Sewing Odyssey, Part 2

Strawberry Fields Forever Quilt, WIP

 Over the weekend I got the front part of my very first quilt put together, and today I started quilting.

It's hard.
 
I basted (when you pin your 'quilt sandwich' together with safety pins) this afternoon, and tried to decide what kind of stitching would look best with the quilt pattern and fabric.  It took me a couple tries to figure out what would look best.  I had a nice pile of ripped out thread building up, and then I settled on loops.

It's... uh, I'm not really sure how well it's going.  I have a feeling that I'll be a pro at these loop de loops by the end, and then I'll have to rip out what I've done so far, because you'll really be able to tell the difference.  Sometimes my stitches are too long and they pull funny on themselves.  Sometimes my loops overlap A LOT and it's unattractive.  And sometimes I freak out and my sewing machine wants to go one way, and my hands want to go another, and my brain thinks I should loop THIS way, and it's a horrible mess.  It's harder to tell on the front side, but on the back...  Woah.  Hot damn mess.

But whatever.  I'm learning.  (I probably shouldn't have used such pretty fabric to learn on...)

The fabric I'm using is called Hullabaloo by Urban Chicks for Moda.  I still haven't quite figured out how this fabric thing works yet, but I don't think Moda is making Hullabaloo anymore.  I think they only make so much, and then it's all gone.  I bought mine from a seller on Etsy.

("But wait!" you say, "What about that Tula Pink stuff?  What about that, Rachel?"  Well.  I still haven't found a quilt pattern that I think works with the fabric.  I really want something that showcases the designs, and I haven't found one yet.)

The pattern I used can be found here: Strawberry Fields Forever by Jera.  Jera's quilting blog also has lots of great quilting tutorials for beginners like myself.

Recipe: Sushi Rolls

Sushi Rolls

This morning I made sushi for the very first time.  It was amazing.  It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, and look at how pretty they turned out!  Here's what I did:

1.) Lots of internet research.  Google 'sushi roll recipe' and you'll find all kinds of helpful tips.
2.) Went to the grocery store with the vague hope they'd have all the ingredients I needed.  I didn't think they'd have the nori - dried seaweed sheets - but they had everything!  Color me shocked.
3.) Cooked stuff.

The sewing odyssey continues...

Tula Pink's Prince Charming fabric in olive

Last year I bought a sewing machine.  It was a tiny thing, with pink knobs and probably small enough to fit into a backpack.  I made two purses on it - each hideous with messy seams and showcasing my inability to sew a straight line.  The foot pedal quit working halfway through the second bag, and I went on to attempt a third using the on/off switch.  During bag #3 I realized that my tiny, adorable, pink sewing machine wasn't going to be able to keep up with me.  I was going to have to get a better machine.  I considered giving up sewing entirely.  But in the end, after researching grown up sewing machines, I bought another.  This one is larger, has all kinds of settings, can sew through heavy fabrics, and has green knobs. 

I've made more purses on my Green Machine, and I'm getting better at sewing.  One of the purses I even liked enough to take out in public!  (Pictures and instructions to come.)  But I've decided to move on.  I like making bags, but I want to try something new.

I've decided to make a quilt.  I've attempted this once before (on the pink machine), but it was a shocking failure.  Turns out one needs more than a sewing machine and some fabric to make a quilt.  One also needs an iron, and to make precise measurements before uses scissors.  I've purchased an iron, and a rotary cutting set made especially for quilting (it was cheaper than buying it all separately), and some different presser feet for the Green Machine (I only hope they work, because the Singer website is obnoxiously vague, and needs to standardize the way they number their parts). 

Then I got to buy pretty fabric, which was an adventure.  Many of the websites that sell the pretty designer fabrics either didn't have what I was looking for, or they looked like the sites were designed in 1992, and too shady to give my credit card information to.  So I gave up on these places and went to Etsy, where I found the fabric I wanted at a price that I felt was fair.  (The customer service was great, and I got my fabric really quickly.)  Plus, I got my fabric all from the same seller as a set.  I got a half yard of each fabric in Tula Pink's Prince Charming line.  I'm so excited to make a quilt from it!  It's lovely fabric, and so much nicer than the quilting fabrics I've bought in the past.

I'm hoping that the presser feet I ordered get here quicker than the USPS website thinks they will so I can get started.  As it stands now, I may be waiting a whole week.  I will keep you all informed as to my progress.  I have a feeling there's a lot of cursing at the Green Machine in my future.

Disco Ball Bachelorette Party Invitations

Disco Ball Bachelorette Party Invitation

I have been an invitation designing machine this week, but I think this one is my favorite.  It's shiny and pink and fun, and a little bit moody. 

These Disco Ball Bachelorette Party Invitations sport a sparkly pink disco ball, and are great for those bachelorette parties that involve bar hopping, dancing, too many cranberry and vodkas, and forcing the bride to wear embarrassing head gear and flashing buttons to celebrate her last hurrah before she's married.

Click here to get these invites for yourself.

Martini Bachelorette Party Invitations

Martini Bachelorette Party Invitations

 Martini Bachelorette Party Invitations!

These are for your classier 'girl's night out' bachelorette parties.  The ones where your friends don't make you wear a veil pinned with condoms or do embarrassing things to random men.  Ones where maybe you all sit around and sip Cosmos, and open up a pile of presents that contain pretty lingerie.

(I swear to god, the pink color isn't actually that acidic and eye-watering.  It's actually a mellow rose.  Damn web safe colors.)

Click here to get these for yourself!

Bags & Boxes Bridal Shower Invitation

Bags & Boxes Bridal Shower Invitation

The Bags & Boxes Bridal Shower Invitation is decorated with gift bags and pretty wrapped boxes in a variety of colors with a line of horizontal stripes in coordinating colors.  They're simple, cheerful and bright, and work for any type of bridal shower.

(I'm really pushing my creative limits with naming stuff today, I know.)

Click here to get these invites for yourself!

WIP: Rapunzel's Tower

WIP: Rapunzel's Tower

My husband is gone for the weekend, and when he's not around I get really bored and start crazy complicated art projects.  Like so.

I haven't seen Tangled yet, but ever since this picture of Rapunzel's tower was released I've loved every inch of it.  Yesterday, I was bored and sick of watching tv, so I decided that I'd make myself a small scale version of the tower to grace my pretty bookshelves.  I spent several hours making the base of the tower and I made a start on the top portion.  I did some more today, but I had to stop, because I bruised my palms.  I didn't even know this could happen!  But I guess rolling out clay over and over will do that.  So I'll have to wait until it doesn't hurt my hands to finish the rest. 

The tower is made of polymer clay (Sculpey III) and bamboo skewers made the skeleton.  I used crumpled aluminum foil to give the bricks texture, and the bamboo skewers were also used to give the 'plaster' texture.  I'm also planning uses for acrylic paint, toothpicks, clumps of aluminum foil, and paper clips.   And possibly beads and glue for the windows... I'm not sure if the idea I have is going to work yet...