ROAD TRIP INSPIRATIONS

Took advantage of the spring like weather we experienced the last few days, caught up on shopping errands one day and took a road trip to a winter fair here in Montana yesterday.  While exploring the small town we went to I ran across a quaint little quilt shop and of course had to go in.  I have to admit I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to fabric.  Had to remind myself that I am not stockpiling anymore fabric as I overheard my husband and shop keeper having this conversation.  Shopkeeper "they say men who die with the most toys wins, but a woman who dies with the most fabric wins"  Husband's reply "we're winning!!!".   I hate to admit it but he is right, however,  I couldn't leave without something, so I bought a few yards of fabric to use making some "boy" things.  My husband and I are expecting our 16th grandchild, a boy, in a couple of months and we are excited about it, we haven't had a new boy for awhile.  I have come to the conclusion that even though I can buy for these kids, it's just not in my nature to not make them things as well.  With my new fabric as well utilizing what I had in my stash I spent the afternoon making a few things every mother needs for their newborn.

Receiving blankets, bibs and burp clothes, one can't have too many with a newborn.  In the past I have used Velcro closures on bibs, but today decided to add snaps.

I like putting snaps on things and have been doing so for many, many years.  I don't attach snaps the traditional way, but have had better success than most doing it my way.  My Grandfather made me a handy little tool to use for snaps 40 some years ago and I have used it on hundreds, maybe thousands of snaps over the years.  After putting snaps on all the flannel shirts I made for Christmas it became obvious that my little tool was finally wearing out, so I asked my husband to make me a new one.  I used the new one today for the first time and it worked just as well as the old.

I came across another good use for some fabric scraps as well,

a bib to match Dad's new shirt !!!

 

I have another day or two of sewing before these items go into the mail, as I expect the little one will arrive before I do and Mom and Dad will need these things when they bring him home.

 

I spent quite a bit of time in that quilt shop and while there a young lady came in to purchase a quilting magazine, because she had quilted the quilt on the cover.  I was excited to learn she did long-arm quilting, so I had the conversation with her about quilting a t-shirt quilt.  She does live 100 miles away, so I may have to look for someone closer, but I didn't leave without her number.

 

I have once again began a new project before finishing existing ones, but I am waiting for some more t-shirts for the quilt and am in no immediate hurry to finish the window treatment I need to finish, or those are the excuses I have given myself today.

WINDOW TREATMENTS

I have been working on the styling in my home office/guest room.  I have cleaned the clutter out of the room, brought in the furniture I want in the room and have started the window treatments.  I don't have a large budget for this room re-do, so I started by hitting up my fabric stash and began forming an idea of what I needed.  I gathered supplies

The windows in the room are quite large, so I made two panels and attached them to a 1x2 board using my staple gun

I needed some weight in the bottom of the panels so I recycled wrapping paper cardboard tubes

After I had the shades completed I took them to the window and hung them.  They are made so that they can be rolled up to let the sunshine in or let down for privacy.

Notice the plastic on the window, living in the north with a north facing window this is something that needs to be done in the winter especially when we get a northern wind.  Plastic will be coming off in a couple of months. 

There is one more window in this room that will get the exact window treatment, then I will be able to move on to more décor as I can't finish up the furniture until the weather warms up a bit.

TIME FOR THE SEWING MACHINE

Continued working today on the t-shirt quilt.  I cut and ironed on all the strip fabric.

 

                      Then I took it to the sewing machine and began sewing all my strips together. 

 

This is a close up view after the strips are sewn. 

 

 I still have a long ways to go with the sewing and once this side is completed I will piece the second side of this quilt together.  That will require cutting up more shirts and going thru this same process again.  Once both side are made it will be time to start the quilting process.  I've been thinking I may have to hire out the actual quilting process due to the size of this quilt.  I will make that determination once I get both sides completed.

A QUILTING WE GO....

I have been researching and pondering this T-shirt quilt for some time now and decided today would be the day to get started.  I started by cutting up t-shirts

I cut until I thought I had enough squares to start piecing one side of this quilt together

Then it was time to get out the backing that I had purchased and start the designing of the quilt

After I had laid out all my squares I started attaching them to the backing

The next step will be to cut all my strip fabric and attach it to the backing, once all of that is done then it will be time to take it to the sewing machine.

 

When I made quilts years ago we simply cut out our fabric blocks and strips and sewed them together.  In my research for this quilt I came across a woman who had designed a plan making quilting much easier.  Because t-shirts are so flimsy it is necessary to back them with some interfacing and the backing she sells is iron on with a grid pattern  making the placement of all the squares much easier.

 

Once this top is completed I will be working on another before the actual quilting process takes place. 

 

 

 
 
 

REFRESH AND RENEW !!!!

I went to JoAnn's yesterday to pick up a couple of items I needed to work on the quilt I am making and with all the new spring fabric out it took a lot of self-control not to leave with more than I did.  With only a few days into the new year, I told myself I couldn't start breaking my resolutions yet.  I was so proud of myself that I decided to treat myself with some new linens for my kitchen.

A new rug and some new towels and it feels like I have a new kitchen.  I needed to clean the kitchen before I could put my new items out and in doing so I looked at my knife holder and thought it too needed some refreshing.  I have had this for many, many years and  I use it, so getting rid of it wasn't an option, I was just ready for something new, so I set out to make my old one new again.

Into my room it went

I sanded, painted, waxed and added a label with decoupage

 

Now back in my kitchen, I have a renewed place to store my knives.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

"2014"  Hard to believe how fast these years seem to be passing, but I am excited for this year and plan on working really hard to keep my resolutions.  Holiday decorations have been taken down and stowed away for another year, clutter has been cleared out, now it's time for me to start on my winter projects.  One of my resolutions this year is to give up on making so many gifts I give throughout the year as I am running out of ideas and don't want to keep repeating myself, so unless I am asked for something particular my gift recipients will not be seeing so many sewing/crafty projects from me, rather I will be donating many of the clothes and crafts I make to those in need.  There are a few things and people I will need to continue our traditions with and of course those already promised.  It's with this in mind that I have started one of my winter projects. 

When I was much, much younger I was taught to make quilts.  We didn't buy blankets, we made them from Grandpa's old shirts, outgrown dresses and fabric scraps.  I have not made a quilt in years and have never made a T-shirt quilt, but the one I am undertaking is very personal for me as it will represent years of accomplishments for a very special young lady.

Whenever I start a new project I like to do my research and with luck I ran across a woman here in Montana that sells supplies and instructions for T-shirt quilts.  I have had these supplies for awhile now, but after counting and inspecting all the t-shirts I need to incorporate into this quilt,  I ordered and made the additional supplies I will need to complete the project.

Now the nerve wracking work begins as I will be cutting up her prized shirts and after all the measuring I will need to do my quilt blocks in two different sizes, but since there are enough shirts to make quilt "tops" for both sides of this blanket, I feel confident that I can incorporate all the t-shirt designs.

 

I will keep posting the steps of this quilt as I go along for all of you to follow.

 

Here's to hoping you all have a prosperous and happy 2014 !!!!!!