#scrappytripalong......and a present

First, the present. I have known my boyfriend since we were in preschool together. We have been in and out of each others lives for around 22 years. You would expect after that amount of time that someone would and/or could know you well. I think he does. Well on Christmas, I found out how wrong I was. He doesn't just know me well, he can possibly (I haven't disproved it yet) read my mind. I was gifted this.

Now, not many 25 year old girls would let out a high pitched squeal when unwrapping a Rowenta box, but I did. And on that same note, not many 24 year old boys would ever expect or think to gift said girl an iron. :heart flutter:

I never in my wildest dreams thought that an iron could be meaningful, but this one was. Because it came from a boy that spent days and days researching irons to find the perfect gift to make his bizarre girlfriend the happiest sewist on Christmas morning.

This Rowenta is legit too. If anyone needs an iron, buy it. The precision tip is no joke. Ironing seams open is as smooth as butter. And it has 300 little steam dispersion holes. This iron really knows whats up.

More about the iron later. #scrappytripalong. If you have instagram, check out this hash tag. Over the last few days, an impromptu quilt along has sprung up via instagram thanks to Megan from Lucy and Norman and is spreading like wildfire. It is incredibly addictive. The blocks are GREAT stash busters.

Here is the tute from Quiltville. Verrrrrry easy to follow and the fastest patchwork piecing I have ever done. Brenda from Pink Castle Fabrics jumped in right after Megan and has also created a flickr group for everyone to share in their Scrappy Trip Along fun. You can also check out the progress of me (citystitches) and others on instagram! Search my user name, the hash tag mentioned above, or just click the instagram button on my social networking tool bar above. There are so many wonderful other people participating over instagram and flickr, I can't possibly name them all here! Come join the fun!!

Merry Fabric Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! The insanity around here is finally beginning to die down and I will soon have enough brain space to actually do something creative. My travel kit is in progress and some parts and pieces will be ready to show off tonight! I hope.

While you are considering what to do with any Christmas money or Christmas fabric IOU's that you might have received, you should pop over to Marmalade Fabrics and check out the sale that Tammy has going on! Today and tomorrow only though, so go get your 20% off!

Hurry Hurry!

what am I doing?

I am living in a hotel, 10 days at a time. 4 days off, and then 10 days back in my lovely Staybridge Suites. This leaves little time for sewing....or so I thought.

This trip, I gave in and brought my machine with me. It has been FANTASTIC. I have nothing else to do when I get done with work at the end of the day except eat, sew, and sleep. The only downside is that I work like 12 hours...so sleep comes pretty quickly.

What am I working on? Why the Retro Flowers Quilt that I started and still. haven't. finished. At this pace though, it will move into 2013 on my completed list. O yea.

Here are some quick pics of what progress looks like.

Ready to share in the insanity of the situation? I thought I could come with just my stack of petals and a sewing machine and be good to go for the full 10 days. Noooo. 

I quickly found out that not all of the petals had been trimmed yet. O yea, I remember not finishing that now. As fate would have it, there is a JoAnn's right next to my site. One teeny tiny cutting mat and rotarty cutter later, I'm ready to go. Time to piece. ...... I have no pins. Sneak back to JoAnn's the next day for pins. Ok, must be ready now. O, I didn't bring enough Kona Snow? Awesome. Those pieces will have to wait I guess. Ok, finally piecing. Iron seams open. I think I'm doing pretty good since I only have to take a couple apart from batch one due to mis-matched seams. Now for a stitch ripper........hmmm. Yea, forgot that too. Must be bedtime. 

Wow, do I need to make a travel sewing kit or what? That will be my project over the 2 weeks I have off before I have to mobilize back to Columbia on January 6th. Get ready for some awesome how to's on making sewing portable!

Swap Mail and Celebrate do. Good Stitches!

Attention swappers! Packages are in the mail as of yesterday! You should be receiving your fabric in the near future. Hopefully everyone will enjoy what they got! Thank you to everyone who sent in fabric for the swap. I enjoyed hosting and will definitely be doing another one!!

Because my work schedule is so intense, my mom had the immense pleasure of taking these to the post office. She said that she received many mean glares walking in with the two laundry baskets full. Haha.  Fortunately for everyone, they were already addressed and had postage!

In other news, do. Good Stitches is having a year end bash. If you don't already know, do. Good Stitches is a charity bee comprised of 21 circles of women sewing for a cause. Rachel from Stitched in Color is the founder and Queen Bee. 

On her blog, voting has begun for the 'Best of 2012' quilt. Hop over and vote! The quilt chosen to represent the Believe circle (our circle) is super gorgeous and definitely worth seeing! And, if you completed a quilt for do. Good Stitches this year, you can enter to win a roll of batting!

I was surprised today to find out that I had been chosen randomly from our Believe circle as the winner of a gift certificate from Pink Chalk Fabrics! I was so excited! I have never won anything before! Again, hop on over to Rachel's blog or do. Good Stitches and see what it is all about!

good folks

I have always loved Anna Maria Horner, but Good Folks captivated me like no other fabric ever has. There is just something about this line that is so majestic.

I don't know if it is the color, scale, print, balance, or some other fabric attribute, but it is just amazing.

I chose to do a Japanese x and + block after seeing the one made by the women of do. Good Stitches for their leader, Rachel. It was a great mash up of color but still accentuated the individual fabrics. Which is exactly what I hoped to do with my Good Folks fat quarters.

I think this quilt really is a testament to the beauty of the line itself.

I am thinking of putting 6 inch linen borders around it in a cream color to make it larger. For the back, I found an amazing deal on 3 yards of the Filigree print in green which will make up the center of the back, flanked by two strips of linen. My quilt model was very patient while I took way more pictures than necessary. :)

Now how to quilt it?!?