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!!!

Pillowcase dress

I have been enjoying making pillowcase dresses I decided to make some to sell, and some to send to my friends with little girls :)

This is Chloe in her very own "pillowcase" dress.  I didn't actually use a pillowcase, I just used a piece of fabric.  And by the size of it on her you can tell that it's a little big, but this way she can grow into it :) I added a pocket to it, I know I love pockets :)  And of course some eyelet ruffle at the bottom, cause what little girl doesn't like a little lace.

Pillowcase dresses part 2.

 I told you I bought more pillowcases :) I made 3 more dresses tonight :) I would have made more but I don't have enough different ribbon!

I think I might make up a tutorial on these tomorrow. (of both types!)

 I am not sure if you can tell but this first one is actually a little different than the others.  I used a slightly different pattern, and cut arm holes.  I like it too :) just a different feel.  I also think a serger is a lot easier for this kind of pattern.

This is the same type of pillow case as above, just added lace :)

Pillowcase dresses for little girls in Haiti

 Today I got together with some friends from church and we made these cute dresses out of pillowcases for little girls in Haiti!

I enjoyed it so much I stopped at Salvation army on my way home and bought some more pillowcases so I can make some more :)

Newest baby quilt!

Newest baby quilt I have finished.  I am putting this one for sale in my etsy shop for $30.  I actually made the top last summer, and finally got around to finishing it :)

I didn't add batting to it, Just a fleece backing so it's not too heavy for a baby.

And you can click the following banner to get to my shop :)

Basket strings

I started this last fall.  I haven't posted many pictures of it, so I am not going to link you, but I had about 100 (at least) 4.5 string blocks.  and I started putting them together, and I went a little overboard and ended up making it QUITE a bit bigger than I had planned!

Just to give you a little size reference, we have a california king sized bed!  It's actually a lot wider and long than I had planned.

It's actually the first thing I have made on point.  I like it, it's just different and new for me :)  Hopefully I can get some more basket string blocks made and get it finished soon.  I also want to finish some baby blankets to put them on my etsy shop.

Quilt for grandma

So my grandma has these shirts that a good friend of hers embroidered, and they have been sitting in a box, and so we decided that a quilt would be a good way for her to still have them as opposed to sitting in a box.

There are 7 shirts, so I had to add some patchwork (of my own) to it.  And Grandma didn't know what kind of design to do.  So I made up a few for her to look at.

None of these designs are set in stone.  This was me playing around in photoshop, just getting some ideas.

This is a rail fence block.  I probably wouldn't make it so scrappy.  I don't like it scrappy as much.

This is a snail's block.  I LOVE the snail's trail block!  So I had to throw one of those in there :)

And this is the snails trail, but with a few of them put together.

And a simple nine patch.

And a pinwheel.  I love pinwheels :) I think this is the one that grandma likes best.  But with the border of the second one, except in red & white instead of the green & white.

What do you all think? what would you have done?

It's been far too long!

It has been WAAAY too long!! I am sorry I haven't posted.  Although I haven't had a lot to report.  I did not use my sewing machine for almost 2 months, from January til March. . .and I have been working on things, but I don't feel done enough to post pictures!  I will hopefully have time to get a picture post of what I was working on late tonight (Friday morning ;) ) But to tide you over I have some pictures of my sewing area.

I was talking with Jan and we were discussing our sewing rooms. . .And I decided to show her my messy area!

 These are a bunch of tubs with fabric, I don't have the shelves I have used in the past to put my fabric on, so it's just kind of in boxes.

 This is the other side.  My computer, machines, and main table I use.  It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but under the table I have 2 plastic storage bins.  I stole Bonnie Hunter's ideas for some of my scraps.  When I have pieces that I can't use anymore I cut them up into strips, 1.5", 2", 2.5" & 3".  Then in the one next to it, I have my values quilt parts, and just some other random bits.  It's amazing how much those little plastic things have helped!

 These are my dollar store bins.  I love them, not the color so much :p But they are great for scraps.  I can put them there and pull them as I need them for leaders and enders.

 Jan showed me a picture of her scraps, thinking that my bin above was all I had :P So I had to show her the rest of it :) This is one of those space bags. . .I stuffed it as full as I could of scraps. . .

 And it wasn't even all of it! These are all my "crumbs" since moving!

 And since I ran out of room in the bag, I found a box that had some room and shoved them in the bottom!

 And then my strips scrap box!

And last but not least my LARGE pile of 4" squares.  Which I am still trying to use all of :p

Ok back to sewing :) I hope you enjoyed seeing my sewing area, and some of my scraps :)

Paper piecing

I love paper piecing. . .I'm not perfect at it, I have issues making the points all match up, but I'm working on it!

Later I will "quilt" this put black binding on it, along with a strip of fabric to hang it with, and I shall hang it next to my eiffel tower

The Eiffel Tower is actually a paper pieced design I made myself.  It's not perfect, but it works for me :)

Fat Quarter Shop

I am on twitter, and on Tuesday nights there are "Talkin' Tuesdays" There is more information about it here.   It's great, it's a bunch of quilters getting together and chatting!  What's even cooler is that there are giveaways!

And I actually won last week!  And I won a $25 gift certificate to the fat quarter shop!! I just received my package today!  SO exciting!!

This is "Jolly Pack" like a charm pack. . .I am not sure what to do with it.  They are all polka dots.  I know one friend who would like it!  But they are all different colors. . .Suggestions would be appreciated!

 And these are the yardages I bought.  I have NO clue what I am going to do with them (like most of my stash ;) )

And this is slighty different :) this is a Christmas present I got.  Well 2 actually.  It's hard to see, but it's a "shape cut" ruler.  It has slots in it to cut multiple things, or strips without having to move a ruler! Here is a picture and a link:

It's pretty darn cool!  I want to cut fabric strips and strips and strips!!

The other part was a gift card, which I used to buy a new cutting mat! It's so nice to use!

I have other things to post, but later :p I've been to busy sewing to really take a break and post, but maybe tomorrow, since it's my last school day before going back to school (does that make sense?! [I'm still on break this week])