Are We There Yet?

So I made some progress on organizing my sewing area.  Well, its not quite perfect yet, but I am still getting there.  So I am going to show you the really terrible before pictures, I promise you that I didn't add the extra clutter just for the photos.  I am really embarrassed at the mess so just bare with me as I will get it all prettied up soon (with Awesome Hubby's help of course!).

The Shelf Area--Master bedroom

The Hutch area--Master Bedroom

The Desk Area--Master Bedroom

Storgae Bins area--Miss Z's Room

As you can see, I have let the clutter overrun all areas of our Master bedroom as well as parts of Miss Z's Bedroom, oh how naughty Mommy's been.  I saw several posts this past summer where people cleaned-up their craft rooms and that is what inspired me, well that and that I like things organized!  My goal is to get as much of my crafting stuff all in one place as I can possible make it.  Well, I have stayed up too late tonight, I must be off to bed!

*\o/* Cheers
Shanna

PS** I am having a drawing for passing on traveling stash box #2!  Please take a look HERE, leave a comment on that post to be entered in to win it (US Residents only, sorry).  There are so many other delicious boxes being given away, to find out more about those boxes click over HERE, and to read about the guidelines go HERE.

What's in Progress Wednesday?

Greetings!  I have more orange to show you today, as it is my husband's favorite color it should come as no surprise that he suggested this fabric for the border.  I know that right now the border perhaps seems a bit big for the center bit, but I have some plans to trim here and there, but I just could not start sculpting my plans with out first making this orange canvas.  This should come out big enough for a really large baby quilt or a wall hanging perhaps. I don't have very many pieces of batting left right now, so I am saving them for the smaller projects.  In the mean time I plan to get tops completed, then their backings if I come up with the right fabric, and then I plan to pile them up for now. My goal right now is to slow down, enjoy the creative process and perhaps get life back to normal again.

Random Triangles--WIP

*\o/* Cheers
Shanna

PS** I am having a drawing for passing on traveling stash box #2!  Please take a look HERE, leave a comment on that post to be entered in to win it (US Residents only, sorry).  There are so many other delicious boxes being given away, to find out more about those boxes click over HERE, and to read about the guidelines go HERE.

Orange You Glad For the Color Orange?

On Saturday the whole family including my in-laws who were in for the weekend, drove over to IKEA to find a crib or toddler bed for Miss Z.  At 20 months she is just shy of 3 feet tall and her little play yard bed was not working for her any longer.  We quickly made our way over to the little kids' section upstairs to see what we could find.  Within 15 seconds of my husband putting Miss Z (too fast for me even to take a picture) she was already figuring out how to break out!  As we turned the corner we came upon rows of junior beds which are slightly smaller than a twin but longer than a crib/toddler bed.  Miss Z's little eyes went wide and her mouth made the perfect "O" as she literally ran to jump on the tester beds.  My heart was a little gooey puddle as she looked up at me hopefully, padding the bed and petting the bedding.

We went ahead and purchased her new bed with the idea that we would transition her over to the new bed over the next couple of weeks.  Grandpa and Daddy got the new bed put together this afternoon while she was supposed to be sleeping, but was singing in her room instead.  We scrapped the idea of a nap and just brought the bed into her room, which she quickly laid claim to as she sat upon it giggling.  I thought surely she could try napping in it, but she wanted to get on and off of it.  I sat her down on the bed, sitting down at the end while I explained how this was her new bed because she was going to be a big girl so the play yard was for when she was a little girl, but to be safe she needed to stay on the bed.  At bedtime that night we got her ready like normal, said prayers, brush teeth like every night, but this time she wiggled down from her Daddy's arms, ran to the new bed, climbed upon it and proudly announced "BED!"  We gathered her pillow and dollies, then she snuggled in to sleep and still was laying the same when we checked on her through out that night!

Above is a super awesome Bright Orange chair that both my husband and I are in love with that we saw at IKEA.  I would so put that in my livingroom!  We went to look at couches because we have not managed to buy a couch when we moved 1.5 years ago.  I would rather have the chair because its just so great and it would totally go with our bright green walls, right?!  For now we will continue to window shop.  Well it certainly would go with the triangle quilt I have been working on and off over the weekend.  I have to admit that I have gone slower with this project which has made it turn out better than I expected.  I was so overwhelmed by all the points meeting up that I ended up crying about it.  My husband came running in to my room when he heard my commotion.  I was crying "happy tears" I promised him as he looked at me dubiously.  This is definitely a project I plan to repeat, but perhaps with larger triangles next time.  The white fabric has a white print on it and I ironed the seams open.

I plan to slice off the edges to add a straight border of, you guessed it, Orange!  I am playing with the idea of an inner border as well.

Thanks for sticking with me during this wordy post!  I am linking up, for the first time, to Marelze's Anything Goes Mondays.  It had a lot of fun links shared so I decided to join the party!
*\o/* Cheers
Shanna

PS** I am having a drawing for passing on traveling stash box #2!  Please take a look HERE, leave a comment on that post to be entered in to win it (US Residents only, sorry).  There are so many other delicious boxes being given away, to find out more about those boxes click over HERE, and to read about the guidelines go HERE.

Traveling Stash BOX #2

I was so happy to find out that I would be getting a traveling stash box!  I have won one before and they are simply fun to receive, the hardest thing about them is deciding what one will keep and/or putting back into the box!

I would love to share this opportunity with any US residents (restrictions are because of shipping costs) who has a blog, would be willing to post the next leg of the trip on their blog and send the box onward!  Please read all of the rules HERE.  To be considered, just leave a comment below, please sure you have a profile that has a way  for me to contact you.

What a great variety of items has been included in the box!  I haven't made my final choice on what to take or put back into the box, but it will be fun to pick.  I will be selecting the winner next Saturday, October 26, 2013 before Miss Z goes to bed.

 *\o/* Cheers
Shanna

Art Therapy

I have the border complete on yesterday's project, it's been folded and put on a higher shelf for the next process.  It's so close to completion, why don't I finish it you might ask.  I simply don't feel like it today and I might not feel like it tomorrow.  

The last couple of months have been very hard for me and yet I have heard this background music before.  I really do have the most amazing and selfless Mother-in-law, who as soon as she had learned that I was pregnant and would possibly be put on bed rest she made plans to come stay with us for many weeks.  When we miscarried, I felt shaken, but to my utter amazement we were told that we still carried another babe.  A couple weeks ago we got the phone call that we would lose this babe as well.  Through it all, my MIL has cared for everything including my precious Miss Z.

Miss Z, Chicken and her Ducky in bad lighting

My husband has been encouraging me to do different forms of art to help me get through this time.  You may just see my paintwork, painful as that might be for you, lol..  Simply put, I have decided to work on whatever might interest me even if it might leave a pile of WIP's in its wake, it doesn't really matter right now.  I am not going to stress out about deadlines or linking to a party or anything like that.  Don't get me wrong, I like completing items, I love linking up a finish at a slew of sites, but I might have to delay that.  Yeah I submitting my overly massive WIP list the other day for the Fourth Quarter of the Finish along, but I figure during this process some of those items will get worked on, so it didn't hurt to put everything on the list.

The photo above is a project I started well I am not exactly sure when I started it, but it interests me so I thought I would drag it out and play with it.  I have finally connecting all the pieces so they are each rows, I will connect the rows next and then start auditions for border choices.  I was think a nice wide border, but I am being tempted by thoughts of a narrow inner border. 

We shall see where this dabbling takes me. 

*\o/* Cheers

Shanna

Finish-a-long Fourth Quarter

It's the fourth quarter and I am hoping to get a list up of everything.  I have been away from the computer for a few months so it's pretty much the same list you saw for the 2nd quarter sadly enough.  I have a few things towards the bottom of my list that i did not have time to get pictures taken (I just realized today I needed to put something together if I wanted to link up and I can't move boxes until I am cleared).  I will try to get pictures taken once I am able to pull the boxes out again.  Part of my goal in linking up this list is to have something finished to link up to the Sew It's Finished Blog.  Although I have to admit I might need to work things out working on non-listed items as well.  This has been a rather blank month for me so i am hoping the sewing and quilting will bring me back into myself.

 Wonky Christmas Advent Calendar

Chain Quilt:  Top is complete, back & bindings in process

Red Eye Quilt: (See earlier today's post for new pic, having troubling uploading again)

Time Warp Quilt:  Top is complete, back & bindings in process 

Zig-Zag Quilt

Zag Pillow

Scrappy Hearts Wall hanging 1& 2 (I have pictures of both in progress but cannot find on this computer)

 Blog Hop Pillow

Scattered Triangles Baby Quilt

Crazy Fish Quilt

Sommersalt Quilt

Legacy Sampler Lap Quilt

Party Dress 1

Party Dress 2

Mystery Quilt 1 --greens & Neutrals

Mystery Quilt 2--Christmas

Tea pot table runner

 Martinique Strip Quilt

Modern Squares Table Runner

Rose Star Quilt

Dot Explosion Quilt

I'll Fly Away Quilt

Projects in Progress not enough time to take pics (will try to update in a week if I am allowed):

Dancing Stars Paper piecing Quilt
Hooded Jacket for Ziona
Red Party Dress (w/ Yellow sash)
Legacy Sampler Quilt 2--Martinique (You can see pieces on the
Dark Pink Birthday Party Dress
Baby Shoes 3 pairs (previously pictured)
Holiday happenings table runner
12 Vinyl covered scrap bibs (A post in progress about these but I didn't want to pre-share)
Angel Cross-stitch--On-going
Mini-Plus Quilt

I started using these strips for a trip around the world quilt, but I can't find the stuff I have sewn in time to take a picture.

 So now I have a lot of things I can make!  I know this is a long list, but most will get done just given the time and materials to work on them.  So off I go to do something...which may or not not be on my list, lol.

*\o/* Shanna

Oh...I cannot believe I won a traveling stash box!  I will be posting the box for give-away once I receive it in the mail.  Don't know what a travel stash box is?  then check out this super cool link HERE to find out more about the other 6 traveling boxes!

Better Off Threads...

The Center part is complete.  When I first showed the completed top to my husband in the spring, he suggested I do pebble work in the red boxes like I had tried out on another project.  At that time I decided to go a different path and do a general stitch over the whole quilt, which then took me almost 3 months to finish ripping the stupid stitches out of that disaster.  It seemed like a good idea to consider his suggestion this time around though. 

I am going to say something though, I really dislike the Aurifil thread for this project, which I know admitting aloud is going against practically the whole quilting community, but I feel I can't keep quiet just because everyone else is in love with the item.  I was very surprised to find that I actually prefer the inexpensive threads I have bought from Connecting Threads in the past!  Their colors are more vibrant; they simply feels and look better in my opinion than Aurifil.  Hey, nobody is more surprised than me at my thoughts.  Yes, I agree that because the weight is lighter I can fit more thread on bobbins but for the stone work I did I felt like I had to use twice as much thread to get it to contrast even close to what I liked. For example, in this project I had to go around 3-5 times for each pebble to get the vibrancy of just 1-2 stone-turns with my usual thread.  So in this case I felt like I had to do a lot more work than I expected.

I know, there will be some of you out there who will urge me to keep trying it out, perhaps change weights or try different stitches.  I do plan to try out a simpler stitch with the white Aurfil thread on another project just so you know that ahead of time.  I also have heard people rave the use of the lighter weight Aurifil thread in piecing, so I will try that as well.  I just have to say though, so far, I am not impressed.

*\o/* Cheers
Shanna

Pebbles

In the past I have followed blogs that have FMQ-alongs or lessons or a swift kick in my bottom to get me thinking along those lines.  I almost have nightmares just thinking about pulling the stitches out of this quilt for several months, so I decided that I needed to use this opportunity to test out some things.  One of those items was of course the stitches, the second was that I decided to finally break down and try Aurifil thread.  I picked up a couple rolls of it from my local quilt ship a few months ago, one roll in white, one roll in light yellow.  I am using the light yellow here, but honestly you cannot tell.  I will give you my final thoughts on the product when I finish top-stitching/FMQ testing it! 

*\o/* Cheers
Shanna