Mikaela is 42 Weeks Old!

Mikaela turned 42 Weeks Old on November 7th. We spent the weekend at my dad's so Paul could go hunting. Mikaela had a PJ's day. We went out to check out her Uncle Jim's buck. Mikaela and grandpa hung out most of the weekend.

Uncle Ed was home for part of the weekend, so she got to hang with him as well.

Grandpa got her an Aflac duck and she was so excited to play with it.

She got a new sweater from Emilee, so she was showing it off with her pretty blue eyes.

Emilee's daughter Rosalee is a month older than Mikaela, but was 4 months early, so she's super tiny, so she gave Mikaela her winter clothes. Mikaela was full of smiles, showing off her front teeth.

November Groovy Girls

Friday night we had our monthly Groovy Girls meeting. My friends Gaila, Shonna, Sherri, and Emilee were there. We were missing Jen though.


There was lots of show and tell.

This baby quilt is so super cute!

This was from a beginners quilting class.

Emilee had made her daughter a new blanket with minkee on the back.

I worked on these pink and brown blocks. I was going to make a wall hanging, but now I'm kind of thinking I might make 4 table toppers and embroider on the centers and give them to friends for Christmas if I get them done.

They are 24" square, so pretty big, but I really like this block.

I have enough HST's left to make one more pattern, then I think I'm done with these, though I did find another pattern I might try. I've really enjoyed sewing with all these HST's and it's definately not one of my favorite quilting things, but this has been fun. I got 3 done on Friday night and just need to finish up the last one now.

UFO SEW DOWN 2011 Comes to a Close!

October just seemed to fly by and I really felt like I didn't get anything done. I was starting to feel funky and crabby and I knew I had to clean up my sewing room and start over. Sat. I pulled out the backing I had started making a couple weeks before and finished it up for the BQ2 quilt. I got food poisoning 2 weeks ago, just after starting and had just thrown it in a pile. I got the backing finished and had the batting out, so I loaded it on the frame. Shonna was having a 31 Gifts party, so I went to that Sat. night. Do you know how hard it is to buy bags when you have a gazillion? When I got home I put the thread on the machine and started quilting. Mikaela was sleeping and I got it quilted in just about 3 hours before she woke up. I figured with the extra hour, I should use it at night.

I'm not a green person, but this one looks good. My mom had started this and I hope to donate it to the Terra Sancta project.

I did an all over meander with lime green Isacord on top and dark purple Bottomline in the bobbin.

I cut the binding on the bias so the stripes would go around the quilt.

This is the backing. The blue goes down the back. My mom didn't have many yardage pieces but I was able to make these work.

Sunday after I got my homework done I worked on the Wolf for a while. I got the eyes, nose, and part of the face done. I already have the ears done, so it's slowly but surely going together.
Sunday and Monday nights I worked on this notebook holder for my MIL's co-worker. I embroidered her name on it since I have the embroidery machine at home this weekend.

I used up scraps from mom's stash for this project and I think it turned out pretty good. She wanted blues.

I did slight corners instead of one big round front.

Last night after I got home from class I made this fabric book for Mikaela. It turned out so cute and is all sewing related, but each page counts. I bought this back in April on the shop hop. I made one just like it for Molly, but wanted one for Mikaela. This will be her church book.

I embroidered on the back of it so she'd know when I made it for her.  I have two others I'd like to get done by Christmas, but I'm doing a bunch of commission work this year, so we'll see. She'll never know if she gets them for her birthday instead!

I also received Trish's block for the friendship swap, so I have all my blocks and can figure out if I need to make more now. I think it turned out cool.

Last night I taught my Schlep bag class, but while I was at the store I pulled these 8 fat quarters to make a baby quilt. I'm going back to my favorite Happy Hour quilt. I've made several of this 9" block pattern and just love it. Anyone want to take a guess at my favorite pattern from the Happy Hour book by Atkinson designs? I'll draw a name from all those who are right and send a little gift.

 The UFO challenge has come to an end and even though it was just Jacque and I, I feel like we were both productive. I finished 3 UFO's and worked on 2 others that I really wanted to work on, so I feel like I did better than if I hadn't had the challenge. Jacque finished at least 2, so when I know a final number I'll be sending her a little something for each of those. Thanks for joining me Jacque!

WIP Wednesday

I missed last weeks WIP Wednesday. I was just too busy with school work and didn't get anything prepared. This is my "down" week, so I only had the online session to listen to. The homework isn't do until next weekend! I'm working on my masters in Proprietary Higher Education and the class I'm working on this term is really interesting, but boy does it take away from my quilting time.
Last week I made this pillowcase up for my little bro's birthday. He's a diesel mechanic by trade, so my mom had bought fabric to make both of my bro's pillowcases. Jim got his in April for his birthday, so Ed will get his tomorrow. My "little" brother turns 26.

Here's more of the pillowcase. I use the serger, so the pillowcases go together really fast.

I also had a new nephew, Owen Charles, born the 24th, so I got busy and made him a couple receiving blankets with the serger. This one is Case IH tractors in cotton with a black flannel back, since that's his dad and grandpa's favorite.

I also made this "Cars" flannel one with flannel backing. I figure since he's going to be so small this winter, he needed flannel blankets. I'll make him a quilt later when he's a bit bigger and I have more time.

I also have been working on this UFO of my mom's. It's Jim Shore Angels in the BQ2 pattern. This is the top I got done last month and this weekend (when I was putting off homework) I quilted it up. I just have the binding to hand sew down and then it will be ready to go! I hope to donate it to the new Terra Sancta project.


I also added my newest Jennifer Chiaverini pin to my collection. It's the one from the Wedding quilt.

I put these on my hand sewing bag since I hardly wear pins. The quilt keychain is 2" square and my freind Darlene gave it to me. It's hand pieced.

I also finished a new notebook cover for my MIL's co-worker Stephanie and worked on more Crown Royal Blocks. I also started a t-shirt quilt for a cousin. It's going to be a BIG quilt!

Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them)
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Wall Hanging - 2 - Finished 3 of the 4 Blocks
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks - Tore off all the paper and pressed
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - 2/3 of the way done on the last set of blocks
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks - still sitting
Cressa's Cowgirl Quilt - Hand Sewing Binding - 3/4 of the way done! Just have to finish two half sides.
Jim Shore Quilt - Quilted and binding machine sewn on, waiting for hand sewing.
Linda's T-shirt Quilt - started cutting and interfacing 47 t-shirts for King size quilt


Paul's Wolf - 2nd eye, nose and face done - Woohoo! I am so not good at applique
Numbers Sewing Book - 2 of 3 pages done

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt

No progress:
Pokey Little Puppy Book
Mom's Pink Ribbon Quilt
Linda S. Friendship Block
Jen V. Friendship Block
3 Mug Rugs

This week's stats:
Completed projects -4
New projects -1
Currently in progress - 17
Finished this year - 114 projects + 12 Receiving Blankets & 20 Burp Clothes


I'm linking up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

Bloggers Quilt Festival

 This quilt is very special to me because it's a combined work with my mom who is no longer with us. Though the quilt is very simple, it holds a place in my heart as one of my mom's last UFO's.
Last August, my parents and I traveled to Sioux Falls, SD for a wedding of a cousin. We took Friday off, so we had plenty of time to travel and mom and I decided we wanted to go to the quilt shop in Dell Rapids. One of her former students owns it and we really enjoy all their selection. My dad was in a crabby mood after having stopped at a few quilt shops already, so he stayed in the car.
My mom and I spotted this International Harvester/ Farmall fabric and couldn't resist it. We knew my dad would love it. My dad is a Case IH guy through and through. My mom decided she would make a quilt for my dad for Christmas. With her brain tumor she had a lot of trouble calculating yardage, so I figured out the measurements and how we'd make it. I wanted it to be really simple, since she couldn't sew anything difficult like she once had. We cut it out the 2nd weekend of Nov. during opening hunting weekend. My dad even asked what we were doing, but he soon forgot.
Mom got really sick again in Dec. and the quilt was soon forgotten. My mom passed away in February and I was bound and determined to finish this quilt for my dad, since it was so important to my mom. She'd never made him a quilt and this was for him.
I spent a few weeks putting it together and quilting it. I used a red King Tut - she had 3 spools bought for it and I maybe used a 1/4 of one spool. I used a Thermore batting because my dad is usually hot, so I wanted him to be able to use it.

I did a big loopy meander, so it wasn't quilted heavily.



I even made a label with a little girl out in the field.

The backing was some I found in my mom's pre-quilting days. It was vintage 1998 and there were several yards, so I'm thinking she was going to make PJ pants for my brothers.

 I even picked up some of the spring Case fabric and made pillowcases to go with it.



I finished the quilt and gave it to my dad for his birthday the end of May. He really likes it and uses it on his bed, even though it's a throw size. This quilt meant a lot to me as I was making it and I know my dad treasures mom's thoughtfulness. She's still with us in all of the quilts and fabric she had.

Check Out all the Blogger Quilt Festival posts at Amy's Creative Side!

Mikaela is 41 Weeks

Mikaela turned 41 Weeks Old on November 2nd.
For Halloween she was a puppy. We went trick or treating at my friend Karen's house, her great grandpa Joe's, and my aunt Jane's.
Great Grandpa Joe held her. She got two new outfits there.

Great Grandpa Joe, his wife Eva and Mikaela

Mikaela played with Cocoa Bean's toys at Aunt Jane's. 

She didn't care that they weren't her toys.

But Cocoa Bean wasn't so sure about her. She was a bit jealous. Notice CB's new collar from Jen's amazing Etsy store!