Super Spy

The I-Spy quilt that I've been working on for my girls is finally done, and not a moment too soon. They've been waiting to pounce on it ever since I pulled out the charm squares from my Ellison Lane Quilts swap. I went through at least a dozen ideas for this quilt, but in the end, I decided that simple was best. "After all," my husband said, "it's all about the game, right?" The grid of modern fabric squares is separated by strips of my beloved grey -- is there anything that does not look great with this color? -- and bound by Lizzy House's Pearl Bracelet in red and white.

On the back I put a print which I absolutely adore, Michael Miller's Retro Escapees in aqua. I've been saving this one for a kid's quilt, and this was perfect. It's almost like having another I-Spy game on the back. I love the way the light shining through the quilt makes the back look like it's all lit up with Christmas lights.

This is going to be a well loved quilt, I can tell already. All I had to do was toss it on the floor and say, "Alright, girls . . . it's all yours." And yes, all three of them did actually pounce.

Linking up to Sew Modern Monday, Manic Monday & Fabric Tuesday!

May I Have the Envelope, Please?

It was a wonderful surprise last night to hear from Tink's Mom at Selina Quilts who gave me the happy news that she was passing on the Liebster Award to me here at Fabric Mutt.  For those of you who may not know, the Liebster Award can only be given to outstanding blogs who have fewer than 200 followers. The recipient then has the fun task of passing that award on to five other small gems of the blog world. It's a great way to spread the word about amazing new people out there who are sharing their talents online. The rules attached to this award are as follows:

• Post the big news about your award on your blog -- definitely the easiest task to accomplish!
• Pick five fantastic blogs -- each having less than 200 followers -- to be the next recipients of the Liebster Award. List their names on your blog and include links to their websites. Then be sure to leave a comment on their blog to let them know that they've won!
• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them (you're awesome, Tink's Mom!!). 

So without further ado, here are the five blogs on my list...

1. Carla at Sew It Up, Baby is fearless when it comes to trying new things. She's participated in about a gazillion quilt-a-longs and swaps, and she has a multitude of beautiful projects displayed on her blog. I particularly love the single girl quilt she's working on right now.
2. Katie at there & back gives new meaning to the word "multi-talented." All you have to do is look at her mosaic of projects for the month of February to see that this woman is amazing. Crochet, embroidery, quilting -- she does it all and shares it with a delightfully wry sense of humor.
3. Jeanette at Stamp*Stitch*Create specializes in scrap booking, but her talents definitely extend to the sewing world. Her projects are so colorful and creative and just plain cute. And I'm absolutely in love with her quilt for the Modern Mini Challenge.
4. Jacey at Jaceycraft is the place to go if you're looking for some great mini quilts. She's a whiz at both knitting and sewing, and you'll find lots of both on her blog. She's even kind enough to include a feature called "Food Friday" in which she shares all sorts of drool-worthy recipes each week (hello, brown sugar and pecan shortbread!).
5. Deborah at Simply Miss Luella has one of the most adorable quilting websites online. The blog is named after her great aunt (how sweet is that?!), and it's chock full of quilty inspiration. I love looking at her colorful quilt blocks and crocheted hexagons -- all with a great vintage vibe to them.

And there you have it. Be sure to check out the blogs above. They definitely deserve a look!

Oh Joy...

The little ones are down for their afternoon nap, and Bunny is out happily working in the garden with my husband. I know that I really ought to be sewing right now, but all I want to do is sit and stare dreamily at my bounty that arrived in the mail today.

I'm such a Lizzy House fan. Her prints are full of color and life, and they're all just a little bit sassy.  I added in an extra Hometown print at the bottom. I love the look of newsprint on fabric.

My very first purchase of colored solids...I'm so excited! It's the Woodlands inspired bundle from Sew Fresh Fabrics, and I can't wait to come up with a project for these beauties.

Time to put on a little Etta James and get back to the sewing machine. Have yourself a beautiful weekend!

Retro Kitchen

Sometimes I think I've spent at least a third of my life in the kitchen. When I was a little girl, I loved watching my parents prepare meals for us, and they passed on everything they knew to my sister and I. "There's not a bad cook in the family," my dad always says proudly, and he's right. Even my husband loves to make his own pasta and sourdough bread from scratch when he has the time. Now that my three girls are no longer babies, they want to be part of the action too. I love seeing them standing on stools at the counter making lemon bread with Nana or juicing oranges with Daddy, and I tell them often that I look forward to teaching them how to cook when they get older. I have always found tremendous pleasure in creating food that others will enjoy, and all my hours in the kitchen over the years -- except perhaps those spent doing dishes -- have been happy ones.

Out of that comes this mini quilt: Retro Kitchen. When I started working with two packs of Hello Luscious charm squares a few weeks back, I was taken with the perfect retro vibe of the prints. Having seen so many incredible examples of intricate piecing online, I wondered if it would be possible to piece together a kitchen. With a lot of trial and error, this kitchen was born. The quilt is 23.5 by 16.25 inches in size. The basic blocks of the kitchen are pieced, and the details were attached by applique. There is also a small amount of embroidery in here too.

I tried to allow the prints themselves to suggest some of the objects in the kitchen like the clock, plant, and teapot (I just had to feature one of these cute little hearts on something).  Only a few extra prints were added to create this; it's almost entirely made from the charm squares. I really wanted to include the radio also since I've always loved listening to music while I cook.

The cake and cookbooks are a nod to my love of baking. Just seeing that layer cake makes me crave a slice!

My husband suggested putting the branch with the little bird in the window. I love the sheen of the solid prints in this fabric line; they worked well for the main window as well as the appliance windows and refrigerator. And I could not resist putting a little mini quilt on the wall above the window.

This quilt was such a joy to make. I'm thrilled to submit it to the Ellison Lane Quilts Modern Mini Challenge.

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday, Sew and Tell Friday, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

So Long, February

I will always look back on February 2012 as the month that blogging came alive for me thanks to Lynne of Lily's Quilts. Her Small Blog Meet is a brilliant idea, giving new bloggers like me the chance to branch out and get to know other people who are also stepping out into the amazing online quilting community. If you have the chance, click on the button to the right to see what's going on there today.

It's been a great month of sewing.  My new sewing room is finally in working order, making it easier for me to plan, store, and finish my projects. I also got the chance to try making several new items this month...pillows, a bag, a more complex wall hanging, even a little improvisational quilting. It's opened my eyes to the possibilities, and my want-to-do list is growing by the day.

Perhaps the best thing about this month was getting to know so many other quilters. I've enjoyed meeting new people and seeing what they're learning and accomplishing. It's been such an inspiration, and I'm so grateful for the encouragement to keep growing.

So long, February. You were amazing.

Linking up to Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet!

Happy Place

Now that it's looking a little more lived in, I thought I'd show a few pictures of my sewing room today. It has been absolutely divine to have space for storage and a place for the kids to play while I work on my projects. Almost all of the furniture you see here is from IKEA. The shelves are wonderful for books and bins, and the tall closet is perfect for storing larger pieces of fabric. I seem to have an addiction when it comes to buying organizational containers. My favorite aqua and red tins were all found in the dollar section at Target, and I use them to hold scraps which are all sorted by color.

I have yet to sort my fabric closet into any sort of order. One of these days I'd love to get some cardboard pieces and fold the fabric correctly so that it looks a bit more dignified.

 I've always had a love for retro posters, movies, and music. This room seemed like a great place to display my World War II posters. I especially love the one on the left featuring the different branches of women in the service. Adding a few mini quilts to the room has definitely given it more personality also. I do all my cutting and sewing at the table, just rotating the machine and the mat to the front as needed, and the ironing board is nearby for pressing emergencies.

A wooden tv tray is the perfect place for a little drawer unit (also from IKEA) where I store notions, tools, and thread. The glass jars hold selvage scraps.  

On top of the shelving unit I have two fabric covered bulletin boards where I can post inspirational pictures and ideas. There were some amazing project mosaics put out by some of my favorite blogs at the end of 2011, and a few of them are up on my boards to remind me of things that I'd like to try in the next year. The white wire bins (also from Target's dollar section) are for charm pack squares, white sashing strips, and fabric that needs to be washed before it's used. The vintage radio replica cd player was an anniversary gift from my husband a few years ago. I don't know how, but all my big band music sounds at least 50% better when played on this machine.

Behind my sewing area is an area for Bunny, Bear, and Mouse to play. They can look at books, play with toys, color, or even nap on the crib mattress/couch. It's a relief to have a spot where they can entertain themselves in the same room with me, and it makes it possible for me to have a lot more sewing time than I used to manage in a week.

Today I'm finishing up my pinwheel runners. It will be great to have these done so that I can move on to some other projects (hello, I-Spy quilt!) that are waiting in the wings.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. I wouldn't necessarily say that this room is the happiest place on earth, but it's definitely in my top ten.

Linking up to Work in Progress Wednesday!

Progress

Thanks so much to all of you who left such kind comments about my scrappy mini quilt over the weekend.  I've learned that I'm not the only one who uses sewing as an alternate route to sanity. I'm so thankful for this amazing community of quilters we have online. What a blessing!

Last Thursday I received a lovely package in the mail: my treasure trove from the Ellison Lane Quilts I-Spy Charm Swap. I spent a few minutes late last night playing around with ideas for the quilt I want to make for my daughters. I'm really looking forward to putting this one together.

I'm also still churning out a few more Hello Luscious pinwheel table toppers for the upcoming ladies' tea at our house. Still loving this fabric too.

Most of my weekend was spent working on my mini quilt for the Modern Mini Challenge. All I have left to do is hand stitch the binding to the back, and it will finally be finished. I can't wait to show it to you, but I know I have to wait until next Monday. In any case, it feels good to be starting a week with something to show for the weekend.

Linking up to Sew Modern Monday, Manic Monday & Fabric Tuesday!