New Year....New Start

Last time I posted about how much I stink at blogging...I think it goes beyond that! lol I probably spend too much time reading OTHER people's blogs! The last year and a half has been all about changes for me....getting used to being a single mom and living in a tiny space. I discovered that I LOVE living in a smaller place...just need to figure out how to organize my stash a little better!

So....new year,new me. Here are the resolutions (hey once they're public I gotta stick with em ,right?)

1. Lose the debt. Learn to live the "less is more" lifestyle....for real.
2. Save more for retirement.
3. Drop the 15 lbs. that somehow managed to creep back onto my butt,legs,and gut. sigh.
4. Exercise MORE (I just bought a Bowflex Treadclimber...) I fully intend to usher in 50 this year HOT! :)
5. Learn to relax and stress less. I have a serious issue with road rage.
6. Learn to LIKE taking the big hairy dog on 200 walks a day....and let go the "I'll walk a dog if we get one" the teenager said.
7. Make my gifts for next Christmas.
8. Quilting...I have really been wanted to publish my patterns,put together a trunk show,and go public. I intend to explore this....
9. Do the things that make me happy.
10. Not kill myself in the Bellydancing class my daughter and I start on January 9th. Hey...it's supposed to be hell on muffin-tops! :)

There. It's in writing.

Oh yeah...and try to write on this blog a little more regularly!

Almost summer....

Ok...so I stink at blogging. I would much rather READ blogs. lol Since my last post I finished the courthouse steps quilt. I decided to bite the bullet and just make more squares to make it larger. I am now working on this one...which I have nicknamed my "Summer quilt". It's funny how my very favorite pattern of all time can look very different just with the fabrics chosen. I am doing this in all shabby chic soft muted fabrics...and I gotta say it might be my all time favorite!

Border or No Border?

Advice please....I have 3 options for finishing this quilt....

1.Keep making more squares till its the size I want (3 to 5 more rows)with NO border

2.Add one more row than the brown fabric for a border (see pix)

3.Add one more row than the black fabric for a border (see pix)

Help!

No end in sight....

I spent the day today assembling 150 of these little boogers....apparently a woman my age shouldn't spend that many hours behind the wheel of a sewing machine....I am now crippled. AND after the wrastling and cursing that goes along with trying to make em all line up,I discovered I need at least 3 to 5 more rows to make this the size I want it to be. Ugh.

So....I haven't heard anyone saying they still want to do a quilt along....anyone ? My advice would be to GO BIGGER....my 5" babies are reallllllly small and are taking forever!

Progress....

I now have 5 of 15 rows of my courthouse steps quilt completed....and since both squares received votes for the quilt-along,we'll do both! lol I have both started,and am a long way from finishing either....I seem to have quilter's A.D.D. I get bored working on just one project,so having two going will work out just fine!

I will post some directions for one of them soon,for those who want to start early. In the mean time....Happy Holidays !

Quilt Along....

Several people indicated they would like to play...if we start after the holidays. You got it! I'll post info right after the holidays....so which quilt gets your vote?

Quilt Along Anyone?

Was wondering if anyone might be interested in a scrappy quilt-along? I have 2 possibilities that I could provide tutorials on...easy peasy ones. :) They are the "Along the Road" quilt pictured here,or a Courthouse Steps one ,the squares of which are pictured in my last post....

This would be a go at your own pace no pressure thing....just motivation from participants! It's much more fun when you have friends doing the same thing! So...if you are interested,leave a comment and let me know which gets your vote....the tutorials would be for a block,so the size of your quilt is flexible!

New projects

Long time no post.....I have just finished one project, and am about to embark on a new one. The scarlet and gray lap quilt above is for a friend who is a huge OSU Buckeye fan. I am pleased with the way it turned out,but I gotta say working with reds is not my thing. I realized I am only happy when I am fingering those civil war fabrics! LOL

The 3 squares above a trial squares for what will probably be my masterpiece. The inspiration came from Jo Morton's Courthouse Steps quilt featured in American Patchwork and Quilting. I nearly swooned when I saw it! Now THAT is my idea of a heavenly quilt! I considered it a sign that I even had the same center square fabric she used that I had been hoarding for some time.....The large square is according to the magazine directions....however,for some reason I kinda like the smaller version. It has one less round and I think it looks more balanced. What do you think?

I am starting this baby today.....ooooh I sooo love it! Anyone else wanna join me?

Scrappy Challenge Progress

The top one is what I am currently working on with the scraps....the bottom one is a possible future project using 5" charms as the starting point

I accept the challenge

I accept the challenge Em's Scrapbag has put out to make something from your scraps this summer....heaven knows I have scraps! LOL Now.....what to make what to make.....

Excitement Brewin......

Stay tuned for some very exciting news......

Doll Quilt Swap 9 Submission

Well....had so much fun with my "Happy Squares" I decided to make some more and turn them into a "Happy Lil' Quilt" for my swap partner. My partner apparently likes color...so what do you think partner? Here it is all handquilted with HOT PINK quilt thread and warm and crinkly fresh from the dryer.....

4th of July Mini

Here's a tiny little primative flag mini that measures in at around 8" X 12"....pieced on machine and hand quilted. From start to finish about 3 hours.....

Advice Please!

I want to make a series of minis to put above the couch here.....I plan to frame them all in separate white shabby chic style frames...which size do you think would look best?

Mother's Day

This year for Mother's Day,my daughter Kaitlyn (on the left) and 4 of her friends planned an elaborate garden dinner party for the 5 moms. They decorated,cooked,and served a fabulous dinner. It was wonderful...all the mom's couldn't remember a nicer Mother's Day. :)

Self Portrait Friday

So a lot of my blog friends do this self portrait thing on Fridays.....thought I might give it a whirl. Took this photo before work on Friday....ok,so its in the bathroom,I know. My photo skills are somewhat limited. :)

Spent the glorious California weekend working on the happy squares,and gardening.....something I am not really good at. Hopefully everything will live.

Happy Little Squares

I needed some happy....so nothin says happy to me like 30s prints! These little buggers finish at 4" and make me smile just workin on them.......the middle squares will all be the hot pink polka dots. Girlie city!

Sewing again

Potholders in progress....after a long absence from sewing,I am back! These are for my Mom for her birthday....then I made a set of placemats for a gift....then onto some mindless log cabin squares from my scrap bin......

My New Life

Life has kinda gotten in the way of blogging and sewing for that matter lately. I haven't touched fabric or my machine in over a month. The orchid above was a housewarming gift from my two best girlsfriends.....housewarming you say? Yes,things are a bit different around here. I am one month into a divorce......no need to feel sad for me,I should have done this long ago. I moved this weekend into a lovely little townhouse and am busy nesting and unpacking. The master bedroom is large enough to have a sewing area on one side.....I spent my first weekend alone,while my 14 year old daughter spent the weekend with her dad. I think I will have waaaaay more free time in this new life. :)

Anyway,once things get settled I want to make some quilted pillows for my new digs. The townhouse came already decorated in shabby chic style,so will have lots of fun playing house. Hope all is well with my quilting buds! Onward and upward!

Another Finish

This is hot off the press...another of my "brainless sewing" quilts. I am liking these more and more. This is done in mostly Judie Rothermel's Civil War Dressing Gowns as well as a few others. I was going for a soft cottagey feel.