I wish I could come up with some very catchy words for my blog post titles. I'm just not very inspired by titles. Maybe I'll be a smart kid and stick with phrases or song lyrics, if I can remember any.
In any case, this has been a very busy weekend...
- Mother's Day came and went. I worked many hours, all weekend, and am now very glad that it's over and that there's no holiday this Sunday.
- I busted my butt and tried to finish the hand-quilting on my donation quilt, but I'm still working on it as we speak. I didn't realize the deadline had changed from Thursday to Tuesday PM, so I'm really in a bind today! (No pun intended, but that's kind of ironic consider I need to bind the damn thing, also). I'll be glad to cross this one off the list!
- Pulled out all my fabrics for my friend's Wedding Quilt, and with any luck I'll be started tomorrow.
- Cleaned my dad's house! Kind of. I washed the laundry! Sometimes I don't know how my mom managed it all - then again, she wasn't trying to do the major overhaul of the house we were, but I bet she would have been able to complete that better, too.
- Got five more "Far Far Away" Fat Quarters in! I -love- this line. The double gauze is precious. I'm only missing one print ... the snails in orange and pink, which I intend to buy in a week or so. I'm also loving the West Hill Frogs print that I bought (and plan to hoard)!
- I have more vintage sheet fat quarters on the way! I was so glad to see that there were more available in ironsea's shop - Jeni seriously has some of the best, prettiest fat quarters around! She even had some purple ones, which I HAD to snatch up! Other great sources for vintage sheet fat quarters are sosovintage and whimsiedots, both of which I love to buy from! I've got a bundle coming in from whimsiedots later this week :)
- The Lonely Island's new album, Turtleneck and Chain, comes out today!!! Can you guess where I'll be this afternoon? At Target. Buying it. And then, for the next forever, listening to it because if you could marry a band and not just a person I would marry the Lonely Island and live in their studio.
I think I'm going to put that picture of them on the album cover in my kitchen. <3<3<3
What are my goals for my off day?
- Clean my weird apartment. There are these millipede-things that are invading my lovely abode and I'm going to go Rambo on ALL OF THEM. Also need several air filters/light bulbs changed.
- Hit up the Super Duper Goodwill in Webster with my best bud and her fiance. I'm in the market for more vintage sheets!
- Finally take some of those non-useful, space absorbing things to Goodwill like I was supposed to. That includes several organizers/etc, books, and movies, because they are cluttering my small space UP!
- Complete five or six blocks on my friend's wedding quilt.
- Sew a couple blocks on my Innocent Crush quilt (six down; only 42 left to go! Sounds simple, right? Right?)
- Watch the Korean drama "You're Beautiful" in its entirety. Maybe that's a "this week" kind of thing, but seriously, if you love sappy, funny love stories, that's the one for you. Go Mi Nyeo is a nun-to-be in an orphanage, getting ready to leave for Rome. But she's contacted by the manager for the super-hot and super-popular group AnJell, whose new member - Go Mi Nam - happens to be her twin brother. Turns out that big brother got some minor plastic surgery with not-so-minor issues, so he's out for the month - and the manager wants HER to fill in. (Of course she falls in love with the band's surly, demanding leader, Hwang TaeKyung). Check it out on mysoju or dramafever!
Later days;)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Mother's Day
mama,
mama, you know I love you
mama,
mama you're the queen of my heart
your love is like tears from the stars
mama i just want you to know
that loving you's like food to my soul
to my mom
who is miss very much
and who was really
(truly)
(truly)
the very best mom in the world.
love, katie
Saturday, May 7, 2011
busy, like a bee
I love getting things accomplished. Cleaning the house - throwing away unnecessary things - making the house look neat, tidy, and much less cluttered. All of these things make me feel incredibly happy and fulfilled!
I left work around 9:30 p.m. last night and even though I'd been tired all day (and my allergies are really kicking my butt!), I decided to go to my dad's house and do some much-needed cleaning for my guys! I did a load of laundry (as much as I could), folded another load, cleaned up a plastic organizer for my little brother, washed and put away their dishes, and threw away another slew of things that I'll never use and -they'll- never use either. I'd been dreading going back over there - just because it seems like so MUCH, but once I did, and really started cleaning, I felt much betetr! And less tired, actually; my dad always says that "dreaded anticipation is worse than present actuality," and I have truth in that statement time and time again.
After my dad's house, I went home to my own - and started pulling out things I KNEW I wouldn't use, wasn't ever going to use. I kept a bunch of felt I'd bought - mainly because I do make needlebooks from time to time, and sometimes softies, and it's always useful to have on hand.
But I threw away some old fabrics that were cut up for a quilt I have no intention to make, and took all my paints out of my pretty Liberty of London boxes and put my vintage sheets there, instead. I really love the contrast of those two! I have another Liberty box I'm planning of taking the paint of, but that's a job for later.
I also ironed and neatly set up all of my strips for my Innocent Crush Strip Quilt, and cut out another twenty or so white strips for the centers of my blocks. It's a lot more inspiring than having them in a trash bag, that's for sure!
I even quilted on my donation quilt, which I should have been doing the whole time, but hey! I finished one block of quilting and started on another, and I hope to be done in the next few days and get this puppy bound.
My goals for today?
- Finish the rest of my laundry.
- Quilt at least two more blocks for my donation quilt.
- Pull fabrics for a needlebook, ala Sew She Sews tutorial here!
- Put up all that pesky laundry I haven't touched.
- Actually make the bed? I kind of have a "thing" about making beds - as in, I don't really ever do it, because it's a waste of time when I UNmake it - but I'm going to try so that my bedroom looks nice and pretty.
- For that matter, remember what's in those bags on the floor by the bed and either throw them away or put them away
- Go through my movies. Never gonna watch it again? Put it in the donation box!
- Actually GET a donation box.
- Indulge myself and sew a few more Innocent Crush string quilt blocks before I start on my bestie's wedding quilt!
Is that a list or what? Considering that I've got about ... three hours to do it, once I get off work, I'd say so :)
I left work around 9:30 p.m. last night and even though I'd been tired all day (and my allergies are really kicking my butt!), I decided to go to my dad's house and do some much-needed cleaning for my guys! I did a load of laundry (as much as I could), folded another load, cleaned up a plastic organizer for my little brother, washed and put away their dishes, and threw away another slew of things that I'll never use and -they'll- never use either. I'd been dreading going back over there - just because it seems like so MUCH, but once I did, and really started cleaning, I felt much betetr! And less tired, actually; my dad always says that "dreaded anticipation is worse than present actuality," and I have truth in that statement time and time again.
After my dad's house, I went home to my own - and started pulling out things I KNEW I wouldn't use, wasn't ever going to use. I kept a bunch of felt I'd bought - mainly because I do make needlebooks from time to time, and sometimes softies, and it's always useful to have on hand.
But I threw away some old fabrics that were cut up for a quilt I have no intention to make, and took all my paints out of my pretty Liberty of London boxes and put my vintage sheets there, instead. I really love the contrast of those two! I have another Liberty box I'm planning of taking the paint of, but that's a job for later.
I also ironed and neatly set up all of my strips for my Innocent Crush Strip Quilt, and cut out another twenty or so white strips for the centers of my blocks. It's a lot more inspiring than having them in a trash bag, that's for sure!
I even quilted on my donation quilt, which I should have been doing the whole time, but hey! I finished one block of quilting and started on another, and I hope to be done in the next few days and get this puppy bound.
My goals for today?
- Finish the rest of my laundry.
- Quilt at least two more blocks for my donation quilt.
- Pull fabrics for a needlebook, ala Sew She Sews tutorial here!
- Put up all that pesky laundry I haven't touched.
- Actually make the bed? I kind of have a "thing" about making beds - as in, I don't really ever do it, because it's a waste of time when I UNmake it - but I'm going to try so that my bedroom looks nice and pretty.
- For that matter, remember what's in those bags on the floor by the bed and either throw them away or put them away
- Go through my movies. Never gonna watch it again? Put it in the donation box!
- Actually GET a donation box.
- Indulge myself and sew a few more Innocent Crush string quilt blocks before I start on my bestie's wedding quilt!
Is that a list or what? Considering that I've got about ... three hours to do it, once I get off work, I'd say so :)
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
excitement
I've been really busy lately! Lots and lots of sewing.
- Finished Emma's baby quilt! It's so much cuter than I thought it would be. It has really made me love Erin McMorris' "Weekends" line. When I initially saw the colors, I thought they were pretty but I was wary of how to put them together. After changing the pattern, I really think the string quilt was the pattern to use - it looks so lovely and bright, and the recipient's mother loved it :)
- Got started on my quilt for the silent auction! Two days after I started, the top is finished and I've already begun quilting it! It's a string quilt based on Elizabeth Hartman's "Valentine" pattern from her new book. I haven't been into grouping colors lately, but for this quilt, it really works! (And I managed to clear out a few fabrics I KNOW I only bought for a "rainbow" quilt and wouldn't use otherwise). The quilting is done by hand in green, blue, yellow, and orange (the colors of the quilt). I'm binding it black! I really love the look of pictures with black borders - all of my frames in my house are black.
- Getting excited about a few new fabric lines coming out! May is definitely my month for fabric buying :) I'm particularly excited about the following lines:
a.) Loulouthi. I love that she named them after her daughters and the graphics are to die for. Anna Maria Horner is quickly becoming one of my favorite designers. I don't have anything in mind for this one, but I'm thinking that I'll do something with larger pieces so you can really see all the lovely fabric :)
b.) Far Far Away III. I've been waiting for this one for-e-ever! I have to say that I'm not a fan of the horsey girl prints in this particular line - I'm a sucker for princesses, sue me already - but I think they'll be cute to add to my stash for future baby girl quilts. All of the fairy tale prints are destined for my ultimate "Far Far Away" quilt, which I've been patiently hoarding for :)
c.) 1001 Peeps. I loved Castle Peeps and I'm definitely loving 1001 peeps. Can. not. wait! I've even got plans to order extra of the peeps print so that I can use them for my hexagon quilt! :)
Other than that, I've got a quilt slated for these - using the same pattern as my Castle Peeps quilt, so they match. I'm weird that way.
d.) Prince Charming! Can you tell that I adore fairytales? I've got wonky stars in mind for this one - I love, love love that frog print! :)
- Bought a whole set of Rit Dye. I plan on using it for my vintage sheet/Alice in Wonderland quilt - I'm going to be dying fabrics (linen bits, tea towels, white fabrics) and some extra accents (lace, trimmings). My goal is to use a mod mosaic pattern and add in some little accents, and quilt it like a crazy quilt with quilting thread and embroidery. I even plan on embroidering the characters! It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm always up for a challenge!
- Got some Denyse Schmidt Quilts. Well, only one print, actually - the only one I really, truly cared for was the one with the little red flowers on dark blue. I admire that she recreated some prints from previous lines, but it's not suiting my palette right now. Love those dark blue flowers, though!
- Managed to find the vintage sheet section at my local GoodWill! Not that it's large or anything, I just figured we didn't have one because Galveston is usually bereft of cool, crafty things. But it has one! I managed to snag four pillowcases and one vintage sheet (and a copy of Dorian Gray). All for $7.51! I was pretty darn proud of myself. I'm totally going to check the Goodwills on the Gulf Freeway next, they might have something cool, too!
- Finished Emma's baby quilt! It's so much cuter than I thought it would be. It has really made me love Erin McMorris' "Weekends" line. When I initially saw the colors, I thought they were pretty but I was wary of how to put them together. After changing the pattern, I really think the string quilt was the pattern to use - it looks so lovely and bright, and the recipient's mother loved it :)
- Got started on my quilt for the silent auction! Two days after I started, the top is finished and I've already begun quilting it! It's a string quilt based on Elizabeth Hartman's "Valentine" pattern from her new book. I haven't been into grouping colors lately, but for this quilt, it really works! (And I managed to clear out a few fabrics I KNOW I only bought for a "rainbow" quilt and wouldn't use otherwise). The quilting is done by hand in green, blue, yellow, and orange (the colors of the quilt). I'm binding it black! I really love the look of pictures with black borders - all of my frames in my house are black.
- Getting excited about a few new fabric lines coming out! May is definitely my month for fabric buying :) I'm particularly excited about the following lines:
a.) Loulouthi. I love that she named them after her daughters and the graphics are to die for. Anna Maria Horner is quickly becoming one of my favorite designers. I don't have anything in mind for this one, but I'm thinking that I'll do something with larger pieces so you can really see all the lovely fabric :)
b.) Far Far Away III. I've been waiting for this one for-e-ever! I have to say that I'm not a fan of the horsey girl prints in this particular line - I'm a sucker for princesses, sue me already - but I think they'll be cute to add to my stash for future baby girl quilts. All of the fairy tale prints are destined for my ultimate "Far Far Away" quilt, which I've been patiently hoarding for :)
c.) 1001 Peeps. I loved Castle Peeps and I'm definitely loving 1001 peeps. Can. not. wait! I've even got plans to order extra of the peeps print so that I can use them for my hexagon quilt! :)
Other than that, I've got a quilt slated for these - using the same pattern as my Castle Peeps quilt, so they match. I'm weird that way.
d.) Prince Charming! Can you tell that I adore fairytales? I've got wonky stars in mind for this one - I love, love love that frog print! :)
- Bought a whole set of Rit Dye. I plan on using it for my vintage sheet/Alice in Wonderland quilt - I'm going to be dying fabrics (linen bits, tea towels, white fabrics) and some extra accents (lace, trimmings). My goal is to use a mod mosaic pattern and add in some little accents, and quilt it like a crazy quilt with quilting thread and embroidery. I even plan on embroidering the characters! It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm always up for a challenge!
- Got some Denyse Schmidt Quilts. Well, only one print, actually - the only one I really, truly cared for was the one with the little red flowers on dark blue. I admire that she recreated some prints from previous lines, but it's not suiting my palette right now. Love those dark blue flowers, though!
- Managed to find the vintage sheet section at my local GoodWill! Not that it's large or anything, I just figured we didn't have one because Galveston is usually bereft of cool, crafty things. But it has one! I managed to snag four pillowcases and one vintage sheet (and a copy of Dorian Gray). All for $7.51! I was pretty darn proud of myself. I'm totally going to check the Goodwills on the Gulf Freeway next, they might have something cool, too!
That's all for now. I'm hoping to finish a lot more - be back soon! :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Knocking the list out!
It's a beautiful Thursday here in sunny Galveston! It's been a really busy week here, but I've definitely gotten a lot done!
- My car broke down on Monday! The battery died. After an hour and a half of waiting and getting it towed to a body shop, I could go back to work - and luckily for me, I got the car back the next day! I'm happy I was in a parking lot and not on the freeway, but I'm still going to grumble about the combined cost of new tires (465) and a new battery (145). And all of that right AFTER I paid off the car!
- I finished Emma's quilt! Well, the parts I was going to complete, anyway. The top is finished, the quilting done - I originally tried to complete it by machine, but hated the thread I chose (a light plum/pink shade) because it was too dark. And the quilting I did - diagonally, across the quilt - wasn't complimenting at all to the design. So I carefully ripped out those stitches, chose a lighter, more complimentary rose pink, and got started quilting by hand. I started that Thursday, and yesterday I was finished! :)
Now I'm just waiting on my talented mother to bind it for me and I can give it to its recipient (but not after taking a few pictures to show here!)
- I got in some fabric love. Mind you, this fabric love was bought BEFORE my car broke down or the tires were needed. It's essentially my last purchase until three lines I want to purchase come out - Far Far Away 3, 1001 Peeps, and Loulouthi. Those are then my last purchases while I work on some other quilts!
But this week, I received some vintage sheet goodies - about seven or eight more fat quarters, which were added to my quickly-growing stash. I'm definitely in love! Already planning a quilt with these, although it'll be awhile before I get to it! I also bought some solids - two yards of plain white cotton for a quilt I'm starting today, and some Kona Snow for my best friend's wedding quilt.
- Started on a new quilt last night. This one is for a silent auction for breast cancer; the only stipulation on color was that it be BRIGHT. Somehow I don't think that's a problem! I cut out all the strips last night - yes, another string quilt, but it's the quickest block for me - and I'm looking to make at least four blocks tonight (hopefully). My goal is to get it finished in the next week and then start on the quilting, also by hand (with variated colors). Then to bind it in black and hand it off!
- Finally bought a copy of 101 Patchwork Projects. I rarely buy quilting magazines - the patterns are usually too fussy and conservative for me. But this one had one project in particular I really want to try - filminthefridge's Rubik's Crush pattern! So glad I found a copy, too, I've been looking since the beginning of April :)
All in all, it's been a good week! If I can get this second quilt finished in the next week or so (which is definitely doable, even if it means less sleep and more quilting), then I can finally begin on my best friend's wedding gift, and then I can finish the boyfriend's quilt. So much work, so little time! I'm off to it now!
- My car broke down on Monday! The battery died. After an hour and a half of waiting and getting it towed to a body shop, I could go back to work - and luckily for me, I got the car back the next day! I'm happy I was in a parking lot and not on the freeway, but I'm still going to grumble about the combined cost of new tires (465) and a new battery (145). And all of that right AFTER I paid off the car!
- I finished Emma's quilt! Well, the parts I was going to complete, anyway. The top is finished, the quilting done - I originally tried to complete it by machine, but hated the thread I chose (a light plum/pink shade) because it was too dark. And the quilting I did - diagonally, across the quilt - wasn't complimenting at all to the design. So I carefully ripped out those stitches, chose a lighter, more complimentary rose pink, and got started quilting by hand. I started that Thursday, and yesterday I was finished! :)
Now I'm just waiting on my talented mother to bind it for me and I can give it to its recipient (but not after taking a few pictures to show here!)
- I got in some fabric love. Mind you, this fabric love was bought BEFORE my car broke down or the tires were needed. It's essentially my last purchase until three lines I want to purchase come out - Far Far Away 3, 1001 Peeps, and Loulouthi. Those are then my last purchases while I work on some other quilts!
But this week, I received some vintage sheet goodies - about seven or eight more fat quarters, which were added to my quickly-growing stash. I'm definitely in love! Already planning a quilt with these, although it'll be awhile before I get to it! I also bought some solids - two yards of plain white cotton for a quilt I'm starting today, and some Kona Snow for my best friend's wedding quilt.
- Started on a new quilt last night. This one is for a silent auction for breast cancer; the only stipulation on color was that it be BRIGHT. Somehow I don't think that's a problem! I cut out all the strips last night - yes, another string quilt, but it's the quickest block for me - and I'm looking to make at least four blocks tonight (hopefully). My goal is to get it finished in the next week and then start on the quilting, also by hand (with variated colors). Then to bind it in black and hand it off!
- Finally bought a copy of 101 Patchwork Projects. I rarely buy quilting magazines - the patterns are usually too fussy and conservative for me. But this one had one project in particular I really want to try - filminthefridge's Rubik's Crush pattern! So glad I found a copy, too, I've been looking since the beginning of April :)
All in all, it's been a good week! If I can get this second quilt finished in the next week or so (which is definitely doable, even if it means less sleep and more quilting), then I can finally begin on my best friend's wedding gift, and then I can finish the boyfriend's quilt. So much work, so little time! I'm off to it now!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
recap
It's been a good week! I had a great off day! And the rest of this week has been pretty productive, too! - Three of my packages came in. The last three ... I got in my charm packs, my Castle peeps, and three 1/2 yards of Mrs. Aster voiles! I love voile; it's so soft! - Picked up some horror movies at Fry's. The Pulse trilogy, The Lady in White (1988), and Deep Star Six. I've watched two of the five, and I can't wait to watch the other three :) - Got Keane's "Night Train"! Been looking for it everywhere! While it's not my favorite of the four albums of theirs I've got, it's still pretty good! - Finished five and a half blocks for Emma's baby quilt. I'm going to try to finish the other six and a half tonight! Then I just have to add the border and piece the (really simple) backing, and I can quilt this sucker! - Decided to take out all of the blah hexagons out of my quilt - I've bought a lot of charm packs, and some of the ones with a duskier palette tend to have these cream-colored prints or solids that just don't work for me in the bulk of the quilt. However, I think I'll still add them to the border I intend to make around it with white hexagons - there, I think, the creme might fit in! - I have about a hundred and forty hexies left to baste! Mind you, there are still some charm packs I want to purchase (Strawberry Fields, Jovial, Sherbet Pips, and a couple others)...and I intend to include some of the 1001 Peeps line and Heather Ross' new line ... but I've had this stack of hexies to baste for-e-ver, so I'm pretty psyched that I'm close! :) But even with all that done, there's still a LOT to do ... - Finish Emma's Baby Quilt. I'm shooting for at LEAST the top tonight! (And maybe the backing!) - Get ready and raring to go on the quilt I'm doing for a silent auction! The only stipulation? That it be bright! Somehow, I think that's doable :) - Do a few more blocks for the boyfriend's quilt. NO, I haven't finished yet... and he's beginning to feel a little neglected! Maybe, once I do all the fun stuff, I'll put away the three bags of laundry at my house!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Wednesday. Eek!
I'm supposed to be off today. But we're having a "Greek Night" here; it's a pretty fun event we do every couple months or so. I like them, they're just a LOT of planning. The good thing is, the event is tonight so I can rest tomorrow :) In the midst of everything else, though, I've been: - Basting Hexagons - I'm down to about 150 to baste, although I'm waiting for four more charm packs today: Hullabaloo, Oh My!, Regent Street, and Lilac Hill. I already cut 2.5" squares from "Grace" and "Fa la la la". I love me some French General! - Getting some fabric love in the mail! The entirety of Anna Maria Horner's voile "Little Folks" joined my fabric stash this week. I'm completely in love! I can't wait to get some other quilts out of the way so I can start the string quilt I plan on making with that. - Adding a little more to my stash. Joining me this week were some cute Japanese prints, as well as some dobby dots from Little Folks, some more voiles, and the Mrs. Aster voile prints from Greenfield Hill (which I found on etsy! yum!) - Watching movies! I saw Jackass 3 (hilarious - yes, my sense of humor must be awful, but I think those guys are a riot), Insidious (seriously the scariest movie I've EVER seen - and without any need for gore), and Prowl (a straight-to-DVD movie that was actually kind of terrifying. Even my boyfriend said so, and he is not so easily impressed.) - Finally FOUND my DVD for "Earth Girls are Easy". If you have never seen this movie, you really must - how can you go wrong with a cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Geena Davis, and Michael McKean? Sure, it's completely cheesy and weird, but any movie that has gratuitous shirtless shots of Jeff Goldblum is a WIN for me. Just sayin'. - Started on my best friend's wedding gift (blue-and-green string quilt) and my amiga Karla's baby quilt. I revamped the second one, mostly because the pattern I had chosen (Film in the Fridge's 'Rectangle Squared' pattern) was choosing to be a little to intensive for the time I've got left. If I was more proactive, I think it would be the pattern for me. Also, I've fallen in LOVE with string quilts, so why not? I've got cute plans for the back of this one, too :) So that's been my week. I plan to finish the top of the baby quilt this week, and hopefully get it quilted and bound by the day of the baby shower (Sunday). Wish me luck!
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