Traveling Stash Update

Congratulations to Laura for having her name pulled to receive the Traveling Stash! She blogs at Annals of Creation.

I have been rather lazy lately. My sewing projects have not progressed much farther. Part of the delay is I started a counted cross stitch and forgot how long they take. I had surgery a few weeks ago and that took about a week off of projects. The other delay is this lovely.

I picked this kit up from an Etsy shop called Bama Luna Supplies. Her pricing is a little inconsistent, but she has some nice items (great shop, but both orders I got smelled like cigarette smoke. Not sure if it her or the source, since she resells). I picked up several items, including another kit. Finished, this kit is about 17" x 20". Unfortunately, the instructions are bordering on worthless and I have had to research several new techniques and make several changes. For Example, the cute leaf shaped loop on the bias does not work out in assembly, since making them 4" will put them up next to the binding. Making them smaller is not possible due to the size of the bias (and I already shrunk that down from 5/8" to 1/2"). 

The 2 grey pieces that came with the kit were not to my taste, neither was the sky fabric, which looked more like cotton candy tie dye than sky. I am also adding some accent beadwork and hope to get to the actual quilting by the end of next week. 

For a quick rundown on construction: the stained glass dolphin is a pattern, drawn on freezer paper, then cut out and then assembled atop iron-on stabilizer. Once the dolphin is attached to the stabilizer, the bias tape is measured and ironed on one piece at a time to create the stained glass look. After I squared up the background fabric, I centered the dolphin and added the purple bias. Since the original placement did not work out, I removed the loops and created mitered corners, although then I had to decide how to finish the corners. In the end, I trimmed the bottom piece of bias to be even with the outer side of the top piece of bias tape and gave the other end a tail to tuck into the bottom piece, flipping it under the mitered corner. This resulted in a small bump, but much better than having the end show. 

Traveling Stash + an Update

Good Morning!

A great many changes since my last post. I have switched jobs and have been keeping very busy working on an online craft course. Currently progressing through the color theory course, which is just about finished.

I made my own color wheel (for reference when picking colors).

Made a few examples of different color combinations and am currently working on more difficult colors, like Achromatic.

So that is where my spare time has been going.

A few months ago, I received a traveling stash. Unfortunately, it has paused in its travels and is still hanging out here. If anyone would like to have the Traveling Stash move on to their house, just observe the rules. 

• Boxes should move on at a reasonable pace, please have an active blog. 
• This is a large priority mailing box and you can save some money by prepaying online and printing the mail label.
• Only include items that you would be proud to own.
• Please do not include items that are from a smoker house.
• Do not trade out items to get rid of yardage that is below quilter quality. The box is intended to trade goods that you do not use for items that you would use, not as a dumping ground for older, worn or low quality items.

Sewingly Along has an excellent post listing the rules for the stash. She was once the organizer. The current organizer is Tricia at Ramblings of a Quilter. 

Leave a comment, if you are interested in the Traveling Stash. The deadline is April 24th. I will draw that weekend and let you know before Monday.

Traveling Stash

Every once in a while I like to put my name in for these traveling boxes full of fabric and quilting goodies, called the traveling stash. This one arrived Wednesday.

This box has many lovely fabrics in it. There are also several patterns, which I did not take a picture of.

The lucky winner trades out any fabrics or items that they want to keep and puts back in any fabric or sewing related items that they no longer use or want (new or gently used please, items that you would be proud to own). Then you host a giveaway on your blog for the next person the stash will move on to.

There are a few rules:
Please only trade quilt shop quality fabric
Please only trade items you would be proud to own
Have an active blog
Post the giveaway and ship the box in a timely manner
For a more extensive list of the rules, please visit Katies blog 'Snuggle up with a Dish From Karma'

Leave a comment below. If you want something fun, you can talk about your latest project or the weather (mine finally went above 0 this week) where you live. It's always fun to see where everyone is from. I will close this one on 2/6, so I can ship on Saturday.

Traveling Stash #4

You may have noticed I am giving away Traveling stash #3. Well, I also won traveling stash #4 a while ago. The box has been a little delayed, but has now arrived and needs to move on to the next lucky winner. The Lucky winner is Karyn from the Stylish Home.

Congratulations Karyn!

Rules

Each box is filled with quilt shop quality supplies, fabric, notions, etc and travels the USA. It stops at lucky winners homes, where the winner trades out any lovely items they want to own and puts back in items they no longer need. 

Have a active blog and post the giveaway fairly quickly after receiving the box

USA only, due to postage costs

Trade items you would be proud to own, this is not a dumping site for outdated or worn items

Trade like items, fabric for fabric, notions for notions

Try to avoid adding too many books, they add a lot of weight

No pet hairs, odors or smoke

See Katies blog at Snuggling up with a Dish from Karma. She tracks the boxes and updates the rules post.

Leave me a comment before September 16th if you would like this traveling stash to visit your house. 

New Traveling Stash Box #3

I am the happy winner of box #3. The box travels around the USA and when it stops at a house, the person who has the box trades for fabric or notions and then sends the box on its way.

This is the current contents of Box #3. I have removed some items and replaced them with a few things I have not found a use for. This box has quite a bit of fabric, a nice selection of patterns and some notions. Leave a comment for a chance for this box to come to your house. Deadline is Sept. 13th. 

Congratulations Karyn!

Rules are simple:

Have a active blog and post the giveaway fairly quickly after receiving the box

USA only, due to postage costs

Trade items you would be proud to own, this is not a dumping site for outdated or worn items

Trade like items, fabric for fabric, notions for notions

Try to avoid adding too many books, they add a lot of weight

No pet hairs, odors or smoke

See Katies blog at Snuggling up with a Dish from Karma. She tracks the boxes and updates the rules post.

Things...

Are very busy around here right now. Tis the week before finals...
Sadly, my current quilting projects have sat and sat. Zero progress due to more and more homework projects and presentations as the semester reaches its end. Right before I got deluged in homework, I decided to make an addition to the Sweet Pea Quilt (and up the difficulty level =\).

I am making 3 of the block centers out of the Shasta Daisy Pattern over at Quilters Design Board.

I would post pictures of actual progress, but I have a cutting board piled in pieces, fabric, and snack bags. Not much to see right now. Then to add to the busy and shelve current projects, my sister-in-law is pregnant and my hubby thinks it's awesome when I make things for his family. =) So i'm making her a baby blanket and she is due in June.

In other news: Vroomans' Quilts has won the traveling stash!

Traveling Stash aka Pass it on Box

The Pass it on Box arrived a couple of days ago, and I have enjoyed going through the box and choosing a few things to trade. The box has some interesting pieces, for example, a sew and stuff santa and a sew and stuff cat. This box is mostly fabric, which is nice.

There are a few patterns and a christmas tree of buttons. I took out a few things.

And put in a few things.

The other nice thing about this box (in some ways) is that it currently fits in a medium size priority mail box. If you do straight trades, it will still fit. If you add a bunch, you will need to upgrade to the large box.

The Traveling Stashes are kept track of by Cherise over at Sewingly Along.
There are a few rules that go along with this giveaway, besides the fact that this box only travels the United States (due to shipping costs).

• Fabric only of quilting quality
• Items you would be proud to own
• Trade like sizes (FQ for FQ, Yd for Yd)
• Have an active blog
• Take and post pictures

For a complete list of the rules, please visit Sewingly Along's Rules List.

Leave a comment for a chance at the Traveling Stash. Good luck and I will pick a winner next Saturday, April 27th.

Christa's Year of Giveaways!

I follow a good many blogs and every so often one does a giveaway. Christa Quilts is starting a year of giveaways and is looking for suggestions for items we would like her to give away. I know I love fabric (and who doesn't), but there are many other quilting related items, such as thread, bobbins, pins, and (if you crazy quilt) lace, embroidery thread, buttons. The list is near endless.

Her blog typically follows her as she makes quilts, as a weekly tutorial. I follow her with email to make the posts easy to find.

There is a traveling stash on the way. Will have a post up with the giveaway once it arrives.

See Cherise's blog for details on how the traveling stash works.