Quilts Quilts Quilts!

Amid all this wedding planning (any Asian American brides feel free to contact me so we can vent together how difficult it is to plan an American wedding with parents of traditional Chinese values :( ) I have once again picked up an obscession with quilts. Tara from radandhappy is my biggest inspiration!! I love love everything that she does.. and is 100% inspired by her cozy triangle blanket which I tried but still can't get those points straight :/

Also I came across the April Rhodes Arizona fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics and just had to make a quick lap quilt with two of the prints from the collection.

And finaaaallly.. nearly a decade later I finally made a Harry Potter quilt! All of those who grew up reading Harry Potter understand how deeply rooted the book series is to my heart. Now I can re-read it while cuddling under a great quilt! Pattern purchased here.

My Favorites! Ice Cream and Tea

I realized I missed National Ice Cream Day!! Any excuse to eat ice cream right? I quickly whipped up a cute amigurumi cone in my favorite flavor.. mint chocolate chip!

Also.. I came across this pattern for a mug bag.. which in my opinion is so awesome. Its a portable bag to carry around your favorite cup of tea and tea bags/sugar. I spent an afternoon sewing the bag for a coworker--combining his favorite things.. tea and Star Wars! I had this great extra fabric from JoAnn's that I bought and voila! I switched out the button for velcro instead.. I think it there would be less chance of it breaking open during transport? Anyway I think it came out pretty amazing and want to make one for myself.. with Doctor Who fabric instead of course :)

DIY Tulle Skirt

Tulle skirts are in and I decided that for engagement photo session my second outfit change was going to be exactly that. So once again I went to Pinterest and found a super easy tutorial for a circle tulle skirt.. which in my opinion works best because theres no joining seam and you can make it as full as you want! You can find the tutorial here.. I used four layers of tulle because the blush was so light you couldn't really see it. I was lucky, I happened to go to Jo-Ann's when the tulle fabric was 40% off so it was <$2/yard! Score. The hemming is a bit off but you can't exactly tell from the photos. 

I had asked my photographer if it was too much Carrie Bradshaw and her reply was golden. "It's just enough Carrie Bradshaw" She's the best! You can follow her blog here :)

Stamps!

New crafting projects are always so exciting!!!! So I've been playing around with the idea of making my own stamps.. I have purchased a couple from etsy and have seen some tutorials here and there and finally went to my local art store and got started!

I bought this tool at Blick's Art Supplies and a piece of lino.. just pencil drew an image on a piece of paper and imprinted it and carved away. Of course it's harder to get the fine details but I think if I keep practicing I can get better :)

This stamp I'm hoping to use for my wedding invites :)

I made this for a friend who loves cats. It actually came out pretty cute if you ignore the disconnected whiskers (because I forgot to draw them in initially before I started cutting :/) and the crooked name haha

Olaf & Popcorn

So I've been sick for the past couple of days and what better way to pass the time while marathoning on Netflix from the couch. I finally finally finished a request for Olaf that was a year overdue (sorry Kevin!) It took a long time mostly because I was discouraged. I couldn't figure out how to crochet his head shape. I had redone it once, and by the time I got around to starting it up again there were a couple of patterns (here and here) floating around that I had tried but it came out weird and didn't match the body! They say third time's a charm so I better take my notes now before I forget how I made him haha. 

Since I made Olaf.. this makes me Elsa! Right...? Right?

Also I found some super cute popcorn stitch knit toddler sweaters that I am so so in love with and really want to figure out how to make. Since I don't have any children (yet!) I decided to test the waters a bit with my fur baby!! Heehee. Once I figured out how it worked, it's actually pretty simple and not even too time consuming. I feel that switching stripes and cables take way longer. I got Charlie's dog sweater pattern here.. but I overestimated how wide he was and totally made the sweater too big. He's also not too happy about wearing it either haha but it does look oh so cute on him :)

This is his 'I'm scared please take it off' face. Shelter dogs are really something else haha. 

Baby Fever & Baby Quilt #4

When your bff is having a baby... you can't help but go a little overboard. And then.. when your bff is having a GIRL.. well you might as well throw the life vest and life boat over too! My bff Linda is due  March 6 and her baby shower was today! I just had to make her all the super cute stuff that Kris has introduced me to the past year haha.

Of course a newborn set with too-cute-for-words florally rose garden knit print with headband and matching leggings and knotted beanie (not pictured) And some white moccasins :)

A newborn knit swaddle blanket and matching headband

I love love love this patten from milliemakes on ravelry and was planning to make myself a couch throw for my sofa (doesn't it look cute there?) Anyhow I crocheted to a baby blanket size measuring about 35"x 40" I am totally in love with everything about this. From the colors to the texture.. but granny squares and I have a love-hate relationship. This blanket took about a week and a half to crochet. 

A close up because I really do love this that much.. haha. 

Annnnd finally of course the infamous baby name quilt. I went with coral colors mostly because that was the baby shower theme and I currently am having a love affair with that color. Sometimes I pick the color scheme based on what backing fabric I want to use and other times I pick the colors ahead of time and fortunately find a patterned fabric that I like. This time it was the latter. Also thanks, Linda, for the eight letter baby name. I wish I could say it made quilting the letters easier blehh. 

Ah! In case you haven't seen the flowers everywhere.. I figured it was fitting since Linda is a florist <3

Auuuugh so excited. Congrats again to Linda & Bock. Can't wait to meet McKenzie ;)

Charlie!

You guys following @charliethedogemoji yet?! Hahaha honestly I'm just doing it to get free chew toys.. which I think only works if you have like more than 10k followers. You know uggs, rainbows and dog chew toys are expensive. When I first brought him home in September.. I also bought a crate since he spent half of his life in one at the shelter (poor thing) and figured he'd be comfortable. I wanted to make a cute cover for the crate and for the past five months it's just been a leftover scrap piece of fabric. Not anymore!!

Before... 

After! 

It's really easy.  Measure the kennel.. and cut and sew six rectangles. The back, top, two sides, and then the last three rectangles for the front. I lined the inside with some navy herringbone fabric (cuz I'm in love with herringbone right now :))

His tongue is out cuz I'm creeping in his kennel and he thinks he's in trouble. 

 I figured Charlie didn't care if I ironed it.. hahaha

 And his name was done with the classic freezer paper and Silhouette combo like so. 

Annnnd voila! 

Yay Charlie! Happy dance time!