New Skirt!

I took the plunge and made myself a skirt!  And I LOVE it.  Probably mostly due to the fabric.  It was SO scary cutting into it, but I'm really glad it is finally being put to good use!  I also loved that even though I made a "garment," everything was cut with my rotary cutter.  Works for me!
Isn't it gorgeous?  The fabric is African Spirit by Elizabeth's Studio and I was super lucky to have won it.

I even made my own pattern!  I used THIS tutorial.  The only thing I would change is to not be quite so liberal in my measurements.  I was so afraid it would be too small, but it was definitely not too small.  I think next time I will take in the waist and not make it flare out QUITE so much (I went with slightly more than the maximum recommended - guess she really does know what she's talking about).

The skirt itself was made using THIS tutorial.  I love the ruffles. :)

I even sewed in my very first invisible zipper!  I'm not convinced I did it completely right, but it works pretty well, so I'm not complaining!
Since I was working with half yard cuts, I didn't have enough blue to go all the way around.  No worries, I just happened to have the flower print in three colorways.

I've already worn the skirt twice and I look forward to making another one someday!

This was my February goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes, so I am linking up here:



Now I think I might go get a head start on my March goal. ;)

Sew Thinky Thursday: My Style

Here is this week's question for Sew Thinky Thursday:

Describe your quilting style. Who or what influences you? How do you see your style changing over time?

I usually just describe my quilting style as "modern."  I know that is such a loose term, but I have never been a big fan of "traditional" quilts.  If it weren't for this modern quilting movement going on, I never would have found such a fun hobby.  I generally like my quilts bright and colorful, with lots of negative space and I love squares.  I also prefer the look of machine quilting over hand quilting.

As far as my style changing - I see a lot more paper piecing and applique in my future.  I used to be a strictly straight lines/regular piecing only kinda girl, but I am branching out and learning that paper piecing and applique (although they sometimes feel like cheating) are super easy and super fun. :)

I am mostly inspired by blogs.  I am almost entirely self-taught, so quilting blogs are pretty much THE reason I even own a sewing machine. ;)  I read a lot of blogs, but there are a few out there that stand out to me as having a quilting style that matches my own.  Some of my favorites right now are From the Blue Chair, Freshly Pieced, and The Elven Garden.

Of course, there is also Pinterest.  Here are a few of my favorite pins (at the moment).  I think these help define my personal quilting style:

SOURCE:  Sweet Jane Etsy Shop

SOURCE:  Film in the Fridge

SOURCE:  Elizabeth Hartman via Sew Mama Sew

SOURCE:  Nero's Post and Patch

SOURCE:  Kate Conklin Designs

SOURCE:  Kelby Sews Etsy Shop

SOURCE:  Geta's Quilting Studio

SOURCE:  Flourishing Palms

What about you?  What is your quilting style?  Write about it and link up HERE. 

Something New: Trapunto and Cathedral Windows

I've been busy working away at my Something New Sampler blocks.

The next block up was Cathedral Windows (tutorial HERE).  It's true what they say.  These blocks ARE time consuming and there are so many places for things to not line up, but once you finish the whole thing and take a step back, it looks pretty awesome.  Mostly.

I had an issue that I didn't see anyone else (in the Flickr group) struggling with.  The raw edges of my window pieces sometimes got stuck outside of the white stitched down sections.  See that little corner at the bottom of the blue window?  Yeah.  I don't know.  I did end up using Heat N Bond on both my window pieces AND my petal pieces so that I wouldn't have to sew them down, but wouldn't have to worry about them budging.  It made my block a little stiffer - I noticed that those outer petals (the ones with no window fabric behind them) were easier to sew down.
Ha.  That probably made no sense to those of you who have never made a cathedral windows block before.  Mostly it was just for my own benefit.  I'm thinking of trying a bigger version of these blocks for my second Cathedral Window block.  There is quite a bit of improvement left for me in this block.
See?

I also finished my Trapunto blocks (tutorial HERE).  I really like trapunto.  I have used it once before (check out my "Why Hello" mini HERE), so it was nice to have validation that I did everything more or less correctly.   I'm not sold on the color choices I went with, but hopefully these blocks will still look alright with everything else in the quilt.

And here's my second version, in keeping with the patriotic theme:

I used my Crayola Washable Markers again.  They are awesome.  I'm never buying a disappearing ink marker again. ;)

Oh yeah - I also made this lanyard for my keys.  Long story short - I learned that it is not a good idea to set your keys down on the hood of your sister's car without remembering to retrieve them before she drives away.  Blah.  Had to get a brand new set of keys.  I also learned that I pretty much lose my keys every time I put them in my purse or pocket - unless I have a big long leash attached to them.
Anyway, this lanyard was SUPER easy and took like half an hour (once I narrowed my fabric choices down considerably).  As always, I found a tutorial to make things easier on myself.  I used THIS ONE HERE.  It was great. 

Stay tuned to see the awesome skirt I made!  I'm feeling so domestic!

Sew Thinky Thursday: Something Meaningful

This week's question for Sew Thinky Thursday is:

What is the most meaningful thing you've ever made?

I should probably tell you that the most meaningful thing I've made was something for one of my kids (wait a minute - do kids count as "something meaningful I've made"?), but I really haven't made anything specifically for them, other than a few bibs and their growth charts.  I made a few baby quilts before they were born, but it's not quite the same when you don't even know what your baby's gender is yet. ;)

So far, the quilt that has meant the most to me is the Fandango quilt I made for my in-laws (My apologies to all those who have already seen this about a hundred times).

I worked on this quilt for a really long time (not having a deadline helps), so it was a big part of my life for awhile.  

I deliberated for a long time on fabric choices and then placement.  I really wanted this quilt to match the in-laws bedroom, as well as their personalities.  I think the deliberation payed off, because it fits in perfectly on their bed (despite the fact that it's a tad short - sigh).

I even ventured outside of my norm and tried some fancy quilting, which turned out great! 

The in-laws love it, which makes me super happy.  I am lucky to have amazing in-laws.  They have been so great to embrace me as an extra daughter and immerse me in their family.  They have taught me a lot about how to be a better person and how to have fun.  I really felt like they deserved something special, so this quilt was made with lots of love.

I still feel bad that it never got a proper photo shoot, these pictures don't do it justice.  Either way, it is one of my most favorite quilts ever. 

Advice?

I added a few more rows to my Storm at Sea quilt.  Now it is time to start thinking about quilting and I have NO idea what to do!  I still have quite a bit more to add to this quilt, but I think I want to quilt this section, then add borders. 

I'm playing around with Snail Trail blocks for borders.  What do you think about this?  Too crazy?

I'm pretty sure I will do something a little fancier in all the negative space I plan to put around the edges, but I'm at a loss for how to quilt something as intricate as a Storm at Sea quilt.

Should I just echo all of the seams, like this:

SOURCE:  Amish Country Quilts

Or should I do an allover pattern, like this:

SOURCE:  Quilt Vine

Or this:

SOURCE:  Quiltscapes on Craftsy

Or possibly this (it's hard to see - there is a large swirl pattern going on):

SOURCE:  Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild

Or this:

SOURCE:  Linda Beth on Flickr

Or maybe something with all straight lines like this:

SOURCE:  Quilt Inspiration

Or something fancy, like this:

SOURCE:  The Secret Life of Mrs. Meatloaf

Or this:

SOURCE:  Ramblings from Randi

Gah!  Deciding how to quilt something is probably the hardest part of the whole process!  Any suggestions?

And since I am linking up with WIP Wednesdays today, here is a quick rundown of my other current WIPs:

-I finished stitching my own set of Hello Sun Blocks, just in time to put the February block up!
-I pulled fabric to make a lanyard for my new keys (the old lanyard went bye-bye).
-I have purchased everything I need to make my new skirt.  Next up - trace the pattern!
-I've decided I want to try making chenille bibs, and pulled out my meager supply of flannel, all ready to go.

A Lovely Year of Finishes February Goal

My goodness!  It seems like I have been posting a lot lately.  I guess that's what happens when I make lots of little things instead of one big huge thing.

I was too late to jump on the Lovely Year of Finishes bandwagon last month, but I figured I might as well join in this month.  I have a few goals for February, but of course since I had to narrow it down to just one for this link-up, I am picking the one that needs an extra boost of motivation!

Way back in 2011 I won this African Spirit fabric from Sew We Quilt.  At first glance, the Hubby told me I should make a skirt out of it.  I've been planning to ever since.  Maybe a knee length skirt using the blue or orange florals?  Or possibly the Tiki Masks if I am feeling adventurous?

Well, there you have it.  I am committed.  Among my other current projects (which feels a little strange to me - I'm not one to have several WIPs going at the same time), I am going to make myself a skirt.  Something that is definitely out of my comfort zone.  Wish me luck!

Check out what everyone else is working on this month here:

Something New: Sashiko and Reverse Applique

This week I made both blocks for the Something New Sampler.

The first was Sashiko.  I really had no idea what Sashiko was before this week.  Turns out it's a Japanese form of embroidery that looks a lot like hand quilting, only it's only done through one layer.  I had no idea what patterns to try, but I tried to keep things simple and went for two repeating designs.  Apparently, the interlocking circles are a traditional Sashiko design. 

I never would have finished these if it weren't for THIS pin.  Did you know you can use Crayola Washable markers on fabric?  My water soluble pen is pretty much completely dead, so I gave it a try and it TOTALLY works!  I just gave my blocks a little swish in some soapy water, rinsed them out good, and wallah!  No more marker.  Although my fabric seems to have shrunk already.  I guess that's what I get for not cutting my pieces bigger.

The second block was reverse applique.  I've been curious about this technique for awhile, so it was fun to try.  I like how it makes the applique look so flat.  Almost like it's just part of the background fabric.  Some people are concerned about the raw edges, but I liked the suggestion to zig-zag around the edges after cutting everything out.  Filing that one away for later...

Of course, I had to use stars for my second applique block.  The fussy cut star was an afterthought and I'm glad it worked out.

This is fun!  Looking forward to next week!