2010 The year of the quilts: A Review

In 2010 I was determined to get a lot of quilting projects finished. Gee, I bet every quilter in America makes that statement every year.

In the first 3 months of 2010, I finished one quilt project that had been lingering for way too long, made 2 baby quilts and a wall hanging..... as shown in this
2010 The Year of the Quilts post.

Then I finished a quilt for our bedroom. When we bought this house, I decorated the master bedroom around my favorite Ralph Lauren sheets. I wanted the room to be calm and serene.


By then it was summer time and my quilting mojo slowed way down.

I did manage to re-vamp and clean up the quilty shack though. Here it was at the last quilty shack viewing

I pretty much decided there was NO room for needless decor. If I could not use it for storage or function, it was out.

One of the biggest "duh why didn't I do this sooner" moment was to butt up another table to my existing sewing table. Pretty sure if I could squeeze a little bed and a fridge in here, I might never leave!


November rolled around I finished this Christmas flannel quilt.
The backing was a panel with cute vintage looking Christmas pictures. I think the line is called Kiddie Christmas and it is a Moda fabric.

We all fought for this one over the holidays. It is warm, warm, warm!

Forward to like 20 days before Christmas and I am sewing like a crazy, nutty, crack head woman trying to finish 2 quilts.

One for my sweet mother-in-law. I forgot to take pictures of it, so I had to take these at her house.


(Good grief, those pictures were taken with my clearly inadequate camera phone. You were thinking I needed to repeat my photography classes, huh?)

It was a turning 20 pattern. Easy peasy.

And I also made hubs a quilt. It was made with the Marines and blonde rascal's old jeans and cami's that the Marine wore in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He thinks I am the coolest wife ever. Naturally. Frankly, I had an ulterior motive....he is always cold and I am hot. I hate the heater being on and breathing in warm air. Now I just mummy wrap him in his quilt and turn down the heater. Mwwhahaaaaaa....


In the middle of all that I decided to make blonde rascal's 3 teachers, mug rugs. Like I had nothing else to be doing? That was a bizarre thought, but thankfully since they were so tiny they went together really fast. And I got brownie points for the semester!



That has me closing out 2010 with 7 quilts completed, one wall hanging and 3 mug rugs. Hmmmm wonder what 2011 will hold?

So many quilts to make, so little time....

Month 3 of "2010 The Year of Quilts"

I started January off by making 2 quilts. An easy, easy pattern that has jumped to the top of my favorite quick quilt patterns.

Aunt Gay tipped me off to this pattern, it is a spin on a Wrapping Paper Quilt pattern.In a nutshell... you cut strips varying between 2" and 4". Adhere fusible batting to your backing. The stroke of genius is that as you sew your strips together, you sew them to the backing. Poor explanation I know, but what it boils down to is you are quilting as you attach your strips. Makes for a fast, cute quilt!


I made two for my new twin nieces, Hadley & Isabelle!

The backing of this one was too cute... cowgirls.



I also made a wall hanging for their nursery.

It was super quick and so fun. I don't have much need to sew girly stuff at my house, so I love the opportunity to make girl gifts!


In February, I finished my parent's Christmas present. Sadly, I DO mean their Christmas 2009 present!!!! Ridiculous I know, but they are my parents so they love me anyway!


I had all the blocks completed for this quilt, it was a 2008 $1.00 a month club at my LQS. Then came 2009 and moving/starting a new business....who has time to quilt through all that. The center block was a huge ornate applique. I think that is what made me put this quilt on hold, I knew the applique would take forever.


To remove some stress from my quilting life, I determined that the applique center was not needed! Not a pattern I would normally choose, but oh what I learned. Some of these blocks were very challenging, which greatly boosted my confidence as a novice quilter.


Now I have only one U.F.O. (unfinished object) in my sewing stash. It is going to be a Christmas present....a 2010 present thankyouverymuch!

I do have quite a few projects to start (AND finish!), waiting patiently on my newly organized quilty shack shelves. I plan on making a dent on those in 2010. If I do one a month, whew I'll be in good shape. Then I can buy more fabric in 2011!! Sounds like a plan, a good plan.

The quilty shack is no place for a 9 year old boy

Edited to add: Some words have been highlighted like they are a link, and they are, a link to games or stuff for sale. I didn't do this and it does not show up on the Html so I can't remove them...hmmmm has my blog been attacked? Don't click on them!)

The feature about this house that sold me was not the porches, cozy interior, the damn pool or the pretty surroundings. No sir, the quilty shack was the clincher for me. Yup, the outbuilding that the previous owner was using as her hair salon had quilty shack written all over it. It was what made me sign on the ''x".

I have not had time to sew at all since we moved and it was a disaster of epic proportions.

The Marine's best friend from high school got married last weekend. We have known this kid since The Marine was in 8th grade. I spent many years yanking him around by the ear, smacking the back of his head, feeding him... you know just like he was one of mine.

He married his high school sweetheart whom we have also known for years. So I decided these two deserved a quilt as a wedding gift.

In preparation for this I had to get the quilty shack in working order.

I chose a Saturday a few weeks ago and set about organizing the chaos.

My 9 year old shadow decided to "help" me. While I was trying to organize, he was bringing stuff in that he thought would be fun to have in the quilty shack.

For instance, his gumball machine...which he decided to take apart....

The remote control fart machine...Which let's be honest, no sewing room would be complete without one.


The cat...
Cars...

And of course what every boy leaves behind......a muddy floor!!

In the cabinet in the little bathroom he deposited Oreos and Cracker Jacks.......the child goes no where without snacks.

Despite all my "help" I managed to get the shack organized at least enough to sew in.

And I happily unearthed a completed quilt top that only needed quilting and binding. Ahhh a quick wedding gift!


So the wedding was Saturday evening, at the bride's house, outside. Don't let me forget to mention we had a cold snap Saturday...and it was 44 degrees at the time of the outdoor wedding.The poor sweet bride said she was numb.

So was I. Sitting in that metal chair in 44 degree weather. I pondered during the ceremony if it would be rude to go unwrap and snuggle up with my wedding gift?

It's fun to be a copy cat!

I have "co-room mothered" with the same 2 moms since 1st grade. At every holiday party for the class, they roll their eyes at me and grumble while asking what cute thing I made this time. I am always 100% honest and say I copy ideas right off the internet.

I don't get specific and give them blogs to go find....I mean seriously, I don't need another mom trying to one up me!

But I will tell you guys, cuz I'm nice like that!

Chris at Just a Girl posted this idea and it struck my fancy because blonde rascal's adorable teacher is a germ-o-phobe deluxe. What is not to love about a teacher that always has a Clorox Wipe in her hand? Stomach bug be gone!

In a moment of grandeur I decided to make Bakerella's cake balls as blonde rascal's Valentine treats for his classmates . Mine looked nothing like hers, but they are oh-so-good. Rich beyond belief but undeniably yummy! Oh, and I should mention....e-a-s-y!

Blonde rascal glued the Valentine tags together and we were done. Our contribution to the sugar crazed holiday.

Just a few hours of laundry and straightening the house and then I am bravely going to his class party...aka the sugar frenzy.

Go forth and be a copy cat today!

WHO'S CRANKY?

When the Marine got out of boot camp, one of his favorite drill sgt. catch phrases to imitate was "who's confused?" He told us that the drill sgts. would bark out an order and then forcibly ask...WHO'S CONFUSED?

That makes me giggle, using it in my everyday pollyanna housewife life..."Dinner is ready! WHO'S CONFUSED?" Try it at your house.

Today my question is WHO'S CRANKY? Well, I am. Not so much cranky really, I am full of holiday cheer and joy...but I am over all the preparations/obligations. Done, over, I am through, closing up shop, thanks for asking.

I thought this week would be smooth sailing...but take 2 days out of your life, due to strep throat, the week before Christmas and you are sunk.

The house is a MESS. I did appropriately Lysol & bleach all potential strep contaminated areas & wash sheets. It is worth mentioning that I did also wash my pajamas which I may or may not have had on for 3 days straight. But other than that....A MESS.

Monday and Tuesday were a wash. So Weds. I geared up to make up for the previous 2 days. Which included quilt blonde rascal's quilt, make gift for teacher and treats for classmates, prepare for class party and throw in attempting to eventually cross everything off the mother of all pre-Christmas to-do lists.

Luckily on one of my favorite blogs came to the rescue for classmate treat ideas. Meg at Whatever gets all the credit for these...Unfortunately at this late state in the game WM was sold out of the more budget friendly simple treat bags so I was forced into buying these danged pricey Hallmark numbers. With that in mind I opted out of the candy cane and ribbon embellishment route like Meg did. Hers DO look so much cuter though! Go visit her blog, seriously. She totally keeps it all real, her photography is amazing and her house is family friendly wonderful and so charming!!!

Blonde rascal's teacher is the best he has ever had and we love her to pieces, so for her... a stay up half the night in order to finish in time for the party tote bag was the only way to go.
I had whipped one out last week for my neighbor's who are in Russia adopting a boy, so the motions were still fresh in my brain and luckily it is an easy pattern.(please excuse the ham in the background)

The class party went off without a hitch thanks to the rawkin' room mom (ahem) and on top of decorating gingerbread houses there was enough sugar to have all the wee children spazzing out for days.
So on Weds. & Thurs. between all that hoopla made cookies to send to the Marine. He doesn't get leave to come home until the 29th. So I sent him a package of a few small presents, snacks and of course cookies. I wanted him to have a little love on Christmas day.

I am done with the gift shopping, on a positive note, and all is wrapped & under the tree. That is a huge woo-hoo!

Sunday morning the kids will be having a birthday party for Jesus at Sunday school. The children's minister asked for volunteers to each make 2 dozen mini cupcakes each. I volunteered, no biggie because what's a little more baking at this point...

He sends an email asking that the cupcakes be peanut free, due to peanut allergies of course. Okiedokie. While at WM a few days back I spy their mini cupcakes in the bakery and upon further investigation of the package see that they are made in a nut free facility. Perfect. I planned on running by later in the week to pick them up. That was until the NEXT email from the children's minister asking that we do not buy bakery cupcakes due to potential cross contamination. And that specifically if we buy a mix that it be Pillsbury or something.

Good grief, I can't buy bakery, I can't use the mix in my pantry...this simple volunteer act is now stressing me out!! I bought the Pillsbury mix feeling really good about myself. Then I realize that the cookies, I previously mentioned making for the Marine, were peanut butter cup cookies. So now MY kitchen is cross contaminated for the love of pete!

I think I will send my 2 dozen cupcakes Sunday morning with an epi-pen (sp?) strapped to the Tupperware container. I will not be held responsible for a throat swelling up at sweet baby Jesus' birthday party for crying out loud! I thankfully don't have a child with a nut allergy and bless your heart if you do, I can't imagine how that must worry you senseless on a daily basis. But please if that is your child, bake him a sterile nut free cupcake and send it to Sunday school...just so I can sleep peacefully.

SO I finished quilting blonde rascal's quilt THIS morning. Now I have to attach the binding, which has to be done by hand...and now school is out meaning b.r. will be home ALL day and staying up late at night....leaving me when exactly to hand sew the binding on a gigantic quilt???

I may have to lock myself in my sewing room a few evenings. Darn the luck.



What's left now? Well, breakfast with Santa tomorrow morning at church and hub's office party tomorrow night....and then the calendar is clear. Blank. No writing anywhere on it at all next week. Amen.

While I love volunteering and being involved, but that tied in with Christmas preparation stress, shopping, strep throat and going 90 to nothing all wadded up in a crazy 2 week period is waaaayyy too much and I am so glad it is over. Now it is time to chill with my family and enjoy the season!

Speaking of fun, after school blonde rascal and I went to PetsMart to pick up dog/cat food. What was entertaining was that we took Missy the wonder weenie dog. Much to our amusement she, in no particular order... barked ferociously at some people, peed on aisle 6, took many, many toys off the shelves and made a valiant effort at getting into the cat in the adoption area. Good times at PetsMart.

And lastly a very special Merry Christmas to the post office employee who was cleaning the glass doors as I entered the post office today. She politely stopped cleaning & stepped aside so I could get in the door. Which is ALL she did while I schlepped in my large 20lb box to send to the Marine, balancing it in one arm while awkwardly reaching for the door with the other. Her hands were apparently too full to open the door...with her one bottle of Windex and all.

Little did she know I pressed my hands all over the clean glass as I exited. Hmmmph. Merry Christmas to you! (I was gifting her with job security, really)

What about you? Are you past the frenzy? I really hope so! It is time to have fun, right??

I get another check mark by my name...

...on the teacher's list of moms that are total kiss~ups!

Blonde rascal gets out tomorrow @ 1:15 for Thanksgiving break. I made these cute little treats for his class....
Little acorns! They are kisses, mini vanilla wafers and a peanut butter chip stem. Frosting as glue and call it done. Easy as pie and adorable. I TOTALLY copied this off some blog I ran across...so whoever that was you deserve all the credit.

Last year I made these pilgrim hats which were fab...
... and was going to make them again this year, but the acorns seemed like a fun idea.

I am kidding about kissing up to the teacher....sort of. What honestly brings me the most joy is time spent making things with blonde rascal. Today for instance he and I ate candy by the handful had a great time putting the acorns together.

And best of all he is delighted by taking fun treats to all of his classmates. I am thrilled to do this while I can. In a few short years I am sure he will be horrified at the thought of taking goodies to school that his mommy made. I say phooey on that day!

It's All Good

Another busy week rolling to an end. The Marine was in town until Weds. morning, Thurs. I volunteered at the book fair and ate lunch at school with blonde rascal. This morning was the 6 wk. awards at school....I'll spare you the details of blonde rascal's awards because I know all of your children are brilliant too!! A run to the grocery store and I am home.

I just had a big bowl of chili for lunch. Oh yea, greasy, fattening, nasty Wolf brand chili with cheese on top and saltines. It was sooooo good. I much prefer homemade chili but that can in the pantry was calling my name.

After school I am taking b.r. and 2 friends to see Madagascar. I hope the "chili repercussions" hold off until after the movie. However sitting by three 8 year old boys...no one would think of blaming me!

I have really good news! My big news that The Marine was getting married...is off! No wedding!! Praise God! The Marine is fine, I am not happy for any grief this decision may cause him but am so thrilled he is not getting married. Their young age, not knowing each other long and general immaturity took care of that relationship. Just thankful it was now and not a year after marriage.

It was all a good lesson in "let go and let God" for hubs and I. We chose to support the Marine, roll with it and PRAY, instead of freaking out. Then it all ended up working for the best. Besides all that, it really is true that I am too young to be a m-i-l.

Speaking of marriage...Tuesday was big anniversary #13 for hubs and I!! I spent our anniversary evening at a quilt class. Nothing says love like quilting!! he he har har.

It was a revolutionary quilt class though... slice and dice. Holy toledo. Easy, easy, easy and quick. After cutting the initial 12" squares, then there is no measuring or matching of seams. A dreamy no brainer quilt. I am the queen of fast and easy. Wait... if you are going to repeat that Quilty Chick is fast and easy, then please do so in the context of quilting!

B.R. wants a Texas Tech (woohoo!) quilt for Christmas, so thank goodness this one will be quick.I pieced the rows together last night. It is a totally cute scrappy look.

Quilters make quilts because they love making them and giving them to people. There is no way to sell a quilt and re coop the money invested in the fabric (good quilting fabric is not cheap) and your time. That is why people buy quilts from JC Penny for $69.99, it is cheap fabric and was made in a sweat shop in China....making it affordable.

However, making this fast quilt in Texas Tech fabric got my wheels turning. Lubbock, TX is positively electric with Tech fever right now. Tech craze is at an all time high with them being #2 in the nation. Especially if we were to beat OU next weekend...I just bet I could sell these quilts and profit. Advertise on Craigslist? It could be lucrative. Hmmmm.....mama could make some Christmas cash.....

Lastly I will leave you with a scene of the rebellion and general chaos I deal with around here. After getting ready this morning and walking into the kitchen here is what I find....


Val the 13 yr. old curmudgeon diabetic cat, who has come to a stage in life where he could quite frankly give a damn about any previous rules or regulations regarding him being banned from all kitchen surfaces...and Missy the miniature doxie with tons of moxie, who will do everything in her power to annoy the ever loving life out of Val.

How a dog with 2" long legs got on the table AND the fact that the 2 of them were cohabiting so calmly in the same vicinity is all just amazing. Time to get out the Lysol surface spray.

Hubs left yesterday and will be gone until Sunday. He went on the annual boys trip, to Colorado with 2 of his high school buddies. Lord help 'em. They will spend the whole weekend reliving the glory days....days of courdory Levi's, shaggy afro do's, babes and v-8 engines.

Various & sundry information

Whew. Another busy week. Busy weeks lead to a backlog of laundry. Look what I found lounging in my growing pile of laundry to be folded.


Then when I finally tackled the folding, she mistook that for belly scratching time. Silly girl.


The most important thing I have to say today is that Texas Tech won. Uuh-huuhh...WHO'S YOUR DADDY??!? Oh sorry, I'm still all caught up in the emotion of that game. Yep, we won thereby removing Texas from the #1 spot in the nation. We are ranked #2...that is a first in school history! That game was over the top intense, with Tech scoring the wining touchdown in the last second of the game. Yes, LAST second. The most beautiful last second touchdown pass I have ever seen. Legendary. I had reflux it was so crazy.

We play OSU this weekend which I know will also be reflux inducing. Go Red Raiders! The alumni association emailed me asking for a donation for the stadium enlargement fund. They know to strike while school spirit is high. Only they are barking up the wrong tree with me. I figure they got enough tuition money out of my parents all those years ago! They have resorted to email since I don't answer their calls.

(You should know that I have a source who shall remain nameless (Jennifer Aniston) who sent me a text during the game saying her husband, who was at the game, texted her saying that Matthew McCaughnahottie was at the game! He is a UT fan, poor boy. He was accompanied by his baby mama and baby Levi the love child. Matthew was in little old Lubbock, TX! By the way Jen A. is no longer a figment of your imagination....she has a blog!!)

(I apologize for the world's longest run-on sentence in the paragraph above.)

AND speaking of football... ( I don't even LIKE football unless it is my college team OR my boy!)...blonde rascal's team is going to the Tiger Bowl! That is right folks they won their playoff game last week! They have a perfect record and now are championship bound. WOOO-hooo!#91 is where it's at, baby!!!

LOOK I actually made a quilt! I named myself quilty chick and NEVER have anything to show for it! But alas, a baby quilt for my sweet & nutty friend Kristen.We had a surprise shower for her under the guise of our usual "scrapbook night"...she had no idea!
Just look at her carrying in her scrapbook bag! We pulled off the surprise! That was a fun, fun night with the girls!


Anyway making that quilt is why I have not revealed my new sewing room....it has been totally trashed during and since making that quilt!!!


I told you a few posts ago that I had 2 big events coming up, that if nothing else would be blog worthy. Well event #1 is that......



...I am going to be a mother-in-law!!! No, I did not say Grandma....I said M-I-L. Heaven help us all. The Marine, my 20 year old stepson, announced he would be getting married in Feb. I'll go ahead and just list the obvious reasons this is disturbing to hubs and I....
1. They have only dated since June, when he got out of boot camp. Other than constant texting & talking on the phone, they have only physically been together when he had like 36 hour leave over Labor Day weekend. She is a local girl, they have known each other sort of through their individual circle of friends. So length of dating...not long enough to really know each other.
2. Military life. Tough on newlyweds.
3. Military pay. Tough on newlyweds.
4. Life period. Tough on newlyweds...especially such young ones.

I know there a billion stories of how young love survived all that and more....but when it is your own kid you want them to avoid those struggles. We shared why we thought it would be wise to wait....but you know they don't listen. We also assured him we would support him no matter what and love her.

Oiy. I am only 37. Is that old enough to qualify as a m-i-l? I have to come up with a blog name for the d-i-l. I know....d-i-l!!!! For now, the "d-i-l to be".

The Marine will be home Saturday - Weds. as they get a short leave in honor of Veteran's Day. It will be great to have him home. I am sure we will get to see lots of the d-i-l to be as they will be inseparable no doubt. Which is good since we hardly know her. Oiy again.

I will be blogging full coverage wedding planning and events as they unfold. Oh dear.





We're still coming down off the sugar high at our house...