ShE's CrAfTy...

AgE oF aQuArIuS

2009-02-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

As the story goes, Valentines day this year also happened to fall on the same day as the beginning of the 'age of aquarius' (according to a nurse I work with...). Oh, and it was also Oregon's 150th birthday. :D Anyways, I gave this cooky looking quilt to the very same nurse who enlightened me with her spiritual factoids.

qUiLtInG dIvA!

2009-02-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

OK, ok, I just have to write a quick note to let you all know about a new site I've opened on etsy to sell some of my quilts! I haven't posted anything yet, but I will do so as soon as I have one available. Yipee! The site is www.ullstash.etsy.com

tRaVeLiNg (Wo)MaN...

2009-02-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

The colorful bag on the left was the first travel-toiletry tote that I attempted. The zipper kept everything secure, but did not allow much flexibility in terms of size expansion (for those longer trips). I used duck cloth and fusible liner for the black bag with a simple button closure. I haven't tried it out yet, but hopefully I have now created the perfect size bag for my makeup!

G iS fOr GoUl-RoY

2009-02-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

This quilt showcases my first attempt at the fine art of applique. The objects I wanted to use were some what unconventional (see; the pacific coast trail map), but I was able to find pictures from various sources and it turned out pretty well. This is actually a wedding (engagement) quilt for one of my best and oldest friends. Congrats Meg and Bob!!

EvErY qUiLt HaS a StOrY

2009-02-04T10:59:00.001-08:00

I love this design. I found it in Kaffe Fasset's 'Caravan of Quilts' book. The pattern was made with Kaffe fabric of course, but I used my own collection of blue and turquoise fabrics instead. I like picking out my own fabrics and using a pre-made pattern so that it looks like an 'organized' scrap quilt. Don't look too closely, because this is the last quilt I will EVER make without abiding to the 1/4" seam rule! I had no idea where this magical spot was in relation to the foot, until the lovely quilt store owner in town was kind enough to enlighten me...I am now in the process of making this same pattern (and same blend of fabrics) using that magical seam allowance. I am crossing my fingers that it will turn out much neater this time. Stay tuned for this 'extreme quilt makeover' in the future. Anyways, onto the story of THIS particular quilt; I've made this one for one of my coworkers who will soon be graduating from nursing school and moving out of my department in the pharmacy. :( She has worked in our department for the past 10 years and will be sorely missed for her abundant knowledge and wit.

P.S. - As you may have noticed, this quilt is not finished. I am waiting anxiously for my order from fabric.com

to show up so I can add the blue border. But this is the main portion of the quilt that was most time consuming...especially since I had my 'little helper' at my side most of the time, and she periodically likes to walk through the middle of my projects when I'm piecing. (See my baby Avery below) isn't she cute?!! She's 2 1/2 months in this pic. (She's 4 months old now).

LoSt AnD fOuNd

2009-01-31T07:19:00.001-08:00

After digging though some old computer files, I found these projects that I worked on prior to starting the quilting obsession. The picture below is one of my favorite 'instant gratification projects' - pillowcases! A fun gift to give, or to create if I find I fabric I fall in love with and want to showcase on its own instead of making it part of a quilt. The picture on the left is an apron that I made and gave to a family friend. She cooks delish Iranian food!

fLeXiBiLiTy Is ThE kEy To SuCcEsS

2009-01-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

I had to be flexible with the outcome of this quilt/wall hanging. Originally I had intended to make a queen sized scrap quilt for the guest bedroom. Unfortunatley, this piece showcases my lack of quilting expertise as you can tell by the size that it became. It reminds me of trying to cut a perfectly shaped heart out of cardstock and eventually the heart becomes 1/5 of the size that you wanted it to be. In this case, I did not align each row before sewing it to the next, so after I'd sewed all the rows together, the whole quilt swooped to one side and looked completely lop sided. In my attempts to created a rectangle, I came up with this. It is a good size for the wall next to my sewing table.

FiNaLlY...a ThReAd CaTcHeR

2009-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots of the thread catcher I made a few weeks ago. It is much more convenient to throw scraps and thread pieces in here instead of raking the carpet everyday. A similar design was being sold at the local craft store but they wanted $25 for it! I came up with my own version of the design and it works just as well. (Total cost for fabric/buttons ~ $5). The weighted piece which holds the bag on the table is filled with table salt-again a cheap alternative to buying a 70lb bag of sand from the hardware store.

pAsT qUiLtInG pRoJeCtS

2009-01-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

I have no clue how these blogs work so I'll attempt to post pictures of my (current) passion: quilting. Here are a few of my first takes: the triangle-style quilt pictured here was for my friend Lauren (no particular occasion, but I did give it to her for xmas). The second was one I designed myself and I gave it to my boss's wife when I moved.

LiFe In A sMall ToWn

2009-01-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

Over the past year or so, after having finished school and no longer spending countless hours studying, I have begun to pursue my creative side; which has developed into a passion in the form of fabric art (quilting to be exact, but I'll attempt to create anything involving fabric). This blog will pose as an outlet for all my creative adventures-starting from some of my very first projects. Only recently did I start documenting my projects in the form of pictures but I've compiled the few that I remembered to take before wrapping them up as gifts and sending them out in the mail.

I am fortunate enough to have my very own quilting room - which is slowly building character. I have room to spread out my fabric, iron and sew all on the same table. It is a great place to relax, and hang out with my dog Avery after she's tuckered out from a long run, and sleeping soundly on her tie blanket under the desk.