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!

Friday Night Sew-In: TONIGHT

Yay!  The wonderful Heidi has once again, posted the link for the February FNSI.  Have a project that you need to work on?  Care to join?  Here is the "link to the post" to sign up! 

In other news, nothing earth-shattering, I've been trying to do a little part in helping Long Beach clean up.  Hurricane Sandy hit the town hard.  Lots of people have had to rip out walls, floors, insulation, throw away damaged furniture, personal belongings, and yes, garbage.  As I walk our adorable old girl, Bleecker, I have been bring an extra grocery shopping bag.  I figure, since I'm already out and the dog stops every few feet, why not pick up some garbage along the way?  So far I have picked up garbage for five bags.  It is dark when I'm home from work, so I've been picking up on weekends.  I reason, every bit helps!

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!

2-9-13: Slow Progress....

Hello! Last weekend we were all over the place and went to a Superbowl Party.  Needless to say, I didn't get alot of sewing done, but I did cut a bunch of new tote bags.  Thirteen to be exact.  Linings, fronts and two pockets each.  And, here is my gripe.....fabric costs have gone up, just like everything else in the world, so when the cutters cut "exactly" the measurement I request, I wish they would allow for the uneven edges!!  Can't they give a 1/2" on either side? So when I square off my fabric, I can have the size I want?  My other gripe: damaged fabric!  One piece has a stain right in the middle....and another the manufacturer didn't print the pattern and colors correctly throughout the design - so a large piece has the design "off" where it should be.....ugh.  I've tried to use the bad fabric design by having the bad parts hit the inside of my pockets, but I cannot get them all this way.  I'm not going to finish the ones I'm questioning as I may change the pockets to another fabric.  I managed to sew up a good portion of the tote bags that needed black thread.  I hoped to get some completed, but then I ran out of black thread! I'll put it on my shopping list.

I did get my "On the Rail" square design (I think that is the name of the pattern?) put together into a 16-block quilt top.  I also decided to make the other two 16-blocks tops.  One will be bordered in pink, another in green, and the last in blue.  That way, should there be twin gifts or sibling sister gifts, these will coordinate, but be different.  The top is laid out on a black quilt because I thought it would show up better than on my green duvet cover:

I did get a part of my sewing room cleaned - YAY!  Now I have more room to stand by my table.  The 45 minutes was time well spent.  Little Olive was up in her room playing while I was cleaning out - this is her in her "boat" with her buddies.  :-)

As far as using up my stash of products, here is two weeks worth!  I took the first picture because I do not want to forget about the Caldrea Hand Balm.....this has to be one of the best hand lotions I have ever tried.  It absorbs in and doesn't leave a greasy-feel to my hands.  I definitely want to buy more, but no-no-no.....I have to use up my stash first! 

I love the smell of Bath & Body Works "Twilight Woods".  But I know I'm going to like another lotion scent just as much.  We also finished using a big bottle of conditioner, so adding that to the tally. 

Little Bottles: +6 (one wasn't pictured)
Big Bottles: +4
Spools: +1


Happy Saturday Night!

FNSI: January 2013 Results!

Good Afternoon Saturday!
I was happy that I got some sewing done for the January 2013 "Friday Night Sew-In".  While I wasn't able to get a quilt top done, which would have helped me out with my New Year's Resolution, I did get a jelly-roll sewn up into 24 squares.  Last weekend I made the first 24, and for FNSI, I did the other 24. Yay!  Now I can decide how to piece them together for quilt tops.....do I do three, 16-block square tops?  Or do I do one of each in blocks of 3x4, 4x4, and 5x4?  I will put together one 4x4 since that would be for each set....and decide then.

I also got two new tote bags almost done!  I had all good intentions of finishing these last weekend, but I didn't get to them.  So last night I stitched up, reversed, and ironed - ready for top-stitching!  After getting the quilt blocks done, I didn't think I would have the time or energy to work on the totes!

Can't wait to check out other FNSI posts....so I'm off to do just that and make some "comments".
  

Friday Night Sew In: January 25, 2013

Great news! Friday Night Sew In is back and I'm going to try and do as many as I can in 2013.  Tomorrow is FNSI #1. Stay tuned for the results posting on Saturday afternoon.

1-21-13: MLK Day

What a weekend!  I'm happy that my current full-time job honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by giving us this day as a holiday.  I reflected on his legacy and also read through Little Olive's first-grade view on him and caught up on what she is learning in the classroom.  I love that the kids get insight into all the holidays, big and small.  She had a great little "book" she put together on him.

With regard to my resolutions, I did take a teensy step backward.  I had to go up to Joann's Fabric to get brown strapping to complete two tote bags I started last summer.  Of course, after a 45 minute drive, I had to look and see what else was available and on sale.  I was also manned with three, 50% off coupons on non-sale items (namely, the strapping because it is never on sale).  I came home with this:

Fabrics for more new totes and for four new baby gift sets.  I also bought more of the owl-on-branch and woodland fabric because I think the sets will quickly sell.  Plus, SIL Olive #2, just had Nephew Olive #3 and she wanted the Owl blanket....so I was already down to three. 

I did get a quilt top completed.  I used two charm packs of Tula Pink's fabric line "The Birds and the Bees", but that numbered only 60, six-inch squares.  I could make a 10x6 top, but that is too long....8x7 is more-balanced, but then I'd have four squares leftover.  I decided to use three squares of extra fabric in my stash that had birds on it so I would have enough for 63 squares for a 9x7 layout.  It will be a great lap quilt size once Mother Olive finishes it up:

I did make 24 squares to make a "Rail Fence" quilt, but haven't figured how best to construct.  I have another jelly-roll of the same fabric, so I may make another 24 squares and make three, 16-square tops, or one each of a 3x4, 4x4, and 5x4 tops. Decisions.....decisions.....

 As far as the de-cluttering goes, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  This is our dining room before.....

....and here it is after.............

All the stuff was either TOSSED or PUT AWAY in its proper place.  Most wound up in the trash.

Happy Monday Night!