Warm Cool Quilt Along DONE, Finally~

A year and a half later, the warm cool quilt along quilt I made for a kiddo is finally done :).  The top has been done for quite some time- over a year, but the child requested a minty backing and it honestly scared me.  I had read so many posts about what nightmare minky was to baste and quilt that I put it off as long as possible!  I LOVE how it turned out, and the child likes it even more, so everyone is happy!!  I love these colors myself so it was very fun to make too!

 The minky was not near as bad as I had dreaded!  The quilt is between a twin and queen so the size is what had me so worried!  When I sandwiched the quilt, I taped it down to the floor really well!  With duct tape :)  Then I used an entire can of 505 to spray baste it- told ya I was really scared it would wiggle or move.  :)  hehe!  Then I got the batting and top situated with spray, and then added pins to have an extra extra good hold of that minky.  

 Once it was all situated, I took it to the sewing machine and got to work!  I decided to quilt it to mirror the diamonds made by the colors.  I love the simplicity of it!  You can sort of (if you look really hard) see the design on the back a photo down.  

 The quilting...  The minky is the softest I have ever felt, and it gives the quilt a wonderful weight.  I love a quilt that's just a drop on the heavy side!

 All rolled up and ready to give to a sweet kiddo!!  So after so long, it is wonderful to have it done and to be able to see it being used!  Makes a quilter happy :)

The Donut Lady...

Yup, that's what I am this year :)  Probably the next few, actually.  My kiddos school as one day a month when the students can bring a parent, 30 minutes before school, have donuts, and read books together.  It's a great program and I am so excited that I get to be over the activity!  The past few years have been very dull and plain, but that's just not how I work!  So for the past few months, I have been scheming and planning and purchasing :).  

I got some of the most darling aqua gingham fabric to make a table cloth for the donut table I sit at :)  Think pinked edges- just darling!!  

I also found this printable online and enlarged it, covered it with felt that was close to the design, and will have the perfect welcome sign!  I love how 3-D felt makes things look.  The kiddos at school will love it too, I am sure!  

Then for me, I looked everywhere, online and in brick and mortar shops for donut fabric to make an apron.  Nothing spoke to me or had the colors I was going for!  So I bought a precious apron from Hobby Lobby, using the 40% off coupon of course, and designed my own "logo".  Then I pulled out my embroidery thread and got to work :).  I just ADORE how it turned out!!  The ruffle is so me, and the design is even more me!!!  

I also found some hot pink melamine trays at Hobby Lobby too, with coupons of course, to set up the donuts on.  

And then I needed something to give the kiddos that wouldn't be eaten in two seconds, and since they are reading with their parent, I thought of bookmarks.  I tried designing one, but without a great editing program on my computer, and not being able to figure out how to draw on the picmonkey program, I was not sure it would work.  Then I walked in Walmart a few days ago and saw a cart of school supplies on clearance.  Yup, the coolest bookmarks around, in packs of 25- hot dog :)!!  Buying the ton

I needed was still way cheaper than printing out my own- score! Now I just need an orange container for the bookmarks :). 

So beings my first year as "The Donut Lady"!  I am so excited and feel mostly ready to make this activity even more fun and looked forward to than it is :)  Ready or not, here I come!!

The Annual Dress and Family Picture Craziness :)

I am trying to learn how to sew clothing.  It scares me, but I want to make some things really bad! That beats my fear.  Adding the fact that I am a hopeless perfectionist makes it even more of an adventure, but one that turns out cute, not matter what the odds!  I have made an awesome poncho every winter (velvet lined with fleece) for my littlest little.  Imagine fun cute colors with pompom edging, two big buttons at the neck, and a Little Red Riding Hood style hood.  So much easier than putting on a sleeved coat each time you exit the car :).  I have made crazy awesome Halloween costumes.  And once a year, I make a dress for her for family pictures.  It takes a long time to find the perfect pattern and this year I knew it when I saw it- Mod Kids Chloe (I LOVE Patti Young's designs)!  I threw in my 7 favorite prints from Julie (http://www.intrepidthread.com) at the time and was off and running!

I must admit, I get a tad bit psycho when planning our family pictures!  I go overboard, actually, but it is oh so fun and makes for tons of smiles and memories all year long.  I don't like stiff classic pictures.  I like fun, living, breathing photos- like the photographer just walked up and caught you right in the middle of the best day ever.  When hubby married me, my one condition was that we would take family pictures every. single. year.  Just one condition (besides all the unspoken ones), but I meant it, and he meant it too, 'cause we have had them taken each year, faithfully!  This year involved painting a darling bench deep aqua, making a bunting/pennant in the below fabrics (and another), making this dress, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, my Supernova quilt, searching for months to find different colors (happy bright colors- that of course match the dress colors!)/styles of plaid shirts for all the boys in my life, and getting wild fun colored undershirts for the afore-mentioned plaid shirts.  I wanted to make me a shirt as well, but something had to give, and that was that.  So, I dug through thrift stores until I found the perfect color shirt and topped it with a darling sunshine yellow cardi!  Voila- after months of prep, we were ready!   

Well, with one detour...  We were going to take photos in an open wheat-looking field in front of our Blue Zoo, but the day before pictures, it got plowed under.  Next field, plowed under too, next- plowed under too!!  Three fields, all plowed under- backup plan!!!  I had driven by the coolest yard a few days prior, so I headed there.  We're talking barns, old pickups and ancient school buses.  The most awesome paint cracked buildings and archways and wavy-glassed windows.  Such fun!!  I knocked on the door and wound up talking with the sweetest older couple- of course, we could use their yard!  I was beyond thrilled and they made my day!  So pictures continued without a glitch, and we got some of our best shots yet, I think!  I am so excited to see them!  So there is my long version of why I defeat my fear and make a dress each year for pictures- it makes it more a part of who we are and lets our personality shine through.  FUN!

Front Curtain

The front curtains of our RV were THRASHED!!! Thirty-five years of sun will not do fabric well :) They were split all over and crisp as a cucumber! It was pitiful. I had a new curtain I had thrifted that I was able to piece perfectly to fit the front windows :) (still trying to come up with a good option for the rest of the windows- finding LOTS of yards of thick CUTE fabric is not easy :)). And the results fit our style to a tee! YAY--

Sorry for the evening photos, but here is the BEFORE--

And the AFTER- yippee skipee! :)

Progress and TA-DA!!!

The past two weeks have been following our RV getting painted. It went from the BEFORE to THIS-- being sanded :)

Then this once it was primed and the stripe and top painted white :)

Then to this being painted the two colors :)

Then almost done- a few more things to touch up with this---

And then the big final TA-DA once it was DONE :) Yipee!! Now to find a day warm enough to paint the inside :) So fun, so fun!!

The latest project...

has NOTHING to do with sewing, yet it keeps me more than busy :)

But oh, what joy it will bring for our journeyings :)

The before----

Give me a couple of weeks, and you'll see the AFTER!

(The outside is being painted Light Aqua, Medium Aqua and White as we speak!!!) EEEPPPPP!

I can hardly wait!!

My first Handmade Swap:)!!

My first handmade swap was so fun! I was soooo nervous about making something for someone else and wanting them to like it sooooo much! I don't know if she likes it yet- I'll be mailing it soon, but the experience for me was a great one. And I love the bag! I am so going to make one similar for me!

I knew the person loved bright happy colors, so I went with tangerine and aqua- I mean, really, how can you not love those colors together!?! Makes ya smile just to see it! I pieced the back with 2.5" squares and a few rectangles too in a fun pattern. Love the look!

The handle is two tone- aqua on one side and tangerine on the other. But my favorite part HAS to be the embroidery!!!!!! I am a sucker for embroidery and especially original designs. When I found out my partner likes it too, well that was all it took to figure out the perfect thing for her! I wound up going with a simple crown outline I found and then giving it my own spin to make it mine. I think we all like crowns :) At least I do :). I added some sewing "jewels" to the crown of scissors, a needle, and a spool of thread. There is even a ruler at the bottom of the crown. I really like how it turned out! Like I said, my favorite part of the bag! And I off-centered the embroidery to give the bag a wonky, more fun personality!

The inside: well, you must have a cell phone pocket or it wouldn't be good :) hehe! So there is a happy aqua pocket, right there ready for a cell phone!

And a magnetic snap- WOW! My first one ever, and now I am hooked! They are so stinkin' easy and so perfect for a bag! They will be my new go-to item of choice :). Love it!

So there ya have it- my embroidered bag, all ready to go! I am so anxious to hear how my partner likes it. I stressed over it so much and really hope it makes her smile :)

I love it so much that I am sharing this over at Celebrate Color too :) What a beautiful and functional way to celebrate :)!! Hip, hip, hurray! :)

Teachers give you wings :)

I can vividly remember my favorite teachers growing up- Mrs.Gaddy and Mr.Williams. They still hold a special place in my heart, and I would love to give them both big hugs again for all they instilled in me and my classmates! Neither are teaching any more. They had a gift to teach more than just what the words said- pushing us to learn and grow and become better people. Encouring us to try new things and live life to its fullest, making sure we knew we were important and brilliant! Teachers make such a lasting impression on our children, I love finding ways to thank them back!

I am working on this quilt for a very special teacher I know. It's a surprise- and if she's reading this, don't peak!! Some teachers have a magical way of making regular education something that illuminates the "lightbulbs" in our minds- this one does for sure! So I had to make something for her to have to hold to remember that- a quilt it is... She loves turquoise, and red, black, and white. Perfect! Since she gives children wings to learn, the birdie became a nice symbol.

I wanted a very simple design- 9" blocks with it being 8 blocks square- that I could add something to, to make it magical! The moment I saw the little birdie fabric, I knew I had my "magical"! Isn't this just the cutest??!! So an applique birdie was just the thing to give it wings :)

The bird is 18" across to give you an idea of perspective- I love him!! I also pieced a square for each row to give it a little more zing- two of the rows have a heavily pieced square and the other 6 rows just have a two pieced square :). It gives is some fun variety, I think...

I have the top done, so now to make my sandwich and figure out how in the world I want to quilt it. I want to do a fancier something- any ideas?? Hoping to have it sprayed and pinned by tonight :)