Limited Quilting

I spent a very limited time quilting and sewing the last part of August. I was gone every weekend and didn't get much time in the evenings to sew. I've really started to notice my funk, so I took some time to make a diaper clutch for my friends Jon and Nich and their son Mason. Nichole had seen mine when we stayed with them before and loved it, so I wanted to give her one. They loved it!

I also quilted this quilt for my Aunt Mae. It turned out pretty though I had a lot of problems with gathering at the end. I think it had to do with the polyester batting as it didn't lay as nicely as warm and natural does.

I just love the colors and ended up with a orange/brown/green/black verigated King Tut thread that looked great on it.

I just did a simple stipple on it.

So glad I got to do a bit of quilting, but looking forward to doing more in Sept. when quilting season officially begins again!

Mikaela is 31 Weeks

Mikaela turned 31 Weeks old on the 24th of August. She had her first sleepover on the 23rd when she stayed with my Aunt who was camping. She had lots of fun and did really well. Aunt Jane made her this hat which is so cute, but she doesn't want to keep on! I'm gonna have to put some elastic on it, so she can keep it on. She was quicker than me as I tried to take her picture with it on.


But if I occupied her, I got a minute to take a picture before she realized I had put it on her.

Her little outfit is a 12 month summer so I put it on her, she's just the right size for it! It wouldn't fit next summer.

Summer Time

Summer is almost gone and yet it seems to have flown by so quickly! Mikaela and I took in the Quilts and Vines Outdoor Quilt show a couple weeks ago and I got to meet my blogging friend Sara. I've got lots of pictures to share, but haven't uploaded them yet. Mikaela is 31 weeks old this week and she's on the verge of crawling, doing a lot of scooting. I entered 12 items in the quilts division and 5 in the sewing division at the Central States Fair this week. I received 8 1st's, 6 2nd's, and 3 3rd's. I also won Best of Class for original design for my English Paper Pieced table runner/ wall hanging. I entered it in the mixed technique division since it has hand pieced, hand appliqued and machine quilted.



I've finished two samples for the store as well as working on a third and I'm quilting a quilt for my Aunt Mae I hope to finish this week. Tuesday night Paul and I went to the World of Outlaws race. We had a great time and sat with our best man Jory. It was so fun to see him and watch a great race. Mikaela went camping with her favorite great aunt and had a good time as well.
I'm keeping busy and will be walking in the Relay for Life in memory of my mom this weekend. It's supposed to be hot, so we'll see how I do! I'm sure I'll get a good workout with the stroller pushing.

Mikaela is 30 Weeks

Mikaela turned 30 weeks old on August 17th. We had a busy weekend and spent time with Daddy fishing at the lake. We went to Custer State Park and Mikaela and I hung out while Daddy caught a few fish. We tried several spots, but didn't get any keepers. Mikaela was sporting her sunglasses and a hat Aunt Jane made her.
She's teething, so she's doing a lot of gumming her lips.



She loves bottles, especially pop and water bottles.

The weather was beautiful!


She's all full of gummy smiles.

She loves her little purple hat from Angie. She will actually keep it on more than any other hat.

She's getting good at putting her pacifier back in if it falls out.

Mikaela is 7 Months Old!

Mikaela turned 7 months old on August 19th. She was a very happy girl and full of smiles when we went out on Sat. She played with her favorite teething toy. Her hat drew quite the attention. It seems like any time she wears it, people always have to comment on it.

It's super cute hat and at least she'll leave it on most of the time.

We put sunscreen on and she rubbed it in her eye. We had to change sunscreens to one that doesn't bother her.

It was a busy day and she needed a nap. She loves her cuddle critter that mommy made her.

Fun Mail, Special Gift, and Friendship Block Swap

Last night Paul gave me two packages from the pickup he had forgotten to bring in. I was so excited when I saw the first address. It was from Becky in VA. She had a drawing for a kit if someone wanted to take it off her hands. It's this Autumn Visitors and she cut wrong and just didn't want to deal with it, so I said I'd take it. I knew Paul would love it and he did. He thought I should start working on it last night!

While I was in my sewing studio for a bit last night. I took pictures of the blocks I've received for the Friendship block swap. Gaila made this block. I just love the little black/purple dots.

Jen made me this one.

Jacque made me this one.

They look awesome together and I can't wait to receive the rest. Since I know I won't have enough for a whole quilt, I'd like to have other friends make me blocks to go in my friendship quilt. I know I have a lot of readers/followers and I would love to have you all send me a block. Please comment or send me an email if you'd be willing to send me a block for my friendship quilt. The block is easy and I'm having it done in a black with 3 purple batiks.

The other package was from my college roommate Angie. She lives in MN and came out for mom's funeral with our other roommate Nichole. It's a beautiful framed cross stitch picture in memory of my mom. I just love it and can't believe how much it makes me think of mom. She would be so proud. Mom did a lot of cross stitch. It's been 6 months today since mom's been gone, but not a day goes by that I don't think of her and remember all the wonderful time we spent together. I miss her so much, but know that she is watching over me. This weekend Mikaela and I are going to the Quilts and Vines Outdoor Quilt Show near Sioux Falls with Nichole. It's a show mom and I went to several years and just loved attending. I can't wait to go and hopefully meet up with my blogging friend Sara. If you're gonna be there let me know and maybe we can get together too. Hopefully I'll take lots of pictures and be able to show you this truly remarkable show next week some time.

Mikaela is 29 Weeks Old

Mikaela turned 29 weeks old yesterday. She was all full of smiles and playing on her blanket from her great-grandma Elaine. It's a blanket she had made and after she passed my Aunt Jane kept it and gave it to me for Mikaela. Mikaela was in to chewing her thumb last night, even though she had several teething toys around. She was able to fall over from a sitting position, roll over, and pick herself back up to a sitting position.

See those cute little teeth? She's in a dress Aunt Jane gave her for Easter.

We visited Aunt Jane last night and Cocoa wanted to play too. Luckily they both play well together.

Mikaela was laughing a lot with Cocoa around.

Weekend Sewing

This weekend I didn't get much quilting time in, since we did errands Sat. and I cleaned and rearranged Mikaela's room on Sun. After everyone went to bed Sun. night I quilted the baby quilt for Pat. I believe it's for her new granddaughter. She just loved the fabric I used for the last two baby quilts, so I picked up a couple fat quarters and made another one. I have enough left to make one, maybe two baby quilts more. They are so quick and easy and yes they do get boring, but I love to do the quilting on them. Piecing does get a bit boring to me, so I try to do it with friends or when I'm not home, so I can quilt at home.


Here's an up close of the quilting. I used a King Tut verigated.

Sat. afternoon everyone except Mikaela and I took naps, so we went down to my studio. I loaded this wall hanging on the frame and got it quilted. I love how it turned out, though I could see later that maybe I should have used a cream verigated. Though this fabric is actually more of a yellow, so the cream looked too white on it. I fell in love with this block on several blogs and just love how it turned out. I used my Buggy Barn scraps from a few years ago. I am not a HST fan, but I did this one with Thangles and they turned out pretty well. I must be procrastinating, since this was so not on my radar of projects to do, but it just came together quickly.


I quilted loops.


The loops really stand out on the creamy yellow.

We were able to get the binding on this on Sun. Sat. night we went to Sheridan Lake and night fished with Paul. Let me rephrase that... Mikaela and I ate and watched while Paul fished. After Mikaela went to bed, I read and tried to do some hexi's, but it was too dark and we were on a floating dock... not the easiest to do. I finally ended up watching, but night fishing is NOT a spectator sport. I got really bored really fast.

Girls Night Out with Jenn

Friday night Jenn and I got together for a Girls Night Out. Her hubby was playing softball and her kids were at their grandparents, so we sewed at her house. We had so much fun talking, laughing, and sewing.
I put together this wall hanging from my Square Pants blocks. I love how it turned out, and the blocks are some of my favorites, even though I love the block in scrappy fabrics too.


I played with the rest of my scraps and came up with this block. I'm about 4 HST blocks short of making 4 of these, so I'll only be able to make 3. I guess I'll make a tablerunner unless someone out there has less than 1/4 yard of this Buggy Barn brown to share with me. Let me know if you have some you'd be willing to part with! I'd definately make it worth your while and send you some yardage or some scraps in exchange. It's about an 09 Buggy Barn fabric.


Jenn put together this wall hanging with her HST's of Sugar Pop. I just love how it turned out and I think she did a grea job on it. She finished sooner than she expected and worked on an apron too.

I made this baby quilt top for my co-worker friend Pat. She just loved the ones I made for the girls, so she asked me to make her one. Instead of charging labor for it, she's making me scrapbook pages for Mikaela's book. I'm so lucky to have a talented scrapbooking friend, since I don't do so well on that front!

Jenn and I had a great time sewing and Daddy and Mikaela got some fun Daddy's Little girl time.

Steadily Sewing

This week I've actually gotten quite a bit of sewing done. I made this cute little ribbon blanket for Mikaela Sun/Mon. nights. I love how it turned out, but it just made me mad making it. I bought it back in April on the shop hop I went on. I bought it more for the pattern than anything, since I have some minkee charm squares I wanted to make something out of. I opened the kit only to realize the pattern was a FREE Moda Bake Shop pattern. I was a bit irrate, since I paid a lot for the kit and they made it look like the only way to get the pattern was to buy the kit and that it was their pattern. I won't be going back to that shop any time soon.

I had the note book cover pattern for a small notepad and decided to use my leftover Maxine fabric to make one. I think I bought the pattern in MN two years when Jen and I were in a shop. Jen got kicked out of the shop and we still laugh about what a rip the owner is. Anyway I made it up for the most part like the pattern said. Monday night I made up 2 of them.

Only I had to add some decorative stitching and top stitching to it.

Then I made another, this time using decorbond instead of steam a seam and topstitched again. I think this was a little too much, but the other one is so flimsy. I think one less layer of decor bond or eliminating the batting would have helped.


But I'm just not one to follow a pattern. Jen and I have that in common. We use the pattern as a guide and really do whatever we want with the knowledge we already have.

Tonight I made up a Runaround bag out of this cute wine fabric. I'm going to Quilts and Vines in a week and wanted a new purse for it.


I also made a wonder wallet.


I made some insulated wine bottle holders for the wine I plan to bring back. Again I changed the pattern to include insulbrite.


Last night I was having a hard time as it would have been my mom's 55th birthday. I just couldn't get in the groove to sew, but did make this bapron - baby apron. I think it's cute, but it doesn't quite fit Mikaela right. I need to make some tweaks.


Tonight I also made this changing pad to go with my Grab n Go diaper clutch. I love how it turned out and luckily mom had the perfect vinyl type material.