GeoCentric Bag Challenge for Sew Mama Sew!

I'm always amazed at just how much I love finishing a good tote bag. Tonight I had the chance to revel in that finish - coming in just under the wire for the Sew Mama Sew GeoCentric Bag Challenge! 

I'm so excited to have the chance to work with Sew Mama Sew on this project - I've learned so much from them throughout the years and it's good to give a little back! 

Cloud 9 graciously sent us fabric for this challenge - it's a great canvas weight fabric which was a lot of fun to use. I typically sew with quilting weight cottons, and it's always fun to throw in a sturdier fabric once in a while. I paired the canvas with a layer of duck canvas (instead of interfacing) and I really love how nicely this tote holds its shape! 

This tote was made using a tutorial from The Long Thread. As mentioned before I substituted a layer of cotton duck canvas for the fusible fleece that the tutorial calls for. The tote came together really easily, and I'm surely going to make more of them in the future. This one is destined to become my MIL's birthday gift (don't tell her) - I hope she loves it as much as I do!

Chicago MQG Calendar Challenge

Remember that post from last week - the one about finishing my guild challenge quilt. 

It didn't work out how I planned. It became Wednesday and I hadn't finished piecing the top. I knew at that point that I had to change gears if I wanted to finish in time - otherwise my quilting would be compromised and that's not what I wanted for that quilt. I didn't want to rush it. 

So...

I grabbed the closest bit of unfinished patchwork on my table and went with it. 

(ok, ok, in truth I had this one on the back burner for about a month... no time here).

So I pulled this bit of free-pieced patchwork - chopped the overwhelming white borders (which apparently I hand't snapped a picture of), and added a bit more.

I decided to do a bit of free motion quilted flowers, with lines radiating out from the flowers. It makes me remember how much I love free motion quilting! I have some quilt tops that are nearly ready - soon! 

Anyway I really enjoyed making this little mini. In true Emily fashion I finished at about 1am late into the night, the night before it was due. It's a very "me" quilt - free and fun. I love it. 

I have to say I'm a bit in love with it and sad to that I won't see it again for a year! 

That's right, our guild challenge quilts have been accepted to travel in the quilt show with The Original Sewing & Quilt Expo for the next year! Stop by the show in your city to see them!

CMQG Challenge Update

It's crunch time. I've had very little sewing time in the recent weeks - but I've had this quilt designed for months. It's for our Chicago MQG guild challenge. My assigned month is Summer - these fabrics are calling to me... I'm about 1/3 of the way through the piecing... and it's due Sunday!! Eek! I've got to get moving on this one!!

I'm not sure why I have procrastinated so much on this quilt!

Please excuse the grainy instagram pic! 

Free Pieced Inspiration

My husband is a cemetery enthusiast (yes that's odd isn't it?). For the most part it's fun - running around cemeteries looking for ancient graves and such. Today we took a little family trip to a local mausoleum (my husband's great great grandparents are buried there), and I was shocked by the totally awesomely free stained glass windows! Insane! I need a minute of free time to make a mini inspired by this! 

Have you guys found any great quilt inspiration in strange places this summer??

Did I mention...

That I won a door prize at my guild's Modern Meetup at the quilt show last month? (yes, I'm that far behind on my blogging topics!)

I won a cute little coordinating bundle of FQ's from the Needle Shop, a pattern from Lee, and some Aurifil!

Also new to my stash is this pile of beautiful fabrics - most of them are already cut and being put together for my guild's challenge quilt. My assigned month is Summer - so I'm going with a sherbet color palate!

And finally at the quilt show (last month) I snagged a couple yards of one of my favorite Tula Pink prints - and some Aurifil!

Did you remember the interfacing?

Just a quick PSA for you guys! Stop by your local Joann's and you might just see one of my projects! Two of the new Pellon products will feature pics of my projects on the packaging cover!

See? That's me, the bicycle keychain (bottom right). I'm way excited about this! My mom was in town when I went to see it for myself - and she was so adorable saying "I think I'll buy one just to show my co-workers!" lol Mom! 

I haven't seen it in stores yet, but my Bubble Pillow graces the cover of another product package too!

And last but not least - these cute project sheets will be on the Pellon displays at Joann's soon (I really have no idea when, but they're coming!). I'm pretty sure I'll geek out and tell all the fabric cutters at my Joann's when I see those project cards! :) 

Stop by Pellon's Project Page to see more of my projects. 

Briar Rose Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Briar Rose charm pack giveaway from Pattern Crush is #35 SimpleSew who said:

SIMPLESEWJuly 2, 2013 at 4:11 PM

follow PC on BL

Congrats to SimpleSew, and thanks to everyone who entered!!

Chicago MQG Calender Challenge

I love that Fabric.com tags their fabrics - it's so helpful for the solids!

My guild is putting together a calender full of quilts - and to fill up all those pretty spots we're having a challenge. Each person participating was assigned a season to inspire their quilt. At the end we'll have a judge to help us decide who get's the "main" picture for each month. We'll have them professionally photographed for the calender, which is pretty cool.

As it is I have two and a half weeks until the quilt is due! Way to leave it to the last minute! Luckily I've had the quilt planned for a couple months. I used the Threadbias.com design tool to draw it all out.

I finally got around to ordering the fabrics a couple weeks ago. My assigned season is Summer, and I'm shooting for a rainbow sherbet color scheme!

Today I had a few hours to test out a block, and cut all my fabrics. I usually don't make quilts like this - I typically cut as I go. My hope for this project is to offer the pattern for sale - so I figured it would be best to do all the cutting at once. (Man cutting takes time doesn't it?!)

My pattern is made up of various drunkard's path blocks. I didn't have a small size rotary cutter to work with my circle cutter acrylic ruler - so I made a template and did it the old fashioned way. I did cut four pieces at once though - to speed up the process a bit. 

Chocolate is necessary for a big fabric cutting session!

I'm happy to say I had enough time to piece about a third of the blocks today too - they turned out so nicely!! I'm loving the colors!!!

Here's hoping I can get this one done in time!! 

Allie has a new Ice Cream Dress!

I'm so behind on blogging. Sorry guys, life comes first you know! 

As busy as life is, I can't keep from sharing this adorable dress that my friend Emily made for Allie!  Emily has the dress making skills that I lack, and this dress is absolutely adorable! Yes, that's Echino, and it has bugs and lizards hiding in the print!!  We love it! Emily made it for me for my birthday - we're doing a little side swap for our birthdays (along with Elaine - I need to do my project for Elaine soon!!). 

I'm so glad we've gotten a few sweet pics of Allie in this dress, she looks so adorable in it!! So far we've kept if clear of all chocolate and ice cream! 

Thanks Emily!!! 

PS The pattern used was the Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress!

Another giveaway? So soon?!

Late last week I received a message from Samantha from Pattern Crush (funny how both my sponsors are named Samantha!) saying that Windham sent her a couple free charm packs of Heather Ross's Briar Rose to giveaway! So we're giving one away here this week! Yep, you heard me right, that's BEFORE the fabric arrives in stores! So to snag some Briar Rose early leave a comment below. 

Here are the rules:

1. One comment - tell me something, anything. A funny joke? Your fav way to entertain small children in the summer? Whatever you like.
2. One comment - follow me on bloglovn (or any other way: twitter, facebook, instagram, flickr) and leave a comment saying so.
3. One comment - follow Pattern Crush (blog, newsletter, instagram, facebook, twitter) and leave a comment saying so.

Sewing Patterns By Mrs H: Giveaway winner announced.

A quick update - Random.org has made his pick, and the winner for last week's giveaway is comment #18 Gill, #24 Mel, and #10 Barbara who said:

GillJune 27, 2013 at 3:28 PM

I love the bow pleated bag!!

MelJune 27, 2013 at 6:05 PM

Samantha lives in Cwmamanm, in Wales, right?

barbara woodsJune 26, 2013 at 9:52 PM

great bag pattern, i follow, and she lives in cwmaman

Congrats guys!! Thanks to Sewing Patterns by Mrs H for sponsoring, and thanks to everyone who entered!