Almost Thursday

Hi, I know I haven't been on lately but I have a really really good excuse...we're buying a house! Life is getting crazier but the day around here. It's a beautiful home w/4 bedrooms, a lr and fr, 2 bathrooms, kitchen (of course) and are you ready for this???? A built in pool! We have to get it fenced in before we move in w/the kiddos though (yes they are moving w/us). All in all it's going to be perfect for us now and when the kids get on their feet as well. For now DH is going to put is office in the smallest bedroom and I'm going to use the "formal" living room as a sewing room. We'll have a couch and tv in it as well since that seems to be where me and DDIL gravitate in the evenings along w/DGD. We're supposed to close escrow on April 8th...really soon! We want to have a garage sale next weekend so I've got to get busy and sort through stuff. I don't know how we managed to collect so much in such a short amount of time but we did! DDIL is starting school that day too so we really have alot going on right now. I've got a bit of quilting done but all the pics are in Snapfish right now. I'll have to save some to my computer and post them next time...until then.....

Happy lunch time! I just have a few minutes to post about my long weekend. I got lots of sewing time on Sunday evening since hubby left for out of town early. Here is a picture of my scrappy Valentine quilt. The white squares will have applique hearts on them and there will be white ricrac around each square. These are kind of fun to make and definitely use up scraps!

I'm going to start doing donation quilts for a group called Binky Patrol. A very nice lady named Kathleen started a chapter here in Fresno the end of last December. She came over yesterday and brought me some flyers and showed me some of what the group has been doing. After she left I whipped up a little top to see if my idea for doing some would work. I think it turned out nicely so spent a few minutes before work this morning picking out some more fabric to make a few more. Here's a picture of my first Binky Patrol quilt top size 36xz36.

Any handmade blankets are accepted including knitted, crocheted, quilted or fleece. We are making them for a local hospital that has over 100 births a month to mostly migrant workers...anyone want to help us? She said they've already donated to a nearby women's prison. They give 1 fleece blanket to any inmate that has a baby. It has to be a single layer so they decided fleece would work best. She also makes burial blankets for stillborns...they were being wrapped in newspaper. Isn't that the saddest thing you've ever heard???

I better wrap this up for today since it's back to work time!

Here it is the middle of February and I haven't updated this blog for days! I have been busy to say the least. I finished the top to my fall quilt and am attaching a picture of it. I got the back sewn together and it's at my friend Tammy's to be quilted. She got a beautiful Gammill a few months ago and is starting a quilting business so this one will be good practice for her since it's a full-size. I'm pretty sure I'm going to give this one to Brad since he needs one not only for his bed but also when he goes back to work he likes to take his own blanket to the different posts. I was thinking about keeping it for myself but decided that I don't need a full-size one and will probably make us another one only smaller for next fall.

I found a cute pattern for a baby doll bag that has a matching blanket and pillow for the doll that I'm going to make for the girls for Christmas next year. I'll have to make 6 or 7 total so I guess I need to get busy on them soon! I'm also thinking about making them aprons for Christmas.

I've started machine quilting dad's "Gone Fishing" quilt that we're giving him for his birthday...shhhh he doesn't know about it! I also started a Valentine's scrappy quilt...I know I'm behind on the holidays but am trying to get caught up-I've actually bought some patriotic fabric for the 4th already!

I'm also trying to learn how to hand quilt. I'm using a technique created by a lady that goes by the name "Thimblelady". She's from Australia and I bought her book and DVD. She's going to be teaching a class in CA this summer that I'm seriously thinking about taking.

On a different note: Vanessa, Melissa (Vanessa's sister) and I took Brianna, Bella (Melissa's daughter, and Clarissa (Vanessa and Melissa's little sister) to see Disney on Ice last Sunday. We had a blast...and spent lots of money of course. I'll have to upload the picture when I get home.

Well it's cold outside! While it's not as cold as the midwest it IS cold for here!

I'm adding a few pictures taken in the past week or so. This is a picture taken at the movie theatre last week. It was Bri's 1st movie date w/Nana. Doesn't she have a beautiful profile...even if she is sticking out her tongue!

Here is a picture of the girls watching Baby Einstein last night. Mia prefers the "Santa" one. Maybe it's all the bright reds in it. Brianna loves to sit in Mia's bouncy chair so sissy had to sit in her boppy instead. Vanessa said that Mia especially loves it whenever Bri pays attention to her.

Here's the last picture I'm adding today. It's my very 1st quilting quilt project. I made these 2 quilts for the twins for their birthday. When they opened them they started laying on them immediately. I sure hope they continue to like and use them.

Hi,

No new pictures today. Andy is out of town with work and will be home on Thursday. He sounded blue today. I'm sure he's gearing up for his business review coming up. Brad said his dr. recommends back surgery to remove several discs. He's bummed about it since he'll be off work 3 more months if they do it.

I've been trying to learn to hand quilt. There are a variety of ways to do it and it's not as easy as it looks. I guess that's what makes it worth while huh? I tried using an "Aunt Becky" and am now trying the Thimblelady technique. I think that is the one I will end up using. She is having a workshop up near Sacramento in July that I'll probably try to attend.

I guess I should get to work! I'll try to post some more pics tomorrow.

D

Hi,

I've been very bad about posting lately. I think I'm about caught up with life though. We still need to put the Christmas stuff up in the garage but at least it's IN the garage. We've had a lot going on lately. Mia is getting bigger and more beautiful every day. Her hair is starting to get fuzzy and stand up on top. I keep teasing Vanessa that she's going to be the one to get the Indian baby hair doo. Here's a pretty recent picture of her. She's starting to coo and smile. She's even managed to almost laugh a few times. The kids got a new puppy and named her Ruby. She's a cute little brown and tan Chahuahua. She's very smart and already knows how to go out the doggie door. Too bad she doesn't use it to go potty! She's a whiner and thinks she needs to be held all the time unless she's playing but overall I think she'll be a great dog. Brianna is starting to cough. I fear she's coming down with a cold. I was off work yesterday and took her to her 1st movie at a theatre. She liked it fine and only got a little restless. She got to play in the play area right outside the theatre and really loved that! We'll have to take her again when it's warmer. We went to Modesto for the twins birthday party on Sunday. Their mom wanted to do a Princess theme but the would have nothing of it...they wanted Nemo. They sure are cuties. I wish they lived closer so we could see them more often. We gave them the quilts I made for them and I think they liked them.

I've been working on a few projects. I started a rag quilt for Brad, a quilt for my father-in-law's birthday in April, embroidery squares for a girls quilt, and almost cut out all the fabric for a scrap fall quilt. I'm going to learn how to hand quilt tonight at church. I can hardly wait.

I guess I better get busy and be productive. I'll try to post some more quilt pictures soon...

Hi,

I haven't been updating this on a regular basis. Life around the holidays...what else do I need to say. Here is a picture of Bri helping cook for Thanksgiving. She's such a delight! I managed to get her carry around quilt finished over the past weekend. I found several errors in it. They all had to do with laying it out before putting it together. I need better access to my pattern board I guess. It's over my cutting table and hard to reach plus the blocks kept falling off. Oh well, Bri likes it so that's all that matters I guess. I'll take a picture and post it. See if you can find the errors too! I'm going to try to take a new picture of Mia tonight and will post it tomorrow. We'll see if she's in a cooperating mood. We think her eyes are going to stay a dark blue. She sure is a cutie!

Hi,



It's been very busy for the past few days...ok weeks. Mia is settling in. Bri is settling down. She only has trouble sleeping now since she's always slept in mommy and daddy's bed and now daddy is sleeping w/her on an air mattress until mommy gets Mia on some kind of schedule.



I've done some sewing but not as much as I'd like. I finished my flannel baby blanket for Mia last night and they already used it on her. I also made her several burp cloths out of scrap flannel. These are getting alot of use. I think I'm going to make up several of the baby blankets and matching burp cloths to have on hand for baby shower gifts. I cut the fabric and drew the words for my Santa pillows this morning. I got the binding cut and ironed for the twin's quilts last night. One quilt is tied and ready to have the binding put on. I'd like to sew it on tonight or tomorrow so I can hand sew the back of the binding on over the weekend. I'm slowly getting my projects completed! I still haven't finished the other twin quilt or Bri's. I also want to get back to working on the one I'm making for Brad. Oh and then there's the Valentine's one I want to start. So many ideas...so little time! Too bad I have to sleep at night!

Mia's Here

Hi,

Mia made her enterance into the world last Friday evening at 5:15 or so. She weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20 in. long. I think she looks a lot like her mommy! She's a beautiful baby. Brianna just adores her and wants to hold her all the time. We have to really watch her right now! She's going to make a great big sister though. We have been truly blessed.

The picture above was taken yesterday and the one on the right is of me, Bri and Mia on Sunday before church. Bri went w/me and Pappa and Mia stayed home w/mommy and daddy.

It's almost Bri's 2nd birthday. She'll be 2 on Sunday. Doesn't seem possible but it is. I went to Costco yesterday to order her cake. It'll have a sun and flowers w/happy faces on them. The plates have flowers and butterflys on them. I think we're doing pizza and cake to make it easier this year. Of course she'll have a pinata too! Oh goodie...more candy!!! The party will be on this coming Saturday afternoon. I think mommy invited about 50 people. Did I mention that I'm tired???

No new pictures today. I was at the quilt class until 9:30 last night. We learned how to put on borders. I got the 1st one done and have 2 more borders to go before next week. I also need to make my practice piece to practice top quilting. I think Vanessa and I are going to work on the girl's quilts tonight. She has them almost done. We just need to do the borders. I also need to blind hem the bumper pad for Miss Mia's crib. She'll be in her new bassinett for a few months so I have time to get it done w/o stressing toooo much. I've started cutting out a fun quilt for Bri. Brad asked me where his quilt is so I guess I'll probably give him the fall one I'm starting. I'm glad everyone is liking my finished products!

Bri and mommy and daddy came by to see me today. Of course Bri refused to talk once she got here. She wore her new pink and black sunglasses. She loves sunglasses! She says it's bright out when she doesn't have them on.

Monday Morning

Well, I managed to finish the twin boy quilts this weekend inbetween the baby shower on Saturday and church and a 1 yr old birthday party on Sunday! I'm very happy with the way the quilts turned out. I learned alot from making them and will probably do some more for showers and/or donations. Here's a picture of the 2 of them together. The mom likes frogs so that became the theme.

The baby didn't make her appearance this weekend but will be here soon I'm sure. Mom is very uncomfortable so I've been trying to keep Bri occupied as much as possible while dad is at work. She sure is a busy little girl. She "helped" me pass out donuts at church yesterday. She loves to go and stand on the stepstool and watch whatever is going on. She gets very quiets and such a serious look on her face.

Hi again,

I wanted to add a few pictures of quilts to my blog. This is my first completed quilt. It's a flannel baby quilt that I gave to a good friend for her son that is expected early November. I finished it last Friday evening. It has airplanes on it since daddy is a pilot and they did baby's room in airplanes. It's hard to find flannel material with only airplanes on it so I had to settle for war planes! Mommy said that was fine because that's what is in baby's room too. I'm glad it worked out so well!!

This is my first finished quilted project ever! I got the pattern and some of the fabric for it about 4 years ago from a friend at work for my birthday. Thanks Patricia! She's a quilter and between her and my friend Tammy I've learned alot. I gave this pillow to a dear friend from church. I've since made a pink one that will be a Christmas present-but I can't say to who yet!

Next week I'll add a couple of pictures of quilts from the past. Until then...

Another beautiful day here. I got my binding cut for the twin baby quilts before running out the door for work this morning. I'm anxious to get these quilts done! I want to be working on Brianna's quilt. Depending on when I get it done it will either be one of her birthday or Christmas presents. Speaking of her birthday-I can't believe she'll be two soon! She's such a delight. Here's a picture of her at the pumpkin patch recently. She wasn't in a good mood until we took her to the pumpkins she could pick up. Then she was all smiles. We ended up getting her 3-2 small ones and 1 that daddy could cut for her. She's played with the small ones so much that we had to throw one away already cuz she kept dropping it and it got a bad spot! She also loves to help mommy and me when we sew. We got her plastic scissors and she thinks she's cutting fabric too!

We're having Mia's babyshower on Saturday. She'll be here soon. Mommy is definitely ready for her to be born and so are we. Any day now!

Hi,

This is my first ever blog! I'm very excited to get it started. I'm not sure what it will be used for yet. I know I'll want to put pictures of my crafting. Perhaps talk about my family and add some of their pictures as well...