Feature This!!!

My sweet baby girl(maybe) quilt is being featured today on Quiltstory blog. I am so flattered that they approached me and wanted to feature this quilt. Indulge me and go over and check it out. I am pretty excited!! If you are here visiting my blog today because you saw me on Quiltstory, well, welcome!!! I hope you enjoy the visit and will come back and see(read) me again!

The Best Breakfast

I think Saturday breakfast just got a little better. I was gifted with a ebelskiver pan for my birthday and this weekend we finally had the chance to try it out....what filling will i use? powdered sugar or icing? So many decisions. These were so light and yummy.....i filled them with nutella, homemade jam and some yummy apple butter my sister made. The only downside, there were not enough. It is possible that we could have eaten these all morning long.

And for more breakfast yumminess go check out this blog, Kate's weekend breakfast looks amazing.

Sew and Tell

Tonight was the big Amy Butler challenge over at sew and tell with Amylouwho. I had ideas floating around in my head but never got around to making anything this month until tonight. I decided it was time to make one of those mug rugs i have seen floating around blogland. I used some Daisy Chain and a little Osnaburg, and in record time. Talk about under the wire i just finished at 11:45 pm. I love it, just big enough for a mug and a snack!!!

**go see what everyone else made, you will love it. there are so many amazing things this week**

Ladies, I Need Your Help!!

This week I committed to making a quilt for one of the ladies in my homeschool group. She is going through cancer treatments and i wanted to do something for her. I offered, on behalf of all of us in the group, to make a quilt. I did not know what else i could do. The idea was well received, so once i found out her favorite colors were, ironically, pink and purple i got right to work. I was not thrilled with the colors to work with not to mention i don't use them much so there were not many of them in my stash. What it definitely needed was a few other colors to break up and liven up the quilt. This one came together in one day. Not too shabby for a days work!

Here is what i need help with....how can i make the other ladies feel involved so that this is their project as much as mine? Oh wait there are more questions...should i use fabric pens or sharpies or should we hand embroider whatever messages or scriptures we want to put on it??? Does anyone have other ideas for personalizing the quilt for her??

I want to get this project done fast. I don't want any of this silly indecisive stuff to slow things down, so i hope you all can help me out. I can not wait to read all of your great suggestions!

Flea Market Inspriation

Way back in the way backs i won a small layer cake(10 inch squares) of Flea Market Fancy from Rita at Red Pepper Quilts. I have been hanging onto them unwilling to cut into them because i was not sure what i was going to make. Then inspiration came from Rita, who was inspired by Ashley...they both made wonderful quilts with simple FMF squares. Go ahead and take a peek, i will wait right here.

Then, much to my surprise, I found a stack of FMF in my own stash that i had bought at some point and totally forgotten about, all different from the ones Rita gave me. Can you imagine? I managed to cut 2.5" squares from about 22 fabrics, giving me somewhere around 350 squares. These are smaller than what the other ladies worked with but i wanted to maximize what i could get from each of the 10" squares. I am thinking of making a play mat for the baby...using double batting and hand quilting it. Can i make this happen anytime soon? I am sure going to try!!! starting with hanging some batting to get a small inspiration wall going so i don't have to lay things out on my hands and knees.

Catch a Glimpse

Look at what I caught a glimpse of in the iron tonight while I was working on a little ironing and cutting. Today is the start of the third trimester for me. It is hard to believe that it is going this fast. I am enjoying everyday as we begin counting down to this new little persons arrival. Real prep for a nursery and a baby are about to get into full swing. The “belly” likes to dance. You can see it from the outside now…moving, rolling, kicking and thumping are happening all the time. Today there was even a case of the hiccups. The best part of being awake at night is when the baby is awake too and I can just lie there and enjoy it. Trust me the irony in this is not lost on me…soon enough I am going to wish we could all sleep through the night and I probably won’t enjoy it so much….but one stage at a time right.

I've Been Blurbed!

My sweet husband planned a little surprise for my birthday this year. Something that he had to work on in the little spare time that he has at work.

Look at it...it is a whole real book!! He took the first year of this blog and had it printed and bound to be forever saved for our family with blurb. It is so cool. I guess at some point or another we talked about this and how it would be a good idea to have, so the kids have it as a record of them too. He remembered this and made it a special surprise!

It is so cool, i love it. thank you sweet husband.

Double Check (sew and tell)

I did it!! I checked off another finish before the baby comes....this baby girl quilt(using Oh Fransson's pattern, inspired by Emily) turned out better than i had hoped.

I had the flimsy finished last week in time for sew and tell...however it took me a little longer to complete the rest of the steps...piecing the back, basting, quilting and binding. You know, all those things that make a bunch of fabric that you cut into tiny pieces a real quilt.

I even gave it the good old wash and dry. I was fighting with myself about this, as usual, but in the end i forced my own hand and it was just fine. Thank goodness for color catchers...i use them even when i probably don't need them, because it makes me feel better. I was worried that the nicey jane fabrics and the osnaburg would shrink differently, but they were surprisingly the same! Hooray!

I quilted it with my standard straight line method using my walking foot and some thread that i had stashed away for just the right project. I used a king tut brand variegated thread that had most of the colors in this quilt and just a hint of pink. This was my first time working with variegated thread and it looks really cool. I like it. I am not sure if you can see it in any of these pictures, you might just have to take my word for it.

Many thanks to my little quilt holder. I chose these pictures, above, because i loved the shadows of her in each shot.

** I wanted to quick share this with all my fellow sew and tellers at amylouwho's. It is finished!! Please look at everyone's projects from this week and give them a little comment love.**

Splat!!!

I think the title of this post says it all...

...

...

...

...

Do not worry, no child was harmed in the making of this blog post!

Make that two for Gymnastics!

Indulge me....i know i had virtually the same post last week , but look this time my baby was doing it! He looked so big out there on the floor.

Excited was a understatement!

He did things i had no idea he would be able to do.

Avery got some trampoline time last night and looked like she was having a ton of fun

i think my favorite thing about all these pictures is that the kids are blurry. They were going going the whole time...not one minute to be still. But who could be still when you have all this cool equipment to play on.

Birthday Boy!!

Now he is 6! How does this happen? How does this sweet little round baby become...

...this little boy....little man...independent...too cool for kisses guy!

He clearly was enjoying his day and the gifts. He had everything he could want, besides the puppy he kept asking for. There somehow were gifts all day long, and he loved it!! He even was allowed to choose what we all would eat for every meal on his special day.

There was a cake party with many of our neighbors and friends. The kids all had a great time and loved the treats! It was also was a fun time for all the grown ups to laugh and visit with one another. Thank for making the mac and cheese mom....he loved it and it was great for leftovers tonight!!

What am i going to do with him? He is all boy, I tell you. Loves his guns...his new boots(the seem to need replacing yearly)...even his new socks and underwear. Though the hit was the spy gear from Grammy and Grampy.

Mitchell, we love you more than I have words to tell you. You are funny, charming, witty...brave, strong and thoughtful. Everyone loves you! How could they not?

Sew and Tell...brought to you by Nicey Jane!

I did it!! i made the flimsy top for the babies quilt(if it is a girl) last night in time to share with all of you. I knew that nicey jane was the way i was going to go with fabric right away when i was thinking about making these quilts...but i just did not know what pattern i wanted to use. I hate cutting into something before i am really sure about what i want to do. But this week the inspiration came from Emily, who was inspired by this Oh Fransson pattern, and i knew it was just the right pattern.

I tossed around what fabric solid to set it with...waffling between white and the osnaburg, which is a nice nobbly linen look. Right now i am loving how they look together. The white seemed a little too bright. Hopefully i will feel the same after it gets a washing. My big plan is to get the back pieced and the whole thing basted at the very least today. I am crossing my fingers!

i had a very eager quilt holder....see her current fashion statement...mismatched socks, all of the time. I honestly do do the laundry, she just seems to like her socks this way! Score one for individuality!

**see what everyone else made over at Amylouwho's and send them a little comment love for their hard work!!**

For the First Time

I was so proud of Avery...this week she went to her first gymnastics lesson. She was so excited but so nervous all at the same time. But when we walked in she marched right down to the gymnastics floor and started following directions and meeting her classmates.

I think it did help that she knew several of the girls...mostly from our street and playground. I had to remind her to listen to the teacher and not giggle with her friends. How cute is she??!!??!!

The pictures are not the best but you get the drift...it was hard to catch her being still enough to get a good picture. I think she really really loved it.

This is Chris's favorite shot...she had just finished a whole flip around the bar with the help of the instructor and had such a look of total determination on her face. She means business!

And as a bonus Mitchell was there and watching the boys group do their lessons and decided that it looked like fun. He announced that he was no longer interested in taking Tae Kwon Do, but wanted in on the gymnastics lessons...that long trampoline looked very appealing even to me. This is like music to my ears since it saves us a few nights out of the house. thank you son.

Started and Finished

I have not been around the blog much lately...but i am still visiting all my favorite blogs and working on some projects.

We started school last week and it has been harder than i thought it would be to adjust to a new curriculum and a new schedule, but the naps(for me not them) are helping!!! :o)

Last night in a record binding session, less than 2 hours, i put a a lovely stripey finish on my Cogsmo robot quilt, for the maybe a boy baby. I was waffling a little on how much i liked it as i was putting it together, but as the quilting was coming to an end i started to like it more. I used straight lines throughout following along the seems as well as criss crossing the whole quilt.

I threw it in the wash and dry this morning while we were doing lessons and it came out with all that crinkly goodness you read about in quilty blogland. Out of fear (fear of bleeding colors, shrinking, etc) i don't wash many of my quilts after they are done....but i am learning that that is unfounded....washing and drying is worth it. It looks loved and lived with.

I have also started a crochet blankie for this new little one. Avery keeps joking with me that as long as i finish it before he or she is 1 i am doing good....since Mitchell got his at nearly 6. I can appreciate the kids sense of humor about this! Ave also helped me pick the yarn for the blanket...a soft white sprinkled with yellow and greens. I am almost half way with it and that is saying something!!!

On a side note...today was my birthday. 35. My very nice friend and neighbor made me a mini cookie cake to celebrate. It was a simple average day. Life goes on...we had school and went shopping (with a wee stop on the road for a bad bought of car sickness, Mitchell) i made pizza for dinner and then Avery had her first gymnastics lesson (more about that later). Chris and the kids bought me some fun kitchen stuff from Williams and Sonoma and some really fun metallic sharpies. i am so addicted to those markers. I just wish i could make some real art with them...or just good doodling!