12/24/10

Snowballs Without Snow and a Little Japanese

Japanese themed wall hanging


Our GBaby dressed up

Back of Japanese wall hanging
Butterflies on Japanese wall hanging
Our sweet little GBaby!!

Gosh, I am soooo sorry that I have not blogged for so long! I have been fairly busy...trying to start a business or two...keeping our little GBaby, who is growing fast...and quilting! Can't belive that 2011 is nearly upon us, and I have so many things to finish for 2010!

Currently, I am making a quilt using the snowball block. This is a block I have been wanting to try out for a while now, so I am pretty excited about how it is turning out! It has been fun to make, and I think the quilt is going to turn out really nice. Here is a link to a snowball block tutorial http://www.straw.com/quilting/articles/snowball1.html... I hope you enjoy making these blocks as much as I have!!

The Japanese theme wall hanging is finished and delivered and another one is on order for February! The Japanese wall hanging (photos above) was a real challenge for me...but one that I really enjoyed in the end. Any time you challenge yourself to do something different, you end up learning so much in the process. For the wall hanging I used an art quilt pattern, but didn't follow it exactly. I tend to use patterns as a starting point and then make the project my own by doing it just a little (or a lot) differently. Are you a strict pattern follower? Or do you use the pattern as a basis for your own designs?

Our GBaby is growing quickly! Our kids are all grown so we tend to forget just how quickly they grow!! She has molars, top and bottom, and can chew most things fairly well now. She is getting tall too!! We just delight in her and love to keep her.

A friend of mine just had a baby boy, so on my design board is a baby quilt...now if I can just find the time to put it on my sewing machine!! The quilt is just a patchwork quilt using 5 inch blocks...a charm quilt of sorts. These are fast and easy to make...and bonus...you use up lots of scraps!

Before we have discussed "sewing green" and lately I have seen a lot of articles on the subject. I get so excited to read these articles, because reusing and repurposing things is a great way to save money, and the environment. Recently, I bought several twin and queen size flat sheets (new and unopened) at a thrift store for $5 each. Sheets are a great source of large amounts of fabric and can be used as quilt backs, cut up for blocks, or embroider a nice design on the sheet and give it as a gift. You can typically find sheets still in the package at thrift stores for a very reasonable price. Thrift stores are a great place to find other sources of fabric...dish towels, duvet covers, bedspreads, long gowns, etc. One article told of a bride who had and all "green" wedding...she made her wedding dress out of a duvet cover, and her decorations were all made of repurposed materials! Wow! How are you "sewing green"? Have you found any good ways to repurpose or recycle everyday materials?

Well, back to the sewing room! I have lots to do, and fortunately it is cold and rainy outside, so it is a great time to be inside!!

Happy Sewing and Quilting!!


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