To keep me on track, I will post on how the quilt is coming along.  I have several 2″ blocks cut out so far. These fabrics were from my scrap box, which included some from Sommers Designs and the package I bought back in July from Posie. I figured that i will need around…oh let me see….5,000… 2″ block to make a large quilt!!!  Please tell me if I am wrong. The funny thing is, that number doesn’t discourage me at all. 

I was wondering with a quilt like this, do you think it would be best to lay all the blocks out before sewing or just start making rows? Making sure to keep same fabric spaced out.  I am going to head over to my in laws to get my hands on that magazine again. I know it had instruction for it. I just didn’t really read them because I was so in Awe of the picture of the quilt itself.  I wanted to add a little more primary colors into the quilt so I pick up a few prints that I really liked. I also wanted to add a little more yellow than what I had.

I really thought the bobby pin fabric was darling. I love novelty print. I seem to crave it. It’s also what I collect. Novelty feedsack prints have the funnest images as well as japanesse fabrics. ( I know funnest is not a real word, but I like to use it).  I did cut out a few blocks with my feedsacks but the only issue I’m afraid of is that the weave was pretty open and the fabric seemed a little stiff and I was afraid that it would not be able to stand up to a lot of use and washing over the years to come, so I decided to leave vintage fabrics out of this quilt.

Thank you Sweet Autum, I was totally floored when I openned this package up. I was expecting a few scraps, just enough to stuff into a small envelope. That would have been plenty but no it contained 2 piles of the most beautiful fabrics. They are on the chopping block next. I was extremely drawn to the aqua fabric on the bottom, with the orange flowers.

Ok, the kids were so excited to get there miniswap package that I forgot to take pictures of the revealing. I can’t write into words how much fun the kids had. The bags!! Are they cute or what!

Here are just a few of the marvelous things that were found inside those bags and let me tell you, they were stuffed full. Thank Michele and Zoe!!!!!!!!!  Thank you.

 

Thank you Teresa, Ali and Autum for your kindness. I was thinking about how this quilt will be more than just a quilt of fabric. It will have been pieced together with the generosity of others and by friends. It will have a little of this crafter and a little of that one. I hope for this to be passed down to one of my children and when they are grown and have children of there own. They can tell the story of how they watched mom piece it together with kindness and how they remember the story I told about this fabric and the story behind it. They will also probably remeber how they thought she was crazy for working with such tiny squares and how long it took her to finish it. 

Speaking of sweet friends. Thank you Clarice for the darling handmade card and Thank you Beki for a valentines pouch. It’s simply wonderful to know both of you.

I finally did a Tie on one. I actually did the one where you took a picture with a recipe but I never did email Mrs. Tie one on herself with it, so it actually didn’t count. This is a simple white apron with a pocket. I used a vintage valentine, printer, iron-on transfer paper and some vintage binding ribbon that I found at the thrift store. This is the first time using iron-on transfer paper that you use in your printer. The first time, I accidently burnt the transfer, it turned all yellow. This one I didn’t over iron, however the directions didn’t say anything about cutting the image it’s self out after printing it and I just ironed on the whole piece, making the pocket look a little off white.

   

The doll above is one my husband Aunt made. My rose has put in an order for a doll, with purple hair??? Can see another photo of her here and she has the cutest shoes. The pictures a little blurry, this time I can’t blame it on the camera, it was the user.

 

Well, the septic fix was short lived and it ended up being a bigger problem that we hoped, so I’ve been spending more days at my in-laws.  Thank you guys!! I also spent my birthday over there, where my family gave me the best gift. I had been wanting a tea kettle for quite a while now. A white one.  No more heating my tea water in a sauce pan or microwave. I feel like having a real tea party now.

I had been browsing some older magazine during my visit and I seen this quilt and totally fell in love with it. It’s one of those time when you see something and instantly get all excited and you can feel your eyes get bigger and your heart skips a beat. And you just think about how you have to make it yours.  

It may take me a year but this is a must and I have already started.  I took all my small scrap fabrics out and have been sorting what I want and what color combine would be to my liking. I really like the fabric choices in the quilt above. A fair amount of white with alot of the bright colors.  If there is anyone that has small pieces of fabric they are wanting to get rid of I will be more than welcome to take them off your hands. This is called a postage stamp quilt, where the blocks are made from left over fabrics and scraps. Look at this beautiful postage stamp quilt.  Breath taking isn’t it?

 

I’m going to get the house in order from our little unplanned vacation away from home and will take pictures of some finished craft projects I had promised in my last post.

Well, boy has these last few days been a dozzy, (is that how you spell it?) Maybe is doozy??  Bear with me as this post is pretty random, sort of how I actually think..LOL …The picture above is called Pickled People, it was sort of a silly gift, those panty hose dolls, to my father-in-law from a friend of the family.  For some odd reason I keep wanting to photography it.  I guess because it was unusal and handmade.

One of the kids caught strep, causing the other one to get it but in the form of scarlet fever or at least with a rash. Then because the temps have been well into the negatives most of last week….

Our septic line froze! Not a wonderful thing. I will spare you the details but I was so thankful for the 2 whole days of working on it, my husband keep his cool and didn’t explode in horrible fits, all though I think I would have. He will be getting some cupcakes today, that’s for sure! Love you the best fixer-upper in town. These are my mother-in-laws pets. She loves them but be warned as much as I love to paint and draw and collect swans I personally wouldn’t own one. They can get real mean, expecially when the female is nesting and has little ones.  Watch out!

I am however having my carpets PROfessionally clean just after they clear the roads from the more snow we are getting, close to a foot! It’s already at 3 inches as I type and we have all day to go. However I won’t complain, did you see how much snow up state New York got? 100 inches! WoW.   We took to my in-laws for those couple days of dirty repair work and while I was there I snapped these shots and have you guessed yet,.. With my new camera.

These are just random shots at their house while I was learning all the options about my new toy. My little rose even got in on the actions and keep bringing me toys and saying take a picture of these.  You can see that there was a grey speck on the lower left corner in all of them. I took it back the next day to be cleaned, I guess a speck of dust was on the mirror. Hopefully see you guys in a couple days with some actually crafty work done.

Be safe if the weather is bad in your neck of the woods. 

Are you staying warm? Boy has it been cold here, and last night we were cover in a few inches of snow. Beautiful but I sure don’t like to travel in it. So we will be staying in for another couple more days.

Here are a few things that I found at the thrift store last week.

Some ribbon

An extra large pillow case.  The colors instantly put a smile on my face. It’s also perfect for what I’m been wanting to do with the house.  I like colors and I like change and at the same time I love simplicity, easy on the eye, minimal. I get distracted so easy and with a small house, to much can feel heavy on the shoulders. I’m going to go with a white back drop, furniture, walls, etc. Then have pops of color in a rug and pillows. Things that can be easily changed with the mood I’m feeling.

I also found this cute childrens vintage book. I like the images and was planning on getting it for myself but when I read it and saw that it had a moon. I decided to give it to our miniswap partner who likes moons.

Speaking of miniswap package.  I thought I’d show a little sneak peek, I’ll show the rest when it arrives. A personalized place mat to help encourage eating your veggies. Allie enjoyed helping with this one.

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. You had some great ones! I think we have found a winner and Everyone seem to agree on it! Oliver or Ollie for short. I don’t know why naming things are so hard for us? Boy names are the worst for me. If it hadn’t been for my husband, I think I would have called our son, Baby Number 1.

Today is one of those days where you wake up all chipper. I love those days. I guess more so lately as this cold dreary weather is sort of a downer and I’ve been feeling pretty blah these last couple weeks. It could also be that I did some major closet cleaning yesterday. Purge, Purge, Purge. I’m pretty good at letting go of things that are not really wanted but give me a couple more months and I can let go of even more things. I did a major removal yesterday and it felt like a burden lifted off my shoulder. I’m trying to go very simple and minimal.  I also gathered my magazines that are randomly here and there around the house. They are in baskets, boxes, used as props. I think I’m going to gather most of them up, minus Martha Stewart, Mary Engelbreit, my treasure from other countries as well as a few that I love several things in them not just a page or two. The rest I’m going to go a snipping and make some of these wonderful visual journals, like Cassi has done. I have several more boxes of magazines up above to go through.

And since the weather is not suppose to get warmer any time soon. Single digits again next week!  I’m going to teach myself to knit.  Wish me luck! My husband bought me this yarn container called the yarn-tainer. It has a hole in the top where your yarn comes out. I guess he was thinking a 2 year old and a puppy with yarn doesn’t equal a finished project or a happy crafter. I don’t know if this dodad really helps and is convenient as I don’t use yarn very much.  I love the color of the yarn that Rebecca sent me last year. I love how the threads thickness varies, I just love it. I don’t know if I can bare to use it. I’ve been just enjoying the beautiful balls. You couldn’t have picked a better choice, Thanks Bekka. I did however finally get me some fat needles,now all I need is to get this book because I want to make those scarves!  Lyn said they were easy!

Well, I better get off here and get to work. I’m going to make this doggie bib and a matching softie for a friend who just had their first baby. The pattern can be bought at Vicki’s wonderful site PatternBee. Speaking of softies have you heard about the Softie award? How fun does that sound! I bet there will be a lot a great stuffed dolls to choose from.

Stay Warm this weekend! It’s suppose to be a cold one for some of us.