quilting bee

It's been ages since my last post. I've been distracted by Life, but am in desperate need to spend some time creating and dreaming. Fortunately, I made the wise decision to join an online quilting bee in August. Doris, from Threads of Conversation, has been kind enough to organize and lead our group. She's a kind woman and I'm grateful for her invite.

The group is called One Block Over and our first featured quilter is Michele of Calico Daisy.

....it's a new start to a new year and loads of new projects.

size matters

He asked, "Why is it so small?"
My answer, "because I just wanted to try something new."
"But I can't snuggle with it..."
He wants to snuggle, I guess I'm a lucky girl. I love snuggles too.

t-shirt quilt

Completed a while ago, but pictured today.

I love these t-shirt quilts. They're so soft. They're perfect for soccer games and practices. Oh, and did I mention, easy to make? The current completed tally is 3, but I have piles of t-shirts waiting for their turn. I made a flickr set for them that can be seen here.

in progress

19 more needed, 17 are done.....just waiting for my mail to come.

This was initially going to be much larger, but now I'm thinking of keeping it small. 3 more blocks....that is all.

money well spent

Are there any recommendations for a stamp pad with fabric ink?

they're 3!

I know two princesses that were born on the same day. One lives in Kauai, my niece, and one lives here in California, my bff's daughter. Both were born to gorgeous, dancing mommies, so they are tiny dancers themselves.

I made them these to do some twirling in.....here's the tutorial. Thanks, Plumtickled! (cute name, right?)


They also got these....the tutorial can be found here. Thanks, Skip to my Lou....great tute. I filled the crayon rolls with non-toxic triangle crayons, so they won't roll off the tables in restaurants. They're so cute and easy that I'm thinking of changing the measurements and making a roll for my make-up brushes. I could use it when traveling. I'll be sure to post a tutorial if and when I get to making one.


Happy Birthday, girlies!
love, Auntie Autumn

beach house quilt

My hubby and I say we will retire on the beach one day. My beach house quilt will rest on his crusty old-man armchair that he's destined to own. It will be used for our grandkids when they visit. It may even keep my legs warm when we watch the sun set.

I'm 32, so I have years to complete it, but I just can't wait. I started it last night and am hoping to finish it soon.

My inspiration came from this quilt. I've admired it for quite some time. I visit the picture often, waiting for the right fabric. Lately I've been on a mermaid kick.

The tutorial for curved piecing came from this site. It was my first time using freezer paper for quilting. It's awesome and easy. My only additional tip would be to allow the fabric and freezer paper to cool completely, prior to removing the freezer paper from the block. Also, when the tutorial says to use MORE glue......use MORE glue.

Inhale....can't you just smell the salt air?

california is awesome

While in Kauai I had a moment, just a moment, of homesickness. In that short moment I realized how lucky I am to have spent my entire life in California. Even better, my kids are going to grow up in California too and it's my job to make them appreciate every day of it. True, I've had those thoughts, while on trips in other places, considering moving to other states, but California's bright sun and mild winters are my comfort zone.

Every year I promise to my girls that we will head to the beach as much as possible during their summer break. Then, we find ourselves running to and fro soccer practices, pool parties, movie theatres and never step on the sand quite as much as intended. This has been the year for us. I've taken every possible opportunity to make the drive to different beaches along Southern California, discovering new places that I've never been to. It has become an obsession for me. I will sink my toes in the sand of every beach along my part of California at some point in my life. I will know California and embrace my home state.

Summer of 2009 hasn't been a productive one for me, in terms of creating. My sewing machine is only getting use on occasion, but my skin is a golden tan and my hair is lighter. My boogie boards still have sand on them and I've been researching different surf classes for my girls and I.

Enjoy Summer. Find local parks to walk in and plan camping trips. Become a tourist in your city. Pick up pamphlets and see your state through the eyes of someone else. Teach your children about their local lakes and beaches. Love your home.

kauai, part 2

The fabric was wonderful.

happy 4th of july.

Wishing everyone
good food,
loud fireworks,
a margarita (or two),
and
some fun in the sun.

my part

Chen,

You said you like, "pink, green, blue and yellow"....and, "anything from the sea".
Then, I went to Kauai to visit this little girl.
Every time we saw a woman swimming she turned to me and said, "she's a mermaid."


I visited some fabric shops looking for "pink, green, blue and yellow", but kept thinking of "she's a mermaid". The perfect fabric was sitting at home, in California, in my stash. So, I picked up some fun flowers that reminded me of sea plants, but used my stash for the rest. The Amy Butler dots remind me of bubbles and the other Amy Butler made me think of coral. The other dots...more bubbles.

I hope you like it. I loved making it.


hugs from California,

placemat swap

Today I got a great package of goodies from my friend, Chen, of Mushyhed's Sweatshop. She's the greatest. Check out my awesome placemat! I told her I loved circles and circles she provided. What a great gifter. She included all sorts of fun stuff. I can't wait to listen to the cd......maybe with a glass of wine, while quilting. Good stuff.

I love looking at the other swaps in the flickr group. What a fun group.

kauai, part 1

This is going to be a long journey, so I'm breaking it up into manageable pieces. First, I want to share the stores that I visited.

My hubby, Jasen, deserves credit for his patience. He was my willing guide around the island, taking me from the Southside to the Northside and even visiting the same store TWICE. He took all my storefront photos, while I perused the inside of the stores. That's love.



Vicky's Fabric Shop
(808) 822-1746
4-1326 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI
Located on the right side of the road, if you're heading North. Don't blink....you might miss it. It passes by quickly. This was my first stop and where I found my bikini print. Vicky's Fabric Shop is great. The girls are friendly and Vicky, herself, will tell you of how she moved to Kauai years ago, from LA. I found great Hawaiian prints and some awesome Amy Butler and Alexander Henry. She also has quilts for sale, along with patterns for authentic Hawaiian quilts.





Discount Fabric Warehouse
(808) 246-2739
3-3215 Kuhio Hwy # 9
Lihue, HI
The Discount Warehouse is a must-go. I spent the most time there and found some great stuff. I bought two Heather Ross prints and some great japanese fabrics. The ladies are wonderful and one, who I never got her name, was so helpful in discussing machine shopping. They have quite a huge variety of machines set up and my new friend gave my loads of advice. The prices are fantastic and when you consider sales tax is only 5% you may want to think about making a purchase and having it shipped home. I considered this.....for a moment.
The store was a little difficult to spot. We passed it twice. It's on the right side if you're travelling South. The shop in front is Two Frogs Hugging. It's a teak furniture store. It may be easier to look for that.



Kapaia Stitchery
(808) 245-2281
3-3551 Kuhio Hwy
Lihue, HI
How cute is this storefront? You won't miss it, so I won't bother to tell you which side of the street it's on. Beautiful quilts hang in the windows, the patterns for them can be purchased inside. At Kapaia Stitchery I found most my Hawaiian prints, Amy Butler, and some other fun prints. There were so many handmade items that I wanted to buy, but I refrained. My husband only has so much patience and it had started pouring "cats and dogs" while I was shopping.
I was inspired by one of their window displays... "The Postcard Quilt". I decided not to buy the pattern, so I could make something a little different from what they displayed. Mine will be smaller, more my sized. I did buy the bundles that were so perfectly matched up for "The Postcard Quilt".

Fabric shopping in Kauai, just my style.

the blackberries are angry

Southern California has welcomed Summer! The heat has been wicked, but we're fortunate to have a pool. I don't know how I'd get the yard work done without it on these hot days.

While on vacation so much changed in the yard. The newlywed birdies that made a nest on the porch either moved or are on a vacation of their own. I hope they return. I was looking forward to watching their family grow.



The grapes are only days away from being perfectly ripe. This will be our first year growing an edible harvest. Our area is known for great wineries, so we're in a prime location for growing grapes. No one told me they require patience, as it takes a few years for young plants to fruit well.



Blackberries are troopers. They just grow and grow and grow. They have a dominant presence in the garden, as they can take over if allowed. I love trimming them.......because I eat them while I work. Not one blackberry has made it into the house. They've only been eaten in the garden.

Because I love my blackberries so much my husband decided to make them an arbor from sticks he found at a park. (Mighty hunter) Hopefully, they'll enjoy being given more garden space. They were starting to get grouchy with me as I did a little trimming today. They left those horrible little splinters in my fingers (I forgot to wear my gloves) and I was left trying to pick out splinters with my teeth. Maybe the arbor will be a peace offering.

home sweet home

It was hard leaving Kauai......I've heard it described as "God's playground" and "Nature's Disneyland". Both are true. I got some great photos......around 1000. It'll take some time to edit that amount of inventory.

Until I can post more, I'll post a photo of my favorite purchase. I visited 3 fabric stores and found some great japanese prints, some Amy Butler, Heather Ross, and much, much more. My favorite purchase was of this japanese bikini print. I'm pretty sure one of the bikinis is inspired by my favorite print, Mocca, by Alexander Henry. I bought one fq on my first visit, then went back and bought the last fq's in the store. They only had 3 more.......

heather ross at joann's

She's there. Check the quilting bundles.....I brought my coupons and "competitors" coupons. These were the only prints I found at my local JoAnn's, but I'm sure they differ by store. Let me know if you find any others.

*be sure you look at the pre-cut BUNDLES. They're $9.99 (coupons!!!) and come with 3 HR FQ and 2 other prints*

fussy quilt finished!

All done! Yes, there are many errors on this quilt, but it's DONE and that's the way I like it.

Also, I realized I didn't have any pics posted of the Fresh Air quilt finished. So, here they are.....I really like the binding.

switching gears

I haven't been spending much time with my sewing machine, but I did manage to start some string blocks. I'm using this tutorial, from Ashley, to do so. Let me tell you, this is my favorite project, thus far. Because I'm just doing a block at a time and using paper piecing for the first time.....I'm really liking this.

Always intrigued with social events of any kind, I joined a swap. It's a placemat swap. Check out some of the inspirational photos. My swap partner is Chen, of Mushyhed's Sweatshop. She is so stinkin' adorable! I'm so lucky to have been matched with this girlie.

As the title states.....I'm "switching gears". Our family is off to Kauai in 6 days and I'm down to the grind. It's time to concentrate on miles and calories instead of thread and fabric. Fortunately, I have an awesome husband who will take me fabric shopping while we're on vacation, so I'm not giving up my fun altogether. I've done my research and found that Kauai is blessed with loads of Japanese fabrics. I'll be happy to report the truth of this matter when I return.

Aloha!

link to 3-column layout tutorial

The other blogs have it, why shouldn't I? This is how I did it.

buttercup bag

Made of Pez, by American Jane, in black and white. I was going for that "classy casual" look that a photographer's assistant might like. *wink, wink* My friend has also decided to make a buttercup bag, but I had the intention of making this for her quite a while ago. Time just got away from me. So, now she'll have two.

Happy Belated Birthday, Tanya!

gifting is good for the soul

I was not 100% today. It was just one of those days.....tired, headache, backache, stuffy head, no patience with anyone other than my cat, so I did my best to keep myself from the world. This gave me time to sit and complete something I've been wanting to do. I can't wait to share. It's a present for a friend that's long overdue. I'll post pics tomorrow......I need daylight to take decent photos. The outcome made my night end on a good note. Now off to bed. Night night.

link to tissue holder tutorial

Not long ago I made one of these. The tutorial is easy, but you have to mess with the size, depending on the brand tissues you use. I'm making another right now, which is what prompted me to share the link. Enjoy!

quilting connection

Autumn, Like The Season has been added to Quilter's Qua. Thanks to Connie for the thoughtfulness in including me.

done!

Whew! It's only the second day of a three day weekend and I've had a blast. We've been on the road for soccer all weekend. I was able to complete my mom's gift in the car yesterday. I washed it this morning. It's wonderful.


I visited an out-of-town JoAnn's and found my favorite......Mocca, by Alexander Henry (pictured on left). I bought the rest of the bolt. A little over 4 yards.

My husband was nice enough to take me here, where I found some Lush, Alexander Henry Seagulls that I've been dying to buy, and some other great finds.




Soccer was good, but I'm looking forward to a day at home. Tomorrow I will begin binding this.

What to do next? That Buttercup Bag looks fun and has been on my "to do" list for quite some time.