My 100th Post, Ruby Star Wrap Along

Ruby Star Wrap Along, a photo by capitolaquilter on Flickr.

Little Snack Sack made for week 4 of Ruby Star Wrap Along.  Mine is intentionally a bit larger because it's actually the wrapping of a gift and I wanted to be sure the item fit.

I also decided to do QAYG which led to the need for binding since turning down the raw edge like the book says to do would've been too bulky.  Since I don't own a serger (yet).... I just used an overcast stitch to finish the inside seams and they look just fine.

 Did anyone else feel the need to explain to their kid what a plastic sandwich bag use to be like before the invention of zip lock? I was relieved my son knew what I was talking about but I'm sure many younger ones are clueless - like a rotary telephone, VHS or cassette tape.

This pattern is very similar to the one we used to make the swag bags for our MQG Retreat last month.

Two Retreat Swag Bag, back and front

Here I am at registration all ready to hand them out - or rather, let people pick one from the table.  Julia also posted on our guild blog recap this picture where you can see all the goodies inside  Feels like a lifetime ago - boo hoo!

Here's a picture of the wonderful thank you gift for being committee chair of the Retreat, wasn't that just too sweet?  Sewing the Schoolhouse Tunic will be one of my New Years resolutions if it's not finished by then.  Josephine Kimberling's Hope Chest fabric so ME!

Linking up to Ruby Star Wrap-Along.  I'm really enjoying making quick small things - it's gratifying and to be honest I probably wouldn't have devoted as much time to the book if it weren't for the hop. No reflection on the book, just the reality of my lack of time crafting management or creative focus.

Also Linking up to  Finish it Up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts.  I was hoping to have the baby quilt to include in a finish but the day got away so I'm pleased with this cute pouch, scrappy makes me happy and so does giving.

100 Posts

I can't let the fact go without a little fanfare.  Remember the 100th day of school in Elementary?  Don't worry, I won't make THAT big of a deal. No counting beans or tally marks on the sidewalk, just a simple thanks for following or stumbling across my little blog.

"Let the Blogging Begin" Post #1

The most viewed post is the one from July with my Polaroids Chain Pieced tutorial and wins hands down without a close second.  I started my blog on March 16, 2012 and it's due for a makeover or at least some basic housekeeping.  I have much to learn (like how to "share" a picture from flickr and have it go to a draft post instead of creating a new post- do you know?) but at least I'm still at it. 

The constant rain has finally lifted. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Happy Quilting. Karen

Travelin' Pic Stich Blog Hop

Can I first say just how great the line up was for this hop.  Really, I think I'm going to refer back to the list of links for quite some time to come to visit and revisit those blogs - sixty is a lot of hopping for this gal!

EPP Hexi Zipper Pouch

Katy and Laura put together a trip around the world with Travelin' Pic Stich Blog Hop filled with amazing inspiration from the ends of the earth.  I decided to use the sunset photo from my one and only time out of the country this time last year when we spent a week in paradise to celebrate my big 50 in Chacala Mexico.  The pouch was sent to Whitney, my Post-Sewing Summit secret swap partner - here's the post with a picture of the scrappy back. 

I pulled SO much fabric for this little project and made 10 times the amount of hexies than I ended up using.  But in the end, the inspiration photo and color palette kept steering me back to simplistic and I'm pleased with how it turned out for my very first attempt at EPP.  bonus: Waiting while I had my oil changed and tires rotated was much more enjoyable with busy hands!

These are a few of the other options I made with PlayCrafts Palette Builder and the photos that I considered using.    Be sure to add your palette to their flickr group, it's fun to see the variety. 

The American Link Up Party  has begun- check it out and get ready to vote!

{Sew} Modern Monday, WIP and Craftsy

A few finishes - finally.  

The Flea Market Fancy - Low Volume charity quilt is all done.  This one was on my Finish It Up mosaic and I'm super happy about that.  I took the Angela Walter's FMQ Negative Space class on Craftsy which was really great.  While watching it, I was wishing I had a long arm (who doesn't- right?) The information and inspiration was still very helpful and I tried mixing a few designs, loops around the edge with a swirl scallop on the rest of the low volume areas.  

Folded and ready to go

Speaking of Craftsy... I had a chance to browse the BOM series and although it's after the fact, I'm going to check more of them out.  I find learning with video much less stressful than on paper.  Today I signed up for Designing Modern Quilts with Weeks Ringle as my free class from Sewing Summit - thank you very much!

Plan B Baby Boy Quilt

My original HST plan for a baby quilt shared here has been replaced by the one below.  It's for a friend's daughter who is having her first child and I wanted my hubby to have input. He felt the HST design that I had wasn't "baby" enough - and he has a general dislike for gray (um, I know, right?) anyway...  I think they'll like this more traditional baby boy version.

I'm pleased to have an alternative plan and will be working on piecing the backing this week. The young couple that I'm making it for were married in Hawaii so I thought the hibiscus flannel would be a nice personal touch. 

Bee Blocks and Swaps

These adorable blocks above are for Nico in F+F=AMS November. My favorite is the bottom left.   They are just like the ones I made for Starred Swoon, perfectly reasonable unless you have a Goldilocks sewing day like I did.  Once I figured out my target size for the flying geese all was good but until then what could go wrong did.  The first two below are my epic fail: too big, too small and finally Just Right.  I changed to Kona Ivory for the remaining to break the bad luck curse. 

Happy Mail brought me this wonderful Jane Market Bag from Tammy, my sewing summit secret partner.  I also heard from Whitney that the pouch I made arrived safely and she loved it, yippy.  It was really special that I got to hang out with these two wonderful ladies in Utah.

4x5 Bee Blocks Hive #7

This session of 4x5 has been awesome. Our little group was chatty, on time with top notch quality workmanship and taste.  Here are my Aqua, Navy with Gray blocks.   

My Mini

My hubby was out of town with work on my birthday but surprised me with a MacMini when he returned the next day.  I'm loving the trackpad and iPhoto. 

Temptations 

The cyber sales where crazy this year or was it that I just didn't know about them before? There are so many great blog hops popping up that I decided to start a new pin board to help keep track, so far I've got 15 minutes of Play, Giving Handmade and Deck the Halls.  

check out the Link Ups

Linking up to Megan at Canoe Ridge Creations for {Sew}Modern Monday.  Her Xand + quilt is amazing. 

I'm taking the easy way out this week by also linking up to WIP Wednesday with Lee at Freshly Pieced.  I don't want to skip like last week and I just can't pull off a new post so here's my tally:  

Finished:2

FMF Low Volume Quilt

F+F=AMSB Star blocks for Nico

Progress: 1
Baby Quilt 

New Projects:

Pin Board Blog/Shop Hops

What have you been up to? Are you gifting hand mades?

WIP Wednesday

Baby Quilt layout in the works

WIP Wednesday in pictures. I've been playing a bit this week with some progress and much on the to do list.

finished front and front Post-SS12 swap

 Today is my birthday and it's a beautiful blue sky out there so I'm going to try and soak it in.

Last night I got to "run" our MQG meeting as VP for the first time and they all sang "happy birthday" to me - blush.  I was also given a pair of amazing hand knitted socks (my first to own) so cozy and pretty.

four Sandy blocks

4x5 bee blocks

Ruby Star Wrap along flower

Ruby Star Wrap along box

Pouches made by H (with my help)

 Finished:6

Post Summit Swap /Travelling PicStitch EPP
4x5 Curve it Up Churndash blocks
Ruby Wrap Along flower
Ruby Wrap Along box
Sandy blocks 4
Help H with pouch making
Progress:1
Baby Quilt HST

New Projects:?

Who's counting

Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday. Happy Quilting, Karen

Sew Modern Monday & Ruby Star WAL

linking up to {Sew} Modern Monday with Megan at Canoe Ridge Creations with my finished zipper pouch. 

I'll be mailing this off this week to my Post-Sewing Summit partner and can't wait to see what she thinks.  Hand appliqué was easy because of the linen fabric I was sewing on and I'm pretty proud of how hidden the stitches are. After several failed attempts to embroidery Sewing Summit 2012 on the pouch I gave up.  No matter what I tried it just distracted from the hexi flower which after all was the focal point.  Hopefully she will just remember what it's from without the words.

here is my Ruby Star Wrap along paper flower. I decided to combine magazine pages and newspaper to make it and added stacked buttons for a variation.  It's quite large so it felt like it really needed the extra embellishment.  Rather than trace the shape I used a glue stick on the template then just cut around it when I was done to reuse again.  Follow the hop and visit Elizabeth Hartman at Oh, Fransson! to see the ones she made.

Happy Quilting, Karen

Ruby Star Wrapping

I just love how the connection to Sewing Summit keeps going and going....As part of the Wrap-Along (WAL) put together by Sukie,  Anna of Noodlehead shared her version of Ruby Star’s Chinese Takeout Box and here's mine.  I used some bright, fun Crafty Chloe fabric by Heather Ross and tied it with a strip of fabric.

table goodies - my Ruby Star Wrapping

The pattern printout on card stock from the website provided in the book was a life saver and taped together easily. The only thing I did different was use fabric glue instead of a hot glue gun.  I know I own one - somewhere - but the thought of actually locating it had no appeal.

Update:  I'm linking up to Sew Mama Sew's Ruby Star Wrapping contest - fingers crossed!

I'm finishing up my Secret Partner swap for The Post-Sewing Summit swap made with EPP hexis sewn in the waiting room at the dealership while my car got an oil change on Friday.

Last night I finished up my bee blocks for 4x5 Hive #7.  The Curve It Up churndash was modified to 12 1/2"  I'm trying to make as many as I can of the QCR QAL and really wanting to make an entire quilt in a similar pattern and love the secondary four patch and circular wedding ring-ish look you get when they are together. Congratulations to Jenny for winning - very deservingly so - the professional quilted category in Amy's Bloggers Quilt Festival.
Katie from the blue chair won with her Broken Diamonds quilt also.

I still need to write a Retreat Recap post and promise to. In the meantime, I hope you had a chance to browse the flickr pictures.

Happy Quilting, Karen

SBAMQG Fall Retreat

SBAMQG Fall Retreat, a photo by capitolaquilter on Flickr.

The long awaited Quilt Retreat has come and gone.  My expectations were exceeded in every way, the people the place the projects. Even the weather cooperated and was glorious.  It was a fun filled weekend with a Recap coming soon.

You can see for yourself what a wonderful time it was and the creations we worked on by visiting SBAMQ on flickr.

Karen

Fresh Sewing Day - Packing Again

My sense of time is about as keen as my sense of directions. That's one of the things I love best about Fresh Sewing Day, it helps me remember if it's been two weeks or two months since I made something.

Looking back at last month with one foot out the door to Sewing Summit it's a little funny that the month I find myself all packed up again headed for our MQG Fall Quilt Retreat.

Fresh New Sewing Day November

My projects: embroidery, metal frame purse, 'e' or 'i' case, precision piecing blocks, secret swap pillow, Double Bar Supernova Bag, paper piecing, SS zipper pouch swap and x+ blocks for F+F=AMSB.

SBAMQG Fall Retreat - Fireside Hall

Who knows what I'll be showing next month after the whirlwind of these two events have come to a halt.  Maybe some holiday gifts...

Link up at Lily's Quilts and check out the major creations going on out there.  Be sure to explore the virtual Quilt Show at Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival and nominate your favorites.  There is also a huge selection of impressively-intimidating-inspiring quilts showcased at Market Festival - with a wonderful showing from Bay Area and East Bay Area MQGs, congrats.

Happy Quilting, Karen