Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Tasting Table Tuesday

Busy stuffing penguins during today's Tasting Table session. No, it's not Thanksgiving Dinner! My husband is busy cooking steaks for our dinner while I'm in my Cotton Cellar stuffing penguins. One almost done, and 3 more to go... Do you ever get songs stuck on "replay" in your mind? Well, I've been singing Cathy Miller's "Knitting Sweaters for Penguins" all afternoon. I think I'll stop at just sewing these little guys though - they'll have to go sweaterless... Besides, they don't need a sweater today - it's 55 degrees here in Pennsylvania on this last day of January!!! And do you know what happens when you introduce a cotton fabric addict to yarn? Stay tuned and see my newest creations that combine these two fibers - details coming soon! (The gorgeous yarn bowl was a Christmas gift from my daughter & her husband - isn't it beautiful! - made by someone on Etsy - if anyone wants the shop name, just let me know and I'll find out for you!)

Cheers!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Personal Day

After all the work I've done lately to get this blog up and running, plus start my new Etsy Shop, I decided it was time to take a couple of "Personal Days". Although I love all the sewing I do, it's especially satisfying to make personal things for my friends & family.
Yesterday I finished a laminated cotton Rain Cape for a friend's little daughter (sorry, forgot to take a pic before I mailed it), and today I made this Bucket Hat for my grandson. And no - that's not him under the hat - that's my selvedge jar :) He's already outgrown all the other hats I've made for him and he lives in Florida so a sunhat that fits is a must! Both were made with patterns from this book by Oliver + S. It's full of lots of great sewing patterns for children's items and I highly recommend it.


Warning! If you're the mother of my grand-daughter and you want to be surprised at her 1st birthday party then don't read any further - stop now!


OK - now that she's gone, I'll show you my latest project. I found this pattern from The Purl Bee for the cutest little penguins. They'll be just perfect for the aforementioned birthday party! So tonight I cut out all the pieces and tomorrow I'll start sewing them together. I'm not one to usually make stuffed animals, but I just couldn't resist these ones. They're so stinkin' cute!!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

241 Tote

I finished this new bag this afternoon. The pattern calls for 3 different fabrics on the outside, but I opted for just one. This botanical print is so gorgeous all by itself, that I didn't think it needed any competition. The color is very unusual - but striking - kind of a tannish/olive and the flowers are a turquoise/aqua that just glows. I found a batik for the inside that matches perfectly! The pattern is by Anna Graham of Noodlehead.
I love this bag and give it a "thumbs up" for style. I'll definitely be making more of these!
This one is for sale here on Etsy.com.






and the winner is...




Congratulations Laura! As soon as I get your mailing address, the little clutch will be on it's way to you. Thanks everyone, for your comments & compliments on my Etsy shop. I apologize for all the corrections I had to make to the last couple of posts, but I hope to get better at this real soon. All this blogging stuff is new to me, so thanks for your patience.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Tasting Table Tuesday


My Fandango quilt is done! I quilted this one with straight rows of diagonal stitching that runs in both directions within the butterfly zone, but once outside of the butterflies, the lines only run one directions - radiating outwards towards the corners. Kind of gives the illusion of the butterflies taking off skyward... I called this one "Butterfly Lane".

This quilt is for sale on Etsy (click here)




Now it's time to get back to work on my 241 Tote that I showed you last week! What's on your "tasting table" today? (p.s. don't forget to enter the drawing for my free giveaway - winner will be announced tomorrow!)


Cheers!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Giveaway plus a New Quilt in the works...

There's a new quilt fermenting in the Cotton Cellar! I know I was supposed to be working on my 241 Tote, but it's cold and snowy here in Pennsylvania and a bundle of Fandango Fat Quarters was calling my name. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I decided to put the purse aside for a few days and work with these cheery coral and blue/greens instead. These prints were so pretty that I couldn't bear to cut them up too small, so I decided to cut them up into charm squares (5") and do a very simple patchwork layout. I added small triangles of Moda Bella Solids Tomato Soup on some of the patches to form a diamond shape, which I think looks like butterflies. Certainly a warm, summery design! The top is pieced and I'll start basting tonight for quilting tomorrow. Hope to have this listed on Etsy soon - just in time for Valentine's Day shoppers.
By the way, don't forget about my free Giveaway to celebrate the opening of Cotton Cellar on Etsy.com!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Free Giveaway and Shop Opening!

It's official... My Etsy Shop is now open for business! I had no idea it would take so long to write all the listings and edit all the photos, but after a long day of sitting at the computer, it's finally done! Whew! I'm sure most of you are familiar with Etsy, but for those of you who aren't, Etsy is a huge on-line marketplace where everything is handmade, or vintage. If it can be hand-crafted, you can find it on Etsy. But be forewarned... it's addictive! I just love browsing through the shops, and I buy many of my supplies there as well. You can follow the Etsy link on my sidebar. Just click on "Etsy" under my pictures if you just want to browse all the shops, or click on "Cotton Cellar" if you want to go directly to my shop.

Now for the fun part. To celebrate the grand-opening of Cotton Cellar on Etsy, I'm giving away this adorable little Keyring Clutch. It's the cutest, tiniest little clutch ever. It's made with a pattern by Keyka Lou Patterns. The fabric is one of Amy Butler's medium-weight fabrics, and it's lined with a solid turquoise fabric. It's the perfect size for my Jitterbug phone (I know - I'm giving away my age with that comment - but I love my simple phone - just press yes or no - I can handle that!). I've shown the phone is the pics to give you an idea of the size. The phone is not included in the giveaway! :)





Edited to add:






Some other things that fit inside this Keychain Clutch besides a Jitterbug include:










  • car keys (with clicker fob), credit cards & lipstick (what more does a girl need, right?)




  • individual pack of Kleenex tissues




  • baby's pacifier (use the ring to attach it to the diaper bag or stroller)




  • and many other things, so I'm sure you can find a use for this little cutie!





Here's what you have to do to enter the drawing:










  1. Visit my Etsy store (you can click here).




  2. Come back here to my blog and leave a comment about my shop. (just use your browser's back button.)
I'll use a Random Number Generator to pick the winner. The comment period will end at noon on Wed. January 25th and the winner will be announced here. Good luck and happy shopping!
(corrected thanks to Anya who pointed out that I mistakenly typed March 25th - sorry for the confusion - thanks Anya!)

Comments are now closed. Congratulations Laura!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tasting Table Tuesday

I've been very busy today writing item descriptions for my Etsy listings. Too bad it was such a dull, dreary day today, because I had hoped to take pictures of the items so I could finish the listings, but the weather didn't cooperate. Hopefully there will be a little more light tomorrow so I can get some decent pics and get the listings done. Stay tuned, because there will be a free giveaway announced with the opening of my new shop - in the next day or two if all goes as planned...
In the meantime, what's on my Tasting Table this week, you ask? Well, I've had this pattern for a while now, but haven't done anything with it yet. I love the design of this bag, called the "241 Tote" from Noodlehead. This wildflower print is a home-dec weight fabric that I think will work perfectly in this pattern. I used some of it to make a diaper bag for my daughter-in-law and it's heavenly to work with. Can't wait to see how this pattern makes up in this gorgeous blend of fabrics!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Coasting

I finished quilting this yesterday and thought I'd show you the end result. I kept the quilting very simple, just stitching 1/2" away from each block, keeping the quilt very soft and drapey. This quilt has a calming effect on me. I think the gradual increase of negative space around the blocks slows me down - thus the name "Coasting". Sometimes we all need to take our foot off the gas pedal and enjoy life a little more, don't you think?
This quilt will be listed in my upcoming Etsy Shop - opening VERY SOON! Stay tuned for my grand-opening announcement!




Thursday, January 12, 2012

Let the Quilting Begin!

All pin-basted and ready to go! I need a serene and tranquil name for this one - something "spa-like". Any suggestions?

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Tasting Table Tuesday

Here's a peek at what's on my "Tasting Table" today. Neptune and Kona Ash are blending well together, don't you think? I've been looking forward to making this quilt for so long now and I'm really enjoying getting into it - finally!
I'll try and give you a "taste" of what I'm working on every Tuesday, whenever possible.
Cheers!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Scissor Case Tutorial

Does your quilt shop carry scissors like these? Maybe you own some yourself?They make a wonderful little gift for those sewing friends, but those points are sharp! If you buy a pair at Needles Quilt Shop, they will wrap them in bubble wrap just so you can get them home without stabbing yourself.
So here's a little project I came up with. An "easy-to-sew scissor case" made with just two 5" squares of fabric (perfect for those charm squares you've been collecting!) and only two seams! I created a little tutorial on my Flickr page if you'd like to make one (or 24) yourself. This is my first tutorial, so please let me know what you think.I got a little carried away making these, and just finished two dozen of them to take to Needles tomorrow. No more bubble wrap for Needles customers! They can carry their new scissors home in style!