The Happy Campers quilt is at its new home

I got to take some good naturally lit photos of Happy Campers after I gave it to my dad this weekend. He was pretty thrilled with the theme, he kept showing my relatives at the reunion how "every print is camping-related" :)

Doesn't everything look better in natural light?

I think the back looks great without the applique. I'm going to use my leftover charm squares for potholders for Father's Day (my dad loves cooking), my mom even said over the weekend that they need some new ones.

My mother also not-so-subtly hinted at wanting a king sized quilt for their 40th wedding anniversary. (Let me make a quick aside here... how many 24-year-olds do you know whose parents have been married almost 38 years? And I'm the oldest child.) Lucky for me she mentioned this when she did, because their big anniversary is in August 2012. I instantly decided to make a double wedding ring, but I want to make a more modern one. So I have some time to hoard fabric, learn how to sew curves and learn how to hand-quilt before I start this monster project. Unless I win the lottery and get a long-arm machine in that time, this baby will be hand-quilted. I want to do every part of it myself, and no machine I could ever afford would be able to handle quilting a king sized quilt. Plus, this is the type of thing that becomes an heirloom, so why not spend the extra time?

Those are my parents. My mom is holding a quilt I made for her five years ago. She'll need another one soon, because I didn't know about getting high-quality fabrics and using 100% cotton thread back then. It's looking a bit ratty.

Finished quilt!

I literally spent every moment I was at home the past few days working on the Happy Campers quilt. It got to the point where I wasn't very happy with it at all...

The quilting looks sloppy in many places — it's amazingly difficult to sew a straight line using a darning foot with your feed dogs down.

The thread tension is messed up in so many places — I swear the tension kept changing as I quilted it. I would test on scraps, start out just fine, and then later it would be all messed up. I could only rip out and re-quilt so much of it. I mean, it has to be done in time. I think it may have to be re-quilted at some point in the future.

Oh! And somehow the binding wound up being too big. I made do, but it still looks a little funky to me.

After spending a couple hours Sunday night and five straight hours Monday tying off and hiding thread ends from the quilting on the Happy Campers quilt, I decided to forgo the appliqué all together. This is largely due to time constraints, but I'm justifying by reasoning that the appliqué may be a bit too cutesy for my dad, and now I can use those charm squares to make him some matching potholders or a pillow for Father's Day. So it's a total cop-out, maybe, but I finished! And I got to use a little bit of the selvage in the label, which I really like:

Now that I have the label put on, and I'm not looking at it so closely, I'm a lot happier with it. It's a big-picture kinda thing.

ps: I just signed up for round 3 of the Potholder Pass. (Don't worry, the deadline isn't till May 31...) Isn't the button absolutely precious?

Exciting day

Fridays are awesome. Fridays are the only day of the week that I have no obligations. I usually spend my Fridays in my pajamas (all day) sitting at my sewing machine.

Last night, I finished the shell of the tote bag for my mom (yay!):

The materials for the lining and handles are all cut and ready to go, but I wanted to get started on this, which needs to be completed a few weeks before the tote:

(bad picture, but you get the idea)

I just finished marking guides for quilting the Happy Campers quilt! I had to take a break to eat, so I thought I'd post this little update. It took longer than I thought to get the tape on there right, but I developed a system after a bit and it started to speed up. I've used painters tape to mark once before, on the hanging organizer I made last week. It worked really well. The best part is that you don't have to actually mark on the quilt! The tape is made with a very gentle adhesive, so it comes off easily when you're done, and it doesn't leave any icky residue on the fabric. Oh, and you can re-use it a few times before it completely loses its tackiness. I'm hoping I won't have to make any more tape-squares; I can just move these from row to row as I go.

And now I am in need of advice from all you lovely seamsters and seamstresses out there. I have little to no experience sewing clothing. My boyfriend came home from work today and showed me this ...

... a huge rip in the only pair of pants he has to wear to work. I have today and tomorrow to fix it. I assume I'll need a patch of some type. I am in dire need of recommendations and tips. Seriously, explain it to me like I'm five years old. I have to have these fixed in about 24 hours :/

Crossing items off the to-do list — feels so good!

I'm making decent headway on my to-do list from earlier in the week:

1. pinwheel sampler quilt-along block five
   
   
   
2. put together backing for Happy Campers
   
   I really hate cutting long lengths of fabric. I don't have a lot of table space to work with, so it's incredibly difficult to get it accurate. Luckily backing fabric is supposed to be a bit larger on all sides, so it doesn't matter if it's a little crooked.
   
   
3. baste Happy Campers
   
   I used the tutorial from Oh, Fransson! on making a quilt sandwich, and it really simplified the process. I had to stitch together (by hand — ick) two pieces of backing since I didn't buy it pre-cut. I had a 45" x 5 yd. bundle that I got on sale at JoAnn's a while back. I also decided to go with the tried and true and basted with safety pins. This is definitely one of my least favorite parts of quilting.
   
   
4. work on sashing for whirlygigs

The only thing stopping me from quilting Happy Campers is lack of thread. I want to use a beige/neutral color, but the only quilting thread I have is bright white.

I guess in the meantime I'll get to that sashing!

Oh, and in sale news: V and Co. is offering a 25% refund on your purchase at her etsy shop through the end of the week. Just mention "simply utah" in the notes on your order.

Use code "SEVI" at The Dizzy Daisy (an adorable fabric shop you should check out) for 10% off your order through the end of the day Saturday.

Use code "MM2010" at Connecting Threads for 20% off your purchase until the end of the month — this code is good on clearance stuff, too!

Inspiration from Flickr

It's been a few days. I haven't posted because I haven't gotten anything done since the Friday Night Sew-In. I've been taking care of a sick boyfriend and a sick puppy with my free time this week. I have about 8 days until I can buy more fabric and thread, so I need to make do with what I have. But I have been practically drooling over the Modify Tradition blog and Flickr pool. These are a few of my favorites:

(each photo is a link to the Flickr page, hover or click over for details)

I've been doing some online window-shopping for a FQ bundle or layer cake, because I am absolutely dying to make my very own Modify Tradition-inspired sampler quilt. They're doing a quilt-along over there, but I think I want to do this at my own pace. I'm already behind on Rachel's pinwheel sampler — I caught up for all of one day!

So here is my to-do list before I can buy more fabric. Hopefully posting it here will keep me accountable...

1. pinwheel sampler quilt-along block five
2. put together backing for Happy Campers
3. baste Happy Campers
4. work on sashing for whirlygigs
5. get paid

The last item on that list is probably the most important :)

In sale news: QuiltHome is giving 20% off Valori Wells fabric, patterns and books through March 29 with the code vwf20.

Fabric.com is giving an extra 30% off sale (which is already 30%-50% off) through March 29 with code CLEARANCE323.

ps: I am also completely addicted to the Fresh Modern Quilts Flickr pool. Inspiration city.

finished quilt top and some blogs to check out

After dragging my feet for days, I finally finished assembling the quilt top. I'm incredibly happy with how it turned out, especially the corners. Tomorrow I plan to wash the backing fabric and assemble the back. I should be able to get it quilted this weekend!

Before I got started quilting this morning, I was drinking my coffee and perusing new blog updates on my Google reader and found two awesome blogs you should check out...

For amazing deals and fabric finds: The Fabric Shopper — Rosie is a seamstress who blogs about online fabric finds, including a "Saturday sales blitz," among other things. Her "what's on sale and where" page hosts a Google document where retailers can submit their sale information and is a must-visit when you're shopping.

For tutorials and inspiration: Modify Tradition — QuiltDad wrote about this in his latest post. These ladies "modify" traditional blocks by making them with modern fabrics. I was so enthralled when I clicked over, I had a hard time pulling myself away from the computer!

Things to look forward to

I did it! I think it took me longer to arrange the scraps than it did to actually sew them together. The strip is just a teeny bit longer than the width of the quilt top, so I think I'll need to add a bit to either end.

It's ridiculous how excited I am about the Friday Night Sew-In. Since I work nights, I only have Thursday and Friday nights free (my "weekend"). I'm putting off date night with the boyfriend for a week so I can participate. I'm really hoping some of my new fabric comes in the mail before Friday so I can have it washed and start some new projects.



And yes, I know I said I had already blown my fabric budget for the month, but I also said that Tuesdays were my "Fridays" at work. I'm getting more hours starting this week (!), which means Wednesdays are my new "Fridays," and I have a slightly larger quilting budget.

Next up on my to-do list: Pinwheel Sampler Quilt-Along (I'm already four blocks behind!), and a whirlygig quilt, inspired by Cathy's.

In sale news: If you're not following True Up, you should be. They post a list of fabric sales every Sunday in addition to amazing mini-lessons on fabric.

slowing progress, time for a change of pace?

I got one more row done on the Happy Campers quilt today. I'm so close to finishing the top I can almost taste it, but it seems the closer I get, the slower I work! I think I need to switch gears for a bit to get my motivation back. I'm dying to start a few other projects, but I'm still waiting for some fabric to come in before I can pre-wash. Since I have to pay $2.75 to wash and dry a load of laundry (no matter how small) at my apartment complex, I like to get my money's worth with a full load.

Maybe working on the back will inspire me to finish the top. I have decided to use the remnants of my jelly roll (below) to piece a strip to go between the two backing pieces.



I should also be able to use the pieced strip to sort-of "underline" what I'm doing with my leftover charm squares. I'm planning to appliqué "Happy Campers" on the back, using one charm square per letter. I don't, however, think I'm going to hand appliqué the letters. I'll most likely be ironing them on after the quilting is done, along with a label.

All this business on the back makes me nervous about getting the backing straight with the front. Usually my quilt backs wind up a little off kilter.

So I'm considering attempting spray-basting this quilt. I read the instructions on a can at the fabric store, but I was still somewhat hesitant to buy it. I don't have a whole lot of space to lay the sandwich out on the floor, and I have carpet, so I couldn't really tape the backing down like most tutorials advise. If the directions on the can are accurate, it seems I could smooth the backing over the batting, then flip and do the same with the top. It seems easier to only mess with attaching one side at a time. But I have no idea how quickly the adhesive bonds or how long the bond lasts. I would absolutely love to hear some of your experiences with different basting techniques — especially if you have tips for basting in small spaces!

the elusive perfectly matched corners

I hope I didn't jinx myself with that title. I put together the first two rows of Happy Campers and (drumroll, please) ... the corners match up!

I was pretty nervous about this when I began piecing my blocks, because despite my best efforts, they were not exactly 12½" square. But the quilting gods are smiling on me today, because the blocks seem to be off by the same amount. This has made my day.

One thing I learned while piecing the rows: be very aware of which end of the pin is going in your mouth. When I'm sewing and a pin gets in the way of my needle, I'll usually just hold it in my mouth instead of trying to find my pincushion. While I was putting these two rows together, I stabbed myself in the lip. No blood, but boy did it sting!

In sale news: Take 10% off a purchase at Sew, Mama, Sew until March 15 using code "10MARCHLION2010". I especially like the Modern Meadow collection, but the 10% off is good on sale stuff too!

Get 5% off at Piece n Quilt using code "12109news" — all their patterns and books are on sale until Monday.

And, of course, every day there's an amazing deal from the Missouri Quilt Co. A couple days ago, I got a charm pack of Everything but the Kitchen Sink for less than $10 with shipping. I think I'm going to try my hand at whirlygigs with these.

Blocks done!

Don't you just feel a wave of accomplishment when you finish one leg of a project? I finished piecing my Happy Campers blocks today! I would have started putting rows together, but I was piecing blocks between debilitating cramps. As I write this, I'm cuddled up on the couch with a heating pad (sometimes being a girl is just the worst).

Here are a few of my favorite blocks:

   

I'm still trying to decide if I want to do anything special on the back. I was considering appliquéing "Happy Campers" on the back with the charm squares I have left. I'm also considering doing something with all that's left of my jelly roll:

What would you do with them? Do you like to spice up the back, or leave all the glory to the front?

My new best friend

Well I got a lot done the past few days. I finished cutting my fabric for my dad's Happy Campers quilt earlier this week. Yesterday I finished laying everything out:

I'm sure this would have come along a lot quicker if I weren't so anal about how the fabrics are distributed. But since I am, I pinned up each block and set the stack by my machine. 

I finished sewing three rows (15 out of 25 blocks) yesterday! I usually struggle with keeping seam allowances consistent, so I decided to measure after every piece I sewed on. It took some extra time, but it was well worth it. I didn't rip the seam out every time I was off, but knowing how much I was off by allowed me to fudge it a bit with the next seam, so my blocks still came out 12½" square.

I also discovered my new best friend: Magic Sizing. I read about it on a few blogs and decided to give it a try. When I first started, I was spraying my fabrics down with Faultless spray starch, which has a heavier weight and made my fabric way too stiff. The Magic Sizing has a lighter weight. Keeps your fabric from stretching too much while you're sewing them without making them über stiff. Love it! And for only a little over $1 at Wal-Mart. It's one of my new can't-live-without-it quilting supplies. Right up there with my rotary cutter.

This is one of my "fat" log cabin blocks. If anyone is interested, I'm happy to post a tutorial when I'm done on how to turn one jelly roll and one charm pack into a quilt top. I know it's pretty common sense, but it took me a while to figure out the math on cutting the strips to get what I needed for 25 blocks (and I'm pretty good at math!) — so let me know if that's something you'd be interested in!

ETA: SoFunFabrics is having a sale! Check out the $6.99/yard listings for Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet collection. (It has me wishing I hadn't already spent my March quilting allowance...)

Glimpse of a WIP...

... before it gets packed away for a bit. This is the label for the back of a quilt I'm working on:

I used some scraps to piece it together, bordered it with my binding fabric, and embroidered it. Hopefully you guys can read it! "Turning Twenty" is the name of the pattern. And I put the year and my initials (mey) on there as well. The embroidery floss is the same color as the thread I bought to quilt it.

I'm packing that project away for a bit for two reasons. First, it's huge, and I have no idea how I'm going to quilt it. Second, I got my Happy Campers jelly roll and charm pack in the mail  (thanks to wonderful speedy shipping by Fat Quarter Shop and So Fun Fabrics). So all my quilting energy is going into my dad's birthday quilt. I spent all day today cutting up my fabric strips and trimming down my charm squares.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to lay out all the blocks and take some pictures. I've never worked with so many different fabrics before!