Monogrammed Mug Rug

I am having a super duper productive crafty weekend.  I am taking JUST a little break here to show you the present I made for my best friend's birthday.  And I am only showing you right now because I wanted to link up with the Farmer's Wife in Your Life linky and it ends in a few hours.




I do not usually make small quilt blocks.  My first quilt EVER was made from 2 inch squares and it turned out TERRIBLE (not for beginners!)  The challenge was to create something using 6" block(s) inspired by the book, The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt.  Well, unfortunately I do not have the book (although I really, really would love to own a copy), so I used a sampler quilt book I already own.  I chose the "anvil" block because I wanted to embroider the center with her monogram.  I already got her a mug and some goodies, so I thought the little mug rug would complement nicely.

I pieced the block, cut a square of Warm'nNatural batting the same size, and embroidered the monogram.  The backing is more of that cute olivey green Amy Butler fabric- I cut a square of that, sewed right sides together, and flipped it.  I machine quilted around the center square, too.  Pretty quick and it made me realize just how little fabric you need for these cute little squares.  I think I am going to be hoarding more scraps...

Check out the linky HERE to see more great projects!

Multi-Tasking

I am not Supermom.  I can't seem to keep my house clean, I forget things all the time, and I eat way to much chocolate.  The only reason I manage to get anything done is by multi-tasking.  Sometimes that works, sometimes it goes terribly wrong.
Lately, my brain just doesn't seem to be working correctly.  I got up in the middle of the night and just because I felt like it, I started scrubbing the kitchen and baking blueberry muffins.  So, since my husband was off of work today for an appointment, I slept in a little bit and stayed in my nightgown for a little while even after the kids left for school.  I was fighting with my computer to print a Michael's coupon, but remembered that I wanted to mop the floor.  So, I went out on the front porch to get the mop bucket... and the door went shut behind me.
 

I banged on the door, but my 3yo was in the backyard and the 9mo was in her playpen.  I don't know who I thought was going to come to my rescue!  So, I ran around to the back of the house, praying that the neighbors were not out for a walk.  (Whew!)  I made it in the back door and took the bucket to the bathroom.  Then I remembered about the coupon again, so I went to check on that and began trying some other things to get it to work.  After a few minutes, Grace was fussing and I saw that she needed her diaper changed.  Well, when I went into the bathroom I saw that the floor was flooded! For a half second I blamed the washer, which wasn't even running, then the kids, only to see my mop bucket overflowing in the bathtub, with the spout pouring water over onto the floor.  All I could do at that point was laugh at myself, grab another piece of chocolate, and get cleaning.

When I make baskets, I multi-task, too.  I cut my reed when I get a chance, sometimes a few at a time.  Then, I soak the materials and come back later to weave the bottom whenever I can grab a chunk of time to work on it. 

I do all of my crafts this way- I work on them little bits at a time... applying a coat of paint here or there throughout the day/week, cutting or sewing a few minutes at a time. 

Multi-tasking.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes it gets you locked out of the house in your nightgown or a floods the bathroom.

Easter Baskets 2012

 OK.  I can breathe now.  Well, if it weren't for my allergies I could.  But, enough whining because my point is... I made an awful lot of baskets over the last two months.  I came out with a new style this year using the natural reed color and a few rows of fun, bright, solid-colored reed woven in the middle.  I dyed purple, too, but I haven't made any using that color (yet).





Paired with crisp, white liners made with ribbon ties and hand embroidered, I think they looked pretty cute!

I also made quite a few in the reeds I dye to be variegated- they fade from blue to green or pink to purple throughout a single piece.

Dyeing the reed this way gave me the idea to make camoflague!  So, I made a bunch of those, too, but with brown liners because it looks better.

Two extra-special kiddos will be using new baskets this year in contrasting colors... camo and PINK (it is so very pink that I really needed to use all capitals.)

This was the first basket in a long, long time that I dyed an entire basket one color.  I took the liberty of embellishing the liner a little bit, too.

This basket was a special order, made to be similar to an antique basket that had been handed down for generations!  So cool! 

These flat-bottom egg baskets were made to look like the ones that my great-grandfather used to make.  I really love the challenge of these reproduction baskets and being a part of something so special.

I did some painted baskets, too.  I love the rustic finish on them...

I made over 30 baskets this year, and I have just a few more left to go for my own girls.  Sometime before next year, I am thinking about investing in a sewing machine that can embroider letters to make them a bit more prefessional vs. the hand embroidery.  What do you think?

I like a good challenge.

Just checking in with a little sneak peek at what I have been working on this week (besides baskets, baskets, and more baskets!) 

On Sunday, I will NOT work on stuff for my shop.  I am almost superstitious about that.  I FINALLY got to sew something for myself that I have wanted for a very long time!  Another bag!  I wanted something to match the purple coat I got for Christmas.  Of course, now it is too warm to wear the coat, but I don't care. 

It is another Amy Butler Birdie Sling Bag and I used this pretty polka-dot fabric for the band and handle with tea-dyed muslin that matched PERFECTLY for the lining. 

AND, this means that I have FINALLY crosses off something from my 12in2012 list! WOOHOO!!!  #12. Sew something for myself!  OK, so it was the easiest thing to cross off of the list (don't even ask how that losing 5lbs. thing is going) but it is an accomplishment nonetheless.

And, this is LONG overdue, but I won a giveaway over at Faith, Family, and Frugality and I just wanted to thank Carly for the lovely prize!  I have never worked with ric-rac- I have never owned any- and I am sure I can make such cute things for my girls with these winnings.  Thank you!!!  (Psst... if you head over to her blog HERE she has another giveaway ending soon!)

Yesterday, the lighting was perfect and Grace was already dressed so cute from an appointment we went to in the morning, so I tried taking her pictures (sorry, grandparents, since I have not printed any pictures of her for you yet!).  Unfortunately, there was some construction going on nearby and she was so distracted...

...and it was so hard to get her to smile AND keep her eyes open. 

Plus, my little assistant was there. 

And the dog.  And Grace and I were both wearing white.  Not good. 

And my lens cover is broken and falls down, so I have to hold the camera upside down.  But, hey- I like a good challenge!  Here is the best of what we got...

She really, really looks a lot like her older sister- here is the side-by-side comparison of them giving "the look."

So, now I am going to get back to the baskets.  Home stretch!  I will do a big basket show-off post when I am finished, and then it is on to Easter dresses!  4 dresses, 2 weeks, no patterns.  I said I like a good challenge, right?

To everything there is a season...

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted:

A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Baby Brother's Army Send-off

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My baby brother is all gown up!

It is still hard for me not to think of him like this. To me, he is still that goofy little brother who was picked on mercilessly by his big brothers.

(My scanner doesn't work so you get a picture of a picture.  Real professional.  I know.)

Mom always said stuff like, "Knock it off!  I hope one day he is bigger than you boys and kicks your butts" and we just laughed at her, because we didn't think the little boy who ate a lot of beans and cheese and watched Toy Story a million times would ever grow up.

We were wrong. 

This is an older picture (and a silly, terrible one of myself), but it shows just how much he loves his sisters!

We are so proud of him.  He enlisted in the Army and last week he left for Basic Training.  We had a little send-off for him so that family and friends could say goodbye.  I insisted that, even though my parents are in the middle of a lengthy, involved, more-than-anticipated home renovation, we should put up some decorations. 

I threw together some of my recycled manly buntings from old hunting magazines and attempted to hang some crepe paper.  It went well with drop cloths and insulation! =)

 Of course, we can't have something like this without Subway.  It is tradition.

 Mom had these cute little flag toothpicks, too, and I just loved them, as long as all of the flags were facing the correct direction.  (OCD) 

Simple. 

Just family and friends and lots of laughter and love and hugs and mushiness before we sent him out into the big, scary world.