strip quilt

I managed to finish a strip quilt for my brother and sister-in-law's baby just in time. The baby isn't due until the first of November, but I gave them a baby shower last week and I wanted to give it to her then. I was literally sewing the binding on the night before the shower...I'm not usually that last-minute-thrive-on-chaos, but this time it couldn't be helped! If you need a darling and fairly simple quilt pattern, this one is for you. The fabric is Moda "A walk in the woods". It has Little Red Riding Hood as well as mushrooms and cute mischievous foxes on it. Perfect for a little baby girl.

Here's how I did it:

My quilt measured about 42"x 46" once I squared it up. If you want to make it larger, just make sure your 2" and 3" long stripes are the length you need. I have made this style of quilt before, on my daughters bed as well as one I mad for a gift, and they always go together quickly. I opted to have a professional quilt this one, because I wanted it to be special (and I was running out of time at this point!) However, at this point you could free motion quilt it on your machine or even tie it the old fashioned way.

The quilt pattern is a very simple flower. I did not want it to distract from cute pattern on the fabrics.

I think this might be my favorite quilt yet!

linking up with wow us wednesday

Molly Ringwald

Am I dating myself when I say that Pretty in Pink along with 16 Candles defined my teenage years? I love this dress Molly Ringwald's character made...truly a D.I.Y. moment...

Martha Stewart Living magazine recently published a short essay written by Molly Ringwald about her love of gardening. I think it was written just for me...my teen idol and gardening? A match made in heaven.

In the essay entitled "A Garden Grows Up", she shares her heartache over losing a pregnancy and how she found solace in her New York City rooftop garden. In her words;

Then, nearly six months later,

the unthinkable happened:

I lost the baby. I found almost

nothing to fill the emptiness—

no books, no films, no theater, no

people. It was a very solitary

sadness. To my surprise, the one

thing that did make me feel a

little better was venturing up to

the roof alone and putting my

hands in the soil.

And so I set about rebuilding

the garden myself. I hauled

bags of dirt up the six flights of

stairs, stripped the trellises,

and painted them chartreuse.

When it came time to plant, I

couldn’t settle on a color scheme,

so I chose all of them. I planted

pink fringed tulips that resembled

little girls’ dresses and a

large maple tree with kelly green

leaves and coral bark. Perhaps

inspired by her new surroundings,

the peach tree made a

miraculous recovery, producing

enough fruit for one whole pie!

My garden became a destination

for many of my friends,

but on September 11, I was there

alone, surrounded by my

trees and flowers, watching the

towers come down.

Molly Ringwald's second book, When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories (Harper Collins) came out on August 23,2012.

 Thanks for being such an inspiration!

 

skinny jeans tutorial D.I.Y.

Here is my tutorial to make any wide leg jeans into skinnies. This is a very easy and quick tutorial. If you are a beginning sewer, this project is for you! You will need a pair of skinny jeans that fit the way you want to use as your guide.

I used some black wide leg corduroy pants, but this tutorial would work for any denim or twill pants.





                   Line up your skinnies that fit perfect, use these as your guide.

I used a chaco liner that I found at my quilt shop. I have to say that after using it for this project I AM IN LOVE...and a little embarrassed that I didn't own one until now. If you can't find it in your area, try here. It has very tiny prong/teeth things that roll along the fabric and leave a fine white line that easily washes out. (although at this point you should have turned your jeans/pants inside out). Follow the line on your sewing machine and voila! skinny jeans!!

*You might want to use a "Jean" needle rather than a "universal" needle on your machine. If you haven't used these before, just ask the ladies at the fabric store and they will help you!

At this point you can cut off the excess fabric. Cut within about 1/2 inch of the seam.

          I like to press open my seams for a nice finish before I turn it right side out. Then turn them right side out and press the seam again. You are finished....ENJOY!

linking up with wow us wednesday here

American made...

I am always on the hunt for vintage props to use when I style a party. I came across this gem a few weeks ago at an antique store. I was back-to-school shopping and frankly, couldn't justify a ME purchase, but I couldn't stop thinking about HER...So I went back today and she was still there, peely paint and all. After I brought her home I looked up the history of the company (printed on the front). I was even more excited when I found out that Penn Scale Manufacturing Company is still in business. They have been in business since 1923 and still manufacture scales.They are located in Philadelphia, PA. I love a great vintage find, but a good story about an American made product is even better!

                                    Come see me at a wow us wednesday here.

mary mary quite contrary...the harvest

Best tomatoes EVER! (don't mind the water spots,I had just watered before I picked a few of these lovelies) We are eating the fruits of our labor..literally every day now and loving it. It reminds me of the story of the Little Red Hen. I think I identify with it because even as a child I know that I was a hard worker....I love the message that If we work together we will reap the benefits.

Enjoy the fruits of your labors whatever they may be...

Is it really over?

Is the Summer really over?? Say it isn't so...I have been a bit absent this week enjoying the last few late nights with the kids,new kitten (don't they smell scrumptious?!), school shopping and back to routine craziness... here are a few instagram images of it all...

What is your favorite end of summer tradition?

{a visit to the} DIY Blogger House





 I finally made it the DIY Blogger house at the Salt Lake Parade of Homes last week. I wasn't sure what to expect, although I had seen a few pictures online of the design. I have to say I was impressed! These women are amazing. The designs and DIY projects throughout the home were very cohesive. I can't imagine that was easy considering the amount of people involved.(Brian Clark, the designer,Bangerter homes, the builder, and 5 bloggers!) Here are a few highlights:

The office is largely made up of DIY projects and thrift store re purposing...could you just die for the chandelier?!



The Living room is beautiful in soft greens and beachy blues. The highlight is the MDF grid ceiling

beautiful Family Tree

Love the barn door to the mudroom

You can see more of the girls from the Super Star Blogger Team here,here,here,here and here
Thanks for sharing your talents!