Wow, it feels like it's been a long time since I've made one of my totes! I had finally gotten my tote just the way I like it when I stopped making them for a long time. Well, my first "customer" Jane has used hers so much she wants another one, so who was I to pass that up?



Her only request was that I use blues, and I had a lot of fun finding fabrics in my stash that worked together!



The striped fabric on the outside and the pockets is Amy Butler, and I loved how the floral looked with it.



I sent Jane the "proof" photos, half hoping she wouldn't like it so I could keep it for myself! That seems to be a theme around here lately... Luckily she gave it a thumbs up.

It's going to be pretty quiet around here for a little while, but don't worry. I found out yesterday I'm heading out on a business trip for two weeks, leaving tomorrow! Nothing like short notice!! I'm taking my camera and USB cable, so hopefully I'll be able to pop in with some pictures, but I won't be back for good until mid-April... Don't forget about me while I'm gone!

Labels: bags, sewing, travel

The turtle quilt is finished!!



The top is mostly small squares, with a few rectangles and the larger turtle squares thrown in. The back is pieced together of fabrics with different textures, I thought that might be a neat idea for a baby exploring what things feel like.



The main section is flannel, but there's plain cotton, fleece, and minky also. Anyone have good tips for taking pictures of a full quilt? These just don't show it off very well!

I got the appliqué done and the top pieced so quickly I thought for sure I was going to fly through this quilt. But when I started trying to quilt it, the soft flannel backing kept bunching, even with my walking foot. After hours of picking out stitches to try again, having it do the same thing, spending more hours picking out stitches again, I gave up and tied it.



I still did a traditional binding, and after washing it I am very pleased with the final product.



I'll have to try again with the machine quilting, but this time the frustration just wasn't worth it. After what I ended up going through to finish this quilt, it's going to be hard to give away!

Labels: quilting, sewing

I've posted before about the handmade things I've received from my family, and I have another treasure to share!



When I saw my grandma out in California last weekend she had brought with her this quilt she'd been saving to give to me.



This is all hand-pieced and hand-quilted by my great-grandmother - my father's father's mother. The craftsmanship is just amazing.



And one of the neatest things to me is that this type of fabric is so popular right now - I'm sure I could find reproductions of almost these exact prints!



This quilt is in remarkable shape. There are a couple stains you can see on the white backing, but that's it - no tears or loose stitches. Now I just need to figure out a way to display it!

Labels: family, quilting

It's so nice to have a weekend at home. We started off the day with an early soccer game - I can say with authority that the humidity is back here in Houston. Also, I can demonstrate the downside of playing co-ed soccer - having boys kick you in the shins!


Or, why I don't wear skirts during soccer season...

I barely got home and showered when my best friend from high school stopped by for lunch. I don't keep in touch with too many people from high school, but no matter how long we go without talking, Lauren and I always fall back into one of those easy, forever friendships.



I baked a batch of cookies while we chatted so I could send some home to her family. This is my current favorite cookie recipe, here at Julie's.



Now, when I can tear myself away from the computer (pictures to edit! blogs to check! emails to write!) I'm going to sit myself down at my sewing machine and finally finish that baby quilt.



I think some hand-binding with a good movie is my plan for tonight...

Labels: me, misc

We spent the weekend in one of my favorite places, a little town called Bodega Bay on the coast of California north of San Francisco.



My parents rented a beach house so family and friends could come see my dad - everyone has been wanting to visit since he found out about the cancer, so this seemed like a great way to do it.



We were able to stay for three days, and during that time saw my grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and many close family friends. We also got to explore along the coast, often going from fog to sun and back again.



More photos on my flickr.



It was a wonderful weekend, but we took the red-eye to get home and neither one of us slept much. So despite the clock saying 9pm, I'm going to go get ready for bed!

Labels: family, photography, travel

It was a very stormy, wet day today, which has turned into a very stormy, wet night. I have so many things to do - clean the house, do laundry, get things ready to pack for a trip this weekend, work on taxes... Instead I ignored it all, pulled some jewelry supplies out in front of the TV and made these earrings:



They are made with moonstone and labradorite, similar in style to things I've made before but a little fancier. I wish you could see how iridescent these stones are, but stormy nights are not good for photography!

Labels: jewelry, quick fix

I mentioned recently that I've been taking a jewelry class this year, and tonight was the last class. Luckily, I was able to finish my two projects. One requires a little assembly, but the other I got to wear home!



This ring started as a flat sheet of silver. I cut out the strip, ran it through the roller with a piece of mesh to make the texture, soldered it into a ring, made the bezel, soldered it on, and set the stone. I am so proud of myself!



The instructor, Mary Rogers, has made some gorgeous pieces, and it was really great learning some of her tricks. Unfortunately, since doing this sort of thing at home would require a huge investment in equipment, I won't be able to do anymore soldering, but it's still a great process to know. And I have a lot more silver cut and ready to become earrings and necklaces...

Labels: jewelry

Wednesday is the night during the week I am most likely to be free after work, other than a few errands... It is so nice when I get all my chores done and complete a project, start to finish, all in one night. So I've dubbed these Quick Fix Wednesdays! Just to give myself a little inspiration and that boost to get me through to the weekend.

For the first official installment, here is a project that's been on my list for a very long time.



I've had this great Crate & Barrel dishtowel since last summer, and using some orange canvas from my stash for handles, it only took a few minutes to sew this up! I think it turned out quite cute!



It's pretty big, and unlined, perfect for a trip to the library or a quick stop at the grocery.

I don't know how "theme days" get started in the blogging world - Corners on Thursday, Self Portraits on Tuesday, etc - so I'm not trying to spread this one, but feel free to join in if you want a quick fix!

Labels: bags, quick fix, sewing

I've been taking a jewelry class on Monday nights for several weeks now without a whole lot to show for it... I am determined to finish two projects in the two remaining classes, and I think I can do it. In the meantime, while I'm waiting for the soldering torch or to ask the teacher a question, I've been practicing my jeweler's saw skills with some simple charms.



I really like how this looks, and I think it's something I can keep doing from home. Drilling the holes is the tricky part, but I think I can figure that out, either with a hand drill or some really good clamps and our power drill. (Though that sounds a little dangerous!)



It feels really good to be making jewelry again, but I'm going to try not to let it cut too much into my time at the sewing machine! I've still got that baby quilt to finish, after all...

Labels: jewelry

Work has left me very scatterbrained this week, but I decided to just go with it because I have a few random things I wanted to post...

1. We went to the rodeo Tuesday and it was so much fun. I love seeing everyone dressed up (no, I don't own cowboy boots) and seeing all the animals and the rodeo events... And can I just say how neat it is to be able to take pictures in a nearly dark stadium and have them look decent?



(More rodeo pics on my flickr.)

2. I got a new haircut! I love getting my haircut! I'm a little blonder now...



3. I'm trying out a new flower... I still think I like Beki's better, but this one is kind of cute, too!



Okay, I won't make any promises, but hopefully my next post will be a little more cohesive!

Labels: me, photography, sewing