Well, frick.  I’m all so motivated to work on my quilty projects but our house had other plans.  Long story short…  noticed smell under kitchen counter when we came back from Christmas… noticed water collecting under sink the next day … smell increasing to near death experience.  Called plumber and landlord, who then called insurance company and carpenters, and finally a few days stay in a Residence Inn while they did this to the back wall of our kitchen:

There is actually standing water in that excavated area.  What you don’t see are all the bottom cabinets and the relocated appliances and sink.  What you do see is gray water, muck, dirt, rotten plywood and exposed concrete slab.  The plumbing has since been fixed, but now we get to reconstruct the kitchen after they pull up the rest of the floor to investigate the extent of the water damage under the linoleum.  The house is 70 years old, but the kitchen was redone not all that long ago.  Our renter’s coverage is taking care of moving out all of our kitchen items, having them disinfected and washed and the appliances relocated.  No tellin’ what’s airborne at this point in that room.  They even sealed it off with those contamination plastic flaps.  So, we will likely be back in the house tomorrow or the next day (provided that the smell is finally gone) and eating from McDonalds for a week while they do the work.

Punchline of this is I haven’t been able to work on as MUCH of my quilty stuff, but I am finishing up those yo-yos.  My handy portable project.  When I get back in the groove at home again, I will be able to start on Block 3 of my Away From Home BOM (Trees), Blogger Girls BOM (decided on La Belle Fleur), and Robin’s Nest (see this post from earlier).

I’m not really complaining too much about the kitchen.  Given the damage the water could have done, it isn’t that bad (and we rent instead of own, so the cost is on the landlord).  Compared to someone who has to live through rebuilding after hurricane damage, this will pass soon enough.

Chat again soon!

Jennifer

I’m excited that I have decided to join this free BOM program that will be done online with a group of really great blog masters.  It is being hosted by Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts and can be made in several different dimensions.

Blogger Girls BOM

Each month, starting January 1st of this year, Monique will release the pattern for another block.  If you want the larger, 12 block setting, the idea is to make two of these blocks – but change up the fabric and color values such that you can’t really tell they are made from the same pattern.  Click on Open Gate’s blog link and look over the great examples already posted by the bloggers.

As I said, I’ve decided to jump on in – but trying to choose between two fabric collections for it (pictures taken from FQS website)…

Either Strawberries, Blueberries and Chocolate by Judie Rothermel:

Strawberries, Blueberries & Chocolate

OR… Le Belle Fleur by French General:

La Belle Fleur

I think I’m leaning towards La Belle Fleur and I will save my SBC fabric for the Pam Buda patchwork sew along which started last week as well (I’ll write more on that one later).

I made 12 more yo-yos yesterday for my daily goal, and I have about 24 more to make.  I’ll wrap those up tonight and get started on these new sew along projects by the weekend!

Jennifer

Well, we made it through, and happy to start a new year.  I’ve got my goals and resolutions like everyone else, and have made some progress on a few already.  Main family goal for this year is to track spending and control cash flow a bit better by using a budget and finance app on our iPad.  I’ve got the budget loaded and ready to start putting in those expenses.  I am an educated accountant, so I really get into spreadsheets and balances and tying out numbers and such.  I think that’s why I like quilting so much.  It has a mathematical element to it all (generally) and it “should” fit together perfectly if ‘calculated’ correctly.

I also stuck to my “do a little quilt related activity each day” goal by working on more of my yo-yos out of the Tapestry collection by Fig Tree quilts yesterday.  I’ll have enough done pretty soon for the Bunnyhill pattern I’m going to follow called “Yoyoville”.  I’ll have to decide on my background and cut out a ton of squares and start centering and attaching the yo-yos to each one.  This is my travel project, and I have my timing down to around 5 minutes to make 1 yo-yo.  I probably have 40 more to make and I can begin the next phase.

I am starting the year with one WIP (Away from Home by Nancy Rink), one project that needs the binding (to be completed this week), 4 quilt tops that need quilting and so many new projects that I want to start!  Namely the Mill Girls BOM and the 2012 Designer’s Mystery BOM by FQS.  Others on the list (no particular order) after that are Sew Spooky, Robin’s Nest, and a pattern I saw in Ms Rosie’s Spice of Life book named “Going Buggy”.

Finally, a goal to be sweeter to my husband and generally more appreciative of everything that I have in my life.  It is really great and I have two beautiful children to spend my life with every day as well.  I can’t ask for more.

I hope all of you had a wonderful end to 2012 and a great day yesterday.  I look forward to reading my favorite blogs and seeing the new inspiration that came from the holidays.  Happy New Year!!

Jennifer

A Prayer

God, please embrace those children coming to you today.  Please comfort their fears and tears and their cries for Mommy and Daddy.  Please hold them close as they return to your care.

God, please help us understand and have the wisdom to make decisions that will keep this from happening again.  I pray that you can enter the hearts of those who are so troubled that they cannot see a better path than to destroy innocent lives and forever alter the lives of those left behind. 

In the name of your son, Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

Probably the worst sleep of my life last night.  Very restless and finally gave up around 3:15 am and decided to sit in my sewing room and think about a gift for my grandmother.  I have settled on making her a quilted shawl, inspired by a pattern for one in McCall’s Quilting magazine from March/April 2011.  The exception is that I am going to use three Swoon blocks instead of the patchwork blocks that were laid out in the pattern from the magazine. 

So, really, all I’m taking from the mag is the idea of a quilted shawl.  I have a bundle of Marmalade flannel that I’m going to use, but I’ve never sewn or quilted with flannel before.  And, I will need to combine it with regular cotton fabric in the overall project.  I hope there are no surprises, as I need this project to go really quick.

Now, just trying to decide on the fabric combinations for each Swoon block…

My grandmother is still in the hospital.  She had her second procedure done this morning to put in another stent.  If all looks good overnight, she may get to go home tomorrow.  The side benefit of this is that I get the company of my aunt and mother tonight again.  The kids love company!  Pajama party!

So, my first wrapped gift is for my aunt.  She will probably be heading back to Dallas later this week, and I may not get to see her again before Christmas.  I have a special connection to her for many reasons, one of which is a shared loved of quilting.  Other than my grandmother, she is the only one who does this in my family.  Another is that she reminds me so much of my mother, but a very mellow version of her.  I had decided upon her gift awhile back when I was browsing the Etsy site for Pinks and Needles.  I don’t want to say much more, just in case she decides to look up my blog.  I’m recycling some Moda twill tape from the newly opened Marmalade FQ bundle to tie around her package.  I may even try to do a hand-made tag as inspired by nanaCompany and Pretty by Hand bloggers, Amy and Kristyne.  They are making some adorable tags for gifts!  Look them up!

Hope your week is going well!  Thanks for stopping by!

Jennifer

You would think, living in Houston like I do, that I would have a wealth of quilt shops to choose from.  I haven’t found that to be the case.  There are several up North of Houston, but that is a heck of a drive (about 45 min – 1 hour) through unfamiliar roads.  And I think there is one or two in Galveston (again a good drive to an area I do not frequent).  The one quilt shop I have relied upon is located in Humble, Texas.  It is only a 25 minute drive from home.  Once just a suburb of Houston, it is now a sprawling metro area of it’s own.  Or at least it seems that way.  Nestled in a strip mall, I had discovered “It’s a Stitch” fabric and sewing center.  They did fabric and sold Bernina machines.  If I had the urge to fondle fabric and just look at everything on a laisy Saturday, I had a place to go.  They had notions.  They had patterns/books.  Thread.  All the stuff. 

Well, about six months ago they decided to change their operations after 15-20 years in business.  They sold off all of their bolt fabric (and everything else for that matter) at fabulous sale prices (my stash doubled I think).  And then they had nothing but the sewing machines and some remaining notions/books.  So I had not gone back for many, many months.  They came out with this new approach to selling fabric again and was advertising through email and mail fliers.  Once I saw that they had a lot of my favorite designers back in stock, I made the trip again last Saturday.  They still do not have bolts, but have opted to sell everything in precut bundles.  All the manufactured pre-cuts and their own cut fat quarters, half yards, yards, and two-yard cuts.  Nothing bigger than that unless you pre-order the fabric before it arrives in the store and they will cut it in the back before doing the rest for the store shelves.  They have some selection of backing fabrics in 4/5? yard increments, but not a whole lot.

Here’s some pictures from the store visit.  I did ask permission to take some pictures and told them I would like to post them on my blog.  They were fine with it…

Above picture shows Chateau Rouge and Mama Said Sew.  See the little hangers?  Those are the two-yard cuts.  The other cuts (other than fat quarters) are wrapped around cardboard sleeves.

Another view down the aisle, showing more collections for sale.

A picture showing the center of the store, not including the area with all the sewing machines and tables.

This isn’t a bad approach and I think it actually looks quite inviting, after you get over the nostalgia of not having the bolts to lift and carry to the cutting table and having the last minute opportunity to tell the clerk to just “… make it 3 yards instead of 2, ok?”.  So I bought a couple of items and some thread (my original shopping goal).  At the checkout counter, I asked her when they would get Tapestry in stock by Fig Tree.  She told me … “Oh, we have it in the back, we just don’t have room for it yet on the floor.”.  REALLY?  REALLY???  Do you not know what that fabric is and that you are losing sales every day it isn’t out there for customers?  Like to me?  Wow…  I asked if it was already cut, or if it was still in the stage where I could ask for large continuous yardage.  It was already sliced and diced, just couldn’t get it on the floor.  I asked if I could buy it anyway, and she said that they couldn’t sell it yet.  I was shocked.  I guess if I had shed some tears, they may have sold it to me.  Oh well, my FQS deliveries usually happen within 48 hours, so I’m not worried about that.  In fact, Hancock of Paducah’s is having a Fall sale where the Tapestry yardage is like 24% off!  Can’t beat that!

So, has anyone else seen a shop set up like this before?

Have a great quilty weekend!

Jennifer