Stashtopia !!

Yes....I said Stashtopia....right now it describes the name of my completed "camp" quilt and this feeling I am having. I finished my "camp" quilt last night and have one of the biggest senses of accomplishment I have had in a long time (quilting related..lol). As I previously mentioned, I had been cutting 1.5" strips from my leftovers for a long, long, long...time. It was one of those things where you had good intentions, but if I honestly dig deep, I don't think I ever realllllllly planned on using them. Now, not only did I use up a good portion of those strips, but both the black and white fabric in this quilt was also in my stash!!! Only a very little scrap of the white left over and just enough of the black for the binding. Yea, for me and now you get where this indescribable feeling is coming from.

Now, if only I could find enough fabric in my loot for a backing I would probably have to go dance in the street. Given the fact that this quilt is 74" square, I seriously doubt that I have 4.5 yds of anything...or even enough of anything large enough for a pieced back. Instead, I will reward myself for both completing this in almost the weekend camp time frame and using up what I had on hand with some new yardage for the backing.

Oh, and did I mention I will NEVER be cutting 1.5" strips again from my leftovers?! Hmmmm, maybe squares from now on. Check out my previous post and leave a comment on that post to get in the running to win the rest of my leftover strips (still quite a few...)

Camp Update and Fabric Giveaway

Well I am sewing away on my camp project. Here are photos of 2 of the final possible sets for my project. I am leaning heavily toward the "star". I actually moved the blocks around so many times, that I had to start taking pictures in order to remember what I did and if I liked it. This is a great way to see your quilts from a distance (zoom out) and decide which you like after you've had time to walk away and review them all objectively??!!

I am finding that the most discouraging part of this process is the fact that I am using 10 strips per set (rather than the 5 in the pattern due to the fact that I had so many 1.5" strips pre-cut) and the bag of strips does not seem to be reducing AT ALL!!! With the star set, I only need 7 more blocks....I will NEVER be rid of these strips...and now, after this project, I am tired of looking at them. I know I will not revisit them for another project. If you are interested in winning my bag of leftover strips for your next scrap project. Leave me a comment and I will draw a random winner.....let's say on valentines day!!! A little nod to our true love...FABRIC!

Camp Anyone???

this is my first foray into an internet quilting challenge???? if you hop over to Pat Sloans website she is doing a stash buster camp. Well there are two main things that pulled my into this.....first we are using strips....I have been cutting 1.5" strips from my leftover fabrics for YEARS!! I think I had a log cabin in mind at some point...but this pattern is just a little different. Also, I had two contrasting fabrics (black and white) that should pull all this mess into some kind of order. Second, this is a 3 day sew-a-thon and we are scheduled to be snowed in for the next 2 days at least .....so off to camp I go. If you would like to join us go over and visit
www.patsloan.typepad.com
I'll add pictures as I go if I can.....i don't multi task very well I'm either sewing or playing on the computer....I get into a zone and don't like to stop and switch gears....

Yet another Direction

I am beginning to wonder if "creative" is simply a nice way to phrase an adult form of attention deficit disorder. My grannies are piling up nicely and I decided late saturday evening that I just HAD to make a handbag from some vintage barkcloth that I had laying around my studio. Turned out quite nice despite the manic way in which I attacked the project (usually when I get like this, I make more mistakes than they are worth repairing..hahaha).

This particular pattern was very easy and turned out a professional purse in a short amount of time. As with all sidetracked stitching projects, it has been listed on my etsy site. Thank goodness for etsy...at least I feel like I can share all these projects that seem to overcome me at the oddest times and places!! Might add a few more....time to search the sewing room for more renegade vintage fabrics.

Let me know if you have these sudden crafting/sewing urges and what forms they might take.

A Granny A Day Challenge

As I mentioned before, thanks to Pat Sloan, I am now engaged in the "A Granny a day" challenge. I have decided to do the hexagon squares. Attic 24 has great instructions for this particular granny. Here is the link to Attic 24's instruction page.

I have 18 completed and 4 to finish up today which would bring me current....we'll see if I get to it. The problem now is that I keep wanting more and more colors....back to the yarn shop (which is only 2 doors away from my favorite quilt shop) Might need to work nights..lol. Hope to see some of you playing in yarn and hope to meet some new friends along the way.

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2008/11/hexagon-crochet.html

The link to join in on the grannie a day challenge is

http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/ and click on the heading A Granny A Day.

Something a little different

hello all:

I have had an itch to work with yarn lately. I might have been pat sloan's granny square throw down lol, but I can't be sure. I have crocheted in the past and find the need to revisit this craft. I started with a little swing sweater for my granddaughter. Unfortunately, it left the house before I was able to photograph it. I have now moved onto this cute little sundress pattern I found on HGTV's website. It features a crocheted bodice and cotton skirt. I love it so much I have bought yarns in bright pink, turquoise, lime green....well you get the idea.....and cotton fabrics to coordinate with each color of yarn. The first came out waaaaayyyyy bigger than it's intended size so I have listed it on etsy while I move onto the next maybe the pink or melon and hopefully it will turn out the size I need for my Maggie.

Facebook????

I just received a "friend" request on my facebook account today from Moda United Notions. While I love to "friend" and follow my favorite quilting celebs on facebook...it seems that facebook is becoming less "friendly" and more of a place for people to cross advertise their latest wares.
Let me know what you think about this new trend.....and certainly friend request me if you are a live person and quilter lol. Robin Laino is the name to search.

Movin On.....

Well, thank goodness, I kept my quilting resolution list short.
1. I finished machine quilting and binding the christmas tree quilt...(and enjoyed it on my lap for 24 hours before it went away with the holiday decorations)
2. Caught up on my block of the month and picked up my January block.
3. Helped out at the local shop for their big inventory sale.
4. Shopped for more FABRIC!!!!!
Now I am READY to start quilting my way through 2010 with no lingering guilt.

Happy Quilting,
Robin

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my quilting, blogging friends. I hope this year brings much health, happiness and productivity. Have you made any quilting resolutions.....clean your studio, organize your stash, take a class, make more time to sew???? Let me know what you have lined up for 2010. Remember the christmas quilt top that I swore I'd have done and bound for the holiday????? (scroll back if you don't) well it is still under the needle of my machine with about 1/3 left to quilt. That is my FIRST project of the new year....clean up the old years left overs..lol

Dear Santa

Dear Santa:

At this point in my life, I'm not sure what you are looking for in a good girl any more.....

1. Do good girls sneak bags of fabric into the house in their grocery bags thus making it look as though there might actually be food in the house???? (I am using my re-useable grocery bags after all!!
2. Do good little girls blog about, read up on, and spend inordinate amounts of time quilting?? Even if they swear they're going to donate the next project to a worthwhile charity??
3. Do good little girls make their husbands believe the water and sewer bill get paid monthly instead of quarterly while they divert the excess funds to their favorite fabric store. (I am after all helping the economy)
Taking all of this into consideration, I feel that I can reasonably make a christmas wish from Santa: I would like the Blush Fat Quarter Bundle by basicgrey from FatQuarterShop.com

Robin
P.S. - I did take time out of my quilting activities to bake so there will be cookies here if you should stop with my gift!!

Fa la la......

Working on a new pattern and my gift to me will be a trip to one of my favorite fabric shops....it's just enough of a drive that it's a real treat when i get to go. I'm hoping to find a collection to test out my new pattern with...fingers crossed!!

And many of you might ask....don't you have baking, decorating, and other holiday "stuff" to get done???? My answer is YES, I do!!!; however, I am having good days and bad days over this holiday. Last year my daughter and grandson were living with us and we had the "majic and wonder" back again. We really did up the decorations!! You could land small aircraft via our outside lights, my husband brought down his fathers lionel trains and we moved out furniture to build our train town and small wonderland...and it was wonderful!! Well, we went ahead and did the same thing this year; but there are no babies living here...my daughter and grandson have moved out (as they are supposed to do) and although they stop on a regular basis as well as my grand daughter...it just isn't the same. I'm dreading christmas morning....myself, my husband, and a 16 year old who would rather sleep in than open presents......SOOOOOO this fabric fix is my quilters version of retail therapy.

I have included pics of our holiday gala so some of you can share the "wonder".

Pattern Shopping

Hey All:
Just thought I'd share the newest place to find me. The Quilt Pattern Shoppe at www.thequiltpatternshoppe.com. I am one of their new designers and my pattern will also be for sale there as well as at my etsy shop. I am trying to install a Pattern Shoppe button on my blog so you can hop right on over there and pick up your copy and see what all the other talented designers there have to offer. Lots of inspiration to keep you quilting happily all winter long.