My Deluxe Zig Zag Beauty

I might be getting a new bad habit.  It seems I have a thing for sewing machines.  Really, how many does a girl need?  It turns out, I need five.  My Bernina (that's my baby), my Pfaff Grand Quilter (that's my work-horse), my Vogue Stitch by Janome (it was such a good deal, how could I pass it up?), my Gammill longarm (just to make all the guys who come to my house go, "Oooooh!"), and now I have added another to my collection.

This turquoise Universal Deluxe Zig Zag sewing machine from 1959 just had to come live at my house!  I know it's from 1959 because it came with the original receipt.  Such a beauty.  I haven't even used her yet.  I just sit and stare at her.

Here are some more glamor shots for you!

Sew pretty!

Catch me on Craftypod!

I was featured on the Craftypod blog yesterday!  If you've never listened to CraftyPod, you should!  Sister Diane is like the Terry Gross of Craft!  If you click on picture below, you can check out my interview and then click over and give her podcast a listen.  It's definitely one of the best craft-related podcasts out there.

I've also been sewing up a storm and have been adding some new items to my Etsy shop.  Among other things, I just added this new patchwork quilt that I quilted up on my longarm.  I'm so happy with my new machine and so happy I haven't broken it (yet!).

On the subject of Craftypod and podcasts, what do you like to listen to while you're working?  I'd love to add some variety to my iTunes!

Making: Free Bee - August

My Free Bee block for the month of August is finished...and almost mailed!  It's in an envelope, at least.  This block is for Leanne from she can quilt. 

Leanne's block for the Free Bee online swap

She requested a large block (15") with a small focus area of color in an otherwise neutral block.  Preferably, the focus area would reflect the each quilter's personal style.  For my focus, I chose to do a tiny split log cabin block.  For the neutrals, I did lots of strips of off whites and a light khaki.  In reading back over her directions, I now see where she requested a "minimal" approach.  Whoops.  I missed that part.

Making: A Memory Quilt for Noa

It's been awhile since I posted anything new here.  It's not that I have nothing to post, actually, it's the opposite.  I've been having so much fun making new work that I haven't been able to slow down enough to photograph it and put it up on the blog!  Not really a bad problem to have.

So, while I've been away from blog-land, I made a few things which I'll post over the next few weeks.  Let me start with this quilt that I made for a friend from her now two year old's baby clothes.

These clothes sat in a box next to my sewing machine for nearly a year before I had a chance to start the project.  (Thank goodness my friend didn't mind that I held her sweet baby clothes hostage for that long!)

She gave me an idea of what she wanted - mainly something BIG!  I got started.

The clothes still smelled like baby!  Some of my friends know this; I'm a sucker for that smell.  So cute.  And here it is, the finished quilt!  Yay!!!  She only had to wait a year!

Noa's Technicolor Clothes Quilt