I'm alive!!!

And I finally got my sewing machine back! It took 3 weeks to get fixed and serviced. I fell into a sort of hollow depression there for a while... But now the hole in my life has been filled. I missed my machine SO much!!! I was so happy to bring her home yesterday!!

And I also have a finish to share too!! I finished the Life baby quilt!! It was wonderful to quilt and bind it yesterday! Today, it's in the mail!!

Sorry for the craptastic pictures. We had the rain storm of the century today, so I had to take them inside. Blech. But, at least the quilt is cute!!! :)

Check in tomorrow too for WIP Wednesday!! (Because, obviously - I've been on a sewing gluttony spree now that she's home!!)

WIP Wednesday!

Last week I missed my WIP Wednesday post. It was Friday before I even realized it!!! Why? School started last week!!! It was a busy week! I had actually gotten a bunch done last week, and even more this week, so I have lots of fun stuff to show you!! Let's get to it!

Game Night Quilt

I finished the back! It's a GIANT chess board! I am loving how it came out!!

**my computer isn't loading pictures at the moment. I grabbed a few from my flickr, but the other will have to wait until later! Sorry!**

Maxi Skirt

I have been wanted a Maxi Skrit for some time, but kept putting it off or whatever. I almost bought one, but the $25 price tag wasn't really my speed - especially as I wasn't totally sure I would wear it much if at all! So, with a 50% off coupon in tow, I went and bought some jersey knit and set out to make one. I used THIS tutorial from Elle Apparel. It only took me about an hour!

(picture to come!)

And the verdict - I may never stop wearing this! It is SO comfy!! Total WIN!

Life Baby Quilt

A friend asked me to make THIS baby quilt for her to give to a friend, in yellow and greys. I was so excited, as this is a quilt I have wanted to make!!



Beejeebers August Block

**Shake it like a Polaroid Picture**



Isn't this fun?!? I love this block! The "pictures" are only 2 inches finished! Such a fun block to make!! Tutorial can be found HERE!

Niece's Baptism Dress

My sister asked me to make a baptism dress for my niece and I am only too happy to do so! I have the pattern and fabric, but that is as far as I have gotten! I am planning on cutting it out today! :)

So, now for some tragic news... as I began quilting the Life quilt, something happened to my machine. The bobbin case broke!! It isn't a huge problem, but the part will take 2 weeks to arrive!! AUGH!! So, I took the machine in for cleaning/service and that little repair. I've got nothing for 2 weeks. Well, that's not true. I have my old machine (if it still works... really, who knows...) and my neighbor offered to let me borrow hers (and I probably will!). But as it stands now - I am on hold for a while! Yuck.

Well, that's all for now!! Happy WIP Wednesday!! Linking up to Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday... sort of...

So... I did get some done this week. I got the back of the game night quilt started... But that's all.

So, in lue of a real WIP post, I am going to share some of what I've been doing instead of sewing...

Fact about me: I love the Olympics. I mean, I love the Olympics. I love the Olympics the way most people love Christmas. Every 4th year, I want to buy a giant TV and never stop watching the epic display of human awesomeness. LOVE!!!

So, with the 2012 London games starting, I found myself in full Olympic fever. And, because I was unable to pack up and move to London for two weeks, I settled on hosting our own family Olympics instead!

***Que Theme Music***

The Events:

Javelin!

Discus!

Fencing!

Archery!

Marble Racing! (I think this one could be running?)

Shot Put! (Which, as you can see was really just a water ballon fight...)

Kayaking!

Finally, our own Olympic Torch!

Cupcake cones! With a frosting flame! Yes, they were really, really good! :)

Here's to all the Olympians!!! Next time - I'm totally going to Rio...

Happy WIP Wednesday, everyone!! Be sure to head on over to Freshly Pieced!!!

WIP Wednesday!!

This has been a GREAT week for sewing!! Not that I spent as much time sewing as I would have liked, but I did get some things done that I am super duper excited about!! :)

But first - a few little bits...

This week I did some fabric shopping! It's been a while, and I am glad I got to buy a few things...

I just loved these fabrics for my stash!! I also got some fabric for a dress! I'm so excited!

Second - this is M. She is my sewing student. This week we went over how to put in a zipper. This picture is of her FIRST try...

I know. I still don't do it that well! She's a natural!

Finally - and this is the BIG one!! I finished the top of my Game Night Quilt!!!! It. Is. Amazing! I cannot thank the ladies of Beejeebers enough for the amazing blocks that they did for me! So, here she is...

I know. Amazing, right?!?  Once I get it all the way done, I will do a little feature on each block, because they all deserve one! They are truly wonderful! I am now planning out the back - which will be a chess board! Too fun!

 Also, be sure to check back on Friday! I am hosting a GREAT giveaway!! Yipee!

Thanks for stopping in! Be sure to check out all of the WIPs at Freshly Pieced!

For laughs...

So true... :) Happy sewing!

Utility Bags

I made 10 utility bags for my husband to store and carry climbing gear in for a youth encampment that he is leading in a few weeks. I came up with the design myself, and in a moment of weakness, decided to add a zippered pocket to all of them. It tripled the amount of time it took to make them, but hey - they will thank me later... ;)

So here they are (forgive the awful pictures. I'll get great ones when I make the tutorial soon!)

This bag is SO easy to make! Simple drawstring backpack!!

I laced the cords through grommets and knotted them off. That way, they can be easily converted to a drawstring bag. And the grommets provide a drainage if the boys have to wade through water in the canyons!

Zippered pockets! I will admit, I didn't do them perfectly. But they are functional!

All in all a great bag that is quick and easy!! Stay tuned for an upcoming tutorial on these!! :)

WIP Wednesday

Once again, very little was done this week. I promise, once summer is behind us, this blog won't be such a drag! :)

I did manage to do a few little things:

Utility Bags: I finished all 10 bags, and they turned out great! I haven't taken pictures yet, but will get those up tomorrow!!

Game night:

I did get some prep work done. There are some blocks that came out a little bit small, so I am trying to figure out the best approach here. I think I know what I am going to do, so some sewing will get done on this today!

Swimsuit alteration:

My main project of the week: altering my 8 year old's swim suit. Okay, I know that I am very conservative, but this year has been a swimsuit nightmare. I'm sorry - I don't want my daughter wearing a suit that is trying to make her look like a mini woman. We have tried 3 times to get a decent suit and each time it has been to low cut, to high cut, or just plain inappropriate. Finally, I found one at Downeast Outfitters that was very, very close to what we were looking for. BUT - My daughter is very tall, so the top was, once again, too short. That's when I realized: I can fix this. I sacrificed one of my swim suit in the process, but I managed to sew a band around the bottom of the top and yea!! She now has a suit that looks cute and covers her in an appropriate way. I have a feeling this is going to be the norm every summer. I may just try making our own swimsuits... we'll see. :) So here is the finished product.

Well, that's all! Check out all of the WIPs over at Freshly Pieced!! :)