Progress and Frogging

I have the strips for the top of the quilt for my nephew that I started, the orange and gray one. I really like how it's turning out. Wanna see?

Tomorrow will be finishing the top, putting the stripe down the back of the extra blocks, and pinning. I'm going to use the gray/black dot for the binding, I think it will come out great!

On the other hand, I am frogging for the first time, err. It is somewhat stress relieving, you know the whole ripping something apart thing?

I made my son a hat, and "it's itchy on my ears". Just what every mother wants to hear, especially when they just finished a weeks worth of relax-time knitting said article. If I didn't use 2 strands of yarn it sure would be a lot easier.

I think I'm seeing a new vest in the near future... in light blue superwash wool. haha!

Can You See My New Colors?

Let me first start by saying that Photobucket is quite amazing these days. Indeed.

I decided that it was time for a new coat of paint on the old blog, do you like?

I started with this photo of a really cool spiderweb covered in dew that I took a few summers ago in West Virginia:

Then, I cropped it to be 990 pixels by 400 pixels, this seems to be the best fit for my header. Then I added some text to the photo:

I liked it, but they have these newer advanced editing toys, uh I mean tools, for color editing under the 'effects' tab. I had a lot of fun pushing all the different options just to see what I got, here are a few:

Blueprint Option

Bronze Option

Invert Option

It was really hard to choose! And the one I went with finally was what I got from using the Pop Art option:

Oh how fun photo editing is. Now I just need a better camera to play with too.

What Else is a Snow Day For?

Crafting in jammies of course. This is what we did yesterday morning:

Thanks again Oma for the Sun Catchers!

Step 1 is Done

Amidst the gazillion home repair and remodeling projects we have for our house, we have successfully settled on our next room to do. It just so happens to be the living room, the room where most relaxing and family gathering happens (aside from the dining room table).

Of course, our living room is somewhat of am awkward space. When you walk into our home, the powder room door is right behind the front door (when it's open), and you enter directly into a hallway. About 4 feet down on the left is the entry for the kitchen, and another foot or so is the stairs to go up on the right. Approximately 3 feet later, the hallway opens into the dining room, with the wall from the stairs remaining on the right hand side. Beyond that is the living room, with only a railing separating the dining room from the living room.

That is where the awkward comes in: the living room is pretty much the same room as the dining room, with only a railing and 2 steps down separating them.

So, the 2 rooms have to kind of 'go' together with colors, but without being all matchy-matchy. (I am very NOT matchy-matchy).

On to the photos, all but one were taken in the middle of the night, that's the only time I can paint walls around here (would love comments, be honest...).

First here's our horrible before:

Followed by our somewhat better after (the wall that the fireplace is on will also get painted, it just needs some drywall repair after we move the TV), with my now ability to see how much better it will look:

Hahaha, can you tell the only box of books I have opened and put on our new shelf is my husbands church books along with his missionary plaque. Too funny...

Mind you, the TV and couch are the permanents that we have to work with. Also, the darker of the 2 bookcases (the new one) is staying. We are going to buy enough dark bookcases to cover the length of that one wall. We may get some doors for the bottom halves of the bookcases, not sure yet. And, the TV will be moving to the wall that my sewing table is against (which will go downstairs after our attic access door and a few outlets go in this weekend).

This means that I will officially have a designated sewing area!!! We are going to buy either some nice, solid room dividers or make a half wall with a little half door to block off the area from the play room. It's kind of a little nook area already. Exciting stuff.

The best part about the whole thing is that my Dad wants to make us a mantle!!! A big pretty mantle!! Oh, I am so very excited. I also have 2 large mirrors to choose from to hang above it. Man, I finally get to have a living room that doesn't feel like it's a dorm commons room... SCORE!

It is so very exciting to have decorating projects, am I right??

I'm a Member of Helping Hands

I officially joined my local quilt guild last night, Helping Hands Quilt Guild of Dover, DE. I had been to one other meeting, and even though I am by far the youngest member, I was very happy to join.

If you live in Delaware and are looking for a guild, here is a website with info from Delaware Quilt Guilds.

A few things I really liked about the meeting:

• I found about the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Absolutely amazing!! I know I need to donate at least one quilt to that this year.
• There were some quilt magazines that people were getting rid of, so I got 2 new-to-me ones!
• The guild is participating in a Quilt Show in October, and they are collecting minis to sell and fund the guild. Now I have the urge to venture into minis... uh oh.
• Oh yea, and I found out that being a guild member, I get discount cards to JoAnn's and other shops!! Jackpot!

I am very excited about joining my first guild, and look forward to all the fun adventures it will bring.

Happy Crafting!

*edited to change post title from 'I'm a Member' to current title.

Friday Find: Emilynn Handcrafted Jewelry

Technically, it's still Friday, even though it feels like it is way past my bedtime today. I had the middle stage of an oral implant done today, so I'm still super sleepy. Therefore, please excuse anything that doesn't make any sense (including spelling...) haha.

I was browsing Etsy, favorite past-time...

What did I stumble upon?? This beautifully colorful array of handmade jewelry, also know as Emilynn Handcrafted Jewelry.

I am not a big jewelry buying person. Maybe because I have this whole lack of funding thing, and well, jewelry I don't even think is ON the totem pole. Or, maybe it's because I love so much of it that I can't decide what to get. Either way, it's tough for me to buy jewelry.

Back to what I found:

I mean, holy cow this is GORGEOUS!!  I think this is my favorite piece from her shop, the piece is called The Secret Garden. The photo is courtesy of Emilynn Handcrafted Jewelry, very obviously NOT mine... nother story.

The *two women who run the company are a mother daughter team. Mum, Roseanne, and daughter, Emily,* live in NSW Australia. And, I think I desperately need to go to Australia now, if this woman gets any of her inspiration from her surroundings, I think I want the same surroundings.

Simply Lovely!

*edited to correct owners names*

Current WIPs

Lets just say that I do have a very extensive "works in progress" (WIP) list. So much so that if I were to photograph and blog about each project, it may just take me until summer. Seriously. It doesn't help that I only have naptime and bedtime to blog.

With that said, I would like to share a few quilts I am working on right now (actively, mind you).

First up, my first king sized quilt that I'm making needs to get quilted, hopefully that will get started by February. It does have a need-to-be finished by date, so I'm on the wire.

Next up is the second king I've ventured into making. My dear Mom is redo-ing her room again, and what else could possibly grace her bed besides a quilt that we will make together (my Mom's first). It has been very nice to work on it with her, I'm hoping we get in some more sewing days!

This is a rough layout with only 5 of the many prints.

My Mom and I decided to do a repeat snowball block, with her colors being pink and green.

Only about 170 squares.

The only drawback is that we are doing a 6in finished block. That translates to roughly 324 blocks. Yea. 324 6 1/2-inch blocks to cut, and 1296 2-in blocks for the corners. All the corners will be a white on white print, with the colored prints as the main fabric.

He wanted me to take a photo of him with the fabric, funny face :)

Quilt #3 on the sewing table this week is an ORANGE and GREY. Man, I love me some orange. I've wanted to do a zig-zag quilt for quilt a while now, and this will be my first. I'm excited.

I know, the spots don't match up... maybe they will after sewing it together.

It's funny though because I love just about all colors, but Blue and Orange are by far my favorite!

This quilt will be close to a twin size, and is going to my adorable nephew The V-man. He's a dirt-bike loving, 2-wheel riding little boy who's turning 3 at the end of this month. Yea, he's 2 and he rides a 2 wheeler, he's awesome.

And last, but not least, I'm doing a patchwork quilt with the leftover block parts of the custom Boy Oh Boy quilt I did a couple months ago. This one will be backed with minky (yum), and is going off to my shop. I really need to make some more inventory, maybe once I have some more time.

Sewing With Mom

I was going to post today about some of my current works in progress (WIPs), but I had a very rare occurance transpire yesterday...

I was sewing with my Mom.

Yea, I know, lame and lame.

But, the last time I sewed with my Mom I was sitting on her lap. Ha ha, I just realized some of you may be picturing a grown woman trying to sit on her mother's lap and manuver fabric through a sewing machine. Not the case. I think I was about 9 the last time I sewed with my Mom, about 18 years ago. Wow, it has been too long.

A few months ago, my Mom decided she wanted to redo her bedroom, again.... *enter sigh*

Chabby chic was the winning design style, and with that, she needed a quilt. Apparently not just any quilt either.

What was she to do? My Mom doesn't quilt, and has never learned to.

So, I told her I would be happy to show her. This turned into me simple telling her what to do and showing her things I had already put together (current WIP) so she had a visual.

Yesterday afternoon I picked up my oldest, and we all went to Oma's house (my Mom's). The bigger kids got to go out and play in the snow, and my Mom and I got to take over the dining room table and sew sew sew.

I can't even tell you how wonderful it felt to sew with her, chatting away the whole time. The kids played nicely, and it felt like it was meant to be.

My Mom even told me "I am really not as bad at this as I thought. I quite enjoy it, even the ironing part." (She knew that I didn't care for that aspect as much).

We only sewed for about an hour and a half, but it was well worth it!

Love you Mom!