Sunflower Quilts

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-06T12:06:00.001-06:00

Hello all! Just a quick post to say everything is going great and I am still alive!

I’m getting settled into my new apartment! So far I like it. It’s smaller than my old one but the kitchen and bathroom are bigger. And it’s upstairs- much quieter! And the best feature of all? I have my very own {very small} washer and dryer! I am so excited about this. It’s so nice to not be hauling my clothes to a friend’s house anymore :)

I’m also settling well into my new job! I am cleared as a dispatcher and will be starting my regular shift soon. I am also working on getting my driver and medic clearance, which shouldn’t take too long. Then I will be able to really start helping people :)

I have been organizing my crafting stuff and hope to be creating pretty things soon. I will be working overnights in dispatch so depending on the kind of night we’re having I’ll have time to knit and/or sew. I have been watching tutorials on hand piecing quilts and I really hope I can get back into quilting again that way.

Well, that’s all for now! I hope you all had lovely holidays and the New Year is treating you as well as it is treating me so far!

Stayin’ Alive…

2011-11-27T12:42:00.001-06:00

Just popping in to say I’m still alive! Lot of changes around here lately- it’s been a whirlwind!

Through a series of interesting circumstances I will not go into here, I have landed my dream job!! I started work last Monday at Finger Lakes Ambulance as a full-time dispatcher, part-time driver/EMT! I am SO excited to actually be working in EMS! The job is interesting and my co-workers (quite a few of whom I have known for 12-15 years) are great to work with. AND I wear a uniform! No more deciding what to wear to work, or if those shoes match this shirt! It’s a uniform shirt, EMT pants, leather boots, reflective coat. End of story. Once I am trained I will work overnights in dispatch. No more days! I am so not a morning/day person. I am very happy :)

I also had a great week last week because my mommy and daddy came to see me for Thanksgiving! It was SO great to see them and spend time with them! We had a blast, going wine tasting and visiting a family favorite place, The Wizard Of Clay in Honeoye, NY. They bought me a birthday present from there and it’s so beautiful…

Isn’t it amazing? The crystals grow as the piece is fired in a kiln at a set temperature and each one is unique. There is no way to control the crystal growth. I just love looking at it.

Last but not least, and mostly due to my new job, I am moving from Fairport, NY to Canandaigua, NY in January. I am excited, and it will be a LOT closer to my job. Right now I have a nearly 30 mile commute. Once I move it will be about 10.

I haven’t been crafting at all and am considering de-stashing on Etsy. I’ll let you all know if I do that since I will have good prices ;)

An Autumn Day

2011-10-16T16:54:00.001-05:00

Today I grabbed the new camera and went out exploring! It was lovely and clear this morning… I wish it was still like that now, but this is Rochester… :)

I started very bright and early…

I stopped up at my friend Wayne’s house to get a shot of the beautiful sunrise…

Then I headed up to Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area to get some lovely photos of Honeoye Lake. The view from there is truly amazing. Even my new camera could not do it justice!

It also has a great view of the city of Rochester, which is about 40 miles away. It was a great opportunity to try out the zoom lense!

I got another (and much better!) photograph of the moon…

And then I headed to my favorite place in all of New York- Taughannock Falls State Park! This place is breathtakingly beautiful. Here are the falls from a distance.

And a little closer up…

And a close up!

In scanning around for other shots I found this lovely fall scene..

Then I drove up and around to hike the upper rim trail at Taughannock Falls State Park.

My last stop of the day was this delightful waterfall that is just on the side of the road near Watkins Glen! I love waterfalls and this is a particularly beautiful one.

Well, that is my tour of my beloved Finger Lakes region for today!

A New Toy

2011-10-15T23:42:00.001-05:00

I have been saving for a while now, and I finally splurged- on a new camera! it’s a Canon EOS Rebel T2i SLR digital camera. The package I bought came with extra lenses and batteries and stuff. My friend Don has a similar camera and he’s been helping me learn how to use it.

I got a lovely picture of my beloved Munchkin…

I just love the resolution of the new camera! This was taken from clear across the room with a zoom lense.

I tried my hand at photographing the moon. It came out OK, but it definitely made me realize I need a tripod! I took about 50 pictures of the moon and this was the only decent shot. I guess I’m not very steady :)

Tomorrow morning is supposed to be clear (a miracle in Rochester lately!) so I am going to head to my favorite spot down in Honeoye to play with the camera some more. There is a place with a spectacular view of Honeoye Lake and the city of Rochester and I am hoping it will be clear enough to get some really great photos!

Autumn Trip, 2011

2011-10-08T16:43:00.001-05:00

Hello all from lovely Plattsburgh, NY! Right on Lake Champlain and minutes from the Adirondack Mountains (and about 5 hours from home), it’s the perfect place for a mini-weekend vacation, and that is just what I am taking!

I drove up last night after work and this morning I headed out bright and early to get to the mountains! I wandered around a bit (intentionally) but eventually wound up in the Lake Placid area. Beautiful!

I saw lovely waterfalls… (at High Falls Gorge, near Lake Placid)

And lovely autumn foliage… (near Lake Placid)

And then I came to a T in the road. If I turned right, I would just be on some road headed somewhere. But if I turned left, I could drive my little Honda to the tip top of Whiteface Mountain! I am sure you can guess which way I turned… :)

This is about 1/2 way up the mountain…

And this is about 3/4 of the way up the mountain…

And this is from the summit of Whiteface Mountain!

Yep- I really was there!

Then I went to Little Whiteface Mountain and took a gondola ride up to the top of it…

Same lake, different mountain!

A view of Whiteface Mountain from Little Whiteface Mountain.

My favorite photo from the day (of over 250 photos!). This is from the gondola on the way back down Little Whiteface Mountain.

Tomorrow I am leaving early so I can go to Fort Ticonderoga on my way home. More photos to follow!

My Little Munchkin

2011-08-26T21:59:00.001-05:00

I have been adopted by a cat!

Her name is Munchkin and she is 3 months old. I found her at Lollipop Farm, the Rochester area Humane Society shelter. I ♥ her so much!! I had about a dozen names picked out for when I got a cat but when she crawled on my lap and into my heart at the shelter somehow the name Munchkin came to me and I went with it. It really suits her- now. I imagine when she’s full grown it will be a bit of a joke ;)

She is settling right in to my apartment, walking around like she owns the place and playing with random things like power cords and tiny little pieces of fluff and freaking me out by cramming herself into the tiniest spaces possible (where I can’t find her) then falling asleep.

She is also a very loving little lap kitty, and even though I’ve only had her since about 6pm tonight my lap seems to be her favorite place to sleep :) I am glad. I love lap cats and none of the cats I’ve lived with in the past have really been lap cats.

She’s also not afraid to express herself ;) She actually fell asleep like this! I was laughing so hysterically I woke her up.

I love, love, love my new friend :)

Just Popping By…

2011-08-15T20:32:00.001-05:00

To say hi! I’m still alive!

I started a new job a little over 3 weeks ago. The first one was temporary and didn’t really work out. This new one is *amazing*!! I have a great job, a great boss, and fantastic coworkers. I am so happy at this job! It has great hours, great pay and pretty much all the overtime I can handle. The only downside is having to be there at 8am- I am NOT a morning person at all! But I have a very easy commute, about 20 minutes, so it’s not too bad.

I am also finishing up my EMT class- just one more test (the NYS written exam) to go! It was a really great class. I made a lot of new friends and I am so happy to be getting back into EMS and helping people again. I will probably start working for a local agency on the weekends once I get my certification. The final exam is this Thursday. I’m feeling really good about it- I finished the class with a 97% average.

My EMT instructor and several of my friends have been encouraging me to apply for the paramedic program that starts in January 2012. I am thinking about it- I may take another year and start in January 2013 instead. But we’ll see :) I do definitely want to become a paramedic, I just think it might be better to work in EMS for a while, work my job for a while and take a break from going to school for a bit.

Other than that, not much is new! Just been going to work and spending time with my friends and hiking and biking and photography. I have really been getting into photography lately with the help of a good friend. He has an *awesome* camera and it’s been fun to play with it :)

Ta for now- here are some recent pics I’ve taken!

Unforgettable Summer Vacation :)

2011-07-04T13:44:00.001-05:00

I spent this past week on the amazing and wonderful Isle Of Palms, SC with my whole family! It was great to see my parents, my brother, his two daughters, my sister and her boyfriend. We rented a condo right on the beach. I have never had more fun in my whole life!

I drove down from NY. On the way I passed through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. The scenery was spectacular! This is in West Virginia…

Also in West Virginia. This is the New River Gorge bridge. It is the longest arch bridge in the Western hemisphere!

The view from the back porch of our condo- it was so wonderful!

The U.S. 17 bridge in Charleston, SC. What a lovely bridge!

The U.S.S. Yorktown in Charleston.

No trip to the Charleston area would be complete without a visit to Fort Sumter! It was very small. I guess I imagined it was much bigger. Such a tiny place to have been the beginning of such an important event in our country’s history!

Part of the original tabby wall at Fort Sumter.

Most of our time, however, was spent here. In the lovely warm Atlantic ocean! This is my dad (otherwise known as PopPop) and my nieces playing in the waves.

All in all I drove 1,993 miles. I drove the 16 hours down there in one shot but on the way home I stopped in Clarksburg, WV for the night. I was tired and there were bad storms all over the place.

It was a wonderful, wonderful vacation! I can hardly wait to do it again next summer!

Busy And A Blog Hold

2011-05-31T22:30:00.001-05:00

Hey all! Guess what? I GOT A JOB!!! I am so, so excited! I start on Monday. I will be doing medical billing and accounts receivable at a large local skilled nursing facility/rehabilitation center. The company also has independent and assisted living houses. I am sure I will be very busy at work and I can hardly wait.

I went on a major shopping trip today, using money that I’ve saved up over the last several months to buy clothes for my new job. I also bought some shorts and capris and am ecstatically happy to report that the shorts and capris I bought today are SIX SIZES SMALLER than ones I bought at the beginning of last summer!!!! I was happy dancing all through the mall, let me tell ya!!

On to the blog hold- between working full time and going to school 3 nights a week I will have little to no time to create. I also just don’t seem to have any desire to make things at all anymore and it makes me sad. I’ve been toying with the idea of selling all my quilting stuff, it’s gotten that bad. I do have one swap item (and I know I am late sending, I am sorry about that and plan to mail it by Friday) that I will be completing and after that I have no idea when I will be sewing again.

This is supposed to be a quilting blog and since I’m basically not quilting anymore I feel like it’s kinda pointless to continue writing this blog. I don’t plan to delete this blog, and if I have anything to show you I will certainly post again. I will also see some of you on Flickr and Facebook!

Hugs to all and thank you for being there for me with your thoughts and prayers!

Life Is Full (And Fun!)

2011-05-20T13:27:00.001-05:00

Well, life continues to move at a lightning pace here at Maison de Jennie! My adult education class is wrapping up. I’m hopeful that I’ll be working soon (I’ve had several great interviews in the past week) and last but not least I’m starting another class on Monday!

From 1996 to 2002 I was a NYS Certified Emergency Medical Technician. I enjoy helping people and that was one way I could really get out and help people that really needed help. I am so excited to be taking the class again to get that certification back! The class starts on Monday and is 3 evenings a week til mid-August. I picked up my books today and have been eagerly reading them :)

Not much else. I have been decorating the walls of my home and it’s amazing the difference it makes! I am starting to feel like my apartment is “home” now, not “temporary stopping place”. I know I’ll probably be here for a few years while I work and go to school so feeling at home is nice.

And speaking of going to school, I am making plans to go to college starting in September. I plan to attend a local community college to get an Associate’s degree that will transfer to a local university to finish a Bachelor’s degree. I have chosen my major and I’m really excited about it! I will have to meet with a counselor to work out if I can actually do it and work full time, so I won’t say what it is just yet :)

Maine

2011-05-09T15:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I was in Ogunquit, Maine. It’s one of my favorite spots in the whole world! There is a lovely bed and breakfast there called The Ogunquit Inn. That’s where I stayed. It was quite lovely- I had a room in the front of the house and at night I could hear the ocean… wonderful!!

This is Herbert. He was a little unhappy about how close I got. But not so unhappy that he was willing to abandon his breakfast :)

Sunrise over the Atlantic… isn’t it beautiful?

And what trip to Maine would be complete without heading to a lighthouse? This is the Portland Head light in Cape Elizabeth, ME.

Following, in no particular order, are some of my favorite pictures from my trip… :)

I ate lobster pie, lobster quiche, lobster pizza and lobster rolls. I also came home looking a bit like a lobster due to not being vigilant with the sunscreen, but it’s faded now :)

It was an unbelievable weekend- just what I needed after these past several months! I spent hours just sitting on the beach, watching the waves and listening to them crash. Add in the foghorns and the seagulls… I still hear them in my dreams :)

I am already planning to go back in September!

Rest In Peace

2011-05-04T11:29:00.001-05:00

My grandma (my dad’s mom) passed away this morning after a battle with pneumonia and a Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.

Random Images

2011-04-29T12:27:00.001-05:00

One of the {many} things I like about living in New York again is the scenery. It’s just SO beautiful here! I have been a lot more inspired to get out and do things like hike and ride my bike. Which has the happy side effect of losing weight :)

Here are some pictures I’ve taken recently on my rambles…

Taken yesterday during a hike on my friend’s property….

Seneca Lake. This was taken in March.

Seneca Lake. This was taken earlier this month.

The Hobart and William Smith College sailboat team. I ♥ this picture :)

A little roadside waterfall near Honeoye Lake.

Cloud shadows on a hillside near Honeoye Lake.

At Lake Ontario (Webster Park).

Amazing double rainbow after a storm a couple days ago!

There’s a bit of my world for you! So much to see- and photograph! I have always been interested in photography and with the help of a friend have been learning a bit more about it. I am saving up for a DSLR camera. I love my friend’s photos and I know a lot of the amazingness of his shots are due to his awesome camera :)

Still Alive….

2011-04-28T20:20:00.001-05:00

My visit to Wisconsin was so much fun! Except for the weather, which was awful. So awful I couldn’t get to Illinois to visit Michele. Which I was super bummed about. But it was so awesome to see my parents and my sister!

I’ve been redoing my craft room so I can sew and scrapbook/stamp in it. I’m almost done with it- it’s been so nice to organize my fabric. I have all sorts of fun ideas!

Not much else. I’ve been going to school and hiking and eating sushi and reading. I like living in an urban setting. It’s nice to have a 5 minute walk to the grocery store. And the pharmacy. And about a dozen restaurants. And the Erie Canal :)

My trip to Maine is one week from TODAY!! I am so excited… and hoping the weather forecast changes. Sitting on the beach is going to be a bit less pleasant if it’s raining… :)

There’s been a lot of negative stuff in blogland lately about quilting and crafting and what the definition of “art” is and talking about “dumbing down” quilting. Seriously, people. We’re all just cutting fabric up and putting it back together again. Does it matter how complicated or simple the process is? Or what designer fabric collection we’re using? And for the record, I like Sherbet Pips. I think it’s darling and I only wish I could afford to buy more of it! :)

Ink

2011-04-08T20:25:00.000-05:00

SO lately I've been thinking I wanted to do something... different. For me, anyway. I've always been pretty straight laced and walked a narrow path. Well, I decided to dive off the path into the woods. Take a walk on the wild side. For me.

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. Then some friends suggested getting a tattoo. And then I thought, why not? ;)

So, I did! Here it is! It's a tribal sunflower motif on my upper left arm. This was taken just after Seth (awesome tattoo artist at Rite Of Passage in Victor, NY) finished. It's not so red now.

I ♥ it! It's in a place where I can either show it off or hide it, depending on my mood (or job situation...).

I'm already planning another one :)

Break Out The Cheeseheads!!

2011-03-29T20:25:00.000-05:00

Jen is coming for a visit!! That's right- I'll be visiting my parents in Wisconsin April 15-22. I am so excited! I can hardly wait to see my Mom and Dad again- I haven't seen them since September 2010!

I'm hoping to get to Illinois, too, to see some of my friends there. More info when it's available!

A Sunday Drive

2011-03-27T17:20:00.000-05:00

Today was an amazingly beautiful day- sunny, not a cloud in the sky, not too windy and about 35 degrees. Perfect for getting out and seeing some of my favorite places in NY- waterfalls!!

First up: Taughannock Falls in Ulysses, NY. This is one of my favorite places ever. The trail down to the falls was closed today due to ice, but that's OK- it gives me a great excuse to go back!

Another view of Taughannock Falls.

Then I continued south on Rt. 96 and came to Ithaca. And Buttermilk Falls. You can actually swim at the base of these falls in the summer time! Sounds like another road trip to me!

Then I kept on driving, just enjoying the day and the scenery. I strayed a bit too far from home!

But home has a way of finding me again. :)

Finally, on my way home I stopped to see one last waterfall. This is in Montour Falls, NY.

It was a wonderful day!

2011 So Far…

2011-03-05T11:44:00.001-06:00

I finished 2 projects! I am SO excited and my desire to create has definitely been re-ignited. I am SO happy about this!

First up: the project that got me back in the saddle!

This is the mini quilt I made for QuiltyBee (Kolleen) for the Flickr S.T.U.D. swap! I was longing for spring when I decided on this, so I went with springy greens. The fabrics are from the “Wildwood” collection from Erin McMorris.

I started school this past Thursday. It’s an adult education class that will update my medical billing and coding skills. They also provide support on how to interview, how to write a resume and in actually finding a job. I So far I am really enjoying it! I like the instructor very much and all the people in the class (there are 8 of us total, all women) seem to be very nice.

It became apparent that the backpack I was planning to use was going to be WAY too big for the books and supplies I would need, so I decided to make a school bag for myself.

I just love it and it’s definitely a better size for my few books. It’s made with Joel Dewberry’s Modern Meadow and Essex linen in Putty.

I think 2011 is off to a pretty good start!

Back In The Saddle!

2011-03-01T19:14:00.001-06:00

Hello all! I finally managed to find some sewing inspiration! It came from the first group I joined on Flickr. What could be more motivating than a deadline? :)

I joined the S.T.U.D. (Swap Till U Drop) swap for Jan/Feb 2011. My partner was Kolleen (QuiltyBee on Flickr) and WOW! Did she make the perfect mini quilt for me!

To me it looks like sunflowers. It’s so bright and happy! I just love it. It’s about 12” square. I’ve decided to hang it on the wall opposite my front door. That way everyone who comes to see me will see it too!

I mailed the mini I made for Kolleen today, so I will blog about it later, after she’s received it. I didn’t want to send it away! I have pieces cut to make another one and I just might do that.

In other news, I start an adult education course on Thursday. I’m looking forward to it! It will update my job skills and at the end of the course (end of June) they will help me find a job. I’ve also moved into my bigger apartment. It’s so much nicer and I use the extra bedroom for my sewing room. It seems to be working well and I hope I will be happy here for a long time. I don’t want to move again anytime soon. Moving is awful!

Indefinite Hold

2011-01-24T13:28:00.001-06:00

I have decided that I am going to put my blog on hold for a while. I have a lot going on right now (looking for a job, going to school, etc) and I just don’t have the creative energy I used to have. I hope it will come back to me someday, but right now it’s just… gone.

I still enjoy reading blogs, although it seems to me that a lot of previously interesting blogs have just become advertisements for quilt shops and pattern designers. The online quilting world is growing and changing rapidly and I just don’t have the time to keep up with it.

I will continue to post on Flickr as I have anything to post, and I will see some of you on Twitter and Facebook.

Hugs to all!

Jennie

AMAZING Giveaway!

2011-01-14T13:59:00.001-06:00

DO NOT follow this link to the Lucy and Norman blog. Megan is having a giveaway on some awesome fabric… and I WANT IT!

So don’t go enter to win, OK? :)

A Pause…

2011-01-14T12:29:00.001-06:00

Well, my plans to get sewing again have been put on hold, since I have started packing everything up again to move to the bigger apartment in a week. I have been sketching like mad, though, and I can’t wait to set up my sewing room and get going!

In other news I decided to go back to school- and I’ve been accepted! It’s an adult education course that will really update my medical billing, coding, reception and transcription skills. It is Monday through Friday from 8am till noon, so I probably won’t be working until it’s done in June. I have been looking for a part time afternoon job but so far no luck. On the plus side, I will have afternoons for cleaning, cooking and of course, sewing!

I’ve lost another 6 pounds and had a great milestone this past week- I bought jeans that were THREE SIZES smaller than jeans I bought in the summer! I was SO excited and it’s nice to finally see some real changes in my body :) I am a lot more active here than I was in Illinois- I have a lot of friends here and I love getting out and doing things with them. I have none of the severe depression problems I had during winters in Illinois, and for this I am so thankful :)

I am also excited about getting back into one of the things I missed SO much when I was in Illinois- volunteering with New York State Special Olympics! The Winter Games are in about 3 weeks and I am all set to start volunteering again. I can hardly wait to be in Syracuse the first weekend in February!

A Chance Taken!

2011-01-03T15:56:00.001-06:00

So this morning I got a phone call from my apartment complex, just asking how I liked the apartment and if I was happy and stuff. I AM happy and told them so, but I also mentioned that I wish I had rented a 2 bedroom apartment. When you move from a house to a 1 bedroom apartment, it gets a little cramped. My bedroom looks more like a storage unit right now and it’s not very restful.

Fast forward to this afternoon: I got another phone call to let me know that they have a 2 bedroom available, with a move-in special rent that’s not much more than I’m paying for my 1 bedroom! They have no problem with me transferring from one apartment to another within the same complex, so it was a pretty easy decision! This one not only has another bedroom (can you say sewing room?), it has a 1/2 bath in the master bedroom, so I’ll have my very own private bathroom space.

I have amazing friends who have all agreed to help me move and I can move in about 3 weeks! I’m so excited to have more space!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:26:00.001-06:00

It’s 1/1/11 today! I am so excited. I just know this year is going to be amazing! I know I’ll be discovering a lot about myself this year. I’m looking forward to it!

I’ve been sketching some quilts and other projects over the past several weeks. As soon as I have my tiny little sewing area organized and useable I plan to get started on them. I still have a bit of “sewer’s block” going on but I know once I just sit down and start making something it will go away. I plan to get started this coming week.

Happy New Year everyone!

Lizzie

2010-12-17T22:30:00.001-06:00

So today for my birthday I went to Build A Bear. I had always wanted to go there, so today I went!

I did a little dance and made a wish on the heart that went into my bear. I gave her a bath, dressed her in pretty clothes, and picked up her birth certificate.

Meet Elizabeth!! I call her Lizzie for short. She’s really soft and cuddly.

And during the party I noticed that she’s a chip off the ol’ block. Kind of. I don’t really like Smirnoff- this was someone else’s drink! But she partied hard for my birthday just like the rest of us did :)

We spent the evening eating pizza, drinking beer and playing with my Wii. It was the best birthday I have ever had!

Happy Birthday To Me!!

2010-12-17T07:59:00.001-06:00

32 years ago today the most amazing thing happened to me… I was born!!

This is the youngest picture I have of me- Mom and Dad have all my baby pictures. I was 4 when this one was taken :)

I’m going to Build A Bear for my birthday, then this evening all my friends are coming over to my place for pizza and cake. It’s shaping up to be the best birthday ever!

Typical…

2010-12-14T16:52:00.003-06:00

Here’s a typical Western/Upstate New York forecast for you… ;)

10 Day Forecast - °F | °C

View the Detailed Extended Forecast »

tue	wed	thu	fri	sat	sun	mon	tue	wed	thu
dec 14 Snw Shwrs 18° 16°	dec 15 Snw Shwrs 23° 21°	dec 16 Snw Shwrs 27° 24°	dec 17 Snw Shwrs 30° 23°	dec 18 Snw Shwrs 28° 19°	dec 19 Snw Shwrs 24° 20°	dec 20 Snw Shwrs 27° 22°	dec 21 Snw Shwrs 27° 24°	dec 22 Snw Shwrs 29° 24°	dec 23 Snw Shwrs 29° 24°

It’s Fun Time!

2010-12-14T11:18:00.001-06:00

My stuff came!! Finally! I haven’t seen most of it since September! I was SO happy when that truck with the pod on it rolled it. I was even happier to open it and find all my stuff… and happier still to find that thanks to Michele’s careful packing, not a thing was broken or even scratched!

It’s been so much fun to open the bins and make this little place really feel like home! I went from this…

To this…

and it feel SO much more like a home. I had been feeling like I was living in a rather large hotel room!

I still have a lot to do (and a lot of pictures and quilts to hang!), but I’m getting through it slowly. My next step is to set up a little sewing area. I can hardly wait to be sewing again. I feel like creating again!

Updates

2010-12-03T21:51:00.001-06:00

I have set up a new Twitter account! I missed the online quilting community that exists there. You can find me as @quiltgirl1978. I have my tweets protected, but if you’re quilty and want to follow me, just send a request and I’ll let you in!

I’m also very excited that my stuff (personal belongings, fabric, yarn, etc) is on it’s way from Illinois! Michele and some helpers packed it into a container from PODS and shipped it off to me. It’s supposed to arrive on December 11th. I can hardly wait- I already have a little area in my apartment set aside for a sewing nook and bookcases ready to fill with my books! It will be nice to have this place really start to feel like home.

The job search is on but so far nothing is panning out. If you’re in the Rochester area and know of any clerical/administrative assistant or medical billing jobs available, let me know! I’m working temporarily at a local mall in customer service. I really like the job and the company is great to work for, but the job will end 12/23.

Not much else! This past week was insane with a few things but the coming week will find me with a lot more time to sew and knit and I might even have a picture or two to share soon :)

So Thankful!

2010-11-23T14:32:00.001-06:00

This year has been insane. If you had told me in January that by October I would be divorced and living back in New York I would have had someone take you away in a straight jacket. Life is so unpredictable!

But I also have a LOT to be thankful for this year, and with Thanksgiving coming up I’ve been thinking more and more about it.

And I’m thankful….

That I am healthy (aside from the teeny cold I have at the moment).

For Mom, Dad and Amy.

For Michele. I still haven’t been able to thank her enough. I never will.

For Terry, who welcomed me into her home when I first arrived back in New York.

For Wayne, Shawna, Alysia, Damian, Terry, Jessica, Cullen, Andy, Bob and Joanne. These are my friends. My wonderful amazing friends who have helped me with everything from moving to finding a job.

That I have wonderful friends and family who have all supported me, helped me, given me shoulders to cry on and dried my tears.

That I am back home in New York.

That I have a job.

That I have a place to call home.

That I am starting to get my quilting mojo back! It’s been a LONG time since I even wanted to sew but I’ve been gathering for a project that I hope to start this weekend.

For my blog friends who have kept in touch and encouraged me even though I haven’t blogged about anything remotely crafty in months. I ♥ you all and your blogs have helped inspire me again! So, thank you.

Starting Again

2010-11-16T16:55:00.001-06:00

Well, I made a big important step today in my quest to get started sewing again: I went to a quilt shop and bought fabric!!

I bought fabric from the “Bliss” line and the “Origins” line (both from Moda) to made a quilt and pillow shams for my new bedroom. I plan to start working on it tonight. I’m so excited!

In other news, I am settling in well! I love my new apartment. It’s so nice to live on my own. Except for cooking. Cooking for one person seems like a total waste of time to me. So today I have been cooking lots of food and freezing it in small portions. I hope that will help. I have either been eating out (rarely) or not eating at all (often). Neither of these are very healthy options.

I also joined the YMCA today! I am so excited to get back in the gym. I have continued to lose weight, but it has been a lot slower than it was when I was working out regularly. I am going to start tomorrow.

And last but not least, I have a job! It’s a temp job, just through Christmas, but it’s so nice to be earning something again. After Christmas I am planning to go back to school. I’m excited about that as well

I hope to have pictures of my new project to show you soon!!

Change Of Plans

2010-10-31T07:45:00.002-05:00

Well, my plans for going back to Illinois to get my stuff took a turn on Friday when Grandma (of the family I am very close friends with here) had a massive stroke. She’s in the ICU and is not expected to recover. Of course this means that we cannot leave.
Please keep Grandma and the family in your thoughts and prayers. This is really hard. It was very sudden- she was just fine when some of us saw her on Thursday, and then on Friday she had the stroke.

EDIT: Grandma passed away at 3:15 this morning. Please pray for us.

Happenings

2010-10-28T14:11:00.001-05:00

Well, things have been moving along at a lightning pace here in NY! I bought a new car last week and my old car is being happily driven by a friend. I just love my new car! It’s a 2011 Honda Civic EX. I never ever thought I’d ever buy a red car, but this car was so pretty I just knew I had to get the red one :)

I also found a cute little apartment that I’ll be signing the lease for tomorrow! It’s well within my budget, walking distance to grocery stores, restaurants and shopping, and very centrally located for just about anywhere I might find a job. I will start moving in on Saturday :)

And last but not least I’m leaving Sunday with a friend to go back to Illinois and get the stuff that Michele has so graciously stored for me! We’ll load it into a U-Haul truck and be back home in NY by Wednesday!

I already have a place in my apartment designated for a little sewing corner and I tell you, I cannot WAIT to start sewing again! First on the agenda is a shower curtain! I couldn’t find one I liked, but I found fabric to make my own :)

A Little Bit Of Autumn

2010-10-18T11:16:00.001-05:00

So I’ve been home in NY for a little over a week now! There has been a bit of an adjustment period, and I’m sure there’s more to come. But overall I am so happy to be home!

I was also fortunate enough to come home at just the right time! I know that snow is just around the corner, but right now it’s so pretty, and it’s going to get prettier!

I took this today- aren’t the reds gorgeous? Autumn is by far my favorite season and no place does autumn like the Northeast :)

Thank You, Michele!

2010-10-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

I am so fortunate to have many good friends. Everyone has been so supportive of me through this divorce and moving process.

There is one, though, who really stands out.

I would like to thank Michele. She is a truly amazing woman and has been so supportive and helpful to me!

She let me live at her house during the separation and divorce.

She helped me pack and move all my stuff to her house, where she is letting me store it until I can come back for it in November.

She went shopping with me and helped me pick out some kick a$$ clothes for the court appointment and job interviews.

She’s made me laugh, let me talk about my feelings and really helped keep me on an even keel through this whole process.

I can never, ever thank her enough. Ever. I am going to really miss her. I’m going to miss her hot tub too :) But mostly I’ll miss Michele.

A couple people have asked why I am moving to New York. The answer is simple. I am from there. I belong there. I have missed New York so much I cried nearly every day of the 9 years I lived in Illinois. I have amazing close friends there. It’s home. And I am SO looking forward to going home!

...And That's That

2010-10-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

I am now officially divorced. My lawyer is my hero. Filing to final, this divorce took 21 days. I think that must be a record!

I've also taken my maiden name back. I spent a LOT of time waiting in lines this morning to make that happen, but it's all done! Now I'll have to change my name on everything.

Next up? The move to New York! I'm leaving Illinois on Thursday.

10 Things I'll Miss About Illinois

2010-09-29T17:05:00.000-05:00

So lately I've been pretty focused on moving and court dates and signing papers and getting the heck outta Illinois. I've never liked living here. I don't have any specific reason for this, except that Illinois is not New York. and I ♥♥♥ New York!!

Today I decided to come up with some things here in Illinois that I will miss when I move next week. Here they are, in no particular order:

10: The Fold, a wonderful yarn, spinning and knitting shop in Marengo, IL. This place is truly amazing and everyone who works there is SO friendly!

9: My Lucky kitty. She's staying with the soon-to-be ex. She likes him better anyway, and I know she'll be well taken care of. But I'll still miss her!

8: Michele. She's been incredible. She helped me move all my stuff... to her house, where she's letting me store it until I can move it to New York. And she's been incredibly supportive, letting me talk and get my feelings out and making me laugh. If I could pack her in a bin and take her with me I would :)

7: Trader Joe's. This one almost made me reconsider moving! I ♥ Trader Joe's and the closest one to Rochester, NY is in Pittsburgh. UGH!

6: My quilting friends. I will miss them SO much! We have always had so much fun together at lock-ins and retreats. I will truly miss the 3am Barry Manilow dance-alongs at retreats :)

5: Hong's Delight. This is the Chinese food restaurant in Marengo. They have the best food ever!

4: The Kishwaukee Family YMCA in DeKalb, IL. This place is so great- it's always clean, the people are always friendly and I will truly miss the lap pool. I plan to join a Y out in NY but I don't see how it could possibly be nicer than this one.

3: My doctor. He's a really great doctor and I'm going to miss his care. I hope I can find a doctor that's half as good as he is when I get to NY.

2: Michele's hot tub. Not joking. It feels SO good!

1: Proximity to Wisconsin: this is because my parents and sister live in Wisconsin. It's been nice living close enough to make day trips to see them. It's a 15 hour drive from Rochester NY to Madison WI.

Storms

2010-09-22T13:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had some storms move through. I was watching the clouds and when the gust front started coming through, I decided to take some pictures.

And I think this picture is pretty cool! The sky was very dark, darker than this shows.

But then….

I was taking a picture of a different angle and got this shot!

Check out the lightning bolt towards the right! This is my first ever lightning picture and while it’s not very good (hey, a Blackberry camera is only so good, you know?) I still love it!

Packing is proceeding very well and I predict that by next Wednesday I’ll have everything I’m taking out of the house. Everything is still amicable and the tedious stuff like bills and car titles has already been taken care of. It’s just a matter of waiting for the court date at this point, and I’m hoping that’s very soon. I want to get out to New York and get settled and start looking for a job as soon as possible!

Thank you all for your lovely comments and e-mails and cards! I just love you all and the support is very much felt, I assure you :)

Major Changes

2010-09-16T07:38:00.001-05:00

There is no easy way to say this, or to sugar coat it, so I’m just gonna blurt it out.

I am getting divorced.

There. I said it.

The process has been started and I am now starting the process of sorting and packing my stuff, since I will not continue living in Illinois once this is all said and done.

I will be de-stashing fabric on Etsy. I’ll let you know once I get that going!

I would really appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Everything is amicable and I want to state for the record that I do not hate my soon-to-be ex-husband and have no desire to “bash” him. What’s happening is just the way it is and he is no more to blame for it than I am.

Needless to say my crafting will be curtailed for quite a while. I hope to be able to do some sewing but so far I honestly haven’t had any desire to do anything.

I do plan to keep blogging, if I have anything to blog about. But my posts may be few for a while.

Hugs to all!

Jennie

In NY Again…

2010-09-06T11:22:00.001-05:00

Actually, I’ve been here for a few days! A few very action packed days. The most fun day so far was Saturday. We drove up to Alexandria Bay in the Thousand Islands and took a boat cruise. We also stopped at Boldt Castle on Heart Island. That place was seriously awesome :)

How’s that for a living room? I wonder if Hubby will let me re-decorate… :)

Maybe we’ll add a little skylight to the living room…

And of course, we’ll need new dishes!

This place was seriously huge.

And of course, we can always build on a little area for entertaining… This actually contains a movie theater, and a bowling alley.

And then at the end of the day we can relax on the porch :)

Hope y’all are doing well! I’ve been trying to keep up with my blog reading while I’m here :)

Coming Back…

2010-08-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

SO, I’ve started to feel the stir of creative ambition again! I’m really hoping I can get into my girl cave tomorrow and get some stuff made. I actually want to do this. Which is a total switch from the past several weeks!

We’re supposed to have cooler weather this week. I have the windows open right now with a lovely north breeze blowing through the house. I wonder if that has anything to do with it? I mean, who wants to make a quilt when it’s 95 degrees with a heat index of 106?

I got a new phone yesterday (Samsung Acclaim) that uses Android. I’m totally in love with it! I’m listening to Pandora on it right now. There are so many great apps! Does anyone have a recommendation for a Flickr app?

Today is house cleaning day (something else I’ve neglected in the past several weeks…). I’m slowly pulling myself together and I thank all of you for the encouraging comments and e-mails!

Changes

2010-08-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

I have decided to give up Twitter. I felt that it was taking up too much of my time. So for all my Twitter friends, I've got nothing against you! This was a totally personal decision :)

I'll see you on Facebook and Flickr!

A Magical Weekend

2010-08-18T10:55:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I was so lucky to be able to go home to New York for a visit! It was SO amazing to see everyone and we had such a good time!

On Saturday I went to the Rochester Red Wings baseball game. SO much fun! Our seats were behind home plate. They had lots of fun things happening and the game was good too :) We ate at Sticky Lips BBQ before and went to Mickey Finn’s for drinks afterwards. I really miss both those places. Nothing around here even comes close!

After the game we went and watched the High Falls laser show. It was so cool!! I wasn’t able to get any pictures of it, though, since I only had my cell phone camera with me.

On Monday a few of us went driving around the Finger Lakes. We just happened to stop at a winery or three along the way!! We also stopped at Finger Lakes Distilling. This place makes small batches of the best vodka, whiskey and gin I have ever been lucky enough to taste! It was a shame I didn’t have room to bring any home with me.

The still and aging barrels at Finger Lakes Distilling.

I got some great scenery pictures. They’ll help tide me over until I can get home again :)

Grapes at Prejean Winery in Penn Yan, NY…

The view from Hickory Hollow Winery in Dundee, NY…

Waterfall on the side of the road near Watkins Glen, NY…

View From Wagner Vineyards in Lodi, NY

I had such a lovely time with my dear friends! I cried for an hour after I was dropped off at the train station. It was so good to go home for a while. Someday I’m going to go home to stay :)

Thank You :)

2010-08-10T21:04:00.001-05:00

Thank you all SO VERY MUCH for all the lovely words of congratulations and encouragement on my weight loss post! I just ♥ all my friends!

My Very First Tutorial!

2010-08-04T16:30:00.004-05:00

Hey all! Head on over to the Fat Quarterly E-zine website for my very first tutorial!! It's for the "Breaking Out" flying geese block that I submitted for Fat Quarterly's issue #1 block challenge. I won the challenge (thank you!!) and wrote a tutorial on how to make the block!

Here's a direct link to the blog post!

Happy quilting!

I’m Losin’ It!!

2010-08-04T08:55:00.001-05:00

I am very overweight. I could yammer on for hours about the whys and hows and whatevers, but let’s just leave it with that.

This is me (last Thursday):

6 weeks ago I started, with the encouragement of my Hubby and the help (in the form of showing up and expecting me to show up!) of my friend Michele, working out at the YMCA in DeKalb, IL. I started by going M-W-F. I’m now up to going 5 days a week. I’ve pretty much stuck to the fitness center, but I hope to add swimming to my routine soon!

I didn’t weight myself when I first started. I kinda didn’t want to know. But about 2 weeks in I decided that I should really know where I started, if only to measure how far I’ve come :) So I bought a scale (really nice Biggest Loser digital scale). I weighed myself on July 4.

I’m not going to tell you what it said. Maybe someday I can do that, but not right now. It’s enough to say that I cried the whole rest of the day. And became really, really determined that I would never see a scale say that about me again. I also decided that I would have “official” weigh-ins once a month.

Well, today is August 4. One month after that fateful “stepping on the scale” incident.

I’ve lost 9.8 pounds.

Go me!

YAY!

WOO HOO!

I’ve also noticed some other changes:

1. I sleep better

2. my heart recovers from physical activity a lot faster

3. my skin is clearing up

4. I don’t really want to eat junk food anymore. I mean, what’s the point of working out for an hour, then coming home to eat a bag of cheese puffs?

I’ll keep you posted. Next up- September 4!

Creativity Returns… Kind Of

2010-08-03T21:03:00.001-05:00

I’ve been in a real slump lately when it comes to creating things. I just can’t get interested!! And it’s not just quilting- it’s knitting and cardmaking and cooking too. I really think it’s because of the hot humid weather we’ve had. It’s gone on for weeks now with no break. I feel more housebound now than I do in winter!

I’m going on a trip to New York next week (by myself, since Hubby can’t get away from work) and I wanted a nice sleeve for my new laptop, to protect it as I travel.

The summer 2009 Quilts and More magazine has a really nice pattern for a laptop sleeve. I’ve actually made one before…

This was made for my sister, with fabrics she picked out.

Well, I finally broke a little hole in my creativity block and got something done!

I made a variation on the same laptop sleeve using Joel Dewberry “Modern Meadow” fabrics with a dash of Essex linen thrown in! Both the outside and the lining have been quilted with batting, to make it extra soft. I also used velcro instead of a button. I didn’t want anything on the outside that could catch on something.

Hopefully I’ve fully broken out of the slump. I have a lot of projects I need to get done!

The Monster Sunflower :)

2010-07-24T15:30:00.001-05:00

As many of you probably know or have guessed, I love, love, LOVE sunflowers! So when one started growing in a really weird spot in front of the house, I just couldn’t pull it out. I think it was planted by a squirrel or a bird.

It’s HUGE!! It’s nearly as tall as the house, actually. And it’s just starting to open!

I ♥ it :)

Playing :)

2010-07-23T10:36:00.001-05:00

My new laptop has Live Writer! I’ve heard a few people say that they really like writing their blog this way, so I’m testing it :)

Check out this picture I took this morning on my way to the Y (don’t worry, I was at a red light!)

It was storming at home, but 20 miles south in Sycamore it was broken clouds. It’s funny how weather can be so different from one place to another!

Anyway...

2010-07-21T10:49:00.000-05:00

So, I've been really busy lately. Going to the Y takes a LOT of my energy right now. Cooking healthy meals and not eating junk takes more of it. Add in cleaning the house and doing yardwork in the ungodly humidity we've been having, and you end up with one tired, worn out Jennie.

I haven't even turned my sewing machine on since Sunday >:-(

In the meantime I've been...

Drinking iced caramel macchiatos, trying to both keep cool and get a little energy boost...

Playing with my new laptop (it just came today!)!! It's already beat me at Scrabble. Which isn't hard, but anyway...

And packing fabric for the yard sale my friends and I are holding the first weekend of August! More details about that to come shortly, but if you're in the Chicago area you might want to think about stopping by :)

I'm also cleaning and planning- friends of mine from back home in New York will be here next weekend!! I'm SO excited to see them!!

I hope to get sewing soon- I have so many projects I want to make!

My {First} NASCAR Experience :)

2010-07-12T14:27:00.005-05:00

This past weekend my sister-in-law brought my nieces and nephew up to Chicago to spend some time with family and go to the Nascar races at the Chicagoland Speedway. My dad had tickets for the Nationwide race on Friday and the Sprint Cup race on Saturday. Because of schedule issues, he ended up with an extra ticket to each race, and I was invited to go along!

Now, I confess to having harbored some Nascar prejudices: I thought it was pretty much loud, beer-drinking, tattooed redneck guys and their equally loud, beer-drinking, tattooed, bikini-wearing wives/girlfriends. I was really not looking forward to going. But I don't get to spend a lot of time with my nieces, and I'd never seen my 9 month old nephew. So I thought I would go, and it would be a way to bond with them, and I'd hate the race, and that would be the end of my Nascar experiences.

Well, I was wrong. It's NOT all loud, beer-drinking, tattooed, bikini-wearing people (although believe me, they're there!). It's pretty family oriented, really. And I really had a fun time. So much fun that I would like to do it again. Soon! With more money. The racetrack is pretty much set up to perform a "cashectomy" on you every time you turn a corner.

I digress.

The first thing I did was buy a Matt Kenseth hat. He's the favorite of most of the family, and I needed a hat because it was really sunny and I'd forgotten mine. And it's pretty. And purple :)

Merchandise is sold from "haulers", which are trailers with sides that open. When the race is over, they get closed up, hooked to semi tractors and hauled (hence the name...) to the next race! When my nieces first asked where the haulers were I asked them what that meant. They looked at me like I had 12 heads and 15 eyes. I reminded them that I'd never been to a race before. And then they began educating me about Nascar :)

Anyway.

Dad got us some pretty amazing seats! We could see the whole track, and the flag tower and all of the pits.

For the Nationwide race (the Dollar General 300) on Friday we pulled for #7 Danica Patrick. Because she's a girl race car driver. And 5 of the seven of us at the race were girls :)

The only boys were PopPop and my nephew. They enjoyed the race too :)

On Saturday night we went to the Sprint Cup race (the Lifelock 400), which is otherwise known as the "race that has drivers I've actually heard of". We were a bit more varied in who we were pulling for. My dad, sister and I were pulling for Matt Kenseth. My niece Fiona was pulling for Kasey Kahne (because "he's dreamy"!) and Zoë was pulling for Carl Edwards (he finished 2nd. Zoë was VERY happy!).

Some nice people sitting behind us took this great picture of us with the track in the background!

My sister got some great pictures of all of our favorite cars.

#17 Matt Kenseth

#99 Carl Edwards

#9 Kasey Kahne

And all of our drivers finished in the top 15!

It really was a great weekend, and I enjoyed myself SO much more than I thought I would. And I was able to spend some time getting to know my nieces. Which was the most important thing (to me, anyway)!

PS- I forgot to show you my Matt Kenseth toes!! I had a mani/pedi the night before the first race, so I had Terry paint my finger and toe nails purple (Matt's car is black and purple)!

Pillow Talk Swap 3 {Sent and Received}!

2010-06-29T11:21:00.000-05:00

Another Pillow Talk Swap, another AMAZING pillow!! I received this today from Rachel...

What a lovely sunflower! I don't know if you know this about me, but I *LOVE* sunflowers :)

She sent along some goodies too- some vintage sheet pieces and a lovely hand crocheted dishcloth!

Now I have a lovely flower garden (without any bees!) right on my couch!

And on the sent side of things...

I sent this pillow to Joan of Wishes, True and Kind! She did a lovely blog post about it, which you can read here!

I think she likes it :)

I can't wait for round 4 to start... this is one of the best swaps in the world :)

Happy Fun Time!

2010-06-28T10:45:00.001-05:00

That's what this past week has been, really. Well, except for the DAILY t-storms and ungodly hot and humid weather. Our air conditioner has been getting a good workout!

I finished the set up in my new sewing room (or my "girl cave" as Hubby calls it!!). Hubby put hooks into the wall for my rulers. They are SO handy, right behind my cutting table. Just turn around and grab!

I finished up and mailed my Modern Siggy Swap 2 blocks. They were fun to make!

At the lock-in Saturday night I started making asterisk blocks. I'm not really doing the quilt along per se, but I thought the blocks were cute and I wanted to make enough for a wall hanging. Well, let me tell you- these blocks are more fun than should be allowed by law! They are addicting. So, if you don't want to spend every spare second making asterisk blocks, I suggest you don't start at all :)

And finally I designed a quilt for the lovely new "Spa" fabrics by Rosemarie Levin. I pressed and cut the fabrics yesterday. My new shelves double as fabric racks- how cool is that!

A Productive Day!

2010-06-19T20:43:00.000-05:00

Today was the first time I was really able to sew in my new digs. And I have to tell you, I'm LOVING them! Everything works very well, I only found a couple of things that need to be tweaked :)

I also finished a couple projects up today!

My offering for the Pillow Talk Swap... I hope my secret partner likes it!

And a cover for my embroidery machine!

Tomorrow I'm heading up to see my daddy for Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there!!

A New Space

2010-06-18T09:50:00.000-05:00

This spring Hubby and I have been reorganizing. Almost every room in the house has been changed around in some way!

One MAJOR change was the moving of my sewing room from a space near the kitchen to the smallest bedroom. We've referred to this room as "the room of doom" because it was pretty much a storage room. A very disorganized storage room!

After 4 full days of cleaning (I filled SIX big garbage bags with trash, not to mention the recycle and garage sale stuff that came out of there!) it was ready for occupancy!

There was a nice big old desk in there, so I left it in and am now using it for my sewing table. It's so nice and sturdy!

There are oodles of shelves too! The whole wall is lined with shelves and there are 2 units underneath the cutting and ironing tables. It was a bit of a puzzle at first but this arrangement works very, very nicely!

This is what I see when I turn around in my chair. When I sit at my machine my back is to the rest of the room. But this was better than having my back to the door, which was the only other way things could have been arranged :)

We moved the embroidery machine in this morning. My sewing room is now complete! And it's also very, very cosy. I think I can safely say there is no wasted space anywhere :)

I'm excited to spend tomorrow actually working on projects in there!

It's Party Time!!

2010-06-16T17:05:00.000-05:00

That's right! Heather over at A La Mode Fabric is celebrating her birthday with a whole month of giveaways!! I brought her some presents to give away...

Charm packs of every MoMo line from Moda!! One person will get all three of these delicious charm packs :)

You need to go to THIS POST over at Heather's blog to enter to win! Don't comment here (unless you want to just say hi or something ♥)!

Chaos Theory

2010-06-09T14:55:00.000-05:00

" {the} chaos theory is... about finding the underlying order in apparently random data"- imho.com

Last night I was cleaning up my cutting table and came across a little pile of 1.5" squares. They were leftovers from piecing a bee block. I was about to start sorting them into my scrap bins, but then I stopped. And pulled out the bolt of Moda Bella white. And went to town!

I sashed all those little squares with white, then trimmed them on an angle to 4.5". There were 49 squares- how perfect was that? 7 rows of 7 squares each! I put the top together and basted it (I ♥ Sulky KK 2000 spray basting- makes my life SO much easier!). Then I debated- do I quilt it with wavy lines or straight lines? I put the question out to my Flickr friends, and they TOTALLY came through for me :)

Quiltedoma (Andrea) suggested straight lines 1/4" from the seams. Threekitchenfairies (Paloma) suggested random straight lines. Then I had a "lightbulb moment" and combined the two!

Chaos Theory is quilted with random, 1/4" spaced straight lines! I pulled out my roll of 1/4" wide masking tape and marked lines randomly, then quilted on either side of the tape.

The binding is sewn to the front. I'll do the hand sewing at a lock-in I'm attending on Saturday. Right now I need to finish Pillow talk Swap 3 and Modern Siggy Swap 2 and get them mailed out :)

Fabric For Sale

2010-06-06T16:21:00.001-05:00

My amazingly talented hubby made a website for me to sell the fabric and books I no longer want!

You can check it out here! I am so excited to be able to do this and I hope that the stuff I don't want anymore will be able to find a good home :)

There is LOTS more stuff to go on here, it will be updated every day. So if you don't see anything you want now, keep checking!

Bee Blocks: May 2010

2010-06-01T10:38:00.000-05:00

I finished up my May bee blocks yesterday... nothing like waiting till the last minute :)

For Mary in The Block Swap 2: she sent muslin foundations and the lovely greens and browns for this block. I attempted to make 2 for her, but I made a stupid cutting mistake. I'm sending the partially finished one to her too, so she can finish it.

For Kelly in the Scraptastic Bee: Kelly send the background and black and white print and asked us to use scraps to make wonky houses! This one's pretty darn wonky, I have to admit. Wonky stuff is not my favorite. It's good that I have to do it in my bees occasionally, just to get me out of my box a little :)

For Adrienne in the Buzz Cuts 2 bee: she sent the white and asked us to use blue and green scraps to make this block! This one is closer to what I like- intricate with lots of pieces :) I had fun making this one. It was hard to mail it off! I have leftovers and am thinking of making another block just like it and finishing it into a mini quilt :)

June is my month to send fabric for the Scraptastic Bee and Buzz Cuts 2, and I can't wait to see what I get back from my talented bee friends :) I have fabric for A Piece Of Work B, and am waiting for fabric for The Block Swap 2 and Bee White Black. I hope I get them by Friday, since I'd like to use Saturday to get them done!

Workin' And Playin'!!

2010-05-30T18:42:00.002-05:00

This weekend was spent making new window treatments for our bedroom/master bath and doing some serious yardwork! We accomplished it all by this afternoon- leaving me tomorrow to catch up with bee and swap stuff! Maybe I won't be behind after all :)

The Master bathroom is painted a pretty bright pink. We decided not to re-paint it, but to work with the color...

The master bedroom used to be the same color pink (UGH!) but many coats of paint later, it's not anymore :) We actually painted it a few years ago.

The rest of the time was spent taking the fence out from around the garden, cleaning up the whole garden area, cutting dead branches out of trees and trimming bushes!

And my reward for all this hard work?

A grape martini (or two...) :) :)

PS- I was so excited to share my new shades that I forgot to tell you... theye were made using this awesome tutorial! Cheers!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2010-05-28T16:53:00.001-05:00

My quilt for the festival isn't spectacular. It isn't cutting edge, or modern, or even my own pattern. But it is my very favorite quilt- the one I reach for when I am tired, sad, cold, watching a movie, or just want a hug :)

This is my Peace and Serenity quilt. The pattern is from Anka's Treasures and the fabrics are mixture of Shangri-La by Moda and Winsome from Benartex. I absolutely love the calmness of this quilt! This quilt has the nickname "my bamboo blankie" because it was the first quilt I used 50/50 bamboo/cotton batting in. I really like it- it's thin but warm, and it has a beautiful drape!

I also used my embroidery machine to make a label for this quilt! I enjoy playing with all the fonts in the software :)

Happy Blogger's Quilt Festival everyone!!

Back In Quiltyland!

2010-05-24T16:27:00.001-05:00

I have had to spend WAY too much time in Real-Life Land over the past few weeks :) I was SO happy to spend this past weekend back in Quiltyland!

Saturday evening I went to the ever fun and always party-like lock in hosted by my friend Vicki down at Tammy Tadd Designs. I was able to finish quilting the ticker tape mini we did at the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild meeting a couple months back. It's not bound yet, but I think it's SO cute :)

I also worked on the pieces for a new quilt for my spare bedroom. It's the "Greet The Morning" pattern in the Summer 2010 Quilts And More and I managed to find the exact fabrics! I am using Essex linen in white for the background.

On Sunday I spent the afternoon sewing with the SewMod group that my friend Paige put together. I used that time to continue working on the "Greet The Morning" quilt.

Last night I unfortunately had a severe bout of insomnia- I did not even go to bed until 4:30am. But I did use the time to pick the fabrics, cut the hexies and do the basting for my Handsome Hexies swap partner, so it wasn't all bad :)

Today I'm working on bee blocks and prepping my fabrics to send for June- I send for both the Buzz Cuts 2 and Scraptastic Bee groups and I'm so excited!

Still Alive!

2010-05-19T19:48:00.000-05:00

I've been spring cleaning, helping people move and doing lots of yardwork- my sewing machine hasn't even been turned on for a week- yikes! Things are settling down and I hope to have some new things to share with you soon :)

HoopUp! Stitch And Send Swap- I'm Done :)

2010-05-11T14:53:00.001-05:00

Today I put the last stitches into the last piece I was making for my group in this swap. Yes, it was due on April 30. Yes, today is May 11. *hangs head in shame* What can I say? I tried!

For Jessica, who asked for an undersea theme along the lines of the Heather Ross "Mendocino" collection.

For Corinne, who asked for free-stitched scenes within a 5" circle.

For Beth, who asked for Ed Emberly inspired cities! I chose Paris. I forgot to take a picture of the finished piece, which includes trees.

For Rita, who asked for a woodland theme.

For Aneela, who asked for little girls playing.

And these are what I have recieved from Aneela, Jessica, Corinne and Beth! My theme was random circles and I am absolutely delighted with what I have recieved!

Just Plain Happy :)

2010-05-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

It's been lovely weather, and I'm feeling fairly good, and the garden is growing, and I am just happy :)
I have also been working on this...

These are the "leftovers" from my version of the Jewel Box quilt in the Fat Quarterly e-zine. I actually got enough half-square triangles for 12 blocks total and they're all made. This afternoon I'm going to put the top together and load it onto my GrandQuilter to quilt it :)

I'm still working on the Jewel Box quilt. I just need to make a few more blocks and I can put that top together, too.

I also indulged this weekend and bought 1/2 yard each of all 40 prints in the "Freebird" line by MoMo for Moda. I ordered them from Hawthorne Threads on Saturday and they came today! I call that good, fast service :)

This morning I've gotten a lot done in the way of housecleaning and I've made yogurt and bread. I'm feeling all domestic today :)

Clouds

2010-05-05T11:25:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been fascinated by clouds. I really can't explain why. Maybe it's the fact that they are ever changing? Or that a seemingly innocent looking cloud can grow and change and draw energy to itself until it becomes a deadly force? I don't know.

Whatever the reason, I've been obsessed with taking pictures of clouds.

Like these.

A Little Of This And Some Of That...

2010-05-03T13:33:00.000-05:00

That describes the week since my last blog post!

The week brought some storms...

But today I'm enjoying lovely weather and clear blue skies!

I'm working on a quilt from Fat Quarterly e-zine...

And playing with the leftovers!

I've been showing off my backside... ;)

And recycling things to use in the garden! Here are branches I am using for my pole beans. They'll be perfect for the vines to climb!

Fat Quarterly E-zine

2010-04-27T09:28:00.001-05:00

Well, Fat Quarterly premiered today! My very own, unsolicited, personal opinion of it? It ROCKS!!

This E-zine is SO much fun!! It has fun and easy patterns and interviews with fabric designers and book authors- and bloggers just like you and me! It's bright and fresh looking and it's obvious a lot of care went into the appearance of this e-zine.

They have a little challenge in the magazine- I'm not going to say what, but I will show you what I made for it...

I highly, highly recommend you head over to the Fat Quarterly website and buy it. It's worth the $8 in my opinion!!

Photography

2010-04-26T13:57:00.001-05:00

Taking really good photos with the perfect subject and lighting has never been my strong point. I always strive for great pictures, but most of the time they elude me. Lately I've really been making an effort, though. I set aside the cheap camera I got on clearance at Shopko. I learned how to use all the features of our really good Olympus camera. I'm learning about lighting and focus and white balance. We have a tripod now and a remote for the camera is next on the list. I try to pose my subjects (usually quilts!) for the maximum effect.

But this? This was totally random!! I took the camera outside to take pictures of the crabapple tree. I stepped into the grass to get a better view. I happened to look down, and there was this:

What may possibly be the most perfectly formed dandelion flower I've ever seen!

I love dandelions. I don't look in my yard and see unsightly weeds... I see hundreds of happy cheerful flowers! Fortunately I live in the country where no one is bothered by them :)

We Have A Winner!!!

2010-04-26T09:00:00.004-05:00

Aaaaaannnnnddd here we go!! As of 9:00pm US CDT there were 456 comments... 456! WOW! Thank you all SO much!!

Mr. Random Number Generator has picked out a winner!!

And that is...

OMG it's MICHELE!!! One of my real-life bestest quilting peeps!!!! I am TOTALLY holding you to that cookie promise, darlin'!

Thank you so, so much to everyone who stopped by and left me such lovely comments!! I read each and every one of them and am so happy to have made new friends- and found many new blogs to read!!

Quilty love to all!

Post #300- You Know What That Means!

2010-04-21T18:00:00.004-05:00

***This giveaway is now closed and a winner has been announced! Thank you so much!!***

That's right- it means it's time for a giveaway!! I am so excited to have reached this blogging landmark... 300 posts! That's a lot of sharing my little world with you all :) Thank you for reading and commenting and sharing my blog journey with me!

So, about this giveaway... ALL of this prize goes to ONE lucky person! International entries are welcome :)

Here's the prize package:

1. A copy of the book "Handmade Home" by Amanda Blake Soule!

2. THREE charm packs of current Moda lines "Frolic" by Sandy Gervais, "Make Life..." by SweetWater and "Blush" by BasicGrey!

3. AND you will also get a free download of the premier issue of Fat Quarterly!! Fat Quarterly is an exciting new e-magazine written by modern sewists for modern sewists! It will premier on April 27th and YOU could be checking out the first issue for FREE!! For more information about Fat Quarterly e-magazine you can check them out at their website, on Flickr and on Twitter :)

So how do you win this awesome package? There are 3 ways to enter!

1. Leave a comment on this post! That's simple enough, right? :)

2. Become a follower of this blog and leave me a separate comment on this post telling me you've done so! If you are already a follower, let me know in a separate comment for your extra chance!

3. Blog about this giveaway!! Then come back and leave me another separate comment on this post telling me you've done this, with a link to your post!

This giveaway will be open until Sunday April 25, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. US central daylight time. The winner will be drawn at random and announced on Monday April 26, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. US central daylight time.

Thanks for coming by, and good luck!

Spring Flowers :)

2010-04-21T12:58:00.000-05:00

I wanted to show you some of the flowers I saw today :)

This crabapple tree is right in our front yard, and it's always SO beautiful this time of year! I wish I could post the scent that's coming into the house from this tree- it's so sweet and peaceful!

This tree is also buzzing right now- literally. There must be hundreds of bees in the flowers right now!

I must be doing something right with the strawberries this year- some of them are already flowering!! I'm so excited for some fresh strawberries this year :)

International Quilt Festival 2010: The Quilts, Part II

2010-04-20T09:32:00.000-05:00

Just a few more of the quilts that caught my eye and inspired me at the International Quilt Festival this past weekend!

"My Stash At 50" by Karen Eckmeier

"My Stash At 50" by Karen Eckmeier... check out the quilting on this!!

"Crocus" by Maggie Weiss

"Oh, For Henna's Sake" by Michelle Reasoner

"Oh, For Henna's Sake" by Michelle Reasoner... another one that just had amazing quilting!

"Fantasy Seahorse" by Pat Mazzarella

There are more pictures of amazingly inspirational quilts in my Flickr Set "IQF 2010" :)

International Quilt Festival 2010: The Quilts, Part I

2010-04-19T09:10:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the quilts that really caught my eye at the International Quilt Festival!

"Petal Palette" by Jean Smith of Fort Meyers, FL.

"Stained Glass Flowers" by Leigh Elking of Scottsdale, AZ

"Spring Field" by Akiko Kawata of Osaka, Japan

"Red Weeds On Stricker's Pond" by Susan Jackan of Madison, WI

"Spring Is Just Around The Corner" by Saradean Hallman of West Columbia, SC

"Beyond" by Kathryn Botsford of Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada

I'll post more of my favorite quilts from the International Quilt Festival tomorrow! More photos are in this Flickr set if you just can't wait :)

International Quilt Festival 2010- The Loot :)

2010-04-17T19:09:00.000-05:00

Oh, I had SUCH a good time at the quilt show today!! It really wasn't as crowded as it has been in past years, and that made it nicer for shopping :)

And, I shopped :) Not as much as I've bought in past years, but still quite enough to last a while!

A couple booths had some AMAZING deals on Moda pre-cuts!! I found two jelly rolls of "1974", three honeybuns of "Neptune" and a honeybun/layer cake combo of "Make Life..."! There were many more but I decided to leave some for people that are going to the show tomorrow :)

A lot of the quilts on display featured silk. I've recently moved out of my "cotton ONLY" phase and have incorporated linen into my quilting and sewing projects. I decided to keep leaping and start using silk, too! These are pieces of Thai and Chinese silk- they are so shimmery and richly colored!

These were at a booth that had some pretty mad prices for things- like these bundles: 5 yards of fabric for $25! FIVE dollars a yard! I was very happy :)

The same booth was selling remnant pieces for $4/yard! These Sandi Henderson pieces were too good to pass up.

I also made sure to pick up my pin- the last pin for Chicago :(

Next year the spring show is moving to Cincinnati, OH, so I was glad I was able to get to the show today. It is unlikely I will get to another International Quilt Festival anytime soon... Houston and Cincinnati have too much extra expense, like hotel and travel. I'll miss having this great show in my own backyard!

Friday Night Fun :)

2010-04-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

So, we go pretty nuts here in the Sunflowerquilts household on Friday nights. Hubby is currently sitting on the couch with our cat, watching DVDs of the TV show "ALF". Yes, you read that right. He loves that horrible show!

I, on the other hand, am in my sewing room. (I bet you're all shocked, right?) I pulled out a book I bought a long time ago and never did anything with- "Convergence Quilts" by Ricky Tims- and decided to play with it tonight.

Like I said, we are TOTAL party animals :)

It's not completely sewn together yet, and I think it's going to need some fun borders to really make it pop. But I like it! I already have plans for another one :)

Now I'm off to bed so I can be nice and rested for the International Quilt Festival tomorrow! I've heard some reports from friends that went Thursday and today and I'm pretty excited!

Other People's Projects!

2010-04-13T10:45:00.001-05:00

Here is a smattering of the things the other ladies were working on this weekend...

Patti's first order of business was to complete these adorable baskets!!

Vicki was working on the pattern "Slide Show" by Terry Atkinson, making it with these GORGEOUS "Lantern Bloom" fabrics! She actually finished the top right at the end of the retreat, but I didn't get a picture! When she blogs about it I'll post a link :)

DiscoJen was working on a couple Trip Around The World quilt tops to give as gifts to friends. Here's one of them!!

Carol was working on this AMAZING quilt- I have to be honest and say that I never have, nor am I likely to ever put this much time into a quilt!! She had the center portion and all the blocks done, she put it together at the retreat. Isn't it just gorgeous?

Michele made this lovely little table runner!! She also made a cute baby quilt, but again, I didn't get a picture of it.

Several more things were made/worked on over the weekend that I didn't get pictures of. Next time I'll be better at photographing projects :)

The Quilt Retreat!

2010-04-12T19:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend my friends Vicki, Michele, Pat, Pat, Patti, Carol and Jen and I went on a 3 day quilt retreat up in Janesville, WI! There is an awesome quilt retreat house there called Evergreen Retreat (no website)- I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a place to have a retreat!!

One of the biggest attractions for me was the fact that they set it up electrically so that each person could have an iron at their sewing area! I took along two paper-piecing projects and got a lot done on them:

I made 12 centers for my New York Beauty quilt! I'll finish them now that I'm home. I just did the paper-piecing part at the retreat- I would have had to bring a LOT of fabric to make whole blocks!

I also made about 20 blocks for my Park Slope log cabin- not all of them are pictured here! I laid them out to show some of the ladies what the curved log cabins do when you put them together.

Saturday evening I put away all the paper-piecing and pulled out a jelly roll of my all time favorite fabric, "Shangri-La" by 3 Sisters for Moda. Using the "Keyholes" pattern from Anka's Treasures, I whipped up this quilt from Saturday 5pm to Sunday 12pm! It's 78" x 78"- I made the borders a bit bigger than the pattern called for.

It was a wonderful weekend, and I'm already looking forward to the next one. Which is in November :)

Garden 2010

2010-04-02T11:16:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is!! Hubby and I finished up the last of the prep work this morning: we made the last of the beds, worked the compost into all of them, and got the soil/peat moss mixture for the blueberries into the pots!

I guess my measurements were a bit off, because I thought I could only get 6 beds in the space I had. But it turns out that there was room for 7 beds. That makes me very happy- the more planting space the better!!

I now have 252 square feet of deep soil raised beds for planting! They'll need to settle for about a week (and it's supposed to rain most of the next week, so that's perfect!) and then I can start the early stuff: peas, lettuce, radishes, and spinach. I can hardly wait for my first garden-fresh salad :)

It's Garden Time!!

2010-03-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

And that makes for one very happy Jennie :)

This made me happy too- there are dozens of little daffodil buds coming up in my little garden at the end of the driveway!

I got the strawberries in! I thought it was way too early, but a friend of mine (who happens to be a Master Gardener!) told me to get in them in ASAP then cover them with a thick layer of straw. I hope they're growing under there :)

And last but not least, I've been completely re-doing the garden to get the maximum planting space. The supported raised beds are gone, and in their place will be 6 unsupported beds 12 feet long by 3 feet wide. I have 2 of them established, and am planning to have the rest done this week! That will give them a week to settle before I plant the early things like peas, lettuce and spinach.

Now it's lunchtime, and then I'm going to get my peppers, tomatoes and broccoli started indoors!

A New Shop!

2010-03-27T14:36:00.001-05:00

Woohoo!! There's a new shop close(ish) to me! And it's a great one :)

It's called Acorn Quilts, and it's in Rockford, IL, about 25 miles west of me. Paige and I drove out this morning to check it out.

It's very nice!! The decor is really modern, and the fabrics are a pretty good mix of Civil War repro-type stuff and modern. She had the entire "Nicey Jane" line by Heather Bailey! The prices were pretty much standard for brick-and-mortar stores.

The best feature of this shop? They were SO friendly and nice and seemed genuinely happy that we were there!! I actually wanted to buy fabric there, they were so helpful and pleasant- and it's important to have that personal customer service, especially in this day and age of internet shopping. I don't go back to shops I don't get a good "vibe" from. I'll be going back to this shop!

So if you're going to be in the Rockford IL area, I highly recommend you check out this shop!! It's not far off the interstate (I-39/I-90 north, the Riverside Blvd. exit), so it's a great place to stop even if you're on your way to somewhere else :)

Shopping Finds!

2010-03-23T19:26:00.001-05:00

I'm visiting my mom for a couple days this week... one of the things we decided to do was drive to Stoughton, WI, park the car and walk the lovely downtown area. There are a lot of really cute shops (including a quilt shop!), and it was a beautiful day for walking.

I found a couple of really cute things that fit right in with my love of sunflowers :)

I just love this little print!! It's perfect for my quilting studio :)

And aren't these just darling? I don't know if I'll ever actually use them as coasters- I may hang them on the wall.

The best part is that both of these items are made in the USA. That's important to me!

I also found some really great black and white prints to use in my New York Beauty blocks :)

Now I'm off to work on some Hoop Up swap stitching!

Sunday Drive

2010-03-21T17:38:00.000-05:00

This afternoon was so bright and sunny that Hubby and I decided to hop in the car and drive! We chose to drive southwest, just to see what there was to see. And let me tell you, I was in seventh heaven when we saw this!!

A wind farm!!! Of those big, huge, lovely windmills!

I cannot even begin to describe how much I love these windmills. I think they are so beautiful and powerful and they give the impression of being graceful, too. I really think they are among the most beautiful things on earth.

Hubby knows of my love for these, so we followed the windfarm for miles and miles so I could just look and look!

He even took us off the beaten (or paved...!) path so I could get up close! They make such a lovely swooshing sound as they go round and round :)

It was a lovely drive- I'm so glad we got out of the house and out into the world for a while :)

National Quilting Day

2010-03-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

Well, today didn't start out the best. To start with, it was snowing... after the temps getting almost to 70 yesterday, this was a total slap in the face! I also woke up with a terrible sore throat and a fever. I don't know what it was. I ended up cancelling a few plans because of this. And then I felt fine by 3pm and felt silly that I'd changed my plans! Oh, well.

I decided to celebrate National Quilting Day by doing a LOT of sewing! I made 5 New York Beauty blocks today, along with 5 blocks for my Park Slope log cabin.

The New York Beauty blocks I have done so far. I think I'm going to take that one with the dark purple "crust" and change it. The dark purple is just not doing it for me. It's too dark and blendy with the black.

This is the Park Slope log cabin as far as I had it back in September 2009. I just picked it back up again today. I can't for the life of me explain why I set it aside- I fell in love with it all over again today! I made 5 new blocks for it today too :)

I am having SO much fun with quilting again!

So I Went A Little Crazy...

2010-03-19T08:01:00.002-05:00

I basically spent the whole day yesterday making New York Beauty blocks! I was having so much fun I just couldn't stop...

This is the second block I made. It was a simpler version of the block, so I chose a Heather Bailey fabric that had a strong curve in it and fussy cut to add dimension to the block.

Hubby was watching me pin this last night and thought it was hysterically funny that I used SO many pins... there are 31 pins holding those pieces together! Normally I hate pinning, and I never pin when I'm piecing straight seams. But curves like that need those pins!

All four blocks I made yesterday, one each of the four variations I plan to use for the quilt!

Today's plan is to organize a couple other projects- the Park Slope curved log cabin and Heather Bailey wonky log cabin- and along with the New York Beauty blocks do one block per day (of each project!) until they're done!

Back To My Basics

2010-03-18T09:44:00.003-05:00

I have always been drawn to the more complicated side of quilting. I think it's fun to make blocks that have a zillion pieces, have curves, and involve paper piecing. It was a New York Beauty quilt that first sparked my interest in quilting, actually!

I also like all the simple modern stuff that's all over Flickr and Blogland nowadays. It's been fun doing some simple stuff that is quick to make and has good visual impact. There are so many amazing quilts out there, made by so many seriously talented people!

But, lately, I've been getting bored. I don't particularly like doing free-pieced, really wonky stuff, no matter how hard I've tried to get into it. Don't mistake me- I love, love, LOVE looking at all those lovely quilts- I just don't like doing it myself. My symmetrical little heart just can't get into the spirit of it :)

So I decided to go back to my "basics", what drew me into quilting in the first place!

I sat down with my scrap box and my black stash and made this today!! I just love it! I had a little "issue" with the first curved piece, but it'll be in the seam. And it showed me I needed to be a little more careful and pin a little bit better :)

I have plans to make many more blocks using templates for 4 different styles of New York Beauty blocks. I found them at this lovely site! The color scheme for this was inspired by this lovely mini quilt I saw on Flickr.

I am glad I have found my spot again. I was getting to the point where I was wondering if I even enjoyed quilting anymore. Sometimes we all just need to get back to basics- our own personal basics- to find the joy of our art again!

PS: I would like to say thank you to QuiltHome.com for choosing me as their link-of-the-week this week! I was so surprised and happy to open my e-mail and see that yesterday morning! I would also like to say hello and thank you to everyone who is visiting from QuiltHome.com :)

DQS8 And The Pillow Talk Swap

2010-03-15T13:08:00.005-05:00

I am officially done sending and recieving for both these swaps!! They were really great swaps- I am glad I was a part of them, even though emergency surgeries and serious illness made actually making things stressful for me ;)

In the DQS8 swap, I was to make a mini for Jeanette. She said that she really likes cherries. And I happened to have a bunch of Sandi Henderson's cherries from the "Farmer's Market" line :)

This is what I sent to her. I forgot to take a picure if it finished, though :( Fortunately she was a lot better than I was and took this great photo of it :)

And I recieved this AMAZING mini from Karen. I absolutely adore it and I am always looking at it! I hung it above my sewing machine table so I can see it all the time :)

And in the Pillow Talk swap....

I was to make a pillow for Julie. She gave very good details regarding the colors of her home decor, and I was able to make this for her:

And then I recieved my Pillow Talk Swap pillow cover from Charlotte!

I simply ADORE it!! It's so springy, and let me tell you, almost all of that applique is done by hand... she must have a LOT more patience than I have or will ever have!! It's beautifully done. I am going out to Joann's tomorrow to get a pillow form for it!

My "swap mama" for both of these swaps was the lovely Natasha! She is a great mama :) All in all, these were two very good swaps!

And now I will be taking a bit of a swapping break- because it's GARDENING TIME!!! I am getting the tomatoes, peppers and broccoli started indoors this week, and will start preparing the garden beds next week! I am so excited about this I can hardly even type :)

Doll Quilt Swap Recieved!!!

2010-03-11T12:22:00.001-06:00

And I could NOT be happier!

Isn't this just absolutely amazing?!?!? It's from Karen at Badlands Quilts. She did the MOST amazing job with this- every part of it is perfect, and perfect for ME! I was crying and dancing at the same time when I opened this... the postmistress must have thought I was completely insane, because I opened it standing in the post office :)

Isn't he cute? I must find out what that amazing brown fabric she used for the binding is... I just love it!

Even the back is lovely, with that cute owl for a label!

Karen sent some lovey fabric too, including a piece of gold! Er, I mean, a piece of "Lush" paint-by-number fabric. That fabric is impossible to find and I'm so happy that I now have a little piece of it in my stash!

Thank you, Karen, thank you, thank you, thank you! I actually prayed that this one would come to me when I first saw it in the Doll Quilt Swap pool on Flickr! And now it's mine!

Now I need to find the perfect place to hang it...

Home Sweet Home

2010-03-08T09:58:00.000-06:00

Since I really wasn't able to do much of anything this past weekend (I was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday and am supposed to rest- a LOT) I decided to make a list of spring cleaning stuff to do around the house. I went into each room. And with each room I grew more and more unhappy with my small, out-of-date house. I was really working myself into a state about it!

So I decided to take some time and think about what is good about my house. And to my suprise, I came up with a much longer list of good than I had of bad!

My house is out in the country. Yes, it's pretty far from everything, but when I look at my huge garden area, or settle down in front of my bay window to knit and watch the sheep in their pasture across the road, I am so happy that I'm not squished onto a city block somewhere, with long lists of things I can and cannot do with my own property.

My house was built in the early 1970's, and it shows. Especially in the kitchen. It's small, has outdated cabinets and what we laughingly refer to as the "kitchen jail"- a row of turned wooden pillars that help distinguish it from the family room.

But you know what? I have all the room I need, really. And everything is just a couple steps away- I don't have to walk far to get to anything I need. I've never had trouble making good meals and tasty treats in my kitchen :) And the "kitchen jail" is really just cosmetic- if we could find time we could change it quite easily!

And lastly, my house is filled with love. We have so much fun here, and with both of us working hard to be considerate and caring towards the other, lovely things happen.

I know so many people who live in big beautiful homes that are filled with stress and strife. I am so happy here in my small outdated home that's filled with love and compassion and caring!

Stash Building

2010-03-03T17:07:00.000-06:00

As every quilter knows, you can have too much fabric. But you can also never have enough fabric... especially when designers keep coming out with such awesome stuff! Here's some of what I've added to my stash in the last couple weeks!

"Make Life..." by Sweetwater for Moda. Isn't it gorgeous? I don't know when (or if...) I will pull that ribbon, but it's so pretty sitting up on the shelf :)

"Modern Meadow" by Joel Dewberry, the "Berry" colorway. I really think this may be my favorite fabric collection of all time... I will definitely be ordering more of this- lots more!! It looks AMAZING with Kona's charcoal solid. I'm thinking something really simple to show off the prints would be good for this one!

"Modern Meadow" by Joel Dewberry, the "Pond" colorway. This reminds me of the Finger Lakes region of New York, and I may have to make a quilt that reflects the beauty and wonder of that area- if I can find a pattern that would even come close to doing that :)

I've also added some amazing solids, like Kona charcoal and Moda Bella Solid white and chocolate.

I'm almost done catching up with swaps, then I plan to take a small swapping hiatus (except for my ongoing bees) and work on some of my own projects for a while :) I have dozens of ideas and quilts planned out already... and I need to start actually using some of the fabics I've been buying!

Something New :)

2010-02-28T11:34:00.001-06:00

I have always liked the Amy Butler "Birdie Sling" pattern. My biggest trouble was deciding what fabrics I wanted to make it from! Then the Poppies from Laura Gunn came out :)

I made this last night at a lock-in. It took me about 4 1/2 hours total, start to finish. Somehow I had the impression it would take longer and be harder, but it really wasn't hard to make at all :)

I'm really happy to have a new bag! I still love my black, white and red purse...

But it's a little small. I like having a nice big bag...

That I can put my grocery bags in when I go out!

The super cute background stuff you can see in the Birdie Sling bag picture is at Tammy Tadd Designs in Sycamore, IL, where the lock-in was held :)

Busy Little Bee(s)!

2010-02-26T20:36:00.001-06:00

Keeping up with five online bees is no small task! Add in Hubby's unexpected surgery and recovery... well, it wasn't hard to fall behind in February. I've been catching up, though :)

This is for Julie in the A Piece Of Work B bee. She's making a quilt for her son using these fun blocks!

These are for Heidi in the Scraptastic Bee.

This is for Adrienne in the Sweet Dreams Quilting Bee. I had a lot of fun making this totally wonky and free-pieced block!

This is for Rachel in the Buzz Cuts bee.

A second block for Rachel in the Buzz Cuts bee.

I'm still working on a block for The Block Swap 2 block. I plan to mail that on Monday :)

And lastly:

March is my month in the Buzz Cuts bee!! I agonized for WEEKS about what to send, and finally decided on...

My favorite hen fabrics!! I'm asking for fun, whimsical blocks... do the hens eat mushrooms? Have a gnome farmer? Gaze at the stars? Live in a log cabin? I am really looking forward to seeing what the wonderfully creative people in the Buzz Cuts bee come up with :)

I Like Normal!!

2010-02-20T15:40:00.000-06:00

Normal is good... just the plain old everyday stuff that needs to be done. That's what yesterday and today have been... just plain normal! Hubby has resumed all normal activities. He's still a bit sore, but everything is healing so nicely! Thank you so much to all my blogland and Twitter friends for all your kind wishes for a speedy recovery!

I actually made something today!!! I finally got some inspiration for my DQS8 quilt. My first idea totally bombed. I scrapped it completely. But I LOVE the simplicity of this new design- it really calls attention to the fabrics!

It's about 20" square. I am so glad I finally got some inspiration!!

I also was inpired for the Pillow Talk swap :) That's tomorrow's project.

No Sewing Here!

2010-02-17T17:20:00.000-06:00

On Sunday night Hubby began to have some pain in his abdomen. Yesterday he had an emergency appendectomy. Fortunately it was caught before the appendix ruptured!

He's home now, a little tired and in some pain but overall doing well. I hope to get started on some sewing projects again on Friday.

The Latest Finish

2010-02-11T10:33:00.001-06:00

Back in October we were visiting friends in Rochester, NY. Can I just say that I LOVE the Finger Lakes region of NY? SO gorgeous!

Anyhoo... while visiting I was at a quilt shop with some friends, one of them came across a pattern for a backpack. It's called "My Favorite Backpack" and it's by Turkey Track Designs. This friend doesn't sew, but she really wanted this backpack, so I offered to make it for her. We picked out some fabrics, I came home to Illinois... and there the fabric and pattern sat. And sat. And sat...

I decided the other day that October to February was a ridiculous timeframe for what really should only be a one day project. So, I pulled everything out and made the backpack!!

I made the large piece of patchwork for the main backpack and quilted it in my new favorite way- I *love* the texture this quilting has!

And here is the finished backpack!! I'm pretty happy with it... if I ever make another one I will figure out how to line it, though. The pattern has you zig-zag finish the raw seams but I really, really don't like how it turned out inside.

We did feel the earthquake that hit Northern Illinois yesterday morning. We both thought there had been an explosion at first. It was only when the windows kept rattling that I realized it was an earthquake! The cat totally freaked out. It cracked the grout between the kitchen sink and the backsplash. But our foundation is fine and no other damage was done. It was a bit freaky though!!

The only other "news" is that I deactivated my Facebook account today. If you were my friend there, I'm really sorry, but I spend WAY too much time on the Internet, and on Facebook in particular. I've thought about doing it for a long time, and when they changed it... again... to a format I really didn't like I knew it was time :)

A Lovely Award!

2010-02-05T16:39:00.000-06:00

My friend Michaela over at Craft Farm has honored me by choosing me for a "Gorgeous Blog" award! She gave it to me "for reminding me that quilting/sewing with friends is much better". Isn't that sweet? Michaela lives fairly close to me and is one of the few blogging friends I have met in person, too :)

I am supposed to pick 5 people that I would like to give this award to. This is going to be so hard!

1. AccioFabric: Vicki is the one who ~~badgered~~ ~~pushed me into~~ ~~made me~~ encouraged me to start a blog and get on Flickr in the first place :)
2. PaigeAlaine: Paige does the most beautiful long-arm machine quilting I have ever seen, and it is always so inspiring to watch her ideas in action!
3. Summer At Grandma's House: Kris is one of the other bloggy friends I have met in person, and her work is always so bright and fun and inspired!
4. QuiltDad: John always has amazingly modern look blocks. It is fun to have a man's perspective on what is usually considered to be a woman's tradition, and I have learned a lot from John :)
5. I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts: I seriously would love to have the opportunity to go fabric shopping with Ryan sometime! His posts about the things he finds are great... I realize that I might not have even looked at some of the fabrics he chose. As with John, I learn a lot from having the male perspective through Ryan as well!

Keeping It Real { Inspired by Heather and Ryan}

2010-02-03T15:14:00.002-06:00

Recently two of my favorite bloggers have posted "keep it real" posts, telling a bit about their lives and the things they like. So, inspired by Heather and Ryan, here goes!
Some things about me:

I LOVE old movies, especially musicals! If I could dance with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, or be sung to by Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby... oh, how wonderful that would be!

I am terrified of spiders. The day I acutally killed a spider all by myself is still the proudest moment of my life :)

I cannot imagine life without music. I always, always have music playing! I have never played an instrument, but I LOVE music. All kinds of music, too. My i-Pod has everything from classical to country to rock. My favorite bands show my different musical tastes: Alison Kraus and Union Station, Enya, Runaway Dorothy, Simon and Garfunkel, Fergie, Evanescence and Within Temptation are my top favorites. Currently I am listening to a mix of music from when I was a teen- Bush, Vertical Horizon, Pearl Jam, etc.

I have lived in 2 states- Illinois and New York. I lived in the Champaign area until I was 15, then we moved to near Rochester, NY. I moved back to Illinois, this time near Chicago, when I was 22.

I've known my husband since I was 15- more than half my life!

We got married on New Year's Eve.

My husband and I never officially "dated"... we just kind of got together :) In all our lives we have never been to a movie theatre together!

I would love to spend my birthday in Kitty Hawk, NC. I was born on the 75th anniversary of flight.

I am a homemaker, and I feel so blessed to be able to care for my home and cook and have my own schedule. I had several jobs over the years, mostly in the medical field, and hated all of them. The day Hubby and I decided it would be good for me to quit my job and stay home remains as one of the happiest in my life!

We have no children yet. We both want them, but I am overweight and we both feel it would be healthier to wait until I am slimmer. I've been working on it, but sometimes it seems so slow.

I love driving! I will sometimes take off on long, long drives through the country, just because I can!

I love, love, LOVE to garden and cook from scratch and make jam and bread and yogurt.

Hubby and I both love to read. Our living room looks like a library that's run out of space- most of the shelves have 2 layers of books on them. I also like audiobooks. They are great for quilting!

Quilting and knitting make me happy :)

I love writing my blog, and I would write it even if I knew that no one read it!

I am so happy to have found this online quilting community! It's so very inspiring, and so diverse!

Hubby and I decided to turn our TV out for a week back in September 2005 because we thought we watched it too much. It hasn't been watched since! I do not have any idea what shows are on, what shows are good, or what shows are popular (except "Lost"). We enjoy our evenings together reading, knitting (me) or playing games like Yahtzee and Mastermind, and haven't missed the TV in the least!

I have an extremely sarcastic sense of humor and sometimes I unintentionally offend or hurt people because of it.

I try my very best to find something to be thankful for in every situation, even in times of pain or hardship. Sometimes I don't succeed, but I do try and usually I can find something to be thankful for! There wasn't much good, for example, when I badly hurt my shoulder a couple summers ago. But I was SO thankful to have my mom come and help me cook meals to freeze, and for my neighbor to help me keep up with the garden, and for my Hubby to not complain about doing the housework after he'd already spent a long day at work!

And lastly, I love God with all my heart. I do not go to church, I have been burned too many times by "Christians" who really only care that I give my offering money every week. I do not believe I need to attend a church to love God, though. He is everywhere!

Going Places!

2010-02-02T21:37:00.000-06:00

I go to a lot of quilting retreats and lock-ins. My friend Vicki hosts a really fun lock-in down at Tammy Tadd Designs 2 Saturdays a month. We have SO much fun!

What isn't fun, though, is running around my sewing room, gathering the things I think I'll need to take! I always grab things I don't need... and usually forget to grab things I do need :)

So I decided to make a travel kit! Everything in the kit would be always there and ready to go, and not used at any other time.

So I grabbed some of my very favoritest fabrics EVER, from the "Wild Thyme" collection from P&B Fabrics. And I made a nice big zippered bag.

This bag can hold a lot of stuff, including some smaller rulers!

And each side is fixed up with some elastic bands to hold things! This one also has a pocket to hold bobbins, sewing machine needles and the seam ripper that I need more than I'd like to admit :)

This side has more elastic bands, and a detachable pincushion with pins!

Now instead of spending part of the day packing to go to a lock-in, I can just grab this gab and go :)

Making Fabric

2010-02-01T17:07:00.001-06:00

For DQS8 I am planning a cherry-themed mini quilt. And I thought it would be cute to applique some cherries in the center, and put some borders on it.

And then I thought, "wouldn't it be super cute if the cherries and stems and leaves were wool"? And then I thought "wouldn't it be extra super cute if I MADE the wool fabric"?

At this point I realized I was crazy, but the idea just wouldn't go away. So I headed to my local fiber shop and got some lovely wool yarn, and spent about 10 hours knitting some cloth. I washed it 3 times in hot water, and viola! I have knitted wool fullcloth, ready to be made into appliques!

It needs to dry overnight, then tomorrow I can really get going on the minis. Yeah, I said "minis"... I just KNOW I'm going to love this so much I won't want to give it away. So I am making 2 at once... one for me, one for my DQS8 partner :)

I Can't Think Of A Title :)

2010-01-31T20:11:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to show you all a couple of things :)

First up- I finished all my Modern Siggy Swap blocks! I signed all 101 of them today, and only messed up one of them :) I whipped up an extra one and signed it, and they'll be going in the mail tomorrow- a whole month before they're due!!

I used three different fabrics from the "Farmer's Market" collection by Sandi Henderson. They were really easy and really fast to make, even if there were 101 of them. I sewed 1/2" from each of the lines to save the corners, so now I have 202 1.5" half-square triangles to play with too!

Ryan at I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts has started crocheting, and asked me to show what I do with the ends when I change colors.

First I bring them both (the old color and the tie-on from the new color) around so they are in front of the working yarn.

And then I start crocheting the new row, making sure the ends are caught within the stitch!

I hope this makes sense, Ryan!

I'm extremely left-handed, so if it looks like my crochet is backwards that's why :)