Friday Friday, so good to me

This will be a quickie update on a quickie project.

I love polka dots. They make me smile.  They were my immediate choice for my blocks for Sarah.
Don't remember Sarah's request for help? Click here to read it.


 I finished these up this morning! I'm not sure how much more sewing I'll get to today so at least these pretties are leaving me feeling good for the day :)

I think they turned out alright, considering I have never done either block.


The tutorials/patterns were easy to follow and I am hoping that Sarah (and more importantly the girls) like them.

II am sending 'em off with lots of good karma and warm fuzzies.

Do you like quickie projects as much as me?

WIP Wednesday 8/24/11

What an exciting week! I can hardly wrap my brain around all of the good creative karma...

New Projects

1. Talented quilter and sweet blogger Sarah put out the call for help , and I couldn't say no. She's asking volunteers to sew a few blocks for two special quilts for two girls in foster care. 

One of the women to step up to the plate, Jen has already pieced two blocks in the the girls favorite colors, pink and purple.

Aren't they wonderful? I better get going on this!

Please read the rest of the story if you haven't already and see if you'd like to help. And if you have signed up to help (I know many of you have), brava!  You girls make me so proud to be part of this community!

2. Okay gooshy blog love aside, I think I may have a new addiction. Apparantly signing up for my first quilt along last week was like taking a gateway drug. I've barely sliced my ATS QAL pretties before totally hopping on board for another! 

I'm brainstorming colorways for the Dead Simple QAL now. 

I'm having trouble picking just one though... HELP!! 

Progress

1. Across the Sea QAL is officially underway! Cutting instructions were posted on Monday by Jennifer!
I've started cutting! (will post photos when I can get my schedule, camera, and natural lighting to cooperate..)

2. I spent about an hour working on the quilting my Scrappy Friendship Quilt the other night. Was it alot of progress? Ummmm no. But on principle I am including it. So there. You can't stop me! Ha!  

Woah.. Okay sorry about that. Got a bit excited there...

No Progress

1. Quilt with No Name
2. Sewing Room Pencil Holder
3. Color Wheel Charm Swap (mailed mine, can't wait for that return package!)
4. Thomas the Tank Train Bag
5. Log Cabin Flag Quilt (partially quilted)
6. Quilts for Kids (2 quilt kits) 
7. Needle Case
8. The Great Couch Re-cover 

This week's stats:

New projects - 2

Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress -12

This post is linked up to Freshly Pieced 

Let's see what everyone has been up to this week! 

Playing With Color (Dead Simple QAL )

This post is part of a series related to the Dead Simple Quilt along.

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What do the design seed palettes and potato chips have in common? You can't just have one. Fortunately the color palettes are diet-friendly, so I am going to get my fill.


Here are my three favorite inspiration photos and palettes.

I did a quickie mock up with those colors to see how they played en mass.
What do you think?

I'm truly torn. I was hoping that looking at them this way would make it easier to pick one.

Ya no. Not so much.  Still love them equally. Poo.


I need your opinion! Favs? Hates? Loves?

Dead Simple QAL

Have you noticed quilters and designers pulling color palettes from Design Seeds? It's a website that presents colorways from photographs like this. 

I love the idea with starting simply with colors and building a quilt from there.
But, I haven't actually used Design Seeds to do that, yet.
Emphasis on the Yet. That may be changing.

Enter the ..

Lynne at Lily's Quilts is putting together a unique quilt along: the Dead Simple Quilt Along.

 

  

As per her description- Each person picks one palette and then rummages around in their stash for a selection of fabrics matching that palette. 

We then all make a Dead Simple Quilt where the palette, not the piecing, is the star of the show.

What a great concept, right?
Can't wait to see how she runs with this idea!

WIP Wednesday 8/17/11

It's WIP wednesday again. Already? Seriously? How can that be?

Do you ever need a vacation when you get back from vacation to catch up with laundry, groceries and life in general like I do right now?  Sewing has been minimal, but the fabric has been bountiful, so here's what I got goin' on:

New Projects

 1. I'm signed up and raring to go for my first quilt along!  

It's the Accross the Sea QAL (read more about it here).  

Here is my preliminary pull of fabrics. It's a mix of fat quarters and half yard cuts from my stash. Jury is still out on the multi-colored prints...

What do you think?

Progress

1. Rainbow Charm Swap (a.k.a. mission yellow).

I found my yellow and yellow-orange fabric in a fabric shop pit stop along my travels this week!

Yellow - Modern Workshop by Liesl Gibson for Oliver + S for Moda

Yellow-Orange - Strawberry Field by Alice Kennedy for Timeless Treasures Fabrics

Yellow was trickier than I was expecting it to be, but I love both of these! Hopefully my co-swappers will like them too!

No Progress

1. Quilt with No Name
2. Scrappy Friendship Quilt (partially quilted)
3. Log Cabin Flag Quilt (partially quilted)
4. Quilts for Kids (2 Quilts - in various stages)
   
5. Sewing Room Pencil Holder
6. Thomas the Tank Train Bag
7. Needle Case
   This week's stats:  
   New projects - 1  
   Completed projects - 0
   Currently in progress - 9
   Now hop on over to Freshly Pieced to see what everyone else has been up to this week! 

Ready, Set, Quilt Along

Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts and Sarah of FairyFace Designs are two of my blogland superheros.

            

I could go on and on about them, but that would be creepy. So, the abridged version is that they are both fun people and amazingly talented quilters.

Now I've learned (not surprisingly) that the two are good friends. Better yet- they are teaming up to share some wisdom and inspiration in a quilt-a-long!

(Read more of the Juicy QAL Details over at Jennifer and Sarah's introduction here and here)

I will confess. I thought I'd be sitting on the Sew-along sidelines for a little longer. I am still new to the land of sewing blogs, and goodness knows I have a bajillion (yes, I counted) projects that are sitting in sad little boxes and bags waiting for me to finish them. BUT ...

The Across the Sea QAL is beginner friendly.    Beginner, check. 

It is also fat-quarter friendly.     Fat-quarters in the stash, check.

Seems pretty perfect to me.

This is the point in my scheming at which the voices in my head make their presence known...

One is reminding me that my WIP list was at 6 last week.  A much louder and more convincing voice says that Sister and I won't be able to work on our quilt anytime soon, and my other quilts are pieced, sandwiched and in the final stage of quilting. Oh, and what is the point of a stash if you never dive in and use it?

BAM!  And that is how I justify starting a new project.

Operation Raid Stash: COMMENCE!

Here's the first set of pulls.

What do you think??  I'm not sure of the light multi-color prints.
Is it playing it too safe to keep it to just all tonal? 

WIP Wednesday 8/10/11

This is my first official installment of WIP Wednesdays at freshly pieced!

Can I count this post as a completed project?   No, I didn't think so. But it IS tempting, since virtually all true sewing progress has come to a screeching halt.

T and I are on a week long adventure that includes but isn't limited to car repairs, visiting family, and the obligatory eating of 1 year old wedding cake.  Silly me did not pack any sewing stuff. Rookie mistake.

T has tactfully kicked me out of the garage, " some jobs are easier with only one set of hands."   So, I've spent most of my afternoons catching up on my stalking blogging and daydreaming about what I could be doing if I had packed my sewing machine.. ah well... 

Finished Projects

1. The basement curtains for my Uncle are done! I forgot them at my apartment though, so they are not gracing their new home, yet. I can however check that off of my list. YAY!

New Projects

1. Rainbow Charm Swap (a.k.a. mission yellow). I am on the hunt for yellow and yellow-orange fabric to share in the Rainbow Charm Swap!

Some of the swappers are totally on top of their game, and have already posted their selections onto flickr. Aren't they finding some great stuff?   I love the thrill of the hunt!

No Progress

1. Quilt with No Name
2. Scrappy Friendship Quilt (partially quilted)
3. Log Cabin Flag Quilt (partially quilted)
   
4. Sewing Room Pencil Holder
5. Thomas the Tank Train Bag
6. Needle Case
   This week's stats:  
   New projects - 1  
   Completed projects - 1
   Currently in progress - 6

My Small Blog is pleased to meet you!

Hello Stranger!

If you've come from the Small Blog Meet linky party at Lily's Quilts, welcome to my small blog!  
And if you haven't, welcome anyway! 

Keep reading to get to know me a bit, and feel free to visit a few other small blogs at the meet!

Who: 

 

  Annaliese at the Pewter Acorn

What: 

I'm an environmental scientist, with a ever-expanding love of fabrics and DIY. 

Last summer I married my college-sweetheart, who is a high school music teacher and mechanic. We are both eclectic, no?

(psstt...can I get a whoop whoop for celebrating our 1 year anniversary yesterday?? )

Where:

I grew up in New Jersey, but moved to to central Pennsylvania for college and haven't left. What can I say, I love it out here (even if the smell of cow is usually in the air)! There are trees, hills, and a beautiful River to keep my inner tree-hugger happy. 

 {image source}

Why (I quilt):  My love affair with fabric began around age 4. At that time my mom was a SAHM , and started her own home decor sewing and upholstery business on the side. I'm no child development specialist, but that's about the age children can recognize shapes, colors and patterns. I have vivid memories of her bringing me and my sister to the fabric store. There were baskets of thread, bins of notions, and a huge long tall playground of the most wonderful colorful fabric. My sister and I weren't tall enough to pull fabric, so we would run about the store organizing loose thread and mismatched notions. (you're welcome, sales associates!)

From there I was granted permission to use my Grandmothers old green Elna machine to learn alongside my mom as she worked. 

My Grandmother's Elna (aka the green machine) looked very much like this beauty

{image source}

I graduated from practicing with no thread on lined paper to make my first pillow when I was about 8.  

I created the pattern in the computer program Paint and was pretty darn proud of it ;)

I sewed on or off for the next ten years, but didn't really fall back in love with it until the end of high school. Now, I constantly peruse craft blogs for inspiration and new (to me) techniques and share sewing phone dates with my mom every week or so.

Why (I blog): There are some amazing blogs out there, and many of them come from the heart and home of quilters, crafters and sewers. Maybe you know a few of them?  

Ashley at Make it and Love it 
AnneMarie at Gen X Quilters
Lee at Freshly Pieced
Lynne at Lily's Quilts

Those ladies got my creative juices flowing, and from that inspiration my little blog was built. Now I'm paying it forward, and sharing my creative adventures with you all.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit, leave a comment, I'd like to meet you (and your blog too)!

Thanks for stopping by!

No More Trippin' Over Trains

I love my nephew.

I love how he and his grandpa (my dad) have bonded over trains.

I most definitely do not love tripping over his fleet of Thomas the Tank Engine trains when he visits.

It's kind of adorable watching him try to get in the door with 7 trains clenched in his little hands.

, at the end of the day, I didn't pay $20 on a pedicure just to chip it on Thomas....mmmkay?

Enter these beauties

 
They may not look like much right now.. but once I'm done with them  my nephew will have his very own drawstring bag to carry his beloved trains in.

Something like this perhaps?

{Photo Source}

And there just coincidentally *cough cough* happens to be a tutorial for that very bag on Mamaurchin's Site!

Okay, so it's not really a coincidence at all. It's me taking my college professor's advice to heart-
 "Don't reinvent the wheel! Use the resources you have, then adapt."
Thanks Dr. C, I'll keep sticking to that advice!


Inventing the wheel or not, I am sure of this:

 More trains for nephew + less tripping for me = win win!

I.O.U 2 Basement Curtains

Back in December I played a little round of bumper cars while visiting family in New Jersey.

Hubs was wonderful and promptly began putting the pieces back together for me. He's a mechanical repair genius, but can only do so much on the gravel patch we call a driveway.  Enter my Uncle.. who let us invade his warm, dry, garage for the repairs.

How could we ever repay him?
Well, for a start, he's alluded to needing some simple basement curtains.

I picked up some blue cotton remnant fabric.  The plan is to make a giant tube, slice and dice it to make 8 loops, and just hem around two   24x22 rectangles.
Seems straight forward enough, right?

Here's a close up of the  loops...

See the white lines near the bottom of the loops? I measured and marked the loops 2.5"  from the fold, to make sure they hung the same distance down from the curtain rod. Yay for thinking ahead!!


It's going together quickly when I am working on it, but I'm not a fan ironing in this heat, so I've stepped away from it a few times. So far, I've turned the top and bottom hems and have started putting loops on.

My goal is to get it done by Wednesday, so I can bring them to their new home on Thursday!
 _____________________________

Edited: This is a finished project and the recipient was pleased.