{Sew} Modern Monday, vol. 1

Hey, Hey! It's my first {Sew} Modern Monday!!

I worked my hiney off this weekend so I could get this baby done. I know, I know...You're thinking, dang, she worked all weekend and all she got done was that little thing? 

Well, you'd be right! And most of you know, I even had all the quilting done by Saturday morning, so I guess I'm just a slow binder! I wish I could say that I at least got something else productive done, but nope. Other than a little laundry, this was it. And some of that laundry only got done because I knew I had to do it before I washed the quilt. 

***Speaking of washing quilts, does anyone else have an irrational fear that when you open the washer after you put a quilt in it for the first time, that all you find is a big ball of thread? Maybe it's just me...

Well here you go...

I couldn't get any decent pictures of it hanging because the wind was blowing and Roger was at work, so you get the picnic shots. 

Here are the details:

Fabrics are... Kona Cheddar, Kona Cerise, Kona Cactus, Meadowsweet Chain Flower in Lime, Flora and Fauna Raspberry Dandelion, and Gypsy Bandana Kaleidoscope Orange

Binding is Michael Miller's Petit Point in Citron.

Backing is Kona Ash with blocks from leftover front fabrics.

Quilted in straight lines 1/4 inch from seams using grey thread.

I've decided to donate this quilt for the 100 Quilts for Kids campaign by Kate at Swim, Bike, Quilt. It will go to the newly formed Terre Haute chapter of Project Linus.

Now head on over to Canoe Ridge Creations and check out all the other loveliness!

Little Bit of Quilting

Between yesterday afternoon and a little bit this morning, I got the quilting done on the strip quilt. I would have easily gotten it finished yesterday aftenoon, but we had to go do a little of this first:

 Some of our good friends have a pool, but it has been too hot to swim. I always used to think people were crazy when I heard them say that, but I never thought about the pool water heating up, too. The past few weeks it has been in the mid 90s here but the pool had gotten almost that hot, too, so that wouldn't have been all that refreshing now, would it? Luckily it has cooled off a bit so it was time for a swim.

I'm definitely getting more comfortable doing all the layering, basting, trimming, and quilting, but that's not to say I am all that impressed with the results. There were still way too many puckers on the back of the quilt. I thought I pinned a little better this time, but apparently not good enough.

Once again, I just stitched 1/4 inch away from the seams, using grey thread. I really like how the grey looks against the purplish-pink color. But don't look too far down those rows, the stitching get a little crooked. I'm not very good at keeping it still when I readjust or take out pins. But overall, I am happy with how it is going. I do like it better now that it has been quilted. Now to get the binding done.

 I had a hard time deciding between using a solid or a print, and I am determined to get it done this weekend, so ordering something was out of the question. What do you think about this one? Well, you better like it, because I already cut it!

All pressed and ready to go. 

What exciting things do you have planned for the weekend?

Odd bits

Has this week gone by fast for anyone else?

I have heard the saying a few times regarding life with young children that "the days drag on but the years fly by" or something like that. Incredibly true. By 4:00 every day I am exhausted but yet I am amazed when Friday rolls around, much less that it is already August. 

Despite the race of time, I was able to get the back of that psychedelic strip quilt done. 

 

Much more subdued than the front!

I was going to just make one large log cabin style block but I am glad I did these instead.

I really liked making these blocks and will definitely make another quilt with these in the future.

Speaking of the future, what do you think about this stack of fabric?

I am thinking about using them to make the Kaleidoscope quilt from Don't Call Me Betsy. Nothing like joining a quilt-along the day after it's officially over, right? I really like this pattern and have loved so many of the quilts I have seen being made, so I might as well give it a shot.

Ok, enough of the quilt business. Let's get down to the real reason you're here. You want a pickle update, don't you? I know you have just been on the edge of your seats. Well here you go:

It's looking a little murky in there...

They are supposed to sit out for two weeks. This is only day 4. I was actually surprised that they don't really smell. I mean, if you get really close you can obviously smell the dill, but I was kind of expecting more of an odor. Not that I'm complaining...

I went out to the garden last night to pick some more cucumbers and decided that I better check the melons. I hadn't even gotten over to them before I smelled that unmistakable scent. 

Looks like I need to research creative uses for cantaloupe. 

And of course, you can't work in the garden without a libation. 

The Pride of Chippewa Falls, people. Because five generations can't be wrong...

Best Thing I've Made All Summer

Seriously. The best thing. 

Looks kind of unassuming right. Good job, Toni, you stuck some pipes together. Woohoo.

You guys, my kids have had so much fun in this thing! 

I'm really not sure where I first saw the idea of a PVC sprinkler, probably Pinterest, but I just did a google search one day for it and used this tutorial. I adapted it slightly because I could not find the mister-jet insert thingies that were used, even though the guy says he got his from Lowe's. I went to two Lowe's and a Rural King and everybody looked at me like I was nuts when I asked about them. So I just drilled holes into the pipe at random angles with the smallest drill bit we had.

I did not tell them it was supposed to be a car/bike wash when we made it. First they just ran through it like a regular sprinkler, then a day or two later they brought out their bikes, pedal tractors and every other outside toy they could find to run through the carwash. 

Always important to stay hydrated.

While I don't generally encourage the consumption of water via PVC pipe, it is fun to watch.

WIP Wednesday

Yay, it's my first!

Roger's Quilt:

  This quilt is a gift for my husband for our 6th anniversary, which is Sept. 3.  I started this quilt a couple weeks ago, thinking that it would take me a while to get it all together. I actually got it pieced much faster than I thought I would, mostly because there were a few evenings where Roger took the older boys out to work with him on equipment so I had far fewer interruptions. Funny how that works. 

My husband and I very rarely buy each other gifts for any holidays, birthdays, or our anniversary so I was going to try to make this a surprise for him. But, he kept coming into my sewing room one evening when I had it all spread out and started asking about it. I am a terrible liar, so I went ahead and told him it was his. For as long as we have been married he has been asking me to make him a John Deere blanket or pillow and this is as close as I was willing to go, much like our older boys' quilts. Needless to say, I am very ready to make a quilt that doesn't involve green and yellow!

Overall, I am very happy with this quilt so far. I have part of the back finished, but am waiting on more Kona coal to complete it.

**Embarrassing revelation...You know that movie, "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock? Where she is dancing around the bonfire with Betty White singing, "To the window, to the wall..." Well, as I was pressing the strips for this quilt, in order to remember which direction I needed to press each strip I found myself singing that song because that is how my ironing board is situated; I am either pressing toward the window or the wall. Every strip. To the window, to the wall... I may have even danced a little.

Strip Quilt:

  I started this project yesterday as a way to get more experience before I did the actual quilting on Roger's quilt. I thought this would be a quick project to put together, and it has been so far. I got the fabric cut and the top pieced during naptime yesterday. As the day went on I liked this less and less, but I'm not entirely sure why. Too many colors? Too bright? Uninspired? I think that is a YES to all, but since it is really just for practice and not for anyone specific I'm trying to be OK with it.

At least the scraps are pretty...

Hopefully once it gets quilted and bound it will get a bit more attractive.

And of course, I can't leave you with out a picture of my kids getting in the way of my picture taking:

Have a great day!

This weekend I finished the quilt top that I have been working on for my husband, a green and yellow "plus" quilt for our 6th anniversary. I was able to get it pieced much faster than I thought I would, so now I have right at a month to get it finished. Hopefully I will get some pictures of it today so I can share more tomorrow. I started working on the backing yesterday but ran out of Kona coal so now that will have to wait a few more days until more arrives.

I really want to get a little more practice before I quilt it for him, so I am thinking of making up a few simple strip quilts. I have a couple tablecloths that have randomly sized stripes of bright colors that I really like so I might try that.  I really have a thing going for solids right now, so I may just not use any prints and see how it goes. I have a lot more confidence picking out solids than I do prints!

See what I have to contend with to get a picture?

That's about all the quilty stuff going on here right now. But there is more going on in the kitchen if you want to stick around.


Still here? Ok, well it's a lot of randomness but here's what's going down in the kitchen this morning:

This pound of coffee is getting added to a bunch of cold water,

(I added more water after I took this...)

and is going to hang out for a while until it becomes coffee concentrate for making delicious iced coffee. There are several "recipes" for this floating around the internet, but I remember reading it first on Pioneer Woman, so that's who gets the link.

These bad boys, along with some more that I picked last night are also going to hang out on the counter for a while. I have never made fermented pickles before so I thought I would give it a try. I like foods like sauerkraut and kimchee, but the thought of actually fermenting something for myself never sounded like anything I would be successful with. But, I saw this on Chiot's Run the other day and she made it sound easy so I thought, "Why not?" We have plenty of cucumbers right now so if they turn into a jar of slimy green funk I really haven't lost too much.

 

And finally, nothing tastes better at the end of a hot day working in the garden than one of these babies:

This is actually from last night, but chances are good another one will be consumed tonight. So good.

Beach Robes

As soon as I saw this pattern by Dana the other day, I knew I needed it. That is saying a lot because usually when I see something I want to make, I bookmark it and come back to it in a couple weeks, or forget about it totally. 

But this beach robe is just what I was looking for. It is simple to make and uses thin towels for the material. My boys love snuggling up in their towels after they get out of the shower, so I was sure they would like a robe. Earlier this spring I bought a different pattern for a kids' bath robe, and after opening it up and spreading it out on the floor, I realized it just wasn't going to happen. I'm a pretty smart girl but commercial sewing patterns and I just don't get along. Dana's pattern is perfect. Simple instructions, and open to lots of variation. It comes in three sizes and I made one of each. Max's is a 12-month, so it is still a bit big on him, but I'm sure it will be no time before he has outgrown it!

When I made these robes, I was in a bit of a hurry and wanted to get them done before a weekend trip to Cincinnati. I knew there would be lots of swimming in the hotel pool and the kids would need their robes for the chilly walk back through the lobby and up to our rooms. So I made the simplest version and used store-bought bias tape for the trim. I still think they turned out really cute. I can't wait to make another round of these for the boys, using cute fabric to line the hoods and make cuffs for the sleeves. I may even get crazy and make my own bias tape. Eeek! I was so excited about making more that I bought several towels from Ikea (during the Cincy trip) just for these robes.

The only change I made from the pattern was to shorten the length of the ties.  I made the  version with the attached belt, but after making it the length the pattern suggests for Wyatt's robe, I knew it would be way too long for the other boys. I did change the order in which I sewed the pieces, only because I was using different colors of thread for sewing the pieces together and attaching the trim and I was getting tired of re-threading my machine.

Cutting the towel material made for quite a mess in my sewing room. I was finding little bits of towel everywhere, even after I had vacuumed. Dana suggests serging or using a zigzag stitch to finish off the inside seams of the robe to keep them from shedding little bits of material. My machine has an overlock stitch that basically stitches the seam then sews the thread around the edge of the seam to "lock" it in place, kind of like a simplified serger. That is what I used and I really liked it, only I must have been not paying much attention (me??) when I was sewing because after I threw them in the wash I found a few places where I hadn't gotten them sewn together well enough and had to go back and redo a bit.

Such an agreeable model.

Overall I would definitely recommend this pattern. So cute and easy, I think they will be great for gifts, too.