Thursday, February 28, 2013

Blocking [tutorial?]

This is not the official "finished" blog post for this quilt.  It will be posted in a few weeks along with Heather over at A Quilt Story.


This is a sad tale of my attempts at blocking this quilt, which I have affectionately named THE AmyHeatherMarionCabinFeverRetreat Star.  For some reason I got a big poofy wave pucker thing in the 36" diameter circle and there abouts.  I am trying to block the quilt as to minimize the pucker thing.


I think it is working...  I will let you know ;)

PS- I LOVE this quilt!

UPDATE-  When I got up Thursday morning the quilt was completely flat!!!
See?  It looks AWESOME!!!  Blocking works!!!

PS-  Here is a link to a blog post explaining blocking and the process of blocking :) Click HERE
*** I modified the process a bit.  I put the quilt in the washer on hot with 2 t of Synthrapol.  After the washing, I brought it up to my living room floor.  I spread it out and had my son help me tug and straighten it out.  We gently patted the puckers down.  (the top two pictures are after the quilt had been washed, stretched and patted).  I went back every hour or so and patted and tugged a bit.  It needs to lay flat for a few days to make sure that it is all the way dry.***

Monday, February 25, 2013

I Know What I Am Going To-Do Today...

*** If you are looking for Operation Sunshine click HERE :)  Thank you!!!***

Tired, and ready for bed :)  That probably goes for most days of my life ;)

Last week was a SUPER fun week up at Emily's Cabin Fever Retreat in Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville, Utah.  I had the BEST time with all of the most wonderful quilters around! xoxo to you all!  I miss you already :(

So here is what I finished last week :)

I made this triple zippered pouch on Wednesday for me to take on the retreat, of course.
Blogged HERE

First off at the retreat I finished this quilt for my sister blogged HERE

While at the retreat I started working on this receiving blanket for my sisters new baby girl :)

Also at the retreat I made this CUTE top :)  Blogged HERE.

WHAT EVER SHALL I DO THIS WEEK?  I've got plenty to choose from below ;)

WIP's -in some form of progress...
Challenge quilt for next year's quilt show
"Letters to my Daughter" block of the month
Baste and quilt star quilt
Knitted socks for my girls
Hadley's receiving blanket

For Hire Projects
MaryAnne's jean quilt
Annette's pillow
Bind a quilt for Emily
A quilt for my sister Alyson's friend (The May $29 quilt)  Done!!!!  Blogged HERE!
3 crocheted pair of slippers

Back Burner Purgatory... lol!!! ;) (I've got the fabric for these, but no chop chop yet)
thank you presents for wedding helpers
Wedding gifts
Mandy's quilt
2 Twin Size applique quilts for my nieces
The June $29 quilt
My green and white bed quilt
July $29 Quilt
Medallion Quilt for the Modern Quilt Group (I'm thinking a monogram for the center)

So, what are you up to this week?  PLEASE share with me :)

Will be linking up with Amanda Jean over at Crazy Mom Quilts  and Lee



Sunday, February 24, 2013

Retreat Up-date

*** If you are looking for Operation Sunshine click HERE :)  Thank you!!!***

Saturday afternoon I got home from the WONDERFUL retreat up in Hobble Creek Canyon with a bunch of Crazy Old Ladies :)  Emily threw one heck of a party!!!  Thank you so much :) xoxo

On Saturday before we left, I got the itch from Heather and Amy to make a star quilt :)

Here are a few sneak peaks.


The wind was giving us fits and wouldn't let the quilts play nice for the photo shoot ;)


Heather is pink and I am green.


Amy had to leave a bit earlier, so we didn't get her star in out photo shoot :(

We are hoping to coordinate simultaneous posts on all of our blogs to reveal the finished quilts ;D

PS- This quilt is from Jeni's tutorial over at In Color Order

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Whirlygigs Complete :)

We've been up at a BEAUTIFUL lodge in Hobble Creek Canyon all weekend at Emily Herrick's Cabin Fever Retreat.

It has been SO much fun :)

I was able to quilt and bind the Whirlygig quilt for my sister.







Whirlygigs is one of Becky Morganson's $29 Mystery Quilts over at Stitches and Sew Forth.  They have a new $29 mystery quilt kit each month ;D  Oooh la la!


....and started a receiving blanket for my new niece Hadley who has just come home from the hospital :)

Friday, February 22, 2013

Packed!!!

I left yesterday for the Cabin Fever Retreat by Emily of Crazy Old Ladies.  I figured I share my packing piles :)

The MOST important details :)


I am so excited that I get to use my Weekender Bag and my Jennifer Paganelli Duffle :)


TOO many quilts to keep me warm :)




Thursday, February 21, 2013

Triple Zipperd Pouch

A while back I saw THIS tutorial on A Quilter's Table.  If you have been following me for long enough, you know that I have a thing for zippered pouches.


Debbie's tutorial was really clear and easy to follow!  My brain wouldn't understand the last little bit of instructions, so I just modified.  It is very frustrating that my head is so slow sometimes :\


I ended up using a method that I usually use to finish off a zippered pouch.  It worked like a charm ;)
THIS tutorial (step #4) shows very well how I finished the pouch. 
(BE SURE THE MAIN ZIPPER IS OPEN for this part)
On one side of the main zipper, I had the large interior lining(wrong side out), on the other side, I had the exterior and all of the zippers(wrong side out).  I left a 2-3" opening at the bottom side of one side of the lining so I could flip the bag right side out through it.


I didn't have any fusible fleece, so I used heavy fusible pellon, like I normally do.


I used the pellon for the lining pieces, but will not do that the next time I make this bag.


I also trimmed the largest lining piece down to 12" from the 12.5" called for.  Next time, I will likely leave the lining piece the same and increase the main exterior fabric by a 1/2 inch instead to 13".


I am SO excited to use this little beauty on my much needed quilt retreat weekend!


Cabin Fever, HERE I COME!!!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Whirlygigs Topped :)

Today was a busy day :)  I was finally able to get this top finished :)

It is for my sister's friend.


This is one of the $29 mystery quilts from Stitches & Sew Forth here in Payson. 


Tomorrow morning I am hoping to baste and quilt this bad boy.  I'd like to bring this with me for binding while I am away at the retreat :)

Monday, February 18, 2013

I Know What I Am Going To-Do Today

This past week I was able to get a few things finished.  It feels good to be getting back into the groove of life after the hectic wedding month.

My main focus is going to be working on getting rid of my WIP's.  I did get a surprise quilting job this week :)  I am always happy to quilt for $$$ ;D
Blogged HERE


WIP's -in some form of progress...
The April $29 girl quilt aka Shanell's Daisies  Done Blogged HERE
Challenge quilt for next year's quilt show
"Letters to my Daughter" block of the month

This Week's List

I am headed off to Crazy Old Ladies Cabin Fever Quilt Retreat on Thursday :)  I am SO excited.  I am not sure what I am going work on at the retreat.  It will be a surprise ;D










For Hire Projects
MaryAnne's jean quilt
Annette's pillow
A quilt for my sister Alyson's friend (The May $29 quilt)
3 crocheted pair of slippers

Back Burner Purgatory... lol!!! ;) (I've got the fabric for these, but no chop chop yet)
thank you presents for wedding helpers
Wedding gifts
Mandy's quilt
2 Twin Size applique quilts for my nieces
The June $29 quilt
My green and white bed quilt
July $29 Quilt
Civil War Layer Cake quilt
Medallion Quilt for the Modern Quilt Group

So, what are you up to this week?  PLEASE share with me :)

Will be linking up with Amanda Jean over at Crazy Mom Quilts :)

Sunday, February 17, 2013

The BEST Sugar Cookies EVER!!!

This is my aunts recipe that our family LOVES!!!  I thought I'd share for fun ;)

Shortbread Sugar Cookies     by Sharon Nelson
Add in order:
1 lb. butter
1-1/2 C sugar
Cream well, then add:
4 egg yolks
2 t vanilla
4 to 4-1/2 C flour
Refrigerate 2 hours, roll out and bake 350F for 13 minutes. 
***I am lazy and press the dough right into a large cookie sheet (1/2 sheet pan) and then bake them in bar form. Once baked, let cool on a cooling rack. Cut into bars before they cool, then FROST!!

Yummy Frosting


1 C butter
1 C shortening
Beat the tar out of it! Add 1 pound of powdered sugar. Add 1-2 t vanilla. Beat and beat. Add 1-2 T of cold milk, if needed. BEATING IT AND BEATING IT is the secret to super creamy light frosting :)

Saturday, February 16, 2013

How I Get SO Much Done ;D

Sweet Tracie has asked me to blog about how I get SO much done every week.  It makes me kind of giggle, because while I do understand that I have finished a FREAKISHLY huge number of quilts last year, I don't feel like I am overly accomplished.  That being said, here is my daily routine...ish ;D

Wake up- I wake up early but rarely get out of bed.  That may sound WEIRD, but I HATE TO WAKE UP!!   This mainly stems from me not being a good sleeper.  I wake up all night long and usually stay awake for long periods of time.  I used to think that my insomnia was just me, BUT since I have discovered ear plugs and TONS of quilts on my bed I am sleeping much much better :)  I still hate to get out of bed EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!  And no, I am not the kind of quilter who gets up and sews in the middle of the night.  I have on occasion, but maybe only twice.

Bedtime- Most nights you can find me in bed by 8:30. Really.  Maybe once a week I will sew at night, maybe twice, but usually, once my little boys go to bed, I hit the hay myself and blog and watch TV until about 10:30 when I leave the world of the conscious and snooze the night away ;)  I LOVE MY BED!!!

So, once I do finally drag myself out of bed in the morning (between 7:15-7:30), I usually end up on one of the sofa's in the living room staring at my kids and hubby getting ready for the day as I try to convince myself to be a part of the human race.  (Did I mention that I HATE TO WAKE UP?)  As a family we read the scriptures and pray.

During all of the hustle and bustle of getting the family ready for the day, I try to hurry and clean up the main level of the house while I poke and prod my boys into getting ready for school and finishing bits of homework or whatever.  There is typically much yelling and wailing and gnashing of teeth by all (mostly me).  Fun times ;D

Once I am all alone :) some times I sit back down on the sofa  and check email or Instagram.  My GOAL is to get on the elliptical, bike and/or yoga.  I haven't been good at any of this with my STUPID BROKEN FOOT!  But since it doesn't seem to heal with doing nothing, I have decided to just exercise any way :p

Next I shower.  I am not a long showerer.  I am an in and out kinda girl.  I don't wash my hair everyday.  I am REALLY bad about shaving my legs. (You wanted to know where I get my extra time?.... maybe it comes from lack of shaving?)  I am REALLY lucky I have a good head of hair.  It looks good for days on just one "dooing". ....now, I am not saying that I always get around to doing my hair.  Most days it is in a bun or pony tail.  I have next to no trace of a "princess" gene.  I can go forever without makeup.  I do try to stick to my rule of getting dressed everyday, though.  I would absolutely wear sweats every day if left to my own devices :)  (See my RULES HERE)

Now I can sew all of the rest of the day :) Right?

One or two days a week I do laundry while I sew.  Using a timer helps me to keep the laundry going.  I used to fold each load as it came out of the dryer.  Now I just pile it on one of the sofas in the family room and make the kids fold it when they watch TV.  It doesn't look good and it's not put away correctly, but I just don't care about it anymore!  AND, the kids hardly watch TV anymore because they don't want to fold the laundry ;)  BONUS....sort of... :\

Chores-  When the kids get home from school, they each have about 15 minutes worth of chores they have to do.  They straighten up a section of the house and vacuum it.  Saturday is room cleaning and bathroom cleaning.  The kids have dish night too. (Tuesdays I take Clorox wipes to the bathrooms for added sanitation)

Dinner- I have become very ambivalent about dinner.  I want to eat, I want to feed my family, I don't want to eat or cook or mess up the kitchen.  (They are just going to poop it out later, so what does it matter what I fix?)  I need to cook healthy food, I don't care if I fix healthy food.  Let's just say that we eat dinner and no one has died thus far. ;)

After dinner the boys get herded into the showers and get dressed for bed.  Sometimes I will sew after dinner.

We do have other regular things that happen each week.  The boys have scouts, my daughter has plays and  church youth meetings.  My husband and I have church meetings during the week as well.  The kids play with friend after school.  My husband and I go on a date (or two) each week.

I usually do sew most days of the week except Sunday.  Sunday is a day of rest for our family and we observe the Sabbath quite strictly.  We visit family and friends on Sunday and spend time with each other.   I often have lots of meetings for church on Sunday because of my current church responsibilities. (In our church, the programs of the church are run by our members as unpaid volunteers.  These responsibilities change from time to time and require different amounts of time.)

One of the main reasons that I think I am able to finish so much is that I really hate having an unfinished project hanging over my head.  I just can't stand it.  AND, I JUST PLAIN LOVE TO SEW!  It is a major stress reliever for me.

When do I find time to blog?- It does take time, but like I mentioned before, I usually blog at night in bed while watching TV with the hubbs.  I also blog several day's posts in the same blogging session.  (I love that I can schedule blog posts in advance.  It is AWESOME).  To help with blogging, I keep my camera next to the sewing machine at all times ;)

I hope this answers your questions.  I really don't know what the secret is to being a prolific quilter with the exception of being TOTALLY obsessed with it ;)

Friday, February 15, 2013

Shanell's Quilt is Finished :)

 If you have been following my blog, then you know that my oldest daughter got married on February 1st.  BUSY busy around here.  You may remember me mentioning my bff Shanell who stepped right in as my go to girl for all things wedding.



She made millions of calls to price flowers and too many other things to even start to list.  She scanned the internet for wonderful decorating ideas for hours on end.  I really can't even tell you all she did.  She is AMAZING!!


Did I mention that she decorated the wedding cake and made the SUPER cool trees that were the back drop for the SPECTACULAR wedding cake?


See?  Didn't she do a BEAUTIFUL job?  She quite literally saved me :)


Shanell is my hero!  How is it even possible to repay her unprecedented kindness?


Well, you probably guessed it, I had to make her a quilt to say a very inadequate "Thank You!"

Stop by Saturday to see how I manage to get so much done every day (giggle and snicker)  Many people have asked, and I am going to answer.  Prepare to laugh a bit ;)

Will be linking up with Amanda Jean over at Crazy Mom Quilts :)