Easter Baskets, Part 2

My boys really did want me to make them Easter baskets, because the first thing that came out of their mouths when they came home from school was, "Where's mine?!".  So I let them pick out their fabrics (Except one son tried to have me use every single thing he liked...so I gave him a few choices).  Here they are, and it's a good thing I made them too because I couldn't find any of our Easter stuff from last year!

It looks like the bunnies are whispering to each other...

And guess what? Walmart finally came through for me with my rotary blades. Yay! So I now have the power to start cutting the pieces for my new quilt!

Happy Easter Baskets!

Yesterday I found this fun tutorial about making fabric Easter Baskets on a blog called Somewhat Simple.  If you want to check it out here it is.  I decided to make my baby an Easter Basket, but I actually used a different pattern I had from a magazine called "Sew-it...today".  It's on page 9 of Issue #9.  Don't ask me why I have it, I usually don't have magazines.  I didn't even think I was going to make a basket either, but they looked so cute on the Somewhat Simple blog that I had to give it a try.  Besides, I really needed to use some of my cute children's prints.

So first I thought I would make just one, since Easter is in two days...but then my 4 year old daughter wanted one too, so I though why not.  Now my two boys want one, and I don't know if I really have time now, but I'll see what I can do.  For now, I'm happy these are done, and they were really easy.  It maybe took 2-3 hours to finish these both. 

                                                                         ...Happy Easter!!!

Making Plans

I've been busy making plans and hoping to see them all through.  I don't really seem to have problems coming up with ideas, it's just making it happen that can be hard.  I don't always have the time, resources, budget, and well...sometimes I lose interest...but I hate to leave projects unfinished.  So I try my very hardest to finish what I start, even if sometimes my mind wanders to something else.  You know what I need is a big idea book, where I can write down everything I come up with because I hate to forget things, and that way I might be able to come back to it later.

Well anyway, I haven't posted anything since January, but that doesn't mean I haven't made anything!  In fact, I've been making a lot of things...mostly loads of knitted washcloths, or facecloths for my mom...because she really likes them and she asked me to.  I wish I had taken some pictures before I sent them off, because they were pretty nice.

What I'm really excited about right now is something I've been working on for a few weeks now.  My brother is a pretty awesome industrial designer, and has always offered to help me learn to use Illustrator.  Not too long ago, he was here for my grandma's funeral, and gave me a quick, and I mean maybe 30 minute, tutorial of Illustrator.  It was awesome!! And so now I know some stuff....kind of.  There is still so much to learn, but it got me designing.  And I decided to design a quilt for our bed.  This is going to be the biggest quilt I've ever made, but it also is going to be the first one I've ever designed in Illustrator.  It's exciting for me, I mean it took a lot of time calculating, making sure I had correct measurements, and enough fabric.  I really hope I didn't make any mistakes with that because you never know with me.  Sometimes I get carried away, but I'm usually pretty good at math.

So yesterday I had my pattern and directions for this quilt printed out, fabric was all washed, pressed and ready to go.  All I had to do was start cutting.

I lined up my background fabric like so on the lines, ruler all lined up,  rotary cutter in hand, and was ready to cut off the raw edge.

I ran the rotary blade across the fabric, and something just didn't feel right.  My suspicions were correct, the blade didn't cut a thing.  Not even a little teeny tiny piece.  Hmmm...maybe my blade wasn't on correctly. Nope! I tried again...maybe it was too close to the ruler...and again.  No, I felt the blade.  Completely dull...absolutely completely dull.  Not a big deal, these things can be fixed...except it is a big let down when you are about to embark on the tedious process of cutting strips and strips of fabric that you spent days calculating for.  Well, good thing Walmart...the only store in town...had one in stock.  Except that they lied to me! No big deal, they will rush ship one to me.  And by rush ship, they mean 3-5 days.  I'm so impressed...no not really.  Well it will get to me eventually.  And maybe I can mop the floor while I wait...yes the floor really needs some mopping anyway.  So this was just perfect really.

One more thing that has been on my mind.  I recently decided to join the Modern Quilt Guild, but just as an individual online.  The closest guild here is in Spokane, and I'm not driving all the way out there once a month, or whenever they meet.  I would love to be a part of one, but I can't make that happen right now.   The reason I brought this up is because they are having a conference they call Quiltcon in Auston, Texas.  There will be a quilt exhibit, lectures by AMAZING people, workshops and just all around awesome things happening.  I would love to personally attend this, but the lacking of funds will make that hard.  However, I am really thinking about entering a quilt in the show.  I really want to make this happen!!  I was so inspired by the few lectures I saw from Quiltcon 2013, through the Craftsy website.  (If you haven't heard of Craftsy it is awesome...go sign up it's free...and there a free classes too of all kinds...but you do have to pay for some and they are usually pretty good...I love Craftsy).  So yeah, Quiltcon is in the near future I hope.