Cut to Pieces

Heart to Heart Giveaway Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:07:00 +0000

Goodness! Thank you all so much for your advice and/or horror stories about potty training. It definitely helped add a little humor to my week and gave me some things to think about. I think we're officially putting the training on hold for a bit over here, but you all helped me feel more confident in that decision! So thank you!

And we have some winners for the Moda Scrap Bundles from Heart to Heart Fabrics.

RachelleMay 18, 2012 2:08 AM

My son made it easy in some ways, he self trained on the lawn during summer; the main problem was redirecting him to depositing his logs in the toilet rather than leaving bombs on the lawn!

lol! What a delightful tidbit. ;)

and

JeanMay 18, 2012 12:15 AM

Ok...got to say this. I have 4 kids, three teenager boys & an 11 yr old daughter. This worked for us, tried a few other options first. Anyway have your child help clean up the mess. That includes taking them to the wash tub in the dirtie undies, and have your child help take off the old, and then they wash them in a bucket. Especially this works for BM. Only have to do this one or two times...they catch on quick this way. My kids turned out great! :)

with another delightful piece of advice. ;)

Congrats ladies! And thanks for sharing your stories!

10 Tips for Writing a Better Crafting Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:20:00 +0000

AKA The Tutorial on how to write a Tutorial!

I think that the hardest part about sharing an idea with someone is trying to explain yourself clearly. And that's made even more difficult when you are trying to communicate via the written word. So hopefully you will find a few tips here to make writing a tutorial a less daunting task and maybe even a little bit fun.

Tip #1: Have a clear topic.

Seem obvious? Well, you'd be surprised at how distracting it can be to stay on topic during a tutorial. You need to know what you want to write about and stick to the point. Try not to let the tutorial get too long winded. It's okay to assume a certain amount of knowledge and just explain your particular technique or pattern.

Tip #2: Be Orderly.

Do you remember those school teachers who taught you how to write an outline for a paper or (nerd alert!) a math teacher who taught you how to write out the steps of a problem solution? Well bring that information out from the back of your brain...dust off the cobwebs...and put it to good use again.

A good tutorial or pattern is laid out in a clear, logical manner. Whether you are using bullet points, roman numerals, numbers or other symbols, make those steps easy to find. There's nothing worse than a great idea with instructions that you can't follow!

(looking to make a • point? Macs and PCs are different but try holding down Fn + Alt + 7)

Tip #3: Use a Good Typeface and Font Size.

Oh it is easy to get carried away with all of the fun fonts out there, but remember...people need to be able to easily read what you are writing. Save those super scripty fonts for your wedding invitations people!

Here's a great link to 25 Fonts that are unique but legible. When I get my act together I will use things like this more. But in the meantime, less is more. It's better to be the most common font out there and be legible than be the most "unique" and have your readers squinting to follow along.

Tip #4: Use a Good Font Color.

The colors that work best for your tutorial will depend largely on the colors you have chosen for your website. But in general you are looking for high contrast. So that means dark colored fonts on a light background and light colored fonts on a dark background.

It would be both useless and annoying if I started writing my tutorials with multiple colors and none of them were easy to read.

Tip #5: Use Good Pictures.

I know. I know. Easier said than done. But it's the truth and there is no denying it. The best tutorials have clear, well lit, photographs that immediately show the point you are trying to make. Cliched but true, a picture really is worth a 1000 words.

I have no doubt that this picture conveyed what I needed it to. A little girl who was thrilled with her very own backpack made just for her. I see it and want to make another one! lol But I took 300 pictures that photo shoot alone.

I'm certainly no expert in photography...and here is a case where I don't want to get off point too much and start a whole other topic, but there are lots of photography tips out there. Try improving just ONE thing at a time and go from there. Yes, a better camera can help, but it won't make or break you. Learn to use what you have the best way you can.

Tip #6: Use Font ON your pictures.

Tip #5 comes first because you need a good picture. But once you have it, try adding some text to your picture to help make your idea more clear. Even an arrow can make all of the difference. Sometimes you are so familiar with your own work that you can forget what people need to be looking for when they see your tutorial. So point them (literally!) in the right direction. Don't forget Tips #3 and #4 though. Make that font clear and easy to read. Keep in mind with photographs you often have a dark background, so here is your chance to use that lighter colored text!

In this picture I was pointing out my disintegrating seams on a bee block I made. (Don't worry, I made another one!) Here's an example of where I knew where to look but I needed those arrows to show my point to others.

Tip #7: Use a Photo Mosaic

Often I will have hundreds of pictures that I need to weed down to a usable amount. But there are some tricky steps out there in my tutorials that make more sense when seen in a progression of photos like a photo mosaic gives you. The mosaic condenses your ideas into an easy to understand set of directions.

I also use this technique when I have a bunch of photos and I can't figure out which one is actually the most helpful in a particular step. Different people need to "see" different steps. So the more you can show, the more likely that your audience will understand. Photo mosaics help you show the same idea in multiple shots that may appeal to different readers.

I used photo mosaics extensively in my pincushion tutorial. I tend to use Big Huge Labs mosaic maker because it easily connects to Flickr where I have my pics uploaded. And there are some fun options other than square. But use whatever program you have!

Tip #8: Give credit where credit is due.

Were you inspired to write a tutorial by someone's project?

Did you see a fabulous picture of a room and decide to recreate it?

Have you "tweaked" the idea or tutorial that someone else started?

Then let us know! It's called Intregrity people. Use it. Always.
(trust me...it helps you ignore those comments who claim that you have copied your idea from someone else)

I NEVER think of worse of someone for saying that an idea or tutorial they have is based on the inspiration of someone else. I enjoy seeing how someone takes the idea of one or two people and turn it into something else. THAT is inspirational. So tell us who or what inspires you!

Tip #9: Be Yourself.

Worried about doing things just like someone else? Well don't be. Be yourself. We all have our own voice and our unique perspective is part of what makes us interesting. The more "you" that you are, the more likely people will be interested. People don't read blogs and websites and tutorials because they are generic. They read them because the writer has something that captivates them.

So be captivating. Don't be afraid to throw your personality in there.

You'll find your audience.

Tip #10: Be Original.

It's #10 but it could be #1. Above anything, be original and share your OWN work.

If you have an original technique that's wonderful! But regardless of whether you've just discovered how to turn dirt into clean drinking water or whether you are writing the 10,000th tutorial on how to install a zipper, make sure that your words are your OWN. Go ahead and write that zipper tutorial. You will probably have a really grateful audience because they understand you and want to learn from you. But write your tutorial from start to finish with your own words.

It's harder to be original but it's INFINITELY more satisfying.

Cracker Scraps - The Final View

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Are you all sick to death of this quilt yet? I hope not. I just adore it. And it is finally complete and happily living at home on our guest bed! Let me walk you through it...just in case you happen to have not seen any pictures of this one for the last six or so months. ;)

This quilt was made with the help of two different bees, the VIBees and the Stash Trad Bee. I think I thought someone was genius the first time I heard of someone using two bees for the same quilt. That way you actually get enough blocks made for the whole quilt! So thank you ladies in both bees for making my quilt a reality!

This quilt is scrappy yet really cohesive. And I think the main reason why that is true is because one bee I sent out fabric to (with the advice that they could add in fabulous fabrics from their own stash if desired), but the other bee made their blocks entirely from their own stash. So that provides a lot of depth of color that I might not normally put into my own work. So there are blocks with a lot of the same fabrics and then the other half are all completely unique but in the same color scheme.

The back ended up fabulously scrappy and pieced as well because I had a few incorrectly made blocks which I ironically took apart to fix and promptly resewed them together incorrectly again. I threw up my hands and decided that they were meant for the back. It did make my quilt a little smaller than I intended to lose that extra row, but oh well. It's finished!!

The quilt was shipped off to Krista/lolablueocean and she did a fabulous job long arm quilting the whole thing with an allover Modern Baptist Fan Pattern. I just love it. And she sent me all of the extra fabric that she cut off from my backing and I used it to make a scrappy binding. Serendipity was at play here people. I didn't want all of those scraps back and needed to get them out of my sewing room. I chopped them up for the binding and had the PERFECT amount of fabric for this quilt. I sewed it on and had the PERFECT amount of thread in the bobbin. Even the tv show I was watching ended right as I finished with my machine. It was definitely meant to be.

And now it is so lovely on the guest bed. Yes, a bit short of the sides but none of my guests are going to complain about that. ;) I hand sewed that binding over a couple of evenings and finally managed to snap some pictures during my little gal's naptime yesterday.

I didn't make these pillow shams but I saw them while my quilt was away and knew that they would be perfect with the whole look. I still need one small throw made from really colorful intense fabrics to toss in front of them, but I'm loving this!

I'll get some curtains made up and maybe throw another quilt over that chair in the corner and make this a cozy place for all of my guests. It's so nice to have a guest room again. And it is sooo nice to finally have one of my quilts actually on a bed in my own home. Such a treat!

Looking for my pattern? You can find it HERE and make your own!

My Reality (and a giveaway!)

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:29:00 +0000

*the giveaway is closed*

Life is distinctly NOT glamorous for me these days. I have been unwittingly caught in the throws of potty training a 2.5 year old. I'll spare you all the details but I've decided I need to make a real effort at potty training her. And for anyone who has done this or even imagined doing this, as they say, motherhood isn't for wimps. (And I really want to be a wimp!!)

I did actually finish my cracker scraps quilt the other day...it came back from Krista and I bound it with a fabulous scrappy binding...blah. blah. blah. I'll tell you about that another day. Someday when I have 5 minutes of daylight to take a picture when I'm not out of my mind exhausted. Because it's PRETTY!

But just in case I'm MIA for a bit...because it's hard to sew with anything while a little one has the ability to "mess" it up and I'm losing my mind trying to maintain an upbeat and calm attitude *insert grumpy mom who's trying to be good*... any who... I thought we'd do a little giveaway while I'm away enjoying the glamorous life of motherhood (oh yes...I'm mom enough! :p )

We have a SCRAP BAG giveaway from Heart To Heart Fabrics!!

2!! Winners will win a 1/2 lb assorted Scrap Bag of Moda Fabrics. You know that there are some yummy treats in there.

Want to be a winner? Well, you've got a few options...

1. Leave a comment giving me any advice you have about potty training, a funny story about it, letting me know that this is why you never plan on having kids...whatever! I could use the help and a laugh these days.

2. Hop on over to Heart to Heart Fabrics and check them out. Leave a 2nd comment here letting me know what your favorite item is.

3. If you are on Facebook, you can "Like" their facebook page as well for a third entry.

Hmm...you can tell I have both a) done a lot of giveaways and b) am deep in my own life when I make this the entry for a giveaway. Ah well...like I said...this is my reality. I'm keeping it real people.

Fat Quarter Idol Round 4 - finalist

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:22:00 +0000

Hey all! I've been playing along with with the Sew! Mama! Sew! Fat Quarter Idol the past 4 rounds. I'm honored to once again be selected for the finals. There was a little mix up with my fabric selections but they've all been fixed now, so I can share them with you.

This week's theme was to pick 12 fabrics that represented your OWN style. Well I can do that with my hands tied behind my back. I'm a sucker for aqua and I almost always pair it with a shade of orange. I've got a couple of great prints that use both and some fabulous neutrals to go along with whole group. I can safely say that this is indeed my style. (Well....one of them! lol)

So hop on over to the Sew! Mama! Sew! site and VOTE. You definitely don't need to pick me...I understand that we all have different styles. There are some fabulous collections this round that I wouldn't mind owning either. But just in case...I'm #9. ;)

Fat Quarter Bundle Destash Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:36:00 +0000

Hey look at me! I actually managed to do something relatively promptly. I said I would do this and I did. lol

I have a Fat Quarter Bundle Destash Sale going on right now in my Etsy Shop. Take advantage of my overabundance of fabrics and my joy of putting together collections and pick up a custom made fat quarter bundle. (or 2 or 3!)

There are some really lovely pieces in the sale and all of my fabrics come from a loving home...treat them well dear friends. Some of them I didn't really intend to sell but they just looked so darn good in the bundle that I had to! ;)

all solids are Kona cottons!

I'm happy to ship internationally and if you find yourself buying scads of bundles, just shoot me a message on Etsy and I will combine the shipping for you and refund any over payment.

Oh and use the code DESTASHNOW for an extra 10% off!

Happy Shopping!

Churn and Dash!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 12 May 2012 04:24:00 +0000

I'm not in over achiever status yet, but I'm getting back to normal status. I finished my bee block for May a few days ago. I'm happily just in one bee right now, the fabulous Stash Trad Bee. We make traditional blocks from our own stash of fabric each month for a different person in the bee. This month Felicity chose a mini churn dash block for us.

I can tell that I'm trying to take control over some small part of my life (literally!) because I was SUPER meticulous when I made this. It's really four blocks in one and I made each one separately, one at a time. Probably my favorite of the four is this one with one of Denyse Schmidt's fabrics from one of her Joann's lines. You can tell that this reproduction style fabric is perfect for this traditional pattern!

Of course, it's always nice when the back of the block looks as pretty as the front. I don't think you see enough pictures of the back of people's work...so you don't always know how they made it or how well they made it. So every once in a while I like to show the back of a piece.

I had a lot of fun making this block. I could definitely see making a whole quilt with this pattern. I think Felicity's quilt will be beautiful with all of the scrappy goodness. And it's pretty on pointe too!

I've also been working with some other pretty fabric lately...

This is for one of my minimal sewing projects...It's been taking longer than I intended to do this project but life has just been taking longer. I think that is the result of having a two year old. Oh and moving...yeah...that has made things a little crazy.

And the reality of my fabric has been kicking in as repeatedly try to put all of my sewing supplies away in my new sewing room. The happy news for you all is that I will be doing a destash soon. Sad for me because I love fabric. But it needs to have a happy home. I spent all of tonight putting together fat quarter bundles and I still have SO much left. But be on the lookout for that soon!

Modern Patchwork Magazine - Travel Laundry Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:05:00 +0000

It is a true sign of how crazy my life has been lately that I haven't managed to share this with you all yet. But I am actually published in a second magazine that is out right now, Modern Patchwork by Interweave Press.

Now part of the delay was because my copies of the magazine were originally sent to New Orleans...yeah...I've been gone for a year now...but databases take a while to get updated. So I didn't even see the magazine until a week or so ago. Actually I went to Barnes and Noble on the day we moved to get a little break and to check out my project in the magazine. I wanted to see how it looked! lol

I had this idea for a travel laundry bag because I needed one! Necessity is the mother of invention right? And what better fabric is there for this kind of project than Heather Ross' Laundry Line fabric?! Perfection! (Can you tell I was pleased with my choice?)

I paired it with my absolute favorite stripe by Jennifer Paganelli and threw in some Sweetwater Canvas on the bottom and the strap. The bag has a double cord stop opening for easy closure and mesh fabric to help that laundry breathe! Plus the handy strap lets you hang your bag on anything you can find in your hotel room or home away from home while you fill it up.

I used a combination of french seams and packaged bias tape to make sure that every seam was perfectly covered and finished. This bag is as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside!

It's ALMOST too pretty to put dirty laundry in it. But never fear...it's completely functional and I think it would make doing that laundry at the end of the trip a treat...because it's all coming out of this adorable bag. It is definitely big enough to hold a couple of days worth of laundry for sure... sadly I have not taken a trip since making this bag and have not been able to try out it's full capacity. ;) But I will!

So if you want to make one of your own, pick up a copy of Modern Patchwork. I personally think this is the perfect gift for someone who truly has everything. I bet they don't have a custom travel laundry bag.

Quiltmaker Giveaway winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Oh My goodness! Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on my block. I was truly overwhelmed and grateful for all the quilty love that you guys had for it. I knew I liked it but you never know what everyone else will respond to.

And on to the winner of the giveaway! Mr Random went right for the end of the pack this time...

NancyMay 5, 2012 12:47 AM

I've been so busy I haven't checked out any new fabrics lately! :(

Congratulations Nancy! I hope the magazine gives you a chance to motivate you to check out some new fabrics. Or at least enjoy the pretty ones in the magazine!

Just had to share

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Krista, lolablueocean, has been long arm quilting one of my quilts for me! The Cracker Scraps Quilt (I have a tutorial for this quilt posted HERE). And she's taken a couple of sneak peak shots of it being quilted. I'm soooo happy with how it looks. And I just had to share her photos.

The quilting pattern that she used is a Modern Baptist Fan Pattern that I selected from one of the sites that Krista recommended.

Here it is when she started...

Here it is while she is in the middle of working on it...

And here it is all quilted!

and the back!

Just as a reminder, it looked like this before I sent it to her...

and the back (the colors in this photo are probably the most true to life)

This quilt already has a home in our guest room...so if you ever come stay with me you will be sleeping under this! Now that should entice you!

I'll definitely post more pics when I get it in person and put the binding on. But I was so excited that I had to share!

♪ Sewing...and it feels so good ♪

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:53:00 +0000

I did it! I finally sewed in my new house! I've been getting itchy...the kind of itch that only petting pretty fabric and sewing it together can fix.

You can feel free to laugh at me, but no...I STILL haven't used my new machine. I have both machines set up and I even had to give my "old" machine some tender love after the move but that was less stressful than learning a new machine. I just needed to start SEWING! Everything has been new and different...and I needed the comfort of my machine I know.

The very first thing I made was a sloppy quick new ironing board cover. And the fab thing about ironing boards is that you can't tell that it is less than perfect. ;) Got to love elastic wrapped under the bottom. I decided to use a fabric that I would love with my new room and yet not mind destroying. Because let's face it...ironing board covers get destroyed. So I chose some Hope Valley in a fabulous yellow that I don't have a great word to describe. I got the fabric for just over $3 a yard earlier this year at my lqs. They had NO idea what they had put in clearance. I was SUCH a good girl and did not buy all it.

Oh yeah...and that is my new iron that I won too. See...I'm using some of my prizes ;)

Next, I hopped onto a bee block for Elizabeth, Don't call me Betsy, for the Stash Trad Bee. Her month was April and I'm a few days late obviously. But life has been crazy and I haven't sewn anything in almost a month. (except for a bit the night before I moved. But my machine started spitting bobbin thread at me...it didn't want to sew any more that night)

Her block is called The Radiant Ring and we're all making her either a cool or warm block. Clearly I chose to make a warm block...because I'm so hot ;) I love the little sand piper center. Elizabeth has the tutorial for this block on her blog too. So you all can make it or have a bee make it for you. It's a fun one!

Tomorrow I plan to work on this month's bee block for Felicity. I'm usually one of the first ones done. But the last few months have been out of control crazy and I've been one of the last ones lately. So I must get back to over achiever status. ;)

Winner of NicoleAnne's Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:44:00 +0000

I love that you all love fabric!! Kindred spirits!

thanks to all who entered the giveaway for NicoleAnne's. Without further ado, the winner is:

quilt happyApr 30, 2012 11:13 AM

i signed up for her newsletter

Congratulations!! Have fun with the fabric and the pattern!

And remember, if you haven't signed up for the Quiltmaker giveaway yet, that is still open. We're hopping with giveaways lately.

Quiltmaker 100 Blocks - vol 5!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:22:00 +0000

*The giveaway is now closed*

Faithful followers may have noticed a couple of new buttons on my blog that have popped up lately. Well I'll get to one of them later, but today I'm happy to share that I have a block in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks - Volume 5!

You've got to look for me in there...I'm all the way near the end. lol But I'm in there! #92 or 94 or something.

I broke into my Mendocino stash to create this pretty mermaid block paired with some Farmdale Blossoms and a Riley Blake dot. Oh I just love all of these fabrics together!! I really tried to get the mermaids to have some movement and feel like they were swimming in the strips.

The fabrics are the showcase in the block I put in the magazine, but I simplified the look by evening out the borders and creating each block in a just two tones.

The technique to make the blocks is just the same as the one show in Quiltmaker...but even easier with only the one print to worry about. And I LOVE the secondary pattern that shows up when you pair multiple blocks together. I have about 6 or so of these blocks made and I need to make more! This is a quilt that needs to happen in my world.

Patterns that read as solid like or monochromatic are perfect this kind of layout. Just solids would be amazing too. You get a great texture from the seams but it is still simple and very usable. Mitered and on pointe?! Perfect! Oh and this geometric pattern is very male friendly. I know we are all always on the lookout for a pattern the men in our lives would like....errr...tolerate....err...love!

You can pick up a copy of the magazine at most major retailers soon, but you have a chance to win a copy of it compliments of Quiltmaker right now!

Just leave me a comment letting me know your current favorite fabric or fabric line. I'm always on the look out for that perfect fabric...and sometimes hearing someone else adore a fabric makes me appreciate what I already have (because I don't "really" need to buy more).

and for more fun and giveaways, check out Quiltmaker's site and the other quilters in the magazine! There are different bloggers featured every day for the next week.

As always, if you do use one of my patterns to create something, I would love to see it! So email me or feel free to add it to my flickr group, Cut To Pieces.

Welcome to our Newest Sponsor - NicoleAnne's!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:00:00 +0000

*the giveaway is now closed*

Yippee! We have a new sponsor around here folks, a lovely little fabric shop named NicoleAnne's. And that means that we have a giveaway!!

Fabric, Fashion, and Fun. The majority of Becky's inventory is Michael Miller and Moda, and she tends to lean toward fun, bright colorful collections. Many of the fabrics she carries are suitable for children’s clothing in addition to quilts.

Some of the fun fabrics you might find over there could be...

(I'm laughing at myself for picking out these particular fabrics because I don't own any of them and wish I did!)

Coming soon will be the Vintage Modern Collection by Bonnie and Camille for Moda.

Becky from NicoleAnne's is offering a quilt kit valued at $52.00. Double Pinwheel complete with Gypsy Bandana fabrics from Michael Miller. It includes all fabrics for the front, backing and binding. Size is 39” square.

So that is actually double fun when you think about it because you get not only the fabric but also a pattern! Use them together or separately!

So head on over to NicoleAnne's and check out the shop! Come back here and leave a comment on your favorite item you found there!

For a second chance, go ahead and sign up for her email newsletter!

That's it! Good luck!

Project UFO - what you've been making: April's edition

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:06:00 +0000

Oh I can't keep up! I've been working on that tutorial I promised you all on how to write a tutorial. I've been unpacking and moderately helping my husband finish up our house (we finally have a functioning kitchen!!). And this morning my daughter decided that she needed to potty train. Um...no...not with moving boxes everywhere. Give me another month!

So, instead I give you the beautiful works of others. Over on Flickr in my Project UFO group, everyone has been faithfully working away, making far more progress than I!

Oh goodness. So much good stuff happening. And that's just a bit of the fabulous things happening. The little part of me that loves checking off things on a list is so pleased to see so many people checking projects off of their to do lists! lol I'm just living vicariously through everyone.

Once again, if you ever want to join us or need some support to finish up that unfinished project, hop on over to Project UFO. We're all working and we'll be there for a while. Some of us have a LOT of projects to do. ;) You know who you are!

Sew Mama Sew - Fat Quarter Idol - Round 1

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:32:00 +0000

I don't know if you all follow the Sew Mama Sew blog...it's hard to keep up with everyone! But they have a new challenge going on called The Fat Quarter Idol. And in the spirit of many competitions these days, they are having you choose from their fabrics and put together a "collection" based on a particular theme. And then you make a pinterest board for your choices.

Each round, a new winner is chosen from popular vote after the judges have pulled a top 10 from the entries. Their collection will be sold in the Sew Mama Sew shop as a bundle and the designer is given a fat quarter bundle of their winning design.

Well this was a no brainer to play along for me because they are using two of my favorite past times...looking at fabric and playing on pinterest. So I pulled together my fabrics based off of Round 1's theme, Sweet Child of Mine. And I think because I have a little girl, I wanted to make a collection more for little boys....or at least boy friendly.

You can see my collection HERE.

And to my shock, a friend just pointed out that I made the top ten...and public voting is open. So head on over and vote . Please don't feel the need to vote for me! This is all good fun and I love playing with fabric. ;)

Oh and I believe Round 2 has just begun...so you guys should have some fun and put together a pinterest collection for that. Maybe next week I'll get to vote for one of YOU!

Trying to Keep Up

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:09:00 +0000

Okay guys...I'm just trying to stay on top of things here.

I had to go find my local comic book store because I needed more comic book boards for my fabric. My story is that I'm wrapping more fabric around those than I had previously and NOT that I've acquired too much fabric. That's definitely the story I'm telling my husband. And he's reading this, so he knows. ;)

Headway is being made on unpacking the sewing room but I kind of want to have it all set up and pretty before I do a grand reveal. So that may be another week. But threads are in place and books are on shelves...and I even, or rather my husband, unpacked the new sewing machine!

And you'll probably think I'm funny but I haven't even tried to use it yet. I just don't have the mental energy to tackle learning a new machine yet with all of the other unpacking to do. But I'll be sure to let you all know what I think of it!

Oh and Bianca asked me to be a judge for her Patchwork Prism Quilt Along that I blogged about earlier. Remember, you could win that lovely sewing machine!!

And she posted that lovely discount code for the Fat Quarter Shop! You can get 20% off just use the code: AnnaMariaQAL starting today until May 8th!

Okay, signing off for now...hopefully soon I'll be sewing again. I've already decided that I need a new pretty ironing board cover to match my new sewing room. ;)

At Home

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:01:00 +0000

Life is busy, complicated, wonderful, and exhausting.

Have I mentioned we moved this week? And that we are (still!) redoing the ENTIRE house?

No. The countertops for the kitchen are not in yet...so we don't have a functioning kitchen.

No. The roof has not been touched and needs to be entirely replaced.

No. I haven't finished tiling the bathroom for my little hideaway place of relaxation.

But it doesn't seem to matter.

My favorite people are with me and we are all more peaceful in the new house. Even the cat! (And you know cats don't love a move!) We have bunches to do and miles to go before we sleep... but there are moments like this...

and this...

that make everything worth while.

We had beautiful weather for the move. And the day after it was perfectly perfect outdoors. I laid outside in the grass and saw this view of many of the trees around the house.

And it didn't even dawn on me until later that this was an over cast day. Because it just was so wonderful to be AT HOME.

We have birds and groundhogs and rabbits and even a deer came through the yard! (How did she get there?!) And while that will make Mike's future garden a little tougher to keep, it has been so fun seeing all of the wild life.

And lest you think that I spent all of my time outside, there has been a BIT of unpacking on the inside. ;) I know that you are all interested mainly in the sewing area, so here's a sneak peak.

The words oasis and eden may have been uttered in the last few days. And that's saying something in the chaos of a move. Somehow we have this little slice of peace in the middle of the city. As always, God has taken care of our needs and then gone over the top with providing more than we knew we wanted.

Patchwork Prism Quilt Along - Have you heard?

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Bianca, from Sweet Diesel, is hosting a Patchwork Prism Quilt Along based on the gorgeous quilt designed and made by the lovely Anna Maria Horner. There will be beautiful quilts, fabrics and of course...fabulous (and I do mean fabulous!) prizes.

Have you seen Anna Maria's quilt yet? It's a perfect example of one of the fabulous aspects of her design skill...the ability to combine multiple prints in a cohesive not "matchy matchy" way.

Anna Maria designed this pattern for Janome and they have been so kind as to make it available to you free of charge. You can find the download for the pattern here.

Bianca has a schedule of posts planned to go over designing, making and finishing your quilt...

april 24: choosing your fabric {and if you need fabric, she has arranged for a 20% discount from our generous friends at The Fat Quarter Shop...dates to be announced}
may 8: making templates and cutting your fabric
may 22: laying out your quilt and sewing
june 5: quilting
june 12: wrapping it all up and then the party begins...linky party that is...
june 26: submissions are due for the grand prizes!

Eeep!! The Prizes...

These are some very fun prizes!! Throughout the course of the qal, participants will have the chance to win the following prizes...

westminster fibers:

one Valori Wells fat quarter bundle of her newest line, “cocoon.” That’s 30 fat quarters!

one essentials charm pack

one amy butler charm pack of gypsy caravan

one Anna Maria Horner tapestry kit and embroidery floss

Aurifil thread: five chances to win 10 spools of thread

(side note: if you are on facebook, you should follow Alex, the fabulous Italian owner of Aurifil...he's a riot!)

At the conclusion of the quilt along there will be a linky party where you will be able to show off your lovely project. Upon submission of your completed patchwork prism quilt, you will be entered into the grand prize drawings which will be judged by the overall appearance and layout of your quilt.

The Grand Prizes:

3rd prize... $25 gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop
2nd prize... $50 gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop
1st prize... $75 gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop

(and you're going to like this one....!)

GRAND PRIZE... Janome DC2012 sewing machine {a retail value of $699!}

Bianca has a flickr group all set up and ready to go for the quilt along, which can be found here. This will be a great place for everyone to come together and share photos of your progress and get to know each other. :)

patchwork prism button...

What's a quilt along with out a blog button? If you’d like to let people know what fun you are up to or invite your friends to join...grab the button from Bianca's sidebar.

So join in the fun...I know personally how exciting it can be to win a sewing machine. ;) I hope one of you gets it!!

And watch out for me...because you'll see me again for sure at the end of the QAL!

matching pillow sham by Anna Maria Horner

Charm Packs Giveaway and Moving Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:29:00 +0000

It's moving day!! Life is crazy...but by tonight we will be in our new house. Help comes to move everything in less than 4 hours. Eep!

Thank you so much everyone for all of your sweet comments on my Backpack tutorial. I wondered how many pages that tutorial would be...ended up at 26 for the pdf printout!

Without further ado...and because I need to keep packing!... the TWO winners of 4 California Girl charm packs, compliments of the Fat Quarter Shop, are:

Myra Johnson

"And, I am a newbie. I am so loving your site! You make really beautiful things! Thank you for sharing your amazing talents with us!"

and

Rosa

"Congratulations on the win! and thanks for the sharing your backpack tutorial!!"

Congratulations Ladies!! Just get in touch with me and I'll be sure to let the FQS know who to send the fabric to.

Oh and ps. I had to laugh because Caitlin (who has won 4 giveaways on my blog I think!) was comments #20 and #22. So close Caitlin! lol Random.org LOVES you on my blog!

Input Please!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:57:00 +0000

So as I think about my new house and all of the designs and decorating I would like to do, I am struck by the fact that there are so many fabulous fabrics that I want to put around the house. However I don't want to sew everything. I have bunches of ideas, new or acquired, that I want to incorporate into my home that use fabric in a less "traditional" way.

Which got me thinking...while in the bathtub....all of my great ideas come while in the bathtub. I think that is where my brain is the clearest! lol

Anywho, it got me thinking about what I wanted to share with you and my future projects. Which led to me to thinking about all of the things that you must all be doing with fabric that don't involve sewing or a minimal amount of sewing. And I want to hear about it and see it.

So I want to start a new series on my blog that focuses on ways to use fabric that involve no sewing or very little sewing. But it makes use of all those beautiful fabrics we own or drool over. And I want YOU to be involved. I'd love to feature some of you with your own tutorials about these things.

Here's the deal...

• we need a cool name...and moving and being sick etc, have made me lose my creative ability in that capacity for the moment. So let's brain storm some names. Think "fabric minus sewing" or something like that.

• I want to hear from you about YOUR tutorials. Your idea does not need to be original but your tutorial does. Perhaps there is something you have pinned on pinterest that you've been dying to try or something you've seen and said "I can totally make that myself". Well put together a project idea and talk to me about it (you can email me) and we'll see if it is the right fit for this series.

• Does a tutorial sound scary? That's totally normal. So I'm going to....wait for it....write a TUTORIAL on HOW to write a tutorial. Ironic? Yes. Helpful? Absolutely!

Okay! So let's brainstorm! We need an awesome name and then we can have a fun blog badge. I'll even make sure we have one of those "I've been featured on....(whatever name we decide)" because I know we all love to have those. Teehee! And then let me know your ideas!

I'm moving in two(!) days, so internet access may be sketchy from here to there. But I'll try to get back to you promptly. Tutorial on tutorials coming soon!

Oh and here's a shot of the first piece of wall paper that went up in my sewing room...just half of one wall was covered to cover some current (or shall we say "not current") wall paper. ;) It's slowly becoming MY space!

It's a big day! Backpacks, features, and giveaways!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:30:00 +0000

*the giveaway is now closed*

Well the day has come! Today you can find me in a couple of places...

First off, you can find me over at Moda Bakeshop Today with my tutorial for my Owl Tag Along Toddler Backpack. This was my winning entry for the Moda SLICED competition. And now you can all make you own!

Secondly, you can a feature of me over at Sew4Home. This is a really fun website with lots of great tips for all kinds of home decor and sewing. As part of winning the competition, I am featured over there today.

And just because I thought it would be fun, with all of this featuring going on, we are having a giveaway HERE sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop! In the spirit of precuts and Moda, they have offered up 8 charms packs of California Girl to be split between 2 lucky winners. So that is 4 charm packs each!! (and if you win, might I suggest a lovely little quilt pattern I designed perfect for charms, Picket Fences...lol)

yum! That's pretty!

To enter the giveaway, I would love if you hopped over to the two sites and left a comment on each. You can leave a separate comment here for each comment you leave on those sites. So that is 2 possible entries!

• Moda Bakeshop

•Sew4Home

And if you are a NEW follower, go ahead and leave a third comment letting me know. (Faithful followers, you know we do this a fair amount and sometimes it's fun to mix things up a bit...so let's let the newbies have an extra chance today!)

I hope that you all enjoy the backpack tutorial! I worked very hard on it so let me know if you have any questions. I want to see bunches of toddlers running around with their very own backpacks!!

Woohoo! what a fun day! Help me Celebrate!

XO Gigi Fabrics giveaway winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Goodness! We have another giveaway starting soon, so I realized that I hadn't announced the winner of the very generous XO Gigi Fabrics $50 gift certificate.

Mr Random has chosen...

Who is lucky....

Donna

"Love the Retro Rocket Rascals--Have no idea what I'd use it for, but it is too cute! Those TaDots are pretty tempting too!"

Congrats Donna! And thanks to everyone who played along. We have more giveaways coming up so stay tuned. I don't know how they all pile up like this sometimes. lol

Making Waves over at Fat Quarterly

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:57:00 +0000

Haha! That title sounds a lot more exciting than I meant it to.

I just wanted to let you all know that you can find me today over at the Fat Quarterly blog. I made a baby quilt using the Quick Curves Ruler and it is being shown over there today.

Feel free to hop over and give Making Waves a little love. ;)

And stay tuned for Friday! That's when I'll be over at Moda Bakeshop for my Toddler Backpack Tutorial, featured on the website Sew4Home.com and we'll be having a giveaway to celebrate!

Busy week! Off to pack some more boxes!!

A glimpse at home

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:07:00 +0000

We're getting closer. Our official move date is a week from tomorrow! There is still a ton that needs to be done at the new house and packing up here...but help will be kicking in from here on out from friends and family and we should be able to get it all done.

The house won't be totally done when we move, but it will be done enough for us to move. And we're ready. ;)

I finally managed to be at the house with my camera phone in the daylight so i could snap a few pics for you all.

My sewing room is coming along. The cabinetry has been painted my favorite blue! As has my sewing desk and a dresser! Yum! Still lots to do in this room...that wall paper on the left wall will be replaced. I'm really excited about it.

The kitchen has had a complete change! It still needs the laminate counter tops and all the appliances and the backsplash but that is actually all quick stuff as far as a kitchen remodel goes.

Mike did a great job rigging this light to work over the island. Yay!

The master bath will be my personal haven. My escape. There are still a lot of pretties to go in like the tile backsplash and the chandelier over the tub...but here's a glimpse!

I just adore the view from our master bedroom. This house has tons of windows so there is a lot of light. You can see our yard and our neighbors' yard from our bedroom off the back of the house. Blessedly peaceful!

Caitlyn's room has adorable shutters in it and hers is the only room I went with a really distinct color. It's sort of a pinky purple. I've had much approval on the color in person from all ages of nieces. So I'm confident that it can easily grow with her. Oh I have grand plans for her room :) And some of those include Far Far Away Fabric and AMH voile!

The upstairs bath that Caitlyn will be using is the room we probably did the least to, but one of the fun things I added was these beautiful milk glass nobs for all the cabinets. I promise...better pics soon when it's all done!

And finally, our staircase. One coat of paint, the light isn't hung yet...but this is where I envision hanging a quilt on the high empty wall. What could be better than looking at one of your quilts every time you go down the stairs?! (the wall actually isn't in the pic but it is above this...trust me...it will look fab!)

So...lots to do. Deep breath. And somehow life does not slow down just because you decided to move. Why is that? Off to write up more tutorials and tonight I'll be packing up the kitchen with some friends. Good times. Noodle Salad.