Christmas: Favorite MEMORIES!

... 'DECKING THE HALLS' ...
I think one of my favorite Christmas Traditions is the memories the Ornaments hold! I love this one Representing my kiddo's ... we have a few random Christmas photos of the children at Christmas - sadly, the picture we had taken at the Phx* "Zoolights" has faded.... I loved that picture - we were such a cute bunch THEN ... if i do say so myself! =0)

... you'll have to take my word.

~ we remember that night, how happy we were, the Hot chocolate ... the tolerable chilly dessert air ... far from the BITTER Kansas Cold.  We were all together.

  

 We all love this one ... it reminds us of when we went to Disney Land for our Christmas Present ... Samantha was just a baby, 6 months old, and we ALL heard her say "My Baby" ... as we passed her around on a ride. (A game we'd play, all grabbing a limb and pretending to fight over her!)  The people with us heard it too and thought she was a genius, in her Pink fuzzy headband, and her Baby Gap outfit with circles and a turtle neck.  such a cutie.
That's the first time Alex saw horses and exclaimed, "I didn't know they still made these" as he gingerly stroked it.... and Zac begging to leave because for once we wore him out, and we were determined to stay until they closed (He saw the Ducktales Parade so his day was complete.)

Blessings to you and yours this Holiday Season! 

May you be HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE! 

* Phx Zoolights: to memorialize AZ camping, nearly EVERY OTHER WEEK! 

A gift to Samantha (memory: Franki)

Christmas in KS: funky! fun day in Lawrence.

to my "Angel Babies"

I'd rather be quilting ...

A lingering 'Cold' has really kicked my fanny ....
Much to my dismay I've spent the weekend resting, but am starting to feel better.
I wish I were up to creating something - for now: harboring more ideas.
When I feel better - watch out!

Wordless Wednesday: "Help" Sorting fabric

Wordless Wednesday: SNEAKERS!

Wordless Wednesday

.... a year passes so quickly!!!

Teddy, such a good boy

Originally uploaded by scrappystuff

Graduation DAY ... Alex #2 Son,  ... Teddy really, REALLY wanted to grab Shawna's Tassel ... the robes were so shiny!!! he tried to EAT the graduates! it was great!

(7 months old here) .... 

 Samantha Graduated that evening!
.... What a BUSY busy day! ...
*(pictured below w/ K state Roomie, Katie)

What a crazy whirlwind year
... Derek has been playing the Bass going on 5 yr
.... and has moved on to HIGH SCHOOL

... our baby!

The Newlyweds: Alex and Shawna ...

then

Teddy's 1st birthday a week later! 

Seriously ready for some ME time!  

 

That was then ...

NEW Flooring ... last spring ... When it WAS the Daughters room ...

The Process ...

Note: the fun wall colors ~ "Sherbet"

Nearly Finished, THEN...

Not sure exactly where summer went, but ready for the change of seasons!
This past year new flooring went down in the daughters THEN room ...
with anticipation when she moved off to college the room would be converted to my studio!

Summer was VERY busy.  Son # 2 graduated from ESU in the morning the SAME DAY the girl graduated from High School! whew! ... Grandson & son #1 made the trip for the big events! yay! ...

• THEN ... we moved MOM closer, from Arkansas ...
• THEN ...  son #3 started HIGH SCHOOL! after visiting nephew & family ... 
• THEN ... we moved the girl to KSTATE ...
• THEN ...we moved my sewing and scrapbook STUFF into the STUDIO...
• THEN ... son #2 got married ... last weekend....

(yay! more grandson time!!!!)

• THEN ... GRANDSON TURNED ONE ... yesterday!
• Tomorrow, Husband starts a NEW JOB! whew, finally!!! 

... WHEW, i am exhausted, full of ideas, looking for ENERGY!

(I've really enjoyed reading some great blogs for inspiration whilst recouping!)

TODAY, I will    still go make time to play in it, get further organized, work on swap blocks!....maybe even charge my camera and show the progress.... MAYBE!  ... clean out the fridge and feed my family ... Dang it!

... But, daughter is safely back in her dorm, and some laundry got done ...

My Mom, acting her AGE, at Alex/Shawna's wedding Oct. 16, 2010

Brown Bag Fabric Exchange & CHALLENGE!

... I know what your thinking ...
"ANOTHER PROJECT?!" ... what the heck? lock her up and throw away the key! ...
but,
really, this is an attempt to get rid of some of MY stuff ... and share it, and get inspired at the same time!
check it out...

"Brown Bag Quilt" Fabric Exchange & Quilt Challenge 

(A politically correct "Ugly Quilt" contest)

Seams to Be Sew ~ Give Away!

So,
i was taking a break from moving into my STUDIO space, looking at all my UFO's and stopped in at Lana's @ It seams to be Sew! 's site for inspiration ... and I'll be stopping back when my room is done! ...

almost ~ WORDLESS WEDNESDAY ~

what's on my design wall Today ... uhm, yesterday!

well, tonight i took these blocks to the KCMQG meeting ... the top 8 are for 4 different quilts for the NICU unit at St. Lukes.  ~ the bottom 4, left are for Andrea for our Scrappy Bee, the Virtual Swap I'm having fun with! ...

Wordless Wednesday

KC "ALL THAT JAZZ" Quilters Shop Hop

OOPSs! i did it again! ... the shop hop.
First, i Forgot my camera THEN, but tried to compile a bit of my findings!
Second, it's taken me forever to get them loaded etc.... the Hop was in APRIL 2010! ... crazy stuff. ( i tried to group my collections by 'shops' but, sadly am not accurate. oh well.*some of it's in hiding, cuz it's going into gifts!) ...  What i love about the KC hop, is that at each shop you get not only a quilt pattern, but also a CHARM! i love that ... (photo of my past year bracelet to follow! ...later)

I got off work Friday? and remembered, SHOP HOP... stopped to pick up my passport, CHARM and BOM (Block of the Month) ... THEN, realized if i hit all the green lights, i could make it to Harper's, and pick up my prepaid "Jazz" fabric! ... Next morning, Saturday ... DH said, what the heck, let's go to a couple more, it's a beautiful day.... and Viola... we made it to all but one store.  We got to Rustic Yearnings just as they were locking the doors, took my passport, but of course they were out of charms.  Still, pretty darn good for being SPONTANEOUS!  

MY ROUTE:

1.  Prairie Point ~ where i picked up my "Jewels" Block Party: BOM! (Batik!) *etc
2. Harpers ~ where i picked up my "All that Jazz" Special fabric! (*etec!)
3. Quilters Haven ~ where i caved in a got addicted to Charm Packs ...
4. Quilters Paradise ~ Wizard of Oz! embroidery patterns, etc, etc, *etc!) I confess, we found some cool stuff in Baldwin City, and DH learned that "fine, you get to go to the quilt shop, i get to go into the antique shop" ... equals DANGER!!! ... he helped me pick out fabric, and i found TWO antique sewing machines! (i have to get photos of those, they are SO very COOL! ... he left scratching his head, "how did that happen" ??? well, i just don't know!?
5. Overbrook Quilt Connection ~ where i found a cool kit, Ovarian awareness fabric, "DOG" panel *etc
6. Stitching Traditions, Topeka ~ Hand dyed Ribbons, *etc! and, some **ugly fabric**
7. Stitch On Needlework, Lawrence~ where i found some great batiks ... (*fat quarters and then some!)
8. Quilters Quarters, Leavenworth ~ we got lost in the dark on the back roads, and called them - they kindly stayed open for us - my brain was fried, but we found some cool stuff for sure!!!
9. Peddlers Wagon, Parkville ~ my son even found some fat quarters for HIS quilt!
10. Rustic Yearnings ~ where it was probably a blessing in disguise they were locking up, i get in "trouble" there ... (but i have way cool stuff from there from before!) 

GOOD GOLLY, I NEARLY FORGOT! ... While in Parkville... we went to two of our favorite places: one was closed, -sadness, as they often are when i want them to be open: Florilegium , i'm in LOVE with that place!!!  The other, H.M.S Beagle - i FUN science shoppe! .... i got some groovy stuff to make NATURAL hand dyed fabric!!! i've not done that for awhile! *sigh* i wish i were there!

leaders & enders

Once upon a time, with my Prime Time Quilt group (Az), we did a 2" fabric swap (everyone brought x amt of 2" strips [dark/med/light] and while we chatted we chopped our squares... then we divided them into BIG paper grocery bags - by lt. med dark - shook them like powdered donuts, proceeded to pass those babies around and grabbed a handfull of each until they were all gone.) ... Of course, while we chatted...
[can you believe some women in the group actually rushed and finished their quilts? our challenge was to mak 9-patches. Theirs turned out fabulous, but now i bet their bored, right? poor things.]

Fast Forward:
... it dawned on me that i could use it use those squares that i'd been saving ... for a rainy day project... for "leaders/enders" ... (i was already 'saving thread' by using scraps to start/stop when i'd start/stop while piecing)  ... WHAT A CONCEPT!

Well, it turns out, i'm not the only one doing this ... and there are even books published! duh. Great minds think alike ... "Adventures in Leaders & Enders, more quilts in less time"  and then, almost moments after i had my ah-ha moment (ok. i ran out of scrap and remembered the squares) ... i went to the KCMQG meeting and Carla - is also an over-achiever ;o) ... has finished quilts! and shared them and her style during the meetings "ten minute tip" !!!! exciting stuff.  If only i'd thought of that first...!

k. i'm off to make more 'scrap' ... later.

challenge: .. good-bye July... hello August ...

 

for Mason, continued ...

So, my Starlight small group met the other day to 'collect' or squares ...
and Shirley has kindly offered to put it together - and has added borders, i can't wait to see it finished ...
The backing was donated by Ginny,

& will be a black on white Tennis Shoe outline fabric! ... 

 

These are my 4 squares - green/black 9 patches; soccer 9-patch; Lego's; & games/Transformers

 I was informed he liked "checkers" ... the pieces are buttons! .. so much fun!

This was on Shirley's design wall, while we auditioned boarder fabrics...

For Mason

IN PROGRESS: 

Our Starlight *small group* is making quilt for Mason! 

Besides Green ... Here are a few of his favorite things - 

    - rocks/arrowheads and a tiger

    -  bikes and KU

    -  soccer and books

    - Lego's and games, preferably checkers or chess

    - cats, preferably black and white

    - & fishing

KC Scrappy Bee

One of many, for Quilts of Valor....

see the Quilt of Valor pieced by the Scrappy Bee Ladies, HERE!

too busy to "play" along ...

... but, getting inspired to CREATE ...

{more blogging later} ... enjoy! 

k. off to create, and use my camera ... 

Happy May ...{day}

121 :: 365
Originally uploaded by Mama Urchin

... ALBEIT Belated. Growing up we used to make May baskets, fill them with flowers and candy, then "ding dong ditch" our lovelies on our friends and neighbors doorstep. I had visions of grandeur of doing this again - even mailing them to oldies but goodies... maybe next year. I'll be busy working & getting ready for My grandson to visit for my son's graduation from college .. and my daughter from High School ... ON the same day... which is the day after my oldest arrives [on HIS birthday (the day before) with Teddy!] ... and my youngest will finish his LAST concert in middle school ... then my baby will be in High school... 3 down, one to go! ...

inspired by stitcheries.

inspired by stitcheries.
Originally uploaded by rachelgriffith

I love this!
NOTE TO SELF: have more fun with thread! ...
{check this out! great inspiration}

Time with Ted

www.flickr.com

This is a Flickr badge showing items in a set called Ted. Make your own badge here.

... and Teddy's FIRST Quilt, then.

and NOW:

Design Wall Today: Ugly WIP - the fabric, the plan?

so, this is what i'm working with ~ the request was for 'browns & greens' ... so, i found this fabric and some compliments ... but, it seems the more i play with it, the PINK was standing out! uck. i NO LIKE pink ...
so, I had my son pick off anything that was reading PINK ...
and i like THIS much better~!

i'm still debating,
whether or not to use the light blue, with the PINK flowers ... in THIS quilt...

... playing with Wonky Blocks! ~ my try at Improv Quilting~

Wool Felt Scissor Holder ...

Funny Story...
So, i made ~ this .... 

fun little Wool Felt Embroidered Scissor Holder 

at the Starlight Quilters Guild meeting the other night, 

Instructed by Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters

{ lovely isn't it? =0) }

 well my son's frisky feline, who apparently is my Quilting Supervisor, was IN A MOOD (by what i can only assume was caused by the WIND) ...and HIGH-JACKED my newly crafted scissor holder whilst looking directly at me ... HE leaped of my cutting table (not an easy task with said item hanging from his mouth, it took 3 tries!) ... & proceeded to HIGH TAIL it upstairs, where i directed my son to procure the stolen item.  He found the bugger in the bathroom, after searching the house, and apparently he was disappointed he could not take it for a SWIM - because he was saddened to find a) the toilet was closed *for once* and b) his water dish was empty.

He was PEEVED~!

... the accused CULPRIT was highly upset with us and proceeded to attempt to get into all kinds of mischief ALL NIGHT long, 

into the wee hours of the morning...

Accused: Dexter ~ Crime: Theft ~ Witness: MYSELF!!! 

{OH, the other pictures of the sewing kit... i did NOT make, 
but i WANT TO!!!  
~ thanks Lynne for the INSPIRATION!!!}