Fun Friday

What a fun day it's been!  I got to sleep in (yeah!) then it was off to play Bunco with my friends!  What a great time we have with lots of laughing, teasing, and fabulous food.  If you've never played Bunco, I highly recommend it!  It takes 12 people and it a totally silly, mindless game, but it is so fun to get together with a group of girlfriends and just have a grand time doing something joyful.  This is a daytime group, the hostess serves lunch, so we really look forward to some good fellowship and food.  I was on a lucky streak today and was the big winner.  This lovely bouquet was part of my prize and I LOVE it!

 

It was also fun today to draw the winner for my Giveaway!  Michell was comment number 50 - so my little selvage tote will be making it's way to New Zealand!  Wish I could go for a visit, too - wouldn't that be fun?  I always enjoy these large giveaways because I get the chance to check out a lot of different blogs - so many creative and talented people out there.  Anyway, it was sure fun, and I enjoyed participating!

Now it's off to bed early - we are getting up early to drive up to Eugene to watch my daughter in her last Track meet!  Hopefully she is feeling well and is up to a big jump tomorrow - we can't wait!  Hope you all have a good weekend - enjoy some time with your family, and take a few minutes to remember those who have given their lives in service to the United States. 

The Best Ideas

Sometimes the best ideas come to you in the most unlikely places. I had been thinking of an idea for a baby quilt, but hadn't started it because I wasn't really happy with the way it was laid out. So one day while I'm taking a shower, the quilt pops into my mind and BAM - the solution presents itself! I was so excited that I hardly wanted to go to work - I wanted to start right in on the quilt.  (And I work at a Quilt Shop, so it's a rare day that I really don't want to go to work!)

 

I was so happy to get home and start cutting and sewing the cute fabrics that I picked out for this project!  Isn't this cute so far?  Wait till you see the whole thing - it really is super sweet!   I just love the polka dots - and the monkeys are just adorable.  Such a fun quilt, I can't wait to share the pattern with you - it shouldn't be too much longer before it's ready!

Gotta Love Technology

Oh, the joys of technology!  That's my standard line whenever I am in line, at a Dr. office, or anywhere when the wonders of technology leave us standing and waiting...for whatever reason.  Yes, we do have a love/hate relationship with all of the gadgets and gizmos that supposedly make life simpler, easier, and yes - more entertaining.

We may not have any 8-track tapes around here, but we do have quite a collection of cassette tapes that my husband has gathered over the years.  Many of these tapes have songs that are not available on i-tunes or on a cd.  This year he has been on a mission to convert these cassette tapes into mp3's.  (This is the part where I come in!)  After doing some research I decided the best way to do this was to buy a cable to connect the cassette deck with the computer and use a free program (Audacity) to record and convert the files.  Sounds pretty simple, right?  Need I say that the whole reason I didn't get any sewing done today is that we were working on this project.  Now my husband has about 15 more songs on his computer.  Only about 99,000 left to go.  No, I'm not joking!

Actually it didn't go all that badly considering we are both type A, firstborn people who don't work well together.  There were only a few times we got a little intense (we know when that happens because the dog slinks out of the room, so we laugh and try to cool off a little!).  I had to work really hard to talk in a nice tone of voice and not say things that were not nice.  He had to slow down and listen to my instructions.  We got through it, laughed a little and gave each other a high five when we got the first one done!  It was a good day, even if I didn't get to do any quilting.  I did get to sit in a comfy chair and play on my laptop and hang out with my hubby.  Not too bad!  Maybe I'll get to quilt tomorrow...

Giveaway Day - Selvage Bucket Scrap Bag

*****Thanks for all your comments!  The winner of this Giveaway is Michell!  Congratulations, and I hope you love the little Selvage Bucket!***

Hi and welcome to my blog for those of you that are new! I hope you will take a look around, and don't judge me by the past month - my baby is getting ready to graduate from high school so I've been a little distracted from my usual quilting and sewing lately.

I almost missed Giveaway Day - but was reminded as I was catching up on my blog reading this weekend (thank goodness for Quilt Market - I didn't fall too far behind over the last few days!)  I had lots of fun last year with my guessing game of buttons, but since I've been so busy this month don't have a similar challenge for you this time.  I guess we'll just have to do the random drawing thing this time - hope you don't mind!  Leave a comment telling us what your favorite color is - I think mine changes with the seasons, but right now I am loving yellow.

I will be giving away this fun little selvage bucket - perfect for keeping on your sewing table to throw your selvages in.  Or you can hang it on the wall to store whatever you like - they really are handy and oh-so-cute!  (It does have a little loop for hanging, though it doesn't show in these pictures.)

If you'd like to have an extra chance, go like my facebook page and let me know in a separate comment.  I will ship internationally, so everyone is eligible to participate - thanks for dropping by and good luck to you!

Would you like to make your own?  You can purchase a pdf pattern and start sewing right away:

Mini Selvage Bin PDF Pattern

Or order the printed version and I'll send you the pattern in the mail:

Mini Selvage Bin Print Copy

For more Giveaway fun go to SewMamaSew - lots of fun, and so many opportunities to win some neat items!

Weekend Sale

    

I don't often use my blog to promote specials in my Etsy shop, but I thought that this time I would!  All the items in my Lap and Baby quilt section are marked down to 30% off their regular price.  Including this beauty, which is very hard to get a good photograph of.  It just never looks as pretty as it does in real life.  Grrr.

I find photography to be one of my week points.  I guess I just don't have the patience for it.  (Yes, laugh at me - I can sew miniscule pieces of fabric into 4 1/2 inch Dear Jane blocks, but can't take the time to take a picture of the results that is attractive...)

Anyway - if you feel so inclined, go take a look.  If you'd like to share it on your own blog or facebook page I would be thrilled, too!  Thanks for all of your support!

P.S.  My Shanni girl is competing at the District Track meet today, so wish her a bit of jumping luck - Go Pirates!!!!!

Mama Duck

Ever feel like you are being swept away in a strong tide without being able to get your feet planted on the ground?  That's a little bit like how my life feels these days.  Seems like it's one thing after another, and I'd really just like to stop the world for a couple minutes so I can think a bit and breath!  This weekend we traveled to the University my daughter will be attending this fall so she could try out for a coveted spot on their dance team.  After several nervous hours we got the news that she made it!  Of course this adds a whole new dimension of busy-ness, not to mention the responsibility of raising even more money to fund this venture.  But she has a big dream, and a lot of talent, so I guess we have to do what we can to see if we can help her to get there!

I don't know if I'm really ready for the next month, seeing my baby graduate from High School.  Dad and I are trying to convince ourselves that it will be wonderful having the house to ourselves, but I'm not sure it's working.  I find myself alternately feeling relieved that I'll only be packing lunches for a few more weeks, and tearing up at the thought of sending her off to college in the fall!  It's been seven years since her next oldest sister graduated and it's been a while since we experienced all these emotions - I know we will all survive, but it's not always easy to remember how we go about that. 

I'm so glad I have my sewing and quilting to occupy my mind when I get stressed out and emotionally over-loaded!  It's amazing how soothing it is to sit at my machine and methodically stitch stacks of squares and triangles into pretty quilt blocks.  I guess you have to really be a quilter to understand "quilt therapy" but I highly recommend it! 

Well, I have to work at the quilt shop today, finish one more prom gown, then I can get all the quilt therapy I can stand for the rest of the day.  Or not - there are bills to be paid, laundry to be done, and dinner to make.  Life does go on.  But I will find an hour or two to just sit and sew.  I need it!

Dresses and Gowns = Not Much Quilting

One of the hats I wear is the "special seamstress" for my local alteration shop.  I help Liz with her overflow during busy times, and May is a super busy time in the alteration business!  Right now I have three Prom dresses and 3 Wedding Gowns in my studio waiting for a nip, tuck, hem and/or bustle.  What that means is not enough time for quilting...but it also means extra funds for little things like graduation, and traveling to track meets - so it's not a bad thing at all.

So, my to-do list for this week doesn't include too much quilting, but it does include a lot of time in the sewing room:

1. Finish zipper and lining on tangerine gown.
2. Take up shoulder and hem green gown - take in sides as well.
3. Take in sides of eggplant gown.
4. Ivory Gown - take up halter, bustle, finish hemming lining.
5. Wedding Gown for June - take in back zipper and bustle.
6. Wedding Gown for July - Take in back collar, hem and bustle (call with estimate)
7. Make 6 blocks for Crazy Jane quilt!
8. Photograph samples from Quilt shop.

Good thing I don't have to go to any track meets this week!  I hope having this list will help keep me accountable and help me get the work done.  It seems pretty doable written out, but looking at all those dress bags hanging in my sewing room makes me feel a little week in the knees!

Here's a block from last week - this was a fun one -

Now, off to the sewing room with me!

Life is Busy...

I'm still here - just busy!  It's prom season and I have dresses coming in for taking in and hemming on a regular basis, plus just had a Ladies Retreat for our Women's Ministry at church (which was a huge success and tons of fun, too!).  Hopefully I'll get back to posting some quilty things soon -I have some more Crazy Jane blocks to photograph and lots of projects in the works.

You should see the awesome  bruise on my wrist from volleyball at the retreat!  (I don't think I've played since high school, and it was soo much fun)  Now we are on to finish up track season and heading for the High School graduation for my youngest.  It's pretty bittersweet for my Hubby and I.  We can't decide if we are going to be happy or sad for this big event.  A little of both, I think.

As much as I hate to leave this post with no pictures, I am going to do that this time - just wanted to check in quickly in case anyone was wondering what happened to me!

Off to work on some gowns now!