ducky house

hello and

go on over and say hi to Jen from Vintage Sheets who is featuring my "don't get out of bed pants" tutorial. Make one for you and one for all - Christmas is just around the corner you know.

Be back Monday with a proper update. Happy Friday, xxx.

hexagon love

I just can't get enough of it. 

I've been wanting to try my hand at English paper piecing and I couldn't think of a better place to start than with hexagons.  I'm not alone, I see them popping up all over blogland and flickr, so many little hexagons to be made.  

Really aside from knitting it is the perfect portable craft.  One little baggie filled with fabric squares, paper hexagons, a needle, thread and you are set.  I can see how nice it'll be to sit outside on a warm summer day sewing hexagons and not missing a second of summer. Ah...that's the way it should be done...sewing and sunshine.

I used the tutorial from TheSometimesCrafter.  She also has a pdf template for 2 inch hexagons available for download. That size seems just right for me, don't want to start with 1 inch hexagons and completely overwhelm myself.  By the way, I've seen other tutorials where people have trimmed their fabric squares to the shape of hexagons but really this is an unnecessary step and expends a lot of extra time that can be given to hexagon making.  Just cut your fabric squares, fold and sew.   

I'm still unsure what the end product will be.  I was thinking about a pillow cushion or table runner but then again a quilt might be nice.  My kids think I'm making beehive. What ever I end up with, I'll warn you ahead of time making hexagons is addictive.

Happy (Good) Friday, can you believe it April already?? 

how sweet is that?

I arrived home yesterday to find out that a new hot water tank had been installed. yipee er, not quite, the repair guy left the bill behind... and now I am a thousand + dollars lighter.  *sigh* must we replace everything is this house??  

Such is life but we aren't going to dwell on it, instead let's talk finished quilts. I was able to get a few shots outside before the wind arrived. 

My original inspiration was all the beautiful bento box quilts out there but I wanted to modify mine since a) I didn't have the pattern and b) I discover this nifty tutorial over at Film in the Fridge. Other than adding my own measurements I made mine pretty much the same way.

The quilt measures 55" x  45", each block is supposed to be 12" (finished) but I always seem to lose a little on the seam allowances and then of course one has to make sure things are squared up...well let's just say I have some things to work on ;)  

I went with a green backing and pieced it with strips of fabric from the front to make up the width. I lucked out and found this great polka-dot fabric to use for the binding at my LQS. For a while there I didn't think I was going to find anything suitable and ordering online wasn't an option because of color matching issues.

Taking photos on a sunny day is beautiful but terribly difficult for shadows.  You can see tree shadows all over the back, but I kind of liked it.  For a different effect I tried shooting into the sun. It gave the quilt that stained glass aura, if only I could cover my windows all year round with stained glass quilt.  

Next up for this quilt is a twirl in the washing machine and then it will be mailed off to join it's new owner. I hope she loves it as much as I enjoyed making it. I'll have to keep her identity a secret until she receives it...I love surprises.  

I'll be at work for a few days over the next week but am planning a little shop update and also another home education post, so stay tuned.  Happy Friday, xxx. 

stippled

and waiting for binding. Maybe something in polkadots?

ding dong the witch is dead

goodbye t-fal

no longer will you spit your venomous water on my freshly laundered fabrics.  no longer will you shut off, just because - you're not related to the windows operating system are you?  no longer will you temperamentally not heat up.  you are dead. ding dong the witch is dead.  you must of known your days were numbered.  you must have felt my animosity.

i contemplated buying your brother last month when costco reduced his price by $ 10, but i'm no fool. they say doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is the definition of insanity.  strange i may be, but crazy i am not.

i suppose it isn't entirely your fault. you were probably never made to withstand the endless work that I put you to. oh the cottons and the linens, you had a difficult time coping at best.

last night you showed me what you were made of. you heated up for our last battle and then you sparked and smelt of burning wire. i thought you were going to shock me or worse. i reacted quickly and unplugged you. i didn't even shed a tear. instead i threw my jacket on and headed out the door minutes before dinner where my journey landed me at a local store.

after a quick assessment of my options i chose the Shark. ooo, even the name sounds like something to be feared. were you jealous when i plugged the Shark in t-fal? were you jealous of all it's silvery splendor, it's powerful steam bursts and endless heat? were you jealous that not once did the Shark turn off when I put it to work for 2 + hours last night laboring over freshly laundered cotton? don't get me wrong t-fal, i do not love ironing. but it's a necessary task when you are a pre-washer. believe me, only quilting could draw me to the iron, that and weddings or funerals. 

speaking of funerals, i won't be having one for you. i won't even wish you a RIP. i think you are the last of the t-fal products to leave my home. yes, i have moved on and i want to shout it into the far corners of cyberspace.

my apologies to all those who have the t-fal and are still in love

news and a giveaway

I did it. I took the plunge and officially opened my etsy shop.  I registered the name back in July 2008 thinking grand thoughts that I'd fill the shelves of the shop with goodies. Hah! that never happened.  Lofty ideas for someone in the midst of huge upheaval (a move and renovation).  Well, I re-adjusted my ideals and the shop has sat quietly waiting to be opened. 

Craft Hope was just the kick in the butt I needed to pull some ideas together and get sewing.  Heck, if I can make items and list them for a good cause (for love of Haiti), I can make items and list them for a good cause (for love of duckyhouse). 

To kick off this new inspiration I am having a giveaway.  The winner will receive a linen (with green vintage) fabric ipod cover - photo below- made by yours truly.  It fits the classic iPod, the iPhone and iPod touch. I started working on the pattern quite a while ago, after a few prototypes I am more than over the moon with this design because it not only holds my iPod but also my ear buds.  Yay, no more tangled ear bud mess, a very important feature! 

To enter the giveaway:

• leave a comment
• tell me what country you are from
• and your favorite olympic sport, if you have none then your favorite crafting sport.
• If you twitter, facebook or blog it, let me know and I'll count it as a second entry...but you do have to let me know.

~ Comment will close mid week and I'll announce a winner shortly after that.~  

continued below...

But it's not over yet, in addition to the giveaway, all items in my shop for the duration of the Vancouver Olympics 2010 - that's Feb 12th to Feb 28th will ship free anywhere in the world.  Shop now

ETA - Feb 18th - comments now closed.  I'll announce a winner over the weekend.

layout

Last week I left you at sewn, cut and stacked.  Yesterday I made a little more headway in between cleaning out my pantry - what a big job that was - it's amazing how much clutter can gather in a food zone.

Before I even began cutting my fabric I sat down one evening and drew out the direction for this quilt.  I'm discovering that this step really helps and excites me when I have specific fabrics in mind.  When I draw it out, it isn't meant to be an identical interpretation of the layout rather it is more a visual aid to see if the colors work together.  So from the drawing I am now at the layout.

I've taken no less than 20 photos of the layout.  I then upload the photos to my computer and that gives me a chance to see where the bulk of the color adjustment is needed.  I've moved things around and am leaning toward this layout.  What do you think?

that groundhog

I'm sneaking in before the weekend starts with a quickie post.  Things are set to get pretty busy over the next couple of days as we have a family wedding Saturday and another outing planned for the kids on Sunday which will involve lots of indoor water fun.  I think we really need the latter right about now, come February we all start to feel a bit house bound.  On more then one occasion this week I've heard it voiced by my little people that they are quite done with winter now and ready to move on to greener pastures.  But whoa, not so fast, I just heard the groundhog saw his shadow and well, we all know what that means.  I guess we'll just have to figure out fun ways to keep ourselves occupied.  For me that will be a little easier now that I've drawn up the plans.  So far I've:

•• sewn ••

•• cut ••

•• stacked ••

I think that is as far I will get for now, the weekend promises to be filled with lots of living.  Happy Friday, xxx.

process

I've been dying to make one of these for a long while.  I already have the person in mind for whom this would be perfect.

The fabric selection has been made ••

and cut ••

now to get busy...

busy bee

I'm busy like a bee in my studio sewing up piles of handmade goodness for a local artisan sale coming this Saturday.  And since I am only half way through the list of things I want ready for the sale, not to mention planning the birthday party that follows the next day for our resident 12 year old (...yes, I said 12 year old!!!), I'll continue in the photoblogging manner.  In the meantime enjoy some sneak peeks of what is on the cutting/sewing table.  Happy Monday!