Progress: Midwestern Landscape

I finally quilted the Midwestern Landscape project, and it made me remember why I haven't quilted since my last attempt! This kind of free-motion stitching is hard to do. This is a small piece, only about 26" x 40", but I really struggled at moving this through the machine.

My stitching is uneven in places and jerky where I had problems controlling the fabric. It's okay, this is one of the reasons I decided to make this project a smaller one. And now I know this is one of those techniques that I really need to practice more in order to get better.

Now I'm a bit stuck on the next step, which is starting to applique layers on top of this quilted base, because I can't decide exactly how to make it work. I want to think about it this weekend and come up with an idea so I can move forward with it next week. I'll post another update on this project next week after I've finished that next step.

Meanwhile, I've got a busy weekend ahead, so the only sewing going on here will be going on inside my head!

What do you call a cross between...

...a fabric yo-yo and a hexagon?

Hexa-yo? Yo-yo-hex?

I don't know either, but they sure are cute!

On my bookshelf: Vintage Notions

I just got a copy of Amy Barickman's Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun.

I am a huge fan of both Mary Brooks Picken and the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. So when I heard that Amy Barickman's new book was both inspired by and included excerpts from publications associated with the Women's Institute, I just about peed my pants! And yes, it is indeed a wonderful book! The author has organized all of this wonderful inspiration by chapters, one for each of the 12 months of the year.

For each month's chapter, there are ideas, projects, recipies and thoughts to ponder on, mixed in with wonderful historic illustrations and drawings. There are even some historic "Magic Patterns" included in the book, my favorite being the aprons, of course!

You can get a preview of this book and even find a few pages downloadable for free on Amy Barickman's website, right here. And be sure to read what Amy has written about Mary Brooks Picken here. A great book for lovers of sewing, history, and all things vintage!

Really Slow Going

I am struggling to find the time to work on my Midwestern Landscape project and it is so frustrating! It took me about 3 weeks to cut out and piece the first "layer" for the front, and here it is. The white chalk lines are reference lines quilting:

I know it doesn't look like much yet, but there are several other layers of stuff to go on top of this after I quilt it. These are all hand-dyed fabrics in 4 different shades of blue, and apparently still slightly wrinkled. And I see a thread here, too! 

Every time I finish a step in this project all I can think about is moving on to the next step. Which is really hard for me because I can only find about 20 minutes here and there out of my day to concentrate on this, and it never feels like enough. Just when I'm really getting somewhere I have to stop and walk away!

Sigh....

In fact, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed these past few weeks. I think I still need help giving myself permission to say "no" sometimes, but then I feel like I'm missing some other opportunities to say "yes" as well. Then there is this creeping feeling that my "career" has just left on Track 29 and I just can't run fast enough to catch it. Yikes! Hello there mid-life crisis!

Project progress and a WINNER!

Congratulations to Karen from Mrs. Sew and Sew Quilts for winning the Snowy Day Giveaway!

Karen, I hope you get to sew this little pattern up for that new granddaughter, and I know she'll LOVE this bright and cheery fabric! Yay!

I've been working on my new project the past two weeks, which I really have to find a name for. I don't know what else to call it, so I'm just goingn to refer to it as Midwestern Landscape #1. I decided to completely re-sketch the pattern since my first attempt was all muddled from my constant erasing and redrawing. Here is a little preview of my sketch, almost finished:

And I started dying the fabrics.

These are four slightly different shades of mottled blue that I am giong to cut into and start stitching up next week. And the brownish-khaki-ish fabric has been dyed once, overdyed, and is going through one more dye bath before being complete. I still have a small handful of other colors to dye up for this project, but this is enough to start sewing the project together.

And, as usual, I am freaking out about putting it all together. Sometimes when I start a project and it isn't coming together the way that I pictured in my head, well, I get dissapointed and give up. Yikes. I am taking the attitude that this is a learning experience (since I haven't done this kind of creating in years) and am determined to see it through to the end. Even if it doesn't quite meet my expectations! Stay tuned for more updates - good or bad!

Snowy Day Giveaway!

Hey, since I'm all snowed in today, how about a giveaway! Something fun for the little ones, a vintage pattern and some Baby Genius fabrics.

This is a vintage 1962 McCall's pattern number 6624 TODDLER'S DRESS IN TWO LENGTHS WITH BLOOMERS AND PANTS, sized 6 Months. I have a duplicate just like it, so maybe you can use this fabulous pattern for your tipsy toddler. Pattern pieces have been cut out, but all pieces are included in the pattern envelope.

And this set of 5 fat quarters is from the Benartex Baby Geniuses Grow Up! collection, very bright, colorful, and fun for little ones. I made a small rag-quilt for my toddler from the same fabrics and she absolutely loved it.

Just leave a comment right here between now and this Friday the 4th at high noon Chicago time. I'll pick one comment at random using the True Random Number Generator, and announce the winner by Friday evening. I hope someone out there has a little girl to sew for that would love this vintage pattern and colorful fabric! Good luck!

Oh yeah, and just a little disclaimer here - I can only mail to the continental US since the postage is on me! Thanks for understanding!

Thanks everyone for entering! This giveaway is now closed, and congratulations to Mrs. Sew and Sew Karen for winning the pattern and fabrics!

Snow Day

We're all waking up and digging out.

Although our street was plowed throughout the night, we still have about 6" in the road this morning. My neighbor is plowing a path through the street.

Our little house has a huge drift of snow all the way up to the front door. The snow at the end of the driveway is 3 feet high.

This is our driveway looking out to the street.

And this is my snowy office window, my view out to the cold and snowy day.

Happy snow day!