What a Day!

Crazy day...

I guess they tend to show up every once in a while.

I have been busy today trying to get re-organized.

This past week we found out that Darren's part time job is closing it's doors and he will no longer have a job with them.

The really bad thing about this is that this job is our "grocery money".  His full time job that pays the mortgage, utilities, car payment & insurance is the one that also provides us with our medical insurance, but it really isn't enough to feed, clothe & maintain the household necessities (not to mention any fun stuff that we might try to do).

So, today we worked on a new resume for him and filled out a few applications.

I also had to work on our 4 soccer schedules.

And a new budget.

The kitchen is a mess!!

The laundry has been neglected!!

(NO! You don't get to see how bad THAT is!)

Thing 1 & Thing 2 got a lesson in home maintenance this week...

Tightening screws on the kitchen chairs.

Thing 2 hard at work.

"Lefty loosey, Righty tighty."

I did find some more charm packs...

 And cut them into mini-charms...

 And sewed them into another hot pad table runner.

I am hoping to get a few things made & permission to sell them at our new Visitor's Center.

So, I'm off to fold some laundry, balance the checkbook & figure out how to arrange the cars so that we can get everyone where they need to be tomorrow.

'Night!
     ~K

Upcoming Events!

I am so excited!

I am going to be participating in some fun activities!

I have signed up for my first Blog Hop...with Madame Samm & Jane!

I am also going to be participating in the Blogger's Quilt Festival.

AND...I signed up to participate in the "In the Bag! Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge".

All of the buttons are on the right side of my blog posts.  

Right there at the top.

I think all of them are still open if you are interested.

My poor little brain is just about wore out thinking of all of the possibilities for these projects.  I need to get busy making notes, and creating lists, and writing my quilt story, and shopping for fabrics, and going through my stash...and who knows what else...

I'll keep you posted!

But, for now...

SLEEP!

'Night! 

T Shirt top Finished!

Well, after having the shirts for a year or so, I finally finished the top!  

Here's a quick peek!

Funny how pictures show things you didn't realize you were including.  

FYI: That is not trash in the top picture!  

That is our collection of stuff to be dropped off at Goodwill!

(I really need to crop & edit my pics before posting...but often I don't have much time when I sit down to do this.  I promise I will work on doing better with my picture posts!)

Here are some more pictures from last night:

We went to visit friends who recently had twins of their own.   

It is so much fun to watch my babies playing with these babies!

And they have bees!

At no other time have I ever seen my kids this interested in BEES!

Firefighter Babies!

Miss G

Little T

Thing 2 & Little T

Thing 1 & Miss G

She sure enjoyed watching the big kids play!

J & Miss G...chillin' before bedtime!

Enjoy your day!
                   ~K

Influenced by the Table Topper Blog Hop

Ok!

Now that I've got you here.

This post really doesn't have anything to do with Table Toppers. But, you should hop over to Madame Samm's to see what's going on.

It actually has more to do with one particular post from the blog hop.

Patty over at A Stitch In Time posted a Table Topper with the Hatteras Lighthouse on it.

Now, I love visiting lighthouses and I love the Outer Banks.

So, today I will share with you some Excellent photos that we took in 2010 when we visited the northern 4x4 beaches!

  

This was by far the most talked about event that happened all week.  It frequently comes up in conversations and my daughter recently included it in one of her English presentations.

Are you creeped out yet?  

We were!  

But, I made them stop the car...we were out exploring the dunes...so that I could take pictures.

Then, we went back to the house and got the kids.

And took them to see this place.

Probably not the smartest thing to do...considering...

But, it was definitely the most fun of the entire trip!

Here are a couple of legitimate pictures of why we love the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Our Dining Room view

Sunrise

wild horses...this one actually had a baby the week we were there!

I am also linking up with Quilting by the River today!
Come check it out!
~K

BOMs are MIA!

I haven't been linking up to the BOMs Away Mondays.  

In fact, it has been an entire month (I checked!)

And, I blame it all on soccer season! (Soccer is getting the blame for a lot of things that aren't getting done!)

I currently have 3 BOM-ish projects right now.

The first is Morgan's Sampler, which currently has 6 completed blocks. 

Hhhmmmm! That actually means that I am 2 blocks ahead!  I don't feel so neglectful now.

The second is my Sow Along with Randy.  I have been trying to get caught up on that but haven't made any progress since last week when I got multiple blocks cut and bagged.

 Well, I did manage to get 2 sets sewn. 

The third is my true BOM.  It's Craftsy's Block of the Month.  I have my hexies basted for the first block...and I bought some more background fabric.  Other than that, I haven't done much with them.

I haven't even bothered to take a new picture!  I'll try and fix that.

What I am working (like crazy) on is the T Shirt Quilt!  But, I'm stumped!  I will be tipping the blocks and squaring them to 16 1/2", but these are the colors (and some arrangements) that I am working on.

PLEASE! Leave me a comment with your suggestions for the color layout! 

Upside-down, but you can see the border fabric

Layout Option 1

Layout Option 2

Layout Option 3

Layout Option 4

This is where I always seem to get stuck...I tend to create a pattern.  Random is difficult for me.  I would love to get your opinion!  I only have 1 or 2 pictures with the inner border (red) and the outer border (multi-floral).  The color suggestions from Darren's cousin were to use blue & orange.  I did my best and I really like the color combinations.  I hope she does too!

Thanks so much for your help!
             ~K

FNSI finish

Last night was the Friday Night Sew In hosted by Heidi!

Check out all of the great projects!

I didn't plan well for this one.

It's soccer season, you know.

Since I scheduled a soccer practice for 6pm yesterday, I didn't have much time to sew in the evening.  It was 9 o'clock before we got back home.

But, I did get to visit my LQS earlier in the afternoon.

I bought some more Kansas Troubles for the background fabric for my Craftsy BOM.

I also found co-ordinates for some beachy fabric that has been in my stash for a couple of years.  The original plan was to make aprons for my in-laws by Christmas.  Now, I've decided to make just 2 aprons and a couple of place mats or mug rugs...and will take them to the Outer Banks with us this summer.  Darren thinks I am crazy to make aprons & place mats to take to the beach, but it will help me to be patient while I wait for summer to arrive! 

I might even try to get a beach blanket made...something about the size of a large bath towel should work!  Yes, I'm just making it just big enough for me...I'm a little selfish that way!  And Darren certainly doesn't need one since he thinks it is just wasted packing space!

Aprons

Other patchwork-y projects

And, I found a book with a wonderful pattern for the T shirt quilt I have been working on.  Janet & I gathered lots of bolts and spent nearly 3 hours choosing the right fabrics.  It took a couple of tries, but we finally found the perfect set.  

I think this quilt is going to turn out WAY better than I ever expected!  I'm really excited now!

And the BEST thing?  On the back of the book (which is published by American Quilter's Society):

"Proudly printed and bound in the 

United States of America"

This makes me so happy!  It is very difficult to find things still made in the good 'ole US of A.  I try to buy American whenever I can, or at least where they have some decent labor laws.  I hate the idea of anyone being taken advantage of and forced to work under horrendous conditions for minimal pay just so I can save a few pennies.  (Let me step off my soapbox before I hurt myself...)

So, yesterday was quite productive and I DID get to sew last night!

I finished the hot pad/place mat.  (This is my first project using Insul-Brite and I love it!)  It was mostly done when I posted yesterday, but I had to hand stitch the binding and I finished that at 11:38 last night.  

I love it & only wish I knew what fabric line it was from.  I am pretty sure it is a 3 Sisters design from Moda, but I will have to go back through their archives to find out which line it's from and begin to visit the obscure little shops that might still have bits and pieces left.  
Let me know if you recognize it or know where I can get my hands on some!  Please, pretty please!  (No, it is not beneath me to beg!)

Well, I'm off to see what everyone else accomplished last night...

Enjoy your day!

                 ~K

Captain Morgan, Tortuga & Buried Treasure

Last night, I set sail with Captain Morgan (though I never left dry land...remember that song?)!

I ended up in Tortuga with Captain Jack Sparrow...and the rest of the Pirates!

But I was the lucky one and found the Buried Treasure! (Although, finding buried treasure usually means a mess to clean up later. *sigh*

My Treasure?

A set of mini-charms!

I don't know how long I've had them...

or where they came from...

or even what fabric line they belong to...

I will happily accept any comments if you recognize these fabrics!  

I would love to find more!

That would be Treasure indeed!

So, this is what I accomplished between 8pm last night and noon today:

It's just waiting to be bound!  Yea!

I also managed to get a couple of my blocks done for the Sow Along!

Civil War Sewing Circle & Shoo Fly

Update!

I managed to get the "card" out of my card-reader on the computer, so here are a few pictures.

This is the table runner that I am attempting to hand-quilt.

 And here is the mess that I created today.  I am getting all of my blocks cut for Randy's Sow Along.  I was nearly 2 months behind!

 

I have created a template to sketch each of the blocks on so that I don't have to keep running to the computer to see what they look like.

And, here are all of my little project baggies.  Most of them have 2 different color ways in them.  I am doing a set of blocks in reds, tans & browns only.  The other set is mainly civil war reproductions of any color.

So, now that everything is cut, the fabric is folded back up, the scraps are bagged, and the kids are still playing, I am off to my machine!  Woo Hoo!

Later!

                ~K