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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Family of Etsy sellers

Okay I keep forgetting to do this but here are the links to our family etsy shops.  All are very cool and different so check them out!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/samandchris
My SIL Sam selling vintage and retro items.  Really cool!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MountainJoyQuiltnDye
My SIL Becky selling quilts and runners and fabric hand-dyed by her husband, Sid.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/StringsAndStrands 
My MIL Sue selling quilts, runners and her handcrafted beads and necklaces.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/QuiltingWhimsy 
And my shop selling quilts, runners and designer fabrics.

I'm back, I'm back!

Yes, it's been awhile since I've been on here and I apologize.  I have been a busy little gal! My husband is home again, the rain has finally (mostly) stopped and the kids have been racing around outside using up all their pent-up energy.  Actually, that's just me wishful thinking.  Their energy never seems to run out.  Why is that I wonder? I mean, come on! MOMS are the ones that need the extra energy! Just watching these boys run circles around me shrieking in utter glee and pure abandon is exhausting.  Absolutley.  Exhausting. But I digress... (Really I have no idea what that means, but I've heard people say it and it sounds so grown-up I thought I'd try it out).

So moving on... I have managed to make a nice little stack of baby quilt tops over the past couple weeks.  I have a few of them quilted and awaiting binding (did someone just scream? oh, that was me.  I hate binding).  I'm also starting on a few table runners with spring in mind and have begun another baby quilt.  Okay, okay, I know I should just finish the ones waiting for binding, but it's soooo much more fun to start another project.  But wait! You haven't seen this fabulous fabric! Seriously cute!
to. die. for. CUTE!

Max & Whiskers by Basic Grey from Moda Fabrics.  I heart thee.  If you haven't seen it, google search it.  Right now.  or I suppose you can wait until I get pics posted in a few days.  

I've taken a charm pack and made a stacked coin baby quilt with it.  I used a bright sunny yellow for the sashing in between the rows.  To be truthful I was not sold on the yellow, but once I laid it out and saw how the little puppy prints just POPPED out of the quilt and smacked me in the face, I just had to use it.  To give credit where credit is due, it was really my MIL who found the yellow hiding in a dark and scary corner of the garage-turned-studio.  Then I asked my husbands opinion on whether to use the yellow or the orange I had picked out and he chose yellow.  (Traitor!)  And really, once you actually ask your hubs opinion and he gives it without a second thought, you had better use that fabric!  So, I did.  And it looks great.  

Well, I'm off to try and finish a table runner.  It's supposed to be almost 60* here today and sun-shiny, so I will hopefully have some pics to post of my quilts and runners.  You guys are in for a treat! Here's a link to the book, Let's Do Lunch by Terry Atkinson I'm currently using to make my table runners.  Really love this book! It's been used many, many times. 

Friday, March 11, 2011

Hooray for Sunshine!

Oh I am so excited! The sun has finally peeked out from behind all the clouds and is shining away, albeit not too brightly, but it's still there!!!

The boys and I are on our way outside to enjoy it while it lasts (ie: 5-10 minutes).

I'll hop on here later and post some pics of the quilts I've done recently.  Hopefully they'll look better with the sunshine on them.  It's hard to take pics when it's so gloomy out.  :(

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Rain, rain, go away!!!

Well, once again, the weather has foiled my plans of taking bright and sunny photos of my quilts hanging from the wooden fence.  Sigh.  Well, I suppose that means I have to stay inside and sew the day away.  What a shame.  ;)

Right now, I'm sipping some wonderful lemon rooibos tea and watching the rain pelt against my sewing room window.  The boys are watching Curious George and waiting for their sausage and pancake sandwiches which are about done.  I can hear them sizzling.  Time to go!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Finally...My Camera is working!

After a few days of my camera not cooperating with me, I have finally been able to get my photos uploaded.  So... without further ado, here are the baby quilts I've been working on for the last few days.


This one used mostly Amy Butler fabrics with a white solid to accent. 
















This next one was made with Central Park fabric.  It's a newer fabric line from Moda by Kate Spain and I really love it.  It's so snuggly!





And last but certainly not least...It's A Hoot.  This is some of my fav fabric right now! So modern and fun with lots of dots and stripes.  These are all going to be for sale soon in my shop on etsy.  You can view my shop here.  I have lots of new goodies for sale currently. 

Hope you enjoyed the quilt show! I will list more pic's later of some new things for sale in my shop.  I'm supposed to sewing with my mother-in-law right now so I better go be productive (and sociable)!  :)


Sunday, March 6, 2011

Heart Melting Moments

Well I was going to post some pic's of the three baby quilt tops I completed yesterday but my camera is not cooperating currently (grrr).  Hopefully later I will be able to get the pic's up and we can ohh and ahh together!

On another note, Aiden, my 4 yr old, was holding my hand while watching cartoons this morning and started playing with my wedding ring.  He says, "Mommy, what is that thing on your finger?"  I explained what it was and that daddy had given it to me when we were getting married.  He says, "Why'd he do that?" and shrugs his shoulders.  "Well," I said, "When a boy and girl decide they love each other so much they want to get married and start their own family, the boy usually gives the girl a ring like this and then they get married." I could tell he was contemplating this so I said, "One day, when you grow up like daddy, you'll meet a girl you really love and you'll give her a ring like this and get married."  He started crying and hugged my arm and says, "I'm never getting married! I don't want to find a girl and be in love!" When I asked him why he didn't want to find a special girl he says with little tears in his eyes, "Because you're already my girl and I don't want to find another one.  Can't I just keep you forever?"

That just melted my heart! Children have such a sweet, innocent way of looking at the world.  I wish they never had to grow up and lose that.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

This bright and happy little quilt is for sale now in my etsy store.  I have a link to the right that will take you right to my shop (there are lots of fun things to be found there) but you can also click here.

I keep wishing I had a little girl to snuggle into this fabulous quilt! It's so bright and sunny and really makes me think spring! 
The fabrics used are from Moda Fabrics (love these guys).  I used a charm pack for the top with a small amount of yardage for the pieced borders and center of squares.  The back is so yummy! I have had this bolt of lavender polka dot fabric for some time and was so excited to finally find a great use for it.   Hmmm... I need to find another project to use that fabric in.  I really love it!

The early bird gets the Worm

I was woken this morning by my 2 yr old just before six.  His sunny little face appeared at the side of my bed as he said, "Is it going to be mornin' time yet?" I groaned.  "Can I have some cocoa pleeeeaase? I'm happy!"  Well really, how can you say no to that?  So... we had cocoa and watched the birds outside the window picking at the ground.   My day is off to a great start.

Friday, March 4, 2011

So I've been told for some time now that I should really start a blog for all my quilting and crafting projects.  Even though I really enjoy reading several blogs, I've had my feet stuck firmly in the mud about starting my own blog.

Well, this morning I woke up and decided, "What the heck, I'm gonna do it! I'm starting a blog!"  So...for my first post, here's a little bit about me and how I got started in quilting and sewing.  I hope you enjoy!

My first memories of sewing are of junior high.  I was home-schooled 7-12 grade and my mom taught me how to sew.  I'm not sure if she knew what she was getting into at the time, but thankfully it stuck with me.  In high school we took a beginners quilting class together and I fell in love with quilting!  For Christmas that year, my parents bought me my first sewing machine, a Singer and my mom and I worked on our first quilts together and later, making skirts.

During college, I moved out of my parents home and rented a great little apartment with a few friends. Quilting was put on the back burner as I rediscovered my love of writing poetry and worked hard at honing that skill.  A few years later,  I became a published author (yay!) with several of my poems being published in poetry magazines and a book.  I  was contemplating going further with my writing when my father suddenly became very ill and I dropped out of school and moved back home to help my mother and brother care for him.

It wasn't until about two years later, when I met the man that would soon become my husband, that  I began sewing and quilting again.  His mother was (and is) a wonderful quilter and I remember watching her quilting one day and missing the feeling of creating something for myself.  About a year after I was married I gave birth to my first little guy and me, my mom, mom-in-law and best friend began taking quilting classes together. Even though I don't think I've finished one of those class projects yet, I had so much fun starting them!

Now, 5 years later, after starting my own quilting business, getting my Husqvarna (oh how I love thee), moving from Alaska to Washington, having 2 boys, and leaving the corporate world behind, I am still quilting up a storm!  My mother and mother-in-law, who both live on the same block as I do, come over at least once a week to quilt, eat goodies and visit.  It's a lot of fun getting to hang out with them so often and I'm grateful we all live so close.

So...that's my story.  I will post again soon with pic's of the project I'm currently working on. Crisp white and all shades of purples and greens with a bit of pink and aqua.  Yummy!