shop hop

i read about the fab shop hop late last year in one of my quilting magazines - i think it was a fons & porter, but could have been a mccall's. it's at home and i'm at work... anyways, i've been meaning to check it out ever since then and register (but you guessed it!). so i just registered and there is a shop hop happening right now that ends tomorrow. it's not too late to register. find the clever bunny on another page and you can register for a prize from their site.

so i'm poking around and the people at fab shop hop suggest you start your "hopping" by the first letter of your last name. they have it all cleverly divided for you. i've already started to find some great online stores and be sure, i'll be back to them. of course, i have my favorites and will always shop at them, but it gives me some inspiration. one of my finds is the material girls in dearborn, mi. my family is from the detroit suburbs, so this one made me smile. i'll have to stop in sometime when i'm visiting. they've got some really awesome art fabrics and silks.

i have a huge list of shops not visited on the members page. who knew there were THAT many online stores? they did...

my swap block

"eccentric star" pattern

this is my block for my first ever quilting swap via facebook's "quilt guild" group. i'm excited!! it's supposed to be a small one - 5 blocks total turned in and 5 returned, all with a blue/yellow with optional white theme and a 9-patch variation. we should be able to make something like a table runner with them and i've made an extra block so i definitely have one of mine in it.

looking at the photo - it looks all crooked and wonky. it's not, but the angle made it look like it. hmm...

inaguration day fun

i found this website this afternoon after the inaguration was over and i've been having a little bit of fun...

snappy for president...

of course, if i was at home and had lots of pictures at my disposal, there would be a done of them. :)

i do have to say, the speech given by our newest president was fantastic. i have been waiting for this day and to see some of the positive "change" that president obama talks about. he is someone who has a younger edge, can relate more closely to a general population, worked to get where he is.

enough of politics - this isn't that kind of blog. later, i'll post the picture of my first ever block-swap block for you to see!

here's the dress

i wish you could see more of the dress - such as the fishtail hem. but here it is, along with my sailor. they should have allowed us to have our pictures taken at the beginning of the evening instead of after the banquet and the long-winded awards ceremony...we wouldn't have been tired or wrinkled!

the photographer was less than desirable too. he squished me so you can't see how great the dress is. and later while people were dancing, he'd come by and fart. he did it twice as he passed our little table. yuck.

all in all, it was a good time. the CO and XO were out there dancing away to ridiculous songs and was a good laugh. we got to do the chicken dance in honor of the XO's 40th birthday (i will say that it is not an easy dance to do with a train on your dress...i got caught and one other woman next to me did the same with her dress).

now it's back to quilting, making my block swap squares and hopefully some more drawing. i did see a new call for entries that intriqued me this morning and i just might enter.

wow! my first comment!

so...people do read my blog... at least a little... i got a comment and didn't know it! thanks desiree! i wish i had discovered the black and white quilt challenge earlier so i could participate. i love black and white together.

anyways - i finished my 1948 patterned dress last night. all i have left is to press it REALLY well to make all the satin crisp, spray it with some static guard to pray that i don't have cling during our cold and dry weather, and find appropriate stuff to wear with it tomorrow. i'll get pictures and post one so you all can see.

i'm also working on some blocks for my first ever block swap. my first swap of any kind really and i'm excited about it. our theme is blue and yellow, any variation of a 9-patch. i'm doing the "eccentric star" block, with a touch of white. so far, just cut triangles and nothing to see. maybe after tonight if i manage some sewing time before grey's anatomy comes on.

happy sewing!

super coupon!

this morning, i got my email from jo-ann's for their weekly specials. sometimes, i look and sometimes i don't. this morning, it's a jackpot! 50% off the bolt of warm n' natural cotton batting!! online only special - the jo-ann's by me, which is HUGE, only carries the bolt for by-the-yard sales and not full bolt sale. so, for $79.98, i have 40 yards of cotton batting coming my way. they have yarn and all sorts of other goodies on sale both instore and online.

my dress for this friday is coming along nicely. i have to keep taking the top of the bodice in more and more. i'm small up top with broad shoulder, but have some hips, so i multisize my patterns. it's fun. and i'm shortwaisted with long arms. anyways - my 1948 patterned dress is almost complete for wearing to a navy formal banquet. i'll post a picture later.

back to being busy

boo's dr. seuss quilt

i think this is the brightest and most obnoxious quilt i've seen in a long time... but it is what it is - dr. seuss and cat-in-the-hat, just like i love and boo loves. he wants it. i planned the fabrics about 5 years ago and they've been sitting in my stash since before the kiddo was a year old. since he thinks i only give away quilts and never keep any, i showed him a couple months ago the fabric and asked if he still wanted it. he does!

the back of the quilt is a solid piece of the blue border fabric. the print is so large, it inhibits creativity past what i've got here. so far, boo loves everything about it.

i'm also working on a little something shown above. i can't show more of it and probably shouldn't show this much yet. it's a gift for someone who could very well read this at some point. what a difference from boo's quilt...soft colors and eye pleasing. the back is fun though and a bit brighter.

along with two quilts, i'm working on a vintage patterned formal for next friday and a military banquet. i started laying out the pattern last night and have not made much progress as there were a few too many interruptions and some of unpleasant news. the fabric is a teal satin and the pattern is one from 1948 - long and semi-fitted with a front slit and a one-shoulder set of straps (supposed to be beaded, but i'm forgoing them for something simpler).

maybe i'll get back to my drawings. or jewelry.

happy new year!

boo doing part of his happy snow dance

for the second half of christmas, we took a road trip to kansas to visit family. we had told boo that it was too warm for snow (one of two things he wanted for christmas this year), but amazingly enough, it started to snow as we got on the kansas turnpike. yippee!! the snow held up fishing with grandpa for a day, but he did manage to get a little time in with the new fishing pole.

while the men fished, the women went into yoder for the quilts and their stores. i haven't been before, so this was a great trip - i got to shop at nuts & bolts, where i purchased 4 fabulous patterns and wanted to buy backing for my black and white quilt, but couldn't remember how much i needed. nuts & bolts sells only by the bolt, or rather, what's left on the bolts when they get it for fantastic prices. we then went to demelia's quilt co. where there was a wonderful selection of bright fabrics - just like i like them. and several i hadn't seen before in my online searches and local stores. i picked up enough of one free spirit fabric that i've been drooling over for months - it was on clearance and i'm making a dress for the spring with it. also yippee!! and a few fat quarters for future projects.

on the drive to/from kansas, i worked on my knitting. of course, after the first hour or so, i changed my mind on what i wanted to do, so in dallas we went on a search for yarn to blend in for a new shawl. i'll post pictures when there is enough to show something pretty.

can't you tell he's thrilled to be back in the car?

so, we're back home and i'm catching up on my blogs after a week of no computer. i got back to work on my next quilt - gift...can't discuss yet... decided i have to have enough fabric now for my black & white quilt since i bought a fat quarter in yoder and my shipment from fabric.com came. but i have boo's "cat in the hat" to work on after my current quilt before i can do that one. my first paper piecing effort too. and i've decided i want to contribute to the quilts of valor project this year. my hubby is active-duty navy and too many of my friends are serving our country bravely within multiple branches.

someday, i've got to finish some drawings, reframe other work, and do some jewelry too. i need more time.