Fun Pillow Just Because Pillows Are Addicting To Make

I could not sleep after waking up at 3:30 am yet again. I had energy to think and work a bit this day. I decided to get a move on and make a fun pillow that will go in the living room. This is a step by step of it in the making. This will go nicely when I quilt up the red and black quilt top I made awhile back.

Step 1. Go through the stash find something fun to use.

Step 2. I made the pillow form from some great fabric perfect for this.

Step 3.  I made the pillow envelope style Finished!

Long Arm Fun and Frustration

Still a good time sewing away even with the frustrations of a day where the stars are not aligned for it.

This took forever with every silly excuse under the sun to get this quilt quilted.  Well here it is on the Long arm and what insanity of this and that all going wrong over and over. It is not finished as now I am having new issue of thread breakage. I will win this battle and this quilt will get finished.  Its nice that my Pup Angel is by my side too. 

ANGEL 

sleeps by me everywhere.

Me Quilting Away 

through the issues & problems.

Yes I cut my hair again and yes it is Pink too. 

New Bathmat Playing With Serger

My Bathroom Got New Walls So Needed A New Bathmat

So I grabbed up a few towels to match my color ideas and Cut them up into the square sizes I wanted.

Using the serger I pieced them together using inside seems and adding solid piece for back of the mat

Not 110% happy and I will be making another one. however for now I am pleased enough to show it off and enjoy using it. 

My Nice New Scarf That Got Sadly Eaten Up

The winter months are coming and I thought this would be a great thing to make up and than sadness strikes.

1.I am very excited as I see my new in the making scarf come to light and look so good. 

2. As this was going along I was sitting beside it working on the Binding for my jungle quilt. When I heard the sound not a good smooth embroidering along sound. 

3. What a mess and what sadness as I was so excited how good this was turning out. This knocked the wind out of sail for the evening so I called it for the night and decided sleep and than after my work day clean up all the mess and start over again. 

The Jungle Quilt Is Now All Appliqued & Quilted

My First Self Designed Baby Quilt

Just Needs the Binding Done Now.

I have really had a lot of fun with the quilt.  My friend Barb came over and had a night of stitching and happy bitching sewing friend fun. This is what I conjured up that evening.   I just grabbed up a small jelly roll sitting on a shelf and a new pattern was born.

The New Jungle Baby Quilt Coming

I really need to get moving a long it seems I am just all UFO's / WIP's lately...  Well Here is the newest one to share with you all. I hope to have this finished for a donation run really soon. 

As I started to sew this group of fabric together I was so not sure how I would like it. I was thinking no way this is going to be a muddy mess. 

However as it came all together I started feeling a jungle theme and baby quilt in the making. 

So off to the store I went yesterday and I grabbed up some giraffe print fabric. I also took this picture and got it enlarged to about 24 by 28 I think and will make this into an applique for the middle. 

I am thinking this is going to be just fun. 

Talk About Some Happy Fun! I Got A Quilt From Shane!

Shane is one of my hero awesome quilters I look up too. 

I really i am so very excited I do not have a lot of words however I do have a picture of my happiness and the quilt. 

Please go see and visit Shane over here http://recycledquilt.blogspot.com/ 

Everything Shane does is so inspiring and lots of fun to make you happy. 

Not Much In Productivity. Lots Of Learning Longarm Backing

Truly not a real productive time with the longarm however it was a wonderfully educational time.  Many different things went on and I will bullet and share some education with you all. My hope is this all will help some of you avoid some of the frustration I had.  

This was my first time with using 108” backing fabric and not knowing of the learning curve I was dealing with.  Load unload load unload I was so very sure that it was square all these times. Frustration 4 letter words flying away.  Ok need to walk away.. What a great place to end up walking away to feel better. 

I went to the Quilt Farm ( http://www.quiltfarm.net/aboutus.htm ) Great magical NICE  place right close to my place. Where along my drive I get to stop and enjoy beautiful places such as this water fall and there is many more beautiful places along the way too.

Where upon arrival I did have an advanced heads up that the Canada crew was enjoying the fall retreat week together there. The leader of that gang Chris Foster who now has a blog I highly encourage you to go visit her and see her many way above me gifted talented well educated greatness she blesses us all with in the quilting world.( www.holycowchris.blogspot.com )  

So now that you have all that great information that I am sure you all will visit the sites and let me know when you are taking a trip up to the farm and we all can go for lunch or something while you visit.  Here are some bullet points.

1>    Backing that is 108” is best when Tore off the bolt rather than cut. This keeps it much straighter.

2>    Ironing all this stuff is insanely hard when your iron breaks and does not get hot enough. Perhaps a new iron is in order.

3>    My idea of racking 2 quilt tops with different thread color requirement’s is way out there and I just tossed that idea out. ( as well as the way both tops fit would not be the way I was quilting the one… a few inches too little.  ) ERRRRRR

4>    The best things to do is walk away breath and go play with another project and come back refreshed and just do it again. WOW THE BACKING IS LOADED CORRECTLY. SMILES

Sleepless 3:30 AM Before Work Sewing & Embroidery

Long little story to a small fast project I made.

Yesterday at work it was a really rough day. I am so not myself and I am really out of balance feeling not very grounded. I am  just trying to get through each day with nothing twisting my  day to something irrationally out of control for no reason.  Well lets see I lost my water bottle and I had been in about 5 or 6 different offices no way was I doing the back track so I left it for gone. The issue was I forgot money ( I seem to forget lots in the recovery process ) and could not get another  water. This is small tiny thing in the day that was half over of me. Minus I am not myself and this sucked and really almost through me over the edge.  Went to check something back in a place I already did a job and how great a COOL GREAT CO WORKERS had my water bottle and I was saved and felt so much better....  SMILES..  

So I made this little Fob water bottle holder and added my name so I won't get separated again from my water bottle at work. 

Not Sleeping much at all. and 3:30 AM does not make me the must with it detailed person. So I had this hoodie from work and I some UT designs ready to go so here we go. 

I am not impressed with how this turned out I did somethings different stabilizing ana I am  just not happy with results and it landed very off center sideways off a bit kinda fits how I feel..... hahahaha

Finally The Design Room Is Starting To Take Form.

Please bare with me and enjoy The sewing / quilting that is my only safe place for now. I ask that you all just enjoy and bar with me as the posts will be coming and be very often and have lots of fun stuff to offer. However they may seem out of order and not in any 1 direction. My surgery has me in full blown wild insane surgical menopause. My thoughts and attention is way out of wack. My sleeping is so strange there are times a rotary cutters becomes way to much of a danger to use.  Also I am emotionally just an irrationally non understandably stranger to my own self.  OK ENOUGH OF THAT BABBLE>>>>>

   

Its been a long time coming looking back at the old posts when I began the new sewing room I left the design stuff in the original room and this will make a lot of extra room for some great art working quilt things to come down the line. 

Here is the start as I found My 5' x 4' Table Ironing Board

My Cutting area Works largely on the ironing table however its all organized for the detailed stuff over here. 

The soon up and coming serger area that will have some quilting on the one going on and some silly fun clothing reconstructions on the other one. 

As you all can see still need the cleaning part to take place however that takes massive amounts of will power and just do it energy that is not happening right now......  I am excited that bit by bit its coming a long and working out almost better than I thought as I feel the flow of it now.....  The sewing room is ion the other room only a few feet away. this set up should be working out wonderfully. I think its harder to figure out how to be so creative with the lack of space when we all seem to have 100 lbs of stash and tools jammed into an area that fits maybe 10 lbs of all that...... SMILES

Lets Just Play & Embroider Some New Things

Ok I spent sometime just playing around and learning some new hooping techniques. With the said I will share a few finished projects with some small details and if you want to know more just comment and I will get back with you.

This is a baseball cap 

I did this using just a regular 120 x 120 hoop  double tearaway stabilizer. 

Here Is  Some Sweatshirts I did Up For Gifts. 

I really think I could be getting addicted to these. I need a lot of explanation to figure out to hoop this up and and than it turns out very easy. 

 This was for my Friend & Neighbor who has been awesome amazing. 

(hidden requested meaning for fun)  

 This was a very special shirt made for a beautiful loving person although I rushed to get it done right before our dinner date. I was 13 mins late. Shirt was a great hit and made up for the wait time. I will do better next time and start a day ahead a least.

 This is a great beauty made for the Lovely Sherry.  She was beyond happy with finding it with a not by the toaster. 

So there you have some of the new addiction shirts that i have been working away on. They are a big hit as the gifts I have been giving away. I will be making more here and there. If you see something I might be able to make one up for you.... The prices are a bit high though so keep this is mind.  I don't sell most of the things I make these shirts I might be talked into. 

Just a silly bonus pic of an old shirt I played with.

This one is an extra just to bling out something for myself. (hence not ironed )

 Its my shirt. hahaha

Here Is A Small Teaser

To assure you that there is Truthfully more and much more to come here is some teaser sneak peak pics.

This is on the Topaz right now with lots more to come. 

Lots of Embroidery is happening on the Ruby  Having lots of fun and some videos on this coming too. 

See the Crane on the back of my vest I did? 

This is the center idea of even another quilt that I am working on at the same time!

Long Time to Away. Lets Get Back To Sewing & Quilting

I have been away for a bit of time. Had some Medical issues come up and needed to get them taken care of with some surgery. Recovery sucked I couldn't really sew or do much of anything!  All is good now and I really need to stop being so self absorbed with that part of the last couple months and move forward.

Enough about that now lets talk about the good start as I get my self grounded and back to the real medicine of life  Sewing and QUILTING!  While I had over a month off from the world I did mange to sew slowly 1 strip or 2 a day and came up with this.  ( I love This and I am looking forward to finishing it up soon.) 

This will be for me!!!! Yes For Me! My Recovery Quilt. 

On another Note 

CHICKEN NEWS AND MORE>>>> My lovely chickens Zelda, Hildigar, and Jenny all have a great home with a wonderful Amish family.   ( Surgery recovery rules where I could only lift 5 lbs or less for over a months time so I could not care for them to my standers ) 

Hang tight and bare with me I am giving my self the winter to fully recover into the physical bad ass I was before the surgery and I will be getting new chickens. 

Videos will be coming up too Lots of great new ideas coming really soon!!!! 

Share A Moment With Art Quilter Jennifer Myka

I have so much to learn yet and this is the first of so many more and each one will render its own improvements to come. I want to thank so deeply much with all my gratitude Jennifer Myka for being the first and not the last of getting this kicked off with my new great idea to keep us all motivated and fresh with ideas. Sharing together!

Please comment on anything and everything you want. to help this become the community we all want to enjoy. 

THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!.

WINNER!!!! 5 Fat Quarters To Nifty Stitcher / Soon interviews coming on daily quilters

Ok Lets start out with a big thank you to get this started here. Things will be random yet weekly and Bi weekly  moments of greatness.  Things are shaping up and getting cooler around here. Oh what wow ok I will just skip all that and get to the good stuff here.!!!

Random Pull Gave Nifty Stitcher the Winning Luck

( I could Not find any other Name ) 

She Just Won the 

5 Fat Quarters!

please contact me with your mailing address to send them out to you!!!

If any of you know here spread the word out to her she is the winner. of the 1st not only but 1st Openbeauty.blogspot.com Give Away.

Lots coming up keep watching and keep sharing !!

1st Test Video Just To See How This Will Work & Chicken Fun

Hope all had a very nice weekend. As for mine I had a good get some more done and keep moving forward. I am working more on the design room and getting the rest done to really get some cool stuff coming up.  Give away coming soon. I needed to take a break and I did a small test video with a project I was working on from an old class I took. 

I needed to chill and stop organizing and just do for a bit and as I was sewing on the topaz and making the video I was also doing an embroidery for a gift for someone that does come here to this blog so I cannot show YET the competition but here is a peak. 

Along with the video I took some time off and played with some family and my Chickens had a blast with the kids. 

The 1st Small Free Give Away Here! Easy to Join

OK here we go let’s Give Away 5 nice mystery Fat Quarters to one random person. 

 Pretty easy to Get Entry counted. 

Going to be doing a lot more coming up in the next few months.

Some new things really might be cool for you to hang in there and see so help get the blog and you tube sight out and about to more to share with us. 

Subscribe to both this blog openbeauty.blogspot.com and leave a comment about some average or outrageous things you want to see in the short fun new sewing/quilting video's coming up. 

 Get a 2nd entry by subscribing to the new YouTube channel. Leave a comment anything say hello under this video.

Get extra entries by sharing with a friend or friends for more entries and have that friend  subscribe and share your id as the way they found this blog and video. 

I will pull a random Winner On Video and post it up for the 2nd Video I will post soon. If you have subscribed you will know when.

 Keep Checking.  

This will get everything rolling. 

I AM REALLY GETTING THERE! BEFORE AND AFTER

I have had this room in the house the kind of room that was my sign shop and than grew into the catch all of what you do not want any where but think you might want to keep.... room.  I have thrown out to the curb and garbage almost 4 cans worth of trash I do not want everything I put out to the curb someone has come and grabbed a good for them deal for free. The other greatness of this is I sold some big ticket things in here and made more than I spent with extra and that all is sewing cash flow and catch a bill or two. what a great plus. that made it like I got paid for cleaning my own space up.! SMILES! This adventure was overwhelming at first now feels so good for sure. Well here are 2 very really scarey pictures of the before part. you have been warned!

WIth alot of great support and inspiration from the quilters on the quilting board and a few really great quilting friends who routed me on via texting and ideas and posative influence sharing. I managed to get this far durring the weekend with a reward trip to the quilt farm in boston, ny  and grabbed up a nice stash to make both a quilt for a friend and a great wall hanging for my new room. 

 This top pic is the sign shop stuff I decided to keep and set up and I will be making some great sewing decals and other stuff. the down side I lost half the room to thia. The upside I can use it now and you will be seeing some cool new decals to dree up your cars rooms and anything smmoth with great sewing stickers and decals. Coming soon.

This side is not all worked out however its got some sewing machines here and I am almost ready to get creative. When I got the space emptied and so much vacuming I reliezed the room was not big enough for my design area and all. so that I am working now. and hopeful will have done by this week and be all set to sew adn create in such a beafutiful new space.  There is still a lot to do however the major bulk of it all is done. now to just organize!

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AND POZ ENERGY FLOW THAT I COULD DO THIS AND KEPT THE OVERWHELMING BAREABLE!

Coop Update and Some Small Sewing

I have been running around yet at the same time my motivation has been low in the energy department.  However I got off my butt long enough to get a few things done here and there. The chicken Run is all finished feneced on top to keep the hawks out and all conneted in 2 runs into one with shaded area and sunny area too. The roof is now on the Coop. I am not by any means a roofer but I manged to get this up and complted leak free.

Also I need to add some small sewing A few fun bracelets in here just to work it up to get my motivation going as I believe I have a perfect space and will be making a new sewing room where the whole room will be all my sewing. This will be a lot of work however I believe it will be a nice area when I am finished.  Fingers crossed I get moving to make this happen.  

My New Setup and an Invite To Anyone To sew In The Woods.

To my amazement my friend Sherry ( who feels 1 sewing machine all anyone who likes to sew ever needs (she doesn't like sewing) sent me a pic from a garage sale with a table , chair and a small mechinacal singer in perfect condtion. I went over looked it over and there was also a mother load of Viking 116/118 feet and parts inside the chair. That was a great find as I also have this model at home too. I grabbed it all up for $35 and than a few of us went up to my camp. I set it all up everything worked like a dream. I Enjoyed a weekend with a small break in the shade sewing away nothing of real value just some scrap fabric that a friends grabbed up for me to make up some dog beds. What a lovely weekend filled with nature friends food and great sewing fun.  I would like to extend the invite to my sewing friends to come up and plug in and sew outside for a weekend up at my camp.

Duck Quilt Gifted & Back To Work On The Coop

What a joy and great time I had Making the Duck Quilt! A lot of love pasion and learning went into this and well worth the effort. Just in time; the baby shower was at 2:00 and the binding and my first label got finished at 1:30 Saturday.  It has been gifted off and I am back on to finishing the new chicken coop and using a lot of pallet word I cut & stripped off for free.  This is not turning out to be as elaborate as I wanted however we have decided we will prob. Going permanent with a shed later and when I started this that was not an option at all in our discussions.  So I will continue this and finish up and the girls will still have a very lovely space to hang and nest in until we really get the rest figured out as we go along.

The Quilted Ducks Hit The City Streets Before They Get Binding On

A special thanks to Kathleen for taking some fun time to play and take this photo of the ducks playing in some graffiti covered alley's in the city of Buffalo.

The ducks are finished up and all quilted I will add the Binding tonight and Saturday they will be gifted off to some great friends that will soon have the 1st born to enjoy it.

I loved Creating This.

UFO Finishing, First Sew In, Free Range Chicken Fun.

Ok the pressure is on and I need to take the plunge here.  The Ducks are finally basted and I will be finishing them up before this Saturday. This may seem like a straight forward easy job to finish. The issue is that this is my grandest quilt and I am feeling a bit leery of touching it in fear of  messing it. I know just do it. that is the plan.  Its basted and I have the machine all set up and I have no excuses now I just need to do it!.

On Saturday I did some work in the house and finally got the couch out that was really just something I did not care for any more. In light of that I through up an 8 ft table and a few machines and had a couple friends come over and we had a blast for our first sew in at the house. there was plenty of room and Sherry joined us with her crocheting. Creativeness and good chatting away was a wonderful time I plan to repeat as often as time allows. 

Than I took a break inside and went out to clean up a bunch in the yard and fire pit too. Since I was out almost all day I let the girls out to free range and play and get into everything they could find. they had a blast and loved it.  It was fun to watch them chase each other around when one got a great bug prize. They will not be out free much only if we all are out there its just too dangerous with all the hawks and other predators around us.