New Cutting Table

After doing some cutting on a regular height table top, my back started aching quite a bit and my hubby and I started discussing options for a cutting table.  Lucky for me, his brain is always working and he thought of using old screen printing screens as the table base... and our neighbor had given us some wood last year that worked really well for the top... so with some work by Gregg, I have a brand new cutting table that is totally awesome!!  I'm totally inspired to sew today... and I have the time too ~ I'm so happy! ... here's some pics, you can see my green room and my new piece of art "CherryBomb" from Portland artist Lisa Laser:

Finished Mat

So we had our little snack mat swap at the PMQG meeting last week and beforehand, I started a bunch of mats, but only finished one good one before the swap.  I just finished another yesterday:

and here's the back - see... I did a little free motion quilting on my machine too... I just taped over the feed dogs (thanks for the tip Jill!) and I was able to move it around.  Now I should invest in a good darning/quilting presser foot:

This was the first one that I was happy with my binding and mitered corners:

This is all such great practice!  I've recently just started a baby/youth quilt for the monochromatic challenge.  I was planning on putting it on consignment at a maternity shop, but as I'm working on it, I'm starting to get attached... I really like it!  It's all yellow ~ nice and bright and cheery... and I'll finish the top today and then I can get started on the quilting... and then use my newly-found techniques to make a kick-a** binding! 

Mug Rugs

So tomorrow night at the PMQG meeting, we are having a mug rug swap!  This has been a very fun project for me because I need a lot of practice on quilting and it seems I have a lot to learn about binding too!  My first two attempts... not so good, my third and fourth MUCH better!  So I will have a little something to swap and that makes me feel good. All the others that I make will make great little gifties, especially if I pair them up with a pound of coffee and a cool mug... ooOOooo I think I have the holidays all figured out already!!

So I've been very busy working on a blog update for our business and soon I'll be updating the whole site.  This kind of work is really hard to get through, so much code my mind spins... but it is turning out very well.  I'm also doing bookkeeping and getting ready for tax time ~ yuck ~ and working on a pretty neat T-shirt design for a local dart league.  With all that time spent working, the sewing is slowing... and that is making me a little sad.  So I'm totally looking forward to the meeting tomorrow night for a good kick in the butt and some motivation!

Sunny Mondays...

Today was a beautiful day, my walk was awesome.  I love exploring neighborhoods as the weather changes... and right now, in February, crocus are blooming and daffodils are sprouting.  It's like spring out there and I love it. 
I think it's because of that spring feeling that I picked out some new yellow fabrics for a swing at the monochromatic challenge by the Modern Quilt Guild.  I'm really excited to start something new!   I've been trying my hand at circles this weekend for use in the quilt.  I made a pattern on Illustrator and traced the paper print out onto fabric and cut out the shapes.  
I've been making a few "mug rugs" to practice sewing on a curve.  This is my first try:

 Then I tried appliqué,  I got this really cute deer fabric from a swap at the PMQG meeting a few months back:

 I think I can do better a second time around with the sewn-in circle... but these will still work for a set of mug rugs :-) 

I found a plastic plate that can go over the feed dogs on my machine and I was really excited at first, but it's still really hard to push the fabric around for free-motion-quilting.  So either these will end up with straight lines or maybe I can get to Modern Domestic this Friday to used their machines... hmmm...