tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54465309027002202282024-02-22T06:38:47.505-05:00Elle-mentalMy occasional musings on quilting, food, and life.Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-2650804670835461832016-09-26T20:42:00.000-04:002016-09-26T20:46:33.275-04:00Blogger's Quilt Festival 2016 Entry: Rowan's Chasing Chevrons<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Hello! So after a many years absence playing with these 2 characters,</span></div>
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I've had quite the summer of quilting, and I'm so excited to share the details of a lot of finishes with you in the coming weeks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZWPSS88IUTfT3MoHr42ZyQSg84FRGCOzaubpNsRkjAflZM8n0PG34Lo-m9v6Nu-Z44Jd1pN8aqSCiOiHl_YJXilNR_-aZadFglJwOQMjbAbjZGroXB6ImwM3-ryawxUWpR4RW70j-stM/s1600/IMG_8139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZWPSS88IUTfT3MoHr42ZyQSg84FRGCOzaubpNsRkjAflZM8n0PG34Lo-m9v6Nu-Z44Jd1pN8aqSCiOiHl_YJXilNR_-aZadFglJwOQMjbAbjZGroXB6ImwM3-ryawxUWpR4RW70j-stM/s200/IMG_8139.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charity quilt, original design</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilt for Abner Miller, based on Quartered Stripes tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Company</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Log Cabin pillow, Workshop by Mary Fons</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#quiltsforpulse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M7VKbQLX386OhRe_QRg5EZKTfvuJXiTwL2tAEkjCuBHoqz6bpuvwq1vQI2-rpCSD19Zmxchp0NmYdPRZUjl-HY083yW4Vf0wDiCqcV4SvyFhMIjyA_m9Y-APwjYSOJAf180XOUHxczpb/s1600/IMG_8177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M7VKbQLX386OhRe_QRg5EZKTfvuJXiTwL2tAEkjCuBHoqz6bpuvwq1vQI2-rpCSD19Zmxchp0NmYdPRZUjl-HY083yW4Vf0wDiCqcV4SvyFhMIjyA_m9Y-APwjYSOJAf180XOUHxczpb/s200/IMG_8177.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#quiltsforpulse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dMPQvtp0BTJcCCIyLca3PjIIcuvr_z6d_jq1m28JJEN6g73ELgtBaPLimnM0uqP8Rxz2SF1dCIo6b9vqEZEfoq-bsqJ0S-P6zZuMFOBjRxGnZ3rr_b8hmXlvb9suNUbg6sOdHX4an04Z/s1600/IMG_7775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dMPQvtp0BTJcCCIyLca3PjIIcuvr_z6d_jq1m28JJEN6g73ELgtBaPLimnM0uqP8Rxz2SF1dCIo6b9vqEZEfoq-bsqJ0S-P6zZuMFOBjRxGnZ3rr_b8hmXlvb9suNUbg6sOdHX4an04Z/s200/IMG_7775.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Log cabin quilt for my mom (my design)</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">But none of these quilts makes me prouder than this quilt that I made for my nephew! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh6U2oqBpknV2krMFAC5JAaX5jlTWVks4Z4-4IDLoeL1ZkZQiT9gAQitqFejG82uBInZWBS9JuCym8LuS7tDX88h6_0_HZCkACTNZX1XohuJuwJPx7YAvw4b8mf_PddiyxdVZXBZFLbsB/s1600/IMG_8296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh6U2oqBpknV2krMFAC5JAaX5jlTWVks4Z4-4IDLoeL1ZkZQiT9gAQitqFejG82uBInZWBS9JuCym8LuS7tDX88h6_0_HZCkACTNZX1XohuJuwJPx7YAvw4b8mf_PddiyxdVZXBZFLbsB/s640/IMG_8296.jpg" width="521" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabyw7UvcDJZY8v990QbaVMoemiTC1dqSFJN8NrAoS5780l5dlDYX1lMkgvHwhNmYvAsn4u4woKx5fqcIsO7pkMfn-erL7fdSypB8rNu-KVxaJtcx5rtjqH2SxGXnf1It2hPdVQFnaK4we/s1600/IMG_8297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabyw7UvcDJZY8v990QbaVMoemiTC1dqSFJN8NrAoS5780l5dlDYX1lMkgvHwhNmYvAsn4u4woKx5fqcIsO7pkMfn-erL7fdSypB8rNu-KVxaJtcx5rtjqH2SxGXnf1It2hPdVQFnaK4we/s320/IMG_8297.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1">I finished the piecing many years ago, but my nephew specifically requested this wood grain quilting design, and when he requested it, I wasn't capable of quilting it well, so it got set to the side. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-bA5emx8QWgcokSHnMBBnqPbDf4KrIYidINHMG2MiFECzZ80f2jyjfogyUGKGMMirZ25Z51Aty87YDlojpcnv2SeMYByKowUTtA4Q6MnBeEuBLYjCgIMKOcfJ5ivHRcapjOE7sY3Gqhv/s1600/IMG_8299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-bA5emx8QWgcokSHnMBBnqPbDf4KrIYidINHMG2MiFECzZ80f2jyjfogyUGKGMMirZ25Z51Aty87YDlojpcnv2SeMYByKowUTtA4Q6MnBeEuBLYjCgIMKOcfJ5ivHRcapjOE7sY3Gqhv/s320/IMG_8299.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">Fast forward to this summer, when I started renting time on a Handi Quilter Avanti machine at <a href="http://www.springwaterdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Spring Water Designs</a> in Columbia, Maryland. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o0NSoGkyq7ZCNdtcP3k-USLGwKPgycPTYx0HgEFY6_swueqq7bxiQr7qu8XU-RLCRpTCFb2tsvqt4Cp3bLpPvPtRRK7IyANyCyUdEHHdnqnMMB8UEeC3Oa_rM_LkWjDHoCZugCcbybZI/s1600/IMG_8300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o0NSoGkyq7ZCNdtcP3k-USLGwKPgycPTYx0HgEFY6_swueqq7bxiQr7qu8XU-RLCRpTCFb2tsvqt4Cp3bLpPvPtRRK7IyANyCyUdEHHdnqnMMB8UEeC3Oa_rM_LkWjDHoCZugCcbybZI/s320/IMG_8300.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">I first quilted several charity quilts to practice how to work the machine, and then I quilted this quilt, and I have to say that I just love the way it turned out. The overall wood grain design with a few areas where I featured pebbles and ribbon candy just makes me happy. I'd like to give a big thanks to Angela Walters for her wonderful books and the workshops she gave to the DC Modern Quilt Guild and the Needlechasers Quilt Guild. And thanks to <a href="http://www.amyscreativeside.com/2016/09/19/bloggers-quilt-festival-fall-2016-edition/" target="_blank">Amy Ellis and Blogger's Quilt Festival</a> for letting me share my work with a larger audience.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Quilt stats:</span></div>
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<span class="s1">76" X 84"</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Kona cotton solid with a mix of batiks for the chevrons</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Batik back</span></div>
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<span class="s1">8+ hours of quilting time on the long-arm (quilted in 2 sections on 2 different days and then pieced together).</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Piecing design from Jennifer Jenkinson of That Girl, That Quilt's "Chasing Chevrons" quilt-along</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3tf1kzSUBRocGz46v1khwJ4xAMm2S2xZy2RIpEhBii94g0OX8-eCgx1X9Ys8UEOLzmOrBKqJeajXClwtk1H80EugXgIVHTN_Fcc14habZM0WCYPvdaRRpU5LFf5sIEAAYf91sozB6X1D/s1600/IMG_8298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3tf1kzSUBRocGz46v1khwJ4xAMm2S2xZy2RIpEhBii94g0OX8-eCgx1X9Ys8UEOLzmOrBKqJeajXClwtk1H80EugXgIVHTN_Fcc14habZM0WCYPvdaRRpU5LFf5sIEAAYf91sozB6X1D/s320/IMG_8298.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of quilt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8JXuJBJZt8pvuRm_-50V1OyesNAn61U4aBo6-DzRXgxVvnNQ9uS_uWvCNfMpFic5uTrJhuMzAvHw6L7IoKDNbXaaBlr-GPLpKGj4ERZ3QRMoSalwl0RxbEljzaF1pvRV-luomImsVKYW/s1600/IMG_8200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8JXuJBJZt8pvuRm_-50V1OyesNAn61U4aBo6-DzRXgxVvnNQ9uS_uWvCNfMpFic5uTrJhuMzAvHw6L7IoKDNbXaaBlr-GPLpKGj4ERZ3QRMoSalwl0RxbEljzaF1pvRV-luomImsVKYW/s320/IMG_8200.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outtake of my attempt at photography outside with wind and a toddler (but the colors are perhaps a bit truer in this photo)</td></tr>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-13732662856354655262016-09-12T17:30:00.001-04:002016-09-26T20:43:52.363-04:00I'm still here!Hi! I can't believe my last blog post was when Miles was born! Except I can, because he is now 3, and he keeps me very busy! But, I've finally been quilting a lot lately, and I'll have lots to share in the coming weeks as I have finish after finish!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP3gsz5V2szMqsatodrIlK1wPzBQaR578QOy9CybWdXLnKTR9HnTWomsATyF1eh_VZAURpmRfY2N6wcfE-UW5vrADOqjaaWKeqXR3H_lMp7t_sS0zN9wRWj6f5-55u5h8ZaU81loSlSaq/s1600/IMG_8291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibP3gsz5V2szMqsatodrIlK1wPzBQaR578QOy9CybWdXLnKTR9HnTWomsATyF1eh_VZAURpmRfY2N6wcfE-UW5vrADOqjaaWKeqXR3H_lMp7t_sS0zN9wRWj6f5-55u5h8ZaU81loSlSaq/s320/IMG_8291.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-81526274550757801502013-07-06T17:22:00.001-04:002013-07-06T17:36:06.227-04:00Miles Garrett Irby<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSWhyky1_r5488LI1h4deUkhzY2KHVtNgE36161E-hppxcBZoZix64PsgyhA2Y2dil6Ss4qALTbP3GGG1-o6gunUZ_roy8Tcsa0ig9DoMnc7Y5RRIdgMVZnEEm46CWNjLJDL82_L8HrwW/s640/blogger-image--1554594184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSWhyky1_r5488LI1h4deUkhzY2KHVtNgE36161E-hppxcBZoZix64PsgyhA2Y2dil6Ss4qALTbP3GGG1-o6gunUZ_roy8Tcsa0ig9DoMnc7Y5RRIdgMVZnEEm46CWNjLJDL82_L8HrwW/s640/blogger-image--1554594184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8-40Hl08qSYWcx-SDpdasw27S2QMF-m6Y1I7Ry59d3A-GXn6P3Qcc0G1idFIWvehHlLrJzfpcMVyAL5DCdENgJrRtE0ZBXO-ctrFEk4x7M5Cs6iQYf6lxHr3AHZDn91-J2cvPsbywbko/s640/blogger-image-2079389659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8-40Hl08qSYWcx-SDpdasw27S2QMF-m6Y1I7Ry59d3A-GXn6P3Qcc0G1idFIWvehHlLrJzfpcMVyAL5DCdENgJrRtE0ZBXO-ctrFEk4x7M5Cs6iQYf6lxHr3AHZDn91-J2cvPsbywbko/s640/blogger-image-2079389659.jpg"></a></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSWhyky1_r5488LI1h4deUkhzY2KHVtNgE36161E-hppxcBZoZix64PsgyhA2Y2dil6Ss4qALTbP3GGG1-o6gunUZ_roy8Tcsa0ig9DoMnc7Y5RRIdgMVZnEEm46CWNjLJDL82_L8HrwW/s640/blogger-image--1554594184.jpg"></div>On June 19th at 9:52 a.m., we brought our son, Miles Garrett Irby, into the world in what turned out to be an incredibly easy experience! I had complete placenta previa, so we had a scheduled c-section at 38 weeks to avoid me going into labor. So, the anesthesiologist did a spinal, got me talking about my hobbies, and after a little discussion of modern quilting and modern traditionalism, I was able to look up and see my baby! After we met him, Bryan and our boy were taken to recovery and my mom was shown in to hold my hand for the rest of the c-section, which went quickly and well while I talked about other sewing projects, baking, and cooking. Yup...after being so upset about missing out on natural childbirth and having major anxiety about bad interactions with the anesthesia, I must say, it was a pretty awesome experience! I had a few problems later that day/night with throwing up, which is not fun when your belly has been cut open, but I was sitting up in a chair the next day and able to walk the day after that. My recovery since has been way better than I expected, thanks in part to good pain medication. My only problem has been not overdoing it, which is hard when I feel so good. I have to remind myself that I had major abdominal surgery!<div><br></div><div>So that's me... Now for the important part!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimXCthdOUVYvwNOE9fqvyD8MRFNVNHkfxTYHcn2TTTza3dL3lnUXYUi3XiBI32I9O82Kg6Ey1xpVPztL4rvV5QLHiNqSb4fBvfQ0noZjhSa8pxNZmv5NulVUaBbNWRbpeK_aUY12BQHks/s640/blogger-image--191978086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimXCthdOUVYvwNOE9fqvyD8MRFNVNHkfxTYHcn2TTTza3dL3lnUXYUi3XiBI32I9O82Kg6Ey1xpVPztL4rvV5QLHiNqSb4fBvfQ0noZjhSa8pxNZmv5NulVUaBbNWRbpeK_aUY12BQHks/s640/blogger-image--191978086.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Miles was 6 lbs., 3 oz., and 20" long at birth. He smiled almost from day 1, and continues to be a very smiley, happy baby except when he has gas pain. He was jaundiced and lost a lot of weight at the beginning, but my milk came in just in the nick of time and we went through some craziness to feed and supplement him every 2 hours for several days. Our wonderful nurse, Kristina, made all the difference in the world, helping us with a plan and when we were completely wiped out from no sleep, taking Miles to care for for a few hours so we could get a few hours in. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRpcYUOPZyBu4EBIHkhE1X8rXa5_3Oy-Aok_mGI9uVOsFbHBOh2uKNui9tt-TK-2OK7jto7dT_9IrVfc9nlER3b1JvU-SOf3p122JrUuxKrPfQmW31V5M9wM_ya2cVJvO2TXO2s6ucM4R/s640/blogger-image-242035780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRpcYUOPZyBu4EBIHkhE1X8rXa5_3Oy-Aok_mGI9uVOsFbHBOh2uKNui9tt-TK-2OK7jto7dT_9IrVfc9nlER3b1JvU-SOf3p122JrUuxKrPfQmW31V5M9wM_ya2cVJvO2TXO2s6ucM4R/s640/blogger-image-242035780.jpg"></a></div> And by 6 days after his birth, he'd already surpassed his birthweight, so all the hard work paid off! My mom spent 17 days with us, which made all the difference in the world...I'm not sure how we would have survived without her! <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CP412XiuABbh_N26hEvP5VxoJ9XsYkeQLKtdx4hzrSc9hxXIdMiTgvRvq0gcfa-SoOAs21m4HJopSwpB9U-1LzDjYWZnKG0mxtfhbCTpu0vcVDBHsZ3FAYcU1-NN3SXtuerCXEYkrJTk/s640/blogger-image-729996446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CP412XiuABbh_N26hEvP5VxoJ9XsYkeQLKtdx4hzrSc9hxXIdMiTgvRvq0gcfa-SoOAs21m4HJopSwpB9U-1LzDjYWZnKG0mxtfhbCTpu0vcVDBHsZ3FAYcU1-NN3SXtuerCXEYkrJTk/s640/blogger-image-729996446.jpg"></a></div>Also, my dear friend Anne brought a ton of delicious food, as well as wonderful quilted items! I'll do a separate post about that, but for now let me leave you with some pictures and get back to napping!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sqGiNd3XT0yHMhKsEr6hqaQcCN2_9tXejB5yKXej1pE25cTSbMuKWJjAFICVSafw9MkmYJEul3cWU_Uf-D4Sfan2fddoZ9DCA0a_fOHxRiKk7LBNPmAQfG5HzWCh4lpC59VUR0mZlKo8/s640/blogger-image-389972371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sqGiNd3XT0yHMhKsEr6hqaQcCN2_9tXejB5yKXej1pE25cTSbMuKWJjAFICVSafw9MkmYJEul3cWU_Uf-D4Sfan2fddoZ9DCA0a_fOHxRiKk7LBNPmAQfG5HzWCh4lpC59VUR0mZlKo8/s640/blogger-image-389972371.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldUXOdUOv0-FqbjpAKSlMwsryaoFN3ws2vk9xZioxRZmvoaTCTJvWyWb3hvY9kv8COzlH0aAoXas2Rz8iiX5fIWZuPvIQUX8jhC9FWFLPTg9qCYJjPApsCKjZ2SrmloHDfsIo355au8oM/s640/blogger-image--1919090669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldUXOdUOv0-FqbjpAKSlMwsryaoFN3ws2vk9xZioxRZmvoaTCTJvWyWb3hvY9kv8COzlH0aAoXas2Rz8iiX5fIWZuPvIQUX8jhC9FWFLPTg9qCYJjPApsCKjZ2SrmloHDfsIo355au8oM/s640/blogger-image--1919090669.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujGx_QbjQupbdA2lsU0cmZtFtWU3ppAR0BHc3wMOkp_6tS4rtHC3S7UJ0wwwlNo5EHmIZ4E_j6oUPqFL6WXIHH-bQUPTEkEkO1NLI7eyG43G7jnMl15jzAGx3plk46x_25P34tsPCh-GE/s640/blogger-image-1221959999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujGx_QbjQupbdA2lsU0cmZtFtWU3ppAR0BHc3wMOkp_6tS4rtHC3S7UJ0wwwlNo5EHmIZ4E_j6oUPqFL6WXIHH-bQUPTEkEkO1NLI7eyG43G7jnMl15jzAGx3plk46x_25P34tsPCh-GE/s640/blogger-image-1221959999.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>For more cute photos, check out the results of our professional photoshoot when Miles was just 9 days old - they are pretty adorable (not that I'm biased). http://dianalewkowicz.smugmug.com/Other/Miles-Irby/30241374_cS23K4#!i=2603049953&k=MB79fwh </div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-42343663779804036342013-04-26T09:11:00.001-04:002013-05-21T09:26:04.000-04:00I'm still alive!I knew I shouldn't have made my New Year's Resolution be to blog more...because that made it destined to fail! But I am still alive and well, if not quilting much! <br />
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I'm now 34 weeks pregnant, and my boy is moving and wiggling, giving me horrendous heartburn, and generally keeping me worn out, but wow...it is just so cool! We're most likely going to be meeting him in about 3 weeks, as I have complete placenta previa right now and will have to deliver early by scheduled c-section in order to avoid hemorrhaging. It's not at all how I wanted things to go (I was planning a natural childbirth and actually looking forward to that experience), but as the time draws near, I've come to terms with it. Indeed, the idea of knowing "today's the day I'm having this baby" is actually pretty helpful. We'll know more on Friday, when they do another ultrasound just to see if maybe I've gotten lucky and that pesky placenta has moved out of the way, but as it gets hotter and I get bigger, I'm becoming ok with not holding out until July! As long as he and I are healthy, that's what matters! <br />
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So, we decided a few weeks ago on a nursery "theme", which will give us something to work towards in the next 4-5 months! The theme had been post-apocalyptic wasteland, as my poor husband had to take everything out of his office (including all the stuff that was in the guest room when I moved in and took it over for my stuff, including my sewing area) and organize it and put it in storage or find other places to tuck it in the house. We had the room painted a pale yellow called "morning sun", and we're having new carpet put in because the painter got as much paint on the carpet as the walls practically! (Oy - renovations by a guy who turned out to be a real jerk at 32 weeks pregnant is a bad idea! That said, I'm so happy it is almost done, and though there are lots of flaws and things that should have been done better, I keep telling myself it is a vast improvement over what we had!) The "official" colors will be teals/aquas with chocolate brown accents, and the theme is the Galapagos, since we went there for our honeymoon and loved it (and took great photos of the animals that we can have printed and put on the walls, perhaps). I don't know how far we'll go with the theme, though I am tempted to get a better map of the Galapagos for the wall with marks where we visited...that would be fun! Of course, what I should do is make the map with fabric and appliqué with the completely awesome MistyFuse...I'll have to think about that! And Bryan showed me a cool constellation quilt that makes me want to make one of those of the sky that we saw there last June - yet another project that might be done in time for his college graduation! Yes, I am way behind to decorate properly....indeed I'm trying to ignore other people's beautiful, coordinated nurseries that are ready for months before their child is born (or their large stacks of quilts, outfits, fabric baskets, curtains, etc...all the things I should have been making but haven't! I'm already a bad mother. Ah well!). <br />
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I did at least commission my mom, a polymer clay artist, to make a Galapagos mobile for us, and I am thrilled with how it turned out! <br />
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I'm sure I'll start blogging more as we have pictures of a little boy to share, and hopefully I'll sew something eventually so I have something to show! I've got a few things started (or at least fabric purchased and washed), so when we unearth my sewing area again from the renovation mess, I should be able to make a little progress. <br />
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And I'm doing a little hand-sewing on an old project that I should, in theory, finish at some point soon! It's a little yellow quilt with chicks on it that my friend Anne and I started together many years ago...hers is finished and on the wall of her nursery, and mine has been sitting half-appliquéd for years, mostly because I used steam-a-seam lite, which, in my opinion, is absolutely miserable to sew through...especially when there are several layers of it. I hate to not finish it by hand since it is mostly done that way, but geesh...it's not fun trying to make neat little blanket stitches through it. We'll see!<br />
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The picture with my husband was at 22 weeks, I think (March 3...for my husband's birthday present, he got to feel his son kick for the first time! Well-played, baby!). And the picture of my son was from his 28 week ultrasound. I was thinking about asking a random person on the train this morning to take an updated picture of my baby bump, but that feels slightly creepy, so I'll just post one soon when I can remember to have my husband take one! I meant to take a bunch, but alas...I seem to have a lot of good intentions that don't quite happen! I just have no idea where the time has gone!<br />
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But, with a deadline looming to get the front and back to Aubrie for the quilting, I finally got with it, pressed and trimmed and joined the columns for the top, and then put together parts of this back. (I stole Aubrie's picture from Flickr, as I didn't even bother to take one.) I'd gotten the top pieced and the back large orange piece of fabric framed by white on three sides by late on Friday night, having taken the day off from work to work on it all day/evening. But on Saturday morning, I still hadn't started on the improvised pieced section, and it took a lot longer than I thought to figure out how to use all the little scraps that were left from the top to put it together. We had dinner plans and tickets to see the Infamous Stringdusters and Lake Street Dive with our friends Mike and Cathy, so I called Aubrie, and she graciously agreed to finish putting together the backing from my improved block and the white. I can't tell you how grateful I was...or how much I needed a nap. She has been madly quilting it since I delivered it on the 29th of December, and I'm completely blown away. Her quilting is exquisite - check out her <a href="http://teachnknit.blogspot.com/2012/12/dc-mod-charity-quiltdr-seuss-style.html" target="_blank">blog</a> (and the two more recent posts after the one I linked you to) - and hold on to your socks! I really can't wait to see the finished product. I'm also grateful to <a href="http://ifinallyhavetime.com/" target="_blank">Linda</a>, who drove all the way to my house to pick up the few remaining scraps to put together the scrappy binding and sleeve and is taking care of the final steps...she made me feel better about my utter exhaustion/worthlessness!<br />
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So, the big question, then, is why have I been so tired and what could possibly have gotten in the way of quilting, especially when I have so many great projects to work on?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hYi_JUzYy1w-gGhP-BFAvUMjwVof9-LXXEOV5GgXQqu8BYG9PfAZiYd30IEtVbRMEuYdBf32AZl3b_94V0FZ66GJmx0JFsjeNFmyblaRsajQlkybi8i9Lgho3VTUVSRvHB8uhWmoStz4/s1600/Copy+of+first_ultrasound.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hYi_JUzYy1w-gGhP-BFAvUMjwVof9-LXXEOV5GgXQqu8BYG9PfAZiYd30IEtVbRMEuYdBf32AZl3b_94V0FZ66GJmx0JFsjeNFmyblaRsajQlkybi8i9Lgho3VTUVSRvHB8uhWmoStz4/s640/Copy+of+first_ultrasound.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was our first ultrasound, and it totally looked like he was waving his little arm nub at us!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well, the answer is:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've been growing our son! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2hOE6Moh3483tY51RTQKNY55iKTGBuwtQlPUdKLLRQextLvDB-Mmdq1s1pL2J77SMwZiDth7spHxkrqXdd4lB5VTFi4uM0ZTpo4-OJWxORQs6K5pA2ilZHPiIFx74DwoOzTP3iG1MsRs/s1600/January_ultrasound.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2hOE6Moh3483tY51RTQKNY55iKTGBuwtQlPUdKLLRQextLvDB-Mmdq1s1pL2J77SMwZiDth7spHxkrqXdd4lB5VTFi4uM0ZTpo4-OJWxORQs6K5pA2ilZHPiIFx74DwoOzTP3iG1MsRs/s640/January_ultrasound.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here he is at almost 15 weeks, complete with legs and feet that I'm glad I can't feel yet, since he never stopped kicking!</td></tr>
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Yes, I'm thrilled to say that this little parasite has been consuming all of my energy, and we couldn't be happier! He's due on July 3rd. We have been getting terrific care from Women Ob/Gyn of Annapolis, as well as the Center for Maternal and Fetal Medicine. I'm turning 36 on Saturday, so I was "diagnosed" at my first appointment with "advanced maternal age" (ha!), so I am getting extra special attention and care, including access to an incredible genetic test called the MaterniT21, which told us at less than 14 weeks that our baby is a boy and that he is not at risk for the three trisomies (including Down Syndrome). (Interestingly, the doctor and sonographer both predicted "boy" at 12 weeks, but told us not to buy anything based on that until the genetic results came in.) Of course, I was sure we'd have a girl (because I looked forward to making cute dresses and reusing the hand-smocked dresses that my grandma made for me), so the one quilt I made pre-pregnancy has a nice bright pink binding. D'oh! Good thing I have some really cute aquas, teals, and periwinkles from a quilt I made for a friend ~6 years ago...just enough to make the same quilt for our baby boy (which is awesome, because I really loved that quilt.) And he may just have some quilts with pink in them, too...I highly doubt he will care, as long as he is warm and his belly is full and he's being snuggled by a doting parent! And wow...I cannot wait to snuggle him...I'm very much counting the weeks (though also feeling like we have a lot to do in the next 24 weeks, too, to get ready (since we've done nothing yet!))! <br />
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We have our next big ultrasound on February 1st, but I'm really relaxed at this point that everything is going to be fine (and that if it isn't, my amazing husband and I will support each other through it)! So, other than sleeping constantly (or wanting to), I've had a terrific pregnancy. I've had a touch of nausea now and then, but none of the typical morning sickness symptoms, so I consider myself extremely lucky. I've had some pretty excruciating tailbone pain from sitting at my desk at work, and I hurt my shoulder when I finally ended up laying on my coat on the floor during a lunch break to take a nap, since I just couldn't function, but that's all pretty minor. My cravings have led to some laughter - all broccoli, all the time, for awhile. Also, grapefruit. I've been doing pretty well with eating well, though with an occasional slip or treat.<br />
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For Christmas Eve, we went to our friends' house for their annual Christmas/birthday open house. Mike has a Christmas Eve birthday, and one of the highlights last year was looking at his baby book that his dad had brought down. The hospital bill, in particular, was pretty funny - the long-distance calls seemed huge in comparison to the rest of the bill, and his mom was in the hospital for 4 days...I remember the room and board for the baby for those days was something like $20. Anyway, Mike is a huge coconut fan, so Bryan and I made him a special birthday treat - <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/08/lime-coconut-cheesecake/" target="_blank">lime coconut cheesecake</a>. <br />
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It was outstanding - here's a picture before we did the final decorations...I can't believe I didn't get a picture snapped after I'd piped the coconut whipped cream on top and covered it with toasted coconut and a lime wedge. It looked like it was from a fancy patisserie. Also, we totally did it wrong, because we didn't have time to let it sit overnight, so we baked it longer (thus the golden top), but it worked like a champ...no complaints from anyone, believe me, and the texture was still creamy and delicious. I just had the thinnest little slice, but my husband really wants me to make another. I don't trust us with an entire cheesecake in the house...I'll make it when we can take a portion and then share the rest with others...the problem is that how do you take 3/4 or half a cheesecake to a party. Hmmm...maybe I'll make it for the Inauguration brunch we're going to on Monday and just encourage Bryan to eat a big piece while there (and this time we'll be able to take home the leftovers, since it isn't a birthday prize, except we might have to fight Mike for it)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbjaTMlDJdiGqBxrhy3fdTVYxNOv-qlSMoLl4eXGWCLGM_uRyk5nOvbVjAsV9D14yn_VSeg1koI_u0qVpi9mNK_XvsNUf2r1zVdBToVCmzSxTNJRuqrXgoM4GyKgi7ymU_doFFBduZrgo/s1600/christmasbkfast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbjaTMlDJdiGqBxrhy3fdTVYxNOv-qlSMoLl4eXGWCLGM_uRyk5nOvbVjAsV9D14yn_VSeg1koI_u0qVpi9mNK_XvsNUf2r1zVdBToVCmzSxTNJRuqrXgoM4GyKgi7ymU_doFFBduZrgo/s320/christmasbkfast.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Christmas Day was pretty low key, which is how we like it. We had these beautiful chocolate croissants, thanks to my lovely friend Courtney. She had them shipped to us from Williams-Sonoma, and my gosh are they a wonderful treat! (We also had them on New Year's morning, and I'm thinking we'll have them on Saturday for my birthday breakfast before I run off to the DCMQG meeting all day - hooray!)<br />
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What else?!? I bought myself a VitaMix 6300 from CostCo for my present to me(!), and we've really enjoyed it so far. We've made a ton of Caesar salads thanks to how easy it is to make a great dressing. We've also made soups, smoothies, mango lassis, and a bunch of other things. I made myself sick initially from eating way too many vegetables and fruits in a 2-day period. I've not completely gotten the hang of the smoothies with veggies in them yet, but experimenting is fun, and I already see me making baby food from fresh produce from the farmer's market next spring and summer for our little one.<br />
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We tried our hand at Indian food around the holidays, and we had a pretty lovely little feast...not sure why that picture is flipped, but you get the idea. <a href="http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/45957/recipechicken-makhani-indian-butter-chicken" target="_blank">Chicken makhani</a>, along with some whole wheat naan from Wegmans, a little curried rice pilaf, and a mango lassi made for a happy me! I'm trying to really eat a lot of different cuisines and spices (and lots of garlic) now so I can develop my little one's palate in utero (and so he isn't fussy when I eat the things I like to eat when I'm breast-feeding because he'll recognize the tastes). We've been eating lots of spicy foods, too, and Thai. I'm ready for some Vietnamese soon...I may let my husband off the hook about cooking my birthday dinner for me on Saturday and just suggest we go to the little dive-y Vietnamese place near us that I love, but...a home-cooked meal where I've done nothing to help sounds like quite a gift, indeed, these days!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IuvVxGdCZDD6vqcIVcg2U2fXEmxkNkfq8c3S2V49WXWdE_8bUyzvXrzGZNkO8TADoIl-DHDg1tDeXDj98BKNREcK3QZ52RCWz51gnvkm4kPfuInF0D-CLr2rA1qui0kh37PkRPzzh5YA/s1600/Indian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IuvVxGdCZDD6vqcIVcg2U2fXEmxkNkfq8c3S2V49WXWdE_8bUyzvXrzGZNkO8TADoIl-DHDg1tDeXDj98BKNREcK3QZ52RCWz51gnvkm4kPfuInF0D-CLr2rA1qui0kh37PkRPzzh5YA/s320/Indian.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And speaking of wonderful meals, I went over to Anne's house last Sunday, where she had prepared a really lovely lunch for me that included a wonderful roasted root vegetable soup, fresh cornbread muffins, and a green bean, tomato, and sliced almond salad that was out of this world. It was such a treat to see her and her now almost 15-month-old daughter, Aileen, who is an absolute doll. She's so busy that I'm not sure how Anne keeps up, but she's sweet and so cute with lots to say (babbling mostly). I hadn't seen them since right when I'd become pregnant but didn't know it yet, so it shouldn't surprise me that Aileen had grown up so much, but it did! While she was down for her nap (which is now like clockwork from 1-3), we visited and started cutting out a diamond quilt out of pink and brown flannels. I'd originally bought the flannels with the idea of making sleep sacks, in addition to our matching quilts, but instead I'm now going to make a throw size flannel quilt for me (along with Aileen's toddler quilt), since we have plenty of fabric and it kills me that I regularly sit under a polyester fleece blanket in our living room, since I haven't made myself a quilt to sit under yet! I really need to get with it! :)Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-61026054683860477422012-12-17T15:29:00.002-05:002012-12-17T15:29:19.606-05:00Rob & Kim's Fandango Duvet Cover FinishedSo, if it isn't obvious already, I'm a little obsessed with fabric designed by <a href="http://www.katespain.com/products.html" target="_blank">Kate Spain</a>. One of the first lines of hers that I saw and fell in love with was Fandango. I had bought a little yardage of it from <a href="http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/" target="_blank">Hancock's of Paducah</a> without having a real plan, but when I saw it in person, I knew the colors were perfect for my brother. I was home after Christmas last year, and I showed him the fabric and asked him if he'd like me to make him a new duvet cover, and he chose the <a href="http://hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/garden-fence.html" target="_blank">design</a> I'd just used for my friend Anne's baby quilts. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DBRh5NUG24sW1UUznRFFtUzMFGn9ZYP6vqu9G8tO0Bz2FjurFW4_LvqZ8LgiKIWaKVLQZMHOtJDPMBMqfSHianI0iYt8Lmh1pky6XrEGOKMTNWiOlP1iCgLu_2Iwy0g0Ds_JzoAAx9Lb/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DBRh5NUG24sW1UUznRFFtUzMFGn9ZYP6vqu9G8tO0Bz2FjurFW4_LvqZ8LgiKIWaKVLQZMHOtJDPMBMqfSHianI0iYt8Lmh1pky6XrEGOKMTNWiOlP1iCgLu_2Iwy0g0Ds_JzoAAx9Lb/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The duvet top, with a small double strip of fabric that will fold over and encase the duvet almost like the old style of pillowcase.</td></tr>
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My brother is a pretty special guy. He actually inspired my interest in quilting by teaching me a really cool quilt design back in college, having learned it from his wife, and he helped me complete my second quilt (the first being more of an opportunity to show off cross-stitch). I wish I had a picture of that little quilted wall-hanging we made together - I gave it to my best friend at the time, and it was really cool. Anyway, my brother is a professional potter who runs a studio in Athens, GA, called <a href="http://www.gooddirt.net/" target="_blank">Good Dirt</a>. He is talented in so many ways, and I'm so proud of him for pursuing a career where he can teach, help people (he does so much for his community and for charity), make incredible art, use his science background and all of his skill sets, and spend quality time with his family, like walking his son to and from school. A Rhodes Scholar with a D.Phil. in molecular genetics, he certainly could have been pushed into a career that didn't satisfy him, but he was brave and decided to pursue his artistic side, even though he works like a demon for a lot less money and accolades than he could have received if he'd taken a more traditional path.<br />
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So, I'd managed to get my hands on 2 charm packs of Fandango online, but I needed more fabric to make what amounted to two quilts sewn together! Thanks to the awesome folks at one of my local quilt shops, <a href="http://tomorrowstreasuresplay.weebly.com/about-us.html" target="_blank">Tomorrow's Treasures</a>, who kindly sold me 1/8 yards from every bolt of Fandango in their collection with no argument about minimum cuts (so grateful), I was able to make this awesome duvet cover for my brother and sister-in-law, and I even finished it in time for Christmas this year. Less than a year for a project of this size...I really must love my brother! ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp2VHwkg5kTwyT16txhYISziOVputLhMpfdFea56SJGr2X_1NZFOGR_oPhmJL553uP3zn7j-YsW6iTXbk1j1W1qXpKQJKKRxDiUdq6g98gYOWmRLdWOjf7XC6gRzV7K1Q6RQd1ASKjb-j/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp2VHwkg5kTwyT16txhYISziOVputLhMpfdFea56SJGr2X_1NZFOGR_oPhmJL553uP3zn7j-YsW6iTXbk1j1W1qXpKQJKKRxDiUdq6g98gYOWmRLdWOjf7XC6gRzV7K1Q6RQd1ASKjb-j/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back of the duvet cover. The area on the right is actually at the head of the bed, so when they fold down the duvet cover, all those lovely blocks will show.</td></tr>
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I pieced and quilted the front in 4 sections, which I then joined using a bit of trial and error. I tried to take pictures to write a tutorial for how I did it, but I've realized that it really will depend on what you are trying to join as to the best way to approach the technique (plus I can't really show what I did in pictures that well). On the back, I quilted it in two segments. The blocks were one unit, and the fabulous print was quilted separately, and then they were joined. I did a much better job on the join on the back, as it turned out. Another great reason to practice an idea on scraps first to work out the kinks. While the front required a lot of hand-sewing to create a smooth seam on the inside, the back was able to be pieced entirely by machine (and still looked really neat thanks to careful pinning on the back while slowly stitching from the top). Luckily, that is the side that will be more up against their bodies, so a nice smooth join is more important on that side in terms of comfort.<br />
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While I did straight-line quilting with my walking foot on the entirety of the top and the pieced section of the back, I'd been practicing my free-motion quilting on all these charity quilts and decided to give it a go on the print fabric by following the design in the print - a great no-mark method for quilting.<br />
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Here's a look at the inside of the duvet cover, so you can see the quilting pattern better. I wasn't perfect, but I think it will give it a nice light texture and a little added interest, and I used a thread that blends so any wobbles were less obvious. Also, you can see in this picture that I made a hemmed facing to finish the bottom edge of the top, since I didn't want to disturb the pattern with any type of binding. I also did some other lovely couture touches, that unfortunately are hard to photograph, but I'm very proud of the workmanship in this piece...it's really well-made and should last them a very long time. I hope it doesn't get too crinkly after it is washed...I love the crispness of the piecing and the quilting as it is.<br />
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And, as usual, I'm not sure whether I like the front or the back more. I love reversible quilts, even if they are a lot more work! It was pretty hard for my mom to photograph this monster, but I'm hoping when my brother picks it up from my parents around Christmas that he'll be able to help her take some pictures where you can really see the entire design...it might take the whole family to hold it up! Two quilts in one gets pretty heavy! I also can't wait to see it in place on his bed...a bed that he made himself in a lovely craftsman style (did I mention that he is also an expert woodworker, or that he engineered and manufactured his own colored concrete countertops in a nice terra cotta to go on top of cabinets he built from scratch, or that he made his own sink out of porcelain?) That bed/house deserved a finely made quilt to pull all the colors together, and thanks to Kate Spain's lovely fabric line, a nice design by Cindy of Hyacinth Quilts, and a lot of time and effort by me, I think this fits the bill! Now I just need to make coordinating pillowcases for both Rob and his wife, Kim, with a bit of yardage and the little tiny scraps I have leftover from the top (and by little, I mean little)! :)<br />
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Quilt Stats:<br />
Rob & Kim's Duvet Cover<br />
Fabric: Fandango by Kate Spain, Kona Snow<br />
Thread: Gutterman and Mettler<br />
Size: ~74" x 76"<br />
Quilting: Straight-line and Free-motion<br />
Special techniques: Precision piecing; Quilt-as-you-go and joining multiple sections, including hand-catching/tacking seams with invisible stitching; Hemmed facing; Enclosure flap with french seams; Zig-zag finishing on inside seams to prevent fraying & flatten seamingEllehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-76329649038861080422012-12-07T16:59:00.002-05:002012-12-07T16:59:19.642-05:00December's Just 3So, we're already well into December, but I feel like I should set some goals for myself this month, since I have been sitting out of sewing time lately. I've been really tired lately, both from stress at work and the lack of daylight/incoming cold weather, and I feel like I need to motivate myself, or I'll continue to be a couch potato watching episodes of Elementary and the Mob Doctor (having finally caught up on Breaking Bad and Major Crimes). There is a part of me that really wishes we never even turned the tv on, but the lazy part of me is happy for ready entertainment when I'm too tired to move. I'm sure hoping I'll have my mojo back in January.<br />
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So, here goes:<br />
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1) Make <a href="http://dcmodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/2012/12/quiltcon-charity-quilt.html" target="_blank">progress on the QuiltCon charity quilt</a> that must be completed by January 31st. <br />
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We were sent a bunch of cool improv blocks that we need to turn into a twin-sized quilt for the Austin Children's Shelter. By the end of December, I hope that the back and front will be complete, that a sandwich will be ready, and that it will hopefully be being quilted by one or more of the awesome members of the DC Modern Quilt Guild. Hopefully much of that will happen tomorrow at our DC Modern Quilt Guild meeting.<br />
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2. Quilt Rowan's Chasing Chevrons quilt<br />
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I showed my nephew the <a href="http://elle-mental.blogspot.com/2012/09/chasing-chevrons.html" target="_blank">Chasing Chevrons quilt top</a> that I was planning to give him if he liked it, and he absolutely loved it. He's a wiggly sleeper, and we all decided this one will tell him which way to wiggle as he sleeps, except some paths might make him fall off of the bed! So...now I just need to get it quilted! My goal for December is to get all four quadrants sandwiched and quilted. I can join them and bind them in January, but I'd like to at least get the quilting done while I'm in practice at free-motion quilting. I am thinking about a concentric circle swirl design, but I'm still not positive about the approach, especially since I want to quilt it bigger than I have been lately. Perhaps I'll seek the advice of my brave and trusty advisers tomorrow! I'm still in the camp of preferring piecing to quilting, but I'm trying to teach myself that quilting is fun, too, and knowing a 10-year old boy in Athens, GA, is super excited about having this on his bed means it might actually get quilted in 2012 (and delivered in 2013).<br />
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3. I should be saying "Finish charity quilts", as I know I would feel much better to get them all done and mailed out, but I think I need to take a small time out in sewing for others to make something small for me. Specifically a pillow for my office chair. If I end up having to sit at my office on Capitol Hill on the day after Christmas waiting for Congress to decide on how to avert the fiscal cliff instead of taking a week off to relax and sew and cook good dinners for my husband, I'd like to do it in style with something happy looking at me when I walk in. My little purple <a href="http://www.elle-mental.blogspot.com/2011/12/its-pinned-and-placemat.html" target="_blank">placemat</a> is not enough. I've been watching all this pillow-making in the blog-o-sphere for awhile, and I have plenty of pillow forms that are eagerly awaiting covers/usefulness. While I'd like to take time out to make myself an actual quilt (shocking), I have a quilt for my mom that I'd like to make first (now that she has seen and approves of the fabric/design), plus I really, really need to get to work on my husband's t-shirt quilt. He is so patient, and I'm waiting on my test to see how it works to not interface the entire t-shirt, but I've been waiting for that for months. I need to just get a back on there, sew over a few seams to stabilize it, wash it, and see how it looks. I shouldn't actually call his quilt a quilt, as I am thinking very strongly of leaving out the batting, since, unlike me, he is often warm. In addition to my giant granny panties throw quilt for sitting in my comfy chair under, I need to make myself an actual bed quilt with heavy batting, since I'm cold under my current sheet, blanket, and not-quite-large-enough flannel quilt. Oh shoot...and I probably need to make the purse I promised last Christmas for my niece before this Christmas. Argh...just 3 is hard...but thanks, <a href="http://traceyjayquilts.blogspot.com/2012/12/december-just-three.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TraceyjayQuilts+%28traceyjay+quilts%29" target="_blank">Traceyjay</a>, for trying to make me focus. I have a lot of sewing to do without my mojo, but writing this out felt pretty inspiring. Now let's see if I can accomplish the 3 (maybe 4, 5, or 6 things I'd like to do this month), and I'll have new goals for January!<br />
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:)Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-40140685618585976002012-12-05T16:28:00.003-05:002012-12-05T16:28:23.966-05:00Another charity quilt finish...So, I was going to enter this quilt in the QuiltCon Modern Quilt show, and though I finished it in time, I didn't finish it early enough to get a nice photo of it. It's amazing what a bad photographer I am...I really need to read the book my dear friend Anne gave me so that I can learn how to take awesome blog photographs! And I need to set up a clothesline outside in my backyard, so I can have better light. Anyhow, I ended up not entering the contest, as I decided I really wanted to enter quilts that I was super proud of, and I didn't want to spend $60 on entry fees with photos that wouldn't do these justice. While I really like this one and the purple one I just finished a lot, and I like that they are my own designs (though the quilting was inspired by Angela Walters' book and they are based on traditional concepts), they really are just vehicles to practice free motion quilting. The one I really love, that I finished over Thanksgiving and have no pictures of yet, since I literally sewed the last seam as I was supposed to be heading to the airport, well...that's the one I wish I could have entered. Alas, it is a duvet cover, so two quilts in one and no binding. My mom has promised to take photos, so I'll share it soon...it really is awesome, and I managed to finish it in less than a year...wow!<br />
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But back to this little quilt, here it is:<br />
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I'm really happy with how much my free motion quilting has improved. I used a variety of designs, including some stencils to stitch butterflies in the center and corners. I'm still not perfect, but I've been noticing lately that very few quilters are perfect if they don't have a stitch regulator, so I'll give myself a break! I'd like to practice on a few more of the charity quilts that are in progress (and I'm really looking forward to being done with them so I can start on new projects for family members, including my patient husband, and even a couple for me!). I'm also just about ready to quilt my Chasing Chevrons quilt. My nephew (10) is going to be the proud recipient, and now that I've shown the top to him over Thanksgiving and gotten him excited, I need to actually finish it so he can use it! Little by little, I'm getting those projects checked off my list. By 2018, I should be done! ;)</div>
<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-15714274707039804012012-11-05T12:24:00.000-05:002012-11-05T12:24:21.246-05:00Latest charity quilt finish - Purple Plaid FMQ Craziness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">So, I'm more than a little excited about my latest charity quilt finish. I absolutely LOVE this quilt, and while it is extremely tempting to keep it for my future child (or to claim that in order to keep it for me!), I bought this fabric from Connecting Threads for a charity quilt, so I will give it away to hopefully make a child in need have a brighter day. But wow...this one will be <b>rea</b></span><span style="text-align: start;"><b>lly</b> hard to part with! And I'm most definitely going to be making it again in other fabrics (probably purple batiks if it is really going to be to my taste)! I love the finish that the cream binding gives the composition - and I machine bound it again. This time, I used 2.25" starting width double-fold bias binding, because I made the binding awhile back, and I had 3 places near the corners that I had to go back and hand-sew, but not bad. (My new technique is to make the binding before quilting a quilt, so that I don't get bogged down at the end...though the quilting part still seems to be the real slow-down in the process. I actually enjoy the piecing and binding way more than the sandwiching or quilting, but I'm hoping to change that!)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8XyI8TMLvj9fqdr0iqUvMY76YUwqLin_9J1DVOYM0zdK5PhIIkP7tpkM2XGllTpuuTQMf1cpokPBKGwza-n0VvtXgPzWX2kLC0S7lifzlcBwQoG1oQ-_lzzKQLtHhqGS9FoiSsJFA716/s640/blogger-image-1035676627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8XyI8TMLvj9fqdr0iqUvMY76YUwqLin_9J1DVOYM0zdK5PhIIkP7tpkM2XGllTpuuTQMf1cpokPBKGwza-n0VvtXgPzWX2kLC0S7lifzlcBwQoG1oQ-_lzzKQLtHhqGS9FoiSsJFA716/s640/blogger-image-1035676627.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey <a href="http://www.quiltingismytherapy.com/my-blog/" target="_blank">Angela Walters</a>, don't worry...I'm not quitting my day job (but I do like your book)!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSEffekIdhnwtcil3mzo2U1C6z4xHkzWg1aXeGWOpJlVOHtMRQz5QlKs_T2oNURLujxjkSP908iwPwUXR86g65Wn1dV91SO5tXIFqHDNOLjSq12hVaKfugh5M3pubD8ODM_CmElPDlxbf/s640/blogger-image-928541405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSEffekIdhnwtcil3mzo2U1C6z4xHkzWg1aXeGWOpJlVOHtMRQz5QlKs_T2oNURLujxjkSP908iwPwUXR86g65Wn1dV91SO5tXIFqHDNOLjSq12hVaKfugh5M3pubD8ODM_CmElPDlxbf/s640/blogger-image-928541405.jpg" /></a>I decided when I pieced this one that it was the perfect design to really practice my free-motion quilting skills, and I'll be the first to admit, I need a lot more practice! The final side definitely saw some improvement from the first side, but I have a long way to go before I'll feel really proficient. But..."they" say practice is the key, and I certainly got a lot of practice with this one! I even tried just following straight lines with my fmq foot, and by the end, I had somewhat even stitches. I also learned that since I can't draw a smooth curve, I shouldn't be surprised that I can't quilt one either! And yes, I had to take a picture of me snuggling with it mid-quilting. <div>
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I used cream and purple Mettler thread, a little bit of my regular quilting/walking foot, a lot of my FMQ foot, and Warm and Natural batting (that's the big roll behind my head that I got for $200 during a Jo-Ann's sale for all of my charity quilts, though I've since decided I slightly prefer Quilter's Dream batting). I spray-basted this one at our DC Modern Quilt Guild Sewing Day at Material Girls in La Plata, MD. (I love <a href="http://jessiealler.com/2012/10/25/sewing-with-friends/" target="_blank">Jessie's blog-post</a> about that!) And now I'm about to go throw it in the wash to see this crinkle effect that everyone in blogland is so in love with that I normally try to avoid since I like my precise piecing/quilting to be evident! This time, though, I'm hoping that it will dramatically improve the look of the quilting (aka hide the mistakes a touch), but I had to put a few detail shots here pre-wash so that you could see the myriad errors...so that when I'm really good we can all have a laugh about how far I've come! ;)</div>
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When I finish the entire current batch of charity quilts (inspired by Katie through <a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/2012/07/100-quilts-for-kids-link-up-is-open.html" target="_blank">100 Quilts for Kids</a>), I think I'm going to have to find an old cool split rail fence to hang them all on, since they are going to be quite a sight! 2 completely finished so far...at least 4 more to go! I started quilting on the first pink one last night, and I'm hoping to finish it this evening while my husband is back in New York City for the rescheduled concert from last Sunday. I made him be my quilt holder before he got on the road, so for once I actually have an outdoor picture of a quilt. Don't faint! ;)</div>
Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-27332664409432783022012-10-30T14:51:00.002-04:002012-10-30T14:51:29.495-04:00Status Update & Blogger's Quilt FestivalSo we survived Hurricane Sandy with no loss of power or storm damage (as far as we know)! Hooray! However, it makes it rather hard to take nice outdoor pictures when you are surrounded by a "Frankenstorm"! I prepared for the loss of power this time extensively, after losing power this summer for several days to the crazy derecho that caused such damage to the grid in the middle of a heat wave. On Sunday afternoon, I baked fresh cinnamon rolls, filled all our water pitchers, and waited in line in the cold rain for 3.5 hours to get my early vote cast, since we have a super important opportunity in Maryland this election to vote for equality that I didn't want to miss! I hope so much that we are the first state to approve marriage equality for everyone by the popular vote. With gay aunts who are very dear to me and a model of a successful marriage, the issue is very personal and important to me...it must be, because I mistakenly only wore flip flops, and it was cold, but I waited for my turn (though I had a lovely chat with several folks in line around me, which made the waiting much easier!).<br />
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For this fall's <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/2012/10/26/bloggers-quilt-festival-fall-2012/" target="_blank">Blogger's Quilt Festival</a>, I had a real debate. I thought about sharing the first big quilt I ever made, more than a decade ago now, since the improv pieced back is still a favorite design - I called it my Frank Lloyd Wright inspired quilt and always preferred the back to the front. Alas, it is so faded from constant use that an indoor picture just doesn't do it justice, so I'll share it another day (or better yet, make it again in better fabrics). Maybe I'll even write it up so it will be my first official pattern!<br />
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But for now, I'll instead share my latest finish - a quilt for the new baby of my friend Kakuti and her husband Chris, who will be arriving any day now. This quilt is a variation on a pattern that many of us used for last year's <a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/p/100-quilts-for-kids.html" target="_blank">100 Quilts for Kids</a>. I altered it a good bit, so some of the squares are now rectangles and the middle of the three borders is wider than the others...next time, I'll make this even more pronounced, I think, as well as perhaps substituting a larger piece for the center. I used a charm pack of Half Moon by Moda as well as a variety of black and white prints that I bought in my first fabric shopping spree that I'd been saving for FOREVER!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUbrNLOtxbXMQfJdI_sieAy3XrLK2OPpqpRqw6r-cZneOyxKVnQeMB2TcpXH36XFPdI3U1MUPs4Zk__MkxfXmQs7jncD_pJKjSyGolg3_cK2VXfUYLLDUoZiGO0sx0jmX_FJf2PPgqHGo/s1600/blogger-image-1207339223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUbrNLOtxbXMQfJdI_sieAy3XrLK2OPpqpRqw6r-cZneOyxKVnQeMB2TcpXH36XFPdI3U1MUPs4Zk__MkxfXmQs7jncD_pJKjSyGolg3_cK2VXfUYLLDUoZiGO0sx0jmX_FJf2PPgqHGo/s400/blogger-image-1207339223.jpg" width="400" /></a>I pieced the back to take advantage of those wonderful large polka dots, and I wanted to include some red, as well. I used the <a href="http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2009/11/binding-tutorial.html" target="_blank">binding tutorial from Red Pepper Quilts</a> to machine bind it using a 2.5" starting strip (versus my normal 2.25" width), and I was very pleased with how it turned out...only one place where I had to go back to recatch the binding. I think the key is definitely lots of pins, and by my third side I figured out how to pin from the top, which made it a little easier. I also loved her measurements for how to overlap the ends - it worked perfectly and was much flatter than my usual tuck-under-one-end method. </div>
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I did straight-line quilting with my walking foot in black and red. It required a few thread changes as I worked from the center out, but I think it was worth it to have the texture without distracting so much from the design. I really like how it turned out - as usual, it will be hard to give away, though I'm very excited to share it with such a lovely couple. <br />
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Luckily, when I bought the first charm pack, I decided to buy 2 so I could make one for our future child. I've been making charity quilts and quilts for close friends' babies for awhile now, but I've decided I really need to start a stash of quilts for when we have a child, since many bloggers have mentioned that they had a hard time quilting once they were pregnant. So, you'll likely see something like this again if you keep following my intermittent blogging! I'm going to have a lot of big finishes in the next few weeks to share, and I plan on quilting a lot when I'm in Georgia around Thanksgiving taking care of my mom after her back surgery. While she rests, I'll be sewing up a storm in the next room between bringing her little cups of tea and snackies! While I'm home, I am very excited about giving my brother his new duvet cover and my nephew his new Chasing Chevrons quilt, plus I've got gorgeous fabric for a log cabin for my mom that I may wait to sew once I'm down there (or maybe I'll get it done in advance, we'll see)!<br />
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<u>Blogger's Quilt Festival Statistics</u><br />
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Finished quilt measures: 40″ x 40″<br />
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Special techniques used: machine pieced, machine quilted with walking foot, machine bound<br />
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Quilted by: ME!<br />
Best Category: Favorite Baby Quilt, Favorite Home Machine Quilted Quilt<br />
Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-22305911689983323922012-10-18T16:38:00.001-04:002012-10-18T16:38:10.741-04:00My latest charity quilt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjhU96e-5xjlHPMJV3WTzRuL6AAtULCyf9_72Iu7RN0ApPvUerxJoZftIzZXAJbzUbaFhWpWFBa_yJJtZWZvO8C8l_wgKl_GfbQ51kSx-VL7upidIELhFhmHlLghdQyLE0IdQtrENCtWY/s640/blogger-image--175522448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjhU96e-5xjlHPMJV3WTzRuL6AAtULCyf9_72Iu7RN0ApPvUerxJoZftIzZXAJbzUbaFhWpWFBa_yJJtZWZvO8C8l_wgKl_GfbQ51kSx-VL7upidIELhFhmHlLghdQyLE0IdQtrENCtWY/s640/blogger-image--175522448.jpg" /></a><br />
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Despite my best intentions, I only completed one quilt during the <a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/2012/07/100-quilts-for-kids-link-up-is-open.html" target="_blank">100 Quilts for Kids</a> charity quilt drive. I probably should have been more focused...instead, I also completed 3 tops, all of the pinwheel blocks for another, and a fun hand-stitched hexy strip that will be the centerpiece of another. Indeed, I was worried I wouldn't even finish this one in time - on Saturday morning, it was still just a top and a back! I used <a href="http://hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/chevron-part-3.html" target="_blank">Cindy's tutorial</a>, but I only had a partial jelly-roll with no repeats, so I didn't have enough fabric to make more than 3 columns, and I really struggled my way through this one, including unpicking several seams (a rarity for me). I had started by cutting my jellyroll strips in half so I could make the two sets I'd need, and on the second set, I figured out that I could make them line up better if I went ahead and cut off a 45 degree triangle from each end piece so I could line them up as I sewed the strip sets, since I didn't have any extra fabric to spare!</div>
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What really made it a doozy was the micro-stippling. I haven't done any free-motion quilting in a couple of years now, so I'm very out of practice, but I really enjoyed it. My stitch length is all over the place, and it certainly is far from perfect, but I think it will make some foster child in Ohio, courtesy of <a href="http://www.mvob.org/Site/Welcome.html" target="_blank">My Very Own Blanket</a>, immensely happy! (At least I hope so!) I think it is a good sign for a charity quilt when it is really hard to give it away, and this one definitely fits that bill!</div>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-46373858156574477102012-10-02T15:50:00.005-04:002012-10-02T15:54:19.110-04:00Catch-up quilts...So, I'm a much better quilter than I am a blogger, but I'm trying to improve. It seems like now is a good time to try to show off a few older finishes that never made it on here, since I've got lots of in-progress projects that won't be finished for another few weeks perhaps.<br />
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My cousin, Kelly, had her second baby right around when we were getting married. For her first baby, Julian, I made a cute little bib/burp cloth thing (a rectangle to put over your shoulder to sop up drool...not sure what to call it) with a hand-appliqued chick on it, since she and her husband, especially, love orange. As usual, I didn't photograph it - if I had a nickel for every cool project I made and gave away without photographing, I'd have...well...at least a dollar! Anyway, you'll just have to take my word for it that it turned out very cute. I wanted to do something a bit bigger for her second baby, both for her and as a special thank you to her parents, my aunt Roz and Uncle Dean, who were kind enough to host our completely wonderful wedding reception crawfish boil at their house in New Orleans. I wanted to finish the quilt in time to bring it to New Orleans, since I thought they might enjoy having the quilt at their house for when baby Archer comes down to visit (or they could deliver it on one of their many trips to see their grandbabies), but I didn't have much time to get it done because I'd been so focused on finishing the quilts that were long overdue for my bridesmaids, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11561833@N03/8047980275/" target="_blank">Anne</a> and <a href="http://www.elle-mental.blogspot.com/2012/05/bloggers-quilt-festival-quilt-smooth.html" target="_blank">Talia</a>, before the wedding. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZibhSnqaPWYtzBvi6IReo4mYCHuFwZVX4q2d3X7u60yx_nijYOMUqFqB0rRpZ42sFkJL5mGlUiV7aeSCU19BdzryHNYVlL9dyk85aWCqjmhyIxzI-DIZKqrPWnywcBvZNnqLiPxhfbdJM/s1600/Kelly's+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZibhSnqaPWYtzBvi6IReo4mYCHuFwZVX4q2d3X7u60yx_nijYOMUqFqB0rRpZ42sFkJL5mGlUiV7aeSCU19BdzryHNYVlL9dyk85aWCqjmhyIxzI-DIZKqrPWnywcBvZNnqLiPxhfbdJM/s640/Kelly's+quilt.jpg" width="480" /></a>The weekend after our wedding, Bryan and I went to Chapel Hill to see several nights of surf band music (my husband's obsession) and to see where he grew up, meet up with some of his best college friends to celebrate our marriage, and to generally take a stroll down memory lane. We had a really fun time during the days, heading over to Greensboro one day to our favorite BBQ place, <a href="http://www.stameys.com/" target="_blank">Stamey's</a>, and hiking through the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/guco/index.htm" target="_blank">Guilford Courthouse National Military Park</a> that he'd gone to frequently as a kid. We drove by old houses he had lived in and by the little lake that was the location where he and his brother first "ran away from home" with their backpacks filled with PB&Js and comic books. We even drove by his elementary school. (I'm a nut about stuff like that...I made him do the same thing with me when we went to New Orleans for our "official" reception, including my elementary school, favorite park, and the first house I remember living in!) We saw the house in Chapel Hill that he shared with his awesome housemates in college, the planetarium where he worked (and saw an amazing show about black holes that really blew my mind), and we enjoyed walking around campus. We also went to some great restaurants for dinner in Chapel Hill that I'm still craving, including the <a href="http://lanternrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Lantern</a> and <a href="http://cholanad.com/" target="_blank">Cholonad</a>. But, the official reason for the visit was the <a href="http://www.nesmasurf.org/featurearchive/apr%202012%20instro%20summit.htm" target="_blank">Instro Summit</a>. I've started to like surf music (especially since we went to Croatia 2 years ago to see an incredibly friendly Croatian surf band called the <a href="http://www.thebambimolesters.com/" target="_blank">Bambi Molesters</a> and ended up being interviewed for Croatian television for the length we went to to see the band). But, I am not a concert-girl, despite marrying a man who likes nothing better than going to see live music. I knew I didn't need to sit in a little bar for almost 24 hours over the three days watching bands (though I did go one evening and it was more fun than I expected!). So, I decided to try my hand at a strip quilt, ala <a href="http://www.filminthefridge.com/2011/03/10/more-about-strip-quilts-a-mini-tutorial/" target="_blank">Film in the Fridge</a> and after seeing one of the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/swimbikequilt/6237148421/in/set-72157628644512865" target="_blank">charity quilts Katie made last year</a>, except that I also wanted to do it in the quilt-as-you-go method, and I wanted to do it in the hotel room when he was off galavanting with a few of his college friends the first night of the shows. I cut all the print fabric at home so that I wouldn't need my cutting mat (though I forgot to cut the coordinating solids I so carefully purchased). I knew the hotel would have an iron and ironing board, so all I needed was my strips, batting, backing, pins, thread, and trusty sewing machine. And voila! I used Kate Spain's Central Park fabric on the front, an old hand-dyed for the back, and Kona cotton (perhaps tangerine) for the binding. (I should add that Kelly lives in New York and takes her kids to Central Park, so it felt doubly appropriate!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FBkLVgYEp0CjcCdeOpA3uuQyBSyS7ZWCArhmHyXBBGV04uPCRuY-0qsgMmF5DonlQTZvQtF9FWaO9s9BDLLsOvud16og90WOrteQOHccFaUzkuHTwdbVzU7ggFeUxHQzFj8jsrLrFKDD/s1600/Wedding&Honeymoon+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FBkLVgYEp0CjcCdeOpA3uuQyBSyS7ZWCArhmHyXBBGV04uPCRuY-0qsgMmF5DonlQTZvQtF9FWaO9s9BDLLsOvud16og90WOrteQOHccFaUzkuHTwdbVzU7ggFeUxHQzFj8jsrLrFKDD/s400/Wedding&Honeymoon+002.jpg" width="300" /></a>In my first evening at the hotel, I had a quilt-ish! I ended up deciding to add quite a bit more quilting when I got home, including some straight lines around the seam lines, as well as tracing some of the curves in the tree print, though I made that harder than it needed to be by using my walking foot. And while I got the binding attached once I got home, I didn't have time to hand-sew it down until I was on the plane heading for New Orleans! So, in these pictures, it hasn't been washed yet, but it was wrinkly more from its handling than the process...it was actually pretty easy to keep it smooth as I sewed it down, even without using basting spray (though next time I think it would have been easier to have spray basted the backing to the batting before starting).<br />
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In addition to sewing down the binding by hand, I wanted to actually sign the quilt, since that is another of the things I rarely do but am trying to improve on. I think it helps that my new married name is 6 letters shorter than my maiden name. It's a bit hard to see in this picture because I just used orange thread instead of perle cotton...why I took all these pictures indoors is beyond me, since I could have taken some really great outdoor shots, but there you go...at least I got my mom to help me snap some pictures for once!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob0y6gO8ESIQIaseM3YEVikEFfuDvQqDCCVaAxt3A7JYJTCrjISspBatsEDMA3JhNdL0RNOOEic_E4YqrjRJofUtIPFM6uvgp9ZKQlwQ5cjUp3J8BwQNDwHt6lrmj0OBBHYhATTPsFOI8/s1600/uncle+dean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob0y6gO8ESIQIaseM3YEVikEFfuDvQqDCCVaAxt3A7JYJTCrjISspBatsEDMA3JhNdL0RNOOEic_E4YqrjRJofUtIPFM6uvgp9ZKQlwQ5cjUp3J8BwQNDwHt6lrmj0OBBHYhATTPsFOI8/s400/uncle+dean.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Dean, the host with the most!</td></tr>
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And, I can't leave this topic without a few pictures from the "reception". I should start by saying that Bryan and I both love eating crawfish. One of the first times he cooked for me, he made crawfish pie. And I think one of my big attractions for him was a family from New Orleans (for many, many generations)! When we were thinking about our wedding, we considered a lot of options, but we decided that rather than have all of my family from New Orleans trek to DC, it would be a lot more fun for everyone if we just traveled to New Orleans! So, my awesome aunts from Champaign, Illinois, my brother and nephew from Athens, GA, my parents from Atlanta, GA, and Bryan and I from DC/MD all descended upon my uncle's house for Memorial Day weekend! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The traditional "crawfish race"!</td></tr>
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My aunt, in particular, was very worried about the heat of New Orleans that late in the season, so in addition to the standard crawfish boil tables under tents, they set up a little cooling spray system on the side of the tents that worked like a champ. We were all dressed in our grubbiest clothes (which was funny when I tried explaining to the lady at Nordstrom's Wedding Suite that I didn't need lovely white shorts for my crawfish boil reception...I don't think she understood what is involved in a crawfish boil!). And we sat around eating crawfish, crabs, corn, mushrooms, potatoes, whole cloves of garlic, onions, and spicy sausage. We had bought a <a href="http://www.gambinos.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=69" target="_blank">doberge cake</a> from Gambino's as our "official" wedding cake - half chocolate and half lemon. This is a wonderful cake, but really the reason I wanted it was because my dad's dad ("Pop") always loved lemon desserts, and especially lemon doberge, and that was my way of bringing him, in spirit, to our celebration, even though he passed away almost a decade ago. In addition, my uncle Bud and his wife, Dena, brought us a lovely cake that had whipped cream, berries, and maybe pastry cream...it was delicious. Aunt Roz had bought beautiful flowers and had some really fun decorations. My brother also brought his mandolin down and played some music for "our first dance", which my honorary Aunt Cathy filmed. It really was wonderful - better than I had even imagined.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intense concentration on putting crawfish into my mouth!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother, Rob, continuing the family tradition, and sharing a crab claw with his son, Rowan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...who happily accepted.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFaXo6efR8jtjeEdJ9v7qauDC2gUnW30Ha569sUGfjJ-jaT2hzqQoGKCKUtxHjDqi1c8UjLWamCAw81E69Rai1jRtxj0lkDSlbg2lVXNaDOJHIWbmuSh4Jzua3DeLBFDnyr-jwMImJGyv/s1600/Wedding&Honeymoon+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFaXo6efR8jtjeEdJ9v7qauDC2gUnW30Ha569sUGfjJ-jaT2hzqQoGKCKUtxHjDqi1c8UjLWamCAw81E69Rai1jRtxj0lkDSlbg2lVXNaDOJHIWbmuSh4Jzua3DeLBFDnyr-jwMImJGyv/s400/Wedding&Honeymoon+001.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The happy couple, complete with my aunt's hysterical wedding decor!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bananas Foster in action!</td></tr>
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We also ate at a lot of fun restaurants, including a dinner at <a href="http://www.commanderspalace.com/" target="_blank">Commander's Palace</a> with the famed Bananas Foster (who knew cinnamon thrown on the fire would make such a good show!), the impeccable <a href="http://www.mrbsbistro.com/" target="_blank">Mr. B's Bistro</a>, Bryan's old favorite <a href="http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/" target="_blank">Mother's Restaurant</a>, and <a href="http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/emerils-delmonico" target="_blank">Emeril's Delmonico</a>. And we couldn't go to New Orleans without a stop for beignets and cafe au lait at <a href="http://www.cafedumonde.com/" target="_blank">Cafe du Monde</a>. But the best meals were at my uncle Dean's house. We had an amazing brunch the day after the crawfish boil with crawfish etouffee omelets, crepes, fruit, and the best hash browns on earth (made from the potatoes, onion, and garlic from the crawfish boil). And before we left, my uncle went completely above and beyond and made my absolute favorite - crawfish bisque - complete with the crawfish stuffing in the shells. Thank you so much, Uncle Dean and Aunt Roz, for being such wonderful hosts. I asked my nephew which of his aunts' wedding celebrations he preferred, and, of course, since my reception did NOT involve putting on a suit or sitting through a boring ceremony but did involve eating delicious food, playing horseshoes, fishing in the canal behind my uncle's house, and playing lots of fun games, well...I won hands down! :)<br />
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-66303342984351059342012-09-28T10:59:00.001-04:002012-09-28T10:59:33.315-04:00WIP List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I seem to be starting and making progress on lots of projects lately...so many, in fact, that I feel a bit out of control (perhaps because my sewing room is out of control), so I thought I would try to get a handle on my "to-do" list.</div>
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<a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/2012/07/100-quilts-for-kids-link-up-is-open.html" target="_blank"><b>100 Quilts for Kids</b></a></div>
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If you haven't heard about the fabulous 100 Quilts for Kids charity quilt drive by Katie at <a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/" target="_blank">Swim, Bike, Quilt!</a>, you should definitely check it out. It's a pretty simple concept. Make a quilt or 2 to donate to a child in need through the charity of your choice, locally if possible. Take a picture and link it up by October 15th, and help spread the word. </div>
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<a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/p/100-quilts-for-kids.html" title="Swim, Bike, Quilt"><img alt="Swim, Bike, Quilt" src="http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z420/swimbikequilt/100quiltsbutton2011.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
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I'm happy to see that the 100 quilt goal has already been reached this year, so I've decided that if I can't finish all of these in time, I'm going to take my time and donate them as I complete them. I really want to use this as an opportunity to practice/re-learn free motion quilting, and the calendar has just been moving too fast. I did just enroll in Angela Walters' Craftsy class on quilting negative space (and bought her book...aren't I the groupie?), and <a href="http://teachnknit.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Aubrie</a> sold me on Leah Day's website - wow!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuj529cvpp49H76N4cgGFM-HgK-7Bsv844vSzm2ax4Xg6p2jvcR1M1EasCI8I4acSUIIHd9h7VhANFWspfO-jIiPKKjoF9cnNPIHW_-qXsZB9BR37RxQmdwckj6R55w0qzN7-pYWiV__eF/s640/blogger-image-1267301972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuj529cvpp49H76N4cgGFM-HgK-7Bsv844vSzm2ax4Xg6p2jvcR1M1EasCI8I4acSUIIHd9h7VhANFWspfO-jIiPKKjoF9cnNPIHW_-qXsZB9BR37RxQmdwckj6R55w0qzN7-pYWiV__eF/s640/blogger-image-1267301972.jpg" width="480" /></a>Last year I only ended up finishing one quilt, though I had pieced <a href="http://www.elle-mental.blogspot.com/2011/10/100-quilts-for-kids.html" target="_blank">another cute top</a>. One of the things that was stopping me from finishing that quilt was that I needed to piece another top to see how much fabric I'd have left for the back from this collection (or so I told myself). Well, in basically one sewing session a year later, I had it done. I have to say, this one is really going to be hard to give away, which I guess is the sign of a really great charity quilt. I love purple, and I love the simplicity of the design. It's ridiculous, but I can't stop looking at it. I made up the pattern as I went, but I can see making more in this design, so I should probably write down what I did (though, as usual, I learned some things along the way that I would change). I'd originally intended to turn everything on point (and still might in a follow-up quilt, since I still have lots of a jelly roll left), but I loved that plaid, and I didn't think it would work as well as setting triangles, plus my center square ended up a little bit rectangular, so...<strike>happy accidents</strike> an opportunity to get creative. ;-)</div>
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Meanwhile, I also started playing with some more jelly rolls that I bought at the same time as the fabric above from Connecting Threads. (I do have to say, I'm not terribly happy with the quality of the fabric or the precision on the cuts...the charm squares were a mess and some of the fabric I'd ordered had flaws, plus the cuts were so wavy that my 1/2 yard of that purple bordering the plaid was not even close to being a half-yard, so it went from my choice for binding to sashing (and I just realized I need to figure out what I'm going to do for binding now - doh!). That said, the price was right, the prints were pretty, and I'm making it work, and I have no reason to think it won't be "good enough".) I'm going to make this batch into a quick Ohio roads quilt - I've already sewn them all into blocks, so I just need to sash and potentially make setting triangles - I'm thinking about putting it on-point for something different. I think this will be a really sweet little quilt for a little girl. With the leftovers and the charm pack, I'm going to make a more reversible modern quilt - and I finally will get to use my new rotary circle cutter! Stay tuned! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oUoL5g5ivVlWhGfKbFfML_TvLdIFHxc-rMGX8THuxH8FGLjA78InMGbfhJCUk3yYevQEeuu2IJIjyo8OHxzpjYMtmhmZ2UPuUPGn4S9cC0H_jz9Rod5t9Mwzl_iN8Qr7p-3QSTKifiDG/s640/blogger-image-1690052759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oUoL5g5ivVlWhGfKbFfML_TvLdIFHxc-rMGX8THuxH8FGLjA78InMGbfhJCUk3yYevQEeuu2IJIjyo8OHxzpjYMtmhmZ2UPuUPGn4S9cC0H_jz9Rod5t9Mwzl_iN8Qr7p-3QSTKifiDG/s400/blogger-image-1690052759.jpg" width="400" /></a>And this part of the stack is going to become a cute chevron quilt, using <a href="http://hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/chevron-part-1.html" target="_blank">Cindy's tutorial</a> as inspiration. I've already sewn a few of the white strips to some of the strips, since I like having multiple quilts going to use as enders/leaders, but I should have read the tutorial more carefully. But...I'll make it work, though it may not be quite as perfect as hers is! I bought charm squares in this line, too, as I originally had a different idea, so I've decided to play with hexies, thanks to several awesome members of the DC Modern Quilt Guild, who have totally inspired me! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggI-XhJiSOKfKnhjDupdCo22jJrwvqyxhV-eLT62ND9Om8Rl9Bv3xSoUkReYyfjIPtRe78yMjLR6AhnQwtoy4xsbrMuDcxY21-wDBwdKORhTWhnm0vEdyWF3hlD-v3FOGP-yTZ4fQnYI2R/s640/blogger-image--1596202809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggI-XhJiSOKfKnhjDupdCo22jJrwvqyxhV-eLT62ND9Om8Rl9Bv3xSoUkReYyfjIPtRe78yMjLR6AhnQwtoy4xsbrMuDcxY21-wDBwdKORhTWhnm0vEdyWF3hlD-v3FOGP-yTZ4fQnYI2R/s200/blogger-image--1596202809.jpg" width="150" /></a>I have this quilt that I need to get quilting for my friend and colleague, Kakuti, who is due in November. I also have a second set of squares to make a very similar one for me, as I absolutely love it and I want to start making baby quilts for our eventual child. I've read of too many pregnant women not feeling up to quilting to wait until I'm actually pregnant to make something for our future child! But...those projects do seem to take a backseat to all the rest, I'm afraid.</div>
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I don't have pictures to show yet, but I also need to complete my brother's duvet cover, my nephew's quilt, my husband's t-shirt quilt, and a little pinwheel charity quilt that I made using the 60 half square triangles I put together lickety-split at the DC Modern Quilt Guild sewing day, where I gave a little demo of the grid method for piecing hsts. I'm a big fan - that's what I used to make the Chasing Chevrons quilt, and if we live long enough, I'll post a tutorial on here...I took all the pictures, but I find incorporating pictures into Blogger to be difficult. There must be an easier way!</div>
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Also, I have the fabric ready to go for the Giant Granny Pants Quilt Along, and I want to make a quilt for my mom, too, using a modified log cabin (though I still feel like I need some other fabric to get what I want out of it.</div>
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Oh, and I want to make a quilt like <a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/2012/08/wip-wednesday-helix-quilt.html" target="_blank">the one Katie made</a> recently for my friend Talia, who is due in March, but I'm waiting to find out the gender of the baby before final fabric selection (and because I can't start one more project right now before I finish up a few!) I think I'll take a fair amount of time off work now while Congress is slow while they are out campaigning...I feel certain that after the election I'll be a lot busier! So expect to see a lot more finishes soon! :)</div>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-58835026246811946142012-09-27T19:53:00.001-04:002012-09-28T11:03:08.564-04:00Chasing chevronsI'm posting this from my phone (<strike>so forgive the lack of links</strike>), but I wanted to show off my completed top from Jennifer's <a href="http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/2011/11/chasing-chevrons-quilt-along.html" target="_blank">Chasing Chevrons quilt along</a> over at <a href="http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/" target="_blank">That Girl, That Quilt</a>. I laid it all out on my king-sized bed (and floor) to decide on block placement, and little by little I got it all put together! I turned one block the "wrong" direction from the pattern, but that's not bad, considering. I plan to do a scrappy binding, and my smart mother suggested a dark color for the back, since it is for my nephew and she's already worried about the light front. I have a few leftover scraps and blocks that won't really go with the charcoal back as well, so maybe I'll throw the extras into a little doll/charity quilt. Now, I just have to figure out the quilting! I've recently enrolled in Angela Walters' Craftsy class and bought her book, plus I've been whipping out lots of charity quilt tops, so I think I'm finally going to really try to become proficient in free motion quilting. I might even take a vacation day to tackle it...I'm that excited!<br />
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(Sorry for the dark cell phone pictures...eventually I will get better about this!)</div>
Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-24989802343409552312012-09-12T16:33:00.000-04:002012-09-12T16:33:11.392-04:00Saying goodbye to our fur-baby <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite pictures of our sweetie.</td></tr>
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So, we've had a really tough couple of weeks. We lost our cat, Pilgrim, one week ago, and it has been absolutely devastating to us. I'm hoping that writing about the entire sad experience will help me process it, since I can't seem to get past it (though it has only been a week, so I'm not surprised that I'm constantly bursting into tears.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her official name was from a Widespread Panic song called "Pilgrims": "Little black kitty crossed our path, wearing little fog feet..."</td></tr>
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Pilgrim started acting a bit strangely a little more than 2 weeks ago, and then exactly 2 weeks ago, she woke us in the night meowing in a very pitiful way while she was trying to use the litter box. She'd not been as interested in eating as usual, so we called our <a href="http://www.vethousecallservice.com/" target="_blank">wonderful veterinarian's office</a> on that Wednesday, and we got a Friday morning appointment to bring her in. Dr. Golden examined her and took a blood sample, but she was a little dehydrated and he couldn't get a urine sample, so I took her home to watch her and wait for her to use her re-jiggered litter box so I could grab the sample. </div>
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<br />When we got home, I'd chided myself that we had over-reacted, since she was happily eating her tuna treat, sitting on my lap, and seemed back to her old self. Late that afternoon, I got a frantic call from my husband asking me if I could get her in the crate by myself and meet him at the vet because she was in kidney failure. My grandfather's kidneys failed when he was dying, so just those words had a lot of baggage for me, and I could barely call Bryan's mom to tell her the news through my tears.</div>
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Dr. Golden was hopeful that it could just be an infection that had knocked out her kidneys, and if we could support her kidney function, perhaps she would be OK when the infection was cured. She hadn't given me a urine sample, so he collected that and gave her subcutaneous fluids (and taught us how to do it), as well as antibiotics, a stomach calming medication, new food, an appetite stimulant, and his cell phone number, and we took her home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvi5YhL9QKCOTHpOAMao2JSryIGGNlFuI0BDmBIQcvhQHofMpQMHePrWkQDZmtQ5DkmSKOHLDZhjbjQL6Uz_DqX7NuvddPXcekH5qf8QZIYvLlhzR_Ik4izDL5yuel35mf-f8M5iCzr31/s1600/Pilgrim+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvi5YhL9QKCOTHpOAMao2JSryIGGNlFuI0BDmBIQcvhQHofMpQMHePrWkQDZmtQ5DkmSKOHLDZhjbjQL6Uz_DqX7NuvddPXcekH5qf8QZIYvLlhzR_Ik4izDL5yuel35mf-f8M5iCzr31/s640/Pilgrim+(3).jpg" width="480" /></a>Pilgrim was an angel, tolerating the twice/day fluid treatments, medications, etc., and she'd actually eaten pretty well on Friday and Saturday, but by Sunday she lost interest in her new food, and we spent pretty much all of our long Labor Day weekend holding and petting her and trying not to freak out completely. She wasn't interested in playing, but she was happy to be pet and sit on our laps or in her favorite spot on our bed and she was no longer waking us with pitiful cries over the weekend, so we were hopeful that we were getting her better. She woke me up very early on Tuesday morning just to be pet and loved on, and for once, I didn't mind the pre-dawn snuggle...I am grateful we had that time now.</div>
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On Tuesday afternoon, we were heading to our vet's office to get more fluid treatment and needles, but she still wasn't eating so he asked us to bring her in to check her kidney function. We still had a few days to wait on the results of the culture that was being grown from her urine, so there wasn't much more to do, though Dr. Golden called the lab and found out that, while inconclusive, it appeared to be a gram-negative organism, so we still had some hope since the antibiotic she had been on was better for a gram-positive organism.<br />
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Well, when her kidney function results came back, they were even worse, despite giving her an entire iv bag full of fluid over 4 days, so he had us take her to the emergency vet hospital in Annapolis so she could have iv fluids overnight, as well as starting her on a new antibiotic. We were a wreck, of course, but got her over there and spoke to the doctor there, and she seemed hopeful that Pilgrim could make it through this infection. We went to dinner with my mother-in-law, Margery, who lives in Annapolis and takes care of Pilgrim for us when we are out of town (and we did pretty well...only started crying once during dinner). We were supposed to go home, but I wanted to go back to the hospital for the evening visitor hours, and the vet there came out and told us that they'd done an x-ray while we were at dinner and had seen some masses that concerned them and that one of her kidneys was very enlarged, which is the opposite of what they expected. I thought the worst, but she still seemed very hopeful, which, in retrospect, I wish she hadn't shared, as that really got my hopes up. We got home, and it felt so weird to be in the house. It was Pilgrim's first night away from home since I'd met her two and a half years ago, and I could barely sleep without my baby pressing up against me (which is what she did every night).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few weeks ago, when I'd just put my freshly laundered blanket on the bed, I found someone breaking it in for me.</td></tr>
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On Wednesday afternoon, they sedated her to do an ultrasound and take a biopsy (and to be able to examine her, since she was apparently not very cooperative with the strangers at the clinic...go figure that she'd finally had enough of being poked and prodded). They found that she had pretty extensive lymphoma in her kidneys, lesions in her intestines, and after talking to Dr. Golden, we determined that chemotherapy was not a kindness, since it was not likely to be successful and would not be pleasant for her. We went to pick her up, hoping that we'd have at least a few more days with her, but in the meantime, she'd also ended up with fluid in her lungs and was having difficulty breathing. After seeing how bad it was when we got to the hospital, we didn't want to have her in distress overnight, so we talked to Dr. Golden and he was going to come by at 8:30 or 9 p.m. so that we could have a few more hours with her. We'd hoped that her difficulty breathing would ease up when we got her home to her familiar surroundings, and she seemed alright on the car ride home in Bryan's arms. But, when we got her inside, she was having difficulty walking. She had no interest in her favorite treats (that we had just ordered a dozen bags of), and it was clear that she was uncomfortable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took this picture a month or so ago...I love how Bryan would get down on the floor for "pettings".</td></tr>
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Those couple of hours were probably the saddest hours of my whole life. We tried to pet her, to let her be on the bed where she was normally comfortable (but she didn't seem to want to be there), and we tried to let her lay by the back door to look out the window, which is something she always liked, but she was just clearly not herself, and we finally called Dr. Golden and asked if he could come earlier. We didn't want her to suffer just so we could have longer to say goodbye.<br />
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Dr. Golden is a saint. I can't say enough about how grateful we are to him. He spent so much time with her and us after hours (until after 7 on Friday night), calling us on Saturday morning to check in, talking to us on Labor Day when we were concerned about her appetite, and then talking to us extensively on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday night, he came to our house, moving very slowly and quietly so Pilgrim wouldn't be scared. He was so gentle with her and with us. When we were as ready as we could be, he gave her a shot through her IV to sedate her, and then he gave her the second shot that was the euthanasia, explaining everything in advance and then again as he was doing it. Bryan held her so that she could see both of us as she passed, and we petted her and hoped that we had made her as comfortable as possible. It was surprisingly peaceful, and then Bryan insisted that I leave the room for whatever had to happen next (listening to make sure that there was no heartbeat and preparing to take her away for cremation). Of course, as soon as Dr. Golden left with her, we both totally lost it.</div>
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Bryan has had Pilgrim in his life for more than 14 years. In fact, the only person with whom he has shared a roof longer is his Mom. Bryan's ex-wife had found Pilgrim and Mojo as kittens at a junkyard in Alabama. They were probably too young to be separated from their mothers, who were nowhere to be found, and Bryan had to bottle feed her, teach her how to use a litter box, everything. He had a baby album with her kitten pictures in it. And when his ex-wife left him, Pilgrim kept him going and gave him a reason to get up every day. She took care of him as much as he took care of her. She was his baby girl, and he would have walked through fire for her.</div>
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I'm allergic to cats, and when I first met Pilgrim, I wasn't so sure about her. But after our first few visits, I could see what Bryan saw in her, and as our relationship grew, I realized I'd fallen in love not just with Bryan, but with Pilgrim, too. I never thought I could get so attached to a cat, but I've realized that Pilgrim wasn't "a cat" - she was our baby, and I miss her so very much that it hurts. We will probably get another cat in a few years (once we've had a baby and the child is old enough not to hurt a kitten), but I don't think any future cat could ever live up to Pilgrim's sweetness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">She really liked to "help" me with my work on days I teleworked.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mom can't sew today...I like her pillow."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MlkMz5pPoPzBjFUNuEd3eJXoJwSr3KOVf1AzdM2x-1mxQkdRo1zUMnwkRMmagJH5LAKqr8qxGCd2QQHipTiyveizP1-8zY2RidBCYz8Yi_Sr8YYLzmaURcyNINsep3Wc-yEb5KWoXhOl/s1600/Pilgrim+(9).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MlkMz5pPoPzBjFUNuEd3eJXoJwSr3KOVf1AzdM2x-1mxQkdRo1zUMnwkRMmagJH5LAKqr8qxGCd2QQHipTiyveizP1-8zY2RidBCYz8Yi_Sr8YYLzmaURcyNINsep3Wc-yEb5KWoXhOl/s320/Pilgrim+(9).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Really Mom...I'm more important than sewing!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv3CoBHohyphenhyphen3dFE5zuwXrnmaeiGGWW8q4TtPOTLfxzk1FV0cmZbM6NClT9_3-00zeIVrYkOI66Q3xt55zWNs9uuKEu8C-x11_WpyisAsHhlGl7GkJGem2st8HYm_wae29vBnw9NyWSMEtw/s1600/Pilgrim+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv3CoBHohyphenhyphen3dFE5zuwXrnmaeiGGWW8q4TtPOTLfxzk1FV0cmZbM6NClT9_3-00zeIVrYkOI66Q3xt55zWNs9uuKEu8C-x11_WpyisAsHhlGl7GkJGem2st8HYm_wae29vBnw9NyWSMEtw/s640/Pilgrim+(7).jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Meeting her grandma Sue. Pilgrim was usually not one to jump in the lap of a "stranger", but I guess she knew pretty fast that my mom was her friend, too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNtnKzKp8Y342p7xiZBugLePCtMTrH07JzxKZ4uIjlu4Zhyphenhyphen5FIQYwCDnnzXEJoM3vAT6iAZidZFXya79EJnsIW5HQjlxhrvg1uLxL3vjfHzk6xeYmiU0okymoucYL88A40ehZdkmymddv/s1600/Pilgrim+(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNtnKzKp8Y342p7xiZBugLePCtMTrH07JzxKZ4uIjlu4Zhyphenhyphen5FIQYwCDnnzXEJoM3vAT6iAZidZFXya79EJnsIW5HQjlxhrvg1uLxL3vjfHzk6xeYmiU0okymoucYL88A40ehZdkmymddv/s640/Pilgrim+(10).jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can anyone resist that face?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PnGI1NfvFdQ6VTczZ4VTR6lYMiDhW_UZHK0aM6yKcDdMtnUZCT8svq21ANIVPG5GOntp1685lOqcsNqmFwC80eF9prC_no64lon_4-XPvmhVfA04cDNoLhMqDzY-KMbOSs55hWUcpI2Z/s1600/Pilgrim+(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PnGI1NfvFdQ6VTczZ4VTR6lYMiDhW_UZHK0aM6yKcDdMtnUZCT8svq21ANIVPG5GOntp1685lOqcsNqmFwC80eF9prC_no64lon_4-XPvmhVfA04cDNoLhMqDzY-KMbOSs55hWUcpI2Z/s640/Pilgrim+(11).jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"This laundry basket may be broken, but I'd like to jump in and out of it, please!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4JYf26lFow4ZhUgUlJfggMoSxTwZIUrWBOMni384RsyLgEPZVQDgUrDJjNMuzkTOKBcaQDrZCJ5ht7yq9874mzGiAuWyx0metxYJHCL-07wqc5-AtTML8OqTyIInhE1Cj11h9DbF8R7A/s1600/Pilgrim+(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4JYf26lFow4ZhUgUlJfggMoSxTwZIUrWBOMni384RsyLgEPZVQDgUrDJjNMuzkTOKBcaQDrZCJ5ht7yq9874mzGiAuWyx0metxYJHCL-07wqc5-AtTML8OqTyIInhE1Cj11h9DbF8R7A/s320/Pilgrim+(12).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunbeam and texture...perfect napping opportunity.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOrzhfVC9CddGbb2phVoaAKppBJVsKBaAghAQxn26ZDq8aTIG7DU3JloLgQrv5DYkRRx7dGmnLY8MgRpyPbvJBz16FNVp6taW_CnkW4hVPKrmzrMyjXZWgnWoPKDOBjJUcgw48DfCmZuf/s1600/Pilgrim+(14).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOrzhfVC9CddGbb2phVoaAKppBJVsKBaAghAQxn26ZDq8aTIG7DU3JloLgQrv5DYkRRx7dGmnLY8MgRpyPbvJBz16FNVp6taW_CnkW4hVPKrmzrMyjXZWgnWoPKDOBjJUcgw48DfCmZuf/s320/Pilgrim+(14).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nowhere else I'd rather be than in my parents' lap.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BU7dreGb8q0pN2daDsCArsl8GoSlsZxj3vs3WaAEepUFJWNqLLmOF9uh-IdWdcwZmCq5Wtz2aXwJnaogrwG9JwJk41Sy1zD6wXxAAELBe5u3XGZb0pneruVaKR88u68x_3aKKRkpPztH/s1600/Pilgrim+(16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BU7dreGb8q0pN2daDsCArsl8GoSlsZxj3vs3WaAEepUFJWNqLLmOF9uh-IdWdcwZmCq5Wtz2aXwJnaogrwG9JwJk41Sy1zD6wXxAAELBe5u3XGZb0pneruVaKR88u68x_3aKKRkpPztH/s320/Pilgrim+(16).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mooommmm...wake up! It's play-time!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX1QjIONazXlZJvwdmeW-Fwbceify_QR-Rze7iX8M1HIYOcK2Z0t11T2nmFoA_0ar8nm1sXRocTAodzr3WbynZVZ8hN9BBjvM6YMwiQevlAUJTkA_2PNlfDJ1qfKnz5sGt-vTU5ojPGpP/s1600/Pilgrim+(17).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX1QjIONazXlZJvwdmeW-Fwbceify_QR-Rze7iX8M1HIYOcK2Z0t11T2nmFoA_0ar8nm1sXRocTAodzr3WbynZVZ8hN9BBjvM6YMwiQevlAUJTkA_2PNlfDJ1qfKnz5sGt-vTU5ojPGpP/s320/Pilgrim+(17).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You can bind this while I hold it down for you."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrktsiWA3wJmHlugbC2JjpJhTMZli2fbSSx5q35WSSpZsyKSiY6Kt3YfJKIA5kWF-aeuZ3shv3BLAVMxLT0yTgNe3ofPilLaDaOmLX3zX5DmNTf2O8pmLja4EQFKxq7pCBLlgpBahYsqSN/s1600/Pilgrim+(18).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrktsiWA3wJmHlugbC2JjpJhTMZli2fbSSx5q35WSSpZsyKSiY6Kt3YfJKIA5kWF-aeuZ3shv3BLAVMxLT0yTgNe3ofPilLaDaOmLX3zX5DmNTf2O8pmLja4EQFKxq7pCBLlgpBahYsqSN/s320/Pilgrim+(18).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Quilting is such hard work - time for a nap."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGUdDi6UZvgyCCjQrGIdgAOmVZ8N2q50cFnGIymDrvWBBl-gtxSOU_s-CNU3ILF2yusz_-E62r4b05GX1Yl5pgKsH8oCv0sXNYUZGHoaW1MeOU9CnJJBWjbB1EldflcFTq-wQ8ZJUqUMG/s1600/Pilgrim+(20).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGUdDi6UZvgyCCjQrGIdgAOmVZ8N2q50cFnGIymDrvWBBl-gtxSOU_s-CNU3ILF2yusz_-E62r4b05GX1Yl5pgKsH8oCv0sXNYUZGHoaW1MeOU9CnJJBWjbB1EldflcFTq-wQ8ZJUqUMG/s640/Pilgrim+(20).jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our snuggle-bug...may she rest in peace.</td></tr>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-11400968356299636552012-08-30T13:29:00.006-04:002012-08-30T13:29:59.355-04:00Giant Granny Panties Quilt-Along, A Few Current Projects, & QuiltCon<div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/" target="_blank" title="That Girl... That Quilt"><img alt="That Girl... That Quilt" src="http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z372/thatgirlthatquilt/ggpbutton1.jpg" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" /></a><br />
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So let me break my almost radio silence to say that I'm excited to be participating in a quilt-along through one of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer of <a href="http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/" target="_blank">That Girl...That Quilt</a>. I hadn't planned to participate, since I have a large stack of projects on my list, but then I saw the kits that she had made with the gals at <a href="http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-128812783015903+eqQqem+index.html+" target="_blank">Sew Lux fabrics</a>, and I was completely taken with the Vintage Cool kit, so I took the plunge. My fabric has already been delivered, washed, and ironed, and I am ready to go! My goal is to actually keep up with the quilt-along, while also finishing the quilt that I started during Jennifer's last quilt along, called Chasing Chevrons. More details and pictures to follow as things get moving!</div>
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I also thought I should post a few pictures of things I've been working on lately:</div>
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I'm one seam away from having the front of my brother's duvet cover completed. Right now, I'm working on tying off all the threads and burying them in the batting, and then I'll do the final seam to join my four quadrants. On the back, I still need to quilt some larger areas of fabric, but the pieced portion is done and quilted. My goal is to finish this up by the end of September, so it will be ready for them for fall and some hopefully cooler nights in Athens, GA.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZD7xXHTJ1E0yuZ-eDqs853Zeuda_v0q1WIwyp7cu90uOoWRYF5-IGwBGbVdX2gzsWjUqRHEvze3mvF5XNWbVFudA-UJb_bqQJsIk1JlPf6hqXKfG5w3pZai0hhisKdmejH2NUOQJ7JHTy/s1600/Wedding&Honeymoon+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZD7xXHTJ1E0yuZ-eDqs853Zeuda_v0q1WIwyp7cu90uOoWRYF5-IGwBGbVdX2gzsWjUqRHEvze3mvF5XNWbVFudA-UJb_bqQJsIk1JlPf6hqXKfG5w3pZai0hhisKdmejH2NUOQJ7JHTy/s640/Wedding&Honeymoon+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'd pieced this little zig-zag quilt top awhile ago, but I finally got backing fabric (when I ordered my granny pants quilt kit from <a href="http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-128812783015903+eqQqem+index.html+" target="_blank">Sew Lux</a>, they had some end-of-bolt clearance on the center green flower print, so I decided to go with a solid back on this one and get it quilted. Since this picture was taken, I've made a bias binding in Kona pomegranate and applied it, so if I can find my thimble, it will be complete very soon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikPSUhdc4FscjHLYTH0hiIYbyLdagvT7bazPpuPCocyBsEJEmnCxjAcemq2_JoCuyOLRzeLah9gWEAA_EcEAAT1z4bBjytsDrmDftG2ajM-C-8noYfhcXsXUnlfcYPMr30HTsWOGIdnFL/s1600/Wedding&Honeymoon+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikPSUhdc4FscjHLYTH0hiIYbyLdagvT7bazPpuPCocyBsEJEmnCxjAcemq2_JoCuyOLRzeLah9gWEAA_EcEAAT1z4bBjytsDrmDftG2ajM-C-8noYfhcXsXUnlfcYPMr30HTsWOGIdnFL/s640/Wedding&Honeymoon+003.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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My friend and colleague, Kakuti, is having her first baby in November, so I thought I'd get going early on a quick baby quilt for her. This was a charm pack of Half Moon by Moda, plus some other squares of black-and-whites from my stash. Here it is on the design wall (and you can see a bit more of my sewing nook!)...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82zzgsLIUemJl7Bz2BkdT0aViLpJHcQB_82CA9xNSWkqWmmcsiS1IMxFLY8Ic-tvfSnq3-QxiC7kmdKXsJFdNkWDZ0IK5X7Yw5p89xlW7-Di7Q-dPTjL1TPfssnoMkjJLH9rCIMO7sy9F/s1600/Wedding&Honeymoon+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82zzgsLIUemJl7Bz2BkdT0aViLpJHcQB_82CA9xNSWkqWmmcsiS1IMxFLY8Ic-tvfSnq3-QxiC7kmdKXsJFdNkWDZ0IK5X7Yw5p89xlW7-Di7Q-dPTjL1TPfssnoMkjJLH9rCIMO7sy9F/s640/Wedding&Honeymoon+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here it is as a finished top:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq2OwgNh1PNSzv6zaJCShxQHP3hEr_ysGu72HW_Om5D-yPhI2X0BE-cJb7daRvRHaCxQG1fgH3KnJjlpP91p-rU5Kn9MvskjLbQ9bwCf3IejO_49n51ZonAXw0jy2x1vbN_mnlMQCFIs5/s1600/Wedding&Honeymoon+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq2OwgNh1PNSzv6zaJCShxQHP3hEr_ysGu72HW_Om5D-yPhI2X0BE-cJb7daRvRHaCxQG1fgH3KnJjlpP91p-rU5Kn9MvskjLbQ9bwCf3IejO_49n51ZonAXw0jy2x1vbN_mnlMQCFIs5/s640/Wedding&Honeymoon+006.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The design is, in concept, similar to a quilt top I made last year for <a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/p/100-quilts-for-kids.html" target="_blank">100 Quilts for Kids</a> from a design by <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2010/12/finito-storytime-squares-quilt-in-far-far-away-ii/" target="_blank">Made by Rae</a>. Katie, of <a href="http://www.swimbikequilt.com/" target="_blank">Swim, Bike, Quilt</a> fame, had come up with new measurements for using a charm pack. I didn't look at the instructions before cutting my sashing, and I cut a bunch of 2.5" strips. Sadly, they needed to be 2.75", but it gave me an opportunity to do a little problem-solving, and now I have a quilt that has some slight rectangles in it, and the sashing strips are different sizes. The inner and outer red rings are 2.5", white the middle ring is 3". I actually think it makes it more interesting than the original, so I'll probably plan to do this (perhaps even with a wider disparity) next time. I also may make something like this with a larger central square. The joys of charm packs - there are only so many ways to put them together!</div>
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And here's the back of Kakuti's quilt:</div>
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I really love those huge polka dots. I'd bought the large butterfly print for the back for my version, but those dots are hard to beat!</div>
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Finally, I put together a little improv quilt that I started at the most recent DC Modern Quilt Guild meeting. I really like assymetric quilts, and I had fun figuring it out (though it might have been easier had I made an actual plan instead of just cutting and sewing!) </div>
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I've pieced an improv back for this one, too, though I didn't take a picture yet. Yes...I have been busy! I also completed 2 quilts, but I'll save those for another day!</div>
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Finally, I'm excited to say that I'm going to QuiltCon! I hadn't planned to, but I mentioned it to my wonderful husband, who has been wanting to visit Austin, and he thought we should go! (I should clarify...during the day I'll be drinking the Kool-Aid on Modern Quilting at QuiltCon while he explores the city, but in the evenings, I'll drag myself away from all the blog friends that I'm excited to meet in person to go eat wonderful dinners and see a bit of Austin.) I'm so happy that he encouraged me to register, as I'm already really excited about it, and I've only been registered for an hour! Please leave me a comment if you are going to be there so we can meet up! </div>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-51332091690888942852012-08-17T14:50:00.000-04:002012-08-17T14:50:47.526-04:00My wedding shower...Well, I'm once again embarrassed by how neglectful of my blog I've been...but I have a good excuse! Newlywed bliss! I'll try to detail the last few months over a lot of posts so that it isn't too overwhelming (especially since I've made a bunch of quilts!), but I need to go back in time a bit further to post a few pictures of the lovely wedding shower that Anne held for me right before the wedding, since it was completely fabulous, and I've been remiss in never posting about it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzHGj_roB1XbqNznwkf2VaLmHmvCD0Stuxm3caoa-b3VhyPpQ6IMxnhdd4p7QiyeSXyX88Rc7ekrLQLU9hd0uAKW4SGelO7bV_yDsb80dKYjDoiGKJLXEzWVt8xgSpgA2GMWB1MIdYHLJ/s1600/Shower+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzHGj_roB1XbqNznwkf2VaLmHmvCD0Stuxm3caoa-b3VhyPpQ6IMxnhdd4p7QiyeSXyX88Rc7ekrLQLU9hd0uAKW4SGelO7bV_yDsb80dKYjDoiGKJLXEzWVt8xgSpgA2GMWB1MIdYHLJ/s400/Shower+006.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise: Me, Anne, and Aileen (who had recently found her feet)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Anne, Aileen, Me, and Talia</td></tr>
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Anne is an amazing hostess. Despite the fact that she had a baby under 6 months old, she offered to host a wedding shower for me! This shower was extra special, because it was really an opportunity to celebrate with many of my girlfriends, since we weren't having a big wedding or asking people to take off work on a Monday morning to come to our ceremony (other than immediate family and my bridesmaids (and their husbands)). My husband does not like to be the center of attention, and I realized at the shower that I'm not very great at it, either, since I quickly became very emotional/overwhelmed by how lucky I am in my friends. Tears were shed when I was given the present that Anne organized from the group - they had all chipped in to hire a wedding photographer for us. I had planned on everyone using their iphones to take a few snapshots since I had no idea how to go about hiring a wedding photographer (and figured we'd never find one in the short timeframe that we had to organize in), but my brilliant friends realized that I would have missed out on having something special to show our future kids, and they were right! It was the perfect present!<br />
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For brunch, Anne had a beautiful spread. Her Nicoise Salad Deconstructed was a real hit with me, but I'm a sucker for perfectly cooked salmon. (My mouth just watered looking at the pictures!) She'd made lovely placecards for everyone and used all her fine china and crystal. She even made a spiced mango puree to add to prosecco for a truly elevated mimosa. And she made "spa water", which is my favorite! In addition, she put together a lovely fruit salad.<br />
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I didn't want her to do all the work, plus I wanted to share my grandmother's poppy seed rolls with all my friends, so I baked a pan of that and a pan of cinnamon rolls (in case the poppy seed rolls didn't come out well, since I hadn't baked them in years). My friend Julie supplemented the spread with some lovely French pastries. And of course, Anne the most beautiful flowers I think I've ever seen. It was very high class!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8fS3CW7D0jA46u2D1IxQKfR0cQvTMr_FFfOeRobd-lS7cKKp7BegSndRx-nP_wgcdP3z09ark_hi3BylhxSbge2xt3ZOAU0nX2XcMi3SCPPQvTBVMhl0BRICB2gQnQ5NrWobAknulPY4/s1600/Shower+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8fS3CW7D0jA46u2D1IxQKfR0cQvTMr_FFfOeRobd-lS7cKKp7BegSndRx-nP_wgcdP3z09ark_hi3BylhxSbge2xt3ZOAU0nX2XcMi3SCPPQvTBVMhl0BRICB2gQnQ5NrWobAknulPY4/s640/Shower+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Talia, Heather, Margery (my mother-in-law), Me, Ita (Anne's MIL), and Kakuti (not pictured: Julie (thanks for taking the picture!), Anne, and Aileen (who needed a short nap before she could rejoin the party))</td></tr>
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Anne, being the clever lady that she is, asked me if I had a picture of the happy couple! I gave her a picture from Italy or Croatia, and she transformed it into this wonderful piece of artwork, which she had put in a frame on the drink table. I absolutely love our look...and in case you aren't aware, the backdrop building is the Anne Arundel County Courthouse. And Bryan and I really are that thin. I guess with all of that attention and love, our heads just got so big! :)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Happy Couple, according to Anne</td></tr>
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The other moment where I totally lost it...when we were getting together after brunch for some pictures with my bridesmaids, Aileen reached out, and first she grabbed my breast, and then she quickly realized her mistake and moved on to Talia (who is slightly better endowed). The picture below is the result! I love the looks on everyone's faces.</div>
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One other really fun thing to note: I asked Anne to do something that Talia had at her wedding shower. Everyone brought me a favorite recipe, and Kakuti even brought me the hard-to-find ingredients for her dish (a Persian rice dish that sounds delicious). I'm going to photograph them and add them to a little wedding scrapbook that I plan to put together. Or maybe I'll make each one and post a picture of the finished dish and the recipe here! That sounds like an even better plan!</div>
Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-54634921497529498182012-05-21T23:35:00.006-04:002012-05-21T23:35:52.213-04:00Bloggers Quilt Festival Quilt: Smooth SailingI'm always excited when I finish a quilt, but I rarely have been as proud of myself as I was with my recent finish of a quilt several years in the making: my Storm-at-Sea quilt for my very dear friends Talia and Aaron.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhd9TrqCn0Y7Unlfa2aNTyPsctqyUPfF7OXqQmuLMLBdON5iu-QUFAfUFsCdfYl1EbeTyirJbZ0oDisMB4cx3bIY_V6uZn9m8LR2Y4vgwHj4T8fSBOV201hY9rTsI9F_ZOaP0jPwSlVwu/s1600/storm_complete.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhd9TrqCn0Y7Unlfa2aNTyPsctqyUPfF7OXqQmuLMLBdON5iu-QUFAfUFsCdfYl1EbeTyirJbZ0oDisMB4cx3bIY_V6uZn9m8LR2Y4vgwHj4T8fSBOV201hY9rTsI9F_ZOaP0jPwSlVwu/s640/storm_complete.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When Talia and Aaron were getting married (almost 3 years ago now), I gave them a normal wedding present (a beautiful piece of pottery that I bought at <a href="http://www.gooddirt.net/">Good Dirt</a> in Athens, GA), but I really wanted to give them something extra special...something made by me! They had recently bought a really neat Amish quilt for their bed, and Aaron's mom had made a gorgeous quilt (hand-quilted) that they got married under following the Jewish tradition of a chuppah, or canopy, that is held by 4 people over the couple as they get married. The chuppah symbolizes the home that the couple will build together. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzVpvH39YaMCMKInUWdC-pMs8jD02VE0HVM2uYCMPAI1PeeItZRwczFZxNHYepPmseg1kQAT-PEYEkbJhpTUFvdgk_K2PW6p5-jDEDiv-nY71QO07ubOejH0UUZL92A-7zmIQNGdAcMSy/s1600/storm_design_wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzVpvH39YaMCMKInUWdC-pMs8jD02VE0HVM2uYCMPAI1PeeItZRwczFZxNHYepPmseg1kQAT-PEYEkbJhpTUFvdgk_K2PW6p5-jDEDiv-nY71QO07ubOejH0UUZL92A-7zmIQNGdAcMSy/s320/storm_design_wall.JPG" width="240" /></a>When I mentioned that I wanted to make a quilt for them, we talked about a quilt design and basic color scheme, and they wanted something they could hang, since at that point they had just bought their first house and had lots of empty walls. I showed them the fabrics I was considering and had them nix a few, and then I began the process of agonizing over the design and placement after making some of the initial blocks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VRH5wl7osQzVJKgNJ9PBPB7TkIKC2m_TD76hY5JPhs3a3oQmxpg72njOrS64OAW18hMktrz3AA7TY-aG2B0zj5x2hm1f1RtlbzgBLcOORkJqjmB3-ocM7rJOFnD0SquPIrEMxJZal_Gy/s1600/storm_rows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VRH5wl7osQzVJKgNJ9PBPB7TkIKC2m_TD76hY5JPhs3a3oQmxpg72njOrS64OAW18hMktrz3AA7TY-aG2B0zj5x2hm1f1RtlbzgBLcOORkJqjmB3-ocM7rJOFnD0SquPIrEMxJZal_Gy/s320/storm_rows.JPG" width="320" /></a>The quilt spent a lot of time on the design wall, and I played with a lot of different layouts. I even had Talia come over to give her opinion. She told me it was beautiful. When I look at the pictures of it on my design wall, I think it is funny to see how different it looks! I wonder if she was worried!</div>
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Anyway, many months went by while I worked away on it. I created all of the blocks, and then sewed them into columns. Then the columns went together, and pretty soon I had a quilt top. I got stuck again at that point, because I couldn't decide how to quilt it. I asked my assistant, but all she said was "meow". I took it over to Anne's house, and she helped me decide on the final quilting...I followed the lines of the "waves" that the pattern makes, since that is what draws me to this pattern so much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL49e41h4xKBSEEIJkCGr6nvi-HKwI1UdeLzptKwhZhaAVmYHJh_cXVOs1oi_qKBqASYzXNCkZITL0rzUSrZJ_vbpZXFL8l3dfeaZtwrMRmkZif9XJiUucnI0tjuWkVfXaKa_Q_pi-C3Tq/s1600/storm_detail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL49e41h4xKBSEEIJkCGr6nvi-HKwI1UdeLzptKwhZhaAVmYHJh_cXVOs1oi_qKBqASYzXNCkZITL0rzUSrZJ_vbpZXFL8l3dfeaZtwrMRmkZif9XJiUucnI0tjuWkVfXaKa_Q_pi-C3Tq/s320/storm_detail.JPG" width="240" /></a>It's a little hard to see the detail of the quilting, but hopefully this close-up shows off the texture a bit. The problem was that it was difficult to keep the lines perfect. I ended up going back and ripping out some portions and redoing them, even though I know I'm the only one who would have noticed the imperfections. After working so hard to have "perfect" points, I didn't want sloppy quilting to mess up the effect. I used a variegated blue thread, which I thought was interesting...especially as it often seemed to show up at the right color at the right time, so to speak. </div>
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I should add that I used the TrimPlates that were suggested in the book "A New Light on Storm at Sea" from C&T Publishing. I can't imagine using any other method for making these blocks. However, I have a hard time wasting fabric, especially when I'm using some fabrics that I bought in my first quilt shop fabric buying extravaganza about a decade ago. So...I took the extra step of making an extra seam as I added those blocks to the smaller square-in-a-square unit. And I ended up with lots of very tiny half-square triangles that will be a cute chevron quilt that I'm going to keep for my future child! I'll show that another day, but let me just say, using leaders and enders is such a good idea, and the extra quilt I'm making out of the scraps from this almost made this quilt easy to give away...almost! (In reality, it is a testament to my dear friends that they received this...Pilgrim was not the only one having a hard time letting go!)</div>
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I had hoped to present this to Talia and Aaron on my wedding day (April 30th) to bring it full circle, and I had actually finished it just in time, and then I walked out the door without it. I thought about going back, but it's never a good idea to be late to your own wedding, right? So, instead, since we got married on Aaron's birthday, we took it to Aaron's postponed 30th birthday party (which gave me time to get the hanger attached, though I still didn't get a label on it - a great reason to visit with a needle and thread! And for those of you who have asked, here's a picture of us on our big day with Talia and Aaron! I'll have some more later this week...including some hilarious "blooper" photos! I love being married to Bryan...he really is amazing!</div>
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I'm happy to be part of the <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/2012/05/18/bloggers-quilt-festival-spring-2012/">Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2012</a>! If you are a new visitor from that, please come back...I have a lot of really cool things planned over the summer, though I'll be quiet for the next couple of months between more wedding gatherings and our honeymoon to South America!</div>
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<br /></div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-14934739539413049552012-05-14T17:50:00.000-04:002012-05-14T17:50:00.395-04:00I'm married!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUqEz4fzn6VIw2Dpiz6MabbnJqspq8mN8jIxsvwWRuunW35D_Q_vMBST7FyjRVAcXW38MwY9_f5xlCJEZ6FaXx_zSszvuod-nyHCOxuAAouaRL8RIzDHMFKP3RkRHF90k4316cNQgsVkA/s1600/dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUqEz4fzn6VIw2Dpiz6MabbnJqspq8mN8jIxsvwWRuunW35D_Q_vMBST7FyjRVAcXW38MwY9_f5xlCJEZ6FaXx_zSszvuod-nyHCOxuAAouaRL8RIzDHMFKP3RkRHF90k4316cNQgsVkA/s400/dress.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you, Nordstrom's Wedding Suite! You ladies rock!</td></tr>
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Hello! I've been enjoying newlywed bliss for the last 2 weeks, and I haven't yet sorted out all of the pictures to give an actual photo recap, but I wanted to let y'all know that the wedding was fantastic! We couldn't have been happier! Indeed, Bryan and I are both so glad that we went the route that we did with a simple courthouse wedding with just a few guests, since even that was emotional and exhausting! We had the ceremony at the Anne Arundel County Courthouse, walked around to take pictures with the photographer that all my dear friends chipped in to hire for us, and then had a lovely little afternoon tea/lunch at Reynolds Tavern before going home and crashing! <br />
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And at last, I can reveal my actual dress, though I still like it best on the mannequin! :) (Have I mentioned how much I hate seeing pictures of me? It ruins my super-model self-image!)<br />
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We'd planned to go to dinner that night at one of our favorite restaurants with my parents and Bryan's mom, but I couldn't be convinced to get out of my pajamas and instead cooked a really good dinner for everyone at home. It was probably more work, in the end, but it made me (and everyone else) happy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI_1l_fpK-wdluWQFlquFtjYuKx_4ecX_KSEjURzwLSKRN51HwrDSVepHMeKsQ5DRfqiCjiLIPaU_w39kXpmlMXnttA6yKMR3uqipD68CWEMCiY0wq_bc7tUeGyV8jWjXRgSZnB7FI_3X/s1600/wedding_dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI_1l_fpK-wdluWQFlquFtjYuKx_4ecX_KSEjURzwLSKRN51HwrDSVepHMeKsQ5DRfqiCjiLIPaU_w39kXpmlMXnttA6yKMR3uqipD68CWEMCiY0wq_bc7tUeGyV8jWjXRgSZnB7FI_3X/s640/wedding_dinner.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryan, his mom (Margery), my dad (Bob), and my mom (Sue). I'm so happy Bryan married me - look at his cute smile!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCkDWqx2Mn-16MWkhfk6ZwyJ5TZRWS06uovw3e_2hNQLJyfH9x5oWole7ja8UxL6VWAbzQR9oFmYRJLHBWbD4M6QlGOLy9g5wRhh29m3YzjIFi-zp0H9QQRHftu7E3iLt8szZ0Eekr_Yh/s1600/mom_in_pearls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCkDWqx2Mn-16MWkhfk6ZwyJ5TZRWS06uovw3e_2hNQLJyfH9x5oWole7ja8UxL6VWAbzQR9oFmYRJLHBWbD4M6QlGOLy9g5wRhh29m3YzjIFi-zp0H9QQRHftu7E3iLt8szZ0Eekr_Yh/s320/mom_in_pearls.jpg" width="240" /></a>Crawfish quesadillas with homemade guacamole and <a href="http://www.bobbyflay.com/recipe.php?id=53">Bobby Flay's awesome corn with peppers and cotilja cheese</a>. And a bottle of champagne we'd had kicking around for quite awhile waiting for a special celebration - we decided that this qualified!<br />
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My favorite detail from that dinner...my mom wearing her pearls after borrowing one of Bryan's t-shirts! It's a great look for her, don't you think? ;) You are welcome, Mom! <br />
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Here's a link to the photographer's favorite pictures from the day, in case you are curious:<br />
<a href="http://www.zadesignz.com/elle_bryan_blog/">http://www.zadesignz.com/elle_bryan_blog/</a>
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We like a lot of others better, so we'll be going through the proofs this week to decide on our favorite 40, which will be edited and put into an album for us. My bouquet, in case you are wondering, was from Wegmans! It was only $50, and it was absolutely perfect!<br />
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I have managed to find some time for quilting, though! I finished the binding and hanging sleeve and was able to finally present this quilt, a Storm at Sea, to my dear friends Talia and Aaron. I had finished the binding in time to give it to them at the wedding and then walked out the door without it, but I was happy to get the hanging sleeve attached for them and gave it to them at Aaron's make-up birthday party (since we got married on his actual 30th birthday!). This quilt was a wedding present for them (though they got married 2.5 years ago...but they agreed it was worth the wait!)! It was very hard to let it go...I might have to make another for Bryan and me someday!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Don't quilt, Mom. Pet meeeeeee!"</td></tr>
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I also finished the hand-quilting on the second quilt for Aileen (who totally stole the show at the wedding...she is really the cutest baby, as you'll see when I get the photos posted!). I also started and actually finished piecing and quilting another quilt for my cousin's new baby, despite someone making it rather difficult...but how can I resist that sweet face?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHf1liPwZEtTeZcA9Wj29qC9VP4TR5_Dy7B-HOwEobCJcPKM5mbtBR7etfCVFyaNqDCL5P214Zp_AgmzSmLgN7Uiw5PE1e6RuAgjeRp5b-TZPUxwCXGc1tjGfiSeyll_0PFieKacPuEhPK/s1600/helper_holding_fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHf1liPwZEtTeZcA9Wj29qC9VP4TR5_Dy7B-HOwEobCJcPKM5mbtBR7etfCVFyaNqDCL5P214Zp_AgmzSmLgN7Uiw5PE1e6RuAgjeRp5b-TZPUxwCXGc1tjGfiSeyll_0PFieKacPuEhPK/s320/helper_holding_fabric.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'll hold your fabric for you...aren't I a good helper?"</td></tr>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-62754672340650439432012-04-27T18:59:00.001-04:002012-04-27T18:59:31.329-04:00So now I'm in trouble!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Well, I'm completely embarrassed! Becky gave my blog an award, even though I've completely been neglecting it of late! What can I say...I'm getting married in 4 days! I really do promise that later this summer I'm going to become blogger extraordinaire...including a tutorial on half-square triangles using a method that I really love and doesn't seem to be that common (a take-off of the grid method). Hmmm...maybe next weekend...after the wedding!</div>
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So, first, let me tell you about the award! It's called the Liebster Award (German for favorite) for bloggers with 200 followers or less. As a recipient of the award, you have the chance to thank and link back to the blogger who gave it to you as well as passing it along to five other deserving blogs.</div>
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<a href="http://thomps-family.blogspot.com/2012/04/liebster-love.html">Becky</a> is the only bloggy friend to whom I've ever sent something (a sheet set for a charity project that she was doing), and it's funny, because having never met her, I feel like she is nonetheless a good friend. I know she is cheering for me right now and awaiting pictures from the wedding!</div>
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The Liebster Conventions says that you should: </div>
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1. Thank your award presenter on your blog and link back to him/her.</div>
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<em>(Thanks again, Becky! I'm really very honored (and inspired to do better!)</em></div>
2. Copy and paste the award to your blog.<br />
3. Present the Liebster Award to 5 blogs that you think deserve to be recognized (see below).<br />
4. Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.<br />
5. Have faith that your followers will spread the love, too! <br />
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Well, I have to choose my other bloggy friends who leave such nice comments and also consistently inspire me to want to make more lovely things with their great examples and tutorials! Thanks, y'all!<br />
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1. Leslie of <a href="http://leslieunfinished.blogspot.com/">Leslie Unfinished</a><br />
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I particularly like the way Leslie's blog is set up, especially with her page of finished projects. I want to do that! I am most assuredly going to follow her lead on some flannel blankets with homemade piping, and the pinwheels quilt is on my list, as well. (I really need to make a list, like she does!) I'm also going to follow her lead and start sewing clothes again. I'd thought I would make an outfit for this weekend, but...it didn't happen! Some year!<br />
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2. SarahZ of <a href="http://prairiepatchworks.blogspot.com/">Prairie Patchworks</a><br />
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I've always loved old barns with a passion...there's just something about them. And what better than a blog for barn quilts. I just love the whole concept!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmegv-xGkYf4t8hWRKdtzJGKyGJUKFbmipwfL8LiGEU7mjCXH7HlcFWBLQB6N7hB3pq13WhkUx0Zu1PF7C-KeBPwF9X7Yg1CAgNXovR_jfMo3I5AxMTWBiHtlU0CoTvTJPJOb7tl5xkA1E/s1600/mini-inverse-pinned.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmegv-xGkYf4t8hWRKdtzJGKyGJUKFbmipwfL8LiGEU7mjCXH7HlcFWBLQB6N7hB3pq13WhkUx0Zu1PF7C-KeBPwF9X7Yg1CAgNXovR_jfMo3I5AxMTWBiHtlU0CoTvTJPJOb7tl5xkA1E/s320/mini-inverse-pinned.JPG" width="240" /></a>3. Cindy of <a href="http://hyacinthquiltdesigns.blogspot.com/">Hyacinth Quilt Designs</a></div>
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Cindy shared her Garden Fence design, and I've made too many versions of it to count, I feel like! (Not really, but one for Anne, one for my brother's duvet (just waiting to be basted), and one out of pastel batiks that I thought might end up as one large quilt, but it might turn into 4 baby quilts...I've got the stack of blocks just waiting to decide. I am madly trying to finish my take-off of it...the reverse miniaturized garden fence, which looks nothing like the original, but I love it nonetheless!) I've got about 6 more blocks to handquilt, but I've gotten pretty fast at it. I can get it done by Monday...or at least I really, really hope so!)</div>
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Cindy constantly has wonderful ideas that inspire me. I have no idea how many followers she has...probably way more than 200, but since I can't tell for sure, I'm sharing the award with her!</div>
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4. Lyanna of <a href="http://purplepandaquilts.blogspot.com/">Purple Panda Quilts</a></div>
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Lyanna has a great blog and shares my love of purple and gray. She did a Stockings for Kids drive that really made me happy. I'm hoping to participate next year! </div>
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5. Anne of <a href="http://sweetpeadc.blogspot.com/">Sweet Pea</a></div>
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Of course, my dear friend Anne is definitely the Liebster of all Liebsters. Anne's daughter, Aileen, is almost 6 months old, and she is an environmental lawyer working full-time who nonetheless made time to throw me the greatest bridal shower ever! And, Anne is the person who encouraged me to blog in the first place. I loved her old blog, <a href="http://thebarefootquiltessa.blogspot.com/">The Barefoot Quiltessa</a>, but she changed the name. I imagine that she'll get back to blogging again when she gets more than 1 consecutive night of sleep. She has still managed to quilt up a storm, including a beautiful hand-quilted queen-sized quilt for her niece...the same niece for whom we made Anne's first quilt together almost 7 years ago now. Time flies! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwl8YblySpWeEk4qluhPVTk-SLSs3EhHEAXgP5TDCZy9mvdVDbKy7UfqjP1qJhZAeiQ42ybTATbc2-GZ4cnBOuNWSZq3le3u5sDGEyBJKeG0_sWbpIDIpd6xI3RAmODUmzW1MKFpxb3kj/s640/blogger-image-883868597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwl8YblySpWeEk4qluhPVTk-SLSs3EhHEAXgP5TDCZy9mvdVDbKy7UfqjP1qJhZAeiQ42ybTATbc2-GZ4cnBOuNWSZq3le3u5sDGEyBJKeG0_sWbpIDIpd6xI3RAmODUmzW1MKFpxb3kj/s320/blogger-image-883868597.jpg" width="240" /></a>Well, speaking of time flying, I've let an hour and a half go by trying to make these difficult decisions (and trying to figure out how many followers people have), and now I really must go make dinner and prepare to clean house. (I'd planned to answer the fun questions Becky tagged me in, but it, along with the pictures from my bridal shower, will have to wait.) </div>
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But...for a few pictures, I thought I'd share the quilt I just finished binding after work tonight. This is the storm-at-sea quilt I made for Talia and Aaron for the wedding 2.5 years ago. I still need to make a hanger and a tag for it, but it is officially quilted and bound, so I want to switch to Anne's. I plan to ask the wedding photographer to take better pictures of this when I give it to them, since I've still not read the lovely book Anne gave me for my birthday about how to photograph things for one's blog. I really need to get on that, as is evidenced by these pictures earlier this week when I thought I was going to have time to blog!</div>
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The next time you hear from me, most likely, I will have a new last name! Hooray! All we have to do is finish cleaning up the house, and the festivities begin tomorrow with a mani/pedi with my bridesmaids (Talia and Anne) while Bryan picks up my parents from the airport (what a great guy...no wonder I'm marrying him!). Then, we're having a nice dinner tomorrow night with a few of my friends and my parents. Sunday brunch, then pick up my bouquet, then the official rehearsal dinner with Bryan's family (at least those that are local, plus his uncle is coming in from New York), and then Monday, we head to the courthouse and then to a lovely tea place for lunch/afternoon tea. That night, we'll have dinner just with my parents and his mom. The only sad part is that my brother and Bryan's dad couldn't make it to town, but they are here in spirit and will definitely be missed.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne, Aileen, Me, and Talia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne's image of our wedding! I feel like such a princess!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-81189931222640996222012-03-23T19:26:00.001-04:002012-03-23T19:26:20.881-04:00So much to say, and so little to show!I can't believe it has been over a month since I've last posted, but it has. Time flies, and so much has happened!<br />
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The big news is that I am actually getting married! We finally set a date (April 30th, 2012)...yes...that's right! A couple of weeks ago we decided we should get married in less than 2 months. So much for the typical long engagement during which time the bride actually plans a wedding! (And no, I'm not pregnant yet!) :) To make things less insane, we threw out our latest idea of a picnic in the park-type wedding, and we are going to the courthouse in Annapolis to "get'er done!". But...I still wanted a celebration, and my friends and family have pulled through for me in a big way - I feel really special!<br />
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My mom flew up from Georgia last weekend to go dress shopping with me. We went to Nordstrom's Wedding Suite, and IT WAS AWESOME! We'd signed up to make an appointment later than we should have, it turns out, and we got very lucky that the coordinator was willing to work hard to fit us in for an appointment with a stylist last Friday. And even luckier that the stylist was training someone else, so I had two people helping me and making me feel like a princess. It was like my own version of "Say Yes to the Dress", and it was a blast. Having never tried on wedding dresses before, I didn't have a sense of what would look good, and, in actuality, I wasn't looking for a traditional wedding dress, but it was so fun to see what that would be like. <br />
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The really funny thing was that the dress I think I'm ending up with was the one that I saw as we were coming up the escalator and looked into the area...I pointed to it and said "that's the dress". They didn't have it in my size to try on, so we sort of forgot about it in trying on gowns that were in my size (or close enough to be put on and then closed with clip things!).<br />
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Here's the winner of the ones I could try in my size...and it is pretty close to what I'm ending up with, though I'm hoping that the final one looks better. I thought about sharing some pictures of the rejects, but...well, it's dinner-time and I don't want to spoil your apetite (further)!<br />
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I actually ended up ordering three dresses...they are sitting in boxes in my front hall right now waiting for Sunday, when I'll open the boxes and try on the dresses with my two super-close girlfriends (Anne and Talia...both of whom have unfinished quilts that I hope to finish before the wedding...because why not give myself something different to <strike>stress about</strike> work on?!?) We will then go to brunch, because one way or another, I suspect I'll want a mimosa! (Incidentally, after seeing the pictures my mom took of some of the rejects that were being pushed on us the next day at Neiman Marcus, I should really go on a diet. Instead, I made blackberry cobbler earlier this week, and I'm currently contemplating getting up and making chocolate mousse before Bryan gets home from work. I think I have the wrong idea about how to solve the problem of my mental image (aka Supermodel) not matching the photographic evidence! Oh, and might I add that I'm about to start a daily push-up regimen - yikes!)<br />
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Anyway, in other exciting news, Anne is hosting a bridal brunch for me, which I'm absolutely thrilled about! It's on April 15th, so I should probably not wait until that day this year to do my taxes! Details...<br />
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We'll have at least one small dinner celebration the weekend before the wedding, and then my aunt and uncle in New Orleans are letting us use their amazing backyard for a family crawfish boil/reception! More on that later (once I've figured it all out!).<br />
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In further exciting news, I am once again a landlord, and I'm thrilled. After having my house in Athens, GA, on the market for 5+ years (and only rented 1 of those years), I'm excited for the stress relief that comes from having someone living there. It's always a bit scary, but the couple seems really nice, and I reduced my rental price pretty significantly to make it possible for them and in hopes that they'll take good care of the house, so hopefully karma will work for me this time. I'm crossing my fingers, and in the mean-time, it is nice to have someone there to pay some of the bills and to take care of the yard! Who knows...maybe someday they'll be able to buy it! This is a picture of the Paulonia tree blooming in the front yard...isn't it amazing?!? I planted that tree (o.k., my brother planted it, but I helped), and look at it now! It's huge...wish I had something to show the scale better!)<br />
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Oh...and you probably would like to hear about quilting! I've got so many tops finished or really close, but no pictures! I'm hoping to have some time this weekend to wash the kitchen floor and baste 6 projects! (OK, I divided the duvet cover for my brother into 4 quadrants for the front, plus 1 pieced section on the back so far. The picture shows the layout on my design wall before I pieced it...it has sashing between each block, and I think I'm going to free-motion a different design in each block for the fun of practicing...it's the back of a duvet cover, so it won't matter if it isn't perfect, right? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGo9whmw77knktvZo-xjrR4d7sl4RsjPvrxfuED260Upnk20CpucG7uxGRzgIfSTo2Q-FzCFIBedJSg3BBZEQS6lbWsVd5Xc9GKKnoGZXXBvmNIwF7G8wfWw2TxOyIXus7k_JP-JVPVoE/s1600/storm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGo9whmw77knktvZo-xjrR4d7sl4RsjPvrxfuED260Upnk20CpucG7uxGRzgIfSTo2Q-FzCFIBedJSg3BBZEQS6lbWsVd5Xc9GKKnoGZXXBvmNIwF7G8wfWw2TxOyIXus7k_JP-JVPVoE/s320/storm.JPG" width="240" /></a>I spent many days working on organizing my sewing room so that we could fit more stuff under the bed before my mom's visit, since she was going to need to sleep in the bed, and it was completely covered in fabric and projects. I have a little more to do, and then I'll finally be able to present the sewing room in all its glory...I'm sure it will stay cleaned up better after seeing what agony it has been to get it manageable! Here's part of the before...complete with my little helper...NOT!</div>
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I also have to get Talia and Aaron's quilt basted. I love the idea of presenting them with the quilt I promised them at their wedding on my wedding day, plus it is also Aaron's birthday, so I'd love to get it done and delivered. The top turned out so beautifully that I really am terrified of messing it up with the quilting, so it may be slow-going, but I think I'm finally mentally-ready.) I'm also taking off at least 3 days from work during the first two weeks of April, so I should get a lot done, in theory.</div>
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OK, Bryan's home and catching me in the fact that I've not done anything about dinner or cleaning up the dishes from breakfast (which I usually do during lunch on days I telework!), so I better run and show him that he's not marrying a lazy bum! Heh...what he doesn't know...</div>
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I'm about to post more regularly, including a fun "tag-it" post from Becky!</div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-31059847664524261352012-02-17T22:54:00.001-05:002012-02-17T23:05:07.575-05:00Long time, no post!Well, I haven't had much to blog about, as my day job turned into my day-night-and-weekend job for the last month. I'm finally going to do more than look longingly at my sewing machine this weekend as I trudged from work to bed (one time 24 hours after having left my bed - brutal!), and hopefully by Tuesday I will have finished a small project that was supposed to be done in January! And by this time next week, I might even have finished up a bigger project, too! <br />
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I am also 769 blog posts behind on my reader. And I decided last weekend that if I want to get married this spring, I should probably pick a date and start planning! I saw a blog where everyone got a homemade cloth napkin as a wedding favor. Love the concept, even more so if it had a matching placemat to cover the graffitied park benches in the pavilion where we're holding the event, but yeah...less than 3 months...not going to happen, I'd say! <br />
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I do have a great helper, though! If only she would learn how to sew! <br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoNjRiRvYczvB1TCM7zOo8CQL4PMvLA00sHtmxNsRLffpwuhEKPbcKGsSDeApkUt-bkGUWlOjkKGSrDqllMgDjjl3G8Ass8xnSySTsooraiu8dL6bSgQP6TiBqgsvM54ULGFOgO-Y01OM/s640/blogger-image-692429992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoNjRiRvYczvB1TCM7zOo8CQL4PMvLA00sHtmxNsRLffpwuhEKPbcKGsSDeApkUt-bkGUWlOjkKGSrDqllMgDjjl3G8Ass8xnSySTsooraiu8dL6bSgQP6TiBqgsvM54ULGFOgO-Y01OM/s640/blogger-image-692429992.jpg" /></a></div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-52009998176254011452012-01-25T22:49:00.001-05:002012-01-25T22:50:08.380-05:00A few more chevrons!I continue experimenting on my method, and meanwhile, I've completed 9 chevrons! Only 51 to go (yikes!)! <br />
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I stopped by the closest quilt guild tonight and was sad to find out that I'm too late to enter their quilt show in the spring. I'd thought the timing would be perfect to be able to show my Storm-at-sea before giving it to my friends, but alas! I'll just have to make an awesome quilt next year in time for the show! I'll try again in 2 weeks to see if it looks like a fun group. It doesn't seem as welcoming as the DC Modern Quilt Guild, but I'd thought it would be convenient and fun to meet some nearby quilters (plus I don't really know anyone in this area, and it would be nice to meet folks who may know nannies or babysitters for our future little one!). I'm a fan of having a regular date night with my sweetie, but that will be difficult without knowing someone we can leave our child with, but if someone has a recommendation from a quilter, well...high praise indeed! <br />
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I have lots to accomplish this weekend...my aunt's birthday is next week, and I plan to actually have a nice present for her in time this year, so I need to mail the package by Monday. But...tonight, I played with chevrons!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYbwchET0KciULx7j-23eKYX-A0lLIemjm-Lvo4f1yxWUsBqoT-nJJOFsfnKTwtVGacKrD9zAw6XZG24VmR49Ga8BZBVETOA4IsRbVSVg3cl_mIK5nSuiSTsN_vxnK4BxsFynnaGmqOeD/s640/blogger-image--726809528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYbwchET0KciULx7j-23eKYX-A0lLIemjm-Lvo4f1yxWUsBqoT-nJJOFsfnKTwtVGacKrD9zAw6XZG24VmR49Ga8BZBVETOA4IsRbVSVg3cl_mIK5nSuiSTsN_vxnK4BxsFynnaGmqOeD/s640/blogger-image--726809528.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6VX9EYhD2SswhgmVU6CSrCGUTjzflujXUr9YOpwGdEw-_Xf9oGUg6MV37HCoU8ERmgv9Koyf72h6ZYzMpzS_KCayH0p5JoenotS-2ZEKF7meo124BWN6dTFbOFfBQu7uyVrYJDc9nUG0/s640/blogger-image-1797464974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6VX9EYhD2SswhgmVU6CSrCGUTjzflujXUr9YOpwGdEw-_Xf9oGUg6MV37HCoU8ERmgv9Koyf72h6ZYzMpzS_KCayH0p5JoenotS-2ZEKF7meo124BWN6dTFbOFfBQu7uyVrYJDc9nUG0/s640/blogger-image-1797464974.jpg" /></a></div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-4415155913083786022012-01-23T00:18:00.001-05:002012-01-23T00:18:59.522-05:00A start (at last) on Chasing ChevronsI finally took a couple hours tonight to make a couple of blocks for the Chasing Chevrons quilt-along, in which I am terribly behind but still very excited! I am glad I made a few to try out my method, as I'd picked out the wrong size of half-square triangle stencil. The stencils refer to the finished size, and I kept confusing myself about that, as I need 4" squares to see together to end up with a 7.5" unit. When I used the ones that said 4" finished HSTs, I ended up with 4.5" squares, which meant I did a little trimming. I'll try tomorrow with the 3.5" finished stencil, and I should be all set, though I may still make the larger ones for the strips I already cut, since it is nice to have room to trim them, so that they end up a perfect 7.5" square. That said, the stencils were surprisingly accurate, so I'm not too worried about them. I used a marking pen tonight, but I'm anxious to see if the pounce pad works, since that would make marking go even faster! I'll take some pictures of what I'm talking about later this week, since I'm pretty excited about this concept...making gridded HSTs using a stencil! I'm planning to time myself to see how long it takes to make this quilt at a leisurely pace...2 hours tonight for 2 of the 60 blocks, but I was puttering a bit.<br />
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Also, thanks for the birthday salutations! It was lovely! Bryan took me to a wonderful restaurant on my birthday for a romantic dinner for 2, and then Friday we celebrated with 3 great friends at the restaurant where we went last year for my birthday/our engagement, and our meal was exquisite! We spent the weekend cooking Cajun...crawfish bisque Saturday night and crawfish pie tonight! I made some chili this morning for a frozen food baby shower brunch today, but I was sad when I realized people had brought cute baby things, in addition to the frozen entree we were asked to bring. I could have made a cute blanket or burp cloths, and i was dying over the little outfits, but then again, I have enough projects on my list right now, so maybe it is good that I didn't realize I should have done more. Ah well! Not enough hours in the day, and I'm determined to get rolling on things for our future little one!<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiex87I-LIZ-bHrseeE7jmyBXKVvVIM3PJ7eDsNlMA8qmiAinJKpkemTShHLOrWfRqEe9rG7m0MPWTrGGeCt3NAewoh8CwC0BG_LDMZuA-X8UcseH_JW95lN3ili_RZPV6KPpNyx9-DsuXV/s640/blogger-image--1357190245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiex87I-LIZ-bHrseeE7jmyBXKVvVIM3PJ7eDsNlMA8qmiAinJKpkemTShHLOrWfRqEe9rG7m0MPWTrGGeCt3NAewoh8CwC0BG_LDMZuA-X8UcseH_JW95lN3ili_RZPV6KPpNyx9-DsuXV/s640/blogger-image--1357190245.jpg" /></a></div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446530902700220228.post-25506997115075769382012-01-19T10:19:00.000-05:002012-01-19T10:19:19.355-05:00The big 3-5!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hi9JyPv272gAqQONUK69NZfzmIVwMh3n_kjq3B6cNecEj6xZuqMthyphenhyphenxbibte5XFhrtqS_yIeeDJOQj_hyphenhyphenzL4tJ6PbLgrRO_ucGw-LKGDRTHSA7kA0W7NjWTDs-qTG3veMETXaRPoZaeP/s640/blogger-image-236577783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hi9JyPv272gAqQONUK69NZfzmIVwMh3n_kjq3B6cNecEj6xZuqMthyphenhyphenxbibte5XFhrtqS_yIeeDJOQj_hyphenhyphenzL4tJ6PbLgrRO_ucGw-LKGDRTHSA7kA0W7NjWTDs-qTG3veMETXaRPoZaeP/s400/blogger-image-236577783.jpg" width="400" /></a>Well, today is my birthday, and I'm in pretty good company. I share the day with Dolly Parton and Paula Deen! Spunk and butter...that about sums me up (or at least I'd like to think so)!</div>
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My poor mom braved a blizzard in Birmingham, Alabama, to get to the hospital to give birth to me. No one knew how to drive or had snow tires, and a police officer had to get my mom to the hospital after a harrowing walk up a steep hill (both directions barefoot, I'm sure). ;) I was supposed to be a scheduled C-section because my brother had been an emergency C-section, but my mom got to go through labor (lucky girl!) for awhile because the anesthesiologist had gone home and couldn't get back to the hospital through the winter weather. (I can imagine her distress...definitely not part of the deal...labor pains and the joy of recovering from having your belly slashed open (though at least this time they could make the cut straight!)) My dad was at home sleeping...the excitement from my brother's birth 2 1/2 years before had been enough to last him a lifetime, apparently! The family lore is that my mom called to tell him he had a baby girl, he said "great" and promptly went back to sleep. (I was born just after 7 in the morning.). When he got up later, my grandmother asked if he'd heard anything from my mom when he nonchalantly gave her the news. Poor dad...every year we give him a hard time about it. Gotta love family traditions!</div>
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For many years, I was the most excited about turning 34. That was my varsity volleyball number is high school, and I always looked forward to it being one of the best years of my life. Well, it was! My boyfriend, Bryan, proposed to me on almost my birth minute last year, and I was very surprised, but excited! I said yes, of course, and one of these years (probably this one), we'll actually get married! I sort of wish we'd gotten our license so that we could run to the courthouse today, since it's a Federal holiday on the anniversary of our first date and we'll be out of town on his birthday. I guess we'll just have to have another special day to celebrate...awww darn!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlxPHYV2xxqI-80Z1zm_-8fCbNw9BQSqpVzylZcYs5Jt7iCUmabJQOTSQj5EumioWUDEIc3yXYhk-YqdawaEVW-fzWpPd1qZORPAOeBQaAv8q8Zn2kEAO6CZV_xnnX_Vjoz_043RlvjQ9/s640/blogger-image-246065296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlxPHYV2xxqI-80Z1zm_-8fCbNw9BQSqpVzylZcYs5Jt7iCUmabJQOTSQj5EumioWUDEIc3yXYhk-YqdawaEVW-fzWpPd1qZORPAOeBQaAv8q8Zn2kEAO6CZV_xnnX_Vjoz_043RlvjQ9/s320/blogger-image-246065296.jpg" width="240" /></a>The only sad part about looking forward to being a certain age for most of your life is that now my big year is over. I'll never be 34 again. As I told my mom yesterday, it's all downhill from here. I was joking, but it felt like less of a joke when I got up for Pilates at 5:30 this morning...yikes! Now I wish I'd taken the morning off work for a leisurely breakfast and sewing time, but I always wish that by Thursday morning, so...better to stick with routine!</div>
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At least my favorite year ended well...Bryan brought me these gorgeous flowers. He brought me some right before Christmas, and the purple flowers were actually just finally starting to fade yesterday...well done, my good man. But, these are just exquisite. I have no idea what that purple one is, but it is so cool! Maybe some sort of thistle? The first flowers Bryan gave me were purple tulips...he'd actually listened through our many hours of conversation, and he paid attention(!) and knew that purple was/is my favorite color. I don't know why things like that still shock me and please me so much, but they do! I'm a very lucky birthday girl, indeed!</div>Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129822128164340288noreply@blogger.com2