the official pudge catvent post

here it is, friends...
the moment you've all been waiting for.
in reality, it's more than likely primarily the moment i've been waiting for, because it means that this beast is DONE.  alas.  no more wip photos here, there and everywhere in between.  but that's all groovy.  because....
taa-daa!
100 pudge cats, all buddy buddy like on a quilt just for me.
only took about 5 months in to the new year to get it done, but better late than never, right?  i have to say, despite the one crooked side that really doesn't show in these pictures (yep.  i'll state flaws in my quilts.  adds in some uniqueness to each one), i am very pleased with this quilt.  everything came together rather well, and the pink noses are probably my favorite part.  but i'm also a little biased to my pink nose grump cat.
this one here is the most elroy-esque in layout and such, and i still have YET to test out the glowing bits all over this quilt. should have done it right after i took all these pictures. oops.
so since the back is one solid piece, i decided to forgo the entire photo of it, and show off more kitties!  the thread is variegated black, white and gray, which blended in well with the front and back without being too "in your face" in contrast to the kitties.  this was round 2 with my walking foot, and it went a million times better.  though, i opted for chalk lining everything instead of using the guide, so that will take some practice.
i love this little yarn ball looking gray.  when i saw it initially, i bought yards and yards of it for this quilt.  good thing i did at the time, because when i was it the store last weekend, i saw none of it at all!
i attempted to lint roll this quilt, but there was no use. it took one layer off, but then i think it attracted even more as it hung there. my kitties became more realistic. look at that fur texture! amazing!
i'll wrap things up with this almost calm looking elroy.
you'd think he'd be a little bit happy that he has a gang of 100 friends now.
whatever elroy.  i'll just keep loving you, and you'll just keep being grumpy about it.
punk.
to the rest of you, happy friday!

nerdy themed ruffle apron

some how, some way, my sister got a job at joann's this past holiday season.  they must know that we need the discount, and i was just too much awesomeness for them to handle when i applied a few years back.  besides, it has become apparent that the crafty world of joann's has begun to rub off on this sister of mine, and has inspired her to do some crafting of her own.  anyways, it was at her request that i make her an apron (since she doesn't sew) so that she doesn't have to wear the generic ones the store has.  knowing my favorite apron tutorial (which she has modeled three times now) i knew what i was going to make and just needed the fabric for it.  at one point it was going to be avengers themed i believe, but then this fabric was available in stores and we decided to go with it.  in case you weren't aware (or forgot) my sister is a physics major, so this overly nerdy themed fabric was perfect for her.  the polka dots were a good off set to separate the print without getting too crazy all over the place.
i managed to make this apron in an afternoon, after another cryptic "i made cookie dough..." texts, i figured i may as well get her fancied up for the last few months of working at joann's before she leaves for college.  it was so crazy to sew something that didn't involve quilting.... it went together quite quickly in one afternoon :)
it has been decided that the only flaw in this apron pattern is the lack of pockets.  which i suppose is really only a problem if you're trying to put a walkie talkie and/or a handheld somewhere instead of in your hands.  perhaps i'll have to revise this for the next fabric store employee i make this apron for.
workin' it
i've had some serious thoughts about making a few of these (generic enough) and offering them up on etsy.  i suppose i'll have to see how my summer looks after the next few days as i finish up finals and transition between school year to summer camp/dance recital/wedding season time.  but there you have it!  aileen's nerd-a-licious themed apron to love and squeeze and call her own.  and for kicks, here's a few links back to the previously made ruffle aprons:
green with envy
airplanes & postcards
nursing themed

daffodils and kitty cats - quilt for baby elise

according to usps, this arrived a week ago... so fingers crossed it really did and this isn't one elephant sized spoiler post!
i've known leah for years.  essentially just as long as i've known amy, as they were two of the three people i became really close friends with upon moving schools and starting 6th grade.  through the years since high school, it's been a little bit of here, there and everywhere, but the three of us as well as our fourth franklin friend sara have occasionally met up and caught up like the good ol' days.  well, leah was a super secret keeper, and it wasn't until nearly the end of her pregnancy that i knew anything about it (thanks to instagram!)  i decided i wanted to make something for leah, as she's always commented on my quilty posts, wishing that she would get something someday.  well here's to you, leah!  leah had a baby girl this past march, and after some super stealthy ness, i came up with this little quilt for her baby girl elise.
leah has always been an animal lover, so using the catvent pattern yet again was of course, perfect.  one day, leah posted on facebook about how excited she was about elise's birth flower being daffodils, as it was also her favorite flower.  boom.  these cats needed to be in a daffodil field.  also, pink and yellow look fantastic together.  i've super liked that combo since i made the quilt for baby natalie last year.  it was a little iffy using white on a baby blanket, knowing how babies can be... but once it was all completed, i couldn't imagine using any other color that would make these kitties pop out like they do.
just like the cats are mixed up prints, the daffodils are also one of six different prints.  they have more geometric shape prints on them, while the pink prints on the kittens are all flower related.  well... there's one that looks like bugs, but i guess that's somewhat related to the theme, right?
i assembled all these cat blocks while i was in colorado earlier this month, and then began to get everything sewn together when i arrived home.  i also got to experiment with my new walking foot for this quilt.  there was only a minor oops, but things have since been perfected (so i think) and moved forward.  the backing fabric was something i found on ebay.  i like to go there for super random finds, and after a thousand different searches for pink and yellow fabric, i found this cute vintage piece with pink and yellow cats on it.  the best part was that it was JUST enough for this.  didn't have to do any wonky piecing or anything to make it work.  love it!
i really like the fun-ness of a scrappy border, and with all the patchwork-ness of the kitties, it absolutely had to happen.
still my favorite block. so of course, the pink version had to have a special appearance.
here's a close up of the super cute back fabric. and not only was it super cute, but it was also super soft.
and of course, the glorious "tagged to send" photo.  before sending it off, i included a few pairs of beaded socks for the little one to enjoy as well.  hopefully this kitty quilt made it to it's destination safely, as i secretly got leah's address from amy, and also didn't tell her she was getting mail.  i wanted it to be a super surprise.  guess we'll find out, right?  and just for kicks, here is 7th/8th grade emily & leah.  we were legit volleyball stars...
i may be over hyping our skills.  but seriously, check out leah's awesome mickey shorts.  i'm still a little jealous 13 years later...

kitten mini quilt swap 2015

i participated in my first instagram hosted swap this year, and it was quite the experience.  i have done plenty of craftster swaps, where you know who you are sending to/from and all that jazz.  this one, i knew who i was sending to but i had no idea who would be sending to me (i still don't, as i haven't yet received anything!)  the theme for this swap was a kitten/cat mini quilt, so of course i was easily swayed to create something kitty related.  when i got my partner assignment, i was super excited, as it was someone i already followed on instragram, and started to get some ideas from her likes as well as her fur babies.  i found this paper pieced pattern on craftsy, located the awesome retro backing fabric on ebay, and found some fantastic crosshatch fabric to create the gray tabbyness of the kitty.  alright, without more delay, here's the full piece!
loved this paper piecing pattern. everything went together quite smoothly, with the exception of the nose.  that had to be the trickiest part.  the pieces were so tiny!  i found the blue background fabric and the red swirl "blanket" fabrics in stuff that i had acquired from my grandma, and it worked perfectly to make this kitty stand out.  i went with a stitch in the ditch quilting around the kitty face parts and left it at that to not make things too busy.
such a nice kitty. sure looks like our cats. sleeping, sleeping, sleeping.
i just love the back fabric. these little kitties are red and blue cross hatched on them, which went perfectly with the front. the order i got from ebay also had the same fabric on a blue background... so i have more of these kitties to play with on my own time. yay! and i'm certain it will end up in my scrappy square quilt that has yet to begin... yep. some projects are all talk, no action right now.
it is perfect that there is a little kitty right above my nametag, but that's not what is really exciting here... would you look at that corner?! i don't think i have EVER gotten one to look so perfect in my life... hall of fame right there, folks.
with all the school and life chaos happening at the time, i lost track of time and didn't have a chance to make her any special extras to go along with her mini quilt like some people were. i still wanted my wonderful partner to feel special, so i found this cute kitty shaped pen at target, and i also ordered her a silly book that my parents also got me for christmas. i saw my first "how do dinosaurs..." book when i was last in colorado, and something later on popped up on amazon regarding this one and i just cracked up and sent it to my mom. i hope my partner appreciated this silly nonsense book, and that her kitties love storytime too :)
next swap theme?
who knows yet... i'm hoping for another disney round, that's for sure!

are you there, followers? it's me, emily...

hello there, friends & followers.
i know, it has been quite a bit of silence over here, but hopefully that is about to change... with a little time.  march was a rough month between school, work, and life in general, but hopefully we're about to get back on the up swing of things.  i've got a handful of tricks up my sleeves (which aren't very long these days... 80 degrees in march, say what?!) and need to regain the energy to churn them out in to reality!
here's a few things in the works at the moment
pudge catvent
yeah, that's still a thing that is sitting on my sewing table untouched.  but progress has been made towards completion.  a few weeks back my mom and i went to meissner's and attempted to purchase a walking foot set, but they were out of stock.  we placed an order and have yet to get the call that it came in.  i should probably give them a call and find out what's up.  it is patiently waiting though, unlike the cat that it resembles...
ruffle apron
still on my to-do list, but will ideally get knocked out soon enough.  it's currently packed up and ready to be chopped and assembled.  MAYBE aileen will get it before she leaves for byu-i in the fall... just maybe...
surprise project
this is one that i got the spur of the moment idea for, and then began piecing things together.  i got through all of the paper piecing section of it a week ago yesterday, and then it just sat there.  getting through this last week of work before the break was exhausting... but now it's spring break and i intend to get it knocked out this week.  fingers crossed.
kitten mini quilt swap
done, sent, and received by my partner!  that will appear on the blog this week so you can oogle at it's kitty-ness.  my mom said i should make her a bed quilt size one... YIKES.  i can't imagine paper piecing something to that proportion.
leaving on a jet plane
yep.  you read that right!  come 6ish tonight, i will be on a plane and heading out of california for the week.  i've packed up my projects in my suitcase and will be off to colorado for some more cousinly bonding/crafting time.  be sure to follow on instagram for all our raging good times :)  i am quite excited for the break away from the every day normality, that's for sure.  alas, this time i don't have any flashback posts for you like the last time i went to colorado.  i hope you'll be okay :)

paper pieced heart - february appreciation gift

this is the post that was actually supposed to happen last week, but instead i got everything mixed up, posted the beauty & the beast pillow set and then straight up forgot to post this.  so anyways, a week later, here it is!
since february has valentine's day in it, i went with a simple heart paper pieced patter that i found on craftsy.  using the scraps from the pillow set you saw last week, it all came together with essentially not having to buy a single thing for it!  i only state that, because it was intended by our program director to not spend any money, but if we had to, aim for $5 or less.  i alternated the reds to be light and dark to make it look a little more dimensional.
originally i intended to just use something from my stash for the back as well, but when i saw this crayon fabric, i thought it would be perfect.  i stitched in the ditch for the quilting, and i super like how it looks on the back as well :)
this is more than likely the easiest paper pieced pattern i have done yet.  i would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is thinking about trying paper piecing, or just wants a really cool looking heart block :)  even better, it was free!
heart pattern on craftsy: click here

tale as old as time - beauty and the beast themed pillow set

when lisa started to jump in to the instagram swap game, it wasn't until too late in the game that the disney mini quilt swap was discovered.  such a shame.  i've joined and even organized a few disney swaps on craftster, and they're always a favorite topic to craft for.  so instead, i sat on the outside, checking the hashtag every so often, and oogling at all the disney quilt goodness.  on a random day, i cruised over to craftster and looked at the swap angel board just to see if anything looked fun.  and there it was, disney swap round 12 needed someone!  after a day-ish of thinking on it, i committed to the job and awaited to hear from the gal i'd be sewing for.  then, i found out she had been waiting since AUGUST... yikes!  they wanted a project sent out within two weeks, with a "large" item being one of the items (large = 3 hours or so to make).  my vision was born, and the ball was rolling.  she wanted something for her new house that wasn't cheesy disney.  i hit up fandom in stitches, found the perfect paper pieced patterns, and had kinkos blow them up 240%.  the next day, i bought my fabric, and two days later, i was spending my entire day paper piecing.
one of her favorite movies listed was "beauty and the beast" so i selected chip as well as the enchanted rose to turn in to pillow slip covers.  originally i was set on them being 12", but the smallest square pillow form i could find was 14" so i added a slight border to it.  on sunday i did BOTH of the entire blocks, start to finish, and prepared myself to get ready to do the quilting/sandwiching on monday.  i found that i didn't have any blue thread so i had to run to joann's that night (bummer) and then knocked out the remains of the quilting on both as well as the "envelope" portion of it.
i found a few tutorials on pinterest that described how to make these types of pillow covers.  my grandma had made them for years for my mom & aunt for christmas, so it was a good visual to take a peek at an actual one as well.  the ink used by kinko's was something awful, and left black marks all over the lightest pieces of each block.  so frustrating.  but after a date with a specific stain fighter for ink and a spin in the wash, they were good to go.  packed them up, and then they were shipped out on saturday.  less than a week start to finish, not too shabby!
she initially mentioned that she liked the enchanted rose as a good representation for beauty and the beast, and i have to agree!  i really love this block, whether for beauty and the beast or just to simply be a paper pieced rose.  i cannot imagine this at the 5ish inch size it initially was before i blew it up.
i thought this chip was a good "subtle" match to the rose pillow, as it wasn't a giant princess face.  he was a simple little block (i made him second after the rose) and it just powered right through.  i think he's a pretty cute little guy in movie form anyways, and would absolutely make this block again.  shoot, it has made me want to go through and make so many more disney blocks from their site!
after creating this pillow set, i've also started to envision what the types of friend gifts there might be for christmas 2015. i guess we'll have to wait and see if this stays as the inspiration, or something else happens, right?  either way, i am totally going to keep peeking in on the swap angel board.  as much as i love receiving things from other people, i just don't have anywhere to put anything right now!  but seriously, i'm sure i'll keep doing regular swaps as well.  and drooling over the awesome up! mini quilt from the disney swap that i missed out on.
it's pretty much fantastic.