Thanksgiving

Well hello!  I am alive, okay, but really busy!  Between teaching school, finishing my masters degree and being a mom and wife I have had little time for sewing, let alone blogging. 

We did have a really nice Thanksgiving with both sides of the family. We ate lots of food and my favorite pumpkin pie. 

We also took a few pics, most if them didn't turn out but I wanted to share one with you. 

I have many things to be thankful for, but most of all my family!  They are amazing!!

Instagram Overload

If you follow me on Instagram these pics will be a repeat, but not necessarily boring!  Cause they are of my cute family!  

I haven't even turned on my sewing machine for weeks. I'm trying to finish some college stuff, which I am stressed about right now. It is not helping that school is starting and I'm stressed about juggling everything. I'm trying to take it one day at a time and one class at a time. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

Well, enough whining!  Onto the cute pictures!  

School shopping with Big L. She is growing up too fast!  It was really fun to go shopping with her. 

Little A enjoying the last few days of summer. 

Big K and I waiting for our food. I'm pretty sure the other customers at KFC thought we were weird!

The girls painting Andy's toes!  He was quite fashionable for a few days. He cursed at the glitter polish while trying to take it off. 

It has been a great summer!  Maybe someday I will get back to sewing!

 

Design Wall Monday

Not much was accomplished this weekend. That is the way it has been going lately, lots of items on my list, hardly anything crossed off!  Here is what I have so far.

First border option

This is what originally had in mind when I was designing this quilt. When it was all laid out I didn't really like it. The borders are too light compared to the center and they don't compliment each other well. 

Second border option

Even though you can't see the whole picture I like this one the best. Look at the one complete section with the gray curly thing and the feathers, that section will be repeated around the quilt. 

Maybe someday I will have a "real" design wall!  Until then I will have to work on the floor and have the pieces scattered everywhere and the occasional dog toy in the mix!  

Head over to Patchwork Times for other quilty goodness!  Happy quilting!

A Little Bit of Fun

During the last week the girls and I had a little bit of craftiness going on!  They have been really interested in sewing so I printed off some sewing sheets and let them go for it!  These sheets are just to let them practice sewing on a line and turning a corner. They didn't use thread but they absolutely loved it!  

Little K was a bit apprehensive about using the sewing machine but once she got the hang of it she couldn't get enough. In fact she had to sew something "real" together. Since we have an abundance of fat quarters she sewed a few together and was completely proud of herself. 

Little A wouldn't be left out of the loop but she practiced her cutting ability, since it was practically non-existent. 

She cut out little square letters and did a pretty good job. Now I have little pieces of paper littering my floor because she wanted to do more and more!

I guess they are my children or just want to be involved in what I am doing because they love to start projects!  Now if I could only teach them how to finish!

To Knit or Not to Knit

I have frequently linked up with Patchwork Times on Design Wall Monday. And if you have never visited her site she is not just a quilter, she may be Wonder Woman!  She is not afraid to try anything, from raising chickens, to knitting and much more.  So in the spirit of Judy I have tried knitting. I have crocheted in the past, not very well, but I can read a basic pattern and make a few things. I have never tried knitting. I don't remember either of my grandmothers knitting or seeing my mom knit so I have never had the desire. 

After reading Judy's blog and all the stuff

she knits I wanted to give it a try. I love the idea of homemade socks but once I looked at a pattern and saw that I would have to use 4 needles I was immediately intimidated and gave up any notion of knitting. That is until yesterday.  For some reason yesterday was the day I was going to learn how to knit, so I did. I found an easy dishcloth pattern, ran to my local grocery store (yes, my grocery store has a whole section dedicated to crafty stuff) and grabbed some circular knitting needles and my adventure began!  

We were traveling north yesterday afternoon so I had to teach myself in the car. Thank goodness for good cell service that allowed me to watch a few YouTube videos along the way!  Since I picked an easy pattern I only had to learn how to cast on and the knit stitch, and whatever I didn't know I looked up or made up!  Here is what I have so far, please remember this is my first project!  

It kind of looks like it could be part of a bikini!  I really don't know what I'm doing, but I am on the decrease now. This next question will show what a beginner I am! Do you have to knit both left and right?  I cast my stitches on the right needle but every video I could watch showed the stitches in the left. So I just reversed the stitches and knitted in reverse until I had all the stitches on the left, then I knitted until I had them on the right and then continued back and forth. In crochet I would just flip the project around and then continue working from that side, but I have no idea how to do it in knitting!  Someone please straighten me out!  

Other than that it has been kind of fun, but them again I am one of those people who love a challenge. Hopefully I will learn more so I can do it the "right" way. Who knows, maybe someday I will attempt a pair of socks!  As for right now I'm having fun. 

I'm linking up with patchworktimes.com with this post. I can't figure out how to make a link to her site on my phone so if you want to go there you will have to go old school with cut and paste. Have a good weekend!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to everyone in the United States!  We are grateful to live where we do and have what we have!  

Our family attended a local concert last night and parade this morning. 

We enjoyed catching candy and watching our three little ones dance. Thankfully it was a little overcast and not as hot as earlier in the week. 

My dad used to own a bicycle shop when I was younger. He would sell Schwinn bicycles exclusively and we always used these sacks on the 4th of July. 

This is the last year we will have these sacks. We have depleted all the reserves my parents have. Twenty three years after my dad sold the store they are no more. 

Last night we went to the park and attended a concert by Charlie Jenkins. It was great and fun to be with a lot of the community. My sweet sister made shirts for my our girls!  

I only snapped a pic of 1 of the 5 girls in their shirts. They were so excited to wear them last night and they loved them so much they wore them again today!  It is a white t-shirt with slits cut in the side and a wide ribbon wove through it. They turned out pretty cute. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'm planning on taking a nap this afternoon and hopefully finish my quilt!  

What Now?

I've been working on my latest design and I finally have the center finished. 

Now I just need to figure out the borders. I want to do something a little different. Usually I would have a little border and then a wider border of the paisley type print for the final border. 

This quilt needs something different, something special. I want to incorporate the appliqué pieces, but I'm not sure about in between the appliqué border and the center. I'll keep playing around and hopefully come up with something fabulous!  

Fancy-schmancy Wrist Rest

Try saying that title 5 times fast!  

I'm trying to work on some college stuff, but I had to quickly share this pic. 

Pancho thinks he has to be right by me. So I have turned him into my wrist guard. It really isn't that comfortable or helpful but I just let him snooze on. 

I'm not getting a lot done anyway. I am kind of stuck and I'm never productive when this happens. Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a perfectionist when it pertains to school stuff. I wish the perfectionism would move over in other areas of my life, like cleaning the house!  

Oh well, wish me luck!

Thankful

I know we all have things to be thankful for and I am guilty of taking things for granted. One thing I am very grateful for is my parents and in-laws. They both live around the corner from us and we love it!  They may not love how we ask for favors at the last minute, or how we don't visit as often as they would like but we love living as close as we do.

Each set of grandparents loves our kids so much. Check out this cute pic of my parents and my kids. This was taken last weekend in Panguitch. We were enjoying one last treat before heading home. 

Today I am thankful for all the help and support my parents and in-laws give our family!  

I encourage you to find someone you are grateful for and let them know. You just might make someone's day a little brighter. 

Fun in Panguitch

This past weekend we traveled to Panguitch in southern Utah for their annual Quilt Walk Festival.  I wrote about it a few years ago, you can find the post here. Of course, Westenskow and Sons were there selling our wares. We have been to this show as vendors for 12 or 13 years (does it really matter?).  In a way it feels like we are going home. They have seen my kids as tiny babies and then each year as they have grown up. It is a really fun atmosphere and there is something for everyone, from tractor parades to quilt classes.

They had an area for kids which we took our girls to this year. They absolutely loved it. 

They made butter with whipping cream, salt and a marble (it was boiled or so they said). Shake, shake, shake and then it was done. They also had boiled wheat to try. Needless to say my girls were not too impressed with it. 

All three of them took a ride in a handcart, pulled by some very nice young men.  I don't think we would make really good pioneers.  We have been coddled too much with air conditioning and cars!

They also had a petting zoo with various farm animals.  Little A & Big L's favorite animal was a baby chick. Big K's favorite was the puppy. Really?  We have one at home she gets to pet everyday!  It was a different breed and really cute so who am I to judge!  

Their favorite part was the quilting station. They had little quilt sandwiches stapled onto little wooden frames that kids could try hand sewing with. All three of them jumped on this activity and did pretty well for their age and ability. 

Little A could handle a needle without poking herself!  Her stitches were all over the place and were about an inch apart but she was so proud of herself!

Big K's quilt stitches were pretty even and she was soon threading her own needle when she pulled too hard. 

Big L had it down in just a few tries!  She had even stitches and was able to stay an even distance from the edge of the triangle. 

 I can't believe the amount of prep work that went into all those stations. The girls enjoyed every minute if it!

I entered my heart appliqué quilt into the show this year. It was kind of fun to see it hanging next to other fantastic quilts. 

I need to find a spot in my house to hang it, but also somewhere that is will not be touched by little (sometimes dirty) hands everyday. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Design Wall Monday

Hello everyone again!  Wow, two posts in one day and it isn't even lunch time yet. I can only study for so long before I either fall asleep or zone out and can't remember the last 3 pages I read. To combat this I have been sewing a little.

Recently my mother acquired a Go Baby die cut machine. I didn't think I would use it much but I have loved it!  I recently came up with this cute little block. 

I am trying out raw edge appliqué just so I can finish some projects. I don't like it as much, it is not as pretty but I have too many ideas and can't finish them all.  This is not sewn down yet, but I will be using invisible thread with a small zigzag stitch. I'm not even sure if this is the "correct" way. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. 

I am pairing this block with a log cabin type block to give it some interest. Here is what I have so far. 

I really love this quilt. I'm trying to decide if I should add a couple more rows or leave it square for a wall hanging. 

I hope you stop by Patchwork Times and check out the other projects!  

Morning Dilemma

I really should be working on some college stuff but I don't want to move a sleeping puppy!

Notice the strings on my pants?  I have already been sewing and ran 3 miles this morning. I don't know why I am using the dog as an excuse for not working. I have plenty of other excuses. Here's to a productive college day from now on!

Just a little something

We have a new addition to our family!  This cute little puppy. 

I never thought we would have another dog, let alone an inside dog!  His name is Pancho and we absolutely adore him. He is a chihuahua and we expect him to get about 5-7 pounds. The girls have been really good about taking him outside and keeping their stuff picked up so he doesn't chew it up. 

Welcome Pancho!!

Happy Moment

My happy moment for the day comes from this pic.  

A sweet bucket of soon to be dead weeds!  Oh yea, I actually did some yard work.  I really don't enjoy yard work, but it rained earlier and made for some easy pulling.  This will last for only a day or two but it sure feels nice today!

One More Step and a New Beginning

If you have ever read my blog before you have probably realized by now that I love to start projects and have a hard time finishing all of them.  There is just something about the creative process during the beginning that is very enticing!  I'm glad to announce one of my "big" projects is one giant step closer to being finished.  

Remember this quilt?  

Vintage Valentine, which I started, oh about 8 years ago!  I finally had it quilted, and it is amazing!!  I picked it up 2 hours ago and I can't stop smiling.  

This was my first appliqué quilt and I learned so much through this process.  When I look at the difference between the first and last block the difference in quality is quite noticeable.  I learned that I absolutely love appliqué, I don't like needle turn appliqué, but I do love the starch and iron method.  

I can't get a good picture of the entire quilt, but here are a few shots.  Every block has the same background quilting, but the quilting on the appliqué shapes are all unique!  

Center block

I love how she "framed" each block with a 1/4" border

The applique on these birds makes them my favorite birds in the whole quilt.  You can also see the feathering in the border.

The hearts are about 1" and she quilted in each one.  

The detail in this heart and ribbon is exquisite!  

Just one more shot!

Monique Hudson from Scipio, UT quilted it for me and I wouldn't hesitate to send her another one.  When I talked to her she couldn't stop swooning over it.  It was really nice to hear someone else loves this quilt almost as much as I do.  She kept encouraging me to enter it in some quilt shows or the state fair.  We will see if I dare to enter it.  I am always so critical of my work, even though it is beautiful I still see my flaws!  

Now for the new beginning part! After much deliberation and fighting with myself tooth and nail I have decided to go back to college and get my Master's Degree in Education (did anyone think I was announcing a pregnancy?).  I have put off this decision far too long and it is time.  I will be studying Learning and Technology and I'm hoping to be finish between 18 months and 2 years from now.  It will help my career, as well as my paycheck when it is all over.  The thought of writing and writing and writing does not really appeal to me right now!  

I am mourning the loss of quilting and free time more than anything.  It will be worth it in the end and I'm determined to finish and move on!  I'm sure quilting will be one way to keep myself sane during this entire process, even if it is just a fraction of the time I usually spend.  

Design Wall Monday

Good morning!  I'm trying to blog from my phone so hopefully the words will show up this time!  

This week I have been working on a little machine quilting, alright I lot of machine quilting. I quilted the unnamed small piece quilt on my friend's long arm(sorry no pic yet). When that one was finished my mom handed me one of hers to quilt. I didn't mind because she offered to trade quilting for binding. Wahoo for me, I don't really like binding and my mom does a great job. 

This picture on the left is the back of the quilt. It is really a nice cream color but I added one of those crazy effects from my camera so you could see the quilting. The pic on the right is the front. It is a bunny if you have a hard time seeing the design. This is just a small wall hanging and it will look fantastic in her living room. I really love machine quilting, both on a long arm and my home machine. I'm still hoping I will have a long arm someday. 

Head over to patchworktimes.com to see what everyone has been working on!

Design Wall Monday

Design wall Monday

Hey!  This is going to be a quick post because there is nothing really impressive to show today.  I have been working on my "Get it Done" projects.  So far this month I have finished 1 of the small Lucy blocks and have started the 50 flying geese for the gift quilt.  I had a very special helper today.  

She wanted to help pull out all the pins and stick them back in the tomato pin cushion.  

She really wants her own tomato!  But she says she wanted one without any "needles, cause that would be bad huh mom?"  She just cracks me up!

Here are the flying geese in progress.  I am using the four square method of making flying geese.  I recently became hooked on this method.  It has no waste and it make 4 at a time.  I'm all for anything that saves time and fabric.  

Hopefully I will start quilting the scrappy quilt tomorrow!  I have big plans for this week and everything has to run smoothly to fit everything in.  I need to load the scrappy quilt tomorrow, hopefully quilt a little.  Finish quilting on Wednesday, take girls to dance performance.  Thursday, bind the quilt, fix running pants.  Friday & Saturday run first race, agh!  It is a 10K, I'm pretty sure I'm ready but I'm not sure what to expect!  Hopefully somewhere I will finish these flying geese and feed my family and keep everyone happy and clean!  Wish me luck.  It you need more inspiration head to Patchwork Times for more Design Wall Monday!  

Get It Done, March Edition!

I know I say this every month, but I can't believe how fast the month flew by. I have less than 60 days of school left this year and that is unbelievable!
Even though time flew by I actually accomplished a lot!  Here was my list.

1- Piece all the blocks  CHECK!

2- Design and piece the borders  CHECK!

3- Quilt it  (not accomplished, eek!)

4- Relax, because if I get this much done it will be a very productive month!

Here is the finished top!  I absolutely love this quilt!  It is one of my favorite ones lately.  Probably because it is the only one I have finished lately!

Tada!

Here are my goals for March.  

1 - quilt & bind above quilt

2 - finish 3 blocks from Lucy quilt (small paper pieced blocks)

3 - make 50 flying geese for gift quilt

4 - sew as many My Tweet blocks as possible.  

I think I can accomplish everything this month.  I would like to thank Judy at Patchwork Times for inspiring me to accomplish something every month.  Wow, I feel so productive!  If you would like to join us, check it out here.  

Stars 'N Strips

As quilters, I feel we are always looking for something to challenge/excite us, something new and impressive that will have everyone that gazes upon it say, "Wow, I would love to make something like that!"  Recently I found something that catches all those qualities in one book!  (Drum roll please!)  It is the new book, Stars 'N Strips by Carl Hentsch.

This book is amazing.  Carl takes two traditional blocks, LeMoyne Star & Fence Rail, and melts them together so seamlessly they are a work of art.  Enough oohing and ahhing, let's get down to business.  There are 12 quilts in this book, all made with the same technique, but each quilt is so unique.  I had to look through the book several times in order to see the simplicity!  Yes, I did say simplicity!  With the technique Carl teaches, you can make a quilt that everyone will be drooling over, and asking "How did you make that?"  Color placement is key, but Carl walks you through all the basics so your quilt will turn out stunning.  I would love to show you all the quilts and gush over it some more but it would be better to hear from the author himself.  Please check out his blog, 3 Dog Design for more insight to this book and the wonderful quilts he designs.  I believe he will continue to amaze us for years to come!

Design Wall Monday

Good Monday morning!  I have the day off because of President's Day and I am loving it!  I went for a nice brisk run this morning and it felt great.  It is amazing how good 22 degrees can feel after being cold for so long!

Here is what is on my Design Wall this morning.

I have the center all pieced but I am having fits with the borders.  I know, I know I should use EQ for designing but it doesn't work on my Mac and I didn't have time to go to my mom's and play around with it.  Right now I am trying to decide what would look the best.  I have a few options like black borders or pink, blue, or gold.  I think I am leaning towards the pink but haven't decided yet!  I am the worst decision maker ever!!!  Just ask my husband when I try to pick out a candy bar, it is almost as bad as trying to name a child!  If you have an opinion please throw it my way.  The last round really helped me out!

There are many other great projects at Patchwork Times, click on over to get more inspiration!

Design Wall Monday

Good Monday everyone!  I had a very relaxing weekend and even accomplished a bit more on my stash quilt.  So far I have (almost) all the blocks made, depending on which layout I use.  I REALLY need some feedback on which layout to use, so please leave a quick comment on which is your favorite.  I can't decide and I need to make a decision soon so I can finish this puppy during February!

Layout 1, straight set

 There would be one more row with layout 1.  I have all the blocks for this one but I'm not sure if it is the "right" one.

Layout 2, diagonal set

I would have to make more blocks for this setting, and I'm kind of sick of sewing little squares together.

With either setting I would have a border or two.  I'm hoping some sweet pieced border will be in my future, but we will have to wait and see. The blocks will be 9" finished and the quilt will end up being a good lap sized, used for snuggling on the couch or with someone!

Check out the other's design wall at Judy's blog!  Have a great week.

Free ebook from Fons & Porter

Happy Weekend to everyone! I have big goals of finishing many items on my to-do list this weekend.  But before I scamper off I wanted to share a way to get a free ebook from Fons & Porter!  I was contacted to give a review of their Log Cabin ebook and let others know of this possibility.  (I was not compensated in any way, other than getting the ebook for free just as everyone else can)

First of all, I love log cabin quilts.  It was one of the first blocks I learned how to make and the possibilities with one block are pretty much endless.  Here are my thoughts. . .

*  The ebook is set up very well, wonderful pictures, diagrams and directions.
*  The patterns have different examples so you can see other color schemes of the same pattern.
*  It is broken down in three main blocks, Traditional, Courthouse Steps and Chevron.  There is really something for everyone.  You can make it as modern or classic as you want.
*  I loved the extra "tips" they give you on subjects like trapunto, piping and binding.

I did have some reservations about it, but I think they are just my personal opinion and not necessarily about the quality of the book!

*  At first I wasn't sure about the whole "ebook" thing.  I have a Kindle and I love to read on it, but I still love traditional books.  Part of me still loves to look through all my old magazines and actually hold the pages.
I downloaded it to my iPhone and it is really handy to have with me all the time.  When I had a dental appointment I sat in the waiting room and looked through the patterns without any extra clutter.  You could download it to any device you have, iPad, computer or tablet and it would work the same!  It wouldn't just have to be in one place, you could have it where ever you go.  If you know you would prefer a paper copy you could print it out at home or have someone else do it for you.
I soon realized it is "okay" to move my quilting life into technology also.  It wasn't as hard of a transition as I thought it would be.

*  To get the ebook have to enter your email and sign up for their free e-newsletter.  Sometimes I hesitate to sign up for anything because I get a lot of emails anyway.  This may be a deterrent to some,   I know how much I hate when my inbox fills up to quickly.  I would actually sign up after seeing the book, it is great information to have and in a format that I can check whenever I want!

So, are you interested?  If so head over and check out Fons & Porter's Build Your Best Log Cabin!

January Progress & February Goals

January has come and gone much quicker than I anticipated.  Remember when I said there wasn't much substance to my January goals?  I was wrong, very wrong!  Here's how it all turned out.

1 - finish gluing all the small My Tweets blocks to the background fabric

Finished!!!  Wow this one feels good to check off. 

2 - complete the large center medallion for My Tweets

Not finished, in fact the only thing I accomplished was purchasing the pattern.  It is not even printed out yet.  

3 - finish hand sewing 2 small My Tweets blocks

I almost finished hand sewing one block.  

4 - finish star blocks for gift quilt 

I finished most of the piecing components.  I have 52 very small flying geese to make and then assemble the star blocks.  

So in reality I finished 2 of my 4 goals.  If I was being graded I would fail January.  Since I'm not I am happy to say I feel this month was successful!  I sewed more in January than in the past few months and enjoyed it.  February is looking more promising!  

Now, onto February goals.  

I have started a new quilt (no comments asking how many UFO's I have) and I love it!  In my stash there were a lot of strips of Civil War Reproduction fabrics already cut to 1 1/2 inch.  So I am using up the fabric I have left and making a really scrappy, geometric quilt!  the inspiration is pinned here. 

There is the background story, here are the new goals.  

1- Piece all the blocks

2- Design and piece the borders

3- Quilt it

4- Relax, because if I get this much done it will be a very productive month!

Here is a sneak peek of what I have accomplished so far.  I know, it is only the 5th and I have something to show!  

Cute huh?  The colored squares end up being 3/4 of an inch.  They were so much fun to piece!  

Good luck to everyone participating with Judy at Patchwork Times.  If you haven't been to her site check it out she has so much to read!

Design Wall Monday

Good evening!  I almost forgot to post this week, but it's a good thing I remembered because I actually have something to show!!  Every night I have been able to spend a little time working on some applique blocks.  I have finished 2 two blocks and I only have 3 more left.  In fact, I am almost finished with the third one but I can't count it yet, but soon!  Here are the two I finished this week.

I am absolutely in love with these little birds and I can't wait to see how they all look together.  

If you want to see what everyone else is up to go to Patchwork Times!  

Temple Square

Over the holidays our family made the trip to Salt Lake to visit Temple Square.  As always, it was beautiful and kind of cold!  I am always amazed at how many lights they can pack onto a single tree!!  

Here are my cute girls, with the headbands I made them . . . 

I am so lucky to be their mother, it is the best job in the world!  If only I could figure out a way to keep them little, but then I would miss out on the wonderful women they will become.  I'm just trying to enjoy every stage they go through, because I know they will move onto another one soon.  

I hope wherever you are it is warmer than here.  The last two mornings when I pulled into work it was -6 degrees F.  Too cold for me!!

January Wish List

January is now here and the time to make resolutions.  Since last year's quilting resolutions didn't go very well I might as make some new ones!  Judy at Patchwork Times is hosting a "Get it Done" Challenge.  Each month we will list 4 things we would like to accomplish and then report back on the end of the month.  I am in love with this idea!!  I can look at the month, see what I have going on and then set a reasonable goal.  At least I will give it a try!

Here I go . . .

1 - finish gluing all the small My Tweets blocks to the background fabric

2 - complete the large center medallion for My Tweets

3 - finish hand sewing 2 small My Tweets blocks

4 - finish star blocks for gift quilt 

There isn't a lot of substance to this list.  I'm sure if I had one week of free time I couldn't fill it all up with these four projects, but I have to work and I will just try to accomplish what is on this list!  Can you tell I really want to get My Tweets finished?  

Good luck to everyone else that is participating!