2012 Goals!

I figure I might as well set some goals for this coming year. Because that's what the new year is for!

Crafty Goals:

1. Finish the Little Folks quilt
2. On that note, finish 5 (at least crib-sized) quilts this year. I did 3 this year, and I didn't even get a sewing machine until August, so that seems pretty doable to me.
3. Make ONE wearable piece of clothing. Even if it's for one of the babies. One piece of clothing that doesn't necessarily look handmade.
4. Use my craftiness to decorate my apartment in a way that I feel satisfied with. I feel like I accomplished that fairly well around Christmas time, given my budget ($0), and I'd like to continue that throughout the year. This is not limited to sewing or fabric.
   
5. Make more presents for my loved ones. Again, I did pretty well this Christmas, and I'd like to continue that.

Life Goals:

1. Cook at least 1 meal a week from scratch. They don't have to be perfect, or low-calorie/carb/fat/sodium or whatever. Just from scratch. I'll get to the rest.
2. Start saving money for whatever is next in store, be it moving, a new car, a vacation, or some other unexpected thing.
   
3. Make more time for myself. A lot of my time I spend focused on other people. Even crafting is usually for someone else. I need to learn that it's ok to spend time that just for me. Maybe take a vacation with myself at some point.
4. Spend more time with California family, whether it be via Skype, phone, or an actual vacation. It just needs to happen.
5. Just be healthier. I don't care about losing weight. Yes, I'm solidly a plus-sized woman, but I like who I am and I don't need to be skinny to feel happy about myself. I just think that everyone could be a little healthier.
6. Do something new. Maybe learn a new skill, take a language class, something. I miss learning, and I'd love to get back into that.
7. Project 365. Here's to hoping I don't give up on this one in a week.
   

I think that'll work well. For now.

Taking the Plunge

I'm cheap. A tightwad on a good day, but cheap when it all comes down to it. At least when it comes to spending for myself. I don't like to spend extra money, even on really little things. Movies? No way, too expensive! That pair of shoes that I'm in love with? Not practical, I'll never wear them. If there's a deal to be found, I'll find it. I pride myself on consistently feeding myself weekly in under 40 dollars.

But when I see fabric that I looovvveee, I'm sunk. No project in mind? Who cares?! I just spend he equivalent in my grocery budget on fabric. On 2 yards total of fabric. Two half yards from one shop plus shipping, and one yard from another shop plus shipping. It's 'spensive fabric. Nope, not Liberty of London. You can still find that. Far Far Away II by Heather Ross.

I've had my eye on this fabric since it came out, but I could never justify the cost since it is rather expensive. But I just found out I'm having another niece or nephew, and another sib has resumed trying. And I already have a boy quilt planned out. So, I got two of those FFA2 prints on sale. Score, good job Meg. Way to continue in your tightwad ways.

And then, all of a sudden, I was searching for Roses in Dusk (my absolute favorite of the line), and I couldn't find it anywhere! Not at any of my primary shops, not at any of my secondary shops. I was a mad woman. Frantic. I had to have this print. The collection I have in my head just would NOT be complete without this print! This print is what attracted me to the line in the first place. What do you mean it's sold out everywhere?! Someone must have it! WHERE IS IT?!

I found it, though. At a tiny little etsy shop. I found it. And I paid 18 dollars for 1 yard of it (shipping inclusive). I've never paid that much for one piece of fabric before. And dammit, I'm okay with it. Because even if neither couple has a girl, I know there'll be more to come. If there's one thing my world could use a little bit more of, it's babies.

Although I'm having trouble with the fact that I just spent 40 dollars. But I worked overtime this week (50 hours for the win), so I'm pretty sure I'll get over it.

I'm Still Here...

... but I'm currently student teaching.

For those people who don't know what that is: Student teaching is a form of an internship that is required in order to get a teaching certification in college. You basically are a teacher that's paying to be one. I'm exhausted, but getting through it.

I am sewing, but I'm sewing a big project. That will take a long time to finish. Because I'll be damned if I didn't decide that I'm now a hand-sewer when it comes to quilts.

I'll update with pictures again, soon. Promise.

A Sneak Peek

So, mostly days at college are way too busy to do any sewing. Also, I'm too poor to buy more fabric for a project. And I have absolutely no room to do anything. BUT.

I did win those FQs of California Dreamin. And I do have a plan for them. And now I even have a little recipient. So, tonight, I got motivated (slash I didn't want to do that paper that's staring me in the face).

Here's a sneak peek of things to come...



In other news, I have final thoughts on P&K's quilt. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it so right I can't even stand it. Throw to twin sized quilt, quilted by me, with high quality fabrics. If all of these small projects have taught me anything, it's that I'm not at a high enough skill level to tackle a job of this importance, and I'm not really in a place financially where I can get the kind of fabric quality that I'm looking for. So, for now, I'll have to wait on it. Maybe for their first anniversary, or for a Christmas present. We'll see.

Spring Break, Update

1. Half done refurbishing that dress. I'm pretty happy with the first side. There's a lot of by hand work, but if Mom's Christmas Quilt has shown me anything, it's that I know how to hand-sew well.

2. I have one curtain done for step-dad's birthday present. I cannot start the other until I know if the measurements for the first are correct, so I'm waiting on him.

3. California Dreamin' quilt is all planned. I think I'm going to start the cutting as soon as I have a proper mat on which to cut them. And a new rotary blade.

4. I have bought all I need for the Buttercup bag. All I need is to print out the pattern, then I can get started with cutting, piecing and sewing.

5. I started a little book for L. More on that later.

Spring Break. Woo!

My plans for spring break?

Job Interview, Dentist appointment, step-dad's birthday present (black curtains for the basement), California Dreamin' quilt top planning (I'm thinking about using the pattern from Amy Butler's book Little Stitches for Little Ones), a buttercup bag (I hope), and restyling a dress I bought at Goodwill (start rant: Ok Old Navy. I really like that you're making things in larger sizes for girls like me. But if you're going to make something bigger, please tweak the design? PLEASE? Because really, skinny spaghetti straps on a XXL bodice? That's not going to work. You won't get sales, I won't get a pretty dress that fits me well. End rant).

Yup, I think that'll keep me pleasantly busy.

Dear Mom (First Edition)

Twenty minute Simple Skirt Tutorial

Dear Mom.

Wanna help me with a 'speriment next week? We can go to Joann's and you can pick out a fabric, I'll get a yard of it and some elastic. Then I'll try to make you a skirt.

If it works and you love it, since you helped me jump into the whole "let's make some clothes" thing, you officially are allowed to ask for a new skirt anytime you want.

<3 Meg

I WON!

I WON A FABRIC GIVEAWAY AND OH BOY AM I EXCITED!!!!!!

I won a fat-quarter SET of Jenean Morrison's California Dreaming fabric, which is the very first fabric that I found online that I fell head over heels in love with. Oh man oh man oh man!! That's 4 yards of fabric!!! Beautiful FREE FABRIC!


I already have a plan for it. It's going to be SO GOOD! Mhm it is.

New Approach

Two fabrics I ordered for P&K's quilt came in today (the floral print, from Amy Butler's Love collection, and the dandelion print). And look a bit different in person than they did online. I guess that's the problem with buying over the internet, through pictures. Both are beautiful fabrics. I love them individually, and will NOT have a problem finding something to use them in. But together? Not so much.

The Love print I got just isn't going to work for a boy's quilt. I really like the dandelions, but they're a bit brighter than I had thought they would be. Think less mustard-y colored. I'll make it work. As far as I know now, I'm still going to be using the dandelion's in Patrick's quilt. We'll see how the other fabrics work in with them. I just wish this brightness didn't make me timid to buy the Dogwood print; in the pictures, they go together perfectly. But I don't think this bright green will match the muted olive very well.

I think I'm just going to start over. Use the four-square fabric as a jumping point, and just go from that. But in person. I'll go to Joann's and just look for fabrics that are along the lines of the original quilt. Not an exact copy, of course, but probably similar. She already knows I'm doing it anyway :)

P&K Quilt

So, the other quilt that I have in mind is going to be a wedding present for my big brother. I already have the top planned, and I am working on getting the fabrics coordinated and bought. I asked my soon-to-be SIL what her favorite colors were, and this is the response I got:

fav colors huh? I love soft yellows, dark purples. I like blues but in smaller quantities. Def lighter shades of blues and teals than the dark shades. I like green a whole bunch as well as hot pinks and I guess it's obvious I like red hehe.

So, I've been working on getting fabrics that are manly enough to put in a quilt for my brother, but that fit those boundaries. I've decided to focus on green, with some purples, yellows, and blues. I'm having a hard time with the blues; everything I like has LOTS of blue in it, or has a beautiful dark blue color.

Here's what I have already ordered so far:













Here's what else I want to order:

I need about 4-5 more fabrics, if I stick with two of the above. I'm thinking the middle and the third; the middle is a more manly print, and I'm basically just in love with the elegance of the third (hey Mom, it's named Dogwood, and have it in a BEAUTIFUL blue that I almost bought to use for you later). The only problem I'm having is that it's alot of floral prints so far (do the dandelions count as floral?)

Here's the link for what I'm planning to do with these fabrics, give or take a bit. It's from Cluck. Cluck. Sew.

Thoughts?

Little Folks Quilt

I have some big ideas. As I said, I have two quilts in the planning stages. For both, I already have a top planned and am working on acquiring the fabric, little by little. One is for me, one isn't.

Since the one that isn't for me is going to be the one I'm working on the most in the next couple of months (maybe it'll be faster than that... we'll see), I thought I'd tell you about the one I'm going to be making for myself. Eventually.

When Anna Maria Horner came out with her Little Folks line, I fell in love. I was brand new in the virtual sewing community and I fell in love with her use of color and pattern, especially in the Midnight colorway. And so, I decided that I would like to make a quilt for myself from her cotton voiles, as a memory of my first steps towards being a *real* quilter.

Here's what the Midnight colorway looks like:


I know. It's amazing. I already have two half-yard cuts that I got on sale, and a plan for my quilt top. It's going to be very simple, just normal blocks, quilted diagonally. I think I'm going to do the back in an interesting way, but I need to think about it a little more, first.

Ok Mom, what do you think? Like the colors and prints? Obviously I won't be getting the all fabrics for a while yet, but I like the idea of the plan.