tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70144384285296874892023-11-16T01:46:15.824-06:00Oh, So Sweet - HeatherMy soul is fed with needle and thread.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-36131861661517919732015-07-20T19:15:00.002-05:002015-07-20T19:15:26.331-05:00I'm So Excited!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I finally got a new sewing machine!! Yay, me! I got a Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.2 & I love it!</div>
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I have obsessively been sewing since it crossed the treshold of my home!</div>
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My second project was to free motion my Vintage Christmas Quilt. If you don't want to see tons of pictures, I advise that you leave now. I'm like a proud new momma.</div>
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First, all the inner borders. I did a ribbon candy stitch. Loved it, super easy. You make U's and then go around a second time with off-set U's and it looks like a 3D ribbon. I went around all of the applique with monofilament.</div>
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For the house block, I did a meander with roof shingles. I LOVE the shingles!</div>
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The outer borders, I did these cute bows. Super easy! Just small figure 8, large figure 8 but square it up. Then, move to the next bow. Love it!</div>
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The bell flower got big loops all around. Not the most original but I was running out of ideas at this point. I followed the plaid fabric on the bells with straightish lines. Should have used the walking foot.<br />
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The bird got some feathers. The background on that block got meandering holly leaves. I liked this one, too.<br />
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The church got snow flurries. It's a line from top to bottom with a spiral every few inches. Then, the next row over, I alternated spaces. I like this one, too. Very simple. Then, I beaded the tree. That took several hours of my recent Mascoutah retreat.<br />
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Mr. Sheepy got loops in the background and swirls on his wool. Not original but the Mr. Sheepy is the cutest. The grass just got some up and down tight squiggles.<br />
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Large interlocking loops for the strips above another Christmas tree. The background is as tiny as I could make, loops. I kind of feel like the frame needs something more but I can't figure out what. I beaded pearls to decorate this tree. And, decorated the floor of the Mascoutah Community Center. Oopsies.<br />
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Buttons for the strips in a couple differnt places. I'm considering more buttons in other places but I wanted to 'live' with it first. I followed the snowflakes for the partidge. Don't love this. It's messy. I thinkI need to go back in and give the leaves some veins, maybe a few feathers on the bird.<br />
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Giant U's for the prestent. Again, ran out of ideas.<br />
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The small ornament was the first one I did. I used the walking foot to follow the plaid fabric. It was much more successful than the free motion plaid. The candy canes were my first free motion block. I had to rip it out and do over. I started off with a simple meander.<br />
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The strips above the snowman got teardrops inside teardrops. I like it. I'm considering some buttons in the middle row. The snowman got meandering hearts. Ahhh. See how he's reaching out to give you a hug?<br />
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The ice skate background got swirls. This was my second free motion block and I had trouble remembering what shape I was supposed to be doing. So, the consistancy is pretty bad. But, not bad enough to rip out.<br />
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For the applique border on top, I just went around the applique and did a spiral in each star. I was afraid of overpowering it with too much background work.<br />
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A picture of the whole thing, pre-quilted. In case you forgot what it looked like...</div>
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So, now that I've got my first quilting project done on the machine, I can return to normal life. I know, that made me laugh before the sentence was even typed...<br />
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Happy Sewing!<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-90591372346680149502014-05-20T20:33:00.002-05:002014-06-11T23:12:12.337-05:00My New BlogI changed blogs! Check my new blog: <a href="http://www.heathermantz.blogspot.com/">Fabric Mayhem at Kimberlin Street</a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-14482368054503540312014-05-05T00:24:00.003-05:002014-05-05T00:24:34.813-05:00The Happiest Room in the House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been sewing like a demon today! It's the first time in about 8 weeks since I've had 2 days in a row off. And, it was beautiful. Yesterday was nothing but errands and Bethany's prom. (Pictures of that are on Facebook) Today was me and my sewing room. Glorious. Sierra told me the room was happy again because I was in it. I think it's been about a month since I'd sat down at my machine. Sad times.</div>
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Any who, this is the current month's Round Robin. I really had a tough time being inspired by this one. Last month, I knew on the way home from our meeting. This month, I didn't know until I started sewing. To make things worse, this is Cindy Hagen's quilt. She's a friend and I REALLY didn't want to jack it up! I was going for something that looked like the sun shining on her garden. And, couldn't come up with anything that wasn't too literal and cheesetastic. Not sure I accomplished what I intended but I really like how it turned out anyway.<br />
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The green fabric was a companion that I bought with the weird brown one I used for my sunflower centers, It's really, just so ugly, as a large piece. At first, I felt guilty using ugly fabric on a friend's quilt but now that it's cut up in little pieces, it's not so ugly. In fact, it's kind of great. I think this may have been the real reason I bought it in the first place.</div>
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Another problem I had is that I hate Flying Geese. I don't know why everybody thinks they're so great. You have to make tons of them before you get something interesting. Maybe that's the problem, I don't care for the monotony of them. The green blocks took 3.5 hours. The yellow, half hour. If I'd known that from the beginning, she'd have more big ones and less little ones... Just kidding, I would feel horrible if I didn't do my best for a friend.<br />
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We've got more grandbabies at Jim's Formal Wear. She was born just this week. Of course, I was upset not having done a little something before she was born, but that's how it goes sometimes. I don't care for my color choises on the flower but I think it'll do. I liked the apple much better. These are fun little projects that whip up fairly quickly. I'm trying not to bring up the elephant in the room, which is, Rich's neice was born in April and her quilt isn't done yet. But, that was going to take WAY longer than these little bibs.<br />
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I was running out of time after all that, plus 8 loads of laundry and chili pie for dinner but, I couldn't stop while I was on a roll. So, I made myself a new bag. I bought the fabric about a month ago thinking I'd have time before now. The handles on my old one were completely thread bare. I used the same pattern as the old one but tweeked it here and there. I think it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself. And, I do say so.<br />
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Talk at you soon friends!</div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-38704943090600907382014-04-15T08:09:00.000-05:002014-04-15T08:09:31.383-05:00I Must Be Crazy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Things make me crazy. I'm not even joking. For years I could free motion quilt on my sewing machine. Then, one day, I couldn't. It's been to the machine doctor 5 or 6 times and every time it comes back not working the way it used to. I'm good for maybe 5 minutes, which is probably how long the doctor samples it, and then it starts skipping stitches. I don't get it. Crazy.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cx0jA6vUuoY/U00leTXUYkI/AAAAAAAACKY/7Hk8XkTz20A/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cx0jA6vUuoY/U00leTXUYkI/AAAAAAAACKY/7Hk8XkTz20A/s1600/image.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>I can, however quilt using my machine's stitches without ANY problem. This leads me to believe the problem is user error. Adapt and overcome is what we always say. I decided I could use my fancy machine stitches that I've never used before to quilt Rabbits Prefer Chocolate. I've got a LOT of clean up to do. It's hard to know where to start & stop to avoid sewing over your applique because the stitches all go forward and backward at unpredictble rates.</div>
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I guess I don't hate it. I don't love it yet, but I don't hate it. I'm convincing myself that it has a lacy feel to it. Yes, I'm aware Easter is this Sunday. And, yes, the President's Challange deadline is the May meeting. Yes, yes, I know. I'm working on it. Get off my back:)</div>
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I've been working a lot on my Quilty Stitches project. There's a lot of white filler happening here. We watched Gone With The Wind last night & I got a lot of progress done while listening to Rich's Mammie impression. Yeah, the kids had their very own Mammie for an evening. Lucky them. He's a special kind of crazy that I won't claim is my fault.<br />
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Most of the last month was working on the Round Robin. This little old lady (the one on the quilt) told me she wanted roses for her applique, almost as soon as we met. And, who am I to deny a little old lady? So, I ordered a super amazing, awesome and wonderful, Japanese applique book. That took a week & half to get here. Then, I stitched my little heart out for 2 & half weeks to meet the deadline. Now, why in God's name would I choose something SO ambitious with such a tight time frame when I'm working 55 hours a week? My own decisions make me crazy, too.<br />
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Then, there's this picture that I couldn't make go up with it's friends. Makes me crazy.<br />
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Now if you're not familiar with hand applique, let me explain. Each rose took roughly 1 - 2 hours. That's about 4 -5 hours per corner on the quilt. I was stitching every free moment. I was even in dark theatres watching Bethany's dance competitions on both Sundays (my only day offf) in a row stitching those roses. I've bled for these roses. My finger's were, indeed, raw. All because the little old lady said she wanted roses. And, let's not dwell on how the green shadows though the pink in spots. That would make me crazy, if I let it. I don't think it was that obvious in real life anyway.</div>
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Rich always says, "If all you meet, all day long, are assholes. Maybe, you're the asshole." So, with that logic, I must be the crazy. Hmmmm.<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-20842622500888936942014-03-31T08:31:00.002-05:002014-03-31T08:31:49.101-05:00What Do You Mean, It's Not For Me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Okay, so I'm totally ready to admit paper piecing is not my thing. And, I've go a WHOLE quilt to go still!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yxoTyd1JdjA/Uzlii-xYFkI/AAAAAAAACJY/Ot2nw1SBrkM/s3200/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yxoTyd1JdjA/Uzlii-xYFkI/AAAAAAAACJY/Ot2nw1SBrkM/s3200/image.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>This little bugger took almost 2 hours to do. Those glasses were intense! I kept putting the fabric down on the paper backwards or not making sure the fabric is long enough. And, now that I see the picture, forgetting pieces all together! Yeah, that left botttom frame isn't supposed to be that long. Jeez, now that's got to be fixed.</div>
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It's been a long couple of weeks. My hours are long and my family doesn't seem to stop needing me just because I'm busy. Rich's mother died this week and that's a whole other thing. He was estranged from her up until about a month ago when she found out she was dying and wanted to make amends. The kids have never met her. He isn't taking it well. He's been a Crab-asaurus Rex from the planet Crab-atron. I think mourning would be easier on him (and the rest of us) but he's just really angry right now. It really makes you reflect on what's important in life. What do you want people to feel when you're gone. Do you want them to be sad to see you go or just pissed at who you chose to be. God willing, my kids will just be sad. All four of that woman's kids are pissed off. And, I guess that is one of the stages of mourning. It's pretty terrible.</div>
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Any who, enough of the depressing stuff. I did manage to get a couple of my Christmas blocks done. I think it's turning out cute. However, I do keep forgetting that I wanted it to be blues and greens. Pink seems to be creeping in on a regular basis. I love how the pear fabric photographed! It doesn't seem that intense in real life.<br />
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I told Rich, "Look honey, I get the present!" He gave me the dead pan stare and said, "You get ALL the presents." Ha! At least we've got that established! If you're keeping track, March's gift was tickets to Celtic Woman. It was so good! I took Sierra because Rich said he would just make fun of it and ruin my night. Another thing we agree on.<br />
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Here's a funny story about me and presents! Rich had a seriously beautiful book shelf hand crafted by his former co-worker. Seriously. Beautiful. Artistry. So, he sends me a picture of it while I'm at work and I love it. So, I thought, this must be an early April present... I have it mentally filled and decorated before I get home. I'm showing my co-workers how beautiful it is and they're telling me how spoiled I am. You get the picture. So, I get home and the darn thing is full already of war books! I'm, like, what?! It wasn't for me at all!!! He had it made to house his war/ science/ philosophy book collection! What the heck? He wanted it for books?? He did leave me part of one shelf to put the family photo albums. Reason # 4,567,396 that the world does not revolve around Heather Mantz.<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-59455241042565998542014-03-16T21:32:00.002-05:002014-03-16T21:32:14.600-05:00Eleanor Is Back In Action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, my machine was at the doctor's for the last 2 weeks and it was killing me! Apparently the feed dog module was toast. Eleanor's got plenty of pep in her step now! It's like an episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, how did I not know there was that big of a problem? We're good now. I haven't tried free motion yet but I'm hopeful! </div>
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I put together the blocks for my baby quilt and got the first border on but then had to quit when I realized that I needed more fabric. Ugh. It'd be fun if I could plan ahead once in awhile. I bought more of the yellow than I needed but I figure that can be the back. I will NOT be doing the prairie points. One more white border and I'll be done. The baby will be here before I know it , I was hoping I'd finish it today.</div>
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So, I decided to start another project for myself. I'm a super huge Harry Potter fan. I saw this project a few years ago when the designer was doing it as a Block of the Week. I wasn't really excited at first because it was just books. Not really exciting but then I saw it at the end of the year! So, great! I just loved it! It's paper pieced, which is weird for me. </div>
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I kept thinking that as I went along it would get easier to do but that was not the case today. I ripped out more than I sewed, or so it seemed. It's so hard to make sure you've got a big enough piece of fabric, pointing in the right direction. It seems simple but it's not. Then, I kept ripping the paper off before I had the whole piece together. Bleh. Lots more to do. By the time I'm done, I'm going to be an expert, I'm sure.<br />
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While the machine was in the shop, I worked on my cross stitch project. I sucked at this, too. The last block with the Flying Geese, kicked my butt! I wrote in the pattern wrong twice. Then, I was half way done stitching and realized I still had the pattern wrong. I was 2 rows off. I couldn't leave it like that because the block beneath it wouldn't line up. So, I ripped out the stitches. And, shredded the Aida cloth in the process. 2 weeks and much swearing later, I fixed it. Only to realize that I now had it misaligned in a different direction. Ugh. Why do I bother?! At least it will still line up with the one beneath it.<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-82432932742738724072014-03-03T21:17:00.000-06:002014-03-03T21:17:45.896-06:00Is That A Tulip In Your Pants, or Are You Just Happy To See Me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm back to work but I'm trying to stay a little creative. Fred and Dorothy's quilt got finished. It's more than she asked or paid for but she's really happy with it and that's cool. When she mentioned she was going to want one for herself (this was a gift) I said it would cost double. She voluntarily paid me extra for the extra work. So, that was cool too.<br />
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I used Mountain Mist quilt batting for the first time and it was horrible! You know that cotton that pulls apart in the medicine bottle and won't come out. It's just like that. When I was making the quilt sandwich my fingers would rip right through. That is NOT the place to same money.<br />
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Rabbits Prefer Chocolate got the borders put on. I did end up hand appliquing the scalloped border and I love the stripe fabric I found for it! If you don't look too closely, it appears that my corners match up just fine. And, if you do look too close, go away. Nobody needs your negativity. I'll have to wait until my machine comes back from getting a tune-up before I quilt it. Hopefully in time for the guild's May meeting.<br />
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I finally got around to repainting my buttons. Okay, so I bought the paint and asked Rich to do it for me... that should count for something. They're so much cuter now! Don't look too closely, or you'll see all the paint layers underneath and Rich's finger prints from when he brought them back in the house. And, if you do look too closely, go away. Nobody needs your negativity.<br />
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Just last night I finished another tulip block. I was telling Rich that I didn't like it. The spheres at the base of the large tulip really bothered me. We looked at each other and said "They look like testicles." Then he says, it wouldn't have been so bad if the center wasn't that shade of pink. Yep. I have a penis on my tulip. You totally see it, right?! Can you see the light shadowing? So, he suggests I embroider some fuzz on the spheres to make the look complete. <br />
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During the Oscars I embroidered along the "tip" to disguise it a little. Nope. Now it looks diseased. This one time I had a pair of sandals that had flowers on top that I decided looked like vaginas. I never wore the shoes again. So, as I see it, I have 2 options here. One, get rid of the block and do something less phalic. Or, two, put it in the quilt where it will always lay across Rich's crotch.<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-90080524113482791432014-02-16T19:14:00.000-06:002014-02-16T19:14:30.600-06:00Thus Endeth The Time Off<br />
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I tell you, if I were intelligent, I'd be dangerous! I forgot how to load photos to the blog with my iPad again. Jees! I suppose once I do it enough times, It'll be like, Bam!, done. Not today my dears, not today. <br />
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Early in the week I made a thread catcher for my secret pal at quilt guild. The secret pal program is really fun. I love getting presents. I also love giving them. Hopefully, she'll like this. When I started the cross-stitch quilt blocks, I started on a piece of cloth that was too small. So, I decided to cut it out and make a pin cushion from it. I'm considering selling this type of thing in my Etsy shop. I've got to tweak it so that it's my own pattern first. And, find the time.<br />
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The block is called Swoon by Camille R., she designs for Cotton Way with her mom. Very talented and uses all my favorite colors. She's Mormon, as are MANY of the designers that I follow. Interesting. I never would have guessed I'd have so much in common with Mormons. They like to stitch, have great recipes, quilt. It's weird. That makes me sound prejudiced but to tell the truth, I tend to be very disbelieving of the Mormon religion. And, I'm fairly open minded about those things. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgGgrOJGU0U/UwFXf1W9G1I/AAAAAAAAB-A/tGg1bs-ajEA/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgGgrOJGU0U/UwFXf1W9G1I/AAAAAAAAB-A/tGg1bs-ajEA/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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My supervisor asked me to make a quilt out of her grandparent-in-law's clothes. She is NOT paying me enough for what I made, but I didn't want to just sew a bunch of squares together. I know that's what she's expecting but hopefully she'll like this better. I loved the way it turned out! Now I want to make one in patriotics as a Quilt of Valor. I found the pattern when I was organizing all my patterns a few weeks ago. See, it's already paying off to be more organized.<br />
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I had SO MANY plans to finish several projects while I was on layoff. None of them got done! I progressed a little on a few but never got the finish in. I only finished the new projects that I started. Projects I told myself I couldn't start until I finished the others. I've always been really bad at doing what I'm told. Rabbits Prefer Chocolate have borders prepped and ready to sew. This was going to be done. Nope. I'm super happy with the fabrics I chose for the borders. That was one of the problems, finding just the right border. I also had to convince myself to applique the borders. It's going to bore me to tears but I think in the end, it's the right thing to do.<br />
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We started the Round Robin from guild this month. What fun! I loved running around to see what everyone brought in. It's going to be really exciting to see what everyone does. My horrible math skills struck again. I only needed 4 four patch hourglass thingys. I ended up with 32...<br />
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So, I made lemonade out of my lemons. Not sure what's going to happen to it from here, but it'll be cute. I love these colors. I may applique some sea creatures on it. The block below reminded me that I have some Ryan McKenna patterns that need to be used.<br />
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The first block I got to work on was this little water scene. I had to add at least 4 four patch blocks. I think it turned out really cute. The picture doesn't do the colors justice. My teal blends better with her blue than the picture would lead you to believe. I am wondering why I put pink in the diamonds instead of yellow or red to match her fish. I suppose I just wasn't feeling it at the time. The next person can highlight those colors. Hope she likes it. She's got an art quilt feeling going on with her fuzzy string jelly fish and the seaweed is organza. I'm dying to know what's happening to my sunflowers!<br />
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Alas, I'm officially out of slacker time. I need to do laundry, cook dinner and get ready for work tomorrow. Boo hoo, sad face. It's been awesome. I'm totally not ready to return to reality but you gotta do what you gotta do. I repeatedly offered to quit so that I could stay home and take care of my family's needs. Rich declined my generous offer and assured me that my meager pay check is still needed. Damn! </div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-82585920084534805682014-02-10T01:39:00.001-06:002014-02-10T01:45:46.868-06:00Oi, What a Week!This week has been absolutely exhausting! I swear, parenting isn't for wussies, that's for sure! 2 kids had major breakups and the other 2 kids had the flu. I'm not sure what was worse, to be honest. Add a snow day and some grade and chore drama while Rich is on the night shift and you've got the perfect recipe for me to loose my shit. It's times like these that I totally understand why my parents were not into parenting. I'm not a the responsible parent. I'm the touchy, feely, let's eat sweets kind of artistic hippy, parent. I'd have thrown in the towel this week if I weren't so determined not to suck at being a mom. It's been a real drag.<br />
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<span id="goog_91438198"></span><span id="goog_91438199"></span>And, let's not dwell on how long it just took me to figure out how to upload a photo onto the blog with my new iPad. That would just depress me further.<br />
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I finally finished my buttons. I don't like them at all. But, they're done. If you can't quite make them out, the blue one is strawberries, the green one is lilacs and the salmon one is roses. I just have to come to terms with the fact that I can't paint well and be done with it. I only put them on the wall because it took me 5 weeks to finish them and I'm stubborn. The colors don't go well with my curtains or wall color. I'm trying to get up the courage to tell Rich I want him to paint the walls in my sewing "room", it needs a little redecorating. 10 years is a lifetime for me in paint color terms. I've had the tiny mirrors for years. Those, I like...<br />
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Rich bought an iPad for me for "Valentine's Day". Everybody wants to know what I did to get that kind of Valentine's gift. Let me explain. My laptop was all but dead and Rich only wants Mac products from now on. At Christmas, I did the 12 Days of Christmas for him and he really appreciated the attention. So, he's decided I get a gift every month of the year in 2014. So far, I'm a big fan. I don't get to request anything. It's all going to be stuff he thinks I need, not necessarily what I want. January was a big, fluffy robe. I haven't used a robe in 15 years, didn't want a robe but I love my new robe. Valentine's Day and February got combined with the iPad. I'm thinking March will be a candy bar or a Mt. Dew. Either way, I'm loving it. I'm loving him. I don't exaggerate when I say that man has kept me from coming apart at the seams for 21 years.<br />
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I had to make this pretty cover for it. My next version is going to have hard sides so that I can use it as a prop stand as well.<br />
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Then, I decided to open an Etsy shop to sell my stuff. Then, I had a craptastic week and am totally rethinking the whole Etsy idea. I haven't posted anything for sale yet but it's called Heather's Fabric Garden. My big plan was to eventually have my own online fabric store. I had big plans. I did the research to start a real business. I know, it seemed like such a great idea last week. Now, I feel like there is no possible way I could keep that kind of commitment going. So, I continue to ponder.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_v95DwLZiGA/Uvh4JYXzOmI/AAAAAAAABz4/dynb9OxvfMg/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_v95DwLZiGA/Uvh4JYXzOmI/AAAAAAAABz4/dynb9OxvfMg/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a>I'm approaching my last week of layoff and I didn't get much done that I'd planned. I had images of my knocking projects out left and right. I got some done but nothing like I envisioned for myself.. With any luck, my last week will be less stressful. No more flu, no more breakups, just peace and tranquility. A girl can dream, right?</div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-33613756365663151512014-02-04T20:53:00.000-06:002014-02-04T21:24:03.145-06:00Control Freaks and Slut Shoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trying to make up for lost time, I've been sewing ALL day.<br />
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I finally started Bethany's graduation quilt. It's Angie Padilla's shoe quilt. Bethany wanted hers to be in pastels. This first block was super fun! I changed the yellow shoe's embellishment from some stacked layers of weirdness to a ruffled organza ribbon to turn it into a princess shoe. We're calling the purple shoe the slutty shoe. It's eventually going to have a button of some sort on the ankle. Or, maybe some studs. The shelves are ribbon.<br />
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This one is my Round Robin contribution. I need to find a button to add to the basket where the basket and handle hinge together. I have no idea what kind of button. I tried 5 different colors of buttons and none of it was great. The brown flower centers are some weird fabric I was "stretching my comfort zone" with. There's a reason we have comfort zones. We make mistakes when we stray from them. It's hideous but not horrible when cut up. We've got 3 teams of 8 people that will trade a 12.5" block at this next guild meeting. The next person will add the first border. Then, it passes to another person who adds another border. Everyone gets their turn with it until it comes back to me with 7 borders around my little block. I get NO say in what happens to it from here on out. Bethany thought it was funny that I'd allow someone else that much control. I was like, "Me? I'm no control freak." "Mom, you don't trust me to push the cart at the grocery store." Huh, I guess I need to reconsider how I think about myself.</div>
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Here's a random picture of my fabric bins that I finished labeling. I'm SO happy I did this. It's so much easier to just grab what I need. Especially since I've been doing so many scrappy quilts. The handled bins at the bottom contain my WIPs. The folded quilt tops next to the WIPs are all my awesome quilt tops that are patiently awaiting quilting. They may have to wait forever. I've got the binding fabrics stored with them and in some cases, I've even got the backer. Oh yeah, I also organized my pattern binders with dividers. I've got it all arranged by pieced, applique, kids, seasonal... that took a day. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eY3b6j1aEdM/UvGNG6_MdgI/AAAAAAAAByc/vqRnC5UpR0E/s1600/IMG_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eY3b6j1aEdM/UvGNG6_MdgI/AAAAAAAAByc/vqRnC5UpR0E/s1600/IMG_0019.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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This Sweet Lil Thing is going to be a baby for Rich's brother. They're having a little girl in April. I'm hoping to get it done in the next 2 weeks before I head back to work full-time. Scrappy quilts take SO MUCH longer to cut. This thing took an entire day to cut. Finding the fabrics, cutting the tiny pieces. Jees. I think it'll be adorable. I am NOT doing prairie points. Just putting that out there.<br />
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I finished Rich's niece's graduation quilt top last week. I fixed those 2 pesky messed up blocks and added some borders. I think it turned out pretty cute. I think I'll be able to do the quilting by myself. I tried to free motion quilt Hunter's graduation quilt this week. I was going like gang busters for one row. The second row skipped tons of stitches. It sucks. That was one of the things I really wanted done before I went back to work. He graduated a year and a half ago. I think I'm going to have to admit I can't do all that stuff myself with what I've got. Damn. I read a quote the other day that said they gave themselves permission to suck. How freeing that must be.<br />
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On Sunday, I had fun with some friends at a Super Bowl Mystery. We got small clues throughout the day telling us what step to take next. It started with a jelly roll and a yard of fabric. I love my fabrics. It's always difficult to go on faith when you don't know what it's going to look like in the end. There's that control freak coming out again. Damn. Now it's in the quilt someday pile. </div>
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This project has been a lot of fun! I'm following Little Miss Shabby's blog. Once a week she is posting a cute little cross stitch pattern of a quilt blog that measure about 2". I love it! These are the first 2 weeks. I was super excited this Monday when she posted the newest one. It's eventually going to be a square of quilt squares. Cute, cute, cute.</div>
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-13990366421839291962014-01-26T19:41:00.000-06:002014-01-26T19:41:28.505-06:00Yay For More Time Off<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe my lay off was about to be over! I got my new schedule the other day and found out it was extended by 2 weeks! Yay! I feel like I got a reprieve from the warden. I've got so much to do still! I deleted one of the games off my phone so I would stop wasting so much time. Between phone games, flu, Rich and Bethany's birthday and wrangling teenagers, I'm not getting much sewing done.<br />
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I made this Turning Twenty quilt a LONG time ago but stopped before I put on the borders. I had myself convinced that I didn't have enough to do the inner border. So, I waited and waited until I could buy some more fabric. Then, the other day I got it back out and realized I had plenty to finish it. Doi! I don't know what I was thinking! I guess, sometimes you just need to step away from something. It's Alice In Wonderland for Sierra. She's always been a big fan of the original story. Not Disney. That was important to her.<br />
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I've also been doing some organizing. I labeled my fabric boxes and added a few more (the picture shows about half). This took WAY longer than it should have. My first batch printed wrong and I didn't have any more labels. So, I waited to get more. Then, they printed wrong two more times. Geez! The labels have little butterflies around them. Much ado about nothing, I just keep doing these crazy little things that suck up all my time.<br />
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Not to mention, the couple of hours I took to re-design my blog and set it up on Bloglovin.<br />
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I've also been organizing my DMC thread. I'm slowly adding to my collection every week. I did try to buy an American brand, the one they sell at Hancock's. It was terrible! Really rough thread. Won't be doing that again. At least I tried to give them a chance. But, the French know what they're doing when it comes to embroidery thread. I'm interested in trying Cosmo brand some time. It's pretty big on the internet but I haven't seen it local.<br />
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Then I finished two more tulip blocks. It doesn't seem like much again this week. I did some painting, too but I'm not ready for pictures yet. I took 3 large wooden circles and drilled holes into them to make giant buttons. I did this like, a month ago and just painted them today. They are a HUGE mess. I'm just not sure what direction to take with them. We'll see.<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-74283499342180561582014-01-24T08:08:00.001-06:002014-01-24T08:11:08.753-06:00<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2997612/?claim=g37z3s7kqmb">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-81545672497937763492014-01-21T10:17:00.001-06:002014-01-21T11:29:57.947-06:00Lazy or Productive, I Can't Tell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's funny, just yesterday, I was berating myself for not getting enough done last week. My lay off is half over and I have a big list to get through. Then, I downloaded my pictures and realized that I wasn't quite as lazy as I thought. What a relief.<br />
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Rich bought this table runner pattern for me for Christmas from Shabby Fabrics. The mystery package I found with a Shabby label was patterns!<br />
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Lesson learned with the rickrack. Do NOT trace pattern with Frixion pen when you really need to glue down the rickrack and heat set before sewing. Yep, next time, I will definitely think first. Yep. Next time.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O6mrpc_Z1Is/Ut6OOKtnUCI/AAAAAAAABqQ/TjNWEIOjkoc/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O6mrpc_Z1Is/Ut6OOKtnUCI/AAAAAAAABqQ/TjNWEIOjkoc/s1600/003.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>There were a few things for work as well. I made Lemon Angel Food cupcakes with a raspberry topper. They were cute but didn't taste that great. Honestly, I don't get everybody's fascination with angel food cake. Not my favorite but several people request it at work. I thought the lemon would jazz it up some. Nope. I tried to get root beer extract yesterday for Root Beer Float Cupcakes but our local store didn't carry any. I ended up making a peach dump cake. I was good but not blog worthy.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PWoyiKHTg2s/Ut6WVEKzhFI/AAAAAAAABrU/ebNaDRNVEqw/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PWoyiKHTg2s/Ut6WVEKzhFI/AAAAAAAABrU/ebNaDRNVEqw/s1600/004.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>I finished Chad's baby quilt. His baby girl is due in February and they're naming her Ruby. I've had this pattern for years just waiting for a reason to make it! I love the way it turned out. He even said they considered doing her room in ladybugs. Ahh, babies.</div>
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Our guild had a challenge this month to finish up to 2 quilts. You only had to finish a project that you had about 30% done. And, really you didn't even have to have it quilted. You could just finish the top. I quilted this HST quilt from before. I think I should have gotten points for having it quilted. Everyone said they liked it but I didn't place in the challenge. A couple people were surprised it was mine, thinking the colors weren't me. I guess they are pretty subdued. I was thinking it was pretty grown up for me. I guess nobody equates me with grown up :)<br />
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I also made this little needle wallet for my secret pal. Her nickname is Lollipop. I love it. I have the same one but in cupcake fabric. I was tempted to keep this one, too. Hopefully, she will liked it. It's a new week, a snow day, and I've still got a half dozen or more projects to finish up. And, Rich's brother is expecting a baby girl in April. I'd like to have that one done before prom season, so I best get to gettin'. Hope you're all having a creative New Year!<br />
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-60554696043495116152014-01-11T19:15:00.000-06:002014-01-11T19:15:00.119-06:00Excuse Me, It's Rabbits. Not Bunnies.<br />
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I finished all the blocks for Rabbits Prefer Chocolate. I've been calling it Bunnies Prefer Chocolate all this time. Oops, how embarrassing. Not really. This one is Rich in his little race car. The car number qualifies for the diamond shape of our President's Challenge. I asked him what number he wanted, he asked for 24. I guess that's the number of a famous Nascar driver, which is funny, because he does't watch Nascar. Whatever, man. I embroidered the number in Emerald before I remembered that my other bunny is supposed to have an emerald necklace. Oh well, it looks fine anyways. Besides, there's no telling if I'll actually remember to buy the emerald necklace.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZePmCoxc68/UstO-1EsC2I/AAAAAAAABpk/F-ba3FvAdAE/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZePmCoxc68/UstO-1EsC2I/AAAAAAAABpk/F-ba3FvAdAE/s1600/018.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Here's another 3 blocks that I've finished recently and not blogged about. I don't think I have anyways.<br />
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And, here's everything put together. I'd like to mention, all my pieces fit together appropriately. Thank you, thank you. No applause, just money. I really should have planned better and gotten my border fabrics first and then worked them into the main part. Hind sight and all that. The picture shows a dark pink inner border, a brown outer border with pink scallops appliqued on it. I'm pretty sure I can still get the brown and white polka dot that I used for a few of the bunnies. There are't any pink pieces left big enough to do either of the borders, so I'll have to buy that. I don't know if I want to applique a border. It's a lot of work. But, I fear the cuteness factor will be diminished if I don't. Le sigh. Le pout.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-88285385449893359202014-01-06T18:45:00.002-06:002014-01-06T18:46:09.404-06:00Just When I Feel Like I Know What I'm doing<br />
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I volunteered for layoff this year. It's such a great deal for me, I couldn't resist. Rich isn't a huge fan but he's living with it. He really likes having a stay at home wife. Old habits die hard, I suppose.<br />
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Layoff started the week of Christmas so, I didn't feel like I'd have tons of extra time to make presents this year. That totally stressed me out last time.<br />
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Instead, I did something for myself. I made this kit while I worked at Sweet Annies' using some of my all time favorite fabrics from the shop. It's sat in my cupboard for years. I did the center applique earlier this year and finally finished the rest on my first week of layoff. And, like all my well laid plans, I jacked it up royally. Just when I feel like I know what I'm doing (quilting wise), I prove myself wrong in the worst way. First, I mis-cut those rose colored pieces. Naturally, I only had just enough and I'm too cheap and lazy to go search for more. It's from Moda's Aviary and is probably 10 years old. So, I pieced the pieces and fixed the problem Then, when I put everything together, I cut off my corners like crazy! Squares in squares suck! Seriously, I did such a terrible job! The picture doesn't give enough detail to see how bad it is. I've never been good at them. I followed all the tricks. I made sure my 1/4" allowance was a scant. Nope. Most of my corners are gone. Good thing this one if for me. It's embarrassing. But, honestly, aren't the colors pretty? I wish I could live in a world colored like this.<br />
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Then, because it was Christmas, I started a fun Christmas project. Again, Carol had given this to me years ago as a gift. It's so pretty. The pattern shows it in pinks and mauves but I chose to do blues and greens. It's gonna be great. But, now that the season is past, I find I'm not so motivated for this project. Well, at least I've got a whole year before I'd use it. And, yeah, I'm going to regret embellishing it before quilting but I just couldn't help myself.<br />
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I've also been doing some much needed organization in the basement. It seems like we do this every year and it never sticks. This time, I put away all the Christmas decorations in red/green bins. Then the fall/ Halloween decorations went in purple bins. I need one more blue bin for Easter. Valentine's Day, St. Pat's Day and Americana already had their own bins, they just got labeled better. Labeling the quilt boxes and sleeping bags is going to help a lot when I'm looking to change out my bed quilt. I also found an old glass bowl that was my mother's. I'd been afraid to have it out when the kids were young. So, that was a nice treat to come across. Now, if I can only get people to put things away where they belong! The other half of the basement is still a disaster, but that's for another time.<br />
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Rich's niece, Megan is graduating this year. I started worrying a few weeks ago that I didn't have a plan in place. She likes Peter Pan but no one answered my request for PP fabrics from their stashes. The only stuff out there in Etsy/ Ebay land were really childish. So, I settled for her school colors, red and white. The pattern is called Money Business. I'm thinking about calling it 12 Monkeys Sitting on the Bed. It took one day to cut. I wanted to do only one piece of each red in my stash. I needed 144 and I only got to 98 before I had to double up. Dang it! Now, I need to find the outer border for it. The pattern suggests 2 yards but I'm having a hard time believing I need that much. The inner border is 2" and the outer is 6. And, not that I've been staring at the picture, I realize I put the wrong blocks on the top row, last two blocks. Dang it! Insert head explosion here. I do NOT want to tear into that thing! But, that does explain why I ran out of the right type of blocks in the end... Again, just when I feel like I know what I'm doing.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-74101360713390555002013-12-28T08:19:00.000-06:002013-12-28T08:19:00.265-06:00So Many Bibs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kammi liked her baby gift so much, she hired me to make an elf bib for Christmas. And, I made Ethan wear it.<br />
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Kammi with her peas and carrot bibs that I made for her baby gift. I made her wear them. The picture of the John Deer fabric books didn't turn out.<br />
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My supervisor, Donna, liked Kammi's gift so much, she hired me to make peas and a strawberry for her granddaughters. And, I made Ethan and Bethany wear them.<br />
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Then, my co-worker liked Donna's so much that she hired me to make 2 more strawberries for her granddaughters. Hunter and Sierra were no where to be found. I think they caught on. Drat.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-49497668243511271462013-12-21T08:05:00.000-06:002013-12-21T08:05:00.691-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finding a Christmas tree this year was challenging. We have tall ceilings but limited floor space so we like them tall and skinny. After the dead tree from a few years ago, I've been lobbying for a fake one but the kids are completely against it.<br />
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They did go to our usual tree farm to look but they just ended up goofing around. <br />
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You can't see them, they're hiding. I'm really surprised we didn't end up with the giant mushroom tree. I wasn't there to stop them and they've had their eyes on it for years.<br />
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I made more Princess pins. And, still haven't cleaned my house...<br />
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I know, I know, I need to finish a few projects before I start more! But this was a Christmas one. It just felt right at the time. It's freaking me out that the door is off center. Crap.<br />
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My latest Tulips and Hearts. Explain to me why I chose that bright green ribbon to be a stem with that dark green leaf. I think that'll be a redo.<br />
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-66995271405877701612013-12-14T07:50:00.001-06:002013-12-14T07:50:16.777-06:00Christmas Has Vomited All Over My House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Is it just me or does everyone get obsessed over projects. I can't paint very well, but I insist on trying. My friend Judy, from CA, is really, really good! She used to make these super cute gumball machines out of clay pots. Before we had Pinterest to give us all these ideas, mind you. She made me an adorable one with strawberries once. My kids promptly broke it. So, she showed me how to make a watermelon one that they also broke. I so badly want to be as good as Judy. It's not gonna happen this month. Mind you, I haven't tried since my New Year's experiments.<br />
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For our guild Christmas Party, I signed up to provide a centerpiece. Last year it was the Gingerbread House, this time I made snow globes. I hadn't done one before and wasn't completely sure how to go about it. I kind of meshed the gumball machine with a jar snow globe craft I saw. Then, I decided I should make 2 smaller ones for my secret pals. So off to Joann's I went for my supplies. Then, off I went another day for something different. Then, off I went for more because I didn't like the combos I had... you get the picture.<br />
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After much, driving to Fairview Heights, I finally got them finished to a point I wasn't completely embarrassed of. Tole painting is not easy. It takes layers. Lots of layers. And chocolate breaks. Lots of chocolate breaks.<br />
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Please note my 2 little old ladies. Quilting buddies hanging in the park, grabbing a snack before finishing their fabric shopping. My people.<br />
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So anyway, this project got spread out ALL over my sewing room. Then, we put up the tree and it took us a week because we're all too busy. Now I have cookie supplies, gift parts and pieces, unfinished cards, wrapping paraphernalia and various Christmas flotsam and jetsam (aka Christmas vomit) littering every inch of my house. Merry Freakin' Christmas:)Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-77875042192009525202013-11-23T22:25:00.000-06:002013-11-23T22:25:00.240-06:00The Triangles Never End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember all those half square triangles? The guild is doing a UFO (unfinished object) challenge in January. I think they said your project has to be 30% pre-done and then you have to finish it by January. They don't even expect you to quilt or bind it. Done. I'd been saving a big piece of this batik for just the right project. I really like the way this turned out. The fabric always reminded me of my mom. It's got all her favorite colors in it.<br />
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Oh look, I still have more triangles. Now what? I'm considering gifting them to a secret pal. Maybe. And the next time I need half square triangles, I'll count them first.<br />
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I slowed down a lot on my wedding quilt. The blocks get more and more complicated as I go and I'm running out of fabrics to use. I still really like it, but I'm not sure how many more I'll be doing. Since I've been trying to use the fabric I already have as much as possible lately, I've heroically stayed away from the fabric stores. Well, except to get lady bug fabric and mini strawberries. But, I really <i>needed</i> those.<br />
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This is what I have so far. Now that I look at the picture, I guess I'll at least be doing 3 more or I'm going to have a funky shaped quilt. Maybe 4x4 with an appliqued border. I've never done a serious appliqued border before. Not really looking forward to that but just a plain fabric border would be all wrong.<br />
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One of the girl's at work got married a few weeks ago. So, I made cupcakes, naturally. These are white cake with strawberry compote and a creme fresh frosting. The hearts are white chocolate that I spray painted gold. Yum.<br />
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And, then for Corey's birthday, I made the Guiness cupcakes with toasted marshmallow cupcakes. These were a little disappointing. I really expected a strong beer flavor but they were just chocolate with a little something different to them. Hunter really liked them. He pre-ordered them as his birthday treat. For my boss, Dearyle, I made Snicker Salad. That was probably my favorite.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-37358848861445721822013-11-17T21:37:00.000-06:002013-11-17T21:37:35.250-06:00 Babies Are Everywhere!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-11V7GJLl5gk/UomCcGxYx3I/AAAAAAAABk0/6wjh2qv_lfc/s1600/photo+1%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-11V7GJLl5gk/UomCcGxYx3I/AAAAAAAABk0/6wjh2qv_lfc/s1600/photo+1%25281%2529.JPG" /></a> I've been making lots and lots of baby gifts lately. And, I just realized I didn't take a picture of the bibs I made before I gave them away! Dang it! They were really cute.<br />
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My co-worker Chad and his wife are expecting a baby this spring. It's a girl and they are going to name her Ruby. I was super excited to finally have a reason to make this lady bug quilt. All that's left to do is applique lady bugs around the outer white border. Gonna be awesome.<br />
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I've been putting off finishing my dresden plate quilt. I'm never sure why until I work on it some more. Turns out that I hate doing them. I suck at them... My corners aren't pointy, the blades are uneven. Then there was that awkward moment when I realized that my template plastic wasn't heat resistant... Crap. Now to buy more template plastic and some iron cleaner. At least I have everything but the centers done.<br />
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I have a ton of blades left over and I was planning on using them for my niece's graduation quilt this May. But, now that I hate dresdens, I'm now sure what I'm going to do. Her school colors are red and white.<br />
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So, I also made 2 fabric John Deere books and 2 bibs that I forgot to take pictures of. And, they were so cute, too! One was a carrot and the other was a pea pod. I know! Adorable!<br />
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Then, I made monkey cupcakes for her office baby shower. They were banana/ chocolate chip with nutella frosting. They were so good. I missed the baby shower on Thursday (my day off) and brought them in Friday. I won't be denied my food day. But, guess who called off sick on Friday. Yeah, exactly. I stayed up until midnight for those damn things, too. Ugh.<br />
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Now, Kammi's birthday is this Wednesday. I bake for everyone's birthday but since she missed her monkey cupcakes, I'm not feeling very generous anymore.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-4427485002195524072013-10-19T23:09:00.000-05:002013-10-19T23:09:00.141-05:00Bunnies Prefer Chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our guild's President's Challenge this year is pretty complicated. You need:<br />
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1 diamond shape<br />
2 different quilting techniques<br />
3 colors, 1 has to be emerald<br />
4 types of thread and<br />
5 different fabrics.<br />
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Sharon Noffsinger is lending me her Bunnies Prefer Chocolate pattern because she's awesome. I think with a little tweaking, I could turn it into my challenge entry. No idea where to put the diamond shape, yet.<br />
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Every block is both pieced and appliqued already.<br />
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I've got way more than 3 colors. I think I'm going to give the biggest bunny an emerald necklace to wear.<br />
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I will have cotton piecing thread, I applique with silk, then I already have pearl cotton and regular embroidery floss on them.<br />
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And, I think each block has at least 5 different fabrics. Easy, peezy, lemon squeezy.<br />
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Here's the story. It's illegal bunny racing. So, all the chicks kind of have this serious look in their eyes. Almost mad. There's a lot of jelly beans at stake and they take this stuff seriously. Not to mention, the bunnies are the over lords of the whole operation and they resent them.<br />
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The bunny riding the rooster is the foreman. He's a real bad ass.<br />
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The large bunny with the tulips is the master mind. She's making bank on everyone's misfortunes. That's why she's going to have the emerald necklace. It'll be tasteful but expensive.<br />
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So far, I'm about half way done. And I LOVE it. It's a lot of fun to do and I'm digging the little story that I gave them. It makes the project all the more fun. There's even a bunny driving a race car. Oh, I think I'll but a diamond shape on his car with a racing #. Done.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-61070341006250298422013-10-09T22:37:00.001-05:002013-10-09T22:39:43.660-05:00A Start to Bitch Is Crazy<br />
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My friend Marsha, from work is on vacation in Hawaii this week. She's had to sit next to me for the better part of 2 years. Yeah, she's had to put up with me for that long. Can you imagine? She deserves a gift. I'm going to miss her now that she's been moved across the room. So, I made a bag for her to take on vacation. She seemed to like it a lot. I liked it a lot. It almost became M for Mantz instead of Marsha...<br />
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My first installment of Bitch is Crazy is sort of done. I thought I was done but now that I look at it, I think I'm going to have to embroider all the seams instead of just a few. So, the color scheme is peaches, plums, and nectarines because it's one of the many crops they grow in the San Joaquin Valley. There is a rose colored block on the far right that is the exact color of carpet I made my mom buy in the 80's. We were awesome. I embroidered a peach because my mom's favorite scent of potpourri was peach. Our house always smelled like peaches. 4534 is the street address of the house I grew up in and then later raised my kids in for 7 years. The rose in the center represents the rose bushes that Rich bought me for every Mother's Day. I also beaded flowers along one seam because I used to garden in California. I don't in Illinois because my allergies are too bad. And, it's humid and gross here...The heart buttons are for the friends I had there. I miss them tons. So, I guess we can call this the Fresno block. <br />
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I was SO inspired by our guild meeting last night! This lady named Teajuana Mahone came and spoke with us about making scrap quilts. She was fabulous! So, this morning I started back on my strip quilt pieces. I've been saving all my strips for a couple of years so that I can make stuff from Edyta Sitar's Friendship Strips book. I'm sewing them together by color, then cutting a block for the houses and diamonds for 2 other projects and then the triangle. I bought the templates forever ago. So far, the red strips are done. There's enough to make like, 6 red houses. Now I'm thinking that if I buy the book for my secret pal, I could gift her some blocks, too. She could make the same quilt of cut up the pieces to do one of other quilts.<br />
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Like I said, I was really inspired by Teajuana. So, I made this mini quilt out of left over HST from the tree quilt I made this summer. Also, one of Edyta's books. I used one of each color and the borders are also left over from another project. The fabrics are also used in the HSTs. I love that border. Reminds me of my mommy. Imagine that the binding is done.<br />
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And, these are the left over HST from the tree quilt and mini quilt. I'm trying to decide which project I want to use them on. There are a lot of options. Should I do the baskets? Or, the squares surrounded by triangles? Hmmm. They're all pressed, de-papered and organized by color. All I have to do is square them up and sew them to somethin.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-57573591789907613382013-09-14T08:13:00.000-05:002013-09-14T08:13:00.215-05:00Caution: You May Get Lost In Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continuing with the finishing....I added embroidered embellishments to my wedding quilt. Feel free to skip to the end if you don't care.<br />
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The pattern shows a lot of these as quilting motifs. I turned them into embroidery.<br />
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My friend Sharon let me use her Bunnies Prefer Chocolate. So, naturally I started another new project. I couldn't resist. It's SO cute.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-15875405479748920502013-09-09T07:53:00.000-05:002013-09-09T07:53:04.773-05:00Finishing A Few Things<br />
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I know, it's been awhile since I've had a blog moment. I intend to write every weekend but life interrupts. Not to mention, now that I have an iphone, I realize how much my laptop sucks.<br />
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So, life's been pretty weird. The kids went back to school. Hunter brought home pink eye. I've been in the thick of summer wedding season and that's working it's way into fall wedding season. I think we had one slow week somewhere in August.<br />
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All that hasn't kept me from my stitching. Maybe, slowed me down some. I've been mostly finishing things up.<br />
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I added the red rim and white blanket stitch to my strawberry vase mat. I think that's a big improvement. And, I am currently happy with something I've made. Mark your calendars.<br />
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Then, I did some lacy embroidery on my strawberry valentine. This was supposed to be due this month at TAS but is now extended to October. I hope the other members do their funky fat quarter challenge. I'm really interested to see what everybody came up with. Then again, I've won a few challenges by being one of the very few participants...<br />
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Sure, I finished some things. But, that didn't stop me from starting a couple new projects. This is from <span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.elefantz.com/">Elephantz</a></span>. Check out her awesomeness at her website (link provided). She's all about applique and embroidery. Imagine me liking that.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2OMAv4xwtlA/Ui2-PZ3xTdI/AAAAAAAABgQ/LR-fTfnm4F8/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2OMAv4xwtlA/Ui2-PZ3xTdI/AAAAAAAABgQ/LR-fTfnm4F8/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s4wLTYMacz8/Ui2-QkqzLEI/AAAAAAAABgY/4tnxEjOAPXE/s320/009.JPG" width="320" />Then there was the pink eye. I had to replace all my makeup so, I decided to make an new, pink eye- free makeup bag...I think it's still missing something. I think I want to add some vintage/ rhinestone buttons. I'm not happy with my creation, things must be returning to normal.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014438428529687489.post-67345284429035322982013-08-03T22:18:00.000-05:002013-08-03T22:18:02.976-05:00A New Month, A New Day Well, I knew I'd been in a slump but this is ridiculous. It's like I have nothing to show for a month of my life.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mgUoVleqE5Y/Uf247hQHneI/AAAAAAAABfM/YDkjCaalasI/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mgUoVleqE5Y/Uf247hQHneI/AAAAAAAABfM/YDkjCaalasI/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a>On July 3, I started to take some medicine to get my migraines under control. Before I knew it, I was almost comatose. I've never been so sick. Rich had taken the kids to Iowa for 4 days and I was supposed to use the time to be creative and awesome. Nope, sick and depressed. I put new shelf paper in my cupboards...it had been 10 years after all. And, I bought a new butter dish. It's really cute. That's what I did when I was on my own, without cooking and laundry for others. So, I stopped taking the pills after a week. There's one week of my life, I'll never get back. Then, another week to start to feel better. Then, the migraines came back. I guess I don't know what happened to the other 2 weeks, they just disappeared.<br />
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I did make a table runner out of the left over blocks from my
brother-in-laws wedding quilt. Thinking ahead for fall. Not my thing
but Rich loves those colors. I really like the fabrics when I look at them individually. Great, rich colors.<br />
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<br />My mother-in-law gave me poinsettias for Christmas and they came in that cute white vase. It's been sitting empty on my table since they died. I was SHOCKED at the prices of plastic flowers! You used to be able to get them so cheap. So, I waited until these went on sale 70% and did the whole arrangement for under $15.<br />
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The table mat with strawberries is from the book my friend Donna gave me. I did the daisy block a couple months ago from the same book. I don't feel like it's finished. My TAS friends felt the same way and helped me come up with the big finish. I bought some red felt to do a "rim" around the bottom. It should cover the stitching underneath and give it the little extra something.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ulW4k95R1w/Uf26VI6SZZI/AAAAAAAABfo/bgRaPweHf7o/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ulW4k95R1w/Uf26VI6SZZI/AAAAAAAABfo/bgRaPweHf7o/s320/003.JPG" width="240" /></a>Then, more strawberries. I started Strawberry Social by The Pattern Basket. I think it's going to be super cute when I'm done but it's so monotonous! A couple here and there and I might finish it some day.<br />
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I have really slowed progress on my own wedding quilt. I still love it but I'm getting a bit bored with it, too.<br />
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Now I'm trying out a gluten-free diet for the migraines. That's depressing, too. I love cupcake lab. A lot. It's Rich's fault, he suggested I give it a try. I was gluten-free all week, gluten on Thurs and Fri and migraine by Sat. 2 weeks in a row. Ding, ding, ding. Now to find out how to live without wheat. Most of the pre-mixed flours contain soy. I'm allergic to that, so I'm going to have to go into Missouri to find special flours to mix my own. Tonight I tried a pie crust. It's weird. Whine, complain, whine, pout.<br />
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This is August, and August is a new month. We bought an awesome new bed and each day I'm going to wake up feeling better. And, feeling better is going to turn into feeling creative. Feeling creative is going to make me awesome.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07502937690636142540noreply@blogger.com0