Quilting with Company

I have so enjoyed sharing my quilting projects here - but the last 24 hours Jenna has been over working on her very own quilt. I have to say having someone to chat with and share quilting info with has been a blast! And today she is super excited about her progress :) She told me earlier - "I knew it would eventually become something, but I never thought it would look so good!"
Jenna goes back to school later this month and has been working full-time, I was starting to get concerned that we would have enough time together for her to finish. But my faith is renewed in Jenna! She stayed up past 2 last night ironing all those corners down.
We got the pattern laid out while Owen was napping this morning and got right to putting it together. I've helped with some of the pinning, but Jenna has done all the sewing. Definitely a lesson for me in how to talk her through it. :)
So far, 4 of 10 rows put together. It's coming together nicely - Don't you think?!

Star Blocks and a Pin Cushion!

I cut out the same night I posted my first star block these three. I have been working on them as able since and I'm excited to show you :) I've been using little scraps from my bin so they are all different and fun. My girls have been asking for place mats so I may just add more to the sides and then quilt them for the girlies. . . have to wait and see!

I found this pin cushion via another blogger - Darlene at Quilting Daze, recently asked for help making one and I decided I needed one too! Here's the tutorial we used - sweet and simple - my favorite quick project.
Thanks for stopping by!
Amy

Check This Out!

My friend Katie is having a giveaway! And the best part is that her giveaway is helping earn money for their adoption. If you would like to have a little extra to spend at Amazon - go check it out! Fun for you, and good for Katie :)

I'm Addicted

I just finished my first block from AmandaJean's star quilt-a-long. So fun! Honestly, I'm sorta glad I only started now - I don't have to wait for next week to start the next!
It may seem like I've done nothing more than blog and quilt today but I assure you my family is not malnourished nor is the house in complete disarray. But I must be going - dinner must be made :)

Olive Rose Quilt Top

I did manage to eek out enough time to finish the top I showed you last week! Our weekends tend to be less routine and more fun family time - which in turn equals less sewing time. . . I like it that way. :)
Please excuse the bits of mess you see behind it. . . :) My house is only ever half clean!
Do you see the patterns emerging? I like it! I didn't really expect it that way. I just wanted to balance the red and brown in each block. I had actually thought the blocks would go in the other direction originally - it pays to lay it out and see what works. :) I think it will be a nice fall lap quilt, especially with the corduroy backing.

For my next project I think I may work on AmandaJean's quilt-a-long - I have been loving all the blocks that keep popping up in blogland.

Good Info

One of the many blogs I subscribe to is 5 minutes for moms. They (twin sisters) have good info on blogging, fun contests, mr. linky to promote each other, and lots of other good stuff. One of yesterday's posts included a pdf doc with tons of info. Go check it out, and be a more informed blogger!

Happy Friday!

I hope that you are having a great Friday, and that your weekend is great! I decided this morning that I was going to take the kiddos to the park. I feel like we are just getting to where I can trust everyone, on my own. Without help. My strategy is to put the 2 younger in swings and push them, while watching the older two go up and down the slide, monkey bars, and whatnot. I was pushing three for a while today.

At this particular park, there is a 12 foot tall circular slide. For this mommy it may as well be a skyscraper! I'm not bad with heights, but last time we were there (about a month ago) Sophia (3) climbed to the top with every intention of going down, but she froze! It was a busy day there, and there was a pile-up of kids on the stairs. I got Ella to stay with Owen in the swing, while I pushed my way past the impatient pile-up. Of course they didn't understand why she wasn't going down :) Not the best of experiences, but Sophia wasn't really phased, praise God, she decided to stick with the smaller slides, and had a blast!

So back to today . . . It is hot! 90 in the shade, and around 105 in the sun! I moved one thermometer in the sun so I could be accurate :) And the UV index is probably 13. We lasted about an hour. Everyone had fun, we took hats, were plastered with 50 spf sunscreen, water and snacks, and took breaks in the shade. I could see my little ones getting flushed with all the heat and get a little concerned, especially for Owen as he can't tell me how hot he is. It was fun to get out though, change up our day a bit. Somedays I get so caught up in the routine, I'd rather not do that sort of stuff - but that's where memories are made! No pictures today though - I need my eyes to be on them all the time :)

As for my most recent quilting I haven't done any sewing today - YET. I will get there. I figured I would show you where I got to last night -I have 20 of these 9 1/2" blocks, I was playing with them on the floor last night, my design wall, and found that they draw the eye in a fun way. Just something I made up. I love the colors in these fabrics - especially the cool aquas. And I found, about two yards of turquoise corduroy. My mom gave it to me at least a few years ago. I'm not sure how long she even had it before passing it on, it could be from when my sister and I were girls . . . I wasn't sure what to do with it then, but it matches perfectly. And I think it will be a backing. I know, not traditional, but I like to think outside of the box :) And I still have some stripes for the binding - I think it will be fun.

So that's where I'm at and what I'm working on this weekend! I am off to set up some misters outside for my girls. Do you have any plans for the weekend?

A Trophy

. . . at least to me it is!

I took it outside to show the true colors.

On the back I added triangles to act as a sleeve - so I can hang it.

Look at how puckery and yummy it is.
This quilt has been in progress for a while now - each step has posed a new challenge, new skill to master. Well kinda, I'm not a perfectionist - that takes more than I am able to give :) But I have so enjoyed the process, being self-taught I am typically eager to find something new to figure out. So, here's my trophy of learning new skills, and undying effort. At times it felt like it would never end! If you care to look - I blogged about this project here, here, here and here!

My plan is to keep this little treasure, hopefully hang it around here somewhere. I don't know if I could bear to part with it :) To celebrate it's completion, I cut into a stack of Olive Rose fat quarters I got from Valori Wells herself!

Sophia

Sophia is a little over 3, at this age our family is her entire life. This morning I overheard her tell Emmalie - "Emmy you are my best friend." In a very sweet and gentle manner, which isn't always the case. Emmalie smiles and keeps going with whatever she was doing.
Later she tells me - "I love my baby brother, mommy." So sweet! I often tell her (and her sisters) that Owen loves her too - you can see it in his eyes whenever he sees one of his sisters. On the good days, they all play nicely together, we mostly have good days. The other days I find myself playing referee in the midst of the chaos. I just want them all to love each other when they are older:)

The Plunge

Well being uncertain, and a little bored of my straight line quilting - I took the plunge! I am so glad that I did :)
I've been practicing stippling/loop-d-loop quilting, but had yet to put it on a quilt - I was chicken! Having watched videos online and read about stippling - you aren't supposed to cross over your previous stitching. . . rules are meant to be broken right? The loop-d-loop seems to come more natural to me :)
I am about halfway done - I'll post more pictures, including the back once it's complete. I've learned so much with this quilt it seems fitting now that it be my first attempt at stippling. Have a great weekend!
Amy

Current State

DSC_0495
Originally uploaded by parkcitygirl

So here's where I am stuck! I have it basted together with a backing that I love and I purchased some green thread that works well - I think. White worked on the front but not the back and the opposite is true of cream. Green was a good compromise :) My original plan was to go straight line 1/4 inch on either side of the seams, but not all of my seams match perfectly . . . did I tell you how much I have learned in the process of making this? My current thought is to use a decorative type stitch over the seams, but not every seam - that would be too much. And I would love to be able to stipple but I don't want this to be the first piece that I actually stipple quilt - too much pressure. But then again maybe I need that pressure. As you can see this quilt puts me at a total loss! I have a few more pics on flickr if you want to see details. Thanks Rachel for reminding me about flickr!

Winner!

I thought I would have you fooled! No fooling you though - Jaimie guessed it right off! I was inspired looking around Jo-Ann's website when I found this - I didn't exactly follow their directions, but that makes it more mine :) Super simple, and we've got plenty of t-shirts to make grocery sacs. Emmalie asked me why I was making another grocery sac. . . I told her we rarely have just one bag of groceries, usually it is 5 or 6! Understanding came over her face and she was off to play again. I have a more exciting sac that I will get off to Jaimie! :)

I have everything that I need for my diamond quilt, but now I am struggling with how to quilt it - I don't want to mess it up! eek

Guessing Game

What did I make this bag from? Guess right and I will send it to you!
No it's not a thrifted sheet. :)

OH and I put a button at the top of my sidebar - click over to enter to win a gorgeous quilt from my friend Dana!

Explorer

After paying a few bills online I walked back into the kitchen and found Owen exploring. :)
In the kitchen cart that is usually full of canned goods, but happens to be empty enough at the moment for him to climb on in!
After grabbing the camera and taking a quick pic, I called his name. All the sudden the space was too small, and he started on his way out. And then I saw his what his quest was all about. The elusive crayon - I always take them away, 'cause all he does is this. . .and yes he is wearing a necklace belonging to his sister.
I managed to get my diamond quilt basted today, I spent my afternoon outdoors yesterday. But now I am out of thread - something that I should have written down before heading out last.

More Bloggy Goodness!

Well, I hope that you all had a great weekend! My MIL surprised me on Saturday, she called around noon to ask if she could come and get my girls for the afternoon. After my Friday post, I was not about to say no! So Owen took his nap and then we two, (2 vs. 5 is a big difference) went out. There's a quilt shop/foofy home goods shop about 10 minutes away, it has been there a year and it was my first visit! Sad, I know, I do most of my shopping online (2 vs. 5 again). I had a great time, not so sure about Owen. . . but he was in the sling, happy to be nearby. I am happy to say that I managed to purchase a little fabric, just for the backing of my diamonds quilt :) I am so very excited to get to work on it again. Hopefully this afternoon's nap time will get me going.

So, you're probably wondering where the bloggy goodness is coming in - he he. Here's the other giveaway that I won. Look at these puzzle frames from HICCUP! Too cute :) And there's 4 - one for each of my kids. If you follow the link above she has an etsy shop if you are interested.
Close up of the patterns/papers - so fun and colorful!
The other half of the giveaway was these handmade books from VanillaJoy. Yep handmade books! They are the perfect size for my purse - grocery list, phone notes - whatever I need to write down. That's lots these days, this mommy brain is usually on overload :) Thanks Kelcey for the great giveaway!
And finally, my sweet friend Jaimie sent me this quilt journal. Inside there is a ton of pages, each quilt gets a photograph, and description including when it was made, who it was made for, and room for my thoughts about it, what I learned, which fabrics are used. . . I knew this sort of thing was out there, but never would have thought to purchase it for myself! Thanks again Jaimie :) I expect I will be using this for years to come.
She found it at JoAnn's if any of you quilters are interested.

Happy Monday!
Amy

What Was I Stressing About?

oh right - everything!

It's weird how one little thing can make everything seem stressful - but it does. My younger 2 take afternoon naps usually around the same time, while my older 2 play outside. We have worked into a nice summer schedule :) Only today my girls didn't go outside right away - just having fun inside - and so Owen was woken up. They are never quiet, and why should they be, they are kids! It just sent me today - Owen whining in his crib, and them invading my quiet time.

I got them plastered in sunscreen - and sent them out. Ah a little better.
I left Owen in his bed - he wasn't screaming just whining - he went back to sleep. Lots better.
A phone call from Joe - "Don't stress out. Take a breather." I'm okay :)

Sometimes I just need a reminder. "Take some time for yourself - you are important too!"

So don't forget to take some time for yourself today - okay?

Blessings -
Amy

Binky Patrol

Well, here's the extent of my creative endeavors for today! A bink connector for my little man. As we started walking a lot in the spring, Owen began tossing his bink right out of the stroller. We even found one the next day one time! I have not had much luck or fondness of the typical contraption found at Target or Wal-Mart, and being crafty would not pay for someone else's when I was clearly able! I found the clips on ebay for cheap and got started. I used scraps from Owen's quilt and whalaa!
Until about 2 weeks later - the clip lost it's grab, just gave up! It could have something to do with Owen yanking on it when he was not wanting it on him. . . So this is the last of the five clips I bought on ebay - then I am back to square one. You should notice that the bink is sewn in - no velcro, or snaps, my kids have always pulled them loose, I got smart and sewed it in place :) I just wash the entire thing in the sink as needed.
So if you know of any other options for the clip part that would be great! I had considered selling them in my shop, until I realized that it wasn't that great a product. . .

Bloggy Goodness!

Hi again! I hope that you had a great weekend - mine seemed to stretch on and on. It was hard to know which day it was :) Today I had an early morning running errands for Joe, while he worked. He's been working so much he doesn't have the chance to take care of things he really needs to get done. . . Dropping the girls at grandma's and running around town makes it a treat for everyone! A package greeted me when we got back to the house. :) I love packages!

I won a blogiversary giveaway, and it is so great! Jenny sent me a copy of her "book" and a quilt.The kids made fast work of welcoming the quilt to our home! It is nice and bright, really big and beautifully quilted.
Her book is a box of cards that are laminated each with a project on it! I love it - I'm always afraid I will rip pages, but not with this one! Thank you so much Jenny! Now I just need to figure out which is my favorite. . .

I also learned last night that I won on Vanilla Joy. She still has a couple of giveaways open - so go check it out. Lots of good parenting tips over there too!

Yesterday I spent the day with my Sister-In-Law, and good friend Jenna. I talked her into making herself a quilt! So we got started yesterday with all the cutting for a simple snowball quilt. She will be a sophomore here in about a month and a half so she will be working on her quilt on her days off. I totally forgot to take pictures - sorry! She's excited, and we made a couple of blocks early in the day so she has a good idea of what it will come to later.

While she was cutting - I did a little sewing off and on. (As kiddos allowed) I had a pattern in a magazine to try. . .
It's a grocery sac, yes I made it from the same sheet as the nightgowns! It is a king size sheet and I think there's still room for a set of jammie pants for me. It just keeps on giving :) Nice size little tote, not too big for the girls to help, but holds enough to make it worthwhile. I would like to try it with ripstop nylon - that way it compresses to nothing in my purse - especially if I make more. . .

I think that catches me up! I did finish the quilt top that I have pictured in the previous post - it was just laid out there - lots of fun putting it together, and it's a good size too! And I spent both of Owen's naps in the garden the other day - ugh, that's a lot of work, but it looks much better now!

Happy Tuesday ~
Amy

Happy 4th!

Do you have fun family traditions for the 4th of July? We have one that we started last year - and the girls love it! Owen was a mere 2 weeks old last summer and I was in no condition to traipse about for hours, so Joe took the girls to the hot air balloon festival. It gets pretty cool (55) over night even though it has been in the 90's all week, and that allows the balloons to have a good flight before it gets too hot. Here's the girls last year :) There's more pictures here.
We got down there this morning with the masses - it didn't quite work out as planned but we still had a great IHOP breakfast (a real treat) and good family time. Later, we have a bbq planned, and fireworks in the evening in town. We have gone to a golf course driving range ever since we moved here. The kids are able to run around until it gets dark and then we wait for the show! That reminds me - we need glow sticks for tonight - identifiers for the kids. . .
Enjoy your day - Amy

Edited to add: I almost forgot! My quilt top, as far as I got yesterday. . . I need to sew it together I just laid it out to see where I was at. My goal was to use as much of the fabric as possible, and I only have 4 little squares left! I will get a better picture when it is together.

This and That

Well I had plans to work on a new bag that I have been formulating - but I have no interfacing. Next!Remember this quilt top? I had quite a bit of fabric left so I cut it into squares - I have no idea how many or an exact plan yet, but I do have a little library inspiration, so more to come soon :)

Ella pulled her 3rd tooth out last night. We noticed in the afternoon that her big tooth was emerging, and the baby tooth was going to come out soon. At bedtime, (of course) she is worried. She heard a story recently of a boy swallowing his tooth in his sleep because it was so loose but he refused to pull it out. . . She worked on it for over an hour at this point. Honestly, I was ready to have it out, she has been playing with it and wiggling it with her tongue (uck) for a month at least. She spent all day today listening to herself talk, checking her whistling and bubble blowing skills. She's growing up so quickly!

And here's our boy - so proud to have gotten on the couch all by himself! He currently has 8 baby teeth and cutting 4 incisors, thankfully we have a while until his start falling out!