Something New

In the new year I told you I was adding advertising to my site - take it or leave it, I am looking for a way to help with the family bottom line (and support the fabric addiction). I have learned a lot in the process, like adding filters so that stuff I'd rather not see doesn't appear at the bottom of my feeds and such! If you have questions, let me know, I will do my best to answer or point you in the right direction. :)

Today I want to share my Amazon Shop! I have added, and will continue to add, favorite books and tools. So if you have a little shopping to do on Amazon - consider linking through my shop. I'm not looking to make a ton of $$, but every little bit helps!

Maybe you need a darning foot to finally take the plunge to free motion quilting! I didn't even to think of looking on Amazon when I had to have the Dresden ruler! And they have the ergo rotary cutter I love too!

I have also included books that I own or have inspired me through our local library. Go take a peek! Modern Quilt Workshop is one I am still digesting - amazing amounts of information in this one (not just a pattern book!). And Material Obsession, will inspire for months and years - beautiful pictures too. Have you been inspired to try embroidery? It's not hard and completely relaxing. Check out Doodle stitching! She has instructions for a few projects, stitch library and lots of information to get your started in embroidery.

If that hasn't tempted you maybe the 10 yards of bleached muslin from moda will - it's under $30!


Blessings to you~
Amy




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Sew-n-Tell

Happy Friday! My friend Amy and I decided to save up our finished projects for a Friday reveal - she has a Mr. Linky up for you to join in and share your finishes with the rest of us too!

Not that I would have been able to post anything earlier! We have had a busy week getting ready for school . . . well child checks, immunizations, school shopping and trying to sleep and sew a bit too :)

My first finish is the sample bag for my LQS - Seasons of the Home - I should have taken a picture of it hanging with my pattern at the shop when I dropped it off today. Next time! I had the kids with me and we were on our way to the outlets for new shoes :)
The fabric line is Lily Pond by In The Beginning - It's cute and really soft!



With the extra backing/binding fabric from my zig-zag quilt I made a quick skirt for Ella. Great fit with no need to alter it for her! It goes past her knee too, so it will fit for a while - hopefully :)
Hem detail -- This skirt was so fast! I could have been done in an hour, if I had elastic on hand (never), I used princess seams to hide all the unfinished bits and the hem is a band added with princess seams, and top stitiching to finish it off nicely. Maybe a tutorial is in order - what do you think?


Finally - A Notion Or Two blocks for Sarah! I managed to squeak out 6 blocks from the fabric that she sent -
Aren't they fun!? 6" squares using 1 - 1 1/2 " strips - can't wait to see this one come together.

So now it's your turn to sew-n-tell! Visit Amy and link to your recent finish, and maybe just maybe we can all be motivated to finish more together next week!


I still have a mega to-do list that needs to get cleaned up, not sure how the weekend will go, but I'm hopeful :)

Amy


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Flea Market Fancy Freak?

My friend Penny has taken on a new project - Getting Free Spirit to reprint Flea Market Fancy! Do you love the Denyse Schmidt, Flea Market Fancy collection?
Click the picture to show your support and sign the linky/petition - let your voice be heard! Penny has already been in touch with the manufacturer, with some good news too. It just takes a moment to participate, add the blog to your reader too and keep up with the latest news!

Thanks!!

Amy
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I Love Pretty Things

I stayed up late last night so I could look through this
all by myself! Cath Kidston Catalog and Magazine all in one - so much pretty in one spot!Just look at this kitchen! Changing accessories and adding color to the table made a huge improvement!

Beautiful ironing board covers too.

Encouraging the sewist in everyone :)
It all came to and end too quickly - I'm hanging on to this one for more inspiration!
Speaking of pretty -- the blocks made with my embroidery are showing up in the flickr group! I'm excited to see it all come together :)

In case you haven't guessed already - I haven't made it to my sewing machine lately. I'm getting motivated right now - I really need to get a few things taken care of :)

Blessings -
Amy

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Zig-Zag Quilt Along Links

This post is a summary of the zig-zag quilt along done in the Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along Flickr group.

Fabric Requirements
** To make a 40" square baby quilt - you need 10 fat quarters for the top, 1/2 yard for the binding, and 1 1/2 yards for the back.

** To make a 48x60" throw quilt - you need 15 fat quarters for the top, 1/2 yard for the binding, and 2 1/2 - 3 yards for the back. Depends on how much piecing you add to the back.


The big difference with the bed size quilts - different size squares cut. It is to better use your fabric without too much waste. The quilt will be graphic and modern.

**To make a 64x88" twin size quilt - you need 11 - 1/2 yard cuts, 1 yard for the binding, and 4-5 yards for the back. Again it depends on how much piecing you add to the back.

**To make a 80x88" Full size quilt - you will need 11 - 1 yard cuts, to make it with 4 colors repeated, 2 1/2 yards of 3 fabrics, and 1 1/2 yards of the fourth fabric. 1 yard for binding and 5-6 yard for the back. Again, it depends on how much piecing you add to the back.

**To make a 88x96" Queen size quilt - you will need 12 - 1 yard cuts! 1 yard for the binding and 5-6 yards for the back!


Press, Cut and Design
I created a Zig-Zag worksheet with lots of information - I hope it helps! A few people working through the quilt along had a hard time trusting that designing/laying out the quilt as I instructed really worked! Since each square eventually becomes half of 2 blocks, we laid out the quilt half as wide and twice as long, with two rows of matching fabrics - except on the top and bottom, just one. My example:

Mark, Sew, Cut & Press
Mark, Sew, Cut & Press 2
We made half-square triangles (HST) from all of the squares cut the previous week. Working with HST's I highly recommend pressing your seams OPEN. It lays much nicer in the end :)

Quilt Top Assembly
In the post I included instruction for fixing your missed points, and sagging points. Quite possibly not the "right" way but the way that works for me :)

Baste & Quilt
A couple of quick tips for your walking foot quilting, and thinking outside the quilting box!

Binding Tips
This includes a link to Emily's Perfect Fit Binding Tutorial - I love her method and use it every time I bind a quilt!My quilt is officially done, bound and washed - ready for Sophia to love it! The puckers around the heart I was concerned about are shrunk in and completely unnoticeable.


I am really loving the quilting and so glad that I took the time to do it! If you have questions about any of this - please email me - I will be happy to help!

Amy
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A Little Bit of Sunshine

Thanks so much for all your encouragement this week - seriously means so much to me. After Emmalie woke up with a bad stomach ache yesterday I was prepared for the worst, but she fought it off and is back at full energy today! She got her stitches out yesterday too!

After praying a few prayers of health for our family I got to work cleaning. A little clorox goes a long ways in killing germs. I figure if I pray and don't clean, it's like praying for a good grade on a test that I never studied for! My girls helped a bit too, wiping down their own chairs and most commonly used light switches :)

There was sunshine in my mailbox yesterday! A while back I won a giveaway from my friend Sheree. Here's the beginning of the fun -

A great grocery tote! She appliqued the flower so beautifully - you can get your own in her shop too :) Did you notice that the bag is bulging? Look at all the goodies!
Lots and lots of fabric, my choice in a pattern, scraps to inspire and beautiful antique buttons!
Sheree has been busy all summer teaching kids to sew, and getting ready to launch a collection of patterns - she is one to keep an eye on! And I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the giveaway she has up right now - go join in the fun, it's just for quilters, or new quilters :)


On a separate note I was browsing on etsy, and made an impulse buy! I never do that - usually I buy per project (stay-at-home mom to 4!) these were calling to me and they are just lovely!!
I will let you know when I figure out what to do with them :) Sophia's quilt is in the dryer - I'm excited to have it emerge all crinkly!

Happy Weekend~
Amy
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Getting There

Hi there! Just a quick post to check in with all of you. This has been one of those weeks - you know the kind. When nothing is normal, and finding motivation is a challenge. Little Sophia seems to have a flu bug, and is currently asleep on the couch. I'm praying that it doesn't spread - say a little prayer for me too - k?

Yesterday I finished up my DQS7 quilt top - I really like it! Now to decide how to quilt.

Also from the list, the sample bag is half complete, and I'm half way around Sophia's quilt binding. I think I will go sit for a bit more with it now.

Many blessings to you today ~
Amy
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A To Do List & Drama

Hi there! Thanks for taking the time to complete the survey - lots of great info there, and it is helping to get me even more excited for the Fall Quilt Festival! If you haven't done it yet - I would love to have your input too!

Our weekend was a little dramatic - on Sunday our Emmalie was spinning on her foot in the kitchen, with a cup in hand, when she slipped and fell - face first. It happened so fast! She was in immediate pain, and bleeding, I was the one dressed so we scooped her up and ran to the hospital. Thankfully it is just 5 minutes away. In the end she has 4 stitches on her bottom lip and chin - but owie! That is a painful spot for stitches, and a couple of them he did twice to get the lip line right - I'm thankful he took the time, but it was hard to watch! She also had a puncture inside her lip, bruised top lip, and battered gums - sorry if this is too much, I don't have pictures :) Today she's looking and feeling much better! All the swelling has gone down, she can eat more than milkshakes, and the stitches are healing. Now if I can stop stressing over every move she makes! Some of you may remember I had stitches in my finger back in January - I would do that all over again if I could keep her from hurting. She's a brave girl.

My list of stuff to get done this week -

- Tack down the binding on my zig-zag quilt.
- Sew sample bag for LQS.
- My Doll Quilt Swap mini.
- Try another bag in my head.
- Bee blocks? that may be pushing it :)
- Quilt Festival prep behind the scenes.
- The zig-zag quilt-along is complete, I need to make a big post for reference here.
- Of course the laundry and dishes all need to be done constantly - that goes without saying right!?

Looking at it now, this is more a wish list than to-do list! At least I have a goal :) What are you working on?

Amy

PS -- Are you local to Park City/Salt Lake area, or willing to drive to PC?? A lady contacted me, she is selling off 400 bolts of mostly high quality flannels for $1.50 a yard!! Email me directly if you would like to contact her.

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Quilt Festival Preparations

With less than two months until the Fall Quilt Festival - I'm planning ahead, and would love to have your feedback via this quick survey! Please click over if it's not showing up in your reader :)



Survey Results - GlowDay.com


The only thing this free survey doesn't offer is a way to expound on your answers - if you feel the need to share please just leave a comment.

Thank you so much!

Are you interested in being a sponsor? See my Quilt Festival Sponsors Page!

Amy

ETA - If you are not sure what I am talking about - check out the Spring Quilt Festival!
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Book Review: Daniel X -- Watch the Skies

Something new for me! A while back I joined the MotherTalk network, and was recently asked to review Daniel X - Watch the Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust.

I have to say that action/alien adventures are not usually my first pick in leisure reading - but this book is fun! It is geared for teen boys that haven't found a book to hold their interest - and I imagine it would. Written in the first person you get a sense that you are there with the characters and in on the secret. Who doesn't love to be in "the know?"

Young Daniel is himself an alien and busy fighting his nemesis, Number 5, in a sleepy US town. Daniel is likable and surrounds himself with his materialized, imaginary friends, to help outsmart Number 5. While Number 5 is busy recording reality tv shows, and interfering with normal life. The book is very imaginative and full of adventure!

In the end, this is a fun book and quick read! I would like to giveaway my copy - just leave a comment and I will select a winner Tuesday evening :)

Amy

Comments are now closed
Congratulations to Jenny!

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The Quilted Quilt

Usually I wait until I have bound and washed a quilt to post, but this quilting was so inspired and I love it! I had actually thought I would be selling this quilt, as my girls are no longer babies (and I'm not having more!). BUT, Sophia claimed it, we "tried it on" her, and after all the quilting I've grown pretty attached to it. It will be staying here! Even Joe mentioned it would be a little sad to sell it since I've put so much effort/time into it!

Here it is - do you see my addition?



There's a heart, stippled right there -

There's a bit of puckering on one side of the heart - if I do it again I would do the heart first. Live and learn :) I'm hoping it will be less noticeable once it's washed.

What do you think? Are you inspired to try something new!? I hope so :)

I had originally planned on doing an exaggerated zig-zag to be more interesting. I found the heart when I was adding tape to the quilt top - and had to work out details around it.

Joe and I are having dinner out tonight to celebrate our anniversary. Thank you for all your congratulations and well wishes! I agree we need a current picture of us together - those are hard to come by. And so it will be a little project for me - thanks for the push :)

Have a great weekend, and many blessings ~
Amy


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Our 10th Wedding Anniversary!

We were married 10 years ago today, well tonight. We had an evening, candlelight ceremony in Poulsbo, Washington where I grew up. It was beautiful and just as planned, but more than anything I was so happy that the day had come and we were married at the end of it!

10 years seems like a long time, but I know that they are a small portion of our lives together. Over the years we have laughed together (a lot!), cried together, prayed together, pushed each other to be better people, weathered storms together, and made beautiful babies! I'm so excited to see what God has for us in the next 10, 20 and 30 years!

I love you Babe~
Amy
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The Quilting Process

For me, I like to try things that may be a little unexpected. Go with the flow to a point, but then add my individual point of view that makes it my own. What about you?



I've been quilting my zig-zag quilt - and I love it so far! Of course there's a twist, but I'm going to save it for when the quilting is complete :) I'm really looking forward to showing you!

Also on my mind - Fall Quilt Festival! Need to get a few things lined up in my head, but I'm looking forward to that too. I'm amazed at how many people are daily looking through the links from the spring. Lots of great inspiration!

Blessings to you ~
Amy
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I Am Thankful : : 14

There are always things to be thankful for.

I am thankful for -

- My husband
- My healthy kids
- Creative therapy in quilting
- Friends like all of you
- the cooler temperatures this last weekend


You are welcome to join me in being thankful! I would love to know the blessings in your life - leave a comment and let me know :) Or post your own list.

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A Notion or Two

I have sent out fabrics for this month! Included with the fabrics is the little bits of embroidery I was working on last month. Part of a recently blessing was a group of large floral fabrics - that inspired all the little floral embroidery.

I sent the packets with little instructions, 12 1/2" block and use the embroidery - I love when the fabrics are able to inspire me and I can take off from there. Hopefully that is the case for the rest of the group this month! I'm very excited to see what comes back to me later in the month!

I hope you have a great weekend, we are headed to Costco today, and hope to have a relaxed weekend around the house. Joe had a great birthday - thanks for all the birthday wishes!!

Amy
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Zig-Zag Quilt Top

Hi there! Did you miss me? I'm still here, I needed to catch up on a few things and I wanted to finish my zig-zag to show you!



I like this one a lot - super girlie and really fun! I did learn a few things making this one, when working with half-square triangles (hst's) I prefer to press open. Also, explaining the process via words and pictures is a lot of fun. (I made a pdf with some handy information on it if you are thinking about a zig-zag - you can download it here.) Working with the smaller size was a nice change from my last finish too!

In other news -- Today is Joe's birthday! We are having a little celebration here at the house with brat's and a curry potato salad (a new one for me!). Joe took the day off of work, went to visit a friend recovering in the hospital, and will eventually pick up his cake at Coldstone - saving me a trip :) Good thing too, as there are floors to clean, dishes and dusting.

I found this in the garden when I went out to photograph my quilt top --Baby ear of corn! We will see how big it gets before the cold is back - doesn't take too long around here.

Also, I took my patterns over to my LQS this morning, met two more sweet ladies and brought home fabric for a sample. Over Labor Day Midway has Swiss Days, lots of booths and fun - I have a deadline :) Oh, and I've had a couple of sales in the shop!!!

I keep thinking I would like to join the local quilt guild - but I haven't put it on the calendar and end up missing the meeting each month! I feel a little shy going somewhere like that by myself - well maybe a lot shy. Are you in a quilt guild? Did you first go alone or with a friend? I need to get over it and go!

I need to get cracking before Owen wakes up! I hope that you are having a great day.
Blessings~
Amy

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Pattern Winners!

I feel like the winner! Thank you so much for all your kind words about my pattern - I'm excited to see where this goes, and my head is swimming with more ideas. If only I could find more sewing time!!

I would love to see all the various prints and batiks in this bag - you all have some great ideas. I think that may be my favorite part about the bag - the ability to mix and match, and make it personal.

As for the winners -

#38 - Brenda - I need your email/mailing address :)
#142 - Karen

Thanks to everyone that participated, and be sure to stop by my shop to purchase your own pattern :)
Thanks again!
Amy
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