Some Good Messy Fun!!

While we were enjoying making some Ed Emberley characters, we discovered that our washable stamp pad was not that washable!!! Ugh!! It took days to get it off.

What do You do?

How do you begin a quilt? With a pattern or an idea? Do you start with a plan and just follow it or do you let the idea take on a life of its own? I am not often a pattern quilter. I usually hope that i have enough fabric and ideas to get me through to something ,in the end, that is not hopelessly hideous.

The idea took over this time. I started thinking i would set this off with white on both ends of the strip, but then i started wonder what it would look like if i stuck a little bit of white(about 10 inches), randomly into each strip. Now it is up to quilters fate...i am going to have to just see what i get. It is going to be something because i have already cut all the fabric into strips(2 and 3 inches). Maybe i will have something to show for this soon.

Meet our First Pets

With a little help from Ed Emberley, Avery made a picture for our new little guys so they would not forget their names. "Mom?", she asked, "Do fish know how to read?". That was a hard one to answer. In the end we established that maybe they do...but we could not really know because we have never been fish. Do you think she bought it?

They were both so excited. Right now i am the coolest mom on the planet!!!! But my sweet little Mitchell did not really understand that you could not hold or pet a fish. I was feeling a little guilty. From the look of these pictures it is a good thing he is not a cat or those fish might not last very long.

But the smell is what i think is going to repel him....he got a good sniff of goldfish water and thought it was completely gross!!!

So welcome Jupiter, Venus, Triton and Poseidon....may your life be long! Many thanks to our niece/cousin Julia who helped us with our names...they now go along with the theme of her new fish(Hermes and Neptune). What don't all families use a theme for naming all the "cousin" fish??

Craft Books

I love craft books...the pictures are so pretty and the projects look so fun. This makes the books so hard to resist. I really have to fight the urge not to buy them because I have a wee confession. I never have made a project from a single one...until now!!!


I recently bought this book because i was seeing it everywhere in blogland and it looked like it was going to be really good. It is!!!

This is my version of the Folklore Bag. My wonderful friend Allison helped me since this is the first time i have really made a bag the way you should make a bag. Not to mention that this is the first time i have used a pattern in ages, they scare me. Her specialty is several different kinds of totes and purses that incorporate BDU material(camouflage).

She taught me some of her tips and tricks and helped me with pinning and cutting and construction...what a great friend. In return i help her with quilts...it is fun for both of us. I used several different prints from the Ginger Blossoms line of fabric...to include that ginger blossom corduroy i got on clearance at Hobby Lobby a month or so ago.

next i think i am going to try one of the pillows in the book....hope Allison is available to help again.

**i was hoping to have something else to share for sew and tell this week,but i did not quite finish so i am linking back to this post from just a couple days ago. Also a finish for the week! I have been looking at what everyone else has made this week and i am very inspired. There are so many amazing sewers and quilters out there. Go over to Amylouwho's here or click the button on my sidebar to see what everyone else has made.**

Fun Treasures in the Mail

I recently discovered a quilting blog called Modify Tradition. It has lots of great tutorials and holds frequent giveaways and has tons of tutorials. I was very thrilled when i won one about two weeks ago. I received my package on one of our snowiest days....just when things needed a little brightening up.

This cute little apron is reversible...pocket on one side and a lovely strip of fabric on the other sewn onto two dishtowels. I love it!!! But better than just the apron was the extras that were included....i was so excited to find a set of dishcloths and these adorable hand warmers. How cool are those and so appropriate since we have so much snow right now.

Thank you so much...i love everything!!!

Snow, Snow, Snow!!!

We got a lot of snow....last week it snowed and snowed and snowed for days. i do not recall ever seeing it like this here before. On the last morning of the storm, when i woke up, i went to peek out the blinds to see what had really came down....i was a little afraid to look and i was shocked by what i saw. Not only was there a ton of it but it was beautiful!!! clinging to the trees and fences, and everything really.

We got nearly 3 feet, and on the last night of the storm the winds blew and made drifts in some spots that were even higher. When Chris was done shoveling the driveway, I could look out the front window and there was snow piled up about a 1/4 of the way up from the windowsill.

The kids played despite the effort. I don't know how they walked in it because it was in some places deeper than Mitchell. I went out on a rescue mission when Mitchell lost his boot and glove in the snow, and i was walking in snow that came to my mid thigh. Crazy!!! He insisted on being carried home. I did not want to but i really did not blame him. so i threw him over my shoulder, fireman carry style, and tried to keep us both upright on the way home.

Avery is just like Chris, she could stay out in it for days...jumping in it, making snow angels, digging paths...does not matter as long as she can be in the snow. It was funny to watch her make snow seats all along the path i had dug them through the backyard so that it was easier to get to the door to get in.

We have been singing this song for days!!!

Sew and Tell Friday

A friend of mine just had a baby...and what better gift is there than a quilt for said sweet baby!

I pulled out some reproduction fabric that i had...it all came in a cute little bundle from Joanns. It took me some time to settle on a layout because i did not have quite enough to make the around the world pattern totally square. So i opted to lengthen it a little and add some aunt grace to the sides to make it a little wider.

It came together quickly, and so far i have been able to keep my new years goal of doing a quilt from start to finish, no more tops lying around in WIP piles. Now of course that does not apply to the ones i have started in the past, just the ones i have started since the new year began.

Simple straight line quilting, slightly random, not really a pattern...just enough to be sure that it is securely quilted. It was such a pain to quilt...more than usual. Why? Because i now officially HATE spray baste. This one was so unusually painful and the spray baste was giving me so many problems....and because it was a small quilt the stiffness of the 505 spray made it so unruly and hard to get through the machine. 505, we are over...officially we are broken up. Pins...it is you and me from now on!!!

this will be over on Amylouwho's...have a look at all the pretty things everyone else has made this week and tell them how much you love them...comments mean a lot!!

Just off the Hook

Have you ever seen the blog craft fail? I was certain that this one was going there. When i finished this hat and looked at it i was not sure what had gone wrong. I followed the directions...i am a pretty consistent stitcher, but this was meant to fit me, and it looked like it would not even fit a very very small child. And if you have met my kids, you know they are not small.

I finished it up anyway, and asked Avery to give it a try. What they #^$%... i had worked on it I did not really want to give up on it. We gave it a little stretch, crossed our fingers and went for it. To my surprise it worked, and she liked it! Not a normal combo. She was happy to be my model for a few minutes. In the end she wore it for most of the afternoon....she came to me and asked me put her hair in a bun and then tuck it up in a hat. She liked it even better that way. No matter, either way was cute!

I found the pattern on Ravelry for free. Maybe i will try it again with double yarn and a bigger hook. think that will help?

I Made a Cake!!

i have not blogged in a while. I seem to be in some kind of a slump. Maybe it is the February Slump! It is not that i am not doing things with the kids or making projects...i am just lacking the motivation to share it. Blah!

But, tonight i made a cake. The parents came over for the afternoon and for dinner, and i thought, "why not make cake?"!I did not think i was longing for spring just yet but maybe i am. This is a awfully spring like cake.

All you do it take a box angel food cake mix, and add one can of crushed pineapple(with the juice)...mix well and then back according to the box directions. I chose to serve it with some whipped cream(ok, i confess it was cool whip... it is not my favorite but i am trying to save myself some fat and calories so i thought it best to forgo the heavy cream whipped cream) and sliced strawberries on top.

It is very yummy....you should give it a try! this cake happens to be the favorite of the husband. Can you tell?

Of Course...

My skiing family members were not the only ones that got to have a little fun on our trip north. I had the chance to look up and visit a few local quilt shops while we were there. I had the pleasure of finding Adirondack Quilts. The shop was beautiful....i knew right away it was going to be good. They had beautiful antique and new quilts hanging all around the shop and a assortment of vintage and antique sewing tools.

I was more than thrilled to find that they had a whole 4 or 5 shelves of Aunt Grace fabrics. These are so hard to find here, and they are my favorites. I have been collecting them in little bits for several years now, waiting until i had a bunch to do a really awesome vinatge inspired quilt. I think i am getting close. Click on to see them better...they are amazing.

I also was able to get several yards of Amy Butler at half off. This was the first time i have bought anything of hers and it is so pretty. What have i been waiting for? I can not wait to try the Thangles....i also got a 6 square ruler...some Katie Jump Rope cloisonne and some Anna Griffin yardage that i had never seen before. All of this was my valentine present...some women get jewels, perfume or chocolate....this woman gets fabric. My husband knows me!!!!

Another shot....just because i love them and i could not resist!!

Winter Vacation

This weekend we went with Chris on a skiing trip to the Adirondack mountains with some of his ski patrolers. It was a really nice getaway for everyone. There was marshmallow roasting over a open fire at the lodge...snow...yummy food...a nice hotel...goofy big kids to hang out with...sledding...skiing...and a lot of lodge momming!

We stayed in Lake George where they were having a winter carnival this weekend. The kids saw this Ice castle and throne and wanted a chance to be the ice king and queen!!!

They skiied at three different mountains over the weekend, West...Gore...and Hickory. For the kids i think the very best part was the tubing at West. I on the other hand have never been so cold. Standing in the shade and on the snow for two hours nearly turned me into a icicle. But the kids had a blast. So much fun that we went back on Sunday morning for another go before we headed back south to home. The mosaic was necessary because there were far too many fun pictures to choose just one or two...just click on it to make the pictures bigger.

Chris was getting his snowboard fix where some of "us" were staying at Hickory. My baby looks good!!! He loves the snow...i used to tell him that if i shook his head i could see snow in his eyes...like a snow globe.

Sew and Tell Friday

Here they are....all four living together happily!!! The last two pillows are complete. I think i got a few measurements a little wonky but it did not matter too much because i could still stuff my old pillows in there.

I had just enough of the old curtain to make a envelope back for each one! Hooray!!

This one, above, is much like my improv wall hanging that i made with Wee Play scraps. I just grabbed and sewed and then quilted it in concentric squares with straight lines.

I chose a disappearing nine patch pattern for this pillow and then i just random straight line quilted it. I love that it made a whirlygig in the middle.

Each one is different but all go together. It is Friday so be sure to go and check out all the other finishes at Amylouwho's.