WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday

I'm sew excited! I have my VERY OWN RULERS!! Woots!!

 Sandy Kent of Magnolia Springs Quilts  is a good friend I met while she was living in this area.  She took a few classes from me when IcanQuilt Company was just getting started and has been a wonderful supporter of mine throughout the years.  Unfortunately for me, she moved to Texas!!! Sandy has enjoyed using my IcanQuilt Reversible Candlemat pattern and has been gracious enough to sell it to a few shops she is familiar with.  She met Jim, "The Ruler Guy" almost a year ago and thought maybe I should consider him  to make some rulers for my Candlemat pattern.   (That's the WIP part, took me awhile to send that email!)  I just got a sample ruler of the spoke and circle from Jim last week and tested them Monday.  WOWZA!  They work perfectly!  Sew easy to use!  I've placed my first order!  How exciting is THAT??

I tested the rulers on some lovely spring fabrics from a new local quilt shop called Sew What.  I have enough fabric to make one more.  Spring IS coming, right?

Oh yeah, and Jim, "The Ruler Guy" lives in NYS, near Binghamton, NY.  I lived in Binghamton for 5 years in the 80's!  SewHappy to do business with a fellow New Yorker!

The lovely new spring mat...find these fabs locally at Sew What!

Pretty pink fabric on the back!

A close up of the IcanQuilt rulers and The Ruler Guy's card!

WIP Wednesday- 25+ AND COUNTING

There is a WIP (Works in Progress) challenge being passed around to quilters, especially those of us who have been around for awhile.  The challenge is to count the number of WIP you have...write them all down and set yourself a goal to work them in your sewing schedule.  I have over 25 and did not include some of the smaller ones that are laying around that I try to pick up when I need a break from a larger project.  

My attention span is really not (liar, liar pants on fire) the issue, it's more the colors and blocks I like to play with.  I enjoy working on bright colors in winter, it just gives me a boost! Because, as you know, winter here in northern NY is LONG...VERY LONG.  It's March 20th and we are expecting more snow this week...which is a BRUTAL quinky-dink that spring also arrives today...on the CALENDAR anyway.  Yeah, we pretty much can't wait for ignore that each year. 

But I digress...anywho...back to the 25+...
I went to my WIP drawers (does that sound kinky?), dug them all out, and gave them each a name.  Quite the eye opener.  It was a great exercise though, because at least now I know what I am up against.  I have set myself a goal to finish 1-2 minimum project(s) per month. Because I do sewing/quilting for business, charity and personal gifts, I don't see fitting in any more than that, and then I'm prolly pushing it.  I am thinking some of them may be sent out for quilting.  Only a few of them are quilts, mostly lap size or below.  The rest are table runners, Christmas projects, etc.

Below are some pics of a few of my WIP.  Maybe you could let me know which one(s) you think I should "have a go at" for April? Ya know March is almost over and I need to ease into this - like going to the dentist.                      (Click on the pic to get a closer view.)

 
The Calico Gals from Syracuse, NY came to our little quilt guild and taught us how to do this Watercolor Heart wall hanging in a day workshop. That was several years ago.  It just needs a border or two and quilting.  It wouldn't take much to finish!

Started this little log cabin child's quilt a few years winters (it's bright) ago because I loved the green fat quarters...just needs a border or two...quilt it...then done!

Picked this Watercolor Irish Chain quilt from a quilt magazine to try the method. The top is complete.  Prolly going to be a table covering...it just needs quilting...I'm stalled because I'm not quite sure how I want to quilt it.

I tried the Disappearing Nine Patch pattern with this very long Americana (I love Americana) table runner.  It is complete except for the quilting.  I started the quilting, but didn't like it so I took it out!  Craptastic!  This one may go to the long arm quilter.  OY...I should have ironed this before I took the pic...it's been folded a couple three years!

 

This was a quilt pattern, but I liked the simplicity of the block and had some fun fall and Adirondack fabrics.  I didn't feel sew in love with making a whole quilt of it -thought a nice table runner was the ticket. Because the blocks are plain it needs to be dressed up with some nice quilting.  Yeah...I need to get to that. Gotta get those quilt pins out of there! (Sorry 'bout the blurry pic.)

Geeze Louise...that's ONLY 5 of the 25+! What a WIP slacker!

WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday

Back a few weeks ago my WIP post was about table mat covers I was working on with some lovely fabrics.  I had four tables in the living room to cover.  This past week I finished the LAST one.  OK, so technically, maybe this is not a WIP post, as the project IS finished.  Sew...well...sue me.  But, YAY, all four tables are now covered with coordinated fabric covers...and...if you know me very well you know I'm a matchy-matchy kinda gal.

And.... most of the top of the mat was sewn with my NEW (OLD)  SINGER FEATHERWEIGHT SEWING MACHINE.  I bought this beauty (Barbie is her name) a little over a month ago.  She was born in 1953 and she is in awesome shape and runs like a deer! A John Deere, even.   John Deere fans (like my McStevie) know how GREAT that is!  (Oh, and a shout out thank you to my friend Cliff for finding her and saving her for me....smooches to you Cliff.)  See some pics of Barbie (named after my Aunt Barb who was instrumental in my love for quilting) further down the page.

New end table cover~if you click on the pic you will get a closeup of the quilting.

BARBIE~~~I.heart.her.

WIP Wednesday

WIP Wednesday- 

 This week I am the Work in Progress...

just sew you know...I'm still always working on me - but here's the thing....

I.Like.Me. 

I like the person I am. I have flaws. I have hang-ups. I have had many years of soul searching, cried a river of tears and struggled to get myself to this place of peace. I have NO ONE to blame for past mistakes but ME. If you don’t like me, I’m OK with that. I. REALLY. AM.

Now get the hell out of my way!!

Disclaimer:  Please do not read anything into this post, no one has ticked me off, I am not upset with anyone,  I'm not going through a mid-life crisis (I've technically already passed mid-life), I just wanted to say this for me and all the people near my age who have been around the block and know who they are and don't sweat the small stuff...(psst....I'm saying that as nicely as I can on the world wide internet) so now please carry on with your regularly scheduled programs. And...thank you for reading.  :o)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

My favorite quote In honor of Dr. Seuss who entertained my children and grandchildren and continue to delight children everywhere--
with the most awesome books ever written!  Happy Birthday!

SPAM is for the can.

Works in Progress (WIP) Wednesday has been interrupted~~

Due to the abundance of scam prowlers looking for sweet blogs to spam, this blog is no longer accepting anonymous comments. Keep your SPAM in the can.  Thank you for this rant.

I will return to (semi)-regular WIP posts next week...if my life doesn't get too crazy!

Blessings~
Cindy Sewhappy

WIP (Work In Progress) Wednesday

I'm going to have a little garden thanks to this raised garden kit I bought yesterday from Sam's Club!  It will be a WIP for sure planning it out.  Sew excited to research what I want to plant!!  Last year's little crop of patio tomatoes and patio herbs gave me the fever!  Made in the USA...woots!

WIP Wednesday

Several microwavable potato bags waiting patiently to be sewn for the SewHappy shop.  The three in front are not far from completion. They will have to wait....just a bit more.  Had to bump them down the list.  It's temporary.  Oy, I need a mini-me!

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.