The Mint Needle

Even though it's Spring in Ohio, we are not feeling it.... The cold just won't go away. On the warmer days, that being 46 at the highest, I've managed to clean up the garden, clean up the flower pots and cut back our tall grasses. Yes, it was cold, but at least sunny. Still, we're yearning for those gorgeous greens to start popping throughout the trees! If only there was a way to tell mother nature, enough is enough. On the sewing front, bright colored projects are swooning about. It's been a mad case of trying to utilize my current fabric stash and finding the right outlet to use them in. Take a look at what's been going on! I finally finished this project, started umpteen months ago. The blocks came together making me wish I had purchased more fabric to make this into a colossal quilt. I've never been one to favorite the color orange, but this piece has my heart melting blending with the greens. I love it to pieces! I did that binding I...

The new machine has arrived and a drum roll is completely necessary for my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8200! Can I add 'Special Addition' to that? This machine has everything I wanted and more. I ended up going to a local quilt and fabric shop, Pins and Needles , where I got to sit down and try out a couple of machines. I'm not going to lie in this post. The Baby Lock had me as soon as I started stitching, but the throat space and lack of 'extras' had me asking... what am I really getting a new machine for? With the Janome, I can finally free motion all those giant quilt tops that have been sitting so neatly in the basket without the fear of skipped stitches.  Isn't she beautiful? With my purchase, I luckily got a couple of free classes on how to use this beast. (I say beast because it's super heavy and HUGE compared to my other machines.) So far, I've gone to one and I can't believe all that this machine is capable of. I hope the in...

I've always wanted a red and white quilt.... And guess what? I've finally got one just in time for Valentine's Day!  Nothing was more appropriate than using   Moda's Love quilt pattern  for a red and white quilt. It was so fun and easy to make with directions for a mini-charm, charm pack, or layer cake. The central flying geese were added to visually break up the large quilt blocks. Seriously, this was one project that moved along rather quickly! Overall it measures 73" by 73". And just because.... Who would've thought simple red doilies on white bags would look so festive? I made these for my daughter's Valentine's Day party at school! Super cute and quick! They were a hit! On another note, my sewing machine is sounding even squeakier which is keeping me on toes. Yes.... I still haven't gotten a new machine.... Two things ~ first, it needs to be serviced and second, I need a new machine... . But I've got so many proje...

Oh my, has it really been so long since my last post? I guess so.... Well. Summer is moving rather quickly and we're already getting prepared for the back to school season. Do I dare admit I chuckled a little when I wrote that?  On Instagram, quite awhile back, I posted the start of a really pretty quilt pattern. A shattered chevron layout with the 'arrows' off center. Even though it was extremely easy to make and piece together, I didn't complete the quilt top till this past week. And I'm going to tell you why. When I buy fabric, I usually get it because it's on sale or it's one of those 'gotta have it' moments. Is it horrible that I'm admitting not all my fabric purchases have a purpose or project planned? Talk about a fabri-holic.....  Anyway, I originally purchased navy kona cotton just 'to have' with the possibility of starting something new. Little did I know I was going to learn a tough lesson... I did start something but a...

Of course I have to post something pink for the month of February, right? What can be better than a pink & gray zig-zag quilt. Here's another 'play around' project I did using simple strips and piecing them together. If anything, I feel that tiny projects like these are perfect for getting the 'not so accustomed' quilter better at hand. There are so many things I did not know prior to learning about quilting. For example, I never use store bought patterns on the aprons I make. I create my own... and part of that means 'ah, seam allowance... it's gotta be between here & here.'   But quilting... is a different ball game.  You have to make sure your sewing machine is set for a 1/4 inch seam...every time. Every single piece of fabric should be cut precise. A millimeter here and there could result in a 1/4" off at the end.  And... an even feed foot. I've been sewing since I was 14 and I still cannot believe that...

And the snow shall continue..... March 1st seemed to be a little tease from Mother Nature. Weather in the 40's and spurts of sunshine gave us a slight break, one that even made the buds on our peach tree look a tiny bit bigger. And from what I'm gathering from the blogs I follow, all you are going through quite the same thing. The truth, I really don't mind the snow. It's the cold polar vortex that's slowly doing me in. And according to the Farmers Almanac, it's not going away anytime soon. Do you know how they predict the weather patterns? By solar outbursts in the sun & the way that it reflects back to our earth, along with current weather movements. Pretty neat, huh? Maybe, just maybe, that statistical 20% of being wrong will kick in this Spring. Let's keep our fingers crossed! Until then, the living room window shall serve a delightful purpose for house plants on sunny mornings. So if it's still freeeeeezzing outside, what have we been do...

  The wrong way of doing things is what the title of this post should be. Yup, as a self-taught seamstress I've become a little stubborn over the years and refuse to spend time researching the correct way of making items....Hence, the make up bag. Here, one can find a really cute project, all by going about the wrong way of doing it ;) But it worked .... I needed one of these for storing some items and refused to pay the measly fifteen bucks at target. Why? Because I sew, I have fabric, and all those remnants could be put to use for a really cute one of a kind make up bag. So here we go!   You might recognize those adorable stripes from my first "strip & flip" quilt. Yes, these are the leftovers. I used a 9" zipper and cut my material 10 by 6.     Two additional pieces were cut out of pastel satin for the lining. I didn't measure the satin. I just used my outer fabric as a template and with a straight edge, I cut around it. Why satin...