I did it I did it I did it I DID IT!!!

I embroidered with my new embroidery machine!  It wasn't missing the program as I originally thought - the problem was MOI, not the machine.  HA!!!!  I still really have no idea what I'm doing, but I did manage to do a stitch-out tonight!

 The manual is really poor (and actually contains quite a few typos - very unprofessional!) and doesn't explain a lot of stuff.  I was pretty much flying blind the whole time, and had all fingers, toes and legs crossed :)

 I also didn't figure out until the second colour change, which colour to use first, as the computer doesn't say - it just says Colour 1.  Now I know to follow the colours in the order they're listed on the pattern :)  I also don't know how to trim the threads properly at the beginning and end of each colour change.  I guess I need to practice a lot! ;)

If you can tell what this is, my attempt was a success!! 

I couldn't resist the lure ...

... the lure of a 50% off sale ... which applied to my favourite sewing notion ...

Somehow there are 2 missing from the bag - I know I bought them and I found them on the receipt, but can't find them in the bag!  Of course I *need* them for a specific project, so it's back to the store I go for more zippers!!!! ;)  This happened to me at the Fabricland @ Yonge/Finch as well a few weeks ago - somehow I'm either leaving zipper(s) behind, or I'm ... losing them between the store and my sewing room?  Apparently I have weird zipper karma!

Current projects :)

Here's a stash-buster quilt I'm working on - the duck fabric scraps were given to me a few years ago - 5 of the 7 rows are done :)

Some completed projects from the last few days:

 Shoe bags :)

 Mini notebook covers - tutorial by Blossom :)

 Zipper bag for Blue Hills - note the crochet flower (from Trish in Ohio - hi Trish!) :)

 Humbug bag from a new tutorial I found @ Craft Passion - next time I'll change the size a bit, and cut the fabric to 5x7 instead of 6x6 :)  Nice pattern - no raw edges :)

 One more paper pieced hotpad for some sets I'm doing - this pattern was available a few years ago from Quiltmaker - I'm not sure if it's still there or not!

Some more items for the travel set I'm making - a composition book cover and some luggage wraps :)

My beautiful peony :)

I love Chris's camera - I just point and shoot and it actually "freezes" the frame so it isn't fuzzy - my old camera didn't do that!

We had to take Zoomer to the vet today as he was having quite a bad day - we left him there for what we thought was going to be an overnight visit, but he was much better after a few hours so we brought him home, and will monitor him.  Fortunately this time I caught the problem before it got really bad so it was quite mild, and he seems to be doing just fine :)  Thanks for taking care of my kitty, Dr. Jacqui!  All the people there are lovely to deal with - the vets AND the staff are all sweeties!

 Here's the quilt set I got completed for friends whose daughter is expecting 3 days ago (lol) :D   Sorry about the wrinkles - I took it out of the gift bag to photograph it - I should have ironed first!

 Here's one of the reasons I haven't been online much in the last week - I bought this entry-level embroidery machine a week ago for an incredible price - 91% off MSRP :)  I still haven't figured out how to use it!

There's definitely a HUGE learning curve involved here!  The sample in the machine came WITH the machine - I haven't even threaded it yet - I'm still trying to figure out the program and the steps to take to even START sewing!

Completions :)

Here we go - some of my recent completions, in no particular order :D

Jungle quilt finished for my niece Jenn, as part of a gift set :)

Here's the gift set ready to be packed for mailing - taggy blanket, 2 bibs, croc stuffy and the quilt.  This set was mailed yesterday, so I hope Canada Post doesn't go on strike, ARGH!

Some paper pieced potholders I finished for 2 challenges - to make 5 "p" projects in May for a Yahoo group, and for Allie's Christmas Through the Year challenge for May :).  The set itself will consist of veg/potato/meat/dessert/pizza, but I didn't have pizza fabric to finish the pizza block - will get it soon :)

Here are the backs of the above potholders - as you can see, I used backing fabric to match the front theme - I'm so witty :D 

This is what the actual sets will consist of - notice the pizza block @ the bottom, LOLOL!  I thought the block was so cute I HAD to add it to the sets :D

I went to take photos of some finished projects tonight, but the camera battery died, so it's charging right now. Will get more pics tomorrow after we get home from a family get-together :)

In the interim, here are a couple of photos I did get ...

Friends of ours are expecting their first grandchild next week, so I made baby Albany a quilt, and have a taggy cut out as well.  The binding and backing are the same co-ordinating print (you can see the binding on the left).  The off-white blocks are vanilla chenille - YUMMY!  I should be able to get this finished tomorrow so hubby can take it to work on Monday and deliver it to grandpa - aka his co-worker - in time for Albany's arrival :)

Here are the bits and pieces to finish the jungle quilt set I'm doing for my niece - the camera died before I could get a photo of the quilt, which was finished a few days ago.  The taggy is backed with the same brown minkee as the croc, and the bibs are backed with vanilla chenille.  If I can find a mailing box I'll mail the set on Monday - Canada Post better co-operate! 

After I get Albany's set finished I can start working on Graci's quilt - she's a special little golden who will soon be arriving at my brother and sister-in-laws house - her new forever home :)  She's not old enough to leave her momma yet,  but her June 17 arrival is certainly eagerly anticipated :)  Aunt Sandra and cousin Zoomer are making her her very own girly cage quilt :D  (Photo unabashedly stolen from my SIL's blog, lol).

The jungle quilt is almost finished ...

I got the quilting done yesterday, and will try to do the binding tomorrow/Tuesday.  I whipped up a little bib with some scraps - it's backed with creamy chenille and embellished with some green ric rac :)

Today we went to a friend's house for a get-together to celebrate our Godson Gabriel's 7th birthday - I whipped him up a boy-y zipper bag and tucked some cash in it :D

I tarted it up with a dragon zipper pull - I thought that would work well with the snakes :)

Quilting guides - who knew?

This post about a quilting guide on a walking foot, led me on a bit of a google investigation about quilting guides, which then led me to my box of "what the hell are these sewing bits and bobs for??!!!" items, at which point I discovered that I have a quilting guide and the appropriate foot+ankle combo to actually USE the thing :D I gave it a whirl, and these were the result - I gave them to Amanda last night to take to Blue Hills next week, for the kidlings :)

Thank you Katherine (a fellow Canadian, and fellow lover of patchwork, linen and vintage :D) for the "tidbit" on your post that led me to a pretty exciting discovery!!

FNSI - a few highlights :D

Last night was May's FNSI (Friday Night Sew-In) - Nancy and NoBlog Amanda came over to my sewing dungeon armed with sewing goodies, fabrics and an extra machine and we got busy :)

Some highlights ;)   Here's Nancy doing my bidding (stitching something for me on the free arm) ...

... Nancy having to remove a button she accidentally tried to SEW OVER ...  ROTFL!!!!!!! 

Nancy busily stitching away :)

 Oh, look!  Nancy's Scandinavian Stitches Kajsa Wikman's pillow!  So sweeeeeeeet!

Amanda cutting out her pillow applique pieces ...

Amanda preparing to stitch her applique on her pillow ...

Amanda getting to the final assembly ...

Amanda's pillow (she's going to do some final touches at home), and Nancy's pillowcase (she's already posted the finished case to her blog) :)

My FNSI contribution - I'm working on a travel set as a gift, and got 3 of the items done for the set - 2 zipper bags and a boxy bag :) 

Looking forward to June's FNSI, wooooooohooooooooooooooooo!!

Jungle quilt "flimsy" (top) finished :)

Tomorrow I sandwich :D

Here are some bits and pieces of a project I'm paper piecing for a challenge - 5 "P" projects in May, for the Yahoo group 25weeks :D  I'll post a photo when all 5 pieces are completed - hopefully by May 31!

Wine totes :)

Inspired by my friend Angela's beautiful creations (here and here, for example), I decided to whip up a few Sewing Republic wine totes from this tutorial.  Cute and easy!

Yesterday's work :)

Blogger has been down since last night so I wasn't able to post these until now :)

Here's a zipper bag I made to use some bits of fabric and the remnant of a piece of lace from a recent purchase @ Quilt a Bag in Markham - they tied my FQ bundles with lace so I'm reusing it :)

Here's the quilt set I'm currently working on - I put the blocks on the design wall last night.  The first 4 rows are now sewn and assembled - will post another photo later.  The jungle fabric is Jungle Baby by Kate Honovar - I got a set of 4 x 1/2 yard cuts from a lovely seller on Etsy, and the brown TOT is from Joanns. The quilt will be backed with brown bubble minky :)   I hope you like it, Jenn!

Later in the evening - here we go - rows 1-4 done, rows 5-7 to be completed :)

These early mornings are wiping me out, lol

I've been out walking by 8:00 a.m. for the past few weeks so I've been getting up relatively early (early for ME, that is, LOL).  I'm always up before the alarm clock goes off @ 7:45 - this morning I was up at 7:00 - it sure does make for an early night tho - by this time I can't stop yawning, and I can barely keep my eyes open!  My how the mighty (night owls) have fallen! ;)

Here's a cake zippy I made today - the lace is a piece that was used to tie the FQ's I bought recently @ Quilt a Bag, so it's a "salvaged" bit - the other half of that piece will be used on a different zippy.  This will go to Blue Hills :)

Here's a close-up of the zipper pulls I finished redoing tonight (to fix stringing errors or make minor changes) - now the zippies are in my gift box :)

These will make a very lovely gift :)

All done and ready to gift :D

We heard from MacIver Dodge this morning - the car fuel gauge broken.  They're giving hubby a rental vehicle until they get the part and fix it.   (Later in the evening) ... he just drove home in a MINI VAN.  OMG.  His brand spanking new Dodge Challenger hemi-powered muscle car died and they give him a soccer mom loaner.  #notappropriate!

In the #stolenphotos category - my sister took this photo recently and I stole it - isn't it gorgeous?