I threw myself a Sewing Summit.

I went last year.  Couldn't afford this year/it was too early in the school year.  Uber excited to go to Stash Bash in the spring.  (Dates announced this weekend.)

So, I worked on the Sewing Summit Mini from Amy Ellis' precision piecing class last year.  The top is now complete.



I finished the Dogwood Blossom quilt.  (more pics of this when the weather isn't crap)



I sewed the backing, basted, quilted...and am working on binding mom's quilt.  Honestly, in my head it was MUCH much bigger.  (Actually about 72" square.)


I also completed my Penny Candy blocks for the Penny Sampler.


I finished my star blocks for the 3x6.


And, I sewed a triangle row on my Marcelle Medallion.



Now, I am going to watch Dr. Who and sew on binding.

*Mwah*

Yay! Pattern testing for Sew Sweetness!

Well, I'm not at Sewing Summit, but I get to write about someone I first saw in person at Sewing Summit--Sara at SewSweetness.

She designs glorious bags.
I got to test for one she's just released today, her Aragon bag.

Although it's intended to be a diaper bag, I'm going to use it for gear, either dance or school.
It's a really polished bag.  Sara gave great directions for zippers, and I think this is the best I've ever done with them.  I sewed mine with Collage, mostly because I love the line and needed *ahem* an excuse to buy some.  I've since used up all the text bits I had except for some tiny scraps, and I may need to restock some.

The bag is really gorgeous in its design.  I'm definitely not an expert bag maker, but Sara gives such great directions (with pictures) that even the more challenging elements aren't too hard to handle.

Here's my finished bag:



The inside (when flipped inside out):



I hear she's got a book coming out.  *adds it to my Xmas list*  So, ahem, click on over to her blog and see all the glorious versions out there.  Sara's awesome!

Back!

So, I survived camping with my class.

I'm exhausted.  Finally clean.

My highlights included:

* making my kids laugh because my cheerleading style is decidedly cheesy (as in "WOOOOOO....(insert kid name here) is a ROCKSTAR!  Climbin' that wall like a boss!)

*Getting to see the sunrise at a gorgeous outdoor chapel.

*fixing boo boos from climbing (makes me feel useful and they were all minor)

*watching a lot of proud grins

*getting begged to read aloud at bed time  (I start the morning with a read aloud book.)

*seeing actual stars

*no rain

*seeing live cicadas


The lowlights:

*living on cukes and salad and cereal because of food allergies

*being in pollen/dust/lots of allergy triggers

*almost stepping on a copperhead

*being woken up by two students who "couldn't sleep because someone is snoring"

*getting up before dawn for the hike to the outdoor chapel for sunrise



So, maybe no sewing tomorrow.  I am still wiped after napping for 4 hours when I came home.  And, now the lowgrade and sore throat are back.  Blarg.  Gotta get through a whole school day tomorrow.  Also, on the upside, my hubs got me takeout on the way home because I hadn't eaten a normal meal in 3 days.

Marcelle Medallion...or how I'm easily sucked in...

Ok, so, I really wanted to make a Marcelle Medallion this summer.
And....I didn't.

I kind of ran out of time.  I've even let my FAL list fall to the wayside.  (*gasp*Shocking, I know!)

The I signed up for Rachel at Stitched in Color's Penny Sampler class, which I am totally digging:



I saw the Marcelle Medallion QAL (#mmqal on instagram) posted up at Penny Poppleton's blog.

I need another project like I need a hole in the head.  I mean, school is back in session.  I have stacks of papers to grade already.  I'm going camping with 6th graders for 3 days in another state. I'm in the Penny Sampler.  I'm trying to keep up with the Sisters Modern Ten BOM.  (FINALLY caught up on that one.)  I have a quilt to make for our guild.  I have a bunch of other quilts in progress.  So, um, I was TOTALLY going to just watch from the side lines....until...Lisa at ModernBalabusta (another incredibly awesome lady I got to meet in person at Sewing Summit last year) asked me if I wanted a copy of her paper piecing templates for the center.  I'm not good at paperpiecing.  Did that stop me?  Nope.  I said "sure!" and planned on putting them in a file with the pattern for the quilt.

And, um, that steely resolve lasted all of 12 hours?

So, yeah....I pulled fabric and started.



 I have NO idea how/if I can keep up with the QAL.  Frankly, the next year scares the bejeesus out of me.  Even cutting that many triangles seems daunting.

So, apparently, I get sucked in easily.  (This also explains why all the ice cream commercials leave me wanting some, right?)

Bess top pattern release!

So, today, I'm breaking my blog lazy streak....Two, count 'em, TWO posts today.

Rachael over at imaginegnats is launching her Bess top pattern today.  It comes in a shirt, a tunic, and a dress version.

I was lucky enough to pattern test for her.

First, I LOVE Rachael.  She is an awesome lady, and I was super lucky to meet her in person when I was feeling all shy and awkward at Sewing Summit last year.

Second, I've been wanting to garment sew for a while.  I've tried my hand at a few skirts (loved the Cerisy Rachael posted and sewed a couple of Amy Butler skirts).  I've wanted to use some Jay McCarroll fabric I've had hoarded saved for a top.  I couldn't find a quilting cotton pattern I liked that was up to my garment sewing level.  Enter the Bess top.

Rachael's directions are super easy to follow.  Plus, you can use jersey knit as like a bias tape.  Lots of great pieces of technique and ideas that I've filed for future garment sewing.  Plus, the top is super comfy.  (And it coordinated with my colored hair.)  I'm just waiting for it to be not disgustingly hot to wear it on the regular.  (Right now I'm living in tank tops, the less strappage, the better.)  I can see more versions in my near future.  (Selfish sewing week, perhaps?)

Anyway, if you want to sew with quilting fabric (and who doesn't?!), try Rachael's pattern!

I'm loving my version:



Yes, I was told I look like a hippy.  (And, my mom hates my hair...*cough*not changing it back*cough*)

A Lovely Year of Finishes, Sept Goal.

I'm still playing catchup.  (Block updates coming tomorrow.)

However, I wanted to make sure I got my Sept ALYOF goal up and linked.

I'm taking The Penny Sampler class, taught by Rachel from Stitched in Color.
If you are ever thinking of taking an online class, hers are fabulous.  Lots of good technique instruction, cool projects...Nope, I'm got getting paid for this.  I just highly recommend her!

The first big project she posted was the Dogwood Blossom pattern, as a quilt or as a pillow.  I had a FQ stack of Notting Hill that I've been waiting to use.  So, I went all out on the whole quilt.  I've got the top:


and the back done:


Hoping to baste it tomorrow.

So, my September goal is to finish it!
I will need to get some binding purchased in order to do that....hrm.
Other goals:  quilt mom's ginormous quilt (so I can give it to her for Xmas)
                   CATCH UP!!!! (on overdue projects and blocks)

There are a bajillion awesome quilt alongs right.  (I saw  Marcelle Medallion one is going up tomorrow, but I just need to get some s*** done.)

Linking up!

A Lovely Year of Finishes, August goal done!

I'm trying to play catchup this long weekend.

If you follow me on IG, you've seen my August heal blocks and me catching up on back months (so far May and June down) on the Sisters 10 modern block of the month.

Sisters 10 blocks:
May's:


June's:



I haven't uploaded all my pics to flickr.  I've also been working on my Dogwood Blossoms quilt for the Penny Sampler class.  The top and back are done.  My goal is to baste (and maybe quilt) them tomorrow.  More pics coming on that one.

I finished my August ALYOF goal.  It was kind of a disappointing project.
The one thing I will NEVER do again is use paper as the foundation.  I hate ripping it up.  Triggers all kinds of OCD finding little bits of paper around.  Several seams popped.  Blarg.




I tied the quilt.  I don't know if it was the tying that did it, but when I washed the quilt, the batting (the generic poly/cotton stuff from Hancock's) just shredded.  So, I have bald spots in the quilt and spots that have tons of stuffing.  Meh.  So, it's done.  I have to fix a few seams.  (You can see one that popped in the pic if you look.) Anyway, I am just not excited about it.  Gonna throw it in a car so I can have a quilt for the dog to sit on when he rides in my car.  I *am* excited about Sept's goal.

Linking up: