Even Exchange of Goods and Services

It's nice to have different types of artists as friends.  My friend Jackson is a hairdresser who is in need of a t-shirt quilt.  I am able to create a t-shirt quilt and have a head full of grey hair that needs attention.  Bam!  We have a deal.  I am making Jax his t-shirt quilt and he is helping me have confidence to go out in public again :)

I began the slightly ghetto way I began my own t-shirt quilt, by creating a sketchy patten by cutting and pasting and Sharpie and a little math...

To continue being super high tec, I did this to all of the shirts:

Jackson picked out a sashing fabric and I have placed and order for it and also more interfacing, since I don't have much in my stock.  I have started with some of the shirts with the little that I have.  I am also using the erasable pens for the first time.  If you haven't used them they seem pretty amazing so far- I'll post about specifics later if I think they are worth it.

 I finished up a lot of little projects last week- pot holders I've been working on forever, whipped out my screen again, and started making some little bags that I'll hopefully have posted soon.  Anyway, lots of new stuff up in my Etsy store, so take a look!

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:

Tons in Progress

I've been super busy trying to get a bunch of stuff on my Etsy site.  Sadly, I pretty much just have a ton of projects in process- tons of pot holders and some kid's quilts.  Here's on things I've finished.

It's A Small World After All

This fabric actually has nothing to do with Disney, it just reminds me of all the 'dolls' dancing and singing and loving each other.  Regardless, it's actually Alexander Henry's "You and Me" fabric.  I have to say, I'm really proud of this one.  I came up with this one all on my own, design, fabric, concept, etc.  Pretty sure this one is going up for sale...

  

Elephants Love Baths Quilt

This is the most recent quilt I've finished.  I bought a panel and then some coordinating fabric and turned it into this.  I think it's really cute.  I quilted it basically by ribbing it.  It's not perfect; you'd think sewing in a straight line would be easier...  This is an option for a friend who is looking for a quilt for a shower.  If she passes, then it's going on Etsy.

   

Ballet Quilt

I've taken a break from recreating my baby blanket to really buckle down and get a few projects done so I can get my Etsy store up and running (I don't just want to put one thing up there).

Here is the girly version of my robot quilt.  The ballet fabric is from the box of old fabric my mom sent me. The rose buds are left over from my baby blanket recreation (it's thin, from the 70's, so I interfaced it).  The swirls I picked up at The City Quilter.  The back has the cutesy details mostly because I needed to piece the white fabric, but I think it looks intensional.

This quilt will either be going to a friend to give as a gift or will go in my Etsy store.

I'm working on a handful of projects right now-- 3 quilts in process (in all different stages) and about a million fancy pot holders.  Hopefully Monday I'll have at least one quilt and a few pairs of pot holder mits up for sale.  And, hopefully, someone(s) will want to buy some (fingers crossed).

*Thanks iPhone, for having a terrible camera.  I'll take real pictures of this if I sell it (obviously).  I still need to wash out the chalk marks anyway.