tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64299668960698323092023-11-16T04:17:38.875-07:00seaschellCarmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-80067421458852392732021-01-05T21:45:00.004-07:002021-01-05T22:00:07.951-07:00my p&p reverieI read Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters in high school, like many of us did. Jane Eyre was a particular favorite, I recall.The day after Christmas we were joking about celebrating Boxing Day, which has never been a thing for us, of course, since we aren't British... but that led my train of thought to British literature. I looked at all the e-books that my library offered and decided to reread Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-16093888558515538382014-09-21T16:07:00.000-06:002014-09-21T16:08:28.808-06:00tutorial: five minute pillowcase with French seams, envelope styleThis is a tutorial for a standard size pillow. The selvage runs horizontally across the back of the pillow. I've made several of these and it's a fun way to show off a pretty selvage. The French seams inside keep everything neat and tidy!
What you need:
1 yard of cotton or voile fabric (I prewash mine when making pillowcases)
thread and other sewing notions
sewing machine
1. Line up your Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-38145031064403487582014-08-11T16:52:00.000-06:002014-08-11T16:52:07.789-06:00tutorial: burp cloth, bib, and lovey set for babyHere's a great little gift set that uses half a yard of quilting cotton plus half a yard of super soft minky, and sews up quickly too! Included are two burp cloths, a bib, and a cozy lovey for baby to snuggle.
I'll also give you a couple of tips to make working with slippery minky a lot easier. I've quilted with minky before, and I guest-posted over at Sewtakeahike a Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-83715916759151086802014-04-09T16:09:00.001-06:002014-04-09T16:09:13.828-06:00wip wednesday: lots to doI have several projects in the works but I'm busy riding on the high of releasing my first pattern! The Humperdink Tote is available on Craftsy and you can read more about it in my last post.
Excitement aside, I really do need to get on the ball because I have two commission quilts to finish er, start. I'm using these soft florals to create an Xs and Os baby quilt for a little girl due in Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-87175584821305581442014-04-08T18:19:00.002-06:002014-04-08T18:19:53.366-06:00open for business!I'm so excited to announce that I've opened a pattern shop on Craftsy!
My first pattern is the Humperdink Tote! It is a big, zippered tote bag with lots of room for everything! Pack it as a carry-on when traveling, fill it up for a weekend getaway, or put in everything you need for a sewing day with friends.
The tote has two big exterior pockets, one small interior pocket, and a Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-36778757148891993102014-03-26T19:45:00.000-06:002014-03-26T20:55:45.006-06:00wip wednesday: bee block reduxLast year I decided I only wanted to do one bee. More than that and I felt like all my sewing time was spent on making blocks for others.
My local guild, the Fort Collins Modern Quilt Guild, was the perfect choice. Since all the bee mates are friendly, there's no stress if a block is late and best of all, no postage since we just bring them to the meetings.
Here are all the bee blocks I Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-12244629124590339942014-03-14T14:11:00.001-06:002014-03-14T14:11:22.528-06:00published!I'm so excited to share that I've had a quilt design published in a magazine for the first time!Quilty Magazine published my design in their March/April 2014 issue. It's called Garden Path. I used Michael Miller Cotton Couture Solids for the first time and they were lovely to work with. Soft but not slippery- they have a great hand to them. This accomplishment comes with a bit of bitterCarmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-944120454029665582013-09-23T17:04:00.001-06:002013-10-26T20:51:54.407-06:00for a good cause***The raffle is now closed. You can still donate to a good cause, though!***
I'm sure by now you've heard about the floods in Colorado. Our family is fine and we personally didn't experience flooding, but many near us have. The devastation left in the wake of the floodwaters is staggering. Clean up and recovery are going to take a lot of time and money.
A member of my quilt guild, Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-91978899814551417712013-09-13T08:46:00.001-06:002013-09-14T11:25:05.236-06:00finish it up friday: a comforting quiltThis is the first time I've made a quilt specifically to comfort someone sick. Without getting into lots of family details, I'll say that my little brother's dad (who is not my dad) is in the hospital, and is supposed to be there for upwards of a month.
The difficult thing is that they both live in Florida while I live in Colorado. That much distance left me feeling helpless to comfort my Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-40885253865465835672013-09-12T12:18:00.000-06:002013-09-12T12:18:06.609-06:00the tinkertoteI am so, so proud of my dear friend Tara! She released a great class on Craftsy called Quilt As You Go Patchwork Bags!
In this class, Tara guides you through making her fabulous pattern, the Tinkertote. She begins by teaching the Quilt As You Go (QAYG) technique and you practice with a potholder and an optional clutch.
I tried out lots of different layouts before settling on the Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-75152139294388318132013-07-15T17:35:00.000-06:002013-07-15T17:35:20.814-06:00tutorial: embroidered quilt labelsLabeling your finished quilt is very important. It identifies you as the maker and gives details that you might not be able to remember after you've made many! Plus, who knows where that quilt will be in 100 years... I've seen enough vintage quilts to know how great it would be if I knew the stories behind them.
I wanted to create a special label for the quilt I'm submitting to the quilt show inCarmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-13154600137609414832013-07-12T11:30:00.000-06:002013-07-12T11:40:09.174-06:00finish it up friday: oh my stars!Oh my stars, it's done (as of about 15 minutes ago)! I'm so pleased with this finish!
This quilt is going to show at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival in August, as part of a display of quilts made by members of our quilt guild. It was well received at last night's guild meeting, even with the binding only half done! I still need to make a hanging sleeve and add a label.
I Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-15517428657369569922013-07-03T10:25:00.001-06:002013-07-03T10:25:26.124-06:00wip wednesday: still quiltingI find that I can only quilt in short bits of time. I get bored with the repetitive motions and my neck and back get tense. And finding the time is not easy, which is why it's taking for. ev. er. to quilt my "Oh My Stars" quilt. But I like how it's going, despite the snail's pace! I love stippling with loops... it's a very forgiving pattern.
I have to get some momentum, though, because Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-45493212351496925852013-06-28T17:59:00.001-06:002013-06-28T17:59:05.932-06:00finish it up friday: a giant finishThis quilt has been in the works since March. It took a lot longer than I thought it would.
I was commissioned by my hubby's boss to make this quilt. No pressure there!
Stats
Measurements: 96x96 inches
Pattern: Granny Square from Blue Elephant Stitches, done with 5 inch squares
Fabrics: A mish mash of DS, random bits from my stash, and Kona Chocolate. Backed in Riley Blake large Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-70426556729427547952013-06-19T16:21:00.004-06:002013-06-19T16:21:57.499-06:00wip wednesday: quilting and bindingI've been working on several projects lately: a quilt for my husband's boss, a quilt for a quilt festival in August, and a pillow from the MQG's Madrona Road Challenge fabric which is also for the quilt festival. I'm getting so close on all three projects!
Last Saturday I rented time on a long arm quilting machine and quilted this massive 96" square quilt for my husband's boss. It looks so good!Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-44846819519036000812013-06-07T20:47:00.000-06:002013-06-10T12:31:22.119-06:00in memoryI've been struggling with this post for a while now... composing random sentences in my head over and over again. I try to keep things happy and light on the blog, but life isn't always that way, as we all know. I feel like I can't move on with other posts until I finish this one.
In April, my dad passed away.
It was a total shock to our family. Some days I still can't believe he's gone.Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-6912934914733642402013-04-12T17:32:00.000-06:002013-04-12T17:32:48.860-06:00tutorial: english paper piecing with large shapesThere are a lot of English paper piecing tutorials in bloggy land but I haven't found any that address using larger shapes... until now!
English paper piecing (EPP) is a traditional method to piece a quilt by hand. Fabric is wrapped around paper (or sometimes plastic) templates and basted, and then shapes are joined together to make the quilt top (or project).
EPP is great because it's Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-39530344236273844382013-03-28T06:00:00.000-06:002013-03-29T08:26:04.675-06:00quiet book, part 2As promised, here are the details of the quiet book I made for Emma. You can see the post with all of the pictures here. I looked at many, many quiet books (from Pinterest and the Quiet Book Blog) and made a list of the pages I wanted to make:
Front Cover Page (includes Emma's name and buttons)
Zipper Page (Emma loves zippers!)
Barn and Barnyard (two page spread)
Felt doll and dress upCarmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-27344768969529148482013-03-25T09:56:00.000-06:002013-03-25T09:56:32.174-06:00quiet book, part 1When we fly with Emma I like to bring something new to entertain her. Last year I made one of those little taggie blankets with bits of ribbon sticking out on all sides.. she loved that! This year, though, we need something a bit more interactive. It also needed to be relatively quiet and not a hundred pieces, since we'd be on a plane in tight quarters.
I went back through my Pinterest Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-89977123212496111602013-03-13T08:13:00.000-06:002013-04-04T11:10:34.160-06:00quiltcon recapIt's been a couple of weeks since I've been home but it's taken me that long to write this post and get pictures taken. QuiltCon was AMAZING! I was so grateful my hubby could stay home for a few days to watch the baby so I could go. The next one is in 2015 so anybody who couldn't go this year should start saving now!
We (I flew and roomed with my lovely friend Michelle who needs to putCarmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-7846464027761231042013-02-20T08:57:00.000-07:002013-02-20T10:54:25.411-07:00wip wednesday: quiltcon here i come!QuiltCon is finally here! My friend Michelle and I leave today for Austin, Texas... a city I've heard great things about. I'm excited to learn new things and hopefully make new quilty friends! I'll also be Instagramming all the fun too... I'm @seaschellquilts if you'd like to follow along!
I've been working feverishly to finish some things before leaving for Texas. 4x5 Bee blocks certainly Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-49553900464088651222013-02-04T09:55:00.000-07:002013-02-04T09:55:08.950-07:00qayg mini toteI finished my quilt-as-you-go mini tote and I absolutely love it! It's a great size for me and I'm so pleased at how nicely it came together. I finished it late Friday afternoon and used it that night at a crafty party at my LQS.
This side is my favorite.
I love the Melody Miller typewriters, and it plays so well with the caramel solid (a bottom-weight cotton fabric from JoAnn that I Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-67213538849016874912013-01-30T09:42:00.003-07:002013-01-30T09:42:55.793-07:00wip wednesday: getting ready for quiltconI'm so excited for QuiltCon! I've never been to Austin and I hear it's a great city, plus the chance to get away is always fun! My hubby has been so supportive and encouraging when it comes to this trip... I couldn't do it without him! Thanks, honey. :)
In the spirit of travelling handmade, I've got a couple of projects I want to make and take with me: a QAYG tote/handbag, and a duffle bag. I'm Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-13541851075420052242013-01-07T13:41:00.001-07:002013-01-07T13:41:58.692-07:00christmas recapHappy New Year, friends! I hope you and your family had a lovely holiday and a peaceful beginning to 2013.
It's no fun to constantly say "I'm working on stuff for Christmas but I can't show you because I don't want to ruin the surprise." So that's my excuse for not posting the whole month of December. I can't believe I skipped a whole month!
But now that the presents have been revealed to Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429966896069832309.post-87676284464270704812012-11-28T17:34:00.001-07:002012-11-28T17:34:34.343-07:00wip wednesday: zero progressI have made zero progress on Christmas gifts since last WIP Wednesday. I've spent no time in my sewing room in the last week... sad. Christmas won't get done this way!
I did make a teeny, tiny bit of progress on my Modern Medallion quilt while we were at my mom's house for Thanksgiving. I finally finished embroidering all the running stitch HSTs and have moved on to the satin stitched jewels.
Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543988310533378148noreply@blogger.com3