Wrapping up November

This weekend was lovely. I spent most of it hiding from my computer,
some of it holed-up at my sewing machine
and none of it at the mall.

I finished the top for my Ireland quilt and I'm pleased with the results.
Here's a little sneak peak.

I'm sure it will be 1,000 times better when it's quilted though.

Debating whether to tackle it (and potentially ruin it) myself or wait through the Christmas rush until someone else can do it.
We shall see.

Thanksgiving was so nice. I think it's one of my favorite holidays.
I love to just hang out with people I like and eat good food.
And I didn't totally ruin the turkey - it was edible.

After dinner instead of roasting chestnuts by an open fire, my awesome family assembled IKEA furniture for me.
Well the men did while us women-folk tried to heard/distract the young 'uns (who wanted to "help") in the basement.
I love my family.

I decided to make some practice turkeys first

Tomorrow I am cooking my first turkey for American Thanksgiving.
This is a bit of a rite of passage for me and I'm slightly scared of ruining it.
Fortunately the bird is already thawed, so I've got one thing going for me.

Today we had a happy home day and made some sugar cookies from this recipe at Calli's Make It Do. When we make sugar cookies, we have a lot of collateral damage in dough that is eaten, rolled into greasy balls, dropped on the floor, etc. It's joy in the journey though, right? (And while we're on the subject of recipes I used Calli's fabulous roll recipe this week to make my first ever made-from-scratch rolls. And they were good if I do say so myself! Which means if I can do you, you can totally do it!)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let me share an amazing book I just finished.

It is called Three Cups of Tea and is the story of Greg Mortensen - an American whose mission it is to build schools in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan - with the primary goal to educate girls. It's an incredible example of the difference one person can make in changing the lives of thousands, if not millions of people. Please read it if you can, or his new book Stones into Schools. It comes out next week and I can't wait to read it too.

Reading this book has given me new gratitude for my own life and opportunities - and new appreciation for my education and the endless opportunities for education that my daughters have. It makes me want to do more for our sisters on the other side of the world. And I think this may be a way I can do something to honor the memory of my friend Sarah. More to come: quiltmaker/mother becomes activist.

Have a happy weekend with those you love, whether you're formally celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, or just continuing to have a grateful heart.

PS Many thanks for all the kind comments on my painted hutch. It's always fun to hear a few other opinions that confirm you did well. :) I am SOOO behind on my responding individually - please know how much I appreciate your kindness.

Glamor Makeover

I've had this china cabinent for a few years now. My parents bought it about 15 years ago and then my mom passed it on to me 6 or 7 years later when I was needing some storage for dishes as well as play-doh and Fisher-Price Little People in our little town house. It moved with us to our last home, providing much needed storage space in our little kitchen.

But it almost didn't make the move with us this time because it's not the finest craftsmanship and it's pretty dated in forest green and with oak trim and oak knobs.

For the past few years I've wished it was a different color and even semi-contemplated doing something about it, - especially after being inspired by things done by the likes of Vanessa. But I felt too overwhelmed - it seemed like too much work to sand and prime something that's really only made of compressed particle wood.

But then, my brilliant friend Natalie was telling me about painting all of her kitchen cabinets and that it really wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. So I told her about my ugly hutch and she suggested the new paint/primer combo stuff from Home Depot. Who knew! Suddenly I was reinvigorated. I went to HD and had a great time picking out color swatches to bring home. I finally went back and brought my cute little can of Behr Premium Plus Paint and Primer in One. Worth every penny. (Like around $14.00)

And voila!

I am so pleased with the outcome!! And pretty darn proud of myself for going for it. The project was SO much easier than I thought it would be. Partly because I didn't do a perfectionist's job. (I figured this is not going to be a family heirloom.) I didn't even break out the sand paper. I cleaned it with TSP to remove a bit of the sheen and then started slopping on paint. Two coats and it was done. Then I replaced the oak knobs with nickel hardware. So pretty.

And I decided to go Martha and just go with a mostly-white color scheme for the dishes. I also decided to pull out a few pieces of my china for the first time ever. When I got married my grandma gave me her mother's collection of Haviland china. It is such a treasure! The pattern is so beautiful, but I've kept all of it in the box that she handed it to me in 12 years ago, still wrapped in newspaper from 1982, mainly because I feared the damage we could do.

But I decided it was more fun to risk a couple of pieces and enjoy looking at it everyday. And it's also nice that I have a place to tuck this cabinet out of the path of my little boys now, so I think (fingers crossed) it's a little safer. The dishes are beautiful, but the family nostalgia makes them even better.

I wish I had more of these little guys. I found a set of 4 of these place-card-holders for $2.97 at the Pottery Barn in February - regularly priced $19.99. Maybe I'll check again this February.

Now that I no longer fear tackling a project like this, I'm on the prowl for more.

LATER EDIT: The color used is Cacao from the Behr Premium Plus Collection.
The knobs came in a bulk pack from Target.

And I take back saying I'm on the prowl for more - painting did take time away from sewing.
What I should have said is: now I won't fear painting furniture if the time should come in the future.

Adorable Applique ABC's

My Mom has been part of a neighborhood quilt group for some time. Over the past few years this group has combined forces to create a quilt to donate to a bi-annual fundraiser for a local hospital charitable foundation. This fundraiser has become a big deal over the years and the auction event is always preceded by a show to display all the donated quilts.

And so I wanted to share the incredible quilt my mom's group made this year. This gorgeous vintage-ABC's quilt is all hand appliqued. Each block is wonderful and whimsical. The quilt was then hand-quilted by volunteers.

Here are a few close-ups of some of the blocks.
I apologize the photographs aren't great.
The lighting was not very good and
I didn't have time to play with camera settings
because I was racing against
the "get the 5-year-old back for Kindergarten" clock.

I love this little robot!

Lots of little appliqued pieces and embellished with embroidery.

Again, these pictures just don't do the artistry justice.
*Sigh.*

And here is my cute mom in front of the quilt.

Her group attended the auction last night and it sold for over $3500 buckaroos!

I have pictures of many other quilts from the show and will post them soon. Not only is my mom a talented quilter, she is also a talented grandma. We met up at the hotel where the quilt show was taking place. And knowing that I had to drag two little boys with me, she came armed with Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day (one of my boys' favorite books) and sat on a couch in the lobby and read to them so I could look at quilts in peace. Lovely.

Many thanks for all of the kind comments and thoughts for my friend and her family - as well as the helpful information. I am so grateful.

It has been a busy week here. I have been going to town finishing unpacking my house - the basement in particular. And it feels good. SO GOOD. I finally feel like I am living in my own house. Bedsides the house work, I nursed a cold and may or may not have heard UFO's at 3:30 in the morning. (A story for another day.) As a result I have been really bad about getting to my email - I'm sorry. (You are all so kind and understanding.) It's amazing how much stuff you can accomplish when you ignore the computer for days. :) But I am so excited to get my house in order and I am feeling so much more peaceful and much less discombobulated.

Deeper perspective

I've debated whether to share more about my friend Sarah, who recently had the trauma, out of a respect for her and her family's privacy, but so many of you expressed such sincere sympathy and offered your own prayers for my sweet friend that I felt I should give an update.

I'm so sad to report that my friend passed away. I was shocked when I heard the news. She is such a fighter, I thought she would pull through. It has been a pretty teary week around here. This event has made me hug my own family a little more this week and has prompted me to get in touch with other old friends from my past to tell them that I love them. Because you never know if you may not have that chance again in this life.

It is tragic anytime a person so young has to leave us, but it seems even more so to pass away as a result of giving birth to her first child. My heart breaks for her sweet husband, new son, and extended family. My heart is heavy and yet, I find great peace in the knowledge that "all things are done in the wisdom of Him who knoweth all things" (reference here.)

I have mentioned before that I volunteered as a Mormon missionary in England about 14 years ago. (Hence, part of my adoration of all things British.) Sarah was my companion/partner for 3 months. Together we had the opportunity many times to share a message of God's plan for families to be together forever. I am more grateful than ever for that message.

And so, in my need to do something, when I really can't do anything, I've been sewing.

When I first heard about the new baby I was sure I was going to make a quilt, but wasn't sure what to make. When I was told of Sarah's passing, (and since I'm on a bit of a flag kick) I decided to make Irish flags, so that this boy can always remember his mum's heritage.It has been cathartic for my heart, to put my hands and brain to work.

A happy little bundle of British goodness

Shortly after my Cath Kidston post, my friend Aunt Spicy told me she was off to the UK that month and offered to pick-up stuff if I wanted to make an order. Did i! A short time ago my highly-anticipated parcel arrived. So, forgive me for being indulgent, but I thought I'd have a little show and tell of the contents.

First off. The book.

When I asked Aunt Spicy to pick one up for me I had no idea how elusive they would be.

But miracle of miracles, she found one for each of us.
In a cathedral no less. Read here.

And to my giddy surprise, look what came with it!

The fabric, buttons and tag to make my very own bag pictured on the cover!

Here's a sneak peak of some of the lovely photographs.

Okay, I really must bite the bullet and learn English paper piecing.

I love these scrappy hexagons!

I also ordered just a couple small pieces of Cath china.

Because I like it.

Also included in my box of delights were some extra surprises.

A sweet CK vinyl zipper pouch and a very fun burlap shopping bag from Tesco.

(Tesco is roughly the British equivalent of Target

and seeing it brought back many happy memories

of buying things like Hobnobs, milk in a box, and Walls ice cream.)
Thanks again, Aunt Spicy!

If you are wanting to get your own Cath fix for yourself,
the latest catalog/magazine also just showed up in my post box.
You can get your own free copy here.

And in other news, we are picking up steam on other home improvement projects. My good husband put together storage room shelves for me this past weekend. Hooray! And I took on painting a china hutch that I was debating throwing away. Quite pleased with the outcome, if I do say so myself. Pictures to come. Part of this momentum is coming because we are having my family for Thanksgiving at our house! Nothing like a good deadline to get your rear in gear!

Have a happy week ahead!

Have you seen this???

I'm pretty sure I must have this pattern.

Ack! I love it!

You can find it here.

Oh, and I have more British goodness to share.
Coming next post.

And now back to your regularly scheduled quilt blog

Pictures from a Christmas open house last week at the shop where I work.

Complete with celebrities!

New bolts of Rouennerie and Astor Manor by Moda.

Yummy stuff.

These quilts come from a pattern company called Two Peas in a Pod.

Their quilts are wonderful!

Rae Ann (who was also there) has more pictures and information about them on her blog.Check out this adorable wreath made out of ric-rac!

In the blue is Bonnie Bailey. She and her mom,
Brenda, have Pie Plate Patterns and books.

Here is Lila Tueller, a designer for Moda.

She is a local gal - also lives in Orem, Utah.

Lila has amazing creations. Beautiful skirts and bags and fabric.

And she is such a lovely person.

And here is another celebrity: the actual dresden plate creations pictured in Kim Walus' Moda Bake Shop tutorial. They were even more darling in person. Kim is a regular at American Quilting, but let her creations stand in for herself that night as she was celebrating her husband's birthday. (Good choice, Kim. You were missed though.)

This is another one of Kim's MBS creations.

Fun stuff! Now I'm motivated to start all those handmade Christmas projects. :)

Just what I needed

First of all, many, MANY thanks for the generous and thoughtful comments. It's so nice to know that people have "been there" and understand. And they don't think you're a total flake. And more importantly, many thanks for your prayers for Sarah. They are much appreciated.

Second: I made it out of town this past weekend. My husband had a conference in San Diego and the plan has been for me to go with him for a couple of days, but things were touch and go because of sick kids. My children have a gift for only getting ear infections right before my husband and I have a trip planned - which is really rare. But at the last minute (almost literally) the boy perked up and my brave parents were willing to take over.

I didn't realize how desperate things were until I slept 10 hours straight the first night. lol. A trip to the beach with a book (my high school copy of P&P), a lot of fish tacos, and some time with my husband were just what we needed.

Perspective

What I want to be doing.

This pile is still patiently waiting for me.
Sigh.

What I need to be doing.

Assembling kits of plaid squares for the store where I work.

The trouble is, I'm sick of plaid squares.

I have been feeling a little discombobulated lately. I've been attributing some of it to feeling in a state of limbo since our move. No longer belonging in our old house, neighborhood, comfort zone, but not yet totally assimilated in our new home, neighborhood, etc. yet either.

Another aspect is just not being all the way unpacked in our new house - boxes still abound because I need to get an entertainment center and more storage shelves [we left a lot of built-ins behind], but I had to wait until we took care of our old house, but then everyone got sick, and then I had to make Halloween costumes, so I haven't been to the store, blah, blah.

Also our routines have been disrupted. The laundry, toys, sewing mess, etc. just haven't found their comfortable homes and styles yet. All of this is pretty normal for any move, especially with a bunch of kids in tow, but as a result I haven't felt right in myself.

And then there's blogging which I totally enjoy most of the time. I love connecting with people, being inspired by what other people have created and written. And yet, occasionally it frustrates me. Sometimes because my real world is so messy and imperfect compared to all the loveliness there is to behold elsewhere. (Which, if you sometimes feel this way too, you MUST read this inspired post by another Amy. I loved it.) But the main issue I think is that I keep trying to pretend that my life is organized and well-put-together, when it's not. And often I feel like a flake because I don't respond to everyone like I want to, or totally space answering a question someone has asked. And beyond that sometimes I try to put my kids on hold so I can do "this one more thing."

with my friend Sarah and her husband Chris at Wagamama's in Manchester last September

Wednesday afternoon, right after I pushed "publish now" on my last post, I got a phone call that shook me up, and suddenly my perspective changed. I have a wonderful Irish friend named Sarah. We were roommates for 3 months in Liverpool, England 13 years ago and she has been like a sister to me ever since. One of those special people in your life that you don't see for 12 years, but when you do it feels like no time has passed and you just pick-up where you left off, sharing the most personal details of your life. We were able to see Sarah and her new, sweet husband Chris when we visited Manchester a year ago and it was fantastic.

Well, the phone call informed me that Sarah had a massive stroke during the delivery of her first baby last Saturday. I immediately collapsed to my knees and prayed my heart out for my dear friend - because I know prayer works. After hours of brain surgery and a medically induced coma, she is astounding the doctors with her progress. But she still has a long way to go and has not yet been able to even see her baby boy.

As I prayed for my friend Sarah, I suddenly had clarity - a reminder of what matters most. The opportunity I have to be a mother. That if everything in this world was taken from me, the thing I would want most is my children. They need to come first. In my heart they always do, but often my brain and body are preoccupied. They - my family - are the one thing I'm going to take with me to the next life.

So please bear with me if I sometimes come across as flakey - I can only do so much for so many people, and my kids need to know that they are first.

Also I am taking a small break to get our house in order, so that my brain & spirit are in better order. Plus, I get to get away with my husband for a bit. All very good things.

But I'll be back very soon and I can't wait to see you then!

A thrifty trip show and tell

So last week I had to drop-off a no-longer-needed changing table (hallelujah!) at the thrift store. It had been a crazy week wrapping up things with our old house and this was my last task. So as a reward I allowed myself to go inside. :) No pyrex this time, but I scored with the vintage linens! I had to dig through a lot of junk, but found some great treasures. I love this pillowcase. I think the colors and the print are so pretty - I've been starting to collect prints I like to frame in hoops (like this) and I think this is going to be one of them.

A couple of pillowcases to add to this quilt.
(I'll get there sometime!)

This sheet will probably go with them.

But this sheet is probably my favorite!! The colors are awesome - I don't even want to cut it up.

I feel like planing a new quilt around these colors and using the sheet as a back. Mmm.

Then I walked through the bagged-up fabric.

Usually not much there but a bunch of gross polyester bleh.

This unassuming bag was among the pile.

I flipped it over and on top was this polyester that reminds me of the dress my grandma wore at my parents wedding in 1972.

And it kind of made me smile.

And then I noticed this little corner peeking out.

I tore the bag slightly open and found this vintage cotton. Fantastic! It's so American Jane-y, old fashioned looking. (Yes, I should have ironed it before taking a picture.) Reminds me a little of my childhood in the late 70's. (Or maybe it's some recent piece of JoAnn stuff. If it is I don't want to know. :) I'd rather live in denial, believing I found some awesome vintage treasure.)

Also this old beauty.

And finally, this little old piece of cheater print. I think it's so fun. Reminds me of this old quilt my mom made about the same time my grandma was wearing the yellow-flowered polyester dress. It also makes me think of some cool new Japanese reprint.

So woo! Fun finds all for only $14!
Now I'm off to find some time to do something with them!

32-minute Messenger Bag to the rescue

Yesterday we had our cousins over for dinner, which is always lots of fun. One of them had just celebrated her 7-year-old birthday and in the chaos of swine flu and Halloween, I didn't have a birthday present on hand. So I whipped-up a Messenger Bag as a gift.

I hadn't done one in a while and I was a pleasantly reminded how quickly this comes together. It would have gone together even faster if I didn't have to unpick the last step because I'd twisted the strap before I sewed the second side down. Woops. A classic case of 'haste makes waste' which I seem to be really good at.

The fabric came purely from the stash. And since it is for a 7-year-old, I figured she wouldn't mind if I mixed Amy Butler and an Aunt Gracie print, as long as there was purple involved.

And a brief Halloween report. This year we had a fairy (who wore the blue stuff in the recent post), an East High cheerleader (the costume was a High School Musical outfit, but I personally loved it since I graduated from the real East High School where all 3 movies were filmed. [My husband is going to make fun of me for posting that.] ); a handsome Knight (costume recycled from last year- I figured no one in our new neighborhood would know and it made life SO much easier) and an adorable Fireman. This was my favorite costume since we already had the coat, hat, and plastic ax. So when I came across these fireman wellies at Target, I couldn't pass them up as they were the perfect touch.

Fortunately the swine flu abated before all the festivities. Hurrah. Also, many thanks again for the Halloween goodies suggestions. Here's a couple pictures of some of them. I didn't get around to finding the camera before the others were consumed. The salty bones were SO easy and a HUGE hit. The witch fingers were a little more time consuming, but provided sufficient 'ewww's" to make it worth it. We also had vegetables with 'swamp dip' and cheese stick fingers.

Happy Halloween

I hope you all had a happy Halloween whereever you are.
If Halloween is even celebrated where you are. :)
We had a successful (busy) weekend here.
Hooray for Daylight Savings tomorrow.
I'm off to enjoy my extra hour of sleep.
(That is if my kids let me, but not getting my hopes up.)

Monday: back to business and finally catching up on lots of emails
and possibly writing blogposts that are actually somewhat interesting.

Toadstools and tutorials

For a while now I've been collecting toadstool tutorials.

So I thought I'd share.
The cute little guy above is found on The Storque by etsy.

This beauty is by LucyKate Crafts.This little cutie is from How About Orange . . .

This one requires no sewing skills at all - just a steady hand with a paring knife.

It's a radish! Found here.

Now, you're wondering what in the world Toadstools have to do with Halloween.
I give you Martha:

Is that the greatest or what? (And don't miss the snail out of a cucumber!)

So if you were blessed with an abundant squash harvest this year, you too can create adorable, trendy, Halloween decorations!

Today is full of Halloween parades and class parties. Fortunately I didn't have to pull an all-nighter on any costumes. They were all finished in time for a party at church on Wednesday night. It was kind of nice to have an early deadline to prevent last minute scrambling. But I have to admit, by Saturday night I will be ready for Halloween to be done.

PS - I haven't had the chance yet to thank anyone personally for the great party food suggestions.
You folks really saved my bacon. Bless you cyber-friends!

A glimpse of today

Halloween costumes under construction.

Look at that little pile of Happy Camper fabric waiting patiently for its turn.

This can't be good for pumpkins.

While we're on the subject of Halloween, my assignment is to bring 'finger-food' to the 5th Grade (10 year olds) class party on Friday. I want to bring something besides candy because I figure there will be ample amounts of that this weekend. Does anyone have any good suggestions, links, ideas?

Finished plaid quilt (and other random stuff)

First, a picture of a recent finish. Woo!
(Because this is first and foremost a quilting blog.)
I'm pleased with the orange border and blue binding.
A good snuggly fallish quilt.

Many thanks for the swine flu well wishes. I think we're on the mend. (fingers crossed.)

(Disclaimer: Sorry the rest of this has nothing whatsoever to do with quilting.) For you other SYTYCD (so you think you can dance) people: nothing like a show full of good dance (Wade!) to end a day of: taking care of sick and cranky people at the same time as you try to finish all the final fall yard work before it snows tomorrow. Whew. Mandi Moore's choreography made me full-on grin. At first I wasn't sure what to think when she didn't choreograph to some classic 80's hit, but man, Viva La Vida was awesome. Oh wow - that is how I want to dance in heaven. If I tried it now my children would start yelling, "MOM! STOP!" plus I'd probably throw my back out or dislocate a hip joint or something worse. And cute Ryan Di Lello. A few years ago my husband used to occasionally teach classes at BYU and Ryan was one of his students. (My husband taught Intro to Public Relations, not Advanced Latin Ballroom - although that would be pretty cool. Not that Public Relations isn't sexy too.) A short time later my husband was in charge of the youth group at church and asked Ryan to come teach a class in some basic partner dance moves. I was there. He is a really nice guy. So that is my brush with SYTYCD fame. And there you go.

Now, onto finishing Halloween costumes!

Tamiflu is our friend

So last Sunday night we were at my parents' house for dinner and my sister asks, "Have you got the swine flu vaccines yet?" and I answered, "No, but I should probably get on that." Well, before I had time to even think about finding a location to get some of the elusive shots, my 5-year-old came home from school the next day coughing and not looking so hot. Enter the swine flu. Sadly with him we didn't get it diagnosed until it was too late for him to take Tamiflu, but when my 12-year-old daughter started having symptoms on Friday, we promptly put everyone on the drugs. My husband started feeling crumby yesterday, but the other 3 of us are doing okay and I'm praying the meds do their job. We're surviving - nothing apocalyptic - but not the funnest week we've had. So now that I'm going into week two of being a hermit, maybe I'll finally finish getting this room put together. Can you tell I'm making progress? Well, probably not (other that the stuff on the walls) but serious progress has been made. I don't know if it will ever be Better-Homes/Martha-Stewart worthy, but as long as it's organized and functional and inspirational to me and not just black hole of craft junk, I'm good.

Shop update

They're in! Click on photo to get to etsy the fast way. :)

Quick explanation of a minor change: In the past I have always created quilt kits that included backing fabric. That has slowly become the trickiest part for me because I don't have access to huge amounts of yardage and many people wanted the same pieces and I didn't have them. I am still listing a few kits with specific backing yardage, but I also decided to try the option of listing kits containing everything for just the top of the quilt (binding included) at a lower price, allowing you to pick your own back from your favorite source (including your stash). You can also email me if you need fabric line recommendations.

Feedback on this change (or anything else on your mind) is definitely welcomed!

Thanks again for stopping by and have a happy fall weekend! Hopefully in a pumpkin patch or at a college football game or in front of your sewing machine.

Return of the red, aqua, and pink quilt!

Hey look. It's my old fence.
Are you wondering if I snuck into my old yard to take some pictures? Well, no.

These are a couple of quilts I made way back in July for a custom order.
I still can't get enough of this vintagy-retro look for a current favorite color combination.
One of my daughters has a new pink room and we are going to make a bigger version of this quilt for her to snuggle with.

Remember when I used to sell kits for these quilts in my etsy shop?

You may not remember because it has been a while.

The reason I have waited so long to finally post these pictures is I was waiting until I had new kits for the shop.
And the time has finally come.

Official listing tomorrow!

Autumn thrift-store goodness

The month before we moved I made multiple trips to the local thrift store to drop-off loads of items we no longer wanted or needed. And each time I went I showed HUGE restraint and did not go in because the last thing I needed while I was packing all our earthly belongings was more stuff to pack.

Except for the one time I did go in. I told myself I was just going to nonchalantly walk by the sheets in case there were any really great vintage pieces. And . . . nope! I was safe. As I was valiantly trying to make my way to the door, the bake ware aisle gently beckoned, and I succumbed. I told myself that the last thing I needed at that moment was more breakable items to pack. Sheets would be one thing - I could even justify them by using them for padding. But not Pyrex.

I felt pretty certain I wouldn't find anything great because I hadn't the last times I'd checked. But instead, there was a mother load this time. So I severely limited myself to these two. Because the colors were so wonderful and fallish. And frankly, they were a steal. And I had a 30% off coupon. And 30% off cheap is really cheap.

Look how pretty they look with my other bowls.
I'm so pleased with how the colors mix together.
Perfect for this time of year.
And really, the red and green add so much depth to that stack.
So worth it.