Charity Sew ~ Pillowcases

This past Saturday was our monthly Music City Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  Our mission for this day was pillowcases.  Lot's of pillowcases!  

A couple times a year we dedicate a day for Charity sewing.  This time a new Charity was selected, The Ronald McDonald House of Nashville.  Having a sick child takes an emotional toll on a family.  The RMHC provides housing and comfort for families.  It allows families to stay together, to refresh and rest.

Pillowcases seemed like the perfect idea!  Our Charity Committee contacted Riley Blake Designs to see if they would be interested in donating fabric.  They were!  And they were more than generous!  Bolts and bolts of fabric were sent!  We were blown away with their generosity!

We had a very enthusiastic group of members and guests show up!  The machines were humming, rotary cutters rolling and irons steaming!

Stefanie started by giving us a demonstration on how to make a rolled pillowcase.  I've made one before, but a refresher was definitely in order!  For my pillowcase I used this tutorial from All People Quilt.  They are fun, fast and super easy.  

Katie and Callie were the designated cutters!  They were flying through the bolts with precision and speed.  Callie may or may not have cut herself...

The floor became our friend when it came to rolling the fabric.  Lindsay started us off with the drop and roll dance!

Ashley, Lindsay and Veronica totally rocked!  Everyone did!  Among the steady hum of machines going, there was also the steady hum of laughter and chatter.  

The fabric that Riley Blake Designs donated was gorgeously adorable!  Here's a few of the combinations...now you know this is going to put some big smiles on some little faces!

In four hours, we made 110 ~ YES...110 pillowcases!  Rewarding, to say the least! Thank you ladies for all your hard work!

Treading Water

It's Wednesday, NO Thursday!!  Do you ever feel like you are barely keeping your head above water?! That's my week so far!  

With custom orders and my husband's birthday surprise, I've been in the waves, under the waves and over the waves!

Husbands are a funny lot!  I always struggle with what to surprise him with for his birthday or any holiday.  This year I decided to make him his very own Lava Flow.  Our dream vacation was Hawaii a few years back and I know he fondly dreams about it all the time...more like obsesses over it!

I messed around with it, adding and taking away...cutting and trimming.  And eventually ended up with something I was happy with.

Turned out, once he figured out that it was Lava, he really loved it!  Men!

I was asked if I could make this mini bigger...as in 18" x 36".  She will be moving in to her new home by the ocean and wanted something to hang over the sofa.  I needed a challenge, so began I did!

I got out the BIG mat for this project!  Wouldn't it be fun to have a cutting table this big?  I guess I do, but I mean to leave up forever!

I started with a wall of strips!  Having yardage was such a help.  I could cut a strip from selvage to selvage and be sure it would be long enough.

The most aggravating part of this process was cutting the curves.  Only because this girl needs to change her blade!  

I am over the moon happy with this!  But the true test, will my customer be happy?!  I sent a few pictures and much to my relief, she was thrilled!  Sweet!  Can't wait for the quilting!

It's funny how everyone has a different vision.  One lady told me she loved these, but to her it reminded her of mountains.  The Blue Ridge Mountains.   And another custom request was born.  Try #1.

This is the first version.  She thought the white and grey looked to beige.  In this picture it kinda does.  I wanted a little texture, so I used 2 different whites and several greys.  In person it looks more white!  Plus, she wasn't happy with the dark blue ~ too much!

No problem, just whack off the bottom and change it up!  Try #2.  I was sure the top would end up being okay in the end.

She wasn't sure.  I didn't want her to be unhappy with it.  Sometimes it is hard to mix two visions together, but we'll get there.  Whacked off the top and stuck with one white a few grey.  Try #3.

Less white, maybe a little blue.  Better, but more blue please.  Try #4.

The entire time, I'm getting a bottom here, a top there and putting them together for the fun of it!  

We still haven't quite reached the perfection!  I will keep going until it is right.  After the grocery store, the dentist, the laundry...I hope to get this buttoned up!

LINKING:
TGIFF
Can I get A Whoop Whoop

New Bloggers Blog Hop

There's this little thingy, thing going on!  It's called the New Blogger's Blog Hop. It's a wonderful way to meet new bloggers (who quilt), learn some mad blogging skills, ask some serious technical questions (lots) and hopefully gain some new friends in the process. 

So, let's begin...starting with...me, Jayne!  (Argh!  Get ready for a picture!)  I'm not a fan of getting my picture taken, but here it is!  

  

I started quilting in 2005, kicking and screaming.  Sometimes, we as parents have to do things for our children, just to make them happy, or in my case so my daughter would stop asking me over and over to let her teach me to quilt.  She is the culprit, she made me do it!

From that first quilt, you know it! I was hooked.

Once I learned, grew and seemingly found my artistic calling, I never looked back!  I love getting in the zone!  Thinking outside the box, putting a twist on a design, bold, bright, unique ~ that's what I like, that's what I LOVE!  Give me solids or give me...solids!

I live in Tennessee, just outside if Nashville.  We moved here 20 years ago from Portland Oregon.  I have a super supportive husband, two grown children and a sweet little pit bull mix dog!  A good life!

I think a good way to learn more about who I am, is through my quilts.  Quilters tend to put their heart and soul in their work.  It's a lot like standing in front of an audience in your underwear! 

#1.  City Sunset, #2.  Outside The Paint Box, #3. Confetti, #4. Sunset, Sand & Sea Mini's   

Some old, some new!  My latest finish is this Black + White = Illusion quilt.  I finally got to make a black & white quilt!  One thing checked off my never ending, always growing bucket list!

Black + White = Illusion

I've been working on a birthday present for my husband, waiting until the last minute too! It's so hard to figure out what to get him every year!  Our favorite vacation was finally going to Hawaii a few years ago.  So, I decided to give some lava a try, taking inspiration from our trip, and made him his first Mini Quilt!  

Let's The Lava Flow

I started blogging as a way to ~drum roll~ document my quilting journey.  While that's still true, it has become much more!  I've met so many delightfully kind and talented people, icing on the cake!  I've learned tips & tricks, methods & madness, and inspiration & awe!  

My favorite quilting mantra is don't give up!   Getting part way through a project, looking at it and gagging...try to work through it!  Usually I say a few choice four letter words, take a deep breath and power through, reminding myself over and over...it's only fabric...and guess what, most of the time it turned out great!  You just never know what you will get. 

Blogging tip:  

Don't let the fear of writing stop you!  My first few posts took forever to write. After which I insisted my daughter proof read and frankly, just fix them!  Eventually, she all but refused to do it, and I had to sink or swim!  I highly recommend hitting the 'check spelling' button, but even so mistakes happen!  

Quilting tip: 

It's better to buy more fabric than you think you will need.  It allows for cutting mistakes, or maybe you need more blocks than you thought, and of course it's always nice to build your stash!

I found this funny quilting tip:

For smoother sewing or pinning, run the needle through your hair to oil the metal a bit. Have you ever heard of this before?!

My question to you:  
If you could spend a week quilting with anyone, who would it be?!  A designer, a friend, a blogger?  I would love to spend a week quilting with my sister, Debbrah.  And my daughter. I envision hours of fun, rolling on the floor laughing, serious girl talk and maybe a quilt or two!  

This is my 'Hive' for the New Quilt Bloggers!  Sewcial Swarm.  Very fitting for our lovely hive of blog-ettes! Our 'Queen Bee' is Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination !  

I hope you get a chance to check out the other blogs in this week's Blog Hop!  

Robyn of Hoops & Thimbles

Shayna of Wife. Mom Creator  

Francine of MochaWildChild    

Huge thank you to our host's!  Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, Stephanie @Late Night Quilter, and Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination, Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl.

Thank you for your time, effort and organizing this event!

A few facts about me:  
I am a Virgo, my favorite tool is a Hera Marker, I love avocado's, if I was 30 years younger, I would fill my body with tattoos (I have three), I swear like a sailor,  I am accident prone, I love Improv quilting the best, I always have 'white noise' in the background. 

A Stash To Die For.

Honestly...I'm so done with buying fabric.  That is after I get my other two orders, then I'm done!  It is very hard to resist sometimes.  Either its a killer deal, coupons, newest sensation or a girl just has to have what a girl has to have!

In this case it was a killer deal and this girl just had to have!!!

   
It is entirely possible that I am the last person in the quilting world to buy Alison Glass anything.  Because Handcrafted 2 is ready to hit the market, it must mean I should finally get the first Handcrafted batch.  And what a beauty they are!  Why the hell did I wait so long??  (Sorry Mom)

You know what this is right?  Alison Glass Sun Print Remix.  A couple fat quarters each of Mercury, Feathers, Bike Path, Grove and of course, Ink.  Should I share that I'm drooling?  

This was just on a 'whim', get it while its hot bundle!!  Heavy Metal by Whistler Studios, Windham Fabrics.  Let's talk fun, bright and rich colors, add to that some gold, silver and bronze metallic dots!   Ya....can't go wrong!

I did have a moment of joy when I paired these four colors together.  You know they just made me smile...and then my daughter saw them...she out & out said she didn't like those colors together!    I didn't exactly say they were going to be my next ~ drop everything ~ gotta quilt this project.  Just a sorbet moment!

In a never ending effort to become a contender (I coulda been) in the Low Volume stash, I pumped or plumped it up with a Fat Eighth bundle.  

All four bundles were purchased at Pink Castle Fabrics.  I have nothing but good things to say about this shop!  They ship faster than a speeding bullet!

Playing with fabric is almost as much fun as buying it!  Couldn't resist snapping a picture I can forever admire long after its all gone!  

I have a couple more orders in the mail, but believe me they are ~*~ boring ~*~ compared to this haul!  

LINKING:

Sunday Stash