tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131662092012-01-24T12:54:05.300-05:00Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.comBlogger2121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-21228263160415358382012-01-22T22:15:00.001-05:002012-01-22T22:17:22.838-05:00

...the New Year off right! My niece and I practically share birthdays and she was the recipient of my very first quilting venture in 2008 at the ripe old age of two. As she unwrapped her quilt, she commented, "Ooooohhhh, pretty" and promptly set it aside to tackle her next gift. {grin} Four years later and that first flirtation with quilting is still much loved and much used. Makes me feel

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-90799500496885049072011-12-12T10:00:00.002-05:002012-01-22T22:15:52.573-05:00

....anyone's looking for something fun to start the New Year!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-55688046804702088532011-11-23T09:25:00.000-05:002011-11-23T09:25:29.182-05:00

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-18565748554379459992011-10-17T10:52:00.001-04:002011-10-17T10:52:46.773-04:00

...is Done x Done! {grin} And on time, too --- a day early in fact! I am pleased mostly with how things turned out. I goofed on one block in concept. I intended to incorporate gray into the yellow/orange combo and then forgot. While I like the overall look of using rectangles for this mosaic block, I'm not sure my execution was the best. A: consistency in seam allowance matters. And annoyed me

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-48488620394375635912011-10-05T15:44:00.003-04:002011-10-05T16:00:45.556-04:00

...for posterity's sake!  {grin} Almost a year ago (October 14th according to Adobe -- yikes, and quickly coming!) I drew up a paper-pieced plan for a quilt ---- must be the "Sleepy Hollow" nature of October was on my mind, as I christened the quilt, "Twisted Web." It was, eerrrrr, IS on my list for 2011 quilts but I don't know that I'll get to it in the next few months. I have so many other

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-18796634677032182012011-09-16T10:56:00.001-04:002011-09-16T10:58:07.440-04:00

...a little something from the kitchen! We were camping in Petoskey at the end of August and visited the Farmer's Market in the old downtown. Our favorite vendor from East Jordan was on hand with his fresh bison and the Friske Farm folk. One of the gals from Friske had a sign posted for "Fresh from the Freezer" corn. A bit skeptical, I memorized the recipe anyhow and gave it a go once I got home

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-32899458916088641292011-09-01T15:56:00.003-04:002011-09-07T09:04:13.309-04:00

...a bit misleading, I suppose, seeing as how this is my FIRST quarter participating in the bee. But, third quarter it is all the same. I'm finding that satisfying myriad fabric likes/dislikes is a challenge --- the aim of the bee is to use stash fabrics to create 6 blocks, one for each member of the hive. The rules of the bee say we can't specify anything beyond the color scheme of our blocks (I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-66646527974140119542011-07-01T11:02:00.002-04:002011-07-11T15:19:34.671-04:00

...of my aging mind {wink -- right, D??} ---- I don't plan to sew along, but the lure of 50 "unique" blocks over the next 50 weeks does sound intriguing. Perhaps I'll stumble upon a block or two that really grab my attention! I can't help smiling at the timing of this quilt ---- Flickr is buzzed up about The Farmer's Wife Quilt, too. I've been following the progress and have had the book since

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-26545209848820991632011-06-30T16:30:00.001-04:002011-06-30T16:31:36.111-04:00

Eeek --- It begins July 11th!!!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-58541315993479570132011-05-18T08:38:00.000-04:002011-05-18T08:38:27.176-04:00

...for Songbird! A Cooper's Block was requested for April, using blue, yellow, and gray fabric. I'm pleased mostly with how this one turned out ---- in hindsight I wish I would've used just a tad more of the navy blue in the lower left quadrant, but oh well....live and learn! I think the navy helps the block "spin" a bit. The only snag I ran into on this one is that there are a whole lot of

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-20890812082245207632011-04-27T12:52:00.002-04:002011-04-27T14:23:36.786-04:00

...to the D and I. Four years and counting ---- I love you much, dear one!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-57688903141913257742011-04-26T16:31:00.006-04:002011-05-01T15:35:55.064-04:00

...and other 'catching up' stuff.  {grin}  I had to smile at myself today ---- I'm definitely not a blogger who feels the need to shout from the rooftops that I blog without obligation (allow me to date myself just a bit....the whole BWO conversation took place back in the day....the days of 2008 or so), because the notion is just common sense to me. I write about the things that interest me, for

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-37234743628629858142011-03-25T15:00:00.001-04:002011-03-25T15:04:32.309-04:00

...deliberating, and deciding! Lee at Freshly Pieced is hosting a quilt-along for her Supernova quilt and I love the finished quilt top ever so much. But, I'm not a good quilt-along'er in the least and I have quite a few other projects to complete. Some that I am very, very behind on (such as blocks for the NewBee....which I hope, hope, hope will be finished up by Sunday!) I am uber tempted to

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-75681188618472023752011-02-23T16:23:00.000-05:002011-02-23T16:23:12.358-05:00

...that makes me ever so happy! I was tracking down a quilt I saw on Elizabeth Hartman's blog called "Wellington Park" --- and my searching led me to Quilter's Home magazine online. I could find a picture of the pattern and a reference to the published pattern, but that wasn't exactly what I was hoping for...  *grin*  A search and a click later and I'd tripped my way into the eBook, Modern Quilt

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-88567928171098197572011-02-07T17:22:00.003-05:002011-02-09T12:15:04.250-05:00

...a lot on my plate these last two months ---- influenza + missing a week of work and losing my Sweet Petey were among the "stellar" highlights. I am two months behind on bee blocks (ouch!) and still have a few Christmas gifts that were given in process but need to be finished. On top of that, the drywall crew showed up this morning and tracked mud (the gray kind) up and down my stairs and onto

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-78782111231476837002011-02-04T09:09:00.001-05:002011-02-07T08:30:28.737-05:00

The Flabster Abster. Fatty Patty. Sweet Petey. The Abigator. Aborbillia. Abby. Surely loved, and sorely missed.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-5653146823455854002011-01-21T12:46:00.001-05:002011-01-21T14:53:07.250-05:00

my birthday! It's my birthday! Uh huh...today!  *grin*  I've been counting down the days and am uber geeked. I tried to convince my husband that we needed to celebrate the "Seven Days of V" ---- with daily gifts, of course ---- but he didn't bite. I was able to squeeze one early birthday present out of him on Tuesday, but only because I beat him home from the office and found a package from

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-72392687986482716402011-01-11T10:07:00.000-05:002011-01-11T10:07:29.461-05:00

....is the most wonderful time of the year! It doesn't hurt that my birthday is later this month, but honestly, I'm not that shallow.  *grin*  I had a pretty hectic holiday season this year as far as commitments were concerned and I ended up getting sick, too, over Christmas. It just feels good to be into January and embrace that whole 'slow as molasses' thing that always seems to happen. I'm

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-7588023448744886402010-11-16T09:13:00.002-05:002011-01-11T09:45:07.493-05:00

...I can only envision fun and excitement coming from this {recent} development: Cluck, Cluck, Sew is hosting a {perma}link party for online quilting tutorials --- there's already 121 entries and I'm happy to see some of my favorites popping up... This is going to be a great reference, thinks me! ************ Since I haven't done this in awhile, I thought perhaps an installment of 'Our weekend

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-34181090065446155282010-11-09T09:36:00.001-05:002010-11-09T09:38:45.781-05:00

...on [posting] bee blocks! I've been relatively on time submitting my blocks, but way lacking in the journal department.  *grin*  Marlynn asked for STARS for September --- and sent us a collection of Christmas-esque fabric + yellow. And oh, how that yellow threw me! I took my cue from two star blocks I happened across in Flickr --- one from the top row here and the other a modified version

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-87264572076132195462010-10-19T11:31:00.000-04:002010-10-19T11:31:45.327-04:00

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary...what is unseen is eternal."                                                                                                                                           2 Corinthians 4:18

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-24211590200481836852010-10-14T11:21:00.002-04:002010-10-14T11:21:55.605-04:00

...scrapping along with Pleasant Home for the next 5 weeks---do join in!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-21516208876758315622010-09-23T12:50:00.000-04:002010-09-23T12:50:17.042-04:00

The picture for this post is pretty ugly, but then again, the quilt sort of is, too.  *grin*  I was cruising the magazine aisle of the grocery store and saw a Quick Quilts on the shelf. One of the quilts featured was a modifed bento box that made smart use of fat quarters --- from each one you were able to cut the pieces for a single 15" block. Mix and match the pieces and you wound up with some

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-21133709045280403282010-09-02T09:27:00.000-04:002010-09-02T09:27:19.999-04:00

...are not very photogenic in my opinion, but they are delicious and pretty quick to whip up at home! These crumbs came from humble beginnings: castoff hotdog buns.  *grin*  The process is pretty straightforward and simple, too! If you'd like to give it a try, here's how: Hansel & Gretel's Crummy Italian Day Makes 1 1/2 cups 3 hotdog buns, split* 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed 1 tsp.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-51424225043912843622010-08-24T14:47:00.001-04:002010-08-24T14:48:37.187-04:00

...is falling! Or, perhaps it's just a couple of shooting stars.  *grin*  My blocks for the August round of NewBee are starting to show up. These are from Behindyoureyes: ...and yes, those are my toes. Back in April, Dan and I went on a trip for Israel. In the weeks leading up to the trip I put myself into "training" for the hikes. A week ahead of the trip my foot started to hurt...the last

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-89244281691990348642010-08-02T14:21:00.001-04:002010-08-02T14:43:54.823-04:00

...to post about my NewBee block for July. *grin*  Our challenge from The Busy Bean was a 12" house block using some pretty cute Halloween fabric. Our guiding principle was kid-creepy: think The Nightmare Before Christmas, not Freddy Kruger. Colleen asked us to use a black with yellow bits for the background, to mimic a night sky. She also sent some Riley Blake dots that I needs must track down.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-65206552635939831912010-07-30T09:50:00.001-04:002010-07-30T09:51:44.408-04:00

...for The Busy Bean's month in the NewBee quilting bee. I was inspired by Jack and the artwork of The Nightmare Before Christmas, along with the illustrations of Bill Peet. I love Bill Peet! I can't show you everything because I just posted this to Colleen today. I'd like her to get the first view... I tried applique, paper-piecing (and seam ripping - ugh!), and even a bit of wonky. I also

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-79309940026188434192010-07-29T12:54:00.000-04:002010-07-29T12:54:12.459-04:00

...to dig through all those fat quarter bundles and rolls at Joann's!  *grin*

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-67472984502790238702010-07-20T10:58:00.003-04:002010-07-20T11:03:56.541-04:00

...from a rather extended {camping} vacation at Petoskey State Park! Wonderful weather, and oh, the waves at the beach. I love, love, love Petoskey! I spent some time catching up on a few favorite blogs that I missed over the last couple weeks ----- but there's something satisfying about dropping in at my own place. A Day in May, at least in the virtual world, just feels like coming home...  *

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-62009845311548879042010-07-02T15:56:00.000-04:002010-07-02T15:56:39.628-04:00

...inspiration from the pantry! I was digging around in the cupboard at the office today and came across these cute little retro beauties. Did you know that sometime back in the 1970's you could purchase birthday candles for $0.38 a box! *grin*  The colors are fabulous and I think I'll use 'em as a starting point for a quilty color palette or two.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-35944985753194388592010-07-01T13:09:00.001-04:002010-07-01T13:10:28.605-04:00

NOTE: This is a bare-bones tutorial, and I'm lame and didn't photograph my finished checkerboard 'cause it was 1:30 in the morning!  *grin* For this project I used the fabric equivalent of just under 2 1/2 fat quarters --- in my case, I happened to have a $1.97 bundle of Disney princess fat quarters and mixed 'n matched since my niece is head-over-heels in love with all things princess. I cut

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-24962293430817307902010-07-01T09:56:00.000-04:002010-07-01T09:56:13.986-04:00

...the winner!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-40385050978099321332010-07-01T09:50:00.003-04:002010-07-01T13:21:48.388-04:00

Everytime I sign into Blogger, I just smile --- I love the new templates. What can I say....in some cases pre-packaged and processed isn't a bad thing! I stayed up until the wee hours of this morning sewing up a Disney Princess-themed checker board for my niece. I think she'll like it, even though she doesn't know how to play checkers {yet}. I neglected to take pictures of the process and final

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-35678266139309801272010-06-29T10:26:00.001-04:002010-06-29T10:27:17.306-04:00

...thank you for the updates! I am wild about the new templates and the non-clunky stand-alone pages. I love 'em! I am grateful for your continued good service and for being an affordable option for entering the online community.  *grin* Yours sincerely, Valerie {a day in may} **A satisfied Blogger since 2005** p.s. About that flirtation with WordPress ---- forgiveable, I hope; I don't know

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-14625711204064167972010-06-17T16:31:00.001-04:002010-06-17T16:56:53.871-04:00

....and I'm totally geeked! Before I found Flick last year, I always felt like I was quilting in a bubble ---- I have a couple friends who sew/quilt, but I don't see either very often. My mother-in-law quilts but our choices in fabric and design are a bit different. I like modern and traditional, but traditional always with a twist. Between Flickr and the blogging community I've been making new

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-78385451856532164592010-06-03T10:54:00.000-04:002010-06-03T10:54:14.340-04:00

...the ante!  *grin*  Jennifer of Sugar Stitches is giving away 20 "fat quarter plus" pieces of Heather Ross' Far, Far Away II line ---- eeek! Lovely stuff, for sure. Pop on over and drop your name in the giveaway hat!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-1747571736276104352010-05-28T11:56:00.000-04:002010-05-28T11:56:08.411-04:00

...play dough! Since the flagship issue, I've been downloading and reading Australia's LMNOP e-mag and for the most part love it. Recently I made up a BIG batch of the gelato play dough to use as an object lesson for the kids in junior church. Because I have a mixed crowd, I used a single color for the dough --- no sense creating a problem where there isn't one. And, because I was using a single

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-87427773022609124682010-05-28T08:42:00.014-04:002010-07-01T13:18:06.641-04:00

...have a viable Plan B! My original entry for the Bloggers Quilt Festival was going to be a quilt I've been calling "Bento on the Sly" ---- it's a series of pink and orange courthouse blocks cross-cut on the diagonal. My husband commented that the quilt was, errr, rather boisterous. I think he was trying to be kind because pink's not really his thing.  *grin*  But between a computer hard drive

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-59349684880574818172010-05-24T14:08:00.000-04:002010-05-24T14:08:33.794-04:00

....I've only got four days left to post my quilt for the 2010 Spring Bloggers Quilt Festival and I did absolutely ZERO sewing this past weekend. Time just got away from me! If I don't wrap up "Bento on the Sly" by Wednesday, I'll chime in with the Crazy 9-Patch Lattice that I quilted for Baby Ella. I like it, but I was really excited to finish Sly and show it off!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-6902661565172916362010-05-19T16:11:00.002-04:002010-05-20T08:46:06.681-04:00

...improvisational quilting become synonymous with wonky?

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-75390993174007864792010-05-13T13:25:00.001-04:002010-05-17T16:14:29.737-04:00

It's almost that time! Amy of Amy's Creative Side (and formerly, Park City Girl) is again hosting the Bloggers Quilt Festival for all of us who can't make it to the International Quilt Market in Minneapolis. Oh how I wish I could go ----- I've been reading up on the vendors and booths. Until recently I had no idea such a wonderful event existed! *grin* I participated in the Fall '09 Quilt

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-69334269598253830252010-05-10T17:17:00.002-04:002010-05-20T09:29:53.948-04:00

...admittedly the name is out there already, but I liked the concept and ran with it before Google entered the picture. Sew Inclined is what we call our little sewing group (of 3) and our vision is pretty simple: "Handcraft for a Cause." Our current project is a quilt in memory of a dear friend from church; she was called Home in the spring of 2008 and we're working on a sampler quilt aptly

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-17675035781423107902010-05-10T10:28:00.002-04:002010-05-10T16:19:13.302-04:00

...again! For the most part, the original Modern Siggy Swap was lots of fun ---- trying to get the hang of signing 101 blocks with an uncooperative black Sharpie, not so much. But, not enough to dampen my enthusiasm for joining Round Two. Play along --- it's a super easy block put together by Julie of Jaybird Quilts and the deadline for block submission is July 1st. p.s. Almost forgot --- you

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-47915943838349304142010-05-06T10:07:00.001-04:002010-05-06T10:15:32.628-04:00

....not that the D and I ever have days like this, but you gotta love Sherman's thought process!  *grin*

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-87360329350603449022010-05-03T12:40:00.000-04:002010-05-03T12:40:24.716-04:00

...in Tel-Aviv you get to keep your shoes on! *grin*

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-34754638954471589162010-03-26T11:59:00.006-04:002010-03-26T12:22:36.626-04:00

...in my very own skirt! We leave for Israel in just over a week and one of the requirements for the trip is a long skirt (for when we visit some of the religious sites). I decided to take a shot at making one and was delighted to find Angie's formula for the perfect fitting wrap skirt. It's based on waist measurements and percentages thereof. The wrap itself has an A-line shape that isn't too

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-14673545784343256192010-03-05T18:23:00.014-05:002010-03-26T12:49:33.859-04:00

...forgot to post this!  *grin*  I did a quick finish on my "A Tree Grows in Cedar" from way back last summer. I ripped out all the yucky free motion quilting I attempted to do and went instead with a neat-neat crosshatch design using painter's tape. It took me about 3 hours to tape and quilt, but it was well worth it! The D is my hand-y man --- he's always such a good sport. The quilt is a

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-89817725089012100592010-02-22T09:14:00.008-05:002010-06-29T10:29:32.699-04:00

...and I love it! I really liked the movement of the "Crazy 9-Patch Lattice" Quilt that Oh, Fransson! posted a couple weeks ago. I had a baby shower coming up for a family friend who's had a difficult and emotional pregnancy---and figured something handmade was in order. I found a white/pink/green/yellow floral in my stash and happened upon a $1.50 fat quarter sale at my favorite quilting shop!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-4006847388375425792010-02-15T14:56:00.002-05:002010-03-17T12:18:39.506-04:00

I couldn't resist posting this...I am ever so fond of V's for obvious reasons. So, Happy V Day!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-23758923552037803642010-02-11T15:47:00.000-05:002010-02-11T15:47:21.805-05:00

...MIA again, it seems.  *grin*  I am four weeks deep into being 29 and enjoying every minute of it! Dan and I spent a few days in Florida visiting family, a welcomed break from the craziness of life. I love Michigan and I love winter, but there are days when a little sunshine and 65 in the middle of January just does a person good. On the Friday before we left to come home I received a call from

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-56405648265195422412010-01-21T12:46:00.003-05:002010-01-21T12:47:06.305-05:00

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-73232290518711140322010-01-08T14:39:00.006-05:002010-01-21T12:47:56.057-05:00

...all told, when the Modern Siggy Swap is over I'll have 99 signature blocks from other quilters + the one I make. I played around today with several layouts. None of them yield a particularly large quilt {a 3" finished block will do that to you} but with borders and such I could go bigger if I wanted. The thought of quilting all those inches, though, is usually encouragement enough to keep it

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-58667307468907318212010-01-07T16:21:00.000-05:002010-01-07T16:21:05.179-05:00

...and SO excited! I joined my first online swap and though nervous because I generally avoid connecting on the internet like the plague, I'm also giddy about the whole idea! Rachel of P.S. I Quilt has organized a Modern Siggy Swap --- a swap of signature blocks that only use 'modern' designer fabric. I have a couple of Arcadia by Sanae charm packs at home and I was really, really hoping

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-14379803254384153682009-12-30T14:17:00.000-05:002009-12-30T14:17:11.603-05:00

...being an auntie! Ella is off to the theater with her mom and dad to see "The Princess & the Frog." She's been talking about it for weeks. I, on the other hand, am hanging out with Drew Boo. We played with his train, ate plastic food, and threw around Noah and the Ark for awhile. Now he's "down" for his nap and I'm listening in on the baby monitor. He's talking and giggling away -- such a good

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-58925260692308963442009-12-23T08:31:00.001-05:002009-12-30T14:12:56.761-05:00

...reusing old posts.  *grin*  Especially when the message hasn't changed! We had a ladies' Christmas ornament exchange at the beginning of December and our theme was "Traditions" -- we talked a lot about what we do to get ready for the holidays. I asked our Olympian team leader, Laureen, if she would present the lesson she taught the Olympians in 2008. I blogged about it then, and thought I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-60908825674319928262009-12-22T15:21:00.003-05:002010-01-04T13:32:30.894-05:00

If you like the "Poppycock" that comes in the beautiful red box, then you'll love this recipe.  *grin*  Around my house we call it "Amish Cracker Jack" --- but it's one of my mum's favorites because it really does taste just like Poppycock brand gourmet yumminess. It takes a strong arm to do all the stirring and helps to have someone on hand to pour the syrup while you're at it. Teamwork! I hope

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-89798212579198704352009-12-22T10:14:00.003-05:002009-12-22T15:22:11.482-05:00

...he'd wish you One-Yard Wonders and Par(fait) Finishes! Since he's not and I am, here goes: I finished sewing the border on the top for mum's Bento Box this morning before jumping in the shower. {I'm geeked!} I couldn't resist, even though I ended up running 10 minutes late to work. It's really coming together and I have great plans to finish it up tonight. My parents are in the process of

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-55945564137398062712009-12-21T12:20:00.005-05:002010-01-04T13:37:41.794-05:00

PW's "The Best Chocolate Sheetcake. Ever" Saturday evening --- and I'm convinced. It's delicious!  :o)  It trundled off to work with Dan this morning and I was on to other chocolate-y goodness and didn't bother to take pictures. Food, good food, is meant to be eaten! My recipe notes...I used "Special Dark" cocoa from Nestle's, halved the frosting recipe, reduced the butter, and toss my chopped

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-35930404816965347932009-12-18T09:51:00.001-05:002009-12-18T14:43:32.796-05:00

...it's been a long time since I last visited you at the mall --- do you remember that one time, when you asked me about cleaning my room and eating my vegetables? I was sure you'd gone and talked to my mum! How did you know I'd been a naughty little one? Thanks for still putting a little something under the tree for me. I'm hoping for a bundle of Kiwi Meadowsweet from the Fat Quarter Shop this

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-78553916689256527222009-12-17T10:11:00.000-05:002009-12-17T10:11:10.649-05:00

....I called the sewing machine repair shop yesterday afternoon for some HELP figuring out my silly machine. Apparently my machine wasn't the one with the problem, entirely. I've owned this machine since 2006 and mindlessly thread and bobbin it all the time. In my rush Tuesday night to finish my project, I inadvertently put the bobbin in backward! It was feeding counter-clockwise and there was no

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-40775375767318023272009-12-16T09:41:00.001-05:002009-12-16T09:43:01.151-05:00

...why my sewing machine would suddenly start stitching the "good side" down??? I was working away on my Dresden plates last night and got to the applique stage. I started sewing things down to the background block only to have my zig-zags show up on the BACK side of my project! I tried every stitch imaginable on my machine and got the same result. The ugly, bobbin-side is showing up on the front

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-37709237659176428052009-12-15T15:13:00.002-05:002009-12-15T15:46:55.911-05:00

...is running short!  *grin*  I have two table runners in the works, one needing to be done by tomorrow. Yikes! I am doing a shorter (and slightly modified) version of the table runner from "Plates for Your Table" at the Moda Bakeshop. It's for a gal I work with and we're exchanging gifts tomorrow! I chose an Aviary charm pack and am following Bloom's tip for cutting the petals out of 5" squares.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-65350585931294644652009-11-23T14:24:00.002-05:002009-11-23T14:24:15.123-05:00

Giddy with glee...  *grin*  Noah is calling for SNOW on Wednesday----just in time for Thanksgiving. We've been having an unseasonably warm autumn in West Michigan. Ordinarily I'm in no rush for the snows to come, but I have a project that necessitates snow on the ground. And here it comes! Excellent!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-63532315242551955512009-11-03T15:24:00.005-05:002010-03-02T13:38:18.123-05:00

...is a favorite at our dinner table! Here's the nitty-gritty on how I make it for four (which is me, the D, and leftovers): Sauce: 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce Dash of garlic powder or fresh minced, if desired 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste Stir-fry: Any combination of chopped vegetables to equal 2 cups (I prefer broccoli, julienned carrot and bell pepper, and

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-80972743642362142602009-11-02T09:32:00.001-05:002010-03-03T15:56:30.604-05:00

...in front of the other! I did indeed make progress on my Hope Squared quilts this weekend, but not quite as much as I was aiming for. Friday night was my "big" push -- Saturday, well, I didn't exactly stick to task and Sunday I forgot about Daylight Savings Time which made my whole day feel like a wash. We were up an hour earlier than need be which meant for once we were more than just "on time

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-47252337008307179992009-10-30T14:03:00.009-04:002009-10-30T15:57:00.657-04:00

At least, I hope I will be! I'm jumping in this weekend on my "Hope Squared" quilts for Margaret's Hope Chest. They're due by the 15th of November and I suppose you could say I'm a bit behind. I've had most of my fabrics picked out since I first read about MHC's collaboration with Craft Hope. Last night I sat up in bed going through my binder(s) of patterns and inspiration. I finally settled on

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-61117331697833910922009-10-26T14:17:00.008-04:002009-10-30T15:58:09.199-04:00

...reading The Pioneer Woman! I've been following Ree Drummond since late 1996, just after she struck out on her own and left Blogger behind. What first drew me to her site was the cookin' --- what keeps me coming back is her downright endearing style of writing! That, and I've always wanted to raise cattle somewhere out west. For the time being I'm living vicariously through Ree's experiences in

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-90028870226759473042009-10-09T13:50:00.005-04:002009-10-30T15:57:47.315-04:00

I'm excited to be a part of the Quilt Festival hosted by Amy at Park City Girl! Anyone can participate, which is a good thing because I am slightly lacking in quilting skills and I know there are a ton of talented quilters online. I have many, many projects in process (I am easily side-tracked by fabric -- so much so that sometimes I think I love it more than quilting!) but this is the latest

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-20407610673961149942009-09-29T13:59:00.004-04:002009-09-29T14:11:04.568-04:00

...I don't frequently do online: connect with people! I know that sounds silly, seeing as how I keep blog and such. But to be perfectly honest, the internet scares me. At least, having my personal information out there for any and all to see does. But, because I have benefited so much from the online quilting community, I thought I would do my part to advertise the upcoming Blogger's Quilt

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-32110640883219145322009-09-25T08:34:00.009-04:002009-09-25T12:02:12.317-04:00

Done! Done! Done! I love it when I can say that...Baby Dane received his quilt this past Saturday. We had a graduation celebration for my cousin, Austin, and my hunch was right...Baby D made his grand appearance and was just as sweet as could be. The quilt turned out to be less "rugby-ish" than I had planned, but still cute.I originally sewed a barbershop pole binding on, but for some crazy

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-20074625234718670212009-09-18T14:16:00.003-04:002009-09-18T14:22:11.742-04:00

All I once held dear, built my life uponAll this world reveres and wars to ownAll I once thought gain I have counted lossSpent and worthless now compared to thisNow my heart's desire is to know You moreTo be found in You and known as YoursTo possess by faith what I could not earnAll surpassing gift of righteousnessOh to know the power of Your risen lifeAnd to know You in Your sufferingsTo become

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-69880794738011242812009-09-17T08:41:00.002-04:002009-09-17T08:56:11.839-04:00

...with the Hendricksons! ;o)Since Labor Day it's been non-stop around our house. Dan has taken on some outside work for SSC to help "fund" our little {re}model project over the winter. He's pulling third shift production next week to test a belting machine, which means he misses Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon at Celebrating the Classics AND a night at the symphony with James Bond. I am

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-68140316902668989932009-09-04T09:41:00.003-04:002009-09-04T09:50:35.475-04:00

...is the epitome of summer for me! Granted, my "camping" and Dan's camping are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum. But that is a detail I can overlook. Our little Jayco is proving to be a very good investment. We bought it the weekend before Memorial Day last year and already it's been to Wisconsin, the UP, and parts of lower Michigan, not to mention many weekends at the lake where it's

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-30258376920802052092009-09-02T09:28:00.011-04:002009-09-04T09:34:51.864-04:00

...when Dan works third shift! *grin* I don't know why, but when he's not around at night there are LOTS of things that "go bump." I can usually convince myself that someone is standing outside the front window staring in at me through the wreath. I feel compelled to run over and turn the porch light on in an effort to expose their peeping ways! I lock, double-lock, and vaccum-seal all our

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-58397618937309646202009-08-28T09:09:00.012-04:002009-09-04T09:53:57.828-04:00

...what I've been up to as of late (and yes, the pictures are late, too!)My most recent undertaking is a quilt for a friend from the office. She and her husband recently purchased an A-frame cabin in the woods. They're still in the decorating stages, but all summer long they've had renters and guests occupying the little cottage. My quilt is a surprise, but Marilyn was quite helpful in her

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-44040975467982981512009-08-26T10:39:00.004-04:002009-09-04T09:41:15.936-04:00

...except in the photo department! I had intended on taking pictures of my weekend endeavors and here it is the middle of week with nothing {visible} to show. I completed a Disney princess apron along with a matching drawstring bag. It's a Christmas present for my niece, Ella -- the little bag holds cookie cutters and I'm going to pick up a mini purple rolling pin to complete the gift. Chalk one

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-29859346647794781612009-08-21T14:20:00.003-04:002009-08-21T14:31:35.468-04:00

...is my favorite day of the week. Well, at least this week it is! I'm looking forward to making salsa over the weekend, finishing the binding on my Baby Rugby quilt, and sashing my Crazy Eights quilt. Hopefully I'll have a quilt top ready for posting by Monday! Somewhere along the way I'm certain dishes, vaccuming, laundry, and such will get their due attention, so I am holding out high hopes of

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-37706154981282897552009-08-17T13:41:00.002-04:002009-08-17T13:49:47.370-04:00

...and its sweltering humidity has finally reached our neck of the woods! One would think we'd welcome 80 degrees and sunny after all the rain we've encountered this year. But 80 degrees and sunny when the humidity is 85%+ is terribly uncomfortable!Our second camping adventure of the summer came to an end yesterday --- we spent five days up at the Straits State Park in St. Ignace. Thursday took

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-33953197317338735912009-08-06T08:44:00.008-04:002009-08-06T09:37:05.235-04:00

My cousin Alison and her husband welcomed their first little one around midnight on Tuesday. They named him Dane Alan and is he ever a BIG boy! I decided last night, since I will be missing the baby shower next weekend {we're camping!} that I would like to put together something handmade. I was inspired by Cristin's straight-lines baby quilt, but as I got into the process...I sort of thought I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-81464366036262446952009-07-27T11:10:00.004-04:002009-07-27T11:18:38.933-04:00

...is Dan's birthday. It's Amy's, too, but I already celebrated that on Saturday. So, today, is Dan's day. Happy Day, Dan!

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-55216878528987067552009-07-23T10:48:00.009-04:002009-07-23T11:08:44.679-04:00

...as of late!This is one block from my modifed "Crazy Eights" from Bits & Pieces. I have no idea who the designers are, but these are some of my favorite fabrics. It was difficult to cut them up! This is definitely a "keeper quilt" for V --- I couldn't bear to part with it. I started this one sometime early last year so it's been sitting around for a long time. I finished up the last 8 blocks

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-5465183532094562682009-07-21T10:11:00.003-04:002009-07-21T10:17:30.041-04:00

...a lot of people are talking about the folks over at Spoonflower, a custom fabric printer. For $18 you can have one yard of YOUR OWN DESIGN printed on cotton fabric. You can do a single image, repeat, half-brick repeat, and half-drop repeat. I think it sounds neat, and I'm about ready to take the plunge. However, in my research I also stumbled across this company: Fabric On Demand. The price

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-53121353697985213842009-07-17T08:43:00.016-04:002009-07-17T09:23:33.646-04:00

Top, L-R: My first block, a love affair with braiding. Inspired by this block from Katy at Ripping Out Seams. #2 was a pain to sew, but I really do like the parallelograms. They just add something! I don't know what that something is...but it's appealing all the same. And my latest offering: #3 is a simple patchwork that I was going to credit SplitYarn with. Then I saw the same layout in a

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-64864661905552467372009-07-16T09:00:00.011-04:002009-07-16T15:37:20.831-04:00

...which is really Block Three from my description yesterday. I decided I wanted to tackle the square-in-a-box-of-parallelograms-in-a-triangle-frame. According to the cheat-cut quilting thing, this particular layout is called: "Flying Triangles." It was hard to sew. I wouldn't do an entire quilt of these blocks, unless I resorted to making triangles out of the parallelograms. Not only did I have

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-35357694393756059332009-07-15T10:53:00.014-04:002009-07-16T15:37:48.441-04:00

...and [block] Victory, among other things! A couple friends and I are embarking upon a quilting adventure. We've formed a sewing group called "Sew Inclined" and want to make gift and donation quilts for folks in our area. Our first project is a 15-block sampler that we are making in memory of a dear lady from church. She passed away last year but not without leaving quite a legacy! We each have

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-72778853165015654052009-07-08T09:47:00.008-04:002009-07-09T14:36:59.237-04:00

...I'm in the process of making the 5 & Dime Quilt from "All Washed Up." I saw a sample on display at my local fabric store and decided it was a simple enough pattern, but would let me showcase a lot of fun fabrics. I chose paisley (of course!), browns, greens, and creams --- the fabric has a great sheen to it.........and, a departure for me: shiny gold accents! I hate gold. I love this fabric. [

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-64457273881323255692009-07-06T13:20:00.004-04:002009-07-06T13:23:35.479-04:00

...of the situation is: it's Monday and I'm back to work! :o) I don't mind though --- the weekend was busy, busy, busy and I am enjoying the predictable nature of my job. Something comforting about this whole "9 to 5" thing. *Grin*

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-71659836587593606992009-07-01T15:58:00.004-04:002009-07-01T16:02:14.348-04:00

...is on you! But it's ok, my eye is nice. It doesn't bite, either. And yes, I do have two of them.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-43819356384822268022009-06-30T16:32:00.007-04:002009-07-01T15:15:20.951-04:00

...is "Meatloaf Day" in Dan's dreams. In my dreams, Tuesday is the third day of the week. *Grin* I jest on the meatloaf part. I don't make meatloaf. I hate meatloaf. Ham loaf. Now you're talking. I love ham loaf. I make ham loaf. I eat ham loaf. I dream of ham loaf. I guess Tuesdays could be "Ham Loaf Day" from now on...However, this Tuesday is neither Meatloaf Day nor Ham Loaf Day. This Tuesday

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-77774459628217362162009-06-29T12:51:00.003-04:002009-06-30T15:28:28.040-04:00

...you're wondering. So, I'll tell you. When I say "We're reading 'Flowers for Algernon' currently," I mean I take the book along in the car and I proceed to read it out loud to Dan. Yes, I read books out loud to my husband in the car. And no, he's not four. It's something I started doing before we got married and I've just kept it up. I love to read and I love to hear myself talk [oh, come on...

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-7973332935633459022009-06-29T12:34:00.005-04:002009-06-29T12:49:39.993-04:00

...the cummulative amount of sleep I attained this weekend.Yikes. *Grin*Friday night we went to the Getty Drive-in to watch "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Star Trek." Both were good [and long] but kept us out until 4 am! I had to be up by 10 to meet a friend at the south end of town...so no sleeping in or catching up for me. Saturday night was crazy hot and I was wide awake. Since I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-86979812823815885102009-06-25T15:10:00.003-04:002009-06-25T16:06:23.996-04:00

...and wiping tears from my eyes, too. I love the power of the written word! *Grin*

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-77005301620021763362009-06-23T17:12:00.003-04:002009-06-23T17:15:04.685-04:00

...hotter than hot. Too hot even for someone like me who likes to be hot! It's only the near-end of June and already I've decided this summer is too hot. Tomorrow........when we get to play outside with the kids from church..........it's supposed to be 90! HOT! And humid! I dislike hot and humid. Hot, Hot, Hot....it's too hot!::: P O P S I C L E ::: *Grin*

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-73406687221920819642009-06-22T09:45:00.002-04:002009-06-22T09:51:42.135-04:00

And happy! :o) And itching to finish off our walk-out level... I'm sure Dan's thrilled to hear that; I'm having dreams about the finished product. I have grand, glossy magazine images in my mind of what it will look like. Minus dog hair, of course. That's the reality of the situation, but I can pretend it's not there, right? I definitely would like built-ins at one end of the family room. And I

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-21537537324159120372009-06-03T14:27:00.004-04:002009-06-03T15:18:28.350-04:00

...and am I ever counting! Dan and I are flying out early Friday morning for great and glorious WESTERN parts [un]known. We'll be arriving in Rapid City, SD around 10:30 in the morning and setting out on our grand adventure from there.The Highlights:FRIDAY = Badlands National Park (and I must, MUST remember to take Dan to Wall Drug, if only so he can say he's been there and "gets" those WD bumper

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-49595321921389934042009-05-29T09:42:00.009-04:002009-07-16T15:39:31.595-04:00

Sneak peek! This is the beginnings of my mother's (belated) Mother's Day gift. I sort of took on too much at one time. I was in the process of piecing a "Five & Dime" quilt for myself and took a third of the quilt top to my folks' house to show mom. She really liked the fabric and so, unbeknownst to her, I saved all my scraps and am using them to create a [table topper] for her, too. Yes, I know.

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-69032161536351520922009-05-29T09:13:00.011-04:002009-07-16T15:39:54.463-04:00

This is my first ever machine-quilted (anything-quilted, to be honest!) project. I made it for my MIL this past Mother's Day. I can't say the design is unique to me ---- the blocks are a classic pairing: snowball and nine patch. But I selected the fabrics (I suppose there's a designer or two in there, but honestly, I'm not too hyped up on dropping names. I love fabric of any sort!), cut the

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-66635155396588157752009-05-21T14:19:00.003-04:002009-05-21T14:37:20.773-04:00

...to jumpstart the "local" economy! Or, *cough* fund the souvenir purchasing for a certain upcoming vacation. ;o) I took the day off work tomorrow so I can sit home and sell-sell-sell! I'm quite excited because my sister-on-the-ins is coming over to help-------and just happens to be bringing Drew Boo and the Big E along with her. This auntie is more than geeked!And, just to keep on the ins with

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-43232516818199609862009-05-18T14:48:00.003-04:002009-05-18T14:54:10.486-04:00

...somehow managed to evade me! I meant to upload pictures of my sewing endeavors and start the week off on an "accomplished" note. Given my pic-less post, obviously this is not going to be the case. I spent the weekend playing with Ella (we flew my kite --- oh, fun!), attended a wedding reception for out-of-town friends, and "successfully" (!?) managed not to sort through the house for our

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13166209.post-6339056277254833372009-05-15T16:05:00.003-04:002009-05-15T16:11:45.842-04:00

I've got a few quilting/sewing WIPs that I plan to toss up here and am quite excited about expanding the horizons of "A Day in May." I'm not an expert seamstress and to call me a quilter is a joke ---- but it's a hobby I am fast falling in love with, if for no other reason than I dig funky fabric! I shan't ruin the surprise, but *hint, hint* I've got a wedding quilt, a table runner, three ME

Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15522465711021907525noreply@blogger.com0