ooops

I started some new projects! They are quick and easy and well...I really don't want to sandwich those big quilts so decided to practice on a little one.


This was a panel that I added a 1/2 inch black border and 2 inch blocks around (then another black border just for fun. I don't know how I am going to quilt it...any ideas? Here's the backing fabric for it. I got it on clearance and it has the letters A, B, C, H, K, and T....I guess the other 20 letters are not as important!



I also got some new backing fabric for R's Dora quilt. No pic of it, but it's light blue/purple cloud like with pink and white moons and stars. Very sweet and perfect for night night time =) Now to make it wider and then layer that one....oh not looking forward to that part of the project. I am also a little worried about quilting it on my little machine, it's such a monster!


Another project I started is a Christmas project. I am making quilts for R and H, and then my friends two boys who are my girls same ages (just 2 months apart in the big kids case and days apart for the little ones). I am using the fabric that's intended for books and making it into a quilt, so quick and easy! I am making two "The Night Before Christmas" one for each of the "big kids" and then one Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and one "Kids 12 Days of Christmas." Don't know who will get what yet, but those are for the little ones. I don't care if they get traded over the years, I am going to make the labels generic enough that no one will be put out if they trade. I cut two of the four books apart last night and will do the others today. I am just going to do sashing between the 12 "pages" and maybe squares where the sashings (how wide should I make them? the "pages" are about just shy of 10x10) meet but not sure yet, and then a few borders so they are decent sized for reading books and drinking hot chocolate under. (oh I am sending them hot chocolate cones along with it and instructions to open right away or after Thanksgiving depending on when they get finished!)


I am getting excited for Christmas, I already got my Halmark Dream Book for their Keepsake Ornaments. I will be buying one a week with my tip money until I have all the ones I want or it's Christmas (or they are all sold out) depending on how many I like. I will be sitting down with the book tonight after cutting fabrics =)


Lastly, this project is the Calender Quilt I mentioned a post or two ago. I went through my whole stash and cut 1 1/2 inch strips by both 2 1/2 inches and 10 1/2 inches of almost every fabric I have. The only ones I didn't cut were the ones I can't tell what color they should be considered. I have the strips sorted by month/color in ziploc baggies, they are:

January-white/creams
Feburary- pinks (with reds)
March-greens
April-yellows (softer/buttery)
May-purples
June-blues
July-reds
August-aqua/teals
September-yellows (bold/back to school style)
October-oranges (with a bit of black)
November-browns
December-Christmas fabrics




Anyone interested in Calender Quilting with me? Put it in the back of your mind, I will start really asking in Dec! I am so excited to do it, and know that it's early to cut the strips but if I don't get on it now I might put it off even in Jan! Life does get ahead of us doesn't it?



Oh, one more thing...I went to buy pants for work and one pair of jeans I would be totally comfortable in for the moment, got a pair of each for $8.99 so not too bad for a temporary body pant, but NOT happy about the size, my 5/6 body is in 14s =(. And they are still too short...(I was always 6 long, and for some pants I'd even go for 8's with a belt, or buy by waist/length...I need a 34 inseam. Someday soon right? Someday soon.

176.8

that's what the scale said today. Sad day, here I thought I was loosing baby weight, but nope, it has moved UP in the past two weeks. Now now, don't go racing to the comment section to say "but you just had a baby, be patient with yourself!" I think the real frustration is that I have been using that as an excuse for everything. Should I take the girls for a walk today? No, I just had a baby. Should I try to go for a jog before Adam has to go to work? No, I just had a baby. Should I start to watch what I eat? Nahh, relax, your tired and just had a baby! It's time to face the facts, I was heavier than normal to begin this pregnancy (155 to my usual 135) and you gained a lot (191 on delivery day! Hey in all fairness with Regi I gained 50 lbs even!) and I am not going to lose the weight eating chips to stay awake while nursing at 4 am and sitting on my behind calling housework "enough" exercise!

I bought some new pants for work today, there was quite a line at the dressing room so I brought them home confident they'd be a touch snug but not bad....nope, the first pair I couldn't even pull up past my lower thigh and the second pair not over the hips. bummer!! I am going to go back tomorrow and hope there's less people there so I can actually try stuff on in the store. I don't want to spend a ton on new clothes for a temporary shape but I can't go without work pants!

I guess I am sharing this with you all because I need to be held accountable to SOMEBODY or I will keep making excuses. Sure I should be able to hold myself accountable but it's too easy to talk myself out of will and into a bag of chocolate. I need someone to look at me and say "did you really need the WHOLE bag of m&m's? That bag of chips should have lasted more than three days! etc. I am also one of those people who if I don't get instant results I get frustrated and give up (how I got to 155 from the 140 I had been down to in June, and up to 155 by Nov!) Maybe this way I will actually do something about it! I know it will take some time and effort and I need to be light on myself, ease into it and let myself make a mistake here and there but I also know I won't be happy with myself if I don't do something and why put it off?

quilt-y things

Sorry to back to back post here for you, but the one post was getting too long

There is another give away! Ok, I don't need to have any new projects to work on but I am addicted to these things! Do you think there's a 12-step program for quilters addicted to quilt related blog give aways? I guess I am not hurting anyone, am I? Anyways, head on over here and follow the rules if you want to participate too. according to the rules, I am supposed to post a picture link thingie back here but I don't know how. Hopefully she'll let it slide. Anyways, she asked us to tell her our favorite collection that the shoppe offers (I looked around and decided Ava Rose, Love is in the Air, and Peppermint Cottage), someone else once asked what our favorite designer was. I am passing that question onto you, what is your favorite....color? theme? designer? design house? what is your favorite....

I love anything out of Lakehouse Dry Goods. I don't own any of it, but am madly in love with it and would give anything to be able to live with their fabric around me.

I also like the Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear but that might be because I love reading them to the girls more than their design originality. I want to get my hands on both those collections, I know there's still some caterpillar stuff out there and bears new(ish) so that wouldn't be too hard but A wont let me get any more fabric (except what Santa is getting me to go with the books my cousins getting for me from her work-Barnes and Noble) until I use up some more of what I have. One of these days he will understand a quilter and her fabric but until then I will just sneak stuff in =)

I finished this months blocks for the block lotto. I had some problems with my first batch of 9, I read the instructions wrong and cut my fabric 1/4 an inch too big, so I had to start over but by the time I realised what I did it was too late to save the fabric (I had tried to trim the squares down) I only had enough "Asian" prints left for 8...thank goodness I didn't mess up again or I'd have to go get more!!Ok, OK, my points aren't prefect and I don't know what I did to mess them up but I hope no one minds too much!! Actually, I think I will only enter 6 of them, there are two that I am embarrassed to have. If I win again I will use them in my quilt, but if not at least I wont have to send them off to someone. I know the lotto was started for beginners but sometimes I feel like I am in the advanced class. Maybe it's the iron...sure sure, that's the problem...ok like 10% of it

One of my co-workers made H a baby blanket. It's a perfect one for taking outside and letting her lay on. I know I make quilts for people to use and abuse and I'd happily remake one down the road, but I don't know if that's what everyone intends with quilts. This one is made of flannel and is cuddly and soft. In the winter I plan to use it to keep her warm in her bed and in the car seat. There's flannel on both sides and a thin layer of batting that I can feel so warm warm warm! I shouldn't have been surprised when I opened her present to see the quilt, but I was. I am still waiting on one for R from my mom, and R is 3! All she has to do is finish the biding. That's been the case since she found a quilter she likes and had her do the quilting two years ago.

I am sharing a pic of a quilt someone made for R as a shower gift when I was pregnant with her. She started it for A's dad who passed away before R was born. I don't think this is a manly quilt...and I don't think it was built for rough and tough play. It was made with what looks like very dainty stitches. It does do a great job covering up the landlords poor attempt at patching up a hole in the wall as well as good decoration in the girls room (over the side of R's bed)

one week left =(

That's how much longer I have to be a Stay At Home Mom. I am sad I have to go back to work on Monday. When I had R I was more than ready to go back. This time I really feel like I will be missing home when I am at work. During these seven weeks I have been home I feel like I have started to really get to know R, and I have loved most moments with H.

There are some things I want to remember about H at this moment. She hates being put down anywhere. Unlike R, who loved to be on the floor on her own for a little while, H insists on having contact. I think that's more like my temperament than A's. H also has the cutest little sound that I wish I could capture when she thinks she has to sneeze but doesn't. It's not quite a "coo" sound but kind of an "ahhgh" coo. She likes her pacifier, but only on her terms. If she doesn't want it, or she wants something else at the moment she makes these dramatic little faces and gagging noises. She is different from her sister, and her own little person already. I love it!

Two nights ago, H was having a hard time falling asleep. I was trying to get her to go to sleep without holding her so I was using the music in her mobile and putting her pacifier back in, turning the music back on, and leaving her to try and fall asleep. She was always so close but when the music stoped she would become startled and spit the plug out, realise she wasn't sucking on it and cry. Really funny if you think about it! I had been going in each time and then I hopped in the shower before I got too tired to do it. She cried while I was in there and A went in. I got out of the shower to find the two of them cuddled on the couch. "What happened to the plan?" I asked. "I walked in, looked down at her and she started waving her arms all excitedly. I just couldn't leave her when she got so excited to see me!" I hated to tell him it probably was not something she thought about but he seems to think that H has figured out that he is the weak one who will give in while I am the one who tries to follow through.

R loves H! That's nice. She's still a great helper. She gives H so many hugs and kisses and refers to H as "my H." She still has a little regression (like wanting us to change her instead of being a big girl and doing it herself. She also is a little clingie to A which bothers him. I really wish I could convince him to take a child psychology class to understand their development but he probably wont so he'll have to just learn the hard way. I think it's a big combination of H coming into her world and A going back to work. The two of them have always had a special connection and she's worried about it.

A couple days ago we went to Target, just the girls, to get R some stuff for her Halloween costume and some more pull ups. I wanted to make her a leotard for the costume but as you may remember I couldn't find any lycra or spandex, so I got her one at Target. I think I am going to go get her some sparkly shoes too instead of slippers. (the Tutu is almost done). When we were done shopping I had $1 left over so I let R get popcorn. I got her out of the cart, handed her the dollar and turned to get the bag and H. when I turned back I saw her about 1/2 way to the counter at the food court and decided not to run up and help her. She cut in front of a couple in their 30-40's but she got to the counter, put her dollar down and said "um, I want popcorn please" Everyone was smiling and chuckling. I was so proud!! Oh and if I had a video camera, you should have seen the proud little swagger she had in her walk back to me! Too Cute!!

Yesterday we were at the good park a drive away (oh maybe 10 minutes but still) and R saw a little boy her age. He kept trying to get away from her and finally gave in to her persistence and they played together, so cute. They played really well together. Tried to get into trouble together but one would always pull the other back. I know she needs more time with kids her age but everyone MY age is either off at grad school or just begining to settle down. No one has a three year old (H has potential playmates with my friends kids though!) The mom and I talked for a while, I was proud of myself for that, and we even exchanged numbers so the kids could play together. It was a good day!

UFO's...AUGHHH

Before we get to the heart of the matter, last give away at the Jolly Jabber/FQS...It's not a BOTM but a quarterly thingie...go read about it because I can't describe it very well here =)

I did some more major cleaning Yesterday when A was at work and at least one of the kids was down. R woke up from her rest to find me moving couches and all the furniture in the living room to vacuum every crumb there was. I also had the guts to reorganize the bathroom/storage (commonly referred to as the linen closet) closet because R kept getting into the tools where they were. H was asleep for that, but R was just watching a movie and kept poking her head over to check up on me. We WERE going to do dishes, clean the kitchen and bake something but that got pushed back until today. Baking might even have to go back another day, I want to sew....

Yesterday as a treat to myself for all the hard work cleaning, I played at my machine. I got a new ironing board, it hangs over the closet door, the only thing is when A got it to replace my table top one that he sat on and bent, he didn’t think about how there’s no outlet over there. There is one on the wrong side of the door’s wall down a ways on the other side of the heater, so I guess another extension cord is on the list. I still need a good iron, that’s on the Christmas list now!
　
So, I was going to pin my aunt’s quilt top to everything else in a quilt sandwich, but then I remembered I needed to make the backing big enough. I did that (need to press it now and then I can pin….oh this was the whole reason for the mass vacuum session too) and then thought about my other two quilt tops that were waiting for their layers….yup, I didn’t buy enough fabric for either one. What was I thinking? I need 3 more yards for R’s Dora quilt, and 2 yards for my Isn’t Christmas Jolly charm quilt. I also remembered I have borders cut out for the Dora quilt, but not yet sewn on…so that’ll be on the list as soon as I press the seams between the lengths of border that I sewed together last night.

This brings me to a major point. I have three finished tops, one more in the works, the block lotto blocks to put together into a top, the Shop Hop blocks to finish making and figure out what I want to do with (obviously put them into a top too), and the JoAnn’s BOTM that I have those four applique blocks to do and then the sashing and borders with a little more applique, and finally my two leaders/enders quilts that I am using the same stuff for so it‘s really one double project if that makes sense. so that is a total of 8(9) projects at various stages of development. Oh PLUS this months Block Lotto Blocks that I need to get to before I go back to work so I know I get them done this month. That’s 9/10!! Do you remember the promise I made to myself? I will NEVER move onto another project without seeing this one through? Oh you do? Me too…but what happened?

What happened was:
1) I got intimidated by applique (but am going to get over that before Christmas I hope)
2) I didn’t have any fabric for backings
3) I didn’t have money for fabric for backings
4) I didn’t have any batting
5) I,again, had no money for batting
6) I got bored with projects…this is the least of the problems though because if I have 1-5, then I can’t justify #6 as an excuse and will force myself to finish before moving on.

Now I have 2-5 in modest amounts. I don’t have enough money to go wild at the store, but I can buy my backing (and hope I am not a fool and forget I will have to use two panels for my quilt backs.) and I got a GREAT deal on Warm and Natural, I thought I should buy a few more…$10 for queen size batting at JoAnn’s plus this weekend they had a 10% off your total purchase including sale items. I got three for the three tops that are done. Now no excuses for those three and as I am working on these projects I refuse to start anything new (with the exception of new monthly block lotto blocks). If I get all these current projects DONE done, by the new year….I will do a happy dance…and stick to my rules again. At least until I come up with new excuses!

oh, JoAnn's, how you let me down!

This is the first time I will complain about my JoAnns. I am sure if I lived in a bigger area, with a bigger store, I wouldn't be able to complain but for the moment I will. I went there today with the girls and was so disappointed to find that they don't sell Lycra or spandex! I am looking to make R's costume, she wants to be a "beautiful ballerina superhero" so I was going to pick out two pinks, one bright, one light, and make her a leotard, a tutu, and a cape. No superhero is complete without a cape, plus I was going to do fleece on the inside, something pretty on the outside, so she'd be warm if it's chilly. I will still do everything except the leotard now. I have to look for one in stores and it wont be the color I wanted (I think I'll have to go with ballet pink or black when I wanted light pretty pink) bummer! I did get Tulle and ribbon and I have some fleece at home but I might get a different color, we will have to see as I go.

I finished the binding and quilting of one of my projects today, actually it was last night while waiting for R to get to sleep. Crazy kids is such a night owl it kills me! I try not giving her a rest, nope she will just crash when she's tired enough. I try waking her up early and she will just fall asleep and is unwakeupeable until shes ready. I try making her take her nap earlier, but she will fight it and fight it until we give in and she'll still sleep when she's ready. SO there I was sewing at 12am waiting for the child to crash. she finally did at 12:30 and I finished sewing around 15 minutes later, showered and went to bed.

Yesterday I started a cleaning project, I had cleaned up the living room and the hall/coat closet had been driving me nuts for months. I had sort of cleaned it when pregnant, mostly just enough that the vacuum could fit in there but nothing more than that. Today after the fabric store we went to Target and got some cubes (I LOVE those cloth cubes and seriously could organize my whole house with them and am well on my way to that) and new hangers. I love how organized it now looks. It's ready for the snowy season. We do have four seasons here in Montana but it's easier to describe as two since spring and fall tend to bounce between the two instead of being their own. Snowy and Hot. I prefer the hot. I need to work on the linen closet next. BTW why do we still call that the linen closet when we don't have linens anymore? it's the towel/sheets/extra TP/PT/game closet in my house. If I went so into sewing and fabric I probably would be able to keep a lot of the sheets and extra TP in the laundry room but nope, it's fabric =) The closet here has before and after pics, and I took them 24 hours apart, so I have no idea why the second is so blurry, the lighting was the exact same, but whatever! And I had decided to take before/after pictures after cleaning off the top shelf, but you can imagine what that was like based on the bottom!

The girls are doing well, H has some pooping problems but I remember R having them too about this age. R is actually not as wild as she has been, but A's been at work from 11-9 five days a week and the days hes home without any errands she's active and doesn't listen. It's hurting his feelings knowing shes good when he's not around, but we will see how she is when I am not around here in just about two weeks. Oh how I don't want to go back to work, I am beginning to really enjoy the girls company and we are getting into a rhythm here. Then I have to go back to work? phooey!

civil war and more

The Fat Quarter Shop put up info about their Civil War Tribute BOTM. I want to sign up for this one!! Although I will admit if I were told I had to choose ONE and only ONE of their BOTM (I might be able to tell myself that here soon, A finally has some good interviews and might have an offer coming in the next day or two) I am going to have to think really hard about it. I want this one, but the Pennsylvania Dutch one is on my short list. Since they started this blog mini-series I kinda like the Thimbleberries one in dusk. I might have to draw out of a hat...I'd really like to do one of them (OK really I want to do them all but let's be reasonable; odds are I won't be able to do any).

I haven't received any of the blocks from the Block Lotto yet but I expect them to start rolling in on Monday! I can't wait! I have a wild idea for what to do with the blocks but will have to wait till I have them to lie them out and see if it really would work. I never knew how versatile the log cabin block really is!! The block for this month is "square and points" with "Oriental" fabric as the star and colored tone-on-tone as the background. Too bad I don't have any oriental fabric at all. Guess I have to go on a hunt. Ben Franklin let me down, then again I had two kids in one huge stroller and tool them by myself, so JoAnn's tomorrow, and if needed the LQS's next week.

I was behind the game when it came to signing R up for preschool. This is a small town and I forgot hoe many babies were born the same year she was! I don't want her to fall behind so I decided to try homeschooling her for this year. I don't plan to do it forever, heck I want her in a preschool next year! In the meantime though we'll give it a shot. I am thinking an hour total each day might be enough for her, or even too much, but if we do crafts of some sort, make Story Time at the library more of a priority, do some field trips here and there. I don't expect her to be Kindergarten ready yet, but just on the path to readiness. We'll see how it goes, if it doesn't work well after a few weeks, or if we take a break and try again later and still no good, then OK. We tried, we'll try again later not a huge deal I just wanted to try.

beware, I might post again tomorrow, we are going to go out of the house to run some errands that have been on my list since the seasons are changing. I might want to share since my days are usually fairly dull =)