A day of rain, packing and crafty goodness.

Today it rained for the first time in a while. It was pretty cold and we actually saw some hail. With the move to Missouri eminent, I kinda felt like it was Cali's way of trying to prepare me for living where they actually have weather.
I spent the day trying very hard to dismantle my craft space. I have about 2 weeks left, and a couple of projects that I want to finish before I hit the road. I haven't told my hubby yet, but I plan to pack my sewing machine with me in our truck. I can't see myself trusting the professional moving company to get my machine to my new home safely.
I actually used my crafts to motivate me to pack more than I probably would have otherwise. I hate packing, and have been trying to avoid it at all costs. This isn't good, considering the fact that I'm really running out of time. I would only allow myself to work on my projects after I had a accomplished some clutter removal. Using this method, I managed to pack 5 boxes, mod podged some photo cubes, create 1 and 1/2 friendship bracelets and made the DIY bleached tee that you see here.
It's been a full day, filled with work, play and quite a bit of coffee. Oh, and I made Cuban styled arroz con pollo in my crockpot for dinner! Looking back on it, I rocked :)
Did I mention that my baby girl spent the whole afternoon crafting beside me? She is knee deep in some serious handmade valentines for her classmates. She has a duplicate craft bin, just like Mama. She doesn't allow me to help, but asks for design collaboration along the way. I gotta say, she has a vision and she works in a way more concentrated way than I do. Her work ethic actually keeps me going sometimes. Where I would otherwise stop, she wants me near her while she works, so I end up continuing with my work. I manage to finish more projects this way.
I love my kid :)
Well, it's time to end my day, so I can get up and do it all over again,
Rob

And so it begins...

It's been so long since my last post. I've no excuse except to say that life got in my way.
However, with the start of the new year and my new Blogger app - I have vowed to start consistently posting.
This new year finds my family and I on the eve of a huge life change. We are moving across country and away from the my family. We will be living in middle America on a 53 acre farm. We currently live 15 minutes from Disneyland in sunny So. Cal. So, this is going to be really different.
I have decided to document the process of this move. I discovered the SMASH line of smash books from K&Co at my local Michael's. I had heard a little buzz about this new, quicker form of scrapbook inch on a few of the blogs I subscribe to. It peaked my interest as I am not a scrapbooker, but do love to write, doodle and keep little odds and ends from big moments in my life. I am thinking that this whole smash book thing might just be the thing for me.
I'll keep you posted! :)
Rob

Granny Square block

Granny Square block, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

Don't you love it when you wake up and know it's going to be a creative sewing day? That's how I felt this morning. I was enjoying my first cup of coffee for the day and perusing my e-mail, when I came across a post from a blog I follow regularly. It's called "Stitched In Color". This blog is chocked full of fun stuff and is always a great source of inspiration for me.
Rachel, the gal whose blog it is, is currently hosting a "Scrap Attack". I had yet to jump in to the fray of this project, but then this morning she posted a tutorial that changed all of
that. Its a quilt block made up of 2.5" squares of scraps. However, the way that the they are put together is meant to resemble a Crocheted Granny Square. It was only 7:30 am, but I quickly got the babies up and dressed so that I could head downstairs and at least cut out one
block to start. This is what I have accomplished so far this morning. I have a quilt top to take in to be quilted and I am meant to be making a few receiving blankets for my daughters preschool teacher who leaves on maternity leave tomorrow. But, I am pretty sure I will be sucked into making more Granny Square blocks instead. Yup, it's gonna be one of those days :)
You can find the tutorial here : http://blueelephantstitches.blogspot.com/2012/01/granyy-square-quilt-block-tutorial.html

Happy Wednesday,
Rob

New year...new leaf?

"Perfect Corners"?

 Well, I don't know about perfect, but they came out pretty darn good. I guess I should be starting off this post with a "Happy New Year"! It's been literally months since I've posted. I have no excuse. I was plenty productive this past holiday season with my quilting and clothes sewing for my baby girl. I even managed to make a few items for myself! However, taking pics and posting was a time luxury I could not afford. My resolution this year is to make a concerted effort to post more consistently. Between that, and becoming a runner, I feel like I will have accomplished something worth while this year. 

 I whipped up this little beauty last night. Took me longer to decide on fabric then it did to make it up. I am currently addicted to Pinterest. Have you heard of this site? If not, you must check it out. www.pinterest.com It's amazing!! It's a site full of inspiration, tutorials and food recipes that make you want to head straight to the kitchen and start cookin'!

I came across a photo of these cute little baby blankets that the blogger called "perfect corner's". The tutorial was a little unclear to me at first, but her photo's were super helpful. I only headed down the wrong road one time, and had to use my trusty seam ripper to get back on track. I did make a few modifications. I increased the size to a finished 52" square. Also, on the smaller front piece of fabric, I added batting and quilted it before assembling the whole thing. It made for a perfectly cozy nap quilt for my beautiful baby girl. I know this, because directly after completing it, she snuggled right up in it! That's why my blanket is wrinkled in the pictures :) 

The tutorial can be found here: http://donswife.blogspot.com/2011/07/perfect-corner-baby-blanket-tutorial.html

Well, I am off to begin my next quilt. Saw one of those popular "plus quilts" on Pinterest and now I HAVE to have one for myself! 

See you soon, 

Rob  

What I did today.

, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

I read many blogs. In fact, I am fairly certain I'm addicted to them. I find such inspiration from them. I love reading tutorials and seeing how these creative dynamos take a simple, age old quilt block and use it in a new and different way. It was while reading one of the "recipes" found on www.modabakeshop.com that I was inspired to create the above quilt top. The block is called "the road to Tennessee". There are a number of ways to arrange them. Each yielding quite a different look. The recipe actually calls for a combination of 5 1/2 and 2 1/2" squares. I used a combination of 10 1/2 and 4" squares. The finished top will measure 60 X 60" and I will call it "Hugs and Kisses". It was made to be used as a preschool nap quilt and with my baby girl in mind. She has already claimed it. Being drawn, as I knew she would be, to the bold prints and bright colors.
Hope your day was creative too,
Rob

Back on track....

Binding, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

I just realized that I haven't posted since June 8th. I can't believe how quickly this summer has slipped by. I know that the rest of the world around me doesn't return to school until August 30th. But, here where I live, school went back on the 10th. My son started kindergarten this year, so this school year is special in my house. Although our summer was filled with visiting family and several airplane rides, I am happy to return to a little structure. With Jackson in school, I am looking forward to spending a little one on one time with my baby girl. She will only be going 3 days, so I am hoping to foster her creative interests on her off days. I am toying with the idea of getting her a small sewing machine. Any suggestions on brand or models?
This summer was actually very productive for me project wise. For the first time since my babies came home, I have managed to complete several quilts. I feel like I am finally "back on track" . The photo above was actually taken this afternoon. I am completing the binding on a quilt that will accompany my niece to college next week. I will post a photo of the whole quilt once I'm done. My friend Sue Salinger did the actual quilting. I absolutely love it!
More soon,
Rob

Sew Liberated

Sew Liberated, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

Just got home to find a box from Amazon. Can I tell you how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE one-click on Amazon.com??? I will be reading a blog, see a book I have to have and then, voilà! One-click and it's there waiting on my doorstep no more than two days later. I just love that.
At any rate, I was looking at one of my fav blogs, www.quiltdad.com and saw where he had joined in on the year long Farmers wife sampler quilt along. I love the idea of traditional blocks done in modern fabrics. Something about connecting what I love now with the original blocks of quilting ancestors just makes me happy. Also, I have come to find that each time I push myself to try something I think is going to be hard, I learn some new skill that before I would have said I couldn't do. So, in an effort to further my aptitude, I ordered to book and have decided to jump in.
While shopping for the book on Amazon, the nice Amazon people of course put forth a few "recommendations" just for me :) Well, who could resist such thoughtfulness? Certainly not me. Therefore, I feel like this properly explains why 4 books arrived alongside my originally intended purchase. At least, this is what I told my hubby last night when questioned!
Behold, the newest book by Meg McElwee of sewliberated.com I have her first book and found it inspiring. I like flipping through it for ideas. But this newest one is going to be used to death, I can tell. Meg is a former Montessori teacher and uses her background in the development of this book, I am sure. She is also a mother of toddlers and that resonates with me at the moment. I can see more than a couple of projects in this book that I will be attempting in the near future. As a matter of fact, I am off to shower so I can head out and find bamboo sticks. I really want one of these tents standing in the middle of the living room, ready for adventure, when my littles arrive home.
Happy sewing,
Rob