Christmas Spirit!

So I know it’s not yet even Thanksgiving, but I’m really starting to get excited for Christmas!!  I have a new baby nephew on his way, who should show up in just a couple of weeks, and my parents will be joining my husband and I in Seattle for Christmas this year.  I have a lot to be thankful for!  Now if only my brother and his wife and my nephew weren’t in Denmark….!

I made this adorable little ornament this morning.  It is just too cute for words.  The log cabin in the center is tiny! 

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I followed this tutorial, with a couple of changes.  Hope your Saturday is full of rest and crafting!

Giveaway!

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Photo by Natalie

Hop over to Natalie’s Sentiments today for a chance to win one of my custom iPod/iPhone/Camera cases (your choice)!

Giveaway here:  http://shane-natalie.blogspot.com/2009/11/come-and-see-seitz-giveaway.html

And if you don’t win, choose your own from my Etsy shop!

P.S. Rachel from One Pretty Thing found my pillowcase tutorial and featured it in her Daily DIY, check it out here!

 

Quilting Bee

I was inspired by Bloc Party to finally join (and host!) my first quilting bee!  I’m so excited about this group.  There are 12 of us who will be creating Modern-inspired quilts (however each of us interprets that). 

I can’t wait for my month to come.  I’m planning to have mostly solid fabrics (bright!) with one or two print per block.  The main “star” of the block will be the added element of TEXTURE!!!  I want to play around with smocking (think my Honeycomb pillow, but mixed in with a block), pleating, gathering, all sorts of textural elements.

I am ridiculously inspired by this block I found on Flikr:

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From Flikr – PaisleyGarden/AmyLouWho

Anyways, more about our group.  I started a new blog for us, so we can post often to tell each other what we’ve been up to.  Add us to your reader!:  http://modquilting.blogspot.com.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this mosiac I put together from my talented group of Mod Quilters!

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1. DSC_1716, 2. joseph’s coat, 3. november 7 2009 393, 4. IMG_3409, 5. DSC_1747, 6. SKAH giraffe block for Hanies, 7. BTRS Quilt – front, 8. KI 010, 9. Back of Wonky Horse, 10. original owl quilt top, 11. tetheredthreads1, 12. SC3 Block for Cam11, 13. Single Girl (baby) Quilt, 14. November Bee Balm Block, 15. Scrappy, 16. i spy, 17. IMG_3389, 18. DSC01331, 19. SC3 for OhThatAshley #1, 20. november 7 2009 381, 21. Drunk Love Baby Quilt, 22. Baby Boy Quilt, 23. DSC00505, 24. Baby quilt for Emily, 25. Lainey’s Quilt, 26. Hip, modern tree skirt, 27. Boo Complete, 28. “Flowers for a Friend”, 29. Traditional Block, 30. november 7 2009 390

If you want to check out any of their blogs or Flikr profiles, here is the info (can also be found on our new blog):

1. Sarah Seitz (host) – http://comeandseetheseitz.com/
2. Ruth – http://pippinsequim.blogspot.com/
3. Wanda – fabriclover2009 (Flikr)
4. Beth – http://lovelaughquilt.blogspot.com
5. Shea – http://emptybobbins.wordpress.com/
6. Solidia – http://pinkchicks.typepad.com/
7. Annette – http://ncsamborskis.blogspot.com/
8. Shelly – http://studio890.blogspot.com/
9. Leah – http://sewtobed.blogspot.com/
10. Melissa – http://melissaleray.com/
11. Dena – http://talesatwaynemanor.blogspot.com/
12. Leanne – lnwcohen (Flikr)

Enjoy!!

P.S.  Have you all checked out Hawthorne Threads?  It’s a new online fabric store that I’m super excited about!

Simple Zipper Closure Pillowcase Tutorial

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CLICK HERE for Zipper Closure Pillowcase Tutorial

The zipper closure pillowcase tutorial is complete and ready for you to download/print/use to your heart’s content!  I make all of my home decorator pillows this way.  It’s a super easy and quick way to make a washable pillowcase and the result turns out very professional and durable.

This is the method my sister-in-law taught me when I first started sewing, and I think it’s just genious!  Please feel free to provide me with any feedback.

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As noted on the tutorial, you’re welcome to use this for personal use, or to sell items made with this tutorial (I don’t claim to have discovered this method!).  Do not sell this tutorial, as it is offered for free here (seems obvious, but I had to say it).

Enjoy!

What a Pillow Can Do

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Adding a couple of great pillows to a room can completely transform a drab space into a bright, sunny place you want to spend time in.  These two pillows were made with the intention of brightening up our monotone bedroom.  I’m a huge believer in adding a bit of yellow, and my theory worked perfectly this time!

The first pillow was made from two fabric napkins that my mom bought for me from Dwell Studio.  The pillowcases they sold were way overpriced, and my mom knew I could make one easily from the napkins (she was right!).  This pillow whipped up in no time at all.  I took pictures of the process and will post a tutorial soon for this washable (zipper closure) pillowcase.

The smocked pillow was started on Wednesday evening while watching Glee (guilty pleasure…).  It took a lonnnnng time to make, but I’m super happy with the end result.  The tutorial for honeycomb smocking can be found here.  If you decide to give this a shot, I sure hope you like tying knots more than I do!  Does anyone have any good tips for quick knot tying?  We’re talking every single tack needed a knot at the start and the end…not fun!

Here’s a close-up of the two pillows happily together:

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This was such a satisfying project [mom stop reading now], and I’m sure my husband will agree that it’s not a bad thing to want to spend more time in the boudoir!

Check Me Out!

I was featured on TipJunkie.net with my “Digital Quilt Tutorial.”  Check me out!

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Tutorial Round Up

I’ve been holding out on you.

I’ve been making a list of all my favorite tutorials from around the blogosphere, and I have selfishly kept them all to myself.  Not any more!  Below you will find some of the most practical, fun and inspiring tutorials out there (according to me…).  Check them out.  Bookmark them.  Plan your spare time around them. 

NOTE:  These are not my tutorials.  These are links to tutorials I have tried and found to be great!

Click the pictures below to launch the tutorials.

Speedy Quilt Tutorial

Katie Did - Simple Quilt


Lined, Zippered Pouch Tutorial

Flossie Teacakes - Zippered Pouch


four-blocks

Film in the Fridge - String Quilt Block


Moda Bake Shop - Stacked Coin Quilt

Moda Bake Shop - Stacked Coin Quilt


Crazy Mom Quilts (via Bee Square Fabrics) - Simple Zig Zag Quilt

Crazy Mom Quilts (via Bee Square Fabrics) - Simple Zig Zag Quilt


Made By Rae - Buttercup Bag Pattern

Made By Rae - Buttercup Bag


Quality Time - Dresden Petal Handbag

Quality Time - Dresden Petal Handbag


Crazy Mom Quilts - Doll Bedding

Crazy Mom Quilts - Doll Bedding


Dacia Ray - Log Cabin-ish Pillow

Dacia Ray - Log Cabin-ish Pillow


House on a Hill - Sunny Day Dress and Top

House on a Hill - Sunny Day Dress and Top


Oh, Fransson (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Laptop Sleeve

Oh, Fransson (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Laptop Sleeve


Jennifer Ladd (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Fat Quarter Handbag

Jennifer Ladd (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Fat Quarter Handbag


Irene (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Classic Tote

Irene (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Classic Tote


Dacia Ray - Free Skirt Pattern

Dacia Ray - Free Skirt Pattern


Made By Rae (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Simple Ruffle Top

Made By Rae (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Simple Ruffle Top


Oh Fransson (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Pincushion Organizer

Oh Fransson (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Pincushion Organizer


Cluck. Cluck. Sew. - Changing Pad and Wipes Holder

Cluck. Cluck. Sew. - Changing Pad and Wipes Holder


Crazy Mom Quilts - Checkbook Covers

Crazy Mom Quilts - Checkbook Covers


Dacia Ray - How to Hem Jeans

Dacia Ray - How to Hem Jeans


Liesl Made - Make-Up Bag

Liesl Made - Make-Up Bag


My Spare Time - Pleated Purse

My Spare Time - Pleated Purse


Confessions of a Fabricaholic - Wallet

Confessions of a Fabricaholic - Wallet


Sparkle Power - Removable Pillow Cover

Sparkle Power - Removable Pillow Cover


dhbuscher - Manicure Kit Cover

dhbuscher - Manicure Kit Cover


iCraft - Minky Blanket

iCraft - Minky Blanket


My Spare Time - Simple Baby Blankie

My Spare Time - Simple Baby Blankie


Sweet Jessie (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Scalloped Fabric Garland

Sweet Jessie (via Sew, Mama, Sew!) - Scalloped Fabric Garland


Tumbling Blocks - Honeycomb Smocking

Tumbling Blocks - Honeycomb Smocking

I’ll update this list as I find and test new tutorials and publish a link to this post on my Tutorials page.

Enjoy!!

Back up and Runnin’!

My new camera came in the mail yesterday, so the blog should officially be back up and running!  This is good, because I’ve been busy sewing away…

I made sure that my new camera uses the same memory card as my broken camera, so I am now finally able to see the pictures I took in California last July. 

We took a trip to the LA fashion district, which is the fabric addict’s Mecca:

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If any of you are passing through the LA area, you’ve got to check it out!  I ended up stuffing my husband’s luggage nearly full of fabric on the way home from that trip.

I’m working on perfecting a pattern for what I’m calling, “The Jetsetter.”  It is going to be a travel wallet/clutch that has a spot to hold your ID, passport, airplane ticket, credit cards, and, of course, cash!

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I’ve also stocked my Etsy shop full of yummy goodness:

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At only $13 each, these iPod/iphone/camera cases make perfect Christmas or birthday gifts, or buy one for yourself!

New Camera!

I just ordered this puppy…

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Which means I’ll have no excuse not to blog!!  It should be arriving sometime next week, I can’t wait!!

Once it’s here, I’ve got plenty of new items for the shop that I’ll get photographed and orderable on Etsy. 

Check back!!!

In My Shop…

Labor Day sale in my shop!  Purses are $10 off normal price (markdowns have already been taken).  Click the pictures below to see the listings in Etsy.

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