my little blog

it's been awhile...

2011-07-22T08:48:00.009-06:00

Crazy busy life has only gotten a little more crazier and busier. My sister and I have started our own little shop where we sell our creations. Here's the link to our online shop: www.clearlytrendy.etsy.com and here are a few of my favorite new things...bib necklaces!

New opportunities...

2011-02-22T18:31:00.003-06:00

I've decided to take on a new part time job...I can practically work from home in whatever attire I choose...almost.

If doing all the book work, insurance work, invoices, bank runs, childcare, house work wasn't enough...I'm now a Scentsy Consultant. I had thought about joining for a while and took the plunge! If you have never tried a Scentsy system before, trot on over to my website and check it out...and let me know if you have any questions! It's hard not to fall in love with these products! Now back to work I must go :) CLICK HERE

a lack there of...

2011-01-12T21:45:00.005-06:00

Things have been pretty busy in our house. Seems like Christmas came and went, but it sure was a great one! My husband got me the slr camera that I had been wanting, so we have been busy playing with that!

Poor Max and Kole are getting sick of my "photo shoots", but they better get used to them!

One of my best friends made Kole a cute little onsie, and I couldn't resist handing him a spoon. He wasn't very interested in that!

Camo is a MUST at our place.

Max likes playing with my typewriter, so I popped the lenses out of my old glasses and let him goof around!

I really liked this picture of Max. I'm really trying to figure out lighting and the best settings for everything, but you just can't beat natural lighting...I think the lighting contrast on his face made for a neat picture!

Well, this post wasn't the most fun, but it let's me explore my hobby of photography!

some of the others...

2010-09-30T08:48:00.006-06:00

Here are some of the other pictures that Sarah @ Koerner Creations Photography did. I can't wait to see the rest of them!

welcome little one...

2010-09-28T21:34:00.006-06:00

This is our newest little one! We welcomed Kole Ellsworth Baker to the world on September 22nd, 2010 @ 6:11pm....on our wedding anniversary! What a great gift he is!

His older brother couldn't be any happier!

Today we took newborn photos. He is 6 days old already!

Welcome little Kole, we love you soooo much!

crazyness....

2010-09-17T12:01:00.005-06:00

Wow, what a crazy whirlwind the past couple of weeks have been! The first of September brought about the news of one of my best friends having her baby 3 months early. We pray each and every day for Jenny, Justin, and their sweet little Kaiden. He has been such a strong little guy, and we pray that each day he continues to have that "fight" in him!

Two days later my "pregnancy buddy" Kara had her adorable little boy Robert. We were only a few days apart with our pregnancy and she ended up going 2 weeks early, so now I almost feel alone in a way...she just reminds me that she has joined me on the "mommy league" which is so very true!

Here is the quilt that was made for Robert. He was a surprise and we were all thinking girl. I hope this quilt is boy enough for the little guy!

I am at a stand still on my waiting game for our little man. I could go anytime and I certainly feel that way. I am currently 3cm dilated and only 1 small cm away from being in "active labor"..BUT, my doctor is out of town this weekend so we are really hoping I can at least hold off until Sunday night. We will see. If all else fails I'm scheduled for an induction on Wednesday morning at 5am due to the fact that my doctor will be gone the 26th-Oct 2nd for an convention and I really hope to have him deliver.

Other than that I have been getting last minute things together, bags packed, and arrangements made. I worked on a quilt yesterday getting the main top finished with borders left to add. I bought the fabric last year on our quilt guild trip to Omaha and every time I open my sewing armoire it's screams my name. I figured any quilt work would help keep my mind off the waiting game!

thinking of others...

2010-08-15T21:43:00.006-06:00

That's how most of my quilts start off. I've been busy busy making for others. First off was a new batch of paci-clips to sell at the Little Red Hen.

Then a girly quilt for one of my best friends.

Then a table runner for part of a wedding gift.

A couple more baby quilts (I can not share yet)...

And a quilt for a friend (which I shipped before getting a picture of )

These were all made in one week. I am pretty proud that I have the energy to keep up with all of it too. This week my list consists of making an October birthday gift, working on a quilt, and re-binding a quilt that needs some love!

stuff to keep me busy...

2010-07-31T19:34:00.005-06:00

If I didn't have enough going on that is. I'm working on baby quilts and other little things for the many people I know that are expecting.

This one is for our little "Baby B" who is only 7 weeks from his expected due date. I've been measuring 3-4 weeks ahead for awhile now, so we will see what my next ultrasound in 2 weeks shows. Luckily I have all my baby clothes freshly washed and hung in the closet, diaper bag made and packed, and crib set up and ready for a new little one. I guess I am as prepared as I can be- but then again, are we ever really prepared? Baby is still first name nameless, but as my husband says, "it will be what it is supposed to be". Whatever that means. I left the decision up to him. The middle name is a family name from my side as was Maxton's. I feel it's only fair that I give a name from my family to pass on since these two guys will be passing on my husband's family name!

Other than sewing, quilting, and preparing, we have been keeping very busy this summer. It's hard to believe that we are already into August! This has been a very wet summer for us and if we could keep our basement dry it would be a miracle. We are very fortunate to have an unfinished basement that doesn't require much after water, but my parents and uncle hadn't been so lucky. My uncle had water so deep in his basement that it came 2 feet from the ceiling! My parents also had to remove everything from their basement, leaving a very crowded stressful upstairs main living for them. I just pray that it won't get as bad again as it has been...especially since all the remodeling is complete!

I guess that's about all that is "blog worthy" for now. I'm hoping I can get a few more in before things get a little more busy around here...we'll see...can't make promises!

early film school...

2010-06-14T18:44:00.002-06:00

Max and I decided to get creative playing some new little snakes he got from my mom and my camera. This has turned out to be a lot of fun and we plan to make more of these.

helping out...

2010-06-10T11:46:00.005-06:00

A dear friend of mine is getting married next weekend and in preparation of that we made her a card box. She had first rented a bird cage and then saw some examples of these hat boxes transformed into card boxes....so this is our attempt at that. Last night we laughed, created, and ate pizza, and what a fun night it was!

Last weekend we ventured to Sioux Falls for her bachlorette party. It was a blast...and as much of a blast that it could be with 4 expectant mothers. We all dressed in "little" black dresses and had dinner at Bracco. After dinner we went back to our rooms at the Hilton and played games, laughed, watched presents being open, and laughed.

Here is part of the gift I gave to the bachlorette. I tried to use her wedding colors as best as I could and couldn't help but to to glitz it up with some swovarski crystals.

Here's wishing the engaged couple the best of years to come. Can't wait to help them celebrate some more!!

diaper duty...

2010-06-01T19:19:00.003-06:00

It's time for me to get my rear in gear and make some essentials for our upcoming arrival. Here is the first thing I have made and it's more for me than the baby, but oh well!

I found a picture online of a bag I liked and then just drafted my own pattern. I think it will work!

We found out a couple weeks ago that we will be welcoming another boy and all of us are very excited. My pregnancy this time around has been a very enjoyable one. I'm sure when we are down to the last 4 weeks or so I will be ready to be done, but as of now I've had no swelling, no protein in my urine, and no high blood pressure so I can't complain. We have 15 weeks to go and I hope that I'm able to naturally go into labor with no complications!

mine all mine...

2010-04-27T07:57:00.007-06:00

I took a purse class last night at The Pin Cushion and am IN LOVE with the finished product!

It's called the Interchangeable2 bag (by Ellen Medlock) because the hardware actually screws on and off making it possible to make different bags to slide on and change up. What a clever idea! It's a dainty little bag, but it will be nice to carry something so small for a while before I'm trading it in for a large diaper bag!

You can choose two different styles/positions for the bag, I like the first one as it adds a little bulk to the bag. The second style is a more tailored look.

The other great thing about this bag is that once the handles are closed shut it locks the bag and none of the purse contents can spill out. I have plans to make some more bags to change out for the different seasons of the year...think Christmas, Easter, and so on. How fun is this?!?!

I chose fabric from Moda's Freebird collection by MoMo..just LOVE these color and design combos!!

a little something...

2010-04-19T14:29:00.004-06:00

Since The Pin Cushion keeps getting super cute fabric in, I just have to use it some project I have. Here is a table runner I made for my friend Shelly getting married in 2 months. I used Moda Freebird by MoMo.

I am taking a cute purse class next monday and I plan to throw some more Freebird in the mix!

side work...

2010-03-26T13:58:00.006-06:00

Since there is a plethora of things I like to do, I consign all the little extras at The Little Red Hen here in town. It doesn't make me rich and I don't depend on it as a second income, but it does give me reason to keep doing what I love. I'm sure my husband is always wondering what I will bring home next to work on, but it does keep me out of trouble ;).

I am a big button junkie, so these two necklaces were made in hopes that there are other button junkies out there!

My newest love is metal stamping. I have had some fun and have tried stamping on a lot of different metals. I made my friends washer pendants with their names on them for Christmas and have been busy looking for other things to stamp on!

I made some flower pins for a bachlorette party and had a few left over..I guess I will see if these sell.

Here are a few Paci-Clips I made. When Maxton was a baby he never left home without one clamped on his shirt. I pieced little scraps of fabric I had together to make the straps and I think they turned out nicely. I think this may be a staple in my baby gift giving!

a little room updating...

2010-03-09T08:48:00.005-06:00

I've been busy getting things squared away in Max's bedroom for his transition from crib to twin size bed! He is very excited and can't wait for his big boy (half) of the room. Since we do have a 2 bedroom house the newest addition to our family will be squeezing into Max's other half. I opted NOT to make Max's bedding as I have too many quilts on my list to do (that I HAVE to get done). He wanted a robot room, so this is the bedding that we decided on. I plan to make him some custom robot room accessories instead.

I took a break from the usual house chores today to make some covered button hair pins.
There really isn't anything too fancy about these, just fun to sit down and do some creating! Last week I made 4 Dear Jane blocks, so I'm slowly working on those too. I'm hoping to get 2 rows sewn together so I have some motivation...at the rate I was going I'd be lucky to complete the top in 5 years, so here's to working on that little project more!!

getting our hands dirty...

2010-02-23T18:25:00.006-06:00

I had a new idea today to do some painting on glass. I used an old frame I had and made this up as a practice run. It was fun to do and I have some more ideas on what other things I can make with this idea.

Upon finishing my afternoon project, I washed my paint brushes cleaned up my mess, and set the paint bottle as far out of reach as possible with intentions of putting it back in my craft cabinet (in Max's room) after he woke from his nap. Well guess what.....?!?!

Sneaky little guy found my paint before I could remember to put it away, and while I was making supper in the kitchen!!

We had just painted his bird house last friday, so he remembered how to get his hands all nice and covered for making a hand print. I'm just glad I found him before he could do any real damage!!

Times like these I remind myself why I have a camera, and how funny these pictures will look 15 years from now at graduation!

get with it...

2010-02-19T11:34:00.008-06:00

I know I really need to. I figured I better just post something since I am sick of seeing that I last posted Jan 27th!

It's been crazy time at our house. My husband had to have a kidney stone removed on monday and so it's been back and forth to Dr. offices and the hospital. Crazyness! Since we have been making all that time for him, I figured it was time to make the time for me. I had my first Dr. visit as a 2nd time expecting mom. I was torn as to choose between my family doctor (who delivered Max), or to go to an OB. I opted for the OB since I am high risk due to pre-eclampsia with my last pregnancy. I am so glad I chose my new doctor, I even found out that my family doctor is no longer doing OB. I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings! I had a great experience with this first visit and even had an ultrasound to see how things were going (something I didn't get last go round). Everything looks good, but I still pray everyday that things will continue to go well!!

I plan to work on some sewing projects today since it's been a while since I had any alone time with my sewing machine, so I say to myself, "GET WITH IT"...and that's what I plan to do!

having a ball...

2010-01-27T10:01:00.004-06:00

I decided to pull out my Seams to Me book and whip something up for my niece for her 2nd birthday. I decided on the patchwork ball. It was fun to do, but also taught me that I'm not the best with "Y" seams yet. I guess I will just have to keep going until I get it down!

Max really enjoyed the ball, so I'm sure I will be making him one too!!

I can really see how wonky this one is, but I guess you have to start somewhere!!

getting things squared away...

2010-01-18T21:13:00.006-06:00

I've been slowly trying to get myself back at pace with quilting. Seems like after the holidays I always have a hard time getting back to working on things for myself! I ordered some of Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane fabric and started working on a log cabin variation. I have a few blocks done and have been busy working on a quilt for a friend.

I also decided to quilt my spiderweb quilt! Now it's time for binding!!

like a glove...

2009-12-23T07:37:00.003-06:00

I'm sure I'm pretty safe to share this with you....I made these for a few people for Christmas. I call them "Curling Iron Cozies", but call them what you want. They are made with thermal batting, so when traveling you don't have to worry about placing a still warm iron into your luggage. I know I will be using mine quite often as it seems like we are out of town every weekend or so!

dear santa...

2009-12-16T23:11:00.006-06:00

Dear Santa,

I was thinking that since I didn't get anything in my stocking last year....not even a lump of coal, that maybe you would really like to make this girls Christmas morning even more merrier by filling it with this fat quarter bundle....

or this fat quarter bundle...

I see your little elves at The Fat Quarter Shop are going to help you make some other girl quilters (who are in the same boat as me) out, so this is my attempt at that wonderful opportunity!

I know you are busy Santa, but I've been such a good girl the past 2 years!! I've changed diapers, babied my 2 year old, babied my husband, and have set my quilting aside to do the normal house work when I'd rather not!!

Love,

Becki

P.S. If you want your chance at something from Santa, go here!

P.S.S. You know Santa, if you don't fulfil my wish this year, you know I am probably just going to get this gift for myself......I hope that doesn't ruin my chances!!

I'm a winner...

2009-12-16T10:53:00.002-06:00

YAY! I'm so excited! Paula Prass had a giveaway, and I won! Lucky me!!

Thank you Paula!

something new...

2009-12-15T20:38:00.004-06:00

I've still been busy making gifts. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel though, I'm very excited for Christmas this year! This is what I got for Christmas. I wanted a small machine to take to classes and when I travel to my in-laws. I just cringe at the thought of my Pfaff riding in the back of the pick-up bouncing around with who knows what. This little guy is 3/4 the size of a regular machine and much more compact to travel with.

Tonight Max and I made a pillow and I couldn't believe how nice this thing sews! I LOVE it!

Here's Max laying on the owl pillow we made. He sat on my lap and helped me guide the fabric, then he helped me stuff it. What fun we had! I'm sure in no time he will be running the "pedal" for me!

this little elf is busy...

2009-12-08T09:08:00.003-06:00

I took the pledge to make more of my Christmas gifts this year, and that's what I've been doing. Sorry I can't show any pictures, but there will be plenty after the end of the month! God has blessed me with so much, and I decided that I will use those gifts he has given me and share them with the ones I love!
This is a picture of a few gifts I made last year...

it's been a while...

2009-11-09T20:49:00.003-06:00

...since I actually quilted on my machine. Most of my quilting is done on a Pfaff Grand Quilter, so it took some adjusting to regular machine quilting. I have a busy week coming up, so I hope to get some more time behind my machine.

As I type this, I hear some Christmas commercials on the tv in the background. I know this might be a bad thing to say, but I'm hoping for some snowy days this season. I have too many projects I need to work on, and I think the only way I will get any of them done is if we get some cold snowy days that require me to stay home!

digital fun!

2009-11-03T11:41:00.005-06:00

I've been having fun with photoshop! I made one of these for my sister...

Now it's my turn....

I've been thinking about maybe custom selling these...we'll see. I have a bridal shower coming up and I made one for the bride. I found a very pretty frame and easel and voila!

t-shirt fun...

2009-11-02T08:57:00.005-06:00

My good friends from Iowa made a visit a few weeks ago. Since their two children have birthdays very close together I decided to make them a fun shirt. I've been having a blast making fabric flowers, so I made a smaller version and added it to Alexa's shirt that I glitz'd with my crystal wand and embroidered her name on.

I've made Max a couple of these tie shirts, so that's what Dylan was getting. I think they make a cute statement for a "little man"!

my most perfect creation...

2009-10-26T23:00:00.010-06:00

Two years ago today my life forever changed!

Happy Birthday my sweet Maxton!

I loved you from the first moment I found out I was going to have you

...and my love continues to grow stronger each and every day!

You never cease to amaze me....

and I hope you never do!

something fun...

2009-10-21T08:30:00.005-06:00

If you are a fan of hand embroidery as I am, then you have to check out The Painted Quilt. Each first friday of the month she is doing a free embroidery pattern, and they are super cute. I can't wait to start Halloween Hauntings!

You will find her free patterns on the right hand side bar!

show and tell...

2009-10-20T19:01:00.004-06:00

I found a couple fabulous tutorials on some blogs and had stashed them away in my "to do vault". I decided to do these for my sister-in-law for her birthday. Here is a very easy fabric flower that I made into a pin. You can find this tutorial here.

Here are some silhouettes of my nieces and nephew. I found this tutorial on Jessica's blog. You should check it out, she has lots of cool stuff!!!

finally....

2009-10-17T12:58:00.007-06:00

Well I finally got the last piece to my armoire! I put it together yesterday after 5 whopping hours...I was tired to say the least. I hope this helps me finish lots of W.I.P.'s! I plan to put all my current project fabrics on the shelves so they can all stare me in the face each time I open the doors, or sit down to sew!!

this and that...

2009-10-08T09:47:00.019-06:00

I wish I could have blogged about all the wonderful things I have been getting done in my new workspace, but that's not going to happen. After picking up my armoire packages from Menards we found that one side of the unit was all cracked and damaged, so it may be 2 more weeks before I get my new piece....such a bummer! I am so eager to jump back on the quilting wagon!!

Last weekend Max and I took a trip with my aunt, grandma, and grandpa. We went to New Ulm, MN for Oktoberfest. It was a ton of fun and such great memories were made there! Here are some pictures from that trip...

sadly, i've lost it...

2009-09-29T14:20:00.017-06:00

...my motivation, it's gone! I hope that it returns soon and I have good reason to hope that...my sweet husband got me this for my birthday, and it arrives tomorrow! I've waited a whole month, but luckily we saved $200 on shipping by special ordering it through Menards. It's sure worth the wait!!

Let's see, while I've been away so much has been going on.....

My beautiful little sister got married to her guy of 7 years.....

I was busy with designing the invitations, making the programs, throwing showers, being the Matron-of-Honor, taking engagement pictures, wedding pictures, and even the cake! Uftah!

I made my friend a couple quilts for her new baby twins...

Heather Mulder Peterson's trunk show is down at The Pin Cushion and I HAD to take some pictures of her pretties! She is so awesome!!

....and I guess I have just been busy chasing this guy around!

canning time...

2009-08-07T08:52:00.009-06:00

I did a little canning on monday..actually, it took about 5 hours in the kitchen. Green Beans came courtesy of my mother-in-law and her enormous garden. Since I LOVE dilly beans, that's what I set out to make!

My box of prize beans...Snapped and ready for a good washing
Ready to come out of the canner

They turned out super yummy and I learned something new and fun to do!

Not trying to freak anyone out, but I got a new zoom lens for my camera and was lucky enough to find this little guy dangling from my in-laws warming shed. I was sure to stay as far from it as I could, so my new lens really came in handy! I just love playing with my camera!!

make a bag monday...

2009-07-27T22:00:00.003-06:00

I made a bag!! It was easy and fun!

Anatomy of a Sewing Machine...

2009-07-08T11:29:00.004-06:00

I thought I would share this! It's pretty cool to know exactly how the sewing machine works!!

summer fun...

2009-07-07T08:27:00.007-06:00

I've seemed to keep myself busy for the past month. I need my motivation back to work on some quilts, but I've been exhausted! I took on the task of watching my cousin's 3 month old about 3 times a week, and have found how tiring it is watching 2 little ones!

Last month Maxton and I took a 6 1/2 hour drive to Cedar Rapids, IA to visit my good friends Misty and Greg. We had so much fun! I'm glad we got the chance to go and spend time with them. Maxton loved playing with Alexa and Dylan and every time he sees a picture of them he just giggles! Thanks guys for making our trip a special one!!

Last weekend we went camping with all of my father's siblings to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday. We took grandma for a margarita one night at the resort and had a blast. My grandmother for surely is a 21 year old trapped in an older body!! Unfortunately my SD card was acting up and I didn't get any pictures :(

My little sister is getting married in 2 months and my little boy is the ring bearer...he looked so cute when I tried on his tux! He will even be wearing the cutie pie little skull and cross bone shoes!!

sweet simplicity...

2009-06-15T13:11:00.009-06:00

I made a super simple quilt for my niece for her 8th birthday. We celebrated this past weekend and so I am now able to share this.

I'm never good at naming my quilts, so since her middle name is Lane this one worked great!

to Omaha and back...

2009-06-09T07:20:00.008-06:00

I've returned from my Quilt Show bus trip to Omaha, and it was a blast! The months of planning paid off and it sounded like everyone had a great time! The quilt stores along the way were all wonderful and I picked up some great things. I thought I would share my goodies with you all!

I had never worked with paper piecing until starting my Dear Jane quilt, where that paper piecing is a necessity. I have found that paper piecing is fun (you either like it or you hate it). I found this cutsie little paper piecing kit of a watermelon and a pear. They are simple and small and way to cute to pass up.

I found my panel I had been looking for. I had purchased the set of fat quarters a while back and when I saw this panel all by it's lonesome I had to get it. It is a Free Spirit Fabric by Tina Givens called Fairy Tip Toes

Just some of this and that. I just liked these and that was good enough reason to buy them!

I fell in love with this Halloween grouping. Since Max is a Oct 27th baby, this will go to him one day! Until then it will look fabulous on my couch during the month of October! It is a Sheri Berry Designs Trick or Treat Street for Lynd Hurst Studio

Found my Wonderland by Momo! LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!

Discovered this Moda Nest by Tula Pink...couldn't leave Nebraska without it!!

I had to throw in this picture of a Dear Jane quilt at the Omaha Quilt Show. It is the first that I have seen in person and it was VERY inspirational. This one was started in 2003. I'm ready to get back in the groove with mine!!

bags of fun...

2009-05-29T13:07:00.007-06:00

I am getting ready for a bus trip to Omaha for their quilt show and I am soooo excited! I'm ready to get re-inspired with my quilting. I made a bag to take along so I can fill it with some goodies...AND ideas!! It was a fun bag to make and it was even more fun using these grommets!

I made this bag for a friend. She is pregnant with twins and has had some medical problems along the way. She is not due until September, so she still has a ways to go. I filled it with word searches, puzzles, and stuff to keep her busy...or at least occupied for a while.

my little trip...

2009-05-26T05:22:00.009-06:00

(Daddy and Maxton in Deadwood)

My little family, plus my parents, grandparents, and aunt took a trip out the the Black Hills to visit my brother this weekend. We did the various tourist stops and had a great time. Since I lived out in the hills for 3 1/2 years I had taken many of the stops many times, but one thing I finally did get to go to was the Crazy Horse Monument. It was a pretty fun trip, just wish the fog wasn't so heavy. I never did get to see the actual mountain sculpture from the look out spot, but I didn't get too down as I have seen Crazy Horse many times from the road. I was just happy to hear the storys of history surrounding it!

(Maxton the Newsie)

(Maxton kissing his Donkey- "eeee aaah")

We had a good time in Deadwood, stopping at a casino my sister-in-law had done design work on. I was happy to see the penny slots as we entered (i am not a gambler and rarely stick my money into any machine), but I thought I could part with a penny. The machines did not take pennies, but would take a quarter for credit...I inserted a dollar as I was fresh out of quarters. Did not know what button to push, so I hit the maximum bet button and "pulled"...sure enough out fell 123 dollar chips.....my LUCKY day! I quickly cashed those in and called that a day!!!

(Daddy and Maxton feeding trout at the Fish Hatchery in Spearfish)

(Maxton and Daddy at Dinosaur Park)

All in all we had a great weekend and it was nice to spend it with my family!!

try this one on for size...

2009-05-08T13:54:00.005-06:00

My cousin's little guy turned 2 last week, so I made him a little backpack. I used Max as a model so I could get the size right. I think this will work. Not so sure what Keean thought of it, but I know his mother liked it!

Wishing all you mom a very happy Mother's Day!!

hoping to get this totally finished before we leave for Easter...

2009-04-08T14:40:00.005-06:00

...and am thinking I will have the top done by tonight so I can quilt it tomorrow.
Thanks to AmandaJean for this pattern! I love it! I am making this one for my nephew and will probably make another like it for my stash.

from this to that...

2009-04-06T10:07:00.003-06:00

I've been working on a bunch of different things lately. I did a demonstration in quilt guild on saturday and my program was the infamous Spiderweb quilt. I think it got some excited, so I guess I will see what they come up with!

Other than that we've been busy getting things ready for Easter, a Tastefully Simple party, a trip to the Black Hills, and a camping trip to Snake Creek. I'm excited to also throw a trip to Cedar Rapids, IA in there...just nervous about driving all the way with a 1 year old!

i'm here...

2009-03-26T10:51:00.004-06:00

Sorry I've been gone for awhile. The effects of the struggling economy hit close to home as my father was laid off from his job after 25 years of service. He is doing well (probably took it better than the rest of us) and is planning on going full time with his sewing machine repair service. I wish him the best of luck and am glad that he will be able to spend his last working years as his "own boss"!

My featured tool for today is my ipod karaoke system. It's by Griffin, and I LOVE it. I had read some not so great reviews, but found it on Amazon.com for a whopping 9.99 so I had to go for it. I love to sing in the privacy of my own home, and this allows me that freedom!!

Click here for a video about one of my favorite tools!

march, the month of birthdays...

2009-03-12T13:00:00.004-06:00

Since there are a lot of birthdays in the month of may in my family, I am always working on some sort of gift. I made this wall hanging for my mother-in-law, as well as a sweet treat bag. I forgot to take a picture of the bag I made before I wrapped it, so check out my sister's. I did mine in the same fabric. The pattern is super cool and you can whip up a bag in minutes!

Since my MIL's beauty shop is attached to their house, I figured she needed something just for her shop...voila, an instant business sign!!

more...

2009-03-11T12:47:00.009-06:00

If I can make at least 19 blocks a month, I will have my Dear Jane quilt "top" done in one year...I'm thinking I am going to try my best at it. Flipping through the book I find quite a few challenging, I will take advantage of group night when dealing with those blocks!! Here are a few I made yesterday and a couple I did this morning.

well on my way...

2009-03-10T08:39:00.009-06:00

Last night was Dear Jane group at The Pin Cushion and this is what I did:

I am trying to keep my blocks as organized as I can. I color copied each block on paper with the block name, number, and date made. It will be nice to have all the information in a binder once the quilt is completed!

B-4 was paper pieced. This was my first experience with paper piecing. I can't quite say I love the technique, but it sure did come out as perfect as it could. I will have to try more to see if I change my mind.

As you can see I have chose a wild combination of fabrics. Most of the ladies in the group are either doing 30's reproductions or civil war prints, so I'm hoping to bring some contrast to the group.

And I leave you with 2 pictures of Maxton. One is him sporting a "tie" shirt I made him. I think he looks adorable in it...I think I will make a few more of these! The other picture is him sitting in a toy basket. Yesterday he sat in his strawberry toy box for an hour and a half..today we are going on 45 minutes with the basket...he just digs through it and plays away. I think he is doing very well as an only child!!!! Hopefully he can keep that up for another year or so!!!

taking it to the next level...

2009-03-08T14:08:00.006-06:00

I have decided to step up my quilting a bit and try a "challenge". Enter Dear Jane Quilt....

This quilt was made by Jane Stickle during the American Civil War. She signed her quilt "In War Time 1863." Jane created a masterpiece consisting of 169 4.5" (approx.) square blocks surrounded by fifty-two 8"x5" triangles and four corner triangles. She pieced and appliquéd her blocks giving a variety for the viewer to behold.

I am going to be using a variety of different fabrics. Most people will use the civil war prints, but I am going to use bright colors to add variety.

I am starting my journey not knowing how long it will actually take to complete, but am very much looking forward to learning a lot along the way!!

i count this as a tool...

2009-03-05T09:31:00.005-06:00

Not sure if most of you would consider this a tool, but being a mother that has dealt with diaper rash, I consider this a GREAT tool!

Since Maxton has been teething again he gets those nasty little rashes that are hard to clear up. This is a miracle cream!!

I purchased this from Tractor Supply Company. I know it says it's for animals, but it works a wonder on those little tushes too!!

another tool...

2009-03-03T14:50:00.009-06:00

My next tool to share is my Quilt Design Wizard. I purchased the program for a steal of $20. I like to use this when changing a block around by either rotating or by using different fabric combos. I'm a very visual person and sometimes before I start chopping into fabric I do a little playing around. I rarely use the patterns that you can print out, but it gives me a good idea on what about to get into. The program comes with preloaded blocks, fabric, and an array or ideas. Each month you can download a project (for free) that comes with new fabric choices and new blocks.

Look, Heather Bailey's fabric ended up in a monthly project!!

Here is a little quilt I designed. I am going to use this very soon!!

The possibilities are endless with this program! It is so fun that it reminds me of coloring!!

March of the tools...

2009-03-03T12:53:00.004-06:00

Heather Bailey started her March of the Tools again this year, and guess who is on her list of participants!?! How fun this will be. I will try to put a tool on everyday....I promise!!!

My favorite tool for today is the Bi-Level foot I have for my sewing machine! My machine is named "Mr. Pfaffy Pfaff"...(real original, I know). I have a Pfaff 2027... I love my machine as I received it the Christmas I got engaged. The funny thing about that is I never cried when my husband presented me with my ring, but the tears were flowing when I opened up my machine...It wasn't like my machine was more important than getting engaged, but I knew a ring was coming..but not so sure about a new machine.

So now on to the tool: Here she is----

You might wonder what this foot does-- well, she can't bake a pie....but, she takes the handstitching out of quilt binding. It lines up your binding in such a way that you can completely bind your quilt by machine without having to dig out your thimble (and it looks fabulous too)! I'm still getting used to it, but it's nice to speed up the final step of quilt assembly.

Unfortunetly I have given away all the quilts I've used my foot on, but I will make sure and point out in future posts what this looks like!

If you are interested in where you can find this little "helper" check with my favorite quilt store The Pin Cushion or your nearest Pfaff Dealer.

on a roll...

2009-02-26T09:06:00.006-06:00

I've been very goal oriented lately and have finished another quilt. I do better if I set goals before I start a quilt. I find I actually will stick to it. Here is a quilt for my 12 year old niece Mindy. Since all my nieces and nephew are in one family, I can't just make for one and not all of them. They welcomed 2 babies in 2008..not twins, just one born in January and one born in November. Those little cuties got quilts, so now I need to be fair and make the 3 others a quilt. Mindy's Birthday came first and she got an I.O.U in a card....so here it is.

I somewhat took the simple path and used pre-cut Layer Cakes. They are fun to work with and I can get every piece of fabric in the collection without having to search everywhere for it. I simply place RST and draw a diagonal line from corner to corner, then sew 1/4" on each side of the line so I don't get that dreaded bias stretch. Next I cut down the center line and arrange my blocks and voila...instant quilt.

I have a baby shower to go to next weekend, so I plan on making a little quilt from a panel like this. I think it would be super sweet for a little girl!

sew what did you do today?

2009-02-18T10:03:00.008-06:00

......I quilted another quilt. I've been on a kick lately and figured I better just go with the flow.

I decided to branch out and tried a stars and loops pattern. Still needs a little work, but was very fun!
Seems like every time I lay a quilt out for a picture, Max gets into gymnastics mode...here he is attempting a somersault. What a goof!

think spring...

2009-02-16T12:42:00.005-06:00

Even though we are now supposed to get snow in the upcoming week, my mind has switched to spring mode. I did a bunch of cleaning around the house and now things are squeaky clean...we will see how long that lasts after Max's nap!!

I finished my girlie quilt yesterday. I am planning on using the same pattern (different fabric) for my nieces quilt. I love using Layer Cakes! It's nice having things already cut out and ready!!

I added cornerstones since I decided to try a different layout for the quilt and just got by with enough fabric for the borders!

I am now in the process of finishing my husbands Pheasant Quilt Throw and am starting to cut into my Good Folks Fats...I'm thinking Turning Twenty on that one.

Here's wishing you all fast approaching Spring weather!!

sew little time..

2009-02-13T09:19:00.018-06:00

....to do all the things I want to! I guess that's usually how it goes though. We just need to MAKE TIME! I knew I wanted this fabric when I first saw it. So now I will be looking for the perfect quilt pattern. All of these lovelies are on their way to me, I just can't wait!!!

I have an idea for the retro space ships. I just thought this was too cute!

Some stripes that were fun! And who can't resist dots!

I've been taking a Contemporary Heirloom class to get more acquainted with my sewing machine. I have learned a lot and had a great time. I have 2 blocks to get caught up on yet, but I'm so excited to start on the quilt. We are learning piping next month and how we will be setting our blocks. I am going to use browns to complete the quilt.

These are the browns I plan on using. The polka dots are jacquard and I will be using them as backgrounds and the steamy fabric will be used on my piping.
I'm making a little owl blanket for my friend's new little baby. I just need to finish the quilting on it then add the binding.

I picked up these Moda Layer cakes in Urban Chicks Sweet.

Here is a sneak peak at my spiderweb quilt. It is so much fun and a great way to use up any small scraps!

That's all for now, I think I am going to go and MAKE SOME TIME!

cozy little improvements

2009-02-02T20:05:00.005-06:00

Didn't get much quilting done this week. Busy with home improvements. New carpet, new layout, new floors, new cupboards...I was very productive in other ways.

spring ahead...

2009-01-27T17:31:00.005-06:00

It's time to start thinking about Spring...I am at least. I started and finished this wall hanging today. Wasn't the most challenging. I used Moda Turn Overs in Mary Engelbreit and pieced them together, then sashed the panel with them. I love the colors and how they instantly made me feel more cheerful!

What I didn't like was my how Mr. Pfaffy Pfaff treated me (broke 4 needles). I decided that my sewing machine must be a man because when he is sweet, he melts my heart....but when he gets a hitch in his step, nothing goes right. Doesn't sound anything like how a woman would act, right!?! ;) Anyhow, he had a little tension problem and after I calmed his nerves he started acting sweet again!! I think I'm in love!!

trying something new...

2009-01-05T14:53:00.009-06:00

So I decided to pull out the crochet hook and try making a hat. I've never made one, but thought I would just mess around. This is what I ended up with.

One thing I have learned is Maxton isn't the best model anymore. He rarely likes to stay in one place!

The other thing we learned is that if the "King" doesn't want to do something, the "King" doesn't do it!

This is one of those times!!

And he's going.....

going....

And gone!!

Elmo really wasn't much for modeling today either!!

what i love...

2009-01-02T12:48:00.009-06:00

I LOVE homemade!! Here are some of the awesome homemade things we received in our house!

A new ornament for the tree

A crafty lighted wine bottle for the kitchen

New hat and mittens for Maxton

Handbag for on the go

Knitted scarf all of my own

A pillow to rest on the couch

A gift is always that much more special when it is handmade. I plan on trying to do all handmade gifts this year if possible. I think they speak for themselves when it comes to telling someone how special they are to you! Happy New Year to you all!!

silent night...

2008-12-24T11:38:00.003-06:00

Wishing you all a very...

Luke 1:14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth

and a little of that...

2008-12-16T09:58:00.003-06:00

Here are some of my finished embroidery work. I think I am off to tackle the pretty little maids. I think I might try to finish another gift using those!!

In other news, tomorrow I get my braces on. I'm not looking forward to having to trudge through the next 30 months with them, but I do look forward to the rewards! It's also nice to know that there are so many adults with braces nowadays...so here's to having a reason to stay away from gooey fudge, caramels, and sweets in general this holiday season, may my smile and waistline benefit!!

a little of this...

2008-12-09T10:31:00.006-06:00

I've been on this embroidery kick lately. It's nice to settle in on the couch with a christmas movie playing and just stitch the night away. I picked up this cute little pattern from Jenny B. Harris at AllSorts, so it's been a lot of fun working on a holiday stitchery!

I also purchased a set of her pretty maids all in a row. I just couldn't resist. I have a couple girly quilts to make and I think this just might work for one of them. I'm very excited to get started on this, but I'm thinking after all my christmas projects!

life in the fast lane...

2008-11-20T09:44:00.011-06:00

Seems like I had almost given up all hope on the blogging world. My life has been super hectic the past few months! With the new business, a baby, cleaning house, maintaining the quilt store's website, and quilting for people. I just zonk out at night! Here is a little of what I have been up to. I'm trying to get some Christmas gifts done now, so I won't be sharing everything.

Since my camera is almost always attached to my neck, I decided to make me a prettier strap. I used Heather Bailey's new fabric line and stitched this up.

I made this flannel blanket for Maxton. I used the minkie fur on the back. He loves his new blankie...he will lay his head on it and feel the softness.

I used this Santa panel and quilted it for a wall hanging. My goal this year was to make more seasonal quilted projects, so this was just one of my many projects planned.

My new niece was born on Nov 18th. We were not so certain on the gender while I was making this, so I figured this quilt would suit either. I used Baby Genius 2 and added borders. I used minkie on the back since I can't resist the softness. Now little Mattie Rae will have a cozy comfy quilt all to herself. I now have 4 nieces (2 of which (from the same mother) were born in 2008) and 1 nephew: Mindy 11, Austin 9, Macie 7, Ava 10 months, Mattie 2 days

I made this Christmas quilt for my couch. I bought all the top fabric at the Minnesota Quilt Show in Rochester for a total of $12! I did the quilt in one afternoon and quilted one afternoon. This was my first time quilting with loops.

I had always wanted to hang some ice skates as decoration, so I found a couple old pairs and jazzed them up a bit. I cleaned them, painted red polka dots, black antiqued them, glued some fur on the ankles for cuffs, then laced them with some funky fur cording I bought at Walmart. I plan to keep a pair for myself and sell the other pair at The Little Red Hen.

Hopefully I can set a time to regularly blog now.

Holy Wows Batman...

2008-08-25T11:20:00.011-06:00

I can't even remember where I had left off....It's been a crazy crazy couple of months in our house. While I have been busy with business work (learning, learning, learning), raising our now 10 month old baby, playing house wife, I have found the time to finish 2 quilts, and am still stairing at a box all packaged up and yet needing to make it's way down to the post office. I promise it will get there!!! I have been making consignment items for my favorite local store The Little Red Hen, which has been a lot of fun. There is always something new to try out. Here is what's on my list of to do's:

1) 2 baby quilts (one blue, one pink)--as we do not know the newest niece or nephews gender yet.
2) 2 Christmas Quilts
3) 30's box quilt
4) The Very Hungry Catapillar quilt
5) Baby blanket for Parker, my friend Christina's baby to be
6) Stitchery wall hanging for my aunt.

I know the list isn't that big, but with as crazy as it has been here....it just seems overwhelming to me!!!!!!!

Well, here's a couple of my accomplishments this past month.

missing in action...

2008-06-12T15:54:00.005-06:00

It has been one crazy week... and so was last week! My husband has ventured off to start his own business and I've been behind the scenes doing a lot of work for that. I think this is going to be an adventure, but as long as we put as much work into things as we can, we will be alright!

I decided to make a pair of shoes for Maxton from a pattern I had filed away since he was born. I think they turned out cute, but I will have to make some more for him and maybe make them a little larger as he has chubby feet! I've been searching for a perfect pair of shoes for the summer that he can wear without socks...these might just be what i've been looking for! Since they were so simple and fun I decided to make a pair for my niece Ava too..it's fun making little girl stuff for once!

I'm also in the works of finishing up a prize and a quilt for my mother-in-law....I can tell this is going to be one crazy summer!!

and the winner is...

2008-05-22T08:28:00.002-06:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2008-05-22 14:27:46 UTC

Roxane....congratulations! I guess the chances are a little better when there are only 2 comments! I will put your prize in the mail when I get back from my holiday trip!

fix'r up...and 100th post...

2008-05-20T08:07:00.008-06:00

I've been blogging for a couple years now and have finally hit my 100th post...pretty pathetic, but it just means I need to be doing this more regularly. Hopefully I can hit number 200 in less than 2 years!! For this post leave a comment with some object that is your favorite (like an animal or a fruit, or buttons) and a random person will win something fun!

I did a fixer up yesterday. I love it when my husband will help out with some household chore, but I hate it when I find out that he didn't empty his pockets and an ink pen gets left in a load of clothes!!! This happened last spring and to one of my favorite pairs of pants.So I took this pair of pants and cropped them down to capri's and added a little embroidery floss..

and voila! Just like new again for me. I wanted tone on tone, so this this the best I could do.
Now hopefully the ink pen episode will not happen again!!

an after without the before...

2008-05-19T06:08:00.005-06:00

I scored a must have at a garage sale last week and only paid $5.00 for it. As you can imagine it had the most awful upholstery..think some 80's style tapestry. After I removed that it had some faded shambled pink velvet upholstery on it. I picked up some home dec fabric and quickly recovered it. I love my cheap find!!I wish I would have taken a before, but it was one of those projects where you just wanted to hurry up and make it look better!!I bought Maxton a little table set from Ikea back in March and finally got outside to give it a couple coats of paint. I figured he would enjoy a little table to color or play at, then someday maybe if we have a little girl it would be perfect for tea parties! I decided to paint it white to match the crib, and I still plan on making some cute little cushions for the chairs. I've sat Maxton up to his table and all I get is an ear to ear smile. It's too cute! In other news, I'm surprised that he has been in such a great mood. My little man has 3 new teeth! I always heard that once they get one the rest are soon to follow...well, that's true. The 3 all came this last week!

pillow post...

2008-05-15T10:39:00.007-06:00

I've been doing a lot of hand embroidery lately. It's something very relaxing for me. I had started a bunch of Hello Kitty blocks about a year ago and only finished 2 of them. I decided to stitch up a pillow for my sister, since she is a HK freak! My mom made a quilt for her, so I decided not to do all the blocks for a quilt.
This one is reversable...i personally like the lavender one since purple is one of my favorite colors.
I made this "party pillow" for my cousin's wife who turns 25 tomorrow. I got Sublime Stitching
around Christmas time and have enjoyed the fun funky designs in it. You can also visit her site and blog.
I love some of the patterns on her site, especially the craftopia one!!

weekend recap...

2008-05-13T08:46:00.007-06:00

My very first mother's day was a wonderful one! Maxton popped his first tooth, so that was a gift in itself. It's so much fun seeing the changes in my little boy everyday. I never know what to expect from day to day. We visited family in Fairfax, SD and were even able to get out and visit the cows. Since it was a dreary day for the most part on friday and saturday, I didn't get my camera out for that. I did however snap a few pictures of Maxton and Aunt Amanda with Moony on sunday.Before we headed out of town on friday Maxton enjoyed watching his favorite dvd, They Might Be Giants. I swear, I put that in and his eyes are glued to the screen!
I have forgotten to post my bento box quilt. I still need to get it on the frame and quilted, but hopefully I will do that this week. Here it is:And here's my newest addiction: 3D bow tie blocks! They are super fun and easy. I'm using some of the fabrics from Amy Bulter's Midwest Modern collection. I used 3" squares for mine. For this, you need 3 patterned 3" squares and 2 muslin or plain 3" squares. Try it!here is a link to the tutorial...enjoy!!

to flash, or not to flash, that is the question...

2008-05-07T16:31:00.003-06:00

Not not anything close to a photographer, but my goal for the year is to become more acquainted with my camera. I would like to learn a lot more about lighting and of course the dreaded f-stop! I purchased 3 yards of canvas at the fabric store since I got a deal of 40% off on it. For my white backgrounds I've just been using a sheet, so this is definitely a step up from that. Sorry that Maxton has been in so many of my posts, but he's really all I have to work with when it comes to taking portraits. I edit my pics in photoshop and my main thing to do right now is collages. They are super fun and usually are nicer to look at then just single photos.I order my pictures from mpix.com, and I love them! It only takes about 2 days to get your orders and you can order die-cut wallets and everything. My biggest addiction right now is the metallic paper!! Check them out!

Happy 6 Months Maxton...

2008-04-29T20:43:00.008-06:00

It's hard to believe my baby boy has already turned 6months! Where has half the year gone? My once so tiny baby is now 18 lbs 10 oz and 27 3/4 inches. That puts him in the 75th and 80th percentile. He is doing extremely well and the doctor even thinks that he is above average when it comes to supporting his weight. I'm sure if he had any more balance he would take off walking! He's a very strong boy. We were told to start giving him a cup, so he can get used to it and it would make getting off the bottle a whole lot easier. He loves to drink water from our cups and has mastered the holding of his own sippy cup. He never ceases to amaze me!

On Sunday, Maxton will be baptized at church. Seems like the past couple of months we have been waiting for a weekend that would mesh well for everyone to be able to attend. We are very excited for this ceremony. He was going to wear his cousin's baptism outfit, but turns out that the "6 month" apparel was a little too small for my tall guy. My mom whipped up a very cute outfit for him and hopefully he can wear it to church a couple more times afterwards.I may have another post to make this afternoon. I have half a block to make on the bento quilt and then the top is finished....stay tuned!

this then that....

2008-04-14T21:13:00.003-06:00

I got this one done!!

off in a dash...

2008-04-12T10:47:00.005-06:00

So I finished this...

Now I'm off to get some border fabric and will hopefully be back to work on something like this ...

Using these... Happy Weekend!!

the aftermath...

2008-04-11T09:29:00.007-06:00

I guess they declared that we are in a spring blizzard. I've seen worse, and it really isn't cold out, but the snow has been blowing to white out conditions. Lucky kids these days, we never got days off for something like this!!
I finished the middle section of the quilt I started yesterday. I like borders on my quilts, so I will have to hit the quilt store to find some fabric for that. On a sad note, I cut my pinkie finger with my rotary cutter. My rotary cutter has a one of those levers that you pull when you use it, so when you let go, it closes. Well after I cut a block I was turning it around and my hand slid into the blade and caught it just right. I don't think it is really as bad as it could have been, but boy did it bleed. After 5 band aids and finally some super glue I got it to stop. Now I know what they mean when they say that those rotary cutters have been known to kill people!!

On today's agenda I plan to start another quilt using some more of my charm packs. I just love those things!!

sewing the day away...

2008-04-10T13:03:00.009-06:00

So while it's doing this outside...

I'm doing this...I'm using some of my charm packs from this post, and just slicing my 9 patches apart. My aunt and friend gave a fun lesson last Saturday at quilt guild on this and it's very tempting and fun! It's from this pattern from Eleanor Burns. Try it, you will be hooked too!

belated friday favorite...

2008-03-31T10:09:00.004-06:00

Since we were out of town this past week I missed out on the chance to add a friday favorite. My SIL recommended a fun cd/dvd for Max. We quickly snatched up They Might Be Giants 123's at Toys R Us. Max has enjoyed it so far. He starts kicking like crazy when I play it. The dvd has been very fun too. Max actually has 2 favorites from it..here they are:

a finished jacket....

2008-03-20T18:05:00.003-06:00

Well, I got my jacket all done and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I haven't tried it on yet, but I'm crossing my fingers that it will look alright. I ended up using the Mary Engelbreit charms pack and really liked the look of it. I think it will make a nice jacket for Easter at least. I'm not much of a seamstress, so I'm glad this one used a sweatshirt as a base. I just made my patchwork..then used the seam ripped sweatshirt as a pattern.
I think in the future I will probably stick to making children's jackets!!

addicted to charms...

2008-03-20T11:53:00.001-06:00

I must admit that I have an addiction to charm packs! In the past month I've purchased 7 of them!! I like them for 3 reasons. #1 they are already cut. I HATE HATE HATE cutting fabric. #2 there is such a hip funky variety of them. These are not your grandmother's fabrics. #3 you can have the entire collection of fabrics for a fraction of the price, even if it is just a square piece. I already have plans for the Mix & Mingle group. I'm not sure what I will use the Mary Engelbreit charms for yet, but sometimes it's fun to just have those types of things in your stash!
My sister has been an embroidery fool. She made a Star Wars gift for my brother and then decided to make our little wookie a bib. It's so cute, but I don't want to use it and get all dirty now. I guess we will just use it to ward off that nasty drool that has been falling from Maxton's mouth lately. Can we say "teething"...oh, what a pain!!And I just had to add this beautiful quilt that my mom has made for the quilt store. I love the Pop Parade collection and hope that someday Mom will pass this down to me (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)! I've been the person behind the scenes of their website and just wanted to add that they have kits all made up for this beauty!
That's about all I have for today. I'm working on making a quilted jacket with a sweatshirt base, so hopefully I will have that to share sooner than later.

easter time...

2008-03-19T11:31:00.002-06:00

wishing you all a very happy easter!!

a favorite for Friday...

2008-03-14T12:58:00.006-06:00

Since Roxanne has started showing off her favorites on fridays, I thought I would join in on the fun. I thought of this favorite yesterday as my mom and I did a little shopping. We decided to take a stroll down the toy isle at Wal-Mart and that's when I saw something I just had to get Maxton. Of course it was something that I had as a child, but just a new version...it was a GLOWORM! I used to love my gloworm, and though it didn't play music I still loved him!

My Gloworm
Maxton's Gloworm

When I think back to my childhood my favorite toy had to have been my My Friend Becky doll. I think I received her in 1984. I still have her to this day and am glad I kept her in my possession. My mom made all sorts of fun clothes for her and though I can't say I still have all of them I know that I have a vast majority of them. So on this friday, here's to Becky!!

fun stuff...

2008-03-10T17:36:00.003-06:00

I've been pretty busy lately with being sick and taking out of town trips. I just got back from St. Paul/Minneapolis and had an enjoyable time, but it was my first trip away from Maxton, so it was a little bitter sweet. I scored a cute little table chair set for him from Ikea and can't wait to finish that and sew some cute cushions!

My niece gets baptized in 3 weeks and so I decided to make her a beaded pearl bracelet and found a cute little pink Bible to go with.

The rest of the week will consist of quilting for me. I have to finish a quilt for my mother-in-law. Hopefully I can stay on task, even if it is supposed to be a pretty nice week!!

a gnome for the home...

2008-02-22T11:37:00.006-06:00

I've been doing some embroidery lately and made a couple things. Here's a little spin on a lawn gnome and one that can watch over your couch for you! I made it for my friend Brenda...we kind of have that goofy jokey personality and when the two of us get together watch out! Here's to her!

I also made this pillow for her. I was going to make these as my couch pillows, but they just didn't work out with the decor. I added her name and a few flowers and presto, a fun item for her decor. The green pillows behind are the ones I ended up making for my own. They have a lighter colored fabric on the back and look simply marvelous with my Amy Bulter quilt!!

a case of the Valentine's...

2008-01-31T18:09:00.000-06:00

Seems like I've really been hit by cupids arrow lately! I've really been into all things red and pink and I think it certainly shows....well, in any case...Happy Valentine's Month!!
FYI...Max has been so smiley happy lately, but I think he wonders what the heck I'm doing when I pull out the camera...he just stares at it like it's some medical device...I'm hoping he grows out of that, but I'm just enjoying his cute expressions for now!

a little one bites the dust...

2008-01-27T12:53:00.000-06:00

Here's a little quilt I finished for a certain little 2 year old. Max and I went to her party yesterday and had a great time! I think she liked her pink quilt that is just her size!

stitching away...

2008-01-24T09:44:00.000-06:00

It's been a pretty crazy week! Last week I got my new laptop. I've been busy trying to get the programs on it that I need. Still working on my photoshop, so I can get some pictures edited and work on some birth announcements for my new niece. I also had 2 little linus quilts to finish up, a gift for my grandma, and a couple other little projects to complete. In between that time, I've been doing a lot of embroidery. It's my new favorite past time cause I can cuddle with Max on the couch while working on my stitching. Here is a pillow I completed for my grandma.

This is fresh from the hoop, but still not complete.

It will be a little wall hanging for my newest niece Ava. She is so adorable. We went down to Yankton to visit her on her birthday last Saturday and I got some cute shots of her with Max. I have a feeling they are going to be great friends. It's hard to believe there is 2 months and 3 weeks between them. It's easy to see that my baby sure has grown since he was even smaller than her!

quilt, quilt, quilt...

2008-01-15T07:28:00.000-06:00

I've been busy preparing for a slough of birthday parties coming up. Saturday I have a first birthday party to attend for my friend's son, who also happens to be my husbands cousin's son. I am going to make Holden a little quilt of his own. Not quite a bed quilt, but just one he can haul around with him. Think more alongs the lines of a Linus blanket. I also have a 2nd birthday party to attend where I plan to do the same thing. I will show pictures of those when they are finished (i still need to make a trip to the quilt store to grab some more boyish stuff). In the meantime, I finished my sister-in-law's carrier quilt, baby curtains, and broke down and just purchased a boppy pillow cover. I figured my main goal is to get the quilt all quilted....but I guess that requires a nudge at my mom to finish her quilt so I can get mine pinned on the quilt frame! We just found out that they will possibly be inducing Julie on friday if she is favorable for that, so sounds like we will have a busy weekend ahead of us!

Some of you know that I am not a fan of any type of warm or hot drink. I've never been one to enjoy that type of thing. I guess my reasoning has always been the fact that I think a liquid should quench your thirst and something warm or hot doesn't do that for me...I blame my track and field days for that....

Well, on 30 Rock the other night I heard a quote that I will like to use to describe my unloving: "Oh, I don't drink coffee.I don't drink hot liquids of any kind.That's the Devil's temperature." That was just about the coolest thing I had heard in a long time!!

in anticipation...

2008-01-04T07:49:00.000-06:00

I've been very busy quilting lately. My sister-in-law is due to have her baby in the next couple of weeks, so it was my duty to make the quilt, curtains, boppy cover, and little quilt for her carrier. It's been so much fun! I finished the top yesterday. I need to get it quilted, but plan to put it on the frame and use the Grand Quilter as I'm not a huge fan of rolling it up and trying to quilt it on my machine. I have quilt guild on saturday, so I'm excited to take what I have done along. Other than that, I've been busy doing my "doodle stitching"...it is so much fun! The book is awesome, I recommend it to everyone!!

I had won a pattern at Closeline Club, so I used that pattern to make this quilt. It only requires 8 fat quarters, and then of course border and backing. It was a real fun and easy quilt to make!

My sister-in-law lives on a ranch. They don't know if they are having a boy or a girl, so I used Robert Kaufman's The Cow Says Moo fabric.

I thought I would throw in a pic of my little guy. He is growing in leaps and bounds daily! I can't believe he is already 10 weeks old. Where have the days gone? He did quite well with his 2 month shots and is now up to 12 pounds. Each and every day I see his personality come out. What a character!

stitching the day away...

2007-12-28T17:38:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great time with family and spent lots of time together. I was lucky enough to get some fun books and today was a day to work on a few things. I made an apron for a friend and also did some hand stitching. This is the wonderful book I played with

here is the apron i made:

the can saga continues...

2007-12-20T15:24:00.000-06:00

In the true spirit of Christmas I decided to make my nieces and nephew something to keep them busy during their school break. I'm hoping that we do recieve the snowfall the weathermen have been promising! I threw together a kit to make a snowman. I saw one a couple weeks ago, but it came with a hefty price tag, so I made my own.

I threw in an old black derby hat, some wooden round things with dowels in them and painted black. I figured it would be easy to stab them into the snow. My mom fashioned a couple carrots for me out of tin foil and paper mache clay. I jazzed these up with some paint and threw in a scarf.

I think it turned out quite cute, hopefully while I'm visiting this weekend we can try it out!

can-o-fun...

2007-12-02T12:10:00.000-06:00

My friends threw a shower for Max and one of the coolest things he recieved was an altered paint can filled with some cute outfits. My friend Carissa decorated one to match his room and it turned out super cute. I decided to get some paint cans of my own to try out. My sister's birthday is on tuesday, so I made her a can filled with cupcakes, candles, balloons, and party blowers. I think it turned out quite cute too. I plan to make my nieces and nephew a snowman making kit for christmas complete with a top hat, scarf, carrot nose, and all the trimmings for the eyes and buttons. I am going to make a paint can to contain all that fun stuff too. I think this will become somewhat addicting!!!

Our newest creation...

2007-10-30T04:55:00.001-06:00

a stitch in time..

2007-10-24T21:13:00.000-06:00

While camped out on the couch today I made this stitchery for my sister-in-law Julie. It's a gift for her birthday. Sometimes it really is hard to think of things to make, but I hope she likes this. It was the best project to keep me confined to the couch for the day. Now what to do for tomorrow...

bedrest and counting...

2007-10-22T12:52:00.000-06:00

Since being on bedrest I've tried to find little projects to keep me busy. I know that most of the stuff I have on my "to do" list requires a sewing machine, so I used my up times during the day to sneak in a little sewing time...just to keep me sane. I finished my quilt top by piecing my blocks together and adding borders...now I just need to get it quilted, but who knows how much energy that task would require.

Other little hand work projects I completed are: a little owl pillow. Some reason I've been crazy about owls. They have gotten to be a big thing too. Here was a stab at a fun little owl.

Since Travis is big into fur trapping I had picked up this cute little racoon hat while shopping this past spring. It was a steal for only $.99 I just had to make something to match it, so I drew up a little sketch for another hand applique project. Since it was my first go on a onsie I quickly realized how darn stretchy this project was. Hopefully my next stab at it will be a better one. I'm not too happy with how my acorn turned out, but I'm sure this thing will get it's fair share of wears..as long as daddy picks out the clothes!

I just thought I would share an awesome gift. My wonderful sister-in-law made this quilt for Baby Baker. I love the colors and I know it will get used a ton!! Since I'm not to up on quilting with polyester it is something that will be cherished because I doubt I will ever take a stab at something like this. I simply don't have the fabric stash for something like this. I do however have to finish a top that has been completed already, so I will also use this quilt as a guide to finishing that.

WIP...

2007-10-13T16:03:00.000-06:00

Since I've been MIA for quite some time I figured I best get back on track with my blog. Here is a work in progress quilt I started today. I have a goal of finishing this thing in a week. I might just be able to do it too!! I had stashed my bday money and quilt store gift certificate, so I was stoaked to get all these pretties!

I wanted to send a special congratulations to my friends Misty and Greg on the birth of their darling son Dylan. I'm so happy for you guys!! I had fun putting together a little package to send their way in Iowa. I had some left over chinese take out boxes from my wedding, so I've been jazzing them up via scrapbook supplies. They have turned out to be great fun. Now I just have a case left to work with!!

A few weeks ago Trav and I took a trip to the Black Hills to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. We had a great time and got to catch the beautiful fall colors. I'm so happy that the fall is on us now. Makes me look forward to the arrival of our bundle..any day now will be fine with me!!

Until next time, happy blogging!!

aww, some sweet relief...

2007-08-28T19:08:00.000-06:00

I was put on bed rest on Wednesday and stuck out the rest of the week until Monday on the couch. I had some bad swelling in my legs and ankles accompanied by high blood pressure. The bed rest helped with the swelling, but my blood pressure has still been up and down since. Now I have protein in my urine, so after a full day of collecting that for the lab I now have to wait and see what my Friday appointment holds for me. I am now able to go to work, but have had my legs elevated while there. My swelling has stayed down, so I'm happy with that! I have 10 weeks to go, or 7 weeks until term, so hopefully my health can allow me to reach those dates!

Since I was on "" collection (i just hate the sound of that) today I was able to stay home to help with the ease of that. I decided to whip up a little blanket to help keep my spirits high. I bought some of that fun chenille fabric and a cute accenting fabric. I backed my chenille with some cotton fabric and added a few circle appliques...quilted and attached my binding for a fun little blanket readily available for my little acrobat currently kicking my ribs. I hope that I have many more opportunities to revisit my sewing machine before the arrival day, but if I can't at least I got something fun and cozy made!

pillows and puppies...

2007-08-09T11:37:00.001-06:00

Here are a couple fun little items added to the baby's room. I whipped up a little pillow..and plan to make a few more.

My mom whipped up this precious little dog for the crib. It matches the mobile. Thanks again mom!!

what a great idea..sure wish I thought of that!!

2007-08-07T18:20:00.001-06:00

I spent last evening with my mom. Sometimes it's just nice to have some one of one time. My dearest husband was out of town for work and my dad is on his Sturgis Ralley excursion, so what better time to enjoy some nice time together. Since mom is now a blog lurking addict, she has time to point out all the cool stuff I haven't had time to spy. I think once the baby comes and I'm home 24/7 I will be more into the lurking too...Anyways, mom pulls out this cool challenge she found. It's a 365 Challenge quilt. Basically it's a journal on fabric each day of the year and then when your year is up your complete your quilt with a border or binding or whatever you find most appealing. Mom then threw in the cool suggestion of making a "Baby's 1st Year Journal Quilt"...how cool, I can't wait to get started!! Here are some of the neat quilts from the challenge:

If this challenge tempts you like it did me, then here's the link to the tutorial on Leanne's House.

something new...

2007-07-30T19:19:00.000-06:00

Since my baby carrier has a umbrella type thing attached I decided to make a little quilt especially for the chilly winter. I didn't want something too big that would hang on the floor and get dirty, but I wan't something quilt savy that somewhat cordinated. I made this little ditty yesterday and then realized that once I was done using it as a little cover up quilt I could use it as a table runner!!

Perfect fit!!