one shabby chick

I am in love with bias binding

How did I not ever use bias binding before? Oh yeah, because I was too lazy and cheap to cut fabric on an angle.

I'm making the girls some tops using this pattern. I first saw it on someone's blog (cannot remember where!!) and had to order it. The pattern is great. It's like a photo tutorial and easy to follow. And it's pdf so pretty much instant gratification.

I'm loving the Drawing Room line. And there's some great photos on Flikr of the Quilt Market. Looks like Sandi Henderson has some adorable patterns!!

Ok so back to the bias binding. I love it. For so long I have seen patterns call for bias binding and in my head I think...I can just use regular binding. It won't really matter. And this tiny wonder makes it so easy!

She uses the same technique as Angry Chicken showed in her hilarious you tube video. So great and comes out perfect.

I'll hopefully be able to finish them tomorrow and post some finished pictures but we do have ballet so we'll see.

100th post and Aprons.

So this is my 100th post. But I'm thinking I'll save the giveaway for my one year blog birthday in August (and I'm thinking about making a quilt for it!)

This apron has already arrived at it's destination. It was part of the package for my scrap swap partner.

I didn't use a pattern but based it on one I've had in my kitchen forever.

**Ok what's up with Typepad - they've totally changed their format and are confusing me now!!

I made this apron for a wedding shower gift for Sat.

I think I'll pick up a baking book and maybe make a couple of pot holders. I was just going to do a ruffle on the bottom and then it somehow turned into pleats. I like it though.

I really wish I had done the same pocket material on both sides. I debated back and forth (the pockets are lined with the opposite side fabric) but oh well! I don't care enough to rip it out and change it.

I have no idea how this is going to look when I post it but we'll see. OK off to sew some more!!

Growth

Our little garden is growing.

The tomatoes are spouting, as is the arugula, basil and lettuce.

I seem to have forgotten what I planted here but it's either green onions or some type of chive.

And the finished quillt.

The back is just pieced with three pieces.

I think it's "hawaiian-y".

I'm loving actually finishing projects!

It's a good feeling.

Candy monster

Baby girl has been doing really good going potty on her little potty. I started her out by telling her she would get a candy when she went pee-pee on the potty. Man, is that child motivated by candy! She's been doing really good and I finally had to cut off the candy since it was getting to be too much and told her she can only have candy now when she goes poo-poo. And it's a lollipop (before it was Starbursts and then Tic Tacs after she cleaned us out of Starbursts!) so she's pretty motivated for that too.

Here's a quilt I've been working on this weekend.

I'm doing the binding now and then will send it off to it's home. I have a few more I need to make too for various gifts so I should have some projects to show later this week.

Kinda in a crappy mood today...bad soccer game yesterday with some weird vibes on our team. I think it was the heat (it was in the 90's). And I just tend to stick my foot in my mouth sometimes and was told (this morning) that I did it again yesterday (not at my game - somewhere else). Which I hadn't even realized I had done. Which has made me feel even more crappy.

OK off to figure out what to do with myself. Can I put myself on time out?

**Update - feeling much less crappy now. I called the person I supposedly bummed out and it turns out they weren't bummed at all. Relief. And I finished the quilt and it's in the washer as I type this. Hopefully it will come out still in one piece!!

Vog, vog everywhere

Hawaii normally has beautiful clear, blue skies. It's just how you picture Hawaii to be.

Not this week though. And a couple weeks ago it was the same thing. All because of the volcano. And Kona winds. How we long for the trade winds to come back. It looks like LA. It's really humid too. I'm glad my kids don't have asthma since I know the vog always bother people with it.

Think I'll just sit in front of the fan later and try to sew without sweating too much.

Check it off my list

Ok I'm done with the curtains.

I was sewing along, while watching this for the millionth time, and then realized oops!

I sewed the top part on inside out. But only on one so that was good.

I love how they look! And the bottom ruffle is long enough so it hangs really nice.

Once we get bunk beds I'll be able to move the dresser away from the wall and then you'll be able to see the bottom ruffle better.

I cut my hair. I was debating back and forth and then just decided to take the plunge. I've had it this short lots of times before so it was not too much of a shock. I sometimes feel less feminine when it's this short but it's so easy and I really like it too. I guess that's all that matters - well my opinion and hubby's - he likes it too so guess we're all good.

Curtains

Yesterday I started on the girls' curtains. I had previously tried some curtains but the prints ended up clashing with their room so I'll be using it as clothes for them instead. And I think I have mentioned how much I love this fabric so...

In the midst of the sewing Baby girl started looking through our photo albums. They are right in my sewing area and so I stopped and looked through them with her. I usually don't take the time if I'm in the middle of something (I know, bad mom) but I did and was so rewarded for it.

We looked at our wedding album first. We had a friend of the family take our photos and if there's one thing I could do over (well, two actually because I didn't really like my wedding dress), it would be to pay the money for a good photographer. But that was almost 13 years ago and we were poor (so were my parents) and photography has come such a long way since then. I'll share some on our anniversary (it's in Sept.) but I will say there's some great cake-smashing ones!!

We moved on to photos of the other 3 as babies and toddlers. It was so fun to reminisce. Man, the years really do fly by. I think she was a little upset that there weren't more of her in the albums. I tried my best to tell her that hers were all on the computer (and of much better quality - man, the difference a good camera makes!!) but how much does a 2 year old really understand of all that stuff. She was convinced every baby was her and I had to say "No, that's brother" or "No, that's sister".

We came across some pictures of Bela as a tiny baby on a blanket. Now Baby Girl has that blanket in her crib and sleeps with it every night. When I told her that she wasn't the baby on the blanket she got mad and said, "Baby, No, No, Flankie" (she has trouble pronouncing B's) - she was really serious. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing and I tried to tell her that Bela had the blanket before her but she didn't believe me. It was so cute and funny.

And that's why I haven't finished the curtains.

Today they all got haircuts and tomorrow is my turn. I'm thinking of going really short again. My hair is really straight and fine and does not grow fast. We'll see what I decide tomorrow. I made up a cutain for my hairdresser. She's amazing, always knows exactly what I want and charges next to nothing. today I was in there and she was talking about how she wanted a small curtain to go over this unsightly catch-all below the cash register. I heard myself volunteering and told her to pick a color and I'd pick out a cute print. No, it has to be plain white since the owner of the salon is rather picky. So, I sewed a small, white curtain to take to her tomorrow...she said she'd cut my hair for free but I can't let her. It barely took any time at all.

Ok somehow this post has gotten long...and hopefully not too boring if you've stayed with me so far. I promise to have exciting pictures of my curtains soon.....Oh, and, I ordered my fabric for my living room curtains today - I'm getting a whole bolt baby!! 15 yards - I am so excited. I may have to roll around in it on the floor when it comes!! This ebay store is great - she's really nice and the cheapest by a couple bucks!

Money for nothing

I finished the binding last night. I kept thinking I only had a little more to do and then would look and there was a huge amount left but it went quick and hand-sewing is somehow calming and therapeutic.

(I removed the button since it expires tomorrow and they seem to be doing some maintenance on their website. Guess I'd better spend that $25 soon!)

Gorgeous!

Boy those girls over at J. Caroline are fast! Got my box of goodies today and the fabric is beautiful!!

I think I'm going to use this fabric to make curtains for the girls' room. We (Bela and I) decided the blue just didn't match so I'm thinking the white one is the way to go for the living room curtains. Only problem is it's hard to find! I contacted an Ebay seller and she's going to get back to me about how long it will be. She's the cheapest I've found so far for this fabric line.

I drove up from my soccer game yesterday (we won 2-0, yeah!) to find banners taped up outside...so sweet!

They had all colored them - I need to take them down and save them..they are so cute.

My mom loved the quilt. I couldn't finish the binding but only have about a yard more to go so I should finish it today.

I wrote up my "bio" for the Common Threads blog today. I wasn't really sure what to say so hopefully I didn't babble on. I got the first set of fabric in the mail today from Rebekah. Black, red and white! Definitely going to make my brain think on this one. She hasn't posted her inspiration/theme so I don't have to start on it yet.

After the quick sew-up on the Mother's day quilt, I think I'm ready for another one. I've been trying to think of a good thank-you present and what could be better than a quilt?!

Almost Done

Ok so I've done it..well, almost. I just have to hand-sew the binding on the back. And I did it all today :-)
The material was already cut into strips (not the pink and white one though). I had cut it a couple years ago and it was stashed in one of the scrap drawers. I'm sure I had a plan/project for it but for the life of me, I cannot remember what it was?!

I realized (well, I've known for some time now) while making this quilt that I love prints. Any and all prints. Solids, not so much. But now as I've been looking here and seeing the beautiful quilts made with solids and prints, I'm beginning to have an appreciation for the solid. So this is the closest I could come to a solid from my stash.

The bolder, bigger strips are from Amy Butler's Charm line and the pink and white fabric is from her Midwest Modern line. And to keep it all in the "Amy" family, I used a Nigella print for the back. I'm sure you are not supposed to mix home decor fabric and quilting weight fabric but oh well. If it falls apart, I'll just make my mom a new one.

It's funny how quilting has come full circle for me on this Mother's Day (which is technically tomorrow but I keep trying to get my family to make it a weekend-long event...they aren't buying it).
The first quilt (or sewing) I had ever done was for my mom for Mother's Day 10 years ago. I had bought a Brother at Costco and went over to my friend's house and she showed me how to use it. I had quite the ambitious first project - a Photo Quilt of my son (I'm pretty sure this was before printable fabric...I used the iron/transfer one where you printed it out and ironed it onto white fabric).

I stitched them onto frames and then onto the quilt and "sorta" bound it (I used the backing and brought it around to the front to bind it). It's bulky and wonky and embellished with lots of fabric paint (went a little overboard with the stuff) but is still hanging in my parent's spare bedroom.

So this year I made her another one. No photos this time. Just flowers.

I hope she likes it. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!! I get to go play soccer for Mother's Day - I know hubby is happy since he can watch the game while I'm gone!!

(My mom and I)