I Need To Do Some Embroidery ASAP!

I had no idea how much I would like hand embroidery. In fact I was really kind of scared to even try it. That is really silly I know, but for whatever reason I was. So after diving into it with the Advent Calendar  (which still has to be completed..ahem) I found how much I love it! So yesterday I  was over at Craft Couture and saw this charming little princess that she was doing in a sew along. I fell in love and headed over to Lilipopo. She has the sweetest embroidery designs and is offering this free pattern for the sew along. If you love embroidery head over to her blog and check out her designs. So this got me into hand embroidery mode. While I wait for my pattern to come in, I remembered that I found some designs from a very old German cookbook that I copied down. What's funny is the designs have nothing to do with the cooking at all. It's all very random. So here she is in all her Glory Miss Orangiana!

Things that Inspire me today

I'm linking up with Gussy Sews and her post about 7 things that inspire us. Well, things that inspire me are quilts, fabric and food for the most part. So the things that inspire me today are:

1. Fabric Swaps

2. Homemade Croissants 

Let me just say they were far better than any store bought! Thanks Martha Stewart

3. Mug Rugs or Mini Quilts

4. Smore Cupcakes

Thanks to Mad Hungry

5. Japanese X and + Block

Great tutorial on Badskirt

6. A Trivet 

I want to make a quilt block out of this. 

7. The Modern Block of the Month on

 Sew Mama Sew

 Oh and one more thing: Quilty A wonderful blog about quilting. Also she does amazing videos that are so cool. You can check them out here. 

Japanese X and + Blocks

Rather short post, but I am really excited about this swap on Flickr and can't wait to sew up some more blocks. I got all my pieces cut out for 12 blocks and I finally got a couple blocks put together. Hip Hip Hooray!

 

Have a fantastic day!

I'm A Farmer Now!

GGGGRRRRR!!!!!!

I wrote a whole blog post like three days ago and posted it and then the stinky thing disappeared! Of course I didn't figure that out until today :( That is a little irritating!! Oh well here we go again.

 

So I'm sure most of you have seen The Farmers Wife Quilt book and all the buzz about the Quilt alongs. I have been cyber stocking the lovely ladies over at Fussy Cut and Ms Mc Pork Chop Quilts for a long time. I have wanted to join in, but since I was overloaded with a million projects and still pretty new to quilting I thought I would begin with the new year. I think a lot of people have had this idea.  Over at Make Something she started a quilt along last week.

I have seen a lot of different ways to do the blocks: Standard templates, paper piecing, printing on freezer paper and figuring out the math. I tried printing on freezer paper and almost broke out printer. My husband didn't think it was such a good idea. I would love to just do the math, but I'm afraid of messing up something. I never thought that I would need math/geometry in anything that I would be doing. If only I could have seen quilting in my future :)

Anyways I decided to do the templates and will aim for at least 2 blocks a week. I started with Block 1 and Block 2 and really loved them. Can't wait to get hoppin on next weeks! 

 I really loved this block, it was super fun to put together. 

Block 1 - Attic Windows

I cut this first, but it was missing something 

I thought the pink dots added so much more

Block 2 - Autumn Tints 

  I also made a name time out of some of the scraps for 

The Fort Worth Modern Quilt Guild

 I forgot to take it however to the meeting last night :) Oooppps

  

Another Fabric and Chocolate Swap

I LOVE SWAPPING!!

 It is so fun to meet new people and to put something together for them with just a little info of what they like. It really comes from the heart and it's so dear. I had the pleasure of doing two swaps this month and can't wait for them to get theirs! I'm waiting to post this, just in case they read the blog. I want it to be a surprise :) 

This was for Yvette over at Crafty Oz Girl

This was for Deb over at Trio Stitch Studio

This is the awesome package I got from Yvette.

 I was needing some additional Christmas fabric for my Christmas quilt that I have yet to even start! :) My whole Christmas plan has kind of fallen to the wayside. Oh well there is always next year.

If you haven't tried this chocolate yet, get in your car and drive to the store and buy it right now! It's really some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted! Can you tell how much I like it?

The other goodies I got were some flower pins (which you can never have enough of) some of my favorite thread and the cutest little snowflake which my boys immediately took and put on the tree.

THANK YOU YVETTE!

This one is from Deb and is equally AWESOME!!

I'm in love with the wild flowers from Heather Ross - Far Far Away 2! I was actually going to buy some of this the other day - glad I waited :) I really needed these colors. I don't have a lot of yellow/orange. In fact I don't have any. I need to broaden my color horizons. I also got some floss and my fav white thread which I can't get enough of.  And last, but not least some delicious Ghirardelli chocolate which I'll break in today. I'm sure most of you who read my blog already swap, but if you don't you should try it. It is so much fun!!

Extreme Close Up!

 Thank you again lovely ladies for being my partner! 

Literally Last Minute Sewing

 I found a super cute tutee for some quilted coasters over at Craft Snob and fell in love. I decided on some home dec fabric to really give it some stability. I love this fabric - I know a lot of it is Amy Butler, but not sure about all of it.

I decided to only use four fabrics instead of five

It's quilting time

Time to sew the backing on

Add some edge stitching and we're done!

Back

I want to make some for our house at some point! They were so much fun. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! 

January T

Japanese X and + swap

 I signed up for a swap on Flickr and I am so excited to get going on this block. I was a little unsure how it would look with 7 different fabrics in one block and then multiply that with X amount of blocks. But I have to say it really does look AMAZING! The scrappier the better.  The swap doesn't start until January 7th so there is still time to join in on the madness :) There is a great tutorial for this block on  Badskirt. This is a great scrap buster project, but I have some fabrics that are just screaming to be used here.  

 I'll post some more photos soon.

Got to get busy!!