OMG December: Library Book Quilt (again!)

I know I keep using this quilt as a goal, but it's been a year long project that I keep breaking down into smaller parts and returning to again and again.  I really only have one major part left (aside from the actual basting and quilting), and that is finishing the letters.  Now that I have all other sewing projects out of the way, and have organized my strips for the letters a little better, I'm ready to tackle the letters once and for all as my December project.  Hopefully I won't waste time remembering which size strips I have to use for what, now that I've labeled them.  And I updated my notes with what size strips to cut should I run out.  Here's what I have done so far.  Three letters. Out of 23 letters.  But I'm ready to be done!

[Update: I have started working on them already.  And I have the first word done, and three letters into the next!  Which means now only 13 more letters to go.  I messed up and glued fabric to the wrong side of one letter template, so I need to print out another "t" template.  And After trimming another letter, realized I had sewed the wrong side of the fabric up.  But I'm getting there.]

OMG November: Typography Hexie Swap (update)

With all the crazy stuff happening in November, I needed an easy goal.  Thankfully, I met it!  I signed up to do the Typography Hexie Swap--make 4 hexies for 4 different people.  I haven't done a swap in a year or so, so this was a nice, easy one to join in on.  I also made a fifth set of hexies for myself.  The hardest part was deciding which 4 fabrics to choose for the hexies.  I cut into my precious Elementary stash for one of them, and even fussy-cut the recipients initials from it.  Alas, there are no S's on the fabric, so my set has the fancy W below. (Why? Just because I like the fancy letter.)  I was happy when I found these pretty (and inexpensive) green floral, blank-on-the-inside cards at the store to mail my hexies in.

So far, I received three of the sets I should from the swap.  One of the sets came all the way from Australia!

Not sure what I will make with the hexies, yet.  I'll probably get around to cutting a bunch more out of the other text fabrics I have.  There definitely seems to be a gray/teal/green color scheme so far.

Now I've signed up for what I'm hoping is another easy swap--a Polaroid block swap.  Make 2 Polaroid blocks for 10 different people.  That will probably be January's goal.  For now, I think I'm back to focusing on the Library Quilt I've been working on all year.  I'm determined to at least get the top completed in December.  Hopefully, I can squeeze in enough sewing time around all the holiday preparations.

OMG November: Typography Hexie Swap

I haven't done a swap in a long time.  But when I saw the Typography Hexie Swap, I couldn't resist.  I also figured it was a pretty simple one.  Four different text hexies for four different people to be sent out by November 11.  Since I've spent the past year or two collecting text fabrics, that meant I didn't have to go out and buy anything.  And I think I can get 16 hexies made fairly quickly.  Even with all the sewing I'm doing for the middle school musical.

Here are the fabrics I've chosen, including some of my hoarded Elementary from Sweetwater and a little DaySail.  (Excuse the bad lighting--I took the photo late at night.)  The hexie papers are recycled from a project of my daughter's for school that didn't print correctly on the card stock--so I used my fancy hexie punch so at least the paper wasn't wasted.

I've already received my first batch from someone, taped inside a Kandinsky card!  Kandinsky is one of my favorite artists.  And now I feel the need to get some fancy cards for swaps.

Not sure what I'll make with the hexies I get.  I'm also planning to make an extra set for myself. ;-)  Either I'll add some more of my own, wait for another hexie swap, or just have a really mini mini in the end.

OMG October: Alina's Halloween Costume

I never think to take pictures while I'm working on things like costumes.  So I have nothing about the process I went through to make it.  I'm mostly happy with the outcome.
I used a basic costume pattern, but constructed it by piecing the different colors together.  I didn't think about how I was going to do the shoe covers until after I cut things out, so they came out a bit wonky.  I should have widened the bottom part of the legs to fit the shoe covers--I used the bottom part of a boot pattern from another costume, and didn't want to make separate boots because they never stay on.  And the wig/makeup plans didn't work, so she just wore a baseball cap she decorated and added a visor (made from a plastic two-liter bottle).  Here's the only picture I have of the finished costume, because she went to a friend's house to trick-or-treat and I never really got to see her in it.