Pink Stitches

Texty Churn Dash Quilt

2013-05-06T16:32:00.000-05:00

I am so in love with my new quilt. I finished it early last month but haven't been able to blog about it until now. Hubby got me a new laptop for our 8 year anniversary (yay!!) so I'll be able to blog more and work on some new patterns.

For this quilt, I made twenty 12" blocks using a variety of pink, yellow, grey and texty fabrics. I have always loved the churn dash block and have used it on smaller projects like bags and pouches but decided it was time to make a cozy quilt out of them. I really enjoyed fussy cutting some of my favorite prints for the centers of each block. I think my favorite block is the yellow dog print with the pink frame. Why are Heather Ross prints so adorable?!?

Quilt Stats
block: church dash
fabrics used: variety of designer prints (heather ross, melody miller, echino, etc)
completed size: approx. 48" x 60"
binding: machine stitched in front, hand stitched in back
quilting: vertical straight lines along seams

Mug Cozies

2013-03-26T15:33:00.001-05:00

So ever since the Love Day Swap, I've been obsessed with this pattern. I can't get my fill of cable knit mug cozies.

I finished this one off for a friend and then started a purple one. Have I mentioned how much I am in love with Madeline Tosh yarn? It's a sickness.

And I have to watch the Tudors while I knit because... Well, look at Henry Cavill. Can you blame me?

The purple color way is called Flashdance and it has hints of hot pink. Pictures don't do it justice. The color and feel are beautiful!

And guess what... I finished my churn dash quilt top!! Wooo! Thanks to all of you who kept me on track and encouraged me to cut into some cherished prints I'd been hoarding! I love how it turned out and I will post pictures as soon as I finish the whole thing. Until then, I'm starting a pretty pink cowl with my new Madeline Tosh yarn! Have a Happy Easter!!

Works in Progress

2013-03-12T11:26:00.000-05:00

I've been obsessed with churn dash blocks lately. Combine that with my love of text print and we have a new quilt in the works.

I love fussy cutting cute prints for the centers of my blocks but unfortunately, that results in very slow progress. It also doesn't help that I've made a handful of blocks that I ended up hating and have eliminated. I hope to finish this quilt by the end of the month. Hold me accountable!!

Earlier this month, I received a lovely surprise in the mail from Shari, the fabric designer behind Doohikey Designs. I met her via Instagram and she is the biggest sweetheart. She was kind enough to send me this entire collection!

I didn't waste any time getting started on a log cabin baby quilt. These prints are so adorable and the color palette is perfect for spring.

As you may recall, I made a knitted mug cozy for my Love Day swap partner last month. I used a beautiful cable knit pattern that I found on etsy awhile back. My partner loved it so much, that she requested another one in a pink/mint combo.

I'm almost done with it and then I plan to make a purple one for another friend! This pattern is so fun. What have you been working in this month? Leave links in my comment section of your WIP's. I'd love to visit you!

iPad Mini Case

2013-03-03T14:00:00.000-06:00

My sweet husband gave me an iPad mini for Christmas. I burst into tears when I read the engraving in the back. It's a quote from my favorite childhood book, Love You Forever.

I used to love it when my mom read this book to me before bed. After I had AJ, I immediately went on the hunt to buy him his own copy. Upon reading it again as a mother, I cried so much. I was an emotional mess! This is now AJ's favorite book too and he insists on me reading it to him every night. It meant so much to me to have my husband remember how much these words mean to me. Goes to show they really do pay attention to the little things!

I bought a hard case for it right after I got it so that it wouldn't get scratched, but I knew I eventually wanted to make a case for it. I played around with some blocks before deciding on a scrappy selvage look. I've been collecting selvages since I first learned of their "worth" a couple of years ago. It's always fun to sort through them and create little masterpieces with all my favorite collections.

I made the case to fit the hard case but then decided I didn't like the zig zags all that much. I went in search of a Gelaskin and found the perfect one for me! I adore this cute little girl standing on a pile of books. I knew she belonged on my iPad.

Hope you're having a great weekend! I'll be back soon with a little Easter giveaway! (There may or may not be a hint on my Instagram feed @greenletterday)

My Duffel

2013-02-28T08:13:00.000-06:00

Last year I bought the Studio Cherie Duffel pattern with the intention of making one for myself right away. Didn't happen. I waited until a week before we went on our family vacation to Ruidoso, NM last month to whip one up.

I had so many excuses for waiting this long. It was an intimidating project, I was undecided on fabric choices, I didn't have time. In the end, it wasn't very hard at all. The most tedious part was making and attaching the straps. After that it came together pretty quickly. It's huge. It fits a queen sized comforter inside with plenty of room to spare.

Traveling handmade is so fun. It makes packing a lot less painful. And it matches my Multitasker Tote perfectly.

My duffel has already gotten plenty of use. It's perfect for quick getaways too. We took it to the San Antonio rodeo a few weekends ago. I can't wait to take it to Sewing Summit later this year. I see a pretty patchwork Weekender in my future!

Spiders

2013-02-18T15:30:00.000-06:00

This month, I participated in Ros's Sweet Pouch Swap over at her blog. My swap partner lives in Australia and said that she wanted something with a pink/black/white combo. I pulled out my scraps and made these adorable star blocks.

I can't get enough of the scrappy look lately. I've been using it a lot with my projects lately. I love the combination of scrappy patchwork and straight line quilting.

I hope she enjoys this little pouch along with all the Mexican candy I sent her. I'll be back later this week for the Love Day Swap features!

Love Day Swap Sent

2013-02-12T17:53:00.000-06:00

I had so much fun hosting a Love Day Swap this month. I was blown away once again by the girls participating in this swap. Looking through all the awesome pictures in the Flickr Group, my heart swelled with pride at all the generosity and attention to detail that these girls put into their love packages. It's going to be hard choosing my favorites to feature on here and pick a winner from!

This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with my swap partner, Ruthie, for lunch a Subway. We exchanged packages in person and chatted it up until we lost track of time! Here's what I gave her:

Can you tell how much I love Valentine's Day??! Next to Christmas, it's my favorite time of the year. I say it every year and I'll say it again: Everyday should be a celebration of love! If you follow me on Instagram (@greenletterday), you've no doubt seen endless pictures of my works in progress and our gift exchange. The best part about a face to face swap is working on the presentation. It's true that great minds think alike because Ruthie showed up with a wicker basket full of goodies for me as well! (You can find her on Instagram too @threadofhearts)

I knew I wanted to make her a boxy pouch but besides that, I was stumped for awhile. I started off with the pixelated heart with the intentions of making her a notebook cover. The heart ended up being a big too large for that (even though the tiny squares were only one inch) so I went for a mug rug instead. I had already bought her a cute mug at Target along with a Starbucks gift card so the mug rug ended up being the perfect addition. I cable knitted coffee cozy was a last minute project. I had bought the pattern on etsy ages ago but was too afraid to try it because I'm a beginner and knitting and this pattern uses three needles! Like many other things I'm too intimidated to try, it ended up not being scary at all! It was a lot of fun to make and I look forward to making one for myself.

Along with the items pictured above, the basket included vintage fabric, some adorable embroidery scissors, stamps, stickers and lots of candy! Ruthie, I hope you enjoyed all your goodies!! Have a wonderful and romantic love day, friends!

Square in Square Pillow

2013-01-17T17:00:00.002-06:00

I am so behind on blogging about my sewing projects. I've been spending all my free time watching Catfish and reading books. This is a pillow I made sometime last year before my bloggy break. If you follow me on Instagram (@greenletterday), I'm sure you've seen it before.

I used Tamiko's paper piecing template and fussy cut some of my favorite novelty prints to make nine blocks. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to make a pillow or a mini quilt but when I pieced them all together, I knew it had to be a pillow. I chose not to quilt it for fear of taking attention away from the beautiful design of the blocks.

I used a regular 14" zipper to piece a really quick pillow back. I love the simplicity of it (not to mention how easy it was).

I'll be back soon to share some more projects with you. Have a great weekend!

Love Day Swap Sign Up

2013-01-05T13:14:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I decided to go on hiatus for awhile but now I'm back. It was a much needed bloggy break and I enjoyed every minute with my beautiful family. I hope you enjoyed the holidays with your loved ones! I am starting this year the same way I ended the last, with another handmade swap.

Once again, this swap will not be anonymous. You will be in constant contact with your partner throughout the entire process. You are also required to have a Flickr account before signing up. If you are interested in joining the fun, please email me at greenletterday at yahoo dot com with the subject line: Love Day Swap. Include ALL of the following information in the EXACT FORMAT. I will be copying and pasting this info to your assigned partner so please make sure it is accurate.

Full Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Email Address

Flickr Username

Any additional links you want to include (Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Blog, etc)

And if you are willing to ship internationally. This is very important so please do not forget to answer this question.

I will be leaving this sign up open until Tuesday, Jan. 8 at midnight. I will then be assigning partners the next day and you will have three weeks to complete and mail out your packages.

Please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested in participating. Thanks to all the faithful ladies who have participated in the past Pink Stitches swaps! Seeing all your beautiful creations and hearing about all the friendships that have been established through these swaps are the reasons I keep hosting! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Christmas Swap Sign Up

2012-11-01T16:48:00.001-05:00

With Halloween behind us, it's time to start planning our Christmas Swap!

This swap will not be anonymous (mostly because it's too much work for me) and you will be required to have a Flickr account. If you are interested in signing up, email me at greenletterday at yahoo dot com with the subject line: CHRISTMAS SWAP. Include the following information in the EXACT FORMAT. I will be copying and pasting your information to your partner so make sure it is accurate!

Full Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Email address

Flickr Username

Any additional links (blog, FB, Pinterest) you'd like to include

And if you are willing to ship internationally

I will leave sign up open for about a week. Please spread the word to others who might be interested in participating. Once the sign up is closed, I will be assigning partners and you will then have about a month to send out your packages. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Happy Halloween!

2012-10-31T20:36:00.001-05:00

Paper Piecing

2012-10-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

It all started with this little block.

I hadn't anticipated the corners being chopped off as I was piecing it together. I ended up making a quick zippy out of it but was still unsatisfied with the result. I posted the picture on Instagram in search of some advice and was pointed towards paper piecing. Deep down, I knew this was the solution but was hoping there was another way. I have been terrified of trying paper piecing! The more I thought about it though, the more I realized how silly I was being. I started sewing as a way to challenge myself but somewhere along the way, I stopped doing just that. I stopped teaching myself new things and stuck to playing it safe. So I looked up a few YouTube videos and this foundation paper pattern by Patchwork Notes and I practiced until I got it right!

After awhile, it wasn't so scary anymore! In fact, it was quite addicting. I went over and bought the Sew Ichigo "Latte To Go" pattern and sewed it right up!

Could this pattern be any more perfect for a mug rug?? I didn't think so. I hope you've been inspired to face your sewing fears and challenge yourself to try new things! Have a fabulous weekend!

A New Fall Bag

2012-10-14T13:21:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a break from all the Halloween posts to show you my new fall bag. I had been hoarding this gorgeous Anna Maria Horner print for something special and decided it was time to cut into it.

I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I paired it with a new print from her Field Study collection. I love how easy it is to mix and match all of the AMH lines.

I got the pattern from this book. It's called the Floral Bag and it's really easy. I think I like it because it's very similar to my Hellen Bag. This is the "small version" and it's quite big so I can't even imagine how huge the "large version" is.

I also finished my fall quilt top this week! Wooo! It took me a few months to finish the blocks but since I didn't get to go to Sewing Summit, I decided I might as well be productive and get them done!

I sewed up a quick patchwork backing yesterday so it's all ready to be basted and quilted. The pattern is called Skipping Squares by Cluck Cluck Sew. I'm so excited to pull it out of the dryer and snuggle up with it! Hope you're having a great Sunday!

Halloween Swap Features & Winners

2012-10-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

I had soooo much fun hosting the Halloween Swap this month. Everyone did such an amazing job, it was so hard to pick just a few to feature out of over 100 photos! Here are some highlights from our Flickr Group:

1. "Ghastlie" apron ready for swap partner!, 2. Halloween Coaster, 3. Finally ready to ship, 4. Notepad & Pen, 5. Halloween Swap 003, 6. To hold goodies!, 7. Skull Apron, 8. Ready to ship in the morning!, 9. I made polymer clay "sewing pins" to go with theme!, 10. Untitled, 11. Halloween Swap, 12. halloween swap, 13. Halloween Banner (3), 14. for my Halloween swap!, 15. Swap mini bag, 16. Teacup Pin Cushion with Handmade Clay Pins from Ruth(Thread of Hearts)

These were such a fun group of ladies. I was blown away by all the creativity I saw in the Flickr Group and looked forward to checking it every week! You can check out what I received from my partner, Katie, on her blog Craptastic. She is the best!! I wanted to thank all the participants by having a little giveaway. The winner of this fun little goodie bag is...

Amy Kendrick... Congrats! I'll be mailing it out to you this week :)

And the winner of the Halloween Giveaway is...

ThreadofHearts... Congratulations! I'll be emailing you later today for your snail mail addy :)

Thanks to everyone who participated in both the swap and the giveaway! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Halloween Giveaway

2012-10-05T17:41:00.000-05:00

I think it's time for a Halloween giveaway!

One lucky winner will win:
- A large star block zippy made by me
- A canister of Haunt sugar polish (Witch-Wife)
- A variety of Halloween straight pins made by me

Haunt has quickly become one of my latest obsessions. These sugar polishes are so luxurious and they smell insane. A friend and I made the cute Halloween pins this week with polymer clay. They were so easy and fun to make- tutorial coming soon!

To enter:
- What will you be dressing up as for Halloween? (1 entry)
- Follow Pink Stitches blog (1 entry)
- Like Pink Stitches on Facebook (1 entry)
Leave one comment for each entry and include your email address if it isn't available on your profile. I'll choose a winner next Friday, Oct. 12 and announce it along with the Halloween Swap features! Good luck!

Halloween Swap Sent

2012-10-04T20:08:00.000-05:00

As you now, I'm hosting a Halloween Swap this month to start off my favorite season (I'm a hardcore fall freak). I'm sure you've heard me speak of Katie many times before on this blog. She's one of the first bloggy friends I ever met. She won my very first giveaway! We've been friends for almost two years and have been swapping almost as long. Katie and I arranged a private swap for Halloween/Fall and she received her package today! So now I can share what I sent.

The handmade goodies were so fun to make. I mostly used Lizzy House fabrics with the exception of the Chicopee dots on the strap of the boxy pouch. I had originally made a patchwork version for Katie but I loved the pumpkin one so much, I had to send it to her! I made her a patchwork coffee cozy using Jeni's fab tutorial. And I used this pattern for the star crocheted trivet.

I went a little crazy adding extra treats- I couldn't stop myself! Target is evil. I almost died when I saw those mini spatulas. I know Katie loves to bake so those were a must. I also sent her a ton of candy (I filled the boxy pouch with a lot more!) including some of my favorite Mexican candy called Pulparindos. Sooo good!

I hope this package helped put Katie in the Halloween spirit. It was so much fun putting it together! I've got a little surprise giveaway for you tomorrow so don't forget to stop by! In the meantime, you can check out some of the other cute projects from the Halloween Swap in our Flickr Group.

Halloween Goodies

2012-09-19T20:54:00.001-05:00

I've been working on some fun goodies for the Halloween Swap. I really enjoyed making the jack-o-lantern boxy pouch awhile back and I wanted to see how it would look in a patchwork version. I love them both! I also made another crocheted flower trivet in Halloween colors. So fun! Have you started any Halloween or Fall projects?

Anyone up for a Halloween giveaway? What would you like to win??

Star Pincushion

2012-09-16T17:23:00.001-05:00

My dear friend, Amy has the cutest tutorial for a star pincushionon her blog. I've been wanting to try it since she first posted it so I made one a couple of weeks ago to send to a friend. I had so much fun digging through all my teeny tiny scraps to make the mini star block. I'm glad it's going to a good home (along with a lobster Bella Pouch)!

Greetings from Disney World

2012-09-07T19:32:00.001-05:00

Just stopping in to say hi from the happiest place on Earth! You can follow along with me through Instagram @greenletterday!

Halloween Swap Sign Up

2012-09-04T17:53:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again! Halloween is next month and we are kicking off fall with a handmade swap.

As usual, for this swap, you will be responsible for sending at least one handmade Halloween item to your assigned partner. This handmade item can be anything (zipper pouch, mug rug, table runner, tote, etc.) as long as it is made by you! And ofcourse, I always encourage sending extra goodies.

To sign up, email me at greenletterday (at) yahoo (dot) com with the subject: Halloween Swap. I will need the following information from you in the EXACT FORMAT to make it easier for me to copy and paste to your assigned partner.

Full Name
Address
City, State, Zip

Email address
Any additional links (blog, FB, Pinterest) you'd like to include
And if you are willing to ship internationally

I will leave the sign up open until I return from Disney World (Sept. 12) and will assign partners shortly thereafter. I will also include a list of additional guidelines for the swap. Once you recieve your partner's information, you will have four weeks to mail out your goodies!

Please help spread the word by posting about this swap on your blogs or facebook pages! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Around Here Lately

2012-09-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

Life has been hectic lately with the upcoming Disney trip. I had originally planned on making a Studio Cherie duffel bag to take as a carry on (I even bought the pattern) but that didn't end up happening. I did make a few more Smash Book Fanny Packs for the shop though!

My sweet hubby got me the new Nikon CoolPix S9300 and it is amazing! I didn't want to haul around my enormous DSLR while walking around Disney World so I really had my heart set on this smaller model. Even though I couldn't get it in pink, I thought it'd be a great opportunity to have my husband actually pick up the camera and take a picture of ME for once. Always behind the lens... never in the pictures! As I predicted, he feels more comfortable with this one. I made a camera wristlet using an old Keyka Lou pattern and some Sleeping Beauty fabric by Heather Ross. I also made a matching Jane Market Tote for souvenirs.

I made a new iPad sleeve with one of my favorite Echino prints, using Amber's awesome tutorial.

And I was also dying to use these brass zippers that I got a couple of weeks ago from Zip It on Etsy. I made this quick padded zippy using another Heather Ross print to carry my camera accessories.

I read EIGHT books within the month of August, which explains my lack of presence in Blog Land, including The Darkest Powers series (great reads!!), The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (sooo good!) and the two Divergent books that are out. If you haven't read these books, I definitely recommend them if you're into dystopic literature like The Hunger Games and Unwind. They are amazing books!

I'll be back very soon with a blog facelift (yay!!) and a Halloween Swap Sign Up before I leave to Florida! Have a great long weekend and Happy Labor Day!

Smash Book Fanny Pack

2012-08-24T18:46:00.002-05:00

I'm sure the whole world has heard of Smash Books by now, right? I used to scrapbook all the time before I dove into sewing. I don't have as much time (or rather, MAKE as much time) for it now as I used to, so Smashbooking is the perfect solution for me.

A couple of days ago, I got a request for a custom order "fanny pack" for Smash Books. The customer sent me a sketch of what she wanted and I thought it was a fabulous idea. This is what I came up with.

I think it's the perfect accesory for a Smashbook lover. It's a great size for taking pens, markers, washi tape, and photos with you wherever you go to work on your books.

She ended up choosing the green one, but the blue one is still available in my Etsy Shop if anyone is interested. I'll probably be adding more when I return from my Disney trip. I'm hoping to make a purple one with these adorable spiders before then though!

Speaking of my Disney trip, I'll probably be a little MIA for the next couple of weeks in preparation for that and also while I'm away. But I'll be posting regularly on Instagram (@greenletterday) and on Facebook so you can find me there! Have a great weekend!

Nursery Versery

2012-08-16T12:12:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this new line by Heather Ross. It is the softest linen blend I've ever gotten my hands on. I couldn't resist cutting into the little mice right away. I made a drawstring bag from Jeni's pattern (my favorite ever!).

I paired it with a yellow print from Denyse Schmidt's new line, Chicopee. The strings are Sketch in Lipstick. Soo bright and pretty. I love these three prints together, they make me smile.

I also made this boxy pouch out of the pink spiders. They were begging to be used! This pouch is huge and perfect for my knitting projects.

I bought some of my favorite prints from miss matatabi on etsy. She has the full collection available. I'm so going back to buy the little mice in green before they're all sold out!

Wide Open Zipper Pouches

2012-08-13T19:22:00.000-05:00

We're going to DisneyWorld!! That's right, the trip is booked and all plans are set. We will be going at the beginning of September and with that being said, all I've been thinking about is travel handmade! On the top of my list were these set of three wide open zipper pouches.

I used Anna's tutorial and it is fantastic. The design really makes the most of your pouch and it is so easy to find what you're looking for inside. The medium sized pouch is perfect for cosmetics. You can fit full sized shampoo/conditioner (with room to spare) in the large size. And I think the small size would be great for hair accessories and jewelry.

I've also added a couple more Bella Pouches to the shop. I think they are perfect for taking to amusement parks so you won't have to haul around your large handbag. Don't you think?

I've got a lot more great stuff to show you this week. I've been a busy bee! Until then, have a great week!

Tote & Book Swap Features

2012-08-10T17:16:00.001-05:00

Last month, I hosted a swap on here with a tote & book theme. It was so much fun, I got to meet a lot of great gals. Here are some highlights from our Flickr group.

1. tote & book swap, 2. peachlined1, 3. I made her a bookmark for her books!, 4. Untitled, 5. Library tote swap, 6. The extra goodies!, 7. Closer look..., 8. book tote and mug rug, 9. Untitled, 10. IMG_3257, 11. extra goodies sent!, 12. Untitled, 13. Peach 241Tote -- Outside, 14. I was so lucky...my swap partner sent me two tote bags! She is so sweet..., 15. DSC02127, 16. Tote & Book Swap

And here are the goodies I received from my swap partners, Holly and Tara! I am so fortunate to have met these two lovely ladies. I have a feeling this won't be our last swap!

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll probably be cheating on Blogger with Instagram like I've been doing lately. Find me @greenletterday!