i have to say...

shop notes: pam kitty morning!

The lovely Pam Kitty Morning is in the shop, and it's available in both bundles and yardage.

Enjoy!

as ready as i will ever be!

OK, I reached my limit yesterday afternoon.  It was that point where I was just done.  No more sewing or preparing, except for gathering my stuff and setting up shop.

Actually the craft fair sounds quite fun. I always like being around other crafty people and talking to the customers.  This is my first indoor craft fair and I am really looking forward to that change since the outdoor ones I have done have meant snow/rainstorms/wind.  Being inside is just fine for me!

Admittedly I am a little nervous about how this is all going to play out, since I planned a lot of the fair.  My hope is that lots of people come out to visit us and that all of our vendors have a great time.

It's time to just jump in and let it happen.

Wish me luck!  :)

just wanted to mention...

...that all of Keyka Lou's patterns are $5 through November 27th!

Michelle's patterns are known for being well-explained and simple. Perfect for holiday gifts!

Have a great day!

getting there

I can see the finish line, but I am getting tired!  Most of my stuff for the craft fair is done--thank goodness--and I am ready to take a break from sewing.  That's probably not a good thing since I need to start Christmas gifts next week.  Hopefully I can put the machine away today and leave it alone until Monday.

I never like when my hobby feels like a chore, you know?

How are your hobbies coming along? Are you working on anything?

i'm sailing!

OK, I should say "I'm quilting!", but every so often I feel the need to work a Bob Wiley quote into a post!

This past weekend I was able to attend Amanda Jean's Quilting Retreat! 

And I have to say that it was great!

We focused on machine-quilting designs and I think I am ready to break out of my rut.  Finally.

These pictures above and below show some of the blocks I finished.   You can see what Amanda's finished quilt looks like here, and her quilting designs here.

We had a mini-quilt swap and I was so happy to come away with this lovely made by Tara.  I am seriously happy to have this hanging in my shop/office!:

Tara also did an AMAZING job of coordinating the retreat and preparing all of the meals.  The food was so so good, and my first at-home breakfast of grape-nuts seemed mighty lame when compared to he amazingness I ate all weekend long!

Here is the back of the quilt that Tara made:

Every one of the ladies at the retreat was just lovely.  Audrey, Carmen, Jennifer and Penny were there.  What a treat to spend a weekend with so many wonderful women!

I took some wonderful goodies away from the retreat, and last but NOT least is a kit to make Penny's Sunshine on my Shoulders quilt!  I am little bummed that sewing will be focused on the craft fair and then Christmas, which means that I will have to set the kit aside until January.  Aaargh!

I do have to mention the sweetest thing!  On Saturday we went fabric shopping at a couple of shops in town.  Carmen knew I was looking for an aqua Farmville floral, but we couldn't find it anywhere.  Let me say that I thought it was so sweet that when she went home for the night, she went through her own fabric stash and brought me a piece.  That sweetness really made me smile!

So, as far as I know, Amanda and Tara put on this little retreat every year.  And I will say that if I could sign up now, I would. It's a great thing to be in the company of women who share the same passion and creativity.

And it's just an extra bonus that they were all so lovely to be around!

a home for my mini

So, my mini did not make it to the kitchen!  She actually landed in the living room, right above the sewing machine.  She looks like she belongs there, don't you think?

I tell you, minis are the greatest to make!  You can experiment with a new, more challenging quilt design, you can venture out of your normal color zone, and you complete your project fast, all without having to commit to big (and sometimes scary) quilt.

Minis make great wallhangings, potholders, placemats, table runners, pillow covers, pincushions, and journal covers.  You can create totebags, a sewing machine covers, mug rugs, doll quilts, and zip pouches, all from minis.  They really are versatile!

Technically, since my house is rather full of quilts, I really should make minis for a while.  It makes sense since I am in redecorating mode, with no money to spend.  My fabric stash is rather large, I have to admit!

Thanks, Amy, for hosting the Mini-Quilt Challenge!

Have a lovely day!

common pinterests

***I am loving these ruffles.

***And theses ruffles.

***Zig-zags in orange and turquoise get me thinking about new color combinations.

***When my hubs puts hardwood on the stairs, I want to do this!

***Very pretty scarf.

***I REALLY want this shirt.

***3 sweater conversion tutorials.

***Bootcuts into skinnies--a how-to.

***What to do with soda bottles.  A cute craft.

***Isn't this great?  It doesn't match my kitchen, but oh well!

Have a lovely day!

i forgot to consider real life

Lots done!

I had two friends come over yesterday and today to sew for our craft fair.  My list of what I think I can get done is always huge, but what actually gets done is more modest.  I think this is because I fail to factor "real life" into the equation!

Like my sewing machine.

When I take my foot off the pedal, it doesn't stop.  Just keeps on sewing.  This is not good!

Especially since I am attending a quilting retreat this weekend.  Looks like we are heading to the sewing store tomorrow!

I did manage to finish some totebags with the help of Aubry's Hello Kitty machine.  6 total, but only 4 in the picture.  1 more to go.

In progress is my pile for the retreat quilt.  We are quilting as we go, so I need twenty 17" squares to work on.  I picked a citrus-y color palette.

Now all I need to do is to add the binding to my swap quilt. Hopefully the sewing machine store can get my machine working right so I can get that done!

Happy crafting!

 Thanks for hosting WIP Wednesday, Lee!

shop notes: pre-cuts on sale!

This week's sale is a bit late in being posted, but I figure it's better than never, right?

All pre-cuts are on sale for 15% off through Saturday.

Have a great day!

reaching the top...almost!

My hubs and I were able to go on a little getaway this weekend.  It is our 24th wedding anniversary!

24!  That is an impressive number, don't you think?

We went to Manitou Springs since they have a lovely little downtown and lots of fun hiking trails close to town.

My husband, the super-athlete that he is, found the Manitou Incline and thought it would be fun to try it.

What on earth is the Manitou Incline, you ask?  It is an incline that is just over one mile long, has a grade of 68% at the steepest point and has a gain of 2200 feet in elevation from bottom to top.

I will be honest and say that we didn't quite make it to the top.  We had about 50 stairs to go and I just couldn't do it anymore.  At that point I was hiking only 5 stairs at a time and taking a 2-3 minute break a stopping points.  My heart was racing too hard, and I couldn't catch my breath.

BUT!  We did make it this far:

And honestly, I can't believe I did it!

My hubs could have made it, but he was super sweet and said he would wait for me to be able to make it to the top with him.  I hope that will happen on our next Manitou Springs visit.

As far as being married for 24 years: I am so amazed at the number of years under our belts.  Two people making an attempt at creating one life together can be a huge struggle, but I do know that the only way to make it work is to stick with it.  Commitment is the name of the game in a marriage.

I love my man and I don't know what I would do without him.  He makes my life an adventure. 

There is no one that I would rather reach the top with, that is for sure!