Creative Show and back to Dear Jane

Last weekend I went to the Creative show with my friend C, who also quilts. Sometimes I'm disappointed by the show - I found some things I liked this year, but found the overall number of vendors quite low for the admission price I paid to get in.

Here's what I bought (all fat quarter sizes):

I liked the sayings on this - turn your head sideways to see them

these will become baby booties for a co-worker (who shares the same first name as me)

these will likely also become baby booties

this I just thought was so cute!



This weekend the Brampton Quilt Guild is holding their bi-annual show. C and I sold raffle tickets in the morning, then toured the show. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I was inspired to get some sewing done so tonight I ignored my school work and headed up to the sewing room.

B11 is finished:

B11

I looked back in my book to see what I've finished this year. Every month we get assigned 10 blocks. I haven't finished all my homework yet this year. This will be my month and I'm determined to get through all 10. They are almost all paper pieced this month so that might try my patience.

I was talking to a lady at the quilt show today, telling her I was making a Dear Jane - she called it "Damn Jane", which some days, is not far off.

Mini Quilt Part 2

I found my sewing room tonight for a bit. I finished up the main pieces for the mini quilt I want to finish for my guild's show next weekend. Nothing like cutting it short!

Here's my original layout idea with either black or white background:

I was hoping for a spinning effect in the star - it didn't quite work. I think the red is overpowering and skewing my spin.

I can't decide on a background - any suggestions?

I want to bind it with this:

 

mostly because it has all the colours in it, I included it in the star, and I don't really care for it for anything I'd make for myself. (Although it did very well for it's intended purpose, which was a back for a pillow I made for my cousin before she moved to Germany.

 

 

I tried these layouts too:

 

 

layout 2

Layout 3, with helper



I think I like layout 2 the best. Any suggestions on which layout?

Here's the layouts sort of side by side:

I need to get this sucker finished!

I had my Dear Jane class today and I'm woefully behind, so I need to get going so I complete my 10 blocks before the next class.



Mini Quilt for Quilt Show

My quilt guild is having a show in a few weeks. I wanted to have a quilt finished that I could put in. Alas, it was not to be. Of all the projects I have on the go, there was too much project and not enough time.
Then, the newsletter arrived last week and it said they needed miniature quilts that they could sell. My hope sparked again - I think I can finish a mini quilt.
Tonight I started:

I have to hand it over on Thursday night at the guild meeting. Wish me luck.

I found the sewing room tonight

C4

I've Been Knitting

For some reason I had an urge to knit. I found this pattern I really liked on a knitting blog I read (the only knitting blog I read) and I fell in love. Then I found this awesome yarn I liked. So, I've been knitting. I think part of the urge is to feel like I finish something - often with Dear Jane I feel like I don't get all that much accomplished in a couple hours - with the knitting, I can see a lot of progress in a few hours.

the basic layout of the scarf - not your usual shape

my progress to date

a close up of the yarn - it's not as pink as it looks in this picture

another close up - it feels very spring, which I've been craving

Design Wall Monday & A Clean(er) Sewing Room

Yesterday I set out with high hopes to clean and tidy my sewing room so I could be more efficient since everything would be organized and easy to find. That lasted about 2 hours yesterday and .5 today. Then I was tired of that and decided to just start sewing.
Here's the tidying progress:

a little better

the cardboard boxes are in clear bins and labelled - bottom left

I got back to Dear  Jane then. I had high hopes to do a ton of sewing this weekend - I ended up with 2 hours tonight; sometimes the best laid plans...

B5

 

And here is my (emptier) design wall:

Apr 1

It looks kinda sad and lonely - hopefully my tidying pays off with a little more efficiency in the sewing room.

I'm linking up to Patchworktimes too.

Cleaning Up

Yesterday I went to Hamilton to shop with my quilty friend C - we hit the fabric district cause I'm looking for drapes. I found something I liked - it was $8 more a meter at Fabricland than at the textile place - so I'll be purchasing it at the textile store. I don't have a picture of it handy though.

Then we hit a new quilt store called "Needlework". It was cute and had a lot of character and not a lot of inventory. What you see on the website is what you get.

Finally we hit Ann's - a store that sells almost all stretch fabric for dance/skating costumes. C purchased some fabric there to create something for a friend and I picked up a little stretch lace.

All in all, a good day.

Today I've been doing the  housework house blessings jobs. After the main floor was tackled, I moved up to the sewing room.

These are the befores:

from the door

from the door

from the sewing table

the floor

Then I started cleaning and putting away. You'll have to wait a day or two for the reveal.
Now that I see these photos again, I have to run over to see if it looks any better after an hour or two of cleaning/tidying: yep, better but not yet done.