Fabric Therapy...

Crayon Roll-ups...

2011-01-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

I have discovered a new quick but cute gift for the kids in your life...Crayon Rolls. I made several of them for Christmas gifts and all of them were much appreciated. They are really simple...I used place mats, lined them with an appropriate fabric and then used buttons and hair elastics for the closure. Here is a picture of one:

This is for a friend of mine's little girl who loves Dora..in fact, she picked out the fabric I used on the inside and asked me to make her something out of it. I hope she likes it when I give it to her!!

My sewing room...

2011-01-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

Ever since I started quilting, I've wanted a sewing table that allows you to lower your machine so that you are quilting on a perfectly flat surface. However, the expense of those tables really shocked me so I've been keeping my eye on Craigslist, ebay, the local want ads, etc.. for a used quilting/sewing table. Last week, I finally found one after over a year of looking. A lady in a town about 60 miles away had a Horn Quilters Dream table that she no longer needed. The table was a 2002 model but in like new condition and less than 1/3 the price of a new one. I very quickly agreed to buy it and it is now in its new home and I love it!

As a result of the new purchase, I had to reorganize my sewing room. We use the room that is supposed to be the office in our house as my sewing room. It is a very good size and has a nice closet which works wonderfully for storing fabric and supplies. With my new sewing table purchase, I now have 2 sewing centers in the room and lots of room for shelves to store fabric, projects, etc..

This is my new sewing table...I would have preferred a wood grain finish but for the cost and shape that this one was in, I was not going to complain that it is white. It actually has another extension on the right hand side that can be folded out and provides a place to put a serger or another small sewing machine. I am not using that right now but it is very nice to know I have that option.
I wasn't crazy about putting it in front of the window at first, but I actually really like it now as I can open the curtains, get great natural light and see what is going on outside. I am very pleased with my new table and glad I was patient and waited to find one that was 'used' rather than paying the new price.
Here is a better look at the sewing area. It is perfectly flat and really helps with no catching the fabric and throwing my sewing lines off. Love it, love it, love it!!

I use alot of open shelving in my sewing room so I can see what I have and where it is. I struggle with keeping it neat but right now, I am pretty happy with how it looks and how easily I can find the fabric I need, see what I have and store finished items. Below are 2 different storage areas in my sewing room. I also have a small printer station.

I also like my closet..it was set up for an office when we moved in with alot of shelves which works perfectly to store fabric set. I have way too much fabric but I can't resist buying more when I see a beautiful print.
And finally, here is my 2nd sewing center. It uses my original sewing table which is a very inexpensive one I picked up at Wal-mart for about $90. It has held up very well and is amazingly sturdy for the price. I've had it for about 4 years and it has served me well and will continue to be a good work center.

More Christmas quilts...

2011-01-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

My niece and I picked out some fabric about 2 years ago and spent a weekend making the top. She picked out the fabric, layed out the squares in the pattern she liked and then handed them to me as I sewed them together. We finished the top in a weekend as it was a very simple 10 inch square design. 2 years later I finally put a back on it and quilted it. I gave it to her for Christmas this year and she was very happy with it. It is simple but cute and extra special because we picked it out and made it together.
I am working now on a quilt for a good friend of mine who is moving. I am still making very simple quilts but I love them. I plan to try a more complex pattern in the next month or so, on a small scale for a baby quilt.

New year..new goals!!

2011-01-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hello! I hope all had a great end of 2010 and are looking forward to a happy and healthy 2011. I did pretty good of sticking to my goal of making most of my major Christmas gifts for friends and family. I made 3 quilts..one for my Mom, my sister and my nie
ce.
Here is the one I made for my Mom. It is Christmas fabric on one side and a complimentary non-Christmas fabric on the other. I thought it would be festive but usable year round that way.
Here is a picture of the non-Christmas side.
I used Fruitcake fabric for the Christmas side and Panache for the other side. My Mom loved it and I had fun making it so it was a big win.
I also made my sister a quilt. I used the same scheme with hers, Christmas fabric on one side and regular fabric on the other.
The Christmas side shown above used Kate Spain fabric. I believe it was called Holly Jolly. The 'regular' side below used the Basket of Flowers fabric. I think I really surprised my sister and was glad that she liked it.
In other quilty news, I bought a new sewing table for my "Merry Christmas to me" present. I've been wanting a Horn Quilters Dream cabinet for a long time but I couldn't see paying the price a new one goes for. I've been watching Craig's list, Ebay, etc.. A man my husband works with has a wife who sews and they recently re-designed her sewing room and she no longer needs her Horn cabinet so I was able to buy it for a very very reasonable price! It is just like new and I am very happy to have it. It is the first sewing table I have had where you can lower your machine and have a flat sewing surface and I love it.

New items...

2010-09-28T16:47:00.001-07:00

I've enjoyed my days off from work!! The fall weather has arrived and I enjoy the cooler temps alot! I spent a good bit of today doing some sewing. I've started making a new item, hooded towels. One of my friends has 2 toddlers and she mentioned the other day that they had just about outgrown the ones that you get for infants and she wanted to find some larger ones so they could wrap up after a bath and cover their wet heads. So I found a simple pattern on the net and made a few today. Here are what they look like...
They are hanging by the hood off my ironing board. I had a hard time finding a good way to photograph them without a model. I also made this one with some space themed towels..so cute for a little boy!

These were really simple and quick to make. I'm adding them to my list of "home-made" Christmas gifts for all the kids on my list. I can also applique and embroider them for some added personalization.

I also did a few fabric beads this week. Here are pics of one of the necklaces I made. The center bead is a fabric covered wooden bead. The 2 longer beads on the end are pure fabric beads. These were made by wrapping fabric scraps around a straw and coating with mod-podge and allowing to dry. I 'm playing around with other fabrics but I am pretty happy with this first attempt.

Fabric beads..take 1

2010-09-25T19:06:00.001-07:00

Well, I spent a couple of hours this afternoon learning to make fabric beads. I have to say that my first attempts were not that great but after about 2 or 3 beads, I started getting the hang of it and they have turned out pretty cute. The oval beads which are simply fabric wrapped around a straw and coated with gloss mod-podge are turning out really cute. The wooden beads wrapped in fabric are actually a bit more difficult..takes a bit of trimming and work to get the fabric tucked into the holes and neatly overlapping near the ends but I've done about 3 of those and each one looks better and gets quicker. It is a good use of my very small scraps which is nice! I'll post some pictures tomorrow after they dry and I can string some on a cord for a necklace...

Where has September gone???

2010-09-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

Well, the sewer problem is resolved and I'm catching up on laundry and cleaning as a result...it's amazing how fast clothes/sheets/towels accumulate for just 2 people.. It is also amazing how you take for granted being able to do laundry, shower and just use water in general. I'm glad it is fixed and with no permanent damage or major damage to our home.

I haven't sewed much but am getting my Christmas gift list ready...I'm going to try and make all of my gifts this year. I'm taking some days off next week and will start on my list then..

I've found 2 new things I am going to try..one is hooded towels for babies/toddlers. I found a really easy pattern that uses a towel and a hand towel to make a really cute and useful hooded towel..I can then applique and embroider to decorate it. I'm going to try on of those next week for my friend's 4 year old.

I've also always wondered what to do with my small (2 inch or so) scraps. I can't bear to throw them away and I'm not patient enough to make a quilt out of small scraps like that. Maybe one day I'll have the skill and patience to do very small, scrappy quilts but I don't know. Anyway, I came across a tutorial where you use the small fabrics and make fabric beads. I'm going to try that this week and see how it goes. I'm interested in 2 types...one is completely fabric, oval and tube shaped (you use a straw to form them) and the other uses round wooden beads which you cover with fabric. I have some really cute fabric so I'm hoping this turns out to be a good use for them..it would also help with my "homemade Christmas" goal if I could make a few fabric bead necklaces!

The weekend has flown by and I need to get ready for work tomorrow...hope everyone had a great weekend!

Not good news....

2010-09-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the plumber came out first thing this morning and was unable to repair the clog. It was too far down the main line and his tools wouldn't reach..so he suggested we call roto-rooter. Roto-rooter came out, snaked down the line and found that our main pipe had broken away from the city connection and had fallen into the dirt and was basically completely backed up with dirt as a result...it will cost about $2500 to dig it up, clean it out, repair it and reconnect it to the city sewer. So, not the news I wanted but since you cannot live without water/sewer/etc..., we will have to fix it. They are coming back tomorrow to start the work and hope to have it completed by end of day. They said that $2500 was the worst case and I am hoping it is something much less.

I am glad we caught it before we turned on the washer or something major which could have flooded the house and caused much more damage along with much more disruption. I'm trying to look on the bright side...

What a weekend...

2010-09-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I did not get as much sewing done this weekend as I wanted, for reasons good and not so good. The good reason was that my Mom and Dad came up for the weekend for a visit. I really had a good time with my Mom and am always very glad to see her. We did a little shopping (we love to hit TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning) and a little eating! It was alot of fun and I am glad I am living close enough that we can see each other about once a month.

The not so good reason I didn't get any sewing done is because of a plumbing issue at our hose. Right after my Mom and Dad left today, I started doing laundry, dishes and general house cleaning...as I was in our bathroom, I noticed water was backing up into the shower so I quickly turned everything off. Well, after about $30 worth of unclogging chemicals, a bunch of plunging and a general mess in our downstairs bathrooms, a plumber will be here tomorrow morning. It appears we have a clog between our house and the main line. Luckily, all of the backed up water stayed in the tub/showers and that has drained but we cannot use the showers/toliets/sinks as it quickly backs up when we use any water. So, we are heading to a hotel tonight and am hoping the plumber can quickly resolve it tomorrow. He was going to come out today but a hotel is cheaper than paying holiday rates for a plumber so we are going to wait until tomorrow when the rate is about 1/3 the holiday rate. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he can do it quickly and with minimal additional mess. I will let you know how it goes!!

So glad for Friday!!!

2010-09-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

So glad it is Friday and a 3 day weekend has begun!! I plan to do some sewing and also spend some time with my Mom when she visits later this weekend. I really enjoy spending time with her and love it when she visits for a few days.

Here are a few more crafts I've been working on. I'm going to a baby shower in a few weeks for a friend who is having her first child, a son. Her and her hubby are huge Arkansas Razorback fans so I made a few burp cloths for the "lil Hawg".

I also customized a plain terry bib using some of the fabric. These were fun to make.

I hope everyone has a very safe and enjoyable Labor day weekend!!

New day..new post!! 2 in a row!!

2010-08-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm back!! 2 posts in a row..so far so good with my goal to post more frequently or at least more regularly!!

Here are some more of the sewing projects I worked on the past few months...

Burp cloths are my favorite..have plenty of those. Here are some of the latest. Made these for a co-worker who recently had their 5th baby girl!!

Here are some more that I made for another co-worker who recently had a little girl as well...this one was several weeks early and weighed just a little over 2 lbs..but she is doing really well.
I love burp cloths as they give me a chance to play with alot of fabric and color combinations..good way to try out some for future quilts!!

Catching up on my sewing since the last post.....

2010-08-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hello again!! I am the world's most sporadic poster!! I love to read other people's blogs but am not so good at keeping my own blog up and going. I'll continue to work on it.

I have been fairly busy sewing...I'm going to spend the next few posts catching up on some of the projects I've completed since my last post.

This quilt is a new pattern that I saw at my LQS and thought it was really cute. One of my good friends and co-workers had a little boy last October. I fell in love with this fabric as it is construction equipment/work site fabric which is very fitting since both of us work for a major heavy equipment manufacturer. I had a good time making this quilt. Here is a bit of the back...

And a closeup of the fabric...
It was a really fun project...I look forward to doing this pattern again with a different fabric combo.

I have also been doing alot of burp clothes. They make very welcome and useful baby gifts and they are quick! I love the different fabric combos that you can do...really fun. And I've had alot of friends have babies the past few months. Here are a few of the ones I've done. I'll show more in future posts as well!! I enjoy doing these so much that I'm thinking about doing some for the neo-natal nursery at the local hospital. It would give me a good excuse to buy more fabric! And since these are quick to do, I can give to more families than I could with the project Linus quilts.
Have a good evening!!!

Trying something new...

2009-11-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last few nights playing around with some cute fabric and making some burp cloths. I'll post some pictures this weekend. I have 2 friends who recently had babies and one of them is a real spitter-upper. She is in constant need of burp cloths so I found that to be a good reason to try my hand at fixing some up. I'm enjoying it so far and have tried about 3 different techniques/styles. They are pretty quick to make and useful. I'm going to make a few more this weekend and send out a care package early next week.

I'm taking a few days vacation next week and plan to do quite a bit of sewing. I'm going to wrap up a few projects and start on some Christmas presents. I'm really looking forward to some dedicated sewing time.

So glad tomorrow is Friday!!!

Hello again!!

2009-11-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello!! Yes..I know it has been a very long time since I last posted..I got wrapped up in the new house/new job/new town and just lost track of time. I will try to be better this time.

Lots of changes around here since my last post. My son has graduated high school, took a semester off and moved out with some friends..good news is that he is registering and planning to start college in January. He is a very bright young man but like most 18 year olds, has to figure out where he wants to go in his life. I am very glad he decided to go back to school and am very proud of him.

I've done a little sewing, more fabric buying and quite a bit of embroidery. Looking for the instant gratification since my sewing time has been limited. I just started a new quilt this weekend for a friend who recently had a little boy and I am really enjoying my sewing time.

Here is the most recent quilt I've completed. I made this for a friend who had a little girl a few months back. It was a quick rag quilt but I really like the fabrics..they were cozy and fun. I added a little embroidery to personalize it. I really like rag quilts for babies..

Hope everyone has a great Saturday!!

Finally..some sewing time...

2009-05-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally started and finished the quilting on my niece's quilt today. It feels great!! Now, I am handsewing the binding which will take a little time. Hopefully by the end of June I will have it all done!!

Since I am seeing the end of this project, I have started a quilt for my best friend who has a little boy due in July. I picked out the fabric and cut it this morning and will start sewing it tomorrow. It is going to be a quick and easy rag quilt with some really nice flannel fabrics. Bright colors for a bouncing baby boy. I plan on doing some embroidery on it as well, maybe his initals or name...I love my embroidery machine. I'm thinking I can sew this one up in a couple of days so hopefully this will be done by the time the baby arrives!!

I hope you all have a great holiday weekend...please remember our military men and women, past and present, during this special weekend.

Life just gets busier..

2009-05-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Well...still no sewing going on here...I have a pin basted quilt ready to go on the machine but I just can't seem to set aside the time to do it. I'm not a "few minutes here, few minutes there" person and I wish I were. I admire those quilters who complete projects by carving out 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there to quilt. I am an all-or-nothing type..I want 3 or 4 uninterrupted hours which is hard to come by right now for me...I need to seriously modify my style if I expect to get anything done in the next few months with the move and son's graduation, etc.. Need to see if an old dog can learn a new trick!

Even though the sewing isn't happening..the fabric buying is still going on! I have 3 close friends all having babies in the next 6 months and I am a sucker for baby/toddler fabric even when I have no one to give them to. Give me 3 new babies to find fabric for, I am in heaven! I can rationalize buying more new baby fabric even though I have enough in my stash to cover every newborn in the county for the next month at least! Oh well...there could be worse weaknesses than buying fabric..

Happy Mother's Day to every lady out there! All though we may not all be Mother's in the biological sense..all of us nurture and care for someone in a loving, motherly way!!

Beautiful weather, busy weekend..

2009-04-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

The weather this weekend has been absolutely beautiful!! I've done alot of the yard work that needed to be done before we move...stuff like replacing the bulbs in the outdoor lights, cleaning the decks/sidewalks, cleaning out the garage (for some reason we have a problem throwing away empty bottles..they multiply in our garage!!) and today, I'm going to wash the car!! I was so productive yesterday, I started cleaning house about 7:00 last night and finished the entire house, including most of the laundry. I was worn out by the time I fell into bed after midnight but I had completed almost my entire weekend to-do list (including a few extras that wasn't on the list) and now, I have my entire Sunday free to do what I want. So nice!!

Needless to say, I haven't done alot of sewing the past few days. I did get some of my fabric separated and organized into project groups. I like to buy plastic containers and put all the items including thread/pattern/fabric/notions..etc needed for a project into the container so I can just grap and go when I am ready to start something new...I also keep the in-process work in the container as long as it fits so that it is easy to store/find. I stock up on the containers whenever I find them on sale at Wal-Mart, Lowe's, etc... Plastic shoe containers are great for small projects like pillowcases, runners, totes, small wallhangings, etc.. Sweater boxes are great for baby quilts, lap throws, etc... Very neat and stackable too.

I hope everyone has a very nice Sunday!!!

Busy times...

2009-04-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a few days. I'm in the middle of relocating to another state with my job and I've been traveling...went this week to find a home and we have an offer working now..I love house hunting, hate house buying! I'm just very grateful that I have a good job right now in these tough times so I'm not going to complain at all.

Needless to say, the quilting is taking a backseat to work and all the craziness that goes along with moving. I still haven't quilted my niece's quilt and her birthday is this week! Oh well, won't be the first time she gets a belated birthday present..if I throw in a couple of $20's, she won't mind a bit!

I'm also trying to get rid of alot of unnecessary stuff so I'm prepping for a yard sale in the next few weeks...the house we are looking at is larger in square footage but smaller in number of rooms so we need to downsize. I'd rather have fewer larger rooms than many smaller rooms so we will be giving up a bonus room for a larger kitchen and family room. Thus the exercise equipment (which I don't use anyway, but it looks impressive!) and some extra computer desks (since we recently purchased laptops for me and the hubby) are going up for sale in addition to numerous boxes/baskets of 'treasures' to help clear out the attic. I move pretty frequently (every 3 years at at least) and I'm tired of moving the same unopened boxes. So, I'm getting rid of the junk! Hopefully I can raise enough to purchase a new dining room suit. We shall see.

2009-04-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

I love sunny Saturday mornings....my hubby woke us up early this morning so we could go have breakfast together at a local mom and pop diner. With me traveling so much lately, we don't get to see each other much and having a nice, peaceful breakfast together (that I don't have to cook or clean up!) was great. He dropped me back off at the house and is now off to the races for the day.

I'm heading up to the sewing room to have some fun of my own!!

More travel....

2009-04-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've been traveling the past few days which means no sewing but I did do some fabric shopping. I'm leaving again on Sunday for all next week so I'm going to sew like crazy tomorrow and Saturday!! So..maybe I'll have some new pics to post as I want to quilt the gift for my niece and complete it this weekend...

Question for you experienced quilters....help a newbie please!!!

2009-04-06T14:25:00.001-07:00

Well, last night I pin basted my first quilt. I discovered it is not my most favorite process but it is very nice when it is done. The quilts I have done so far have been 'quilt as you go' types. This is the first quilt top I have done, thus the first quilt that will require layering and quilting..thus my first experience at basting.

The quilt top itself is very simple but very special for me. I have one sibling, a sister, who is the mother of one little girl, my very darling niece. My niece lights up my life. I spoil her rotten and she thinks I am pretty ok! I love her with all my heart. I have called her SweetGirl from the minute she was born and even though she is 11 (almost 12), she is still and will always be my SweetGirl. Enough gushing about her...

SweetGirl and I love to have Aunt/Niece bonding time with just the 2 of us. Usually this bonding time involves a shopping trip so I can stock her up on clothes that she quickly becomes too tall for!! I should really invest in Rue 21 since alot of my money goes there!! Well, this past Christmas it just so happened that she didn't have to go to her Dad's, her Mom needed to study for exam's, my hubby needed to help his Dad and I had a few days off from work. So, it was decided that SweetGirl would come back to my house for 4 days between Christmas and New Years, just her and me! We were so excited. SweetGirl loves fabric and is learning to sew as well (her paternal Grandmother is a very talented seamstress) and might one day be a fashion designer (or so she says!!) Anyway, we drove back to my house Christmas night (my and my hubby's families are about 3 hours from where we live..so not too far), just the 2 of us. We decided that the next day, we would wake up and drive to Paducah, Ky and go to the Quilt Museum and some fabric stores. We had a really good time and while we were at Hancocks of Paducah, SweetGirl picked out a layercake that she really liked (Moda's Love is in the Air) and wanted us to spend the next day making a quilt. So, the next day, we went up to my sewing room and SweetGirl spent a great deal of time laying out the different 10 inch squares in various different arrangements until she found just the right layout. Then she handed them to me in the exact order that she wanted and we sewed up the top. Since we left the 10 inch squares intact, it didn't take long at all to sew it up even with my lack of experience. And she was thrilled with the quilttop she 'designed'. My intentions were to quilt it and give it to her for Valentine's day but that didn't happen. Her 12th birthday is this month so that is the new plan. I have it basted and will quilt it this weekend. I also have enough fabric to make 2 matching pillowcases which I will applique with her initial as an added suprise. Thus my first experienced in basting..I'll post pictures once I have it quilted and will let you know how that goes...it will be another first.

Here is my question...I've looked into purchasing a quilting frame that allows you to quilt without basting. I have some 'mad money' that I've put back and will be having a yardsale this month that will also go toward the fund. I've read alot about the Little Gracie frames and would like some input from those of you who use frames such as this. What are your thoughts??

2009-04-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

I love sleeping in on Sunday mornings...I generally get up around 4:30 a.m. each morning to get ready for work so I can be there between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. so I love sleeping in to 8:00 or 8:30 on Sundays!!! It's great to look at the alarm clock, then roll over and go back to sleep!

Here are some pics of the first quilt I completed. I took a one hour lesson at a local quilt shop and then did this one at home over about 6 Saturdays...I am very slow at measuring and cutting out the fabric...hopefully I will get faster with practice. This was a very fun quilt to do and not very hard at all...looks much harder than it is. It is a 'quilt as you go' so I didn't have to layer and quilt at the end. I liked that. It was a gift for a very good friend's little girl, thus the bright colors. She is 2 and working on her colors and I thought this would help her practice them. It is far from perfect (not all of my corners meet and the stitching around the leaves is a bit random) but I enjoyed it.
I took the picture really fast right before I put it in the gift bag to give it to her. Not the best picture but at least I got one to document it by! I embroidered her name on one of the corner pcs to personalize the gift even more. Turned out very cute. I didn't label this quilt which is something I am doing now. I've created a label with my embroidery software that has my name, the name of the person I made it for and the month/year of the gift. I embroider the label onto the back of the quilt. Easy and looks nice. Lesson learned...

Here is my 2nd quilt..it is a baby gift for a new little boy and is a simple rag quilt using Happy Bugs flannel fabric. I bought the fabric last year and was waiting for the perfect chance to use it. Most of my friends have little girls and this fabric just screamed to be used for a little boy. I was so glad when I found out one of my family members was having a little boy. He was born this week and this is on its way to him...

Here is one of the front...cutting all those tabs so it would fray was not fun but it turned out cute..
Here is the back...you can see my yellow label on the red square...
And here is a close-up of the cute bug fabric...
I'm really happy with it overall..only took about 3 Saturdays...cutting was the worst..I hope I get faster!!! I wish I'd used more fabric patterns so that is a lesson learned from this one...I would have liked less repetition and more variety..

Hello! Let me introduce myself...

2009-04-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog. I've been a fabric and quilting 'blog addict' for a while and finally decided to take the plunge and start my own blog..primarily about my new addiction..quilting and fabric but with a little bit of my daily life thrown in as well. So welcome to the first post! I hope you enjoy it!!

Let me give you a little background about myself. I am a child of the 80's..grew up with the big hair (complete with the AquaNet wings!!) and a huge crush on Jon Bon Jovi. I had a Great-grandmother and Grandmother who quilted and I was given beautiful hand sewn quilts for most special occasions such as Christmas, graduations, etc.. I loved the quilts and cherished them. Fast forward about 20 years and I am now in my late 30's and both of my quilting Grandmothers are no longer living..but their love lives on in the quilts that I still adore. About 18 months ago, I realized that my niece (who was 9 then) would grow up with only the 2 or 3 quilts that she received before my Grandmother's death and that once those were worn out, the family legacy would end with them. So, I decided it was up to me to prevent that from happening. Now, this doesn't seem like a big deal...but I am so far from a domestic diva that my family actually thought I'd lost what mind I had left...I'm the one that couldn't even sew on a button and would just go buy another shirt when I lost a button on one I owned...now I am going to make quilts. They thought it would be another one of my well-intentioned but short lived brilliant ideas...little did they know....

I've always loved fabric..the colors, themes, patterns. I've purchased fabric in the past just because I loved it even though I didn't sew and at that time, had no desire to learn. I just loved the fabric and had to have it. So I would put it in a container in my attic with some vague intentions of using it 'later'. Well, later is finally here and I'm loving every minute of my new journey!!

On a personal note, I am married to a wonderful man who always supports me. We've been married over 14 happy years. I have a step-son who lives with us and who I love dearly. He's been part of my life since he was 2 and has grown into a very handsome young man. He graduates high school this spring and it's hard to believe! I work full time and really enjoy my job. I am a pretty lucky girl overall.

When it comes to quilting, I am drawn to bright colors and love doing baby and kid quilts. I have already acquired a pretty impressive stash in the short time I've been actively quilting and wish I could sew it together as fast as I can buy it!! So far, I've completed 2 quilts and have 1 more top ready for quilting. I have several projects in process and hope to have 3 or 4 more completed in the next 2 months. I have a lot to learn and am sticking to pretty simple projects at this point that help me learn the basics. I also love doing machine embroidery and have done alot of that for baby and Christmas gifts on purchased base items such as tote bags, bibs and fleece blankets. Being able to combine embroidery with my own hand-made quilts is a great feeling!! I'd also like to eventually learn to make my own tote bags and simple baby items and plan to start down that path after I complete a few more quilts. I don't want to spread my limited sewing time too thin.

So, welcome to my blog. I'm excited to be here.