Christmas is in the air!

Our Christmas card for the year. A definite favorite. My awesome sisters Michelle and Marygrace came up with the idea. My kids are hams and are always up for a chance to play!

My Swap Questionnaire

What are your hobbies? I really enjoy sewing though I haven't had as much time to do it lately. I also like crafting things. My new found love is the website Pinterest! 

What are your favorite colors? I like shades of blues and greens.

Do you collect anything? No

Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? I am allergic to cats and dogs but only if I am petting them and then rubbing my face.

Do you have any pets? I have two Italian Greyhounds, Rocky and Jelly. You can scroll down my blog to see a picture.

Coffee, Tea, or Chocolate? I love Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Coffee or Mexican Style Hot Chocolate.

What do you like to read? Since I use it to relax I like to keep it light. Mostly chick-lit stuff like Sophie Kinsella. I do adore anything written by Jodi Picoult.

Do you prefer Cookies or Candies as a sweet? I am not much of a sweets person. However I do like the new salted chocolates/caramels.

What is your favorite holiday treat? My moms rocky road candy recipe.

Describe your favorite holiday tradition. Helping my sister bake so we can put together treat trays for friends and family.

Did you believe in Santa as a child? I knew and liked the idea but I always knew my parents got me the gifts.

When do you open presents? One on Christmas eve and the rest on Christmas morning.

Do you put up a tree and when?  If not, how do you celebrate? Yes. We usually put it up a few weeks before Christmas This year I am getting it out after Thanksgiving because it looked so nice in our home. 

Does your tree have a theme? No. We just get things we like and make it as sparkly and colorful. The kids love to help decorate.

What has been your favorite gift to give?  to receive? Any gift I can give to my kids to see their eyes light up.

Making myself something pretty

Last night I decided to dig into my stash and make myself a dress from a pattern I found on "You Can Make This" website. I have some fabric I received from a friend that I love and I have been kicking around the idea of making myself some clothes. The patterns on that website are from people who make them and I find them the easiest and highly detailed patterns around. I leave for Vegas tomorrow so let's see if I can get this sewn up by then. When I told the hubby what I was doing he just chuckled in disbelief. Grrrr...

..

Of course I do this while other project sit waiting. As usual. I finally finished quilting the quilt. It's on to binding. Ran into a minor problem with the photo I transfered. It didn't take so it started to peel. So I decided to applique and hand embroider the baby's name over the offending hiccup. I hope the crisis is avoided but I am bummed. Pictures to follow.

A couple of things I'm working on...

It's been forever since I've blogged. I'm horrible at it I admit. In any case I have been sewing away and creating some new things. First off I finished the last Flirty Apron Swap and created this for my swap partner...

This was a fun swap and I used the A is for Apron book I won in a blog contest last year. I used the kitty fabric as a base. From that I pulled all the different coordinating fabrics I used in this piece. It came out great. I know it's bright and vibrant and not demure but neither am I. I hope it went to a good home.

In return for all my efforts I received an incredible apron from my partner. I was in love with this thing the minute I saw it. So was everyone else in my family. Isn't it great?

In between I have been sewing up some things like an apron for my mother. I also embarked on my second/first quilting project. Before I left Illinois and my job, a co worker began to teach me the techniques of hand quilting. That technique got a lot of attention as I nursed myself back to health from a broken ankle I managed to obtain in early November. While working on that quilt I had a move across country to my hometown of San Diego. That project got pushed to the wayside and I began working on a machine quilt for my best friend who is expecting her first child in May. I am nearly done with the quilt. It has been a task. Quilting is not easy and I had to go a little fancy for my first try. I am currently in the final stages of the actual quilting of the quilt sandwich. It's not terribly pretty or accurate but not bad for a first time around. Here are a few pics of the quilt before sandwiching...

Since this is a quilt for the baby my mom suggested I put a photo of the parents on it. So I asked my BFF for a few pictures and then choose my favorite without telling her what it is for. I hope when she gets it she'll like it.

Below is a picture of the full top. I used Michael Miller fabrics and Kona cotton that I purchase way back in December before I knew what I was going to do with them. I absolutely loved this fabric. There is a lot to be said for a high quality fabric. It really makes a difference. I think

I may want to try making myself a small quilt to keep so I can partake in its loveliness. I was thinking of using the idea from Sew Mama Sew's Quilt Along.

A photo of the back. I used various pieces of the top pieced together.

So as you can see I have been busy. I ended up doing a basic stitch in the ditch quilting for the main blanket. Then I chose to do a meandering for the border. It has been a test. It's a lot of fabric to twist, push and turn through my machine. Not easy and not perfect but the meandering nature of the quilting on the border makes me think of animal tracks so I think it kind of goes with the quilt. I have to finish one border side and then add the edging. Once it's done I will wash and take final pics. I hopes it's something I end up really proud of.

Another Swap!

I was so sad I had to miss the Christmas Swap with our big move back West and all the holiday activities. So I am jumping back in!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I entered this giveaway. I have twins that would love something like this (I'm thinking Christmas presents) so I'm hoping for the PDF of the pattern!!!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

A Monday Worth Going to Work for

So overall I'm having a pretty good morning. Yesterday I completed my first 5K. I (a self pronounced no-runner) have been diligently training for the past 2.5 months. I found a great weekly podcast to download for my Nano and it has taken me from barely being able to run for 90 seconds at a time to jogging an entire 5K. This was a major task for myself as I am a woman of rounder proportions. Yet I was determined to set this goal for myself and acheive it! I've really surprised myself at what I was able to accomplish. On top of that I had some trully amazing friends and family support me all the way. I feel so incredibly proud in the fact that I made others proud in my accomplishments. Special thanks to my loving sisters, two of which successfully completed a HALF MARATHON!!! just last weekend. They were with me all the way and many times when I didn't feel like getting out to train I would think about having to tell them and it'd would motovate me out the door. My thrid sister who was at the race with me and her lovely family yesterday cheering, hugging, praying, and snapping pictures of me. My wonderful friend Jen who is a maranthon runner came out and ran the race with me. I know it had to be hard for her because I am sure i was turtling in comparison to the way she runs. Yet she stayed with me and kept me going step by step. I love that girl. Finally to my own family. My 4 year old twins running to give me a great hug at the finish line and my wonderful husband for telling and really making me feel like he was proud of me. I am hoping that I am starting to set a good example for my little ones. They were a major reason why I did this. I know they are far too young to understand the significance but I hope it plants a seed in their little minds.
So I head in to work today expecting a typical Monday. Well about a half hour ago a coworker comes in with a bag of fabric. In it was some amazing vintage bark cloth and old flour sacks. She said her neighbor had a garage sale and she was getting rid of her mothers old stuff. This wonderful co-worker ended up buying a bin of this miscellaneous cloth and went in and took the stuff she was interested in out. She is giving me the rest of the fabrics to me to do with as I desire. She brought in a sample of the fabric and I just about died of excitement. I am so sad I didn't bring my camera with me but as soon as I go home I'll snap some pics and share my finds! Until then have a great day! I know I will!