Pillowcases

When we moved to Oklahoma I went to the JustServe website to see what service projects were in the area that maybe I could help with.  One project in particular looked doable.  A local hospital has fabric that they would like people to turn into pillowcases.  When a child stays at their hospital they get to choose a pillowcase and keep it.  It was on my list of things I wanted to do once things settled down around here, but imagine my surprise when I found out the Young Women at Church were working on the same project.  I came to help sew, but I ended up showing everyone how to make them instead.  Nora and I were the only two who had ever made them before, so we helped everyone with the process.  I didn't even touch my sewing machine that night.  Since I didn't get to sew I took a bunch of cut fabric home with me.  Yesterday during nap time I whipped up 4 pillowcases and then finished the fifth one in the evening.  I like fun and easy projects like that.  They're finishing up the project tomorrow night at church, so I'll probably take home whatever is left to quickly make the last of them. 

Scrappy Sunsets

I finally finished my March do.Good Stitches quilt this weekend.  It feels good to finish this one up since the quilt top had been sitting in my to-finish bin for several months. 

I took the pictures as the sun was setting and it was kind of fun to see the moon as I was trying to photograph the picture.  The light kept shifting and I got wrapped up in seeing the sunset change the quilt coloring.  I completely lost track of the time.  My husband came outside and asked me if I was ever coming in.  :)

Several of the ladies in my Peace Circle sent me extras from their blocks, so I used them down the side of the back. The rest of it is a fuzzy flannel my mom gave to me.  I used my walking foot to do some straight line quilting.  The front is so busy that I wanted the quilting to be minimal in a structured way.

This quilt is so bright and cheerful.  I'm excited to give it to one of Joel's patients.

Scrappy Star Quilt

Well, I finished it a week late, but I did get it out in the mail.  Here's Baby Emma's Scrappy Quilt Star: (We're kind of partial to their name choice)   ;)

I used the flannel that I really like from Hobby Lobby for the back using loopy lines with stars for the quilting.

Maybe one day we'll make it out to Wyoming to meet her.

First Quilt of the School Season

I don't get any quilting done with the kiddos home during the Summer, but school is officially back in session and I'm totally behind on a quilt I need to make.  My friend is going to have her baby any day now and um, I've picked out the fabric.  That's about it.  I'm excited to work on the quilt this week, but since she reads my blog you won't be getting any more info than this until she gets it in the mail.  Sorry, Heidi, this is all you're going to see!  ;)

Sewing Sadness

On the whole, I have very little to complain about.  The move has been good.  We're doing fine.  The kids are adjusting well.  My only true sadness is a petty one.  JoAnn Fabrics is 35 minutes away.  yep.  There you have it.  No more quick trips to get something to finish a project.  Can I get a moment of silence?  I totally took for granted her proximity to me in Columbus.  So, after a moment of depression, I looked things up and found a Hancock Fabrics really close, so I bounced back a little.  I headed there only to find an empty store.  All Hancock Fabric stores closed in July.  This is when the true depression set in.  Gratefully, there's at least a  Hobby Lobby close by.  The fabric selection is small and expensive with very few good sales/coupons, but at least I have some options when in a pinch. 

I went to make a last minute quilt when I realized I didn't have any batting anymore.  I keep forgetting how many things you have to replenish after a move.  Anyway, I had one day before a baby shower, and I wanted to do something for her, because she and her family are adorable.  They sit behind us in church and entertain my baby.  Luckily, Hobby Lobby pulled through for me and I found some cute flannel to make a receiving blanket.  I guess it's not all bad in the world of sewing.

 I always like an excuse to use a different stitch.  Today I chose a wavy line.

Snow in August

Technically speaking I was supposed to have made these blocks in July, but the month got away from me.  Also, these are supposed to be beach balls, but I like to think of them as snow balls since it's over 100 degrees outside right now.

July Peace Circle:  Beach Ball Block

It's the only sewing I've done the entire Summer.  Maybe when school's back in session I can start back up on my list of things to quilt.

Extended Family Pictures

Lisa Ruth Photography

The Joys of Unpacking

I don't like boxes.  I'm too Type A to just let them sit there.  They've got to get unpacked!

The front room is basically a microcosm for my whole house in terms of boxes.

I tried to unpack some boxes while the movers were moving things in, because they were willing to take any boxes I had with them at the end of the day.   The movers were great and put boxes in the rooms we asked them to.  Joel did that while I corralled children and got to work on the boxes. By the end of the day this is what I was left with in the front room with absolutely no furniture.

Some of our furniture got delivered, and Joel spent a lot of the day putting it together.  I continued to unpack.  By the end of day 2 we had 2 chairs to sit on, but we were still eating on the floor.

Day 3 was Sunday, so we tried to unpack all the clothing in hopes of finding church clothes.  After church I got a few boxes unpacked, and then we went to dinner at a friend's home.  It's so funny, but at church I realized I knew someone from my church where I grew up in Syracuse.  I was really good friends with her sister.  We went to dinner at their home and they have children around the same ages as mine.  It's such a small world!

Day 4 we got more furniture, including kitchen chairs, so we were finally off the floor during meals.  I got just about all of the boxes done.  The front room was starting to look great, but I confess I had moved some of the boxes into the other room.  ;)

By day 5 I was determined to never have to look at a box again.  I powered through every single last box until I reached the final one!

He's still putting things together after work...

Everything had a home, but nothing was really organized per say.  I was just grateful that all the boxes were broken down and in the garage!  Now if only we had some couches...