Charlotte's Gift from Me

A couple of weeks ago, I was scouring blogs online.  I enjoy reading Sarah Jane's blog regularly and decided to go see what she has been up to lately.  She wrote a post about various people whom have sewn with her fabric all over the web.  About midway down, there was a blurb about a lady by the name of Lauren whom is raising money for Duke University's Brain Tumor Research.  She LOVES Sarah Jane fabric and so she naturally incorporates her line into many of her quilts that are auctioned off on her blog.   Lauren's daughter,Charlotte is the reason why she is raising money for brain tumor research.  Charlotte has a brain stem and spinal cord tumor.

  It really took me aback and so I had to venture over to Lauren's blog, Charlotte's gRACE for a Cure to check this out!  After a few minutes, I knew I wanted to donate a quilt to her and so I proceeded to look for more info on Lauren.  I started wondering where she lived as well.  Half way down her About page, I spotted it!  She lives in NC and about 20 min. from me!!!!!!  It was a sealed deal from that point! 

After a brief email to Lauren,I knew which quilt I was going to donate to her.

 The very next week, I went to Lauren's house to deliver it!  She was thrilled to have it and even wondered if I still really wanted to donate this one.  {Why you ask?!!}  This is a quilt of 2 quilts that was commissioned by my hubby, Josh's grandparents about a year ago.  As I mentioned in a couple posts ago, they have since passed away.  I asked that the quilts be given back to me as I wanted to give their quilts to someone whom would love them as much as Josh's grandparents had.  I didn't want them to go to a random person looking for a deal:(

  
Charlotte is the sweetest little girl you will ever lay your eyes on:):):)  It filled my heart and soul to help this little girl.  Her mommy placed my quilt on her daughter's feet briefly and she squealed with joy and said "Oh yeah!"  She loved it!!  Just.filled.my.heart.  

Quilts are sooo powerful, joyful and necessary!!!!!!!!  

It gets even better!!!!

Lauren informed me that she has enough quilts to auction off through April.  Therefore,the quilt I donated will be going to the 5K at Duke University on April 20th. It will be showcased in front of around 4,000 people. I am SOOO beside myself with excitement!!!  I cannot wait to see what this quilt will do!!!!!!!  (Lauren is going to keep me posted and I will let ya'll know!)

Hope through quilts:)

~Happy Easter~

He is Risen!! 

~Sara

 

Movin' on UP

To the UPstairs of our home that is!  Gotcha!

Although it would be nice to move on up into the pattern designing world;)  One can dream! 

I have a feeling this new space will inspire me just fine.

The hubby,Josh built a new computer and with that bought a new desk recently.  Therefore,he needed the space to put it in.  That is where his loving,wonderful wife stepped in and said "Sure honey you can have my sewing space!"

Actually I suggested it and it was no skin off my back.  I just like to give the hubs crap every once in awhile.  Keeps it interesting!  I mean what quilter wouldn't want a whole bonus room to herself.  I created the little "wall art" if you will, out of some sort of wire I found in the garage and some tile cork boards.  This really makes me happy and it has been a "want" for some time folks!  I can also display my fancy schmancy white shelf with rulers for all of my cutting desires;)

I mean it just killed (hello sarcasm) me to have to go buy new furniture to house all my pretties.  (I have wanted this set up for a long time truthfully)  I am a direction reader to the "t" so I read ALL of those dang directions and built myself a new storage nook!!

 Can you tell I had some fun after all that paper reading mess?  Some vintage handkerchiefs at the top for a comfy feel.  A vintage thread spool holder from Josh's Grandma.  A little bit of solids to spoil myself with eye candy.  Little bit of this and a little bit of that.

This is a wall of my heart treasures.  A picture of my baby boy in one of his first Halloween costumes as a cowboy.  Another framed jewel of my honey and our little prince.  A cross wall hanging to represent my faith in Jesus and nearby a painting that I recently received from one of my Grandma's near and dear friends from Art school long ago.  The painting of a hummingbird and flower IS the only painting I have from my Grandma's life passion believe it or not and so it is highly appreciated by me.  She can watch me sew whenever she pleases now;)  Miss you Grandma.  To the far left there is a small 4x6 of Josh and I from our special night together after he had proposed to me!!  In the center there is a needle holder with Holly Hobby on the front.  I made this from a tutorial over at Terri's Notebook.  Terri was one of the first blogs I started following and since then we have become friends.

 One would think that with a bigger space comes more room to lay out a quilt for basting right?  Not so much.  A little furniture moving and I was in business.  If only I could shoot that ginormous T.V. out the window that is sitting proudly in the corner of the room now:/  Here we have a boy quilt top all done.  It. is. a. handful.  Interfacing coupled with outfits, with applique on a lot of them makes for a heavy load! 

Played it smart this time too.  I sewed on the bible verse and then my label first.  Before quilting began!  I pieced some more of the outfits into the back as well.  Another checked off the list!!!!

Reward for this hard work??

FABRIC!

Posy by Aneela Hoey~ sweeter than sugar!!
flannel gingham~ Has been holding my attention lately.

A color bomb has entered my sewing room! 
Bella solids!  Oh my!

Here is some color too!!!! 

My Ayden is fascinated with science experiments!  No qualms there. 

One 2 liter bottle

vegetable oil

food coloring of your choice

Alka Seltzer tabs

Lava lamp!!!!!!

 Sara

 

Working it Out

Before my extended family arrived I was kind of trying to make some headway on my Amy Ellis Dancing Stars QAL .  It came together pretty darn fast as is,but I was determined to get to that finishing line even faster!

I amaze myself sometimes.  Love. it. when that happened here.

Here.

And definitely here.

Demolition evidence.  Yeah I did that.  And I am not apologizing. 

Tiny secret here:  I was a little taken back by how to put the rows together,but once I saw a Flickr gal piece hers all together--- I had it!  In under an hr!  Ha!  It was all sewn as one right before my inlaws showed up at the door a couple weeks ago!  

I will blab about this mistake I made though.  Check out that blue and red flower piece sitting there innocently.  It somehow got sewn into that Kona putty section on the inside of the right point on the star.  (hope that is clear)  I had to rip out the whole bugger and then sew a new Putty piece back in.  It worked and I am one happy girl for it!

The picking, picking,picking LIKE mad picking goes usually.  Not fun,but hey that is what distractions of the TV do for me.  I did go back over all the row seams again though after ward to stabilize them more due to all that darn awful PICKING!!! 

That is where my Star quilt stops for the time being.

Commission twin quilts continue on.  This is for one of  R's sons.  He likes elephants and these are screaming fun elephants so I used those for an outside border.  There is a blue dot print as the background print.  Each block is about 9 1/2" and I really loved how each outfit is highlighted clearly in this quilt!  I give the credit to R for wanting bigger blocks!  Then I went with 4" squares for the 1st border and some strips of an alphabet print that wasn't to loud for the outfit squares.  There is also a 3" blue dot border in between.  The outfits are ALL back with Pellon interfacing and they are so happy with me because of it!  It is so much easier to sew through jersey knit clothing with an extra stabilizer:)  Trust me.    Overall this was so much easier to piece together than the last twin quilt I did for this little guy's sister.  I winged it all,but hey it proved that I CAN wing things sometimes!    The backing is all ready to go with the bible verse machine stitched on and it accompanies my business label.  I actually did it before the quilting part was done and I would of had to hand sew it on!  Kudos for me!  Hand embroidery yes please.  Hand sewing labels on not a fave! 

If only I had a HUGE wood floor to baste it on.  Hmmmm......I thought about a wall basting job,but what is the best way.  I don't want to use basting spray.  The quilt is pretty darn big at 80" one way with the 4" added in for quilting allowances.  Someone in quilting land online said a mattress.  The sides will hang over on my queen bed at least 5" though which could still work.  TOL (thinking out loud) alot here I know.  I saw a $350 quilting stand yesterday called Mulberry Molly and that is just way too expensive!  Maybe it is time for Hubby Josh to come to the rescue (I do have the Superman ringtone set for him when he calls). 

Time to take my Ayden for a surprise to see The Croods today!  I love the movies...... the popcorn mostly! hehehe  Makes Ayden happy most of all and that makes me a VERY happy momma!

See ya'll soon!

Sara

 

Bonds

My thoughts today are all over the place.  Somehow that is how.I.function!  I have come up with a list of all the things spilling from my once blonde head, now coupled with scattered grey "hi-lights" and some brown.  (I usually say Ayden sucked all the blonde hair right out of me when he was growing inside me!)  I LOVE his blonde hair.  Makes me smile big:):)

Diving right in:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

~My hubby, Josh's parents were here a couple weekends ago for the weekend and they came bearing many gifts from my mommy-in-laws parents that have since passed recently.  Yes we did receive lots of irreplaceable treasures,but it was also hard to know that these things will no longer reside in Josh's grandparents home.  It was fun to look through old pictures of different generations.  At the same time sad to know that part of them are gone now.  Yes future generations are being created from the family name,but well, still important to stop and take note of what they did and who they were.  Some great things about these furniture pieces that we received from his grandparents are number one the dining room table.  Love it dearly.  I love the 6 person size,the value of it being from his family and its overall design.  We inherited a gorgeous grandfather clock that really reminds me of sleepovers I had at my own grandparents home,waking up in the morning and hearing that clock chiming.  Ayden is also going to learn to tell time from that clock.  He counts the number of chimes and tells us at the end of the chimes the time!  Priceless.  There is a leather recliner that his Grandpa sat in so there is great ties held in that piece as well and it has become home for my my hubby's body when he comes home from a days work.  I also received a sewing chest,like no other, made in Norway. 

Already filled it with some of my prized threads and notions.  Simply wonderful!

There were many other things that were given to us.  The most important thing given to us being their company.  Oh yeah and hugs and laughter!!  We went to the Life and Science Museum and the History museum in Raleigh and had a wonderful southern style BBQ lunch.  My MIL was able to see a Gone with the Wind exhibit at the History Museum and so when we returned we were able to watch it.  I have never seen it before and so it was a real treat for me.  I am excited to see the sequel soon!  There was also a visit from one of Josh's Aunts that lives nearby and some of his cousins.

Alright so that was a "list" that turned into an outpouring of what was really on my mind without me really truly knowing! 

Keep your heart on your family and your life will be grande!

Sara