What I've Been Up To...

So, you've probably noticed my lack of posts of the past couple of weeks.  I haven't forgotten about blog or quilting, but the pilot I worked on this spring got picked up (yay!) and I've been the assistant costume designer (yay!) on the first episode we are filming.  Once we get to next week, I will be the 2nd assistant costume designer and have much much much more reasonable hours and will have more time for things like quilting and blogs (and working out and sleep)...  In the meantime, here is a sneak peak of what I've been doing... and a new show you should watch in the fall.  You should watch it- 1, because it's good and 2, because I like having a job...

Trip to Philly

Yesterday my friend Cristina and I took a little day trip to Philly (my first time) to see the premiere of a movie she designed.  Before the film we ate cheesesteaks (yuck!  never again!) and did some touristy things.  In the Philadelphia Visitors Center they had a lot of displays, one of which told the story of the president's house in quilts.  I took at few photos...

Back On Track

So, I have obviously fallen off the quilting wagon for a bit- but I think I'm back on track since a little trip to Fabric Shack and some new magazines have reignited my desire to spend the day sewing.  Today I made a Kindle case for my friend Jes.  She requested I make her one like my iPod case, but obviously larger.  She found this neat website called Spoon Flower which lets you print your own fabric or buy other people's custom creations.  Pretty cool in theory.  The only thing is that I would like the fabric to be a little higher quality- but it does the job: presses, moves, etc.  I haven't washed it yet though.

While on a lovely trip to Cincinnati I made a quick trip to Fabric Shack (my favorite shack!).  I spent most of my time in the scrap bin and the fat quarter section because I really had no ideas what I needed (maybe nothing?), but I did manage to leave with a full bag of fabric- some of it hilarious.

The big thing I've done is that I finally really starting piecing together the Kaleidoscope quilt that I started cutting (what feels like) a million years ago.  I'm off to a good start and I'm really excited to finish this quilt top.  If I stay excited about it, I think that I can get the top done by the weekend.  Here's some progress:

Wordless Wednesday

I'm a Terrible Photographer

So, I finally finished my mom's Birthday gift (almost 2 months late).  I was so excited that I actually did it that I got it all packed up and ready to mail and completely forgot to take a photo of it, so hopefully when she gets it she can take a photo for records.  Oops.  At least it's finished!

I'm a Terrible Blogger

So, I've finally awoken from my unemployment depression and am now knee deep in spring cleaning, but am very hopeful that next week I'll be back in the swing of quilt making.

Here is a block that I am in the process of making for Theo's 1st Birthday quilt.  It will be rotated when I actually get to working on it... and figuring out how it's done.

On a good note, the pilot I worked on "Unforgettable" was picked up for next season!  I'm not sure if I'll be working on the series, but you can see what I do in real life (at least on the first episode) Tuesdays at 10pm on CBS.  Wooo!

Productive Day

Well, I finally buckled down and got a lot of work on two project done today.  First, and most importantly, I made major headway on my mom's (belated) Birthday gift.  Since she knows all about it, I think it's safe for me to post at I'm making her an iPad case.  She's a horse lover and I found this really wonderful horse fabric at on the Fabric Shack website (I cannot say enough good things about this store, other than the fact that their website isn't super user friendly).  I probably would have finished the whole thing today, but I realized that I had forgotten to attach the elastic, so I have some stitching to take out and, more importantly, some elastic to find...

I also started an other project.  I know, I know, the last thing I need is a new project, but this is actually been in my head for awhile.  When I went to Fabric Shack over Christmas, I found this great fabric that would be perfect for a baby/kid quilt for Jess and Nate.  Of course, I had just finished a baby blanket for them a couple months before, but this was too good to pass up.  With no pattern, or even ideas, I got a couple yards of three different fabrics.  Yesterday I got a few books out of the library and found a great pattern for this fabric.  I bought a couple more pieces online, but I have started cutting what I have.  I think it's going to be super cute.  My plan is to have it done by Theo's 1st Birthday.  This gives me a little more than 6 months... I should be able to pull this off :)  Photos of the start of the blocks to be posted in the next couple of days (hopefully tomorrow, but let's be honest, I might get side tracked!).

I'm an Aries

One of the trates of an Aries is starting grand projects and abondoning them for other projects, which in turn get abondoned to other projects- it's a nasty cycle.  This is also the story of my life (you should see my half organized closets).  I have so many projects that I'm supposed to be finishing right now (my mom's Birthday gift, Courtney's Thank You Quilt, Brown Bag Quilt (which has been disqualified for being late), and my baby blanket recreation) and what am I doing?  That's right, I'm starting a new quilt...

I bought this pattern off Cluck Cluck Sew and am using only fabric from my stash to complete the top- money is tight, so I'm going to try to keep my fabric shopping sprees to a minimum.  I've cut all of the pattern fabric and half of the solid, but I am going to force myself to get a big chunk of my mom's gift done before I work on it anymore.  I'm very excited for this quilt though- I think the pattern is lovely.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm Back!

Well, it's been a crazy couple of months...  I spent the last 6 weeks or so working on a pilot for CBS, had someone living on my couch, had family visit, went on vacation for 4 days, and turned 30!  What I didn't do- sew.  At all.  The pilot has since ended, the "roommate" is no more, my youth is gone- so I'm back to spending hours in the gym and even more time sewing!

I'm trying to dive back into the projects I had been working on before all the craziness.  I finished up some pot holders this morning, cut the fabric for my mom's Birthday gift (yes, her Birthday was almost 2 weeks ago...), and decided it was time to buckle down on baby blanket recreation considering that I'm not sure Banky is going to make it much longer...  Photos to come!

In the mean time, here's how I turned 30:

Coming Soon...

Dear Blog Reader(s),

I am sorry for the extreme lack of posts in the few weeks.  I recently got a job (I'm working on a CBS pilot) so I've been super duper busy, but I have a long long list of sewing projects that I have to work on this weekend, so I anticipate a big post next week with hopefully some combination of the following:

• commissioned stuffed animals.
• Courtney's Thank You quilt
• Brown Bag Quilt
• an update on my mom's Birthday gift.

Busy weekend.  Hope I get some stuff done!

Sincerely Yours,

Jessica

Not Going Well

So, I have begun my first attempt at the meandering quit stitch.  I really like doing curly cues, but Courtney really wants the meandering stitch for her thank you quilt and I have been putting it long enough.  I studied photos of the stitch, read a little bit about how to do it, but in actuality, it's not going so well.  My hope is that it'll start getting better the more I do it (it's a huge quilt, so I definitely have learning time!) and that when I wash it the stitching won't be so noticeable...  After this quilt, I may stick to curly cues...

Super Secret Project

So, I'd love to post photos of the project I'm working on now, but I can't:  I'm making something for my mom for her Birthday.  I won't be giving it to her until early April, but I decided to make a couple practice versions of what I am making her due to the fact that often the first time I do something it's a little wonky.

If all goes well, I have enough materials to make 5 of them, so that means that I'll have at least 3 up on Etsy.  I won't post them until I head out to Disney World though (where I'll be meeting my parents and giving my mom her gift), so stay tuned...

Here's a little off-topic-ish photo so you don't feel too cheated... my adorable, mischievous cat interrupting a quilt photo shoot.

     

I Can't Move

Sorry for the absence in posting recently.  I started seeing a personal trainer three times a week and I don't know if you know what happens to your body when you go from basically sitting most of the day (throwing in a 30 minute or so walk) to doing at an hour of hard core cardio and training 5 days a week, but let me assure you, it makes you feel OLD.  So, basically, I pump my self up in the morning, drag myself to the gym, and then spend the rest of the day trying to get off of the couch.  The idea of working on a project that requires me to keep standing and sitting pretty much seems impossible right now.  (Going from standing to sitting is the worst.)

I have taken this opportunity to catch up on some much needed movie watching, some of which were excellent- The King's Speech (best movie of the year, hands down), Tangled (great for both kids and adults- I cried), and The Social Network (two thumbs up).

The only photo I can post is of a quilt I finished before Trainer Rob started torturing me (although I should mention that he is very positive and motivating).  He's giving me the weekend off (thank God), so hopefully I'll recover enough to get some good work done before it all starts again next week.  This little quilt is up on Etsy.  Wish me luck!

Every Little Step

One of my creations on Etsy is featured on a blog!

Baby Quilt Extravaganza

Sorry for the long break in the posts reader(s), I went to DC last weekend to celebrate a friend's 30th Birthday (these 30th Birthdays are going to be the end of me!) and while I was there I got to talk to some friends that I rarely see.  About 4 of them mentioned that they are in the market for baby quilts because of friends who are pregnant (it's an epidemic), so I put the pot holders and ipod cases on hold and decided to finish some of the baby quilts I've had in process for months and months.

I finished this cute little wonky cut one for a little girl and I have a super fun unisex cowboy/girl one almost done (just need to finish the binding).  Haven't decided what I'm going to do next, but I guess I probably should keep working on my Brown Bag Quilt!

My Famous Pot Holders

I made three, count them three sales yesterday!  Two of them were to the same person- two pairs of pot holders she wants to use on a show on Food Network called Dessert First that will air in the spring.  Pretty cool, eh?

I Get It . . .

... Cash wants to be a quilter!

I've been trying to pump up my Etsy site.  There's some new stuff on there and quite a few projects in progress.  Stop by my shop and see what I've been up to:

Baby Joseph Quilt

I'm not sure there was anyone, including me, that thought I could actually pull this off.  I'm really excited about it.  And, while it's not perfect, this is the first time that I've been okay with a quilt I've make that isn't perfect.  In fact, I think that it makes it personal and a little fun.  On a side note- is there anything better than taking a quilt you just finished out of the dryer?  It's pretty much the best.

Some one saw that we had a quilt on the floor- little rascal :)

I need some better lighting.  I don't really have the possibility in my apartment due to the lack of sunlight I get.  If it was the spring time, I'd head down the street to Central Park, but in this weather it would just ruin it... bummer.

Your Sneak Peek

Thanks for the nice man at the hardware store, I was able to finish the Joseph Baby Quilt!  It needs some snips here and there and still needs to be washed, but here's you're sneak peek:

An Other Set Back

Ugh, the universe does not want me to finish this quilt...  Since Cash felt the need to sleep on the quilt all weekend, I decided to put the regular foot back on the machine and start to piece an other quilt while he slept (because he is the most spoiled cat in the world...).

Yesterday evening I decided to go ahead and put the free motion foot back onto the machine and I some how have stripped the screw and, while it'll keep the regular foot in place, it cannot hold the free motion foot.  Looks like I'm making a trip to the hardware store today.  Let's hope that can help me out...

My Not So Helpful Helper

My favorite helper is not being so helpful these days- he's in love with the Joseph Baby Quilt (and our new furniture arrangement) and he will not get off this quilt.  I haven't made a lot of headway this weekend to say the least...

Getting There

And thanks to Meredith for my fancy quilting gloves!

The Dirty Thirty Quilt

Today is Cristina's 30th Birthday.  She is one of my closest friend and she, unlike me, is not too excited to hit the big 3-0 and she, unlike me, is celebrating in a nice normal fashion- dinner with her boyfriend and then a party at a bar.  Since we aren't going crazy with the celebrating, I decided that I needed to do something special for her for her birthday (especially since she will be traveling for mine).  I had put a nice little gift bag together for her when on Tuesday she let it slip that she'd love to have a quilt to use while watching TV if I ever felt like making one for her.  I also had plans to maybe see her on Thursday- Make an entire quilt in less than 48 hours?  Challenge excepted.

Who would have thought that I'd actually be able to pull it off?!  30 hours after I began the quilt, it was finished.  (Sleep and human interaction is highly overrated anyway...)  I have been thinking recently that I wanted to do more work with hexagons, because apparently I love them.  I also love a quilt that is in Elizabeth Hartman's book that is a white quilt that looks like it has peddles tossed all over it.  I decided to try to combine the idea and attempt to make a quilt that looked like there were hexagons sprinkled over the quilt.  For the most part, I think that I succeeded (especially since I patterned it myself- a first for me!).  Here is my wonky inspiration drawing and my notes that I used during the process.  Not a lot to work from, I know.

Also, since I had such a short amount of time to complete it, that I needed to only use what I had.  Thankfully, I'm pretty familiar with Cristina's aesthetic, so I just went through my stash, picked out stuff I knew she'd like, and cut hexagons using the hexagon template from Fresh Quilts.  The rest of it, I totally winged.  I played with the hexagon template and took all kinds of measurements.  Over all, I'm happy with the pattern (which will, forever be referred to as the Dirty Thirty Quilt), I think there is a little too much white, I think that it suggests what I was going for.  I might actually write up a little tutorial of this later if I'm feeling ambitious.  The back of the quilt is a few different vintagey fabrics that go pretty well together and the binding is actually from a top sheet that I no longer have the mate for...

And now, a word (or a few) about free motion quilting.  This was my first attempt.  At first, I HATED  it.  It was really loud (I thought my neighbors might complain) and really hard to control, the stitch lengths were crazy different, and I broke 5 needles.  And then, like magic, the foot broke.  No, seriously, this medal bar thingie snapped right off, and it was like magic.  Suddenly, it was quiet and controllable and faster (and no more broken needles!).  Maybe they sold me the wrong foot.  Whatever it was, now it's good, so I'm okay with it.  I did sort of curly cues mixed with circles- I wanted it to basically look like I had doodled on it (I even threw in a "Hidden Mickey" for good measure).  For a first outing, I think it went pretty well.

Cash insists on immediately running up and lying on any quilt (or fabric) that I put on the ground- especially when I want to take photos.

Greye

My aunt, who also shares the same middle name as I do, sent me this wonderful photo of Greye making an American Flag during WWII in New Hampshire.

This is Awesome

I finished the top of what I will now refer to as The Baby Joseph quilt.  Is it perfect?  No.  Is it still awesome?  Absolutely.  Not to mention, I feel like I've found the type of quilting that I should be doing.  I love the shapes and colors, etc.  It has certainly inspired me to make many more quilts and to say with confidence that I am indeed a quilter.

I saw Rachel today unexpectedly.  Had I known 24 hours before hand, I would have tried to finish this sucker, but now I won't rush it.  It'll be done in plenty of time for the shower.

And Cash likes it too :)

Takin' A Break

My favorite helper takes a little nap under the t-shirt quit:

Hell Yeah!

Excuse my language, but this is exciting!  I had made great stride in not only Rachel's baby quilt, but at being a quilter in general.

First, I finished cutting all 108 stash patterned pieces:

Instead of then cutting all of the off white fabric, I decided to cut about 15 or so and see if I was actually capable of putting one of these, uh, let's call them 'blocks' together.  It turns out, hell yes I am!  I mean, seriously, this is hard stuff and I actually managed to put it together without it looking terrible. 

Sure, this kid may have a doctorate by the time I finish this quilt, but I actually feel like I'm off to a very good start and am excited to continue.  The baby shower is in March...  I better get moving!!

Once Upon a Time...

I think I've let it slip a couple of times on blog that I'm a Disney fan, but that's not completely accurate.  I'm a Disney fanatic.  Okay okay, I guess "obsession" is a better word when describing how I feel about Disney.  In fact, for my 30th Birthday I will be traveling to Disney World with a handful of friends and my parents.  And, since I'm a Disney pro, I go all out- I've replaced a zipper of a Figment backpack from my childhood and then decided that I need a Disney themed wallet for the trip.  Why buy when you can make?  So, I grabbed the book Easy Japanese Quilt Style (a Christmas gift from my friends Shelagh and Doug) and loosely went off a pattern for wallets- I made two: Disney 'Once Upon a Time' themed, and one from the left over fabric from Courtney's Thank You quilt.

The idea for these wallets is really cute, but the directions are not the clearest ever, so I had to sort of loosely follow the instructions and sort of go with my gut on how to put it together.  Courtney's was easier than my Disney wallet, simply because all of the fabric already coordinated, while I had to decide which of my Disney fabric I was actually going to use.  I have a lot, but not a ton of options- no Mickey and Minnie (bummer), but two different Disney Princess themed, a little bit of left over Ariel from pot holders I made Courtney for her Birthday, a fair amount of Winnie-The-Pooh, and, of course, the Alexander Henry fabric that I'm convinced looks exactly like "It's a Small World."  I settled, however, on staying with the Disney Princesses.  Combining all of the fabric on such a small project looked a little messy and disjointed.

The thing that I really loved about this project is, now that I know the basic way to put a wallet together, I feel like I could make my own pattern and make it more functional and a better size.  If I do, I am going to attempt to write my own pattern.  Hopefully I will be more clear enough for people to understand me. This project also made me really appreciate Elizabeth Hartman.  Her instructions are so clear and easy to follow.  I hope she writes a million more books!

I can't wait to get to Disney World, so I can use this little guy!