Moved!

If you've been following my blog and wondering where I've been . . .

I moved. Just my quilt side.

I've been here for a while now. Come on over!

Fabric philosophy

Forgive me for this mental meandering, but I was thinking last night, as I cut into my Pam Kitty Morning fabric.

Here's my big, deep thought:

Finding fabric you love is like finding the perfect guy for you.

Seriously.

Think about it. There are some horrible (for me) fabrics out there. Just yuck. I don't go in for browns and dark greens and the like. I like bright colors. I also don't go in for stocky guys. I like mine tall, with blue eyes, dark hair and named Aaron.

I digress.

There are fabrics here and there from different collections that I like, but I don't like the whole collection.

Then, along comes the PERFECT collection. In every way, shape and form. I like it all.

Pam Kitty is it for me.

Look at how awesome it is

in red

in blue

in pink

in green and yellow

See what I mean? Truly gorgeous stuff I tell ya.

So now I want to make it all with these fabrics. I bought all the fat quarter bundles from Fat Quarter Shop (which is why I was okay with lifting the images of each bundle). I'm now in the process of cutting them into wedges for Dresden plate blocks. I have a sneaking suspicion there are going to be a boatload of these and I'll be able to make a bed quilt for me and an extra lap quilt. Or two twin quilts for the girls.

Then I saw this one and now I have to make it as well:
It's in McCall's Quilting magazine and it's so cute!

I've had this pattern for a while and I just ordered the prints I want to make it.

Adorable, no?

And while I'm at it, I'm going to get the fat quarter collection again and make a bed-sized double wedding ring quilt for myself. Because this fabric is perfect - old-fashioned enough for these traditional quilts, but bright and modern enough for me.

Love it. Just like my perfect (for me) guy.

*Just want to note that there is nothing inherently wrong with dark colors. Or grey. Or gray. Or whatever floats your boat. They just aren't for me. It's a good thing we all don't have the exact taste in fabric, or men. There'd be a lot of disappointed quilters out there!

Creative Resolutions

Well, I don't know how creative they are, but they do regard my creative pursuits.

Here they are - I've kept it to five:

1. Be a finisher of quilts. I know this one is easy for some of you. I was terrified of machine quilting at first. Now it's just a matter of "git 'er done" and I've got a plan. I'll still work on piecing new tops, but my goal is to quilt all my finished tops (ahem, that would be a whopping 15!) before the summer. Wish me luck!
2. Um, whittle down the WIP list. Having a baby put me a tad behind.
   
3. Write, every day, for 1.5 - 2 hours. I have the time set aside for this in the evening. This means that sewing has to happen during the day.
4. Get Christmas done BEFORE November. Hey, a girl can dream!
5. Try something new, and difficult, like applique or a double wedding ring. Challenge myself! I think my Dresden plate quilt will be a good start because I'd like to applique each plate to the blocks.

There. I'm starting on numbers 1 and 3 this week for sure. Basting and quilting another Matchbox quilt.

What about you? Any resolutions?

Done . . . and not done

Finished:

• colored pencil roll for nephew
• Captain Jack Sparrow costume for other nephew
• doll sleeping bag and dress for niece
• scripture bag for niece's birthday

Left to finish:

• robe and jammies for L
• dinosaur tails for all
• jammies for husband

These dinosaur tails should whip up quick. And the robe will be fun, if nothing else. Aaron's jammies are already cut out. I do have some shopping to do - tomorrow or maybe Thursday. I'd like to be completely done by Thursday so I can enjoy Friday and Saturday.

And next year, I'd really like to not cut it so close. For real.

Christmas Quilts part deux

These have been way too long in the making. They were started in Seattle (all the HSTs sewn together) and finished in Moscow (Idaho, not Russia). But they are done in time for Christmas cuddling, and that's what counts.

So many projects to finish this next week. Linking up to Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday - and hoping she hosts a big one next week to show off our Christmas crafting!

My Christmas Kitchen 2011

Hmmm. What shall I make this year?

Easy.
Peanut brittle for the husband.

Caramels for the husband and kids, if he'll share!

Coconut cake on Christmas day, because I make the best one. Really. I was taught by my very Southern Gran and I've been perfecting it over the years. It is awesome and I just might eat the whole thing!

Coconut macaroons for all, including friends.

I'm done with spritz cookies this year. My cookie press is about to get hucked out the door. Note to self: just because Williams-Sonoma makes and sells it, doesn't make it the best there is. My mom's old Wilton one works WAY better than this thing. I can only get the trees to come out. Darn thing.

I'll make some more sugar cookies next week for the kids. We've got gingerbread creations set for Monday's FHE. A house, a tree and a train!

Oh, and donuts. Tomorrow night is the donut fest. Our annual Freedom Fry, to celebrate the holidays and the Bill of Rights. I'll be frying a boatload. Good times. Guess I should get the house cleaned up a bit, eh?

And then more sewing!

Fabric Tuesday

I finally finished these quilts. Shown here is the Christmas Barn Raising quilt (please pardon the bad, hazy lighting - I'm not trying to be fancy - we're just having awful overcast skies!). I've also got one in diagonal stripes (I'll save that one for Friday). Oh how I love these quilts. Red and white, backed in red flannel and perfect for snuggling. My kids are a little hesitant - they just keep staring at them right now. We'll get snuggled at storytime tonight.

This quilt makes me happy. I should be doing other sewing, but I wanted them finished for this Christmas. My other Christmas quilt tops can wait for next year, but I wanted these two done. Hooray for finished projects!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday!

Help me convince my husband

Clothes and I don't seem to get along. I'm shaped funny. (Okay, here comes full disclosure, but I'm not bragging!). I have a large bust (thanks to my paternal grandmother) and smallish/normalish waist and hips.

You'd think I'd be loving life, but I'm not. It is impossible to find appropriate clothes to fit my figure. I say appropriate because Victoria's Secret seems to get it, but that's about it. (I do like their t-shirts.)

I'm not about to start dressing like a 20-year-old party girl. Not happening.

So I want a dress form. So I can buy the patterns I like and make the clothes I want rather than getting frustrated every Sunday morning before church because I can't find anything to wear. I'd also like to be able to adjust the stuff I buy so that, oh, I don't know, I can look in the mirror and see that I have a waist. Apparently clothing makers think that if you have a large bust, you must not have a waist to go with it.

Oh, and having babies has really messed up my shape too.

So I'm working on Aaron to get a dress form for me for Christmas. Or my birthday. But I want one.

Any advice on getting one?

Finish it up Friday!

Don't have a quilt to show for this week - actually, between now and Christmas it's going to be like that. Lots and lots of Christmas sewing projects to finish up.

But I'm so glad this dress is finished, and just in time. Laurel's baptism is Sunday afternoon. She looks lovely in it, and it has her little touch of purple.

Now, to finish baby Caroline's blessing gown and Laurel's new scripture bag. Good thing my parents are coming to town today. I'll be sewing all day tomorrow!

Linking up with Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday!

Have a great weekend - we woke up to snow, finally, so my kids are quite giddy this morning.

If I Were Queen

How do you like my tiara? Harry Winston dear. As it is snowing outside, I went with the snowflake tiara tonight.

Oh, I was going to tell you what I would decree if I were queen. Just feeling royal tonight, or wishing I was.

If I were queen, everyone would learn to properly load a dishwasher. As in, efficiently and neatly. I am married to a man who, though his mother is British, did not teach him proper dishwasher loading technique. I cannot let him near it. It is disastrous and there are usually dishes left over because his inefficiency and sloppy loading did not allow room.

Unacceptable. This must be taught. I decree it, whilst wearing my diamond snowflake tiara.

Okay, admittedly, I really just wanted to use the word "whilst" - how was it? Did I sound royal enough?

Fabric Tuesday

I'm playing along in the Quilt Story Fabric Tuesday again today. Yes, I'm working on dresses for my girls when I get a moment, but I thought I'd play around with these blocks a little too.

I'm making this quilt, using Riley Blake's Indian Summer. Loving how it's coming together.

Because it's Monday

Because it's Monday, and my children (including Caroline) are being cooperative, I'm making cupcakes for FHE tonight. What is FHE? Find out here, if you're curious.

I've had this page bookmarked in the Flour Bakery and Cafe cookbook, the recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Crispy Magic Frosting. I'll admit that I was lured in by that frosting. I can't wait. I'll be sure to let y'all know how they turn out. There's an interesting process - the recipe tells you to let the batter sit for an hour at room temperature. We'll see if it makes a difference.

Have a lovely Monday. We're expecting snow again, but it keeps melting before my kids get a chance to go play in it.

Christmas Sewing

We woke up to snowfall this morning, and I have been known to listen to Christmas music while crafting, so I thought I'd share some of the crafting I'd like to get done for this Christmas.

And yes, my mother will think I'm crazy, given that I've got a one-month-old and four other rowdies running around. But I enjoy being ambitious! All links will take you to the tutorial or the pattern.

Okay, first, a little tissue holder for those I know who carry tissues in their purse. If I had a matchy matchy one with my bag, I just might be responsible enough to carry some myself. These are super easy and super cute.

For Miss Caroline (and maybe my nephew Jackson), I found these cute little stuffed turtles. Might I add that I can get Laurel and William to enthusiastically stuff things for me so I don't have to? I'm shameless, but resourceful!
I bought this pattern for stockings last year just after Christmas. I've got them cut out, mostly, but I'm struggling with how to get their names on them.
This is a two part gift. I thought Jackson would like to have something to throw a ball into, and these round nesting baskets were just the thing.
A mug rug (not this one - just an example for those who don't know what a mug rug is) for a special person. I've got it all designed and the fabric chosen. Just have to sew it up and ship it off.
Fabric beach balls, to throw into those round nesting baskets.
Stuffed dinosaurs for all my crazies, because I know they'd love them.
A crochet hook clutch for Laurel, who is learning to crochet at Activity Day and loving it. So far, she's made the world's longest and skinniest scarf for her stuffed flamingo. Hopefully she'll learn some more stitches this week.
An art bag for Laurel - I've searched high and low and this one is perfect for her. But complicated. We'll see if it gets done or not.

I've got other, top secret ideas, but these are just a few. They won't all get done, but I'll have fun trying.

I'm also creating my first tree skirt. This is uncharted territory for me because I can't find what I want anywhere, be it finished product or pattern, so I'm having to design it myself. Easy-peasy for some of you, but I'm challenged that way. Here's hoping it turns out, because the picture in my head is awesome!

Happy sewing (back to making little white dresses for me!).

Soup is ON!

Yes, I'm sewing dresses. Every spare minute I have. Which means I need some easy-ish dinners, preferably involving my dreamy slow cooker. And I do understand that easy-ish to me might be intimidating to others - long lists of ingredients don't frighten me away. Love them.

So here's what is going into the slow cooker at lunch time, and into bowls at dinner time, and into the freezer after that (because it makes a boatload!). I confess the minestrone bug bit me hard after a trip to Olive Garden back in August. I promise, this soup is a bazillion times better. I made a few changes to the original recipe - I cook the sausage right in the slow cooker (because I can do that in mine) so that later I'm cooking the veg in the fat from the sausage rather than a drizzle of olive oil. I know olive oil is better for you, but it's about layering flavor. Why waste that sausage fat? Not this girl. Course, I've been known to use bacon fat at times. That's my Southern heritage there, y'all!

Sausage Minestrone Soup with Orzo
adapted from The New England Soup Factory Cookbook

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound hot Italian sausage
3 T. olive oil (if you must)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, sliced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
12 cups chicken stock (no kidding!)
4 cups tomato juice
2 bay leaves
1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 zucchini, diced
1-2 summer squash, diced
1/2 c. dried orzo
3 T. chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

First, cook your sausage. If you are lucky enough to have a slow cooker that lets you brown your meat first, do this. If you are using a pot on the stove, you can do the same thing. I'm not sure how this would work in a regular crockpot or slow cooker. I'd just go with the pot on the stove.

So cook your sausage and then set it aside. If you're the healthy sort, drain off the sausage fat and add the olive oil. If you're the healthy but like more flavor sort, just keep your sausage fat and add your onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute for 8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, stock, tomato juice, bay leaves, chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini beans and cooked sausage. Bring to a boil. If using a slow cooker, transfer it and cook on low for about four hours. If using a pot, reduce heat to medium and simmer 40 minutes, adding more stock if too much liquid evaporates (not a problem with the slow cooker).

Remove and discard the bay leaves (or leave them in and then assign dishes to whomever gets them in their bowl).

Add the zucchini, squash and orzo. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Stir in the basil, salt and pepper.

This freezes beautifully.

To Do Tuesday

Yeah, that sums it up. I'd rather be quilting. I'd rather be making a huge dent in that WIPs list, not to mention actually finishing a quilt or two.

One small problem. Well, one small, Caroline-size problem and one bigger, Laurel-size problem. In the form of these:

We have a baptism/baby blessing on the 20th. We have family and friends coming in to town. As these are my girls, I am making the dresses. I bought a ton o' white fabric, spent August and September cutting it out and now I MUST sew it into dresses. Here's hoping they will be as pretty as my girls are.

After this is done, then I'm on to Christmas sewing, and won't that be fun? Dinosaurs for the kids, quilts for the boys (I might be burning the midnight oil to get those done!), a tool clutch for Aaron and a few other gifts. I love Christmas sewing, but I need to get started on it sooner next year. Right. Like that will happen!

Have a lovely, productive week. Pictures of these finished dresses will follow, I promise!

WIP Wednesday

I may have mentioned before how much I like lists. I like them a lot. I have to do lists and Christmas card lists and birthday presents lists.

My two most current, and most often referred to lists, are these two. One is a "Quilts Ready to be Quilted" list. It has *gulp* 14 quilts on it. Yeah, I've got to get to it, I know.

The other is my WIPs list. This one should not be getting longer. But I can't help myself. If I didn't have access to other blogs and Moda Bake Shop and Fat Quarter Shop, I might be able to slog my way through this one and add these *big gulp* 30 quilts to my other list.


See those Postage Stamp quilt blocks in the background? I'm almost done with them! Then I put the top together and piece the back and it moves to my other list. Yikes!

What's funny about me is that I'm not intimidated by any of this. I'm more embarrassed to admit it, but not intimidated. I've got the quilting planned for several of those "readies," so I'm more steps ahead than you might think.

My goal is this: while I'd be stupid to say I won't purchase and plan more projects, I will at least not start any new ones until I've got more space.

Wish me luck!

Fabric Tuesday

After I joined in on Amy's Bloggers' Quilt Festival last week, I browsed around the other blogs, bookmarking and following as I went. One of the first sites I visited was Quilt Story. Every Tuesday, they host a "Fabric Tuesday." Now, I've been doing "To Do Tuesdays" on my own, but sometimes my to do list isn't so exciting. Now fabric? That's exciting.

So today I join in on the Fabric Tuesday fun.

And just in time for Fabric Tuesday, a box o' lovelies arrived from the best online quilt shop EVER a.k.a. Fat Quarter Shop. Seriously. I heart them. A lot.

I've been needing to make some "boy" quilts. While my guys are tough guys and have no problems cuddling up in a pink/green quilt, or something with lots of flowers and butterflies, they deserve something a bit manlier. We are huge Richard Scarry fans in this house (seriously - check out "Busytown Mysteries" on Netflix - so much fun!) and when I saw this fabric at FQS, I knew it would make some great quilts for my little men.

So I ordered two FQ bundles - each comes with a panel with different vehicles, which I'm going to fussy cut and use as individual blocks. The colors are great - orange, green, blues, some reds and yellows.

I picked out some coordinating fabrics in orange, red, green and blue. I'm going to use this quilt pattern - it will be bright and fun and they'll love it. I'll have to border them differently so we can tell the difference. William's will be red, James' will be orange and Henry's will be blue.

Can't wait for my pattern to arrive so I can get started. Want these done by Christmas - can she do it?

Looky looky!

In spite of this sweet baby girl (try to deny it, but she really is the sweetest little girl!):

And these four crazy trick-or-treaters:

I was actually able to do this today:

I wanted to participate in Rachel's quilt-a-long many moons ago, but I was in my second-to-last quarter at UW and just didn't have the time.

Funny that I think I have the time now that I have a newborn, am homeschooling my two oldest kids and I have three birthdays to celebrate this weekend. But hey, it's all relative, right?

I'm halfway through on my blocks and am so excited to get this quilt top done this week. The weather here in Northern Idaho is chilly-dog and we're in need of more quilts.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I like things to be matchy-matchy. I made my first quilt when I was 18 or 19. This was back in the day when you chose maybe three coordinating fabrics. I made a double Irish chain using a yellow solid, a French blue check and a white on white floral. I still have that quilt and I still love that quilt.

But I needed to move on. Scrappy quilts scared me. I liked looking at them, but wasn't sure if I could make them. Now I know this quilt isn't as scrappy as it could be. I've since done scrappier, promise. But it was a challenge for me to mix the fabrics, even from the same line, and make something beautiful out of it. I loved this pattern so much, I'm ashamed to say I've made half a dozen just like it. But I've given two away, so that's a good thing.


I waited a long time to quilt this quilt. It's funny, but when my Henry was born (over 2 years ago), my Gran gave me some money to spend on me. I, naturally, bought fabric. I bought the fabric to make this quilt and while I got the quilt top done forever ago, I didn't quilt it. Well, Aaron bought me my Juki in May, just a few weeks after my Gran passed away, and I finally, FINALLY worked up the nerve to quilt it. What did I learn? That straight line quilting can be a better idea than free motion quilting. I learned that imperfections should be expected and not fretted over. And I learned that finished quilts are so much nicer than unfinished ones!

Enjoy the rest of the festival - I know I am going to do some serious blog hopping! So many great quilts with great stories.

Oh. And in case you were wondering, here are the specifics on this quilt:

Pattern: Matchbox by Abbey Lane Quilts
Fabric: Oh Cherry Oh by Me and My Sister (don't try to find it - I'm buying up all that I can!)

Finished!

Laurel, as Abigail Adams. I think it turned out beautifully. She was very happy, and that's what counts. I am hoping next year she opts for something simpler, but she's already talking about being a cobra. Sigh. That's what happens when you raise a geek.

And I wouldn't have it any other way!