SewKatieDid

Because thread is the best glue

linen

::To Lay My Head::

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I bribed Roan with candy to come out in the cold and hold my pillow.  I wanted to show the scale of it.  The insert is a body pillow from Martha Stewart’s line at Macy’s.  The filling is somewhat lame I discovered the first time, so I took the sizing down.  It was the last of what I considered my UFO projects (I’m ignoring all the quilts).

It’s mostly linen with wee bits of Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner and Alexander Henry.  I used the triple stitch along the top and bottom of the panel.

Did I mention I hate working with linen?  When it comes to serging it always travels, even when pinned to all Hell.

Some of my favorite fabrics, colors and it could not have turned out any better.  I am very pleased.

Been saving this Amy Butler Tulip forever for the perfect project.  Works great for the back.  When I get bored with it all I think I’ll cut it up and make a baby quilt.

The reality is I rarely read more than a page because I always stay up too late sewing, but it will sure look wonderful on our bed!

I wanted to give a BIG “Thanks” for all the kind comments regarding my Tumbling Blocks Pillow!  I’ve had had its inspiration on my board and the Hope Valley fabric spoke to me.

::Grandma Goobin’s Ciggie Pouch::

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A few times a year Great Grandma Goobin (don’t ask, just what we call her) requests a new ciggie pouch.  The last one should probably be burned.

So I set to make her one for Christmas.

I love Improvisational Patchwork for so many reasons, but I constantly end up far off from my original mark.  I am not a sketcher, so everything is left to fate.  I started out thinking itty bitty wonky star.  Same fabrics as the Tumbling Blocks Pillow (because I am in LOVE), minus Chambray and add linen (thanks for all the comments btw on this pillow!  I’ll try to get a small instruction together or check out “wee bits quilt” in Last Minute Patchwork and Gifts”  for the technique and stack them).

I don’t think I’ll ever have a machine with out triple stitch on it.

Two Anna Maria Horner’s representing here.  Some of her new flannel and some Drawing Room inside and on the back.

Mostly Hope Valley and some random scrap sent via Fabric Swap with other goodies.

The pillow (that is upside down I see now) went to G.G., Roan’s OTHER Great Grandma.  She’s Norwegian, and a bit less into the Modern scene if you know what I mean?…but such a special lady.  The Heather Bailey is a perfect addition to her sunfilled mellow yellow living room that I spend chatting with her.  I was so happy to see my vision placed on her couch!

Two wonderful people in my life among the others I’m blessed with.

P.S.   This Perfect Box Pouch is next on my list.

::Escapism::

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My home is a disaster.  Everyone is sick.  So I sat down and put together my quilt top for some sanity.  I’m hoping this fabulous Halloween weather will hold so I can get some photos outside tomorrow.

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I ended up adding a row to make it square.  This will actually be the first quilt I’ve ever made for myself.  I’m looking forward to cuddling up on the couch with it.  Mine all Mine!

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So this week it’s time to stitch the rows together to finish the whole quilt top!

I pin the intersection of the blocks only when I piece the rows.  I pull a bit if needed to help them through and line them up.  I’m going to be lame and not reinvent the wheel with a tutorial of stitching the rows together, there’s plenty of info out there and I need to get ready for Trick-or-Treating with my little SQUID MAN!

Be thinking of your quilt backing, that comes next week.  I’m thinking some of the new Amy Butler, this one is perfect.

Happy Halloween!

::Stepping Stone Quilt::

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It’s finished.   I was never able to see the finished product, as it was mailed straight from my quilter Lori (steinquilts@yahoo.com) to my dear friend Kara for her wedding.  There’s no way I would have quilted this in time and in this manner by myself.

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Kara moved into my old house when she was three, our family built a house next door.  Many days of our youth were spent in the yards and woods together.  Sadly we can’t make it to her wedding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

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So here’s the line up for each rectangle:  Kona solid rectangles surrounded by improv print piecing, linen, Kona again in a color followed by natural Kona.  Added one print and then linen again.  The final layer wraps them all in natural Kona.

It will lay on the bed the other direction, more hopscotch style and the binding is Cake Rock Beach dots in the green.  A little hard to see in the picture.  More photos of that and the back to come.

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One more shall we?

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I am so thrilled with how it turned out.

::Loads of Amy Butler::

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Amy Butler’s new software arrived.   Some of my infant slings, pillows and quilts made with her fabrics are featured in a photo gallery, along with other artists’ creations.  It’s certainly inspirational to see what others create.  I imagine I’ll spend some time checking in on some of their blogs, and I would also like to find some time to make the tuffet on the cover!

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Amy also send out information about her new organic bedding that will be available at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I’ve been offered some samples, so stay tuned and I’ll let you know what I think.  The colors are stunning and I had a hard time deciding.

Crazy Mom Quilts One a Day Quilt Along (wow that’s hard to say), isn’t getting the daily attention, but I’m trying.  I’m guessing I should have over 30 nine patch done by now.  I felt pretty accomplished with 13 yesterday.

If I was a single girl, I’d sash it in starchy crispy white linen, and make a shower curtain for my claw foot tub.  Silver hooks and all.  Wouldn’t it be dreamy?

Amy Butler’s Charmed Line is still one of my all time favorites.  I’m missing a few of the prints, and may have to place some OOP fabric bribes to all you junkies to help fill in the gaps.

Since I actually washed my kitchen floor for once, I also decided to iron and baste this baby quilt that has been rolled under my bed for nearly a year.  A large portion of it is flannel.  Don’t know what I’m thinking.  I’ve got two wedding quilts to work on.  Sure was pretty to look at though.

A girl can dream right?

::Sunday Stash 9/Kaffe Fasset Clouds::

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Kaffe Fasset Clouds

It’s actually Saturday, not Sunday for me.  It’s raining.  I shouldn’t even be posting, I need to be getting ready for our friends from Alaska to arrive.  Four fun filled days of eating, drinking and cohabitating in my 700 square foot house with 5 other people.

It involves packing up the studio part of my “Livudio” (that’s what we call our living room/studio).

I’ve had some “drafts” for wedding quilts happening in the Livudio.

The Kaffe Fasset Clouds, and the Jewel tone Carolina Chambray above, I will make into a wedding quilt, perfect for their room.  The idea came easy, and I’ve stuck with it.  The design will be similar to this one last Fall, but the clouds will be center stage of the squares.  Sashing will be the vibrant, rich red.

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I’ve also been messing with some ideas for a wedding quilt that needs to be finished by Fall.  Nothing is concrete yet, except for the colors.  I went with blue, green and gray.

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I’ve been very inspired by quilts with green lately, and gray is lovely in so much right now.  Especially inspiring for me right now are this, this and this.

I’m big on just cutting, sewing and seeing what works.  A million ideas go through my head before the final collimation of a quilt.  I guess I’ve mostly always done what’s now called Improvisation quilting.

Here’s some peeks.  Have a good weekend!

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::Finally::

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Remember how I said I was not starting any new projects until my pile was finished?  I’m getting there.

I sat down last night once everyone was in bed, and FINALLY pieced together these bits.  The linen was a leftover and the bits are scraps.

The idea came from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts.  It’s the Little Bits quilt.

I’ll be doing some tweeking to make it my own, but just getting the thing off my design wall made me feel rather accomplished!  This might be the front of a wedding quilt, it might be the back.  I need to stew on it for a moment.

::Sewing Month::

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There is no doubt that it is November in Seattle. The rain is here. Roan continually asks me if the sun is going down, and it’s only noon. I was telling Jeffrey yesterday that I finally have November in Seattle figured out. I sew and sew and sew… Oh, and I also drink a lot of tea. Those that know me might think I always do these things. The month of November brings new meaning to sewing…Christmas presents.

So this year it’s reversible aprons for the womenfolk. Hope no family is reading this. Here’s a pick of some of the fabrics. I think the linen will give a nice drape to the lightness of the Alexander Henry fabrics. The Amy Butler’s truthfully aren’t some of my favorites, but I think they will be super cute for aprons. Think the pink will be for myself.

I choose two patterns. Mary Mulari’s Church Ladies’ Apron Pattern for a retro look and a sleeker apron from Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing Book. I would recommend buying a quarter yard above the yard they suggest per side for the church lady. The second pocket doesn’t fit on her layout. I pillow cased the single pocket rather than spending the time turning under the hem of the curved pockets. Who uses the pockets on aprons anyway? On Lotta’s apron I made the waist straps a bit longer so one could wrap around to tie in front if they wished (the picture in the book shows it this way).

Pictures to come and kids’ aprons.