A Finished Block and a Confession

First, the block:

The queen of the Newbee Quilters Hive 3 wanted X + blocks in bright colors paired with neutrals. I hope she likes it! It was really a snap to make. I might just have to make a few for myself!

Here's the confession. I have been absolutely moping the past almost 2 weeks since my last post. I have been looking at all the pretty picture posts linked up to Plum and June's new photography workshop linky and have been really down on myself. I just don't have any good place to stage photos. My house is super dark. I don't have patio furniture or nice pretty grass (it's Arizona!) to use as a backdrop. So I moped, thinking of how horrible all my photos were and how everyone must just hate me for taking bad pictures.

I know, stupid, right? Part of this funk has been stemming from other things in my life being stressful, I know. It has been a rough couple of weeks at work and at home and I can't tell you how glad I am that it's Friday and I only have one more day of work before a nice, long weekend. But today I'm feeling like what I really need to do is leave behind the negativity. Yes, my house is dark, but that doesn't mean I can't do the best I can. Or find a cute little patio table on Craigslist to use for outdoor photos. There are solutions to this and the other stressful things that seem to be cropping up everywhere in my life lately. It's all about attitude, right? So I have decided to work on always having a positive attitude toward sewing and blogging. I love sewing and blogging about it and reading blogs and all the other wonderful things that come with it! I shouldn't let the stress monster that follows me around everywhere else taint my happy place!

So that's my confession. I stayed away from my blog for almost two weeks because of this nonsense! How ridiculous is that?

I have been working on all sorts of things, though. I am almost done quilting the wonky triangle quilt! I was really struggling at first, but then I found this post by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh! Fransson fame and it helped A LOT. I started quilting in quadrants instead of rows and it was sooo much easier. Mario also brought me some Kevlar gloves from work that are AWESOME. I had shown him some quilting gloves when we were at Joann and he remembered and thought maybe these would work. And they do! Soon I will have a finished quilt to show you! Isn't that exciting??

I also starting cutting scraps for a new quilt:

Happy little piles of color! It's going to be a scrappy chevron quilt using rectangles instead of triangles. I have seen them around the internet, but haven't found a pattern/tutorial really, so I sketched it out myself and am crossing my fingers that everything goes well!

Well. It is time to get to work. I will be seeing you more often- no more stress monster keeping me away from my favorite destressing activity! Hope you have a great weekend!

Looooong Week

And by that I mean last week. But if how today went is any indication, I have another long week ahead of me...

I did make some progress, though. I have been boycotting my sewing room a little bit due to the heat. I am just SICK of it. I love rain, but when it is 103 with 60+% humidity, my house is just miserable. And my sewing room is an addition that is poorly insulated, so it is even more miserable. I'm just tired of sweating while I quilt... You can understand that, right?

So I finished one more Swoon block:

A bit on the dark side for a picture, but I was sick of trying to remember to get Mario to help me in the last moments of daylight when I get off work... Someday I WILL have a new sewing room and it WILL have lots of natural light. I just have to be patient!

And I *finally* started quilting the wonky triangles quilt (I really can't decide what to call it!).

It is definitely work to wrestle the quilt through, but I'm managing. Somehow. Someday I will also have a drop-in sewing table and a machine with a nice, big throat. Or maybe a long arm. Someday! But for now, I make my slow progress. After about an hour my shoulders start screaming and I start overheating, so this might take a while!

I have more things to show you this week! I have to show off my awesome swappy presents from the talented Kitty and Allison. They are the BEST and their swap items were just PERFECT. So I want to take pictures that at least do them some justice. Soon! I didn't even take pictures of the stuff I made- I definitely fail!

Anyway, hope you are all having a less stressful, crazy week than I'm having. I need a cup of tea and a good book tonight for sure. Maybe iced tea.

Winner!

Today I used the the number generator at Random.org for the first time! It was exciting. Out of the 23 people who entered my little giveaway, Random.org chose number 21:

That's Gwendellyn! Congratulations! I sent you an e-mail already!


Thanks to everyone who entered! It was fun :) Will definitely have to give away more stuff here every now and again!

I'm working on my Swoon and the wedding quilt today. Pictures to come!

Finish it Up!

**There is still time to enter my little giveaway!**

I was hoping to have a new Swoon block to show you today, but I haven't quite finished it. SO I must keep you in suspense.

But! I did take the scraps from my little baskets and made another basket!

Please ignore all the random stray threads.

I couldn't help myself. Isn't it cute?? I know the light is awful, but I didn't want to wait...

What is that fabric it is sitting on, you ask? That is a yard of some tiny elephants from Kokka, which is just some of the new fabric I bought that just came in...

Here's the rest of it! Yes, I went a little overboard... but Form and Fabric has a TON of fabric on sale at 60-75% off! What's a girl to do?? You should go scoop some up before it's all gone! Most of these are Joel Dewberry prints with a couple of random others thrown in that I couldn't pass up.

Do I know what I am going to do with this mountain? Well, no. But at a little over $4/yard, I am willing to wait for inspiration to strike. I might turn the adorable elephants into a new tablet case. We shall see!

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF hosted this week at BedTime Quilting!

First Ever Giveaway!!

Hey guys!

Last you heard of me I was fighting with my machine, which was making unhappy noises and munching on fabric... Well, we established a truce. I cleaned her out again, spending lots of time getting into all the little nooks and crannies with my tiny brush. Then I switch out the needle and rethreaded her once again and even switched bobbins (hey, you never know!). Now it seems we are back on track. And to celebrate, I got SO MUCH DONE this weekend.

A couple of things I can't show you. I want them to be a surprise for the recipients!

But I did replace the fabric that wasn't big enough for my Swoon. I think I like these even better:

I had planned on using a very pale blue and a darker purple- the same one from my Hounds tooth quilt, in fact. But my elephants are so happy and bright, I decided I needed something better! I'd tell you the names of the colors if I could remember. How have I forgotten already? Oops...

Then I cut some little elephants... haven't started the blocks yet, but they're so cute!

 I really can't wait to get back to my Swoon. I finished all my major commitments except the wedding quilt, but that's all basted and ready for quilting so I am feeling pretty good about it. I think I can allow myself so Swoon time :)

And finally, I learned to make little fabric baskets!!

Aren't they awesome??

The bigger one has a 4" base with 2.5" sides. The smaller one is the same height, but with a 3" base. I love them! I want to make about 50 more...

I used some scraps of chevron fabric I had hiding in my stash... I cleaned and organized my sewing room yesterday and was amazed by all the treasures I found! Definitely need to pay more attention to the things I already have.


So how would you like to win these cute little nesting baskets + some scraps of cute animal themed fabric? I am now up to 46 followers on Bloglovin' and I want to say thank you guys fr being so awesome!! :)

I might add a couple more cute animals to this pile. Maybe even a scrap of my precious elephants! ;)

All you have to do to enter is leave one comment on this post. I'll choose a winner this Sunday, August 11th. I'd be happy to ship internationally, too!

I'm linking up with WiP Wednesday with Lee at Freshly Pieced and Sew Cute Tuesday at better off thread... :)