Works in Progress - Rainy Day Sewing

I'm finally feeling like myself again after being sick for a week. My sewing space looks like it too - lots of projects in progress and catching up on monthly blocks.

These selvages are my current leader-and-ender project. Hopefully I will have a finished result by the weekend I can share with you!

These awesome Gradations Brights fabrics from Northcott remind me of Easter egg colors! You will eventually get to see this pattern - free over at QUILTsocial - but not until Easter is long past! Still, I think the colors are great for any time of year ;)

I love when I start early in my quilting space - the cats come and settle in for their naps with me. I added a second basket as both of them trying to sleep in one has ended up in spats! Behind them are my overflowing scrap baskets and a two drawer plastic storage bin. Maybe someday soon I'll declare a *scrap cutting day*. I do have a few blocks to share here that I keep putting off. . . 

I caught up with the Splendid Sampler blocks but only have a photo of block 9 to show here. {I mostly share these blocks on Instagram here}
This block is supposed to be a quilt shop, but my fabrics have all these cool signs that I thought I could use instead. Kind of like a last outpost shop. Some of them do have this many signs on them! Not thrilled with my moose wearing a leaf on its head, but had I fun with this one. Hoping I get to incorporate some more of the signage and scenery in the rest of the blocks - only 91 more of them :)

I'm also at the point of sewing together the third block of the My Secret Garden BOM by Pat Sloan. I'm deciding between this layout with the light teapot squares on the inside. . . .

Or this option with the light tea pots on the outside points and the medium blue squares on the inside.
The block is called Japanese Tea Garden so I fussy cut the tea pots featured in two of the different fabrics from Bari J.'s Splendor line.

Which do you prefer?


Linking up with The Needle and Thread Network WIP Wednesday


With Joy,

Sarah V.

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Selvage Rainbows

cut 6 inches long

extended the rainbow to make 6 x 8 inch panels

couldn't resist making a polka dot panel too!


With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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Quilting Plans for October

I finished my October Aurifil block while I was home on practicum for teacher's college. I'm still in love with these fabrics and hope I can make the quilt top in a timely fashion! Maybe it will be my graduation gift to myself ;)


I didn't bring my Aurifil fabrics back with me to school as I'm only here until the first week of November and I have LOTS of assignments due that week. Instead, I looked in my quilt space and found my shoeboxes full of selvages.

This will be my sewing therapy for the next few weeks. If I'm lucky it will produce some Christmas gifts at the same time!

How lucky am I? When I returned to my parents this weekend this lovely stack of quilt magazines was waiting for me. My sister purged and I am going to enjoy the results! Thanks sis, they won't go to waste!

That's my quilting plans for the rest of October. . .
I hope you find some time to quilt too!
With Joy,

Sarah Vee

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A Productive Prep Day

I spent a day moving some projects forward. This pieced backing is for a gift that I hope to have finished next month. Waiting for thread to arrive to begin the quilting.

I moved my cutting supplies up to the dining room, partly to enjoy the sunny day, but also because I was waiting for some fish to arrive in the mail. It turned out that the fish were delivered to our postal box instead! But my time was productive none the less.

It was definitely time to tame the scrap bin.

I need a few more dozen mini spool blocks for my Quilty Barn wallhanging.

This is a good start!

My baggie of selvages was also overflowing. 
I found a quilt idea in this book by Karen Snyder.

Selvages cut to the required length. Wish I had time to start this project as I can already see the wallhanging complete! Maybe I can sneak it in somewhere. . .


Next month I can update you on my Visual Project List Board. Several projects are complete but also gifts!


Torrential rain outside as I sign off. Hope all are staying safe and dry this spring!


With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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A Selvage Purse

A selvage purse - for me!

I had just enough of the flower print by Patty Young to make the handles.

LOTS of favourite selvages get to Play together on this project!

A couple of one favourite - the light yellow with berries by Sandy Gervais.

I used this fearless zip pouch tutorial by Aneela Hoey.

I even entered my purse in Purse-Palooza 2012 !

With JOY,

Sarah Vee

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sneaking in sewing Friday night!

shhhhh. . .

not sure how I did it, but success! I sewed on a Friday night!

 I started these baskets earlier in the week on a whim. I was so happy to get 3 blocks out of 2 fat quarters! I played with my layer cake tutorial for this block and changed how I cut the pieces. 

But then it wasn't enough. I found a bit more of the print and decided to cut into Jackie's delicious yellow hand dyed fabric.

Since Mr. SewJoy {really!?!} was still sleeping in the chair, I decided to start another project - because I don't like to snip threads!

 ha!

Selvages! I can't honestly say how long this batch has been cut and set aside to make a present for my daughter who's birthday is now NEXT weekend! With very few surprises this year, I thought I should try to make at least one.

Guess what!

I got the selvage foundation finished! It measures 18 inches square. I'll play with a bit tomorrow while my daughter has a friend over for a second birthday party{?!}

I'm finally happy with my baskets! Maybe I will get this sewn together into a tabletopper this weekend still too.

Special thanks to Mr. SewJoy who did dishes and bathed the youngest so that I could sneak in some sewing time tonight - xoxxo

With Joy,

Sarah Vee

p.s. don't miss out on my blog hop giveaway post - click here! {ends March 23/12}

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Thankful to Receive

My sister ROCKS!

I received this little package in the mail yesterday.

Sweet!

Squeal!

polka dot rick rack!!!

Thank you, sis!

I even cut up some of the selvages yesterday to use for some fall projects.
They blend in great with some already in my stash.
You might see these here tomorrow as part of my Fall into Fall giveaway. hint....hint....



During TV time last night I stitched down the pumpkin from Tuesday's Fall-o-ween hop project.



Last day of the month - time to crunch that to-do-list!

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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Bee Preparations

I spent time yesterday starting to cut up the fabrics for my Sew Modern Bee month. I really enjoyed it! I love seeing my choices line up together and look like I envisioned.

Right now I think I bought too much fabric, but my husband disagrees.
Had to write that one down for the record!:)

Kept some cuttings out to begin the middle section of my first large Churn Dash. I realized that I should have more blocks done by now, so I will have to focus my efforts a bit more on this one.



Two new selvages I love.

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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Making from Scraps

There are lots of ideas being blogged lately about using up scraps.
Here are a few of my methods.



My string blocks are made each week from fabrics I've been using that week. When I started I had to reach into my strip bin to find enough. But it lives right under the cutting table,

So my strips and storage is always close. {The bin is divided with a piece of cardboard to keep foundation scraps on one side. And I will admit to another small bin of scraps beneath the strips that still need to be sorted} The fusible batting lives in there for now because I really want to try Gudrun's tree she did{called Sweet Trimmings} during LAST Fall's Cross Country Christmas blog hop! I finally found some fusible batting when I checked out a little gift store while we were shopping for a new car!



My liberated Churn Dash was made on the spur of the moment. It was easy because my scraps were already sorted by colour.

Some of my scraps end up in reused strawberry containers that I've cut the lids off of and put in the top drawer of my storage unit. I sort them by colour and it's a great place for me to find that one piece I need to add to applique. In this case, I enjoyed the challenge of using the scraps I already had sorted to make a bright, fun block.


June's Block Lotto blocks have given me the chance to use up some odd size scraps. These are ones that won't make 2 1/2 inch squares or larger pieces.



I store lots of my scraps in different reused strawberry containers. These ones have waste triangles, 3 inch strips and Christmas scraps separated from various projects. The middle bottom one is where I found my scraps for the baskets.

At one point I even went through and measured scraps to make more of Nanette's cottage houses. I noted the number of pieces and the size required on the sides of the bins. I do have some bigger pieces I should spend some time cutting for this project. I think some cottages and liberated baskets would be happy together in a quilt:)


I have a larger freezer baggie pinned above my cutting table. I put my selvages in it as I work. Once it's full and I"ve played with some, I dump them into this bin. It's getting full so I will have to do some more selvage projects again. I'm thinking of pulling out the Christmas ones to make a stocking.

Lots of scraps in lots of places. Even if you try just one, it will make play time that much easier.

This is my latest scrap cuttings. I am cutting 2 1/2 inch squares in the hopes of making a watercolour quilt someday. I have always liked them and felt I would have to start collecting a whole different type of fabrics to make one. Wanda suggested to just start cutting from what I have - and I'm happy to say I think I will be able to make my very own SEW JOY Watercolour quilt one day! I'm finishing up another quilt so I can start to keep these cut blocks sorted by colour on the tray I'm using. Maybe for my 40th birthday {wow! am I really going to have one of those} in a few years I'll have enough. It's either that or a 'real' applique quilt.

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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Friday Fun & My First Guest Post

Happy Birthday to my niece!

This is the placemat I made for her, using my pattern and selvages.

My First Guest Post!

I'm thrilled to direct you over to Kay Mackenzie's blog, All About Applique, where I am a guest blogger today. You can read more about how I 'do' applique with the blanket stitch.

You're Invited!

Lots of fun things happening here! Thanks for joining me:)

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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SELVAGE COASTER TUTORIAL

Here's my FIRST TUTORIAL - to celebrate 200 posts!


Selvage Coaster Tutorial

Leave me a comment here and I will send a random winner the coaster above - and some selvages to make your own coasters!

Comments will close Friday, June 10 at noon Eastern. Make sure I have a way to contact you. Good luck!

CONGRATS TO CARMEL WHO WON THE GIVEAWAY:)

With Joy,
Sarah Vee

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