tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71215766508992571462024-03-13T20:55:34.343-07:00Seams Sew GayAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-91146779505180425852016-12-01T07:35:00.002-08:002016-12-01T07:35:36.889-08:00FIRE ISLAND HOSTASince I have been taking over the 52 Quilters blog this week, I figured I could post my posts on both so everyone can see them. <br />
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Well it is probably not a surprise by now that I am a fan of paper piecing. I took my first class a few years ago and was hooked then and there. I have projects that I have bought the fabric for and started the cutting process but then they have been put back into a box for a later date, I have some that are partially finished and then there are those that were completed and are out for me to enjoy.<br />
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This year Ben and I decided to take a technique of the month class. It ran from June to Dec, for a total of eight classes. Quiltworx has some patterns that only certified shops or certified instructors can sell. I talked to the instructors about maybe straying from the path and trying out a different pattern. I just loved the centers of some of the patterns with the curved leaf shapes and thought it had a lot of techniques that I had not done yet. They told me it wouldn't be a problem, so I decided on the Fire Island Hosta Queen pattern. I started by just looking at the batik section to find an inspiration for the main color theme of the quilt. I tend to lean toward cooler colors and wanted to do something different from what I had done in the past. I decided on an orange color palette to start. I spent over two hours in their classroom with stacks of bolts of fabrics. Having done quiltworx patterns before, I kind of knew how to look for the colors, where they were going to go and how to play off of other colors that were already in the quilt. I worked my way from the center out, first picking the leaves, how they would flow together and so on. I decided I wanted to end the quilt in a darker color, something that would almost frame the center. This is what I came up with.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">My color pallet </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jpK1BR_ypAc/WD2hlUv3JwI/AAAAAAAAAng/Tq_MMZfyC9sUBnZk-oP5qc5o1jWrqEYgQCEw/s1600/IMG_2763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jpK1BR_ypAc/WD2hlUv3JwI/AAAAAAAAAng/Tq_MMZfyC9sUBnZk-oP5qc5o1jWrqEYgQCEw/s200/IMG_2763.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Pattern </td></tr>
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We got home and I started to do the cutting. Quiltworx has such specific cutting instructions that it makes cutting a breeze. I made a little color chart, so I know which fabric went with which number, I precut my pieces and put them into their respective bags. After all of the precutting was done I went back in and cut out my template pieces for each bag and everything was ready to start being put together.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Pre-Cut Pieces in their 18 bags</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">My class kit box, everyone </td></tr>
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We had our first class and I worked on 1/2 of the first leaf. There were only 4 leaf halves and it took me all day to do this. I tend to get in a zone and things go pretty quick but this was just not happening, turns out that each individual leaf had almost 40 pieces and that is why it was taking so long. I wasn't having it, so I got home and finished that leaf and started right onto the next side. Before the next class two or three weeks later, I worked and worked. There were some areas I wasn't quite sure on, so I skipped those and moved onto techniques I had done in the past. By the next class I had almost all of my pieces completed. I talked to the instructors about piecing things I wasn't sure about and they were a HUGE help with different ways they were taught to do it. This quilt was a little different, as it was constructed from the outside in, so we talked and I worked. When I got home I finished the center and started to put on the final borders. By the time the next class rolled around I came with my completed quilt. I was so excited to share it and everyone was shocked that I was done so fast. I just couldn't stop working on it. Lucky for me, I had another Quiltworx kit ready to start with some new techniques I had not done yet either, so I started on that one. I just so happened to finish this one up the day after Thanksgiving, leaving me with my Indian Summer quilt to complete. Our last class is Saturday and I am hoping to get most of it done then.<br />
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This quilt was quilted by Susan Miner at <a href="http://www.trendythread.net/">http://www.trendythread.net</a>, SHE IS AMAZING. She has worked on two of my quilts and I might have cried each time I got one back. It's so amazing what a long arm quilter can do to enhance a quilt but not take away from the design. Here are some pictures of the process and the final product. I am just getting the binding on, so it's not all the way completed but it has a bed to lay on when it is done.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">1st 4 leaf halves</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Same 4 leaf halves trimmed</td></tr>
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Now for the completed quilt, well I still need to sew the binding to the back.</div>
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I had to put some pictures of the back just so you can see how amazing this quilting is.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-85729383913759530132016-11-24T18:16:00.001-08:002016-11-24T18:16:24.572-08:00LET'S TRY THIS AGIANHi all,<br />
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I hope you all have had a wonderful year. There were a few set backs but all in all the year has been more than great. Ben and I are really settling into our lives here in Eugene and are so lucky to be meeting some wonderful people and making new friends along the way. Let's not forget our old friends that we are coming back together with and loving them even more. We have had some additions to our Eugene extended family this year and have just loved every minute of living here. We have kept busy both in our work and home lives and can't wait to share it with everyone. My goal is to start posting each week and I really hope I can follow through with it this year. <br />
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Hope all is well and I am Thankful for everyone past, present and future who will shape our lives in any way.<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving to you all<br />
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AdamAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-26924581885718398612016-01-23T22:00:00.001-08:002016-01-23T22:01:16.945-08:00It's a Patchwork City, Group 1I bought <u>Patchwork City: 75 Innovative Blocks for the Modern Quilter</u> by Elizabeth Hartman a while ago and I have finally come around to getting started on it. Craftsy was having a sale on a mystery fat quarter bundle from Freespirit Fabric, so I bought that and I have started. I am also getting started on a small wall quilt for the office using Robert Kaufman's Color Union, so I decided I would use some of these prints as accent pieces in all of the blocks. I am planning on making all 75 of the blocks in the book, so this will not be a quick project. <br />
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Here are my first three completed blocks: Post Office Box, Intersection and Kiosk<br />
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I think all of the colors are looking good and the Color Union prints really pop. I also fussy cut the ship in the kiosk block. I had a few issues putting together the intersection block. The book came with templates and two ways to get them. There were paper templates in the book that could be traced but there is also an option to download a PDF that can be printed right on freezer paper. I elected the second choice. I printed the template out, cut it with my old rotary blade and ironed it onto my fabric. The directions say to cut out the pieces adding a 1/4 inch seam allowance on all sides, so that is what I did. When i was done piecing the hourglass part of the Intersection block, the directions said it should measure 4.5 inches and came in at 4.25. I checked my seams and everything looked good but I decided to make another just in case. The second time I was very careful to make sure all of my cutting was correct, I took extra time lining up my corners and everything. I pieced it all together, took it to the iron and measured it again......4.25 square again. I am guessing there is a printing error or there is something special that needs to be done when adding seam allowance to a triangle. I decided to just go with it and put the rest of the block together. I started asking around and it turns out that I am not the first person to have some of these issues. I decided I'm going to stick with it because I already bought the fabric and I can hide some of the differences with the final quilt layout. I'm still looking forward to completing this quilt and I will keep you all updated on the progress.</div>
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The next three blocks will be: Porch, Meow, and City Hall...</div>
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-Adam-</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-22595389090668065372016-01-17T21:34:00.000-08:002016-01-17T21:34:29.529-08:00New Year, New ProjectsHey All,<br />
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Hope you had a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year. We were so busy in December. We had a Holiday Party, made tamales, we traveled down to Sacramento for Christmas, I made three dresses for gifts and we still had to get our work done. Life is still going strong and we are looking forward to where this New Year will take us.<br />
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Ben's friend Shannon at work came over and we made tamales. It was my first time making them by myself. I was nervous but everything came out delicious. I made everything from scratch and my grandma was definitely watching over me. We had such a good time during the process, so I'm sure it will become a tradition in our home. Cheese for Ben and I and pork for Shannon. <br />
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Here are a few pictures of the dresses that went out for Christmas. They are both patterns from <a href="http://figgys.myshopify.com/">Figgy's</a>. Her construction makes everything look so polished and professional. The red dress is her Scirocco pattern. We have made this pattern a few times and continue to love it.<br />
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The twin dresses are the Sunki dress. They were made for two cousins that are best friends. I used some Tula Pink fabric and think they are so fun with all of the color and the cute butterflies. You can't really tell from the picture, but the center of the front is an hourglass shape with cutouts on the side. In some of the versions that I have made, these were contrast fabric but I wanted to see how good I was at lining thing up and after I finished these, I gave myself a huge pat on the back.</div>
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There is still so much to share but I will leave it at this for now. Wishing everyone a wonderful year. Best wishes to you all.</div>
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Adam & Ben</div>
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One last picture of my deer friends who visit every week or two.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-4539494198073214862015-12-17T05:59:00.001-08:002015-12-17T05:59:59.425-08:00Every Tree Needs A Skirt<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE</span></b></div>
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Two years ago, Ben and I took our first paper piecing quilt class. We both love the looks that can be accomplished through paper piecing; points are so sharp and seams line up so nicely. Last year we saw a few patterns for Christmas tree skirts that we liked and decided that we would make one this year. During the late summer, we drove out to Philomath Oregon to visit the ladies at <a href="http://www.jannilou.com/">JanniLou Creations</a>, a quilt shop that specializes in Judy Niemeyer paper piece quilt patterns and we bought one we loved and some batik fabrics we thought would compliment our tree.<div>
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I am happy to say that it is completed and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. There was a lot of time put into this skirt and it looks great with our tree. I have to say a big THANK YOU to Susan Miner for her wonderful quilting (check her out at <a href="http://www.trendythread.net/">Trendy Threads</a>.) </div>
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I put all my faith into her and I was knocked off my feet with her talent. The quilting really brought out the different sections of the quilt and I love what she did with every section. I can't say enough good things about her and I think I hugged her 5 times when I saw what she did. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We hope you all have a wonderful holiday!!!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-76818311267961766652015-11-27T20:20:00.000-08:002015-11-27T20:20:35.921-08:00At It Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know it's been a while since I have written a post. I was at a local quilt shop (Something to Crow About) talking with the owner Kennette and after showing me her blog, she kicked my but and got me motivated again to update mine.<br />
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We had some family up for our first Thanksgiving, so I snapped a few shots of the table and the food. <br />
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Ben and I went vegetarian about a year and a half ago, so this year I made an UnTurkey. It came out delicious. I know it sounds a little weird but it really was so good.<br />
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We had such a great day spending time with our family in our new home. We didn't even make a dent in the food though, so I guess we will be eating leftovers for the next three weeks.<br />
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On a side note, Ben picked up some new fabric and we have decided to start the Sampler Block Shuffle. We are 12 blocks behind, so we have to get sewing. We will keep you updated.<br />
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Till next time....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-48626651962167668982015-03-18T05:48:00.000-07:002015-03-18T05:48:32.167-07:00OUR NEW ROOTSIt has been over a year since there have been any updates and I think it's time to start this blog up again. What can I say, Life got in the way. In the past year we completed a bunch of projects, purchased another sewing machine and made a move from California to Oregon. We have met lots of new quilters and sewers to inspire us and now we just closed on a new home. Considering the move, I thought this would be a good way to keep our families and friends up to speed with what is going on in our lives. Over the next few weeks I will try to post to get everyone up to speed on what we've done over the past year, and our lives we are starting here in Oregon.<br />
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Here are some before pictures of our new home. We have some painting and some updating to do but this is what it looked like on closing day. I cant wait to see if after all our furniture is in and our updates are done. <br />
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This room will become my office.</div>
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These are pictures of the main living areas, Kitchen, Kitchen Nook and Family Room. I can't wait to see what these rooms will look like after some color on the walls and our furniture in them. We did find a round cherry table for the nook. it will be different not eating dinner on the couch.<br />
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Outside we have a wraparound deck, we have to have it rebuilt because it is old but we are excited to see the finished product with the new materials we decide to use.<br />
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Last month, my mom saw a runner that I had completed. She loved it so much and from what she has told me, has been talking about it since. Every chance she gets, she asked me if I put pictures of it up on the blog yet because she told her friends to check it out.<br />
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The runner that I made was from the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i_RVyvIxXM">Zig Zag Charm Pack Table Runner</a> tutorial, from Missouri Star Quilts. It is quick to make, not very difficult to do and is good practice at lining up corners. All it takes is a charm pack, some batting and a piece for backing fabric.<br />
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The two charm packs that I chose to work with are Winter's Lane by Moda, and Ho Ho Ho Let It Snow by Nancy Halvorsen. I finished the Winter's Lane runner first but didn't take any pictures of the process, so when I was making the second, I was sure to take some pictures of the steps.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guBFuWHrLzA/UpNTO7SLllI/AAAAAAAAAN4/8ZgcW9kV8vc/s1600/IMG_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guBFuWHrLzA/UpNTO7SLllI/AAAAAAAAAN4/8ZgcW9kV8vc/s200/IMG_0055.jpg" width="149" /></a><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-21u4M4jgg2Q/UpNTPJQya_I/AAAAAAAAAOA/YKy28by4hE4/s1600/IMG_0054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-21u4M4jgg2Q/UpNTPJQya_I/AAAAAAAAAOA/YKy28by4hE4/s200/IMG_0054.jpg" width="149" /></a> Here are some pictures of the Winter's Lane runner. This is the original one that my mom saw when she came over to my house. It utilizes all 42 pieces of a charm pack. I made this one a bit after we bought our new machine and I wanted to try out some embroidery on it too. The back has three snowflake designs embroidered on each side. It was a pain to get these just right because I had to measure out seams and draw a grid out that matched the front panel. In the end, the runner looks great and I am very proud of it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W04OHh4dCjE/UpNTSHfqjXI/AAAAAAAAAOg/7DedkUQ8WB0/s1600/IMG_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W04OHh4dCjE/UpNTSHfqjXI/AAAAAAAAAOg/7DedkUQ8WB0/s200/IMG_0058.jpg" width="149" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TdJgHfkr--s/UpNTRb9E5aI/AAAAAAAAAOY/jBzISBb03y8/s1600/IMG_0059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TdJgHfkr--s/UpNTRb9E5aI/AAAAAAAAAOY/jBzISBb03y8/s200/IMG_0059.jpg" width="149" /></a>The next one I made was from the Ho Ho Ho Let it Snow charm pack. I took pictures to run you all through the process with me. The first step was to lay all of the squares out in a pattern that I liked. I group all of the squares by color and just started laying them down. Once they are all in their spot the sewing can start. The next step was to sew the squares together until you have 10 strips (2 strips of 2, 2 strips of 4, and 6 strips <br />
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The strips then get sewn together. It seems like it would be tricky sewing these offset strips together, but this pattern makes it really easy. You just continue to sew into the single square and the stitches will be covered in a later step. I continued to sew all the strips together until the top of the runner was pieced and complete.<br />
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From here on I forgot to take pictures (I know I'm a terrible person). After the top was completed, I needed to make my quilt sandwich. In this case it is made a little differently because of the absence of a binding. For this project the quilt sandwich is layerd (from bottom up) batting, backing facing up, top facing down. I pinned the layers together and took my sandwich to the sewing machine. I ran a stitch around the outside of the topper using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I pivitoed in the corners so it was one continuous seam. I also left about 2 inches open on one end, so I could turn the project out after some trimming of extra fabric. I had to go in and snip off the tips of the corners, right up to the stitch line. I also docked the inside corners. This step needs to be done so the ending project will lay flat. Next, you turn it out. I used a chopstick to push out my corners and pressed the entire project. I then needed to run a 1/4 inch top stitch around the whole project. This not only made a nice stitch to look at but it also stitched up the opening. Now it was ready to quilt. I decided for this runner, I was just going to stitch in the ditch. I did my quilting and the project was finished.<br />
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Here are the final products. I gave one to my mom and one to Ben's mom, but they decorated our home for a little while first. Using a different fabric family gave the second runner a totally different look than the first. I think the HoHoHo Let it Snow runner is much more playful and has more of a bright happy attitude. </div>
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To me the Winter's Lane runner envokes thoughts of winter itself. I see it and want a cup of hot chocolate and to sit by a fire. I do like them both and they both would have worked in different areas of our home but alas, they went to good homes and I am sure they are being loved there. I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season! Until next time. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-52018956324518385512013-12-14T05:53:00.000-08:002013-12-14T05:54:31.764-08:00Happy Holidays<div>
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These past few days have been a blur here at SSG. Thanksgiving is always a great holiday for us but it is also such a busy time. We started setting up for our Thanksgiving feast Tuesday night. We have a large crowd over and we have to move some furniture and extend our dining room table. You can see Duchess was helping out by standing in the way.<br />
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When we finally got everything set we had a chance to go to sleep. Thanksgiving morning brought a day of cooking to our home. We got up early so I could start some last minute cleaning and Ben could get the turkey in the oven. With the turkey baking, he started some homemade rolls. This year we had a smaller crowd (just 18 people) but we never are at a loss for food. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D5-ZRWre7qI/Up3hqUJthNI/AAAAAAAAAQU/tlnpE-Q7IjI/s1600/IMG_0074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D5-ZRWre7qI/Up3hqUJthNI/AAAAAAAAAQU/tlnpE-Q7IjI/s200/IMG_0074.jpg" width="149" /></a><br />
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We always feel like we are feeding an army. We ended with 2 turkeys, 48 rolls, 4 batches of green bean casserole, 12 lbs of mashed potatoes, a huge baking dish of sweet potato casserole, a spiral cut ham, Watergate salad and a Crock pot of gravy. I can say we sent home lots of left overs and had quite a few sandwiches with the leftover rolls for the next 4 days.<br />
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It is a little stressful but always such a great time. This year, since our numbers were down, everyone was able to sit in one room. It made the whole night a little more intimate then usual. After everyone ate and had time to socialize, our cleaning began. Ben and I were able to get most of our cleaning done that night which was good since we headed down South the next morning to see more of his family. <br />
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We ended up staying Friday in Oxnard because we were just too exhausted. We stopped by two of our favorite fabric stores (The Quilter's Studio and Super Buzzy). I was able to pick up the Bernina V7 upgrade that we purchased, Ben got some fabulous fabric that has mid-century modern homes printed on it. It reminds me of Palm Springs. His mom found some great fabric for some projects she is going to be working on and I got a very nice Jelly Roll for a baby quilt that I will be starting soon. That night we went to dinner and hung out with his Aunt, Uncle and Cousins. We played a card game and just spent the night laughing.<br />
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Saturday morning we headed down to Redondo to see his Grandma, brother, sister-in-law and aunt. We had a nice brunch and spent time just visiting with them. We had to leave around noon to head to The Ahmanson Theater for a production of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. It was a special ballet by Matthew Bourne. I left wanting more. I was so excited to see this ballet but it just wasn't up to par. The story was a little bazaar and the dancing wasn't as on point as I would have liked. I guess my previous ballets have spoiled me (Joffrey productions). After the ballet we headed back to Oxnard for the night. We stopped in Thousand Oaks to do a little shopping and get a tea. Once we were back home, I fell asleep. <br />
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The next morning I woke up really early and started cleaning the house. I wanted to be sure to leave early, as to miss all the Sunday traffic and we did. I spent the rest of the day on the couch binge watching The Walking Dead. I was starting back at Season 2. WOW that show is good. Ben spent the day trying to finish up a quilt he has been working on. He has finished it and I am hoping a post will be up soon about it. <br />
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Hope your season is very merry and bright. <br />
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'Til next time....<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-80527836455523093282013-11-22T06:09:00.003-08:002013-11-22T06:09:49.154-08:00It's a Jolly Holiday at SSG<br />
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As you can see, the holidays are in full swing here at SSG and it's hard to get a second to sit down and have a chance to put our projects onto paper. We spent this past weekend getting ready for the<br />
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I also spent some time this weekend designing our Christmas card using our V6 software. I got the design done and stitched out a demo. After looking at it, I decided it should be in color. I stopped by Strawberry Patches yesterday after work to get some thread and fabric to do the final stitch out. I am very excited to see the final project and think it is going to look GREAT! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0g_te6zFXR0/Uo9kVHnXFNI/AAAAAAAAAMA/dpUWW8CEVLA/s1600/IMG_0139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0g_te6zFXR0/Uo9kVHnXFNI/AAAAAAAAAMA/dpUWW8CEVLA/s320/IMG_0139.jpg" width="239" /></a>Ben has been busy working on his king size quilt. He has finished the top, now it's just making the quilt sandwich, quilting it and binding it. I hope he has a bit of time this weekend to get some more of it done. I am so proud of him because this quilt is going to be beautiful.</div>
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I have been busy trying to get some runners completed. I realized we have a lot of Christmas decor and would like to kick it up a notch or two. Santa has officially taken over our home and I'm sure he would love to have something beautiful to rest upon. I hope I have these done in the next few days, so keep your eyes open.</div>
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I also received a pattern book (Sewing Modkid Style by Patty Young) I ordered from <a href="http://modkidboutique.com/">Modkids designs</a> this week. I was so excited because it has some wonderful patterns that all use knits. I can't wait to try my skills at knits and make some cute clothes for my nieces. Knits can be tough to use, but I think with some practice, my girls will be the best looking girls in school. <br />
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Till next time...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-10624369017961620492013-11-15T05:34:00.000-08:002013-11-15T05:34:09.413-08:00I might be bias.When we decided to purchase the new machine I also bought some fabric for my first quilt. I am not one to start out with something easy (boring), so I decided to use a twist tool to make something a little different. These are some of the steps and pictures of my first go at quilt making.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuJNY7mLVXU/UoOM7NGKhuI/AAAAAAAAAKA/EyjSGLZlee0/s1600/IMG_0114.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuJNY7mLVXU/UoOM7NGKhuI/AAAAAAAAAKA/EyjSGLZlee0/s200/IMG_0114.PNG" width="178" /></a>The first step was to decide on a pattern. Instead of finding a pattern online, I decided to design my own. I used excel to design the pattern and also used it to calculate the final size. I purchased four different fabrics, so I made the design and gave each fabric a number. I wanted to have some of the colors pop so I ultimately decided on this design.<br />
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I started cutting my squares out. I needed 5x5 squares for the twist tool that I was using. I probably cut 300 total because I wasn't paying attention at first and now the extras are in with all of our scrap pieces. We use these to test different stitches and to run practice embroidery designs.<br />
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The next step in my plan was to sew all my pieces together. I went a little crazy trying to keep all of the squares in order and pressing the seams all the same way. It's something you really have to think about because sometimes you're looking at your rows upside down and backwards. The beginning part of the quilt was quite large. I would lay it across my table and, from there, I could see the pattern taking shape and make sure all my squares were in the right position to complete the pattern correctly. There were a few rows I had to seam rip and redo but I thankfully caught them and made the corrections. You can see in this picture that it wasn't fully sewn together yet.<br />
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This pictures shows the pattern from a different angle and you can see the different fabrics. This was the mid-point to finishing my quilt topper. I could have used this for my quilt but since I decided to use the twist tool, it was time to cut my project up again.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hjyan9P2BHQ/UoI7GFRx-sI/AAAAAAAAAI0/M5to1beOt4A/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hjyan9P2BHQ/UoI7GFRx-sI/AAAAAAAAAI0/M5to1beOt4A/s320/IMG_0056.JPG" width="320" /></a>The next step in my quilt making process was to cut out the twisted blocks. At every intersection of four squares, the twist tool is laid down and the square is cut out. This started to become very confusing and I had to take a step back a few times and make sure everything was coming out correctly. I cut the squares out two rows at a time, stacked them all in the order they were cut. It was very important to keep them all in order as to keep the final pattern flowing correctly.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gIkcAdZOWro/UoWNnnVJLzI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/w9UUrqAIXMk/s1600/IMG_0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gIkcAdZOWro/UoWNnnVJLzI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/w9UUrqAIXMk/s640/IMG_0057.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d46wbObUoyU/UoI7KOcTDMI/AAAAAAAAAJM/As4KOA427u0/s1600/IMG_0066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d46wbObUoyU/UoI7KOcTDMI/AAAAAAAAAJM/As4KOA427u0/s320/IMG_0066.JPG" width="320" /></a>This is the first two rows sewn together. If you look at the first intersection of four squares on the right, you can see the first pinwheel that was formed using the twist tool. The final project has 13 pinwheels across. I cut all of my twisted squares out and gave them all a row number. I decided to buckle down and get them all sewn. This is a picture of two rows left to sew. You can see that it is kind of dark in our sewing room. I am an early bird and this is what I would do in the morning to get my project finished. I would log a good hour or two in the morning trying to complete my quilt top.<br />
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I finally got everything sewn together and added my border fabric. I picked out this dark grey color to make the lighter colors of the pattern stand out. I wanted to try and have my embroidery machine do all of the quilting for me since it was my first quilt but I decided to use the Bernina Stitch Regulator (BSR) and a freehand stipple stitch. It was tricky at first but once I had the hang of it, I zoomed right along. A stipple stitch is a zig-zag stitch that doesn't have a real pattern to it. It is just a continuous curving line that never connects with itself. I first drew my lines on the front of the quilt. After all the stippling lines were drawn on, I made my quilt sandwich (quilt top, layer of batting, backing). These get all pinned together so they don't slide during the quilting process. I used the BSR to trace my stippling lines and this was the finished product at that point. You can see the stippling lines from the top view (left) and bottom view (right).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oRpyyeMKLMc/UoWQ4bQPPnI/AAAAAAAAAKc/SimLaEq2u9c/s1600/IMG_0099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oRpyyeMKLMc/UoWQ4bQPPnI/AAAAAAAAAKc/SimLaEq2u9c/s200/IMG_0099.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--cn2YQQKxSY/UoI7MrTyK9I/AAAAAAAAAJU/47UjipMeOyg/s1600/IMG_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--cn2YQQKxSY/UoI7MrTyK9I/AAAAAAAAAJU/47UjipMeOyg/s200/IMG_0097.JPG" width="200" /></a>The final step to completing the quilt was to make the bias binding. To cut on the bias means to cut the fabric on a 45 degree angle. When fabric is cut on the bias, it has a little bit of stretch to it. I chose a coral color that compliments the coral on the quilt top. This was all my bias strips sewn together. You can see Duchess wanted in on some bias tape action. I didn't know at the time but putting the bias binding on a quilt is not that easy. By the end of my binding experience I was frustrated and just wanted it to be over. Needless to say, I am going to need some practice in this department. Now I just have to go into my scrap bag and put some binding time in. </div>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I think the quilt turned out well for my first go at it. I got to use a lot of the features on the sewing machine, practiced lining up my seams and got to use the BSR on a real project. I am already looking for my next project to start. I have a few little things I have been thinking of and want to try to make my nieces some type of outfit. I found a few cute patterns and might give that a go this weekend, if I can find some time. </span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">You can see here Roger loving it, but we might be bias!</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eJY7RLMOlSo/UoWU7k-Xa5I/AAAAAAAAAKs/DVH1A0Ia-VU/s1600/IMG_0116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eJY7RLMOlSo/UoWU7k-Xa5I/AAAAAAAAAKs/DVH1A0Ia-VU/s640/IMG_0116.jpg" width="476" /></a></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-25292790795168531772013-11-12T06:51:00.000-08:002013-11-12T06:51:12.410-08:00Did someone say pajamas?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">We have been quiet here at Seams for the past week but, rest assured, we have been busy sewing, among other things. One would think that writing a blog doesn't take much time, but it feels like every time I sit down to write, something comes up. Now I have some time, I might get a few posts written. Ben and I both both enjoy our quilt projects but we would really like to get into making our work clothes. This post is about our first "clothes" making experience.</span></div>
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Ben found a pattern for pajama pants and we found some fun fabric by Robert Kaufman. I don't know if you all are like us, but once we are home from work, it's work clothes off and pajama pants on. I think the fabrics are funny and indicative of our personalities. Ben picked out the birds and I picked the cups.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WG5Tfbmx4bI/UoGpoILsbpI/AAAAAAAAAIM/gmaJuvIONoI/s1600/IMG_0093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WG5Tfbmx4bI/UoGpoILsbpI/AAAAAAAAAIM/gmaJuvIONoI/s200/IMG_0093.jpg" width="149" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uKhKnpT0qPk/UoGpmavJyXI/AAAAAAAAAIA/zoUARCHx1Vo/s1600/IMG_0095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uKhKnpT0qPk/UoGpmavJyXI/AAAAAAAAAIA/zoUARCHx1Vo/s200/IMG_0095.jpg" width="148" /></a>Ben completed his before I did but we had such a busy week the week of Halloween, I decided I was going to spend my Sunday sewing. I had already pre-washed my fabric so I ran a quick iron on it and started my cutting. The pattern is really simple. There is a total of 4 pieces and just a few seams. I also had a chance to use the button hole program on our sewing machine and it couldn't be any easier. I was laughing because I put in my inner leg and crotch seams and confused myself really bad. I kept looking at the pajamas wondering how I was going to get two legs out of it. After 10 minutes of confusing myself and not understanding Ben's explanation, I finally figured it out. It was a good laugh for me. I did the hem in the waist and added some elastic and a strip of bias tape to make a tie. </div>
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Like I said, Ben finished his pajamas a little while ago and he mentioned that he wished he had pockets in them. Well that gave me the idea and chance to put pockets in mine. I improvised a pocket pattern and did my best to put them in. Well...they function as pockets, but they are a little low and don't really look that good. I can say for our first go at pajamas and clothing for that matter everything came out well. They are very comfortable and that is what matters most. My family was over for on Sunday so I had my mom take a picture of us in our pajama pants. Fifteen pictures and three photographers later this is the best one we got.<br />
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This is not the best picture but it makes me smile and I hope it leaves you smiling too.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-9079412423331409492013-10-27T20:47:00.001-07:002013-10-27T20:47:44.688-07:00Another Super Buzzy Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, we have had another Super Buzzy weekend here as Seams Sew Gay. Between checking out the new release of Bernina Machines, finding new fabric stores in the Ventura area, and theatre tickets, were were go go go. <br />
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We started out our Saturday with Trudy at The Quilter's Studio in Newbury Park. They showed us what's new from our friends at Bernina. They just released the new 560 and 880 E. These machines are wonderful and have tons of features. We had a chance to play around with them, check out the features and do a little shopping while we were there too. If anyone is looking to purchase a Bernina, I would suggest a stop by The Quilter's Studio. Ask for Trudy and you will be in good hands. She is my go to gal when it comes to quilting. When we ended there, we headed to Ventura with Trudy to visit some fabric stores on Main Street that we never knew were there. <br />
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We hit up Fabric Town first. My initial thought was WOW! They had everything someone could want in the areas of fabric. I spent most of my time walking around and just taking in the sights. We found some beautiful wool fabric to make some slacks, a soft geometric Minky fabric for a dog bed, and some heavy black out fabric for drapes. I'm sure we will be back with Ben's mom in the future to buy out the store.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qy3c74QFgeQ/Um1BJAdBfvI/AAAAAAAAAGw/16ebXKaf4wc/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qy3c74QFgeQ/Um1BJAdBfvI/AAAAAAAAAGw/16ebXKaf4wc/s320/IMG_0082.jpg" width="239" /></a>The next stop was a store that Ben found though Pinterest. It's called <a href="https://www.superbuzzy.com/shop/">Super Buzzy</a> and it just made me smile. We meet Kelly and her mother. Kelly had so much knowledge of Japanese designers. I have always been a fan of Japanese artwork and their style of animation, so this is the store for me. They specialize in Japanese and Modern fabrics. I was checking out their website on Friday and found a Christmas fabric that I wanted to make a runner out of. I found it and it looks even better in person. They were so friendly and helpful with any questions that Ben and I had. Ben is a fan of anything London and he found this fabulous fabric that he is going to dress our bed up with. There will be throw pillows to come. I also bought the black London inspired design. I am thinking that one of the dogs is going to have an outfit soon. I also bought Making Magazine and can't wait to start making some of the Asian inspired projects from that. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1kJbJ6L8Po/Um1BLkeCTFI/AAAAAAAAAG8/GIzdVYfvjWU/s1600/IMG_0084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1kJbJ6L8Po/Um1BLkeCTFI/AAAAAAAAAG8/GIzdVYfvjWU/s320/IMG_0084.jpg" width="239" /></a>After our busy morning, we had just a little time to hang out with the dogs and have a quick bite to eat before we had to head out to the Ahmanson Theatre to see The Sunshine Boys. It stars Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, and Justin Bartha. It was non-stop laughing from me. I told Ben, some of the scenes could be played out by our family members and that made the connection just a little closer. Danny DeVito was exactly what I expected and the slap-stick type humor is MY type of humor. <br />
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Sunday, we planned to just hanging around the house. I have some embroidery ideas that I want to get programed out on my Bernina V6 software. I also need to put my quilt dimensions into the software and try to do all the quilting though the software. Ben has a queen size quilt that he is working on and there are a lot of strips that need to be pieced together, so he will be getting some of that done. I was going to get samples of the Christmas coffee sleeves done but alas, Ben's mom invited us over for dinner and we couldn't pass it up.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Q76VojBqcg/Um3ZcuRnyhI/AAAAAAAAAHg/cDge5wqPs48/s1600/IMG_0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Q76VojBqcg/Um3ZcuRnyhI/AAAAAAAAAHg/cDge5wqPs48/s200/IMG_0030.jpg" width="200" /></a>While spending an evening with Ben's parents, I took was able to get some pictures of Karlyn's (Ben's mom) latest project. She is a lover of all things Halloween and she put together an appliqué project. The day we introduced her to The Quilter's Studio she found some fabulous fabric to use for her appliqué. She has the Slice cutting system and used it to cut out the moon and a witch. She appliquéd the moon, did some decorative stitching then added the witch. Her final step was to add some glitter to give it a little more POP. She also dressed up the collar. On the front of the jacket, she appliquéd some jack-o-lanterns and coordinating fabric. She finished off this with a wonderful whimsical cat button. She has a great eye and imagination to dress up anything and is my go to sewer for quick questions.<br />
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I am hoping to have some patterns done for my Christmas coffee sleeves soon and will get some pictures up. I have had multiple people ask about purchasing one and I was thinking, what a good idea for a Stocking Stuffer attached to a Coffee Gift Card. I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend too and I will be back soon with my completed Winter Charm Pack Runner.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-75392797824444486622013-10-23T21:30:00.000-07:002013-10-24T14:14:41.780-07:00Sleeves were a Hit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First thing first, the coffee sleeves were a hit at work. This is my coworker loving her Starbuck's cup now that she is not burning her hand. I was a little nervous that they would not really block out the heat, but they did! People saw them and now I am getting orders for the Christmas season. I have been thinking about different patterns that I can make and have three different versions in my head. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ayFzZa8J158/UmiZCdCikDI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/flfVUib2H6E/s1600/IMG_0080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ayFzZa8J158/UmiZCdCikDI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/flfVUib2H6E/s320/IMG_0080.jpg" width="239" /></a>I have been working on a hand embroidery project the last few days. The mother of another coworker of mine makes these adorable quilts for friends and family of hers that are having a baby. She does all the piecing and appliqué by hand but needed someone to do the embroidery on it. Luckily, I was taught how to do a bit of embroidery a few years ago. When I was initially asked to do the embroidery for the project, I thought it would incorporate my machine, but, alas it didn't. I can't get over how cute these blankets are. They come from vintage patterns that used to belong to my friend's grandma. I have seen a few of the different patterns completed (sheep, dog, cat, elephant) and they kill me with cuteness every time.</div>
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One last thing, this is what I came home to at lunch today. This is Simon enjoying the crocheted throw I completed last winter. I used the Katherine's Wheel stitch in 5 colors. It was the first throw that I completed and I was very happy with the outcome. The stitch is a yarn eater but it makes for a very heavy and warm throw. Perfect for the chilly winter mornings. I'm glad that someone can enjoy it when it's still a brisk 85 degrees outside.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-3399954767729671592013-10-21T20:28:00.002-07:002013-10-21T20:28:37.555-07:00Busy Weekend<br />
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Well, you can see we had a busy weekend. Ben made a quilted pillow and I was busy learning our new embroidery software and making coffee sleeves.<br />
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It was Ben's grandma's birthday, so we left to Redondo Beach early Saturday morning. On the way down we had to make a stop to meet our friend Trudy who works at The Quilter's Studio. I call her my "Quilting Fairy Godmother," she is wonderful. We got to see some of her projects and award winning quilts. She is such a talent. If you can make it to The Quilter's Studio, make sure you tell her Hi.<br />
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After leaving her, we had to pick up our Jumbo Hoop for our Embroidery Unit. I haven't used it yet but I am very excited to. I am planning on trying it out today.<br />
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Finally, we headed down to Redondo Beach to celebrate Ben's grandma's birthday. It was nice to hang out with the family in nice weather. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KiSbiJ7gCI/UmXwK5ZFiPI/AAAAAAAAAFo/SJ47ZzIEm8M/s1600/IMG_0072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KiSbiJ7gCI/UmXwK5ZFiPI/AAAAAAAAAFo/SJ47ZzIEm8M/s320/IMG_0072.jpg" width="239" /></a>On our way home we stopped by a local quilting shop in Redondo Beach, <a href="http://www.aaasewingandfabric.com/">AAA Sewing</a> and bought some Halloween fabric (seen on the pillow and coffee sleeve) and I bought a pattern for a lunch bag. We finally got home and started on our new projects. Ben started in on the pillow and I started on coffee sleeves.<br />
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Starbucks sells a reusable cup for a dollar but it gets very hot if you don't have a sleeve, so I decided to make one. I told a friend at work I would make her one too, so I found a pattern by <a href="http://craftystaci.com/2013/09/30/coffee-sleeve-of-the-monthhalloween-bat/">Crafty Stacy</a> and made a few. They turned out really cute and got me thinking of other designs that I can make for the seasons.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RhqPHrGwKF0/UmXwKq9u9sI/AAAAAAAAAFs/PLZAnp_69Yk/s1600/IMG_0074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RhqPHrGwKF0/UmXwKq9u9sI/AAAAAAAAAFs/PLZAnp_69Yk/s320/IMG_0074.jpg" width="239" /></a>Today, after work, I stopped by Strawberry Patches to check out their Halloween Fabric. We wanted an orange fabric with black polka-dots to complement the black with orange polka-dots on the other pillow. I also tinkered around in the V6 software and am now stitching out another spooky house to try out the multiple hoop design needed to work on our machine. We will have pictures of that as soon as it is completed.<br />
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A Special THANK YOU to Trudy for the wonderful embroidery and inspiration!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-68917474147346538842013-10-20T19:16:00.004-07:002013-10-20T19:16:58.203-07:00Halloween ProjectThis is Ben, I'm writing my first post for the blog. Adam and I love Halloween, A LOT! We were given this awesome embroidery on a really pretty orange fabric by our friend. <br />
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Clearly, there wasn't enough time to make a quilt before Halloween, given my schedule with work and grad school, but the Bernina "weallsew" blog had a pillow project that I really liked, so I adapted it. The original project can be found at <span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://weallsew.com/2013/10/03/geometric-pillow-by-megan-bohr-for-weallsew/">http://weallsew.com/2013/10/03/geometric-pillow-by-megan-bohr-for-weallsew/</a>. I made the embroidery the center piece and bordered it with a really neat black fabric with orange polka dots. I quilted squares around the embroidery in orange thread and I really like the way it turned out, especially given that the whole project was complete in a couple of hours. I love that the bernina instructions included a zipper, I'm not a huge fan of envelope back pillow cases.</span><br />
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On the back I used a black charcoal Moda fabric with a modern print. I quilted it with the same orange thread diagonally, straight lines, one inch apart.<br />
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If I had decided to spend a little more time I might have considered cross quilting the back, or pulling some of my quilting and straightening it up, but overall I'm really happy. It looks great on the sofa, we're considering embroidering the same design on black fabric in orange and making one more. I can't say enough about how easy this was. I would recommend anyone looking for quick holiday decor give it a try. Happy Halloween!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07100813179033141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-68370434897687702762013-10-15T20:42:00.000-07:002013-10-15T20:42:57.856-07:00A Few Completed ProjectsWe have been sewing on our new machine for two months now. During this time we have completed some projects. I wanted to take a little time and post some pictures of the projects we have finished.<br />
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My first project was a set of pincushions. I bought the pattern for the pear a few years ago before our old machine started acting up. It was never completed because of this, so when we bought the new machine I thought, what the heck. The patterns are by Heather Bailey and I think they came out super cute. I gave the turtle and elephant away as gifts and they were a hit.</div>
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<span style="text-align: right;">For patterns visit :</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.heatherbaileystore.com/">http://www.heatherbaileystore.com</a></div>
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My next project was from Bernina's Through the Needle Magazine Issue 18. It was a way to check out some of the stitches and features of the new machine. I also thought my nieces would love them. The patterns were fun to make and I found some fabulous fabrics at Bolts to Bindings in Bakersfield. Of my two younger nieces, one likes pink and one likes purple, so these fit them perfectly. You can see from the looks on their faces that they love them. It was fun to watch them play with them and funnier to hear them tell everyone how much they loved their "COWS?" I can't wait to see their faces when I complete the other animals that I have found.</div>
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See the link below for Through the Needle Issues:</div>
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Thanks for visiting and 'til next time</div>
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Adam</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121576650899257146.post-17232163944643680502013-10-13T19:04:00.000-07:002013-10-15T05:41:48.492-07:00Why We Started this BlogHey to all of you out in Blogverse,<br />
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This is Adam and I wanted to take a bit of time to tell you a little about us and what this blog is all about. It is going to be a way to document our skill level, projects created, and provide inspiration to others. Ben and I both work in stressful careers and coming home to the sewing machine is a way for us to calm our nerves down and give us a chance to use a different part of our brain.</div>
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A few months ago, Ben came to me and decided he wanted to start sewing. His inspirational project was making drapes for our bedroom. We had an old machine his mother gave to me a few years ago but it was in need of a good servicing. His mom recently bought a Bernina and we decided it was time for us to get a new machine, so we started the search. We looked at different machines and had a lot of discussions about what we wanted from a machine. I have tried quilting in the past and that is one area we both wanted to continue to do in the future. We also wanted to acquire the skills to make clothes that we could wear to the office (not there yet). After a lot of thought we ended up with this..</div>
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A Bernina 750 QE and we are in love. We decided on the 750 QE because of the extra room in the throat (right of the needle), so we could use the machine to do our quilting on larger projects. We also decided on the 750 instead of the 710 because we wanted the opportunity to embroider in the future (we ended up purchasing the embroidery module with the machine). </div>
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Now two months later, we are sewing a lot and learning everyday. We have both completed a few projects (pictures posted soon). I have also spent some time with the embroidery module, trying to learn what I could before our class and I am amazed at what can be done. After attending the "Learn Your Machine Class" yesterday, we are excited to try new things and use more of the potential built into the machine.</div>
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I also have to say that we have met so many friendly and helpful quilters out there, and have links to some of our favorite quilting stores for all your fabric, sewing, and Bernina needs.</div>
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Thanks for visiting our blog and be sure to come back for our progress on projects and new features we learn along the way.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16698175675567839624noreply@blogger.com0