15 minute challenge...week 22!

Tuesday:  none

Wednesday:  none

Thursday:  California Girl - quilting

Friday: California Girl - finished quilting; B's quilt - started piecing

Saturday: B's quilt pieced, Rainbow strings quilt top finished, pulled fabric for another quilt, Strawberry Swoon pieced

Sunday: basted Rainbow strings and B's quilt; Strawberry Swoon quilt top finished, fabric cut for new quilt, started piecing Rainbow star

Monday: finished Rainbow star quilt top, did some piecing for N's quilt

5 of 7!  Lots accomplished, lots more to finish...I have one week left to my Christmas deadline!!!  Linking up over at Life in Pieces!

the thread was flying!

I posted on Saturday this lovely list of quilts I am hoping to gift this year...the update after a weekend sewing bonanza is in red (black is the status as of Saturday morning when the post was originally written; pics via instagram (lesleyworth).

1. Rainbow scrap quilt - DONE
2. Rainbow strings quilt - need to add borders to the remaining 3 sides, quilt top done, backing made, basted

3. California girl - quilted, needs to be bound
4. B's quilt - fabric is cut and piecing has started, quilt top done, backing made, basted

5. G's quilt - nothing (I think I know what pattern i'm going to use, need to select fabric) fabric selected, piecing in progress

6. J's quilt - nothing (but I may have a plan for this one that will make life a little easier), dug out the 3 Strawberry Swoon blocks (last heard from in November 2011), made the 4th block, finished quilt top

7. N's quilt - newly added to the list, Girl was worried I was leaving someone out, so we'll see if this one gets done!  fabric selected and cut, piecing in progress

and my deadline is still 12/18!  and I'm thinking B's quilt may become N's quilt...and N's quilt become B's quilt.  I'm also thinking that I will need to name them soon to make it a lot easier to kepe track of!   I may have lost my mind...but man oh man...did I have fun this weekend!  I'm just hoping I can keep myself motivated and the energy high until they are all done!  One thing that made all of this easier was I stuck to ONE thread color.  Usually I switch thread colors every quilt (to whatever blends in best).  Nope...I've had the same neutral loaded in my machine all weekend, and until it's time to quilt something...it will stay the same neutral!   This made it possible to chain piece like there was no tomorrow...and I was able to work on multiple quilts at the same time!

 and that's it for now!  See ya tomorrow!

deadlines...

are approaching!  Do to some last minute travel plans decided on this week...my deadline to have any Christmas presents I am making has moved up a bit.  Well...some have moved up...some have moved out.  But now it all must be done the same date.  Because I won't have any time past that date!  So to recap...here are all the quilts I was hoping to gift this year and their current status:

1. Rainbow scrap quilt - DONE
2. Rainbow strings quilt - need to add borders to the remaining 3 sides
3. California girl - quilted, needs to be bound
4. B's quilt - fabric is cut and piecing has started
5. G's quilt - nothing (I think I know what pattern i'm going to use, need to select fabric)
6. J's quilt - nothing (but I may have a plan for this one that will make life a little easier)

and my deadline is 12/18!  Thankfully that means I have this weekend AND next weekend before the deadline.  Hopefully I'll get it all done.  I really really don't want to gift late...but it'll be ok if I do...I just really don't want to!  

and now some pictures (instagram) of the progress on B's quilt!

I'm thinking of calling this quilt "Shake n'Bake" because of the process I'm using to get it done.  I'll ponder on that a bit and see where we end up!

the time has come...

Over the past 11 months...it has been a goal to convert what used to be my "scrapping/stamping" room (and sorta office) into my sewing space.  And I have rejected this goal numerous times...for many reasons.  and now...the time has come for me to put up or shut up!

The cons to moving my space:

1. Hubby would have to build a new sewing/cutting table.  There is no way my current table will make it up the stairs...it's too big.  So I would have to have a new one.
2. I will have to completely refigure the scrap room to make it the sewing room.  All the shelving that was installed and shelving that was built, was really for paper and paper related products.  So some of that will have to be moved, some can be used in current locations, and some will have to go.
3. I will have to clean the scrap room.  Not looking forward to it...since it has only been used for the sake of the computer (and the tv at times), it has become sort of a "catch all" room.  and that needs to change.  It's just the making it happen that will suck!
4. I will have to make decisions on my old scrap stuff.  and this is the worst part.  SOme of the stuff I want to keep (no idea when or if I'll ever use it again), but a good 80-90% will have to go.  Thankfully I have options to find some of it new homes...some will just have to be tossed.  and I am TERRIBLE at throwing things out!  (I must confess...I'm a bit of a pack rat!)
5. I like watching the big HD TV...especially football.  It's spoiled me.  But this can be remedied, I have a smaller TV in the space (any other size would be too big) and I would just need to trade out the receiver. (but if I want to whine and drag my feet...well here is another reason!

The pros:

1. I'd be out of the living room.  I have a nice sized living room...when it's just the living room.  I have practically cut it in half since I started sewing and with all of my stuff in the way.  I want my living room back to being the living room.
2. I'd have more/better storage space.  I like seeing my fabric/having it readily available.  Unfortunately (well in some people's eyes) I'm really starting to expand on my fabric stash and I'm running out of space in my corner of the living room (who am I kidding...in my HALF of the living room).
3. I'd be making better use of the scrap room...and cleaning it out...which it desperately needs.

Yes...there might be more cons...but the truth is...the pros FAR outweigh the cons.  So there we have it.  The decision I made yesterday is now out there, I'm going to dig in...get the scrap room cleaned out...and re-name it the sewing room.  

Thankfully Girl owes me some hours of chores.

I'll post pics when I get the room cleaned out and have an idea of what I'm going to do!

15 minute challenge...Week 21!

It's been a touch and go kind of week...but hanging in there (this week with some pictures!).

Tuesday:  Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long (finished bag)

Wednesday:  none

Thursday:  none

Friday: none

Saturday: Cameo Sew-a-long (made pillow) (see this post for all pics), Christmas quilt (added borders to top), B's quilt (started cutting fabric)

Sunday: Christmas quilt (quilt top finished), California girl (back made, basted, started quilting), B's quilt (all fabric for quilt top cut out)

Monday: none
3 of 7 days is not too shabby! A few days were missed due to work hours shifting around and me just being tired...so no biggie.  I'm making progress on Christmas presents, but I'm thinking it may be down to the wire on those.  Thankfully on most of them I have until Christmas Eve...so 20 more days to get em done!  Linking up at Life in Pieces!

Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long...my Grand Finale!

I had a lot of fun making this bag!  I was so thrilled to take this stack:

and find something lovely to make with i (FANTASTIC pattern, so easy to follow!  the instructions were great):

Reversible Bucket Bag from The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam

and end up with a gorgeous (at least in my eyes!) finished project:

(LOVE that tree!!!)

and from the other side:

and the inside:

and here I was auditioning a button...still haven't decided on a button...

and modeled by Girl:

And...just because I didn't want my other cameo fabrics to feel too left out...I made myself a little (14x14) Cameo pillow:

Because you always need pillows!  Especially PRETTY PILLOWS!!

If you missed any of the adventures I had getting to this finished bag...take a look at the following posts:

Episode 1: the beginning
Episode 2: Fabric auditions and cutting
Episode 3: On the Bias
Episode 4: putting it together

I had a blast making this bag...and pillow...and I still have a bit of Cameo left over!  So what shall I work on next???

Details:
Fabric - Cameo by Amy Butler, Kona Ash
Batting (pillow) - Warm n' White
Interfacing (bag) - Heat n' Bond (medium weight and fusible fleece)
Thread - Mettler
Pattern - Reversible Bucket Bag by Lisa Lam 

Weekend stitching....

I'm a bit behind on some things that must be finished up in time for Christmas (some earlier than later, some I have right up until the day!).  So my plan is to get jiggly with it this weekend.  Here is a list of things needing to be finished:
Saturday evening update in red
Sunday morning sewing session update in purple
Sunday close out update blue

1.  Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long - done
2.  Christmas quilt for my couch - need to add final border and top will be done; quilt top done
3.  Rainbow Strings
4.  California Girl - quilt back made, basted and about 1/2 way quilted
5.  Throw quilt for B - started cutting fabric, all fabric for top cut
6.  Throw quilt for G

All but 5 and 6 are in some stage of completion...5 and 6 haven't been started yet...thankfully I have until right up to Christmas Day!  So off I go...I'll update this post periodically throughout the weekend to see how it goes!

Got quite a bit done...4 of 6 projects worked on...making headway through the pile!