Make-A-List Monday: Better than I thought!

Good mornin'!

Great. Now I've got that song in my head.

Oh well. There are worse things.

I had a productive week. It did get me to a point  I don't like, which is deciding on borders. Yuck. But I'm there, so I may as well get out of Dodge as quickly as possible.

I finished my Happy Go Lucky Briar Rose quilt top. No border yet, and there may never be one, frankly.

I kinda like the look of it as it is. Sometimes a big border just screams "I needed to make it bigger!" I don't NEED to make this bigger. I could, and put it on my bed, but I don't have to. Your thoughts?

I was thinking of using one these two for the border:

And one of these two for the binding:

See my dilemma?

I also listed my Cowgirl SW Taffy blocks. Wanted to get those ready to go so I could finish the quilt. It's a harder pattern than it looks - some of the blocks have to have part of the border fabric on them, so you have to decide ahead of time before you can put the corner triangles on them. (For inquiring minds, the pattern is Salt Water Taffy by Fig Tree)

But I figured it out and I just went ahead and finished the top.

Funny/frustrating story. I had JUST enough of that pink floral print for the border. I mean, 30" of it. So I planned on cutting 8 3.75" strips and life would be peachy.

Well, I had to use my old old old cutting mat, having destroyed the others (a whole 'nother story!). It doesn't have the extra line on the edge so you can cut off the uneven edges first and then start at zero. So I started at one. My first strip was 2.75". Ugh.

Rather than order more fabric, because I was short, I just pieced that skinny strip together and made do. And it looks just fine. Can't hardly tell, unless you're looking for it. So don't look for it!

I also pieced together three columns for my Glamping Hexie quilt top. Like I said before, slow going, but super fun.

On to this week!

My plan is to:

• Trim up the rest of my Simple Life Dottie blocks and finish them up
• Layout and sew three more Glamping Hexies columns
• Get the serger set up and tension issues solved so I can finish the serging projects
• Finish Gypsy Girl Weekender bag panels

That should be sufficient, right? My husband got to play ALL day on Saturday, so he kinda owes me. And before you remind me that it was Father's Day weekend, let me just say that he got to play all day the day before Mother's day as well. And he got a fabulous breakfast and dinner yesterday that he didn't have to cook himself. He owes me.

Tuesdays Favorite Things: Quilting books

Okay, books in general.

In fact, I'm reading this book right now:

HIGHLY recommend it, whether you are an introvert (yours truly) or not. Brilliant. Mind-blowing. Life-altering. Really, it's that good.

Actually, what I'm so excited about is this: digital quilting books.

Having just packed and moved far too many boxes yet again, I'm ever so grateful for my nook account at Barnes and Noble. Love my digital books. So portable.

I freely confess to being a book snob a few years back, when e-readers were hitting the market. I liked holding an actual book. I liked the smell. Yada yada. Blah blah.

I'm so over that. Got my first e-reader (a nook) 3 years ago and haven't looked back. Except in the bathtub, where electronics and water do not mix, I'm glued to my e-reader. For Christmas, my husband surprised me with a Google tablet, so I can do just about anything on it - check e-mail, read blogs, surf Pinterest, play sudoku.

When Camille Roskelley's book came out, I checked the price at Amazon. Not bad. Free shipping (if I ordered more, and who am I kidding, that wouldn't be hard!). Went over to Barnes and Noble to check out their price and, um, HELLO, a nook version was available.

For just over $10 little dollars. I didn't even blink, I was so giddy! You are given a link to download any full-sized templates, etc., so don't worry about that. As I have a nook app everywhere, it's just awesome.

And now every quilting book gets run through the e-reader gauntlet for me. I'll still buy hard copies when I have to, but this is so much better, and here's why (in my ever-so-humble-opinion):

Say you're like me, and you finally get to go to a quilting store. You've got a hard copies of you favorite quilting books, dog-eared with the projects you want to make but are waiting for the *right*perfect*best* fabric.

You get to the quilting store. You find your perfect fabric for that one quilt in that one book. But how much fabric do you need? Was it a layer cake, or a jelly roll? The book is at home, because who wants to lug around dozens of books? You might get lucky and find a copy in the store. Or you're like me and do most of your fabric shopping online.

But what if you had all your books on your phone? How great would that be! See, awesome, isn't it?

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox. Still, it's pretty cool.

And look what else is available as a digital copy:

If I don't win one during the blog hop, I'm totally scoring a digital copy! Love Sherri's blog, and this book looks just as great!

Make-A-List Monday: Lesson Learned

Sharpies are my friends. Had quite a few around when we were moving so I could label boxes.

Sharpies are my enemy when my 20-month-old finds them and decorates my sewing machine with them. Hairspray has done the best job of getting some of it off, but it's there to stay. I guess it's a good reminder to me to 1. not leave Sharpies down and 2. not leave my door open! If only I was the only one who needed to remember this!

Decorating my sewing machine was one thing. Make the quilt blocks I had been sewing together into rows "prettier" is another. Still, it's minimal and I'm keeping it as it is. Another lesson learned.

So here's my list for the week:

• Finishing sewing together HGL Briar Rose flimsy
• Layout my Cowgirl SW Taffy blocks so I can finish them
• Play more with my Glamping Hexies!

I'm ever so grateful for the glorious thing called air conditioning. No more hot, miserable days with cranky kids and cranky mommy. If only the kids would remember about keeping the back door closed!

Have a lovely week! Linking up over at little and lots for the weekly "Let's Get Acquainted" linky party.

What was I thinking?

Sometimes a little quilting idea pops into my head and won't go away until I just get started.

When I got a Glamping FQ bundle for my birthday (guilt-get-out-of-trouble-gift), I thought how fun it would be to make a big hexie quilt for myself.

Cue the crazy music! (By the by, what should be on my crazy playlist? Patsy Cline? Aerosmith? Madonna?

I cut the hexies with my Go! cutter last week - no biggie there.

Now the fun has begun. It's going to be 26/27 hexies per column. 25ish columns. INSANE, I tell you!

I have the first two columns done and am sewing them together as I finish them. I'm using the wonderful tutorial for machine stitching hexies at from the blue chair (part 1 and part 2).

It's slow going, but it's going. I might have it done by Christmas.

Seriously.

Okay, I hope to have it done by the end of the month, but it's going to be tough.

Thank goodness for Otter Pops, sprinklers and library books!

As for my finish for today, I finished my May (I know, I know, but I was moving!) bee blocks and sent them off today. Fortunately, June is my month, so I won't be late this month!

I liked this pattern - they came together quickly. I might use them again. The block (Rolling Diamonds) was designed by Queen Sara of the Haven do.Good stitches bee. Contact her if you'd like the pattern.

Linking up, since it's been oh so long, with Amanda Jean and Sarah. Celebrating small victories over here.

Bloglovin' baby!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I made the switch!

Home, Sweet Home

Thought I was gone forever?

You should be so lucky!

Nope, still here, still unpacking boxes and settling in. But the sewing room is mostly set up and I'm back at my machine because I desperately need some sewing time.

The move was good and bad. The bad: getting a 24-hour stomach flu three days after we moved in, which meant I spent an entire day in bed, followed by my husband spending an entire day in bed. The really bad: my sweet mother-in-law, who watched all five kids the first move in day and the baby the second, had a heart-attack the third day (same day I was SUPER sick). She had surgery and is home now and we are pulling our hair out trying to get her to slow down a bit and rest. Which means she is fine.

The good: this view from my sewing machine:

It's not a big backyard, but that concrete RV pad and patio might be 95% of the reason we chose this house. It's huge and the kids can ride bikes and scooters all the livelong day. And they do. And I get to watch! The shed is their clubhouse and we're equipped with sidewalk chalk and bubbles for now. Swimming pool to come!

The better: the view from this door:

Our house is single-level, set up in a giant L. So at the short side of the L is the family room (which will be the schoolroom) and my sewing room. The bedrooms are in the other wing (makes me feel so Downton Abbey to have a "wing"). I love that it's separate from the rest of the living space, but still in the middle of it all. Does that make sense? And I can sew late at night or early in the morning without waking anyone up!

I inaugurated my sewing room by cutting my Glamping hexies with my Go! cutter. I might have had two little helpers who ruined 12 blocks while I ran to the store. Note to self: shut the door!

And now I'm working on a Happy-Go-Lucky Briar Rose quilt. I finished the 16-patch blocks before the move, so I just have to do the X-blocks.

See you on the other side!

I've packed away ALL my sewing things, so I will have nothing to share until after next week.

I did order backs for six of my finished flimsies, so there will be some actual finishes in the near future.

In the meantime, wish me luck! I'm a packing, cleaning machine!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. I don't often put personal photos out there, but this is a special day, and these are special ladies.

First, my Gran, who passed away 2 years ago this month. I miss her every day. She was an amazing lady, who raised five sons and one daughter. Her one daughter is my mom.

She raised six sons and one daughter! She is amazing, strong, funny, and my best friend.

Then there's my girl, who came into our lives and made me a mom. 

I'm one lucky lady, let me tell you.

Hope you have a lovely day!

We have a winner!

Ugh.

Lemme say a word about "no-reply bloggers." They are missing out on all the fun.

I went through three winners before I finally landed on my winner! C'mon people! If you NEVER win anything, maybe this is why!

Okay. Stepping off to announce my winner:

88. Dee said...

Two elephants walked off a cliff.
Boom, boom.

sad I know, i asked my daughter for that one ;)

Congrats Dee! I'll get your certificate e-mailed to you soon! 

Thanks for all the jokes everyone. My kids and I enjoyed them. And a lot of you are BIG fans of the interrupting cow knock knock joke. It's pretty popular around here already!

Friday Finish: Just Keep Sewing

You've got that little song from "Finding Nemo" stuck in your head now, don't you?

You're welcome!

I'm so great at avoiding unpleasant things. I'm even better at rewarding myself for the slightest bit of work. Pack a box? Sew 10 quilt blocks. It's a little skewed, but it's working for me.

Here's what I finished up this week:

Yep, another flimsy. So glad to have this one together. Going to do a pieced border for it, but it's basically done and I'm happy for that.

I'm playing for the weekend - left the law student alone with some patching and painting to do while we run through sprinklers in the 95 degree weather! Well, I might not run through the sprinklers, but my kidlets surely will.

Have a lovely Mother's Day!

Giveaway winner to be announced tonight after 5 p.m. my time. Keep the jokes coming!

Linking up with Sarah and Amanda Jean, because I can! 

Fabric Hoarders: The Christmas Edition

Do you have a favorite fabric? Like all time, you'd save it in a fire or flood?

This is mine:

I've made several projects with it.

A bag to carry around at Christmastime. An apron, but I can't find a picture of it and it's packed already.

 

I finished this quilt last Christmas and I love it. Backed in red polka dot minky, it is the most popular quilt in the house come December.

My Christmas stocking will be made out of this material too (that project is for this year!). But that was to be the last because it was gone. Couldn't find even a scrap.

One day last week, I was browsing around at fabric.com when I thought to check Michael Miller's holiday stuff. Saw these awesome gingerbread houses, and these adorable nutcrackers (totally making my aunt an apron out of that one!), but I might have squealed like a little girl when I saw my fabric was available again. I put five yards into my cart without batting an eye and checked out as quickly as I could, hoping and praying that it wasn't already gone.

It arrived yesterday, in all it's red retro glory and I have absolutely NO idea what I'm going to make with it, but I don't care! It's here. Okay, I might make another version of the quilt up there since my oldest girl sorta claimed that one and I want my own. But that's all.

But don't rush over to fabric.com for some. It's gone again. They say it will be back in stock in July. Here's hoping!

Give said the little blog . . .

Yep, I totally hijacked a little song. One of my favorites. Deal.

Welcome to my small corner of blogland.

This is me:

Okay, that WAS me, 12 years ago. I traded in my chef whites for jeans, t-shirts and flip flops 9.5 years ago when I had my first baby. Haven't looked back since.

But a girl does need a hobby besides babies (I've got five of those now!). So I got back to sewing and started quilting with a vengeance.

My specialty seems to be flimsies. I've got 15 (egad!) that need to be quilted.

In my defense, I'm on the brink of moving (as in, 14 days from today!), so I've been cranking out the flimsies. At the other end of this  move is a gorgeous sister-in-law who has a long arm. Um, who wouldn't wait, right?

So I'm up to my eyelashes with boxes and cleaning and completely blanked on the giveaway this year.

How's about an etsy gift certificate this go 'round? Makes it super easy on me, you can pick out whatever your heart desires and my international buddies can enter and win as well.

So, here's what you hafta do for $25 on etsy:

Leave me a comment. We like clean jokes around here, so if you've got a killer knock-knock joke (and by killer I mean one that a seven-year-old will laugh at, so it doesn't have to be brilliant), share it. I've got a road trip coming up with my kids and I'd love to print off a list of jokes for them to read to each other. Thanks ever so!

Let the joking begin! And good luck!

Oh, the rules. Sheesh!

1. One comment per person.
2. No extra points for following (although I'm having a housewarming giveaway the first of June, so if you're a follower, you qualify for that).
3. Comments close on Friday May 10 at 5 p.m. PST.
4. Best joke wins. Or random number generator. I don't promise to be objective. If you make the whole family laugh, including my husband, at the dinner table this week, you win.

That's all folks!

PLEASE PLEASE leave me a way to contact you - I've already had several no-reply bloggers comment and you'll be missing out on the fun for ALL the giveaways! Check and make sure, or just leave your e-mail in your comment!

Friday Finish: Flimsies Flimsies Everywhere!

Flimsies aren't the only thing everywhere - I've got boxes coming out my ears. Okay, not really. But I've gone through three rolls o' packing tape and I'm calling it quits for a few days. Not much left to pack, which is good. But the sewing machine is one of the last things to go in a box. I need some therapy after the boxing madness that is my life now.

But, in other news, I have four, count 'em, FOUR flimsies to show you.

Should I start with the favorite or the first one done?

In fairness, I'll go in order of completion (that sounded so much like those stupid voice recordings you hear, when you really just want to hear a real voice!).

I had the stuff all cut out for this quilt (did it on my semi-annual cut-a-thon a few weeks back). Sarah, of Confessions of a Fabric Addict fame, introduced me to the Angler 2. What a lifesaver that was!

So, my Flirt Briar Rose flimsy is done:

I love this pattern. I've got plans for a Happy Go Lucky one once I get settled in to my new home. And we got the rental we wanted this week, so that is settled and oh so awesome. It's near a fabulous park we love, only a few miles from the MIL, great friends, my aunt and uncle, Hobby Lobby and Craft Warehouse. It has a big backyard with RV parking (we don't have an RV, but it does mean my kids have a space to ride their scooters and bikes that is fenced in and away from hazards like cars and such).

Okay, but back to quilts. The second one I finished last week was this one:

(my little photo bomber)

Now, I've admitted I don't love this quilt. Is that horrible to say? I like the pattern. I'll use some white if I make it again. It's for the H2H quilt drive and I wanted to choose colors that would wear well as I'm donating it to the group that is taking them overseas.

I guess it's good that I don't love it since I have to let it go, but I feel sort of guilty about it. I meant for it to turn out better. Just didn't happen. Oh well. The flimsy is done and I've got the backing and binding fabric coming so I can finish this before we move and get it off to Sarah.

I'm pouring all my quilty love into this one:

I used this tutorial (ah, heck, I'm using the whole idea, fabric and all!) and it was so much fun to put together. Used my Angler 2 to make the snowballs. Seriously, if you don't have one, get one. Makes life with HSTs and snowballs and the rest so much nicer. Promise. I've got plans to make more of this style.

I'm working out a pieced border I think. Or should I just do a thin white border and then one of the fabrics from the line? Your thoughts?

Option 1 - small dark inner border, then on-point four patches, then outer border:

 Source here

Option 2: just some half snowballs, which make them look like stars (I'm not sure about this one . . . .)

Source here

Option 3: A solid border that crosses in the corners, then a bunch more nine-patches

Source here (Quilt Addicts Anonymous)

Option 4: (pardon the huge picture with the small quilt) just three solid (or semi-solid) borders - I like the simplicity of this one and it would soften the super-busyness of the scrappy quilt, but it's also sorta plain Jane (nothing wrong with that, just exploring options)

Family Room by Los Angeles Interior Designer Kelley & Company Home

So tell me what you think!

This one was on my to do list for this week, and I finished putting on the white borders this morning.

I've made a few versions of this quilt (um, lemme see . . . . about 7 now). I think I'm worn out on it, though I do love it. It's called Matchbox and it's designed by the fabulous ladies at Abbey Lane Quilts. This big girl will be backed in some minky and go on my bed at Christmas time.

Linking up with Amanda Jean and Sarah, because I'm pretty stinking proud of my awesome flimsy collection. Grand total before my move is at 15 so far. I've got one more to lay out next week and stitch up. Gotta git 'er done!

Have a fantastic weekend. We're going to enjoy the sunshine!

WIP Wednesday: I'd rather be . . . .

Hmmmmmm.

This:

Or this:

You guess.

I'll wait.

I busted out a bazillion boxes yesterday. Nearly the entire sewing room is packed. Only a few more boxes of books to pack (we're bookish people!), toys and the kitchen. Not bad with three weeks to go! And lest you think that we order lots from Barnes and Noble, we don't. But they sure do give out free, awesome moving boxes.

And then I pruned rose bushes until I was sufficiently scratched enough to swear off roses for the rest of my life. I think the world has got it backwards. Why are dandelions the weed and roses the pretty flowers? Dandelions don't hurt. They seem to do just fine the more you abuse them. I find roses to be too princessy for my tastes. At least the ones in my yard. Oh well. I'm moving away from them soon and I won't be missing them.

So I'm rewarding my little self with some sewing. I must get at least two more flimsies finished before the move. This one is nearly done - just one row left!

I have a whole slew of flimsy finishes to share on Friday. Just you wait! Three, plus this one. Happy day!

Linking up!

Suck It Up, Buttercup!

My three-year-old picked that one up recently. Can't blame TV, or my husband. Nope, he got it from me.

And I need to hear it, although he only says it to his older siblings to annoy them. But he could say it to me and I'd deserve it.

I've felt really whiney lately. Maybe the complaints are mostly in my head, but I could list a gazillion of them. Here's a sample: they want to show the house YET AGAIN on Friday, my serger is on strike, we still don't have a place to live when we move in 5 weeks (unprecedented for us), my baby girl now likes to wake me up at 4 a.m. (seriously, exactly 4 a.m.) and nurse herself back to sleep while leaving me wide awake for the day (no wonder I go to bed at 8:30!), and on and on and on. See? Whiney.

Now I have two Facebook friends. One annoys me to no end because she is Super Whiney. All the time. On Facebook and in person. We're both in pretty similar situations. Husbands in law school (they started at the same time). Five kids. The similarities sort of end there. I'm homeschooling, she's not. But every day she manages to complain about something. She calls herself a single mom because her husband is in law school, which drives me crazy because I know single moms and they don't typically have someone show up in the evenings at dinnertime and help with jammies and hold family prayer and show up when there are sick babies and call when they miss you. Just saying. See? So I'm not that whiney.

Then there's my other friend. She's amazing. Four kids. Part-time job. And MS. Yep. She has an incurable disease that makes laundry, bathing her kids and opening cupboards and doors difficult. Her hands just won't work the way they should. And she NEVER complains! Ever. Ever. (Now I sound like a Taylor Swift song).

So after reading through her blog and hanging my head lower and lower in shame, I'm going to suck it up, buttercup. Life is pretty great for me. It's awful that I need a wake up call like that one, but I'll take it.

Boohoo, my serger is on strike. Which means I get to sew a quilt top instead. My friend couldn't even cut the fabric, or sew it together. Here's what I got done yesterday:

And showing the house just means that it gets cleaned up more often than I usually get from my family. We're going to just pack up a lot of stuff in advance of this next showing. Then they can't get it all out again to make another huge mess. Win!

As for our housing crisis, well, it will sort itself out. It's giving us a chance to flex our faith muscles. We've done all we can and now it's up to God, or what's supposed to happen for our family. All will be well. But my OCD mind is still reeling at the thought.

Not much I can do about 4 a.m. except enjoy the quiet (and I do!) and the snuggles with my last baby. I'll miss it someday. That's what they tell me. And she is the sweetest thing EVER! Warning: shameless baby photos coming up!

Did I mention she likes to climb on my chair while I'm sewing? Such a great helper, standing behind me. And if I leave the chair out, she climbs up and arranges squares on the table, just like me. Cutest thing ever, but could I catch it on camera? No.

So this is me sucking it up. Because life is great, even when it's not. Counting my blessings, because I have so many to be grateful for. Including wonderful blogging friends who put up with my whining and shameless baby photos occasionally. Promise I won't do it too often. But when I get a kitty, it's going to be a whole lot worse. Consider yourselves warned. But I promise to only post kitty+quilt shots, 'kay?

Make-A-List Monday: Shifting Gears

We had some gloriously rainy days last week. It's my southern Oregon coast roots, combined with years of living in Seattle, but it made me hunker down with my slippers, cocoa and sewing machine. The kids happily built quilt forts all over the house and I got a few things done.

My list for last week:

• Cut out 2 nightgowns for my oldest girl

Done. One purple, one blue nightgowns all cut out and ready for the serger. She helped pin and gather scraps. We're going to make some matching slippers for her out of the scraps and she's very excited about them.

• Cut out three furry brown vests for my boys, who all want to be Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon (we're a bit dragon crazy over here lately!)

I wish, but somebody (probably a tiny blue-eyed girl) lost the pattern pieces for it. So I'm waiting for another pattern sale at JoAnn's so I can get a new pattern. Grrr. Thankfully, they've been in ninja mode for a bit now.

• Cut Happy Go Lucky charms for a nine-patch/snowball quilt (inspired by this one)

Cut and this is where I hunkered down and sewed all the snowball blocks (49!) and most of the nine-patches. Just 10ish more to go, but I need more charm squares, so those are ordered and on their way. In the meantime, aren't they so very cute?

• Cut more charm squares for Backyard Baby patchwork (an H2H quilt) 

Done. My oldest girl and I will be laying out this quilt this week so we can get the top sewn.

•  And if the stuff arrives, cut out 2 nightgowns for me!

I ordered two awesome vintage sheets off etsy . . .

. . . and cut them into two nightgowns for me. There was so much fabric that I also scored two pairs of jammie pants as well. Doing a little happy dance over here! Those will get stitched up on the serger this week too. So very excited, because I love the silkiness of those cotton/poly blends. Giddy giddy giddy!

So, can you guess what kind of sewing I'm doing this week?

• Get out the serger and sew the two nightgowns for my girly
• Sew at least the jammy pants for me
• Sew my nightgowns too, if there's time
• If the charm packs arrive, cut rest of squares for nine-patch blocks
• Lay out H2H quilts (Crossroads and patchwork)
• Pack more boxes, but that's not sewing related

There. We'll see how I do. What are you working on this week.