Spring Runner Sew Along

I have been doing great with my book challenges as of late but I haven't had much to show in the sewing department for the last month. I have completed a few projects (some stock for beebee buttercup and a gift for a friend that I forgot to photograph before I gave it away - I should be posting about it next week) but can't share just yet. I am also working with some very talented individuals on a brand new website for beebee buttercup and Bumps to Babies that I hope to share with you some time in April.

So to get me motivated I'm joining in on the Spring Runner Sew-Along. This is the perfect opportunity to make a new table runner for myself as the last two that I have made have ended up in my mom's house (where she suggested that they just might look better than in my home!). I do need something to cover up all the scratches on my kitchen table... it is ahem... well loved.

I'm not quite sure where I am going to go with this one - I probably won't be using too many light, springy, colours but I like the tri-colour theme and the zig zag quilting is great. I have until April 20 so that should be lots of time. I'll let you know when I finish up!

What about you - did you join the challenge? If so please leave a link to your blog post!

Sweetpea is finally getting her quilt!

It nearly broke my heart when after Ladybug got her quilt Sweetpea looked up at me with those big doe eyes and said "Do I get a quilt too mama?" The answer was "OF COURSE YOU DO!" So the other night out to my local quilting store I went to find the perfect combination of orange, green and purple as per her request. This is going to be a super simple pattern because I don't want it to take 3 years to finish but I know that she is just going to love it.

All cut (actually it came precut from the store - even better for my schedule this week) and ready to go. This quilt has everything Sweetpea asked for, purple, green orange and flowers!

It just happens to be snowing something crazy outside today and I'm actually hoping for a bit of a crappy weekend so we can stay inside and I can get started on sewing this up!
While I was out I also found the perfect boarder/backing for this quilt that I posted about. When I showed my mom the fabric she got this funny look on her face and said "You know who's room this would look really good in right?" Uh hm.. Mom subtlety is not your strong suite!


What is up next for you? What will you be spending your weekend doing?

Next Up :: Pie Crust Pile-Up

I'm feeling like I need a bit of an instant gratification quilting project right about now so I decided to make up this pattern using these fat quarters that I bought for myself ages ago. I wanted a nice simple, girlie lap quilt for reading. Considering the amount of baking that I have been doing lately I think the "Pie Crust Pile-Up" pattern is just perfect! I bought these fat quarters ages ago and I just love them because it goes so well with the woodwork in our bedroom and it also picks up some of the tones in the wedding quilt that Nick's mom made for us.

Before I get started I'm going to have to make a trip down to my local quilting store to pick up some fabric for the boarder. Or darn, I have to make a shopping trip!

WIP Month :: Progress

I don't have much to report as completed on the WIP challenge but I have been making progress and that is good enough for me. I suppose I did finish up those nursing covers that were sitting on my table, but as they were already 3/4 of the way complete that doesn't feel like a huge accomplishment.

I finally started working this this quilt again. It is my longest standing WIP, in fact it was one of my first blog posts. I started it so long ago I don't even really remember when I started it, according to my blog post I started it before Nick and I were married but I don't remember it being that long ago. In any event its been a few years at least. The worst part is that all that I need to do to finish it up is trim the backing and make a mock binding.

This quilt is for Nick and I made it extra long as he can never find a blanket to cover his feet when he is laying on the couch. Unfortunately (as with the table runner from last week) the colours no longer match our living room, our old living room was brown/green, our new one is black and white. But I still love this quilt so it doesn't matter (I guess I will just have to make myself a black and white one next!).

I wish that I had a big enough space to lay out quilts... and as you can see I am never working alone!

WIP Month Update :: Quilted Table Runner

Did you do it? Did you finish up any of your WIPs (works in progress?). I think that I'm going to officially name February as WIP Month over here at Hands and Home. I will check in every week or so with an update on the state of that horrendous work in progress table that I showed you last week. At the end of the month I'll do a big round up post to see just how well I did.

Here is my first finished WIP: The quilted table runner that I planned to start years ago is finally finished and will be making its way to its new home shortly.

This was a super simple pieced table runner, which I machine quilted and hand bound. I had so much fun making this that I think I will make a few more. Usually I do straight line quilting for table runners but I decided to stipple this one. Now, I do not profess to be an expert stippler, in fact this is the first time that I have really stippled anything and I know that I have some issues with tension to work out. I tried to make it as fluid as possible with as few sharp edges as possible. It is by no means perfect, but you know what I discovered? I love to practice!

A note about binding. I think a big reason whyI have so many unfinished projects around here is that I absolutely dread sewing bindings on. I know that a quick fix would be to machine stitch them, but personally I much prefer the look of a hand sewn binding (its those invisible stitches!). Its funny because as I sit down to do the hand sewing I always find myself enjoying this slower, calmer rhythm that is missing so often in our every day family life. Its just a little bit of "all-me" time, and so very relaxing and reinforcing of the fact that I must look for a little more of this calm in our days.

I love to hear from you so please leave a comment. And if you have been working on your WIPs please leave a link to your WIP blog post in the comments section!

Work in Progress Week(s)

Over the last few years I have accumulated a lot of unfinished projects. Some are half done and some are just piles of fabric waiting for me to start in on them. These works-in-progress have literally started to take over my sewing room. There is no more room on my cutting table, or in my drawers for anything else, so I am giving myself a challenge. Over the next few weeks I will tackle these works in progress and make some room!

I am about to show you some pictures, and I warn you it is kind of scary. Actually I'm a little embarrassed to share it in this space, it feels a little like revealing a part of my life that only my husband and children should see. But sometimes public humiliation can be humbling and encouraging... so here it goes.

This is currently my work in progress table... I know.. its pretty bad. See all that Warm n' Natural quilt batting under it? That is the stuff I got for 66% off during that boxing week sale.

 First up is this table runner. I purchased the fabric ages ago... so long ago in fact that it used to match my home decor... now it really, really does not so when its finished it is going to my mom who upon seeing the fabric alluded to the fact that I should be making it for her!

And next after that is this pile of nursing covers for beebee buttercup. They were cut and 3/4 of the way sewn back in December... and then we got the stomach flu over and over again, so they sat... and sat.

Care to join in on my work in progress challenge? Leave a comment here with what you will be working on, or post a link to your own blog post about your works in progress... maybe we could encourage each other!

Machine Quilting for Ladybug

I started machine quilting Ladybug's quilt this week. This is the first time that I have quilted anything this size on my home machine (my previous lap quilt was quilted on a family friend's long arm, and I don't know that rag quilts really count as quilting - at least not in this sense) and this is the first time that I have quilted anything on my new machine so there is a bit of a learning curve. So far I have managed to have only a few puckers and just a little bit of bunching so we will see how things look after I am finished. I am hoping that when I wash and dry this quilt the crinkle effect will hide any, shall we say imperfections. (I am wondering if this crinkles/bunching were because I didn't have things laid out quite right when I was basting??)

I am doing simple straight line quilting using my walking foot for the majority of the quilt and I am stippling in the large side boarders. So far I think its coming along nicely. I haven't had as much time to work on it the last few days but I am hoping to have the quilting part finished early next week and then I can bind it (my least favourite part of making anything quilted) and put it into use.

Do you have any machine quilting tips or tricks for avoiding bunching? Any suggestions? Please leave a comment because I would love to hear from you and your tips would be much appreciated!

Boxing Week Sale Clean Up

Last week my mom treated me to my annual New-Year's-Eve-Morning-Without-Babies. This started when Sweetpea had just turned 1, I was almost 6 months pregnant with Ladybug and exhausted and it just kind of stuck. I had a few errands, and a little shopping to day and on a whim I decided to pop into the fabric store on my way home (which is in the next town over so its kind of a big deal for me to actually be able to go). All I can say is that everything was 50% off, except for the Warm n' Natural quilt batting which was 66% off! Can you even believe it? I am still shocked.

Here is a little peak at what I came home with. Soon these will be receiving blankets, Multi-Bags, and I am using the batting for a quilt that I will tell you about soon.

Flannels for receiving blankets and a quilt or two

More sweet flannels

Cotton prints for multi-bags, tea totes and a few other projects

Did you pick up any great fabrics over the holidays or start any new projects? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

A Little Christmas Making

I'm not sure when or how it happened but somewhere along the line we became a "baby-doll" family. I mean a hard core, baby-doll family. Since day one I have tried to give the girls well rounded play opportunities: we have lots of books and puzzles, a play kitchen (that has been played with every day since they recieved it) and play tools, arts and craft supplies etc. and baby dolls. One day Sweetpea decided that her baby doll needed to be fed, changed, walked, rocked, sshhhhed and put down for naps (right about the same time that she noticed that I did these things for Ladybug each day) and she has passed this love for the baby doll on to her sister.

The girls have decided that our kitchen wash cloths really make the best blankets for thier babies. They are the right size for napping on the couch, riding in thier strollers, changing their bums (yes, they regularly change thier babies diapers) and cleaning up spit-up. I have noticed that our supply of wash cloths needs a little... attention. ahem (2 babies x 3 years of use = yuck!). So this year for Christmas the girls are getting a fully stocked drawer of new flannel washcloths for thier babies. I will simply switch over the wash cloth drawer and replace the old with the new, I have been aroud these girls long enough to know that if I were to actually gift these as 'baby blankets' they would never be used. I think part of thier fun is emptying the drawer.

Here is the update on Ladybugs quilt. I am piecing the top together tonight and wishing that I had a design wall or a large enough space to be able to lay things out on. I am aware that this photo is garbage but there is no lighting in my bedroom and no where else to lay out the blocks. Oh well.. my dream sewing room will have a design wall! I doubt if it will be ready for Christmas morning because baby girl is cutting teeth and I'm not getting much work time - but she won't noice if its a day or two late, I'm sure of it!

Setting a Goal

Ok, I know I'm lax at the daily blogging thing. I have offered a few excuses but really - there just aren't enough hours in the day. I am so thankful that I have been busy with both of my businesses lately but it hasn't left time for much else. What is the familiar WAHM saying? Something like "I worked a lot less when I worked out of the home." But I'm not complaining, I love it even if it does mean that most nights I eat peanut butter for dinner after the girls have gone to bed and my wonderful husband does the dishes the cleans the house while I'm sewing, studying, answering emails or putting together class materials.


So in the interest of keeping this blog alive, and of making sure that I still find time each week to be creative and create for myself and my family I have set myself a challenge. When Sweet Pea was about 7 months old I purchased this kit to make her a beautiful crib quilt. Shortly after I purchased it, morning sickness hit and my focus shifted to getting our house ready for our little Ladybug, and unfortunately Sweet Pea's fabric sat untouched. Now at almost 2 1/2 I am making plans for a toddler sized quilt for Sweet Pea's "big girl bed" and am thinking that Ladybug would love the bright colours of this fabric in her own little crib.



My challenge to myself? No matter how busy I am I will devote a little bit of time each week to finishing this quilt. Its a super easy Yellow Brick Road pattern so hopefully it will not take too long. This weeks task? Cutting.

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I'm still alive... but currently chained to my sewing machine

I think it just needs to be said... I have turned into a very bad blogger lately. Its one part lack of time, one part lack of sleep, one part lack of new projects, and one part lack of having anything remotely interesting or worth while to blog about. But that being said I just thought I'd let you know what I've been up to these past few weeks.

I have been up to my eyeballs in fabric just trying to get read for Bloomin Earth this weekend. I am so stoked for this show I cannot even tell you. I mean, come on 70+ local vendors selling their handmade and/or eco-friendly wares? Um... YES PLEASE! (and it doesn't hurt at all that beebee buttercup is going to be there as well). I promise to have pictures first thing Monday morning.

And here is just a little sneak peak at what I'm working on tonight: Snack and Sandwich savers. A fabulously fun and colourful alternative to wasteful Ziploc bags and bulky Tupperware. More information here.

I doubt I'll get a chance to check in before the big show on Saturday so I'll see you on Monday (and thanks for stopping by even though I've not been over in this space as much as I'd like to).

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My toddler ate my homework... or something like that

I was going to take some pictures of my newest project... however as Sweet Pea (aka toddler tornado) was sitting on my lap she managed to stick the memory card for my camera somewhere in my computer and I cannot find it. Either that or she ate it - and I wouldn't put it past her.

So that being said there will be no pictures until I either a) find the memory card - unlikely or b) buy a new one - more than likely.

I will tell you that this project is a little something that I am making just in time for Bloomin Earth. I have been wanting to make some of these for Sweet Pea for a while now, but for some reason the way to hide the seams was eluding me. This morning I let the girls pull all the clothes out of their dressers to buy me a few minutes of peace to figure it out. A few muslin scraps, and ripped out seams later I'm there! I can't wait to show you the pictures (once I find that memory card).

Any guesses on what I made?

I will leave you with a picture from earlier this week when the girls discovered the pure bliss that can be found while throwing all the clothes from their dressers (an no Sweet Pea was not supposed to have that soother!). After I finished sewing both rooms looked a lot like this - but that's the price you have to pay for a few minutes of free time!

Celebrating... again

Today is another day for celebration in our home. First and foremost this is the wonderful day that gave us this man

Photo credit SC Photography

He is a husband, son, father, best friend, and the kindest soul that I know. Happy birthday hun! We had a lovely evening with most of our family last night and tonight will be a much quieter (ha! with 2 babies?) evening spent with our wee family of four. Chocolate pie is on the menu as per his request, I suppose he is tired of birthday cake already? Its only been one week!

Also on the menu are a few projects for the girls that I hope to have finished and under the tree by Friday.

Can you guess?

This is a project that I finished up last week. Unfortunately it left my house before I got a chance to take a picture of it and I will not have a picture with its new 'owner' until the new year. But in the interest of making amends for abandoning this space for so long, here it is as a work in progress. Can you guess what it is? If not, I guess you will just have to wait until January when I have a good photo!

Holiday Traditions Exchange

I am so excited to have signed up for the Holiday Traditions Exchange that Meg is hosting over at Sew Liberated. Last year I missed the deadline to sign up and I almost missed it again this year! She is accepting only 200 members in the exchange this year but there looks to still be space so go on over and sign up if you haven't already.

I am already brainstorming my favourite family traditions and what I am going to make for my holiday decoration.

Next up

Oh, I can't even wait but I'm not telling yet!

my oh my

Help, my name is Bonnie and I am addicted to fabric. My last trip to the fabric store with my enabler (my mom) has made me realize that I need to get into some sort of group. This is my 3rd fabric store binge in the last month. But let me let you in on a little secret... every trip has been to take advantage of a 40-50% off sale and I didn't pay full price for anything! I think that if I keep reminding myself of this it will be ok.

Everything shown here has already been assigned a task on the sewing 'to do' list in my head. That list just keeps getting longer and longer! I only wonder how I will ever get to it - especially when our weeks were as full as this one. But that is a question I will have to ponder later because right now I am going to crawl back into bed and try to get a few more minutes of sleep. The girls both had fevers the last few days and no one in our house was getting any sleep. This can make for a slightly cranky mama especially when she is already so sleep depraved!

I will have some finished projects to share next Monday, and a few old ones that I haven't had a chance to take photos of yet. Hopefully we will get some sun this weekend!

A new fall project

We had a wonderful, chill weekend. I knocked off a few more items on my to-do list for my course and I just might meet my deadline. I got to spend a lot of time with a great friend, and we had a lot of family time which was nice, but we were attacked by wasps every time we went outside. Nearly everyone on our street has a nest tucked somewhere under their siding or on their roofs and its making getting outside with babies less than pleasant. Baby C decided to bring the outside in... all... day... long. Oh the personality on that girl! I'm telling you, sometimes she is just too much!


I also got to fit in a bit of crafting and I just love crafting for fall. Not only is it my absolute favourite season but I get to use all of my absolute favourite colours. I was able to steal away for a few minutes to get some fabric cut for a birthday present for my mother in law. My due date* is this Friday, and so far the cutting is all that I have finished - and I don't have a free night to work on it until Thursday. Oh well, this just might be another 4:30am-6:30 am project, but I'm getting used to it and I embrace the challenge!



* Edited to add: My 'due date' is my mother in law's birthday not an actual due date! No more babies for me until at least someone can talk and sleep through the night!

What am I not getting done today?

Well... let me show you...

Yes Stephanie these will be yours

Love the Mailman

I love the mail, I mean I really, really love the mail. Especially when it is a package from Tonic Living, my favourite online fabric store. The best part about them - they are local and they ship to my postal code free! I'm telling you its dangerous. I discovered Tonic Living last year when I was picking out fabric for my Mei Tai and fell in love with the carnival bloom print (the brown one). I mean fell in love with it. I can't get enough of this print and have a feeling that I'll be seeing a lot of it lately (and it comes in a flannel so it would make some great loveys, bibs, burp cloths.. oh Sadie, I hope you like brown and pink!).

These fabulous prints arrived yesterday. I have great plans for this fabric. Some will become nursing covers, other bean bags and soothing eye pillows and I'm thinking a little lovey blanket for Sadie. Now I just need the girls to actually sleep at the same time so that I can sit down at my sewing machine and put these plans into action!