I love the freshness of a new year, don't you? It's a time to reflect on the year gone by and look ahead to the new year. I can categorize last year with one word, messy. My blog was messy, my life was messy and my house was messy. I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants gal by nature. Impulsive describes me well. Sometimes it works well for me, other times? Not so much. I also tend to zone in on something and the world around fades away, which means that the things that need taken care of don't get done, because I forget. I get distracted easily and then forget what I was working on in the first place. Think, mop in the middle of the kitchen when hubby gets home at 5 in the afternoon because I got distracted earlier in the day and forgot to finish the mopping. True story...

 I adore my iPhone and in many ways it has made my life simpler! However, I have found that I need to physically write down and see what is on my to-do list to stay on top of things that need to be done at home and at work. That's why I decided to spend my Christmas money on an Erin Condren Life Planner to aid me in my effort to be more organized.

I'll give updates on how it is working for me as the year progresses.  =)

I also bought some new pens, fun washi tape and stickers to add some extra pretties to my new planner. =) 

With my purchase, I was given a referral link to share. When using my referral link, you will get $10 off your purchase at Erin Condren, and she sells more than just Life Planners.  In return, when using my referral link, I will also receive $10 credit in my account for a future purchase. 

My referral link to ErinCondren.com.

What are the ways you use to help you to stay more organized?

Have a Happy Thursday!!

I love the freshness of a new year, don't you? It's a time to reflect on the year gone by and look ahead to the new year. I can categorize last year with one word, messy. My blog was messy, my life was messy and my house was messy. I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants gal by nature. Impulsive describes me well. Sometimes it works well for me, other times? Not so much. I also tend to zone in on something and the world around fades away, which means that the things that need taken care of don't get done, because I forget. I get distracted easily and then forget what I was working on in the first place. Think, mop in the middle of the kitchen when hubby gets home at 5 in the afternoon because I got distracted earlier in the day and forgot to finish the mopping. True story...

 I adore my iPhone and in many ways it has made my life simpler! However, I have found that I need to physically write down and see what is on my to-do list to stay on top of things that need to be done at home and at work. That's why I decided to spend my Christmas money on an Erin Condren Life Planner to aid me in my effort to be more organized.

I'll give updates on how it is working for me as the year progresses.  =)

I also bought some new pens, fun washi tape and stickers to add some extra pretties to my new planner. =) 

With my purchase, I was given a referral link to share. When using my referral link, you will get $10 off your purchase at Erin Condren, and she sells more than just Life Planners.  In return, when using my referral link, I will also receive $10 credit in my account for a future purchase. 

My referral link to ErinCondren.com.

What are the ways you use to help you to stay more organized?

Have a Happy Thursday!!

Last week, I began quilting my Favorite Things quilt I made from the Craftsy class Twisted Irish Chain. This quilt seems like it taking forever to get the quilting finished. Partly because I am quilting this one densely so its very slow going and partly because I have been working extra hours at the shop to do inventory. Let me just say, I am so glad that it only happens once a year! 

 I have finished quilting two of the rows and have five more to go. 

Here is a close up of the dense wavy lines. I want the lines to cross and touch occasionally. 

And a view of the back...

Cannot wait to have this one finished! =)

I am participating for the first time in the Let's Bee Social linky party hosted by Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts. Click on the Let's Bee Social button in my sidebar for information on how you can join in, too. =)

Have a happy Wednesday!!

Last week, I began quilting my Favorite Things quilt I made from the Craftsy class Twisted Irish Chain. This quilt seems like it taking forever to get the quilting finished. Partly because I am quilting this one densely so its very slow going and partly because I have been working extra hours at the shop to do inventory. Let me just say, I am so glad that it only happens once a year! 

 I have finished quilting two of the rows and have five more to go. 

Here is a close up of the dense wavy lines. I want the lines to cross and touch occasionally. 

And a view of the back...

Cannot wait to have this one finished! =)

I am participating for the first time in the Let's Bee Social linky party hosted by Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts. Click on the Let's Bee Social button in my sidebar for information on how you can join in, too. =)

Have a happy Wednesday!!

Once again, I am participating in an online sewing bee this year hosted by the lovely Donna at Donna's Lavender Nest.  Make sure you visit her shop and check out her darling fabrics! Oh, she also does longarm quilting, if you happen to be looking for someone finish up a quilt for you. =) 

January is my month to be queen bee, which means I get to decide on a block for the ladies to make for me. For a few years, I have wanted to have a quilt made of houses, but I never seem to get one started, so what better time than now when I can have some houses made by my bee sisters? I found a lovely tutorial for the perfect house @ BloominWorkshop. It's not a complicated block and yet has plenty of pieces to make it scrappy and fun. 

Source: Bloominworkshop

I can't wait to see what the ladies come up with. =) I look forward to having a whole neighborhood of bright and happy houses! 

Have a happy Monday! 

Once again, I am participating in an online sewing bee this year hosted by the lovely Donna at Donna's Lavender Nest.  Make sure you visit her shop and check out her darling fabrics! Oh, she also does longarm quilting, if you happen to be looking for someone finish up a quilt for you. =) 

January is my month to be queen bee, which means I get to decide on a block for the ladies to make for me. For a few years, I have wanted to have a quilt made of houses, but I never seem to get one started, so what better time than now when I can have some houses made by my bee sisters? I found a lovely tutorial for the perfect house @ BloominWorkshop. It's not a complicated block and yet has plenty of pieces to make it scrappy and fun. 

Source: Bloominworkshop

I can't wait to see what the ladies come up with. =) I look forward to having a whole neighborhood of bright and happy houses! 

Have a happy Monday! 

I can finally share a finish now that Christmas is over and the gift has been received. Brooklyn commissioned me to make her other grandpa a quilt for Christmas. Apparently grandpa steals grandma's quilt frequently and she thought he needed one of his own. I wholeheartedly agreed! I had not made a quilt solely out of batiks before, so this was a fun project for me. Batiks are a dream to sew with! 

I used a Moda flannel for the back and hand dyed wool for the appliqué. The red heart bled a bit after it was washed, but not too horribly. (whew!)

Since I am sharing gifts, I may as well share them all. No worries, there isn't much to show, since our Christmas gift, our Harley Tri-Glide,  came early last summer. =)

Russ needed a satchel to transport his laptop. I love this satchel so much!! I may have to borrow it sometimes! 

Russ gifted me with this cone thread stand to use with my feather weight and other vintage machines. 

My mother-in-love always gives us kids the gift of cash. I usually buy fabric or something for my sewing room with her gift, but this year I wanted to do something different, so I ordered an Erin Condren Life Planner. I am so excited for it to arrive!!  I love my iPhone and use it for keeping dates and schedules, but I find I really need to be able to physically write things down and see it for me to remember. Now that I'm working part time, I need to do better with keeping organized and getting things done. I am hoping this will be the ticket. To go along with my new life planner, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and bought some stickers, wash tape and pens. 

This will be my last post of 2014, so I want to take the time to thank all of you for your support, your comments, and your friendship. =)

I'll see you again in 2015!! 

Have a happy day!

I can finally share a finish now that Christmas is over and the gift has been received. Brooklyn commissioned me to make her other grandpa a quilt for Christmas. Apparently grandpa steals grandma's quilt frequently and she thought he needed one of his own. I wholeheartedly agreed! I had not made a quilt solely out of batiks before, so this was a fun project for me. Batiks are a dream to sew with! 

I used a Moda flannel for the back and hand dyed wool for the appliqué. The red heart bled a bit after it was washed, but not too horribly. (whew!)

Since I am sharing gifts, I may as well share them all. No worries, there isn't much to show, since our Christmas gift, our Harley Tri-Glide,  came early last summer. =)

Russ needed a satchel to transport his laptop. I love this satchel so much!! I may have to borrow it sometimes! 

Russ gifted me with this cone thread stand to use with my feather weight and other vintage machines. 

My mother-in-love always gives us kids the gift of cash. I usually buy fabric or something for my sewing room with her gift, but this year I wanted to do something different, so I ordered an Erin Condren Life Planner. I am so excited for it to arrive!!  I love my iPhone and use it for keeping dates and schedules, but I find I really need to be able to physically write things down and see it for me to remember. Now that I'm working part time, I need to do better with keeping organized and getting things done. I am hoping this will be the ticket. To go along with my new life planner, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and bought some stickers, wash tape and pens. 

This will be my last post of 2014, so I want to take the time to thank all of you for your support, your comments, and your friendship. =)

I'll see you again in 2015!! 

Have a happy day!

Happy Monday, everyone! It is a rainy, foggy day here in Iowa. No fun! I know some would be upset, but I am so ready for some snow!! 

This last weekend, Russ and I took off for some r & r in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit the Harley Davidson Museum. We had a very nice time, except for the crazy traffic. Yikes!! I confess, the traffic triggered a panic attack. =(

I won't bore you with pictures of the motorcycles, but I did want to share this colorful display of the motorcycle tanks that have graced the bikes since 1903.

Look at those great colors! 

I could have stayed at this part of the exhibit all day long to study the different logos, fonts and colors that were used over the years. My favorite is the bottom right. 

Last week, I finished quilting the Shortcake Quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew. Erin Jensen and hazel stitches, are the two ladies that began the Shortcake Quilt along on Instagram. You can search for it using #shortcakealong. I really love this pattern!!

I debated on what to use for the binding and decided to go bold and use the Miss Kate navy. I went with the twin size pattern so it's a big one to cuddle up with on a cold winters day. I mixed in some Bliss, Ruby and Scrumptious with my Miss Kate jelly roll. This quilt squealed its way up to the top of my favorites pile. 

I also got back to working on my Farmer's Wife Revival quilt and finished up class 5. There is a button in my sidebar that will take you to the information on the classes. I can't recommend them highly enough! My next decision is whether to stop here and make this the lap top size, or keep going. 

Next up, stash building! Mochi Dots linen blend fabrics by MoMo found their way into my stash during the Black Friday sales. The colors are so rich and I adore the linen blend fabrics. 

I've also been having a crush on the Moda Grunge fabrics and ordered a fat quarter bundle. I think these two piles of fabric will play nicely together. Now to come up with a solid plan for these lovelies. Or, I suppose I could just look at them for a while. =) 

source

When you buy fabric, do you always have a plan for it? I rarely do. I usually love the fabric and decide on a plan later. =)

Have a happy Monday, everyone!!

Happy Monday, everyone! It is a rainy, foggy day here in Iowa. No fun! I know some would be upset, but I am so ready for some snow!! 

This last weekend, Russ and I took off for some r & r in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit the Harley Davidson Museum. We had a very nice time, except for the crazy traffic. Yikes!! I confess, the traffic triggered a panic attack. =(

I won't bore you with pictures of the motorcycles, but I did want to share this colorful display of the motorcycle tanks that have graced the bikes since 1903.

Look at those great colors! 

I could have stayed at this part of the exhibit all day long to study the different logos, fonts and colors that were used over the years. My favorite is the bottom right. 

Last week, I finished quilting the Shortcake Quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew. Erin Jensen and hazel stitches, are the two ladies that began the Shortcake Quilt along on Instagram. You can search for it using #shortcakealong. I really love this pattern!!

I debated on what to use for the binding and decided to go bold and use the Miss Kate navy. I went with the twin size pattern so it's a big one to cuddle up with on a cold winters day. I mixed in some Bliss, Ruby and Scrumptious with my Miss Kate jelly roll. This quilt squealed its way up to the top of my favorites pile. 

I also got back to working on my Farmer's Wife Revival quilt and finished up class 5. There is a button in my sidebar that will take you to the information on the classes. I can't recommend them highly enough! My next decision is whether to stop here and make this the lap top size, or keep going. 

Next up, stash building! Mochi Dots linen blend fabrics by MoMo found their way into my stash during the Black Friday sales. The colors are so rich and I adore the linen blend fabrics. 

I've also been having a crush on the Moda Grunge fabrics and ordered a fat quarter bundle. I think these two piles of fabric will play nicely together. Now to come up with a solid plan for these lovelies. Or, I suppose I could just look at them for a while. =) 

source

When you buy fabric, do you always have a plan for it? I rarely do. I usually love the fabric and decide on a plan later. =)

Have a happy Monday, everyone!!

How is everyone doing? I am sure busy with the holiday season in full swing. I know I have been. =) My poor neglected blog was getting lonely. I had no idea how much busier working part time would make my life! Trust me, that is not a complaint. Just a fact. =) 

There hasn't been much to blog about lately due to working on secret Christmas projects. Now that they are done and ready for gift giving, I did get to work on a couple of projects that I can share. =) 

Last month I worked on a shop sample. Wow....I was a bit nervous and I knew it was going to be sent out to a longarmer to get it quilted. A first for a quilt I have made. We got it back last week and now it's hanging up for all to see. It turned out so nice!!! The fabric is Moda's Atelier and the pattern is Tapestry that can be found in Fat Quarter Shop's book, Fat Quarter Style. 

Next up, I found some motorcycle fabric to make Rusty a quilt. Poor guy is severely neglected in the manly man quilt pile around here. I added in some grunge fabric by BasicGrey for Moda. I love the grunge fabrics! 

The weather is daily today, so inside photos are the best I can do. I wish the blue grunge fabric photographed better. It's a richer blue that what shows up in the pictures. 

I backed it with a Moda flannel and used a wool batting. It's been napped tested and approved couple of times already. =) 

We have had some busy weeks at the shop getting ready for the Christmas season and I worked extra hours. So far, this week looks like to be a more normal week so I can get some stuff done around here. 

Russ and I are planning a weekend away in Milwaukee for my birthday this weekend. We will do some quilt shop looking and we are going to take a tour of the Harley Davidson museum. Can't wait!!

Have a happy Monday, everyone!! And have a very merry Christmas...

How is everyone doing? I am sure busy with the holiday season in full swing. I know I have been. =) My poor neglected blog was getting lonely. I had no idea how much busier working part time would make my life! Trust me, that is not a complaint. Just a fact. =) 

There hasn't been much to blog about lately due to working on secret Christmas projects. Now that they are done and ready for gift giving, I did get to work on a couple of projects that I can share. =) 

Last month I worked on a shop sample. Wow....I was a bit nervous and I knew it was going to be sent out to a longarmer to get it quilted. A first for a quilt I have made. We got it back last week and now it's hanging up for all to see. It turned out so nice!!! The fabric is Moda's Atelier and the pattern is Tapestry that can be found in Fat Quarter Shop's book, Fat Quarter Style. 

Next up, I found some motorcycle fabric to make Rusty a quilt. Poor guy is severely neglected in the manly man quilt pile around here. I added in some grunge fabric by BasicGrey for Moda. I love the grunge fabrics! 

The weather is daily today, so inside photos are the best I can do. I wish the blue grunge fabric photographed better. It's a richer blue that what shows up in the pictures. 

I backed it with a Moda flannel and used a wool batting. It's been napped tested and approved couple of times already. =) 

We have had some busy weeks at the shop getting ready for the Christmas season and I worked extra hours. So far, this week looks like to be a more normal week so I can get some stuff done around here. 

Russ and I are planning a weekend away in Milwaukee for my birthday this weekend. We will do some quilt shop looking and we are going to take a tour of the Harley Davidson museum. Can't wait!!

Have a happy Monday, everyone!! And have a very merry Christmas...

For those who follow me on Instagram, this is a repeat of what I have been up to the last few days. =) 

Erin Jensen and hazel stitches, are the two ladies that began the Shortcake Quilt along and it's happening on Instagram. You can search for it using #shortcakealong. The pattern is called Shortcake by Cluck Cluck Sew and it is a beginner friendly quilt. I love how easy and fun this quilt was to put together. 

These are the A blocks. 

These are the beginning of the B blocks. 

I was up way too late getting it put together, but I couldn't wait to see it all finished! When I had both the A and B blocks all finished, I sewed them in pairs and then laid them out to see how to do the final layout. I was a little stressed about the bold navy block. 

Here it is all put together! The blue block doesn't bother me so much anymore. I chose to make the twin size which took a 1 jelly roll and 15 extra strips. I dug out Bliss, Scrumptious and Ruby I had in my stash to add to it. I have the back all ready to go. A while back I bought some Scrumptious yardage from Donna's Lavender Nest and there was just enough. Love it when that happens! 

For now, I need to let it sit. I have some secret Christmas sewing to get to and another store sample to make. =)

Have a happy weekend!

For those who follow me on Instagram, this is a repeat of what I have been up to the last few days. =) 

Erin Jensen and hazel stitches, are the two ladies that began the Shortcake Quilt along and it's happening on Instagram. You can search for it using #shortcakealong. The pattern is called Shortcake by Cluck Cluck Sew and it is a beginner friendly quilt. I love how easy and fun this quilt was to put together. 

These are the A blocks. 

These are the beginning of the B blocks. 

I was up way too late getting it put together, but I couldn't wait to see it all finished! When I had both the A and B blocks all finished, I sewed them in pairs and then laid them out to see how to do the final layout. I was a little stressed about the bold navy block. 

Here it is all put together! The blue block doesn't bother me so much anymore. I chose to make the twin size which took a 1 jelly roll and 15 extra strips. I dug out Bliss, Scrumptious and Ruby I had in my stash to add to it. I have the back all ready to go. A while back I bought some Scrumptious yardage from Donna's Lavender Nest and there was just enough. Love it when that happens! 

For now, I need to let it sit. I have some secret Christmas sewing to get to and another store sample to make. =)

Have a happy weekend!

I have been trying to catch up on some quilt tops I made last year and get them into the finished pile. This is one of them. =) A little pink overload, don't you think?

The back isn't very pretty, but it works for me. I don't normally buy Christmas fabric, so I was pretty limited on what I could use for the back and I am trying to shop my stash before I go out to buy more fabric. 

I made this quilt top as a store sample using Atelier by 3 Sisters. The pattern is Tapestry from the book Fat Quarter Style by It's Sew Emma. Our shop will have it sent out to be longarm quilted. I really love how this one looks. =)

A few weeks ago, I finished Pineapple and Figs by Fig Tree & Co. using Autumn Lily by Blackbird Designs. It's sitting while I decide if I want to add a border or not and I have no clue how to quilt it. I may have to save up and send it out to be longarm quilted. I have never done that before, so the thought makes me a bit nervous!! 

Lastly, I began cutting the fabric to make Shortcake by Cluck Cluck Sew. Someone, somewhere on the web/Instagram was/is doing a sew-along using this pattern. I am way behind to join in on the sew-along, however, this is one pattern I have always wanted to make and it is perfect for my Miss Kate jelly roll. I decided to make the twin size quilt, so I added strips of fabric from other Bonnie and Camille lines I have in my stash. I admit it, I am a huge fan of Bonnie and Camille. HUGE! 

May your fabric always be pressed and your scraps in control. =D Have a happy Wednesday!!

I have been trying to catch up on some quilt tops I made last year and get them into the finished pile. This is one of them. =) A little pink overload, don't you think?

The back isn't very pretty, but it works for me. I don't normally buy Christmas fabric, so I was pretty limited on what I could use for the back and I am trying to shop my stash before I go out to buy more fabric. 

I made this quilt top as a store sample using Atelier by 3 Sisters. The pattern is Tapestry from the book Fat Quarter Style by It's Sew Emma. Our shop will have it sent out to be longarm quilted. I really love how this one looks. =)

A few weeks ago, I finished Pineapple and Figs by Fig Tree & Co. using Autumn Lily by Blackbird Designs. It's sitting while I decide if I want to add a border or not and I have no clue how to quilt it. I may have to save up and send it out to be longarm quilted. I have never done that before, so the thought makes me a bit nervous!! 

Lastly, I began cutting the fabric to make Shortcake by Cluck Cluck Sew. Someone, somewhere on the web/Instagram was/is doing a sew-along using this pattern. I am way behind to join in on the sew-along, however, this is one pattern I have always wanted to make and it is perfect for my Miss Kate jelly roll. I decided to make the twin size quilt, so I added strips of fabric from other Bonnie and Camille lines I have in my stash. I admit it, I am a huge fan of Bonnie and Camille. HUGE! 

May your fabric always be pressed and your scraps in control. =D Have a happy Wednesday!!