{*~Sewing Summit: Wednesday~*}

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I don't even know where to begin you guys!!!! I start to cry like a weenie whenever I think about it and start to see photos.

This was seriously an amazing trip! SERIOUSLY! Sewing Summit totally was incredible!

I'm going to have to break this up into multiple posts because there is so much to say! Is that ok with you??? I just don't want to forget to mention anyone! And if I had my way, each person I hung out with would have their own blog post because I hung out with some EPIC ladies!!!!! (especially the cutie Iowa broads! OH, FOR CUTE!) I can't even get into how much I freaking LOVE all the gals I met & hung out with. I like, want to invent a transporter so I can hang out with them always!

Also, I didn't bring a camera. Crazy right? I only had my phone. I've been getting photos from friends all day, once I organize them I'll post about my pals more, I have...get ready...only 7 photos of friends on my phone!

(Angelune gave me a Toronto mug. I wish I was there ALWAYS!)

 

So I flew out of Sacramento on Wednesday & arrived in Salt Lake at like 12:45. I downloaded the delta airlines app so I could track Karyn & Katherine's flight. I only had to wait like, 25 minutes for their flight to land and I met them at their gate. It was amazing to be able to meet them! They both spoiled me rotten and even Angelune sent me a present! what! So sweet!!!

Aren't they adorable??? It was seriously like hanging out with the cool kids. They were always dressed amazing, incredibly sweet, super talented...just GREAT gals. I won't lie, I was intimidated. When I first moved to CA I was kind of hip. I dressed all cute. I was city-ish. Now I am country bumpkin status. But thankfully they liked me.

Salt Lake City was so beautiful. Our room was big and amazing. Katherine & I sat in our room & chatted & stitched & shared my minky blanket & just were COZY while Karyn napped. I started an embroidery & worked on Damson. Both are coming along nicely.

Ok! I'll be back tomorrow to talk about Thursday! Beware, it's going to get reallllyyyyy photo heavy!!!!

If I'm in any of your photos, please tag me on flickr! I want to be able to post tons!!!! I loved meeting everyone and want to relive like, EVERY SECOND.

true story!

{*~Hi Fall~*}

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Fall is my most favorite time of year. Hands down. Without a doubt. It's bliss.

Today I woke up and went outside to a beautiful sunrise. Drove down to Starbucks- wearing my finished Pogona and had my first pumpkin spice latte. It's been an overcast kind of day- clouds! Eek! Pam says it's been raining at her house in Shasta Lake! I am totally in my element. Canned some nectarines into a browned butter spicy compote. Took a nap. Did a little sewing. Planning on reading, hand sewing a late wedding gift, knitting & cross stitching the rest of the day. Craving Mexican food, something kind of spicy, very filling with cheese and black beans.

I picked up a moleskine at Target a little while ago. For $3. But it's red. And I have to be honest, I hate red. BUT IT WAS $3! Instead of $15! How could I walk away from that?! So I've been slowly working on a cover for it. It's taken me a long time, mostly because I get tired. It's my FAVORITE thing ever (big shock) stars! The block of stars is 4.5 inches. The photo looks like I chopped off some points but I pinkie swear I didn't ;) I'm kind of hooked on quilters tweed, loulouthi and mustard-y repro prints lately. Fall colors are my very favorite.

This week is your last chance to sign up for Sewing Summit. I'm super excited. A little nervous about traveling. Very nervous about meeting so many people. Nervous about my energy level (I'm napping like 3x a day!) Not nervous about teaching because I realize I have a LOT to say about mini quilts & inspiration. I also have this strange feeling like the first day of school, WILL THESE PEOPLE LIKE ME? IS MY HAIR WEIRD? ARE MY PANTS FUNNY? I'm excited to spend time with people who I talk to DAILY. I'll be bringing a lot of hand work so I can just SIT and stitch.

My attempts at mobile blogging haven't been going so hot. Forgive my textless Farmer's Wife post with one random photo. Oi. I am so not tech savvy. I think I was born in the wrong era.

Did you make a list of fall goals? I'd sure love a pair of thick worsted weight socks & to make lots of cranberry treats. And a pumpkin donut.

{*~Hi!~*}

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Things are very quiet around here at Casa de Porkchop.

I'm having some personal problems and my days are quiet per drs orders. Very quiet. Like didn't check my email for 7 days and have been sleeping more than I think I've ever slept in my life. It's been different but ok!

 

One afternoon on twitter I was talking to Kayanna and she mentioned she was knitting Pogona by West Knits and I thought...hey! I like that! AND! My LYS is carrying a ton of MadelineTosh so I cast on using a color called Rosewood and it's been like knitting with air! Total bliss.

I randomly scored 4 lbs of strawberries so I quartered them and grilled them at 400 degrees with a big splash of pomegranate vinegar. Once they reduced down like CRAZY I brought them inside and made jam with them. I reserved one cup of the chunky berries and blended the rest. I added some white & pink pepper and canned it. It might be my FAVORITE thing I've canned all summer. Very bright tasting with a burst of spice.

I joined a local sewing group, so that's AWESOME! It's been super fun to sit and sew with other people. Although it's crazy humbling, these ladies are so talented, but really welcoming which is the best!

Last week Pam came up! It was so so so fun. I freaking LOVE her. She's hilarious. We had Gobblers and went fabric shopping. I slept the entire next day. She is wayyy too much fun. You can read about our outing here! She says it way better than I could. You know how you just meet someone and you instantly adore them? Yup! That's PKM!

 

I snuck in an hour yesterday and an hour today to Farm. I am still totally a wife! I picked two easy blocks: Economy and End of Day. I needed blocks I could finish quick, have fun with and not feel like I've been abandoning you guys & Angela! I'm hoping once I'm back on my feet I'll do 3 a week until I'm caught up, until then I'll just post one block a week. When PKM & I hung out I got some new 1/4 yards for my blocks & I'm excited to cut into them. I really love End of Day (the bottom block) it looks fancy when it's really incredibly easy.

 

The Pumpkins teamed up with the ultra talented Melody Miller! You can now cross stitch her BEE!!! So awesome right? I'm dying to make it!

Sewing Summit is just around the corner! Literally! I booked my flight this weekend and I'm excited and NERVOUS. I think it's going to be a fantastic time and I've been working my butt off getting ready for my class. (I see that photo & I realize I've lost a LOT of weight! eeee!!!!) If you've wanted to meet your online friends, take classes from some super passionate people and have a sewing filled weekend you should totally come! I'm rooming with Karyn & Katherine.  I have a whole list of people I'm excited to hug and jump up & down with in real life. I'm thinking by Sunday I'll have no voice from all the shouting and talking! If your coming to Sewing Summit, leave me a comment; I'd love to check out some new blogs & put some names with faces!

I'm off to knit and watch the season finale of Torchwood! PKM got me interested in it...and of course we chatted about the greatest tv show on earth...HAVEN! She's one of the only people I know who watches!

:):)

{~*2011 Butte County Fair & It's FRIDAY!*~}

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Last night Chop & I swung by the fairgrounds to see how my entries fared and it was a REALLY fun experience.

ALL MY CANNED GOODS WON. Everything had a ribbon. That felt so incredibly AWESOME!

Here's how they went:

  • Danish Cherries & Honey Peach Butter- 1st place
  • Cinnamon Cranberry Relish, Peach BBQ sauce, Plum Vanilla Sauce- 2nd place
  • Peach Bellini- 3rd place

That's so cool right? After last Saturday's class of canning students and this win, I am feeling GOOD about canning. Even if I didn't win, I'd feel rad, but heck, ribbons!? Great! There were a lot of entries too.

The downside?

None of my quilts got ribbons! I entered:

Swoon, Oregon Star, Pink & Brown Log Cabin with the tiny middle star & All in a Row table runner.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bummed. I am!

Not to justify it or make it sound like I was wronged, but I entered Swoon into Holiday Quilts- there was an entire section just of holiday quilts hanging together...but Swoon was hanging in a completely different section! Like 4 rows away! So maybe it was entered wrong? And then my tablerunner should have been with all the kitchen stuff...but it was hanging with my mini quilts. Hmmm. Either way, it's ok! I'm hoping someone sees them and is inspired! And gets excited about quilting and realizes there is an entire world out there beyond the "quilting norm".

I honestly am so freaking proud of myself just for ENTERING. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there. It's one thing to post a photo to flickr, it's another thing to enter it for judging by strangers who have NO clue who Heather Ross is, or care about "what's trendy" in quilting. It was a big chance that someone would get it and that's totally ok!

Mark your calendars because this girl is teaching Autumn Comfort Baking on October 1st in Redding, CA at That Kitchen Place on Hilltop! It was a blast teaching canning and I'm so excited that they invited me back to teach baking. The classroom is incredible, you can watch what I'm doing on the stove via mirrors and tv screens, so there is NO bad seat in the house! Recipes will include Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread & Spicy Chai Vanilla Muffins. Call (530) 222-1160 to book your slot!

I visited Tracey this week and she taught me how to make dresden plates. Oh boy. How great are dresdens?! I made two and I'm hand appliqueing them onto their backgrounds. One will stay mini, the other somehow became an idea for a throw yesterday.

I've still been a Farmer's Wife, I've just been BAD about blogging them. I took a photo of one of my blocks, someone left a snarky comment, I got discouraged and deleted it. But now if you are curious about my blocks, you can visit this blog and at the bottom of the left hand side, there is a SLIDESHOW of all of them! That's so cool right? It takes a minute or two to load though. Next week my Farmer's Wife post will be HUGE, an entire months worth of blocks to share with you! Angela is going right along beautifully! She's pro at Farmer's Wifedom, blogging & being organized!

Aneela made All in a Row! What the WHAT! How freaking cool is that?! She mentions not having Halloween fabric...um...guess who needs to remedy that situation STAT? ME! I'm so making her a little packet of goodies.

So if you'd be so inclined, I'd love it if you could vote for me! Voting lasts until September 1st and I know, I sound like a broken record but please please please take a second and vote!

What are you up too this weekend? Anything good?

{*~Swoon!~*}

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SWOON!!!!!

In case you missed the memo, I'm obsessed with Halloween. OBSESSED. It's my most favorite holiday ever. Chop & I got married the day before. I love all the decorations, the cuteness, the spookiness, the macabre. Black & Orange. Burgundy and Brown. It's just an amazing day. Actually, the entire month of October is super fun. I think instead of being an August baby, I was actually an October baby. I adore pumpkins, pumpkin spice lattes (best!), baking, leaves, cool evenings but warm days, remembering trips to VT with my grandparents to be a "leaf peeper"!

When I first saw Swoon in some Quilt Market tweets, I knew I had to make it. It just had to happen. In all honesty, I'm not a "full size" quilt maker. I don't feel the need to make dozens of bed quilts or throws, I'm very much a mini quilt maker. I like little every day patchwork or very long term big quilt projects like Farmer's Wife. But this pattern was so so so so great, very traditional but very fresh at the same time.

I've been hoarding a fq bundle of Riley Blake's Boo to You for a year. I'm not really a fabric hoarder, it's not really my nature. It's funny, people hoard Heather Ross, Denyse Schmidt, Erin Michaels...me? Halloween fabric. Yup. Kind of dorky!

When I saw Riley Blake came out with Trick or Treat, I knew I had to just GIT R DONE (yup. I went there! ;)) So Chop got me some for my birthday and the rest is history! There were a few agonizing moments, like when I realized an online fabric shop shorted me on my background fabric (Kona Ash for the blocks!)! Tracey (hi friend!) saved my butt by letting me borrow some Moda Gray and I REALLY like that it's two neutrals.

Right now the quilt is at Butte County Fairgrounds for the fair at the end of the month. One of my hugest pet peeves is when bloggers say they go to quilt shows and don't see anything "modern" or "fresh" or "young", well duh! We have to get off our quilter butts & ENTER these things! So then other folks will enter and it'll start a good circle of inspiration! ;)

I've never been a "competitive quilter", last fall I entered a mug rug into a Halloween contest and lost..haha. One night on twitter Shari suggested I enter it into the Riley Blake Contest and I decided, what the heck! First the fair, then this contest!

But the total best part? I have a giant freaking HALLOWEEN QUILT FOR MY BED!!!! I can't WAIT to get it back at the end of the month, wash it, crinkle it and sleep under it. It's totally my pride and joy and my special little heirloom quilt! I just need to pick matching fabric for some new pillowcases...hmmm. And bunting. And maybe a mini quilt from my scraps.

I'm spending the week getting caught up on my Farmer's Wife blocks, preparing for my canning class on Saturday and trying to recover from being sick. I attempted to go to the gym this weekend and lasted 15 minutes (instead of 45 :/) on the treadmill. I'm going to yoga this morning and hopefully I won't die.

OH! AND! Guess what guys? I am making a SKIRT. And it FITS! I had to run out and get a zipper last night, I should finish it this week. I've never invisible zippered before! This is a total learning experience but my crazy hard work at the gym has paid off. A pattern I would have had to alter to fit I was able to sew straight out of the package with no adjustments. o m g!

okok. I'll let you guys know when voting starts!!!! I'm going to be chatting more about the pattern and my wonderful quilter in the upcoming weeks too! AND!!! Angela finished her Swoon too and wowzers, it's a beauty!!!!

see you soon!

xo

 

ps: Thanks Chop for helping me find the best spot in downtown Gridley for our quilt shoot. You have the patience of a saint. ;) <3

{*~All in a Row~*}

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Well my birthday was yesterday! As soon as my birthday has come and gone, it's a sign that autumn is on the approach. I've been feeling a little under the weather, I thought maybe I was just tired but now I think know I have a stomach bug. Lame! But I spent the morning unpacking a little box of autumn decorations and found my All in a Row table runner!

I forgot how much I loved sewing this! It's so fun & easy, I'm thinking about maybe shrinking the foundation patterns and making a mini All in a Row! That would be cute right?

My version is made with scraps and linen, but imagine how cute it would be in linen and solids? Or hand dyed fabrics? Or all different polka dots and stripes?

I got a few pieces of autumn scrapbook paper this weekend, I have no idea why I love scrapbook paper so much. I buy it and then wish it was fabric ;) I saw this cute pin & thought today I might recover some old cans that we haven't had a chance to recycle.

Today I got my copy of The Farmer's Wife Pony Club from Laurie! She sent Angela & I copies of it, how kind was that? I'm for sure going to start this quilt ASAP, keeping with the scrappy theme. We've been talking about starting a quilt a long for it, I'll let you know what we come up with. The blocks are bigger (8 inches finished), it's a mix of templates, rotary cutting directions and foundation piecing. I wish I could have a won a pony to be completely honest. I'm planning on curling up on the couch with this book, some gatorade and a quilt.

But first..a sneak peek!

AHUH! I'm pretty much dying of excitement! Lindsay is seriously incredible & I can't wait to introduce this quilt and her amazing quilting job to you guys!

Some fun stuff:

Have a good Tuesday!

{*~Seeing Stars..and fish?~*}

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It's no secret I love stars. I'm pretty sure I could sew sawtooth blocks 100x and not get bored. And have it look completely different each time. I love that about classic blocks.

This week I made Lizzy some pillows for her Quilt Market booth. She sent me a GIANT box of scraps from her upcoming line, 1001 Peeps. (It's amazing! Your going to love it!) After a few skype dates, I got to work. I made very simple pillows and used some of the scraps to make a giant hoop travel bag for a project I'm working on. But somehow she didn't have a cute bag to carry her embroidery around in, so I shipped off the pillows & bag for her. I hope she loves it and uses it to death. I attempted improv piecing and it's not my strong suit, but it's very fun to play with!

I also finished up 4 big projects this week so that means I can actually breathe deep and not feel so stressed. I'm finishing up 3 more, including the last star-y e-course pdfs. It's going to feel amazing to get everything done. Sweet RELIEF!!!

Our bed currently has our wedding quilt on it and it's starting to look a little rough. I wash our bedding once a week and it's not falling apart or anything but a few prints are looking slightly faded. And I want to increase it's lifetime. So that totally means I need a new quilt right? Right? Haha. I want WHITE and bits of color. And crisp white sheets. And fancy pillowcases. And I want white curtains. I've already mentioned all this in a previous post, so just go with it k?

I drew up a few options in EQ and ended up with something simple. Very classic. But special. I have someone in mind for quilting it. I'm going to hopefully finish it by the end of the month & it'll be a pattern published by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. That's exciting right?

Lately the Chop & I have been FISHING. Like, EVERY night. It's so much fun! We bring chairs, fishing poles, drinks & just sit outside next to a pretty pond. Except I've become obsessed with it. And it's my goal to catch like, a ZILLION. The other night I caught over 15 blue gills! That sounds impressive until you google what they are. Haha. I'm teasing Chop that soon I'll be sponsored by RealTree & suddenly I'll trust my life to my fishing pole ala Jim Shockey (google him!)!

Hope your having a good Thursday!!! :):)

 

 

 

 

{*~Patchwork Palette: Iceland~*}

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Karyn & I are back at it! This time it was Karyn's turn to a pick a photo. And oh boy...she CHALLENGED me. In fact...she challenged me so well I missed the deadline big time, changed my block twice and completely did something different than I'd planned.

And I'm SO thankful she kept me at it!

This is the photo she picked:

(originally from krisatomic)

It's a great landscape of Iceland and you can see her notes on what she liked. Aqua, white, shades of grey, black and bits of pink!

 

When I looked at the photo I saw green, black, bright white and pops of skin tones. Lots & lots of March Green. Here in California right now everything is this lush green. I call it March Green.

I decided to improv piece my block which was a challenge for me. I consider myself a traditional quilter, I love traditional, precise blocks. But I'm always drawn to contemporary quilts & their unique rhythm. They are the kind of quilts that I love to look at, but am to intimidated to try. But the whole point of this project is to interpret and try new things!

So I slowly built this. Bit by bit. Color by color. Something about this felt like I was actually BUILDING a block. Not really sewing a block, but BUILDING IT. There are lots of tiny little pieces, this block is only about 10x6 and it made me SO excited to see that Karyn used tiny little bits within hers too. I wonder if it's the way the people swim within the landscape that made us do that? They look so small compared to the mountains and clouds. I found myself curious how small I could piece, I think it was my way of indulging in some traditional precision.

Her block is very light and air-y, the dark bit is eye catching and I LOVE that. I could only focus on the darks and it seems like she was drawn to the lights, she captured them beautifully! I love that she really BUILT a block too. It's like a log cabin only better! Very structural. One thing I've always admired about Karyn is her ability to choose fabrics. She always seems to make a certain fabric shine, one that I would totally overlook in a shop, she's a pro at finding hidden gems. Check out her usage of the metallics within her block. That's so awesome. But from far away, you can't really tell that they are there. It's a hidden detail that is a complete surprise!

I hope you liked looking at our blocks!!!! I'm so excited to start working on the next one!!!! Thanks Karyn for picking such a fun photo! <3

{*~Patchwork Palettes: Amsterdam Block~*}

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So Karyn & I are really into pinterest right now. I've been completely inspired by the great stuff she's been pinning. The ability to collect all my inspiration and ideas in one place is perfect! And being able to see what inspires others?! Amazing!

One night on gchat we decided to put our pins on pinterest to use and came up with a great new project.

Enter: The Patchwork Palettes Series.

We are taking some of our favorite pinned photos, taking the palette of colors and challenging ourselves to turn them into quilt blocks.

Our first block was inspired by this photo .

I loved the dusty lilacs, the jet blacks, the murky grays and those bits of trees in this photo. So beautiful. Plus I'm really obsessed with Amsterdam's architecture. I wanted to create a block using those colors; very soft/feminine but with a dark Gothic punch!

My block is a traditional Rhode Island Star. Unfortunately it's super windy outside so my block looks a little crooked & wrinkly in the photos, but I assure you that it's a 12 inch square. ;)

I used some of my very favorite fabrics to translate this photo into a quilt block. Shot cottons, the new Denyse Schmidt Greenfield Hill which I simply ADORE, linen and some Japanese taupe prints.

I went traditional whereas Karyn went modern. I wish I'd been able to nail that coral color and Karyn was totally able too! It's such a pretty tone! I really love how she played with space and forms in her block, the tiny squares and rectangles kill me. And those fussy cut trees really stole my heart! Plus those gray plaids...you know I died when I saw them! Seriously, she created a beautiful block.

It's really awesome to have two people look at the same photograph and interpret it completely differently. This is what I love about quilting, it's 100% open to interpretation!!!! You take something that inspires you and you make it YOUR OWN! There is nothing cooler than putting your own stamp on things. It's good to challenge yourself, try something new and find inspiration EVERYWHERE.

I hope you've liked seeing the first bit of our project, Karyn has already chosen the next photo and it's going to stretch my color using skills, I can't wait! I know her version is going to be rad too!

A few notes:

  • The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery has released a new & incredibly cute Valentines Day Pattern! Also be sure to check out Fruit of the Month club! We've been hard at work stitching up samples...did you know we have a flickr group and Kaye had her versions written up in Too Cute Tuesday!
  • Star-y Log Cabin class is a GO!!! Thank you all so much for your kind & encouraging words. Tomorrow night sign ups will START with classes starting the first week in February. I'll be blogging all the details tomorrow night!

Have a great Sunday night!! Keep looking for quilt blocks in everything around you!