the cozy apartment

moody w.i.p.

no, not me for once!  This Spring!  It's like this every year and every year I'm impressed by the abrupt changes in the weather!  Hail, rain, sun, rain, sun, hail, mix well, repeat for 2-3 months.  The colors are dramatic, too; bright yellow sun, dark grey storm clouds, light pink blooms.  I've had these fabrics for a while, waiting for the right project!  So this year they turn into a Moody Spring quilt! 

 

This quilt is based on the Easy Lap Quilt in Bend the Rules Sewing.  The patterns in the fabrics are large, so I wanted a pattern that would allow large ribbons of pattern to stand out.  It took me a while to get the pieces just where they worked best.  It's a challenge to balance out color and scale in a busy quilt like this! 

Next comes ironing, more sewing, then the quilting.  Nothing fancy with the quilting, just straight lines through the rows, like this.  And this one is allll for me!  Well.......for me and another grey storm cloud in this house:

A room of her own

It's coming along, slowly!  This is the one corner that's completed (for now, till I change my mind and re-do the whole thing).  The daybed is from Pottery Barn, so is the cubby above the desk.  It's PERFECT for all the little doo dads I've acquired over the years.  The desk is a find from an antique store in town and I LOVE it!  It's the perfect size to prevent piles of papers,etc. 

Unabashedly feminine, this room!  Walking in here is like how Mary in A Secret Garden must have felt when she would shut the door behind her and be in her own world.  Above the bed I think I'm going to hang a large canvas covered with some rare Amy Butler fabric from her Forest line by Kokka. 

 

I've been hording those fabrics for ages, finally I can unleash them on our house!  Muhahaha!  (image from Amy Butler's site, 2006-ish) Generally, I do love AB's fabrics.  However, she really hasn't hit a home run for me since this line.  Belle and Nigella were nice, hated Daisy Chain, August Fields wasn't anything to write home about, either.  Mid Mod 1 and 2 were very pretty and the fabric was VERY soft and good for apparel.  Some of the Love fabrics are really pretty and remind me of Forest, in a way.  Let's be honest, though, I own some of each line (other than Daisy Chain.  eh.)! 

The botanical imagery always gets me.  She does such a great job with that.  If I could be surrounded by gardens, I would!  Waaait a minute, I  AM!  Yesterday I was explaining to Mr. Cozy Apartment that we really have 5 gardens that I'm tending to.  The front porch (all sun, all the time), the window box outside the dining room (evening sun), the back deck (part full sun, part full shade), the back yard (eh, you name it, it's got it!) and all of my our interior plants.  Went out to Joy Creek Nursery today and came home with several beauties!  EEE!  I LOVE plants!  I love this house.  A place to sew, a place to plant and a place to day dream!

Back in the saddle again....

Sing it with me, people!  Back where a friend is a friend....what the heck does that mean? 

In any case, I'm back!  I've missed blogging and am just getting my sh*t together enough to re-engage!  Woo hoo, it's been a LONG dry spell in these here parts!  Hm...seem to have a Western theme today.  I HAVE been doing crafty things, mostly sewing and decorating the new place! 

Made a little quilty something for a soon-to-be-new-arrival with some Moda Wonderland fabric from The Stash.  The front is a basic patchwork and the back has a slightly modern feel with lots of white space.  Woah.  Where did THAT description come from?!  Yes, folks, I've actually been READING my quilting books instead of gazing at them lovingly on the shelf! 

Front:

Back:

I just LOVE that tree!  This fabric has so many fun things going on with little hidden animals all over and the random sewing reference with irons, scissors, etc.  I've had the fabric for AGES and I'm glad to finally get to use it!  Now that I have a dedicated sewing/creating space, it's much easier for me to get to projects I've been wanting to complete...ok, well, start. 

One of those projects has been an upcoming blog change.  In the next few weeks, I'll be working on an off shoot of this blog.  The Cozy Apartment was such a fun spot, but things have changed over here and the off shoot will reflect that change.  This house is so wonderful, it's really changed my point of view.  Having The Cozy Apartment really helped me cope with apartment living, everything well thought out for tiny spaces, etc.  This house seems HUGE in comparison!  Well, it is huge, it more than doubled our living space!  It will be fun to share that space and those projects with you, but seems unfair to The Cozy Apartment to go over them here!  So, the 'new' blog will be Cozy Notions and will have it's debut soon.  Till then I'll keep up with this space and won't let another month go by without a post!

Oh bloggy goodness, I've missed you!

Ikea Love....& big news!

First of all, the Big News, which I'm sure you suspected, we closed on the house today!!!  We're homeowners!  It is SO WEIRD, I feel like I'm actually an adult now, though I've been driving and drinking for years (though, um, not at the same time, of course).  It was a completely surreal experience, I kept looking around the room thinking, "This is what I'll remember when I look back at today...weird, the escrow agent has an ape on her travel mug".  We get the keys on Tuesday (ak, Monday is a holiday!  I need to start working at a bank) but I won't be able to go to the house until a week from today b/c of a business trip!  GAHHHHH!  Ok, Jess, pull it together.

In other news, Ikea has a new slew of fun stuff up for grabs!  Woo hoo!  The thing that caught my eye though was this fabric.  I HAVE to have it.  The little fox?  What?!  HOW CUTE!!! And the bird fabric?!  This line of fabric is SO much better than what they've offered in the recent past.

 

Also love the Alpine pattern and the crab is definitely going in my bathroom (ak!  My bathroom.  I don't have to share anymore!!!)!

 

(all images courtesy of Ikea)

As you can imagine, I have TONS to do to get ready for the move (on the 19th!), so I probably won't have a chance to blog for the next week or so.  I'll be back soon, though, with lots to show and tell! 

holy cow, I actually made something!

A quilt, nonetheless!  Being my first quilt, it's full of beginner's mistakes (um, thread tension, anyone?)

but I don't think she minds...

A little travel quilt for her trip back to Texas with mom and dad.  The Cozy Apartment seems a little bit empty, we'll miss them all dearly. 

Sew, Mama, Sew! Sewing Machine Review

What's that you say?  A post without a cat photo?  Oh, yes, folks.  I can talk about things other than pets.  You know, like sewing.  And coffee. 

Sew, Mama, Sew! is an awesome fabric site with an equally awesome blog.  I learn so much about sewing over there, it's impressive.  More than many books have taught me!  This month is Sewing Machine month over there and I thought I'd jump in and give a review of my sewing machine via their meme: 

What brand and model do you have?  A Husqvarna Huskystar C20.  I bought this one despite the fact that the use of a 'q' not followed by a 'u' makes me twitch and that 'huskystar' sounds like a line of boy's plus size clothing. 

How long have you had it?  Since January of 2006. 

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? ~ $350-$400. 

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
I sew handbags, home dec projects, clothing, you name it.  I've sewn decorative stitches on birthday cards, done a bunch of little alterations and several clothing repairs.  Haven't quilted yet, but I have enough fabric to make quilts for a small village.  The day will come! 

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I sew probably once a week.  I'd like to sew more often, but that darn job keeps getting in the way!  When I do sew, I try to be nice to the machine and not swear at it too much.  It does a great job, goes through layers of heavy fabric pretty well and only gets mad when I forget to put the presser foot down before I start sewing. 

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I love my little machine.  We're buddies.  There's definately affection there, but she doesn't have a name. 

What features does your machine have that work well for you?  It's wonderful to have the option of adjusting my sewing speed (not all machines have that!) and I LOVE that the needle can be set to stop in the up or down position.  It's come in SO handy!  It's not something I thought about when I bought the machine, but I'm glad I have it!  Also, I love auto-lock button that makes locking stitches at the beginning or end of a seam.  It looks much cleaner on the finished project than back-tacking.  I ADORE the cute embroidery stitches!  I paid a little more for this model to have them and I'm glad I did!  It has a BUNNY stitch!  No kidding. 

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?  Yes.  I wish it came with a Walking Foot.  According to the ladies at a certain nameless nationwide store, they don't make one for this model.  I think that might be an attempt to get me to buy a new machine.  However, I haven't done enough research to see if another brand might work.  I'll get back to you on it. 

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!  Well, I have a story, but it ain't pretty and I don't want to discourage anyone from buying a machine.  My advice would be to get your machine from a small dealer (ie- a vac n' sew shop/mom n' pop dealer), NOT from a nationwide nameless store.  You may spend a smidge more, but it will be worth it for good customer service!!!  Hindsight = 20/20.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?  YES!  I love my machine.  It does really well for a broad range of sewing.  That alone has made me more adventerous in my sewing exploits!  I've even begun sewing with knits, which always intimidated me!  I now look at cute stuff in stores and think, "Ha!  I could make that!". 

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
I think it's important not to become overwhelmed.  There are a lot of options out there and many 'rules' about what to look for (ie- "You have to have a {insert brand name here}! They're the only good brand!).  Ignore them and go with what you feel.  Additionally, buy a machine that's a little bit out of your sewing comfort zone.  Originally, I was going to go with the $99 model, but then I looked at all of the different things this machine could do that that one couldn't and sold myself on this one.  I wanted to have a machine I could grow into, not out of. 

Do you have a dream machine?  I've got it!  I love my little machine!

yay, spring!

Phew!  I was worried it was never going to get here.  Now I feel like stretching up to the sun, just to soak it all in!  It was lovely here for a few days, in the 70's (and sometimes 80's!) and so very sunny!  My plants are thrilled. 

While the plants do their thing out there, I'm pondering a quilt in here.  People like to joke that I never make anything, just keep buying fabric.  Um....that's partially true.  I do keep buying fabric, but I really do make things!!!  No, really!  In any case, I couldn't decide on which fabrics from the ridiculously yummy MoMo Wonderland line I wanted, so I bought a Charm Pack (brilliant marketing on Moda's part!  I hate cutting up fabric, they've done it for me!).  Now I'm trying to figure out what to do with it!  Bought some of the Snip Snip in Chai as a neutral (there are NO SOLIDS that match these colors!).  Here are my options:

1.

2.

3.

4. (stacked coins)

5.

6.

As you can see, I love me some repetitive line imagery.  There are so many choices, I'm having a tough time deciding.  #6 gives me the least amount of cutting, #1 was my original plan, but now I don't know, #2 is appealing, but how busy can a quilt be before making you insane?!  {side note:  I almost titled this post, 'MoMo Fabric, MoMo Problems'.  Yeah.  Really.} 

So, what's the consensus out there?  I know people actually read this blog (stunning!  thank you!!!), I see the numbers!  All you quilters out there, any tips?  Anyone?  help!........

of course, I did have some help with the fun part of arranging/rearranging:

Frustrated Fluffy:

It's exhausting being a cat, apparently.

refresh

My husband is watching a documentary about Castro in the other room.  I'm drinking Pepsi and trolling along the web.  All is calm, all is 57 degrees in the cozy apartment.  I love it cold, that way I can layer on the sweatpants and snuggle in to do some good crocheting.  Hell, if I'm feeling frisky, I'll even pull out the Slanket!  Today we've been married for 7 years and he still thinks I'm a hottie (even in the Slanket!)! 

Yeah, we're old beyond our years.  Today we're having a Hobby Day, spent in the computer/sewing/wait-what's-that-buring-smell-oh-are-you-soldering-something? room.  I actually COMPLETED a sewing project today!  No kidding!  I didn't take a 'before' picture, but my 9 yr old computer chair looked something like this.  Now it looks like this!:

It's SO much nicer to look in here and see that image instead of the nasty gray + cat hair look it had before!  I thought about just finding a new chair, but why?  This one is still good and comfy. 

This past week was one of the most relaxing I've had in years.  My BFF (well, hell, it sure seems like forever!  16 years!  More than 1/2 our lives!) came to visit from upstate NY and we did a whole lot of nothing.  It was fabulous.  We each took up a station on the couch and pretty much stayed there the whole week.  I feel SO much better.  It's good to be reminded of your roots and where you came from, even better to be reminded by such a sweet (and freaking hilarious!) friend. 

And so, before I head back to work tomorrow, I leave you with this, from the best episode yet:  :-)

brrr!

WOW, it is COLD here!  I love it.  Love it.  I can't WAIT for it to be cold, all year long!  Maybe it was those Upstate NY winters that influenced me.  Love wearing jeans and sweaters, gloves, boots... something about it.  The way the wind reddens everyone's cheeks and makes the landscape more dramatic with swaying trees and dunes of snow.  No snow here, of course, but very chilly!  Not like waiting for the school bus in 2 feet of snow and 10 degrees chilly, but chilly for Oregon!  This week is going to be the coldest week in the area in over 3 years!  Woo hoo!  And sunny, on top of it all!  Great weather to brighten up this apartment!  Yeah, it's gonna be 15 degrees tonight.  And I'm sleeping with the window open a crack and 3 kitties and a snuggly hubby to keep me warm!

Since making the decision to stay in this cozy spot for a few more years, I'm more interested in changing things up.  Lots of stuff around here that needs to GO.  And this time I'm not putting those excess clothes up on eBay.  Too much hassle.  Goodwill, here we come!  Our furniture is in the same spot that the movers plunked it down on over 2 years ago.  We've been hesitant to hang much up on the walls.  That all changes now!  And the first thing to change is the bedroom.  We have nothing on the walls, it's been stark white for 2 years.  I've been biding my time to find exactly what that room needs.  Even though it'll be 15 degrees tonight (oh, my poor plants!!!), it gets *very* toasty in the summer, so I wanted something with a cool feeling to it.  I finally found the right fabrics!  They were right under my nose, of course, and now I'm really inspired to get a move on!

Cool, refreshing greens and light blue.  Cozy grey, a bit of calm in the brightness.  Amy Butler comes through again!  And the fabric to the right is the Echino Scene fabric that I bought a year ago.  That fabric is going to be applied to stretcher bars and hung behind the bed (no sun hits that spot, so it won't fade).  The other fabrics are going to be attached to 12 by 12 canvases and hung in rows on the wall.  And bits scattered around the room in pillows and a short curtain.  Who knows what else I might come up with?  The best part is that the blue and tan (in the fabric all the way to the left) go with the bedding we already have! 

Oh, and of course I picked these fabrics to go with my cat.  ;-)  Fluffy approves. 

the stockings weren't hung, but nobody cared!

Ah, the Ghost of Christmas (crafting) Past... 

Well, blogland is pretty saturated with Christmas stuff we all didn't have time to post last month!  Here's my contribution!  These are the stockings I made for DH, the kitties and myself.  They're flannel, from Old Navy pajama pants.  Where do they find their flannel prints?  Seriously, no store around here has flannel this cute!  They went on sale and I snatched up 3 of the largest pairs available.  Just sort of cut these free hand (obviously).  They're lined with white and cream flannel as I was going to do a cuff on the top, but decided against it.  I like these plain and unfussy.  They don't even have anything to hang from because, let's face it, good stockings get too heavy to hang!  We just set them in front of the fireplace this year.  They looked really cute filled with goodies!  (check out the little dude my husband Santa put in my stocking!)

(hahahahaaaaa, that cracked me up.  Seriously, waking up Christmas morning and seeing this little face poking up from my stocking was one of the best Christmas moments I've ever had!)

Anyway, the reason I picked flannel pants to work with was b/c I like the washed, lived in feel.  Also because I could NOT pass up this print for the kitties' stocking!  I mean, really.  Little birdies with scarves?  What kind of kitty slave owner would I be to ignore that one?  Now I have all of this extra flannel left over...I'm tempted to make a quilt out of it.  Yeah, just toss that one up on the list of 1,000 projects I'd like to do!  Ha! 

(don't try too hard to focus on this! dark, dank Portland winter makes it impossible to take close ups!)