SOCIAL MEDIA

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Clearing your misunderstandings...

Alright, some of you who had a glance at my Favorite Things Friday post thought I AM really NEAT and ORGANIZED!!! I've got news for you guys!!!

I AM THE MOST DISORGANIZED SOUL IN THE HOUSE!

Even my kitty cleans up after herself... And kiddo is a neatness freak!! He hates it when things are out of place... Hubby's closet is so neat, if you ask him where his red shirt is he can exactly tell you even if he were on the other side of the world!

Me??? I struggle with mess everywhere!! I dont dare open my closet in front of anyone else lest some of my undies end up on the other persons head! My sewing room looked like this :




It took me a long time to convert this to this


But during this process I realized what I was loosing while not caring about the mess... I was wasting time looking for things that I could have found easlily with a little organization... Sometimes I have even bought things that I already had because I could not find them... I could have used this time and money for a much more creative purpose...

That was when I decided to organize my so-out-of-hand life... And there was opportunity too... I got the entire hosue cleaned for Diwali... I usually only do cleaning, but this time, I got rid of all my just-in-case-i-need-it-one-day stuff... I purged my house shelf-by-shelf room-by-room and am glad that I'll be spending a cleaner and satisfied Diwali this year...

Someday I'll talk about the system I worked out for myself...

But today I'll just leave you to feast on my fabric stash once more...




Saturday, October 30, 2010

Bloggers Quilt Festival Entry

Okay guys, I know you are so bored of watching this quilt again and again, but I just have to show it off in the Bloggers Quilt Festival so generously organized by Amy... Haven't heard about it? Go on over to her place and check out all the wonderful quilts there are to see...


Amy's Creative Side - Blogger's Quilt Festival

So here's my entry...

The Zanzibar Quilt!

The quilt was designed considering the approx 44" of fabric that I had received from Elizabeth of Oh Fransson as a donation for my Spread the Cheer project... This quilt is made as one of the 42 that I will be donating to an orphanage in my town...

So to begin with, I only had a 44" piece of the fabric... I was going to use it as a backing... But to what??? My quilts are all 36" x 36"... So I had some fabric left over... But I wanted a simple top for this busy fabric backing...

Inspiration struck at about 3 am! It was a sunday morning and hubby and me were visited in bed by a swarm of mosquitos through a hole that hubby had so obligingly left in the net that we HAVE TO use... While we were getting rid of them (I do not want to offend anyone by saying killing here) the idea struck... I could just not go back to sleep after that... Well, would you? After a lot of tossing and turning in bed and 'uumh' and 'tsk' from hubby, I got out of the bed at 5 am! And by 4 pm the quilt was ready!

I used just 2 small pieces that I fussy cut around the animals for the top... And surrounded them by a dark blue solid...





Here's a detail of a fussy cut block...


I quilted it with the wrong side up! I used the print on the backing as a guide and outlined the animals in free motion... I used a shade of red darker than the binding that I had chosen so that the quilting wont pop out but yet be visible...



It turned out to look great on the front... Can you see an elephant here?


The quilt turned out much better than I had expected... I bound it in red with just one small piece of a dark blue + white stripes fabric on one side... I got that idea from Elizabeth (she does that to almost all of her quilts)


Kiddo loved it so much, he wanted it for himself... Guess I'll have to order some more of the fabric and make him one... (all of those who are thinking of gifting me something, you know whats on my wish list now... LOL)

I enjoyed the process of making this quilt, the designing, the piecing and most of all the free motion quilting... It was as if I was listening to music!

This is my own favorite quilt so far... I soooo love it!!!

Want to read more stories about quilts like mine??? Head over to Amy's Creative Side and spend hours relishing your eyes on creations that will take your breath away...

Have fun!!


Cheers!!!



The New Bee

Today I was struck with an idea... I so badly wanted to join one of the quilting bees... But I guess all of them are full... So why dont we start one???

Anybody interested???

I'm looking for 11 other members.

Rules for the bee :

1. When all the members are finalized, every member will be assigned a month.

2. In the month assigned to you, you have to mail the fabric to other members. Also include the details about how you want your block to be.

3. By the end of the NEXT month, the other members have to mail you the blocks back.

Are you game???

Leave a comment with a link to your blog. Those who do not have a blog can join the fun too, just mail me your info along with a few photographs of your work.

I'd like to start in January!

Cheers!!


Friday, October 29, 2010

P{l}ay it Forward

I had done a P{l}ay it Forward post a few months back... I just got one response for it... From Jodi at Come Tarry with Me... Her gift is on its way... (Ssshhh... she doesn't know it yet... I think I just disclosed a secret)

I have 2 more spots vacant... Would you like to...

So here's the deal:

~I will make a handmade gift for the first 2 interested people who comment on this post. I already have 1 sign up, remember???

~I have 365 days to do it in…

~What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!
 


The catch is that you must participate as well:

~you must have a blog.

~after you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going! Just cut and paste this one if you like!

Hop in and share the joy of giving!!!

Cheers!!














Favorite things Friday

I dont believe its been a week already... Want to know another favorite thing of me???

Neatly arranged fabric!!!



This was what my fabric stash looked like last week... I guess the sorting by color didn't quite work out for me... So I spent quite some time sorting, ironing, folding and scrapping away quite a lot of fabric during the week... I have spent about 2-3 hours EVERYDAY of the week working on my stash...

Here's what it looks like now...



Right in the middle, I have all my solids... To the left are again solids but of a different thread count... It also includes silks...


On the lower shelf on the left had side is designer quilting fabric and my new Charm Packs... On the right are  3 stacks, first is fabric I have bought (mostly half yard pieces), second is my reclaimed pillwcase stack... The third is a stack of my favorites... I use these often...


On the top shelf, to the left is linen that I usually use to make hubby's laptop cases... And a few fabric pieces (FQish) that I have 'up'cycled from my own clothes... To the right is a small shelf which holds all my 'Indian' fabiric... This arrangement works for me 'coz any other way I arrange it usually ends up being sorted in this manner LOL...


I love the look of neatly arranged fabric and am ready to spend a few minutes everyday to achieve this look...


The other shelf also has been arranged neatly...






On the top is my books and notebooks... Beow it are quilting fabrics... Below are the wonderful flannels waiting to be made into Quilt backs... On the lowermost shelf are pieces that I love but are not of the quilting quality... Many are reclaimed pieces... Including one duvet cover in King Size in Muslin, some silk fabric, some old dupattas etc...  

The fresh look that neat fabric incorporates to a room is just FAB! Its sure one of my favorite things... Whats yours??? Head over to Quilting in my Pyjamas, join the hop and tell us...




Dont forget to say Hi to Mrs P...
Thursday, October 28, 2010

I've got Mail!!!

The postman arrived with a package today!!! And honestly I wasn't expecting anything to arrive around this time...


No, it wasn't torn when it arrived... I tore it off, could not wait to see what was inside... LOL... You guys want to know what was inside it?

First there was this beautiful stack of FQs...



And then there was this...


And this...


And this...


And this too...


Enough to make me happy (for a few days at least...)


Isn't the pile gorgeous... Can I really cut into this one???


But you still do not know the best part... Kimberly from the Fat Quarter Shop had posted this on 19th Oct 2010... Thats barely 9 days back!!! And I got it today... I had always heard FQS was really good at sending stuff fast, but today I got to experience it first hand... Thanks a lot Kimberly for making my day...






I cannot wait to start working with these... Any ideas what I can do with them??? I am NOT making anything for Spread the Cheer with these fabrics... I know that for sure... These are for me... LOL, am I being greedy??? Okay, I'll use a few FQs for the STC Quilts, but the Charm Packs are all mine... Especially the Dream On... That'll definitely go on to become the quilt for Mom... And the pure may become one for Dad... Not sure...

Wait and watch!!!

A Quilt for Dad!!!

My father will complete 60 years in February next year... We will be celebrating his birthday with a huge party... I want to make a quilt for him... Something really special... Since it'll take about a month for the fabrics to arrive after I order them, I must begin thinking now itself... Also, I'll make a similar quilt for my Mom in a 'girl' fabric...

Have you got any ideas for the design / fabrics that I could use? I'd appreciate any help...

Here are a few of my inspirations...

Dad's quilt




My creation




1. Embracing Gray, 2. city purple, 3. PTS3, 4. tokyo city, 5. Watercolors Pillow, 6. Snapshots Quilt, 7. Front, 8. sew connected quilt, 9. Squares Front, 10. dinner date front, 11. The Argyle Quilt of Doom - Finished!12. Not available

Do you have any suggestions for the fabric? Or shall I go with solids? His favorite color is blue! And mom's is yellow...



Monday, October 25, 2010

Ecousables...

A few weeks back, in the exact week which turned out to be the owrst in my life, a parcel arrived for me from Ecousables. Neatly packed inside were four of the most used things in my house!

Ecousables Stainless Steel Water Bottles... I deceded to write my review after a few weeks of using them...

The moment I saw them, I loved them... The first thing that appealed to me was their design. The bottles looked smart, they felt good...

And I have been using them EVERY SINGLE DAY! I am happy that they are easy to clean as well... No residue around the neck of the bottle that I have to work on... Kiddo loves his and takes it everywhere with him... I am on my weighloss  regime and have been trying to develop the habit of drinking water frequently... Now I find it easier to carry around a bottle that I love and drink from it... They are sturdy too... Kiddo dropped his a few times and all i can see is a small dent... No chipped color!!!

The fact that I love the most is that they have taken me and my family away from using plastic bottle which are not only harmful to nature but to our health as well...

Here you can find more information about the bottles...



I love mine and I'm sure you'll love your too... So make the switch, go green!!!


Sunday, October 24, 2010

My Mini QT Swap Quilt

I have taken the head on plunge in flickr swaps and am participating in a whole bunch of them...I did the 3x6 sampler quilt mini bee last quarter and it sure was fun...

So here's my first finish for the swap... Now this swap is not secret, but I want my mini quilt to be a surprise for my partner...

The theme is holidays and houses! I am doing a diwali house for my partner, the VERY talented Lolablueocean aka Krista... She has already gone a lot ahead with the work as I could see from the sneak peeks she posted quite some time back!!!




mini qt swap for shruti sneak peak


mini qt swap for shruti sneak peak

Isn't it beautiful, I'm dying to see it in person... Now here's mie... I know its not "very good" but I know its the best that I can make and I'm really happy with it... Its a lot 'me'... And I also know Krista's going to love it...

Here are my sneak peeks...


Mini QT Swap Sneak Peek


Mini QT Swap Sneak Peek


Mini QT Swap Sneak Peek


Mini QT Swap Sneak Peek



I'm happy that the quilt is ready to go!!! It'll be in the post on Monday!!! I cant wait for her to receive it...
Cheers!!!


Saturday, October 23, 2010

30 Minute Laptop Case

Thanks to Pam, I'm featured on her blog : The Thrifty Things... I have shared my 30 minute Laptop Case Tutorial there... Head on to her blog and check out what all thrifty ideas she has got for you guys!!!




Dont forget to say hi to her!!!




Saturday 9


1. What are you proud of?

I'm proud of the fact that I decided to give up my fruitful career to stay at home with my wonderful kid! This is the best decision I've taken, inspite of the fact that a few people disagree with me...

2. What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize? How did you win it?
 
The Quilt I won from Deb of Work in Progress! I won it in a giveaway... It'll always be one of my most prized possessions...

3. Tell us about something you've done that in retrospect was a waste of time.
 
None... I feel every experience teaches us something, so something might not teach you what you intended to learn, but it never is a waste of time if you learn something else from it...

4. How old were you when life changed the most for you? How did it change?
 
I was 10 yrs old... It was whan my parents and my brother met with an accident... We were nto even sure for the first few hours if my dad would survive... But he's a fighter and he came out of it... It took him 2 1/2 yrs to be able to walk without crutches... But that incident taught me that you should never take it for granted that your loved ones will always be with you... When you say goodbye to someone, say it in a manner that you'll never feel bad if its the last good bye...

5. Tell us about a place you that you've been that you considered to be very tranquil.
 
I find beaches very tranquil... I love to watch the water play with the sand...

6. Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
 
I'm not much of a TV person... But I love Amitabh Bachchan when he anchors "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (The hindi version of Who wants to be a millionaire). He's a gentleman, teasing yet appeasing... At 65+ he's still the heart throb of a million hearts in India...

7. If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it? Why?
 
I'd like the name to be "Aman" meaning peace...

8. What is something about which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer?
 
Definition of Success. I have always felt that when one is satisfied with what he's done, he's successful... But i'm not satisfied with that answer...

9. When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland?
 
I drink a glass of warm milk, take a bath, wash my hair and go back to bed... It has worked eevry single time!
 
 
Cheers!



Friday, October 22, 2010

Favorite Things Friday

Joining Mrs P on the Favorite Things Friday wagon, here's my post about my favorite things...
My favorite part of the process of making a quilt, apart from the designing, of course, is quilting it... Ever since I discovered Free Motion Quilting, I have never looked back again... I enjoy every moment of putting the entire quilt into the machine and working on it... I strain muscles (I was diagnosed with chikungunya last year and my extreme joints still hurt), I ignore my hubby (but never kiddo, he's priority # 1), I get up at unearthly hours afater spending a few in bed thinking about how I can quilt the top I just finished!

I enjoy every moment of it... Here's my FIRST QUILT that I quilted on my old machine (my grandmother's machine - the Durby)



It was just straight line quilting, that was all my old machine could do! Then came by dear Bernette... I agree she's not the best machine available... But I love her and she has worked like a gem... I am happy with my choice...

The first time I tried FMQ, I made a mistake. A mistake of starting with something huge and overwhelming...


I was making this quilt for my mother... She wanted to use itn the floor of the living room and did not mind it being heavy... The thrifty 'up'cycle gal in me thought it was a wonderful opportunity to use up once of my old curtains (those thick, murky, HEAVY things that can keep away light completely!) as BATTING!!! Wow, It was an effort just to pull the 48" x 72" quilt through the machine and by the time I was done I was not only exhausted, but I HATED FMQ!

Then I had another inning with straight line quilting and as my confidence grew I decided to try FMQ once again... This time, I took care to choose a small project...

I was happy, both with the result and the effort... And then began my love affair with FMQ... A lot more projects follwed, most of them, I'm really proud of...






I really love the process of making a deliberate effort to be random when you do FMQ... Elizabeth has been an inspiration to me and I'd very much like my quilting to be half as good as her. I'll keep on trying to improve what is my favorite part of making a quilt!!!




 
Hop over to Quilting in My Pyjamas and tell us about your favorite things...