Tee shirt quilt side 1

So I finished my sisters tee-shirt quilt, but I hadn't gotten a picture of the backside, so I didn't want to post pictures of it, but it's been too long!  I just need to get up what I can, and then take another picture next time I am in Iowa (or just start taking pictures before I ship things off!)

I didn't realize how fuzzy this picture was! I REALLY need to get a better picture now!  What I did, was cut up the blocks, then put interfacing on the back.  Then I added the sashing and corner stones.  I decided on the front to use purple sashing with yellow corner stones and on the back yellow sashing with purple corner stones.  (her school colors were purple & gold) as I was getting to the end of the back side I didn't have enough shirts.  Well I found a few that would work, but as i was cleaning up something in my sewing room, guess what I found?! some more tee-shirts!  I guess I will be making her some pillows ;)

I would definitely do some things differently next time.  This time I made some blocks smaller, and some a little bigger, thinking the rows would end up being ok.  But I had put this away for a few months, so I forgot which ones I had done that too!  So the back ended up being a little wonky.  And even here you can see that top row is slightly shorter than the row below it.  I ended up just adding a little bit of fabric to it.

I of course needed help pinning the two layers together ;) I hope their puppy Bo didn't mind the cat hair :)

Haiti Student & Teacher bags

Haiti Student School Bags and Haiti Teacher School Bags

I am a part of the Methodist church, and one of their projects this summer.  My mother in law had a display and she asked me to make up some of these bags so that she could display them and what is in them.  I was glad I was able to help.  Last year I had done the pillowcase dresses, which I am hoping to make a few more this summer!

So here are some pictures of her display and the bags.  If you want more information about the bags, then you can click this link that tells about it

 Here are the five bags I whipped up! (they really didn't take much time!) and I was able to use some upholstery fabric I have had for a while! I wanted to use more corduroy, but I couldn't find it!  I really need to clean up my sewing room!

And here is the display my MIL had put up!

The UMW of Indiana is also collecting supplies to put in the bag, which can also be found on the link that I posted.

Finished project!

 I was hesitant about posting this, because these aren't the greatest pictures,and they still had some strings, but I need to get them posted!

I would have done a few things differently, like using purple thread instead of white, since the ruffles ended up curling a little, so you can see the top of the one under it.

But here is my $9 shirt! (It's the same shirt just different pictures)

Tee shirt rag quilt

I finished my sisters tee shirt quilt! I can't wait to share pics! It's going in the mail tomorrow!

My goals this weekend are to work on my tee shirt quilt, which I'm doing as a rag quilt! This afternoon I went through boxes trying to find my box of high school shirts. While I was going through I also found some pants I bought in high school, which will look great in a jean quilt (I'm almost done with mine!)

I also found some of the clothes I made in high school. My favorites were my panné pants I made. I had them in EVERY color! Three blues, black, green, two purples, I'm sure I had more!

And the picture of the cow was our French club tee shirt!

Jenny's couch Quilt

Well Jenny got her couch quilt!  So I can post pictures of it ;)

I found this pattern in one of my quilting magazines, quilters world.  I did it a little different.  I made it scrappy.  As I said before Jenny wanted blues and browns.

This is Minnie helping me sew the binding on!

I know this is similar other pictures, but I think the one is closest in color.

This was my first real foray into flying geese.  I don't like them.  I know you can't tell here, but not all of my points matched up.  I don't know if you can tell, but there is some Colts fabric in the flying geese.  My sister & her fiancé are Kansas City Chiefs fans.  So I thought I'd be sassy and put some of that in there for them :)

This is one of my favorite blocks.  The blue is actually one of my grandpa's old shirts from when he worked at Roto Rooter.  I even used some of it in the flying geese units, the fabric was from where his name had been embroidered.

Just a corner shot

The whole Quilt laid out, this was actually before I put the binding on.  I am not sure if you can tell but my little inspector (Minnie) is there :)

Oops!

I just found out that all emails as responses to my commments were being sent to an email address a) I had forgotten I'd created & b) never checked. I checked it tonight and I had quite a few comment responses! I feel bad! There were a lot from over a year ago! I'm sorry if you have ever replied to a comment and I never responded!

Plastic grocery bag holder

For the most part I use reusable grocery bags. But somehow I still end up with five billion and one plastic bags!

I have taken some and started making yarn, so I can crochet a bag out of them. But the rest were just in a bag hanging off a door handle.

Well I decided I wanted one of those bags you put them in. But of course I have to make it myself.

I cut up some fabric from my stash and made 2.

Here is one filled with bags.

I think next time I'll make it skinnier. I thought this would be too skinny as it was!

12 UFOs for the year

I have seen a few people online that are doing 12 UFOs (Unfinished objects) in the year. One a month. I was hoping to do this also, but here it is the end of February and I haven't even finished one UFO! Now don't get me wrong, I have finished 2 projects so far this year, BUT those were WIPs (works in progress), things that I have been working on for a while.

I realized when I was using my MILs featherweight that my Singer 99 would be able to sew through jean material. I started this quilt in March 2008! So when I get it done it will have taken me 3 years to finish! But my Montgomery Ward couldn't sew through the four layers of jean at parts of it! But my 99k blew right through it! I have gotten quite a bit of it done tonight! I am excited for this! I have always wanted to make a jean quilt!

Here are some pictures of it! I didn't do anything planned, it's all random, so sometimes there are the same color next to each other. But it's going to be wonderful!

Here it is just laid out.

And this fabric is what started the whole thing! spools of thread!

Jenny's couch quilt - teaser!

My sister asked me to make her a couch quilt.  The only requirement was that it was blue & brown.  I felt bad that my sister asked for this last summer, and it's taken me almost a year to get it done! 

I talked to her last week and she told me it was fine that it's taken a while because she knows that when she gets it, it will be the best ever!

But I finally got it done tonight!! I am not going to post full pictures of it, until she gets it :)  but I do have a teaser pic!

Here is a snapshot while I was stitching the binding on!

Sewing groups!

I have never actually sewn with a group of women.  I have sewn with a friend, or with a class, but in the class we weren't working on the same thing.

Well last weekend my mother in laws church was having a sewing get together, to sew bibs.  As soon as I found out, I wanted to go!  But since I am letting my friend borrow my machine that is portable I was afraid I wouldn't be able to participate.  But MIL told me I could use her featherweight!

So I sewed bibs last weekend!

Here is the pile of finished ones!

My goal for this weekend is to finish up my jean quilt (if I can find it!) finish cleaning up my fabric, and maybe make a rag animal.

I want to make a small bag for my ipad, but I don't have the case yet, so I don't know the size of it!  hopefully this weekend!

Give away!

Sorry no give aways here! But my friend heather has one on her blog!

retro fabulous

It's gorgeous!

My 99K

 This is my 99K (I posted more about this here).  I love my 99K!  The only thing I wish it had, was like my grandma's machine that has a knee control.  I have been scouring the internet, and hopefully I found one!  

Thanks for letting me show off my machine!

From shirts to quilt top

My grandma has these shirts (like a light jean material) that a friend embroidered for her in the 70's/80's.

Instead of keeping them in a box we decided to make it into a quilt top!

Grandma was pleasantly surprised (that is an understatement!) when she received it on Thursday! Which of course makes me happy!

Crumb quilting

A few years ago I started a crumb quilt.  I made a bunch of 4" squares that had all these little bits of all the quilts I've done.  It's been sitting in a box, I'd been using strings, but not my crumbs as much, well I recently found Jo's Country Junction where she was running a crumb along quilt.  I didn't find out about it til after it had started, and I didn't have a lot of time to sew until now, so I couldn't participate at the same time as everyone else.

I am also doing my crumb quilt a little differently.  Not only am I using all those little scraps I have left over, I am using blocks that I have left over also.  I also have some test blocks I have made.  And here is what I have so far:

I have been following along with the crumb along also, I made a bunch of mini flying geese. Hopefully I can get it done this week!

My first craft show!

Here is my set up at the craft show. I hope something sells!

I'm borrowing my MIL's featherweight! So hopefully I can finish a few other things.

Sew crazy

I've been sewing "with" my friend Jan.

I added binding to this quilt (if you've read long you should remember this quilt from over a year ago!), and finished 5 of these bags.

I have binding started on another baby blanket, but I need and empty bobbin to put red thread on! And of course that quilt, I was about an inch short on the binding! I could have probably made it work. But I just added another piece.

Sewing machine

(I just found a blogger app for my iPhone! I should be able to post ALL the time now :) )

I'm not sure if I've ever talked about my sewing machine(s). My main machine (which I don't have a picture of) used to be my moms. I stole it in high school, and she hasn't gotten it back.

But I remember when I was younger she would sew on it. Mainly clothes for me! They were SO cute! They even lasted so my sisters could wear them!

Well I went to DC over the summer and was able to visit my oldest friend, we've known each other 24 years!! (that's most of my life!) well I took my machine, because we love to see together. (we used to have sewing parties in high school. We'd get together and sew the night away!)

When we got to sewing, she pulled her machine out. One of those tiny plastic ones. I was shocked! So when I left, I left her my machine so she could sew. She told me she knows how long I've had it, and she can't take it, but I told her it wouldn't be forever and I have a machine at home.

which is what this post is about :)

I bought this machine over 10 years ago when I was in high school. I had a job and of course back then didn't save quite as much as I should have, but spent most of it at Jo-Ann's. Well this machine I bought off eBay. It was actually a really good deal $40 in a cabinet.

Until I got the shipping charges! $120!

But now I look back and even thought I should have saved my money, I do have a beautiful machine now, and it runs well :)

I'm just adjusting to it. It's different than my other (Montgomery ward). But I'd like to think we're adjusting well.

I'll post another day about my other machines :)

Where in the world has sewgreenm been?!

I am sorry I have been MIA.  I did sew over the summer, but I didn't get anything finished.  And then we ended up moving (at the beginning of August) and I am JUST NOW getting my sewing room organized.  It's not quite as well organized as I would like it, but it's also quite a bit smaller than any sewing room I have had before.

It's coming along, but then I remembered that I signed up to do a craft show this weekend!! EEKS!! I have some stuff to sell, but this is definitely the kick in the pants to get some stuff finished!

And then my husband also volunteered me to make some of those patchwork stockings ornaments, so I need to get started on those!

So why am I sitting here posting?!

appliqué

 Tonight one of the towns nearby was doing a movie in the park (Shrek forever after :D) and I decided to go.  And I emailed Heather to see if she wanted to bring her family along.

So she suggested before the movie, while hanging out, that she teach me how to appliqué, which is something that I have wanted to learn how to do, but I do best learning things I have never seen in person (rather than a book or video).

So I started this block!  My head hurt after doing just this little piece :p But I definitely like it.  And will finish it up.  I prefer sewing by machine to handstitching, but it would give me something to do while watching TV or other things when I can't take my machine along :)

Coco & Caramel

I have a friend that wanted to learn how to quilt, and she decided to do this pattern (I am not sure of the name, it was called coco & Caramel in the magazine)

This is her first quilt, it's not all finished, we have to put it all together, but I helped :) so I figure I can share a picture of it :)

It's really big so I can't post the WHOLE thing right now, but you can get the general idea!  Don't you just love it!  I wasn't sure about the colors she picked out, but WOW!! once it was put together!! It's AWESOME!!!