Great Food Truck Race

A couple weekends ago the kids and I went to church and they were sitting with daddy waiting for me, so I took their picture. They were both so darn cute.



Later in the day we did some shopping and the Great Food Truck Race was at Sam's Club. We had to check it out because the film crew was videoing us, especially Mathew.

We really enjoyed the bison with Philly cheese.

With this adorable face, I'd videotape him too. He was just so stinking cute that day.

Mother's Day

Paul took a few pictures of the kids and I one night after work. I wanted to do it for Mother's Day, but we just didn't get it done. The kids were fairly good.

Mathew didn't quite know what to think.

Mikaela is getting more used to posing.

She was having lots of fun.



She got a new ball and was playing with it.



She loves to play outside.

Mathew 6 Months

Mathew turned 6 months old on June 5th. He's the happiest, handsome little boy I know. He's just so darn adorable and easy going. He's got the rolling down pat and can move backward a little bit. He loves to get up early with me and sit in the bathtub while I take a shower. He's just so cute! He's always full of laughs and smiles. He's eating a bit of cereal with his milk at bedtime. He can sit up with support. He is such a good natured baby.

He's doing lots of moving around and smiling.



He can get himself up to move, rolling over as well too.

He's such a morning person.





But a night person he is not. He'd rather go to bed early. He sleeps through the night about 2 nights a week.

He dressed up special for Grandpa Hugh's retirement party.

He loves his new rocking chair. He even tries to escape.

The frog makes noise, so we know when he's playing.

May Hexie Project

It all started at quilt retreat when Cindy, Nicole and I went for a little retail therapy. I picked up a package of diamonds. I planned to make a lone star quilt. I was too excited and didn't read the package. I picked up a couple 1/4 yard cuts on Monday the 6th and got started. I basted like they were going out of style. Diamonds are MUCH quicker than hexies.

I put my first diamond together in less than a day. I soon realized I had picked up a package for a 6 point star, not an 8 point! Oh no, but there was no turning back, the fabric was cut, the hexies were basted and I plugged along.

I was easily able to do about 2 diamonds a week.

On Friday I finished the top of the star. It actually turned out pretty good. I'm going to have to take out one diamond and re-do the stitching. I used dark thread and it just shows too much. I love how it turned out and can't wait to d a lone star with the same fabric.

I put it on my purple cutting mat just to see what it would look like, but I do have a purple/dark navy fabric I am going to use for the backing. I just have to find the steam a seam to attach it all down. It's turning out amazing and I am really hopeful I can finish it time for the mini quilt challenge.

I have ordered 8 point diamond pieces and will start that when I get them. I love how quickly this pieced together.

Blogger Quilt Festival - Group or Bee Quilt

It's time for the Spring Blogger's Quilt Festival over at AmysCreativeSide.com. I love to look back at the past and think about the quilts I have made. One of my favorite quilts I made last year involved a friendship block swap. I had 12 amazing friends make the Lover's Lane block from Quilters Cache during the Summer of 2011. I requested a solid black with three different purple batiks in the blocks. I got quite the variety! When I layed them out at quilt retreat last year, my friends suggested a gradiation of color and it worked great for this quilt.

The outer border is one of my favorite fabrics and I bought the rest of the bolt!
I quilted it with a purple verigated King Tut on the front and a dark purple Bottomline in the bobbin. The backing is the same as the large border. This is a close up of the quilting on my friend Jen Buettner's block.

I used a Thermore batting, so the quilt is very thin and lightweight. I love the drape and how it looks over the back of my chair. I am constantly reminded of the amazing friends I have through quilting. Each of the blocks is signed with the makers name.

Blogger Quilt Festival - Bed Quilts - Dad's Crown Royal Quilt

Initially when I asked my dad and brothers to save the Crown Royal bags from the bottles, I figured in 10+ years I would make a quilt. They thought a quilt out of the bags would be neat, so they enlisted the help of hunting friends who run a bar and they saved the bags too. I originally planned to make a quilt for my brother Jim. I finished his in 2011. Then my dad and other brother Ed decided they wanted them too. I knew it would take a while to get more bags, so I started a quilt for Ed. The blocks are done on his and the sashing is a very slow work in progress. Dad announced last May he was getting married to Ann and I knew I had to act fast. I knew his had to be different than the boys quilts. One night I suddenly remembered a couple pieces of gold fabric with purple hourses I had put in a box for a massive sewing room garage sale. I went digging and found the horse batik. Since Dad and Ann are both horse lovers, I figured it was perfect. I took it to my favorite local shop, Fabric City and found a couple purple batiks to go with it. I decided to use the 5 Yard quilt pattern, which was easy and fun to make; however, I had to increase the number of blocks because he said he wanted a queen size quilt. I spent most of July making the blocks and quilted it at the beginning of August. I entered it in the county fair in August. My Dad and Ann didn't go to see the quilts, so they didn't see it until after their September wedding. I had an offer to buy it, but because it was so special I told him it would cost $2,000. I started to freak out when I thought he might actually come up with the money. I love how the quilt turned out and it really is one of my absolute favorite quilts. I used a wool batting which makes it light weight. I quilted it with a purple King Tut and dark purple Bottomline. The colors are vibrant and warm and go so well with the purple and gold of the Crown Royal bags. My dad loves the quilt and it only came off the bed once, for a quilt trunk show I did. He brought it up and took it home the same day. He won't part with it!

May Sewing Stuff

One of my favorite things about quilt retreat is the sharing of gifts. I made quite a few things to give, but finished up at the last minute. I made these zippered pouches using the leftover pieces from my PJ pants I made for retreat. I have one more to gift before I show it, but I did some embroidery on it. I would have liked to do them all that way, but time worked against me. Maybe next time I'll prepare ahead of time a little more. I finished these at 9PM Thurs. before retreat!


I also made everyone a needle book to put in their bags. I was thinking it would be a cute little hand sewing kit.

At the retreat Jenn worked on her blocks for me for the friendship swap I am in. Gaila's were already done and they are going to look so good together. I totally got a rash of shit for "having the hardest block" I can totally take a joke though and Emilee & Tammy will just have to suck it up and make the blocks. I couldn't have asked for better friends to share the amazing weekend with. Nicole and Cindy were there too and it was so much fun.

Before I left for retreat I made this notebook cover for my friend/co-worker Kim's graduation. I was the instigator behind her going back to college at 49. I encouraged her, supported her, and really was a cheerleader to push her to complete her degree. She only had to take 7 classes to finish and she graduated. I'm like a proud mom with her kid graduating, even though she's old enough to be my mom. Education is so important, no matter what age! Although she says if she ever utters the word Masters, she's gonna kick my butt.

On our shop extravaganza on Sat. I picked up some english paper piecing 6 point stars pieces. I drew out the pattern and was thinking it would be a lone star, but it's only 6 points, not 8. I stopped at the quilt shop and ordered the 8 point star pieces.

I also picked up a few fabrics and have them all cut out to make my star. I have 1 of 6 diamonds almost done, then I have to baste a bunch more! It's turning out really pretty.

This is my April Ahhhh #8 which took me almost all of April and the first half of May. I'm not sure why it took so long, other than I was procrastinating. It's called Tumbling Stars, but I made tumbling blocks. I have also packaged up all the beginner and intermediate ones, so I should be able to stitch them up much quicker now. I'm leaving the advanced ones for later.

So in a nutshell that's what I've been working on. I haven't turned the machine on since I got home. Actually it's still packed as I want to do some embroidery and I need to work on that. I'm still in school and it's keeping me very busy each week. Thank goodness for pumping breaks, so I have time to stitch.

Kids Pictures

The kids do some of the cutest things and I don't always have my big camera out, so I've taken a few on my phone. Mathew is almost always smiles in the morning, especially when I'm getting ready for a shower before work. He loves to sit in his tub and giggle and smile at me. This cute outfit is from Jody a former co-worker whose daughter is 6 weeks older than Mathew.

Mikaela fell in the mop pail one night and she was so funny trying to get out. She's been doing some of the funniest things this month.

Mathew loves to smile, the tub is great, as long as there is no water in it! This onesie is from Diane, a co-worker.

Kay gave Mathew this onesie. He was flapping his arms and moving all over the place. Such a cutie, especially in the morning. That's definately a trait he got from his daddy.