Friday, May 10, 2013

Its For the Birds Blog Hop--Day 4

Miss Z at 7 months old
If You can't tell by the name of my blog I love birds, especially sparrows!  Last year I turned a blouse pattern into a nightgown for my daughter and it worked out great!  Recently, Miss Z has gone through a large growth spurt and I felt it was time to makes more nightgowns so I turned once again to my yardage of birdy fabrics.  This time however I went with a different blouse pattern to convert!

I used I think Sew's Ella Raglan Blouse Pattern, I chose the Next size up from her current size and then I added about 4 inches.  It comes down to her ankles, but it will be up to her knees before too long!  I have two more of the exact nightgown in process only I plan to use a different colored biased tape where you see Pink.


Ready for bedtime in her new nightgown!
The following is not a newly finished project but I love the little birds from this line of fabric from Connecting threads!   I am hoping to get a little bit of yardage of the birdie print to make Miss Z some simple tops for this fall as it is still pretty warm here.

Friday, May 3, 2013

The Farmer's Wife: An Extended Stay

For my birthday in March, I received The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt Book.  I had already joined the Yahoo Group a couple months ago so I used the time until now to start planning.  Would I use the templates or the paper-piecing instructions and patterns found in the Yahoo group?  Well, I actually don't know yet.  I am did however pick out the colors!  I am going with Yellow, Gray, & Black, with White for background.  I really wanted to go with the PB&J line for this project, but I decided to go with specific colors instead as I have been told to plan on it taking 2 years to complete this project and I don't want to be shot on fabrics.  Once I have a better understanding on how much fabric it will take I might make another one later in a specific line of fabric if I decide to go that way.

So currently my goal is to complete one block a week or 3 blocks a month!  I plan to share the blocks on Fridays and make ti my Farmer's wives Fridays.  I have a blog friend who will be joining me as we both slowly make our way through the book!  Have you done the book before or would you like to join us as well?  It's low expectations so no need to feel stressed if you want to join up with us.

Hopefully I will have something to share with you next week!

*Shanna

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Giveaway Day (Week) coming soon!

Do you know about Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day?  Well it's time for the Spring week-long fun and chances to win not only neat crafting items, but also to win finished projects!  I mean some give away actual quilts, bags and other home-made goodies!  I am thinking about giving something away, but I am not sure what I should give, what do you guys think out there?  I won't be able to log on on Tuesday so I will probably miss most of the giveaways unless I get to them on Monday.  Be sure to go to visit and learn more of what is coming ahead!

*Shanna

"Stuck in the Middle With You..."

Its in the middle of the night when only Batman and I are awake.

Yet another night I cannot sleep.  I try, but my tossing and turning only wakes my husband up.  So I am out here in the living room trying to pass the time until I can make my body summit to a tiredness I will not feel until tomorrow afternoon when I try desperately to stay awake to be tired enough for sleep at night.  This has been the cycle all week....

Tonight, after Miss Z was down to bed, I had this grand idea to pull out one of the quilts I need to top stitch with the hope that tonight it would be completed. This was going to be the proof that I did not completely waste this week (besides housework and babycare I meant).  The last meandering stitched completed itself mere moments before my husband got home from Choir practice bearing a perfectly fresh hot McDonald's Apple Pie.  My eyes closed in bliss over the first little bit and as those deliciously happy eyes opened it was to look upon the mess I had made of my quilt.  The rich, sugary apple bits were like lead in my stomach as I saw an evening's work triple towards the future.  Resigned I set off towards my bedroom and the seam ripper crackling in my head with delight as it once more became a  tool to torture me.

Vlad the Seam Ripper
On a happier note, a package came for me in the mail today bearing this lovely magazine!  I have decided that I should be more modern in my quilting, plus I want to participate in the Retro Rubies QAL @PileoFabric.  Well except in true Shanna fashion I am going with Blues and so it will be more of a Sapphire thing.  My first run at it will be with some scraps from my over-flowing scrap collection, mostly likely...

I already see several of the other projects that I will probably whip out tomorrow as I am sincerely depressed over my mutilating my Red-Eye Quilt when attempting to sew while tired.  Its bad people, its almost like drunk-quilting, which is why I cannot bring myself to share a complete full-monty of the disaster!  Hopefully you will understand.

Now back to the book/magazine...

My only real criticism right now is that I wish (for what I paid for it) that the pages were a bit stronger.  With Miss Z eager to "decorate" with her crayons, this book is going to be put far above even my head, so high that I need a step stool to reach it.  You may think that I am over-reacting, but my little darling dragged a small step-stool across the living room carpet, climbed it, found her mommy's secret stash of Walker's Butter Shortbread cookies in a closed pyrex container (on the computer desk tucked all the way to the back), opened said container, grabbed two cookies, dragged the small stool back across the livingroom to the comfy chair, climbed up and settled in to snack!!!!  My fifteen month old is smarter than me, so I am not taking chances with the precious magazine.  Well also in my defense, just in case you think I am exaggerating, she has already absconded with my baby knits book and has almost colored on every page and that book was hidden in my bedroom closet!  What I can't figure out is where she is hiding the crayons.  I mean I have looked, checked her person, but then suddenly she will appear with one out of nowhere.


Again I digress...
I am really excited about doing my first true curved piecing, but I am praying it doesn't turned cursed too.  Have you checked it out yet?  well, you should, Alyssa's super-talented.  She is the one that is teaching/hosting that truly scrumptious Skill builder block series that I have pinned up there on the right-hand side.  I keep thinking I am going to have enough time to finish the BOM's I already have on my plate, so I haven't taken the time to do more than long after the blocks on the flickr pages...someday...

Well, I am back to bed to try and see if I can make myself sleep...I will try counting fabrics, maybe if I focus long enough on that sleep and sneak up on me.  Thanks again for listening to a midnight muttering!

*Shanna