Sewing away the "weekend"

Hi everyone, hope your weekend has started off well. Here in my corner of the world it has warmed up quite a bit. There is still a little snow on the ground, but for the most part it is all melting away. Its still gray and dreary outside and after my shift tonight I am off Sunday, Monday AND Tuesday, so I am going to do my own quiltathon. Well actually I am inspired by Judy's blog, and although I am not "officially" joining in, I am quilting along in spirit and extending my quiltathon til Wednesday afternoon when I have to go to work. I am hoping to get the Irish chain done, the behemoth tied, and I am thinking I may work on blocks as well as setting some blocks into tops, and piecing some backings so I know where I stand when it comes time to baste some of these. The picture above is the one I am using as a "UFO buster" banner and shows some of the quilts I want to get done. Well, I am taking off again. Gonna try to get my car washed while the weather is still nice :) and I will be back soon with progress pictures. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Warmest country wishes,

Some progress and a quilty question

Hi everyone! Well, first off I am happy to report that the behemoth is BASTED!! Yippee!! It went surprisingly well. And I think I have found my favorite surface to baste on...my comforter covered bed. (Yes, I don't have a quilt on my bed right now...yes, I can hear the audible gasp. lol) Actually the comforter on my bed has velour on both the right hand and left hand side and boy does it GRIP the fabric. I can get the backing nice and tight and it stays pretty darn well. So even though I had to baste this monster in chunks and move it from area to area to do it, it ended up basted very nicely. Now to get to the local Jo-Anns to get some pearl cotton to tie it...I couldn't imagine quilting something this huge and this heavy ;) Now, as I was basting this one the question came to mind, why do I do what I do...why do I quilt. I have had people ask me this before, and since my mind tends to wander when I'm basting or sewing down binding, I've been thinking on it, and have come up with several reasons. First off, I, like I'm sure many of you out there, tend to have a very giving spirit, and quilting allows me to give something from the heart. I have made several gifts for friends, family members, and others I thought could use a lift, as well as for raffles and give-aways. There is nothing like the reaction of when someone receives a quilt and realizes how much time and effort was put into it. It lets them know they are special.

a baby quilt I made for a co-worker

Second, it gives me a sense of healing and sanity. I'm not quite exactly sure how taking a perfectly good piece of fabric, cutting it into tiny pieces, then sewing it back together again can accomplish this...but it does! I guess in my mind, maybe its that is shows that something beautiful can come from something broken and chaotic. And if that can happen with fabric, then it gives me hope that it can happen in life as well. The last bit of my life definitely falls into the "broken and chaotic" category, but I keep working away and slowly but surly it is beginning to look like it is turning into something beautiful once again.

quilt I made and donated for a raffle / fundraiser at work.

Third, I love the feeling of having a connection to the past. Now in the past our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and others may have made them purely for functionality, but in their way, those quilts were still beautiful. I love having something that ties the past and present together, and looking at a quilt covered bed does that for me. I guess another thought I have on that is we live in a world where so many people want instant gratification. So many can't imagine taking months or even years (or heck, even a week) to work on something. They want it NOW. I look at the on-line quilting community, as large as it is, and suppose I still fear that with a younger generation wanting everything instantaneously that quilting will become a lost art. I can happily say I am keeping it alive, and hope to pass that love to my daughter, and even my son! As a matter of fact my little one helped me with the "unpinning" process on the Irish chain quilt, and wanted to know when she could help me with pinning again :D

quilt made for the house I used to live in made especially for the space it occupies.

Finally, quilting just make me happy! I love the feel of fabric in my hands. I love going into a fabric shop and seeing all those colors and textures. Like the old saying goes, I feel like a kid in a candy shop! I love the creative process and being able to express myself in fabric. I love the whole quilting process from creating (or picking out) a pattern to choosing fabrics to cutting and sewing the blocks, to the actual quilting and binding. I feel like I've accomplished something wonderful when I put that last stitch in the binding. It just warms me heart and soul.

Well, it is a beautiful day here in my neck of the woods. Its supposed to warm up into the 30s and the sun is shining. I think I'm going to make my way to Jo-Anns, purchase what I need then drill away at the house work as well as quilting :) I am also going to go check out a blog mentioned in one of my friend's blogs about a quiltathon weekend. I have a good chunk of Saturday off as well as all day Sunday so I may just join in. If not officially, in spirit anyway.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!! Warm country wishes!!

Country Mouse

Ta Daaaaa.....

Ok, well, almost "ta da"...to be completely honest the binding isn't totally stitched down yet, but it is on, and I just couldn't wait to share a picture. I am excited because the end is in sight and a few more nights of hand stitching and this one will go in the "done" column!!

Here is a close up of the baskets and the vine work I did around them.
Next on the agenda is this group of blocks. I have to set them yet and just can't quite decide how to do it. I set so many in the "traditional" way that I think I want to try something different. I am going to be spending some time perusing some quilt books, magazines and blogs to see if something strikes my fancy.

I am still trying to get the behemoth basted, jeez what a task!! But I keep working steadily towards that goal. Slow and steady wins the race (or finishes the quilt) right? ;)

Finally, I wanted to share a joke I heard on an inspirational program I was watching...made me giggle. There were three men traveling through the wilderness when they came upon a raging river. The first one prayed, "God, please give me the strength to cross this river." He then dove in and swam across in about 2 hours. The second one prayed, "God, please give me the strength and the tools to cross this river." POOF a boat appeared, he climbed in and rowed across the river in a little more than an hour. The third man prayed, "God, please give me the strength, tools and intelligence to cross this river." POOF he became a woman, took out a map, looked at it, then walked 5 minutes up the trail and walked across the bridge there over the river.

:D

Sorry for such a short post, but I am terribly time crunched today, I just couldn't wait to share some pictures though. Hopefully next time I will be able to visit a little longer and have more good stuff to share :) I am off again, hope you all have a wonderful day! Warmest country wishes,

Country Mouse

Aaaaahhhhh.....a me morning :D

Good morning, all! I actually have a morning to myself. The kids are with their dad, and although I miss them terribly when they aren't with me, its nice to have some time to just relax and BREATHE! Good morning from Kilala too. Yup, that's my kitty looking at ya there. One of the things that my ex kept after the split was the cat. Xerxes was an awesome kitty, and I miss him terribly. So much so that I went out on my birthday a few months ago and got this cutie. She was only about 6 weeks when she came home with me, and although she's about 6 1/2 months old she is still totally kitten! Zipping around the house and getting into all kinds of stuff...and boy do I love her. She gets along well with our dog too. Here is a picture of the two of them. Can you believe it?

Sheba, our dog, is a lab/mastiff mix and is such a good girl. She is a great protector and loyal friend. When I'm done here I'm making sure to make time for them too. Despite the cold I'm thinking a walk with Sheba and some lap time for Kilala. Since I had time to myself, I'm enjoying a yummy breakfast out while I'm dropping in today.

Now, I was thinking to myself, "What fun is a quilt blog if there aren't any quilt pictures?" Well, they can still be pretty darn fun, but a quilt definitely adds a little more, so I wanted to share a picture of a little quilt that will be getting the binding attached when I go to attach the binding to the triple Irish chain. Yes, you heard right, the triple Irish chain is quilted and ready to have the binding attached. I am sooo excited! I am trying to find the best place to take a picture of the whole quilt so you can see all the quilting (almost 2 whole spools worth of it) and as soon as I do, I will get it posted. I have already decided that I'm gifting this one to my boyfriend's mom. I think she'll like it. As I was finishing up I started thinking about the next one I am going to baste (the string quilt), and I think I'm going to call it the behemoth. It's huge (102" x 108"), heavy (foundation pieced on muslin with a flannel backing) and I have to admit a bit intimidating :S But then I started thinking, so was my life after my LCE, and one lesson I've learned is to you have to try to move ahead without fear. For me this can be particularly challenging, but the truth is very often things are not as impossible as they may first appear to be. And you can make it through even the toughest situations and be stronger for it in the end. So with a deep breath and a positive attitude I am going to attempt to get the behemoth basted tomorrow :)

Well, I am going to take some time to cruise around blog land before I go ahead and get on with my day. I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and can find a little "me" time of your own to relax and enjoy! Warmest country wishes,

Country Mouse

As if I needed more motivation ;)

Hi everyone! First let me say I can't believe how much snow we've gotten and we are due for more! Yes, I know I'm strange, but I just love the snow and how beautiful everything is when it is covered with it...well, except maybe the roads :S The other day we had perfect "snowman snow" so my little one went out and made her first snowman of the year. I wanted to share a picture of her with her creation as well as a few other snowmen we found in the neighborhood. Hope they make you smile like they do us :D

On to quilty news. I am making great progress on the triple Irish chain quilt. I decided to do heirloom style quilting in the large open squares...well, my version of heirloom quilting anyway. I tried to take a picture to show, but I don't know that its that good. Hopefully you can see the "square" vine with leaves and the flower in the center. I have 12 of the 13 open spaces done and hope to get the last one done today before work. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the quilting goes once I get motivated! Makes me wonder why I don't get to finishing my quilts sooner.

I have the batting for the king size string quilt, and am deciding on the setting for the black and white quilt. I also recently found out a co-worker of mine is pregnant with a girl, so I am thinking I am going to get the baby Irish chain done for her. Yeah, making progress!!! :D

Finally, to explain my post title....as if the weather and desire to move on with my new life aren't enough for motivation, I was going through my quilting stuff earlier this week (now mind you I live in a smaller place now, so some of this stuff is stored in my little one's room). As I'm taking inventory, she comes up to me, looks me in the eye and says, "Mommy, can you get your quilting stuff out of my room? Its getting crowded." :S lololol So now, if nothing else I am on a mission to make my mouseling's room "less crowded" :D

Well, I am off to get some stuff done before I have to head into work. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!! Warmest country wishes,

Country Mouse

Looking forward

Hi everyone, its hard to believe a new year is upon us already!! I've been spending the last week or so contemplating the last year. So much has happened! Then I thought of something I said to my son that got me thinking even more. My son likes to dawdle...loves to look at EVERYTHING around him and take it all in. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but he tends to fall behind. So one day while we were out, he was falling behind and I looked at him and said "Hey buddy, I need you to keep up. You need to watch where you're going. If you're always looking at where you've been, how will you know where you're going?" That last part is what made me think. If you're always looking at where you've been, how will you know where you're going? So that being said, I have made a promise to myself...to look forward. Not that I won't remember where I've been...I just am making the choice that I don't want to live there anymore. Despite the hardships I've faced, I've seen the sunlight peeking through and that's where I want to go, so that is where I will focus. On whats ahead, where I want to be, where I am going :)
That being said, I have set some goals for myself in the coming year. I have made a list of all the quilts I had started before my LCE and am determined to either finish them or purge them by November 24 of this year. I can't help but think about where I was when I work on them, but they're all beautiful and deserve to be finished by someone. I have updated my list on the side to keep track of these. I have also set some personal goals for myself. I have to admit I have really let myself go in some areas and I just want to get back on track. Among these are to exercise regularly, begin reading from Day by Day with your Health Coach (a devotional written by a Christian exercise instructor) and the Bible, to try to save a little money each week, and finally to do a little something everyday that will give me a lift (this could be blogging, cooking myself a good meal, making sure I make time to sew, getting a little trinket gift...as long as it is something that gives me a lift). I think these are perfectly attainable and will do my best to stick to them.
Finally, on the quilt front, I have basted and started to quilt the Triple Irish Chain. I'm pretty happy with it so far, and promise to have some pictures to share soon. I also have everything I need to get my string quilt done, and have decided I will also try to get my Black and White quilt together as well. It feels sooooo good to be making progress towards my goals:)
Well, its cold and snowy here today, so its the perfect day to get some more quilting done and that's were I'm headed. I hope that the new year will bring you all much happiness, health and wonderful wonderful things. Here's to looking forward to a great 2010! Warmest country wishes.
Country Mouse

Some progress and a finish!

Hi everyone! Boy did this past week fly, I can't believe its been a week already since my last post. Things have been going pretty well. Its nice to have a breather once in a while :) Life has been busy, school, work, keeping up with the housework, and still finding time to sew. But I have to say that overall I'm quite happy with things right now. Could they be better, yes...but they could always be worse so I'm pretty darned content ;) I've been able to make some progress on my Charming Windows. I was able to add two rows this past week. I was in the mood for some hand sewing this week so this is the project that came out to play. I am so in love with this quilt, I'm not sure how big its going to end up, I've just decided that I'm going to buy a yard of the background I'm using and when its all gone (or the quilt has gotten big enough for my taste) then it will be done. I also love the fact that I'm actually making one of those "someday-I'm-gonna" type quilts (you know the type...Grandma's flower garden, Double wedding ring, Cathedral windows, Apple core...you know;) )

I'm also happy to share a finish! I got the kitty quilt done. I did go ahead and add hearts to the kitty bellies. I think its a cute one. I'm still deciding where its going to end up, gifted, sold, or staying with us since my one mouseling just loves kitty cats:D

Finally the family and I got to watch Kung Fu Panda this past week, we hadn't seen it before and all thought it was a very cute movie. One line stuck out to me and I thought it was a great line to live by. I don't remember the character who said it (I think it was the turtle) but it went something like this....Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift...that is why it is called the present. I try to remember that each day IS a gift. No matter what hardships I may face there is someone above who is watching out for me and will help me make it through any situation I may face. I try to remember that everything happens for a reason, and everything I experience I can learn and grow from. That it may be something I can help someone else with in the future. That in the end I should always be thankful for the gift that is "the present" and live with gratitude and joy.

Well, I am off again. We have a busy week ahead of us...field trip on Monday, a birthday mid-week, shopping, and of course all the regular day to day stuff. I have my flannel washed for the string quilt and found out I have backing AND batting for a top already at home so hopefully I can get another finish in before the end of the year. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! Warmest country wishes,

Country Mouse