Christine’s Creations

I can’t believe it has been over two months since I’ve posted on my blog!  I’ll try to give you the highlights!

I’ll start with the family related stuff.  We just got back from our vacation at Old Orchard Beach, ME.  We’ve been going for three years now and we just love it.  The kids never get tired of the beach!

The week before we went to OOB, the kids spent the week in Vermont with my sister-in-law and her family.  The kids loved every mintue of it and given the fact they’ve never been away from home for that long, they did very well.  I wonder if Elizabeth has recovered yet!!

Owen celebrated his 9th birthday in June – where did the nine years go???

And Julianna had her tap performance.  This year she was a NYC street performer in the studio’s performance of Disney’s Enchanted.  This was the first year is practiced really hard at home to get it just right and all her hard work paid off – it was great – take a look…

I’ve gotten a lot of craft related things done over the past two months too.  First I did some centerpiece goodies for the final teacher appreciation lunch of the year.  I made fabric baskets (I followed a pattern that I found on a blog – I don’t remember who it belongs to, so if you do, please let me know and I’ll post it) and filled them with some desk goodies for the teachers.  This time around Julianna’s assistant teacher, Mrs. K, won one!

I also made a book thong for each one of the kid’s teachers, they were very fun and easy.

I’ve been working on mini quilts too.  Here are two that I made for swaps that I was in.  The first is a modified log cabin that I designed.  I’m sure that somebody else has come up with this layout too – heck it’s just log cabin, but I do have the 8 pages of sketches that I did to reach this design.

And this mini was part of a challenge where your partner sent you charms and you had a do a mini quilt.  I started playing with the math and figured out that I could adapt the Bento Box pattern to perfectly fit a charm!!  I was so excited – I’m very pleased with how this one came out – I’m going to have to make more of these guys.

I also received a wonderful mini quilt from my good friend Elaine.  She sent me this “just because” and it came at a time when I really needed to be cheered up – I will charish it forever!! I love oriental fabrics and this little wallhanging is just perfect.

I tried my hand a selvage project.  I made these loyality card wallets for a swap that I was in.  They went together very quickly and it had me cutting all the selvages off my stash!  I found the pattern and inspiration from Karen’s Selvage Blog.

I finished two crazy quilt project.  The first I had posted about on May 19th, a friend gave us dance outfits from her daughter and we had to use only those fabrics to create a crazy quilt  block.  First here is the naked block and then the finished product:

This next project was the annual HGTV Crazy Quilt One Block Swap.  The theme that I got from my partner was “Ocean”.  I received so much help with this block, from donations of materials to embellishment recommentions and lessons!  I’m so very grateful to everybody who helped out.  Here are the naked and finished blocks:

I did two pieces of tatting for this block.  First was the seahorse, he’s the first animal I have tried – I was pleased that he looked like a seahorse when I was done!!  I used Debbie Arnold’s very easy to follow pattern.  The second piece is the star fish on the bottom left.  When I went to attach the star fish to the block I noticed he had six points and not five (that is what I get for tatting and talking at midnight – I wasn’t paying very good attention!!), so off came one point and he looked so much better!  Here is the link to the pattern. (I’ll have to get the thread colors/sizes at home I don’t remember them off the top of my head – I know it was HDT).

And finally, I did some lap quilts for Julianna’s teacher and assistant teacher for the end of the year.  They were both great all year and I really wanted to thank them for their hard work.  I used the Strip This Quilt pattern from Green Fairy Quilts.  If you have a jelly roll and need a really quick gift, BUY THIS PATTERN!!!  It was one of the easiest patterns I’ve ever done and I just love the results!! (Sorry the pictures are so ’soft’, I did realize until later that there was a finger print on my camera lens!)

See, I may have been gone, but I’ve been keeping busy!  Tonight and tomorrow I have to work on a table topper for my parents as an Anniversary gift – I’m giving it to them on Saturday and have not started yet – no pressure!!

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It’s Monday and the sun is out so that is a good way to start the week!!

First off let me say that I’m overwhelmed by the response to my giveaway.  You’re comments really touched my heart and it’s nice to see that people appreciate my work!!  Thank you to all those of you who visited and commented – I wish I had a bag for each of you to win!

I did run the random number generator this morning and without further ado -

Sorry the picture is alittle bit blurry, my iPhone doesn’t take great pictures of the computer screen!

Commenter #168 was Brooke – CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

This giveaway was so much fun!!  I haven’t received any emails stating I’ve won anything, but it’s still early right????

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Winner has been selected – thanks for entering!

Today is May 27th and it is the start of Sew Mama Sew’s great May Giveaway Day.  Here is what I’ve made to be won:

I made this purse, it’s my smaller version of the Lazy Girl Designs Miranda Bag.  I measures approximately 8 1/2″ high, 12″ wide and 3″ deep.  I fell in love with this dot fabric and just had to make something with it!

It has wooden handles, magnetic snap closure, 6 interior pockets and firm bottom to prevent sagging.  I’m even going to include a matching key fob and a wallet (the wallet isn’t done yet, but trust me – it’s CUTE!!)

And the bag has been treated with Scotchgard to help protect it.

All you need to do to win is post a comment on this thread (be sure to include your email address if you don’t have a blog so that I can contact you!) before 12pm (eastern standard time) on Sunday, May 31st.  Shortly there after a winner will selected by random number genertaor.  I will ship this prize internationally, so please enter!

It’s that easy! 

GOOD LUCK!!

Tags: giveaway

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Tomorrow Owen is giving his first oral book report.  He’s been working hard learning about George Washington and tonight we did a dress rehearsal.

No, I didn’t make the costume – I bought it from eBay and got the hair and hat at iParty.  I’ve already told him that he will be George Washington for Halloween and Julianna decided to be Martha!!  Luckily they do something for the Revolutionary War in 5th grade so I’m going to be holding onto the costume until then!

ENJOY!!

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I was impressed with the beautiful doily that Steph had posted on her blog so I grabbed the pattern and started my own.

I’ve only finished the first three rounds and I’m very pleased with how it is coming out.

You can get the pattern here.

I’m using 30 weight Cebelia thread and right now it measures 3 3/4″ accross.  I think I might frame this one when it’s done!

Tags: Add new tag, Tatting

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I recently finished my last round of the HGTV crazy quilt round robin.  This round went to your group Mom Nicki.  Her block was all soft pinks, greens, creams – very shabby chic!

I did this small snowflake from Jon’s book (I don’t remember the name of it – sorry Jon!) out of Ladyshuttlemaker’s Easter Egg HDT, size 20.  I added some beads since it was going on the crazy quilt block.

This is motif #13 for my 25 Motif Challenge.  Hard to believe that I’m half way done!!  I was worried that I would not be able to make all 25 in one year.

Here is another seam that I worked on:

I have not heard anything from Kate who is working on the final round of Julianna’s block.  But from what I’ve heard it is completely gorgeous – I can’t wait to get it home!!!  Here is what it looked like naked before it heading out.

I’m also doing a crazy quilt challenge right now.  A friend gave me three of her daughter’s old dance costumes that the challenge is to use ONLY the fabric on these costumes to make a crazy quilt block.  Here are the costumes and I received them:

And here is the naked pieced block:

I got creative and turned the black fabric over in one section so it is a solid black piece!  And I’m going to use the extra aqua sequins from the piece on the upper right on a different seam treatment.  I haven’t started working on it yet, I have one other project I must complete tonight and then I’ll be on to this project.

I’ve started collecting my Ocean theme fabric and materials for another crazy quilt block swap – this one is not a round robin, I make the entire block and send it off to it’s owner.  I sure hope she likes it!!

I have been doing other sewing/crafting projects – I’ll post about them tomorrow!

Tags: 25 Motif Challenge, HDT, Tatting

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I finished my Mom’s birthday quilt on Saturday – it was so nice to have it done a day early.  From start to finish it took me 5 nights – it would have been faster if I didn’t have to cut my own 2 1/2″ strips!

Here is the finished product:

I’ve also made it my new header image.  This was a fun and easy quilt to make.  I think I’m going to have to make another one!

Tags: Quilt

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This morning I was reading the post from Green Fairy Quilts (whose blog and website I just found a few weeks ago – see her button on the right!) about her sister’s blog giveaway.  Having a 7 year old daughter I had to check it out!

Go to Megan’s Closet and enter for your chance to win (be sure to mention who you heard from me!) a GREAT hairbow

and a matching DRESS!!!

Julianna would love it!

Megan has a great website shop too!!  I’ll have to get a few Christmas gifts for my very girlie girl soon!

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I’m excited to be participating in Sew, Mama, Sew’s May Giveaway Day.

I’ve entered giveaways like this before, but I have never particiated so this will be fun!  I know exactly what I’m going to make too.

Please do check back on May 27th to enter!

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I’ve been busy working on a quilt for my Mom.  She is going to be turning 60 on Sunday.  Last fall I made her a Bento Box quilt for when she was going into the hospital to have her knee replaced – I remembered how cold I was after surgery in the hospital and I wanted to give her something she could cuddle up with. (Sorry the picture is so small!)

She requested a Christmas quilt just like it.  But my problem was I could not bring myself to do it.  Just like I can’t read a book twice, I can’t make the same quilt for the same person twice.  So I went through my pattern stash and came across this one:

I used my Christmas “Gold” fabrics that I’ve been collecting and just cut the strips and charms myself.  The pattern went together very quickly – if you are looking for an easy lap quilt – try this one (it would be even easier if you had the jelly roll and the charms already pre-cut!). The only problem was the fabric I had extra of that was I going to use for the border was too busy so I had to find some different fabric – not easy to find Christmas fabric locally in May!  I did find a Moda oriental fabric that fit the bill.    Here is a sneak peak:

I’ll be quilting and binding it tonight and tomorrow so that it will be all ready for Sunday.

I’m taking the day off of work Monday to send the day with Mom – it will be fun – I’m really looking forward to it!

I got a great surprise this morning!  I was browsing the blogs I follow on Reader and came across fabrics that looked very familiar to me!  I’m participating in a mini log cabin swap through a Flickr group.  We had to send center fabric to our partner and they are making a mini quilt for us.  Well my wonderful partner, Tina, posted these sneak peaks on her blog!!!

I am so very excited!  I can’t wait to get it back from her.  I have been making progress on her hers but no sneak peaks yet.  I have to get it in the mail on 5/20 so that will be my next task.

Tags: Quilt, swap

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