Sliced Moda Bakeshop Entry

I decided to take the challenge put forth by Moda Bakeshop. We were all given a list of items that had to be used in some kind of  accessory for an office or studio. Well, I scratched my head and figured and looked around and decided what I needed was a hard side box to keep my rotary cutters and small templates and rulers in by my cutting mat.

Here are a few progress shots:

I used a candy bar by Modern Workshop for Moda. On the inside I used Dots by Sandy Gervais. I put a buckle on the front to hold it closed and I used a length of Moda ribbon from around a jelly roll to thread through the buckle. And this is the finished product: (drumroll please)

I had fun doing some free motion quilting on it. I did a different design on every side. My husband bent up a piece of aluminum for me in the welding shop, which I then inserted into my fabric. This design includes a bit of hand sewing, but I wasn't sure how else to close it all with the rigid aluminum inside.  This is kind of last minute but I just squeaked under the wire! Go to the flickr page to see all the other awesome entries. Good luck everybody!

February Free Motion Challenge

This month for the Free Motion Quilting Challenge over at SewCalGal, we learned how to do free motion feathers, the easy way. Diane Gaudynski was our instructor, and I think her tutorial is being taken down when February is over, so if you want some good tutoring from one of free motion's finest, now would be a good time to click on over there, and see for yourself!

Here are some of my first sketches:

And here's what I came up with:

This one is quite hard to make out. Sorry.

I really, really enjoy doing these. I realize I have a long way to go, but I find these so freeing! Just go with the movement!

 I also utilized this motif on one small part of the item I am making for the sliced moda bake shop contest. Here's a sneak peek!

I know I don't stand a chance with my primitive sewing skills but it was fun to design something I needed anyway! (more on that later when it's finished!)

Happy Birthday Mom

A very special thing happened on February 13 in the year 1957. A small baby girl was born who grew up to be none other than my mother. Without her, I would not be here, neither would my six siblings or our many offspring.  Because of choices she made in her life, I have a personal relationship with Jesus, a wonderful husband and a stable Christian home in which to raise our four children.

It is my mother that has been there for me not only every time I came out of yet another c-section with a healthy baby, but also when I had to labor for hours to deliver our tiny little stillborn angel. She never left my side.

My mom has weathered hard times along with the good. She taught us, often by example, to laugh when it seemed the only recourse was to cry.  My dad worked away all week, leaving mom to figure out how to train, discipline, love and give each of her seven children the attention every child needs.

On top of all that she actively participated in the car pool to get

many of us to the private school we attended.

She loved to play games with us and one of my favorite memories is frying eggs at two o'clock in the morning while playing Oilman!

Source: google.be via Lisa on Pinterest

This post could go on and on. Let's not forget to "give them the roses while they live"  So many times you hear someone say, 'I wish I had told them while they were still with me.'  Take a moment today to let someone know how much they really do mean to you.  Oh I know life gets in the way and we don't always see eye to eye. But don't lose sight of the big picture.

So today I want to honor my mother for being who she is

and to wish her another 55 years!

I love you Mom!

Source: tinybellesblog.com via Lisa on Pinterest

(Tomorrow I'll post a pic of what I made for her)

TGIFF! My first time participating!

Okay, I don't think I've ever been more thankful for a finish. This is a quilt I started at the beginning of 2009. I was expecting our third baby. My sister knew I was planning a Beatrix Potter nursery so she picked up this quilt kit for me. I did all the cutting, piecing, hand quilting and I hand bound it. Let's just say that 'baby' is now 2-1/2 years old and she has a younger sister. Oh well, better late than never, or so they say. (By the way, who is 'they'?)


So because this quilt has taken so long and been dragged so many places while it was being quilted and bound, it took on a few unsightly spots. I washed it and this is how she looks now:

What can I finish next?

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday and TGIFF at Quilt Matters.





                                                                                            

Weigh in Wednesday

So I missed a week. Just couldn't find the time to post! My toddler has had a head cold for a whole week and talk about crabby! Hopefully on the mend now. Then too, at the risk of oversharing, my monthly cycle is back after an eighteen month hiatus (what with pregnancy and breastfeeding and all). So yeah, I managed to not gain any weight but neither did I lose any. I took a three day break from exercise but I'm back on the bandwagon. This is what it looks like today:


Stats:
Weight Loss Goal: 70 lbs
Week's Loss: 1 lbs 
Total Loss:  6 lbs
Distance to Goal:  64 lbs
Week's Workouts:  Walked 19 miles
Total Time Exercising:  5 hours
 Highlight of the Week: Did a five mile walk on Friday, and I tell you that was exhilarating. Another thing it did for me was make my normal three and four mile walks seem a lot shorter!

I'm really enjoying this journey. I need to check my food intake again. I'd like to up my loss to at least  2 lbs per week. My sisters wedding in July is 23 weeks away. That would bring me 46 lbs down. Okay. If that's not an incentive, what is? That reminds me, I saw some serious inspiration on her pinboard. Let me go get it. 

Source: mth2011.tumblr.com via Margie on Pinterest