I have been working furiously to be ready for Christmas. When I originally planned to make gifts this year, I thought I would have plenty of time to finish them and spend a leisurely Christmas week baking goodies. I got more than I bargained for this year, and I was unable to begin sewing until Sunday. Yes, Sunday…as in 4 days before Christmas! And really, all of the preparations must be done before Christmas Eve, as my family always celebrates early. So here I am now, down to the wire, and I have exactly ONE gift left to finish.  (Well, kind of.  There are a couple that will not be given until after Christmas, so they don’t really count, right?)  I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel now!  Woo-hoo!  But then I will have to get on to the baking….  Actually, I will probably procrastinate on the rest of the baking until tomorrow.  Curling up on the sofa with a nice hot cup of tea and some knitting sounds soooooo relaxing!

]]> http://www.knitorknot.net/2008/12/23/almost-ready-for-christmas/feed/ 0 http://www.knitorknot.net/2008/11/14/the-generous-quilter/ http://www.knitorknot.net/2008/11/14/the-generous-quilter/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:13:58 +0000 Heather http://www.knitorknot.net/?p=824

Quilt giveaways are becoming quite popular of late! Dana at the Old Red Barn Co. is giving away not one, not two, but THREE different quilts!!! They are all stunning, but I particularly like the Nest quilt.

Time is running out, so run, don’t walk, to Old Red Barn Co. so you can oooh and ahhh at the lovely quilts. And while you’re there, take a moment to browse the homemade bath and body products. So tempting.

I did my patriotic duty today. I also took advantage of the free coffee from Starbucks for those who vote. Mmmm…Pike Place Blend hit the spot today.

In other news, I just want to go on the record as saying that I have the best husband ever. Truly. He is so thoughtful and an all-around nice guy. (He even told me that I look cute with braces, although I feel like I am back in that awkward middle school stage once again – lol. I do not believe him, but I sure do love him for being so nice.) Last week he ordered this book for me. Yesterday he had a 40% off Borders coupon and brought home this one. He really does support my addictions hobbies. In return, I bought this for him last night because he had been wanting it. (with another 40% off coupon – I cannot get enough of those).

Here are just a few projects from Seams to Me that piqued my interest…

In celebration of the advent of autumn, I also purchased a new pair of shoes. Something about fall always makes me want new shoes. Maybe it is a lingering bit of nostalgia for the old back-to-school days when my mom would buy each of us a new pair of “school shoes.” I remember my favorites from first grade: a pair of navy blue mary janes with an eyelet pattern cut into the toe box. Ah, childhood…the biggest decisions I had to make back then was whether or not I should wear a jacket when playing outside after school…whether I wanted grape or wild cherry Kool-Aid…whether I wanted the glittery rainbow stickers or the iridescent teddy bear stickers. I would come inside from playing on the swing set with tousled hair, a Kool-Aid mustache, and my jacket hanging askew. Mom would clean off the red mustaches, brush our tangled hair (ouch!), then send us to hang up our jackets and wash our hands for dinner. What memories a pair of shoes brings brings to mind.

This pair is sporty, and comfortable like a pair of sneakers, but so much cuter. They will be perfect for walking through the autumn leaves or chasing after kidlets. Oh, by the way…I got a new job caring for three kids part-time. This is to free up more time in my day so that I can spend more time sewing for my etsy shop. Grand reopening coming soon!

Our sweet little Sarah-cat (who really is not so sweet anymore) is old, sick, and loudly demanding. She has grown so small and thin, and we know it is just a matter of time before she is gone. She has some issues. One of these issues is pertaining to her…um…elimination practices. She manages to get near, or even halfway into, her litter box. But her business end is frequently outside the litter area. She does not seem to understand that even though her front paws are in the box, her rear ones are not. We have had to resort to puppy pads placed around the litter box, which my husband changes frequently. He is always looking for a plastic grocery bag to place the piddle pads in so he can take them out to the garbage can. I used to keep them all in a large Target bag on the back of the pantry door, but these were not really very easy to get to. Then I remembered a tutorial I saw a while back and a light bulb came on.

So, back to sewing. I have a box that I keep all of my scraps in. I had bookmarked Dioramarama’s grocery bag dispenser tutorial quite a long time ago, but had never taken the time to actually make it. I realized when digging through my scraps that I had enough odds and ends of adequate size to put together my own bag dispenser. A short while later I had my very own sleeve hanging prettily on my pantry door, within easy reach.

…about my new sewing machine! A couple of years ago, I got my very first sewing machine and learned to sew. Since then, I have improved a great deal and even opened my very own Etsy shop last year. (Sadly, it is empty right now, but not for long!) After working for nine months at a Bernina dealer/quilting shop/yarn shop, I had begun to long for a better machine. After thinking about it and discussing it with my husband for several months, I bit the bullet and brought home a brand-new Bernina!!! I had planned on purchasing a lower model (the white pearl), but the owner of the shop gave me a deal that was just too good to pass up, and still allowed me to stay within budget. I am now the proud owner of an Aurora 430! I sewed on it over the weekend, and it is wonderful. The machine is not just for pleasure, though. I am using it to expand my selection in my Etsy shop. Soon it will be stocked with more of my knitting project bags, as well as some new designs I am working on. See that stack of fabrics on the back of the table (below)? Yes, the Heather Bailey ones…they will be making their way into the shop shortly!

The new sewing machine has all sorts of features that I really like: The knee lift allows me to move my knee an inch or two in order to lift the foot from the fabric – great for pivoting or turning the fabric. I also love how smooth and quiet the machine is, especially compared to my old one. I think my favorite feature (today, anyway) is the #57 foot. It has a nifty guide on the edge that is perfect for piecing quilts with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

So I am curious about those of you in blogland who sew: What is your favorite sewing machine feature?

I have emerged from hibernation and I am hoping that spring is finally here! The first buds of spring are gracing both our neighborhood and my sewing table at the moment. I am trying, rather unsuccessfully, to machine piece my first quilt. This is difficult for me, as I am used to having supreme control of matching up corners when I hand quilt. I can make those seams behave so well when sewing by hand. It all started about ten days ago. We got a new shipment of fabric at work and I simply could not resist, so I purchased the Dandelion Girl layer cake. I decided then and there that this would be the perfect batch of fabric for my first machine pieced quilt. I had already picked that pattern I wanted to do, so when I popped over to Tammy’s blog yesterday and saw her finished version it motivate me to get busy! I really want to make a disappearing nine patch, so I carefully cut the layer cake into charm squares, laid them all out on the floor in a pleasing fashion, then neatly stacked them up and put them away. I decided to practice first with the remaining squares. I have worked like a busy bee this afternoon and found that I still need lots of practice.