I've got my mojo back...

Got the binding on this today...between haircuts. We've had snow and ice the last 3 days and I had enough cancellations today to do some sewing.

I made this quilt top...well, I don't even remember how long ago. 2 years? 3? 

I finished it for an auction that our Missions team is having at church on Sunday.

I THINK I used "Happy" by Me and My Sister designs.  I do remember that I made it from part of a layer cake.  It measures approx. 48x56 and was made with HSTs.

I used this one to practice some new free-motion designs.

And then while I was putting on the binding, my pretty brand new iron (I hadn't even had time to get adhesive on it yet!) DIED.

So, I improvised...

 

with my flat iron. Luckily, it worked.

 

What I've been up to...

A few of these...

A couple of these...

Some of these...

But mostly, I've done a whole lot of work on this...

This is just the bumper.  I also made a dust ruffle, and a ruffled pillow for sweet baby Breanna.  I've been working on this set for about 3 months now...my "real" job totally cramps my quilty style ;)
Here's the whole thing all put together...

I wish the crown hadn't turned out so blurry.  It really is spectacular!  The only things I can take credit for are the dust ruffle, bumper and pillow.  Breanna's mom did all the rest.  Isn't it beautiful?! 

I know it's been awhile since I've updated my blog, and the only excuse I have is that I had missed WAY too many deadlines and have too many projects "hanging over my head" so to speak.  The truth is, I didn't want the friends waiting for those projects to be finished to see everytime I was side-tracked by something else.  Please tell me I'm not the only one!
I have 1 quilt top to finish and send to the long-armer for quilting and I will officially be "caught up" on those projects...Yay!  I hope that blogging about it will maybe help me to keep this motivation that I'm feeling right now.  I will keep going and make my goal to finish that top TOMORROW!

I survived...

...the holidays, that is!  But just barely.  Right after Christmas, we had company.  Our sweet friends from Mexico, G and Cesia came to spend the New Year with us.  They got here on friday and by monday, I had the flu.  Boo.

BUT while I was aching and chilling, Cesia was working on her first quilt.  She wanted to learn how and I wasn't going to let a little fever keep me from helping her.  She made a baby rag quilt out of flannels and it really was the CUTEST thing and I've waited to blog about it because I didn't get a pic of it before they left on thursday morning.  She promised she would take a pic and then left it at her parent's house on her way back to San Luis.  So I'm still waiting on that pic...but I'm so proud of her, I just had to brag.  So, Cesia, now it's a lot more than just me who wants to see that pic...just saying.

Before Christmas I was working on a commissioned quilt that I hope to show pics of soon.  So, so far I guess this is the most boring blog post EVER.

Oh, wait!  Ok, so after the New Year and our company were gone, I decided to make a few handmade gifts for Christmas.  Oh, I know Christmas is over, but who's gonna say "no" to a handmade gift?  As most of you know, I'm a hair stylist in my "other" life.  I found this tute by accident one day, and just KNEW I had to make these for my girls at work.

It's a case for your flat iron! 

I have a case that I paid WAY too much for and have thought several times, "I could make that."  But I wasn't crazy about the design.  then I found this cool tutorial.   This one is different because...

...it has a flap that holds your cord, nice and secure.  Now I can pick it up anyway I want and my precious (and very expensive) CHI doesn't fall out.  Genius!
I did change it slightly, though.  I wanted the seam that is made by the pocket to land in the middle of the case, so I shortened the width of the pocket by a 1/2 in.  I also did not want to mess with trying to line up bias tape on the front AND back and just "hoping" that I'm catching both.  So I made my own bias binding and sewed it on the same way I would machine sew a binding on a quilt.  If the stitches showing on the inside of the case would bother you, you could just hand-stitch the binding down to the other side.  I also went ahead and quilted the body of each case.  It doesn't seem right to put batting inside an item (insulated or not) and then NOT quilt it.

I almost finished a Christmas gift for a very dear friend...didn't quite get it quilted, but here's the top...

I found the pattern at the Moda Bake Shop and bought a kit for it from the designer Natalia over at Piece N Quilt.  I'll post finished pics later...you know, when it's finished.

And just a little side-note...I've been wondering lately...How do you suppose God was able to create the whole world and everything in it, without making a huge mess?  My sewing room is a disaster area!