Tag Archives: Fabric

My Namesake Gets a Keepsake!

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Blue, bunnies and brown! Woohoo!

As some of you might remember, I cleared out, organized, and carved a path in my sewing cave (see related post http://wp.me/p1JRkn-ez) to accommodate house guests-my mom and my Aunty Linda.  Yes, my namesake and my mom came to visit the islands and to play with the kids, of course!

Little did they know, we had a packed week filled with cub scouts, birthday parties, regattas, Halloween parties (plural)-a relaxing Hawaiian vacation it was not!

In anticipation of Aunty Linda’s visit and her own Hawaiian birthday celebration, I ordered lovely Lily and Will Jelly Roll Blue by Bunny Hill for Moda Fabrics and coordinating fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop.  http://www.fatquartershop.com/Lily-and-Will-Bunny-Hill-Designs-Moda-Fabrics.asp  Love the Fat Quarter Shop!

I then consulted my quilting library of books and patterns-how did I collect so many in such a short amount of time??? Sound familiar?  I chose Bars of Gold from Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam & Nicky Lintott.  An excellent book-get it! http://tinyurl.com/74zgh5t  Check out the Quilt Room too! http://www.quiltroom.co.uk

I finished the quilt top in time for her arrival and her birthday celebration but needed to finish the quilt before her departure!  Eeek!  We celebrated and toured Hawaii with a drive around the island, fishing, a play date, a plumbing leak, a visit with the turtles on the North Shore, soap making, Cub Scouts, Halloween parties, trick or treating, and more!

All the while, we indulged each night with a little cocktail or wine to celebrate that we actually got through our hectic, yet fun-filled days!  With a day to spare, in true QUTI style, I finished it! Whew!

 

Subscribe To Our Blog… Get a Free Gift!

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Wow!  Free is soooo much fun!  Back by popular demand for one more week…

Subscribe (that’s the box to the right of this post where you add your email and click “Subscribe!”) :-)   to our blog using a valid email address and we will send you a cool gift (yes, we will ask for your mailing address since we haven’t found a way to tweet fabric electronically… yet!).  Once subscribed, we promised not to bug you with non-QUTI silliness and absolutely won’t share your information without your permission. Remember, we have manners… See our manners aka privacy policies posted under our policies page.

Super cool fat quarter gift available until September 7!  Join us now, keep track of the crazies quilting under the influence!!!

Cheers! Linda and Kelly of QUTI

 

Wanna Ruana? The Frugal Sewist Decides… Yes!

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While visiting family in Dallas a few months ago, I went to Soma and Chicos for my usual shopping spree and I purchased an impulse Ruana … See, isn’t it so tropical for my island climate?  I agree, thank you.

So, after spending way too much on my impulse purchase, wondering if I will ever really wear it, I packed it away and brought it back to the islands.  Well, it turns out, I do wear it and love the comfort.  It also looks quite nice and fancy… Re-looking at this, I decided, how hard would this really be to make?  Famous last words…

Ok, my husband is doing his usual dinner prep-did you hear that ladies?  I am sooooo lucky, my husband actually loves to cook.  Tonight was no different…. He decided that he wanted to cook under the influence.  But really ladies, this is an every night occurrence, the husband cooking and him cooking under the influence! This gives me time to sew and quilt-again, I am sooooo lucky! He calls this dish “Left Over Roast Chicken Under The Influence with Oregano and Spinach Soup.”

Okay, so my husband wants to get to into the blog… He thinks I should post a picture of his project classic car to attract quilter’s husbands, and I told him to step away from the computer and stick to his “knitting” so to speak!  Ha! Stay tuned for future posts!

Ok, back to me… a few days ago, I went to the fabric store… wait, clearly I DO NOT NEED TO GO INTO A FABRIC STORE FOR A VERY LONG TIME (I have ALL I really need)… Linda-focus! Okay… fine, but I wanted to get some fun things to give away on our blog.  Oooops, I should probably be more discrete about that…

Ok, back to the story, I found two yards of 50% off fabric that was light and airy… sorry, I have no idea, if it is silk or otherwise, but it hangs so light and breezy…  so for $11.00, yes, you “heard” right… $11.00.  This may not seem like a deal to you but when you live on a island where everything comes by boat, we get excited about sales!!!

Ok, back to the story, I poured a drink and “dove” in.  I just (I kinda measured, I kinda pinned, I kinda cut straight, and I kinda ironed the hem, not really, I didn’t even plug in the iron) kinda prepared the fabric.  It actually turned out so lovely!  Eva Bernina did me well but since it was my first time using this light and airy fabric, it took patience!  It isn’t perfect, but no one is going to inspect it as I wear it and IT DOES look lovely!

Yes, Ella wanted to model it… are they both so lovely together!

Cheers!  Linda, Clearly Sewing Under The Influence

Geeezzzzz… everything seems to have another QUTI purpose!

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Ok, I was at Safeway, yes, the grocery store, the one I frequent for the staples of life… milk, eggs, fruit, oh wait…. the impulse isle-a fabric throw made of recycled material! $6.99 what a deal? and for a 60×60 piece of fabric-come on quilters, don’t you agree?  Being impulsive and a little ADHD, yes… I bought it!

Feeling righteous for buying an eco-friendly product, and oh so thrifty (it is so not me, but I am trying), I thought I could embellish it with my new Baby Go! Did I say I was impulsive and a little ADHD?  A friend gave me a beautiful Amazon Gift Certificate and I got my frivolous and all important new quilting tool.  Okay, I am sorry, Baby Go, you are not frivolous, you are a tool.  I stand corrected… yes, by myself.

Okay, I digress, or progress, who knows… I pulled out the Baby Go for the first time- WOOO HOOOO!  Geez… a little cute girl thought it was fascinating as well… Ahhh, another “teachable moment” – that is my new code phrase.

Focus Linda.  Okay, but isn’t she cute?  I so love her… Yes, Ella primarily and yes, also the Go Baby…

Onto the project, right?  I pulled out the eco-find and decided to Eva Bernina the flowers (it seemed to so tropical and fun) to embellish with these great pops of color.  Oh, and of course, the colors are so our QUTI colors-yes, I have QUTI on the brain!!!

The sick part of this story is I woke up in the middle of the night and had to sew the binding.  Yes, you “heard” that right.  After sleeping for four hours, I woke up at 1 and sewed until 3:30am… I must seek professional help I am sure!!!!  I even talked to myself and said “Linda, this is lame… why are sewing in the middle of the night? and why can’t you stop?”  I said, back to myself, “Well, I just need to finish the binding so I can feel like I accomplished something.”  “Oh,” I said, “That’s lame.”  I said, “Yes, it is but it is soooo me!”

Well, there it is… just four flowers and my beautiful binding!

Cheers!  Linda, Blogging Under The Influence

Sometimes you just need a sense of accomplishment (albeit perhaps false but whatevers) …

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When your days or week just seem to never end and you look back and say… “What exactly did I achieve this week?”… A simple project is just what the doctor ordered!

I followed these amazing directions from http://www.prudentbaby.com/2011/06/mitered-corner-cloth-napkins.html and voila…

There.  Something finished. contained. and so beautiful.   I am feeling better already!

Oh, and yes, it is the little things that bring me so much joy… flower pins-yes-I AM that geeky to get excited over something so simple and sweet!

Cheers, Linda