Quiltie Swap

I took a little break from my Miniature Booty Swap quilt and worked on my quiltie for the mini quilt trading swap. I don't think my partner Katie reads my blog but Katie if you're reading and you want this to be a surprise stop reading and hit your back button!
I took my first crack at hand quilting and think I'm happy with the front but here's my question for all of you talented quilters. Is this what the back should look like?
First let me say I had no idea how to hand quilt. So I went with what would work for my design. I used embroidery floss for the quilting, when you see the design on the front you'll understand why. I used 3 strands of floss doubled up & tried to do a knot-less method so the back would be neat. It worked most of the time but the brown and green stitching looks a little messy on the back. What are you really supposed to use for hand quilting? I know I've bought hand quilting thread by mistake before and my machine doesn't like it! Do you do just a single strand? The finished quiltie is 11' by 8". I've found binding the edges to be a challenge. Despite Susan's help and a very detailed Flickr tutorial I still can get perfectly mitered corners. So I decided to do a thin border then add the batting and sew a back on before quilting it. I think it worked. For my quiltie, I knew I wanted to go with my favorite red bird. I like to draw and paint these little red birds on things(Nature Girl can draw these birds too.) Anyway, I cut out the bird and sewed pieces to get the bird, branch and background together. Then I quilted on leaves, clouds, the branch and around the bird's body. I added a button eye and a wing that sticks out. Overall I think I'm happy with it but I feel like the leaves should be all green. I probably should have tried appliquéing on leaves(something else I've not tried to do with a quilt yet.) I'm tempted to dry brush it with green paint but after all of the work I hate to ruin it, so I will probably just leave it and mail it out like this. I'm still waiting for my partner's address before I can send it out. Now it's back to work on my Miniature Booty Swap quilt. That quilt is almost done and will be mailed out by the end of the week I hope.

Nature Girl Dances

Today was Nature Girl's dance recital. She was very cute and we're looking forward to getting the DVD in July so we can watch her again. So how do you bring a little nature to an indoor dance recital? You pick a large maple leaf on the way into the recital and proudly carry it around with you before and after the show. Here she is posing with her leaf. She insisted it needed to be in the pictures. I think the leaf hat makes her look like a little fairy. She really is a Nature Girl!

More From a Curtain

So what can you make from a curtain? A bag for me, one for a friend, a tea towel and an apron. All that using just one panel, who knows what else can be created with the other panel. I love the cherry print it's perfect for spring and summer. Best of all it's thrifted! You know reduce, reuse, recycle.

I've been using my cherry bag for the last few days and I'm loving it. The second bag I made for a friend. It's meant to be worn across the body but the handle may be a bit long since I sized it on me. I didn't think about sizing for my friend until after it was sewn. Now that's it's done I think it might be cuter with two shorter handles. Too late now, maybe on the next one.

I finished my apron and tea towel for the Sassy Summer Apron Swap. I hope my partner likes red. My baby sister, Beckie was kind enough for model it for me. Aren't you happy to see someone new pictured on my blog! I am!
I knew I wanted to create a half apron using the cherry curtain fabric and red fabrics. I bought a pattern for a half apron but in the end I didn't use it. Instead my apron was inspired by this Modern June Apron. Check out her Etsy shop. I really like how the apron turned out so I'm temped to keep it. Of course I made it for the swap so I'll mail it out this week and patiently wait for mine to arrive. In the meantime I could always make another for me using the other panel. But I think I'll finish some other swap stuff then move on to making matching gathering aprons for Nature Girl and I using another thrifted fabric.

A New Bag and a Meme

I sewed a new bag last night. It's something I've been wanting to try for a bit. I didn't have a pattern but I winged it and it turned out ok. This was made from a curtain I bought at my favorite thrift store. I have a few other drapes I bought that are calling my name. I want to turn them into this but in a larger size to be reusable grocery bags. I think that's a project for June when I have a little more time. I had already decided that's one of the things I'm making for my family for Christmas this year so I plan to get started this summer. My youngest sister called me last night and requested hers early since like me she feels terrible guilt over using plastic. I promised to work on them in June. I'm going to finally get mine done too! Sorry for the dark photo the lighting wasn't that great at one am.
Here's the inside of the bag with my library book discussion book for this month. I have two and a half weeks to finish it so I better get reading. I included one divided pocket perfect for a cell phone.

Finally I was tagged for a meme.
Cindy tagged me with this one. The rules are thus:

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Okay, here goes:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was a preschool teacher dating a wonderful man who became my husband. I must of had a lot of free time back then, since that was before having a child. I really don't know what I did with all that free time, I certainly must have wasted it!
2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
clean my house, laundry, sew, return overdue library books, get to the post office.

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Chips, sweets, Coke (yes, I know they are bad for me, I can't help myself!)

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
My husband and I joke that if I won a lot of money I wouldn't have anything left because I'd give it all away. So if I was a billionaire I'd invest some(I've learned this concecpt from my husband,) Save a big chunk for Nature Girl to go to college, then I'd buy things for our family members, I'd spend time & money traveling with my husband and daughter, I'd donate money to our local library and to other charities(especially charities that help kids.) I would continue to stay home with my family and enjoy my life like I do now! I don't need a lot of money to be happy.

5. Places I have lived:
Vermont, New York State, Washington State and New Hampshire


6. Peeps I want to know more about:
Cheri, Kerri, Susan, Barb, Tracey

Please do not feel that you have to play, it is just for fun.

Field Trip Day

Today was field trip day for Nature Girl's preschool class. Nature Girl woke up excited & ready to get going. She was very excited that her dad took the morning off to go with us. It turned out to be a fun morning. The field trip was a visit to a farm/zoo. The farm had your typical farm animals and then some more exotic animals like bears, wolves, camels, owls and a monkey. We also went on a wagon ride and had a picnic lunch.
I took lots of pictures but didn't get a single shot of Nature Girl with any of the animals. I think it was because as soon as she could smell them she was out of there!!! Nature Girl has a very sensitive nose and doesn't like animal smells. She liked the owls the best and she thought the reindeer were the stinkiest. Surprisingly they were very stinky!
I got some great pictures of Nature Girl with her dad but he's a little blog shy so instead you get a picture of Nature Girl and I taken on the field trip.

Lunch today

Today was another busy day with eye exams and Nature Girl's last dance class. We rushed off to eye exams early this afternoon then popped by our favorite roadside food stand. It's almost an hour from our house so we don't go there very often. Today it worked out perfectly that our eye exams were located near it. So this was our lunch. I got the two hot dog special with onion rings. It was greasy and sooooo delicious! A yummy treat. Nature Girl was disappointed that we didn't have time to order ice cream after our lunch. Maybe next time.
FYI: The eye exams went well and our eyes haven't changed at all. That's four years running that my husband and I have had the same exact eye prescription. Weird huh?! See, we're perfect for each other!

Mini Quilt Progress & a Swap

I dropped Nature Girl off at preschool this morning then I headed home to reintroduce myself to my sewing machine. We haven't spent anytime together for the last week and a half. With Nature Girl at school, I had two and a half hours of uninterrupted sewing time. It was wonderful! I spent the time working on my quilt for the Miniature Booty Quilt Swap. What's the one problem with having uninterrupted sewing time? No one to show your project too! I was excited about the progress but couldn't show my quilt to anyone. Usually my husband & Nature Girl are my audience and cheer my little craft endeavors. Which reminds me, tonight Nature Girl told me I was the best mom in the world. When I asked why she said"Because you do projects with me. No one likes to do projects alone. I like to help you." Awwwh melt my heart! How sweet is that?
I discovered something cool today. While I was trying to make the quilt tag, I discovered I can print on fabric using my printer. I was able to print a great tag with one problem. I can't get the ink to set, one washing and the tag is toast! I did find some info at Quiltpox.com concerning making quilt tags. If you're interested you can check it out here. I have a new HP printer and I'm not sure I can set the ink after reading the info at quiltpox. So now I have to experiment with making a new tag for Kristie's quilt. I have to finish binding the quilt and remake the tag then it will be finished. I really wanted to share photos but I don't want to ruin the surprise for Kristie so instead I'm posting a pile of fabric. I used a few of these fabrics in the quilt.

Speaking of fabric, Tracey at Itching 2 B Stitching is hosting a fabric swap. For details and to sign up, check here. I'm very excited to get new fabric. I've never done a fabric swap but it sounds fun! What crafter doesn't love surprise fabric?!!!