Mimi and her necklace

In a week, she will be a second grader. Here she is today, tan, end of summer tired.

Vacation crafts

We've had a great extended weekend away with my extended family in Palm Springs. I planned ahead and packed enough hand sewing for about 7 or 8 weeks of vacation... So I was more than prepared when my nieces wanted to dig in. First my eldest niece, Lily, wanted to sew her own project bag, like the ones I carry all my projects in, so I had a little sewing buddy all weekend. Then 3 year old Violet asked me in her tiny voice, "Lala, do you have any yellow favrics?" (insert my melting heart here and you'll see how she ended up with a yellow "packpack".)
Lily was convinced then to turn her bag into a backpack herself and after two days of working on it with great determination, she was able to put it on with pride for these pics.
I spent tonight working on a third bag for middle sister, Sofia, and of course, Mimi needed a little love, too, so I capped off the evening with some tiny surprises for my special girl, too.
(I'll show those tomorrow.)
Didn't really make much progress on my own projects, but I did get lots of sewing in and plenty of indoctrination to the cult of sewing for my nieces. (Mimi spent her vacation practicing Ms. Pacman and other old school video games on the big booth here at the house, for her own change of pace! Sewing, not so much...)

Favorite Sewing Books - post 7 - One Yard Wonders

Oh do I love this book!
It's another one that has gotten dog eared by my carting it around everywhere.
(True confession, I leave the house with at least one extra bag almost every time I leave - that has a sewing book and at least 2 projects to work on. This one has been in the bag a lot.)

I've made the cutest casserole holders from patterns in this. I learned about this book by hearing the podcast on Craftsanity and I love the fact that this is a truly collaborative effort by tons of designers. And so many projects? wow.

favorite Sewing Books - post 6- Block Party

This book is an exciting view into the world of the new online quilting bee (like the two I am in!!). It's not only got the 12 projects that the women made, it's got the stories of their journey - their inspiration and it's really neat to see how the bee quilts turned out with 12 pairs of hands involved.

And yes, mine is signed (by Alissa). Which is always fun.

Charity quilts finished!

Aren't these so fun to behold? Here are 5 of the 6 quilts that my 8 guild member friends helped me to get together for the Sharefest Youth Development Academy kids from their artwork.
Huge thanks to Tanya, Lori, Latifah, Patsy, Pam, Lisa. Angela and Lauren for their contributions!
These look great, don't they????

Favorite Sewing Books - post 5- Modern Log Cabin Quilting

I haven't made any of the quilts in this book yet -it just came out.
But I have lots of pages marked.
Log Cabin quilts are fun to make and these are so fresh and revitalized.
Nuf said.

Favorite Sewing Books - post 4- Sew What Skirts

I'll confess I first picked up this book to see if it was giving away my Libby Dibby pattern. (it doesn't) But I ended up buying it because it's awesome.

I haven't made one of the skirts as they're presented. But the directions and know-how that are shared in this book are amazing and clear and valuable and I have at least 4 or 5 skirts I have made using the techniques I learned by reading this book - yes - ACTUALLY READING the book and not just looking at the photos.

Seams Perfect stars for Theresa

I'm less than thrilled about these paper pieced stars that I made for Theresa this month in our Seams Perfect bee.

I just figured that since she had asked for scrappy stars that she would be getting a ton of wonky stars... So here would be something different... I shrank down a pattern from quilters' cache (starry web) and made my squares from that.

After 2 hours of practice and a lot of mistakes, I had a red and white block i liked for my sampler- but the next night, when usingTheresa's fabric, I got all the pieces in the right place, but in the end, they didn't match up.
:(
Wah. I am not proud of these.
Still, like every month in my bees.. I learned, which is the reason I joined the bees in the first place.

(I am proud of the little pouch I made to go with it as a gift though... how lame is it that I was so much freer with this?)

Charity quilt progress - longarm day

There are 6 quilts in this little sharefest quilt project... And I am not doing them all alone. There are a lot of women who are helping me!
Today's fun journey was to take a little "me" time - all the kids were farmed out - so that I could visit my friend, Tanya, and we could quilt one of the quilts on her longarm machine. For those who have no idea what a longarm machine is: this is a 10-12 foot wide sewing machine that you use to complete those beautiful intricate quilting patterns you see on high end quilts. The machine is enormous. Before a few months ago, I think I imagined it was a machine that kind of ran itself on an autopilot kind of deal. It's not. While using Tanya's machine with her today, I literally felt like I did the first time I used a sewing machine. My stitches were so messy! So primitive! I couldn't even do the below raindrop design without really having to work at it! I think about two inches of 150 that I did were "good".
But I've said it before and I am not afraid of being a beginner at stuff. There's a Bible verse I love that says, "do not despise the day of small beginnings". I firmly believe in embracing my journey.
I'd taken a class a few weeks ago about "quilting" with Angela Walters... (been meaning to write about that) And I've taken the "free motion sewing" class with Lisa at Sew Modern- but can I just take my hat off to people who can do this well???? Geez, it's hard! Free motion AND longarm quilting...
It's fun, though.
Imagine learning that not only is driving a possibility, but flying is, too. (I still need to master driving... And sewing, for that matter.)
Tanya is REALLY GOOD at this. She showed me some recently finished quilts for customers and i was blown away. Even moreso after playing with her machine.
I'm trying to think of something I can have her quilt for me.... May have to make something....
These Sharefest quilts are going to be so great. Each one, so different. Each one having at least 32 pairs of hands having worked on it. That is awesome.
(oh, and thanks to Lauren at Sew Modern for donating this blue!)
I'll post pics when they are all finished. Can't wait to share.

favorite Sewing Books - post 3 - Anna Maria Horner

It SEAMS TO ME] that everyone loves this book.
Ever since I first read about her in Home Companion magazine (Tori had passed the article onto me), I was in love with all things AnnaMaria Horner. I listened to the Craftsanity podcasts with her and I decided I had a hobby crush on AMH.

This book is sheer eye candy. Absolutely fabulous.