My Brain Hurts

The past few days, I haven't had a lot of time to sit in front of my sewing machines.  I have been spending more time in front of my iPad or computer.  

It makes my brain hurt.

I have been working on my longarm machine quilting website.  It isn't anything terribly special, but trying to gather my thoughts and plans to make it an easy and smooth transition is taxing!

I won't pretend that I am all cool and actually building a website from scratch.  I am finangling Blogger to work for me.  I don't have a ton of overhead to hire someone!  I am also hoping it is a good starting point for someone to design the website for me based on what I envision, right?

I am feeling much better about it the today and hope that Mr. Boss and I can spend some time proofread and fine tune it this weekend for my "soft opening" on Monday.   I hope my guinea pigs realize what they are in for!!

Monday??! Eeeek!!!

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I DID also do something yesterday that needed to be done for a very long time.

Home Dec fabric shopping.  Our home is now 5 years old and some of the rooms still need some decorative window dressings.

I found a great chocolate embroidered silk for our dining room windows.

 The colors couldn't match the existing upholstered furniture or the rug any better.

The butterflies?  Match made in heaven, right?

Not only was it on sale, they gave me an additional 50% off because I also ordered 32 yards of this fabric for just one room.

Yup, you heard that right.  THIRTY TWO yards.   I think Mr. Boss might be having some sticker shock too.  I have been telling him for the past 5 years that I haven't been able to focus and make a decision on such a large amount of fabric.

I even had a bit of anxiety yesterday.  What if I ordered the wrong fabric? What if my calculations are wrong?  What if I cut it wrong?

Luckily I have 7-10 days to sweat it out....

Ironing Board Cover {Tutorial}

I have a confession to make.  I hardly ever use my normal ironing board.  I pull it out when I am working on really large quilts, sewing/hemming window treatments, and other larger projects that require more room than my small portable ironing board.  I actually iron our clothes on this small board.

Unfortunately, after my debacle with my old iron, I had horrible spots on my board.

I know it could look worse.  I know I could buy a new one.  But it goes against my need to be thrifty.  How do you fix it?  You give it a makeover, right?

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IRONING BOARD MAKEOVER {Tutorial}

Supplies:

  1 yd.  of home decor or quilting cotton fabric
1 1/4 yd of elastic (1/4-1/2 inch wide)
Thread
Rotary Cutter/Ruler
Bodkin (optional)
Safety pins

First, the big debate.  What fabric should you use. You need to decide how pretty or pratical you want it.  Pretty designer fabric?  Ugly home decor scraps?  I went with some home dec scraps that were neutral.
 I know.  Boring.

Cut your 1 yd piece to a 32 x 36 inch rectangle.

Fold the rectangle in half.  Then fold it in half the other direction.  All four of your corners should meet in one corner.
Grab your ruler and rotary cutter.  As you can see, I lined up mine to cut a 4x4 square out.

Did you cut them yet? See those two short 4 inch edges where your fabric used to be?

Bring those two short ends together.

Sew the two ends together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Fold your edge of the entire piece twice.  The first fold and press the hem 1/4 inch.   Then another fold a smidgen (veeerry technical term) larger than your elastic.  In this case, I folded it about 3/4 inch.

Stitch the casing as close to the edge as possible to allow enough room for the width of your elastic.

Run your elastic through the small opening you left un-stitched. I use a bodkin.

When you start, I recommend pinning your one end to the edge of the fabric.  I cannot tell you how many times I have threaded something through a casing and ended up realizing my end was halfway around the project already.  Very frustrating!

 Pull the elastic so you have a good amount to manipulate.

Secure them with a quick stitch...hand or machine.  If you decide to do it on the machine, I recommend a zig-zag stitch.

Close the remaining opening with a quick ladder stitch or whip stitch.

Looks like a bottom mattress sheet, right?

You can stop right there, but I decided to add a spot for the handle of the board to slip through, last minute.

When my board is not in use, I tuck it in a small space next to my cabinets, so the handle is pretty handy!

 Measure 2 1/2 inches from the edge.

Cut a slit the width of the handle. I just felt along the outside to feel the bump of the handle.

 A simple 1/4 fold to the wrong side of the fabric and zig-zag stitch the raw edges.

 It isn't beautiful, but the outside looks nice...who is going to look on the inside, anyway!?!?!?

It has been two months since I did this makeover, and it is still hanging strong.  I took this picture today to prove it!

I am really happy with the makeover.  It makes a nice neutral background for projects too! 

If you are less chicken than I, bust out that piece of designer fabric that you have no plans for like my friend, Julie at Distant Pickles.   

Psssst....it is in conjuction with her Simplicity Bias Tape Maker Review (which someone JUST asked me about yesterday), so make sure you pay attention to the fabric UNDER the fabric!!

 I will stay boring and conservative, as I keep drooling over other ironing board covers!

WIP: Enjoying the Process

I am amazed how by just focusing a tiny bit of time on me since I was feeling lost and in Need of Me.  Despite having a million and one things I want to do and have to do, when I did Lower My Expectations?  I really started enjoying myself.  No one is harder on me, than myself!

And the amazing thing is?  I have been dusting off some WIPs, have a few finishes, and finally had an epiphany for some other projects!!

Finishes:

Cathedral Window Pincushion 

A treat for my swap partner. 

 This is my very first swap, but I noticed in other posts that participants don't just send a quilt.  I didn't have any goodies to send, so I made another cathedral window pincushion.  The bandanna fabric with the red,white, and blue fabric are a nod to the origin that the package is coming from...

good Ole Texas!

Artist's Palette Mini Quilt

My Name Game Swap quilt is finished! 

 I mailed it off yesterday and can't wait to see what she thinks.  I can't reveal anything other than this Sneak Peak.

But I promise a full reveal later!!!  I sure hope she likes it!

 Refurbishing Project

I have had this bag that I have always loved.  Except for the scratchy handles...and the awful staining from some sort of trip to the pool with goodies!

A little ripping of seams, using the old fabric for a pattern, new handles and interior ala Amy Butler Midwest Modern II Fresh Poppies Ivory, and a cute pink zipper?

And I am in love with it again!!!!

In Progress:

Merry, Merry Snowman Quilt

I actually opened the package of BOM #1 and accomplished the first task!

10 square in a square blocks!

I also pieced the background, but still need to do the applique's and embroidery...so no exciting pictures of that part.

No Progress:

Retro Flower QAL

Button's Nursery Quilt for twin bed

Christmas Quilt

Baby Girl Quilt Kit

Thank You Quilt

New Projects:

The Teenager's Bedroom

I finally took the kid with me and forced him to wander the fabric store so I could finally get some window treatments up and throw pillows on the bed that has this bedding from Pottery Barn on it.

photo via Pottery Barn

 It was only a tiny bit painful for him, however, Mr. Boss is questioning the seriously abundant amount of stripes. 

 But I must carry on...can't return the cut fabric!

Another Halloween Quilt.

Yup.  I needed this like a need a hole in my head, but when I made the Spiders and Webs quilt last year, I loved it...but it really didn't coordinate with the rest of the black and white theme I had in the rest of the room.  I have a jelly roll that is all black and white, but unfortunately it is only 20 strips instead of the normal 40, so I picked up a few more fabrics to add!  

So, I might have derailed all of my efforts to de-stress, but I feel like my sew-jo is back!  When it is back you can't look back!

Now to catch up with all the rest of the WIPers and link up at

Go check it out!  It is worth it!!!!!

March Madness

Remember the Cream squares that I had cut up from the daybed coverlet here?  I have finished it and am calling the quilt 

Madness

Madness that I thought the color would work with Button's nursery...

It is not white and crisp enough.

Madness that I thought I would be able to piece it easily...

It was 1/4 inch thick and had more ravels than I could stand.  My studio is still covered with random bits of it!

Madness that I thought I would just use a home deco fabric as the backing...

I didn't realize how heavy it was going to make it!  I am not even sure if it is truly washable.  It was a remnant from another project!

Madness that I thought I would just stitch in the ditch....

the seams were so thick that I had to make due with 1/4 inch quilting on the inside of each square!  

Madness that I thought Ole Betsy would make it easy......

She and I really struggled making the stretchy fabric stay still and boy...crossing some of those seams so I didn't have to stop/start for each square made it tricky!  I also didn't use the rulers.  It was just too difficult to even try to add another layer near the needle.  I ended up just FMQ and guiding it against the thick seams.  It is very wonky in places!!!

Madness that I thought using some pre-cut binding fabric I had and that I will probably never use would make it easier...

It was a bear going through all the thick layers of the top and the backing!

Madness that I thought it wasn't that big and would be done binding it lickety split.... 

It took me three movies and two March Madness NCAA basketball  Tournament games.  I will remember it always as the quilt that kept my hands busy while stressing out during my alma mater Marquette University played the feisty Murray State Team!

 The only good thing is that I relegated this quilt to my studio chair and a half!  

The fur-babies like to hang out in here with me and I am tired of dog hair all over me when I am doing any of my handwork in my sanctuary watching my movies.

They love it...even when I take pictures outside.

But, really?

 I named it Madness because Mr. Boss thinks that I am a bit mad for spending so much time on a quilt for the dogs...