Fabric Shopping Online Part 1- Sew Fresh Fabrics

Friends often ask me where I shop for fabric. Some of my favorite places to find a great selection of modern fabrics is online. 

I've recently bought several things from Sew Fresh Fabrics on Etsy. 

Peg and Becca are so helpful and great to work with. 

They are super quick with convos too- which I love! 

They have wonderful stash builder sets like this, 

that work great on a SAHM budget. 

I ordered some Metro Living Cirlces in several colors and am crushing on the Sugar Pop Aqua, Lime Square Spirals and Mingle Loops in Blossom.  

I love the bright colors of these fabrics and am definitely going to have order some for my stash. 

I am always drawn to circles and these pearl bracelets by Lizzy House are no exception.  I don't own any Kaffe Fassett yet so maybe it's time to invest in these Kite Tails?  

I know that coming up in one of my VQBs I am going to need some black and white fabric (my stash is completely void of B&W!) and this fat quarter bundle looks like it might fit the bill perfectly. 

I think my mailman is going to be busy! 

Check out Sew Fresh Fabrics and let me know what you would choose! 

Quilting Bee Blocks- Starflower

Don't you love getting packages in the mail? I do. 

Especially when the postman brings me quilting bee blocks! 

You may remember this post about my bee blocks for the New Newbie Bee.  Well, I've received all my blocks and am so excited about this quilt. 

I chose the Starflower block pattern and made 4 blocks. 

My fellow bee members did an awesome job with their blocks, and this is what they look like together! 

I haven't decided on the final layout yet. I was just excited to set them all out and see what the finished quilt is going to look like. 

It feels fun and fresh to me. I'm loving the colors and the stars. 

Now, what to choose for the back. Any suggestions? 

Sewing and TV

I can't sew and watch TV at the same time.  I'm a really good multitasker but this, I can't do.   I've tried but all I do is end up watching and not sewing or sewing very very slowly.  It works much better if I give all of my attention to one or the other.

I tune in to a few favorite TV shows each week- I do really ♥ Glee and am always laughing with Modern Family and Cougar Town. I've seen my fair share of House Hunters too. It's a good thing they've decided to do more international episodes- I think I've seen all the domestic ones.

I feel like I've been watching more TV lately because I turn it on when I am feeding this little guy.

I watch in short stints because after the bottle is finished, we're moving on to do something else.  But I must admit I am easily entertained by the Food Network-particularly Paula Deen and Ina Garten and Guy Fieri. I always get hungry and think "hey, I could do that" but the truth is, I don't really love to cook. I love to watch them cook, I love to eat good food, and I love to learn about new recipes, but I guess I wish they would just come cook for me here. :)


What about you? What TV shows do you love? And are you talented enough to sew and watch TV at the same time?

Sunday Stash

Don't you love these bright colors? 

So cheerful on a cloudy, rainy day like today. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

I have big plans for these. 

Books: Elm Creek Quilts Series

It may seem like a bit much- to quilt and then read books with a quilting theme.

And even though I have not had much time to read with a new baby,  I've picked up the early books in the Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverini and have enjoyed those.  I particularly liked The Runaway Quilt and its storyline about the use of quilts as signals in the Underground Railroad.  You can read more about the meaning of various blocks here.  I've read very little about the subject but as a quilter, find it fascinating and plan to learn more about it.

There are over 15 books in the series and while I am sure I won't read them all, I definitely think there are some worth checking out at your local library. The first book in the series is The Quilter's Apprentice.

BTW, I am a huge library fan. I always make a list of books that I want to read then reserve them online at my local library. I think libraries are one of the best free things cities have to offer.

Here's a peek at one weekend project.

What are you working on this weekend? Any reading or sewing this Saturday?

Fabric for Boys

How do you feel about fabric for boys?  Do you feel it's hard to find something modern that you love?

It seems I have no problem falling in love with modern girly fabric- florals, dots, stripes, and prints full of pinks, blues, greens, and yellows.

But I haven't had much luck when it comes to fabric suitable for boys-until I came across Kate Spain's new line Central Park.  The line has such beautiful colors and soft fabrics.  Just look at these cute animals!

Lucky for me they come a wide range of colors that work for both boys and girls. The aqua, orange, kakhi, chocolate brown and animal prints are perfect for a boy's quilt.

Wonky stars were an easy choice. They are fun, modern, and a little bit quirky, and they work perfectly with these fabrics. 

Now the hard part is deciding whether to keep this one or sell it... I just love it. 

So tell me, what fabric do you love that is perfect for a boy? 

Appliqued T-Shirt Tutorial

Appliqued T-Shirt Tutorial

Have you ever wanted to make an appliqued t-shirt?
Here's an easy way to spice up a plain t-shirt in no time at all.

My daughter's 3rd birthday is coming up and since she loved the birthday number shirt I made for her last year, I wanted to make her one this year. 

This is my sweet girl on her 2nd birthday.

Before I discovered quilting, I made appliqued t-shirts and onesies for friends and family and sold them in my Etsy store.  They always got great reviews so I thought I would share a how-to with you.

Here's how to make a birthday number appliqued t-shirt.

Supplies:

T-Shirt

Ultra Lite Heat n Bond- purple package (Do not use Ultra Hold)

Craft Scissors (not fabric scissors)

pencil

fabric

iron

ruler

Rotary cutter (optional)

In a word processing document on your computer, choose a font and set the font size to 450. Type the number 3. I use Hiragino Kaku Gothic font and find that Cooper Black font works well too. Print your number. Sometimes you may have to adjust the size of the number and print again if your number is too big or small, depending on the size shirt you are working with.

Measure the number. Mine is 4.5” by 5.5” inches. Next, cut out the number and set aside.

Measure the fabric and cut it slightly larger than your number. I cut my piece 5" x 6.5". Now, unroll the Heat n Bond, measure and cut a piece that is just slightly smaller than your fabric.

Place the fabric right side down on your ironing board and place the rough side of the Heat n Bond on top of the fabric.

Line up the Heat n Bond and press with your iron for 3-4 seconds. Use a dry iron- no steam. Make sure that the Heat n Bond is not hanging off the fabric or you will get a sticky residue on your ironing board.

Place the number right side down on the Heat n Bond side of the fabric. Make sure your number is placed right side down so it will be facing the correct way when you sew it on the shirt. Trace the number on the Heat n Bond and cut it out.

Take your shirt and fold it in half length wise. Make a pinch on the fold and unfold your shirt. This will help you place your number in the middle of the shirt.

Peel the Heat n Bond paper from the back of the number. Place the number on the shirt and press with a hot iron for a few seconds. Turn the shirt over and press the back of the shirt over applique.

 

Now you are read to sew on your applique. 

Leave long tails and using a zigzag stitch, stitch around the edges of your applique. If you leave long tails, you can pull the thread through to the back so you won't have to backstitch on the front. It leaves a neater finished stitch.

After you come back to your starting point, leave a long tail and cut your thread.

Turn the shirt inside out and use a straight pin to gently pull the thread tails to the inside of the shirt. Now you can tie the threads together in a knot. This keeps the applique looking clean. (You can always backstitch your threads instead of pulling them through and tying them in a knot if you would rather.)

Ta-da!

(Hopefully yours won't have a slightly wonky stitch on the curve of the number.)

For a little extra pop of color, add a small star on the back of the shirt.

Draw the star on a piece of paper (cardstock works well) and follow the steps above as you did for the number. Iron this applique on the back of the shirt and sew it on.

Now you are finished and have a cute, embellished t-shirt!

This process also works great for appliquéing fussy cut fabric.

Pretty cute, right? 

If you try this, I would love to see what you've made. 

Happy Sewing!

Free Time?

What do you do in your free time? Not time with your family or friends- time spent just for you.  Granted free time is hard to come by, especially as a mom- but what do you do when you spend time just for yourself?  If I am not sewing, I love to read books, and I can spend some serious time reading blogs online and surfing Etsy. I'd love to say I exercise but I'm being truthful in my posts and that just wouldn't be the case.

I love a trip to Target- that place is trouble and a time warp for me.

Once I enter, boom, all of a sudden I've been there an hour and have a cart full of stuff. I can hardly get out of there for under $100.  It's a really good thing they don't sell quilting supplies!

I think browsing a bookshop is heaven, especially with no timeline.  And on a beautiful day, I love going for a drive, windows down, music on, car to myself.

How about you? How do you spend your free time?

The Pioneer Woman and Mac and Cheese

Do you know the Pioneer Woman?  She is funny. Very funny.  And her recipes are wonderful to read. The comments she throws in her recipe posts are hilarious, and it just feels like she is talking to you as she would her best friend. I love her step by step photos of her recipes- she really makes it look easy and they are fun to read. And true to form, I have at least 20 of her recipes bookmarked on my computer but I have not made any of them yet. (I have a bookmarking problem. It is closely related to the dogearing problem I have with magazines and catalogs.)

I just checked my recipe bookmark list and in fact I bookmarked her mac and cheese recipe 3 separate times!

This is the mac and cheese I always end up making. 

I even have Paula Deen's mac and cheese  recipe bookmarked, but I haven't made it yet either.  Which is a shame because I love Paula and hers uses my favorite cooking companion, the Crock Pot.

I love the Crock Pot because it means less work cooking for me and more time to play with my family, do housework or sew.

Anyway, you should check out Ree, the Pioneer Woman.  She is the perfect mix of the Food Network and reading/blogging all blended together.  She is inspiring and one of these days, I am going to make that mac and cheese. Really, I am. 

Spiderwebs

So I spent much of my sewing time today completing spiderwebs for the New Newbie Bee.  I sincerely hope Manda likes them.

I always get nervous when I am making bee blocks. It is hard to know if the other person is going to like them and if they are less than perfect, will that be OK? Because there are plenty of times that mine are less than perfect.  

I am a type A person, I like rules and order and a place for everything and everything in its place. But quilting doesn't always work out for me that way and I'm OK with that. In fact, I think that is one of the things I like most about quilting- that I feel free to make things my way and am OK with "imperfections."  Things don't always turn out the way I had planned, or line up just right, or look the way I had imagined but that is OK with me.  Handmade is a good thing and perfection is for mass produced products by machines.

That being said, I am not sure everyone feels that way. So I try my very best with each block and hope that the recipient will enjoy it. And I also let them know that if it doesn't cut the mustard, they don't have to use it- I sincerely won't mind.  Because quilting and creating is, after all, very personal.

What do you think? How do you feel about your bee blocks, especially if they don't come out exactly perfect?

Hope you had a great weekend!

OMG, I Won Something!

I cannot believe my good fortune but I was lucky enough to be a winner in Rachel's giveaway on p.s. i quilt. (You have checked out her blog, haven't you?)

I was so surprised and absolutely thrilled!! Rachel and  Fat Quarter Shop teamed up to give away 6 yards of Bella Solids and the winner gets to choose what colors! Fabulous right? I am soooo excited. Seriously. Thrilled.

I've been a fan of Rachel's since I found her last year and to see her email in my inbox made me squeal like a little girl. Imagine my delight that she had checked out MY blog! And then the even better was the realization that I had indeed won!

So with a huge smile on my face, I send a BIG THANK YOU to Rachel and to Fat Quarter Shop. I can hardly wait to get my hands on those solids. Now the wheels are turning, turning- what to create with them...

Etsy and Ellison Lane

I'm so happy to announce that my Etsy shop is back!  I hope you will check it out.  You can find this lovely baby quilt here .

The fabrics are from Just Wing It and the back is from Central Park.  

I love how puffy and soft it quilted up after washing.  

It is 33" x 33" and can be found here. 

The other lovely quilt available in the shop is this one. 

I love, love the coin squares. 

The binding is raspberry dots. 

The back is the pretty pink forest of owls.  

It is 34" x 44" and is the perfect size for a baby, toddler or a lap quilt. 

Both are available in my shop. :)