Block swap continued!

So I shared the first block I received, and the first block I sent out, but now it's time for the third (I don't have pictures of the second (I would have SWORN I took pictures! but I can't find them, and haven't received my block yet)

 I received this block from Karyli who is at http://sewandsoon.blogspot.com/

And here is the block I sent her!

Block swap

This is the first block I've received. I love it!

This block is from Charlene at http://geemaswonderings.blogspot.com/

The block I sent is the Jacobs ladder block.

So excited!!

I am SO excited! my friend Christine started her own blog!!

You should all go check it out!!!

Synchroc's sewing!!

Silly sewing sallies

We're still smiling ;) even after a few hours sleep. . .and lots of quilting!

Christine got half done with her quilting.  I finished 2 pillow cases and started on my block exchange!

Sewing day!

Christine & I have been sewing today! Here's what we've gotten done!

Christine quilting her canvas for her bag.

The pillowcase for my sister! (I have also been organizing!)

Jacobs ladder

I am a member of

Which is a block exchange.  you get a new partner each month, and you make a block for them, and they make a block for you.  My first partner (april 2012) didn't specify which block, but what colors, her colors were "Greens and teals, blacks, reds".  I think I spent more time looking for fabrics than actually sewing!  I had greens, but no teals.  I had a few blacks, and a few reds, but nothing that really went together.  Well finally I found the fabric that you will see.  I thought they went together nicely!

So the next thing I had to decide, was which block to do!  I searched for blocks that were 12.5" (a requirement of the swap).  I finally decided on a Jacobs ladder.  And I LOVED it!! I have wanted to make one for a while, so I did!

I couldn't find any really good instructions on it, so I decided to write one up myself!  This will I believe be my first FINISHED tutorial!  I have started a few, but not finished them! (I need to quit being such a slacker!)

 You need strips, ok you don't need strips, but I like to do strips.  They are 4 7/8" and 2 1/2".

 You cut them into squares, so this is the 4 7/8"

 Here are the 4 7/8" squares

 And the 2 1/2" squares

 Take one light and one dark 4 7/8" square and draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other.

 Then sew 1/4" seam on both sides of the line.

With your 2 1/2" squares sew them in twosies (sets of two, one light one dark)

 Then sew the twosies together to make foursies.

 Cut apart the 4 7/8" squares.  And here are my foursies.

 Press the HSTs open.

 Lay it out (I would suggest doing this! I accidentally sewed one piece on wrong cause I wasn't paying attention to my lay out!)

and Voila!  A finished Jacobs ladder block!

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!