Pillows

It has been a hectic, frenzied time at our house... Husband and I are making the leap into home ownership and when I say leap, I mean LEAP. One day of house hunting set the ball rolling for a super quick chain of events. We're still in the middle of it, but if everything works out, we'll be in our new house in early April! As stressful as it can be at times (especially because I tend to be the level-headed one around our house...), I just keep telling myself, "sewing room. sewing room. sewing room." I can't wait!

We have had a few nice additions to the current living room recently. First up is this gorgeous pillow (and it's mate) made by Amanda for the BTRS swap.

I don't know how she managed to cross an ocean, sneak into our house, record the exact Pantone numbers of our other couch pillows, and then create these beauties... but she did. And I am totally impressed and we LOVE THEM.

We saw some more great pillows at a wonderful little store called White Bench in Middleburg, VA. Although, I didn't necessarily love the price. I said what I always say, 'I could make that!', and this time, I actually did. The store version had a bit more going on, visually. I feel like this needs something on the right side. Any suggestions?

The pillow is unbleached cotton fabric, freezer paper stenciled bird, and sewn on branch (Amy Butler Midwest Modern 2, Ripple Stripe in Rust). I added the blue trim; it was purchased as part of a grab bag from a church garage sale two years ago and is 50 year old bias binding. (I am really getting my $1 worth for that purchase!) Yes, the insert needs to be stuffed a bit more, but I really like it and it emerged from the sewing machine just as I had pictured in my head.

Next up... angeling pillows for Becca from the BTRS Swap.

New Fall BTR Swap!

To all interested swappers... I've posted on the Bend the Rules Sewing Swap blog to begin a new swap. Please visit and weigh in!

http://btrsswap.blogspot.com

Swapped: Charming Handbag

Here it is... my finished Charming Handbag for the BTRSSwap.


For the most part, this was a breeze to put together. I put in a hidden magnet closure (not sure how it will work out. My swap partner will have to let me know). I used a vintage floral that my mom had given me awhile back. The ribbon trim was also from mom; whenever she sends fabric she ties them up in little ribbons. This was exactly enough to add to the bag. Lining is pale blue quilters cotton. Overall a great stash-busting swap.

I also sent 4 cards of vintage rick-rack that I had. I'm not really a rick-rack person and I bought this as part of a larger lot at a church sale. I'm happy to be able to pass it on to someone who will hopefully use it (since I won't).

Both this swap and the flirty apron swap have really gotten me thinking about sewing with vintage fabrics instead of purchasing new ones. Where does one find great vintage sheets, tableclothes, and linens? Ebay? Thrift stores?

Twosday

This Tuesday was a great day for two reasons:

1. I received my BTRS Swap package! Emily did a fabulous job on all of it. She made a wonderful bag out of a really fun fabric. I love the way she made the tab closure (I will be stealing this idea, Emily). She also made a really cute pincushion and included new pins, too. THANK YOU EMILY! [Ummm, perhaps I should start sewing for my partner now...]

2. Carrot cake! I made this cake last year when Husband and I celebrated Easter with our Chicago friends [I MISS you guys!] instead of our St. Louis families. It was GOOD then and it was GREAT again on Tuesday night. Husband and I are members of a small group Bible study on Tuesdays of several really great couples in their 20s and 30s. We always have dinner and dessert before we begin. I usually bring dessert (although others have made fabulous desserts, too). As you can see by the large portion that was eaten, this was a big hit. Cake recipe here and frosting here.Use only 1.5 C sugar in cake and 3 C in frosting, or else it will be WAY TOO SWEET!

Time for me to run home (posting from the library again; who volunteers to call the Internet company for me??) and eat the last of that cake!

BTRS Swap Announced

FYI... the next Bend-the-Rules Sewing swap is up over at the BTRS blog. Check it out and SIGN UP!

Bending the Rules

Since I'm sure you were all waiting...

The Bend-the-Rules-Sewing Swap is back! And I am the new facilitator. Hop on over to the blog and check it out; be sure to sign-up to be a part of the BTRS swap next week!

Winter Is Here

Northern Virginia had its first real snowfall yesterday, followed by an ice storm last night. Winter is finally here! I've so enjoyed the beauty of the snow, the brightness at night with the moon reflecting off the snow, the still in the air. These are things that should have been happening months ago! But, I guess I will appreciate the fact that this snow will only be around for a bit. It will not wear out its welcome like it did in Chicago.

My life has been hectic; my weekends have been busy. I am SO looking forward to some time of my own this weekend. One major project to finish (finally....) and then this one to start.

Also, hopefully soon I'll have a nice crafty announcement to make... stay tuned for details.

Still Alive

I'm still alive. Still without internet at home, too. Almost all of the boxes have been relegated to the garage. Work is going well. Life is going well.

Photos of the house to come soon.

Also, I got my BTRS quilt a few days ago; what a great housewarming gift! You can see photos that my partner took here. I love it and it has a great place of honor on the couch. So, until the photos of the new place come, just picture that quilt on our beige couch. That's what VA looks like.

BTRS Lap Quilt Is Done!

My quilt swap has been done for some time now, and according to the post office, Mary Ann received it this week. So it's now fair game to post. Here it is in all it's BTRS glory.


This was the first quilt I've ever sewn, and I'm sure it will not be the last. I'm hoping to make some again for Christmas; we'll see how busy November/December is. I really love the way it came out. The fabric choice was fabulous, and it really went together quickly. It is also much larger than the size listed in the book. I assume that's a good thing! I love the look of this quilt; it seems broken in and worn even though it's new. That's not to say that I didn't have a few issues.

1. One of my fabrics was a stretch cord. Oh how I wanted to give that corduroy to the cat! Sewing the cord to the other woven fabrics left it all stretched out and some strips way longer than others. After washing the cord had pulled away from the other fabric in two spots. I topstitched these holes and then doused them with Fray Check. Crisis averted.
   
2. If you remember, my machine died during this project. I wonder who was at fault; did the quilt kill the machine or did the machine kill the quilt? Not that the quilt is bad, just that the back is way wonkier than I'd like.
   
3. The binding looks great when sewn by hand, but I hated how the two ends came together. Unable to send it to Mary Ann in that condition, I created a tag out of unbleached cotton and a quick freezer paper stencil. I sewed it right over the nasty binding spot, and am very happy with how that turned out. Before and after photos below. You can also spot the tag in the photo of the back.

What do you think?

BTRS Lap Quilt WIP 1

After last night's place mat debacle I decided to start on something else. I have really incredible fabrics to work with; bamboo, corduroy, linen, hemp, cotton. The texture of this quilt will be amazing.The show piece is definitely this hand printed hemp. Can you see the bird's nests? Explains why the backing fabric is robin's egg blue. Mary Ann got it in Australia, so you bet I'll be babying this one!I've cut all my pieces for the lap quilt and am trying to decide on a lay-out. These photos were all taken at various stage of sunrise, so excuse the crazy exposure, please.

Bend the Rules Sewing Lap Quilt Swap Update #1

The BTRS swap starts again soon. This go round we're buying our own fabric, mailing it to our partners, sewing up a quilt with what we receive, and then sending it back. I've bought half of my fabric; still need to find a few solids to mix them with. I can' wait to get fabric from my partner and start sewing! Here's what I've bought so far.



I just found this other print while browsing Amy Butler's website. I've got to find some of this!

Simplicity 3835B

Ta da! I present to you my Simplicity 3835 Built By You tunic. How great is this? Granted, this photo was taken this morning after a hot, sandy day of Flugtag spectatorship. Pattern is exactly the way it was designed, only I hemmed it a bit shorter and I graded out at the hips. I also used my serger for the first time (if you don't count scraps or my 2 minute tank top). Check out those beautiful serged seams (tunic is inside out in the photo)! This added maybe... 15 minutes total to my work time and makes such a huge difference. I also sewed a zipper for the first time ever. Ever! Invisible zip... so easy. For real. I am no longer afraid of the zipper and I can guarantee that this pattern has just started me on the long road of conquering the collection of patterns I have in the office.

Next up... the same pattern, only in shirt length, with pin tucks instead of gathers.

Also! Sign up for the Bend the Rules Sewing Swap! The project this time is the easy lap quilt. I can not wait for this!

Bend the Rules Sewing Lap Quilt Swap

The thinking is that the next BTRS swap will be the easy lap quilt. We'll buy our own fabric, mail it to our swap partner, and then s/he (who are we kidding... she) will sew it all up and mail it back. At first I didn't really like this idea; what if I spend $$$ on Amy Butler or Heather Bailey and then hate the quilt? But then I realized... better I end up with the quilt after spending that money than buying them for someone else and mailing a finished quilt off, never to be seen again. [And this has NOTHING to do with previous swaps or partners. A quilt is a lot more involved than handbags or home crafts!]

So, I'm starting to think about what I want my quilt to look like. It'll be great for autumn on the couch. Orange? Red? I put together this mosaic of previously done quilts as inspiration. I am loving #4 and #5. Be prepared for several 'I'm considering this fabric' posts in the future.


1. Easy Lap Quilt, 2. Easy Lap Quilt, 3. M's quilt, 4. Quilt front with Pillow, 5. Red and white, 6. Emma's study quilt, 7. Olive's Quilt - Top, 8. Quilt close up., 9. Easy Lap Quilt (single bed size)

Pleated Beauty Bag Demon

That's my new title; 'bag demon'. I volunteered to be a 'bag angel' for Lynn who never got a bag in the Bend the Rules Sewing Swap. It took me FOREVER to get her bag done. I feel quite guilty about this! Hence the self bestowed 'bag demon' name. I love the way it turned out and I hope she does too, despite the timing.

I worked really hard to make it all line up and be really well made. I especially loved how the reinforcing around the top of the pleats turned out and the top stitching around the top is, too. The yellow fabric is (was) a duvet cover from Ikea and the black fabric is... black fabric.

To come soon... skirts from Sew What Skirts (Husband bought it for me for our anniversary) and some 'plastic' bags for shopping. I think they'd actually be really great out of this yellow fabric.

The Week In Review

This week was an absolute lovely one... my birthday was Friday and it seemed as though I actually had a whole week devoted to me. The celebration included birthday Mexican dinner with B, birthday pedicure with Steph, and (actual) birthday trip to Ravinia with Husband, friends, and Feist. There was also a birthday flower delivery from Andie... GORGEOUS! And fragrant, too. Really, really fragrant.
I also received my BTRS swap from Danielle. Nothing beats birthday gifts from strangers. How great are these placemats? Nice and bright, covered in one of my favorite summer treats. Two are as pictured and two have pink edging and napkins. I really love the way Danielle adjusted the pattern. I would imagine that this simple switch would shave off a lot of cutting, sewing, and ribbon folding time. It would also solve the fabric wasting problem from the original design. I will be replicating these, for sure. Danielle also mitered the corners of the napkins... another design idea I will be using. It was a great week spent with lots of friends and goodies. This week is looking to be just as good. Our 2nd anniversary is Monday. 2 down, 75 to go, right Andy?

Bend the Rules Sewing Placemat Swap

Here it is... my finished swap project. (Ani... I totally forgot to include a recipe with them! Sorry!)


These turned out great, but I don't think I'd ever make placemats like this again. There isn't enough solid green for my taste. I'd make the inside piece smaller. I think I'd also patchwork the front instead of putting the inner piece on top of a huge piece of fabric (seems like a waste to me). The green solid is home dec fabric and these turned out really thick. Either use quilting cotton and line with flannel, or use home dec without a lining. Even with all the changes, this project has inspired me to make placemats for our house. Or, at least add placemats to my 'future projects' list. The napkins were SUPER easy, two from one fat quarter. I'm totally going to make a bunch of these for us to use instead of paper towels.

I'll post about the package I receive when it gets here... exciting!!

June Swap WIPs

My first swap project is coming along nicely. I need to get some heavy interfacing tomorrow so I can finish the bottom and get it in the mail on Tuesday. The black is the exterior and the print is the lining.
My second swap project is all ready to be ironed, cut, and sewn. I hate ironing and cutting so much. So much! But this should be an easy one; multiples of the same dimensions. The green is limier in real life. I do believe I have already shared what is what, so I'll refrain from boring you with the details AGAIN. Look for the finished product on Tuesday.
The most exciting part of these swaps for me is that I SO want to include a CD of the music I listened to while sewing them. Judging from one of my swap partner's blog, we have very, very similar taste in music, so hopefully I can share some great tracks with her. Husband always has some odd secret track or taping hiding in iTunes. Recently it's been all alt-country/folk/etc. bands covering other alt-country/folk/etc. and/or rock songs. How do you not love that? This is one of my favs, Ryan Adams covering Willie Nelson (and Elvis & Brenda Lee, too, I guess). Pop out of Google Reader for a second to listen to the song, would ya?

Hello Summer

June is always a crazy month for me at work, and seeing as how it's almost July, Summer has officially begun in my life. Husband is still away, but he returns tonight. Can't wait!

Today will be spent sewing my two swaps. I spent a decent chunk of time walking around JoAnn's last night, picking up and putting back bolt after bolt of fabric. For placemats and napkins, I finally settled on a pale green home dec, a speckled cotton, and yellow/orange ribbon for trim. Napkins are yellow/orange, too. Hopefully I'll finish both projects today and perhaps even mail them, too.

A Week's Worth of Posts

So it has been almost a week since I last posted. Seems like forever. Things around the Cultivated House have been the same, yet different. Husband is out of town for work. This week at work has been incredibly stressful for me. On top of that I've been sick and doped up on cold medicine. Overall, it's been a normal week with a sort of Twilight Zone feel.

I don't like the fact that Husband is away. My schedule is thrown off, my house feels half full, the cat knows something is up. I haven't been sleeping well (as you can tell by the timing of this post). It is incredibly reassuring to me that I'm off kilter because he is away. As strange as I've felt this week, it just affirms the fact that Husband is a positive force in my life. The only thing I like about his absence is the fact that I've been subsisting on a diet of fruit, bread, and ice cream. Carbs!

Sickness has slowed my progress in several projects. Swap #1 is half done. I don't have any ideas or any beginnings on Swap #2 yet. I've got a sort of odd color scheme to work with. Both MUST be finished by next week when we head to St. Louis for vacation with some friends. Hopefully I will have some progress to report in the next few days.

Swap #1 Post #1

My goal for the weekend is to destress (arrival at home last night- 9:30 pm). The steps to achieve this goal go something like this... yoga class, dinner out with husband, sewing a swap bag.

I have high hopes for this swap. Not only is it my first, but I love the fabric and really want to see how it turns out. I'll be turning this...Into one of these...That is, if I get my machined oiled and fixed. The black fabric is just some thick solid??? Ehh... I'm not good with types. The yellow is a duvet cover set from Ikea. I should have tons of fabric left over afterwards, so perhaps I'll end up with a matching bag.

Off to eat peaches and berries with home made vanilla whipped cream on top. YUM!