Tis the season

The poor dog is being turned into a sheep. He's getting used to it with the help of lots of treats. Can't help but keep thinking about Kevin smith's new movie tusk where a person gets turned into a walrus (I can't watch horrors but look forward to his next comedy).  #sheepyes

More procrastinating

As you know I spent time contemplating beautiful quilt fabric, when I should have been working on my garden design, and now I've gone and started recovering patio cushions. I used this tutorial (link) and it went pretty well. Per instructions I bought striped fabric, but it was striped the wrong way, but no worries. My corners were a bit more clumsy than hers, but I still consider them a success. I was most afraid of hand sewing the back (after folding like a present) but with my trusty thimble it's going pretty quickly. With these seat cushions done I just need to follow by doing the same thing to the seat backs. The before pic is below. =)

Design time

Re-purchased quilt design software today (apparently 15 year old software doesn't run on windows 8), and started playing around. The last one was a total accident (struggling with the block rotating and flipping tools) but I kind of love it. The third and fourth are inspired by this block and will pop more than it seems in these mock ups. The first and second are more traditional so might match the retro house better, but very undecided at the moment. And the heavy lifter hasn't had a chance to weigh in. And I've never tried the kaliedescope block (1st image) so if it's annoying it will have to be excluded.

It's on the wall

Got it done! With very light quilting you'd think it would be fast but no... Anyhow I just love love, love, the fabric. Tons of ideas for next projects but need to get some other stuff finished first.

Sewing actually

Project peach and blue (to match the kitchen tile) with green and red accents (to match kitchen gadgets) is underway! Today I sewed for the first time in probably a few years and managed to start and finished the top. A few bumps in the road (only in the last hour of the project) where I changed my mind and went from green sides to peach which meant some tedious seam ripping, running out of bobbin thread, and most annoyingly I burned myself on the iron (while trying to display the finished item on the ironing board...). Regardless, I'm happy I kept tweaking the design, because the peach lets the blue border pop and meshes the best. Before and after pics below.

Blueprints ready, blue fabric undecided

So blessed to have the original house blueprints from 1935. They'll go on the wall first thing tomorrow.

Contemplating blue fabric next... I guess the middle one is most pleasing, although it will be dots next to dots... but if the pieces are small enough the pattern will be less noticeable.

Kitchen island

Had been pondering how to handle the pink/peach and blue tile counter tops in the kitchen ever since moving into this house was just a twinkle in our eye. The kitchen also needed an island or some sort of table/bar/extra counter space to fill up an empty wall. So we asked the good folks at Vintage Revivals in OB to build us this, and gosh it came out great! Still on my to do list is to sew something with that floral fabric folded over the oven handle... it's meant to be a wall hanging/ table runner with colors that tie in the pink/peach and blue but also open the palette up to more greens and reds that match pre-existing kitchen items. It's got the makings of a great project... now I just have to start cutting and sewing!

Thanks to my sis for staging and the heavy lifter aka photog.

Sewing

Made these for a NYE masquerade party. Have yet to dress/make up/hair but guess I should get started on that... Details, details...

Have a fantastic new year and wanted to thank everyone who's been a part of our 2013. Wishing love and peace for all in 2014.

Nice fall day

It never gets truly cold in Southern California but today it's rather warm. It's 80 which was too hot for my late morning jog. The dog actually drank a few licks out of the storm drain before I realized and took him straight back at the house; I only managed one more mile before calling it a day myself. The backyard brewer is at it making Chocolate Stout. We've got his black IPA on tap and the vanilla porter he made a few weeks was just carbonated so we can drink it tomorrow. Yum! Fall is beer time around here.
While he's brewing I started pattern making for Max's turkey costume. He ran away at first, but eventually I got the abdominal strap on and he posed for some pics. I'm going to narrow and round out the back but other than that it looks pretty good. Now I have to hunker down and make some decisions about fabric and do the sewing. Ideally he'll run the 5k wearing this, so it's got to be comfortable and not too hot or heavy. I used the great pattern tutorial from sewdoggystyle.com found here.

Booyah

Two pies and a pillow (gift for an important friend) later, the night is a success.

Right???

Tell me your dining room table looks like this too...?  Hoping this plus some butter, sugar, etc. turns into a pair of peach pies in a few hours. Wish me luck.

Flag for Boston memorial weekend

As the flag deadline comes sooner than that of the quilt block project, I made a flag with doves (one on each side) to send to Boston for the memorial day display at a museum. Link to project info here and to pics of other people's flags here. The charter was to make something using uplifting colors (they suggested a palette) to share love and peace, and it is organized by a modern quilt guild in Vancouver. I have to admit being a little intimidated by the "modern" theme of the Boston quilt square project I posted about below... not quite sure what makes a "modern quilt". The guild I was part of in Washington state more than 10 years ago was most certainly not modern - I was the youngest member by a lot! But it gave me another reason to surf quilting sites, and I'm starting to get a sense of what they mean. We'll see how timing goes this week and next - sewing needs to fall second (or third or fourth) in line after dealing with the ripe peaches and some other projects. Was supposed to be making peach pies tonight but haven't started yet and it's after 10 so that doesn't bode well. Maybe jam this weekend.

Impetus found

After making a wallhanging gift in conjunction with my sister and listening to stories as she made her first quilt for a baby shower present, I've been thinking it's about time for me to start working on quilty projects again. And this project to make quilt squares for some folks in Boston has put me over the edge. It can be as big or small as I want it to be, and it's meaningful. And heaven knows I have more than enough fabric that's been waiting years and years to be put to use!
Info on the project can by found by clicking on the button above, in case you want to add in, and link to pics of squares people have already made here http://www.flickr.com/groups/quiltsforboston/. Very inspiring.

Cutest costumes of the year

Here's when I spend hours looking at costumes and selecting the best of the best to share with you. These are all from the burdastyle website, and were entered in the sewing contest. Some are funny, some are awesome, one or two are ridiculous. But without further ado...

little cupcake
alien
strange marge simpson

fox

mouse

ewok

walrus

coloring cowboy

cabbage moth

lucky cat

cactus

nacho libre
squirrel!
soft serve (much cuter than when I tried to be an ice cream sundae in middle school)
knights of ni
lego princess
owl
angry bird (there were a lot of green pigs but this was cuter)
slutty smurfy
sushi 
little red riding hoodwith a twist
wild thing
mouse cookie
adult cupcake 
butterfly kids
tequila
sea turtle (love the skateboard!)

Sewing at long last

I took this project on an embarrassingly long time ago, and have just finished 1 out of 2 large towels, and none of the small ones. The idea is to take these much loved, well used towels with ragged edges and add edges (essentially quilt binding). Soon I can give these kidnapped towels back to their rightful owner in their new, improved state.

This is in line the movement of reusing, updating, and improving (refashioning) things we already own instead of going out and buying new things. While I haven't officially refashioned anything else lately, I did mend an old coat (seam had come out of the shoulder) and have some ideas for sewing holiday and baby shower gifts that I may be able to pull off in time... But first, I have a few more towels to work on.

Cutest kids costumes

Check out these adorable kids costumes sewn by people posting on wardrobe refashion and burdastyle:

• Scroll down to the second photo of these 3 musketeers (barbie style). Double-click on it to make it bigger... link to blog
• This may be the best father and son duo I've seen - pirate and parrot... link to blog
• Where the wild things are inspired this one... link to pic
• Dr. Seuss (complete with green eggs and ham props)... link to pic
  
• And the classic Star Wars costume... link to pic
• Mario bros (several kids)... link to pic
• A baby snail... link to pic
• And finally, I'll leave you with the king (Elvis, of course)... link to pic
  

Halloween projects

I love halloween, mostly for dressing up, but pumpkins and bats and glow in the dark bugs and all are quite fun. My neighborhood has lots of houses that set out gravestones and spiders and hang spooky things in the trees. While I haven't done that, I did sew a little mat to put under the bowl of candy (I'm usually out and about on halloween and not home to pass out treats). I used stash fabric, but not the candy corn and black cat stuff that was in the box from my Aunt's house that sparked the project.
My idea was to make something similar to this wall hanging I made a few years ago for my mom.

But this time it was a little more simple and I'm not quite as fond of it. I might like it better if I go back and add some layers and quilt it so the pumpkins pop out more. But first we'll see if it survives the night. Two years ago I returned home halloween to find not only the candy gone from the porch, but the bowl holding it was gone, too. Last year the bowl was still there. I'll take it as a compliment if it disappears - that means someone likes it I guess.

Well, Happy Halloween and have a spooky time with your local ghouls and goblins.

50's fashion done to perfection

While I've never seen the show Madmen, I'm loving the 50's and early 60's fashions that are popping up. Be it the cartoon images people have on facebook (like me) of the 50's icons, or the dresses that people are buying and sewing - I love 'em!
This is one of the things I fell in love with when checking out dresses to buy:
I love this kind of belted dress: link to dress at Avenue.com
And then even better, and more authentic than the purchased 50's dress is the home made retro dress, like this one at megannielsen.com. This is the epitome (in a good way) of the gorgeous, classic dress. Awesome. Someday, when I get back into sewing for real, I'll try something like this. Anyway, Megan is kinda my sewing hero. She sews a lot and posts on Wardrobe Refashion and Burdastyle (which used to be crack for me but between me getting a job again and them changing their format is a place I got to maybe once a week). Back on track... Megan is the Queen of making things out of pillowcases she finds at second hand stores. Pretty awesome. Who knew there could be so many options and permutations out there!
Cheers and happy sewing, be it with retro 50's style, or pillowcases, or anything at all.
Speaking of which I have 5 days left to use that candy corn fabric before it sits in the drawer for another 10 months...
I am so close to re-fashioning some of my clothes, but first I must tighten the top I bought for my Peg Bundy costume - loose is not character appropriate. I need to pull in the seams in the arms. If it's not skin tight, no one will know who I am! That and I think I need to buy Lee presson on nails.

More girlie donations

Here's another top/dress (depending on the age of the wearer) to be donated to a charity auction at work. I ran out of steam before embellishing it... But next one I make will be even better.

Sewing a little something for charity

This is for the auction at work to benefit the American Heart Association. It's supposed to be a 3T but having no little ones around, I'm unable to verify. But hopefully someone will donate and enjoy it (or gift it to someone who can wear it). I'll make some similar (and bigger) ones for my nieces.
It's goofy how being a recovering quilter, I have so much fabric, but they are all such small pieces. It's hard to find larger pieces of fabric that can be made into garments - even garments for little ones.