New Books! Woohoo!

I love the projects in these books. I am so excited!

I really want to do a star quilt. I think that my husband would really like a star quilt. I love precuts because I am afraid of cutting. I know that is silly, but I always seem to make horrible mistakes when I am cutting. The ruler slips or my wrist wabbles and I cut it wrong. So, I am drawn to precuts. These quilts don't look like they are made with jelly rolls or charm packs. They look AMAZING. I am going to read them and do a review of these books for my next podcast.

I DID IT! My first Podcast!

I have done it! I recorded my first podcast all about my start as a quilter. Those of you who know me are aware of my complete lack of artistic ability. Jumping into quilting was a complete change for me. I think many of my friends are a little stunned at the fact that I am now a quilter. I know there is part of me that is stunned that I have fallen in love with quilting.

So, my first podcast is how this new hobby started. Please check it out!
Hopefully, it will be up on iTunes soon.

Deciding to podcast...

This cartoon made me LAUGH, because this is me - if there was a sewing machine in front of me. I am alone in my quilting. I don't have the time (or the baby-sitter) to join a club or guild. My hubbie travels all the time, and that means that I couldn't be reliable in attending the meetings.

It happens to me whenever I sign up to help anywhere. The kids get sick, and then I can't go because there is no one else to watch them or help me out. That is one of the issues when you live miles and miles from family and friends who can help. Okay...enough pouting! LOL. I love the adventure of being a military wife. I am already thinking and planning things for our next move, which won't even happen for a year. I don't even know where we are going. Eek!

Well...thinking about the being alone in quilting and how much I am coming to really love it....I have decided that I want to start a podcast. Now, considering that I only really get 5 hours a sleep a night as it is, I am wondering if I am nuts to want to do this. It looks like a lot of work. But...I love the podcasts that are out there. I want to share what I am doing and learning with others and podcasting seems to be the only way.

I am going to do my research, and see if I can do this. At this point, I don't even get to quilt daily, but that is okay. I think that I have a lot that I am thinking about and that I want to look into. I really like the Off-Kilter Quilt podcast because she does a quilting journal. I think I could do that. Most of my quilting happens at night after all the babies (including the hubbie) have gone to bed. I think I could podcast at the same time. Hmmmm....food for thought.

My Caterpillar fabric just arrived!

The brother's little baby quilt fabric has arrived!! I am so happy! The colors are beautiful and bright - perfect to grab the attention of a little one. I love giving primary colors to babies.

I need to finish a lot of my projects as soon as I can, so I can start working on this quilt. The baby is due in August, so I need to get it done by then. I am shooting for July.

So...I have found a problem with quilting. Getting fabric gives me this sense of excitement...with heart pounding joy and possibilities. I have to be careful because it is so addictive! Hehehe. I could turn in to one of those hoarders but with fabric.

So...I have cut off the fabric buying for six months. I have to use what I have first. I only have a line of quilt projects to do...finish quilting Vanilla'a pink and brown...finish quilting mom's....putting together and finishing dad's disappearing nine patch...then - pumpkin's quilt, sister's quilt, Chiquita's wedding quilt...etc...whew. Lol!

So, Baby is going to fit in there.  I think that the caterpillar quilt is going to get bumped way up on the list! I am in love with the fabric!

I am wondering if I should send the Caterpillar quilt out to be quilted by a long arm quilter. I am not confident that I could quilt it with the cool shapes that I want it to have. If you have had your quilt done that way, how was it? Is it expensive?

I hope that you are having a wonderful Saturday!
Katie

Listening to podcasts

Here I am...taking a quick break from work. I have been listening to quilting podcasts while I have been working all day. They are so inspirational. I think that I might start a podcast about the fact that I am just a beginning quilter.

I really like listening to others talk about what they are doing. So many of these ladies are SO creative. They knit and quilt and make clothes. I am just learning how to sew and knitting just frigthens me. So....I am thinking about doing the podcast. I would love to get the feedback.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to quilt for the last few days because I have been working for hours past my normal time. Sigh.

Hears to hoping I get all of my stuff documented at work....so that I can quilt tonight.

My little bears out on their bikes with Daddy. Gotta love a sunny day!

Thinking....

I am thinking about the wedding quilt I want to make my best friend. I am so happy for her and her fiancé. I am thinking...a fat fence rail. Hmmm.... Any ideas? I have a layer cake and a jelly roll.

Wow!

I got so much done on my disappearing nine patch quilt blocks last night. I turned off the TV and tuned in to the latest podcast from Sew-Stitch-Create. Just listening to someone else talk about quilting and creating Projects helped me to focus on my own project. It was amazing.

So...I did the math and realized that I needed two more nine blocks or 8 more cut blocks to make the quilt the length that I wanted. The only problem is that I needed 18 charms and I lost my left over fabric from my mom's quilt. So that meant I had only 17 charms. A problem. However, at the quilt show I bought a bunch of scraps and I just happened to have one that was the same red as my dad's quilt. So I cut a 5 by 5 square and whew! It worked!!

Problem solved. Now, I should be able to make the quilt 7 blocks by 9 blocks. Almost all 64 are complete! Woohoo!

Now...off to taking the pumpkin to
preschool.

Pay attention, Self!

Pay attention, self!

Wow! I got really into making 9 blocks this evening. Banana didn't go down until midnight and I really wanted to work. I made 7 nine patches and then cut them into quarters for my disappearing 9 blocks. Beautiful. I look up....it's 3am. Doh!

Ouch...

Migraines are evil. I am down For the count presently.

Inspiration at the quilt show!

The disappearing nine patch!

Stunning!

I am inspired by all of the glorious quilts that I saw today at the QA quilt show in Monroe, Washington.

The women who created these works of art were amazing. Some were so beautiful and complex, while others were so simple and homey. Here are some example. Pardon the pictures...my Pumpkin took the pictures.

The Vanilla bear is sick again this morning! But....the Hubbie says he will stay with her, so I can go to the quilt show in Monroe. Maybe I am a horrible mother, but I am desperate to get out of the house! I'm going to do it! It's national quilting day and I'm excited!

Waiting....

I am currently sitting in the cell phone waiting lot...eager for the Hubbie to land at Seatac. It has been a long week. All three of my baby bears were sick after the Hubbie flew away. Frantic doctor visits and fever meds...fluids and pajamas. My poor sweeties. Now I am ready for the help of my partner.

I've decided to call the kids by nicknames on the blog and they helped me to pick their own names. So...we have Vanilla (age 5), Pumpkin pie (age 4), and Banana (18 months). They loved the food names.

Now on to quilting...
I am SO excited! My fabric arrived. I bought a ton of fabric for so many dofferbet quilts. I swear, buying fabric is addicting!! I absolutely adore the Missouri Star Quilt Company. They have such great fabric (for me...addicted to precuts). I love the tutorials and they have helped me so much. I designed the quilt for Vanilla and put it together. I think it is beautiful. I am lucky that she has great color tastes.

I will post pictures of the different fabric that I bought. I am so excited, but now I am unsure where I wanted to go. I really should start writing my ideas for certain fabrics down as I buy them. I have the backing fabric and I have no idea what quilt I ordered it for. I swear...I have the memory of Dori sometimes.
I am off to play with the different fabrics now! Talk to you soon with pictures! Tehehehe!

Too masculine?

Is this something that screams boy? It has a butterfly right in the center? I love it. Love the primary colors and the fruits on the side. Thinking I will make this for my brothers new baby girl. I am so happy for him. And for his wife. Babies are wonderful. Now I finally have a skill I can use to spoil my family with.

What do you think? Too male?

My latest project

This is my latest project. I am making it for my parents. My Vanilla is helping me select which fabric goes where. She is so excited to see how these pieces come together to make four different blocks.

Blogging....

Wow.

It is 1:40 in the morning and I am making my first post on my blog. I have been wary of blogs for such a long time. However, today I listened to a podcast that influenced me. The speaker was talking about how blogs are a place to show your life, that you can go back and remember. That touched me. Silly, I know, but it did.

I have forgotten so many things in the last 5 years as my kids have grown. They are the center of my world, but I have forgotten so many of the details that I swore I never would. So, blogging seems like a good place to start.

I started this blog about quilting because that seems to be my new hobby. My new focus to de-stress. Which is so funny because sometimes to TOTALLY stresses me out. I really like learning and watching the fabric come together. It is so much fun.

I have learned that really....I can't sew a straight line. That is okay though. None of my points or corners match. But I don't mind. I love trying and doing my best.

So, here I am. Writing my first blog. I think that my next post will include some pictures of the quilt that I am working on. It is using the disappearing nine patch. Scary, because I have mostly just been sewing charm packs together.

This is the second big step up for me. The first big step was my quilt for my eldest daughter. I have posted my picture of that. I think it is adorable because my five year old picked out all of the fabric, and then told me that she wanted pinwheels. I didn't feel confident enough to do all pinwheels, so I did a four patch and pinwheels that I sashed. What do you think?

Thank you for reading my blog!