Other Sewing Projects

I've been busy with some other sewing projects too besides the quilt I showed you yesterday. I made a new Halloween table runner for my kitchen table. I used this method and I can get it totally done in about and afternoon. I have done quite a few of these for gifts and they are so fun and easy to make!

Here's my new laptop case I made from DS fabric from JoAnn. I got the instructions from this book. It has a lot of cute ideas for sewing and the instructions are pretty easy to follow. It fits my laptop perfectly and has double batting to keep it safe. It was my first attempt at straight line machine quilting.

This one I am pretty proud of. I made the design myself, based on the laptop case. It was really out of necessity because it is hard to find a case for it since it was just released.

It's a case for my newest gadget that DH got me for my birthday. It's a Acer A100 tablet. I really didn't need a smartphone since I rarely use a cellphone, but I wanted the functionality of having an Android. This is the next best thing. I picked this one because of the size. It's 7". I didn't want the 10" version because that is almost the same size as my laptop!

 

So far I haven't tried to download too many apps. But one of my favorites is the GroceryIQ app. I can make out my grocery list at home and then take it with me to the store and check off things as I get them. So much easier! I usually forget to add things to my list as the week goes by, but with the app I can just add as I go along and you can even scan the item's UPC to add it to your list!

My First Quilt!

I've been working on this for a while if you remember. After the kids went back to school, I made the push to finish it up. The quilt pattern is from Denyse Schmidt - A Hop, Skip, and a Jump. I had a lot of fun selecting all the patterns for this. I made it for my son, Cole. I think it reflects his colorful personality. He told me that it was the best thing anyone had ever done for him. Awww.

Here is the front of the quilt. It is fun to collect all those wonderful patterns and put them together!

I'm so glad that it turned out well and I am already working on my next one that is a gift for someone special. After that I have 3 more to make for my other 2 boys and one for me!

Here is the back of the quilt. I just used the same pattern to go the whole way across in a rainbow.
I machine quilted it in a random straight pattern. 

Our Summer So Far

Colonial Williamsburg - June 2011 - rolling hoops at the Powell House

We've been busy so far this summer! We took a trip in June to Colonial Williamsburg. The kids enjoyed it as much as I hoped (CW is my most favorite place in the whole world --I interned there when I was in college).

Colonial Williamsburg - June 2011 - flash mob with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
We even made history by singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! They were part of a flash mob in the Historic Area on June 21, 2011. You can see it here:
YouTube Video

Colonial Williamsburg - June 2011 - mixing clay for bricks at the Brickmakers

The kids enjoyed everything we did here and I think that we visited all of the sites, with the exception of only 1 or 2! They had maps to fill out of places they had visited and they got the idea to do them all. Overall it was a great trip and I hope to do it again with them sometime soon.

Pig Roast - July 2011

After our trip, it was time for the annual Pig Roast in Corry -- this being number 19. It was nice weather and good to see old friends!

Marco Island - Tiger Tail Beach - July 2011

Then two weeks ago we went to Marco Island, FL for a wedding. We stayed for a week in a very nice house. The kids loved to pool and spa. We spent time at the beach and swimming in the pool along with enjoying the local seafood!

Marco Island - Our House - July 2011

The wedding was beautiful on the beach by the Hilton (if you  know the area). Very wonderful time!

Marco Island - Jenn and Dave Wedding - July 2011

And now that we had all those wonderful vacations, it's now Football time! Practice started last week. For it signals that summer is just about over. We have to eat either before or after practice (usually after since school is still out) so that takes up about 1/2 of my day it seems.

Last Day of School

The last day of school for the 2010-2011 year. That one really flew by! My mom always told me that as soon as the kids start school, the years will fly by. They certainly do. Carrick will be 11 and starting 5th grade at the Middle School. Not looking forward to that drama and the awkward adolescent years. Cole and Cade will be entering 4th grade -- but we don't know if they will still be at the same school due to the state budget cuts.

Here's the photo I got when I told them they could do what they wanted. Interesting.

I am very proud of them, though. They all do very well in school and behave themselves for the most part. Let's just hope that I can survive the summer! We have a trip coming up as I said, and lots of nothing to do too.

Let me clean off the dust!

I've been missing in action again! Where did the days go? Been busy now that the days are hot and lots to do outside. Lots of grass cutting and weed-wacking (it takes me about 3 1/2 hours to cut the grass since we have such a big yard).
Last weekend we started the Summer off right with the Memorial Day Parade. Carrick and the district's 4th graders marched in the parade with their recorders playing "Yankee Doodle Dandy". A good way to get them interested in Marching Band. Which makes this momma happy since I was the "Head of the Band Fags" as my wonderful husband likes to call me (stupid pants). I was in Marching Band for over 4 years -- two of those as Drum Major. I have do many wonderful memories from being a part of the band.

Here's a shot of Carrick from behind since I didn't see him until he was almost past me. He's the the left of middle.

I was also busy making lots of table runners, 5 in all. I made one for my mom for Mother's Day, one for DH's Grandmother who recently turned 100, and these three for my kids' teachers gifts. They are pretty easy to make with the tutorial here.

 

The first one in the top photo was for Cade's teacher that loves the Wizard of Oz, the second for Carrick's teacher made with Denise Schmidt fabric from JoAnn, and the third for Cole's teacher that likes pink and made with various fabrics from my stash and a heart batik from JoAnn. I can say that I was successful in getting them all done on time and the teachers loved them. I hate just giving them something bought like a mug, and I thought something handmade would be better. Nice to know what I made was appreciated!

Today is the last day of school and they will only be there 2 hours. Here's to hoping I will keep my sanity over the summer. We have a trip planned to Williamsburg, VA with just the kids and I since DH will be traveling to

 China and Korea for work, trips to my parents cabin up north, and of course Football starts July 25th!

I am also working on Cole's quilt, painting around the house, and cutting more grass!

My newest pursuit

The kids have been enjoying the warmer weather. If it would just moderate and stay around 70°, I'd be happy! I hate it when it's warm one day, cold the next.  It was so windy yesterday -- that's why they have the tarps -- to pretend they were parachutes.

Or tents.
I already have cut the grass once ad rolled they yard. We must have a huge family of moles living in our front yard. The whole thing was all torn up with mole tunnels, so I had to roll it before cutting so that the mower blade didn't chew up the high parts.

I plan on starting my Spring Cleaning this week. Lots of dust and dead stink bugs to remove. Yuck.

This is my newest pursuit. I started quilting. I made my first smaller project from a kit that I found here (but now out of stock). It came with all the fabric, all I had to do was follow the directions for cutting and sewing. It was good to start out on something smaller. The quilting was hard to get the hang of -- it's something I'll have to get more practice on. I did enjoy the whole process.

I must say that one of my favorite aspects of quilting is all the fabric. I love to pick out prints! There are a few shops not too far away, and there are lots of fabric on Etsy. That's where I've gotten the majority of mine.

And here's why I wanted to learn to quilt:


I had fallen in love with these types of quilts. So I wanted to do a quilt for each of my boys (and one for me). This is only one block of Denyse Schmidt's Run, Hop & Jump quilt. I'm using a random grouping of fabrics from my stash for this. I have 4 blocks done, but still need to do about 26 more! I enjoy the cutting and piecing process...I did all 4 of these while watching the NASCAR race yesterday. I can't wait to see what it turns out to look like! This particular quilt is for Cole.