My Patchwork Life

Forever in Blue Jeans (...giveaway...)

2012-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make a denim quilt for years, so I've been slowly saving up our worn out jeans to cut and upcycle. However, with 2 little boys, while they go through LOTS of jeans, their pants are LITTLE! Since I was envisioning a rag quilt with 1/2" seams, I need rather large blocks of denim to cut out.

Then, last week, a co-worked gifted me a whole bag of worn out jeans from her husband. I was so excited that I got started right away this weekend. I dismantled jeans at my son's basketball game on Saturday (and got some strange looks for it, I might add). I dismantled jeans while watching shows on Netflix. I dismantled jeans while singing along with my favorite country music. I'm surprised I can type today, as my right hand has been working overtime with those scissors!

This is about 1/2 of the cutting I have done. I still have about 6 pairs of jeans to go.

I am backing the quilt with plaids. I am making it for my oldest son who fancies himself a skateboarder, and who tells me that old ripped blue jeans and unbuttoned plaid shirts with t-shirts underneath are the unofficial uniform for skateboarders. This quilt will mirror that "uniform." I'm thinking of calling it "Skate Dreams." However, since most of the denim is coming from the pants of my co-worker's husband, whose name is Sandy, I am also playing with the idea of calling it "Sandy Bottoms."

How about a quick giveaway? Leave a comment with 2 things: which name do you prefer for the quilt (Skate Dreams, Sandy Bottoms or come up with your own name if you have a creative brainstorm), and tell me which of the following you'd like to add to your stash - juvenile novelty fabric, neutrals, or stripes. I'll pick a random winner on Friday, February 3 (my goal date for having the top completely pieced), and I'll send the winner 3 Fat Quarters from my stash of whichever type of fabric they said they wanted more of (novelty, neutrals or stripes). My stash has outgrown my space for it, so it must be time to share.

I don't have a picture of the quilt yet, but how about a photo of what I've been doing with those odd bits left over from cutting that aren't big enough for a rag quilt - denim-backed bookmarks!

Denim and fabric fused together, sewn around the edges and trimmed with pinking shears.

I gave one to my co-worker already, made from her husband's jeans and with pig fabric on front (pigs are her favorite animal). I've also pulled out some red bandanna fabric - wouldn't that be cool on the other side of the denim bookmark?

Today, I cried

2012-01-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

I just got out of a meeting, and logged onto Facebook to peek at what others are doing before I jumped into what needs attention on my desk. Usually, I see who is on vacation, who is slammed with work, whose kids said something funny - you know, typical Facebook stuff.

Lately, I've been the one posting "slammed at work" type stuff. You know when you get to the point where you are doing so much and not sure you are doing any of it well? That's been me lately, and it has come across in my Facebook statuses.

When I logged on just now, my stepfather had commented on one of my posts:

I sit here and reflect on a major life journey I embarked on. It began with meeting a tiny bare foot girl,riding bareback on a pony,in the Maine woods on a dirt road at a residence called the Funny Farm. She rode up to me looked me in the eye with an incredible grin and engaged me in a very mature conversation. I left that day wondering who this amazing child was and wishing I would get the chance to know her better. For whatever reason the Creator granted me that wish. A short time later the little girl her three siblings and their mother became my family. I watched this little girl turn into a teenager and do great things in high school. Then into a beautiful young woman, I drove her to Harvard University and lugged her trunk up several flights of stairs in her dorm. I drove back home with tears of pride. I went with her to pick up her first motorcycle then watched her climb on it with a teddybear and leave for Calafornia by herself. Again I watched her go with tears of pride because I had done the same thing. She made it but turned around and drove back to Maine. When she got back we asked why she didn't stay she replied "Because people in Calafornia are insane". Then for several years I watched her relationship with a young man that she was fiercely in love with. There were ups and downs and a few times the Atlantic Ocean seperated them. A few times I was tempted to go visit the young man and smack him upside his head for making her sad and cry. I forced myself to stay out of it,then one day she told us he had proposed marriage. At the wedding I watched the proud young man break down and shed tears of pride while he was voiceing his marriage vows to her. Then I understood why she had stuck by him, I walked away and stopped where I could observe the two of them at a distance and again shed tears of pride.

Sense then the two of them became successful young professionals then produced two wonderfull children. In the future when this VERY acomplished mature woman questions her accomplishments I hope she can reflect back to a time in the middle of the Maine woods barefooted riding bareback on a pony and approaching a long haired bearded wildman and engageing him in a mature conversation. Because that man is very aware and extremely proud of her many many accomplishments that continue to this day.

Tell me you wouldn't have cried, too.

I love you, Mike Buxton.

Corner Bookmark Tutorial

2012-01-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

At the request of a couple of readers, I am including my instructions for making a corner bookmark made from fabric. These are pretty big, but I like them that way - it seems that it is more likely to stay in place that way. The size of the initial rectangle could be made smaller, though, to reduce the size of the finished product. You could also embellish with lace or ric rac or fused shapes on the front. These take no more than 15 minutes to make, start to finish.

1) Cut two 6.5" x 3.5" rectangles of fabric, an outside fabric and an inside fabric. Sew around 3 sides, right sides together, leaving one 6.5" side open. The open side will be the top of the bookmark, if you need to keep that in mind when using directional or fussy cut fabric.

The flowers are my outside fabric and the bluish purple is my inside fabric.

2. Cut one 6.5" x 3.5" rectangle of fusible (I used Pellon Wonder Under), and fuse to one side of the 3-sides-sewn rectangle. Remove the paper backing of the fusible.

Hard to get a meaningful photo for this step...

3. Clip the 2 corners that are sewn on both sides close to the seam to reduce bulk and turn the rectangles right-side-out. Align as best you can before pressing to fuse the two fabrics together.

4. Fold the two 3.5" sides together until they meet with the outside fabric on the inside. Sew the raw, unsewn edges of the top of the rectangle together, backstitching at the beginning and end to stabilize.

5. Clip the corner that you just sewed closed close to the seam to reduce bulk, then turn right-side out. Press the seam open, and then smoosh the fabric into a triangle. Press.

A mini iron would come in mighty hand right about now!

If you make some, I'd love to see them!

New life for old scraps

2012-01-23T03:42:00.000-08:00

I truly didn't mean to start a new project, but I was straightening up my sewing room and came across the scraps from my great-great-grandmother's quilt that I dismantled a couple years ago, and they called out to me. They are so soft, so I found a soft, off-white fabric to pair them with and got to work.

The center is completely constructed (blocks and thin inner border), and I am currently pairing the salvaged HST units to make a pieced outer border. The finished quilt should be about 40" square, and it should use up all that is left of the old scrap quilt.

The HST units were already sewn in the old quilt, but I have to cut them down to 2" first (because most of the seams have disintegrated) and then sew them together with the other HST units. It is a little less work than making them from scratch, but not much less. I love all the prints on the old fabrics.

I also whipped up a couple more corner bookmarks today.

Bookmark modeled in Lizbie Brown's Broken Star. I have all the books in that series except Shoo Fly. Does anyone know where I can find it?

Last weekend at my quilt guild meeting, I was asked to provide instructions for the bookmarks for this month's newsletter, so I made some more while I made sure of my instrucions. The next time I give a kid a book, I am ready with a bookmark.

Speaking of books, when I wasn't sewing today, I was reading. I finished Leann Sweeney's The Cat, The Lady, and The Liar, and got started on Katherine Hall Page's The Body in the Basement. I had read one of her books before, The Body in the Kelp, because a quilt played a role in that mystery. It turns out, the book takes place in Maine (where I grew up) and was not only clever but well written with characters that I liked, so I was thrilled to learn that there is another in the series with a quilt in it. I haven't gotten very far into this one, but so far, so good. Truly, if I could spend my days splitting my time between quilting and sewing, what a happy existence that would be!

Resolved to sew 2012

2012-01-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the massive giveaway over at Very Berry Handmade? If not, hop over there to check it out. Lovely prizes. And it got me to thinking, what am I resolved to sew this year?

1) my 9-year old needs a new bed-sized quilt. For now, he squeezes himself under the crib sized quilt I made him years ago, and while I am flattered, I imagine he has got to be cold.

2) I started hand quilting a quilt for my bed about 5 years ago and then got bored. Well, I want a quilt on my bed. It is downright embarrassing to be a quilter and not have a quilt on my bed! I'm finishing it this year.

3) Remember my Pindrop block that I made up a while ago while participating in my first Bee this year? I'd like to make a whole quilt out of those.

4) I want to make a bed-sized flannel rag quilt. I have more flannel than I know what to do with.

5) I want to quilt at least 3 of my existing tops this year. I don't know if that is possible, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

6) I've been doing a pretty good job of making and giving homemade gifts, but I want to go all the way this year. It means I'll need to be more disciplined and prepared, but I think I can do it.

Join the giveaway -I'd like to see what you are resolved to do this year.

Dancing pigs?

2012-01-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

I've finally made it into my sewing room! I completed my January Let's Bee Together Bee block. I love the block and the fabric, but this stressed me out a little, and here's why. The original reddish fabric, which serves as the foundation of the block, is 12.5" square. We were to cut it into fourths diagonally, sew the strips onto the 45 degree angle ends, and then sew the 4 pieces back together. She wanted the final block to be 12.5" square. That isn't possible, is it?

I have lots of strips - perhaps I'll make a Spider Web quilt for myself one of these days.

As you probably know, it is basketball season, and now, both my boys and my husband have basketball games. Can you say "bleacher butt"? Yup, that's how mine is shaped these days. Luckily, I have a cushioned stadium seat with a back to take with me, particularly on Saturdays, when I have 3 games to attend. The upside, besides getting to support my guys, is that I get good chunks of time to do handwork. Here's what I've accomplished so far this month at basketball. I'm pretty sure I'll be making a mug rug with this little cutie. Got any design ideas?

Probably my favorite hot drink of all time.

My leaders and enders project continues to grow. I have a ton of 4.5" blocks of that black floral, which is the whole purpose of this particular project - use 'em up! Well, those and all my 1.5" squares.

I started a plaid flannel bear paw quilt for my step-father. Besides me and my husband, I think he's the only person in the family I haven't yet made a quilt for.

Yesterday, in between basketball games, I made it to my quilt guild meeting. While there, one of the lovely ladies surprised me with a big bag of scraps. Now, when you think bag of scraps, you think all crumpled up and thrown together, right? Not hers! First there were a ton of strips, mostly 2.5" and 4.5" strips, but some 2", 3", 3.5" and 4" strips, too. How handy! There were also some bigger scraps, mostly between a fat eighth and fat quarter in size. I took a photo, but forgot to upload it.

Whenever I'm the recipient of such generosity, I feel the need to share the wealth. So I put together two little packets of fabric scraps to share.

The first is this cute green with dancing pigs, along with some bright polka dot scraps. The dancing pig scraps are: 1 piece 8.5" X 42", 2 pieces 7" X 21" and 1 WOF piece that is 4.5" wide. The yellow has 3 pieces, 3" X 56" total, the green is 2 pieces, 15" X 6.5" each, and the blue is 2 pieces, 9.5" X 6.5" and 4 pieces 16.5" X 3.5".

The second is this sea shell fabric with two "neutrals" to go with it. The photo is a bit washed out, I apologize. Anyway, the seashells are 1 piece 10.5" 15, 1 piece WOF X 11", and one piece 11" X 26". For the two coordinating neutrals, there are 2 WOF X 4.5" strips of each, and 3 WOF X 2.5" strips of each.

If you are interested in receiving either packet, leave a comment and let me know which you'd prefer, first come, first served. Happy Sunday!

A new friend!

2012-01-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Not a lot of quilting news to share. I received a squishy package from a Christmas fabric swap partner. Not only did she send fabric, but also CHOCOLATE (can you tell that half the bag is missing already?) and a wonderful pair of scissors with a holder. Thanks, Leslie!!

But I didn't sew at all this weekend. Instead, I went on a 23-hour date with my husband! He somehow got a free night at a hotel in a town about 30 minutes from here, so we invited another family to come kid/pet/housesit for us, and the two of us went to dinner and a movie, spent the night in a fabulous hotel, slept in, and then went to brunch. I think it's so important to spend time as a couple and remember what it is we love about each other when the kids are out of the equation. Contrary to my boys' belief (they cry if we even suggest that one day they will have to move out!), one day, it will just be the two of us in the house, and we certainly don't want to be strangers.

Speaking of strangers, a couple months ago I met a woman at the library and her three boys. She had recently moved here from New Hampshire (another Yankee!) and her boys were looking for a cub scout pack (I was wearing my Den Leader uniform after our meeting). We chatted and I gave her my number, but I never heard from her again.

Fast forward to today: I met her at the library again today (both of our oldest sons are in the local Guys Read bookclub), and we talked a bit. She noticed that I had some quilting magazines in front of me, and she's a quilter, too!!! Add to that the fact that we are (practically) the same age, and that she has/had a crafty blog (http://earthycraftymommy.blogspot.com/ although she hasn't posted in a while), and I am SO EXCITED to be making a new friend with so much in common with me!! (are you reading this Michelle? Hi!! We'll have to invite you and the boys over so they can play and we can play with FABRIC!)

Well, I tried.

2012-01-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

My first grader is going to a birthday party this weekend. I asked the mom if the birthday boy had the Frog and Toad books, because Donald loves them, but coincidentally, that is what she bought for her son for his birthday. So I bought another book by the same author, Owl at Home, to give. But a book needs a bookmark, right? I tried to make one that looked like an owl. Please don't laugh. Squint, if you must. Turn it sideways and upside down and look at it from a distance. Even if you don't think it looks like an owl, tell me it does.

Jason said it looks like 2 triangles and 2 circles. Donald said, "I don't know...a bird, maybe?" Whatever it looks like, it is what is getting wrapped up with the book.

I'm also giving some books to my nephew, so I wanted to make a monster bookmark for him.

Perhaps my monster should have more teeth? Bigger eyes? I don't know. I'm pretty underwhelmed with the result. But nonetheless, the monster bookmark is getting wrapped up with my nephew's book. I tried.

I'm not trying anything else for the next hour or so. It is over 60 degrees and sunny, so I'm brewing tea and heading out to the porch to read! Yesterday, 3 quilt fiction books arrived in the mail:
The Double Cross and The Devil"s Puzzle by Clare O'Donahue (the 3rd and 4th Someday Quilts mysteries),
and The Cat, the Lady and the Liar by Leann Sweeney (the 3rd Cats In Trouble mystery). I may not get any sewing done in the next few days with these books to keep me busy. Ah! The weekend!

I need help

2012-01-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

According to Random Number Generator, the winner of the giveaway is:

#9 Jan - "Oh I love give aways by my friends, cos I know they are always great things. Please enter me Erin, if I am allowed cos I am across the Pond of course. I wont be cross if I cant. I will still be your friend. Happy New Year by the way."

Jan, I think I have your address already, but please send it again just in case. Thanks to everyone for entering and for reading my blog.

I haven't gotten a ton of sewing done lately because I got it in my head to clean and rearrange my sewing room. It would have been OK, if I hadn't gotten into the closet...I can't believe how much stuff I have! I did take two pieces of fabric of questionable material to Goodwill, but here's the problem. While at Goodwill, I thought I'd just peek around for some more pillowcases for more shopping totes. Yikes! I walked out of there with eight of them! (It's a sickness, isn't it, this fabric addiction of mine. I felt like a hoarder bringing fabric out of corners where I didn't even know it resided yesterday. And then I come home with MORE!)

(there's only 7 shown, but that's because there are two of the solid pink pillowcases)

The only sewing I have done is to finally get the top and bottom borders added to my Birdie Stitches BOM quilt. I'm stopping there for now. I don't think I want more borders, but we'll see. If so, I'll need to get more muslin as I've run out.

although now that I look at it, I should probably add some white on the two sides, just for balance

What I should really do is use up some of my fabric as backings, sandwich up some of my quilt tops and do some simple machine quilting. Some of my quilt tops have been languishing in a cupboard for years - it is time to make them full-fledged quilts! And time to come to terms with the fact that as a hand-quilter, I will never finish all the quilts I want to finish. I need to diversify.

Here's a question - how do you quilt a top with embroidery on it? I'd love to finish up this Birdie Stitches quilt, but I am stumped. The embroidered bits are about 8" square. It seems like sewing over them would mess up the embroidery, but isn't that too big a space to leave un-quilted? Help! All suggestions are welcome.

Ironic

2012-01-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh at myself yesterday. Lately, I've been turning old pillowcases into reusable shopping bags. Yesterday, I found myself MAKING a pillowcase!

This is my first ever pillowcase, using the Tube or Sausage method that I learned with this Missouri Star Quilt Company video tutorial. EASY!!! Why did it take me so long to try this? It is for my darling niece to match the nightgown I made her this summer. I just adore that pink owl fabric, and I will be so sad when it is all gone.

I have some books to send to my nephew, and I felt bad not sending something homemade to him. How about a bookmark for his book? Have you seen these Monster Corner Bookmarks? I wanted to make him one, but out of fabric, not paper. So I started playing around with fabric...

My first attempt:

I like it, but the bottom edge in the back is unfinished, just two fabrics fused together, and I'm afraid they might unravel. Back to the drawing board.

My second attempt:

After fusing the fabrics together, I hemmed the bottom edges before making it into a corner. VERY BULKY! I thought my sewing machine was going to revolt in protest! Back to the drawing board.

My third attempt:

I sewed the two fabrics right sides together (3 sides), then turned right side out and fused. Nice neat bottom edge - I have found my method! Although, why am I putting the ribbon loops in the corner? While I like the decorative touch, they are unnecessary and add bulk in the corner. I think I'll eliminate those from now on.

But before I made a monster corner bookmark for my nephew, I was inspired to find some fabric that reminded me of water to make a corner bookmark to go with my giveaway of Riel Nason's book, The Town That Drowned.

Have you entered the giveaway yet? If not, comment on my last post before I go to bed on Tuesday, January 3 for a chance to win the book and bookmark, the Urban Circus scraps, the travel tissue holder and the chocolates.

It's my last day of vacation, what am I doing on the computer? It's back to the sewing room for me!

Ahoy mateys, there's a giveaway!

2011-12-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

I had a couple of goals for yesterday - to finish another green pillowcase shopping bag, to put borders on my Birdie Stitches BOM quilt and to finish the book I was reading. The shopping bag got done...

but the quilt borders didn't because a demanding little pirate shanghaied me and pressed me into service to make a Jolly Roger for his pirate ship.

I also finished reading my book. I read Riel Nason's debut novel, The Town That Drowned.

Some of you probably know her from her blog, The Q and the U, and all of her wonderful selvege creations. She's made more Halloween quilts than anyone I've ever heard of! So, from her blog, I knew she was clever and creative and talented, but reading her book has really solidified my awe of her. It was AMAZING!

The setting was described in a way that I could visualize where everything took place. The characters were believeable, complex and human and diverse. The plot built up to a climax that had me forgetting to breathe and then sobbing out loud. My nose ran for a full hour after finishing the book. And while the book wasn't about quilts, they were weaved in here and there, fun details to remind me that quilting is her favorite hobby. I highly recommend the book to anyone looking for something to read. And to start things of, I am giving away my (once read, but otherwise new) copy of the book. (because I'm going to buy 3 more copies for myself and family members and try to get them signed!)

Since I missed the gift exchange with my guild, I'm adding my gift to this giveaway - a bundle of Laurie Wisbrun's Urban Circus scraps, a winter travel sized tissue holder, and some Ghiradelli chocolates.

To enter to win, simply leave a comment. Be sure I have a way to get in touch with you. I'll leave this open until the end of my first day back at work (Tuesday, January 3rd). I'll need something to look forward to at the end of what is sure to be a LOOOONNNNGGGGG day!

Happy New Year, everyone!

2011-12-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

I knew it had been a while since my last post, but 17 days!?! Wow! I feel like I should have a lot to show for 17 days absence. The pressure is on!

I made 3 shopping bags from pillowcases that I got from Goodwill. I am anti-plastic bags, and avoid them as much as possible. However, my stash of "green" shopping bags has been dwindling due to unforeseen calamities (the exploding groceries left in the car for 4 days, a carsick dog, etc.). It was either buy some more shopping bags or make some. What is the point of knowing how to sew if you can't make your own stuff? I used the tutorial found here - very easy, quick, and I love that now all my shopping bags are unique! Some great features of this pattern are that the bags are fully lined, machine washable, with boxed corners and a reinforced bottom.

I finished the Christmas quilt top. I think the pattern is called Flurry, but the quilt in the pattern is so much prettier than this one, I don't think I can call it that. Gonna need a new name. Honestly, I think my version is hideous, but it used up some of my Christmas fabrics, and that makes me happy. Sometimes quilts start to grow on me after I begin quilting them. I am hoping this is the case for this one.

I finished my Birdie Stitches BOM flimsy. Well, kinda. I finished the blocks and the alternate blocks and I sewed them all together. However, I want it to be bigger, so I'll be making some borders, at least for the top and bottom. I love all the color!

And on a whim, I also made a circle zippered earbud pouch. It was my first zipper, and was super easy. What is all the zipper phobia about?

I have 4 more days of freedom before it is back to work and karate and basketball and cub scouts and exhaustion. I'm sleeping in, eating lots, exercising, playing with the kids, reading, watching McLeod's Daughters, and getting quite a bit of hand quilting done. I don't want this vacation to end!

Orange Creamsicle Dreams

2011-12-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have a string of failures so long that you think you should be banished from the sewing room forever? That was me this weekend. And it's my own fault. This Saturday was our guild Christmas party, and I wasn't prepared with my gift to swap. It was supposed to be small, something valued at $10 or less. On Friday night, I wrapped 4 Urban Circus scraps (each less than a fat quarter but more than a fat eighth) together with a ribbon to start things off, but I wanted to add more to my gift. I should make something, right? I trotted down to the sewing room with my iPad and all the inspiration that can be found on the World Wide Web.

First, I tried some fabric origami to make an ornament - FAIL!

photo from http://zencrafting.blogspot.com/2008/12/fabric-origami-star-ornament.html

Then I tried to make a hexagon needle holder - FAIL!

(photo from http://mythreesonsknit.blogspot.com/2010/05/hexagon-needle-book-tutorial_1452.html)

OK, how about my (new) old standby, travel tissue cover - FAIL!

(How did I fail with this when I've already made so many and they are SO EASY, you ask? I got carried away boxing the corners and made them into tall, narrow fabric containers. They are still cute, but there is no way tissues will fit in there!)

I'm getting frustrated now - how about one of those cute little fabric tote bags that I made a couple Valentine's Days ago?

Where did I find that tutorial online? - - - fast forward a couple of HOURS, and I STILL couldn't find the tutorial. Then, in a belated stroke of sanity, I remembered that they were called "baskets" not "totes" and I found the tutorial first try! By now, however, it is so late that I can't see straight and would not be safe with sharp instruments. Off to bed and I'll try again in the morning.

Saturday morning rolls around and I head down to whip up one of those little baskets. An hour should be enough time, right? Well, it SHOULD have been, but it turns out that 1) I am not looking at the same tutorial as before - this basket is different and bigger, but OK, I'll go with it, but then 2) I sewed the darned thing inside out and had to haul out the seam ripper for a workout. By this time, the meeting is starting without me, so I gave up. :(

On Sunday, thinking that maybe I've got the gremlins out of my system, I ventured down to the sewing room again. I fixed the basket. OK, this is good. I made two travel tissue covers. All right, maybe my sewing mojo is back. But did I contine to ease my way into things? Heck no! I chose CURVES!!!

Truth is, it worked out. While waiting for our take-out pizza to be ready, the kids and I wandered around Goodwill, where I found a twin flat sheet the color of an Orange Creamsicle that I was inexplicably drawn to. What on earth could I make with that? But somehow, it landed in my basket, along with a king sized flowered pillowcase.

A few hours later, after the pizza was gone and the kids were happily ensconced with a Christmas movie they've never seen before, I started sewing some Drunkard's Path blocks, no pin style. And they worked! Check out what I have so far:

(OK, the colors are off because it was midnight, but you get the idea)

I have no idea what I will do with it, or who would want an upcycled creamsicle-colored quilt, but the sense of accomplishment I got from sewing something without mistakes and for a whopping total of $2.50 for the materials, it was definitely worth making. I stopped when I realized that I should have added the alternating strip of 2" squares to the other two sides before adding the outer border - I'll figure that out tonight. But I tell you, last night I dreamed of Orange Creamsicles, which I haven't even seen since I was a kid.

Yummmmm!

Are you joining the party?

2011-12-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

The 2nd Annual Neighborhood Party over at Beth's LoveLaughQuilt blog, that is. There is still time to join!

I had a ball creating my block to send. Nearly all the fabrics in my block have special meaning:

Snake fabric - I live on Rattler Road. There is a reason why my road is called Rattler Road, and it involves creatures with no legs. Ugh! But the view makes their presence worth it!
Teacup fabric - I love, love, love drinking tea and coffee, hot when it is cold outside and iced when it is warm. Yum!
Basketball kids - Not only am I married to a basketball coach, but my boys both play basketball, not just in a league in the winter, but at camps during the summer. Needless to say, I am the proud owner of a cushy stadium seat, and I get lots of hand sewing done in the stands.
Bug fabric - I guess bugs are part and parcel of living in the country but, UGH! I can't stand them, but they are everywhere. In particular, we have lots of ladybugs (and to think I used to think they were CUTE! Until they invaded my house by the thousands a couple years ago) and shield/stink bugs. The stink bugs are now reigning supreme, as they apparently compete for resources with the ladybugs. I'm not sure which I prefer...
Tree from made fabric - I live in the country, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with 7 acres and deeded access to the George Washington National Forest. Trees dominant my views, and I love them.

Besides the creepy crawly things, I LOVE where I live, I love my house, I love my life. Won't you join in the Neighborhood party and share with us a bit about where YOU live? Although, truth be told, I'm hoping to be one of the winners of a neighborhood of house blocks this year...

The most wonderful time of year?

2011-12-05T05:35:00.000-08:00

While I am definitely getting into the holiday spirit, December STINKS in the world of college admissions. I am taking files home every night to read, answering 3,167 emails daily from panicked kids who want to know if their second teacher recommendation arrived by the scholarship deadline, and talking to countless parents on the phone to calm their fears about the affordability of college. I love my job, but December is like receiving a mega-dose of work; too much of anything is not a good thing! Especially since my "other life" (wife, mother, quilter) hasn't slowed down at all either.

So while this should be the season of sitting under a quilt, watching Christmas movies while sewing on the binding, very little sewing is actually getting done at my house. I did finally finish the November Birdie Stitches BOM on December 1, but I haven't had time to add the border yet.

I also whipped up this quickie table topper for my dining room table to put my centerpiece candles on. (Thanks for the tutorial, Beth!) The fabrics are the same that I used in my tree skirt last year (my tree stands in my dining room windows). I am still sewing the binding on this, but hopefully I can have it on my table by tomorrow night.

Other than that, no sewing, but I did receive my winnings from the giveaway I won on the House of Wilson. In addition to the Charm Pack, I got these two neutrals and her TV Squares pattern. I think I want to make her pattern with some different fabrics. Anyone have a favorite (free, online) Charm Pack pattern I could make with this City Weekend Charm Pack?

Going out in the mail today will be my package for Leona's holiday fabric swap. I hope that my partner likes these Fat Eighths from my stash. I also made her one of the postcards I made with the cub scouts, and threw in a tissue cover that could be seasonal, but not necessarily. I'll be picking up some chocolate from the chocolatier in town, The Cocoa Mill, to round out the package.

So, since I am not sewing, what have I been doing, you ask? In addition to going to work every day, and maintaining our household...

Monday - take a karate class, read a stack of files at home
Tuesday - Jason's basketball practice, read a stack of files at home
Wednesday - teach karate class, then Adam's basketball game
Thursday - Jason's basketball practice, make cars for parade and cookies for Wounded Warrior Project, read a stack of files at home
Friday - make rice krispy treats for Wounded Warrior project, arrange and march in town Christmas parade with the Cub Scouts
Saturday - Jason's basketball game, go in to work for a few hours, Adam's basketball game, dinner with my brother and his family, get lost on way home from basketball game, read a stack of files at home
Sunday - help kids clean their rooms, visit radio station with cub scouts, go Christmas caroling with cub scouts, read a stack of files at home

Where's the down time in there? Do you see any??? Actually, last night I thawed the Turkey Pot Pie filling that I made the day after Thanksgiving, popped it into some pie crusts, and baked that for dinner, using the spare moments from making something that I had made ahead to sit and watch Akeelah and the Bee with my boys. Jason was in the school spelling bee earlier this week, so I ordered this from Netflix and it was nice to sit in the theater with some popcorn and my two little buddies and just chill for a couple of hours.

But back to yesterday afternoon, when we went Christmas caroling...

We first went to a nursing home in town, sang our whole repertoire of songs, and then caroled down the street, knocking on any door with cars in the drive, on our way to another nursing home about a third of a mile away. What absolute FUN!!! Why don't people go Christmas caroling anymore? People were so delighted, asked to take our photograph, clapped their hands, called to others in the house to come see. It was such a treat! Are you looking for something different to do this holiday season? I encourage you to go caroling!

Quickie Post

2011-11-28T06:28:00.001-08:00

I think I promised to post photos of my completed November Birdie BOM next time I posted. Oops! While I did work on it a bit this weekend, I also finished a book, watched lots of movies, slept, read files (for work), went to two basketball games, swam laps in the hotel pool (twice), and took my kids to the Virginia Living Museum. Oh well. My son's basketball season has started so I will have plenty of time to stitch on the bleachers.

My reason for posting is that I had MAIL when I got home last night. Above All Fabric is going out of business, so I bought up some of her lovelies. First, some solids,

and then some lovely prints,

all at least 1 yard cuts and all for less than $4/yard. No purpose in mind, just building stash.

I'm looking forward to getting home and firing up the sewing machine this afternoon. It has been entirely too long since I've sewn anything of substance!

A themed Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

My son got off the school bus on Tuesday bubbling over with excitement about his plans to have a "First Thanksgiving" themed Thanksgiving.

"We can make Pilgrim hats for half the boys and loincloths for the other half, and bonnets for the girls. Can we go to the fabric store right now? We need felt and leather and cotton prints, and..."

(WE!?! You know what that means, right?)

"Um, no, kiddo, I have to COOK! And clean toilets! And make Daddy's office and my sewing room into guest rooms for our overnight visitors! And COOK! I can't also make costumes for 12 people in 24 hours!?!"

So he went to his room, got on his computer, and printed out instructions for making bonnets out of construction paper, which we already have at home. He came down to get his instructions off the printer and went off in search of instructions for the loincloths and Pilgrim Hats. (sigh) How could I not cave in to his persistence and enthusiasm? Really, if my guests are in costume, perhaps they will be too distracted looking at each other to notice how dirty my house is. So I compromised - Pilgrim Hats made out of felt for everyone, and he and his brother had to help.

On Wednesday, we headed out, first to see the Muppets (priorities!!!) and then to WalMart to get felt. Thank goodness I was riding the feel-good high from the Muppets or WalMart on the day before Thanksgiving would have completely undone me! What a zoo!

Using a hat that he already had from Colonial Days at school as a guide, we used an assembly line to crank out 11 more hats - I cut and sewed, and the boys operated the glue gun.

When they went to bed, I started cooking and cleaning. Usually, my mom and younger sister are around to make the pies, but since they are in New Hampshire now, I rolled up my sleeves and gave it a whirl. Only to find out that my oven, which the appliance guy fixed on Tuesday afternoon, wasn't actually fixed. It heated up all the way to 250 degrees before it started cooling off again. Uh oh...

Do you know how long it takes to bake two pies and an apple crisp in the toaster oven? Three hours!!! I didn't get to bed until 2 AM on Wednesday night! But, during that baking time, I was able to make homemade Cranberry Sauce (first time - yummy! And I don't even usually LIKE cranberry sauce!), Broccoli Raisin salad (again, first time, but they serve it a lot down here in Virginia, and I've developed quite a taste for it), bread (in the bread machine), Candied Yams (boiled and peeled and layered with the good stuff, ready to be baked the next day), and prepped all the veggies to be sauteed and added to my stuffing.

Stuffing for the turkey. Fo which I did not have an oven to bake it. Hmmm...

On Thursday, woke up early and started on everything else. First, the turkey. I have a gas grill, and while shooting a prayer up to heaven to let this work, that's how I cooked it. I couldn't believe the compliments I got on the turkey! It didn't look so good - it was much darker on the outside than I usually make it, and the wing and leg tips were flat out burnt - but it was GOOD! My guests were surprised to learn that I had grilled it on a gas grill.

And collard greens, per my husband's request. I've never made those before either, but they turned out great! I'm so glad there were some left over! I finished the stuffing and heated it in the broiler on low - I think I actually like it better outside the bird than inside it! Who knew? The candied yams got finished off in the toaster over, and the squash and mashed potatoes were made on the stovetop. I can't believe I made a whole Thanksgiving feast on my own - I usually have siblings and a mom around to spread the work around. But, as I told my husband, it is the one time a year when I actually don't mind cooking.

And my guests were such good sports about the hats! We wore them while eating, while playing football,

while playing air hockey, while playing cards.

And everyone got to take one home as a souvenir of Thanksgiving 2011 at the Hutchinson household.

(Um, yeah, I'm on my hands and knees. You see, I wanted everyone in the photos so I set the timer on the camera and rushed back to get into position. It just wasn't supposed to be this position...)

Right now, I'm in Newport News, Virginia. The boys and I hopped the bus with the basketball team this afternoon to watch them play in the tournament at Christopher Newport University this weekend. I think we set a new record - we checked into the hotel at 10:09 PM, and by 10:15 PM, the boys were in the pool. Ha! But it wore them out, so when the security guard kicked us out at 11 PM, they went straight to sleep. Which is what I should be doing, too. And this weekend, while cheering the basketball team and supervising twice daily trips to the pool, I vow to finish my November Birdie Stitches BOM. Next time I post, there will be a photo, I promise!

My family ROCKS!!!

2011-11-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, the boys and I boarded the bus along with my husband's basketball team to travel to Massachusetts and cheer them on at their tournament while spending time with my family. Adam and the team stayed at a hotel, but the boys and I stayed with my twin sister and her family. My brother and his family also drove up and stayed with us (got there an hour before me), and on Saturday, my mom, my younger sister and her baby drove down from New Hampshire. All the siblings and my mom haven't been together like that since my sister got married last fall, so this was great fun! And look, the bookstore at Washington and Lee gave me a discount so I was able to get 20 matching t-shirts at a great price so we could really represent at the game!

We won the first game on Friday, but lost on Saturday. Then it was back on the bus for the 10 hour drive home. We got home at 4:30 AM on Sunday. (UGH!) I'm just glad I didn't have to do the driving. If you recall, I was planning to read, stitch, watch movies and sleep on the bus. I gotta say, I did WAY MORE sleeping than I thought I would. I brought 4 books and didn't even finish the first one yet! I brought my November Birdie BOM and never even took it out to work on it! I did spend several hours hand quilting a couple more blocks on the Pick and Choose quilt. That was pretty handy, because when I got tired, I just secured the needle and cuddled up under it. I'm really growing attached to that quilt, and if the woman who commissioned me to finish it for her still wants it when it is done, I'm going to be more than a little bit sad! And while snuggling down, I caught a couple of movies. I'm still shaking my head at the choices of the team - I was the only female on a bus with 26 people on it, and they watched BRIDESMAIDS! There was a scene in there, though, that had me laughing so hard that I was crying! (the bridal shop after lunch at the Brazilian place, for any of you who have seen it - hilarious!!!)

I paid my neighbor to dog sit while we were gone and Rosabelle ran away. That dog is so much trouble! It is a good thing she is such a sweetheart, or I'd be tempted to give her back to the animal shelter! But someone found her right away and called our vet (the number is on her rabies tag) so she spent two nights there until we got back. I learned my lesson, though, and already made reservations for both dogs to board there this weekend when we head to Newport News, VA with the basketball team again for their next tournament.

In the meantime, I am frantically trying to fix my oven before Thursday, as there will be eleven disappointed people in my house if we don't have turkey and pie for dinner that day. Wish me luck!

Little Things

2011-11-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

Last week was BRUTAL! It was super busy at work and I was cramming to make a signature quilt in just 5 days. It all got done, but all I felt like doing this weekend was little things. Luckily, I had two Bee blocks to complete, so I started with those. They were both made with fabric that is very different from what I have in my stash, so that was fun.

We also had a Tiger Scout Den meeting on Sunday afternoon for which I had to prepare. We are going Christmas caroling at a nursing home in early December, before our next Den meeting, so we made Christmas postcards to distribute to residents while we are there (I know, I know, it is early to be thinking Christmas when we haven't even eaten turkey yet, but we wouldn't have had any other time to do it.) On Saturday, I spent several blissful hours cutting letters and green triangles out of old quilting magazines while oogling the quilts. I also cut out some postcard sized rectangles from old cereal boxes, and covered each with a snowy background cut from some Christmas wrapping paper. Here's my sample card:

The ornaments on the tree were made with a 3-hole punch - easy peasy!

Here are the Tigers and their parents working on their cards:

And here is the final result of our efforts:

(Looks like that second tree in the third row is getting chopped down, doesn't it?) I love them! All the boys signed all the backs of the cards.

We also packed 4 boxes of goodies for Operation Christmas Child to send abroad. Can you tell we talked about part of the Law of the Pack, "The Cub Scout gives goodwill"? We defined goodwill as kindness, and these boxes and postcards are physical manifestations of our goodwill towards others this season.

I also spent some time straightening up my sewing room yesterday. I still have a long way to go to make it presentable, but it is better. Part of making it better was cutting up some of my flannels so that they fit back into my flannel bin. I'm hoping to whip up a rag quilt that I can work on snipping later this week on the team bus when the boys and I and ride with my husband's basketball team up to Amherst, Massachusetts where they will play in a tournament. My sister lives within walking distance of the College, so we get to visit family and support the team all at once. Bonus! I will also be working on my November Birdie BOM on that trip. It is nice to have travel projects!

Know what else is nice? Winning giveaways! I won TWO yesterday - 5 fat quarters from Annie at Annie's Ruby Slipperz and a pattern and Charm Pack at House of Wilson. There are more giveaways coming from both of them - I encourage you to pop on over for a peek!

Who needs sleep?

2011-11-11T05:41:00.000-08:00

Not me! Donald's joy at seeing his completed signature quilt, ready to be delivered to his departing student teacher today at her going away party, cleared the cobwebs from my head that lingered after getting less than 4 hours of sleep.

I just hope I don't nod off in the middle of something important...ZZZZZzzzzzzz.....

Signed...and partially sealed

2011-11-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Donald collected all the signatures at school on Monday, and I spent Monday evening rearranging and putting the top together. Here's what I finally came up with: (and yes, I said "I"; Donald deserted me to watch TV, the little stinker!)

Then on Tuesday, I sandwiched it and started quilting it with straight lines outlining the diagonal blocks using my walking foot. I am almost done quilting, but not quite because I had to go back to work to speak on a panel on College Access for Underserved Populations last night, and then had to read applications until 11 PM. Ugh! Busy season at work, yet again!!!

I had to come back to work again tonight, and I will be taking files home to read again, but I am determined to finish quilting and attached the binding tonight, because this baby has to be delivered on Friday - the student teacher's last day. Wish me luck (and copious amounts of caffeine!).

Scrap attack!

2011-11-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed I haven't done much quilting lately? Reading, yes. Sewing up little gifts and whatnot, yes. But quilting, no. I couldn't take it anymore! I had to get up to my elbows in scraps and work on a quilt (or two, or three).

I started by helping Donald work on a quilt. His student teacher is leaving at the end of the week, and he wanted to make a quilt for her, so I helped him sew up blocks for a signature quilt using some pre-cut 5.5" squares that I inherited from someone somewhere down the line. He picked out the fabrics to use (from a stack of coordinating sqaures), he used the presser foot while I steering the fabric under the needle, he cut the chain pieced segments apart, and he pressed them open on the ironing board. He got a bit tired of it all, and started lamenting the fact that there were 23 kids in his class.

"I should have done this last year in kindergarten when there were only 11 of us," he sighed.

I sent the blocks in with him this morning for the teacher to have all the kids sign one, and then we'll hopefully put it together tonight with the upper and lower borders that you can see in the photo above that I made to make it more square. It is only about 30" square, and I plan to machine quilt with some straight stitches. I've even already made the binding!

I also made a couple more of my leader and ender blocks using 1.5" squares (these blocks finish 6.5" square, and the whole purpose is to use up that black floral - I had a bunch of pre-cut 4.5" squares of it that I wanted OUT of my scraps tin).

I also worked on whittling down my stash of strings because they no longer fit in my strings tin. I whipped up a couple more Virginia Bound blocks (an adaptation of a Bonnie Hunter quilt in her Scraps and Shirttails book). I love these blocks, and can't wait until I have enough to sew them together and have a quilt already! (only 37 more blocks to go...ugh! when I put it that way, it seems like it will NEVER happen!)

I've also had time this past week to work on hand quilting my Pick and Choose quilt.

No new photos, but slowly, slowly, it is coming along. Dare I say that I hope to have it done before Christmas? Did I just jinx myself?

I also want to share with everyone the bag that I received from Janet. I won a giveaway on her blog, and she made me this bag. I love it!

She made the handles in a very clever way so you can use them either long or short - genius! And check out her free motion quilting - I am in awe and so envious of her ability!

She included a beautiful fabric postcard that she made, but I forgot to take a photo of it. Thanks so much, Janet!

Thank goodness, it's November!

2011-11-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

I swear, our lives have been consumed by Halloween in the Hutchinson household! First, all the angst about what to be. Then the angst about whether or not the costume parts that we ordered online would arrive on time. Then Friday night, we went to a costume party at the karate dojo. Saturday, after I worked all morning, I hosted a Halloween party for 11 scouts and siblings at my house, followed by a 5 kid sleepover for a Halloween Movie Marathon (kid Halloween movies, not THE Halloween movies). The extra kids were gone by noon on Sunday, and no one will be surprised that I spent the rest of the day laying about in bed with occasional trips to the kitchen for sustenance. I'm proud to say that I also managed to sweep floors, wash dishes and do two loads of laundry - but besides that, I was a complete slug!

Then, of course, came actual Halloween! We trick-or-treated til we couldn't trick-or-treat anymore! (Do you like my homemade rosary? The cross is cut from a cereal box and covered with red fabric. The beads are actually a red fish necklace that my son brought home from fish release day at school when they released the trout babies that they were raising in a tank at school.)

We will have candy until my children have children! The kids are thrilled, but all I can think about is my non-existent willpower. (sigh) Pass me another Snickers, will you?

Today, I am happy to put the costumes away, and head home after school/work to SEW! I already warned the kids that I wasn't leaving the house this afternoon or evening. Today is for me! I wonder what I will sew today...

And thank you to everyone who voted for Jason's Halloween quilt this weekend. He didn't win, but he was so tickled to see that he got votes and came in 5th!

The EASIEST thing I have ever made!

2011-10-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Not too much sewing going on. I think all the travel and karate build up and painting my basement burned me out, and all I've felt like doing lately is curling up with a book. My regular readers know that cozy mysteries are my books of choice. I finished the second Leann Sweeney, Cats in Trouble book, The Cat, The Professor and The Poison. Enjoyed it!

I have another Arlene Sachitano to read, but they really aren't my favorite, even with quilts involved, so I'm sitting on that one for a while. Instead, I picked up Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton, the first of the Farmer's Market Mysteries. Enjoyed it!

Now I'm reading one of Maggie Sefton's Knitting Mysteries, Dyer Consequences. There's a certain formula that works for me:

female protagonist

making it on her own with a home business or crafting business

character development! I don't just want to know what they do, I want to know why and how they feel about it and what scares them and what their sense of humor is like! (I think that's why I don't like Arlene Sachitano's books - there isn't much character development)

Anyway, I forced myself down into my sewing room and started working on some Christmas presents. One is for my sister who periodically reads this, so I can't share a photo, but I also worked on some stocking stuffers. I was thinking of making snap shut change purses, and I probably still will, but I also found a tutorial for a travel tissue case. I started with one for myself, since I hate when the plastic wrap crinkles up in my purse and then the tissues appear dirty.

Oh my goodness! If this wasn't THE EASIEST THING I have EVER made! Even with the boxed corners, which, I think, makes it look much more finished (and cute!). It took so little time that I made two more while timing myself. 18 minutes from start to finish to make a pair! No way!

So I made 5 more - IN 35 MINUTES!!!

Folks, if you are looking for a quick stocking stuffer that uses up scraps and takes practically no time to make, look no further! I followed the tutorial found here. Tonight, I'm going to change my thread and make some light colored ones (I had black thread in the machine, so these were all with dark fabrics). I'm addicted! I'm almost hoping people get the sniffles so I can offer them some tissues!

Are you dressing up for Halloween? I'm going to be a nun. Not sure I can pull that off, because I sure as heck am not a saint, but I'm gonna try! And I need to hang up Jason's Halloween Quilt. Remember this, his first quilt from two years ago?

I added it to the Quilting Gallery Weekly Theme Quilt Contest. Take a peek, and if you vote for him and he wins, I promise that HE will get the fabric winnings! He is already letting me know that he needs to build his stash! Love it!

I did it!

2011-10-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

I cried when Master Clements tied the belt around my waist. I think one of the best feelings in the world is when you surprise yourself with your own tenacity, when you do something that you never really thought you could do. Thank you all for supporting me on my Black Belt journey.

And my UKE was wearing his double pot holder from the time he opened it until the time I left the gym. I think he liked his gift.

I robbed a squirrel!

2011-10-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

OK, so not really. But I did make "acorns" this morning to put in my kids' lunchboxes as a treat and to bring in to the office. Yummy! I got the idea from an email from the Cotton Patch Quilt Shop yesterday - did anyone else see that? I had to run out after work and get the necessary supplies because I couldn't get them off my mind!

That sugar has kept me going today because I stayed up late finishing my gift for my UKE, a reversible apron to go with the double potholder I made for him over the weekend. I'm going to add 3 cookbooks that I don't use and call it good. Here's one side:

And some detailing of the other side, which exactly the same except the fabric placement is reversed:

And here's one of my good sport co-workers modeling it for me since I wasn't sure how it would fit a 6 foot tall man (being a 5 foot tall woman myself). He is holding my "oh so hot!" candy dish. :)

I hope he likes it. But even more, I hope I do OK on this test tomorrow. Please send "kick butt!" thoughts my way tomorrow at 10 AM EST. Hopefully my next post will start,

"Hi, I'm Erin - I'm a black belt in karate - Hutchinson."

Pictures, video links, and the future Miss America!!!

2011-10-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

The only sewing I did yesterday was sewing the binding on a hot pad that I may or may not include with my UKE gift on Saturday - it doesn't look as good as I had hoped. Other than that, it was a 13 hour day away from the house - a full day at work, arranging to have my furnace and fireplace serviced, a visit to the library, flu shots for the kids, two karate classes, a quick drive thru at KFC for dinner, and then a Board Meeting. Ugh! Can you say "exhausted"?

So no pretty quilting photos, but I realized that I haven't yet shared photos from my trip to Latin America. There aren't many because I didn't take a camera, just my phone, and the memory got used up pretty quickly.

First stop, Mexico City. While walking down a street, I came across these wings - I was wondering where I had left these!

I visited El Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle). It was hard to get a photo of the outside of the castle because it was up on a hill and surrounded by foliage. But inside, wow! There were several carriages: (reminds me of Cinderella)

Beautiful artwork - and I'm not just talking about the painting - that frame is wood inlaid with miniature pieces of artwork!

Lots of stained glass, including an entire hall - this is one of about 8 or 10 scenes down that hallway.

The view from the castle over the city - Mexico City never ceases to amaze me - it is SO BIG!!!

Another day I went to El Centro Historico to pick up some trinkets for the kids and some co-workers from the street vendors. There were several street performances going on.

Next stop, Costa Rica! Here's the view from the balcony of my hotel room, looking out over a putting green with the city San Jose in the distance.

It is a great hotel - the Costa Rica Marriott San Jose, and I highly recommend it for anyone stopping in San Jose. If you care to view it, here is a link to a little video of the hotel that I took for the kids on the iPad so they could visualize where I was. Video of My Favorite Hotel

But the hotel wasn't the highlight of the visit to Costa Rica - the zip lines were! On the way to the cloud forest, we stopped at a roadside bodega to get water and use the facilities. Look what was growing right outside the rest rooms - COFFEE!!

The red bean is the ripe one, and if you squeeze it, out pop two little white coffee beans surrounded by what I can only describe as vernix. Ick! I prefer my coffee beans dry and brown, already roasted.

Anyway, I bought a whole CD of photos and videos from our ziplining adventure. A highlight for me (besides NOT DYING!) was the Tarzan Swing high out over a river.
Video of Erin on Tarzan Swing

After about 8 zip lines, I was feeling cocky and even let go for a split second. While going BACKWARDS, no less!
Video of Erin doing backwards zipline

Our 12th zipline was the longest, 550 meters face down over a river - that one ride lasted well over a minute. Here I am coming in for a landing, and grinning like a fool!
Video of Erin doing Superman zipline

Next stop, Guayaquil, Ecuador. I was only there for 14 hours, including getting a night's sleep and giving hour-long presentation at 3 schools, but during my free hour before my next flight, my driver took me to El Parque de las Iguanas - yup, you guessed what that is! Freaky! There were hundreds of them just hanging out and eating lettuce out of people's hands! (NOT my hands!)

Then we went to El Barrio Las Penas, the oldest part of town displaying coastal colonial architechture built onto the side of Santa Ana hill. It has recently been rehabilitated, and it is very cool that each renovated, brightly painted building has a photo of what it looked like before mounted on a plaque on an outside wall! Here I am at the bottom on the only street in the barrio, which is lined with art galleries. (Ignore my cheezy, squinty grin)

And here I am about halfway up - I couldn't go all the way because I didn't want to miss my flight!

In Quito, I didn't do anything very touristy besides visit a museum in the historic center of town and ride the trole (best ride I've ever gotten for 25 cents!). However, I did take a photo of this, Albert Einstein rendered in chocolate - a gift from the Colegio Einstein school, one of the many schools I visited. I ate about half of him, from the feet up, before I started to feel like I was OD'ing on chocolate.

I hope you enjoyed my travelogue! And now, for something TOTALLY random...

one of my favorite students, a top scholarship winner here at W&L and one of the sweetest, most helpful people you could ever hope to meet, is competing in the Miss America pageant. Part of the competition is raising money for The Children's Miracle Network. If even just 25% of my followers donate $5, she'll exceed her fundraising goal. Wanna help me help this phenomenal young woman acheive her dreams while helping enrich the lives of sick and injured children? The link to her personal page is https://www.missamericaforkids.org/m.aspx?i=26093f0+91b7ed373&e=3e44.

I promise you, this impressive young woman is the POLAR OPPOSITE of this poor girl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQdhMSEqhfg&feature=player_embedded
(wrong of me to pick on this girl, I know, and I'm probably going straight to hell, but I couldn't resist!)

A Winner, a Bobcat and a Chef!

2011-10-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

First of all, congratulations to Angel, commenter #4, whose number was chosen by the Random Number Generator! Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway! I love seeing who is reading my blog, and there is nothing like a giveaway to make people bite the bullet and comment, instead of just lurking silently. (which, by the way, is not meant to be a derisive comment - I am guilty of silently lurking myself!)

Second of all, I am finished traveling for the year - YAY!!! As much as I love to travel, I love being home more. This weekend was a typical one:

- Donald earned his Bobcat Badge at the Cub Scout Pack Meeting on Saturday (a distinction for which you get your face painted - anyone have any spare teeth they can donate to the Hutchinson household? Or better yet, I'll rent my children out to you as Jack-O-Lanterns at a really reasonable rate!)

-He made Rice Krispy treats to bring to the meeting. See his apron? I won that in a blogging giveaway last year from Rebecca at Our Busy Little Bunch. She makes the coolest stuff and is constantly having giveaways - check her out. And see the dogs circling about waiting to scarf up anything he drops? Boy, do they know my son well! (Are dogs allowed to eat marshmallows?)

-The Black Belt Test for Karate is Saturday, October 22. I spent 5 hours at the dojo this weekend in preparation. I'm so nervous, I'm nauseous. And thrilled to pieces that by this time next week, I can say, "I am a Black Belt in karate!" I might just introduce myself that way for a while, "Hi, I'm Erin "I'm a Black Belt in karate" Hutchinson. Nice to meet you!" What do you think, too much?

Anyway, during the test, we get to demonstrate our moves on an UKE, a generous soul who sacrifices his/her body to us for the day, prepared to be thrown about just to make us look good. My UKE is a 6 ft, 20 year old Black Belt, who also fancies himself a chef, a true Renaissance Man. We are supposed to present our UKE with a gift at the conclusion of the test. I am making him some kitchen stuff - an apron, a hot pad and a double potholder. I bought what I hope he will consider "manly" fabrics while I was in WV, and started on the gift this weekend. The double potholder is done, and while not perfect, I really like how it turned out. It is nice and roomy, plenty big enough for his manly hands. I will probably make one for myself. And perhaps for some family members who like to cook.

Now to finish up with the hot pad and the apron. I also hope to make something for Jason to give his UKE, a drawstring backpack made from one of the t-shirts from the dojo. Gotta get cracking - only 5 more days...

Bright sunshine-y day!

2011-10-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

I had a bright sunshine-y day DESPITE the rain that poured down in West Virginia today. First of all, West Virginia is so beautiful that even the rain can't spoil the awe I feel when driving around the state. Secondly, I was quite popular at all of my school visits today; I hate going to a school and having no one to talk to, but that hasn't been an issue anywhere this year (knock on wood). And thirdly, and most importantly, this was the day that I finally got to meet a 4-year blogging buddy in person!!!

After my last school visit, I drove over to Clarksburg, WV to meet Becky at Classic Quilt Shop. I've gotta explore new quilt shops whenever possible when traveling. This cute little shop was bright and tidy and the owner was a sweetheart; I encourage you to visit if you are ever driving down 79 in West Virginia. I did my small part to help the economy and keep this LQS open - I picked up a few more goodies to add to my Embroidery Floss giveaway (on my last post if you missed it and would like to enter): some embroidery needles, some DMC floss holders (which I've never even heard of before, but I hate it when my floss gets tangled!!!), and 2 fat eighths of black and white butterfly fabrics - I bought fat quarters because I wanted some for myself, but I'm willing to share!

When we were done there, we headed over to Panera Bread to eat and get to know each other. It turns out, she's just as cool as I thought she would be, and hilarious to boot! We had some good laughs, talked about some books we've both read, travel, politics, family, etc. The time flew - I wish I had more time to get to know her!

And being quilters, OF COURSE we each had a little something for the other one. I gave her that snap shut coin purse I made earlier this week (I didn't mention on the blog that it was for her, just in case she read my blog before I saw her!) and the Independence Table Runner that I finished this year. It was originally made for her for PayItForward on Facebook, but I never got around to sending it to her. This meeting was perfect so I could give it to her.

Look what she gave me! She made this wonderful winter wallhanging, so I can FINALLY do some seasonal decorating - and it is embroidered (embroidery is definitely on my brain these days!). She did a beautiful job hand quilting it, and even added sparkley beads. I can't wait to hang it up!

Plus she gave me a bag of scraps (otherwise known as TREASURE in my sewing room). Look at all those Black and Whites for me to add to my Red/White/Black quilt! I'm tempted to rush home now and start sewing, never mind the day of school visits I have planned for tomorrow!

Thanks, Becky! I look forward to meeting you again, and let's not wait 4 years next time!

All caught up! (and giveaway)

2011-10-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

The last time I wrote, it was Wednesday and I was in Ecuador, longing to be home. Well, I made it home Saturday afternoon, and spent an exhausting yet exhilarating 3 days there doing a cub scout campout and hosting 12 high school seniors from around the country. Now it is Wednesday again, and I'm writing from another hotel in West Virginia. At least this is a short trip - I'll be home Friday night and then I'll be done traveling for a while.

Travel season is a great time for me to work on embroidery. I am all caught up with my Birdie Stitches BOM - here are the last 3 blocks that I completed, all during travel season.

I'm so glad I discovered embroidery. I don't do anything fancy, but I'm becoming more adept and faster, and I enjoy doing it. I'm thinking of sketching out my own designs for a couple projects.

Do you embroider? If not, would you like some embroidery floss to give it a try? Or if so, can I interest you in some more floss to add to your stash? Our local hobby shop is going out of business, much to the dismay of my boys. The good news is that everything is 50% off, so when I was there with the boys this weekend, I picked up 15 flosses, 3 shades of 5 colors. It's not much, but I offer it to you, my readers. I already have more embroidery floss than I know what to do with, but I couldn't resist buying more, especially at such a great price! I'll see what else I can throw in to sweeten the pot.

Leave a comment by my bedtime on Sunday, October 16 and I'll pick a recipient of the floss on Monday.

***EDITED 10/13/11 to say that I picked up these goodies to add to the giveaway - some embroidery needles, some DMC floss holders, and 2 fat eighths of black and white butterfly fabrics that I picked up at a quilt shop in WV today.***

Since I'm caught up on those blocks, and since this was a driving trip, I brought my Pick and Choose quilt to work on (hand quilting). I hope I make some headway, but honestly, all I want to do is catch up on my sleep! I am so exhausted! But not too exhausted yesterday to sew a bit - I made another snap shut change purse with the metal tape measure I bought for that purpose. I love these cute little things. (tutorial by Wilma can be found here)

I use the one I made before to hold my cash, coins, ID and credit cards. When I pulled it out at work the other day, there were some requests to make more, so I am happily obliging! These will be my stocking stuffers this year as well. What are you making to give away at the holidays this year, anything quick and easy (that I might want to make as well)?

Enough already!

2011-10-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

OK, guys, the fun is over, I am ready to go home. I am ready to trade these luxury hotels for my untidy home. I am ready to trade these solicitous waitpeople for my challenging children. I am ready to drive myself to work instead of having a chauffeur. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I miss my family, my house, my life.

I also miss sewing. I haven't done much sewing on this trip. The times when I could sit still and sew are in the airport, but after last year's highway (airport) robbery where TSA took all my needles and pins, I have put my sewing into my checked baggage. Oh well.

I have been able to read, though. I read "The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse" by Leann Sweeney. I'd never heard of it before last week, but I enjoyed it. It is the first of the Cats In Trouble series. The protagonist is a quilter and cat-lover, and solves her first mystery. A classic cozy. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered the second book, "The Cat, The Professor and The Poison."

Then, I read Threading The Needle by Marie Bostwick. I'm in love with her town and her characters and the lives that they create for themselves. I have, and have enjoyed, all 4 of the Cobbled Court Quilts series.

Now I am starting Arlene Sachitano's Quilter's Knot. I've already read the first and the third in the series, and now I've added the second and the fourth to my collection. Honestly, they aren't my favorites because I don't feel all that connected to the characters, perhaps I need more character development, but I can't resist quilt fiction of any kind.

Anyway, some highlights from my trip so far (again, no photos because I have no way to transfer them on here yet):
In Mexico City - visiting El Castillo de Chapultepec (an honest to goodness castle!)
In Costa Rica - conquering my fear of heights and doing a zip line tour of the San Luis Canopy
In Guayaquil (Ecuador) - visiting El Parque de los Iguanas (no joke guys, a park with iguanas walking around everywhere freely amongst people - you could even PET them - I didn't)

Now I'm in Quito. There will be some shopping in my future for trinkets for my family and co-workers, but other than that and giving my spiel over and over and over (and over) at schools for the next two days, I think I will stay close to the hotel and just relax. I am exhausted! Please sew a few extra seams for me!

Surrounded by celebrities!

2011-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

The good news - I got my iPad working again. The bad news - all the data and apps I had stored on there are gone. Oh well. At least I can blog, right?

I worked a bit on my September Birdie Stitches BOM last night while watching a Hugh Grant movie in spanish. I'm sure I missed a bit of the dialogue, but with no subtitles, it was easy to stitch and listen. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera and my phone doesn't work here, so I can't upload photos. Posts with no photos - how boring, right?

How's this for interesting - I seem to keep staying in hotels near celebrities. In Mexico City, I was staying at the JW Marriott. Right next door is the W (strange name for a hotel, I know. Seems a bit pretentious). Guess who was staying at the W, messing up traffic for all unsuspecting visitors around him. Justin Bieber. Barricades all outside with screaming girls AND WOMEN! Hilarious, except when I was trying to get a taxi and they weren't allowed through the barricades to get me and my luggage.

Here in Costa Rica, I just returned to the hotel from a day of school visits to find a horde of boys in soccer jerseys at the gate and very strict security to enter the property. Of course they let me through since I am staying here, and I arrived at the door which was surrounded by men with cameras - papparazzi, I presume. My taxi driver was having a fit of excitement - from what I understand, the Brazilian soccer team is staying here and there's a chap on the team named Ronald Hino who is apparently some big shot in the world of soccer. I know nothing, but again, I seem to be in the presence of greatness. I just pretended that the papparazzi were there for me, and exited the taxi as gracefully as possible. :)

Anyway, another day of visits here in Costa Rica, and then I am off to Ecuador. Hasta luego!

Technology woes!

2011-10-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

I have so much to share from my travels so far, but when I arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica last night, I discovered that neither my iPad nor my Blackberry was functioning. WAH! I have photos from Chapultepec Castle that I visited, photos from the Historic Center of Mexico City/Zocalo where I visited vendors for trinkets marvelled at the old buildings. I was there when they ceremonially lowered the (ENORMOUS) Mexican flag in the center plaza. Everyone stopped walking and gathered around. Cars that were driving by stopped where they were in the streets and everyone got out and stood watching. Maybe it is a daily thing, but it was a moving experience.

Now, I am at a hotel that I've never stayed at in San Jose and let me tell you, it is NICE! My room has a small balcony that looks out over a golf course with the city and mountains in the distance. Last night it was magical, so I slept with my sliding glass doors open (I'm on the 4th floor, no worries, no one will walk in on me). Today, I am supposed to do a zip line canopy tour of a cloud forest if only they can find my reservation. I hope so - I took a late flight last night just so I could be here today to do this!

Anyway, unless I can get my iPad back up and running, you probably won't hear from me much until I get to Ecuador later in the week. I know there are internet cafes near my hotel in Quito where I can get cheap internet. Here in the hotel business center, I am paying $10/hour, so I can't linger. Have a great week, all!

Wnner! And losers...

2011-09-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

Most first commenters on giveaway posts lament the fact that they are the first commenter, certain that they won't win. Not so this time - my Random Number Generator chose number 1, Linda from Illinois! Gotta wait until I get back in the country to mail it Linda; I forgot that my flight was at 6 AM so I had no chance to mail it today.

The losers I referenced in my title were a couple at the airport this morning. The flight was overbooked by one seat. I volunteered to stay behind for a later flight - I don't have to be anywhere until 8:30 AM tomorrow, and there was another flight that would get me here tonight and I'm always interested in the $400 travel vouchers. However, at the last minute, the captain radioed to the gate agent that they were going to be over the weight limit, so even though there were 2 empty seats on the plane, they could only take one more passenger. The two people who were supposed to be in those seats were a couple headed to a wedding. They refused to be separated and put up quite a fuss, but there was nothing the gate agent could do. I felt so bad for those two as I boarded the plane and they were left behind. I hope they finally got wherever they were going in time.

I, on the other hand, had two seats to myself on the otherwise full plane, and then had a row of 3 seats to myself on the plane from Atlanta to Mexico City. I arrived around noon, and after checking in at my hotel, walked around in this frou-frou neighborhood for a bit. I'm staying at the JW Marriott, as usual. Somehow I missed this the last two years (or forgot), but directly across the street is a Bentley car dealership, and just down the road, a Porsche dealership. Needless to say, I didn't do any shopping today because I can't afford anything in this part of town. It sure is nice to walk around in, though. I grabbed some tacos at an outdoor cafe, then came back to the hotel to rest. I'm pretty tired after my 4 AM wake up today to catch my flight. I chatted with the family using FACETIME on our iPads (genius! the kids even danced for me, it was great!), and then I nipped across the street to Starbucks to get a chocolate croissant for dinner. What's that you say? Croissants aren't dinner? Whatever, you only live once. Now, I'm debating heading down to the hot tub (outdoors) or just staying inside in the plush robe that comes with the room. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I'm not all that keen on being away from my family for so long, but travel isn't all bad!

After my conference presentations in the morning, I plan to head over to the Centro Historico to check out some museums and maybe make some purchases. I'd also like to check out Chapultepec Castle - we'll see if I have time. I'm not sure if I can get photos on here with only the iPad and my phone to work with, but I'll try. Plus, there may be another giveaway if I find anything interesting to buy during this week, so stay tuned!

Catching my breath

2011-09-28T05:17:00.001-07:00

I don't know why I do this to myself.

I arrived home on Sunday after a miserable travel day (5:15 AM wakeup call to catch an early flight, plane malfunction - discovered while we were in the air!, diverted to a new airport and switched to a new plane, turbulence that resulted in the lady behind me breaking my eardrums with her screams and the gal next to me dousing my lap with her drink, and when we finally arrived - late, of course - no luggage!). Monday, I was swamped at work, then had 2 karate classes and grocery shopping to do. Yesterday I was so strung out at work that I never stopped for lunch AND worked late AND brought my computer home to get some more things done.

However, when I arrived home with my kiddos, the sun was shining, there was a gentle breeze dancing over our mountain, and I said "ENOUGH!" I got a tall, frosty glass of ice water, pulled a picnic blanket out of the car, and settled myself down on the lawn with some books to read to the kids. I had to catch my breath - all this running hither and yon gets to be too much sometimes. We finished reading HOLES (just in time, too, because the movie is supposed to arrive from Netflix today!) and read DONKEY DONKEY, a book that I remember loving when I was a kid, so I ordered it online (can I just say that I LOVE Amazon Prime! I ordered the book on Monday afternoon, and it was in my mailbox on Tuesday!). I petted the cats, I brushed out the dogs. I caught my breath.

At that point, I could have gotten some work done, but I was on a roll now. I helped the kids with their homework, and then headed downstairs to prep some sewing to take on my next trip. (I leave tomorrow morning for Mexico, Costa Rica and Ecuador - another early flight with a 4 AM wakeup call, sheesh!) I sandwiched the little pink and brown doll quilt and stuffed the pillow to go with it (oops, no photo). I made another pillow for Rosabelle the dog (oops, no photo again, but it was nothing fancy anyway), and in between times, I worked some more on my current Leaders and Enders project with 1.5" scrap squares.

These blocks are 6.5" unfinished, and I'm not sure where I'm going with them. The point is to use up the black floral that is surrounding half of the blocks. I had a whole stack of 4.5" squares of that, and I wanted to use them up.

So, for this trip, in addition to packing the doll quilt and my September Birdie Stitches BOM to work on, I'm going to pack these, which I also ordered from Amazon on Monday, and which also arrived yesterday:

While browsing on Amazon, I saw that there are 2 Clare O'Donohue books that I don't yet own and a new Jennifer Chiaverini book coming out in November. Can you hear me rubbing my hands together in anticipation? I LOVE QUILT FICTION! Reading and quilting are two of my favorite pasttimes, so putting them together is a winning combination for me!

If you like batiks, don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway for 2 half yard cuts of batiks from Ghana. I will choose the winner tonight before I go to bed, and pop the box in the mailbox tomorrow on my way to the airport.

Do you know the "law of tenfold return" - give and you shall receive back tenfold? (I'm paraphrasing, I don't know the exact quote, although I am pretty sure it originated in the Bible) I know this to be true, and yet another example of this was waiting for me when I got home this weekend. I bought some fabric to give to others, and in my mailbox, from my mom and younger sister, was a box containing this - a pattern for Skiers in the Air and yards and yards of FLANNEL fabric to make it!!! Thank you, Mom and Kerry! Great gift that I will DEFINITELY put to good use!

And wanna see my favorite card? This is from my college roommate for my birthday this year:

I'm glad she thinks I'm remarkable - I'm going to need to be remarkable to get done all that needs doing today! I'll be out of the country until October 8, so I need to get all my affairs in order today, then on October 9 I have a group of 13 students visiting campus at my invitation for 3 days. And during the 28 hours between my return on the 8th and their arrival on the 9th, guess what is happening? Some of you probably guessed it - a cub scout campout!

I'll end the way I started...I don't know why I do this to myself!

Giveaway! From Ghana by way of New Orleans and Virginia...

2011-09-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, Erin, it's your birthday!!!

40 - WOO HOO!!! So far, I'm loving this start to my fifth decade of existence. I attended two conference sessions this morning, and then set off exploring. Yesterday, Wendy commented that I should find a store here in New Orleans that sells fabric and goods produced by women in Ghana, so that is what I did. If you are ever in New Orleans, I encourage you to visit their store, but even now, at home, you can visit their website:
http://babablanket.com/our-story.html.

I was awed by many of the handicrafts there, but went in with the sole purpose of buying fabric to:

A) help support keeping young girls in Ghana in school (proceeds from sales help the SISTA - Stay In School Tuition Assistance - program; what better tribute to my commitment to access to education, the topic of BOTH conference sessions I attended this morning!) and

B) to share these lovely fabrics with YOU, my blog readers!

So, simple giveaway here - leave a comment on this post by the end of the day, Wednesday, September 28, and I'll enter you in a drawing to win half yard of each of these batiks that I picked up at the store.

As a hand quilter, I rarely use batiks, and even then, just in small doses, so this fabric is for YOU!

Once I found the store and made the purchase, I wanted to explore some more. I headed down St. Charles Avenue to take some pictures in the Garden District. I discovered that those beautiful homes are hard to photograph because of all the greenery that surrounds and shields them, but I've shared some photos here. My favorite architectural features are the working shutters, the two levels of porches, and the wrought iron detailing.

I ended up walking more than 4 miles, finally taking refuge in a public library where the book that caught my fancy was The Cottage Book: Living Simple and Easy by Carol Bass. After looking at all these fancy homes, it was refreshing to go from looking at what incites my curiousity to what feeds my soul. I may marvel at the fancy pants homes, but simple, country living is what appeals to me most and where I feel most at home.

Rested, I hopped on a streetcar for the ride back to the hotel. What fun! After that ride, I was hoping to find that I could watch A Streetcar Named Desire on Netflix, but alas, it is only on DVD, not streaming. Another night, I guess.

Now, I am resting my feet before heading back to Cafe Du Monde for my third round of coffee and beignets. YUM!

(the menu...)

Here's a shot looking out over Jackson Square (across the street from the Cafe) at the Saint Louis Cathedral and a museum. Can you see all the carriages lined up to take tourists around? And behind them, the artists selling their wares along the fence?

And this is the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co that I've passed several times on my daily pilgrimage to the land of beignets. I love the colors, those circular details under the windows, and those arches over the windows.

Lest you think all I am doing is walking around eating beignets and photographing the homes of unsuspecting private citizens, here is the Birdie Stitches BOM for August that I finished during the conference sessions.

I'm working on September now, and hope to have it done by the time the weekend is over. Speaking of which, I should probably stop typing and start stitching!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...

TreeHouses and the Big Easy

2011-09-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

Greetings from New Orleans!

I'm attending a conference here - are any of my quilting/blogging buddies who work in education here as well? If so, let me know - I turn 40 tomorrow, and while I am used to spending my birthdays on the road, alone, I'd rather do something fun here in this fun city like meet a blogging friend in person!

I had been having some fun in between the educational sessions. My hotel is on Canal Street, so I am very close to the French Quarter. I wandered down Bourbon Street yesterday morning to see what it looks like when there AREN'T drunken hordes in the streets - all very wet as they sprayed everything down, with delivery trucks lined up bumper to bumper. It amazes me that that street is like a party every night - how exhausting!

I made my way to the French Market, where I stopped at an artist's co-op called Dutch Alley Gallery. It is my dream to open an artists' co-op one day, so I had a great time perusing their wares and talking with the artists. Over near the quilted items, there was a painter named Dan Fuller who paints fanciful treehouses. As my children are OBSESSED with building a tree house (my fault for mentioning it in passing one day - it's funny, they forget that you asked them to take out the compost or clean their rooms, but that one comment lodged itself inextricably into their little brains...) I asked him if I could photograph him in front of his work.

I also bought one of his note cards to have him sign it. I wish I could have brought a whole painting home, but a) I am traveling with just a backpack and a laptop, and b) it isn't really in the budget this week/month/year.

After that, I strode purposefully to Cafe du Monde for beignets and frozen cafe au lait, black pants be damned. Just as good as I remember it from 5 or 6 years ago when I was last here, so I'll be going back again today (and tomorrow, and Sunday if they are open that early before I go to the airport). That delicious treat was followed by a stroll through Riverwalk, and then down to the Convention Center.

On my way back to the hotel yesterday, I passed this "treehouse", honoring the people and remembering the events of Hurricane Katrina.

Tree/house just seemed to be the theme for yesterday. One of the things I love about New Orleans is the architecture, from the amazing homes in the Garden District (where I had a wonderful dinner last night), to the historic gems in the French Quarter, to the great detail on the businesses down town. Check out this detail over a doorway of what is now a bank:

The other thing I love is the tropical-ness. There are palm trees outside my hotel. There are ferns hanging from nearly every balcony, and windowboxes every which way you look. There is a green square around every third corner - just foliage everywhere!

It inspires me to make a quilt with both houses and trees, both items I've been wanting to incorporate into a quilt sooner or later. What do you think, a Tree House quilt? Maybe for the kids to keep in THEIR treehouse, which one of these days, I'm going to have to get off my keister and help them build?

A day to play

2011-09-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Aaaahhhhh!

That's the sound of me sleeping in, the sound of me not leaving the house all day, the sound of me reading and finishing a movie and sewing and eating homemade Apple Crisp and building with Lincoln Logs with the kids and reading them a couple more chapters of HOLES at bedtime. That's the sound of me relaxing. What a wonderful day!

I spent some time today in the sewing room. I wanted to make a doll quilt, and was thinking that I wanted to make it from bowtie blocks. I pulled out a bag of solid scraps that I bought in WV last year (or was it the year before? Or perhaps 2 years ago? Where does the time go?) and pulled out all the pink and brown. When I was in Atlanta, my friend's daughter gave her room to me for my visit. Her room is decorated in pink and brown. Her birthday is coming up, and I thought I could make a quilt and pillow for her American Girl doll, Addy Rose Alston. Of course, with my quilter's ADD, I got bored making just bowties, so here's what I finally came up with:

Now to stuff the pillow and quilt the quilt. Of course, I just realized that I don't know what size her American Girl doll is. If it is one of those enormous ones, this quilt won't do. But you know what? When making the free-pieced letters, I realized that the doll has the same initials as my niece! If the quilt isn't big enough for the American Girl doll, I'll give it to my niece - I'm sure she'll have a doll or stuffed animal who will fit under it. Or I could make her a little rag doll to fit under there...

While I was playing in the sewing room, the rest of the family was playing, too. I walked by my husband and eldest playing Air Hockey...

to find my youngest playing deep sea diver in my tub.

I love it when everyone is happy and relaxed and having fun. And you know what, those bubbles look mighty good to me! I think I may just go banish Captain Jack Sparrow and his compadres from my bathroom, light the candles, and end my weekend with a book and a bath myself.

Have a great week, everyone!

Look, Ma! No pattern!

2011-09-17T05:17:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to make an iPad cover/carrier for a while now. We take our iPad with us EVERYWHERE!!! I did research online and found tutorials for how to make a cover. And I fully intended to use one of those patterns to make my cover. But then I didn't. I just started cutting and sewing, never mind the fact that I've never really made a bag before other than my drawstring backpacks.

The result is a bag that I love, that is big enough to fit the iPad plus a few other things that I may want to carry around with me including the wireless keyboard, but that won't win any awards for design or construction. For example, it didn't occur to me that I had no idea how to add straps until after the rest of the bag was done. Live and learn. Next time I'll use a pattern. But for now...

VOILA!

The yellow fabric is a durable canvas-type material and the inside is soft, cozy flannel. Everything, from the fabric to the button to the elastic loop for the button, was from my stash. It took less than an hour, and I will be using it regularly, I am sure. Well, at least until I make another one where I actually follow a pattern!

Sitting and stitching

2011-09-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend when I was in Atlanta, I visited my friend, Nancy/Mamanance. (thank goodness I was able to visit her because she rarely gets a chance to update her blog in her super busy retirement! - hint, hint, Nancy!) I have photos because she and her husband are quick to document life through the lens of their cameras. We spent most of the evening after dinner in her sewing room - I love it! Lots of space, great stash, floor to ceiling bookshelves with quite a few quilt fiction titles, and then, of course, Nancy!

How fun to sit and stitch with Nancy while we caught up!

I'll be sitting and stitching for most of this weekend, too, if I have anything to say about it. I'm feeling a bit under the weather, and the weather is a bit cool, so I can think of nothing better than curling up under a quilt that I am working on. And EAT, PRAY, LOVE came in the mail from Netflix. I thought I'd watch it a couple of nights ago until I saw on the cover that the running time is 4 AND A HALF HOURS LONG!!! Are you KIDDING me? Who has that kind of time? That has to be a typo, right? Anyway, I'm tackling it this weekend no matter how long it is.

Have a good one, y'all!

One down, three to go

2011-09-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

Travel season has begun, so my blogging is likely to be sporadic until mid-October. I just got back from my first trip - ATLANTA. I love going to Atlanta because I get to stay with friends, one night with Nancy (mamanance), where we talk and quilt and talk and quilt and eat her yummy food and talk and quilt. Then two nights with a girlfriend that I met when I lived in Atlanta 14 years ago, one of those friends where you can be apart for 9 months and when you see each other, the conversation picks up right where you left off.

Quilting-wise, I spent my spare moments working on the August Birdie BOM block, trying to meander quilt my Chicken Soup quilt by hand (confession - I am picking out the machine quilting; I am just not happy with the results), and a stop in a new-to-me quilt shop, Red Hen Fabrics in Marietta, GA where I picked up some chubby eighths for my Let's Bee Together quilt and some Heat Press Batting Together tape. Has anyone ever used this? I am curious to see how it works since I have so many batting scraps that aren't quite big enough for a quilt.

Speaking of my Let's Bee Together quilt, I received another block; isn't it cool?

But here's what is NOT cool: On Friday night, while my kids were enjoying Parents Night Out at karate, I went to a quilt guild meeting and trunk show and then hit the grocery store to pick up food so my family wouldn't go hungry during my absence. I picked the kids up at 10 PM, and had them in bed by 10:30 PM, me, a bit later. On Saturday, I got up, made breakfast, packed, showered, and was on my way to the airport by 9:30 AM. Fast forward to 10:30 PM yesterday (Tuesday), when my flight landed and I went back to my car for the drive home. Guess what I found?

Yup, the groceries from Friday night. 4 days in a closed car in the Virginia heat. I think I know what a corpse smells like. Did you know that packages of Jimmy Dean sausage will explode when left out in the sun? Or that frozen pot pies nearly liquify? I don't even want to know what was growing on the inside of the bread bag, and I am thankful that not ALL of the yogurt containers burst.

I drove to the nearest gas station and pumped gas as a cover for my dumping $98 worth of groceries in their trash recepticles and then scrubbing the back of my car with antibacterial wipes. At 11:00 at night. Before an hour and a half drive home. With all the windows down and the sunroof open in an attempt to get some breathable air.

PLEASE, make me feel like I am not the only bonehead on earth - leave me a comment telling me something boneheaded that you have done. I can't be the only one, right?

Tension Troubles

2011-09-08T04:13:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law came through surgery OK, and now they just have to figure out what to do next. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and positive thoughts. It certainly made ME feel better!

But still, I've been tense this week. I've been chewing up the inside of my mouth. My shoulders are sore from being held so stiffly. I'm not getting enough sleep, and not sleeping very well when I do.

I really want to get this quilt done so I can send it up to her. So after karate and dinner last night, I went down to the sewing room to see what I could do about quilting it. First, I started with some straight lines - BORING! I couldn't make myself do more than 2 lines, which I will be taking out. Time to put on my big girl pants (borrowing from Em) and try Free Motion Quilting. A meander can't be that hard, right? I thought I'd practice on one of my hot pads that I had made this spring, the one I messed up on and left the space between the O and the T, the one I am definitely keeping for myself anyway:

OK, not too bad, I can do this. Of course, the hot pad is only about 8" square...

I got started on the Chicken Soup Quilt and the thread kept breaking. I rethreaded 3 times before I pulled the quilt out and looked at the back. Not only was the thread breaking, but the back had ridiculous loops. Obviously my tension was wrong. Maybe I should read my notes from when I tried free motion quilting once before. Why don't I ever read the instructions FIRST?? I had in my notes what tension works for me, what stitch length, etc. I made the adjustments and switched to new thread (why not? maybe it was the wrong thread and THAT is why it kept breaking), and started again in another place.

It isn't perfect.

The shapes are funny looking and in some places, much more angular than smooth, sometimes crossing over other lines of stitching even though I was trying hard to avoid that.

I am finding it very difficult to maintain the same speed throughout so that I can have the same stitch length throughout.

But I'm doing it!

Unfortunately, I have a bunch of stitching to pull out from the first thread...UGH!

You know, I'm also tense because of the book I'm reading. Someone from work read my blog and offered me her copy of THE HELP so I wouldn't have to wait for the library copies to come available. I'm really enjoying the story, but it is also making me tense. I just KNOW something terrible is going to happen. Despite my knowledge of segregation and discrimination in the US, reading about it still exasperates and angers me. But it is a good story, so I keep reading.

You know what DIDN'T stress me out? On Monday evening, I watched the 1985 version of Anne of Green Gables, all 3.25 hours worth. No wonder it was on TV as a miniseries when I was a kid - it is LONG! But so good! I never even considered not watching the whole thing from start to finish. (I spent the whole time wondering, though, who cast Megan Follows as Anne? She's perfect for the role in temperment, but in the book, Anne is supposedly not pretty, and in my eyes, Megan Follows is gorgeous!) And while watching, I was transported to that magical place (in my mind), Prince Edward Island, and felt myself relaxing. I finished my June Birdie BOM (leaving me just August and September left to do at this point, which I will take on my first work trip this weekend):

and I made some more progress hand quilting my Pick and Choose Quilt. Will I EVER finish that quilt? I am starting to wonder...

Quilting as prayer

2011-09-07T04:06:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law, Wilma, is an amazing woman. She is kind and generous, brave and fierce, gentle and loving, funny and intelligent. I love her dearly. Unfortunately, she has been battling cancer for years now - breast cancer, uterine cancer, colon cancer. But, like I said, she's brave and fierce, and she's been doing an amazing job at keeping cancer at bay and living her life. We found out this weekend that her current threat is not responding to treatment and she's going to have surgery. Today.

I'm thinking positive thoughts. After all, she's fierce and brave, remember? Last night, I just felt like I had to do something, so I went down to the sewing room. At first, I thought flannel, something cozy for her lap while she is convalescing. I started picking out fabrics, but they were all so bright and saccharine. When you are sick, you don't need candy, right? You need chicken soup. I made a pot of homemade chicken soup on Monday. My kids have had the sniffles and coughs for two weeks now, and it was raining, and it just seemed right. So I set out to make a chicken soup quilt for Wilma, nothing fancy, no measuring, made from basic ingredients plus leftovers from other projects, but made with love, made with prayer.

Out came the shirtings and the homespuns and a baggie of HSTs that I got from someone down the line. I put my heart into it and I put her heart into it. I made a ribbon to symbolize her fight against cancer. I left an opening in the border with some HST arrows to show the way for that cancer to get out, out of her body and out of her life.

With every stitch, I thought of all the memories we've made over the last 18 years - the family gatherings, the vacations, the births and birthday parties, the board games, the movies, the sitting up late into the night talking. With every stitch, I sent positive, healing, loving thoughts her way, willing those doctors to fix what is wrong with her once and for all, willing her to have the strength to fight and persevere and triumph. With every stitch, I prayed for 18 more years with her.

Bee Activity

2011-09-03T05:08:00.001-07:00

We had our office retreat this week. Longtime followers will remember that we go to a wonderful lodge in the middle of the Virginia countryside, Fort Lewis Lodge, for two days of debriefing and goal-setting and bonding. I absolutely love it there! It is so serene and beautiful (with a quilt on every bed!). I didn't go kayaking this year, but I did go for a walk/run, spent a few minutes in the hot tub, and ate embarrassingly large quantities of their fantastic food. I justify myself by saying, "Well, it is a retrEAT, after all!"

(this photo, lifted from the Fort Lewis Lodge website, is of the outdoor pavilion where we have our meetings and where we hang out in front of the fire after the days work is done. Seriously, if you are ever visiting SW Virginia and looking for a spectacular place to say, I can't recommend this place highly enough)

When I arrived home on Thursday, I received my fabrics for the September Bee Block. I whipped it up yesterday, and will put it in the mail today.

I also received another of my August blocks back. (curious - even though I got my fabrics out to Bee participants early in the last week of July, I've only received 4 blocks back so far in the first week of September - is that normal?) Anyway, this block was worth the wait - it is wonderful!

Plus, she threw in some bonus black and white prints for me - I love the one with the fancy ladies walking their fancy dogs!

My quilting goals for this long weekend are to finish my June Birdie BOM and prep my August and September blocks so I can take them on the road with me (my first trip of the travel season starts a week from today - back to Atlanta), to make some more progress hand-quilting the Pick and Choose quilt, and practice some free motion quilting on some hot pads for my kitchen. My home life goals for this weekend are to enjoy a campout with the kids, complete my online training for cub scout den leader for this year, and clean up this pigsty I call a home.

I understand there are some people out there who actually enjoy cleaning. Are any of you strange creatures reading my blog? If so, do you want to come visit me?

If only I had a 22" waist!

2011-08-31T04:07:00.000-07:00

I finished my niece's circle skirt! For some reason, the last row of gathering wasn't so onerous last night.

I made a binding for the bottom hem...

Added an elastic waist and tied a ribbon in the front...

And I swear to you, if my waist were only 22 inches, I would keep this for myself! Wouldn't it be fun to flounce around in this?

Perhaps I need my head examined, but I am seriously considering making an adult-sized one! And I will not lie, I tried to squeeze into this one...it looked mighty cute around my knees!

I hope she likes it - ONE Christmas present done!!!

Can we rewind to the weekend, please?

2011-08-29T06:49:00.001-07:00

I could tell it was a Monday morning without even looking at a calendar. I took the dogs to the vet this morning for check-ups and Rosabelle vomited in the car. While washing it out at a gas station, I was wondering to myself if I was going to smell like vomit at the office all day when it occured to me that I forgot to put on deodorant this morning in my rush to get both kids and both dogs out of the house on time. Great, I am going to smell like vomit AND sweat today. Can we just rewind to my wonderful weekend, please?

Hurricane Irene brought us some wind and rain, but nothing we couldn't handle. More importantly, she brought us BEAUTIFUL post-hurricane weather! No humidity and temps in the low 80s during the day and low 60s at night - and it is supposed to be like this all week! I'm in heaven! (in case you didn't know, "almost heaven" is in West Virginia, "heaven" is in Virginia)

Saturday was busy with quite a bit of running around and volunteering accompanied by the blustery weather, but Sunday was wonderful and relaxing. I didn't even shower and dress until right before bedtime when I put on clean pajamas! It was Jason's 9th birthday, so I made him some banana bread for breakfast, we opened gifts, and we lounged about for most of the day. For me, lounging includes sewing. I made a pillowcase dress/nightgown for Anika from a 50 cent pillowcase she helped me pick out at the thrift store this summer. I am much happier with my stitches and construction with this one than with the first one I made a couple months ago.

(note: this is a child-sized headless mannequin, NOT my 6 year old son. What kind of mother would ask her son to model a dress for his cousin!?! Although most 6-year-olds will do almost anything for chocolate...) I'll be sending this off to her once I whip up the other pillowcase that we bought into a nightgown. I would have done them at the same time but the other one needed a different thread color, and there is a limit to how many times I am willing to change the thread in a single day.

I also started working on a Christmas present for my niece - a patchwork circle skirt. The tutorial can be found at http://indietutes.blogspot.com/2007/05/patchwork-circle-skirt.html. I love the dresses in the tutorial, but wow, I had no idea how challenging it is to "gather". Each successive row has 1.5 times the number of patches, and you somehow have to sew them together. The first two rows were a struggle, but I powered through. When it came time to add the third row, I thought, "No way is this going to work!"

But it did.

I was hoping that 3 rows would be enough, so I tried the skirt on my "child-sized headless mannequin" (no photo), but realized that if I didn't add another row, my niece would be getting a lot of unwanted attention everytime she bent over. The 4th row of blocks is over 10.5 feet long!

I called it a day once I got the blocks sewn together and a binding sewn onto the bottom of the row - I won't be attempting to "gather" that row until I have been fortified by a good night's sleep, a cup of coffee and a soothing fragrant candle. All I have left is to sew on the 4th row and sew on a waistband. (I have elastic in there now, but I'm in the process of taking that out because I thought of a better way to do the waist, I think.)

I would love to make one of these for myself - how fun would it be to flounce around in one of those? - , but the effort might just put me over the edge and into the looney bin. Maybe if I used rectangles instead of squares so I wouldn't need so many rows... (not that my legs are that long to begin with) It bears considering, and wow, what a stashbusting project!

To calm my nerves after all the "gathering", I started watching McLeod's Daughters on Netflix. I have found my new Netflix addiction! First, it was Gilmore Girls, then Brothers and Sisters, now, I can't wait to see what happens next on that beautiful spread in South Australia. And there are 100 episodes - woo hoo! I'm only on number 5, so lots of viewing pleasure ahead of me. I was watching on my big 110" screen in our home movie theater (which still isn't painted, by the way - wasn't that my grand plan for my summer vacation?), and the scenery was BREATHTAKING! Was that filmed anywhere near where any of my Australian friends/followers live? If so, prepare a room; I'm coming to visit!

Inspired!

2011-08-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, with a whole afternoon and evening spreading out before me with no plans, I felt inspired - inspired to let some of you know how much you inspire me!

When I started blogging, it was to chronicle my quilts: the process, the dates, the fabrics, the techniques, the ideas, the finished products, the frustrations, the triumphs. I had no idea there would be this awesome community of people who would greet me, challenge me, encourage me, support me and INSPIRE me. Thank you!

So armed with some quilt magazines and the materials I have collected to make postcards ALA Julie Tulips with my Cub Scouts this fall, I started playing. Here's what I have come up with so far:

More to come, for sure!

Nellie, all stuffed and ready to nap, sat guard over my workspace.

When Donald saw Nellie, he immediately reached out his arms for her.

I think he was disappointed when I told him that I made her for me. Perhaps I should make one for him, too!

Last night, after nearly gluing my fingers together making postcards, I decided to go downstairs and make one quilt block. After all, there I was cutting up quilt magazines - I couldn't help but be inspired to sew! The one quilt block I made was a log cabin block - a 44" square log cabin block. You know those quilts, usually baby quilt size, that are made of just one block.

That is what I was going for, but as it now stands, I'm not really feeling it. It needs more. What next? Ideas are most welcome!

Happy, Scrappy, Nappy

2011-08-26T05:19:00.000-07:00

She's HAPPY!

She's SCRAPPY!

She's NAPPY!

She's...not done, but done enough to give you a sneak peek. Introducing NELLIE! My happy, scrappy, nappy (nappy-headed AND her eyes are closed so it looks like she's sleeping) RAG DOLL!

All she needs is some stuffing, which I will pick up this afternoon. I will sew her up and we will snuggle down and wait out the soggy Hurricane Irene weather together in my bed with a book and a cup of tea.

After successfully qualifying to receive my first degree black belt in American Freestyle Karate yesterday (the actual test and belt ceremony is not until October 22, but you have to qualify by completing the entire test in a private test before you can participate in the public test), I wanted to do something fun and quick and something that didn't require much thought. Beth's rag doll tutorial at LoveLaughQuilt fit the bill perfectly, and I made Nellie to resemble me:
happy - to have passed the test!
scrappy - I was throwing my uke (partner) all over the dojo floor yesterday with a vengeance despite the fact that he outweighs me by at least 50 pounds!
nappy - I am so tired I could sleep standing up!

But alas, I must stay awake for now, and get through this work day. Thank goodness it is Friday! Not only do I NOT have any afterschool or evening plans today (what!?!), but I also already have dinner in the crockpot (vegetable curry with chickpeas). I can't wait to get home this afternoon!

What's shakin'?

2011-08-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

Well, Virginia, for one thing. Yesterday's earthquake, with the epicenter just 85 miles from me as the crow flies, was my first ever. What a surreal and unsettling experience! I admit to being a bit excited, too, and thankful that our quake was puny compared to those that seem to create devastation in other parts of the country and the world. When I picked my kids up from school yesterday, just an hour after it happened, my 8 year old told me that he was in science class when it happened, and they followed emergency procedures and all hid out in the bathrooms until it was over. His comment, "Mom, it was great! We never had a science class like that in third grade!" (Note to science teachers around the globe - wanna excite your kids about science? Plan for something "scientific" to happen during your class time!)

Since I work at a university with an active Geology department, we have a seismograph here on campus. Here's what the quake looked like here:

Another thing shaking is our (the kids' and my) fists at the movie screen last night. We've been reading The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks every night for a couple weeks now, and just finished it last night. As a capstone to that lovely story that I remember fondly as a kid and was determined that my kids would read (they loved it!), we decided to watch the movie, too. Ugh! Why must they always take a perfectly good book and mangle it when they make the movie??

Which has me wondering, right now I am reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and was thinking that I'd watch the movie when I am done. Has anyone read the book and watched the movie? If so, am I going to be disappointed again? What about The Help by Kathryn Stockett? I'm waiting for that book to become available at the library so I can read it in advance of watching the movie. If you have read and seen that one, am I going to be disappointed?

Are any of YOU disappointed that there hasn't been much quilting on my quilting blog lately? I'm so sorry. I've been a little disappointed in the slow nature of my hand quilting, and how little time I've spent in the sewing room lately. Most of my efforts have been towards karate lately - tomorrow, I am scheduled to go through the entire 1.5 hour Black Belt test with my instructor, demonstrating everything I have learned in the past 2.5 years. If I don't pass, I have to take the test again, and again, and again until I do pass, else I can't participate in the official Black Belt Test in front of the public on October 22, when I am hoping to receive my Black Belt. I am SO nervous. I've been practicing for HOURS every day. Wish me luck!

Actually, speaking of luck, I won a giveaway while I was on my staycation. The prize hasn't arrived yet, but this book should be in my mailbox any day now:

Perhaps there will be some applique in my future?

How I spent my summer vacation

2011-08-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

It's over. The lazy days of my staycation - waking up late, eating whatever whenever I chose, taking little day trips with the kids, watching Netflix shows to my hearts content - it's over. For the past two weeks, I have just gone into the office on Wednesdays (so as to not get too far behind) in order to enjoy the last two weeks of summer with my kids before school started today.

They were thrilled this morning:

(Glad I took a picture of those white sneakers, because I'm sure they will never be white again. And if anyone doesn't want to make a Jack O'Lantern this Halloween, you can borrow one of my gap-toothed kids.)

I, on the other hand, can barely keep my eyes open and am mourning the end of summer vacation. Here's what I did for those two, glorious weeks:

QUILT, QUILT, QUILT!
My callouses are coming along quite nicely, as I have spent hours upon hours hand quilting the Pick and Choose quilt. Yet, I still just have 10 of the 25 blocks done. I love hand quilting, but seriously, could it go any slower? I am anxious to work on something new, but I fear I will never finish this quilt!

WATCH, WATCH, WATCH!
While quilting, the iPad was rarely far away, and I finally finished all 87 episodes of Brothers and Sisters available on Netflix. I thought that was everything, but apparently, it is still a show that is shown on TV, who knew? So, that final episode on Netflix, where I thought everything would be resolved - WRONG! It ended with a horrific car crash! Luckily, the next season is available on DVD tomorrow. I hope that Netflix makes it available soon, because I want to know what happened! (If you know, don't tell me!)

READ, READ, READ!
Some of my "reading" was auditory; I listened to UP FROM SLAVERY by Booker T Washington on a PlayAway from the library. Good thing I was listening and not reading it, because I might not have finished otherwise. When I read it as a kid, it was as a school assignment, and I didn't put much thought into what he wrote. As an adult, I was disappointed with his writing style that included so much hyperbole "there was never a group of people more thankful/gracious/hardworking/whatever" (really? Has he met everyone out there so that he can make such a claim?), so many value judgments "the best people from Richmond were in attendance" (who is HE to determine who the "best" people are?), and so many falsehoods "the Klu Klux Klan is now nonexistent" (um, hello, it still exists TODAY, so I KNOW it was still in existence when he published his book in 1901). Needless to say, I did NOT enjoy this book. I know the man did great things for himself, for the South and for African Americans, and I agree that industrial education is a valuable thing, but I am convinced that he had an agenda when writing this book, so I suspect that the "autobiography" has more spin in it than reality.

Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville let us know a while back on her blog of a free eBook, Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae. I downloaded it onto my iPad (I swear, that thing is the best invention since electricity!), and really enjoyed reading that. I love the idea of women making a business and a living from a craft that they enjoy, so these types of stories really appeal to me. Plus, I love mysteries. I plan to read the other books in the series.

I got Dark Road Home by Karen Harper from PaperBackSwap.com. An Amish quilting mystery - right up my alley. There was some rather stilted and predictable romance, but the rest of the story appealed to me. I recommend it, and I'm glad to have it in my quilting fiction library.

FUN, FUN, FUN!!
I was determined to DO things with my kids during these last two weeks of summer vacation. One day, we went canoeing.

(my husband was not thrilled with this choice of activity, but he is a good doobie and came along for the ride)

One day we went to the skatepark.

One night we went on the Ghost Tour of Lexington, VA.

We spent a day with my brother and his family at their city pool.

(walking the half mile or so to the pool)

(hanging out on top of a car(!?!) eating Andy Capp Hot Fries after spending the afternoon at the pool)

We pulled out the Slip N Slide one day.

We went to the drive-in movies several times (of course!).

In short, we had FUN!

Back to real life...

It's that time of year!

2011-08-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

You know the time of year to which I am refering, right? The time when you are spending half of your waking hours in waiting rooms as your children visit every doctor imaginable to prepare for the school year? Earlier it was the pediatrician. Yesterday it was the eye doctor. Thursday it will be the audiologist. Next Monday it will be the dentist. My kids were picking up on how ridiculous this is, and starting asking me silly questions in the car.

Is there a foot doctor? - Yes, actually. A foot doctor is called a podiatrist. (they thought that was funny)

Is there a nose doctor? - Yup, there's one of those, too, called an ENT because they look at your ears, nose and throat all together since they are all connected. (they thought that was hilarious, which, according to my children, is one level funnier than funny)

Is there a BUTT doctor? - I didn't even get an answer out because they were howling with laughter - just the thought was hysterical, which, of course, is one level funnier than hilarious.

The good part about all the doctor visits is all the hand work I get done while waiting. I finished the July Birdie Stitches BOM today, with my own modications, of course:

The bad part is that there is so much running around that personal hygiene takes a back seat. Donald was talking to me a mile a minute today while we walked in the door, and I opened the door for him and held it open with my arm raised high for him to walk under it. Both he and his mouth stopped in mid-stride so he could exclaim, "Mom! I didn't know you had UNDERARM hair!?!" Great, just great. I'm sure this will come up again in the line at the grocery store or when he is doing show and tell at school or at the office Christmas party.

When I got home from work today, the only day I am going in to the office this week (woo hoo!!!), there was squishy mail waiting for me. Thanks, Linda, for my Let's Bee Together Bee Block! I love it!

Now, with all this time off of work, I'm planning some fun activities with the kids to take advantage of the remainder of their summer vacation, but I also need to quilt that Pick and Choose Quilt! Keep me on task, will you?

Ticker Tape - in the nick of time!

2011-08-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

It was a super fun, yet super exhausting, weekend. Saturday morning we were out of the house by 7:15 to set up our yard sale/tag sale/garage sale (depending on where you live). If you recall, these are my answer to my kids' seemingly constant requests for money. They help me clean up and get rid of things from the house, plus help me at the yard sale and we all split the profits 3 ways. Easy money, right? And kinda fun. We do our yard sales at a friend's shop (since we live on a dead-end dirt road with only 2 families that live past us) so even when there are no customers, we get to hang out with friends.

Saturday afternoon, the hubby took the kids sneaker shopping and to the movies while I had a spa day with some girlfriends. There were supposed to be 9 of us, but many people had things come up, so it was just 3 of us, but we had a ball, nonetheless. First, we had facials and she put some make-up on us. Hilarious, since I don't wear make-up nor know how to apply it. Yup, (nearly) 40 years old and I've had make-up on my face a sum total of about 5 times in my life. Here we are all dolled up.

I am still not a convert, but it was fun. Oh, and see that necklace I am wearing? I made it from fabric and batting scraps a few weeks ago when I was procrasting from hand quilting. I'll never make another, but it was a fun enough diversion.

Anyway, after facials, it was on to hands, and then feet.

I promise you, my feet have never been this soft since I started walking!

Sunday was the birthday party for the woman for whom I was making the Ticker Tape Quilt, so I worked on that nearly all day. This was truly a quick and easy project, and I will definitely be making another. I pulled it out of the dryer on my way out the door to the party - just in the nick of time. I like the way the back looks:

And I'm pleased with how the front turned out as well:

She seemed happy with it as well - here she is pointing out to those assembled that the colors represent the colors of the belts we earn in karate.

We had to leave the party early because I was volunteering at the drive-in movies last night. We saw the Zookeeper and Winnie the Pooh. My brother and his family came over the mountain to join us, so it was a great time. I've said it before, but I LOVE the drive-in; it is such a family-friendly and inexpensive GOOD time!

So, I got home about 1 AM, and here I am up relatively early this morning because Rosabelle/Deuce has to go back to the vet to get her stitches out and get a couple more shots. This afternoon, the kids and I all have eye doctor appointments and karate, but there should be a good 5 hours in there where I won't have to do ANYTHING! You can bet I'll be sitting on my tush, quilting and watching Netflix on my iPad with a glass of iced tea by my side. Aaaahhh! Vacation!

PRESENTS!

2011-08-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

Thursday was all about PRESENTS! In the mail, I received my heart in the form of a necklace from my soul sister, Em - thanks, love!

I also received another of my Let's Bee Together blocks.

I started working on a present for one of karate instructors, whose birthday party is this Sunday evening. It is a quick and easy Ticker Tape or Mosaic Tile quilt. I just hope it is quick enough to complete by Sunday at 5 PM. The R is her initial, and I'll be making 9 bands of color to correspond to the nine colors of the belts we earn in karate.

I also finished making and sewing together my modified Flurry blocks for my Christmas quilt. Now for borders...I think I'm going to do a braid on either side, partially to make it wider but also to use up more of these hideous Christmas fabrics.

And finally, this has nothing to do with a present, but I finished my second Pindrop block.

Today, I worked only half a day, then met my kids at the city pool and swam 20 invigorating blocks. Now I'm sitting on my porch, enjoying a refreshing breeze and the gorgeous views while I shuck corn and snap beans for dinner. What a great start to the weekend!

Que pases un buen fin de semana!

Running out of time (and bread!)

2011-08-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Even though I am stitching a bit on my Pick and Choose quilt a little bit every day, I was dismayed to spread it out this morning and note that I am only working on my FIFTH block of the quilt. There are 25 blocks PLUS sashing and a border to quilt. I am NEVER going to finish!!! My goal was August 15, but I'm starting to think that isn't possible. Phooey!

So, did I sit down and stitch on it some more? Nope! I went down to the sewing room to piddle around a bit. I wanted to practice mitering some more, so I pulled out some border strips that I had inherited from someone cleaning out their stash and added them around this leftover stencil block. Not perfect, but I think I'm getting the hang of mitering.

While doing that, I also sewed a couple of FLURRY rows together.

I removed the extra rows of background fabric in between the rows of gifts so I can make more presents and make the quilt bigger. (remember, I am using up stash, not buying, so I have to make my background fabric stretch as much as possible)

I also started making another of my Pindrop blocks - I'm really feeling compelled to bust some scraps now that I've added a bit of yardage to my stash.

I'm feeling a bit euphoric because I don't have to do ANYTHING after work today. No karate, no pool, no shopping, no nothing! I'm going home to read and sew!

(OK, not exactly true. Last night, while we were watching a movie in our movie theater, the new dog, Rosabelle/Deuce, got a loaf of bread off the counter that I had just bought and ate the WHOLE thing. Ugh! So I have to buy bread so my kids can have sandwiches for lunch at camp, but that's IT! I'm not doing another blessed thing!)

A Summer Sunday

2011-08-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

No quilting photos today. I've been plugging away at hand quilting my Pick and Choose quilt, but it is slow going. Especially in this heat! Yesterday was borderline uncomfortable sitting under that quilt while I worked on it.

But there are some things this heat is great for:

TOMATOES! I made this bowl of fresh salsa/pico de gallo yesterday with homegrown tomatoes and jalapenos (the cilantro, red onion, garlic and lime were from a store). My 6-year-old said he "didn't like my salsa...he LOVED it!"

DRYING CLOTHES ON THE LINE! I remade everyone's beds yesterday with sheets fresh from the line and man, did I sleep GREAT! I love air/sunshine dried sheets! While at the clothesline, the dogs stayed cool in the shade nearby. I love seeing them play together and just hang out together; it was nice to be able to rescue a dog from the shelter, but also nice to be able to provide a compatible playmate for Biscuit.

WATER FUN! I was tempted to take Donald to the pool yesterday, but I've been running around so much, I just didn't want to leave the house again. Instead, I set up a slip and slide type toy he received for his birthday this year, much to his delight.

ICED TEA! I love iced tea in the summer! Growing up, we always had Salada tea in the house, and I loved seeing what my saying would be every time I had a cup of tea. As an adult, I continue to buy Salada tea and continue to enjoy the sayings. Here are two of the three from yesterday's batch of tea:

What does the heat bring that YOU are thankful for?

Keeping the postman busy

2011-07-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks everyone for your support on my last post. I see that I am not alone in needing some alone time to keep me sane and civil.

Quilting time also keeps me sane and civil, and I've been doing a bit here and there. I finished my Bee Block for July (hey, it's STILL July!). She asked for a star block with the red, white and blue solids that she sent. I enjoyed making this Morning Star block:

Then, Christina of A Few Scraps is calling for donated quilt blocks for the Black Rock Stitchery project at the Burning Man Festival in August. I don't really grasp the concept, but I was thrilled to throw together some orphan quilt block pieces to make some pretty random 12.5" blocks for her.

Random block:

Even more random (but look how I mitered the corner - boo ya!)

Totally random

So I'll be giving the postman some outgoing business, but check out what he has delivered for me lately:

My first completed Bee Block from the red, white and black fabrics I sent out with the little quilt sayings - I can't wait to see the blocks everyone comes up with and what I end up with when they are put together - definitely going to be a quilt for ME:

An awesome postcard from Joe Tulips to use as a sample for a project I want to do with the cub scouts this year (when it is not BEAUTIFYING my sewing room):

Oh, and a couple of fabrics that I accidentally bought one day during my lunch break when I forgot to bring lunch...(I've been bad, very bad)

But truly, I needed some more black and white and reds since I sent most of what I owned out with my August Bee fabrics

Everyone can always use a neutral

And I want to make a baby quilt with pieced airplane blocks, and this fabric is perfect to coordinate, right?

And I couldn't resist the name of this line - Surfing Monkeys. Ocean waves, heat waves and starfish - cute, cute, cute!

Green and yellow are colors that are pretty slim in my stash

And sometimes random stuff grabs your fancy.

I will say that everything was on sale...

OK, I admit it, I need an intervention...

Evil ogre mom?

2011-07-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

It is Friday, but my mood is much more reminiscent of a Monday morning. Here's why:

Today, my husband turns 40. I'm going to be volunteering at the drive-in movies tonight, meaning I won't have time to make him a nice dinner, so I did that last night: cajun-spiced baked fish fillets with fresh homemade mango salsa, brown rice and fresh corn on the cob. YUM!

Then, I woke up early this morning to bake him some banana bread for breakfast. As I was letting the dogs outside for their morning constitutional, I heard someone stirring upstairs - it was Jason; he keeps waking up earlier and earlier; today it was 5:45 AM. His alarm clock usually goes off at 7:15, so this is really early for him. He showered and was downstairs ready for the day by 6 AM. He asked to watch TV, but that is out of the question; it would be a bad morning habit for him to get into. Instead, I told him he could read, or play, or he could sort and bag the recyclables for us to take into town today. He chose to help with the recyclables. Good kid.

So there I am, mixing up the banana bread and stepping over my son, who is sorting plastic and cans and paper and glass, right in the way. I get the bread in the oven (toaster oven because my real oven STILL doesn't work, even though I ordered a new heating element online, removed the old one and installed the new one, all by myself), washed the dishes, and began sweeping all the floors. During this time, Jason decides to he must find one of his toys and is walking around everywhere looking, getting in my way again. There is a reason why I sweep the floors first thing in the morning when the dogs are outside and everyone else is asleep.

I finish sweeping and cut up a fresh pineapple to go with the banana bread for breakfast. It turns out, Jason doesn't want either, so I get cereal down for him to eat that instead. (kids!) I pack the boys' lunches as well as my own, then call the dogs in to give Rosabelle (whom I believe we are now calling "Deuce", although the jury is still out on that) her medications. By now, the banana bread is done, so I put it on a cooling rack on the stovetop to cool. Donald comes downstairs and starts eating the pineapple, but he doesn't want banana bread either. He wants cinammon toast. (there is no accounting for taste!) I get him situated, and head off to my room to shower and dress. I'm actually going to be early to work this morning!

Halfway through my shower, Jason knocks on the door and asks, "Are the dogs supposed to be eating the banana bread?" During the process of coming to ask me that ridiculous question, he wakes his father, whom I was trying to let sleep in on this anniversary of his birth. What ensued was me fussing at the dogs, Adam fussing at Jason, and the whole exhilaration of a Friday morning, and a birthday at that, crumpling into a cranky funk reminiscent of a Monday morning.

I know it is just food, that I can easily sweep up the floor once again, and that I should have known better - our new dog has obviously never been in a house before, and I'm sure she didn't know that what she did was wrong (although I'm pretty sure she realizes it now!), but I am just so bummed.

While finally getting dressed, I realized that part of why I am feeling so off is that the ONLY time I get to myself all day is the hour or so before the kids wake up. Even though I am usually doing housework or paying bills during that time, it is still MY time. I don't have to talk to anyone. I don't have to do anything for anyone. I can do something from start to finish without being interrupted. I can just be. Having my son unexpectedly underfoot this morning threw me for a loop.

So, when I dropped him off at summer camp, I let him know that I wasn't mad at him, that nothing was his fault, that I knew he was just trying to do the right thing, both by getting up early and by coming in to let me know about the dogs and the bread, and that I loved him. In the future, however, if he wanted to get up early, that was fine, but I'd like him to stay upstairs in his room until 7 AM. I explained that I need some time to myself every day so that I am not such a grouch.

My question is, is that wrong? Is my request selfish and unreasonable? Am I an evil, ogre mom?

(And if I am, do you think Adam and the kids will forgive me if I make some Apple Crisp tonight before the movies?)

Who has time to sew?

2011-07-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

All my good intentions have gone down the tubes! First, we brought Rosabelle home on Thursday. She is a sweetheart, but will definitely need some time to acclimate to living in a house with people. Adam calls her my fourth shadow - between the two dogs and the two kids, I can't turn around without bumping into something or someone. But it is understandable; she's been through a lot lately. I'm just glad she seems to like and trust me.

Thursday night, after spending a couple of hours with Rosabelle, the kids and I went to the county fair. The boys' Cub Scout quilt won 2nd place in the Youth category:

This year's quilt show had a lot of variety, from a crazy quilt to a scrappy Double Wedding Ring to baby quilts to a whole cloth quilt to a quilt made with watercolored baby wipes (no joke! it was pretty incredible!) and everything in between. I took very few photos because my kiddos were anxious to get to the rides on the midway, but I was duly impressed by this paper-pieced quilt by Judy Glick:

And my vote for Viewer's Choice went to this quilt called Count Your Blessings by Marcia Vehrs.

I just love the concept, the sentiment, and I love the use of applique plus embroidery.

Doesn't that family look cute? And I adore the sign with the name on it!

In addition to the usual midway rides, there was a "ride" that looked like a human sized hamster ball that you get inside and then you can walk on water. Well, if you can walk, that is. I let my kids do it and they were falling every which way and had a ball! (while I had funnel cake - YUM!)

On Friday, I headed up to Washington DC after work to spend the weekend with my two college roommates. This September, we'll have been friends for 22 years and we all turn 40 this year.(how is that possible? I don't feel a day over 27!?!) We ate (Vietnamese, Middle Eastern and Ethiopian), we swam in the hotel pool, we went to a yoga class (pure hilarity! I'm surprised we weren't ejected - our instructor was a nutcase and some of our contortions were not very well executed, but we managed to do the silent, tears-streaming-down-the-face, pinch-your-lips-together-so-no-sound-escapes laughs), did a bit of shopping, and spent a lot of time talking about the things that matter (being a wife, mother, career woman; getting older; reminiscing about being younger; plans for retirement; book recommendations; losing parents and mortality; old friends; staying -or not staying- fit; should we go out for ice cream for a second day in a row? - YES!). Some friends are just meant to be friends for life. My college roommates are that kind of friends.

(there are 3 of us, but only 2 in this photo, obviously)

So, while I got a little bit of hand quilting done during some of the talks, I've not made nearly the progress I should have at this point. I foresee lots of quilting in the next few weeks. I must go to the library to get a playaway to listen to while I stitch and stitch and stitch.

Christmas in July

2011-07-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it - I got caught up in the Christmas in July hype! First of all, I picked up a Cleo Coyle book, Holiday Grind, that our library just got in.

I've enjoyed the other 7 Coffeehouse Mysteries by this author, so I jumped right into this one. (It is no surprise that my coffee consumption skyrockets when I read these books!)

And then, to see Mrs. Quilting in my Pyjamas working up that Flurry pattern, which looked so quick and easy and cute, well, I couldn't help myself. I spent some time in my sewing room this weekend with my bag of Christmas fabrics. Although the Flurry pattern is awesome, it doesn't make up for UGLY Christmas fabrics!!! I have inherited most of my Christmas fabrics from others, and of course, I am grateful to have them, but they aren't the gorgeous fabrics you see out there today. I'm less than impressed with what I have so far, and in true Erin fashion, I have had to modify the pattern to fit my limited fabric supply.

Maybe once it is sewn together I will like it better. Maybe once it is quilted. Or (gulp) maybe, I will never like it.

At least my machine and iron and rotary cutter got a little workout.

On a more satisfied note, my husband and I got the over-the-range microwave installed last night - yippee! I've banished my little countertop microwave to the basement and reclaimed my counter!!! (It's the little things that make me so happy!)

Delay, delay, delay

2011-07-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend was going to be a weekend of sewing, remember? Well, I did get some sewing done, but not nearly as much as I would have liked. And while I'd love to show a photo of my progress, I forgot to bring the cord to my camera to work with me. We'll have to delay the quilt in progress photos. Which kinda goes along with the whole theme for my weekend - DELAY!

First of all, my husband finally came home after a month of being on the road recruiting. I'm so thrilled to have him home, I was a bit distracted from my sewing... (can ya blame me?)

Secondly, I also had some "fix it around the house" goals for myself.

I needed to buy a replacement shutter for one that came off in a storm and install it. Unfortunately, it is a custom size, so that needs to be ordered.

I needed to buy and install a new bottom heating element for my oven. Unfortunately, after dismantling my oven, I was informed that those need to be ordered online, not bought at the store. I put the oven back together again so we can still use the stovetop and the broiler.

I needed a new over-the-range microwave, as mine has been on the fritz for months now and we've been making do with a little countertop spare. I want to reclaim that countertop space! We bought the new one, but installation was thwarted because our tile backsplash interferes with the mounting plate.

Aarrgghhh!

Finally, we are planning to adopt another dog into our family. Poor Biscuit gets so lonely when we are gone during the day, and we think he needs a canine companion. We went to the SPCA Shelter 3 times this weekend to audition dogs, and I've fallen in love with Rosabelle, this year-and-a-half year old hound who is as sweet and calm as Biscuit is rambunctious. They seemed to hit it off when we introduced them, and I think they would complement each other well.

Plus, she gave us "the look". When I heard that she's been in the shelter since JANUARY, I knew I'd be bringing her home with me, the poor thing! But first we need to have our adoption application approved, and then she needs to have her girlie operation done, so she hasn't come home with us yet.

I feel like everything I tried to do this weekend was delayed in one way or another. Here's hoping that this week will be a model of productivity!!

Inertia

2011-07-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

I have not put in a stitch in 2 days. Why? Mostly, because we've been sparring in karate which WIPES ME OUT!! So, after work, then karate, a trip to the pool to cool off, a short stint of blackberry picking in the yard for dessert, and then dinner and bedtime with the kids, I've got nothing left. This weekend, however, I am determined to not only finish the top of the baby quilt, but also finish hand quilting a third block in the Pick and Choose quilt and fire up the sewing machine to piece at least 1 block of something, anything!

I'm going to KICK my inertia to the curb!

(this is me kicking during Kama Kata at my Advanced pre-Black Belt test last month. I didn't know I could kick that high...)

Dear Jane comes to town

2011-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning was our monthly quilt guild meeting. This month, a group of 4 women in the guild shared with us their Dear Jane quilt journeys. It was a wonderful presentation - part history lesson, part technique workshop, part getting to know each other better. Two of the presenters "just" have some of the blocks done, two of the presenters have completed their quilts.

This is Kerry. Her top is done, and she is currently working on hand quilting it. For some reason, the whole photo turned out a bit orange-ish, but take my word for it - her quilt is stunning and her hand quilting is a marvel!

This is Marcia. Her quilt is completely finished. She shared with us her FIVE YEAR JOURNEY as she completed this entire quilt BY HAND, piecing and quilting. It is amazing! And like the original 1863 Jane Stickle quilt, each block is made from a different fabric.

Here is her signature block in the corner. Do you see those stitches??? Just BEAUTIFUL!

I could have admired these quilts for hours!

You would think that this eye candy would have inspired me to come home and quilt, but no, I spent most of the weekend reading. But finally, on Sunday, Jason got me down into the sewing room because HE wanted to sew something. He wanted to make a shirt, but I let him know that I had no idea how to begin making something with sleeves, so we settled on a vest. His school has a Western Wear day every year, so he used the cowboy fabric that he picked out for himself last time that we went to a quilt store together, and lined it with a plaid fabric that he picked out for himself from his grandmom's stash while we were visiting last week because, "Mom, cowboys wear plaid!" We had no pattern, and the only clothing I've ever made was that pleated skirt and that pillowcase nightdress for my niece, but his vest actually turned out pretty darned well!
(no buttons, though, because I have no idea how to make button holes. Gotta do some research on that. Besides, a cowboy vest deserves some cool buttons, don't you think? Or better yet, maybe some pearl snaps like so many western shirts! Hmmmm.....)

I'm particularly impressed with his control over his speed with the foot pedal - I remember when he first started how he couldn't help but go from a standstill to 60 mph and then to a stop again. He's becoming quite the sew-er. Now, of course, I have to help Donald make a vest, too - he wants to use that pirate fabric that I picked up for the boys when I was in California in May.

While I was down there helping Jason out, I finally got the lead out and started piecing together the baby quilt for my co-worker's newborn. I added a pieced wonky star to eliminate some of the plain-ness, and am now working on appliqueing down the initials using needle-turn.

What I really need to be doing is hand quilting the Pick and Choose quilt. I should go do that now...

Hanging on with both hands

2011-07-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

I don't want this vacation to end. I am so relaxed, so happy. I've been getting done what needs doing, but not stressing about the rest, and I am so proud of myself! Plus, I've been getting some wonderful sewing time in.

First up, the binding is on my Ella Quilt, and it is in the wash. (please come out of the wash unscathed and wonderfully crinkly!! Do any of you worry about your colors running or stitches not holding or some other catastrophic event taking place between the time you put your quilt in the wash and the time you take it out?) I will be ready to send it off to my friend on Monday.

Secondly, I finished the Birdie Stitches BOM for May (yes, I know it is July - just smile and nod and be happy for me).

As usual, I modified the block a little - there were too many flowers in there for my liking, so I took some out.

And finally, I've been trying to come up with a quick and easy baby quilt for a co-worker who became a father for the second time this past week. I have been seeing lots of quilts with panels of a focus fabric, so I wanted to do that. Plus, I wanted her initials (we weren't clued in on the name until she was actually born). But it turns out that I don't have much fabric that I feel coordinates with the fabric I want as the focus panel. Be honest - is this too plain?

Do you have any suggestions for me? I haven't sewn anything yet, just played with things on the floor. Unfortunately, being the scrap quilter that I am, I only have limited quantities of the fabrics I want to use, so the quilt will be quite small, but then, so are babies, right? In all the time I've been agonizing over making something simple, I could have pieced a top!

Other than sewing, I've been alternately hanging out on my bed watching Brothers and Sisters (I'm on Season 2 now and still ridiculously addicted to that show!) and hanging out on my porch, reading, drinking iced tea and eating these beauties that I picked in our yard before breakfast.

Oh, how I don't want this vacation to end! I am hanging on to each second of it with both hands!

I'm HOME!

2011-07-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

The kids and I pulled in at about 5 PM yesterday after picking Biscuit up from the farm where he boards when we go out of town. After spending the last 14 nights in 9 different homes and hotels, it felt GREAT to be home!

My own bed - aaahhhh!

Getting clothes out of a dresser or closet instead of a suitcase - aaahhhh!

My own well water - aaahhhh!

I was so excited to be home that I didn't know what to do first. Some of my mail looked promising so I started there. I was thinking that I'd received my fabric and instructions for Let's Bee Together for July, but nope. Instead, I was surprised with these two packages:

A sweet little notebook with my name on it from Mrs. P of Quilting in My Pyjamas - thanks, Shay!!!

And I won this book from a Sew4Home giveaway - I'm hitting the thrift store TODAY to find a wool garment that I can felt and make one (or more) of these little cuties!

Next, I went down to visit my sewing studio. I kid you not, a walked through a cobweb going in the door - BAD SIGN!!! I swept the room out, lit a candle, and fired up the machine to finish up my sample Let's Bee Together block for August when I get to send out the fabrics and the instructions. I hemmed and hawed about what I wanted (I was pretty sure I wanted a basket quilt but I wasn't sure which fabrics to use), but just before leaving for vacation, I realized I wanted something made with those cute little quilt sayings that I got from the Traveling Stash. I pulled out my black and white fabrics, added a touch of red, and voila!

(It reads, "A quilt on the the bed is worth two in the head.)

I have all my kits ready to go

and I'm going to ask Bee members to make whatever block they'd like - modern, traditional, pieced, appliqued, whatever. I can't wait to see what they come up with!

Then, I started unpacking, and came across some of the fabric that my mother-in-law (who first introduced me to quilting 8 years ago) gave me while we were visiting her earlier in the week. I'm most excited about that neutral on top - I go through neutrals faster than I can keep them in my stash!

While at her house, I snapped a few photos of quilts she had around. The kids slept under this quilt, the first quilt she ever made.

Her 90-year-old mother sleeps under this quilt.

And here is a quilt her mother made.

She amazes me - all of her quilts are not only hand quilted, but also hand PIECED! Wow!

Anyway, the kids and I are taking it pretty easy today. We slept in, had brunch on the porch, and now I need to go hang some laundry on the line to take advantage of this gorgeous day. It is so nice to visit with others, but it is even nicer to come home again!

Sure sign of a GREAT vacation

2011-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

(note: I started this post on June 29, but didn't publish until July 4 - hence the discrepancy between dates - sorry if you find my post to be confusing!)

We've been on the road since Wednesday, June 22nd. We've been to New York state visiting colleges while my husband recruits. We've been to Pennsylvania visiting my husband's family. We spent a week in Massachusetts staying with my twin sister and her family while my husband and the boys worked/attended basketball camp. We spent a day and night visiting a college roommate on her farm in Vermont. For the last two days, we've been in New Hampshire at my younger sister's and mom's new house, celebrating not only their move, but also my sister's 34th birthday.

We have ridden bikes, gone swimming in ponds, exercised (ick!), eaten VERY well, played basketball and baseball and every board game ever made. We've gone to the movies. We've read books. We've driven seemingly every back road in New England with the music blaring and the windows rolled down. What we HAVEN'T done is get on the computer. Having too much fun to stop what I'm doing and write a blog post is a sure sign that I'm having a great vacation. And to top it off, I still have a week of fun left!

I have gotten some stitching done. I finished hand quilting my ELLA quilt for the daughter of a high school friend. I can't trim and bind it until I get home.

I've also about half completed the May Birdie Stitches BOM. but I don't have photos yet.

And now some photos from the week at my twin sister's house:

The kids wanted to wish their Grandpa a happy birthday, so they made signs and we posted this on his Facebook Wall (the new generation and all, you understand)

My knitting sister showed me some lovelies she has made for her daughter (hopefully just miniature versions of stuff she has in the works for me (hint, hint, hint):

a tank top

a lovely dress

and here is the said niece wearing that nightie I made her

Ericka also took me to the high school to see a community quilt that a class had produced.

Check out the clever 3-dimensional doorknobs:

And some of my favorite pictorial blocks - do you see the clever use of that red toile(?) fabric?

I think this is Emily Dickinson

Farms are perfect to render in patchwork

Anyway, I can smell bacon, a siren call to get me off the computer and back with the family. Today, we head back to Pennsylvania for a few days before making our way back to Virginia to see if my pets still recognize me. Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans! And happy belated Canada Day to my northern neighbors! And if you are reading from some other part of the world where you haven't been graced with a holiday weekend, happy Monday!

Weekend in Connecticut

2011-06-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to tell you all that I have finally joined the ranks of people who have cameras on their cell phones. I'm late to the party, I know, but how exciting to be able to take photos anytime without carrying along extra equipment! So, of course, while I was in New Haven this weekend presenting at a conference at Yale, I had to snap some photos.

Saturday's conference was LONG and I had some down time in between presentations, so I escaped outside to get some iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts and catch up on blogs on my iPad (still love it!!!) on a bench in a courtyard. I glanced up at this gaggle of students, and do you see what I see?

Lots of blue Half Square Triangles on that girl's white tank top! (Unfortunately, I don't think my camera has a zoom and I didn't want to get right in her face to take the photo, so you may have to click the photo to make it larger and see the scrappy HSTs.)

The conference went too late on Saturday for me to fly home that night, so I booked my flight home for 6:15 AM on Sunday so I could be with my family for Father's Day. At least, I THOUGHT I did. It turns out, I booked a 6:15 PM flight, and wouldn't get home until after midnight. Yup, I'm an idiot. Not only was I missing all of Father's Day, but I was in New Haven on a Sunday with no car and nothing to do. I asked for late checkout at the hotel, but that only took me until 1 PM. What to do with the next 5 hours?

I decided to WALK to the airport. I noticed on the taxi drive from the airport on Friday that it was in a residential area, and Google Maps told me that it was only about 4.5 miles away, so I strapped my backpack on my back (I travel light!) and set off, looking for adventure.

It started out great. I enjoyed walking through Yale's campus, and through the retail district that surrounds any group of youngsters in possession of their parents' credit cards, and found this shop where I just had to stop and browse.

Check out the neat little sewing machine in a case:

And these feedsacks that I forced myself not to buy.
There was also a TON of beautiful embroidery floss along one wall, but I didn't buy that either since I have more than I will probably ever use already.

Once I'd checked out every cool thing in there, I was on my way again. Things were pretty dull for the next 2 miles or so until I came across a Dunkin Donuts, where I stopped for a frozen lemonade and a Boston Kreme. Yum!

At this point, I was starting to rethink my decision to walk, since I only had flip flops and heels (I opted for the flip flops) and my feet were getting not only tired, but filthy. But I soldiered on, and arrived at the airport a mere 2.5 hours before my flight. If you ever need to go to the New Haven, CT airport, BRING A BOOK! And a snack! It is the smallest airport I have ever seen, which, of course, means no refreshments besides a do-it-yourself coffee dispenser and a Coke machine, and absolutely nothing to do. People watching isn't much fun when you are the only person in sight.

Anyway, I got home safe and sound and now I'm back at work counting the minutes until vacation, which starts at precisely 3:00 PM on Wednesday afternoon, and not a second later!

Another milestone!

2011-06-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't done much sewing this week because I've been focused on preparing for my Advanced Pre-Black Belt test. After suffering that torn calf muscle 5 weeks ago, I've been worried about not being ready, as I haven't gone to class as often, and when I did go to class, I avoided doing certain moves in order to let the injury heal. The test was last night, and I am happy to report that I DID IT!!!

(Yes, I'm short. Just 5 feet tall. If I stand up REALLY straight.)

This belt means more to me than any other because I had to work harder to get it (never mind that the test itself was so much longer). Last night I felt a nauseating mix of relief/pride/exhaustion/euphoria. Today, only the euphoria remains.

Wanna see me break some boards?

It's a short video, just 41 seconds. These are actually breakable boards (think of all the lumber we'd go through if we used actual boards every time!), but the force required to break them is the same as a regular 2.25 inch (5.715 cm) pine board (over 200 lbs of force if I remember correctly). For our black belt test, we will be using real boards.

So now that the stress of the test is over, back to sewing! I will be doing lots of hand quilting on the Pick and Choose quilt in the coming week, but I also want to make an iPad cover!!! Perhaps this one from One Shabby Chick:

Or perhaps this one from My Patchwork:

I love her humor on this one with the PEAR instead of the APPLE:

And this one from Smashed Peas and Carrots is so cute!

But don't be surprised if the case I make is this lovely envelope one from Dixie Mango:

Hmmm...I may have to make more than one, whaddaya think?

Something for you (Debbie) and something for ME!

2011-06-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

The Random Number Generator choose comment #10 from the 17 comments on my Wanna Win the Traveling Stash post - Debbie from North Carolina, send me your address and I'll do my best to cram everything into a box to send your way this week. Thanks for playing along, everyone!

Speaking of playing, yesterday the family traveled to the big city to make a purchase - and iPad2. I see lots of great times in my future with this little gadget. I've already bookmarked some tutorials to try, and how easy it will be to bring that down into my sewing room to follow the tutorial instead of printing out the directions. Plus, when I just have 5 minutes to spare, I can easily be online in moments and check someone's blog, rather than waste those 5 minutes waiting for my desktop to boot up. I LOVE IT!!

Unfortunately, so does my 8-year-old son, so he's been on it much more than me.

That's OK, though, because I'm supposed to be sewing, right? I finished my first block on the Pick and Choose quilt...I think. (click on the quilt photos to see them larger and in more detail)

As I mentioned before, I didn't have a plan before I started hand quilting this, just sat down with a needle to see where it would take me. It was terribly angular, so the quarter circle curves in the neutral triangles are my attempt to balance it out a bit. Opinions, anyone? Is it quilted enough, or does it need more? One thing I considered was making the curve a double line, but is that overkill or unnecessary? I'm trying to keep in mind that there are 24 more blocks, sashing and a border to quilt, so I don't want to do more than I'll want to do 24 more times over.

Here's the back.

See how many of the lines just stop? Is that problematic? Should I connect those interior points?

I think I'm going to sit on this before I decide if I need more quilting in each block, but feel free to chime in!

DIRT!!!

2011-06-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

Another night with not a stitch of sewing done...pooh! But the good news is that my end-of-the-year office party went well at my house last night - about 30 people, lots of good food, Air Hockey, Bananagrams, and a new game that I've never played but will definitely buy now, SmartMouth.

Once all my guests left, I "remembered" that I had 3 overnight guests - my good friend (and co-Den Leader for Cub Scouts) had a birthday yesterday, so I started the day by taking her some homemade Apple Crisp and ended the day by picking her 3 kids up from school and bringing them home with me to spend the night with us. They are great kids, so it is a pleasure to have them stay over, but last night, when the last guest left and I called the kids in to get ready for bed, look what I saw:

(they are all saying, "We're filthy!" except for Donald who is mad at me because I said he has to take a shower)

They had been making "adobe" to patch bricks. Oh, my! My sparkly clean pre-company bathrooms were completely transformed as we scrubbed the dirt away. And then, little did I know, there was the post-shower hair de-tangling routine for the girls. Holy macaroni! If I had girls, they'd be bald-headed because that was an ordeal! But, they all went to sleep very dutifully after story time, and I was asleep not long after.

Tonight, though, I'M SEWING!!! After school and a doctor's appointment, we are going to the pool to cool down (and soak off any dirt we may have missed last night!), and then I'm going home and sitting down and that's IT! After all the house cleaning this week in preparation for this gathering, my house is both cleaner and tidier than it has been in a long while, so I will feel no guilt about sitting on my behind for a few hours. Tomorrow, hand quilting photos of the Pick and Choose quilt, I promise! There will also be a new recipient for THE TRAVELING STASH. If you haven't put your name in the hat yet, there is still time!

Hot Stuff!

2011-06-08T05:20:00.000-07:00

June's materials for the Bee that I belong to arrived on Monday - chili pepper fabrics!

We could make any block we wanted but had to include some white fabric signed with our name and location. I wanted to highlight some of the larger individual peppers, so I came up with this log cabin configuration.

I'm hosting the end-of-the-year gathering for my office at my house tomorrow, so I'm spending much more time tidying up than sewing, but I did get started hand quilting the Pick and Choose quilt. I had no real idea how I wanted to quilt it, and was poring over books and still coming up with nothing, so finally I just hooped it, put it on my lap, and started stitching. I think I like what I'm doing, but I'll reserve judgement until I put a few more stitches in tonight before bed. I promise photos tomorrow, but in the meantime, be sure to comment on my last post if you want to be included in THE TRAVELING STASH drawing on Friday evening.

Wanna win THE TRAVELING STASH???

2011-06-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

On Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day, I won THE TRAVELING STASH and it arrived yesterday. It is a USPS Large Flat Rate box that is making its way from home to home, delivering smiles and picking up new passengers along the way.

Here's how it works: when you receive the box, you take out what you want, put in some of your own stash that you are willing to part with, and send it on its way to another home. Take a peek at all the photos below, and if you want a chance to win THE TRAVELING STASH, simply leave a comment below with your STATE. On Friday, June 10, I'll pick a winner around dinnertime, and get the box out over the weekend or on Monday, depending on when I receive the winner's address. (Sorry, only open to those living in the USA - the box costs $14.95 to ship in the US, but $35.50 to Canada/Mexico and $58.50 everywhere else, and I'm not made of money.)

Here's what I took out yesterday for myself:
Cute little panels of quilt-y sayings

An assortment of pins, two rolls of giant white RicRac, some red bias binding, some COFFEE iron on transfers, a BOM pattern

Two yellow prints on a stiff canvas-like materials (I see a BAG in my future!)

Assorted fabric and Joann's FQs

I added the following to the box:
3 Machine applique patterns and 2 simple, little wall hanging patterns

2 quilting stencils and a Triangle square up ruler (I love this ruler, but I found that I had two of them)

2 books, 1 felted wool flower sampler pattern, harvest cross stitch pattern, folksy christmas items patterns

Stack of FLANNEL Strawberry Shortcake squares and scraps leftover from a quilt I made (I'm guessing the squares are somewhere between 8 and 10" - I'm blogging from work so can't measure them)

5 of my many blue Robert Kaufman Kona Solids FQs (I still haven't used ANY of them, so I guess I should start sharing the wealth)

Some scraps of my many novelty prints

1 yard of this Joel Dewberry (if I remember correctly) pink plaid-ish fabric plus a scrap of this black zigzag fabric, neither of which I can ever figure out how to use in a quilt

And here's what is left in the box from before:
A stack of PSALMS panels

Assorted size (and quality) fabric

A hand quilted block, ready to be made into a pillow or something

Debbie Mumm "Creative Woman" panel and scrap of coordinating fabric

Christmas items to sew - a Santa apron, a snowman Advent Calendar and Poinsetta placemats

Super cute coordinated bright florals - I almost grabbed this, but I know I won't use it anytime soon...

18 Cheep Talk 2.5" strips, assorted Jo-Ann's fat quarters and other fabric

Many patterns including Fig Tree Quilts and Green Fairy Quilts

Cute embroidered bunny cube, some orange-ish bias tape and some blue lace stuff, thick cream lace, pom poms

Two gray machine embroidered dogs

The box is WAY too full to close right now, gonna have to try some creative packing techniques! (C'mere, son! Sit here for a minute, won't ya?)

The problem with puttering

2011-06-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

I putter. I start this, get distracted, start that, take a quick break, see something else that needs doing, and so on and so on. This happens around the house all the time. Yesterday, I got a lot done - weeding, mulching, purging clothes we don't wear/fit anymore, purging kitchen items to get rid of, sweeping - but I didn't FINISH anything.

The same is true in the sewing room, but for the month of June, I am committed to finishing some things. I've joined up with Rubyslipperz (see the button on my sidebar?) to get some things done in June. Each finish gives me another chance to win her giveaway, but even if I don't win, at least I'll have accomplished something. I hope to:

finish the ELLA quilt for my high school friend

get caught up on the Birdie BOM - I still haven't done May or June

put a sleeve on my Great Great Grandmother's quilt - this is my entry for the quilt show at the county fair this July and it needs a sleeve

and make a couple covered dish/casserole carriers for some friends from a pattern I found in a magazine.

Last night, I actually did finish the quilting items on my to-do list for the weekend. The first was to finish the April Birdie BOM - this one is one of my favorite blocks so far, so simple. I left off the Easter eggs that were sprinkled around on the block to simplify things:

The second item on the weekend to-do list was to sandwich the Pick and Choose quilt that I sold at the Old Middlebrook Village Day last month which needs to be hand quilted this summer. I've been looking forward to the quilting, but I can't stand basting! And ironing all of the backing was misery, even with my BIG ironing board. But, it is done and in a hoop and ready for me to put some stitches in every day (that's the plan, anyway):

Of course, first, I need to come up with a plan for my quilting...

Pindrop Block - my first tutorial!

2011-06-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

While my Bee Block for Kate this month was born out of my inability to calculate yardage needed for a block and my aversion to wasting any scrap of fabric, I fell in love with the block I created.

Perhaps this block isn't my creation. Perhaps it has a name and a pattern and all that already, but until I learn differently, I'm claiming it as my own and naming it the Pindrop block because of the pinwheel combined with what look to me like gumdrops. (I know in reality, they look more like diamonds than gumdrops, but I have a MAJOR sweet tooth and we haven't had a single sweet thing in my house for eons and I DREAM about candy...)

Anyway, since some of you liked my block and one person even asked for a tutorial, and because I wanted to make it again ON PURPOSE this time, I rushed down to the sewing room with my camera as soon as my kids were tucked in to recreate the block and document the process.

Um, wow! It sure does take a lot longer to make a block when you are stopping to take photos and write directions every step of the way. And getting all those photos online in the correct order is a form of TORTURE, but it's worth it. I love my new Pindrop block even more than my first! You know me, scrappiness makes my heart SING!

Keep reading if you want to see how I did it. If you'd rather watch paint dry or clip your lawn with fingernail clippers, I understand, and I won't take it personally.

Pindrop Block - 12.5" unfinished

Fabric requirements:
Pinwheel and gumdrop fabric - 1/8 yd (or Fat Eighth) of one fabric OR four 3.5"x6.5" scraps
Background fabric - 1/4 yd (or Fat Quarter)

Cutting instructions:
Pinwheel and gumdrop fabric - 3.5" x 6.5" rectangle (x4)
Background fabric - 3.5" square (x8), 2.5" square (x8), 2" x 6.5" rectangle (x4)

(Here we have the 2X6 rectangles, the 3.5" squares and the 3.5X6.5" rectangles. Hmmm, something's missing...Oh, yeah, those 2.5" squares. Off to a pretty inauspicious start, forgetting things already! Here they are below.)

It is hard to tell in the photos, but I have drawn a diagonal across the back of each of my 2.5" and 3.5" background squares. This isn't necessary, but just like my mind wanders, so does my line of stitches, so I nearly always draw lines to keep me on track. OK, let's get going!

Piecing Instructions:
Step One: Line a 3.5" square up with one end of each 3.5"x6.5" rectangle and sew ON THE LINE (or just eyeball the diagonal if you didn't draw lines). I always start in the middle of the block (see below) rather than on the corner so my fabric doesn't get stuck in my feed dogs.

Step Two: Once all four are sewn together, cut off the outside corner 1/4" from the sewn line. Keep the bonus triangles together as they are and take them over to the sewing machine.

Step Three: Sew the bonus triangles together as shown.

Step Four: Press the bonus Half Square Triangle blocks (HST) that your bonus triangles made toward the darker fabric, and trim to 2.5" squares.

When trimming HSTs, I use a ruler with a diagonal line, and stack two HST blocks facing each other with their diagonals couched/nestled to cut two at a time and speed things along.

Step Five: Layer your HSTs with the 2.5" background squares with the diagonal line that is drawn on the background square PERPENDICULAR to the diagonal of the HST.

Sew 1/4" TO ONE SIDE of the drawn line, then sew 1/4" ON THE OTHER SIDE of the drawn line.

Step Six: Set those aside and go back to the 3.5"x6.5" rectangles. First, press towards the background fabric,

and then, line up another 3.5" square on the opposite corner, making sure that the diagonal meets the other background square at the top or peak. Sew ON THE LINE.

Step Seven: Head over to your cutting table with the last 8 blocks you've sewn. For the HST blocks, cut them apart ON THE DRAWN LINE. For the pinwheel blocks, cut the bonus triangles off 1/4" from the sewn line again, and take those bonus triangles back over to the machine to complete Steps 3, 4 and 5 with them. Then bring them back to the cutting table to cut them apart ON THE DRAWN LINE.

Step Eight: Time to press. Press open your pinwheel blades (also known as Flying Geese, don't you just LOVE Flying Geese blocks? I'll be making a strippy, scrappy Flying Geese quilt one of these days, for sure!).

Also press open your HST blocks that were sewn to the 2.5" squares. There should be 16 of the little suckers.

Trim all the squares down to 2" squares. When doing this, I use the ruler with a diagonal line again, and place the diagonal of the ruler on the diagonal of the block, and make sure that the point of the triangle is at the intersection of the 1" marks on the ruler. (Nice going, Erin, use your ruler upside down so your 1" mark is actually a 5" mark. Can you tell I've never done a tutorial before?)

Step Nine: Now you are going to make the gumdrops. Take two of the 2" squares and line up the colored triangles. When doing this, choose two squares where the edges of the triangles will couch/nestle with each other to ensure better points on your gumdrops. I usually pin at this point.

Note that if you don't line the two halves of the gumdrop lined up as illustrated above, it isn't the end of the world. Look at the photo below - the gumdrops on the left would couch/nestle when sewn together, those on the right would have a much bulkier seam at the top end than at the bottom, and the points would be less likely to match. Either way is fine, but pick a way and stick with it for ALL of the gumdrops. Once they are sewn together, I recommend pressing these seams OPEN.

Step Ten: If you are making a scrappy block like mine, now it is time to experiment. Do you want all the gumdrops to be in the same quadrant as the pinwheel blade of the same fabric?

Or do you want them to be scattered about in a scrappier mannner?

(You KNOW which I chose!)

Once you decide (or if you are making the block with just two fabrics), sew two gumdrops together end to end, and press the center seam to one side.

Step Eleven: Line up each 2-gumdrops unit with the point of the corresponding pinwheel blade/flying geese, and sew. Again, this is a point where I would pin. Once sewn, press away from the gumdrops.

Step Twleve: Sew those lonely, nearly forgotten 2x6" rectangles of background fabric to the outside edge of the gumdrops. Press away from the gumdrops.

Step Thirteen: Sew the four quadrants together and press. Here's a close-up of the back of one quadrant to show you all the pressing directions.

And here's my finished block, all squared up and ready to play!

If you make any blocks, I'd love to see them! Thanks for taking an interest in what I love to do!

CHECK!

2011-06-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

I had a LONG list of things to get done yesterday. Near the top of the list was to buy a pass to the city pool - CHECK! With temperatures in the 90s, there was no question about whether or not we'd be going to the pool yesterday. I swam laps while the boys stopped my heart with their derring-do off the diving board. Why can't they just splash around like the other kids!?! Sheesh!

Another item on the to-do list was to finish my Bee Block - CHECK!

I also wanted to get my February Birdie block framed with 2.5" blocks - CHECK!

Along the way, I attached the white frame to my first alternate block (middle block in first column) and finished piecing the center of my second alternate block although the white frame hasn't been added yet (top right corner). This project is going to use up lots of my 2.5" precut scrap squares - YAY!

The other stuff on my to do list is too boring to list here, but, as it was payday, unfortunately completing items on my list included writing a lot of CHECKS!

California Dreamin'

2011-05-31T06:04:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday evening, after work and karate, I loaded my kids in the car and drove them to my mother-in-law's in Pennsylvania (about 5.5 hours with no stops, but c'mon, I've got two kids in the car - there were stops!). Needless to say, THAT was a late night. On Thursday morning, after taking the kids out to the bike path to wear them out a bit on their scooters, I left them in her loving care to drive south to Philadelphia to meet my husband at the airport and fly off into the sunset with him. We landed in San Francisco, then drove south to Palo Alto, as the purpose of the trip was for me to present at a conference at Stanford.

Friday was a picture perfect LAZY day - naps, walking around town, a picnic lunch of Vietnamese food, a matinee - followed by a pre-conference dinner meeting that night. Saturday, however, was a marathon - we had to be at the conference no later than 7:45 AM, and it ended at 6:30 PM - but an invigorating one. It was one of those days where I realize that I am truly good at what I do and that what I do makes a difference, and it gives me the energy to keep going.

Then, Sunday morning, it was back to the airport for the long flight back east, and Monday it was the long drive home again. I had a great time - it is important for my husband and me to have some time together but without the kids to reconnect every now and then - but how nice to sit still for a minute, even if it is at work.

In quilty news, I spent my time working on my Lil Miss Shabby Birdie BOM blocks. I finished February, and am at least halfway done with April, which means, I'm really only 1 month behind now with May left to do. Here's February, un-ironed and without the 2.5" blocks around the border yet. This was my first attempt at the Lazy Daisy Stitch - I like!!! All those hearts, though, I didn't really like. I finally realized that I can modify these however I want, right, not just the colors but also the design, so on the April block, I'm leaving out the Easter Eggs.

Funny side note - as I was sitting in the staff room at the conference during a break working on this block, a man asked me if that was a "Shabby" pattern. I was taken off guard - did he really know what I was working on? He DID!!! His fiance also follows Lil Miss Shabby and is working on these blocks, too! How neat (and unexpected) is that!?!

There were also a couple minor fabric purchases during this trip. I stopped by the quilt shop near my MIL's to get another quarter yard of Kona Snow to finish the Bee Block that I ran out of fabric for before I left home. I went in, got what I came for and left without even peeking at the other fabric in the store. It practically KILLED me, but I did it! Then, while in California, my needle threader broke (OK, folks, does anyone have a recommendation for a needle threader for embroidery floss? I use those cheapo fake metal ones from a 3-pack at Walmart, but I go through them SO quickly. Please tell me there is something better out there!), so I went out in search of a replacement and I stumbled across a JoAnn's. While there I checked out the clearance fabric and found this green polka dot flannel (1 yard - I'm so attracted to dots these days!) and this red pirate fabric for my boys (1/2 yard).

Less than $5 spent - I'm so proud of my restraint!!!

Bee balm?

2011-05-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

I love the word BALM. To me, it is calm and soothing and quiet and restorative, and that's just what I was seeking in my sewing room today as I escaped the chaos that is my life. I don't want to bore you with the whiny details, but this snippet should sum things up:

-the plumber as he is trying to fix a leak in my basement outside my sewing room, "CRAP!! Um, do you have any towels?"

I'll work on my Bee blocks, I said to myself. Both April and May's fabrics arrived within a week of each other, so I had two blocks to make. I started with May. We could make any block we wanted, and the fun fabrics included a monkey that was screaming out to be the focus, so I made an EXTREMELY modified Weathervane block. I like the way it turned out, but believe me, the modifications weren't intentional but rather the result of poor planning on my part and some premature cutting.

Fun, but not really an experience that served as a balm. On to April. These fabrics are much cooler - Kona Snow and three green/grays. The request was for a pinwheel-type block. The first thing that came to mind was a Dutchman's Puzzle, and I cut, and started sewing before I realized I didn't have enough Kona Snow to make that. Hmmmm.... How about I use those bonus triangles, too? That should give me enough! Nice try, Erin. Close, but no cigar. (Where does that expression come from anyway? I use it, but it makes no sense to me!) So, here I sit, two 2.5" squares of Kona Snow short of finishing her block. The frustration of that didn't really soothe my nerves either.

Finally, as a leader and ender, I sewed together some 2.5" scraps to play with one of my setting ideas for my Birdie BOM (yes, I still only have 2 blocks done, but I'm hoping to finish block 3 on the plane ride to and from California this weekend).

Not sure about this setting - it is hard to tell how it will look with so few blocks.

Anyway, I know that part of my agitation is from going away. With all the travel I do, you'd think I'd be better at it, but ALWAYS, the night before I leave, I am a basketcase, trying to get everything done, making lists and checking them twice. Is this normal? Does everyone have pre-trip jitters?

My weekend adventures

2011-05-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

While this weekend was mostly consumed by an AWESOME Cub Scout Campout, I did get a bit of sewing done. Jason's school backpack is falling apart, but rather than buy him a new one, I took one of his school t-shirts that he has outgrown to make a backpack.

And that new pink owl fabric that I bought has been calling my name, so I whipped up a nightie/sundress for my niece. It was so easy, I'm pretty sure I'll be making another one for the daughter of a friend. Donald was not happy about being pressed into service as my dress form.

The weekend is nearly over, and I've not accomplished nearly the sewing that I had hoped to do:

make a second dress

make two Bee blocks

sandwich the quilt that was commissioned at the Old Middlebrook Village Day, now that the backing and batting has been ordered and received

so I guess I should get back to it. I'll leave you with photos from the campout - what a blast!

We camped at the top of a hill at a Field Training Exercise site for Virginia Military Institute.

Down the hill was a pavilion with electricity and bathrooms where we ate and also watched "Follow Me, Boys" a 1966 Disney movie with Fred McMurray and a young Kurt Russell about scouting.

We could get down there by following this path,

but the boys preferred to pile into the back of this truck - can you blame them? Even I went for a ride in the back.

We played an extremely unfair couple games of Tug Of War - tons of scouts:

versus 5 leaders (I'm the second in line wearing a cap and giving myself a hernia trying to pull those trash-talking tykes over the line.) Needless to say, we lost.

They also played ball, took a tree-identification hike, and made duct tape wallets. Truly, the only downside of the whole adventure was the ticks, but luckily I only had to extract 1 from my boys. So, another year of scouting under our belts. Donald will be joining as a Tiger Scout next year, and I volunteered (in front of many witnesses so I can't back out) to be his den leader. Jason is bummed that I won't be his leader, but I reminded him that he still can't drive, so I'll still be at all his meetings; besides, Donald needs to see that I am willing to commit to his activities the same as I've been committed to Jason's these past few years. I'm just hoping that I don't overextend myself to the point where I need to be committed...

When it rains...

2011-05-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

You know the expression, "when it rains, it pours," right? It seems appropriate for so many reasons lately. First, literally. I don't think we are the only ones feeling soggy in the US right now, are we? I'm trying to focus on how lush and green everything looks instead of how soggy everything is.

But it has been pouring figuratively lately, too, particularly around my house. First, the microwave stopped working. No problem, we recovered a spare that we had in our rental property. Then the oven stopped working. Inconvenient, but truly, as the weather warms up, I use it less and less anyway. This week, the dryer stopped working. This is particularly troublesome since it keeps raining so there's no way to dry the clothes outside. And two days ago, I discovered a leaky faucet/valve/thingymajig in the hot water closet that was flooding the floor outside my sewing room. I think it is time we called in a handyman to start fixing all the things that are going wrong around here. Most times, I love owning my own home. Times like these, I wish I had a landlord to call and complain to.

I did try to get my windshield replaced. The repairman came out to my job earlier this week only to discover that we had ordered the wrong windshield. Aargh!

And my calf muscle has been healing nicely - now it is just tight and achy instead of actually sore, so I've been slowly easing myself back into karate. Well, but maybe not slowly enough. Yesterday, I decided to join in when we were doing our board breaking combo - a front kick to break the board in front of us and a side kick to break the board behind us. I'm happy to say that I broke both boards on the first try, but OUCH! I was on ice for the rest of the evening. Patience is not a virtue that I possess in any great quantity.

The weekend retreat with my sister was fantastic last weekend. We ate, we shopped,
(lookie, lookie, I found a sale!)

we explored, we discovered GLEE, we laughed, we drank coffee from these cute little mugs that remind me of an appliqued quilt,

and occasionally, we slept. I didn't get a lot of sewing done, but I did finish my second Birdie BOM. I love the scrappy colorfulness in my version, and am already playing with setting ideas, never mind that I only have 2 of 12 blocks done. :)

During my flights to and from Boston, I finished Jennifer Chiaverini's latest, The Union Quilter. Her books that take place in a historical context are my absolute favorites, and this book didn't disappoint.

Tomorrow night is the cub scout pack's annual campout and crossover ceremony - my little scout will be a Webelo before the weekend is over! Now if only it doesn't rain...

Another (mis)adventure!

2011-05-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow me know that most of my adventures have unexpected hiccups sprinkled in them to keep things interesting. This weekend with my twin sister on our 4th annual Twin Retreat promises to deliver more of the same.

I flew up to Boston on Thursday, gave a presentation on Thursday evening, then drove to Amherst, MA to spend the night in her home, arriving at 12:30 AM. Up at 6:30 AM to see her and the kids off before school, and then I spent a wonderful, lazy morning reading, visiting a coffeeshop, visiting my sister at her school where we laughed at everyone's doubletakes when they saw the two of us together, shopping, and then off to Deerfield Academy for a college fair. Once that was over, the Twin Retreat could officially begin. We packed up the car and headed off to Bennington, NH to spend the weekend in her new vacation home.

We took the scenic route up here, and stopped first at the New England Fabric store where I made some fun purchases.

(I see a cute little something for my niece being made with these pink owls - aren't they adorable!)

We also took the time to walk around downtown Keene to shop for trinkets for the kiddos (just because they weren't invited on this trip, we don't want them to think we don't think of them!) and to pick up some Thai food to bring back to the house for dinner. We arrived around 9:45 PM only to discover that we hadn't brought keys. Oops!

We found some flashlights and went around checking all the windows and doors to see if any had been unlocked, but no luck. We called her contractor to see if he was around to let us use his key, but no answer. We called her husband to see if he had hidden a key here somewhere. Nope. So, we arranged blankets in the back of the car and settled in for a Thai picnic, prepared to spend the night in the car.

A little after 10 PM, just as we were hooking my laptop up to the outlet in her car to watch a movie (gotta love modern technology) a truck pulled up. Apparently the contractor had received our message and had come to rescue us. Ericka hopped out of the car and rushed over to greet him, only to stop short when she discovered it was the cops. Apparently, a neighbor had seen us nosing around with flashlights and thought we were trying to break in (which we were). Luckily, this was a very good-natured cop with some time on his hands, so he hung around to see if he could help us find a way in. We found an enormous ladder, and he helped us move it around to get onto the porch roof to see if the upstairs windows were locked. I just had to take a photo of that!

But no luck. Then he found something in his car to help us jimmy open a window, and right after 11 PM, we finally made it inside. Here he is, our hero, whose name we forgot to learn. Gotta love the guys in blue!

So, it's late, and we've got a big day planned tomorrow, but can't go to sleep yet! Don't see her often enough to waste time sleeping. Stay tuned for more adventures with the Bobsey Twins!