Baby Quilt Finish

I cannot believe I did not take more pictures of this project! I normally take too many pictures, and this time I only have a couple of the finish. I was commissioned to make a baby quilt for my best friend to give to another one of her friends whom had a baby girl. I was told the desired colors were antique white, pink, brown and avocado green. The friends house was designed traditional with white walls so the colors could not be too bold - there ruled out my stash! 
So off to the fabric store I went in search for what I could make this baby quilt from. 
All I can show you is the finish and tell you that my friend was very pleased with it.

 I wish I had a better picture to show, you can barely make out the squares. I have already given it to my friend so there is no getting more.

 I did four different traditional blocks and laid out the pattern to have them run on a diagonal.

This care label was hand stitched and attached at the binding stage. I used a bounce sheet  to  back the label and adhered it with Wonder Under, then the binding stitches finished it off. 

Have you ever made a project and sent it away only to realize you didn't get a picture?
Cheers,
Carolyn

Frixion Pen Update

Here is the update to the Frixion Pen Review I posted last week. The table runner is done, washed and dried - here are the results.

The white lines the pen had left on the dark fabric after ironing are 100% gone.

Here is my finish.

And here is the back.

I free motioned all of the lines, even the straight ones around the diamonds. If you pick up these pens and are still worried about how they will effect the fabric, just take a two inch square, fold over a 1/4 inch seam, stitch it. Then mark it up with the different colors of pen if you bought the package, or the one color you got, then iron it. Next load of laundry - through it in and there is your test. Have fun!
Cheers,
Carolyn

They are watching.. .. .

OK, last week when I parked my car, there was nothing out of the ordinary as I walked the 5 blocks to work - but then I left to walk back to my car at the end of that day - there were all these strange additions to the side walk. 

 Here let me turn this so you can read it:

Monitoring service? These cameras are all over downtown. At the very top of these long poles you see in the picture below, is a tiny camera. Some light posts have 2 of these monitoring devices. 

I'm not concerned about the devices, but they are kinda creepy no? I mean, just what are they monitoring, who is  watching these devices and where does this info go. Why are they monitoring, what are they hoping to see and just how much is this costing me out of my tax money. Does this mean my property tax is going to go up yet again?  Do the cities you live in have weird monitoring devices? What do they do with the info? Does it bother you at all?


Cheers,
Carolyn

It does not take much

It does not take much to clog a drain that is!
Like these darn tree roots!! The city trees are beautiful, but they are pipe killers! At least every two years we have a major plumbing blockage due to the roots growing onto the drainage pipes. Thankfully we know what to do when it happens. 
Sadly though it happened last weekend and caused Mr. Hunter to miss a live theatre production of Rocky Horror Picture Show. I hated to go without him - but without him I went and I had the best time! The theatre group did a fantastic job.
I could not take any pictures at the show - so I will leave you instead with a picture of tree roots.. ... yeah, sorry 'bout that. 

Cheers,
Carolyn

The best part about Bubble Tea

Is extra jelly and tapioca! But the next best part is the fun pictures on the top. Last week, I was having a really really really hard day at work. I had to get away from the office for a break, so even though I had a lunch - I bolted out to my favorite place in the City Centre Mall, Tea Fusion. They make bubble tea and have really cheap lunch deals if you buy a tea. The picture on the top made me laugh, which I really needed.

 I continued my cheer up session with a trip to Chapters and bought these magazines.

 By the time I finished my bubbly tea, I could no longer be grumpy. Bubble tea for me is like medicine. Mmm I wish I had one right now.
Do you guys like Bubble Tea?
Cheers,
Carolyn

Frixion pen review

One of the fabulous people I met at the Thread Play class told us about these awesome pens from Pilot called Frixion. They come in a small assortment of colors and disappear when they come in contact with high heat - like your iron - or in a hot car. If you make an item that you do not wash and for some reason it freezes, the ink will show up again. But if you wash your quilt when all done in the machine just once with laundry detergent - it is gone FOREVER! MUHAHAHAHhahahahahahaaaaaaaa 

So without further ado I bring you the Frixion pen:

DA DA DA DAAAA The PEN!!

Ohhh and the pretty colors.

OK, so I drew the flower - then I stitched it, then.....

I ironed it!

Tadah! The pen is gone!

I used it to draw this pattern, then I ironed - now you cannot see from my pictures - but there is the faintest white line  when I ironed. 

It only happened when I drew on the darker fabric and my friend did advice that it may happen. I noticed that the white lines were less noticeable the next day - and I had to really look for them. I also noticed that if I drew, stitched and ironed all in a short time frame - I didn't really get a white mark at all.  I am not worried about it - I have a feeling it will fade away completely on its own, or it will wash out when I put it in that machine. If you are doing something with mainly dark fabric - this may not be the product for you. But if you are using light fabrics then get your self a Frixion pen and have fun. 

Cheers,

Carolyn

Fancy leaf

I finally used one of those inspiration leafs to make this really cool sewn leaf using the Sulky Solvy.
Here is the progress in photos:

 I used all my little scraps to make this 3 1/2 x 7" square - its about 6 layers thick of Solvy.  I drew the lines with a regular perminate marker using the leaf I picked as the inspiration. Then I went around the outside three - four times.

Then I started to "draw" the vanes of the leaf - making sure to stitch right up and onto the outer lines. This is extremely important. If you do not stitch onto the edges and connect all the parts - when you wash out the Solvy, it will not hold but fall apart.

 I added a darker color over the light color add a little of depth. And then when I felt I was done, I cut away the extra Solvy to keep for a later time. Then I soaked and gently massaged the Solvy out. Then I got tired of being gentle and patient - grabbed the little hand scrub brush and got that stuff out of there!

 I took this picture when it was still wet - there is more of a difference in the colors.

Here is the back - I had the same color in the bobbin thread for the entire project and it was a slightly bluer shade of dark green. 
Cheers,
Carolyn

More finished Thread Play projects

I finished the Christmas ball I started at the Thread Play class. I really like how it turned out! Here it is:

 Here it is laying on cream fabric. And this next picture shows more how the flowers are translucent. I have it hanging on a patterned sheer I put up as my curtain in my sewing room.

 And here is the whole curtain. Well, its not a real curtain - but I like to quilt - not sew curtains. Its held up with three push pins. Really classy.

A few more projects and you will not see the sheer anymore - that or my pins will fail and everything will crash down on my table. ha ha.
Cheers,
Carolyn

I have no title

Oh the title pressure - I have failed today. I have no ideas. In fact, I have no stories! Gosh, how sad is that? I have spent way to many hours at work and not enough in play. 


I had to last minuet through some Halloween decorations together so people knew I was home to hand out candy. I didn't even have a pumpkin carved! Our front light does not work so I used my IKEA lamp with some colored, cut up recycled fliers to create a fun Halloween light. I even got a compliment from one of the Mom's. I'm 95% positive she actually liked it to and was not being sarcastic. ha ha
Here it is:

It looked pretty cool as it got darker out.
I had 25 to 35 kids I think. How many kids did you guys have?
Cheers,
Carolyn