Giving is living

Well, I already missed a week.  Opps.  I think Test weeks are gonna be no post weeks. 

I wanted to share the two #birthdayclubhandmade gifts I sent off  for the October and December birthdays.  I loved making these gifts - doing things I had never tried before and "new-to-me" patterns.

Abby is a huge starwars fan - so I made a circle and started hand quilting during lectures.

Then when I finished and sent if off - I forgot to take a picture.  So I stole this one from Abby's IG.

I was so happy it actually looked like the death star when I was done.  It ended up being about 12x12. 

Then Kelsey loves blue as much as I do, so I went with an all blue palatte.

I used a paper piecing pattern for the dresden.  And turned it into a pillowcase.  I have a dresden ruler...but I have never used it.  Someday.  Do you have any special rulers you love to use?  Any dresden tricks to share?



 - Katelyn

Birthday Club Handmade

Mostly I live in the library, which doesn't allow sewing machines. 
Nursing school is my life right now and that is just how it is.  The really sad part is that I miss sewing a tiny bit more than I miss my friends (sometimes - I mean we all have to work pretty hard to find time to hang out even when I am not in school). 
But I have had the coolest opportunity...
Instagram has lead me to a whole new set of friends, friends I have never meet, but totally love.  They are hilarious and incredibly talented (I tend to follow makers).  Through IG I found myself in a birthday group.  We are a small group (as to not get overwhelmed), just 7.  That is 7 months out of the year instead of 12.  The goal is to make something for the birthday girl that she will love and that is totally handmade.  I have made several new friends and love making gifts. 
My birthday was first and I didn't really know what to expect -
My mind was blown!

Pillow case from @tiffanytravels

gorgeous machine quilting and hand quilting!

@kelseysews made this amazing mini

Then @argyle24 used my FAVORITE AMH print to make a purse and pouch.  I use them everyday.

@michelledale79 - look at all those blues!  and that quilting!  

@purplepoppyquilts gave me a rainbow and branched out to paper piece for the first time - fantastic!

 I am one lucky girl.  I have been truly blessed in swaps.  I have had wonderful partners.  I know some people have not had the best experience with swaps and that makes me SO sad cause I think they are so much fun.  And a great way to get to know quilters from afar.  Check out what my group has done on IG with the hashtag #birthdayclubhandmade.
Have you ever participated in a swap?  What did you think about the experience?


- Katelyn

Hiatus Over

It’s been a LONG time.  Oops.  

I got new glasses - and gained a bit of unwanted weight

I have been busy with school and family and just stopped blogging.  I am still in school and my family will always be busy (I now have 8 nieces and nephews instead of just 6). 

However, I have discovered that I kind of miss blogging.  I am constantly on instagram, but it isn’t quite the same.  So I have decided to try to come back.  I am going for a once a week post – we’ll see how that works out.  I’m just gonna start with what I have been doing recently and then what little I have gotten accomplished over the past year. 

My SIL and her three kiddos are living with us until my brother comes back from deployment.  Its fun having them around, but I am spending most of my time in the library at school. 

Such cuties!

I have been hand piecing and stitching in my “spare time” during lectures at school and quick little 10 min breaks while studying.  It helps to save my sanity.  I may never finish a project, but it makes me happy.  Due to this I took the leap and joined on the bandwagon with the La Passacaglia quilt.  It is a pattern by Willyne Hammerstein from her book Millefiori Quilts. It is all over IG and I just couldn’t resist.  I got the book, templates, and precut papers from Pink Door Fabrics – for an amazing price.  

 

Where I am at with Rosette #1

beginnings of rosette #2

next step ready to go

I am working on round at a time, just picking the fabrics as I go.  It is so much fun for me to do it that way.  Its like I don’t know what is gonna come next so it stays exciting.  lol.  I may need to try and alter my definition of exciting. 

Back to the nursing school grind.  See yall next week!

 - Katelyn

Learning is Hexy

I taught a short lesson on English Paper Piecing to my local quilt guild recently.  I brought everyone some 1.5in Hexagon paper pieces (we are a super small guild - though trying to grow - so it wasn't a big deal to make 7 Hexagon paper pieces, each, for everyone). 

After I thread basted two for demonstration, I went home and basted the rest of my hexagons with my brand new Sewline Glue Pen.  

I liked using it.  It was certainly faster for me (though not by as much time as I thought it would be...there is always a chance I was doing it incorrectly - I just don't know what could have been done differently.  lol).  After I basted the hexis I tried to use the glue pen to baste my diamonds (posted previously here).  I hated it.  This just did not hold the way that I thought it would.  I guess the way that the fabric is folded is just so different that I had a rough time with it.  Back to thread for those.

Anyway, hexis...
I sewed them together and then hand appliqued down to a nice teal color fabric (first time!).

it's a bit blurry...but that just means you can't see my white thread so much.  lol

Next I had to hand quilt it.  This is a big "first-time" project for me, glad I put it on a small scale.  

Wee bit of my Instagram progress:

And now it is bound, washed, and in use!

I used many fabrics from my bed quilt and pillows... So it matches!

The back looks pretty bad...oops.

But I love how the front turned out!

Loving my hexi mug rug.  Do you have any eep tips for me?  Or perhaps some hand quilting advice for this newbie? ;)

- Katelyn