The Final Countdown

The craft fair is tomorrow. I am very nervous. I had a dream last night that I sold one thing. It made me sad. Yesterday, I had two custom orders to deliver. First was this t-shirt quilt. It's ginormous, but so soft.

 Then this cute tote bag. I just love these fabrics!

 For the craft show, I've been working hard. I don't have the variety that I have had in years past, but I think that's okay. I have a couple of table runners:

 A lot of crayon folios:

I have a few other things that I forgot to take a picture of. Back to work and wish me luck!

Last Week

My craft show is this Saturday. This is my last week to sew myself into a stupor. I'll post some photos tomorrow of what I'm doing. I'm just too dang tired to get the camera now.

Speaking of tired, the kids are all a little tired thanks to the time change. That means I can start my sewing earlier. It's a win-win.

While you wait for my awesome photos, go say "Hi" to Julie and Jackie. They are both having a fun giveaway. If you win, will you share with me?

Spookiest Night of the Year

We had a very spooky night of Halloween revelry. Mini-me was Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty), Patch was Luigi, and Ginger was a witch.

 Ginger has a mind of her own, as we all know. So when I told her she was a witch, she was very upset. She said, "I no witch. Ina pincess." She refused to put on the costume until I called it a "princess dress." So, she was a Halloween princess instead. She discovered how delicious hot dogs are for dinner and M&Ms are for dessert.

 Patch changed his mind around 47 times. Finally, this week, he settled on Luigi from Super Mario Brothers. Someone said to him, "Oh, wow, are you Luigi?" His answer: "No. I'm Patch. This is just a costume." He helped me hand out candy after we were done trick-or-treating. I noticed that he would give the pretty girls an extra piece (or two) of candy. There was one particularly attractive teen who came, and Patch said "I like the girls." Yeah he does.

 Mini-me found my costume in her closet and claimed it as her own. She was so excited to wear it, but wanted me to understand that she was a good Maleficent, not an evil one. She had to leave early, because she and Curly had rehearsal. Their show, Seussical: The Musical, opens on Friday. Curly is Horton and Mini-me is Cindy Lou Who.

The best part was that I didn't have to make a single costume and the only thing I bought was Patch's shirt. It was $5, and he can wear it to school. I love when Halloween works out that way!

Curly's brother brings his family every year. We love living close to cousins. Ginger in particular was so excited when they got here. In fact, Ginger was excited to see everyone. I'm not sure if it was the promise of sugar or something else, but she was happy to sit on laps or go talk to everyone in the room. For anyone who's ever been treated to one of Ginger's special chin-in-her-chest looks, you know how monumental this is!

So there you go. Another Halloween come and gone. Flower asked to stay at her mom's house this year and trick-or-treat with friends. It's only the second or third Halloween she hasn't been at our house, and the first time Curly hasn't gone trick-or-treating with her. Kids grow up, I suppose. Sometimes I wish they could stay little forever. But then I remember how great it is when they can get their own breakfast on a Saturday morning, and I'm okay with them growing up a little.

Bloggers Quilt Festival Entry

I love perusing all the entries on Amy's blog this time of year. There are so many talented quilters on these here internets!

I thought I would share my favorite quilt I made this year. Sadly, I gave it away. Well, the people I gave it to weren't sad. They were very happy.

 Curly's brother got married this summer. He was the only family member who had not received a Jana quilt, and when he told me he'd be getting married, he not-so-subtly hinted he'd like one.

They liked all sorts of colors, like red and maroon and green and blue, so when I found this fabric by Momo, I knew I had a winner.

 I free motioned quilted it using a double circle swirl-ish design. It gave it great texture.

It really wasn't easy to give this one up. I told the happy couple that this quilt was meant to be used. If it wasn't, then I would come back to San Diego and collect it from them. I hope they know how serious I was!

Head on over to see the other entries, if you haven't already! Thanks for looking at mine ;)

Popping In

Just popping in to say there is snow forecast for tomorrow. We may get between 1-3 inches. My stomach churns a little at the thought. I definitely have enough bread and milk, but not toilet paper. Wouldn't it be something if the trunk-or-treat at church was cancelled due to snow? That would actually be fine because, ahem, Patch doesn't have a costume yet. I'm such a bad mom! Here's a picture of my favorite costume he has worn:

It was in 2009. He went as Padraig Harrington.

That is all. Carry on.

Best Week Ever

Last week really was the best week ever. I took advice from "What About Bob?" and went on a vacation from my problems. I left my stresses on the ground when the plane took off and didn't worry for a moment while I was in Utah. Well, maybe a moment. When the school called on Tuesday afternoon, I had a minute of stress. But just a minute.

Amanda made me dance for my supper. Okay, okay. It's time for some honesty: I was a willing participant. We danced our way around town, and even made a stop at the Riley Blake corporate office. Before we convinced Cindy and Jina to dance on camera, they took us into what I refer to as "The Room of Awesomeness." I wish I had taken a picture, but if you click on the above link, you can see me dancing in it. The room had all of Riley Blake's fabrics in it: past, present, and future. Cindy graciously gave me a Rolie Polie (2.5" strip bundle) of choice:

 What did I choose? Daisy Cottage by Lori Holt.

I love the pink, yellow, and trendy gray in this line. I'm almost done with my quilt top. It is way cute. I'll share in the next couple of days. Candice got one, too. Check out her blog for her project, which will hopefully be soon. (Feeling the pressure, bestie?) Okay, it may not be soon. She gets to go to Market at the end of the week. Maybe Amanda can convince her to dance this time.

I really had the best week last week. I came home relaxed, albeit exhausted from the lack of sleep. I really can't thank Amanda enough to asking me to "help" with her fabric launch party. She rocks.

Home Again

I flew in late last night. The kids didn't seem to care that I'm on Utah time and were up at 7:15. Ginger has not left my side. It's good to be home, but I miss my friends.

They are too fun.

What Can I Say?

I meant to blog yesterday. No, really. I did. But between making a million tiny grilled cheese sandwiches and crafting the cutest dress form out of Delighted!, I just didn't have the time.

The dress form is to the right. I taught a mini-class on making a pincushion in a bottle cap. It was as cute as you imagine it to be.

There was delicious food and a crowd of fabric loving folks. Jennifer over at All Things Belle has a great write up. There are no pictures of me, but we'll forgive her for that. She was no doubt intimidated by my beauty. Either that, or every picture featured me talking. I did that non stop for several hours. Surprised?

My mom's cousin MK and her daughter Jenn came to play. I love family!

I was rockin' the backwards braid. It was great to have my hair out of my face and I felt very current. 

Also at my table were the owners of Riley Blake. After I confessed what a huge stalker I was of theirs, they invited me to come visit them at their corporate office. I didn't have to be invited twice! Amanda took us there today and let me tell you, that is one fun office. I'd like to move here and work for them. I'm not sure what Curly would have to say about that, but I'm sure it would go something like, "No."

Anyway, I walked away with some goodies. I'll tell you about them later. I'll show them to you now:

Gah! I'm off to sew. You do the same!!! 

PS -- I have a few things to give away. I'll do it next week when I'm back in my homeland. Can you guess what it is?

Reading Recommendations

I am leaving tonight. Actually, I leave in about 3.5 hours when I pick up the kids from school. I haven't even packed yet. I'm not too stressed about that part -- I mean, it's not like I'm packing all 6 of us up. No, what stresses me out is that my in-laws lose a kid. It kept me up until 2:45 in the morning. They never have lost a kid, so it's not like my fears are founded in reality.

Anyway, I have 6 hours of travelling. All. By. My. Self. YAY! I love flying alone. I can sleep or read or watch the movie. And no one asks to share my snack. It's heavenly. I'm taking my Nook, but I'm almost done with my book (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet). What should I read next? What have you read recently? What do you like to read on a plane? Please share! It can be slightly trashy, don't be ashamed! I love a good Jennifer Crusie every once in a while ;) Thanks!

I'm taking my laptop with me, so expect updates from The Quilted Fish headquarters!

I Am So Smart!

Growing up, we were avid fans of The Simpsons. My favorite moment of the franchise is where Homer sings this little ditty: "I am so smart! S - M - R - T! I mean, s-m-a-r-t." I sing it to myself on almost a weekly basis.

Why am I so smart this time? I went into my LQS for batting today. While I was there and waiting for Patch to be done in the bathroom, I was thinking about how I want to be better at quilting. Now, I know most of you are now thinking that I am already a rock star at quilting. And it's true. I am. But I'm also pretty sure there are areas where even I can improve.

How am I going to do this? Starting in January, I'm going to quilt my way through this book:

I know I've already made several quilts from this book. But, I gave those all away. I want to keep some. Each month I'll make a different quilt, and then use a different style of quilting on it to boost my free motion skills.

I know this isn't an original idea. Kristyne at Pretty By Hand already did this. Her results were spectacular, which I find spectacular.

Anyone care to join me? It would be so fun to do it together!

Party Time!

And you're invited! Amanda had the genius idea to have a fabric launch party for her new line, Delighted. 

It is a guarantee that a fun time will be had by all! If you're in SLC area, clear your schedule and come to the party of the year. In case you're worried you won't recognize me, I'll be the beautiful one telling a joke while wearing a handmade apron.

Shameless Self Promotion Post

I have updated my etsy shop again. This time, 4 crayon folios. And, right now I'm offering free shipping. Say what? That's right. Fa-ree. Just use the code OCT10FREE. I thank you.

Oh, Canada

Today my sister in Canada is celebrating Thanksgiving. It seems a little early to those of us in the Lower 48. One has to wonder: Do Canadians start their Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving like we do? If so, they are pretty smart. I'd like to have my shopping done by Halloween. It never happens, but a girl can dream. But, I digress. Back to my sister.

I would definitely call her "the pretty one." Also "the athletic one." (I'm "the smart one.") She has two handsome little fellas. They are also Canadian. So is her husband. Canada is very far from Maryland, which means I haven't seen my sister in over a year. Nonetheless, I am thankful for her. I hope she has a wonderful day today and enjoys her Jello Salad (sorry, Melly, I just gagged a little writing that. Jello Salad is so gross).

My sister served her mission amongst the Spanish speaking Arizonians. In her honor, tonight we are having fajitas with homemade tortillas. Enjoy your Jello.

A Week!

An entire school week has gone by without me posting. Oh dear. I haven't had much to say. Nothing has flooded. In fact, the rain stopped and the sun came out. I had almost forgotten the sky was blue. I think I burned my retinas. It's been a good week!

It's also been a busy week. This week I completed 3 projects for Amanda. Here is the back of one of the things. Not only is the fabric fabulous, but I'm pretty pleased with the quilting:

 Then, yesterday I used a new pattern:

 It's a crayon folio. So cute, right? This is actually the second one I made. The first one had some errors.

I learned some very important lessons when making this. For example, did you know that velcro can melt? Well, it can. And it smells bad. Now that I have learned all my lessons, I'll be making a ton for the November craft show. I think they'll sell, don't you?

Free Stuff

Do you like free stuff? Of course, we all do! (Remember that old Sally Struthers commercial?) If you haven't heard, Amanda is having a great giveaway on her blog. There are two criteria to enter. First, go here and leave a comment. Then, go to Facebook and "like" Xyron.  What does this machine do? It cuts stuff. Like fabric. It's awesome. So go enter and good luck!

'Tis the Season

It's here! Halloween Season has arrived! I know that's not a "real" thing, but it sort of feels like it, doesn't it? The stores are decked out in Halloween splendor. There are TV specials popping up. There's a nip in the air and it definitely feels like fall. I love it.

In honor of this most wonderful time of year, I've marked down my Halloween decorations in my etsy shop. I only have two banners left, so hurry on over!

Happy Haunting!

Unhappy

Sometimes Ginger is unhappy. Even when you take her to the fair. When she decides she has nothing to smile about, you better watch out.

And then, just like that, she can decide that life is fun. Ginger truly has a mind of her own. I love her for it.

Progress Report

Here are a few things I've been working on lately.

First up is this really cute Garden Fence quilt. I still need to add a couple of borders, because who doesn't love a border or two? The fabric is mostly Penny Lane by Riley Blake. It's so pretty and girly.

Next up is Wedding Quilt #3. I haven't given it to our friends yet. They just returned from their honeymoon and I'm waiting until we get together. I cannot remember what the fabric is, but I found it in Pittsburgh. So, if you like it, go to Pittsburgh. They might have more. The pattern came from my favorite book. Of course.

 Here's the back. I used fabric in a complementary shade, since I didn't have time to go to Pittsburgh and get more fabric.

 And finally, I cut into some of my pretty fabrics. Christmas sewing has begun!

What have you been working on lately? Hopefully something pretty. Life's too short to make ugly things, you know.

Monday, Monday

I uploaded some pictures from my camera and found this gem from the county fair last week:

I don't like rides anymore. It's how I know I'm old. We were inside the belly of a dragon. Mini-me thought it was fun to spin said dragon as fast as it would go. I thought it was nauseating.

This weekend I got to cut into my Ruby:

I love pretty stacks of cut fabric! In case you're wondering, I ordered my fabric from Thimbleanna, and it came wrapped with pretty twine. I'm making this quilt with it. It requires 2 charm packs and a yard of background. I think I may add a border, but I'm not sure yet. Maybe once the top is all pieced, we can decide together.

I have a grouchy Ginger at home today. She has a runny nose, so perhaps she's grouchy because she doesn't feel well. Yesterday she was very grouchy at church. She's just a little grouch. People tell me it's because of her hair, but I'm pretty sure she'd act the same as a brunette. Mini-me was also a grouch at this stage. I don't know where they get it from, since I am a delight.

The Post in Which You All Feel Sorry For Me.....Again

Please, pity me. I have nowhere to sew.

Pity me, because I have 4 charm packs of this, calling my name:

Pity me, because I have not only a jelly roll, but also a layer cake of Terrain. It too sings to me from the depths of my fabric cupboard. 

Do you feel so sorry for me yet? No? How about when I tell you I have some of this:

Oh, and this, that I actually have project deadlines for:

It's truly a tragedy. Such pretty things and yet they cannot be used to their full potential. I know, you are all weeping for me. I can hear it from here. I feel your pain feeling my pain, and I thank you.

On the other hand, since I cannot sew like I want, nor can I store my clean clothes down in the laundry room, I have gotten 4 loads of laundry washed, folded, and put away. In the same day. Folks, that's miraculous right there. And, I scrubbed my bathroom. That's right, I went above the usual wipe-down with a Clorox wipe and got loopy on some fumes. I'm beginning to think someone (whose name starts with a "C" and ends with a "urly") may have prayed for something like this to happen. There are less dramatic ways to get my attention. But, I suppose we like a little drama here. In the meantime, I think I'll go stroke some fabric while I wait for the next load to be dry.

Ugh

We have been through a hurricane (sort of) and a tropical storm (a little bit) in the past month. We have had more rain than you can shake a stick at. Apparently it's a very large rain stick we're shaking. Through all of this, our basement has come through with flying colors. I know, because I've been down there. My sewing area is in the basement, as is my laundry area. I have been prepping for fall craft shows, so I have logged a lot of subterranean hours. But last night, as the heavens opened yet again, our basement decided to leak in no less than 5 places. Little streams crisscrossed  all over the floor. We moved everything of value to higher ground, which took less than 3 minutes as the last 2 floods have cleared out most everything down there.

Last night I felt despondent, but today has dawned with a new sense of purpose: I must find a place to sew. But where? I don't want to take over my dining room, and the bedroom is out of the question. Maybe there is space for me in the attic? Or maybe it won't take long to fix the leaks. Who knows. What is apparent is that I haven't learned my water lesson yet. Hopefully I can learn it this time.

Sewing Tip

This weekend I loaded up Wedding Quilt #3 on the Mega Quilter. I know, I know. The wedding was 3 weeks ago. The other two I did this summer were gifted right on time. An average of 2 out of 3 is not too bad. Anyway, I thought I would share a little tip on keeping your row straight. Since I rarely finish a quilt in one sitting, or even two for that matter, I have to leave myself clues so I don't make a mistake. Once my blocks are sewn together into rows, I label the rows, like so:

I cut some scraps of white fabric into small pieces and then wrote a number each one. This quilt had seven rows, so I had numbers 1-7. Then I just pin it to the left edge of the row. It really helps keep everything organized so that when you go to sew it together, it has the right layout. Anyone else ever sew a row on upside down and then have to unpick? Such a pain! Since I started doing this, I haven't had that problem. 

The quilt is all quilted, so today is binding day. It coincides so perfectly with premier week on TV. I am so excited for my shows to come back! I think I am most excited about Fringe. That show is so weirdly awesome.

Shameless Promotion Alert! I added a couple of items to my etsy shop. The Halloween banners are particularly darling!

I Can Read Now

Yesterday, Patch came home from school with the best news ever. He said, "I can read now." And he did. He read a book entitled Go, Go, Go. I was amazed. Not only could he read, but he could read without looking at the pages. I mean, have you ever seen a Kindergartner with such skill? Today when he got home, however, was a different story. He was a sad Patch as he announced, "I can't read anymore." Oh such triumphs and failures felt at age 5! His teacher, who is awesome, called today to give me a progress report. All I've ever wanted for my kids is for them to be popular. Well, according to his teacher, not only is he popular, but he is also excelling in certain areas. Which one? Line leadership. Yep, Patch is the best dang line leader in his class. I am so proud. Kindergarten rocks.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Oh me, oh my. I have had a hard time getting back into the weight loss swing of things lately. Anyone else with me? Part of the problem stems from the fact that I love ice cream. One of the things I often ask my kids when they are naughty and trying to blame it on anything else is: Who is in control of your body? And that's the question I've been asking myself lately. Who is in control of what I eat? I am in control. Easier said than done, though. Especially when the plate of sweet potato fries is staring you in the face.

Fall is in the forecast for this week. I am so excited. Soon it will be time to turn off the AC, open the windows, and let the fall air fill the house. It's also perfect quilting weather. I have two quilts that are almost finished that I cannot wait to show you. I have also started sewing for upcoming craft shows. It's the most wonderful time of year for me!

Decorations

Am I the only one excited for Halloween decorations? I doubt it. My friend, Joan, put together the cutest subway art on her blog:

And then she did another one and is offering it for free. FREE! Go here to print your own. I have the perfect blank wall for it. Is it too early to put it up this week? How about next?

10 Years

10 years ago, I arrived to my office about 15 minutes early. Unheard of. I was wearing a brown pencil skirt from J. Crew with a blue button down shirt from Talbots. My shoes were 9 West and were brown crocodile with blue interior. I looked cute and professional. I was 23, single, and working on Capitol Hill for a Congressman from Arizona. My job was to schedule his time. The TV in my office was tuned in to cable news, and within minutes of my arrival, the image on the screen was of smoke coming out of a building in New York. I watched, transfixed. My boss called on the phone to find out what was going on. These were the days before smart phones, before text messaging, and when Blackberries were a luxury. People still called on the phone when they needed information. He was in a hearing for one of his committees, and I told him I would keep him posted. Not long after that phone call, we watched as another plane hit another building. Then unconfirmed reports came in of a building being hit in DC. I looked out our West facing window and saw black smoke. I got the Congressman back on the phone and said, "I think you need to come back to the office. Now." He arrived at the same time as the Capitol Police officer, calling for evacuation. We picked up our bags and walked quickly outside to the sidewalk across from the Capitol building. As we looked around, wondering what to do next, another Capitol Police officer told us to get away quickly, as another plane was headed toward the Capitol. Our press secretary lived in a row house on Capitol Hill, so we headed to his house. I spent the next 45 minutes on the phone with the airlines, trying to find the plane that my boss's wife was on. It left from the same airport as the flight that hit the Pentagon left from. It had been grounded in Iowa.

There are a lot of things I will never forget about that day. There are a lot of things that I cannot remember. Did we eat? What time did I get home that night? Small details that are gone. What I do remember is the fear, sadness, and disbelief that I felt.

When I got home, I turned the TV on again. I watched as the Congressman and Senators gathered on the steps of the Capitol and sang "God Bless America." That's when I felt hope. The next day, I got up and went to work, just as I did every day. I don't remember what I was wearing. I wasn't afraid, but it didn't feel normal. In the weeks that followed, I helped the Red Cross hold a blood drive in my office building. I signed in hundreds of Congressional staffers who wanted to do something, anything. Our office closed in October for a week when anthrax was sent to The Hill. I learned how to put on a Haz-Mat suit. I found a place in the office for our new gas masks. Nothing was ever "normal" again, but life went on. Life always does.

My heart and thoughts today mostly go out to the family members of those people on the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania. The flight that was headed toward the Capitol. Those people are my personal heroes. Because of their bravery, I went back to work on September 12. Because of their sacrifice, my life went on. I can never forget.

Baby Shower Gift

I know a lot of people having babies right now. And, for most of them, it's their third or higher baby. By the third baby, all your stuff is gross and you need new. Lately my "go-to" gift has been a Daddy Diaper Tote. Basically it's a diaper caddy where you can put diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes. When it's time to change baby, you just hand it to Daddy and he takes care of it. It's also great for someone like me, who changes bags with astonishing frequency. I just grab it and put it in my new bag and I have everything I need.

For a shower gift, I make a Daddy Diaper Tote and gift it with travel wipes, diaper cream, and antibacterial hand gel. Useful, practical, and pretty. I made this one out of the new DS Quilts fabric found at Joanns:

 Here's the inside:

 I love this particular print a lot. I think I need to go back and get 5 yards to make a dress for Ginger and a skirt for Mini-me.

And here's one that I did a couple of weeks ago, also out DS Quilts fabric:

Love love love DS Quilts fabric. Hate hate hate that it's at Joanns. I like to shop at and support local businesses, not big chains. My way to "stick it to them" is to use as many coupons as possible. Take that, big box store.

I have another baby shower in 2 weeks. I wonder what fabric I'll use.

Finished Bag

So here is the bag in all it's finished loveliness: 

I have just enough fabric left for a small project. Maybe a wristlet or a pencil roll or something else cute and little.

Lynn over at Alamosa Quilter is having a giveaway. Go enter to win a $20 gift certificate from The Intrepid Thread! What would I get, you ask? This.

Excessive

It's been raining. Excessively raining. The kind of rain that is either spitting at you or drenching you, but it's always there. Even I, who loves rain, thinks it's a bit much. You see, it's made me lose my mojo. Have you seen it? It's probably under the couch, or perhaps it's in the cupboard. If I felt up to it, I would look for it. But the rain is just so soothing that all I want to do is sit.

My current project is a bag made out of these lovelies:

I found this fabric while in Pittsburgh in March. Oh how I wish I had bought more. It's just so fun and I can think of about 20 more uses for it.

Oh wait! I think I know where my mojo is. It's on the porch, under the dripping umbrella. I think I'll take a nap.

A Little Finish

We got a new bookshelf after The Great Flood of '11. It's pretty, and kind of big. I can fit my baking staples containers right on a shelf, instead of taking up counter space. I didn't like that they might scratch the shelf, especially during those times of year I turn into a baking machine. Please note the army guy on the shelf. I'm not sure when he was added, but I have noticed a decline in kitchen crimes in the past few weeks.

 I really loved the quatrefoil block found at Modify Tradition. On a side note, does anyone know why that blog ended? I so loved it. {sigh} Anyway, I needed to modify the block myself and make it 9" instead of 12". Math is hard, especially late at night. Which is why it took me 4 days to do this, instead of one.

 But now that its' done, I love it! I used some of Amanda's fabulous fabric, that I just happened to have laying around in a sealed box to prevent it from potential flood damage. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

 Here it is, on the shelf. It's a perfect fit. Math may be hard, but it's necessary. Stay in school.

The army guy is back in position, and my kitchen is just a little bit prettier. Now that this little project is done, I am going to go sandbag the perimeter of the house. We are supposed to get up to 6" of rain in the next few days. Please pray that we don't have flood #3 this year. I just couldn't handle it.

And The Winner Is....

Thanks to everyone who entered. 262 comments! That's a world record for my blog. I feel pretty awesome about it. So without further ado, the winner of the fat quarter stack is:

#189: Nancy

Would someone like to tell me why blogger can't number their comments? Aye yi yi! Anyway, congrats to Nancy. I hope you enjoy this fabric! What are you going to do with it? Besides stroke it and lay it lovingly against your cheek, of course.

Happy Friday, everyone! This week has been exhausting, but good. I hope to show you a new little project this weekend, so check back in, okay?