Our Christmas tree farm adventure!

My kitchen :)

My kitchen :), a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

I had to take a picture of my kitchen for Modernista Homemade, and I'm just feeling good about a clean kitchen and many blessings in my life today. Thank you Lord for our wonderful home!

Sewing To Do list!

So, I never really understood how people could have multiple projects going at once, I do now!! I have so many projects floating in my head....so I need a list and an estimated time that I'll complete them. I need to have a home project list too :)


A quilt for our bed!!-I really want this one
Christmas Quilt for mom-the goal is this Christmas!--start in September
napkins for Mom, probably mother's day
table toppers for Ethan and Sarah's wedding
potholders for friends weddings (one in october)
dining room curtains
Cover Dining room chairs
Curtains living room-I'm thinking a yellow and white chevron
lap quilt for living room-I have blocks
Christmas Stockings-started!
Advent Calandar

Home painting

Finish mud room-Trim
paint walls mud room
finish our bedroom
prime first bedroom

Any strategies for getting this done??

Modernista Received :)

Modernista Received :), a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

I love my new machine cover from a crafty fox, it was late, but hey we're all late sometimes. And the focus of my blog is on self-care and not stressing about perfection. This swap that I created this summer has been stressful at times and I've wondered, why did I do this again. But, then I saw all of the beautiful creations that were made that really reminded me of my growing passion for sewing. I think that Modernista will continue for a while at any rate!

in the window...

in the window..., a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

A finish for my the Modernista Homemade swap. I loved the idea of this mini quilt but my execution could be a little improved, I haven't really made a wall hanging, and then noticed after my binding was down that it was uneven. But, this is a wonky type project, I guess I still want everything to be perfection! I do love my quilting, I free motioned this one, used the walking foot on my last box in box quilting. I do think it looks modern and I think the colors will work for her I hope, otherwise, I may be making something else! I'll find it a good home if not :)

PTS received

PTS received, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

I love my pillow that I received from my PTS partner. I think this room is really coming together! I think a wall hanging with similar colors and maybe a valence for the windows??

PTS front

PTS front, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

Finished PTS pillow!! I really worked hard on this and while it isn't perfect, I did a lot of things right and now know that I should approach circles and applique a wee bit differently. I hooked my partner up with some great fabrics which were hard for me to let go of!! But, I really hope she likes it because she is an awesome swapper. Oh, I also learned some lessons in time management.

So all the stuff I preach to my clients about time management, I need to listen up, AGAIN. With the house, sewing projects, two jobs, and family obligations I need to take it down a notch for sure, theres doing alot and there's doing way too much!!

coexisting :)

coexisting :), a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

Finally a nice sunny day, going on a hike later. I'd never thought this would every happen!

circles already made for yoyos

circles already made for yoyos, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

Does anyone want to swap? more pictures in my photostream. I got these vintage yo-yos and fabric scraps last year at a yard sale with the best of intentions, but they are clogging up space :( I'd love to swap with someone, but I'll be willing to give it way to free up some space, if I have alot of people, I'll draw names :) let me know, j

haul from Mardens today! $23=5 yards, love that!!!

haul from Mardens today! $23=5 yards, love that!!!, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

Woot, just sayin!! Hate to brag :)

new curtains and a working hubbers :)

new curtains and a working hubbers :), a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

I wanted to take a picture of my curtains and it was dark, but...then I miss an everyday moment of work and a half gallon of edy's! I was a little lazy and made a curtain envelope, I made nice mitered curtains upstairs, I'll take a pic of them some time in the sunlight :)

Why don't we take more everyday pics anyways??

all this for $33=7 yards designer fabrics!!

all this for $33=7 yards designer fabrics!! , a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

OMG, I could not contain the fabric high I was on at Marden's in Maine. I almost want to whisper because the fabrics were so great and nothing more than 4.99 a yard! I went to another location last year and it was cheap but not modern or fun.

This time, oh baby I went a little wild buying 7 yards of fabric, but the damage wasn't too bad as you can see. If any bloggers come up to Maine, I'll show you my secret spot!

Modernista Homemade~sewing room swap

Modernista Homemade~sewing room swap, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

Finally made my mosiac!

Via Flickr:
1. Armrest Pincushion Caddy by Poppyprint, 2. Pin Cushion Caddy, 3. Garden Party Pin Cushion Caddy, 4. Studio Apron/Sewing Caddy/Chair Caddy, 5. Sewing Machine Caddy too, 6. Pincushions, 7. Sewing Machine Cover, 8. Parisville Sewing machine Cover, 9. Ric Rac Trimmed Selvidge Pin Cushion, 10. Make Mine Modern Swap Received, 11. Felicity's pin cushion, 12. wrist pincushion!, 13. Sewing Machine Cover14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Modernista Homemade

005, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

Have you heard?? There's a new swap in town that I'm running...http://www.flickr.com/groups/1901507@N24/

4X5 finish!!

4X5 finish!! , a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

My spiderweb block finish. This is probably the last bee I'll do until I get really settled in the new house, after new curtains, quilts, and maybe Christmas quilts. I may do some other swapping however. I just find that I haven't had time for gifts for family, so, I'll just have to do something about that!

Pillow talk swap~done!

PTS, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

I just finshed my first quilted pillow with the pillow talk swap, I'm wasn't sure about the fabrics and learned a lesson in (color) value with this one. So matching shades is really important in my final composition. It feels good to finish something, I had a challenging day at work and didn't know how my client may have felt after leaving the room.

I think often about my work and a desire to see if an intervention is effective or not. Luckily with sewing, something is finished, and hopefully I brought some joy to my recipient. In this case, I don't know the person, but I thought alot about the project.

I'm still working at accepting and embracing imperfection, and this pillow is certainly an example of that. Luckily in the modern quilting world, wonkiness is an acceptable thing! Shouldn't all like be this way??

A Labor of Love...

This quilt top was made by my late grandfather or "Papaw" as my family called him.  He hand sewed the top.  The back was stained, so I rebound the quilt with new batting and attached a red binding and handstiched down the binding.  I was given the top last spring by my Nana before I started sewing.  I was frustrated at times trying to get it right, but, what quilt is perfect?  There's no need to look at the back right?!

Today I felt most touched by the connection between this quilt and my late grandfather.  He was a force to be reckoned with and was always making, fixing, planting, shelling, or creating something.  He made a quilt for my aunt and intended this quilt to be given to my father who was just recently married. Even though, my Papaw had a hard time expressing his love to my father at times, I hope that this quilt can be a testament of his love for him. He was a man of the great generation after all and nearly lost his whole ship to kamakazi planes while fighting in the Navy for our country.  I guess this is kind of the "aha" moment I had today about tokens of love in our relationships. We often give gifts but never express the meaning behind them, something I discuss in therapy from time to time. 

Often I think that we try to make or find the perfect gift but forget the reason we give things to people we love.  It is to show our caring, that is why crafting and quilting speak to me so much, it is such a personal connection I have with the item before I give it.  While I'm making something, I really think about the person I'm giving it to, especially my family who is farther way from me than ever before. I have always struggled with wanting things to look perfect, which makes me lose sight of my original goal of expressing caring to those I love.  I'm hoping that this is the connection my Papaw had with this quilt when making it for my father. And even though he never met his new wife Jonquil, it is now a gift to bless their new union as husband and wife. 

This project also started my quilting journey and I am so grateful to my Papaw who started it, I felt your presence around me today as I stitched next to your work.  May God keep you until we meet again.

PTS 7

PTS 7, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

decisions decisions, I have a hard time picking colors does this get easier?? We have about a foot of snow here in Maine and it leaves alot of time to contemplate these things when I should be probably working on my teaching stuff! I love this collection with aqua. What do you think?

4x5 test block

4x5 test block, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

My try at Elizabeth hartman's
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2010/04/spiderweb-block-sew-along/
spiderweb block...I'll be making 5 more, I think I may just make a whole quilt out of these blocks, they make cool spinderwebs in the middle :)

4x5 modern bee 1st quarter

4x5 modern bee 1st quarter, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

3x6 bee finish

3x6, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

Wheeling down block done with my lil' twister, I really enjoyed these, its alot of cutting but worth it! I'm dreaming of what I'll make next quarter in this bee already, I was just going to to the 4x5 modern bee, but I'm a little addicted :)

Pillow talk mosaic

Pillow talk mosaic, a photo by thethreaded~chickadee on Flickr.

That's right, I think I'm in! I can't wait to make and receive an awesome pillow from this swap, they all look fantastic and I can't wait to create something grand :)

block for honeyhill designs

block for honeyhill designs, a photo by sewtherapeutic on Flickr.

I love this block from my 4x5 bee that I made, I love the lil twister tool, it makes these pinwheels actually fun and doable!