Update

So much has happened since I last posted and I know I'm terrible about posting!!  I keep thinking I'm going to get better but for me life just seems to be slipping by and I'm wondering where it goes.

I did get the other pillow finished for my in-laws with the church pointing the other direction and I did take a picture but of course it is on my actual camera at home!  I'll try to post a picture soon.

The weather here in southeast Ohio hasn't been too awfully terrible, we get snow one day and then it's gone a couple days later because it warms up to 50+ degrees!  Go figure!  But this is alright with me I'm not a snow or cold person.  I prefer warm weather!

Valentine's weekend I got a nice surprise!!  My favorite quilt shop started selling Bernina sewing machines and had their grand opening, during that grand  opening if you came and watched the demos on the new machines you were entered to win a Bernina 330.  And when I received the text message from the owner telling me I had won I was beside myself!!

I'm one of those people that almost never win anything so this was a very nice surprise!!

I have had to rearrange my sewing room to make room for it, but it also means that I can set my Babylock Ellageo up as a fulltime embroidery machine!!  Which will be very nice and this machine is light enough I can carry it to classes, guild meetings, and retreats!!  No it doesn't have lots of fancy stitches but most of what I do is straight stitching anyway!!

Hope everyone had a nice February and is looking to warm weather in March!!

Until next time,

Jodi

Last Minute Christmas Gifts

In the true spirit of crafting for Christmas I was finishing up a few things this morning.  I know nothing like cutting it short but life just seems to get in the way too much this time of the year.  So before going to visit the in-laws today I was finishing up their gifts.

 

For my mother and father-in-law I made this lighted block and pillow

 

 

I owe them another pillow I wanted them to have a pair where the Church faces toward each other so hopefully during my few days off I can get the other one finished.

 

Since we were going to my SIL I decided to make her a gift as well

 

They were all very appreciative and loved them!  I love making gifts I think they are much more appreciated and valued, at least for my family any way.

 

Here's hoping everyone had a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!!

 

Until later,

Jodi

 

 

 

Crafting

I have been crafting but not posting! LOL  Over the past couple months I have been working on several different things.  I've finished up quilt blocks from a block of the month and our Christmas blocks to share from Quilt Guild (both of which I haven't taken pics of yet) but I did 2 different bazaars in November

 

 

I dusted off the Cricut and made some cute things along with my normal sewing and embroidery.  I love making things but trying to do things that weren't personalized was hard.

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and in case I don't get back before, hope you have a great Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of the year.  Stay warm and dry and enjoy your family, we aren't promised tomorrow!

 

Until later,

Jodi



Gift for the Bride to Be

One of my daughters life long friends is finally getting married and I enjoyed making this for her!

I looked and looked everywhere for a satin robe and I was actually disappointed that I couldn't find one but the Bride to Be was really happy it was a shirt since she will be going to the hair dressers to get her hair done for the wedding.

And here she is with her gift!!

I'm very happy with how it turned out and I got to work with my Floriani software again!!

 

Well until next time,

Jodi

 



Still Alive and Kicking

For those that get notices from me, I truly haven't fallen off the face of the Earth since May I'm just getting worse about posting.  I am still working on the Park Bench quilt blocks and I'll post a picture soon.  I'm getting ready to work on some items for a bazaar in September and I promise I'll post pics soon.

Until next time,

Jodi

ARC Notebook Cover

A little sewing did happen over the weekend, a few weeks back one of the ladies in my planner Facebook group showed a picture of a cover she had purchased and it got me to thinking that I should be able to make one of them myself.  So I worked on it,

 

This cover is on an ARC Mini notebook.  For the most part I'm happy with how it turned out but I want to try to tweak it a little bit and figure out how to keep all the seams inside so that it's more finished looking.

 

But until I do, I'll keep trying!

 

Until next time,

Jodi





Some Machine Embroidery Going On

Well last week I did find some time to do a couple small embroidery projects.  One of the ladies I work with wanted the school logo put on a shirt

 

 

And my daughter had gotten a beach towel for my grandson so I put his name on it!!

 

 

Also I realized that since my last post prior to last week was in November I hadn't told you that due to an unexpected financial blessing I was able to purchase the Floriani Total Control - U embroidery software

 

 

which I am still learning to use.  I know I had told you I had gone to a couple different Floriani events where the software was demoed and I really fell in love with it but it is somewhat expensive.  I am hoping to find some more time to learn this software.  There are a few events coming up between June and November that I plan to attend.  Most events are not very expensive and if you are into machine embroidery I highly recommend you attend if you can, you always walk away with free stuff (spools of embroidery thread, stabilizer samples) not to mention the knowledge of those teaching!

 

I am spending more time in my sewing room mostly trying to get it cleaned up so that it is useable.  I recently took some time to clean and rearrange it and once I get a little more cleaned up I'll post pics for everyone to see.

 

Well until next time!!

Jodi



Spring Thaw

Spring has finally sprung and I'm feeling revived and refreshed!  I'm beginning to think I have that seasonal depression that comes with winter, I just felt so unlike myself the whole winter and couldn't get motivated to do much during that time.  I had such big plans and all that seemed to happen was that I purchased things to do but never got them done, and boy did my sewing room show it (another post for another day).  I did start a block of the month in February which helped start getting me ready to start sewing again.  At my favorite quilt shop one of the teachers started the Park Bench Quilts block of the month

 

I decided that I wanted to use batiks in my quilt top so here is what I've got happening

 

February Blocks

 

 

March Blocks

 

April Blocks

 

I'm really liking these batiks and cannot wait to get the entire quilt top finished!

 

One of the ladies from our quilt guild spends the winter in Florida and while she was in Florida she had the opportunity to see this quilt block being put together

 

But didn't know what the pattern was called and I searched the internet high and low and couldn't find it so I sat down with Excel and created my own and this is what I ended up with minus the sashing

 

 

I wanted the graduated colors as well and lucked out that my favorite quilt shop had 1 left that I almost missed out on as another customer had picked it up and carried it around but decided to go a different way and laid it back down so it was my fortune to be able to pick it up.  I'm gonna try to find another jelly roll if possible to have.

 

Well I know this has been a long post and hopefully I don't wait so long to post again!

 

Until next time!

Jodi

 

 

Mega Pinnie

Finally a completed project.  While surfing the net recently I found a tutorial for this Mega Pinnie

 

So I decided to make one of my own.  I had also recently visited the Nelsonville Quilt Co and picked up some very cute sewing themed fabric.  So this is what I came up with, I didn't piece the pockets I just cut the fabric smaller.  But it is quite large, the main pieces are 7"X7" with the pockets being 7"X5".  If I make it again I will probably make it smaller more like 5" at the largest.

 

 

 

Don't mind the mess on my cutting table, I've been trying to get it more organized and unfortunately I'm making a bigger mess than I think I'm fixing.

 

Well until next time,

Jodi

 

Vacation

Well I have to say this was a pretty productive week while I was on vacation.  I made a pillow for some family members that celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, even though it was last year!!  We actually were on vacation last year when they celebrated it and wasn't able to attend

I also fixed a bathing suit for a friend.  When she bought it, it showed too much cleavage for her comfort so I fixed it by adding some material to the top

 

She let me know that it turned out perfect which always makes you feel good about helping others.

 

I also made 2 sets of baby bath towels

 

Fixed 2 pairs of shorts and repaired sheets for my brother.  I'm sorry to see the week end but feel very rested and relaxed and I guess ready to go back to work tomorrow.

 

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day and please remember the true reason we celebrate this day



Well until next time,

Jodi



 



Embroidery Club

Well as I talked about 2 weeks ago I attended a Floriani Event at Calico Cupboard Quilt Shop.  They also have an embroidery club that meets the 2nd Saturday of each month.  Well for this month it was cutwork embroidery, something I had never done before so I decided to participate.  Here is my linen napkin that we worked on.

 

The first corner (top right hand corner) was a disaster even though you cannot see it in the picture.  For some reason my machine was not behaving well.  The tension was way off.  The second one worked better after I adjusted the tension.  The third one then was off again the tension was too tight and the bobbin thread was showing.  It was as if my machine was trying to adjust itself.

 

Luckily when I set it back up and worked with it today doing more embroidery it had adjusted itself again and everything was running smoothly.  So after I had gotten a couple other embroidery projects done with no problem I decided to try the final corner on the napkin and it was perfect with no adjustments on my part.

 

Next month they are doing endless lace and inserting it into a sweatshirt sleeve so I'm seriously thinking of attending that one as well.

 

Once I get the projects I've been working on today I'll post more pictures.

 

Until next time!!

Jodi

 



Floriani Event

This past weekend was a great event.  I participated in the Floriani Event held at Calico Cupboard Quilt Store in Pataskala, Ohio.  I attended one of these before 2 years ago but it was only a 1 day 4 hour event.  This one was 2 days for 12 hours, just let me say that by the end of each day you were on information overload regarding stabilizers. 

 

He showed lots of great samples and had lots of different ways to get to the same result.  For a man that has only been doing machine embroidery for approximately 6 years he was very knowledgeable.  Of course the big push was to purchase their Floriani Total Control Embroidery software at the reduced price of $1999.99 (regularly $4300) but I do have to say that I really do like their embroidery thread and stabilizers.  I have been using them the past 2 years and have very little issues with them.

 

Now to just get the embroidery unit setup and start using it a little more to justify my purchases.  Oh well it was a fun and informative couple of days.  I have decided to start participating in their embroidery club meeting each month to try to help me be more productive with the embroidery.

 

Sorry no pictures this week,

 

Until next time,

Jodi

Shop Hop!

I know this is a little late but with having little man

 

 

 all last week not much got done but taking care of playing with him!!  He is the joy of my life and I miss him dearly when he's with his daddy every other week.  But I do get more done around the house when he's not there.

 

Anyway on Saturday, 4/12 our Quilt Guild participated in a Shop Hop in Amish Country here in Ohio.  We had a great time, there were 8 of us that went and 3 won door prizes!!  They introduced me to 2 yes 2 more quilt shops I hadn't been to in Amish Country!!  Lots of pretty new fabrics, kits, and patterns to choose from.

 

I did get some sewing done yesterday, hope everyone had a great Easter!! I've been working on that blue trip around the world quilt and it's coming along nicely but I figured out yesterday I only have about half the fabric I need for the top so I'll be making another trip to the quilt store soon!!

 

I did finally manage to finish another quilt top that I've been working on for a while but I forgot to take pictures so I'll have to do that and update you on it.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

 

Well until next time!!

Jodi



What's on my cutting table

Guess I forgot to actually post this one, sorry!!

 

What's on my cutting table?  Well the start of a new quilt, Trip Around The World.  It's going to be for a raffle on Labor Day weekend but I wanted to get started on it as soon as I can. 

I have the other quilt top as far I can I since I ran out of the background fabric to finish the last side of the last border.  Yes I'm pretty bummed that I ran out being that close to finishing the top but I did buy all that she had left of that fabric and since I'm participating in a shop hop in Amish Country this Saturday, I decided I'd wait until then to try to find another piece to match and finish it up.  Once I get it finished I'll post a pic for everyone to see.

 

But back to my current quilt top.  I have some of the fabric cut but wanted to get an idea of how it would look and I'm liking what I'm seeing.  Since I didn't have an actual pattern to follow I set up an Excel spreadsheet, yes I know not a normal program to use for a quilt top, but since I'm doing 4 1/2" blocks I could create it in Excel so I could start at the top and work my way down.  Looks pretty good if I do say so myself

 

Well until next time,

Jodi

 

Sewapalooza!!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Bernina Sewapalooza held in Dublin, Ohio.  It was lots of fun getting to play on someone else's machine and getting to meet Alex Anderson.  There were sessions on quilting/general sewing, machine embroidery, and machine applique.  Alex did the session on machine applique and everyone had the opportunity to start her popsicle wall hanging/small quilt, here is my completed top

 

 

She also signed books and took pictures

 

 

So that was my 15 seconds of fame with her!!  She was very nice and seemed to enjoy the questions and interactions with everyone.

 

Well until next time!!

 

Jodi



Coasters & Quilts

A little sewing going on, back in the summer I got to spend some time in Amish Country here in Ohio and while there I spent some time exploring the fabric/quilt shops.  One of my purchases was this little fabric coaster

So I decided to make one of my own

My version has 1/2" strips and the purchased version has strips just shy of 1/2".  I didn't quilt it but could have I did use batting so it's "fluffy"

 

I've also been working, slowly, on a new quilt top.  Not sure where the pattern came from, but one of the ladies in my quilt guild made it with scraps and set it with white fabric and it looks very nice, I don't like to use pure white since I live in the country and have well water that turns everything dingy so I decided to use an off white for my setting blocks, I debated on the bright colors or 30 repro fabrics, as you can see the brights won.

All my blocks will be the same and I'm thinking of rotating them a quarter turn so they don't look exactly the same across each row.  Might try to line them up diagonally.

 

Well that's what's been happening in my sewing room since the first of the year, I know it isn't much but it is at least something.

 

Until next time,

Jodi

 

 

 



Another Christmas Quilt

Well this year my Dad and Stepmom got the Christmas quilt

 

That's my son looking a little like Jase Robertson and my grandson Silas cheesing it up.  He's such a cutie and anytime the camera comes out he thinks its time to get his picture taken.

 

Not much else has been coming out of my sewing room, I pushed myself to get this one finished in time for Christmas and yes I was actually finishing it up Christmas morning.  I just can't seem to get motivated to spend much time in my sewing room.  There is just so much going on around here it's just making it very hard.  If you are a praying person please say a prayer for me that things calm down and thanks so much for your prayers in advance!!

 

Well until next time,

 

Jodi



Projects

I feel terrible that it's been so long since I've posted but things here are wild to say the least, I know it's no excuse but it's the best I have.

 

There is a little sewing going on but not a lot, I finally finished a quilt that I started several years ago.  It was my first attempt at creating a quilt.  It was one of the Joann's monthly quilt block sets.  I started it and since I really didn't know what I was doing I put it aside until after I had taken a beginners quilting class at my favorite quilt store A Touch of Thread Quilting Gallery here in Zanesville, Ohio.  I also have that top (quilting class blocks) finished but not quilted yet, oh well I'll get to it eventually.  But anyway here is the one I finally just finished

 

Couldn't really decide on how I wanted to quilt it so I decided to start in the center and worked my way out by doing a square that gets larger and larger.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

 

Once that was finished I needed a new laptop bag since I had to go out of town for work and needed something pretty to carry the laptop.

 

And last but not least my quilt guild had a retreat this past weekend that I got to participate in and we made a Christmas tree skirt.  It went together so easy I actually finished before I had to leave to come home.  It still needs quilted but for the most part it is finished





 

The one strip looks orangeish but it really is red.  As you can see you could use the back side as well which is nice.  It really wasn't that hard to put together but you really had to follow the directions.  So as you can see I have been getting some sewing done but we have been on the go a lot in September and October so it is affecting how much time I'm getting to spend in my sewing room.  Hopefully things are calming down.

 

Hope everyone is having better luck getting sewing done since Christmas is quickly approaching.  I really wanted to do a craft show this year but I can see that it isn't going to happen since I have next to nothing prepared to sell.  I'm hoping that my ideas for Christmas presents don't get lost in the process.

 

Well until next time,

Jodi

Baby Shower Gift

My friend Penny's daughter is pregnant and she is doing the baby's room in Elmo so I decided to make Elmo baby bath towels

 

I think they turned out pretty cute.

 

I've been working on getting a quilt quilted for our bed and have the quilting done now to get it trimmed and bound.  The quilting is definitely the hard part since I'm doing it on my regular sewing machine.

 

I have a couple more projects in mind, not that I don't have lots of things that I could be working on but a couple I want to try out.  I'll post pics as soon as I get them worked out.

 

Well until next time,

Jodi

 



So Much Time Has Passed

I know, so much time has passed since I last posted and I really haven't fallen off the end of the world just lots going on at the Stapleton household.  I can't remember if I told you or not but our daughter, son-in-law and grandson moved back in with us in January

Having them there is lots of fun but I'm not getting much done in the sewing room.  What I have gotten done have been either special orders or things that don't take too long to make.  I made curtains for my sister-in-laws dad and forgot to take pictures of them (probably the longest I've spent in my sewing room since Christmas, and everyone must have been gone for the day), I have curtains to do for my mom (embroider flip flops on them, will post pictures when they are finished), make curtains for my brothers camper (using a king size flat sheet for this).  I did get another purse made for vacation

I loved the yellow fabric and found the orange fabics to match, figured this was just perfect for a Florida vacation.  Before the Florida vacation the hubby and I went to Cleveland in April for a food show for his work and since we were there we just had to make a stop the the Cleveland Hard Rock Cafe

Had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed looking at all the memorabilia they had hanging on the walls, hubby must still have those pictures.  Then in May we went to Florida to visit family and celebrate my birthday.  We went to so many different places and so much fun.  We visited Tarpon Springs, Ocala, Edgewater, and Cocoa Beach where my son-in-law wanted to visit Ron Jon's Surf Shop

Please don't be blinded by the extremely white legs but I don't get to spend much time outside.  The little man enjoyed the water so much it was fun just watching him

Then the end of June I helped with vacation bible school at church and enjoyed watching all the little ones learn new songs and see the petting zoo.

 

Well now that I have completely bored you, LOL, I think I'm pretty much caught up with what has been going on.

 

Weather in Ohio has been just that, normal Ohio weather.  We've had lots of rain to the point of creeks and rivers being out of bounds and now we are part of this excessive heat wave and all I can say is thank you Lord that the air conditioning is working.  Hope everyone else is having a great summer and are staying cool.

 

Almost forgot, on the way home we stopped in Savannah, GA and had lunch with my son-in-laws friend Scott.  Since it was going to be a very short stop he gave us the dime tour and had us drive down River Street and bounced us all over.  We did stop and eat at Huey's on the River, they had very delicious food and we are thinking of planning a trip back to Savannah and have Scott give us a better tour.

 

Well until next time,

Jodi