June 2012 | Go-Go Kim

sewing + social media + so much more

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Sewing and summer

As I am sure many of you know, there are two times in the year that sewing tends to SLOW WAY DOWN for everyone. Summer is one and I thought I was going to be able to not have that happen THIS summer but you know what, it has.

I did work on this slipcover this weekend, one afternoon a few hours and this is what I have finished. I still have the cushion to do , which is now residing ready to cut out on my foyer floor  and the skirt but it is going to have to wait just a bit so I can enjoy my little people. It is not perfect but I did not want it super fitted, the one that was on there was harder to put on than actual childbirth so I wanted it to be SUPER easy when Adam gets his feet all over it to pop it on and off for the wash!


I also want to say that I LOVE comments!!!! I read them all and try to respond to each and every one!!!! I just realized that I am not, for some strange reason getting all of them in my email, so if I have not responded to a comment you have made, I apologize and it was not intentional!!!!!


Now for the summer photos and why I am a lazy clod!


Reading and Ed Emberley drawing!!!!!


It is no different from sledding right?


New color :o)

Katy's beautiful Zakka bag from Sara that she LOVES!!!!! I wish she hated it so I could snag it ;o)

Finally, this is Katy's way of curing the summertime blues! I love having the television off!


Welcome SUMMER!!!!!
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Friday, June 22, 2012

Pretty pillow {Pellon Tutorial} and hat box progress

As unproductive as I thought summer was going to be I have been more productive than I normally am. I am going to take that and hope that it will continue!!!!

There had been requests for a pillow sized Cathedral Window Pillow like the pincushion tutorial, so I figured out the math and showed my idea to Pellon and they said GO FOR IT! I love when people say yes!  So the tutorial is for a 16 in pillow for your sofa, chair, best friend or yourself!!!!!

I used Pellon Wonder Under, Craft Fuse and did you know that Pellon makes pillow forms?  I did not until now!

The  stunning fabric  Joel Dewberry Heirloom

The thread Aurifil 50wt


For the tutorial go check out Pellon Projects to see how easy it is to make this beauty!!!!!

I have also made some progress on my Hat Box Block quilt and decided that it should be my first donation for 100 Quilts For Kids!  It is very exciting for me to make a quilt with NO WHITE (so far) ;o) Sorry for the bad photo, it is raining.


I was going to finish the Soldier's Angels but figured out that when I was driving up to Joann's that I forgot my coupons at HOME! GAH!!!!  This adds to my list of why I need a smartphone...if I can just CONVINCE the in house engineer my life would be SO GREAT!
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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Pat Sloan and who!?!?!

The FABULOUS and talented (I know I heard some sort of angelic singing around EVERY SINGLE TIME I saw her at market in her super cool outfits)  Pat Sloan asked me to do an interview for her blog...WHAT!?! Me!?!? I started looking around the room and then realized I was in front of the computer and the email was addressed to ME so maybe it was not a fluke :o) Thank you so much Pat, you are FABULOUS!!!!

The interview is up today on Pat Sloan The Voice of Quilting



I met Pat in her booth at Market and ( and everywhere, that lady MOVES) she has a new line of fabric Eat Your Fruits and Veggies for Moda coming soon in October!!!!!





And it has perfectly matched thread from Aurifil! They are so beautiful together!!!!

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Monday, June 18, 2012

I love productive weekends!!!!


My weekends are normally very unproductive, sad to say but it is true, I do not normally get things done with more people around...I TALK! But, for some reason, I was able to do both this weekend and I am very very pleased!!!!

I was able to get a ton of these babies cut out for my Hat Box blocks and realized a fun easy trick!!!!!



If you happen to have some of these charm packs hanging around...


The freezer paper triangles fit perfectly and you have one color square ( four triangles) and two print ( one for four triangles and on five inch square, they need to be the same print so you may need more than one pack) Anyway, I found that fun and useful since you can get A LOT more colors and prints without have to buy many different fabrics... I LOVE  Moda charm packs!


I was able to almost complete the first Soldier's Angels quilt top!!!!! I ran out of Kona so I will be off to Joann's today...

And who would not be EXCITED by THESE!!!!!!  They showed up at my door on Friday :o)  I am doing a Pellon project with Thomas Knauer fabrics!!!!!!  Thomas is amazing,funny,and creative and it really comes through in his wonderful use of colors and designs for these  Andover fabrics!!!!!


These are from the newest line Pear Tree


 The beautiful and calm Flock


And how cute and colorful...Savanna Bop

I cannot wait to get started!!!!!!

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100 Quilts for kids!!!!!

It is that time of year a little bit earlier over at Swim Bike Quilt!!!!! Hope you will all come join in for a quilt or two!



100 Quilts for Kids in 2012!!

If you have been reading Swim, Bike, Quilt for a while, you know that charity sewing is important to me, and a portion of my blog is devoted every year to encouraging others to do the same.  There are so many great charities and sewing circles that do the same; a few favorites are Margaret's Hope ChestBumble Beans Basics, do.Good StitchesProject Linusthe work done by Sarah and her Quilt Ministry, and Siblings Together 

100 Quilts for Kids is a charity quilt drive that the DC Modern Quilt Guild and I host annually.  It has been exciting to witness the time and love that has gone into making the several hundred quilts donated in 2010 and 2011. Ready to get started?

100 Quilts for Kids QuiltsI'm simplifying things this year. Make a quilt or 2. Donate it to a child in need, locally if you can.

Spread the word to family and friends! Enjoy a blog hop with inspiration and mini prizes. 

Join us in a 100 Quilts for Kids Quilt Along (details forthcoming)

Link up throughout the summer to share your quilts and win one of a few great prizes! Link up will be open on my blog from July 1-October 15, so you can easily add a quilt as you finish and donate it.
 
Smile, knowing you used your skills for good. 

If you have any questions now, please email me at swimbikequilt at gmail dot com. Thanks!!!

Check out the 100 Quilts for Kids Flickr Group and start adding pictures now! 



Swim, Bike, Quilt
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/p/100-quilts-for-kids.html" title="Swim, Bike, Quilt"><img src="http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z420/swimbikequilt/100quiltsbutton2011.jpg" alt="Swim, Bike, Quilt" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
I would love your help getting the word out. Just copy and paste the code above and paste it into your sidebar, or blog post.  Tweet. Instagram. Facebook. You know the drill. Thanks! [The button is the same as last year; if you already have a button on your blog, no need to change anything]

DETAILS AT A GLANCE:

Make a baby or toddler sized quilt--finish a WIP, try a new pattern, find a use for extra blocks from virtual bees, or start and finish a new quilt

Donate your quilt(s) to an organization in your community--consider donating your quilt(s) to a local foster care program, domestic violence center, homeless shelter, children’s hospital, local military family support organization, or to one of the organizations listed above.
Peacock Blue 2
[I started Peacock Blue 2 for 100 Quilts last year. It didn't get finished. Now, it just needs 6 more inches of binding! 100 Quilts provides great motivation to finish your projects or use bee blocks!]

Donate your quilt(s):  Let us know you donated your quilt (and where you donated it) by sharing a link to a blog post or picture on flickr.

For You! To encourage quilters to participate, and to say "thank you," there will be a few fabulous prizes from sponsors (TBA). I am also putting together a related Skill-Building Series--everyone likes to learn new things, right?

Sponsors: If you are interested in sponsoring the event/donating a fabric or quilting related prize, please contact me at swimbikequilt at gmail dot com.

Thanks, everyone! 

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Summertime Hat Box Block {tutorial}

Summertime and the living's easy...unless you have kids, a husband, vacations to take, cars to wash and STILL would like to get some sewing completed.



I decided when I saw my grandmother's blocks in the hat box, it was a must do for summer. The pace for summer is slower but with people to entertain ALL THE TIME there is not as much time to sew.  This is a fast and easy block and with the freezer paper you can sit and watch tv or your kid's swim lessons and take it with you to trim up your pieces. I am sure this block has a real name but I will always see it as the hat box block ;o)

I like mixture of color used in the vintage blocks so I am going to try (so hard for me) to keep it as colorful, vibrant and random as the originals.  NO WHITE!

Please read all instructions before starting the block. All seams are 1/4in.

You will need for this block:
5in square of print fabric
2.5in x 18in print
2.5in x18in  solid
Thread ( I always use Aurifil 50wt)
Freezer paper cut into 8.5x11 page

The template for the triangles is here:
Triangle template ( only print out page 1)

******* There is another easy way to do these too********

If you happen to have some of these charm packs hanging around...



The freezer paper triangles fit perfectly and you have one color square ( four triangles) and two print ( one for four triangles and on five inch square, they need to be the same print so you may need more than one pack) Anyway, I found that fun and useful since you can get A LOT more colors and prints without have to buy many different fabrics... I LOVE  Moda charm packs!

**********************************************************************************


Print out the triangles on your freezer paper with the printing being on the flat side not the shiny side.




Place the template, shiny side down,onto the wrong side of your fabric and iron on until the paper is stuck. This does not take very long.


 Cut out the triangles along the dotted  lines

Peel the paper off the fabric

You now have all your pieces ready to go!

Take one of the print and one of the solid and place them just like this. The solid on the right and the print on the left, long sides of the triangle on the outsides


 Fold it over...

And if it will help you remember, place a little pin at the top so you will not forget what side to sew. I messed one up and so I did this with the rest.

Sew them together. You can save some time and thread by chain piecing, especially if you have more than one set already cut out. Press all seams open.

Fold and iron your 5in square so you have some nice guide lines

Using those guidelines, line up the centers ( the edges do not line up and that is okay),pin in place SEW!

Repeat the process until all four sides are completed

When all the sides have been sewn you will step back and say..."That block looks like CRAP!"

On my little Olfa cuttingng board next to my machine looks like this. I line up the center of the line in the angle with the point of the block

measure out 3.25 from the center line

and trimm the excess. repeat on all three other sides :o)



After it is trimmed it will be a very cute and adorable 6.5 in unfinished block

 Here are the three I made this afternoon :o)


As always, if there are any questions please shoot me an email and I will try to answer as soon as and as best as I can!!!!!

I hope you enjoy and get a chance to make this block!

Linked up to
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Monday, June 11, 2012

Happiness is...

Happiness is whatever makes you happy! I know you guys make me happy ALL THE TIME!!!!!  From your support here, facebook,and twitter to other things like...

I had two surprise packages this weekend and they both made me SQUEAL with JOY!!!!!

The first is from Lindsey at LRstitched!!!!!! WOW!!!!! I was part of a New York Beauty pillow swap and I cannot believe my beautiful pillow!!!!!! Everything about it is PERFECT!!!!! There was also a sweet little Heather Ross surprise in the package. I am one LUCKY girl!!!!!!

THANK YOU LINDSEY!!!!!

GORGEOUS quilting!!!!!


The perfect pillow will live here for the time being so I can see it from my sewing machine and be happy and inspired and hopefully Adam will not wear it as a hat!



The second package is from Sally,who I had my first ever fabric swap in January, she lives in Australia and is over the top sweet! I had NO idea she was sending me anything at all!!!!! Many heartfelt thanks to you Sally, you are so thoughtful and kind :o)

There was something for everyone, as you can see Adam was VERY quick to notice the package for himself!



Adam's was opened speedy quick and it was a dinosaur egg!!!!!  He was so excited!!!!! This was the best photo I could get, he is moving very fast these days!!!!!

There were these goodies for ME!!!!!  The top two are delicious smelling soap and lotion from a shop in Austrlia that I cannot get here. Sally sent me a bar of soap from this shop in Jan and it sits in my sewing room...SMELLS DEVINE!!!!!! They must start shipping internationally or I may have to move down under ;o)

The fabrics are these beautiful fabrics by Saffron Craig and Layla Campbell for M&S Textiles . Katy says the Purple dots would be a perfect wallet and I have to agree!!!!!

 In Katy's package were some lovely smelling sachets 

and these adorable hair pins ( perfect for summer) by fibberitigibbet!


 I am very grateful for all of my happiness and thank you all so much!!!!!!
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