In Progress...

My unfinished or "in progress" items are driving me crazy today, so I'm using this platform to get my thoughts and these items in order.  Goal for the coming week/weekend: Finish, finish, finish!

• Quilt #2 - I've started piecing together (as shown above) a crib-size version of the Chain Linked pattern by Amy Smart at Diary of a Quilter.  A very dear friend of mine is pregnant and it is too early on to know the sex, but for many reasons we are too excited to wait to get started on baby 'stuff'.  So... she and I went and chose a handful of gender neutral fabrics that she liked for her baby room.  I chose to use this pattern when I stumbled across Lee at Freshly Pieced version of the pattern.  The offset of white/offwhite was a perfect fit for mommy's fabric selections, so I couldn't wait to get started!  The Delay:  Since we put the cart before the horse and purchased the fabrics before choosing a pattern, I'm stuck until a reorder arrives in the mail. Grrr.  I'm chomping at the bits!
• Quilt #3 - To use the remaining fabric from Quilt #2 (and just cause I wanna), I've decided to do a newborn size quilt.  I've found the pattern I'm going to do, but I've got to locate the source before I can share.  The Delay:  Same as above.
• Diaper Changing Pad and Clutch - I've already cut the fabric for this project, which I'm super excited about!  I looked at a few patterns online to get inspiration for the construction, but I couldn't find anything that was quite what I had in mind.  The Delay:  I've got to find/locate some vinyl sheeting material.  Any ideas here??  I know I can find anything online, but I'd really like to just pick it up at a local store.  Patience is not my friend these days.
• Coffee Table/Bench Refurb - I had this coffee table that had moved around with me from place to place for the last ten years.  It was very modern and cool at the time, but after having kids... (it had glass and sharp edges) I stopped using and it just stayed stashed in the garage all these years.  Part of the glass doors and top had broken, so I have done a great deal of work recently to repurpose it.  I'm done with the sanding and the painting, but the next step is to make a pillow top seat.  I'm converting it into a bench!  I've bought the upholstery fabric and everything... The Delay:  I need a piece of wood cut to upholster the pillow/fabric to and it will be complete.  That's all!  

So, you see, I have now put these goals out into the world.  That means I have to get them done, right?!? 

Well, I'm going to pretend it does.  :)

My 1st Quilt - Finished!

Ta-da!!  My very first quilt!  I am seriously addicted now and could not stop until I got it completed, and have about ten others I want to get started on immediately!  New things are fun.

 

As I mentioned before, I found a brick pattern idea while skimming online (and unfortunately did not keep the link).  It was for tiles, so I altered it into a strip to run the length of the quilt.  I then chose some antiqued white fabric to finish it off.  The finished size is 81"x 88".  Since I didn't use a pattern I chose the size of the bricks to be 6"x3". Making the strip 18" wide.

On the back (which I did not for some reason get an image of), I repeated the 18" horizontal strip in the green damaske fabric I used for the binding.  When I completed the quilt top and back, I moved on to basting (which I must say was quite a challenge... I totally commend you guys who have it down pat because it was a beast!).  It being the first time I attempted this, I probably should not have been so aspirational to plan for the 18" strip to fall directly behind the brick path on the front.  I used about a gazzilion pins to make it work!  I then stitched the outside and the vertical lines in the bricks with clear threading, "stitch in the ditch" I guess is the term.  Then repeated the vertical lines in the bricks throughout the extent of the quilting.  I then used a wonderful little tutorial by Heather Bailey to hand stitch the binding.  And, voila!

My First Quilt!

I know that I have taken a very long vacation from blogging (and/or any of my crafting for that matter), but I am back in business and so freaking excited about it, it's ridiculous!  Although, I have always considered myself a very artistic and crafty person (who thinks everything she does is sub par, LOL), I have never in my life used a sewing machine!  No home economics in school, no 4-h, and no one to teach me the trade.  [Note: My mother is a self-professed failure with anything you might have learned to do in home economics.]    And, when I make my jewelry or anything with fabric, I have always hand-sewn.

Well, at Thanksgiving, my aunt handed down to me this little beauty.

Believe me, I completely understand if you cannot help but drool.  She is beautiful!  Its a Singer Featherweight from approx. 1950 from what I can find online.  And, it works perfectly!  Although, it took me nearly 2 months to test drive it for fear of the damage I might inflict.

To add to my intense desire to sew on a machine for the first time, I had an equally intense desire to make a quilt.  Again, for fear of not being able to fumble my way through it, I bought some pre-packaged fat quarters (didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on a failed attempt) and found an idea for a pattern online.  To make things just a wee bit scarier... I decided to attempt the initiative blind-faith.  I didn't use a pattern.  I just used the idea and modified it.  And, decided to go big.  I mean, why bother with small?  If you're gonna fail, fail big, right!?

So, here is a first glimpse at my little endeavor.

I'm just so stinking proud, I cannot contain it!  Remember what I told you... I have never sewed before... ever!  I know I'm being silly, forgive me.  ;)

I have completed this portion that is 18" wide by 87" in length.  I plan on framing the brick pattern 'strip' with a solid fabric, so that it lays off center.  I will have achieved a full-size quilt if I succeed!

The next steps terrify me, but I'm already addicted so I know I will keep plugging along and hope for the best!  Any words of encouragement? 

I will post my progress as it comes.  (And, probably, several more attempts in the future!)