Hot Tamales

The air conditioner is getting a work out today. We keep it on 75 degrees but just trying to get to 75 is becoming a bear. It is 2pm and already at 98 or 99 (depending on which weather site you go to). The heat index is at 101 degrees. It is supposed to get to 100 by 4pm. Apparently this is going on along the East Coast today. I took my dog outside and ran back in after burning my feet on the sidewalk.

I received a message from one of my blogging friends about a site called FanBox so I signed up for it out of curiosity. It is sort of like a baby Facebook. I obviously hit the wrong button and it sent an email to everyone on my contact list to join, this means, family, friends, customers, my bosses, everyone. I am so sorry if any of you received an unwanted email, hopefully it went to your spam boxes. I don’t know if I should send a mass “I am sorry” email or just leave it be – any opinions?

***Gross Out Alert***  I have been sick the last couple days, not a cold, but tummy woes. Not doing much better today. Hoping it will clear up so I don’t end up at the hospital. I have had a couple trips for an ileus (or intestinal obstruction) and this is what it is feeling like. I am hoping not but I will give it today and then to the doctor tomorrow if its not better. I have always had stomach problems, all the gross stuff. Have been tested for Crohn’s a million times but always negative, thank goodness.  So I have been sitting/laying around today “woe is me-ing”, starving, drinking gallons of water hoping it clears up soon.

I have not quilted the Americana II quilt like I wanted. I have stitched six blocks for my Stitch-A-Long for the next quilt. As you can see it is a redwork Christmas quilt.

I have not picked my outer fabrics just yet and don’t really feel like it so I have just kept stitching. I have half of them stitched which means I am going to have to pic something out soon.  I think I want to use homespuns.  I am wishing now I would have stitched them in other colors but they are so small I can always make another.

I also put some YLI thread on my selling blog if anyone is interested.

Well the little ones will be home soon and I have to appear half alive so I better get moving. I hope you are having an awesome day and have a chance to enjoy some stitching time.

Jennifer

Memorial Day Weekend!

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend! I found some great information on Memorial Day on the Military.com site. Information I didn’t know even having served in the military. You can go here if you are curious.

I completed the Americana II quilt top tonight. I wanted to have it quilted but my husband and I went out to lunch and Home Depot today. It was nice just the two of us. That does not happen much. I picked up some plants and hope I can get them in the ground tomorrow before work.

Here is the quilt, the picture is a little crooked but I think you can get the idea. It has a 5'” border and I am going to bind it in the same dark blue as the little 1” inner border. I have not decided what color thread I am going to use. I have to see what I have or I may be taking a trip to get thread on Memorial Day.

Have a super weekend and I hope you are able to find a little stitching time!

Jennifer

New Stuff

I received some items I had ordered from Colonial Crafts today. I always order from them in my birthday month because they give you 20% off during the entire month of your birthday, on all orders. I think that is awesome and usually have several orders during the month of May. But I was good this month. I only ordered a couple times.

I got 3 bottles of Distress It, I make my own walnut crystals dye but it never sprays like Distress It does. I think maybe I do not let the crystals dissolve enough and it clogs the spray bottle. I like to have a bottle or two on hand for delicate items.

I got a copy of the newest Needl’ Love Threads book. I have almost all of these and love the projects in them. I have not thumbed through it yet I am saving it to read at work tonight when I get a break.  I love that the projects can be done in so many different ways, applique, wool, embroidery, punch needle, doll making, quilts, etc. Love them.

I also got one of the new patterns from Crab-Apple Hill called Witch Witch’s Boot – awesome!!  She has a lot of new patterns I love, the embroidery is unbelievable.

It has been raining pretty bad here today. The lightening has been incredible. Apparently there is a lot of flooding around and a lot of hail. The last couple hours it has been  nothing but loud down pours and constant thunder and lightening.  I love storms but the kids don’t care for them that much. It was worse when they were coming home from school so they were a little shaken up. I was able to get a nice nap before they got home to prepare for work tonight.

I have only been able to comment on a couple blogs today, and it is kinda frustrating but I guess I cannot complain for a free service. Hopefully all the problems will clear up. I use Internet Explorer and also have Google Chrome on my computer and I cannot even log on to blogger on Google Chrome.

I hope everyone is enjoying there Friday and hopefully in between celebrations find a little stitching time this weekend. I know I will!

Jennifer

Progress

I am making progress on the Americana Quilt #2. I had to put it aside to finish up the top of the Gardeners Journal quilt. I have just a tiny bit of embroidery left and I would finish it up now but my eyes are a little sleepy after working all night.

So here is what I have so far:

Hopefully I will have the stitching done tonight and be able to quilt it soon.  My little Alice has a birthday party she is going to this weekend and has made a special request for me to make the little girl something, something blue and with dogs or a dog or a duck. This should be fun!

The people in my area are going a little crazy with this Scotty from Garner winning the American Idol thingy. Yeah, can you tell I don’t watch it. I guess it is good for people to have something to be happy about with all this tragic weather going on lately.  I hope you are having a great day and possibly enjoying a little stitching time.

Later - Jennifer

Top is Complete!!!

I finished the top!  Oh my goodness that was not an easy quilt. I would not recommend it for a beginner. The picture does not do it justice. Maybe because I took it last night inside. Once it is quilted I will take another

I took a couple close ups so you could see the border fabrics a little better.

Now just to quilt it. I thought I had enough fabric for the back but I do not. I am going to have to buy fabric which I swore I would not do,  I will look one more time and see what I can come up with. Maybe I will piece the back.

It has been so terribly hot here. I don’t even want to go outside.  We have been walking every night for about a week as a family. It is nice for us all to have no electronic devices and just be together, even if it is for only 45 minutes. Plus we are getting into shape which we all need. I hope we stick to it because even though the kids complain when they start I think the enjoy it. Well, maybe not but I can hope.

I hope you all are having a fantastic week and are finding a little stitching time!  Jennifer

A Gardener’s Journal!!

I am so excited. Last night I was able to finish up the last two blocks from “A Gardener’s Journal” quilt. I am hoping to piece the top today/tonight and then get it ready for quilting!!

Block F

Block I

I could not have done it without the support of everyone over at the Stitch-A-Long, it would have continued to be another quilt in the WIP pile. Thank you Chooky and all the members of the Stitch-A-Long!!

My youngest went into my sewing room last night and was in there for quite some time. I asked her what she was so busy doing and it seems she had taken in on herself to begin cleaning my room. I did not realize how much she had done until after the kids went to bed I went in and decided I would continue. I can’t explain to you the feeling I had when I picked up the little pieces of fabric she had carefully folded and stacked. I wanted to keep them in the little piles and never unfold them. I wanted to go in and give her a big squishy hug. She had done this because she knew I had been complaining between work and everything else I didn’t have time to do it. So she tried to do it for me. I love my kids so much. It seems everyday one of them shows me they feel the same and that is such a glorious feeling.

Okay, enough of that sappy stuff! I need to go vacuum and piece the top together. I also have two quilts basted and ready to be quilted, maybe I might get to those also, now that my room is clean!

Have a great day and I hope you find a little stitching time!

Jennifer

The Rusty Thimble Giveaway

You have to go check out the awesome give-a-way Brenda over at the Rusty Thimble is having. It is for this fabulous Americana Eagle Make-do. I had second thoughts about posting this because I would really love to win it but decided not to be selfish. So go check her out!!

Isn't it great!??!?!?!

A week already?

I cannot believe it has already been almost a week since I last posted.  Not only have I not blogged but I have sewn at all, nothing.  I am very ashamed.

I had taken my items to The Rusty Bucket at the beginning of the week and I am happy to announce sales there are much better than on Etsy or my blog.  I can’t understand why that is, the only thing I can come up with is people can see and touch it in person.  I am wondering if I should just give up on the Etsy, EBay, selling blog thing.  It does not require me paying any money out but I do loose a substantial percentage. I will continue thinking on it.

I sold the Americana quilt I had done and have a request for another one. I did not have the same fabrics but some that are very similar. I added some different stitcheries along with some of the original ones I used.  I pieced the top today, traced the stitcheries on it and now I am all set up to stitch. So I will spend tonight stitching.

Here is the top without borders:

And here it is ready for some needle action.

I hope everyone is good. I plan on finishing, up the quilt in the next couple days, so I will post pictures when I am done. Until then I hope everyone has a great weekend and finds a little stitching time!

Jennifer

Happy Saturday!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Mine is going great, even though I have not had much sleep I am feeling real good today and I spent the day with my family. We went out to lunch and took a visit to my favorite Antique/Resale shop, Kohl's for shoes for the girls, and a trip to the grocery store. It has been raining all day and rained all night at work, which made it very busy so no sewing for me, I actually had to work hard, girls got to do what she’s got to do!!

I found a couple things at my favorite shop.  A jar I am going to use as a vase and this little sewing “lazy susan” type of thing. I thought the idea was cute, although I don’t really care to much for the doll part, a little too “country”. I am hoping to re-do it with some thing else in the middle.

Here is the back of her, she is two sided and the base spins. Like I said real cute idea!!

I found a couple quilts I really liked but did not have the money for them, so sad. They will be gone in no time so it just wasn’t meant to be.

I have listed the Lemonade Quilt and Alice’s pillow on my selling blog.  I have decided I am taking a box of items to The Rusty Bucket this week so everything except Valentines, Christmas, patterns and fabric that I have listed on any of my sites will be gone beginning Monday.

I feel like working on some applique tonight so I think I am going to go pull out a block in my WIP pile. I hope you have a super weekend and enjoy a little stitching time of your own!

Later - Jennifer

Pin Keep Swap & A Birthday

Wendy over at Ravenwood Whimzies hosted a Pin Keep Swap. My partner was Linda of The Pinkeep. Man, did I make out. I received a punch needle bird pin keep on an old oil can. I have been wanting this pattern and wanting to make this pin keep since the pattern first came out. It is a pattern by Country Stitches called “Home Tweet Home.”

For Linda’s pin keep I used a pattern from Hudson’s Holidays Patterns called “Lil Posie & Mouse Pin Keep Pattern.” As you can see there is no mouse. I had him made and I did not like how he looked on it. I have had this pattern traced out and ready to make for over a year. I love this pin keep. I used a vintage spool for the base.  My husband is all ready to go get more of them, he thinks it looks great and so do I.  The problem is I could not get a good photo of it, I tried to take a lot at different angles but it did not photograph well.

I had a great birthday yesterday. We went out for a nice dinner after I took the kids to the dentist. LOL That was my big present – just kidding.

My husband found me a cool bag on metal buttons on EBay, they are great. Some are just regular clothing buttons but the back sides are pretty cool and grungy looking.

I also got another Lalaloopsy doll – I am very excited about this one – it is a boy, I have not seen a boy doll before. I also got Lalaloopsy pencil toppers – now what 41 year old doesn’t need those, lol. Natalie made me a little wallet also.

Well, I need to rest up for work, I hope you guys have a great weekend and are able to find a little stitching time!

Jennifer

Lemonade Quilt

I finally quilted my Lemonade quilt I had pieced a little while back. I love it! It is about 40” square and I did a simple cross hatch quilting with the sewing machine. The batting I used was a cotton flannel fabric so it is very light weight, great for a wall hanging or throwing over the table for spring or summer. My beautiful Natalie is displaying it for me!!

Last night I had to deal with Baby Tiger (Alice’s little friend). Baby Tiger thought it would make a great blanket for her. It was a struggle turning down those Baby Tiger Eyes (or eye – she is still missing one from this freak accident).

The birds seem to be on some type of protest around my house today. I don’t know what the problem is, they are very loud and chirpy since about quarter to six this morning. Don’t they know we have a Princess in this house trying to get some sleep!

Well, I gotta try to do some chores, have a great day!!

Jennifer

This is a repost since blogger had to remove all posts made on this day because of technical problems.

Pattern De-Stash

Okay - I am starting the clean up once again. Check back often, I will be adding new patterns when I can.  They are listed on my selling blog or you can check them out on the new page above called “Pattern De-Stash”

The Flag of Spring

I do not know why, but all of a sudden I cannot get enough of wool. The last week I have been digging through projects that have been in the making for some time and I have been trying to finish them up. Here is the latest.

It is from an older pattern by All Through the Night called “The Flag of Spring.”  Now it is finished.

The backing is a black cotton fabric and the background is a vintage army blanket. It is made of 100% wool and has a chenille border surrounding the center. I hand appliqued the wool pieces.

I also mailed off my end of the Pin Keep Swap put on by Wendy of Ravenwood Whimzies, having already received mine from my partner it is killing me not to open the box!!! But I am holding out, it is only fair.  It was actually very difficult to send off because I really wanted to keep it, even my husband wanted me to keep it. I will just have to make a similar one for me.

Well, I have to get busy, I played on the computer too long yesterday and did not get anything accomplished, so I have lots to make up.

Have a great day and don’t forget to find a little stitching time today!

Later - Jennifer

What a weekend!

On Saturday we went to our county fair. It was a lot of fun. We are all a little sun burned but it was nice. I enjoyed it a lot more than the state fair because it wasn’t so busy and when the kids wanted to ride a ride there were no lines. I was even able to get a soft shell crab sandwich, yummy, not as good as the ones I use to get when we lived in Maryland but still good.

Mother’s Day was awesome! I got a huge breakfast in bed and ate every last bit of it. I got this huge card, that everyone participated in making, it even had bunches of little cards inside. (notice I cut myself out – I don’t look so pretty in the morning).

I got two Lalaloopsy Mini sets, a brand new lunch box for work (I know don’t say anything), a hand tied pillow, 3 yards of Primitive Gatherings muslin, and a Japanese Daiwabo fat quarter pack, a pen made to look like a flower, a poem book made by Alice, a poem by Gordon and lots of love.

My husband made me fried Oysters, can you tell this was not a healthy weekend, and the theme is seafood. I think I could live off of fish and seafood. We were going to get sushi but we didn’t have time between all the other things we were doing and me working. That is okay though I enjoyed everything and wouldn’t want to change a thing!

I was cutting the grass and bumped into one of the bushes yesterday and scared this little fellow. He apparently had fallen from his nest from a bigger tree and could not fly to get back home. His parents were close by making sure we didn’t get very close. I looked when I got home from work this morning and he was not there so I am hoping he made it back to the nest. Isn’t he a cutey.

I finished block E of “A Gardener’s Journal” Stitch-A-long.

And block B of “A Gardener’s Journal” Stitch-A-long.

Two more blocks to piece together! The end is near, well the embroidery and piecing end is near. I am going to love this quilt!

Alice’s little fingers have been busy. She has a project at school where she has to hand make five items and bring them in to trade.  She printed out some coloring pages and decided she was going to embroider pillows. The only catch is I have to put the pillows together because as she says she does not like to use the sewing machine and she has to do them by Thursday night. I told her she was pushing herself a little too hard. She is insisting. To help her out I re-printed the baby duck for her so it is only about 4 inches tall instead of this one that is about 10 inches.

I am amazed at how awesome her stitches are, she finished this in 2 sittings, an 8 year old. I would have been bored after 5 minutes at her age. She is very proud of this one, as am I, sadly she has decided she wants to sell it. I was able to change her mind about all her other pillows but she insists this one must go because she wants the ones for her class to all be the same size. I will keep trying to talk her out of selling it but she said she wanted to put it on the selling blog tonight. We will see.

So as you can see I had a fantastic weekend and I am not bragging or anything but I do believe I have the best husband and kids a woman can have.

I hope you all had a great weekend and found a little stitching time. I am off to finish another wool penny rug mat thingy I just need to put a back on!  Whoa, that was a mouth full!

Later - Jennifer

Happy Mother’s Day

I hope all of you moms have a great Mother’s Day today!

And don’t forget to find a little stitching time!

Jennifer

I have been pretty busy, it is such a nice feeling. I couldn’t wait to show you guys what I have been working on, and finishing up.

First off a penny mat from a Need’l Love pattern I had started a long, long time ago. It is made of 100% wool. I will be putting it on my selling blog later.

Another pillow, I used a free download from Homeberries. I love me some pillows!!

Here is the back of the pillow, I backed it with wool.

This project is really not quite finished yet. I need to finish the doll that goes in it. It is a Country Stitches pattern. I have sold many of these in the years past, one day I will make one for me.

And my last project I can only show you the incomplete picture because it is for a swap. I finished it up and I am so excited about it. I want to keep it so bad! I used fabrics from my Civil War repro stash collection so I don’t have enough to make another one like it. I guess that is a good thing but I really like how it turned out. I will be mailing it out on Monday so maybe middle of the week I can show you.

I had to show you also a couple pictures from my little Alice’s first game.

Her first hit!

Her first “bringing it home.” That’s my girl!

Well back to laundry and maybe some late lunch and Zumba, ugh, I knew I should have done that this morning. It keeps getting pushed later and later.

I hope you have a great Friday night and maybe find a little stitching time!!

Jennifer

A Little Help

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs Quilt Hollow, Mary does phenomenal quilting, but she had posted about another blog, Brown Quilts (keep up with me here) where Carol was asking for help. Please visit Carol and see if you would be able to help her out! And visit Mary too, lots of eye candy for you to enjoy!
Thanks! I hope everyone is having a great week and finding a little stitching time!!
Jennifer

Just a Thought

Yesterday I wrote out this very long post about how I was torn in the “celebrations” that were going on over the death of Osama bin Laden. I did not post it because I couldn’t’ find the right words.  I could not even watch or read the news, I was becoming sick to my stomach.  I believe justice was served but how can we celebrate the death of anyone?  I cannot and I do not want my children to think it is okay to be happy anyone is killed.

And then I was on Facebook this mourning and someone had this posted on their wall.

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

That is what I wanted to say.

Update: Apparently the whole quote was not from Martin Luther King Jr. but anyway I still like what it says, no matter who said or wrote it. “The source of the quote is a Facebook message by someone who included a quote by Martin Luther King Jr.

Keeping Busy

Hello all. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Busy working here but I did get a little stitching done.

Here is the July block for the Liberty Rose Patterns Calendar Girls BOM. If you remember I was doing these last year. I finally started back again.

I also finished up a couple Christmas ornies, well the stitching. I have a lot to get done for the show in October. I will wait to show you those when I get them put together.

Alice, my youngest, is playing softball this season. She has her first game this week and is very excited. She just got her uniform and she looks so cute.

She still doesn’t have cleats, I am waiting on that until I know she really likes it. She also got her first injury Saturday during practice. She has a pretty hard swing and the coach was pitching, she got her thumb jammed in between the ball and the bat when she was swinging. I am not sure if I explained that correctly. She cried, Alice is not a big crier so I know it hurt. I think she might loose the nail. She kept playing, she is such a trooper, and it definitely taught her to keep her thumb in the correct position.

Well I am off to get some rest before the kids get home. I hope you have a great Monday and can find a little stitching time today!

Jennifer