Stitching by Starlight

a quilt for hubby

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 01:11:00 +0000

My first quilt finish of 2014 (yes, I know it's November...) was actually a long time in the making. But for a very special man.

A couple years ago in blog-land, a buzz went around about making quilts for our beds. The idea was that we all had tons of beautiful quilts, but nothing for our beds. I was immediately inspired, so I went on the hunt. We were ready for a change and the newly released Parson Gray Curious Nature was the perfect line. I bought Tula Pink's Cherry Pie pattern, chose my fabrics (focusing on the browns and blues) and off I went.

I fully intended to make the large version of the quilt, which calls for 17-inch blocks. I started sewing and cutting and...wouldn't you know it, I ran out of fabric. I had mis-measured or mis-trimmed or something and, quite frankly, it stalled me out. I didn't want to undo the strips as they are wonky-cut, so I knew getting them back together would be an issue. I also didn't want to just go buy more fabric, because then all my blocks would have the same fabric on the edges...I wanted to keep the random look. So, they sat...and sat...and sat.

Fast forward about two years.

I come across the blocks, still unfinished, while setting up my new sewing room. Still frustrated, and not sure what to do, they hang for another few months. Then, suddenly, it dawns on me...duh!...cut them down. Then, an even better idea - make a quilt for hubby, and give it to him for Christmas.

One of my first quilts, my Coffee Quilt, was for him. I bought the fabric at a quilt show with no plan and almost no experience. I only had enough for a 48x48 quilt. Um... hubby is 5'11". The running joke in our house is how the first quilt I made him is only good for covering his legs. :)

So, one weekend while he was away with friends, I pulled out the blocks and started measuring. (I'd also managed to lose the pattern.) Yep...12.5" blocks would work! I dug out my partially-sewn background strips, played around on my design wall, and then waited.

He was getting ready to leave the country for ten days, so that gave me the perfect chance to work on it without him seeing me. Within a few days of his departure, the top was done. One seam down the back, and it was done. Then came the hard part...the quilting.

My friend Kelly...an FMQ goddess...taught me to free-motion on my home machine, but I was scared to death. I've quilted my own quilts before, but always on the long-arm at the local shop, and usually with a good bit of frustration (and even tears!). I had all these grand schemes in mind...different quilts for different blocks...but then decided to just stick with a simple meander. Two days and three bobbins later, I was done!

I made a scrappy binding, got it attached and finished turning it the day before he got home.

Washed and dried into crinkly yumminess. Perfect timing.

When hubby got home, I couldn't stand it. Maybe because I was so excited at my accomplishment. My first finished quilt in over two years, and my first free-motioned quilt on my own machine (incidentally, the machine that he bought me). I was so excited, I just had to show him! So...I caved.
Couldn't help it.

...He loved it. :)

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Quilt Stats

Pattern: Cherry Pie by Tula Pink; modified

Size: approx. 78" x 78"
Quilt Top Fabric: Parson Gray Curious Nature and Westminster Solids
Backing: Parson Gray Curious Nature, "Sand"
Binding: Quilt top scraps

Pieced and Quilted by: Angie Kimel (Viking Sapphire 830)

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airplanes and chickens

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 00:15:00 +0000

*tap, tap* …is this thing on?

Well - I knew I'd take some time off from blogging, but never guessed more than a year would go by.

A year.

And what a difference that year has made. So much has changed that I'm not even sure where to start. New job, new car, new house…our lives are so much different than October 2012, when I last posted here. Losing my dad was a blow I did not expect - nor did I expect the aftermath. It took nearly a year before I felt anywhere close to normal again…and I still have my days, though they are more and more rare.

After spending some time just breathing again, life started to get back to normal. I still didn't sew much, but would try to start a project or two. Work had become fairly dull, with the big project I was on downsizing to a smaller one. Then, in March, I finally succumbed to a friend's long-time pestering about working with him and I left my job at the local medical school…one month shy of being there twenty years! I now work in the medical device industry, monitoring aortic heart valve studies.

Part of that job is travel. A big part. Like, 70% part. Most weeks I leave on Sunday and am gone through Wednesday. Lots of plane rides. In fact, I just reached Platinum status with Delta last week (woohoo!). I used to think the frequent-flier program was silly, but now I get it. Boy, do I get it.

A few short months after that, we moved. A friend had decided to sell his house and, knowing we would be interested, texted out of the blue one night. I'll expand in a later post, but to keep it short here - we ended up trading houses. He bought ours and we bought his. We now live on a ten-acre piece of property with a huge field and…chickens!

I'm a chicken farmer now. We get about seven eggs a day, though they have slowed down now that it's cold. The chickens came with the house as the previous owner had them and had built a coop. They are so fun - and I never would have thought that I would say that. We free-range them during the day, so at any moment a chicken could walk right up to the front porch. They are so fun to watch.

Quilting has been on hold for a while, but I started back a little a few weeks ago. It's harder right now because I don't have a dedicated space. We have an unfinished room over our garage that we will start working on after the New Year, so until then I'll be limited just because of the hassle of taking out and putting away.

I've started, but not finished… Science Fair by Julie Herman…

Mod Nine Patch by Elizabeth Dackson…

And a few others.

I've knitted quite a bit, though - as knitting is a little easier to do on an airplane. I love my Sapphire, but she just doesn't travel well.

I hope you're all doing well. I've missed you and I look forward to seeing you here more frequently now. :)

- Angie -

time marches on

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:29:00 +0000

In the past three-and-a-half months, I’ve had so many back and forth conversations in my head about this blog. So much has happened, I’m in a bit of a tailspin. Obviously, the blog hit pause while… well… while life happened.

The end of grad school classes meant an extremely busy July for me, but all ended well and I found my schedule free once again. I didn’t jump back into sewing right away, though I did get through a couple of small projects. Mostly zipper pouches, charity blocks, and a couple of swap items for my guild. Oh yeah, and I turned 40...LOL. We had a big party at a local park and a ton of my friends were there. Hot dogs, chips and cupcakes all around with a good time had by all. Most people talk of big getaways and such for their landmark birthdays, but I wanted to be surrounded by my friends. I never dreaded 40 - I’m happy to make it this far! - and I wanted to celebrate it with everyone I knew.

The month of August saw me temporarily play the part of single mom while hubby helped a dear friend during a 100-mile bike race in Leadville. Good times and good timing, actually, as I was able to get in some much needed quality time with my boys. My oldest started a full-fledged middle school program (remember, we homeschool with hubby at home), so I got to start him off on his first three weeks while Matt was away. As soon as he got back, we celebrated the last family birthday of the year, as my youngest turned eight.

Then it happened.

In the early hours of September 7th, I got the call no one wants. My mom’s voice was frantic as she told me something was wrong with my dad. An hour later, she, my sister and I sat in the ED digesting those infamous words, “there was nothing more we could do.” My daddy was gone.

A heart attack hit while he was sleeping. No signs, no symptoms, no complaints. No goodbyes.

My sister, me, Dad, and my oldest celebrating Dad's birthday last June

The last few weeks have been weird. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes just normal - like he is still around. I’ve both praised and screamed at God...tearfully thanking him for a wonderful, loving, active father and then turning around and shouting in anger at Him taking away my boys' grandpa. But it’s ok…God is big enough to handle all that. We’ve worked through it and, if anything I have more faith now than ever.

To say the least, priorities have shifted and there’s been an immense amount of introspection. Quite normal, I’m sure, given the acuteness of the loss. I’m still sewing occasionally, but I’ve found more comfort in knitting. Something I can do all snuggled up on the couch with my family or while watching TV. Something portable to fill my idle hands when my nerves get bad and my heart sinks (as it still sometimes does).

PJs, knitting, and Big Bang Theory on TV - my kind of therapy. :)

I know I still owe y’all the Tangled Webs pattern...but I’ve lost my notes. It’s coming, just a bit delayed as I have to re-do my measurements. I also have several projects to share, including a new class I’ll be teaching at The Little General in January. And I want to post pictures of the projects I’ve done since the summer. So much to tell you.

But right now, I’m going to live life.

My boys are still in fall baseball and their games are top priority for me. Both have voiced that one of the things they will miss most about Grandpa is how he always came to their games. He adored them and I’ll be standing in his place now. Tanner is still struggling with his school workload. He needs me...and it feels good to be able to help. My mom has mentioned a Grand Canyon trip with the boys next spring. She and Dad wanted to take them this past summer, but we couldn’t work it out. To say the least, I’ll be doing all I can to make that trip happen.

Other than that, I’ll still be sewing - and knitting - and I’ll still check in occasionally. I really do miss my online buddies. I even bought a ticket to Sew South, which I’m looking forward to. So nice to meet people in person.

In the meantime, my friends, love your families with all your heart and - if needed, and as far as it is up to you - make amends where necessary. You’ll not regret it. The peace of knowing that goodbyes weren’t really needed is priceless.

Box-Bottom Tote Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 22:33:00 +0000

Summer is upon us and around here, that means one thing... BEACH!!

Each year, we start summer with a beach trip to Hatteras, NC with some friends. Feeling the need for a quick project I decided to use up some tropical scraps I had laying around for a quick little beach bag.

Now, please note...I'm not one to lug everything but the kitchen sink down to the water. I pack light, so my bag is light. A book, some sunscreen, bottle of water and maybe a small snack are all that go with me and my beach chair. However, if you like to take more than that with you, this tote is still perfect for those little things that get lost (or covered in sand!) in those humongous beach bags.

The whole thing took about 3 hours - and that's with me stopping to take notes and pictures! I'm sure your bag will go faster than that. Enjoy!

Box-Bottom Tote Tutorial

Fabric:

To start, you'll need to choose an outer fabric, an interior fabric, and fabrics for your accent stripe. You could probably use scraps for this project, depending on how big your scraps are.

NOTE: Sewing is right sides together with 1/4-inch seams unless otherwise noted.

From the outer fabric: Cut two 4.5 x 14.5 inch pieces, and two 8 x 14.5 inch pieces for the outer shell. Cut two 4 x 18.5 inch pieces for the straps.

For the accent stripe, cut fourteen 2.5 x 2.5 inch squares.

From the interior fabric, cut two 14 x 14.5 inch pieces for the main interior and two 4.5 x 6.5 inch pieces for the slip pocket.

Directions:

Sew seven of your 2.5 inch squares together to form a strip 2.5 inches wide by (approximately) 15 inches long. Repeat with the remaining seven squares so you have two strips.

Line up the long side of one of your strips with the long side of one of the 4.5 x 14.5 piece of outer fabric, right sides together. Sew together and press seams to the outer fabric.

On the other side of the squares strip, line up one of the 8 x 14.5 inch piece of outer fabric and sew, right sides together. Press toward outer fabric.

You should now have a piece that looks like this:

Repeat with the second set, sewing the squares strip to the outer fabric pieces in the same way. Trim to 14 inches across and 14.5 inches long.

Place your two outer panels right sides together. You can chose to have the stripes meet or not. I wanted my bag to look the same on both sides, so my stripes did not meet (see below).

Sew around the side, bottom and side edges of these pieces. Do not sew across the top - leave it open.

To box the bottoms, pull your fabric apart and fold the bottom so that the seam is on top and the fabric forms a triangle. Measure the tip of this triangle at two inches, using the 45-degree angle on your ruler as a guide. With a fabric marker, mark the line on the left side of the ruler. Sew on that line.

Once sewn, line up your ruler so that the 1/4-inch mark is on the line. Trim. This gives you a 1/4-inch seam.

Repeat for the other bottom corner of the bag.

Now, let's move to the pocket. With right sides together, sew around all four edges of the fabric, leaving about two inches to turn.

Turn the fabric right-side-out and press flat. Tuck in your open edges at the top (the hole you turned the fabric through), press them inside and pin. Topstitch across the top of the pocket. It should be about 1/8-inch from the edge and it will close up that open spot.

The top edge should look like this:

Taking one of your interior pieces, pin your newly created pocket about 3-inches from the top edge of the interior piece. Sew around the sides and bottom of the pocket, backstitching at the top on both sides for a little added strength. (Leave the top open, or it will be a patch and not a pocket...LOL!)

Now, to finish the interior, take your other large piece (14 x 14.5) and place it on the interior piece with the pocket sewn on. Make sure your pocket is face up.

Just like the outer fabrics, sew the interior panels together on the sides and bottoms only. Leave the top open. Box the corners using the same method that we used for the outer fabrics... measuring two inches out and cutting a 1/4-inch seam.

When finished boxing the corners, turn your interior panel right side out (leave the outer fabrics wrong side out.)

Now, let's make the straps.

Mark the lengthwise center of each of your 4 x 18.5 pieces with a fabric marker.

Press each edge in to the mark you just made.

Then, keeping the edges in the center, fold the folded edges together and press.

Pin together, then sew a 1/8-inch seam to close. Then topstitch another 1/8th seam on the other side to match. Repeat the same process to make a strap out of the second 4 x 18.5 inch piece.

Your finished straps should look like this:

To attach the straps, pin them so that the outer edge of the strap is about 2.5 inches from the edge of the interior piece. Pin it so that the raw edge of the strap is a little over the top edge of the interior fabric, not lined up perfectly.

Pin the other end of the strap about 2.5 inches from the opposite side. To ensure your strap doesn't twist, make sure it forms a "U" shape as shown below.

Repeat with the other strap, pinning to the other side of the interior panel. Be sure you are only pinning each strap to one part of the interior - don't pin your interior together in the process.

Now comes the fun part!

Tuck your interior piece - still right side out, with straps pinned in place - into the wrong-side-out outer shell piece. Line up your boxed corners as best you can, but don't worry too much about them. Focus on getting your side seams lined up. Pin in place.

With the interior and exterior facing (with straps in between), sew around the entire top with a 1/4 inch seam, leaving a 3 or 4 inch opening to turn. I also like to backstitch on each side of each strap, for a little more strength in that spot.

Once finished, turn the bag, pulling the interior and exterior fabrics through the hole you left open. This part can get a little frustrating - take your time and go slow. :)

Once you have the bag turned right side out, tuck the interior into the exterior, matching up your boxed corners. Press your seams for a crisp finish, tucking in the seams at the opening that you turned the bag through.

Top-stitch a 1/8-inch seam - just like we did for the pocket - to close your opening and give your bag that nice, finished look. Now, tuck in a good book, some water and sunscreen, and head out to the ocean or pool!

Enjoy your summer!!

Linking up:

Charmed by the Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:59:00 +0000

Late last year, AnneMarie at GenX Quilters hosted a wonderful Quilt Along called Charmed Prints. Finally...in April...I finished mine. Only four months late. *cough*

The QAL was focused on using a charm pack to make a simple quilt with sashing and borders. I needed something simple, and I had a three quarters of a leftover layer cake of Odyssea. (For those of you who don't know, one layer cake is the equivalent of four charm packs.) Seeing a good way to use some stash, I jumped in. There were four blocks featured, of which I chose three - the Star Block, Diamond in the Square, and Pinwheel Block. The remainder of my blocks are just the charms themselves, no additional cutting. Easy peasy.

My boys had been bugging me for another quilt, and I wanted one that my family could share. The Odyssea fabric was perfect as we are a family of beach bums, living for our annual Hatteras beach trip with friends. So, I decided to call this one "Charmed by the Sea".

It's my largest quilt to date - measuring 70-inches square - which makes it big enough to share and it's found a fabulous home on my living room couch.

With school going on and life being what it was, I had a hard time keeping up. The top came together in late December and I pieced the back, making 9- and 16-patches out of my scraps and leftover charms. My oldest son even helped with the block placement, which was fun. :)

I quilted it in January - a simple meander on the LQS long-arm - and made the label, but then got stuck for some reason. I hand-stitched the binding up until I had about 15 inches left and then stopped. I don't know why. There it sat, in my living room, until April. I finally picked it up to take with me on a beach trip with friends. I finished it that night and took it out on the beach the next morning...without my camera. *sheesh*.

So, despite the fact that it is a beach quilt, made for the beach, inspired by the beach, and in honor of the beach....I have no pictures on the beach.

Maybe next week...when we head to the beach. :)

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Quilt Stats

Pattern: Charmed Prints Quilt Along by AnneMarie at GenX Quilters

Size: approx. 70" x 70"
Quilt Top Fabric: Odyssea Layer Cake by MoMo for Moda and Kona White
Backing: Athena in Ocean Blue (from Odyssea line)
Binding: Ionia in Ocean Blue (from Odyssea line)

Pieced and Quilted by: Angie Kimel

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Linking up:

WIP Wednesday - time for catching up

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Summer is in full swing here and things are finally starting to settle down a bit. I realized this morning that I haven't posted a WIP Wednesday in...well...forever! I actually have several things to share and my posting is further behind than my projects - which is nice for once!

My last update was February. Yes, February. I'm such a slacker... So, I'm going to go beyond what I've done in the last week...but don't worry, I won't let the post get that long. :)

In Progress

Oh My Stars QAL: Yes, the actual QAL finished a long time ago, and I still only have a few stars. I've completely changed direction here, though. I've exchanged the white backround I was using for a dark gray. Can't remember the color...one of the Free Spirit ones. Still using Terrain and I've managed to create quite a stash of it in the past few weeks. Fat Quarter Shop had it half-price and I also snatched up some at a local fabric shop. I may qualify as a hoarder now.

Paintbox Quilt: Squares are steadily coming in from my TwitterB group. Only a few more outstanding. I'm going to have to supplement with my own blocks, but I'm good with that as I need to dig into my stash to make room for new fabrics. :)

Tangled Webs Pattern: Still working on this, but I have made a big decision. The pattern will be FREE. I've debated it for several weeks and "decided" I should charge for it because of the time involved, but it never felt right. I've grown my skills thanks to the generosity of other bloggers and I feel that my first pattern should be a thank-you gift of sorts. So...be watching for my pattern soon. :)

Sherbet Socks: The initial motivation for learning to knit was socks. No matter what time of year, my feet are always cold. I hate cold feet. I want knit socks. Warm, toast, colorful knit socks. Well, I've finally (five months later!) started a pair. I love the fun colors. (BTW - the pic is old...they are halfway down my foot now. ) :)

Sewing Room: Work has started on finishing up my sewing-room re-do. All of my stuff is out of the room and I hope to finish pulling border down tonight and paint tomorrow. I made a little schematic on Monday so I could play around with furniture placement. (I told y'all I'm a little OCD...). The back page is the room - to scale, of course - and the top is my furniture pieces. I then cut them out and move them around. Like a puzzle, I guess.

Finishes

Charmed Prints Quilt: I actually finished this in April, but haven't posted. Pics and a full write-up soon.

Prince Charming Quilt Top: I finished my Quilt Top last month in hopes of having the quilt done in time for Tula Pink's visit. No such luck on finishing the quilt, but she did sign the label I made. Now, to get to the long arm!

Tropical Tote: This was last week's easy Saturday project. The boys left on a two-week trip to Michigan and I needed some sewing therapy. Tutorial will be up next week.

and finally.... Baseball! We finished up the Spring baseball season on Friday. Both boys' teams finished in second place in their divisions. So proud of them and all of their hard work. They both want to be pitchers and are well on their way. It's wonderful to watch them excel at things they love. :)

Would love to hear what you've been up to... don't forget to link up with Lee!!

Tangled Webs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:13:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I learned the mixed-emotioned news that Karen Gray was closing her store and, in her place, The Little General Fabric Boutique would be opening. I loved Karen's store and had full plans of teaching there later this fall, but was very excited to hear the news about the new store.

In true Karen style, she had set up a fabulous celebration for the Little General's opening, inviting none other than the fabulous Tula Pink to come speak about fabric design and autograph books. Tula will be here tomorrow - and in the store, waiting for her, is my new quilt...Tangled Webs.

As soon as Karen announced that Tula was coming, I offered to make a Nightshade quilt. With the line being Halloween-inspired, my immediate thought was a spiderweb quilt. So with fabric in hand, I immediately started paper-piecing webs. I even took off a day of work to make the top...and ended up with about 4 webs. Four. Out of 36. Hmmm.

So while complaining to a friend over lunch, I tried to figure out a way to incorporate the webs into a quicker design. Having been inspired by the panels in Quilt Dad's quilt the week before, I started drawing on scratch paper and quickly had a mock up of a top that incorporated two different sized webs into large blocks of fabric. I used the webs I had already finished, made a couple more and, bam... here it is.

The back is pieced as well, with a small strip highlighting two of the sisters and a web...mostly because I made one too many webs. *cough*

My friend Gina quilted the quilt and did a fabulous job. I gave her free reign over the quilt design and the finished piece came back with gorgeous webs, swirls, and cross-hatching. It's so beautiful! She had just recently decided to go into the quilting business, so if you're looking for a wonderful quilter, I highly recommend her.

In all the flurry and chaos, this quilt has opened several opportunities for me. Remember my plans for teaching at Karen's? I'll be teaching at The Little G in the fall, instead... teaching this quilt! Classes will start in August, so if you're local and interested, let me know. Gina has also talked about putting together kits for the top, too, so watch for that as well.

For those not local, but still interested in the quilt, I'm in process of finishing up the pattern. That's right... I'll soon have a pattern out! This will be the first pattern I've ever offered, so I'm very excited and I'm trying to get things done just right. I had hoped to have it ready by today, but no go. I had no idea how time consuming quilt patterns could be. And your reward for reading this far? I need pattern testers!

Even though the pattern was designed with Nightshade in mind, I think it lends itself to many different fabrics, especially Halloween ones. If you are interested in pattern testing, leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. You should be comfortable with paper-piecing, and able to manage a quick-turnaround of no more than two weeks for a pieced top. **Edited to add: Thanks for all the pattern testing offers! I have my testers and will be in touch soon.**

I hope you like the quilt! I'll be back in a couple days to highlight Tula's visit. I'm looking forward to meeting her and hanging out. Should be lots of fun!

I've been nominated!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:51:00 +0000

The nominations are up in the Blogger's Quilt Festival and, holy smokes, I've been nominated...Twice!

Thank you, thank you to those who nominated Jane's Black and White Quilt. It's a finalist in the "Favorite Two Color Quilt" category and I've been nominated in the "Favorite Quilt Photographer" category. I'm absolutely flattered! I've been trying to work on my photography, and this is a complete surprise. It truly does mean the world just to be nominated...there are some fabulous entries out there.

To say the least, I would love a vote from you in one, or even both categories. The link to the voting page is here: http://amyscreativeside.com/2012/05/28/bloggers-quilt-festival-vote-now/

Scroll through and vote for your favorites now! :)

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Jane's Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:52:00 +0000

It's that time of year, again... Blogger's Quilt Festival! The time for all of us non-market-goers to have our own little party.

When I first posted this quilt last November, I knew I loved it, but I've been completely overwhelmed at the response. 1,183 page hits...the most of any of my quilts by far. I didn't have it up in time for last fall's Quilt Festival, so I'm posting it for this one.

I made this quilt for my friend, Jane. She and I met via my best friend Ashley as part of a beach trip years ago and continue to go on the same beach trip and have made many others. She's a runner, too, and I gave her this quilt during our last half-marathon trip...in beautiful Savannah, Georgia.

The pattern is Full Swing by Rachel Griffith and I used a black-and-white bundle from Fabricworm with Kona White for the background. The back is a gorgeous fabric I picked up at a fabric store in Charlotte. In fact, I bought the backing fabric before I had even picked out the quilt pattern! You can also see a hint of some black-and white half-square triangles on the back. The strip is a nod to our much-loved Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and our wonderful beach trips.

Photo from lighthousefriends.com

The quilt is about 50" square and I quilted it myself on a long-arm that I rent at my local quilt shop. Binding is Kona Black, sewn on by hand.

Photos are at the beach house we rented on Tybee Island, just outside of Savannah. It was a beautiful house and the town reminded me a lot of the NC Outer Banks.

When I finished taking pictures, I went upstairs to her room and spread it across her bed. It took her for-ev-er to go upstairs, and I think my friend Lisa and I ended up designing a scheme to get her up there.

To say the least, she loved it. Hope you do too!

Refreshed, revitalized and re-inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Classes are over and exams are done - and I've been sewing! *squeal*

Last week was a busy but oh, so awesome week. I turned in my final paper and stats exam - and was able to host Quilt Dad at the Triad MQG meeting. And what amazing timing it turned out to be!

I was so excited to meet John - I've stalked his blog for well over a year - and he did not disappoint. He talked to our group for about an hour, detailing his way through his first quilt to recent finishes. Inspiration extravaganza. It was comforting and encouraging to hear that he started out, basically, just like most of us. Loving fabric and enjoying putting them together.

He walked us through his quilting "story" peppered with humorous anecdotes and stories - like how he named his blog on a whim at work one day - and how amazed and humbled he felt when designers would ask him to do things. (I'm thinking...the same way I'm humbled and amazed that he came to visit us!). I love it when quilting giants - um, quite literally in this case, he's so dang tall! - turn out to be real people.

I ~~pushed people down~~ had the opportunity to help him display his quilts during the talk. I can't even tell you how beautiful these quilts are in person. I may or may not have tried to steal this one...

You know, John, I do have a big birthday coming up in July. Just sayin'.... ;o)

Another of my favorites...

Does it look familiar?

Couldn't help but think that was cool. I mean, I have a quilt just like one of his... eek!

And yet another...I really loved this Christmas one, even though the prints weren't necessarily Christmas-y. In fact, that's probably what I liked most about it. Outside the box thinking and oh, so beautiful.

John capped off the evening by revealing his two Nightshade quilts... Double, Double, Toil & Trouble ...that he made for his girls.

By the way - you can see here that despite my 3-inch wedges, John still towers over me!

Afterwards, Karen Gray and I had a late dinner with John, where I pretty much just sat like a fly on the wall. I'm so humbled to have been included in conversations with such wonderful people. I quite literally sat there soaking in all I could of their advice, thoughts, and ideas. On the way home, all I could think about is this - it's about doing what you love.

Throughout his talk, and in the ensuing conversations, it was obvious that John has a passion for this hobby. I think that's why it's so easy to connect with him. Shared passion creates an instantaneous common ground from which inspiration and encouragement flow. It's so easy to learn from people who are truly excited about what they do.

The next day, I was fired up and ready to hit my machine and dive back into this hobby that I have grown to love so dearly. In fact, within 20 minutes of turning in my stats exam, I was on the floor in our office mail room working on a paper-pieced layout of my next quilt. More than one person walking through commented on how they could tell classes were over....LOL!

Refreshed, revitalized and re-inspired....and ready to go!

**Special thanks to my friends Kelly and Abby for their photos - so glad you took them while I played Vanna!**

crocheted shawl

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:38:00 +0000

My grandma taught me how to crochet when I as about 8 years old, which means I have about 30 years of experience...but saying it that way makes me feel old. It's been something I've loved for many years, but would phase in and out of projects, mostly making afghans, scarves, and the occasional toboggan. For some reason, I've always been scared of intricate work.

I decided earlier this year that the time to be "afraid" of stuff like this was over. O-V-E-R, over.

So, I present to you my first, non-afgan, non-granny-square, non-scarf-or-hat crocheted project.

The pattern is Gathering Leaves by Lily Go and the yarn is Malabrigo sock. {You can find more details on my ravelry project page.}

I love shawls and have gazed on them wistfully for years. The thought of warm, soft yarn wrapped around my shoulders is so cozy. I'm so cold-natured that I keep blankets in my office. Yes, blankets. If anyone is going to be cold at a function, it's me. I hate cold, but hardly get the chance to escape it. Now you know why I love summer so much. :)

Although the pattern looks very complex, it's super simple. Repeating patterns of double crochets and chain stitches. More than once I beat myself up for not trying it sooner. Exactly what was I afraid of? Who knows. Oh, and it only took about two weeks - and you know about my overbooked, overstressed schedule already. Not bad.

I've received comments galore, both online and in real life, and it's just made my day. I'm so glad I finally jumped in - 30 years later.

I see many more of these in my future. :)

my break - an instagram review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:38:00 +0000

Spring break has come and gone. Classes start up tomorrow, but it's been a wonderful week.

I started off by spending a couple of days at my best friend's lake house. She joined me on Monday evening, but otherwise it was just me. No kids, no hubby, no to-do list. This is the sunset that greeted me last Sunday night.

My only plan for the two days - relax. I got out of bed at 9:30 both mornings. I had my coffee with the windows open (it was a touch cold to be outside), listening to the birds, and I spent the majority of the day talking socks with my twitter friends Sharon, Heide, and Selina. I managed to cast on - a few different times - and got a little progress done on Hermione's Socks, per Sharon's suggestion. Let's just say learning to use double-pointed needles has been... um... interesting.

First socks - The yarn is Malabrigo Sock in 853 Abril.

I'm still not convinced that these will fit me, but everyone keeps telling me to trust my gauge swatch (which I did twice!), so I'm continuing on...

On Wednesday, it was back to work, but things were especially slow this week. Not really planned, but oh, so appreciated. My boys went to work with me on Friday and we took a long lunch, visiting a local shop for some gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches before we headed over to Karen Gray's. Yes, I took my boys fabric shopping. :) Karen knows the deal, though, and has a bucket of toys, including lots of cars, ready and waiting for little tykes.

While I was there, I confirmed a much talked about rumor regarding a certain designer named Tula Pink (you may have heard of her...) coming to visit soon. So, naturally I had to break into my much-loved and much-petted Prince Charming stack that night.

Saturday was scheduled to be a crazy, nutso day with two ball practices, a church meeting, a guild open sew, and a birthday party - all before 5 pm. Hubby saved the day, though and took all of them but the sewing time, so I got to sew at our LQS for about five straight hours!!

That's my spot on the right... with the chips. LOL! :)

I almost...almost... finished my Pave the Way top. Sarah had some extra batting that we tossed up as a temporary design wall and they helped me with the layout. Then I rolled it up and took 'er home. Hoping to finish tonight. :)

After church on Sunday, I hit the local Quilt Show that the Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Guild hosted over the weekend. It was so fun to not only see familiar faces, but also familiar quilts! So many wonderful quilts! We were asked to vote in a viewer's choice, but I couldn't chose just one...and time ran out before I could cast a vote. And of course, I couldn't leave without a little shopping...a fat eighth of Flea Market Fancy and some local alpaca yarn that will soon be socks for the Hubs. :)

All in all, I'm leaving spring break rested, restored, and rejuvenated. I hate that it's over, but I truly feel like I used my time to get done exactly what I needed... Rest.

I'm ready to jump back into my classes and finish this semester now, whereas before break, all I wanted to do was crawl under the covers and hide. And sleep.

Amazing what a little break can do.

spring break!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Two midterms down and a week off. I swear I felt the stress physically falling off my shoulders yesterday as my classmates gathered for drinks after stats class. I've been counting the days for this one as classes seem to be at a much faster pace with a heavier workload this semester. I feel like I've always got my nose in a book, journal article, or other miscellaneous work.

So tired of constantly having a to-do list. But for the next 10 days, I don't. Not a school-related one, at least.

Given the increase in class intensity, and the corresponding decrease in time with my family, my hobby projects have shifted more towards yarn work because it's something I can do while watching TV, etc., with the boys instead of being holed up in a sewing room....despite the fact that I'd *rather* be holed up in my sewing room.

I've had several finishes this month, though none of them are sewing or quilting projects. I started and completed two cowls, two sets of fingerless gloves, a scarf and a doggie sweater. It feels so productive to say that! The scarf and one of the gloves sets were knit...a new hobby that I'm quickly falling in love with. Here are a couple of photos of the crocheted projects.

The cowl at the bottom is my favorite and I get tons of compliments each time I wear it. It's a simple half-double crochet stitch done in the round. I used two strands of Malabrigo worsted as the pattern called for a chunky yarn. Two skeins and two evenings later, I was done (and that included pulling it out once halfway through because I didn't make it long enough!) So. Very. Easy. In fact, the pattern is called "Effortless Cowl" and the name certainly fits.

With my break finally here, and having Monday and Tuesday off from work, I have all sorts of pie-in-the-sky ideas about the many things I'd like to work on. Truthfully, though, I'm seriously considering spending all day Monday in bed. Yes, all day. An alternative may be to spend the day at my best friend's lake house...but even then I may not get out of bed, unless it's to go sit on the boat dock for a while. Doing nothing sounds so heavenly.

Other than that, though, I hope to cut several more Oh My Stars sets so I can organize them for some quick sewing once classes start up again. I'm also starting to receive some TwitterB blocks (last month was my month) and I want to play with them a bit. So fun to receive happy little packages. I need to get some things painted for my sewing room, too.

Regardless of what projects I end up working on, I'm going to relish this time off, catch up with my online (and real life!) friends, and just sit and enjoy life a bit. Spring break looks a lot different at 39 than it did at 21.

Enjoy your weekend!!

date night

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:05:00 +0000

One of the hardest adjustments to full-time work and full-time school is the lack of family time. While I miss it, it is easy for an adult to justify. "Just one year," I keep repeating, and I know in my heart it's a good thing.

But my kids miss their mama.

To counter act the time, and to be sure my kids still will still know my name when I finish school, we implemented date night. Every other week, I take one of my boys out for dinner. Just me and him.

Last week, I took out my oldest. He's the quiet one, so I'm actually more concerned about losing touch with him. He's 11 now, and I know the teen years will be here much too soon. Gotta start focusing on that relationship now. Like, yesterday now.

Tonight, my youngest and I are going out. He's the spunky one.

Those of us in the south are familiar with the term "talk your ears off". As in, "that boy will talk your ears off". That's him. Never met a stranger, never been shy. Pretty much says anything and everything that's on his mind - whether you want to hear it or not.

Wonder where he get's that from? ;o)

Enjoy your night!!!

oh my ... stars!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:48:00 +0000

I know - what a terrible play on words. But, I have stars!! Well, sort of.... I have fully trimmed, ready-to-sew stars. I finished them last night, so they are now patiently waiting to be sewn so they can join their lonely mama-star in the finished pile. (Yes, I still technically only have one star finished.)

These are the first set of the Oh My Stars! quilt along and I can't wait to get started on the next set. They all look so beautiful.

I've also managed to finish two TwitterB blocks... my last ones, sadly. I can't believe we've gone through the entire year! Linda sent a beautiful butterfly fabric, so I played up the aquas and yellows. She asked for Scrappy Hedgerow Blocks, using Elizabeth Hartman's tutorial.

Charlene sent some Amy Butler Soul Blossoms and asked for a block using Elizabeth's Mod Mosaic tutorial.

I was last in the group, so my fabric went out last week. I asked the girls to make... wait for it... yes, an Elizabeth Hartman block. Are you seeing a pattern here? Hmmmm.

The block I chose was the Paintbox Quilt Blocks. I sent out some solids based on the "Fresh Tints" palate by designseeds.

I also asked them to make siggy blocks to add to the back. Can't wait to see what the girls do with it.

School is going well. I actually had a stats-free weekend and it was wonderful. I cleaned out my sewing room closet so my father-in-law could start on making some shelves...and he finished them yesterday! I'll have before and after photos to show soon.

On the yarn front, I still haven't finished my beginner's scarf, but I've started another set of gloves and a Honey Cowl. I'm using Berroco Boboli.... oh, so soft!!! I can't wait to get this one finished. Looks like I'll be keeping my pattern of starting a bazillion projects and finishing none. Just like my quilting. :)

A local shop is having a yarn sale through Friday, so I'm heading out today to see what I can find. I've never been there before, so it should be fun!

Happy Wednesday... don't forget to link up with Lee!

wip wednesday...two weeks later

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:34:00 +0000

Hello! Remember me??? LOL! Have I been neglectful or what? Classes have been kicking my butt and I feel like all I do anymore is eat, sleep, and read. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if my kids filed a missing persons report.... *sigh* I sure do appreciate those of you who are sticking around and your kind words always make me smile. I really do try to post at least once a week, but last week was a bad, bad week. Ugh. But.....I did manage to sew a bit last night and, oh, it felt so good!

So, let's go through the list....

In-Progress: Oh My Stars and Bethlehem Star quilts, scarf for beginning knit class, sewing room makeover.

No progress on either quilt or the makeover. But I have gotten a few more rows on the scarf. Next up is the purl stitch. The middle section uses the stockinette stitch to make a stripe down the middle and it will be in a magenta yarn. :)

Finishes: Crochet Scarf and Fingerless Gloves - I'll share these (with pics!) in another post. :)

New Projects: Crochet class, Quilt class, and more iPad cases

Yes - another class... but this time, I'm teaching! A few of the girls at work asked me to teach them how to crochet, so I am. We had our first class this week and I'm happy to say they all excelled on their single crochet stitches. :) Next up is double crochet and then we'll start on the cowl we picked out. I'm really enjoying teaching these ladies.

I'm also teaching a friend and her daughter how to quilt. Our first class was on Monday and we talked about expectations and looked through fabric designs. We ended up going with Lemon Squares - I'm sure you're surprised - and we'll get started cutting next time. We only meet every other week, so it should be a nice, easy pace.

On the actual sewing front, I've been on a roll with the iPad cases. I have had five requests since making my Owl case. I started on three last night and got the zipper ends and velcro flaps done, including top-stitching. Hoping to get the rest done either tonight or tomorrow.

On top of that, my mom dropped off fabric for two more earlier this week. They're still wrapped up from Karen Gray's because they are for birthday gifts. Can't be spilling the beans just yet, but I will say they are fabulous! (And don't you love how Karen bundles her fabrics? So cute!)

I know you've heard it before, but if you haven't checked out Faith's website you should. Fabulous tutorials for just about anything you can imagine.

Hope you all are doing well - it sounds weird, but I miss you! Just a couple more months and life will be back to normal. :)

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced...hope you'll hop over there and do the same!

Happy Wednesday!

wip wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:31:00 +0000

Wow, it's been far too long since I've posted one of these. I guess that's a good thing, though, since I had a flurry of finishes over Christmas break. Believe it or not, I still have two quilts to show you! I don't yet have pictures, but that's what happens when you go into work at o'dark-thirty and leave again at o'dark-thirty. Maybe this weekend.

Grad-school is back in full swing and the stress has already skyrocketed. I'm hoping it's just typical re-entry stress and that it will be gone in a week or so. In the meantime, lots of chocolate....

In-Progress: Oh My Stars and Bethlehem Star quilts.

I haven't touched the Bethlehem Star quilt and have only managed one star in the Oh My Star's Quilt Along. One. So sad.

Only 110 to go. *sigh* I have the others in this "set" cut and the flying geese parts together. Maybe I can get the blocks formed this weekend.

New Projects: Knitting and Sewing Room Makeover

I can't remember if I've shared this or not, but I started a beginners class with a friend Thursday before last and it's so fun. Next class is tomorrow. I'm supposed to have 10-inches done on my scarf and I have about two. Guess what I'm doing tonight? *cough*

first stitches (mine is the blue)

On the sewing room front, a friend of mine came over last Saturday and helped me get the ball rolling. I'll be using Terrain as my inspiration fabric - there's a surprise. The walls will be a light aqua/teal and we're re-purposing some old office furniture that was in our storage room (that used to be a home-office). Next up: Cleaning out the room so I can paint.

Well, ok... next step is actually buying paint. :)

Finishes:

I did manage to finish my latest iPad case and I've gotten an incredible amount of comments on it. Once again, if you haven't checked out Faith's website you should check it out. Fabulous tutorials for just about anything you can imagine.

And finally, thanks so much to everyone who voted for me in the Quilting Gallery contest last week and left such wonderful comments. Jane's Black and White Quilt took first place!...y'all really know how to make a girl feel good. :)

I'm working at Karen Gray's this weekend for one of her famously huge sales. I hope all the locals will stop by. I enjoy working for her and am actually in process of setting up my first teaching class there. Woot!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced...for the first time in what seems like forever. Hope you'll hop over there and do the same!

Happy Wednesday!

please vote for me!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:36:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

Do you remember Jane's Black and White Quilt from earlier this fall?

Well - I've entered it in a contest over at Quilting Gallery and I would love your vote!

**Click here to go to the Voting Page**

Ballots are down at the bottom of the page.

By the way - be sure to click "Jane's Black and White Quilt". There is also one called "Jane's Quilt," but it isn't mine. Of course, you can vote for that one, too, as you are allowed up to three votes. (And how funny that there are two quilts for ladies named Jane!)

Thanks in advance to all those who vote. Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!

sweet sixteen

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:04:00 +0000

My niece turned 16 this past Saturday. Sixteen. She was born just a couple weeks after my husband and I first met. I still remember the two year-old who called me "NaNangie" instead of aunt Angie. Now she's driving. Oh, where does the time go?!

She and her family live in Nebraska, so we don't get to see each other very often, but we have tons of fun when we are together. They stayed with us a bit over the holidays in 2010, and that's when she picked out fabrics for this quilt...

She's got a good eye, doesn't she? (And... incidentally, is my first finish of 2012!)

The quilt pattern I used is "Alice" by Rita at Red Pepper Quilts. I added a second row of alternating color and white squares at each end, as Sierra is a bit taller than me (as are most people!), but that's the only change I made. The pattern was wonderful and the quilt came together quite easily.

I hadn't intended so long to make the quilt, but it worked out well since 16 is such a monumental birthday.

I also pieced the back, which was quite interesting. I wanted the quilt to have a true modern feel. My niece is young, beautiful, fashionable, and trendy and this quilt needed to match.

This was my first "true" piecing for a back and it was quite the exercise. I laid the top face down on the floor and put the five large pink fabric squares where I wanted them. Then I slowly figured out how to cut and sew the backing fabric to fit.

I liked the way it looked and will probably do it again - though I hope to have a design wall for the next attempt.

I also hand-stitched the label for this quilt using DMC floss to match the fabric colors. Until now, I've only used printable fabric and markers. I was out of the printable, and learned the hard way on my dad's quilt that Sharpies aren't fabric safe. No way I was chancing it on this one.

I also used a couple of Color Catchers when I washed this quilt, and I am quite impressed. I was nervous with all the pinks and reds on the white. The catchers came out with a little pink, but not much.

All in all, I'm super excited about how this quilt turned out. I just wish I could have been there to see her open her gift. But I know she'll love it... after all, what 16 year-old girl doesn't like hot pink?! :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Quilt Stats

Pattern: Alice by Rita at Red Pepper Quilts

Size: approx. 40" x 52"
Quilt Top Fabric: Tonal Berry Bundle by Fabricworm
Backing: Bubblegum Mixmasters Fizz
Binding: Soiree

Pieced and Quilted by: Angie Kimel (me!)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Click on my Linky Party page to see where I link up. :)

something new

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:01:00 +0000

It's so nice to be finished with *almost* all of my quilts - I finished FOUR over my holiday break. FOUR!! Ok, ok, one is still in binding mode, but it will be done in the next day or so, well before classes start. However, in reviewing them as well as those I made last year, I noticed something.

Do you see it???? They're all SQUARES!!

Except for the pinwheel in the black-and-white quilt, all of the quilt blocks are squares or some variation on a square. Oy! Same is true for the three quilts I've just finished but haven't shown you yet. Yup. Squares.

As you can imagine, I'm ready for something different, so I've decided to join the Oh My Stars! Quilt Along over at Thought and Found. I've been eying it for a while, trying to decide what to do and I've finally decided to jump in. I can't stop thinking about it so, if I can't beat 'em, I should join 'em, right?

I'll be using my Terrain (gasp!) fat-eighth bundle with a few coordinating solids peppered throughout.

I purchased this chunk of gorgeousness way back in October and have spent quite a bit of time admiring it. I did break down and use an inch or two of one of the purple fabrics for a zipper pouch, but otherwise it still sits, all bundled up in a beautiful little stack.

Now, I will say up front that I won't be going at the same clip as the others in the QAL. Second semester classes start up next week, so I'm not committing to any big projects. I've turned down swaps, bees, and even my church group on new projects. I just can't do it.

My goal is one star set a week (a star set is one 12", two 8" and four 4" stars) and if I miss a week then I miss a week. Not beating myself up over this one. No deadline. No rush. No worries. It gets done when it gets done. This project is intended to be a stress reliever and a (hopeful) reward to ~~finishing~~ surviving the Spring semester. The quilt is for me, the time to build it will be for me and, likewise, I'll be going at my own little pace. :)

The only other thing I'm trying to do is dedicate Sundays to my Bethlehem Star quilt. My father-in-law came over last night with a train table for my boys, handmade to our specifications. Now they have an awesome place to build their tracks and a little scenery without messing up their toy area. If you remember, he also made my cutting table (which I adore!) and the quilt is a thank you to him. I must finish this. Goal is October for this one. The quilt is more tedious than I ever imagined, so I need a deadline to keep me on it. Prayers welcome. ;o)

I'll try to keep y'all posted as I go with some WIP updates on both quilts. Please don't worry too much if I get quiet. I was really stressed out last semester, so I'm trying to learn from my mistakes. Shortening my to-do list will help immensely.

Oh - and I still have three finished quilts to show you. Eep!

my best friend's quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:25:00 +0000

Do you have a best friend? You know, one of those people who no matter what will always, always be there? Whether it's 10 am or 2 am, when in need, she'll come running? I have one. Her name is Ashley and she turned - well, let's just say she hit a birthday milestone - last month.

So, what does a quilter make for her best friend? You guessed it...a quilt!!

Ashley and I have been friends since 8th grade...25 years, plus. We've known each other longer than just about anyone else. Longer than college buddies, longer than husbands. Longer than most everyone but our own families. Nuts if you think about it, really. Ashley is the kind of person that everyone needs as a friend. Positive, devoted, fun, dependable, loving, outgoing, and so on and so on. I really could go on forever.

She's seen me through good and bad. From mistake-laden high school boyfriends (really, what *was* I thinking?) to the birth of my kids and everything in between. No matter what I'm freaking out about, she calms me down. And trust me, she's had plenty of experience in that department!

We were maid/matron of honor at each others weddings...where I nearly dropped Donnie's ring...and even had our second children three days apart. (Ok, so the last one wasn't planned - she has her kids early, while mine, like me, tend to be late.)

We've pretty much grown up together, but in many ways have never changed. Bon Jovi and Def Leppard in high school, and again this past year. Track meets when we were juniors, half marathons in our late thirties. And she's a quilter, too. :)

OBX 2010

Jane, Ashley, Julie, me

Ashley lives in Chapel Hill, which is only about an hour-and-a-half away, but still isn't close enough for my taste. Between them and all the friends we've met through them, I can't tell you how many times we've considered moving there.

Despite the distance, we get together whenever we can. Beach trips, lake weekends, vacations in the mountains (the quilt pics are at her mountain house) and as many sleepovers as we can manage. We're so absolutely blessed that our families get along so well. Our husbands are great friends - despite the years it took for us to get them together so they'd figure it out - and the kids are constantly asking when they get to see each other again and always include each other in their lists of "best friends". Makes me smile. I hope with all my heart that they'll be friends forever, too.

Lifetime friendships in the making.

So, happy birthday, Ash. I love you more than you know and I'll never be able to thank you enough for all you've done for me. I wish you all the best now and forever - and here's to many more years as best friends!

(photo by Shelly Bainter, via Facebook)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Quilt Stats

Pattern: Lemon Squares by Faith at Fresh Lemons Quilts

Size: approx. 60" x 70"

Quilt Top Fabric:

Robert Kaufman Essex Linen Navy and Quilter's Linen Straw
Sandi Henderson Secret Garden; Modern Meadow, Garden Tapestry and Picnic Flowers Midnight
Simon + Kabuki Juicy Blossoms, Mini Stargazer Teal and Sprigs Pewter
Kona Solid Sage
Michael Miller Dumb Dot; Gray and Beige

Backing: Adornit Long Live Vintage, Curly Motif Grey
Binding: Sandi Henderson - Secret Garden Vintage Ironwork Midnight

Pieced and Quilted by: Angie Kimel (me!)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Click on my Linky Party page to see where I link up. :)

Happy 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:39:00 +0000

As I sit here this afternoon catching up on blogs, I can't help but think back and, at the same time, wonder about the future. One of my favorite things about this time of year has always been watching the recaps and year-in-review programs. In fact, it's one of the few times I actually turn on news channels. It's nice to be reminded about what happened...taking account.

To go along with that, I've always liked the notion of New Year's Resolutions. Not that there is anything magical about January 1, but it just seems like a good, fresh time to make new goals. I'm doing a bit of that this year, too.

First, I must say that 2011 was quite a year for me in quilting. One of my struggles with being active online is seeing how much everyone else is doing. The productivity out there is amazing...and sometimes overwhelming. I'm constantly feeling inferior in that realm, but with a full-time job, grad school, and family, I can only do so much, right?

I ended up finishing nine quilts this year. That's *almost* one a month! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tickled with that. Maybe double-digits next year? I'm already ahead of the game with two ready to quilt tomorrow. :)

I haven't blogged about my two most recent finishes, though one of them is pictured in block-form in the top mosaic. I finished a quilt for my best friend and one for my dad in December. The former for a birthday, latter for Christmas. I still don't have pictures loaded yet, but they're coming. :)

Of course, top that off with three online Bees, multiple swaps, including the post-Summit pouch swap, several Christmas gifts including pouches and iPad cases, and dozens of mug rugs and other small items. I think I've been quite productive, all things considered. :)

Of course, the best part about looking back is to see how much I grew in my quilting skills this year. I've gone from being very nervous and unsure about color, fabrics, and patterns to being very confident and even being able to help others. I've gone from strictly using fabric collections to branching out on my own color combinations. I'm even working on two quilt patterns right now. Both are still in the paper stage, but I hope to share them soon.

So what about 2012???

1) Blogging versus sewing...more sewing, less blogging and less worrying. I've spent days and nights fretting about how many followers I have, how to drive in more traffic and how to please everyone and, well... I'm done with that. It's amazing how easy it is to fall into what I call the popularity trap and constantly compare myself with other bloggers. My plan? Focus on sewing and sharing my projects. I've met so many new people thanks to this blog and that is what I want to continue. So, I guess this first goal is really an attitude shift. More about people, less about numbers. I'm good with that.

2) Host a quilt-along. Despite how #1 may have sounded, I have no intention of neglecting this blog. One specific thing I want to do here is host a quilt-along. I've participated in two of these and am getting ready to start my third. I just love them and would like to host one of my own. Still not sure of all the details, but those will work out eventually. (BTW - if you have an suggestion, be sure to share it!)

3) Projects for my home. Ever since I dusted off my sewing machine, I've wanted to make some placemats. Yes, placemats. I know it sounds silly, but I think they dress up a table beautifully. I still haven't done any. Not one. 2012 will see at least one set of placemats. Of course, I'd also like some other things, like fabric baskets and organizers, and maybe even some curtains. I love making things for other people, but my house needs a bit of attention.

4) Family Quilts. Each of my boys (hubby included) now has a quilt to call his own. I want to add a couple - or maybe even three - quilts that are just family quilts. They will hang out in the living room or on the couch in the basement, ready for any impromptu snuggling that may come about. Oh yeah, and one more for me. :)

5) A raincoat. I want to make my own raincoat out of laminated fabrics. A class will be needed, for sure, as I've never sewn a garment. I just think having a raincoat that I made myself would be the coolest thing ever. (Wow - how old did that sound?)

6) Knitting. I learned to crochet in elementary school and sort-of taught myself how to knit a couple years ago. But I couldn't tell you how to cast on to save my life right now and I never got beyond a simple knit stitch. Time to move forward.

7) Cross-stitching. My first crafty love. My mom taught me in fourth grade and it's time to go back. I have Amanda to thank for my rekindled interest. She's made what I thought was an outdated craft fun again. I've thoroughly enjoyed digging through my old DMC floss and I can't wait to keep going. Plus this (with the knitting) will get my butt back out of the sewing room and into the living room with my family.

8) Crochet. My second crafty-love. My grandma taught me this one and I've let it slip. I recently stumbled across amigurumi and I am intrigued. I'd like to make a couple of cute little animals to have on my desk at work. And at least one for grandma. I think she'd like that.

OK - so, wow. That's a big list. Not sure how many I will hit, but it will be fun trying. I hope you'll stick around and see how I do. :)

Happy 2012!!

merry everything, happy always

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:34:00 +0000

This is the greeting on my best friend's Christmas card this year...and I love it. It perfectly sums up the overarching sentiment of the season, without using the generic, boring, and overly innocuous "Happy Holidays".

So, this is my wish for you, too.

Merry Everything - whatever holiday you are celebrating, I hope it's festive, fun and merry.

Happy Always - I hope you find happiness and joy in everything you do, not only in the new year but always.

I'll be taking some much-needed family time after the long, hard fall semester. They deserve everything I can give them for being so patient with me. My family rocks.

See you in 2012!

giveaway winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:16:00 +0000

Wow - thank you so much to everyone who entered my little giveaway last week. I'm overwhelmed at the response! I loved, loved, loved reading all of your "favorite things" posts.

Now - on to what you are waiting for... our lucky winner is #108, VickiT!!

Congratulations, Vicki! Look for an e-mail from me soon.

Only one more week 'til the big day....are you ready? I know I'm not!

Merry Christmas, every one!

party time!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:06:00 +0000

**comments closed***

The holidays are quickly approaching and parties are filling up our nights. But how about a party where you don't have to dress up, you don't have to drive anywhere, you don't need a babysitter, and you don't have to clean your house?!

Welcome to that party!!!

Quilting Gallery is celebrating their 4th anniversary, and Michele is hosting a fabulous Blog Party to celebrate. Every blog that is in the party is hosting a giveaway...and, rumor has it, there are over 240+ participating blogs. That's a lot of prizes!!

So, here's my little giveaway. It's a small bundle of things I received at Sewing Summit, passed on to you, my fabulous readers.

First is a Robert Kaufman Kona charm square pack (dark palette)...

(You can see all the colors in this palette by clicking here.)

...a "Stella" dress pattern by the fabulous Izzy and Ivy Designs...

...and a Quilter'sBlock-A-Day Calendar Companion CD.

One winner will receive all three of these items.

To enter the giveaway...
(1) Leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about holiday parties. (1 entry)
(2) Follow Stitching by Starlight, and leave a comment telling me that you do. (1 entry)

US entries only, please, limit two entries per person. Giveaway ends Dec 17, 2011.

The full list of blogs will be available tonight, just a little after midnight. Be sure to visit the Quilting Gallery blog to visit see a list of all the giveaways!

Happy Hopping!