Chocolate Boobie Truffles

After making pumpkin spice cake ball truffles in the shape of boobies, I wanted to try chocolate too. I blogged about my chocolate cake ball making process here.  Instead of rolling perfect balls, I flatted the bottoms a touch and made them more dome like. 

After dipping them in milk chocolate candy coating and cooling, I heated dark chocolate candy coating and used my a decorator bag.  Before cutting a small hole and decorating, I allowed the chocolate to cool a bit so it wasn't too runny. I squeezed out a bit of chocolate in a circle shape. The contrast between the two chocolates wasn't as much as I hoped. If I made these again, I would probably add a bunch of white chocolate to the milk chocolate to lighten it. I had purchased daisy shaped candy sprinkles and used the pink ones as nipple decorations. I think making my own sprinkles out of fondant would be better as well. I could do more with colors and shapes. 

Passing on Some Hope

Through my Modern Quilt Guild, we are contributing log cabin blocks to be made into "Mother's Hope" quilts for mothers experiencing post partum depression.  It is part of a day program for mothers to attend along with their babies. I made up three blocks. It was fun to look through my stash and choose fabric for this project.

I heard about another quilt project.  Pink and white Antique Tile blocks are being collected to be made into quilts for women diagnosed with Breast Cancer. These quilts will be staying local and donated to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. 

Quilted Crossbody Purse

This project started out with some wonky pink and brown stripes, but then I decided to go with a more plain outside and did dark brown with just a few slice and insert strips on the front.  I added batting and sewed wavy pink lines for quilting.  I like the slice and insert for adding interest.  The pink ribbon fabric, symbolic for breast cancer, has interrupted these nice long pink lines, but they still carry on.


Each front and back ended up 9" wide by 10.5" long.


I added an inside zipper which was new to me.  This tutorial by U-Handbag explained things easily.  My measurements ended up a bit different.  I used a 7.5" zipper, but ended up cutting it so that the  zipper opening was 4".  My pocket was 6" wide by 5" tall.  I used craft interfacing which made it quite stiff, but it seems fine.

Lining front and back

Adding the other side of the pocket was easy too.  The process seems a bit like magic and it really works.  With my wonky stripes, I made an inside pocket and added darts.

The front and back are sewn together with a 1/4" seam allowance and the gusset is 1".

Purse inside

This whole project used fabrics from my stash, though I was running low on dark brown.  I needed to piece the 3.5" x 53" strap and used methods from joining a binding at an angle to make it long enough.  In addition to the brown, I used another 3.5" strip of the lining fabric, sewed them together on one long edge, then ironed and folded each unfinished edge into the center and joined them together ending with about a 1.5" strap.  I decided to add thin batting to the strap and cut that at 1.5" wide.  I just tucked the batting into one of the folded sides.  To add stability, I made a series of wavy lines on the strap.

Target Crossbody

My inspiration for this sized crossbody purse was a bag I was already using from Target.  I liked the one strap attaching at the front and back and the size was just about right, but I wanted it a touch bigger.



My purse is a bit bigger and I like the look.  I use a wristlet because I tend to switch bags for what I'm doing that day.  If I'm traveling light, I go for my crossbody purse.  It even has room for a small camera.

More Heart Pillows

More heart pillows are ready for delivery!  I enjoyed doing wonky stripes and then using the leftovers for piecing.  The pieced hearts look like crazy quilting.

Heart Pillow Instructions

Heart pillows are just right to tuck under the arm after breast surgery or node surgery.  They can also be helpful for sleeping or in the car to soften the seat belt.  This instructions are intended to help others sew pillows for donation.

Fabrics:  I like to use a cotton on one side and a microfiber on the other. Cotton could be used on both.  Flannel or fleece cold be used too. Washable fabrics are best.  Pre-wash all fabrics. Fabric scraps lend themselves to this project.  A crazy quilt design could be done or just strips of fabric to make up the heart shape.

Also needed:

Heart pattern

Sewing machine

Coordinating thread

Pins

Hand sewing needle

Iron

Poly-Fil


Heart Pillow Instructions:
1. Cut out 2 hearts with pattern placed on fold.  One is for the front and one is for the back.  If piecing either heart, sew pieces together with a 1/4" seam allowance to make up a heart shape.
2.  With right sides together, pin front to back.

3.  Sew front to back with a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a small 2.5" opening on a straighter area of the heart.  (See images)  Beginning at opening, sew around.  Take corners slowly and make turns with needle in.  Finish at the opening and leave 2.5" open for stuffing.
4.  Clip all curves and inner corner at top of heart.

5.  Turn right sides out, carefully opening all seams

6.  Press 

7.  Fill pillow with Poly-Fil, put stuffing towards curved heart edges to fill out heart, fill center, then finally the lower tip.

8.  Pin and close opening by hand with a small blind stitch.

Heart Pillows for breast surgery patients

When reading the newsletter for my local breast cancer coalition, I saw they are in need of pillows to give away. These little pillows are great post surgery. They can be tucked under the arm to protect the breast or armpit after surgery. They can also be used to soften a seatbelt strap in the car.

I was given a small square shaped pillow after I had surgery and it was great. A heart shape was suggested for me to make and it is much cuter and I could see it hanging out on a bed or couch after it was used post surgery. 

If any locals could use a quick sewing project, I am happy to share the pattern!

I put together six pillows this morning, though I did run out of poly-fil before the sixth.  Quilting scraps worked great and gave some pillows personality.  I used microfiber for the backs. 

Stuffed Heart Pillows

Heart Pillow before stuffing

A Blip on the Radar

Finished Quilt

Since being diagnosed with breast cancer almost six years ago, I had not yet had a friend diagnosed until now.  She's a newer friend and we didn't know each other when I went through treatment.  Finding out her diagnosis along with her certainly brought back many memories.  The decision making, the waiting, and how cancer related appointments and recoveries seem to gobble up more and more of your schedule.

A quilt started to take form in my mind.  I wanted to have some pink ribbon fabric symbolizing the pieces of the breast cancer journey.  As the ideas were coming to me, I thought of how cancer is almost always on our radar.  Usually it's just a blip, maybe a friend, a family member or a friend of a friend.  When someone is diagnosed, the blips come more regularly.  There are many appointments, decisions to be made, more appointments, and recovery.  Eventually, hopefully, it all becomes a distant memory and the blips are spaced out further and further apart.  Perhaps a blip might be your own cancerversary or something in the news, or someone's new diagnosis.

First layout

My first lay out of this idea didn't come out as I expected.  After looking at many quilt ideas, I decided I just needed to add more fabrics to the mix.  Fortunately I had some coordinating colors on hand.  Using a disappearing nine square design sounded like a good idea.  The squares I had cut were 6.5".  I added six more printed fabrics and decided to try to make all my "nine square blocks" fairly random with the exception of the top and sides.  I used pink on the sides of every block and green on the top and bottom.  This would give the whole quilt a bit of pattern mixed in with the more random large and small squares.

I've done quilts with the disappearing nine square pattern before, but never tried a more random pattern.  Once I had about a third of the blocks done, I figured out that I needed to start planning the future blocks in order to keep the randomness going. 

Disappearing Nine Square

Nine Square

A nine square block turns into four new blocks.  Alternating the colors for the middle square and outside four squares creates new patterns and randomness.

Pieced Back of Quilt

For the back, I had already purchased the striped fabric that seemed to match the pink, green, and brown so well. Because of the pattern I chose to do with the alternating pinks and greens on my quilt front, I had extra Disappearing Nine Square blocks with the pink rectangles on "top."  I decided to use these along with extra pink and green for a pieced back.  Because I wasn't able to work on it all in one day, I had time to consider other options.  I thought a heart block would be neat to include.  I had never made one before.  I found a nice tutorial from Tallgrass Prairie Studio for a heart block.  Had I worked on the back all at once, I might have chosen a new color for the heart, such as pink.  But then I wouldn't have made a heart block at all.  Another consideration which occurred to me later was to have the blocks and pink and green sections a bit away from the outside edges.  Had I forgotten this step, I would have cut some of it off after quilting it.

Close Up

Free motion squiggles are still one of my favorite quilting designs to make and goes fairly quickly.  I used more of the striped fabric for the binding and had just enough fabric left.

Wonky Pink Ribbon Quilt

The blocks for this quilt I made about six months ago.  Some time afterwards I added the white sashing and borders. A month or so ago I bought material for the backing and bamboo and organic cotton batting. But it wasn't until this weekend that I could put it all together.

The quilt was measuring about 48" and the back would need to be pieced. I decided to add a long strip to each side to make up the 48" plus extra for quilting. It went together quicker than I anticipated. The sandwiching went well too. I placed the top, batting, and backing all together on the floor and pinned the layers together.

I wasn't sure how I wanted to quilt it. I could follow the lines, make geometric designs or just do free motion quilting all over. I hadn't yet attempted to do free motion quilting on an entire quilt this size. It seemed to be going well and it was nice to be able to squiggle from one block to the next.

Close up of FMQ and backing shown on lower left corner

My sewing machine did have some issues. I kept breaking needles and my bobbins weren't winding all the way. Finally I looked up ways to fix my winding issues and found an answer! Then I decided I'd clean my bobbin case and try to be extra careful with my movements. I guess all those things did the trick. I finished my squiggles with less interruptions and am happy with the finished product.

Finally I added a binding by machine and then hand stitched the back side down. I wasn't sure if I should use more white or the backing fabric. I ended up with the brown and pink backing fabric and think the was a good choice.

The fabrics used in the quilt were leftover from my baby carrier pack I made about two years ago.  After shooting these pictures, we went right to nap time, snuggling together under our new quilt.

A very productive Sunday

New quilting ideas keep coming to me through searching and just trying things.

Crazy Mug Rug

The day started out with a blue and yellow mug rug in a crazy quilt pattern. It is for my daughter's teacher as she loves blue and yellow. It's interesting to me that all the blues lined up in the middle. I will have to take note of that in the future.

Next I wanted to try a wonky log cabin pattern. I had fabric leftover from my quilted baby carrier that I wanted to use. I found this tutorial at Tallgrass Prairie Studio and thought it was neat.

Wonky Pink & Brown Quilt Blocks 

I used a 4" square, then 1.5" strip, then 2.5" strip, 2" strip, and finally 3" strip. For two of the blocks, I mixed it up a little and changed the order of the different sized strips, but didn't change the sizes. Once the block was made, I squared it up to 16.5".

My husband says maybe I need to go wonkier. Maybe starting with a rectangle would help too. I may try this pattern for a queen sized quilt for us at some point.

I picked up some white fabric today for wide sashing. I think sashing will really make the blocks stand out nicely and maybe make the wonky pattern more visible.

Rainbow Wonky Stripes

I wanted to play around with the wonky quilting idea further. It's such a neat concept to just start cutting and sewing strips of fabric together. I thought I'd put a rainbow together. I only made one block, but with the magic of my Photo Wall app, I could see a possible quilt taking shape.

It was a very productive and fun day in the sewing room.

Pink Ribbon Walk

Every year since 2007 I have participated in the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester's annual Pink ribbon walk. It is held on Mother's Day at a beach along Lake Ontario.

Because it is held early in the day and it's May and it's next to the lake, it's always chilly. Last year I had the brilliant idea to bring along blankets. Then I thought it would be nice to have pink ribbon blankets knowing we'd use them year after year.

I found some nice fleece with pink ribbons and the words HOPE, LIVE, and LOVE on it. There are also butterflies and hearts. In addition I got a coordinating pink print to make the blanket two layers and reversible. I cut two blankets: one for my six year old who prefers to sit in the stroller and one for my 6 week old who would be nestled up against me, but might need an extra blanket across her back. With the leftover fabric I made a scarf for me. All the items consisted of the two layers wrong sides together and serged together.

The next year it wasn't quite as cold and I thought it would be nice for the girls to have matching shirts with some sort of embroidered appliqués. I wasn't sure what to put on them. I settled for HOPE. I really do hope that my girls and my boy never have to deal with cancer.

New Baby Carrier For Me

My first baby was born in 2000 and even before he was born I had my first ring sling sewn and ready to carry him.

Since then I have created many different carriers for myself and others, even having a small cottage business for a while.

After my second was born I learned about wrap carriers, pouch style slings, Mei Teis and Asian Baby Carriers. She was carried in all of them.

This carrier was different. This carrier was to be functional, symbolic, and creative. It also would be a labor of love. I had done some quilting in the past too and thought it would be fun to combine these skills.

In 2007 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2009 I was given the ok to become pregnant. In 2010 my third baby was born. My body which had created cancer, had now created this perfect, healthy being. And I continue to sustain her through breastfeeding.

This carrier was made with love and is proudly worn daily.

Jewelry for Support

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I knew that there would be many parts of my journey I would need to travel alone.

I remembered that some of my friends had prepared for the birth of their babies with a Blessingway. One part of the Blessingway was for each participant to bring along a bead for the mother to be. The beads would then be strung together to make a very special necklace or bracelet for her to wear.

I shared my desire for something similar to my sister. She collected all the beads for me and strung them together. The bracelet is made up of beads from my family members. The necklace is from friends.

The bracelet in particular became a regular part of what I wore, especially when I went to appointments and even for one of my surgeries. I felt very well supported and it was a nice reminder of that support.

Breast Cancer Support Bracelet

Breast Cancer jewelry

In December 2006, I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. There are so many, many pink ribbon items out there. Before I had my first surgery, I made a some little pink ribbon dangles for friends and family to think of me.

It was fun and easier than I expected to make jewelry. I made a bunch of different earrings during this time and donated some for sale to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester.