nature journal pages....

This is for my Amusing Muses group...We are having a nature journal round robin so I played with the idea of Spring...I love the colors and I so miss them every winter...In fact, let's just skip the whole winter thing and go straight to the colors and rebirth that spring means...Monday it was in the 80's here and then the last three days it has really cooled down. There is snow on the mountains surrounding us...How did it happen so fast? I am sooo not a winter person.

What I made today....

A whole outfit! I know, I cant believe it either and I actually enjoyed the process...The top is a simple v neck knit and I used a pattern that someone gave me. The skirt, I just made up, and the bag, I tried to follow a pattern and then said forget it, wadded it up and made it the way I wanted too..The great news...The whole thing cost me a buck...yep, a dollar. The cheap in me just loves it...I got both the black and red print at a garage sale this summer for 1.00. The rest of the stuff I had. The bag I embellished the heck out of and just played with trims and stitches. It is lined in red with white polka dot flannel that was the trim off a pair of pj bottoms that I made. I have a really cool black jacket and a pair of boots that I think this would look pretty cute with. I also got a package today in the mail with Halloween goodies...I will post a picture in the morning!My home ec teacher, God love her, would have a stroke for sure...

songbird journal quilt....

This is for a round robin journal swap and they are fabric pieces that are 6x 8....This one is for Sanna whose theme is birds and nests and she likes blues and creams...I didnt really get the cream in, but I am hoping she likes it anyway. I started with a plain piece of canvas duck, made up some fabric paper and painted and stitched. I love the dimension that fabric paper adds to things....click on the picture and you will see a close up...I think you will see what I mean!

Two Halloween fabric pieces....

Fiber art Traders, a Yahoo group I belong too had two challenges..A 5x7 monster fabric piece and a 8.5x11 haunted house fabric piece...I felt inspired today and went crazy upstairs...The haunted house piece was especially fun. I just started laying down upholstery and silk scraps then free motioning the details. I sure enjoy just letting it flow....

Baby quilt and a new kitten....

My quilt giveaway was so fun...kind of sad to see it over but I have been pretty busy. First of all, I am finally organized as fair as my sewing and art supplies go...it has been a long, long time...I mean everything has a place instead of just randomly thrown in bins...It has made a huge difference and I found all kinds of cool stuff! It was almost as fun as going thru someones attic and finding all kinds of treasures..I am still amazed at how many big pieces of fabric I have and now they are all folded and neatly put away in their very own bin. It took me two days to get it done but it was worth it. I have moved so much that it has just gotten worse with every move...I also got a new kitten and boy is he cute...Thomas is spitting mad at me and Cooper is just so jealous he cant stand it...I just decided on a whim that I needed a kitten and I found this adorable little guy...he is super tiny..The first night it was like having a newborn baby in the house...He cried and woke up every two hours. Now he has settled right in. I named him Joe Bobbin. He almost is too little to be away from his mama but I am doing better with him every day...I have scratches all over my arms from his little needle claws. I love kittens! I took a picture of Cooper, the kitten and I and Cooper had to try to jump on my lap....notice the stick in his mouth? that is him being neurotic about the kitten...'see my stick? "see my stick!!!" Thomas was off sulking somewhere...I also have been working on a baby girl quilt. This the top almost finished. I actually got it done tonight and I am going to quilt it up tomorrow. I made it for my blogger friend Jessica who is expecting her third little girl. I remember for my first baby, all the baby gifts, then a little less for the second, and the third even less. I just wanted her to have something special. It is in really soft colors by moda..pinks, yellow, cream and a little bit of brown..I found the pattern at the Utah quilt guild show...It is called "somebunny loves me"...Just thought it was adorable. I appliqued the bunny in soft pink chenille..I really like it and I hope she does too!

And the winner of the quilt is............

drum roll........Utah Grammie!!!!! Maybe I can meet you and hand deliver it to you! Thanks everyone for celebrating my 250th post with me..It has been a lot of fun and I will do it again..maybe for my 500th! Melinda

Quilt is done and the giveaway is Tuesday!

Wow! what a great response and so much fun for me...I still am trying to email everyone back and visit some new blogs...I just love talking to the quilters and looking at all the great quilts...I am really pleased with how my giveaway quilt turned out and I hope whoever wins it likes it as much as I do! Speaking of Quilters, Jean the quilting granny is having a giveaway on her blog...go see her..She is one of my very good friends and I love ya Jean..http://quiltingranny.blogspot.com Just scroll down and you will see it...she is giving away various quilting things and the giveaway is October first..... I also finished my Halloween Swap..It was a ten dollar limit so I really got creative...even sprayed some branches from the yard black. I really, really, had fun making this..just played with fabric like a little kid until it took shape. i never have a plan, it just kind of turns into what it wants to be. I just run the sewing machine like a madwoman...Also another quiltie for my sewing circle group...Judy's theme was chickens so being inspired by a handsome rooster at the State fair I had to stitch him up...these little quilts are 6x8 which actually is really small to fit a bunch of stuff on...I wont say they are any quicker though... I also am showing a picture of two of my first run of quilts hanging on the line...Is there anything better? They make me smile looking so pretty out there. The blue one is Coopers..Dogs need snuggle quilts too...I didn't get to go to Portland..I am pretty disappointed, but I have been using the time to work on projects...It makes me feel better. Julie decided to stay another week in Oregon, and I just couldn't go for that long! Lisa is thinking of moving to Utah though, and I am hoping for that...I miss my kids!!!!!

The Giveaway Quilt is Quilted!!!! Keep those entries coming!

Another busy, busy couple of days but I got it quilted and Thomas the cat says it's going to be a big hit...He is always my partner in crime (Quilting) in the sewing room...Now just in case you win, and you don't appreciate cat hair I will say that I always wash a quilt and wrap it up pretty before sending it on it's way. I love the quilted look it gets as everything comes together...Boyfriend and I went to another baseball game last night and had a great time and then today, we went with Julie and Steve and baby Jace to the Utah State fair...There are some rockin' quilters here for sure! I shouldve brought a camera, but of course I didn't. My favorite is always the animal barns though. I love the goats and the chickens and bunnies. So did Jace until a rooster crowed and he got scared and screamed bloody murder... I am leaving Monday morning for Portland. I will be gone for a week and I am so excited to see my babies!!!!!!! I will probably cry my eyes out when I see them. Julie is driving with me so it should be fun. Road trip...mmmmmmm..I hate riding in the car, but it will be worth it to see the kids! I am going to announce the quilt winner a week from Tuesday..I am having more fun doing this. I have been so blessed to make such good friends through blogging, and I am hoping to make some more! One of my good friends is Tonya at http://tonyassewingroom.blogspot.com and she had a post about how "where and How did we start quilting?' and "What started us on this wonderful endless journey" So, I thought I would write my piece too...it first came from Daisy at http://daisyquilts.blogspot.com. I have said it before and you may have read it, but I flunked Home ec sewing....Looking back I think it moved to slow and the ole ADD thing kicked in and I was bored...I honestly didnt think I would ever enjoy sewing but I liked the idea of it. When I was forty I started scrapbooking and became obsessed and then I started looking at fabrics...It isn't a huge jump from paper to fabric. At least it wasn't in my mind. I told my boyfriend James that I wanted to make a quilt and needed a sewing machine so he took me on a shopping trip and loaded me up...(what a sweetheart huh?) I was worried when it took me a day to thread the thing. I taught myself to sew and quilt using a Joanns block of the month quilt...I made two from start to finish, including free motion quilting them under my machine and I fell in love. The first quilt I finished is downstairs on my couch now and yes, it is a hot mess, but I love it. I had given it to my grandma and she adored it and showed everybody and even entered it in the Tillamook County Fair ( much to my horror)....It got a mercy red ribbon...When she passed away my dad gave it back to me and I treasure it. I went from quilting to art quilting and fabric art...My favorite part is picking the fabric and the piecing...the binding being my least favorite though by then I am excited to have it finished. I machine stitch it all including the back of the binding. I also am not a meticulous quilter but what I am is a joyful quilter...I think to me it means expressing myself in fabric and having fun. I love bright colors and a lot of pattern. I would have a hard time working with some of the more traditional lines of fabrics. I have always said that someday I will be making quilts to giveaway and I think I am about there. I love giving them as gifts and my quilts are made to be used, loved and get worn out. They will never be in a quilt show but they are made with love while I am singing and dancing my little heart out...And why do you quilt?

post #249 my big quilt giveaway!!!!

You all know it is coming...Post # 250 and I am feeling really proud of myself about it! A lot of you have been with me through the good days and the not so great days and now it is time to celebrate....I am giving away a QUILT!!!! It is so pretty in turquoise and greys and a some orange for punch and it is between a full sized and a twin so there is a lot to snuggle up with...It's on the quilter now, and I am making it for my special reader that wins it...It could be you! All you need to do is post a comment on either this, or the next two posts, put the button on the sidebar on your blog and become a follower of my blog...Each thing will get you an entry..So up to three! If you already follow my blog, one entry is automatic just cause I love you all so much!!!! I am so excited about this and cant wait to get the winner by random number generator! Good luck everyone and Happy 25oth!!!!

A necklace and pajama pants....

As usual, I have had a busy few days, but I still have gotten in some time to
work on a few things. I made the cutest pair of pajama pants out of the softest
flannel in the world. I made them for my sister Julie and then I put them on and
they spoke to me, they really did and now they are mine. I am not totally mean, I have fabric to make her another pair and I wont try them on either. What she doesn't know wont hurt her is how I am justifying it. I also worked on my black and white charm necklace and I finished it! I love it...It has handmade charms from all kinds of people on it and I think it is a stunner..In fact, I wore it today and got all kinds of comments...good ones by the way. (I am wearing the necklace in the pictures)I also am posting a picture of a stray sunflower in my tomatoes...He is so pretty and just a little guy..They grow every where wild here. I have always loved sunflowers, so bright and happy. I joined Valerie's Halloween swap, so I am starting a few projects for that and I also have my 25oth post coming up and I am planning for that. When I started blogging, I wasn't sure I could keep up with it and it has come to mean a lot to me. I have made some of the greatest friends and they understand me because we have creating in common...I don't have to explain anything and it gives me a forum and a voice and I think that is why we all blog. Sometimes the privacy thing is kind of scary, because I think at times we all really open up, but maybe that is what makes it so great too...You all don't want to miss my giveaway for my 250th post...I am making a quilt now and it is going to be a nice one..just a little hint...I may make an apron too, but I am not sure if I will have the time. The weather is really beautiful right now and BF and I are taking advantage of it. We went out on Willard Reservoir yesterday in the boat with Julie and Steve and baby Jace..We had a blast...I named the boat "The Big Banana" cause it is a big yellow (of all colors) Bayliner...It is amazing to me how much water is actually in Utah!!! Willard is huge...I thought it was part of the Salt Lake cause it is right next to it but the water is fresh..Julie and I would jump off the boat and swim until she made a comment about what was swimming around under us and the "Jaws music started playing in my head. I hit the swim step...FAST...We also went to another baseball game this week and had friends over for a bbq. Tomorrow we are going to ride the motorcycle up the canyon to Pine ridge reservoir and go poke around. It is so green and pretty up there. Another Utah surprise. I am really starting to like it here...

blogiversary coming up....

I am almost to my 250th post...I have been thinking about doing some kind of giveaway..Any ideas? I have a few floating around so stay tuned...I finished my first round robin nature journal page for Malin in Sweden. It is 4"x4"...We are doing the front and back. I have a feeling that by the end, we are all going to have some beautiful books to show...exciting stuff!

quiltie and a journal page...

Wow! long day today..I have been on the run all day, but I got home from work and thought I needed to spend some time up here in my little sewing nest. It is hot tonight but I have a little air conditioner going in the window so it is nice. I have the cat at my feet and we are feeling cozy and enjoying this time. Today was my Friday at work and I don't have a lot of weekend plans, so I hope to get up here more... I wanted to update everyone on the kids. AS you all know, I have been busy raising them for the last two years..well, they are officially back with their mom and dad and so far, things are going well. The kids are happy to be there and they spent a lot of time with mom before they went to Oregon so I have a measure of peace about it. At the same time I am walking around with a broken heart. Especially about Andrew. I really feel like I have lost my own child but I know time will help and he will always be my special boy. I just wish they weren't so far away, but at the same time maybe the distance is good so mom and dad can be the parents again. I know that their place is with their own parents, not their grandma, as long as things are going good and they are. I am proud of Lisa for turning things around in her life and I am happy to know the "old Lisa ' again. We are working on mending our relationship and she is trying hard to build my trust again. So send up a prayer or two for their little family and that God will bless them and keep them safe and happy. While I was up here tonight, I made a quiltie for one of my yahoo groups. The recipient had an open theme and I just played with fabric and put it together.It was modeled after Genevieve Pfieffers paintings that I saw in a Somerset Studio. I just love the whimsical faceless girls..She is pretty amazing and a favorite of mine. I also finished a page for my nature journal. The leaves are an actual photograph that I cut out from a picture I took. It is simple but pretty. ..I have to tell you all a funny story. Boyfriend and I went to a baseball game. There is a minor league team here called the Ogden Raptors and a lot of people go. I really love it, all the organ music, peanuts, hot dog, the announcer. I guess it is kind of a nostalgia thing..I hadn't been to a ball game for a long, long time and I was having a hoot and a holler of a time. Well at the 7th inning everyone stands up and they put the words to "take me out to the ballgame" on the scoreboard and everyone sings..it was so fun and we sang our little hearts out...( I have a really loud voice by the way). so we sit back down and pretty soon they started playing sponge bob square pants and the words were up on the scoreboard again so I started singing full volume and by the end of the chorus I realized only two people were singing...me and a little boy about six. yep, I was his new hero...We got a good round of applause by the way and no, I was not drinking beer..just happy I guess...

Nature Journal

I recently joined another round robin journal swap and the theme is Nature. Here is my book that every ones pages will be going into. It felt so darn good to actually make something and I am thinking it got me back into the swing of things! I am working for AT&T and it is crazy...I just finished a 6 week training class and I am constantly on a computer and I think it is more tiring than anything I have done before! Mainly because I have to sit still. I am not a sitting still kind of person but it is getting easier. I also finally have my sewing room put together. I wont say it is organized but it is together...Today I am going to cut out some pj pants, a skirt and a handbag and then tomorrow I will sew them together...Well, some of them anyway. My work schedule is nice for me but hard for sewing. I work from 2;30 until 11;00. which means I have to get up early and get things done, because when I come home I am brain dead. Oh Yeah, PROJECT RUNWAY started on lifetime! woohooo.. just love that show and I loved the first episode...Guess I better go start cutting...

 

 

 

Dinosaur park .....

My new boyfriend and I took Daniel to the Dinosaur Park here in Utah...It is in the Ogden Canyon and the museum is awesome. Daniel was just thrilled...he told me he told his friend that he was going and his friend told him it was for nerds. I told him " guess we are nerds then cause I love this kind of stuff." He gave me a big smile in return. He loves to watch the science channel and he knew a lot about what we were looking at. His brain amazes me....It was only in the high 70's so it was perfect. Daniel and I panned for gold and I am really good at it...It was pretty fun. We decided that our favorite dinosaur is the Utah raptor...He was bigger than the velociraptors in Jurassic park.... Still trying to get everything in it's place...It's all here in the house, just not organized at all. I just do a little bit every day. I need to get the upstairs done so I can sew pajamas for Jace and Julie's birthday...We are celebrating it this weekend. I have the cutest fabric, just gotta dig it out. I plan to be all set up and sewing again by next week. I have a nature journal round robin coming up so I need to get busy....

 

 

 

Shoes, a bag and an apron....

I am still in the process of packing and moving...(again), so I havent created a darn thing...I am staying in the same area of Utah, I just have my own place now. The big day to officially get moved in is Saturday and then I can put my sewing room back together. I miss it a lot! I had to show a picture of the coolest shoes and bag that I got...I havent had new things in a long time so I get pretty excited over stuff like this...I love the silver on these shoes, they rock. The bag is pretty rockin' too...it is so soft and I can stuff all kinds of things in it. I also promised to show the apron I got in the Mama mia Apron swap..I was listening to the soundtrack from the movie and singing Dancing Queen while I took the picture....Kelly from http://javaswhimsy.blogspot.com made it for me....I love the colors, they are so summery! Thanks Kelly!

Still crazy busy.....

I am turning into a horrible summer blogger..There has just been so many things to do that I don't seem to have the time!!! It's a good thing though, because I am having fun again and it seems like a really long time since that was the case. I am getting ready to move, the kids are getting ready to go back with mom and dad and I started a new, better job. I have made some new friends and am getting out of the house more and enjoying the sun and the weather. I still am sad about the kids, but I am feeling good about how things are going. I pray a lot to have peace in my heart about it and I am getting it....I haven't made any art a or fabric projects since I finished my apron for the Mama Mia Apron Swap...I got it finished and mailed out on Monday so I am going to post it because I am sure my swap partner has it now....I had fun embellishing it...I also made her an embellished pot holder, sent her some yummy candle melts, cocktail napkins, a coffee recipe and a summer cookbook...She said in her survey she likes pink and black so I used a Washington shop hop fabric for the main part...It is pink rhododendrons on a white background, then I used a black shirting type of fabric. My lovely model is Steve my brother in law...if you look close you can see him waving the potholder around too!!! I wanted Julie to model and she didn't want her picture taken so we coerced Steve into taking the job...He is so pretty in it...I got a great new apron from my partner too...I will post it tomorrow after I get a picture in it...Valerie from http://yarnigras.blogspot.com tagged me a while ago to tell seven little known things about me so here I go...I hope none of these are repeats....
1# I flunked home EC sewing ( I hated it with a passion)
2#I love high heels and wear them everywhere..by high, I mean two and a half inches and up...if I am not in heels, it is flip flops.
3# I am still self conscious about my art work, I always am surprised when people want it.
4# my friends and I put a skunk in our high school on Halloween and it shut the school down for three days to air it out. It was on Paul Harvey. (the radio show) We never got caught.
5#I played the saxophone for years and probably still could play, I think.
6#I like older men.....
7# I love to dance...love, love, love it. Once I start, it is hard to stop!
Now to tag some players...mmmmmm Patti at Magpies nest, Lorraine, Tonya, Andrea and Sanna......Tell us all about you!

Long time, No blog......

I think this is the longest time I have ever gone without blogging and I feel guilty, and yes, I have missed it too! Things are crazy here and there are a lot of changes in the works. The kids mom has been here getting to know them again, and they are enjoying her and the baby...The baby is adorable and I am enjoying getting to know him. Then my great friend and the kids Aunt came to visit and we got in all kinds of trouble...she did anyway shopping for her girls. I loved having her here! It was fun to have my own company for a change. Olivia also had her 8th birthday... It is hard for me to believe that she is eight...She had a neighborhood friend party that was HUGE....(no we didn't expect fifteen kids plus our three...) and then we had a family party with her mom when she got here....The I-pod got the biggest scream...she is growing up, that is for sure....I have been working on this crane / zen quilt for my oldest daughter...it just needs borders now and then I will quilt it....it is the late part of her graduation gift...I also have been working on my apron swap and my second necklace book for Fiber Art Traders...Like I said, it's crazy here but in a good way and hopefully, I will be able to get in some good blog time and see what everyone has been up too! I miss you all!