Things I could make in my sleep....

Another Amy Butler frenchy bag complete....this one is for my MIL.  

Made from Sweetwater Make Life (Moda).

I think this is my fourth frenchy bag!  Time to move on to the Amy Butler birdie bag....I received my Poppy fabric in the mail today too....sounds like I have a weekend project already lined up. 

Stash Building...for others

Saturday was the second meeting of the Philly Modern Quilt Guild.  The theme for this month was Pillow Talk!  Lots of awesome pillows including Julie's disappearing nine patch and Amanda's crazy nine patch.  I unfortunately haven't made a pillow since eighth grade so I brought my charisma quilt (still not basted!).  It was the first thing that I actually ever sewed in Home Ec.  It started this craziness!  I would have loved to bring it for show and tell in its purple floral and gold glory but I'm pretty sure its since been thrown out by mom.  I do need some new throw pillows for our porch furniture...so who knows...there may be some pillows in my future!

After the meeting, I happened to mention to Julie that The Little Shop, my local go-to quilt shop, was only 5 minutes away.  Julie was more than eager to add to her stash and accompanied me on an excursion.  If Tula Pink is in a quilt shop, Julie is sure to find out!  Candi was there shopping too picking out fabric for a birdie sling.  I (for once) did not come home with ANY fabric.  I know, right?!?  I really, really wanted fabric for a birdie sling too after seeing 2 at the guild meeting but I was set on using Laura Gunn's Poppy...requiring a (very recent) online purchase.

I've made some progress with the hexagons.  All my strips are paired up and I've figured out my pattern (classic hexes) and more than likely I'll be making a second hex quilt.

The more I make...the more I love!

This is by no means a layout I anticipate using...but I am realizing the importance of a design wall!

What's your....

1. Favorite hobby?

2. Favorite tv show?

3. Favorite restaurant food?
 

4. Favorite thing to shop for?

5. Favorite animal?

6. Favorite song?



7. Favorite word?



8. Recent favorite youtube video?




9. Favorite movie?

10. Favorite childhood memory?

One of my favorite bloggers Ashley at Hot Butter was playing so I jumped in on the fun.  You can play along too...check out everyone else doing it! 

Surprising Stash Finds

About a year ago I discovered designer fabrics and all things Moda.  I haven't looked back since.  For awhile I was an inexperienced shopper...not immediately recognizing fabric lines while in the Little Shop.  It took time to memorize recognize the different designers and collections.  During my transition period, as I like to call it, the Little Shop had a fat quarter and fat eighth sale.  I had no clue what I was looking at or shoving into my shopping basket...I just knew it was a good deal by the crowds of women around me fighting their way through the store.  Imagine my surprise when I found a fat eighth of Flea Market Fancy in my stash.  Who knows what else I have hiding in there?!  An amazing find...in my own house!  Maybe it's time to dig into my stash and start using it!

Hexagons

Friday April 9th was the second sewing night for the Philly Modern Quilt Guild.  Since I had yet to finish piecing my Charisma top together, I figured that was the perfect project to take.  By the time Friday night was over, I finally started sewing the rows together to complete the top.  I am sooo in love with this quilt probably because it’s something for me! 

Since I don’t have backing yet for the Charisma quilt, I moved right on to my next project, Julie’s Hexagon Quilt A Long, which I got a sneak peek at during the guild sewing night.  I’m using Hunky Dory by Moda.  The colors are very cheerful and springy but slightly muted so I’m worried about having good contrast in my blocks.  For Christmas Hubby bought me an equilateral triangle template which I thought I would never have a use for until now!  He was pretty excited (as excited as a husband can be about quilting)  last night when he saw it on the floor and asked me if was actually going to use it.  Of course, why else would it be on the floor?  I cut the majority of my fabric on the floor.  Is that terrible?  I don’t have a cutting table and sometimes transporting the cutting mat, fabric, and rotary cutter to the dining room table (which I then have to clear off) just doesn’t seem worth it. 

This is only half of the triangles I have cut so far.  Can’t wait to sew together my hexagon blocks!  After seeing a few different layouts, I think I’m going to go with just one block type (above).   Hope you join in on the fun!

Difficult Decisions

I’ve been in a funk lately.  This week I have been faced with the realization that school is just too much for me right now.  I’m not sure if I’m burn out per say…but I’m ready to be done.  So ready…. I am struggling in one of my courses…after only the first week.  I am recognizing the fact that it’s more difficult than I had anticipated and that I will actually have to work…make that very hard… to be successful in this course.  Normally I push through classes and easily get A’s…. Only two classes away from my degree and I’m struggling.  So what’s a girl to do but drop a class…and NOT graduate in June.  So sad…and disappointed….I completely stressed over the decision of which class to drop…the easy A or the work really hard for a B (if I’m lucky) class.  Stressed so much that I gave myself a migraine.  I’m sticking it out in the hard class because I think it will be helpful in my career.  So that’s my not happy news….and if I really want to torture myself I can take my last class this summer…on Thursday nights which is generally a traffic nightmare in the city.

With working full time and school this year, I’m thankful that I have a hobby that I find incredibly relaxing.  I can work 8+ hours a day, come home and do 2-3 hours of school work, and as long as I get to sew,  everything is ok in my world.  We may not eat a gourmet dinner or have a very clean house, but I’m happy.  Just call first before coming over :)

A little charisma

in the form of a jelly roll…

Plus the Knickerbocker Glory pattern from Jelly Roll Inspirations yielded lots of four patches and a messy work area…

Which will be sewn together on point tonight once I figure out how to arrange my colors!

Lessons learned so far:  Quilting under the influence, particularly rotary cutting, is not suggested.  Cutting mishaps can occur, but luckily all of my fingertips are in place.  I’ll need to figure out a new strategy for the summer since grilling generally involves delicious Blue Moon.

Thursday Threads

Since I missed Sunday stash…

A few new purchases from Country Quiltworks in North Wales.  I needed a yard of Kona solids in ivory for my current project and ended up leaving with this, plus some thread.  (Three) Fabrics on the right are Make Life by Sweetwater.  My MIL picked it out for the Amy Butler Frenchy Bag pattern.   I can’t wait to get started on it…I just hope I don’t love it so much I can’t give it away!