WIP Wednesday - last minute edition!

I went to sleep at 7:45 Monday night. 

I always have too many windows open in my browser and the hubs doesn't like that because it "pulls" at the internet.... (um, what?)....however, they each represent something important I need to make for a swap, or a bee, or I just need to have it open so I don't forget where it is!!  Does anyone else do this?

I also have too many tops sitting on the dryer and I need to do some basting. 

I use my iPhone for pictures so that's mostly why they usually suck.

This was my to-do pile for today.  In here are 2 bee blocks, 2 fabrics to turn into binding for my Made in Cherry quilt, and the rest of the fabrics for the Patchwork Prism QAL ready to cut.  I've already cut the purples and oranges (I got most of this pile taken care of...keep reading).

Here is the May block for Megan of City Stitches in We Bee Modern.  This was a fun one, as I haven't ever sewn with dark solids before.  Here I used Kona Charcoal and I really like it.  It's brighter in person.

I still have a few more bee blocks to make but it was great to get this one checked off.  It looked a lot more complex in the book and I was a little nervous to get started.

I also finished a long waiting WIP!  My Made in Cherry quilt is done!  I experimented with my new FMQ foot on this one and it was really fun.  I doodled all around the solid purple spots and went in wavy lines over the seams in the patchwork star.

I "finished" cutting out fabric for the Patchwork Prism QAL (I have quotes because I realized I miscut and am short a few green triangles...blah...) and laid the fabrics out.  It's a bit of a hot mess...I am pretty sure the second time I make this quilt will be much better.

 I think this will become a picnic quilt.  I've got some really nice blue fabric that I think is decorator weight.  It's heavier and I hope I'll love it more when it's done...

In other totally random news, we've discovered that my son is absolutely terrified of balloons being popped.  He freaks out big time (this was discovered at the birthday party last weekend).  Shaking, crying, screaming...it's terrible and I have no clue how to help him get over it, except by steering clear of balloons, or anything that could be popped.  Packing materials included.

I am still going to the gym and am dead tired but my biceps have grown so that's good (I've never had biceps before!).  I still look baffoon-ish in the classes I take, but it's growing on me :)

Happy (almost) Thursday!!

I'm last minute linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced!!

WIP Wednesday

Wow what a week.  Just to catch up a bit (Hi to the grandparents - these pictures are for you!)

We're back to a better schedule here, with the little lady taking her naps again.  Husband is taking finals this week and then it's summer jobs for him.  We had a pretty fun weekend though - we went bowling and pitched a new tent in the living room!  We had smores (minus the fire part) and slept in the tent!  The kids thought it was awesome.  And who would have known that they'd both be great at bowling?! I did win the game though :)

I still need to post pictures from Matthew's birthday but we'll save that for later this week.

I got some great mail this week! Along with the wonderful Parisian Star blocks I've been getting from hosting two bee's with the same block in April, plus the lovely house blocks from the ladies of the Bliss circle of do. Good Stitches, I also got my lovely goodies from the ALFALC swap (A Little Fabric A Little Chocolate) all the way from accross the pond!

Oh man that Galaxy bar didn't last long!  Thank you Linda!  This was a fun swap and I'd be doing it again if I didn't have too much already on the list for May.

Ok.  Here's what I got done this week (that I have pictures of).

1 - Made In Cherry Quilt is Quilted!
I received a wonderful new free motion quilting foot from my sister in law, Anna, and put it to good use practicing on my Made in Cherry quilt!  Now I just have to bind it.  I have to say, FMQ-ing is really fun!  It's not as scary as I thought it'd be at all.

I doodled around the solid purple background with loops and stuff.  I like it and am excited to get it finished

2. Zooey goes to the beach! Top finished!
This is a quilt from the Zooey pattern by Lu of For The Love Designs.  I LOVED making this.  It was super easy to put together and I love the way it looks.  The colors didn't quite translate though...the orange parts are actually greens in real life.  I'm calling the quilt Zooey Goes to the Beach because all the colors are sort of sea-foamy greens and remind me of the beach.  I highly recommend this pattern if you're looking for something like this.  You can find all of Lu's pattern's here.

3) I picked and started cutting fabric for the Patchwork Prism QAL (details can be found here)


So...that's what I did!

I also made a list of all the things I have on my WIP list for now.  It's a list of almost 40 things and over half of them have deadlines for this month!  Several swaps for handmade items and bee blocks...lots of bee blocks...so you'll be seeing lots of those from me this month...but they all look fun to make so it will just be another busy month!

I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday with Lee at Freshly Pieced.  Head over and see what everyone's doing!!  And thanks for getting this far too :)

WIP Wednesday

I tried out a few new things this week, and took a couple pictures too!  I have much more that is "in progress" and I even cleaned up my sewing space (and then messed it up picking fabric for the patchwork prism QAL).

First I wanted to share some non-sewing business with you.  I've been trying to hit the gym frequently to get rid of some "extra stuff" I'm carrying around and went with a friend on Monday.  This was new for me.

I don't really like working out around or with people I know.  I'd rather sweat like a fool and look like one around perfect strangers.  But, my friend had invited me to a class, so I laced up my Asics and went.  And I went to the wrong one...in the wrong room... It was an aerobics type class and wasn't super challenging except for the abs part (but holy cow have I been feeling it since).

Here's the thing though,  I am a 5' 10" uncoordinated mess when it comes to having "moves"... I look like a total loser in a room full of mirrored walls, and have always been shy and self-conscious...yikes...so the fact that I stayed and did the workout was an accomplishment for me.  So yay!  There's that.

In more interesting news, I tried Hexagons!  It was easy!  And fun!  I was prompted to make these because I joined a hexagon swap.  I figured I probably wouldn't give it a try unless I had a reason to make them and this was it.  I followed my friend Katie's tutorial and it was wonderful.  I don't use thimbles though and found my fingers were ok (so far - granted I've only made about 30...I made some more last night after I took this picture)

Then, I made these two blocks with fabrics from my scrap box for Katherine in one of the bee's that I just got a spot in.  She's making this quilt as a gift and I think it's going to look really wonderful!

And I picked out fabric for the Patchwork Prism QAL.  If you haven't heard about this yet you should check it out.  It's an amazing free pattern from Anna Maria Horner and there are some truly amazing prizes (like a new Janome sewing machine!!), so I'm all over this.  It's being hosted by Bianca who is amazing, and you don't want to miss it.  Seriously. 

It's much more color theory than I'm used to wrapping my head around so I kept this post from Bianca open while I pulled my fabrics (all from my stash so far) and I really like the way they look together.  I want to add a yellow and perhaps another brown and another red.  What do you think? Anything you would add or take out?

I really like looking at these and haven't moved them off the table yet.

I'm also working on the Zooey pattern by the great and talented LuLu (here's her Etsy shop) and should have the top done tonight or tomorrow (I hope) and then it can hang out with the other tops in the pile on top of the dryer :)

On an unrelated note we have also been trying no naps for either kid this week (their choice, not mine...) and Abby has been wearing real underwear and using the toilet to go potty.  She's doing pretty well so far, but I'll spare you the nasty details.   It's been an interesting week so far.

 To you experienced moms out there, what did you do when your kids stopped taking naps?  I'm trying to figure out how to still get that break in the day that we all need, and haven't quite figured it out yet.  Any tips or advice would be wonderful!!

I'm hoping to get to the post office today to annoy the mail lady some more, and hopefully I'll be able to get some things finished this weekend between potty breaks and laundry.

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced (be sure to check out the other lovely projects over there!)

Happy Wednesday everyone!!!

p.s. This is my 44th post - I'm thinking something fun for my 50th!  Stick around!