First Post-Op Post

This is the last project I got sewn up before I went in for day surgery on Monday. It's one of the two birthday gifts for this month. 

It's a child size reversible apron! A really sweet, easy free pattern too. I found it while surfing around loading up my bookmarks with things to read, watch and do for after my surgery.  You can find this pattern by Heather Mulder Peterson at her blog Children's Fat Quarter Apron. You'll have to scroll down a bit in the post, but you can enjoy pics of her sweet baby, new fabric line and Christmas too!

I wanted to share this photo to show you where the apron ties go. They go through beneath the arm openings and then tie above the waist at the back. I thought this was pretty ingenious and am probably not explaining it the best this morning. There is no pic showing the back of the apron on the pattern so I wanted to help out anybody else who needs the visual to make sense of the words (again, not really sure I did that here LOL)

My surgery was a long time coming. A large cyst was found in my uterus in December. I had laparoscopic surgery to remove my left ovary and the offending cyst.

 I know I am not alone in coming to quilting due to health issues. 

Almost 17 years ago I was diagnosed with endometriosis and it was quilting that saw me through some very dark and challenging times. This cyst was a result of that disease. I am very grateful to be sitting here as a quilter with 2 beautiful children and a life that brings me happiness and personal fulfillment. These past few days of being still and needing help with almost every daily chore have made me grateful for all that has come my way. The love of my family and the care and concern of my friends at Pat Sloan's Quilt Mashup Forum have been invaluable. 

So has the internet! Who knew I could find so much to lose myself in and then find myself all over again! Handstitching and finding simultaneous affirmation of it through Kathy's post with a link to Creative Bug and Pat Sloan's radio show with one of the artists featured on Creative Bug, Rebecca Ringquist just made the blanket stitching that much more rewarding a pursuit.
It was this week's radio show - you can see Pat's post and get the link here.

What else has got me through? Listening to Jamie Ridler's podcast with Eric Maisel at 1 a.m. helped me find solace in a sleepless night.

I worked on this while listening to Tula Pink (same radio show) - she makes me want to explore and push my boundaries when it comes to quilting. A fun challenge to take up for sure! I decided that my first round of light blue blanket stitching wasn't quite funky enough for this teacup so I added a second round! This round matches the red dot in the background fabric. The double blanket stitching really gave this cup texture - I may be tempted to go back and do this to the rest of them!


Thanks for listening today. I am healing. And creating!
Hoping to get down to my fabrics today as there are BLOCKS to plan - but that's another post:)

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

Read more...

Tea for Two

The teapot is ready.

I blanket stitched with dark blue to make it look a little less zany. Only a little, though.

This is for the Pat Sloan Madhatter Tea Party Challenge. It finished last year - so I am appropriately late!

This is the creamer. I have to make the sugar still.

Two cups of tea are ready, too.

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

Read more...

Where Did those Cute Bunnies Come From?

I made these blocks almost a year ago. The "Bunny Lady" quilt is another attempt at designing my own quilt. Something different happened this time - it TALKED to me and I LISTENED!

Perhaps you have been down this road of making your own quilt pattern too.

Usually for me it starts on paper and is measured out to the 1/4 inch seam allowance on the final border before I begin to construct it.

This time the quilt is more an accumulation of "A-Ha" moments.

The quilt finally started with Inspiration.

Betz White's bunny caught my eye and I scanned her directions. . .


and then I thought about the new to me crazy quilting that I was doing with the March Season of Grace advent stockings (a free BOM hosted by Emilie Richards and Pat Sloan). Yes, last March:)

Still, the bunny wasn't quite right, but I liked the IDEA of a bunny.

Then I remembered about another cute bunny project that was waiting for 'that perfect border fabric' to begin. From at least two years ago!



This pattern is called Bunnies in the Garden from Small Quilts:The Vanessa Ann Collection.
It was hardwork for me to find the required tonal fabrics for this quilt. I'm attracted to prints! The love was going, BUT the bunny from the pattern was the perfect size! I could get 2 bunnies onto my fresh new fabric fat quarters and have some left for...carrots!

So really a lot of different things came together to make this quilt come to life:

1. inspiration from another's project

2. new fabric

3. season/theme of spring/Easter

4. past inspiration found again

5. new technique know-how

6. desire to create something new

7. dealing with limitations/making do

Once I made the bunny fabric - which I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to 'make' more fabric this way- I started to fuse bunnies and carrots to their backgrounds. I like this method of fusing because I can play with the blocks before they are really complete and not damage them.

I hand blanket stitched around the bunnies and carrots.
I wanted to use only 2 background colours and not make too many bunnies.
I wanted this to be a wallhanging, although did consider making placemats.
I also want to use only from stash for the sashings and borders.

My daughter even played along setting the blocks and it's the idea we came up with together that I'm planning to use in the final layout. I'm still playing with border fabric ideas. I still have that red, but not the brown?. . . I might start auditioning some new stash next week. The way I have the blocks on the design wall right now suggests adding some more blocks. . .

We'll see what the bunnies have to say about it!:)

~
With Joy,
Sarah Vee

Read more...