I introduce you to Teal Delight

First off I do believe Blogger does not like me.....or else my computer has updated to another yucky version of IE that just stinks! I can't seem to upload pictures...and I don't know about you but sometimes I can't even post comments on other blogspot blogs. Very frustrating! But that is not why we are here today :)

I wanted to introduce you to Teal Delight. I am super proud of this quilt. Not only because it is the 6th or so quilt I have finished this year but mainly because I designed this puppy myself. And I LOVE it! I have a whole new admiration for those that design quilt patterns. I don't know how you do it because let me just say....it can be stressful! But...I did it and it is complete.

The patterned fabric I saw about a month or so ago on my friend Julie's blog. She was showing a picture of the quilt she made her daughter. Well I immediately fell in love. Blue is so my favorite color so I just had to have it. Little did I know that fabric discontinues quickly! But after a good search I found some fat quarters....all the way in the UK! So we want discuss how much it was...our secret..OK!

Then while I was taking a stroll in our local fabric store I ran across this white fabric. Which has white butterflies all over it. They are hard to pick up in pictures but believe me...they are there. Thousands of them. There is a little story that goes along with my grandparents and butterflies so the meaning to this fabric was more than just the appearance. I knew this had to be a part of this quilt.

The back of the quilt came along much more quickly than the front. I knew I wanted it to be darker and this grey was perfect. I just think all the fabric came together nicely. And of course I learned alot along the way. I learned that I still have a ways to go when it comes to doing fancy stitching and that when you need to rip out seams....it can take a long time when you tried to do a few zigzags! Maybe for the next one I will try to be a little more adventurous. But for now...I will stick with my little "Teal Delight" and all the meaning that goes behind this quilt.

I also dabbled with making a few hair bows the other day. I thought they turned out pretty cute.

Sewing has taken over

so I do believe that sewing has taken over my life. But I love that. I grew up with my mom making our clothes....handmade baby clothes...her teaching me how to make Barbie Doll clothes. My Nanny Waters would sew quilts, pot holders and the like....then when I married Billy...i was introduced to Vera who LOVED to sew. Quilts. They were so loud, proud and wonderful. My friend Emily is also a quilter. Amazing. She took two of my Nanny's quilt tops and finished them up for me. I have to say those are the most treasured items I have. I love those two quilts. I have always been scared of sewing. I mean I know how to sew...a little bit. And I bought a sewing machine so that I could do stuff on my scrapbook pages.....but I am not an experienced sewer by no means. BUT...the last few years I have to admit I have been inspired. I have 4 quilts under my belt now and working on a few more. I have a few purses that I have done and love them. So I am learning...and I love it. One of the greatest challenges is choosing patterns. It's kinda like scrapbooking...putting that right patterned papers together. Although on a much larger scale. Here is my latest project. I actually JUST finished cutting all the sashing out for this puppy. That in its self was a job. All these blocks are pretty large. The fabric....all but a few patterns, I purchased at Intrepid Thread. That is my online friend Julie's store. LOVE her store. Go check it out.

I bought this frabic because it reminded me of my Nanny. So this project will be for me. And you can guarantee this winter...I will be curled up under it with Little Danie...thinking about my Nanny. I can't wait to get it done. I just hope it comes together. Right now...it's pretty loud...lol. Just like Vera would like.

We will take a brief moment to share my supper Sunday night. YUM YUM! These are Thrive approved steak kabobs. And let me just say...YUM! 

And we added this yummy side...Baked Brussell Sprouts...that by wonderful cook of a neice made. You can check out her blog here...The FarmHouse. She does some amazing cooking that is for sure.

Oh wait....I can't go with out a Danie picture. Right. Me and her and just had our day together and she was whooped. I left her in her carseat and she just snoozed for a while. Isn't she getting so big. She turned 5 months yesterday. WOW. The time is just flying by. Too quickly. She is getting carpet burns on her knees from trying to crawl. It's so cute. Boy Christmas this year is going to be the best every. I love this girl. Gosh do I love her.

Okay back to sewing....here is my latest bag. I found this pattern online. Sorry I dont' have the link at the moment but I will try to find it for you. And then I adapted it to work for me. This fabric line is Moda Bliss which I am also using in a quilt for Danie that I hope to finish this winter. It's the Birdie Stitches Quilt A-Long. You should check it out. Very cute. I think I will try selling bags for about $20. They are not to hard to make and gives me a quick project to do. I love that.

Well I guess that is all for now. I have a painting in the works. Hopefully I can get it posted in the next day or two. I need to add some Becky touches to it first. Trying to get ready for Paulding Meadows which is getting closer and closer.

We let the Chickens out into the new pen. They are so scaredy cats. geesh. Only a few will get out. But I was able to hold one yesterday. They are so cute and soft. Well...not so sure about the cute part but you get the idea. I also had a canvas picked up for Ready Set Create. That was sooooo cool. They contacted me for it too....nothing I submitted so that was even more excited. It was a canvas from my She Art series.

Oh and before I forget....I am about to be a new Thirty One Gifts consultant. Tomorrow I sign up. I am so excited to start on this so if you like Thirty one or even if you have no idea what it is...check them out. Thirty one Gifts....and let me know if you need anything. :)

Happy 4th of July

We had a fantastic 4th of July weekend. I hope you did too.

Here are a few highlights from the weekend.

Danie got her first taste of homemade icecream at her great grandparents house. We will just say she LOVED it and even learned to put her whole hand in a cup and suck it off her fingers. Yeah she was on a sugar high that is for sure. But it was some mighty good ice cream. Peach and Strawberry! YUM

We decided to do a photo shoot of her in the yard. I took about 130 pictures of her and got a few good ones. This one was my favorite of them all. 

She pretty much crashed after all of the excitement!

I threw this one in there just because it was super cute. Looks like she is waiting for someone to come home! lol.

Monday Billy and I pulled my cousins float for the Delta Credit Union. The float won an award too.And boy was it hot and boy was it a load of fun. I felt so patriotic....so excited....it was just super fun. And I have not been in a huge parade like that in a long time. I would love to do that again and I can't wait to take Little Danie to her first parade.

Little Danie has learned to suck her toes.It is pretty funny. Wish I could bend like that.

On the craft home front I made two pair of pants that look like this. It was kinda hard at first but I think I have the hang of it. Maybe I can sell a few of them here and there. We will see. I also finished sewing all the blocks for the Birdies Stitches Quilt Along, finished sewing the binding on Danie's flannel quilt and I finished this one below. I am mighty proud of this one if I do say so myself. It took a lot of cutting and a lot of patience!

Well off to work I go. Only a three day week since I am taking off Friday to run away for the weekend with my husband!

Long day - lots to do - thinking and reading

Good morning blog land!

Hope every one is doing well! I'm going to start today sharing with you my finished Farm House Quilt. Now a little background on this quilt....it is my first ever design. And let me just say that for a beginner quilter....don't go trying to design something...lol. Nothing and I do repeat, nothing, turned out like it should on this puppy! But...I spent the whole weekend sewing it and putting the binding on and now I have to say...I'm pretty pleased. I had to make some adjustments at the end and I surely do learn as I go. I really hope the new owner of this baby will love it and know how much time was put into trying to make it just right. Oh...and owning the first ever and last designed Becky Quilt :)

Now off to the second one. I'm in the process of quilting it now....coming along nicely. I'm learning.

I have lots of appointments and running around to do today. I have an Echo this morning and then a Blood Pressure check and blood work at about 10. then off to my 500 different stops I need to make today. We are getting ready to go camping and there is just so much to do and get finished before we go. Trying to package all my ebay sells and get them out the door. Cleaning up the house. Getting bills paid. who decided that vacations have to be so busy?

So I decided to give a try to being a Thirty-One Gifts consultant. I have done several home based sales in the past, Stampin Up, Tastefully Simple and Avon. and they all work great. But as I am getting older I notice I LOVE bags. Handbags, storage bags, etc. and I really do like these products. Sadly there is a waiting list to join and so far I have not made the first 6200 invites. There appears to be 15,000 ladies waiting to join this company. Knowing my luck I am #14,999! but anyway...I decided to give it a go and we will see what happens. And with that said I feel, deep in my soul, that it is time I make some changes. Crafty changes. I haven't totally decided yet but it's there....it's nagging at me....and I can't ignore it. More to come on that later. Right now I am waiting on a few submissions that I have put out there and that will ultimately help me decide what I am doing in my crafty future. It's funny how when we get older...things change...priorities change...people change...everything changes. And as I embark on the glorious age of 40...I'm changing...and when I thought I had finally found myself...found who I am....my self decides to throw a monkey wrench in things. One of my most hardest changes....accepting me for me. I have always battled loving myself as I am...thanks to a not so nice ex husband...who took a toll on my self worth....but here at almost 40 I have come to realize. I am who I am going to be. If I am 25 lbs overweight...well so be it. I have worked hard to lose weight here and there and where I am is where I am going to be. Why not love myself as I am. My husband does. Loves me just as I am. My family does. Why can't I? Why do I have to be so hard on myself. And maybe...if I love myself a little more...other things will fall into place. Don'tcha think? So here is to embarking out to the unknown. and changing.

Okay enough of that....on to reading. I just finished The Immortal Highlander and The Dark Highlander. hubba hubba. Someone whisk me away to Scotland in the 1500's please! Oh my word these books leave you wanting that strong, husky, beautiful Highlander man to come take you away and love you like you should always be loved. yum. I'm reading the last one of the series right now. Then on to other books. So far I am 26 books into my Project 52. I think I am ahead of the game right now and doing pretty good. Hard to believe I have read 26 books so far this year. Now that I have my Kindle I do believe I will read thru more pretty quickly.

No pictures of butterbean to share today. No scrapbook pages. No paintings. Just me sharing me today. And me wishing all you in blog land a wonderful day and stop just a moment....and look deep inside...and know that YOU are SPECIAL. And you are perfect JUST. AS. YOU. ARE!

Creative Weekend

Sometimes you just need them.  I started the weekend working on this quilt. I had already cut all the parts and just sewed them together on Saturday. This was a pain in the tush quilt. I had to rip seams so many times and start over. not fun!  I'm hoping that once I get the backing and binding on it that I will like it. Right now...I'm not so sure. But we will see. The quilting part really does make a difference in the appearance.

Sunday, after lots of running aroung, turned into a painting day. I have had this idea for this painting floating in my head for a few days now. It is really challenging getting it from my head to the actual canvas but once I start it really starts to come together. There is still lots to do on this one...and it works my patience when I have to wait for paint to dry but I am hoping it will turn out like the finished project in my head. I used an entire jar of stucco paste...ugh.

                                      

I also finished a page for my art journal but I can't seem to get it loaded straight. Maybe I can work on that and have you a blog post tomorrow too :)