Happy New Year!

Well it's 2012 and I've had a lot happen since I've last posted back in June 2011. Way too much to even summarize. But I can say that quilting still brings me joy.  Sewing drapes and altering clothes to fit me and my friends has been what I've most recently been up to in January.

  I will be teaching my first quilting class this upcoming Monday, January 9th at Tipsy Star Quilts.

http://www.tipsystarquilts.com/

 Tipsy Star Quilts is a wonderful mother and daughter owned quilt shop located here in the heart of downtown Asheville. They are on Facebook. Check them out! I've been selling my quilts in the store on consignment since this summer and I'm happy to share that I've actually sold a few! Very exciting. It's a different feeling to sell your handmade items in a shop rather than online. To be able to walk down the street of the town I live in and glance in a quilt shop window and see my MY quilts hanging on display on a wall is incredible.

Anyone in the Asheville area on Monday  please feel free to stop in at Tipsy Star Quilts. The class is from 6:30 pm to 9:30pm. I'm very friendly and would love to meet other quilter / sewing enthusiasts!

Making a Mermaid quilt!

I've finished this quilt top and made the backing from left over blocks and fabric. Now I just need to baste and quilt it. Loved finally digging into some of my oop Heather Ross fabric (this line is her Mendocino mermaid) I had lots of cute sea themed fabrics from other lines I was able to use along with Ross' (crabs, shells, etc). I t will lay flatter when I baste it...Not sure if I love the modern blocks but I ]know I adore the fabric!

Missing my Princess!

My brother in PA has been generously taking care of my cats that I couldn't move with me to NC. I just saw a picture on another quilter's blog that really resembles my baby girl, Princess. I miss her but know she has bonded with my brother and probably barely misses me as much as I do her. Small world when I see kitties on the web that really look like mine. :)

Elaine's Crafty Corner: A Blogger Giveaway not to be missed!

Just saw that Sew Fresh Fabric blog is having a great Tax Refund inspired giveaway! They are generously offering a HUGE amount of scraps, lovely designer scraps ...enough that can be made into a quilt or maybe two? Go check it out here! I already posted my entry, digits crossed. Good luck everyone :)

I won a Nalini Singh ARC - Kiss of Snow!!

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow - Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling world is mind blowing! I have been waiting for Hawke's story and love that he was paired with Sienna. Their chemistry is off-the-charts fabulous. I love how every story written by Nalini Singh utilizes all the previously introduced characters and yet each book is so distinctly different. I had a fear in the back of my mind that Hawke wouldn't live up to my expectations. Over the course of reading this series I had imagined all these versions in my mind of how his story would play out but Singh delivered and exceeded anything I could have dreamed for Hawke and the Psy-Changeling community.
The Psy-Changeling war has reached a point of no return and this book proceeds a new order of what is to come in Singh's world. We get to see new designations of Psy and new Changeling groups are introduced. I love how Hawke's dominant, sexy, alpha wolf played against Sienna's Stubborn, powerful psy personality. Sienna really came into her own in this book and her Uncle Walker also discovered his HEA within the Wolf pack's Healer, Lara. The cat pack Alpha's, Lucas and Sasha were also given a major role in this book. I don't want to give spoilers but the events in this book are so wonderful and world changing for this series!
I read the book in one sitting. I tried to make it last, but know I will be re-reading again and again since it is sitting on my keeper shelf. I am so hooked on this series and look forward to seeing where Singh takes us next within the Psy-Changeling population. I read this series, not just for the couples story, but because the world of characters and the events played out amongst them is just so increasingly beautiful and emotionally captivating. Kiss of Snow is a must have read! 5 Stars! It's a Breathtaking addition to the Psy-Changleing series!



View all my reviews

Illusion quilt gone wrong . . .

Well I wanted to make a optical illusion quilt...but had no pattern. I looked over the web and found only a few that really appealed.  And well, really only a few examples of completed optical illusion quilts. I found a boatload of bargello, really pretty ones with great use of color and layout, but that's not really what I wanted. I wanted a trippy quilt that when I pass it by, I stop and focus on it. (By the way that's my cat, Happy...I want to believe his enthusiasm for the blocks is good thing, at least he likes them!)

I attempted to make one based on the one I saw here by this extremely talented person named Linda.

I put together some center blocks that will be a circle after I cut some edges off and planned to add outside blocks to them but my blocks are too big, and I've lost my steam mid-way through the project because my  take on the pattern isn't playing out too well in reality. I should have drawn it all out first but .... well, didn't. So here I am with blocks that may or may not work out in the long run. I keep thinking I'll just keep the ones I've made as is without further playing and just turn them into a log cabin quilt top. Am I being lazy by doing this? And really, will the ones I've made make a good quilt top? Ugh... I really need to start researching shapes before I attempt this again.

Loving Innocent Crush!

 It's not a great photo, but it shows the quilt top I will make the back for tomorrow and then get it basted and quilted.
I'm really enjoying Anna Maria Horner's line "Innocent Crush". I always adore anything that she designs but what I really like is that I think her line works with a whole range of solid colors. I have completed the quilt using almost her complete line minus a few prints that I wanted to use in another project.

I've also made more book covers, they are quick way to try out appliques and use a different medium than cotton fabric.

I have collected some great faux suede, leather, velvet and other soft fabrics that were marked "unknown" fabric that I couldn't pass up in the sale bins at fabric stores while on the hunt for quilt fabric. Just feeding my inner textile monster with new projects :)

Classic vs Steampunk Bustles

I decided to delve into my current love of all things Steampunk and make a couple of tie-on bustles. The stripe one is more modern, steampunk version bustle and the other one is a more traditional burlesque / dance-hall bustle. I love how full, and flouncy the traditional lace one is, but the steampunk bustle is great because it's so light weight and easier to maneuver around in.

Which style is your favorite? Would you wear a bustle to an event/ costume party/ Re-enactment party?

Another birdy baby quilt

Finished another baby quilt and listed it in my etsy shop: Elaine's Crafty Corner

I love how bright the "Chirp, Chirp" fabric is from Connecting Threads - I plan to use this fun, colorful fabric to make more items soon!

book covers

I've been making book covers! I needed some for myself, and decided to list  some in my etsy shop: Elaine's Crafty Corner ... I am currently thinking up and picking out more color/ pattern fabric and having a blast making these "mini-quilt" covers! I love books and this is just another way I can combine my love of crafting and reading ;)

Hiding 9-patch

I've been seeing the disappearing 9-patch quilts for a while but wasn't really loving the jumbled mixture of prints that came out of the arrangement. Then I found an awesome picture of one made on point on the blog Quilty Things  I feel in love with the on-point design lay out and had to try something like it! I used my own measurements that would allow me to use most of the 11 FQ I had allotted from Micheal Miller's Modern Meadow line in Lake and Sunny colors. I love the mix of Blue, teal, mustard yellows, light browns and green. I finished the top (50" x 56") on Friday... and started working on the back this weekend...

Vegan Pumpkin - Apple Streusel topped Muffins

My one roomate is Vegan, so I've been branching out my love of baked goods to include many more Vegan recipes. I altered my original recipe for these Pumpkin muffins with chunks of apples in them and a streusel topping so they can be eaten by all of us in the house. I don't see them lasting long, they are super yummy!

MUFFIN Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or from a 15 oz can)  
2 TBS Flaxseed meal (ground)
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Granny Smith Apples (chopped into small chunks) 

*Optional: You can use 1 TBS of Pumpkin Spice if you have it in place of all the individual spices

STREUSEL TOPPING:

4 TBS Flour

6 TBS Sugar (white or Brown)

1 TBS Veg Oil (start with 3 tsp, add more if needed)

PREPARE:

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan with spray on veggie oil.

Add flour, sugar, spices, salt and Baking Powder, and ground flax seed meal in a large bowl. Mix them together. In another medium size bowl add the canned pumkin, oil, and water; mix together. Then add the wet ingredients from the medium size bowl to the Large dry ingredients bowl. Mix well. Add the apple chunks, mix lightly, just enough to get them mixed in. Pour mix into greased muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Make the streusel topping mixture and generously sprinkle on top each. Place in pre-heated oven and bake 25-30 mins. Sticking a toothpick may work, but the apple chunks break down so it is one of those eyeball it type baking dishes. Take out of oven and let rest for 15 mins. Then eat away! Mine turned out super moist and heavy (due to apple chunks). Scrumptious!! Bon appetite ;)

 

Modern Medley Color Quilt - Anna M Horner fabrics

I also finished machine quilting this bright and cherry modern baby quilt (38" x 46"). I decided to use simple diagonal lines in one direction spaced 2' apart to finish this little baby up. It was fast machine stitching it with a my Brother's guided walking foot. I hardly ever take pics while I'm in the process of sewing things together. I used blue painter tape to get the first line from edge to edge straight and then let the walking foot guide do it's thing from that point onward.

I used left over fabric from the front along Kona solid white in Snow to piece the back. I guess the back is artsy enough to make this a reversible quilt? I think it does anyways. I'm just glad to have another finish!

**Both baby quilts were listed in my etsy store. (Yes this is a self-promoting add-on at the end of my blog post. Please ignore my shop link if you already have enough quilts laying around your house, or just aren't interested or got hit up by one too many telemarketers recently. LOL... As I have.)

Hand stitched Sunbonnet Sue

I guess you could say I was being over taken by UFO quilts around my sewing area. So I took the Sunbonnet Sue (baby quilt) downstairs and hand stitched in the ditch around the blocks and the hand appliqued Sues'. It took a few hours each night over 3 nights to finish it. I machine stitched the beige binding to the front and used a blind hem / quilting stitch to attach it to the back. The backing is a super soft double nap flannel in a peach color called Melon. I love this little quilt! After washing it shrunk down from 40 x 36 to 37" x 32". I used 100% cotton warm and Natural batting... I usually loose 3" - 4" when I use 100% cotton batting from the quilt size. So this really is a "crib" size baby quilt ;)

Finished - Nelson's 2010 Christmas quilt!

We are currently snowed in and loving the winter wonderland scene from our windows. I was able to get the Storm at Sea quilt finished and mailed in time for Christmas to my friend, Nelson. Yeah! He called and said it was beautiful... for him that is epic, he is such a guy guy and never calls "things" beautiful or pretty. I quilted the feathers with my (not made for quilting) Brother sewing machine. All the designs are freehand quilted. I need a proper quilting machine with larger throat space but I made it work :) I used 100% cotton Warm & Natural quilt batting. After washing it finished at 80" x 82".

I'm very happy the gift-giving part of this crazy holiday is all done. Very stressful to be on a timeline. I love giving stuff to people, but I always feel relieved when Christmas is over and life can go back to normal. I shared a wonderful Christmas with a very good friend, we had a scrumptious turkey dinner and unwrapped gifts while listening to holiday music. Very simple, very fun. This is a little wristlet I made my friend Renee for Christmas: (I made one for my other friend, her sister, Alana too but forgot to take a pic of it!)

My lovely brother who ALWAYS picks out the perfect gifts, gave me a Kitchenaid mixer, in Red color. I love, love, love it!!! I always wanted a stand mixer but was too cheap to invest in something I can do by hand. Let me tell you I have no idea how I lived without this darling gadget! It rocks!

 And in the evening we watched "Despicable Me" and had some good laughs.

Hope everyone had a Beautiful Holiday weekend! And will have a safe New Years celebration. My birthday is on Tuesday, the 28th and I am looking forward to pizza and drinks with friends :)

Other people's Generosity

 Isn't this fabric by Lecien just so pretty! Well Retro Mummy is hosting a giveaway and you could win some over here. 

I will post pic sof the storm at sea quilt either tomorrow or Monday.

I still need to mail x-mas cards Monday ugh, I love hearing from family and friends...but writing individual cards was beyond me this year. So I copped out and wrote my 1st newsletter-like form letter to include. It felt weird since I'm unmarried and have no kids, so I really wasn't sure what to talk about. I figured no-one would be really interested in how my 3 cats coped with a 9 hour drive on moving day, or that I found a favorite bar to hang out at when I was in the mood to get a drink with friends. So I was pretty boring and un-original and talked about local NC scenery.
But really would a snarky x-mas card be so bad? I would love to get one! If only I was daring enough to send one ... oh well there's next year ;)

I won a SMS giveaway!

In all my excitement of picking the winners to my SMS giveaway, I forgot to mention that I had been picked as a winner on The Crafty Nomad blog! I won an adorable Onsie...the size 0 on the left in the pic below.

I don't have children, but a friend of mine is expecting a baby girl in January and this will make an adorable gift to go along with the quilt I am making for her.

I have been working on the Storm at Sea quilt, it is slow going due to the fact that I machine quilt Queen & King size quilts on my Brother CS-6000i sewing machine. This is NOT made to work on quilts of that size. I roll, jam and wiggle the basted quilt to make it work...I dream of buying a quilter sewing machine with a wide throat, but haven't tested any yet. The main ones I look at are: Bernina 440 QE, Janome 6600 and also Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 870FS Long Arm. Those are my top choices so far. I've also been looking at the HQ Sweet Sixteen... but that is way expensive. Well they are all $$$ ....so I'll keep shifting and making do until I break my Brother LOL

Giveaway WINNERS!

Oh wow 790 people entered total! I have to say you guys are wonderful...thank you for all your comments. I know you all just want to see who won, so here are the 3 different winners picked using Random Number Generator:


Winner #1 is Comment #128 made by : NinjaEema said...

All the prizes are awesome, but I really love the colors in the second pack. Thanks.

December 13, 2010 11:17 AM

Winner #2 is Comment # 494 made by :  saywhatsewwhat said... 

Those are absolutely beautiful fabrics! Thank you for hosting a giveaway.

December 14, 2010 9:09 AM

Winner #3 is Comment#62 made by: Karen P. said...

Love the christmas charm packs!

December 13, 2010 9:02 AM

Winner #1 NinjaEema will receive the FQ pack of Freespirit fabrics

Winner #2 Saywhatsewwhat will receive the Pink & Grey Layercake fabrics

Winner #3 Karen P. will receive the Christmas charm packs

Thank you everyone for participating in my SMS giveaway! I have contacted the winners. If for any reason I don't hear from any of the winners by Monday, I will re-pick and notify the follow up winners. This was a wonderful experience for me and I really wish I had gifts for everyone! For everyone that decided to follow my blog, I plan to begin posting about my ongoing projects more regularly. ;)