Just messing around this evening....

Decided to test out some of the settings on my camera tonight for a little comparison.

I took these all within just a few minutes time of each other.

I only changed the Picture Effect settings on my camera.

Omaha Quilt finished

Last weekend while we were in Nebraska I gave my nephew Josh his Omaha inspired quilt.

His 25th birthday is this week.  And unfortunately for him he graduated from high school a little before the time that we were into quilts.  So this'll make up for that.



At his parents' house for the big reveal.
"This feels soft and squishy."



Big smiles are always a good sign.



Lynn's quilting handiwork.






I'm now on somewhat of the lookout for another inspirational site to copy and make a quilt representation.  I actually saw a cool paved brick design at one of the local libraries. I might have to go take pics and see what I can come up with.

Details:

• Mix of Kona and thrifted solids.
• Previous post on this quilt.
• Quilted by Lynn Peterson.

Omaha Inspired Nephew Quilt

Sometimes a project just takes you over.
It gets you so excited that you can't stop thinking about it.
This is one of those for me.

My nephew, Josh, is a huge architectural preservationist guy.
If you follow him on Instagram, @joshua_biggs, you will see all sorts of cool photos of buildings and building details that he finds in the Omaha, NE area.

A month or so ago he posted this picture from Midtown Omaha


credit

Our instagram convo went something like this.

Josh:  Now that's a wall! #midtownOmaha
Me: That's a quilt wall. #quiltwall
Josh: You are more than welcome to make me that quilt.
Me: That would be an AWESOME quilt for sure.

About a week or two later I was still thinking about this picture, wondering if I could pull this off, without a pattern.  His 25th birthday is coming up in June and after practicing a bit with some of my solid scraps I decided I was going to tackle this quilt wall.

This was going to be my Cherri House City Quilts or Urban Views inspired quilt design.

In progress

I didn't get the points all lined up and decided I didn't care.
This is what happens when you "wing it" on the pattern.
It still looks good and works for what I wanted.


3 columns down and 1 more to go.
Excuse the unpacking and disorganized mess in the background.
We're still working on what we are doing with the basement.

Quilt top done

My 14 yr. old son loves this design.
I am taking that as a good sign that my nephew will too.


And can I just tell you that our screen porch might be my new favorite place to take pictures.  Great natural light and no glare.  Plus there were already some nails in place to hang the quilt.  It was meant to be.

The quilt got sent off this week to Lynn to be quilted.  Emily is going to help with it too so we can get it to him in time for his birthday. All our siblings will be in NE the weekend before his birthday to celebrate early our parents 50th wedding anniversary.  Can't wait for the surprise!!

Notes:

• I bought 1/3 yd. of various solids besides what I already had on hand.
• I had about 18 different colors of fabric--2 shades of yellow, 2 greens, about 4 blues, a couple browns, orange, black, a couple brown shades, purple, some grey.  Pick whatever you'd like.

• I was able to cut 8 triangles out of each 1/3 yd.
• The triangles had a 5" base and were approximately 17 1/2" tall.

Quilt Barn Tour--Barn #1

One of the things I found here as we've moved is that we are now more rural than not. 
Moving from a city of 20K plus to a town with less than 8K is a change.
The local post office is completely closed during the lunch hour.
This reminds me of siesta time while I was living in Argentina.
The closest grocery store closes at 9 p.m. What?! Hello! 24/7 Cub Foods and Wal-Mart.
We are adjusting to the changes, and really most of them are just fine.


There are plenty of farms and farmland around as we drive between here and there.
A pleasant surprise has been to find these quilt barns in the area.


I finally stopped today and took pictures of this one. 
I drive past it every week.
It just might be my favorite.














I'll be photographing some of the others in my area as the weeks roll on.
They make me happy to look at them.


I wonder if it would be too goofy to hang one up on the empty side of my house facing the street?




Notes:

• Barn Quilts of Carver County
• A couple that I have seen nearby are not even on this list, including the one above.
• This barn is located on the North side of Arboretum Blvd. West of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and East of Bavaria Rd. in Victoria, MN.

No more braces!!

This doesn't especially have anything to do with being creative, but we are celebrating the day as my daughter got her braces off this morning.



She looks gorgeous!!
I think she'll be smiling like this for some time.

We should all be smiling like this.

Friday Finds and packing up

I should NOT be going to the thrift store at all.  Repeat, NOT AT ALL!  But lo and behold I've stopped by a couple times in the last month or so.  I have to say though that I have usually left with nothing.  That's a good sign, because I am purging my house as we are getting ready to put our house on the market and really I shouldn't be adding anything to my packing piles.

But....I did find a little bit of a fabric treasure last week on one of the sale days.



Paid $9.60 for all the above.
3 Kwik Sew t-shirt patterns for the 3 youngest.
And 6 bundles of fabric, including a fun Alexander Henry piece.
I did put about 4 of those pieces (the juvenile prints) back into my giveaway pile as I knew I wouldn't have a use for them.



Most of the pieces were at least a 1/2 yard each.
So I guess that means I should come up with a fun blue quilt project.
Maybe I'll think up a collaborative project again with some of my friends.  We'll see.

In the meantime I am having a hard time emotionally going thru my sewing "crap".
I have gotten rid of at least 3 large bags of scraps and other items.
You can't tell if you were to look at my sewing room, but I have done it.
I just need to do more.
You would think it would be easy enough for me as quite a bit of my fabric has been given to me.
No such luck.
I can think of lots of things I could do with the fabric, but I need to be realistic.
Just because I could do something doesn't mean I have to. Right?!
Right!

One thing I am doing, in anticipation of packing up most everything in that room, is to package up some of my projects individually in large ziploc bags.  I find these at the dollar store--2 for $1.  They have been great for me.



I put the fabric or fabrics, thread, pattern, and other extras that may go with all in the same bag.  I plan on putting these in one place or box so that if I "need" to sew while in the midst of all this moving madness I'll be able to pull out a baggie and get to work.

Life Skills---DIY style

Over the weekend we worked on the next step to get our kitchen dining ceiling completed.  Taping and mudding and sanding were on the agenda.

Hubby did most of it as he is more particular about it than I am, which is probably a good thing.  Our youngest daughter wanted a chance and so he taught her how to mud and let her do a portion too.  Shouldn't every 10 yr. old know how to mud?




Tape it all off from the rest of your house before sanding because it will be a huge mess.




Hubby in all his sanding glory.

Our next problem to solve is on the left---painted over avocado green enamel paint = peeled paint and new paint and tile that won't stick unless we prep it differently.  Another yuck job that has to be done.  We'll tackle that one too.  Thanks to The Home Depot paint guys for their heads up on what to do.  I'll tell you about it when we get there.



All mudded and sanded.  This alone makes me happier to look at it.  It is going to be awesome.
Next up some primer and paint--once we get the rest of the kitchen area ready to paint.

Thoughts about Christmas Trees

So....here is the dilemma for many of us every year, especially once we are married and have kids that are old enough to voice their opinions (which is at about 2 years old):

Real vs. fake tree. 
White vs. green tree.  
Colored vs. white lights. 
Star or angel on top. 
Traditional decorations or not.
Same decorations every year or change of theme.
Stockings hung all season or just the night before.

The list probably goes on and on when you try and mesh two family traditions into one.

My hubby grew up in Idaho where every year they drove up into the hills and cut down a live tree and brought it home to decorate.  I grew up in Kansas.  No hills.  When we got a real tree it was at the tree lot down the road.  That was my normal.

I vividly remember our neighbors, the Sauers, had a white tree with pink decorations (early 70's decor).  I was in kindergarten or first grade then.  A white tree was not right to me at that age.  I just couldn't believe that they had this ugly fake white tree.

Then somewhere along the line we got a fake green tree.  Less mess, you know exactly what size it will be from year to year and you can wire on the decorations and leave them if you want.  I also went to college and apartment living requires fake trees.

Once I got married and finally got out of apartments and into a house we went back to real trees.  Then we had more kids and less room and those trees you buy at the tree lot become a lot bigger once you open them up.  I bought a fake SKINNY green tree on clearance one year.  It has made me really happy because it doesn't overwhelm my whole living room.

Then last year during the holiday season I found a skinny white tree at the thrift store and bought it.  I had visions of the Sauers' tree once again, in disbelief that I was seriously entertaining the idea of a white tree for my own home.  But it really made me excited to think about it.

I warned my family that the following Christmas (meaning this year) I'd be putting up a white tree and that there had better not be any complaining.  It didn't mean that we'd always have a white tree, but this year we would.  So basically....deal with it.

Here is how it all turned out.


A lit view at night.


And a daylight view (before our dumping of snow yesterday)

My oldest son told me that he prefers the white tree. (that is a bit shocking)

My oldest daughter said, "I don't get the monkeys."
The other kids replied, "It's just 'cuz they're fun."
Yep, that's about it.

Our neighbors across the street told me that they like to see our tree at night through the window too.  Thank you!  I hope you all take some time to sit by your tree, at night, with only the tree lights on and enjoy some time by yourself or with your family.

Details:

• Silver wire star thrift store purchase for $2
• Stuffed Beanie Babies orangutans acquired at the thrift store for $.75 each, except large one on top for about $2.
• Initialornaments inspired by this pin.
• Various clearance ornaments (purple snowflakes, green stars, joy, blue icicles and silver disco balls) last year from Target and Wal-Mart.
• Made the orange dot garland from scrap paper and thread.
• White star cookie cutters turned into ornaments.
• Both colored AND white lights on the tree.  Oooh! Who knew you could actually do that.

Prom Dress-Part I

Shopping for fabric....this time around it is for my daughter's first Prom dress and for her BFF's dress.

In February I set her up on my Pinterest account and made a secret board for her so that she could peruse all the modest dresses she wanted and pin what she liked so we could get an idea of what we were going to do.  She and daughter #2 spent a couple of hours looking at pretty dresses and pinning WAY too many.  But they had great sister bonding time over it.

This was probably the top dress overall that she liked.

Color, style, everything.
Not the price, however.
Choke, choke at $475.

After all her pinning we then hit Jo-Ann's and checked out fabric.  Because I knew we could duplicate this dress for way less than that price--even if we spent $100 on materials it would be better.

We found this awesome piece first and decided this is what we were going to work around because it was such cool fabric.

Ruched turquoise taffeta/satin with sequins.

Bought some coordinating taffeta/satin fabric for the skirt and some tulle also.

Her BFF emailed me this picture of what she wanted.




Purple with some black tulle overlay.

Over the weekend she and her mom, along with me and daugther #1, went shopping.
Supplies are all bought.
Now onto the actual cutting, fitting and sewing.
Gotta get these girls to work so that we have plenty of time to put them together.

"I have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness."

Thomas S. Monson, "Consider the Blessings", Liahona and Ensign, November 2012

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Sometimes inspiration is a pain

I know that generally we are all looking for inspiration in our lives, whether it be some creative stroke of genius or the perfect plan for a pile of lovely (or not-so-lovely) fabrics.  However, sometimes inspirationis a pain...if it comes at a time when you don't want or need it.  I.E. when you already have a ton of other projects on your plate that you are trying to get done and the holidays are right around the corner.  Arghhhh!

But the slight OCD in my life tends to take over when this happens and I usually just have to run with it.

My youngest is in first grade this year and on the wall outside their classroom for the past couple of weeks they've had self-portraits hanging of all his classmates along with a little blurb they each wrote of "Yo soy especial porque...."  "I am special because...."  (My kids attend a Spanish immersion school.)  Anyway, those cute pictures kept calling to me and finally I asked the teacher if I could bring them home to scan before she sent them all home because I was debating on making a quilt out of them.

She said to me, "Oh you're a true artist."
My response, "Or completely crazy!"

Anyway, I couldn't stand it because they were just too cute.  I've got them all scanned and will still try and figure out the quilt thing, but I also decided to put together a Shutterfly book for the teacher to have in her class.  We put each picture in the book with the caption of what they wrote about being special.  Mr. C helped me out and it turned out AWESOME!!  I can't wait to give it to her for Christmas.

Here are a few of the paintings from the kids.  They just kill me they are so adorable.

Notice the dangly peace earrings.

And my little guy.

(The funky background shading of each is what happens when you scan a white piece of paper that has been glued to a piece of construction paper. It doesn't lie flat and scans weird.  And since they weren't my pictures to take apart I had leave it.)

_______________________________

The second inspiration that took over my life was a quilt top. Maybe 18 mos. ago I won a giveaway I think from Amanda Jean and Margaret's Hope Chest.  Included were 2 charm packs among other things.  9 months or more ago I bought a coordinating piece of marbled green to use as sashing or backing or something.  It sat.  Then a couple months back I decided to do HST's and cut and sewed all those together. It sat some more.  Then I found this cute quilt browsing online and decided that would be the direction I would take for this quilt.

Then my brain took over and I couldn't stop until it was complete.  Here is the finished top.

I like to think of this pattern as broken chevrons.

Not sure who this may be heading to. Nor what I'll be doing on the back of it.  I'd really like to find a brown print of sorts. In the meantime I'm hoping some inspiration on the WIPs will occur.  Now back to our regularly scheduled programming......

Wedding Gifts

We had 3 weddings here last month and sometimes that can get interesting when you're trying to come up with gifts.  Hubby always likes to give a portable tool set for 2 reasons.  #1 because out of all the gifts we received when we got married 16 years ago that is the present we have used the most. Seriously.  We love that item. In fact, we just had to replace ours last year.  And #2 because he feels the groom gets ripped off in the gift department. Probably true.  

However, if we don't really know the groom then I'd prefer to give something off their gift registry.  That may be a little boring, but I do try to personalize it a little bit.  This year I bought some kitchen items off 2 different registries and then added a handmade apron.

This is how I wrapped the latest of those gifts for the reception for a girl from our Church. 

Bundt pan, hotpad, and towel, wrapped it in an apron and then wrapped all in cellophane and a pretty ribbon.  I try to not use wrapping paper when possible because I think it is a waste.  But I still like it too look fun and pretty.

After finishing putting it all together I remembered I had found this tutorial for making covers for bowls--for taking to a potluck or such.  It might have been fun to have added one to use w/ the bundt pan.  Maybe next wedding reception....

Purge Out

Sometimes there comes a time when you just have to "cut your losses" so to speak. I have reached that point where no token cleaning of my sewing room will work. And really, I'm o.k. with that. (For me it takes time to reach that point)

Spring cleaning doesn't have to happen in just the Spring. Fall works too. I don't know about you, but once I decide to get rid of something it usually leaves the premises rather quickly, never to enter my home again. No remorse, no guilt...even when the kiddos complain.

Round 1
Here are a few things that have left the building....

• New patterns bought in previous times when I thought I might actually make that item.
• Patterns that I have used to make something but now no longer fit my kids or me.
• Fabric--most to be donated to the thrift store.
• Half-finished projects that hold no motivation to be completed and/or if completed wouldn't fit who they were intended for anyway. (a few can be refashioned into something else useful--but not too many) I'm all for removing the guilt altogether.
• Fleece that I don't want to look at anymore and it takes up way too much space on my shelves. I did quickly make 1 tied fleece blanket while watching Letters to Juliet one afternoon that I will give away somehow--even though the kids thought we should keep it along with our I don't know how many other blankets. Uh,...no!
• Bags of knit collars given to me in years past. (I still have one 10 gal. bin completely full of ribbing for t-shirts)
• Costumes that are too small for my girls (why they were in my sewing room and not the costume bin I'm not sure.)
• 20+ baby quilts that have been accumulating during the summer that will be donated to a local hospital next week.
• 35+ knitted stocking caps that I will either try to sell at a craft show at the end of Oct. or donate them somewhere.
• Jean/denim scraps that I don't want to see anymore. Just kept the big stuff.

All's good when even my kids notice and tell me I've done a good job picking up my room. It feels so good to purge.
_____________________________
Then yesterday, right before this was ready to post, I went into Round 2 of the purge. I was sewing and realized my carpet was wet from some serious rain we've received this week. And so I ripped out the wet, already slightly moldy, piece of carpet. (We just had a piece that we were covering cement basement floor) And then we also had to remove a storage cabinet that was moldy inside and rotting out the bottom. Obviously not from just this week's rain. Lovely!

After moving ALL my stuff out of the room I got rid of even more stuff that I didn't want to put back in. And lucky for us, next weekend is the city's free drop-off at the recycling center. See ya stuff! Now it looks like I'll be searching for a throw rug to put in my room, or maybe I'll take this opportunity to lay down peel and stick flooring....hmmm....maybe this wasn't such a bad thing to have happen.

Blueprint Quilt {love/hate}

Inspired by this dress

from May/June 2007 Blueprint Magazine

****so sorry about the quality...the page got really beat up during quilt process.

This is the original article it appeared in, but does not include the photo of this dress.

The Quilt

Finished size measures 71.5 x 50.5 inches

I kept track of my costs this time around for those who are curious

SUPPLIES:

all solids purchased at my local Joann's using 40-50% off coupons

prints purchased at local quilt shop

1 yard Kona cotton solid in "Navy" $3.19

1 yard Country Classic cotton in "Kelly" $2.15

1 yard Quilter's Cotton in "Honeydew" $2.64

1 yard Country Classic cotton in "Artesian Blue" $2.15

3 yards Kona cotton solid in "White" $9.57

3 1/2 yards Lattice Urban Green by Fabri-Quilt (sale) $10.50

5/8 yard polka dot $6.00 (this one hurt after getting all the rest so cheaply, but it was so perfect)

1 2/3 yard Warm and natural Quilt batting $11.oo

TOTAL COST = $47.20

I didn't take as many photos of this quilt. Probably because I go from LOVING to HATING it about every other week. I'd do a lot of things different if I had a do-over. #1 though is a less literal translation.

But......It was just one of those things I had to get out of my system.

(click to enlarge quilting detail)