Pencil Case

Pinterest.  It's a dangerous place.  The ideas and crafts out there is mind-blowing.  The recipes.  Oh the recipes!  I try to stay off Pinterest as much as I can. I pop on there once a week or so.  It can just suck you in if you don't keep tabs on yourself.  Kris had pinned a tutorial for a fabric pencil case.  It's very cute and it was on my mind for a day or two.  Kris jumped on it first and found out that it was too short for regular pencils (the ones you use a sharpener for).  I decided to give it a shot yesterday afternoon before Amelia got home from her weekend away at my Mom's.  I extended the measurement by 2 inches and used a 12" zipper.  It's cute!

I had an idea to make them as party favors for the kids at Amelia's birthday this year.  She liked the idea and agreed.  So now I have 3 months to make 12 more.  Nice thing is that we will be shopping out of my stash.  Only thing I need to stock up on is more 12" zippers but etsy is good for that!  15 zippers for 9 bucks.  Can't beat that!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Every Plan Needs a Back Up

Happy Memorial Day!  How's everyone doing?  Any picnics happening or just chilling at home?  That's what I've been doing.  Just chilling out.  In my sewing room.  I spent most of yesterday in there.  Ran a few errands and then headed upstairs for 8 hours or so.  Felt good.

I had said that I was going to work on Swoon.  And I did - sort of.  I got block 7 cut and started piecing the parts.  Then I got another idea in my head and put Swoon aside.  I'm sorry Swoony.  I will get you finished soon.  I promise.

On my way home Saturday I stopped at Joann Fabrics for a few odds and ends.  I found some cute fabrics and decided to make Amelia's teacher a table topper as an End of the Year Thank You.  Minimal piecing.  It came out cute, I think.  I got it pieced and quilted and now I'm working on getting the binding on.  I will show you as soon as I'm done.

I've also had making couch pillow covers on my to do list for over a year.  I had the fabrics for all that time as well.  I decided that this weekend my couch was getting new accent pillows.  The accent pillows on the couch, the covers can't be removed and they are just getting ugly.  They are now pretty and I'm using those same pillows as the filler.  Good deal.  Pillows are expensive.  I used Pure by Sweetwater.  I busted out my Lil Twister tool that I never used and went to town.  Made some granny squares too.  Next set of pillows will be Make Life by Sweetwater.  I've had those fabrics as long as I've had Pure.  I started pinwheels way back when but I don't like them any more so I need to start over.  I think I will make another twister.  That was fun.

My Postage Stamp top is finally FINALLY finished!  Now to get it quilted.  I need to get some backing.  I have some fabrics for it but not enough.  But it fits my bed nicely so I would REALLY like to get this quilted this year.  Sigh.  I'm going to try.  Maybe I'll do it myself (HA!).  Most likely I will send it out.

Fabrics - Giddy by Sandy Gervais

Lastly, I made 2 new pillowcases for Punk.  Retro ice cream trucks and ice cream sandwiches.  Cute!  Heidi made the same pillowcase in the April FNSI and I totally fell for the fabric.  Found some and ordered it.  Washed it and put it aside.  Got them done this morning.  I think I want to keep them for myself.

fabric - Ice Cream You Scream Ice Cream by Timeless Treasures

I feel good, getting some of these projects done and out of the way for now.  I wish one of them was Swoon but the day isn't over yet.  ;)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Mini Messengers

Another project off my list.  Happy to have them done.  2 are black and one is a Hometown patchwork.

Can you even see the black ones in that picture??  LOL!  Okay, here's one of it by itself.  I did a gray lining.

I hope the girls like them.  They will be getting them on Saturday.  I also had some time and got my next Swoon block cut and 2 granny squares done.  With Memorial Day weekend coming up, Punk is going to spend a couple of nights with my mom.  My husband is working so guess what I will be doing ALL DAY on Sunday??  Oh I can't wait!  I have a list.  Swoon is at the top of that list.  Next is getting my 12 Days of Christmas blocks sashed and pieced into top form.  Also on the top of that list is getting the last border sewn on my Postage Stamp top.  Imagine that??  I have had 3 out of 4 side borders done for months now.  I would like to get the last border on, figure out backing yardage and get this one quilted. 

What plans do you have for Memorial Day weekend?

Enjoy your day!
Jen

What I got

Hello there!  How's everyone doing?  I finally got a minute to sit down and show you what I received from Jennie for the Quilter's Day swap.  It is so totally ME!  I want to make more. 

It's a rainbow Swoon pillow cover!  OH I LOVE IT!!!!  I haven't gone to get a pillow form for it yet so I'm just admiring it.  But as soon as I do, it will be going on my bed.  Matches nothing on my bed but I do not care.  Thank you so, so much Jennie!!  Oh.  Jennie was kind enough to add some sweets to the swap package but um, they are gone.  :)

I lucked out and did some sewing this weekend!  I got those three mini messenger bags done.  Finally.  And did I ever show you my husband's bag?  He has a briefcase but hates lugging it around.  He just needed something to carry in the truck for paperwork and a calculator and whatever else he feels he needs to have.  He bugged me for a bag for months.  I finally broke down and made him one.  I used black duck cloth and  blue tractor lining.  Kept it as simple as I could so it wouldn't be too "girly" looking.  The handles are short too.  Beats a plastic bag, I guess.

A chick update.   They are big.  They aren't "chicken" big but they aren't cute chicks anymore either.  And I'm happy to say that they are finally out of my garage and in a bigger pen in the barn.  They are still too young to be loose.  Hawks you know.  So they are penned.  Probably by July they will be big enough to be let out and roam around freely (in a fenced in area).  I'm happy to have them out of my garage.  They stink.  I have no photos of the chicks because they are no longer cute.  :)  No, no.  I will get up to the barn and snap a picture to show.

That's all for now.
Enjoy your day!
Jen

Quilter's Day Swap

Hello there!  I'm a bad blogger these days, aren't I?  Well to be honest, I have nothing to talk about.  Terrible, I know.  I haven't really been sewing.  I am working on something but it can't be revealed yet.  I also have those other projects hanging over my head but I won't list them here again.  It just depresses me.

I joined the Quilter's Day Swap hosted by Heidi and I got my items out on time.  I'm sure my partner has gotten them already but I haven't heard.  Here's what I sent:

I was on my Granny Square kick (still am; fighting the urge to go cut 2.5" squares) and I made my partner a mug rug.  I just shrunk the squares down just a bit.  I made the same block with 2.5" squares, intending to make that one the mug rug but it was too big.  Some wonder clips, a cute zippered bag and done.  I wanted to do more but I just didn't have the time.  Work is for the birds.  :p

You know this time last year, I was spending my days just sewing away.  Not making any money but sewing, sewing, sewing.  I still have the quilt tops that I finished last summer hanging over my bannister, heckling me every day.  Finish meeeee!  QUILT MEEEEEEE!  UGH.  QUIET!  I will finish you when I have time!  GRRRRRR.  Kicker is... I have backings for 3 of the tops.  Sigh.  So sad.

Enjoy your weekend!
Jen

Cheep! Cheep!

Guess what we got yesterday?  Cheep!  Cheep!!  We got chicks!  6 of them. We'll be getting 6 more next week when the store gets a shipment of other breeds.  I have no idea what kind of chicks these are.  I asked my husband and he just shrugs.  Men.  I was working when he and Amelia went to the store to get them.

 Aren't they cute?

Enjoy your day!
Cheep!  Cheep!
Jen :)

Jumping on the Granny Square Train

Hello!  I'm sorry my blog has been so quiet.  I just haven't been doing much sewing.  Life has been busy.   Work has picked up and Summer/Spring hit.  But I did carve out some time and found my way back into my sewing room.  However, instead of working on the many projects laying around on my cutting table (Hello SWOON! - Need.  To.  Finish!), I decided to get some 2.5" squares cut.  I also decided that I'm going to get the GO! die for my cutter and do the rest of them that way.  Maybe FINALLY using the gift that my husband got me, oh, 3 years ago for Christmas.

I digress.  Where was I?  Oh yah.  Cutting squares.  So I started cutting some squares and put this together.

ME - Basket of Flowers

Oh. I like it!  How about two color combo block?

Oooooo!  I'm liking this one too!  How about one that is totally "not me"?

Totally Scrappy = Totally not me

 All three together?

How bad do the three look together?  Because I am torn as to how I want to work these blocks.  Fabric line coordinated, 2 color combo or totally scrappy.  I'm thinking if I do a few of each type and stick them in one quilt, 2 out of 3 I've made already won't go to waste.  What do you think?

Here's my pile of scraps that I've cut so far.

This granny square project is going to be something that's going to be an on the side project.  Something I want to work on in between other things.  I'm sure we all have projects like that.  This will probably be the last you'll see of my granny squares until I get Swoon, 3 mini messenger bags, a bag for my husband and Punk's Twirl bag DONE. 

I better get cracking then!
Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)