WIP Wed

Come see what I'm up to over at my new blog, Solar Threads!  Thanks!

Sew Out Loud Entry

Come see what I put together over at my new blog, "Solar Threads"!  Thanks!

Spring Fever

Pleas join me over at my new blog, Solar Threads, to see what I've been up to!  Thanks!

WIP Wed: Postcards and Kindle Covers

Don't forget to come over and see me at my new blog, Solar Threads

Yep, I'm still working on postcards.  Those above are for this month's "May Flowers" postcard swap.  It's the first time I have worked with rhinestones.  I used a simple sheet of heat-fix rhinestones that I got in the craft section of a local store.  Unfortunately, when I went to use my iron next, I noticed that despite the fact that I used a press cloth, it left a yucky film on my (very new) iron.

I tried a few different spray cleaners, with no avail, then remembered a post that I'd read on a blog about using a "Mr Clean Magic Eraser" sponge to remove iron-on adhesive from an iron.  I just happened to have one under my sick.

AMAZING!!  I just had to re-share this tip here!!

I'm thinking about buying one of those rhinestone applicator "wands".  Has anyone else used one of these?  Are they better than an iron?

I also recently was made aware of a postcard fund-raiser that I decided to participate in.  Sisters Quilt Show, in Central Oregon, is "the largest outdoor quilt show in the world".  I was lucky enough to be able to go a few years ago.  It's spectacular!  They hold a fundraiser every year selling postcards that anyone can make and donate to raise money for cancer patients in Central Oregon.  You can find more details here, at Sisters Quilt Show Website's Wish Upon a Card details.  The deadline has just passed to be considered for the silent auction cards, but they're still taking cards to sell to raise money up until July 1st.  So I decided to make up a few cards for them too.

I still need to finish the edges of all of these cards, and get them in the mail.

Speaking of mail, look at the 2 cards I recently pulled out of our mailbox from Monika and Darcy!  Aren't they beautiful?!

I also got all of my latest batch of Kindle Covers all sewn up this week.  I quilt each one, and often, the backs are just as pretty as the fronts!

As usual, I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wed.  Come see what others have been up to!!

Rhinestones, Grannies, Hell's Canyon and more...

Please join me at my new blog, Solar Threads!!!

 

First of all, THANK YOU for all of you who have already followed me over to my new blog  from this one!  I appreciate it so much!!  I'm trying to "sync" my Etsy store with a new blog, and Facebook page to keep things easier to recognize, if that makes sense.  I started "Becky's Blabber" as a way to keep in touch with friends and family when we moved from Michigan to Oregon, and over the last year or 2, it has evolved more and more into a sewing, quilting, and fiber arts blog.  The new blog is meant to reflect that :-).

While I was experimenting with heat set rhinestones this week-end, setting up my new blog, and trying to get a new Facebook page set up, here's where my husband and 2 boys were:

That's Hell's Canyon, on the border of NE Oregon and Idaho.  It's the deepest river gorge in North America.  That's the Snake River below, with Idaho on one said, Oregon on the other.

I love to camp, love to hike, but I'm kind-of a wimp when it comes to cold weather camping (something they also do without me), and backpacking (that's my son in the bottom right below).  But after seeing these pictures, I now wish I'd given it a try.  I told them that next time I'll go if they pick a flat, short, hike-in.  The boys said they were kind-of glad I wasn't there, because I would have been freaking out as they stood on all sorts of rock precipices and steep cliffs the whole week-end, uncorrected by their dad, and the other dads and boys who were with them.  I'm glad they got some important male-bonding in too :-).

Over the week-end, other than enjoying my rare solitude, watching a chic flick, and going out with some girl-friends, I made up a few granny squares (I LOVE that black center fabric),

and dusted off supplies for the Kindle cases that I make for my Etsy shop.  I've been neglecting it for a while now, and need to get my store back in shape.  I hope to start listing things there soon!

I'm linking up with "Sew Happy Geek's" Manic Monday Link party!  Be sure and hop over there to see what others have created over the week-end!

Introducing my new blog, "Solar Threads"

I finally decided, to create a new blog for myself, "Solar Threads", which will tie into my Etsy "brand name" / shop.  I've been wanting to do this for a while now, and finally took the plunge.

One reason I put it off is that I didn't want to loose my wonderful followers.  I'll keep posting on here for a little bit of a transition period, but invite you all to "follow" my new blog, as I transition over to it!  The content will be the same, just a new name :-).

I hope to start up a new Facebook page soon as well!

Thank you so much for all of your encouragement and friendship.  I'm excited to continue under my new name!

Vintage QR Code Quilt

I finally decided what to do with my vintage sheets!  I decided to make a "QR code" quilt out of them!  I've been wanting to make one for a while now, but the process seemed quite daunting.  It seemed daunting that is until I realized that I really didn't have to make a "real" one.  The lines/pixels on this quilt didn't exactly turn out as "crisp" as I'd hoped, but I just love it.  It's made from "recycled" fabric, is geeky, AND pink, plus I love the old/new thing going on!

I had a totally different design all planned out and drawn up for this vintage sheet quilt, but a math error, and subsequent cutting error (as in I cut up the whole entire sheet before realizing the error, error), left me with a block that was way too big.  I realized this after I sewed up the first 3.  I also had a smaller "test" block that I'd made, all from the striped fabric.

Being the frugal person that I am, I decided to come up with another plan, instead of cutting them down to size.  I must admit that I've come to my own personal conclusion that when it comes to vintage sheets, it's a lot more fun to buy them than to sew with them, so I decided I wanted to make something small... crib or lap sized.  Don't ask me how I decided to do a QR code.  Maybe it was because of the 3 big "bullseyes", and one little one that I had, maybe it just jumped into my head while I was surfing the internet looking at other quilts made from vintage sheets.  I certainly haven't seen any other QR code quilts made from vintage sheets, but must have come across both in a search somehow.  Don't you love the internet?