it’s sew kiki – Sew Bittersweet Designs

Happy New Year

6 Comments / EQ7, free motion quilting, it's sew kiki, quilt along, Quilt Patterns, SewHappyGeek / By Melissa Dunworth

I haven’t been around much lately – I’m sorry. My hubby has been on leave from the Army the past two weeks and when he is home I liked to stay as plugged into my family as possible. In fact, he doesn’t actually go back to work until tomorrow. Would you believe that this means I haven’t so much as touched my sewing machine in 17 whole days!!! Also, we have been traveling – we went to the San Francisco Bay Area for Christmas and spent a few days in Lake Tahoe too.

I posted on Friday the projects that I finished in 2011 and I posted some goals. This week I am getting right to work.

Here are a few of the things I will be working on in the coming months from across the blogosphere:

Starting today – It’s Sew Kiki’s About Town Bag

Starting this week – SewHappyGeek’s Sew. Happy. Quilt QAL

I am especially excited about this one for 2 reasons: 1 – all kinds of new skills, I mean a Dresden Plate block?!? I have been dieing to learn how to make one and Jenna is going to teach me how! 2 – I am doing one of the tutorials – Block 6 – look for it on January 24th over on SewHappyGeek. I can’t tell you how tickled I was when Jenna asked me!

Also starting this week, yesterday actually – SewCalGal’s Free Motion Quilt Challenge

There are so many great projects going on around the quilting blogosphere this year that I couldn’t help but jump on the band wagon for a few, but I don’t want you to think that I am not working on anything of my own…because I have been very busy playing with EQ7 while on vacation!

I have two different patterns in the works right now, both of which I am hoping to sell, but I will be needing a couple of pattern testers – so if you are at all interested – please please please let me know! I am also working on a baby quilt for my sister-in-law (she doesn’t read this blog so I can actually post about it when I get closer to done!), a quilt for my niece and a few other projects! Get ready for it people 2012 has STARTED!

NOTE: Don’t forget, I am one of the bloggers who is going to lose Google Friend Connect in March 2012, please take a moment and follow me via Bloglovin’, Facebook, RSS or networked blogs. You are important to me and I want to be able to stay in contact with you! Check my side bar for all the best ways to stay in touch after GFC goes bye bye!

Happy Boxing Day!

2 Comments / it's sew kiki, SewHappyGeek / By Melissa Dunworth

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by loved ones and friends. My family had a very blessed Christmas – it is the first time my entire family has gotten together all in one room since my wedding four years ago. It was a very special day.

Anne got exactly what she asked Santa for, a bike and a helmet.

It will be awhile before she fits it properly, but in the meantime she can learn at our weekly trips to Kinder Gym. She also got Lego Duplos. Usually the hubby and I try to do more educational gifts, but we decided that we give her educational things all year round and this Christmas we would do things a little different.

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas (today) and is celebrated throughout the United Kingdom and parts of Canada. In the British Military it is when officers and enlisted change positions for the day – it helps to boost morale. Some fun boxing day suggestions – trade places with your kids for the day – safe activities only (you use the stove and of course do all the driving), but let them see what it is like to be a parent and make the decisions. I imagine it would be a great lesson and it is something we will definitely try when Anne is older – probably teenage years.

I will be taking the rest of the week off and I will be back on January 2nd. I am participating in the It’s Sew Kiki About Town Bee.

And I will also be participating in the SewHappyGeek QAL

Tomorrow I am meeting my blogging friend Dawn_in_CA. I am so excited to meet her in person. We are going to go to a few local quilt shops and have lunch, my mom and Anne will be joining us. Wednesday will be a day of packing and Thursday will be our travel day.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year celebration and I will see you all next year!

It’s Sew Kiki Blog Swap

4 Comments / free motion quilting, halloween, holiday, it's sew kiki, table runner / By Melissa Dunworth

Today I have a little treat for our Brother Lovers – a blog swap with Kiera from It's Sew Kiki! I have been following Kiera's blog for months and we recently became friends when I asked her for some help on a project. We thought it would be a lot of fun to swap our blogs for the day. She is sharing an adorable Halloween project – which is perfect because you will have plenty of time to get your holiday sewing in BEFOREHAND! Take it away Kiera!

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Good Morning!

Thank you so much to Melissa and Sunni for so generously letting me guest post! Don't you just love their blog? These ladies rock!

My name is Kiera and my blog is It's Sew Kiki It's my little part of the Internet where I focus on sewing and quilting. I've got some great tutorials and free patterns. Please come and visit!

Today I'm going to share how to make this cute little Halloween Table Runner

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Of course you can make this with any fabric. It would be a great scrap project. Get the know how after the jump!
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