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Monday, January 30, 2012

For Sale

I am working on getting some quilts & other goodies ready to sell.  Keep your eyes open for me to be adding things to this page soon :-)



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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Save your fingertips with this Nifty Tool While Cutting Fabric!


This Ruler Gripper is by Omnigrid was recommended to me in my 1st sewing class over a year ago, the teacher told the tale of a student who cut her finger tip off, that was enough for me to run and get one ASAP, haha.  I think their original intentions when they came out were to help you out of a tub but   I Love it!  You can keep your weight balanced on it and not worry about your fingers laying over the edge of the ruler and getting snipped off.  Looks like a phone to me...ring ring, it's for you!  :-)

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

New Customer Freebies :)

I was so excited today while traveling out of state, I was able to visit 2 quilt shops. My first stop one of the ladies behind the counter realized it was my first visit there and told me I was able to select a FREE pattern! I was given over 20 to choose from and the one I finally chose was over $10 too! So I was brave walking into the next store that was a few miles away. I asked them if they happened to offer anything since I was a first time customer. I told them about my recent experience (with their competition)and they let me pick out a FREE fat quarter! So today my thinking is the only thing better then lots of great fabric is FREE fabric! So maybe you too will be brave, remember the worst thing that can happen is they say no. :-)


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Sleepy sewing = a different type of Crazy Quilting :-p

Not sure how I managed to do it but I erased a story I wrote earlier. This story was about how I was falling asleep while sewing the other day and in my mind since I was hearing the hum of the machine and appeared to be on the fabric then it must be great...hahaha...NOT! So I can't even blame it on the dog who historically gets accused of eating everything from homework and being the one passing all of the gas. I don't even own a dog...giggles. So the morning after as I'm ripping out my version of Crazy Quilting of a barely there seam allowance...hehehe :-) I was thinking to myself if I would do sleepy sewing again. The answer is most likely yes, since honesty is the best policy, it is hard to walk away sometimes when you think you are almost to a certain point. But redoing stuff can be such a pain in the patootie...so the moral of the story is try not to fall asleep behind the wheel and with the pedal to the metal of your sewing machine. :-p
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Awesome Tool for a perfect 1/4 inch seam and no-mark-no-paper half-square triangles


I have been using this "Sew Easy Guide - 2" since August 2011 designed by Sara of "Sew Together".  The time it saves me is incredible.  I no longer have to risk leaving a mark on the fabric and it be ruined because of it.  I keep a perfect 1/4 seam with a scant (when I'm not sleepy or distracted...hehehe) It also makes half square triangles without running a line down the middle first with this clear guide that you stick to the bottom of your presser foot. It is removable and reusable.  The size I have is 11.25 inches and works on squares that have sides up to 7 1/2 inches that means no-mark-no-paper half-square triangles!  I use mine all of the time and would suggest it for people of any level who wants to save time!  :-)

***UPDATE***:  Sara has now given directions on how to make a Sew Easy Guide Baby!  Great idea since I am getting ready to buy the refill pack!  =) 

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy 

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2011 March ~ Beginning Thread Painting

This is a close up of the sunflower flower panel, notice the white thread running through it, it is keeping the layers from moving (the quilt sandwich).  It will be removed when finished :-) Class taken March 2011
We were told to buy a large flower panel for this class.  It was to help us gain comfort with free motion stitching.  I love learning new things and figuring out how I may want to use it in my daily projects.  :-)  

UPDATE:  PS...Check out these pics of Sunflower Cupcakes I took last week along with some look alikes, Black Eyed Susans by clicking here

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

2012 January ~ Quilt #7 Split Decision for my Oldest :-)

Quilt top #7 Pattern name "Split Decision"  For my oldest Jan. 2012
 
This quilt top was made for my oldest and it is basically an eye spy of all types of things he loves like the Baltimore Ravens,  fortune cookies , tae kwan do, strawberries , raspberries    since he loved to pick them at my old friend's house who passed away last year, Mr. Jim's, pizza , cheese burgers , Boy Scouts themed , pebbles and rocks since he loves to try to skip them in the water.  There is so many more fabrics I really went wild with making it about him.  PS and several different types of penguins!  =)
 Here is the link that will take you to the puzzle quilt top (eye spy style) I made for his younger brother.
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2011 November ~ Christmas Stockings with my own pattern!

Quilted Christmas Stockings ~ Made my own Pattern Fall/ Winter 2011


2011 November ~ Holiday /Christmas Ten 10 Minute Table Runners

Table Runner ~ Holly & Butterflies Nov. 2011
Table Runner ~ Blue & Green Christmas Balls Nov. 2011

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2011 November ~ Checkerboard Snowmen


Checkerboard that I completed on 11-11-11 :-)  I took several ideas from free patterns online and made my own :-)




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2011 October ~ Puzzle Quilt for my Puzzle Master ~ Quilt #6

Quilt top #6  Pattern name:  "Quilter's Puzzle" For my youngest Oct. 2011 - I added the GREEN border to it in Jan. 2012 once I saw how much I liked the ORANGE on his brother's :-)
All of the pieces of the puzzle represent things about him and some of the things he loves.  There are soft pretzels, grapes, tossing rocks and pebbles in the river.  Goldfish crackers, the Baltimore Ravens  , strawberries, raspberries since he loved picking them over an elderly friend of ours, his name was Mr. Jim and he sadly passed away December 2012, but this little part of the quilt will hopefully bring him back to those fun times at his home, he was in taekwando so kids in uniform doing kicks are there, hot dogs (it wasn't this hot dog fabric, but he would have liked it since he loves ketchup so much)  ...gosh and a tons more!  PS...Here is the link to the quilt top I made for his older brother, it's pattern name is Split Decision, I also made it like and eye spy type style.
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Monday, January 16, 2012

2011 September ~ Fun Coasters for a Quick Gift Idea




I made these coasters, in a day, looked at a few different free patterns online and came up with my own ideas in the end mixed with theirs.  They were given to a very special friend of mine whose birthday was in Sept. 2011, he just passed away in Dec.  He will be missed.  <3

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2011 August ~ Machine Applique Class ~ Maryland on My Mind

I made this during adorable Maryland crab during a Machine Applique class back in August 2011 with Erin Underwood, a Professional Quilter. This is not finished, it needs more work to be complete, like binding or I may be turning it into a pillow front :-).  Erin named this design, "Maryland On My Mind".

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2011 August ~ Diagonal Corner Method for Hearts ~ Quilt #5


Quilt top #5 Gift for Hubby Aug. 2011
Close up pf Quilt top #5 to show the crazy square corners I made

Quilt #5 above is from a pattern called Hearts - Diagonal Corner Method by Emily Kolasa.  I did not follow her complete pattern, it called for it to be 40"x58" (not large enough for a grown man) and so I just added extra hearts, blocks and rows.  The pattern called for a special tool that I absolutely love and use it every time I sew (I wrote a suggestion about it here), I just found out about all of the different sizes on the website where you can also buy one :-)  The tool made it so I didn't have to draw on the fabric to sew directly down the middle and it does soooo much more, like keeping a perfect 1/4 inch with scant for the seam allowance.  The 4 different colored hearts in the center and the blocked corners represent myself, the hubby and the 2 boys since they are our favorite colors.  Remember this is our creation and we don't need to follow all of the patterns suggestions.  We are allowed to "break the rules"  Enjoying is the key!  :-)
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2011 June ~ Labyrinth ~ My King Size Quilt ~ No Y Seams or Diamonds!


This is my 4th quilt, it is a massive king size and it is huge (118"x118")!  (May-July 2011) The pattern's name is Labyrinth by Debbie Maddy. Here is a book she has also written.   This was made without diamonds and Y seams, can you believe that?!


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2011 April ~ Hand Applique/ Turned Edge by Machine

Hand Applique / Turned-Edge by Machine class taken in the Spring of 2011 with Erin Underwood, she is a professional quilter and fantastic teacher.  Pic shows how things are still pinned down and needing to be sewn around :-)  Apples are done.

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2011 May ~ Ten Minute Table Runner (Ha Ha) ~ Metallic Fabrics :-)


 
This was a fun and easy table runner pattern (after making it a few times) that claimed to take 10 minutes to make.  I made a few boo-boos along the way and finally figured it out.  Ok, now they take less time...LoL!  :)
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2011 April ~ Fun with Stack -n- Whack :-) (Quilt#3)

Whack & Stack Quilt #3 ~ April 2011
Colorful backing of Quilt #3 needs binding :-)







Above are a few of the blocks before they were sewn in.  It was a lot of fun for me to see what designs could come out if I turned it just one more time!  I did take a 3 day class to learn this method, the book that was required for that class was called "Magic Stack-n-Whack Quilts" .  Beware, it is addictive :p

PS....I still don't love the olive green portion of the blocks that was some fabric that was pushed upon me by someone I will not name so as to protect the fabric pusher...LoL!  Mental note, go with your gut, it is your quilt and you are the one that has to love it, unless it is going to someone who happens to love olive green of course :-)  I would have preferred purple points to match the border.  We live and learn right?   

2011 February ~ My First Baby Quilt with Matching Pillows

My 2nd Quilt - Feb. - May 2011 - I was learning how to free motion quilt (fmq) on this baby quilt, near the end I was able to take a class...WoW...so much easier when you actually know what you are doing...hahaha!  :-p
I warned you, I had no idea how to free motion quilt when I attempted this! LoL! =P
Applique sewn on to the back of the quilt, this was the baby's nickname :-)
I also taught my self how to applique and then found a class to take after this quilt.  Would have been easier with a class first...haha! :-)











 
The pillows above were given to the teenage sister and brother of the 1 year old the quilt was given to.  I wanted them to always have a piece of their baby sister's quilt no matter where they went off to, even college.  They also loved the fact that they were included and both keep them on their bed at night :-)

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy 
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