Pillows are done!

I have finally finished both pillows. I should really stop making two pillows for this swap, since it just makes my life more difficult! It makes me have to choose which one to send.

I am 99% sure I am going to send this one:



It got a lot more love in the flickr pool. But, just to show you the other one:



I was really quite proud of myself on these pillows. I not only put in piping, but, I also put in an invisible zipper! I have put in both piping and an invisible zipper before, but never both together. I do have to say there may have been some curse words that left my mouth, but I think it looks just great.

I also got my very first custom sewing job. One of my daughter's friends has asked Santa for a purple house coat, with polka dots. Her mom has searched high and low for one to fit the bill, but can't seem to find one anywhere. So, I am sewing one. FUN! Let me tell you, it wasn't all that easy to find fabric either. The craziest part is that this sewing job has to be done after hours since my daughter can't see me sewing it.

To all of you in the U.S., I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!!

I changed my background

As you can see - I changed my background in blogger. I may change it back, I don't know yet. Will you tell me if you hate it? Or love it?

The reason I changed it was because of the pictures. In the layout that I had before, the right side of pictures was always cut off. Totally annoyed me.

I don't really have much to say today, but I can show you what I have been playing with lately.



This machine has been sitting in my parents basement for the tons of years. I know it's been a really long time because the instruction video was on a VHS tape!! HAHAHA. My mom had never even opened the box. I decided to break it in for her. Let me tell you, threading that bad boy is a challenge. I almost gave up about 8 times, but in the end I prevailed.

I ended up serging the edge of the pillows that I am making right now. FUN! Now I am trying to dream up more things to make, just so I can use it more. I don't really have a finished picture yet, but I have finished one pillow. I even put in piping and an invisible zipper! Right now it is raining and dark, so I will try to show you soon.

Have a great night!

Trying a new background for pictures.

I have always been a little envious of people who take really great pictures. My pictures are "meh" most of the time. I know that good light is key, and that is my biggest problem. Natural light obviously is better than not. I also understand that my backgrounds could be better ... the floor, the counter ... B O R I N G.

So I am trying something new. What do you think?



The subject isn't all that interesting. It's just the piping that I have prepared, but not yet sewn into the pillow for the pillow talk swap. I think I like it. You may be seeing more of it around here.

I can also show you a few mugrugs. They seem to be all the rage right now. You see them everywhere! I have sent out a couple recently. Two went to my swap partner in the scrappy mug rug swap, and two went out on a side swap.











I should have my pillows done soon, so I should be able to show you some progress before you know it.

Pillows!!!

Everyone needs a good pillow. The more you have, the better. I especially love making new pillows since it can totally change your look without a ton of work. Actually I think I may be due for some new pillows myself, which is perfect timing, since I joined the pillow talk swap on flickr.

Once again, it's a secret swap, but this time my partner doesn't know who I am, so I can share. She did say that she likes bright and modern, but I don't think that gives away too much since a lot of people feel the same way. She didn't add much more than that, so time for lots of creative freedom on this one!

I didn't plan ahead very much. I knew I wanted to do smallish squares, so I started cutting. As I was cutting I started laying them out on a piece of white fabric.



And because I cut too many, I also started laying them out on top of a ruler.



I thought they both had potential, so I made two pillows. So far, this is what I have.





Please excuse the dark pictures from last night, and the late afternoon shadows from today! I figured outside was better than inside - even with the shadows. It shows the colours much better, but there are a lot of shadows.

I am pretty pleased with both pillows so far. I will just have to decide when they are done which one to send! Which one do you like better?

I have received my placemats!!

My placemat swap is now complete. I received some FANTASTIC placemats from Lael today. I LOVE THEM SOOOOO MUCH! The little fish, the linen, the handstiching. Perfection.





Now, I sent her some too. I totally forgot to take pictures before I sealed the envelope. But - Lael just posted some, so I hope she doesn't mind me posting them.



She had requested circles, red and blue. I tried my best to incorporate all those things when I was doing them.

Anyway - so much for posting every day huh?? How about I try 3 times a week?? That may be a little more realistic : )

potholders

I received my potholders today in the potholder pass!!





AND there are two cute little hexie ornaments too.

Aren't they great?? The craziest thing is, I had the same partner in this swap as I did in the Savvy Seasons Swap!!! Two totally different swaps, organized by different people = with tons of participants, AND she got me twice. huh.

Anyway, I am thrilled because I think they are just fab!

I also worked a little more on my scrappy mug rug swap. I made another front (modified cathedral windows from a tutorial over at Spotted stones). I am really happy with the front - but the quilting I did on the front looks weird on the back because I clearly need a lesson in lining things up!





Ignore the binding that I haven't sewn down yet : )

Anyway - I tried picking out the quilting - but it just left very visable holes in the fabric (I know they were tiny - but you could totally see them) ... so I just left it. I am not sure if I may just keep this one for myself with all its faults - and make another one just like it.

Alright - I am off for a full hockey weekend!! Talk to you next week.

NaBloPoMo

So are you game?? NaBloPoMo - or in other words, National Blog Posting Month??

I heard about it on Kerri Lynn's Blog "Freckled Whimsy". I don't know if I have that much to say. And I know that I won't be able to blog every day this month. I am leaving Friday for an away hockey tournament for my son. But, nonetheless, I am going to try and blog a little more than I have over the last little bit.

I will start by showing a partial finish, and a start that I didn't mean to make.

You know that I have been enjoying my swaps lately. So, I will tell you that I have two more on the go. For the mug rug swap, my partner didn't post a mosaic, but she did provide some ideas. She said that she liked bright colours. I thought about a lattice type mug rug. I looked through my stash, and picked these fabrics:



You will notice that I had cut up some squares?? WELL .. this is where the "start" that I didn't mean to make comes in. Apparently I don't know how to calculate things very well ... and didn't take into account that it takes four squares to make one block. I figured out my final size based on 1 square, not 4 - so my final result is 4 times the size it was suppossed to be:



Maybe I can use this as a pillow instead!

So then, I made the right size ... and here is a little mug rug - front and back, obviously not finished. I still have to put some side borders on the front.



Maybe if I can think of something to say tomorrow ... you will see me again : )