Life

Hi Friends~
Despite my lack of posting - I'm still here, and it has been a productive week - just not with my sewing machine! Family first - right!? They will always be first in my book - even if I feel like pulling my hair out every once in a while :)

~ I made lots of phone calls to other mom's in Ella's school, and delegated costume projects. Whew! For a week or so I was working out what was needed and the best way to get them all done. I think the costumes will be really cute - that's a whole other post though.

~ We had a parent-teacher conference yesterday - Ella is such a great student! All E's :) (E is for excellent in her school) And she's reading a whole year ahead of her grade level - we are so proud! Her teacher said "Whatever you're doing - keep doing it!" Honestly Ella comes by it very naturally, and we do make sure she has all the help she needs from us to succeed. More importantly we make sure that she has opportunity to be a kid, play and have fun. And a little responsibility too - a few chores never hurt anyone!

~ I've been CPA shopping this week. . . In years past TurboTax has been a good friend, getting us through this season. But things have gotten to complicated, and it's good to know your limits! I'm relieved that the responsibility to file is off my shoulders.

~ Our little Owen has one more tooth in his smile. Two more to go! Unfortunately they seem to be taking forever, and taking their toll on this tired mama. He hasn't been sleeping his usual calm, through the night sleep, my brain has felt scrambled all week! I took this picture early in the week - I remember thinking "if only this picture meant all the laundry was done" It's never all done - I'm usually at different stages of caught up, but rarely all the way caught up. I made it my goal to have my girls fold more of their laundry - so far so good!

So the Super Bowl is this weekend! Any major plans at your house? I need a diversion. . . I have a few ideas - we'll see what comes of the weekend :)

A Notion or Two - January

This block has been a growing experience for me! After seeing all the blocks the past couple of weeks I felt stuck. Amy really wanted wonky, and no 90 degree angles, with a appliqued birdie. I'm still working on breaking out my box - this was a great push!

In the end I thought of a bird, through a window - here's my translation :
I'm pleased with how it turned out. Hope you do too, Amy!


Hope you are well ~ Amy

Chelsee's Quilt!

Remember Chelsee? She worked like a feign to make a quilt in a week. Being that she had not used a sewing machine, rotary cutter, seem ripper or pins - we were really impressed with how fast she picked it up! Here's a couple of pictures that her and Jenna took - back at school - I love the backing fabric that she chose!Isn't it so pretty!? Chelsee is pretty certain she will quilt again! yeah - glad to have another convert - he he :)



I had my stitches out this morning - now I just need it to finish healing. Though it could be a while as it is on the knuckle. . . I may put a picture up, if I'm brave.

Blessings to you ~ Amy

SewConnected - January

I have been sitting on this fabric all month - and the last week haven't gotten sew much. Last night I ignored the dinner dishes and set to work after the kids went to bed.
January is Tracy's month - she has a green living room and is making a quilt to coordinate. I love the luxurious fabrics that Tracy sent! I really wanted to highlight the silk somehow - and this is what I came up with. I hope you like it Tracy! The quilt is going to be fantastic - you can check out the other blocks over on flickr.

Now I need to get my other block done for Amy . . .

Hope you are having a great Friday!
Blessings - Amy

Have you seen this!?

It's on my calendar for tomorrow! I googled it to see if I could find an explanation. Nothing. Then I looked to see the artist name again - just in case. . . Susan Branch. Looks like she's a quilter too! She even has some free patterns on her site. So if you happen to need a reason to go fabric shopping - my calendar says to go visit!

Blessings to you ~ Amy

Bloggy Friends

I live in Utah. There seems to be ALOT of bloggers in Utah. I've never met up with a blogger from Utah - but I did meet Amy of Mommy and Beyond today, and she lives in Virginia!We've been "friends" for a couple of months now, and recently got in thick with Dana and a Notion or Two. After a bit of deliberation, we decided to meet at Elaine's - fitting right!? Ella was back at school today, so we had 5 kids between the two of us - we hung out downstairs in the sale section for a while, out of the way, getting to catch up. And $1.00 fat quarters down there too! I know I said spending freeze . . . just a couple :)

After about an hour the little people were done - so we found the nearest coffee shop and got everyone a little snack. A great way to spend the afternoon with new friends! Amy's mom, a fellow quilter was with us too. I'm thinking she might like to get in a mini-swap group :) I'm not participating in the swap this month - but there are some great little quilts in that group!

In the end, meeting up with a fellow blogger, was a little nerve wracking in the beginning, but turned out to be loads of fun! Hope you have a great Wednesday ~ Amy

Baby Doll Quilts

After seeing my pictures from Christmas, a friend on Facebook asked for a doll quilt for her little girl. At first I thought about doing 1 or 2, but I seem to work in threes when it comes to doll quilts! I couldn't weed out my fabric selections - so three it is :) I love this combo and so another kitty cat quilt. Emmalie wanted to keep it - of course!


Sock Monkeys for dolly's. I put a blue chambray on the back, and I love how the little faces are framed out. cute!

I think this little one may be able to be labeled improvised. The quilt I had made from these fabrics previously were fat quarters, and the remaining bits were strips, cut to the same width. Some I cut down a little more and I sewed them together, added a side piece and the top and the bottom as I saw what worked as I sewed. What do you think - improvised?

We've had a cleaning day around the house! Owen went down for a nap after lunch, and the girls went to play outside so I got busy cleaning floors. I was busy working downstairs still, when the girls came in (cold toes). ------ Being the oldest, Ella seems to have this incredible power over her sisters! She convinced them to help clean up - so they could surprise me when I came upstairs. I came up to Ella getting the broom out to sweep the kitchen and a clean living room floor - now that Owen has just woken up, it's time to get it vacuumed too! My girls are so precious and sweet - I am so thankful that they seem to know just when I need help :) Why is it that they seem to be better helpers when I don't ask!?

***If your still reading each of the doll quilts have been listed in my etsy shop. Hopefully they go fast! I'm in the midst of a spending freeze along with all the cold weather :)

6 Takes

There's been a couple of items that I have intended to post about - and have forgotten or run out of time. . . so here's a few quick takes to keep us current :) And a few links too!

~ A week or so ago Jacquie introduced a new project - Project Improv. I jumped on board a bit hesitantly, as I do like to draft blocks and have a plan for my quilts. But I am excited to step out of my comfort zone! I have a aqua/red block to make and get to Jacquie soon.

~ A Notion or Two - Dana invited me to join her bee before Christmas. . . I couldn't resist! Doing block and mini swaps has been a great way to try something new. I have received January's fabrics from a fellow Amy blogger and I'm looking forward to learning more as I sew :)

~ Every year the 3rd grade at Ella's school does a Disney program. . . she has spoken of this since she first saw the program in Kindergarten. It's finally here, mid-March they will preform 4 times (I think) Ella has a solo (Tiki Room), and will be a dancer in a couple of other songs. She is SUPER excited. Speaking with the teachers, the district has wanted to shut down the production, as it takes away from reading and math, but the teachers continue to stand up for the advantages of getting the kids involved - and producing good test results. . . My point!? You ask - I volunteered to organize a few moms, that also volunteered, to update costumes for the program. What was I thinking!? It will be fun, and I haven't been able to help in the classroom yet, with so many little people at home - so it's my contribution! Any ideas for elephants?

~ I was in my fabric chest yesterday and found this collection again! I won a giveaway from Artsy Momma a while back and . . . well I've been a slacker posting my thanks here. Thank you Stefanie!

~ My stitches seem to be healing well. I haven't had much pain even - until Owen kicked my hand while I was getting him dressed this evening . . . mostly I'm just slower at most of the usual things :)

~ I borrowed Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt from the library on Friday. I have been looking/reading through it all through football this afternoon. It's a beautiful and amazing story! This site has more info too :)

~ Is your name Amy too? Amy @ Commonplace is compiling a list of blogging Amy's. Check out the link if you would like to be added to the list :)

I finished the binding on three doll quilts today - I will be back to post about those real soon! Hope you are having a great weekend ~ Amy

Guest Blogger

My dear friend "Miss Amy" from college asked me to write a post for her today :) She even went to the trouble to post pictures from school of her and I! Go check her out - and her fabulous etsy shop!

Thanks friends, and have a great weekend ~
Amy

Frosty Fog

This morning was good. Not as much rushing about to get Ella out the door to school :) These January mornings are pretty cold, and lately the fog has been dense! We are up around 7:30 each morning - just as the sun rises too, this morning I managed to grab the camera and catch the moon before it set. The fog creates these ice crystals on the bare trees. My favorite winter feature! Later in the morning I enjoyed watching it being blown off. I don't even notice the breeze - but there is enough to scatter the little crystals.


And because you seem to enjoy the view as much as I do - Mt. Timpanogos at sunrise. The sunsets are beautiful - but I rarely have the chance to capture it :)

I spoke last week about wanting to take better pictures . . . you all left some great links, which I have technically looked at, but not enough to improve my photog skills! If you are interested there are links in the comments of this post. And I'm still sewing! I have a couple of doll quilts in progress - I will share them with you soon - Amy

I Am Thankful : : 10

for ~

~ modern medicine - even though it costs too much here in the US.
~ a long weekend from school (end of quarter, and MLK)
~ my husband, Joe, he loves us all so much, and works so hard for us.
~ a lack of pain in my finger
~ God's love for me - and you!
~ healthy kids - we've barely had the sniffles thus far this winter.
~ the warm sunshine



You are welcome to join me in being thankful! I would love to know the blessings in your life - leave a comment and let me know :) Or post your own list.

I'm It!

I was tagged last week by a new friend! The MooreMagnets Blog has a great etsy shop and a fun blog :) Check her out! I try to play along with these in a timely manner - I always appreciate getting to know fellow bloggers through these memes :)


first... here are the rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you
• Post the rules on your blog
• Write six random things about yourself
• Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them
• Let each person know they've been tagged

Random me -

1 - I seem to have a hard time being aware of my fingers/body. . . I got three stitches this evening, left hand, middle finger, knuckle - I was trying to give Owen a hair cut. Now his hair really needs help, and I have vowed to never, ever take scissors to a child's head!

2 - I've never been further east in the US than Utah. I really want to see the rest of the country!

3 - I visited friends in Ecuador for a month after I graduated from high school. My Spanish is rusty but I can get by in a pinch!

4 - I love my Sonicare toothbrush! I will never go back to a manual brush - it is so much better.

5 - Every spring break in college was spent in Baja, Mexico, working with local churches and camping. Great memories :)

6 - My favorite soup right now is here - yummy black bean soup. I use dried beans, instead of canned - just rinse them well after the soak to remove the gassy enzymes :) I've had this soup for lunch the last 5 days! so good

hmm, who should i tag!? hope your not sick of me :)

Sara, Janis, Dana (cuz your random), Amy (cuz your trying to be regular - blogging, not the other way!), Summer, and Melissa!

Hope you are well ~
Amy

A Football Diversion

The weekend was full of football around here. Was it the same for you? My shoulder had been hurting (I think I slept weird) so I opted to not quilt and do some embroidery.
Emmalie checked in with me often for a status update: "How many more flowers, mommy?" It was fitting that her fingers be in the picture :) I found a vintage transfer on flickr - and quickly taped it up to the window. That's the most professional way right!? I had fun, while Joe watched football, and I even learned a few new stitches too!

Here's a question for you - When I first learned to do cross-stitch (as a girl, with grandma) I was taught to use two strands of floss. A book I have reccomends all 6 strands. I did a little of everything here - I think 3-4 worked nice on this piece. Any one have a rule of thumb?

I will do more embroidery, I like working with the hoop and floss :)

Hope you are having a great Monday ~ Amy

Emmalie Turns 5!

I was trying to get here yesterday! Too much activity in my house :) I'm behind in responding to your nice comments about the quilt top - thank you! I get such a boost sharing here.

Emmalie had a great Birthday - thank you for your birthday wishes for her! A few pictures from our birthday celebration :)
She was exasperated with daddy for taking her picture. I have a few with just her spoon!

The birthday cake - Emmalie asked for a butterfly cake (I already had the pan) with rainbow frosting. I'm not usually quite this artistic with the cakes but I pulled it off :) She loved it! In fact she was just asking me to print this picture so she could have it. Em has a way of bringing a smile to my face at any time :)

Hope you are having a great afternoon ~ Amy

My Scrappy Solution

I stalled out on this quilt around the holidays, but I am so excited to have gotten the top completed!The body of the quilt is all scraps from this win, and I purchased the cream with a little brown flecking for the corners. I wanted something to tie it together but not quite solid, and not too feminine in case it ends up on our bed. I don't have a destination for this one, it is a quilt from my sketch pad that needed to be reality. I may add borders, but I have to think on it.
All the blocks are different, there's something new everywhere you look! There were a few fabrics that I only have one strip of in the top - like that little owl print below :)

***Today is Emmalie's 5th Birthday! I'm off to the kitchen to bake and make the requested Alfredo dinner. It has been snowing since yesterday, thankfully it warmed up in the process, 20 is much better than 0 or negative numbers :) And Owen is painfully close to three new incisor teeth - I miss my sleep. . . this week seems to be full of transition with Ella back at school, and Joe around the house more, back to the routine with a few twists! Hope you are well today ~ Amy

Looking Ahead

I'm not one to set resolutions. I do have goals, but they have been formulating much longer than the week prior to New Years'. I'm sure there are many of you that can relate. I thought I would share my goals here and look back next year to see how far I've come -

- First and foremost I want to be the best mom and wife that I can be to my family. Even when it means putting off this post until the 4th :)

- I have many quilt designs that I want to make, and see in reality not just paper.

- I think I may want to learn to crochet. . . maybe with felting yarn!?

- And I want to do more embroidery.

- I need to learn how to take better care of my computer. I don't know/do regular maintenance, to keep it happy.

- I would like to take better pictures. Do you know of a good photog blog?

- I would like to contribute, from home, to our family's bottom line. I need to find my niche on etsy. . . also in that vein, I've added advertising here. I figure it's worth a shot! If it offends you, I'm sorry, please ignore the ads. However, if you find something interesting please click through. My thought is that I need to give it a solid 6 months and then reevaluate. I'll keep you posted :)

- I want to work on writing my posts better too - half the time I'm rushing and come back later to find my grammar/sentence structure a mess! Oops - I'm working on it :)

- I have baby weight to loose, and I'm pretty sure this is the year to do it! I really want pictures with my kids that I can be proud of. So no pop, baked goods, chips . . . I piled in the produce today at the store :) And finding ways to exercise inside right now - our neighborhood looks like a war zone through winter with all the snow piled up. No sidewalks, well at least not stroller - worthy sidewalks. (And it's cold, like -5 right now)

I pray that you are blessed in this coming year, and I look forward to getting to know you more. Thanks for being great friends -

Amy

PS - I did get a quilt top finished! I need to iron it and then I can post with pictures - tomorrow.

December Swap

DSC_1302
Originally uploaded by parkcitygirl

In all the holiday hubbub I nearly forgot to show you this little gem! Sewwunderful created this sweet little tree quilt for me. I love all the little details and the stripes are really fun.

If you would like to see more of the mini quilts created in this group go here. I'm constantly amazed at the brilliance of the work within the group!

Blogger Love

I won again! Jodi, of Simply This, That and the Other, hosted a giveaway for Sheri, who has just started a blog up recently.
She made this great Christmas table runner, there's lots of sparkles on it, which is hard to see in the pictures. I love it! Thanks Jodi and Sheri!

My Disappearance -

- was due in part to teaching Chelsee to make a quilt of her own! Last summer I talked my sister-in-law, Jenna, into making a quilt for herself (she needed a project). After returning to school Jenna was met with shock and awe of her craftiness, and a few envious friends. Chelsee is her best friend from high school and asked if she could make a quilt while on break. Here's the top, you may recognize the pattern from the quilt in my etsy shop, a nice quick project. We worked off and on for three days to finish the top. She needs some batting and we hope to quilt it next week sometime.

I have blocks waiting for me to iron them right now, and I'm hoping to have a top this weekend :)

Happy New Year!

I can't believe I've been away for the last 5 days! I have some major catching up to do :)

How are you? I hope that you had fun ringing in the new year - we watched a couple of movies and relaxed, nothing crazy!

I took down my 2008 calendar this morning. My first thought was to just toss it, since it's been a tough year. . . but then I thought a little more. As I looked through it I was reminded of so many good things. Owen's first tooth, first birthday, Joe turning 30, our 9th anniversary, dinner with friends, and so much more - and thru each of those things God's goodness!

I am very thankful that it is a new year, and quite hopeful for a great year, but last year was good in spite of the hardships. It depends on how you look at things. I started this blog in the last year too, which has opened up my world, right here in my living room!

So I am going to hold on to the 2008 memories, and be thankful for God's goodness, and provisions in the last year, while looking forward to what is in store for 2009!

I pray that you are blessed today ~ Amy