All Done

My little Flea Market Star is all quilted, bound, and ready to go!

I chose to just use some simple line quilting to accent the pattern of the star. I think it worked out well.

One swap down, two to go =0)

Flea Market Fancy Fractured Star

This week has been one of our crazy ones at school and by Friday, when I had worked overtime almost every day, I was burned out. I was feeling guiltily relieved when I drove my boys to the church Friday afternoon and dropped them off for Scout Camp. Does that make me a horrible mom? I was to that point where I was so tired that all of their noise this weekend would have made me cranky and I would have been snappy and not such a fun mom! I think the timing of that Scout Trip was serendipitous!

Anyway, since I didn't have to spend the morning begging, pleading, cajoling, growling, and snapping to get my boys to do their weekly chores, I spent it in my sewing room instead =0)

I am working on this little quilt for the Denyse Schmidt Doll Quilt Swap.

This fractured star is one of my favorite patterns to make with left over triangles. I think this is the first time I have ever made this pattern with triangles I have made specifically for this pattern! It lends itself so well to scrappiness and when I saw something similar in my partners mosaic, I knew this was what I wanted to make for her. I wasn't sure of the gray at first, but since she asked for gray background I kept going and now that it's done, I like it a lot, it lets the colors stand out more so than white would. My original plan was to do a wider border of the large yellow floral, but now that it's finished, I see the border would be overwhelming and take away from the quilt, rather than add to it, so the border will not be added.

Now I just have to figure out how I want to quilt it. Ah quilting, not my favorite thing. I much prefer piecing.

Progress Report

It seems like it has been ages since I have had any good, quality time to spend in my sewing room. B's schedule has changed and he now gets home from work somewhere between three and five. While I love having him around more, it's been hard because I'm not getting any ME time. I'm a home body, B is not. If he's off work, he wants to be out and about doing something. Which means no sewing time for me, I feel like I am never at home anymore!

Anyway, onto the progress report.
I started sewing this quilt a while back to go into a little wagon that sits on top of a cabinet in my living room. For the past several years it has held a little primitive quilt and while I love that little quilt, it no longer fits in with my brighter, no longer primitive, decor. I needed something new up there. I had found a quilt on pintrest that I fell in love with and wanted to replicate on a smaller scale.

I got to spend lots of time with this little darling while taking care of my mom after her surgery, and on various road trips, but I can't sew for very long, my hands cramp up and get very painful. This little quilt was taking FOREVER!

I decided I needed a plan B, a little quilt I could put together quickly that could add charm to my little wagon until I could get my tiny Flower Garden completed. So, I started my little Great Granny quilt and now I have another problem. I think I like this little quilt more! So, I think I will keep going on this quilt and put it in the wagon, and put the flower garden on the wall or something.

The two newest blocks are the two on the left, I have three more to go then I can start assembling this little quilt.

I also received my name tag swap, all the way from Germany! Isn't it cute? Cherries <3 p="p">

Growing Tomaters

It all started with the magnet swap. I fell in love with the little tomato pincushion magnet that I made for my partner. Now I just keep making them. I can't help myself, they're just too dang cute! I made some for my mom, and these three I made for me. How is it that I had a magnet board in my sewing room, but none of my magnets were sewing related?

Magnets and Mug Rugs

I know you're not very surprised but I joined in on a few more swaps!

First up is round two of the RATZ swap, our theme this time around was Magnets. I had so much fun making these, who knew magnets could be so fun! Now I need to make a set just for me =0)

I started out with the little mini tomato pin cushion, then made the red pinwheel, and the blue four patch. I wanted something to go with them and found these incredible vintage sewing machine clip arts prints online. All in all I think it will be a fun little package for her to receive. I hope she likes them.

 I also received this darling little patriotic mug rug from MamaCJT. If you don't know her, this woman is amazing, she cranks out high volumes of whatever we are swapping that round and they are all amazing. She is very generous and is a swap angel almost every round, meaning she sends out packages to people who for whatever reason don't receive theirs. Or for goofballs, like me, who miss the sign ups! Isn't she sweet? Now I need to come up with something that is worthy of her. I think she's awesome!

In other news, last week was the Shop Hop. Fifteen stores across the Wasatch Front, in four days. It has become a yearly thing that we all look forward to. We have so much fun. My mom's best friend comes from Alabama every year to go with us, and her daughter Amy has now started to fly in from Colorado every year to join us as well. Making us a party of eight. We really have a good time and spend LOTS of money. But this year I didn't take any pictures! Don't know what I was thinking. I was too busy having fun and shopping I guess =0)

Hope you are all having a great Summer. See you soon =0)

Finished Swap Quilt

I haven't been doing much lately. I had influenza A and was quite sick for a bit. Now I am feeling better, but have the lingering cough and major fatigue. It seems that going to work is about all I can handle then I am totally wiped out. I hope that part doesn't last long.

I finished this quilt several weeks ago and have just been waiting for my partner to let me know that she received it so that I could share pictures.

Our theme for this round was Log Cabin, and I wanted to fit the theme but still give my partner something different. I think this turned out pretty cute, and I hope she likes it. I haven't received mine yet, but I will share when I do. I hope it comes soon, I can't wait to see it.

In other good news, that thing I hinted at in my last post is coming right along. Something that I never thought would ever happen for me, is happening. I still can't believe it, and I still keep waiting for someone to come up to me and say "We were just kidding... you can't really do this." I keep waiting for another shoe to drop, for another catastrophe, another burst bubble, someone to come along and pinch me and wake me from this dream.

But...we have handed over money, and now...

We have our names on a sweet little third of an acre of dirt. Right out side of my bedroom window is the Second Tee (I hope those five AM golfers are quiet, and have good aim, and don't break my windows!)

There are plenty of things I am NOT looking forward to...putting in landscaping being #1, but I am looking forward to being in control of my own destiny. Having a place all my own, where I can paint the walls if I want to! And oh boy and I looking forward to not having stark white walls!!!! We are still about a year out, but my goal is in sight, it's no longer some abstract thought, way off in the distance.

I will finally have a home! Oh happy day! And I am sorry to say it, but you will probably hear a lot about it for the next year or so =0P

Booooooooring!

Seriously! The WORST thing that can happen to a quilter with ADD! But, I am so excited about the little quilt I am making for my STUD (Swap til U Drop) partner, I think it's going to turn out so great, that I am willing to make 3 million (ok, slight exageration) little half square triangles!

I am making one for me at the same time, which is why there are three million of them, but I couldn't make one for her and NOT make one for me, I love it THAT much!

I am so excited, can't wait to show you more!

WHEW!!!

Two of the worst times for me are #1 The Beginning of the school year, and #2 the end of the school year!

The great news is, I AM DONE! All reports written, all files filed, all students celebrated! I have to go in on Monday and finish cleaning out my classroom (I'm homeless next year, and will be rotating from classroom to classroom which I am NOT looking forward to!) and after that, I am free for the summer!

I spent yesterday celebrating by doing a much needed tidying job on my disaster of a sewing room, then working on my STUD Swap quilt (P.s. STUD stands for Swap Til U Drop, get your mind out of the gutter!)

Our theme this round is Disney. I, of course, was VERY excited having just come back from two weeks at Disney World. Disney is special to me. I have always loved Disney so I was thrilled for this swap.

My partner said she LOVES!!! Pirates! Hmmmm what to do, what to do! I had an idea, but while browsing around the internet found a way to make it even better and the end result is a quilt that I am so proud of. It's one of those quilts that has just worked out every step of the way, no disasters, it just went smoothly, which is unusual for me!


Since this is not a blind swap (My partner knows who I am) I can only show sneak peeks until she gets to see her quilt in person. So here is my latest sneak peek. I am just so beyond thrilled with this quilt. It's one of those that just makes me giggle the whole time I'm working on it. I really hope she loves it as much as I do! I am all done save the binding (Which I still have to find fabric for!)

As a little extra addition to my partner's package, I made a mug rug for her little guy who is also a pirate fan, so I'm told.

DQS9 Wrap Up

So, another Doll Quilt Swap has come and gone, and this one was quite the ride for me!

In our little questionnaire, when it asked what colors we were hoping for, I said that I am currently grooving on yellow and gray. I see it here and there and when I do, I just love it. It reminds me of my life right now. Partly cloudy =0P

Anyway, the best part of the doll quilt swap is seeing little sneak peeks pop up on flickr. Since it's a blind swap, you don't know who your partner is until your quilt arrives. This is very hard for me because I tend to fall in love with every quilt I see and I am crushed when it doesn't come to me. I know, I'm a dork, but seriously, if you saw the talent these ladies posses, you would fall in love too!


So up pops this gorgeous little number by Freida and instantly I KNEW it was mine! It was yellow and gray, and one of only two quilts posted with that color scheme, and I knew the other one simply could NOT be mine because I was HER partner, and you don't get each other!

So, I figured I was pretty safe in my guess that this quilt was mine and mine alone, and I gave my little heart free reign to fall in love.

Imagine my surprise when someone else got MY quilt in the mail!!! It was a shock let me tell you, cuz I was SO sure LOL

Anyway, I knew that the other quilt couldn't be mine, because like I said, I was HER partner, so now I was confused, wondering if my partner decided to go a different direction and so I went through all the quilts again, trying to guess which one could be mine.

The second surprise came when my package arrived and my son read to me the return address on the envelope (I was out of town at the time)! I just started laughing, those silly swap mommas had played a trick on us. My partner, was my partner!!!! I didn't even have to be there to open the envelope to know exactly which quilt was inside.

It was this darling little birdie from 2hippos! How fun is this sweet little quilt? She has sewn some little matching beads to the fuscia flower squares. Such a fun, happy little quilt!

Meanwhile, I had written a little note to Frieda to let her know that I had just believed that her quilt was mine, and that I was bummed that it didn't come to me (Not that I don't love my little birdie, I just want them all LOL I'm greedy like that!) and that I would have been absolutely thrilled if it had come to me because it was awesome and I just wanted her to know that I had really liked it!


She was so sweet and totally surprised me by sending me a little mug rug made like the quilt. Isn't she awesome? She was sneaky and got my address from one of the swap mommas! It was such a great surprise on a day that I REALLY needed something good to happen! (See post below about problems going on around here!)

I got the best of both worlds, two totally awesome gifts of gray and yellow happiness! Thank you so much Ronit, and Frieda! You both rock!

Meanwhile, here is the little quilt that I made for Ronit! I hope she likes it as much as I like mine! She said she likes jewel tones, so I used Amethyst, Aquamarine, onyx, yellow topaz, and peridot =0) And my favorite "Make Life" print fabric!

(This is the picture Ronit took, I am using this one because it's a much better picture than the one I took!)

I love swaps, even though I fall in love with all the quilts and am sad because all but one of them go to someone else =0P I love the little pieces of my flickr friends that get to live with me in my house and brighten my day. Thanks again ladies!

DQS8 Quilt finished!

K, here it is, my DQS8 Quilt is finished! She asked for red and aqua, and she has commented on every single red and aqua quilt on the flickr group BUT mine. It's making me a little worried. I hope she likes it, and if she doesn't, I hope she lies to me and says she does LOL


I was a little unsure of it to start with, but I love it now and I have plans to make a second one for me to keep!

Heart to Heart Valentine Swap

Well, I finally accomplished something. I decided I was going to sit down and JUST DO IT, whether I liked them or not, whether I was happy with how they turned out, or not. I had to get these done so that I could get them in the mail!


The bingo cards are vintage, the lace is thrifted, the music note hearts are vintage sheet music. There is red glitter on the bingo card, and irredescent glitter on the little cupid valentine.


I don't absolutely love them, but I like them and that's just going to have to be good enough, I am tired of worrying about it.

I just hope the ladies in the swap like them.

Quilter's Angel Clues

I guess it is the thing to do to leave clues on your blog for your angel so I am going to leave some clues for my angel recipient too.

#1 She's gorgeous and has some really stinkin' cute kids!

#2 She's from a Neighboring state

#3 She loves vintage things(how cool for me because so do I)

#4 I have her first package just about ready to hit the mail (Sorry I am being so slow, I have spent WAY too much time agonizing over the perfect thing to send.)

So just think...this may be YOU I'm talking to

P.S. if you are MY angel, I would love to hear from you and get to know you before I find out who you are =0)

To my secret "Stitcher's Angel" pal

If you by chance stop by my blog to check me out *wink* I'm just gonna drop a hint and say that the first free Stitcher's Angel project (the arm chair caddy) would be AWESOME! Just sayin' ya know, because when it comes to sewing anything more complicated than a simple quilt block...well...I'm kind of an idiot and it never works out right.

So if you don't make one for me, no worries, I am sure I will attempt it eventually, but if you are struggling for great ideas as much as I am...well...just hintin' =0)

Just Popping In...

Just a couple quick updates before I head off for bed.

#1 Granny squares are DONE! And with the help of my friend Stacymae trying to tell me how to join them in an IM chat (Thanks for your patience girl LOL) I have them all joined and a little finishing border crocheted all around. I just have to weave in two little ends, clip a few strings and take a picture. I love how it turned out, it's exactly what I wanted.

#2 I have been going through all the blogs of ladies signed up for the Quilter's Angel swap (Click on the icon on the right and you can see the list of everyone participating too) there are some awesome blogs out there, I have already found a couple that will be added to my regularly checked blog list.

#3 I got my swap partner assignment today also. I can't wait to get started, she seems like a great person and it will be fun to make things for her. If you stop by, this is me waving! =0)

#4 while cleaning out my mom's shed yesterday she gave me some fun things. I am excited to show you. I got a box of yarn, my grandma's old end tables that were handed down to my mom so they were in my house growing up. They are awesome and vintage. Love them, just can't decide if I should paint them, or leave them wood, such hard decisions. I also got her old Jenny Lind crib that I am going to spray paint red and turn into trellises for my garden. I love re purposing old things.

Anyway, that's all I have for today, see you tomorrow! Hope you all had a great weekend.

Stitcher's Angel Swap

I haven't joined a swap in YEARS! Not since my scrapbooking days, but I finally jumped in and joined the stitcher's angel swap.

In August you will make and send at least three stitching related gifts to your swap partner.

I am thinking probably a pin cushion of some kind, a fabric needle case, and a beaded scissor fob. Then throw in some more goodies just for good measure.

Click on the Stitchers Angel link in my sidebar if you want to join in. And click even if you don't because starting August 18th she will be posting a free pattern every week!