Baskets!

Continuing with my New Year's Sewing Craze, I pulled a random kit off my shelf, opened it up and it was this colorful baskets mini-quilt from The Temecula Quilt Company. So, although I struggle with applique, I decided to sit myself down and do this kit! I was able to finish it up in about 4 days of off and on sewing, including appliqueing the handles and hand embroidering around each basket. Phew! The good news is, I finished off the last season of Smallville during the sewing frenzy!

I used some fabric I picked up locally (by locally I mean, somewhere in Japan, not across the ocean...) to back and bind it, and of course remembered my little 'handmade' tag...

All ditch quilting was done on the machine, but all basket outlines was done by hand using leftover DMC #25 thread from long-finished cross-stitch projects.

Even the best (and amateurs of us) make mistakes. Here's one square that got pretty off-center.

Another basket close up...

As it turned out, I love this little mini-quilt. It's so colorful and yet not overwhelmingly so. It will soon find a new owner as it makes its way over the ocean at some point in time this year!

New Year's Craze

With the kids gone to their grandpa's for 3 days, I found there was no need to clean/cook/shop/get dressed or wear makeup! It's been so long since I did sewing that I threw myself into 3 days of pure sewing, and catching up on my favorite TV shows!

I worked on these patches for the Temecula Quilt Company's 12 Days of Christmas sampler...

I threw a bunch of boy scraps together (after first making 3 boys' scarves...pictures later!) into a scrappy patch that might evolve into a boy's tote-book bag...

I finished off a stuffed elephant in preparation for many new babies coming into my life this year...

And finished off a scrappy baby blanket started by my 14 y/o daughter for our friend's new daughter ...

All in all, it was a fantastic break and wonderful to get back in touch with sewing!

Windmill block!

I love this windmill block! So easy to do, great use of scraps too!

I used a variegated blue thread to quilt circles in the middle of each block...

And a stippled free-motion quilting along the border. Notice the neat border fabric...blue bamboo print I picked up somewhere local!

Dream List

I love this wire hanger...made for hanging just one completed block, how cute is that! And the tree block below is just my style!

Specially handmade

Just a little case/pouch I put together the other day to hold some little handmade presents for someone special. I used Japanese themed fabrics for the most part..

And a metal clasp closure, which are so easy to put in now that I've figured it out!!

And filled it with a few presents...felt bunny and bracelet from me, clay jizo from Julia and a little paper mushroom from Jordan!

For a bitty baby!

Our new to the neighborhood international friend's wife just had their first baby, so I worked on a couple little baby girl presents...Jordan and I were able to stop by and greet the adorable little one in person!

A quick to sew bib!

One of my favorite basket patterns from The Pink Penguin!

And a diaper clutch from The Noodlehead!

Taking from nature!

I love shells...and driftwood...and shells! I have jars of them, about a decade's worth of careful collection. I used our last gathering of shells to make a simple candle holder...using an empty spaghetti sauce jar, shells and a tea-candle!