Let The Fates Decide

This is the first time in over a year that I don't have projects with deadlines or on the "desperately need to do" list.  Totally feels weird!  Honestly, I've been so preoccupied with gifts and such that I haven't even made anything for myself :(

Hubby kinda demanded that my next project be something for me.... however, I have oh so many projects on "the list" that I had no clue where to even start!  So, I decided to let everyone else pick what was next on my list.  I posted a poll over on the Missouri Star forums with ten options, ranging from Etsy store stuff to a commissioned project, to quilts for my house.  I let my fellow quilters decide.

"Technically" the poll won't close until today, but I gave the deadline of 6 pm last night.  Whichever project had the most votes was the "Winner."  After 75 votes.... The "Charmed Spools" quilt for me looks to be what's next on my quilting table!  I actually bought the materials for this one back in December when Missouri Star was having one of their free shipping days.  I can say enough how much I LOVE this store!

Here's my "haul" from December for this quilt....

• "Fairy Frost - It's a Girl Thing" Charm Pack by Michael Miller
• "Fairy Frost - Tan" by Michael Miller yardage
• "Fairy Frost - Onyx" by Michael Miller yardage
• "Fairy Frost - Passion" by Michael Miller yardage

Most likely I'll just be using some plain white muslin for the backing, but we'll have to wait and see what "goes" with it. 


I'm going to be starting my quilt this weekend, but before I do, I want to finish up a smaller project I've been working on. Since getting "Pearl" last November and getting back into embroidery, I've accumulated quite a stash of stabilizers. Up until now they've just been thrown into one of the drawers in my filing cabinet. It is a pain to have to keep pulling them all out just to get to the one I need. Going in search of a solution, I turned to Google, scouring the web. I saw a bunch of blogs where people are using shoe racks, but unfortunately I have no room in my HUGE walk-in closet to hang one (I know... Cleaning it out is on my list for this summer). I then stumbled on this adorable pattern on Etsy and it was just what I needed!  I can hang it on the back of my door and it'll be personalized to my craft room :-)

After a trip to Joanns for fabric and vinyl, I was set. First thing I did right off the bat was make the bias tape. I can honestly say that's one thing I've never done before. Lol. The pattern author suggested the "continual bias tape" method (something I have never heard of).... So back off to Google I went. A couple of YouTube videos later, I was ready to give it a try. 

Now, the pattern said that 3/4 yard should be enough to do all the double-fold and single-fold needed. I'm thinking I did something wrong as I only got about half of what I needed out of that 3/4 yard :-(

ANOTHER trip back to Joanns to get more fabric. Made up another 3/4 yard of tape and hopefully that will be enough. I actually grabbed 1.5 yards just in the event it wasn't. Not that I have any problem with going to Joanns, but I just didn't want to have to run again as going in for "just one thing" ends up costing me a fortune. Lol. 

I've now got my holder to the point of adding the vinyl pouches and I'm determined to get this done today so I can empty out that drawer and use it for other goodies!

As soon as I get get this done, it'll be time to start my quilt and I'm so excited!!  It'll be so nice to actually have something for myself for a change :-)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday!

Linking up with Show Off Saturday at SewCanShe

Sunday Stash - 6/29/14

Here we go with my most recent (and LAST for a while) additions to my stash...

First up, order #1 of 2 from from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

• Rosey Jelly Roll by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit Fabrics
• 2 yds - Rosey Little Roses Pink Yardage by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit Fabrics
• 1 yd - Kona Cotton - Azure Yardage
• 3 yds - Kona Cotton - Snow Yardage
• Yellow Brick Road Quilt Pattern
• Dritz Lint Brush - DESPERATELY needed one!!
• Missouri Star Quilt Company Mug
• Autographed 1st Issue of BLOCK Magazine - Freebie for ordering
• Three Handy Notions Bundle - Free Daily Deal item

Chalk this order up to the "Freaky Friday" sale they had on Friday the 13th!!  Just couldn't resist.  The Rosey Jelly Roll has been on my wishlist since I first started shopping at Missouri Star a couple of months ago.  I LOVE it!!  Bonus... we share a name :-)  I wanted it, but had no clue what I would use it for.  That is, until I saw last week's Missouri Star tutorial (Beach Balls Quilt).   It will be the perfect fabric for that pattern.  Again, this is another project that has been added to the monstrous "To Do" list with no recipient in mind, but I'll be fun to make :-)

Next is order #2 of 2 (and my last order for a long while!) from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

• .5 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Gray Yardage
• .5 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Green Yardage
• .75 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - White Yardage
• 3 yds - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Black Yardage
• .75 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Black Yardage #2
• .5 yd - Halloween Parade - Star Orange Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake.
• .5 yd - Halloween Parade - Stripe Orange Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• 1 - Halloween Parade Charm Pack by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• .75 yd - Basic Brights - Stars Multi Yardage by Windham Fabrics
• .5 yd - Basic Brights - Aspirin Dot Red Yardage by Windham Fabrics
• 1 - Basic Brights Charm Pack by Windham Fabrics
• 1 - 5" Charm Pack Tumbler Template

All of the Wizard of Oz fabrics go along with the panel I got last week from equilter.com to make my MIL a quilt.  Not quite sure when I'll get around to it or when I'm going to want to give it to her, but seeing as though she is a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan... I couldn't pass up getting the fabric now before it's gone for good and too late!

The Halloween Parade fabrics/charms and the Tumbler Template are going to be used to make a table runner for my living room for Halloween.  I'm sure I'm going to have extra left over, so I'll have to come up with something else creative to do with the remnants.  Also, the Basic Brights fabrics are to make a simple charm baby blanket for my stash of baby stuff.  Whether I give it away as a baby shower gift, or (hopefully) use it for our future child... looked like fun fabrics to play with!

This is my LAST order from M* for a long while!!!  I've now got enough precuts and yardage to do almost 16 projects!!  I have officially put myself in the "crafting freezer" and need to focus my energy on creating instead of shopping :-)

Last up is my last order from Connecting Threads:

These were all the colors I originally wanted but missed out on during the sale due to being out of stock.  Figured for the little bit more to pay for full price, I could go ahead and grab them now so I have them, instead of waiting on a sale in the future.  Between the three orders I've placed with them over the past few weeks, I have practically every color I could possibly need!

Well, that's it for my new stash.  This will most likely be the last Sunday Stash for quite some time as the "no shopping" rule is going to prevent me from making any additions.

Hope you're having a splendid Sunday, and have a great week to come :)

Sunday Stash - Mega Haulage Ahead!

I was a BBAAAADDD girl over the past week and half or so!  The mailman has been bringing me lots of "Happy Mail" full of yummy quilting goodies!

First up is my (first) order from Connecting Threads:

Fuchsia - Tomato - Butter - Aqua - Midnight - Sandstone - Taupe - Latte - Espresso - Slate

I wanted to take advantage of their killer thread sale ($1.79 each down from $2.79 each).  Most of the colors I wanted were completely sold out by the time I went to place my order, but I did manage to get quite a few to start building my thread stash.  Most of them match upcoming projects, and then I grabbed a few just to have :-)  Couldn't pass up the sale!!

Next we have my second order from Connecting Threads:

Wine - Tea Rose - Meadow - Lichen - Lime - Calypso - Hyacinth

Next up is yet another order from Missouri Star Quilt Company

• Home For The Holidays Fat Quarter Bundle by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• Natural White OMNI Thread
• 3x - A Beautiful Thing Charm Packs by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake
• 2x - MSQC Tape Measures - one for my knitting bag, one for my sewing room
• .5 yds - Kona Cotton - Sunflower Yardage
• 1.5 yds - Kona Cotton - White Yardage
• 1 yd - Home For The Holidays - Flake Multi Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• 1 yd - Home For The Holidays - Stripe Multi Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake

The Home For The Holidays fabric is for making a matching table runner to the Christmas Tree Skirt that I have planned.  I LOVE this fabric and just can't get enough!  I know I'm going to have more than I need, but I'm sure I'll find something else to make with it.

The A Beautiful Thing Charm packs were the Daily Deal one day last week.  I had no plan for them, but I just loved the patterns so I had to get it!  The Sunflower and White Kona fabrics go with the charm packs and I've now got a Lucky Charm Quilt on my ever-growing "To Do" list.   No recipient in mind for this one, just want to make. 

Here's a teeny, tiny order from equilter.com:

• 75 Years Of Wickedness - Totally Wicked 36" x 44" Panel

I'm going to be making my MIL a quilt using the panel and some Wizard of Oz fabric I grabbed on my most recent Missouri Star order (which should be here sometime this week).

Finally, a quick little order from The Fat Quarter Shop.

• Dowager Countess Downton Abbey Fat Quarter Bundle
• Feast Bountiful Harvest Fat Quarter Bundle
• .5 yd - Bountiful Harvest Brown Dots & Medallions Yardage
• .5 yd - Bountiful Harvest Tonal Words Yardage

SORRY for the lousy picture!!  It got dark on me too quickly last night and I had the worst time trying to get a picture.  The Downton Abbey fabric is to go along with the fat quarters I won from  Audrey at Glory Be Quilter last week.  I'm going to do a Yellow Brick Road quilt for my grandma for Christmas with this one, and I'm so excited to see how it turns out!  These fabrics are GORGEOUS and I can't wait to get started!  The Bountiful Harvest fabric is to make a muchly-needed table runner for my coffee table.  We got new furniture a couple of months ago and the coffee table is scratching easily :(  Hopefully a table runner with help with that!

Add all this to the gigantic haul from JoAnn's I got last Friday... and the TWO orders that I'm waiting on from Missouri Star, AND the third order from Connecting Threads..... I'm good to go for a LONG while!!  After those orders, I'm done!  I'm completely cutting myself off from shopping until I get more projects done and limiting myself to only purchasing stuff that I need to finish a project.  No more fabric.... no more notions... no more thread.  I'm going "cold turkey"... wish me luck :-)

Have a wonderful Sunday, and a great week to come!

Sunday Stash - Missouri Star Quilt Co. (AGAIN!)

It's "Sunday Stash" time again from over at Molli Sparkles' Blog.

 

I know, I know... I said in my last Sunday Stash post that I was done shopping for a while.  I broke my own promise.  I just couldn't help myself... REALLY!

Back on May 28th, Missouri Star Quilt Co's Daily Deal was this awesome charm pack from Doodlebug Designs. 

I can't quite remember the price off the top of my head, but it was crazy cheap!  I've got a really cute Christmas Tree Skirt on my "To-Do" list and thought this line would be PERFECT for it! 

I actually fell in love with this line as scrapbooking paper of all things.  I ordered the entire line from A Cherry On Top last year for my "History of Christmas" album I've been working on.  I LOVE Doodlebug Designs, and was floored to find out that they do fabric as well!  Being a newbie quilter, I'm still learning all the fabric designers and manufacturers, and I can't believe how many companies cross genres and do both paper lines and fabric lines :-)  

Naturally, I had to make sure I got enough to complete the tree skirt, so I got 2 of the charm packs (one at the DD price and one at the regular price), as well as the rest of the yardage to complete the top.  I'm most likely going to just back it with muslin, which I can pickup from JoAnn's later on, but I just had to jump at such a great deal for something I absolutely love!

• x2 - Home For the Holidays charm packs
• 1 Yard - Home For the Holidays - Peppermint Red yardage
• 1 Yard - Home For the Holidays - Stripe Multi yardage

Again, ordered on May 28th and received it on June 2nd.  Well... it should have been June 2nd.  The stinkin mailman was apparently too lazy to bring the package to my door, or completely forgot to deliver it and marked it as "attempted delivery with no authorized recipient to receive package" with a notice left.  Funny thing is... I was home when they said they attempted delivery, did not get a notice as indicated, AND there was no signature required on the package so there was no reason for them to not deliver it.  Called USPS and filed a formal complaint.  They finally brought it on the 3rd, but I was aggravated to say the least.

I would LOVE to say this is it for my shopping... but unfortunately I can't do that.  I really want to now make a matching table runner for my living room and have all the materials required sitting in another cart on Missouri Star.  I'm not in any hurry for it naturally, so it's going to sit there until they have another free shipping or bonus Quilter's Cash day.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday, and a great week to come :-)

Sunday Stash - Missouri Star Quilt Co. Pt. 2

It's "Sunday Stash" time from over at Molli Sparkles' Blog.

 

Last weekend was a big "Happy Mail" day for me again.  Not only did I get my goodies for my upcoming Craftsy workshop, but also my huge order from Missouri Star Quilt Co.  I'm seriously addicted to this store!!  This is my third order from them, and definitely won't be my last!  Great customer service and quick shipping times.    I ordered last Tuesday (May 20th) and received it on Saturday (May 24th).  This order had been sitting in my cart for weeks, just waiting for me to hit the "Submit" button.  I had promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more sewing goodies until I finished a couple of projects off the "To Do" list.  I have managed to get a couple of projects done, but not nearly enough to justify a huge order like this.  Well.... that was until Monday Night/Tuesday morning.  

I have been having some insomnia problems lately for reasons unknown.  I go to bed and literally just sit and stare at the TV, hoping to fall asleep.  When that doesn't work, I turn the TV off and lie staring at the ceiling.  Those nights come more and more frequently lately, and I have no clue why.  Anywho, that particular Monday night/Tuesday morning, I didn't sleep at all.  I literally woke up at 7 am on Monday and stayed awake until 9 pm on Tuesday night!  What else is there to do that late at night/early in the morning other than watch TV and surf the web.  I watched a few tutorials online, read some forums, and checked my emails.  Still couldn't fall asleep.  Then it happened.....

I got the Daily Deal email from Missouri Star.  Free shipping plus bonus Quilter's Cash on your order.  All the goodies in my cart earned me almost $25 in QC!  I felt it was a sign that I needed to order... Lol.  So I finally hit the "Submit" button.  

1. BLOCK Magazine Spring 2014 - Volume 1 Issue 2
2. Cotton Supreme - Canvas Honey Bun
3. Ansonia Blue & Green - Connecticut Geo Turquoise Yardage
4. Ansonia Blue & Green - Honeycomb Lace Mossy Yardage
5. Ansonia Blue & Green Layer Cake
6. Kona Cotton - Parchment Jelly Roll
7. Grant Park Jelly Roll
8. Grant Park - Warm Red Yardage

I got all the stuff for the two quilts I want to make for my Aunts for Christmas this year, plus the back issue of the BLOCK Magazine.  I already have the batting and backing for the two Christmas quilts, so as soon as I can get a couple more projects off the "To Do" list, I'm going to get started on these.

I'm definitely cut off from shopping for a while.... a LONG while!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday, and a great week to come :-)

Sunday Stash - Missouri Star Quilt Co.

Here's my very first "Sunday Stash" from over at Molli Sparkles' Blog.

I actually got this order a few weeks ago but just kept forgetting to blog about it.  Ya know how it is.... you get some "Happy Mail," tear open the package, fondle all the goodies inside, and then put the box in your craft room to be put away.  However, in the days that pass, you forget about the box and then when you do remember, you can't remember where you put it :-(  That's what this was like for me.

I placed a decent sized order with Missouri Star Quilt Company (my new favorite place to shop!) and got it about a week later.  Oh, the box was FILLED with lovely goodies :-)

1. The BLOCK Magazine, Vol 1 Issue 1
2. Enchanted Pond Jelly Roll by Holly Taylor for Moda Fabrics
3. Kona Cotton Parchment Jelly Roll
4. Enchanted Pond - Magenta Yardage
5. Kona Cotton Parchment Yardage
6. Small Charm Quilt Pattern by Fons & Porter
7. Tree Skirt Pattern by Fons & Porter
8. Summer In The Park Quilt Pattern by Fons & Porter

Now, I know that the three patterns are all ones where Jenny from Missouri Star has done tutorial videos on YouTube.  Maybe I'm weird, but I like to have the physical pattern to reference to rather than watching the tutorial a million times to try and write down the directions from there.   For whatever reason it just seems easier to have the physical pattern.

The Lattice Quilt that I'm going to be making for one of my aunts for Christmas this year came out of the BLOCK magazine.  It is a gorgeous pattern and I can't wait to get started on it.  The jelly rolls and the yardage from this order are all for the Summer In The Park quilt that I also got the pattern for.  That one is going in my living room... whenever I manage to get it done.

That all being said, after reviewing my post from Monday and looking at my "To-Do" list, I've decided that I'm not allowing myself to buy any more fabric/materials until I get a couple of projects done off of the list.  I have the backing and batting for the two quilts for my aunts (picked those up at JoAnn's last weekend with a couple of coupons and a good sale) but I'm holding off on buying the stuff to make the tops until one or two more projects on my list are done.  I've got all the stuff already picked out and sitting in a cart on Missouri Star's website, but I'm holding off on hitting the "Submit" button, at least for now.

Today also happens to be my Dad's birthday!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dad!  Here's to many, many more fun-filled years!!

Dad enjoying the sun on their vaca to Floriday last week

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday, and has a great week to come :-)