Boot Scootin'

I have been having a little fun lately or at least trying. I haven't had a lot of extra time, but I have been trying to get some crafting in. 

You may remember my extensive to-do list, so I decided to start tackling some of it. This was one was a priority because my mom wanted to use it as a sample at quilt shows and when she teaches classes. So how'd I make it? Glad you ask!

First, the pattern is Bigfork Bay Cotton Company's"Bootiful"by artist Carol Rockwell. It is a fusible appliqué  pattern, made using the Appliqué Pressing Sheet by Bear Thread Designs. Essentially is is a grown up version of childhood cutting and pasting! You trace the pattern onto fusible web, iron the fusible to the backside of your fabric and cut them out, The place The Appliqué Pressing Sheet on top of your placement guide and build the pattern. Easy Peasy!!

So this is mine just before I ironed it on the background fabric. It didn't take me long, ion fact, I rolled it up like this to finish at my mom's house around Christmas, but then the baby got sick and the holidays hit, then Hubby came home from a year-long tour in Korea. So life got in the way of me finishing this it literally took me 5 minutes to finish it.

 

I have another pattern that I'll be doing as a demo at the show this weekend, sometimes I get to do ones that I want and then mom uses them for samples, especially since we have such different tastes and two patterns turn out completely different. I'll have to show you that in another post one day. Until then,

Happy stitching ...

 

http://www.bigforkbaycottonco.com/quilting-store/bootiful.html

Growing Pains

Tommorrow is a big day ... my lil guy starts Preschool 3. We actually have him in an accelerated program where he started a Preschool curriculum at 2. He's going great in it, and the teachers say that he is really picking things us fast. 

This was the first class he was in for a year. Since the school starts the preschool program at 2, they also start the kids on the "school calendar" schedule, transferring them in August, but they still have to be at the curriculum level of the new class. 

His current class has 22 kids and only 9 are moving forward, to include our smart little Monkey. 

I made a little sign for photos of his first dayin the new class. Hopefully bith her and Daddy will be in a good mood and I can get a photo. Both of them think that this type of stuff is nonsense, but i try to get these moments before they fight too much.

All of the items I found  in my craft room, so its a bonus to have a "free" project.  

Have you documented school moments like this? What did you do? How did it turn out? What advice do you have for other moments like this?

2013 Hoffman Challenge

There is really nothing I can say about the Hoffman Challenge.

These are some of my favorite quilts on display. There were also dolls, clothing and accessories like bags and totes, but I forgot to get photos of those.

Which one is your favorite?

 

A "Mountain" of Fun!

I know its been a while since I posted {hangs head in shame}, but it was with a good excuse {smiles in excitement}.

We just came back from a vacation to Disney World with our neighbors and their children who had never been. It was so much fun to see Disney World "like the first time". We'd had annual passes when we were stationed at the Air Force Reserve Base in Miami. We got to show them all the things we loved and were even able to ride a few of the adult rides that wasn't possible without someone to watch the toddler.

I did a few sewing projects before we left and the tote bag and skirt (for neighbor's daughter) were great. The boys loved their pirate's bandana, though it was too hot for them to wear.

Then earlier this week, I hoped in the heavily loaded car with my mom and we headed off on a nearly 2-day drive to Loveland, CO where Bear Thread Designs had a booth at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival! Oh, my goodness! It is the second-largest show that we do each year and as usual, I had so much fun! 

I was so excited that Mom decided to to let me man the sewing demo table where I made strip quilts (or at least started them), from Brenda Henning's Strip Therapy series. So in love now. I almost want to do them all! Every day was a new project as we made sample quilts for the booth in the future. Now I want to do too many projects to even count! I usually am the cashier and help customers, but this time I spent the 3-days sewing. Can't ask for a better job than that!

I was also able to spend some time looking at the 2013 Hoffman Challenge projects and I have to admit, I will never have skill or imagination like that. I'll post some photos later, as many are on my iPhone, not the iPad, but it was breathe-taking. If you ever get a chance to see one of those amazing quilt displays, don't pass it up! So much amazing talent!

I also got some fabrics and accessories to make some projects, some that will have to be done this weekend for our son's god-mother's shower (Yeah! A little girl to make stuff for!). I'll post those photos after the shower on Saturday, but in the meantime, wish me luck that I get everything done on time!

Well, I hope everyone in blog-land is having some fun with projects. I'm going to see how many blog posts I can write while I am a passenger (though I should sleep!). Here is a pretty picture of the Colorado plains ... looks like a storm is rolling in ...

15 minutes later ... stormed rolled in and look what we saw! 

You could see the complete rainbow and it was much brighter, but an iPad in the backseat made it difficult to capture. A few minutes later, we had a beautiful sunset as well ... Well Colorado, you are showing your true colors today and we are thankful!!

Happy stitching!