CGM Podcast Episode #14: Peer Pressure

Listen to the episode HERE

Show notes:

Works in Progress:

• Sam's Diversion Quilt - almost done!
• Birdie Stitches blocks: 2 down/5 to go
• Photo Quilt
• Cream & Sugar Cowl (Never Not Knitting pattern) - I think I called it the Sugar & Cream cowl on the podcast, but it's really names the reverse of this....in anycase it's a gorgeous cowl either way you say it!

Book Discussions:

• Borders closing and some "insider thoughts" about this.
• NPR article/interview - side note, I take real "issue" with Guerra's closing comment about airport bookstores: NOT TRUE!!! :-)
• Entertainment Weekly article
• Bookselling After Borders article on Publishers Weekly site
• Movies made from books
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett 8/10/11 - trailer
• I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson 9/16/11
• One Day by David Nicholls 8/19/11
• The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings 12/16/11
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson 12/21/11
• Moneyball by Michael Lewis 9/23/11 - trailer
• Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay 7/29/11
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer 11/18/11
• The Muppets Movie (OK, not a book per se, but I couldn't resist mentioning it!) 11/23/11
• Sherlock Holmes 2 - based (loosely) on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books 12/16/11
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 3/23/12
• The Iron Lady by John Blundell  1/2012 - trailer

Thanks for listening!

CGM

Winner of Inspired to Sew is #15: Mary Sarah!!!

Congratulations Mary Sarah! You are the winner of the copy of Bari J's book, Inspired to Sew! I have sent you an email and once you reply with the address to send it to, the book will be on its way. Thanks everyone for entering.

CGM

PS - I'm running a bit late with the next CGM podcast episode, but should have it up by Tuesday 7/26.

WIP Wednesday + 6 Month Milestone

How Time Flies!

Hard to believe 6 months has already passed! Here Maddy is at 2 weeks old, barely 5 pounds.

Here she is with her Big Sis at 6 months old as of today:

We go for her checkup next week, but I'm betting she's at least a 17 pounder by now.

I can remember anxiously visiting her in the NICU everyday and how even the preemie clothes were too big at first. Now she's already in 9 month clothes and her toes are poking at the seams in the footie pj's!

On to some WIPs:

Still working on: Diversion Quilt...blocks are sewn together. I ran out of fabric for the border...that happens when you "eyeball" how much fabric you'll need AND the future owner of the quilt (a precocious 4 year-old) keeps adding new Princess fabrics she "must" have in it.

Sorry for the lousy picture, the lighting was terrible when I took it after work yesterday.

I will try and take a better one during the day.

Ongoing projects:
Birdie Stitches Block of the Month: I finished the first block!

No progress made on:
Photo quilt - photos selected
Landscape quilt - deciding between a beach or garden scene

Pop on over to Freshly Pieced to see what everyone else is up to this week!

AND Don't forget to enter the BOOK GIVEAWAY by leaving a comment under Podcast episode #13 by Friday, 7/22!

CGM

Past Quilt #5: Spring

This is a quilt I made about 7 years ago as part of a "Seasons" challenge in my guild. I used a Hoffman Bali batik as the background and the tress are also a batik print.

The leaves are from my vast collection of leaf prints, and I fussy-cut around them, keeping the edges jagged. this is key to making your leaves look "real"...no lollipop or cloud shapes when you cut your leaves. To give the scene a focal point I added a little tree with blooming flowers in the foreground.

The ground cover is layer upon layer of mossy-green print fabrics with some small splotches of flowers (again, fussy-cut) to give more visual interest to the landscape.

This Spring scene came together rather quickly. I framed it with a mitered wood-panel print to make it look like a picture in a frame.

It hangs in my entryway and is a cheery welcome to our home.

CGM

WIP Wednesday!

I've decided I'm going to shamelessly copy the way other quilt bloggers summarize their WIP stats and list mine here as well....what's good for the goose and all....

Still working on the Diversion Quilt:

Yes, it's very scrappy which tends to happen when you let a 4 year-old girl loose in the pink/purple/princess fabrics in JoAnns. I had to fussy cut the princesses ("Tiana and Ariel of course Mommy!") 4.5" squares and ran short by about 6 princesses....so back to JoAnn's I go today.

Completed tops awaiting quilting or binding:

Bloomin' Nine Patch: I think I'll just bite the bullet and let a longarmer quilt this one.
Jinny Beyer project: this WIP is so old I don't even remember the name of it!
Peaches quilt: another old WIP. I will quilt this one myself...I think.

Ongoing projects:

Birdie Stitches Block of the Month: I can't believe I am STILL working on the first block. This is one of those projects you think will be a breeze to get through, and then life and every other thing seems to keep you from doing it.

No progress made on:
Photo quilt - photos selected
Landscape quilt - deciding between a beach or garden scene
Burp cloths - need to make some new ones for our use plus have some on hand as gifts for several babies due later this year/early 2012.

This week's stats:
New Projects: 0
Currently in progress: 8
Completed projects: 0


I have posted this on the Freshly Pieced blog at WIP Wednesday.Check it out, it is a fabulous blog with a lot of inspiration to be found.

http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/

Hope you're having a great week! Don't forget to enter the BOOK GIVEAWAY  by leaving a comment under Podcast episode #13 by 7/22!

CGM

CGM Podcast Episode #13: Diversion Quilts + Book Giveaway!!

Listen to Episode 13 here

(or download in iTunes under Crafty Garden Mom)

Show notes:

Garden Bounty:

Store-bought vs. garden zucchini - no growth hormones used!!

Works in Progress and Completed Projects


Finished!! The Snuggly Sqaures baby quilt. Pattern is by Melissa Corry at Moda Bake Shop

Diversion Quilting: do you do it?
di·ver·sion/Noun
1. An instance of turning something aside from its course.

Diversion Quilting (CGM's definition): the quick-quilt you make when you want to get someone "off your back" about making them a quilt. It's not your absolute best or fanciest work, maybe not even the quilt you ultimately will make that person. But it will divert their attention from nagging you about making them a quilt so you can get back to the WIPs and other quilt projects you really want to make right now.

Pattern will be something like this (used EQ7)

What's Making Me Happy in Crafting


Learning how to use Electric Quilt 7


Barn Quilts - I am planning a day trip this August to tour the Barn Quilt Trail in Garrett County, MD
There are also a lot of barn quilt trails throughout the U.S. Visit here and here for more information or Google "Barn Quilt + your state" to see what comes up!

Book Reviews + Giveaway!!

Inspired to Sew by Bari J.: 15 Pretty Projects -- Sewing Secrets -- Colorful Collage 

by Bari J. Ackerman

I am giving away 1 copy of this book! Leave a comment below by 9pm EST Friday, July 22nd. You can also enter a SECOND time by following my blog and leaving a comment that you are now following (or already follow).

Good luck!!!

 

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery 

by Alan Bradley

Happy Crafting!


CGM

Snuggly Squares Quilt is Finished!!!

I think the baby on the quilt is kinda cute too, don't you? ;-)

CGM

A Little Star Spangled Quilt History

Amelia Fowler and Team Preserving the Flag in the Smithsonian Castle

In 1914 the Smithsonian hired Amelia Fowler, a professional flag restorer, to preserve the flag. With a team of needlewomen, she sewed the flag to a linen backing using a uniform network of stitches.

Visit here to read the history of the Star Spangled Banner - very interesting!!

Happy 4th of July!!

CGM



What I'm Reading This Month

I am deep into "advance copy" reading the next few months so while working with publishers/publicists/reports, etc. I can talk intelligently about the books when asked.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (on sale 9/13/11)

I've always loved magic and illusions in both performance and in books. This is a love story about 2 illusionists who are made to compete against one another where they don't know the rules, or how one will be declared a winner.

Nightwoods: A Novel by Charles Frazier (on sale 10/4/11)

Author of Cold Mountain (a-ma-zing novel AND movie!) 

I think Charles Frazier is a literary master, and I am so looking forward to this one.

Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres (on sale 10/4/11)

I just love Ellen. That's all. :-)

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

This one is already for sale (6/7/11), but it's been on my nightstand for quite awhile. I've heard really good reviews about it, so I am eager to finally sit down and read it.

What are you reading this month?

CGM