what I've been working on

Before I get to the heart of this post, fun little give away over at Green Fairy Quilts give her your three favorite patterns and you could win one with a kit (not of your choice, but pre-picked...still awesome!) My three favorites are: Paisley Park, Butterfly Fields, and All Boxed In.

This here is the backing fabric I bought to go with my Gobble Gobble top. The colors match, and the pumpkins on this are so cute. I didn't care if I used the Moda fabric for the back or not, and decided to save some money and use whatever JoAnn's had. Hope no one holds it against me. The challenge is over, but I don't know if I won or not yet. The waiting is KILLING me!

I haven't really done much since we last spoke about my WIP's but a little progress has been made. I finally had enough tip money set aside to go buy border and some backing fabrics for those Christmas quilts. I have finished the Frosty top, sorry the picture is not perfect, but it is so dark out and I do live in a basement with only two lamps to light the living room. I think I am going to get myself another cheep one from WalMart or Target for Christmas.

I also have a close up of the bottom left corner. The green doesn't tie it all together like I wanted to and yet I still like it. I can't be live I was able to find that minty-soft green without it being MINT GREEN!

Now check out the backing fabric I found!

I can't believe that I found stuff that matches so perfectly, Yes it's a little on the thin side which makes me nervous, but then again I sort of hope these quilts wear out after a few Christmases so I can make new ones without worrying about the house being too cluttered. I do only have SO much storage space in my little two bedroom one (if you can even call it that) bath basement. Remind me to show you all the Christmas stuff some other time!

Speaking of those Christmas quilts, here's the border I found for the "Child's Version of The 12 Days of Christmas." I wanted something like white with red and green, maybe Crayola blue and yellow too presents, but this works.

Lastly, I have The Night Before Christmas quilt number one's border, it's yellow, not worth a picture, I am already having a heck of a time navigating through all these, but you can imagine. I have a second one I am working on and so far here's what I have for the blocks, in no order, these are just four of my favorites. I am debating the connecting border. I am going to do white I think, or red, but my question is, should I do just sashing, or should I do cornerstones again for a wild and crazy look...OK not too wild because heck, this is me, but it would be a little out there.

Oh, I lied, NOW lastly I have an idea for these fabrics:

But my idea has more to do with designing a pattern, or making a product, or creating a kit with a pattern to make a product. I My little H were the inspiration for the idea . I might just have an idea or two for etsy....oh so here's a big question to you as a fabric/pattern/craft consumer. Should I design just the product, a pattern for the product, or try to sell both? Maybe a kit too if I can figure out all the fabric/copyright rules. I actually have two ideas at the moment, both could easily be made by me to sell or I could try to write them into a pattern, I would need an editor but we could work on that.

quilt blog hops!

There are some great things happening online right now!

To start with, there's the quilt shop hop that I have a button to on my side bar, That takes you to Pat Sloan (my new quilter crush if you will...she's awesome!)'s blog. She's one of the participants. There's lots of free patterns, giveaways, and fun to be had.

Secondly there's a blog hop celebrating a new book coming out, 100 quilt blocks. You can get all the info here Each of the designers is featured I think! and each has a book and some have extra's to give away. They are featuring 10/day! So fun!

Lastly, there's a new (old...redone?) online shop that's celebrating their (re)opening. head over here to enter!

I have to get back to cleaning, but I have a few post ideas for the next few days, about the girls, about some projects, about some hopes I have for the future. I might have one or two done tonight, but I HAVE to clean this house. I need to go to Target too, and JoAnn's is RIGHT there =)

sweet love

this morning R woke up early (thanks babe, it's my one day to sleep in and not be at work at 5am!) and she came to cuddle in bed with me. This is the conversation we had:



M: I love you R

R: I love you too, Mommy

M: I love H too

R: I love H too! I love Daddy.

M: I love Grandma

R: No you love Daddy too!

M: You're right, I love Daddy too, but I can also love other people like Grandma

R: Oh, I love Grandma

M: I love Grandpa

R: No! I mad at Grandpa!

M: Why are you mad at Grandpa?

R: He gone

M: Oh. Daddy's dad is gone, yes, but Mommy's dad is still here, he's your Grandpa

R: Mommy's Dad?

M: Yes, Mommy has a daddy, and he is Grandpa. When you grow up and have babies and become a mommy, your daddy will become grandpa

R: He will? (OK it comes out like "he wiw")

M: Yes

(about two minutes I thought we were settling down here, getting ready to go back to sleep, found my sweet spot)

R: I love Grandpa.

M: Oh good.

R: I love Grandma

M: I love you!

R: I love Bill. I love Kaila I love H lots, she the best friend! I give her kiss?

M: When the sun comes up and H is awake, she'd love to get a kiss from you, now, good night

R: Good night, and sweet dreams too!



Now mind you she never went back to sleep. We are awake now and not happy about that!

So to continue the month of ThanksGiving:
+ A proud loving big sister
+ all these people who love my girls, and who my R can honestly say she loves
+ That my children are happy, healthy, and able to communicate. Well H can't yet but she's not showing any developmental delays or autistic tendencies. Not that we are in the clear yet, but so far so good
+ cuddles!

halloween and a month of thanks

Here are our pics of Halloween: R examining her loot, the first few doors she tried to give THEM her candy, then she got it!
H as a ghost, Me wearing my HS Drill Team stuff and R as a Beautiful Ballerina Super Hero

H as a warm duckie(her outside costume) A as a Barista (cheep, easy, used my apron) and R as a Beautiful Ballerina Super Hero

H as a warm little duckie

H as a ghost, R pre-costume (shes in a leotard and pants) "Cool"

As for Thanks:

Park City Girl took a moment to be thankful for things in the midst of recovering from some rough moments today. As we move into November, each post this month, the month of Thanksgiving, I will post a few things I am thankful for, regardless of what the post is about.

To start off today's, I am thankful for:

+A not leaving me especially with how often I have yelled at him to...as I'm sure you are aware, we have been through some very rough times together and they could have easily torn us apart but we are fighting for "us" together.

+two wonderful children (even when I am at the end of my rope with them)

+a mom who knows me so well and is able to help me out from a distance in so many ways

+ a brother (and his girlfriend) who love my children as much as I do

+ for all the fabric I have, especially the pieces I didn't have to spend money on myself!

just for Pat

Pat Sloan put up this post and the best way to show her my jar of garlic my husband bought me (his reason being at least ever other week I have one clove of garlic on the grocery list...what can I say? I like fresh garlic!) was to post it up here =)

Needless to say, I think Pat and I need some ideas on what to do with our minced garlic =)

so about the block lotto finally

But first, a really quick great Give Away....I have been following PigTales and Quilts since this time last year when she had a give away and I entered (didn't win!) The prize is TBD but heck any chance is awesome!

Here are this months' blocks. I really enjoyed making them! See I even made two extra to donate! I am sort of wishing Karma will help me win this month, we just barely made it into the two winner zone today and there's still a day or two to go, so who knows maybe someone else will throw up a picture of their blocks! I have not yet started this months blocks, I want to finish my Gobble Gobble quilt top first, and a Christmas throw or two...ok I have three tops almost done I think they all need one more border to be done...will post them all when I get them there and one more to start! Then I can do this months quilt blocks for the Lotto....once I clear out the "project in the works" bin some! But I am not supposed to talk about the block yet until the 1st.....hehehehe.

I never posted the pictures of the quilt I made with my block lotto winnings , so here you go. I was originally going to give this to H, and I might still, but I am joining an online quilt guild for Children's Hospital Seattle. They will either auction off quilts or give them to children in the hospital, depending on the needs. I expect mine to be used, I can't imagine I am a strong enough designer or quilter (I mean all I do is stitch in the ditch!) to make much money off of a quilt, but I am still thrilled to contribute what I do have and what I can do. In this instance, I had a strange number or blocks, sure I could have made it work, but not for what I wanted, so I decided to do a doll quilt to coordinate with the main quilt. I really think this would be better used to brighten up a hospital room and give a child, and her medical doll, comfort.

Here's another quilt I think will be going there instead of its original intended location. I was not too thrilled with the way I quilted this, I traced all the letters and the fabric puckered a little bit plus I didn't stay on the lines very well, try as I might. Oh Well, I had done a great job pinning it so either the way I kept twisting the fabric messed the process up or the distance between quilts was not the best idea. Live and Learn, but I still think it's too cute to not be given to someone.

input please!

I am working on my gobble gobble challenge by Moda Bake Shop and Pat Sloan, and am stuck....

Do I leave the top as is, or do I add a border(s?) like what I laid out in the bottom left corner? I don't want it to be too busy, but it is anyways, and I don't want it to be too big, but I also have tons of fabric left over since I bought another charm pack due to a silly mistake (only needed 4 squares from it) and there are several prints/colorways I liked but didn't showcase in my 11 blocks.

Thanks!!

post #3 in 24 hours?

Well the last post was SO quick, and the post before that so whiny I decided I needed something more positive up...plus I was sewing today. I should have been cleaning but I needed a mental health/me day more than a cleaning day! I am sure many of you can relate. Also Pat Sloan was hosting a "finish it up" weekend over at the mashup. For me it wasn't so much a "finish it up" as much as it was a "work on it" weekend, but whatever! So here's what I worked on today:

Have you heard about the Gobble Gobble Challenge hosted by Moda Bake Shop and Pat Sloan? Go check it out, you have to be done by Nov 10th but I think it's worth getting in on.

I Still need to get that little paper pieced pumpkin onto that big square and make the challenges' pumpkin, but it's close to assembly now! Everything in my quilt will be pumpkiny because I need something to keep if consistent, too random and I start to panic but this is pushing me out of my comfort zone with it not being "matchy matchy."

This is H's Dora quilt to coordinate with R's but not match. I had a feeling she'd be a girl (but bought a ton of boy stuff too just in case and I LOVE the boy bedding we got from e-bay) and yet I didn't make a Dora quilt at the same time as R's. H's will be random, I am trying really hard to not control what happens with the blocks. I will try to not have two of the same touch each other, but if it does happen...I will make it happen more than once. I am such a quilty control freak =)

See the brown bag to grab out of? My idea is I'll draw pairs out, and sew them, then pull sets to match up together and sew together into big square buddies and that's as far as I have thought.

As for my Christmas projects, I need advice as to whether or not I need one more border on each of these, and if so, what color? The first is one of the two "The Night Before Christmas" quilts I am making, one for my girls and one for my friends boys. The other one will be slightly different just to keep me entertained! I think this one could benefit from something all around just for fun, but I don't think it NEEDS it, I was thinking red, or blue, or white, or that light yellow. I think the bright yellow in there would look too Green Bay ish =).
This second one is "Rudolph" but it's not the whole story, nor is it the song. I think it's off the movie, but they are missing chunks of it, so it's a poorly abridged version. Again I think this needs one border to tie it all together, but no idea on the color.

My next post will probably be about the Block Lotto. I have the blocks I won back in Aug all together (I got them all by mid Sept!) and will be working on next months blocks as soon as I finish that Gobble Gobble piece!

If the girls keep cooperating, I might work on my Shop Hop blocks some more tonight. The living room needs some serious vacuuming before I lay anything out to layer and pin, not up for that! so keep the projects coming. Hehe!

so gentle reminder:

give me advice on the borders

join in the gobble gobble fun

take a day, or hour, for you!

fast:

very quickly here, there's a Object of my Desire give away that ends TONIGHT! pop over there NOW!!

overwhelmed

I worked 40 hours this week and in addition to being exhausted and sore, I am quite overwhelmed. Not by work but by the state of my house! It's horrible and yet I don't have the drive to clean it up. Part of me is a little mad that A isn't doing ANY housework, and the rest of me knows better than to expect it. Even when I was working full time and he was a "stay at home dad" (aka unemployed) he didn't do any housework. Today I tidied the kitchen but didn't do the dishes. I am going to ask him to unload the dishwasher and then run it tomorrow. Sometimes if I ask for one or two small tasks he'll do them.

I also have not been sewing or quilting, or anything for me this week. I come home, take care of the girls and try really hard to get them down early. Not successfully but trying none the less. I worked 5 opens in a row (5 am every morning except Sundays when it's 6:30 but I kept waking up panicked as to why I was not up or at work from 4am on) so getting up at 3:45ish. H goes down at midnight, 11 is I am lucky. Oh so five opens in a row, Monday off, three opens in a row, would have had Fri off but I did offer to take someones shift since they were sick (and we were a man down that morning already, I was a better candidate than the original person for such a situation with or without illness) so 7am, but again kept wondering why I was not up yet, and then today was 8 am. Again kept wondering why I was not up yet even though I knew I didn't need to be. I have tomorrow off so I hope I can sleep in. I did tell the girls that we were going to go for coffee tomorrow and I want to be down there around 9 when some of my regulars usually are there. A few of them have not seen H yet and were asking about R. Point of this is I am worn out! All of those were 8 hour shifts!

I have been kind of slowly not really working on my gobble gobble challenge. I don't know if I will have it ready in time, but I have two cute little blocks together, one from a 1991? quilt magazine and the other I made up on my own, based on the snowball block. They were both really fun! I forgot how to do paper piecing, but I sort of remember now. Still a few kinks to work out, but for the most part I got it. You know it has only been....12 years since I did it (yes I was in 7th grade thank you) I will share pictures when I have more than a 3*3 block and a 5*6 block. Maybe tomorrow

Unrelated but more fun, I was wondering what your favorite sitcoms are. I need to start watching something new, I am in rerun overload of my faves which are:
1) The Nanny
2) Friends
3) Home Improvement

Then less favorite but still have seen at least every episode once or more:
Saved by the Bell
Roseanne (only when A's not home)
Growing Pains
Brotherly Love (I actually miss that one!)
I Love Lucy

Now for the ones I can't stand but will watch with A because he likes them:
Still Standing (I think if it were on more I'd like it more)
That 70's Show
Yes Dear

so how about you?
Oh, and next post will have pics of the girls, or quilts, or both!

two quick give aways

There's a nice fat quarter give away over here! I think it happens more than once in a while, so keep your eyes open! (Oh, and tell them I sent you there so I can get an extra entry! I have to go back and see who's blog I found the link on...)

Also, V and Co's having their monthly? give away! Kati Cupcake patterns!

Yesterday was a bad day, and today's not shaping up to be a good recovery from it. First I dropped my store keys in the night deposit box along with the day's deposit for work. OOPS!! (called them this morning and they have the keys for me!) Then when I got home from work, A went to run some errands, and the car won't start. It shows that it's in every gear when really it's in park! UGHHH. Have to take it in today, don't know how. oh and A's not up yet. it's 11:52, I have been trying to get him up since 9. When the bank called me back to say come get your keys. And I told him he should call the shops to be first in line.

and I have three opens again starting tomorrow. Just coming off 5! Thank goodness I slept in until 7:15!

shots and bills

wizard of oz give away! go check it out

In family life, the girls got shots yesterday. Broke my heart but I know it's way better than getting any bug! H got her 2 month shots, three with a total of 5 things in them...I think that's how it worked. I had to sign 5 times! R got the flu mist and the Swine Flu shot. She was VERY unhappy about it but when the nurse went to H next, oh lordy! She was yelling at the nurse "NO! Don't hurt my H!" "NO!!!" it was so sweet and cute. She loves her little sister and is good at protecting her.

R is 3 years, 4 months, and like 8 days? She was 39.25" and 36.5lbs. (85%/75%) so tall and skinny. They tried to do a vision test on her but she wanted to play her own game with the cards so no go. Not too worried about it right now. Her pediatrician asked if most people could understand her easily, yes except she struggles with R and L's sometimes and here and there will get letters in a word mixed up, like "love" comes out as "wove" a lot but here and there it'll be "vohwl" (think bowl with a v) or "Mine" will become "NIME!" He said at 4 years if shes still having problems or if people still have a hard time understanding her we'll get set up with a speech therapist, but for right now just keep practicing and correcting at home.

H is 22.25", 10.0lbs, and her head is 37.8 cm. (50%/35%/25%) I don't like those low numbers but no one else is really worried so I won't be. She seems satisfied when she's done nursing, she's happy and playful, she has a little bit of a personality on her (not much but about a 2 month old's worth which is perfect!) and is growing. We'll see what she is at her 4 month check up before I start to worry. This is why they didn't give me percentiles with R, I would just worry! H has a little lump on her head that's been there since the day after we brought her home. The doc we saw at her 1 week check up said "oh it's nothing" This time her doc saw it from across the room and spent a while feeling it, and said "it's S____" basically just something under her skin that we shouldn't worry about. Of course I am, have been, and will continue to do so but it's reassuring to know it's not something I should have rushed her in for. If it doesn't go away after a year or so and her doc still isn't worried I might take her to someone else, maybe my old pediatrician or someone in her practice. Until then I am going to keep an eye on it. I might pull out my seam measure thingie and see how big it is, record it and keep track. I am sure it's nothing, or it's the thing he said it was and I shouldn't worry, but you can never be too careful!

I got all my bills from the hospital today. They have like 8 different accounts for me. A little frustrating that they can't just tie it all together, but OUCH! the final bills! Oh my! Did insurance pay ANYTHING? Barely! Ughhh! No idea how I'm going to pay all that but somehow I will! I have a thing for financial aid from them that I was waiting to see what I finally owe and I have to go to Medicaid and see if we qualify (I know we don't because I have private insurance) and get a letter saying we were rejected to qualify for the hospital's aid. Such a pain!

As far as quilting (thank heavens I have a decent stash! thank you Sally!!) I have been having a lot of progress lately. I made 11 blocks for the Block Lotto, and really want to win! Blue and yellow's one of my favorite color combinations. Remind me next time I have the quilt my mom and her friends made me for my high school graduation out on R's bed to take pictures for you! It's wonderful!

I also finished the top of one of my four quick Christmas quilts. I am debating adding another border to it, we will have to see when I go to the fabric store next week with tips (if I can justify it to myself between now and then) for some backing fabric if anything jumps out at me. I will show you that picture next time, with the top I almost have done except I was about 8" shy of what I needed, so I am praying I can still get this fabric that I started with. I think it was a recent(ish) purchase. That ones going to need another border too.

my first quilt

As you may see, on my side bar there's a button for the blogger quilt festival, so I am sharing my entry! It's nothing spectacular, but it's mine. It is my first quilt.

When I was in 5th grade my parents bought a new house. About that same year, my dad and his friends sold their company, IC Designs to Cypress. Funds were not as tight but my parents are far from carefree with their monies. Point being mom could finally buy a new sewing machine. My Pfaff. (Yes I know you've seen the picture) The machine came with a set of sewing lessons. Of course mom already knew how to sew but she took the classes. The teacher was great and somehow it came up that she teaches kids too. Mom asked if I wanted to take a class and of course I did, I wanted to know what it was all about. So off to class I went. First I made a Quillow that I loved so much I lost it at a car race one weekend. I packed that thing with me every race weekend and at Girl Scout camp for inside my sleeping bag, in case I forgot a pillow, or around the campfire. The pillow was done with paper piecing, the rest was more like a comforter. I loved it, especially the paper piecing part.

After trying to make an outfit, I decided I liked quilting more. Mom signed me up for more private lessons and with my teacher, we went to go buy fabrics (from FabricLand, I don't know if they are still around at all mine were all bought out by JoAnn's) to make a Streak of Lightning quilt. The three of us picked out 14 fabrics, 7 solids, and 7 prints that connected the solids together. We started cutting and sewing strips. We made it to sub-cutting and began re-sewing the strips that were now squares.

At that point my teacher had to sell her house and move (oh just for fun I should tell you I had a HUGE crush on her son. I was in 7th grade at this point, so it didn't take much to make me crush, but oh he was so cute!) I had lost a big chunk of the quilt and after looking off and on over the years I was sure she must have some of it and I have some of it.

The summer between my Jr and Sr. years of college I went on a Shop Hop with my mom and her two friends. The quilting bug had hit hard! I decided to take what I had and see what I could do with it. If nothing else I could make a lap quilt, or some pillows. I also was in the process of moving out and sorting all the things I would want to have someday and all the things I didn't need any more. We found all the parts to my quilt! It turns out I had been finding and replacing three separate sections of the quilt, two sections with strips sewn together and one chunk of the strips before becoming squares, not yet sub cut!

Mom and I looked at the quilt,played around with what I had, made two more strips and stepped back. It was almost twin size. I must have been missing some more but it was enough. We raided mom's stash and found a blue and a yellow I liked for the borders, and a black with hearts that I made into a "flappy" border (it's sewn into one seam with a second border but is folded over and you can play with it flipping it around!) We even were able to raid her stash for the backing! It's the softest cotton that's not flannel I have ever felt and it has moons and stars swirling on sky....so perfect for night time!

I tie-quilted it with black yarn and yellow and blue threads to "tie in" the borders (yes roll your eyes, please!) Ever since then I have made many many tops...I think I currently am at 15 tops, five to be finished but 10 done! I don't see stopping any time soon!

sisterly love

This post may be edited a bunch depending on what all happens.

Today R and I were in the girls room and H was doing something super cute in her crib, so I picked R up and said "look at H!" R said "Oh my gosh! She soooo sweet!" I realised I needed to record all the things they do together,or that R says, so that some day when they hate each other as teens/preteens do I have proof they loved each other at one point!

This is all from memory, so I am sure I will be missing some things but go with me

"oh H, you so best!"

"you so cute!"

"no mommy, I hold her!!"

"I love you!"

"no crying, it OK it OK, you see!"
oh the one day: "H, you the best friend!"

"I read her story?"

"once a time, beautiful princess H...."

"I want my H!"

R also likes to sing songs, usually rockabye, or thumbkin to H, loves to show her the colorings she did and sometimes they are meant for H. R loves to help me change her diaper, and get her dressed. She'll go on a pacifier hunt for us, and is very protective. Yesterday I was at work with the girls and one of my absolute favorite regulars (who used to go to the other store when I was there and recently started coming to the store I am at now- she's a favorite not because she tips extraordinarily well more than once a day but rather because she is always so positive, kind, and is someone who listens and shares as much as we do, she shares our joys and sorrows as much as we share our beloved customers, she's one of the few who does that!) got to hold H, well when R saw that she RAN over there and said "give me my H! you NO TOUCH! MOMMY!!!" good to know she's looking out for her little sister.

R wants to hold H any time she can, and will let me know the instant H starts to fuss or cry (as if I can't tell but still) R has discovered H likes peek a boo and will play that with her until one of them looses interest, up to 20 minutes later! R always wants to be the one to give the bottle to H when I am at work according to A. R coveres H in hugs and kisses and will lie on the floor with her any time H is on the floor.

There's a lot of curiosity about what H is up to too.

"where H?"

"you feed her?"

"you change her?"

"H come too?"

"in her chair?"

"H play with me?"

"I hold her? next?"

Sometimes R is too rough. She likes to give good squeeze hugs which is great for A and I,but not so much for H. Sometimes instead of gently rubbing H's tummy she pushes a little too hard, you know how babies love when you put a little pressure on their tummy and gently rock them from side to side, well R does it a little too fast. But she means well!

At the same time, H will often look for her sister. Whenever I am done feeding her and am rubbing her back to get a burp, H is scannign the room for R! When she finds R she will fixate on her for a while and then look away. Before too long, she's looking for that big sister of hers again. She also gives R the biggest smiles out of the three of us. She's very paitent with R when R tries to hold her, or play peek a boo.

we interupt your regularly schedualed programing

because I don't feel good.

It's nothing too bad, just a headache, burning sinuses, sore throat, heavy chest feeling, and one ear itches whenever I swallow. I am thinking this is going to become a cold and get over quickly but one of my co-workers was just diagnosed with bronchitis and I REALLY don't want to get THAT.

Anyone know any good home remedies? I am nursing so I don't know what all I can take but I need something to at least feel functional. I am going to mark out some tea and hopefully get some honey, but what else?

Also, anyone have any good soup, stew, or crock pot ideas? nothing too gourmet, or expensive but satisfying! (even if I have to make bread or something to go with it. Fallinter is here. The leaves are changing and starting to fall, oh yeah and it snowed all morning! I need something other than tortilla soup to make!

really quick here, a give away:
http://fabricartist21.blogspot.com/

and don't forget to go check out the GumTree Designers blog...they have their first free pattern up! (I have the little linkey box that I finally figured out how to do on my right side!)

better blog posts to come!

ughhh

Today has not been the best day! The girls are all needy and whiny and ick! I blame the weather, it's cold, and dreary, and well, I don't want to go outside! I am wearing my "frumpy old lady sweater" and my fuzzy socks over normal socks. (someday I will show you my sweater, it's actually my favorite thing in my closet but I have no one to take a pic of me in it at the moment so live with my pink fuzzy socks but know I have one pair of green and three different blues.) If the girls were quiet this would be a great day to curl up under a quilt and read a book with a huge cup of tea.

Last night R had a hard time falling asleep. Now that we know she's scared of the dark and have a nightlight in her room, she plays and reads in her room until she's ready to crash and then she'll tuck herself back in. Around 11:30 when I was getting H down (she nurses from 8:30 when I put R down to about midnight! then sleeps until 8:30!!!) I caught her "reading" Green Eggs and Ham. So cute!

I think I am in need of an intervention when it comes to quilting! Seriously I can't get enough even though there are other things I need to do. The laundry is piled up like none other (thanks for throwing off my system A!) and the kitchen looks like the cabinets quit and walked out on me but fabric comes first!

Still to finish by Christmas (since these are gifts):

-Baby ABC's (ready to quilt once I find the tread I know I have to do it with!)

-Dora (finally got the backing fabric)

-Jackie's (need to layer and figure out how to quilt)

-Isn't Christmas Jolly/Charming? (need to finish by the 14th so I can enter it in a little contest here!)

-The four Christmas book quilts (one's blocks are almost done the others I need to get fabric to work on that coordinates better than what I have in my stash)

-And lastly the Block Lotto quilt from the blocks I won last month. I have the top done, not the original idea but one I still like and I need to get it quilted and finished by the end of the month so I can have extra chances this coming month because:

I LOVE THIS MONTHS BLOCK!!! It's called Milky Way and we are doing it in blue and yellow with black and white. OH I LOVE IT SO! So much even that I am making 15 blocks even though I can only enter 9 to win.

While I am thinking about it, does anyone know what this line is? I got a charm pack when I won a give away quite a while ago (the one that got me addicted to give aways and contests) and I want to get some more!

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 =)