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

I am writing this post as I listen to the sweet sounds of my hubby doing the dishes and my kids playing a game together.  I am headed off for my Sunday afternoon nap as soon as I finish here :)  I love that I can create a post and then schedule it to post at a later time or date!  Yee haw for technology :)

This past week was a whirl wind of activities as we wrap up summer.  I sure love summer break and always feel a little down as the kids head back to school :(  Tuesday is DOOMS day, when they all head off to start another year of school.  This year I have a 1st, 3rd and 6th grader at our elementary school.  A 10th grader at the high school and a freshman and junior in college.  Four different schools.  When my oldest was a freshman in college we had 6 kids in 5 different schools.  We are now down to just 4 schools :)  Next year we will have 5 again because we are adding junior high back into the count.  Good times!

I guess it's time to get back to quilting business!

So, here is last weeks list:
#1 Melissa's messenger bag... cut out, but not sewn.

#2 Miranda's present (my daughter wants this to be a quilt, but I think it is going to be a messenger bag and when she gets married, someday, it can be a quilt) ...DONE!! :) and it is CUTE :D

#3 Top Secret Quilt (due mid August) ...the top is finished :)  Here is a sneak peak.

#4 a bit of the Mario quilt if I can :) ....no time :(

This weeks list:

#1 Finish TOP SECRET QUILT :)

#2 Melissa's Messenger bag

...That's going to be all for my list this week.  If I do more, it will be a nice surprise :)

AUGUST LIST-

Chrisann's quilt (the AWESOME kindergarten teacher)

Will's birthday quilt (due December)

Back Burner Purgatory.... lol!!! ;) ...it's GROWING is STOPPED, by order of ME!!!! :) !!!!

Mario Bros. QAL

Mini Quilt for Konda's Blog Hop

Alyson's Living room Quilt

Alyson's Bedroom Quilt

Mandy's quilt

2 Twin Size applique quilts for my nieces

The April $29 girl quilt 

the May $29 quilt
the June $29 quilt

My bed quilt

Challenge quilt for next year's quilt show
"Letters to my Daughter" block of the month

July $29 Quilt

So, what are you working on this week?  What is your #1 project that HAS to get done???

PS- ***BONUS Photos!***

While my good friend April was over, my baby took pictures of our visit...and other random things a 6 year old finds interesting :)

A shot out of the front window.  I do love our ivy :)

The ceiling fan.

The ceiling fan was going, so maybe that is the reason for the photos.

Another shot out one of the leaded windows.  These windows are original to the house and one of our favorite things :)

April was asking about the paintings in our living room and apparently, my son was documenting my tour around the room :)  This painting is from 1898.  My hubbies grandmother found this painting in an attic at an estate sale. The painting was all blackened.  She took it home for the frame.  When she cleaned the canvas she found this beautiful still life.

This is a picture of the Los Angeles LDS Temple.  My husband and I were married there WAY back in 1990.  There aren't very many pretty pictures of the Los Angeles Temple :(  I commissioned this rendering from a TALENTED artist, Cheryl Wetzker.  Her medium is dried flowers and other foliage.  She is truly brilliant!

This is a painting of the desert by my hubbies grandmother.  Before she died, she had each grandchild put their name on the back of one of her paintings.  I put my husbands name on the back of this one :)  Below the desert scene, is an oil painting of a rooster that my brother, Adam Ford, did in college.  He is SO talented!

This is April fully engaged (hee hee) in my explanations of the art ;)

This is me, appearing to be yelling at April to wake up and listen!!! ;D

This is another panting by my hubbies grandma.  It is of Springlake, Utah.

My sweet son didn't take pictures of the paintings that my mother has painted for me over the years :(   As not to leave her talented art out of the post, I took these :)

This is is me bossing my bears around :)

She painted this one for me because I LOVE to make home made peach jam :)

I asked her to paint me this picture from a card I had because I LOVED the colors!

PPS - don't forget to leave me a comment about your most urgent project for the week.  I am DYING to hear all about it!!!!!!!!!! :) ....do you like my dramatic exclamation points? ...and how bossy I am ;D

Ashley's All Fenced In is REALLY finished :)

A while ago I "finished" my daughter Ashley's quilt for her birthday.  I decided that it would need some hand quilting to REALLY make it look nice ;D  ...those darn Quilting Ancestors really know how to haunt us into doing the hand quilting stuff ...thanks to Konda, I now know it's the Quilting Ancestors who argue and speak to me ;D  It took a while, just quilting a little here and there, but finally, last night, I got it done :)

Here is my beautiful Ashley with her finished quilt.

The hand quilting is VERY organic ;D ....organic means: "not perfect" or "not straight" or "not even stitches" or in my case, all three :)

I used a fun, slightly variegated, pearl cotton that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby :)

The quilting shows up very sweetly on the minky back.

Ashley will be taking this to college with her. 

We are going to MISS her terribly!!! :( :::.......

PS- In case you were wondering what our door sign says, here is a close up.

Ashley has been dating a few new boys and we wanted them to know that they SHOULD NOT KISS Ashley, because she has COOTIES!! :D ...we aren't sure if the sign is helping or not.. :\

One last day at the pool :) ...I've finished some hand quilting...pictures to come :D

Hand quilting while enjoying the last few days of summer. I am always so sad to see summer break end :(

Merrily WIPing Along....

I am working on a secret quit project and all I can tell you is that today I cut it out and finished the top :)  ...all I can show you is a few snippets....

I am planning on having this quilted and bound soon :)   Tomorrow I am cutting out one of my $29 quilt tops with my neighbor and her daughter.  They bought the quilt kit too and are wanting to learn how to quilt :)  Party time!

Bonus shot...

My silly boys wearing the flimsy as they play ghost peek-a-boo!

Miranda's Messenger Bag

My daughters best friend is leaving for college tomorrow :(

This messenger bag is for her :)

I made it much like my daughters Easter bag.  Blogged HERE.

Interesting fact... The fabric I used for the strap inside and another in the Dresden plate is designed and sold by my bff, Michelle's brother in law Joel Dewberry.  They are two of my favorite purple fabrics :)

  

The interior of the bag is Kate Spain's Central Park.  Another fave!

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

I have been having a HUGELY fun time these past few weeks watching the Olympics and playing with my BFF, Michelle, who's in town from Hong Kong.  She and her family moved last summer and I had no idea how much I had been missing her until she came back.  I had even forgotten how MAD I am at her husband for moving them 27 hours away!  ...I am back to being mad at him :p  There are some friends you have that really fill a special place in your heart that no one else can fill.  Michelle is one of those friends that just love you no matter what you say or do.  She is one of those rare souls that really just loves you for who you are.  I miss her terribly and now I am going to quit with my sentimental ramblings :)  Here is a picture of us with a few of our friends.

From left to right- Me, Michelle, Luz and Josse

PS- Michelle is a elite marathon runner.  She missed qualifying for the Olympic trials by 45 seconds.  She ROCKS!

On to quilting.  I've gone back to my Monday posting from 2 weeks ago as I never really reviewed it properly in and amongst all of my partying!  YEE HAW!

LAST, last's Weeks List :)

#1 Finish my nephews Surf Shop quilt DONE :)  Signed, sealed, delivered!

#2 Finish Luigi DONE!!! 

#3 Maybe get Goomba done (the Mario Bro's block for this week) ...NOPE, no way, not even close... and I have a cloud that I need to to do too :\

So this week I plan on doing:

#1 Melissa's messenger bag

#2 Miranda's present (my daughter wants this to be a quilt, but I think it is going to be a messenger bag and when she gets married, someday, it can be a quilt)

#3 Top Secret Quilt (due mid August)

#4 a bit of the Mario quilt if I can :)

AUGUST LIST-

Chrisann's quilt (the AWESOME kindergarten teacher)

Will's birthday quilt (due December)

Back Burner Purgatory.... lol!!! ;) ...it's GROWING is STOPPED, by order of ME!!!! :) !!!!

Mini Quilt for Konda

Alyson's Living room Quilt

Alyson's Bedroom Quilt

Mandy's quilt

2 Twin Size applique quilts for my nieces

The April $29 girl quilt 

the May $29 quilt
the June $29 quilt

My bed quilt
My flea market fancy quilt...maybe hexies or a dresden plate???
Chevron fat quarter bundle quilt- Probably a quarter square triangle quilt as seen at market.

Blue bird quilt for me (still collecting fat quarters for this one... feel free to send me a blue and white FQ)

Challenge quilt for next year's quilt show
"Letters to my Daughter" block of the month

July $29 Quilt

PS- I am SUPER excited (maybe a bit too much) but starting a week from Tuesday, I will be ALONE for SEVEN hours, 5 days a week!  I have not been alone for nearly 21 years.  ...ok, I was alone for kindergarten last year, but only for 2 hours from 1-3... and I volunteered one of the days.  Strange times are coming my way.  I'm kinda thinking I am going to PLOW through my list... but who knows ;D

Max's Surf Shop Quilt is FINISHED!!! :D

WOW, did this quilt take me FOREVER to get finished, or what? ;)  I have to admit, I am an Olympics junkie and between that and my bff in town and end of the summer shenanigans, I did not get a lot of sewing time in :)
I finished the binding on Thursday and a little last minute applique Friday morning.  The quilt is a generous twin sized quilt.

I did an all over "wave's" style fmq.  I did them bigger on this quilt than I did on my granny square quilt.

Max's mom, Stephanie, did a GREAT job selecting Hawaiian style fabrics for the surf boards.

The back

This is my nephew, Max, modeling the quilt on the bank of our creek.

Max's baby brother, Jude, joined in the action.

Jude has AWESOME squishy legs :)  They were pinched quite a bit ;D

"Am I finished laying here?"

My baby, Will :)

Max, packing up the quilt to take home for his new room :)

This quilt is made with Emily Herrick's Surf Shop quilt pattern.  I added additional rows of surf boards along the top and the side to make it fit a twin sized bed.  I used this pattern on my husbands birthday quilt.