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 =)

bragging mommy today!

This is more of a mom post than a quilter post, but we have to balance the two on here as much as we do in life right? Wait, you are right, I am more mom at home than quilter and on here I brag about my art. I remember talking to one of my professors in the Honors Scholars Program at my school who was also an Anthropology professor about quilting. He was quite surprised that I was a quilter and excited to know it's not a dying art. According to the blogs I've found it's not. Not too many people my age are into it yet but I have a feeling if we wait 10-20 years there will be more my age (so in their 30's and 40's I don't mean more people in their 20's). At least R is interested and I hope that H will be too.

Before I get into the heart of this I want to share some more giveaways. I know what you are thinking, seriously girl, you are overdoing the give away posts but I am addicted! I want to WIN! Fat Quarter Shop is doing MORE give aways. I think there are three more block of the month's that are about to start over there so there maybe more give aways but their latest are for their Green Peice BOTM and Bespoke Blooms. I am waiting for their Civil War BOTM to be up...I have stories for you!

Oh! I just found out I won the block lotto, I was winner #3 this month! HOORAY! I have ideas up the wazoo I'll have to wait until I get all the blocks to play around with. 48 of them!

alright onto the mommy stuff. R has been having a hard time with the adjustment to being a big sister. Fortunately not when it comes to interacting with H, but when it comes to attention. She's been whine-ing a TON and so I could get SOME sleep I gave in and let her watch Disney movies on my bed and sleep there. Actually that started when I was still pregnant but it wasn't every night. When H came home and was sleeping in our room is when she started it. We moved H to her crib at night last week and today I moved R to her room. It took bribing her with a cupcake in her bed but at least we are trying. We might fail tonight but I will keep trying every night until it works.

Yesterday I wasn't really happy with A, but I still let him go to a movie with some friends. "let him" HA! he would have gone anyways but I get props for being "cool" with it. While he was gone, R and I had a "special day" that originally was going to be a few hours without A or H, but H was with us instead. R and I made cupcakes and a coffee cake. I tried to teach her how to make "pretties" with yarn, a big needle, and fruit loops. She kept threading them onto the yarn and eating them (fine, it's OK) and then getting mad at me for her pretty not looking like mine (um, I'm not eating it!) We also went to the park and she rolled down the hill after I showed her how.

Today is day two of a well behaved R. A is at work still (9) and has been since 10am! (He MIGHT be riding his bike home by now but he had to do a ton of training today because they need him to be fully trained and ready to work Weds! BTW he interviewed after the movie yesterday!) We made breakfast together, played a little, then I started cleaning up! I got the living room cleaned with her help, and I vacuumed. R hates the vacuum, H didn't mind it and in fact stopped crying in intervals the whole time I was using it, but when I went to move the little chair she was in and had the vacuum still running, R came up and yelled "No mommy! No vacuum my H!" So sweet! R didn't rest but I did get her in my room watching a movie long enough to clean the kitchen and then after dinner we both worked on cleaning her room. Ahh A will be so impressed and hopefully I will earn brownie points or something!

Nursing sucks! I did it with R no problem for 6 months, and I want to throw in the towel now! I know I will regret it because I DO like it but H has such a painful latch! I am using a prescription cream which is helping a lot, but it still hurts! I want to see the lactation consultant but she's so expensive and there's no guarantee that insurance will reimburse me even though I have two prescriptions to see her (one from my midwife, and one from H's pediatrician)

H has a lot more of my personality than R did. R was always independent. She loved being on the floor wiggling, holding her own bottle (when she was a little older) and was good at drifting off on her own in the crib. H wants to be held a lot, only will only go to sleep either in someones arms or swaddled TIGHT with a pacifier in her mouth and the mobile going and playing music. She's also a lot more interested in looking at peoples faces than R was (R could have cared less! there was too much other stuff to look at and touch) it's so interesting to see those differences this early and I know it will only become more so!

Since we were so good about cleaning today we might go to JoAnn's tomorrow, or Ben Franklin, or Target, or Walmart or... we are going somewhere!! and the park too!!

projects getting accomplished

I have been sewing at night lately. R has been having a hard time going to sleep most nights, not crashing until 11 or 12! Instead of vegging on the couch I've been sewing. It works out alright since H wakes up around 12 for a feeding I probably mentioned I made some blocks for my block lotto group (by the way, please join if interested! It's kind of fun!) Well, that was what got me out of my sewing stand still with two little girls. As much as I should probably be resting it's something I enjoy and something that's all mine.

I started in on the Butterfly Beauty quilt I mentioned before. I have 3/5 of my strips sewn together, and then all of them will need to be cut into either blocks in some cases (the white with purple) and parts to a block in others (the flower with white)...not clear I know but just go with it! It's coming along really well and quickly at this point.

I also made two new blocks for the Shop Hop quilt. They are called Ruins of Jericho and were actually far less intimidating to do than I thought they'd be. (my directions had me sew the strips instead of two little pieces to one small but long one I striped together the two colored ones and one cream and cut it into four...much easier! and I think the two colors works better, but I didn't design the quilt =)

I have been working on my leaders/enders/scrap quilts and one night a few weeks ago I made a ton since I had nothing else ready to sew, then they sat around waiting for attention. I finally got around to pressing them and continue to press the new contributions. I need to actually finish a project soon so I can start storing the pairs in one of my project tubs and the unmatched squares in another. Or I could just go get some more tubs =)

I was working on the binding to the little girl quilt that I COULD give to H, but don't love enough to keep (I have plans for her anyways) but ran out of thread with one side left! I ran out of both bobbin AND normal (top?) thread since I always buy two (of the small) spools and make one into bobbins and leave the other one intact so I have enough bobbins to match the top. I hate unthreading the machine just for a little more bobbin thread. With the big spools, which I only get in neutrals for piecing I just make a handful of bobbins. Hopefully in the next few days I can go to JoAnns and get another spool.

I was playing around blogger while nursing H a day or two ago and saw Rachel's other great blog...her Calender Quilt Challenge. Now if only I had been reading all these blogs back when she started the challenge. I am thinking I'd like to do one too! I know it's way early to be thinking about the New Year but it will come up here before we know it. I think I am going to start cutting strips for it. I will pose an invitation to work on one with me closer to 2010! but put it in the back of your minds.

I made a slight mistake on my last post about the give away from Fat Quarter Shop...I was supposed to give you the link the their exact blog post. Why does it matter you ask? Because they have ANOTHER giveaway on THIS post. Two happening, two chances, or six in my case, but you could get up to 10 chances! My vote on the Thimbleberries is for Dusk, Dawn is too fair, Midnight is too dark, so call me Goldilocks, but Dusk seems perfect!!

watch out, no pictures!

I went to JoAnn's today!!! Yes, and I stuck to the $20 that was in my pocket. OK, I took $40 out to spend but then A said "oh we need gas" OK, so I will spend $30 I told myself...then I realised he's really crabby, driving me up a wall so I handed him the $20 and said, "go get some gas and then get yourself something pretty." What did I get you ask? Nothing special! I got some binding (I know I need to learn to make it myself but it's so much quicker to just buy it) in pink (2 packs) and purple (3 packs) I got a stencil for quilting, remind me to ask you about that, and a pigma pen for one block from my 2005 shop hop quilt that needs needlework and I think it will work on a project I am going to start in the winter and will tell you all about later!

I didn't win Rachel's give away, so what does that mean? Oh I am signing up for another one!! I love the Fat Quarter Shop...but have yet to spend any money there. I want to sign up for their Pennsylvania Dutch Block of the Month, but I have not yet. This is almost incentive enough, two extra chances to win (oh check out their blog for info) but the budget isn't there right now. Possibly when I go back to work and stash some tip money for whatever I want. oh I am going to buy so much nice fabric...maybe not at first but eventually!! Moral of the story here, there's another give away.

I have some cash stashign plans...there's more to it than just setting some aside. I have a few little envelopes in a secret hiding place that I HOPE A never finds but he has a skill of sniffing out money no matter where it is. I have four envelopes, one for Christmas money, one for "fabric fun", one for the Western Washington Shop Hop for whenever I am able to go on that again, and one for Seattle. Christmas is self explanatory. Fabric fun is theoretically for everything quilting related but my goal is to set most of it aside for real quilting fabric. The Shop hop one...well who knows when I will get to go on that but there are SO many WONDERFUL quilt shops and fabrics out in the area, plus there's a fabric surplus store that I could get a bunch of fabric for backings and what not. The Seattle envelope will be for my trip(s) out there for whatever I want and no guilt! Since I get tips weekly, and usually about $2/hour, it won't be too hard to stash something but It might be hard to stash in all four. I haven't figured out how I will decide how much/which envelope to use each week.

Back to the stencil for quilting. How do you mark it? I assume with that white chalk I saw next to the stencils but there were so many options to choose from, what do you recommend or use? Thus far I have never done anything other than "stitch in the ditch" or "outline" quilting. I really am excited to try something new! This stencil is hearts and I think would be great for R's Dora quilt.

bored yet? Sorry I almost didn't post anything but I wanted to get those chances to win at FQS =)

what girls are made of

Sugar and spice and everything nice right? Um...can someone introduce me to THOSE little girls? OK H can get credit for being that at the moment, but how can she not when all she can do is cry, eat, and cuddle? R on the other hand...lordy! OK, OK, she's not THAT bad but today was one of those days where I wish I could have gone out for a drink...at 10 am!

R woke up early and demanded attention, which meant that I had to get up because A is dead to the world until at least 12, usually more like 1pm. So up we were and usually she can entertain herself while I veg out or cat nap on the couch but this was one of those days she wouldn't leave me alone! Sure, I'll give you extra attention, especially since we are the only two up in the house. When H did get up, R stole my Boppy pillow and refused to let me use it to feed H, then when I decided to just go for it without the support she threw fit after fit about being hungry and thirsty, poopie (she wasn't by the way!) whatever else she could come up with. I sort of am used to that but it's still annoying. The highlight of my day was when she threw a huge fit because I was trying to find her a cartoon, and I knew she wouldn't like the one I found first so I tried to change the channel...she got "grounded" for that! No TV all day. A was not happy with that rule, he's a little TV dependent but I was thrilled to go the whole day without any unnecessary background noise!

I have managed to make and clean up dinner the past two nights! Last night we had pasta with garlic bread and a salad. Tonight we had Taco Salad! Not hard dinners but still, I am not much of a cook and I HATE cleaning dishes. I also have a fairly clean house. Not company clean, but totally livable clean! the exception is my room because every time I have a chance to clean it, someone is sleeping in there (R has started taking naps on my bed, not happy about it but boy do I need my peace and quiet and nap time so I'll let it go for right now).

Speaking of nap time, today A was out getting job apps so he can have a second/more steady job, both girls were sleeping and instead of taking a nap, I sewed! I didn't think I'd be able to enter anything into the block lotto this month, not with the new little one and the three year old but the machine had been calling my name for so long that I just gave in and gave it some attention. R must have been "sewing" with no fabric sometime when I wasn't around and I had a huge tangle to work out, so after 45 minutes of tugging, cutting, whatever else one has to do to untangle thread in a machine, I was off and running. H slept in her chair next to my sewing desk and was out the whole time!

I managed to make all 9 of the blocks I can enter into the lotto! I made a few little mistakes that I didn't catch until a little ways into the blocks. Some of my first couple logs are not 90 degree angles! I don't know how that happened since I was careful to line things up, but I guess that's what happens when you quilt when you should really be napping...I hope they don't mind! If they do, when I send the blocks off I will include a little note saying I'd be happy to make replacement blocks more carefully, it's not huge and noticeable, but then again I think these people are all more experienced and better quilters than I am and will notice and might care. Me, I'd just call it character!

Had it not been so hot and muggy today I might have ironed some more fabric and maybe even cut some stuff up! I have decided to go for that butterfly beauty quilt with what I have, mostly because I have everything for it and can get the top done without spending any more, but also because I really want to learn how to do something on point, and this has great directions with simple blocks...and I can't ignore the machine much longer! I am so much calmer and happier when I have spent even just a few minutes sewing.

my quilt scrapbook

I am having problems sleeping...OK sleeping is not the problem, the problem really is I need some quite time and the only time I get it is between 10 and H's midnight feeding (usually between 12 and 1am) and I savor those few hours. I could use that time to pick up around the house but the past few days I have just savored it for myself. Monday night I watched a movie, Tuesday night I updated the photo albums, last night I worked on my quilting scrapbook, and tonight I am going to blog about it. I will probably work on another blog post in the next day or two but for now I wanted to share my scrapbook with you. I am entering it in this month for the Because I Matter Challenge since I do the scrapbook to remember my quilts. The first four entries were already done but the rest I worked on last night (and a little bit today).

Since my penmanship is piss poor-oh side story about penmanship...my parents did everything they COULD to get me nice handwriting and this is what we got. And by everything, I mean EVERYTHING: Occupational Therapy in school, art classes with a private instructor, calligraphy workshops/lessons with one of my mom's co-workers (she was a teacher), and writing workshops at the UW during summers of 4,5, and 6th grades. Whats interesting is now, after all that work, I see that my writing is a PERFECT blend of both my parents. Moms curvy-ness and dad's technical/engineering style. Funny isn't it? Back the the point though, I will type out what I have written on the pages here, so this is going to be one LONG post. Please read at your leisure, or don't and just look at the cool pictures.

I was going to ask this at the bottom but since this is going to be a long post and I don't know if you will make it there, how do you remember your quilts? Do you do any special recording. I know people put labels on their quilts (I haven't yet) but what about the quilts you give away? How do you track your development and progress as a quilter (or any other craft/hobby/passion)?

Here we go!

Lisa's First Quilt: Streak of Lightning
I started this quilt when I was in sewing classes back in junior high and when my teacher moved, we thought she had most of it , but when I was cleaning my room one day (in college so emptying out the room) we found parts of it. I made one more strip and mom and I found the border fabrics around the house. I tie-quilted it to give it a youthful twist since that's when I started it-in my youth. I used black with bits of blue and yellow to tie in the borders.

Chucks Quilt: Streak of Lightning

I designed this quilt as a lap quilt for A's dad who was wheelchair bound for Christmas 2005. He passed away before it was finished so I decided to finish it four our baby. I had to find more of the original yellow border. I went to five stores in Washington and three more in Montana with no luck so I chose a new yellow. I machine quilted each row of squares length-wise and every other width-wise (stitch in the ditch).
I am proud of designing this and figuring out yardage to buy but I want to try a new pattern soon/next!

Fascinating Ribbons QuiltOver the summer of 2005, A and I met up in Spokane a few times. Once we picked a quilt pattern to do together. We then went to the fabric store and picked out fabric. A actually has a great eye for color and fabrics. I started the quilt in the fall and finished it in October. A did some of the ironing and watched movies with me while I did the sewing. I messed up and this isn't how the pattern looked, but A still loved it. I'll try this quilt again and get it "right" I hope A will help me with another quilt. It means so much to me that he's supportive and encouraging of my love of quilting!

Makayla's QuiltI made this quilt for my friend Jessica's daughter on her move to her "big girl" bed. I changed the fabrics around to make it less "clean" looking than the original design. Jessica said Makayla's bedroom theme was pink and purple butterflies. The main fabric is pink and cream but saw the blue and green in the store and wanted to add a splash for fun. Aunt Jackie bought the backing for me when I was out in Seattle with her, mom, Aunt Mary Alice (and infant R), and I all went fabric shopping. The colors are perfect and in large sections you can see flowers and butterflies, while it's all really flowers. I hope Makayla and Jessica like it.

Rectangle Weave for Erika

I made this quilt for my friend Maria's daughter, Ericka. Maria and I were pregnant together on the dance team. We went to the store and found the yellow and green fabrics first, then the black star fabric. Maria wanted to bring light and brightness into their lives, hence the vibrant colors. As I was making the top, I noticed the other colors in the stars and wish we had pulled from that more but am still thrilled with how it turned out.
The backing fabric was actually from my stash. One of my regulars at Prospect, Jeanette, gave me a bunch of her unused fabrics and this lovely yellow was in it. It's a nice, soft, sweatshirt-like material and great for cuddling under. I love the idea of using unusual fabrics for the backing. I quilted this using the "outline" technique. I really liked it, almost as easy and "stitch in the ditch" but more fun! I am going to do it again for sure!
I wrapped this up with the corresponding teddy bear quilt in a box with Dora paper on it. R had a hard time not opening it! She loves Dora and presents.

(I need to get a picture of that teddy bear quilt to do another scrapbook page here but just go with it for now)

R's Big Girl Bed Quilt: Buttoned Up Pinwheels I knew I wanted to make a big girl bed quilt for R to convert her bed into a toddler bed with. My goal was to finish the quilt by her second birthday, which I just missed. I really love this pattern. I invited A's mom to come with me to pick out fabrics in hopes of re-establishing communication. She does not have an eye for fabrics!I'm not in love with our choices, not for a toddler bed at least. I hurried through the quilt and made lots of mistakes. Mostly butting and lining things up. I wish I had slowed down. I'm currently looking for a pattern for her next bed-a twin size. I can't believe how quickly she's growing up!

Touchie Duckie: Tub Party

When my co-worker Paula said she was pregnant, I knew I'd make her something special. At JoAnn's, R was with me and saw a kit for this duckie quilt and insisted I get it. It wasn't a lot of arm twisting! It was a very quick and easy kit to pit together. This was the first time I have made a kit! More importantly-this was the first time I sewed each layer together inside out and turned it right side in! SO cool! I think I'll hang onto the pattern and do this again with my own materials/themes for babies. Not only is it so easy but the fabrics have so many different textures and colors to keel little hands and eyes interested. I'm still planning on making Paula another quilt for her little guy, but this was such a nice, sweet start. And who doesn't like duckies?

Moda Isn't Christmas Jolly?: Charm Quilt This quilt was the first quilt I made with quality fabric-Moda. They have so many great designers! I can't wait for the day my budget allows for me to buy good fabrics, until then JoAnn's will do. This also was the first quilt I made with charm packs. I used six! It was really fun and easy to do-quick too! In the end I decided I didn't want this over sized throw in my house-the black and yellow are too much for me in this Christmas quilt. My friend Beth though mentioned these are her house colors, so she picked out the backing fabrics and I finished it for her and gave it to her just after Thanksgiving.

Aunt Jackies' Quilt: Framed Four Patch

In August 2006, A, R (2 mo's old at the time), and I went back to Seattle to celebrate my college graduation with my extended family and friends. Aunt Jackie picked out a quilt from one of mom's quilting mags- I think it was Quilters World. We picked out several fabrics and I went back home. After setting the project aside, losing the magazine, and starting other projects, I finally came back to this one! We bought the fabric at mom's favorite quilt store in Bellevue - I LOVE the main fabric! I am not sure about the green border and yet I love it at the same time. I did make several mistakes, actually only two blocks but it looks like more than that. Oooops. That's what I get for making them seperate from the rest and rushing when I realised I needed them. Thank goodness it's for someone who loves me and cares more about the time and love I put into it than if it's perfect or not. I still need to work on my half-square-triangles, but am getting better. Maybe someday I will make a quilt with all or mostly triangles and become a master!

Do do do do do Dora the Explorer Quilt: Streak of Lightning

I started gathering Dora fabric as soon as I knew R liked her. I had no idea what I'd do with it, but I knew I'd find something.

When I realised R would need a twin size quilt, I knew this would be what Dora's be used for! I spent a lot of time trying to find a pattern and the fabric to tie it all together. Thank goodness for JoAnn's! I figured it all out. And with the help of my blog buddies at allpeoplequilt.com I got a good block size and went to town!

I started sewing this together when I went down with the Star Team to get the Butte story ready to open. I almost had it finished in those five days too, but we were busy. I can't wait to give this to R for Christmas!

Hey, are you still with me? Awesome, what do you think? Sure I am not great with gramar (or spelling) but at least I record some information about all these quilts and have something to look back on. Maybe some day I will be a famous or award winning quilter and can show this book off and people will say "wow, you have come a long ways!" Or I will look back in this and remember the people who I made quilts for and why I made them, and just enjoy. Thanks for reading!

a new give away!

I will admit I am a little addicted to these give-aways! I WANT MORE FABRIC! I am sure you can all relate, and it doesn't help that they keep saying to get extra chances to win tell others about it. I want to keep these all to myself but I want the extra chances! So up this time: Rachel at p.s. I quilt has a yummy sounding give away so here I am telling you about it so I can get a chance to win! You can have up to 5 chances with her and I will get all but one because I just can't afford to place an order no matter how much I drool over the Quilt Shoppes goodies, hence why I keep entering these give aways!

I have been going through those quilt mags that I bought on e-bay and am very inspired. A few of the mags have nothing I would make because they use too many templates, which I still don't know how to use and prefer strips. I don't mind paper piecing but I am not currently drawn to any of the patterns that have paper piecing in them in these mags. I HAVE found about three patterns I am adding to my list of things to make and then several more "if I were to get around to it this would be nice" I might have to make going through these a yearly, or every other year thing so I don't forget about those "maybe"s plus who doesn't love looking at quilts

I did find a really nice pattern that looks fairly easy and fun and will try to make for the girls. I think the plan is since they are girls, we will get them a bunk bed when H is older and they will keep sharing a room. My plan is to make two twin quilts, slightly different (maybe just the boarder will be different), to put on their beds when we get them bunk beds. Its a fat quarter friendly quilt so I am going to start stashing FQ's in pinks and greens for them! the picture doesn't do it justice, and I am not a yellow/cream person so at first I flipped past it but somehow came back to it...I love it (with a color change)!

The girls are doing well, H has been eating,sleeping, filling diapers, and trying to hold her head up like a good little one should. R is adjusted for the most part, it's funny how insecure she is when it comes to A though. If he and H are cuddling R has to be a part of it too. She could care less about me! R also has been constantly saying "I so hungry" but then not finishing what I serve her. That's getting on my nerves because I end up tossing 75% of the food I serve her but I think its her way of asking for attention. she and I made a coffee cake today and did dishes together which she seemed to enjoy, and hey we didn't make a big mess! SCORE! Now if only I could get to that huge laundry pile that's accumulated. Really the folding and putting away is where my hold up is.

one week

H is one week old today! I am still shocked at how little she is, actually no, I am surprised how big R is! mostly her feet and head, but still everything! There's just under 3 years and 2 months difference between the two but still it's a huge difference! I am going through this "please never grow up!" thing but at the same time I am so proud of how big R is and how much I want her to grow up more.

We had H's one week appointment today and she's not yet back to her birth weight but she is gaining just under an ounce a week so that's good, means my nursing is on track but we do have to go in next week just for a weight check. I also made her 2 month appointment as well as R's 3 year old appointment (a few months late but easier to do it together than to try and get another appointment in. R is healthy and we've only had to take her in twice for something other than her well baby checks, once when she got pink eye from the Library and once when she had an allergic reaction to the Penicillin she got from the hospital for her ear infection (she spiked a fever in the middle of the night and we couldn't get it down...but I wish we could have waited for morning!

I mailed off my block lotto blocks today...well hold on, I meant to but they are still in my purse, guess I have something to do tomorrow! Well anyways, I got them READY to mail off, and picked out fabric for the new blocks. I really don't know if I will get to them (and I am sorry the picture doesn't do the colors justice, I played with lighting but couldn't get anything decent; red is in the middle and one side has warm colors and the other side has cools) this month but just in case I have a moment to get to the machine in a moment of peace in the house when I don't want to sleep. I want to do log cabin quilts so this would be a great way to learn how to make them. I have about three quilts I want to do that are log cabin style but for now maybe I will do these blocks.

I bought some Quilters World magazines from e-bay and got them in the mail on Saturday. I have not looked through them all (I bought 15) but one of them is one I have been searching for. I thought there were two of them in the lot but it turns out that there was a type-o so the second one was actually a different year, right month though! I see a few quilts I do want to do but the one I was hunting for, Butterfly Beauty, was there. I already have the fabric for it so I am glad to have the pattern. I don't think it will work now that I see the two of them together but I still want to give it a go. The white has silver sparkles in case you can't see it, the purple is roses purple on purple, and the main fabric (although it's the ones used the least...I guess I mean the fabric from which I drew the other colors from?) has too much white I think. Plus I love the blue in it more than I love the purple...oh and that green. I am sort of rethinking if this is the right pattern for this fabric but I bought it with the intention of making it for this pattern....Do you think it would still work even though it's got all that white in it, or should I set it aside until I do find a pattern I want to make that would work well with these colors (and maybe add some of that blue and green?) I have no real plans for this quilt, I don't know anyone getting married or moving into an apartment on their own so there's no urgency either way but I hate to just add these fabrics to my stash and have them sit unused for so long and I do love the pattern....enough blabbing about that, but your feedback would be great. If you can't tell I change my mind about it each time I look at it.

she's here!!!

We welcomed our new little one this week! She came Wednesday morning at 3:51! I was actually scheduled for an induction at 7am on Weds (would have done it Tues if L and D hadn't been "full") It was really quick and I did well until transition when I told the nurse I was losing it and she just watched me panic and said "you are doing fine" No I'm not, I was hyperventilating and fighting the contractions which I had been working well with for the first bit. I wish she had listened to me, could have saved some stress on everyone's part. The nurse who helped deliver R was so good! She had positions for me to try, reflexology stuff to help me out with, made me look at her and breath with her and kept me focused on relaxing. This nurse just watched. And she kept putting me in this horrible position on my back where I couldn't get comfortable and I HURT and not just the contractions but my back and my legs and hips but she kept making me go into it and I kept saying no! Basically I was disappointed with her and wish I had been able to ask for someone else but by the time I knew I needed someone else I was too far into it all!

Hazel Anne (the only time I will use her real name, to be known as H from now on) was 7lb 4 oz...10 oz less than her sister! I was guessing 8 1 but whatever! She is a night owl and eats all night long! She sleeps all day which would be fine if we didn't have R too, but R (since I am giving away names, her's is Regina Marie) can't be left alone all day! A's new job (oh, keep sending us positive thoughts because he doesn't get quite enough hours and the pay is not great and since I am on "disability" well he wants a second job until at least I go back to work and/or when we get caught up on our bills) is at night meaning I get no help there!

R has been a great big sister, she wants to hold H all the time and wants to help me change the diapers. I am sure that will change soon enough but we are trying to encourage it for the time being. Our only problems are jealousy and only when A has H, not when I do. Can you tell who her favorite parent is? Yeah, I knew that would happen but A is thrown for a loop. Kind of funny to me!

I don't have much else to share, I could talk about the birth, but I will probably just write a birth story in the next few weeks and what not. I am so glad she's here!!

housework

in this mad dash to get the house clean for baby, and more importantly to me my mom, brother and his girlfriend I have been reflecting on housework. I have always wanted to be good at it and love the feeling after a good clean but I only know how to tidy. I don't know how to do the good scrubbing things and how often I should do them. While I am on leave (and especially since baby is not here yet) I am going to practice totally cleaning one room a day. Not just picking it up unless it's BAD but actually Windex-ing, washing the walls if needed, vacuuming, changing sheets and/or towels. I know I have made this promise to myself before but I have been working at the time. I might as well practice now while I have some time. Even if I don't do it as thoroughly as I would like to to begin with it's a step in the right direction.

my plan:
Monday-bedroom
Tuesday-kids room (I need to buy new sheets for R's bed, she only has one that goes with her quilt)
Wednesday- bathroom
Thursday-living room
Friday- kitchen
Sat/Sun-extras such as closets, hallway (where my storage stuff is), laundry room, any room that needed a little extra attention, etc so play it by ear.

I have heard to set a timer and thinking maybe doing 2-10 minute sessions in each room might be a good starting point. I am figuring here that the kids won't let me be alone for too long to clean and I will need to remember to rest when the baby rests even if I can't sleep because of R.

The real things I have been thinking about where how much I wish I had learned about how to really clean from my mom. Now it's not her fault I didn't learn. She's not a good housekeeper herself anymore, my family wore her down. Dad and B are both messy messy people and I was lazy! When she was trying to teach me I was at the point in my life that I didn't want to listen to her, I wanted to do anything except be like her, and I didn't want to do what she wanted me to do. You all know that age that kids, especially girls, go through. I just wish I had learned. I wish I had some time when I lived on my own, or at least before kids came along, to try and figure it all out but you do what you gotta do right?

So my house may not be perfect but it sure is a work in progress and I am proud of myself for not giving into the battle of the mess yet!

no...

1) baby yet =(
2) winning the block lotto for this month, but next months looks really cool so who knows!
3) winning the $50 certificate for Fat Quarter Shop which is really sad since I spent it all in my mind already =)

Reading a good book though, Catherine Coulter's FBI series is really good and I am enjoying Knockout

I just can't wait to hold this little one though and am getting really anxious and upset and in fact am feeling a little depressed and dont' want to leave the house or answer the phone because No, I have no news for you, if I was in labor or had the baby I would have called or something!!! just want to hide but at the same time don't want to be home....blach!!!