finish-a-long part 3...

Isn't he darling - a sewing machine's best friend! He is the newest addition to my steadily growing pincushion obsession. My FLiPS partner Kristen was reading my mind - he came with a box full of goodies, including another pinnie [or rather, pin sharpener as it was filled with sand]. Probably one of the best swaps I have ever been in. Though, I have been one lucky crafter as far as swaps go! It has been great playing along with Rhonda's Finish-A-Long! It's officially the third quarter and I wanted to share with you the creations I will [fingers crossed!] be finishing this time around.

1. Another quilt needs binding!! I can't wait to share more of this Kaffe Fassett pattern very soon, the next time you see it, it will have the binding and hanging sleeve attached. This will be in our forever-being-rennovated kitchen :) I have the perfect spot to hang it up!

2. The final installment in my little venture into the circus world is all cut out. The lion ringmaster needs stitched together and embellished. He will have to keep the unicorn, mouse, seal, monkey, and elephant in line :)

3. I have two funky pincushions that have been sitting on my sewing table for too long. All I can say is, be careful, pinterest inspiration can strike at any time.

4. Finally, last quarter I finished The Flock. This quarter I am hoping to whip up some of the coordinating pillows and pillowcases. Feels good to finally be using the fabric and pattern I bought so long ago for their intended purpose.

Now all that's left is to get down to the business of sewing! The weather is cooperating for a little craftiness, it has cooled off this week. Last week it was 104F outside with no air conditioning inside - the thought of sitting in my upstairs craft room made me break a sweat :)

UFOs no more...

The second quarter of the Finish-a-Long hosted by Rhonda has come to an end. I am excited to report I finished all 3 of the previously UnFinished Objects that I posted about here! I shared The Flock quilt with you earlier, above is a picture of the spring/summer wreath that I finished.

After I made this one for Christmas, I kind of got wreath fever. [I think Pinterest should take some of the blame for this one] I was scouring the internet, looking through my yarn, and dreaming up color combos - but the only progress was a sad looking styrofoam wreath wrapped in yarn. I think it's come along way since then! The felt flowers are lots of fun to make and I think they would be great for headbands. You can check out my other wreath post for links to the tutorials I used.

Also making the deadline were 2 more additions to my Circus Life collection. The pattern was for a horse, but currently I am loving all things unicorn. A little paperclay horn, and voila!

[This is not the best picture I have ever taken, I know] The wool felt I used for the seal may have been a little dark - it's difficult to see his eyes/features. Being able to find just the right color is tough - I am limited by a) the colors actually produced and b) the colors my LQS carries. The underside of his flippers have a cute vintage-feel teal print, unfortunately you don't ever see it because, well, it's on the underside. I have animal to make before my adventure in circus land is finished: the lion.

I am off to dig through my pile of unfinished objects to prepare for the third quarter FAL. You should join in too - imagine the satisfaction of actually finishing projects + the chance to win some wonderful prizes!

the finished flock...

I am off to a quick start with all of my finish-a-long projects for this quarter! Do you have any of those projects that can only be described as 'a long time in the making'? My flying geese quilt that I have dubbed 'the flock' is the very first full size quilt top I completed [it's a queen size], and probably one of the first big sewing projects I worked on. As I look through my stash I am reminded about my 'urgency' when it comes to buying things, especially fabric. I found this pattern in a quilt magazine in 2001, determined to make it, I bought all the fabric necessary along with ample fabric for pillows, pillowcases, even enough green solid to make a flat sheet. How ambitious, yes the quilt is FINALLY finished, but the pillow and bedding fabric remains folded or on bolts :)

This was before my 'modern' phase, so the colors are a little darker and distressed. It was also before I really knew what I was doing, so there are quite a few squished beaks on the geese.

LABELS: If you don't do this, you need to! I have quilts that my grandma and great grandma made - I think. There is no label, no information, no remembrance of when or for who. It is kind of sad to know that every quilt has a story, but it can't be known or told. This is a little big, but I like it all the same :) I used printable fabric; for more ideas on labels, check out this post.

Robyn Pandolph [who still designs, though not for Moda] designed this grouping called Morning Glory. The line included prints and homespuns [woven plaids] - which makes for an awesome assortment of textures. Still creating wonderful floral prints, you can pick up some of her newer RJR fabrics over at the fat quarter shop.

Quilt Started: 2001 / Binding Finished: 2012
Only 11 years to finish - do you have any projects that have been hanging around your craft area that long [that you're willing to admit]?

it's a zoo + finish-a-long...

My name is Heidi and I love vintage kitsch. There is my confession. I enjoy my small, but lovingly currated, collection of vintage pyrex. When we cleared out my grandparent's farm before auction, I picked the items no one else wanted {furniture with "character", bits of old fabric, christmas ornaments in disrepair, rusty bits and bobs}. When I saw the Indygo Junction patterns for these little circus performers, I knew my shelves needed them!

The elephant came first... I think he is adorable with his little stick legs. That sparkly bauble is a button salvaged from my grandma's house.

This little piggy went to the circus. The elephant and piggy are similar in construction. I really enjoy the decorating and detail work on them - choosing that perfect trim or paper for their hats.

Mouse in the house. She is just adorable. What's cropped out in this picture is a little pink balloon made out of paperclay. Paperclay is a wonderful air-dry clay that is easy to work with and acrylic paint friendly. If anyone has some great suggestions on how to store paperclay long term, I would love to hear them. I don't use it often enough and it seems I am always throwing some dried-out bits away no matter how many ziploc bags I use.

Monkey see monkey do. I love this little juggler - again with the help of paperclay! In case you wondered what the rest of the monkey {& mouse} look like, here is a full photo. The legs are pipecleaners wrapped with floral tape and then painted - a new technique for me!

This post is two-fold: I wanted to show off my circus folks, but also share with you the Finish-A-Long happening over at Quilter in the Gap. I have long talked about my box of unfinished objects {UFOs}. Each quarter you share what you plan to finish, link up to her site, then add links to your finished projects at the end of 3 months. I'm excited to get to work + there are great prizes at the end of each round! Worst case scenario, I get some work done! So my first hope-to-finish is the last 2 circus animals that I want to make - a lion and a horse {possibly a unicorn}. I have all of the supplies out to make them - even little legs and arms all painted up for Mr. Lion. But these little guys are pretty time consuming with all their details.

Next up is this wreath. I had grand plans to get it finished in February for valentine's day. I want to make a variety of felt flowers just like I did for the Christmas wreath I made.

My last hope-to-finish is the binding on this queen sized quilt. I don't want to reveal too much until I am completely finished.

I hope you are enjoying Spring - it always seems like the best time of year for a fresh start!