WIP Wed....9.12.11...100 quilts for kids!

I've got one going in the mail tomorrow.
My plan is to mail out a bunch of stuff tomorrow afternoon.

To Mail:
New Bee Block
Neutral and Not Block
Pretty Little Pouch
a quilt for my hope to be future in-laws
100 quilts for kid quilt to Project Linus

A huge thank you to Sachiko over at Tea Rose Home for the giveaway that I won...I used some of the fabric to make this quilt!

So....I still have to sew the bee blocks.
I'm also a week behind on the Skill Builder.
Also on tap:
a pouch for a thank you gift
Cutting fabrics/packing for my bee month over at Sew Bee Blissful
Beginning a presentation for an upcoming conference....
Oh, and sewing a 241 Noodlehead bag...which may not happen til Fri if the fabric arrives late tomorrow.

The plus side is that I don't have to work tomorrow and I'll all but one test caught up on grading.

Wooo! Linking up to Wednesday WIP and 100 Quilts for kids over at Swim.Bike.Quilt.

a SWAP!!!!

Black, White, and Grey Charm swap, to be exact.


If you click on the pic, you can steal the html code for you blog...I'm still learning how to post a button.

Inspired by Jennifer over at Ellison Lane Quilts and kind of obsessed with black, white, and grey right now, I thought I'd see if anyone else wanted to join in a swap.

Here's the skinny.
First let me apologize profusely for making this a domestic/US swap only this first round. I need to work out some of the logistics for an international one, and I want to have this one mailed out before the holidays, so...I apologize to any and all of my international peeps who wanted in on this.

That said, if you are interested in joining the swap and receiving in return 56 charms (2 of 28 different fabrics).

FILL OUT THE FORM HERE.

Post sign up and email of confirmation, follow these steps.

Step One:
Steal the blog button at the top for your blog. Join the flickr group.

Step Two:
Each participant (there will be 27 spaces) will purchase a yard (good idea to get a little bit extra) of quilt store quality 100% cotton fabric (No Joann's, Hancock's or Michael's please) in the assigned base color. Post fabric pics on flickr to avoid duplication. Fabric must be new and unwashed and must come from a smoke free environment.


Step Three:
Press your fabric. Cut the fabric into 56 charm (5x5 inch) squares.
A fabulous tutorial can be found here by Elizabeth Hartman.

Step Four:
Please place the charms in a sealed Ziploc bag with an index card, on which is written your name and as much fabric info as possible.

Step Five:
Mail the charms along with a SASE to the swap sorter by the deadline (Nov. 15).

Step Six:
Wait as patiently as possible to get the charms back. (I'll mail them as fast as possible, ideally a week, after I receive them all.)

Step Seven:
Do a little happy dance and then update that you have received your package on the sent/received list on flickr. Post pics of the items you make with the charms.

Iffen this all works as planned, there will be a larger, international scale swap in March.

Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge.

A few weeks ago, Sarah over at Pings and Needles posted a challenge.
A Japanese Scrap Bag challenge.
The winner gets a year's subscription to The Eternal Maker's Japanese charm club.
Being a fabric whore *cough* and free associating what I could possible make with a scrap bag, I typed in "a corset belt for bellydance" and added trimming a bra if there were left overs.

Um...nevermind that I don't usually sew my own costumery. I've made one circle skirt. It was very very heavy. I think I measure the waist incorrectly and had to keep adding panels.
I've also never applied a grommet before.

I did have a pattern that I'd bought long long ago.
Tempest's corset belt.
I lusted after her originals for a long time, but I settled on a pattern instead of being a big spender.

The pattern was really designed for someone with a Serger. I do not have a Serger.

BUT I WAS UNDAUNTED.
I tried a prototype. It's brocade. Which is really really slippery.
I didn't finish it after I realized it would mean doing 80 instead of 40 grommets.

I agonized over the placement of each scrap.
I grommeted until my fingers bled. Literally. I had to pull a few of them off and cut up my fingertips.

(As an aside, I found the grommet kit that used a hammer and a metal plate to be the easiest. The hand/plier thingie didn't have great results for me.)

How To Grommet:
Gather the following supplies:


Take the pointy awl and jam it through a premeasured spot:

How far you jam it through the piece might depend on your grommet size. For mine, I pushed it all the way in.

Remove the awl pointy bits and push in the grommet:

You may need to grab the scissors and trim the hole a bit.
Make sure you push the grommet through the hole as cleanly as possible...it will make lining things up easier at the hammering stage.

Line the grommet up into the base of the grommet maker:


Take the top of the grommet maker and line it all up:


Then grab this:

Tap on the grommet maker about 4 times. NOTE: IF IT SHIFTS, STOP. YOU DO NOT WANT AN OFF-KILTER GROMMET. Removing it with sucketh.

Ta-Da!!!! (It's not quite perfect because brocade is really hard to grommet, but you get the idea:



Anyway.....I'm sure y'all really want to see my final project....so....

Here's the finished product:


It's getting worn in a show in Dec. I still haven't picked out my music.

...And, because I promised the other ladies I'd model.....
Here I am:



I'll put up the link when voting goes live over at Pings and Needles. In the meantime, if you want to check out the work of the other fabulous contestants, you can see them here. I'd love to win, but, truth be told, I've had a blast regardless, met some rad women, and learned a lot!

Yay! ZIppers!

I am not super scared of sewing them any more.
I'm not a master...but...
I SEWED TWO ZIPPER POUCHES TODAY!!!!

I made this one for my Pretty Little Pouch swap partner:


I hope she likes it. I'm pondering what to put in/with it.

I then kept up with the pouch mojo and made one for me.


I may or may not add some embroidery.

I didn't do any more bee blocks, make it to the post office, or finish my 100 quilt for kids quilt.

I also got to talk to my dance partner. She sounded really good. I may or may not get to see her tomorrow, if she's feeling up to a visitor.

I also ate Pad Thai, since today is Eat Noodles day.

WIP Wed 10.5.11...

I got some stuff done today.
Not as much as I planned because a meeting ran late.
I had to get zippers for my pouch for the Pretty Little Pouch swap.
Totally terrified of zippers.
*eep*
I got three blocks done for the Nubees:


I got most of the machine sewing of the binding for the 100 quilts done. Unfortunately, my bobbin went wonky and I have a row to rip out and redo.
I'll post pics of it when it's fixed.

So, on tap for tomorrow:
Finish Nubee blocks
Fix 100 quilts quilt binding
prototype for pouch
Sew Bee It blocks

slightly on hold:
monkey quilt
New Bee wonky star
picking block/cutting fabric for my bee month
Hoopla

What I REALLY need to do:
get my swap idea up and running ASAP

Linking up to WIP Wed.

Phew...

Okay, so I knew I wouldn't be sewing today. It was a back to back schedule.
Reg work, extra class I teach afterschool, then time for a 30 min nap, then an hour of dance class and almost 2 hours of staging a piece for an upcoming show. It was a blast.
Thankfully, I remembered far more than I thought I did of the choreography.
The first dance class involved fired. I had my candle holders prepped, but I make the executive decision that I was too tired to safely use fire.
I think it was a good call.
Maybe next week.

I got an update today from my dance partner's husband.
Her surgery went well. It appears not to be cancer.
Woooo!! She's got to recuperate. I'm sure there are more questions about what this indeed was, but this is good. She's doing well. Thank all of y'all that sent good wishes her way.

no sewing..

Today was spent running around.
Derm visit. (My skin is appearing to heal.)
YAY!
Then a run to get binding fabric for my 100 quilts for kids quilt.
Then a dinner meeting...until 9:30.
And I'm exhausted...
and on Benadryl.
I need to sew HSTs, but I'm afraid I'll mess up the cutting.
I feel cruddy because of the meds.
Blarg.
Tomorrow is a crazy long day.
Regular work, waiting for updates on dance partner, then teaching drama afterschool, then home to eat, then dance class, followed by a 3? hr rehearsal.
So tired.
that's why I'm not sewing today.
I wanted to...but I'm not.