Blogger's Quilt Festival Time!

Hooray for Blogger's Quilt Festival! I just love cruising through all the beautiful quilts and finding some blogs I've never visited before. The last festival was my first entry, and I chose my beloved Flea Market Fancy quilt. This time around, I have a lot more quilts to choose from, so it was a harder decision. But in the end, the quilt that gets the most use wins - my Little Folks HST quilt.

I love this quilt so much for many reasons, the biggest one being the amount of tedious effort that was put into it. It literally had me tearing my hair out at a few different points during the process! But in the end, soooo worth it.

If you've worked with this voile before, you know how wonderfully soft it is. The softness and light-weight makes it a bit slippery, so piecing the half square triangles was less the easy! It's quite imperfect and tons of the points don't exactly match, but I learned a lot of valuable lessons in the making of this quilt, and for me it sort of adds to the charm.

I backed this quilt with voile as well, which made it super tough to baste. I could just NOT get it without a pucker when I took it to the machine. So, in the end, I hand quilted all whopping 90x90 inches of it. And I'm not sorry I did. The hand quilting helped to retain the soft, airy feel of the quilt.

And this is where you can find this quilt on most days of the week....

being loved and used just the way a quilt is meant to be.

Make sure you hop on over to Amy's page all week long and check out all the other lovelies!

Welcome to all of you who have never visited before! I hope to see you again soon!

WARNING: The following post may make you green with envy

I am feeling like one of the luckiest girls around today - look what came in my mailbox!

SHERBET PIPS!!!!!!!!!

I told you that you'd be jealous! Of course you've already heard of Sherbet Pips unless you've been hiding under a rock somewhere. It's the first I'm sure of many stunningly adorable fabric lines by Aneela Hoey for Moda. Aneela is one of my most favorite crafters in all of Blogland and when she announced her designs were going into print I jumped for joy!

And let me tell you, they are even better in person....the colors are absolutely perfect and I think I might faint from kawaii overload.

"Scoot" is a favorite from her Spoonflower prints, and I think that "scarf stripe" is ingenious.

And check out her awesome coordinates! These will for sure be joining the ranks of stash must haves.

And puppies - in four colorways!

Don't forget about what is probably the most beloved image in Aneela's designs, "Girl on a swing" or is she called oh, cherry?

I was really hoping to go to Quiltmarket this year but it just wasn't in the cards. Since this was at the tippy-top of my list for a sample spree purchase, this is definitely making up for me missing the show. But, I MUST HAVE MORE! Yardage is not available until April next year, so this will have to tide me over until then. I see a sweet little quilt for Lucy, something simple to showcase all the loveliness of the prints. You know I won't be able to resist cutting in for long!

Hand Stitching Central

That's what my bed has become lately. And I love it! Ever since I can remember, I have been big on hibernating when this time of year rolls around. I love pajamas and tea and coffee in bed, wrapped in a blanket, knitting and stitching merrily away. Of course, that pesky thing called life does get in the way that demands I get up and take care of life's necessities, but then after Lucy is tucked in it's back to my favorite  nook in the universe again.

I just started cross-stitching this cute little Alice in Wonderland pattern by Gera I ordered from Superbuzzy - it's the first time I've cross-stitched anything since I was in junior high! I also just ordered a new PDF pattern designed in part by my super talented blog buddy Amanda. Have you heard of her new venture The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery? These gals have some crazy cute patterns already in stock and I can't wait to see what else they will be coming up with! 

On the needles is the Honey Cowl from Madeline Tosh. I had to jump on that bandwagon after my awesome new LYS started carrying Tosh yarns. This one I'm doing up in the Pashmina in Cerulean Blue. It's a gorgeous yarn and a satisfying simple knit which I'm distracting myself with when my Kererra sweater WIP starts frustrating me.

The hexagons are for Brioni's block in our first month of the Bee-Hexed In Bee. I was so honored to be invited to join this group of gals and the block we're making, based on Tacha's Bee Hexed pillow pattern from Fat Quarterly Issue #1, is labor intensive but well worth the outcome. 

That quilt in my lap is my old Flea Market Fancy, which is enjoying some rigorous ripping out of the quilting right now. It's a fun stress relieving activity! Okay, maybe "fun" is not the right word. But I love the quilt, the quilting not so much. I'll let you know how it goes.

I have gotten up off my duff to do a little time at the sewing machine lately - I finally finished up my blocks for the 3x6 Bee. I'm sorry these are so incredibly late ladies! I love this Circle of Geese block, but I sort of lost my steam on them. Somehow I thought machine paper-piecing would go much more quickly, and boy was I wrong! But I think they turned out pretty well and I hope my fellow Bee-ers like them!

And I know you're all wondering what is going on in Blythe land around here, right?

Introducing Miss Astrid! She arrived very quickly on Saturday (I got her from the U.S.) but I didn't want to show her off until she had some proper attire. And what a better welcome home out fit that a little Liberty of London jumper? I've got a stack more patterns (even some knitting ones!) and fabrics to make some teeny weeny clothes from.

Astrid is an Ice Rune, and while she is quite pretty I do see some customization in her future. Does anyone know a good spa to send her to state-side? I might give it a go myself but it makes me nervous. Any tips would be very appreciated.

Thank all of you so much who participated in my big Stash Sale Blowout! It was a crazy few days and sort of exciting but I'm glad it's over. I couldn't believe how fast everything sold. Every time I went to list the next item, the one I had posted right before it was gone! I do apologize to all of you who sat chained to your computer trying to get what you wanted without even getting up the use the restroom! I know, because I've been there before! It's nice to know my beloved fabrics will be going to some homes where the will be equally loved.

I also wanted to ask you to stop by the Moda Bake Shop this coming Sunday, Halloween! I've been hinting around about this for awhile but I can't wait for you all to see what I've "cooked up"!

More on the way!

Yipee! I just bought my first Blythe! Thank you so much to all of you who found something from my stash to add to your own! But wait - there's more! I need to finish this sale up today so I can clean my house and pay attention to my child. She was allowed to eat a pink frosted donut for breakfast that her dad brought her so I could try and get some more listings going. This has been a bit of a whirlwind, life needs to return to normal!

So take a peek, I hope to finish listing by this evening. There are still a few more treats to be gotten, even some Flea Market Fancy!

Thanks again everyone!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/meggied23

******UPDATE: I am still listing more items, hopefully starting around 3:30 PM west coast time if Lucy will nap!
There is still a big FMF bundle, some Heather Ross and a couple more goodies to go!

It's ON!

Wow what a crazy morning!  It's nice to know you all are just as nuts about fabric as I am. It makes me feel good I'm not alone! So this is the state of my dining room table today as I'm photographing and getting everything ready for listing.

Thank you all for your inquiries, and I apologize if I wasn't able to contact you personally, but with over one hundred emails today, my internet crapping out last night and chasing after Lucy, I really ran out of time. I just couldn't keep track of who wanted what so I have just decided to list it all up on Etsy.

I just dropped Lucy off at my MIL's house so I'll be listing for the next few hours and probably some more this evening. A few things have already found new homes, but there will be lots more fun stuff. One of the Flea Market Fancy layer cakes, the Lotus bundle and some Bohemian is sold, but I have one more little package of Bohemian and I'm going to list the other layer cake in a bit. It actually feels good to clear out a bit, I think I was starting to drown in the pools of fabric!

As I said yesterday, de-stashing makes me a little uncomfortable because everyone has a different perception of value. I don't consider myself "gauging" because I've never bought fabric with the intention of profiting.  I also need to consider that many of my fabrics are from expensive quilt shops with sales tax and shipped with high foreign prices from Australia, Asia and Europe. I am making an effort to offer the things I'm willing to part with at a price lower than you would pay on ebay or from an active Etsy seller. But please understand that I love all these fabrics and would be just as happy to keep them. I do hope though, that you find something at a value you deem fair and will love as much as I do!

Here is the link to my Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/meggied23

Thanks so much for checking it out!

******Update: It's 6 PM west coast time and I have to feed my baby and spend time with the family. I'm planning on listing more around 8:30. Thanks so much, all of you - I can't believe how ravenous you are! Looks like I'll be getting a Blythe very soon!

Destash Sale Coming!

In order to avoid a visit from the Hoarders television crew, I have decided it is time to part with some of my beloved fabrics. As you can see, my stash might be just a little bit out of control. And this is just a little part of it. There's much, much more. 

Don't get me wrong, seeing all these mountains of fabrics everyday brings me great joy. But I could sew every day until eternity and still not use it all up. Plus, there is always something new to buy!

And then there might be one other little reason I want to unload some of these precious beauties:

Don't laugh at me.... I went and fell in love with Blythe dolls. (If you aren't sure what a Blythe is, just search for them in Flickr and you can see millions of people's prized dollies, all complete with handmade outfits and custom hair-dos). A few of my favorites are here and here and here. (Yes Katy, I have a crush on your girls). I got these two little miniature Blythe dolls at Target to help tide me over until I can get my hands on the real thing - 

They are super cute and Happy Meal sized, and best of all, cheap. But the real deals are 12 inches tall, imported from Asia and expensive. So, I'm cashing in some of my stash to pay for this new frivolous obsession. Plus, Mark is not really on board with the idea of his wife starting a doll collection that Lucy is not allowed to touch, so this is my only way!

Okay, I know you are all saying "who cares about Blythe, Megan, what are you getting rid off???"

I have a fat quarter bundle of 19 different prints from Amy Butler's Lotus collection, my favorite line she ever produced. I'm still in the process of making a king sized Lotus quilt for our bed, and this is some of what I have to spare. Most of these prints have been out of print for awhile now and some are impossible to find.

I also put together a fat quarter bundle from Tula Pink's Flutterby line, which I fell for well after printing and ordered from all over the country. 

Lots of rare japanese fairy tale prints to go through - I'm still not sure what is going or staying. They are hard to let go of but I know they will make someone else very happy!

And I may just be letting go of a Flea Market Fancy layer cake or two! I purchased these from an Australian quilt shop about a year and a half ago and they include lots of desirable prints, even brown posies and grey bouquet. I'm adding a few extra prints from my own stash to sweeten the deal.(****I should also add here that these were made up by a quilt shop and do not include every FMF print, but enough for a good sized quilt!)

I do want to state here that I have never destashed fabric before and it does make me a bit uncomfortable because I do not want to be perceived as a gouger. All of these fabrics are rare and hard to find, and I am not trying to make a large profit from them, just get the value I put into them and buy myself a new Blythe! And hopefully in turn make their new owner happy.

Lucy just went to sleep so I am spending the evening going through everything else. I am thinking of adding some Uptown, Lush, Munki Munki, Heather Ross, Neptune, maybe some more FMF and even a little Anna Maria Bohemian to the list. 

If you are interested in anything here or are looking for something in particular let me know. I just wanted to let you all have a crack at it before I list it on Etsy. Please email me at meggied23 at hotmail (dot) com. if you need more info.

And don't worry, this will still be a quilting blog. But I might have to show you a cute Blythe doll every now and then:)

****Just wanted to let you all know I've already got a lot of inquiries so please don't be upset if I can't answer your email until tomorrow early afternoon:)

Weekend Sewing

Here we are at blog post 101! Thanks to all of you for your warm wishes for me making it all the way to one hundred posts. I'm not really sure how I had enough to post about in that many posts in just over a year, but I'm happy you're still here reading with me!

I've got a few finishes going on now, which I'm super happy about so I can dust off the sewing table, re-organize, and tackle a bunch of projects that have been on the back burner for too long. And start a holiday project or two. And then there is round 4 of the Pillow Talk Swap! But first I think I'll just take a few days away from it all and just knit. I don't love deadlines but I seem to have more than my share right now.

The Bliss quilt is almost finished. The top has actually been done for a month or two but I just haven't had time to quilt it yet. It's a gift for my mom's birthday - which is tomorrow! - but do you think there is anyway on earth I will actually finish? No. I thought I could knock out some quick free motion quilting, but after drooling at Brioni's quilt for so long I really wanted to go with these cathedral circles. So here I am at the ninth hour and not even half way done. But it looks great and I think my mom will be impressed once she finally gets the quilt! A sneak preview for her will have to do for now. Good thing moms are a forgiving bunch:)

And I'm just on the last leg of hand sewing the binding on this one, and I'm dying to show it to you but it's going to have to wait a couple more weeks! It's my very first tutorial and I'm a bit nervous about all my instructions working out. 

It's made with the new It's a Hoot line from Momo -  it's so cheery and vibrant and I couldn't wait to sew it up. Yardage is coming out soon and I'll definitely be investing in lots of the prints for the old stash.

Well I'm off for a rockin' Saturday night of quilting but I promise not to get too wild! 

I've discovered the secret.....

to successful quilt basting!

And Happy 100th Blog Post to me!

Dreamy Windmills Quilt

Before I do anything, I have to say a huge thank you to you all for such lovely, helpful and sometimes hilarious comments on my Arrrgh!!! post. You sure all do know how to make a girl feel better! When I first started blogging and flickring, it was to share my projects with whomever cared to see them, but I really think I've kept at it because all the supportive, caring - dare I say friendships? - I've made here. It's not that I don't have "real" friends in my "real" life, I've got lots of great ones, actually. But the kindred spirits I've connected with here understand the part of me that obsesses over fabric, curses my sewing machine and gets my panties in a bunch over quilts puckering. No one else in my life besides you guys gets it! So thanks for being here:)

I think all of your collective empathetic encouragement and sweet advice did the trick! Dreamy Windmills is by no means perfect, but guess what? No puckering! I adjusted my presser foot pressure as a few of you suggested and it really made a world of difference. Serves me right for not taking the totally free Bernina classes offered at my LQS that it never occured to me that was a big problem. I also succumbed to the temptation of basting spray for the back, but I doubt I'm pregnant yet so it's only my own brain cells I'm offing. And lots and lots of pins, every one I own, for the front.

We got outside to take a few shots this afternoon, but as you can see, autumn has landed in Seattle, and a blustery storm is rolling in.

Here is a more cozy indoor photo:

Isn't Dream On such a pretty line? I chose the orange stripe print from the line for the binding and I'm completely in love with the print I used for the back. It's a big cheater print that comes in two colorways and is perfect for backing if you're like me and usually just want to get to it and not have to bother piecing the back for interest. I used four charm packs combined with the Kona Ash solid in simple half triangle square Windmill blocks. If you're thinking it looks different than most Windmill quilts, it's probably because I set these on point. After it was washed and all cozy and crinkly, I decided there was still something missing, so I'm going back now and hand-quilting some of the star outlines. It measures a generous 60x60 and Mark thinks it's a little bit girly but somehow I doubt that will stop him from using it.

Welcome to the bunch, Dreamy quilt!

Oh yeah, you probably want to know who won the City Weekend jelly rolls! Here we go!

Number 284 Mary on Lake Pulaski

Number 293 Weatherbee:)

Number 71 Jennspen

Congratulations ladies! I'll be in touch soon to get your mailing addresses. I can't wait to see what you make with City Weekend!

Aaaargh!!!!

In the spirit of full disclosure, and because a little empathy always seems to help me feel better, I'm going  to share with you the crappy crafty day I'm having. As much as I love the tons of inspiration I get from reading blogs and cruising Flickr, sometimes I just have to wonder, are these people human? Some of these ridiculously talented crafters never seem to have a pucker, hole, bump, missed seam, chopped off point, crooked line or unintentional wonky quilt block in all the hundreds of gorgeous projects they endlessly churn out. And I have to love them, because the only make me aspire to be better. But I happen to be a mere mortal, and all this crafting is for me, a journey, as cliche as that sounds, of learning.  And the thing I love most about crafting is the process. But today, I would really rather be perfect!!! I just don't have time for this and I really wish I could be making forward progress instead of having to backtrack over all these mistakes! 

I thought I did quite a nice job basting my Dream On quilt and set out to try out some straight line quilting. I went really well on the City Weekend baby quilt and I thought I was finally starting to even like my walking foot. But damn it! PUCKERS! I don't know if this one is just too big and is tugging too much with it's weight, or if I just suck at straight line quilting. I have a Bernina 440 QE and it should be able to handle this. I'm bound and determined to get this one perfect. So I'm spending this morning during Lucy's naptime unpinning all 300 pins and tearing out the quilting I already did. Not my idea of fun. I'm trying to go without spray basting since we're trying for another baby, but I may just have to get out the gas mask and douse this thing full of toxic goo.

The other large pain in my arse today is my Kererra WIP. I've been making such progress and I've really been enjoying this knit - until I got to the shoulder. Take a closer look:

Yikes! I've tried picking these stitches up three times already and the join looks like absolute crap. So this afternoon I'm off to my fabulous new LYS to be rescued. This shop just opened a few weeks ago near my house and I was thrilled to find the woman who taught me most of what I know is working there! So I pray Annelie can help me move past this, and hopefully I'll even learn something.

If anyone out there has any advice to offer, I would love to hear. But first, I'm taking Lucy on a nice long walk on this blue sky morning to blow off some steam and look for some motivation to tackle these projects again. And if any of you need a to vent a little crafty frustration, feel free to let it go here:)

And if you haven't entered in the City Weekend giveaway yet, it's still going so pop into my previous post and leave a comment!

City Weekend Baby Quilt - and a giveaway!

I was hoping to get a few more sunny-day pictures of this little quilt before I showed it but it looks like the weather won't be cooperating today. So here it is, all washed and cozy and ready to be packaged up and sent to it's new owner in Portland, Oregon, who is being born today! Lucy has a new cousin, Harper, (isn't that a cool name?) and I thought this would be a perfect gift to welcome her arrival.

I am just adoring this new line, City Weekend, by Liesl Gibson of Oliver & S fame. The color palette is so vibrant and unique! I'm especially loving the bright tomato red, turquoise and golden yellows, so I chose to highlight those colors in the backing, border and binding. The rest of the quilt was made with just two charm packs and a bit less than a yard of solid. Half triangle squares and little four patches, sweet and simple. It measures about 42 x 48 and I made friends with my walking foot with just some simple straight line quilting. I also used bamboo/ cotton batting for the first time and I LOVE it! The loft is a touch higher than Warm and White so it's super squishy and soft. I based the design off of a traditional pattern I'd seen in some vintage quilts, but I think the fresh colors give it a modern feel. I should also mention that the hand of these fabrics is silky soft when you touch the yardage, more so than typical quilting cotton. I'm thinking Liesl must have had a say in choosing the base cloth to make the texture wonderful for children's clothing. Lucy will definitely be getting a dress made from these soon.

So are you thinking you might like to play around with these lovely prints too? Moda has generously given me not one, but three, jelly rolls to pass on to three of my lovely readers!!! You've got three separate chances to enter, too! For the first chance, just because I love hearing what everyone else is up to, leave a comment telling me what your big crafty project is this week. If you're a follower, leave another comment for another chance, and if you follow Moda Bakeshop, go ahead and enter for a third! I'll have random integer choose three winners on Thursday at 5 PM western time. Good luck!

In case you were wondering what my big project is this week, it's quilting up my Dream On quilt. I'm in serious finish-mode and it feels so good!

Have a great Monday!