Pixie Purls

Well so here are the last of the photos from day 3 at The Mountain:

That above is the view from our room, at the very wee hours of the morning. Below is a little lake with loads of snow and ice on it. That's all the snow this southern girl will get to see this year. Temps have gone back up into the 60's here and I have to say I'm not sad about it! I am so ready for spring!

So today my husband and I got into a very silly fight because I reminded him for the second time not to use our leather ottoman as a table (he likes to use it while he plays Gears of War on XBOX 360) and I suppose in his job stressed state he decided to be a butt-head (enough said!) so I left the house and decided to finally spend the $50 credit I had at Joann's. I had on a whim a few months ago purchase a bunch of Lion Wool for a crochet sweater, and then promptly realized I would not ever finish a full size crochet sweater, so I returned it a few weeks later for a store credit. I also felt $50 was way to much for a Lions Wool sweater.

I wanted to make a kids quilt, preferably unisex. Normally however Joann's doesn't do it for me as far as fabric goes, and while I did find something very cute, it was clearly meant for a girl.

So I have a pregnant friend at work and if hers turns out to be a girl she will get this quilt (if I ever finish it!).

I got loads of toys at Joann's, I sorta splurged and went well over the $50 credit I had. The coolest thing I got was a blocking board! It's something I can use for knitting and quilting which to me is just double the fun. It's technically for blocking and ironing quilt blocks but it also doubles if I need to pin block sweater pieces. I got a basting gun, it's a a lot like those tag guns if you ever worked at a clothing store. It was a true splurge and looks like lots of fun to use. I got a block tool to make those Qbert-ish looking quilts, a new rotary cutter (the original purpose of the trip), a neat chalk tool with loads of colors, a nifty 1/4 inch marking tool and some super fun variegated thread in some of my favorite colors (blue, green, yellow) and then lastly I got the fabric, some quilting magazines and I ran by Barnes & Noble on the way back home and got an Australia book. I am hoping to plan at-least a 1 day excursion to someplace weird and fun, possibly a banana farm!

Posted by pixie at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Half done with my PJ Pants!

Posted by pixie at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well the last time I posted was on Aug 24th and I was feeling very hectic. I got sick the very next day on thursday! I woke up with a sore throat, by the end of the day I was feeling very tired. I ran out of white thread and decided to get over having the quilt done. So I spent the rest of the afternoon packing and getting ready for my flight.

Friday I also went to the doc and she said I didn't have strep, probably a virus and nothing she could do for me. It was mostly annoying.

Here is my quilt (the left most one) on top of the pottery barn quilt. My friend just loved it so much and couldn't get over how close it looked to the real thing.

By the end of the weekend in NC I was so tired of sucking on throat drops, and I was getting tired, and not sleeping well. Hurrican Katrina delayed my flight home by about 3 hours and on the trip home in the car I began to cry just out of being sick and tired and wanting to get into bed.

I then slept for 3 days. When I woke up Wednesday I went back to the doctor, got some pills for the runny nose and congestion I had started to have on tuesday. I laid in bed and watched CNN. I was totally shocked by what I was seeing and hearing. I then spent the rest of the week sleeping and watching CNN. No energy to knit or sew. I was sick for 9 consecutive days.

Posted by pixie at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I tried this, but toby thought it wasn't quite right

Finnally!

Posted by pixie at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

While waiting on the white silk I thought it would be fun to work on a smaller project. Well in some ways it's larger, but I feel less stressed about it because it's using cheap fabric and I have less expectations for it.

My BEST FRIEND in the world whom I have known sense she was BORN!! She has played the flut sense I can remember, and went to college for music, and now teaches band at a middle school (first year teacher woe's). I thought I would make her a quilt with music notes on it and I had bought a bunch of patterns on a whim a few months ago.

Tonight I cut for years, I cut way mor fabric then I needed, I could probably make 2 quilts from it. In the end I only made 8 Triangles of each pattern. The outside of the quilt is going to be done in a "piano key" pattern using... black and white of course!

Last bit of work, now onward to sewing!!

Posted by pixie at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Having finished the quilt top for the flannel quilt and feeling good about it, I decided to let it stay folded until next winter when I can find a better flannel for the back.

So saturday I went out (to Quilted Hearts) and got some of my "dream" fabric, Moda Silk! At $20 a yard it's expensive stuff. I havn't bought any fabric or yarn in months so I allowed myself to get 2 yards at the store, and 2 yards of cream minky for the backing.

The silk is not at all that olive green it looks, it's a pretty light sage with a bit of lime when it shines. The blue is a light aqua. I had to order the white, and then the white in the photo is the minky. It's washable silk :)

Posted by pixie at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

But I had to share, my FINISHED horse quilt top!! YAY! It's not been pressed yet and its a mess in my office, scraps everywhere but I'm all proud, it's far from perfect, but every imperfection gives this flannel soft snuggle quilt character! Besides, I'll get better with each one, not bad for 3 weeks into using a sewing machine if I do say so myself!!

Posted by pixie at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Spent all this morning sewing and cutting...

Spent all yesterday morning winding my colinette AB FAB kit into usable balls (more tiring then sewing lol)

To make my sewing room complete, I want to put some pretty pictures up on the walls! Mmm.. I love my little office every day more and more!

Posted by pixie at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

First I give you ONE part of my last SP3 gift, she sent me this LOVLEY wooden sheep. He's sitting on my sewing desk. BEYOND adorable. I'll post pics of the other stuff as it comes up! I want to use the bath salts next so a photo will come soon.

Wonky reflection from the ruler, but anways.. that was from last night when I decided to go to sleep before I sewed anything more. Smart to know WHEN to stop!

Finally, my AWSUME first ever "pieced" quilt block! :)

Lovely close up, natural lighting

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Here is an awsume website some person made, showing how they turned a cheap ikea table into an awsume sewing table for their sewing machines.

Posted by pixie at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I still owe my SP3 a post with pics of all my WONDERFUL things.. so many handmade stuff.. soo cool.. I just found out the salts where made by her friend. I am so impressed and amazed by the things people make!! We are such crafty women, we should all be proud!!

I also want to do a entry on my "Print Gocco" which is just the coolest little SilkScreening doohicky that ever was invented. I'm going to make silksScreened t-shirts for my husband for when we go to austrlia so he can "brand" himself.. er.. "market" himself.. haha..

Last night I braved the wonderful world of BINDINGS on quilts. I had a huge problem the night before that put me in an awful mood. i sewed together about 5 strips of biased binding, then to make it easier I started sewing another set together. When it came time to put the two long strips together I couldn't make it work so they both faced the right way. Basically you have a side with the seams, and a smooth side, and it was like a puzzle and the biased 45 degree angles would only go together in a way that would have half of it facing the wrong way.

My GENIOUS husband suggested that because it was like a triangle and each end of the strip of cloth was facing an opposite direction, I should sew one more peice on one of the larger peices, hence flipping the angle of the end.. well if your still with me here.. lol he was RIGHT! I added one more strip to one of the longer ones and just like a puzzle the two larger ones fit together!!

Soooooooooooo I spent all last night pressing the 6 foot long strip in half, then sewing it to the front side of the quilt. Tonight I will be blind stitching the back, and wowo I will have an FO!!!!!!!!! Won't you be SO impressed??!!

Now lesson #2 I learned is that the book I have stinks.. because it told me to do a 2" binding and everyone I met online said they always do a 2.5" because it is better to have a little more, then a little less. I am concerned about it, but I never blind stitched before so.. the corner worry me! The book also showed how to join the bindings incorrectly because it showed it for straight binding, not biased binding.

Okay so yeah.. I really need to take some pictures and post my awsume new stuff!! BAD PIXIE!!

Posted by pixie at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Carrie got herself a sewing machine. My evil plan to overtake the knitting world with sewing machines is working!!

Posted by pixie at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It seems that Quilters use MANY of the terms we knitters use.. FO's, UFO's.. all that stuff!

Here is the flannel and design for my newest creation I will work on this weekend!

Here is the fabric:

Here is my design, a 9 patch irish chain design:

Here is the actual pattern for the flannel:

Posted by pixie at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This beats the sheep tape measure in the cutness factor department!

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I already foo-bar'd the main print so I just gave up and I cut it up in sqaures.. oh well! Its easier this way so...

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Obligatory cute t-shirt pic

Continue reading "Today is a day of firsts..." »

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Continue reading "Kenmore 19233" »

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How amazing is this?

Now tell me, what gets better then sitting on your special CHAIR, feet up on the ottoman, cup of hot Coco in hand, fleece throw on your lap, Sci-Fi channel playing a good show, knitting a no brainer never-ending multi-direction scarf.

Posted by pixie at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click for a fantastic close-up:

Fabric.com

My Ab-Fab kit FINALLY came so pics tonight probably of me opening the lovely package from Europe!!

Of course I already have like 10 projects in my brain for sewing. Purses for fun, Pillow as a first project, followed by the quilt. Curtains, as my house is CURTAIN-LESS!! *gasp*

I am so (as Harry Potter would say) Redic-ulous!

In other news the second half of the Sci-Fi legend of earth sea thingy is one tonight! W00t!

Posted by pixie at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

That's my new tagline lol I have a feeling my blog will have lots of Fabric content as I dive into the world of sewing.

Phear not my knitting friends! I still have the passion. I knitted a WHOLE half of a hat and now comes fairisle and I'm a wee bit scared but I'm waiting till the weekend when I can really concentrate and do that part right.

With my $200 I decided to buy something TOTALLY crazy. A Gocco!! Whats a Gocco you ask? Well it's an amazing Japanese inventation that is just... well... amazing!

I purchased it from ThinkInk as it was least expensive there and also came with free shipping and a cool how to guide. I also got the Fabric Printing add on and some extra colors of Fabric Ink! $207 total, and they owe me $19.95 for shipping that was SUPPOSED to be free so it was really under $200!

A wonderful example of what can be done with this little machine is here but the really great thing I can do with it, is create my OWN clothing labels for things I knit! Everytime I order labels I spend $20 - $40 so I think this actually will save me money in the LONG run (if I get that far lol).

Posted by pixie at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was hoping to find a star pattern designer for sewing things. I found her! Amy Butler

If those patterns arn't enough to make you want to sew, what is?? I think if I don't get the quilting bug I am going to go bag making crazy! My dream is to be able to make my own vera Bradley!

Material Girls Quilts had her patterns the cheapest so i got the Runaway bag pattern along with a few yards of fabric.

Another source with better photos

Posted by pixie at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anyone have any idea if this is a decent machine?

Singer 40-Stitch Function Compact Sewing & Quilting Machine - $134.99

Posted by pixie at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Click for a bigger view.

So here is the results of tonights work. You can see a um.. stack? (I'm sure there is some clever word) of the two fabrics? Both are 100% cotton because Hobby Lobby doesn't carry linen. Probably good because I am betting it would be more expensive. I wanted a solid for the base under color but well ya know you can't always get what you want. Anways I figured what the heck I can be creative right?

So the underside will be green and the whole front will be the white blocks with a 1" green edge. I have two green's picked out for thread color (that tower is in the lighter green) and it matches the bedroom sheets! So I'll wait for the other Sublime patterns to arrive before I do anymore. I hope I cut them correctly. When I dried them the 14" squares went all to hell and I was afraid I had ruined them. I guess once you cut it your not supposed to stick it in the wash without seamed edges... I am really good at learning the hard way.

First they didn't have linen, then the cool linen-like cotton/polyester mix I picked out had a defect so then I had to pick out another one.

Then the pattern called for 60" tall fabric and the ones at HB are 45" so we had to do math (I hate math) and then I had no cash for Taco Bell so I went to burger king and got stuck behind a women who ordered $25 worh of burgers all "have it your way" and all custom and the lady taking the order was a very sweet, young sounding southern bell who was just impossible to understand. It was her drawl and the way she spoke.

I now apprechaite those annoying quick people who spit your order back at you. I can follow that better then a long sentance filled with accented words. Pretty voice though. Needless to say I was aggrevated, but it was not going to ruin my day! French fries.. oh the evil goodness! BAD PIXIE!

Posted by pixie at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been bad and watched that auction and I can cleary see it has not been purchased. So if he didn't get it by now I doubt it would arrive in time. SUCKY! (this is in reference to the previous post).

In knitting news I worked for 2 hours on the multidirectional scarf thingy. It's a real joy to knit. I had forgotten sence I hadn't worked on it in a while. I didn't get home till like 7 or so, and I spoke on the phone for a while with a crafty friend whom I have known on and off for many years. She & her fiance just moved about 1 mile away, so she wants us to get together more.

We plan on taking a sewing class together in January and I already have a project picked out thats perfect for me. I love making blankets, I like enbroidering and designing colors. I can use some patterns from the sublime stitching kit (I ordered the 4 pack deal from her website and OF COURSE got the cute knitting one).

I have lots of ideas for blankets, I could make one for all my family memebers. I have to finish their scarves first though!!!! I plan on taking all the yarn I had gotten to make scarves for them with me when we go up for XMAS and I'll make them on the drive and while I'm at my parents! I just like the simplicity of the Martha project. The single colored designs on each block makes it easy to make a nice colors scheme. I probably would pick two colors and be more monocromatic with it.

HANUKAH is in just a few days!! I learned from a women from Isreal that they don't give "presents" for HANUKAH, they do give money but mostly they eat oily food because of the symbolism of it, but I wasn't able to hear the story because it was raining and we had to get into our cars.

Posted by pixie at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)