My two weeks off....

I don't know why but I feel like I'm a winner when I score 2 weeks off from work just randomly because that's how the schedule worked out...and let me just tell you...I've been a busy little crafting bee!

First (the project that took the longest) was my first quilt! I know it makes me sound like an old lady...but it was a really fun experience....and very rewarding....and now I have a new appreciation for old ladies who make these FABULOUS works of art!---I started by going to my FAV antique and quilt shop in Amana (Fern Hill) and choosing my wonderful fabrics....I cut them into TONS of strips (its amazing how accurate your measurements and cutting skills must be to make everything uniform and square...it was probably the hardest part!)

Here are my strips placed together on our "design wall"....the next step was sewing ALL the strips together to make squares.....

....and once your squares are sewn together you have your quilt top....

After you have your quilt top you have to attach your batting (that makes it squishy and warm) and your backing (which is just an insanely large piece of fabric)---and then you have to select the quilting method you're going to use....since we don't have a long arm (a machine that makes all the crazy designs you see on most quilts) and I didn't feel like hand stitching any type of design (due to my lack of time---b/c classes are starting soon!) I decided to tie my quilt together......

After I tied the quilt it was time to sew on the binding!!! This was a two step process...first machine sewing it around the entire quilt....

...And then hand stitching it to the back for a nice crisp finished look! It turned out amazing...and I already can't wait to start my next one!!! I decided to "steal" my mom's idea --- every small town we visit in Iowa we always find the fabric store....so the idea is to select fabrics that represent the town we're in...and ultimately sew squares that show our representation from that town and by the time we leave here we'll have our own sort of "memory" quilt---

I've already started my first "memory" quilt block on our trip to Kalona (an Amish community about 20 minutes from here--and quite possibly the quilt capital of the world...read here...)--- Carol and Don (it was so nice to have family visit!) stopped in for a few days last week and we got to have more Iowa Adventures!!! Driving through the Amish town is so awesome...to see such a simple form of living is VERY inspiring! (I would love to be able to live so simply...but I'm afraid my high maintence ways would never survive!) They have the absolute most GEORGOUS flower gardens EVER...so on our stop in at the fabric store I picked out some very cute "vintage-ish" flowery fabrics... and decided to sew a block in the very fitting "amish basket" pattern ---see pattern here

...And here's how my block turned out....

 I can't wait to see this project develop...and I can't wait to have such an awesome finished project to remind me of our time here! I also can't wait to learn more about quilting....it truly is an amazing art form!

P.S. also while in Kalona we went to a few antique stores...and I must say the Pink Bagonia has got to be a close rival to my fav antique store Fern Hill---And I also must add that antiquing is my fav thing to do with the women of my family (esp. Aunt Judy, Carol, and my mother)--they have taught me so much about the things you see in antique stores (that you think are crap) and they also have taught me how to spot diamonds in the rough (we found sooo many good things in the Pink Bagonia...the best find of the day was spotted by yours truly...a VERY antique Singer sewing machine bottom (refurbished and ready for our craft room--for only $55!--in case you didn't know...thats a steal of a deal!)  We have plans on making a table top for our sewing machines in our infamous craft room!

So while I was working on my quilt project I also finished a few other crafts.....

I knitted a "cozy" for my Nook...and I LOVE it...also learned how to do the cable knit stitch which DEF classes up any project!

My mom and I also made these super cute ice cream cone pin cushions!!!

...We also made super cute thread catcher bags for our sewing machine stations from fabric we also found in Kalona---The print is of bolts of fabric, quilter ladies with lots of cute signage (like "will brake for quilt shops"...."shop hop next week"..."i love quilts"...etc.)---so cute we framed the extra fabric for our craft room decor!

And last but not least I finished a cute camera strap that I hope to make for a few friends!!!

Looking forward to returning home in a few weeks and seeing all my lovelies!!!! Can't wait to finish out the summer strong!! Classes will be starting soon (Aug 22nd) and I'm ready to enjoy these last few weeks before its back to the grind! 

Thanks for reading...this ended up being an insanely long crafting update! :)