Stash Questionnaire

I found this questionnaire on Sew mama sew!

• What do you usually sew?

I sew quilts, dog accessories, and bags

• When you shop for fabric, what size cuts do you usually buy? (i.e. If you see something beautiful, but you don’t have a use for it right away, how much do you buy?)

I do more of a 1/2 yard cut or more if I like it alot. Otherwise I do a fat quarter...

• Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need?

I do buy on impulse alot but I do go looking for stuff I need too!

• Are you a pre-washer? If you are, do you wash your fabric before you need it, or only when you’re ready to use it?

I don't pre-wash, I 've never had a problem with it running, and i like the shrinking look...:)

• Do you iron it?

I do iron alot, I live for my iron! lol

• How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.)

I try to keep the collection groupings together but they are sorted in tubs by colors

• Do you have any special folding techniques?

Not really, I try to fold like fat quarters mostly.

• How do you store your fabric?

plastic bins that are sealed so nothing can get in...or get out! lol

• What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash?

I have a problem with this, I have alot of printed fabric but not much solids, I need to work on that part of it!

• When do you say enough is enough?

Nope, never will happen!

• What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects?

scrappy quilting projects :)

• Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? Let’s see it!

Right now I have alot of favorites, but the mermaid collection from Heather mendinco? Is my fav right now...

• What’s your definition of the perfect stash?
  

When I have to use a latter to get to all the shelves in my crafting area! :)

Cookies and Kitty's

Last night I was badly craving some peanut butter...so after searching online for recipes I can across this awesome cookie recipe...I didn't know if it would turn out exactly because it sounded a bit odd. But they were soooo yummy...if you do make them just remember to have milk handy!

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool. Recipe doesn't make very many, so you could double recipe as you desire.

Heres a pic of how mine looked...

Now for the kitty part...I wanted to show off the kitty's new bed...she does sleep in it, but I caught her sleeping on our bed instead ha. The bed is on top of mcgruff's toy box, her favorite place to sleep! lol

Spring Projects In Full Swing...

Even though it doesn't quite feel like spring out there today I have spring fever! In fact we are even supposed to get snow! I can't believe it! After my recent trip to visit me sister she has enlisted me to make her a throw for her couch. Her couch is a seafoam green color and most of her house as you can see in my earlier posts are neutrals, blues, greens ect. While visiting the fon's and porter quilt shop we can across this quilt pattern which was similar to a log cabin type. I though I can pick out some blues/greens from my stash and do a similar pattern...here is the fabrics so far...


The other quilt I am going to be starting I got at the quilting connection in Ames, Ia. I'm using a mavrick star block that looks pretty awesome and background color will be a white kona cotton. I think this will make the stars really jump out at you. Here are the fabrics for this quilt...


I also have made progress with finishing my Hello Betty Quilt top. Here is that progress for you...

My Trip To Ames

I thought I would share some of my pictures of Audry's new house....she has done a lot of work to upgrade it! I also wanted to share just other random pics of the trip too! so enjoy

my Sister and I out for a walk with the doggies! She posed on a bridge in nevada, iowa.

This is me and my new fav sunglasses! wooo!I had to throw in a random picture of calee too! lol
My bro in law is pretty crazy! lol

Pom Puppies!

During the last week I visited my sister! She is in school as a vet and as a part time job she works for a lady who raises pom pups. They are very sweet doggies and the lady takes very good care of them all at her home. She is very much into showing pom's and has a great breeding stock! lol. Anyways I was able to go with my sister to work one morning and help take care of all the cute puppies! I took tons of pics of them all and even did a video. I wanted to share with you some of my pics with the puppies!

This one was my favorite! :) I called him my little burrito! :) lol I also didn't shower so I look dirty and tired! lol.

The last pics are of Audry (my sis) dog's Leela and Nibbler :)

Quilting Progress & New Fabrics!

I am posting my progress on my hello betty log cabin quilt! Just a little more on each one! I layed it out to check a grasp on how the size is coming about. I am really liking this one, I didn't think I would like it at first but its not too bad! :)


I bought these prints this weekend at our local quilting store in Effingham and these I bought for Magan because she is addicted to fruit and veggy fabrics! :) Enjoy

New Camera = New Pictures!!

Today I received my new super awesome camera! I love it! I've been running around the apt taking pictures of everything I could! lol Just because I haven't had a camera in such a long time! grrr. Anyways, Heres a shot of the camera box because you must see what it looks like right?


Well I thought I would also show you my sweet pillows I made for my couch too! I whipped these babies up this weekend! They are from the bistro fabric line! they are super comfy!


The next two items are a tampon wallet I made for me and a ipod holder for calee!

My postage stamp quilt

I know alot of you have seen this on craftster but I wanted to put it here on my blog as well :) I am just so proud of this baby! Anyways I saw a small postage stamp quilt online at one point and thought to myself "how hard can this be?"...soooo I decided to start cutting...I immediately realized that it was going to take a crap load of squares and I had no where near enough fabric in my stash to chose from. So being that I work at a fabric store I started collecting scraps...and lots of scraps lol. I then joined a postage stamp square swap and did alot of personal swapping to have enough squares. I sorted by colors in bags and just organized them as they came in. It sat in my closet for a looong time and at one point I thought of giving up because I didn't realize how much work was involved in JUST collecting fabric and cutting. Until one day I cleaned out my craft closet and decided to sew a block (blue) it turned out horrible...really bad...seriously. I didn't pin, and I didn't care at that point because I had no idea how to. So I informed my (soon to be) mom-in-law and she gave me a pin lesson. I then started on another block and it turned out sooo awesome! I figured out a chain sewing method that made the blocks start coming faster! I had a goal of sewing one block per week, but I was so addicted to it by then that I sewed about 2/3 per week! Before I knew it I had finished it! hurray! I know that I will most likely never do one again, but at least I can cross it off my quilt list. :) Anyways here it is!!!!

My Etsy Store!

As my quilting projects slowly wind down to an end for my family/friends I think about all my future quilting/sewing projects AND I figure I can sell them! So my very talented, creative, adorable and design gifted friend Calee offered to help me "pimp" out my etsy store ha! She designed several etsy banners, business cards, and profile pics! How wonderful!! Over the next few months I plan of making all kinds of stuff including...bags, dog accessories, quilts, fabric, ipod holders, tampon wallets ect. The sky is the limit! I love sewing so why not try to make some money of doing it!? Right?! This gives me a real excuse to buy more fabric!!! YIPPIE! Anyways if anyone wants a banner or any kind of design...go see a real professional-who knows design! :)
www.chimes.etsy.com

here are my banners: I love showing them off!!!
!

Quilting Progress

Tonite was the grand opening of Brock's dads new bar, we went for a couple hours but had to be home at a decent time because I work bright and early! It is really nice inside though, he put in alot of work! :) There was a pretty big turn out for a wed. night. in a small town!

As most of you already know I uploaded a butt load of pictures onto craftster of all my latest quilts! They are pretty awesome and I am very proud of them!! If you haven't gotten a chance yet to look check them out!

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=296232.0

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=296238.0

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=296243.0

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=296244.0

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=296246.0

My friend calee is re-doing my etsy site for me, making me a banner, business cards ect. I am making her an ipod cover in return :) I hope to start making some more quilts, crafts to put on it, so I can start having some spending money for fabric and other goodies! :) I also bought myself a new digital camera tonight on amazon because my old one finally crapped out on me! ugh. Oh well I needed it. If you want to check out the great camera its a Canon Powershot SX110IS

As far as quilting progress currently I am in the midst of several projects. I finished a tampon wallet last night for a personal swap and I want to make another on for me this weekend. I want to start making more of them to put and sell on etsy.

These are my current quilting projects in the works:

1.) Hello Betty Log Cabin
2.) Moda Three Sisters Jelly Log Cabin
3.) Moose Wall Hanging
4.) In the Pink Sampler Quilt
5.) Americana Sampler Quilt

after I finish those 5 I am totally done with all my quilt projects I had planned for the year! then I can concentrate on making stuff to sell on etsy. Thanks for reading! :)

Inside Bearpaw

As most of you know, I am the store manager for our online fabric store bearpawquilting.com I took some pictures of the illusive inside for all of you to see! :) Enjoy the pictures...what your seeings is only partial of the bottom floor, we have a whole other side, plus an upstairs warehouse! Anyways enjoy!

More great fabrics!

Thanks to my friend magan I have more fabric coming my way! lol. Due to our similarities with fabric we were able to split several bundles! It cuts down on costs too! We got three bundles including neptune, soiree, and twiggy...


Oh I love them all! I can't wait for the others to come out that I listed on my previous blog. I am def. buying those also. I spent my of the the weekend work on my hello betty quilt...I had a honey bun that I was working with and doing some log cabin blocks. I did 10'' blocks, but bad news is that I ran out of fabric, so I am buying another honey bun. I was also working on another quilt, its got teals, reds, greens...its really pretty. I am doing a larger log cabin block with stripes of fabric randomly placed. When I finish both I will post them. I also am going to start on a moose wall hanging for my dad. I made him a duck quilt a while back and decided its time for something else. I have an Idea in my head of what I want to do. I hope to get a few quilts back from the quilters this week so I will have a bunch of projects to post!! :) stay tuned!!!!!!!!

New & Exciting FQB

Since our cable is out...I decided to work on some quilting projects this morning...

1.) Teal Jelly Roll
2.) Hello Betty
3.) Wood Charms

Then once I finish those I can start on peicing my LQ4 quilts
1.) Surf and Sand
2.) Paisley

After those are done, hopefully LQ5 will be in full affect and I have two quilts for that one... 1.) In the Pink
2.) Americana

I'm also gonna try a Kentucky fleece/cotton quilt for Brock's step dad Finally I will be done with all my quilts! I've been on a kick to make every one of my friends/family a quilt. I have been quilting like crazy! I can then concentrate on selling projects or whatever I choose. I was browsing the fatquartershop and came across these collections...and I love them all!! Take a peek! ------->

Last night I went crazy and organized my little crafting closet. I did alot of work and sorted out all my fabrics by colors, then I put in a small bookshelf and put some of my quilting tools, notions in the baskets. It turned out pretty neat! :) I can see what I have in my crafting closet now! yay for that! Anyways, back to quilting now!!