2013 Year in Review

Well, 2013 has been a busy, but wonderful year.  We've had one cross country move, one short distance move, lots of additional travels to see family, a new job for Mr. Trio, health highs & health lows, a new (to us) car, weddings-- whew!  And I'm quite sure I'm leaving plenty out!  The Trio family has had plenty to be thankful for this past year, and we are looking forward to what 2014 has in store for us!

Despite all the busyness, I've managed to get quite a bit of sewing in.  Only four quilt finishes this year.  A goal for me in 2014 will be to turn out a few more quilts.  I'd love to say one a month, but that may be aiming to high!

1. Nautical Wonky Star Quilt (a.k.a. a quilt for my mom) 2. Chloe's Graduation Quilt 3. Modern Maples Quilt 4. Herringbone Quilt

You may remember that at the start of 2013 I started my first block of the month (BOM) quilt group... way back when we lived in Colorado still-- it feels like a lifetime ago already.  Sadly I did not get to far into this project before things got in the way.  Between the move and other sewing obligations this project seemed to find itself on the back-burner.  I refuse to beat myself up over it though, and still have hopes of finishing it up, albeit a little late.

Block of the Month- Blocks 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6

2013 was the "Year of the Pillow" as far as birthday gifts were concerned.  They are such fun & quick projects.  I only managed to eek out one Swoon block this year.  I just need to accept that my Swoon quilt is a slow sew project for me-- fitting in a block here and there when I can.  I DO want to finish it this year though.  Our master bed desperately needs a homemade quilt!

1. Jenn's Pillow 2. Jess' Pillow 3. Sherry's Pillow 4. Kathy's Pillow 5. Christmas Pillows 6. Swoon Block

 And finally, lots and lots of smaller, miscellaneous projects.  Some blogged about, some not. 

1. Unnamed Block 2. X & + Block 3. Spring & Summer Table Runner 4. PacMan Zippy Pouch 5. Large Make-up Zippy Bag 6. iPad Case 7. Wine Totes 8. Double Sided Table Runner 9. Perfect Tote 10. 241 Tote 11. Terry's iPad Cover 12. Make-up Rolls

 New Years resolutions aren't really a thing I do; however, I do have some sewing goals in mind...

1. Start a sketch book to capture my quilt ideas.

2. Crank out more than 4 quilts this year.  One of them MUST be my Swoon quilt!

3. Practice free motion quilting.

4. Continue to push myself outside my color comfort zone.

5. Learn to use my new (to me) Serger.

6. Try my hand a garment sewing.  A Wiksten Tova top to be specific.

7. Sign up for another craft/art fair.

8. Return to blogging once a week.

How about you, do you have any goals or resolutions this year? 

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

I kept myself super busy this past week finishing up some holiday gifts.  Small stocking stuffers to be precise.  This past weekend we traveled to northern Virginia to celebrate an early Christmas with my family, and I made a little something to put in everyones stocking.  

The ladies all received travel make-up rolls.They were really a lot of fun to put together, and picking out the fabric for each person was a blast.   The pattern for the rolls was created by Rachel at Stitched in Color.  Instead of the button and loop closure I went with simple ties instead... I found I prefer the finished look of a bow tie closure.

The top flap folds down nicely to keep everything in its place.  Then simply roll and tie.  The pattern comes with a variety of pocket options so that you can customize your roll.  I particularly liked that the pockets could be pleated-- it makes them roomy enough for a thick compact to go in if desired. 

 

These make great gifts, and I certainly see more of them in my future! 

I had big sewing plans for this week which will be way-laid-- my machine has the hiccups and needs to be taken into the shop for some TLC.  We head out at the end of this week to spend time with Mr. Trio's family for Christmas.  I hope to be back with a smooth operating machine when we return!

What ever holiday you may celebrate, may it be filled with family, friends, and love!

Happy holidays!

A quilt of thanks giving...

As many of you know, about 8 months ago the Trio family moved across country.  In the chaos of uprooting our lives and making this venture we were lucky enough for my sister and brother-in-law to graciously allow us to move into their basement until we could get settled.

It's no small thing opening your home to people for such an extended period of time.  Even if they are family.  Especially if they are family!  How does one begin to say thanks for generosity such as that? 

As a quilter the answer was obvious for me!  What better way to say thanks than with an over-sized lap quilt that will keep you warm and toasty for years to come?

I did not follow any pattern for the quilt.  Just a simple herringbone style layout of half square triangles.  I used Kona cotton solids in Iron and Snow for the front and binding--  which I found iron-ic because it snowed the whole time I worked on this quilt (see what I did there)!  The quilt finished at about 66" x 80".

The backing fabric was print from the Dear Stella line "Tuxedo".  It was a great choice to keep the quilt neutral and low key, which is perfect for their home.  But I'm not going to lie-- I had to STRONGLY resist the urge to throw a bright splash of color in there somewhere!

I hope that this quilt is a wonderful addition to their home, that it keeps them warm for years to come, and that they are reminded of how thankful the Trio family is for the kindnesses they have shown unto us. 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

On an average year I'm grumbling how holidays should be taken one at a time... don't put Christmas out before Thanksgiving... blah, blah, blah.  But this is no average year-- I have been bitten by the Christmas bug and we're not even through Thanksgiving yet!

Today, being cold and snowy, seems to be the perfect time to share my new Christmas pillows with you all.  I have three more to go, but they are going to have to wait.  Tomorrow begins the baking and pre-cooking for Thursday-- Thanksgiving day!

I'll be back shortly after Thanksgiving to share a big project with you!
I hope you all have a wonderful time with your families celebrating all that you have to be thankful for!

Pretty Geese All in a Row...

Well, I think I am all caught up on late birthdays now!  Whew!

This pillow was made for my exceptionally nurturing, compassionate, and loving step-mother, Kathy.

Happy (very) belated birthday Kathy!

It feels good to be back at it-- until the past two weeks I hadn't gotten much sewing done for quite awhile.  Something about working on this pillow has gotten me back on a roll though.  I find piecing flying geese blocks very calming... zen like almost.  It was just what I needed.

The finished pillow measured 16" x 16".  The majority of fabrics used are from Pat Bravo's Alhambra II line, with a few Denyse Schmidt prints mixed in, and Kona Solid Navy.  It was pieced and quilted using 50wt Aurifil thread in white.

I used a hidden zipper closure for the back of the pillow.  I've come to really love this method as opposed to just an overlapped pocket in the back.  It gives a nice clean look to the finished product.  

And in other birthday-ish news... three years ago this week we adopted our little guy, Boone!  Although he's not so little nowadays.  While he's been giving us heartburn taking off after deer lately, there is no end to the joy he brings to our lives!

Birthday Catch-up

I'm embarrassed to own up, but this present is for a birthday that was back in early July (insert head hanging in shame).  Funny how time can get the better of you, wouldn't you agree?
But this belated iPad cover has finally made its way to the recipient-- the kindest, most big & warm hearted person I know, our Uncle Terry.  Happy (late) birthday Terry!

  Once again I used One Shabby Chick's iPad cover tutorial.  My only modification was to add the front pocket, which I have started to add every time I make one now.  Terry had expressed some time ago that he liked the deer silhouette I had done on a pillow (here), and asked if I could do the same think with an image of our dog Boone.

Easy enough, Boone's silhouette was added using raw edge applique.  The hardest part was finding a photo of him with a good side profile to base the template on!  For the fabrics I used Parson Gray prints from the Curious Nature line (great line for masculine fabrics!), and my favorite wood grain print from Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 line.  LOVE the way this project turned out!

Now that I have a chair for my studio, and a way to listen to my tunes, I should start getting a lot more work done up there!  In my game of birthday catch-up I still need to finish Mr. Trio's gift (late July), and my step-mom's (early August) & I will be done!  I'm so lucky to have patient, loving people in my life!

And in the time that has passed since I last blogged I have celebrated my own birthday (with lots of new fabric to share later), and this past weekend the wedding of my sister & her new husband.  Good times were had by all!!!  My mom stayed to visit for a few days after the wedding and we did a mini shop hop of quilt stores in New York and Pennsylvania. We had a wonderful time.  Now I'm ready for life to settle back into routine, and to start hearing the hum of my sewing machine!

Thank you, as always, for stopping by!

Oh my, how time flies...

I cannot believe I have let a whole month slip by!  Well, 'slip' may not be the best way to put it, we've been keeping ourselves busy around here at the Trio Farm.  And I've finally spent a little time in my new sewing studio (emphasis on a little).

I managed to get my fourth Swoon block done.  Eventually they will all go into a queen sized quilt for our master bedroom... eventually.  I'm enjoying taking my time with these-- using them as a break from other projects, or in the case of this one, a way to dip my toes back into sewing after a long break.  

At first I wasn't so sure about the brown for the star, but Mr. Trio liked it from the start, and I find it's growing on me.

As for other things going on around here... 

This little guy (a beautiful Yellow Warbler) flew into our window one morning last week-- poor guy.  I'm thrilled to say there were no lasting injuries, he was just stunned out of his wits.  He hung out on our porch for about 15 minutes while I got to photograph him and enjoy his beauty up-close, and then he took off again.   

While I have been an early riser out of necessity for a few years (and now out of habit), it's only been since moving here to Trio Farm that I have begun to truly love the early morning.  It's a magical time of day here-- dare I say, ethereal.

And now these foggy mornings are turning cool and crisp-- autumn is in the air.  My favorite time of year.  The apples here are turning red and hanging heavy, and a some of the leaves are beginning to turn.

I'm so excited for our first fall back East, and all the colors that go along with it!

And with a new season comes the need for a new table runner.  Right?!?  Yes, I do think so.