November

Hello Friends!

The last few months have been very busy.  I wish I could say it's all been fun and a lot of sewing has happened, but that is not the case.  My father got very ill again in September and had to have surgery.  He is doing much better but still not where he was.  And mom tore a tendon in her rotator cuff.  She had surgery a couple weeks ago.  I have been busy helping them.

Whenever a had a free minute at home I was sewing though.  I am working on multiple things and I need to just do one at a time.  I have sewing ADD.  I just get bored too easily and move on to the next project.  One of my goals for the new year is to finish all projects before I start anything new.  I will really try.  Is there something you do to motivate you to finish as you go?

Last time we talked I mentioned my Etsy store.  Well, on Friday I received an email from Etsy congratulating me on my first sale.  It's been 2 months with the store open with nothing so I did not believe my email.  But when I opened it and discovered I actually had sold on of my quilts, it will so exciting!  My friends and family have been so supportive and I can't thank them enough.  My son says I need to sew every moment I can and fill my shop with quilts to sell.  I wish I had more time to do just that.  So I will work on them as much as I can and we will see what happens.  Below is a picture of the quilt that sold.

I am trying to decide what to make for my coworkers for Christmas.  I have a couple ideas just not sure what I should do.  Do you have any fun easy sewing ideas?

I have joined a few IG quilt a longs or QAL.  I am working on some Union flag blocks now and hope to start a quilt from the book Sunday Morning Quilts.  My friend Izzy and I are going to work on Missing U from the book.  Anyone else want to join along?

Blessings
Amy

November

Hello Friends!

The last few months have been very busy.  I wish I could say it's all been fun and a lot of sewing has happened, but that is not the case.  My father got very ill again in September and had to have surgery.  He is doing much better but still not where he was.  And mom tore a tendon in her rotator cuff.  She had surgery a couple weeks ago.  I have been busy helping them.

Whenever a had a free minute at home I was sewing though.  I am working on multiple things and I need to just do one at a time.  I have sewing ADD.  I just get bored to easily and move on to the next project.  One of my goals for the new year is to finish all projects before I start anything new.  I will really try.  Is there something you do to motivate you to finish as you go?

Last time we talked I mentioned my Etsy store.  Well, on Friday I received an email from Etsy congratulating me on my first sale.  It's been 2 months with the store open with nothing so I did not believe my email.  But when I opened it and discovered I actually had sold on of my quilts, it will so exciting!  My friends and family have been so supportive and I can't thank them enough.  My son says I need to sew every moment I can and fill my shop with quilts to sell.  I wish I had more time to do just that.  So I will work on them as much as I can and we will see what happens.  Below is a picture of the quilt that sold.

I am trying to decide what to make for my coworkers for Christmas.  I have a couple ideas just not sure what I should do.  Do you have any fun easy sewing ideas?

I have joined a few IG quilt a longs or QAL.  I am working on some Union flag blocks now and hope to start a quilt from the book Sunday Morning Quilts.  My friend Izzy and I are going to work on Missing U from the book.  Anyone else want to join along?

Blessings
Amy

New and exciting things

Hello Friends!

A lot has happened since my last post.  Let me try to catch you up.  First of all, my sister got married August 20.  It was a cold and rainy day for an outdoor wedding.  But we must have someone looking out for us because the skies cleared and the day was beautiful!  It was colder than we had planned but we made do.  Here is a picture of my sister Lisa and her new husband Austin.

 

August also brought changes in my life again.  My son Sam went back to college.  He is in his second year at UW-Milwaukee.  He is a film studies major.  I think college has been great for him.  But I do miss him.  The house is so quiet.  I have been able to do some sewing though.

 

September 3rd my Godchild Sara got married.  I made her and Pedro this quilt.

 This is a quilt pattern from Jeni Baker's book-Half Square Triangles.  I used 6 inch squares and 84 different fabrics.  It was a great stash buster.  I see a few more of these quilts in my future.
This month has also brought the Wisconsin Quilt Expo.  The quilt I made for my cousin's housewarming party was selected to be shown.  Here is a picture of it hanging there.

This is Birch Bark by Hunter Designs.  If you recall, I made this in a class that my friend Trisha taught.  I was not going to take the class because I can read a pattern and could just make it myself.  I am so glad I took the class.  I learned a few things that I would have missed by not taking the class.  It was great to sit with the other students and learn from them also. I have made two of these quilts now and I am considering making another.

 

I am currently working on some Wild and Goosey blocks.  It is taking a lot longer than I thought it would.  I worked for 6 hours on Sunday and only finished 16 blocks.  I have 30 done but need almost 300 for the quilt.  This might end up being my lifetime project.

 

My friend Gael is opening a new modern quilt store in Middleton Wi.  It will be called Blue Bar Quilts.  Look for it online and on Facebook.  I have offered to help her set up and be there for any function she might need help with.  She will be renting time on a long arm machine also.  I think I might have to give that a try.

 

In other news, I have decided to start an Etsy store.  I have a bag of quilts just sitting around and I would like to give them homes.  You can find me here-Theturquoisebutton/Etsy.

I will be adding more things soon.  I know I have some table runners and other small items to list.  It has really motivated me to create more.  I am working on a quilt for my step son and his wife for their new home.  Then I will work on patterns I have always wanted to try.

 

Hope you are sewing this month as it is National Sewing Month!

Blessings

Amy

 

 

 

Made it in again!

Hello Friends!

I am so excited to tell you that my quilt was accepted to the Wisconsin Quilt Expo.  This is the second year I have entered a quilt and its been accepted.  I am going to my cousin's house tonight to pick it up.

I have to make a hanging sleeve and probably put a label on it.

I was shocked to get in this year but so happy.

 

Are you a fast sewist?  Do you create items in record time due to deadlines?  Or do you enjoy sewing so much that easy gifts don't take long at all?  I made this baby quilt for a friend in 2 1/2 hours.  It wasn't a race I just was able to finish it fast.

 

It's not too fancy but it is all flannel with a white with pink and green dot backing.

Only 16 days until my sister gets married. I will post a picture of the quilt I made for her soon.  Now I need to finish my other cousins quilt!

Happy sewing!

Blessings

Amy

 

2 updates in a week?

Hello!!!

Well, I have another quilt top to show you.  My Godchild is getting married Sept 3.  I am buying a gift but I thought a quilt would be special too.  I was 15 when she was born.  I can't believe she is getting married.  So excited! 
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Jeni Baker at one of her fabric launch parties.  She is a great girl. So sweet.  I just loved all of her fabrics.  She has decided not to create fabric any longer but is big into making patterns.  Last year she came out with a book, Patchwork Essentials-The Half Square Triangle.  I just love this book.  Sometimes it is hard to decide on a pattern.  And I am always looking for easy!  I started this quilt on Friday.  It's her pattern Opposites Attract.

I found 84 different fabrics to make 168 blocks.  Sara was born in 1985 so I will use a different color for the back to give me 85 fabrics in this quilt.

I was able to finish this last night.  It was a great process and I will be making more just like it.  Is it sad that I have 85 different fabric scraps?  I could probably make 5 of these quilts and still not run out of fabric. 
I will be quilting this on my home sewing machine.  Wish me luck!

Blessings
Amy

 

Not very good at this Blogging thing

Hello friends

I am sorry I am not very good at this.  Many times I have wanted to delete everything and just pretend I was never on here.  Life sometimes gets in the way of creativity.  I am not complaining at all.  I have been blessed so much to have my parents still here.  With my father in the nursing home and my mother not driving my family has had to do a lot of running.  Thankfully my son is home from college and is taking a lot if not all of the appointments and shopping for mom and visiting dad.
I have tried to be creative and get in my sewing room to sew, but my son has all of his dorm room items in my sewing space at the moment.  Again, not complaining.  Glad he is home for the summer.  I was able to do some fast sewing in June.  My friend got married in the middle of June so of course 2 weeks before the wedding I decided I should make her a quilt.  This quilt took 31/2 hours to put together.  My longarmer finished it in record time too.  I was finishing the binding on the Friday night before the wedding.  This is another Birch Bark Quilt. Pattern by Sam Hunter.

 

I actually put a border in this one.  The brides colors where black and purple so I went with a Bali pop in those colors.

 

I also made another quilt during the making of this one.  I can not show you it yet though because it is a wedding gift for my sister.  She will be married a month from today!  So excited for them!

 

Hope you are having a great summer!

Blessings

Amy

Purge update and some finishes

I did really good with part of the purge.  I will show a picture once I am done.  Right now it's an organized mess.  I have been trying to put everything in it's place.  But I had to stop and do some sewing.  My friend has a store in Rockton Il called Gracie's Nest.  You can find her on facebook.  I like to make things for her to sell.  I had made a bunch of these drawstring bags but my dad is in the nursing home right now and wanted them to give to the nurses.

I also made 12 jewelry rolls for her to sell.

That's what I have been doing.  More about the purge later.

Blessings

Amy

 



The great purge weekend

Hello Friends

I had a revelation this week and discovered that my fabric is not making me happy.  That means it is time to let go of it.  I will be working all weekend on cutting down the fabric I do like and bagging up the fabric I don't. I will be organizing what I do have with the patterns I want to try.  I just have too much and the stress of using it is not worth it.  I was very blessed with a lot of free fabric when I first started quilting.  Because of that I will pay it forward and give the fabric to others.  I have so much stuff that it's too hard to start a project because I am exhausted by the time I get everything out and ready.  Do you ever feel that way?  I think part of it is Spring fever.  It has been cold here.  But it's supposed to be in the 70s this weekend.  Time to open the windows and air out the rooms.  Stay tuned for pictures of my new sewing space.  And pray that it really happens.

I will leave you with a picture of my cousins with their new quilt.  I bought a curtain rod and hooks with clips so they can hang it.  They were really happy with it.

 

Blessings

Amy

I'm back?

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted.  I will really try to update this little blog more regularly.  February brought my son's 19th birthday.  How did that happen?  It also brought some health issues for my dad.  He ended up in the hospital for a week and is still in the nursing home now.  He should be home soon as he was only there for physical therapy.  Because of all of the running I have had to do with my family I have not had much time to sew.  I was able to finish a few things lately though. 
For Christmas my sister and I bought my dad a Kindle.  He is loving playing games on it.  The case just doesn't sit up right for him so I went to Pinterest and found a pattern for a tablet holder.  I increased the pattern to hold his 10'' Kindle.  It was so fun to make that I had to make 3 of them.

 

They are filled with rice and hold the tablet nicely.

While on Pinterest I also discovered sugar scrubs. A friend was buying some essential oils and asked it I needed some.  Perfect timing.  She is getting married in June and I wanted to make some scrubs for her bridesmaids.  Her colors are purple and black so I went with lavender.  This is the big one I made for her.  I made littler jars for her girls.

 

They were so easy to make and actually fun.

 I was able to finish my cousin's quilt.  My friend Gael quilted it with a leaf design.  I think it gives it a very organic feel.  I just love it and I hope they do too.  And this morning I entered it in the Wisconsin Quilt Expo.  Fingers crossed they like it and want to show it.

 

 

His girlfriend and co owner of the new home loves elephants.  So I thought I would make something to go with the quilt.  Enter the elephant pillow!

 

I really hope they like them.  They are having a housewarming party this weekend.  I hope to report back with better pictures.

In other news, I have been sewing up a new quilt.

I bought fat quarters in the complete line from Amanda Jean Nyberg.  It's on Connecting Threads and called Good Neighbors.  I pictured a pinwheel quilt with this fabric.  I found a pattern for making pinwheels by using a 4 patch.  You have to make 2 of each color and then cut them and move the triangle.  I don't have a picture of one complete but here are two of the steps I used to make them.

 

I am thinking that I could have used just half square triangles and made this faster.  But this was a fun process too.  I just love this whole line.  And making this quilt only used a small portion of the fat quarter.  I have a lot left to make something else. :)

 

So that is what I have been doing lately.  I think I am overwhelmed with fabric and don't know what to make with it.  I am going to clean and organize my sewing area(pictures to come).  Maybe that will inspire me to make more quilts.

What are you working on?

Blessings

Amy

 

 

 

What a wonderful year it was

Hello Friends

Hope you are well.  Sorry it has been so long.  I thought I would have more time with my son in college.  It seems I was busier than before.  I have some things to show you to finish off the year.

First up is the Halloween quilt I made.  I have been hoarding Halloween charm packs and decided it was time to use them up.  I made this using the disappearing 9 patch technique.  It's a little blurry. Sorry.  This stills needs to be quilted.

Then I took a class from my friend Trisha.  It's called Birch Bark by Sam Hunter.  I takes a jelly roll and a half a yard for the contrast bar.

I used batiks.  This also needs quilting.  My cousin just built a new house and it has an open floor plan.  It echoes in the house so I think I will add a hanging sleeve.

Those kept me busy for a few weeks.  Then I decided to start some Christmas gifts.

Amanda Jean had a wonderful tutorial on making these tea towels.  You can check her blog out here-crazymomquilts.blogspot.com.

I like to give so I made 50 of these towels for friends and family.  Here are about 47 of them all rolled and ready to give.

Then I was on Pinterest and found these adorable pillows.  Had to make a few for my friends and family too.  But I only made 5 of them so far.  I have a few to make for some friends, then I am making a bunch for my friends store.

I cheated a little and bought some flannel shirts at the local St Vincent store.  Cheaper than the fabric store.

I was so excited for 2015 that I have not thought once about 2016.  There are a few things I would like to finish.  I don't have any goals or resolutions yet.  I just want to be better than I was last year.  Kindness goes a long way.

From my family to yours, happy 2016!