A couple of things I'm working on...

It's been forever since I've blogged. I'm horrible at it I admit. In any case I have been sewing away and creating some new things. First off I finished the last Flirty Apron Swap and created this for my swap partner...

This was a fun swap and I used the A is for Apron book I won in a blog contest last year. I used the kitty fabric as a base. From that I pulled all the different coordinating fabrics I used in this piece. It came out great. I know it's bright and vibrant and not demure but neither am I. I hope it went to a good home.

In return for all my efforts I received an incredible apron from my partner. I was in love with this thing the minute I saw it. So was everyone else in my family. Isn't it great?

In between I have been sewing up some things like an apron for my mother. I also embarked on my second/first quilting project. Before I left Illinois and my job, a co worker began to teach me the techniques of hand quilting. That technique got a lot of attention as I nursed myself back to health from a broken ankle I managed to obtain in early November. While working on that quilt I had a move across country to my hometown of San Diego. That project got pushed to the wayside and I began working on a machine quilt for my best friend who is expecting her first child in May. I am nearly done with the quilt. It has been a task. Quilting is not easy and I had to go a little fancy for my first try. I am currently in the final stages of the actual quilting of the quilt sandwich. It's not terribly pretty or accurate but not bad for a first time around. Here are a few pics of the quilt before sandwiching...

Since this is a quilt for the baby my mom suggested I put a photo of the parents on it. So I asked my BFF for a few pictures and then choose my favorite without telling her what it is for. I hope when she gets it she'll like it.

Below is a picture of the full top. I used Michael Miller fabrics and Kona cotton that I purchase way back in December before I knew what I was going to do with them. I absolutely loved this fabric. There is a lot to be said for a high quality fabric. It really makes a difference. I think

I may want to try making myself a small quilt to keep so I can partake in its loveliness. I was thinking of using the idea from Sew Mama Sew's Quilt Along.

A photo of the back. I used various pieces of the top pieced together.

So as you can see I have been busy. I ended up doing a basic stitch in the ditch quilting for the main blanket. Then I chose to do a meandering for the border. It has been a test. It's a lot of fabric to twist, push and turn through my machine. Not easy and not perfect but the meandering nature of the quilting on the border makes me think of animal tracks so I think it kind of goes with the quilt. I have to finish one border side and then add the edging. Once it's done I will wash and take final pics. I hopes it's something I end up really proud of.

Homeward Bound

Another great giveaway has been put together. It is for a free apron from Vicky's-My Mom Would Be Proud's Etsy Shop.

When you get a chance take a look around at the shop. She has some very cute fabrics. My personal favorite is the Rock Around the Clock. 

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So I am once again home bound. My daughter decided to practice her Linda Blair moves yesterday and thus we had a stay home. The day was spent relatively uneventful. We had no more puking incidents and we thought we were home free. About half an hour after putting daughter to bed we her her plaintive cries. She had thrown up in her bed which required a full stripping and washing of her bed and pajamas and a 3rd bath for the day. We made a little bed for her next to ours and she slept soundly enough. Too soundly because the girl snores  like a trucker! In any case it required that I once again stay home from work.

An added benefit to this is that I have been able to get a jump on my Swap partners apron. I

 received my fabric in the mail on Tuesday. I spent yesterday washing, pressing, and cutting out the pattern during nap time.   This is part of the Sassy/Flirty Apron Swap . It is a Valentines day swap and I decided to go with something fun and unexpected. I saw this fabric and fell in

 love with it. It's even better looking in person. I can't wait to sew this baby together and see the finished product. I really hope that my partner will like it.

One of the great things about this swap is the little gifts they keep giving away. I was so excited to learn that I had been a winner of one of these giveaways. I won some lovely heart shaped cookie cutters. I've been trying to expand my cookie cutter stash as I have wanted to get more into cookie baking now that the twins are getting older and enjoy doing things like this. So these will be welcomed gifts! 

Happy Holidays

So much for keeping up with this new blog. With the holidays fast approaching I was being kept busy with crazy kids, a huge family order of 7 aprons for Christmas, various birthdays that required a quick stitching up of one thing or another. In between that we had a huge snow storm, a couple of sub freezing temperature filled days, and a bought of the cold that's been going around and is still lingering. I put my finishing touches on my last sewing projects before Christmas. I made a few things for my sister's but I can't post pics yet as they may read this blog. So I packed up the ole' sewing machine and put everything away which for me means I cleared the dining room table (my "space" as I don't hace a sewing table or room of my own)and piled my goodies in a neat pile in a corner. Ahhh... one day we will have a bigger home and not just a two bedroom townhome and I'll have my own craft space. In the mean time I am ready to relax a bit before Christmas hits. I'll actually be going to sleep on time instead of sewing into the wee hours of the night which is the only time you have with twins. So I will leave you with a few pics of some of my latest and greatest. The Bears Apron is a set of three. Daddy's (pictured) and two sons 6 and 1.5 will all these matching pieces. I can't wait to get a pictureof the three of them together!