Red Dirt Girl Designs

Borders and Bordering on Obsession

2012-01-26T22:35:00.000-06:00

I can't decide if this is it for this quilt top or if it deserves some borders....

I pieced this simple top some time ago but just can't decide if it's done...arghh..

I keep coming back to thinking it would look really nice with an inner border, a thin pieced border, and an outer border...then I circle back to it's cute small and simple like this...

the top is made from charm packs of Sugar Pop by Liz Scott

what's a girl to do??

maybe I'll set it aside and let the to add or not to add decision marinate a little longer...

and

turn my attention to this stack of fabrics...

a rather large stack of various DS Quilts fabrics...and sadly this is not all of them...

or maybe these should be next??

yep...more gorgeous fabric by Ms. Schmidt I've been hoarding...these being a few Greenfield Hill prints I pulled out (ignore the lone Love print at the bottom)...

and i'll tell you I should probably make a few quilts out of these stacks...so I can make room for when Flea Market Fancy Legacy collection comes out this spring...

I...Can...Not...Wait...

you see I got into quilting after the original FMF was released and I have always loved FMF and Katie Jump Rope...

my biggest fabric hoarding misstep was passing up a Katie Jump Rope 1/8 yd bundle of the full line at a quilt show...I didn't realize that when I came back 2 minutes later it would be gone...

I can't tell you how many times I've kicked myself for that...did I mention it was also at a great price...no crazy markup like you see from time to time on these lines...

sigh...oh well...

okay..so I'm a little obsessed with Denise Schmidt Fabrics

It's Sew Awesome

2012-01-21T19:40:00.002-06:00

I finally have a dedicated sewing and craft space! It's pretty amazing...

The downside of having a dedicated sewing and craft room....the ability to close the door to hide the mess.

I had thought about unpacking all the boxes, organizing, and cleaning up before I took pictures for this post. But why not be honest and show you what it looks like right now....and posting the room looking like this might make me clean and organize as I go because this is slightly embarassing. It's a hope at least.

I have tons of storage and shelfing...

so you would think I would utilize it to store projects...

so my sewing and cutting tables wouldn't look like there is no actual work space...jeezzz...this is bad...my mom is going to be super embarassed I showed ya'll my place looking like this...because she taught me better, as she is uber organized. I will tell you I have plans to finish unpacking and decorating my little studio...so this isn't the last you will see of my sewing space.

Oh...did you notice the newest edition to Red Dirt Girl World??? If you found it possible to look past the huge messing on my sewing table...

Yep...new machine!!! Meet Emmy as I've dubbed her and boy oh boy is she A-MAZING!! I should have upgraded a while ago...but I'll admit I was a little scared of a machine with so many stitches and options. I was so silly because this girl makes life SEW easy!!

Have a good weekend ya'll!!

Flirty Girl

2011-07-17T21:13:00.001-05:00

This quilt top is super simple....I thought that was perfect for the Innocent Crush (by one of my most favoritest designers Anna Maria Horner) fat quarters that I had sitting around.

The resulting quilt top of simple bricks and smaller pieces thrown in randomly. I think the simplicity really allows the vibrant flirty femininity of the fabrics to shine.

I haven't decided on a backing fabric yet...I'm thinking something simple maybe a solid with just a pieced line...what color would you suggest for the backing?? orange, pink, purple?

Vintage Fresh

2011-07-09T21:17:00.001-05:00

I finished this quilt a while ago, but hadn't taken pictures of it...today seemed like a good evening for a quilt shoot...so Ry and I headed outside to snap some photos...

I love this quilt....it's such a gorgeous vintage color palette....

when I first saw this line, Dream On by Urban Chiks for Moda, I could not wait to get my hands on it....it reminded me of the old sheets we used to use out on the lawn and to build forts over chairs in the play room when we were growing up...

I added the scrappy middle border on a whim and think it really makes the quilt work....

I love all the colors in these fabrics...especially that deep yellow orange....which I used for the binding and is included in large stripes on the back...the backing fabrics were my two favorites from the line which i stashed quit a bit of, the blue and white stripe and the floral on blue....

Quilting is mirrored lines along the seams of the tumblers and straight lines in the inner and middle borders...

the outer border has a free motion quilted daisy chain which is really sweet and perfect for this quilt....

this quilt makes me smile and gets a lot of use...I've dubbed this quilt Vintage Fresh since those are the first two words it brings to mind....it's the perfect bright summery quilt!!

Happy 4th!!

2011-07-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Fouth of July!!

I got to enjoy some beautiful fireworks last night and I'm sure there will be more this evening! And today I'm getting to work with this fun pile of fabric that just so happens to be perfect for the holiday!!

Happy BBQing and Fireworks everyone!!

Well Hello There

2011-03-22T02:35:00.000-05:00

It's been a while ya'll....a long while since I've been blogging....

well I'm back...and I'll be trying to blog more regularly...

I've had this idea for a breakfast nook floating around in my head ever since I saw this chair...

I thought it would look really great with a modern round table and banquette seating with coordinating upholstery. While I love this chair...it's a little bit more than I'd like to spend on a couple chairs and truth be told it doesn't look all that comfortable. I prefer my chairs with a little more padding than this beauty looks to have.

But I still like the breakfast nook idea...so here's my breakfast nook idea board so far...

I love the idea of the Docksta table with a pair of Nils arm chairs upholstered in Amy Butler Soul Blossom Night Tree in Cilantro. Then having an L shaped banquette made from Akurum wall cabinets built in for storage and topped with cushions upholstered in Waverly Tobago. I'm alternating between thinking the Hampen rug is too much or just perfect to tie it all together.

What do ya'll think???

Currently

2010-10-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

I'm working on another Circle Around quilt...

this one from Wee Woodland and Bella Solid in Weathered Teak by Moda and a light tangerine solid that I think is a Benatex fabric called Butternut....my mom picked out these fabrics and they are perfect...very fallish and warm...it's going to be a really great quilt and really big since I loved all the fabrics so much I just couldn't not include any...

I also recently had a birthday and couldn't resist buying this with my birthday money...

fat quarter set of the sweptaway palette of Innocent Crush by Anna Marie Horner...she's a genius...I am so in love with these fabrics....not that I don't love every line she creates....but this is by far my favorite...I bought some yardage too, and I don't think it'll be the last of this line that I buy...I've drawn up a couple quilt ideas, and I'm still mulling over which one is right...

gotta go...game one is on...gotta cheer for the local boys....Go Rangers....put the claw on 'em!!!

On my machine...

2010-10-18T19:01:00.002-05:00

is this cute quilt...

yep...more stippling...I was thinking of straight line quilting this one...but...well...yeah...

this quilt was made from an Origins by Basic Grey Jelly Roll and Kona Cotton in Ash....I really loved Origins when I first saw it...and it took me a little while to come up with the right idea to show off what first caught my eye about the line...the range of colors...so I played with it on my design wall for a few days...and then it seemed perfect when I decided to play up a striated spectrum quality....arranging the strips from white to yellow to green to brown to black...and the Ash solid seemed like the perfect neutral border since there's gray in some of the prints...

and in case you wanted to see the whole quilt top...

I snapped this right after I had basted it...and I really like the grays and greens in the quilt and in the background...so I couldn't resist including it...

well I'm off to finish this one up...

I fell in love...

2010-10-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

with this mini quilt...

so when I saw the quilt along I was so pumped....and couldn't wait to jump in...

so I started cutting....and cutting...and cutting some more....it's a lot of 2 in squares...

here's my first completed block...

I made one minor change in my blocks...I have the black "stop" squares in the subway lines instead of off to the side like the original mini and the quilt along blocks...

Quiltin Around

2010-10-09T19:18:00.002-05:00

Circle Around Plume
Originally uploaded by reddirtgirldesigns

So sorry to have been missing for so long...but my laptop decided to stop functioning....and work has been busy....and I have been doing a lot of sewing and quilting...

so the blogging got neglected....sorry...but now I'm back!!

I finished this quilt a little while ago...and I'm so in love with it....I'm using the cooler weather as an excuse to snuggle under this is every chance I get...

it's Julie's Circle Around quilt pattern...done in Plume by the fabulous Tula Pink with Bella Solid in Snow...and it's binding is Crossweave in Flamingo...

and let me tell you I love how smooth and soft the Crossweave is...and I'll be using it for binding on quilts in the future...

I had a hard time deciding how to quilt this one and decided on meandering outside the circles...gives it just enought crinkle and makes the back super cute with unquilted circles...

did I mention how much I love love love this quilt????

Winners

2010-09-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

So the winners of the FQs of Love are Jennifer, Chelly, and Blacksheep Bliss (Amber)!!!!

Congrats ladies....send me your addresses and i'll get these sent out to ya'll!!

and thanks for following!!

It's a celebration!!

2010-08-30T20:09:00.002-05:00

I couldn't be more excited....it's been a little over a year since I started blogging!!

and as if that isn't exciting enough...

LilFriend has decided to join me here at Red Dirt Girl Designs....so let me introduce ya'll to Amber....she's super talented, fun, and a great friend....she's decided to become a blogger....and after chatting about it a little we thought she should start here...that means more posts and a little more variety....and an easy way for her to get her bearings here in blogland....

she'll be doin' a little get-to-know-me post so ya'll can get to know her a little better...

to celebrate my blogiversary and Amber joining the fun it's giveaway time....

to show some LOVE I'm giving away a fat quarter each of these Amy Butler Love prints...

betcha want to know how to win right??

you'll have 3 chances to enter...

1. Leave us a comment...just a hello is fine or what you'll make with these beautiful FQs!!

2. Follow us...and leave us a comment letting us know you are!!

3. Blog about our giveaway...and come on back and leave a comment about it!!

the giveaway will be open til Friday September 3rd at Midnight CST....I'll announce the 2 lucky winners picked randomly on Saturday September 4th....please make sure you include an email address if you are a no-reply I'd hate for you to miss out because I can't contact you!!

American Harbor

2010-08-22T20:55:00.003-05:00

As promised here is a finished quilt...

I showed off these blocks a while back....

LilFriend asked if I would make a quilt for her mom's birthday....her mom's most favorite color palette is red, white, and blue...

so what better fabric line to use than Bar Harbor....and then I found the perfect pattern...that I only adapted slightly....I've misplace the magazine...so I'll add a reference to it as soon as it's been located...

so here is American Harbor...

it's the biggest quilt I've quilted to date....its about 63 x 58....

a closer look....

the back...originally I was going to back in only in the blue....but it was just not quite right...it need the red, white, and blue...it was super windy when I was trying to get these photos...

it's quilted in loops...it is so super crinkly....lots of texture...

and best of all....she loves it!!!

Coming soon...

2010-08-04T20:50:00.003-05:00

a finished quilt....and a giveaway to celebrate my blog's anniversary!!

So I went shopping...

2010-07-13T20:23:00.003-05:00

I went to a quilt shop in McKinney that I had heard really good things about...

and I was not disappointed.....

Happiness is Quilting rocks!!!

and I went a little crazy....I almost bought out the store...

here's just a few of the goodies I got...

happy fun Frolic charm packs....

adorable castle peeps...

fat quarter bundle...aren't they yummy...

fat eights of Hope Valley....can't wait to use this...

and a fun quilt I couldn't resist after seeing it popping up all over blogland...

Julie's Circle Around quilt in Plume with Moda Bella solid in Snow...

Weekend Rewind

2010-06-27T20:32:00.004-05:00

I got an unexpected visit from my mom and grandma this weekend...as their A/C was out and it was way too hot in the house to stay there...they figured if they were going to be out of the house...they might as well make a trip to see me....which was really nice...

on Saturday we took a trip up to Durant, OK to the Choctaw Casino for a little slot machine fun and to check out the new resort...which looks pretty amazing....and the pool area looks super awesome...and I didn't lose any money...I left with what I went in with which for me is unusual....

After they headed back this morning, I started working on a project that has a deadline....I've got a month or so to finish it....and it's out of a great fabric line Bar Harbor and a super cute pattern....

here's the beginnings of the blocks.....the colors and pattern are so cute.....can't wait to finish this one up!!

Well Read Wednesday 2

2010-06-23T19:14:00.004-05:00

the book for this week is a book by Jennifer Weiner....

if you haven't read anything by her...you should....

do you remember the movie a few years ago with Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley MacLaine? In Her Shoes? That's based on a book by the same name by Jennifer Weiner...

she writes great emotion and humor in her books....and she focuses on relationships and how they affect the characters....all of her books are excellent...

the newest is no exception....I picked it up last week at B&N....and finished it over the weekend....

it's about two friends who had a falling out in high school and what happens when one of them shows up on the others doorstep years later needing her old friends help....

Current Inspiration

2010-06-22T20:44:00.004-05:00

I have two books that are currently serving as my inspiration...

one book I've had around for a while and the other is brand new...

Joel Dewberry's book Sewn Spaces is just as awesome as his fabric lines!! Have ya'll gotten your hands on it yet?? You should go out and get it if you haven't...some really great projects...including some reversible fabric boxes that are just what I mentioned I need in the last post....

I've had Jelly Roll Quilts since I started on my quilting adventure...it was the first quilting book I purchased....

it was love at first sight for me with the Daisy Chain pattern...

so here is the progress so far...

all the strips are done...it's time to make the blocks...

I'm still really in love with this design...really really in love actually...

Weekend Rewind

2010-06-20T20:35:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend....

mine was relaxing, yet productive...

I put the finishing touches on my bedroom spruce up...

pillows I started here, all done and on the bed..

I finished them with simple envelope style....in the opposing solid color from the solid on the front of each pillow...

here's a quick snapshot of my finished spruce up of my bedroom...

I added new white tables as nightstands...and simple lamps with different lamps shades as I didn't want everything to be all match-y match-y...isn't the Liberty of London shade on the right just adorable??

I'm super happy with the way it turned out...I think after looking at the pictures though that I need something over the bed since doing away with a headboard....and that it would be adorable to have fabric storage in the bright lime and fuchsia under the white nightstand for storage and to tie in the colors from the pillows...so guess that i'll be working this week??

after finishing up my room...I decided I deserved to pamper myself a bit by getting a manicure and pedicure...it was so relaxing...and the bright coral I choose for my nails and toes makes me smile

I also went to see 'Get Him To The Greek'....hilarious....and Russell Brand not only makes me laugh but I love his accent....

and this evening I'm enjoying The Next Food Network Star and Design Star....back to back...I'm in heaven...

and here is lil sneak peak at the fabrics in a quilt i'm working on...

Have a great Monday ya'll!!!

Well Read Wednesday

2010-06-16T20:18:00.004-05:00

I'm totally a book lover...I read a lot...

I won't tell you how much...or you'll totally think I'm a nerd...

I know I'm not alone in loving Stephenie Meyer....she's a freaking genius...she writes characters that the world falls in love with...I mean look at the Twilight saga...

is there anyone on the planet who hasn't read the Twilight books?? Or seen the movies??

p.s. i can't wait for then end of the month for Eclipse to get to the theaters...

well...the amazing Ms. Meyer has a new novella out...

cover art via stepheniemeyer.com

I picked this book up at Barnes & Noble on Saturday....

and I'll just tell ya...I finished it rather quickly...one of my favorite things about any book is how an author gets you to invest in the characters...and while this book is a little different in that you know some of these characters from another book....I was totally into all the characters even the ones I didn't know before hand...and I couldn't put this book down...

this is a quick and riveting read...it would be a great beach or pool read over summer vacation!!

so go out and pick it up if you haven't already...and an added bonus $1 from each book purchase goes to the American Red Cross...so it's a fantastic fast read and a donation to a good cause all at the same time...

have any of ya'll read it??

Guess Who's Back...

2010-06-16T19:31:00.003-05:00

guess who's back...back again...

i totally heart me some Eminem...so i just had to use that line...

hope ya'll have been well while I was away on my bloggy break...

I thought a LOT about my blog over the last week or so...

I had decided to take a break and think about my blog because my posts were getting fewer and there was more time elapsing between posts...

I'm an over-thinker....I over analyze and over think everything...it's one of the things that I think makes me really good at what I do for a living and has helped me in my career....looking at everything from every possible angle is a great asset in a manager...but it makes me doubt myself in other arenas...

being the over thinker that I am I started by looking at why I started my blog in the first place...I had just taken a class and learned about quilting...I was in love with quilting...and also just discovered this online world of quilty and crafty blogs....which were so full of unbelievably talented and amazing women that create them...and I realized that I wanted to talk about the projects I was working on...but I really wanted to be part of this world of these amazingly talented and kind women...

then I needed to look at where I was at this point in my life and in this journey....I've mentioned that I just got a pretty big promotion at work and that I'm a bit of workaholic...I also have a lot of pride and can be an all or nothing type...if I do something I want to be the best and give it my all...and I'll be the first to admit that my blog was suffering in the battle between work and blog...

so I thought and decided that I still love quilting and still want to be a quilty-bloggy rockstar like the amazing women that I rush to read everyday....

and again being me the over-thinker....I had to think of a way to be able give my blog the attention that it needed...and so I devised a plan...it would be easy for me to post more regularly if I had pre-planned post themes for different days...

so here we go on a new adventure here in Red Dirt Girl World....so Wednesday will be Well Read Wednesdays....which for me being a very avid reader this won't be difficult at all...

hope ya'll will continue to take the time to read about me, my projects, and my life here in Red Dirt Girl world...

Blog Break

2010-06-02T08:23:00.003-05:00

If you haven't noticed...I've been a little absent...

life has kept me from my blog...but soon i will be back...

on June 15th...to be precise

Springy and Bright

2010-05-12T20:33:00.003-05:00

Spring is in full swing here in North Texas

it's been beautiful weather wise

I just love the bright happy colors of spring

All the bright spring blooms had me inspired

I've needed some color to spruce up my gray and white bed linens

so I dug out some of my all time favorite fabric

included some solids to coordinate

and came up with these

they are so bright and happy

and the dark gray ties them in with my bedding

i echo quilted the flowers and leaves

then some stippling in the open spaces

then quarter inch spaced lines on the borders

oh...did i mention these are going to become pillows

bet you were wondering huh?

i can't decide though exactly how to do the backs

I'm wavering between simple envelope backs

or grommets and laced up with grosgrain ribbon

Patio Spruce Up

2010-05-02T13:22:00.004-05:00

I have been spending a fair amount of time on my patio lately...

even with all the bright plants...there seemed to still be a lack of color...

and my patio chairs are not all that comfortable...

so I was a Joann yesterday...

and guess what was on sale....yep...outdoor canvas...50% off!!

so here's what I made yesterday...

here's a closer shot of the print....it's absolutely adorable...

and the colors are perfect for all the colors of my planters on the patio..

so cute right??

and my plants are looking good....

lots of buds on my impatiens...

I had never seen this sweet potato vine before...but it's got really deep dark foliage...and then this week...an added bonus...these perfect little purple blooms...

I just love these bright coral geraniums....and apparently so does Ry....his nose is blocking the big bright blooms....oh well...

Happy weekend everyone!!

A relaxing space

2010-04-25T14:29:00.003-05:00

Spring is in full swing here in North Texas...

the weather has been absolutely beautiful....rain in the early morning, but then lots of sunshine and really mild temperatures...

making me want to spend what little time I have in the evenings outside...since most days with the new job I'm cooped up inside these days...

so I decided to spruce up the patio...so bright and early Saturday morning found me headed to Lowe's and straight to the garden center....

I had picked up a book at Barnes&Noble a few weeks ago about organic container gardening...so my plan was some bright vibrant colors...and veggies and herbs to enjoy through the summer...

so here's the progress so far...

I love bright blooms of a Hibiscus...this one is a really vibrant coral and it has tons of buds just waiting to pop open...and these grow so tall...I thought why not hide some crisp white little shade lovers on the back side...

more little white Impatiens with a favorite of mine Lantana.....this will probably turn out to be my favorite container on the patio..

and the rest of the containers while in progress...that's my little jalapeno plant in the green container on the left.....Roma tomato in the beige container in the middle...cilantro in the small coral container to the tomatoes right...and my garlic is pictured...but I'm thinking I'll be able to keep everyone in salsa this summer if these little guys produce for me...

we also have rosemary, lantana, snapdragons, sweet potato vine, and creeping jenny in containers...we had to take a break to relax....

but we'll post some more pics when everything is all in place...but for now Ry and I have some sun and a nice breeze to enjoy!!

Hope you had a great weekend!!

What I'm working on

2010-04-18T19:59:00.005-05:00

I decided I need a wall hanging for my office as the walls are just way too plain...

I've had an Oz jelly roll on my sewing table for a while now...

Julie's hexagon quilt-a-long had me decide that is just what that jelly roll needed to be..

can't wait to finish it....it's going to be fanatastic...

it's going to be bright and cheerful and fun...

I'm still here...

2010-04-13T19:53:00.003-05:00

things have been crazy at work...

but i'm still working my way thru those holiday quilts...

so here's the work in progress for the Easter quilt....

and can i tell ya'll how happy i am that the weather is warm and sunny...

i'm enjoying it...

and i'm sure it'll be too hot way too soon...

2010-04-07T20:56:00.003-05:00

I got a promotion at work...

yay for me...

but it's been really long hours...

things have been really crazy this week...

I should be back to my beloved blog here this weekend!!

Back

2010-03-28T20:34:00.004-05:00

I'm back from vacation...

we went to visit SIcousin in New Mexico...

spent a couple days in Ruidoso...

it was a very laid back and beautiful trip...

it snowed on us the first day we were there....a very light snow with the sun shining...

and look what I finished right before I left...

a black and orange wall hanging for my mom for her birthday!!

she requested one for her office....

it turned out really well...i just love it!!

so much that i'm thinking that I might need one of my own....

we shall see....i still need to finish up the Scruffily for LilFriend....

Vacation

2010-03-25T21:26:00.003-05:00

you can't imagine how awesome it is to be able to say I'm on vacation...

like really on vacation..

travelled to New Mexico....and boy oh boy is it beautiful here...

pics and more info to follow...

later ya'll...

Ft. Worth it!!

2010-03-16T20:40:00.008-05:00

I rarely get over to Ft. Worth....and when I do it's usually to visit Billy Bob's for a concert...if you have never been you should go...especially if Pat Green or Jason Boland are playing...but I digress...

Ft. Worth is not so close...but not so far either (on the map at least)...but there is inevitably traffic or construction when heading west to Cow Town (yeah that's what they call locally...in reference to it still having a working stockyards)....so the trip is longer than I care to make very often...

and since I have everything I need close at hand in my little corner of DFW....including two very good quilt shops within a 10 minute drive....Quilt Country here in Lewisville and The Old Craft Store in Carrollton...

but I'd been told more than once that I needed to make a trip to the Cabbage Rose in Ft. Worth...everyone raves about it...it's the best...they have everything...the staff is great...I could go on and on about the great things I had heard about it...and then several ladies mentioned it in a discussion on the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild site....I decided to definitely check it out sometime soon...

so this weekend I made the trip over to Ft. Worth to visit the Cabbage Rose....and EVERYTHING I'd heard was true....this is the place for all the must have fabric...and the staff are amazing...

so i heart cow town!!

I see many more trips to Ft. Worth in my near future....

here's the big pile of purchases that I got on this trip....

I was the most excited about some of the Full Moon Forest, Nest, Hushabye, Neptune, and Flutterby by the amazing Tula Pink.

I just love these...especially the Squirrel yardage...

New Look

2010-03-15T22:12:00.002-05:00

decided the blog needed a happy spring-y look...

voile...

clean simple spring-y!!

smiles :)

Simplicity

2010-03-14T22:24:00.003-05:00

as i believe i mentioned before i really like green...

you'll remember the greens i picked out a while back for the St. Patrick's quilt...

they're vibrant and fun...

so i decided they needed to be in a simple quilt...

i'm about half done with the quilt top at this point...

isn't it fun??

i can't wait to get this one done....

the backing fabric is dark green dots on white...

i'm thinking straight line quilting for this one??

for real simplicity as a whole

Think Pink

2010-03-14T22:15:00.004-05:00

the Valentine's quilt top is done...

i decided on white for the sashing...

and went for pink on the backing...
this is just a sneak peak at the backing....

the weather was beautiful yesterday for me to take these pictures!!

Resourceful

2010-03-02T20:05:00.003-06:00

I was trying to lay out some squares....

which i tend to do on my bed or the floor...

neither of which was working today due to some rather large dog paws walking across them....

so I had to make an impromptu design wall...

i throw some batting over a bookcase...

it's weighted down by a basket of miscellaneous craft items and my letter bookends...

random items used in a time of desperate need...

oh yeah...i'm like the McGyver of quilting....

Stacked coins

2010-02-28T18:50:00.003-06:00

that's what the Valentines quilt is going to be...

so should the sashing be white or a very pale pink??

i'm leaning toward white

what do ya'll think??

Better late than never

2010-02-21T22:10:00.004-06:00

i decided a while back that i was going to do quilts for each holiday...

i purchased a few Sent with Love charm packs for the Valentine's Day quilt..

i cut the charms a while back....

and added some solids...

and then they sat on my sewing table for over a month...

not any more though...

i started sewing...

and decided that my original idea would just not do...

these were screaming to be something different..

can you guess where this quilt is headed??

Scruffily Lovely

2010-02-21T21:47:00.004-06:00

I finally finished this beauty and she is all packed up and ready to send to Cali tomorrow....

it's a fantastic size...great for curling up on the coach...

i wasn't really sure about the back....i really love it now that it's done!!

it's so scruffy and soft...

don't you just want to unfold it and curl up with it

the binding also had me second guessing myself...but it looks great!!

and it's a good thing i love this one...because i'm working on another one...
LilFriend saw this one and requested one...

White stuff....lots and lots of white stuff

2010-02-11T19:43:00.003-06:00

I've lived in the Dallas Metroplex for seven years...

it's snowed exactly 2 times before...

and one of those days was Christmas eve this year...

and it's usually about an inch or two of snow...

and it's gone in a few hours..

so earlier this week when they said that it was going to snow today...

no big deal...right??

well boy oh boy was today a record breaker...

it started snowing at 430 am...(yep i'm up that early)...

and it snowed....and snowed...and is still snowing some more...

and is supposed to continue til about 4 am....

and we are currently at 6.2 inches of snowfall...

the record snowfall in Dallas for February is 7.5 inches...

i'm assuming we'll be breaking that...

this snow was beautiful...

huge fluffy snowflakes...

you can usually see the road past the field beyond the fence...

but today all you can see is gorgeous bright white snow..

i tried to take some pictures so you could see how deep it was...

ry's paw prints in the snow...cute huh?

and i know i have mentioned these sexy boots before...my rubber work boots..

i spend about 75% of my work day outside...

and keeping my feet dry is a must for me...

so i rock these sexy black boots when it rains or snows...

and today EVERYONE was jealous of these bad boys!!

Delivery

2010-02-03T20:25:00.004-06:00

I had a package waiting for me today when I got home

I couldn't wait to get my hands on what was inside

A few yards of several prints of LOVE, a few from Hope Valley, and some Tad Dots...

Awesome...

Cuteness

2010-02-01T18:04:00.002-06:00

I've done a litte shopping lately...

I got this super cute tray from Ikea...

it's currently on my sewing table holding little odds and ends....and making me smile when i see it...

I'm working on the Valentine's quilt....

and i just couldn't pass up buying yardage for the next project in my holiday quilts project...

I really like green....so picking out all this cuteness for the St. Patrick's Day quilt made me happy...

hope everyone had a great weekend!!

jeez...

2010-01-29T07:22:00.002-06:00

it's been a long...very long week...

but it's finally friday...

only problem...

it's cold and getting colder...

and raining...

which is going to turn to sleet/snow as the day goes on..

and the best part...

guess who'll be outside in this loveliness all day??

yeah that's right...

ME!!!!

but at least i'm wearing my super stylish footwear..

i'm rocking my rubber rain work boots...

totally stylin let me assure you!!

It's about time

2010-01-24T19:41:00.007-06:00

to decided how to quilt the Scruffily Rouenneries...

so i finished up the backing....and figured if i basted the quilt...

then the way it should be quilted would come to me...

and sure enough...

it's 2 echoed lines on each side of the seams...

i'm really liking it...

but there's still lots to do on it...so it's back to the sewing table for me...

hope everyone had a great weekend!!

a BIG idea

2010-01-22T20:07:00.005-06:00

I was at my LQS...

where i bought these...

Sent with Love charm packs...adorable aren't they??

I decided that I'd make a Valentine's quilt...

I love to decorate for holidays...

then I had a brilliant idea...

I'll make a quilt for each holiday this year!!

so stay tuned for a calendar of quilts for 2010!!

i'd better get moving....Valentine's Day is coming up pretty quick...

First Finish

2010-01-17T19:12:00.004-06:00

So here's my first finished quilt of 2010...

the opposing corners have one piece of aqua and one piece of red in the sashing...

just for a little added interest...

the back...

one pieced line...

the binding is alternating red and aqua scraps....i wasn't really sure about it...

but it's grown on me and just seems to fit this quilt perfectly...

this cute quilt is aptly named Connie's Colors...as my grandma exclaimed "those are my colors" when she saw these blocks....

Paybacks...

2010-01-12T18:58:00.004-06:00

so i'm sure you'll remember my arguments with my sewing machine....well i guess she really showed me....

paybacks suck...

there i was finishing up on the last bit of quilting on this quilt....and she just attacked me...

ok...alright....maybe i lost focus...and got just a wee bit too close....

and so...this is the result...

i took a pictures right after the revenge of the sewing machine....but they were just a tad too gruesome.....so you get to check out my band aiding skills....nice huh??

so i'm dealing with a really sore and disgusting looking finger...but i'm feeling lucky that the needle missed me...

well i think i'll be nicer to my sewing machine in the future....

and as you can imagine there is little quilting until i can grip a little bit better...

so i was doing a little crocheting...

and who couldn't use a scarf this winter??? so now i've got this super chunky warm one...

Excuses...excuses...

2010-01-08T20:31:00.001-06:00

it's been ridiculously cold here...and i've been working way way way too much....

i'll be back with a real post tomorrow...

i just needed to make my excuse....and let y'all know i'm frozen but still alive

She shaped up

2010-01-02T23:49:00.002-06:00

and i got most of the quilting done today...;)

i must say i really like it....

stippling on all the sashing

some pebble quilting on the inner squares

all that's left is some outline quilting on the outer squares...and then i'll be sewing on the binding!!

Arrgghhhh!!!

2010-01-02T00:52:00.003-06:00

yeah...

so....

like i mentioned in the last post i'm trying my hand at stippling....

well....let me just say this as to how it's going...

if you happen to be in or around lewisville and see a sewing machine in the street...

do this girl a favor and run over it....speed up....give it a good smash....

and if you could then throw the car in reverse and run over it again??

why must this little sweet looking machine give me such problems?!?!?!

really i don't think when my dad purchased her he could have envisioned all the torture she has put me through...

ask me how many needles she has snapped in half today....how many times i've had to rethread....how many times i've had to adjust the tension....

at first i was nice...i spoke sweetly even a little bit of baby talk...then i spoke calmly and pleaded with her...then i'll admit there was a little bit of frustration in my voice...then maybe a little bit of name calling...

and now....to hell with her....i may have hit her...i seriously can't remember...she simply pushed me too far...i snapped when she broke the third needle...i saw red...there was a lot of profanity flying in her direction....and i am seriously considering throwing her in the street...

Lots of Goodies

2009-12-31T17:18:00.005-06:00

I got lots of great stuff for Christmas...

I have wanted one of these bad boys for a LONG time....I had pretty much given up on getting one...so I was super surprised when my dad gave it to me....

and it's fabulous to use....so there will be lots of baked goods in my future!!

a great Sox hoodie....

I also got a coverlet for the new king bed...but the pictures I tried to take did not do it justice so...it's an icy blue which I love...

some Meadowsweet and Nicey Jane that I had ordered for myself...

hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!! I sure did!!

Thought I'd share this other finished quilt top....

this is going to my Grandma....she exclaimed over the colors back when i was working on my Red and Aqua swap squares...so I made another set to make a quilt for her....

I'm trying my hand at stippling on this one...as i want it to have a really crinkly look when it's done..

I'm off to LilFriend's to celebrate and ring in the New Year....and my mom is coming to visit tomorrow...so it should be a fabulous new year for me...

Adios 2009...Hello 2010!! Happy New Year ya'll!!

Catchin' Up

2009-12-21T21:50:00.007-06:00

We had a great visit this weekend in Oklahoma....had a lot of fun....we packed a lot into the few days I was home....

got Christmas shopping finished up...got the Christmas Tree up....wrapped all the presents that we purchased....went to the Casino and Bingo for a little fun....got to play with the little kids...did a little yard work...did some furniture rearranging...got to enjoy watching Ry play with Duke the Amazing Flying Bulldog and play outside with the little kids....did some office decorating...and got to see the Travelin'Man, who's home for Christmas...and I've probably left something out cause it was go, go, go...

so when we got home last night...

we were exhausted....

unloaded the truck, checked google reader to catch up a lil, and then went to bed....

(Ry skipped the first two things and just went straight to bed)

not that i can blame him....we had to be up early this morning....

work was pretty easy today...and i got home at a pretty decent hour....

and went right to work on this...

the Scruffily Rouenneries is finally a completed quilt top....

sorry the pictures aren't that great...it was getting dark and was way too windy to get any really good pictures...

so now to decide about the quilting....
what would you do???

Oh my...

2009-12-19T20:58:00.003-06:00

Something interesting occured in the Walmart parking lot...

there I was helping my Grandma with her Christmas shopping....she and I were walking back to the truck all loaded down with the presents we purchased....we're talking as we are walking....there is a man getting out of his truck in the next parking space....he strikes up a conversation with my Grandma....and as i'm loading all the purchases into the truck and listening to them talk....it occurs to me that this is at least the fourth or fifth time in a row i've been somewhere with my Grandma that some man has chatted her up....

later in the evening as i'm relaying the tale to my mom....my Grandma says I'm my mother's daughter....in explanation my mom says Grandma is always getting chatted up when they go places....to which Grandma says to both of us "What can I say, when you've got it, you've got it!"

to which I can only reply Rock On!!

Dear Santa

2009-12-15T21:06:00.008-06:00

listen big guy i'm gonna make this quick...as i've hijacked my momma's laptop and blog...and she'll be back in here in just a minute...she's planning to send you a letter asking for some fabric she wants....what did she call it??? spicy james??...no...Nicey Jane....from some place called The Fat Quarter Shop...this just won't do....

look at how girlie it is??? trust me this place is girlie enough....and you can't believe how much space this fabric stuff is taking up....you know i used to be able to run around the big room next to the kitchen...now there's a big table with fabric all over it....it's totally unfair...that was great ball chasing space...

she's going to tell you how good she's been....listen man...i know the truth....she makes me eat this holistic dog food....i know you'll feel me on this...you're a dude that likes a good fatty meal occasionally....and she gets mad when i try to grab a lil snack from the kitchen counter...if it's where i can reach it's fair game isn't it??...she put me in a reindeer suit for Christmas pictures last year....embarrassing and that's disrespectful to your antlered companions, no?? and she makes me wear a Red Sox collar ....dude i'm a Yankee's man....do you know how embarrassing it is to face the guys at day camp??...

don't get me wrong she's still been good enough to get a gift....but i think it would be better to get her a nice tennis ball and a box of Milkbones......they'll make her real happy too....she likes to show off how well her boy catches the ball and my breath will smell better so she won't have to complain about that....

so big guy whatdaya say....us guys gotta stick together, right?

Woof!! -Ry

Monday...Monday...

2009-12-14T22:04:00.005-06:00

I had a very good weekend....hope you all did too...

I got a new bed....it is FAN-freaking-TASTIC...

and trust me it was very necessary....there are only so many mornings that a girl can wake up under a 120 lb. Great Dane...no matter how sweet and adorable he may be...the full size bed HAD to go...it has been replaced by a King size....so now there should be room for me in my bed...

and i get to go back to the drawing board for linens.....YIPPEE....I love the idea of being able to change up the colors and style in my bedroom a little (or a lot)...

Today was pretty busy at work....by the time I left it felt like a long day...

so my to do's for tonight...yah...they got so tossed out the window....

i did however manage to get these laid out....

remember this post?

It took me a lil while to get the values balanced in the lay out...but now i'm extremely happy with it...can't wait to get this finished...it's going to be gorgeous!!!

Fingers crossed this will be a finished top by Wednesday....

Deck the Halls...

2009-12-08T21:20:00.004-06:00

it was definitely time to kick off the holiday season in Red Dirt Girl Land....

i've had the same Christmas tree for the last five years....a four foot pre-lit artificial tree...with iridescent white, pewter, clear, and sage green as the color palette of decorations....i've always liked it...was completely content with it...

until...

a recent trip to Garden Ridge....where i fell in love with....

that's right....i fell in LOVE with a hot pink tree...

and this photo i dug up just doesn't do it justice....

but alas i just couldn't convince myself to buy it...and trust me i debated while staring at it for at least an hour in the store....while i think it's gorgeous....i wasn't sure i would be so enthralled with it 5 years from now...

so..

my creative gears started turning and decided i could have my pink and practicality too...

the white was a lot more practical, yet unconventional....

it's fabulous...

this photo doesn't quite do it justice...and it isn't quite finished...so more pics will be coming soon!! and at least one more projects as a result of the pink Christmas theme...

this isn't the only holiday fun i've been having....

LilFriend and I did the Christmas wreaths for the annual competition for work...they both turned out adorable...

i remembered to take a picture of this one at the last minute...i'm planning to take a few pictures of all the competition wreaths tomorrow and share them...as i'm always amazed at how different each company's are and all the unique ideas each year...

how is your holiday decorating going??

I'm back..

2009-12-06T22:15:00.003-06:00

finally...

i'm feeling better...which i was beginning to think was never going to happen...

last week i came home to a UPS sticky on my door....this is what they had attempted to deliver...

Ry was as curious as i was about this big box...we weren't really expecting anything....so i quickly opened it...

isn't it adorable...AmazingAunt saw this at a craft fair and thought of us...Ry really thought this was a gift for him considering it has real doggie goodies attached...he has been stalking it since it's arrival....it's hilarious....he sneaks up on it when he thinks no one is looking....

now that i'm back i've got quite a few things to show off this week!!...and a other projects to start...

Still....

2009-12-04T20:58:00.000-06:00

really not feeling well...

***ARGHHH***

i'll be back in a few days..

Were you wondering...

2009-12-01T19:44:00.003-06:00

....where i'd disappeared to??

well....i had the best of intentions...to post over the last week and a half of craziness...

but i went home to Oklahoma for a few days to celebrate Thanksgiving and cook lots of good food...

then there was working...and it was utter craziness with all the Thanksgiving travellers...

and then there's the fantastic wisdom teeth removal today...which has me in pain and a little medicated...

so...just a day or two of recovery...and then i'll be back....

Red and Green...

2009-11-17T19:14:00.006-06:00

I saw this the other day....and thought it was fantastic....and then i saw that Garden Ridge was having a HUGE sale on Christmas decorations....so i set out to get my ornaments..

and i was totally psyched when i saw PLASTIC ornaments...they were half the price of the glass which is awesome enough...

but guess what...the cap is attached...so NO glue gun needed...which is a big time and finger saver....

so this is the one that is headed to Enid with me this weekend for Grandma....

the bow is still a work in progress though....i just am not happy with it yet...

so sorry the picture isn't great...i'll take another one when i'm happy with the whole finished wreath package....

thought i'd share this since i made some tonight...

i like to cook...i love simplicity in food....

and this salsa is so easy and amazing...

and all you need is:

4 Roma Tomatoes

1/2 small Red Onion

1 small Jalapeno

(if you are a mild salsa lover use 1/2 the jalapeno and remove the seeds)

1/8 of a bunch of Cilantro

a dash of salt

a dash of garlic powder (if you dig garlic like i do a small palm full is awesome)

a food processor or blender

and a lime

everything except the lime gets cleaned then thrown in the food processor or blender....chop or pulse until desired texture....

i like very smooth salsa so i process for about 30 seconds...some people like there salsa chunkier more like pico which requires more pulsing and less time....

pour into desired serving dish and squeeze lime over salsa....

this will only keep a max of three days in the fridge...but it rarely lasts that long!!

I almost always have some of this salsa on hand....it's great for a quick snack or a quick dinner....just grill a chicken breast, warm a couple tortillas, and this salsa makes for a great taco night!!

ouch

2009-11-11T20:25:00.006-06:00

i had planned to spend at least little time sewing tonight...

but i have a wisdom tooth that is punishing me for not having it removed sooner...

so instead it's tylenol PM and my bed...

wish me luck with the dentist tomorrow...

sick...

2009-11-08T21:18:00.002-06:00

I started feeling a little under the weather on Friday night...

Hopefully this and some nighttime cold and flu will do the trick and i'll be feeling better for tomorrow....

Intention

2009-11-04T20:21:00.002-06:00

i intended to do a wordless Wednesday post....apparently my darned camera had other plans...that did not include cooperating...

so....

yeah...

maybe i should start looking at replacing the cranky camera...

what camera do you have?? do you love it?? or like me want to throw yours in the street some days??

Lots of Blocks

2009-11-01T20:19:00.004-06:00

I had a very productive weekend...

I had signed up for the Red and Aqua swap over at Jane's blog...and found I really liked these colors...and the disappearing 9 patch...

and when my grandma was in town she mentioned "those are my colors"....so I decided to do two sets...

I sent off one set...and began putting the other set together...

and now all they need is sashing...crisp white sashing...a pieced backing and binding...and this will be so cute...

and then it'll be finding it's way to little old Enid, Ok....

the other blocks on my sewing table are of lovely Rouenneries by French General...which I love, but won't really fit in my place's style..

so...

there was a fantastic MBS that I've been wanting to try...and I thought this line would be perfect for it...can you guess what project?

yep that's right....a Scruffily Quilt...tutorial by the fantastic Rachel of P.S. I Quilt...

it's going to be great...and when it's done...it'll be going to live with AmazingAunt out on the West Coast....and I hope she'll love it...

and i'm happy to report that the Sweet Quilt made it to SICousin...and she assures me she loves it...which makes me smile!!

I'm behind...

2009-10-27T21:22:00.004-05:00

I feel like I've been playing catch up the last couple days...

i finished the Sweet quilt for SIcousin....

it's small just a lap quilt, but it's sweet and happy...

the binding is the pink paisley...i wasn't sure about it at first...but it looks great with the top and the backing fabric....

it needed simple quilting...so i echoed the seams the length of the shorter side of the quilt...and it looks really good...just crinkly enough but not too much...

LilFriend dropped this off with me...it's a gift for a big Iowa fan...

LilFriend has done a few of these sport team garden rocks...they are so cute...and spirited!!

And i have been frantically trying to finish my Red and Aqua Swap blocks....i'm mailing them tomorrow so that they get to Jane on time!!

Non-Helpful Weather

2009-10-23T07:14:00.002-05:00

the weather here has not been conducive to taking pictures...cloudy, windy, and rainy....so that is why you have not gotten to see pictures of the quilt for SIcousin...

it's very pretty and i hope she'll really enjoy it...it will be on it's way to New Mexico before the end of the weekend....

but pictures must be taken first...right after work today...

so stay tuned...

What's with the attitude?!?

2009-10-16T20:36:00.004-05:00

I was hoping to have a finished quilt top to show in this post today....but it wasn't in the cards...

my sewing machine threw a little tantrum...making noise and stitching too tight...so I gave her a good scolding...(and some oil and lint cleaning)...and am letting her sleep off her attitude...

hopefully the pictures tomorrow will be the finished quilt top...

do you remember these fabrics and this MBS project that I thought would be great for SIcousin's quilt...well it ain't too bad, huh??

really I just needed to put this sneak peak up for a couple people that I thought would really like to see it!!

Have a great weekend ya'll!!

New Studio

2009-10-13T21:09:00.004-05:00

I had a wonderful weekend...my mom and grandma came to visit for my birthday...

and bought me a new table for my sewing...and were gracious enough to help me rearrange a ton of furniture...

and I could not be happier with the outcome...now all I need is a new cushy swivel chair and I'll never leave this studio area!!

I worked on a couple little sewing projects yesterday...more on those tomorrow...and jazzed up these little guys...

aren't they adorable??

Bright Happy Colors

2009-10-06T21:06:00.005-05:00

I love these colors

it's bright and happy...and makes me smile!!

you know what else makes me smile....my friendship bag from the swap arrived...i just love it...or I should say them...i got two fantastic bags!! Thanks Veronica!!

Just a lil bit

2009-10-01T20:50:00.003-05:00

I have a bunch of projects going all at once...which basically means that very little is actually getting finished...

so here's just a few little bits of what I've been working on...

this beautiful Avairy fabric is going to be a quilt based on this MBS project....it's for SIcousin...as soon as I got this fabric I knew it would be perfect as a quilt to go live with her in New Mexico....

these yummy, rich, warm fabrics are going to be a few Thanksgiving table runners...one for our turkey day and a couple for our etsy shop....

And...

my disappearing 9 patch squares for the Red and Aqua Swap are all finished...and ready to be mailed...aren't they cute??

Lovely

2009-09-28T20:13:00.006-05:00

Since the weather has started to cool for fall...I've been taking Ry for a walk in the evening...we were running a little late the other day.....and when we headed out to walk...this is what we were greeted with....

isn't it lovely??

We walked longer than we normally do that evening...it was just too pretty to go inside...

Weekend Update

2009-09-21T20:52:00.009-05:00

I can't really count Friday night as part of my weekend....as I went to bed super early due to an allergy headache...(thanks to all that rain last week)....

I worked Saturday....which wasn't so bad....the weather was beautiful, it was busy, and I got to meet/help some great customers!! There were a ton of people in Dallas for the home opener of the new Dallas Cowboy's Stadium vs. the New York Giants on Sunday, and a UFC event at the American Airlines Center. So it was super busy at work...and the day flew by rather enjoyably.

Ry and I got out and enjoyed the sunshine in the late afternoon....

He is very into the birds....he'll just stand and watch them....with this serious look and stance....I just had to capture and share it!!

Sunday and Monday were filled with errands...which included a trip to pick up the last of my fabrics for the Disappearing 9 Patch Swap...

picking out the reds was super easy for me...but I can absolutely not say the same thing about the aquas...but now I have them all and I am very pleased with my choices....and can't wait to get started on those blocks...

I went to see a movie also...All About Steve...it was pretty good...funny and touching....but as I was leaving the theater I realized that I still haven't seen Julie & Julia and was kicking myself for not going to that...it can't be in theaters too much longer...and I don't get to the movies very often....so I'll have to try to get back to the theater soon to see it...*finger's crossed it stays at the theater*

I also let myself catch up on some of the things on my DVR....

Top Chef, So You Think You Can Dance auditions, and the Design Star Finale.

and I worked on this as I was watching....

the beginning of a crochet project...more on this little pretty later...

I have a lot planned to complete this week....I'm hoping to have 3 completed projects by the end of the week...

wish me luck!!

Make It Stop...

2009-09-17T20:43:00.004-05:00

What does a girl have to do to get some sunshine??? It was raining again today...and there's a chance it'll continue tomorrow....

I CAN'T TAKE IT!!! I need sunshine to feed my creative soul...this dreary grayness makes me want to just crawl up in my bed and watch TV...

which is exactly what I did today after work....so nothing productive to report....

but something super duper exciting happened....I was one of the winners of Terri's giveaway...this is my very first ever giveaway win...and I couldn't be more ecstatic!!

so it's been a pretty darn good day...even with the rain!!

2009-09-16T20:02:00.002-05:00

There is a HUGE giveaway going on....head on over to Sew Fantastic....for her fantastic blog and to enter to win all that fabric!!

Cock-a-Doodle Done...well almost

2009-09-15T20:55:00.007-05:00

I don't just quilt...although my fabric addiction is a serious thing....

I was an art major for a couple years in college

(before I decided that it made more financial sense to study management...*sigh*...if I'd known then what I know now...but as they say hindsight is 20/20)

I used to draw all the time and paint fairly regularly....but it's been rare in the last few years...

I recently finished a piece that had been a work in progress for almost 4 years (don't ask...it's a very long story)....but it was intended as a gift...so I just decided it was time to finish it...

finishing that project got me back in what I'll term super creative mode....got me to finally take that quilting class and to get my paints back out...

and in a round about way lead to LilFriend and I deciding to start our business....

so we started working on some projects for our etsy shop....and LilFriend's Grandma saw our projects and discovered that I can paint...and asked super nicely if it might be possible to get a rooster painting for her newly revamped kitchen...

so here is the almost finished product...I'm not totally happy with the background yet...but I think the barnyard alarm himself looks pretty darn handsome....

what do you think?

is he new kitchen worthy??

Monday...monday...

2009-09-14T21:47:00.006-05:00

So it's still raining....arghh...4 days straight rain?? It's too much for me...

and means more inside time...I told myself that I would clean the house and run errands....

but....

this distracted me...can you really blame me?? I just LOVE this line....

only problem....this beautiful fabric just does not go with the style of my personal space....

so which member of Red Dirt World will this fantasticness go to?? maybe AmazingAunt or LilFriend?? we shall see....

and I'm sure you'll want to see what it becomes....soon, friends, soon...

and so you don't think I shirked all responsibility for the love of fabric....I did run errands....but the cleaning...ehhh...

I did do laundry...I get some cleaning points for that right??

Rain..Rain...Go Away

2009-09-14T00:50:00.011-05:00

It's been raining here almost non-stop since Friday night...

So this is how we spent most of our weekend...

so really all I have to show is....

Orange Pride is completely finished...labeled and everything...but don't look too closely at my embroidery skills (or lack there of)...if it had not been impossible to find the correct orange in marker form it wouldn't have been necessary to go with this beautiful floss (and not do it the justice it deserves)...*woeful sigh*

and here's an up-close of the quilting...I decided to go with random abstract squares all over...in the process of quilting I was second guessing this decision...but in the end I think it looks great...

I had planned to mail this tomorrow...but when I talked to my mom, she said to just hang onto it.....because she'll be down in a couple weeks and she can take it home then...I don't think she realizes how dangerous that is...Orange Pride might simply become too attached to Ry and myself to want to go home with her a few weeks from now....*smile*

Weekend Update

2009-09-07T22:38:00.011-05:00

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend!! I know I sure did...

One of the things that really helped to make my weekend was that Friday when I logged in...

the most amazing thing happened...there was this little green man in the corner of my dashboard...and it said I had followers...

**ear to ear grin**

I can not tell you how ecstatic it made me...to think that people are interested in my lil blog....makes me all warm and fuzy...

this may have even helped motivate me...after my slightly less than productive previous week...

I got a lot accomplished...let me show you...

I turned these...

into this....

**for the friendship bag swap**

and started making these for a new project....

and remember the Orange Pride quilt??....I pieced this for the back....

and quilted it with this....

just need to finish the binding...then wash and dry it...and then show off the quilting to ya'll...it turned out even better than anticipated!!

and then a few none crafty things....got done also...

I also watched lots of college football (**huge smile** my Cowboys beat Georgia)....

participated in another Fantasy Football draft (don't know how I'm gonna keep up with both my fantasy teams)...

bought and watched the first 5 episodes of True Blood (I finally had to see what everyone was raving about)....

watched the last few episodes of Weeds from my DVR....

and finished the last couple chapters of Finger Lickin Fifteen...

and I had to work this morning....so surely I've made up for the lack of accomplishment last week??? Don't you think?

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-09-04T23:17:00.007-05:00

Football season...has officially begun...and there is a BIG game tomorrow...

Go Pokes!!

I'm hoping to be doing a lot of waving and singing Ride..Ride..Ride 'em Cowboys!!

It's a trip

2009-09-01T10:17:00.005-05:00

I realize I promised this post last night, but Lil'Friend and I went to dinner last night, and by the time I got home I was just exhausted. And as I had a lot planned for this post...it simply had to wait till I was all rested up to do it justice.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had to travel home to Oklahoma for a few days...my grandma wasn't feeling well....AmazingAunt was visiting....and I was already off work for a few days...so I packed up Ry and myself and headed out...

He's the most adorable traveling companion!!

I decided while home to make Grandma an all natural heating bag...but I didn't take any fabric with me....and as the big fabric store in town had closed a few years ago i had to get out the phone book....and saw the nearest fabric store listed happens to be a quilt shop about 20 minutes drive...so why not....thought i'd at least get the 1/2 yd needed for this project...

I had no idea what an AMAZING find this would turn out to be....Prairie Quilt located in Hennessey, OK....on main street in a two story store front building like you see in every Oklahoma town.

we walked in and I couldn't believe it....this adorable shop has 4 rooms filled with fabric and samples on the walls and fat quarters in flower pots and kits everywhere....reproductions, holidays, and flannels have their own rooms....and as if that isn't enough...the second floor is all classroom and more samples....they also had a great selection of Aurifil....

had a great trip home....especially seeing AmazingAunt and getting to cook with her....always good times and great food....and I'm already contemplating a quilt that will need a nice home in California...

and always good to see my mom who is always fantastic fun...and who was the big winner at bingo on Saturday...and surprised me with a lil of her winnings to purchase me...

can you believe it??? I can't wait for it to arrive!!!

so Ry and I packed up and headed home....and got stuck in traffic...look at him pouting...he was ready to get home and sleep after all the playing with the little dogs...

Don't Miss Out...

2009-08-31T16:50:00.003-05:00

there is a great....fantastic...phenominal giveaway going on......

stop over at a flower for you....and enter before it's too late....(before tomorrow night!!!)

I just had to post this really quick...but no worries this is not all I have for today.....there will be much more later!!! promise....

On Pause

2009-08-29T09:38:00.002-05:00

things are on pause at the moment.....all my projects are on hold....i've had to head home to Oklahoma for a few days....make sure everythings ok and spend some time with the family....

but good news....i did get the binding started on the first quilt....and really really really hope i can get to finish the handsewing of it...and get it done!!

so it'll be a few days before i'm back with anything to report...have a good weekend all!!

Finally Photos

2009-08-21T20:25:00.010-05:00

It's taken me way longer to getting to posting these than I planned....but I have a good excuse....I was so very busy sewing and quilting my first quilt!!! Get ready for a long post...but it's loaded with great stuff!!

So first the fabrics for Mr.Favorite-Color-Black's quilt.....here they are....

I wish I had thought to take the picture before I started cutting...but I was so excited about them....aren't they awesome??

After laying all the fabrics out...it came to me exactly what they were begging to be....and what would fit Mr.Fav-Color-Black's personality....they were screaming to become Wonky Log Cabin Blocks....thanks Jacquie for the inspiration and tutorial....and boy oh boy were they right....

I love them....I sure hope he does too...he'd better....anyhoo...I'm thinking about throwing in either a little yellow or green...for a lil pop of color in maybe two or three blocks....we shall see...I truly can not wait to finish this quilt!!

and I promised pictures of finished quilt 2....and here it is....

...so it turned out pretty darn good....I almost wish I hadn't promised this to my mom....she's gonna love it....my plan is to quilt and bind it this week...so that I can have her Orange Pride quilt to her to cuddle on the couch with when she watches the Oklahoma State Football season opener...Go Pokes!!....haven't picked out the backing yet...that's what I have planned for tomorrow along with some crafting with LilFriend....

And now...the debut of my quilting skills....I'm not really sure it's actual skills yet...but I did try my hand at quilting my first quilt on my machine....I picked what I thought would be simple for my first try and something that would work with the lines of the quilt...so I went with wavy lines since the quilt has so many straight lines....what do ya'll think??? did i go too simple??

I'm just excited that I tried the quilting....and that it wasn't a major catastrophe.....but what I'm really in love with is the back...which is really just a happy accident....I had originally planned to do all green backing...but cut the fabric incorrectly and had to come up with a solution fast...so this is what I came up with....

so all this fabulous quilt needs is binding....so as you can see it was a busy week....and it's going to be a busy busy weekend too....

Check It Off

2009-08-18T06:59:00.003-05:00

Quilt Two....done

Quilt Four....fabric purchased....and let me just warn you it is going to be just awesome....Mr.Favorite-Color-Black is going to have the coolest quilt ever. I have yet to decide what design to use for the great fabrics....

I'll post pictures later today!!

Really?

2009-08-11T22:25:00.003-05:00

It's almost Wednesday? This week is flying by. Last weekend was wonderful. Not that productive, but a LOT of fun. Lil'Friend and I worked on a few projects on Friday afternoon. But that is all that was accomplished, other than some great times and lots of laughs with some visitors.

Finishing quilt 2 before Friday is the goal for the week!! I'll update with progress tomorrow!!

Thirsty Thursday

2009-08-06T19:39:00.005-05:00

It's Thursday, and I'm not working tomorrow. Excited to be able to say that...three day weekend has me giddy. Imagine the things that will get accomplished. A group of friends I only see once a year are in town for the weekend. So there will be lots of laughs and good times. And I'm hoping for a little sewing.

And here are the first blocks of quilt Three.

I'm so excited about this quilt. Didn't really realize how much time all the flying geese were going to take, but it'll be well worth it in the end.

Hope you have as good a weekend as I plan to have!!

Wonderful Weekend

2009-08-02T13:54:00.002-05:00

I've had a wonderful weekend! I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to say that. For years, I've been a workaholic. I've always worked whatever schedule, whatever hours, whatever days that were needed. So finally being off on weekends, and it's amazing.

My Lil'Friend and I went to Canton for First Monday Trade Days. I had never been despite the raving of everyone I know. I had a fantastic time even thought it was alternately raining or steamy. There were so many amazing things to see. Lil'Friend and I purchased some old windows, and an old screen door for some upcoming projects. I'll keep you posted on those projects.

I will have to admit that I only got a bit of sewing done on Friday, but my evening tonight is to be filled with sewing. So maybe more later on that.

Let's see...

2009-07-29T20:45:00.005-05:00

it's been a busy day. I have lots to cover today. So let's start with another great giveaway.

Not only would it be fantastic to win, but I really enjoyed the giveaway comment question that Rachel of p.s. i quilt asked. Both thinking about my answer (it was hard to decide on my absolute favorite), and reading everyone's answers. Some of the answers have me thinking about future projects. So, Rachel thanks for the opportunity to win, and the inspiration!

Speaking of projects....I've been working on quilt 2. I'm totally impressed with the results so far. I was unsure how working without a pattern would work out. The idea in my head is playing really well in blocks. The borders may be a different story, but we shall see. I did get some ideas last night.

Took a Bindings, Backings, and Borders class last night at the Old Craft Store. It was really a great class. Fantastic teaching as always, and a ton of useful tips and techniques. I can't wait to put the info to use.

White

2009-07-27T20:59:00.006-05:00

One of the most beautiful things are white linens. Bright, crisp, clean white bed linens are welcoming and soothing. They are versatile and timeless.

Redecorate the room, but leave the linens. Makes life easier, at least for me. So here are two inspiration rooms I'm contemplating.

Perfect Projects and Great Giveaways

2009-07-26T08:51:00.007-05:00

There are two great projects out there this week. And I'm listing them in chronological order, because there is no other way in which to decide which one should be discussed first.

I love pincushions. Everytime I see a project for a fruity pincushion, I just have to make it. So I've currently got quite the fruit bowl going on my sewing table. My fruit bowl is starting to overflow though. So I was excited to see another pincushion design and tutorial. One that is just too cute to pass up.

Check out Jaybird Quilts for the Giant Pincushions and her great giveaway of one of each of her adorable designs in fantastic fabrics. Thanks for the great idea and giveaway!! Hope I win, but also can't wait to make one too.

The next project is just too cute to pass up. And fits perfectly in line with my trying to find many ways to go green this year. What better way to go green than to do away with paper gift bags and wrapping paper?

Kim at Bitty Bits and Pieces is a genius. Check out the Charmed Gift Bag project tutorial. And she is a generous genius also, as she is holding a giveaway of a gift bag goodies included. I would absolutely love to win.

And the project and tutorial come at a perfect time. If I start now with all the adorable Christmas fabrics that have come out, I'll be ready to have a super green Christmas with no paper wrappings necessary!! This is just a fantastic project.

My First Quilt

2009-07-25T09:34:00.005-05:00

I have always loved everything arts and crafts. I could bore you with a list of my endeavors and loves in the world of crafting, but I won't. Let's just say if it's crafty I have done it. Everything that is but quilting. Which upon thinking about it was odd, I have always loved quilts. It was time I learned to quilt.

I found a fantastic local quilt store. The Old Craft Store in Carrollton, Texas. I fell in love with this store on my first visit. I enrolled in my first class within minutes of entering the store. My First Quilt seemed the perfect class for me, running once a week for four weeks with a finished quilt top by the end of the month.

My First Completed Quilt Top

The instructor for My First Quilt was amazing. She is extremely knowledgable, funny, and an excellent instructor. I feel extremely luck to have participated in her class. And I've signed up for two more classes with her.

By week two of class, I had already bought fabric for my second quilting project. I am offically obsessed.

Here's the beginings of quilt 2!