Ice Cream Social

First, I don't know how it happened that it's all pink!  I really am not a big pink fan, but looking at this post, you wouldn't know that!

But I am a big Oliver & S fan, so I am loving this Ice Cream Social thing!  It's so fun to see everybody's fabric choices.  I decided to go for the View C- because it's the easiest and I have to make some birthday gifts for some little girls I know. It's all Heather Ross fabric(and some yellow Kona), because the stash is obscene and I should use it because that is what it's for.....right?  I've cut out 4 of them, all in size 2.  I'm keeping a van one for my girl. I love the Oliver&S boutique sewers program, so I'm going to try and sell one as well.  I bought some of the tags a few months ago, and have not sold anything as of yet.  A goal....

The first one I made, I followed the directions in the pattern, no shortcuts.  I think it's quite easy and well written.  My only issue was how high the button loop should go.  The second one(top) I sewed the loop on too high.  The middle one is flush with the seam.  I think keeping the center of the button loop right on the notch is the best location(bottom).  I personally didn't get that from the pattern directions, but I can be total moron sometimes.

 I didn't like the way my neck V point ended up, so I edge-stitched the neck.  I like how it came out, and I think it will help keep the V there when it's washed.  There is a reason I call it "oversewn."  :)  On the next one I made, I cut the V very, very close to the stitching at the point- it made it sit much smoother.

 I did french seams on all of them, since the fabric is light enough.  I have a serger, but there is something so pretty and polished about french seams.  I just have to gather the skirts and attach them to the yokes on the last three.  And hand sew the buttons.  I think shank buttons work best on this. 

Featherweight Raffle:  I have finally figured out how to number the comments, so all I have to do is take some pics of the machine and post.  I'm so excited to see how much I can raise for the Birth Center.  I have a number in my head.  I hope y'all can help me get there  I'm thinking $1 per entry, max 5 entries

................  Post should be up this week :)

Original ORB Quilt - DONE

I am so glad this quilt is finally finished!!  I started it a long long time ago and it is the largest one I have ever quilted!  I hated it while working on it - the variegated thread was not jiving for me.  Once it was finished though, I am so in love with it.  I added the sashing - not part of the quilt-along.  I wanted to get 2 quilts out of the strips that were made, so I can make another twin and I have a crib quilt top finished.  3 out of 1.  My type of quilting.  :) 

I used a Roxy flat sheet for the backing-found on sale at Ross.  I love how it works with the Katie Jump Rope.  And the little bit of orange in the blue flowers was where the orange for the binding came from.  I love orange, a lot; so whenever I can get it in anywhere, orange will be there.  In high school, I had a "Clockwork Orange" movie poster on the ceiling above my bed.  That says a lot about me..... :)  I swear I'm normal now!

I have been doing a lot of "soul-searching" and reconsidering lots of things in my life.  This miscarriage really shocked me, and I feel like I need to do some things differently in my life.  If I were a religious person, I would say that god slapped me across the face.   In terms of sewing and quilting, I just need to finish things.  I seem to think that once it's done, it's gone.  That's not the case.  Once a quilt is finished, it can start its new life as a quilt, keeping someone warm and snuggly.   Does that make sense?  I need to take more pride in my work.  And finish things the right way, stop doing things half-assed.......


Also, I'm getting closer to having a raffle for a White Featherweight.  If you have the Heather Ross book, Weekend Sewing, then you can see the little sewing machine on the cover.  That is the type of machine I will be raffling off.   I want to raise money for the Birth Center here in Santa Barbara.  I was going to have my baby there, but since I won't be, this is what I want to do in memory of my lost little one.  I will try and have the raffle post up on or around Aug. 1.  I will be asking for donations of $1-$5.  So there will be up to 5 entries per person.  I will also have an awesome fabric/quilting treat bundle to give away as well.  It should be a pretty sweet bundle of stuff. 
Happy Monday to all!!

A Busy Weekend (moving on from sadness)

We have been having a very rough time around here.  Within one week, my baby and my gramma passed.    I know the word is "miscarriage," but that word just makes me sick.  It's this bull-twinky word that has very few emotions attached to it, while the actual experience of it was the most emotional and painful thing I've ever had to go through.  Maybe I just never paid attention when people talked about it, but I felt like I was slapped upside the head.  I just wasn't prepared for how bad it was.   This was supposed to be a home birth, as my other two were born in the hospital here.  I was so looking forward to this experience.  It's really been devastating.  I feel like I am starting to move on, and staying busy with sewing is helping a lot.  Megan (Lucy&Norman) was brave enough to blog about hers.  Thanks to her post for giving me the push to post mine.  It just isn't talked about, and I think it should be. 
        I know that gramma passed on in order to take care of my baby.  The timing of it makes me believe that, and saying that makes me feel better about everything.

********

       My husband, knowing I needed some time by myself, let me have most of the weekend out in the sewing shed.  I haven't really finished anything in a long, long time, so this weekend felt great.  I don't know about you guys, but my stack of "quilt tops" has been growing and the quilting just hasn't been happening.

I never finished my step-mom's birthday gift(mid-June), an electric heating pad thingie cover.  I ended up making two, since I had an ugly cover on mine.  I had an Arcadia honey bun roll and just started messing around.  I haven't free-motion quilted in forever, and it felt so good.  I'm keeping the swirly circles/log cabin.  My step mom is getting the strips with meandering.  I backed them both in some Amy Butler home dec.

  I just love how they came out.  I am a little bummed that it's the middle of summer and I'm just going to have to put mine away in a drawer until it's colder.  Oh well.  I could almost sew a strap into them and they would be nice bags...

Also, a friend of mine from high school is having her second baby.  I just couldn't go to the baby shower.  So I spent that time quilting this.   It's definitely not perfect.  I still feel awkward sometimes with the free motion stuff.  You can really tell the "groove" spots and the "awkward" spots on the quilt.  Okay, maybe I'm the only one who can see that...   I really do feel more comfortable doing it after a glass of wine.  I can't piece at all with alcohol involved, but I sure do quilt better :)

Also, I will be raffling off one of my featherweight machines, to benefit the opening of the Santa Barbara Birth Center.  They want to open by the end of the year, and I think I can raise a decent amount of money by having a raffle for one of my machines.  I will do the raffle some time in August, so stay tuned......
:)