The Edge of Reason

Snuggle Up!

Some may remember that last Christmas Alyssa asked for a Snuggie. At the time, I was anti-Snuggie and was not looking forward to buying a cheap piece of fleece for her. So I decided to make one because the fabric I could buy was much more attractive than the Snuggies sold at the store. Once I had completed the project I realized that making a personalized Snuggie was not the worst thing I've ever done. In fact, I actually enjoyed the project.

Now it is one year later, and Alyssa is once again home for the holidays. With her came the Snuggie. The first thing she wanted me to do when she got home was wash her beloved Snuggie. Apparently, she has a bed-bug phobia and she did not want any dormitory bed-bugs to be transferred to her bedroom at home. Can I just add a big-fat eeew right here? I mean, really... the thought repulses me. And so into the wash went the Snuggie - heaven forbid those [imagined?] bed-bugs inhabiting my house. Eeew again. When I took the Snuggie out of the dryer, I had to inspect it - not that I would be able to see the bed-bugs or anything, but I guess I just wanted to make sure that there were no visible creepy-crawlies hanging around. What I noticed as I checked every single seam of the Snuggie was that the darn thing looked as good as new. One year later, three trips back and forth to college, and Lord knows how many washings in her dormitory industrial machines, and the thing still looks brand new. Clearly, these Snuggies are indestructible.

After seeing how much Alyssa has loved her Snuggie, I decided to open up the workshop and make a few to give as Christmas gifts again this year. Here is what Snuggie Central looked like last week:

Since I posted my original instructions on how to make a Snuggie, I have perfected my pattern - and I want to share the updated version. I can now make a Snuggie in two hours using these new and improved instructions, which I consider to be great time management. So for those who are crafty, and for those who are looking for last minute gift ideas - here you go. Get out your dusty machines and put your foot to the pedal. I guarantee that teenagers will love this gift. Bonus that fleece is on sale at JoAnn's from now until Christmas Eve. Seriously, you can't go wrong with these Snuggies.

You will need:
3 yards of Polar Fleece, 60" wide (I prefer the no-pill fleece)

Cutting:
1. Cut 24" off of one short end of the fleece
2. Set this aside - it will become the sleeves
3. Fold the remaining piece of fleece in half the long way and mark the armholes

To make the armholes:
1. Draw an oval to measure 9" x 6" on a piece of paper; use as a pattern
2. Place this oval on the fleece you have set aside (keep that piece folded in half the long way)
3. Placement of the oval pattern is DOWN 13" from the top and IN 11" from the fold
4. Trace and cut the oval through both layers of fabric

To make the sleeves:
1. Take the 24" piece you have set aside and cut on the fold to create 2 sleeve pieces that measure 24" x 30" each
2. Fold each piece in half the LONG way to make a tube that measures 12" x 30"
3. Sew or serge the LONG edge of the sleeve
4. Pin the sleeve to the armhole of the main fabric piece and sew or serge to Snuggie
5. Repeat for second sleeve
**NOTE: Folded in half the arm hole measures approximately 14". This equals around 28" when opened flat. This measurement is the key to having the sleeve fit exactly into the openings you have cut.

Hemming the neck:
(the following photos were taken after the Snuggie was done - the side seam stitches were completed during the "finishing" step)

 Hemming the sleeves and lower edge of the Snuggie:

 

Finishing:

Fleece does not ravel. Therefore, you have several options for how to finish the edges. A serger was used in the above photo to overcast the sides. I did not use a serger last year when I made Alyssa's Snuggie. Instead, I selected an overcast stitch on my home sewing machine to finish the sides - either way works, although using a serger is much faster.

Other finishing options are:
* Leave the edges raw
* Trim the edges with a decorative rotary cutter
* Fringe the edges
* Bind with a strip of lycra
* Fold over and top stitch to create self-banding

And that's it - you're finished! An easy-breezy holiday gift that is perfect for any teenager or college student.

In case anyone is wondering how the pattern was tweaked to make it new and improved: I altered the neck hem and I added a bottom hem. My reasoning for this was that I wanted the fleece that was up around the neck to be softer and a bit thicker - it just "feels" better with a wider rolled hem. The bottom hem was added to reinforce the Snuggie so that when it was tucked under the feet, the fleece would not stretch or wear out.

So there you go... a Snuggie update. Who knew that me, the anti-Snuggie girl, would take the time to perfect something that I shunned for so long? By way of a disclaimer, I will confess that I personally do not own a Snuggie... just because I like to make them, and just because I write instructions for them, does not mean that I actually use them <pfft>. I prefer a good, old fashion quilt when I snuggle up because I don't like things around my neck - a quilt can be tucked under my arms rather than under my chin. But that's just me... and I've always considered myself to be a bit of an oddity :grin:.

And with that I can announce that as of 2:15am Friday night, both my kids are finally home for the holidays, so the workshop is now closed until after Christmas. I doubt that I will be able to stay away from the machines for longer than one week because I've got more Snuggies to make for my friend JoNell's boys, as well as three quilts lined up as my January projects. Which is exactly why I enjoy the winter months - the cold weather gives me an excuse to stay inside and sew guilt free, not to mention the fact that December brings my kids home <insert Facebook heart right here>.

Happy holidays to all,

 

 

Holiday Table Dressing

The day that both kids left for college, Jeff and I took the leaf out of our kitchen table. We also removed two of the chairs and put them in the basement. It was so liberating to make this change because our kitchen table had never been without a leaf and six chairs. What a difference this has made in our kitchen - it just feels bigger. It was such a simple change for us to make, but it was our way of reclaiming our home as we began our new life as Empty Nesters.

So now we have a smaller kitchen table. And we like it. But this change has wrecked all sorts of havoc with my stash of seasonal table decor because everything I have was made for a long rectangular table. We don't have a long table anymore. Instead, we have a short table that is almost the size of a square. It's as though my kitchen table went on a diet and now it needs a new wardrobe.

At first, I was fussing about not having the right attire for my table. I definitely didn't want my table to go barenaked, and I certainly didn't think that placemats alone would cover her up the way I like, and so I kind of had to make do with the few things I had on hand that actually fit a small table. Thankfully, all this happened in the fall and I did have some autumnal attire that would work in a pinch. But now it is approaching winter and the autumnal decor is not longer in season. More importantly, the holidays are here, and that means decorations in every room. My poor kitchen table. She needed help.

Which leads me to the project I made last week while I was drowning in another project known as "Snuggie Hell." I took time away from the Snuggies (I made five in one week) so that I could dress my kitchen table. Here is what I came up with:

At first glance, this doesn't look very Christmas-y. And that's a good thing because my desire was to find fabric that would dress my table through January. The solution was prints with snowflakes and winter trees. Even the little snowman lamp is not actually Christmas-y. But still... this works for Christmas as well as for January. Success!

The bonus is that this fabric actually matches the Jingle Bell wreath and the Jingle Bell Christmas tree that I place on the side table in our kitchen during the holidays:

Hooray for alternative holiday colors. I especially like how the alternative colors conveniently match my wall paper.

For those who are interested in the sewing details of the placemats and the small quilted centerpiece, the specs are as follows:

Supplies Needed:
* 1 yard each of three coordinating print fabrics
* 2 yards of a fourth coordinating print to be used for the backing
* Batting (can use flannel in place of low loft batting if desired)
** You will have fabric left over
*** A partial jelly roll is perfect for this project; backing and binding will be additional

General Sewing:
1. Cut four 2.5" strips from three of the prints
2. Cut six 2.5" strips from a fourth print
3. Sew strips together to create TWO sets of 9 strips each
4. Using a store bought placemat, trace pattern onto a piece of tissue paper
5. Cut 3 placemats out of the first set of strips
6. Cut the fourth placemat out of the second set of strips
7. Set aside remaining length from the second strip (will be used as the centerpiece)
8. Using the tissue pattern, cut out 4 backings and 4 battings
9. Place the strip placemat tops onto the batting and the backing
10. Stitch in the ditch and add any additional embellishments or top stitching
11. Bind with bias tape binding

Bias Tape Binding:
1. Select a fabric print to use as the bias tape binding and cut ten 2" strips
2. Sew the strips into one long row to create the bias tape binding
3. Detailed sewing instructions (with pictures) can be in a tutorial I wrote in 2008: Bias Tape Binding Instructions

Centerpiece:
1. Take the remainder of the second set of strips and cut to desired size (square or rectangle)
2. Repeat steps 9, 10 and 11 of General Sewing instructions
3. You can add width or length by cutting a 2.5" cross-ways piece/strip from the strip scraps; sew these two pieces to the right and left side (or the top and bottom) of the centerpiece. (Double click on picture above for a closer look at the ends of the centerpiece)

Here are a couple of pictures that show the close up details of the embellishments and top stitching:

So there you have it: how to dress your Christmas table the Kelly Edge way. Fast. Simple. Easy. And very fun!

And with that, I'm heading back to the workshop because Buddy's best friend (the UPS guy) just delivered another box of fabric.

 

Chinese [Christmas] Coin Quilt

I keep forgetting to share these pictures since we are now in the heart of the holiday season which means I am a busy being an elf and making Christmas gifts. I haven't put up a single decoration yet, but my Santa's Workshop is overflowing with projects in progress. And so before I start posting pictures of my workshop creations, I thought it would be fun to share this project.

Before the holidays arrived, I was surfing the internet and I came across some quilting patterns on a blog titled Mary Quilts. I've seen this pattern before, but I didn't know it was called the Chinese Coin. Now, after completing the rows of "coins," I think it is the perfect name for the quilt. Anyway... I downloaded the pattern and studied it carefully, and then I decided the coins would be a great project to use with a jelly roll of Christmas fabric I had stashed away, and so off I went to dig through my stash and figure out exactly what else I needed by way of borders and backing. In the end, I had to make a trip to JoAnn's to buy the backing fabric and the sashing print. I used a 40% off coupon and I was able to save quite a lot on the purchase of the fabric. I think this quilt ended up costing me about $65 in fabric and thread (including the initial cost of my jelly roll). I can't factor in the cost of the batting since I buy that on 15 yard rolls and keep a big tube of it tucked away in my closet (the tube has enough batting on it to make 12 quilts). So if you are budgeting, you will need to add that into the total cost. The quilt also required five spools of thread - you will want to buy that when it is on sale.

After making this quilt, here is what I learned about Chinese Coins: the pattern is the most easy quilt I have ever made. And I was able to complete this quilt in a single week - including sewing the free motion top stitching and adding the binding. I also learned that Alyssa loves this quilt, so I gave it to her to have when she graduates from college and sets up her own home. In the meantime, we are using the Chinese [Christmas] Coin quilt in our family room during this holiday season. My theory is that the more a quilt is used, the softer it becomes. Therefore, by the time Alyssa moves out and takes it with her, it will be well broken in and much loved.

These pictures show the backing and a bit of the detail work. I still can't believe how easy this project was and how quickly it came together.

I'm pretty sure that I'll be making more of these Chinese Coin quilts because the size is perfect, the project is fun, and the end result is awesome!

And with that, I'm off to my workshop because I've got a whole lot of fabric to play with.

Happy Holidays from me to you,

 

Solitary Time

A few years ago, I announced to my family that I was going to re-do the spare bedroom. The project included gutting out the room, painting the walls and sewing a new window topper. It was a big project and I told my kids that they were not to interrupt me while I worked. Needless to say, they interrupted me - a lot. Their agenda was not the same as my agenda and, in spite of my best intentions, the task took a long time to complete due to all the interruptions. When the room was finished, my family acted as though I'd abandoned them by going on trip around the world, when reality was that I had only locked myself in a bedroom for seven days. While I was locked in the room, I listened to a book on tape. It was heavenly to have someone read to me while I worked, and when the room was done, I wished that I had more time to myself: solitary time - it seemed like a pipe dream at the time.

I think all mothers feel this way once in a while; sometimes more often than not. There were years when my greatest desire was to take a bath without interruption. Just a bath. That's all I wanted to do. But it was a huge request because, as all mothers know, closing a door and locking the kids out is an open invitation for interruptions. We mothers are in demand and the little people in our lives tend to need us at exactly the moment we wish for Calgone to take us away. Solitary time is not a phrase to be used in conjunction with the word motherhood. The two do not go together.

These days I have a lot of time to myself. My kids are away at college and my husband works in our home office all day long. My time is my own and I can pretty much do whatever I want every day. This is what I wished for all those times when I was overwhelmed with motherhood - solitary time. And now it is here.

Some may wonder how the transition is going. I, too, questioned how I would handle this new phase in my life. I was afraid that I'd be bored, or lonely, or lost. But I'm happy to report that I've experienced none of those feelings. Instead, I feel liberated... free... HAPPY! Life is good, and I think the reason I'm so happy is because I know that I did the best I could with the years my kids were at home, and now it's my turn.

Now that I have this longed for solitary time, I get to spend it doing what I love the most (next to raising my kids, because, well... we are supposed to love doing that) - I sew and quilt and putz around the house. And my house is clean, clean, clean! No one ever messes it up. Things stay where they are supposed to stay. Counters are clear, dishes are always done, the bed is made every morning. And because my house is clean all the time, I actually have more time to do the things I want to do. For the past three weeks, I've been working on this quilt:

I was so afraid that I wouldn't finish it before Thanksgiving since it turned out to look very autumn-y in appearance and autumn-y colors don't coordinate with my Christmas decorations.

At first glance, the pattern looks quite simple. I used a layer cake and a jelly roll from the Sandy Gervais Awesome collection by Moda to make the quilt. But what made this quilt challenging for me was that I attempted to free motion stitch a floral design in each block. This is what I ended up with:

And here is what it looks like on the back:

I selected the stitch design after reading this book. The author lies! It is not easy. I just learned how to free motion stitch this year, and I still struggle with keeping my stitch length even and uniform. To attempt an actual design in addition to maintaining stitch control is still beyond my ability. But I tried. And I learned. And I will do better next time. And there will be a next time because, like I said, I have nothing but time to play now, and this is how I plan to spend my time.

Once I figured out that a free motion floral design was beyond my realm of expertise, I decided to make my own template and chalk the lines onto each block. Thankfully, this worked well and I was able to execute the design I had originally envisioned. Grant it, the execution of this design took me hours and hours because the chalking was very time consuming, but I'm pleased with the results.

To create the binding, I used the left over scraps from the jelly roll. I've never used this technique before, but I really like how it turned out. I think it looks very quilt-y:

Before John left for college, I began to prepare for my solitary time. During the summer I purchased enough fabric to make four quilts. I figured that it would take me an entire year to complete those quilts. What I didn't factor into the equation was that I would have time, time, and more time to sew. What used to take me weeks and months to make I can now accomplish in days. I'm not complaining - it goes right back to those words freedom and liberating. I enjoy waking up in the morning knowing that I won't have interruptions. I like being able to spend hours alone in my sewing room. I listen to music and watch DVDs all day long (well, I actually just listen while I sew) and I gauge my time not by a clock, but by how many CDs or DVDs I've played that day. This quilt took me two and a half seasons of Gilmore Girls to make, which adds up to be sixty episodes of Gilmore Girls. That equals about forty hours of sewing - forty hours that I didn't have before my kids went to college. I love those forty hours. Hooray for me that there are lots of forty hours in the future.

I think that we unknowingly prepare for transitions when we long for something that is beyond our reach. Had I not yearned for solitary time for so many years, I would not appreciate it now. But I did yearn for it. I craved it and I dreamed about it, and when it dawned on me that it was finally within reach, I prepared for it in earnest. And now that it's here, I don't take it for granted. Instead, I give thanks for each and every free moment that allows me to further explore the things I haven't had time for in years. And to be perfectly honest - I am loving every single minute of my newfound solitary time.

Introducing Laura

Have you ever noticed how some people name their cars? Names like Big Red and Ruby. Yeah. Not me. I drive a red Volvo and I refer to my car as "the Volvo." And when you register your iPod, there is a place to insert a name. That one stumped me because when I registered my iPod, I didn't know I was supposed to name the dang thing. I felt pressured, so my iPod is registered as "Kelly's iPod." Very original. Not. Last year I received a nook for Christmas and there it was again - a place in the registration process where I was supposed to name the device. More pressure. I named my nook "Nookie," which only goes to prove that originality is not my strong suit.

As one can see, I am not very clever or creative when it comes to nicknames for the important things in my life - and, YES, I consider my car, my iPod and my nook to be very important... one might even go as far as saying that I consider these items to be essential to my happiness. I did manage to come up with names for my kids, so I guess I'm not a complete failure when playing the name game. And all these years later, I still like the name Alyssa Jane. I'll confess that I had no say in naming my son since John William is a family name and it was a done deal from the moment my husband and his sisters were told I was having a boy. Okay, so one out of two isn't all that bad. I've named a few dogs and cats before, does that count? Probably not.

My point: I don't put a lot of stock in names because regardless of what something is called, I still find myself bonding with the things that make me happy. And in my world the words iPod, Volvo, and nook hold a place near and dear to my heart in spite of the fact that their names are not very unique. Therefore, it took me by complete surprise when three weeks ago I got a new sewing machine and I immediately began referring to her by name... a real name, not a brand name and not "sewing machine"... but an actual name. I am pretty sure that I gave a name to my new sewing machine because she is just too pretty to be called "Brother," and if I were to refer to her as "sewing machine" there is potential for a lot of confusion since I now own several sewing machines (okay, seven... I own seven sewing machines, but who is counting?).

Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Laura. Together, she and I are going to make this blog a pretty place to visit.

Laura is actually a Brother NX2000 and the model I chose was a limited release Laura Ashley design that is loaded with 460 stitch selections. FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXY different stitches. Be still my beating heart. Isn't she pretty? Come on, admit it... you like her, right? Okay, if you aren't duly impressed, don't tell me because that would be comparable to telling me that one of my children was ugly, and that would most definitely hurt my feelings.

And, yes, I do realize that Laura is not a very unique name for a sewing machine that just so happens to be a Laura Ashley design. But, hey, I get credit for moving beyond my comfort zone of name brand and/or kind of device. Plus, I love the name Laura, so there you go - I think I did good.

The projects shown laying on her extended sewing surface are two pieces that I played around with when I first brought Laura home. They showcase just a teeny-tiny bit of what Laura is capable of. Here is a close up of those sample pieces. Notice the fiber sewn on the left photo - that is a special bobbin works feature that allows me to wind fiber in the bobbin and sew decorative stitches with fluffy or textured threads:

After playing with Laura for a couple of days, I decided to make something that would allow me to use as many stitch designs as I could. I confess that I got a bit carried away. This project has at least 45 different stitches embedded within the design. I also attached a ton of fiber throughout the process. I've since learned to be a bit less manic when working with Laura.

And finally, here are pictures of the last two quilts I made before retiring my Baby Lock machine (known as "Baby Lock" in order to identify her from the other not-name-worthy machines in my house). The Baby Lock is actually still a viable member of my sewing family because she is my embroidery machine and I refuse to give up the option to embroidery whenever the mood strikes me. But for now, the Baby Lock is on a sabbatical.

The way I look at it, when it comes to "things" a name is just a name. But every once in a while, a "thing" comes along that means so much to us that there is no way around it... that "thing" deserves a special name. I've never really named a "thing" before, but I'm here to tell you that when I say Laura, every single person in my family knows exactly who and what I'm talking about. In fact, the very same people who teased me about naming my sewing machine are now referring to her as Laura, which only goes to show exactly how special she really is.

Some snow, some parenting, and a rag quilt.

Last weekend we saw our first snow of the season. It was beautiful, which is a shocking description coming from me, the Snow Grinch of the world. But I think I've made this disclaimer before: snow is okay during the month of December because 1) it adds to the festive nature of the holidays, and 2) it looks absolutely gorgeous on the outside Christmas lights. I've yet to figure out how to take a nighttime snow picture of the lights covered in white, but I did manage to get a few pictures of the birds flocking to our winter feeder during the storm:

The weather is still cold today, but the snow seems to have passed for the time being. I'd really like another round of the white stuff before the holidays are over because I'm bound and determined to figure out how to take a nighttime picture of snow on the lights, and I can only do that when it actually snows during December. Timing is everything when it comes to my trial and error approach of learning something new.

<no segue here because I can't figure out anything clever to say>

Parenting is something I've not written about for quite a while - not because I've stopped parenting, and not because I've given up (I haven't) - but because I'm walking the fine line of keeping the lives of my kids private due to their personal request. It's been difficult for me not to talk about this subject since I often work things out through the writing process. But I respect my almost-adult-children, and so I've done my best to honor their wishes. Therefore, the following may be a little vague.

To say that parenting John has been a challenge would be putting it mildly. Parenting this boy is truly the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life. I am admittedly in over my head, and there seems to be no end in sight. I continue to struggle to remain afloat as I make decisions that I've never before considered, do things I never thought I'd do, and swallow every ounce of pride while muddling through this thing called Life. But through it all, I've grown to love this child in ways that make me weep because my heart is so full.

When I woke up this morning, I was filled with dread because John had an appointment with a doctor that in the past has made both John and I feel like fools. She's been one of his doctors for the past five years and she doesn't pull any punches - she just says it like it is and sort of bullies us around. The only reason we continue to see her is because 1) we only have to go to her office twice a year, and 2) John plans on finding a new doctor once he turns 18. Therefore, we know our time is limited, so we continue to bite the bullet and suffer her wrath. But neither of us likes it, and neither of us looks forward to these appointments. Today was no different and when I picked John up from school, he was already freaking out about having to see her again.

But you know... life is funny, and sometimes the thing we dread the most can turn into a small miracle, which is exactly what happened today. There was nothing special or different about the appointment today - the doctor was still a bully and John and I still felt like fools - but the time before and the time after were magical because for the first time in months, John opened up to me while we were driving to and from Dr. Bully's office. Today I learned about his break up with she who shall not be mentioned (this had previously been a mystery and it was nice to know "the rest of the story"). He talked to me about why he does not want to get a driver's license (another mystery that I had been unable to solve). He shared with me his fears about leaving [or not] for college (a topic that has been forbidden until today). And he reminisced with me about days gone by and things that he would do differently and the mistakes he's made (something he has never before admitted).

In the grand scheme of things, it was a day just like any other. But in my world, our time together and the words spoken were an answer to my prayers. I don't think we solved any problems, and I know that things are no different tonight than they were this morning, but yet... everything is different because I was given a small glimpse into the mind of this child whom I love so much. And as mothers the world over know: a small glimpse is often the difference between successful parenting and parenting without a clue. And to be very honest about this whole subject of parenting, I'd rather parent successfully than try to do it on a hope and a prayer (which is what I've been doing these past several months).

So that's my feel good story of the day. Like I said, not earth shattering, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

In other news, I finished snipping the rag quilt and it is now in the possession of the U.S. Postal Service as it makes its trek across America. I have to admit that every single time I send away something that I've made, I have a little panic attack. It is always difficult to entrust a labor of love to perfect strangers. Hopefully, the USPS employees will take good care of my (oh-so-expensive-to-mail) package and it will arrive in time for Christmas.

This rag quilt was made for my brother's girlfriend's daughter (did you follow that?). I've not yet met the new girls in my brother's life, but he loves them and my mom loves them, so I know I will love them too. My thought was that since all the other cousins receive Aunt Kelly quilts last Christmas, giving one to Keily this year would be the perfect "welcome to our family" gift. She is a pre-teen and I was so excited when I found the perfect fabric for this project:

Since this entry is pretty much a bust on the transitions and segues, I'll just wrap things up by saying that it has been an interesting Monday - one that I will remember for many days and weeks to come. I am in awe of the tiny little miracles that we are blessed with when we take the time to slow down and just let thing happen. Today was a tiny miracle day. I like that!

My Life as a Christmas Elf

Time seems to fly by during the holiday season. And for that reason, I never seem to slow down long enough to write about all the things that are happening in my little corner of the world. Like everyone else, I am just busy, busy, busy, and I sometimes forget to slow down and enjoy why I am so busy in the first place. Therefore, in an effort to not let time slip away, today I'm slowing down to share some of what has kept me so busy.

First things first - Thanksgiving. Yeah, I know it is old news. But like I said, I've been busy and have not slowed down since before the Big Day. And a Big Day it was! My mom and Debbie drove down from Philadelphia to spend the afternoon with us while Lon and Norm stayed behind because they were working on a "project" - projects are a theme in my family and when we start one, we don't like to be interrupted by things like a holiday. But mom and Debbie were kind enough to step away from their project so that they could eat some turkey in Virginia. We had a lovely time with them and the day turned out perfect. Here are some of the pictures we took before we stuffed ourselves with delicious food:

Notice that Jeff is not in the photos. The reason he's not shown is that he was busy cooking while we were busy playing. He made the entire meal! My only responsibility on this day was to make the stuffing, stuff the bird and set the table. He did everything else, including clean-up. Yes, I know... I am spoiled. But in my defense, I did spend a week getting ready for the Big Day. I also sewed a whole lot of placemats and napkins to put on our Thanksgiving table. Therefore, I like to think that it was a cooperative effort on our part.

As soon as Thanksgiving was over and we said good-bye to Mom and Debbie, Alyssa handed me an order for more Greek letter tee-shirts. Last month I offered to make these tee shirts for any of her sorority sisters who were interested in owning one of the custom made Vera Bradley designs. At the time, I thought it was a nice gesture on my part and I figured that I would have to make maybe ten more tee's. Little did I know that those darn letters would be the hit of the year. FORTY tee-shirts! That's how many have been ordered so far. And they need them by January 2. FORTY! Oh my word. What a huge project (there's that word again) this has turned out to be. I spent all day Friday, all day Saturday and all day Sunday making tee-shirts. And I made even more on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. To date, I've only completed 14 of these little gems (I told you it was a HUGE project). But thanks to some brainstorming with my friend Pamela, I've since figured out a way to streamline the project a bit, and I am hoping that by the end of this month I will have all forty tee shirts made for the girls. Here is a picture of what 14 tee-shirts and five days of work looks like:

So... we've covered Friday through Wednesday of what I now refer to as My Life as a Christmas Elf. I spent Thursday and Friday working on a rag quilt (pictures will follow at a later date because I'm still snipping the rags). Then I spent all day Saturday making a Snuglet. The rag quilt and the Snuglet are Christmas gifts. I also hope to make some pajama pants to tuck under the tree.

About this "Snuglet" - this is the homemade version of the Snuggie. In the past, I have been the biggest critic of the Snuggies. I have gone on record as stating that I am not a fan. In fact, my favorite YouTube video is one that makes fun of the Snuggie (titled WTF Snuggie - not fit for young eyes and ears). So when Alyssa proclaimed that the one single thing she wanted for Christmas this year was a Snuggie, I almost choked. There is no way on earth I would be caught wearing one of those things. There is also no way I would pay good money to buy something like that because I know full good and well that I could make it for far less money. I also know that "my version" would be a lot more cute than what we are seeing in those goofy television ads, which is why last week I stepped away from the sewing machine long enough to go to the fabric store to look at fleece. I may hate Snuggies, but I would never deny Alyssa the one single thing she asked for this Christmas. 

Following is a picture of what I came up with - and NO, I am not modeling it... I still don't like Snuggies and I would not be caught dead wearing one, although I did test it out when it was done, and I have to admit it was very comfortable. But please...  shoot me if I am ever tempted to make one of these for myself. I am NOT a fan...well, maybe a little... but not enough to actually wear one :giggle:.

The actual pattern and original instructions can be found here: The Snuglet. This was a very easy project and I was able to complete it in a single day. The only thing that threw me off a bit was that the sleeves must be folded to make a 30" opening, and I sewed them the wrong way the first time around, so I ended up picking seams for two hours trying to correct that small mistake (keeping in mind that picking overcast seams is one of the things I like least in this life). This project would be simple for anyone who has inset sleeves before - without that knowledge, the pattern would probably be found lacking in that there are no illustrations for actual sleeve insetting. Other than the sleeves, though, it is just straight stitches all around - and there is a whole lot of fabric to sew around!

And that brings us up to date with My Life as a Christmas Elf. I've not yet put up my Christmas tree and I don't know if I will find time to mail Christmas cards, but I am sure having fun sewing gifts. And so even though I'm busy, busy, busy, I'm also happy, happy, happy. I'm thinking this Christmas Elf gig is one I could get used to.

Project Wall Hanging

About a week ago, I fell down the stairs - all thirteen of them... face first, right into a window. Since then, my back has been acting up - okay, it hurts... really bad. Today I'm on a heating pad. Yesterday I was down flat. This has been the cycle for an entire week - heating pad, down flat, heating pad, down flat. So while I give my back a rest, I thought I would share some pictures of what I was doing before I fell down the stairs: Project Wall Hanging. I finished these quilts before I was down for the count. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the muscle spasms go away in time for me to clean up the mess that this project created in my house, which currently looks like a fabric store gone bad.

This is a picture of the wall hangings I made to give to my family on Thanksgiving day. I made three of these and I will mail my sister's gift to her since she won't be able to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. My thinking is that by giving the wall hangings as early Christmas presents it will allow the recipients the opportunity to incorporate them into their holiday decor, that way, they can enjoy the gift for the entire holiday season. The finished size of each wall hanging is 22"x28".

The pattern I used was from a company called Art to Heart. This company has all sorts of great projects and patterns for those who enjoy applique quilting. Note to my sewing friends who have not tried their hand at applique quilting: it is so much fun! You are missing out on a very versatile method of quilting if you haven't yet tried this style. In fact, it is my favorite thing to sew because it allows me the opportunity to use my decorative stitches.

Last month while at the quilt show I stopped to see a demonstration using sewing machine feet that were universal for all machines (these are the feet used by Mattel to make Barbie clothes!). The gal demonstrating these accessories was doing all sorts of amazing things with her sewing machine. Things like sewing on pearls and yarn and finishing edges with teeny-tiny stitches... and she made it look so easy. Well, being the easily influenced girl that I am, I ended up buying those feet. I also purchased her demonstration in class format on a DVD. And I bought the training manual that went with it. Yep. These purchases set me back a pretty penny. But you know what? I later took the time to do the classwork in my home. And I now use those feet and the manual all the time. These feet were the best investment I have made this year! For the first time ever, I was able to make professional looking napkins for my Thanksgiving table using the satin edge foot. Below is a picture of the additional Thanksgiving placemats and napkins I made to go with the fall placemats I made in October.

The name of this product is Creative Feet. For those interested in these accessories, I highly recommend purchasing the demonstration DVD and the training manual to supplement your purchase. Without the visual demonstration and the manual, I would not be able to utilize the feet to their full potential. But with the combination of all three items, I have been able to take my sewing to a whole new level. I truly believe that the Creative Feet have helped me utilize my sewing machine the way it was meant to be used (but that I was not adept enough to do without the aid of these feet).

Here is a close up of the edges of the napkins - I used the satin edge foot and a regular zig zag stitch:

Enough about sewing. I have one more fun thing to share. Last week I received the Vera Bradley holiday catalog in the mail. I don't carry a Vera Bradley purse, but I love the totes and accessories. My favorite VB products are the eyeglasses case and the cell phone wristlet and I've yet to find another company that makes these in so many styles and colors. And then there is my Alyssa - she is all about Vera Bradley products - she would have one of everything if her budget allowed, so the catalog was more than welcome in my home; I planned to get a head start on some Christmas shopping as I sat down to browse the pages. Little did I know that I would find something fun for myself! This is the picture of my new tote style purse. It is made out of rain slicker fabric, which to my knowledge is new to the Vera Bradley line. The color is called Symphony in Hue. And carrying this tote is a dream. It lies flat against my side and it holds everything I need and more, including a book and my little camera. I love my new purse!

I did end up buying a darling Christmas tree ornament to give to Alyssa, which helped alleviate the guilt I had from spending money on myself this close to Christmas. When I showed Jeff the purse, he thought it was great because 1) it won't get dirty during the winter, and 2) I haven't purchased a new purse in over two years and he knows that when I find one I like, I use it forever.

I like to say that I work hard and I play harder. But right now, I am not doing a dang thing other than resting my back - so no work and less play. I am so bored. I really hope my back is well enough for driving by tomorrow because I need to get ready for my company (and I want to use my new purse again). But the good news is: Project Wall Hanging is complete. When I hurt my back, I had doubts that I would be able to finish the wall hangings before Thanksgiving, so it comes as a pleasant, but painful, surprise that I met my deadline with days to spare. And now I can begin the much anticipated countdown of "Mom comes to dinner!"

It Boggles

I was boggled, but now I'm not. Which is a very poor explanation of where I went for all those weeks and months, but that is how I look at it. Every day for the past month I've woke up and said to myself, "Self, you need to write on the blog today." And every day for the past month, I've procrastinated because I was boggled.

Here's the deal:

• I was boggled about the redundancy of Facebook and blogging since most of what I post on the blog is now shared in brief status updates on Facebook, and most people who read this blog are my Facebook friends (well, not my mom - she doesn't Facebook, and of course she reads my blog... she's nice that way). But with the exception of my mom, who wants to see my pictures twice and read about things more than once?
• I was also boggled about how to be myself without crossing the line of sharing things regarding my teenagers that they would not want me to share - although what they do most certainly affects me in a direct way. And I strongly feel that because their actions affect me, I have every right to talk about those things. Still, it's a conundrum.
• Additionally, I was boggled because I just can't seem to figure out how much to share and what to keep to myself, because the truth is: I don't like to sugarcoat things and I could never pretend to be someone I'm not - that's just not my nature. But the question remains, "Do I want strangers to know this stuff about me?"
• And finally, I was boggled because I wondered if maybe my blogging days had run their course now that my kids are almost grown up. I mean, really... who wants to read about boring me all the time? Seriously, all I do is worry about teenagers or celebrate their lives. And if I am not doing that, I'm crafting, which really isn't all that exciting unless you are me and find great joy in playing with fabric and yarn.

So that was the boggle in a nutshell. However, I have recently heard from a handful of people (okay, eight people to be exact) saying that they miss my blog. And so I figure if there are eight people who really want to know what is going on in my life, I am more than willing to share because the truth of the matter is, I miss my blog because it is a written journal of who I am, who I want to be, and what I am doing along the way.

So here I am. It feels kind of weird to be writing again. I think I've lost my groove. I know I lost my password because it took me forever to log in. I hope I remember how to do this.

Before I go any further, I want to share a favorite picture from my adolescent years:

I recently learned that my friend Alison Jones Kennedy passed away suddenly due to a heart attack caused by a virus. (Alison is in the back row on the right. I am in the back row on the left.) My heart aches with the loss of such a beautiful person, and I am still struggling with the reality that Alison is no longer on this earth. My prayers are with her two young daughters, Madeleine and Gabrielle. It is for them that I weep the most.

Last week as I scanned photos for the memorial service, I felt the pull of home - my childhood home - that place where all the memories of my youth reside. I now live far away from that home, and although I have created a home in Virginia, my heart will always be in Washington with my family and childhood friends. Throughout the week I corresponded with the people who helped shape the woman I've grown to be, and I felt such a longing to be with them because, as my friend Rick said, "we grew up in a movie and the kind of childhood we had cannot be found anymore." He is right. We had an idyllic childhood and only now, as adults, do we fully appreciate how lucky we were to grow up together wrapped in a cocoon of innocence and joy. We were the lucky few, and we do not take that for granted. Our friend Alison was a integral part of our youth and she will always be remembered as the girl who touched lives with her inner beauty, shared her generosity of spirit, and painted the world with her artistic nature. Rest in peace sweet Alison.

Now I will paint my blog with some of my recent colorful creations. I'm not the artist that Alison was (and boy was she talented), but I muddle my way through as I continue to play with fabric every day.

This summer I made my first two baby quilts. I gifted them to two of my scrapping friends - one who had a baby girl, and the other whose toddler had open heart surgery. I've not made baby quilts before (well, I did make one when I was expecting Alyssa, but that was so long ago that it seems like a dream). Making baby quilts is fun! There is something about making a warm cuddly for a little person that just makes me smile. Here are snapshots of the two little people quilts I made:

I also designed a my first circle pattern to use as a centerpiece for my kitchen table. Figuring out how to create a perfect circle was a real challenge and I was quite pleased that after much trial and error I actually figured out how to do this:

 

And of course I had to make more Greek letters for Alyssa. She has now come up with the brilliant idea of ordering Vera Bradley cloth napkins so that we can use the fabric to make the letters. All of the girls in her sorority now want Vera Bradley letters and I have an on-going list of orders coming in. The Vera Bradley letters are shown in the tee-shirt on the right:

In October I attended a quilt show (I went two days in a row, because one day was not enough!). While there, I found all sorts of nifty things to make. This is one of the quick quilt patterns that I purchased. The three panel mini quilts can be switched out with the seasons. I made the autumn scene first. Next up is JOY for Christmas and then I want to design a heart themed pattern for Valentine's Day. I've discovered that making my own patterns is almost as fun as sewing:

 

And now it is the end of fall, which means it is time for my annual holiday sewing spree. I am in the process of making three Merry Christmas wall hangings to give to my extended family units as Christmas gifts. The only glitch is that I need to have these completed by Thanksgiving so that they can be used during the holidays (I plan to give them to my mom and sister-in-law on Thanksgiving day when they are here to celebrate. Yes, you heard that right! My mom will be here for Thanksgiving, and if you know me at all, you have to know that I am over the moon excited for this rare event). I'm making progress, but still not done - this project is far bigger than I ever imagined. But the challenge has been good for me and the results are turning out quite nice.

 

Note that in this picture I am wearing gloves. John took the picture because he could not believe that I wore "Michael Jackson" gloves when I sewed. The reason I wear the gloves is because they have grippers on the fingertips and they help me rotate the fabric without having it bunch up. I LOVE my Michael Jackson gloves, but I will admit that I really do look like a dork when I wear them. Since this picture was taken I have gotten my hair cut - which really does help alleviate some of the dork factor.

So there you have it. My life in a nutshell. Alyssa is still attending George Mason University. She started her first student teaching this semester and loves it even more than she imagined. John is a senior at DHS and we have managed to dodge the H1N1 virus with the help of Tamiflu (my security blanket - thank God for a doctor who believes in preventative measures). So far this year we have done the senior picture thing, the homecoming thing, and the SAT thing. And all I can say about that is Alyssa was much easier than John because she took charge of these details; all I had to do was pay. With John, I am having to be a lot more "hands on" when it comes to the finite details of senior life. But, because I am well aware that each of these events is a "last time" experience for me, I am cherishing every single opportunity I have to spend time with my son. 

Back to the boggle - it wasn't so bad, which is apparent in the length of this post, which leaves me wondering why I allowed myself to be boggled in the first place.

Tee-shirt applique - a how to pictorial instruction guide

Before Alyssa's Spring Break began, she started a list of things she wanted to do while she was home from college. The number one item on her list was to sew the Greek letters of her sorority onto tee-shirts. Knowing that there are a lot of "rules" that go with being in a sorority, I asked her to make sure that it was not "illegal" for us to make our own letters. She promptly followed through and was told that we could make our own Chi-Omega letters, but the letters had to be identical to those that were used for official sorority business and activities. Once she received the go-ahead, she was gung-ho to begin this project.

As the person who would be designing and sewing the letters, I felt a lot of pressure to not screw this up. First of all, I've never appliqued on tee shirts before. I've made tee-shirts back in the days when I used my serger to sew clothing for my kids - but I've never embellished the tee shirts using the applique method, and because tee-shirt material is very stretchy and loose, I was concerned with how to go about this project without messing it up. I also didn't want to let her down since she is not one to ask favors of me. The fact that she actually asked me to do this for her was proof of much this project meant to her.

And so after stressing for an entire weekend (she couldn't stop talking about it), I took a deep breath and tackled the project yesterday. When I realized how very easy this project is, I knew that I had to pass along the instructions, because not only is this an easy project, it is also one of the most inexpensive projects I have ever made.

Following are the instructions... I've tried to include enough pictures for each step in order to keep it simple.

Supplies required for this project are:

1. A tee-shirt - available at Michael's (cost of $3.99)
2. Wonder Under paper backed fusible webbing
3. Tear-Away Stabilizer - I prefer the roll, but it can be purchased in a package also
4. Grid paper to trace pattern on - available at any office supply store in tablets
5. Fabric - we purchased fat quarters at JoAnn's (cost of 99 cents each!)
6. Coordinating thread
7. A sewing machine with a zig-zag stitch (I set the width to 4.5mm and the length to .7 mm)
8. An ironing board and iron

These are the original [read "official"] tee-shirts that I used as a pattern guide - the girls have been spending anywhere from $20 to $30 for each tee-shirt at the local mall. When personalizing your own projects, any image can be used to create a pattern. Coloring books work well, as do computer images of objects such as baseballs, bats, footballs, flowers, peace signs, computer fonts, etc. Just print out the image you want to use and then make a pattern out of it. You can size it on the computer before printing, which makes this step fast and easy (unless you are following sorority guidelines!).

After selecting an image to recreate, a pattern needs to be made - I use the grid paper for proper sizing.

Once the pattern has been designed, trace the image onto the Wonder Under. Iron the image to the WRONG side of the fabric... let cool before trimming to size.

Before the sewing begins, stabilizer must be attached to the WRONG side of the tee-shirt (the inside-out side). I baste a square or rectangle and later remove the basting stitches before tearing away the excess.

Now comes the fun part: sewing. Remove the backing of the Wonder Under and iron the shapes onto the RIGHT side of the fabric. I iron one layer at a time, and then sew that layer. After each layer is sewn, I iron on the next layer and sew that. To put it another way - when appliqueing multiple layers, the process is to stack one upon the other, sewing a layer at a time. I use a zig-zag stitch around the edges, making sure to catch all raw edges. There is no pre-fold hem required, as the wide, tight zig-zag stitches and the sticky back Wonder Under will finish the edges.

To finish the project, remove the basting stitches that hold the stabilizer in place and then tear away the excess stabilizer (see noted photos above). Press tee-shirt to fill in any basting stitch needle marks that may still appear - these will go away once they are pressed back into place.

Here is what the finished projects look like:

 

My total cost for each tee-shirt was $5.33. Note that this does not include the price of the Wonder Under or the stabilizer. If those items are purchased specifically for this project, the base cost will increase substantially. However, one package of Wonder Under is 2 yards in length and that will make over 20 tee-shirts. A roll of stabilizer is also 2 yards in length. Therefore, these supplies are what I consider to be staple materials, so I do not factor in these items in the overall cost of the tee-shirts.

So there you have it - a simple and very low budget project that can be completed in a day. Each tee-shirt took two hours to make, which included tracing the Greek letters, and all of the cutting, ironing and stitching. Like I said, I'm slow when it comes to sewing, and I'm sure that most people would be able to speed up the production time... I'm just not most people... I'm one of those slow people.

Alyssa is thrilled. She has already started to brainstorm more sorority projects. In fact, she wants to sell these tee-shirts to the girls in her sorority (once again, I told her that she absolutely had to get permission to do so before she started advertising tee-shirts for sale!). After she decided that selling Greek letter tee-shirts was a good idea, she then asked me if I would be willing to make them for that purpose. This made me giggle. I honestly think she believes that all I do is sew my life away - maybe a tad bit accurate, but not the entire truth... I do have a few other activities in my life! Anyway, I told her that I would consider making more, but that if I were to sell them, I would do so via the [still not created] Etsy Shop so that she would not be responsible for collecting the money.

When all is said and done, I'm pleased with the results of this project, and I feel honored that Alyssa would trust me enough to ask me to do something sorority related. It's been so much fun having her home. She's grown up a lot and she is really fun to spend time with. Once again, I am tickled with this turn of events. Spring Break has never been one of my favorite "breaks", mostly due to the not-so-spring-like weather that occurs every year, in addition to high expectations from kids who have no concept that the entire world is not on spring break. Now that Alyssa has been in college for almost a year, she finally understands that March weather is probably going to be crappy, the world doesn't revolve around spring break, and having a break from classes is worth celebrating regardless of the weather or the lack of a BIG EVENT. The BIG EVENT, in this case, is having her home. And in my world, that's huge!

The project that took forever, and other nonsense

I will be the first to admit that I sew slowly. I live by the rule that the slow and steady win the race, whereas the fast and furious crash and burn - at least, when it comes to sewing, that has been my experience - I crash and burn every single time I try to speed up the process... and so I sew slow. I like to think that by doing so, I am able to enjoy the experience all the more. But the real truth is that when I sew slowly, I make fewer mistakes and my stitches are more accurate. In the end, this saves me from having to rip out my work, which I do enough of as it is even with the slow going. In recent years, I've come to refer to my slow and steady pace as The Amish Method, because those people make the most beautiful things, and they do so without electricity - instead, they use treadle machines and turn the wheel by hand. Okay... I don't sew that slow, but sometimes it comes close.

And so when this project, now referred to as the Daisy Kitchen Collection, ended up taking me over two weeks to complete, even I began to wonder if maybe I should speed things up a bit. But with the recent medical issues (a visit to the hospital is a pretty good reason to stop sewing for at least a day), and a son who is turning into a teenage hellion (his latest antics don't even warrant documentation because they are so lame... the boy needs to use his brain!)... well, slow going began to look better than no going at all, because even though things were progressing at a snail's pace, I was able to see progress each and every day.

This project is one that I intend to add to the growing inventory of the still to be determined Etsy Shop. I came up with the design late one night as I was looking through a magazine - there was an advertisement for some brand of allergy medication and the ad design inspired me to think of blues and yellows with daisies scattered about. And so at 11:30 at night, I got out my sketch pad and I started to draw daisies of all kinds (some of those daisies were really bad - but that's how things work... start with the bad and end up with something that fits the concept). The next morning I dug through my fabric stash and pulled out all my blue and yellow material, but I didn't like my choices, so I clipped a coupon and off I went to the fabric store. I found some daisy fabric that perfectly suited the concept I had in mind, and thus began "The Project That Took Forever."

Below is the end result of two weeks of start and stop slow sewing. This is only the third project that I have conceptualized, designed, and developed from start to finish on my own. The pattern is in my mind and if I had to make it again, it would probably turn out differently because that's how my mind works - I go with the flow and wing it as I go. This kitchen set is simple... but I like how it turned out:

Now, the nonsense about my son - the one who is turning into a teenage hellion: I am so blessed to have a support team of friends and family who are always willing to listen to my woes and to offer words of encouragement. Yesterday, I received an email from a very special friend, and I think that she summed things up perfectly. I wanted to share her words because I believe they apply to any teenager who is struggling to find their way, regardless of the actual situation - I do believe that this observation is spot on and applies to all teenagers:

John. Sigh. From the outside looking in I see a young man who rebels as his way of being ‘normal’ and taking control of his life since otherwise he is not normal and not in control of his body, his situation. it is the only way he has come up with to be a ‘normal’ teen.  Then he will be viewed as the bad ass and not the sick kid.  Again, only my two cents. By dancing with the law he is not pitied or babied as he probably is by other adults in his life. You and others react with anger and other strong feelings instead of letting him slip by because of his condition. He is testing you and others….’look what I did – love me still?’. He may have felt that your love and support came from his illness – especially with a gorgeous and successful sister going before him.  maybe if he sees that his actions might have dire consequence he may rethink them….juvie hall? “prison school” ? (something we have here) some other form of institutionalization? If he realizes you cannot cope with his actions and will not tolerate them….. I don’t know. this is a tough one.

And so to this friend, I say thank you... thank you for putting things into perspective and for helping me see outside of the problem that is so close to my heart... so close, and painful, and frightening that I am often unable to see beyond the moment. After much consideration, I know she's right - John is at the stage where he is going to need to face outside consequences for his irresponsible and unacceptable actions, and when that happens, only then will he realize that my love for him is unconditional. Unfortunately, his consequences may be something that he pays for in ways that he has yet to think through. And so in the meantime, I continue to love, to pray, to support, to guide, and to live in constant fear that his actions are going to harm him in ways that a mother can't fix.

To end this entry on a positive note (and another bit of nonsense), I thought I'd share an elusive photo with you. This is the ONLY picture that has been taken of me and my husband in over ten years, and although I posted it on Facebook, I thought that it also needed to be added to the archives of the blog. I offer it as proof that I really am married... there really is a spouse... I really do love him... and he really does exist in more than just my mind:

 
Kelly and Jeff - photo taken shortly before our 20 year wedding anniversary.

As some final nonsense and a bit of daily trivia: Alyssa is home this weekend because she's been so sick at college, we decided to bring her home to her own bed and to see her own doctor. I'll be in full-blown mother mode for the next few days. And when all is said and done, that is the one thing that makes the most happy, even though I feel terrible that my college student is too sick to stay in the dorm!

Happy weekend to all - and to my own mother, I send happy birthday wishes. Smooches to you, Mom, enjoy your birthday and celebrate your life!

Pink Hearts & Doggy Scarves

2009 started out with a very loud bang - and it is not the kind of bang I was hoping would ring in the new year. Therefore, in answer to the question, "where have you been?" I will just say this about that: parenting a wayward, rebellious, angry teenage son is nothing to blog about - I am emotionally worn out, and I have reached the end of my rope. But if I were to blog about the experience, words such as illegal, police, temptations, peer pressure, and trouble would surely be included. Having said that, I am just going to skip right over all other recent developments. (No one will ever accuse me of lacking the ability to tune out my reality!)

And so with the beginning of a new year, and a burning desire to maintain my sanity through all the craziness that surrounds me, I once again turned to the sewing machine - but before doing so, I loudly proclaimed to my family that I was going to my happy place, and may the good Lord help anyone who dared question my motives. Needless to say, they left me alone.

The first thing I did was an attempt to remind myself that love abounds even when disappointments occur. With that thought in mind, I went to the fabric store and purchased yards and yards of pink heart fabric because 1) I love pink, and 2) Valentine's Day is the next holiday on the calendar. After looking at the fabric for a few days, I came up with a pattern and design late one night when I was trying not to wallow in parenting hell. This Valentine table setting is nothing fancy, but it makes me happy. I made the circles using various sizes of kitchen drinking glasses. I made the strips using a rotary cutter and quilting ruler. The place mats were made by tracing something else I had sewn last summer. All applique work was sewn with my Baby Lock machine using the applique stitch and contrasting thread. Easy, breezy, pink heart fun!

Here is what I ended up with to remind myself that love is all around:

After completing the pink heart project, I still had oodles of fabric left over, and so I sketched out a pattern similar to something I had seen last fall at a craft fair. I've been wanting to make one of these circle thingies for ages, but could never figure out how to do so. It took me four attempts to get the measurements right, and I ended up throwing the first three prototypes away. I finally recruited my husband to help me out and together we were able to calculate the proper cutting lines and exact dimensions. Without his calm approach and exceptional patience, I doubt I would have ever been able to complete this design. As it is, I've now made two sets and have the entire project down to a single day. I'm thinking about opening an Etsy Shop, and so this was a test project. I'm still undecided about the Etsy Shop, but in the meantime, I'm having fun thinking about it and working on possible inventory.

And finally, a just because story because this provided a laugh out loud moment when I needed it most:

The way my mom, Jenny, Debbie and I email each other is all together - so what one person writes, everyone reads (although I have to say that I think Jenny reads much more than she writes!). On Christmas day, Debbie sent an email wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and commented on the Christmas scarf that her dog, Sophie, was wearing. Apparently, Jenny had made the scarf for Sophie as a little doggy gift. Later that day, Jenny responded to the email saying that her dog, Chloe, had a Christmas scarf on as well. Harrumph. No scarves here in Virginia! I was feeling left out.

The following week, I had to sew up some new diaper wraps for my poor little pitiful dog who is still in a wheelchair due to paralysis. When I was done with the dreaded project (I really hate sewing doggy diaper wraps), my husband commented that Misty was the best dressed dog in the whole wide world. I told him that she was NOT the best dressed dog because she did not warrant an Aunt Jenny Christmas scarf. I also passed the comment along to my sister via the family email route, making sure she knew that I noticed the scarf favoritism.

Later that week, Jeff went out to the mailbox and when he came inside, he was chuckling to himself. He then waved a letter in front of me and said, "Misty got mail." I grabbed the envelope and tore it open to discover a lovely new Aunt Jenny scarf made especially for Misty. Oh happy day! Doggy mail. What fun! If I open an Etsy Shop, dog scarves will definitely be included in the inventory. These scarves are so stinkin' cute!

That my sister would make Misty a scarf and send it to my dog in the mail made me laugh until I cried. The scarf arrived on a day when John and I had been going at each other like never before, and I was to the point of throwing in my parenting towel and going on a very long vacation to Never-Neverland. I so greatly appreciate the fact that Jenny saw humor in my utter disgust that Misty was overlooked at Christmas time. That she would spend her day off making a doggy scarf meant more to me than anything else at that moment in time, and it reminded me that no matter how far away she lives, my sister is there just when I need her most. Three cheers for Jenny - she made me laugh! I love you, sis.

Oh... good news: I have a new laptop. It's a Sony Vaio that is sangria red and it is absolutely wonderful. When I opened this gift from my husband on Christmas Day, I was utterly speechless (I thought I was getting a new coffee maker). It's taken me a while to figure out how to transfer programs and such, but I think I have finally figured out how to work with the pictures using Vista, which was the most important thing to learn, second only to trying to remember my user names and passwords for various personal files and websites. If things on the blog look wonky, the fault is solely my own due to inexperience with the laptop and Adobe.

A very belated Happy New Year to all. My hope is that it only gets better, because if it gets any worse, a trip to Never-Neverland just still might happen.

Now this is Christmas!

Alyssa is home! And she brought her roommate with her. What a treat it has been to have both girls home for the holidays. Haley works at The Patriot Center and she was unable to go home until after her pay period ended, so she joined our family for a few days while she traveled back and forth from the campus of GMU to our house. It was so much fun seeing these girls together - they truly are like sisters. They spent the first few days of their winter break playing with my scrapbook supplies, watching movies, and sleeping... these girls know how to sleep!

And so with Alyssa home, our house has become a whirlwind of activity before the holiday. We've had Haley coming and going, Alyssa working the overnight shifts at Hollister, John trying to keep up with his tutors, nurses and social life, and me trying to finish up last minute Christmas preparations. At one point, we had Haley packing to go home while another friend moved into the guest room just three hours later - barely time to change the sheets and wash the towels! That same night, we had one of John's friends crashed out on our downstairs sofa while John and his girlfriend watched a movie in the upstairs family room... five teenagers all at once! The front door just kept revolving, leaving my head spinning and my pantry emptying faster than I could keep up. Note that this activity occurred at 2:30 in the morning and I was left to wonder exactly what sort of hours these college girls keep while living on campus with no rules at all.

It's been fun, but I just can't keep up with the teenagers.

Through it all, I managed to finish the final holiday sewing project:

 

This is a child's size 8 apron that I made as an anonymous donation to a family our neighborhood sponsored this Christmas (Simplicity Pattern # 4286). I had so much fun sewing something for a little girl - it brought back many memories of years gone by when I used to make Alyssa's Christmas dresses each year. I had forgotten how cute those little girl projects can be (and now I want grand babies, but I'm going to keep that wish to myself for a few more years!).

Speaking of neighbors: one of my neighbors had the wonderful idea that we all work together this holiday season and sponsor a family from a local church. She organized the project like a pro and we began gathering gifts in early November. Yesterday she hosted a wrapping party -

 

Participating in this project has been my greatest reward of the season. I was overwhelmed seeing the generosity of my friends and neighbors, and I was honored to have been asked to make the apron for a deserving little girl. In addition to the apron, Alyssa and I shopped for the mother. We had fun selecting items that we thought would make her life easier (jumbo sized bath towels), and more relaxing (a new coffee maker). As I spent the afternoon with my neighbors, I was reminded that when everyone gives a little, the result turns out to be a lot. It is my sincere desire that we make this an annual holiday tradition because this is really what Christmas is all about.

While at the wrapping party, Alyssa was able to spend time with our very favorite six year old friend. I almost stared to cry as we walked in the door and Little Miss B ran across the room and threw herself into Alyssa's arms. She held on very tightly and didn't want to stop hugging Alyssa - the look on her face was pure love and adoration. Afterwords, Alyssa told me that seeing Miss B was what she had been looking forward to more than anything else this holiday season.

 

When I take a minute to stop and soak it all in, I realize that this is what Christmas feels like: family, friends, love, laughter, and joy - and I am thankful to be blessed with these gifts - because I know that each moment is a memory and each memory is a treasure.

From my house to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas as you gather treasured memories of your own this holiday season.

I sewed. And I sewed. And I sewed some more.

Three weeks ago, I was in a really bad place. Emotionally, I was wiped out, and with no end in sight to all of John's medical problems, I was not coping well. I was mad at the world, I cried all the time, and I didn't like myself. The final straw came when I realized I was also angry at John for not being in school, and I was frustrated with my little dog because she now wears diapers. Okay... mad at a sick child? Frustrated with a crippled dog? What kind of person has those feelings? A not nice person, that's who.

Enough was enough, and so out of necessity, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands. And even though I still had to deal with medical appointments, nurse visits, tutoring red tape, an unhappy teenager and a handicapped dog, I realized that I had to find time to do something that made me happy - because the truth of the matter is that if I am not emotionally well, everything else is going to fall apart.

So what I did was get out the sewing machine. I took over the family room and the kitchen because in spite of the fact that my sewing room has now become the nurse station and the school room, that doesn't mean I have to give up sewing entirely. You see, I was mad about that too... I was angry that I'd lost my happy place, and I was taking it out on everyone, including the dog. Once I realized that I needed to be a tad bit more flexible with where and when I sew, I was able to begin letting go of the mad. And so I sewed.  And I sewed, and I sewed, and I sewed. Morning, noon and night, I sewed. I sewed while the nurse was here and I sewed before and after medical appointments. I became obsessed with sewing. And the more I sewed, the happier I became.

Thankfully, Christmas is right around the corner and I was able to focus on making gifts. There is just something about making things for others that gives me a feeling of contentment... I think it is because when I am making something to give away, I don't feel as selfish about taking the time to do what I love.

Whatever the reason, whatever the cause, I am happy to say that I'm doing better, and the reason I've not taken the time to update the blog is because I've been too busy sewing!

Here are a couple things I've been working on - rag quilts for my niece and nephews. I've got one more to make and am hoping to get it done the first week in December. Mailing these is going to be a challenge. I'm guessing that I'll need to go to the UPS store and ask for assistance.

  

And did I mention that when I'm not sewing, I've been crocheting? I do that at night when it gets too dark to see the sewing machine stitches. Yarn is so much easier to work with in the dark :-)

 

I also made a holiday apron. It is designed like a painter's smock in a wrap-around style. The apron turned out cute, but it is too big to give to my mom - she would swim in it. So now I have an apron with no recipient. I've not yet decided what to do with it.

 

For those who are curious as to how John is doing, I can report that we finally have tutors. It took 48 days for the school district to process the request, but after waiting for over six weeks, we are off and running with John's home-bound schooling. The good news is that the English and History tutor is fantastic and she was well worth waiting for - she's a perfect fit! The math tutor teaches pre-calc at the neighboring high school, so he is well qualified for the job and John seemed comfortable with him. We are still waiting for a chemistry tutor, but I have high hopes that we will be seeing one soon. I feel like I am running a private school with all the comings and goings of these people. They carry around a lot of books and a ton of paperwork!

Last week John had a ten hour infusion from hell. The nurse was so upset that she had to call in her supervisor to come help with the procedure. John later told me that it was the worst experience of his life (no doubt - there was blood everywhere, and I had to bribe him with a new video game in order for him not to walk out of the house with tubes hanging from his arms - it was a complete nightmare). He then told me that he will now consider the doctor's suggestion that we switch the procedure to weekly subcutaneous infusions which would be self administered serum injections once a week, alleviating the need for a nurse. John said that he no longer trusts the nurses to do it right <--- I can't blame him, I don't trust them either.

After John's infusion from hell, he had oral surgery on Thursday. The intention was to remove two wisdom teeth that are putting pressure on his sinus cavities. When the surgeon got in John's mouth, it was discovered that John has cysts growing around the bone. No wonder he feels such pressure! The doctor removed two teeth and the cyst and John is now recovering. It has been a painful recovery because of all the digging that they had to do. Unfortunately, another surgery is required next month to remove two more teeth and another cyst.

I feel so badly for John. He has had a rough few months and he is now beyond stir crazy. I think he even misses Alyssa because even though they used to fight all the time, the fighting at least broke up the monotony of the day!

Speaking of Alyssa, she is beginning to feel the pressure of college. The newness is wearing off and the reality of the task is firmly taking hold. She's taken to calling me every day, and she begins and ends each phone call with, "I can't wait to come home." I think that after she is home for a few days, she's going to think that college is much more appealing - our house is boring when compared to a college campus!

Last night while John's math tutor was here, I ran to Michaels and purchased more yarn. And since JoAnn's is right next to Michaels, I also purchased more fabric. I am serious when I say that I cannot stop sewing. It's become an obsession. But in the grand scheme of things, I think that being obsessed with sewing is far better than being mad at a sick child or being frustrated with the dog. In fact, it's pretty safe to say that my obsession with sewing has alleviated my feelings of anger altogether, which was the intention all along. Sewing replaced my mad! Who knew it would work like that?

The Hugs & Kisses Project

My mom arrives in Virginia in less than two weeks. I've not seen her in over two years, and to say I'm excited is putting it mildly. To be honest, I'm so anxious to see her and the rest of my family that I can barely think straight.

For the past five weeks I've been getting ready for our distinguished guests. In fact, I made a list... a plan of attack... a schedule, which included digging in, cleaning out, and a couple little room makeover projects. But as my husband likes to say, "Nothing is ever as easy as it seems." Once again, he was right, because my "little projects" turned into huge projects, and my plan of attack temporarily took a back seat while I recovered from an annual bout of bronchitis.

But I'm back on track! Yay! And regardless of whether or not everything gets done, my mom will soon arrive and she won't mind a bit if my closets are messy and my windows are dirty. Best of all, she will appreciate the little things that I have managed to accomplish, because more than anyone, she knows that when I take on a project that involves a sewing machine, I lose track of the hours and days and weeks.

I've named the latest project The Hugs and Kisses Project because the room was updated based upon a quilt I made especially for the makeover. What started out as John's childhood room (the place he slept before he found independence and decided to move down to the basement, which he has since taken over as his personal domain), has now become a second spare bedroom... not The Ritz, and nothing fancy, but a room for a single guest to find a bit of privacy and lay their head when we have a house full of people. Keeping in mind that the only time we have a house full of people is when my entire family comes for a visit, this room will probably be used most often by Alyssa's out of state college roommates who come home with her on three day weekends. Either way, I think the room will be used frequently, and so the time spent giving it a makeover was well worth the effort. Plus, it felt good to dig in and get rid of John's old toys and little boy treasures (things that weren't really treasures to begin with, i.e. rocks, comic books, broken pencils, and all sorts of odds and ends that had no place other than the trash can).

I began with the essentials: a color palette, two gallons of paint, a pile of fabric, and a sewing machine. The colors were chosen based upon the quilted wall-hanging that I planned to make. The bedding was purchased at Target for the low price of $39.99. Seriously, who can beat that price for bedding? I LOVE Target! The paint color was chosen not for the name (Cabbage Green???? Yuk!), but because it looked fresh and clean, and this little room was in dire need of something fresh and clean.

First, I made the curtains, then I painted the room... one coat... and then I got sick. So everything sat undone and messy for an entire week. When I got back on my feet, I finished painting the room and then sat down to the business of sewing the quilt. The quilt took an entire week and a total of 52 hours to create - which only goes to prove that my husband is right: nothing is ever as easy as it seems. But in the end, I have to say that making this quilt was one of the most challenging things I have ever sewn. And even though it will hang in a room that is used only on occasion, it was made with love, knowing that whomever stays in this room will always be an honored guest in our home. And for that reason alone, I am in love with this quilt.

Here is the end result of the room makeover. I've included before and after pictures, but the "before" is not really the true "before" because if I were to have taken pictures of the true "before" I would have had to explain why an entire room in my home was filled to overflowing with boxes of crap. And to be honest, I'd rather not have documentation of all that junk (which I gladly gave to the Goodwill). So the "before" picture is actually the "after" picture of what the room looked liked "after" I cleaned it out and "before" I painted and redecorated it...

Next on the agenda is digging out my scrapbook room because, like the unseen "before" pictures of John's childhood room, the scrapbook room is filled with boxes of... stuff (I won't say crap since *I* consider the stuff to be treasures, much like John considered his rocks and broken pencils to be treasures). The scrapbook room is low on the totem pole of rooms that will be used when my family visits, but I guarantee that if my mom or my sister were to see that room in its current state of being, I would never live it down and they would probably be shocked at my disregard for all those so-called treasures. Note that there will be NO SEWING involved in this next project, therefore, I anticipate the task to take one single day. I'll let you know how accurate that guesstimate turns out to be, because like Jeff so often reminds me: nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

A Cheerful Hue

It all started with A Cheerful Hue - the perfect yellow... the color I've been wanting to paint the guest bathroom for quite some time. Yellow because, although yellow is not my favorite color, it's a cheerful color, and I like cheerful, which is why I had my heart set on yellow in the first place (after all, shouldn't bathing be a cheerful experience?). And so what better choice than a hue that was named the exact mood that I'd been aiming for? I mean, really, I'd been planning this little makeover project for a long time, but had never found the right color - nor did I have such an important event looming in the very near future, an event that means lots and lots of company staying at my house for an extended period of time (I can hardly type that without doing a happy dance! My family is coming to visit - YEE HAW!) - therefore, I had clearly not rushed into this project, which explains what I have been doing for the past two weeks, because what started out to be a little painting project, turned into a whole lot of sewing, with the the painting becoming secondary.

I know.... painting... how boring... but first there was sewing, which is a sub-subject to the main-subject of this post, which is actually about what I've been doing for the past two weeks. And I know I said I was putting the sewing machines away (2 machines because I use Alyssa's for quilting and my beloved Baby Lock Ellure for the actual sewing), but I lied. I didn't put the machines away. For some reason, I left them sitting on the dining room table. I also left the ironing board in the kitchen (much to Alyssa's disgust, dismay and embarrassment). Subconsciously, I must have known that I couldn't complete a project without adding a little touch of me to the mix. And that is exactly what I've been doing for the past two weeks - adding pieces of me to the bathroom that my mom will be using while she is here. The only problem with this was that a project that should have only taken three days ended up taking over two weeks. What can I say? I'm slow - I tend to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

This is the color swatch that I began with. The yellow did not scan as "yellow" as it actually is... but as you will see in a bit, YELLOW is exactly what I got!

From the start, I knew that I wanted yellow walls with blue accents. And, like with the perfect yellow, I also knew exactly what hue of blue I wanted to use. Well, as often happens when I have a specific color in mind, I am unable to find that precise color when I go shopping for the coordinates, which is what happened with the blue. Everything I found was either dark blue, gray blue, ceramic blue, or baby blue, none of which tickled my fancy. And so off I went to the fabric store. I mean, seriously... how difficult can it be to make a shower curtain? Well. I'll tell you how difficult it can be: very difficult! And for all those times I've questioned the exorbitant price of a shower curtain, I was wrong. Shower curtains require gobs of fabric (seven yards, to be exact). Shower curtains are also a bugger to sew because of all that fabric. Additionally, fabric does not come wide enough or long enough to make a shower curtain in one piece, so there are panels that have to be made. Add a HOLE (yes, a freaking hole that I didn't discover until the dang curtain was half-way sewn!) in the middle of the fiber, and... well... a simple shower curtain project turned into a four day nightmare. Had I not spent so much money on all that fabric, I seriously would have thrown in the towel and gone with a plain, white curtain. But because I purchased an entire bolt of the perfect blue, I was bound and determined to make it work. In the end, it turned out lovely, and all is well in the world of shower curtain creation.

So... when I finally finished the shower curtain, I was ready to slap some paint on the walls and call it done. Not a big deal. And thankfully, the paint went on the walls without a hitch. Unfortunately, as you shall see, A Cheerful Hue is very cheerful indeed. Alyssa claims that a person needs sunglasses when entering the bathroom. Oiy. Too yellow. Another glitch in what was supposed to be a three day makeover.

And so after sitting on the cold, tile floor and staring at the bathroom walls for two hours, I decided that the yellow needed more contrast... more color... more cheer! And so off I went to dig through my quilt patterns, because a quilted wall hanging would surely solve the problem of walls that were too yellow. What I soon discovered was that I had no patterns that fit the measurement requirements for the wall that needed more cheer. Which led me to my sketch pad/grid paper notebook, because I am nothing if not determined when it comes to making things work. And so I started sketching out an idea of something that just might work. Here is what I came up with after an hour of sketching and measuring (written notes were added throughout the process):

And here is how it turned out:

And here is the end result - two weeks of work, one gallon of paint, eight yards of fabric, and hours and hours of sewing - a bathroom makeover that is now known as A Cheerful Hue (before and after photos):

And that, my friends, is what I have been doing for the past two weeks. Next on the agenda: a makeover for John's old room because my sister Jenny deserves a special place to stay as well, and after two weeks of hit and miss, I figure I'm on a roll when it comes to making a room over with some paint and fabric.

Whew. If I disappear again, it means more glitches in another [not so] simple project. I've got exactly one month before my family begins to arrive... one month to makeover another room... one month to whip this house into shape... and barely a month until Alyssa graduates. To be honest, the reason I'm keeping so busy is because if I stop and think about her graduation, I will break down and cry, because I'm still not ready for her to grow up. And so I'm keeping busy - too busy to think about it, because in the end, that is the only way I am able to cope with this transition.

Want vs. Need

This desire I have to work with color and prints is a need, not a want. I equate the feeling to that of a runner who has the desire to run every single day. The theory is that running (or other forms of exercise) releases endorphins that then give bursts of energy to the mind and body. I get that, because I believe that endorphins do effect a person's level of energy and alertness.

But I'm not a runner. Never have been, never will be. For one thing, I don't like getting sweaty. I also don't like the feeling of jarring and jilting my innards as I pound the pavement and pump my arms. There is something about the thought of my insides jiggling up and down that bugs me and makes me feel awkward and gross. Clearly, running is something I'm not cut out to do. And so although I believe that running releases endorphins, I also believe that there are other ways to do so. Thankfully, years ago I discovered that playing with fabric and colors has the same effect on my body and soul. Maybe actual endorphins aren't released from my brain, but I know for a fact that adrenaline is released, because every single time I step foot in a fabric store, my hearts starts racing and I have to stop and catch my breath. That's how excited and invigorated color makes me feel. Therefore, I've come to conclude that I need to be surrounded by color every single day of my life. And when I think about it, that's not such a bad thing to need.

Last week I was feeling very out of sorts and antsy. I was distracted and unable to concentrate on any one thing and I was making myself crazy with my own lack of focus. It was then that I realized I had not picked up a pair of scissors in over a month. This may not be significant to other people, but for me, it is huge. Scissors are a means to an end for me because it is with scissors that I cut fabric and paper and create all sorts of colorful things. Lack of scissor usage is a sign that I have neglected to fuel my soul with excitement. And yes, I realize that sounds weird... but it is what it is, and for me, that's just the way it goes. I NEED scissors in my life, because scissors open a whole new world.

Thus, the sewing projects. And I have to admit - the endorphins, or adrenaline, or whatever began to flow freely. I was energized like I've not been in weeks. And happy... oh my gosh! I was happy as a little clam sitting in front of the sewing machine piecing together simple blocks of colorful fabric. Happy, happy, joy, joy - those are the only words I have to describe how I feel when I am playing with color. Sewing was just what I needed to pull myself out of the rut I'd fallen into. Even my kids noticed a difference in my attitude. And although they despise how distracted I become when I'm working on a project, Alyssa was very accommodating this time around because one of these quilts was made upon her request.

Two months ago Alyssa fell in love with the quilt I made for my mom's birthday. She begged me to make her one "just like Grammy's". I told her she was lucky because I'd messed up my counting of the 4-square blocks when I made my mom's quilt and I just happened to have enough left over to make a second quilt. When we got the spare blocks out, Alyssa decided to revamp the design and go with a similar daisy print, but not exactly the same. She also decided that pink is *my* color, not *her* color, so she chose to focus on yellow in place of the pink. All this was fine with me, because at this point, I didn't really care what I made, as long as I was making something.

When all was said and done, I'd made two quilts in five days! One for Alyssa to take to college, and one to give as a belated birthday gift to my wonderful sister-in-law, Debbie.

After all that sewing, I now have the need... the desire... the energy to begin preparing my home for the very special visit from my family in June. To say I'm excited doesn't begin to express how I feel about seeing them again. It's been two and a half years since I last saw my mom and sister. And it's been well over five years since the last time Debbie and I were together. That is such a long time to go without spending time with family. Knowing they are coming to visit fills me with the need to "get ready". So let the endorphins and the adrenaline and whatever fill my soul because I've got company coming. YAHOO! I can barely contain myself knowing I will soon be reunited with those I love the most on this earth.

Knowing they will soon be here makes it almost bearable to put away the sewing machine for a while. And cleaning my closets and drawers - heck, I'm actually looking forward to those projects because, just like picking up a pair of scissor, getting ready for company is a means to and end! And just in case my need for color requires fulfillment, I've decided to do some painting. It doesn't involve scissors, but it certainly fits in with the desire to surround myself with color.

That crafting gene? I got it from my Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday, which means I woke up thinking about her and sending her happy birthday wishes from my heart. She's jet setting right now - off on a trip to visit the San Antonio Riverwalk. I spoke with her briefly this afternoon, but didn't really get to tell her what's been on my mind today, the day of her birth... a day I truly celebrate. And because I didn't get to share my thoughts with her, I figured I'd write them down, lest I forget to tell her after her trip:

I've come to the conclusion that every ounce of the crafting gene inside my body came from my mom. In fact, I can't remember a single day of my childhood when my mom wasn't working on some craft or another. In the eyes of a child, she could do it all. In my mind, she was a crafting goddess. And now, when I look back today through the eyes of an adult, I still feel the same way, because all these years later she continues to create beautiful things for her home and her family. Lucky for me, the crafting gene was passed on. Some may say, "nature or nurture?" But as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter... all I know is that I got the gene and it defines who I am. And for that alone, I have my mother to thank.

Years ago when I was growing up on the farm, I had a lot of freedom - freedom to roam, freedom to express myself, freedom to create... freedom to be ME. My mom always encouraged her children to be unique. She embraced individuality and she did everything she could to let us be whomever our inner spirit dictated. And since I only had brothers when I was learning these things about freedom to be me (my sister Jenny didn't come along until I was almost 10), it was only natural that I would gravitate towards everything my mom did, because for the most part, she was the only female around - her actions were what I understood to be the sole definition of all things feminine and girlie. The kicker was, since I was encouraged to express myself, I became a bit of an oddball, and if she was doing one thing, I felt it necessary to add my own twist... just to make it my own. And so when my mom was painting cabinets, I was painting rocks. When she was crocheting rugs, I was making mile long chains to embellish my bedroom walls. When she was sewing clothes, I was sewing on cardboard. And when she was in her decoupage phase, I entered a 3D art stage - creating lovely works of art using cut outs from Holly Hobby wrapping paper and blobs of glue. That's how it went... always the same, but somehow different. Today, I'm the same way - if a project includes instructions, I rewrite them and make them my own. For some reason, I still find this to be fun.

After my musings today, I have decided that in the end, the true beauty of my childhood was that Mom made sure to tell me every single day that I was a creative genius for coming up with colorful rocks, yarn strewn walls, cardboard cross stitch, and the blob of glue technique (and oh how I wish I still had some of that Holly Hobby art - it was truly spectacular!).

Because my mom is so creative and crafty, I don't often make her gifts. My theory has always been, "why bother when she can make the same thing as well, or better, than I can?" The problem with this way of thinking is that sometimes... even as an adult... I still want to make her a gift of heart - regardless of the fact she can make the same thing for herself. And so when I stumbled across the rag quilt project, I tried to explain the technique to my mom over the phone. I even posted pictures and instructions on my blog. And still, she could not envision these quilts. Voila! The perfect opportunity to sit down and make something for her... something she had never made before (truly a novel idea!)... if only for old times sake - because the older I become, the more I know that although I am an adult, I will always be her little girl.

And so after several trips to the fabric store and more miscuts than I care to mention, I was finally satisfied with the gift that is now known as Mom's Birthday Quilt. Last week I gently and lovingly placed it in a box and mailed it on its way. Before my mom left for San Antonio, this is what she received:

I think she liked it.... of course she did... it all goes back to the fact that no matter what I make, in her mind I will always be a creative genius. And so even if it was awful, she would love it just the same because that's what mom's do - they love everything their children create for them. Gotta say - all these years later, that still makes me feel pretty darn good!

This is my favorite picture of my mom. She is in the middle with her sisters. The reason I love this picture so much is because even though my mom may be Mom to me and Grammy to my kids, she is still the baby of The Girls and the love she has for her sisters is truly a beautiful thing. In fact, I'd say their love defines the word sisterhood!

Happy birthday, Mom. I love you, love you, LOVE YOU! May the year be filled with love and happiness... and memories... lots and lots of memories! And hey - thanks for the crafting gene. That was a good thing to pass down. And thanks too, from the very bottom of my heart, I thank you for loving my rocks and my Holly Hobby art and the cardboard sewing cards and all those crocheted chains I made. You allowed me to be ME, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

The Perfect Winter Project: Rag Quilts (instructions included)

In keeping with my recent goal of using the fabric I have stashed in my closet, and in my ongoing effort to cultivate the love affair I'm having with my sewing machine, last week I went on a search for the perfect winter project. I was not looking for anything difficult or fancy, as that would not fall into the perfect category I had in mind. Instead, I wanted a quick and easy project that would not tax my brain or test my patience - something fun that incorporated color and function. I really didn't know what I wanted to work on. All I knew was that I was in the mood to play.

As I was googling and searching all things fabric and sewing related, I remembered that my friend Amy had written about the rag quilts she loved to sew. I've never seen a rag quilt before, but the idea intrigued me. Luckily, Amy recently posted pictures of the rag quilts she has made on her blog. After seeing her beautiful quilts, I knew that this was the perfect winter project I had been looking for.

And so without a pattern or instructions, I set out to make my first rag quilt. Since I've been quilting for years, I sort of knew what I was doing, but that didn't solve the math problem - and quilts are all about the math. I HATE MATH. And because I hate math, I always struggle with that part of the quilting process. Over the years, I've learned to figure it out, write it down, re-figure the numbers, and write it down again. Sometimes I get it right... sometimes I don't. Math is not my strong point.

This time around, I got it right. And because I got it right (twice!), and because I wrote it down, I've decided to pass along everything I learned along the way. Following are the written and photo instructions for making a rag quilt.

Instructions are for a cotton print fabric quilt top, with flannel batting, and a flannel backing.

Yardage Requirements for a 38.5" x 53.5" Quilt

• Large Squares: 1.5 yards for quilt top
• Small Squares (Four Patch Blocks): 1/2 yards each of four coordinating fabrics
• Flannel #1: 2.75 yards for quilt back
• Flannel #2: 2.75 yards for batting (can be the same print or a different print than quilt back). If using the same print, then the the total yardage requirement is 5.5 yards of flannel.

Rag Quilt Cutting Chart

Quilt Top

• Large Squares: Cut (5) 8.5 x 44" strips, then cut the strips [sub-cut] into (17) 8.5 x 8.5" squares
• Four Patch Blocks (cuts from each fabric): Cut (3) 4.75 x 44" strips, then sub-cut into (18) 4.75 x 4.75" squares

Flannel #1 for Quilt Top

• Cut (4) 8.5 x 44" strips, then sub-cut (17) 8.5 x 8.5" squares
• Cut (8) 4.75 x 44" strips, then sub-cut (72) 4.75 x 4.75" squares from each strip

Flannel #2 for Batting

• Repeat the cuts for flannel quilt top using the same flannel print or a coordinating flannel. The color of flannel used for the batting will be the color that is most prominent when ragging the quilt.

*Additional fabric required if yardage is not at least 43" wide after removing selvage.

Sewing instructions

• Use a walking foot if available
• Finger press seams in alternating directions
• All seams are sewn wrong sides together
• A 1/2" seam allowance is used throughout the project
• Cotton thread is recommended
• Set machine stitch length to a shorter than normal length (closer stitches) - you may need to adjust the tension. Cut out a test block of fabric that includes all layers and run some trial stitches while adjusting the length and tension to the desired settings.

Step-by-step photo instructions

For those who have not sewn in a while, this is a project that will get you going. And for those who are afraid to sew anything big, this project will alleviate your fears. And finally, for those like me who are looking for the perfect winter project, this is it - a project that satisfies a desire to create and that will turn out perfect time and time again.

Seriously, anyone with a sewing machine can make these. They are not in the least bit difficult - all you need to do is sew squares and blocks of fabric together. In fact, rag quilts are really quite simple! Straight line stitching is all you need to know how to do. And the best part about this project is these quilts are comfy-cozy. The minute I finished my first rag quilt, Alyssa grabbed it, curled up in a chair, and fell fast asleep. And in my mind, that is what a perfect winter project is all about - something that is welcoming and inviting and... well... nap-worthy.

No more ticky-tack!

After the post note -  I composed this entry, published it, took John to the doctor, ran to the pharmacy, battled with insurance, returned home four hours later and re-read the entry - only to discover I sound like a snob... something I sincerely hope to never be. So I'm adding this diclaimer and an advance apology if my comments are offensive. That was not my intention.

Disclaimer: *My* wooden plaques were ticky-tack, which is not to say that *all* wooden plaques are ticky-tack... I like wooden plaques... but I did NOT like the old country style I had hanging in my home... and for those who have decorated with wooden plaques, I'm sure yours are much more appealing than the ones I had in my home, because to be honest - mine were really, really ugly!

Years ago when I was struggling to decorate a home on a very tight budget, I went to a craft show and picked up some wooden plaques - the kind with clever little sayings painted on them with coordinating toll painted pictures (and as I type that, I'm wondering if people even paint those anymore?). Back in the day, wooden plaques were [kind of] trendy and [sort of] cute. But more importantly, they were inexpensive. After my craft show excursion, I went home and proudly hung the plaques in my laundry room. Voila! Instant home decor. At the time, it was exactly what my home needed. But that was a long time ago, and since then my decorating tastes have changed dramatically, as has my love for wooden plaques. And due to my change of tastes and styles, I'm ashamed to admit that I've moved those wall plaques from house to house in spite of my lost love for all things wooden and tacky. As of last week, the plaques still hung in my laundry room. But the problem is that after fifteen years, wooden plaques are no longer trendy, nor are they cute. The plaques I bought all those years ago are now tacky and tasteless and very much worse for the wear. But since they were in my laundry room - a room I do not care for - I have ignored them for the past ten years. And so they just hung there taking up wall space and looking bad.

Last week as I was doing the laundry, I stopped and actually looked at the walls - I was disgusted by all the ticky-tack I had hanging around. The wooden plaques looked like a garage sale gone bad. And it was at that moment I decided my laundry room needed a face lift. I had a good foundation to work with: a paint color I loved, a wallpaper border that worked, and a long space of wall that was perfect for something large. And so in keeping with my rekindled love affair with the sewing machine, my thoughts naturally turned to fabric and quilts.

A note about quilted wall hangings: they are the perfect solution to decorating a large space on a tight budget. Additionally, they are considered "soft goods", and as such, they absorb noise, which is a very nice thing when considering how noisy and loud a washer and dryer can be. Why I didn't think of this solution sooner is beyond me.

Here is what I came up with - a 36" x 36" machine quilted wall hanging made using the strip piecing method:

I selected fabric from the never-ending stash that I've collected through the years - most of which I've used for other home decor projects... bits and pieces that had been saved as left-over scraps. Clearly, when I find fabric I like, I over purchase! And in keeping with my love of all things pink, it was relatively simple to mix and match the scraps because most of what I purchase has either pink in the print or blends well with pink. (When I say I love pink, I'm not exaggerating... look at the paint color on the wall... a deep, dark, pink! Seriously... I LOVE pink.).

As I was digging through the large volume of fabric I've been saving, I realized that I really need to use some of what I've stashed away. A 36" x 36" wall hanging didn't begin to make a dent in the huge piles I have stashed in my closet. And so I'm on a new mission: use the fabric I have and make something larger than a 36" x 36" wall hanging.

In the meantime, I'm pleased to say that the ticky-tack is gone and something a bit more tasteful has replaced all that wood. The good news is that I don't dislike my teeny-tiny laundry room nearly as much as I did last week. A face lift was just what that room needed, and my attitude about doing the laundry has vastly improved since the removal of the wooden plaques! And because this was the result of time spent with my sewing machine, I'm thinking this project was well worth the effort of digging through my scraps and rekindling my love of sewing.

Sunny Kitchen Project (how-to guide included)

Anyone who has ever watched Project Runway has to admit that the show makes sewing look like fun. Whenever I watch an episode, I am inspired to create. Due to the writer's strike, I've watched a lot of Project Runway lately. I've seen some of the episodes three, four, and even five times. And as I repeatedly watch the contestants design those lovely garments, I find myself itching to do the same. Project Runway makes me want to get out my sewing machine (Baby Lock Ellure) and work with fabric. And because of this, I think it's safe to say that how I've spent the past week can be blamed on the writer's strike, because had they not gone on strike, I would not have watched Project Runway over and over again.

It's been a while since I've sat down and sewed for the sole purpose of pleasure. My last sewing project was making diaper covers for my dog. Not my idea of fun, considering that I didn't know whether or not my dog would recover from her injuries. Thus, I was very stressed as I attempted to design the perfect doggy apparel. Prior to that, I made a quilted wall hanging. The measurements were off, but the project turned out okay. But as far as sewing goes, that's it. One full year with only two projects completed. In a nutshell - I've missed it, and Project Runway only served to remind me how much I love to sew. And so when the winter blues began creeping in last week, I decided to confront the issue before it became a real problem. In my mind, there is only one way to do that - take on a big project. And since I had not sewn for ages, it only made sense to tackle something that would fuel my creative juices and energize my soul.

I sewed for two days. And then I hit a wall. That garish circus fabric. Ugh. My project was nearly complete, but I hated what it had become. I've been sewing since I was six years old, and one thing I learned all those years ago is that the seam ripping tool is a seamstress's best friend. My mom taught me early on that perseverance pays off, and ripping seams out is an expected part of the sewing process. At the age of six, throwing something away was not an option, and so I became very proficient at ripping out my seams. That was over forty years ago, and what I've learned since then is that ripping seams is still very much a part of the journey.

Here is why:

There are few people who will disagree with me - the after results are much preferred to the before results. Had I settled on the before, I would have been dissatisfied. And since this project was intended to fight the winter blues, failure would not have achieved the desired results - considering that my goal was to add sunny colors to my kitchen to brighten my days. And although the circus print is colorful, it was not my intent to make my kitchen table look like clown vomit.

After redoing the entire project, I am now 100% satisfied. My mom was right: the seam ripper is a handy little tool. And so I ripped, just like my mother taught me to do those many years ago. Rip, rip, rip. Two full hours of ripping out seams. And after ripping out all six placemats, I started over. When all was said and done, I had used every last scrap of fabric available in my attempt to "make it work." Today, my kitchen is sunny and bright. And even though the table setting is more appropriate for spring than for cold, dark January days, I am liking the addition of color in my home. Suffice it to say, I think Tim Gunn would be proud because I followed his advice and I made it work!

The towels were made using the bits and pieces left over from the table runner. After that, I then used the bits and pieces left over from the towels and put together a little 12x8 wall hanging. When I was done with the sewing project, I sat down and crocheted some matching hot pads and a dishcloth. And in the end, I have an entire kitchen ensemble - all bright and sunny. My table now evokes a feeling of sunshine, which was my intention all along.

After spending an entire week at the sewing machine, I decided to put together a pictorial how-to instruction guide regarding placemat construction and making your own bias tape. For those who don't sew, and for those who aren't inspired by Project Runway, you may find this information to be tedious. And because I know that not everyone who reads this blog is interested in the subject of sewing, I'm giving a heads up: this ends the portion of the entry that is chatty.

For those who wish to read further, here is the informational part of this entry:

A few people have asked me the question, "How do you do that?" In an attempt to answer that, and other questions I've been asked, I've put together the following pictorial how-to guide.

• First of all, a disclaimer: any and all quilting I do is done using a walking foot attachment. In addition, I sew the strip pieces together using a 1/4" quilt foot. After much trial and error, I have learned that it doesn't matter how fancy your sewing machine is - without these attachments, the quilt will not turn out square. I special ordered the attachments for the Baby Lock machine I use when quilting. The cost was around $45.
• For quilt batting, I use 100% cotton (purchase the package marked crib quilt - this will give you enough batting for many home decor quilting projects). Polyester batting does not work up nearly as nicely as cotton. Don't skimp on the batting, as the batting makes the difference between a so-so project and a just-right project.
• I prefer to use mono-filament thread for machine quilting. A word of caution about mono-filament thread: it is a bugger to work with. If polyester batting is used, mono-filament thread will give you all sorts of problems. When using cotton batting, the mono-filament is still difficult to work with, but with patience, it does work (sewing slowly is the key).
• For the placemats I designed my own pattern using a store bought placemat as a guide. I traced that single placemat onto tissue paper and then cut out three pattern pieces - all the same size. I then placed these three pieces of tissue on my fabric and cut out the three pieces of fabric, which equals six placemat tops. Repeat for the reverse side. Repeat again for batting. (Save tissue patterns for your next project.) Sandwich the three pieces (top, batting, back) together with batting in the middle. Note: I prefer an oval pattern only because an oval does not require mitered corners at the binding step. I've made rectangle placemats on many occasions, but the mitering can be difficult. There are many Simplicity, McCall's, and Butterick patterns available for home dec projects. However, I have discovered that the placemat size in those patterns is huge! I don't like huge.
• After making my own placemats for years, I have learned one single thing: the placemats must be quilted throughout (double click on any picture I've posted to see how these placements have been quilted: vertically stitched rows that are spaced 1.5 inches apart). Quilt the three layers together before binding the edges. Start in the center and work out in a left side, right side manner. This is to keep the batting from stretching in one direction. Tip: I've made placemats before without quilting the layers together, and they wash up terribly - meaning the front, back and batting separate and they don't lay flat. My theory is that the batting shrinks up at a different size ratio than the fabric. By quilting all three layers together, the separation of layers is confined to the quilted area. Therefore, the size ratio remains the same throughout. When studying the placemats at stores, it is apparent that quilting the three layers together is the preferred method - even for professional designers.
• And finally, to complete the placemats and/or a quilted table runner, I like to use coordinating bias tape as a finishing touch. Bias tape binds the three layers together, as well as finishes the raw edges. The bias tape available at fabric stores is horrendous, and I don't recommend it. For one thing, it is too stiff. It is also very difficult to work with. Years ago, I began searching for bias tape instructions because I knew that there had to be a better option. When I was 18 years old, I found a pattern that included the perfect instructions for making my own bias tape. And to this day, I remember that light-bulb moment. The finished garment was an adorable pink summer wrap-around dress, and had I used store bought bias tape, the dress would not have flowed properly. But by making my own bias tape, I was able to bind the seams perfectly. I loved that dress, and it fit perfectly because I made my own bias using coordinating fabric.

Following is a pictorial tutorial on how to make bias tape. I hope this helps even one person, because I truly believe that success to making placement hinges on the bias.

End of how-to guide.

January Days

I don't like snow. Really. I don't like it. After living in Wisconsin for seven very long, very cold, very white winters, I seriously do not like snow. And yet, a couple of weeks ago I found myself wishing for snow. It astounded me. Where did that come from? Seriously. I do not like snow. But when the temperatures hit a record breaking 72 degrees in the middle of January, something is wrong. 72 degrees does not feel like winter. In fact, 72 degree weather makes me long for summer. And January in Virginia is a long way away from the summer days that I love so very much. I don't like being teased like that. Thus, my convoluted wish for snow.

Yesterday, my wish came true. The forecast was for a few hours of snow turning to sleet and then rain later in the day. Fine. I can handle that, because that is more like the Virginia winters I am used to. And so when I heard the forecast, I thought to myself, "bring on the snow!" And snow it did. All day long. It accumulated quickly and continued to fall. One inch. Two inches. Three inches. Four inches. Almost five inches of snow. Not what they had predicted at all. And, by the way, why on earth were my kids still in school? It was snowing to beat the band and my kids were sitting up at the high school anxiously awaiting the good news of an early dismissal. But the good news never came. They waited and waited, only to hear... nothing... keep working... settle down... pay attention... you are not going home early. Huhn? What was up with that? Our district is notorious for releasing the kids early. They've been known to send them home at the very first hint of the white stuff. Heck, in the past they've even canceled school before snow started falling. That's how overly cautious they are. So where on earth were my kids?

In the meantime, John was scheduled for an infusion, but I had no meds. The meds were sitting on a truck... in the snow. And the nurse - she was calling me asking if she could come early due to early dismissal. Poor girl, driving in the muck and the mess. But since I had no meds, and since my son was still sitting in class, we couldn't make that happen. Darn snow. Eventually, the meds did arrive, as did my son, as did the nurse. But I spent the entire afternoon fretting and stewing as I wondered if the infusion would actually happen.

Today the snow is melting. They delayed school for two hours. Sure. Better make up for their error from yesterday. The news is reporting angry parents. No doubt. It's one thing if this was a pattern. But, no. They deviated from the norm, and people don't like that. As for me, I'm enjoying the blue skies and warmer temperatures while I can because more snow is predicted over the weekend. Yep, that's winter in Virginia... it's a fickle thing.

Before the snow fell, this is what I'd been working on:

Last weekend I decided it was time to spiff up my kitchen. Usually, I add seasonal patterns to my table. You know - snowmen in the winter, flowers in the spring, leaves in the fall. That sort of thing. I'm actually quite anal about it. In fact, I've got quite a collection of placemats and table runners that I've made through the years - lots of things to choose from. But for some reason, I decided to deviate this winter. Color. That's what I need. Bright, sunny, fun colors. And so I rummaged through my stash of fabric and this is what I found - exactly what I wanted... until I ran into a wall. Do you see the multi-striped fabric in the upper left photo? The stuff that reminds me of a circus? Yeah, that. My intention was to use that fabric as binding around the placemats and the new table runner, which I did. And I hate it. ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HATE IT. So I set the project aside. Today I'm contemplating what to do next. The quilt top still needs "quilted", but the placemats are done. Yep. Done. Finished. Complete. Six placemats, ready to use. But I won't. I can't... I just can't bring myself to putting something so garish on my table. And so my options are this: 1) use the placemats and cringe every time I walk into my kitchen (which in my mind is not an option at all), or 2) tear them all out and find a different fabric to use (clearly, the option of choice).

In the meantime, Alyssa's sewing machine is now sitting in the dining room on a chair (I used her sewing machine for this project because it has quilting attachments), my ironing board is still set up in the kitchen, and the finished placemats are still annoying the holy heck out of me. My favorite part of this kind of project is the actual quilting, and I haven't even gotten that far yet because I am so disgusted with the placemats. Phfft. I'm so mad at myself. I should have known that multi-striped, circus fabric was not my style. What on earth was I thinking?

In an attempt to squelch my annoyance, I ran to the bookstore and purchased this book:

A fellow crafter recommended the book, and when she told me she couldn't put it down, I decided it must be a book worth reading. (Yeah, that's how I base my book selections... on what my peers have to say about a book. Not very scientific, but it works for me.)

I finished The Friday Night Knitting Club over the course of two nights. And I liked it. A lot. It was a story that will stay with me for a very long time, because this is a story about women and their strengths. It is the story about friendships and how differing personalities often make for the strongest ties. It is a story of love and motherhood and forgiveness. And although I wouldn't consider the book to be literary genius, I do consider the story to be one worth reading.

A quote at the top of the book cover sums it up perfectly:

"An absolutely beautiful, deeply moving portrait of female friendship. You'll laugh and cry along with these characters, and if you're like me, you'll wish you knew how to knit."            --- Kristen Hannah, author of Magic Hour

And so there you have it - January days. Nothing earth shattering, but I'm keeping busy and these are the little things that make me smile. Because, really... who can complain about a little snow, a sewing project gone awry, and a good book? In my mind, this is what makes winter what it is - a time to nest and settle in as I anxiously await the arrival of spring.