KittyMiniSwap and Gracie Queen

It's blog post Friday, as promised and though there's not much, there is something.

I have been working on this mini quilt for the Kitty Mini Quilt Swap being hosted by Felice over at Sew ScatterBrained all week long. It was actually in the works last week and then I scrapped the whole concept direction and rerouted to these adorable flying geese. Now, as a secret swap I cannot name the intended recipient, though she has seemed receptive to the direction I am headed in, so I am pretty sure it will be a well received object.

Along with the quilt I have collected a pile of little goodies to include in the swap and may or may not have a SewTogether Bag to add for carrying all the goodness in. That will be next week's project and may remain a true secret.

The only other thing of note this week was I found a quilting frame that is not only a fit for my machine but is actually sold in tandem with my machine by the manufacturer. On three different sites I can find The Grace Company Gracie Queen and King quilting frames with my machine as the intended work horse, and I even so conveniently know of a shop that reps them that is, get this, a five minute drive down the road from my house. It's a match meant to be so I am now actively saving to be able to purchase the frame later this year or early next year. At $700 to $900 depending on bells and whistles it's not an enormous purchase but it's a far cry from the $10K tag on some long-arms. Added that I am not ready for a long-arm, the fold and store mid arm frame will be best for me.

Now I am off to working more on this mini and the extras for that swap. Figures I might be done by the end of August and it's not due to the USPS until the beginning of October!

Past, Present, and Future

Hello again. It's been a quick summer break in our home. Now, with the first week under our belt, I am doing some back to school organizing.

First up has been this poor neglected blog. It was May the last time I posted which is unacceptable. So, today and going forward I am going to commit to posting on Fridays. It may not be a real juicy or productive post most weeks, but it will be consistent and let's be honest, even if I have just a new zippered pouch to show, then at least I am creating.

Next is a quick note about this quilt. This is the Kate Spain line Daydream. I bought a charm pack of the fabric a while back and put it all together in this small sample piece. I call these sitting mat size because it is not large enough to be a crib or baby size but it is too big to be considered a true mini. I use this piece to find filler fabrics. The great functionality of this line is that there are prints both large and small in scale, high and low in volume, and in a whole range of colors. Even if I am not using that fabric specifically, I have an example to give me an idea of what I want or need for other projects.

Second for this blog post is the amazing class I have be in the last three days. From Creative Live, Bonnie Christine of Going Home to Roost Blog has been teaching all about Surface Pattern Design which is pretty much the art of making patterns. She uses Adobe Illustrator and in the class shows us how to start with a sketch and get all the way to a finished print line. This is HUGE to me because it steps me through everything! It has been a great three days and I bought the videos so I can go back anytime and review what I learned. It was well worth the money and since I already have a Creative Suite from Adobe, now I can get the most out of the programs and actually start producing surface patterns for my own use and maybe more.

Now this next quilt is also a sitting mat size and came from a collection of random gray shade fabrics I got in a swap a couple years back. Truth to tell this was my first mail away swap ever and it was so fun I jump to participate in these types of swaps. The fabric was originally charm size and then I manipulated it some more to get this overlapping weave. This quilt has served as the construction and design foundation for my BasketWeave quilt pattern.

 Finally, I want to finish up this post with a few more finished objects. First is a quilt near and dear to my heart, Beautiful Mess. This quilt is throw size and I use it on my bed every night. It is backed in flannel so it is warm and cozy. The block is the Japanese x & + from City Stitches Blog and all the fabric with the exception of one + is from Birch Fabrics. Perhaps it is the organic cotton, maybe it's the flannel, but for whatever reason I sometimes have to go hunt down this quilt in the evenings because everyone seems in my family seems to enjoy spending time in this quilt too.

Below is a table runner that has ended up on the fireplace hearth of our master bedroom. Now, we don't use that fireplace because it is currently blocked by other furnishings, but the table runner covers the stone hearth and softens that portion of the fireplace. Also below is my Boat Tote. This bag is large enough for a two rolled beach towels but currently I am using it for some knitting projects. The inside of the tote is lined in a laminated fabric so that it is easy to clean out after having damp items in it.

I am off to practice some more surface pattern designing and to finish a couple of blocks for tomorrow's FRMQG meeting. I recently joined the national Modern Quilt Guild and have signed-up for a Michael Miller fabric challenge so watch for that too. Have a great week, everyone and see you next Friday!

Making the most of myself

As Mother's Day swiftly approaches I find myself in the unique position of working on a number of projects for other people and yet nothing I can show you.  Soon, after the third Saturday this month, I will have the Colorful Colorado Challenge quilt to blog about, a special few t-shirt quilts to share, and a very secret wedding gift to surprise a new couple with.

It's all so much fun to get into my studio every day and have so many fantastic projects to dive right into. I will be back in a couple more weeks to post photos and share stories but for now, Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there!

The Denver Driving Mitts

Hello again everyone! Two posts in one month is some kind of record for me, right? I just wanted to put out there that the link to my Denver Driving Mitts pattern is live!

From the blog you can download it directly without having to go to Ravelry, though I do encourage you to go check them out. Ravelry is a yarn arts site with patterns, over 100,000 of them free, for knitters, crocheters, and yarn artists of all levels and creativity. I first joined the site almost two years ago to search for knitting patterns, and through the friends I have made and the knitting experience I gained, I am now confident and comfortable to post my own pattern. Enjoy!

Long weekends and short deadlines

Hello everyone and Happy Holiday Weekend to you all. I find myself busier this weekend then most due to the little man's Valentines Party on Friday, the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild meeting all day Saturday, swimming and LEGO Movie today, and no rest for this lady with extra days off from school for the President's Day federal holiday and a flex day out of school on Tuesday. Goodness, it's a good thing our annual quilters' retreat is fast approaching because I am going to need three days off after all this!

I have been happily knitting and quilting away since my last post at the beginning of January, completing the second Globetrotting BOM inspired by Venice. I have been to Venice once back in 2002 with my husband, though he was then my boyfriend. We did a month long tour of Europe via train, hitting cities like Paris and London, Amsterdam and Zurich, and ending in Venice and Rome. It was magical and a trip I hope to repeat with my husband and son someday when little man is older and better able to enjoy museums.


I also managed to complete a quilt of my own design for my son's PTO to sell. The funds are for the school so the children do not have to sell magazines or wrapping paper. I called it Hand Burst and will put together a quick tutorial. It's super simple and going to a good cause.


As other projects are completed I will continue to update my FO page. Right now I am thinking I might try to complete at least one quilt a month for all of 2014. Wish me luck and happy holiday to you all!