Fun Day

Well, I guess I cross one more thing of my 'Want to Do' list for 2011.

I didn't necessarily have a 'quilt camp' here, but I did host a craft/sewing day in the desert!

Had 2 girlfriends come over for a craft day, well, more like an eating/crafting day!

Miss C. made pacifier-type clip-ons, and Miss W. made some magical soda can flowers and embellishments with her BigZ and dyes.

I didn't get much done, but here's something I did finish.

It's a wool, yoyo purse/clutch!

I am going to make another one w/ some 1930's fabric.

Snow Day 2011

Wow, we had so much fun!



Merry Merry

Merry Merry

Christmas!

we celebrated on the 22nd, with a big dinner and gifts. we are headed to Mt. Charleston on Sunday to go sledding! I can't wait! we're packin' sub sandwiches, hot chocolate, and extra socks!

Here's my gang this year. Sailor Boy came home on the 19th and has been spoiling me by spending lots of time with me.

I hope I get a better picture on Sunday!

We hope you are spending time with family,

remembering the most important gift of all...

Jesus!



Quilt.... from the beginning!

Bonnie Hunter, of http://www.quiltville.com/ and http://www.quiltville.blogspot.com/ is an amazing quilter and quilt designer.  She has a loyal following among the quilters of the world.  She generously posts dozens of free quilt patterns on her blog.  She donates her quilts to good causes.  She is like the neighbor across the street; real, tangible, funny, friendly.  She is a 'green' quilter.  She likes to recycle fabrics from clothing into her quilts.  She has created a system for fabric storeage and usage, so not a piece gets wasted. ' If it's still ugly, you just haven't cut it up enough! ' 

She has posted on her blog, yesterday, about her first several quilts, and posted photos of some of them.  She put a call out to her 'groupies' to do the same.  We'll link them up to her blog with Mr. Linky!

So I dug through my cedar chests and old steamer trunks to find mine.  I actually found them, which is amazing in itself.  I made my first quilt in the summer of 2000.  It made my mom cry.

Not because it was that bad, although it almost was, but because I was quilting.  She is an incredibly gifted woman with crafts, she can make anything!  She has quilted, knit, crocheted, painted, anything you can think of!  She designed and made a Bicentenial Quilt which hung in the Philadelphia Art Museum for a year.

I was the (only) daughter who wanted to play football and hockey.  The last thing I wanted to do was sit and quilt, sew, crochet, etc., ANYTHING! 

So when I  told her I was going to make a quilt, she just about keeled over.  And I did! And she cried!  And now, I've made dozens.  I don't think I am near the 100 mark.  Maybe 50?

Here is my first quilt I pieced... a railroad fence pattern.  It's about 42" x 42".

Here's a shot of the front/back.  I handquilted it (yikes) and did the back of the binding by hand. To this day, I dislike bindings immensely!

This is my 3rd quilt.  Made of Thimbleberries fabric, which I love.  I made it for my (only) daughter, who - by the way, has inherited a lot of my mother's skills and my talent for football.

This is my most recently finished quilt!  It is Bonnie Hunter's Smoky Mountain Stars.  (see a post a few posts down about this and the design)  I have attached the binding to the front, now to the back. I think I am going to have to do that by hand.  Ugh.... anyone for a binding party in the Vegas area? 

I like to think I've improved a little bit.  Still not one for the smaller details.

Resolutions follow-up. Uh Oh!

Way back in the beginning of the year, I wrote a post with my New Year's Resolutions.

I want to see where I am at with mine. 

Does anyone else do this?  The downside of posting them on my blog = accountability! Yikes!

Here they are!

Resolutions?

-use my time better for God         (could always improve)

-pray more for my kids                 (yes, as they give me more to pray about!)

- lose weight                                  (oh yes! I was down a total of 26 lbs, now it's 21, but working on it)

-eat 5 servings veggies every day   (failed MISERABLY!)

-be joyful in all that I do                 (yikes.... one that always needs improving!)

-keep my list of 'to do's caught up    (again.... one that needs improving and SOON!)

-be a better wife/mom              ( I have my good days...)

-handle money better               ( could always use improving!)

-keep my home life prioritized and in order     (another could always use improving)

-not get behind in homeschool    ( well, that's the beauty of homeschooling. I set the schedule,lol)

-get up at 5:30 am everyday so I can have my 'quiet time' and get to the gym & back before kids get up for school and...                         (hmmmm, again, no)
   
-go to gym 6 mornings a week    (not really) 
                                                        ( but I did run a 5k!)



Bucket List for 2011

(or things I'd like to do this year)


- start hiking more with my family    (went a few times w/ the kids & friends)

- get back east to see my family there  (as of Dec. 7th, I'll have been there 2x)

-get to NC to hang w/ Kim for 2 weeks (give or take)   (sadly, no...)

-get to Reno/Minden to hang with Cindy for 2 weeks (give or take)    (She came here for 2 days !)

-get to Cracker Barrel w/ Tami at least 4 times  (been there once w/ her, once w/ McGyver, once w/ Cindy)

-Colorado quilt camp  (yes, one actually completed!)

-Ely quilt camp     (sadly, no, not yet!)

-Vegas quilt camp    (nope, not yet)

-Beach/photography road trip w/ Becky & Leslie    (why yes, did this!)

- spend the summer somewhere cooler than the desert   (spent part at the Little Blue House, and had a quilt camp there)

-visit my Mid at the Academy  (yes! as of Dec. 10th, will have done that 2x)

-advance in my quilting skills    (well, relatively successful. my bindings are getting better)

-advance in photographic skills    (again, relatively. )

-grow a better garden     (yes, I did this. relatively!)

 

Well, there's the skinny on my resolutions list.  Looks like I'll be busy the rest of the year!

Where are you with your list? Any better than me?

Autumn Stars at Night.... all quilted!

Kristina @ http://www.froggybottomquilting.blogspot.com/

quilted Hunk #2's birthday quilt!  Isn't it beautiful!

The backing is a 100% cotton Ralph Lauren denim sheet.  I am making the binding out of the remaining fabric!

ps... Kristina took the pix too!

The original pattern was Smokey Mountain Stars by Bonnie Hunter of http://www.quiltville.com/
She had posted several photos of this pattern people had made, and someone adapted it into this pattern (the border & retangles).  I figured out her pattern from the photo and made it. However, the name and photo are no longer on the website, at least as far as I can see.  I wanted to give her and Bonnie Hunter the appropriate credit.

And to all those who comforted me as I cried over this .... thank you!
(heehee)

I was so excited when I saw that picture of the quilt adaptation. I had been collecting fall batiks and thought it'd be the perfect quilt to use them in!  I was getting the fabrics prepped when Hunk #2 walked in the room (Summer 2010) and said, Mom... can you make me a quilt? I want stars on it. And in fall colors? Huh, Mom? Can you?
'Really?' was my thought.  I nodded my head and said, 'well, maybe someday.'





It's November 12th, How Did That Happen?

I just can't get over the fact it's November already. Really?

Like, really really?

All of the sudden it went from being yucky hot to chilly. Brrr! Down comforter chilly! Flannel sheet chilly! Wow! Amazing!

I was definitely ready for cooler weather. I must be older than I think I am, because I am not enjoying it as much as I used to.  I don't want the heat though, so I will be glad to keep the chilly weather!

What's new?

I've been stitching away. Here's a few things I've been making lately...

And, here's something pretty cool! Back on Oct. 22, McGyver and I ran a 5K together!  We made it across the finish line w/ out any medical help whatsoever... lol.





Fun & Quick!

Got the idea for this neat, easy peasy pillowcase from my friend K at http://www.froggybottomquilting.blogspot.com/

She found it on the 'net somewhere.

Cute, huh? 

Oh... it took all of 10 minutes, maybe? Maybe less!

But love it!

Busy Bee!

I've been overwhelmed with busybusy lately!

I don't know how my calendar gets so full. Somebody oughta look into that for me!

The biggest stresser for me lately was the 24 centerpieces I had to make for the Boy Scout Spaghetti Dinner / Silent Auction fundraiser, help on 9/22.  I had a few friends helping me look for ideas, thanks Les & Wen! And Pinterest! My new fav. site.

Anyway... 24 were completed. Les came over last Tuesday to help me figure out how the finished product should look.  Man... once that was done, I felt so relieved. Until I walked into the Boy Scout Hall and found out I needed 39! Fortunately I had brought some fall decorations & fall fabric, so I was able to get all the tables done!

Here's just a few photos...

Cute, huh?

Little Blue House Quilt Camp

Chicklet and I drove out to the West End last week for some R & R, quilt-style.  We went to Montrose on Friday, for Friday Night Sew-In with Dinner!  We had a great time visiting with the gals at Ladybugz Quilt Company, our FAV store!

We spent the night quilting away.... Chicklet made a bag and I worked on a quilt I started last year.  We hung out at Kristi's house overnight, and then back to Ladybugz on Saturday for coffee and visiting.  We went for a fabulous walk along the Uncompagre River.  We hurried back to the quilt store to meet Carol H, who was bringing us Bear Dog.  If you haven't been privy to our dog saga this summer, count your blessings!  And I'll spare you the gory details now!

 Chicklet poses, one more time!

Hello, I am BearDog!

Autumn Stars at Night

Me, Lori, and Krist at the Little Blue House

Autumn Stars at Night, Bed Runner, This 'n That

Kristi and her Paris Bag

Kristi drove back to the West End with us late afternoon, and Lori joined us later on for 2 nights/days of sewing/quilting/eating/seussjuce/laughing, etc, at the Little Blue House and we had a blast. I finished the quilt mentioned above... it will be for Hunk #2's 18th bday coming up.  I finally got the binding on the Colorado Kaleidescope too!  I layered Hunk #4's quilt and quilted it. All I need to do is add the binding and that's done!

Chicket and I are hanging out at Auntie & Uncle's big white house tonight.... our plumbing is totally messed up at the Little Blue House. The plumbers come early in the morning, woo hoo!  It's back to the desert on Thursday! We're missing our Hunks!

My Antique Mall Find!

My girlfriend Tami tool me out the other day for a belated b-day celebration! We had lunch and shopped at the Antique Mall, not too far away. I found this beautiful, vintage Yo Yo Quilt / Table Runner for $15. Fabrics dated to the 60's & early 70's.

I felt it was my duty to 'rescue' this top!

Family

Our Sailor came home on July 22 for a few weeks. He headed back to Annapolis this morning, while hunks # 2 & #3 started school.  Hunk #4 and Chicklet are blessed to be homeschooled, and double-blessed because I don't have my act together quite yet, as far as that goes!  I am working on it though.

Here's 2 pictures from last night... had the camera on timer. It's not great, photography-wise, but it's great because we're all in it!



Here's more of the clan!

That's all, folks!



Little Things...

It's been a busy week.  McGyver is in Colorado working on the house... he took his mom along so she could see the progress made.

I've been here with the 4 kiddos, anxiously awaiting Hunk#1's arrival home this coming Friday evening!

I've been working in my sewing 'area', trying to organize it. 

I've been staying up late at night, reading.  Living on the edge, I am!

I wasn't too happy at 5:30 am when Mr. Grilled (aka rooster who's supposed to be a chicken) found his voice. I jumped out of bed & hosed him down.  Thats usually all it takes, and he's quiet the rest of the day. Not today. He kept going & going.  I woke up Hunk #4 at 6:15 and we took said rooster to the animal shelter.  They will farm him out. I am sad, as I really enjoy him otherwise!

Here's a few items I've been working on lately...  Hope you enjoy!

The top items (yoyo's & pockets) are magnets. Those are for the Farmer's Mkt. booth, as well as the sun glass case. Those are fun & easy to put together.

Have a super blessed day!