i have to say...

great links

***In Color Order is posting a series about choosing fabric for projects. Lots to learn here!

***You have to see Cluck Cluck Sew's pillow tutorial.  So cute!

***AnneMarie has posted a tutorial for a grocery bag dispenser.  I need one--or ten!--of these!

***Looking for some sewing lessons for beginners?  Look no more.  Retro Mama is on it!

***You can donate fabric and quilts to Japan's quake survivors here and here.  I have two quilts tops that have been sitting for a while and I am going to get the ready to send to Seven Islands.

***The Michael Miller fabric design contest on Spoonflower is ready for voting!  If you entered a pattern, please let me know!

Have a lovely day!

a before and after post...in blurry pictures!

  

May I start this post by saying that I REALLY want a new camera?  I know the time is coming, but I am growing impatient to be able to take a nice picture.  Supposedly good things come to those who wait.  Gonna count on that!

Above you can see how my fabric stash started out.  Rummaging through drawers to find fabrics is not a good way to keep things tidy, let me tell ya!  There is probably 3 years of fabric stuffed in there and I needed to simplify.  The thought of gathering fabric for projects was making me wince.  You can see that the top of the drawers has been my "stuffing" place for a while.

I dumped it all on the floor and was left with this much leftover that needs to find a new home.  Too much!:

In case you are wondering if my shop shelves are in the same condition, worry no more.  They are looking lovely and organized.  It was only my personal fabric stash that was suffering:

Here is my blurry "after" picture.  This actually makes me want to start a new project.  But I won't since I have too many going right now.  Must be patient for a couple of things, apparently!

Rather than send my extras to the thrift store, I added them to my handmade shop. They are in bags of scraps (strips, squares and cut pieces) organized by color. Perfect for a patchwork project.

That's my before and after.  This almost--ALMOST--makes me want to start spring cleaning.  Imagine what an entirely clean and organized house would feel like!

i hope your day is filled with good things!

progressing...

Emily's quilt is finally on the machine!  So far so good.  The quilting is looking nice and straight and it is already adding texture to the look of the quilt. 

This one is going to take a while, since I usually make lap-sized quilts, and this one is a large twin-sized.  It makes me laugh to think that the first quilt I ever made was a queen-sized with TONS of elaborate hand-quilting.  I look at it now and can't believe I ever finished it.  The hand-quilting took forever!  In fact I quit quilting for a few years until I realized that machine-quilting was possible.  Now it's so much simpler.  And faster.

A little each day is what I am hoping for.  Big blocks of time devoted to machine-quilting are not my style.  A bite here, a bite there.  The whole thing will get done at some point, I am sure!

What about you?  What are you working on today?

friday fun: give me a jingle!

Ooops! I am almost forgot to post today!  Taking last week off was great for me because it helped to tame that "obssessive" feel I get towards blogging and I am enjoying a more "do it if I have something to say" attitude about it.  Always good for me!

Today is "give me a jingle" day.  All I want is for you to write down the first "jingle" that comes into your head and leave it in the comments.  By jingle I mean an advertisement for a product, probably from a commercial.

Here's mine:

Libby's, Libby's, Libby's on the lable, lable, lable,

You will like it, like it, like it, on your table, table, table.

It's an old commercial for Libby's canned veggies.  For some reason I think of it regularly and sing it to my kids just to bug 'em.  Along with the Oscar Meyer Weiner song.  You know, on those days where I wish I could just be an OM weiner!

Leave your jingle in the comments.  The first one to pop into your head.

Have a lovely Friday!

linking it for you!

I am so happy to see action on my crabapple tree!  This is the tree that I bartered for fabric last year, but by the time we got it, the leaves were mostly gone.  It's moving towards the beautiful pink blossoms that I love.  Must be patient...

***Ashley has a strip quilt tutorial that you must see.  Really, if Ashley is talking about quilting, I am listening!  That girl knows what she is doing!

***I loved this simple post about doing something nice for someone.  A small gesture goes a long way.

***You can find out how to make a super-cute bunting.  They are simple and oh-so-adorable.

***If you are a busy mom, these tips will be an encouragement to you.

***It's almost sundress time again (yes!)!  Make a really simple one for your little girl with these instructions.

***Need some storage?  Sew a basket.

Welcome to the Recipe Box Swap!  It's "Main Dish Recipe" day.

Feel free to post your favorite recipe on your blog and then enter the post link below. It's a great way to get some wonderful dinner ideas and to meet some new people.

My recipe for today is Fish Tacos.  Surprisingly everyone in my family loves these.  When I first made them I though the kids would rebel against the fish, but they eat these right up. I love that they are tasty and light.  You won't feel overly stuffed after eating these!

Fish Tacos--1 pound tilapia (or other firm, white fish), 2 TB olive oil, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 lime juiced, Tabasco sauce, 12 corn tortillas, 2 cups cabbage shredded, 1 cup chopped cilantro, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, salt and pepper to taste.

I like to cook the fish on the grill, but you can also use the broiler.  Basically you coats the filets with oil, add salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned on the outside and opaque throughout (about 5 minutes).  Combine the sour cream, lime, a few shakes of Tabasco, salt and pepper.  Heat the tortillas over the flame on your kitchen stove (if you have a, electric stove, you can heat the tortillas in a cast iron skillet).

All you need to do is take a tortilla, add some shredded fish and top with cabbage, onion, cilantro and sauce.

I like to serve these with Lime Cilantro Rice:  Add the juice of 1-2 limes to 2 cups cooked rice, and toss in about 1/2 cup cilantro.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Happy eating!

 

getting where i want to be

It may be spring in the air, but my desire to organize is high.  Not only to organize my surroundings, but also my life, my goals and my heart.  It's cleaning time!

So much of my problem comes from having no plan.  Too much of my time is aimless, and I am so easily distracted.  Sometimes I think of myself as a procrastinator, but it's more of a wandering waywardness that grips me.

I have bought a couple of new things to help me to head where I want to be: a dry-erase board, a timer and Organized Simplicity.

The dry-erase board is my place to write it all down.  It is hung where I can see it everytime I come downstairs to my shop.  My shop--where the computer resides--is a huge time waster for me.  Have you ever noticed that what seems like 15 minutes on the computer is actually 30-45 minutes?  It's too easy to get caught up in blog and website hopping.  My board will be my guide to accomplishing more.  What's written on it is what I will do.  Lists lead me.  When something is jogging around in my head, it stays there.  Write it down, it gets done.

The timer is going to help with the computer time waste.  When I am done working I will set it for a reasonable amount of "downtime" and I will walk away when it buzzes.  This is going to take some self-control on my part, but I hope it becomes habit after a while.  They say it takes 3 weeks for a habit to become your normal mode.....let's see....:)

Organized Simplicity's tagline is The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living.  Right now my life feels a bit stagnant and unmoving.  Not bad as in depression, but rather wayward.  I want more.  I want closer relationships with my kids, more time with friends, better creative time, time to give some of myself to others who need it and a more consistent quiet time in my Bible.  Really, the Bible goal comes first and it informs the other items on the list.  I need to start from square one, right?

Time is a commidity that you can never buy more of.  Sure wish that was different!  I have 24 hours to do the things that are important and necessary, and all I have to do is stop wasting hours and minutes.  Not an easy goal, but a do-able one.

I can do this.

What about you?  What are your time wasters?  How do you tackle them?

***Tomorrow's Recipe Box Swap is Main Dishes.  Hope you join in the fun!

recipe box swap reminder

The Recipe Box Swap is Tuesday and we will be posting Main Dish recipes.

I hope to see you there!

shop notes: check the sale section!

Just wanted to let you know that my sale section has grown by leaps and bounds!  My shelves need some room for the new goodies that are coming soon, so some lovelies need to go.  Some of these fabrics have only one yard in stock, so if you want something in particular, get it quick.  You can convo me with any questions.

In case you are wondering what's coming soon: Sherbet Pips, Cherry Fizz, Metro Living (it's here, but unlisted), 1001 Peeps and Farm Fresh should all be here within a month.  I can't wait!

Have a lovely day!