MYSTERY QUILT PART 1

If this isn't under the wire, I don't know what is...nothing like a deadline to give you a good swift kick in the fanny:)

I hope you purchased, washed, and pressed your fabric so you can get started on your quilt over the holiday weekend.

Please remember these directions are written to allow a first-time quilter to have success. There are some built in mistake buffers and leniencies that aren't typically found in quilt patterns. The goal is to be as precise as possible, but in each step I will try to tell you how to fix any common problems that may occur.

This step took me just over an hour to complete. If you are new to a sewing machine and rotary cutter then you will need to allow more time.

Directions:
1. Your fabric will need to be folded in half down the length, just as it was on the bolt. Stack one piece on top of the other with the folded edges at the top. Place your stack on a cutting mat if you are using a rotary cutter and square up the right-hand side of the fabric (left if you left-handed). The easiest way to do this is to use a long straight edge and slice it with your rotary cutter. If you are using scissors, then you will need to draw a pencil line with the straight edge and then cut on that line.

2. Cutting through all 4 layers of fabric, cut eleven strips that are each 2 inches wide. You are cutting from right to left so that each strip will be folded in half like a hamburger once it is cut (the fold will be at the top). Use the same process for cutting that you used in step 1 (rotary or scissors with straight edge).

3. You will now have 11 dark strips and 11 light strips.

4. Place one dark strip right sides together with one light strip. Pin down one of the long sides of the pair of strips. Sew down one of the long sides using a 3/8" seam allowance (this means the seam should be 3/8" from the edge of the fabric. Repeat with the remaining 10 pairs of strips. Try to keep your seam allowances equal on each strip...TRY!

5. Open each strip and press the seams to the dark fabric. This means that on the under side of the fabric, the excess should be lying flat on the dark fabric.


CONGRATULATIONS! You just finished Part 1 of your Mystery Quilt...any guesses yet???

SCRAPS!

For the last few months I have been saving every tiny scrap of fabric. I make a lot of applique tees and you just never know when that 2" scrap will be perfect for a leaf or a petal or even an alien arm. I have a little wooden box that I keep on my fabric shelf so I can toss in any leftovers that aren't large enough to use in a sewing project.

Did you notice that I said that box was LITTLE??? Well, let's just say that it was more than a LITTLE full! But, I hated to just throw the pieces away...I mean some of them are gorgeous fabrics.

So...I gave them to Belle - with a bottle of glue! YIKES! Are you as scared as I was???

We found an old cereal box in our scrap basket (yes, I keep paper and cardboard scraps too...and yes I AM related to my grandma!!!). I cut out a large square of cardboard and handed over a pile of scraps...and that glue. Belle set to work sticking scraps all over the cardboard and created a beautiful piece of art. But alas, there were still scraps in her pile. "Mommy, can I have more carkboard?" (nope - not a typo:) So I cut the smaller square, but there were still more scraps. You can see how this quickly got out of hand! Needless to say, the cereal box is no more, but the pile of scraps was finally gone and the results are pretty amazing for a 3 year old. And I got a dress for Bee cut out while she worked:):):)

If I had a sewing room, these would definitely be framed in shadow boxes and hanging on the wall. But sadly, I don't think they match the decor in the dining room that I have taken over with my crafting...oh well!

So in case you are so inclined, and haven't already figured it out...here are the directions:

1. Cut up an old cardboard box (cereal, granola bars, etc.).
2. I cut the scraps into small pieces if they were larger than about 3 inches...this is optional, but allows for more color across the project. I cut them in ragged shapes, not squares, but you could cut them however you want.
3. Give your child a bottle of school glue...deep breath, it will be ok!
4. Have your child drop small drops of glue on the cardboard and attach fabric pieces to each drop. If you aren't lucky enough to have had preschool teachers teach your child how to dispense small ammounts of glue, then you will probably need to do that and supervise this project a little more closely.
5. Encourage your child to cover all the cardboard. It makes for a more impressive final product.

And if you are fabric scrapless - we'd be happy to share!

MYSTERY QUILT Pre-Step 1

First, let me apologize for the delay on this...I've had several orders come in over the last couple of weeks (a very good thing for business, but not such a good thing for this poor quilt project) and have gotten a bit backlogged.

But Step 1 is coming this week, and I want to make sure you are ready!

So...if you haven't already, buy the stinkin' fabric!!! Or dig it out of your stash if you prefer...just get some, ok???

Once you have your fabric, it will make your life easier if you go ahead and pre-wash and press it. When you press it, you can fold it back in half like it was on the bolt and that will simplify step 1 for you as well.

Here's a sneak peek at my fabric for the Breast Cancer quilt...and yes, I'm fully aware that I didn't press it, but that would have only delayed this thing even more!

Meet StudioMo

I just have to tell you all about my new crafter "friend," Melissa Sims of StudioMo!

A few weeks ago, I found Melissa's Etsy shop (StudioMo.etsy.com) and fell in love with her hand-carved stamps. They are whimisical and sweet and adorable and just oh so lovely! I poured through the 100+ designs in her shop, all of which are about 1-2 inches in size and perfect for any paper craft you may wish to create.

After exchanging several messages, she created a set of custom stamps for me on a larger scale to be used in my children's clothes and gifts.

Here is just a sneak peek at one of the designs that features her artwork. There are lots more to come (especially after the massive stamp order I placed this week!!!), so be sure to check my Etsy shop or Facebook page often to see how her stamps are showing up in Belle + Bee creations!

Knit Applique

I don't think I can even count the number of applique tees I have made! It's a habit that I just can't seem to break. I love the way a basic white t-shirt can be turned into a roaring lion, a jiggly jellyfish, or even a wallaby:)

But with all the tees I've created, I have never worked with knits to create the design. That seems hard for me to believe...I mean what better fabric with which to work? It is super-soft, doesn't fray, and is as rugged as you can possibly ask for in a kids' tee. But you see, I have a felt stash and a stash of basic quilting cottons, but I just don't have a knit stash...until NOW!

I was asked to put together a tee for a little boy's birthday party. He was turning 2 and needed something to help him celebrate the occassion...not to mention a tee that would look fantastic in his party pics.

That's a pretty big responsibility if you ask me. Birthday party pictures last a lifetime. And when he is all grown up with children of his own, his mom will look back through her (probably digital) albums and reminisce about the sweet little boy he was, while marveling over the amazing man he has become. OK - I'm romanticizing this a bit too much, I know. But I get a little misty-eyed when I think about how fast Belle and Bee are growing up, so this is an emotional topic for me:)

Anyway...back to the point!

I knew that I wanted a tee that would really pop in pictures, but would be soft and comfy so this little guy could really enjoy his big day. So...I went on a search for KNITS!

I don't have easy access to a really good fabric shop and this was a rush order, so getting what I needed from Above All Fabric wasn't an option. So I did the next best thing...I went t-shirt shopping. I scoured the local stores for the softest knits, of the best quality, in the brightest colors I could find. I fell in love with the tees that eventually became this super-cute applique because they were so stinkin' soft! And I just love this color palette.

To create the applique I followed exactly the same steps I always follow with my cotton fabrics. I designed the tee and then created mirror images of all the pieces (obviously I didn't need a mirror image of the all of them...the circle, for example). I traced the mirror-imaged design pieces onto my fusible paper and cut them out. Then I ironed them to the reverse side of the knit fabric, peeled the paper backing and ironed them to the tee. After the pieces were all fused in place, I selected a color for the stitching and embroidered all the pieces by hand. A cute new tag on the back was the final step in this ADORABLE tee.

I can honestly say, this is my favorite tee I've ever made...even more than the jellyfish, I think! I will definitely be investing in more super soft tees so I can create new knit applique tees in the near future! Oh, and there are some other applique design options in this palette coming soon...

The Rest of the Week

No pics tonight...it hasn't been pretty!

Just because we shared our one wonderful, utopian day, I thought I would let you in on what the rest of our week has been like:

1. New furniture - Belle promptly peed on it within 1 hour of its delivery. (that big cup of juice that kept her quiet while the delivery men were setting up the new furniture was probably a really bad idea!) She NEVER has accidents, but she couldn't get around the partially assembled book shelf in the middle of the floor to get to the bathroom in time...PERFECT!

2. A tooth - well, not yet. But our always smiling Bee has been a Grumpy Gus all week! YIKES!

3. A leaky dishwasher - I just love cooking in a puddle.

4. Take-out pizza, repeat, take-out barbecue, repeat...we have rooms to reorganize!

5. Marker...on...the...kitchen...table! And oh, this was NOT an accident!

6. A bloody nose...another bloody nose...and a really bloody nose! Kiss that tee bye-bye (at least the animal victims of the oil spill will get good use out of it).

7. One long grueling shopping trip with two cranky girls and a VERY indecisive husband. You know what...that huge empty wall in our family room looks just fine the way it is!

8. SPAGHETTI - a quick-fix meal is not such a time saver when you chop it up and put it on a 9 month-old's highchair tray!!!

9. And now, a lovely case of insomnia!

I guess there's always next Monday! I hope you all had a week full of Mondays...

Monday...String Beans

Always a favorite in our house!!! We love Eric Carle around here:)

My husband is out of town for work, so we had a girls' day and did it up right! The morning started with scrambled eggs fresh from the hen yesterday...thanks Lindsey!

Then we made our way over to our local farm stand and collected quite a bounty! String beans, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, squash, zucchini, peaches, blueberries, and cantaloupe (still warm from the field).

Once we were home we immediately cut into that cantaloupe...so sweet, so delicious, so perfect! I always hate to put fresh melon in the fridge, but I figured it was probably a bad idea for Belle, Bee and myself to comsume an entire cantaloupe in one sitting, so in it went.

Once Bee was tucked snuggly in her bed, Belle and I got down to business. We made our favorite wheat bread dough and put it on the deck to rise. Then I sliced a pile of cucumbers to make pickles. Belle filled the jars while I boiled the brine (looking for info on pickling, check out the latest Eating Well mag).

With the pickles chilling, we made lunch. Homemade fish nuggets...I wish I could say we caught the fish, but we had a pretty busy day as it was...maybe next time:) Super simple recipe: Season your fish chunks (I used tilapia because it was in the freezer, but this recipe is perfect for fresh-caught catfish too) with S&P. Coat them in corn meal. Heat a frying pan, spray it with a mist of oil and cook those babies up. Belle loves them and she is some-kinda-picky! We also had market potato salad (a combo of all the fresh veggies from the market and steamed potato wedges...dressing was made from cider vinegar, olive oil, honey mustard, honey and S&P) and of course...cantaloupe!

In the afternoon we rocked to the Toddler Tunes station on our digital cable. Belle has some new rhythm ribbons and today seemed like the perfect day to try them out...they were a HUGE HIT! When our tummies started to grumble we had warm bread with homemade strawberry preserves (recipe posted in May).

Dinner - Charred Vegetable Salad...oh so good!
To make it, chop up a bunch of those veggies from the farm stand (I used corn, peppers, onions, squash and zucchini) and toss them in a HOT cast iron skillet. LET THEM SIT! You want them to char a bit before you stir. After stirring once, let them sit again. While those are cooking, steam any veggies that don't do well in a skillet (I steamed green beans and potatoes). I also hard-boiled two of those yummy eggs. Build your salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, the steamed veggies, charred veggies, egg and whatever else you want to throw in. Dress it and love it! I broiled some of our bread with just a mist of EVOO and rubbed it with a clove of garlic....perfect for scooping up the last little bits of veggies out of the bottom of your bowl.

Dinner was a little early since we didn't have to wait for Daddy, so guess what....bedtime was a little early too:) Both girls are out cold and I am enjoying a little quiet time!

Is every day this idyllic in our house??? HA! But it just isn't as much fun to tell about those other days!!!

Did I mention the freezer FULL of grass-fed, small farm beef we have now too??? Once again...thanks Lindsey! But we'll save that for a Daddy dinner:)