by Andrea | Jun 17, 2017 | handmade, Home Decor, quilting, Sewing, Uncategorized
I started this quilt in 1994. It was the summer of my 7th grade year….Alanis Morissette was singing Ironic on my boom box cassette player. My cut offs were totally grunge and my mom was sponge painting the hunter green walls in our guest/sewing room. She taught me to quilt and I was hooked. For some reason though, life got busy when school started up again. The quilt top was left pieced but unquilted in the sewing room closet. I enrolled in 8th grade, got my Jennifer Anniston layered look and headed off to school with plaid flannel and dr. martens.
Several years later, I got married and my mom packed that quilt into my moving truck with me as we set off to rural Illinois. I was pregnant with our first child and the nesting of our home was in full swing. I got the quilt out and started working on it again. Slowly hand quilting here and there. I just never really stuck with it. I think part of it was because I didn’t like the style of the quilt. I never would have picked it out for my home now that I was a sophisticated newly wed hoping to decorate my farmhouse in trendy style. I put it away and purchased a Shabby Chic Quilt from Target!
After Illinois we had a long string of frequent moves and the quilt got moved about and lost in storage for several years. Fast forward to the most recent summer of 2016. 22 years after starting the quilt, I was mercilessly getting rid of everything I could because we were moving across the country for medical school and I did not want to haul anymore junk around for the rest of my life. I’m not a minimalist, but I decided we would sell everything and keep our moving expenses down.
Despite my ability to get rid of tons of fabric and unfinished projects, I could not let that quilt go. I told my mom, I would finish it. She offered to take it home with her and keep it safe while we moved across the country. She set about quilting it for me this past year and in May she brought it out and we finished quilting it together. I bound it with some Ralph Lauren plaid sheeting I had been hoarding for about 8 years. It was finally done!
I love it because it is finished and it represents the beginning of my love of quilting. Do I love the colors and composition? Probably not as mush as I did in 7th grade! But I still love yellow and it’s a cheerful addition to our slowly growing collection of family quilts. It only took 23 years to finish!
This is the year I finish all the quilts I’ve started over the years! I am excited to get to work on the next one!
QUILTING MUST HAVES:
I tried out a new set of refill blades for my Olfa rotary cutter while I finished this quilt up and I have to tell you about these puppies! They were super sharp and came in a great little case. And the price made my jaw drop to the floor. You get 10 for less than the price of an Olfa 2-pack! Try them!
Also my 2 1/2″ strip die for my accuquilt cutter. I love it. It makes the binding go superfast.
This rubber thimble is my new favorite for hand quilting! Super comfy. It’s the best.
by Andrea | Mar 18, 2017 | DIY, handmade
It’s time for my third Makers Cottage Night! Each Modern Makers Night has been so fun and filled with making not only great projects but new friends as well. For the April project I’ve chosen Felt Ball Garlands. I’m not able to source the wool felt balls locally from a herd, but that sure would be amazing! I’ve ordered some in bulk though and they are on the way! Check out the image above for a sample and details. Simply Click On The Image to Sign Up! I have a few spots left and I’d love for you to join me! I think this would be an easy kid project as well, so I’m sure my girls will be making some for their rooms too!
If you can’t join us here are a few links to buy the supplies yourself.
by Andrea | Mar 16, 2017 | Baby, DIY, handmade, Home Decor, quilting, Sewing, tutorials
Here it is friends. This is the LAST post in my Magical series. The people who need this post, won’t want too hear it… Honestly everyone is able to do this, at least for a season. You will have lots of excuses why you can’t, but if you love something, you will make the space and time for it.
To make more time for sewing you MUST LEAVE YOUR SEWING MACHINE OUT AND SET UP. You must find a space. You must make your kids share a room or have them eat outside on the deck or sew in your bedroom or even train your baby to go to sleep with the sound of the sewing machine whirring near her crib….all of these things I have done at one point or another. We have lived in a slew of tiny houses and apartments off and on over the years and the key to getting stuff sewn was and always is leaving my machine out.
I want to encourage you to “Just Do It” Nike doesn’t consider sewing a sport, but if they did I would totally be sponsored. HAHA.
Right now I am very fortunate to have a nice finished room to sew in. I share it with the girls so that if there are moments during school that I can sew, then I can! Here are a few creative ways to leave your machine out if you don’t have a sewing room.
THE PLASTIC STORAGE BIN
Just get a bin with a lid and shove it in there and slide it under the kitchen table. If it’s already there then you will be more likely to use it. Here is good one.
THE NOOK
There is always a place for a sewing nook. Get a nice wooden or sewing specific folding table, that way if you have company or need the space temporarily{ for something less fun than sewing }you can move it and put it back up easily. When my husband was in seminary we lived in the campus apartments. SO FREAKING TINY. Someone had left a wooden folding table in our apartment so we used it for that.
THE PLACE YOU DONT LIKE
Is the basement your sewing lair? Do you hate it so much? Is it watery and smelly and dark? Just set up your supplies and organize in such a way that you can have your project out and ready to grab easily so you can bring it up to the kitchen table for the afternoon or evening.
Give up on the ideal places you see on blogs and pinterest and give yourself the freedom to enjoy your sewing time. Sewing has been such a great way for me to lose myself and relax. I listen to a book on Audible, pop my headphones in my ears, and start making! Just do it!
Here is a picture of my non pinterest worthy sewing space. I sure am thankful for it and I get so much more sewing in. My plans for it include painting the cabinet a bright happy color, but then I wouldn’t have as much time to sew….the struggle. 🙂
Happy Sewing Friends! JUST DO IT!
-Andrea
by Andrea | Feb 6, 2017 | DIY, Graphic Design, handmade, quilting, Sewing, tutorials
Welcome to the blog today! Several months ago I designed a fresh take on the old cheater quilt. After testing it out, I’m finally ready to share the whole process with you. Ever heard of Spoonflower? The company offers an amazing service that I’ve been wanting to take advantage of for years. So this is my year! I’m doing lots of things I’ve never done before. I’m seizing the day – Carpe Diem! Or perhaps I’m seizing the year? Carpe Anno! Spoonflower Fabric allows customers to upload a design to their website and have it printed on fabric. {They also offer wallpaper and wrapping paper.} If you aren’t a designer but want a custom piece of fabric you can shop the Spoonflower fabric site with thousands of designers from all over the world to find your perfect piece! They operate a bit like Etsy in that, you can look at each designers shop, not just the designs themselves. So I invite you to look at my Spoonflower shop and buy a modern cheater quilt to start with!
I love the idea of cheater quilts, they are fast and fun! Sadly, though, most cheater quilts are very ugly and outdated. In fact, I haven’t really seen a good cheater quilt until Spoonflower hosted a contest last year on them. It got me thinking about it. I wanted to incorporate some of the tried and true quilt blocks from the past and yet I wanted a modern airy feel to the cheater quilt. I chose a squash blossom pattern, enlarged it on a grid big enough for one yard of fabric, used half square triangles to construct the pattern and quilting lines. The panel is available in two color ways of cheerful, calm solids.
My Peachy version contains a few shades of grey, pale peachy pink, and a light smoky blue on navajo white. This design is great for a modern baby quilt, but also finds it’s home amongst cozy couches, and master bedrooms. You can make a large quilt out of several yards/panels. I included a border on two sides to help you implement this concept.
I hope you catch the cheater quilt bug…. You can buy it in my Spoonflower shop and whip it up in an afternoon….
Here’s a shot of the Teal Colorway panel. I’ll be sewing it up soon. It has dark and light teal, mustard, and navajo white.
by Andrea | Jan 29, 2017 | DIY, handmade
Maker’s Cottage is not a new idea for me but it is a major exciting one! I’d love to have new and future Lynchburg friends join me for an evening of creating once a month. If you really like DIY projects but your afraid to tackle one on your own or you don’t know where to start….or maybe you don’t know what you need…..You can now just enjoy the creative process, make friends, have fun and take home a really great on trend DIY project to use or give. Maker’s Cottage is also available in party form if you’d like to have a party tailored just for you in your home for birthdays and girls nights.
Here are the details:
Modern Makers Night!
Make It, Take It, and leave the planning, prepping, and mess to me!
Each Makers night I’ll prepare a short and easy on trend project suitable for keeping or gift giving. Learn new skills, have fun with your friends, make really cool stuff!
-all projects are low cost, pre pay, on trend, and EASY
-for ladies 18 and up!
-childcare available for a small fee
——February 9, 2017 7-9:30 pm ——————-
Boho Fringe Wall Hangings
8 Spots Available
Make Up to 3!
Andrea Loy’s Home
Braxton Park Townhomes
134 Mallard Lane
Lynchburg, VA 24502
by Andrea | Oct 31, 2016 | DIY, handmade, Sewing, tutorials, Uncategorized
Welp, I have fallen onto the bandwagon of trendiness this fall. I really hated ponchos back in the 90’s but I like the new blanket style ones that are on the very front display at Target this year taunting me with their plaids and tribally goodness like sea sirens to a sailor. I was at Joanne’s this week a couple times for ONE THING. I kept walking past this woven tribal fabric and I couldn’t stand it. I brought it home and promptly turned it into a blanket poncho. Even my 12 year old likes it. That’s saying something. It was my reward for finishing the fancy fox quilt for my daughter that took like 1200 hours.
If you’d like to join in on the poncho trend, I’ve made up a quick and easy poncho tutorial for you to follow. It takes 1 yard of fabric and about 20 minutes tops!
Did I to mention it’s CHEAPER?! You could make 3-4 of these for the price of a Target or Gap one right now! Can we say CHRISTMAS GIFTS?!!! If you purchase 1 yard of 60″ wide woven fabric for 12.99 and they have most of it 40% off right now, then you use your 20% off total purchase coupon….. well, you have yourself an amazing poncho for only $6.30! So hurry and get started! Here is the nitty and the gritty in an easy to follow downloadable image! I’d love to see your ponchos! Tag em #aldeasyponcho
EASY BLANKET PONCHO TUTORIAL DOWNLOAD
Here are some pictures of me and my 12 year old daughter trying it on….so it’s pretty versatile size wise but I have included instructions for a custom fit do you can make for ANY SIZE!!!! Happy Poncho-ing. Make all the ponchos!!!
-Andrea
Grace was my photographer and her Miranda impressions made it impossible for me to do anything but cheesy laughing faces. She’s pretty cute.
