1.16.2011

my sewing circle

If you haven't already you should check out :

http://www.mysewingcircle.com/

It's a great place to organize projects and talk shop! It like Raverly for sewers!

Basted

How do you baste? I've tried unsuccessfully for years on carpets in various apartments.. after hours of quilting only to discover I've got an annoying little crease in the back. All the tutorials out there say that hard floors or large tables are the best. Neither of these is an option for me so I've been stumped for awhile. How do I get a large hard surface to baste on without using the floor or table top?

I decided the wall in my bedroom seemed pretty perfect, and gave it ago. I taped the backing to my latest quilt up and went to town. It worked great! better than great...my best basting yet! I'm half quilted and no folds yet!I'm doing a wave pattern in the black areas. The idea being "Roll Tide Roll". I figured a rolling tide would be appropriate if not obvious.


So I offer up this solution to other apartment dwellers with little space control.....Just be prepared for a few sore mucles the next day from holding your hands above your head!

Now back to work!

1.12.2011

A post written just for me

I was looking at my reader over lunch and I saw this post on apartment therapy.

I think it was written just for me, and my project finishing resolution.


It was just too timely not to share.

New Year's Resolution Progress

This year I've broken with my usual tradition for new years resolutions...I'm not resolving to loose weight and go to the gym.

Instead the incrediable amount of UFO (UnFinished Objects) around here is getting obscene.
I have everything from partially quilted quilts to dresses all done they just need a zipper...

So I just figured I'd start with the project sitting on my sewing table and just keep going until they were all done. I think this might take most of the year but it will be nice to finally see some finished objects.

My first finished quilt top of 2011:
I'm pretty satisfied with it. Crimson and black are really not colors I ever quilt with. I'm more of a fresh pallet person but I'm pretty happy with this. I needed a more masculine feel, and I think I accomplished that too. To quilt it I'm going to do rolling waves because after all it is the Crimson Tide...Roll Tide Roll. Right now it is in the wash, and I'll baste this puppy tomorrow...

I'm making slow and steady progress.

To inspire me I finally gave in and hung a simple design wall:
I'm pretty taken with it, and I can't understand why I didn't do this before.

You might have heard but we got a ton! of snow around here for Nashville. 3inches!!! Not much by NY standards but enough to bring the city to a halt. My southern dog was very perplexed by how huge my feet instantly became.

1.07.2011

oh iPhoto and your face recognition...

When I was importing the photos of my previous post into iPhoto to drool over when I can't be near my fabric....There is probably a support group for this I'm sure.

This is what came up in iPhoto:
It recognized the owl's face in the print and wanted me to give it a name....it did the same thing to the bird's face.

I found this hilarious, and I've been dreaming up names all day ....

Fred
Blue
Hooty
Noise-maker
Hooting Harry
Tweety
etc.

1.06.2011

Merry Christmas...Santa was good to me :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I got some great fabric from my sister for christmas...including one of Heather Ross's top ten selling Spoonflower prints.

She didn't stop there...She also got me a fat quarter stack from one of my absolute favorite online shops Hawthorne Threads.

Patricia Bravo's Naturella in Garden...Lovely!!

I also got myself a few gifts too with some "buy yourself something nice" christmas money...Sooo I did:
I've been anxiously awaiting the release of the beautiful Tammis Keefe lines from Michael Miller and I was thrilled when I got the Hawthorne Threads Newsletter at 1:30am, and discovered that it was in stock! I immediately ordered some.

That wasn't really enough and before christmas Sew Mama Sew had a great 12 Days sale...I got some of the vintage sheet inspired Dream On by Urban Chiks:OHHHH Boy I'll be quilting for a while :)