Village Quilt Part 2

The quilt top...just about ready for the batting/backing...

There is a whole world out there about batting and backing fabrics and then the quilting itself. D'oh!! Quilting is actually when you sandwich those layers together....oooooh!! Then you have to decide how you are going to stitch them together (there are entire books written on this, I kid you not) I was about ready to give up, there were just too many choices and variables and how was I going to do all that on my basic sewing machine? but then the more I looked at the quilt (top!) I knew I had to finish it, so I did some reading, a LOT of reading, (This fabulous book was a big help!) and consulting, and settled on 'stitch in the ditch' quilting. Which is when you top stitch (quilt) the sandwich together by following the lines where the fabric meets. I started with off white quilting thread, but it was proving distracting when my lines weren't perfectly straight, so I switched to clear plastic mono filament thread, and it was pretty much gravy from then on in. But of course I couldn't have even gotten that far had I not used an even feed foot or 'walking foot' as those in the know call it. A special foot for the sewing machine that helps push the quilt sandwich through evenly. Then, just when I thought the sewing ordeal journey was over, (I kid!!!) there was one more skill I had to learn, which was how to make binding and then sew it on, by hand. All I can say is, THANK YOU, YOUTUBE!!!! Once that was done, I was pretty thrilled with the results. I think I'd love to make another quilt (top) if I could just find someone else to do the rest of it! :-)

"even feed" foot

All Done!!! About 60"x60"

The flipside...you didn't think I forgot, did you?
I went with a solid gray so the stitching design would POP.

Village Quilt...

So, in the back of my mind, I've always wanted to try making a quilt and even more so since going to the IQF in 2010 & 2011, but I never actually took the steps necessary, like choosing fabric and settling on a design. And, true to my crafting habits, I like to dive right in, and not read ahead, that would be less fun!! (ha!) Anyway, when gobs of precut pretty fabric landed in my lap, from my friend who doesn't have a problem giving up hobbies like I do...it kind of got me thinking that I'd actually try to make one someday. Flash forward 3 months, and I was struck by inspiration out of nowhere when I saw the bright colors sticking out of their bag and thought that it had to be made into something pretty, ASAP. I played with the strips & colors, without a grand plan in mind, and before I knew it, I had assembled a panel of 12 strips in graduating colors.

Then I looked more carefully at the stash and I realized there were 4 strips cut in each of the 12 colors, so I went ahead and made 3 more panels. Then I was even more puzzled, because I didn't know how I could join all these together to form something cohesive enough for a throw, and I went back to the stash... there were even more precut strips that I had passed over before, and these were shorter than the original long strips I had made into the panels.

After playing with the colors and shapes, my quilt (top) had taken shape! I had a nice, square-ish design. I thought, wow, that was cool, thinking I was pretty much done. Never really having given any thought as to HOW a quilt comes into BEING!

Since you've been such patient readers...here's a sneak peek of the plan thus far...

Miss-take free

So as you may or may not remember, I unsuccessfully tried to visit the Missoni Pop Up Shop during FNO. While I am nowhere near a die hard fashionista, I am more of an interested bystander. I think it would be nice to have something cute from this collection, but it isn't a MUST for me. Anyway, my BFF Melinda's birthday just went around the corner, and I was racking my brain and my craft stash for card ideas when it hit me....I need to do a Missoni inspired card.

With my trusty computer, cricut, and sure cuts a lot, and paper stash, I was good to go. I settled on the sine wave curve (ya know, from math class?) and used that as my foundation. I also knew I had to include the iconic designer's M from their logo, and coupled with the fact that it is for Melinda, it was too perfect to pass up.

I cut out my envelope using a template from Judikins, and as fate would have it, the pattern is herringbone, which is very Missoni-like. I reused an envelope when I made this new one, and for the 'body' of the card, I repurposed a file folder. :)

I haven't sent this off yet, so please don't tell the birthday girl!! I know I can trust you!!

An EXTREME closeup of the envelope:

now the card....

and now....both!

Fix a flat

So, no trip to visit my NY family is ever complete without some major crafting. This trip was no exception. While shopping at Costco, I noticed these huge 4'x4' squares of plain, unprinted cardboard placed between the layers of the diaper boxes and such. )The kind of cardboard that cereal boxes are made out of.) And since it was Costco, packaging is a free for all. We picked up 2 with a loose idea of tracing my nieces for a life sized paper doll.

Once we explained the plan to my nieces, they were totally on board. on cardboard, that is! But really, they were troopers and held perfectly still as we traced their outlines and patiently waited as I cut their 'flat' versions out.

Next, we raided the scrap fabric bag to come up with the perfect outfits for them to 'wear' which turned out supercute, if I do say so myself. Thank goodness for hot glue and it's super stickability! My mom came up with the great idea of running a hand basted stitch to make the skirt ruffle, made it even more lifelike!

Party like a soon-to-be-6-year-old

So, just when I thought the uber crafting was done for the month, I got a phone call to serve as the crafty ringer for my dear niece's 6th bday party. While they live far far away in a secluded isle of Man(hattan), the crafty goods are goin on here in Houston, so I sprang into action.

The theme: a cooking party so we knew it had to be cute and yummy, all at the same time. My sister, (mother of bd grl...MoBDG) has the food part taken care of, thank goodness, since that isn't my bag. So it was up to me to come up with something to jazz up the chef's hats, aprons, and goody bags in time for the big day. The birthday girl also has ideas of her own, 'just suggestions' which are always welcome b/c she's a burgeoning crafter in her own right too! But I digress. She suggested we use white, red, and aqua for our color scheme. We were all over that.

And if you don't already know, my crafting passion often intersects with with my eco-obsessions, so I try to reuse whenever possible. So, it was kismet that the bridal shower from april also used RED! I made some yoyo-type flowers from left over (red/white) ribbon which will be pinned on the chef hats, and I sent those along with the ribbon so my sister can attach it to the aprons too, somehow. And, my nieces also came up with the genius idea to write "Chef ___ " on each one. So, I bought some iron-on transfer paper for that. Keeping my fingers crossed that this will work. :)