Quilting along

The weekend was kind of nice for me. I was able to quilt all day. It was not nice for Mark however. He got to install wood floors and a dishwasher all day. I watched it progress, and was so impressed. Mark did a beautiful job! Here is a peek. We have lots more work to do to the room, but the floors are amazing. I love my handy hubby :)

While he labored away I made the Picnic Schnibbles quilt. I don't know if I am in love with it or not, there may be too much white in it? It's cute, but it has got to grow on me.

Tonight I worked on finishing the blocks for the Victorian Garden quilt. Yes, this is the one that gave me such a hassle. I am happy to have the blocks finished, now I have to pick out borders.

Tomorrow I have friends coming over to sew with me. We plan to work on Christmas gifts every Wednesday until Christmas... it should be lots of fun! On Thursday it's quilt class at church. I love it!!

A little Etsy love

Hey all! Have you visted the Etsy website at all? I am sure most of you have, and I am an addict. I love looking through home made items, people are so brilliant and creative, it's like an online art gallery. Well, I was found a really neat feature on their site, you pick a color from their rainbow and images that match the color show up on the screen, it's so FUN! Anyway, you have to go and play with it. I am trying to get some ideas for gifts this year. I think I'll be shopping at Etsy almost exclusively :) Have fun you guys!

I ordered my "Picnic" pattern yesterday, and I hope to get it over the weekend so I can start sewing my little heart out.

Our house is in a state of disrepair at the moment. I found out a few weeks ago that my dishwasher had been leaking (!!!!) The damage is pretty bad, we have to redo the kitchen floors and part of the cupboard, and get a new dishwasher. It's nuts. Anyway, it's always something isn't it??

Jaybird Quilts is having a really nice giveaway! Be sure and check out her blog, she makes the most beautiful things :)

The tombstone is complete!

It’s November, it’s cold, and the days are so short now! No daylight left in the evenings means one thing… I get to stitch more :D Ha!

I finally, and I mean finally finished this tombstone block on the Shores of Hawk Run Hollow last night. I’ve only been working on it since AUGUST. I was on a roll with these blocks at the beginning of the year, finishing one almost every month… then summer hit… then I started working on the big ship block. But this block, it is so big! And all filled in! I am not whining, because I actually like filling it all in, it meant I didn’t have to count, or look at a chart :) I love how it turned out, and the little boat is too cute with its sails and ropes. Only 4 more left.The new Schnibbles pattern has been announced for November, it’s called Picnic. It’s so stinking cute. I don’t have this pattern, I’ve got to get it ordered… I’ve got my fabric picked out from my stash, woohoo!
In case you all haven’t noticed, I’ve been posting more often. It’s because I’ve got more time on my hands, and I love having more time on my hands. Life at home has been so much calmer, and I’ve been so much happier. It’s like my stress has gone out the window. I love working part time.

Blogaversary Prize Winner!

I drew a name today from those who entered my blogaversary contest!

Loraine at Sew Be It! has won!!! Yay!

Congratulations Loraine. And thank you to everybody who entered, I wish I had the time to make something for each of you :)

We had a fun Halloween night and the kids managed to get about 300 pounds of candy, I swear! It was great. This week was pretty productive for me on the sewing front. I managed to get 7 placemats sewn. I know... 7 is not an even number, but that was all of the scraps I had, so I've got to figure out how to give them away :D My Grandma gets at least 3 of them! It was her idea.

I also finished 6 blocks for the Victorian Garden quilt pattern. These blocks have been a nightmare for me, and it was all because I can't read instructions. At least they are done, and look pretty good now! I almost threw it all in the trash I got so exasperated. I finally calmed down and chalked up all of that time to gaining experience :)

Happy Halloween!

Today has been a great day. Jessie was coloring and looking rather silly. She was sitting across from me while I was sewing, and she just cracks me up!

Curren looking a little lost...And our big giant pumpkin from our garden... (it weighed in at 90 lbs!)

Was carved into a crazy pumpkin by Mark!

Happy Halloween!

Cindy Lou Who Schnibble Quilt

I finished quilt #2 for the Schnibbles a month challenge. The pattern is Cindy Lou Who, and it required 3 charm packs. I have plenty of charm packs, but none of them were giving me the look I wanted. I ended up pulling out fat quarters and yardage I've had in my stash, some of it I've used in other quilts, some I had for years, and it came together nicely!

For the backing I used up a lot of the remaining fabric pieces.

I am trying to use my stash for these Schnibbles, it'll be fun to see what I can come up with I think. I can't wait to see what everybody else is making from this pattern!

Be sure and check out Sherrie at A Quilting Life, and Sinta at Pink Pincushion to see the "parade" of quilts on November 1st!

I wonder what Novembers pattern will be?

3 Year Blogaversary, and a giveaway!

Hello friends! Today is the 3rd year anniversary of this little blog. It started out so I could join in on exchanges, and then snowballed from there. It got me officially addicted to my hobbies, quilting and cross stitching, and it's all because of you fellow bloggers!

I'd like to have a giveaway for you guys. See this lovely cushion? It's so cute! And summery! I know it's fall, but summer is my favorite, so I had to give something that represents summer. The patterns will also be included. International shipping will be too, if you live out of the United States.

If you comment below you get your name in the drawing once, if you comment below and post about it on your blog you get 2 entries in the drawing! Just let me know that you posted about it on your blog, and I'll make it count :) Spread the word! I will draw the lucky winner next Sunday, November 1st.

Thank you all for your love and support! You are an awesome community of friends :D

Crafting ADD Strikes again

I have crafters ADD, I can't focus on any one thing for more than 20 minutes, and it's starting to drive me batty! Here's a photo that I took 2 minutes ago of my sewing studio... or kitchen table, whatever the time of day it is...

I am making placemats out of my Shangri-la fabric scraps for my Grandma. I am still quilting my big Amy Butler quilt, the pebble quilting, it's taking forever... And 3rd grade math homework is in there too...

Did you guys see Brenda over at Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe is having a super awesome giveaway??? You have to go and check it out!

This big stack of pretty fabrics is calling my name to make something out of them...I've got to get my Cindy Louwho quilt quilted too... I've got the backing made, here is the top done! I'll be stipple quilting this one for sure, no pebble quilting on it :P

How on earth will I get anything done when there is too much to work on right now LOL! Oh the problems we have. Yes, I'm working on Shores of Hawk Run Hollow, slowly but surely the tombstone is getting done. In other awesome news at my house, I started working Part Time!!! I am so happy about this. I'll be home when the kids get done with school now. I've worked Full Time ever since I've been married, and it's been hard, but now hopefully life will be better for us. This is the first week so far, and so far I love it. I feel like I'm skipping school when I leave work at 2:00 now, it's awesome.

A little Shangri-La

This fabric line makes me drool. Shangri-La by Moda, the 3 Sisters. It's beautiful stuff! I saw that Camille over at Simplify had done this quilt using this fabric too, and hers was so pretty, I had to cut into my stash as well.

I used the pattern from Oct. 2008 American Patchwork and Quilting magazine. It has taken me several months, but I eventually got all of the pieces cut and sewn together. I got a bug in me tonight and put the top together finally.

So pretty, don't drool on it okay? :)

Puerto Rico, and some projects...

Dude, it’s the middle of October. Seriously how did that even happen? Thanks for all of the sympathy and love sent from you regarding the car accident. Everybody is okay, and my car is being repaired now (it wasn’t totaled). On Thursday the 8th, Mark and I flew to Puerto Rico! Our 10 year wedding anniversary was in September and he took me with him on a business trip to Puerto Rico to celebrate. How awesome is he? I know, I did good :) We stayed in Ponce and I managed to sit by the pool, and walk on the beach for 4 days straight, it was amazingly relaxing. My friend Denise stayed with my kids at the house so I could go. I owe her big time, she is a life saver! By Monday night I was ready to come home and take on the world! Puerto Rico is a beautiful island. We didn’t get to see a lot of it, but I want to go back someday.

I didn't bring any stitching or quilting with me, just books. I made myself completely relax. It was so nice!

I wanted to show you this Project Planner journal I started. I found the book at Office Depot awhile back. I like to make up my own quilt patterns, or if I get inspired by something I see online I like to write down ideas about it. This book has been pretty neat for me. I will write out my pattern, who or what it’s for, the date, and the fabrics I want to use. Most of the time I change patterns and do my own thing with them, and this book helps me keep it all organized. I used to write everything down on random scraps of paper and lose them. Now, it’s all here! I love this book.

The next Schnibble quilt is called Cindy Lou Who. After digging through my stash of charm packs, I realized I didn’t have enough of any one “set” to make this quilt, so I pulled out yardage from my stash, and am making it from red, white and blue fabrics.

I like how a pile of squares can become a quilt top, it's so cool!

I came home from my trip to find this adorable wall hanging in my mailbox! My friend Charissa made it for me, and I just love it, the witches are so cute. Thanks Charissa!

On October 25th, 2006 I started this little blog. I’ve really enjoyed posting here, and meeting so many amazing people. I’m going to have a giveaway, so be sure and come back to visit next week. Have a great weekend everybody!

Progress, always have to make progress.

So much going on. You know, Mark has been out of town on business for almost 3 weeks, he just got home today. So much has happened this past week and I am quite frankly... glad it is over. I got in a car accident on Friday night, a lady pulled right out in front of me, I had no time to stop and slammed right into her, I am okay, and my friend who was in the car with me is okay too. It just really scared me... and it was hard because Mark wasn't home. Among other things, it was a hard week for me. It seems to be Murphys Law when Mark leaves, that is when everything happens. Well, now that it off of my chest, I have some things to share!

I was asked if I've been stitching, well of course I have! Just on Shores of Hawk Run Hollow though, and this block is big and all stitched in, so progress is pretty boring and slow, but here's proof I've been stitching :)

The next Schnibbles quilt for October is Cindy Lou Who. Isn't it cute? I ordered the pattern, and will figure out what I'll use from my stash to make this. I have lots and lots of those wonderful charm packs...

And I've pulled out an old WIP quilt, I started this well over a year ago. I pulled it out again, and remembered why I put it away in the first place. This block is difficult, and the pattern directions are not good, they don't explain how you put these confounded triangles together to get the right look. Well, after playing with it for about an hour, I think I've got it. Sheesh.

I hope you all have a good week! I know I will, Mark is back home safe and sound from South America, and that couldn't make me happier!

Trying out "pebble" quilting

Thank you for leaving such nice comments about the little Schnibbles quilt, you are all SO nice :) The quilts are really fun to make, I encourage you to try them out! I can't wait to see what we are making next month.

I've been inspired by several blogs lately regarding a new quilting technique. They call it Pebble quilting. I usually stipple quilt my quilts, by using a meandering pattern all over it. Pebble quilting consists of little continuous circles all over. I of course, dove right in on a HUGE quilt. I am never easy on myself... This quilt is a kit I bought from Hollyhill Quilt Shoppe. It is made up of Amy Butler fabrics, and I love it! Here is my quilting so far...And this is the back... so fun!
Here are several of the blogs I got my inspiration from. Try it out, you'll love it!

Handmade by Alissa ~ she made a video even!

Crazymom Quilts

Jaybird quilts

Winter White Schnibble Quilt

I finished the September Schnibbles quilt pattern Winter White today. It wasn't too bad to make, and went together quick. Here it is:

There were several leftover squares so I pieced them into the back. I had a lot of fun making this, thank you Sherrie and Sinta for coming up with this idea!

My sister Nikki is here visiting from Colorado Springs for a week, she brought her 4 month old baby Lilyanne with her, she's so adorable! Jessie and I keep stealing her from each other. This Thursday night is quilt night at church, I am so looking forward to it! I am in charge of it now, so I hope it'll go well. Have a good week everyone!

September has come

School has started! Ignore me in this photo, I wasn't ready yet...

Grandma visited, and we had a wonderful time.Mark and I have been married for 10 years now, woohoo! We will be going on a trip next month, more details later...

Life is good. Fall is "in the air" right? I am ignoring it, and pretending it's July right now. We have more visitors coming, Mark's brother Mike and my sister Nikki with her baby Lily.

I managed to get the little red & yellow baby quilt done. I am calling this the surfing quilt, the red and yellow fabrics have little stick surfer dudes all over them. I was a good girl and used up even more stash. I pieced some left over flannels for the back, even the batting was pieced from odds and ends. Here it is out of the washer and all ready to use!

The Winter White Schnibbles has begun, and it'll be so cute. Jessie has dibs on it, she likes the snowmen. I start teaching the quilting class at church in a few weeks, and I can't wait for that. I love getting even more people addicted to quilting, it's my favorite thing to do.

On Labor Day we did a last minute trip to Indian Beach, our favorite beach around here. It was a beautiful day. We went with our awesome friends, all of the kids had a blast. Summer, I'm going to miss you!

Well, I managed to get the baby quilt top done, now I need to baste it and quilt it. Isn’t it fun? There were remnant pieces of flannel in my stash from other quilt backings, I pieced them together for the back of it, I am using up stash, check me out!
A Year of Schnibbles is beginning this month. They gave us our pattern, Winter White. I don’t have it, so it’s on order to be here soon. I dug through my stash, and found these charm packs, Let it Snow, Let it Snow. I think they’ll look adorable with this pattern. Further digging in my stash produced the white sashing (with snowflakes!), and some other yardage for binding and backing. Who needs to go to a quilt shop, when I have one in my bedroom? Sheesh. Can’t wait to get started. I found at least 5 other sets of charm packs in my stash for future Schnibbles, I am set for at least 6 of the 12 LOL!

In other news, school starts on Tuesday the 8th. When did summer end? I know many of your kids have already started. We didn’t get out of school until mid-June. It was such an awesome summer, I am in denial it’s over.
My Grandma is visiting me from Nevada, it’s just FUN having her here. She will be 80 next year, and I told her I want to grow up to be just like her when I am 80. She is wonderful! Off I go, you all have a great day.