Dreami Moment (Drop Everything and Make it)

Lately, my time has been consumed by a project that I can't show until March.  Not exactly a good strategy when you have limited time and you want to blog about what you are making!

Finally, I had a Dreami Moment where I just had to drop everything and make it.  I'll be linking to Sandra's linky party , the inventor of this new quilting term.

I still have no quilts of my own and the few mini quilts that I have made are decorating my office walls at work.  I had to brighten that place up!  My plan is to collect one or more mini quilts for each season so my first one will be one made from a free mini pattern designed by Alison at Cluck Cluck Sew called I Heart You.  Thank you, Alison!

Here is my fabric pull and some of the pieces cut out . . .

If you have ever wondered why patterns sometimes say read the pattern through before you start sewing, this one would be a perfect example.   The largest heart in this mini calls for a 12 x 12 piece of fabric.   I didn't have that size of piece in the fabric I wanted to use so I wasted sewing time piecing together a 12 x 12 piece. Silly me!   What I didn't realize, is that was only the starting point.  The pieces for the heart were to be cut from that and the scrap that I had would have been just fine for the smaller pieces needed  So learn from me!  I'm sure some of you more experienced seamstresses probably wouldn't  have made that mistake.

Here is my progress so far and I hope to have this finished later today!

1/30/18 Update!   Here is the finished mini!

In unpacking some more boxes from our move (yes I am slooooooow at this) I came across the very first thing I ever made on a sewing machine.  Even back then I had the quilt piecing DNA in me and just didn't know it!

My mother wasn't a quilt maker but she made a lot of our clothes and doll clothes growing up and she let me play around with the scraps.  She showed me how to sew a straight seam and the rest is history.  I took a piece of fabric and just started adding scraps to the sides of it until I had a piece big enough to make a pillow.  I don't remember my age when I made this but I think it was around 8 or 9.   Notice that the bright neon pink fabric is the biggest piece.  Even as a child I loved bright loud colors! Can you guess about what year this was?  Don't worry, I am not sensitive about my age so I won't be insulted if you guess way wrong. Hee! Hee!

Poor thing could use a good wash!

Along the lines of nostalgia, when my sister visited me a few weeks ago she handed me this mysterious box!

 You can already tell by looking at it that is is pretty old.  I am guessing from the 70's.  Inside was a project I had started years ago and got bored with and never finished so gave them to my sis.  My sis doesn't throw anything away.  She saved this all these years and gave them back to me.  Crocheted granny squares!

I'd love to hear about the very first thing you ever made!  Please share in my comments!

Linking to:
Crazy Mom Quilts
Busy Hands Quilts
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Throw Back Thursday

First 2018 Finish!

Well, she's not a quilt but she IS a finish.  And for me, that means a lot.  Introducing Hazel Hedgehog!

Back done with the dreaded minky.

I have been seeing this cute pattern around the internet for a while but when I saw the pillows that Jayne over at Twiggy and Opal made, I really wanted to try it.  They are SO cute!  And she made it look easy.  Maybe for experienced seamstresses but for newbies, not so much.   Let me explain . . .

Let me just say, all minky is NOT created equal.  Right, Anja?  (grin)   The backing was a from a scrap left over from Kenzi's quilt and I thought for such a small project, it wouldn't be that difficult.  Think again.  I've used other kinds which sewed up beautifully.  This stuff is stretchy and furry and thick.  It's going to be super cuddly, but I did not enjoy sewing with it at all!  Oh the hazards of ordering fabric online.

The piecing part was easy and I probably got that cut and sewn in just a few hours.  I am beginning to realize that piecing is probably one of my favorite parts of the process.   

I made this for my daughter and she wanted the version with glasses.  I've never used fusible stuff before so this was my first try at it.  The stuff I got worked ok but I have to tell you it sure wasn't because of the good instructions.  I had to guess at a few things.  Poor instructions are a pet peeve of mine.  

I would love to hear any tips and tricks about how to keep the edges looking smooth when you do the stitching around the edge of a fused piece.    Especially what kind of stitch to use and what stitch settings.  Mentor me, please!

I've already learned that I should have made the background part a little bit bigger than the instructions said because the quilting I did on the pillow turned my once square pillow top into a rectangle.  Oh, well.  She's still cute.  And I definitely learned a thing or two so it's a win/win despite the difficulties.

And even though it isn't a quilt, YAY for finish number one!   Yes, I am whooping it up!

Linking to:

Can I get a Whoop Whoop!

Finished or Not Friday

Productive Day!

I think I've finally climbed out of a major mojo-missing-in-action phase and back into the land of the productive.  At least I did today.  I hope it continues!

I had the most fun day yesterday with my sister and niece who came over to make pillows.  I only see my sis a few times each year so I really enjoy it when she comes.  I let her and Cacey (my neice) shop my fabric stash and make pillows!  I don't know why I didn't think to take pictures of our day but I didn't!  I guess I'm not totally back in the blogging mode yet.  Well, it's probably just as well because Cacey didn't get hers all the way done and she wants to surprise her husband.  I'll show pictures when she gets them all done.

Today I finished up three bee blocks I needed to do.  The first one was for November's Bee and I finished one block in November as I was supposed to but then I never did finish the other one.  I don't know what my problem was because it was a very easy block.  My apologies, Paige for the extreme lateness of this block!  At last they are done and going out in the mail tomorrow along with some extra HST's and triangles for more HST's if you want them.  I also included extra background fabric in case you want to make the second block taller.

Then I worked on the block that was due in December for Emily.  I'm not quite as late for that one but STILL . . . late!  Ugh.  I hate missing due dates.  But it has made me more determined to keep up with next year's blocks. I mistakenly signed up for three bees in 2017 and did not make that mistake  this year.  Here is Emily's library book shelf block!

We were supposed to do a theme of some sort and my theme is color, and pattern!  Two things I really love.   The fat book that is leaning actually looks like some paper I have seen on vintage books before.  So Emily, here is my piece of bookshelf that I hope represents a little piece of me.  I am so looking forward to seeing all of your book blocks together.  There have been some very creative people who added things like microscopes and lamps.  I'm not that imaginative.

The third block I made was for Sharon.  She is the queen bee for January 2018 and I actually got my block done early for once!

What a good feeling to be caught up with my Bee hive commitments.  Now  I can start checking off some other things on my "want to get done" list.

Tomorrow, it's back to work for me and the start of a new semester at the University where I work.   Hope you have a wonderful week!

Linking to:
Oh Scrap!
Love Laugh Quilt
Main Crush Monday