Crybaby!

Yesterday was one of "those" days.  Work stunk; I was feeling blue, fat, frumpy and generally unmotivated...and no, it wasn't PMS.  I was torn between biting the head off a 16 penny nail or poking myself in the eye with a hot french fry.  I settled instead on a trip to the quilt shop...and look at what I found!

Thirty minutes and (eyes downcast) forty-eight bucks later, I was back in the car and headed for home, my wallet lighter and the guilt already settling in.  By the time I got home, I was ready for a bath and my pjs.  Never, other than those times of wretched illness, have I found myself ready for bed by 3 pm.

I can still hear my inner drill sergeant snarking about sucking it up and something about bootstraps and mentally flip him the bird.  My inner crybaby was pouting while my drama queen rolled her eyes and huffed.  So much to do and no motivation to do it.  Screw 'em all!!  Hey, maybe that's my problem...too many voices for one head.  Don't they make pills for that?

At any rate, I claimed yesterday for whiners everywhere.  In a day or so I'll be thoroughly embarrassed at this post and will be forced to hide under a rock.

Paige pins

Just thought I'd share a picture of my sweetie-P pinning two blocks together.  She's very grown up, can't you tell?  We'll probably be waiting quite some time before she actually finishes anything, but for now it's sure fun to play.  Happy quilting!

Quilting as life

Directional fabric...oh, how it makes my head ache!

My sweet Mom taught me to quilt almost seven years ago.  Bless her heart, I was pregnant and hyped up on hormones when she took her life into her hands and said, although rather fearfully, "okay".  Fast forward to today and it's just hit me that the art of quilting is alot like life.  There are any number of decisions to be made (pattern, fabric; cereal or takeout for dinner) and obstacles to face (points not matching; 11 year old not turning in completed homework).  None of these is life-or-death or with luck, financially devastating, but still, if I don't decide to act, the block doesn't get made and most likely, the teacher will be calling me.

Now, I'd be the first one to tell you that I'm not the most confident of people (I like to think I hide this rather well).  I'm astonished my kids have lived this long considering I can't keep a houseplant alive, not to mention that I'm the offspring of a woman who once killed a cactus (sorry Mom).  But I try...repeatedly.

That said, I'm surprised I've stuck with quilting this long.  My pattern choice initally thrills me, fabric selection leaves me anxious and breathless for more (oops, sorry that sounds like porn).  Anyway I cut, I piece, I press and BLECH! I'm lucky if it winds up becoming a quilt at all!  I'm truly never satisfied.  The funny thing is, regardless of whether I'm quilting or slogging through the day-to-day of married life with kids, I don't second guess myself during the process.  It's the quiet time that follows said decision that I experience that "Aw, dayum!" moment.

Hopefully, one day soon, I can walk away from any situation and feel like at least I gave it the old college try.  Until then, I'll remain eternally grateful that the good Lord is way more forgiving than me!





Decisions, decisions (oh, how they make my head ache)

Although batiks are my all time favorite fabrics, I adore Japanese styled ones as well.  I seem fairly adept at accumulating mass quantities of "styles" and have the hardest time actually cutting into them...what can I say, I'm a fabric fondler!  I found this pattern (for free!) at quilterscache.com.  It's paper-pieced and, once I ironed out all the printing kinks, it went together beautifully.



Right now, I'm trying to decide on the sashing...I think the gold works best; the character print is making my head hurt.  I thought the print would work for a border but I'm not feeling that, either.  I'm thinking something red would be more border appropriate.

I have the hardest time making any kind of decisions when it comes to fabric...that's why I like kits!  Oh, well I'll get there and this project will (one day, hopefully before I die) be completed.  Wish me luck!!

Random stuff...

After feeling absolutely wretched the past day and a half, I think I'm on the mend.  I got another charity quilt completed earlier this month (yeah me!) but can't figure out why the image is sideways and am too lazy too figure out how to rotate it.  Sorry folks!

I'm never one that manages to come up with a really cool, cheap idea but...look what I discovered!  This is a plastic powered drink container, you know, the ones with individual packets inside.  It makes a great carrying case for your rotary cutter and is way cheaper than the $10 to $15 versions I've seen at the quilt shop.

 And last but not least...Susan from Quilting Corner shared her recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Bread on their blog recently.  At about the same time I spotted this book in a local store and thought of her...the pumpkin part, not the murder part!  At any rate, the bread it to die for!  I substituted walnuts for the raisins and it's yummy!!  Their link is listed on my blog...go check them out!  And thanks to Susan for sharing her wonderful recipe!

Happy quilting everyone!



W.I.P. (Works In Progress)

Block title is "Children of Israel"

Here's one of the little darlings I've been working on this weekend.  Found a really great website with FREE paper-piecing patterns, tons of them!  I don't know if it's that the instructions were inaccurate, my printer didn't print the pattern correctly or if it's me..surely, it's not me...after all, I am perfect (insert an eyeroll here).  Anyway, I couldn't make the templates match up and let's face it, paper piecing is EASY.  After much gnashing of teeth, this is what I came up with...not my first choice for colors, but I'd already wasted tons of the good stuff trying to get the block right.  The website, should you be interested, is quilterscache.com.

New Year's Resolution in Progress

My only New Year's resolution for 2011: One charity quilt per month.  I found a stash of 12 tops just waiting to be quilted; so far, seven are finished.

My ever faithful 1956(?) Singer Featherweight named Lennie.

 

That's me....Stephanie!




Ah, what more could a girl ask for...hot, chocolaty and loaded with caffeine!



My sweet baby Lulu to keep me company.