for Bee Blocks.  Pure coincidence led to almost every block this month in my quilting bees to be the most complicated blocks I have ever tackled.  I'm not complaining, no wait, I am, it stunk.  Though on the bright side I learned a lot of new techniques, and I also learned which quilts I NEVER EVER want to make myself!

The first set was for "domestiCass" in the Christmas Fabric Bee, and honestly these weren't hard, I've done circles quite a few times now, and I was quite pleased at how these babies turned out.  These were the only ones that I would label as "quick and fun."  Cassey let us decide on the decoration for the center of the white circle, so I chose to make some Christmas hexies and machine stitch them, creating a nice star in the center.  Pardon the fact that I photographed that block upside down.  Oops! 

The second set was for "flowerbirdquilts" in the Bee Connected group, and she requested quilt as you go log cabin blocks.  Though I do love the look of the densely quilted blocks, they took SO MUCH TIME to make.  Thankfully, these blocks were not complicated to put together, it just took a lot of time to quilt all those lines, though I do think it will create one stunning quilt.  The fabric is sewn directly onto the batting and quilted as you go, so all Cathi has to do is connect the blocks and add the backing.

The third set was for "Kreated by Kari" in the Christmas Fabric Bee and she requested these nice and pretty super complicated blocks.  She was SO SMART to have others make these blocks for her.  I can not imagine the time it would take to make an entire quilt by yourself.  Don't get me wrong these blocks were very difficult to make, required a lot of brain power and reading the directions 100 times, but I loved making them.  It was like a super complicated puzzle that every single side is straight.  I loved the challenge, and was so excited to create such a visually appealing block.  Kari was nice enough to cut all the fabric for us, so all we had to do was to sew them together.  Thank you Kari, that made these blocks so much easier to tackle.  I can not wait to see this finished quilt!

Lastly, the most complicated block of them all goes to the lovely "hehehe922" in the Always Bee Learning group.  I have always wanted to do a Cathedral Windows quilt, and was so excited to make this block and learn how it is done.  I am so glad to have tried this technique, but it has cured me of wanting to make a quilt myself, maybe a pillow someday.  Oh my goodness, the work, weight and sheer amount of fabric needed for these blocks is UNREAL, something like 35 yards of the solid color are needed to make a whole quilt.  35 YARDS!  This block that I have pictured here is HUGE, and I know that you can not tell scale from my photograph, but it is somewhere around 24" x 24" and was heavy!  Megan was also so smart to have others makes these blocks for her, though I can not imagine the work it is going to take to connect all these monsters together once she gets them all back.  Good luck Megan!

On a closing note, this month is the end of the Christmas Fabric Bee (insert sad face here.) Though I was a late addition to this group, added because another member dropped out, I truly loved this group and this group of ladies!  It was so fun creating and getting to know all of you.  Thank you for welcoming me to your group, and for helping me to create my very own Christmas quilt!  It was fun ladies, Thank You!

NO, the month can't be half way over already?  Well almost, close enough anyways.  Time flies even when you aren't having fun! HaHa.  It is that time again to share my fabric choices for the Style Stitches sew along.  This month is one of my absolute favorites from the book, the Fringed Hobo Bag.  I'm not sure why I like it so much, but I do, I love it, and can't wait to see how it comes together!  The picture below is the large version, but I'll be making the smaller version, and hoping that it isn't too huge, but given Amy Butler's track record, I can be pretty sure that it will be quite BIG.

I have chosen two different Echino prints to use on my bag, though I'm not sure which will be the main body, and which will be the yoke, but I am excited to use these fabrics that have been in my stash for quite some time waiting on that perfect project!  You will have to tune in for the finished product to see the fringe that I have chosen.  It wasn't my first choice, but the price was right, compared to spending an INSANE $10+ a yard on something.  It doesn't make any sense to spend more on the darn fringe than you do on the fabric itself.  Even with my 40% off coupon, it still cost me more than I was wanting, and that was my second choice!

Not only is this month one of my favorite bags, but it is extra special because I am the giveaway sponsor this month over at My Crafty Crap.  All you need to do to enter to win my giveaway goodies, is to make the bag and enter at the end of the month at My Crafty Crap.  Simple as that!  Want to know what I am giving away?  Well go visit Bree right HERE to see the loot!  While you are there, make sure to leave her a super sweet comment because she is anxiously awaiting the birth of her first child!  Good luck Bree!  What are you waiting on...get to working on that bag!

It is that time to pick a winner for the Style Stitches Teardrop Bag!  Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and left me such wonderful book suggestions!  I have a lot of suggestions to look into, and I have already added "Outlander" to my cart at Amazon.com.  I will be reading this series, it seems to be exactly what I was looking for!  What was ironic to me was that a lot of you suggested great books that I have already read, you can't go wrong with The Twilight Series, The Time Traveler's Wife, Jane Eyre and Rebecca (one of my personal favorites!)  On to the giveaway...

Number 3, is KRISTY, who said,

"That bag is absolutely beautiful! The fabric combo is perfect! (what is that clock print by the way?)

I would be sooo thrilled to win!!! Thank you for the chance!

Right now, reading for me consists of pattern books, my newest is Girl's World and my daily encouragement from Streams in the Dessert. Also reading The Story of Ping with my 6yo every day! ;)"

Congratulations Kristy!  I'll send you an email for your information!
Thanks so much to everyone for participating.

Yesterday I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but thankfully today I apparently woke up on the right side of the bed, in a great mood and ready to accomplish things (even if it is only the laundry!)  I have been a little (or a lot) lax on my WIP Wednesday's lately, and I am pretty sure that I have decided to either just do them one or twice a month from now on.  I don't need any more pressure or stress than I already have, and honestly I just can't get things accomplished like before my preggo days!  That being said, here is what I have been up to during the last few weeks:

I finished a lovely pinwheel star for "time2sew" in the Quilting newBEES group.  I had a lot of fun making this block and it went together really quickly!  Though, it does look rather wrinkly, which isn't cool.

I finally finished my Kaleidoscope quilt top!  Hallelujah!  I wasn't in love with this one, honestly, but now seeing it hanging from one of our oak trees and being able to "step back" I do like it a lot more, and it is my favorite colors! Now I just need to get a back together for it!  I may set aside this project for a while and work on other things.....

I was also able to finish up a few projects hanging over my head:
You can read about my Pretty {little} Pouch Finish HERE
The Amy Butler Style Stitches Key Keeper/Coin Purse HERE
And today is the last day to enter my current giveaway, to read about and enter to win the Amy Butler Style Stitches Teardrop Bag, click HERE.

Finished Projects:
Quilt Bee Blocks
Amy Butler's Style Stitches Teardrop Bag
Amy Butler's Style Stitches Key Keeper/Coin Purse
Pretty {little} Pouch Swap - Round 2

Ongoing Projects:
Kaleidoscope Quilt-Along
Organizing my OUT OF CONTROL Fabric Stash (95% complete)
Bottled Rainbows Ticker Tape Quilt-Along (5 of 16 blocks complete)
Lily's Quilts Quilt-Along  (Using Sherbet Pips)
Making a Light Box & Photographing 150+ Items (Supplies bought, partly assembled)
Sewing (for myself) a few tops/shirts. (2 down, several more to go!)
Sock Skeletons
Amy Butler's Style Stitches Fringed Hobo Bag - NEW
2 Uber Large Handbags (cut out)
Quilt Bee Blocks - NEW

This Week's Stats:
New Projects - 2
Completed Projects - 4
Currently in Progress - 10

Dream Projects On Hold For Now:
Sock Monkey Quilt
Denyse Schmidt Home Dec Fabric Wall Hanging Quilt
Making a bunch of clutches.

Head over to Freshly Pieced to have a look at what everyone else is working on!

A while ago, I signed up for Round 2 of the Pretty {little} Pouch Swap, and I received my partner's information, and then I got stuck.  I'm not really sure why, because her taste, mosaic, website, everything are pretty concise, but I had no clue as to what to make!  Then I got really stuck, trying to figure out what fabric to use, and so on.  I had some ideas, but none of them really came to fruition, so in the end (it is getting close to the deadline) I just had to start creating.  Then I had an idea! What if I created several pouches, posted the pictures in the Flickr' group, and then let my partner choose which ones that she wants!  So that is what is happening folks!  Below are the three choices for my partner, and hopefully she comments and is able to choose for herself, otherwise, I'm picking two and sending them!

This pouch is constructed out of a great dark blue cross-hatch pattern cotton fabric, a light blue zipper, and some sweet little hand embroidery on the front.  It measures roughly 8" x 7" x 3" and has a great gusseted bottom, so it stands all on its own.

This pouch was designed specifically for my partner, who loves Orla Kiely (whom I had never heard of until this swap) and this appliqued image is inspired by this designer's work.  It is a large flat pouch measuring in at 9" x 12."  It is made out of a dark grey linen, with cotton fabric applique on the front.  The leaves and stems are zig-zag stitched around the edges, but the large floral blooms are only stitched in the center and are completely three-dimensional.  It features a small tab on the side, with a matching detachable swivel clip wrist strap.  This is my take on an "artistic" pouch!

This last pouch was featured in yesterday's posting, so if you want the details on it, just click HERE.  Hopefully with these three choices, my partner will be able to pick out the two that she loves best and ends up with something that she truly loves!  I sure hope so!

The Stashtacular! month is coming to a close.  I have sent in fabric to trade, and can't wait to see what I get back!  I successfully gave up fabric purchases for over a month (patting myself on the back!) I completed three projects and am working on two more.  I think for a queasy pregnant lady, I'm doing pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.  Want to see what I've been working on?  Scroll down for more and a picture heavy post!

P.S.  Don't forget to enter my giveaway!  Click HERE to enter to win!

My first two Stashtacular! projects are these awesome Quilted Pin Cushions from Blue Bird Sews, and the tutorial can be found HERE.  Believe it or not, I don't own any pin cushions, so as soon as I saw this tutorial, I knew it was meant to be!  I dug through my scraps, found some stuff I liked and whipped up two of these babies, in no time at all!  The best part was that I had a little bag of extra stuffing that was just enough for both of them!  I didn't have a 'stand out' button for the one on top, so I stacked two buttons to create a little more visual interest.  The pin cushion on the bottom is constructed of Art Gallery scraps, and the "button" in the center is actually a chunk of broken bracelet that my sister-in-law couldn't bear to throw away, she knew I could make something great out of it one day!  I think it was the perfect fit for this pin cushion and fabrics!

My last finished Stashtacular! project is this super cute clutch from Spontaneous Threads, and can be found HERE.  This was such a fun project, and I used a lot of scraps, and scraps that I love!  I also was able to use my new Go! Baby to cut out all those circles, which was such a great time saver and such precise circles.  Awesome!  I used a dark grey linen as the body, and hot pink and other various scraps for the lining, handle and circle linings.  I just so happened to have the hot pink zipper in my stash, so I didn't have to purchase a thing!  I decided to machine stitch the fancy little cross stitch pattern as a little something extra, and I think that it really added that extra touch.

Since I have yet to post anything for my Pretty {little} Pouch Swap partner, I made three pouches and am going to let her choose two of them.  This one will be one of the three that she will get to choose from!  If she picks this one, I will be sad to let it go, but I know I can always make myself another!

This Stashtacular! project has yet to be pieced together, but I am loving working at night on these hexies.  This project is from Sew Happy Geek, can be found HERE and is a super cute Hexy Mug Rug.  I don't think I will finish this project today, but I am getting these hexies done way quicker than I thought I would.

This is the last of my Stashtacular! projects that is alas, also unfinished, but I don't think I have ever successfully made a quilt with a deadline, I just don't work that fast!  The tutorial for this quilt, Sweet Baby Dreams can be found at Sew Happy Geek, right HERE.  What was so great about this tutorial is that I had just enough fabric scraps to make this baby, and they were already cut to the right width, so I just had to chop them up to the right length.  I had just enough, with very little leftover.  I also have 1.5 yards of a matching print for the backing in my stash.  It must have been meant to be!  My only holdup is trying to find a solid color that matches, so I can finish up the top.  It is proving to be more difficult than I ever thought, but I'm sure I'll run across something sooner or later!  I am itching to get working on this one though.

Thank you ladies for such a fun month!

This bag comes a month late (or is it two months now?), but heck, late is always better than never, right?  At least that is what I have been telling myself a lot lately.  I felt like this bag was actually really easy to construct, and the hardest parts were turning the darn handle and sewing on those side "hips."  I have no idea as to how you would sew on those hips if you made the small bag, I made the medium one and that was tough enough.

Anyways, I don't really have any complaints about this bag, I think the instructions were very clear and straight forward, I didn't have any issues putting it together, and honestly it went together really quickly, which was also nice.  I did find the handle extremely difficult to turn, but I think that even though this was difficult, I think it was the best option in this circumstance, and honestly when is a long tube ever easy to turn?

If you have stuck with my rambling this far, time for the giveaway!  I have been extremely blessed lately and feel like spreading the love!  I will be giving away this bag to one lucky person!  You have two simple methods to enter to win, just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1.  I am looking for some good summer reading, and would love a book suggestion.  I just finished the "Girl with Dragon Tattoo" series, and I love a variety of subjects, but I LOVE time travel books, or a good love triangle.  So for your first chance to win, just suggest a good book for me to read!  Super simple!

2.  If you are a blog follower, leave a comment saying so, or if you become a new follower, just let me know!  Also super simple!

Easy peasy!  This giveaway will close on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at midnight!  Looking forward to some great book suggestions!

Anyone notice that I've been a bit flaky lately?  Not returning emails as quickly, can't quite get those projects finished in time, not blogging as much?  Don't even mention housework or laundry.  I have a pretty good excuse, I promise!

I'm Pregnant!

Yes, this is a "inside look" at our little one, and we are just tickled pink, and no, that doesn't mean we know the sex, it is to early for that!  I'm 14 weeks, or just into my second trimester, and due in late January.  I have been ever so sick, and no, I'm not one of the lucky ones that "all day sickness" goes away in the second trimester, but rather one of the unlucky ones that it hangs around for most of the pregnancy.  If I'm lucky I'll probably have a month or two of freedom towards the end (at least I did with my son.)  Aside from the constant nausea, I am on a whole feeling fine and trying to truck along like normal, though I don't feel like I'm accomplishing this task successfully.   Oh well, what can I say, I'm growing a baby, I think that is task enough!