Fabric Hoops and Cheap Wall Art

So I made these fabric hoops that I originally saw online in a picture at the Purl Soho store. I bought many different fabrics in a varitiy of shapes, colors, and print sizes and stretched them into embroidery hoops. The hoops were a little costly but all together this made for fun, cheep, wall art in my new apartment. I got all of the fabric at Handcocks as well as the hoops and it only took me about an hour to cut the fabric with a rotary cutter. I've gotten a lot of complements on them and they add a pleasing touch of color to my bedroom walls!

Long Over Due...

Its been a while is not even a good way to say it, but yes...it has! I have had a very long year since I last updated this Blog and so much has happened in my life that I can not even begin to tell you everything. But here is a small list of the changes that have occured during the past year or so that might help you to understand why I dropped off the face of the earth for a while:

• Got my first teaching/coaching job!!!
• Worked 12 hour days for a whole year teaching at the worst school in Central Texas!
• Broke off a 5 year relationship with someone that I cared deeply for.
• Moved out on my own for the first time in my life and back into a one bedroom apartment.
• Got my second teaching/coaching job!!!
• Working only 9.5 hour days at one of the best schools in Central Texas!
• Moved into a three bedroom house with a good friend of mine.
• Took on learing Spanish and Italian...Ohhh, and crocheting!
• Had a birthday that put me one year closer to thirty and one farther away from twenty, while newly single.
• Met a new guy that serves our country, is from North Carolina, and makes me uber happy!!!

... All during a 18month period. There were so many changes, struggles, and high points that sewing kinda' took a back seat for a while. But I am picking it back up! I'm going to fill you in on the few projects that I did manage to create through all of this. Hope you enjoy what is to come and thank you for understanding that life just tends to take over sometimes.

Dresden Plates Made Easy

Thanks to Donna, I got this great link to a site that shows you how to make a Dresden Plate pattern quite simply! The site is called SEWN (http://www.sewn.net.au/) and it has great ideas and inspirations for all kinds of projects, but this Dresden Plate pattern is too cute and easy too! Once again, thanks Donna for the info. and thanks to SEWN for the great pattern! If someone uses this pattern soon let me know how it goes, maybe even send some pictures!

*To see the pattern just click on the title of this post "Dresden Plates Made Easy"

I'm Back!

So, I took a small leave of absence the past week or two...I have had so much going on in my life and have been working on a few new quilts to share with you. I will try not so be gone for so long in the future and I will do my best to keep the quilts coming! I have just finished my friend Hilary's baby quilt for her shower coming up in a few weeks and as soon as she sees it then I will be sure to share it with everyone else, but I don't want to spoil the surprise by posting it early! I have three more quilts that need to be quilted and I will be trying to get those cranked out in the next 2-3 weeks! I just started cutting on a scrappy log cabin pattern yesterday that is going to be a huge challenge for me (it has sooo many tiny pieces!). So, as you can see, there are many great things to come! Keep on quilting! Love all, Tina.

Mom's Quilt

I made this quilt for my mom in Oct. 2008. It was a birthday gift to her and the first quilt that I made all by myself, minus the quilting. It is made out of Moda fabric, I believe it is called "Peace on Earth." It is a traditional turning twenty and it fits a queen size bed. The quilting was done by Jan but I am not sure what design she used. My mom still has it on her bed today so maybe its time she get another one!

Go Check Out Donna

My friend Donna has some great stuff on Esty that is all handmade! Go check it out and show her some love!!!

http://sewingmendsthesoul.etsy.com

http://piecesofthepast.etsy.com

Kim's Bugs

This is a quilt that I bought at the Austin Quilt Show in 2008. It is all Moda Flutterby and I used the Turning-Twenty pattern out of the book Turning Twenty By Tricia Cribbs. This is just a picture of the quilt top, I will have to get Kim to bring the finished quilt by my house so I can get some pictures of it finished! It turned out really cute and I quilted it myself on Liz's long-arm using the pantograph Popcorn. This was my first time to quilt using a pantograph and I really liked it!