Mikaela 16 Months

Mikaela turned 16 months old on May 19th. It was free fishing weekend and free state park weekend, so we went down to Custer State Park.

Mikaela played while daddy and mommy fished.


I caught one loan fish which we threw back.

We went for a drive in Custer State Park on the Wildlife Loop and there were lots of Buffalo and their calves out and about. We probably saw 300.

Memorial Day weekend we spent at my dad's. My brother and his family were down camping on the river and fishing, so we joined them for part of the time. Mikaela loved playing with her cousin and taking lots of walks.

Heather's Hugs & Kisses quilt

Last night I found the energy to go down in my studio after Mikaela went to bed. Once I started quilting, I really found my flow and it went super from there. I only had 3 stops, once when I ran out of top thread and twice when I ran out of bobbin thread. It felt so good to have a good flow of quilting going. This is Heather's Hugs & Kisses quilt she made in a class I taught. She used a bunch of fat quarters collected on the shop hop as well as scraps to make this one. It uses the Lazy Angle ruler.



I used a multicolored King Tut with greens/purple/blue/ dark pink and it turned out great. I used a purple Bottomline in the bobbin.



The quilting was done with a size 5 on my stitch regulator, but more often than not I go faster than it wants me to go. I really like how the quilting turns out. I'm so excited to have this one done and now I can start on Emilee's and get them done.


Still no progress on the baby quilts, but I've been doing home work during lunches, so no cutting during lunch. We're moving our office at the end of the month and then I won't have my own office. Not sure how much sewing I'll get done in my new office. Have a great weekend.

Mikaela in May

May is flying by just as quickly as April did and I'm still not getting much done. I have Heather's quilt to get quilted in the next few weeks and quite a few baby quilts I need to get started on. I know of at least 4 friends having babies, so I need to get those baby quilts started. Most of them are due in the fall, which is good since I'll need the time to get them done. I know one is a boy and another is a girl, but the other two I won't know for a while, so lots to get made. I did start cutting out a little girl baby quilt the other night. I picked out a bunch of racing fabrics for a little boys quilt too, so that will be a class for the fall. I'm busy planning out my summer and early fall classes, so it's going to be busy.
Last night I cut out two more Swoon blocks, so I hope to get at least 1 and maybe 2 made tonight at Club Sew. I had a great class for the Twister quilt last night and they were busy working, so I did some cutting. Those girls know how to use that ruler now and were clicking away. I also picked up some more quilting for others, so I'll be busy with quilting this spring.
Mikaela is being cute as ever. She loves to run and play and giggle and say mommy and daddy a lot. She says other words too, but those are her go to ones right now. She'll be 16 months next weekend.


Mikaela is growing into quite a big girl. She loves to smile and laugh.


She loves to play outside, especially in the dirt.

WIP Wednesday Week 18 5/2/12

I had another slow week, but I did manage to get a bit accomplished. I found out on Friday that a co-worker has breast cancer. Since that is what my mom had it is so near to my heart and I had to do something. Her department put on a When Life Hands You Lemons party - a support shower at work on Monday. It was one of the best parties I have ever been to and what a great way to show support for a cancer diagnosis. My mom always made her breast sisters minkee pillowcases, so I figured that was something I could do for my co-worker. I picked up the minkee and used some BC fabric from mom's stash and whipped it together Friday night. It felt so good to use my serger... actually sew at all. She loved it and couldn't believe how soft the minkee was.

Today I found out a friend is having a little girl. I'm so excited for her and immediately got my mojo back and found the pattern and fabric I had been saving for a little girls quilt. I'll make it up, but it might not go to her since it's pretty pink and she prefers not so much pink. At least I got it all cut out! I haven't spent this much time in the studio in forever... except to write research papers for my class. Two lessons done, 3 to go, 6 weeks left of class. Mid June can't come fast enough!

Finished this week:
Breast Cancer Minkee Pillowcase
Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them) 
Swoon - 2 Blocks done
Dilly Dally Baby Girl Quilt
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts - I actually quilted these last week!
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks - I practiced some new quilting on one of these. Not sure I'm going to be doing more of it, but it was outside the box!
Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt 
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt
Confetti Top
Friendship Block Swap Top
Twisted Heart
Merry Go Round
No progress:
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- Together, needs 3 borders
Jim Shore Quilt - None
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing
This week's stats:
Completed projects - 1
New projects -1
Currently in progress - 6
Finished this year - 32 , 7 Samples

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

WIP Wednesday Week 17 - 4/25/12

So I've missed a few WIP Wednesdays, but I'm back with the few things I've been doing. Good Friday my two good friends Jenn and Emilee and our 4 kids went on a road trip to hit the last 4 shops on the shop hop. Boy did we have a good time. With 4 kids under 5 it took longer, but we did enjoy the park, the waterfall, and a nice walk at lunch time. Plus we had lots of laughs. I couldn't ask for better quilting friends.
I added this pink deep art bin case to my studio and promptly added all the fat quarters I have collected for a winding ways quilt.


Jen the Cre8tive Quilter sent me this awesome Jennifer Chiaverini fabric and the Amelia fabric I'd been wanting along with the book the Wedding Quilt. I just finished reading a book on my Nook, so now it's time to read a "real" book. The book is even signed! How cool is that?

She also made me this incredible cover for my Nook. I can't believe how it rocks and totally saved me from having to make one.

In my limited sewing time the last 3 weeks, I made these 4 little wallets for my college roommates and myself. We got together the weekend after Easter in Sioux Falls and celebrated our 10 year class reunion. It was fun hanging out with them.


Last week I finished up this book bag tote that I had been making as a sample. I thought I screwed up the bottom, so I left it and as it turns out I just had to put the handles on and turn it and it was done. I had read the directions correctly! So glad to have it done.



When I was in Sioux Falls I went to Heirloom Creations. I found the purple and the white with purple polka dots to add to the daisies Jen got me, so now I have to figure out a pattern to use. I can't wait to see what I can come up with for this fabric. I love the purple and I'm sure Mikaela needs a new throw size quilt for her bed.

On Friday my old roomy Nich and I went to Brookings and checked out the SDSU campus. So much has changed, yet so much is the same. The good old Campanile is the same or the big P on the Prairie as we used to call it. I remember climbing all the way to the top in the good old days.

Since I've been in such a rut, I haven't really done any sewing for the past 3 weeks. Monday night I finally worked on the Sketchbook cover and finished it, but that's it.
In an effort to rejuvenate myself, I took on a swap today to try to get back in the groove. I'm so excited to do something outside the box and I can't wait to see how it turns out! Onward and upward! I'm starting a new project today!
New Projects this Week:
Bright Idea Challenge
Finished this week:
4 Wallets
Book Bag Sample
Sketchbook Cover
Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them) 
Swoon - 2 Blocks done
Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt 
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt
Confetti Top
Friendship Block Swap Top
Twisted Heart
Merry Go Round
No progress:
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- Together, needs 3 borders
Jim Shore Quilt - None
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing
This week's stats:
Completed projects -6
New projects -1
Currently in progress - 6
Finished this year - 31 , 7 Samples

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

Festival of Half Square Triangles

The Festival of Half Square Triangle is this week over at Canoe Ridge Creations and I'm always so inspired so I decided to join in on the fun. This wall hanging was made for one of my best quilting friends Jenn. She came into my life when I needed a local quilting friend and we've become very close in the past few years. She also introduced me to Gaila, Emilee, and Shonna who also received these wall hangings. They were Christmas presents for the girls. I love quilting with great friends.
 I made them using leftover Buggy Barn fabrics from a quilt I made several years ago. I machine embroidered the centers with the saying "Good friends are like quilts, They age with you, yet never loose their warmth."  I have been calling this my year of HST's use, since I rarely used them in anything before the past year and I've made 10 projects with HST's so far this year.
Come see what all the fun is about in the Festival of Hal Square Triangles. 
 
 

WIP Wednesday Week 14 4/4/12

This week has been very productive and lots of fun. Saturday I got up at 6 to finish sewing the rows together on my Merry Go Round quilt. I had the preview party for our Spring classes at 10 and had to have it done. I finished just in the nick of time to get ready and drive there. I didn't even get a picture of the finished top, but hope to tonight when I'm at the shop for class. Saturday afternoon Jenn and I went on the Northern Hills part of the shop hop. We had a great time and plan to do the rest on Friday. It's always fun to see what other shops have for fabric and notions.
Sunday I spent cleaning up my huge mess in my sewing room so I could get motivated again. I cleaned off everything and pulled the projects highest on the priority list.
Monday I loaded Heather's quilt with all the cancer ribbon colors. It turned out really pretty.

The back is just as pretty. I used a variegated thread on top and a cream on the bottom.

Tonight I'm teaching a class on how to use the Lazy Angle ruler, so I made up a few samples to show how to make the blocks, cut, and press. I just used scraps from my mom's batiks. I think they were for another project, but I couldn't find the pattern, so I used them in what I hope will be a wall hanging or baby quilt.

I made another on out of some of my leftover scraps from the Merry Go Round quilt. I'm really looking forward to this class and hope I have enough samples to show the concept and help everyone understand what they are doing.

Then I started working on this sample for the store. It's a bag out of a new Moda line.

I got the outer part and the lining done and now just need to make handles and put it together, but I was too tired to do that last night.

This is the fabric I quilted up last week for a sketch book cover and to try my stitch regulator out. So far I love the regulator, but it's taking time to learn to quilt without the constant fast speed.


New Projects this Week:
2 Lazy Angle quilt samples
Tote Bag for a sample
Quilting for Heather

Finished this week:
Merry Go Round Top

Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them) 
Sketchbook cover - no progress
Swoon - 2 Blocks done

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt 
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt
Confetti Top
Friendship Block Swap Top
Twisted Heart
Merry Go Round

No progress:
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- Together, needs 3 borders
Jim Shore Quilt - None
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing

This week's stats:
Completed projects -0
New projects -3
Currently in progress - 6
Finished this year - 25 , 6 Samples

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

Mikaela 14 Months

Mikaela turned 14 months old on March 19th. She's on the move really well now and loves to play outside. She thinks my rocking chair is great. She's big enough to crawl in and turn around and sit down now.

Last weekend we went to an auction sale to meet up with my dad, brother, and niece. Mikaela loved being outside and running around.

She even wore her pink boots from grandpa. She played int he dirt while daddy talked to his friend Jory.

During the week, she had a very dirty day at daycare, but came home and still wanted to play out in the dirt. She just loves being outside and running around.

She plays with her pink horse.

And runs all over!

On the grass, or concrete, it doesn't matter, she loves to run and play.

She can even let herself out now and loves to go stand on the deck.

This weekend we went to Canyon Lake and walked around for a while. It was gorgeous! In the 80's in March in SD is unheard of!

Mikaela would have rather been out of the stroller though.