Sew Pretty Giveaway....and a super cute little sewing kit pattern!

Who's ready for some new fabric? I'm super excited to share some sneak peek shots of one of two new lines for Robert Kaufman shipping this fall. Meet Sew Pretty! I had so much fun designing this line and hope you're as excited to start sewing with it as I am to see what you make. Sewing machines, pin cushions, scissors, thimbles, buttons, thread, safety pins, tape measurers, buttons... and of course my weapon of choice, the trusty seam ripper!

Thread selvage!

A few weeks ago, I was on Instagram and spied an adorable sewing kit project from Lee over at May Chappell. And I was beyond tickled when she agreed to make up a version of her All Sewn Up sewing kit using my Sew Pretty line. Sew, sew cute, right!? 

Her pattern is available here and she's selling a kit that includes all the supplies you'll need (except fabric) and the pattern. 

Sew... to share the goodness, Lee and I are each giving away a FQ set of Sew Pretty + a copy of her sewing kit pattern. Enter to win here by leaving me a comment before the morning of Monday 7/15/13. I'd love to hear what you'd make with Sew Pretty! As always, international entries are welcome and make sure you leave me a way to contact you. After you leave a comment here, hop over to May Chappell where you can enter to win her giveaway as well. Good luck!

I went over the edge!

You may remember a few weeks ago, I posted about raising funds for the Central Texas Make A Wish foundation? And that if I could reach my fund raising goal of $1500 that I would be rappelling/abseiling down the side of a 32 story building here in Austin?

Well thanks to the generous support of family and friends, I met my $1500 goal! I was able to be part of a group that helped Make a Wish raise over $324,000 dollars to spay for amazing wish experiences for kids suffering from terminal illness. 100% of the proceeds will be going directly towards funding wishes for these kids (often the last great experience some of these kids get to have) and I'm so touched at the support, words of encouragement and financial support I received. 

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see a tiny little me coming down the side about 1/2 way down the left side of the building? I'm not gonna lie. It was pretty scary! Especially taking that first step over the edge. 

So you're all harnessed in and you step over the safety railing and just sit back into the harness until it takes your weight. I definitely felt a teensy bit insane... That's why the safety railing is there, right!? I kept asking the safety guy "So I let go of the railing now? Now? Are you really sure? Super duper sure?" At least I made everyone on the roof laugh. :)

Oh, and I decided to wear a tutu. It made the kids smile.

You can tell how tightly I'm holding on but that's what sheer glee looks like. :)

Between the adrenaline and the physical effort, it was a bit of a work out. In order to go down you have to squeeze on the brake to let it up and then you just use your feet to sort of bounce/walk down the side of the building. I had visions of being all Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible and very smoothly descending....Not so much. :) I did ok most of the way but ended up getting spun around somehow and couldn't stop giggling. I think that was also about the time I heard my friends on the street below hollering my name (love those people so much) and that got me back on track. It took me just shy of 7 minutes to make it down the 32 stories. The fastest person was 1 minute 3 seconds (zoom!) and the slowest was 21 minutes. Nearly 200 went over the edge over a 2 day event.

Tutu, coming over!

And she's off!

Feeling very Tom Cruise...

And then not so much!

Still spinning! And laughing really hard.

HUGE smile all the way down!

Wahooo!!! I did it!!

Back on terra firma. A glass of champagne and a little curtsy. 

Feeling pretty proud of myself!

Part of my cheering squad

Big hug and kiss to all of you for all of your support!

Photos courtesy of my friend Brian Gray (unless stamped with the MAW logo and those are courtesy of the MAW foundation)

Holiday Sweet Tweet Winners

What a wonderful time I had reading all of your winter traditions. I really loved getting a teeny glimpse into your lives and how you celebrate with your families. Thank you for sharing with me! I have some wonderful ideas for fun new things to incorporate into our traditions here in Texas. :)

I've finished my Sweet Tweets quilt and as soon as I can get some pictures taken I'll post some shots. I'm so happy with how it turned out (minus all the cat hair Dexter and Fiona deposited on it while I was pinning it for quilting...note to self: do not forget to remove kitty hair from quilt prior to photography...)

Without further ado! Congratulations to the two winners of the giveaway (via random number generator):

Johanna #12
We don't have any "unique" traditions. My favorite though is leaving cookies out for Santa on a special plate with chocolate milk. I LOVE those cardinals! They have been my favorite since I was probably three.

B Greene #49
I have a little white Christmas tree (an extra) that I usually decorate with my late grandmother's earrings as ornaments and beaded necklaces as garlands. We first did this when my husband was deployed and I couldn't face getting everything down from the attic alone. It was really , really pretty and a nice way to have her memory with us at Christmas. Love the new fabric line - I need to make some Christmas goodies, so this would be perfect!

Everyone have a great week! Oh... and I'll be postings some sneak peeks of TWO more new lines shipping this fall. Think kitchen and sewing room!!

Holiday Sweet Tweets | Giveaway and a sneak peek of my new quilt

A few weeks ago, the UPS man showed up with my yardage of my newest line for Robert Kaufman, Holiday Sweet Tweets. And I have been absolutely itching to sew with it. So, the weekend before last, I pretty much barricaded myself in my sewing studio and cut, sewed, cut, sewed and fondled fabric to my hearts content. I had hoped to finish the quilt over the weekend but I'm just not fast enough. I did get the whole quilt top finished though, pinned and started the quilting. Yahoo!

The top is inspired by Ashley's (from Film in the Fridge) Picnic Stripes quilt (way back from 2009)  and I am so delighted with the way the piecing turned out on my own Holiday Sweet Tweets version. I've included a few WIP shots below. I was able to use my all time favorite circles from my Modern Whimsy collection (stash of that is becoming dangerously low so am hoarding it like crazy) as well as some pretty solids and other goodies from my stash. 

Sweet Tweets comes in two color stories and I am so delighted to get to work on holiday goodies using navy, yellow and pink. The little peppermint footstools just make me smile every time I see them. And I have a special place in my heart for cardinals so it just makes me so happy to get to sew with this line. 

I think I love the diamonds pattern from the line more and more every time I look at them.

And I took a page from my IG pal Julie's (@chickenjulie) book and worked a big piece of selvage from the line into the quilt back. I stitched it straight line and then reinforced with zig zag to make sure that narrow little seam holds up. Hoping to get the rest of the quilting done in the next week or so and I'll make sure to share pictures as soon as I can. (I have determined I *might* detest the quilting process. Piecing I love. Quilting not so much. All that tugging and dragging a giant thing around on a tiny machine. Blech. I have nothing but admiration for those of you who do such beautiful quilting work!! I have no idea how you do it! Mine is just a hot mess. Maybe I just need to finish this one off but plan to rent time on a long arm machine for future projects...)

Partridges and cardinals!

Holiday Sweet Tweets has started shipping and will be making its way to stores this month and next, so get your holiday project list prepped and I hope you might find a way to work some little peppermint footstools into your plans!

In the mean time, I have 2 FQ bundles (1 in each color story) cut and ready for two of you! Just leave me a comment here before the morning of Monday June 10, 2013. (As always, international entries welcome and make sure you leave me a way to contact you!) In your comment, I'd love to hear about a winter holiday tradition you share with your family. I think it would be fun to bring a new tradition into my own family's celebration and it would be a blast to have learned about it from you!

Barnyard Counting | Winners!

As always, thank you for sharing all of your great ideas for projects using Barnyard Counting. You guys are a never ending source of inspiration and I love getting to read each and every comment. A few of you mentioned kitchen textiles and I LOVE that idea. What fun these prints would be for tea towel edging, huh? I have a friend who is moving to a new house soon and kitchen textiles would be such a fun gift! And, of course, I love all the quilty goodies you are dreaming up. Can't wait for Barnyard Counting to start arriving in shops. So soon! (begins shipping June and July)

Onto our lucky winners of the giveaway! Congrats ladies!!



Jenny at Cut.Sew.Iron.Repeat 33 said...
these fabrics would make the cutest draw string bags! i have birthday parties galore this summer to make gifts for!
thanks for a chance.

Trisha Weekes / myfourtrees 15 said...
I absolutely love this line...I have this thing for barns and barnyard animals. I would be so tickled to get to play with this new line! What would I make, gee...I liked the book idea, but would probably make a quilt! Thanks for sharing with us!

And thank you so, so much for those of you who were able to contribute to my fund raising efforts for Make A Wish. I'm getting closer to my goal but I'm not quite there yet so if you can make a contribution (even a tiny one!) we can get wishes funded for these terminally ill kids. Thank you so much for your consideration!

Barnyard Counting | Giveaway!

Squeee!! Or maybe I should say oink! Or moo!

I am so excited to get to share my next collection for Robert Kaufman. Barnyard Counting starts shipping June/July 2013 so it will be in quilt shops before you know it! The collection is made up of a bunch of sweet prints that feature barnyard sounds and counting and numbers. Its a nice gender neutral collection and would be a fun choice if you have baby shower gifts on your list to make.

My favorite print in the collection is the multi-directional print that includes all of the animals from the barnyard. There are cows, sheep, pigs, goats, frogs, turkeys ducks, chickens, horses, and a little barn.  I love the checked numbers that are tossed throughout. 

A coordinating panel with 10 boxes perfectly sized for a cheater quilt or a super cute soft book. Blocks would be really cute from these panels too. 

And moo cows in three colors: red, blue and a medium green

And chicks in light blue and a grassy green. Peep peep! 

Text print in red, white and black with all the sounds from the barnyard. 

My future includes some PJ bottoms from the black print. 

All of the coordinates together. I know you guys are going to make some AMAZING quilts out of these prints. Cannot wait to see them!!

You know how much I love it when the team at RK surprises me with a super cute selvage. 

Chicks!? I nearly fell over from excitement. SOOOO cute. 

And now for the giveaway!!

I have 2 FQ sets of Barnyard Counting to giveaway to 2 lucky readers. Just leave me a comment here with ideas for what you might make with Barnyard Counting if you win. I'll choose both winners via random number generator the evening of Monday 5/20/13. Make sure I have a way to contact you and, as always, international entries are welcome!

One last thing! I'm hoping that you might be able to contribute a small donation to help me meet my fund raising goal for the Make A Wish Foundation!! I'm almost there but need some help to raise this last little bit. Make a Wish pays for amazing wish experiences for kids suffering from terminal illness. 

100% of the proceeds raised will go directly towards funding wishes (often the last great experience some of these kids get to have.) 

If I can meet my goal, I commit to rapell (abeseil for those of you not in the US) down the side of a 32 story building here in Austin on June 15. (And yes, I am completely terrified but also excited!) With your help we can make a huge difference in the lives of kids who are so deserving of something really special. So anything you can contribute would be amazing! Donations are being collected here. And if you can't help and know someone who can, please share the link! Thank you for your support!

New duvet cover

How on earth have I not shown you my new duvet cover? My work schedule has really messed with my blogging and sewing schedule lately so I'm sorry to have been dark for a bit. Hoping to get back into a better routine soon!

So... Duvet cover!! I finally upgraded to a king sized bed (yay!) and when I did, I took on the mammoth task of making a new duvet cover for it. Wowzee is that alot of fabric! Weird... From this angle, the bed looks like a queen...

I used the gorgeous and easy to follow pattern Modern Crosses from Susan Beal's Modern Log Cabin Quilting Book (which is wonderful by the way if you don't already have a copy...)

And then of course I needed new pillow cases. :) Ashley over at Film in the Fridge has the world's best tutorial on french seams and pillow cases. Easy peasy. And I even was able to match up my stripes! Fiona approves...

As does Dexter...

Mmmmm... Bed time!

And I used my Modern Whimsy green circles (soooo soft) for the back/inside. And there's a little surprise mini quilt inside.

I loved this project and it makes me smile every time I walk into my room. :)

p.s.
Whenever I post pics of my duvets, I get some questions on how I finish them:
-I sew them with 1/4 inch seams
-No lining (so all the seams are exposed inside)
-I wash it right side out to protect the seams
-My previous duvet was well worn and washed frequently and over the course of 5 years only had a few small spots come undone and they were easily repaired.
-I use a simple button closure for the bottom

Who wants to see me rapell down the side of a 32 story building?!

And no, I have not lost my mind!

I'm raising funds and awareness for Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas. And if I can be one of the first 300 people to raise a minimum of $1500, on June 15th & 16th 2013 I will be able to step up to the edge and rappel 32 stories down the One American Center in the heart of downtown Austin.


Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.

A wish experience is frequently a source of inspiration for children undergoing difficult medical treatments and a positive force that helps them overcome their obstacles. A wish experience is often more than a dream come true: It’s the catalyst that rekindles their belief in themselves and the promise of their future.


Only the first 300 fundraisers to raise their minimums will earn a spot to go Over the Edge, so dig deep and let's get those pledges going for Make-A-Wish. My donation link is below!

https://www.austinovertheedge.com/Laurie_Wisbrun/