Sewing Day!

I have been writing articles for the Guild newsletter on our advertisers for over a year and in April I talked to a shop and found out some very exciting news. The shop was sponsoring a fashion show at the Creative Festival in June and the grand prize was a Hello Kitty sewing machine. As soon as I got off the phone and wrote the article, I texted my BFF/frenemy Barb and told her the details and that she MUST enter. She had to make matching aprons from a specific pattern for her and her daughter and they had to model the aprons in a fashion show at the festival.

Well, Barb got the pattern and read over the rules and dates and didn't think that she would be able to make the deadline as she was still teaching and they are trying to sell their house so there was a lot of remodeling and renovations to prep the house. (Barb lives on the West Side of Cincinnati so if anyone is interested, there is a blog with a photo walk through.) I was surprised when she sent me a picture of finished aprons, but she told me that the deadline was extended and she was able to get them done.

The day of the fashion show, I had to work, but Barb texted me and kept me informed of what was going on. Lucy was sooo excited and just so sure that they would win and she would get her machine. I told Barb that if they lost, she was going to need to buy Lucy the Hello Kitty machine!

Here are the winners with their machines! Barb also won a Janome 6600 and she is so excited about it!

Lucy was very happy to get her new prize home!

Today, the winners came to my house with their machines for lessons. Barb showed Lucy how to use her machine and I showed Barb how to use hers.



And here is her first seam!



Barb was able to get part of a quilt cut out and a bunch of seams sewn together and I think she loves her machine as much as Lucy does. Lucy enjoyed time with the pups and sewing - in equal amounts, I think. And I was able to get the top assembled for my Scrap Squad! A very productive day!

I'm sure that we will be having plenty more of these sew in days with just us girls!

15 Minute Challenge - July 5

What a relaxing weekend! I spent a bit of time watching movies from the library and TV shows from the DVR. I think the dogs enjoyed the quiet weekend as well.

Tuesday, June 28	Finished quilting a quilt
Wednesday, June 29	Worked late – no sewing
Thursday, June 30	Worked late – no sewing
Friday, July 1	Sewed binding on a quilt
Saturday, July 2	Binding on a quilt
Sunday, July 3	Cleaned up sewing area
Monday, July 4	Drew up 2 quilts in EQ and pulled fabrics for mini projects

It seems like this week went really fast and that was probably because of the long hours at work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will get a free day this week for all the overtime that I put in last week. They are usually pretty good at that.

I was hoping to spend a little time organizing some things in the house to start moving things out of the spare bedroom, but that didn't happen either. It was very hot and muggy here and I didn't really feel like doing a whole lot.

This week, I am going to try to sew each and every day. I have a list of things to work on now and got everything on that list prepped yesterday. I think that will help me keep focused on what I have ready to do. I also want to start working on the June and July UFOs for the challenge. I need to get myself back on track with the Challenge!

Check out how everyone else did on Kate's blog!

15 Minute Challenge - June 28

I haven't posted on the 15 minute challenge in a couple of weeks because I hadn't been doing any kind of regular sewing. This week, that changed for the most part.

Here's what I did! And other than last Tuesday, I spent way more than 15 minutes sewing each day.

Tuesday, June 21	Picked fabrics for next set of Midget blocks
Wednesday, June 22	No sewing
Thursday, June 23	No sewing
Friday, June 24	Worked on log cabin quilt
Saturday, June 25	Finished up log cabin quilt
Sunday, June 26	Worked on flamingo quilt
Monday, June 27	Quilted on frame!

Check in on Kate's blog to see how everyone else did.

15 Minute Challenge - June 14

Well, since I finally got back to sewing, I can participate in the 15 Minute a Day Challenge again! Since I started sewing on Saturday, I have definitely been doing 15 minutes a day. It's only been 3 days, but it's still something! lol

Tuesday, June 7	None
Wednesday, June 8	None
Thursday, June 9	None
Friday, June 10	None
Saturday, June 11	Sewed Midget block #15
Sunday, June 12	Borders on Star Struck, binding made
Monday, June 13	Laid out rest of blocks for purple log cabin

Check Kate's blog to see how everyone else did!

15 Minute Challenge - May 3

Pretty good week again! Sewing on all days except one and still more than 30 minutes each day.

Tuesday, April 26	Pinned pillowcase tubes, made Midget block
Wednesday, April 27	No sewing
Thursday, April 28	Cut block kits 1 – 4 for Paris in the Fall BOM
Friday, April 29	Cut block kits 5-6 and started Finishing kit for Paris in the Fall BOM
Saturday, April 30	Finished cutting finishing kit for Paris in the Fall, worked a bit on leaders, sewed 8 pillowcases, sewed a little on Star Struck
Sunday, May 1	Finished sewing leaders, finished assembling center of Star Struck
Monday, May 2	Made Midget block

Go to Kate's blog to see how the others did!

15 Minute Challenge - April 26

Kate is hosting a 15 Minute a Day Challenge which encourages everyone to be creative for 15 minutes a day and then report on Tuesdays how you did in the previous week.

Last week, I said that I was hoping to get in 30 minutes a day. I fell short by one day!

Tuesday, April 19	Sewed half blocks up of Star Struck, pressed ½ blocks and put inner border on Maxine quilt
Wednesday, April 20	Paired ½ blocks of Star Struck, worked on nickel border on Maxine quilt
Thursday, April 21	Finished borders on Maxine quilt, worked a lot on the Star Struck blocks
Friday, April 22	Finished the Star Struck blocks – sewing and pressing and shopped at JoAnn’s
Saturday, April 23	Cleaned up rails from quilt frame and paired up some fabric for pillowcases. Also laid out Star Struck blocks.
Sunday, April 24	Cut out 6 pillowcases and got 3 prepped for sewing, cut out leaders for quilt rails and straightened up sewing area.
Monday, April 25	The day I fell short. :( But I got a lot of cleaning done in the house to prep for this week! And I figured out the fabric and amounts to order for the Organic Challenge.

Last night, I totally forgot about the Challenge or I would've finished prepping the last 3 pillowcases. I probably did spend 15 minutes on figuring out my fabric and quantity for the Organic quilt though.

Go to Kate's post to see how everyone else did.

15 Minute Challenge - April 19th

Kate is hosting a 15 Minute a Day Challenge which encourages everyone to be creative for 15 minutes a day and then report on Tuesdays how you did in the previous week.

I reported once before the quilt show and then kept forgetting to keep track of what I did during the week to know if I spent 15 minutes on anything. Luckily, I remembered from one day to the next this week! I need to get one of my notepads and start keeping better track though.

Tuesday, April 12	Sewed a Midget Block
Wednesday, April 13	No sewing – attended a Guild meeting
Thursday, April 14	No sewing
Friday, April 15	Worked on a quilt design in EQ
Saturday, April 16	Made 2 quilt backings, finished working on design in EQ, made a Midget Block
Sunday, April 17	Assembled flamingo quilt top, trimmed blocks from class, worked on Star Struck block pieces
Monday, April 18	Worked on Star Struck block pieces

I'm hoping to get in at least 30 minutes a day for this next week. I really need to get things cleared off my sewing table so that I can cut up a couple of quilts and get working on my April UFO for Judy's Challenge.

15 Minute Challenge

I decided to join in on Kate's 15 Minute Challenge to work on something crafty at least 15 minutes every day. She is posting on Tuesdays, but I was a little late yesterday.

Here is how I did in the last week...

March 22 - my birthday - I didn't get in any time

23 - I cuddled with the dogs, no time put in.

24 - I spent at least 15 minutes pressing the Star Struck parts.

25 - I got a lot of time in quilting a Project Linus quilt and loading another quilt on the frame.

26 - A ton of time! I quilted the quilt on the frame and pressed the rest of the Star Struck parts.

27 - Just a bit of time pressing and cutting the fabrics for the Flamingo quilt.

28 - No time at all.

Now, I just need to make sure that I am crafty for at least 15 minutes a day!

Check in with everyone else on Kate's post to see how they did!

Maisy thinks that it's a good day when something comes off the frame!