The Trials and Tribulations of Choosing Colors

I have a weak spot in my make-up

I have a challenge at choosing correct colors for projects.

Just when I think I have a winner, I stand back and say, 

Uh, Oh, Hmm

I have been working on a rug

from scrap fabrics in my stash.

I simply loved the fabric in the center and then I loved the light blue

One of my daughters (AKA design team to help out mom)

suggested that it needed some yellow,

so, some yellow and then some light green.

Okay, now a dark row... with some orange,

...wrong...

Take off the dark row and put on the orange...

At one point, there were four rows of orange...

wrong... again!

So, I took off two rows and added this multicolored fabric

ENNNTT!

wrong again.

All the orange came off...

Another part of my design team (a different daughter to help mom out)

suggested that I get some  more dark pink in there to pull out the center.

OK,

Then I added the darker row for the end,

at this point I am ready to be done with this!

View from if you were laying on the floor

not that you would need to know this, but just saying...

And one more shot of my favorite area

This is the back, if you want to put off washing the whole thing

for a day or two, turn it over.

Linking up to:

Made by me at JAQS Studio  

Transformation Thursday at Shabby Creek Cottage

Projects in the Making

I really have been busy...

Well, I am calling it busy anyway.

With the fall weather, it makes me want to do hand-work. Longer evenings, sitting in my favorite chair...

I saw these cute little crocheted pumpkins over at hip2thrift and just had to try them.

They were so easy, that I showed my 10 year old granddaughter how to make them and since she has made a few, they are currently selling in their parent's store. My daughter tells me they can't keep them in stock... how's that?

You still have time to make your own and get the pattern here.

At first I made a few.

Then a few more

Then I rummaged around in my stash and found a few more colors to try out, more gourd type.

Before I knew it I had almost a whole pumpkin/gourd patch

So, then I found some red yarn. The color here is not real...

When I showed my granddaughter, her comment was - "Tomatoes"!

I was making red apples, sigh.

On another front, I saw some fabric and started tearing it up for a rug

I have no idea where this is going and the color really looks washed out... wait, I'll take an indoor photo and see...

Well, that is a little better, not quite to washed out.

After I get a double row, like the part on the left, I don't really know where to go,

I usually steal from my stash and nothing is really "speaking" to me right now.

perhaps something dark? The middle part is kinda a salmon color...

When I first saw the fabric that is in the center and started knotting it together,

all I could think about was "Folk Art". It just seemed to have that flavor,

now, since I added the light blue, I am thinking "crazy quilt" or something along that lines.

Maybe "crazy lady".

Long way to go before it will be of any use, but a start.

You can get instructions for making your own creation of a rug from

a tutorial I did a while back. And, second part is here

It truly is a no sew rug. This one is rather tight, but it will wear well. Washable and all.

AND, if you do decide to make one, please share a picture or link back for me to see. I love to see what others are doing.

******

I also have a piece of burlap from a 50 pound sack that I am thinking about making into table runners.

I have so many ideas running around in my head and not enough energy to complete them.

"All Boy"

A new little one is on the way.

No, its not in our family, but we have known the grandparents for years.

I wanted to send along a little something

and this flannel just said, "take me and make something"

Flannel says,

whisper soft skin, so young

caresses

love of a mother

swaddling blankets

(I know, they don't do that any more, and I miss it)

~~~~~~

So, being it is going to be a boy...

The two pieces compliment each other

And, after trying to make a "self-binding" blanket the other day,

I decided to take the easy road and just sew along the edge of

two pieces, turn them and then sew along the edge.

My sewing machine sewed a flotilla of little sail boats along the edge

I wasn't sure what would happen when we got to the edge,

but the Coast Guard didn't even have to help us.

During the mindless sewing (the machine takes it away)

I was put in mind to pray for the family that will welcome this new little life.

May the mother guide this child with the love of the Lord in mind.

May the father be worthy of being the role model the child will see to view his heavenly father.

~~~~~

Now, what to do to keep it from shifting as it is washed.

I sewed from side to side in the center (don't tell the mother, she will think it is this way on purpose)

Then, because the flannel is so soft, so baby skin soft,

I had to think of the man he will become

Now, I will send it on its way to its new home.

Linking up to:

JAQS Studio: Made By Me

Birthday Quilt in "Royal Colors"

My friend "L" is having a birthday, so...

I asked her husband what was her favorite color.

He suddenly had that "deer in the headlight" look. He absently looked off, and then he said, oh, she likes them all.
So, I pressed him a little - does she like pastels, or strong colors, is she partial to one if you think about it? "Hmm", he said as he glanced over to her, "Oh, she likes purple, yeah, purple". When I looked across the room where his wife was visiting, I couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a purple top, so- Maybe she will like this lap quilt I am making for her, and maybe not.
I get the feeling that if she had worn red that night, that would have been her favorite color.

It made me wonder what would my husband say if someone asked him about my favorite color.

She suffers from MS, but you never, ever hear her complain about being chilly, or how her bones ache. I hope this little quilt will be just comfy enough to ward off the floor chills or she can take it with her in the car for a quick throw over her legs type of thing. Or, perhaps she will wrap her favorite little dog in it so they can snuggle together, whatever makes her happy.

Linking up to

Quilt Story: Fabric Tuesday

JAQS Studio: Made By ME party

The Vintage Farmhouse: Creative Things
French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Sprucing Up An Old Friend

Have you ever 'saved' something and then realized it was too late to use?

Well, a long, long time ago, when I was a child, yes, boys and girls, I was once a child.

I was given a doll. It had a wardrobe, a bed, a little nightstand and a chest for the end of the bed. I think the original gift had a chair also, but I don't have it now. This is what I think would be called "vintage".
It still has the original dress, although the shoes are long gone.

Well, when my children were small, I got it out for the girls to play with.

I thought they were too 'rough' with it, though, after all, it was mine when I was a child. I guess I still claimed ownership, even though I was way too old to use it again.

When I discovered that one of the boys had performed orthopedic surgery on one of the girl's dolls. (he cut off the toes - I think to see if it would bleed - at least he didn't operate on one of the girls...)

Anyway, I put my doll up in the cupboard, away from destructive hands...

Well, the other day I discovered it again. My girls are too old (all in their 30's, almost a 40 year old)

The grandchildren that are girls, well, most are approaching their teens, running full steam ahead and the only one left to play with the set will be 8 soon.

Where, oh where, did all the time go?

So, I decided that this doll was doing no good to me. I don't even have the grandchildren over to play with the doll. So,the youngest grand -girl would get it.

(my name sake)

It has seen a lot of wear and tear through the years.

I made a small quilt to go on the bed, and a nightgown for the doll, a little pillow and mattress, and I plan on sending it soon to Texas. 

You can see the size of the quilt by the coffee mug next to it.

I don't want to wait any longer, this grandchild may be getting married before I realize that the time has flown by. Sorry to the other grand - girls. You will just have to play with the doll when you visit "M".

********
Linking up to

JAQS Studio - Made By Me # 41
Quilt Story: Fabric Tuesday
Shabby Creek Cottage Transformation Thursday
French Country Cottage -Feathered Nest Friday
The Vintage Farmhouse Creative Things Thursday

Revamping a Design, WIP

Awhile back, here...

I wanted to make a jelly roll, quick fix quilt...

Well, after it was all sewed together with the fabric

I didn't like it.

I tried to like it.

I turned it this way

I turned it that way.

I folded it up and hid it from view.

It just grated against some nerve or something.

I decided to make it up and sell it.

I couldn't even do that.

So, I got it out again and looked it over.

I decided that if I took out some prints I could live with it.

(why do I have that gene that won't let me just throw stuff away?)

I didn't pay full price for the fabric, I probably got it at a yard sale...

This is what I ended up with.

I kinda like it now, I know fickle women...

I still need to find some kind of backing and I think I may put on a border if it suits me.

But, that is what is going on around here.

How is your day going?

Jelly Roll Quilt Top WIP

I just found out what "WIP" means-- Work In Progress

I have seen this on other blogs, but never could figure it out. Well, someone had it and in parenthesis had provided the translation, thank you, thank you.

Now, back to this attempt. I saw a post about Jelly Roll Races here and I was intrigued. I had a jelly roll of reproduction vintage prints that was screaming to be used. I first thought this would be a baby quilt, but I am not sure at this point. I may just have to stay home. I make quilts for a lot of others -- and well, always a bridesmaid and never a bride, if you know what I mean.

This was probably the fastest quilt top I have ever pieced.
I started out with 20 different fabrics, they are pre-cut across the width of the fabric, and there were two of each print.

I sewed them together, end to end and had 1600 inches of strip.

That's a long, long, long strip.

You join the two ends and sew them side by side and then cut the ends. Now you have 800 inches of strip, still a long one.

You do this again, and now you have 400 inches and 4 strips side by side.

Continue, and with a few more seams (and each one is half as long as the previous one) you have you finished top.

It needs to be squared up and I think I will put borders on this. A light solid color.

What do you think? Pretty big and bright for a baby?  I do have other pink fabric that I can cut into 2.5 inch strips and do this again, only on a smaller scale.

What's the verdict?

Bamboozled! Flying By the Seat of My Pants!

I consider myself an accomplished sewer. Not to boast, but I have sewed tailored jackets, dresses, clothes for myself, clothing for my children as they were growing, wedding dresses when that time came for more than my three girls. Quilts, curtains, gifts, you name it, I have probably tried it. This project bamboozled me!

I took one look at the directions and thought, piece of cake.  Well, I had problem after problem.

 It wasn't the fault of the directions, I want to make that clear, but it was me! I am an "eyeballer". OK, now that I have confessed to that... there are probably a lot other things I should confess to, but we can leave that for another time and place. Hence, "flying by the seat of my pants". There have been many projects that I have just made it up as I go along - one of my daughters has the same problem talent...

I sewed up the sides, but when I got ready to do the corners, I cut the wrong angle... OOOPS! Now I had a mess. Please forgive the poor quality of the photos, the sewing reflected...

I had to take it all apart - something I hate to do, cut it down and then I thought about adding something to the front - the flowers with the left over-cut off flannel.

Well, that was OK, but I had to work with those funny corners I had already cut. They distinctly did not like me. This photo shows the lumps - not my best work.

and again. When I decided to do a decorative stitch on the outside, I ran out of bobbin thread (doesn't it always happen when we don't want it to?) I then couldn't find the same color until I looked everywhere!

Well, I am sure that the baby won't take notice. 

And, I AM going to do this again and again until I conquer this,

or wish I had never started.