Embroidered States Pillow

Hey, how do you like this? Another Christmas gift from 2012!

I need to stop losing these post drafts!

I made this cute embroidered pillow for my Sister and Brother in Law.

I'm a big fan of all the state oriented art work out there over the past several years and since the two of them were actually born in different states, I thought this pillow was a great idea.

I had to brush up on my embroidery stitches for this one. It was a great project to work on in the waiting room while the Bug was at ballet.  I don't usually have the patience for this type of project but looking at it now again, one year later, I'm feeling like maybe another similar project might help me beat these winter blues.

~Lindsay

Pinterest inspired wedding quilt

So not all quilts take me two years to finish.

If the quilt top is only two lengths of fabric sewn together and the quilting is widely spaced and sewn by machine, turns out I can whip out a quilt in a little less than a month. 

Which is good since the inspiration for this wedding gift hit sort of last minute.

This quilt was floating around on Pinterest and I knew I wanted to re-invent it for a special wedding gift.

The names of the bride and groom are embroidered, along with their wedding date, on the big heart.

The little hearts are the initials of their precious daughters.

I wanted the script to look sort of rough, like it would if it were actually carved on a tree, so I just used my own handwriting as the basis for the embroidery.  I used a simple back stitch then to fill it in.

The hearts are appliqued onto the quilt top.

The quilting was pretty much free handed since the lines I drew in my disappearing ink pen disappeared before I finished sewing.

I used store bought binding on this but so it didn't look quite so store bought, I made the front side thin and the back side thick.  Once it was washed, that fold line faded a bit and I assume with time it will work it's way out.  

Check out that rockin' mitered corner.

I wish I could say all of my miters look that sharp.

The binding I attached to the front by machine and then hand sewed down in back.  I think that's my preferred binding method.

You know, in all my vast quilt binding experience.

I had no idea at the time I chose this vintage sheet from my stash for the quilt back, but the bride's colors for the wedding and reception were exactly this citrusy pallet.

I love it when a plan comes together and I look like I know what I'm doing.

This was a fun project and such a neat way to honor this little family.

~Lindsay

Dewberry Quilt Finished!

Two years later and it's finally done!

Those people who finish a quilt in a weekend amaze me.

I want to be like that. But somehow life gets in the way and here I am dozens of weekends later, finally with a finished product.

The pattern for this quilt came out of the book, "Patchwork Comforters, Throws & Quilts".  It's the quilt on the cover and it caught my eye when it came in at the library. I picked it up right away, eager to flip through and get lots of great ideas. Unfortunately, this was the only quilt design in the whole book that I liked.  Thank goodness it was a library book and not one I purchased.  

The pattern in called Salad and it's a beginner level pattern.  It really is simple, even though it kind of looks complicated.

  The instructions in the book are impeccable.  Very organized and easy to follow.

It took 16 fat quarters and a little over a yard of that green border print to do the front.

The fabric is Joel Dewberry, Deer Valley.  It's an older, discontinued line but still available a few places here and there if you Google it.  This is the Tarragon color way.

This is what takes me so long.  

I adore hand quilting.

This time I used embroidery floss to stitch around each of the center blocks.  

I attempted French knots around the border. (some more successful than others)

I enjoy doing the hand quilting and I love the look of it.

I wish I was better at it.  More consistent stitching. . . faster. . .

But I don't know, I sort of like a quilt to look a little "home made" and imperfect.

In that way, the gift strongly resembles the giver.

And this quilt in particular was a gift for a special sister so the time spent quilting was also a time spent in quiet prayer and reflection.  It's so rare I slow down enough to pray like that.  I think that's part of why I enjoy sewing so much.

The quilt pattern says it measures 71" x 71".  I never did take a final measurement.

The back was pieced out of some of the remaining fat quarters and a bit of yardage.

It arrived at it's new home yesterday.  

A surprise.

One of the best kinds of surprises I think.  One accompanied by a great deal of love.

~Lindsay

Christmas Stockings Updated

Last year Michelle made these awesome stockings for our family out of Grandpa's old over-alls.

They are such a treasure. Really, I think they may be my favorite new family Christmas tradition.

We ran out of time last Christmas season, but we always had intended to embroider names on the wool cuff.

So a few weeks ago, realizing the Christmas was sneaking up on me, and that my Mom would need these to begin filling them soon, I dug into this little project. . . . the whole time thanking God for our small family! ha! I only had seven names.

I love the stockings at the Purl Bee. That font rocks. Slick and modern.

But in the end, I decided to just use my own handwriting as our "font".

That and a simple split back stich just felt down right homey to me and I think ultimately, that fits us well.

We are not so much a "slick and modern" group of folk.

This was a quick, fun little project. Just the right size to take along to work on in the waiting room while those little Princess Ballerina's do their thing.

I super duper love these all together like this and I am so excited for the holidays!

~Lindsay

Of Birthday Parties and Ladder Stitching

The prodigal blogging sister has returned from her time away. Can you believe it? My 7th tax season is over - I hope I don't always count my life in tax seasons - and I am slowly coming back to the land of the sewing. I have been working on a few things here and there - and I hope to finish something soon, ha!

Those of you who have been following our blog for over a year or who know one of us personally, know that a week ago the most precious little (not so little) girl in our lives turned 4! Of course this calls for a PARTY - a party which had to be postponed a whole week because of a silly aunt's scheduling conflicts! Can you believe the nerve? But I am oh so glad I don't have to miss the big day!

The party is set for this Saturday - it will be the Bug's first official birthday with just her friends. This is causing my sister some panic - I wouldn't want to have to entertain and coral seven 4ish year olds, would you?

 Anyway - I don't want to give anything away before the big day - but the Bug picked a theme and my sister in her true fun mom style is going crazy (in a good way) with that theme. She bit off a lot with this one - and I am sure she will have some great "after" blogs about the Bug's big day outfits (yes plural.) Anyway - I volunteered my services for the cause and was assigned to the take home favors for the event. Before you start thinking I got off easy with candy, goldfish, a punching balloon and some bubbles - please note that these favors are a bit more than your normal favors (or at least more than I ever got in a favor bag.) Did I mention the theme is exploding on this one - my sister had a pattern in mind for a theme appropriate doll for each little friend plus the Bug of course.

Which brings me to the subject of this post - this pattern introduced me (or re-introduced me, I very well may have learned this over 10 years a go in 4-H) to the ladder stitch - and at the risk of sounding over dramatic - I will never be the same!

Are you familiar with this little hole closing genius of a stitch? More than likely you are, but if you are like me and you are not, let me explain...you know when you are sewing two pieces together wrong sides facing, and then you leave a little hole to turn the thing right side out - then your left with a little hole to close - like when you are making a pillow? Over the last couple of years when I have had to closed a seam, and couldn't get away with edge stitching the project, I have used something more akin to the whip stitch.

Please forgive me this my biggest sewing sin! The whip stitch is NOT an attractive way to close a seam - let me tell you - especially when you have little patience for hand sewing. I was never happy with the way it looked - and how unfinished the whole project became because of this one little stitch. Enter Ladder Stitch!

See that closed hole? You don't? That's the point! Isn't she lovely?!? Now even though this seam is eventually going to be covered - the ladder stitch adds a nice clean finished look to the base of the doll.

And that makes this doll happy! (Actually the fact that I embroidered a smile on her face makes her happy, hehehe, sorry I couldn't help myself!)

The ladder stitch is all over this pattern - not just in closing the body of the doll - and I'd like to think I am slowly mastering it. If nothing else it is a good stitch to add to my arsenal (that sentence amuses me.) Anyway - I completed the first doll last night - only 6 more to go by Saturday - Wish me luck!

~Michelle

Recipe Card Holder (Special Order)

Made for a co-worker who saw the Christmas recipe card holders that I made and told me she needed something just like that!

I adapted the design a bit because I didn't like the way the tie closures laid on the ones I made for Christmas.  I really like the look of the button tab and it lays much flatter which is what I was going for.  Added bonus, it gave me some much needed practice making button holes on my new-ish machine. It's not like it's a difficult process I'm just a slow learner who is easily intimidated I guess.

I am loving the look of  linen paired with vintage looking prints and embroidery lately.  The simplicity of it just speaks to me.

And here's the interior. The floral print is one I picked up when this same co-worker was downsizing her fabric stash.  I hope she doesn't mind getting a little of it back but I thought it worked really well for this!

And the toile I picked because of this lovely little pastoral scene right here. It's tough to make out but the lady seated there on the left is reading a book to a bunch of wild and crazy kids.  Very appropriate since the recipient is a worker in the Children's department of the library and is quite familiar with trying to read to active little people!

~Lindsay

Christmas Gift 1: Lunch bag for Mom

Years and years ago when I was just a crazy college kid I made a lunch bag for my Mom out of fabric I dyed in my fiber arts class. She used it everyday to take her lunch with her to work. But I was in college a long time ago and that bag has been well used. Mom has been subtly hinting that a new bag would be appreciated.

So, Merry Christmas Mom!!

This lunch bag is loosely based off of a paper bag. It's a pattern that's super easy to make. I got the basic idea and dimensions from this post at Skip to My Lou.

I love it in this linen fabric. All slouchy and paper bag-ish!

And check out that button! I think it's my favorite part. I found it at JoAnn's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm kicking myself for not picking up more of them.

And that button loop? It's a little girls hair elastic. Genius. I wish I could remember whose blog I read that tip on. I would like to thank them personally for being so creative and thinking outside of the box. Whomever you were, you rock!

On the front I stitched the word "Lunch" in red with a basic back stitch.

And on the back, what we all hope our lunches will be, Yummy!

I am really loving what a special touch just a little bit of embroidery will add to a project. This is nothing fancy, I just wrote the words on the fabric with a disappearing ink pen and stitched them in! Easy peasy.

Here's the inside, a sweet daisy vintage print straight from my grandmother's attic. What a neat personal detail to be able to include! Thank you Grandma!!

And wait, do you see what I see? There's a button in there. . .

Is this bag. . .no it can't be. . . .

Yes! Yes!! It is!!

Reversible!!

Of course!

I hope you love it Mom and that it serves you as well as the first one did!

Merry Christmas!!

~Lindsay