weekend wishes

keeping it short & sweet today.  it's super sunny out today and i've got a frappucino by my side along with my little harper.  we're heading outside to soak up the rays.  i'm so excited for this weekend. i'm heading to vancouver tomorrow to hit up ikea to get my sewing area goodies! yee haw!!! and you can bet i'll be knitting my butt off to get my top done.  i'm soooo close!  then on sunday i've got sewing group.  can we say fun!!!!  in between all that i'm going to finish up my quilt and snuggle my little fam :)

wishing you all a sunshine filled, coffee sipping, sewing & knitting, big laughs, lazy beach kinda weekend!  have a super long weekend to those of you in the US as well.  i may take monday off here to work on some design work so i'll most likely see you all on tuesday! 


what are your weekend plans?  any special weekend wishes for the long weekend?  any trips?  what are you crafting up this weekend? share, share, share....i wanna know :)

p.s. don't forget to enter our "petite kids pattern giveaway" and get your name in the entry form for our tops, tanks & tees kal if you particapted for our giveaway day!

quilting 911 - blissful decisions

i bit the bullet!  i finally made the long drawn out decision on what to do with the zig zag quilt.  after weeks...ok, months of humming and hawing about it i finally just went with my gut.  i decided to just leave the size as is.  i just couldn't get my head around a border - i love it too much without it.  once i made up my mind it was like falling in love all over again.  i had been seething at this quilt in indecision for so long that i had forgotten how much i loved it when i started.  i'm so hooked at the moment that i had an entirely different post planned for today but couldn't resist talking about the quilt cause i'm going to be picking it up right after i'm done writing this to finish hand sewing the binding on.



needless to say i'm crushing.  smitten with the quilt and with my new found friend - the thimble. yes, a thimble.  i know...i'm late to the game...lol.  santa put one in my stocking and let me tell you what a difference it's made in binding my quilt!!!! wowsa!  can we say way speedier and way easier? i like it!  is it weird that i want to wear a few?  lol. i can think of at least one other finger i'd like to have one on while i'm hand stitching that bad boy on.

for those of you who know how long i was wondering about what color to use for my binding i decided to go with white...haha.  i know...not what i had originally planned on but once i got my sandwich made i just loved it.  it pops on the back and keeps the front clean allowing the zig zags to steal the show!  any other tone just made them seem like background dancers :) i also have found that machine sewing the first side of the bias tape on and then hand stitching the other side works best for me.  i've tried other combos but they always result in me being unhappy and ripping it all out again.  i was more than happy to curl up on the couch last night to watch the american idol finale (go phillip phillips) and sew on my pretty little quilt. you can find a fun little "how to sew quilt binding roundup" here that i did last fall too!

i also decided to stay with my original vision and quilt 1/4" on either side of the seam line that forms the zig zags.  it went super fast and i love the result.  i started in the middle of the quilt and worked my way across all the rows alternating from the side i started with and if i was above or below the center one i started with.  i like quilting like this.  it keeps the quilt from moving too much or slanting.  i also highly recommend using quilting pins when you baste your sandwich.  awesome.  they ain't cheap but they are super helpful to use.  i'm still learning things as i go and figuring out what techniques and methods work best for me cause i'm a newbie folks...but i'm loving it!

also as per the request of my daughter i added the "m" to the back of her quilt.  i put a patchwork "h" on harper's quilt so she demanded ever so nicely that her quilt must have an "m" on it.  it's on the bottom left corner of the back and i love the effect the zig zags make on it after quilting! so fun!  i decided to quilt on it instead of appliqueing it on afterwards.  i did that on harpers and loved the result.  it feels more of a part of the quilt if that makes sense. 

i went with white thread on both the front and the back.  i'm feeling it.  at first i thought i may use a color on the back but i love that balloon print so much i didn't want to take away from showcasing the fabric plus it's busy enough i think without me adding some more color to it.

this quilt was the first time i got to use my sewing machine for quilting and it was a dream!  i had my pfaff quilting needle, an extension table and i was all set!  eeek! that's right i said extension table!  momma got an early bday pressie a few weeks ago!  i got some new goodies for my pfaff and i'll be telling you all about them as well as a 1 year bday review of my pfaff ambition 1.0 coming up next month. so for all of you who  have written to me about how i've been liking my machine...it's a coming!  a big shout out though in advance to sawyers sewing center who has been so awesome to me!!! their customer service is ahhhmazing! i'll also be telling you a bit more about how awesome they are in my review as well.

wind flowers in stainless from gypsy caravan by amy butler (from www.stitchsimple.com)

i've also been working away on a little project for me.  selfish sewing time :)  but you'll have to wait a bit longer to see it!  i've got one more thing to make and then i will show you all the full deal :) anyone want to guess what it is???  i think i might have given it away with this shot actually.

you can read the other posts about this quilt's process here:

1st post  |  2nd post  |  3rd post  |

 4th post

what are you crushing on this week?  any new quilts you are working on that you can't put down?  any selfish sewing being fit into your busy schedule?  i've got starbucks brewing and a mug with your name on it...come visit!

fabrics used for quilt:
prints: oliver + s city weekend
solid: organic white by harmony arts (from www.stitchsimple.com)
backing: balloon in aqua - children at play by sarah jane

Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along - Giveaway Day!

it's our tops, tanks & tee's knit along giveaway day today ladies!!!!  yahoo!!!! you guys all did so awesome that i'm waiting to do your "starring you" post till next week so you have time to block and photograph your lovely new tops :)  and to tell you the truth...i need a few more days to finish mine...haha. i'm so close - yet a few days away.  i worked on it like a mad woman all during our little vacay but sleep won over knitting for me every time - darn comfy hotel beds...lol. so i'll spare you the current wip pics this week and get to the yummy prizes!  aren't our kal sponsors awesome!!!!

|  ROSE BECK  |

1. stacked columns wrap/shawl 2. lattice  3. parquet tiles 4. stucco

-first place will win a copy of rose becks new e-collection "archi-textural collection"! Gorgeous!

|  MAGPIE PATTERNS  |

knitting patterns available at magpie patterns

- first place winner will get to choose 3 patterns of their choice from magpie patterns!!!
*please note: if you choose a printed pattern you have to pay shipping.

|  JANE RICHMOND  |

jane richmond patterns

 - first place wins a $15 gift certificate to janerichmond.com! yay!

|  BY ANNIE CLAIRE  |

organic naturally dyed yarn - 3 ply worsted weight, 250yds, 100% organic californian wool from byannieclaire

 - first place will get to choose (2) skeins of their choice from "by annie claire" yarns from her spring 2012 collection! wowsa! these are organic naturally dyed yarns!
- second place will receive a copy of her adorable new hat pattern - bud (shown below).

|  A STITCH IN LIME  |

- first place will receive a set of stitch markers from "a stitch in lime" of their choice
- second place will receive a set of stitch markers from "a stitch in lime" of their choice.
- third place will also receive a set of stitch markers from "a stitch in lime" of thier choice.

|  HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY  |
- you MUST be signed up for the tops, tanks & tees knit along and have started your project.  if you haven't already signed up you can here:

tops, tanks & tees knit along entry form

|  RULES OF THE GIVEAWAY  |
- you MAY only enter your name once.
- you MUST have at least started your project.
- you MUST have a valid email address.

a huge thank you to all of our sponsors - you guys rock!  and good luck to all of you! i'll be using the number that google doc assigns you when you entered the kal as the draw number when i use random.org. the winner will be announced next week :)  how's your project going? are you almost done or done?  how did you like the kal?

happy knitting & hopefully photo taking this week! i can't wait to see all the kal projects being added to our ravelry group! you can enter your pics to this thread here or to our flickr group. thanks everyone!!! best kal evah!

petite kids boutique pattern giveaway

johannah romper

you ladies in the mood for some adorable sewing patterns?  our sponsor "petite kids boutique" has awesomely offered up some lovely patterns for you all today!  wong's patterns are classic and perfect for showcasing your fave fabrics for that special little girl in your life!

1. maia dress 2. tiffany dress 3. anga dress

from dresses, skirts, tunics and fun rompers petite kids boutique has it all! most of petite kids boutique patterns come in sizes 12mths all the way up to 6 or 8yrs!!! wowsa!   i'm loving the "johannah romper" in the first pic above! how fun is that! and the izzy bubble tunic below - so cute!!!!!

izzy bubble tunic

wong's patterns are great for the beginner sewer and also still fun for advanced sewers too! 

1) colette dress 2) sasha dress 3) macy dress

are you all ready to get sewing?  do you want win a new pattern perfect for the summer?  and if you want to start sewing right now wong has sweetly given me a code for you all to save 15% off till the end of the giveaway! use the code "LUVIN2012" for your discount.

 yahoo!!!  find all the deets for the giveaway below!

lucky skirt

- 3 lucky winners will each win 1 pattern of their choice from petite kids boutique!  yay!

- simply enter your info in the following google doc form. when you enter your info you are designated a number by google doc based on when you enter.  this will be the number i use to correlate to your name when the winner is chosen.  make sense?  if you have any questions just ask me below in the comments.  click below to enter the giveaway:

petite kids boutique pattern giveaway

*bonus giveaway - "like" petite kids boutique and/or luvinthemommyhood on facebook and enter the google doc form again this time leaving a comment saying you liked us :)

- giveaway is open until may 27th, 2012 midnight, pacific standard time.
- you must enter a valid email into the entry form or you will be disqualified.

thanks for the giveaway wong and good luck to everyone! you can find petite kids boutique on facebook here and their etsy shop here.

which pattern would you choose if you won?  are you a fan of petite kids boutique?  what fabrics would you use?  let's chat!

weekend wishes

to go on a road trip...

Source: tarasloggett.com via Kerry on Pinterest

to always remember this...

Source: mikepins.tk via Carrie on Pinterest

to decide whether to keep it long or chop it off...

Source: breakfastatyurmans.tumblr.com via luvinthemommyhood on Pinterest

to have at least one nap...

Source: lookatthesegems.com via Erin on Pinterest

to smell the ocean...

ebb and flow by my little pixels

and to make sure this is the year i finally get myself a yarn bowl.

yarn bowl from new moon studio

yes, the yarn bowl is back. i'm obsessing lately. i keep looking and looking for the perfect one but haven't come across it yet.  i'm waiting for it to find me but i'm getting antsy.  i need one.  i'm sick and tired of my yarn rolling around at home.  i'm trying to find something modern and clean and would rather just find it then have to order it online.  any of you recommend a shop where you got yours?

we've been chatting in the facebook group lately about me hitting my mid thirties next month...eeek! 35 here i come...bah!  i always have a hard time with the mid's.  i hated 25 and now i dread 35.  so now i've been hearing the hairdresser in me saying "get a change...freshen it up...you'll feel younger"! damn you inner hairdresser.  plus i'm a gemini so i like mix it up with my hair.  i blame it on starting to work in a salon when i was 14.  lots and lots of years of hairdressing has engraved itself into my soul.  i cannot stick with one style for too long :)  unfortunately my absolute fave hairdresser is on a sabbatical so i'm trying out a coworker of hers.  my hairdresser has helped me grow my hair quite long which is a feat in itself since i have very fine hair that i like to say is bald.  so it's a miracle i haven't chopped it off earlier.  but i'm feeling the summer heat and thinking i would love to be able to wash and wear again.  longing for shoulder length.........what about you guys? anyone else contemplating a new change?  a shout out to rachael from imagine gnats who bit the bullet and chopper hers off after our fb convo! she looks fab!

i've also got naps and ocean breezes on the mind.  i need a break.  a mini holiday of sorts.  thankfully it's a long weekend here in canada so i most likely will be taking monday off to spend some much needed time with the fam. so i'm wishing you all blue skies, ocean breezes, sleepy daydreams, crafting galore and good times with family/friends!  see you all next week!

what are your weekend wishes?  any plans?  crafty projects you wish to accomplish?  hair cuts to get done...lol?  come chat! there's a latte here and it's yours if you want it <3

it's time for a change...

it's time for a change.  a change is a gonna come to..........the ironing board monster!  that's right!  be gone you horrid creature!!!  i'm revamping my sewing wall ladies!!!!!! wahoo!!! seriously...i'm jumping up and down with excitement just writing about it..lol. you see i work in a state of chaos everyday.  piles of chaos.  sometimes i can't find myself...LMAO!  i swear that ironing board monster is trying so hard to just gobble up my soul.  every time i get it cleared off i turn around and BAM - it's grown twice it's size again.  i think it's safe to admit i've outgrown my one ikea shelf.  i also have stuff hidden away in our bedroom on another shelf and in my closet.  the pictures you see below are on good days and bad days.  be warned though the top of my shelf is a hazard and looks worse than what i showed you...lol.  yes. worse.  it's time...i'm donning my battle gear....saving all my pennies...and hijacking the ferry to get over to vancouver to head to ikea to save my sanity. 

the hazard on the top of the shelf.  there are books all behind that fabric too!

a good day

our poor kitchen table that is always in a state of changing chaos

the ironing board monster!

i've got plans that i've drawn out to reorganize this space and actually give me a real desk to work on and another desk to sew on.  with my back injury i need to have a chair to sit in and my couch just isn't gonna cut it anymore.  i'm also going to expand a wee bit into our living room..uh oh..lol...but i promised the hubs that's as far as i would go.  let's hope i can stick to it.  i'm going to go up to the ceiling with storage and take every inch i can to organize, organize, organize.  i cannot wait!

i also have a dress form but i can't show you her...tee hee..and i use that hanger on the wall to store all my finished products or works in progress.  i'm thinking about getting another one...looks like i need it..lol.

it's going to be so nice to sit down and sew or design without spending half an hour to clear a space. i will only need my ironing board when i need to iron!!! what?!! miracle!  i banish it from a worktop.  done.  i'm sick of staring at it all ugly and overflowing everyday.  ever since christmas i've been saving every single extra penny i could to afford to go and buy some new storage solutions.  i can't wait to show you all what i'm thinking of doing and to hear what you think!  i'll have my new space by the end of the month! yeehaw!!!!! because just looking at these pictures makes me feel stressed..lol.

do you have a sewing wall or room?  what do you do to keep it organized?  do you have a favorite ikea or other product that you use to keep things under control? tips?  share, share, share! i'd love to see pics and posts on your sewing areas too!  i need all the inspiration i can get! c'mon...show us ladies...show us!

tops, tanks & tees knit along - binding off

pattern: gemini by jane richmond yarn: knit picks cotlin in colorway clementine

we've got sleeves! finally - yay! i felt like i wasn't going to get there but i pushed through and managed to get the sleeves separated at knit night on the weekend.  i've gotten a bit more done since then and am planning on knitting my brains out on this bad boy over the long weekend.  i've got some serious mileage to still put in on this top and i'm dying to wear it!

i'm happy to say it fits too!  i got to try it on after i separated the sleeves and even though i was really scared it was going to be giant (the thing looks huge before you separate) it fits great and i'm hoping it won't grow too big if i carefully block it.

i'm really looking forward to the ability of wearing the lacework in the front or in the back.  it's going to be my fave go to summer top and i can't stop envisioning it with a white tank and my fave jeans! and that yummy clementine color always makes me smile.

i've been looking forward to our upcoming posts starring all of your awesome tops! i'm completely amazed at all of your handiwork and your talents. it's been super inspiring and so fun to watch what you all are making.  i know a lot of you have reached the point of being done or getting near binding off (casting off) your projects so i thought i would round up a few links that are super helpful for choosing which kind of bind off suits the project you are working on.

better bind off from the purl bee

HELPFUL BINDING OFF/CASTING OFF LINKS:

- stretchier bind off from knitting daily
great run down on various bind off techniques from knitty (recommended by wilckepedia
on ravelry).
- bind offs with videos on one of my faves - knittinghelp.com
- a better bind off from the purl bee
- jeny's suprisingly stretchy bind off on knitty
- stretchy bind off comparison over on stitch diva studios
- interlock bind off  also on knitty
- invisible bind off tutorial via crankygrrrrrl

stretchy bind off comparison from stitch diva studios

 you can follow along with all things tops, tanks & tees kal here:

ravelry group  |  blog  |  flickr group

what is your fave way to bind off?  do you have a link or tip to share?  add it to the comments below and i'll put your link into the mini-roundup.  how's your project doing?  let's see pics ladies!!! i love WIP and FO shots!!  and don't forget to link up your knit along blog post in our linky party below.  happy knitting!

also, check out our awesome KAL sponsors! thanks guys!

join our linky party by linking up your "tops, tanks & tees knit along" blog post!

a little indulgence & quilting 911

amy butler gypsy caravan in print 1) cat eye - windflower and 2) cat eye - stainless from stitchsimple.com

i spent a nice chunk of time last night taping this bad boy together.  i decided it was time to spoil myself and make 2 new items for my closet.  i'm excited to get tracing and to finally get sewing!  i'm also excited to show you guys the process over the next few weeks :)  i do have to sadly admit this part of the process is why i don't sew from patterns very often.  i find it so tedious to do these steps that i would almost rather draft it myself or drape a garment.  but for these 2 items i'm willing to suffer through it ;)

i also just finished up what i hope will be my next knitting pattern.  i got to use this delicious madeline tosh dk in colorway glazed pecan from one of my fave brick/mortar yarn shops - urban yarns (seriously if you are in vancouver it's a must visit)....YUM! look for the pattern coming soon!

madeline tosh dk in colorway glazed pecan from urban yarns

i've also been working on a new tutorial that will be coming out next month over on kojo designs for "color your summer 2".  delia creates and kojo designs have this super fun blog event where we all get to make a project revolving around color.  last year's was awesome and i'm thrilled to be a part of it this year.  mine is pretty colorful and i can't wait to show you all what i've been working on.

i'm also still working on a full pattern for the sweetheart dress for you guys.  i've been working on doing the grading myself but would prefer to hire that part out as i have more designs in the works that i would like to sell.  problem is i am having a super hard time finding a pattern grader or a business who does this.  i would love to keep it local (British Columbia) or at least in Canada but am open to having it done in the US as well.  do any of you know anyone who does this or do any of you do this?  thanks in advance for all of your help with this :)

the pink is for the backing for me to applique the letter "M".

now for the question of the day...i've been banging my head against the wall over mackenzie's zig zag quilt.  i am really struggling with whether or not to put a border on it or to just leave it a smaller size and bind it.  what would you use to bind with?  white? color? backing print?  i could use your help :)  i'm dying to get this thing done so i can move on to the next one :)

this is the portion of the quilt i'm having the hardest time matching up tones with.  the cooler pinks keep clashing with the tones i would pick to bind/border with for the upper half of the quilt.  honestly, i've asked so many people and i just keep going back and forth...lol.  at this point i'm really leaning towards just binding off.  i really don't want to add a border and if i do i think i'm leaning towards a wide border of white and then a smaller border of the orange print below.

but then i also have this yellow print.  the pic doesn't show it very well.  it's softer and more of a darker version of the yellow in the quilt but i don't like it with the backing.  so if i bind with it i don't think i'll be happy with it against the backing fabric.

here's the whole front below...bear with my bad pics...there's not a lot of good light where my quilt is hanging at the moment.

ok so....thoughts?  should i:

a) bind off and leave it the size it is?  and if so what color would you bind off with?
b) add a border?  and if so what color/size would you border it with?  do you agree with white and then a smaller of orange?  the orange looks bad right up against the quilt due to it clashing with the pink tones on the bottom of the quilt.

you can read the other posts about this quilt's process here:

1st post  |  2nd post  |  3rd post

i would love any of your thoughts.  i love that you all have helped me with this whole quilt.  it's so fun!!!  it's definitely a learning process and when you are winging things sometimes another eye is a good thing. i've stared at it everyday for months now and just can't seem to make up my mind.

what are you all working on?  any exciting projects in the works?  i'd love to hear about them!

p.s. thank you for all your wonderful bday wishes yesterday for my baby girl. was so sweet of you all!