I was born to Create.

Ok so I know I am totally behind in blogging (anniversary weekend, Disneyland, zoo, playdoh, etc) but I have been so busy with sewing and having fun with the girls. I will get to it soon next week looks like I will have more time. I had to share this video that Erin told me about from the church. I had no idea about these videos and this one speaks to me like no other.

Here is the link for all the other videos. Click here. Check them out they are all great!

Making Pillows - day 16

I started to make the pillows for my couch that I have been needing to make for a long time. I have made alot of progress just need to add the finishing touches to the 3 that are stacked and then all the scraps in front is the last pillow ready to be sewed together. Hopefully I can get them done today!

NEWS.

I have decided to put myself out there. I have been wanting to get involved with all the crafty blogs that are out there (there are tons) , but I didn't want to get my personal blog involved. The best solution??? Start a different site that is public and will get me out there into the crafy/sewing world. I really want to get involved in quilting bees and swaps but in order to do that you have to make friends with all of the people who set those up.

So please support me as I do this, it is scary, especially since I am not the best seamstress out there. I can NEVER top my mom she is just amazing. Thanks to my mom for thinking of the PERFECT name for the site.

All of my sewing projects will now be posted on my new site. I even bought a domain and so I have a .com, so crazy I know. Even Brett is wondering who I am right now, I am turning into a computer nerd. hehe.

Drum roll please. Ta Da! Stitches & Scissors.

My button is permanently on the sidebar, so all you have to do is click on it and it will take you to the site.

All different sizes quilt completed!

Remember this post? Well it is finished.

I think I need to rename this quilt as the if it can go wrong it will quilt. Everything was great when I put together the top of the quilt but once I started putting it all together (batting and bottom of quilt) things kept going wrong. I had to un-pick so much of it because of bobbin problems and because I put on the walking foot on wrong, I didn't realize it until I had done alot of the "quilting". I broke 4 needles while "quilting" this quilt (I have NEVER broken needles)I can be so dumb sometimes, I admit it. But after having my sewing machine in the shop for almost a week, I think that I finished this quilt in great time, it ended up being 44 x 64.

Another issue that I did not think about was the binding. Can you see in the picture how the dots show and then it is plain red?? That was not supposed to happen, but I kinda like it.



My favorite part is the back, I love the black & white dots!



This quilt is for me so it is ok that it is not perfect. I really had a hard time with sewing the binding on this quilt, I don't know why. I am so glad it is done, actually all 3 of my quilts are done now, time for the next one huh?



I did want to finish my tutorial. I did this continuous bias binding and it was really the easiest way to do it. Here is how you do it.

Step 1: Determine how much fabric you need for your binding strip. Measure the perimeter of your quilt and add 12". Divide this number by 42 (assuming about 42" of usable fabric on a 44/45" wide fabric) and round up to an even number. Then multiply this number by your strip width (including seam allowances). This final number is the length of the rectangle needed to make your continuous bias binding strip. Here's an example:

* Quilt measures 71" x 90"
* Perimeter = 71+90+71+90 = 322 and add 12" for a total of 334"
* 334/42 = 7.95 Round up to 8
* 8 x 3 (for 3" binding strip width) = 24
* You'll need 24" x 42" piece of fabric for the binding

Step 2: After cutting the rectangle to size, fold down one corner of the fabric to create a right triangle (A) and cut along fold.



Step 3: Sew A to B using a 1/4" seam allowance and press the seam open.



Step 4: On the wrong side of your fabric, mark cutting lines parallel to the bias edge that are the width of your binding strip (e.g., 2.5" in the above example).



Step 5: Cut 6" down the line at the "pointy" end of your fabric. Then fold the fabric into a tube (approximately in thirds) so that the * and all of your marked lines are aligned. Pin if needed, and then sew a 1/4" seam to create a long tube. Press seam open.



Step 6: Continue cutting the fabric along your marked line, which will now be a spiral running the complete length of your fabric. Be careful to only cut one thickness of fabric at a time. This will result in one long bias strip of fabric, with all of your seams perfectly aligned!

Our Trip + a Quilt completed.

We are home. We got home at 11:00 because we left at 4:40am and all of us took a nap, over 3 1/2 hours!!! Crazy. I NEVER take naps. Hopefully it won't bother any of us tonight and we will be able to fall asleep. Now that we are home I can put up some pictures. Brett, Dad and I went to see James Bond while my mom watched Gwenie. when we got home they were outside and Gwenie was so happy, I ran inside and grabbed my camera.

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I am so excited to finally show you Gwenie's quilt that I completed. My mom showed me how to do bias strips for the binding and we combined all of the reds that I used in the quilt for the binding. I love it.





My mom also convinced me to hand quilt it instead of quilting it on the sewing machine. I do have to say that it looks awesome, great idea mom. I am so glad that she helped me to hand sew the quilt it looks so professional, much better than it would have looked had I quilted it on the sewing machine. ( I don't always sew in straight lines :) )

All different sizes.

I have been wanting to attempt to make a quilt for me where all the squares are different sizes. I could not find a pattern or any tips online so I just winged it. I want to be able to remember how I did it, so here is a "loose" tutorial of what I have done.

1. Bought 5 different fabrics, with 1/2 yard of each. ( Note to self: bought a yard of the white fabric with birds because you loved it so much. That Alexander Henry makes great fabrics.)

2. Got out my cutting board and rotary cutter. I then picked one fabric and started cutting a rectangle. I pieced together all five materials until I had a complete square.



3. Sewed all five materials together with a 1/4" seam allowance. Then ironed the seams down, so the square is nice and flat.



4. Repeated this process with another square, making sure that no 2 colors/materials are next to eachother.

5. Sewed together the 2 big squares that I made, cut off the access material, if any, so that I have now one big square/rectangle.

6. Next step will be to repeat #'s 3-5, then sew those 2 big squares together. Repeating this until you have the desired length & width, to complete the quilt.


7. Measure quilt to get the dimensions of the quilt (for example: 45x60, which is what I am shooting for) and then go and buy the fabric & batting for the back and middle of the quilt, so that it will match the dimensions of the top layer that I have completed.

Once I am done I will put up a picture of the quilt and any last minute corrections to this, hence me calling it a "loose" tutorial.

For me.

Now that I am almost finished with Gwenie's quilt ( I won't be finished really until Thanksgiving, as I need to take it to my mom to teach me a really cool trick on the closer/binding of the quilt) I thought since I was in the mode of sewing I would make one for me.

Now I know that alot of my posts have been full of sewing, but I am in my sewing mood. It usually comes about every couple of months or longer and I go on a HUGE binge and do lots of project, remember this post? That was my last phase.

I guess this will be my "quilting" phase, which is really appropriate since it is getting to be winter and cold. The perfect time to make a quilt, especially for me, I am always cold. Now I am somewhat nervous as I just went and bought the material and it is going to be a bigger quilt then I have done before, but hey I need a quilt too, huh??? I am going to make mine with all different sizes of squares.



Like this quilt, but in my colors. I love all the different sizes of squares, but who knows I might change my mind.

Passing on traditions

I remember every day coming home from school and my mom sitting at her desk sewing. She is a master seamstress. We always had "customers" over at the house in her sewing room which doubled as my parents bedroom. She was always willing to teach me to sew. Many times I would sit next to her and sew on her other sewing machine. I would make pillows or blankets because they were easy.

I wonder now if my mom had not sewn if I would know how to sew? Would I have taught myself to sew or would I never sew?!?! It is interesting to wonder what would have happened. It really made me realize that I will need to pass on the tradition to Gweniveve, so that if she wants to sew when she is older then she will know how. I have so many memories of my mom sewing and all the stuff I made with her, I want to have that with Gwenie. I will never be the "master" seamstress that my mom is, but I can teach Gwenie all that I know.

Tonight as I was sewing her quilt this all really hit me because Gwenie wanted to be involved with what I was doing. She wanted to help me and see what I was doing. It was so sweet. I know I was this way with my mom.

When I took a break to start dinner she immediately climbed on my chair and picked up my square that I was sewing and tried to sew it herself. She is such a great observer. She really pays attention.



Here's to passing on traditions.

Animals + a great Bargain.

Quilt update. I am having lots of fun making this quilt, which is good because there has been craziness here with me having to go to the doctor and have my ears looked at because I have been super dizzy. I can't sleep because everytime I move the room spins out of control. Hopefully the vertigo will go away soon.

I am in love with the animals that I have embroidered so far:

Here is the Kitty in progress, I still have to make a dog and one other animal that I have not decided on yet, any suggestions?



Bargain of the month. Gwenie and I have acquired some new shoes. I got mine on sale, had a coupon, & gift cert. so for $100.00 shoes I got them for only $30.00, I can't wait to wear them. Gwenie's were on sale for only $8.00 at the Gap, I love them.

Inspiration

I have been wanting to make Gwenie a quilt for along time and have had many ideas, but it has never happened. Finally I was inspired by a quilt I found on a quilting blog. I am going to make it for one of Gwenie's Christmas presents, she loves blankets. I called my mom to have her help me think of the best way to go about it, since I do not have a pattern just a picture. I am even going to attempt to "free hand" embroider. I haven't done that since Junior high, which was a long time ago. I am so excited to start and see how it all goes, especially the embroidery part. I am a little scared to draw what I want on the material, hopefully I won't suck. You will have to wait until I am done to see it but, here is just a peek:

Thanks Mom.

I finally tried on the "Tinkerbell" costume that my MIL bought Gwenie last year on sale to wear this year for Halloween and it is to small. So I thought I would take advantage of having my mom here on Saturday to see if she could help me make Gwenie a costume. (They were staying with us for a night before they headed back to Utah) We went to the fabric store and poured through the patterns. My mom came across one that had us both laughing and we knew that would be the one.

I also bought some velvet (expensive stuff) so that my mom could take it home and sew Gweniveve a cape with a hood for Christmas. She had made my niece, Whitney, a cape with hood out of velvet one year and I thought it was awesome. I am so excited for Gwenie to open it on Christmas and wear it as a coat.

Then we went out to dinner at Fuddrucker's. As I have mentioned before my Dad is a huge lover of a good hamburger. We got a corner booth so Gwenie had tons of room and was in heaven.



The last thing my mom did was to give Gwenie her 1st EVER haircut. My mom told me that it would grow faster and thicker if it was trimmed and I am all for that.



Gwenie just wanted to drink out of the sink, which made it a little hard for my mom to cut her hair, but it went great.



It was so amazing to see my parents, I just love when they are around. Apparently so does Gwenie. The whole time they were here she would run up to my mom or dad for them to hold her hand or to give them hug & kisses. She even said grandpa for the first time, it was great.

sewing projects.

I go through phases. When I am in my "sewing" phase I do alot and then it is a long time before I sit down with thread and needle. I knew I was going to my mom's, who is the best seamstress, so I wanted to take advantage of her sewing machines and her help, if need be. I had alot of things that I wanted to make and some things I wanted to finish at my mom's and get her opinion on.

My first project was making a camera strap for my new prized possession. My friend Erin had made one for her camera and it gave me the idea. I just had some changes to make from hers for what I wanted. I LOVED the print that I found, it is so me.

I sewed the material into a tube and then pulled it over my camera strap that came with the camera and then sewed it down at the ends and along each side with a big stitch so that it would look the way I wanted it to.

This is what it looked like at the end. This is my new best friend :)



Next I made a towel with a hood for Erin's cute boy Mason. It is his B-Day on Monday, Happy Birthday Mason! I could not find any towels that I liked with a print, so I got plain towels and found some ribbon to tie them together. I sewed the ribbon on the towels, I loved how it turned out. I needed my mom to sew the ears, since I had no clue how to do it and I don't think my sewing machine could have handled it.



I think he liked it!



Next on the list was making an apron for Erin. It was her Birthday in July and also I wanted to make her something since she made Gwenie her cape, which we love. I had never made one before but my mom said she had a fool proof pattern that takes only 1 hour. When I started doing it, it was easier then I thought. I was just nervous for the pockets to be straight, but it turned out great. I just hope that Erin likes the material that I chose.





Last but not least was a dress for Gwenie. This one I needed my mom's help and it turned out that she did most of the work. So I can't take credit for it, but I will since I picked out the material,dress pattern and the buttons. I did iron the seams and look on as she made it. Maybe next time I can do it on my own?!?!