Project Linus #9

I finally finished up the Project Linus quilt that I started back in August. I backed it with some fabric from my stash (just a solid piece), and quilted it with a simple straight line pattern. I was too lazy to mark the lines, so I used a wavy machine stitch, figuring it would camouflage any imperfections.



The fabric quilted up pretty well, but the slight stretchiness from the Lycra content did cause a few minor puckers in the center of the squares when I was quilting the straight lines that were in the direction on the stretch. Next time, I might try doing the non-diagonal lines in the ditch, rather than in the middle of the squares, to see if that works better.



I also tried something new with the binding. I did my usual thing of sewing the binding to the top, ironing it over, and then catching the bottom as I sew along the ditch with the top up. This works great, but it always feels a little insecure on the corners to me. So this time I tried adding some extra stitching there - I kept sewing, going over the binding until I almost got to the end, then I turned the quilt about 45 degrees, and back-stitched to the opposite side, turned another 45 degrees, and started sewing again. This picture is not great, but hopefully you can see the stitching if you click to zoom it. The back of the quilt is on the left, and the front is on the right. I think it worked pretty good! (Yes, it would work even better if the thread actually matched the binding!)

tiny bit o' loot

It wouldn't be a trip to Portland without a Saturday morning spent garage saling with my pals. I miss them so much! Most of what I bought was toddler clothes (useful, but boring!). The only crafty find was this set of 3 gingham crib sheets ($1 each).



They will be added to the gingham collection that is slowly growing in my closet...



I have no real plan for these, other than "maybe a quilt someday". Or maybe just quilt backs? What would you do with them?

By the way, my chocolate covered potato chips were in a 3-way tie for 4th place in the dessert category at the Potato Fest. Funny enough, TWO other people brought the same thing!! It was the first year anyone brought them, and then 3 people did. I blame Google. :-)

the giveaway winner is....

Congrats to #20, Miss QuiltyGoodness! I decided to pick another winner, for a smaller set of squares, and that one goes to #5, Miss Jane at Sew Create It! I'll be in touch with you both to get your postal addresses. Thanks everyone for entering, and for sharing all those great mom and grandma stories - I loved hearing them!

I haven't done much sewing at all this week (stupid work), but I did manage to cut out my squares for the Sew Many Ways I-Spy swap. It's not like I really NEED any more 5" novelty squares, but I can't seem to pass up a good swap. I plan to turn my swap squares into another Happy Blocks quilt for Project Linus.



And I guess this is somewhat crafty... We're heading down to Portland tomorrow, and the highlight of the weekend is a friend's annual "Potato Fest". It's a sort of cookoff, where every recipe needs to be made with potatoes of some sort. I wanted something easy that I could whip up quickly and with minimal tools. In my googling, I came across chocolate dipped potato chips. My first batch was made with plain old Ruffles, and the chocolate is a mix of milk chocolate bark and semi-sweet chocolate chips.



They taste surprisingly good! I tried a second batch with a fancier chip (Kettle chips, I think?) that was thicker, but I actually liked the Ruffles better. I might even try it with Pringles, just for laughs. I sent the first two batches to work with my husband (just to get them out of the house!), and they got good reviews. I doubt they'll win any prizes, but they sure are fun!

loot report - thread, buttons, linens, and... a fridge!

(I'm such a Stephen Colbert fan, I can't see the word "report" without pronoucing it as "re-poor" in my head...)

I hit a couple rummage sales on Saturday, and here's the loot I scored:



A box of what I think is machine embroidery thread. It's nylon, and super shiny and pretty! No, I don't have an embroidery machine. But my BFF down in Portland does, so I'll see if she can use it. Worth a chance for $2!

Another box of random specialty threads (another $2) which included these variegated ones. Aren't they cool? I've never used thread like this before, so it should be fun to experiment to see how they stitch up. If anyone has any tips, let me know!



$3 worth of cheapo plastic buttons. Not nice enough to sew with, but they will be fun for Vada to play with - lots of sorting and lacing and collage possibilities!



And of course, a few more linens that I couldn't pass up. The striped one is buttery soft 100% cotton, and just check out the size of those orange polka dots! It's also all cotton, and will someday make an awesome quilt back!



And last, but not least, the best find of the day - a crappy old dorm fridge! My husband and I have been hemming and hawing for months about getting extra fridge/freezer storage for the garage, but we just can't decide on what we need. He wants something to hold beer, I'd like some extra freezer space for stocking up, and we might like having extra fridge space for those rare occasions when host parties. So, do we want just another fridge/freezer combo (and why doesn't anyone make a combo that is 50/50 instead of always 80/20??), or do we want a little upright freezer plus a little fridge that we could stack? We've been looking, and thinking, and debating, and getting nowhere. So when I saw this crappy little thing for $5, I figured, what the heck! At least we'll have something, and we can always freecycle it when we find something more permanent. And meanwhile, the husband is HAPPY - priceless!

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giveaway time!

Have you been wondering why I'm so crazy in love with vintage linens? Have you been wanting to give it a try without having to raid the thrift stores or fill your closets with old sheets? Now is your chance!



I'm celebrating my last finish with a giveaway! It includes almost everything you need to make your own patchwork - at least 130 6" squares of vintage linens (all different!), and enough 3" strips to do a scrappy binding. All you need to add is batting and backing (I recommend a nice all-cotton sheet - that's just one trip to the thrift store!).

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. Any old comment will do, but if you're feeling chatty, tell me a favorite memory of something crafty your grandma or mom made when you were little. International folks are welcome. And I'd love to share the vintage linen love far and wide - so if you mention this on your blog, come back and leave another comment for a second entry. I'll pick the winner next Thursday evening (um, that's the 24th).

And speaking of giveaways, here's another little bit of eye candy from ircabbit - her second quilt made from the IKEA Rosali fabric from an earlier giveaway. Isn't it beautiful??? OMG!

linen patchwork 2.0, finished!

I finished my second thrifted linen patchwork quilt, yay!



Version 2.0 is pretty much the same as the first one, only one row longer (10x13 - that's 130 different prints!)



For the back, I used a fun cheater print sheet. Hmmm... Kinda looks like overkill in this picture, huh? Oh well, I think it's cute. The binding is scrappy, 7 different pieces.



It's all boxed up now, and will shortly be on its way to my mom in Texas. She'll be taking it to our family reunion in October, where it will be auctioned off. My grandparents are gone now, but their descendants (11 children, 36 grandkids, and I have no idea how many great- and great-great-grandkids...) get together every year for a reunion, and the highlight of the weekend is an auction of hand-made goodies donated by all the family members. All the proceeds go towards funding the next year's reunion. Isn't that such a great idea? (Feel free to use it!) Last year, I donated an awesome flannel rag quilt, and it went for $125!! I can't wait to see how this one does!

And really, I think my grandma would just love this quilt. She was a great seamstress (you'd have to be, with 11 kids in rural South Texas!), and so thrifty and crafty. I have so many great memories of the way her tiny sewing room smelled, the trips to the Five and Dime for fabric, and all the things she made. She kept all the hand-made prom dresses her daughters wore (from the 50's), and all the grandkids loved to play dress-up in them. And get this - she even used to give us handmade underwear for Christmas! She was probably the last person on earth who actually made underwear for reals, and not just for fun. And one year she made these hilarious fake bustier things (complete with stuffed boobs!) that hung from a coat hanger, that were supposed to be used to hold your pantyhose and other unmentionables. They were satin, with lace and straps and everything. Dang, I wish I still had mine! Ah, grandma, I love you, and thank you so much for your crafting legacy!

For the label, I googled up this totally cheesy poem:

A family is like a patchwork quilt
with kindness gently sewn.
Each piece is an original,
with a beauty all its own.
With threads of warmth and happiness,
it's lightly stitched together
to last in love throughout the years -
a family is forever!

Yeah, cheeeeezy! But good for a family reunion, I think. :-) (By the way, if you click to see it in a close up, and you notice any misspellings, don't tell me!)

oh my stars!

When Amandajean put out a call for folks to donate wonky star blocks for her Quilts of Valor project, I jumped right on it. I had been thinking about trying this block, so it was a great opportunity to give it a whirl. And I'm always a sucker for a good cause!

I whipped up these three blocks in no time. I admit I did have to rip out a few seams, but it wasn't hard to get the hang of it. I was thinking I'd send more than the single one she asked for, but I've had second thoughts - if everybody did that, she'd be forced to make more quilts! So, I'll stick to the rules and just send one. I think I like the middle one the best, so probably that one.

It's my very first virtual quilting bee - yay! Maybe someday I'll even be brave enough to try a swap. :-)