July 23, 2013

Atlanta Bound with a New Boxie

I'm pretty excited, my husband and I are headed to Atlanta!

Today we're driving to my Dad's to drop off the kids (oh yea!), and tomorrow morning we're flying out. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever been on a plane with my husband, not that that's a big deal or anything, just a thought. (and a run on sentence, geez....)

Either way, I love going new places!!

We're traveling out there because it's Thirty One's National Conference, and it's the first one I'm going to. So very excited! I didn't go last year because I was only with the company for about 2 months and couldn't really justify it at that point. But this year it was almost a MUST!

And, what's a little traveling without some new digs??

I made this beauty to house my knitting project (I can't travel without a project - or 2).


Followed the (No Guts) Boxie Pouch Tutorial, and I loved it! I did make a few adjustments:
1) I used woven interfacing instead of lightweight. I like pouches with a little more umph. 
2) I cut the pieces for the tabs at 1 1/2 inches by 3 inches instead of 1 by 3. I wanted my tabs a little longer.


Did I mention that it's the perfect size for my knitting project!

I absolutely love it, and am most definitely making lots more. My oldest daughter has already made a request (requirement is more like it) that I make her one as well.

Most favorite part of this tutorial is that the inside is completely finished - NO unfinished seams!! The inside is so cute, I'm tempted to turn the whole thing inside out and take a picture.

We pulled these fabrics, they'd make some really cute Boxies don't you think?!


July 4, 2013

Oh July...

... you are so awesome!

Happy Fourth Everyone!!

Yes, today is the 4th of July so bring on the hot dogs and fireworks!

We've already been swimming today, and my dear husband has taken all the 'big' kids to see Despicable Me 2 at the 'movie fee-ater'. Bless him!

So, what am I doing you ask?? (Besides keeping the tv remotes and batteries away from the baby of course).

Well, I've finished doing the prep work for dinner, and now I'm off to work on my Lovely Year of Finishes goal for this month.



This month I am determined to finish piecing the top for my mystery quilt I started last summer with my guild.

Right now I'm calling it my mint chocolate chip quilt. I know there's some pink in there, but every time I see it I think of that flavor ice cream (and sadly I don't even really like that flavor. oh well).


Early this morning I pressed those 96 half square triangle blocks. Yes, 96. I got through them 12 at a time, baby steps, baby steps.

Aside from this goal I have another baby shower the end of this month that I need to whip something really awesome up for! I'm gonna be an aunt again!! I'm so excited for my baby brother to be having his first boy!

What are you working on now?? Anything for a special little baby?

June 27, 2013

One of the best kept quilting secrets - HST paper!

Ok, I seriously feel like the super nerdy kid that came across something that made me popular enough to join the 'cool kids' crowd!

How come no one smacked me over the head with this stuff??

I mean, I'd heard about paper piecing, but never tried it.

HST paper is a piece of paper, or a document that you print onto paper, that you pin to fabric that is right sides together. You then sew on the sewing lines, and cut on the cutting lines when you are done sewing. You end up with x amount of HSTs that are fantastically accurate and symmetrical. AND, you didn't have to fidget with tons of little triangles if you want a small finished HST.


Let me go back to the beginning.

I joined a mystery quilt thing with my local guild last summer. We got 3 different steps for cutting and piecing before we got the final block placement for the quilt.

The excitement for my first mystery quilt was huge!

Step one, knocked out in no time.

Step two: cut strips 2 3/8" wide and cut into squares, then into triangles and make 96 - 1 1/2" HST (Half Square Triangles).

That means 192 - 2 3/8" squares people.

Yea, ain't gonna happen....

So, there it sat, patiently waiting. I received step three at the following guild meeting. There it still sat. I even got the last step (in an envelope, as not to temp me). There it sat. There was even a show and tell for this mystery quilt (yea, there goes the surprise... funny thing is I've already forgotten what the final quilt looks like... haha). And it still sat.

Then I decided to actually read the pattern beyond the cutting instructions (novel idea really...). Well, there was an alternative method... HST PAPER!!

GEEZ!!!

...Face plant...

Know how long it takes to sew 108 HST with the paper???


Less than an hour, that includes: getting on your computer, printing the paper, trimming it, cutting the large pieces of fabric, pinning, a few text messages, a dirty diaper, and a bathroom break.

That's right ladies and gentlemen, HST Paper is FANTASTIC!!

You should go try it out.

Go get a free download for 9 different sizes that you can print from home at Quilting and What Not.

Here's a few ideas of what you could make with just a few HSTs:


1. Finished">http://flickr.com/photos/29655571@N08/8213665846/">Finished Field Study half-square triangle chevron quilt
2. Triangles">http://flickr.com/photos/37715522@N00/7730805986/">Triangles Bag
3. Half">http://flickr.com/photos/39275021@N05/5405663993/">Half Square triangle cushions
4. half-square">http://flickr.com/photos/30302047@N04/5685349559/">half-square triangle placemats
5. http://flickr.com/photos/70531558@N00/4175569730/">{ geometric squares quilt }
6. Chevron">http://flickr.com/photos/16468558@N03/6721058653/">Chevron Half Square Triangle Values Quilt and Pillow
7. Triangle">http://flickr.com/photos/29745380@N05/9084659293/">Triangle Patch Box Pouch
8. Innocent">http://flickr.com/photos/35368186@N06/6792934278/">Innocent Crush Patchwork Pillow Cover

June 21, 2013

Life is always better with chocolate, and fabric!

I feel like today is my birthday or something. My mother in law texted this morning to see if the kids wanted to come play at her house and on her playground for a bit this morning. Yes please. And, she made lunch for me for when I came to pick them up. YUM. And, my in laws are planning to take my kids to see the new Monsters University movie tonight.

It is always great to live near family.

The icing on the cake is that this was in my mailbox today:


It's my swap fabric from the rainbow swap I did. Seeing a package in the mailbox is always fun!

Maybe everyone is celebrating my un-birthday today... Oh YEA!

Now I just need some chocolate cake and the day will be made.

This is my second go round with this swap, so I have lots of squares. There are a few quilts I would love to make with all this wonderful color, but I keep getting the itch to design something new.

We shall see.

Here's what I've had my eye on lately:


Photo credit:

1. Tumbler">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8111087171/">Tumbler Quilt
2. Lilly">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8417333969/">Lilly Belle Quilt
3. Back">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8324338274/">Back of Pinwheel Doll Quilt
4. do.Good">http://flickr.com/photos/29046308@N07/9019188304/">do.Good Stitches - Bliss Circle - June 2013
5. Goose">http://flickr.com/photos/15477137@N03/8954049720/">Goose Creek blocks
6. Pow">http://flickr.com/photos/89059478@N08/8169807607/">Pow Wow Quilt
7. I">http://flickr.com/photos/39731184@N05/8498896445/">I finally started this quilt. I bought the pattern a year ago. @imagingermonkey's fault. Love @croskelley's patterns, though. This is my April finish challenge.
8. Progress">http://flickr.com/photos/65239842@N07/8554640525/">Progress - MSMS
9. wish.http://flickr.com/photos/29745380@N05/8492471742/">wish.
>10. Ba{M}S">http://flickr.com/photos/61878020@N07/8350968482/">Ba{M}S: January Blocks
, 11. Blocks">http://flickr.com/photos/15477137@N03/8339146098/">Blocks 1-1912. HST">http://flickr.com/photos/28175883@N06/7362936888/">HST hanging
13. HST">http://flickr.com/photos/7401290@N07/6801300399/">HST Block of the Month: February
14. Not available
15. Not available
16. Not available
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