August 2013 | Go-Go Kim

sewing + social media + so much more

Monday, August 26, 2013

Don't forget to link up your Tula Pink City Sampler blocks!


Don't miss out on the monthly prize for The Tula Pink City Sampler Sew Along hosted by Sew Sweetness.  Link is up on Sara's blog and the prize winner will be announced on August 3!  I am loving this QAL!








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Sunday, August 25, 2013

A Charming Giveaway { Aurifil included}


The Polaroid Swap has been so much fun to participate in!  I have been going through my scraps and finding things that I had forgotten about.  It has been giving me warm fuzzies inside being able to use them.  Some of the fabrics are now nearly impossible to find so I suppose I was waiting for the right project to get the most use of them with the smallest amount of waste. The Polaroid Blocks are perfect for these beauties.

This brings me to the giveaway.  I went kinda crazy cutting the little fussy cuts and I was thinking that there might be some sweets quilters out there that may not get the chance to find some of these harder to find prints so I continued fussy cutting so I could have enough to offer in a giveaway!


Here is a sampling of some of what I cannot wait to share...


Each set will include approx 25-30 2.5x2.5 fussy cut charms and will have vvhtf Heather Ross, Munki Munki, Japanese fabric and just some whimsical fun stuff ( I am still cutting so not sure yet the final number).

AND an Aurifil Sample set that contains fun fabulous colors in all the weights for you to play with!


TWO winners will be chosen by Mr. Random selector and the giveaway runs until Friday August 30,2013 at 11pm EST.


To enter giveaway ( three entry options, you can do one or all three to increase your chances):

1.  Tell me your favorite out of print fabric that you would LOVE to see reprinted.
For me that one is EASY... Heather Ross  Mendocino!  Little Miss is mermaid crazy and I stupidly did not buy BOLTS of it when it was available!  I wonder is Heather has an extra stash of these some where she wants to release...I'd be ECSTATIC and so would my only girl child,LOL!

2.  Become a follower or give a big HELLO and let me know you already are a follower!  I LOVE my online friends and am always happy to have more!  You guys give me support and inspiration and I ADORE YOU :o)

3. Like my Facebook page and leave a comment here letting me know.
My FB page is another way for me to share sewing links, sales and other fun inspirations that I find more daily than weekly.


If you are a no reply blogger, I cannot email you so PLEASE leave your email in one of your comments.



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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Revisiting garment sewing with Sew Serendipity

I am determined to be able to sew garments.  I do not know the secret lingo of the seamstresses, I do not have all the right tools ( at least that is what I tell myself) and I REALLY REALLY hate to measure myself especially when I end up being two different sizes on the pattern packet!  


Then I saw Kay Whitt's pattern The Marilyn Dress! I fell in LOVE!   It had a waist, which I need since I am a complete pear shape. More exciting for me, it looked like something I could sew.  I have met Kay, she is lovely and such a firecracker!  I asked her all about the pattern when I saw her in Portland.  Was is easy?  Like easier than a Very Easy Vogue easy?  She assured me that I could do this dress with no problems.  I brought the pattern home and it sat waiting patiently for me to muster up enough courage to open it up, got cold feet and called Sara she reassured me that I could do this...

Last night I took the plunge...

Even though I have not straightened from the whirlwind of Polaroid blocks



I have not even swept up my "quilter's confetti"


But this dress HAD to be made...so by midday I was to this point


By late afternoon I made it to this point without one adult word ( patting myself on the back). I also  learned about understitching.

I am hoping I can have it completed tomorrow without my little guy as my zipper in the back ( see the cute toes behind me).  I think I need to take the skirt off and cut another longer one just because I do not care for my knees showing.  I am so happy I tried this one. It is building my confidence in garment sewing!!!! WOOT WOOT!  Hopefully more photos tomorrow but not of my sewing room ;o)
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Monday, August 19, 2013

A wee bit of Polaroid swap fun!



Kris over at Duke Says Sew What was posting on Instagram that she was hosting a Polaroid Swap.  This has been on my To Sew list for oh...EVER!!!!!  I resisted but not very much because last night I cut a bunch of fussy cuts ( using the tutorial on Occasional Piece), made a huge mess and now have this pile of what I think of as HAPPINESS!!!!



I trimmed up a few that will be staying with me...I love the Laurie Wisbrun chair complete with an ottoman!!!!


The Heather Ross horses is possibly my favorite!

Now I need to actually fill out the swap paperwork, go count them ( I have no idea how many I made,LOL!) and ship them off!!!  I am so excited!!!


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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Lovetag Quilt Liberty of London Stile Collection

The Quilt Alliance  ( an organization I adore) promotes telling the story of your quilts, an important part of quilt making and quilt history. This is the story of my new quilt!


It has never been a secret that I adore, love, drool over ,covet  ( add anything else that may fit here) Liberty of London fabrics!  The first time I saw them was on the internet and I was stunned at the beauty of the designs.  At that time, I was not quilting yet and could not figure out exactly what I would do with those lushious pieces of art.  That all changed quickly after making my first quilt five years ago.   The world of Liberty of London was calling to me ( not really but the voices in my head sure were loud).  I purchased my first sets of 4 in squares of Liberty and I was tickled pink! I took them out and lined them up in rows, arranged them them in color order and then randomly then I very carefully put them back... I obviously was not ready.

Fast forward a few years and a few projects later.  I learned that all those squares would look so much better if I actually used them, that they were meant to be sewn into, pincushions, Aeroplane bags, pouches and mini quilts.  Their loveliness has a synergistic effect...one is gorgeous...a bunch together and BAM!  It is a wonderful thing to experience.

A pincushion for a friend

Cathedral window Aeroplane Bag

A mini quilt


I was given the opportunity to experience it in a huge way that started this past May.  In Portland, I received an email.  I honestly thought it was not a real email because the person sending it to me has such a fun sounding name it could not be business related so I was going to skip to the next one.  I could not get  the name out of my head so I went back and opened it...OMG!!!!! Sara was there in bed and I SQUEELED with delight...SARA...OMG!!!!!! I think I may have been shaking a bit too.  It was from Michelle at Liberty of London asking if I wanted to do a guest post for their blog.  I started looking for the candid cameras and could not believe it was true...ME?  No...really...ME?

Okay, I can do this!  They will want me to make a little bag or something and it will be fun...nope...a QUILT!  A full sized honest to goodness quilt...ALL LIBERTY!  OH...Ummmmm...hmmmm. A TUTORIAL and a quilt. WOW and yes please!  The collection I am lucky enough to work with is the newest Liberty Lifestyle craft fabric Stile. The LOVEtag Tutorial can be found on the Liberty Lifestyle Blog.   The LOVEtag is a simple patchwork that any level of sewer can try.  This is the perfect beginner project!  When you are visiting the Liberty blog, check out the other great tutorials to try, like the Dresden Pouf from Holly DeGroot .




The LOVEtag is a HUGE hashtag, according to Thomas, a sexy hashtag,lol!  I love it, I love the quilting ( Lisa was AMAZINGLY kind and lightening fast).  The quilt top was made in two and a half  days, we were leaving on vacation and I was up at 4 am finishing it and piecing the back together  to have it in the mail to Lisa that Friday morning since she was moving and had an insane schedule too.

This is the first quilt I have ever handbound!  It took me forever but I did it.  I had been having issues with smaller projects with needles bending during binding.  It was not fun and ended up really hurting my fingers.  On my visit to Kelly Ann's Quilting  I asked her for recommendations and she was like an angel...the perfect hand binding needles...BOHN!  Small sturdy and perfect for the job.  I was able to do the entire 88x88 quilt with no pain or bending.  In fact, I think I could use the same needle for another quilt!


I am pretty happy with the binding and now I have the right tool I will get more practice!


When the binding was completed I needed to get photos. This was going to be a challenge, lots of rain and no tall people...time to construct!

Katy and I gathered some tools. There is a hammer and some vice grips in there too ;o)

and made a line across our play structure.  I am pretty sure our neighbors think we are crazy by now!

Too many trees and not the right lighting...sigh


Later that day I decided to try again in my favorite spot where the sun is always shining and the kids can RUN!

I still had an issue with how to hold the quilt up since the little man is no where near the right size. Lo and behold a neighbor on a golf cart came through while we were there!  I flagged her down and asked if she wouldn't mind helping a crazy quilt lady out.  I handed Adam the camera...and I am really proud his eye was on getting the quilt in the frame,lol!



So, after a bunch of words and stuff, here are the photos I was able to take.



The quilting is exquisite.  The quilt master Lisa Sipes did her magic on this one.  She used Aurifil 50 wt in white and lots of it!  I cannot even remember how many thousands of yds she told me she went through. She made the Aurifil look like it is dancing on the fabric...SO AWESOME! The batting I used was Pellon.  It was two layers of Natures Touch for a little extra pouf!



Then we had some fun!


and of course what photo session can be complete without a photo bomb!!!!!


I love this quilt more than a little :o)
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Monday, August 12, 2013

Sunday sewing, Monday chatting

Most of my weeks have ended up with sewing on Sunday.  For whatever reason, it has now become the day of choice to get everything together and pop some blocks out.  In three weeks I will have the opportunity to sew daily! I am very much looking forward to those days.


These are for my do.Good Stitches bee.  They are for August!!!!!  I am finally caught up for a change :)  The pattern is a tutorial by Adrianne from Little Bluebell. It is called the Stargazer Quilt Block.  Perfect instructions that make a fast and great block!



I also finished my Tula blocks for the week and posted them at Sew Sweetness for the Sew Along.


Today is the day I will be on Pat Sloan's radio show!!!!  Tune in at 4pm EST to listen to all of Pat's guests.  This is a podcast so you can always go back and listen later too ;o)




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Friday, August 9, 2013

A precious gift

In the quilting community, I have had the pleasure to meet and become friends with an amazing group of people.  I am in awe of their talent, inspired by their work and their capacity to love is enough to make The Grinch's heart grow at least five times more!  I know mine did a few days ago when I received this in the mail...

This quilt is not for me, it is a gift from Thomas to Adam.  Adam had outgrown his old flannel quilt that I had made years ago.  He looked at me one night and said, "Mom, I need a new quilt, my legs are too long for this one."

He was right, his legs had grown about two feet longer than the quilt

I posted his sweet comment and Thomas responded with this...this act of love...from his heart...through his hands...to my son...


This is the first hand tied quilt I have seen up close and in person.  It is a technique I would like to try myself soon.

The binding is also completely hand stitched and the colors are so perfect!!!!! Adam will have many more years to love this quilt!!!!!

Thomas wrote more about this quilt and another in A Tale of Two Quilts on his blog.  He has way better words than I do explaining his artistic reasons.  I really only need one word to describe how I feel about this precious gift and Thomas...LOVE!



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Chatting with Pat!

I am so excited a little nervous and very curious, hopefully I will not pass out!  Pat Sloan asked if I would be a guest on her radio show for American Patchwork & Quilting .  I said ABSOLUTELY because any time I get to spend with Pat is awesome, she is one of the sweetest people I know and her happiness is infectious, LOVE to be around her!!!

Anyway, Monday, August 12 at I think 5pm you can listen in to Pat and her guests chat about quilting and possibly other stuff too, you just never know with Pat ;)



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Monday, August 5, 2013

Validation

During the summer I find myself getting away from the sewing room.  Vacations, kids, more house projects, the in house engineer deciding to get his Master's Degree ( while still doing his full time job) and did I mention the kids actually wanting food and clean clothes?



I feel like I need some sort of validation some sort of something to show me that I am still a part of the sewing world even if my machine has been off for more days than it has been on in the past two months. It feels like sewing is a passing whim rather than a full blown passion and it makes me sad at times. Until last Saturday night!!!!!

Last Saturday night I decided that Sunday was for me! Was for me and my SEWING MACHINE!!!! I cut out fabrics and had every little thing I needed and was ready to go the next morning and boy did it feel GOOD!!!!


I finished my June block for Aurifil Designer BOM



My two Believe do.Good Stitches blocks for July ( Pattern and tutorial is Starry Night by Fresh Lemon Quilts)



Three of the Tula Pink 100 Modern Blocks ( Katy chose the colors for these)


And finally the quilt label for Thomas Knauer's baby quilt that visited all of Austin!!!!



All of these little projects are now up on my wall to remind me that I DO still have the passion! There are my validation!  The little people ( one is taller than me now) will be going off to school in a few more weeks  and I think I will miss the laughter, the fun we have had this summer and really just having them around.  They are great children and I am a very lucky mama, I know that for sure.  That being said, I am looking  forward to the quiet times with just me and my sewing machine.
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