Pink quilt- complete

I'm finally getting around to posting photos of this quilt. I had given you a teaser a while back but here it finally is.

This quilt started as a mystery challenge off my OST Yahoo Group. I had a bunch of fabric from my mom and decided to use some of it for the mystery. While I'm not a huge fan of pink, I love the way it came together.

At the same time this mystery started, an old friend of mine reached out for donations for a breast cancer walk. His wife (another old acquaintance) and he were walking in memory of her mom.

As I was working the mystery, I couldn't stop thinking about her mom (I also knew her through my friends) and their little daughter and as I stitched, it became more and more apparent to me where this quilt should go. I continued working on it and the idea hung into it strong so I reached out to Brian and asked him if he thought the quilt would be a nice gift for his wife and daughter or if it would bring painful memories. He confirmed it was a good idea.

Fast forward... 1 year later I am finally finished. Many other tasks and life got in the way and I wanted to quilt it well so preferred to practice on my kids' quilts before I loaded this one. As I quilted, memories of her mom, the few I had, floated in and out. Images of Liz and her daughter Ana, snuggled under the quilt and talking of grandma also floated in my head.

It became apparent to me this quilt was a labor of love - and not mine. I put care into this one but someone else was putting the love into it. I have no doubt Liz's mom was stitching in her heart and hugs through me. None at all.

I bound it, attached a label, sent a card explaining this journey and pray they can feel the love of mom/grandma in it.

This one, this one is special to me despite it's simplicity in design.

Hmm, now there's a peach twin size one of these (I did 2 at the same time) that I have to find a home for. One thing at a time.

Just Because

I'm posting just because it's November and I haven't posted yet. I'm posting because I have something I've been wanting to tell you, it's on the tip of my tongue, but I have forgotten what it is for the last 9 days.

My mother wants me to believe it's an early onset of senility but since I'll only be 36 this Dec., I think she's just trying to make her own forgetfulness seem less noticeable. HA! She's not going to fool me.

I guess, instead of anything overly insightful, I'll have to do this instead. The following is my sewingin/quilting to do list before the end of December, but most before Christmas.

"DBD" = Due By Date.

DSS Bed Quilt (never completed last year for too many reasons to mention here) - DBD 12/31/09 - halfway through paper-piecing 15.5" blocks. The last post on this was is here.

SIL bed quilt - DBD 12/24/09 - must start cutting this week. This Jinny Beyer Shimmering Sea pattern is what it will look like except I will add an applique over the center of a celtic knot tatoo she has on her foot. I'm still unsure if it will be fantastic or ruin the piecing but it was a combined element we came up with to make it personal to her.

Breast Cancer Awareness Quilt - DBD 11/13/09 - finish label, add label, mail.

Dog Jackets - DBD 11/18/09 - cut out, need to sew.

DH Quilt - DBD 12/20/09 - need to cut still.

Wallet/Business Card Holder - DBD 12/24/09 - Make 2, one set for me and one for my GF.

Godmother's wall hanging - DBD 12/18/09 - this one is optional so it may be put off for later. We will see.

So there you have it. My to do so far. As I look at it, it seems manageable. I think, however, the hardest part will get the two bed quilts done b/c they are both paper-pieced and large sized. I have to kick butt this month so Dec. can be quilting them only. When I think of it that way, I get myself a little frazzled!

Clock is ticking...

Happy Halloween!

Just a short non-quilty post to say Happy Halloween!

My girl just received the sacrament of Confirmation this morning. Congratulations K!

My eldest son (12) decided he didn't want to dress up and trick-or-treat but wanted to decorate so he and my younger son (9) went at it with the fake spiderwebs.

We will be picking up 2 pumpkins to carve this aftenroon to add to the decorations.

My younger son wanted to be a quilt for Halloween. Isn't that a hoot! So, we used the quilt he made and the quillow I made as a tutorial a while back, pinned em together and voila! His costume is done. I didn't want a bar to make it look like a hanging quilt, he wanted to have it drape like a poncho. Here's what he'll be walking around in tonight. I love this kid!

A picture of the newest mug in my growing collection.

Finally, a photo of each the dogs who take up so much of my time these days.

Buddy (6yr old Cocker Spaniel)

Jo-Jo (21 mo. Viszla)

Sasha (19mo. Viszla/Lab)

Remember, have a happy and safe Halloween!

It's a love/hate affair

Yes, yes it is.

Bags, purses, totes... my nemesis (wait, would it be nemesies?).

I love the idea of being creative and having a tote/purse/bag for whatever mood I'm in. I love the unique designs I see and the endless possibilities one pattern can provide.

But I hate them. I hate them all and I'm not exaggerating. Pardon my french here, but bags suck. They do. Don't let anyone tell you differently, don't let all those bloggers out there who make em and post how easy they are fool you.

They LIE. It's not easy, there's no quickie you can put together... realize it now, if you want a cute bag for your mood, you will have to shell out the $ for one. And now I KNOW why all these folks say they are so easy and then charge $50 a pop for a bag... because they AREN'T easy. By the time I'm halfway through a bag (I've quit on a few) I'm ready to spend the $.

Do you feel me yet?

I say, Do you feel me yet?"

I thought a kit I purchased would be easier to do than the others I've flubbed and tried along the way (with only 1 success). I thought it would be good for my football fleece blankets and LOVED the idea it was almost completely done for me.

The pockets were sewn on, zipper sewn on, piping sewn on. All I had to do was sew the 2 lining pieces together, the two shell pieces together, then sew the interior, exterior and handles together.

That's all.

I hate bags. I hate bag instructions.

After too many hours reading the instructions, looking at the pictures, reading instructions, trying to sew the shell and interior together and failoing miserably, I tore it all out and called my friend.

She's started sewing bags, you see. She does a great job, too. She says they are easy. She thinks quilts are awful but bags, they are fun. So I called her. I mean, I've helped her with some sewing items here and there (ps, she's the friend who conned me into doing this for the school secretary) so she owed me, right?

Graciously, she said yes, and read the instructions, looked at pictures, read the instructions, tried a few things, read the instructions, pulled out instructions from her other bag projects, and figured it out. The instructions weren't incorrect, just not as precise as they should be. Our problem was I sewed the handles on wrong.

Rip-it, rip-it.

Here she is, my now known as, "Friend, Goddess of Bags." She sewed it almost all up and I was able to finish the other few sections.

I hate sewing bags but I do love my finished bag. so much so, that when another year passes, I may try again (probably with the same result!)

Thank you, Kim, my Friend, Goddess of Bags!

Here are the finished pictures.

I want this chair!

This chair is on sale in a little shop in Occoquan, VA for $500 and I want it. I'm 5'2" and it's the perfect height for me to be able to sit in and bind quilts. It's super fun to look at but, alas, it's $500.