've got a minute, stop by others projects too and leave a comment! :)




Friday, November 16, 2012

DQS 13!!

Sign ups are open now closed for DQS 13. I think I got in and I am really excited!! I was going to blog about this to tell you to go sign up, but they closed sooner than I expected. So anyway, I guess I will write this a little differently. ;)

I am really excited about my mosaic this round. I really love making inspiration mosaics! I love the beauty of what others create, putting a bunch of these beauties together, and staring at them dreaming about what someone might send me that is inspired by them. :)

DQS 13 - Insipriation Mosaic

I'll put more details in the mosaic, so just click it if you want links and other info (like to whose pictures these are).


I had such a great time in the last round of this swap, especially since my partner was Whitney! (she is AWESOME! love her!) And I really had a great time with my project. I can't wait to see who I get this round! :) I haven't participated in a swap since the spring, so I'm kind of excited to be joining in on a few for the next few months. :) (don't worry, the send out dates are all after Christmas, thank goodness, so hopefully I won't go too crazy trying to get them done.) :)

DSC_0479
This is what I made last time (yes, before I sewed the pieces together, but the other pictures I took just don't do it justice. I would love a whole bed quilt made out of this. :) )
you can find the pattern for this in a 12" finished block here,
or an 18" finished block here.
my mini is 18".

Based off my advice in my Let's Get Acquainted post I will say that since this round is closed, I highly recommend stopping by the group and joining anyway. Keep an eye out for future rounds. They take a mix of newbies and oldies, which makes it great if you haven't done many swaps before! Plus it's just an awesome group if you have done lots of swaps before! :) If you are new to swaps or flickr, make sure to add some sewing photos to your flickr stream... it always helps when people can see somethings you've done, especially if you're new to flickr. :)


Anyway, I just wanted to share some fun stuff that's going on around here too! :) 
Hope you all have a great weekend!!
I will be twiddling my thumbs until Sunday morning... :/


Diane

Thursday, November 15, 2012

from blank pages... #12 Linky Party!

from blank pages... linky party


My planned one week break from this linky party (while I was gone at Sewing Summit) turned into a one month break. Whoops. Well, I'm here to say it's BACK!! :)

For me it's be a bit of an adventurous last month. I had a great time at Sewing Summit, had a couple different boughts of being sick with one thing or another - but don't worry, besides this cold I'm doing MUCH better than I have for the previous 2 months. Wahoo! :) Neil hit a deer with his car and totaled it (not looking forward to buying a new car in no-mans-land). And anyway, my blank pages have taken a bit of an interesting turn in the last week or so.


from blank pages... Linky party is up on the blog again. Come share your beginnings, your re-starts, whatever it is your going to, planning on, or hoping to work on. It's all about celebrating the ideas and beginnings of projects, which for me is sometime

For a few different reasons, WE decided - yes my hubby is very excited and supportive of this decision, which is also has included a bit of prodding from him to come to this - that I should take my hobby a little more seriously! I am in the process of developing a Business Plan. It sounds so serious. lol. But it's good. He helped me realize that I need to figure out more than just all the different tasks or projects that I can cross off my list, but to figure out WHY I want to do this = motivation. As well as WHERE I want to go = goals. I have a few, or maybe a lot, of different dreams when it comes to my "hobbies", and this has been good reflection to help me solidify them and figure out how to actually achieve them. Getting on the cover, or even in the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Vol. 6 magazine I feel was a bit of a lucky coincidence. No idea how that happened, but there is one dream come true. To make my other dreams a reality, it's going to take a bit more work though I'm afraid. Ok, not afraid, but I need to be better organized, have a plan, and have a goal. I even got out my old planner and ordered some refill pages for a few months to help me get started. See? I'm serious about this! lol.

So here is my beginning... and I have no idea what I'm doing. lol. But I do have a couple questions for you on a few different topics, if you are willing to give a little feedback:

  • Etsy Shop
I've had an Etsy shop for a while now. It's been up and down, and has definitely followed the trend of how much I put into it is what I get out of it = almost nothing in the last year. ;)  I struggle with what to make. I do buy from others, but since I like to make, I feel like everyone else like's to make too. If I make pouches, will others buy them? or just make their own? I think there are a million shops that sell pouches. Anyway, my question is, is there something you've seen on my blog, or in my shop before that you think would be a good selling item(s)?

  • Sponsors
I've read lots of articles on blogs about getting sponsors, and how you need 25,000 hits a month, and this many followers, and crazy outrageous numbers. Which I'm sure all help. But then I see blogs that I know assume aren't to those markers, but they have sponsors, so I know those stats aren't always the case.

As a reader, what do you think about sponsors on blogs? are they annoying? at what point to they get there? do you love them? how to do you feel about them? Personally I stop reading blogs when they become all about sponsors, so I don't want to get to that point at all. But I'm curious as to what other people think about blogs that just start getting sponsors.

As a sponsor, what do you look at when you choose to sponsor a blog? what makes you say yes to one blog and no to another? Do you prefer to pay money? or by product? Do you ever approach blogs? or do you always wait until someone approaches you?

My main idea with sponsors is for The One Stop Giveaway Shop (ok, I know this is usually a topic that I never see on blogs, but I don't mind talking about those forbidden topics. perhaps someone will be offended? idk. whatever) :) I love that blog, it's fun, and I always get excited when people fill out the form and want to use it as a resource, which is becoming more and more common! :) But it's also something I do on my complete free time (which the quantity of is becoming less, and I need to be a bit more choosy about what I'm spending my time doing = now I have a decision to make.) I would love to spend more time on that blog, do more to market it, get more people using it, which would help everyone that posts giveaways on there. As well as spend more time finding and posting giveaways. The one solution that I can think of that would solve my dilemma would be to get sponsors! I'm not thinking a lot, just 5 or 6, perhaps one free sponsor spot that is won through a giveaway every month (since it is a giveaway blog!). I don't want to ask a lot either, just enough to cover where I'm at with the blog. Anyway, if you know someone that would be interested in sponsoring the blog, would you pass along their info, or send them my way? That would be awesome. Or if you just have advice in how to get in contact with sponsors. That would be great too!! I would love to see that blog grow and think it could be really great!

Ok, and secretly I would love to get sponsors for this blog too!!!! I am constantly in this pull of "should I post this as a tutorial? or sell it as a pattern?" One of my favorite things is sharing what I know and teaching others!! I would love to make more video tutorials, post more projects, etc. But it goes back to TIME, as well as other personal reasons that, as much as I'd love to give everything away for free, that doesn't feed the babies, sort of stuff.

  • Patterns
What about patterns makes you buy them? Do you have to see lots of examples of it first? or only buy from people who are already super successful and well known?  What is that final lure that lets you say, "ok. I'll pay for that pattern." Anyway, I'm just wondering. I get a LOT of downloads for my free patterns on Craftsy, but selling patterns on there is a different story. Maybe I just give all my best patterns away for free, and try to sell my lousy ones. lol. Just asking for any feedback. Might as well ask, right?! :)



Ok, I think that's all the questions I have. Thanks for any advice or feedback you might have! I am entering new territory here and figure I could use all the help I can get... and perhaps avoid a little more live-and-learn experiences. ;) But then that's what this from blank pages... linky is all about! Sharing new ideas and sometimes getting back feedback as to how to make sure it turns out it's best! :)


from blank pages... linky party

Here's a few things when linking up:

  1. PLEASE make sure to link back to this post in your blog post! Let others know where you're sharing your projects so they can come share theirs as well! :) Or Grab a button!
  2. Make sure you are talking about some kind of beginnings in your post. If I can't figure out how it ties into this theme, I'll have to delete your link. no offense.
  3. stop by others posts and leave some comment love! :) 

Linky will be open until Saturday night! :)


Diane





Monday, November 12, 2012

Let's Get Acquainted!! a blog hop!

Plum and June

I don't know if you have been enjoying the Let's Get Acquainted blog hop with Plum and June, but it has been so much fun to learn about and meet so many bloggers! Today is the last link up for the event, which has gone on all summer and fall. If you haven't checked it out yet, please do here! There is also a LOT to learn from all the helpful posts people have shared on topics that cover the board.

Also, be sure to stop by all of the other late comers who are also posting today! (I say that because I was a late comer, but Beth still let me jump on board and join in the fun anyway. Thanks Beth!) I've got some good friends on the list, so really, you should stop by. :)

Cynthia from A Quilter by Night
Michelle from The Quilted Tortoise
Kim from Quilty Doodads
Stephanie from Smalltown Dreamz
Cynthia from Quilt Doodle Doodles
Diane from from blank pages...
Laura from Waffle Kisses
Mary Ann from Rocknquilts
Angela from Angela B
Jaime from Stitches to Sprinkles
Allegory from {sew} Allegorical
Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts
Karen from Sew Well Maide
Christa from Christa Quilts
Lynne from Bouts Choisis
Nat from Made in Home
Francine from Mocha Wild Child
Lyanna from Purple Panda Quilts
Stacey from The Tilted Quilt


Alright, so if you are new around here, or maybe not so new, let me introduce myself a little. It's always fun  to get a little better acquainted. :) I have a wonderful hubby of almost 6 years! Love him. I have two little boys and a little girl. They are so much fun. and so crazy. I feel lucky that I get to stay home with them all day, well, most days. ;)

When did you start quilting? I started quilting when I was pregnant with my oldest boy. My step-mom quilts and taught me how. After he was born and I was home all day I opened my Etsy shop, but mostly made toys, games, bags and other children's items. I of course had to make a quilt for my next boy, but I didn't really get the quilting bug until I found out I was pregnant with my little girl! I fell in love with Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane collection and that was my first FQ bundle that I bought! I have bought way too many since then. lol. But that's where it all began! I started making small quilts for friends babies, and for my shop, and for fun.

What do you do/make besides quilts? I like to make quilt blocks. Last year I joined the do.Good Stitches Bee, which I LOVED! I did that for a while until life just became too much with three little ones, and a load of health stuff going on. At the beginning of this year I joined a lot of groups on flickr. I participated in a whole bunch of swaps, which is where I REALLY started getting involved with other bloggers, and other great fabric people. That is definitely what changed it all for me and really solidified my love of this blogging/quilting community! So besides quilts, I like to make bags, pouches, pillows, quilt blocks. I love to design patterns and share tutorials. Basically anything and everything! (except I have yet to dive into making clothes.) I also crotchet, am a beginner knitter, embroidery, etc. I love art and anything that has anything to do with creating. :)

What advice do you have for anyone starting out new in this community? JUMP RIGHT IN!! I was really intimidated when I first really started blogging, and getting involved on Flickr. I was nervous to post on peoples photos, or link up projects in link-ups (ok, that didn't last long and is pretty easy), but I definitely had a period when I first found my favorite quilting blogs, that I would sit back and dream about being one of them. Or dream about being in swaps and having those long conversations on my Flickr photos. lol. I guess a good way to put it, I felt like I was looking out my window at all the kids playing together, and I didn't dare go outside. Well, once I finally did get involved in swaps, and more blogging activities, everything TOOK OFF!! EVERYONE IS SO NICE!! Don't hesitate to comment on blogs, start conversations, ask questions. Join swaps, join bees. Some swaps and bees aren't so chatty, and you might not always make those tight friends right away, but keep doing and be involved and you will! Everyone will love you!! It is so much fun! :) I definitely don't know - in real life - a lot of people who sew and quilt, so as my husband reminds me, though I'm sitting on the computer or at my sewing machine, this is "my time" and often my "girl time". Since I can't drive over to a friends, it's basically the same. lol. ok, now I sound like a loser, but that is how it is a lot of the times, and I think that's ok! I love my "online friends"!! I'm so glad I got to really meet so many of them of them finally at the sewing summit. It makes all that computer time worth it! That was a really long answer. Basic version, don't be scared! Everyone will welcome you with open arms! and if you're not on Flickr, get on there!


Want some groups to get started in?

from blank pages... group -  lol. 
Quilting for a Cause - basically make quilt blocks as you can and as needs arrive. Need some help making blocks? Start a new thread and ask for help
Mark Your Calendar - share, or find out about all sorts of Events.
The One Stop Giveaway Shop - though the BLOG is better. 
Share and find out about awesome giveaways!

do.Good Stitches - if you are interested in charity quilting groups

and there are so many more! You can start following people and see what groups they share their photos in and go join those groups! You can find me HERE and be my friend. :)



Ok, so besides Flickr, what else do I have going on? I am totally going to do some shameless self-promoting here. lol. 

The Charming Travelers - two charm packs that travel the US and one is also Canada. The winner takes out what they want, then replaces those charms with some from their stash so there is always 56. You can see the map here of where they've been!

Mark Your Calendar linky as well as The Master List Linky - where you can share your events and linky parties.

The One Stop Giveaway - a different blog where you can share your giveaways


Ok. Enough of that. ;)

I don't have a specific tutorial to share, but instead thought I'd share with you a couple of older ones that might be useful to some. :)


I know a lot of people say they are intimidated by curves, or maybe haven't done a lot of improve cutting. I put together this fun little video to share how I do it.
fbp TUT improv piecing 
the picture is not awesome fabrics, but you can successfully make curves like shown. :)

Looking for a quick gift to make for Christmas? I like these little Tissue Covers or Phone Pillows - can also be used for any device!
fbp TUT tissue covers  fbp TUT phone pillow


Go here for more tutorials. Or here for patterns - free as well as for sale.
I have many more tutorials and patterns in the works as well. :)


Thank you so much for stopping by today!!
I sure enjoyed your visit and hope you'll come back soon! :)


Diane

Saturday, November 10, 2012

On a Roll!

I am loving being well and having energy again! I've been sewing and crafting, going to the post office in a timely manner (aka, not months after I said I would send something). I've started on Christmas presents already, and even made a few quilt blocks to be added to some Hurricane Sandy quilts. I even cleaned my house (and while that is an ever work in progress, it still fills so good to know I can when I want, and I no longer am leaving everything up to my hubby to take care of.) Oh good health how I love you! (besides this awful sore throat that won't go away. ha. I guess I will never be totally free.) Anyway, I want to share with you some of the goodies I've been working on! I guess I could then also add that I'm also on a blogging roll!! Wahoo!! It feels good to share things with the world again! :)

F.y.i. This is basically a WiP's/Progress post. but I am definitely overdue for one. ;)


Here are my blocks for Jennifer. She's accepted 300+ quilt blocks to make quilts to take to New Jersey and hand out in December. Wow! They are still accepting fabric for the back as well as binding fabric if you would still like to help out. GO HERE. :) (You can also send her finished quilts to hand out. or there is someone else who can hand out quilt. For that info, or at least who to get in contact with, GO HERE.)

IMG_5371

IMG_5372


I also made these blocks for Angelina. Her quilt quild is making this AMAZING quilt to action and donate for the Red Cross. She needs blocks by the 13th, so it's quick, but these are fast. If you would like to help with these, GO HERE. :)

IMG_5376

IMG_5375



I of course finished my little pouch for yesterdays post. Love it. :)

And I have been working on my pouch from Sewing Summit. I wanted to finish it there, but decided to do some embroidery on it. I used the thread I won at the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild mixer. A HUGE pack of Cosmo thread. Wow. I still need to blog about that. Anyway, it's all variegated, and I'm not sure how to use it, but I tried it on this Denyse Schmidt fabric, and I think it turned out fun. :)

DSC_0857


Hunter's piggy bank broke, so I made him this little coin pouch instead. I really love how it turned out. It's really simple, but that's ok. He insisted on black fabric. That's all he wanted for everything. I asked what his favorite color was and he said, "black". News to me. ;) But I love it with this birch fabric on the inside.

IMG_5394

IMG_5397


I of course can't show Christmas presents yet, or that would ruin the surprise. ;) But I have all my supplies and am ready to do some mass producing. lol.

I finally got the back of the Candy Land quilt put together. I kind of forgot I needed to do that, so when I went to quilt it, I had no back. Lol.


I also fixed these blocks. I had assembled this top a while ago, but didn't love the center block with the rest of them. So I traded out the very center block! And now I love it. I'm going to finish this up and send it to Jennifer. Hopefully a little baby in Jersey can use it.

DSC_0854
Yes, I bribed them with a treat to come hold this for me. ;)

And, best of all.... ok, not best, but so excited. My curtain fabrics arrived already! Privacy here we come!! lol. :) (I just hope I ordered enough fabric. I think I may have changed my mind on how to make them. :/ )


Happy weekend everyone!
We are off to go shopping... not my favorite thing.
But we are in need of food!!!
What are your plans for the weekend?


Diane