Friday, June 28, 2013

"Swoon"-ing Over Kate Spain

So, today's the last day of the Kate Spain Blog Hop hosted by Blossom Heart Quilts.  As I mentioned yesterday, I basically "lurked" my way through the blog hop - following along, but never making it known.  But, I promise, I have a good reason for my "lurking" tendencies - I was working on my entry for the "finished project" challenge...and boy did it take me the entire month!

Kate Spain blog hop

When I read about the challenge Alyce put forward about completing a project (any type of project) using Kate Spain fabric, I took it as a sign to finally work on the project I've been dreaming of completing!

I've always been a huge fan of Kate Spain's designs.  My husband knows whenever there are Kate Spain items at Michael's - he can't go wrong bringing some notepads or those cute little clothespins.  I love all of her designs and wish it was a reality to buy fabric from each and every one of her lines! Anyways, a couple of years ago, when Kate Spain's Terrain fabric line came out, the Fat Quarter Shop offered a Designer's Bundle of about 12 fat quarters of Terrain and three matching solids.  Thanks to some very kind birthday presents from family, I was able to supplement it with four more prints, some solid white and some matching binding fabric.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it...make the ever popular "Swoon" by Camille Roskelley.

Fast forward however long it's been.  Recently I've been commenting that I've misplaced my "quilting mojo."  Anyone who reads this blog knows my finishes are spotty at best, but it was even harder to get myself into my craft room, and I'm not quite sure why - but that's a conversation for another day.  So, when I read about the Kate Spain blog hop and the challenge to post something you made in June out of her fabrics, it gave me the motivation I so deparately needed.

So, I give you my entry for the blog hop.  My Terrain "Swoon." 

Swoon
ETA: Just realized this photo is from the side!

Here's one from the direction I'll probably use when on our bed...
 
Swoon
I really did get this done in a month.  How?  I'm not really sure...I don't think I'd believe it myself if I didn't know it was true.  But I pulled down the fabrics out of their hoarding, errr hiding, spot in early June, got to cutting and put the last finishing stitches in this past Wednesday night.  Mr. Gnomemade helped me with photos this morning in the rush to get to work, so they're not ideal, but they work!

Here are some more shots!

Swoon
 
And some individual blocks!

Swoon Block

Swoon Block

Swoon Center Block

Swoon Block


Swoon Block

So thanks to Alyce for the blog hop - I got my quilting groove back!  And I got my Swoon done!  (Well at least the top of it!)  It was an effort - but in the end, I'm super proud of it! 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Kate Spain Blog Hop

Between work and home life, my blog gets sorely neglected.  Even finding time to read some of my favorite blogs can be challenging - and don't even get me started on commenting!  So, essentially, it means that I'm a blog lurker.  Yup - I'm that person who reads blogs, but essentially leaves no footprint behind.  I always have the best of intentions to comment or to link to blogs or in the most recent case make myself known that I'm participating in a blog hop.

But, alas, June has come and gone and I'm only now commenting on the fact that I'm loving the "Kate Spain Blog Hop" hosted by Blossom Heart Quilts.

Kate Spain blog hop

I adore Kate Spain's fabric and I think I may make it a bit too well known in our household, because she's one of like two designers that my husband can identify!  So, when I came across that there was a blog hop, I followed along.  And when I realized that there was a call for us to work on a Kate Spain related project during the month of June - I knew I wanted to participate.

However, that brought me right back to my "lurking" tendencies.  I had a Kate Spain project that's been sitting on the shelf for longer than I'd like to admit.  I really wanted to do it, but could I get it done in a month?  And if so, could I also blog about it?  The answers to those questions were yes and no.  I started the project at the beginning of June and completed it last night.  Mr. Gnomemade took a photo of it this morning, and I'll have it posted tomorrow for the June 28th deadline!  [Insert sigh of relief here.] But, it was more time consuming than I ever imagined (in fact, I can barely believe I finished it in a month - and if what I post on my blog is any indication, I really don't work that fast in general).  So, it meant that I never even posted any progress shots of it!  But, thanks to the Blog Hop it gave me that incentive that I really needed!

So, thank you Blossom Heart Quilts for the motivation and incentive!