Quilted my 1st Double Wedding Ring :)  Lots of stops and starts but I think it was worth it.

 this is worth your time to watch

http://vimeo.com/34414313

so, I've been a pondering...

-do i keep this website for my blog and pics? (I know, I am soooo far behind) technology has made such strides that there are more user friendly methods available

-should I put sewing on more of a hold?  Kids are growing so fast and will be gone before I know it, I don't want to miss out!

-do I off some of my stash?  because honestly will ever use all that I have now??

-Facebook, do you think FB is "stealing" blog readers?  FB seems to have become an obsession, who has time to do it all?

-what about the things that happen in everyday life?  I cook everyday, not the same can be said for sewing.  Kids are in activities that are noteworthy.  Can I include all of that stuff here and will the "die hard" fabric-a-holics be bothered by the distraction?  do I care?

-machine quilting...yes I love it. Love the ladies I have quilted for.  need to get some of my own stuff done...soon!  When your 8 year old is asking why everyone else gets a quilt from you, (but honey it is their quilt, I just quilted it) and she doesn't have one, you know it's time.

- so the dilemma of every other working mother (yes that would be ALL of us) what to move on down the line to make more space for the really important things in life...

-do I need a magic 8 ball or a box of calgon?  yeah, I'm in a funk today.....

Oh my gosh...WHERE has the time gone???  Summer of 2010...gone.  Fall and those lovely leaves  changing....gone.   Christmas ...gone.  Vacation to Florida ...gone.  Winter....nearly gone, well I'm ok with that one...dreadful cold this year and I am really NOT liking that!

Where have I been?....well day job has taken a turn... what was 3 days a week turned into 6 overnight.  New duties, lots of stuff to learn, new people, down economy...can you say stress??  But it is getting better.  I have actually been sewing this week!  Yep, that's right, cleared the dust off my machines and dug in.  In my quest to simplify my life (takes on a whole new meaning when you hit that big 5-0), I've decided to pick a pile and work on it until it's done or gone.......whichever comes 1st.

So this week I have sewn 1 1/2 baby quilt tops, worked on a few string/scrap piecing blocks....and get this... machine quilted 5 kids quilts to donate to our guild service project....and it's only Saturday!  Be still my heart...one more day in this weekend so maybe I can eek out a few more stitches while watching the Daytona race.

So until next time....enjoy your day, whatever it brings, because you will never get it back...

wowee it is May 20th...already!! 

Let's see that means
  *1 more "day job" work day this week
  *6 more days of school until summer break (field trips done!)
  *6 1/2 days until "mom I'm bored!"
  *6 3/4 days until I have a bald spot from pulling out my hair.......
...just kidding...they will probably make it 7 1/2 days...lol

Been busy on the quilting front. 
  2 more t-shirt quilts - done
  One baby quilt  - done
  2 teacher appreciation handprint quilts  - done (pictures posted maybe this week yet)
  2 patchwork quilts quilted - done
  t-shirt quilt for graduation gift - not done - yet
  donation raffle quilt  (quilt only) - not done  - yet
  quild show & tell items for June 1 meeting - not ready - yet

yeah, gonna be a busy week at my place

And then there was the very inspiring machine applique class I took...my my my....makes me want to sleep with my machine 'cause there just aren't enough hours in the day!

Does it make you all feel like the seasons have finally changed when you swap out your winter bed quilts for the spring ones?  Did that 2 weeks ago.  Went from red and sage green to yellow and sage green....I'm liking it! 

oops, gotta go for now....isn't it something how kids like to get picked up from school??!!

later ...

Spring is here!...at least for a little while.  I know they say time goes faster the older you get but jeez I'm not THAT old! lol  Went to my 1st guild retreat and what a good time!  Did miss my family but 3 days of sewing daylight to way into darkness, wow what a novelty for me.  I managed to get 3 quilt tops finished (1 was about half done...but hey, it still coujnts right?)  Now if I can squeeze in getting them quilted yet this spring.

My sister has been on the fast boat making t-shirt quilts of various sizes.  Since my last posting, I've quilted 5 of them for her.  In addition, an embroidered butterfly, a baby quilt and another full size.  Swimming lessons for two are over for now, as is year end/tax season....yippee.

I've also moved my machine into the new space.  Will have to post photos soon...but have been putting it off until everything is done.  Reconfiguring a few things allowed space for a couple more cabinets, they are being built now.  Tile was delayed for the bathroom and that is now done.  The bamboo flooring turned out great with the green walls....very inspirational and restful at the same time.  I truly feel like I'm outside quilting!  The kids love the space too since they have their own play area.  I told them they had to limit the number of toys (and other "crap") so they have been searching out "just the right things".....which just happened to coordinate with some of mom's spring clean out.....funny how that happens.....

Well as crazy as it has been around here, I'm afraid it is going to multiply in the next few months.... 3 quilts to get done (start to finish) in the next 3 weeks.  Four more here ready to quilt.  School year end projects in the works, hubby's busy travel season...oh yeah, and my part time, full time day job. Whew better break out the vitamins and go juice.  Oh well, wouldn't have it any other way :)

Wow! It's mid January already!!  Delay in posting here...sorry about that, sometimes everyday life gets in the way of the other fun stuff :)

Spent the holidays in Florida...hey y'all CAN'T blame me for your cold weather this time!  I left before it got really cold...but hey we went home to single digit weather and snow in Indiana.  Guess that is what winter is all about here in the Midwest.

I was ready for a break! The 1st 2 weeks of December I made Christmas program costumes...3 of each angels, shepherds and kings, complete with crowns. 
      

                                   



Then came mid December and I still had 1 quilt to bind (the star quilt)

  

and one to quilt and bind (vintage flavor)

  

when I found out the recipients would be visiting a week early...same night as the school Christmas program...eek!  Not to mention our company Christmas party fell into that time, of which I still had centerpieces to make (thank goodness for a talented and helpful friend!).  Oh and did I mention, my family was coming to our house for an early Christmas and I had to get us all packed up for Florida.... 

I took all my new quilt mags and some crocheting along for the trip....tho I didn't get much done other than hangout with family and friends....which was really what it was all about.  We all had a great time...Naples Beach for fireworks on New Year's Eve should be on everyone's Bucket List.

Since then, just catching up and doing company year end stuff...can't forget about the IRS can we...

January's quilt guild meeting got the juices going again.  We had an "ugly" fabric swap/challenge.  (Who buys ugly fabric??) I about bust out laughing when the 1st lady held up her piece of fabric!  She was going on about how this place she ordered from was giving it away with every order because they couldn't sell it...I couldn't hold back....I raised my hand while in tears...I said you know how 1 man's trash is another's treasure....well last week in FL, I got to visit one quilt shop, with kids in tow.  We weren't there 2 minutes until my 6 year old came toting a bolt of fabric that we "JUST HAVE TO BUY THIS MOM".  You guessed it...same as this woman's "ugly" fabric...and I had just purchased FOUR YARDS of it!!  Now I feel double challenged..it's a great day in quilt-land ♥.

Well time to get the kiddos to school.  Pics up this afternoon...after my day job duties are done.  

December sure has come around fast this year!  My first Christmas party of the season was last night....our quilt guild dinner and Show & Tell.  Wow!  There sure is alot of talent in that group of ladies.  I showed a memory t-shirt quilt, pieced by my sister and quilted by me.  It is a surprise Christmas gift to a young woman that lost her father way too soon.

         

Sunday & Monday evening I worked on Angel costumes for the school Christmas Program.  Tonight (& probably tomorrow night) it is Shepherds' costumes, "gown", vest and headpieces. Here is what I'm using for the Shepherd vests.

 



Then on to the 3 Kings, complete with crowns.  Haven't sewn with satin before so we'll see how that goes.  I'm double seaming them all so they don't have to worry about pulling apart and fraying so much.  My "models" are in bed already otherwise I'd have some pics up...they just don't look quite the same on the hanger.

I did manage to get a bit of crocheting done this weekend.  That's a good thing since several items are on my gift giving list.  The color is a bit off in this photo but anyway...the one one the right is going to a niece in college, fuschia and black.  The scarf in blue/green, might just have to live with me :)



Here is a cute throw I quilted for someone last week.  I love this pattern!  Her color combo was so happy feeling.  It will be one lucky little baby that gets this one.  I found out that this lady also pieced the fund-raiser gift packages throw/wall hanging that I have on a previous post.



It's a nasty, cold, rainy...with a chance of flurries....night tonight so the keg of hot chocolate mix has been tapped.  The kids have discovered the fun of stirring with a candy cane...that is until the candy cane breaks several times.

Well, break time is over, it's back to the land of shepherds.........

Birthdays and more!  Our house has been a buzz of activity...of the non-quilting kind...lately.  Contruction is moving along on the new space.  I've been thinking about what I want to use for workspace counter tops.  Too bad the self healing mat people aren't in the counter top business!  And then the birthday parties, which can't be on a school night you know and we had a birthday this week....our youngest . Wow that time has gone fast.  So it was a birthday supper at home one night, Friday night bowling with classmates and family and friends party on Saturday.  Whew! 

We made 12 tote bags for the classmates party and filled with goodies. 



So much better than the commercial plastic ones....for us anyway.  Besides it let me use up some of my "collection".  I've never been too crazy about the word "stash"...too close to "trash" and that just isn't so!!

This week it is back to the Christmas list.  The Star quilt just needs side borders and the backing.  I want to get that one quilted Friday if possible.  I've got to come up with a better solution to my photo taking ineptness (???).  I think I've discovered the perfect picture taking location...once construction is finished that is.

Well we've officially set a record for this year, 14 straight days with no rain.  I think that is about to change today from the look of the sky tho.  Best get back to the task at hand...more later.