3-10-13: Sewing Progress

Mainly pictures this post since today will be a running-around day!  I did my first jelly roll "Race Quilt" in the "Loulouthi" fabrics (it was the only jelly roll I had on-hand).  I have seen entries of ladies finishing the quilt top in 35-40 minutes, so I timed myself.  I took 1 hour 15 minutes to finish this top, so I was happy with that time!  I first laid out all the strips in the end-to-end placement:

And the finished top ended up this way:

Mr. Olive really liked the result!  In addition, I bought borders and back fabric for a vintage feedsack quilt.  I wanted to finish it up, but my batting wasn't big enough.  I'm going to pick up batting today to get this one done next weekend:

I love love how it looks!  The back fabric is a bright orange, yellow, and cream floral.

I also got two new tote bags completed and posted to Etsy:

This is the first time I've used fabric with a black base.  I treated each side with Scotchguard.

I'm part-way through another quilt top, but not sure I'll get it done today...if so, I'll add pictures!

Happy Sunday!

FNSI: February 2013 Results!

Happy to have been able to participate in the first two Friday Night Sew-Ins hosted by "Handmade by Heidi".  In keeping with my new years resolution of sewing down my fabric stash and making a quilt top a weekend, I made a quilt top!  :-)  I used the Deb Strain fabric collection "Seascapes" put out by Moda.  It is all blues, teals, and white.  I wanted to take outdoor pictures today, but the New York weather isn't working with me so it was indoor pics or nothing:

 

I also decided to make a 4-patch with the remaining squares and once I pick out a border and back fabric, I'll also border and back the 4-patch to make a pillow cover.  The other pillow cover is from the leftover fabric from last weekend's quilt top in "Mama Said SEW" - the Sweetwater designed collection also put out by Moda:

Last but not least, I whipped up two little handbags with the rest of this beachy fabric.  I cut out three beach totes and the remnant was enough to make these:

 

 

Little Olive and her visiting friend were kind enough to model for me - ha ha ha.  I'm not sure I'm going to post these in the Etsy shop because I know I will sell them this summer at one of the handful of fairs we do.

Looking forward to seeing the results of other FNSI-ers!

2-18-13: Presidents Day!

Oh how I love love love three-day weekends!  And this one was a chiller in Long Beach - the wind chill made it feel like temps were in the teens instead of the thermometer reading of low-30s.  Perfect weather to hibernate and get some chores done. 

Little Olive and I had alot of quality time together between shopping, painting, reading, and tickling. She also had a couple playdates so I got to enjoy watching her have some friends over.  We also went out to lunch as a family with one of my commuting friends, which was really nice.  And the lunch was so big, we each got two meals.  :-)

First, I needed to tackle the mess that is my sewing room.  I've been meaning to clean off my dresser top for over a year, so that was a big plus to get it done.  I like feeling organized and neat (before):

 AFTER:

As far as my sewing progress, I actually got two quilt tops done!  First, I finished the second of the three "On the Fence" 16-block top.  I didn't take a picture, since it is similar to the one I completed last weekend.  But, I did save the ends I cut off from making the blocks and I  had enough to make a patchwork block for a pillow sham:

When I head to Florida to visit mom and we select border and back fabric, we can border and back the sham too.

Last night, I laid out all the fabric packs I had left to sew and asked Little Olive to rank the order in which she'd sew up.  Her first choice was one I have wanted to piece together.  The fabric line is called "Mama Said SEW" and it is designed by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics.  I have to say, I absolutely LOVE this quilt top!  I've been admiring it as I was sewing it together.  I just got it done with barely enough daylight to spare to take an outdoor picture:

 

The colors are red, black, gray, and cream...I think because cream was used instead of white, makes it "softer" even though it was black in it. Last but not least, I photographed the new reversible tote bag and got it posted to our Etsy shop:

Alas, tomorrow I'm back to work, but I have Friday off so three-day-weekend, followed by a three-day work week, followed by another three-day weekend.  It is so nice.

Mr. Olive got a call from Macy's today, asking him if he would want to work part-time.  After he did the seasonal stint there, he really ended up liking the job and was disappointed that he was taken off the roster with the other seasonal hires in mid-January.  He has to re-apply, which he immediately did, so he's hoping he can pick up shifts this week.  Fingers crossed!

1-13-13: Quilt Top and Completed Projects

The status of my "quilt top a weekend" for my New Years resolution? I got one done!  Plus some....I finished four new beach bags, two each of a fabric set, six cell phone cases, and a woodland fabric girls baby blanket, which will be part of a set.  I made 4 blankets, but only top-stitched one.  The other three will be top-stitched next weekend.  But, first things first, the quilt top.  It is a fantastic "beachy" fabric called "Lucy's Crab Shack" by Moda fabrics; it is designed by Sweetwater.  I originally planned this as a baby / crib quilt, but since I had two charm packs, I thought on this would be a perfect fabric line for an adult lap quilt.  So the re-working skills came out.  I did the layout with my original pieced parts and completed the now-larger adult lap quilt / toddler quilt.  Since the weekend has been all-rain, I took the picture on our queen-size bed.  Once it gets to my mom for borders and backing, it will be a great size.  The colors include, navy, pink, lime-green, orange, and teal:

"Lucy's Crab Shack" fabric quilt top:

I had these tote bags in pieces, but completed the bottom seam, put the bag together, and top-stitched.  I make my beach totes reversible - so yes, two bags in one!  The first is a beautiful serene mint-green and pastel pink floral with a "bubble dot" liner.  The second is a brighter graphic animal design in brown, lime green, bright green, pink, and a bright coral.  The liner is a bright stripe that includes yellow and teal, minus the brown.

Here is the adorable woodland blanket - can't wait to see the completed set when mom makes the matching onesie and bib:

And last but not least, my new cell phone cases:

I didn't do a great job on the de-cluttering a pile, but I did get the Christmas tree down and the decorations put away.  Also went to church with Little Olive as Mr. Olive has that sore-throat starting.  I made chicken cordon bleu last night for dinner and tonight?  Old school pork chops - Shake n Bake style!!

Happy Sunday night - I'm rooting for Houston.....

It's 2013!!

It is so hard for me to believe that we are already a week into 2013.  I think 2012 just skipped right on by it went so fast.  Although, alot did go on....from Craft Fairs, to new designer fabric quilts, to the annual cousin visit out on Fire Island, to Hurricane Sandy / Frakenstorm, to a family Caribbean Cruise (which was absolutely fabulous!), to round-out the year with a beautiful Christmas and New Years.  Besides the fact that I felt a cold coming on Christmas night and it is JUST leaving me, I feel really happy with what I've done and how I've spent my time.  I have Little Olive who is still a happy, great girl doing well in 1st grade....and a Mr. Olive who is attempting to kick his tobacco habit - third time is a charm, right?  Although the Giants won the Superbowl earlier in the year, the 2012 season end came about too soon, but I did my best ever in the fantasy football league I'm part of with Mr. Olive and Father Olive!  Luck has alot to do with that.....

So as I look to 2013, I realized I never wrote up my resolutions for 2012.  In my mind I had them, although nothing lofty - save money, save money, sew more, drink more water, and read at least 12 books.  I was able to sew more, drink more water (does the ice in white wine count? ha ha), and I read 15 books.  I'm quite proud of the reading part because I hadn't been reading on the train, just sleeping and "smart-phoning".  I'll post another about all the books because part of this year's resolutions is to blog more!  I was a lame-poster in 2012, but realized that I cannot always fit in and I didn't want to beat myself up, so what I posted, I posted.  This year, I'm going to use my posts to keep my #1 resolution in check.  What is that you may wonder?  Here ya go.....

2013 Resolutions

1) Sew down all the fabric I've accumulated!  My sewing room is small and I have been buying lots of designer fabrics to make crib quilts.  This past summer, I thought we should expand our offerings with making lap quilts for people who want to buy for themselves or hostess gifts or friend birthday gifts.  So I'm going to try to sew a quilt top each weekend until my fabric stash is sewn down.  This will also give us great stock going into the summer craft season.  I also have to make tote bags and have the fabric sitting on my floor.  I'm planning to post my results each weekend.  I'm hoping that keeps me on-point.  I'm going to send all my tops to my lovely Mother Olive who will find border and back fabric, line with batting, and finish up the quilt.

Here is the first top in the "Kaleidescope" fabric line by Free Spirit:

 I also managed a new beach tote and matching handbag:

I also finished up 4 blankets for baby gift sets in this fantastic owl fabric (I used a cream minky dot on the back so it is super soft):

 #2) Read 13 books in 2013:  Last year my resolution was for 12 books since it was 2012, and I eeked out 15 finishing one up on New Year's Eve.  One was "The Fountainhead", which should be like 3 books!  I also finished the Hunger Games trilogy in a month's time, which for me is lightening fast, and prompted Mr. Olive to remark that he'd never seen me go through books that fast - this from the avid reader who finished the trilogy at a 2-days-a-book pace.

I have already finished one, but it was barely 100 pages and by a local NYC writer.  It took me 3 train rides to finish it.  I may count that as a "half" book, unless New Year's Eve rolls around and I've only read 12, then it will be a full book. ha!

#3) Budget Better: Mr. Olive is still unemployed, *sigh*, so I will try yet again to budget better.  I know I'll never achieve this resolution, but feel like I have to give myself a chance with the clean-slate 2013.

#4) Go to Church: Little Olive needs to go to Sunday school.  Mr. Olive is still bitter, 23 years later, at the Father who didn't allow him to take his confirmation test early because he had an away game for some sport.  He has agreed to go and show her a united front.  I'm thinking a new folding table and chair set may be a good donation to the Church from us.

Today we all went - there wasn't Sunday school because the church lost all its tables and folding chairs to Hurricane Sandy.  And there were no hymns because the organist is relocated due to the storm.  Little Olive said it went by fast!  Mr. Olive remarked about the "different version of the Lord's Prayer" that was part of the service.  That too threw me for a loop.  We all walked home holding hands and for the better.  I'm hoping next weekend is just as good.....and May weekends are better.....and hoping we make it through the summer....dare I dream?

Whew!  That is my little start to 2013!!  More to come......

Happy Sunday!

FNSI: March Results!

While I didn't get the new quilt top started like I'd planned, I did manage to get 6 new blankets done.  I cut six of the green jungle, so two are still in pieces, but at least these got finished and ready for matching onesies and bibs!  For the new baby boys out there....

 Green Jungle - look closely - what made the designer of this adorable fabric include a whale??

 Alexander Henry "Zoo" fabric - love the bold colors and graphic animals...

 Dinosaurs!  T-Rex, Stegasauraus, and Brontasauraus

I'm going to check out the other FNSI results!

Last weekend, I finished these totes....since I've already taken the pictures, I thought I'd show them off too.

Damask and Nautical Rope - Reversible

 Green Damask and Stripe - Reversible

 

Blue and white stripe and Swirls - Reversible

College Reunion and New Bags

I always think there are endless hours to the day, but once the nice weather starts up and we can get outside, I find the calendar quickly fills and some stuff just falls off the list (cleaning, laundering, and blogging - oh my!).  We've been to some birthday parties, weekends away, a nursery school spring concert and moving up day, hosted and attended BBQs, and the other big time-suck, going to work.

Last weekend was my college reunion in central Pennsylvania.  We brought Little Olive since she is 3, and other friends who had children later in life also brought their tots.  I didn't seem to find enough time on this weekend to truly catch-up with college friends - said good HELLOS - but then I got home and said "I wonder if so-and-so is still doing blah-blah".  Good to see campus again - so many changes!  Students get air-conditioned dorms now??

Little Olive (left) and friend Fi on campus:

Sewing Business:  Had some good sales with the reversible totes, custom-order quilts, and baby boy flannel quilts.  Here are some pics of the finished new bags....

Happy Saturday!!