been busy

I'm busy trying to get ready for the move and desperately trying to work on some projects before we live in the camper for a few months.  Here's some of what I've been working on:

I made two of these for the little girls.  Don't be too impressed cause I bought the fabric five years ago to make these for the big girls!

One of four blocks for a wallhanging for the living room.  I have to take the pacific NW with me to the desert.

Bear wallhanging for the guest/kids bath.  I have some awesome photos to add to that wall too.

Trying to finish learning how to knit TL's socks before we leave!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Has it really been that long?

I'm sorry that I haven't posted lately.  School just gets the best of me.  In May, we received some wonderful news.  My hubby made Master Chief!!  For those of you that don't know, Master Chief is the highest rank and enlisted member can achieve in the Navy.  We're so proud!

The week after, we received word that we'd be moving.  Panic!!  I wasn't ready to move!!  I've been busy finishing up my two classes and working on cleaning out the house.  I've been purging into two piles, thrift store and trash.  I'm all done now, thank goodness.  I have to now get ready to pack us up in the camper to live for possibly up to six months.  I'm working on lesson plans and going to be sewing some projects to hand quilt while we're in the camper.  I just bought a new lap hoop that I love!

We're still waiting on orders at this point.  Hopefully, they will arrive sometime soon so we can complete this.  I hate hanging around waiting.

We'll be heading back to Lemoore, CA.  Back to the desert.  Goodbye my beloved snow covered mountains, bald eagles, whales, sea lions, ocean view and onto black widow spiders, mice, brown foliage, and blistering heat.  Ugh.  Well, at least I have some wonderful friends and a great church and quilt guild to return to!

Happy quilting everyone!



update and some progress

School is in full swing again for me.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Four more classes after these two and I'm DONE!! 

I did manage on my two weeks off to do alot of purging in the house.  I got rid of 8 bags of clothes.  We've been blessed with soooo many hand me downs, that I finally said enough is enough adn went through them and got rid of all we weren't using.  I also decided to not save clothes between Bug-a-bug and Little Miss Trouble.  Its four years.  That's a lot of tubs of clothes.  If I had a cellar or attic I might consider it, but its just too much. 

I also managed to finish a quick quilt for TL for the camper.  I'm working on quilting it now.  I'm also working on several applique quilts and I've set up the embroidery quilt I want to work on.  Realistically, I won't get much done until about August, but I can dream!!  lol

I have some wonderful news.  My friend, Nancy Murty, had a contest on her blog and gave away some of her new fabric that she designed from Andover.  I will post photos is a day or so.  I've got to find the camera.........

Japan

My heart is breaking for the people of Japan.  We lived there for four years.  I love the country, culture, people.  We lived at Atsugi Naval Air Station a little south of Tokyo.  Also nearby are Yokota Air Station, Zama Army base, and Yokosuka Naval Station. 

The military bases have so far been spared!  However, a 6.4 quake was recorded earlier today SW of the original quake.  This is NOT an aftershock.  It is a new quake.  Many are fearing that it will be like the other quake, a smaller quake that is before another big one comes!

And of course, the military bases around Tokyo and Tokyo itself is under a warning because of the radiation levels.  The levels are placing everyone on a warning not to go outside.  Please keep my friends in your prayers.  We still have quite a few friends that are over there!

shhhhh!

I'm supposed to be doing homework!!  I have my discussion questions to do this week, a ten page term paper to write (that I really haven't done any research for), and two finals next week.  I don't have time to quilt during school....its just too hectic with homeschooling.

Last week my dad came for a visit.  The kids enjoy when Grandpa comes.....they get to go out to eat and he likes to buy them things.  We never go out to eat....too expensive for a family of seven and too challenging with a one year old that doesn't want to sit in the high chair waiting patiently for the food to arrive.  If we have a while to wait to get our order taken its even worse.  We've learned its too much and way to expensive.  With one income, we tend to cut out things like that, otherwise we're gonna have to eat Alpo the rest of the week!  hahahaha

The day after Grandpa left, it snowed here.  Lots of snow-a whole six inches!!  I know, I know, that's nothing.  You don't have to tell me that, I'm from Buffalo for goodness sake!!  Its funny to see it here though and its shuts everything down!!  Too funny!!

Here's some photos of our snow:

Enjoy!!  We sure did!

Crapapple Hill Studio

There is a quilt shop up in Lynden that carries these patterns from Crapapple Hill Studio.  I've been drooling over them for quite some time.  I finally decided to bite the bullet and get myself my favorite patterns:

http://www.crabapplehillstudio.com/items/413_twas_the_night_before_christmas.aspx

http://www.crabapplehillstudio.com/items/407_peppermints_~amp_wintergreens.aspx

and from her tea party pattern:

http://www.crabapplehillstudio.com/items/534_katie_(tea_party_series).aspx

Her photos are copyrighted for a good reason.  I can't wait to start these fun projects.  I ordered the tea party one for my mother and I'll make a second for a dear Canadian friend and lover of tea!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember when

I mentioned that I had thirty days off and time was ticking away....I could hear the clock....tick, tock, tick, tock........and poof!  It was all gone!!

And I didn't even get to pull out my machine at all!!

But, I was able to get some major sorting, cleaning, and organizing done in the house.  With seven people, four of which are little girls that make huge messes, this really needed to be done!  I'm so glad that monkey is off my back.

Now, I'm back in classes already.  I'm hoping to pull my machine out this weekend to do the binding on TL's quilt and piece together a few blocks for some applique that needs to be done.  Maybe I'll be able to quilt that wallhanging for the living room.

In our homeschool, we're learning about the colonies.  The project that the girls need to work on is a quilt for their baby dolls.  They both sew pretty nicely.  Princess has nice small stitches that are pretty even.  Bug-a-bug has nice stitches although a little big-she is only seven after all.  They picked out their own fabric and are doing a nice job. 

If anyone knows where I can buy small thimbles I'd appreciate it.  The extra small adult ones are too big for my girls. 

Have a wonderful and quilty week!