Santa came to GG's house

Oh yes he did! The Shmoo has been telling everyone for weeks that Santa was going to bring him 5 presents! There were no details about what these 5 presents were to be, so we went with it. Well, Santa came through with lots of cars, new markers and blank book, puzzles, and a memory game. We are now watching the movie UP! that GG gave him for Christmas, eating cinnamon buns, and playing with all of our new toys ( ipod touch for me:) ).

Sending warm holiday wishes to you and yours from rainy North Carolina!

I promise to me more present in the new year here on my blog! See you then.

Peace be with you now, and in the new year.

What have I been doing?

Well, I've been working on this beauty! Two of the circles are hiding right now, but this " baby" quilt was a commission from my cousin. She has a baby shower this weekend, and wanted something that would be the hit of the party. So, 8 hours of my sewing retreat, 24 different fabrics, and my new beautifully quilting sewing machine turned out this love. I have to admit that once I pulled it out of the dryer I almost couldn't stand to part with it. I used the tutorial/pattern from here, and copied the quilting recommended ( free motion circles within the circles, and stippled the backgrounds). It crinkled just perfectly, if I do say so myself, and I do :-)

It has arrived in its new home, and so it is on to my next big project...my very first craft fair in just over 2 weeks. Hmmmmm...maybe I should be sewing rather than blogging....

Wishing you all a most wonderful day. The Shmoo will be in his very first pre-school play today ( the 3 little pigs), so I am off to dress the part of the very proud mama.

Peace be with you.

Hellllooooooo.....

My son just got the Winnie the Pooh Movie, so that " hello" was in Pooh's voice :-)

I have been MIA from blog land for quite awhile, but for very good reason...I've been sewing..A LOT! I have lots to show, but they will have to wait until next week. Some of them are for people who have just now realized I have a blog, and have been stalking it! So, next week I shall reveal my newest sewing creations!

I can share that I spent last weekend at a Quilting Retreat on the coast of Maine. I even took time away from my machine to visit the beach, and it was totally worth it. We had unusually warm weather, so the experience was just lovely. I got 3 baby quilt tops done, and put a dint in a couple of quilts for myself ( it seems that I am creating a ton for others, and our bed is still naked)! One of these said baby quilts is a commission for my cousin. She requested a quilt that would be the hit of a baby shower she is attending next weekend. So, almost 30 fabrics later, and a new to me sewing of circles, I think we hit the jack pot. Well, all I have to say is if she doesn't love it The Shmoo will happily take it off her hands. He has already asked if it can sleep on his bed. I told him that seeing as he already had 3 of my quilts on his bed I thought this one could go live somewhere else. It was good enough for the moment!

On other sewing fronts I have been building up my collection of bags for 2 big events. The first is a craft fair the first weekend in December. This will be my very first craft fair, and I must admit that I am a bit nervous. The second is that a friend of mine is opening an Artisan shop in our small town on December 1st, and I will be putting both quilts and bags in there. So, I have been planning, organizing, and sewing up a storm to prepare for both of these events. Christmas presents will have to wait until December 6!

Wishing you all a most wonderful day.

Peace be with you.

Pay it forward...

I signed up for a Pay it Forward on Audrey's Blog a few weeks ago. So, that means that I need to pay it forward here on my blog. I will take the first 3 people who respond, and send them something handmade within 365 days. The catch? Well, you must then old a Pay it forward on your blog. See, it just keeps going spreading handmade goodness to the world. I will send anywhere in the world, so please ( please oh please so I don't feel like the kids with no friends) sign up!

Peace be with you.

Tying up loose ends!

This week I have been tying up some loose ends in my sewing room. You know, the projects in various stages that have been pileing up for ....YEARS. Yep, those are the ones I've been working on. I found these blocks hidden at the bottom of a box, and decided to sew them together. After putting them up on my design wall and moving the around for a little while I decided on this lay out. I had 10 blocks...not such a great number, but I realized if I saved one out I could use it on the back. The colors are much brighter in real like, and I am in love with it. I only wish I had made more blocks. It would be a great baby quilt. This little baby only measures 18X18. I am still contemplating boarders, but for now it is hanging from the roman binds in the living room. It gives a new meaning to " living with " a creation! And yes, those are my feet :-)

I have been sitting on a charm pack on Moda Sweet for about 8 months now, and finally decided to cut into them. I found this quilt while blog surfing, and decided to give it a go. This baby measures 32 1/2" square with each block a whopping 16 1/2" . I think I'm going to add white boarders and keep it simple! ( sorry for the less than stellar photo)

I am currently working on a placemat for Place Mat swap #2 over on Flickr. I am really excited about this one, and just hope my partner loves it as much as I do! I will post a photo as soon as I know it has arrived safely in Australia!

Happy Fall, Happy Weekend, and Peace be with you.

The big 3 and DQS7...

Yep, The Shmoo turned 3 yesterday, and it feels like I have been working up to the big day for weeks! My mom arrived on Wednesday to help out, and see her " Spider Monkey". She whipped our house into shape, put up all of our pictures/quilts/etc. on the wall, cooked 3 nights in a row, and took care of The Shmoo while J and I went on a DATE! Yep, she's awesome, and we all wish she lived closer!!!!

In the sewing world I received the most wonderful Doll Quilt for DQS7 over on Flickr.

Yep, it's amazing, and that is me in all of of my glory :-) The quilt was immediately snatched up by my mom and J. They had been looking through all of my swap quilts in search of the "Perfect" one to hang in the dining room. Well, this was the one they were waiting for, so it went from the envelope up on the wall! You can't really see it in this picture, but there is a woman, a man, a little boy, 2 cats, and a dog all in the various windows of the houses ( I have a house obsession at the moment). Terri really did her homework on this one. AND, she sent The Shmoo a book. We love books at our house. J and I are book addicts, and The Shmoo has a decent library for a three year old!

I'll be back tomorrow with some up to date project photos!

Peace be with you

A week of projects!

After getting over super sensative self I decided to get some work done.  So, this has been a week of many projects. 

Sunday, I made these bags for my former advisees.  There are actually two more, but I figured this post was picture heavy enough.  My girls ( yes, they are still mine) started the first day of their Senior Year in High School last Monday, so I put these bags filled with goodies in their mailboxes bright and early Monday morning.  They were a big hit!

Monday I tackled my Old Red Barn quilt along Zig Zag quilt.  I have been collecting fruit and veggie fabrics, and decided that this was the perfect project for them.  I had the squares cut already, but drew all of the lines, sewed, ironed, cut, and sewed some more for almost 5 hours to get the top done.  However, once I put it on our bed I realized it was too small.  So, this week it will get large white boarders on it to make it work!

Tuesday I threw this baby quilt together.  I had a charm pack of Snippets that I was holding on to for...well, that was the point, nothing really, so I decided to make a mini version of Crazymomquilts 9-patch quilt along to see what my larger one will look like.  Note to self: make sure your blocks are all 6.5" BEFORE you start sewing.  I did quite a bit of Un-sewing to make the sashing line up properly.

Wednesday I finally put this little cutie together.  I have had the blocks sitting around for almost 2 years now.  I made a similar one for a friend's baby, and ended up with extra blocks.  So, I threw the blocks up on my design wall last week, and have been looking at them for awhile.  It was not quite big enough on its own, so added a coin boarder.  I really like the way it turned out!  

Thursday was basting day.  I commandeered a friends kitchen floor ( ours is about 1 square foot total) and got to work.  Let me just say that this is the first time I have taped the backing fabric they way you are " supposed to", and it really works---imagine that :-)

Friday I turned a King size flat sheet into an XXL twin sheet for a friends son.  He is about 6'5" and has never had a sheet that fits him.  Well, he is off to college and so I went to work.  It ended up being 56" by about 133" long....HUGE really.  But, it fits him perfectly, so it looks likeI will be making a few more once they find some fun sheets.

Saturday I had a request for 16 bags for my former employer.  They need them by Wednesday, so I've been a sewing machine.  Here are the first 6- well, actually there are 8 in the photo, but the baby ones are just for fun!

Sunday was spent at a Family reunion for my Husband's family.  It was a long day for family, and everyone  slept soundly last night ( to say the least).  Today will bring more bags!  I'll post a picture of the finished projects soon.

Peace be with you.

Thin skinned!

My mother has always told me that I was thin skinned...you know, get my feelings hurt easily.  And, you know what, she's right ( aren't they always).  Well, today while I was visiting bloggy land I got my feeling hurt.  Was it intentional?  I doubt it, really, but none the less, I am taking it as a sign to step away from the computer for a bit.  

My weekly list of chores and sewing is long, so I don't think I'll get bored.  Any-who, wishing you all a wonderful day, and hoping that someone says something kind to you!

Peace be with you.

Ladies of Leisure?

That is what I am calling the women I know who have been laid off from said school ( no need to name names).  Most of us have kids, are educated, and are now with much too much time on our hands.  Today when I dropped The Shmoo off at school I was asked by another mother, "what are you going to do now?"  My reply..."go for a long walk, eat some breakfast, and then sew the day away."  She did  not look amused.  But hey, being lady of leisure is hard work!  

What I failed to tell her, since I was sure her question was more sarcastic and judgmental than actually friendly was:  I will be calculating all of the expenses I'm not sure I can pay while on my long walk, and hope that when I get home I can find something that is remotely interesting to eat. And while I am sewing the day away I will be anxiously waiting for the phone to ring with a job offer! Nope, I did not share that with her.  Because, really, it's none of her business what I will be doing with my time!  

Clearly I needed to walk longer than an hour!

However, J helped me take this lovely photo last night.  This quilt has been on our spare bed for almost 2 years with no binding on it.  Yesterday I washed and dried it, and laid claim to it. Last night, I snugged under it while reclined in my new recliner, and nearly fell asleep.  Now that's a good quilt I tell yah!

This was my first true scrap quilt.  The only purchased fabric is the boarder, and well, I needed it!  I asked J if he was jealous, and he said " yeah!  The Shmoo has my quilt on his bed, you have this new love, and I have nothing."  Well, if this lady of leisure stuff continues I'm sure I can find the time to make him his own quilt.  I mean, one that he can actually use, because I think The Shmoo may have staked some claim on the original!

Peace be with you

What? You say you need a new Bag?

Yep, that's what The Shmoo told me on Monday.  Okay, he did not technically say that, but his school did.  The new law for Pre-Schoolers in our area is that if they eat lunch and stay for rest time----they must brush their teeth.  So, I clearly had to make a cute bag to hold said toothbrush and toothpaste ( fluoride free says the state).  I happen to find this amazing tutorial over at Orange Flower last week, and it seemed like the perfect fit.  Plus, I was able to use my favorite fruit and veggie fabrics ( always a plus)

While I was whipping up this little baby I also made The Shmoo a wet bag to hold all of his wet clothes from school.  It's currently  in the wash, so I'll have to post a picture of that another time.  But, we have moved from 3 sets of wet clothes, to two sets, to only one today.  We have lost 2 pairs of Thomas undies to the trash though....poor Thomas.

Peace be with you!

First Day of School...

Today marks The Shmoo's first official day of Pre-school.  I dropped him off armed with his Cars lunch box, his Cookie Monster sneakers, and 7 pairs of underwear. What I did not bring was my camera!  Yep, failing motherhood-101.  Every other parent was taking a picture of their child in front of their cubby.  But, no, not me.  I dropped him off on the playground, put his lunch in the fridge, and reminded his teachers that he would need to be pried off of the climber in about half an hour for a trip to the Potty.  Well, hopefully I can get a photo when I pick him up after lunch...he may be naked- if he's peed through all 7 pairs of underwear and the 4 pairs of shorts they have for him!  Don't laugh, he's got more pee in his tiny body than I ever thought possible.  

Well, I've sent in 2 applications for jobs on-line, and now I am off to SEW!

I hope your Monday includes some sewing, and that you remembered your camera for the first day of school!

Peace be with you

Note*** The Shmoo came home in school issues shorts and 3, count them THREE, bags of soiled clothes.  One pair of Thomas undies was so bad they had to be thrown away.  Hopefully his system is all cleared out and today will be process!

How time flies...

A month, what?  It's been a month since my last post.  Well, a lot has happened in the past 4 weeks.  We (I ) packed up our house, facilitated our move, and started the unpacking process whilst waiting for my mom to arrive and save the day!  She did arrive from the heat of North Carolina, stayed for 10 wonderful days, and is missed dearly by all!

The Shmoo and I have been home together this past week waiting for Pre-School to re-open.  Most of our days have been spent with The Shmoo in nothing but a t-shirt POTTY TRAINING, and me asking him every half hour if he has to use the potty.  He seems to be getting the hang of it, and spent a few hours out and about with big-boy underwear on.  I informed his teacher that I would not be sending him to school with diapers on Monday, but rather a bag full of clothes and underwear.  That is why we pay the big bucks for pre-school, right?  But, I cannot have his soiled clothes coming home in a plastic bag, so I purchased some water repellant fabric today to make him a wet bag.  Come on now, only the very best for my boy.

Monday marks the beginning of our new life.  Pre-school drop off is 9am for The Shmoo ( YAhoooooo).  I am still unemployed ( with my name on the sub list for the local elementary schools- I've had enough of high school kids for right now), and hoping to take this time to figure out what I really want to do when I grow up.  My family is pushing me to use my sewing skills to make some $$$, and I may....but I need a plan.  So, Monday is the start of my planning process.  Part of that planning includes spending some more time here in Blogland with all of you lovely people.

Until then, Peace be with you!

life update...

we have a place to live, the kitchen and office are packed, and we have 2 weeks from tomorrow to get the heck out of dodge!

My sewing has taken a bit of a back seat to getting my family and all of our "stuff" across the river to our new space.  But, I am actually on track with all of my swaps, and working on 2 quilt alongs.  My 9-patch quilt is getting there, and then I'm starting the zig-zag quilt along over on Flickr.  You can never have too many projects going on at once, can you?

I hope to be more active on this here blog once we move and unpack.  I will be unemployed, so I will have nothing but time...

Peace be with you.

home, house, dwelling, abode, casa..

We have one! Well, " we" don't " have" one, but we will be renting a house-let beginning August 1. You might ask what a " house-let"is...well, it is a mini house that is less than 1000 square feet, three stories, and will house 2 adults, one toddler, 2 cats and a jack Russell terrier. Yes, a HOUSE -LET :-)

I feel like a weight has been lifted. One item I can check off of the list of stuff to do to move on! Next up is finding a job... that should be easy, right!

Now that we have a place to move to I have begun the process of packing, and man it's not fun! I started with books ( J and I are avid readers), then framed photos- really we're cute and all but are 4 boxes worth of photos really necessary?, and I have ended the week in my sewing room. That is NO FUN! I bought 6 Jumbo bags that you suck the air out of to make them smaller, and I need about 4 more to even touch my stash. I found fabric I did not even know I had. Heather Ross gold fish- WHAT!!!!!! I even came up with 4 trash bags full of fabric for the Hospice Shop....and still there is more.

Well, I am taking a break from my house, and helping a dear friend pack up her house to move back into the dorm. It's much easier to pack other peoples stuff :-)

May your weekend be relaxing, and your sewing abundant.

Peace be with you!

Quilt Around the World...

I am participating in the Quilt Around the World hosted by Summer Sadie.  Each week we make a block for another member's quilt, and pass it along to the next person.  There are 25 of us, and it is so much fun.  I contemplated making the same block for each person, but quickly realized how much fun it is to look through the blocks that arrive let them guide me.  Below are a few of the blocks I have made so far....


This one was my sewing project while we were in North Carolina.  It is hand pieced ( not English Paper Piecing, although I love that technique) hexagons, and was both a  challenge and a pleasure to make.  I hope its new owner enjoys it!  

In other sewing news I am working on my 9-patches for this quilt along, my strip sets for The Old Red Barn quilt along, many ( maybe too many) swap blocks to put together, and a few goodies for my mom to give her when she visits in August.   

Hopefully I will be back here more often as I get into my Summer School schedule next week.

Peace be with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.....

TO ME !

I have spent the day on the beach with the fam.  I have been doing this...

and The Shmoo has been doing this...

and this...

A perfect day with my family, the ocean, and no schedule :-)

Peace be with you.

VACATION!

Yes, you heard me correctly, we are on vacation.  J, The Shmoo, me, and GG are all on vacation.  We arrived yesterday at the wonderful beach, and everyone over 3 is sun burned.  It happens every year...we forget that no sun has seen our skin for some 9 months, and that it needs a layer of protection.  So, it was aloe and lots of lotion this evening!  The Shmoo is just a lovely golden brown, as he was smeared every 3 hours with SPF 55.  Even his Boot ( as he calls his bum) is golden.  We are in the midst of potty training, so he spent the day Nakie on the beach .  Man is he cute...and he peed on the potty twice today :-)

 We plan on spending quality time on the beach, eating out, and reading the stacks of books we all have ( even The Shmoo).  

Not to fear thought, I bought a weeks worth of wireless access from the best shop on the Island and have some hand sewing projects as well.  I'll have pics as soon as my camera's battery is re-charged!

Wishing you all a wonderful week where every you may be!

Peace be with you.

We saw a BIG TURTLE...

If you asked The Shmoo what we did at Tante's house he speak in rapid fire about the BIG TURTLE we saw, and the zebra shark, and the men swimming....continues for about 3 minutes straight.

The Turtle might be big, but he was FAST I tell you.  So, we got this drive by shot. The Shmoo clung to J the entire time we were on vacation, but the minute we got back he could not stop talking about our trip!  Well, I guess it was money well spent :-)

While we were away a package arrived for me from The Kindred Crafters Coaster Swap made by Nikki.  What a lovely bundle of wonderful goodies!  The coasters a beautiful, the mug screams summer, and the tea is one I've never tried which is fun.

I forgot to take a photo of the coaster I sent to Nikki, but they were lots of fun to make, and I'm looking forward to the next Kindred Crafters Swap!  

Happy Weekend.  Peace be with you.

Bueller....Bueller....

I'm here, I really am!  Things have been a bit crazy in the house of Shmoo, but I have not forgotten about all of you quilt sewing blog readers.  

We graduated the class of 2009 on Sunday.  I shed far too many tears.  We cleaned out the dorm, had a little graduation lunch with my most favorite girls from the dorm, and then.....we hopped in the car and headed to Maryland to see one of The Shmoo's Godmothers. She works at an all girls school outside of Baltimore, and many is it different than what I'm used to. 

However, we are here, on vacation, and loving every minute of it.  The Shmoo has 2 new cats to chase/ play with, and J has never been to the DC area.  We braved the National Aquarium in Baltimore today, and it was wonderful.  It was quite possibly the most expensive day trip we have ever taken ( $55 for the Aquarium tickets, $20 for parking- come on now people, and $48 for lunch), but the most fun too.  Tomorrow will take us back to Baltimore for the Children's Museum, and Saturday we are off to the Zoo.  

Grades are due by 9am tomorrow, and instead of writing comments I am writing to you all:-) That's the way it should be if you ask me!!!

Well, I wish you all peace filled weekends, and I will be back next week with a zillion photos of all the sewing I have been up to.

Until then...Peace be with you. 

Happy Mother's Day....

To every mother out there. I hope that you feel loved, appreciated, and valued on this beautiful day.

Peace be with you!

Overdue Thanks

Oh do I have some overdue thanks.  My mailbox has been over flowing with swap packages, and

my manners have been poor in the " Thank You" department!

The first goes out to Andrea who made me this beautiful table topper for the Spring Swap.

I love it, and cannot wait until we find a new home to use it 

in.

The next goes out to Hermione who was my partner in the Seams to Me swap.  Although I don't have a photo ( I know, shame on me), I wanted to thank your publicly for the beautiful bag she made me ( the Taxi Tote) from Anna Maria Horner's book.  It will definitely be used quite a bit this summer for the trips to the pool and lake this summer.  

And finally, a  THANK YOU to Jennie for the beautiful quilt for the Doll Quilt Swap 6.  I am a huge dot fan, so this could not be more perfect.  She also included 30+ 6" charm squares of Amy Butler fabrics, the coolest coloring/ sticker books for The Shmoo, and a lovely card.  I have to admit that I have not hung this beauty on the wall.  Instead, it is living in my car so that I see it every day.  That may sound a bit strange, but I spend quality time in my car bringing The Shmoo to and from school.

On another topic I have joined 2 more swaps....it's an addiction, I'm aware! 

 The first is Amanda Jean's Quilt-a-long where we make 1 nine patch a day for 10 weeks.  This will be the new quilt for J and my bed once we move.  It will be scrappy, completely from my stash, and hold many, many memories.  These 9 patches are a bit addictive ( I've made 24 in the last 7 days).  Here is my first round of blocks:

The second is Quilt Around the World hosted by SummerSadie.  I will keep you posted on how things are going in swap world...cause I know you are interested :-)

Peace be with you.

I love my Fruits and Veggies...

Some of you may remember that I'm currently in love with RJR's Farmers Market line.  Well, one of The Shmoo's babysitters ( okay, the only one not related to us) just had her first baby last month and so a quilt was in order.  She and her partner are very " back to the earth" kind of folks, so the fruits and veggies felt like the perfect fabric.  I started with pinwheels....

...but the quilt felt too narrow.  It needed a few inches on both sides without adding more pin wheels-- not enough fabric. 

 But, I did have the "scraps" .....

... I made two sets of piano keys, and added them to on.  I love it!  I'm so happy with it, and hope that once it's quilted, washed and dried it will be even better.  This is the first quilt that I have not washed the fabric for before cutting and piecing.  Fingers Crossed!

And, seeing as I had 12 blocks left over I whipped up this little baby---

It's soooo cute!  Would make a cute doll quilt for some little Shmootle out there.  It needs a little boarder or something.  I'll have to see what I can scrounge up in my scrap pile.

It has been a productive weekend, and hopefully I can complete these beauties over the next week.

Peace be with you.

Blogger Quilt Festival

I've never been to an actual quilt show, so when I saw the posting on Park City Girl's site I had to join. It took me awhile to decide which quilt was my favorite, but I had to go with this one of The Shmoo's nap quilt for school. The story goes a little something like this....

When The Shmoo started Nursery School last year he refused to sleep at school...okay, he didn't really sleep at home either. Well, as he got older ( and wiser) he started napping at school EVERY DAY. One day I asked the teacher what he slept with. She pulled out a rag. No, really, it was a rag. I was horrified. How could my Shmoodle sleep under a rag when I have more fabric than a quilt store? So, that weekend I started a " Nap Quilt" for him. I pulled out scraps, and yardage, and began cutting 2X7 rectangles. I wanted it to be scrappy, and happy, and fun. I wanted him to be able to look at all the different pieces while he fell asleep, but more than anything I wanted him to be wrapped in my love while he was away from me. Once it was complete I knew it needed to be professionally quilted to last the weekly washings it was going to have to withstand. I picked red thread to match the red and white polka dot backing fabric and a dragon fly pattern for fun and funk. I love this quilt. The Shmoo loves this quilt. There are fabrics from almost every quilt I have every made. It has pieces from pajama pants I wear all the time, Grants Qwillow, my mom's many quilts, etc. It has history, and when he sleeps under it his is wrapped in all the love that went into it. At some point he will out grow it, but I made it 36X47 so we have a little time before that happens:-)

Hop on over to Amy's blog and check out everyone else involved in the festival. There are so amazing quilts out there in Blog land, and the best part is you can look at them all in your pajamas!

Happy Weekend to you all! Peace be with you.

Scraps to share?

You may have noticed my " To Do" in the right hand margin on my blog....well, if not take a look.  Well, one of the items on my list is a scrappy braid quilt for Grant ( the son of Isaac's God Father and the only real father figure I've ever had). 

 I made Grant a Qwillow when he was about 7 years old.  We went to the fabric store together, and he picked out 3 coordinating fabrics - on his own.  9 years have passed, and this qwillow is still on his bed.  He brings it on all car trips, and allows no one to touch, much less use, it.  When The Shmoo and I visited in March Grant was a bit jealous of The Shmoo's braid quilt.  Realizing that his next birthday is the big 1-6 I thought he might just need a braid quilt of his own.  

SO- that is where you all come in.  Might you have some scraps to spare.  I have  many, but it seems there are more pinks than blues in my pile.  I am in search of fun and funky fabrics roughly 2.5 inches by 7 inches.  Please leave a comment if you are willing to share your scraps with an almost 16 year old who truly appreciates the art of quilting :-)  

Thank you in advance.  Peace be with you.

Hopping Bunnies...

Well, I've felt like a hopping bunny this past week.  My sewing machine has been going non stop I tell you, and it didn't stop until 9am this morning!  I sent a fabric basket filled with chocolate, and other goodies to both my mom and my aunt ( they loved them) . 

 I then made 4 more baskets for my Senior Leaders ( one was still on the sewing machine when I took this picture).  They are made based on the tutorial on Orange Flower.

This will be the last holiday for my Advisees, so they got 

mini duffel bags filled with pencils, note pads ( with their first initial on in), bubble gum tape, jelly beans, and chocolate.  These were made using a pattern from Love the Fabric.  The pattern I used is not actually on her web site, but she has great patterns non the less.  

Now, I am a glutton for punishment, so I also made a little drawstring bag for The Shmoo's favorite student in the dorm.... The embroidery pattern is from Orange Flower, and the bag pattern from Pink Penguin.

Whew....All bags and baskets have been delivered, and appreciated.  Now I have some serious catching up to do on all of my swaps.  Plus, I am determined to make J and I a new quilt for our up coming move.  PS- we have no idea where we are moving, but we're going to have a new quilt on our bed if it kills me!

 Peace be with you.

Pictures...FINALLY!

I have been sewing...I promise. I sent out all of my March Swaps on time, and even with 8 days away from my sewing machine! I've made 2 hexagon quilties this month, and I think I have a new obsession ( cause I need one you know)!

This was for the STUD Japanese inspired quilt swap. I made this while I was home in North Carolina, and I love it. I don't always feel good about what I create, but this one makes me happy!

The above is yet another Hex mini. This is a scrap buster, and stress reducer. I hand pieced this top in the 24 hours before school started back after spring break. I even brought it to the movies with me :-) J loved that!

In other swap news...I received my final Fat Quarter from the Sew Mama Sew Fat Quarter Swap ( one is missing in this photo). The are great, and I can't wait to use them. They actually work well in 3 different groups...isn't it funny how that works out? Thank you to all of my swap partners. Each package brought a smile to my face!!!

Last but not least is this beautiful Weekender Bag from Angel. She and I were partnered up in the most recent We The People Swap, and we live less than an hour away from each other. I love my bag, and cannot wait to use it. She received her bag safe and sound, and has already taken it on a trip ( LUCKY)! It was a very difficult pattern, but well worth the effort!

I am working on 4 blocks for the virtual quiling bees I am a member of, 2 wedding quilts, and Easter Baskets for my senior leaders and advisees! More photo soon.

Happy Spring to you all. Peace be with you!

Fabric, oh Fabric...

Yes, I did some retail therapy while I was in North Carolina.  I spent a few dollars ( few meaning more than 2 :-)) at Thimble Pleasures my favorite quilt shop, and Mulberry Silks where I have been shopping since I was in middle school ( and they still know my name).  When I returned to MA there were several packages waiting for me.  One from my WTP Fat Quarter Swap, my most recent order from Z and S Fabrics, and a set of 4-patch squares from the My Favorite Quilters flickr group.

I've made 3 quilties for my Flickr swap groups...I can't post photos as my partners have not yet received them, but I promise to post all 4 ( yeah, swap-aholic right here) next week.

I finally finished the Amy Butler Weekender bag for the WTP Swap.  Whew- it is not something I plan on repeating again anytime soon!  And then, I just had to make a box bag to go along with it.  It was hard to put in the mail, but hopefully my partner will love it as much as I do!

Well, I  have many, many projects on my sewing table, and only 3 more days before the students return from Spring Break.  It has finally hit me that I only have 10 more weeks before my contract is up here...my home.  It feels a bit better after some time away, but it is still hard.  I have a few leads on jobs, and places to live, but nothing concrete.  

Happy Spring to you all!  Peace be with you.

Spring is here.....

Okay, it's not Spring at my house, but it has hit North Carolina.  The Shmoo and I are visiting my mother in Pittsboro, NC for 8 days, and boy are we enjoying the spring time weather.  We have spent more time outside playing in the last 3 day than we have in 3 months up north.  The crocus are out, the daffodils are blooming,and the tress are starting to bud.  Ahhhhhh Spring.  It truly does make all the difference in the world.  I have had 2 full nights of sleep, and feel that by the time we head home I may just be able to deal with life.

As I have no sewing machine here I have been forced to do some hand sewing.  There are few hexagons scattered around my mother's house, and I may just have a quiltie completed by the time we have to leave!!!

Will post pics tomorrow.  Peace be with you

Life happens

Yep, and while it has been happening I have not had the energy to blog.  What's been going on you might ask- well, I'm going to tell you wither you want to know or not :-)

J and I put a bid in on a house, it was accepted ( yikes), and then the loan we thought we could get from a family member for the down payment fell through.  So, we have spent countless hours and many many tears on my part realizing that although we " could" buy this cute house it would mean living a life style that would not be healthy for The Shmoo.  In desperation I turned to my current employer to see if they could help us out by allowing us to rent a house from them...lots of hemming and hawing later they say " we're not sure...we'll know more in a month".  A MONTH?  Did I mention that we will lose our housing in 3 months?  That we have a 2 year old son who needs a roof over his head?  

Well, as I said: Life happens.  The Shmoo and I will be heading to North Carolina on Sunday to visit my mom, and hopefully gain a bit of perspective on this mess of a situation.  I need some space between me and the school, and no where is better than home with my mom!  Let's just hope they have some sunshine, cause I am so over the snow!!!

On a crafting note I have been working on the Amy Butler " Weekender Bag", and all I have to say is---I will try anything once!!!!!  Never, Never again!

I wish you all well, and I hope to post a photo of the complete bag on Friday.  Peace be with you.

Spring, where are you?

I mean seriously...where is the sun?  I am so tired of being cold I cannot even talk about it.  So, I've been working on Spring swap quilts!!!!  

This one is paper pieced with my own added little creature :-)  I almost couldn't send this one in the mail.  It made me smile the whole time I was making it.  Hopefully is makes its new owner smile as well!

This one was also a paper pieced quiltie made for a Flickr swap.  I was able to use only scraps for this one.  The white and flower fabrics were left over from my Bushfire Quilt squares, the batting was from my mom's Valentine's Day quilt, and the backing was a piece I received in a scrap swap!  So, I would call this a" Green" quiltie :-)

I'm still working on my charity quilt for school, and one for our  bed :-)  The one that I made in the 9th grade  is not quite cutting it anymore.  

I have fallen in love with the RJR farmers Market line.  I have plans to make a star quilt with a different fruit or veggie for each star.  We'll see how it goes.

This week will be spent mostly working on the Amy Butler Weekender Bag for the We The People swap due March 7th...yeah, it's the whole " works best under pressure" thing again.

Hopefully I'll have some photos to post later this week.  Until then, Peace be with you.

Swapity swap swaps...

Today was a swapity mail day! I sent out all 8 ( yes, 8) fat quarters for the Sew Mama Sew FQ swap, and received 3 swap packages in the mail.

This one is a paper pieced quiltie for the STUD flickr group. I love the bright colors, and the polka dot boarder makes me smile!!

This cutie is for the 6"-12" Flickr swap group. The theme was children's literature, and my partner used " The little old lady that lived in a shoe" as her inspiration. I am a shoe lover, so it could not be more perfect.

And this final beauty of a package is from my swap partner through Katy's swapity swap. The fabrics are not only beautiful, but so very soft to the touch. I'm not sure I can cut them up! And, she sent a sweet card, and the loveliest buttons all wrapped in fine ribbon.

I feel totally spoiled today, and after the week I've had....I NEEDED IT! Thank you to each of my swap partners for making my day! Peace be with you.

Any UK readers out there?

I am looking for the Sew Hip magazine issue #1.  I cannot seem to find it here in the states, but would love to own a copy.  I'm happy to pay, or swap for some fab, mini quilt, or hand made bag.

Thanks in advance!!!!  

Hearts, hearts, and more hearts

That's what my week has been like!  I completed 10 Valentine's Day bags this week!  4 for my advises, 4 for my senior leaders, and 2 for dear friends who have been my support system over the past few weeks. 

These are made using the Bend the Rules sewing book...it's such a fun book and very easy pattern.

 These were made using the tutorial from Pink Penguin's blog.

It's a fun bag to make, and is a great Scrap Buster project!

Will I get a lovely handmade bag in my mailbox this weekend?  Probably not, but I love making/giving them and that is truly what it's about. So, I wish you all a love filled Valentine's Day, and a peaceful weekend!  Peace be with you.

Live Laugh Love

I finished my mom's quilt last night, and let me tell you that I will NOT be quilting another large quilt myself for quite a while! I had two things working against me:

1. I used flannel on the back. Lovely to snuggle up with, but a pain in the rump to quilt ( says me)

2. I gave myself 36 hours to quilt ( I wrote LIVE LAUGH LOVE around the entire boarder) , bind (hand sew it down ), wash and dry the sucker before I had to put it in the mail.

Yes, I work best under pressure, but The Shmoo started screaming " I don't like GG's Blankie" by the end of the day.


However, it turned out lovely, and I know she will love it...and really that's all the matters!


On to make some stars for the Brush Fire Quilt Project! Peace be with you.

Bushfire Quilt project...

Please take a moment and check out the Bushfire Quilt Project over on Flickr.  Tia is collecting 12" star blocks to put into quilts for the victims of the bushfires in Victoria, Australia.  My heart aches for all of the people who have lost loved ones, homes, communities,  as well as for this lovely country.  Help if you can, and please spread the word among all of your quilting friends.  

Peace be with you.

Hiding among the fabric....

* Note- Blogger and I are usually good friends, but last night we had a fight....so we had to sleep on it, and now we seem to be friends again!

That's where I've been! When I get stressed I do one of two things- Eat or Sew. I got the stomach bug last week, so eating was out. My machine has been running at top speed for 6 days straight, and probably won't get a break until March when the Shmoo and I head to North Carolina for Spring Break.

You may wonder what exactly I've been working on ( okay, you might not have wondered, but I'm going to tell you any way)....

1. Blocks for Flickr groups- Sew Connected 2, Buzz Cuts, and the Cottage Quilting Bee

2. Mini quilts for flickr groups- STUD ( 3 minis), 6"-12" quilt swap ( 2 minis), and mini quilt in a bag ( 2 out of 6 completed already)

( This one was a " Plain Jane" using Liberty scraps from my Sew Connected 2 group)

3. 4 Valentine's Day bags for my advisees ( just have to put the drawstrings in them all)

4. 6 Valentine's Day bags for my Student Leaders and The Shmoo's nursery school teachers( just have to top stitch the tops closed)

5. Amy Butler Weekender Bag for the swap Tracey is hosting on Itching 2 B Stitching.

6. Valentine's Day quilt for my mom-photo above. She has been ( okay, always is) amazing since my job loss, and I wanted to send her hugs and a new quilt to tell her I love her!

7. Pillowcases for J as a " low budget" Valentine's Day gift.

So, I better get off this computer and back to the sewing machine.

Peace be with you.

And the winners are....

...numbers 21 and 105 ( generated by Random.org).

So, the fabric will go to: Kelly at Handmade at Home, and the bag filled with scraps to: Doris at Threads of Conversation.  

Thank you to everyone who visited my blog...come back and visit again soon.

Peace be with you!

Let the games begin....

So, I have decided to give away two items in the IMAG's International Stash Busting Giveaway ( that's a mouth full.  The first are these 4 half-yard cuts of coordinating fabs.  Their cute, cheerful, and scream S-P-R-I-N-G which most of us will have to wait months to actually enjoy.  So, tell me what you would use them for, and hopefully you'll win.  

The second item is this bag I made which I will fill with scraps before mailing off to its new  home.   It has a square bottom and holds a small grocery bags worth of stuff.  It's fully lines, and STURDY!     So, get commenting and let's have fun!