Lettered Tea Cozy

I am so happy I have been doing the Zakka Along 2.0.  Otherwise I am not sure I would have gotten around to making this tea cozy from Patchwork Please by Ayumi Takahashi.  I love tea but the only tea pot I have is my Wedgewood one which was a wedding present.  I make tea with my tea kettle.  I have always wanted to start a tea pot collection.  Maybe I will start one sooner now that I have this cozy.

I had so much fun making this.  I love foundation paper piecing though I am very very new to it.  And I loved selecting fabric.  You can't really see it in the picture (and I was not successful getting a closer one) but the bar in the A says "Ouch I am a very hot pot".  I was going to free motion quilt it because I thought it would be a lot quicker but I just love the one in the book so much I wanted mine to look like it. Instead of cherries, I crocheted a flower to match the teapot binding fabric I used.  I used Eva's Sweet Crochet Flower tutorial and I just winged it with the leaves. It has been a while since I did any crochet.  Just doing this tiny bit has left me wanting to do more.

Patchwork Please Dish Towels

I just finished these dish towels from Patchwork Please for the Zakka Along 2.0.  They are a little late but I am happy to have made them.  I love how they turned out (except the binding could have been a little better).  Oh well, because they are not perfect I will have to keep them and I wanted to keep them for myself all along anyway.

So I am back from my blog break.  I also took a little facebook break and a break from compulsively reading other blogs.  It was helpful I think.  I may write more about my reflections from the break later but right now I have to get my little cuties ready for gymnastics.

We Have a Winner and Possible Blog Break

Rachael from Nest Full of Eggs is our winner.  Congratulations!  (I don't have your email Rachel but just messaged you on Flickr).  I didn't have too many entries so we did names in a hat.  I had some duplicate commenters too so names in a hat made that part easy.  Luke folded the pieces of paper, put them in his hat, and picked the name.  I don't have a picture of him doing it because his shirt is covered in markers and food, and is on backwards.  Maybe I should have it reversed it real quick for a picture. 

I may be taking a blog break.  I keep thinking about it so I may not be on here for a while.  I don't know if it will be for a week or the summer or if I will really do it.  It just feels like something I should try.  And I may be checking out fewer blogs during that time too.  I am not sure.  In case I am gone a while, enjoy your summer!

WIP Wednesday and Give-Away Reminder

Blogger keeps uploading this picture sideways no matter what I do.  Oh well.  I will try to fix it later.  I just wanted to post real quick before I take my little cuties to the dentist.  This is my first block from the Books for Babies Quilt in Patchwork Please .  I am attempting to do the Zakka Along 2.0 so I am trying to start this quilt early.  The first block took a while.  The directions are so detailed but I have only done foundation piecing once before and it was a few years ago.  I had a hard time with the top part (pictured right here) but it did come out like it is suppose to.  I can't wait to make more of these blocks.  I have a lot of the fabric cut and everything picked out.  That part was really fun (picking out not cutting).

I also wanted to remind anyone reading that I am doing a giveaway for a great pattern (Straight-Grain's Tinny Dress) on Friday.  

Today I am linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday. 

Zakka Along 2.0 Week 1

I am so excited to be participating in my first kind of sew a long.  These peppers are from my new favorite craft book Patchwork Please by Ayumi Takahashi.  It is really nice to start off with something quick and easy.  I'd say adorable too but everything in the book is adorable.  I just used fabric from my stash and was surprised I didn't have more yellow.  When I make these again (and I will) I won't use lighter fabrics on the outside.  I still love my trio of bell pepper coasters.  I am happily linking up to LR Stitched. 

Tinny Dress Pattern Giveaway

I am so excited to be having my first giveaway.  And I'm so excited for everyone entering.  Your odds are really good.  Not many people read my little blog.  And I'm excited because what I am giving away is awesome.  I posted last month about this dress I made Stella.  I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester for An of the  StraightGrain blog.  Now her Tinny dress pattern is for sale and she is letting her pattern testers give a pattern away.

I love this pattern so much.  It has lots of options and really nice details.  She gives great tips in the pattern too.  This was my first time doing an invisible zipper.  I am no longer afraid of them.  I can't wait to make Stella another Tinny dress.  You can see pictures of the beautiful options here.

So comments for the giveway will close Friday morning at 9 am Eastern standard time.  I am thinking Luke will pick a number out of a hat.  He will get a kick out of it.

The pattern is a PDF one and will be emailed to you.  Good Luck!

edited - ooops - It is pretty obvious but I forgot to write that all you need to do to enter is leave a comment.