Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Organizing and clean up

Well its about that time for us to clean up after the Holidays and try to do a little re-organizing. Keith asked me to do him a favor and organize my books and patterns because he was a little upset when he picked up some books to ask me what I thought about them and I said "I love them they are at home" He was looking for gifts and I was ruining them all. So in an effort to make things easier on the both of us we are going to figure out a way to organize my books and patterns as well as re-fold and organize the stash.

They always say to start small right? Well tonight I am starting with this shelf. It had some books and things on it and it will soon have fabric folded in the hopes that I can get together a stash report and be more productive this year.


Well I think I have finally folded one of the stacks that was sitting in our "Super Spare" room (the room where everything gets thrown until it finds a home). I put it neatly on the shelf that showed above. It now looks like this..

and my stash is already up to 36.5 yards. Not quite as much as Jill, but I haven't even begun to fold rubbermaid containers or count the numerous fat quarters that I have all packed up in totes.

I decided to go back and fold a bit more before showering and heading to bed and I managed to fold and count 39 more yards of fabric bringing my stash counted and folded so far to 75.5 yards. If our goal is to use more than we buy this year I guess I had better start making some plans to figure out some fast quilts, placemats, tablerunners and wall hangings. My total count of panels that we're intended for wall hangings tree skirts etc so far are 6 but there alot more that I have yet to fold.

I am headed to bed but I will keep you posted as to my progress tomorrow. Mom will be here and the boys (Dad and Keith) will be out in the garage so I can see twice as much getting folded if we just spend an hour tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Embroidery Machine Madness

A few days ago I joined a site called Designs by sick. They have great emb designs and have created so many ideas for me. How many of us have gone out and bought those cute little embroidered hand towels for the bathrooms or for the kitchen for the holidays? Now I can make them.

I was sitting at work today thinking about all the things that I could make and there are patterns for Sucker/ lollypop covers and the first thing that popped into my head was to make a sucker bouquet.. how cute would that be? Then I got to thinking .. I always joke with Keith that I am going to decorate the bathroom with finding nemo.. low and behold I found a tropical fish design set that would be perfect.. a couple hand towels, the edging on a shower curtian maybe a toilet tissue cover or kleenex box cover, and a little wall hanging or something.. viola bathroom make over.. add to it an inexpensive basic toothbrush holder and soap dish.. and that would make a great house warming gift.

I don't know there are just so many possibilities its unreal. you know all the hand embroidered redwork and blue work? I learned how to do all that but I can now order the designs from this web site to make quick centers for quilt blocks etc. I know its cheating but hey! When your short on time and need a gift whose going to complain?



Secret Pal

Well I know that my secret pal is no longer a secret!! Jill has posted on her blog about all the super awesome things that she made and sent to me. I couldn't have recieved a better christmas present from a quilty friend. I came down with the bronchitis icky's and am still trying to get over it so her goodies are pretty late considering. Keith has come up with some other goodies to add to the mix and I think that we are actually going to have to get another box so that we can fit them all in.

The fabric has been pulled for several goodies.. some has been cut and others waiting to be cut in circles. (we had to find the right size circle template.. smiles) .. there are other things that I'm hoping she will be on pins and needles waiting for (hint.. hint). Then of course there will be some sugar and spice and everything nice thrown in there.. maybe a little cream too if she has been a good girl.

I'm hoping that the extra time off that I am getting for the new years holiday will give me the time to complete the things left to finish and then get them in the mail the Saterday after new years. I think that mom and dad will be up this weekend too so there will be some one to help me cut and wrap some things.

But I'm still thinking about those goodies and can't wait until she recieves them. I hope that she enjoys them as much as I loved the ones that she sent me.

Christmas has passed... New Years Goals

Well Christmas has passed and the new year is fast approaching. Many of my blog friends have decided to set "Goals" rather than make resolutions this year. I think that I am also going to follow that guideline and maybe change it up a little. I have alot of things that I want to do in the coming year but have no idea how the upcoming surgery is going to effect things so I figured that I would start with a few goals and then go from there.

Goals:
1. To update my blog at a minimum of once a week.. but try for more. If you only knew how many post have been sitting in my account as a draft. I have wanted to update things but always wait until I can add my pictures and never do.

2. Plan a "Date night" or "Together" night for Keith and I at least once a week. Just time for us to sit down and do something together. We have some puzzles and things that we are looking forward to doing together.

3. Re-organize my sewing room. Keith has decided that he is going to help me and we are going to clean up and re-organize things and its not going to be the dumping ground to hide other things.

4. Finally learn to use my Quilting frame. I bought one coming back from deployment, it sat in a box and then in the closet for ever because I didn't have the space for it when I moved in with Keith because of room mates.. Well now its in the sewing room and has become a table for STUFF! Keith is determined to help me learn. That and he says my quilt addiction has got to start making us some money so that he can retire.

5. My last goal but is actually #1 on my list of To Do's is to have as speedy a recovery from this surgery as I can. I promise to do all the things that the therapist tells me to do and work really hard to get the functions of my arm and hand back.

I don't think that these are to far out of my realm of things that I can accomplish.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Bronchitis ickys!!

Well I am home sick with Bronchitis! Yeah thought it wash a cold but when things kept getting worse , I guess vitamin C, ornage juice and tylenol doesn't cure bronchitis. Then to top it all off the lady in the ER said that I had the begining stages of Pneumonia.... WHAT?!?!??! How in the world did I get that? Haven't I had enough to deal with this month? I told medical I just needed to get rid of it so that the navy could do my surgery in January. Two cough medicines, an antibiotic, and an inhaler later I was on my way home. Told to stay home and rest for 3 days. I was supposed to go in and work Thursday and the command decided not to work! Yeah so I can rest and try to make it to my brothers for Christmas if I feel up to it. My family will be happy to hear that.


I wish that I could say that I have gotten alot done while being home but up until today I have had so many coughing fits that I just didn't feel like doing anything. Hopefully Christmas and the weekend following will be a little different and I will get some sewing done. I have a whole list of things that I need to get sewn for my secret santa that thank goodness understands that things are going to be late. I feel horrible but will add a few extras just because she had to wait.


Friday, December 18, 2009

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I'm sorry to be writing you this letter so late but this cold is kickin my butt. I have been drinking lots of water and orange juice like a good girl and hope that all the vitamin C will soon take care of it.

I'm writing to let you know that I really REALLY would like the the fat quarter bundle Blessings by Brannock and Patek from The Fat Quarter Shop. As you know this has been a very trying year for me. I have been very patient through the trials and the tribulations of Navy Medical and the many appointments that I have had. It was recently decided that the Navy is going to do a second nerve surgery on my arm. I think that this Fat Quarter bundle says it all! It would forever be a reminder to count my blessings and to remember the blessings that I have already received.


I would be really grateful if you would bring me the Blessings Fat Quarter Bundle as I think it would be just the ticket to a speedy (well as fast as it can heal) recovery. I could spread the bundle out where I could see the beautiful colors and feel the wonderful fabric. I think that this would be just the inspiration that I would need to get through the trials of therapy and even be therapy in itself! Hmm... imagine that Fabric Therapy. You know they were teaching some people over at the therapy clinic to sew when I was there earlier this year!

I know just what I would like to make with the fat quarters too!! This year I want to set a goal to make a Dear Jane Quilt or one that is similar in design and Blessings would be just perfect. I'm sure that my quilty friends will be the blessings that I need and promise to help me through therapy and cheer for me.



Smiles,





P.S. Mom if your reading this, this is a blog "Challange" and not something that you should secretly pass on to Keith. Although I wouldn't mind if you did.. Smiles

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Oh Christmas tree Oh Christmas tree!

I just thought that I would show you a picture of our first christmas tree together.


Its not the best picture but its ours. There were a lot of ornaments added as the month went on because I was giving Keith special ornaments for his 12 days of Christmas. Here is a view of our winter village. We each picked some pieces and when things went on sale the collection grew.


Happy Holidays Everyone!




Friday, December 11, 2009

14 Days until Christmas!!

I can't believe that there are only 14 days until christmas. Sunday I will start Keiths "12 Days of Christmas" goodies.. He is excited about it but a little upset when he realized that I was planning it. I told him that just because I was planning something doesn't mean that he has to do the same. But he feels like he is not creative and that bothers him.

I think he will feel better once he realizes that it was nothing too extravagant.. most of them are christmas ornaments that I searched for through out the stores and some had to revert to ebay for. Mark Martin doesn't have christmas ornaments this year so I had to do some searching.

If I get out of work at a decent time today I am going to try to go to a neighboring towns walmart to look for something as we went to ours and the christmas stuff is slim pickings. Keith said last night I guess we will have to shop earlier next year then.. LOL I guess so if they are not going to re-stock. They were stocking some Christmas stuff right after Halloween stuff went out and Halloween was slim pickings the first week of October.

I haven't decided what of the 12 things that I am going to give him on Sunday.. I'm kinda thinking that I will just put them out and tell him that they bigger ones are for the last couple of days and that he can pick as long as he doesn't peek at them. I think that sounds like a good idea that way even I don't know what he is going to get that day because I won't know what bag or box he will choose.

Well I am going to go ahead and post this and start making my to do list for today and the rest of the weekend.. want to be as productive as possible.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Colder Weather = Comfort Food

I know food has nothing to do with Quilting or other crafts but in my head it does... Come in the warm house smell the great food.. and settle in for a warm day of crafting and comfort in the house.


Today has been alot warmer than the last couple days. Yesterday when I came in to work the thermometer on my truck read 25 degrees.. The little kid in me was hoping for a snow day from work but it didn't happen.


On days like that all I want to do is go home turn the heat on cook some soup and find something creative to do. Perhaps one of my favorite (and Keiths too) is the Broccoli Cheese Soup at Panera Bread... and you know what I found us all a recipe! So here it is.. Panera Breads Broccoli Cheese Soup ... There are quite a few versions of it this one had high rankings but I know what ingrediants I'm putting on the grocery list this week.


How many out there are still doing christmas shopping? Or frantically working on Christmas projects to give as gifts? Does dinner (or lunch) get put on the back burner because your busy doing other things? My plan this weekend is to try to work some crockpot recipes in the am (or the night prior) so that Keith can go and do what ever shopping he has left and I can work on projects that I desperately need to get finished.. I have a feeling I will be burning the midnight oil finishing up my secret santa gifts.. not that I don't have the list going its the motivation after work that is killing me.




So its going to be a crockpot weekend so that Keith can shop and I can sew and dinner will be ready when we are ready to eat. Saterday is looking like Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Sunday may be a soup or some chili and cornbread. I'm sure that I will change my mind 100 times but the pot roast sounds so good that it is going to happen.


What will be on the list of sewing this weekend... Well I have some super secret stuff that the children will soon hang by the chimney with care.... and no christmas is complete with out santa's mode of transportation..


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Christmas Traditions!!

What are your Christmas traditions? When I was a kid Mom would always buy lots of ingredients to make Christmas cookies, fudge and well pretty much what ever new recipies we would find. One year she made Orange creme fudge, and I think I remember Rasberry and Blackberry fudge as well. (Don't tell Keith if I get to those they will be a suprise).

We would put out cookies for Santa and Mom or Dad would read the christmas stories that she had pulled out of various magazines that year or the ones that she had saved from the previous years. Christmas eve we would get to open one present that mom and Dad choose for us and it was usually a brand new pair of Pajamas... I loved my pajamas probably because I am always cold but I love them. From what Keith said his family would do the same and well the new Pajamas didn't go over so well with him. But then again hes a boy and well what boy is ever excited to recieve clothes on any holiday?

Lets get back to those cookies though because that was the real purpose of this post. Depending on how my watch and other projects on my to do list go this weekend will decide if I get to the baking that I have promised Keith and Mom that I would get to for Christmas eve at Ryans and for special goodies at the house.

I happened to see a comercial for Betty Crocker Christmas cookies and remembered that the best cookies came out of Mom's Betty Crocker cook book. So I started surfing the Betty Crocker site and found some fantastic cookies, brownies, etc.

Super Easy Christmas Tree Brownies



Candy Cane Cookies



Spiral Snowman



These are just a few that I have seen that are fast and easy. Most of the new recipies use the betty crocker mixes rather than baking from scratch. Some of my favorites are Snickerdoodles with the red and green sprinkles on them and Chocolate Krinkles those are awesome. Gingersnaps those are the best to dip in milk.. smiles. I'm not sure if the recipe that I linked to is the same as Mom's recipe but it sounded similar.

Well that is about all for the recipes and holiday fun today.


More Holiday Helpers!!

I guess it has been a couple years but a while ago I set out to do the 12 days of Christmas gifts and it ended up being so much more. Here is the link to my previous post 12 days of Christmas part 1 and then to the post following it Part 2. Keep in mind that some of the links may be dead ends but alot of them still work. If you see something that you like and the link doesn't work let me know and I will do a search for some other great projects that are similar.

I know that there are alot of people out there that do other things like crochet and Knit so I figured what is the harm in posting about those things as well. I know that this blog is titled Quilting Adventures but it wasn't always that way .. I Changed it a while back and have no idea why. I actually crochet and learned to do it at about age 5, what can I say I wanted to know what mommy was doing. After joining the navy I rarely crochet and even less now due to the nerve in my arm. I actually tried to crochet a project a couple weeks back and failed miserably had to ask mom to do it for me.

I personally would like to set a goal to crochet, knit or cross stitch, plastic canvas, or quilt 5 small ornaments for our Christmas tree this year. I think that is a safe goal.. anyone what to join me? I have a few ornaments in mind some that I already posted about and then others that I saw and will post about now.



This blog has alot of neat things. The lady has decided to take a break but alot of her patterns are for sale on ravelry. She has some cute patterns for Christmas ornaments starting here.





Here is a Christmas light ornament.. very cute

and a couple of reindeer's here and here.

I hope that you will join me if you have time to play and make a few ornaments whether they go on your tree or get used as package toppers I think it will be fun and those 5 before christmas shouldn't be to hard to achieve.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Holiday Helpers!!

Are you looking for some creative gifts to give to people? Maybe a creative something to take to the guilds secret santa exchange?

This Link has ideas for making gift baskets not just for your favorite sewer but for others in the family as well.


How about a wine gift basket? That is what I am going to put together for my brother and sister-in-law. Here is a pattern for a bottle cover/ bag could be used for wine or apple cider. I myself am going to modify the pattern a bit and make the bags smaller and use them to wrap some Marinades to put in my husbands stocking because he loves to grill.


Do you have some one that is going to be at your house for the holidays and doesn't have a stocking to hang up for Christmas morning? Here is a quick and easy stocking pattern that could be used for unexpected guests or maybe an exchange that you could fill with sewing goodies and notions.

Here is a few quick ornaments that you can make to give to neighbors, attach to packages, give as teachers gifts or maybe use as a project to spend time with your kids.

Stocking Ornament

Star Ornament
Yo Yo Wreath Ornament.. I personally would use a darker green fabric that has the hollyberrys printed on it but if you don't mind sewing on the beads I'm sure it will look awesome.

Well that concludes this segment of Holiday Helpers we'll see what I can find through out today and this after noon. If I find some good things to share with everyone I might get some thing posted this evening but that all depends on what couple time Keith and I decide to do. Yesterday we go home had a fish tank emergency and then after dinner I was pretty much done. Fell asleep on the couch and Keith woke me up to tell me the new Kitty unrolled the toilet paper and then to tell me that it was time to go to bed.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

200th Post gone!! No give away... :-(

Well since I was a dunce and missed the 200th post (Its been one of those days believe me.. smiles), I am going to wait until my 250th post and will host a small give away. Yeah I know your thinking to your self you hardly post but I am going to set myself a few minutes every night when I get home from work to talk about what I did the day before. Like yesterday for example I came home ate dinner and then let Keiths new kitty out of isolation to let her roam a little.

I didn't tell you about the new kitty did I? well its about that time for me to be cleaning up to get out of here and head home.. We lost Keith's 3 year old angel fish this morning and well there was one other shocker for this morning but it was my fault I was stupid and don't feel like posting about it today so maybe another time. I think I am going to go to the pet store this afternoon and get a new filter for Keiths tank as he is not fond of the one that we have now, pick up some kitty christmas presents and then head home to cook dinner and relax. Have had a headache all day and the fumes from the work that the contractors are doing in our building hasn't helped that at all.

So heads up be watching for that post 250.. who knows what the give away will be but I'm looking and planning.. might be right after christmas or so.. I still have yet to post Keiths 12 days of Christmas.. those to a lot of thought and not much planning so I'm hoping that he will enjoy them.

I also had a 12 days of Christmas gifts post that I thought I had typed out but apparently I only have it in email. Looking for some last minute gifts? Some Blog give aways? Or maybe some last minute things to make your holiday brighter? Stay tuned those will be posted here in the next couple days as well.

And Secret Pal if your reading watch for those teasers that I promised. Smiles!!



22 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Where did November go?

Well I have no idea where my november went and if you have looked at my blog I just finally pushed all the posts that were sitting as drafts out on my blog with out pictures because well lets just face it I write them tell my self that I need to add said pictures and then never do. I had 6 or 8 posts that needed to be published and now they are out there. The latest weekend post was actually from the begining of November but pretty much says what I have planned for this weekend. Anyone that has been around and known me for a while knows that last february I was placed in a Limited Duty status for the navy. Taking me away from my normal job working on aircraft and putting me at a desk were my arm was supposed to get better through all the therapy and what not.

Well the latest on that is that I have finially been able to stop making the drive back and forth to San Diego. A few weeks ago they sent me for an EMG study where they shocked the crap out of the nerve in my arm to test the conductivity and reaction time... It didn't go so well and I had a follow up with the Orthopedic Surgeon last week. He has taken responsibility for my case file and now most of my appointments will be here local. I was hoping that they would be able to fix things with out another surgery on the nerve that has already been worked on but that isn't the case this time. Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday January 13 and they have given me 30 days convalescent leave from work after surgery to start the recovery process. Pending the out come of this surgery will decide if the navy seperates me from Active duty.

My hopes for the new year.. to have some relief from the nerve pain that I have had a gain the motivation to sew back. (crossing my fingers)

This Weekend!!

Ok as many times as I have said it before and it never happens I am setting some goals for this weekend.. Keith has decided that he is going to work on the yard and wash cars and what not so I am going to do something that will help to organize my sewing room.. Yeah its a mess, for as organized as I had gotten it before mom came to help .. we crammed a bunch of things in there before Keith git home to get them out of the way.

So this weekend I am going to write my list and actually post it to my blog to maintain some sort of accountability for things. I am going to fix my blog and actually publish the posts that have been sitting waiting on pictures or for me to finish writing them, and I am going to fix my 100 blocks in 100 days thats on the side of my blog.

The group that was working on the 100 blocks has since disbanded so I have some other goals that I am going to keep track of instead. I have an up coming Christmas swap that I am going to be working on for a secret friend.. well not really secret we know about the swap but all the goodies are secret and I am going to put out some teasers.. smiles. Also there was one other friend that had signed up for the swap but due to prior commitments we didn't get enough participants and I want to send her a little suprise .. just because.. I hope that it will make her smile.. I might even have a family member mail it from some where so that it really is a suprise.

So I am off to make my list and start getting it typed to put on the blog.