Up in Stitches

Goodbye Blogger, Hello Wordpress

2007-09-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

My new blog home is here: http://upinstitches.wordpress.com/ .

New posts will happen at the new home.
Please update your bookmark.

See you there! :)
Crystal

Life Gets in the Way of Blogging (long, picture heavy post)

2007-08-20T05:30:00.001-07:00

Well after recuperating from the fire, the children got out of school for the summer and life is always hectic when they are home. We took a week long trip to the Great Smoky Mountains and stayed in a cabin on the mountain (eek!). My daddy got to come and meet us for most of the week, and we had a ball. Made some great memories.

Here's the children with Popa:

And here is Abby with Popa:

This was at Dollywood. We got there one evening in time to catch Veggie Tales Live on Stage and then went right into Untamed Illusions (a magic show that included a white tiger, a lion, and tons of sheepdogs). The kids talked about these shows more than any other part of our trip.

We rode the sky tram up the mountain to Ober Gatlinburg one day. I really enjoyed that. We got to view the mountains on the ride up and it was so gorgeous. This at Ober Gatlinburg. Aaron and Abby rode in one Ski Lift and Luke and I rode the car behind them. We were riding further up the mountain so that we could ride the Alpine Slide back down. The Alpine Slide is a plastic "thing" (like a thick sheet!) that slides in a concrete trough down the mountain. You have to sit on the plastic and control it with only a hand brake. Ok people, I was already freaking out on the ski lift. I only let go to take this picture. So you can imagine how they laughed at me put-putting down the mountain on my plastic sheet when they were zooming down and having the time of their lives lol.
And this is in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We rode through the park the day after Daddy left. When we found a spot wide enough to park on and not to steep to climb down, we stopped and let the kids go in the stream. They couldn't walk out too far because it got deep quickly and was very cold. We almost didn't get Nate to wade, because he was so scared. Right before we left, he got brave and let Aaron take him out to this rock. Then he decided it was fun and wanted to stay. Of course, Moma didn't get to go because she had to stay on the bank and yell at the kids to be careful. Also Moma is the mastermind behind all the terrible photography, so that's why I am in none of the pictures.

Here's my Abby girl. She is like a fish when she gets around water. I wasn't worried about her because she is usually cautious.

Luke on the other hand is not so cautious. In fact, he tends to push the envelope when no one is looking. He loved walking and slipping on the rocks and proceeded to fall in the freezing water right on his butt. Needless to say, we had to ride with the windows down because we couldn't use the a/c all the way back to the cabin (2-3 hr. ride). That's my cowboy :)

Here are 2 of my 3 favorite men in the world.

We also saw the Dixie Stampede one night. This was Luke's favorite thing we did. After the show he went around the arena and petted every horse. And by the way, this is the only picture of me on vacation lol.

We also stopped at Chattanooga on the way home and visited Ruby Falls and Rock City at Lookout Mountain but I'll save those pictures for another time.

And this is pictures of the boys from their end of the year school program. The boys had a seperate program from Abby since they were in K and pre-K. My cowboy cleans up nice huh?

Whew! I had a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully, I can show some things I have been working on all summer now.

Trying to Resume Life

2007-04-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Here is my sweet Katie bug in her new bonnet. A box arrived Monday from Maggie B. and it included a couple of dresses and this bonnet. Katie was in love! She didn't want to take it off all evening. Thanks Maggie for the beautiful dresses. You have been such a blessing!

She sat (im)patiently waiting for me to finish taking this picture so that she could put the bonnet back on lol.

Tragedy

2007-04-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Monday night at 11:00 my little sister's house caught on fire. They were all asleep but thankfully their oldest child (4 yrs.) woke everyone up. I thought I would share some pics of what was left for family and friends to see. You can click on the pictures for a bigger picture.

The refrigerator is laid over in front of Faith's bedroom door. It's a miracle that they got out.

This is the back wall of the living room where the fire originated.

This is what was left of the washer and dryer.

Donations can be made to this paypal account: icrochet@bellsouth.net

GULP!!

2007-02-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

I finally worked up the nerve today to chop up the Easter dress. Abby went through patterns and magazines this weekend and decided on what this will become. This is all that is left...

I guess this will be my Project Spectrum project since I can't get motivated with any other blues.

And of course I had to share my baby doll. Luke has been patiently (NOT) waiting for a cowboy quilt. We have been picking up small cuts of cowboy fabrics since last year. When we visited Granny and Daddy -O- a couple of weeks ago, Granny had put this fabric back for him. He was so tickled to see the horses :) The other night, Luke asked me what I want to be when I grow up *tee hee*. I said, "Well I guess I need to think about that". The he proceeded to say that he is definitely going to be a cowboy when he grows up :)

Heirloom.....

2007-01-31T15:05:00.000-08:00

def.-Something that has been in a family for generations

I hope the heirloom quality outfits that I make become true heirlooms. I hardly keep anything that I make. I put lots of hours and love into everything that I make (ok, maybe not everything :D). I just hope that these special gifts become as special to the recipients as they are to me. I have also learned that the hours of time spent stitching these creations are a great time for prayer and meditation.

This dress is from Australian Smocking and Embroidery #38 (sorry, no link as this is a rare issue). It was originally named Tuesday's Child but I think my version will be called Serenity (The absence of mental stress or anxiety). Serenity is the only word I can use to describe the first month of this year. I have made changes during December that have already started to have a wonderful effect upon my state of mind. I have battled depression for the last 5 years and for the first time I feel that I am free from it rather than just having a respite before the next wave. Every time that I think of these changes, I will think of this dress. Anyway, on to the eye candy....(excuse the first pic, the light was awful)

This is the cover dress and I have loved it since I first layed eyes on it. It is so yummy, I could just eat it!!

It is of course a bishop so the whole neckline is smocked and embroidered with bullion roses and forget-me-nots.

The hem is part shadow-work embroidery and part bullion roses and forget-me-nots. Shadow-work and bullions are my absolute favorite embroidery. I love to see a picture take form from thread.

Tomorrow I will post pics of the Hedera socks that I finished today (shew! barely made the January deadline that was self-imposed).

Easter '04 Disaster

2007-01-20T05:23:00.000-08:00

February and March '04 were consumed with making my children's Easter outfits. Abby was 6, Luke was 3, and Nate was 2. I was determined that they would have matching outfits if it was the last thing I did. I finished all three outfits on Easter morning, 30 min. before church. They were so sweet!! (I'll have to dig out the picture of them later). Luke had blue/white seersucker knee pants, a white shirt with blue/white trim, white knee socks and white saddle shoes. Nate had a blue/white seersucker shortall that was smocked with Peter Rabbit, white knee socks and white saddle shoes. Abby had this dress......The underlayer is periwinkle lawn and the overlayer is leno windowpane check. The neck and sleeves have tatting and it buttons on the front shoulder with mother of pearl buttons. This dress cost about $80 not counting the time investment.

Ok, so the outfits are done and worn for Easter services and egg hunting. I decided that the next weekend I would go and get professional pictures made (they were just so cute!!). Tuesday morning, I am at work and get a phone call. My babysitter/sil is crying and says that Luke has cut the dress. Well I'm thinking it can't be that bad but when I get home I saw this:5 gashes in the right sleeve!! I have been so upset about this for 3 years that I cannot fix it. This dress was so special to me and I can't get inspired to fix it. So I have decided to rework the whole thing. If not, I would probably keep the dress the rest of my life and take it out to cry over it every know and again. I have some ideas for it. Since it has a 6 inch hem there is lots of extra fabric. So stay tuned for update photos. I may make something wonderful or I might make a mess!!!

Have you ever had project heartbreak??

Green Sock KAL

2007-01-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

I have unofficially joined the informal Green Sock KAL. These socks were started a couple of weeks ago. I have the first one finished (except for grafting) and the second started. The pattern is Hedera (another Cookie A. creation available for free at Knitty). This is a very quick and easy pattern to memorize. The yarn is Douglas Fir by Lorna's Laces. I think LL is smaller in thickness that STR. But I'm still partial to the STR for its un-splittyness and its sproingyness (gotta love these technical terms). LL is still a little too splitty for a beginner IMHO.

When I started sock knitting, I was worried that I would have the dreaded and much talked about SSS (second sock syndrome). I am terrible about starting things and never fininshing. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised to find that the second sock is more fun than the first. By the time I get to the second sock I have the pattern basically memorized and the bugs worked out. I am having a ball knitting the second socks! I must say that I am anxious to finish this pair so I can start on Monkey.

Nate's Quilt

2007-01-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

This was included in Nate's take-home papers last week. The teachers do not tell the children what color to use. Most of the children color the whole page in one color. Nate has always used a rainbow of colors on his sheets. Well this one just got me tickled. I guess quilting is in his blood?? lol

More 2006 in Review

2007-01-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

Last year I decided to keep up with how many spools of thread were sewn (can't remember whose blog I had seen this on). I ended up sewing 18 spools of thread. My new sewing machine that I received in May keeps up with sewing/embroidery time. At the end of December, it had logged a little over 30 hrs. The spools and hours are not very impressive to me. I did not do much sewing last year compared to what I have done in the past. Hopefully, that will increase this year and I will get more accomplished. We'll see.....

First FO of 2007-Pomatomus

2007-01-03T04:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, I must say I am busting my buttons over the first FO of 2007. I have never been one to go with the easiest pattern. I get bored and never finish. So seeing as this is only my second pair of socks, I guess I should've been worried about tackling Pomatomus. I wasn't :D. I just took it slow and ripped out every mistake until it was exactly like the pattern. The pattern was very well written (Cookie is my new favorite sock designer).The gague was the same on both socks, the row count, I mean everything was the same. So how the toes came out different, I'll never know!! Can you see the difference? The toe on the left sock is longer than the right.It just boggles my mind. The only thing different is...... I switched to metal needles on the second sock while the first were done on bamboo. Both sets were supposed to be US#1. Who knows? Anyway, I'm still proud of my socks.
The yarn is Socks That Rock in the Nodding Violet colorway. I have to say, I love, love, love this yarn. I really didn't want to spend that much money when I bought it but I am glad I did. It was a treat to work with. Ok, I'll quit bragging now :D

Last FO of 2006

2007-01-03T04:10:00.000-08:00

I finished these heirloom pillowcases (late Christmas presents for our pastors wife) on Saturday. Just a little lace shaping and madeira applique can sure dress up a little batiste. I was glad to get them finished and start the new year with a clean slate. Ok, ok, the slate is hardly clean.

Stayed tuned for more FO.....

Celebrate Jesus

2006-12-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

was the name of our Christmas drama last night. Here is my sweet angel singing....

And here are my wise men.....

The kids did an awesome job. I just wish I had videotaped it. I'll try to post some more pics later of the actual drama.

Today is My Birthday

2006-10-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

**First an update**
We raised over $2600 in this year's Sweet-est Auction!!!

Now back to your regularly scheduled post

That's right. Today is my birthday. I am 28 years old today. I have had a very quiet day. Aaron is off at work right now and the children are in school. I did something today that I haven't done in a long time. I went for a walk. Not the diet kind of walking where the goal is to sweat and get dizzy headed. No, this walk was for fun. I grabbed a bottle of water and my camera and took off. It is so good to just get out and enjoy God's creation.
This is what I discovered first:

I kept hearing a woodpecker and followed the sounds. Well obviously this is the Official Stress Reliever for Woodpeckers! None of the other trees around had even one whole in it. I don't know much about woodpeckers but I do know that either they love this type of tree or they really hate it :D.

We live in a heavily wooded area. Of course, our yard has no trees as it was farmland for years. It was really nice to walk through the woods, finding trails where hunters (and animals) go in and out. It really clears the head to feel so small in such an expansive world. Especially when you see a huge, old oak tree like this:

And of course, I had to bring home a couple of found objects for my journal:

My birthday ended up being much quieter than I wanted it to be, but it has been a wonderful day. My kids will be home soon and I think we will go eat pizza tonight to celebrate!

The Sweet-est Auction

2006-09-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last year was the first time in years that our church put on a Christmas drama. To pay for it, we had a Sweet-est Auction. Ladies in the church donated their favorite sweet and then we auctioned them to the church. We have about 120 people in our church. We made over $2300!!!. We were so humbled at the outpouring of support. So this year, the Christmas drama is on again. We have the kids singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, a team signing to songs in blacklight (which I am ecstatic to be a part of), and lots more. This drama is so much fun to be a part of.

This years Sweet-est Auction is tomorrow and I am the auctioneer. This is my contribution:
Banana Pudding
Butterfinger Cake
and 4 boxes of mixed Mounds Balls & Peanut Butter Balls

Of course, I had to add my little cheesy fall decoratioins. I know the buyers won't care about the deco, but it makes me feel better :D. I hope they sell big!

Things I Love and a New Hobby ahem, obsession

2006-09-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have already shared my love of baskets and shoe boxes with ya'll, so I thought I would share some of my other favorites. The front of this photo is a beginning of a new hobby. I saw some paper pieced cards on Carol Doak's group and just had to figure out how it was done. Well since Hope is a scrapbooker, she helped to fuel this new obsession lol. This is a miniature paper pieced flying geese block.

I have never been interested in scrapbooking. That just does not interest me in the least. But card making......that is a whole other matter *tee hee*.

To the left of this photo is of course my stash of blow pops that are normally hidden in my sewing room. I love blow pops!

And at the back of this photo a preemie hand smocked and embroided bishop. It measures 7.5 inches long. There are only 2 seams (not counting back plackets and hem). I adore making baby things.

Well I guess that is enough for now. I will try not to be so long in posting next time.......

Project for the Week

2006-08-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

Well since I have been so quiet, I guess I better let ya'll know what I've been working on. The heirloom bug has bitten again, so quilting has been pushed aside for the time being.

This is Children's Corner Kathy/Kelley (the Kathy version). The dress is pima checks and the madeira applique and collar is pima pique. The bonnet is Petite Poche's Le Petite Enfant. I love this bonnet! I can definitely see more of these in my future.

I attached the lace to the collar and bonnet with my new Spanish hemstitch foot. I love this foot but I need to play with more stitches because this 3 step zigzag did not show up well.

I have also embroidered me a new shirt this week, but I'll save those pics for tomorrow. I don't know if blogger can handle that many pics at one time lol!

Lonely Mommy

2006-08-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was the first day of school. My baby started school. WWWAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! He is so happy with school. I am glad that he didn't cry, but I must admit it hurt my feelings a little :D. So now what do I do with my time?? I am cleaning house and sewing some. When Aaron leaves next week, things are going to get really lonely. Thank goodness Hope is here now, so I can just go and bug her ;)

Last Row Robin Finished!

2006-08-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

This row quilt is for Deb. H. Her theme was oriental. When I saw these oriental appliques at Secrets of Embroidery, I knew this would be my addition to her quilt. I hope you like it Deb!

I have received all 3 of my robins back also (1 round, 2 rows). I will post pics of them later. I love all 3 and will cherish them forever. These ladies put a lot of time and thought into their additions, and I really appreciate all of their work.

Look what i found.....

2006-07-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern

At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent

You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet

Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

'Nuf said!!

Hope, I want to know what kind of coffee you are .

Laura's Row Finished

2006-07-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Laura's Row Robin will be on it's way home this afternoon also. Laura has not seen her quilt yet. She wanted to be surprised. I sure hope she likes it! The bottom row is my blocks. They are all from Carol Doak's 50 Fabulous Stars book. I love that book!!

Trisha's Round Finished

2006-07-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here is Trisha's finished round. It will be on it's way home to her this afternoon. I added that last resting row and purple/white/purple blocks. I hope you like it Trisha!

Life

2006-07-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

Life sure speeds up in the summer. I have not sewn as much as I had planned, with the kids out of school. While Aaron is off, we do as much as we can with the kids (vacation stuff). We went to the beach and the kids had a ball! Nate was scared to death of the water, so he and I stayed in the hotel the whole time. He started shaking if he even looked at the water.

In other news (tee hee).... My older sister, Hope, and her family has moved away from Tennessee and closer to us (my little sister and myself). They have lived with us for 3 1/2 weeks, until their rent house was ready. It was fun and loud (with 7 kids here).

Combine all this excitement and that puts me late mailing home the rounds and rows for Stashbuilders. I have received one of my quilt tops back and will post pics of it later.

2006-06-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

This is Sue C.'s row. Her theme is Celestial. My row is on the bottom. The name of the block is Heavenly Stars.

Here is the closeup of my row. I hope you like it Sue!!

This is Tink's round. Her theme is Kaleidoscope in dizzying panoramic colors. It took me a while to wrap my mind around this one and get an idea of what I wanted to do.

I hope you like it Tink!!

Placemat Purses

2006-05-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have been reading about making purses out of purchased placemats, and of course, I couldn't resist trying it. Here is my first effort. The placemat and handles came from Wal-Mart. I got the palm tree at Thread Artist , and added my monogram in bamboo font in VIP Customizing software.

And this is the side view (just had to show the buttons!)

And here is the next one to be sewn. The dragonfly came with my machine, and I added the C. Don't you just love the sequins??!! The handles are gonna be clear.

Tink's Row

2006-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, Tink, here it is. I hope you like it :)

This is Spring and Summer.....

And this is Fall and Winter....

2006-05-14T04:08:00.000-07:00

And here is Abby's, Mother's Day "card" for you :D

For my Moma

2006-05-14T03:54:00.000-07:00

Well I have looked and looked for the perfect card, and none of them were just right. So, I thought I would just let you know here, what I feel....

We have all had a rough go of it, for years. But age, and children, have brought me full circle. I can now see the answer to a lot of my why?'s and how come?'s. I have experienced a lot of the "I'll never do that when I become a mother". I really wanted to let you know, that I love you. We miss you, Moma!

My New Baby!!

2006-05-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

I have been having problems with my Viking 1+ for a while now. Tension, timing, things that have to be right for it to sew. Aaron came in from work just yesterday, and low and behold if he didn't sneak off this morning and buy my dream machine. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ME!!! I have been dreaming of this machine, but never hope I could ever really get it. My honey is so sweet. It is the Viking Designer SE, and it will take me a while to learn how to use it. I did do some embroidery on it today, and I can't wait to try out the heirloom stitches. I think Katie needs a new daygown *tee hee*. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EVERYONE!!

Katie Faith's Dedication

2006-05-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice time last weekend. My grandparents and dad came down for Katie's dedication service. Aaron is offshore, so I had to entertain alone, but it was still nice. Here is my sweet baby girl, in her special dress and bonnet that I made for her. Isn't she sweet??!!!

Ellen's Row Ready to Mail

2006-05-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here is Ellen's row with my addition. I'm really not happy with this one. I love the cherries but the colors are just way off from the other 2 rows. (I know the Stashbuilder's ladies are gonna fuss at me for being critical, but it's true *tee hee*). I really hope you like it, Ellen. And since I couldn't find someone to take a picture with me and the quilt, I took the picture with my kids :D

My Row Robin

2006-05-06T06:38:00.001-07:00

Well this is the first glimpse that I got of the Purse Row with additions. I must say I LOVE IT!!! Great job ladies.

Ellen's Sneak Peek

2006-05-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Well I'm not quite done with Ellen's row, but she wanted to know what was going on with it. Here's your sneak peek, Ellen! The row is appliqued AND patchwork so this is all you get for now *tee hee*. It should be done and mailed by Friday.

2nd April Robin Finished

2006-05-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

This round belongs to Laura E. She mentioned in her questionairre that she liked the red in the center fabric. I tried to pull that color out in my round. I had such a hard time coming up with a border for this one. Rounds are really difficult for me. Rows are easy peasy! I hope you like it Laura :)

First of the April Robins Done

2006-05-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

This is the first of the completed April robins. This is Kim's row. She requested sampler blocks in jewel tone hand-dyed or batiks. The first block on the left is Hunter's Star (paper peiced), second block is Anvil, third block is Heavenly Stars ( a pain in the butt!), and the fourth is Double Square (quilter's cache). I hope you like it Kim!

March Robins Finally Finished

2006-04-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Thank God, I'm finally done with the robins for March!! This is Ronii's center. I was going to do Celtic knotwork, so I studied it and ordered the bias strip maker on ebay. Two weeks after paying for it, I get an email saying that the seller was really sorry but she had been out of town and had not mailed my bias maker :(. Needless to say, I got a refund, and started looking for another pattern. I chose this one since I think it resembles Celtic things :). Ronii, I hope you like. I have spent the last week in a mad rush to finish it. I'll post again tomorrow to give ya'll another update on life :)

Finished Row Robin 2

2006-03-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is Michelle R.'s row. Michelle's is on top, mine the bottom. I was so undecided on what to do for this row, so I am really hoping Michelle likes it.

Finished Row Robin 1

2006-03-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is Nancy H.'s row for the Stashbuilder's row robin. Nancy's row is on top, mine on the bottom. Nancy, I sure hope you like it ...

Happy Anniversary to Me!!

2006-03-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

I has been 9 years today since Aaron and I took our vows. What a great 9 years. I only hope that the next 9 (and on) will be this wonderful. It has to be great with such a great husband. I am celebrating alone today, as Aaron is offshore right now. Aaron, if you're reading this, I want you to know that I love you more than I ever dreamed possible. Thank you for such a great marriage. I love you!

Crys.

Wonky Fashion Diva in Pink and Black

2006-03-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

Well I finally finished the row for my second row robin group. Warning!!: Quilt police, hide your eyes! This one is so bad, but I'm just ready to get rid of it. I love the purses though. They were done on my embroidery machine. I'm thinking of doing some more on a blue jean jacket for me.

Excuse the picture mess. I can't get them lined up all nice and neat :)

Found: Sunbonnet Sue Redwork

2006-02-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

Woo HOO!! I got a book in the mail mail today that I had won on ebay. The name is Favorite Redwork Designs by Betty Alderman. Guess what was in the book?! A Sunbonnet Sue alphabet! I am so excited and can't wait to get started. Today was the first day of the heirloom sewing school. I am pooped but had such a fun day. It is so nice to be around people with the same interests. And these ladies are so hilarious so I have been laughing all day :) Well the kids are begging for chocolate chip cookies, so I'm off to bake ......

Gossip in Bluework

2006-02-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah! I finished my round robin center! They have to be mailed by the 1st, so I really didn't want to be last minute. I absolutely love this pattern. The name of it is "Do Tell..." by Betty Alderman. She has some great redwork patterns out. This is my first time trying redwork, but it won't be the last. I've got my eye out for a sunbonnet sue alphabet in redwork now lol. If you know of one, please let me know. Another addiction *sigh*....

Blessings

2006-02-21T00:12:00.000-08:00

I seem to go through these phases of insomnia ever since I had Luke (middle child). At least once a year, I go through a period where I am just awake in the middle of the night. And if I am awake, I can't stay in the bed. So here I am :D. It looks like my blog and my attitude has been pretty negative for the last few weeks, so I decided to share some of my blessings.

1. My children- I complain about not interacting with adults but I am so thankful that I can stay home with my children. I would be lost without my kids, and I would do anything for them (even talking baby talk and dealing with potty training, 24 hrs. a day).

2. My hubby- Again, I complain about the job but I know that he doesn't like to be away. He is not like a lot of men that I know, that won't hold a job if they don't like the people they're working with. Nope, as long as we've been married, he has swallowed every bit of "stuff" and stuck with it. He now has a job that he loves and can make a profession out of and not just a job.

3. My family- My oldest sister (Hope) ismy best friend in the world. I tell her everything, and some things that I just never have time to talk to Aaron about. My mil and fil are like a second mom and dad. I never dreamed I would have such a good relationship with my in laws but I do. They would do anything for me, and I would do anything for them.

4. Bills that are paid- When we first got married, I remember having to wait for 2 pay checks to pay the mortgage because one check was not enough. But you know what? God has never let us go hungry! Now, everything is paid, and we're setting up a good retirement.

Now I feel better! Thanks for letting me share :)

P.S. I'm also thankful for the beautiful pink roses and purple daisies that my honey surprised me with last week. I love flowers!

Alone Again

2006-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Aaron has left for Las Vegas and I am at home with sick kids and feeling pretty poopy myself. :( I sewed up another row for the second row group that I am in. I got it all sewn up and realized that my blocks weren't big enough. So I guess I'll stick it in a drawer and try something else. I am also working on the center for the round robin that I am in. It will be bluework. I hope to have the embroidery done in a few days and have it sewn up by the weekend. I am working at an heirloom sewing school this week. I worked the one last year and had a lot of fun. Anyway, I think I'll go and try to sleep off this sinus headache.

Scrappy Pineapples for Row Robin Swap

2006-02-11T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well I gave up on the purple flying geese and have been working on the my first row for the row robin swap on StashBuilders. These little scrappy pineapple boogers took me an hour apiece. There are 33 different fabrics in each pineapple (shew!!). This is the first time I have ever tried paper piecing. I like it but not as much as regular piecing. I get bored with things that are monotonous. I like to be able to concentrate on a project or I lose interest in it. It took me all week to do 16 blocks. The blocks measure 6".

Indecision

2006-02-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

I joined a purple 10" square swap sometime ago (my first swap ever) and these squares have been curing. I pulled them out last week and started making geese with black. I wanted to set them like the first picture but if I do, I won't have enough geese to make the top big enough, and will have to wait until I collect more purples. My second idea was to set them in some sort of pinwheel. Or maybe like the first setting but with black setting triangles between the strips of geese? I don't know. I was gung ho to get this done this morning and now I'm stuck! I need some ideas, please!!

side note: the geese measure 3 1/2 x 6 1/2

He's Gone Again and Sick Kids

2006-02-03T01:37:00.000-08:00

Well my hubby just left. It is a 3 hour drive to meet the helicopter and then 1 1/2 hrs. to the platform. I hate when he has to leave. Nate has been sick with a cold for a week and Luke started running fever Wednesday night. I let him stay home from school yesterday because he had a slight temp and by 3 o'clock, it was a raging fever (104.1). He kept saying his throat hurt so he will be going to the doctor today because there is a lot of strep throat being passed around here. Our pastor came and prayed for him last night and thank God, he was cool as a cucumber all night. Anyway, ya'll keep us in your prayers. Something always has to happen when Aaron leaves :( I am going to keep busy with sewing for myself while he is gone. He will be home in 10 days and then we will take a week's vacation to Las Vegas. BP is paying for him to go to thermography training right on the strip! LOL The kids will stay with Grandma and Nanny, and we will go alone. I will be vacationing while Aaron studies all day (tee hee). I plan on doing lots of handquilting and I have already done an internet search for quilt stores in Las Vegas. I have my info ready to put in my suitcase :D I have no inspiration for ya'll today, so I guess I will post this pic of my little family. This was taken the first part of December '05. There is of course, Aaron and me, Abby (7), Luke (4), Nate(3). This is the true love of my life :)

Baskets & Shoe Boxes....

2006-02-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

are 2 more of my favorites. I love baskets and shoe boxes in any shape, size, or color. The come in handy for so many different things. So here are some of my baskets, and a lonely shoebox lol.

Purple Lover

2006-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Purple and green are my absolute favorite colors. I have a few close seconds (pink, blue) but purple and green are tops. When I saw this quilt at the quilt show, I knew it had to be added to THE LIST :D If anyone knows where I can find this pattern, please let me know.

Blue Christmas

2006-01-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

This is a copy of one of Bonnie's quilts, except mine is named Blue Christmas. My DH was not here for Christmas last year (working offshore), so my Christmas was not that great. I spent my Christmas, finishing up this top. I still need to add borders but that won't take long. Since I am a new quilter, I don't have much of a stash yet. Of course I love scrap quilts, so this quilt took a lot of shopping to find that many blues and neutrals. I wish I would've left the darker browns out and used darker blues so that it would have "popped" more. The name of this block is Buckeye Beauty. I'm thinking of starting one in pinks and browns. Whatdaya think??

My First Love

2006-01-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

Reading Keryn's post about her quilting slump has made me think about the slump that I've been in since last year. My first love is heirloom sewing/smocking/embroidery. I started on my heirloom journey 5 years ago and have loved every minute of it. Last spring, I suddenly didn't want to think about sewing or even look into my sewing room. The only thing that sparked my interest was quilting. So I began the quilting journey. I get so sad thinking about heirloom because I just can't make myself do it. I've tried and it sparks no life. So I decided to quilt and put heirloom out of my mind for a while. Then along comes Katie Faith on December 16, 2005, and suddenly I feel the spark again :) I haven't picked up a needle yet but the inspiration is slowly coming back. This is a dress that I made when Faith (my little sister) found out that she was pregnant last spring. It doesn't fit Katie yet, but it won't be long at the rate she is eating ;) This one doesn't have much embroidery but I spent lots of time doing the entredeaux stitching next to the lace. Enjoy!

Hankie Quilt

2006-01-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Now I have got to tell ya'll that I love anything made with hankies. When I went to the quilt show last October, I saw this quilt. I would love to make this one....someday :) In the meantime, I'll just keep collecting hankies.

I'm Back

2006-01-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

Here I am!! I haven't disappeared :) My moma came for a week long visit and just left yesterday. My husband works offshore and has a 2 week on/2 week off rotation and he came home yesterday. And I also started babysitting my neice (6weeks) and nephew(3 yrs.) last week, so that is why I disappeared from the blog. Anyway, here is the newest project. This will be a watermelon quilt. The log cabin block will be set in stripes, alternating red and green. I will applique "seeds" on top of the red blocks. It's church time, so more later....

My First Quilt...Yummy!

2006-01-12T05:38:00.000-08:00

This is my first quilt! It is called Abby's delight. Abby is my oldest child (7yrs.). She loves her mommy-made :) As you can see, most of these blocks are not perfect. See the mint green ice cream cone? The poor thing is so crooked LOL! Anyway, Abby loves it so that is all that matters.

This is a close up of one of the blocks. They are all hand appliqued.

I have quite a few scraps building up so I think I'll start cutting for a string quilt like Lucy posted

today. I'm off to work now....

Fresh off the machine....

2006-01-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

Here is my first log cabin quilt ever. I have only been quilting since July of last year, so this one is not perfect. I hope the quilt police are not looking, cuz the plaids are off and all of the seams don't match. But I'm in love anyway! It is 54" x 54". Now to get it quilted .....

Hello Blogging World!!

2006-01-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

And welcome to my crazy world :) Here you will find a little of this and a little of that as I seem to have my finger in quite a few pots. Knit, Crochet, Heirloom Sewing, Smocking, Quilting, SAHM, and sew much more! Since I am a new aunt, I thought I would share a picture of Katie Faith, born December 16, 2005.

With love, from Hope

2006-01-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

I created this pretty blog for my sister, because I wuv her so much! I hope you enjoy your blog, Crystal. Have lots of fun blogging!