Just messing around....

Sometimes you just want to sew,  just want to finish something, quick, easy, and pretty!  Some of us in the KCMQG have been working on our sewing machine covers.  I love Empty Bobbin's pattern because you make your cover to fit your machine exactly.  It was fun and quick and easy and I think pretty!

This fabric is "Groovy Leaves" from Adornit.  Great fabric.  I am really pleased with how this turned out and I am hopeful it will keep my machine healthy.  I liked it so much that I decided I needed to make a mini for my little featherweight.

I found some lime/acid green Alexander Henry owl fabric with a little Kona and ended up with this

I love this little thing!  The pattern included a tip on how to adapt the cover for a small machine.  I made a few changes myself but it turned out great.  Now I can get this machine out of the stinky old case it usually lives in.


Art Gallery fabrics, one of my favorites, has developed the "Fat Quarter Gang".  You can read about them on the Art Gallery Fabrics blog and in their goup on Flickr.  Each member of the gang develops a tutorial of a project that is made with AGF.  Maureen Cracknell Handmade posted her tut on quilted pillow shams and I just had to make it.

Maureen made hers out of the new Lillybelle collection but I don't have any of that.  I have a tub of AGF in my room so I dug in there and came up with 12 coordinating fat quarters, some batting remnants and muslin and I was ready to go.

How easy to add some color to the couch or your bedroom.  How fun to make a couple of these to go with that quilt you are giving as a gift?  Only 10 fat quarters to make two shams.

So these were my weekend finishes.  Fun easy projects that I could finish in a weekend!  Hope you made something fun this weekend.

It's Sooo Hot....

It has been so hot and so typical Kansas City in July!  I am not certain what has kept me away from the blog but I am still here and I've been sewing!  I feel like I have sewing A.D.D.  I have been great about starting projects but not that great about finishing.  Sometimes I do better than others.  I started sewing this together 

I got a few rows done but then got distracted......by this project

and it is not yet finished either!  I took a class from one of my favorite people, Jacquie Gering while she was in KC and began this "SuperNova' wall hanging from her book "Quilting Modern".

Moving on......................................

It was time to start a project for July in the My Precious QAL on Flickr.  I decided to use these precious fabrics..................a little Tula Pink oldie but goodie!

Which will soon turn into these;

This is the Thimble Blossoms pattern called Spools.  Can't wait to see this one done.




This morning I finished up a cover for my machine.  I have had the "Cover Up" pattern from Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio sitting on my machine for months and months.  Carol posted photos of her Cover Up on the KCMQG Facebook page and I decided I needed to get one done for my machine.  The dust that gets into my machine cannot be helpful!  So I have managed to finish this project.

I love it! and so does my Bernina.

For future projects I got these goodies.....I am absolutely in love with Riley Blake's Ombre DOTS!  They are big dots.  I got these from the idontdodishes etsy shop owned by fellow KCMQG'r Caitlin McIntyre.

I have a project in mind for these...........coming soon  And another bit of fabric that graced my mailbox this week.....

I love this bright orange and gray together.  I have a plan for these two also!  No shortage of ideas around here, just need to make these weekends a little longer.

I'll be back soon with a few more finishes and a few less starts!!

Lazy Bum!

Yes, I am being a lazy bum this morning.  I need to extricate myself from this oh so comfortable couch and get busy!!  First stop this morning is the Bernina Store 10:00am.  My "Nina" is sick and she is going to see the doctor!  Man I hate to be without my machine.  I'll pull the spare out and still be able to sew.  I have several projects that I need to make progress on today.

I have finshed a couple things during this past week.  From 2009 let me bring you my Kaffe Dresden table topper;

I just love this thing.  Why oh why did it take me 3 years to get this topper finished??  I have run across these blocks in the fabric pile under my cutting table for three years!  Last weekend I finally decided to finish it up.  My friend Mary Anne shared her personal restriction of finishing up a UFO before she allows herself to start another NEW project.  What a great idea!  I am going to try to adopt this philosophy.....we'll see how it goes!  I have this loaded on the quilt frame and will pick up some batting today so I can finish it up.  I need to get a backing made for a top thats waiting to be quilted (another UFO)...so many things, so little time!

I also finished this....... It is my version of Bleachers, an Angela Walters pattern from Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio.  I love how it turned out.  It was a bit of a challenge to make, only because I didn't follow the pattern so I had to change the way I cut and put together the pieces.  It was fun to make, fun to quilt and I love the finished project.  I used my limited Habitat stash.  I only liked a few pieces of the Habitat line and they are all in this quilt!  That grey dot is fabulous!  I have a little left, maybe for a baby quilt.  This quilt is lap size.

Well I must get going !  What are you working on this weekend?

Meet the Modern Quilt Guild!

Last night me and around 300 of my Modern Quilt Guild friends attended the "Modern Meet Up" sponsored by the Kansas City and St. Louis Modern Quilt Guilds and QuiltCon.  What a great time we all had.  The crowd was a "Who's Who" of the modern quilt world.  We were in a ballroom in the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, Missouri.  They treated us all very well.  It could not have been much better.

We had all kinds of donations...giveaways from many quilty sponsors.    A good time was had by all.  Great conversations, much inspiration and much mingling were had by all.

What a great community to be a part of.  It was wonderful!  Tomorrow is the May KCMQG meeting with our guest Weeks Ringle.  I am so looking forward to that!

Productive......

It has been a great relaxing productive sewing week.  I have enjoyed being home and spending time each day with my machines.

It is Spring Quilt Market in Kansas CIty this year and I am totally disappointed that I did not get to go...:(    I pacified myself by going to MQS 2012.  It was wonderful of course.  So many beautiful quilts...so many vendors...thread, rulers, longarms...everything.  Even saw a booth selling shoes??? really?  If you have never gone to Machine Quilters Showcase, go next time you get a chance, it is quite impressive.

I dug up a UFO that I have been staring at for almost a year.  Don't know why I did not finished this as it is one of my favorites.  So bright and colorful...

This may be next on the quilter.  I have many tops hanging in the doorway.  My new effort is to get them quilted.  No excuses for not getting them done...just need to do it.



This is what's on the quilter at the moment.

I am hoping to finish this up today!

In honor of Spring Market the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild and the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild

are hosting a gathering tonight.  I volunteered to help so I will be there!!  Would not have missed it anyway.  Hope to meet some of the quilters I only know from Blog/Flickr land!!

Until next time......

My Precious Finish!

My "Precious QAL" entry is finished, quilted and bound!!  If I did not have vacation this week I probably would not have finished completely.  I am very happy with it and took a number of photos!

Anyway......this QAL was lots of fun.  Come join us for the next chapter of the "My Precious QAL" on Flickr.

Oh! It's Friday!!!

Finally.....I have been waiting for this day for several weeks, no, months.  While it is not payday Friday, it is VACATION Friday.  I will be on vacation next week and I am thrilled.  I only have a list of 15 or 20 things I need to get done today before I go!  No sweat, right!

Just so happens my vacation week is Quilt Market, MQS and KCMQG Meet Up week!  I chose the dates well.  Amy Butler is in the house on Tuesday at Nelson Atkins, sponsored by Harpers.  Denyse Schmidt is in the house next week sponsored by my favorite Bernina store!  Weeks Ringle is in the house for the May KCMQG meeting.  Jacquie Gering will be here for market and she is giving a class on the Flip and Stitch method in her new book "Quilting Modern".  Yes I am in Quilty Heaven!  Vacation will definitely include hours of sewing and quilting.  I think on Sunday I will not leave my machine.

I have been working on Some things.....this is my entry for Round One of the My Precious QAL on Flickr.  This will be first up on the quilter this week. I love how it turned out.  The pattern is Out Fox the Fox by Lizzy House and the fabric is my precious Lush by Erin Michael.  The solid is an organic cotton I got on sale from Marmalade Fabrics.  Can't wait to finish.

I have also finished my Bleachers quilt top that I made from Habitat and some Kona solids.  This is a new pattern from Empty Bobbin Studio.  I did not test this pattern for Shea Henderson...

 but I did test Crosshatch.

Well enough for now.

I have to get this day

started so I can get it done!



Enjoy your Friday!!