Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2011

It's here! The 2011 Fall Blogger's Quilt Festival started by the Amazing Amy Ellis of Amy's Creative Side.
Welcome to my blog! I started sewing about a year and a half ago and have been learning ever since!
I have always been a creative girl, I love color and texture, but had never really sewn much of anything except a straight line until one day, when I was at my friend Ann-Marie's house. We have been scrapbooking buddies for years and she is also a quilter. I always loved everything she made but had never had a desire to do it myself. So anyways, I was admiring a few of her latest quilt projects when literally, all of the sudden I wanted to do this! I wanted to make quilts! It hit me like a bolt out of the blue and I have been hooked ever since! I started searching online for sewing blogs and tutorials and went to town!

For my entry, I chose this little quilt in blue and green. The pattern is called "Alice" by Red Pepper Quilts. This quilt is small, but it makes me happy every time I look at it. The colors are so me, and the
mix of log cabin and 4 square blocks with so many different fabrics just make me happy!

This year has been a tough one for our family. A lot of things going on that were out of my control and very stressful. And what I found was that when I immersed myself in the creation of quilt blocks and fabric selection and that, coupled with the rhythm of my sewing machine, gave me a sense of calmness and order in my hectic life - a way to escape if only for a few hours.  I love my new found passion and look forward to seeing everyone's beautiful submissions this year! Thanks for visiting my little corner of the blogosphere! :)

So far this year...

These are the quilts I have completed.

                                                       Little Pips

Red, Aqua & Gray - My favorite combination!

                                                        Happy Girl - back and front

                                                          Strip quilt in technicolor,

                                                and this little lovely, made from a pattern by Red Pepper Quilts.

I have a few WIPs (works in progress) that I want to finish up as well as a few Christmas gifts that I want to make. I have good intentions - I really do! You know what they say about good intentions though... :) Have a great day!

It's my lucky day!!!

I'm not even joking kids. This lovely little sewing machine from Babylock called the Audrey will soon be residing in my sewing room! Babylock was one of the sponsors at The Sewing Summit a couple of weeks ago. They were generous enough to set up dozens of machines for us to use and had wonderful people on hand to help with whatever we needed. After the summit, they had a give away on their blog Totally Stitchin' for all Sewing Summit attendees so of course I had to enter and I WON! :)  I am so excited and I still can hardly believe it. I AM STOKED! Thank you Babylock, I can't wait to play with Audrey!

A purse for me.

After seeing so many adorable bags at the Sewing Summit last weekend, I felt like I needed a sassy, new purse for myself. If I was really on top of things I would have made one BEFORE the Summit, but clearly, that was not the case! My dear friend Ann-Marie made her bag using a pattern from Noodlehead called the 241 bag and it was fabulous, so of course I had to make one too!  Ann-Marie is the one who got me addicted to sewing just about a year and a half ago, so I blame her for my fabric hoarding issues! ;)

Now, just for fun, hare are a few pictures from the Sewing Summit that I borrowed from her blog because I didn't even take my camera - sheesh!

Me and my partner in crime!

                                                               Sewing Nirvana!

                                            Fabric addicts anonymous - er... quilt shop hop.

My block from the improv piecing class taught by Jess of Urban Quilter.

The third time is a charm...

That's what they say right? So I'm coming clean here girls, this is the third time I've started a blog!
It kind of makes me feel like a flake, but then I remind myself that my previous attempts were half - hearted at best and without real focus. This time, I have a focus, a reason and a motivation! Last weekend I attended The Sewing Summit here in Salt Lake City and was so inspired by all of the creative women I met that I made up my mind that I wanted a place to document my creative journey - so this is it! My small (very small!) corner of the blogosphere!