SEWING FOR THE BABY

I have had so much fun sewing for my grand- babies.  I recently made these adorable black velvet booties.  They are very easy to make - really they are.  It only takes about 15 mintues a shoe.  I did my own cross-hatch quilting about 1/2" apart with the velvet fabric on top, a cotton polka dot on the back and a layer of warm and natural batting sandwiched in between. 

Jayne was visiting one day and I had to stop at my local quilt shop for fabric.  She was so excited to see the hundreds and hundreds of bolts of fabric.  I told her she could pick her favorite and then I would make her a dress.  She told me exactly what she wanted and picked the eyelet trim for the bottom.  So of course when I finished her dress I had to make a second dress to match for the baby.  And, of course a matching diaper cover from eyelet fabric to match.  You can find the perfect pattern for the diaper covers here.  I've got the cutest grand babies in the world.

LIFE IS GOOD!

Yes - especially when you get a new PFAFF!  I recently scored a great deal on Craigslist for a Pfaff 1200 grand quilter and frame.  The guy had bought it and thought he would add quilting to his in-home embroidery business but never got around to it.  So it sat in his garage for 2 years.  He had no idea how to use it and could tell me nothing about it.  So I took it to my local Pfaff dealer to show me a few details, watched the DVD and then set it up.  Spent half a day just playing with it and then took on my first project.  It was a blast!  I have done machine quilting for years on my regular sewing machine so to be able to stitch 1600 stitches per minute was just amazing.  This quilt is actually from a pattern you can find at the Moda Bake shop called the Lumiere table runner.  I made it for my sisters birthday.  She has a large round table and wanted a large square size table topper.  So just changed the size of the center to square instead of rectangle and then put in on the frame to stipple.  It turned out great and I'm excited to put the next quilt up tomorrow.  The next one will be Taryn's first quilt she made from the French General collection.

PURPLE-FANTASTIC

This new baby is going to be sleeping amongst the softness of minky and bathed in purple.  It would be so funny if when she can talk - she choses pink. All the fabric in this baby collection is from my favorite quilt shop called Fat Quarters and it washes up so beautiful.  The pattern I used for the quilt is Trip Around the World.  It really is beautiful.  There are minky bumpers, a quilt, pillow, dust ruffle, diaper changing pad and blackout lined drapes.  The chamois sheet in purple is soooo soft!  It was ordered online from potterybarnkids. Custom baby bedding is awesome!  Not another room like it.

CUPCAKE HEAVEN

I always think my cupcakes look homemade - cute, but not beautiful.  I love the idea of the cupcake but never quite got the hang of it.  Well, I finally got it.  All it takes is the right recipe.  I made these for Tiffany's baby shower.  SHe loves purple so of course they are frosted purple - even the rose and sugar sprinkles are purple and they looked and tasted soooo good.  Ther perfect frosting is the magnolia bakery vanilla butter cream.  It is amazing to frost and eat.  Click here for the recipe. For the cake I did a chocolate cookie dough.  It too was unbelieveably good.  Everyone - even non cake eaters love it.  The receipe is from Trina and is on her blog.  Try it here.

Another fun thing I made for the shower was a diaper cake.  I used about 60 newborn diapers and fold them and placed them into layers holding them together with ribbon.  I deocrated them with cute purple shoes, pacifiers, socks, ribbon's and flower.  It turned out really cute and was so fun to make.

SPOOL QUILT

I am taking a quilt class that my good friend, Julie Isa, teaches every other Friday night.  It is fun to get together with a bunch of quilters and make something beautiful from cut up fabric pieces.  We are going to make some of the most awesome quilts this year and I am so excited about the quilt patterns she has selected. This SPOOL QUILT pattern is the first of the year.  I chose to do mine smaller than the pattern so I could use it as a wall hanging in my sewing room and hang it above my cutting table.  I love looking at it while I'm cutting up fabric.  The thread area of the spools is from a charm pack called Wiscasset by Moda.  I loved all the fabrics. I'm going to make a table runner from the extras. To me, quilts are artwork and should be enjoyed and cherished either while your sleeping, sewing, or whatever you are doing.

LIGHT SUPPER FOR 160

It has been a long time since I've posted to my blog. I have made so many fun quilts and projects since my last post and I can't wait to share them with you. I promise to catch up soon. I've decided to post not only sewing projects - but other fun craft or cooking projects as well. I thought I would start with this very unique assignment I was given. I was asked to be in charge of a light supper to be served at 2:30 in the afternoon for 160 men. They wanted a light healthy lunch with finger foods that could be served and eaten in less than 30 minutes. The theme was artistic and elegant. Wow. I've stressed about this for two weeks and now I am breathing a sigh of relief because it was over yesterday. I have to say that it turned out exactly as I had dreamed about it. Thankfully, I can dream about things and work out the problems in detail ahead of time which saves a lot of crisis later on. Oh, for the menu it was whole wheat turkey cheese wraps, chicken croissant sandwiches, fresh fruit, and all my favorite desserts which included mini cheese cakes, mini pecan pies, caramel chocolate covered pretzels, strawberry trifle, chocolate crackle cookies, chocolate peanut butter bars and chocolate chip cookies. It tasted as good as it looked. There were 4 separate food tables and all men served themselves at the buffet and ate in 25 minutes. It was a miracle. Thank you to my friends who are all wonderful cooks, hard working, talented, and willing to serve. THANK YOU!

MOM'S BIRTHDAY QUILT

 Well - the BIG PROJECT QUILT I blogged about a few months ago is done. And, it is beyond beautiful. The pattern is called "Tag Sale". I used Moda Fabrics, many of which were designed by "Three Sisters." There are over 1,100 pieces in this quilt and no two squares are the same. Each was stitched together piece by piece and I loved every moment of it. There are 110 squares and a special thank you to Trina who complete about 30 of the 9 patch squares . I love this pattern and I loved making it. I created a label for the back on my computer. I will make a post on labels separately, but it turned out great too.  The monogram pillow was pieced by Trina and Sharla made the 9 patch pillows for completed awesome look.  Happy Birthday MOM!!

Custom Orders

I've been doing a lot of custom orders (in my spare time - 5:00am - and yes I am busy selling real estate) and here are two. The first was an adorable baby set of 2 crib sheets, 2 window valances, 2 pillow cases (one with piping I made from the coordinating fabric) and a pleated crib skirt. The picture just shows how I assembled it for delivery - and how cute the fabric is. The fabric was by Moda and is called Pacific Paisley and Mermaid tail. She had already bought the quilt and needed the matching items. It was so fun to make. The second was a little challenging due to the size and weight. The four drapes were purchased from West Elm and were 96" long made from silk. I added a full blackout liner by cutting it to fit, hemming the two sides and the bottom and then removing the header stitch (where the rod goes through) and sliding the liner up under it. I then replaced the header stitch. It turned out great. The picture shows the back side so you can see the liner material.

Smocked Sundress

Ruffles are so cute. I added two rows of top-stitched double ruffling to this super comfortable and unique dress inspired by Heather. Thank you Heather. It looks adorable. I decided this dress had to have a matching bag so I used a soft microfiber quilted fabric with the matching dress fabric. This is not hard to do. If you would like to try it go to this website and watch the tutorial. If you need additional help, just email me. http://www.marthastewart.com/article/smocked-sundress

Shanna Bag

This is a unique custom bag made from a leg of quicksilver old jeans, 1/4 yd of striped corduroy and 1/2 yard of charcoal corduroy. It has a zipper closure and two jean pockets inside. I started with 4" squares of the jean and striped material and sewed it together like a quilt - 4 squares across and 6 down. I then sewed on a charcoal band on each side so it would line up with the single handle. I lined it with the corduroy and added a wide jean pocket split 60/40. Shanna wanted the bag a little wider but not too deep so things won't get lost in the bottom. Sounds like a good plan. Love the way it turned out. All machine washable and should wear well for years!

Tote Bag Class

Here is one of the finished bags from the teen tote bag class I taught recently. It is reversible so the pictures show both sides. The girls were told to bring 1/2 yard of two fabrics plus whatever they wanted to add to personalize it. Maria brought a pair of old jeans. So, we removed the LEVI tag and sewed it to one side, used the one leg to make the handles and the other to make a large 8" pocket and then sewed the small coin pocket from the jeans on top of it. We then sewed a seam to split the pocket for a pen holder. Then we used one of the rear pockets for a small cell phone pocket on the other side. How cute is this? So, cute. Because it is completely reversible with pockets on both sides - it is equally cute whichever way chooses to wear it.

The Sharla Bag

I've had so much fun making bags this week. Ever since Trina asked me to make some for her craft fair (she has two in October) I've been dreaming up new ideas and modifications. Every bag is uniquie. I started naming them after the people who inspire me. My sister Sharla's birthday is in a few days, so I made this design per her specifications along with a cute summer smocked dress to match. I even made an attached coin purse with zipper. Her additions were the micro fiber quilted bottom and Hawaiian fabric she bought 2 years ago while on vacation. She also wanted it big enough to fit a couple diapers, wipes, sunglasses, munchies and a water bottle. She also wanted it to have an enclosure at the top and a comfortable long strap that can be worn across the chest while shopping with the baby. Here it is - the Sharla bag.

VINTAGE 50'S STYLE CRIB SET

I try not to post too many pictures - but I couldn't resist showing you this adorable custom ordered crib set I just finished. I was given the vintage style cowboy print and then added the faded washed yellow dot and soft blue cotton that has a denim look. I cut the squares from the fabric of the cowboy print in 6" squares and then organized the fabric on the point. This is not as hard as it looks and very fun. The back of the quilt is soft minky fabric in cream as well as one side of the bumper pads. Quilt is quilted around the squares making a diamond pattern on the reverse side. I added the prairie point trim to the bumpers which ties in with the rick rack when it is inserted into the blue band so you only see half of it. In addition to the quilt and bumper pads, this set includes 4 valances which are lined, the crib dust ruffle with a center pleat - both with the blue band and two pillows. Trina, my daughter, does embroidery and she found this adorable font that has fence posts for the letters and a horseshoe for the U. So cute.

YOGA BAGS!

I love yoga. I have been going to class now for a few years and I'm always trying to get Brian to go with me. He has a lot of shoulder pain and I'm convinced that it would help. When I started I couldn't raise my left arm all the way due to a skiing injury. Now I have no problem at all. In fact - we did side crow in class last night. Very awsome. FINALLY - last week Brian came to class and sure enough - he admitted the next day he felt better. Grabbing the moment, I bought him a new charcoal (manly colored) Nike yoga mat and then happily made him this Yoga bag. I've made lots of these for "girls". and used faux leather which looks really good. But for this one I used black corduroy. I put a good size pocket on the outside to hold his car key and gym pass - even a water bottle will fit. The bag is roomy enough for a strap or towel to fit in too. The mat came with a string around it so I just used that. It looks really good and makes life easier - even for the muscle man. Not bad for only $2.50.

HUGE QUILT PROJECT

Here is a sneak peak at the first 3 rows of a king size custom quilt that will have over 1100 pieces. The colors are soft pastel shades of pink, cream, blue and green. In the true spirit of quilting - each piece was cut and sewn together individually - with each square being unique. No duplicate squares. All the squares are now sewn and I am piecing them together to form the top. Next up will be the borders. I will post more photos as I get more done.

GO USC!

Jayne is a USC fan - she can sing the songs and yell the chants. She even knows when to yell TOUCH DOWN! She especially loves to go to games and see the USC horse. She is so cute. Needing a new outfit for the upcoming game she will be attending, of course - I made her this jumper and bought new red Converse shoes to match.

This jumper was fun to make. Instead of using a facing I just cut out the same pieces in a gold fabric and lined it which gave the dress a nice weight and clean lines. I put in an invisible zipper and made 10 matching button holes across the front to weave the ribbon in out out. This pattern brand is sold at Wal-Mart for only around $3.50.

ICED MOCHA IS FANTASTIC!

The iced mocha quilt is now complete and on my bed. This fabric collection is what inspired me to start quilting again. I loved it at first sight. After much contemplation, I made the commitment and bought the fabric. First I cut all the strips and Trina helped sew the blocks which was a blast. Then, I gave it to my good friend Julie Isa who did the machine quilting on her long arm. She did such a good job. I picked it up last night and then stayed up late working on the binding and finished early this morning. I washed and dried it in my front load machine and it turned out so beautiful. It puffed up around all the quilting and I love it. I've given away most of my handiwork. Not this one. Now and forever - my inspiration quilt.

Back to school BAG!

Taryn is going to HIGH SCHOOL! I can't believe it. Now that they have lockers to hold books, she wanted a bag to carry all of her other things..... I took her to the fabric store and what did she pick? Yes, the $20 a yard fabric (the blue). Luckily, I had a coupon and only need 1/4 of a yard. We added grey and burgundy fabic for contrast with satin lining and cell phone pocket inside. She loves it. Now she wants a brown one and a green one. Need to match the outfits I guess.

And More BAGS!

I will be teaching a bag class to teen age girls the end of the month. I asked and found out what size and shape they liked and the HOLD EVERYTHING TEEN TOTE turned out so very cute. They can use any kind of fabric they like from corduroy to velvet or denim or tapestry. I can't wait to see what fabrics they bring to the class. This is 24 x 13 inch after you pieced the stripes together. Cut the lining the same size. The handle is long - about 38 inches and 5 1/2 inch wide - fold in half, sew, and flip. Gather on an oval shaped bottom so it holds the barrel shape. The lining has no round bottom so just sew straight across leaving a hole to pull it through. Sew the lining and outside together with right sides together across the top (go over it twice to hold the handles on really well ) and then reach into the lining hole and pull it through. Always PRESS EVERYTHING WELL. Sew the hole closed in the lining bottom and top stitch if you want.

I LOVE BAGS!!!!

I've always wanted to design bags - maybe someday when I have more time. Yeah, right. My first sewing project back in Jr. High was a bag. I still remember it was from dark green corduroy. Bags make life so much easier. This big market bag is so handy for shopping, going to the beach or park or traveling. It holds EVERYTHING - all the beach towels or sweat shirts and is cute. It also wash perfectly and folds up small to keep in the car. This is the extra large market bag in a soil resistant canvas stripe (didn't see the USC colors until I got home) and lined with the cream fabric from the smocked dress. It has split pockets on the outside and inside.