WIP (Works in Progress) Wednesday (Yes it's only Tuesday, I'm an overachiever) :)

I have been trying to do a little subtle redecorating in between other sewing projects.  Giving the living room some spots of color. I found some paisleys and some blue that I fell in love with from a collection by Legacy Studios     from Joann fabrics.  This fabric is rich and washed up great so I knew I was gonna love it!  I showed you a "10 minute table runner" and the long custom table runner I  made with the fabric back in these posts.

This weekend I finished a mat for my favorite table.  The table was made for me by the husband of my friend Karen who used to attend my classes.  Jim is an expert woodworker and basically built a home from the ground up and most everything in it.  Karen and Jim are awesome friends, but now live at the other end of the moon map - in Florida.  I think of them whenever I look at my table and I look at it many times a day because it's the first thing you see when you walk in the living room.  I really hope we can visit them sometime in the not-so-distant future. 

Back to the mat.....I chose to do the mat in only two colors, but reversed it to the larger print so I would have a choice with decorating. It's made from my Reversible Candle Mat pattern.  I've made literally hundreds of them and never get tired of making them. (Sorry about the background mess, it's messy in the cave these days.)   :)

 

I have one more table to cover.  (Then I can get the Christmas mat off that table...lol.) I'll be using the same fabric theme but need to pick an easy pattern.  I am covering a space that is approximately 20x20.  I think I'll try some half and quarter square triangles on this one!

PS -I also used those fabrics to do a little project at my Quilt Peeps meeting last week.  We were making a folded star potholder.  Mine was a bit bigger and heavier, but I really like it. I'm anxious to finish it. I only have to put on the back, do a little quilting to hold, and the binding.  Just need to carve out a little time.  (Yup yet ANOTHER WIP not yet finished. :(   I used a pattern I found here at Bronze Wombat. Thank you Jennifer in Austrailia! 

Bring on 2013

If I have learned nothing from 2012, I’ve learned that life is precious and short and you never know when you will lose someone you love.  Of course I knew this before the year 2012.  I have been around awhile.  

But..this past holiday season has been ultra special.  I've appreciated and  have savored every minute of every hour of each day - from the opening of Christmas gifts with our family to the New Year's Day mimosas with my sweetie. Not one minute of it was taken for granted...always aware of living each moment.   It’s been great...heaven.   

Vacation is pretty much over and back to work tomorrow…but memories for 2012 have been made and life is sweet …really sweet.  I know that I am very blessed and thank God for all that he has given me.

My New Year's resolution is to strive to keep living in the moment and be aware of the love around me. 

Bring on 2013.

WIP (work in progress) Wednesday~~ Messy=Creative

Sew you know that old saying "it takes a village".  This is my workspace in it's current state.  I'm not ashamed to show you how messy I get.  I think it may have been worse last week.  I have been sewing inventory for my SewHappyDesigns etsy shop and also a few Christmas presents.  More Christmas presents are in the thinking stage, but have not made it to the sewhappy cave.  Yes, running out of time.

Throw having the flu in the mix for the past few days and you can color me stressed. No it's fine, really.  I do what I can do because I know that all of my "handmade" internet craft friends are experiencing some of the same and that gives me comfort.  I call these wonderful artists, my "handmade" friends, very appropriate!

Putting on my big girl panties until Christmas and then McStevie and I have a week off to relax.  Ahhhhh

Thanksgiving FIRST…and pass the gravy...if you PLEASE…

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  It has been for several years now.  When I was a kid and when my children were little Christmas was right up there at the top.  That was back then….in the “old days” when Thanksgiving and Christmas were their OWN holidays.  It’s not like that now.  As Halloween was approaching the stores were stocking shelves with Christmas decorations.  I was shopping in one of the big box stores a couple of weeks ago and Christmas songs were playing.  Last week my go-to radio station began playing Christmas songs as well.  Please don’t think I am a scrooge.  I love celebrating Christmas, the birth of Christ and all that Christmas stands for, I truly do.  And, I get that the stores want to get a jump on the biggest season of the year for their sales…but honestly, it worked OK “back in the day” when the holidays were separate.   I get that people like to get their decorations ready when the weather is warmer so they are all set for the holidays.  I.Do.Get.That.  But, could you possibly wait until the day after Thanksgiving to turn them on?  

I’d love to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving for the holiday that it is without thinking I need to get up from the table and brave all of those deer in the headlights frantic shoppers and look for the best bargain for that person that is so hard to buy for.  W-H-A-T?  Not this gal.  Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks for all of your blessings.  I have many blessings and I am VERY THANKFUL.  I also have a 14 pound turkey that I’m looking forward to cook and warm up the leftovers the days after. 

I will now slide down from my high horse to share a family Thanksgiving story with you. Several years ago after friends and family had enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving meal cooked my moi we decided it was time to move away from the table.  As we were doing so, I asked McStevie if he would give a go at carving the rest of the turkey.  He picked up the turkey and tray to move to more counter space and lost his grip.  The turkey fell to the floor in a plop!  For a few seconds I was transported to my favorite Christmastime movie, A Christmas Story, minus Ralphie, minus his shoot your eye out Red Ryder BB gun, and thankfully, minus the neighbor's 8 or so ravenous dogs.  But Ralphie left my thoughts as fast as he had entered them and I found myself laughing hysterically (I may have peed my pants a bit too) along with everyone else in the room.  McStevie, calm as a cucumber, picked the bird up, set it on the counter and proceeded to finished off the bird.  Said something about a 10 second rule...no harm...no foul fowl.  That was the day that Thanksgiving became my favorite holiday.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with many blessings.  I’ll wish you all a wonderful Christmas when it’s CHRISTMAS TIME.

WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday

It's been awhile since a WIP post.  Life got crazy for a bit.  I had a little health hiccup and other "stop you in your tracks" moments. Now back to life in the cave, sewing up a storm.  Fun things.  Something for ME! Can you believe it! Just a little lap size cuddle quilt!

Sew....we got a new leather chair for the living room.  It has no arms and I was sure it was probably too big for the spot, but after having it hang around a day or so -  I. love. it!
Only problem I had was it looked a little naked.  It has this cute back and, well, it needed something.  I made a soft and cuddly rag quilt for it this past weekend.  It was FUN to make, went really fast (9.5 inch squares), is super soft (Robert Kaufman flannel- to die for) and I'm pretty sure the chair said "you complete me" when I laid it over the back! 
I'm on to making a matching pillow, it's half way done- the newest WIP!

PS If you have never made a flannel rag quilt, you really need to do a google and get yourself going on one.  The first one I ever made was a twin size and I put batting in between the layers,as the pattern said.  It was the last one I have made that way...too stiff.  I love just the two layers...much softer and much faster to make.  I've made several.  Baby rag quilts make up really fast if you need one in a hurry - and are quite adorable.

WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday

 (Click on the pic for closeup)
 I've been working on these quilt blocks for awhile. I've loved this "Road to California" quilt pattern for a long time and eventually it will be a queen size quilt.  Thought I would put it up on my wall to see how it's going.  Now that I have it up and edited the pic, I know I'm going to change it a bit.  I just love this colorway, so I have a vision and will get there with it eventually. 

 And, I made MORE progress on my Loon on the Lake wall hanging this week.  I've quilted the trees, the main water and the clouds.  Still more to quilt. 
        (click on the pic for closeup)

 I took time out to try the 10-minute table runner on youtube.  It was fun, fun!

WIP (Work In Progress) WEDNESDAY

Loon on the Lake~

Click on the pic for a closeup!

So I chose Labor Day to get out a UFO (Unfinished Object) that has been on my design wall for...um..maybe 3-4 YEARS.  Oy!  I'm ashamed to admit that.  It's just that it never took up that much room and it always looked nice there.  I always knew exactly how I wanted to quilt my Loon on the Lake project, I just put it behind many other projects.  There was always something just a tad "more important".  I've quilted the Loon and babies, the tree trunks, a little stitch in the ditch around the narrow edge binding...next is the water.  I'm "auditioning" some threads...stay tuned!  My Loon on the Lake moves from UFO to WIP...and.that.is.progress!

WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday

So the good news is... I have made progress with my custom table runner.  I got it "sandwiched" and turned and have the first row of quilting (3/8 inch in from the seam) with some pretty variegated thread. I still have the rest of the quilting to work out in the body.  Click on the pic for a close up.

The bad news is...I put it on the entertainment center for fit and discovered it is not going to cover the entire entertainment center top like I planned.  When I added the two extra rows on the end to accommodate the points and then cut on the 90 degree angle, I created an opening also on the table because of those side points.  (See HERE on my pic for the corner.) So my goal of something pretty that COVERS the entire table fell through.  Color me NOT sewhappy!  The table is cherry wood. Eventually those corners will leave a mark because the wood will change with light. And THAT was the point of covering it completely with something pretty.

Lucky for me I still have enough of those fabrics for a do-over.  This means I WILL have a nice long table runner for my dining room table, which isn't a bad thing...just NOT my intention. Oy, I'm disappointed.  I've made worse calculations, I guess.  I'm going to get this quilted and take a little break with these fabrics before the do over.  I'll show you a pic next week of progress....done...hopefully.  :)

WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday~~

Progress made last week....all but the last two rows of squares on each end.

Progress made Monday, all end squares sewn.

More progress from Monday...the ends shaped and cut, now ready to "sandwich" and quilt.  It will now sit until the weekend, but I'll be back to show progress next Wednesday.  I'm hoping I will have it finished!

 

This is a table runner quilt for our new entertainment center, my latest WIP.    I have done the math and decided on this fast fly- by- the- seat- of-my- pants custom pattern.  I will be making one with the same fabrics for new coffee table and end table.
Hope it all comes together like I have imagined.