Scrumptious Dots and Stripes

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

I bought half yards of each colorway because they will be 

perfect for bindings, don't ya think?  Yeah, me too.

Scrumptious Dots and Bias Stripes by Bonnie and Camille for Moda

Warm :: Cool

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

I definitely gravitate towards the brighter side of Denyse at JoAnn's.  (Yes, I know that not ALL those pieces are hers...)  Her darker, more muted lines (I'm talking to you Chicopee and Shelbourne Falls) are not my favorites, though I could still probably pick a few favorite pieces from each line.  Anyway, these have more of the happier coloring of her earlier stuff that I really loved!  

And at 40% off, that's why JoAnn's still gets my business.

Upcycled Sheets

I've had terrible luck with thrifting lately. 

 I've gone a bunch but have come home empty handed each time.  

Bummer!

The polka dotted sheet is the only nice sheet I've found in probably 4 months of looking.  I'm sure it's not vintage, but I love it just the same.  I mean, how can you go wrong with colorful polka dots?!  And it's king sized, which means I should be able to get a quilt back out of it and still have extra fabric left over. 

The other two sheets are from my grandma, so I'll save them for something special.

A Reading Pillow

I had a bunch of leftovers from my #scrappytripalong quilt that were begging to be turned into something.  Since that quilt was for the 7yr old I thought it'd be fun to make her a matching reading pillow.

 I tried to give it the same look as the quilt by using the same binding fabric and backing pieces,

and while I'm usually not a matchy-matchy girl, I kinda love it with this project.

While trying to expand my horizons, I decided to mix some chunky hand quilting with some straight line machine quilting.  I'll definitely revisit this method again.

The little miss has been putting her pillow and quilt to good use!

This is her before church one Sunday hanging out in my sewing room with a good book!

Linking up to Show and Tell Tuesday, Fabric Tuesday, and Finish It Up Friday.

Details:
Pillow measures 22"
Machine and Hand Quilting by Me.
Fabrics are these, with a bunch more stash mixed in. 

True Colors

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

True colors by Joel Dewberry.

Charley Harper

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

  

100% Organic Cotton

Featuring the designs of artist Charley Harper 

by Birch Fabrics.

Really Random Thursday

I've got some random stuff to talk about today, none of which deserves it's own post, so I'll just roll it into one crazy post.

First off, I celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago.  Is it any surprise I got quilty gifts?  My sister bought me the book (Thanks, Renae!) and I gave myself the rest. :)  I even splurged and bought the cute yellow cutting mat in the background.  My old mat was completely warped so it was hidh time it got replaced.  Besides, yellow is way more cheery that grey.

I went the the bank to get some Christmas cash and was surprised when I got the new $100 bills.  They are quite a bit different that the old ones, with gold foil, a hologram, more coloring, and  embossing.  I posted this on instagram and someone commented that "Ben looks none too pleased!" about the change.   HaHa!  I guess I have no real feelings either way as long as they all spend the same, right?

 A friend of mine gave me this key chain for my birthday.

It reads:
 The Hidden Personality of Emily
Emotional: Level headed but shy and retiring.
Strengths: A shrewd lady who usually gets her way.
A great listener who is calm in a crisis.

Yep, that's me in a nutshell.  :)

Inspiration

A new month of swapping brings a new color palette!

Here's what I'm thinking for the next couple rounds:

Navy, blues, chambray, greys, oatmeal, and shirtings.

1. Whit's Knits: Shadow Stripe Baby Blanket, 2. Molly's Sketchbook: Simple Felted Wool Mittens, 3. Blue Steel, 4. Shades of Blue, 5. lcb76amisacdetails2, 6. Untitled, 7. binding, 8. quilt for Will, 9. allotment greys

Daydreams

I'm giving myself a pass on most of the items I wanted to get done in time for Christmas with the exception of a quilt for my nine year old.  He reminds me regularly that the last quilt I made for him 3 years ago is way too small now.  So I'm making him a bigger one that should last him the next 3 years of his life.

Here's a peek...

It'll be a boy version of the Daydreams quilt from Sunday Morning Quilts.  

The top and backing are done and ready to be sandwiched so I should have no problem getting it done it time, right?! 

Liberty Love

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

Oh man, I love Liberty fabrics! 

Though, to be honest, I've never bought any before as they are super expensive. 

 But when Amanda had Liberty on her black Friday sale I snatched up a small bundle. 

Liberty of London Rainbow of Beauty, a photo by simple girl, simple life on Flickr.

 Besides being beautiful, Liberty fabrics are very soft, with a feel similar to that of voile.  
They will make a luxurious quilt someday!

My favorite pieces of this bunch are the lighter pink/green floral at the top, the multi tiny floral at the bottom, and the periwinkle floral right next to it.  So Pretty!

   I'm hoping this will be just the beginning of my Liberty collection. 
:)

Herringbone Times Six

Another month, another round of swapping.  
I chose the make the herringbone block for this round.  
With such a wide range of color pallets chosen by the swappers, I'm always worried about my interpretations, and hope they all like what I made.  *fingers crossed*

 

My goal was to get all my blocks made and sent before Thanksgiving week.

 I'm happy to report that I mailed all my blocks out this morning. Yay!!

Now I can enjoy the holiday break without the stress of a deadline hanging over my head.

 So, an informal poll:  Are you cooking Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year or are you going to someone else's house?  We (my husband does a lot!) are cooking dinner for our little family and my sister's family.  There will only be 11 of us, so it's not a huge crowd.  Besides, we just had my parents here, so we're good with low key.

Le Creme

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

I have always loved Swiss dots.

Something about their understated simpleness speaks to my soul. 

 So low volume creamy Swiss dots make my heart sing.

Le Creme Swiss Dots by Riley Blake

Scrappy Bow Tie {Finish}

My parents left for home this past Monday after visiting with us since Halloween!  It was so fun to have them here, but my house hasn't quite recovered from all the mayhem.  We had a steady flow of family dinners, cousin time, and hanging out with each other while they visited. The kids kind of got used to having them around and were pretty sad when they weren't here to greet them after school.  We sure wished they lived closer! (hint-hint Mom!)

In the midst of all our family bonding I was able to finish my scrappy bow tie quilt.  I am pretty sure  it has been a WIP for close to 2 years.  Most of the blocks were from a swap I participated in way back when. 

 

 At some point in time I convinced myself that hand quilting this thing would be a good idea.  I'm happy to say I did it, but it was a slow process, of which I still need LOTS of practice. (The galloping horse method would come in handy here.)  I also did some simple machine quilting thru the each block to ensure it would get finished in my lifetime.  I actually really like the mix of the two methods.

A scrappy quilt deserves a scrappy back don't ya think?  Luckily I had some bigger pieces in my stash that worked.   (Did you know I have a thing for quilt backs?)

After finishing the quilt my mom said she might like to have it, and was even willing to pay me for it, but taking money from your own mother seemed a bit weird, so instead I just gave it to her!  My dad, who is always cold, was happy to have a blanket long enough to cover his toes.

With that I'll leave you with my favorite picture from their visit!  

Each day as my Dad would read the paper, my younger son would get the comics section and 

read beside him.  It really was adorable!

Quilt Finishes around 60" by 72".

Linking to Really Random Thursday and Finish It Up Friday
More on this quilt here

Anastasia

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

Anastasia from Girls World Vibe by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit

Colors: Brown, Sky, Grass, Honey, Tangerine, and Magenta

Broken Herringbone :: Pinterest Block 9

 This post is part of an ongoing series.  Follow along as I make blocks using designs from my pinterest board with hopes of a beautiful sampler quilt at the end.

I'm definitely not winning any races with my block making pace on this project, but I'm holding on. 
 My latest block is called Broken Herringbone.

 
It's an easy block with some fancy cutting that uses 2.5 inch strips.

Pinterest Sampler Blocks 1-9, a photo by simple girl, simple life on Flickr.

With this latest block I'm up to nine blocks. 

 I'm thinking I'll need to make a total of 30 blocks to end up with a nice sized quilt, so I'm on my way.

Original Pin

Block  Directions

Wee Wander Quilt

Happy Monday!
Today I'm super excited to show you my latest quilty finish.
Last month I was able to work with the lovely Sarah Wright of Sarah Jane Studios as she prepared for quilt market.  I made a quilt for her booth out of her new Wee Wander line that will be hitting stores in January.  If you are a fan of Sarah's work, like I am, you will definitely love her new line!   

Here is a look at her full market booth. 
So cute, huh?

Photo by Emily Herrick

 

As for the quilt, this was my first time working on a market project and my first time dealing with the crazy slim market sew time lines, but it was a lot of fun!  I had cleared my schedule in anticipation of the fast turn around time so I could devote my days to getting the quilt done.  I thought I'd have 10 days to sew, but I ended up only having 5!!  It was crazy, but like I said, I really did have fun!

Sarah and I decided on a simple design that would show off her fabrics beautifully.  Sometimes the simplest of designs is the prettiest, don't you think?

 A bunch of Sarah's fabrics incorporate fireflies into the design so my quilter was awesome and quilted fireflies all over the quilt.  They look so dang cute, don't you think? 

I was literally snapping photos right before handing over the quilt (which is why they are not the greatest...) so you can head over to Sarah's blog to see lots more.  She posted close up/detail pics of her fabrics, as well.
You're gonna love them!

And finally...One last booth photo for good measure!

Photo by Amanda Woodruff

It was fun to work with Sarah and fun to have a project at market!

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday and Show and Tell Tuesday

Black and White + Low Volume

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

I think with this black and white bundle my "dark" stash is finally nice and full. 

There are so many great prints in this bundle that I'm not sure I can pick a favorite.  I mean, how can you go wrong with text prints and beautiful geometric basics?! 

Before the Dawn Bundle from Westwood Acres

Fabric Details:

Remix Triangles in Black by Anne Kelle for Robert Kaufman

Memoir Writing in Charcoal from Madrona Road by Violet Craft for Michael Miller 

On A String in Charcoal from Valentina Collection by Valentina Ramos for Robert Kaufman

Zig Zag in Black from the Tuxedo Collection by Dear Stella

Dash Dots in Midnight from Monster Mash by Sweetwater for Moda

Hashtag in Black from the Tuxedo Collection by Dear Stella

Keep Calm and Sew On in Black and White from Timeless Treasures

Black/Cream polka dot from Moda (not sure of it's exact name)

Remix Tile Print from Robert Kaufman (not sure of it's exact name)

French words on Black from Mon Amie Collection by Brejer for Robert Kaufamn

BTW, Amanda has listed her Fall Inside Voices bundle. 

I just got mine, but I have it on good authority that they are going fast. 

Fabric Details:
Do It Yourself Scissors on White by Dear Stella
Winter's Lane Tile by Kate and Birdie Paper Co. for Moda
Do It Yourself Pins in White by Dear Stella
Knick Knack in Aqua from Baby Jane by Eric and Julie Comstock for Moda
Stella Dot in Grey from Dear Stella 
Ikat Diamonds in Mustard from Simply Color by V and Co. for Moda
Tuxedo Dot on White from Tuxedo Collection by Dear Stella
Hop in Red from Happy Go Lucky by Bonnie and Camille for Moda
Hedgehogs in Stone from Bluebird Park by Kate and Birdie Paper Co. for Moda 
Eau de Cologne Labels from the Live Life Collection by Yuwa of Japan
Berries in Rose from Nest by Valorie Wells for FreeSpirit

Linking up to Sunday Stash

Maxi Skirt

My daughter is almost 12, which means she is starting to dress and act more like a teenager.  She, of course, is so excited to be growing up, while I'm not too sure I'm ready for 2 teenagers in the house. :)

Recently I've been feeling a bit neglectful in my mom duties as I haven't helped her sew anything in a long time.  I really want my daughters to grow up knowing how to sew and love it as much as I do.  That can only happen if we sew together often, right?  I guess that means I need to be better about finding more projects we can do together.

So with all that in mind, her and I set out to make a maxi skirt.

Sewing it Herself, a photo by simple girl, simple life on Flickr.

Knowing she has a short attention span we picked an easy pattern.  This one from Simplicity was perfect.  It consists of exactly 3 pieces:  a front, a back, and a waistband.  Perfect!

Simplicity 1616, a photo by simple girl, simple life on Flickr.

We made Version A.

 She sewed up all the sides and I serged the raw edges and finished the hem.  She did a great job!  
We were able to start/finish the skirt in one afternoon.

A Finished Maxi Skirt, a photo by simple girl, simple life on Flickr.

Here she is modeling her finished skirt right before church.  Of course I'm totally biased, but I think she looks fantastic. :)
She's growing up way to fast if you ask me!

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday

***We made the skirt exactly as the pattern.  For my daughter, who is about 5' 6", the finished skirt hits right about her ankles (skims the top of her foot).  I am a bit taller than her so I would've lengthened it a few inches so that it would almost drag on the floor.

Sew Pieceful Blocks {October}

So sorry for the lack of real posts around here.  I've been having major computer issues, but I'm finally back up and running. Yay!! I've been super busy on the sewing front so I've got a lot of posts ready to go for the next few weeks.  

 

First up for show and tell are my Sew Pieceful blocks for October.  I put off making my blocks, which is never a good thing, until the end of the month so I used a block I had previously made for my Pinterest Sampler.  It saved me a bit of time remaking a familiar block since I didn't have to think as hard during the making. That's always a good thing! :)

 

Sew Pieceful Blocks October Hive 2, a photo by simple girl, simple life on Flickr.

Once again everyone chose such beautiful color combinations.

For November I'm trying to be a little bit more on the ball and get my blocks done earlier in the month.  I've already picked out a block design and pulled fabric for each person so I'm already way ahead of the game, huh?

Have a Great Thursday!

Want to join the Sew Pieceful Block Swap?  Find all the information about it here. 

Cameras

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

Who doesn't love cameras?! 

Surprise, Surprise... I bought them in every color.

Kodachrome (Cameras) from 2wenty thr3e by Eric and Julie Comstock of Cosmo Cricket for Moda

Colors: Mustard, Parchment, Pavement, Clementine, and Petal

Summer Camp

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry.

Another Low Volume Bundle!

 

This is the Summer Camp Edition of the Inside Voices Bundles from Westwood Acres. 

My favorite prints have to be the tents and the bees!

Rumor has it that there may a new Inside Voices bundle coming soon. You better believe I'll be snatching it up when it's listed.

 

Have a great Sunday!

Leaf in Navy from Technicolor by Emily Herrick
Campground by Dear Stella
Green Leaf from Oh Deer by Momo for Moda Quilter's Linen in Silver by Robert Kaufman
Madhuri Circles in Blue by The Quilted Fish for Riley Blake
Bees Created by Renee Nanneman of Need'l Love for Andover
Kensington Floral in Red by Emily Taylor for Riley Blake
Knick Knack in Grey on Cream from Baby Jane Collection by Eric and Julie Comstock
Chevron in Grey from Ashbury Heights by Doohikey Designs
Paloma Dot in Silver by Dear Stella
Maritime Modern Knotty Plaid in Citron by Riley Blake

Navy

This post is part of an ongoing series of posts where I document my fabric stash purchases.

This year I am trying to keep track of my fabric intake in order to see how much I consume.  I'm not going to keep track of how much I spend, though, because then I might cry. 

I *needed* to add some darker fabrics to my stash, with need being the key word.  Haha! :)

I've had my eye on this navy bundle for a few months now. 
As I've said before, I love Amanda's mixed bundles!!  They are some of my favorites!

I bought these right before Sewing Summit and immediately pulled out the floral for the metal frame purse class I took.  Isn't it perfect as a clutch?   I really love how it turned out! 

Anyway, I am loving navy right now.

Navy might be my new favorite dark fabric. 

Could navy be the new black?  Maybe...

Blossom Festival from Tsuru by Rashida Coleman Hale for Cloud 9 (Clutch Purse Fabric)
Metro Living Circles in Navy by Robert Kaufman
Tiny Diamonds in Navy By Dear Stella
Zig Zag in Navy by Dear Stella
Old Lace in Indigo by Rashida Coleman Hale for Cloud 9
E-I-E-I-O by Jack and Lulu for Dear Stella
Architextures Scribble Notes in Navy for Robert Kaufman
Stella Dot Metallic in Navy by Dear Stella
Petit Point in Indigo by Swirly Girls Design for Michael Miller

Fall :: Patchwork

I'm blogging with only a few minutes to spare today, so I will make it short and sweet.

This quilt top was made by my sister at least a year ago.  She was making it for a dear friend of hers and then changed her mind completely, going with a different design/color scheme all together.  I rescued her finished top from the giveaway pile!

This past weekend, in a fit of creative recklessness, I basted it, quilted it, and bound it up!  Quite unusual for me as I'm usually such a slow finisher.

 While still in a furry of creative craziness I decided to quilt it myself. Nothing too fancy, just an easy cross-hatch simple straight line design.  I chose not to mark my lines, just used the corners as my reference points, so I'm sure there are some parts that are not completely straight.  But my new motto is, "If you don't notice it from a galloping horse, then it's fine!"

You can see that it has great texture, though.

I also decided that I needed more practice on machine binding.  I normally hand-stitch my bindings, but was trying to get this one finished super fast, so I chose to do a zig-zag stitched binding.  While I think it turned out pretty well, I still much prefer a hand sewn binding when time permits.

Now that it's finished I'm sending it off to Margarets' s Hope Chest.

I'm hoping they can put it good use.
It's generously sized at 54" by 70".

Today I'm off to enjoy the beautiful fall weather we are having, and hang out with the lovely ladies in my quilt club.  I've got some good "show and tell" for them.
   I'll show you all next week what I've been up to.

Squares were cut at 6". 

Fabrics are a mix of creams, oranges, browns, and gray prints.

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday and Show and Tell Tuesday.