Hopeful Threads November 2013 Project

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

I feel so blessed to have teamed up with Kristy from Hopeful Threads for another amazing month of sewing and this time quilting too!  This month Kristy and I are asking everyone to sew, quilt, knit or crochet blankets and lovies for the local NICU where Kristy lives (they currently have a huge shortage).

November 2013 Hopeful Threads ProjectWhen Anne was 20 months old, she got sick, really sick. When her temp hit 102 I took her to the doctor, they said it was just a virus, give her a couple days and she would be fine. Well 2 days later when she blew the thermometer out at 105, I rushed her back to the hospital. My hubs was working a 24 hours shift, so it was just Anne and I. We were admitted immediately and they went to work on getting her vitals back up.  I left the house in such a rush that I didn’t bring anything with me, in fact I only had 2 diapers with me. When she was wheeled into the hospital room the first thing I noticed was a quilt waiting on her bed. A handmade quilt.

IMG-20110730-00376She was practically lifeless, she just laid there when they did a catheter and IV. Didn’t move, she said no a couple of times, but other than that didn’t even fight. We knew she was really sick. She was in the hospital a total of 3 days, my mom flew up the last day and stayed with us for a week afterwards to help get her back to normal. Shortly after her stay, she started having nightmares and night terrors about what she went through. It was heart wrenching. Through it all though was this quilt, it was such an amazing gift of comfort and love. For the first several months after she got sick she couldn’t sleep without it.

Now I get to pay it forward and make a quilt for another child and family in need. I hope you will join me in sewing with Kristy from Hopeful Threads. Remember, that since we are doing Preemie blankets and lovies, these quilts will be fairly small.

Appropriate sizes range from 20″ x 20″ up to 36″ x 36″. Slightly larger, 48″ x 48″ would be fine too as they can be donated to a PICU (pediatric intensive care unit). Please visit Kristy’s post about the November project for more information, and I hope you will join us in sewing this month!

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Posted in Hopeful Threads, pay it forward | 8 Comments

November Goal Party – A Lovely Year of Finishes

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

Well we have finally made it to November. We are getting into full on Christmas sewing time, or at least I am anyways! My goal for this month is to finish the quilt I was working on when I sewed my finger on Sunday (read about it here). It is a Christmas present for someone very special in our lives and I have to finish it 2 weeks before Christmas. Here’s the plan, do the FMQ when I get my sewing machine back and then I will have 2 weeks to bind it before I gift it. I am giving it 2 weeks early so I have to make sure I get my timing just right.

I’m really hoping and praying that my machine is back on Monday or Tuesday next week to give me plenty of time to quilt.

Your turn!

What one item will you choose to do for November?

You have two requirements to be entered into the prizes this month.

1. Link-up {on this post} the first 7-days of the month

and

2. Link-up in the last 7-days of the month.

Add your blog post or flickr photo (with appropriate descriptions) to the linky party below.

Please grab a button or link back to Shanna and I so other people can join in the fun!

**Please note, the linky party is the same here and over at Shanna, so there is no need to enter twice **

For those unsure of how to link up go check out our Q&A Page for A Lovely Year of Finishes – there are instructions on how to link up from a blog and from Flickr.

Grab a button from my sidebar and spread the LOVE!

Oh yeah and there are prizes this month (as always!), here is what our fantastic sponsors are offering:

November Prizes Include:

1.A Prize from The Intrepid Thread

2. A $15.00 Gift Certificate to Fat Quarter Shop

3, 4. TWO winners each getting to choose one pdf pattern
from Sew BitterSweet Designs – that’s me!
($10 value)

5. Choice of $15 or 2 charm packs from Stitch n’ Giggles

6. A Paper Piecing Kit from Paper Pieces

7, 8, & 9. One Thread Chart & 2 Thread Packs from Aurifil Threads

10. Quilting Patterns designed by Quilting Lodge

Try and visit 2 other people who have linked up before you so that we can cheer each other on!



Posted in A Lovely Year of Finishes, Christmas | 7 Comments

October Finish – Cutest Pink Tiger Ever!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

I actually finished my goal way at the beginning of the month. The most complicated article of clothing I have sewn to date, Anne’s Halloween Costume!  I took her shopping at JoAnn’s to pick her fabric and being the pink girl that she is as soon as she spotted the pink tiger stripe, it was all over but the paying.

I used the Simplicity 2855 pattern and was able to use the smallest size, which is nice because the 2 small sizes were printed separately from the larger ones so I could save them for a future costume.  This pattern included tons of new skills for me. The costume is a zip front jumpsuit.  Inserting a zipper into fleece was all new to me, I had to sew the entire costume with my walking foot, and I made a lined hat.  I’m very proud of the way it turned out and as you will notice…I think Anne likes it too!

 

Here she is from the front, the pink socks were a total coincidence (as I said, this girl loves her pink!). I even made her little mittens – which will come in handy tonight when it is FREEZING!

Check her out from the back. And now for the real cuteness – she felt the need to check out her tail! LOL

So there you have it! My October Finish! Did you finish your goal? There is still time to link up!

We have lots planned today. There will be a costume parade at Kindergym, then preschool in costume, and finally trick or treating later this evening. I bet she sleeps really well tonight!

Happy Halloween!

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Posted in A Lovely Year of Finishes, Clothes, halloween | 15 Comments

Take That Halloween Grinch!

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

This mama knows how to save Halloween for my little girl! Do you remember my post about the Halloween Grinch?  Well, I am happy to report that 3 days after writing the post I finished Anne’s new quilt. There were a couple changes I had to make to the pattern/kit. They provided backing fabric but it just wasn’t enough so I had to piece the backing myself. Not hard at all, and I think it makes the quilt all the more special. This is a picture heavy post, get ready!

Here’s Anne all cuddled under it about 5 seconds after I finished sewing on the binding! Instant gratification for this mama, I didn’t even have to ask if she liked it. LOL

Here she is getting ready for bed. I really like this back. The kit said to use just the orange pumpkin fabric that is at the top and the bottom, but I think the pieced look is more fun, plus I got to use almost all of my scraps.

  Here is a close up of one of the witches – for the most part I stuck to a meandering large stipple, going around the different characters on the fabric. Below is the center of the quilt, I just love the expressions on the pumpkin’s faces.

I wanted to try a different pattern for the borders – what better time to practice my FMQ skills than on a quilt for someone who will love it no matter what the quilting looks like?!?

Of course I couldn’t do a quilt this special and precious without doing a label. This quilt is from my mom and me, so I labeled it Love Nana & Mommy. Originally my mom bought the kit and gave it to me because I was bored and wanted something to sew. Then Anne fell in love with it and my mom decided that she should have it.

Quilt Stats:

Pattern: Harvest Moon – Kit by Northcott
Pieced & Quilted – By Melissa Dunworth (Me)
Thread – Rainbows #856 (it is a variegated orange and black thread perfect for Halloween) by Superior Threads
Batting – 100% Cotton Batting
Size – 38.5″ x 51″ (after washing)
Started Sept 2011, Finished October 13, 2013.

This quilt went a long way to rescue Halloween from the Halloween Grinch. A second trip to the pumpkin patch didn’t hurt either 🙂

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Posted in Finished Quilts, halloween | 12 Comments

Blessed

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Melissa Dunworth

Sunday I was struck with a tragedy…quite literally. I was struck by the needle of my precious sewing machine. OUCH!!!!! In case you missed that I will say it again: OUCH!!!!

I’m fine, I just barely missed bone and nail, so only the fleshy part of my finger was struck. Unfortunately that did some damage to my sewing machine. She is now in the shop for repairs.

She will be receiving the full spa treatment for the next week. I know what you are thinking, “Isn’t the title of this post ‘Blessed’?”

Why yes it is! Here is how I am blessed. This week off from modern technology has given me a chance to plug in a recent amazing gift I received. Here’s the box it arrived in:

Do you know what I received yet?

Here is another picture to help you along:

Do you know yet?

Well I will tell you. One of the 2 women who inspired me to quilt, gifted me her Singer Featherweight 221 three weeks ago. I have to say that when her son (my dad’s best man and vice versa) asked me if I wanted it, I simply burst into tears. I didn’t really have words. I have admired my Grandma Irene’s quilting for years (and for that matter her son’s quilting and her daughter in-law’s too).  It was her crazy quilt that got me hooked on the idea of having to make one and she is the person who saved fabric for me for years and years to I could make one.

I fired the Featherweight up today and it sewed like a dream. I couldn’t even believe how amazing she sewed. I looked up her serial number and based on that I figured out she was manufactured in 1949. When I am 64 I hope I am working as well as this sewing machine!  Grandma Irene, thank you so much. She is being well loved and well cared for. I am anxiously awaiting the day that I can teach Anne to sew on this beautiful machine. I just can’t imagine a better one to teach her one (when the time comes of course).

I decided to work on some Half Square Triangles that will be for a tablerunner. I’m in a secret swap and this seemed like the perfect kind of project to give her a test run on.

Here they are all done. I made 40 total and while I was sewing I learned how to wind the bobbin, thread the bobbin and thread the machine. It is such a cool learning process.

So, I may have sewn my finger and busted my Janome, but on the bright side I got to sew on this incredible machine gifted to me by an amazing sewist.

Happy Tuesday!signature

Posted in Featherweight, Personal Post | 25 Comments