Crafts by Abby

2012-01-01T14:33:00.000-06:00

Well, that's 2011!

January: We found out we were pregnant New Year's Day!

February: We met Miss Audrey for the first time via ultrasound.

I took my mock boards at school and it snowed a lot!

March: Lots of work at school and a growing belly,

but time to work on some quilts here and there!

April: I took my dental boards and passed!

May: I graduated and became a dentist!

Now I could really focus on baby crafting...and finding a job!

June: I started working super-part-time and avoided

all that crazy Texas heat making Audrey's quilt.

July: Still working and putting together a nursery!

August: We met my niece, Hattie, and two weeks later, Miss Audrey came!

September: I enjoyed a nice, long maternity leave loving on my sweet girl

and even squeezed in a little quilting ; )

October: Back to work super-part-time with lots of

time at home watching Audrey grow!

November: Audrey started rolling over and loves reading books with us!

We have so much to be thankful for!

December: We had a wonderful Christmas with friends and family,

celebrating our Savior's birth. Audrey is so active,

rolling both ways and starting to creep!

I really miss my creative time, so if I have a sewing resolution, it's to get upstairs in my sewing room for some "me time" every week. It'll do me good ; )

Oh, and then there's the Capitol 10K in April! Gotta get used to that jogging stroller! (and get a head start on our costumes!)

happy new year!

Christmas!???

2011-12-24T13:55:00.001-06:00

Already? Time flies and has definitely left little time for crafting or quilting of any kind! I did have a little Christmas shirt making party with my sister in law, Lisa a week or so ago. I found this cute idea on Pinterest and we figured we'd give it a go! Easy peasy, right? We even just used fabric glue except for the bows. Well, there were 3 shirts to make, two onesies and one for my 3-year old niece. With 2 babies in tow, and a missing onesie, we only managed to eek out her 2 shirts. So I'm here in the car on the way to Houston doing a little Christmas crafting just in the nick of time!

Hope you're enjoying a restful celebration of our Savior's birth! Merry Christmas!

My Current Project's Progress

2011-11-30T17:20:00.001-06:00

1 Day

1 Week

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

This girl is growing fast! Recently, she's started picking up small toys and today, she rolled over from tummy to back! She started refusing the occasional bottle we give her, so we've had our hands full with that one. She's doing so much better, though!

Surprisingly, I've had some time in my sewing room, but so far it's just been some mending. I did pull out the Hope Valley quilt I started for my graduation present to myself, so I'll have to start getting after that. I also have to make sure her onesie is ready for December : ) My cousin, Nicole, makes these shirts (Nicole's Bows on Facebook) and she made a cute snowman for Christmas, but alas, I'm pretty sure Miss Audrey won't fit in it come December 30th. But I have a plan up my sleeve to make it work ; )

Back in the Saddle Again

2011-11-24T07:09:00.001-06:00

Although I technically started this quilt and had all the blocks made before baby, it was a pretty big deal to be able to finish it after Miss Audrey made her arrival. I made it a point to try to quilt our first week home. We were home on Thursday, we were in my sewing room by Tuesday. She slept the whole time! It got harder as she woke up to the world, but soon I started taking her activity gym up there and she would play away for 15-20 minutes at a time with lullabies playing on Pandora. Erik also gave me a morning to sew while he and Audrey watched college football at my parents' house. So here's the result

My mom bought this fabric 3 years before baby. My room was decorated with Peter Rabbit as a child and I even started collecting more of the Wedgwood when I got a bit older. I thought it would be a great idea to decorate our baby-of-unknown-gender's nursery with Peter Rabbit, Erik did not think so. So my mom decorated her nursery with all of my old things and so it deserved a quilt from her fabric. The rick-rack was added to ahem hide some imperfections in my fussy cutting, but I think it adds a vintage look that fits with the nursery. I gave it to her for her birthday : )

Here's our little 12 pound turkey from yesterday's festivities!

We have so much to be thankful for this year: happy, healthy baby, wonderful family, and good jobs!

I really have been so blessed to find part time work as a general dentist in Sunnyvale, Texas working with a great dentist. I've been working around 4 days a month and will work at least two days a week starting in January. I love that I get to stay home so much with Audrey, but I love being able to work in a great office with a great staff and do what I worked so hard for these past four years! Erik's having fun, too, developing a marketing campaign for me. That business degree is sure helping out! Check out the website he made for me!

We plan to decorate for Christmas one box at a time. Sounds like a good nap time activity : )

Hope you're enjoying the season!

The Nursery, the Quilt, and Some Portraits

2011-10-08T12:54:00.003-05:00

So, here it is : )

(Please ignore the piles of laundry that I just couldn't get put away in the few seconds I had to take these photos...)

The wall color is the same as every wall in our home...Summertime. We use to have such a hard time picking out beige wall color until the day we asked the paint guy at Home Depot what all the builders use. He said it was Summertime. And we like it : )

Erik did the crown molding and plate rail. We bought the letters on Etsy from Simply Sawdust and Erik sanded and spray painted them. We attached them to the wall with those 3M Command Strips.

These lovely paintings are from our dear friend Vanessa who also has an Etsy shop called Nessa Dee Art.

Aren't they perfect in the room?

The dresser is IKEA, the lamp is Target with some added ribbon, and the chair is from Walmart online. We really wanted an upholstered rocker, but they are soooo expensive. This rocker got good reviews on Walmart. You have to buy the slip cover separately, but I kinda like that it's a slip cover, anyway. It's really comfortable for me when we're nursing and my nursing pillow fits perfectly.

Right now on this wall, there's just a little black/brown chest on the floor with toys, books, and junk piled on top of it. We're looking for a bookshelf to go on the opposing wall so we can store all of that stuff. Not sure if we'll keep the chest as a toy box or what.

And the quilt makes an appearance! I did the Fat Quarterly Jelly Roll Quilt Along with fat quarters.

The fabrics are the same ones we used in the frames plus a few more. Some of the greens are so muted, it kind of washes out in all of these pictures. I need to take some in better lighting.

Some of the prints have some light blue, so I did the border in the same blue to pick it up a bit more and brighten up all the green and brown. I hand quilted it with shades of green and white using perle cotton. It went pretty quickly as I avoided the record-setting heat by watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix on our Roku with my feet propped up to dodge swelling. Yeah, it's been finished for a while now. : )

I kinda have a feeling she'll be getting a girlier quilt now that we, well, know she's a girl : )

This is the dress I wore when I came home from the hospital : )

Those dress pictures comprise my most successful photo shoot with her now that I have my new camera. The trick? Nurse, drape blanket over papasan/bouncer chair, and take some sleepy pictures!

I'm also loving my birthday present from my in-laws: a 50 mm f/1.8 lens : )

We also had some professional pictures taken by Jo Brock of Jo Brock Photography.

Sweet girl!

Labor Day

2011-09-06T19:20:00.002-05:00

I had really wanted to post about my labor day on Labor Day, but seeing as newborns often change your plans, we'll just do it today : )

This is Audrey Lorelai Mann

7 lb 1 oz, 18.75 in, born 4:48 am August 30, 2011

This is how it went down, you know, so I won't ever forget ; )

August 28, 2011

11:30 pm - my water broke right after we turned out the lights for the night

12:30 pm - our bags were loaded in the car, the doctor called

August 29, 2011

1:00 am - at the hospital, still no contractions

2:00 am - started IV, What? You're giving me pitocin without an epidural??? Yikes.

2am - 8am - went from 1 cm to a whopping 2-3 cm sans epidural all the time the nurses cranking up the pitocin and making me angry that they were witholding my epidural because I wasn't progressing. Grrr....

8:00 am - Praise Jesus! I got my epidural anyway. Now I was relaxed enough to dilate.

8am - 12am (yes, I mean midnight the next day) - dilated to 10cm very slowly

August 30, 2011

12:00 am - start pushing

3:00 am - still pushing, decide to push 1 more hour then do forceps delivery - her head was right there! Epidural wearing off...I was moving my legs easily.

4:00 am - decide to do forceps and discover upon exam that my tailbone was curving too far inward - seems that when I fell down some stairs in high school, I probably broke it and it healed that way making it hard to push the head past crowning. Dr. advised that he might rebreak my tailbone during the forceps delivery, adding to the already fun recovery. I was convinced she was so on the verge of coming, it was worth the risk. Told anesthesiologist that I didn't care about being able to "feel" where to push because I didn't want to feel anything, I told her that I just didn't want to give up pushing and have to do a c-section just because it hurt too bad. She put my legs partially back to sleep.

4:00 am - 4:48 am - a furious frenzy of nurses, resident and dr. take over the room and with just a few pushes, Miss Audrey was here!

1 Week

We were so exhausted, but she is so worth it! God has blessed us with a sweet little darling!

We went to the Dr. today for her 1 week newborn screen and to make sure that the tiny bit of jaundice she had had gone away. She's 6 lb 13 oz and 19.5 in after being down to 6 lb 7 oz, so she's eating like a champ!

I started piecing a new quilt in the last days before baby thinking I had a good week and a half to finish it. We'll see when I can pick up on that!

36 Weeks and a Quilt Top

2011-08-11T22:46:00.000-05:00

This little number is now all pieced and I'm working on the backing.

This little number still has a few weeks to go...

Everyone (including many strangers) says it's a boy. I have no prediction whatsoever.

Any guesses?

His and Her Projects

2011-07-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

While I work on all things fabric related for the nursery, Erik is taking care of the tasks involving wood.

This weekend, I finished the curtains....

This is the fabric

It's Summer Leaves from the Blue Skies Collection by Paintbrush Studios.

I got it from Sew Fresh Fabrics...they're great!

And Erik put up the crown molding.

Looking good!

My next project is piecing the quilt which is cut and up on the design wall, and Erik's project is the plate rail.

Get excited!

Need to Turn Your Scrub Pants into Maternity Pants? A tutorial.

2011-07-23T19:20:00.002-05:00

I sure did! I took a few (really blurry iPhone) pics as I did it in case anyone else out there is feeling the squeeze despite the assumption that scrub pants would, in general, be fairly baby bump friendly.

Here are the supplies I used:

I used 1/2 inch wide elastic, a t-shirt with holes in the armpits, some tailor's chalk, scissors, and my sewing machine with my zig zag foot. And a pregnant belly.

I tried on the pants and made a careful cut down the front until I was comfortable. When I do this again, I'll add about 1 inch to that to better account for the seam allowance and a little extra room.

Using the tailor's chalk, I marked approximately where I wanted the belly cutout to sit up to the sides of the scrub pants. I made a few adjustments until I was happy.

I decided that, as convenient as I thought this elastic was when I bought these pants, it need to go. So I whacked off the casing all along the back.

Ta da. Again, I'd just dip it down in the front a bit more next time. Also, these pants have pockets and I cut off whatever bit of the top of the pocket that I needed to to get to this point, but I kept the pockets. I sewed up the top later.

You can see below why I chose this shirt to donate to the cause. It has been well loved. I also chose this shirt, because in my pregnant state, it was nice and snug around my belly with a tad of that knit fabric flex.

I cut straight across the shirt from armpit to armpit. I'll save the top for my ridiculous plans for a gazillion more t-shirt quilts.

I went ahead and put the pants back on, this time with the shirt bottom to make sure it was a good snug fit at the t-shirt and comfortable enough on the pants. You can see that it's a little gaping at the top even though I know I'll be cutting it off just above my belly (I was going for over the belly on these, but I find that the t-shirt folds down nicely for an under-the-belly look, too)

While I had the pants on, I went ahead and pinned the shirt to the pants at a few spots on the bottom, and put a few in to mark where I wanted the elastic to sit on my belly at the top. I also decided I might have to add a dart to make it a little less gaping at the top on the front.

Back up in the sewing room, I took the shirt and folded it down over the pants so they were right sides together and repinned where I had marked before.

See my pins?

I went ahead and flipped the pants inside out enough that I would be able to sew with the pants on top and follow my nice cut. Here you can see the layers of the pocket I left. See? They're going to get all closed up just like before. No problem.

I sewed about a 1/4 inch seam all the way around.

Then, with my trusty zig-zag foot, I zigged and zagged the edges of my seam for a bit of support. If I had a serger, I would have serged away to do this all in one step.

Here's a really blurry iPhone picture of my zig zag. Sorry.

Now, you can flip the shirt up, and it's starting to come to life!

Now, originally, I saw a tutorial somewhere where they planned everything right and just sliced open the casing in the hem of the t-shirt, fed their elastic through, and they were done. My original hem was not wide enough for the elastic I had in my stash, so I made a new one.

I cut off the excess based on my pin markings while I had the shirt on, adding about 2.5 - 3x the width of my elastic to make the casing.

It's hard to see here, and I didn't take a pic to demonstrate, but I put the pants back on, folded over the excess that was gaping and marked where I needed to sew a seam to make a dart (is that even the right term?)

Here, I had cut off the excess leaving a 1/4 inch seam, which I also zig-zagged.

I folded over the top of the shirt about 3/4 in plus a little (my elastic was 1/2 in), then folded over again to make a casing.

This is my casing, and a barely identifiable seam down the middle of my belly. I then measured around my belly with the elastic making sure it was going to be snug with room to overlap the ends to sew them together.

Of course, I left an opening in my casing to feed my elastic through.

Post-elastic-feeding. Then I sewed the ends of the elastic together and sewed up the hole.

And here are the pants after an eventful day of dentistry.

They were sooooo much more comfortable. And since it's 130 degrees F here in Texas, I found that folding down the t-shirt into a band works just as great and is much cooler : ) I'm glad it got bad enough that I decided to do this. I made my first dart (if that's in fact what it's called), my first casing, and refashioned a piece of my actual clothing : )

Feathering the Nest

2011-07-10T21:59:00.001-05:00

Slowly, but surely, we're starting to get some of the big projects for baby rolling.

Every thing we have picked out so far has taken so much shopping and decision making: I really am exhausted. My beloved husband really does have good taste, but he insists on being a part of picking out EVERYTHING which can make it a little time consuming. I mean even the lamp was a big deal. But everything looks great so far and I still love him!

The largest task we have tackled was picking out fabrics to go in these frames and the quilt. As much as I love picking out and purchasing fabric, this task got so long-winded, I finally had to say, "We're not buying anymore fabric." My green stash overfloweth. We got the frames from IKEA and the fabric from every local quilt shop in the area and a few online stores (Sew Fresh Fabrics and Connecting Threads). The framed fabric came out great and will look even better up on the walls!

The crib was another issue, but this time, I struggled with internet shopping as we changed crib choices many times due to cribs being out of stock, the wrong color, safety recalls, you name it. We couldn't find any bedding sets we liked, so we're mix and matching and I'll make the quilt.

This is the lamp we finally settled on, and I've been working on the lattice for the shade based on a tutorial I found on Pinterest. I ended up just having to wing it because this (and most) lamp shades are bigger at the bottom than they are at the top, whereas the tute had the same circumference top and bottom. But it's looking good - I ran out of ribbon, so it's not quite

finished yet.

And I finally gave in to temptation. One of the "perks" of not finding out the gender of your baby is that you save lots of money by not being able to buy cute gender specific clothes for your baby. It's torture. So I found these super great buys on these super cute clothes at Kohl's and they let you take anything back, so the receipt is safely stashed away until baby comes. Or, I have a ready-to-go baby gift to stash for the future!

Now that we've picked the fabrics for the frames, I have freedom to start cutting for the quilt! I always intended to join the Fat Quarterly Jelly Roll quilt along and never got around to it, so here goes nothing! I'll be doing the fat quarter version, and I've cut 12 out of 80 blocks so far! : )

I'll be 8 months on Wednesday ; )

Flattered and Impressed

2011-07-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

Browsing around my blog stats led me to this great blog of Kati's called from the blue chair. She is very talented! I was flattered to find that she made a fabulous diamond quilt inspired by Courtney's quilt. It is so amazing...you really have to go check it out!

Hattie's Quilt

2011-07-04T11:37:00.000-05:00

Here's my niece-on-the-way's new quilt!

Please bear with the bad lighting and iPhone shots as we are in camera transition : ) It's getting a little old.

Miss Hattie Jane is set to make her appearance maybe late this month? Next month? Her sister was 3 weeks early and her quilt was sooo not finished, so I'm glad that I have this one waiting in the nursery for her!

I used Michael Miller's Large Whimsy and Kona White to make these coins and gave it a good stipple.

And there's some monkeys on the back ; )

So here's Hattie and her mom on the left at 34ish weeks and me and Austin/Audrey at 31ish weeks!

Guess I should get started on his/her quilt!!!

Plus Quilt

2011-06-14T21:44:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but this quilt is finished and gifted!

The members of the Garza family are the first friends I made in dental school. More precisely, Rudy is the first person I met in my dental school class. I was set to have a lunch date with his sister, Elizabeth (quilt seen here), and we were meeting at her house. Little did I know that their mom was *making* lunch and I would have the privilege of meeting all of their family + Stephen, another dental student.

Let's get this straight here: 2 brothers, 1 sister, all in dental school. Add in Stephen who was living with the family at the time. That's a lot of dental school insanity going on in one household!

Needless to say, Rudy and his family played a huge role in my life these past four years as great friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and in Rudy's case, class president : )

I figured he deserved a quilt. He also asked for one. Most everyone else in our little "group" received one upon their wedding and Rudy here is still living up the bachelor-hood. He complained that he'd never get a quilt, so I said I'd make him one when he was accepted into the Oral Surgery residency he was applying for. He matched with Houston and starts medical school in July, so here's the quilt!

I didn't think to measure, but based on Rudy's approximate height, I'd say it's at least 60" x 72"?

I made it out of scrubs : ) I had several pairs that took quite a beating in dental school, so instead of throwing them out, I cut around the stains and holes and made something useful. I started to exclude the pockets and seams, but decided they gave it character and left them in. I think that's pretty fun. The border and backing is from a sheet I had in my stash.

After piecing the top, Erik still insisted it was "boring". I think he's just used to printed fabric. But I took his comment and decided that this might be a good time to try my hand at hand quilting with pearl cotton and some crochet cotton. I chose contrasting thread for each cross, either a shade of blue or white or off-white. I think it gave it a lot of character and I'm glad I took the time to do it. I outlined each cross and quilted the border with 4 different lines all the way around.

I'm all graduated and licensed and working on insurance and registration with drug agencies so I can start practicing! I'll be substituting for a dentist for some random dates in June and July and maybe even August, so that will keep me going with my hand skills, but allow me to take it slow while I grow ever-larger. I'm seven months tomorrow and everything appears straight-forward with this pregnancy so far! This God-send of a job will also give me more time for some neglected quilting projects ; )

It's Festival Time!

2011-05-13T11:59:00.001-05:00

And now that blogger is back up and running, it's Blogger's Quilt Festival time!

This is Courtney's quilt. I originally blogged about it here.

Long post short, she's my precious college roommate who deserves a happy quilt!

It was quite a long process from the day she emailed that she liked this fabric,

to the day she came back to the states on furlough and I could give her the final product.

I'm not used to having to pay this much attention to detail when piecing, so it took a bit of work to figure it all out without a pattern or anything. I designed it to mimic the quilt Jane Austen made seen here.

I threw in some Kona solids to balance things out a bit, sashed and bordered it in Kona white, and pieced the back with the left-overs. It measures to about a twin size.

I always love giving quilts to people that mean so much to me, but I love that this one was a big surprise!

Thanks for stopping by! Have fun checking out all the other great quilts!

ETA: I found this tutorial a few days ago and this is exactly how I did it minus making the template: I bought mine at Joanns!

Baby Stuff

2011-05-11T16:39:00.000-05:00

Since we're not finding out the gender, we can't do pink or blue yet, but we sure can do maroon and white!

My brother, sister-in-law, and niece gave us this cute little diaper bag full of goodies on Mother's Day!

The little bow is a clip that can come off...just in case... : )

Thanks, Bret, Lisa and Molly! We are ready for football season come September!

23 weeks today!

Done? Almost.

2011-05-11T16:03:00.002-05:00

I've had a few days off the past two weeks as I try to wrangle my way out of dental school. I finished up this quilt top and managed to get it basted this weekend after mother's day festivities. I've spent the past few days hand quilting. I know, I should have probably just machine stippled it or something, but Erik thought it was boring and I thought a little fun pearl cotton action in several different shades of blue would pretty it up enough without making it less of a man quilt.

So, I sit and watch movies on our Roku and stitch away. I'm sure I'll finish it before the recipient moves off to continue to torture himself, this time in medical school for an oral surgery residency. I'll be sure to show the final product when all's said and done.

Speaking of all being said and done, I see my last patient tomorrow and then next week is a whirlwind of activity before the big day on Friday!

Some Real Progress

2011-04-24T19:47:00.001-05:00

I had some serious get-up-and-go this weekend.

After spending 3.5 hours on Saturday buying a car to get us through the next 5 years or so, Erik and I hit the yard and dethatched, aerated, mowed, edged, and sprayed compost tea. Today, after Easter lunch at Nanna's, Erik started the redesign of the main front flower bed and I went upstairs and did this:

This one photo represents several accomplishments:

1) I went upstairs to my sewing room.

2) My sewing room was clean enough to find what I wanted to work on.

3) I actually hung up my new Fons and Porter design wall.

4) I cut out the white squares to go along with the rest I had already cut a loooong time ago.

5) I now have this quilt top laid out and ready to piece!

I cut way too many squares out of my no-longer-wanted scrubs for this, so I'm going to have to find a good use for those left over. I have ideas already churning in my head. : )

(P.S. I passed my boards!)

Today, I Was That Person

2011-04-18T20:14:00.002-05:00

You know, the person at the cutting counter in your fabric store of choice who decides to get a ridiculous number of bolts (21) and have small amounts of fabric cut from each of them? That was me creating the line at the counter at Joann's today. They really should just cut fat quarters to sell to us crazy people.

I jumped on the bandwagon today to get Denyse Schmidt's new fabrics for several reasons:

1) I like 'em.

2) It was my present to myself for taking my licensing boards this weekend.

3) I had the day off and actually had time to go get it.

4) It is really soft, good quality fabric.

5) I like 'em.

I also got a new hoop for some larger applique I have to do in my future.

I then walked several doors down to one of my LQSs to check out their fabric but I didn't buy anything there for several reasons:

1) I didn't really fancy the fabrics that they have in stock.

2) Everything they have there is pretty much exactly what they had last time I went in.

3) I already spent too much money on something I did really like.

As often as I go to that particular shopping area and go into Joann's and said LQS, I rarely, I mean RARELY buy fabric from either store. Well, tons of Kona from Joann's and a few yards from the LQS. I always get excited and then I'm disappointed. Then I go to Super Target and that makes up for it.

Boards went...ok. I had a huge grading scare that turned out ok because of a grader error, but I won't find out if I passed any or all sections for about a month. At least it's over for now.

2 more weeks of school!

Spring Photo Dump

2011-04-18T19:44:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of April, we were invited to go to a game during the Rangers' opening weekend playing the Red Sox. Our seats look like they were great, but alas, the people sitting around us were rather crass and took away a lot of the enjoyment. Let's be nice, people!

Earlier that day, Erik and I started a major clean out of the house to start getting ready for baby. We only spent about an hour in the sewing room, but look! You can see the floor!

It's just a start, but I did actually pack away some fabric to get rid of. It's really nothing I would *ever* use and was given to me from one or both of my grandmothers because they didn't want it.

We've been taking turns making dinner at my parents' house on the weekends, and Erik took one of our turns to make a Jamaican feast using his Christmas gifts from his cousins who went there this past year.

He grilled jerk chicken...very spicy!

He even opened up a coconut for some of the recipes!

My favorite was the baked sweet potato fries!

Sorry for the non-sewing photo dump. I finally had a chance to empty my camera!

How You Doin'?

2011-04-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

I hope it's going great for you.

Things aren't too terrible over here, but I'm getting ready to take my licensing exam this weekend, so I'm a little stressed out and anxious and generally ready to get this thing over with.

Once it's all over on Sunday, I'll have a little time to chill out before my last week of rotations.

Then I have one more week of patients. Just one week. Can you believe it?

The beauty of all this (assuming that I pass this clinic-based exam with flying colors) is that once they kick me out of clinic on the 29th of April, I have a boatload of free time until graduation. And then there's the actual wait for the license before I can treat patients again. (Please note that I spent my Spring Break IN the clinic, so I'm a little pooped out. This is big!).

Free time + can't work = quilt-o-rama

I actually worked on my sewing room with Erik a bit this past weekend. You can see the floor now, so that's a vast improvement! I've managed to get rid of a small bit of random fabric that's really pretty terrible, which is big steps for this out of control hoarder. Erik kept mumbling, "how could it get this bad in just two years?"

It's going to be so nice to make stuff again : )

Gotta Get it Off My Chest

2011-03-31T21:37:00.000-05:00

And that's all I have to say about that.

A Bed for a Boy Room

2011-03-05T17:06:00.001-06:00

Thanks for all the well wishes! Things really have gone great so far and I've avoided any and all puking, which I know my patients appreciate! I really don't think that I could handle school and full blown nausea and I'm so thankful that the good Lord spared me that beautiful aspect of early pregnancy. Coupled with a good 4 days of snow days, it made my 1st trimester a dream 1st trimester! I just get home from school and die on the couch : )

In other news....

The bed is finished!

Erik made his version of the Pottery Barn Farmhouse Bed to go in our Texas themed boy room we have staged in the house.

He did a great job staining it using a new-to-him technique - wax. He said it was harder in some ways, but I really think he got it done faster and it looks great!

It's a full size bed for the 1 set of full mattresses we still have. It's just so hard for a full grown set of parents to fit in a full size bed, but at least now we have a queen in the girl room with this great bed we got at IKEA. I've always eyed it and for $99, we finally decided we couldn't pass it up. It's a really nice, sturdy bed. We got a new mattress for us and put our old queen in here.

I think the next step for these two rooms has to be bedside tables. I'll get Erik to work on that next! He he he...

I'm Really Embarrassed

2011-03-04T21:56:00.001-06:00

My last post was the beginning of January. I never really understood what caused women to disappear from their blogs and such when they got pregnant, but I get it now.

There sure is an awful lot you're more worried about than showing off your latest project.

And in reality, your latest project is a really big secret : )

So, all is well. I'm due September 7th, which happens to be the same day I was due 32 years ago!

I do have a finish! This is my father-in-law's retirement quilt. He went to Valparaiso University in Indiana, so I snagged a few shirts off eBay, a few more from various sources on the internet, and made him a t-shirt quilt. Every time I make one, I say I'll never do it again, but somehow, it happens. I'm really liking the checkerboard borders - I think it gives it some character. All the border and sashing and baking fabric was stash, so that's always a good thing.

It's my first finish of the year. Well, a finish is a finish!

It's a Lot of Squares

2011-01-07T19:57:00.000-06:00

Me: What do you think about these colors? I was going for manly...masculine.

Erik: Hmm. Drab? It reminds me of Walmart.

Me: Walmart? Because it's blue?

Erik: Because it's drab.

(And yes, my stockings are still hung by the chimney with care. They will come down tomorrow, I promise.)

Lately...

2011-01-06T22:37:00.000-06:00

My last week before going back to school, I started a new quilt...

worked on quilting this baby...

Waited around for the mail looking for my boards score...

And once I got, it went out and bought myself a congratulations purse.

It's been a pretty good week!

Mom's School Quilt

2011-01-02T22:30:00.000-06:00

You might recognize this map panel that's sold at Joann's.

I saw a quilt made from this and immediately thought of my Mom's classroom.

So I bought one online, it arrived at my house, and sat in my sewing room for at least a year.

I finally got tired of such a simple project sitting around, and found a backing for it and basted it.

I then decided to hand quilt it. Because I'm crazy.

I could come up with no other way to quilt it except to stitch along the latitudes and longitudes and since they curve, I decided the only good way to do it would be by hand.

I guess in the end, it was nice to have a mindless, therapeutic, straight-line pattern to quilt.

My markings were already there, so it really wasn't too bad.

Of course, it still took forever, but in the end, it made my Mom cry and that's all that really matters.

Courtney's Quilt

2010-12-29T17:47:00.001-06:00

Courtney is my dear, sweet college roommate.

I really do love that girl.

First, she was my suite-mate in the dorm.

Then we joined the same sorority.

Then we joined Campus Crusade.

And we went to the same church.

Then she hooked me up with my husband.

And I had my first margarita with her when I turned 21.

Then we shared a bedroom in a very shady old house in Bryan, Tx.

And we started throwing killer Christmas parties.

And then we had a nice apartment back in town.

And we shared lots of good and bad times and prayed together and cried together and all the great things great friends do.

And I really miss her.

She sent me an email a year and a half ago telling me that she really liked this fabric.

Really? Why was she looking at fabric? Huh.

It happened to be Lantern Bloom.

So I bought a fat quarter set.

Because by golly, she would get a quilt made from it!

I don't get to see Courtney but once a year when she comes home on furlough.

She has been serving as a missionary in a far away land.

A "lantern", herself, if you will.

I made sure this was ready for her when she came home this Christmas : )

So why diamonds? I've loved looking at the quilt Jane Austen made, and I've always wanted to make something like that, being a lover of all things "Jane". I bought a template at Joann's and just went for it with the sashing. I learned a few lessons the hard way when it comes to lining up (or not lining up) corners when working with diamonds, but it all came out right in the end, and I can say I learned something new. Oh, yeah and that whole bias thing. Yeah, I've had enough of that for a while!

Jane's Quilt

It's a big quilt for me, about a twin size (60+/80+). I used Kona White for the sashing, border and backing. And I threw in a few shots of Kona solids for a little added interest. And I stippled it. I hadn't stippled in a loooong time, but it all came back to me as I watched a season of The Office. I quilted it with thread from Connecting Threads, which I've been using for a while now and really liking. Especially since it's inexpensive and my machine is ok with that. I just got a spool of their new thread for machine quilting and can't wait to try it.

So, it's been a long time coming, but I'm so excited to give this quilt to her. I really hope that the amount of time it has taken me to get this done was enough to throw her completely off track and she will have no idea what's coming.

Edit: She loved it. But I'm the one that cried! I love her so much!

I decided to enter this quilt into Gen X Quilters' Love Nest Quilt Contest, so I'm adding the button here!

I've never considered entering a contest, but Anne Marie was sweet to make me aware of it and my post here already had all the details they wanted! Fun! Wish me luck!

Ok, Another Handmade Gift

2010-12-27T16:32:00.000-06:00

I saw the recipe for this stove top potpourri mix on Make It Do and just had to do it.

It's always nice to have a little something to give away to make your friends' and families' homes more enjoyable during the Christmas season!

After a trip-of-insanity to the grocery store in the rain on Christmas Eve, I divided all the ingredients up into zip-loc baggies for safe keeping. That wasn't quite cute enough, but I happened to have a stash of dish towels in my craft closet and some super fun ribbon. Perfect.

I printed up the ingredients and instructions - great if the recipient wants to try this for their friends and family!

I'm definitely doing this again next year!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:03:00.000-06:00

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Ris’n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die.

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Day One Post-Boards

2010-12-22T21:48:00.000-06:00

Had a great first day doing whatever. I. want. Woke up at approximately 10:30am. Glorious. Made gingerbread pancakes and Christmas Blend Via. Then I sat at the breakfast table and made out my Christmas cards so I could get them out ASAP! I listened to Christmas music on Pandora and marveled at the 80 degree weather (it really was sort of cold a couple of days ago!)

I then decided to start wrapping presents so I could have a better handle on what we still needed to buy and then go do it. It's nice to actually have presents under the tree!

What? No quilting! I know! Thing is, Christmas is actually going to happen and I have to be responsible about that.

But I did fit in a fun sewing project! I decided that I just HAD to get the little IKEA doll beds for my nieces, Molly and Sydney. If you've ever looked into them, you know that they do come with a "mattress", a "pillow", and a "blanket". They're not much to look at.

So decided I had to make a nice, thick matress, give it a nice fitted sheet, and give that doll a pillow that will actually support her head!

I ran with the color scheme of the flannel blanket, because if I didn't have time to make a doll quilt this time around, it would have to do. So I found a yard or so of this blue striped fabric from my stash and made little slip covers for the mattresses which I cut to size from some foam I bought years ago for who-knows-why. I wasn't into making an elastic fitted sheet or anything fancy like that, so I made little envelope covers and hand stitched them closed at the open end.

Perfect. Erik insisted on a more realistic pillow, so I used this tutorial from From an Igloo to fashion a little bit larger pillow and pillowcase so there would be one bigger but fluffy pillow per Erik's specifications. Much better!

We got Miss Molly a Tickle-me-Elmo to sleep in her bed. She has memorized "Elmo's Adventures in Grouchland" and the first bit of the movie is Elmo asleep in his bed, then singing about his beloved blanket before it gets lost down Oscar's trash can. I think she'll get a kick out of Elmo sleeping in her room! We found a great doll for Sydney made by Melissa and Doug. Her name is Olivia (Sydney's middle name), and she's the perfect size for the bed but still appropriate for her age. I really hope she likes it!

I don't think I'll be squeezing in any more handmade Christmas items. I have a quilt that will meet its new owner next week, so I have to get hopping on Day 2 Post-Boards! Lots to do!

My Crafty Husband is at it Again

2010-12-20T23:43:00.000-06:00

This time it's a real bed for the "boy" bedroom we have staged in our house.

It's a full-sized bed modeled after the Pottery Barn "Farmhouse" bed as featured on Ana White's handy little site.

He's getting pretty good at this, huh? The next step is some staining samples before deciding on the final finish. It's going to look great in that room!

I really need to start leaning on him for a sewing table...

FYI, I finished the last day of my dental boards today, so no more studying! Tomorrow: sleep late, Kerbey Lane gingerbread pancakes for breakfast, a cup of Christmas Blend coffee, and I'm off to my sewing machine! There's just so much to do!

My First Christmas Present of the Year

2010-12-18T19:27:00.000-06:00

Remember this little fabric-related post about my Wish List at Above All Fabric? I didn't win the contest, but I did win in the end!

My husband's cousin, Stephanie, also a quilter and fabric-lover drew my name for the third time in our little annual Christmas gift exchange across America. I promise, it is not rigged in anyway. Seriously, I don't even understand the craziness behind the method my sister-in-law, Monika, uses to blindly assign our super secret partners. But I'm not going to deny that I've been very lucky! After year 1, Stephanie discovered my love of fabric and for year 2, she gifted me with a lovely assortment of Amy Butler fat quarters that I'm using in my Joseph's Coat quilt that is still in its infancy. This year, she saw my post a while back and even commented on how convenient it would be to have my Wish List if she drew my name yet again.

And she did! My Nicey Jane collection is quite lovely now and I can't wait to make something beautiful with it! Thanks, Steph, for a seriously big pick-me-up on the eve of boards and in the midst of a terrible cold. It TOTALLY made my day! You're such a sweetheart!

I will add the disclaimer that although the traditional practice in the family is to place the unwrapped gift under the tree until Christmas day, the fabric arrived in a good-ole, run-of-the-mill flat-rate shipping envelope and I had no way of knowing it was, in fact, my present. Even after pulling the fabric out, I thought to myself, "I know I've ordered some fabric lately, but I thought it all arrived?!?!" It's pretty sad when you order so frequently that you can't even remember what you purchased. I thought, "Maybe I accidentally added it to my cart instead of my Wish List and even managed to pay for it?" I call it "fabric purchase amnesia". Ever experienced that? Thankfully, there was a sweet note from both Stephanie and Melanie inside to bring me back to reality.

And let's just say that I have great influence over the person who drew her name, and I know I would be pretty excited to get the gift she should be receiving very shortly ; )

Merry Early Christmas to me!

P.S. T-2 days until the quilt-o-rama of 2010 begins! Thoughts and prayers are coveted for the next 2 days of boards!

Long Time...

2010-12-16T11:16:00.001-06:00

...No blog. I can't believe my last post was at Thanksgiving! I can't say that I've done a lot of sewing/quilting since then, at least much that I can show you : ) I do have a tree up and a few other decorations here and there, but it's so hard to justify stockings and garland when I have some pretty big tests ahead of me!

I did throw together a quilt top for the gal that sits next to me at school. She was induced yesterday, and I'm glad I'll have something homemade for them, even if it's a little after his arrival. I've had a quilt cut out from some Michael Miller Whimsy since last Christmas for a couple that's been married for nearly six months now (yikes), and I had plenty of scraps left over for this coin quilt!

I just need a moment to piece a backing, baste, quilt and bind it. After finals and boards, of course!

I also finished my Lantern Bloom Diamond Quilt! I bought some extra yardage for the backing and finally got it in the washer this weekend. I just need to piece the backing, baste, quilt, and bind. Its recipient is only here through the 30th, so it's definitely a priority! This quilt measures 60x80...yeah it's pretty big.

Finally, I really need to finish the quilt for my FIL's retirement. I'm really close and would like to give it to him over the holidays. Admittedly, it's low on my list right now. I'll have 2.5 weeks of free time after boards, so I'm looking forward to lots of fun quilting time. Including work on my graduation present to myself!

I'm also planning a makeover for my sewing room! Get excited! For full disclosure, I present the "before" pictures. It's pretty sad, but I have a feeling some of you can relate...right?

In the picture above, please note the 1/2 finished ribbon wreath hanging on the door that I started last year. And all the school stuff is going in the attic! No more book tests for me!

The main question that should come out of this pictures is: "How are you going to quilt that ginormous quilt when your desk is covered with junk?" Yeah.

I really, really, really want a better way to iron than on that rickety ironing board. I have grand plans for building a table with Erik's help, but we'll see.

My little design wall is great for little projects, but I have a new one in the works after that diamond quilt 'bout did me in!

My closet is just sad. I need a better plan.

Despite all my attempts at studying, I have been able to shop a bit for my sewing space! Can't wait to get it all together and make my husband happy knowing that that room will no longer be a disaster area!

Hope your pre-holiday preparations are fun and productive! I still haven't found the star that goes on top of our tree!

Making My List for Santa

2010-11-23T00:12:00.000-06:00

You may or may not have noticed my links to fabric stores on my sidebar on the right. Go check it out if you haven't yet. You have to scroll down a little bit.

The first store listed is that of Above All Fabric. I don't even know how I first came across sweet Melanie's shop. All I know is she is a doll and I hate that I don't live nearby and can't go to her sewing parties when she has them every year! She's hooked me up with all kinds of random needs, including the fabric I'm using to make this super special quilt for my friend that will get it (in person!!!) this Christmas. I'm beyond excited. And I hope she doesn't read my blog!

She's holding a little contest that includes making a Wish List of the fabrics you want in her store. You can do it easily on her website and I'll tell you what's on my list for Santa right now:

City Weekend yardage

Fandango yardage

Nicey Jane yardage

I have precuts or fat quarters in all of these lines and I need some backing and binding fabric to round it off! I know you're going, "This is ALL you could come up with for a fabric wishlist?" But I'm being practical and thinking ahead for projects that might actually happen! What's on your list for Santa when it comes to fabric and sewing?

Thanksgiving Break: Day 1

2010-11-21T01:21:00.000-06:00

The first day of my Thanksgiving break was a busy day! We woke up without alarm clocks (unless you count our loud-mouthed cat, Reagan) and dove right in. I started making a chocolate cake only to discover that I was missing a very important ingredient: eggs.

With the cake on hold, I made the icing before we had to leave to meet my family for lunch to celebrate Erik's birthday. We ate at a little German restaurant and market called Kuby's. Reubens all around, except for Erik who had the pork schnitzel - yum! It wasn't exactly the same as the great veal schnitzel we had with his family in Austria, but it was a nice treat all the same.

We dropped Erik off at SMU's football stadium to enjoy a little college football and then headed to a local church to drop off our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. I was now car-less, so Mom first took me to the grocery store to buy eggs, and then home to continue the cooking adventure.

I made a pumpkin pie, garlic mashed potatoes, and this chocolate cake for our Thanksgiving pot luck at our friends' house. Sorry, I didn't get a before picture and when we got it home, the plan was to trash it, so I snapped a quick one before it was lost forever to the garbage can. This was the first of two planned Thanksgiving dinners and a trial run for what I could swing as far as Weight Watchers points go. A full meal with dessert (no rolls) came out to around 25 points. That's a full 6 points over my daily allowance. And that's just dinner. The Reuben at lunch sure didn't help, either. Oh, well. As Erik said, I've worked really hard the past few months, so I need to enjoy this holiday then get back on the wagon. And start exercising to help control the damage. : )

Day2 will bring some serious quilting and the start of some hard-core studying for boards. Get excited!

My Grandmother is a Hooker

2010-11-16T22:11:00.000-06:00

A rug hooker, that is : )

I'll have to showcase more of her work here in the future. She's very talented!

She called me up out of the blue one day:

Me: Hello?

Nana: How are ya darlin'? (in her Kentucky/Tennessee/Texas accent)

Me: I'm good, Nana, how are you?

Nana: I'm doin' just fine. Have I ever made you a pumpkin towel?

Me: No, I don't think so.

Nana: I didn't think I had. We'll, I'm bringin' one to lunch on Sunday for you.

Me: Well, thanks!

And that was about all she had to say to me that afternoon. : )

Isn't it darling? Hooked up real pretty by my Nana.

She was sure to advise me that it was just for decoration and not wiping up spills. And that I shouldn't throw it in the washing machine. Isn't she cute?

I'm really looking forward to some time this weekend to finish up a quilt top for a very special friend of mine. Might even have it shipped in time to arrive on the other side of the world in time for Christmas!

It might be a little ambitious to have quilt gifts planned for Christmas presents that I haven't even started yet. Especially since I take boards 5 days before Christmas! And especially since I'm behind on 2 wedding quilts and 1 baby quilt (well, the baby's not here yet, so technically I'm not behind yet!) Yikes. We'll see how all that works out. Probably in the form of IOUs!

I'm in Love, I'm in Love and I Don't Care Who Knows It!

2010-10-28T18:28:00.000-05:00

Have you gotten yours yet?

WIP Weekend

2010-10-24T16:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday it rained. All day. Erik and I spent most of the day on the couch, watching all of the college teams that we wanted to win do just that. Except for Iowa - I'll be paying the price spending the entire week in clinic with a professor who has an Iowa Hawkeye hand-painted porcelain crown in his mouth. He'll be sorely disappointed.

While on said couch, I spent the day almost finishing the handquilting on a secret project that I never should have hand quilted. I don't know what I was thinking. You'll understand next week when I show you what I made. Yeesh.

At about 10:00 pm last night, I remembered that I had intended to *make* my grandmother's birthday gift and never got around to it. Since we had lunch over there today, I felt compelled to stay up until 2:30 am or so to start and finish these:

No pattern, and I just used scraps from the table runner I made her a while back. I've always wanted to make those little folding pot grabbers and I think I have a pattern from some site saved somewhere, but when you have sewing mania late at night, you just go with it, right? I think they turned out great and I had just enough Insul-Bright in my stash to make these.

While over there, today, I took a good look at the quilt I made her for her 80th birthday from my great-grandmother's fabric. I decided I needed a better picture than the one I have, so I laid it out. Apparently, taking quilt pictures with a toddler in the room is just like taking a quilt picture with cats in the room. She got so excited about all the "squares" and I caught her right in the middle of her little dance. Hilarious!

It's always hard to look at your work after several years of improving your skills and actually leaning the correct methods. I told my Nanna that I would love to take it all apart and start over and she was horrified at the thought. None of my corners match up and my hand-quilting stitches are ginormous and crooked. Just look at the puckering in the borders that should have been quilted! It was definitely a labor of love done in ignorance. For the second quilt I ever made and the first I ever quilted, it's not too bad. But it is very special.

As for the rest of the WIPs I have, I still have all evening to get some work done!

Howdy, Folks!

2010-10-16T22:01:00.002-05:00

Yeah, that's Big Tex.

Erik and I had the privilege of joining our friends Jon and Kim at the Great State Fair of Texas today.

It was a rough day. I've been on Weight Watchers for 3 weeks now, lost 5 pounds, and was faced with the need for a Fletcher's corny dog regardless of how many points it comes out to be worth.

Let's just say the number of tickets roughly equals the number of Weight Watchers points.

Unfortunately for my weekly points allowance, I also sampled the fried frito pie (amazing) and fried pecan pie (yum!). I'll be lacing up my tennis shoes tomorrow for my sins today!

Now, I know this picture is terrible, and I forgot that my flash was on, and the Aggies did lose today, but the blue ribbon says it all ; ) Whoop! I would have loved to have this afgan on my dorm room bed!

But we all know the real reason I'd be interested in going to a state fair... QUILTS!

Amidst the grand tradition of traditional quilts, quite a few stood out to me.

I really love the colors and pattern in this red, white, and blue quilt.

Here's a blue ribbon on a Christmas quilt. I like the simplicity of the Christmas tree construction.

A lovely cathedral window quilt.

This is a 30's quilt - just loved the block pattern.

Some really nice trapunto. My husband was really impressed with this quilting method.

A little nod to the wonky and some Kaffe Fassett. Definitely the least traditional quilt there.

Another 30's quilt that I liked.

We had a really great morning, came home and Erik put the finishing touches on this sofa/entry table he's been building. We brought it in from the garage, I raided the closets for decorator items that haven't quite found a home yet, and, viola! Well, almost - I'll be looking for some flowers to fill that little ceramic pot to add some color and height on the right side. Didn't he do a great job?

Tomorrow I hope to get lots of laundry and sewing done after church. I got my kona white in the mail from Simply Solid Fabric (great new shop with great service!), so my projects can carry on!

Goings On

2010-10-10T14:47:00.001-05:00

Erik finished up his built-in hutch and I finally got around to filling it! I pulled objects from closets and other rooms and gave them a new home.

I had the luxury of sewing this weekend with no tests to study for. I made some major progress on the Lantern Bloom quilt and just had to start putting the top together. Still have a long way to go, though! Those bias seams...

I tend to work on these two quilts together since I'm doing a lot of chain piecing with the white Kona cotton. Alas, I ran out of white, so I started piecing the jelly roll squares to get some color in there. Still a long way to go.

Today, I'm chilling at home with a minor cold and working on this little secret project and watching movies.

I don't think I've ever shown you my sewing basket. My grandmother bought it at a flea market for me because it reminded her of the one her mother had. I had some of this home dec weight fabric in my stash, so I made a gathered lining.

I also made a pin cusion/storage piece that sits nicely in the lid, but shows my lack of skill when making stuffed objects. It's definitely not a nice, perfect circle, but it works and holds my stuff.

And what am I watching?

When I was in high school, I was addicted to AMC and quickly fell in love with Audrey Hepburn. I had a VHS filled to the brim with one movie after another that I often studied and wrote papers to even into college and beyond. Mom and Erik both knew I meant business when I was working with Audrey on. It also meant it would be a long night : ) Once VHS died, I lost my movies: Funny Face, then Breakfast at Tiffany's, followed by How to Steal a Million, and lastly, Charade. I found these at my Half Price Books and snatched them up. Still looking for How to Steal a Million. It'll be a nice afternoon with my sewing and a box of Kleenex.

At least...

2010-10-03T17:21:00.000-05:00

...I have some pretty things to look at while I study. I'm going a little pre-cut crazy right now, huh?

Ok, maybe he's not *pretty* but I'm glad he keeps me company.

P.S. It's pretty sad that I'm using this quilt as it is still basted and only very partially quilted.

I'll have to get on that.

The Evidence (or What's Been Keeping Me From Studying This Weekend)

2010-09-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Back to the real world. I really shouldn't combine my study room and my sewing room.

Yesterday It Was My Birthday...Hung One More Year On the Line

2010-09-26T16:30:00.002-05:00

Actually it was last Wednesday. Turned 29 yet again : ) Wanna see what I got?

Flowers from Erik and my sister Casey...

A little wine from my little sister...

A lovely selection of reproduction tea cups from my parents...

Some fuel from my friends Rudy and Elizabeth that is already being put to good use...

Some pretty earrings from my NaNa and a little cash from my Nanna and Grandaddy (going to new tennis shoes)...

A date night from my sister-in-law and her husband...

A fall decoration/work-in-progress from my brother and his wife...

A new bedding set from my husband...

And last but not least, the goods from my in-laws...

I tried really hard to only spend part of that gift certificate and save the rest, but I just have absolutely no self-control. It's sad, really. I'm looking forward to a really fun package!

I also ordered a few things for myself which are yet to arrive.

1) Some relaxing bath stuff. The Spongelle was mentioned on PW's blog and I caved to temptation and some Tree Hut salt body scrub. A girl's gotta do what she can to get through dental school.

2) Elizabeth's book which I am still eagerly awaiting. It'll really be a "you're almost to the end of the semester, you can do it!" present since it comes out in November, but we'll call it a birthday present to myself to make it sound better.

It was casually celebrated Wednesday night with Taco Cabana takeout at my parent's house and a cake Erik made. Friday night, we all went out to this really cool catfish joint in the middle of nowhere called Fish Camp and got to have their absolutely amazing Pecan Praline Bread Pudding. YUM. I mean it's heaven. Here's a picture from their menu.

They have a great band that plays just about anything and we danced and sang along. We had a great time! Today we celebrated at my Nanna and Grandaddy's house and watched the Cowboy game.

The end.

The Answer is: Yes

2010-09-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm still here.

Yes, I still quilt. Sometimes.

I know I've been absent, but there's been lots to do! By the end of the week, the laundry is almost insurmountable, the activities endless, and the need for rest - paramount.

Last weekend, Erik and I ran a 5K here in Rockwall. Since Rockwall is a small town, and only about 200 people or so ran this 5K, it was unlike most other races we run: we actually had to run the entire thing. See, most races have such a glut of people at the start that if you want to run, you have to get there early (ha!) or work for it (dodge strollers and walkers). We had none of that...in fact we were passed up by most of the jogging strollers because those people were serious! But it was fun. It was followed by a barbeque rib and chicken cook-off in the town square. Let me tell you, there is nothing like finishing 3.1 miles and then finding someone offering you a pulled pork sandwich. Only in the South!

We then cleaned up for my Williams family reunion we hold annually. This year, since Erik and I dove into the whole Ancestry.com thing, we, or at least I was on stage for this one. We had power point presentations and photo boards and Flickr groups set up so we could scan all our family's precious photos and share them. It was a good time.

So, because I'm tired of craziness....this weekend is for me.

I do have to study, and do laundry, and study. I have a HUGE pharmacology test over pretty much every drug that I need to do well on so I can be cleared to take boards. Yeah, I have to pass a test to be able to take a test. Ergh. But I *will* quilt, darnit. It's going to happen!

I'm finishing up the quilt top for my FIL's retirement quilt. I'll do that tonight and maybe piece the back, too. Then it's sandwich time!

I joined the Fat Quarterly Jelly Roll Quilt Along because I have a lovely jelly roll of something sitting on my shelf waiting to be made into a gift for a lovely someone. I know I'm behind, but this will be a great way to make something nice - FAST!

I really, really, really need to get a quilt into the mail to make a long trip to a dear friend of mine, so that's also on the horizon. I'm getting really excited about it. What a seriously unexpected surprise! I love it! I want to have a video camera running in the box so I can see her face when she opens it!

Sorry for no picutres right now....all these secrets!

And lastly, my Hope Valley still stuck to my design board. Alas, I will get to you one day...

Fitness Friday

2010-08-27T21:26:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it may not seem like much, but for mainly walking, I think a fairly visible line on a map this size says something. My main goal right now is redefining that line that used to be on my lateral thigh where some fascia runs down the vastus lateralis. You know the line I'm talking about? (I had to look up that vastus lateralis part...we never dissected the leg as we dentists tend to stay above the waist, thank God!) I'm working on it.

My sewing time has been zilch, zero, nothing. School wipes me out and I come home to crash on the couch. We've even stopped cooking dinner - it's horrible. I'm lucky if I have clean scrubs to wear. I need to be better about working on little hand stitching projects while I'm crashed, although I'm sure my eyes and hands enjoy the rest they get. I did get some of the Hope Valley I ordered for my graduation quilt backing in the mail today, so that made me happy. It's so pretty. I went with the burgundy/gray flowers that are so Aggie-esque. I love it. I need some more.

Hope you get some sewing done this weekend! I'll be community servicing, Italian dinnering, bowling, and celebrating my dad's 60th birthday!

Haiti

2010-08-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

I'm still following the blog of a sweet missionary couple who lived through the earthquake disaster in Haiti and are back there after a short summer furlough. It's still seriously crazy over there.

Today's post was written by a midwife/missionary friend of theirs serving the women in their area and their babies. The post doesn't need pictures or videos to make you realize the need for decent hospital care in Port-au-Prince. I've never given birth, so I can only guess at how horrible this experience is for these women. Those of you that have, imagine bringing your sweet darlings into the world that way. Wow.

I decided that helping them build a hospital was more important than getting my hands on some Fandango. Will you help, too? There's a link on the post and you can give very easily using Paypal.

Have a great week!

Abby

Fitness Update

2010-08-22T18:31:00.002-05:00

I made my first 25 mile mark, and I earned myself a fat quarter! So I promptly went out and purchased 3 yards of kona cotton white and 2 yards of hope valley for the sashing and back of my hope valley quilt I'm giving myself for graduation. How many miles does that work out to? 500. Well, I've already made it 25, so it's more like 475 miles. Wow. I have to run quite a ways to make up for this weekend's shopping splurge. Maybe every 25 miles, I can buy 5 yards? Yeah, that sounds so much better.

I did sign up for a 5k. I usually run the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure every October/November depending on which city I've been in at the time, and I'll do it again this year. Then I run the Capitol 10K in Austin in the Spring and in dental school, I've also run the Dental Olympics 5k in the spring, well, once during first year. But THIS fall, I'm also throwing in Rockwall's Rib Rub & Run 5k. Yeah, that's right - you run 3 miles, eat ribs, shop the downtown square, farmers' market and art market, and listen to live music. I'm so there!

So, despite my lack of will-power when it comes to fabric purchasing, I've been doing great with the exercise program that we're using. http://exercise.lbl.gov/ You start on the east coast and literally run across America. Every time you enter mileage, you see a picture of the road you're running on and see what town you're in. I'm currently somewhere in Virginia west of Jamestown. Yeah, 25 miles from the Atlantic is not that far. The kicker is that it also tells you how many miles to your next town, so you get a goal. I'm so ready to get out of Jamestown, and even more ready to get out of Virginia. I need a new state big time! So I continue to walk/run. And not spend much time at my sewing machine. I'm so going to have to fix that....

Current Activity

2010-08-15T22:02:00.002-05:00

Erik and I took yet another road trip on a hunt for cities in which I could possibly practice. This time we went to Marble Falls in the Austin area hill country. We took the back roads down and passed through Lampasas where we ate at Storm's on recommendation from my cousin Billy. Yum-o.

After the old-fashioned drive in, we stopped off at Longhorn caverns and took a 1.5 mile hike through the depths of the cave carved out over time by a river. Best part about it: as soon as you entered this outside area where the entrance was, the temperature dropped to like 75 degrees (it's been over 100 in Dallas for an eternity). Inside the cave, it was more like 68 degrees. Heaven.

I didn't get a lot of good pics in the cave, but we saw 3 bats and lots of pretty rocks. All the colonies of bats left due to all the humans barging in and the 40 or so that live there are individualistic bats. See, I learned something.

The rest of the trip was filled with pepto bismol, lots of liquids and a cool hotel room. We got some kind of bug that left just as fast as it came, but pretty much ruined our Saturday. Sunday, we went into Austin and visited our friends Vanessa and Jon and their amazing kids and had lots of snow cones!

This past Thursday, my family went to the concert by the lake to hear Four-Way Street, a Crosby, Stills, Nash (and a little Young) cover band. They were pretty good! We pulled the boat up to the docks, anchored, jumped into the bath - I mean lake - water and enjoyed some tunes. Perfect. Until we realized that our aft light had been stolen off the back of the boat and we had to return to the marina before dark. Boo! Those thieves cut the wires and ruined our little party! Worst part was that I didn't get to hear Suite Judy Blue Eyes. Oh, well... Our gas tank had been stolen the week before, so I think we have a problem...

But you can't stay mad for long when Molly's making her crazy face!

And finally, here's my latest project. I made a little laptop case for my new little toy. I pieced, sandwiched and sewed up a little pocket, raw-edge appliqued a flower (I'm going to put a button in the center once I find the perfect one!), added some binding, and made a ruffled elastic strap to hold everything nice and tight. The fabric was given to me by my grandmother and I have no idea where she got it from, but I like it a lot.

The HP Mini is a netbook, so I definitely downsized, but it's perfect for everything I do and it's much smaller for carrying it to school and such. I love it! I got all my music and pictures transferred and I haven't missed the CD/DVD drive at all. Plus it isn't slow and doesn't have any viruses like my old laptop ; ) I took it with me to Houston this weekend when we visited Erik's parents and it was so much easier to lug around.

And don't you think that the cover is very quilt-esque?

On the way back from Houston, we went through College Station and oohed and ahhed over all the changes that have occurred since 2002. Basically, that trip also turned into a scouting trip because now Erik's looking at real estate in Bryan/College Station. Yeesh! Really don't think that's going to happen....But now I mourn my summer as I go back to school to 8 am classes and clinic craziness tomorrow morning. I'll take part 2 of boards in December, clinical mock boards and the real deal in the spring, and graduate in May. May 20, 2011 at 10am at the Meyerson Symphony Hall in case you were wondering ; )

I'm in Love

2010-08-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

All I did was put a few squares up on my design wall and I was smitten. I love Hope Valley. It has just enough of a hint of fall colors that it almost makes me o.k. with going back to school. For the last time ever.

This one will be all for me.

I have a jelly roll, too, so I think I'm going to border these squares in white and then cut up some white squares and border them in the jelly roll. I've also thought about 1/2 square triangles. I could also go kinda paintbox-style with this. I've also thought about a million other designs and browsed flickr and my "want to make" files, and I just can't make up my mind. Any ideas?

In the just about finished category, let me present you with these curtains:

Erik asked for curtains for the "girl" room we have staged last November for his birthday. Ahem.

I just need a quick hem along the bottom. Sorry, these pictures are terrible with the afternoon sun.

Anniversary Cake

2010-08-01T10:30:00.006-05:00

On August 1, 2009, Erik and I made the trek out to Texarkana to see our friends Jon and Kim tie the knot.

Remember the quilt I made them?

Anyway, a year has gone by, and much to their dismay, the top tier of their wedding cake did not survive.

Lovely, cake, no?

So Jon asked me to secretly make another tier to match the original to surprise Kim on their big day. Pineapple filling and all! I even had silver ribbon already in my stash! See, a stash is a good thing! I encouraged Jon to get some fresh hydrangeas from the grocery store to make it even more special. It would also cover up some of the wonkiness on the top ; )

Happy Anniversary, guys!

(in light of my fitness commitment, I would like to add the disclaimer that I only had a few bites of "leftovers" and very minimal icing - I gained quite a few pounds during my cake making days - yikes)

Fitness Friday

2010-07-30T12:51:00.000-05:00

Anyone else out there joining in on this venture? I seriously need to get off my butt more and if it's the only way I can get new fabric, I'll be more likely to do it. Jacquie at Tallgrass Prairie Studio and Katie at Sew Katie Did started this adventure and their take on it is to make something, earning fabric pieces (from their stash) for each mile. Earn enough miles, you can piece the fabrics together. I, on the other hand, need to be allowed more fabric rather than permission to put the pieces together, so I've improvised a bit on the rules, if you will.

So for every 25 miles, I get to buy a fat quarter. Get it? It may seem a bit much, but if I stick to 2 miles/day (which is about how far it is around the neighborhood I live in...), every two weeks I get a 1/4 yard. That's 1/2 yard every month. Since I'm on a fabric fast, this will be better than nothing, right?

So here goes nothing! I guess I'll go eat lunch and then get my running shoes on!

This Could Be Why...

2010-07-17T22:56:00.000-05:00

...I'm not getting any hand quilting done. She's very fond of napping in my quilting frame. I can't decide if it's cute or annoying.

But it could be that I've been pretty busy finishing up school for the summer. I still have a handful of days of school-related events during the next two weeks, but I should have much more time on my hands to get some of these slow-going, hand sewing projects a little further along. (See Joseph's Coat, Wall Hangings, and Aunt Bertha's Quilts in my UFO list).

Also gotta hop to it on a few other items on that list that are a little hush hush....

Oh, and Erik's had me busy helping him with a little fabric art project he came up with that allowed me to purchase some fabric (gasp!). Here's what I got to order a little bit of:

Hope you're getting more done than I am!

Yasmin's Quilt

2010-07-11T00:12:00.003-05:00

Tonight was my friend, Yasmin's, co-ed bridal shower and we had a blast! The food was amazing, her family is always so sweet and it was great being with all my dental school friends for a fun evening. I got to give her the long-awaited quilt and she loved it! It was so much fun!

See, Yasmin and I had a chat about her quilt before I even started on it. It went a little something like this:

Yasmin: "So, isn't a quilt supposed to have meaning, to represent something in a person's life?"

Me: "It can...in fact, I've been researching Islamic art to see if there was something I could use in a quilt."

Yasmin (sounding very surprised): "Really?"'

Me: "Yes, I have." *wink*

So after deciding on the 8-pointed star, buying a template to make it out of diamonds, chaning my mind, finding nothing to help me out on the internet, buying one set of fabric, totally scratching that when Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow came out which HAS the Islamic star IN it, then finally finding Modify Tradition's tutoral that makes the star, I was in business.

I made the quilt top and then thought, "I sure hope all the colors and patterns in the quilt are appropriate for a wedding gift. I mean, what if trees represent the afterlife or something like that in Islamic art? That would be terrible!" After a little research, trees, turquoise, dark blue, white and earth tones are all very good things, so no worries ; )

The pieced back...

The label....

Can't wait for the wedding!

While I had a few extra hands, I took some better pictures of my sister's value quilt while I had it in my possession...

I never got a picture of the back...

And remember these? Erik and I went out today and bought frames and mattes and he did a great job hanging them in the kitchen! You're sure to see many more projects as we get the house we built ready to sell. *tear*

Blog Remodel

2010-07-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

I was compelled to do a little blog remodel after getting some inspiration from Jill. I've had a love/hate relationship with Picnik, especially after I discovered the joys of Picasa for editing my photos. Picnik would just run really slow sometimes, but now that I have a new use of its features for making blog headers and all other graphic tidbits I desire, we're back on. I still have a few kinks to work out with my update, but I'm loving all the possibilities Picnik has to offer since I'm completely photoshop challenged. Thanks for the tips, Jill!

Sightings

2010-06-30T22:30:00.001-05:00

I just love it when I find quilts getting love from my friends and family.

Exhibit A: Elizabeth's quilt seen here on the bed with her dog Patch. *collective awwww*

Exhibit B: My niece Miss Molly in her big girl bed with her quilt. *another collective awwww*

(Yes, she is two and iPhone proficient!)

I get to give another one away on the 10th and it's coming along nicely...a little quilting every night and I'll knock it out this weekend. I love it. I told Erik that I want to keep it. It's time to break out my Hope Valley and make a quilt for me ; )

More Non-quilt-related Gifting

2010-06-25T22:26:00.000-05:00

Erik's college roommate and my roomie for a summer, Jeff and Beth had a baby and we got to meet her tonight : ) Our friend Jennifer also got to come up from Houston, so we had a little party. I made sure to hold Miss Cate for a good while so mommy could have a break and promised to hand her off to Jennifer when she got fussy, because that's the kind of friend that I am ; )

I was sure to take gifts, so I whipped up a few things using my well-stocked stash:

The blankie was snagged at Ross or Marshall's - one of the two - and I appliqued the "C" using fabric left over from my niece, Sydney's, quilt.

The onesies were snagged on clearance at Walmart (there's a third with little flowers that I gave her as well, but didn't need embellishment in my opinion). Again, fabric from Sydney's quilt.

I love a quick, special gift!

You Win Some, You Lose Some

2010-06-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend was not only Father's Day, it was my niece's 2nd birthday.

She's a doll and I love making things for her!

I found this little pink backpack at Joann's and embroidered her name and a flower. I stuffed it full of learning activities I found at the dollar store. She loves her ABCs and 123s!

I also included this little soft book. I bought the panel at Walmart when she was born (before the fabric department vanished into thin air).

I embroidered her name inside.

I love the sweet little truths in this book.

And lo and behold....a quilt top. Kind of. It needs a border. I also see the two dot blocks in the bottom left hand corner right next to each other and it's driving me crazy. I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I can just say that it represents the bride and groom? Maybe? Erik refuses to let me fix it, so I'm going to have to do it while he's not home. : )

I think I can manage to really finish this quilt top this weekend and maybe even get it basted : ) The wedding shower is July 10th!

How Lazy....

2010-06-08T23:08:00.001-05:00

...Is too lazy?

Yeah, that little picture up there represents a charm pack (I said *charm pack*) of all white bella solids. Who has time to cut squares in solid fabrics anymore? Not me. I bought some of these from the Fat Quarter Shop today and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Jelly roll for sashing strips? They've got 'em. Also available in red, brown, black, neutral, snow....mmmm. There are not many occasions I'll pay extra for the luxury of laziness, but time is critical, here, people!

I have some serious antique mall finds to show you, but I left my camera at my parents' house. I have a wall hanging and table runner in mind using them, once I'm done with 50 other projects I'm not working on right now, of course. And let's just say that if my husband hadn't been rolling his eyes at me and I had an extra $80 in my wallet, I'd have a whole quilt to finish piecing. *sigh* Maybe I'll go back one day and those wonderful vintage hand pieced scrappy circles will still be there screaming for someone to bring them to life!

May Flowers and my UFO Progress

2010-05-29T23:17:00.003-05:00

Our crazy, haphazard garden is all a-bloom. Erik planted seeds and a few bulbs wherever he felt like it and sure enough, they all came up!

Even the bluebonnets he planted in March?!? It's nice to have a few bluebonnets in May!

I went to my first Saturday Sew with the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild today! I'm so sad I've missed everything that's happened so far, because I'm playing catch up meeting people and I'm slow enough at that as it is : ) But it was a good time, and I was surprised at how productive I was. I'll definitely go to the next one if at all possible!

I got there still in the planning stages with this quilt, but here's what I accomplished today:

This is on my UFO list as the "stars quilt". See the star in the middle? That's what I'm going for! There was no way I was going to piece that critter, so I opted to take the easy way out and piece around it : ) Believe it or not, I hate piecing and was actually going to applique this before I convinced myself to suck it up and learn how to match up seams and make decent points. 3 more groups of 4 and I should be done. I used the center portion of the Quatrefoil pattern on Modify Tradition to create this cross pattern, and the line of fabric is Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow.

This is also on the list as the "undecided quilt". Once I realized it had to be a t-shirt quilt, I jumped on eBay and bought up all the Valpo shirts I could find, and even got a few new ones at Walmart.com. This one's a secret retirement gift for my father-in-law, so Evelyn, if you're reading this, Shhh!

I just lack a few sashings and then I'll piece it all together (the first row is done!).

I still have some good weekend time ahead of me, so I hope to get a lot more done!

Quilt Festival!

2010-05-21T12:14:00.000-05:00

When it came time to pick a quilt for the Blogger Quilt Festival, I immediately thought of the quilts I've made that I would want to have. And they were girly. 'Cause I'm a girl. But I really do love this quilt! It's so colorful and happy and cheerfully modern.

It was made for my cousin's baby boy, although it could totally be gender neutral.

Despite recent post's comment about breaking quilting rules and not using patterns, I actually used a pattern. Kind of. Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts fame gave the super easy instructions for this quilt on her blog and I even went so far as to cut out each little piece per her measurements. But it was sooooooo easy. Go take a look....go on. See? That is so not a pattern, right?

It's made from the super fun Peas and Carrots line and coordinating solids, stippled all over, and I *heart* the pieced back.

So, thanks for stopping by my little blog on this festival tour! Now go check out everyone else's creations! : ) Come back later and see what I've been up to this week (once I get it finished, find my camera, and get it all up here.....how 'bout Sunday?)!

My Finals are Still Holding Me Hostage

2010-05-15T10:44:00.000-05:00

This time Tuesday I will be free from my third year of dental school and ready for some serious me time in my sewing room. I have so many projects on that UFO list over there that need to be finished....in June! So many projects....And I just got a load of fun templates in the mail from Joann.com, so I'm ready to try them out - flying geese, dresden, diamonds - so excited!

I ordered my copy. Have you gotten yours? I'm super stoked. Although I've never had the time to participate in one of Elizabeth's quilt-alongs, I've referenced her tutorials many times and they have improved my quilting so much. She basically taught me how to machine quilt, although she has no idea who I am. I love the internet! And I'm so making the quilt on the cover. It's amazing! Anywho, you can pre-order on Amazon.com, so go get it! It'll be a long wait until November : (

Confessions

2010-05-11T20:45:00.001-05:00

There have been a handful of basic quilting technique tutorials out in the blogosphere lately. Ya know, things like how to piece perfect corners, how to baste your quilt...basics. As a self-taught, impatient, non-traditional quilter, I pretty much break all the rules and I feel the need to confess. Just a few things to get off my chest:

1) I don't alternate the direction of my seams so they nest nicely and neatly in each other, nor do I press them open. I press them. And whatever direction they go, so be it.

2) I don't tape my quilt backing to a hard surface so that things are nice and taut and then baste. I smooth everything out *real nice* on the carpet (please use the voice of Cousin Eddie in your head as you read this), make my layers line up *real nice*, plop a few safety pins in the middle to hold it all in place in the center, roll it up, and take it to the couch to sit in front of the t.v. and baste...gasp...in my lap. No kidding. In my lap. On the couch. Oh, I make it taut between my knees and smooth carefully as I radiate out, but I have to be comfortable as I do this : ) Does it work? Absolutely. I dare you to try it. Sometimes I sit on the floor, but that's as close to basting on the floor as I get.

3) I don't pin, as a general rule. I find that it's an extra step that just takes up time. And I tend to drop pins on the floor all the time, so then I have to pick them up. Even more time.

4) Rotary cutting is not about accuracy for me. In fact, I'm such a chicken that I'll cut something just short of what it's supposed to measure that I always overcompensate and then I forget to go back and accurately square things up. Oops.

5) Steam or no steam in my iron? It totally depends on whether or not there is any water in my iron or if there's any water in the water bottle I keep upstairs or if I'm too lazy to go downstairs from my sewing room to get more water. I don't even know when you're supposed to use it and when you're not.

6) Seam rippers should only be used in dire circumstances, like when the tension goes out on me while quilting. Corners don't line up? No problem. I have the wrong color thread in the bobbin while piecing? No one will see it. We're talking time, people!

7) Patterns take too much thinking. And you generally have to pay money for them, although there are a lot of great free patterns out there, now. I'm just so bad at reading and interpreting someone else's description of something. If I make it up, I know what I'm talking about. And seriously, you want me to cut how many 2 3/4 x 5 7/8" rectangles? Really? Who makes up those measurements and then who actually accurately cuts them? Sorry, I'm just trying to justify my rebellion and fear. Patterns actually scare me. Give me a picture, I'll copy it. It's how I made cakes....

Ok, I feel MUCH better now. Back to finals. And dinner....

Craftiness

2010-05-10T22:27:00.001-05:00

With all the silhouette madness out there in craftblogland, I joined in just in time for mother's day.

Picture by Lisa Williams

This is my niece, Molly, made from a picture captured on our boat while she was still getting used to the idea that she had to wear a life jacket. Hence a little pouty.

Her mom, Nonni, Nana, and Nanna each received one. Me? I'm going to make one of the cats. ; )

Check this out!

2010-05-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

A friend from high school has this great blog about all things decorating called Hey Now, Whoa Now. It's super cute! You should go check it out. Her name is Amy and you'll like her a lot : )

She took some time to take some photos and blog about another friend (also from high school, well, two high schools, actually...). Specifically, she blogged about my friend's black and white (and a little red) nursery - also super, super cute!

It's just a glimpse of the cuteness - seeing it in person is so much more fun! Especially because there's a cute little boy involved. But look what I found:

photo by Amy Hadley

It's always nice to know they're still alive and have good homes once they leave your hands : ) I still am in love with this quilt...especially the Elvis fabric.

http://www.heynowwhoanow.com/decorate/black-white-nursery

I Almost Did Something Really Stupid

2010-04-20T21:09:00.001-05:00

I almost confirmed my insanity.

I almost signed up for this.

Like I can handle any BOM right now. Much less *that* one. Thanks, Paypal, for asking for my credit card's expiration date so I'd have to dig out my card and come back after dinner to find that my session had timed out. That's when I came back to reality.

At least some kind of reality in which I think this is a better alternative. Hah! I've already received the printable Sulky wash-away stabilizer in the mail from Joann.

I mean, really. Look at my UFO list over there. Craziness.

Derek and Kat's Quilt

2010-04-18T19:15:00.001-05:00

They were married in February, but it took me a while to muster the energy to get this finished for them. Derek's birthday was Thursday, so I told him he'd get his "present" on Monday at school which was just the amount of motivation I needed to push through to the end.

It's a lap quilt, no particular pattern was used - just made it up as I went. After seeing their new bedroom furniture and linens, I knew what fabric to get. That and the maroon works well for these two Ags! I stippled it over a few afternoons and bound it this weekend. Binding is my absolute favorite part of the quilting process because everything comes together so nicely. It's been rainy and cold here, so perfect weather to sit under a quilt on the couch with a good movie just sewing away, although I must admit I was falling asleep toward the end! Maybe I'll go take that nap now...

Oh, and I promised Capitol 10K pictures, so here you go! I must also provide the link to Vanessa's blog(Marion Ravenwood in the picture below) which includes pictures from our Capitol 10K debut back in like 2005.

We based our costumes mainly off the action figures:

I think we did a pretty good job : ) A friend let us know that he saw us on the news and they referred to us as the "Indiana Jones Triple Play", so we definitely had an identity! (In case you're wondering, the 4th film doesn't count in our books) One runner even ID'd me as Willie Scott, rather than the "bride" - people kept coming up and congratulating me until I took the veil off : )

We had a great time, ran the whole race, and enjoyed spending time with friends we miss so much!

Acquisitions

2010-04-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

Several new items for my home:

Erik and I installed the bottom 1/2 of the built-in hutch he's hand-crafted. Isn't it great? He designed the cabinet himself and the butcher-block is from IKEA. I'm excited to see the rest of it!

These little gems were found (actually 3 sets were found) by my grandmother as she did some Spring cleaning. I'm now on a hunt for frames so they can grace my kitchen walls!

This last item was procured by my husband on Ebay as the key element to his Capitol 10K costume. We're going with a very adventurous theme this year. I still have a sari to make before next Sunday. Any guesses - who could we be running as? Next week I'll have pics from the race....and a finished quilt : )

I'm a Winner!

2010-03-27T13:35:00.002-05:00

My quilty friend Ellen, had some give-away fun on her blog to celebrate her 1 year blogaversary AND birthday - and I was lucky enough to win some Authentic charm squares to help me cope on my fabric diet!!

Love me some pre-cuts! Thanks, Ellen! Hope you had a great birthday!

Midterm Madness

2010-03-20T16:25:00.001-05:00

It was midterm week here in dental crazy land. Tests were Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and the rest of the week I tried to take it easy. Two more tests next week and then I have nothing but patients for a good long time. Even finals seem to be light. *Sigh of relief*

This is the designated school area in my sewing room. I'm thinking about shoving it in the closet and bringing all my pretty fabrics out to display instead. I like that idea!

On a happier note, my beloved iron came back to life! I think the steam did a number on the electrical wiring or something a while back while I was having a fabric washing/ironing/folding marathon. Maybe it just needed time to dry out? Who cares, she's back and the Rowenta is back on the shelf in the closet where it can't spit water and mineral deposit goo on my fabric.

So today, as it is cold and rainy with a chance of another snow (~~yeah, whatever~~ it actually happened!), I ironed and folded my Amy Butler stash I got for Christmas....plans in the works....

And finished the blocks and pieced them all together for another project I'm working on. Borders to be attached tomorrow. I need to make it bigger and I'm tired of squares. I'm thinking first a thin-ish maroon border, then a pieced one, then a brown one. We'll see. Maybe I'll get lazy and leave out the pieced one. : )

Oh, you thought I forgot about the coffee table, didn't you?

2010-03-08T20:51:00.000-06:00

It just took a little longer than I thought it would to get it *just* right.

It's perfect! He got to take it to my Dad's shop (where they make cabinets) to finish it the right way, after a little trial and a lot of error here at the house. Luckily, wood is very forgiving and a good sanding covers a multitude of sins!

I'm really enjoying kicking back on the couch with my feet up on the table : )

Thanks, Erik! Thanks, Knock Off Wood! (...and I did help a little, right?)

Up next: a console table and a hutch for the kitchen...

I Made a Quilt for My Sister

2010-03-05T22:52:00.000-06:00

So, it's, uh, been a while. Let me catch you up a bit. I've been working on a quilt for my sister (who graduated in December *ahem*), and all during February while I worked on it....

It snowed - a lot. 12 inches, which *never* happens here in Tejas.

We made a very scary snowman. He didn't last 30 minutes before getting whacked by some kids. I don't blame them. It looks like he's out to whack everybody in the neighborhood.

Seriously, this just doesn't happen here. The last time it did was 1979. I was like 2 months in utero.

And we went to the opera. Love me some Mozart. Our season tickets are on the last row. The *very* last row. But it's still a great view and the acoustics in the new Dallas opera house are amazing. (The chandelier raises up, don't worry).

We went to our friends' wedding in good ol' Austin. The reception was at the Oasis. Yummmm.

This is what I mean by yummm. Lake Travis is so beautiful. How I miss looking at it from our front yard!

We managed to squeeze in a little side trip to our favorite little bbq spot.

It was a beautiful day! We ran by HEB, filled our cooler up, and enjoyed some great music under the trees while we waited for our table. We definitely didn't mind the wait.

OH, yeah. And I finished her quilt. I got to give it to her tonight and I'm pretty sure she likes it : )

I sashed it in muslin, and backed and bound it with this great charcoal flat sheet from IKEA (I got a few on recommendation from Amanda Jean before she bowed out from blogland- not bad). The fabrics are Amy Butler's LOVE and Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom. I used Willy Nilly's value quilt tutorial.

I gave it to her in this great oil cloth bag I got at Garden Ridge - the perfect size to gift a lap quilt in for $4! It's nice and deep!

Congrats, Casey! We're so proud of you!

(please ignore the very bloated looking me - yikes)

I'm still pretty behind in my quilting. I'm past due a wedding quilt and I'd really like to make a baby quilt for a friend whose girl is 2 months old and another wedding is coming up in June. OH, and I've already cut quilts for two girlfriends who deserve them big time. If only I were done with school....if only...

Pathetic?

2010-02-17T20:28:00.001-06:00

When I reflect about how I should observe Lent, I usually think about what seems to control my life, what habits I have that I could do without, what takes up my time that could be spent in a more God-glorifying way...and I came up with the answer. I'll give up Gilmore Girls.

I watch Gilmore Girls every day. I DVR it on ABC Family and come home from school and have my little "me" time. I've seen the entire series many times and it never gets old. It's something I look forward to everyday and get upset if for some crazy reason the DVR doesn't record it or someone "accidently" deletes it. Heaven forbid. I could definitely spend this time in a much better way.

So I told Erik, "I've decided to give up Gilmore Girls for Lent." He said, "No, no, no. I know what you need to give up." I said, "But it's something I do everyday that I could do without...a bad habit." "No," he said, "there's something mcuh bigger than that. You need to give up fabric."

But I had already been on a fabric hiatus, so it wasn't even in the running in my mind. Granted, I bought a few things recently, and batting was on sale at JoAnn's so I had to stock up, but I've really been a good girl. This was so unfair. Apparently, regardless of my attempts to reign in my fabric issues, I still have a problem. He feels like I enjoy looking at fabric and buying fabric more than I do quilting with it. Granted, looking at fabric does take a lot less effort than cutting it, sewing it, and quilting it, but what good is hoarding it? Seriously. I mean, really. I don't have a fabric problem. So I'm giving up buying fabric for Lent. Let's just say that if it *is* a problem, I should be giving it up, and if it indeed is not, this won't be very difficult. Does this still count?

Okay, now for my episode of Gilmore Girls!

My Super Day!

2010-02-07T21:55:00.000-06:00

I finished my value quilt top!

Hallelujah!

It's been a long time coming!

Earlier today, we had lunch at Nanna's. She brought out a really neat thing:

This is a signature quilt made by my great-grandmother's guild! Wow. There's a lot of my family in there.

That's Nanny Burks' block - my great-grandmother.

That's my Nanna's block.

Her sister's block.

Her cousin - I think...

I believe this is my great-great-grandmother's. Some of these end blocks got tucked under this crazy wrap-around binding - you can see it through the white

This is Aunt Bertha's block - it's her quilt top I'm quilting right now.

It was given to my grandmother recently by a woman she grew up with...I don't know whose block she's related to or why she was willing to part with it, but I certainly am glad she did! It's in pretty bad shape, but my Nanna got some good advice about rinsing some of the stains out. Unfortunately, there are some tears and holes that are beyond repair and one of the sigs is missing and repaired by a patch.

What a great, great find!

January Come and Gone

2010-01-31T21:18:00.000-06:00

Here's a pic from Breckenridge where we started out the month of January.

Being back in school has drained all of us of any and all enjoyments. Even Regan and Roxy have taken to staring matches to pass the time.

I've spent some time at my sewing machine and I really had hoped to have the value quilt top finished by today, but it looks like January will come and go without a finish. Ah, well.

I have had more time to work on Bertha's quilt. A cold front moved in and it really is perfect lounging on the couch with this blanket to keep me warm while I watch Jane Austen movies and Gilmore Girls.

Everytime my mom sees it, she comments that the quilting really makes it look better. Poor, sad little quilt top. One day, you will be beautiful!

And last, but not least, my mother-in-law, Evelyn, brought me some vintage sheets this weekend to add to my stash (thanks again!) Some "whites" to add to my blues and yellows that I already have. I really should consider cutting them up into fat quarters to make them more user friendly. One of these days....

Ok, February...2 finishes are in your future!

Coffee Table Day 1

2010-01-23T17:34:00.000-06:00

We woke up early and made the box to support the coffee table top that Erik glued together yesterday.

I'm used to using much smaller drills and much less force, but I did alright : )

By the time we had the legs made and ready to attach to this box, my body ached and it was time for more Advil and a nap on the couch. It was pretty bad this time.

Erik plugged away without me, and we have a coffee table! We plan to take it to my Dad's shop tomorrow to stain it. Erik's a little nervous about getting the color right because the poplar has a green undertone, but here goes nothing.

At the other end of the garage, this is the base of the hutch that Erik is building for the kitchen. Nice, huh?

A Little Hand-Quilting

2010-01-23T00:28:00.000-06:00

I got Aunt Bertha's quilt top basted today, and upon using up all of my safety pins (which is a LOT),

I came down with chills and aches and took some Advil and plopped myself on the couch

underneath this giant (it's between a full and a queen) and watched lots of tv.

I just can't seem to shake this sinus thing, but at least I now have a great couch-bound activity : )

It's going to take for-ev-er. I found out that she was practically blind when she hand-pieced this which is AMAZING, but it leaves me with some interesting blocks - so interesting, that pressing the top didn't really help much. There's a lot of puckering and bad seams, and every time I fix something, I find another place that needs fixing. But I think it will come out all right in the end...

Get excited about some coffee table action tomorrow! Erik glued some of the pieces already so they can dry overnight and we can get 'er done in one day!

I Quilted this Week!

2010-01-20T20:59:00.000-06:00

Baby steps, but I've warmed up the sewing machine again. I have Friday off, too : )

But this weekend I'm building this coffee table with my husband!

This blog is Awesomeness. Pure Awesomeness. With a capital "A".

It's the only way I'll finish furnishing my house.

Also, I'm so excited to spread the word that the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild will be having its first meeting on February 4 @ 7pm at City Craft!!!

I Declare Tomorrow a Day of Quilting and a Look at Haiti

2010-01-17T23:18:00.001-06:00

Excluding the following non-crafty bit, I'm tired of posting about things other than quilts. I remedy that tomorrow.

This link is to the blog of a sweet couple (friends of a friend) on mission in Haiti. Now, instead of documenting the Christian school where they work, they are documenting the ongoing relief efforts in their immediate area as they serve in whatever way they can. It's a really personal look into all that's going on there. I'm going to follow them in prayer in their journey...

Ben and Katie in Haiti

Go therefore...

2010-01-13T21:13:00.003-06:00

And check out the amazing modern scripture art that my brother and his

friend are creating at modverse.com!

They are offering quality prints at a great price
and there are many styles to choose from!

You can also follow their Facebook page here.

I can't wait to frame mine!

Dallas Modern Quilt Guild

2010-01-10T20:07:00.002-06:00

Live in the DFW area?

Love modern fabric?

Love to make modern quilts?

Lisa, of Sophia Aster, has just started a modern quilting guild for Dallas area quilters and I'm so excited!

We're communicating on a Ning network (yeah - I just heard of that for the first time 5 minutes ago),

and you can join by following the link, here:

http://dallasmodernquilters.ning.com/

This literally *just* started - like, I got home from Colorado, got on FB, and saw on her fan page that she had created this group today!

We'll set up a time to get together soon, so get in on the action!

One thing I've actually done in this new year...

2010-01-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

...is add my blog roll back to my blog. Here's the deal:

Last year, I completely deleted it, transferred everything to Google Reader, and became addicted. Seriously addicted. I probably added like 100 new blogs, all with great people and amazing ideas.

But you lose all the personal touches of a blog when all you do is read them in the sterile, boring view of Google Reader. (sorry, GR!!) We all carefully design our blogs and they represent us, and I felt like I was "losing touch" with people that probably have no clue who I am, but it still bothered me. It's so much harder to comment and I found myself on the outside looking in and rarely participating. I started getting people mixed up and not even really realizing who was posting what because I wasn't associating it with their actual blog, the design, the picture of their smiling face in the sidebar...

So, I added everyone to my blog roll. Yes, all 170-something of them. Only the 25 most recent posts will show, but I'm still reading every one of them. And I will try to pare it down as the year goes on...you know, the whole "all things in moderation" deal.

So, it's nice to see all my peeps again, for real. As real it can be in the world of blogs and all...

Time to do something with fabric now....I gotta get a project ready to take to CO with me ; )

Quilts of 2009

2009-12-31T10:00:00.003-06:00

Whew! 14 completed, 2 WIPs, and several little crafty/sewing projects along the way. This represents 9 babies, 1 high school graduation, 1 college graduation, 2 weddings, a quilt for a really deserving guy, a team effort, and a quilt for me.

I'm excited about the quilts I already have in the planning stages for next year and I'm excited to see everything my quilting peeps in the blogging world will come up with in the year to come!

I hope to make it a stash-busting year with lots of new techniques and design ideas!

Oh, I'm Sorry! You Haven't Been Introduced....

2009-12-27T18:10:00.000-06:00

This is a quilt top made by my Great (great?) Aunt Bertha.

(I did not spend my Christmas holiday doing this as I am not that good)

She used to get scraps from a local shirt factory for her quilts. My mom has another top - she shows it to her class every year when they read a book - I really couldn't begin to tell you which book. I'm glad those little whipper-snappers are learning what a quilt top is.

I got this particular top from my maternal grandmother who is not related to Aunt Bertha. In any form or fashion. I don't know how she ended up with it and she decided it was better than I have it and I'm sure not going to argue with her!

In the above picture, you can see the only place in the quilt where the direction of the triangles is reversed. Did she do this on purpose? Is there something to "finding" the pieces that don't belong? Huh.

And then I found this here spot where she has a triangle with the wrong side facing out?!?!

Since she hand pieced this grand gal, it's no surprise that, over the years, a few repairs need to be made.

I love to imagine what the shirts really looked like as entire shirts, I mean, seriously. What about this brown, green and red number? Wow!

I mean, wow.

Mmm, citrus-ey!

Again, would love to see who bought and wore a shirt like this!

She needs a good pressing, those two repairs, and then I'm basting her up!

I've been planning to hand quilt this for a long time now.

I'm thinking Baptist fans.

Any other suggestions?

Jesus is My Favorite Christmas Gift...

2009-12-25T12:43:00.000-06:00

but I'm really liking this one, too!

(you can buy this fabric at http://www.belsizesquare.com.au/store/)

Giving fabric to a fabriholic when she's in husband-mandated rehab...it's dangerous territory, Stephanie! This quilt will be for ME!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Crafts by Abby

Christmas!???

My Current Project's Progress

Back in the Saddle Again

The Nursery, the Quilt, and Some Portraits

Labor Day

36 Weeks and a Quilt Top

His and Her Projects

Need to Turn Your Scrub Pants into Maternity Pants? A tutorial.

Feathering the Nest

Flattered and Impressed

Hattie's Quilt

Plus Quilt

It's Festival Time!

Baby Stuff

Done? Almost.

Some Real Progress

Today, I Was *That* Person

Spring Photo Dump

How You Doin'?

Gotta Get it Off My Chest

A Bed for a Boy Room

I'm Really Embarrassed

It's a Lot of Squares

Lately...

Mom's School Quilt

Courtney's Quilt

Ok, Another Handmade Gift

Merry Christmas!

Day One Post-Boards

My Crafty Husband is at it Again

My First Christmas Present of the Year

Long Time...

Making My List for Santa

Thanksgiving Break: Day 1

My Grandmother is a Hooker

I'm in Love, I'm in Love and I Don't Care Who Knows It!

WIP Weekend

Howdy, Folks!

Goings On

At least...

The Evidence (or What's Been Keeping Me From Studying This Weekend)

Yesterday It Was My Birthday...Hung One More Year On the Line

The Answer is: Yes

Fitness Friday

Haiti

Fitness Update

Current Activity

I'm in Love

Anniversary Cake

Fitness Friday

This Could Be Why...

Yasmin's Quilt

Blog Remodel

Sightings

More Non-quilt-related Gifting

You Win Some, You Lose Some

How Lazy....

May Flowers and my UFO Progress

Quilt Festival!

My Finals are Still Holding Me Hostage

Confessions

Craftiness

Check this out!

I Almost Did Something Really Stupid

Derek and Kat's Quilt

Acquisitions

I'm a Winner!

Midterm Madness

Oh, you thought I forgot about the coffee table, didn't you?

I Made a Quilt for My Sister

Pathetic?

My Super Day!

January Come and Gone

Coffee Table Day 1

A Little Hand-Quilting

I Quilted this Week!

I Declare Tomorrow a Day of Quilting and a Look at Haiti

Go therefore...

Dallas Modern Quilt Guild

Today, I Was That Person