DC Modern highlights hand sewing

This past weekend DC modern had another meeting at a local coffee shop.  We had a great turn out of great women with amazing hand sewn projects! Look at what some people have been working on...

Thanks ladies for great inspiration, conversation and friendship!

Take care mucho,

-Natalie 

For Japan with LOVE!

I love that the crafting community always gets together to help in times of crisis.  Tomorrow I am going to be participating in a day of blogging silence in honor of all of those affected in Japan.  I had the great opportunity to visit Japan in January and LOVE the people and country! My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims trying to get their life back together!

Baby Shower season

So with Spring flowers come a whole lot of babies :)  Every weekend this month I have a baby shower to attend.  Isn't that crazy!  This past weekend was one that I threw for a friend of mine having a little girl.  It was a small group of us, but we had a good time chatting and enjoying all her fun cute small gifts. 

Here are a few things that I crafted up for the event...

 I sewed up the table runner with stripped yellow fabric to match the invites (for got to get a pic of them) and created the tissue balls using the handy flower method I learned, oh I think in first grade, haha.

 I made yummy red velvet cupcakes with yellow died cream cheese icing.  The fun cupcake toppers were created from Dimple Prints, which also designed the invites.

I had to include this last picture because it cracks me up every time I see it.  We played one small game.  There were 8 celebrity parents with their faces covered up and everyone had to guess who they were.  My friend Rachel was really into winning and making sure no one got a peak at her answers, haha. 

Anyone else out there feeling the Spring Baby Fever?

Take care mucho,

-Natalie

more progress

I really have been on a mission lately with my tall stack of ufo's.  I have one that is completely finished and 3 that are very close :)

This is a baby blanket that is ready to be used as soon as my second nephew comes into this world.  I love the simplicity (it is a modified project out of  Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts)

This is an "I Spy" quilt that was started forever ago.  I had it all planned out.  Sashing cute and ready to get sewed and then I lost steam.  Which is kinda weird considering putting it together for me is the fun part.  Finally the strips were sewn and then sewn all together to create this quilt top!   Now I have to find some fun fabric for the backing.... any ideas?

 

This was another project that I had all ready and prepped but never actually sewn together.   I wanted a fun fabric animal book to use my cute 45'' Wide Brown Bear Brown Bear Painted Animals Multi Fabric By The Yard fabric.  I LOVE the way this has turned out.  If you are wondering, the words are in Spanish :)

I hope to have finished pictures of this one tomorrow.  It was just a little too late to keep my eyes open to finish the last page panel.  

Gosh it feels so good to get these projects finished up!  I am loving the way they are turning out and it is nice to know that they aren't cluttering up my sewing space any more.  

Have you been working on some ufo's lately?

Take care mucho,

-Natalie

A productive evening...

Not sure if I had mentioned to you all, but right before leaving for my impromptu trip I had cleaned out my sewing studio.  It was such a chaotic mess that I just couldn't stand it.  It was a whole weekend endeavor.  By Saturday night it looked like I had made it worse rather than better.  Then Sunday rolled around and everything was put back in a new place.



The most shocking part of the whole "spring cleaning" was the number of u.f.o's I found.  14 in total!  Can you believe it?  Some of which I totally had forgotten about.
(Pictured below is only a small basket with 4 of the ufo's).



So I quickly had a new goal to accomplish.  I HAD to finish some of the u.f.o's before starting anything!  

Last night was my first chance to really get something done. 

I started with the blocks I had received from my bee group Sew Fun!  I arranged them on my fun new design wall and started sewing.  I have the front design all figured out, but need to stop by IKEA for a little more of the gray sheet fabric to finish it off.  I have 5 blocks left over that I already have an idea for to use on the back. 

I also took out my pillow roll and finally made myself the pillow that I have wanted for a while.  I am in love!  It was perfect last night while I was watching TV in bed.  Plus it only took me about 25 minutes to make.

I have taken this cute baby quilt out too.  The top was already pieced together.  It just needed a little trimming, which I quickly did.  I am off to buy a little bit fabric for the back so that I can do some simple straight line quilting later this week. 

I also have plans for some fun color blocks that can't be shown at the moment.  They were demos for a project I have submitting for publication! I plan on turning them into a pillow.  It will add some fun color to my sewing room.  

I love fun and productive evenings!  

Take care mucho,

-Natalie

Mid- Atlantic Quilt Festival - aka. Road Trip!

Yesterday some friends and I road tripped it to the Mid- Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton Virginia.  We saw some amazing quilts on display...

We ate yummy food- Krispy Kreme, Cracker Barrel & Pierce's BBQ.  And of course bought some fun fabric to add to the stash...

I also totally splurged to buy my very first design wall! It is collapsible and totally easy to assemble.  If you don't have one yet I recommend this one.

Did anyone else have a chance to go?  

Take care mucho,

-Natalie 

DC Modern is a little more official :)

As many of you know that I started the DC Modern Quilt Guild a little over a year now.  I really have loved that I started this adventure because I have met so many wonderful people that constantly keep me motivated in creating more and more each day.  We are so lucky to have such a diverse group of quilters with many other talents besides just quilting.  Insung Kim was so nice to volunteer to create a logo for us...

Doesn't it look awesome!  And to make matters even better I printed them up into business cards so that we can have membership cards.  When I returned from my impromptu trip I found them waiting for me on the dinning room table.  It brought a smile to my face.  For those of you in DC Modern reading this you have these to look forward to at our next meeting!

This weekend is the Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA.  Luckily that is only about 3 hrs away so a group of friends of mine from DC Modern are carpooling for a little road trip.  Since I have been all about our fun new logo I have decided to make a bag to show it off.  So far this is what it is looking like... 

Those of you from DC Modern that are going as well, please look out.  I would love to see you all there.  So fun!

Take care mucho,

-Natalie