My first attempt at making an Amy Butler bag. Love it!

I’ve been working on this bag today to get it finished.  I bought the fabric and started making it during my holiday vacation.  Today I finished it.  It is really cute, and it wasn’t hard to make at all.  The fabric that I used is from Amy Butler as well.  It’s from her Love line and it’s called” paradise garden /periwinkle”.  The strap and top of the bag are a grey with white polka dots.  I don’t remember where I got this.  It’s from my stash.  I love the exterior, but I also love the lining.  It is fully lined (with a pocket to boot) in Amy Butler’s Soul Blossoms in “Periwinkle, Laurel Dots”.  I love how two different fabrics, from two different lines still coordinate because of the periwinkle.

These pictures aren’t the greatest, but they will work for now.  This bag is called The Teardrop Bag and it is from this book by Amy Butler:

I didn’t quite get the pleats on the outside quite right, but they work for me and it’s just the perfect size to hold my Nook color and/or my iPad.  I am very pleased that this is my first finished project of 2012.  The crafty year seems to be off to a good start.  Now I better get going because the new season of Downton Abbey is getting ready to start!!!  Can’t wait to see what those British are up to now!

What was inside you ask???  This!

When I was home for Thanksgiving, I mentioned to my Mom that I was trying to save up to buy this machine.  Then imagine my surprise when it showed up on my doorstep. THANK YOU, MOM!

I am so excited to use it.  This machine also came with all of the special feet for quilting (1/4″ foot, walking foot, stippling foot, and open toe foot).  So, check back soon for some finished blocks from Uberfest!  I only have 2 more to go.

I have personally purchased a book from Inspired Memories by M to showcase the pictures of my now grown up Quality Control Manager Merlin. I LOVE IT!!  Here are some of the gorgeous, inspired books that are listed now.  Make sure to check out the site for more books and pictures, and remember to shop small this season…small businesses that is!

Looking for a gift for a friend or family member with a new baby girl?  Look no further.  How fabulous is this?  I love the handmade paper on the cover and the sparkly embellishments, and seriously, could you find any cuter paper than the pink birds?  Ah-dor-ah-ble!

Here’s a peek at another scrapbook.  This one is for anyone with a young one in elementary school.  It’s a perfect gift for parents or even grandparents who want to chronicle their little one’s year in school.  I absolutely love the robot and the super cute multicolored apple paper.

This is block #10, and it is called “Spinning on That Dizzy Edge”.  Heather Jones from Olive and Ollie designed it.

This is called “Cabin in the Woods”, and it was designed by Susan over at IamChickenfoot.

#12 is called “Autumn Sun” from Jan Peoples.  Jan blogs at “Sew Sow in Love”.  I used the blue batik in this one.  I love that fabric!

  Finally, this is #13 from Erin Singleton at Two More Seconds blog.  It doesn’t have a name, which is kind of a bummer, but I like it none the less.  It was one of the most simple blocks to finish.  Instead of using a single fabric for the center square, I used a left over half square triangle (hst) from another block.

Here’s hoping that I get the last three done tomorrow.  I hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

Hugs,

Erica

The next block is by Ryan Walsh at “I’m Just a Guy Who Quilts”.  It is called “Watch Over Me” and it symbolizes Sleeping Beauty in her castle surrounded by the castle walls.  My castle walls turned out a bit wonky, but I still like it.  The periwinkle blue really pops.

Then I completed number 7 called “In The Corner Pocket” by Scott Hansen of Blue Nickel Studios.  Scott is the creator of this Uber-Fest quilt along.  Thanks, Scott!!

Number 8 is from April Rosenthal at Prairie Grass Patterns.  April named this block “Chevron Dreams” and I love it.  I think it would make a really great quilt pattern. I used some fabric that wasn’t part of the Lakehouse Dry Goods line in this because I was worried about running out at the end.  The grey purple is a Kona shade (sorry I don’t remember which one).  It turned out really well.  I seem to be getting better at matching the small pieces up. 

The final block that I’ve finished so far this week is #9.  It is from Cara Wilson at Cara Quilts and it is called “Bear Cabin”.  I love how she used the bear paw in the block with the log cabin.  Genius!  I used a batik fabric that matched the color way of the Lakehouse Dry Goods fabric I’ve been using. 

Well, here’s hoping that my throat will feel better tomorrow.  Otherwise, I have a feeling I will be pretty unbearable to be around.  Happy crafting!

E

E

The third block is designed by Karen Linton.  It’s called “South for Winter”.  This was a super easy block to make, but the result is beautiful!

Finally, is day 4 from Konda Luckau at Moose on the Porch Quilts.  This one is called “Cabin in the Woods”.  I was a bit daunted by the thin strips in between each section, but they turned out great!  When I chose the fabrics for this block, I decided that  I wanted just the small blocks to be the cabin and the rest of the pieces were the flower gardens around the cabin in the woods.  It turned out better than I had hoped.

  Well, that’s it for now.  Today I’m off to Denver to hang out in the city while my poor husband is at work.  I’m going to drop him off and then head out…Ikea maybe? Park Meadows Mall definitely.  I’m also going to go by a new town home development to check out the area and see if it might be our next neighborhood.  Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

Hugs, E

I spent the whole day yesterday in my craft area getting this baby finished.  Then I spent the whole evening hand sewing the binding on.  It turned out amazingly.  The colors were just the perfect pick me up on such a cold, dreary day.  I wasn’t sure about the brightness of the pink on the back, but now that it is finished I love it.  I also pieced the back with the leftover scraps from the front.  It breaks up the pink nicely.  I quilted it simply by just following the piecing lines on the front where I sewed each of the strips together.  The border is fabulous.  It reminds me of striped beach umbrellas from vintage postcards.

Quilt Stats:

Fabric: Verna by Kate Spain for Moda jelly roll, Kona cotton in white , Kona cotton in candy pink (backing and binding)

Pattern: Jelly Girl from Fig Tree and Co.

Size: approx. 68″ x 69″

In other news, it is still unbelievably warm here in Colorado.  We were in the 80′s again today, but it looks like a change is in the forecast.  Friday looks like it will be nice a crisp.  The first quarter of school is almost over, which is hard to believe.  The time has flown by, bu things in my classroom are moving along smoothly and my students are slowing coming into their own as writers.  Well, until next time.

Hugs, E.

Yesterday I was commenting on how hard it would be for me to wait for a new block each month with my BOM challenge.  Today, however, I have found another challenge to keep me busy.  It is the Quilt-Uber-Fest from Blue Nickel Studies.  With this one there is a new block each day!!  I am very excited.  Especially because I have a lot of fabric to use up and I think I know just the collection I’m going to use for this quilt along.  The blocks are 12″ and by completing a block a day, I’ll have another quilt top in no time!!  I am also thinking of turning some of them into pillows?  Not sure but it’s an idea. 

Click on the logo on the right if you are interested in participating as well.  The patterns are free and you can use any fabric you like, although I do love the fabric they are using.