she liked it!

My BFF Cheyenne opening her birthday present I made her. :)

She loved it!

I finished another quilt top yesterday, this one is a special gift for a special someone in May. I am going to meet up with Christina while in Portland this week and she is going to quilt it for me. I know it will be a hard one to give away but I can't wait!

mini quilts

I worked on a few mini quilts during my "quilt retreat" last weekend. I finally got around to making a munki munki wonky star mini. I am really pleased with it....love all the pastels together and I am not a pastel person. I really enjoyed making the "wonky stars" too. My favorite square is in the center, it is the bridesmaid/wedding fabric, I was a professional bridesmaid in my past life, have been in 10 weddings! :/
This is the 2nd Flea Market Fancy quilt I made. The first one I sent off to my partner for a doll quilt swap. I am really happy with this one too, I even used some selvage on it. :)

One I did not make but received last week in the mail.....

This was from my "angel" for the fall themed mini quilt swap. My original partner flaked out on me so was given an "angel". Cute little woodpecker, thanks Isabell!

pattern test

Recently a friend of mine mentioned in her blog that she had a new pattern that she was working on, I volunteered to "pattern test" for her, is this not the cutest wallet ever!?
I really enjoyed making this, it can hold your keys, your id, several debit/credit cards and even has a little coin purse with a zipper. :)

I had never made anything before that needed a snap, I was a bit intimidated but after doing some pounding and a little bit more pounding (enter husband curious for the pounding coming from the sewing room) I got it finished.

I used up a little bit more of my au.then.tic fabric. You can buy the pdf pattern here.

1 million pillowcase challenge

Several weeks ago I finished 10 pillowcases to donate toward the 1 million pillowcase challenge.

I knew from the first time I read about this cause where I would donate my pillowcases. I donated all 10 of them today with my kids to The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. I took this info straight from their site to tell the story of why the Nursery was started:

Vanessa Behan was a two-year old child who died of severe physical abuse in Spokane on January 9, 1982. At trial, the alleged perpetrator of this crime, Vanessa’s stepfather, was found innocent when Vanessa’s mother refused to testify against him in court.
The outcome of the trial and the sadness surrounding Vanessa’s death prompted local businessman Bill Bialkowsky to mount a campaign to establish a place where children would be safe and removed from harms way. Through his efforts and the generosity of the Spokane community, funds were raised to purchase a 1920s-era home that was renovated and opened as the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery in 1987. In its first year, 427 children were served.
As the need for the Crisis Nursery’s services grew, it became apparent the existing home was too small. Another capital campaign was launched and a new and larger facility was built in 2000. Today the Crisis Nursery takes in approximately 3,000 children every year. Since the Nursery opened its doors in January 1987, it has provided a safe haven for more than 56,000 children.

If you notice there are 2 front doors, the one on the left is for the families, the one on the right is for business, we went in the right side door. Emily so wanted to go on the left side, see inside the facility, see the kids that were staying there, I did not even ask if we could. We walked in, met the employee whom I had been in contact with and gave them the pillowcases along with a baby doll quilt. It makes me happy to know that some kids whom for whatever reason need to stay there will have a fun, cheery pillowcase to use during their "visit" and if they want I was told they could keep them. :) Me being a momma that at times has felt like I was at the "end of my rope" for whatever reason just thinks it is so neat that there is a place, a SAFE, warm place that moms and dads for whatever reason can take their kids to if they need a break. I have never needed a break like that but what a service that is available! It is a sad, sad story of why this facility was started but to think of even 1 other life that was saved because of a place like this really warms my heart.

My pillowcases brought the total to 38,994. This was such an easy thing to do, pillowcases are so easy and FAST!! I also was able to use up quite a bit of my stash too, that is always fun to do, gives you an excuse to buy more fabric! :)

I will post later this week on my "quilting retreat" last weekend, a fall mini quilt swap I received, a pattern I got to "test" and some new fabric I have bought recently...have a good week!

quilts for kids

Recently through the blog world of all places a former co-worker Amy and I reconnected, she saw some comments I had left on a blog and with a few clicks of her mouse found me. :) Tonight she did a post on "quilts for kids" oh.my.goodness.

All you need to do is request a quilt kit, make the quilt and send it back, that is it! You know how good it feels to give a loved one something you made just for them? Take a look through the pictures of these kids, it made me cry....some of them so, so sick and someone took the time to make a quilt for them, someone they don't know, will probably never meet made them something that will give them comfort, warmth and a little bit of happiness in their world. JUST DO IT. I can only imagine how good it will make them feel.

quilt retreat at my house!

For the first time since I was pregnant with my oldest (7 years ago) I have the house to myself! No kids, no hubs, no nephew (that is an entire different blog post right there!). So what's a "stay at home mom" to do with herself? I am staying home and SEWING! YAHOO!!! I have a little list of things I have been wanting to finish, start, think about, brain storm you name it and this is the weekend it is going to happen. Yesterday I cut A LOT of squares for a throw sized snow ball quilt, I cut out all the pieces I need for a Heather Ross Munki Munki wonky star mini (say that 10 times fast). I am going to finish the borders of my own Flea Market Fancy mini, make 4 more blocks to join my 2008 BOM for my parents 40th Anniversary quilt (which I finished the second 1/2 of 2008 BOM several weeks ago, yahoo!) And if I get to it....I would like to start and get caught up with the pinwheel sampler going on over here.



Can you tell I am excited!? I get so burned out being home all the time with the kids, can drive a person mad but when you have the entire house for 2 nights, 2 days with NO ONE? Totally different story....well I must go, I am also in the middle of watching the Gonzaga Bulldogs play! GO ZAGS!

don't look!

I made another one of these lovelies, "French Roses" soft edge applique quilt by Heather French. This is a birthday gift for my BFF Cheyenne who the title is written for. I told her not to look at my blog until after I see her on Saturday unless she wants to spoil the surprise....she won't look, I know it. :)
This is the 2nd one of these I have made. I made another one in August for my friend Nissa's birthday as well. They are SO easy and after several washings and dryings the edges of the raw applique just look so vintage and cozy. I still need to make one of these babies for myself.

All of the fabrics are from Heather Bailey's "Freshcut" line that is being discontinued, it is made up of lovely, feminine prints....all of Heather Bailey's fabric lines are lovely and feminine. :) There is also an Amy Butler dot here and there and a few other miscellaneous prints from my stash for the leaves, LOVE using stuff from my stash!!

Another raw edge applique quilt on my "to do" list is here. Isn't that awesome? I have a baby quilt to make for a former co-worker having a little girl in August, I have another raw edge applique quilt pattern up my sleeve for that one too...more on that later.......

Happy Birthday Kolby

Today is my husbands 42nd birthday, Happy Happy day!!

doll quilt recieved!

Opened my mailbox yesterday and what did I see? Something for me! This is from my doll quilt partner, Jessica. I love it....I love everything about it....funny thing is on the flickr site where everyone can post hints....I left a comment a while ago on this little baby....so happy with this! I love flying geese, she made some...I love the little "wonky" houses, she made some. I love aqua, she got some in there, love the letters (what fabric is that Jessica?)

One of my favorite things about this mini is the red, orange and yellow. Those were my wedding colors. :) Thank you so much! It really made my day!

I forgot to mention....the aqua fabric in this mini....it is my favorite from the Heather Bailey Pop Garden Line....you did an awesome job with all my tastes Jess!

this baby, this boy

This baby was born 4 years ago today, March 9th, 2006 This boy has stolen my heart.

Happy Birthday Jack Garrett Hanson, oh how you are loved. :)

1/2 way there!!!

In 2008 I joined a "block of the month". Don't ask me why, I had never done it before, don't know if I ever will again. :) The first few months I found it fun to get little padded envelopes in the mail....I never did anything with them other than open up the envelope look at the fabric, stuff it back in the envelope then throw it in a clear plastic shoe box. Then more months came and came and came...and if you read my previous post we had several deaths in the family and throw in the mix a hysterectomy for me at 35. So if you have caught on....I had never done anything with any of these blocks....until now. I have officially finished January-June, whoo hoo 1/2 way!!! At first I had to remind myself "why did I join this particular BOM?" (still can't remember) and "why did I choose this color way?"...the golds, browns, greens and blues, oh yeah....the other color way was pastels and I am NOT a pastel girl, I don't even decorate for Easter because I don't dig pastels (or the Easter Bunny for that matter).

After I finished the first block I was looking forward to the next, I whipped out 5 of these babies in 1 day (I had cut all of them out in January then stuffed them back in the envelopes until I was ready to sew, so glad I did, now I just empty the bag, look at the pattern and start going on it. Today I finished 1, and it was a pain!! it is the one on the top right of the photo above, June....I can't tell you how many times I sewed, ripped out, sewed ripped out, me no likie the June block.

So mom what do you think? I am actually really liking these now and think they will look great once sashed and put together for a big quilt, will this be good for the 40th Anniversary quilt I promised you? :)

If you want you can click on the photo to see up close....there are A LOT of triangles in these blocks, A LOT!

quilts for my in-laws

In 2008 within 6 months of each other, both my in-laws passed away. My MIL in May and my FIL in November. Both of them passed away at The Hospice House in Spokane. Not long after they both had passed my husband asked me to make a quilt that we could donate in memory of them. It took me over a year to finally figure out what I wanted to do. I decided I wanted to make one for each of them, with their own label honoring each of them.


This first quilt is for my FIL, Gary. I used several charm packs of the Sweetwater au.then.tic line. My husband says this is his favorite quilt I have ever made. :) I also used up some yardage of the same line to break up the rows of pinwheels. This is a close up of some of the pinwheels. Twin sized, to fit a hospital bed, it was kinda weird making these quilts....I found myself thinking about both my in-laws A LOT while sewing these and also about the patients that will use them in the future, made me kind of emotional actually, but also made me feel good that they will have a snugly quilt on them while in the care of Hospice.

This is for my MIL, Carol. I wanted to use up some of my stash so I went through it all and pulled out a lot of blues/purples and then just did strips. Kolby thinks his mom would have loved it, I hope so.

Close up of my MIL's quilt

I know once I get these back from the quilters they will look AMAZING! I am going to have personalized labels made for them to.

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Totally random....picture of the kids yesterday on a "safari". (note Jack's plastic shotgun and Emily was taking pictures of the elephants)