Too much fun!

Whew! I am having so much fun spending time with my family here in Utah that I haven't taken the time to sit down and post.

Although I haven't posted, I have had the chance to visit a few more fun places. On Wednesday afternoon my mom and I found ourselves at a shop that is near and dear to my heart. Nuttals Bernina, in Riverton, Utah. I didn't take pictures, because it isn't as aesthetically pleasing as a lot of the quilt shops, it's not as much of a quilt shop as a fabric shop and machine dealer. Every time I have been there though, they are running some kind of sale or another, and they do carry some of the more contemporary quilt lines (although not a lot.) Why is it near and dear to my heart? It is where I got my OH SO LOVED Bernina Aurora 430 last year. (My husband and I joke that it is one of the most expensive appliances in our house...except that it isn't a joke!) I haven't regretted the purchase once. We visited the store because I wanted to ask a few questions, and I decided that I am/was ready to purchase a walking foot too. I can't wait to try it out. Oh yea, they also had what was left of their Christmas fabric on sale, so I got some yardage to make this tree skirt.

(the loot)

Yesterday (Thursday) we went and walked around The Quilted Bear. Talk about craft mecca! Seriously, it is just one ginormous craft show that is open all through the year. I love to go there to get fun ideas and usually pick up a thing or two for myself. We had a great time and I definitely got my 'crafty fix' for a while. (at least a day or two!) One of these days I would love to get a booth there and see how we do. What do you think Lynette?

Happy Friday!

Shop #2

So, I've only made it to my second shop. Happens to also be one of my favorites! I mean seriously, the picture doesn't do it justice, this shop is awesome! They have a TON of quilts hanging on the walls & roof and examples of purses, skirts, table runners, etc. Their displays change constantly, and they carry the most adorable lines of fabric from all the top designers.

My shopping companions (the two cuties in the picture) are my sister-in-law Teresa, and my niece (her beautiful daughter) Mariah. We had a good time browsing. I bought a few fat quarters and will probably go back to pick up another pattern or two before leaving Utah. If you live in the Salt Lake valley and have never been here, GO! You won't be disappointed. If you are coming to Utah for a visit, it is worth the trip to check it out.

I love it here!

My first Utah crafty purchase (first of many, I'm sure!) of this trip. I only had a few minutes this morning, but made a quick stop at one of my favorite quilt shops here, The Material Girls in South Jordan, Utah.They were having a little sale there, so I stopped in for a few minutes. The store was chaos, and I'll definitely go back again before I leave Utah, but I did make it out of there with a few fun things...The aqua fabric is for a apron that I want to make for myself when I get back home, the owl fat quarter was just too cute to pass up, and I can't wait to try out the two patterns. Aren't those jackets simply adorable on that middle pattern? There was an example in the store using some adorable Amy Butler material. I think I am finally ready to try to tackle another article of clothing for myself. (The first try was a bust, hence no photos.) I'm sure it will be a challenge, but if it works out, I'll have an adorable jacket to wear!

On a totally separate note. The picture below is of my super cute nephew, Jake. He's 16 and absolutely adorable. When I finally took a closer look at his shirt toay, it TOTALLY cracked me up. I asked him if I could take a picture of him for my blog because it is definitely blog-worthy!! All I can say is...

Yo VIP let's kick it
Ice ice baby, Ice ice bay
All right stop collaborate and listen
Ice is back with my brand new invention
Something grabs a hold of me tightly
Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly
Will it ever stop yo I don't know
Turn off the lights and I'll glow
To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal
Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle
Dance go rush to the speaker that booms
I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom
Deadly when I play a dope melody
Anything less than the best is a felony
Love it or leave it you better gain weight
You better hit bull's eye the kid don't play
If there was a problem yo I'll solve it
Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it ...

getting ready to head out!

Whew! Getting ready to go out of town is a lot of work. My hubby is out of town this week for work, so I'm flyin' solo trying to get all the laundry, cleaning, and packing done for me and my two kiddos. We are heading out before the crack of dawn tomorrow morning for two weeks in Utah, HOORAY! I am attempting my first flight with two kids (one of which should be my 'big helper' but is now lugging around a huge cast on his arm) and no hubby. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

To make it just a bit more difficult, just four days after we get home I get to head off for a women's only scrapbook weekend with a bunch of my friends to a beach house in Virginia Beach. I am OH SO EXCITED for the upcoming scrapping-kiddo-free weekend, but I'm trying to get prepared for that too. A lot of preparation goes into getting ready for this kind of thing. I can't just take my whole scrapbook room, so I'm really trying to figure out just exactly what layouts I'm going to work on and what I'll need to make those beautiful!! The next few weeks are going to be a ton of fun, but I definitely have a lot to get done before the fun starts!

I'll quit rambling, I've already gone on too long. My posts might be a little spotty for the next few weeks, but I'll be back refreshed and more ready than ever before long.

the first few blocks

I was hoping to have a few more blocks done by this point, but this is what I have so far...
Selvage quilting is as fun as I hoped it would be. I'm a huge 'shabby-sheik' fan, and I think this totally falls in that category. If nothing else, it's 'green'! (using up the part of the fabric that is always discarded.) So, I've got four down, and 44 to go. Whew! Oh, and I am loving the aqua color as my base, I think it's going to look pretty cool once it's all sewn and put together.

On a different note, I'm leaving on Thursday for a vacation (if you can call it that, it's just me and my two boys - hubby has to stay and work) to Utah. All my family lives there, I can't wait to see them! I consider Utah one of the crafting/quilting mecca's of the US. Seriously, there are at least five quilt/sewing shops within ten miles of my parents house. I won't be doing a lot of sewing or crafting while I'm there (although sometimes my mom and I play around a bit) but I do plan to visit my favorite quilt shops. I figure I'll do a mini quilt shop hop and take you along for the ride! Photos and tidbits about my favorite Utah quilt shops. Stay tuned!

starting a new project...

I am SO excited to be starting this project, I can hardly stand it! I've wanted to make one since I very first saw it, but it's taken until now to feel like my 'stash' is big enough.

I'll give you three clues.

Clue #1Clue #2Clue #3So, did you guess it? The third picture is kind of a dead give-away! I'm starting my first Selvage quilt! This time last year, I wouldn't have had any idea what a Selvage quilt was, but I came across this blog, and have been totally intrigued since. I love a bunch of the projects that she has featured, but my favorite for sure is her quilt titled 'Red Zinger'.

(This is the photo of her quilt from her blog.)

So I am attempting to make my own zinger quilt, but with the cool aqua/green color from above. It'll take some time to make, so don't be expecting any pictures of a 'done' quilt soon, but I plan on sharing my little progresses as they come.

A lot of the selvage edges that I am using are from my stuff, but I also want to thank my awesome friend Lynette, my sister-in-law Teresa, and my mom's good friend Janice for saving their selvages for me too. You ladies are the best!

giving service

I am in constant awe at what I see on all your blogs out there in the crafty blog world. Both the quality and quantity of work is amazing. There are some I see that pump out almost a quilt a week, and we're not just talking simple squares here, but beautiful intricate stuff. Others that are constantly putting up tutorials for us to all enjoy, and sill others who just like to have a place to keep track of and post all their little projects. I love it, I love it all!

I don't always have the most exciting sutff to post, but it is what it is...it's me!

That being said, yesterday a friend called me and asked if I could quickly whip up a couple of receiving blankets to help finish up an Eagle Scout Project that her son is working on. She dropped off the material and I was able to get them done relatively quickly.They are nothing fancy. I am just glad that I could help her out.

I am thankful for this talent God has given me, and I am thankful that friends know they can call on me to help them out in a pinch. It feels good to serve others once in a while. (Isn't that the awesome thing about service? You help others, which makes them feel great, but you get the benefit of feeling great too. It's a win win situation!)

I'm excited now to go work on some projects just for me!! (And am going to feel no guilt at being a little selfish!)

my motto

I came across this little quote a few weeks ago. It fits me oh so well. I liked it so much that I added it to my blog title, and ordered it in vinyl for my craft room wall as well...I can't seem to keep my crafting/sewing area cleaned and straightened up for the life of me. It's just that upon finishing one project, I already have two or three more in mind that I want to start. I probably need to find a little more balance in my life, but for now, this is a great excuse!

My sweet husband, Scott, worked SUPER hard in 2009 to finish our basement and give me a crafting space to call my own. Being surrounded by boys, this is the one place that I can be as girly as I want. It is a work in progress, I still want to get some fun things up on the walls (that aren't already covered by shelving) but it is super functional, and now we have our dining room and table back to use as it is meant to be used!

So anywho, this is my happy place where I am free to create and leave as messy as I want! (although I did clean up quite a bit for the picture :)

Sling make-over!

I wasn't kidding when I mentioned in the previous post that I was pumped to give a face-lift to Kyle's little arm sling. He's a boy, so I couldn't put bows all over it, but this'll do. (I did add some tiny buttons for a little bit of 'boyish bling!')
Isn't it amazing what some freezer paper, a Cricut, and a little fabric paint can do? I LOVE freezer paper stenciling, it's pretty addictive. After I did it for the first time a few months back, I can't seem to get enough. I'm always looking for the next thing to paint. Anywho, I haven't gotten a whole lot else done this weekend because K-man has needed a little extra TLC, but there are plenty of projects in the works, and a bunch brewing in my head!! - Happy Monday!

not exactly how I planned to spend my evening

Okay, so I had big hopes of working on a couple cute valentines projects that are in progress. (my next 'Just Because' gifts) Instead we got to spend the evening in the ER getting this...
My adorable four-year-old thought it would be a good idea to combine two of his favorite toys...
needless to say, the idea wasn't his best.

Okay, so now on to me being a CRAFTAHOLIC. He's going to have to wear this sling for the next few days...I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but the first thing that popped into my head when the doctor put it on him was 'sweet, it's a blank canvass, how can I dress it up?' I actually said as much to my husband. He's sweet and gave me a 'whatever' grin and slight roll of the eyes. I'm thinking of doing a little freezer paper stenciling/painting. I'll be sure to let you see what I come up with! (I mean after all, if Kyle is going to have to wear this for a while, shouldn't it look fun?) Right now the phrase 'I do all my own stunts' is what I'm thinking.

my Mom's quilt

My mom made this quilt top last year. I felt honored when she asked me to quilt it for her. I mentioned a few posts ago that my favorite part of making a quilt is the actual process of quilting it. How fun is it that I got to avoid doing everything else and just got to do the quilting! I did a simple large stipple and am happy with how it turned out. (I am definitely no pro, but the more I do it, the better I get!)I really hope that she's happy with the result.

Flower Applique t-shirt makover

Hey! So my friend Lynette over at Get Your Craft On is hosting the 'El Cheap-O Shirt Challenge'. I wanted to get in on the action. Here is a top that I made a little while back. I bought the shirt at wally world on clearance for $1. A few different flower print fabrics, some wonder-under, a few ribbon bows on the sleeves, and voila!

Christmas card recycle

If you are like me, come the beginning of the new year, you have a handful of Christmas cards that you're not sure what to do with. I always hate just tossing them, but I'm not necessarily a clutter collector either. My suggestion...look closely at them and maybe there will be a few you can recycle/upcycle into Thank You cards or handmade cards for next Christmas.

Here is my example. Both of my boys got this card from their Great-Grandparents...
I needed to send out a bunch of Thank You cards to family and friends for Christmas gifts and such, so I came up with this...Ten hand made thank you cards that took me less than half an hour. Yes, they are simple, but they'll get the job done and the cost very little to make. (For speed purposes I bought the 'Thank you' words from JoAnns, which made the process even easier.)

Anywho, I know this concept is nothing new, but maybe it'll spark an idea in your brain as to how you could use some of your left-over cards.

a 'just because' gift

I'm still feeling the Christmas spirit of love and giving. I want it to last well into the new year. I'm hoping that by acting on that feeling it won't fade as quickly.

One of my new year goals is to make something for somebody else at least once a month...just because. While most people already probably do this sort of thing, with a young family (and my 7 month old who is constantly crabby) I don't get to serve others and give as much as I'd like. I'm going to make more of an effort to do so this year. Even if it is only 12 times. Twelve is a start, right?

1 of 12 - I have a friend who is great. She's a true friend through and through. She is also a GREAT cook. She spent a year and a half living in Japan in her early 20's and can make Japanese food like nobody's business. (Bring on the GIOZA!) I figured somebody who likes to cook can never have enough aprons! So Sumer, this one is for you!
I've made this same pattern a hand full of times. I love it. I have one for myself that I use pretty much every day. It whips up in an afternoon of sewing. The pattern is by 'The Apron Lady Designs' and is called 'Flirty Skirty.'

***************************
after hearing from some of my friends that they love the idea of 'just because' gifts, I decided to issue a challenge!

My challenge to you. - Join in on the fun! Make an effort to give somebody a totally unexpected gift each month...Just Because! Why? Everybody love presents, I don't care who you are. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy to receive one. Let's spread the warmth and love this year.

If you want to participate (and I SO hope you do!) grab the 'just because' gift challenge button on my side bar and add it to your blog. Leave me a comment with your blog address as well...maybe you'll be the next person chose to receive one of my next 'just because' gifts!

Snow Family

Happy New Year!

I'm excited that my first post of the new year will be a QUILT! I LOVE quilting. I don't have enough time to quilt nearly as much as I'd like. Piecing a top and then quilting it have to be two of my favorite sewing projects. (Although oddly enough, I LOATHE basting the quilt.)

This quilt project I titled 'Snow Family'. (I had every intention of getting it off to my in-laws for a Christmas gift, but didn't quite get it done in time. I'm sending it tomorrow since the Post Office is closed today!) The snowman material is a panel that I bought a few years ago with my in-laws in mind. I picked up the rest of the material at my local quilt shop (actually the green material for the letters came from my stash.) Overall, I am happy with the finished product, although it had to grow on me. I loved the top, before it was quilted, but then once I quilted it...the jury was out. The white thread on the blue and red is a little bold. I did kind of a double loop stitching that I first saw on crazy mom quilts. (Her version looks oodles better than mine, but I'm getting better!) Now that it is bound and ready to go, it looks better and is growing on me. I'm sure that they'll love it regardless! (I mean really, isn't that a parent's job? To love anything that their children give them?)

Finished Size 43"x47" (Almost square, not on purpose. I didn't have a pattern for this quilt, it just kind of grew. It's just big enough to cover cold toes on a chilly winter night!)