Fab Little Quilt Swap - Received!!

Oh I've been itching to show you all my mini quilt that I received from the lovely Freida, freidazzzz, last Friday. It arrived in the craziness of the final days of the competition and I wanted to make sure that it gets the attention it deserves...because she truly did a lovely job!

She nailed my tastes! From the Aqua Blue to the Heather Ross to the Fussy Cut Stars and the Hand Stitching. Every detail is just wonderful.



Just look at these fish!!

And the princesses?! With polka dots. I'm SUCH a sucker for polka dots.

The hand stitching is so fun and the scrappy flying geese are filled with delicious tidbits of special fabrics. She was really trying to squeeze in all of my favorites!

And here's an example of being truly spoiled in a swap. Look at the extra goodies she sent!! Everything was individually wrapped and it was so fun to unwrap it all. Like Christmas!


There are lovely hand crocheted wash cloths (my husband was very excited by those and we use them every day). She gave me a delightful amount of extra Mendocino Heather Ross fabric that I will definitely put to good use. There were yummy chocolates and even a package just for Caitlyn. How sweet is that?

Here's Caitlyn unwrapping her present. It was a coloring book just for her with special markers. I adore Freida even more for getting the non messy kind. ;)

So thank you, thank you, thank you Freida!! I feel utterly spoiled and am so pleased with my new mini!!

Getting Back to Normal...sort of...

Well it has been crazy intense and busy in my personal and sewing life lately. But I'm trying to get back to normal just a bit. It's not every day you win a fabulous competition and prize package. So I'm starting to return to normal life. That means laundry, cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen, snuggling with my 2 year old and attempting to sew again without crazy pressure.



I did make one granny square block on Sunday while I was trying to pass the time waiting for the results of the Moda Sliced Competition. I'm officially making this quilt for Caitlyn and her new room. As you can see, my attention span was pretty limited when I was making this. I couldn't even sit and trim the block! lol

And last night I made myself sit down and make Amy's block for the one Bee I am in, The Stash Trad Bee. Her month is March, so I'm not technically late...but I'm usually one of the first ones finished so it feels late to me. ;) She chose a pattern with lots of Half Square Triangles...and darn if they don't get me every time! I make them perfectly but then I sew them together in the block pattern incorrectly. EVERY TIME. lol

There are still lots of other things on my plate, not the least of which is writing up tutorials for all of my Moda projects. Just a bit of work. ;)


Oh yeah...and I have I mentioned that we are moving in three weeks? Umm yeah... so throw that craziness into the pile. Talk about the elephant in the room! My brain hurts just thinking about what we need to do to make that happen.


So back to "normal". Which, let's face it, was never normal to begin with.

Fabrics and Tutorials

The fun never stops around here! lol  I'm happy to announce the giveaway winner for the Brr Fat Quarter Bundle....

drumroll....

Who was....

Deb

A psychiatrist was conducting a group therapy session with four young mothers and their small children. "You all have obsessions," he observed.

To the first mother, Mary, he said, "You are obsessed with eating. You've even named your daughter Candy."

He turned to the second Mom, Ann: "Your obsession is with money. Again, it manifests itself in your child's name, Penny."

He turned to the third Mom, Joyce: "Your obsession is alcohol. This too shows itself in your child's name, Brandy."

At this point, the fourth mother, Kathy, quietly got up, took her little boy by the hand, and whispered, "Come on, Dick, this guy has no idea what he's talking about . Let's pick up Peter and Willy from school and go get dinner.”

Hysterical.  I can't believe I just posted that on my blog. lol

Congratulations!!  I know you'll enjoy the fabric.



And thank  you to everyone for the distractions.  I found it really helpful. ;)  I laughed a lot and that was really great.




Oh and if you are interested, they've posted my tutorial on Moda Bake Shop for my audition piece, the Inspiration Board.

oh and they posted my profile on the Moda Bake Shop site as the winner of the competition.

I won!!!

Eek! Just a super quick post to say that I won the Moda Sliced Competition. I'm still in complete shock.

All the other contestants did a great job and Beth's work in particular was great with her super cute baby. ;) We both went for the kid items this time.

I don't really know much other than I won. So I'll let you know if there is anything more exciting than that. lol And of course I'll be taking pics of my prizes when they come. Eeek!


http://www.modabakeshop.com/2012/03/sliced-wnner.html

Owl Tag Along - Moda Sliced Finals

Oh my goodness! Thank you everyone for your support so far! I am beyond tired. Not only was this the final week for the Moda Sliced Competition, but life continues to move on. My 2 year old chose this week to get sick for the first time in months (and now we're getting it) and we're remodeling our new home that we will move into in a couple of weeks. (when I pull myself together I'll get some pics of that! My sewing room shelf has one coat of the blue paint!!!)

Yup. Just a little busy. ;)



But on to my final entry for the Moda Sliced Competition. This week we were given the choice of what to make. And boy did that throw me for a loop. Just a little bit of pressure. We also had to make sure that we included Layer cake pieces (10" x 10" squares of fabric), a zipper and grommets/eyelets. I heard those requirements and knew that I needed to make a bag. And from there the craziness began.


With only 5 days from start to finish to design, make and photograph our entries, you need to able to make decisions quickly. I thought of this idea early on but then got distracted by a bunch of other ideas for a couple of days. I finally regained my senses and came back to the project that I knew was right for ME.

This toddler backpack has all the requirements met and then some. It is lined with laminated fabric (from Kate Spain's Terrain line) to be completely cleanable and toddler proof. It is also made with Insul-Bright batting to be cold and heat resistant, so it is perfect for food and drinks. There are a couple of simple pockets for small items...but I know my toddler and she's just going to throw things in the bag, so I knew it didn't need to be too elaborate in the interior.

Zipper and lining details.

So, it's fabulously functional but I'll admit that the exterior is probably my favorite part. There are expandable side pockets made from mesh with a casing made from Sweetwater's Sunkissed fabric (a layer cake piece!). I used eyelets, cording and double cord stops to make the pockets easy to use. They are perfect for a sippy cup. ;)

The back pack is made with comfortable fabric straps that are fully adjustable to grow with your toddler. It fit my daughter perfectly! And she was quite pleased with it.

The bag is piped for extra stability and made with a durable twill fabric (from It's a Hoot by Momo). There is a nylon cord strap that makes this bag easy to hang in place by your toddler, and the contrast pink zipper with ribbon pull tab is the icing on the very sweet cake.

But oh the Owl! I saved that for last when I was making it because I just wanted to have fun by that point. All of the technical designing was out of the way and I could focus on creating something functional but oh so whimsical.

The belly pocket is made from two Sherbet pips layer cake pieces for a sweet front pocket. And the wings are made from a layer cake piece from Wee Woodland by Keiki and only attached at the top of each wing to make them fully "flapable". The face is made from one Bella solid layer cake piece in snow, some left over French General for the eyes and a small piece of Kate Spain's central park for the nose. The eyes and nose are made the way I do my doll quilts with a fusible and top stitching. The fabric for the eyes is less than 1/8".

What does an Owl say Caitlyn? "Whooo!"

So there it is. Finished. Turned in. And now in the judges hands. But I'm proud of this and my design. It took a lot of mental energy to get here and a lot of sewing techniques were used (I think I used 5 different feet on my sewing machine for this!). But I gave everything that I could and feel confident knowing that. I'm almost tempted to remake it in Navy and Kelly Green for a  little boy....almost. ;)

Now we just need to wait until tomorrow night.

Sneak Peak

Phew!  I'm finished!  Each week I think that this competition cannot get any more stressful and yet each week it manages to.


Just a sneak peak of my finished product.  I'll come back to tell you all about it but I've been working non stop ALL day to finish this.  Well all week really...  But for those of you who may be waiting to see my entry into the Sliced Competition Finals, here it is.


Meet the "Owl Tag Along" Toddler Backpack.

And I know I'm biased, but seriously....could my model BE any cuter?!

Zakka Along

Heck you guys! I can hardly keep up! I have another thing to share with you all. I was lucky enough to be asked to participate in a sew along for Rashida's Book, Zakka Style. Oh it's a fun group of folks!

I'm giving you the heads up on this because you will need a copy of the Book to participate. We won't be giving out instructions out of respect for the author. But we will be sharing our thoughts on our particular project and fabric choices etc. It is a nice even pace, so it will be a fun one play along with.


The sew along starts Monday April 2nd with the first project in the book and will continue through Monday September 10th with a new project introduced each Monday.

Each blogger will sew a different project and will be sharing their finished project and inspiration with you.

• April 2nd :: Zig Zag Tote with Sew Fantastic
• April 9th :: The House Pouch with During Quiet Time
• April 16th :: Zakka Pincushion with Pink Penguin
• April 23rd :: Sewing Kit with Monkey Do
• April 30th :: Patchwork Pencil Case with VeryKerryBerry
• May 7th :: Itty Bitty Quilt Block Magnets with Little Bluebell

• May 14th :: Raincloud Mug Rug with Quilt Dad
• May 21st :: Zakka Block Quilt with I like Orange
• May 28th :: Stem Messenger Bag with Sew Sweetness
• June 4th :: Zip Organizer with Spotted Stone
• June 11th :: Orchard Path Tweed Pouch with Don’t Call Me Betsy
• June 18th :: Happy Couple Handwarmers with A Cuppa and a Catchup

• June 25th :: Patchwork Potholder with Sew Take a Hike
• July 2nd :: Water Bottle Holder with One Shabby Chick
• July 9th :: Elephant Bookmark with Cut to Pieces
• July 16th :: Patchwork Ribbon with {House} of A la Mode
• July 23rd :: Delightful Linen Bag with Sukie
• July 30th :: Bread Basket with Patchwork Notes

• August 6th :: Sweet Sugar Cookie Sack with BettyCrockerAss
• August 13th :: Little Pocket Pillowcase with Freshly Pieced
• August 2oth :: Sweet Memories Photo Frame with Noodlehead
• August 27th :: Pleated Coin Purse with Shape Moth
• September 3rd :: Happy Garland Message Board with Maureen Cracknell Handmade
• September 10th :: Nesting Boxes with From the Blue Chair

Feel free to join Flickr group at any time and post your projects!

Brr! Giveaway

*the giveaway is now closed*


I was hoping to get to this sooner, but life has been a little distracting lately. ;) I'm so excited to offer a giveaway for a fat quarter bundle of Laurie Wisbrun's yet to be released line Brr! If you have been around here for a bit, you know that I have had to pleasure of working with her fabric line.



The first thing I made was a pair of pajamas for my daughter. She wears them all the time and loves the polar bears!

Ahh...snow...a thing of the past.

Then I decided to play along with Katie's Swoon along and made a mini Swoon with four blocks. Here's the four blocks together in a photo mosaic.

I've decided to hand quilt the swoon, so it will be a little bit before I'm finished. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm having fun.

I'm making progress although I haven't been able to work on it a few weeks. Soon I hope!

But enough about me...I know you guys want a chance at some of this adorable fabric!

To enter to win the fat quarter bundle you can

1. Help Distract me ;) Leave me a comment with a funny thought, joke, or story. Anything!

2. Become a follower or let me know that you are a follower.



Good luck everyone!

Finals!!!

Eeek! I just found out that I made it to the final round of the Moda Sliced Competition! This was definitely a tough week for the judges because all three of us had such different style aprons.


Thank you to everyone who went over to the site and left positive comments for all of the competitors. I want to be clear that I was actually not concerned with what people had said about my apron (I'm trying to develop a thicker skin), but I just feel all of the comments should be productive and not destructive. There were some nasty slurs being slung about but thankfully Moda stepped in and took care of it! Hopefully the competition will continue to be challenging and fun!



This final challenge...

The Challenge? Competitors Choice
Sewing Basket of Mystery Items:
· Fabric used from a Moda Layer Cake - can be any moda collection or mix of collections
· Grommets/Eyelets - Any size and any number of grommets/eyelets are allowed.
· Zipper - can be any size or color.



Competitor's Choice?! No pressure there! lol


Well, I hope not to fall off the face of the earth this week, but forgive me if I do. A lot depends on what I decide to make. And at this point, I have no idea. Off to gather inspiration...whatever that may be. ;)

Aprons on Moda Bakeshop

Well they posted the aprons over at Moda Bakeshop and are asking everyone which one is their favorite.  I've seen that a few of you faithful followers have sweetly left comments about mine over there.  Thank you!!

Hop on over and check out the aprons and tell them which one you like the best.  And I promise that it is totally fine if you like another one better.  Just please be kind regardless of which one you like the most.  I am really trying to have a generous heart throughout this competition and I know that there is a way to write a comment about which one you like without trashing the others.  (I have a LOT I want to say on that but I'm leaving it there)




We find out tonight who makes it onto the next round!  In the meantime, I'll be working on my tutorial for my Inspiration board for the audition round.  Hopefully I can just whip that out.

The Addison Hostess Apron - Moda Sliced Apron Challenge

Oh my goodness! I did not mean to disappear for a week from my blog! I thought of you all often and the posts I wanted to write but every spare moment has been taken up with making the apron for the Moda Sliced Competition. I have a few hours to spare, but maybe that will give me a chance to catch up on my sleep.


Are you ready? I hope you like it!

Meet the Addison Hostess Apron.

I've used a number of different construction techniques to create the perfect hostess apron. You can greet your guests in style! Cocktails are optional but always yummy. ;)

Once again, all fabrics that we use in the competition need to be made by Moda. My fabrics include prints from Reunion by Sweetwater, La Petite Ecole by French General and Modern Workshop by Liesly Gibson for Oliver + S. I love mixing and matching lines.


This bib apron uses honeycomb smocking made with perle embroidery floss (and a good dose of patience). I had never done this before, so I had a bit of a learning curve to get it just right for the apron top. I love the structural detail it provides! Plus, bonus...it uses embroidery floss which is one of the items we needed to incorporate this week.

There is a vertically gathered or ruched waist and a double apron skirt complete with pockets lined with tape measure twill tape. Oh and the whole apron is fully lined as well. The twill tape is joined using a butted seam to create a "fabric". That is then used to line the pockets. The apron has ties both at the waist and at the neck.

I hope you love my sweet yet sassy apron! Just lie and tell me you do....I'm so worn out right now. lol It ended up being a lot more work once again to put this together in a few days. But I have pattern pieces all ready and took lots of pictures, so I should be able to put together a decent tutorial for this one.

Fingers crossed that the judges will like it! Or at the very least appreciate the details of it. I have to wait until Sunday night again before I find out if I make it on to the final (?) round of the competition. In the meantime, I'll be hard at work writing up the tutorials for the previous rounds....because yes, we have to do that at the same time as well.


Where's that cocktail?

Eeek! Round 2!

Oh boy! I'm on to round 2 in the Moda Sliced Finals. There are 3 of us now. I really had no idea whether I would make the cut after reading a bunch of the comments over at Moda Bakeshop... but thankfully the judges liked what I did. Now if only they didn't make me wait until 10 pm on Sunday night to hear the results. lol. I have a very tolerant husband who has been holding my hand... (plus Kelly! thanks dearie!)


This week's judge is Pat Sloan (the radio talk show host) and our challenge is....


Aprons!


We need to use

· Moda Fabric used from at least one fat quarter - can be any moda collection or mix of collections
· Flexible Tape Measure - can be any size, color, width
· Embroidery Floss - any type or color.



okay...now to obsess over aprons. ;)

SS Moda

First off, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted for me in the Modern Mini Contest. I was blown away that I won! I've never been a fan favorite before and I think my head grew three sizes! lol. My prize is a fat quarter bundle of the whole new release of FMF...what a treat!!


The craziness continues around here....we're working desperately to finish our new house so that we can move in. There are literally hundreds of decisions to make in remodeling an entire house and we'll be thrilled when more of those decisions have been made and the work calms down a bit. Yesterday I spent at least three hours at DIY stores with my head cranked back staring up at lighting and trying to pick out every single light for our new house. I live by the motto, make a decision and move on...and even with that it takes a long time to pick out lights. Darn the whole budge thing. ;)



Anywho, tonight I find out if I've made it into the next round of the Moda Sliced Competition. I entered my mermaid pincushion that I showed you in my last post. (We could only enter one pincushion) But me being me, I couldn't make just one pincushion...so I do have a second one to show you.


Meet the SS Moda.

I'm totally in love with this pincushion as well. Once again, I needed to use rick rack, buttons, and a jelly roll strip. All the fabrics are Moda, but there is an abundance of Sweetwater fabrics in this one. I'm such a sucker for their style and it suits the Nautical theme so well.

This one was also stuffed with a combo of poly fill and walnut shells so that it both holds it shape and is perfectly pinnable! I designed the boat and ended up paper piecing it just because the pieces are small and it was easier for me to do it that way. But it could be easily template pieced as well.

With this pincushion I was really focusing on putting the "Fun" in "functional" (like that? I love it when I'm clever like that lol). So this pincushion was designed to be supremely functional and easily made by anyone. I do adore it, but I think my friends were right in pushing me to step up my game for the competition. We'll see if I made the right decision.


Clearly I have a thing for water!

Okay! Wish me luck for tonight!