Coordinating Fabrics... and Boxes...

So I just completed a cross country move... NY to CA.  Well, three months ago now.  I spent the first month just trying to get adjusted to my new surroundings and doing all kinds of exploring.  Now that it's getting colder, and I actually have some free time I have started thinking about my quilting.  So I went into the office I haven't been into for a while and started opening up boxes... and more boxes... and bags... whew!

It's amazing how much fabric you can accumulate very quickly.  I counted about 5 packages of brand new fabric I bought because I liked the fabric and "planned to do something with it."  I found 2 BOM UFO's, 3 UFO's in progress, a quilt kit or two, and lots of random fabric.  I have two or three finished quilt tops waiting to be sandwiched.  I got into purse making and have a bunch of silks and damasks for that.  I have teddy bear fabric in long plush or velveteen pieces.

And, as you can see, my poor little Singer is sitting under a bunch of teddies on the table... waiting to come out of the box... I really have to get more coordinated.  It's a little hard because we're in a rental, and I don't want to really go whole hog until I can properly set up.  Or maybe that's just an excuse to think about this tomorrow... maybe I should take a break and start looking at fabric online...?  Those quilt tops are going to need some backing after all.... 

B-I-N-G-O!!! And Bingo was His Name-o

The Quilt Shoppe is have a Spring Bingo game with some excellent prizes.  Here's the link to Spring Fever Bingo!  Good Luck!!

PLAY BINGO HERE!

Seriously, I am Still Alive

Thank you so much to all of you who continue to visit in the hopes that I am posting... I am in the midst of finishing my residency in NY and will soon be moving to Northern California.  With all of the activities over the last several months, I haven't even had time to sew.  I keep getting my "Pennsylvania Dutch Quilt BOM" packages which I look at sadly and place up in the sewing room.  I will have to get to them another time.

Thank you for visiting.  I do stop by from time to time to update the "Pattern of the Week."  I will be back.... I promise.  Until then, I enjoy looking at all of your blogs when I have a quiet evening to just catch up on life in the non-academic world.... Once, I move though, watch out!  I'll be catching up on all those UFO's that are just clamoring to be finished!

Gone Fishin'...

Wow!  I can't believe I haven't written anything for the last two months.  I thank all of you that have been stopping by and checking on the site.  I have been posting some blogs on my main site, but I haven't been doing much sewing.


I frantically made a couple of purses and friendship bags for the Christmas holidays, and that's the last time I used my sewing machine.  I've been so busy traveling and finishing up work projects that everything else has been at a standstill.  I will have a lot of free time next month and plan to get to work on some of those UFO's that piled up.  I think if anything just to finish the tops.  I also have been getting the Pennsylvania Dutch BOM patterns and feel bad every time I just grab the package and put it on the shelf.  So there's lots to do.  


Promise to post more in the upcoming weeks!  Thanks again for sticking around patiently.  Can't wait to see what you've been up to this winter.

Finished! Coco Pink Twin Stars

My Goddaughter Raelin's Birthday is this weekend, and I finished her quilt! I'm actually very proud of this quilt despite the fact that I haven't mastered matching my points yet. I guess that will come with time and experience.

These are bright and fancy colors that I would not usually use, but her favorite color is sea foam green (actually I think it's Tiffany Blue, I started her off early by imprinting her with the color at her Christening.)

But I actually like my quilting and am especially happy with the way the binding turned out. This quilt is now boxed and labeled and will be making its way to Oklahoma.

"For Raelin
May all your dreams come true...
You "Beary" Godmother"


Prior posts about this quilt...

Finished! Summertime Mini Quilt for the Swap

I finally finished it! And well before the September deadline.
This happy bright quilt will be making its way across the Atlantic, flying Northeast to its new home.
I thought it needed a little extra something special, so I made some pillows.

I hope my partner likes it and forgives me for being a beginner... I'll get those corners and seams perfect one day....

Prior entries about this quilt

I Think I Have a Problem

I promised myself several months ago that I would buy no new fabric. Then I ordered something I had seen on another blogger's site from Fat Quarter Shop. The Shop gave me a coupon towards my next purchase. Tempting, so tempting. I held fast, but then they came out with a BOM I just had to have. Which gave me an excuse to use my coupon. Because, of course, you have to make sure you don't run out of fabric when you're making a project.

A week or so later I stopped at one of my local quilt shops "just to look," and, of course, they had a Moda Jelly Roll and some matching fabric in their "scrap bin" that got me thinking of a new project from one of the magazines I had just received in the mail.

I have too many "new projects" to work on and enough fabric to keep me cutting and sewing through this fall and winter. Maybe even until next spring. It's quite the pile. The one shelf on my bookcase that I had dedicated to fabric has now overflowed to another two shelves. So, I've decided I need help.

I think we need an Obsessive Fabric Buyers Anonymous Support Group. I need someone I can turn to who can point out to me that I have too much fabric in my collection, and I need to finish the projects I have started. Someone who says, "Woman, step away from the computer and stop looking at that fabric website." Focus and refocus.

Please, for the sake of my shelf space and my wallet, join me in this cause. I know there have to be others out there like me... new sewers, or maybe some veterans, who can't drive anywhere within a 5 mile radius of their local quilt shop or JoAnn's without thinking, "Well, I do need something extra for the border, binding, backing, etc..." or maybe you are thinking of "just stopping in" to pick up the latest quilting magazine and 2 hours later come home with some fat quarters, a jelly roll, maybe a kit. Come on, I know you're out there.

Won't you join me in this cause? Feel free to snag the badge I made. I would just appreciate a shout out or link on your website in return.

It's not just me.... or is it?

In the Good Ol' Summertime Mini Quilt Swap, Part V

So, I have been working on my mini quilt for the Quilting Gallery swap. And I thought I would share a few more pics before the big unveil....





The centers look kinda like this....









And the quilted parts look something like this. First time trying the free motion feature... hope my recipient doesn't laugh at me too hard...




Now, I just need to finish the binding... how hard could that be on a 16 x 16 piece?

Famous last words right?

Coco Pink Twin Stars Part II

I finally finished the top on my Twin Stars quilt. It's going to be a gift for my goddaughter's birthday later this month.

I bought the backing fabric, a very cool dark brown batik with glowy multi-colored sprays kinda like the border. Now I just need to sandwich and quilt.

But first I've got to vacuum... well, pick up and then vacuum...

Here's the link to the original post.

In the Good Ol' Summertime Mini Quilt Swap, Part IV

I have been steadily working on my mini quilt for the Quilting Gallery's Summertime Mini Quilt Swap.

Here's a little sneak peek...

Just enough to whet your whistle.

I have pieced the smaller elements and am starting to sew rows.

Getting excited as it is steadily starting to come together. Then I'll just have to learn how to quilt and bind it. All within the next month and a half! Eeek!

I am posting photos on the Flickr site. You can see my pics and those of others in the swap. There are a LOT of fun quilts in the works. Wonder which one's mine...?

Links to past postings:
Part I
Part II
Part III

Welcome to My New Site!!

I am a brand new quilter. I just started learning to sew, and this is my blog. I decided to create a new site just for quilting since summer is almost at an end, and soon the community photo challenges will be starting up again.

It will be a bit confusing for a time, but hopefully everyone will make the move without losing too many people. For the two of you (Nicole and Allyson) that actually have links to my old blog from your websites, first, thanks! And, second, sorry you have to update your links. :)

This will be just like my old blog page, except dedicated to sewing and quilting as I explore this fascinating new hobby. It started off with a trip to the Amish Country in Lancaster, PA, where I thought "How hard could that be?" to actually learning to match seams and finding out how important that seam ripper is in achieving perfection. I have been inspired by the list of ladies to the right whose sewing helps me to set goals as to the type of quilts I would like to be putting out one day.

So, sit for a spell and enjoy the journey along with me!