Stitch-N-Thyme Designs

Finished Quilts, Oh My!

2012-01-12T11:06:00.001-06:00

{Scrap Bag Quilt}

Recently I sent two quilts off to my friend Nichol at The Desert Quilter to have them long-arm quilted. She was super-quick, and I had my quilts back in record time! The first is the quilt I pieced when I was pregnant with Annie (the quilt I entered into Carrie and Camille's "My First Quilt Parade" a couple years back). You may remember the horrific photos...I was tying this baby on the floor at 7.5 months pregnant, roughly folded over the backing as binding...

Not so pretty. The fabrics, yes, but not the rest. Well, I felt bad that this quilt didn't get any special treatment since it was my first completed quilt...so I yanked it all apart, pressed it well and sent it off. I absolutely LOVE the results...I bound it in a brown paisley print (Simple Abundance) that picks up on a lot of the colors in the quilt. I requested a leaf and pumpkin motif; take a look.

As for the Super Size Shoo-Fly, it is amazing as well. She quilted an all-over wave motif that looks so pretty on the prints as well as the solids. This one is bound in an Amy Butler print from her "Love" line; one of my favorites. Thank you so much for your gorgeous work, Nichol!

I also finished my Scrap Bag quilt...the one with all the wonky blocks...I ended up sashing with Kona School Bus Orange (from the stash) and breaking it up with some natural jumbo ric-rac.

The back is pieced as well.This quilt is fun and funky, and I love it. It's the perfect throw size!

Tomorrow I've got plans to show my Christmas sewing and crafting...there was a lot! :)

Put a Bird on It! :)

2012-01-11T15:50:00.000-06:00

So I have to share one of my Christmas gifts from my best pal Stephanie...she's the talent behind Spotlight Mirrors on Etsy. She makes customized pocket mirrors, and recently added the cutest bird desk calendars to her shop! It comes beautifully packaged in a jewel case, and all you need is a wooden easel to display it on. Seriously cute. Each month has a different bird motif...I love mine. Here's the link if you would like your own. :)

Is This Thing On?

2012-01-10T15:02:00.000-06:00

Wow...bit of a break there...but I have been as busy as a bee on a ton of fun projects, and shockingly not all of the fabric variety! I'm going to show some of the lovelies I've been working on.

Today I found the cutest tutorial for a kindle case...Santa was so generous to bring me one, and I had made a case for it, but nothing screams at me more than pennant banners right now...more on that one later! :) Seriously, this case worked up in about an hour, and that included finding just the right fabrics. I used a natural linen, scrappy pennants, and a lovely lining...

I'm in love...seriously. This will be the perfect home for my kindle as we go BACK across the country to our next duty station...Fort Lewis, Washington! :) Husband (who chose Blackhawks, btw) is scheduled to graduate in late March, so we'll be seeing more of the wonderful USA...including Mt. Rushmore, the Gateway Arch, Devil's Tower, and many more fun places. I am SO sad to be leaving Alabama...I have truly enjoyed our time here and can't wait to visit again, but it will be wonderful to be close to family and friends.
I hope everyone had a great holiday...2012 is set to be a wonderful year! :)

Sugar Garden Fun

2011-11-22T17:30:00.001-06:00

First off, thank you all so much for the Moda Bake Shop compliments! I love my Sugar Garden quilt! It's a great throw size, and the kids love to snuggle under it...not that we've been doing much snuggling under quilts lately...whew! Today it was 82 degrees...two days before Thanksgiving! It's been invited on several backyard picnics, it's visited our community garden, and been featured in many photos from zinnias from the garden.

I'm thrilled to say I've had another design picked up by Moda Bake Shop, and should have the fabrics soon! I can't wait...it's always so much fun opening that box! :)

So Excited...

2011-11-09T18:40:00.000-06:00

So, tomorrow is the big reveal for my latest Moda Bake Shop post...the perfect birthday present! :) I'll show some fun "outtakes" on tomorrow's post. :)

Aurifil Winners!

2011-11-06T20:06:00.001-06:00

Sorry I was delayed in choosing the Aurifil winners...my mom was here for 10 days, and it was a whirlwind! The four winners are:
Jena
Debi R.
sew blessed
Emily C.
Congratulations! Please email me your full names and mailing addresses, and I'll pop these thread packs in the mail to you! Stay tuned, as I have another fun giveaway planned! I also have some fun projects I've been working on that I can't wait to show you. :)

GO! Baby Winner is...

2011-10-29T19:13:00.001-05:00

Linda, who said,
This is a very hard thing to pick because there are so many shapes that are so handy to have. If you twist my arm the dies I would rattle off first are the 2.5" square, tumbler and the 4" diamonds.

Congratulations! I'm sending you an email now; thank you all for entering! Don't forget to enter the Aurifil thread sampler giveaway, which ends on Monday!

Shoo-Fly Quilt Top

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've had my eye on the super-size Shoo-Fly quilt tutorial at Sew Mama Sew forever. I love Malka's blog and am so excited that she is designing for Moda! I bought the fabric for the quilt even before we moved here, but just hadn't done it. A couple weekends ago, I cut and pieced this top. I LOVE it. It will be hard to give this one away, as it's destined to be a Christmas gift, but it will be easy enough to piece another. The colors in this top remind me of the zinnias in my garden, that are still going strong.

Wicked Stitchery

2011-10-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've always loved the look of embroidery, but rarely sit down lately long enough to actually complete one. My great-grandma taught me when I was a little girl, but those days were a while ago and I wasn't sure if things would come back to me...so far, so good! This "Wicked" pattern came from the free section at You Can Make This! It's all backstitch, with the addition of some funky jewels for the spider. I have some really cute patterns from Aneela (like this and this), and I'm going to join Clover and Violet's next stitch/quilt along. So hopefully there will be more stitching showing up around here!

Aurifil Thread Giveaway!

2011-10-24T11:19:00.001-05:00

My GO! Baby Giveaway HERE!!!

I recently had a chance to try out some luscious Aurifil thread. It is truly wonderful to work with! My machine can be somewhat finicky about thread. Aurifil is very smooth and glides through fabric with ease. I'm so happy with it I'd like to give my readers a chance to test it out as well! :) I'm offering up four sampler packs, direct from Alex at Aurifil. There are four different "weights" of thread included in each pack, so you have the opportunity to try ALL of the following:
1. 50 wt (cotton, orange spool). This is the thread I tried. It works wonderfully for hand or machine piecing, or applique.
2. 40 wt (cotton, green spool). Lovely for machine quilting.
3. 28 wt (cotton, gray spool). Perfect for hand quilting.
4. 12 wt (1 cotton, 1 wool; red spool). Useful for embroidery, embellishment.

To enter, leave a comment letting me know why you'd like to test it out, OR if you have tried Aurifil, why you like it. Comments will close at 9 pm CST on October 31st, and I'll announce FOUR winners the morning of November 1...good luck!

Recipe Box~~Best Granola Ever!

2011-10-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

I have to share this recipe for granola. It is so good, uses no oil, and is a snap to make. I like to make a batch of this on weekends so we have it during the school/work week for breakfast and snacks. Yum!

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Put 1/2 cup water and 1 cup brown sugar in a glass 4-cup measuring cup. Microwave for 5 minutes.

2. While brown sugar/water is cooking, add 4 cups old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Mix well.

3. When the brown sugar/water is ready, stir it with a heat-proof spatula and add 1 tsp. salt and 4 tsp. vanilla. I highly recommend Penzey's vanilla...delightful. Stir to combine.

4. Pour the brown sugar/water mixture over your oat/nut mixture. Stir well to combine, then spread evenly onto a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

5. While granola is baking (approximately 45-60 minutes), drum up 1 cup of dried fruit. We like a mix of dried cranberries, golden raisins, brown raisins, and chopped dried apricots.

6. When granola is done (it will smell toasty and be golden brown), take your pan out, add dried fruit and mix well. Store in a covered container. Recipe can be easily doubled, and you can use any type of nuts or fruits. Enjoy!

Halloween Trick or Treat Bags--Check!

2011-10-21T09:58:00.000-05:00

It's a chilly one this morning...finally feels like fall! I finished up these cute treat bags for my kids last night and had to share. I was determined to make some Halloween Trick or Treat containers because I didn't want them to use a plastic sack -yet again- this year. :)

Last weekend I found a smokin' deal at Hancock Fabrics...70% off Halloween fabrics...yes please! So I have enough fabric to make one more of each bucket, or something else...we shall see.

Have you ever been Boo'd? I'd never heard of it before moving here, but a few days ago we woke up to a nice surprise on our porch. This pumpkin bucket was filled with fun treats, a sign for your door, and a request to make two more buckets and leave them at other people's houses. The kids loved it, so we have our Boo buckets put together to leave on someone's doorsteps tonight.

Boo! Pillow Tutorial and a Go! Baby Giveaway!

2011-10-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I have a tutorial today for a fun addition to your Halloween decor...a pieced pillow cover made using my Go! Baby die cutter. The pillow will measure 16x16 inches when finished.

Assembly: First off, gather up your supplies. I used a Haunted Mansion charm pack, two black Kona Solid fat quarters, a 5x8 rectangle of Kona White, an 18" scrap of batting, an 18" scrap of muslin, a 16" pillow form, a package of medium purple ricrac, and some orange glitter felt. I used the Accuquilt Pumpkin die and the Value die (the 2.5" Half-Square Triangles is what we'll be using).

Cut 22 of your charms so they measure 5x3". Save the 2" remaining because we will be using it as well. Take your 5x3" pieces and align them on top of the 2.5" HST die, then cut your pieces. I found about 4 layers of fabric cuts the cleanest for me.

Take your HST's and pair them up, making sure you have nice contrast between the two halves. Chain-piece (one set after another, without stopping your machine) together, snip the threads then press, being careful not to distort the fabric. I LOVE that there are no pesky dog-ears to trim off! :)

Next, take two sets of 7 units of HST's and piece them together. I kept the orientation of my squares the same for both. Next, take four strips leftover from cutting the charms and piece them together, short ends together. Make four sets.

For the next step you'll need four HST units. Arrange them so the centers make a bow-tie (see above) and piece the units together. Make two of these.

Take your neutral 5x8" rectangle, and piece the two "bow tie" units on either side. Press.

I pieced a 2.5x2" rectangle (cut from leftover charms) onto each end of the long HST strips.

Cut two strips of the black fabric 1.5x18", and lay out your sections as in photo above. Sew it together, and press well. Trim your pillow top to 16" square.

Applique: To make the letters, I just wrote on my fabric with a chalk pencil in the approximate size that would fit my white rectangle...totally high-tech, I know. You could also use your computer to print out the letters. Cut them out, then pin or glue stick them onto the middle rectangle.

Using black thread, sew approximately 1/4" around the inside and outside of each letter.

Embellish! I attached purple ricrac around the inner border of the white rectangle, then ran a piece of glitter felt through the Pumpkin die, and pinned it over the corner where I started and stopped the ricrac. Sew a 1/4" seam around the outside of the pumpkin using coordinating thread.

Quilt: Layer your pillow top, square of batting, and a piece of muslin, and quilt your pillow top. I did some pebbly quilting in the BOO section, then a meander over the pieced sections with a light gray thread. Trim the batting/muslin even with your pillow top.

Envelope Backing: Using your black fat quarter, cut two pieces 16.5x11". On the longer side, make a 1" hem on one piece and a 3/4" hem on the other; stitch across each long side.

Place your quilted pillow top right side up, then align the two back pieces with the raw edges of the pillow top. There will be an overlap. Pin around the edges, and especially on the sides where the two pieces overlap. I also like to pin in the middle, so nothing shifts while stitching around the edges. Stitch around the edges two times for reinforcement.

Insert your pillow form, and voila! You have a great little pillow! :) I love my GO! Baby cutter and have made some really fun stuff using it...and now here's your chance to win one! The super-gracious folks at AccuQuilt want to send one of my readers a GO! Baby Cutter and three dies of your choice! I have two requirements for entry:
1. Follow my blog. Whether you're new to my blog or a longtime reader, please leave a comment.
2. Zip over to AccuQuilt, pick out the three dies you would request with your GO! Baby if you win, then come back and tell me in a comment which you would choose.
Easy! Entries will be accepted until 9 pm CST on October 27th, and the lucky winner will be announced October 28th. Good Luck! :)

Ruffled Flour Sack Towel Tutorial

2011-09-22T14:49:00.001-05:00

It's no secret I love to cook and bake. Ever since I was little, I've always loved the kitchen and everything it entails...so when I found these old-fashioned flour sack towels, I knew I had to make something old fashioned, yet still with my touch to decorate my kitchen. I don't see myself actually "using" these, but more of a decorative towel.

This is a seriously easy project that took all of about 5 minutes of sewing time (love that!) once your towels are prepped and ready to go.

First, I found my towels in a pack of five for $5 at my local Wal-Mart. I prewashed them, then spent some time ironing out the wrinkles. It's ok if they're not perfect (at least in my book).

Next, I used a strip out of a Bliss scrapbag and cut it in half. You will need to fold and mark your towel. The easiest way is to fold your towel in half, then into thirds, with the towel material folded to the back. I also placed the tag in the back when I folded in half, but you could just cut it off as well. Place your strip onto the towel where you want it, then mark with a pencil where the ends of the strip touch the folds on the towel.

Unfold your towel, then align your strip with the pencil marks. I folded the short end of the strip under; we'll come back and sew it down at the end. Position your needle in the middle of the strip, and take a few stitches.

I have a ruffler foot, but with this I chose to go with a simple finger-folded ruffle. Double the strip fabric on top of itself, then take a few stitches to secure the ruffle. Continue on this way, making sure you pace yourself with your fabric strip and your second set of pencil marks.

When you reach the end, tuck the end under and stitch over it.

Now you can stitch down the ends so they have a nice clean edge.

Beautiful! Now choose your trim to cover the line of stitches in the middle. I chose some wide ric-rac, but ruffle rac is going on my next towel!

Stitch down the middle in a coordinating thread. Fold so the ruffle faces out, and hang it on your stove! See what I mean about the five minutes? :)

To close, this is what came out of my baking today...a delightful loaf of artisan bread. Yum! If you have any questions about the tutorial, I'd be happy to help. :)

You GO! Baby! :)

2011-09-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

Something I'm really excited about is my new Accuquilt GO! Baby. It arrived Friday, and I will be posting a fun tutorial for a fall/Halloween project very soon! Of course, the box provided a ton of entertainment. :)

Mittens, hiding out.

Miss Annie...

The last couple of weekends I've been cranking out these blocks ALL from scraps. My scrap bag is now EMPTY...I can hardly believe it! I'm unsure of what color sashing to give this baby...any suggestions are welcomed! :)

This little pillow cover, made from moda's La Petite E'cole, is headed to my Etsy shop. It measures 14"x14", has blanket stitching around the circles, and pebble quilting on the body of the pillow. I just put a bunch of new stuff in over the weekend, so have a look! Christmas will be here before we know it! :)

More Helicopter Quilts!

2011-08-29T13:21:00.001-05:00

I have to show the two latest baby quilts...the shower was on Saturday so they've been delivered to the mamas. :) I have to admit, these two were my favorite of the entire batch!

We decided to go with a dark plum (Kona Hibiscus) for the one on the left...this quilt is for the only little girl of the expectant mamas, and her room will be purple. The one on the right pairs Kona Turquoise with the Robert Kaufman lime polka dots. I quilted them all the same way, with X's across them, and they all have coordinating flannel backing. I love how they all turned out so cute, and are all unique with the different color choices we made. This fabric is amazingly soft, so I can't wait to see the babies snuggled in them...it's still rather warm for that, but this winter they will be just right. :)

~Bag Lady~

2011-08-26T11:27:00.000-05:00

I've been busy making these bags lately...I made one earlier this summer for Freedom Fest, and it is a perfect carry-all bag. Recently I've been sewing a lot with ACU's (Army Combat Uniforms) in quilts, and decided to add some to my go-to bag pattern. The result:

I used Sugar Pop yardage left over from my upcoming Moda Bake Shop tutorial, and I just love it. It holds a ton, and doesn't slip off my shoulder. Closure is a magnetic snap, and it has an inner pocket made out of the same Sugar Pop fabric. Using the stash! :) I also like the idea of an ACU bag, but want some of my style in there as well. A lot of the bags I've seen are straight-ACU, which is nice, but I love color too much!

I've decided to start selling these bags in my Etsy shop, so if you're interested check them out! I can do them with or without the ACU, and am totally open to custom orders.

Linking up with Clover and Violet's Stash Project of the Month!

Baby Quilts Galore!

2011-08-23T08:57:00.000-05:00

Back again...summer was a busy, fun time! My son's back to school, and my little girl is attending preschool 3 days a week, which makes for some mama time! :) It's a good thing, because I'm behind on bee blocks and have a list of to-do projects a mile long!

So in my last post (way back when) I said I would show off the baby quilts we made for the triple shower...

They turned out SO cute! We made some coordinating burp cloths as well...

So, we do have another double baby shower coming up Saturday, and we might be using these fabrics...just saying. The tops are done, I'm quilting the two new quilts today, and will show pictures as soon as delivered on Saturday! As cute as the last three were, I'm in LOVE with these two!

Linking up with Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday! :)

New Bag for Freedom Fest!!!

2011-07-01T19:05:00.000-05:00

~~My Front Door Decoration~~

So I had a wonderfully productive afternoon/evening of sewing yesterday! :) I had a friend over in the afternoon to work on some secret stuff for a joint baby shower next weekend...so cute! I'll post some pictures as soon as we have given the gifts. I'm just going to say, I LOVE Ann Kelle's fabrics!

I also made a new bag for Freedom Fest tomorrow...I've been looking forward to this for a long while! There are helicopters to inspect, lots of vendors, and I'm curious about "gator-on-a-stick". :) Gary Sinise (one of my absolute FAVORITE actors!) and the Lt. Dan Band are performing in the evening, with fireworks following. So here's my new bag for the festivities...I purchased the pattern from Ali Foster Patterns on Etsy.

Can't wait...should be a great way to celebrate the USA's birthday! :)

New (to me) Furniture

2011-06-30T07:28:00.000-05:00

So since we've moved to Alabama, I've been scouring local shops, craigslist and yard sales to find a few pieces of furniture. A dresser, to repurpose into a tv stand/media center, and a charming old rocking chair. Well, I'm happy to say my searches were very fruitful and I found exactly what I wanted!

First up, the rocker. I first saw it several months ago at a local shop, but the price wasn't what I wanted to pay. I went in about a month ago, and asked the owner if he would take $45...and he did. It reminds me of a rocking chair that we had while I was growing up, and my mom still has. I'm a little nervous about the white seat cover, but that can easily be changed. The quilt my mom made me looks perfect over the back. :)

Next, the dresser. I LOVE this! A friend has one that is taller and painted aqua that was my original inspiration to start looking. Mine is white, with some chipping paint, which I like. I'm still on the fence about painting and distressing it...I may just take some sandpaper to it as is, but not at the moment. I think I want to paint the hardware black as well. In due time.

Finally, I just have to share the perfect Scentsy melter a friend gave me...I love the quilt inspiration!

I will NEVER be without Shout Color Catchers Again! :)

2011-06-29T14:25:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh, I had a BIG scare this morning! I just finished my Plume Jelly Roll Quilt-Along quilt this weekend, and it's my current favorite (of course). So, it needed a wash since the dog had drooled "food goo" on it (!!!) so I threw it in the washer, no biggie.

BUT, when I pulled it out, everything that once was white (sashing, accent fabric in blocks, fleur-de-lis with white background), was GREEN! I almost had to breathe into a paper bag...seriously.

The culprit...my new green kitchen rug...never been washed, had something spilled on it and had been tossed in the washer...I didn't check first when I put the quilt in.

So, after a quick run to the commissary for color catchers and two washes later, I present...the finished (white sashing again!) quilt.

The top, with scrappy binding of course.

My standard pieced back. I used the leftover jelly roll strips, a bit of yardage, and a coveted fat quarter of the tailfeather print. I do love it. :)

Scrappy String Block Runner Tutorial

2011-05-18T06:20:00.000-05:00

So today I thought I'd share a quick and easy tutorial on how to make a string block with solid blocks runner. I have a narrow bar between my dining area and kitchen, and it just "needed" some livening up! Plus, I'm trying to use up stash this year, so this is the perfect little scrappy project.
You will need an assortment of scraps ranging from 1.5-2.25 inches. Since this is a narrow runner, I left out my wider pieces for a different project. You will also need two squares of solid fabric that are 8" square, along with 5 phone book pages trimmed to 8" square.

First off, reduce your stitch length to 1.5 inches. When it comes time to tear the paper off the back, this will be a blessing! Snag some strips that you like...I truly just grabbed what was on top. My kitchen is an eclectic mix of colors, so anything goes. Some tutorials have a solid fabric in the middle, mine does not. Using the photo as a guide, the polka dot print is the "middle" strip...sew your next strip (with right sides together) to the middle strip. Open, and press with a dry iron each time. Continue sewing until you have covered the paper! We will make two blocks this way.

For your middle block, I went horizontally across the paper, in the same way. Just keep adding strips until the paper is covered.

This is your diagonal block after sewing your strips on...beautiful sight! :)

Flip your blocks over, and square them up to 8", using your paper as a guide.

Now the fun part...tearing off the paper! Shortening your stitch length has perforated the paper for you...just gently remove each section, then move all your blocks to the ironing board.

At this point, press and *starch* all your blocks. There are a lot of bias edges in these, and they can get out of shape quickly!

Next, arrange your blocks, with the solids between. Sew them together, and you've got a runner top! :)

Layer and quilt. On the string blocks I quilted in the ditch between the strings, then in the solid pieces I echoed the lines from the neighboring blocks. Bind it up, and enjoy! I'd love to see pictures if you make this!

~~~~Also, thanks for your comments on my Figgy Ruffles quilt...it's a favorite around here!~~~~

Spring 2011 Quilt Festival Entry!--Figgy Ruffles

2011-05-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! Over at Amy's Creative Side, she's hosting the Spring Blogger's Quilt Festival! I absolutely love looking at everyone's quilts, hearing the stories behind them, and finding new blogs to read! :) Thank you to Amy and her wonderful sponsors for all your hard work!
I have to share the quilt I recently tested for my friend Vicki. She had a call for pattern testers, and I quickly jumped on board since I fell in love with the design! Seriously, anything with quilting and ruffles has me from the beginning! :)

I love this quilt! I used a menagerie of Fig Tree fabrics {Fresh Cottons, Fig and Plum, Allspice Tapestry, Dandelion Girl, Buttercup} and of course they coordinate beautifully. It measures in at 40x53, which is a nice size. The pattern includes a larger size, but all these fabrics came from stash (yes!) so I went with the smaller size.

I bought a ruffler foot for my machine, which made the ruffling fast and easy!

The back...I used a piece of yardage and a charm "coin" strip. I love a pieced back, plus I'm planning to write the quilt's info on one of the light colored charms. Bound with "Snow" jelly roll strips, which was the perfect complement to all the glorious Fig Tree colors!

Thanks for visting! I have some other quilts that I'll be showing in the next few days as well.

String Quilt Love!

2011-04-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

I recently finished my first string quilt, and I am hooked. Next time I do one, though, I will use a solid as my middle "bar" so it eliminates the need for sashing. Each square was 8 inches, and I happily dug through scrap after scrap to find "just the right one". After a while, though, I started to enjoy a little more randomness and just sewed whatever my fingers touched next.

Completed Top

One main thing I love about string quilts is seeing fabrics from other projects crop up...or the Full Moon Forest strip I received in a swap...or a piece of a dance skirt of my mom's. It's a testament to the roots of quilting as well...use everything, whether it matches or not. It was quite a liberating process, and I'm sure I'll do another string quilt again, since it seems like my string bag didn't get any smaller...now how does that happen?

As usual, I pieced my backing with chunks of fabric I had on hand. This uses Amy Butler Sunspots, Joel Dewberry's Deer Valley, and Lila Tueller's Spirit, with a scrappy binding. I am completely in LOVE with using Sunspots for binding...I've seen it on other quilts and think it looks great! I quilted it with an overall meander and loops, and it measures 42"x54"...just a nice lap-size quilt.
On a different note, I want to say a huge "thank you" to everyone who has recently purchased items from my Etsy shop. It means a lot to me! Whether it's a pattern, some supplies or a finished item, I appreciate each and every sale! :)

Monday Meetup (A Day Late!)

2011-04-12T07:56:00.000-05:00

I haven't been blogging for a while, for several reasons, but I do believe "I'm back" this time. I've had a lot of irons in the fire, lack of sewing oomph at all, and general disorganization having to do with all things crafty. Well, I've been working on several things to make me a better blogger/crafter/business owner, and I am very happy and excited about things to come! :)
One of the things I've done is to join a military spouse business group on Etsy...The Homefront Artistry Team. They have a very active blog, and this post will answer the questions for Monday Meetups for 4-11-11.

1. Where is your favorite place to go for inspiration? I love this question, because everyone's sources are different. Definitely being outdoors is an inspiration for me...I love the beach, the mountains and the woods.
2. What is your most embarrassing moment as a small business owner? I've owned several businesses over the past few years, and thankfully I haven't had an embarrassing moment! Moments where I've made mistakes, one time a customer felt they weren't getting what they were paying for, but nothing downright embarrassing...knock on wood, right?!
3. What is one thing you have to do each day that you dislike? Um, really, it would have to be cleaning the catbox. I know I should spring for an automatic one, but hey...:)

Thanks to Sarah at Florida Scarf for some great questions! Next time I promise my answers will be on Monday, but yesterday was a very busy day! :) Off to sew!!

Irish Chain Progress!

2011-01-11T16:15:00.000-06:00

So, the other day I was lamenting about my long-abandoned Irish Chain...well, look at it now!

All the blocks are complete; now I just need to join them. I'm thinking about getting this professionally quilted; I'm tired of wrestling with my quilts! The solid centers could use some beautiful quilting, I think. I'm so happy with it. :)

I also made myself a little mug rug/teacup mat the other day...here it is! It just makes me happy to see it. I'm also working on the Birdie Stitches BOM (using stash, of course!) and here is the first block...minus stitching...just picked up my floss today!

I have several charm packs of Verna, love it, but I've just never done anything with it...now's a great time to use it! :)
I'm having a great time figuring out what else I'm going to finish...my Full Moon Forest original ORBC quilt-along quilt WILL be done this year! :) Can't wait to snuggle up with that! :) Again, I purchased the fabrics, but it's not been started. Or, my Nest Scruffily quilt...this will be a great quilting year!

2011~The Year Ahead

2011-01-03T10:19:00.000-06:00

Hi there, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and are refreshed and ready for a new year! I definitely am. I'm very excited about many things that are happening with our family, myself as a person, and my goals for the upcoming year.

1. This is the year that my husband will learn how to fly helicopters for the Army! Super excited about his upcoming opportunities in his career. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to live in another part of the United States and to experience new things.
2. I've made a commitment to myself to become healthier through more fruits/veggies (not that I didn't eat them before, just not as many as I should!) and exercise. I've always enjoyed being active, but over the last year I've kind-of put myself on the back burner...not good! I've been exercising every day for the last month, and it is wonderful. I feel SO much better, both physically and mentally. I definitely will be continuing with this! :) I ran a 5k in December, with no training, and I was kind-of broken afterward, lol. I've restarted the Couch to 5k program and see many more 5k's in my future!

3. I'm very excited about the community garden here at Fort Rucker. We walked over last night, and it is a wonderful space. I want to get involved in the leadership side of things, as well as having a healthy, thriving garden plot! I'm also looking forward to container planting on our patio.

4. On the sewing front, I've declared this "the year of my stash", lol! I've purchased so many gorgeous fabrics over the past few years, but haven't had as many finishes as I'd like. Now is the time to sew up everything that I love! I found my two-color double Irish Chain blocks that I was working on 5 (yes, 5!) years ago, and they are so pretty! I just made a vow that this is the year to get things done. :) I still plan to design for Moda Bake Shop, which I love. I just received another box of goodness from them (thank you!), and I will get to work on that project soon too.

So there you have it...my plans for the year ahead...I'd love to hear about some of your plans, too. :)

Winner, Winner! :)

2010-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hi again! So, what you're all waiting for...the winner of the Sew, Mama Sew Giveaway!!! Random Number Generator chose #....

420--Lindsay, who said "I love City Weekend." Woo-hoo! I've sent you an email. Congrats to everyone who played; I seriously wish I had a prize for everyone. I loved reading your sweet comments and found SO many new-to-me blogs.

I've been working on our Christmas quilt, and finally finished it this weekend. I also made a hexagon caddy for my sewing table; I'll post pictures in a little bit. How was your last weekend before Christmas?

Giveaway Day at Sew Mama Sew!

2010-12-13T06:10:00.000-06:00

So, today is Giveaway Day at Sew Mama Sew! This is my first time participating in the giveaway side; last year I found some great new blogs while perusing "the lists". If this is your first time here, welcome!

My giveaway includes a 'Glace' charm pack, a 'City Weekend' Candy Bar, and a little inspiration notebook. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment...simple. Entries must be in by 11:59 pm CST on December 17. A winner will be chosen this weekend, and your package will mail out Monday the 20th...good luck, and have fun! :)

Pink Fig Giveaway!

2010-11-30T09:02:00.000-06:00

I've been immersed in the whirlwind around here...unpacking...settling in...some sewing! Chelsea Anderson of Pink Fig Design is having an AMAZING giveaway with her super-cute new fabric line...a quilt! Zip over and check out her blog, and hurry! Tomorrow is the last day to enter...nothing like procrastination, huh?

Happy Birthday Annie B!

2010-11-01T13:22:00.000-05:00

So, today is my little girl's 3rd birthday...I can't believe she's already three! As I've already mentioned, she was born just after midnight on a Thursday, and every moment with her is full of laughs. Some of her current favorite sayings are "Is that credit or debit?", saying "per-ket" for perfect, and countless other things that make everyone smile.

She loves "pink stuff", her books, and her dolphin Humphrey.

So, I've gotta run...I have a date with this train cake! {photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma}

Happy Birthday Annie Belle! :)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T17:53:00.000-05:00

Here's to a wonderful Halloween! Three years ago, Annie was ALMOST a Halloween baby! She arrived 29 minutes after the new day...I can hardly think of the holiday without thinking of labor! :) We're getting ready to go trick-or-treating...the base has it tonight since tomorrow is a school night.

Be safe! :)

Moda Bake Shop Debut!

2010-10-27T05:55:00.000-05:00

So, here's my first project for Moda Bake Shop! I've long been a fan of the site, so when I came up with this pattern I knew I wanted to submit it to Moda! It's really easy to do, so give it a try...I completed the top in two days, then finished quilting/binding early the third day...I'm a mama so I can't always sew as fast as I like! The 'Spirit' fabric line by Lila Tueller is one of my favorites. Everything she does is gorgeous, but these colors are just "me" so it's really a perfect fit.

We made it across the country and are settling in nicely to our new home. It's still pretty warm here in Alabama, but it's a refreshing change when I hear how it's pouring down rain already in Oregon!

Thanks for sticking around even though my blogging has been spotty {at best} the last month...it's been a wild one so hopefully things will settle down a bit.

Lack of Fall Decorating...

2010-09-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

So, I'm struggling with not decorating my house for fall...we're moving in about two weeks so I don't want to drag a bunch of things out, just to turn around and put them away, then put them out in our new house! I'm glad I got a few things the other day...technically they can go out now, then I'll just pack them with the stuff we're taking with us...sneaky, huh? I also put up my Crazy Jack wallhanging...I LOVE this, and it'll pack easily. :)
I also made a loaf of Rachel's pumpkin bread...seriously, make this! It's really good either with or without the cream cheese filling...a slice is just right with a cup of hot tea for an afternoon snack.
So I received our floor plan to our new house...I'm so excited. I may actually be able to have a room for sewing! I've been checking out the Ft. Rucker area a lot over the past few days...the kids and I are really excited to go, not only to see Tony obviously, but live in and experience a new part of the country. Brett's excited about his new school too, and of course, seeing all the helicopters. :)

I {heart} thrift shops!

2010-09-21T21:44:00.000-05:00

Hi again! Today Annie and I had to do some grocery shopping, so we also had to stop in at one of our favorite thrift shops for good measure. We hit the jackpot! First, a perfect little princess/fairy/Halloween dress-up dress....

plus a cute little pumpkin AND a Jim Shore scarecrow candleholder!
On the project front, it's almost done baking! I just have to put the binding on, and it will be ready to hit the bakery shelves, if you know what I'm saying! :) It turned out better that I expected...I truly love it! :)

~Amazing Results~

2010-09-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

So, this is off the topic of quilting, but I've kind-of always had a love-hate relationship with my hair. It's naturally curly, and most products I try DO NOT make it happy...I usually have my hair in a "nest" on top of my head.
However, I've been swayed by Chaz Dean and his Wen haircare line...it's so easy, and my hair is totally responding the way I'd hoped...therefore no need for a nest {unless I just want to}. :)

Edited to add: I found mine here. Hope that helps! :)

I'm Back!

2010-09-18T20:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back from the busy month of August! I had a wonderful time in Georgia seeing my sweet husband graduate from basic training! The ceremony was amazing; I'm so glad I was there!When I returned, I found my computer had some kind of crisis while I was away and wouldn't power up...fun! So everything is cured now, and I can show what I've been up to!!
Last night was Friday Night Sew-in, and I was BUSY! I'm working on a project that I can only show "sneak peeks" of, but I did get all blocks pieced and trimmed! :) It will debuting soon...The results of Friday night...

Road Trip!!!

2010-07-20T23:56:00.000-05:00

Sooo, coming up soon (like less than two weeks!) my mom, kids and I are heading out for Georgia! Tony graduates from Basic, and I cannot wait to see him! The longest we've been apart in five years is four days...well, we've long passed that record! We're going to make it a fun trip, stopping at the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, the Meteor Crater, lots of dinosaur sites, Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in Mansfield, Missouri, the Cosmosphere {the original Apollo 13 capsule is there!} and LOTS of quilt shops along the way!

{Image courtesy of find-4-you.com}

I'm of course making him a quilt for graduation...pictures to come soon! The top is complete; I need to quilt, bind and wash it, then pack it in the truck! :)

We will have so much fun.

I will take lots of pictures of our adventures!

Little Bit of Fabric In...

2010-07-09T13:58:00.000-05:00

So I have a bit of fabric to show ya...I've been ~in love~ with Bliss since I first saw sneak peeks...so I had to order some as soon as it was available!

I also received some moda charm packs, some Full Moon Forest, and a pattern I've wanted for a while now...

Lots of sewing planned this weekend...but lots of outside time too. My yard needs some attention! :) More tomato planting too...yum!

Finished Friday at The Quilt Shoppe!

2010-07-08T23:13:00.000-05:00

So I just sent my info in for the Finished Friday parade of quilts at The Quilt Shoppe. I just finished a birthday

quilt for my stepdad (in all intents and purposes) made entirely from STASH fabrics...some of them are somewhat questionable, but hey, he loves it...especially the bacon & eggs print!
Happy Birthday Dave!

My PIllow Swap 3--Received!

2010-06-15T02:01:00.000-05:00

CHECK out my pillow! I love it! It comes to me from {karamat} on flickr...
I made up a pillow form with some solid yellow fabric, and some of my stuffing I found at Goodwill for 99 cents for THREE big, unopened bags...a great steal! :) It features one of my favorite fabric lines, 'Boutique' by Chez Moi for moda...I have serious whirlygig love now. They've been on my list for a LONG time, but now I'm thinking I need a table runner to go with my delightful pillow! :)
Here's a shot of my pillow, and the pillow I made for my partner...hope she loves it!!! It went on its merry way yesterday morning. On that note, have a wonderful day! The sun is finally out here, but so is the "summer wind"...that's the trade-off to living right by the ocean!! :)

I'm a Border Designer over at Patchwork Posse!

2010-06-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

Hi guys! I have some exciting news to share today. This is the day the borders I designed for the Round Robin Quilt over at Patchwork Posse are posted! Check them out, join up and make the quilt with us! It is REALLY cute and a great way to try multiple techniques. I used a moda honeybun for the main portion of my borders, and they turned out really nice.

I was busy again this weekend with multiple sewing projects, plus I received my Pillow Talk Swap 3 pillow cover! It is PERFECT and I'll post some photos when I get home.

I'm off to work...tell me what you think of the borders! I love hearing from you! :)

Progress

2010-06-08T01:11:00.000-05:00

Hiya, I know I've been awol for a while; I have good reason. Tony shipped out to basic training last week, and it was a whirlwind around here before he left...making sure he had everything, MANY last minute details, his *two* parties, going to check out Prehistoric Gardens {above} which was a BLAST! Brett loves it, and it was Annie's first time there. We have a lot of dinosaur love around here...doesn't the t-rex look lovely among the chandeliers? :)
So, it's been an adjustment {to say the least} for all of us. The kids seem to be taking it ok; we've gotten to talk to him a lot more than I've expected, which has been great. He's sharing all sorts of tidbits about his new surroundings! :)

On the sewing front, I've been a busy bee! Remember the Patchwork Posse Round Robin Quilt that I'm a border designer for, that I hadn't started? Well, behold what I have so far...

I REALLY love this quilt...it is so "me". I'm really trying to use what I have, so it's been fun pulling and auditioning fabrics that I think will fit in with the super-scrappiness of it all. Obviously pink is my favorite color, and I love how even though it's a hodgepodge of fabrics, they all work. I love it when that happens! I am missing three borders still before mine, HOWEVER I am early for once {shocker} and have my borders DONE. Photos taken and all. I still need to write up the directions, but I LOVE the way they turned out. Exactly what I pictured!

I also joined the Pillow Swap 3 Swap on flickr...I do love flickr!! So many fun groups, and wonderful friends! :) I digress...my pillow for my partner is also completed (do you see a trend?!?) and I love it so much I will be making my own! Check it...it needs a bigger pillow form (I only had a 16x16; it;s looking a little saggy-baggy) and it will be perfect! I also joined up with pickles and bacon's star quilt along! I have a Boutique layer cake that I was considering, but now I'm leaning patriotic, so we'll see. It will be fun...I love star quilts! Also on the agenda is the Scrappy Pincushion swap, and I joined a new bee!! My bud Karrie is the mama, and our group is called Bee Splendid! I love the name and am so excited to start! Audrey from pickles and bacon is also in the group (Hi Audrey!) so it'll be fun.
I'm still working on my modern siggy swap #2 blocks, but am almost done (another early finish!), Rosey Little Bee blocks, AND a super-secret project that I have big plans for...hopefully I'll be able to share soon! ;)
OK, I need to take a breath {!!!} and pace myself here. I'm really trying to make time for me, so be prepared to hear from me more often. :)

I Heart Thursdays

2010-05-06T18:54:00.000-05:00

So, Thursdays are my "weekday" day off. I tend to get a lot of quilting done, not to mention everything else that needs happen around the house and yard! :) Take today, for example...
I'm a border designer for a round-robin quilt, and I haven't started my quilt. Gulp! So today, I finished the center block...only a few more borders to go before I'm caught up. I'll post a pic tomorrow...I'm going with pink/green...shocker, I know! :)

Weeded the flower beds...planted some echinacea seeds in the herb bed...spotted a lonely asparagus coming up too! :) I wonder what happened to the others...hmm. I'm also debating putting in ~~another~~ strawberry bed! YUM! And yes, we are still moving to Alabama in August...crazy, I know to be planning my garden here. They'll be done by then, though, and what isn't my mom and grandma can come and pick! :)

Lots of baking today with the kiddos! When Brett got home from school, we made "Presto Pretzels"...they truly were REALLY quick! We had fun rolling out ALL SORTS of fun shapes...here's the recipe.

Presto Pretzels
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/3 cups kamut flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 Tbsp gluten flour (I didn't use this, but next time I will to see if there really is a difference in the dough)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey and salt; mix til blended.
Add flour (and gluten) and mix until dough is blended well. Roll out long pieces of dough; have fun making lots of shapes!
Bake for 10 minutes, loosen from the cookie sheets and cool 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack and finish cooling.

We also made Camille's cookies...which are a super-huge hit around here! Tony is at his Army training this afternoon and will be thrilled to see we have cookies! :)
So he leaves for basic in three weeks...I cannot believe it has come so fast. We're having a party for him in two weeks up the river, with lots of friends/family/bbq-ing. It will be fun, but bittersweet too.

Quick Tutorial: Rice Bags

2010-04-22T15:59:00.000-05:00

Around here, these are affectionately known as "The Scorcher". Alarming, but funny. This will help you make your own scorcher. Sizes are up to you, the fabric cutter. I like to make smaller ones for children (my kids love these warmed up, then put into their beds right before they snuggle in for the night) and larger for adults.

Cut a piece of fabric so that when it's doubled over onto itself, it will be the size you'd like. Sew up two sides, leaving one side open for filling. One side will be the fold. :) Turn the bag inside out, and fill with a mixture of half rice, half rock salt. The salt helps make a moist heat, and also helps retain the warmth in the bag.

I like to fill the bag to within about two inches from the top. Turn the raw edge under evenly on all sides, then pin one side to the other. Take the bag to your machine and sew up the seam! Take care that no rice gets under/around your needle...big pain. Try to squeeze the rice to the opposite end. If the bag isn't overly full, this isn't an issue.Voila! You now have a delightful little warmer that will make whoever receives it happy. These make great gifts; you can customize the fabric to the person receiving it. To heat: place in microwave for 30 seconds-one minute.
For cool therapy: Place in a plastic bag in freezer for an hour prior to use.
~~~~~~Enjoy!

Friday Night Sew-In

2010-04-16T19:02:00.000-05:00

Hiya! Tonight is the sew-in over at Heidi's! Go join up...I'll be working on block 4 for the Jelly Roll quilt along, the latest block for Rachel's pinwheel quilt along, and I received my new ruler today for Jaybird's hexie quilt along!
I bought a new mug today to sip my hot tea out of tonight...it's from my favorite cafe in Bandon! I have lunch there at least 2x per week...their homemade soup is sooo good! :)
Go join the sew-in. It's lots of fun!
:)

Slacker

2010-03-31T00:26:00.000-05:00

Seriously, sorry about the lack of posts. Work has been busy and I'm *still* trying to settle in with my new schedule. It's hard to go from being at home full-time, to even working part-time! :) My crock-pot is my new best friend, and this candle is wonderful for transporting me to a sunny locale! I'm so ready for spring! :)

Lately I've been busy with the Pinwheel quilt-along and anxiously awaiting the Hexagon quilt-along...using Nest! I'm also doing the Jelly Roll Sampler quilt-along, and I love it. I have to share...I found a Full Moon Forest jelly roll two days ago online, and I've been so excited! I got into the whole "designer fabric" buzz (especially moda) after this was already out (and probably limited already!) so I'm super-excited. I also got a charm pack of FMF from the same place...I cannot wait to see it....I have big plans for the charm pack, but I don't know if I can open the jelly roll! :)

I have some recipes to share, pics from my recent quilting adventures, and some other stuff, like, oh, planning a cross-country move! Promise I'll be better about keeping up! :)

Friday Night Sew In!!

2010-02-20T21:47:00.000-06:00

Ok, so this was SO much fun, and I was so productive! I worked on my baby niece's quilt, who is due to arrive in about a month. I'm actually EARLY with a baby gift! The impetus for this project was the shower is tomorrow...so, it needed to happen.
I've actually been busy with a ton of other quilting projects, but I'll post about those another time. By the way, my job is going great; I really enjoy it! I'm going to try to post in the mornings before I leave...I want to stay updated with my happenings! :)

Craft Hope

2010-01-19T08:07:00.001-06:00

Well, today is the first day of my new job! I'm up bright and early to get everything organized.

Have you been to Craft Hope's Etsy shop? Run, do not walk! I donated a baby quilt, and have bought a doll quilt and a quilt pattern...soooo many good things over there, and it's all going for the good of helping others. Drop in, browse and make a purchase (or more than one)! When I get home I'm going to send pictures for another baby quilt to donate.

Have a wonderful day...There's a huge storm going here so it's going to be a fun one.

New Year, New Beginnings

2010-01-13T21:15:00.000-06:00

Wow, let me just say that 2010 is already shaping up to leave 2009 in the dust on so many levels! First off, I've gotten a job! It's part-time at a local hospital, which will be wonderful for our family. It'll certainly be easier to make a lot more things that we want to do as a family possible (yard improvements, home projects, travel, more quilting $$) so I'm super excited.

Another HUGE development is that Tony was selected to become a Warrant Officer Candidate! Woo hoo! He's in Portland, signing his contract and taking his oath tomorrow. I'm super proud, but it also means that I'll be on my own once he goes to basic and OCS. I can handle it, but it will be a challenge too at times. I'm so glad I have our family here, so I can rely on them if needed! :)

On the quilting front, I've completed four baby quilts for my etsy shop, I am participating in Rachel's Modern Siggy Swap (see sidebar), her Pinwheel Quilt-along (see sidebar), I'm in Pat Sloan's Sweetheart Swap, I won a membership to Patchwork Posse (see sidebar), joined the flickr group STUD, making Quilts for Kids and I'm in Doll Quilt Swap 8!!!!! I'm going to be busy, that's for sure! Lots of fun projects ahead! I'm also looking forward to the Pin Topper of the Month Club...yay! :)

I'm also going to start some winter sowing of some seeds that I want to add to my beds. Poppies, delphinium, larkspur and shasta daisies for sure...probably more too! I'm adding some kiwi plants to an arbor that leads into our yard, some more hydrangeas, and I don't know what else. This is definitely the year of the flower explosion in my yard! :)

Sorry I haven't been on the posting bandwagon so far this year, but it's been a crazy one so far! Lots of changes, all for the good. I'm so content with our plans and what they will bring for us! :)

Army News

2009-12-30T16:50:00.000-06:00

So, the long awaited time for Tony to attend his board to see if he's chosen to become an Army Warrant Officer/helicopter pilot is here...he leaves Tuesday and comes home Thursday...I can't wait to know either "yes" or "no". If it's yes, it means he'll be away for basic training, then we can move with him to Ft. Rucker, Alabama where he'll go through Officer training and flight school.
If no, he has some other ideas up his sleeve, including going back to school to get his bachelor's degree. It's been a long ride since he first decided to undertake this, so I'm ready to know either way.
If I don't post again before the new year, have a wonderful and safe 2010! :)

My New Quilt!

2009-12-29T17:16:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of my new quilt from my mom...I love it. She didn't wash it before she gave it to me, so it was one of the first things I did when we got home on Christmas...I love the crinkly look! She didn't realize the corner block was twisted a quarter-turn until she was quilting it...I told her not to worry, it gives it character! :)

Whew...What a Christmas!

2009-12-28T18:19:00.000-06:00

Well, we had a fan-tab-ulous Christmas! We spent time with Tony's family Christmas Eve, opened our presents Christmas morning, then went to my mom's for lunch. It was so much fun...I've already finished the book my brother gave me, along with the book we gave Brett...too funny.
I received a beautiful throw quilt from my mom...she'd sneaked a peek of a block to me, and I couldn't wait to open it, but I maintained and saved it til last...delightful! I'll post a pic soon.
So my brother will be back again this weekend for my grandma's 80th birthday party, so it'll be great. All my cousins and their kids will be there, so I'm really looking forward to it.
Something I've been meaning to do for a LONG time is post pictures and review a pattern I received from Becky at Whosies. You may remember the "In the Leafy Treetops" quilt-along? Well, she has the cutest patterns for stuffies in her etsy shop, and I chose her "Square Pegs" pattern to test, along with her "Mermaid" pattern. First of all, her patterns are in PDF form, which is so great to just buy, download and get to sewing! She sends them quickly and is available for help...not that I needed it; her patterns were well-written and well-illustrated. Let me show you the final results...I made the cat for my son, and the mermaid for my daughter.
Are these too cute or what? She's starting a new group on January 1 called "Patchwork Posse". There will be monthly patterns (earlier releases than to the general public), friendship, and camraderie within this wonderful crafting community. I have a button on my sidebar; it's a direct link to go check it out. There is a contest going right now to win a membership, so you should take a look! It sounds like a lot of fun.
I'm off to download some pics from Christmas and recent crafty goodness, so stay tuned! :)

Two Recent Custom Orders

2009-12-14T14:49:00.001-06:00

I've had the priviledge of completing two very different custom orders within the last week. One was a large (60x80) throw-size quilt, done in solids with a skull print accent. I've never really worked with solids before as a majority of a quilt, but I'm hooked! The quilt is striking, even with a simple block layout. The lady ordered it for her daughter, who is serving in Iraq. The other order was a 90 x 12 tablerunner for an antique dresser. I thought this turned out cute as well...the top is 'Starling' by Alexander Henry, with moda marbles as the backing. I quilted the ends loopy to mimic the swirling black "thread" in the top.
I'm almost done with quilty Christmas gifts...I need to finish my mom's "big" gift, and I'm making her a little Fig & Plum friendship bag that I'm going to put a Snippets charm pack, pincushion and ruler in. I'd better get busy...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! :)

My Favorite Christmas Cookies~Cranberry Nut Swirls

2009-12-07T15:32:00.000-06:00

These are my absolute favorite. We're now on our second batch of these for the season! :) We also leave these for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Cranberry Nut Swirls
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/ tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c finely ground cranberries
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp milk
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Beat until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Wrap and chill 1 hour.
2. In small bowl combine cranberries, nuts and orange peel. In separate bowl combine brown sugar and milk. On a lightly floured pastry cloth roll dough into a 10" square. Spread sugar/milk mixture on top. Sprinkle with cranberry mixture leaving 1/2" bare on two sides. Roll up jelly-roll style, wrap in wax paper and freeze several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375. Grease two cookie sheets, or use parchment. Cut roll into 1/2" slices. Bake on top rack 14-15 minutes until edges are barely brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.

I'd love to hear some of your holiday favorites, complete with recipes! Happy Baking! :)

Please Help Ireland!

2009-12-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

So over on Rachel's blog there is a post about the flooding in Ireland...if nothing else make some disappearing nine-patch blocks and send them in! I saw her post this morning and am working on my blocks now! :) Ireland and Italy are two of my "must-see" places in the world, and I want to help out...trust me, it'll make your heart full while you're working on your project.

Cranking out Gifts

2009-11-30T15:40:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and fun weekend! We went to my mom's for dinner and it was wonderful as always. Brett stayed the night, then we went back Friday to cut out some wooden reindeer and a wooden sleigh for our yard...they are seriously cute! They still need to be painted, but we're not quite ready to put them out yet.
I did a ton of yardwork this weekend too...yanking out old tomato plants and corn stalks, trimming my herbs, planting the plants I had in pots in the ground, string-trimming around my raised beds, dug holes for new plants...very fun!
I also finished my brother's Christmas present Thursday morning, and my sister-in-law Jesse's gift today...it's being washed now! I hope she loves it as much as I do! :) Amy Butler's Daisy Chain...need I say more? :)
I've been hard at work on my gifts because I have two quilted items to do for customers before Christmas! I have to get to work on both asap! :)

Happy Anniversary!

2009-11-25T11:36:00.000-06:00

Today's the day! Four years ago my husband and I got married...woo hoo! Our wedding was so wonderful...I know everyone says that, but it really was! Very personal and "us". We did all the decorating, I made my bouquet and did all the flowers, my mom made our beautiful cake...It was a super-fun day. We had lots of quilts decorating the building, and a harvest theme connected everything. So, happy anniversary Tony! Can you believe it's been four years? :)

I'm going to have a Black Friday sale in my Etsy shop...come check it out! I have a direct link on my right sidebar. Hope to "see" you then! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving...it's one of my favorite holidays, and all the pumpkin yumminess makes it all the better! :)

Electric Quilt 6--Buying Locally!

2009-11-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

Well, I took the plunge--I purchased Electric Quilt 6 from my local quilt shop today! I had a $25 store credit to use, and thought I'd ask them if they had it in store or could order it...well, it'll be here Monday or Tuesday! I'm seriously excited. I considered buying it online, but decided to go local. :)

I've been busy quilting up Christmas gifts...I can't say what, but it's a varied lot of goodies! :) I hope everyone enjoys them. I'm trying to sew or craft everyone's gifts this year, so it's been fun figuring out what to make and personalizing it to each person's tastes. Next up? My brother's gift! :)

Yesterday I joined the Pin Topper of the Month Club through Pinks and Needles. I love her toppers and decided to treat myself this next year.

Well, I'm off. I've got tons of sewing to do! :)

I'm back! :)

2009-11-12T11:34:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's been a really long time since I've posted. Not good! Things have been somewhat busy around here the last few weeks so I'm going to do a better job of keeping up with my blogging. I promise! :)

We had fun this Halloween! Brett was a Lego and Annie was a ladybug...not the greatest picture but you get the idea. We trick-or-treated at friends and family houses so everyone could check out their garb. Brett's costume was a lot of fun to make, and SUPER easy!
The next day was Annie's 2nd birthday party. We decided to have it at the square dance hall so there was more room...I love our house, but it's really not suited for big gatherings! :) I made her an Arthur cake (per her request) and she had a great time with everyone...

Tony's birthday (7th) and my birthday (10th) were also this past week, so it's been quite a festive time.

On the quilting front, I'm almost done with my signature swap blocks for Melissa's swap! I'll finish them today. I'm joining in the ORBC quilt-along this round as well, and I'm making option 1 in a throw size...my fabrics are bright and cheerful. I included plenty of Ginger Blossoms, which I LOVE. I made Annie a mini quilt for her raggedy Anns out of Cotton Blossoms, which is super cute!

I also made a quilt out of the Flag Day Farm cheater panel for a wounded soldier at Fort Hood. It turned out so beautifully! I used a navy and cream tiny gingham for the backing. I'm super-proud to have participated...I've decided I need to do more quilting for good causes like this one...my heart was seriously "full" the entire time I was working on it.

I also need to clean up my blog and add some new blogs/links/etc that I check out daily. I also need to post a report on a stuffie that I made from a friend's pattern...turned out SO cute!

I'd also like to start posting recipes with photos. I love to cook and bake, and I've found some really good recipes on other's blogs. I need to return the favor! :)

Have a wonderful day! :)

Blogger's Quilt Festival Entry

2009-10-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

Hi there! It's been a while since I posted (canning season!) but I wanted to get my entry in for the Quilt Festival hosted by Amy.

My aunt made this throw-sized (52x60) quilt almost four years ago as a wedding gift for me and my husband. She used "Through the Garden Gate" fabrics designed by Valori Wells, a fellow Oregonian!

I love flowers and gardening, and when we opened the package it was love at first sight! I love the bright vibrant colors, the pinwheels, the lush garden border, and the thought she put into our gift. It lives on our "Santa Chair", a burgundy velvet number that looks like a chair Santa would take a snooze in at the North Pole. :)

Thanks for hosting such a wonderful festival, Amy, and all the quilts I've seen so far are beautiful! :)

Pumpkins and Peppermints

2009-09-28T20:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a good day over here...I have been lucky enough to win two giveaways this past week! First I won a pattern from Rachel at p.s. i quilt...I chose one of her super-cute fabric pumpkin patterns! I whipped up two this morning...so fun! Thanks Rachel!
I also won Heather Mulder Peterson's new book "On the Run"!!! It has 12 projects made from precuts, and I am SOOO excited to receive it...thanks Heather! :)
Today on Moda Bake Shop Camille debuted the how-to for her cute peppermint pincushion that's in the new BH&G Christmas magazine ad...It was quick and easy too! Take a peek...
Isn't it cute? :) I used scraps from other projects, and made a vintage button stack for the center.
So, that's what I've been up to, in addition to canning tomatoes! Applesauce is next! :)

Super-Cute Tute~~A New Nightlight!

2009-09-16T16:34:00.000-05:00

Sooo, I have the promised tutorial. This was so quick and easy it hardly qualifies, but hey, it'll be fun. :) In a home with two children, a nightlight is a beautiful thing. Even more beautiful if you make it "your own" with one of these fun DIY nightlights.

So gather your materials...I have a self-stick nightlight (Hollywood Light, from Craft Warehouse), a scrap of fabric (love the cherries!), and your desired embellishments. I went for ric-rac, as ever.

The cover over the adhesive on the nightlight is your pattern...take it off, lay it on your fabric (I pinned it on!) then cut around it. I cut mine a little bigger just so I could have smooth edges (more on this later...plug in your glue gun!)

Starting from one side, begin smoothing your fabric onto the adhesive. Nice, huh?

At this point, I ran a tiny bead of glue along the bar on the top and bottom, and smoothed my fabric over so there would be a clean edge. Make your bead tiny...ask me how I know...

Embellish! I used a small pink ric-rac on the top and bottom. I am mad about pink lately...I digress. Again, tiny bead of hot glue makes this quick work.

You're done! How fun was that? This one will live in my little lady's room. Enjoy! :)

Quilted Travel Mug, My Way

2009-09-15T12:05:00.000-05:00

I've had this mug forever, and it's pretty boring as-is. Sooo, I used some scraps from recent projects, and VOILA! It's a cute, girly travel mug that PERFECTLY holds a Starbucks Dark Chocolate mocha...oh ya, it's going to be a great day! :) Scraps are Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom and Michael Miller's Paris Ville...love both dearly! :)

The boy's first day was great! He has band this year and is playing drums...way cool! He even had homework, much to his dismay! I think it's going to be a great year. His teacher is young and enthusiastic and the school has raised garden beds/vermicomposting so I'm excited to help. Soccer practice will be starting anytime, so that'll be fun for him as well.

I'm planning to post a tutorial tomorrow, so stay tuned! It's a fun one! :)

Worst Blogger Ever!

2009-09-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been away for so long...I'll give you a thumbnail sketch of the happenings around here lately. I decided to work outside more and quilt less (gasp!) while the weather was nice. Today is the boy's first day of school, delayed almost a week due to a flood at his new school. Annie Bell got her "new bed" set up about 3 weeks ago. My mom and her man have moved back permanently so that's been great! I've signed on to be a substitute classroom aide at Brett's school. I'm so glad it's football season! :) And with football, comes fall...my absolute favorite season.
So there are some delightful giveaways going right now, so I'll be back later to post about them...I'm off to have some tea and enjoy the peace....:)

LOOK!

2009-08-11T15:56:00.001-05:00

So, I received my Summer Mini Quilt from my partner today! I love it! It's totally bright and cheerful; it is wonderful! I've got to hang it so when I wake up I see it...it's just that bright and happy! It's made with Objects of Desire by Sandy Gervais from Moda...I'd never seen the fabric in person, but it's amazing. I'm going to do all the season swaps from now on...this has been so much fun. My partner sent me a mini honeybun of Aviary, which is so soft and pretty, and a floral fat quarter that's bright and cheery too. Thank you, thank you! :)

I sent off my package today; it doesn't have to go far at all! Same state even! :)

ZigZag Top Complete

2009-08-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

I have a number of things I need to do today...like go get chard seeds for my fall/winter garden, go to the store, mail off my mini-quilt, and go to my quilt shop for batting and binding for my zigzag quilt. The top turned out so well...there are a few points that got nicked, but it's ok. I love it all together with the backing. So excited to get this one finished! I'm ready to snuggle with it and watch Twilight for the millionth time...

I'm also going over to Etsy and check out some sewing patterns. I have my eye on one that is cute, and Annie would be able to wear it during fall/winter with l/s tee and leggings. CUTE! By the way, a HUGE thanks to whosies...she was super-generous and gave me a free pattern from her etsy shop for being one of the first finishers on the Leafy Treetops quilt! Woo Hoo! I chose her Square Pegs pattern, so watch for those soon! :) Ok, gotta get busy...

WIP Wednesday

2009-08-05T16:26:00.000-05:00

Well, today I've been working a little on my Signature blocks. I'm using charms from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Crossings line and unbleached muslin. I think they'll turn out nice...I can't wait to see what everyone else is making! I need to start getting around to some of the other swappers blogs to get aquainted, so to speak.

We've been outside most of the day, picking the first blackberries and raspberries! I planted some lamb's ear in a couple flower beds, and I found that my lemon verbena hadn't died, it was coming up with great gusto! I always think it's dead, then it surprises me. I picked a ton of strawberries last night, so I put most of them in the dehydrator, along with some cherries...yum! We also walked to the library and past Brett's new school. Fun stuff.

I need to hurry up and throw something in the crockpot as we have to go give some llama shots tonight...oh boy. Wish me luck! :)

Friendship Bags

2009-08-04T10:17:00.000-05:00

I'm having fun making Friendship Bags for the new swap...check out my sidebar for the link...I think you can sign up until August 20. The first one I made (above) Annie has claimed...which is ok. It's just the right size for her to put her little treasures in. So, I started a new one, and I love it! I'm calling it the "Luck of the Irish" bag. I'm using different shades of green, brown and cream, I've quilted a shamrock, some Newgrange swirls, the word "ireland" and the word "eire" into the bottom. Check out the progress...I'm super-excited to fill it up with Irish goodies! I love all things Irish and I cannot wait to go see the country for myself! So go sign up, and maybe you'll be my partner and receive this yummy bag full of Irish treats!

New Sewing Machine!

2009-08-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

Hiya! Well, I have to start by saying my new sewing machine arrived Wednesday, and I've already made a quilt, bound two table runners and sewed countless blocks, and I LOVE it! I got a Brother CS-6000i and it is amazing. It has all the features I want (decorative stitches galore, fast sewing, walking foot/guide, and an open-toe foot) plus it feels just like a bigger, upgraded model of my other Brother that I've had for almost 4 years, so it's been a comfortable transition for me! :)

I finished my Leafy Treetops quilt, which was SO much fun...I love the completed quilt so much! It was super-quick to go together, and I added lots of cute little details, like quilting in the kids names, hearts, stars, outlined around some of the flowers, knotholes, etc. So much fun. Go make your own at Whosies blog. The links for the quilt-along are over on the right side.

I'm off to work on the zigzag quilt. Just took some pumpkin bread out of the oven and it smells luscious in here! Until next time!

p.s. a giveaway

2009-07-29T15:23:00.001-05:00

Yay! Rachel's back! To celebrate, she's having a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop...what would you choose with your winnings? Go check out her blog for the particulars. I'm going to celebrate by making her pumpkin bread!

I made a giant pincushion using Jaybird's tutorial on Moda Bake Shop...what do you think? Super easy, and sooooo cute!

Got my new sewing machine today...more on that later!!! Until next time!!

The Latest

2009-07-28T16:27:00.000-05:00

Hiya! I have to start with the stack of moda yummies that came my way yesterday! I found some great bargains online. I got a Nell's Flower Shop charm pack in a tin, a Santorini charm pack, Civil War Crossings charm pack (for the Signature swap), Portobello Market charm pack, and a Sweet Box! It included Aviary and Spring Magic. I used all my Spring Magic that I had, so I have a tiny bit again. Which reminds me, I've never shown the wonkiest of all wonky pincushions...I made this out of my Spring Magic scraps!

It's kind-of odd shaped, but it holds a lot of pins! :) I used one of my great-grandma's buttons for the middle; she would've liked this fabric.

This weekend we went for a drive up Elk River to Laird Lake. Well, we didn't get to the lake, but we stopped off along the river about 15 miles up (above) for a picnic and some serious water play. Annie didn't get in the water...she hung out in the shade! I found her the cutest bucket hat that has roses on one side, polka dots on the other...she definitely used it!

Brett's in the water! It was HOT! He had a great time wading around. Someone had started putting rocks across the river, so he added a few of his own. It was a great time, and I'm sure someday we'll get up to the lake. We really shouldn't talk about Bigfoot on the way, though...

So, I'm going to get busy on my zigzag quilt while Annie is sleeping...until next time!

Gardening and a Giveaway!

2009-07-22T08:17:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago we went to a local science fair put on by OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and it was a blast. Brett loves science, so he had lots of fun at all the experiments. Annie was pressing the button on the "Jacob's Ladder" experiment to watch the current travel up the two metal rods...it was cute. Check out this ant!

I also wanted to tell you about the giveaway over at Jaybird Quilts! Enter to win one of two pincushions! She also has the instructions on how to make your own at Moda Bake Shop...go check out both!

I'm going to be hard at work today finishing up my Summer mini-quilt for the swap, and sewing together my nine-patches for the new quilt-along with amandajean. I quilted the two tablerunners I showed last post! They look nice...I did the Halloween one with orange thread! So festive. I love Halloween...I was so hoping Annie would be born that day, but she held out 29 minutes! :)

I've also got some errands to run; last minute stuff for Tony's Army packet, which is being submitted on Friday. Woohoo! I'm also going to Joann's while we're there to get some sewing stuff! The last time I was there they had a clear container of maybe 20 spools of Gutermann thread for $20...I had it in my hand, then put it down...ugh. I called yesterday and they're still on sale! Yay! I need some muslin for the Signature Blocks, and some other goodies. :)

We picked a ton of strawberries yesterday! That's only part of them in Annie's wheelbarrow above. Our corn has grown a LOT in the last couple days, we have peas, and the tomatoes are blooming like mad! The only thing that didn't go this year were my green beans...ugh, the item I love to can! There are a few bean stragglers, so I sprinkled salad green seeds all around in the bed, which are coming up thick now. The artichokes have recovered from their big move and have new leaves, thankfully. The potatoes are getting their leaves and my rhubarb is almost as tall as the house! No, it's just REALLY BIG! I need to make a strawberry-rhubarb crisp or something with all my yummy home-grown goods.

Ok, I'm off to face the world...til next time! :)

Zigzag quilt fabrics

2009-07-19T19:09:00.001-05:00

Zigzag quilt fabrics
Originally uploaded by mollyculley

blogged here

Long Time No Blog

2009-07-19T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hiya! I've been busy lately sewing I haven't had time to blog! Eek, I know! :) So, I how about some pictures of what I've been up to...are you ready?

I finished my nine-patch quilt-along top...

I found some table runner tops in my fall decorating boxes...I gave them a good ironing and will get them finished up before fall/Halloween!
Finished a little pillow for Annie's sock monkey, which was super easy. I had a leftover nine patch block so I cut it in quarters, rearranged, then sewed it up. I need to take a picture...thought I had one! Oops. :) I have more pics to post later!
My fabrics for the zig-zag quilt-along have arrived, and I can't wait to get cutting on these! The Paris street scene will be the backing, and the solid aqua is for in between the patterned fabrics. They are beautiful...thank you Kannequiltstudio and luckykaerufabric on etsy and fat quarter shop! I have another quilt to plan for as I just found out my sister-in-law is having a baby! I think I'll wait a while to get started though...I've decided to do another nine-patch (for Brett this time since Annie has claimed the first one!), the summer mini-quilt swap, the zigzag quilt, Melissa's Signature Block Swap quilt...I think that's it. I'm going to be busy, but that's how I like it!

Until next time! :)

My First Quilt

2009-07-12T19:27:00.000-05:00

Hiya, thought I'd join the party for the first quilt show and tell by Camille and Carrie. Ok, here's the story of my first quilt. It was fall 2005, I was planning my wedding, and I decided to make a quilt too. I chose the pattern "Turning Twenty", chose 20 fat quarters, and went to town on the top. Ok, fast forward a couple years to fall 2007. I'm seven months pregnant with our daughter, and I decided to finish the quilt. My son and I ended up tying it in the floor of our new house. I had NO CLUE how to do binding, and wanted the quilt done YESTERDAY! So, I just folded over the backing onto the front and sewed her down. Eep. I would never do this now, but this is actually the most requested quilt when somebody doesn't feel good and wants to snuggle up. Who knew.

The last quilt I actually finished is this table runner. I pieced it from a kit I bought at Forget-Me-Knots in Bandon. It was super-quick to put together, except for I put it aside for a while so I could work on nine-patches. The fruit and veggie fabric in it is the kicker for me...always a gardener! :) So, the biggest things that I have learned are: Yes, binding DOES make a difference (hello!), accurate cutting is super-important, and my 1/4 inch seams have come a LONG way!

I'm Finally Back...

2009-07-09T08:13:00.001-05:00

Hi again! My husband had four days off for the 4th of July, so we worked on some stuff that's been put on the back burner, so to speak. Cleaning out flower beds, planting some new things, fertilizing, you get the gist. So today, I have the honor of going to get boards for our fence that we're building...I may stop off at the nursery to check out their poppy selection. Remember my bed along the fence that I wanted to be all "cottage-y"? Cleaned out and ready! I think some poppies and daisies are in order!

We had a fun 4th...went to the parade, which started off with an *amazing* flyover by our local Coast Guard helicoptor. Tony thought it might be one of his buddies that's a pilot for the CG, but later found out it wasn't. There were tons of floats, horses, fire trucks, basically your typical small town parade. Our tiny little town grows exponentially on the 4th...practically everyone who went to school here comes back, so there are a lot of people out and about. I took in the local quilt show, which was nice. There were several old quilts there to celebrate Oregon's 150th birthday this year. I do have pics; another post! We went to the fireworks, but ended up leaving early since there was so much fog and drizzle. Our teeth were chattering!

On a quilting note, I finished my Farmer's Market runner...I don't know why I was procrastinating this one. For some reason I take a pause when it's time to put on binding...who knows. It turned out nice, I think.

I also finished my nine patches for the quilt-along. I need to cut sashing now, and get it finished as well. Evidently there's a new quiltalong for a zigzag quilt, hosted by Amy of ParkCityGirl so I think I'm going to join. I also joined the Summer mini quilt swap (see link in sidebar). I wanted to do this in the spring, but didn't sign up in time. I think it'll be fun!

I'm off...have a fun-filled day! :)

Giveaway Mondays!

2009-06-29T12:27:00.001-05:00

Hiya! How was the weekend? Good here...lots of gardening/weeding/setting up new watering systems for my yard. It's been totally beautiful, aside from the coastal wind...oh well, I shouldn't complain about living so close to the ocean...

So I'm starting a new segment on my blog...every Monday I'm going to have a giveaway of a "made by me" handmade craft. Up for grabs this week is a cello bag filled with yummy orange spice potpourri/fixins. There's 2+ cups of putka pods, cones, cinnamon sticks, rose hips and orange slices. I'm even throwing in a grubbied-up votive candle! All you need to do is leave a comment on my blog for one entry. For two entries, comment AND become a follower. For three entries, comment, follow, AND blog about the giveaway on your blog. Drawing ends Wednesday at 5 pm PST. Good luck! :)

Ok, I've SERIOUSLY got to get busy on some sewing around here! I'm behind (again) on my nine-patches, and time's almost up! Eek! I'm off...go enter the giveaway! :)

OK! Comments are closed...since I had two comments, I'm sending out a package to each of you! I hope you love the fixins as much as I do! Thanks for your sweet comments! :)

Cherry Delight

2009-06-27T21:14:00.001-05:00

Ok, so since I saw crazymom's cherry quilt yesterday, I've had cherries on the brain. I've been looking at this fabric on various fabric sites (to add to my collection of course)...

I went grocery shopping and paid $3 a pound for the best cherries I've had for a couple years! I couldn't bear to watch the checker run them across the scanner to see the damage...they're worth it! :)

When I got home, I had to take a glamour shot of my lovelies...

And yet another beautiful pic (if I do say so myself!). I like how the cherries from the towel reflect in the colander...I didn't even plan that! :) The colander and towel are gifts from my mother in law.Seriously, yum. I know what I'm having for dinner! :) On anther fun note, I can't wait for my mom to be here tomorrow! We're so going to raid the local nursery next week for some basil...it's the only thing I don't have that I still want. MUST stock the freezer with homemade pesto for the winter! :)

I'm also taking a page from another blog I read, and will start having a giveaway beginning on Mondays. I need to work out the details, but the prize will be something handmade by me, every week! So be sure to come back Monday and see the fine print. See ya then! :)

Blossoms Oh My!

2009-06-26T10:19:00.000-05:00

So some of my flowers are blooming like crazy right now...I have to share!
The tag on this rose says it's Queen Elizabeth, but I thought it was pink? Oh well. :)

My absolute favorite daylily...my mother-in-law gave me a piece of hers when we first got married. I don't know the name; it's so pretty and the blossoms are huge! She just gave me another daylily that's orange and has double flowers...it has buds so you'll see pics when it blooms. Lilies are my favorite flower.
My Sweet William is blooming! I just planted a chunk of this about 6 weeks ago from my great-grandma's house. My great-grandma (or Gran-Gran) was a wonderful lady and taught me a lot about sewing and embroidery. Her married name was Williams, so she always had these in her garden.
My orange lilies! Another one has opened this morning. These are gorgeous! I have them in a planter with purple iris and 'Autumn Joy' sedum. My Stargazer lilies have buds too, so you'll see them as soon as they bloom! The sun is shining, I've got to get watering. Have a great Friday and a delightful weekend! :)

Pets

2009-06-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

The Cookie Care Package is complete! This pattern was such a fun one to make. I did nothing on the sewing front yesterday...I'm slacking! I'll probably have a marathon nine-patch making session Saturday; Tony's going to the Dunes to ride his quad. He hardly ever goes, so a bunch of guys from work are going together I guess. That's the plan as of now. I've only been once; it's not my cup of tea so I don't feel bad when I don't go with him. :) I'd much rather be doing something else. Yesterday I was feeling the need for baked goods, so I whipped up some zucchini bread...YUM! It was so good. Usually I just make cookies, so it was a nice change.

Delightful, huh? Like a slice? :)

As promised, here's an introduction to our pets. First of all, we have Oliver the Shar-Pei. He'll be three in October. He's quite the dog. We think he's part cat since he likes to sleep ALL the time! He's a red fawn brushcoat (meaning he has soft fur. Some shar-pei's have fur that's more bristly). This is truly his pose 90% of the day. This is the newest addition...Mittens! We've had her a week tomorrow. I love calico cats, so when we saw the poster for her at the post office we called pretty much immediately! She's a sweetie, very much full of energy! She loves to chase the boy's lego pieces around the house! She's 10 weeks old.
This is Sinbad, our super-lop cat! He's four years old. He's totally my garden helper while I'm outside. I'm not kidding when I say he weighs A LOT. Well, I'm off for today. I've got to zip to the grocery store, hopefully go pick up "New Moon" at the library, and hang out with my tots. See ya tomorrow!

What Today Holds

2009-06-24T10:55:00.000-05:00

Hi again! Well, remember my to-do list from yesterday? Completed, and then some. I even picked up the last letter of recommendation for Tony's WOFT packet...woo hoo! It's coming together, finally. I cannot tell you how relieved I will be when we know what's going to be happening! All my errands were a snap, and I started on the Girl's felt project. Take a look!Isn't this adorable? I got the pattern from Little Crickets on Etsy, and I'm loving it. She has a teapot/tea party pattern that is SOOO cute...that may be coming my way soon too. With this project, there are other cookies I don't have put together yet that go in the box as well. That's today's work. The box was accidentally dropped in bathwater (!!!) last night, but after a night of drying out it's good as new. I STILL have the binding to put on my runner, and another day of blocks for the nine-patch quiltalong. Every time I go on the flickr group there are just amazing blocks and tops...great work all! :) This is my first experience with an online quilting project...I have to say, I'm really enjoying it and will surely do another.

On the garden front, the blessed corn is up! We may have a crop yet. I moved my artichokes into one of my raised beds yesterday...they were in the long flower bed that we have along our fence. I just need to add more soil and compost to that bed...I'm moving the iris into another area, and I would like to make the bed along the fence more cottage-like. We'll see how that goes.

Well, I'm going to get busy today. The sun is shining; that means I need to get out and water, and hang the Girls diapers! :) Have a lovely day, and I'll be back tomorrow with pet photos! :)

My Garden

2009-06-23T08:14:00.000-05:00

Hiya! Today I'm going to show pics of my garden. I LOVe to grow veggies, flowers and herbs! Ten years ago my mom and I had a market garden, and a CSA program for about 25 customers. It was so much fun and I learned so much about how to grow my own food. Our house has a very small lot, so I have 6 raised beds that are 4x8 feet . These are my big producers. This year I'm growing beans, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, shallots, raspberries, peas and herbs. Photos please!
This is an area where I have 5 beds that are 3x5 feet. It gets more shade than the larger beds, so I have mostly salad greens here. I do have a ginormous (love that word) rhubarb in one bed, and asparagus in the other end bed. They both get more sun. The net is all sprawled out in this pic; it's normally NOT so disheveled. I cleaned out these beds right before I took the picture and didn't put it back...we have the most voracious deer here so I have to cover everything!

This is my tomato bed. I also have shallots and rosemary starts in here. The green bean bed is to the left...you can see the beans poking out. They're much bigger already...amazing what a little sun and water can do!
My pea/herb bed, with the raspberry bed in the background. I grow oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon thyme, sage, and chives. Disregard the wooly grass; it was cut by yours truly on Sunday!

This is the strawberry bed. I have about 40 plants. They are "Tri-Star", which is a really great variety for this area. We had our first harvest a few nights ago...YUM! The corn is in the bed behind...I'm not sure about our success with the corn; Tony wanted corn in the worst way, so I told him "I'd try". Hmm. Don't you love the elephant in the back of the dump truck? The kids LOVE to be outside!

On the crafting front I've got another felt project in the works, my farmer's market runner is quilted and needs a binding put on, and I've got some nine-patches to do today. Not to mention going to get the lawn mower at my mom's, faxing a form in for the Army, dropping off some gardening pots, picking up two more tomato plants, making up some more sweet tea, and zipping to the store. OH! I got an Arcadia Honey Bun in the mail yesterday...I'm going to make Easter baskets for my tots with Vanessa's tutorial. LOVE IT! The boy loves being outside, and the bird prints were the kicker for him. I ordered a Swanky honey bun for the girl's basket. Projects galore! So many, I'd better get to them! See ya tomorrow! :)

Fun Weekend!

2009-06-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

Hi all, we had a really fun weekend! We had Tony's parents over for homemade pizza Friday night, then my mom, her man Dave and my grandma came over Saturday for dinner...pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, cranberry salad and cinnamon rolls...yum! For Father's Day we went to Tony's parents for a bbq. Lots of family time, and it was all a very fun and relaxing. Lots of laughter on Saturday night! Can you say "Buddha" Dave?!

I actually got a ton of sewing time in as well...Saturday morning I finished the runner for my mom and had it out on my coffee table so she could see it. I didn't tell her it's hers, but she loved it so I know it'll be a great gift. I also finished up an Etsy order, so that'll be off tomorrow.

I'm almost done quilting my veggie runner, then this morning Rachel had a great project on the Moda Bake Shop for a plastic bag holder! I had a charm pack of Hello Betty on hand, so I whipped one up in no time, and it's already full of bags! :) My laundry room has some 30's print items in it, so I thought this would be a perfect addition.

Tony's Army WOFT packet is nearly complete, so that's going to be a load off our minds. He's been running to get ready for boot camp. He's had some anxiety (to put it mildly) so it'll be good to get the packet turned in, and he'll be ready to face the board in September. Then we'll be able to have a better plan as to what our future holds...military? Civilians still? It's all in the air now and stressful for both. We will probably sell our house once the kids and I can move to the base where he has flight training...ahhh! See what I mean with stress? :)

On a much lighter note, I got my hair CUT (and I mean cut!) on Friday. Like 6-7 inches off! It's absolutely perfect and just what I wanted. Way easier for me to deal with, especially in the summer! Pics tomorrow!

My Day in Photos

2009-06-18T17:37:00.000-05:00

My latest table runner...I now have two in the works...this one and a Disappearing Nine Patch that was one of Rachel's tutorials...a progress photo tomorrow, I promise! It's begging to be quilted and bound tonight. I think I'll give it to my mom...she's a huge Mary Engelbreit fan and doesn't read my blog (that I know of!)

Hi again, I said I'd be back! Well, it's been a busy few days since we made our lightning-fast trip to Portland to my brother's. We had lots of fun, planted his garden, and did a tiny bit of shopping...not nearly enough, but some. So, since we've been home, I've been busy with a few things...

Diapers...forever on the line! Finally it's sunny so they can get some nice fresh air. I also have been busy in my garden, and sewing like mad.

I'm working on two table runners and the nine-patch quilt along. I can't believe I'm caught up! Woo hoo! I'll have garden photos tomorrow, but I'm needed on the mama front.

Delightful Giveaway!

2009-06-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Hey there, over at Julie's blog she's having a really good giveaway for Eye-Spy Rulers and 14 charm squares, just the right amount to create your own hexagon topper. Check out her tutorial; I'm hoping I win so I can make one soon! If I don't, I'm going to buy the rulers because you just can't make too many hexagons...love them! :) Thanks for the giveaway, and good luck!
I'll be back later on this afternoon with an update on life around here...it's finally nice so I may have tomatoes this summer after all! :)

The Latest

2009-06-09T17:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been busy with quilts again! I ordered a quilt kit from Quilt Taffy and I LOVE it! It turned out so beautiful...this one is mine, all mine! There were some scraps, and I made a doll quilt for Annie...cute, huh?

I also made an Irish Chain table square, since I love all things Irish and need something to put one of my Belleek vases on! I love the raggedy applique shamrocks... I've also decided I need a new camera...anyone have any suggestions for me? I may test drive some different models when we're in Portland this weekend. I'm so excited to see my brother, and I'm also going to squeeze in some girl time with a great gal I went to school with (yes, Rachel, that's you!) so that'll be fun. We're going to help my brother put in his garden...we're supplying the tomato plants, Gypsy peppers, bush bean seeds and red potatoes...we're also going to do a little shopping for anything else he needs while we're there...woo hoo! I'm all for shopping, especially when it comes to garden goodies.

Tony's off to Ft. Lewis, Washington today and tomorrow for his flight physical. Soooo, I have some more quality quilting time on my hands! I just joined (last week) a Nine-patch quilt here along with 275 (or so) others...I joined late, so I'm playing catch up big time, but I'm only like 10 down as of today! I can hammer that out tonight! :) Well, after a book of a post, I'm off to do some quilt labels like Rachel who has THE greatest blog! Love her! Later!

More Completions!

2009-06-03T13:19:00.000-05:00

So, I've gotten more projects completed over the last couple days...hence the no posts...sorry. Tony has been in Portland getting his Army physical and taking the AFAST...passed both with "flying" (couldn't resist) colors, so we're one step closer to his possible career change. During his absence, I finished the felt apple and felt strawberry.....

thanks to the awesome patterns from http://www.buggabugs.etsy.com/) and Annie's Vibrant Star quilt. (Arg, I wanted the picture HERE, still learning the blogger thing).I pieced the top while I was pregnant with her, then my mom and I hand-quilted some of it, then I threw in the towel and machine quilted the rest. It's absolutely beautiful and I'm so proud that she can use it now! :) While Tony was gone I had a few late nights, lots of tea, and two girly movies (Sweet Home Alabama, of course, and 13 Going on 30) to finish it up. Fun! :)

It's the boy's last day of school...thank goodness! He's been looking forward to this day since Christmas, so I'm glad it's here...he's ready for summer! Bug hunting, swimming, camping (with us and at 4-H camp)...lots of fun ahead! Plus going to visit Uncle Tim next weekend...woo hoo! :) See ya'll tomorrow...I have another quilt pic to post! :)

Fun Giveaway!

2009-05-31T14:47:00.000-05:00

Over at http://www.laniejane.typepad.com she's having an amazing Simple Abundance giveaway! This fabric isn't available 'til late summer, so go enter to win! You'll have to compete with me, though...I CAN'T WAIT to make a quilt out of this gorgeous fabric! :)

Completions! YAY!

2009-05-28T12:38:00.001-05:00

Sooo, yesterday was spent mostly on this...the cupcake of doom! Not really, it was really fun to make and Annie is having a great time! She's populated it with her knitted finger puppets...I don't know how a tiger, a crocodile, and an innocent bunny would get along in real life inside a cupcake, but hey! Whatever works. I haven't made the dolls yet that *actually* live in this cupcake. Someday. ETA: I purchased this fun pattern from Jen at http://gulfcoastcottagepdf.etsy.com She has amazing things in her shop! :)

I also finished up some pincushions (hello etsy!),

finished quilting Annie's quilt top (um, ya, two years later...), and started work on the felt apple of doom. Brett's calling it "Maximum Tomato". Hmm, is that a reflection of my skills? I hope not. Gonna work on the binding of the girl's quilt today...it's so nice, we may bag it (I'm leaning heavily for this) and play outside all day. With sunscreen! :) Learned my lesson last weekend...ugh, I'm still peeling!

My garden needs some (ahem, a LOT of) attention and diapers need to be line-dried. Ah, such is life. Be back tomorrow with more hijinks!

Works in Progress

2009-05-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I've got about 10 projects that are each like one step from done...can anyone relate? Why do I do this? Gotta get busy, then I'll post some pics. New additions to my Etsy shop very soon! :)

Bye Missy Prin

2009-04-29T18:04:00.000-05:00

I have some sad news...our cat Sophie was hit on the road today. We are a weepy family tonight!

Quick Check-In

2008-12-31T17:47:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to say hey, and to update the blog a bit. Found two amazing websites about gardening (totally have the gardening bug here!) and I added the photo of President-Elect Obama. This is from eattheview.org, and they are trying to get a kitchen garden going on part of the White House lawn. Love this idea! Jump over and sign the petition, and see if this can happen!
Here's to a productive, happy and healthy 2009!
~Molly

Newbie to Blogging

2008-10-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I've done it! After reading about a million blogs online, I decided I needed one too! I love looking at quilting and sewing blogs the most, but I have a lot more saved...hmm.
Lately I've been super-busy getting my sewing/crafting projects completed and listed on Etsy! LOVE that place. I'm at mollyscottage.etsy.com
I have lots of baby bibs, potpourri, quilt items, pizza crust mixes...need I say more? A little of everything...but that's what I'm all about...I have tons of interests and if I see something in a magazine, I'm all, "oh ya, I could make that!"
I've also been getting ready to reopen a drive-thru espresso that my mom owns. I'm tired of buying my 20 oz iced mochas, so I'll make my own. I'm also selling yummy salad greens at the shop, so if you're ever in Denmark, Oregon, stop in and try some for yourself.
My house smells like pumpkins...nothing like that scent to put you in the mood for fall. I'm finishing up an Irish Chain lap quilt and hand-quilting my daughter's crib quilt...hopefully I'll get it done before she outgrows the crib!