October 2013 Adventures

I spent all summer training for my 4th Portland Marathon and I did it! I made it through Portland Marathon number four and again I fell in love with the event. Here's a video of the National Anthem before the race started. Wow! It was an awesome way to start the race, all 15,000 participants singing together.

Then a couple weeks later I completed another marathon... a marathon of pumpkin related events all in one weekend. Below is my mini-movie created in iMovie of the fun.

I Did It! It's Finished!! Sparkle Punch Improv

 Last January (January 2012), I started Elizabeth Hartman's Sparkle Punch Quilt-A-Long thinking it would be the perfect gift for my daughter's 9th birthday. I finally finished it for her 10th birthday this year.

This WIP became a fixture on my entryway wall for over a year. Everyone who came by for a visit during the past year could watch my slow process of putting this baby together. It was all worth it, I'm so happy with how it turned out, and I know it will be a gift Charlotte cherishes for years to come.

Just Married Label

I just finished up the illustration for a wedding gift label. This one turned out especially nice in my opinion (maybe it's the lovely couple), so I thought I would share. Click on the photo above for a larger preview of the label.

Cheers!

Oh Baby! I finished a baby quilt... a week late.

Ta da! Here's a bright little baby quilt I made for a sweet new baby girl. The shower was last weekend, but I don't think the baby will mind too much.

On this quilt I did everything. I designed the pattern (not that it's anything revolutionary), I pieced it all together and then quilted it on my little home machine. It's "mostly straight" lines that matched the piecing.

Here's the back. I love pieced backs. And I added a label that has the baby's name and birthday. Whew! Feels good to finish a project, even when it is a week late.

Look At This ADORABLE Puppy Pouch!

How cute is this guy? I used the brand new Straight Stitch Society "Feed The Animals Coin Purse" pattern and I absolutely love it. AND I actually put in a zipper, something I've been avoiding for a while and it wasn't even that hard (in fact, I'm thinking I'll make the other two animals soon).

The pattern totally walked me through my anxiety about tackling a zipper (can you see the part where is says to take a deep breath and get out your zipper??), which really cracked me up and made the process a lot more fun.

Let's see... I also recently made my new Mail Sack purse out of some lovely Melody Miller Fabric I've been coveting for a while. I really stressed for a while on what to pair with these awesome typewriters...

then I found the bright and amazing floral pattern by Phillip Jacobs - perfect! Bright and fun, just what I need for summer (hopefully it gets here soon).

Here's my awesome bag in action. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this pattern? (PS I made P's shirt too... an ode to the car he currently loves and loves to take apart—I don't get it but it's fun to make custom t-shirts as gifts).

And speaking of making shirts, here's my last project to share. My ba-BLING Sis Boom Dana Top made out of ba-BLING Dear Stella fabric. It's peacock feathers with gold lamme sprinkled in. I know it sounds crazy, but I think it's lovely and just the right amount of ba-BLING! I finished it up on Mother's Day right before Quilt Market (it was supposed to be for Quilt Market but I was so excited about the ba-BLING that I wore it for Mother's Day too).

Cheers!! Thanks for stopping by.

Charlotte Made An Adorable Apron

I'm so proud of my 8 year old (almost 9) daughter Charlotte. Here she is posing with an apron she made (mostly) by herself. We used the new Riley Blake Verona Apron Panel, which I highly recommend for beginners or sewing with kids. It was quick, easy and a lot of fun. Plus look how darling it turned out. You could easily add your own embellishments to really make it your own masterpiece.

It took Charlotte maybe 15 minutes to cut everything out, give or take a few minutes if you add time to play with Sparky and scraps while cutting.

Then the next night we started sewing the pieces together. I had Charlotte do most of it herself. I've had her help me make other little projects (we're both beginners) and she's gotten better and better and handling the machine. At first it was scary, I was worried about somebody loosing a finger, but now that thought only occasionally pops in my head. It would be neat to get her into a sewing class for kids, and maybe she could eventually teach me a few techniques.

She sewed and turned the pocket and straps.

I had her do the pressing too.

I did the finishing edge all around the apron.

She chose the layout of the apron with the pocket at the top and buttons. It turned out great and she's so proud of herself. Now I'm thinking it would be fun to get another colorway (this one is calling my name) and making matching Mom & Daughter Aprons. I bet our cookies will taste even better when we make them wearing these adorable aprons! 

The Epic Race: Turtle vs Hare 2012

Once upon a time, there was a resourceful, little turtle who was tired of racing and losing against a cocky, little hare. The clever little turtle took his allowance money and bought himself a bicycle and the rest is history. 

My submission for the Spoonflower Weekly Contest. This week's category: Bicycles (3-color). I thought it would be kind of fun to try to create a bit of a story with the design.