Chubby Owl Scissors Keeper

It's been a busy few weeks while I've been working on two secret projects.  I finished up my project for the Table Topper Swap on Flickr and my block for the Red, White & Blue Blog Hop that starts July 1st. 

For the Table Topper Swap on Flickr, I don't want to reveal the table topper until I know she's received it, but would you like to see what I sent along as an extra?  I remembered seeing a cute felt owl scissors case pattern on Etsy, and I thought I would just wing it (pun intended) and make my own. 

Isn't she cute?  I used one of the fancy stitches on my machine to add some interest to the owl's body and add a feathery looking stitch on the wings.  She's a little chubby but I think she's adorable.  This was my first time using wool felt instead of craft felt, and there is a big difference.  The wool felt is so much more substantial and I'm looking forward to making more of these!  I think you'll be seeing them in my Etsy shop soon!

My post for the Red, White & Blue Blog Hop will be up tomorrow, so be sure to visit again!  Just to be a tease, here's a teeny portion of my block.

Weekend WIPs

There are a few things I'm working on this weekend.  I don't have 'normal' weekends, since I'm a shopkeeper and my only day off is Monday but my brain still thinks of Saturday with a 'woo hoo.' One of the things I'll be working on this weekend is my dragonfly embroidery.  I'm trying to decide if I want the black defining the wings or not.  Design decisions can be difficult.

I also started a bird pillow in Fresh Flowers to coordinate with the Birdhouse Paper Pieced Pillow that I made a couple weeks ago.  That pillow sits on a bench in my store and it looks lonely, so I thought a little birdy family pillow would add some fun.  The birds all have different shapes, and I'm not sure I like that so they may change before I applique them on.  The bottom row isn't too tidy either, so I think I'll take the seam ripper to that and make it prettier.

I need to work on my Table Topper Swap project, and I'm trying to choose colors for my swap partner.  She didn't ask for anything specific other than the size, so its nice to have the freedom to play.  The Red, White & Blue Blog Hop is coming up soon too, and I had a third idea this week although I haven't worked up samples for any of them yet.  Then there's my June blocks for do. Good Stitches, and the swap project for our circle is due at the end of August. 

Lots of projects to choose from, and luckily no immediate deadlines.  What are you working on?

Friday Favorites

There are always so many fun things out there on the internet, and there are a few treasures I found this week that I would like to share with you.  My niece will be having a sleepover with me soon, and I thought a little crafty project would be fun.  We might make these cute fabric flowers from the tutorial at House of Smith's.

Then there's these yummy looking apple turnovers from Echoes of Laughter.   This is one of my new favorite blogs - she posts lots of great ideas for parties, decorating, recipes and all kinds of cute stuff.

If you need chocolate instead of something fruity, head on over to I Heart Naptime for her White Chocolate Butterscotch Cookie recipe.  This is on my 'must-bake-now' list!  Don't they look yummy? She has included a cute printable recipe card too.  It couldn't get easier!

Did you think I'd forgotten about quilting? No way!  Here's a few Flickr favorites from the past week too.

1. small things embroidery, 2. Doily & Mat Series: Doily #2, 3. Leaf Potholder, 4. Blitzen Table Topper, 5. QST on grass, 6. Cutting Edge Quilt, 7. DSC_0381, 8. Rose Garden Table Runner, 9. 123:365

Yeah ok, that last picture isn't quilty or crocheted or knitted goodness but aren't those peonies lovely? Super cute next to the handpainted chair.  I need to paint a chair like that!

So much inspiration!  What's been inspiring you this week?

Pink Lemonade Finish

Pink and yellow together really do make me think "Pink Lemonade."  I quilted a simple cross hatch through the quadrants.  Are they quadrants if there are 9 of them?

Add some bubblegum pink binding and how cute is this?  There is a daisy quilted in the very center, and I tried to free motion a leaf on each corner.  I need to practice free motion quilting for sure, but this was fun.

The backing is the same daisy fabric as the center square on the front.  It finishes out roughly at 24 x 24.  I haven't washed it yet though, so that might tighten it up a bit.

I did list it for sale on the Etsy site, and you can find it here if you just can't live without it!  I think it would make a sweet dolly quilt for a little girl.  I love scrappy layouts in other quilter's work, but I have a hard time committing when I'm putting something together.  This turned out even better than I expected.

Summer Swap Sample

Do you know what its like when none of your friends are interested in the same activity that you are interested in?  It gets a little lonely, doesn't it?  When I started out knitting I had a friend who liked to knit, and she had other friends who liked to knit so we all got together a couple of times a month for a Stitch & You-Know-What for drinks, dinner and knitting.  It was fun to see what the girls were working on and inspiring to see new techniques, not to mention how we got downright giddy over sales at the local yarn shop.  Now that I'm in Florida, my knitting is at the far ends of my radar (its just too hot!) and I am all about sewing.  But I have no one here to giggle with me over my newest Amy Butler stash or sympathize with me over how many times I sewed fabric wrong sides together on my first paper piecing adventure.  What's a girl to do?

(Ok its not that bad, but I thought he was kinda cute.)  I've started blogging more regularly, and I've been delving into groups on Flickr to find some fabric loving peeps to virtually hang out with.  I'm tickled pink with my do Good Stitches circle and we've just started up a secret swap so we're learning more about each other and that's tons of fun.  I also joined an ongoing swap group - its called Table Top Swap and this round is devoted to table runners and table toppers.  Swappers have been assigned, and my swap-ee requested a square so of course that's what she's getting.  I've been stalking my partner by looking through her Flickr photos of finished work, see the photos she's favorited, and I've been reading her blog to learn more about her.  I decided to do a sample of the finished piece that I'll be creating for her, with the intention of posting the photo to see if she gives me feedback.  Here it is spray basted & ready for quilting.  This is 24 inches by 24 inches.

She seems to like stars in various forms, and I found myself drawn to one particular block full of half-square triangles.  After a little while I realized its very similar to the Love in the Mist block I did for the HGTV discussion board swap last year, and I knew I could handle that so I supersized it.  I was aiming for something traditional but not too simple.  

Do you have local friends who quilt too or are you joining online groups to find stash-a-holics who'll understand you?  While I'm thinking about it, thanks for reading about my quilting adventures.  I'd love to hear from you & learn about yours!

Tulip Fields quilt blocks

Our May block for the Inspire Circle of do. Good Stitches was such fun!  Aprel is our quilter for May, and she asked that we make a block called Tulip Fields.  Strips of color with two slightly random paths of white breaking up the strips.  This is one of her inspiration photos, taken by Jeff Milsteen.  His photos can be found on Flickr under the name JLMPhotos. 

These are my blocks.

I love working with the ladies in my circle of do Good Stitches.  They are super creative and I really do look forward to each new month's assignment.  On to the June's blocks!