Friday Coffee Date

 

So several of the blogs that I have been following have been having a coffee date on their blogs on Friday.  I thought this would be a great  way to get blogging again, at least on this blog.  

I have been busy blogging, but just not here.  I was a guest contributor on a blog called the Rural Housewives of America a couple of weeks ago with a post titled Why I Love Being Married to a Farmer.  It was a lot of fun to write the post, and an honor to have been a contributor on the blog.

Well, back to the coffee date thing, this is just a way to catch up with my week, and the things that me and my family have been up to.  

This week didn't start out so great. The girls and I all had the flu.  But on the bright side, I finished binding a quilt that I quilted last week. I know that you have seen this quilt before, it is Spin Cycle by Cluck Cluck Sew, but I finally got it quilted and bound.  I definately needed something bright and cheery in my world.

The weather is so cold here that my daughter has had two more 'too cold' days off school this week making that five this month already. We have barely been above zero for almost a month.  I remember once in all of my school years that school closed for being too cold, but I don't ever remember a winter this cold, and we haven't even gotten to the snowiest months yet!  Along with this cold weather, there is a heating crisis in our area.  We live in a very rural area and most people use propane to heat their homes. However there is a huge shortage and there will be a lot of people that will not be able to heat their homes.  Thankfully we have natural gas and haven't felt the effects of this crisis.  

On a quilty note, I also have been busy writing a few quilt patterns of my own.  I have one complete, and three more in the works. I can't wait to get them all quilted up so I can start showing them off.

 

This morning was spent on a field trip with my oldest, Olivia, at our local Interstate Park.  We had a great time, even though it was below zero again.  Olivia sure loves when I get to go to school with her. 

So that is it for my first coffee date.  Neil is at a Men's Christian retreat this weekend through UEC, and I will be on the Women's retreat next weekend, so my coffee date might be on Thursday as I leave Thursday evening. 

Have a great week everyone.

Texas again!!

It has been forever since I last posted on the blog!  I have been doing a lot of sewing and quilting, and a whole lot of other things too.  It feels like we have been to the moon and back while spending much of the last couple of months taking several family vacations!  Can't complain about all of great memories and family time we have though. 

 

The month of June was filled with summer school, and lots more showings on the house.  We, sadly, still have not found a buyer, but are now up to 26 showings, and I can honestly say I am so sick of cleaning my house and would love to live a dirty house for a bit! (Never thought I would hear myself say that!)

 

 

As soon as summer school was done, literally, we picked up Olivia from school, drove to the airport and hopped on a plane to Dallas,Texas.  We spent a week visiting my Aunt and Uncle once again and couldn't have had a better time. 

 

Shore Bag from The Tiny Seamstress

 

I made these bags to take along and left the chevron one with my Aunt. The pattern is the Shore Bag from the Tiny Seamstress and was fun, easy and quick to put together. They rolled up and fit suitcase nicely, and were much nicer to tote around for day trips than the bulky backpack I took on the plane, simply because it fit more and strapped to my back.

  

 

I also made lots of luggage tags, as we have never flown as a family together so there wasn't any need for these until this trip.
 

I made sever small zippered pouches for all of our plane tickets and paperwork, and also coin purses for the girls' spending money.

 

These drawstring bags were really easy to make and worked great for colors, games and snacks for some organization in the girls' backpacks.

 

And these were a couple of wall hangings that I made as a little thank you to my Aunt for all of her wonderful hospitality, but also for all the love and support that she has given me. 

  

 

This is a pattern from Camille Roskelley's new book, and I decided to try it in red, white and blue since we were staying in Texas over the 4th of July.

 

 

There are fireworks everywhere in the Dallas- Fort Worth metro, and EVERYONE goes to see them.  I have never seen such a turn out for this holiday, of which was just amazing to see the patriotism of Texans!

 

 

Dallas is such a fun city to visit.  We tried to take in as much as we could including the Fort Worth Stock Yards, Mesquite Rodeo, and the George W. Bush Memorial Library, and still tried to find time for lots of swimming and relaxing in the pool.

 

 

I'll have more of our travels soon, but I didn't want to have a picture overload, so that will have to be for another post.

 

 

 

Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Quilts for Oklahoma!

Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Quilts for Oklahoma!: Dear Quilt Friends: I have been contacted and asked to spread this info to you. It's important to get the word out to all the quilte...

Spring has finally arrived!

Spring has finally arrived here in Wisconsin, and it is a long time coming.  My daughter had a snow day from school on Tuesday, and today we are all wearing flip- flops!  It is wonderful.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy.  My sweet baby bug, Caroline turned one!  I can't believe we made it through this last year, it certainly feels like a year since I have had a good nights sleep.

 

 

We celebrated with a pink John Deere party. My brother-in-law made these adorable cakes. Caroline had the most fun picking off the polk-a-dots to eat.

 

 

And let me tell ya, she is going to be the best dressed little lady around. 

 

Spring has also brought us a lot of showings on our house. Sixteen to be exact!  No offers yet, but we still have some more looking by the end of the weekend, so keep your fingers crossed for us. 

 Since we have had so many showings, I have spent more time cleaning and not so much time sewing.  My sewing machine is in my dining room, and I cut quilts on my kitchen table, so everything has to get packed up for every showing. Hence the need for a bigger house!

I have finished one quilt though and am in love with it.  I was waiting for a nice sunny day to take pictures of it, and today is my day!

 

This is Spin Cycle from Cluck Cluck Sew.  I have been in love with this quilt since I first saw a picture of it, and finally got some time to make it.  I have not quilted it yet, but it will be one of the first to quilt once I get my  quilting frame set up in the new house.  It is just the perfect picnic quilt for the middle of summer.  I love the bright colors and bold pattern.

 

And this is a hint as to what is coming next.  I hope to write a pattern for this quilt depending on how it turns out, but it is a fun scrappy quilt. 

 

That is all for now, hope to either sell the house soon, and get busy packing, or get a little break from showings so I can get some sewing done.

Petals and Patches

I have shown you latest the quilts that I made for my older two girls, and I couldn't leave out my Baby Bug, Caroline.  

It is a scrappy patchwork called 'Petals and Patches'.

The quilt makes me think of spring, with it's bright colors and the polk-a-dot printed flannel backing. Then I look out the window, see the snow still falling and realize that even though it is officially spring, it hasn't made it here yet!

And that face just makes the quilt that much more sweet!

Mommy Vacation...

A couple of weeks ago I was blessed with a much needed Mommy Vacation! 

 

 

Caroline and I flew down to Dallas, Texas to visit my aunt, who has recently taken a position with Southwest Airlines  and moved down there from our hometown in northern Wisconsin.  I am very blessed to have my Aunt Terri and Uncle Jack in my life.  I love and miss them dearly and don't know what I would do without them in my life. 

 

 

 

 I had the most wonderful time, loved every moment of it, and can't wait to go back.

 

The weather was amazing.  My body didn't know what to think, when I left home it was

 -16 degrees (actual temp) and when I walked out of the airport in Dallas,

it was 71 degrees!!

 

 

Caroline and I got some much needed R&R.

 

 

 

And we spent some time here.

 

 

 

Got to see some really cool places.

 

 

 

And the sky is always bigger in Texas.

(excuse the van in the picture, it was taken driving down the freeway)

 

 

 

The farmer's market was amazing, 

and was a great place for some color inspiration, 

even in January.

 

 

 

Spent a day being a cowgirl at the Stock Show.

 

 

 

Enjoyed some great food!

(real Tex-Mex, not Taco Bell's version)

 

 

 

But in the end, I missed these two little beauties,

 

 

 

And even my Mr. Amazing,

 

 

 

And I had to come home to this,

 

 

 

So we could be our crazy little family once again!

 

Thank you so much to my Aunt and Uncle for an amazing time,

I can't wait for my next adventure!

 

 

 

Now a little Horsin' Around

Since Allyson made her monkey quilt with me, Olivia couldn't be left out and wanted a quilt of her own.  So, on one of my many trips to the quilt shop, Olivia came with and picked out this horse (of course!) fabric for her quilt.
 

I decided to do something similar to Allyson's monkey quilt, at least along the same lines of simplicity, and this is what we came up with.