Hard Hat Time

Well . . . not quite. Did you know that I like to build? And when I can combine sewing and building, it's just bliss. I recently discovered the world of Ana White. She has step-by-step instructions for hundreds of building projects. Now in full disclosure, my husband and I built most of our house. But mostly my husband. I was pretty busy having kids!

I also built this doghouse about five years ago (still standing!):

And finished our basement on my own: (my husband's Christmas present two years ago, also still standing)

Here's what it looked like when I started:

Okay, that's sideways, but you get the idea. I did have help with the sheetrock, but I did all the woodwork and carpeting and everything else.

 

This is getting a little long. Back to the present, I'm saying that I have a little experience and access to a lot of tools. Although I'm a little scared of most power saws and my favorite by far is the jigsaw. I bought this beautiful antique bed about ten years ago. But when I got it home, I found out it's an odd size, called a 3/4 bed. My full-sized mattress was about two inches too big to fit it. So I've had this beautiful bed just sitting around for years. When I saw this tutorial of Ana's, it just clicked!

 

I'm sorry for this very long post and I hope you made it to the end to see the beautiful pictures. I'm so pleased with this bench/couch/bed and I'll be showing more woodworking projects too as it's almost spring and I find I can't stay in the house all the time when it's nice outside! And I have a much bigger woodworking project going on that this is part of.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:7

Love,

xoxo

Sunday Stash Week 9

Good morning! I hope you're having a great weekend. I did pretty bad on fabric this week, but most of it is for a specific project or two.

I used about 1/6 of a yard on my string quilt. Only got one block finished this week.
About 5/8 of a yard on a top secret project.
And about 2 1/4 + 2/3 on a project I'll show you tomorrow, but here's a little peek:

Alrighty then, that's a lot of fractions for this early in the morning. 2 and 41/24 which is 3 17/24. We're going to round to 3 3/4, ok?

Used this week: 3 3/4
Used year to date: 42 yards
Added this week: 10 1/4 yards
Added year to date: 47 yards wow wee!

Feels like I'm stash building, huh?
To see how everyone else did, click here.
Love,

xoxo

Colorful Modern Quilts

There's a little contest over at the Quilting Gallery for the most colorful, modern quilt. If you have a chance, go vote for one! I entered this one:

You may remember it from the So You Think You Can Quilt contest last year.
Love,

xoxo

What to do with Leftover Flannel

Doesn't he look miserable? He always gets hot ears. When your kids are sick or hurt themselves and need an ice pack, do you find that ice or that blue stuff is a bit too cold? I know it is for us. But if you take your scrap flannel, fold it it half and sew it into a little pillow, you can fill it with corn and freeze it. It gets cold, but not nearly as cold as ice. Now for me, I just go out into the barn and scoop up some corn. But if you don't have that available, I'm pretty sure popcorn or dried beans would work just fine. The idea came from my mother-in-law who made one for us a long time ago. We were in need of more than one yesterday, so I sewed up a couple more. Literally a ten minute project including getting the corn out of the barn. What are you waiting for?

Does anyone have housetraining tips for a puppy? I'm about to lose it over this dog.

Love,

xoxo

Sunday err Monday Stash Week 8

Nothing like starting out the week behind! Two of my three kids are sick. Auggg!

Anyway, back to the business at hand. I sewed on my string quilt and I bound (is that the right term? I don't think it's binded) a quilt. And my local quilt store had a sale. Oh well!

Used this week: 1 3/4 yards
Used year to date: 38 1/4 yards
Added this week: 7 1/2 yards
Added year to date: 36 5/8 yards

A little bit of the added is for the Be Mine pillow. And the rest was pretty! I tend to buy in 1 yard increments. How about you? Are you a fat quarter person? For some reason that's never enough for me if I really love the fabric.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;

may the name of the LORD be praised. Job 1:21

To see how everyone else did, click here.

Love,

xoxo

Winner of Keri Beyer Fabric!

It's a beautiful day here! I'm a stinky mess as I have been cleaning out the chicken coop this morning but I thought I better pop in to tell you the winner of Keri Beyer's fabric.

It's #54: BillieBee (billiemick) said...

My dream is to win a longarm sewing machine....or to lose 100 pounds. Either one would be great.

I'm with you on the losing weight Billie, but sending a quilt off to be quilted is way too easy for me to want to do my own. Anyway, Keri's fabric will be coming your way and thank you to everyone for the beautiful comments! Keri thanks you too!

Well, back outside for me!
Love,

xoxo

String Me Along

I'm in major cleanout mode. I'm going through all my scrap baskets. There are even more than in the picture -- one for each color. And I'm only saving pieces that are big enough to at least make doll clothes from.

 The rest are going into another basket for a string quilt. I've wanted to make one for some time now and finally got started. I have an emotional attachment to a lot of these little pieces. Oh, I remember making Anna a dress from this or Nathan a little bag from that. It will be nice to have them all in one place. Although I probably have enough "strings" for 4 or 5 quilts. No joke. How about you? Do you cling to fabric? Do you form attachments to it?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Love,

xoxo

Love is in the Air Roundup

All the tutorials are in one place here!

Gather Together

For the Little Ones

Ooh-La-La

This One's for the Girls

Hot Stuff

Love,

xoxo

And the winner is:

There were a whopping 220 entries. Thanks so much for all the great comments. I enjoyed reading all of them! First of all, we will definitely be having the Be Mine Sewalong. I've never done a sewalong before, so this should be fun! I think I will post instructions each Wednesday, and will try to get it all in 5 or 6 weeks. Sounds good? This Wednesday, I will post the supply list. Thanks for the overwhelming response to the pillow. I love it too!

If you're going to participate, I would appreciate you posting the photo above, so others can join us if they want to!

Okay, okay. What everyone's waiting for. The winner is #79
Marcia W. said . . . Love is in the Air! The song will be repeating in my mind the rest of the day.

Marcia, I need your address and thank you all for playing along. Make sure you comment on this post, for a chance to win Keri Beyer's great fabric!
Love,

xoxo

Guest Post from the fabulous Keri Beyer and a giveaway!

The contest is closed. Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Valentines Day everyone! I'm so glad you stopped by today because I am honored to host the fabulous, colorful, wonderful, beyond-creative (I could go on and on) Keri Beyer, fabric designer extrordinaire for In the Beginning fabrics. Keri and I met at market last spring and we really hit it off! She is a great friend and TODAY she is giving away six (count em 6) fat quarters of her new line, Dream a Little Dream with Me. Okay, time for me to be quiet and Keri to take over. Take it away, Keri!

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yes, february, the time of year where, if we are lucky enough to have and take the time, to open our hearts. a wonderful day to take the time to look inside ourselves and examine “the what” and “the who”, we carry in our hearts where perhaps in the midst of the commmotion of every day life, we don’t acknowledge as much as we would like…


yes, february, a time to romanticize. a time to dream. a time to find what ignites our passion and fuels our soul, if not for romantic love but for the celebration and love of our own unique-self. st valentine’s day tends to be a day where we give to others – finding a way to celebrate that special “one” that has captured our hearts (and hopefully vice-versa!)

this valentine’s day i challenge you to look deep in your heart and find the unique things, the many and varied attributes – that make you so incredibly lovable. let cupid raise his arrow and shoot it right at you! celebrate you. indulge yourself as much as you would your lover - eat chocolate without guilt, savor your favorite wine, soak in a long bath, create something, dance - do whatever it is that will make your heart flutter!


so if you dare, share with me some of the unique things that make you, YOU. give me your dreams, your passions and what it is that makes your heart race with excitement. i will send you a heart and 6 fat quarters from my “DREAM A LITTLE DREAM WITH ME COLLECTION”

love is in the air - i hope you catch it!
keri
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Well, you heard the lady. Tell her your dreams in a comment to this post for a chance to win the six fat quarters! Post about this giveaway on your blog, twitter or facebook for two additional chances. Then leave a separate comment that you did that. The contest is open until Friday, February 18 at midnight central time. The winner will be posted on Saturday.

Oh, but that is not all. Go over to Keri's blog for a chance to win even more of her fabric!
Happy Valentines Day again and the winner of my other drawing will be posted shortly.
Love,

xoxo

Sunday Stash Week 7

Used this week: about 7 yards counting the giveaway (which I am)
Used year to date: 36 1/2
Added this week: 0
Added year to date: 29 1/3

Yay! I'm back in the postitive! It's in the 60s here today -- a big change from earlier in the week when it was -10! You know what they say, if you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait an hour! Have a great day.

To see how everyone else did this week, click here.
Love,

xoxo

Love is in the Air: For Hot Stuff

The drawing is now closed. Feel free to continue to leave comments.
It's Day 6 of Love is in the Air: A Week of Valentines Tutorials. Only one day left to finish up and then someone will win prize! Check back Monday for the winner, a guest blogger (I'm so excited!!!!), and a new giveaway.

Today's tutorial is so simple. But it's perfect for your child's teacher, a grandparent or anyone else you need a little Valentine for.

You don't have to have this Valentines fabric. Just use two squares (one for the front and one for the back) about 6 inches each. Then put it together just like you would a quilt, with some low-loft batting in the middle. Quilt it a tiny bit and then bind it. I bound mine with 1/4" bias tape, but you could certainly make binding. Here is a tutorial on binding. Voila coasters!

As a bonus, make French toast for your family and cut out the bread with heart-shaped cookie cutters!

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7

Love,

xoxo

Love is in the Air: This One's For the Girls

The drawing is now closed. Feel free to continue to leave comments.
It's Day 5 of Love is in the Air: A Week of Valentines Tutorials. Make sure to leave a comment on any post this week for a chance to win great prizes and then come back on Monday to see the winner and for an exciting new giveaway!

Today's tutorial is courtesy of Oliver + S: the Popover Doll Dress. You definitely have time to make this easy dress before Valentines Day, as two of them only took me about an hour. If you're really ambitious, you can make the matching girl's dress too! It's also free.

A note on 15" dolls (like bitty babies): I always take off an inch to an inch and a half of length while keeping the width the same.

Is this little sundress not for you? Never fear, here's another free tutorial. The Scientific Seamstress has a dolly t-shirt pattern for you.

Try one today to make a happy Valentine for your little girl!

Love,

xoxo

Love Nest Contest

It's time to vote for your favorite quilt in the Love Nest Contest. Please go to Gen X Quilters and vote!

Love,

xoxo

Love is in the Air: Ooh-La-La

The drawing is now closed. Feel free to continue to leave comments.
Hello! It's Day 4 of Love is in the Air: A Week of Valentines Day Tutorials! Sign up on any post this week for a chance to win wonderful prizes. Come back Monday for the winners and also for a special guest blogger and another giveaway! I'm so excited about this!

So, this one needs no explanation; I'll let the picture do the talking:

A sort-of intuitive pattern is here. What? You thought I'd be modeling? haha If you use nylon chiffon, like I did, you won't have to finish the seams or make a hem. It's doesn't fray! So, this little project takes about an hour. Nylon chiffon is available here. So, happy Valentines Day to your husband. One more person checked off your list . . .

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:7

Love,

xoxo

Love is in the Air: For the Little Ones

The drawing is now closed. Feel free to continue to leave comments.
It's Day 3 of Love is in the Air! Don't forget to leave a comment on any post this week for a chance at some great prizes -- fabric, a key fob, and a gift certificate to Above All Fabric! Then come back Monday for the winners and an exciting post -- you won't want to miss this one!

So for Day 3, what's better than my very own Activity Bag from Moda Bake Shop? They are perfect for church, traveling, going to Grandma's, and any time. My kids' bags are over a year old and they still use them all the time. For the occasion, I made up a few for my nephew and two little nieces.

 Don't you love the Valentines fabric? It was a panel and I think it may be a little bit old, but it's new to me. And the back of the purple and green one is my favorite Jennifer Paganelli fabric.

My little niece loves pink, so I lined it with cupcakes. Perfect for a 3 year old, right?

It (love) does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:6
Love,

xoxo

Love is in the Air: the Prizes

The drawing is now closed. Feel free to continue to leave comments.
What fun is a special week without some prizes? I came up with a few from my stash:

 Four odd pieces of Summer Sun by Riley Blake. They're good sized pieces, mostly around fat quarter size. And my key fob from the Fabric 2.0 party at Quilt Market.

 1 yard cut and 5/8 yard cut of some Robyn Pandolph fabrics.

A little more than a yard of redwork fabric by Alex Anderson.

PLUS: a $20 gift certificate from Above All Fabric.

Ready to enter? Just leave a comment on any post from Love is in the Air this week. The last post will be on Sunday, February 13. That means you can leave up to 7 comments for 7 chances to win! For 4 additional chances to win, blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway using the Love is in the Air button I made and linking back to my blog. You'll have to leave a separate comment about this and I will check. Good luck!

Love,

xoxo