GIANT apology and a little progress

Happy Friday, Everyone!


I wanted to start this post with a GIANT apology to all the wonderful people who have ever left a comment on one of my posts.  As you know, the comments show up on the post itself and also as an email in my inbox.  Instead of replying to the emails, I usually come back and "reply" to the actual comment on my blog.  I just realized this week that when I do it that way, the person who commented doesn't get an email back from me.... and might think I ignored (or worse yet, didn't appreciate!) their comment.  This makes me very sad, because comments MAKE MY DAY and I appreciate every single one of them!!!  From now on, I'll reply to the emails (instead of the comments on the blog) to make sure you get a response.  I'll be a good bloggy friend from now on, I promise!!


Now on to the progress I made on my May Small Project Sew Along list this week.... 


I was able to cross a few things off this week.  Woo hoo!


I made this messenger bag for my kindergartener's BFF's birthday (say that 3 times fast!):

Full post about the messenger bag it is here

I also got some embroidery and applique done for The Forever Project:

Full post about The Forever Project is here

Made some goodies for my running buddies:

Full post about these zippered pouches is here

My current projects are these 3 items on my list:

15. Make or find a simple pattern for a tote / beach bag

16. Make a year-end gift for my kindergartener's teacher

17. Make a year-end gift for my 3rd grader's teacher

I have come up with a pattern (item #15) and I'm using it to make #16 and #17 (year-end teacher gifts).  I'm working on the first one now but it is not finished yet (as you can see from the photo below).  I'm hoping determined to complete this one and make one more this weekend.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've worked on this week!

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Linking up with: 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for "Whoop Whoop Friday"

Sew Many Ways for "Find a Friend Friday"

AmyLouWho for "Sew and Tell" (no link up today)

Pieceful Life for "Show Off Friday" 

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~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Appliqued Ragnar Zippered Pouches

You probably know what applique is... and what a zippered pouch is... but what the heck is a Ragnar?  I'm so glad you asked!  :-)

Ragnars are 200 mile running relays which take place all across the United States.  Teams of 12 people (or 6, if you're particularly crazy) start at Point A on Friday morning and take turns running legs between 2-10 miles each for a total of about 200 consecutive miles.  Each runner takes 3 turns and teams run continuously (day and night) until they cross the finish line sometime on Saturday afternoon / evening.

I took part in my first Ragnar (from Miami to Key West, Florida) in January (it took us about 32 hours) and will run in my second Ragnar in New York (from Saratoga Springs to Lake Placid, site of the 1980 Winter Olympic games, though the Adirondack Mountains) in September.  

I'm the team captain for my Ragnar Adirondack Relay team and thought it would be nice to make a little "something" for the 11 other ladies on my team.  (Did I mention we're an all girls team?  Fun!!)  It would have been great to make everyone a full size bag but alas, that might have taken forever, so a zippered pouch it was!

I started with these little piles of denim.

I found out everyone's favorite color and thanks to the miracles of (1) the internet and (2) Heat 'n Bond, I was able to make a little Ragnar logo in everyone's favorite color.  I paired these with my new (gluttonous) stash of zippers and was ready to roll.

I began by ironing a logo to the bottom front piece of denim.

Satin stitched around the edges of each one in matching thread.  These logos are small so those points were hard to make "pointy."

Even though the denim was heavy, I used some non-woven stabilizer on the back.

I removed the stabilizer from the outside of each logo (on the back) but not from the middle. Sheer laziness, really, but it's washable (not paper) so I think it will be fine.

I just love this stack of FINISHED little bags!  If you count, you'll see there are only 11.  One of our original team members just found out she needs hip surgery and won't be able to run with us, so bag #12 will get made as soon as we find someone to take the last open spot.

These bags are 5" wide and 5.5" tall.  Perfect size for all my "essentials" when I go to the gym... phone, energy bar, license, cash, keys.

My zippered pouch is filled and ready to go.  A perfect match to the Rag Bag I made myself back in March.

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I'm now happily moving project #19 to the "Completed Items" section of my May Small Project Sew Along list!

Completed items:

1. Complete H2H quilt - link here

2. Complete Laura's quilt - link here

3. Make pillow to match Laura's quilt - link here
5. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) wall hangings (1 done, 2 not started) - link here
6. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) Mickey pillows - link here

7. Make a green mug rug in time for Mother's Day  - link here

9. Finish April Seasonal Skinny (flimsy is complete) - link here
10. Complete 2 ladybug Seasonal Skinnies for May - link here

12. Make a portable sewing kit / bag / holder / something-or-other - link here

13. Start (and finish) embroidery for "The Forever Project" - link here
14. Complete "Om" block for "The Forever Project" - link here

18. Make a birthday gift for kindergartener's BFF - link here

19. Make a "surprise" for my 11 running partners + myself - DONE!

Not started or in progress:

4. Finish quilt for Sujay (flimsy is complete)

8. Make a pink mug rug just because I want to
11. Cut fabric for summer hexie project
15. Make or find a simple pattern for a tote / beach bag
16. Make a year-end gift for my kindergartener's teacher
17. Make a year-end gift for my 3rd grader's teacher
20. Make an Unruly letters pillow for Kim
21. Update my running scrapbook (no sewing involved!)
22. Figure out a plan of attack for the "Unless" quilt

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Linking up with Applique Thursday over at A Quilting Reader's Garden.  Be sure to hop over there and take a look at some of the amazing work the other ladies have done!  (And so much by hand... I aspire to that someday!!)

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~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Ladybug Skinnies

I have a goal this year to make one Seasonal Skinny per month.  I started in March (shamrocks) and made one for April (Easter egg).  I am a little late in finishing up May, but this is my favorite one so far!

These skinnies would probably make great table runners, but I hang mine on the wall.

Start with a few scraps of fabric, sew them together and cut out the shape.

A little Heat 'n Bond, some zig-zag stitching around the edges and voila!

Ladybugs make me smile!  :-)

In addition to the one I made for myself (on the right, red binding), I'm making a 2nd skinny every month, too.  I'm planning to give those (once I have a whole year's worth complete) to a good friend of mine as a gift.

This is (clearly) not a ladybug.  This was my 2nd Easter Egg skinny from April.  The top was done but it needed a backing and a binding.  Finally finished it!

I have 3 months done so far for each set of skinnies.  Ice cream cones are on tap for June!

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Happy to cross two more things (#9 and #10) off my project list for the May Small Project Sew Along:

Completed items:

1. Complete H2H quilt - link here

2. Complete Laura's quilt - link here

3. Make pillow to match Laura's quilt - link here
5. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) wall hangings (1 done, 2 not started) - link here
6. Make 3 small memory (t-shirt) Mickey pillows - link here

7. Make a green mug rug in time for Mother's Day  - link here

9. Finish April Seasonal Skinny (flimsy is complete) - DONE!
10. Complete 2 ladybug Seasonal Skinnies for May - DONE!

12. Make a portable sewing kit / bag / holder / something-or-other - link here

Not started or in progress:

4. Finish quilt for Sujay (flimsy is complete)

8. Make a pink mug rug just because I want to
11. Cut fabric for summer hexie project
13. Start (and finish) embroidery for "The Forever Project"
14. Complete "Om" block for "The Forever Project"
15. Make or find a simple pattern for a tote / beach bag
16. Make a year-end gift for my kindergartener's teacher
17. Make a year-end gift for my 3rd grader's teacher
18. Make a birthday gift for kindergartener's BFF
19. Make a "surprise" for my 11 running partners + myself
20. Make an Unruly letters pillow for Kim
21. Update my running scrapbook (no sewing involved!)
22. Figure out a plan of attack for the "Unless" quilt

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Linking up with: 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for "Whoop Whoop Friday"

Sew Many Ways for "Find a Friend Friday"

AmyLouWho for "Sew and Tell" (no link up this week)

Pieceful Life for "Show Off Friday" 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've worked on this week!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Made with Love for Bella

Last week I posted about a memory quilt I had made for the family of a little boy named Ryan, who passed away last year when he was only 8 years old.  That was actually the second memory quilt I had made.  Today I wanted to share the first one I made, back in June 2011.

Jon was one of my sister's best friends.  He was only 24 when he was killed in an automobile accident in August 2009.  His funeral was on my sister's birthday.

His younger sister had a baby girl (Bella) the following year, who would never have the chance to know her Uncle Jon.  Bella's mom asked if I could make a small quilt for Bella, using some of Jon's clothes.  

I started with 2 t-shirts and a pair of blue jeans.

Bella's mom also asked me to include this terrycloth sleeper, which belonged to a cousin of Bella's who passed away when he was still a young baby.

Here's what I put together.  I don't recall the exact measurement,

but I'd guess it to be about 35 x 50 or so.

I didn't have a clear plan in mind when I started making this quilt.  I found some fabric in my stash that matched the colors in the clothes but might help "girl them up" a bit.  I basically just made blocks from the clothes, then fit them together like a puzzle, filling in with strips of fabric.

One of Jon's t-shirts.

The hearts are made from the sleeves of a t-shirt.  The green letters are made from another shirt and are appliqued on to a piece of blue jeans.

I've mentioned before how important ladybugs are in my family and as a result, to many of our close friends.  This quilt wasn't going to be complete without one!  The red and green are from Jon's t-shirts, and they are appliqued to a piece of his denim.

Another t-shirt.

I made this appliqued teddy bear out of the terrycloth sleeper.  I started with one big shape and used satin stitching to define the features, arms, feet, etc.  Those blue hearts are appliqued to a piece of Jon's gray t-shirt.

This might be my favorite block.  Those flowers are 3-dimensional.  I made them from the arm bands of the t-shirts.  The green stems are from the waist band of the other t-shirt.

The flowers are in a "pot" made from the pocket of Jon's jeans.

Of course, ladybugs for the back.

I think the Beautiful Ms. Bella likes it!

Have you ever made a memory quilt, or a quilt using t-shirts or other clothing?  If so, please leave me a comment or a link, I'd love to see what you've done!  I've got one other one in progress... a GIANT t-shirt quilt for a friend of mine.  I've dubbed it "The Forever Project" because "forever" is about how long it might take me to finish it.  I am a little bit stuck on how to proceed with it, so any and all ideas are helpful!




~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Huggy Star Quilt

One of my dearest friends, Brenda, gave me a piece of fabric last July and asked me to "make her something nice" with it.  She has a thing for stars like I have a thing for ladybugs.  She had purchased the fabric a while ago then didn't know what to do with it.  My goal was to make her a Christmas (2011) gift with it but alas, I ran out of time.

This "huggy quilt" measures 27" wide x 58" long.  It's made to be a wrap (vs. a full quilt) so that she can wrap herself in a hug whenever she needs one.

The pattern was very simple, as you can see.  I used 5 different ivory / oatmeal tone-on-tone prints from my stash for the squares, and added in some light blue rectangles.  I used Brenda's dark blue star print fabric for the appliqued stars, backing and binding.

I didn't realize how not-so-great these pictures were until just now and alas, the quilt is already in the mail so retakes aren't possible.  I'm sure you'll get the idea!

Couldn't resist taking this photo in our awesome South Florida sunshine with a palm tree and puffy white clouds!

This is the embroidered quilt tag I made a few weeks back (post / tutorial here) but alas, I didn't take a photo of it on the quilt.  *sigh*  I have to get better at this picture taking stuff!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Friday Finishes

I have a few finishes to share this week.  Two are mine, one belongs to my beautiful daughter, who is not old enough to have a blog of her own.


First, I posted my very first tutorial this week, on how to make an embroidered quilt tag.  I like to make these for every "personal" quilt I make (those I give to family and friends).  I've seen (and bookmarked and used) so many great tutorials online that I wanted to take a stab at one of my own.  I hope you enjoy it!  Here's a link to the tutorial for making a tag like this one:

Second, I completed the first of the monthly "Seasonal Skinnies" I plan to make.  Since it's March, I opted for a shamrock pattern for St. Patrick's Day.  This finishes at about 14" x 28" and I'm planning to make at least one each month this year, to correspond with a holiday.  I'm hoping to make a few others (such as the birthday cupcake and the ladybugs) which don't tie to any specific month.  The patterns are easy to follow and I used only scraps / stash.  I was in a bit of a hurry so I just quilted around each shamrock and then stitched in the ditch around the border.  I hope to do some FMQ on the background of my April Skinny (an Easter Egg).

Last but *certainly* not least....

I have two daughters, ages 5 and 8.  They are always asking if they can "help" me sew.  My little one likes to design mini quilts for her stuffed animals, or play with my scraps and strings.  My older one was really anxious to sew all by herself so I bought her a very basic machine to learn on.  I think my machine is a lot easier to use, but two sewers necessitates two machines, right?

First, I had her practice sewing straight lines.  Lots of straight lines.  When she felt comfortable with that, I let her choose some 5" squares from a box full I had.  She laid them out into 4 rows of 3 squares each and began to sew.  I did the ironing for her, but I taught her about ironing seams in opposite directions, pinning the rows together and when her top was done, sandwiching the quilt.  She helped pin baste all the layers together and quilted it with a "stitch in the ditch" method.  She even sewed on the binding (with some pinning help from me).  She's a little disappointed that not all her lines are straight, and I probably should have given her some thread that matched a little better (we used white for the whole thing), but I think this is a *speactacular* first quilt for an eight year old!

I wish I had taken some more photos along the way, but she's ready to make more projects (she wants to try a bag next) so I'll definitely make sure I use the camera more next time.

Oh.... if you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge 2012 over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict!  You can link to the details here, or see my post about it here.

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Linking up with: 

Crazy Mom Quilts for  "Finish it Up Friday" 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict for "Whoop Whoop Friday"

AmyLouWho for "Sew and Tell"

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've worked on this week!

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~