RAWR!! MONSTER PIN CUSHION!

This weekend is the last of the month, so I thought I better get my February Pattern Pact done, especially because I have an unexpected work trip tomorrow and Friday.

I decided to make the flower pincushion from the Spring 2008 Quilts and More magazine. Go ahead, go look at it, the pin cushion is in the lower right corner of the cover.

Welcome back. Does the pin cushion look extremely large to you?

Well, it is:




That cake plate holds a 6" cake. Here, maybe this will give you a reference:




See that little pinhead? It's a large-headed pin! Huge, I tell ya!

I'm glad I got it done, though, as I fly out very early in the morning. Where am I going? I'll give you a hint. My meeting will take place here:



if the photo won't display, click on it!
This is a scene from one of my favorite films. The first to name the film and where this scene is set might just get a small thank you gift for stopping by!

I miss you all already, but especially this guy...




-- Post From My iPad

Projects Galore

I really need to stop starting projects and finish something.



My ticker tape quilt is...huge. I quilted a quarter of it today, and will be headed to buy more thread tomorrow.



And I started this last weekend while sewing with some of my quilty peeps. Now if you've read my blog for any amount of time you know I loooooovvvveeeee novelty fabric. And Moda really isn't known for its novelty fabric. And therefore I don't tend to go gaga for Moda. But a few weeks ago I was in a local fabric store and came across the Hideaway line. Immediate love! Inspired by cuckoo clocks and Swiss chalets, this is my type of fabric line! I am hoping to have this done by mid-March.



And I received all of my postcards from the Fabric Postcard Swap and they are amazing! Yay!


-- Post From My iPad

Happy Valentine's Day

I had on my to-do list two Valentine's projects. I got one done, and I am saving the other for next year, I'm ready to move on!

This pillow idea came to me while working on the pineapple. I thought I would make a Valentine's themed pillow cover to replace the retro Christmas cover. I didn't really consider my Dresden size while cutting out the petals -- with the result of a 24" pillow cover! Whoops.

I had though that by placing two red petal together and then a white (etc.) that the petals would look like hearts. I don't think I was successful on that front, but it's still a festive cover.

I embroidery the center circle with plans to needle turn applique it. I do not have the needle turn skill or patience, so I just quickly machine stitched it to the front.


A quick envelope back and I am done! All the fabric for this came from my stash -- just like Pineapple Power! The next project is almost all newly-purchased fabric, but I am trying to go to the stash more often!

Still left to go this month:

• Pattern Pact February -- I chose a pin cushion from Quilts and More Magazine
• Old Red Barn Round 9 -- ready to assemble
• Hideaway Quilt -- this is the new one. The blocks are coming together
• Style Stitches Monthly Bag Challenge -- I have everything I need in my stash for month two, just need to get around to it

Pineapple Power!

I've finished the pineapples! They are now hanging at the top of the stairs, welcoming guests to our home.


I did a quick hand quilting with perle cotton, echoing the shape of the pineapple once with yellow, and again with green.


I actually labeled this one (Sacrebleu!) with an embroidered pineapple, which, as you can see, pleases Jaxon endlessly.


Or maybe it's the heart–shaped peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!

About time...

I thought it was about time I did something with my Hoop Up stitcheries. I *still* haven't done anything with round one (DON"T JUDGE ME!), but I did some rearranging to make way for round two. I moved the bulletin board from over the dresser in the sewing room and ended up with...


And so you can see how my "portholes" look...


Aren't they fabulous?! Thanks to Anna Joy and Dawn!

And I forgot about one of my IKEA purchases, apparently I have a thing for towel racks.


This one is behind my sewing room door with the aforementioned bulletin board. It's super cute, only it doesn't usually look this neat. More like....


...this. Oh well.

Sign ups for Pattern Pact February end soon! I have a super cute giveaway for February, so hop on over to Flickr and sign up!

One of those weeks...

Is it a bad sign that it is only Wednesday and I am already having one of those weeks? On Monday I locked my keys in my car when I dropped Jaxon off at preschool. I called AAA and they had a local truck dispatched within half an hour. I stood in the cold, windy parking lot with the driver for over an hour trying to get into my car...at which point he gave up. I didn't know they were allowed to do that. The director of the preschool drove me to work and Charlie brought my extra set of keys down when he got off work (an 1.5 hour drive). So I spent the day at work without my dress shoes (skirt and snow boots, anyone?), phone, laptop, wallet, or lunch. *sigh*

Then yesterday we had a weather change (lots of rain) and of course my sinuses FREAKED out and now I am laid up with a horrible sinus headache. UGH!

I am camped out on the couch with some work...but in between projects I get good behavior time to do handwork...


Quilting the pineapples! Yes, the sneaky peek was a pineapple! And I am planning a little block tutorial soon.

I rotate between the laptop and the pineapples, but always have the iPad for movie watching. Thanks to Netflix instant watch I have found a new favorite movie. Not in the way that Toy Story 3 and Inception were my favorites of 2010, but in the way that Mega Shark 3: Megalodon is my favorite bad movie. Mega Piranha is definitely up there. Here is an ACTUAL screen grab from the film.


Yes, that is a member of "special forces" bicycle kicking a giant piranha. This is what cheers me up when I am sick!

Also, I finished my February postcards for the Fabric Postcard Swap. I somehow forgot to take a picture of my Valentine card, but you can see it here at Julia's blog.

This is an everyday card that hasn't been received yet so keep it on the down low!


I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with both work commitments and my crafty agenda. Ohio University is on 10 week quarters (for one more year, and then we go to 14 week semesters). That means from about the third week of the quarter until about the eighth week, my blog gets very little love. I'm trying to be better about that, but here we are in week five and I haven't blogged in two weeks! Take for example my recent trip to IKEA! Prime blogging material! Of course, I picked up some fabric, but also found this towel rack on clearance for $9.


I have no need to hang towels on it, but quilts? Yes please!


I don't really have a place for it, so I put it in the corner of our dining room. Probably not the best place -- quilts and food don't usually mix -- but it is at least a temporary home.

I also picked up a table for Jaxon's room so his growing Lego collection could have a home. He loves it!


I've been thinking about what I want to get done -- crafty-wise -- in the month of February. Here's the list so far...

• Pineapple Wall Quilt
  
• Valentine's "Wreath" (pieces cut)
  
• Valentine's Pillow (supplies purchased)
  
• Ticker Tape Quilt for Old Red Barn Co. (pieces cut, didn't buy enough backing)
  
• Hideaway Quilt (still need more supplies)
  
• Pattern Pact February (I've selected my pattern for this month, have you?)
  

Shew! I need to get on task!