Thirty days off.....

I had thirty days off from the time I finished my finals till my classes start again.  They start Jan 10th!  How did that happen already?  I need mmmooooorreeeee time!

On a good note, I have managed to clean out the very disorganized closets, desk, entertainment center (where did all these movies come from anyway), organized the video games, and organized my sewing stuff too!!  Tonight, for giggles, I may clean off the top of the fridge-watch out for the dust!!  It could probably choke an elephant!! 

Tomorrow, I will get all the Christmas stuff put away, take the kids to a birthday party and work on some genealogy projects.  Saturday and Sunday are ALL MINE!!  I intend to sew all day-unless we decide to go off the island and go to Target!!

Praying that you all have a wonderful and safe New Years!!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!!  May you and your family be blessed with peace and joy this Christmas!! 

Please remember to pray not only for the service members that are serving away from home, but also the families that not only have their loved one deployed.  Most of these families can't afford to go home for the holidays so they are stuck at the duty station without their service member or family.

Blessings to all!

Sunbonnet Sue

In the middle of the year, I started working on a Sunbonnet Sue quilt for Princess and Bug-a-bug.  I kept the blocks in the camper for something to work on while we were out.  I managed to finish six blocks this summer.  Last night, I pulled it out and started working on the fourth.  I'm making two of each block to put in the girls quilts.  Here's the three blocks I've completed:

I'm hoping to get most of them completed while on break from school.  I have until the 10th of January and then I start school again.  I managed not to complete a single wallhanging or panel for Christmas.  I'm currently doing some heavy cleaning this week and should have it all done by Christmas.  I hope to have all of next week to sit in front of the machine and do some sewing.  At least I'll be ready for next year!!

Have a wonderful week!

Block of the month

I just signed up for this block of the month:


I am super excited!!  I love this quilt and all the applique.  I think I've discovered my true quilting passion. 

I also wanted to sign up for this one, but two may be a little on the pocket book:

Have a wonderful Christmas week!!  I'll be busy baking, baking, baking!!

Sorry, I've neglected my blog.  Not any quilting done.  I was hit with a really bad cold, wreath making is in full swing for the Boy Scouts and I had a nine page paper due.

On the Monday before Thanksgiving it started snowing at about 9am.  That ended our school day.  The kids enjoy the snow as much as I do.

At about 10, I realized I needed to run to the commissary to get the few things we needed.  They don't have any way to treat the roads here and I knew they'd be slick.  I can drive on them, I'm from Buffalo, but there are many who don't.  I'm glad I went when I did.  Many roads were closed because they're hills and were too slick and there were dozens of accidents.

I was gone for about thirty  minutes.  I got the groceries and headed across the street to the exchange.  I couldn't find the snow gloves for the big girls.  Well, they didn't have any.  Did I mention it rarely snows here?

So onto home I went.  At this point, there was a good dusting on the ground.  The kids were clamoring to go out.  My husband's work sent him home that afternoon.  The public schools decided to send the kids home at the regular time, so the roads would be nice and slick.  I'm really surprised there weren't any accidents with the buses.  There was an 18 car pileup down the road and they closed the highway off the island because you have to cross Deception Pass Bridge and it was a sheet of ice.

We only got about two inches.  My husband was off of work on Tuesday and the schools were closed the rest of teh week.  I laugh because back home we rarely had school closings.

Here's some photos!

The back yard

The front yard.  Don't you love the cable and telephone boxes.  Ahh, the joys of military housing!

The girls going down the street

Coming back after a run

Off they go!!  Daddy gave them a running start.   That's the pugent sound in the background.  Our island is in the Pugent Sound and we're between the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges.

Little Miss Trouble.  She liked the snow for about ten minutes, came back in for a while, out for ten minutes.....you see the pattern here!









oh boy!

Just found some more Christmas panels.  Apparently, I thought they would be a really good thing to do for quick projects.  Maybe I can make some into table runners.   I have many different Christmas fat quarters so I'm pulling out ones that have colors that correspond some so that I can piece together a quick lap quilt for the couch.  We love to snuggle up to watch our Christmas movies. 

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

In all the years I've been quilting....

I've only ever made one Christmas project.  A rag quilt.   I have no idea whyI've never done more, I certainly have the materieal.  Well, okay I do.  I wait until the last minute and then its too late and I don't get them done.  This year, I'm going to!

I have a flannel snowman panel that I'm going to make a quick throw with.  I have two quick table runners to work on.  I have another panel that I can stitch up pretty quickly.  My biggest challenge is all this Christmas fabric I have.  I don't really have enough yardage to do anything spectacular with it, so I've decided to make a large quilt (just like the fall one pictured below) to put on the couch.  I may even back it with flannel.  The kids and hubby love to snuggle up when its cold with the quilts. 

I'm working on knitting my mother some washcloths for Christmas.  I'm almost done with the first one and hope to do two more.

School is going well for both me and the kids.  I'm hoping that still goes okay with the holiday next week.  We start wreath making for the Boy Scouts so it gets a little busier for us.  I haven't finished my shopping yet, but have most of it planned out.  Just need to get it all ordered and shopped for.  I hope to have that much done by next week!

Have a great week!

Update

Midterms are done!!  whew!!  I have some homework tonight and I plan on quilting all day tomorrow!  Yippee!!!

Here's what's going on at my house:

TL won another taekwondo tournament today.  He placed first for sparring and his form.  He went against three other boys that were around his age, but higher belt levels.

 And here in our homeschool, we believe in starting the kids very early!! haha

Have a wonderful quilty weekend!

supposed to be studying....

I'm supposed to be studying for my midterms this week, but I'm busy reading quilt blogs and being all jealous at how much quilting everyone is getting done.  Maybe I would too, if I quilted instead of reading blogs?

With the colder weather and darkness setting in early, I really just want to sit on the couch and hand quilt or applique, then I realized that the blocks for the sunbonnet sue are in the camper.  I'll have to get hubby to get them out this weekend. 

I really wanted to take some photos of the two quilts that I have from two different great-grandmothers made and post them for you.  I'm too lazy to go and get the camera and get them taken for you.  Sad isn't it?  I need to get motivated!  Maybe I will when I get the kiddos to sleep!!

Have a wonderful quilty day! 

Blessings to all!
Michelle

No quilting this week....

We're entering week two of hubby being gone.  He's coming home this weekend, but I find that these short trips mean I don't get anything done.  I get much more accomplished when I know he'll be gone for three to six months........

or maybe, now that I have five kids, homeschool, and am attending college full time, its hard to get stuff done?   nahhhh

I have a quilt wallhanging for Thanksgiving to do.  One of those preprinted panels with the turkey with a sign saying 'eat more  pie'.  I couldn't resist...it was too cute.  I hope to have it done this weekend. 

Then I have a week of midterms and then I can start on some "c" projects.  shhhhhh, don't mention it out loud yet, maybe it will take longer to get here!

Here's a photo of the kiddos trick or treating.  I was sad that hubby wasn't here.  It's hard with such a difference in ages.  The big kids really want to go and the little ones just can't.  Its too cold and windy here. 

Have a wonderful quilty week everyone!

How Pumpkin Pie is Made

Little Miss Trouble's third birthday

I love her tons.  She cuts her hair and colors on the walls and pushes my buttons.  But she has the most beautiful smile and pretty little eyes when she climbs on my lap and says, "read to me mommy." 

We celebrate birthdays here with cupcakes for breakfast.  It started years ago as a way to make their day special, since daddy was usually gone and we were hundreds or thousands of miles from family.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Update on my projects

Well, I took a few moments today and took some photos of some projects I've been working on, some for years.  I finished a few, which is a good thing.  I have to take photos of the girls' projects.  They decided to learn to sew this weekend and did a nice job of piecing together a little pillow.

This Hunter's star wallhanging is for our living room.  You'll probably recognize the fabric-really old collection.  I have it pieced just need to quilt it and it will finally be done.

This Antique Dresden Heart wallhanging just needs to be quilted.  I will probably do hand quilting on this one.

One of the twelve blocks from a block of the month that I got about twelve years ago.  I know, really really bad.  Sorry about the pins.  I hope to get enough done to do a wallhanging in the living room, since I'm now working on a northwest decor.

This is my son's quilt.  He picked out the fabric about five years ago before we left for Japan.  When we got there and I finally had time to piece it together, I realized that I was short some fabric so its not as large as I wanted.  I have two blocks left to hand quilt and then I'm done.  I'm hoping to finish it up before Thanksgiving.

This is Bug-a-bug's Brown bear, Brown bear quilt.  Her all time favorite book.  She really likes it.

Another project from years ago.  I think I pieced this in VA, so it had to be about eight years ago now.  You'll probably recognize the fabric.  I had started hand quilting it, but realized I would never get it done, so I zipped it on the machine last week.  I have the binding on now and just have to finish it.



Another old old project.  I just finished the binding on this table runner today.

Well, I hope to have some more updates more frequently.  I moved my machine out of my room and into the living room, so I have to look at it and feel guilty everyday!  haha

Have a great week!



Redesigning

I'm supposed to be doing homework and cleaning right now, but I'm trying to redesign my web page. I haven't posted in while and I actually have several projects to report that I'm almost done with, one completed, and two more in the works! Yeah! I'll post pictures later tonight after I clean up a spot to take some photos!

Western WA quilt shop hop

I had the best time yesterday!! THey let me out of the insane asylum (aka-my house) to go all day on the Western WA quilt shop hop with a good friend up from OR.

We laughed and had a great time catching up as we only see each other once a year. We hit all the stores in Lynden, Bellingham, and Mt. Vernon. It was a blast!

I know have enough projects to keep me busy for the next century! I plan on working this weekend on organizing my quilting supplies. I plan on getting a desk and moving it downstairs in the living room with my sewing machine. The table in my bedroom was a great idea, but did not work with a toddler and an infant. With nicer weather here, I'll never get any sewing done if its upstairs.

I'm still anxiously awaiting for my hoop to arrive!

New floor hoop

I am excited because I just ordered this baby:


It wasn't exactly the one I wanted, but the one I wanted was about $300 plus shipping. This was $150 with shipping. Much better deal for me.

Summer here has been pretty yucky. 50s and 60s and cloudy and rainy. Today is another of those days so I'm heading up to my bedroom to organize my quilting supplies. I hope to organize the fabric and get rid of all the scraps. I'm not a scrappy quilter so holding onto it, just doesn't work for me. I may save some of the girly stuff for the girls. We'll see. Depends on how I feel when I get up there. Anyone need some scraps?

I'm amazed

How quickly time flies by! I have the best intentions of quilting, but life gets in the way! So, now that we're on "summer" break, I'm focusing on some other things:

1. organizing the school room and getting rid of stuff we don't need or use

2. organizing my quilting area-anyone want some scraps? I'm going to get rid of all of mine-I'm definitely not a scrappy quilter!

3. doing homework-going to school full time now

4. chasing the two year old and making sure she doesn't write on the walls

5. cleaning the walls from coloring

6. making sure the crawler doesn't get into anything she's not supposed too

7. making sure the two year old doesn't cut her hair

8. organizing and cleaning out some closets for some much needed space!

9. quilting

10. knitting-just learned how to do socks-how fun!

Cutting up

I've been busy today cutting lots of fabric. I just realized that we're camping this weekend and I don't have a single quilt top done for the kids. I have one pieced but not quilted. I need to get moving. We're only doing half days of school this week as the neighbor kids have spring break. I hope to get at least two of the tops done. I also have three wallhangings that need to be quilted. I need to get moving on them I guess.

I started another college class and its not fun. The textbook is terrible. I'm actually thinking of chucking the book and doing research online-its really that bad!

Hopefully, I should have photos this week. I know, I know I keep saying that!

so....

I cannot believe that I have not posted on here since November? Time certainly does fly and keeps me busy!!

Christmas season is always busy of course. AFter Christmas, the hubby left for six weeks, and literally 30 minutes after he left, the stomach flu hit. That made its rounds, then we had a bit with a fever/sore throat bug and then the fifth disease hit. That was the worst, and I'm still suffering the joint pain associated with it.

I also started an online college class in Jan. I really want to finish my bachelors. I was hoping to keep taking classes, but the funding I was using for military spouses has since been stopped. I have to see if I can qualify for more financial aid starting for the August term. I signed up late for this year and do not get close to enough to pay for the classes.

Which is fine. I still have some cleaning/sorting to do. I have lots of quilt projects to work on, genealogy to work on, and I started knitting. I want to learn to make some socks for Christmas presents.

So, since I have nothing quilty to share, here's some photos:



The baby is now six months old and sitting up by herself. We are calling her the chunky monkey. I do not remember the others having such thick thighs or rolls, although I'm sure they did!


Hallie celebrated her ninth birthday this past week. I can't believe that she is nine already. She's growing up so quickly. Pray for her this week, she gets her tonsils out on Monday!


This picture and the next two I took from standing in the same spot. This little beach is about 1/4 mile from our house. Notice the driftwood on the beach. All the beaches on the island have driftwood that large on them.


This is west of the island-the Olympic Mountain range.


And this is east-the Cascade Mountain range. Its absolutely beautiful right now, with the snow on them and as I stated, I can see them all from the same spot.


We've been blessed with some really nice weather and the kids are enjoying being outside. I have a paper to write and a final to study for. I need to get working on that, instead of sitting on the computer reading quilt blogs!! Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to working on stuff soon and be able to post some photos!