Celtic Knots

Let's Talk Business...

2012-02-12T21:20:00.000Z

Just a little one...I am selling some of my cards locally and getting some commissions and it is fun and a way to make a little extra money...to pay for more of these goodies I keep wanting!

Here are some of the cards I have been doing over the last few weeks...they are my favorite projects to make, especially since two little girls keep you busy...they don't take me as long to do as page layouts do! Um yes, these are only from the past 12 days, I think I may have some issues, I just can't stop creating!!! I work on these as a part of challenges at the papercrafting community (attached to an awesome shop!) at Flying Unicorn Forum...then I see if they can be sold at the local art gallery or cafe here in the village!!

I have also done a few layouts so far this month, and hope to get a few more done!

I've done a few quilt blocks this month, and have done a bit of knitting but we've had a nasty flu going through the house for the last few weeks and we are just nearly recovered, so hope to get a routine back of a little crochet, a little knitting and a little quilting each day as well as my paper crafting!!

My picture a day isn't the most creative, as days when I have forgotten to take creative photos, I have just been taking crafty project photos, I need to get better about them, and hope to update here soon! My weight loss is stalled but not going up, so that in itself is a positive!

Hope to get better at this soon, I would love to have a routine here too!!

Unity Stamp Challenge: New Beginnings

2012-02-12T21:00:00.000Z

Here is a card I would like to enter into the Unity Stamp challenge with the theme of New Beginnings...an engagement card!

I used Authentique paper and my one and only nestability die, Labels 1!

Crafty Update

2012-01-30T10:52:00.001Z

Still have good intentions of doing more blogging this year, really I do!!

My weight loss is moving slow but going in the right direction...I haven't really focused yet this year. Still down 20 lbs since last September though and that is great!!

Haven't been doing enough knitting to give an update but will change that in February! Here is where the first sock I owe my friend is...I am nearly ready to turn the heel on this one!!

I am also slowly adding a block here and there to this quilt, but have done no quilting on the quilt frame...that will change in February too, going to make these part of my routine and stay away from the computer quite as much in the evenings!! I am sure I will be on computer a lot still, but will make sure I spend some time crafting too!

I have of course been doing a ton of cards and layouts in my scrapping obsession.... I was wondering, should I add some Irish Paddy's Day cards to my never been used at all Etsy shop?? I have a few here I would be happy to sell if anyone is interested in them...it would help support me in my new crafty endeavors...

I also have these Valentines themed ones:

I have started selling my cards at an art gallery and in my favorite cafe I go to each week :) I sold some over Christmas and a few commissioned ones so far, even the postlady bought one and then our delivery postman ordered one after seeing hers, love it!! These are the ones I sold to them...

I've also had several cards and a layout published in Enchanting Creations magazine...this layout (p. 60)

and these few cards: (pp 104-107)

There are so many other layouts and cards I've been working on this month it is ridiculous!! Eeks, I think I might need to slow it down a bit...There are still about 20 more cards I haven't shown but will stop now! Yes, it has taken over my crafting world, and to get a bit of income from it is awesome, of course I reinvest it into more supplies! I'll put a few collages of my January projects down below...

Tags and Other Projects...

Layouts

And a FEW cards, yikes!!!

I promise to try and get into a rhythm soon of posting more...don't give up on me yet!

One More Entry for Unity Stamp KOM challenge

2012-01-30T10:15:00.000Z

I had one more card that fit the challenge so wanted to enter it! A little Valentine themed one! Another crafty update coming up soon!

Publish Post

Unity Stamp KOM Challenge for January!

2012-01-15T11:11:00.000Z

I have been enjoying receiving my kits now for two month and wanted to join in this challenge! Here is the card I created based on this sketch

There is always more to learn about stamping clean images but getting better each time I try...

I used my first nestabilities dies (labels 1) and tried out the stenciling with distress ink for the first time...I like the texture it gives!

Hello 2012!

2012-01-06T09:35:00.000Z

I have great plans to do more blogging this year...

Wait, hold on, stop rolling around on the floor laughing!! I will try to do a weekly post on quilting progress, one on knitting, a round up of my cards and layouts each week, my main obsession these days... GREAT PLANS, I tell ya!! I am also taking a photo a day, and will do a blog post once a week to show those :) I'll be uploading them each day on Facebook too, so friend me there if you wanna see life in Ireland, the mundane, the pretty, the rainy...I am constantly aiming to lose weight and struggling in that battle but will try to journal that too in here...

So for now, I'll start with a collage of projects I've done since January 1st... I am a bit of a crafting fiend in between tidying the house and taking the kids around...

Here are my photos of the day so far, haven't snapped today one, but will be of the girls putting the Wise Men in the Creche before we take down the Christmas decorations tomorrow :)

The usual stuff around here this last week of holidays for the girls: playing, reading, crafting...mommy and girls having a nice chilled second week off after the hectic week before! One last playdate before school and the usualy frenzy continues...

Today we are finally emerging from the house after a few days of complete hibernation to go shopping for clothes and for goodies! Dave and I are both down a good amount and Fridays are our splurge day, so a nice treat for dinner, and our swimming and movie night planned for later too....a good way to end the holidays!

Unity Stamp November Challenge: Let it Snow

2011-12-14T19:57:00.000Z

I wanted to enter this card I did using Unity Stamps I just got in their November Kit of the Month. I used the snowflake background and sentiment from the set and Bo Bunny Snowfall papers.

I am just loving the style of these stamps and it could be very dangerous shopping too long on that site, but check it out!

November update!

2011-11-18T12:25:00.001Z

I sure do let weeks go bye without thinking about my poor neglected blog... My quilting and knitting have taken a back burner, but I am still working on some projects...I've recently restarted a hand pieced hunter star project, and promise to take some photos soon...

As usual, I am always working on cards and paper crafting projects...here is another collage of many items I did for challenges on the Flying Unicorn forum... The owner, Alda, is always hosting challenges each month with excellent giveaways, check it out here...

I also decided to enter this tag in a challenge on Scrapbooker's Anonymous to use 7 or more ribbons on a project...I have one that is turned into a rose, one glued to the tag and 5 at the top of the tag!

I also was invited by a lovely friend to join another great site, that I am just getting to know...Bella Creations

Here is a card I made for the Voila ink! group on the site...it needed to use Crimson, White and Gold colors and inking...I used a stamp and clear embossing powder to stamp the butterfly script stamp and then inked the background with fired brick distress ink and sprayed it with autumn maple crimson starburst spray from Lindy's Stamp Gang...

My oldest girl, Aine has just turned 9 and we threw an X-Factor Pizza Party for her...here are some photos from the party...lots of craziness!

I Lied...

2011-10-20T22:02:00.001+01:00

What am I like? More than a month since I updated my blog... I should just give up, except I like using this as a record of my projects as well as saying hello to folks out there! Let me just do a quick update on my scrappy projects, which take up most of my creative time, though I am knitting, crocheting and sewing still on a weekly basis!

I have been published again in September Enchanting Creations magazine, which is associated with my favorite online scrapbooking store, Flying Unicorn...

The themes this month were Famous People from History (Jane Austen layout) (page 13)

and Steampunk creations (matchbox) among others... (page 21)

I was so excited that both my entries were chosen for the magazine this month, my last month's submission wasn't selected. I find it a great challenge to turn in an entry each month, and hopefully some months they'll be published, some months not...it is a great way to learn!

I am always working on cards and projects for challenges on the Flying Unicorn shop forum... It was the first place I found that offered free worldwide shipping, lovely things to buy for my scrapping obsession, and some amazing artists to help me learn the ropes of my new hobby... There are generous prizes for several challenges each month, and so I always try to do as many entries as I can... Here are a number of my cards, layouts and other projects that I have done since last I updated...

I'll take some photos of my quilt I just finished hand piecing and some of my knitting and crocheting projects soon...ish!

One thing I did actually do was start losing weight...joined Weight Watchers again and down 16 lbs!!

Change of Plans...

2011-09-05T10:43:00.001+01:00

My blogging is very sporadic and when I do update I have to do mega updates to catch up with all the projects...or big photo mosaics like this of the cards and projects I've done since my last update.

Here is one: lots of cards, some Halloween and Christmas ATCs, some matchboxes, a notebook and a tshirt!

My idea is to update more often, probably not daily, but a few times a week with shorter projects and updates... Sewing, knitting, papercrafting progress...another go at trying to lose weight again...some fun crafty shopping updates...wish me luck!

Exciting News!

2011-07-30T01:39:00.000+01:00

The layout that I made for the magazine challenge for Enchanting Creations, won the giveaway and was published in their magazine! I just started doing layouts in May or June, so am beyond excited that they added my layout to their magazine! Here is an image of the page with my giveaway goodies and my layout!

I have done a few layouts this month...here is one I did for a challenge that wanted you to cut a photo in an interesting way...I made waves for this lake cruise layout!

Here is a second one I did for the same challenge...

I got a few cards done lately as well...

I did a bunch of gifts for people and made lots of simple vintage tags...

I received this gorgeous steampunk tag made from the top of an altoid tin!!

Since I am so new to papercrafting, I have only joined one forum, the one attached to my favorite store, The Flying Unicorn Store! I joined them because I was so excited to find a scrapping shop in the States with free International shipping for orders over $75 (and sometimes for lesser amounts on special sales!) I have really appreciated the inspiration and challenges that the members of the forum and the design team and shop owner Alda have set up. They did a flower swap last month which I joined...I showed my flowers last month, but here is a photo of the gorgeous flowers I received!!

I have joined two swaps this month, due in August, a Butterfly embellishment swap, here is one of the ones I will make, a crocheted butterfly!

I've also joined a stick pin swap on the forum! I have had such fun doing these and am now waiting for some more pins and beads to finish up some more!

I got inspired this month and made this canvas as well...I used Lindy Stamp Gang stains and sprays, Tim Holtz goodies and stamps... I am pleased with how it turned out!

And I still managed some quilting! Two liberated checkerboard blocks for the Block Lotto.

And two Lady of the Lake blocks for a swap that Katy and I have been doing, one for me and one for her!

I need to work on my double sided quilt some more and my Rouenneries quilt! I will do some hand sewing on a DJ lap quilt I am doing while we are on holidays...

Sorry I tend to do so many picture heavy posts... We head off to Cornwall this week with Katy and family and can't wait to see everything, but we have already researched some shopping sites too!

Catching up with myself!

2011-07-09T14:52:00.000+01:00

Well, I continue to learn and create with my papercrafting...days are flying by this year, busy with activities and daily life in general with the girls!

I have done a few more cards! I had started to put them up one at a time until I realized there were way too many since last I posted and didn't want to bore you, so here is a collage of cards I have made :) I was doing a Christmas in July challenge at the Flying Unicorn Scrapbook Store forum, in case you were wondering about the Christmas cards!

I haven't done very much work on quilts this past month, but I have done some patchwork baskets and about 5 hairbands for Aisling and the girls friends. I think all their friends will expect a headband whenever they come over for playdates now...maybe I shouldn't have started doing that! Here is a collage of the baskets I have done for thank you gifts and birthday gifts for teachers and friends and kids friends!

On this scrapbooking site I participate in now, they are doing a flower swap...in June I produced 48 flowers to swap, yikes! But I do get 48 flowers back...that is very exciting!! Here is a collage of most of mine, though I did miss out on photos of a few!

I have also worked on a few more page layouts... This is an 8 x 8 inch layout of a favorite W.B. Yeats poem, Stolen Child... made as a thank you gift for a friend...

This next layout is my favorite so far, made for another challenge...

I am having fun learning as I go!

I also did one more vintage tag with my favorite dress form stamp!

I have been having lots of card and tag making sessions with the girls friends, here are the girls and a friend sporting some tags they made...

Being here in Ireland, we miss out on the 4th of July, so in honor of the day I worked on this layout of Aine in 2008 at an Oregon 4th of July parade!

I have plans to do a few quilt blocks this month and work on a bit more of my big Rouenneries quilt...and some hand piecing and quilting...but nothing big and beautiful to show. I don't think I will ever give up my quilting, knitting (still working on those socks....slowly, I promise!) and now crocheting too, but right now I am loving my new hobby!

Dave is in the States for work but will visit my brother in Baltimore...I may have done a little (LOT!!) of shopping for some big and small items...Dave is bringing an extra suitcase for me, bless him! I also have some orders coming here to show in the future as well, lol! Looking forward to our holiday in Cornwall with friend Katy and family, there will be some sewing, and shopping as well as other fun things I am sure!

Hopefully it won't be so long between posts next time!

Blog Hop at my favorite scrapbooking store, Flying Unicorn!

2011-07-02T17:45:00.001+01:00

I am a bit under the weather today, so am having some sofa time while Dave and the girls have gone to Waterford for the Tall Ships festival! (nothing MS related, just tummy bug...)

As many of my followers here might have noticed, I have definitely let papercrafting take over my life since February and back in May I discovered an international friendly scrapbooking store, which offers free shipping on orders over $75 and from time to time special days with free shipping with no minimum! Flying Unicorn has tons of paper, embellishments, stamps, all kinds of goodies!!

And this weekend they are doing a blog hop with a grand prize of a Silhouette SD Die Cutting machine!! This is the same machine I have using for my tshirts and cards, it is awesome! Have a look at the store and the forum and join in to see if you could win!! The blog hop starts at the owner's blog here...

Time Sure Flies!!

2011-06-11T23:54:00.000+01:00

...when you have small kids! How did it get to be mid June already?

I have been crafting of course, still mostly cards and some scrapbook layouts to show in this post, but I have also been working on ballet legwarmers, my crazy Beowulf socks, some more Block Lotto blocks and have even completed a baby quilt for no specific baby! My first quilt top finished with no destination...I feel so productive! Now if I can just get some more movement on the Rouenneries quilt top or the Ocean Waves quilting....

Here are the Block Lotto blocks I've done:

May Blocks: Pineapple Blossom

June Blocks: Simple Rectangle with focus on color...

I like the simplicity of the rectangle blocks and decided to do a baby quilt size quilt in gender neutral colors...here is how it turned out!

Now for the slightly insane amount of card making going on since the last time!

Here are some communion cards...

A collage of a bunch of Father's Day cards, teachers thank yous and birthdays...

Some thank you cards for Aine's Communion gifts with a photo of her stuck to a magnet backing for everyone to put on their fridge if they want...

She was so beautiful on the day...it inspired me to make my first scrapbook layout of my favorite photo!

And I also had to do a scrapbook layout for Aisling!

So I have been working away and we have been busy getting ready for Aine's First Communion and little party afterwards... Next week we have visitors from the States for the week and lots of sightseeing, and the day after they leave we have Aisling's birthday party! No rest for the wicked, but I go at my own pace and we still manage to get it done.

Tagged!

2011-05-21T12:04:00.000+01:00

I have really gotten into making tags, though I have still only completed 3 so far, each time I have a little more stash to use and have fun with! Keep going after the tags for some more quilting and knitting bits!

This is the second tag I did

I used my distress inks and the new homemade glimmer mists I concocted! I sprayed my lace a combination of a broken china/perfect pearl mist and peeled paint/gold glimmer mist and love the effect! I have a lock and key set of brads, some paper flowers (Graphic 45 stock kraft flowers), some fun fibers, a few charms from jewelry I bought hung on a garment pin... There are some new stamps used...I love the clock and ruler ones!

This is my most recent tag...

This one is using even more new stash: distress inks and glimmer mists again...Tim Holtz stamps, gorgeous black lace, a sticker from Tim Holtz Crowded Attic set, more jewelry charms and tons of fibers...there is some Basic Grey bling on it too... I am not sure what to do with these other than clip them up and look at them, lol, but I love them!

I have also done a ton of Communion invites as well...

A birthday card...

A few more birthday tshirts were made!

And to prove I still do quilt, here are some 16 patch blocks I am doing of the Rouenneries line...love this fabric... I will quilt each square one at a time and join them together...good way to practice my machine quilting without wrestling a huge quilt through...and can do different patterns on each square...

I am also producing more pairs of ballerina legwarmers...

And a friend of ours taught the girls and I to do some felted covered soaps! And they also got in on the card making excitement last week...

Somehow I also made a little doll for Aisling from a kit we bought last week too...

No rest for the weary here...getting last minute things organized for the Communion next Sunday...the girls are also doing their ballet performance for the year in the local university theatre the day before...nothing like a busy weekend! Hope to do some more papercrafting this weekend, and some knitting! Catch up with you again soon, I hope, and say hello when you can!

My first vintage tag ever!

2011-05-04T17:02:00.000+01:00

I am still learning, but am having fun! Would love to hear what you think of it, but be kind!

I am really getting into the papercrafting and have been buying a bit too much ink and stamps and other goodies...a whole new craft to collect supplies for!! I have also been organizing them into my crafting space.

This is my homemade version of this expensive Clip it Up! It uses things we already had here, so it was free: an IKEA towel rail and some curtain clips to hang my stamps and goodies with! We have sloping ceilings in that room, so it makes good use of the space.

Here are the set of yummy inks I invested in...it was cheaper to buy the set, I swear!!

I used my Silhouette to print out the names of the inks and to cut around them...I also used a Xyron sticker maker to make them into label stickers...then I inked each label to show me the colors of the ink pads from the side!

Here are a few more bits I have gotten... I have been buying other things here and there but small things...so forgot to photograph them! Here are some gorgeous Tim Holtz stamps...

Here are some Tim Holtz stickers (can you tell I like this guy's design range!??) and a bunch of tags...all the bits to get started!

I need to do some more communion cards soon, and some more birthday cards...but going to give a go at making a few more tags too...need to get some of those glimmery shimmery sprays I keep reading about next...sooo many things to buy...just need to win the lottery!

Moving Along...

2011-05-04T16:34:00.000+01:00

My new hobby has me starting from scratch buying gorgeous supplies and I am going to go broke quickly if I don't calm down! I am budgeting myself a certain amount monthly for new yummy goodies for my papercrafting obsession... And I am thinking about seeing if anyone is interested in trading some scrapbooking goodies for some indie dyed sock wool...I have so much in my stash that I will never be able to finish knitting with! I will probably see if I can sell some on Ebay or Ravelry...I really see so many things I'd love to get, but would need thousands of euros to get all the things I am coveting! Gotta start doing it little by little, but I will sure have fun doing it!

I have been buying more than making in the last weeks, though I did manage to get a few Easter cards done...

Another set of ballet legwarmers started...

And a pillow for our cute little 3 year old neighbor, Lucy!

We went over to a friends house and did some not so wonderfully felted covered soaps, they were a lot of fun...You wash your hands with the soap and continue the felting and when the soap is gone you can make a little something with the felted fabric left behind! Thanks Jessica for having us over and teaching us some wet felting!

I have also started back to doing a bit of quilting on my frame...got one celtic knot motif done on my ocean waves quilt...

And also started a new quilt for our bed (still haven't finished a quilt for our own bed!!) It is going to be a simple squares quilt again...out of my favorite fabric line, Rouenneries! I am loving simple after doing the Dear Jane! I will be doing this one in quilt as you go method with 16 patches and scraps of batting...batting costs a lot here and I am frugal! I will also try to use the smaller quilting areas to practice some other types of machine quilting other than meandering...any suggestions for an improving machine quilter to try next after meandering?

I am walking without a crutch, but I am still sore at the end of the day, but improving each day! Stay tuned for an insane blog post next with lots of shopping goodies which I hope to see start arriving next week!

Tshirts and cards!

2011-04-13T09:29:00.000+01:00

Up to my usual tshirt making for birthday presents and for friends!

Finally got some great packages from my mom with some card making supplies, so tried out some embossing and made some of the cards without the Silhouette...

Two simple cards using embossing on the sentiments...fun!

This Hello Friend card is all digital, the paper and the sentiment are printed out...then I used a corner rounder and sewed around the edges...I like the way it looks, will do some more digital cards soon!

Another kids birthday card using the Silhouette...

Got a few more blocks done for some swaps... Here are some block lotto blocks and a lady of the lake block for Katy... She was lucky enough to win the red and white blocks this month!

Here are this months block lotto blocks I have done, Modern Clover blocks designed by the above mentioned Katy!

Our quilt group made dozens of quilts on our charity day, and I quilted about half of them and bound about 4...here is one of them ready for hand finishing...

I just finished a baby quilt for our neighbor and hope to work on a quilt for my own bed this week...will hopefully come back with more updates on those in the next week or so...

Aisling has hurt her knee landing badly on a trampoline, so it is off to the doctor today we go...have a feeling we'll have to trek to town for xrays later...what a limpy pair we'll be today, but I am moving around much better now, and DRIVING woo hoo! More soon...

Getting a bit of crafting done!

2011-03-28T00:03:00.000+01:00

Well, I am moving a lot faster now and with a lot less pain, and the physio told me why my tendons have been damaged...I have hyper mobility in my joints...double jointed in my fingers hips and feet...all my life, and apparently the wear and tear in my feet (because apparently my right foot is heading the same direction as my left which had the surgery...) has worn the joints and stretched out the tendons... who knew! But hey, I am still moving and can now do some exercises to help strengthen the tendons and prevent or postpone the need for more surgery... Of course I haven't been listening to the physio and doing as much of my exercises as I should, and have been known to walk without my crutch which I shouldn't be doing quite yet...need to be better!

I have kept on doing my crafting, though I have now moved most of it back upstairs...I have starting making space for all my new paper crafting supplies I hope to get lol! I did get my goodie package from Jennifer McGuire, lots of yummy clear stamps!

Considering I have none, and these average about $12-15 a set, it was a generous package!! Now to get some ink huh? LOL!!

Our neighbors had a new baby boy a few weeks ago and so a card had to be made!

I also loaned them the moses basket I made just before Aine was born...my girls and many friends and family have used it and I am very proud of it...I also made baby William a few baby vests/onesies... I found out my Silhouette is quite good a cutting out fabric with a bit of heat and bond ironed onto it...very nice for baby onesie shapes!!

Dave's musician brother has a birthday coming up...

Aisling also went to a party and I made a tshirt and card for the birthday girl, but forgot to take a photo, gasp!!

My birthday was last Friday and I got some lovely gifties...a lovely pitcher and a quilt block for our swap from great friend Kate...

My local friend Kathleen knit me this beautiful hat!

Today I have been holed up in my sewing room, re making blocks for the January Block Lotto...my 2 of my 3 envelopes never made it to their destination.... I have made new blocks for the two ladies who never got my first set of blocks...

I also made a bunch of baby vests for Kathleen's (see knitted hat above, lol) friend's new baby Sadie... I tried out my new flocked black heat transfer vinyl and used my Silhouette for some of them!

Yesterday, Saturday, our local quilting group did a charity sewing day for children with Cystic Fibrosis, we made 12 quilts! I did free motion quilting on 4 of them during the day and bound two of them...will show photos later, but here are two quilt tops, generously donated by Kate.

Last but not least, I sent a bunch of fabrics over to friend Helen who is starting to make a Dear Jane quilt like I did... I might have a bit of fabric to share, lolololol...was able to make her 40 fat eighth pieces with my bigger bits of fabric! She sent me back some interfacing to use for stitchery and this gorgeous kit to make!

No major updates on the quilting end, are you getting tired of cards?

2011-03-14T12:19:00.000Z

I have nothing new to show for my quilts, but check out this new boot I am sporting... I started walking a bit too quickly on it and might have done some damage, so am back to a milder pace of walking, but can now put some weight on it and walk around with one crutch...

I have made some progress on the crazy Hwaet socks! Here is my start I have made...

I've started on yet some more legwarmers for a friend of the girls who also does ballet...

Here comes some more tshirts done for some birthday kids we know!!

I also have done a few more birthday cards, LOL!!

Paddy's Day card for mom!

Gina in WA, there was no way to reply to your comment (no email attached!) and you don't have a blog listed, but I have to agree with you, I am probably posting so much more this year because this cast and surgery are forcing me to sit still!!! With MS you get a bit more tired than you used to (though that could be age and activities too!) and last year I was busy all the time, but chose to ignore the blog more often and keep up with the girls and their activities....I did keep crafting, but not always things that were that interesting to photograph weekly! Once I can walk properly again I will probably not update as often, but hope to keep it too once a month at the very least!

I found out last week that I won a goodie package from a favorite new cardmaking/stamping blogger, Jennifer McGuire, I am so excited and dying to know just what is in this goodie package!! Will show you guys next week.. I am definitely getting into this whole cardmaking thing bigtime....I just keep adding cool blogs to read, anyone know of any cool paper crafting blogs?

A few more cards and a finished quilt!!

2011-03-04T15:03:00.000Z

Here are a few more cards I've done in the last few weeks...

A card for my Yoga teacher friend...I used the negative of the die cuts to make this card, so have them to use again in another card! I put some patterned paper behind the cardstock...I am still learning my way!

Here are two birthday cards that I made using a font and typing in the number 8 twice and joining them together...I put the girls names into the patterned paper to personalize them....

Aine had her First Confession this week...I did a simple card for her and made the scallop pattern up myself in my die cut machine...learning how to weld shapes in the software!

I am waiting for some other supplies I ordered from the States soon so I can do some stamping, embossing and other fun cardmaking ideas I've been learning about... Can't wait!

Here are a few blocks that I've done for February and March for the Block Lotto:

String Hearts for February

Disappearing Four Patch for March...

I am having fun doing some different blocks each month, and I will have a chance to win some blocks each month...no luck my first two months, but will keep my fingers crossed for March, I like the simple but interesting blocks!

My friend's chemo quilt is done!! Need to get some nice Irish Barry's Tea and some crunchie bars to put in the box and then it will be ready to send.

Hope it makes it there safe, some of my January blocks from the block lotto haven't made it to their destinations yet and I'm not too happy about that!

I've started on some crazy complex socks for a friend of mine... They are called Hwaet socks...they have the middle English words for Beowulf on them!! Here is a photo of the socks the designer has done...will show mine after I've made a little more progress, just finished the first line of words! If you are interested the link to the pattern is here.

Doing much better this year at keeping this blog updated, I hope I can keep on doing it! I should be able to start putting some weight on my leg again next week, my six weeks of hopping are nearly done, woo hoo!! More soon...

New Obsession!

2011-02-21T09:44:00.002Z

I got my Silhouette Die Cutting Machine a few weeks ago and really went to town testing it out the first week…Check out some of the things I made!

First Project: A simply made but complicated cut birthday card for a friend!

A design for my netbook in vinyl…not quite ready for wall art yet, the original reason I wanted this machine! I had seen many people creating cool word art for their walls in vinyl using this machine, and really wanted one!! I bought some regular vinyl, some frosted vinyl and some white heat transfer vinyl…check out these amazing tshirts that I have been able to make for the girls :) I see many birthday presents for parties in the future!!

And here are some cool frosted labels for some glass jars…

I’ve also realized that this machine is great for cutting shapes from cardstock, and hence my newest obsession has started: cardmaking!! When I saw how easily I could make really cute die cut shapes on the machine I have been reading tons of cardmaking blogs to get inspiration…so far I have been watching tons of you tube videos these two ladies have made about card making and scrapbooking…
Remember, I look like this at the moment…

…so I have a lot more time on my hands and I am afraid I have lots of time to go shopping online too! I have ordered lots of card blanks, stamps and other goodies to add to my current small sampling of paper and supplies I already had…You will probably see finished cards being added to my finished projects on the blog!
Here are two more cards and a gift tag I have made so far…

I have managed to finish some other projects though too!! Here are Aisling’s legwarmers finished…

And wonder of wonders, I have actually finished this hand pieced and hand quilted drunkards path quilt I started ages ago! This will hang in the guest bedroom at some point…

I have also finished the quilt top for my friend going through chemo…working on the freemotion meandering now…ugh…hate wrestling the quilt through my little sewing machine!!

So, as you can see despite the hopping along, I am still managing to get a little bit done, as well as the bit of housework I can manage: dishwashing, cooking and laundry… I am having fun being served my breakfast and SUPERVISING all the sweeping, mopping, and bathroom cleaning. I do admit to helping reorganize the playroom while scooting around on hands and knees, I couldn’t take the clutter…Dave and the girls were cleaning the room by stacking things in the corners and in cubby holes…ugh! Only a few more weeks of staying off that leg (move to a cast with a boot for walking next) so guess I should live it up while I can! Friends are picking me up a few times a week for trips to a local cafe and for patchwork group, so am getting out a bit!
Guess I better go, we have friends visiting today and want to get some stuff done before they arrive! Hope to hear from you!

Just limping along at the moment…

2011-02-03T09:38:00.010Z

Here is my current position at home after a surgery last week to help lessen the pain of a damaged tendon in my left ankle… Six weeks off this foot and a lot of hopping then I hope to do physio and strengthen this foot so I can do a little more walking for exercise again! Before I used to walk the girls to school, but never did any more than that as it was quite painful to walk on! Here’s hoping the hopping does some good! I want to be able to enjoy walking for as long as my MS lets me (and lets hope that is many many years to come!).

Since I can’t do a whole heck of a lot of physical stuff (I do dishes, washing and directing of kids and husbands!) I have managed to be productive on the knitting end…and finished a quilting project…

Some ballerina legwarmers have been knit…

A hat has been knit for a friend who is going through chemo treatments in the States…

And some baby onesies have been made for my dear friend Barbara’s new little girl Molly!

I hope to start posting lots more cards and creative projects in the future because I have purchased this lovely thing, which can cut out vinyl for wall lettering and tshirt transfer projects, paper, and even fabric now… I have seen many peoples creative projects with it all over Blogland and was totally inspired. It is coming over from the States and I can’t wait to start creating with it…maybe some vinyl wall quotes to put up first, or some cute tshirts for kids birthday presents…or some birthday cards…

My main priority for February is to make a quilt for that friend who is going through chemo…a blue and green quilt… I have gotten squares from many friends here and from Kate in England, so between my own and my generous friends I hope to get a good start on this quilt this week! I wish there was more I could do, but I feel like this is something I can physically do to help comfort such a faraway friend!

Starting Afresh in 2011

2011-01-18T08:25:00.000Z

I did manage to get a few project done for Christmas presents since I last updated...A few potholders...

And gave away some homemade marshmallows and cookies to a few friends...

But now it is the new year and I want to start afresh on a few things!

Weight Loss and Food! I have been so bad this autumn with my eating, I have gained back nearly all I lost last year! I have started the year by adding more fruit and veg, adding more water and trying to eat as little processed food as I can... I am starting slow but doing well so far... I'd love to cut right back on gluten and dairy, but will have to see how to do this in small steps, lol!!

Sewing! I haven't been using my sewing machine that often lately and I miss it! I have done some hand piecing and quilting but I want to do more machine sewing and finally start really quilting that ocean waves quilt I did ages ago, it has been on my quilting frame for more than a year with hardly any quilting done...

Knitting. I want to make several pairs of socks from the yarn I have stashed...I do not need anymore sock yarn...though I give myself permission to buy for other projects, like the legwarmers I hope to start for the girls...

I will be having that operation (postponed from last year!) to fix a damaged tendon in a few weeks and that has spurred me on to some productivity in the sewing room. I'll be on crutches for a few months and will need to live in our downstairs guest room. Dave will move down with me to keep me company, lol! I'll still be able to sew as my "pedal foot" will be fine, but I want to get a few of these things sent in the post before the cast keeps me from driving!

Sunday I sewed 9 blocks for my first entry into the Block Lotto. Katy has told me about it for years, and finally decided to do it...these Stacked Coins blocks would make a cute baby quilt...might have to make more of these again! If I luck out and win this months draw I can see some baby quilt tops being made and put aside to give to friends or donate!

Monday I sewed the pieces for a stuffed panda for a little boy I know... Here it is finished!

...and made two ballet bags with fabric I bought more than a year ago...the girls and their ballet buddies loved them, success! They are just simple drawstring bags using a Japanese linen ballerina print and linen ribbon also with the ballerinas...

I also managed to finish a little unicorn I started on A YEAR AGO for Aisling...finally got it out again while working on the panda and got it done. The lace mane and tail are lace from my Grandma Jones' sewing box, so it was nice to use them... I have one happy customer here who has recently lost both her front teeth!!

Today I sewed two Lady of the Lake blocks for my swap with Katy. I also will start working on a simple squares quilt made from my favorite fabric line: Rouenneries by French General... That one I can continue to work on downstairs when I am on crutches...I imagine there will be hundreds of squares needed to complete the top, since I want it to fit my queen size bed.

Hope to have more to show you next week!

I Brought Another Friend to the "Dark Side"

2010-12-05T15:52:00.001Z

Well actually there is nothing dark about quilting, except maybe the excessive fondling of fabric and desire to buy enough to run your own shop! This is my friend Kathy. She raided my stash earlier this year and started cutting out squares for her autumnal quilt she is making for her daughter...We took a break for the entire summer but we have gotten to the binding stage now and she has even done free motion meandering on the border...she is a natural...just look at the lovely quilt she has made! That makes two of my "normal" momma friends brought into the fold, lol!

I've also gotten back into a craft I was doing before the girls were born: basket making! Our local art gallery runs classes and had a daylong workshop last Saturday. Here are some photos from our class and my finished basket. My biggest project was the girls moses basket they slept in, I am so proud of that one, but was a bit rusty with the new basket...I hope to keep doing some more if they hold the classes locally again.

Last week we were invited last minute to the party of one of Aisling's friends brother...his first birthday! I whipped up this bib for him as a little present from what I had on hand!

Aine needed a costume for the Nativity play they are doing this year, something that looked like it would be appropriate in ancient Bethlehem...I used some nice woven fabric I bought in Sweden and made up this basic costume...she seems happy enough, and I didn't have to shop for anything new!

I need to get a move on for a few presents for this year: a hat for my mother in law, some ornaments, something hand made for the girls...hopefully I'll be showing those in the next few weeks here! I am still working slowly away on quilting my drunkard's path wallhanging, nothing much new to show on that front.

A package arrived recently from a new crafty friend, Tracy, who I met through her Google search for Nicholas Mosse pottery and somehow found my website. She found some of the gorgeous and expensive Irish pottery at a yard sale for a few quarters...lucky woman! She so generously filled a box with this treasure trove: quilting fabric and magazines, some lovely antiques, stuffed owl teddies for the girls...so many nice things! Thank you so much. Crafty folks are the best!

Unfortunately my weight loss hasn't started, I just keep caving in and eating poorly out of pure laziness...it is a real struggle at the moment! I hope I can get some progress made despite the Christmas season...before I have to buy bigger size clothes again, I refuse to do that!

Fresh Start!

2010-11-10T10:05:00.000Z

Welcome to my "NEW" blog!!

I have been a very bad blogger for a long time now and am amazed that I still have so many subscribers in Google Reader. For those of you who have stuck by me despite my horrible lack of posting, thank you very much. I am moving back to Blogspot now that it does some of the things I moved to Wordpress for (multiple pages mainly...) and can add some of the cool widgets that are coded in Javascript which Wordpress doesn't support (the LinkWithin thingie at the bottom of each post which I saw on many blogs and wanted to try out!)

I am fine! The MS gave me a scare in late July when I overheated and overdid it this summer, daily taking girls river rafting swimming and around town in 90 degree weather...for a week or so my right leg was weak and my walking very bad...dragging the affected foot behind me... I thought I would need a wheelchair to get me through the airport on my way home from the States! Luckily I rested and within a week or so I had improved and was able to get home no problem on my own! Had to learn the hard way that being supermama and overdoing in the heat (big enemy of MS) is not the way to go! Since then, have been running around like crazy for girls activities but at a more moderate pace and have been doing well. Unfortunately my eating hasn't been great, after a wonderful summer of weight loss and still enjoying my food, I came back here and started eating all the wrong foods...I put it down to being busy and lazy about healthy eating! I am hoping to make some changes, but will do them slowly!

I still quilt, stitch and knit near enough on a daily basis, even if it is just a row of knitting or a few stitches of hand sewing or quilting, I just have a lot of long term projects on the go, and not a lot to show even on a weekly basis, but I will try to pick up the pace. I do post very often on Facebook, though it is the whole rhythm of my life, crafty and kids and all else in between...befriend me there if you want, would love to connect there too...

Lets see, since our summer in Bend, I have finished a few things...

Mom's Monkey Socks

Drunkard's Path Wallhanging (and simple quilt for guest bed...)

Currently hand quilting the wallhanging...very slowly!!

Artist at work on her sock yarn painting, finished socks below!

I have finished Aisling's Kool Koolaid socks, hand painted and designed by the master herself . Since she painted a bunch of pink at one end and multicolored on the other end, she has one pink and one multicolor sock! I am doing these socks toe-up and two at a time on one needle, called the magic loop method. It is great since I get both socks done at the same time!

I have also taught a friend to quilt starting last June or so, she has just finished her quilting (taught her free motion quilting last week, she is a natural!) and we'll do binding soon! It is nice to ~~suck~~ bring friends into this lovely crafting ~~obsession~~ hobby. My little neighbor next door, Aine's good friend, and the girls have all been working on their own quilts as well... Just like my neighbor growing up helped me with my love of sewing, I am hopefully encouraging Aine and her friend (and someday Aisling if she wants!) to sew. Aine has even used the sewing machine on her own now (I thread but she lines up fabric and sews!), such a proud mama I am!! Next week I will get a photo of my friend and little neighbor and the girls handiwork but for now I want to get this post out!

Round in Bend...

2010-07-22T20:59:00.000+01:00

Dave headed home after the 4th of July and we met up with friends Kristin and Sarah the next week, we really enjoy their company and their great kids.

Thursday we met up with Sarah and kids and did a Dye Along at a ranch outside of Bend. The host, Pam, used to have a shop in Sisters called Baarbaara's Wild and Wooly, now she has a shop in her ranch with many many tempting things! I bought some yarn from wool sheared from her own and her neighbor's sheeps!

We had great fun dying our sock yarn! I used chemical dyes, but the girls were able to do their own sock yarn (to be knitted by mommy later) using Koolaid dyes! Thanks Pam for hosting a wonderful morning!!

We went to the Picnic in the Park the Friday before the Sister's Quilt Show, Alex Anderson was the host and buddy Ricky Tims was there as well. We saw many gorgeous quilts while sitting out in the park with our knitting projects! The kids had a ball playing in the playground with Sarah and Kristin's kids too, might have fit a little visit in to the Stitching Post as well!

[caption id="attachment_628" align="alignnone" width="510" caption="Click to see more photos from Sisters Show..."][/caption]

The Sister's Quilt Show was the next day, and of course that day was amazing with many gorgeous quilts!

I haven't visited some of my favorite shops here in Bend yet, BJ's and Sew Many Quilts, just pacing myself!! Could it be I have too much already, just don't need much more? NAAAAAH...

I have finished the first Monkey sock and am working down the leg of the second one, making progress...Here is a photo of the current one in progress, the other finished one is hiding somewhere!

But I am also learning a lot doing my newest project. Selbuvotter gloves, Annemor 18, they are progressing nicely, thanks to good advice and lots of questions to my friend Sarah...

I have also started piecing together my drunkard's path quilt, but showing you a row of 10 blocks doesn't sound too exciting to me, so I'll skip the photo!!

I have probably been doing too much in the heat and the sun and my MS is getting angry with me, so I have to learn to slow down in this heat. It is all a learning curve to me but I am still enjoying the activities and the girls are having fun, river floating trips, swimming pools, festivals, parks...it all makes for a memorable summer! Hope yours is going well!

On the Road...

2010-07-03T07:47:00.000+01:00

We have had an amazing road trip in the last week through California into Oregon, visiting Disneyland, Hollywood, Big Sur, Monterey, San Francisco, Napa Valley and the Redwoods then into Oregon and a visit to Crater Lake...Here is a collage of some of our photos...

I threw in some sock progress photos from Venice Beach, Monterey, Alcatraz and the Redwoods, lol The first monkey sock is progressing nicely, not much more till it is done...

I also found several knitting and quilt shops along the way, of course!! The first one is in Cambria California just before we headed to Big Sur, Ball & Skein & More, where I bought a great crochet kit for a market bag, some cool crochet hooks, and a skein of super soft alpaca wool sheared locally from two alpacas called Polaris and Pablo!

The next day we were at Monterey where I visited the quilt shop Back Porch Fabrics and had a wonderful visit to Monarch Knitting, where I bought yarn, needles and a book to learn how to do patterned Scandinavian gloves, Selbuvotter.

My lovely husband spotted the Fat Quail Quilt Shop in Laytonville where I might have picked up a few Japanese taupe fat quarters... Here is the photo of fabrics I got at Back Porch Fabrics, Fat Quail, and also at the Purple Pincushion quilt shop I spotted in our last road trip stop, Grants Pass Oregon!! Some taupes, and some sampler fabrics, and a few other bits...

I also happened to decide that I really needed a Jim Shore nativity set for Christmas when I was at Purple Pincushion! I didn't have one at home and had been meaning to get one and there really isn't a more perfect one for a quilter!!

I finished all my drunkards path quilt blocks while flying over to the States and have that top and the Dear Jane throw to hand piece together the next few weeks we are visiting, though I might look out for a yard sale sewing machine again this time... I doubt I'll have such luck as to find a three dollar Singer Featherweight again this time though.

Hope to show a finished sock and some quilting progress next week. I'll update after the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show!

I'm Going to Disneyland!

2010-06-20T22:54:00.000+01:00

Where am I going? I am going to Disneyland!! And then Dave and the girls and I are doing a road trip that will take us to Hollywood, Big Sur, Monterey, San Francisco, Yosemite, Napa and the Giant Redwoods, if we can fit that all in about 2 weeks! We'll end up in Bend Oregon where my parents live for the 4th of July.

So sorry that it has been over two months, so sorry that my blog hasn't been in my priorities for a while now...that needs to change again, I miss the community!! The girls are always keeping me busy, but I keep on with my projects and I am sure I can make the time once a week or every two weeks if I just do it!

Things are going pretty well...I had to postpone my foot operation because I would have had to cancel our US travel plans, the doctor didn't give me the full picture about the recovery time for it! I have orthotics to keep the pain away and will pace myself at Disney to be sure! I just had my MS six monthly appointment with the neurologist, and besides the bit of numbness in my right toes, and lack of graceful balance (not horrible, but not great either) the doctor thinks I am doing well, which is great! I have lost 32.5 lbs since February, and though I plan on gaining a few back in the next few weeks, I will be going to Weight Watchers with my mom in the 5 weeks we are staying with my parents in Oregon...

There has been some crafting going on:

I finished a simple squares quilt for our guest room. Eventually it will have matching roman blinds on the windows... I just did an allover meander and will NEVER put a big quilt through my machine again, ouch, my arm muscles hurt wrestling that through!

These are some knitted cotton scrubbies for a fundraiser for a local school...

Some baby vests for little Ruby...

I am also working away on my Dear Jane lap quilt with blocks that Kate and I have swapped...I have prepared all the setting triangles and muslin squares to make the quilt top and hope to hand piece that while in the States... I also have a small drunkards path wallhanging to piece together...only a few blocks left and then can piece the top which will be 30 inches square...

I've also started a knitting project for my travels, some Monkey socks for my mom!

I hope to update again soon with some highlights from our road trip, I hope to go to one or two quilting and knitting shops on the road, and get some car knitting done...car sewing...not quite as easy, and often painful on twisty roads, lol!!

I hope to update next in two weeks, not two months, cross your fingers for me!!

Hello Strangers...

2010-04-19T10:48:00.000+01:00

I have continued working on lots of projects since February, so this might get a bit picture heavy, as usual! I also had a lovely 2 nights away to Rome for my 40th birthday celebration (where I knit a sock at all the big sights to give my gimpy foot a rest and for fun!) and got some lovely gifts I'd love to show as well...

Here is a project I am so glad finally have finished, it is years in the making, my felted knitting bag! Here is the size prefelting:

Pattern: Constant Companion

Here is the finished product:

I have also been working a lot on some hand piecing projects: my usual, Dear Jane blocks, to finish up the blocks for a lap quilt;

a drunkard's path, made from fabrics and template that Barbara gave me as a lovely present when mom was diagnosed with breast cancer; it is really starting to look nice now! This is from a beautiful quilt we both admired on Supergoof.

and another block that Barbara gave me of an 8 pointed star pattern using Japanese taupes, on it's own the block isn't exciting, till you realize the lovely star pattern made when you put four blocks together!

I have some of these all in my handbag along with my sewing tin so I can pull something out when I have a few minutes and stitch away. I also keep my sock knitting in the bag...it is amazing what this smallish bag can hold!

I have started a pair of the very familiar by now Broadripple socks I have made several times for Katy. I used Cascade Fixation yarn, which is cotton and elastic as she is allergic to wool, poor girl! I am making this pair for myself, as I love the colors and I had to buy some spare yarn when making Katy's and had enough leftover for a pair for me. Here is the first sock...

Dave and I had a great trip to Rome for my 40th birthday celebration. It was amazing, we walked everywhere, and had great food as well! Like I said before I took along the sock and the hand piecing in my handbag. Wasn't as easy to hand piece around Rome, but the sock was dead handy to take out when we were resting in the sun!

Here is the progress at the Colosseum...

A little later in the afternoon at the Spanish Steps... (yes I am strange...I can't help myself!)

Heading towards evening at the Trevi Fountain...

A sock tour of Rome...

And here is a collage of a few photos around the city...

My birthday celebrations lasted for weeks and included a little party with my patchwork group, who instead of giving me a voucher for more fabric (I might have a little more than I need, just a little...they mentioned something about "bringing coal to Newcastle?") they gave me this beautiful fabric art done by local artist Lynn Kenny.

Katy gave me this lovely tree themed quilt, knowing my admiration of the tree as a graphic and as a symbol...she did it for an exhibit a few years back, but gifted it on to me, isn't it gorgeous?

I also got some gorgeous perfumes and some jewelry from friends and a beautiful Nicholas Mosse pottery bowl...I was very much spoiled this year!

In mid-February, I finally rejoined Weight Watchers, and as of last week I have lost 22 lbs. I still have a lot left to lose, but I have made some good progress, and have been doing a lot of swimming that must be helping too...add to that the constant activities of two small girls and lack of energy for big quilting projects, and you have my excuse for not keep up very well with this blog. I will try to be better, but hope you don't delete me out of your blog list even if my posts are sporadic...

I am lucky that my MS has been very much in the background at the moment. Unrelated to the MS, my left foot is finally going to be seen too...the arch has fallen and it has been more and more painful to walk on it the last few years. I tried to lump it in with the MS, but the neurologist insists that this is a totally separate bit of bad luck, having to do with mechanical damage...wear and tear and bad genetics causing the arch to fall, blah! I will be having an operation to remove the damaged tendon in my left foot, replacing it with another tendon in my foot, ewwww! I'll be on crutches for six weeks.

So next week I will be bringing down some of my sewing room, as Dave and I are moving into the downstairs guest room to save me hopping up and down the stairs all the time (his idea, how thoughtful, kinda makes up for a few of those golf widow moments...maybe 2 of em...) My right foot won't be in a cast, I can still press the pedal on the machine, lol! I will also prepare a bunch of hand piecing work to keep me out of mischief!

Until next time!

Popping in for February

2010-02-28T22:52:00.000Z

...just in the nick of time.

Here are those projects for the girls I had mentioned back in January...
Some headbands that I based off of one the girls received...

These are some very simple dolls I made out of the girls drawings, belated handmade presents for Christmas!!

Rereading my post last month, I have started making some of the changes I had hoped to: I joined Weight Watchers and so far so good, I am down 8.5 lbs and sticking to the plan. I am also swimming 30 lengths 4 times a week...I am drinking more water and adding veg and fruit to the diet... Here's hoping I can continue it. This week a year ago I was in hospital getting tests done that lead to my MS diagnosis. I have been very grateful to mostly have light symptoms, long may it continue and healthy eating and exercise should help it...

Again this month, I am mostly continuing projects already posted. I finished the red Christmas wholecloth quilt (photo later...), I started another set of the same socks, this time for me! I think I have done one or two more rows on that felted bag...and a few dozen more of the drunkard's path blocks!

Today I ended up being really productive with a few home projects that I had in my head for a while, using the gorgeous Rouenneries fabrics I bought when in DC in December... I covered the grotty seat cushion on a bench in the living room with a simple patchwork, and used scraps to make the tissue box cover...with a sensitivity to chlorine and a lot of swimming going on, I have a feeling I will be using lots of tissues!!

I am working on getting a dozen Dear Jane blocks prepared for hand piecing, I have decided to take the blocks from my swap with Kate and make a lap quilt, I always love to have hand piecing ready, so will enjoy finishing up those blocks.

Here hoping that it won't be another month before my next post, my 40th birthday is March 25th and Dave and I plan to go to Rome for two days (sans kids!) for my present this year, and no big party, not my scene, though I will have a meal or two out with friends and family!

Surfacing in 2010

2010-01-16T05:31:00.000Z

Boy I have really let my blog slip on my priority list! It is coming up on 2 months since I posted last. Again, I have been steadily working on a few little projects, hence finally getting up off my heiney and updating!

We have had a lot of extra time off of school, lots of sub zero weather and ice and one nice day of snow. Here is a collage of our snow day, the girls had a blast!

I finally finished the pair of broadripple socks I was working on for Kate's November birthday :). Yup, you have seen this pattern before, as they are a pattern made for the cotton yarn that I use and they look nice, so have done Katy three pairs!! (One for her 40th bday, one for an exchange and one for this birthday...hope she hasn't gotten bored with the design yet...next time a new design I promise, though I might make a twin pair of these socks in this pattern for myself!)

I finished the hand quilting on my tree of life quilt and love it. I took it on my week-long visit in DC in early December and finished sewing down the binding on the plane.

I also finished these two blocks which I am making for a Dear Jane themed quilt for President Obama with this Yahoo group. Took me ages to finally sit down and do them, but as of this week they are flying over to the coordinator of the group quilt in Tennessee.

My lovely friend Barbara sent me a quilt kit she made up for me of a drunkards path quilt, perfect for hand piecing. Again, I brought these for hand work on my DC trip in December and worked on them on the plane, in airports, on trains, and the odd quiet minute on the rest of my trip. I rented a car (a red PT Cruiser is what I ended up with, cute!) and saw different friends for lunch and dinner, I kept moving all the time and had a great time! I was glad though, after all that driving (from Northern VA to North Baltimore) that we had a break coming up from school and we could have lots of lazy mornings!!

I saw two quilting friends, one of whom was my best friend in kindergarten who after receiving a very imperfect quilt from me for her daughter a few years back, took quilting classes and is now the Vice President of her Northern VA quilt guild!!! Bonnie and I did a bit of shopping (including some really nice Donna Sharp handbags!)... I also got a chance to meet up with Toni in Mt. Airy and did a bit of damage in her quilt shop then went out for the yummiest barbeque I had in a long time!! Here is a pic of us at her shop, I am sporting my new patchwork handbag, lol.

Look at my haul!!

I have finally put my ocean waves quilt on my big quilting frame and marked the celtic knot design I wanted in the open muslin spaces. I have put in my first thread and hope to start doing at least one thread a day on the quilt. I am also working on a red wholecloth little quilt as well...

I am slowly working on a knitted celtic knot designed pocket for my felted bag I have been working on for years now it seems...nearly done with that one...woo hoo!

As far as resolutions for 2010 for me, I want to eat more healthily, swim more often, and continue knitting and quilting as often as I can. I am thinking of starting a Baltimore Album style quilt...but still a little scared!!

I was going to wait and post this after the weekend when I plan to finish a bunch of little projects for the girls, but this is getting way too long, so will possibly do another post on Sunday, imagine that!! I am not going to promise anymore about posting more often, I am just going to try! I am very active on Facebook most days if you wanna see what we're up to round here, click on the link here and sign up or add me as a friend!

No Excuse...

2009-11-25T22:59:00.000Z

Except just a busy life. The MS has been fairly minor symptoms, and even my worse symptoms I have had since February didn't compare to what got me diagnosed back in the hospital. I consider myself lucky. I have to learn to pace myself and I do get tired more easily if I push myself, but in the scheme of things I am grateful. I am still swimming but have struggled with my eating and am disappointed in myself because of that, I will be realistic and won't try to lose weight over the holiday, but just keep maintaining...The new year and my 40th birthday approaching in March I hope will spur me on to get fit again, it has been years now since I was slim and trim and I miss it!

Why haven't I posted in the last few months? The busy social lives of my kids, lack of energy when they are in bed... I have gotten quite a few projects moved forward and one very important one conceived and finished and loved since my last post...

My most special project I did was when I learned that my aunt's partner Ann lost her son in Afghanistan October 3. I felt the need to make a comfort quilt for her in memory of her son Aaron but wanted one I could reasonably finish before she and my aunt arrived for a two week visit in November. I remembered a heart block I had done using 1 inch blocks and translated the 1 inch blocks into 5 inch blocks, asked her favorite colors, and came up with this:

I did a meander pattern for the quilting and quilted in words that my aunt sent me that described Aaron along with the meandering. I think she liked the surprise of finding the words about her son in the quilt.

Here is a photo of the label I but on the back.

I have also been working on a pair of socks for a certain friend who has already received 2 similar pairs (I am afraid to change the pattern since they fit her well!) This is her second pair of birthday socks, though these ones will be late, I am aiming for Christmas!

This final project is one I finished piecing years ago it seems now, and pick up from time to time. I am doing freehand baptist fans on it and like the way it is looking. Not too much longer for this one, I hope!

I have finally put up my quilting frame again and have my ocean wave quilt on it. I will show some photos of that one soon, as well as the start of machine quilting on a simple quilt I did for our guest room... I really hope to get back into a rhythm of posting more often again.

For all my fellow Americans, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I plan on roasting a chicken and making a mini Thanksgiving for the girls and me tomorrow while DH is away on travel for work. A boy in Aine's class has an American dad and he has generously offered me a can of imported jellied cranberry sauce for the meal since I didn't get some for this year, woo hoo!!

More soon...or sooner than this time anyway!!

Still Here...Just Busy!!

2009-09-22T12:41:00.000+01:00

Making a stable of ponies!!!

September is always a crazy month for birthdays here...the last two weekends have seen the girls at 2 parties each weekend. Nuts!! Moms and dads are asking for less expensive presents as Ireland like everywhere else is in recession and presents can get crazy expensive, both girls have received some amazing things for presents, way above and beyond the call. This year I decided to spend time and not money on many of the gifts, speared off by one mom's search for a unicorn stuffed animal for her daughter.

I started off with a complicated pattern which I mangled, ripped and threw across the room, it wasn't pretty! Then I remembered lovely Tone Finnanger (aka Tilda) had a lovely horse pattern in her book, Sew Pretty Homestyle. Here is the first of the horse/unicorns with the Tilda pattern behind it...I changed it to a unicorn, and made it stand up (sort of!) what a lovely simple design!!

I forgot to take photos of all the softies, but I made one gecko, two ponies and two unicorns for all the girlies (one party was for twins in case you noticed 5 softies made for 4 parties...lol). Kids seem to love them, the girls made cards for them, so frugal gifts and cards, made with love by me and the girls together, rather than just buying cards and presents. I know there will be times when I am frazzled and just don't have the time and will buy cards and pressies, but I think I will try to keep up the handmade presents for a while.

The girls school, activities and playdate/parties, always keep this mom on the move (my Mondays are a nightmare, lol, with 2 ballet classes and a fiddle class, extra friends to remember to bring, and lots of killing time in 20 minute increments (not efficient for getting much done!) My crafting (except for party gifts!) has suffered for it. I really have nothing else to show for the moment...just a bit of knitting on my felted bag here and there, and a bit of hand sewing on my drunkard path blocks...

I do still work one day a week now at our local quilt shop. While cutting out fabrics for kits last week I had to take some yummy repros home with me...aren't these nice?

I am still swimming three kilometers a week, and still slowly making better food choices...hopefully this will continue. For all those friends that still keep reading my blog, despite the sporadic postings, thank you! I am so behind answering emails, but promise to get caught up again soon.

Edited to add: I survived Aisling's first day of school, she is liking it so far. Here are pics of the girls on the first day of school!

Lazy Days of Summer...

2009-08-26T00:26:00.000+01:00

I have been making some progress over the summer in fits and starts, but have found the lack of structure to the days to help me be very very lazy!! We set up play dates and swimming for afternoons and can often still been seen in our jammies here near noon! Nice for a little while but when you are mostly surfing the computer and moving slow, the guilt catches up with and so does the housework...

I have a few things to show though...

This is the drop stitch scarf and fetching mitts that I finished while on holidays in Portugal.

I found the patchwork scraps from the handbag I made and made some little accessories (no pattern): a keychain, zip bag and sunglasses holder.

I couldn't wait to make 50 gazillion double-sided blocks to see if I could piece them together the way I wanted, and felt my chest of drawers needed a runner, so I did a test drive on doing the sashing for the double sided quilt. I finished it all by machine, not quite the proper quilt as you go method for the last seam, and machined down the binding as well, which I never do...but all in all I like it. It isn't perfect but I like the wavy line quilting (great for imperfect quilters!) and like the way the runner turned out...here are some pics of both sides of the runner...

My friend Anne Marie is going to open up her own little shop over in Wexford and while I was up visiting her earlier this month I got these yummy fabrics and two patterns...

When my brother arrived last week from the States he brought me these...note the Fig Tree Quilt theme: 2 patterns from Anne Marie and now an FQ stack of Fig and Plum fabrics by Fig Tree Quilts (thanks Anne for selling these to me and throwing in the lovely Terry Thompson fabrics!)

My brother arrived last week and we have had great fun visiting with him. The lovely guy brought me my newest toy, a waterproof case for an Ipod shuffle. I have finally bought an Ipod and now listen to my music and podcasts while swimming my 60 lengths (1 kilometer!). I have a hard time walking for exercise these days, though thankfully it isn't an MS issue but a fallen arch in my left foot and the doc seems to think some orthotics fitted into my shoes will make a big difference. Swimming is something I've always loved and can do well, so for the last three weeks I've swam three times a week. I haven't started changing my eating habits yet (bro brought too much yummy food and margarita mixes!!) but plan to start when school starts next week. Watch this space for a hopefully shrinking Cathi as I swim and get my eating habits in order. It will all help with MS symptoms too...the healthier the diet the better they say.

I have started a new hand piecing project, a drunkards path that Barbara sent me the fabric and templates for back when I got the bad news about my mother's cancer (she is cancer-free for a year now, woo hoo!!). I hope to be able to show you the progress on that quilt as it grows slowly. I love to have a hand piecing project and aside from my sporadic Dear Jane blocks I am doing for my swap with Katy (latest block received from Katy below...)

I definitely like the look of the dresser runner I did, so will work on the full double-sided bed quilt this fall...But have an itch to start some new projects, hmmm...what will I do next? Something with that yummy stack of FQs?

My youngest, Aisling, starts big school next Tuesday. How does time fly by so fast!??

My First Ribbon!!

2009-08-04T01:49:00.000+01:00

Woo hoo!! I don't think I will enter tons of competitions, so this may be the only actual official ribbon I ever win and I am very excited!! My Dear Jane got Very Highly Commended (Bed Quilt category) at the National Open Quilt Competition at Tinahely.
Here are some photos of some of my friends quilts. All the quilts in Tinahealey were gorgeous and some amazing colors, designs and quilting were to be seen.

Before the quilt show I went up for a visit to my friend Sherry for a quilting retreat and I finished a quilt top, a very simple one!! Here it is on the guest bed, I will be making roman blinds and doing a backing for the quilt with the fabric on the border. I am thinking of doing free motion quilting myself on it though I am tempted to have it long armed...

I decided I needed 2 big quilts since I have two daughters, so I am thinking that I will learn how to do Baltimore Album quilt as my next big project and will start working on my double sided quilt again too... always lots on the go...so many quilts so little time!!

Heading off in a few hours...

2009-07-09T10:46:00.000+01:00

We are going on holiday to Portugal for 10 days but wanted to show you the quilt I did for the wedding we are going to there...I still need to sew the binding on, but the wedding is a week and a bit away so should be fine!

I also got this beautiful pinkeep in time for the 4th of July holidays. Thank you so much Barbara for thinking of me.

We had a display at the local Brian Boru festival of all our quilts... My quilt has been going on tour!

And here is my latest knitting...some Fetching gloves and a Drop Stitch Scarf started with the beautiful Manos de Uruguay Silk Blend yarn that Weronica sent me. Thank you so much again, I love the color and the feel of this yarn!!

I've got the binding on the quilt, a freehand fan quilting project (my tree quilt wallhanging from last year!) and two knitting project for 10 days, think I won't have any chance of running out of projects, especially since one is my second try at lace knitting a shawl...that will take ages!!

Has it really been a month?

2009-06-27T23:53:00.000+01:00

I am fine. Just in case you might have wondered, the MS is still there, and the injections are going fine. I still have numbness and tingling in my feet and sometimes my hands...but really in the scheme of things, if it remains this way for a while to come, I would be grateful!

I have managed to get a few projects done, but haven't taken photos of all of them...the latest news is that my Dear Jane won another Viewer's Choice!! This time at our local Limerick Quilt Show! I won a hundred euro voucher to the quilt shop I work a few hours at weekly!

Here are the girls and I in front of the quilt...

Here is my friend Riikka's great applique quilt for her son. She just started quilting. Last October. She started this quilt in March, had the applique and top and hand quilting done by May...wow. Hope you keep in touch when you move back to Finland, Riikka! She has started a Dear Jane, I expect she will be done next week sometime, lol!! Okay, maybe next month...

We had a nice display of quilts in the Limerick City Hall...

My friend Nicola and I made more of these scrubbies for a friend's school fete. I added the soaps to help them sell better, lol!!

I should have blogged much earlier, but the days are so busy with kids activities (Aisling turned 5 last week, where did the time go!) and I just let it get away from me. Here is a photo from today's activities, the kids made a mummy, vampire and various other scary creatures with my fabrics...love that they love playing with the Tilda kitties I made them!

I have been working on some fingerless gloves and on my felted bag on the knitting front, can show one finished glove next time. The bag still looks like a big green blob of knitting, so not really exciting. I have finished the wedding quilt for Dave's brother and his partner...well the top anyway...but never took a photo. When I start the quilting on it will try to take a photo and maybe update the blog a little sooner? Maybe??

A Long Time Coming...

2009-05-27T02:35:00.000+01:00

This post was a long time coming!! And so was this...

This gorgeous redwork cushion was for a swap whose receive by date was May 5th. I sent mine out a few days late, but the girl that was SUPPOSED to send to me dropped off the face of the earth and sent nothing. Luckily our intrepid leader Maree was able to organize that the girl that was supposed to send to this girl who dropped out without a word would send to me instead, otherwise I would have gotten nothing at all. Thank you so much Rebecca for the beautiful poppy cushion with the Keats quote and yummy chocolates, and thanks Maree for helping me out. I am very pleased with my new cushion and think it looks right at home on my red sofa with my patchwork cushions!!

This is the cushion I sent out to Paula at Coffee Time Stitches.

I am sorry it has taken me so long to do a post, I have actually been fine, MS wise, nearly a month now of injections with no issues really, just the odd sore area but no side effects really! I am hoping that with better eating and the injections I can keep the big symptoms of MS at bay for as long as possible. If I can shake my Diet Coke addiction, I know that will help too...I went cold turkey for a few days, but am back to one a day, an improvement from my usual routine of several cans a day...

The main reason I haven't posted has just been the crazy pace of life with 2 busy kids and their friends, and a few fun nights myself, including dancing to 1am last Friday with some friends at a local fashion show event that had dancing afterwards...

I have not had a lot of finishes, but I did get my bunny quilt finished. I did a crosshatch grid and like the look of it, will do it again for applique...now if I can only master the rocking stitch with my hand quilting!

I have had some great mail lately, but let me start with the ones I am several weeks late in acknowledging.

Paula sent me this great stack of Civil War repros, just because... Thank you so much!!!!

Lise also sent a great package from Oz. Thank you for the great magazine and other goodies. The girls took most of the chocolate!! It really made my day to get these packages just because!

Vicki and I did a little swap. I sent over some shwe shwe from my collection that she admired, and she sent back these gorgeous hand dyes and cute potholders (which I use all the time by the way!).

Weronica sent another just because gift, so kind! Look at the great pattern and gorgeous yarn she sent. I already have plans for this yarn, I've started on some Fetching fingerless mitts with this gorgeous merino and silk blend yarn. Thank you again everyone!!

My friend here in Limerick, Nicola, who I met while I worked my few hours at the local quilt shop made me this amazing birthday present! It is a needlecase with an Angel Story(Hatched and Patched-Anni Downs) stitchery on it and some great cross-stitch. She did it all by hand and used Japanese taupes, my favorites!! I really have been spoiled by generous friends!

I have been working on a felted bag called Constant Companion for a while, not hugely exciting knitting, but I am making progress. I would like to do a celtic knot on the pocket but have to figure out how to get a chart I can figure out how to knit! It is huge now but should felt up nicely.

I am also working on a wedding quilt for my BIL and SIL who are officially tying the knot in July. I have all the centers done now and am working on the insane amount of HSTs needed for the blocks, snore! Here is a little sample of the blocks... I am hoping to make more progress on this soon.

Now if you have made it to another of my long posts, here are a few pics of the girls. Aisling is always hard to get photos of with a smile, she hates getting them taken! But here are two good ones!

I need to get better about posting more often...my posts will be much shorter!!

The Trip was "Wicked"!

2009-05-01T20:32:00.000+01:00

I had an amazing time on my whirlwind trip to Sweden and London!

On the way over to Sweden I met up with my friend Celine, a fellow quilter. She fed me a very yummy lunch and let me play with her very cute kids! I also went bearing a few gifts, some batiks for Celine, a few little baby vests/onesies for her little girl and a little sheep stuffie for her little boy. Thanks Celine for the lovely afternoon!

Barbara and her DH were great hosts. Barbara and I did lots of shopping at craft/quilt
and knitting shops! Look at my loot :)

I love the wooden spools with the ribbons, I bought them just to look at, lol, but can put the ribbon to use eventually too, with cards or sewing... I found some gorgeous Japanese taupe fabrics and clever zippers by the yard with different cute zipper pulls. Barbara swears by zippers sold this way, you can make them whatever length you need and are much less daunting than the standard zippers to work with. I did that zipper pencil case in the picture in about 10 minutes, so easy! The little plastic bird is part of a set of clothespins I bought for my laundry line! They will make me smile each time I hang out the laundry...

Look at this gorgeous Swedish yarn I bought to make some fingerless gloves from a pattern the shop did...here are my yarns and her is the photo of the gloves...Barbara will help me translate the Swedish instructions, lol!

Barbara decided I needed to learn how to do some lace knitting, so I have succumbed, and bought a beautiful skein of Swedish/Estonian yarn to make the Japanese Feather and Fan shawl. You can see the yarn there in the pic above but it is hard to see...I should have taken a photo before I prepped it for knitting. In the pic is also some cute linen/cotton material with deer and Viking runes to remind me of Sweden, more ribbons and other cute stuff I got, including my standard tea towel I always bring home!

Barbara's husband let me borrow his car and I got to drive around Sweden with Barbara, looking at a beautiful old village called Sigtuna and a lovely bigger town called Uppsala. We also went into Stockholm for the day. Here are a few photos of the sights we saw...

After a great week at Barbara's, I headed for the weekend to stay with Katy. As always, I had a great relaxing time, crafting, computering and watching movies...there may have been a little bacardi sipping of an evening as well... I managed to finish up a lot of my crafting projects I had been working on at Barbara's. Here are some photos of the Dear Jane blocks I left for Katy.

This is the progress I made on a felted bag I am knitting.

We went to see Wicked on the Saturday night before I headed home again. FANTASTIC!!! I loved the music and the story was great. We had the standby/understudy doing the role and she was amazing, so good! Can only imagine how great the star must be if the understudy is so excellent. Here is Miss Katy posing in front of the theater :).

I started my injections yesterday for the MS, so far no issues, yay! I was sad the day before I started, as I don't take any medicine at all barely pop pills unless I have a very bad cold/flu and now I will always be on medication, end of an era...but so far things are going fine.

I have gotten great packages in the mail from Paula and from Vicki, and a gorgeous handmade needle book from a friend here in Ireland, but they deserve another post, so hope to do that tomorrow!

If you made it to the end of this post, you have great stamina, and thanks for visiting!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2009-04-18T14:08:00.000+01:00

I have seen this on many of the blogs in my reader, and thought I would join in.

Many of you won't be surprised that my favorite quilt is my Dear Jane!! I started this quilt in 2005, and did the quilt entirely by hand finishing May 2008, my probably the only one I will ever do this way (I love hand piecing and quilting, but putting on bias binding around a 92 inch square quilt by hand, not so much excitement there...putting hanging sleeves on by hand....snore!!). I didn't have any civil war era repros when starting this quilt so traded for scraps and was given some by some generous Dear Janers (other fellow insane people making the quilt!), my quilt has fabric that came from the UK, Australia, Canada, all over the US and even South Africa...I love that part of it!

Before doing this quilt I had never hand pieced, appliqued or quilted anything, it was a real learning quilt and you can see the difference in early and later blocks, but they are all in there.

I had this in the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show last year, and it won a Viewer's Choice award at the Bend Outdoor Quilt Show, my first ever award! My parents live in Bend, Oregon, so hence the international showings. I hope to enter it into some Irish quilt shows and possibly the Birmingham show in the UK, I am proud of it, most of my other quilts are machine made and less than perfect, but this one I took my time on and learned a lot!

I even still like hand piecing the Dear Jane blocks and am doing a swap with a friend to give an excuse to make more blocks. I will probably always have some hand pieced quilts in progress, though I think from now on, binding can go on by machine!!

I am preparing some Dear Jane blocks this afternoon in preparation for my trip tomorrow (always bring hand sewing and some knitting on trips), a week with quilty friends, I can't wait, and I will take photos of any projects or fun shops we find!

Catching Up!

2009-04-14T00:06:00.000+01:00

It is a day late for Easter and it is only a top, but heck, I am working at a slower pace these days, trying to enjoy my crafts and not guilting myself if I don't finish thing by a self-assigned deadline! It is very naive/imperfect/primitive and drawn by hand from motifs I have liked from other quilts and folk art... I like it, but how should I quilt it?

And look, Katy's socks are finally done!! We did a little swap and she finished 2 cross stitch samplers for me before I got her socks done. Here is a package I got from her that shows the latest cute sampler she sent me, another part of the inspiration for my quilt! She also added some cool cut-outs in pretty papers for me to use in card making, so nice!

I also did a few quick baby onesies for a friend who we visited last week...forgot to take a photo of the onesies before I packed them up in their cute little gift basket...

When I got out of hospital I was surfing blogs as I always do, and came across a link to The Vintage Pearl. She hand stamps these lovely necklaces, and Dave got this for me as a mother's day pressie. Isn't it lovely?

I also finally finished the quilting on my cousins quilt, it is designed for a specific room to match the colors in there and fit an area behind her sofa. I did a Missouri Star for her since she lives in St. Louis, the blue border is great, has the words family, friendship, love...very appropriate... and I even quilted some shamrocks into it, lol! The colors are based on a Navajo blanket she had in her room. Hope you like it Col!!

LOSER UPDATE: I am up to 181.2, which means I am still down 10 lbs despite my side track with my hospital stay and MS diagnosis. I hope you fellow losers can be patient with me, as I still plan on really joining back in the next few weeks, but am not quite ready yet.

I am going on a trip next week to visit Barbara and Katy, I can't wait!! A week without the girls with crafting, shopping, sightseeing in Stockholm and a show (Wicked!) in London's West End. A bit of mommy recharging time, just what the doctor ordered. And the doc told me to wait till returning from the trip to start my injections...something I am not looking forward to, but will use it as a line in the sand for starting my healthier eating regime, trying to cut out as much processed food as I can, i.e. junk food, my favorite stuff!!

And just because I don't have enough photos in this post, here are several more of the girls. Mommy did a bit of bunny crafting with the girls and our little neighbor one day, I find these masks slightly disturbing, but the girls had a great time making me make lots of stuff for them, lol!

Here is the one decent photo I got of the girls doing their easter egg hunt Easter morning.

And finally, my big girl Aine learned how to swim and ride her bike last week, all within days of each other...here is the biker girl!

With Many Thanks!!

2009-03-21T01:07:00.000Z

I have been doing some bits of sewing and knitting since my last post, I am working the free motion quilting on my quilt for my cousin, and some blocks for my brother and sister in law's wedding quilt (making it official this year!!) I am starting on the heel of the second sock for Katy...so progress is being made, but not much to photograph. One thing I can show is the Paddy's Day quilt hanging up on the entryway quilt shelf!

What I do have to photograph are some wonderful pieces of mail I've received in the last week or so...

These gorgeous fabrics arrived from South Africa from Elise, whose daughter lives here in Ballina/Killaloe. I gave her some fabric and freezer paper, I think I won out on this trade!!

This gorgeous postcard came to cheer me up from Zizzy in Florida. I love it!! Thank you so much!!

Katy sent over lots of goodies: two of our DJ blocks for our exchange...the sampler we are doing for our sock for a sampler swap...a gorgeous card and some yummy japanese taupe fabrics!!

Jane sent over a lovely card, this covered journal, Mary Engelbreit card making bits, and 3 gorgeous FQs. So thoughtful, and much appreciated. Thank you!!

Ann sent these gorgeous cards from Brittany to cheer me up and wish me Happy Birthday (next Wed the 25th, lol!!)

Andrea sent another lovely package today. Craft projects and chocolate for the girls (long gone before I took photo!!), some gorgeous sock yarn and civil war FQs and a great little bits and bobs bag with ribbons bows lace and zips. Thank you so much!!

I really appreciate all the cards and presents people have sent to cheer me up, totally unnecessary, but very much appreciated. The blogosphere is a great place, thank you so much for your constant encouragement and support, even before all this happened!

Hospital Finishes and First March Finish!

2009-03-11T01:40:00.000Z

I did a lot of waiting in the hospital for tests and was mostly feeling well, except for the numb foot thing! So..when taken out of my normal fast moving routines with the kids, I got a lot done!!

I finished 3 books: Eat. Pray. Love. by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and The Visible World by Mark Slouka. Once the MRI results were nearing, I couldn't concentrate on reading and moved on to knitting. In the meantime, I had also hand pieced two Dear Jane blocks for my swap with Katy.

Once I received word that it looked like the MRI showed evidence of MS and that I would be doing a lumbar puncture next, I was a bit of an emotional mess and alone in a hospital, so picked up the knitting and went to town... Here is the sock I finished in the hospital. This is also going to Katy! I am a few inches into the second sock and plan to bring it for car knitting when I head off on Thursday with our patchwork group for a quilting exhibition in Dublin. Will take photos for a new post.

Here is a quilt I did on Sunday and have been doing the stitchery for the last few days...it will be my Paddy's Day seasonal quilt for my entryway quilt shelf, just need to sew down the binding at our patchwork group meeting tomorrow.

I am slowly getting my head around it all, and the numbness is getting a bit better now. I will start medication in a few weeks and hope it will help further attacks from happening or happening as often. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the huge outpouring of support. Nearly everyone seems to know someone who has MS and who is getting on great in life. It is all very inspiring! I hope to reply to everyone, but haven't gotten a start yet... Just know that it means so much to me to be supported by my blogging friends.

Not So Good News

2009-03-04T18:43:00.000Z

I have MS. The MRI results I was waiting for didn't have great news. My symptoms are mild, but will start meds in a few weeks. Have to decide what kind of medicine I want to inject myself with daily. My emotions have been all over the place ranging from tears to bravery to terror... but I think I will be able to be brave about this soon. Just need to get my head around the whole thing.

Believe it or not while in hospital I finished three books, 2 Dear Jane blocks and a SOCK, lol! Will do a post about my hospital finishes soon.

I plan on keeping doing as much as I can that I have always done, maybe just not the salsa dancing for a while, lol!!

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 8

2009-02-28T18:57:00.000Z

I am going to do this post early, as I went to the doctor on Wednesday about that trapped nerve and they sent me to the ER to rule out scary things like MS. They seem to think that it isn't neurological so that is a relief, but they admitted me to hospital Wed night and Fri morning I had an MRI. Due to a technical glitch the results won't be on the system for the doc to read till Monday, so I am home for the day (have to return each night to sleep in hospital to keep bed...) so am home and just wanted to check in and say if anyone can send good vibes, karma, prayers, thoughts, my way I'd really appreciate them, esp on Monday. I will be home for a few more hours tonight and then tomorrow for the day. I really am nervous about what is happening with my numb foot/leg, so hope they can come up with reasons for why it is happening then, preferably something not too scary!!

I hope to be back to my weighins next week, but finding it hard to concentrate at the moment while waiting for results.

Thanks :) Cathi

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 7

2009-02-23T17:35:00.000Z

Current weight: 177.4 lbs/ 12 stone 9.4 lbs/ 80.6 kilos
Total Lost: 14.4 lbs

I was down 1.2 lbs this week! I hit the stone mark!! (14 lbs gone!) I promise that next week I will mix it up and gain some weight as I was bad bad bad over the weekend again and won't be working out as much this week. I have a trapped nerve, numb foot/leg thing going on...time to go to the doctor...got it after shimmying too hard at salsa dancing last week...it is very strange and I hope that it can be sorted out soon...

I got started swimming last week and hope to get back on track with my exercise soon! No yoga or dancing till I get the trapped nerve sorted out. Sigh.

First February Finishes

2009-02-20T06:02:00.000Z

Say that 5 times fast!!

I have been so busy lately, I barely know how to start... I have managed to do a few quick quilts since my last crafty update. Here is little quilt I did for Katy's birthday boy, I hear it came in a distant second to Karol Ann's totally cool dinosaur tshirt he got, but hey, who could compete with such cool shirts! I have been trying to improve my freemotion quilting with my small wallhangings and so I have done small stippling on this and quilted some bamboo in the pandas hand :) and Alex's name...

I also decided to whip up a quick strippy scrappy valentines day quiltlet for my little quilt shelf...I am working on making my meandering much smaller when I do free motion, and I just love to quilt wavy lines, love the texture they give.

I also finished the quilt top for my cousin in St. Louis Missouri. The center block is a Missouri Puzzle chose for obvious reasons!! I used a photo she sent of the room she wants a quilt for and hope she likes it. Next time we get together I need to get her started quilting. She is a doctor and it might be a relaxing hobby after a long day?? Can anyone suggest a good St. Louis patchwork shop with beginning quilting classes, in case she is interested?

Aine has her first two loose teeth and so last weekend we made a Tooth Fairy Tin together. She designed the top and I used my Xyron 900 to turn it into a magnet to put on the tin!! We made a little pillow to put the tooth on, so now she is all ready for when the tooth fairy comes avisiting!

I have started on a pair of socks for a trade with Katy. I am making her another pair of cotton hand knit socks and she is doing a cute cross stitch sampler for me!

Weight Loss Challenge 2009: Week 6

2009-02-16T19:45:00.000Z

Current weight: 178.6 lbs/ 12 stone 10.6 lbs/ 81.2 kilos
Total Lost: 13.2 lbs

I made it into the 170s, yeah, it has been ages since I've seen them! And next week I hope to lose .8 lb again if I can manage it (though had a bad weekend, they are really my downfall!!). The reason for the .8 goal will be appreciated by any UK/Irish readers: I'll have lost 14 lbs, a full stone!

I have salsa dancing class tonight but have also signed up for the swimming pool again today!!! I hope to get my laps in 2-3 times a week to add to my exercise regime...might try to add a walk or two eventually as well...plus the swim membership gives me weights and cardio gym time and other classes...hope to add the weights in a few months maybe...can't be doing everything all at once!!

How are all the other "losers" doing??

I have that promised crafty post from last week still coming, but will get it done for tomorrow!!

Homemade Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T22:02:00.000Z

Happy Valentine's Day
from us to you!!

Weight Loss Challenge 2009: Week 5

2009-02-09T11:49:00.000Z

Just a quick update before midnight here in Ireland.

Current weight: 180 lbs/ 12 stone 12/ 81 kilos

I am at 180 lbs even this week and hope to see the 170s next week, should be doable, as I only need a .2 lb loss. Guess I better make sure to stay on the straight and narrow!!

I took some measurements to see the progress over the month and I am down 2 inches in my waist, hips, and chest, woo hoo!

I have some crafty finishes to show and promise to get those posted tomorrow.

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 4

2009-02-02T11:29:00.000Z

WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

I lost 1.6 lbs this week when at the beginning of the week I thought I'd be lucky to stay the same. Now you all know I weigh in on Fridays, so after weigh in I headed off to Wexford for 2 days of retreating and you know I was NOT GOOD over the weekend!! My goal for the next weigh in is to remain the same or only be up a little bit. If I lose this week, it will be a true miracle, but I can always aim to be the best I can for the next few days and you never know...miracles happened throughout the entire month of January!!

Current weight: 180.8 lbs / 12 stone 12.8 lbs / 82 kilo

JANUARY TOTAL LOSS:

11 lbs!!!!!!!

I took my first salsa dancing class tonight, and while I really liked the dance steps, when they put it to non-salsa music (pop music) and made the tempo so fast it seemed more like aerobics and less like real salsa dancing...I wasn't as excited about it as I was before... but it still was fun!

Here's hoping for some good news next weigh in!

A Last Finish for January

2009-01-31T11:54:00.000Z

I am here watching Mamma Mia at our quilting retreat, working on some scrappy blocks for my brother and sister in law's wedding quilt, but had to post my last finish for January, the long lasting project, Barbara's pink socks for her 30th birthday, LAST SEPTEMBER...uh yeah...just a little late.

Will update more tomorrow about our retreat, but here are a few photos!!

Making Progress

2009-01-27T13:40:00.000Z

I have one finish for the week, but have mainly been making some good progress on the pink socks I had to rip back. Here is the sad state of affairs after I ripped it back to where the first mistake happened (forgot a cable stitch that I had done on the first sock and wanted them to match exactly) and here is where I am back to (well I am actually a bit further on now having turned the heel and started the gussets of the sock...)

I have also been working on hand quilting a Christmas wholecloth quilt that has been languishing in my UFO pile for ages...maybe that can be a finish for February, there is defiinitely too much left to finish this month! But...maybe I can manage to finish that sock??? Hmmmm...

This is my only finish to report lately, but am glad I finally got it done...it certainly isn't precise and wonderful, but it works: my quirky little patchwork roman blind. I made with civil war repro fabric squares to match the Dear Jane and Apple Core quilts hanging in the hallway... Did I ever show you the quilt shelf I got? I am going to eventually try to make seasonal quilts to put there...maybe I should get a move on a Valentines one!!

I haven't talked about this much, but am starting to get excited about it now, Anne Marie is hosting a Quilting Retreat this weekend!! I will be taking a weekend break from my weight loss programme most definitely and enjoy quilting, piecing, knitting, chatting and EATING! I am also bringing some margaritas and other goodies to add to the party. I imagine I will be bringing quite a lot of things with me, so will have to take some photos of everything packed into the car, projects, fabrics and goodies to share, a couple of air mattresses and duvets...maybe even a folding table for sewing machines to hang out on! I will bring along my Dear Jane and some other show and tell bits as well...better get packing!!

Weight Loss Challenge 2009: Week 3

2009-01-26T07:57:00.000Z

A miracle happened!! I was hoping for half a pound's loss and actually ended up losing 2.8 lbs for a total loss of 9.6 lbs!!!

Current weight: 182.4 lbs/ 13 stone 0. 4/ 82 kilos

I still haven't focused on exercise, though I have started a yoga class that is currently killing me and my poor unused muscles!! Next week salsa dancing starts and I was hoping to start swiming today, but have had a sick Aine to deal with overnight, very bad cold and sore throat and discomfort. She will be staying at home with me...we'll have a quiet day which I will used to catch up on last weeks scrapblog, only a day behind on this one!

I will try to post soon about a project I finished yesterday, and some updates on other longer term projects.

Quilt and Piece As You Go Double-Sided Quilt Tutorial

2009-01-24T10:57:00.000Z

For anyone that is interested in this technique. A lady in my Wednesday Patchwork group was making this type of quilt and I fell in love with the concept for using my tiny tiny pieces of wool batting and small scraps. Hope this helps. If it isn't clear or you need more photos, let me know. I love that you are quilting and piecing this project as you go. You can really do it with any block using squares and rectangles that you build out from the center... I am doing a wonky log cabin design but you can do a simple square and one log cabin round or probably a few other types of blocks using this method.

First you decide what colors or themes you want on each side. I did a neutral side (thinking a summer quilt) and a Civil War repro side. Here are my boxes of scraps of batting neutrals and CW repros.

Next do your center square. I am not worrying about size as mine are wonky strips, but did about a 2 - 3 inch block. These are the three layers I started with, one CW repro, batting and one neutral piece. Layer them like a regular quilt with right sides facing out and scrap of batting in the middle.

Next take a strip of each of the types of fabric for each side. I layered them with the new strips facing the matching fabrics on each side, so a repro strip , then the center repro square (right sides together), then the batting, then the neutral square, then the neutral strip (right sides together). Sew all 5 layers together with a quarter inch seam.

Next press the strips open and stuff some batting scraps or strips in between the two strips which are now facing out. I forgot to take a photo of the batting stuffing, but here are photos of the second strips stuffed and a small 1/8 inch seam to hold it in till the next strip is added to it later. I took photos of both sides.

You keep adding log cabin strips by turning the quilt block 1/4 turn and adding another strip. You will always be sewing 5 layers (the block which has the batting and two fabrics and then the two new strips). Here is the block as it is growing and when I finally remembered to show how I stuff the strips! Excuse the ugly Cut and Press!!

I decided to make 8 1/2 inch blocks so just continued adding log cabin strips till I got till about 9 inches or so and then trimmed the blocks and stitched a 1/8 inch seam around the edges to hold in the batting till it is attached to sashing or the next block.

I hope I haven't confused you! This is my first tutorial, and it isn't as detailed maybe as it should be. Let me know if you need any more info!!

Hope to catch up with you again tomorrow with projects I have been working on this week!

Weight Loss Challenge 2009: Week 2

2009-01-20T07:40:00.000Z

Down 2.8 lbs for a total of 6.6 lbs so far!!!!

Current weight: 185.2 / 13 stone 3.2 / 84 kilos

I am struggling a bit this week with food cravings and haven't been drinking all the water I should, which I find really helps me keep down my appetite... I weigh in on Fridays, so am hoping for half a pound or a pound loss at the most this week, if I stay on the straight and narrow for the rest of the week!! But still, it is movement forward...

Started yoga last week and am thinking I should have waited for a bit of flab to be gone, lol, I am in a class full of thin bendy pretzels!!

Eek, have to do my weekly digiscrapbooking page, and do a post with the little bit of progress I've made on my projects this week, including a patchwork roman blind that is driving me distracted ! More soon.

First Finishes for the One Project a Month Challenge!

2009-01-13T08:15:00.000Z

This week I have finished lots of small projects left hanging from Christmas and earlier!!

First off the big ones: 4 red patchwork cushion covers...2 for my own sofa and 2 more requested by my MIL. I am going through my red stash pretty well, but there is still a ton left, though squares will have to be smaller!

Second: Coffee cozy revamp...needed to rip back the binding and cut down the cozies and add some fabric to make them actually cover the whole coffee press! Here is a photo of the second one I finally finished.

Third: I finished this stitchery years ago. I finally added fabric around the stitchery to frame it up in the 8 x 10 inch frame I bought. It looks like a card mat from a distance...will have to hang it in the girls room.

Fourth: This is a quilt that Aine designed. We did it last Christmas, so it is about time that it was finished.

Finally, Fifth: A whipped up a couple of customised onesies/baby vests for a friend of mine who had a baby last month and brought them over and oogled the baby :P!!

I also ripped back the second pink sock I needed to fix, will show the scary pile of yarn I ripped and subsequent slow progress fixing it on a later post. I am also slowly working on my felted bag...not much to show for that really...

Finally...here is the latest digital scrapbooking page I did, showing the girls week and some cute pics...

A good productive week of finishes!! I don't think anything else I have ongoing will be finished this month, but plan on starting on some more of those double sided quilt blocks. Tutorial to follow soon!! I also have a wedding quilt to start and finish by July!! I like finishing stuff, maybe I'll start another small project just to finish some more!!

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 1

2009-01-13T00:50:00.000Z

I am down 3.8 lbs!!!

Woo hoo!! I am not eating perfectly yet, but getting so much better. I need to get back to pointing witH Weight Watchers points, but right now I am just trying to eat less, eat better and drink lots of water. So far so good!!

We are supposed to post before pics this week but I did mine last week and Lord knows that I don't want the posted 3 times on this blog, so if you are curious, and don't scare too easy you can see my before pics here.

Current Weight: 188 lbs / 13 stone 6 lbs / 85 kilo

I will be joining a salsa dancing/slimming class February 2 with a friend, and yoga on Thursday...should be good!! Hopefully good news again next Monday and a report of some decent exercise achieved.

Monday Weight Challenge 2009 Update: Let's Get Started!

2009-01-05T23:44:00.000Z

I will be keeping a little record of my weight loss on the tab up there. I plan to weigh in every Friday, but will report on Mondays. The method to my madness is that our family does Movie Night after school on Fridays, kids get a "junky" meal of their favorite fish fingers and nuggets and tater tot type things, and DH and I get takeaway and we watch high class Barbie and various other movies till 8pm!

Now way back in 2001 I lost 5 stone (aka 70 lbs) here in Ireland on WW, got my gold membership and all, went from 190 to 120 in ten months, eating a takeaway once a week religiously...you gotta have your splurge or life just isn't fun. I had had two misses trying for babies and figured it was time to get healthy, I was on a mission!! I highly recommend swimming and walking for fitness, they worked great for me. I got to my goal February 2002 and Aine arrived November 2002, wink wink nudge nudge...getting fit really helped!!

WW worked for me, but the meetings in my new area haven't so I will do it on my own using my online community and DH as my support group :) .

I am who I am and can't be ashamed of who I am. I am not happy with my appearance right now, but I am not going to hide it. Here I am in full frontal and side view glory in my kitchen!

Start Weight: 191.8 lbs / 13 stone 10 lbs / 87 kilos Yuck!!
(Since I am in Europe, thought I'd post the US / UK / European versions of my horrible weight!)
Height: 5′1″
Waist: 40.5″
Hips: 46″

There is a CardioSalsa class starting in a few weeks, I think I am going to start that...should be fun and I love dancing :)

Wish me luck and don't worry, the update will only be once a week!! Crafty content to follow soon!!!!!

Resolute

2009-01-02T16:02:00.000Z

I love to make resolutions each year. I don't guilt myself if I can't manage to keep them, but it is always great to have a fresh slate to accomplish goals again.

I didn't do so well last year at all with the resolution to lose weight and exercise more. This year I am determined. I have been overweight for over 3 years now, last seeing 120 around Aisling's first birthday. I don't need to reach that goal again, even at 140 on my tiny 5'1" frame I look pretty healthy. 130 is a more realistic goal now nearing 40 than my 120 standard I had in my 20s. I eat poorly and don't exercise enough. Time to eat healthier meals, drink more water, walk and swim more, and maybe even take up Irish set dancing again like I did in my teens and 20s. I will be setting up a tab on my blog to keep track of my exercise and weight loss progress. I will posting my scary start weight and my goal I figure I have about 60 lbs to lose at least, not good. But I am energetic about it.

I did like last year and started 2009 as I mean to continue. So planned activities for were:

1. I will be having a crafting retreat today, sewing and knitting throughout the day interspersed with other things on my list. I hope to restart the pink sock finally, today is the day to rip rip rip back. I also hope to start on a felted bag project today and some more knitted potscrubbers for my arsenal. On the sewing front I will be trying a patchwork star tree topper, inspired by Patchwork Pottery. I might also work on one of my 2 sided wonky log cabin blocks!

(Never actually posted to blog yesterday, but decided to do no ripping, as I didn't mean to continue making mistakes and ripping them back, lol, too superstitious I guess! I managed to make the funky patchwork star, so got some sewing in!! I also started on a new knitted bag for me, called the Constant Companion.)

2. I plan to drink lots of water, walk, and eat well. My first day of weight loss program and I intend to do well!! A friend and I will have a meal out on Saturday so that will be my first test to see how my willpower is working out!!

(Did pretty well, but will aim to be religiously counting Weight Watcher points by Sunday)

3. I plan to do a digital scrapbooking layout. Another thing I want to do this year is learn digital scrapbooking. I have liked Mary's layouts she has shown and think it would be a great way to document a week in the kids life and have great fodder for a book for my mom and dad each year. I will be putting a tab on my blog for showing those each week as well if you are interested in seeing them. My first few will be simple ones as I get to know what I am doing I am sure, but hope to add a bit of journaling to each page as well...

(Didn't manage this yesterday, but got a little start on scrapblog here... the day before)

4. I will use my knitted potscrubbers instead of sponges for washing up today. I hope to continue to be more green and also more frugal. I am buying no more birthday cards or wrapping paper. I have enough plain sheets to last for years after the rolls run out, and have a ton of card making supplies. I have a box of gifts for girl birthday parties, and will make items from stash after that runs out, no more taking out a second mortgage each year for crazy gifts... I also plan on buying no more yarn or big amounts of fabric (the odd FQ I'll allow myself!!) I bought a line for hanging up laundry in the utility room during the winter instead of using the dryer. Will see if DH will help me hang it.

(Ended up doing a big reorganization in the kitchen so pulled out the big scrubbers for wiping cabinets down, but used the knitted scrubbies for dishes)

I am contemplating joining the group May Britt is starting to get one crafty project done each month. Love the idea of getting one thing done each month as a focus, and it doesn't have to be a full big quilt, but can be smaller projects. The prizes and giveaways are a good incentive too!! Check out May Britt's blog if you are interested in joining the group!

Over the Christmas holidays I did a bit of knitting up at Dave's mom's house...more scrubbies for my arsenal...

I also decided I hated my table runner as it wouldn't lay flat, so I sliced that offending runner in half and made two gift bags out of it. I guess I should have taken better care making it so it wouldn't have had so many waves around the edge, but I like it better in this guise, really, as I don't use them ever!

I will leave you with photos of Aine and the new cupcake maker Santa sent her.

Merry Christmas...Nearly There!!

2008-12-24T08:17:00.000Z

Sounds like a lot of America is under a blanket of white. I am hoping my brother, who has to work in Portland till 5pm today (bah humbug boss!) can get to Bend tonight on the bus that runs between them. I'd hate both my brother and my folks to have Christmas on their own.

My last few gifts are finished, though the coffee press cozies I made for my friend here in Ballina, while looking very cute, do not fit!! In the picture here the xtra large sized cozy only barely fits on the standard size press...and I forgot to make a little notch for the spout, so I tucked it under it and folded the bottom up, eek! I took measurements for her two coffee presses and made the cozies to fit perfectly. Of course I forgot to take in the measurements of the thickness of the battings I used and they fell short by about an inch and a half...so I am giving them to her with some big safety pins till I can take them back and pretty them up with an extra fabric sleeve and velcro to bridge the gap after Christmas. I used up the very last of my insulbrite making them so will have to replenish my stock on my next trip done. Got 6 potholders and 2 cozies with a yard, not bad!

I made lots of red things for Christmas this year, per request of recipients! Dave's mom requested some cushion covers this year, and she is an appreciative recipient of my handmade attempts, so I made these for her with pleasure. They look great on my red sofas with my thrifted Christmas quilt. A few years ago, after Christmas, my dad and I went to a Bend thrift shop that let us take any Christmas items we could stuff in a big brown paper sack for $5. I scored the quilt, a cute mug, some ornaments, some lit christmas villages for mom, and a ton of unused Christmas cards that I am still using!! Gotta love being able to get things at great prices while feeling like you are helping environment by recycling unwanted goods, and helping a charity by buying them. Only wish the charity shops were so numerous and huge here!!

Of course while I was pulling out batting scraps to use on the back of my cushion covers which I free motion quilted for a bit of thickness and texture, my girls had to get in on the action. If they are in the house, even if daddy is with them, I have given up on alone time...I just get on with what I need to do and let them hang out with me. I used to always want time alone at weekends to get stuff done, and to have a little mommy recharging time...I recharge while they are at school now (don't clean during my alone time, just visit, craft or run errands sans kids, cleaning is done in afternoons with kids helping and Aine is actually a great helper, Aisling, not quite there yet, lol!). Here are the designer and model of the newest fashions: batting dresses!! T

I finished the kitties for the girls, no secrets for their handmade gifts this year. Aine wanted to paint the face of her kitty, and how could I resist? It was very hard to restrain myself from trying to make her do the perfect placements for eyes and whiskers. I did Aislings (on the right) for her, but Aine's has more character and she will be proud she did the face herself.

Our Christmas tradition is to bake cookies on Christmas Eve, so we are going to be starting that soon. We do sugar cookies, chocolate chips (have to have these for my Irish family or not allowed in door for Christmas!), pecan tassies and will try homemade marshmallows this year. Daddy will be doing his annual tiramisu tonight, yummmm! Might add some pics later, but the day hasn't started yet!!

Added later:
Here is our cooking so far today. Homemade marshmallows are YUMMMMMMMMMMMM. The pecan tarts turned out well too! On to the chocolate chips and sugar cookies.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! See next week with some resolution thoughts and maybe a project or two??

Getting Lots Done!!

2008-12-19T06:05:00.000Z

So much so that I am actually posting a new entry in less than a week!!!

I managed to get a treeful of birdie ornaments done in time to give to the ladies at our last patchwork group before the Christmas break. I like the way they turned out and kept a few for my own tree.

I also had a knitathon last night, got on a roll till 2am finishing up bath scrubbies as teacher gifts... Tried to go all Martha Stewart on the presentation... I liked em! I gave the teachers some soap I got in Oregon this summer as well...hope they like them!

I also finished 3 little elves I got as a kit when I visited Sweden 2 years ago. It is nice to clear out some of my boxes and get the few kits I have had for a while made and being used!! I think they are cute, might keep them and the soft trees out after Christmas, lol!!

Big excitement for me this week was receiving my angel from Kris in the Netherlands. Barbara hosted an angel doll swap and look what landed on my doorstep: this gorgeous angel with its windmill trim and wooden shoes. Not only that she spoiled me with chocolate, tea, some yummy fabrics , and a nice needle case with quilting needles.

And before I go....don't tell Cathi, but here is what "Dave" got her at the local lady who sells fabric (it is a pretty decent quilt shop for running out of her garage, despite crazy prices!!) How amazing he picked out just exactly the right poison green and cheddar orange civil war repros for her and all the little goodies she wanted to try that could fit in a stocking!! He also got her a new filofax there, she is forever trying to get herself organized!

A winner...and a loser...

2008-12-15T00:42:00.000Z

Without further ado, the random number generator picked the number 11 which means Tracey has won the lovely sewing caddy kit!! Hope you enjoy it!! I'll get your address and try to send it out early this week.

The big loser this week: me!! Last week I was measuring my second pink Marilinda sock against the length of the first one and noticed a major problem...I forgot to do ALL of the cable stitches that are part of the pattern and were done on the first sock. Don't know how I skipped it completely...geesh... I will be ripping it back to the first pattern repeat... I think I am going to cry. I know it isn't really easy to see, but when you look for it, it is obvious and I really want to fix it before I give the socks to my friend. Some friends think I should buy more of the pink yarn, but that would take weeks to order from the States and I don't really want to do this pattern twice in a row in pink...so a frogging I will go!

The other project I wanted to show is an amazingly easy method for using up scraps of fabric and batting to make a two sided quilt!! A lady in our Wednesday morning patchwork group showed me a vintage quilting book with the method in it, but I could make any sense of it!! She was working on it during our group and I saw how it was done and it is so simple, and what a cool way to use up my small wool batting pieces I can seem to throw away!

You basically start with any rectangular or square based block and build from the center. I decided I am doing a Civil War repro side and a neutral side on my quilt and will do scrappy wonky log cabin blocks. I started with a 2 1/2 inch square quilt sandwich, then added 1 1/2 inch strips (CW repros on its side right sides together, neutral scraps on its side right sides together and sewed down the right side of the center square (so that would be 4 fabrics and one batting scrap sewn on that seam)). I flipped the two 1 1/2 inch strips out so right sides showed and stuffed little strips of scrap batting in between the strips... I tacked down the right side of the new strips I added and then continued adding on log cabin strips in the same method. When I got to 8 1/2 inches I stopped and tacked down the edges of the block...I will use natural muslin sashing to sew blocks together eventually. This method lets you use up small strips and scraps and small batting scraps and pieces and quilts as you go...so cool...and a two sided quilt at the end too... I am thinking this will be a favorite method for using up scraps and general quilt making in the future, we shall see!!

If that makes no sense but you are interested in the concept, let me know if you want me to do a tutorial on the method...it is probably out there somewhere already, but this is the first time I've come across it and wanted to share!!

Well...I have been under the weather for days now, and am started to feel a bit better, so wanted to catch up on the blog before I fell asleep again!! Next week I hope to get some little gifties done for teachers and friends, and maybe a block or two for my new quilt. I miss crafting when I am under the weather!

Traditions....and 200th Post Giveaway!

2008-12-08T19:47:00.000Z

Once again I let time fly by without posting. We had an impromptu Thanksgiving meal with roast chicken instead of turkey, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes and carrots and green beans, a bit of stuffing and American style biscuits (i.e. bread not cookies, lol!!) and of course some yummy desserts (pecan tassies from a recipe from Kristin, a bought apple tart, and some kid and mommy-made Thanksgiving day sugar cookies). The kids had school and I went to our knitting stitch and bitch Thursday meetup, but after school and in between Aine's Irish dancing class I whipped up dinner (mind you I put the chicken in without starting the oven and lost 45 minutes of roasting time pushing dinner back!!). The kids loved making the cookies while watching the earthcam coverage of the Macy Parade!! We watched lots of balloons go by, but I missed the NBC commentary, lol, from my childhood. I had planned on skipping Thanksgiving, as it is just a regular day here, but an Irish acquaintance who had lived in the States was doing a big meal for friends and family and I felt guilty for not doing it myself and skipping a tradition the girls really love. We have celebrated it the Saturday after the last few years with other American friends, but they have since move back to the States, and I like the idea of a toned down but still special meal on the day, with one set of friends over maybe... I would like to keep the celebration alive for the girls!!

I have been working on a bunch of little projects for Christmas since last I updated. I finally got the binding on the tree skirt I started years ago. I also did a table runner for Christmas...

I am also starting a tradition of one handmade gift each year for the girls, I am making another Tilda pattern from one of my books, this kitty needs eyes and a dress and her sister is now done, but unphotographed... They are made from tea-dyed muslin.

I also have made some soft trees from this pattern and made one into an ornament for my patchwork group exchange, complete with little lights for the tree. The rest will just go on shelves around the house for decoration.

We've got our tree up this weekend and the tree skirt finally in place!! I am hoping to get more Christmas decorations...I have been pretty Spartan with my decorations in years past, but would love to add some garland around the house, more quilts...I have a Jim Shore Santa I love, just wish they were easier to find here!!

I love this quilt I found last Christmas in Sisters Oregon in an antique shop, nice hand quilting and I love that it is hanging off an old wooden spoon, it isn't antique but it is sweet.

Aisling is afraid of Santa, but managed to get Aine and the big guy...

Another tradition I want to follow is the 200th Post Giveaway!!! I finally, after 3 years, got to my 200th post...not a prolific poster as you know!! I want to give away this gorgeous kit I got at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK.
It has all the fabrics and goodies for making a Quilter's Friend, a lovely organizer for threads, needles, pins, and projects!! Just leave a comment and I will draw a name out on Sunday December 14th. I just don't know when I will ever put this on my list to make and would rather someone else enjoy it!!

I have more crafty news but I will save it for another post...a very cool new quilt I am working on, and a knitting disaster...more on that later!

My Head is Spinning!!

2008-11-25T01:26:00.000Z

Have you ever had so many ideas in your head and started and stopped on a half dozen projects without focusing?? That has been me for the last while!

While killing time during the hour of Aine's Irish dance class last week, I did a shop hop in "downtown Ballina" the group of about five shops in our village on the Tipperary side of the river... Cross the Shannon River on the old stone bridge and you enter the metropolis of Killaloe, Co. Clare, approximately one minute's walk away (at least 2 streets with shops there!) I love my town/s and this is the first time I checked out some of the small gift shops. Look at the lovely wreath I found for 4 euros (6 dollars) at the local hardware shop. I found the cute stitchery at the little gift shop.

I also got this great group of gifties from Lissa in Australia. I sent her some triangles on a roll to try out, and some civil war repros, and I got Homespun, some yummy repros for me and a lovely drawstring bag with some goodies for the girls!

I've also finished another angel for a swap, which will soon make its way to......???? It is a Tilda kit and is so pretty, I nearly want to keep it!

I am also making a flock of these which are also a Tilda design. Can you tell I like her stuff?? These will be ornaments for patchwork friends.

I have started working on a table runner as well...kinda making it up as I go along...maybe tomorrow I will pick a project and focus on it... I've also tea dyed some muslin and am making some stuffed kitty softies for the girls for Christmas! Focus, must focus!!!

Getting Behind With Things...

2008-11-16T23:40:00.000Z

I need to find balance in my life again...it seems to move forward at the speed of light and I barely remember what happens from day to day.

We had a great trip to London and Paris. The kids had a blast in Disneyland even with their poor mom limping after them (I managed to swan dive into a Paris tree on the way to the Eiffel Tower...was looking ahead of me and twisted my ankle when it landed half on the pavers and half in the dirt where the lovely Parisian tree was growing near a cafe, graceful I tell ya...and what a lovely shade of black, purple and yellow my foot was for a while!)... The kids got autograph books and pens from their nice momma and proceeded to stalk any characters in their vicinity for autographs...we have minnie, daisy, snow white, donald, goofy, and Aine's favorite, Robin Hood. We really enjoyed our time with Katy and her family as well...the kids loved their London Halloween and just loved hanging out with their buddies! Moms and dads enjoyed time to read, play games, and mommas got to sew and knit (well I knit...) it was a lovely time...

Election Day was only a few days after we returned home and I stayed up till 5:30am Irish time watching the amazing returns come back. I actually burst into tears when they flashed the announcement that Barack Obama was the next president of the United States, who knew I would be so emotional. And then I cried again when the future First Family came out and when Obama gave his speech. It was a great night and I'm glad I stayed up to see it happen.

I haven't been producing a lot lately, we've had lots of playdates and activities, the normal pace of life here, and Aine has just had her 6th birthday party just yesterday which needed organizing as well...an Art Party for her and 10 friends (a SMALL party, woo hoo!) I had a local art teacher come and do some projects and face painting with them and it worked out really well...

My kids like chocolate cake, so I do a Betty Crocker special and then print out on photo paper whatever character/graphic they want that year to personalize it. When it is time to cut cake just lift off the paper and go...very inexpensive, personalized and easy! Love it!

I have managed to finish one pink sock and here is the current status of the second one...

Here are the slippers I knit for Aine at Katy's house, slightly smaller and felty now...

I made this angel for someone...for Christmastime...

I am verrrrrrry slowly working on marking my ocean waves quilt with this celtic knot pattern in the muslin areas..
.

I am also slowly doing freehand fans on my tree quilt...

So I am doing things, but nothing finished but the angel at the moment.

Tomorrow I start my diet yet again...I am tired of being the weight I am...maybe if I can find some balance to my days, more exercise, more sleep, less running around...a better rhythm to the days, that might help. Here's hoping that I can do that...and find more time to QUILT too!!

I See London...

2008-10-27T02:57:00.000Z

And soon we'll see France! We are having a nice time so far in Katy's house. I even managed to get a quilt started and completed for her daughter Olivia's Birthday! Thanks for letting me raid your scrap basket Katy!! Olivia loves dolphins, so...

I also finished another of the ballerina slippers that I will felt. I finished Aislings and they look very sweet, but she has been wearing them and I couldn't find them to photograph before we left. Here is their size beefore they are felted, it always amuses me!!

I also wanted to show the Halloween stitchery and cute pumpkin we had in the house before we left on holidays...guess I will finally be starting some seasonal decorating!!

We are heading into Central London for some sightseeing with the kids tomorrow and then our adventure starts in Paris. I have learned that the Paris quilting shop Le Rouvray is not far from Notre Dame so I think a small stop might be arranged during our afternoon in Paris. Then it is off to Disney for a few days before coming back to have Halloween in London with Katy and family!! You might see me blog again if I get inspired by Katy's good habits, but more than likely I'll be updating after our visit to France.

Golf Widows Sewing Retreat!!

2008-10-17T13:42:00.000+01:00

Last Friday DH left for 3 days of golfing, and I got down to work!! Don't worry, I still managed to feed the kids and even go on some walks to clean up the rubbish on the roads (Aine's idea to tidy up the environment, so cute!!). I managed to get several projects finished and even a few project started and finished over last weekend!! Tell me, why is it easier sometimes to be more productive without "help" from DH :)

First two long term project finishes!! My ocean waves quilt top!!

And the first of the pink socks...now to start and finish the second one before Christmas!!

I also decided to make some jack o lantern bags for the girls to bring on our trip to London (to see Katy and family!) during our midterm break at Halloween. (We are also spending 3 days in Paris at Disneyland for the kids!!) I made up the bags as I went along and they are machine quilted and using up scraps of batting. I wouldn't want them compared to really nicely finished bags but they are lined and have strong but not perfect straps...and are cute :) I had the girls design their own faces for the pumpkins and I translated them to fabric...Aine's is the scarier one! I used strips of halloween fabric I got from someone ( I can't remember who anymore, how sad am I?) so the backs of the bags are cute too.

With scrap strips from the Halloween fabrics I inserted a muslin center and downloaded a halloween stitchery I traced the design over the weekend and started stitching this week.

I also made a pillow out of a hand quilted motif I did at a class in April when I was visiting mom in Bend. I used tons of small squares in the same variegated colors of the quilting thread for the back. I like how it turned out!!

Not to mention I built the two Ikea bookcases and a drawer unit from my successful shopping trip that DH didn't get around to making during his evenings home during the week. And made homemade (can't buy pancake mix here!) pancakes and sausage dinner for the girls one night, and did our little walks and litter collections...and kept the house tidy...very productive few days I had!!!

Of course, once the week starts I am off and running again and it took me till this weekend to get this blog post sorted...Only have worked on the stitchery in found moments this week, and catching up with the emails in my inbox. I really appreciate all the comments and encouragement from everyone and hope that you all continue to visit, even if my blog posting is fairly sporadic at the moment!!

Haven't given an update on mom in a while. She is finished all treatment and the cancer is gone, may it never return!! Her hair is growing back in and she is so much better within herself, getting out on her own, having a lot morre energy... I am so glad she is in a better place these days. Love you mom!!

I hope to do some shopping on my own tomorrow when DH is here with the kids...need to get a new laundry basket and a new basket for their dressing up clothes...not thrilling but a little retail therapy on my own will do no harm at all. I hope to layer and quilt the halloween stitchery this weekend as well...and work on the angel story quilt...very slow progress there.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! I'll leave you with the crazy poses the girls did with the sock when I got it out to take a photo of it.

Are You Still With Me??

2008-10-04T04:21:00.000+01:00

What was that about trying to do weekly or more posts? I have fallen far short of that goal. It has been a busy month, lots to do but not a lot of crafting to show for it. We have also had our fair share of colds and flus coming through and holding on to reinfect us...the joys of seasonal changes.

One thing DH got done for me was getting my Dear Jane up on the wall!!

I'm making progress on the pink Marilinda sock, I've done the heel and am working on the foot now, then to start the second sock...ugh...I do like that 2 socks at once thing...I like finishing a pair together. It is a complicated pattern, but I am enjoying it, keeps me on my toes. I think that I will do some more scrubbies and facecloths for Christmas gifts, but my next project to start will be a felted bag, it will be weird using big needles again!! I also need to make some socks for Aisling and ballerina slippers for Aine...add to this list all my quilting and stitchery stuff and I need 48 hours in a day!!

Last weekend I decided to make a few birthday presents. I had some insulbrite for ages and so made 6 potholders. Two to replace the sad ones I have (why it took me years to do this I don't know). I did some green ones for my mom's kitchen, some purple and turquoise ones to match a tea cozy I knitted for Dave's mom, and some red ones for me, and just free pieced them with scraps and some pieces that I had in my scrap stash already pieced by other quilters and passed on to me with fabric scraps I got!! I used them as practice for my free motion quilting...I think they are actually a bit too big, so I may have to whip up a few smaller ones next week...

I also did a little DIY decorating for the girls room a few weeks back...some dust ruffles for their bed to hide the ugly storage containers I have under there... I used pink scraps, and then put the gorgeous quilts Barbara made them on top. I like it much better than the Dora and Tinkerbell covers!!

I also got a Betz White covered tape measure kit on Wednesday and whipped this up in record speed...aint it cute!!

I also have to say a big THANK YOU to Paula who sent me some great Civil War repro fabrics from Australia, I owe you big and will gather some embroidery goodies to send back in return!!

I am very excited about a road trip to IKEA up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I am going up with the girls for DH's mom's birthday tomorrow and DH will be home from his weeklong trip to Barcelona for work (poor guy had to have a sea view at his hotel and visit a winery too!). Sunday he is taking the kids for the day and I am doing a road trip!! I will take my sister in law with me and get some bookshelves, and then just browse and get tons of little bits and pieces too I am sure. We should eventually get an Ikea in Dublin, hopefully next year...

I really hope I don't take 3 weeks again for my next post. I am going to make an effort to finish the 21 blocks I need for my ocean waves quilt, so maybe next week I'll have that to show!

I'll leave you with a quilt I made in action at a teddy picnic... More soon, sooner rather than later, I hope!!

Surfacing...

2008-09-10T16:04:00.000+01:00

I have been away for far too long, but we made it home safely from America after a fun road trip to see cousins and friends. The airplane trip was long and not as great as the one over, but the girls and I survived and I got my Featherweight home in my carryon with no major hassles at security...no one even opened the box!! Amazing. Here are the "few" things I scored on my trip to the States. A lot of the FQs are for the girls...from a bargain bin and very ugly, eek!!

I managed to finish AIne's socks since returning home. Sarah, can I borrow the needles a little longer to make Aisling's pair?? I have to figure out how to do toe up socks on two circs again all by myself, scary!! It was great having Sarah and the knitting group in Bend to help me out this summer!!

Stina, can you believe that I have finally started the Angel Story quilt?? The bond-a-web, vliesofix, wonder under, heat and bond stuff I bought in the States has not worked at all...I remember buying the cheapest wonderunder stuff before and having no issues, went for heat and bond (more money) and it hasn't worked at all...reduced to using craft glue for temporary adhesion till I can get to local quilting lady. What is the best to use for machine applique?? I'd love some tips. Also, do most folks use pencils for tracing stitcheries?? And what about the bits that are on the fabrics that are appliqued, do you just draw them in by eye?? I am such a novice to this type of quilting and the book has basic info but I'd love any good tips from other stitchers!!

Here is my little lap desk I will use downstairs to hold the stitcheries in for livingroom sewing. Can you see my cool new little computer? It is the size of a paperback book and runs Windows XP, I love it!! I got a design put on the top of it, such a geek am I!! Can you see my applecore quilt on it?

I'll leave you with a photo of a sad demise. My favorite water bottle I used all summer from the Sisters quilt show...I guess Irish dishwashers are set a little higher?? I has become a little mangled. Wonder if I can still get one of these from the Stitchin' Post ?? I'd love another one!!

Hope to get back to weekly or more posting soon, and more family photos and updates. The girls are adjusting well to school. AIne has already been to 2 birthday parties (we're not back 2 weeks yet!) and has 2 more in the next week...geesh!! Aisling is not too keen on her new montessori but is slowly adjusting and has a friend or two now. Me, I am starting Weight Watchers again tonight and hoping to stick with it this time. Patchwork group is great, and I will be doing a little class on hand piecing for the local ladies so that will be fun...

Hope everyone is doing well!!

Viewer's Choice!!!!

2008-08-21T09:10:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday Bend had an outdoor quilt show and Kristen suggested that I enter my Dear Jane again. It is a smaller show but the quilts looked great hanging out in the park.

This show actually has a Viewer's Choice award, where the Sisters show didn't...and I WON!! I've never won anything for my quilting ever, so I am so excited!

I haven't been great at keeping up my blog. No real excuse except summer laziness and lots of activities. I helped clean out the house and did a yard sale for my folks last week. Mom is holding up okay with her radiation but she is having digestive issues with it as well, doc says it is because she has a large field for her radiation due to the lymph nodes that were involved. Not fun.

I have been slowly working on knitting projects, and have even started tracing my angel blocks, but they are all packed up now. Tomorrow we leave on an Oregonian road trip. Aine has been obsessed with crystals, rocks and fossils this summer, getting out books from the library and collecting stones. We are heading to the John Day Fossil Beds, then on to family visits in Pendleton and Portland.

Next Friday we are back in Ireland and none too soon, the kids and I are ready to go home, though I will miss it here too!! I might not be back again till Ireland. Will try to get going on some good stuff when I get home...

Find of the Century!!

2008-08-03T07:34:00.000+01:00

I was going to do a post catching up with our happenings here: lots of kiddy activities (off to the county fair tomorrow!) and a little bit of knitting, virtually no sewing :(

But today I went yard saling (something that we don't have in Ireland, and I love going to yard sales!) and not only did I find quilting scraps, but look at this!!!!!! I didn't realize it was a featherweight till I got it home, it looked like a 60s or 70s machine, and I thought featherweights were more antique for some reason. This is a 1964 221K featherweight which I bought for $3. I looked it up on Google and the first link helped me date it and the second link had my exact 1964 machine bidded up to $260 on Ebay, wow!! It seems to work fine except it is missing its bobbin case, machine is purring though and it is in great cosmetic condition as well... I thought I could see if it worked and keep it for trips home to America, but now am thinking I might like it back in Ireland...though I'd have to get a transformer to bring the 220 current down to 110... Anyone have any experience with this with Featherweights??? I am so excited!!!!!!!

In other news, I am making progress on my sock knitting.

Mom is feeling well enough to come out with us twice this weekend, woo hoo!!

We've had a great time visiting with family and friends, and I've spent a lot of the week helping clean and fix things and organize things, so feel useful :) Hope everyone else is having a great summer. Tomorrow off to my first county fair!!

A Week in the Life...

2008-07-22T00:17:00.000+01:00

It has been a pretty hectic week here since last I posted. I managed to make it to two knitting groups, start 2 pairs of socks, start free hand baptist fan quilting on the tree quilt I brought over, and keep the kids doing tons of activities!

Here are some of the progress shots of crafty stuff:

Finished Dear Jane blocks. I ran out of pre-prepared blocks!!!

So....then I basted and started quilting on the Tree Quilt.

Then the knitting obsession took over. Sarah is teaching me how to knit two socks at the same time on two circular needles, I like it so far!!

But I also like DPNs, on which I started some very pink socks for some larger adult feet. They are for the 30th birthday of a friend of mine who likes pink. She picked out the pattern and it is keeping me on my toes, I like it, though the complicated pattern isn't really showing up quite yet, maybe next week.

Tuesday the girls, dad, and I went to the library for storytime, Wednesday a good day of swimming and playground. Sarah and her kids have been great. We met up with them on Thursday and saw daily for long hours on Friday and Saturday too, I bet they are happy to get a break from us. We went to a horse ranch with them on Thursday, on Friday went to knitting at Barnes and Noble with Sarah while the kids explored the kid section, then down to the library and a gorgeous tea house on the river. Saturday was a very fun Children's Festival. Add into the mix the usual errands, some yard sales, a paddling pool (aka wading pool) purchase and some sidewalk chalk and a fun and busy week was had by all! Thank you so much Sarah for keeping us busy last week, the girls and I had a great time! And look what Sarah had left for mom before we arrived! So generous!! A shawl she designed and knit herself, tea, chocolate and jewelry, what more could you want! Thanks again, mom loves the presents and the thought! Bloggers are wonderful folk :)

Check out this link to see shots of the various things we have done over the week. Here are a few favorite photos:

Sisters and Friends!

2008-07-14T07:40:00.000+01:00

The day before the quilt show I was able to do a bit of shopping with a bloggy friend or two. They were both lovely and were bemused by lack of spending: only $5 in one shop and less than $20 in the other. But look at all the goodies I got!!

I lost the run of myself the next day at the Sisters Show, only one quilty purchase, but a major one, a sterling silver charm bracelet and 6 charms (chi-ching...way too much money dropped there, but I love it!!)

I went to Sisters with my dad and my oldest daughter, Aine, who ran around snapping photos excitedly of the first 30 or so quilts but lost momentum after she realized there were 1200 quilts on display!! We had a great time, though I didn't see anyone I was supposed to meet at the Sisters Library at 1pm, where were you guys? I did manage to meet up with friend Kristin for a quick chat, but hope to see her more in the summer for some kiddy playdates and maybe some knitting meet ups!! Dad wants me to mention the totally excellent parking space we found in a shaded area just off of Main Street too...

Here are a bunch of photos of quilts around town. Wish I had gotten a chance to meet more fellow bloggers. Maybe another summer?? Or any other Oregonian quilters that want to meet up sometime for a shop hop here or in Portland at the end of my trip, let me know!!
[slideshow id=2522015791331073123&w=426&h=320]

DJ Spotted in the Wild at Sisters!

2008-07-11T18:16:00.000+01:00

The way it is hung it is hard to get a full view of it, but it is exciting to see it up at the show...now I have to sneak in and hope to hear some nice comments about it! The whole family made it up to see it, so I am glad. Here is dad with the quilt!!

We had another lunch with my cousins, mom, dad and bro in Sisters on Wednesday, then took the kids for another play at the park where they made some new friends.

Yesterday mom and dad took the kids for the day and sent me off with my brother and cousins to Crater Lake. I of course used the long drive to get some sewing done. Got three DJ blocks for my swap with Katy done, but here was my setup on my lap in the car!

I don't think you can take a bad photo of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the States. Look at that blue!! Here is a photo of my and my brother, and a favorite photo of the lake on its own.

I may be heading off a little later today for a shop hop with some blogging buddies, we shall see how that works out, depending on whether the nanas and papas are up for another few hours on their own with the kids!! Will definitely be blogging about that if it happens!!

Kids are sleeping in this morning as it was the last night with the cousins and I let them stay up till 10pm, so am using this time to catch up with my blogging. Poor kids, they will have nothing but momma and the grandparents after this afternoon, how boring is that, lol!! Just for a few gratuitous kid photos, here is Aine with our rock cand crystal growing experiment, and playing a card game with my cousin! That elusive Aisling doesn't like her photo taken much!!

We made it to Bend!!

2008-07-08T17:06:00.000+01:00

And look at what was waiting for me!!

My ALQS quilt from Toni!!! It is gorgeous!! I love the colors and they are blocks from the Civil War Diary quilt, very cool. And not only did she make me the quilt but gave me all the leftover fabrics that she used in the quilt, very generous!!! She sent pirate duckies for the girls which already have had adventures on the "high seas" bathtub, and some Old Bay seasoning for me to remind me of my Maryland roots!! Thank you so much Toni, you are very good!!

I also won this gorgeous stitchery prize from Lise, the Chocolate Cat. I think I may start this one over here in the States!

I also got a package with these goodies from Weronica in Sweden. She sent me these and I will be getting a few things from the States for her in return!!

We have seen a lot of Oregon so far, a lot of driving since we arrived: a day in Portland with my brother and cousins, a drive to see a high school friend living near the Washington state border and watching her small town of Clatskanie's 4th of July parade (where the kids received their body weight in candy from folks on the floats, and each got a free stuffed teddy!) and a very short overnight stay at the Pacific shore in Lincoln City (no photos: it rained most of the time!). It was a bit whirlwind as I had to drive another 4 hours over the mountains to Sisters to drop my Dear Jane off in time for a July 5 fiber arts stroll event.

Sunday I tried to take my mom up to see the Dear Jane hanging up in Sisters, but the clock shop that it is displayed in was closed!! She just had her chemo yesterday, and I had wanted her to see it while her strength was better, bummer. We ended up have lunch in town and bringing the girls over to the park for a "Summer Faire". Girls had a great time on the playground and getting their faces painted.

We have cousins here now visiting from St. Louis Missouri, so lots of activities are going on, though minimal quilting ones!! I have managed to hand piece the start of a Dear Jane block for my ongoing swap with Katy, while watching the kids at the local Mc Donalds play area. Will probably make that a once a week activity for them, as they loved the slides there, and once a week isn't so bad!!

Today the girls and I plan to do a crystal growing experiment (I was too cheap to buy a kit from a toy shop we were in, so told them about rock candy...then spent the next several days fending off their requests to do the candy immediately (never cotton string or wood skewers around when you need them!!)) and possibly some swimming. Cousins, brother and dad have headed off for a white water rafting trip down the Deschutes river today. We plan on going to Sisters tomorrow, so hope to show you the Dear Jane in its display place!

Quilty content in future weeks I promise, but might be a bit sparse for this week!

And the Winner is....

2008-07-04T16:54:00.000+01:00

Sorry that I didn't do the drawing yesterday. I blame the 28 hour journey across the world and jet lag! The kids were STARS, they did a great job traveling, I am so proud of them. We are even going to visit with a new friend they made on the journey today on our way to the coast for the 4th of July festivities!

Without further ado...the winner is.....

Barbara at Mainely Stitching!!!

Can you send me your address in an email so I can post this out for you next week??

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!!

Home from Oz!!

2008-06-28T00:17:00.000+01:00

Daddy is home and has been asleep since 3pm!! Kids will hopefully get a day to play with him tomorrow, lol, cuz then we're all off to Dublin and DH is off to Brussels for work Sunday night! We leave for Oregon on Wednesday morning, leaving the car for DH to pick up again on his way home from Brussels. Nuts. Crazy. But what can you do! I don't regret going home to be with my folks this year, though we'll miss DH. This is going to be my first 4th of July Stateside since 1997, so I am looking forward to it. My cousins and and Aunt and Uncle (dad's sister) rent beach houses at Lincoln City, OR and it sounds great!!

First of all I want to say a HUGE thank you to Janet, a great Australian designer and blogging buddy. She not only sold me some of her gorgeous patterns (and some great ones of her friend Cath of Willow Valley Store as well, cute buttons and notions too!), bought me some great magazines and threw in some awesome goodies for me, mom and the girls... but also went to Foothills Fabric shop and collected some great books and goodies for me and sent them to my husband's hotel so he didn't have to spend a day on the train getting stuff for me (though bless him, he was willing to do it for the adventure!) She went above and beyond and for that I am really grateful. I really hope the next time you are back in Ireland that we do get a chance to meet! Come down to Killaloe, we'll have a chat and I'll bring you over to meet the local patchwork girls! Leanne Beasley kindly went to the trouble to sign her two books for me and I got a very early copy of Rosalie Quinlan's book Gift signed as well. Thank you very much ladies, you all are amazing designers!! And I am a very happy girl. And Lynette, I got the buttons to make your Saltbox Sampler as well...now I am all set! I think I may have to visit Australia some day to meet all these talented and FRIENDLY folks!! Have a look at all the goodies Dave brought home...and my necessary tea towel and fridge magnet for the collection!

Here is my last photo of my DJ till the Sister's Show, I promise. I like the look of it at the bottom of my bed! Please ignore the over stuffed bookshelf, we need to buy a new one, I can't give away books!

Aine and Aisling came to my last Wednesday patchwork group as Tuesday was the last day of school for them. Look at Aine's concentration working on sewing her little quilt!

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway if you haven't already!!

Dear Jane Wallhanging Giveaway

2008-06-25T08:30:00.000+01:00

I am not a prolific poster. I have been blogging for over 2 years and have still not reached my 200th post, that may take till the fall, sooooo...since I have enjoyed 2 years of wonderful new friendships and support without once hosting a giveaway, I'm going to do a biggish one.

I would like to give away a hand pieced and hand quilted Dear Jane wallhanging. I just finished it!! I machined the binding on this one, but everything else is hand done. It has the 6 inch blocks I did when I first started my Dear Jane. I realized the quilt would be too huge at that size, so stopped after 9 blocks. Some are slightly wonky, as I hadn't done some of them with my excellent freezer paper method yet!! But the wonkiness gives the quilt has character right??

If you would like to give this quilt a good home, please leave a comment here. I will put your name in a draw that I will do next Thursday, July 3rd from Portland, Oregon after we've arrived. Can't believe we'll be in the States in a week...woh...time flies.

Thank you for everyone who comes by and visits. I've made so many amazing friendships through blogging and quilting and am grateful for every one of you!

Done Done!

2008-06-23T01:57:00.000+01:00

Sorry I disappeared off the face of the earth for a few weeks, but I am back!!

I have finished 5 quilts to label stage now!! Let's Celebrate!!!

First one: My Dear Jane!!! Here is a graphic of the label I sewed on...

Please excuse the weird color, will have to figure out how to fix it...

I also put the label on my machine quilted ALQS quilt. It will be heading....somewhere this week!

The other finishes were the 3 baby quilts, ready to give away now... won't show more photos of the same thing :)

I also have other reasons to celebrate: the generosity of quilty bloggers and friends. I have a story to tell soon of some lovely Australian designers who all helped me to get some quilting souvenirs for my husband to bring home from his trip (halfway through...he is home on Friday!!) But I also won an AMAZING package from Dawn Hay. I can't believe how HUGE this prize was. Thank you so much Dawn!! So many lovely things, I love it all!!!

My wonderful blogging buddy Barbara in Sweden sent over this goodie package. We are encouraging each other to lose kilos and sending sock yarn for each kilo... so far I 've lost 2, so some sock yarn came my way, and the bag handles for a bag Barbara is helping me make!

I have been crazy busy with kids: birthday parties, goodbye parties, sports day, school play, playdates... if you are interested in seeing some photos or movies, check out my Flickr or YouTube!! This week has more insane schedules, end of school, more playdates, some mommy quilting and knitting playdates, and packing for the States! Tomorrow I head into town to get those few "surprise" kids magazines and sweets I can pull out during our travels. Guess I can slow down sometime after the Sisters Quilt Show!!

Things are starting to get hectic here!

2008-06-09T11:35:00.000+01:00

How does time fly by so quickly? I have only a few weeks here till I leave for Oregon. My two good American friends are moving back to the States permanently the week before I leave, so we are cramming in many kids and mom's goodbye events (dominos night here on Wednesday: kids off school on Thursday for Lisbon Treaty referendum vote in Ireland, school is the polling station), school trips, sports days, Aisling is having her 4th birthday party Saturday, Dave leaves for Australia for 10 days on Sunday!! I am amazed I am getting any crafting done, but it is my stress reliever. I actually decided to stay home and quilt last night instead of running to catch up with some friends already on their way to see Sex and the City at the movies!! Dave had attended the Irish drinks party/reception for his brother's wedding, no kids allowed and I wasn't feeling good Friday, so opted to stay home with kids rather than worry about babysitters up in Dublin for a few hours of partying while I was still feeling fluish... He came home and my friends were already on their way to the movie, I just couldn't gather enough momentum to rush off to join them...wimp, I know!!

Luckily I am feeling better today, just in time to print out Barbie invitations, run out to toy shops for party bags and goodies, cards and presents, etc etc etc...if I can find the time!!

I have made some good progress on the three baby quilts that have been waiting on a free motion foot. I just winged a flowery vine motif on the muslin sections of the quilt. What do you think? I have two more pretty similar now to complete.

I have finished the hanging sleeves on the Dear Jane now, so just the label to finalize and print out...that will be quick, so the big stress for the Dear Jane is gone now!!! It will be ready for the Sisters Show.

Not much knitting going on, just working on more ballerina slippers this time for Aine, not very exciting to show, as look like Aisling's only slightly bigger.

I need to finish up my ALQS quilt, which is no longer going to be hand quilted, no time to do it! And my DJ wallhanging giveaway quilt, which is nearly done hand quilting... that should keep me plenty busy till we leave!

Mom is not doing well at the moment, the "easier" chemo treatments that we suppose to have less side effects, have a very bad effect on her, very bad nerve pain. She has also become anemic, so any thoughts or prayers to keep her going and to get her through this chemo would be great. Hopefully the docs will have some better pain meds ready for her next treatment tomorrow. If you want to and you have a chance, say hello to her at her blog, Cancer Warrior. To everyone who has sent her a card and gave her your support, thank you so much, it means a lot to her and to me.

Let me leave you with a lovely view from the home of Hollie, of the quilt. If you take the road we live on and follow it up the "mountain/hill" we live on the bottom of, you see lovely views like this!

Busy Week!

2008-05-31T23:54:00.000+01:00

We had Kate and family here for the week, so of course I neglected blogging while Kate seemed to manage a post daily!! I may have a few thousand photos of course as they've built up over the week or two I've neglected my blog.

While they were here we did a bit of this:

Drank a little bit of this:

(Bailey's in chocolate cups!!)

And of course did a little shopping:

And crafting:

I made the little brown drawstring bags from funky napkins I thrifted years ago in Maryland. I have one for my knitting and a friend admired one, so I made one for her and Kate admired one and not so subtley hinted she might like one...they are handy for throwing my current knitting project in with all its bits and pieces (patterns, yarns, needles, etc). Now Kate can have one for her newest knitting project!

I am very excited because I finally went out and bought a free motion foot that works on my machine, after a 6 month break, I am back to quilting machine quilts. I only hope to be as good as Katy is one day! Look at the beautiful quilt she made me to try out my free motion foot! I finished up that Christmas tree skirt I started in November when my foot stopped working, and now will work to get the 3 baby quilts I have waiting, just have to finish the stitchery of the names on them.

Kate helped me pin down the hanging sleeves for the Dear Jane, so I will be sitting in front of the TV for the month of June with many hand sewing projects: label and sleeves for big DJ, quilt the border of the small DJ hanging, finish the stitcheries on the baby quilts and attempt to get the tree of life block quilt hand quilted?? Might have to end up machine stitching that last one!

The kids have absolutely loved having their friends over this week, and the adults had some great nights playing cards and hanging out. Thanks Kate and co. for a great visit!!