My only excuse -

would be called LAZINESS! That is why I haven't posted. That is why I haven't chosen an April Challenge. That is why I haven't sewn an April Challenge. That is why I haven't gotten very far on the project that I should be just about done with. I have been fighting off a cold on and off over the month. When my head is clogged I don't trust myself to sew because then I just don't concentrate so well. I procrastinate and I don't like it. I am working on overcoming that trait. I have been making lists for the past week or so. Trying to get everything on the list checked off before bedtime. All that to say I can't believe this is the last day of April. That is when I realize how much time I waste, what I could have accomplished and didn't. Sometimes I just disgust myself. When I read other blogs and see what others are getting done I can either feel motivated to do the same or I get fed up with my sorry self.

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I did make it until April 15th without buying any fabric and I am still trying very hard to refrain from buying anything but the necessities. These first two pretties were bought in March. So there. This first one is by Alexander Henry and is called Pink Surfin' Pareo. I am going to make a simple peasant style summer dress for college girl with this. She helped pick out the fabric.

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This print is Rebel Roses by Anka's Treasures for Henry Glass. Heather Mulder-Peterson designs such pretty fabrics. I LOVE how she drew these roses. I really like this entire line. Again, college girl decided on the fabric and it is going to be a skirt like the Al Fresco one that I made in March. In real life the fabric is a bit more gold and not so sunny.

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Now this was really purchased in April. Actually I purchased TWO of these charm packs because I want to make the Pinwheel Baby Quilt that was featured on the Moda Bakeshop site and I don't want to use any of the pink from the Neptune line. The quilt is going to be for my newest great nephew who was born early this week! That event totally snuck up on me!! I have seen a few of these quilts done online and it was shortly after the project was posted at the bakeshop so I am thinking it shouldn't take that long to do...you know, if I actually DO IT!

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This is a Layer Cake of Moda's Fig & Plum. I have dreamed of owning one of these since I first saw the line. I saw a GREAT deal on it and could NOT let it go by. You see how weak the flesh is? I think I am going to make the very simple big block quilt from a recent Quilts and More magazine. That way I get to see each beautiful print (well 36 of them at least) and in theory it shouldn't take long to do at all.

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The problem with that theory is of course all the things that I HAVE TO get done first! I have a big project I am working on now, then the baby quilt should be next, then the skirt or dress for college girl. I would LOVE to do my April Challenge AND my May Challenge and get caught up on that. On top of all that I realllllllllllly want to join in Amandajean's Quilt Along. Crazy I know. But if I would be as productive as all of you out there in blogland it SHOULD BE possible. Yes? Or am I kidding myself?

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By the way, I have been scrapbooking. A young gal from church asked me about it at the Women's Retreat the first weekend in March and we have been getting together once a week to scrap. She comes here, along with her adorable six month old little boy, because there is NO WAY I am packing up and hauling all of my scrap stuff somewhere else. I like that we have sort of a scheduled time to scrap together and we spend a full day working on some pages. We have such a nice time together and when I am tired of scrapping I entertain the baby. :D

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Praises - My son worked so hard on the backyard and has really made a HUGE difference in how it looks. It is almost ready for grass seed. It is going to be lovely when it is no longer brown.

College girl ran unopposed for Hall Council. Her first taste of politics is going smoothly so far. Hubby is getting great feedback at work about his contributions.

Prayers - continuing to pray for a buyer for our house. We are expecting someone to come view it this next week. There is also a lady that has been interested in the place for a couple of months but she hasn't been able to get here to see it in person yet. This is who I have been praying for since I first heard about her. She is really hoping to come sometime in May. Prayers for my kids as they finish up their school years. College girl has until June and my son has just over a week.

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See you in MAY!

I almost forgot!

I FINALLY went to the local quilt guild meeting! I think I have been talking about that since the beginning of this blog. I put a reminder in my email and it popped up on Monday, giving me a full day to plan. I re-checked the website for date and time since I didn't want to show up at the AA meeting again. I was a couple of minutes late and boy howdy they start right on time! I sat in the back, trying to be invisible but oh no, the leader saw me and asks my name, introduces herself and then asks if I want to move up front. Uhhhh, no. She went through the business, called some different ladies up front for different things and then they had Share and Show. I wasn't sure if I could take photos so I didn't. It was a small group that night and not much for sharing but those that did...WOW! Way out of my league. Then it was break time - sweets and coffee. I just sat there and talked to a few women as they walked by. One gal sat down next to me and we talked during the break.

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Break is over and now the guest speaker is presented. Ann Kimble of English Paper Piecing fame. Okay, I know what paper piecing is but no idea what English Paper Piecing might be. Well Ann explained it all. She was quite a fun speaker, kept the ball rolling, was funny and very talented and not snooty at all. She said she liked the group too. She told a story about her quilts or table runners as she held them up.

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This was the first one she ever worked on (I don't remember if it is the first one she ever completed. BOY HOWDY that is a LOT of handwork -no thank you very much!

So at this point I am thinking how much can you do with hexagons, that has to get old. But as Ann showed us her work it didn't get old! Then she branched out into other shapes. Here is a sampler of flowers done with all the different shaped templates. Ann is in the white shirt, the quilt guild leader is in the orange, her name is Leslie (I think). You can also see another fun quilt on the table.

I know the pictures aren't great and it isn't the new camera's fault. Funky lighting, she was constantly moving and operator error. You can go to http://www.paperpieces.com/index1.html to see some of Ann's patterns and these very quilts. I really liked this one, it is called Inner City. Like Baby's Tumbling Blocks I like that optical illusion.

Ann had LOTS of quilts and runners with her and some of them she didn't share with us. They were a treat for those taking her class the next day. The gal sitting next to me could hardly wait until the next day to get started. She said she LOVES handwork. Yeah, whatever baby. ;)

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The guild has decided to have a show every other year now instead of every year. They say it is just too much work. Supposedly there is going to be a Red Hat Society gathering in town next spring and they are going to coincide their quilt show with that event. I don't know if I will join the guild or not but I will give it some thought.

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So I get home from the meeting and check my email and there is a newsletter from Connecting Threads and at the bottom is a little blurb about.............ENGLISH PAPER PIECING! Never before I had I seen that term and now twice in one night.

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On another note, college girl received the skirt today and says it fits great and she loves it! She was headed out to go shopping so she took it along to try to find a shirt/sweater to match.

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Praise - my son got the big ol' stump that he has been working away on, out! No major injuries were incurred during the process.

Prayers - the realtor seems desperate and has advised us to consider doing some big upgrades to the house. Uhhhhh, there have been very few showings and no offers. Hubby says NO! We will consider it as part of an offer. Continue to pray for showing and for God to bring the right buyer soon.

It's been awhile but I do have pictures

Everyone likes a blog post with pictures. I know that I do. Well I have my camera issues as you know. Oh I can take the picture but then it is remembering to ask hubby to take them off of the camera and put them on the computer and then transfer them to my computer. Zzzzzzzzzzz. Add to that the fact that the camera I was using went into a coma. Well we thought it was dead. Hubby tried his best to revive it but it looked liked the end so he got online and found me a new camera. I said I didn't care what it did, how many megawhatsalls it had as long as it was red. Hubby found a camera that he thought would be great for me. It said in the listing that it was red although the picture must have been taken in poor lighting since it didn't look RED RED but more of a pink red. It arrived and it is PINK PINK. See;

I guess they let the colorblind guy post the colors of available cameras. So now I have a new PINK camera and I LOVE IT! It is light, it is small (fits in my sweatshirt pocket), has a big screen on the back instead of looking through a viewfinder and it takes great pictures! But once I take the pictures, I have to remember to ask hubby to take them off of the camera and put them on the computer and then transfer them to my computer. So really not so much has changed.

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My old camera came out of the coma. I know. Hubby didn't pull the life support from it and gave it one more jolt with the paddles and revived it. I guess he has an extra camera to tote around now.

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I need to make a little case for my camera very soon and I am having trouble deciding which cute fabric to use. I guess I could make more than one.

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I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks. Oh I've thought about it but just never followed through with it. I have kept busy reading blogs, that is always fun and I get such great inspiration from them. I have spent some time scrapbooking and I have also been sewing. Here is a purse that I made for college girl while she was home on spring break. The pattern was from the latest issues of Quilts and More. I made another one from the same pattern but different fabric in late March. I made a pair of hot pink flannel backed satin jammie pants for a friend's birthday (I took a picture of them but the satin and the flash did not agree with one another).

Finally here is the skirt that I made for the March challenge. I just mailed it off to college girl yesterday so if she reads this she will see her skirt here before she sees it in person. I am anxious to hear if it fits. I went by the measurements on the pattern but I think it looks big. She says after she eats all the goodies she got for Easter it will fit just fine. :O

Once again this pattern is the Hip Skirts by Favorite Things and this is the circle skirt. The fabric is from the Al Fresco line by Michele D’Amore for Marcus Fabrics. A few things about the pattern. First of all, I had no idea that there was going to be elastic all around the waistband. Another pattern I have by the same company just has elastic in the back. Secondly, something to keep in mind when choosing fabric for this pattern is there are four panels to make up the circle, so a center and back seam in addition to the side seams. It worked out great with this fabric but another print might not look as good with those additional seams. The directions are clear and easy to follow. There are three other views on the pattern and I will most likely make this skirt again. College girl's opinion will determine that for sure though. Good results with two of their patterns now and that gives me confidence in trying another one at some point.

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I have lots of sewing to do and lots of sewing that I want to do. Have you been to the Moda Bakeshop site? Table runners and baby quilts are on my list.

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Prayers - College girl is super busy with classes, her jobs and now her campaign for Secretary of Hall Council. Prayers that she would get enough sleep, get in enough time to study and yet still fit in all the other stuff she wants to do. I hope she puts God in her jar first and then fills in with all the little things. My son has 3 more weeks of school and then a SAT exam the first weekend of June. Prayers that he would do his best right to the end of the school year and that he would put some effort into studying for the SAT. Continued prayers for a buyer for our house.

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Praise - HE LIVES! Easter is such a wonderful celebration of our risen Savior.