Sunday, January 31, 2010
What a ride!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Hit the Road Jack...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
More Postage Stamp Quilt-Along details
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wait a minute Mr Postman...
I have found a great way to make the postage stamp quilt using scraps WITHOUT sewing each little tiny square - I'm getting ready to start it sometime towards the end of February.
BUT - I thought I would check with all of you first and see if anyone is interested in a Postage Stamp Quilt Along? I would be posting the first one in late February.
This really wouldn't be as hard as it might look. I will include details to let you know exactly what you will need for whatever size you want to make. I will be making a KING size.. I know.. that's big!
If you are interested - leave a comment and let me know and I will be sure to get it rolling. This will be a great way to use up those scraps! Pin It
Friday, January 22, 2010
February Friday Night Sew-in and Giveaway!
Joining the Friday Night Sew-in is a way of setting some time aside to work on those projects on your to do list. And remember - it doesn't have to be a sewing project.. maybe you have a knitting project.. or some scrapbooking.. it could be anything.
So join Bobbi and I, Friday February 19th, for our monthly Sew-In.
Here are the "rules".
1. Enter your blog info below.
2. Make a post on your blog - letting all your readers know about the sew-in. Spread the word.. we could all use the virtual sewing support and encouragement.
3. On Friday – 02/19/10 - Get your house settled, put on your comfy jammies.. maybe make a cup of tea.. and sit down to work on some of those projects (or anything else that you want to work on).
4. Then, sometime on Saturday - Make a post about what you worked on.. show us a picture or two.
5. Optional.. grab the "Friday Night Sew-In" Button on the right for your own blog!
And finally - on Sunday 2/21, we will enter all participants into a GIVEAWAY for something fun! Maybe some fabric.. or a sewing gadget or two.
Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.
Pin ItThursday, January 21, 2010
Scraps.. where do you draw the line?
But even though I save scraps now.. I know that what is considered a scrap worth saving to one person.. isn't necessarily worth saving to the other. Some people save every little string and strip.. YOU know who you are!
As I was working on my siggy blocks - I decided to save the lil tiny triangles that I was cutting off. Now let me say - that normally I consider this size scrap as "not worth saving". I'm not quite sure what motivated me to save them. But I did and this is what I made.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
She's a DUDE!!
And me with my immune system that makes most mothers green with envy.. rarely gets sick. I have been triumphant many times at keeping JUST ONE person sick and not spreading it around the family. I'm always diligent about wiping down the places germs like to live.. like door knobs.. phones.. remote controls.. fridge handle.. kitchen drawer handles.. faucet handles.. even the light switches. My oldest even had H1N1 in early November and no one else in the family got it.. I'm pretty proud of that one.
But.. not this time. First the oldest got the cold.. then my youngest.. and now me. My youngest told me this morning "Mom, you sound like a dude!". We had fun with that one.
So.. here is my treatment plan..
And YES.. that is my sewing machine behind the tissues and it is a part of my treatment plan! I'm on my way to the sewing room now. I'm going to work on my signature blocks and maybe catch up on some 9 patch squares (I can't tackle anything that takes a lot of thought, so no free motion quilting today).
Now what color lipstick goes best with a pasty white face and a red nose?
Pin ItTuesday, January 19, 2010
Times have changed
The Teacher was great - and she had a ton of great tips for us. Below is a sample of my work.. I attempted the alphabet.. I got to "k".
I can't wait to get to work on finishing some quilt tops that I've been holding onto until this was fixed.
Now for something so funny! The teacher of today's class started by reading a paragraph out of a 1949 Singer Sewing Machine Manual.
"Advice from a 1949 Singer Sewing Manual
Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do. Never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates.
Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so your mind is free to enjoy your sewing.
When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress. Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine to dust your fingers at intervals. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on.
If you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should."
Can you believe that? Now, I admit, I do try and look good for my husband on a regular basis, however, I frequently sew in my jammie or sweatpants without makeup. How about you?
When I got home from the class, I must have been feeling domestically guilty. I threw in a load of laundry and cleaned out the fridge. And I'm proud to say that while cleaning out the fridge, I only discovered 1 science experiment.
Then I made this pie.
The boys and I will be enjoying it tonight after dinner.
Then I think I'll put on some lipstick and go sew!
Pin ItMonday, January 18, 2010
Wish me luck
But then something happened.. not sure when.. why.. or what it is. But soon after - I tried to do this quilt.. and that's when it all went down hill. I don't have an actual picture from that day.. but here is one that I found online that shows what happened on the underside of my quilt.
So I did a lot of online research (highly scientific) and from what I could conclude - it was my bobbin tension. I went to a quilt store that specializes in my brand machine and they told me I needed this different bobbin case that is specific for free motion quilting.
So Santa left one for me in my Christmas stocking (love that guy). Then this past Saturday as I was going to make the pincushion for the Sew-in giveaway - I decided to give a little free motion a whirl using my new bobbin case.
IT DIDN'T WORK!!!!! This time I had the same issue but on top this time. I adjusted my top tension in both directions.. still no success. I was ready to scream.. instead I only grunted.
I was able to finish the pincushion by reverting to a straightline quilting instead. Then I turned the sewing room light off and got the heck out of there for the night.
BUT.. on Sunday morning.. God must had felt my frustration.. because I opened my email.. and during the middle of the night.. the quilt store that specializes in my brand machine had sent a newsletter announcing a class for machine quilting and troubleshooting.
Can you believe the luck?! It is tomorrow morning from 9:30 - 11:30 and it's only $12.00. And I'm serious.. I truly feel that God was looking out for me because not only is the timing perfect.. but it's during the day when my kids are at school. Because with me husband out of town for 2weeks for work.. I could never have made an evening or weekend class work.
I can't wait to get this issue resolved! Wish me luck! Pin It
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Rule Breakers!!!! Yep.. that's us.
Bobbi and I appologize for this oversite - we were in a hurry to get it posted since we were already delayed.
After a lengthy phone conversation - Bobbi and I have decided that we will still send the prizes to the winners.. and we promise to follow our own rules in the future. :-)
We are so happy that so many of you had a blast Friday Night.. and can't wait to see you all again in February.
Heidi and Bobbi Pin It
Giveaway winner!!!
Anyway.. on the the important stuff.. The winner is #136 CJ from A Stitch & a Prayer.
Congratulations CJ - if you email me with your address - I will get this little bundle in the mail to you.
BUT WAIT.. There is more!! Bobbi and I decided that since we had such a fantastic turn out for January's sew-in.. that we will give away TWO PRIZES!!!!
Go on over to http://www.craftyvegasmom.blogspot.com/ and see who won over there!
Can't wait to sew with all of you again in February!
Pin ItSaturday, January 16, 2010
Friday Night's on Flickr
The Flickr group is TOTALLY OPTIONAL! If you don't already share on Flickr - don't feel like you have to figure it out.
The objective of the Friday Night Sew-in's are to encourage us to take time for ourselves and work on something that we enjoy. And in the process - we are meeting some fantastically creative and friendly people.
So if you want to join the Flickr group.. get on over there and share! Pin It
Friday Night Results!!!
Bobbi and I were talking this morning about how great it is that all of us from around the World were able to get together and sew last night. Her and I are both the type of people who need that little extra push sometimes after a busy day of giving to everyone in your family.. it's hard to take time for just you!
I can honestly say that my house was crazy last night (husband packing for a work trip to San Jose, kids playing roller hockey on back patio) and if didn't have this commitment to all of you, I may not have taken time for MYSELF and sewn last night. So THANK YOU! You gave me the motivation to do it as well. And I'm so pleased with what I was able to get done.
So, with that said, it's time to share.
First I was able to sew 25 of my siggy blocks. Only 76 to go. And let me tell you, I don't think these are as "easy and quick" as people say. Either that or I'm a slow sew'er.
And second, I was able to complete this quilt top. It's adorable "Robots" fabric by Michael Miller. I had almost all the squares done before last night. I just needed a couple more and then to put it together. Some of which I did this morning since I had to get up early to see my husband off to California before the Sun came up.
I can't wait to look at all your blogs to see what you worked on. I will be doing that tonight. Since I'm a "single mother" while my man is gone, I'll have to wait to get some computer time until all the household duties and little people are attended too.
And one last thing - I was looking at the calendar for February's Sew-in. I'm thinking the 12th or the 19th? Any votes?
The giveaway winner for all participants will be announced tomorrow. Have a good weekend!
Pin ItFriday, January 15, 2010
Tonight's the Night!!
I seriously took this picture mid post.. I know it's hard to tell, but she's really excited about tonight too.. she's just resting up for a late night.
Pin ItWednesday, January 13, 2010
My fabric selection
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Ready for this one??
1. OMG, I want to make those.. they look good.
2. Never in your wildest dreams would I eat that.
3. I've tried em.. and don't like em.
Pickled Eggs!! So I'll give you the backstory on these bad boys. Years ago.. "back in the day" there was this bar that me and my single girlfriends used to go to. It was a fun little pub and they made the BEST Pickled Eggs. We would order "A pickled egg with Ranch" (and a cold beer of course) and you would get a basket of pretzels with a Pickled Egg on top and a side of Ranch Dressing to dip the pretzels in.
I know it might sound gross to some of you.. but trust me.. they are G.O.O.D. Well, after I married my husband, I moved 1,800 miles away from all the things I loved.. family, friends, and pickled eggs. LOL
Before we moved - I managed to get my husband hooked on them as well. So we came up with our own way of satisfying this craving.
First you need to buy a jar of pickles - whatever your favorite brand is.. but it CANNOT BE KOSHER DILLS! Trust me on this.. they need to be regular dill pickles.
Then you need to have someone in your house eat all the pickles and save the juice. This isn't hard for me because my husband eats them like I drink milk.
And to give them that extra "kick" we add Peperoncini Peppers. The pub had them in their's as well. I usually add about 1/2 a jar of Peperoncini's to the Pickle jar.
Hard boil 9 - 12 eggs, peel them and cool in ice water. Then add them to the jar.
Now the hardest part.. you have to put them in the fridge and wait for a week before you eat them.
So - which one are you? 1, 2 or 3?
Pin ItMonday, January 11, 2010
Quilters Magic Wand.. and Lisa's Block
They have multiple uses - but my favorite is to use it for half square triangles. The wand is a 1/2 inch wide with a line down the middle. You set the line on the corners.. then trace a line along each side.
Pin It
Sunday, January 10, 2010
AWESOME Giveaway!!!
Second Prize
Now go on over to her Blog and get your name in the hat!!! www.craftyvegasmom.blogspot.com
Pin ItGoofy Doll Tutorial
p.s. This purple Goofy Doll is for sale in my Etsy store.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Handmade by Heidi - the Shoppe!
Many of my friends and family have been after me to do this and I finally did it.
I still have some cosmetic changes that need to occur - but for now it's up and running.
So go on.. check it out.
Handmade by Heidi Pin It
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Siggy Block Swap
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Ever have one of these days??
It makes me laugh every time!
I have a big announcement to make later this week! Stay Tuned!!
Also - don't forget to sign up for the Friday Night Sew-in coming on January 15th. All participants will be entered into a great GIVEAWAY!!!! For details.. click HERE. Pin It
Friday, January 1, 2010
Quilting bee do over
I selected the new Astor Manor from Moda as my fabrics - and Amandajean over at Crazy Mom Quilts was kind enough to allow me to use her tutorial for the Star Sampler quilt.
So, I got it all together - mailed it out.. and have started to receive some blocks back. They are so pretty. I started working on the setting blocks to go between the stars and that is when the problem occured.
My original thinking was that I would use a semi solid red from the line that I didn't use in any of the star blocks.. I thought it would be a good accent. But instead of being a good accent - it over powers my star blocks.
SO.. I am going to my LQS today and picking out something else to use in place of the deep red. Thank goodness I had only made 3 setting blocks so far.
And - something exciting.... My LQS is having a "Meet the Teacher" event today for the up coming classes. And I'm going to sign up myself and my sewing buddy, bobbi, for a class the end of January. It is being taught by Moda designers Barb and Mary of "Me and My Sister Designs". We will be making one of their new patterns!
The ladies at my LQS said that Barb and Mary are a ton of fun! Bobbi and I can't wait for the class and I'm excited to meet them today when I go there to register! Pin It