A bag from leftovers

No matter how accurately you try to estimate how much fabric you'll need for a quilt (and don't even get me started on the estimated fabric yardages given in EQ!), somehow the scrap basket always stays full. This little bag is a great way to have fun with the leftovers. It's a free pattern given on the AllPeopleQuilt website (http://allpeoplequilt.com/quarterlychallenge/APQ_QtrlyChal3.pdf), and it's pretty easy to make. This is coming from someone who's not so great at following someone else's patterns! Although I did actually make a couple of small changes to the pattern such as making the pockets a little deeper and squaring up the bottom of the bag.

Here's how I used some leftovers from Mark Lipinski's Krakow line. For those who recognize fabrics, there are a few pieces from his previous line of fabric, Califon. It matches so nicely. I love it when different fabric lines can be used together.


Here's the other side. It's fun mixing up the fabrics.


Loop the longer strap through the small one and off you go. Pockets galore inside! And if it gets dirty, just throw it in the washer and dryer.

Mark Lipinski's Krakow line

Mark called me Friday evening (last week) to see if I would make a quilt from his new fabric line called Krakow (that's "crack-ow", I asked). I know he previewed pictures of the fabric on his blog (http://marklipinskisblog.wordpress.com), but seeing the fabric in real life is so different. As soon as I saw it up close, I had a mental image of what I wanted to do. The line has a blue and a red colorway. I don't work with blue very often, so that's what I chose. Mark was very agreeable to whatever I wanted to do. I think he loves seeing what his buddies come up with - we all have fairly diverse creative ideas. So we cut off what I needed, and I went home with my treasures.

This is what I started with - a dresden plate block. It went together so easily.


I love putting points on the dresden plates. It makes it so much easier to applique it to the background, whether by machine or by hand. On the reverse side, you can see how the edges are already turned under for you - no needle-turning necessary!


Then I played around with triangle squares. I was trying make sure I used each one of the fabrics in the blue colorway of the Krakow line. There are 12 - I used them all!


I made four of these blocks, then had to decide on sashing/border sizes. I can't bring myself to follow the "rules" for those sizes in relation to the block size (as if I even remember them anyway). Besides, the blocks ended up being 24" square. I felt that I needed a border big enough to feel "solid". See, it's all about ME and what I want, haha.


Here is the final quilt. I settled on an 8.5" border and 4.5" sashing. Wish my picture-taking was better. Either the flash is wonky, or the camera holder is wonky - one or the other. Um, yeah, I admit I am the camera holder. Sigh.

Happy Birthday!

Obviously I was a child bride. Seems impossible that I could have a baby who turns 18 today! Happy Birthday, sweetie!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful guy! 49 already??? Wow, that's getting really old!!!

Short sweaters??

Mae really doesn't like change. She's also not very interested in style, looks, or fashion in general. I found this adorable little sweater this summer while shopping with Mom, and the time seemed right to bring it out. Mae was quite disgruntled that it's so short. I explained that it's meant to be short like that. Her reaction? "Well, it looks like somebody just ran out of yarn."

I think she looks cute as a button, and she did come home from school saying she had been complimented many times. I think she'll agree to wearing it again sometime.

College Applications

Well, child #2 has now been pushed along the college application track. I really stressed over this the first time around being such a hands-on mom. I had checklists and charts on the refrigerator. I made Will have all his essays written before school started in August. It really does work out better for the kid if they have that part done before the homework starts getting piled on. Then, he was able to take his essays to one of his teachers to be edited in September. In hindsight, I realize that I made the process more stressful with the checklist (for me at least, Will never even looked at it), and I eased up a bit on Steven - his essays (only 2) were done Labor Day weekend. Now here it is almost the third week of September and his applications are completely done and sent in with fingers crossed. He did finally decide to do Early Decision at Virginia Tech. We will find out in December. If he gets in there, he'll withdraw his other applications right away.

So here's my advice to anybody who will be going through this process in the future. If you need to re-take the SATs , make sure you sign up for the Oct test date so that scores can be sent in on time.

1. In August, narrow down the list of schools and get their applications, either online or by mail. Write the essays. When school starts up in earnest after Labor Day, take the essays to a trusted teacher for editing/critiquing.

2. By the end of September, decide on recommendations - ask if the person feels they can give you a good recommendation. When you have decided on the person/s, give them addressed, stamped envelopes for each school that wants the recommendation along with whatever form that school wants. Include a "brag sheet", which basically is just a reminder to the teacher of who you are ( you may only have 1 physics teacher, but he may have had 80+ students... just how much do you think he might remember you??). These teachers get asked for tons of recommendations every fall and they are doing them on their own time, so give them a few weeks before asking them if they are finished.

3. In October, submit your applications (with completed essays). Ask your guidance counselor to send transcripts. Most schools' guidance offices have specific instructions for doing this and will have special meetings to go over college stuff with students and parents during September.

Having said that, probably the majority of kids I know didn't get everything done until just before the usual submission date of Jan. 1. I couldn't take that pressure (as a nagging mother, ha). Will had a great fall semester with no worries or pressures about his applications, unlike many of his friends. Steven, I expect, will be feeling the same way now that he is totally done. All that's left is to wait....

One Block Wonder variation

Sorry my break from blogging lasted so long. I always get a little bummed out when I get back from vacation....

I did work on another One Block Wonder quilt while I was at mom's. Remember this fabric I got while I was working on the black one block wonder?


All pink and green, right?! Well, I decided to embrace the pink, ha. I wanted to do another one-block wonder, but didn't want to do as much work. Here I used only 4 repeats of the pattern and cut 4 1/2" strips out, then 4 1/2" squares out of the strips. I think I ended up with 45 completed 8 1/2" squares. I only used 42 of the squares (the quilt is 6 rows by 7 rows).


The sashing in between the squares is 2 1/2" strips with 2 1/2" cornerstone squares.


I had just enough of the pink left over to make a 4" border. I made 4 extra squares for the corners of the border by using the little pieces from each strip that were about 3" or less in size (too small to cut another 4 1/2" square). These smaller squares were cut down in size to fit the border. The pattern was still big enough to be interesting at that smaller size.