Seriously Awesome

No, seriously. Awesome. I returned from Cincinnati to a box filled with these fantastic goodies. My For the Love of Solids Swap (FTLOS) partner, Diane, "got" me perfectly. {Note: in my experience, FTLOS has provided the best swap experience, hands down.} Not only did she make me fabulous items -- a sewing machine cover and a zippered pouch -- but she included homemade tomato jam (I love tomatos. Really. Love them) and a stack of chocolate whose wrappers match the sewn items. Impressive.

Let's take a closer look at these sewn items. Diane used the colors I requested (betty's orange, glacier (teal), and ochre (deep yellow)) and added aqua and cerise for a fantastic color combination. The background fabric is quilter's linen -- this is the first time I've seen it up close, and I'm smitten.

The sewing machine is completely reversible. Look at this cool improv back! And you can sneak a peek at the light brown walls -- doesn't this make my sewing machine into an art piece in the living room? I've been debating what colors and fabrics to use in a living room quilt, and this sewing machine cover seals it for me. I obviously need to make a coordinating quilt. Because these colors make me so happy. And they work with the gold couch (the best reading couch ever, but gold nonetheless).

To top it off, Diane sent this lovely pouch. Those blocks are tiny and perfectly precise. And the aqua zipper? Pure happiness (and awesomeness) all around.

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Chevron and Out

I realized it's been 10 days since I last posted. Ten busy days, but ten days in which images sat on my camera because sometimes getting images from the camera to the computer feels like way more work than it actually is. Hooking up cords and pressing buttons is not actually hard and yet sometimes it's an obstacle. But I'm back in the archives this week which means I needed my camera for images of documents and all my sewing pictures had to vacate the premises, err memory card. I finished up my mini-quilt for the For the Love of Solids Quilts. I vacillate on which side is "up" and which side is "down." For now, I picked the image I liked the best, which had a lot more to do with low light on a gray day than anything else. I'm quite pleased with how it came together as well as the random, angular line quilting, which came to me in a burst of inspiration also known as "Must get this done. Make a decision."

The back used remnants from the front. As usual, I changed my mind 3/4 of the way through and decided that the light gray line (Kona Ash, for those keeping track) should not go all the way across. This entailed some pretty precise sewing to get everything lined back up. And by precise sewing, I mean 4 seam-rippings and 5 tries later, it all worked out. Note: seams pressed open are your friends when precision on the millimeter level is necessary.

For the small gift (this swap requires a big item and a small one), I made a zip pouch. I based it on the size of the zip-lock I use to carry various chargers with me when I travel. I think its dimensions are great for chargers though I might switch the zipper to the long side on future iterations, even though I think it might work less well for bulky chargers. The pouch is stuffed with a rainbow of solid scraps that I hope my partner will enjoy using. Now I just need to find the closest post office to me in Cincinnati, ideally one open past 5 pm.

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Stretching Out

So many tiny pieces. So many bias edges.

I probably should have invested in some starch before I embarked on this project, but why use an easily accessible tool when you've never felt the need to before? And, to be honest, it wasn't until I was sewing these little bits together and trying to square everything up that I realized starch could have helped. Next time...except, I have no plans to piece or paper-piece tiny little chevrons any time soon. I'm really glad I was crazy enough to plunge into making this without thinking through all these details as I think (hope) my partner will be pleased. And I'm glad that participating in swaps pushes me to do things I never would have thought of alone. But I feel sufficiently limbered up to avoid practicing this particular design any more for a while. I know, I know -- this is the exact opposite of what any coach, in any sport or activity would tell you to do. Luckily, I'm not aiming for the Quilting Olympics and can thus resume flitting around to other techniques and playing with new ideas with no remorse and no ill consequences.

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Head.Paper.Fabric

Exactly one month ago, I received an email detailing my For the Love of Solids partner assignment, which included her likes, dislikes, and swap desires. I clicked on her mosaic and wandered through her flickr favorites. I quickly knew exactly what I would do. The plan simmered for abut 30 days. With the exception of some minor color tweaks, the plan remained the same. In my head. Day after day, I would think about it, contemplate it, dissect it, diagram it, arrange it. In my head. The project took form, the puzzle pieces arranged themselves, the idea came into being. In my head.

Finally, it boiled over. I had to sketch it out, to attach numbers to proportions, to map and adjust the layout. Three pages of graph paper later, I was ready. Ready to cut, to manipulate, to piece. Ready to make templates, to draw angles, to add seam allowances, to create. And with the aid of my cutting mat and rulers, with pen and paper, I drew lines. And redrew them. And copied them. {Side note: when one's printer/scanner/copier is out of black ink, it is best to hit the "color copy" button if one wants said machine to spit out more than the blank page fed into to it minutes before.}

Several hours later, my FTLOS project was truly underway. Head.Paper.Fabric. All in one night.

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Perfect Placemats

I admit it. I've spent the past couple of days eagerly checking the mailbox to see if my For the Love of Solids package had arrived. It looked like almost everyone shipped in time, so it could have arrived anytime this past week. Today I was home when the mail carrier came, but I was talking to my roommate and managed not to duck outside in the middle of our conversation. But a little later, I checked outside and there was a nice box waiting for me. And inside the box was a fantastic set of goodies from my partner, Mary Anne. When she posted these on flickr, I commented on how much I liked the dark teal color (Kona Glacier for those keeping track at home). It's hanging out on the top of my favorite colors list with Betty's Orange. My neighbors painted the formerly forest green part of their house dark teal, and I love staring at it. Handily, it seems to be a very in color this fall, so I get to marvel at it a lot.

The placemats include a pieced section on the left, comprised of Moda Crossweaves. They are shimmery and fun and feel great. The quilting on these placemats is lovely as well -- an inner border on each of the rectangles of the pieced section and straight-line quilting on the rest of the placemat. As the first picture shows, the backs are made of light lime and a pieced section as well.

Mary Anne also included 4 coordinating napkins, made out of Turquoise and Light Lime. The hems on these napkins are gorgeous. I keep thinking about making cloth napkins for myself and then stop when I start thinking about all that hemming (strangely, I'd rather bind than hem. It makes no sense, I know.)

And here's everything all together. Mary Anne also included 2 fat quarters, of Kona Glacier and Moda Dill (one of my new favorites, I'm sort of on a green kick of late, though I haven't done much with it yet) as well as 2 bars of Lindt chocolate. On flickr, she asked about chocolate preferences and I responded (not knowing that she was my partner) that I love white and milk chocolate. When she posted a picture of everything she was sending and I could see that it included white chocolate, I was hoping that the package might wind its way to me. And it did. And this pleases me greatly. Thank you, Mary Anne!

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The Whole Watermelon

Last week I showed a "slice" of my solids swap quilt, and now I can show the whole thing. While I finished it a few days ago, the weather has been most uncooperative for getting decent pictures. But I finally found a door that receives enough light on a grey, rainy day to snap a few photos.

After I created the improv quilt, I opted to add a little more wonkiness via circles. Dan's quilt definitely provided the inspiration, though in the spirit of improv + wonky, I wanted the circles to be not quite a perfect 360. Luckily, that was pretty easy to achieve! The innermost circle consists of alternating strips of my partner's favorite colors.

To balance the pieced circles, I also quilted in circles. This might be my new favorite quilting design, and a cardboard circle template was my best tool: I cut out a circle (after tracing a glass onto a piece of cardboard) and taped the cardboard onto the quilt sandwich. Then I placed my presser foot against the cardboard and basically "traced" the circle while stitching. After that, I moved outward at regular intervals and continued to use the previous circle as my guide.

The back -- which again uses my partner's favorite colors -- shows off the circle quilting really well. The empty circle in the middle will become the label, but I didn't want to write my partner's name before taking pictures.

This palette is not my regular go-to sort of color scheme, but I'm confident my partner will be happy with it, and it's fun to play with colors that I don't usually use.

The black binding was not originally planned, but once I used it in the pieced circle, I knew it was the perfect way to frame the mini-quilt. I'm really happy with how it works as the binding; it stands out from the rest of the quilt and creates a clear border. I think it helps focus the improv/wonky piecing in a visually pleasing sort of way. I'll send this mini-quilt, the pouch, and some other little goodies off to my partner tomorrow.

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A Little Zipper Action

It's true. Before today, I had never sewn a zipper. As I've been sewing more bags, I found this state of affairs more problematic and limiting. I read blogs and tutorials, half of which indicated zippers are hard and half of which suggested that zippers are pretty easy. All in all, I'd say the first time around went smoothly, and wasn't too difficult. Whew.

I made this pouch for my partner in the solids swap (it's stuffed with solid (+ a couple print) scraps). I used this tutorial from kelbysews, with a couple of modifications. I cut pieces 7" x 8.5" to make a slightly larger pouch. I used lightweight interfacing on the interior lining fabric and some slightly heavier interfacing on the exterior fabric (I didn't have any medium-weight at home, but this combo worked well for me). I like the addition of tabs for the zipper ends, but I would start with a wider piece of fabric to create a little more wiggle room when sewing everything together. I like the simple 2-fabric pouch I made, but if I make it again, I might add a little ric-rac or trim. All inall, a productive sewing morning.

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Watermelon Slice

My partner's favorite colors: check.
Improvisational: check
Somewhat wonky: check.

My plan for my partner's solid swap item changed a lot in my head. Working off her mosaic, I came up with several ideas. But none of them felt right. Then I was looking through some of my Flickr favorites and came up with a new plan. The pieced piece above represents the start of that plan.

I always forget that wonky/improv piecing almost always takes longer than planned piecing. This step took most of yesterday to cut, sew, and press, and it's about 15" x 27". There's another little surprise to come, but as I worked on it, I dubbed it "watermelon slice" because of the varied greens with a tiny pop of raspberry pink. Plenty more work to do before the deadline, but it's taking shape and I think the remaining steps will be quicker.

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Solid Stashing

As luck has it, I'm house/catsitting mere blocks away from a fabulous local fabric store: Treadle Yard Goods. I first noticed it on Saturday and knew I'd head over there shortly. And shortly meant yesterday afternoon. And it was awesome.

First, they have an impressive collection of modern quilting fabrics. (They also have a lot of apparel fabrics and are apparently the last local apparel fabric store in the area, but as a not-yet-garment sewer, I sort of ignored those fabrics). Because there were so many other fun fabrics to feel and touch and pet. Tula Pink (Prince Charming is charming), Joel Dewberry (the new Heirloom line in Citrus is calling my name), various lines from Moda, Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Japanese imports....all sorts of neat stuff. They also had a lot of substrates: quilting cotton, home decor weight, canvas, voile, sateen, velveteen, laminate, and oilcloth to name a few.

Second, they're really nice there. I mean Minnesotans have, in my week here, lived up to their extraordinarily friendly reputation. But Treadle did exactly what I think every store should: ask if I need help when I walk in, leave me alone to wander, and be helpful when I requested assistance. And then when I mentioned I was a visitor, they started telling me about all sorts of other fabric places to check out. Apparently there's an amazing shop in St. Cloud that I don't think I'm going to get to, but still: they heard I liked fabric and directed me to other places to look at it.

So I bought the solids above to use in the Simply Solids Swap. I have a few ideas rolling around in my head and need to make some decisions over the next week so I can start cutting and sewing when I get back. I also dug into their remnants and picked up two for me.

The gray print on the left is from Nancy Mims and the print on the right is a piece of oilcoth. I don't have immediate plans for the gray, but it's the sort of print that would be great as a bag lining, a binding, or in a quilt. As for the oilcloth, I've been meaning to make myself a lunch bag for years. I'm thinking oilcloth is smart since it will wipe down easily. I don't know how to sew with it, but that's just another thing to learn. I was pretty responsible with purchases yesterday, but I might need to go back and buy some Heirloom voile. It was just so pretty and would make a beautiful fall scarf. One can never have too many scarves. And buying fabric for a distinct purpose for me falls under "being kind to myself," right? Hmm.

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Color Wheel Charm Swap

A few posts ago, I mentioned signing up for the Color Wheel Charm Swap. Kati assigned me orange and orange-yellow for my colors. I knew immediately what I would use for orange, but orange-yellow took a little longer to figure out.

For orange (right), I sent in 5" charms from Kate Spain's Central Park Collection, the Bridal Path print in Metro. For orange-yellow (left), I opted for Amy Butler's Full Moon Dots in Tangerine. It looks very light next to the bright orange, but it's more saturated than it appears here. I'm a pretty confident cutter, but cutting charms for the swap gave me a pause. Just a few nerves before plunging in as I needed the full yard to cut 56 charms and knew there wouldn't be enough left over if disaster hit. Handily, disaster stayed at bay, and the charms are now in Kati's hands waiting for distribution.

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Living Dangerously

Apparently when I'm cut off from my stash and my machine, I sign myself up for all sorts of things. Like the Color Wheel Charm Swap Kati is organizing.

Sign-ups are already closed, but if you're interested in playing in the future, leave a comment for Kati here. I also signed up to be a stitcher in the do. Good Stitches {a charity bee}. I haven't participated in a bee before, but I've long admired what I see on other blogs. And since I try to make and donate several quilts to charity each year, this seemed like the perfect bee to enter. Hopefully I'll get to start in September.

With all these bees and swapping, my mind has been buzzing about a fat quarter swap. It's been a couple years since I organized one and awhile since I participated in one, and I miss them. Are you interested? When would you want to do it? Any rules you really like to govern your swaps?

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Circalicious

Slow, slow progress on the quilting front. To be honest, the combination of renovation, moving, planning future research trips, and the gross gross heat, not much has happened, craft-wise. Also, the moving meant returning my sewing machine to its vacation spot at my parents' house as I didn't want to clutter up my brother's current apartment with my sewing machine as he's moving out shortly (provided the fixer-upper bathroom gets finished soon). Anyways...

Before waving goodbye to my sewing machine (I really need a name for it, any suggestions?), I played around with piecing circles a la Fleming. I used this tutorial and watched this video before cutting into anything. Overall I like the method, though I need to practice more to get perfectly flat circles. I think it's very forgiving, as any slight flaps should disappear upon quilting. I don't have a fully worked out plan for this quilt, but there will be more Terrain circles. Everything else is subject to change.

Also, the grey fabric is Moda Charcoal. I have to say that while I generally love Bella Solids, I'm a little disappointed in both Charcoal and Slate. I had ordered them hoping they would be similar to Kona's versions, but they're not. While it may be hard to see in the picture, they're too green to be true charcoal or slate. They'll work but they're not as versatile as true greys would be; however, since my Solids swap partner loves olive/artichoke greens, I think these greys will be perfect to use in conjunction with that project. Now I just need to decide what to make her.

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Super Solids

1. STLMQG Solids Challenge, 2. Natalie-front, 3. finished!, 4. Robert Kaufman Solids Challenge, 5. baby quilt, 6. Crop Circles - Embroidered Mini Art Quilt, 7. Dancing Dresden Plates, 8. "Huckleberry" Modern Baby Quilt, 9. Slumbering Spring Quilt, 10. DQS10 WIP, 11. Hexagon Quilt Back, 12. RK Challenge - Side 1, 13. IMG_1633, 14. Scrappy Mug Rug Swap - Received!, 15. DSCN0727, 16. DQS WIP

While perusing posts in Google Reader this morning, I discovered For the Love of Solids [a modern swap]. When I made my last mosaic for DQS10, I realized I had a ton of solids-only or mostly-solids in my flickr favorites. As a result, this seemed like the perfect swap to join I'm coveting lots of solids quilts. I still need to finish, err make, my totally late DC Modern Quilt Guild Solids Challenge quilt, which is next in line after I roll around with my Terrain scraps.

But in the meantime, joining another swap seemed wise like a fine summer activity to add to my growing to-do list. And picking just 16 solids or solid-ish quilts was actually tough, so, assuming I get in, I think my partner will have lots of ideas and inspiration with which to work. I realize that my mosaic also highlights my inclination toward shades of blue, but I also love deep saturated oranges and reds. In any event, I'm hoping this swap will push me to start making more solids quilts, since I seem to click the star on so many of the ones I've seen. To learn more or to sign up, click here.

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Fabric Treats

 

I would say that the doorbell rang, but doorbell is a misnomer. It's really a buzzer that, no matter how many times I hear it, startles me. Thus the buzzer buzzed and knocking commenced. My friendly postal delivery person had a package in her hand, an express mail envelope for my roommate, for which someone (aka me, as the door-answerer) needed to sign. But there was something else, a small box, for me.

 

Upon opening the box, I discovered all sorts of unexpected fabric treats. Once I recognized the sender, I knew the box contained fabric, as it was part of a fabric swap run by Maranda.

 

Maranda was in fact my partner and went above and beyond the 2 FQs we agreed to exchange.

This awesome parcel included 4, that's right, 4 fat quarters. And all awesome fabrics at that.

Moreover, 2 of the fat quarters were rolled up inside hippos! You can see the lovely Arcadia fabric bundled up inside the blue hippo on the right (whose full body appears in the first photo above).

Maranda cleverly packaged everything with strips of fabric as cushioning. I need to remember this for future wrapping.

Once I took the FQs out of the hippos, I put the strips inside, and the hippos are now happily resting on my bookshelf.

 

Awesomeness all laid out together. What a delightful treat. Thank you, Maranda!

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Playing Catch-Up

It's been a nutty week. A subletter is moving in tomorrow afternoon, at which point I'll drive off to Lexington, KY for a minute (well, 24 hours), come back for a night, head home to the DC area to see my family, and then go to NYC for 6 weeks.

How much closet and dresser space does my subletter need? I'm not sure, but I've left 2 out 3 dresser drawers empty and the primary closet rod vacant. The rest of the closet is another story. And then there were the pictures. After about 10 months of thinking about what I want on my bedroom walls, I finally hung a nice mirror my mom found for me as well as a collage of framed pictures. Prior to that, I rearranged the room. Inspired by new roommate, I opted for less floor space and a more grown-up bed protruding from the wall, rather than tucked in the corner (there are only so many options in a 9 3/4' x 9 3/4' room with 3 doors (hallway, closet, porch)). But I like it. I'm happy with it. I'm now pretty used to it (just in time to leave!). And if it hadn't been grey and rainy for the past few days I might have even grabbed a picture. Maybe tomorrow morning, in between washing all the linens.

Fabric has offered a lovely break this week. There's this bird print, an IKEA find:

And an array of awesome fabric acquired through swaps, the one I hosted and a couple of private swaps:

I've already got some projects planned out. Some of the blues and greens will make it into a chuppah I'm making, some of the blues and browns will go into another quilt that exists only in my head, and the pinks and oranges will find a home too. I'm very excited for all this fabric -- I don't have any of it and some I've admired from afar for a while. Moreover, I received fabric that I might not have bought but can't wait to use because it's just plain awesome.

Because I'll be without a sewing maching for about 7 weeks, I raced this week to finish several baby quilts. I need to bind the last one, a scrappy, wonky log cabin for Craft Hope, but aside from that I'm done. I'm saving some of the pictures since I won't be making anything for a while. Kind of weird that absence.

In the meantime, I'm going to ask you for your advice and knowledge:
*Any great vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Lexington, KY? Any good fabric shops?

*I'm from the DC area but haven't lived there in a while. Any new restaurants I should check out? What fabric shops should I know about that I don't (G Street Fabrics is about my limit).

*And, finally, the big one: New York. I'll be living in Brooklyn and attending classes at NYU. But I'm ready to venture anywhere. Please post any suggestions, recommendations, must sees/dos. I'm truly open to any and all information -- food, fabric, excursions, favorite hidden spots, free activities (in parks or elsehwere), somewhat known but unheralded must-dos? I've been to NY before but this will be my first time living there for any (short) length of time, and I want to explore as much as possible. Also, your favorite Thai restaurants are much appreciated!

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I wrote too fast + Staple gun love

Yesterday I said I'd been unlucky in the SMS and SEWN giveaways. Turned out that I was too quick to assume the giveaways were over. Ginger commented and emailed me to let me know I'd won an orange bag.

I'll be adding it to my reusable grocery bag stash. Thanks Ginger!

Lise emailed me to let me know she'd received her first fat quarter from the fat quarter swap. Check it out here.

In other news, I have a new love for staple guns.
I re-upholstered a somewhat ugly ottoman I found earlier in the spring. I forgot to take before pictures, but as soon as the lighting cooperates, I'll post the after pictures.

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Last Chance!

If you want to participate in the fat quarter swap, email me (2hippos [at] gmail) asap.

Send me the following info:
Name
Address
Email
Blog or anything else you want people to know
2 or 4 partners?
Will you ship internationally?

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A Splendiferous Surprise

First there was a box.
Scratch that.
First there was a conniving idea.
Then there were co-conspirators, a plane ticket, and a lot of excitement.

Finally the weekend arrived.
I left the land of the Great Lakes and the (flailing) auto industry.
I boarded a plane for the land of sunshine, amazing friends, and fantastic food.
On Sunday morning, one collaborator and I set about to find a box.
A big box. A really huge box. A box I could sit in.

And we found said box. And we wrapped said box. And I got in said box.
I sat in the box, smiling to the 4 cardboard walls.
A phone rang.
My other collaborator called to say he and his crew were on their way.
The doorbell rang.
Friends arrived.
They learned of my presence, laughed, and put the box lid back on.
The surprisee (is that a word? well, now it is) was still out there.
The doorbell rang.

There she was, with family members and dessert in tow.
"There's a present for you."
"What?"
"A present. A present you should open now."

The nonchalant approach.
What could be in there?
What wouldn't be delivered to my house?

A surprise. A real shocking surprise. A totally unexpected surprise.

Me.
Inside the box.
Totally shocking S who had no clue what birthday treat awaited her at the party...
she didn't want to have and protested -- to me, thousands of miles away, last Monday.
It. Was. Awesome.

* * * *
Last chance to sign up for the Sew Into Summer Fat Quarter Swap.
Go here for the info and email me (2hippos [at] gmail) to sign up.
Sign up by 11.59 pm June 3.
Ok, by the morning of June 4 will work too.
I'm checking out fabric shops this week.
Who knows what I might find for you?
A big thanks to Amy for awesome fabric shop suggestions in San Francisco and Sunnyvale.

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SMS Giveaway Day

It's (almost) giveaway day, coordinated by SMS. Head over there on Wednesday morning for a full list of giveaways,

This one is pretty simple. There are three fat quarters up for grabs, to three different people. Comment, express a preference (ladybugs, hippos, flowers), and maybe you'll win! Make sure you leave contact information, either via your blogger id or in the comment. Comments open through 11.59 pm on Sunday. I'll choose three winners randomly on Monday and mail out your prizes soon thereafter. And I'll ship internationally.

While you're here, 2 other things may interest you:
1. A Fat Quarter Swap. Go here for details, then email me to sign up and join in the fun.
2. Another giveaway, this one is part of the SEWN launch and is open through June 8.

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