Some goodies for a swap...

So I am part of a flickr swap called {Urban} Home Goods - A Modern Swap. We were all blindly paired up with another person who gave us some guidance on favorite colors and items desired and then tasked to make them something that they would love. I decided to go with three things, the bird photo in the bottom, is a sneak peak at one of the items, one item only the fabric has been cut and no stitches sewn, and then the third item was finished last night. All three projects will be completed by weekend end and sent off on Monday.

I don't love following patterns, for anything, which I guess explains my aversion to making clothes. So for the sewing kit, as I am calling it, I just created my own pattern. I made the original (which I will take a photo of and post tonight) of this about a year ago with some Heather Ross Blue Gnome fabric, which I love! There were major flaws in the original, mainly that it was super flimsy!! So for this one, I used some Home Dec. weight fabric (Joel Dewberry) as well as some interfacing to give it a little bit more structure, and I think it worked out really well. I really liked making this one, and the one that's in progress (for myself) and they didn't really take too long. Maybe I finally found my etsy niche. I guess if I am going to make a lot more of them than I need to actually make a pattern, instead of winging it every time.

Also I got a new camera (Nikon D5000 and 3 lenses) and as you can see by the photos, I am still learning the ins and outs of it, but I love it already and can't wait to take it to Hawaii with me. I have only practiced with it twice and both times it was after dark in our fairly dimly lit apartment, so I think I need to do some outdoor shots. Also a shoutout to my friend Emily for giving me a lot of good advice on the camera (and lenses) and websites for more advice. I need to make a camera strap that suits me better than the boring black one, and I think I might take a photography class this summer at Santa Monica College.

More Embroidered Blocks

These two and the giraffe from yesterday are my three favorite blocks. I only did six, so basically there were 3 I loved and 3 I feel ho hum about. The quilt as a whole I love, and will post a good picture of it after its been handed of to its new mom. Guess I better label it before next week.

The inspiration for all the embroidered squares came from some fabric I love and from my head. I traced some of the animals (giraffe) and just sketched the others. All the trees in the squares are my own invention and the birds in all the squares mostly came from my head too

Giraffe Block - My Favorite

Giraffe Block - My Favorite
Originally uploaded by KatieMade

Trying the blog this feature on flickr. Let's see if it works out. This is one of the blocks for the baby quilt I made, and it's my favorite of the bunch. I really like the colors of the giraffe and both the trees I created.

New Sewing Table

I finally got my new desk (aka sewing table), which had been backordered since my birthday, when it was ordered. I freaking love it, a lot. I was sewing on our kitchen table, which I hated and so did Skywalker. I hated sewing on a round table, he hated me always having stuff all over our kitchen table. So we made space in our apartment for me to have a little sewing corner, and my machine gets to sit out pretty on the desk all day long (guess I need a cover for it now, huh?). Originally i was going to get baskets for the cubbyholes, but I like the way my fabric stash looks all piled on the shelf, plus it will force me to keep the piles of fabric neat and organized, since they are always on display.

Now all I need is to talk Skywalker into letting me purchase the matching chair.

Jungle and Forest Friends

Just two more sides of binding to hand sew (and a label) and the Jungle and Forest Friends quilt is done and ready to go to it's new Hawaiian home just in time for my trip. I took some close up shots of the stippling, which is all I am going to show for now, so that it is a little bit of a surprise when it gets to its new home. I love everything about the quilt so much, I want a big version for myself.

{Bee Mod} Quilting Bee - Lisa's Blocks (for March)

I didn't love Hope Valley until making these blocks, now I may need the whole line. It is so very very soft and I pretty much love all the prints. One more fabric to covet I guess. The middle block is my favorite.

Sewing lessons and new pillowcases....

Blog posting of late has been hard, due to the death of our home computer. Skywalker is researching us a new one now and we may have it at home tonight. I have some backlogged posts in my head, so as soon as I get it together, there should be a couple of new posts.

Anyway two Saturdays ago a good friend of mine (L) came over to spend the day with me, she had never used a sewing machine before and wanted to learn. I wanted to pick a pattern that would be easy enough to finish in one setting and would be fun for her to have in her house. So I decided that we should use Ashley's (from Film in the Fridge) pillowcase tutorial (which I had wanting to make anyway). I borrowed my mom's machine (we have the same one) so that we could sew side my side and then L could see what I was sewing and follow suit. Even on my small circular kitchen table this worked really well, and I think L found it helpful.

First stop was Urban Craft Center to pick fabric (UCC is so close to me that I go there almost once a week to pick up another yard or two of fabric, for my slowly growing fabric stash). L picked some fabric from the Hunky Dory by Chez Moi fabric line (which I think I need all of now) and I picked some of Alexander Henry's Granville fabric, which may be my new favorite, both the pink and the blue.

After fabric I taught L about some of the mechanics of using a sewing machine; threading a needle, winding a bobbin, stitch length, seem width, etc. Then we got sewing, we practiced cutting and sewing scrap pieces together so she could get the feel of the machine and I could adjust my machines every increasing thread tension problems. Overall it was a success as we both made two beautiful pillowcase and I really couldn't decide which set I loved more. What do you think?

These were promptly washed (we didn't prewash, so we had to adjust the pattern a bit) and but on our otherwise mind numbingly all blue (aka boring bed) and have made me super happy ever since. I am already ready to make more, and maybe have a stockpile on hand for some presents throughout the year.