Friday, February 13, 2015

Valentines Fabric Sales!

Just wanted to pop in with a few great fabric sales from a few sponsors!  Don't forget to spoil yourself a little bit this weekend, and what better way than with fabric!

Rose Room Quilts - A Modern Fabric Shop

Rose Room Quilts is offering 20% off of any purchase over $25 now through Monday, February 16, 2015 when you use code Sweet 20 at checkout!!  My mind has been on sewing Nora a few summer outfits and these Wee Wander prints might have to make their way  to my sewing room.

Glow Friends in Pink - Click Image to Close Summer Ride in Seafoam

Lady Belle Fabric

Lady Belle Fabric is having a whole host of great deals!  Be sure to check out the sale selection, with oodles of prints at $6 - $7 per yard!  

Enchant Main Pink by Cinderberry Stitches for Riley Blake Enchant Tea Party Aqua by Cinderberry Stitches for Riley Blake

These super sweet Cinderberry Stitches prints are on their way to me as we speak, Nora will most definitely be the cutest kid at daycare!  Lady Belle Fabric also has new fabrics in stock - Daysail, Fresh Cut and Hello Bear!


Dragonfly Fabrics now has Mochi in stock!!  While your picking up this beautiful fabric line, be sure to check out the coordinating solids to match. 

Up Parasol by Heather Bailey is also 15% off through the week, use code UpParasol15 at checkout!


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Have you seen Fat Quarter Shop's 24 Hour Flash Sales??  Every day at 10:00 AM a new deal is available for 12 hours!  Be sure to check early and often for each day's great deals, and hint hint, on Tuesday there are 2 flash sales!  One at 10 AM and one at 10 PM!

Happy Valentine's Day weekend, and happy shopping!

Monday, February 9, 2015

Giveaway & Be Mine Valentine Bunting

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Happy Monday!  I had the pleasure of working with the folks at Benartex to put together a new version of my Be Mine Valentine Garland Tutorial!  Head over to the Benartex blog Sew in Love {with Fabric} to check out the tutorial. 

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While you are over there, be sure to follow Sew in Love {with Fabric}either by reader or email or pop over to follow Benartex on Facebook.  The lovely folks of Benartex have graciously offered a fat quarter bundle of Love is All Around (fabric used to make this bunting--the X's and O's are my favorite!) to one lucky SewCraftyJess reader!  Simply leave a comment below telling me you now follow the Benartex blog or Facebook page.

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Giveaway will be open until Friday, February 13, 2015 at 9:00 AM.  US residents only.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Once Upon a Time Sampler: Complete!

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I am so incredibly excited to be writing this post, as it means the year long Once Upon a Time Sampler I began working on one year ago is now complete!

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I'll say it now, pardon the picture heavy post, but I just can't help myself!  There isn't one thing that I don't absolutely love about this.  Each month would bring a huge smile when I saw the new pattern in my inbox, and would anxiously get to stitching each little block.

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Call me sentimental, but I just look back at those early months and remember my stitching time was usually with Nora laying next to me on the couch or while I was pumping.  Ugh that dreaded pump.  Anyways, this was my compromise with myself, I got to do something fun while doing something not so fun.  Anyways, I look at July's block and remember I stitched that one at the beach. 

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The majority of these blocks were stitched while sitting on my corner of the couch, after Nora was put to sleep and the hubs and I caught up on some DVR and enjoyed a quiet evening alone.  For the moment, cross stitching is my quick little portable project that I can pick up here and there and work on little bits at a time.

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This sampler is destined for a spot on Nora's wall, I think she'll get a kick out of it as she gets older and we read longer fairy tales (right now our attention span can make it through Goodnight Moon, and that's about it), and we can point to each picture that matches the story.

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I have grand plans to get this framed, but I'm not sure I want to spend hundred(s) of dollars--and don't you dare tell my husband that's how much it cost to get my Gingerbread Lane Sampler framed--he thinks it was $50.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  I've tried to frame them myself, and it just doesn't look as nice.  I've seen Michaels does quasi-custom framing, maybe that will be a good compromise?  Anyone have any framing tips  that would help?  I'm all ears!

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  For now I just like to pull it out and run my hands over all those stitches, admiring the hours and hours and hours spent on this little guy!  Happy stitching!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

First quilt top of 2015!

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I'm proud to say my first quilt top of 2015 is completed!  And January isn't even over yet, I'm giving myself a big pat on the back here.  And more so, the actual quilt is even complete, I'm just waiting on some decent weather to get back outside and snap a few pictures!  We luckily missed the brunt of the blizzard of 2015, being in Pittsburgh, we got about 6 inches or so yesterday and that was it.  I know I'm probably crazy, but I sort of like getting those huge snowstorms!  Yes, call me nuts, but I'll never be sad about a free snow day :-)

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There is absolutely nothing that I don't 1000% love about this quilt, its just so pretty and girly, and reminds me of warmer temps and summer.  I mean if its not going to snow enough to get me out of work, then I'd rather it be 80 degrees and summer.  #amiright???

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This quilt is destined for a very good friend who just had her third baby, and after two boys, now has a baby girl to dress in pink and wear pretty dresses and headbands!  I wanted this quilt to be almost too sweet, as I'm sure little baby A will have PLENTY of Tonka trucks and Matchbox cars in her life, with those two older brothers of hers.

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I cut into my Far Far Away bundle and fussy cut a few of my favorite prints, including the unicorns, Princess and the Pea prints as well as a few frogs and snails, and paired them with pretty oranges, yellows and pinks from my stash to put together this super sweet baby quilt.

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I'm also playing around with my new camera lens Santa brought for Christmas, a 50 mm f/1.8 prime lens, I think I'm getting the hang of it, at least for stationary objects like quilts, but having a trickier time with moving subjects, like miss Nora who is on the go 100% of the time, usually climbing on something or other, so if anyone has any great tutorials they've come across or resources, I'd love to hear about it!

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As soon as I have a good day to snap some pics, I'll be back with the finished quilt, and can finally get this quilt off to Miss A so it can be properly snuggled with all that baby goodness.  

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Hello 2015!

I can hardly believe we have already said goodbye to 2014 and hello to 2015!  When I look back on 2014 I'm of course consumed with images of our sweet Nora and how crazy fast she is growing, but when I focus on what went on in my sewing room, I'm actually pleasantly surprised that I did complete a few quilts!

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1. Christmas Tree Skirt 2. Blueberry Pluses 3. Large and In Charge Man Quilt 4. Baby Leon's Strip Quilt 5. Snazzed Up Cheater Quilt 6. Woodland Triangles 7. Sidekick Tote 8. 2014 Once Upon a Time Sampler 9. Sew Together Bag

Of course I wasn't nearly as productive as I have been in previous years, but you know what, I'm ok with it.  I'm figuring out how to fit a hobby that I enjoy into my life now, and yes that means that days go by that my sewing machine doesn't see any action, but it brings all the more joy and satisfaction when I get to sit behind and work on projects I truly enjoy.

I actually have my first quilt of 2015 complete, that was made of these yummy stack of fabric, that I paired with a few prints from my Far Far Away bundle that I have been hoarding saving for the perfect quilt:

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I'll be sharing more about this quilt soon, I want mommy and baby to be surprised when it shows up on their doorstep!

As far as what 2015 has in store, my main goal is to keep things flexible.  I always want my time spent sewing to be relaxing and enjoyable.  The first way to make that not happen is to set goals and deadlines that end up being unreachable.

So my plan for 2015 is to not have a plan!  We'll see where that takes me, I'm sure there will be plenty of baby quilts, and I'd love to dig back into my WIP closet and finish a few of those off, I mean I loved those projects enough to start them, why not finish them up?

I'm also making it a point to sew from my stash (and scrap bins!)  Of course I'm sure there will be new fabric that makes its way to me, but my fabric shelves have runneth over, so the best way to remedy that problem is to sew it into something lovely.

Thanks again for checking in with this blog every now and again, it really does bring joy to be able to share my quilting and sewing projects with a group of people who are just as passionate as I am!

Happy 2015!


Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas


From our family to yours, wishing you a Merry Christmas and very happy New Year!  See you in 2015!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Great Granny :: Quilt Top

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Happy holidays!  Is it just me or is anyone else completely shocked by the fact that in 2 weeks Christmas will be over.  I of course love gifting handmade gifts, however my "to make" list seems to be growing daily, while the number of days until Christmas are dwindling.  I'm fairly confident I'll get it all done, starting with this quilt that will be given to a friend for Christmas.  I'm certain she will absolutely love it, so I'm pushing to get it finished.

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I have had this quilt idea in my head ever since the first granny squares quilt I made back in 2012.  Nora uses the original granny almost daily, and I always think "I really want to make an adult sized version of this baby quilt," and that's saying something, as I really do not tend to repeat quilt patterns once I've made them the first time.  I'd much rather play with a new design, than something I've already done.  So to have this niggling voice egging me on to make another for the past 3 years  is really saying something.

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There is absolutely nothing that I do not love about this quilt.  In fact it will take much self control not to hoard this one for me and actually gift it to said friend.  I cut into my half yard bundle of Modern Lace that I purchased from Dragonfly Fabrics  and I don't think that there could be a more perfect marriage than this pattern and this fabric.  Just the right amount of vintage traditional charm with just enough of a whimsy modern touch.  It's love.

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I upsized the individual squares to 5.5" unfinished (5" finished) and assembled in the same fashion that I did here.  Lots and lots of chain piecing.  And I can happily say I only had to seam rip one row after I sewed it backwards!  Win.

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The goal is to get this guy basted this weekend so I can get quilting during Monday's nap time, wish me luck that I'll have a finished quilt to show in the next week, and happy holiday sewing!