September already!

I have been offline for AGES! Not that I have really accomplished much but I was just tired of blogging and when I had nothing to show I figured why bother. Maybe I should have used the time wisely and come up with projects to share. I did buy fabric. I lost count of my WEEK IN and WEEK OUT totals for the fabric. Let's just say the number of yards IN far, far exceeds the yards OUT.

What has prompted me to return? Stitched in Color's Celebrate Color!

Fall is my all time favorite season. The problem is fall is not here yet. Not by the date on the calendar OR the temperatures we'll be having this week.

Here are some images (mostly from Pinterest)that give you an idea of what I LOVE about fall.

scrapbook page done by me ages ago

I like cooler days,much cooler nights, clear blue skies, leaves changing colors, a fresh box of crayons, soup for dinner, sweaters, jeans, boots, crisp apples right from the orchard, and mums.

College Girl and College Boy spent the ENTIRE summer working on the Oregon coast. Hubby and I were able to go visit a couple of times. College Boy returned home on a Friday at the very end of August and left for school on Sunday. He started his sophomore year on Monday the 29th. He was able to come home for part of the Labor Day weekend but he is now gone again, back to school. The visits were so short but sweet. College Girl will return home tomorrow and will have about three weeks before returning to college for her senior year (she only has to put in two quarters!). We can hardly wait to have her home with us!

Praise - that both of the kids had such a wonderful summer, teaching kids about the love of God, enjoying the beautiful Oregon coast and getting to spend some time together.

Prayers - for College Boy's drive back to campus tonight and for College Girl's drive home tomorrow.

Stash Report - week ending 4/17

Its hard to stop once I get going again on the fabric buying. Really, this was all part of the same fabric buying spree it just didn't get here as quickly as what was on the report last week.
Amy Butler Cherry Blossom - I've liked this print for a long time and finally gave in.

Some Meadowsweet prints that I thought would look cute in a purse.

Moda Basics by Basic Grey. I really like this entire line but didn't commit to that big of a purchase.

Anna Maria Horner Little Folks voile


Not pictured some lining fabric and a yard of linen for some napkins. I bought those both at JoAnn's on Saturday where I DID see the new Denise Schmidt line. I fondled it, I played with the bolts, I put it back on the shelf and walked away. JoAnn's is just over an hour away from me so no changing my mind this week and returning for some. IF I decide that I NEED some of the new prints it will just have to wait until sometime in May when I might be near another JoAnn's.

Yardage out this week was the Jamie Dress and lining.

9.5 yards in week ending 4/17
3.25 yards out week ending 4/17
53.375 yards YTD IN
47.125 yards YTD OUT

-6.25 yards TOTAL BUSTED 2011

I'm reporting in HERE.

I have now officially added more to my stash than I have busted. phooey. Must work on a remedy for that situation.

Praise - for dear friends. The daughter in a family of dear friends turned 14 this weekend. I remember going to the hospital when she was born.

Prayers - for dear friends. I pray that God would keep them safe and healthy and walking with Him and that our reunion in May would be sweet.

Jamie Dress Sew Along Complete

I just wanted to share a couple of pictures from our trip to Big Sky country last week.
College Boy taking some pictures;

Hubby and I walked up this road so that College Boy could take some pictures of us for a photography assignment. It was such a gorgeous day.

I really did not even think of flowers when I asked hubby to go to the grocery store for me before coming home from work the other day. He will only buy flowers at this one particular grocery store (and never at WM). A warm room and some sunshine and they were all opening up.


So here is what I'm all excited about;

I finished the dress!!! Now remember this is for College Girl to HOPEfully wear on Easter Sunday. I asked her numerous times for various measurements, I read and read and Reread the comments by others in the sew along and then finally I just bit the bullet and prayed a LOT while I sewed. I packaged it up and sent it off via Priority Mail this afternoon. College Girl might get it tomorrow but surely by Monday and then we will know if it fits.

I would do a few things differently sewing with this pattern again but overall the instructions were good and there are lots of great pictures. Putting in the zipper with a glue stick was a great idea. A side zipper at that. I had never done one of those before. I wasn't thrilled with how wide the stitching was on the zipper opening or how it is done around the bottom of the zipper. I would do that differently next time. For the hem the instructions just say to stitch around the bottom of the skirt. Well I think it is such a nice dress and deserved a nicer job on the hem. I just hate that hand stitching and knew it would never look as good as something my mother or mother-in-law would have done. Hmmmmm, I KNEW there was this technique for doing a blind hem stitch on the machine but I could NEVER figure out the whole fabric folding thing. Well I got out my Bernina manual that has failed me miserably in any other situation and tried it on some scrap fabric. It was easy and I LOVED the results! On to the real hem!
On some sections you can't even see the stitches because the thread is such a great match. I was soooo happy with that! Looks nice and it was quick. I will definitely use that technique again and again.

Here is the finished dress, in what sunlight I could get from our front window.
The dark fabric you see at the neckline is the lining of the back as that rides higher than the front neckline.
Fabric is Poppy in Aqua by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller.

Won't you pray along with me that it will fit College Girl? I'd really appreciate that.

Praise - College Boy earned a super grade on a recent test and has handed in his application to go on in the film program.

Prayers - for College Girl and some decisions/situations that she has before her. For wisdom and knowledge and discretion.

Stash Report - week ending 4/10

This isn't going to be good for the ol' stash. All of this arrived in the mail on Monday;


I was going to call this The Ugly Truth but seriously there is NOTHING ugly about this haul!
Fandango charms and yardage for College Girl's senior year quilt.


Pure charm packs for College Boy's sophmore or junior year quilt/duvet. Simple Abundance yardage to back a quilt made with a jelly roll from the same line.


Moda Bella Solids that were on sale at the Fat Quarter Shop, the off white for College Girl's quilt and the Simple Abundance quilt. The grey is for my 1974 quilt.


Simple Abundance print for the borders of quilt, Patisserie print for borders of a quilt made with that line (remember I got those pre-cuts not too long ago?) and the Dandelion Girl seersucker plaid for a sundress for College Girl.


All fabric was on sale. All fabric has an intended purpose. All fabric by Moda (totally unplanned).

I also received one very overpriced FQ of Sandi Henderson's Henna Garden in Pumpkin and now my collection is complete and I can start on that project someday.


25.25 yards in week ending 4/10
0 yards out week ending 4/10
43.875 yards YTD IN
43.875 yards YTD OUT

0 yards TOTAL BUSTED 2011

I'm reporting stash results HERE.

Who knew this would bring me to exactly even for the year? I'd best get busy on the yardage OUT before the 'other' package arrives. Maybe later today!

Praise - hubby and I had safe travel to and from visiting College Boy. We had a great time with him and our friends and enjoyed over 5" of fresh falling snow while there.

Prayers - For pain relief for Joanne and for improvement/healing for Grant.

What I'm working on now

I have no idea what one thing led to another and led me to Sara's blog Sew Sweetness and her sew along for this dress;


As it happened College Girl likes the dress and I told her I could try to get it made and shipped off to her so that she could wear it for Easter. She liked that idea and I proceeded to send her some images of fabric. Well I sent an image of the orange poppy by Laura Gunn and told her that it also came in aqua and bright pink. Well she doesn't like orange so much but when I sent her an image of the aqua finally she decided that was IT! Oh bother, because then I couldn't find that fabric anywhere for a decent price. I knew that I had some in my stash but thought it was only enough to make a purse. I went rummaging. I found TWO pieces and together they were exactly enough for the dress!!!



I also had the perfect zipper and thread already. There was not quite enough of the Kona solid that I wanted to use for the lining but I think this darker one will be great. Fabric and zipper have been run through the washer and dryer and ironed and I have it almost all cut out now. Just have the skirt to go as I was waiting to get a measurement from College Girl.

The most difficult part of this is the fact that College Girl can't try it on along the way. I need to get it all sewn together and then sent to her. I truly believe that God orchestrates my days and He has gotten me through this far - getting me to the blog with the sew-along and providing just the right amount of the perfect fabric. I'll be praying while I sew that He will get me through a side zipper application and the perfect fit for College Girl when it arrives on her doorstep.

Praise - that College Girl likes her teaching methods classes for her final quarter of this school year and she now remember why it is she wanted to be a teacher in the first place.

Prayers - for safe travels. Hubby and I are headed east tomorrow to visit College Boy at school and spend some time with some dear friends. We'll be headed back home on Saturday. Snow in the forecast.

Stash Report - week ending 4/3 and something sweet

I was asked to make a cake for a baby shower. The mother likes chocolate and strawberries. I didn't want to make a sheet cake so I looked around online for some ideas and came up with this;


3 layer milk chocolate cake, strawberry jam and sliced strawberries between the layers, chocolate frosting, ganache poured over, chocolate dipped strawberries drizzled with pink candy coating (she had a girl). I didn't even stay for the shower because my back was killing me but the reports back were that the cake was a success.
I instructed a couple of gals on how to cut it so that it served a lot of ladies. Cut a good sized round in the middle of the cake then cut 1" or so slices from the outer ring to serve. When you get to the middle round you can cut that into small wedges. They said the middle was difficult to cut but the outer ring sliced up beautifully.

Here is the quilt I made for the newborn girl using the Aviary charm pack, some pale pink Kona solid and a dusty pink Kona for the binding. The backing is an off white flannel. Yes, the sides look all wonky but it must be because I just pulled it out of the dryer and asked hubby to hold it up for a picture. I didn't take any time to smooth it out and hand press it into shape. It was not like this once I had it on the table and folding it up.

I machine stitched the binding. Time was short and I was tired but I really like it and think I will do that more often, at least on baby quilts.



Stash report is really for two weeks, I never got around to reporting last Sunday.
Fabric out consisted of yardage for the camera strap, my cherry blossoms pillow, the bridal shower apron and this baby quilt. The fabrics that came in consisted of backing and binding for the quilt as well as a FQ of a Sandi Henderson Henna in Springtime. I paid too much for it but it is scarce and I 'needed' it!

2 yards in week ending 4/3
5.5 yards out week ending 4/3
18.625 yards YTD IN
43.875 yards YTD OUT

25.25 yards TOTAL BUSTED 2011

I'm reporting in HERE with my totals.

Next week's report is going to be BAD, verrrry bad. I have fallen off the fabric diet and purchased quite a bit. I think that it is all for projects that I have in mind and want to be working on and everything was on sale! So hard to resist when the conditions are right. I need to get sewing so that I have SOMETHING to show in the OUT column.

Praise - for the sweet baby girl added to our church family - Annalee Rose. Our church has lots of babies right now but most of them are about a year old. Annalee looks soooooo small in comparison.

Prayers - for Annalee's family and her upbringing. That she would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal saviour.

Just in time

I am such a procrastinator. I work well under the pressure of a deadline but I really don't know why I do it! I have the time. I know about things in plenty of time. Yet I wait.

I just finished this apron for a bridal shower being held tomorrow afternoon.


The bride-to-be likes green. I hope she likes this combination of Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet. I also made a simple potholder to go with it. Maybe she'll try it on at the shower and I can get a better picture because I know this one is pretty bad. Taken at night with flash.

I would have waited until the morning to finish the apron but I really need to start on a cake that I am making for a different shower being held on Sunday.

Just realized that I didn't do my stash report for the week ending 3/27. I'll just add that week and this week together and report on Sunday.

I think I'll go make some quilt binding for that Aviary baby quilt. I might be able to get that finished tomorrow so that I can give that at the shower on Sunday. No worries if it doesn't happen though since I've chipped in on a big group gift.

Praise - for the safe travels of a young family in our church returning from Peru.

Prayers - For College Girl's final quarter of her junior year.