little olive branch

Yarn fail

2012-02-10T17:44:00.002-05:00

So I was wrong. I STILL ordered the wrong yarn. GUH.

And I'm still feeling awful. I have this going in the crock pot right now and I can barely smell it. And one of my dearest friends is celebrating her birthday by getting a van to take a whole bunch of us around wine country tomorrow and I think that's probably not in the cards for me seeing as how every time I stand up the pressure in my head makes me want to just lie back down.

Boooooooo.

(I promise I won't be quite so mopey soon. I'm overly dramatic when I'm sick. Obviously.)

Caught the bug(s)

2012-02-09T18:14:00.004-05:00

I've finally caught that mid-winter cold that I always get around this time of year. Fortunately, it's not unbearable and since things are relatively quiet at work (for the moment), I ended up coming home early today and am thinking I'll take it easy tomorrow too to get rid of this bug.

I've also caught another bug, so to speak - the Honey Cowl bug! This adorable knit has been popping up all over the crafty community and I decided to make one using some super soft jade green Mission Falls superwash merino wool.

Speaking of honey...another unfinished project is coming back to life. I finally decided to order the remaining wool needed to finish my Honey Comb sweater (and yes, now is the first time I'm realizing the honey theme!) and it should be arriving tomorrow. I'm bad about getting rid of yarn labels and had accidentally put the label from ANOTHER black Debbie Bliss wool in the bag with this sweater, ordered 3 skeins, and then realized once it arrived that I ordered the wrong weight. Thankfully, I was able to return it and order the correct one.

Glad that I'm not feeling too sick to knit and quilt. Hopefully will have some fun stuff to show soon.

Knits

2012-01-29T16:16:00.003-05:00

Clearly my whole attempt at a 365 project failed miserably. I think I lasted about a week, haha. Oh well - since most of my time is spent at the office, not too many terribly exciting things to take pictures of.

I did finally get around to organizing my knitting - unfinished projects, supplies, etc. - and have some pics for you. First, I have 2 unfinished sweaters for myself. The black one is this funky Teva Durham pattern with these random honeycomb cable patches throughout. The tweedy one will be an open cardigan by Jo Sharp. I'm determined to finish them both (they're more than halfway done!) by spring.

Also, I finally finished my cashmere scarf. Waaaaay back when Purl moved to their new digs, my sweetie won this in the raffle (of course we both entered and of course he won - thankfully, purple is more my color than his!). It's worth over $100 and is SO COZY!

Where has January gone?! Eeesh. Work has been busy, busy, busy and last weekend my sweetie and I headed to check out wedding venues. We think we found the place and have decided to wait until Summer 2013 - plenty of time to plan and make it awesome. :-)

Have a good week!!!

29

2012-01-09T18:20:00.002-05:00

When I was little, I always asked my parents to sneak into my room the night before my birthday and leave my presents next to my bed so that when I woke up, I'd see the pretty wrapped boxes right away.

But I grew out of that (but it was definitely fun). Now my presents come in other forms - sweet doggie kisses when I come in my apartment door, nice messages from friends, and my sweetie who will soon be meeting me at a lovely little restaurant for a quiet birthday dinner, just the 2 of us. All day today, this day that is my 29th birthday and marks the start of my 30 year (whoa!), I've been reflecting on how happy and lucky I am. It's important to mark milestones this way, I think.

I plan on ushering in this 30th year by doing a 365 (366!) photo project. We'll see how long it lasts but I'll try, probably mostly using my iPhone.

And it begins with sparkly tights, and black patent pumps...

More celebrating

2012-01-08T14:03:00.004-05:00

Who wants to clean the kitchen, work on finances, or do laundry? Not me. Which is why I've been poking around on Pinterest, figuring out what to bake myself for my birthday (ahem, tomorrow!), and doing other unproductive things. Our sweet friends came over so we could finally give them their wedding quilt (which I finished about 5 months after they got married...oh well) and of course that got me in the mood to sew. Life has been really hectic since Thanksgiving so I'm not even sure which projects I'd dive back into. And of course, I could always start a new one...

But back to Pinterest for a second - I love it! For those of you who haven't checked it out, it's like a virtual bulletin board (actually many bulletin boards - divided up however you'd like). I love it particularly for wedding ideas (wee!), crafty inspiration, and recipes. You can follow me here! Check out some of my picks below:

With practically spring-like weather here, I'm off to walk Louie with another Westie friend. The cleaning will just have to wait.

The year ahead

2012-01-02T18:38:00.003-05:00

I think that this photo is sort of a microcosm of the year ahead for me. Focusing on crafting, eating well, and planning my wedding! Weee!

It's back to work tomorrow and back to reality. It's my birthday a week from today so the all the fun that comes with the holidays always spills over a bit into January for me each year and keeps the post-holiday blues away just a bit longer. No big birthday plans since it was quite and eventful holiday season, except eating out with my sweetie here. Yum!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:43:00.006-05:00

I always look forward to a new year. I mean, who doesn't? I rang in 2012 with my sweetie (and for those of you who missed it, MY FIANCE!), my future brother-in-law (whoa!) and his GF. We spent the day on the National Mall. With spring-like temps, it didn't feel like December 31st but definitely a great way to round out one of the craziest year's I've ever had. One of the highlights from yesterday was visiting the new MLK Jr. Memorial. It's gorgeous! A few pics from the day - it was fun to play tourist, as now that I've lived in DC for a sum total of 2.5 years (split), I realized I don't have that many pictures of this place. Sad, considering who my neighbors are!...

No explanation needed - though it's usual occupants are in Hawaii right now!

Washington Monument

Part of the Korean War Memorial

The MLK Jr. Memorial

Check out my Flickr stream for some more pics of a few of the quotes from the memorial.

I feel like I have so much to say about this year. At the start 2011, I was feeling very unsure of where I was going. I had been underemployed for a year and was heading down to DC to explore job opportunities. Fast forward to today and I'm happily employed in a job I enjoy, living with my sweetie (and Louie!), planning for a busy exciting year including a wedding! I made new friends, read interesting books, continued to grow as a quilter, and started working on living a healthier lifestyle (which, let's be honest, took a backseat for the past 2 weeks but is getting full attention again starting tomorrow). I definitely like to set goals in a new year (call them resolutions or whatever) but this year I'm keeping it simple: stay healthy, stay happy, spend time with loved ones, and keep life in perspective. Last year I proved to myself that I'm strong, can persevere through difficult times, and am creative beyond my own expectations. I hope to have yet another year filled with fun, surprises, and progress. I finished 12 quilts this year and read 24 books. Below is a mosaic of all my quilts from 2011.This year:
- Make more quilts!
- Learn to sew clothes
- Get back into knitting more frequently
- Run a 10K
- GET HITCHED!

Happy 2012 everyone! I plan to try to be in this space more often. Hope to see you around here. :-)

The happiest

2011-12-24T15:53:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays!We're engaged!

Much love, joy, and peace to you and yours this holiday season.

Craft happens

2011-12-19T19:40:00.001-05:00

Presents! (More details to come...)

Winding down - for a fresh start

2011-12-11T10:55:00.003-05:00

I'm here. Life has been so busy. I've been working, crafting (so many things to show you all!), settling in to DC with my sweetie and Louie, etc. All is well and I can't believe that 2011 is almost done. Seriously! My birthday is fast approaching in less than a month (that would be 29 - eek!) and so many wonderful things on the horizon.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I promise I'll be back more, hopefully very soon.

xo

In the works

2011-11-03T19:23:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure why I've been gone for so long - clearly I've been busier settling into my life here in DC with Louie and my sweetie that I realized.

I recently took stock of my WIPs - and I'm almost ashamed to admit that there are seriously too many. I'm obviously the kind of crafter who likes to have MANY projects going at once. But aren't we all?

This weekend my sweetie is going to a wedding in Florida. I opted to sit this one out as it's kind of pricey to get there and stay there and we didn't want have to find someone to watch Louie. I love going to weddings but I'm definitely looking forward to not traveling this weekend. I plan to hang out with Louie and do lots of sewing, knitting, and movie watching.

A few sneak peeks of some of my projects. This one below is the Jelly Stars quilt pattern - it looks much more complicated than it is! I'm going to be doing vibrant stars with probably a linen background and a yummy flannel backing. This one will be living with us!

These Swoon blocks are complicated (LOTS of pressing) but look so lovely! These ones are being made into a present for a friend. More details to come...

I'll post more pictures and more updates this weekend!

The shop is back!

2011-10-13T11:08:00.001-04:00

My Etsy shop has reopened so check it out! New items will be added soon...

I'm here!

2011-09-27T07:48:00.003-04:00

Well, as you can imagine, life has been a little hectic. Our move went great and we're settling in nicely. We've been busy almost every weekend since we moved, though and have yet to get a few crucial pieces for our new place. Thankfully, this weekend we'll be able to take care of it!

My crafting has obviously been on hold. I'm anxious to get behind the sewing machine again, especially since I need to finish 2 gifts for friends!

Stay tuned...I'll be back on a more regular basis soon. :-)

P.S. My dear friend, Brooke, is in the process of re-opening her fabulous Etsy shop. Check it out here!

10

2011-08-23T08:14:00.005-04:00

Ten is a lovely number. Ten is the number of days until my sweetie arrives and we move into our new place!

Yep, we've made it. The past month has been a whirlwind - busy job stuff, vacation to Maine, apartment searching/finding/reviewing the lease, back and forth to NYC to pack... I can't believe it's finally happening!

We spent another glorious week in Maine where we played on the beach, met up with friends, read a ton, and ate a lot of lobster. As always, it was too short but I'm thankful we managed to go at all, considering how busy things have been!

I'll leave you with some pictures from vacation. Next time I'll check in here will be after we're in our new place!!!

Finally

2011-08-05T12:25:00.005-04:00

Well, hello there! Yes, I'm still here. Are any of you?

As you can tell from the silence around here, things have been BUSY. Work is good, DC is hot (hottest on record - total insanity), and so many exciting things lie ahead.

After months of working hard, planning, waiting, and all other difficult tests of patience and perseverance, I have big news: my sweetie will be moving down here! He has a job (within the same company, just transferring to the DC office) and we will be back to our glorious cohabitation around Labor Day. Apartment details coming soon...

I am beyond happy. This giddy girl is ESPECIALLY happy because today I'm leaving for a week-long vacation to beautiful, relaxing Maine. There will be long beach days, plenty of reading and games, and a long-awaited face-to-face with Brooke (we've been blogging buddies for a year now!). The serene pic below is of my two favorite boys strolling the beach last summer.

I'll be back real soon. :)

Wow

2011-06-18T09:13:00.006-04:00

It's been almost 2 years since I started this blog. A LOT has happened since Post #1 and I'm sort of in shock that it's been that long. If you had asked me where I'd be 2 years from starting this, I don't think I would have even come close to describing the crazy path that led me to where I am today. But that's how this whole "life" thing goes, right?! ;-)

I've now officially been in DC for more than a month. Summer is in full swing (yes, I know I said that last time but now I'm serious - not to mention we're approaching the longest day of the year) but every now and then we get a respite from the truly sweltering temps. On those days, we turn off the the AC, open the windows and turn on the ceiling fans. I'm sitting here in my pj's enjoying the breeze right now, in fact. My sleeping has been erratic here so I'm up early (and have been waking up throughout the nights) - I blame it on the small bed and lack of snuggle buddy. Oh well.

I'm learning more and more each day at work and loving getting to know my colleagues. Our office is just outside the District in a cute neighborhood with lots of shops, restaurants, etc. so it's nice to take a break away from my desk and have yummy food and cute places to pop into just around the corner.

I'm missing my sewing machine more and more. Now that I'm feeling more settled, I'm definitely craving some semblance of familiarity of life before which includes crafty time. One of my roommates actually has a sewing machine which she kindly offered for me to use but you know me - none of my own scissors, fabric, thread, etc. is here. I may just take her up on the offer anyway... I have a few cuts of fabric so we'll see. I'm trying to figure out a way to get my machine/stuff here. Not an easy taks considering its weight and the fact that I usually go back and forth to NYC by bus. Hm, we'll see.

Not much planned for the weekend. Some of you cat-lovers have been asking for pics of my roommate's cats so I'll oblige you. I'm not really a cat person but these rascals are a constant source of entertainment (except when Fitch whines for breakfast really in the morning when my roommate is out of town...). Example: Rigby (named for Eleanor Rigby) is not very good at being a cat - last night we were watching a movie and she suddenly just slid off the ottoman! My roommate and I couldn't stop laughing. Like I said, very entertaining.

I took some other pics since this space has been feeling kind of empty. Happy weekend, all!

Playing with fun nail polish!

Crazy, whiny Fitch

Rigby, the princess (and clumsy cat)

Skylight in the bathroom

Bowl

Awesome vintage cabinet (belong to roommate's grandma!)

In the kitchen

Coasters

One of the best seats in the house

Front door

In the dining room

One pj-clad DC girl

Summer

2011-06-12T08:53:00.003-04:00

Hellllloooooo out there! Anyone still there? Haha, sorry for the lack of posting but as I warned, it's going to be quiet around here for a while. Thought I'd drop in and say hello and give some updates! Hope everyone is doing well.

I've been here almost a month now which seems crazy. Some moments I feel like I just got here, while at other times I feel like I've been here forever. Life here in swampy DC is going pretty well - I'm really enjoying work (just got my first paycheck this past Friday and MAN DID THAT FEEL GOOD!) and getting to know everyone there. As I said before, they're all friendly and welcoming and even though it's a big organization, it doesn't really feel that way. We're sort of in a calm period right now but things will pick up and get crazy busy before we know it. I'm trying to enjoy the down time and make sure that I learn as much as I can so when the real work comes down, I'll be ready to just jump in. My office is just outside DC and the whole area is pretty cute with lots of places to eat, bars, shops, etc. Always helps knowing that a fun lunch is just around the corner. :)

My roommates are great (I knew one of them before and am having a blast getting to know the other 2). The general living situation is going very well - especially considering I came from a pretty different one (living in a one bedroom apartment with my sweetie and dog for the past year and a half). Don't get me wrong, I'm so ready to be back with my boys in our own place but I'm really lucky to have such a nice place to live with fun, friendly, considerate people. We all get along and also really respect each other. Not to mention, we have a good time whether it's playing late-night Cranium (last Friday night), watching trashy TV together (The Voice on Tuesday nights), or sharing food (one of my roomies is going to make lemon meringue pie today!!!).

I went back to NYC last weekend to see my sweetie and it was wonderful. It felt totally normal to be back in my apartment though pretty quiet without Louie, since he's still with my folks. My sweetie and I plan to head to Upstate, NY where our folks live for the 4th, which is actually the weekend that my younger sister will be moving to NYC (she starts HER new job in a month!) so my sweetie and I will be dogsitting Louie and Winston (my parents' Westie). It'll be nice to have a whole big house to ourselves, not to mention plenty of dog time. :)

My sewing machine is still having its own summer break back in NYC. While I get the craft itch practically every day, I'm certainly occupied with enough stuff that I don't feel too craft-deprived (well, most of the time). There have been some amazing fabric line releases this summer and many more that I'm anxious to get my hands on! I've still been living vicariously though all my Flickr and bloggy friends. Keep up the creative work all! I know that once I get my sewing machine back, I'll have lots of stuff to make.

Off to enjoy Sunday - paper reading, festival-going, grocery shopping, etc.

Flying by

2011-05-28T09:10:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe that I've already been here 2 weeks! Thank you for all the checking in emails. I miss all my crafty activities and while I don't really have any progress to report, I wanted to post and say hello.

Work has been great. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. Even though it's a large company, it definitely doesn't feel that way. While the majority of the employees are scattered across the globe, in the HQ (where I work) we have a few hundred but you'd never know it. People are always introducing themselves so I'm meeting a lot of new faces. It's great since I'm such a people-person.

I'm settling into a routine too. My room is starting to feel like mine (thanks to Brooke for providing some fabulous pictures that now live on my wall!) I'm even making peace with my roommate's cats - well, except when they whine early in the morning! ;-)

Summer has definitely arrived here in the District. During the time I was a student here, I managed to avoid the "real" summer, as I arrived in the early fall, was abroad in between my first and second years of grad school, and then left before it got really hot. I know I'm in for a doozy - thank goodness for ceiling fans, central A/C, and summer dresses!

I've got a somewhat lengthy commute so I've gotten a lot of reading done (which I love, especially having my Kindle!) and am satisfying my crafty craving (well, sorta...) with a little embroidery. After seeing all the photos people took at Quilt Market, I'm itching to get some new fabric and have my sewing machine. ::sigh:: I'll be back in NYC next weekend and hope to get a little stitching time in. I'm crushing hard on Anna Maria Horner's "Loulouthi" and a number of prints from Tula Pink's "Prince Charming." So happy to still be reading crafty blogs and perusing flickr often. I'm living vicariously through all of you!

Well, off to do laundry, groceries, etc. Have a great long weekend everyone! :)

Make it mine

2011-05-16T19:28:00.002-04:00

Today was my first day of work! It went GREAT! People were friendly, welcoming, and helpful. As is typical of most first days, there was a LOT of information thrown at me, and I tried to absorb as much as possible. Phew, going to take a while to get into the swing of things.

I'm settling into the house here just fine. My housemates are very sweet and fun. There are 2 cats that live with us and while I'm not a cat person, these 2 are pretty entertaining. (But man oh man, do I miss my sweet Louie!)

My room is pretty much all set up - it's small and since it's just me, I have a twin bed (outfitted with my sheets from college - talk about flashback) and a few other things. While I don't need to fill it with tons of stuff, I do need a few things for the walls, as it looks a little bare. My cubicle at work too could definitely use some sprucing up! Anyone who wants to send pictures or other pretty things, just let me know... ;-) I'd love make both spaces more homey and more "me".

I'm completely wiped (no surprise) and am waiting for my dinner to finish baking. I'll probably pass out pretty early but I just wanted to check in, say hi, and tell you all that I'm settling in well. I definitely have no energy to sew, so it's not a big deal at the moment that my machine is still up in NYC. I'm sure as I get more used life here, I'll be craving it. Hopefully I'll get it down here soon...

The big day

2011-05-12T09:59:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's finally here: tomorrow I'm moving down to DC! So many emotions but certainly excitement is at the top of the list.

After a whirlwind few weeks, I'm taking the day to pack up and get organized. Yesterday, I got my haircut - a pretty big change since my hair was down to the middle of my back. It was waaaaay to long (and big!!!) and now that I have a real grown up job, I wanted to a new look to go with it. :) I've had my hair a million different lengths, from pixie cut to long curls, but this look is so perfect! I really love it and think it'll be especially perfect for the steamy DC summer.

No crafty news to report as my sewing machine is currently sitting in my NYC apartment (I'm Upstate at my folks' house). Ah well.

Will report back soon once I'm settled. Wish me luck - my new job starts Monday!!!

Last day

2011-05-04T11:09:00.003-04:00

Today is my last day here. I'm packing, hanging out with Louie, going to my favorite Italian restaurant with my sweetie for dinner, and getting a mani/pedi. I've traced out a new embroidery project to bring with me since my sewing machine will be staying here for a while. I think it's perfectly appropriate for me and my new journey.

This space will probably be quiet for a while as I settle in. But I'll be back! :)

Changes

2011-05-02T10:17:00.005-04:00

Wow. What a Monday morning. As someone who is about to begin a professional path working toward peace (yay!), particularly dealing with development in Afghanistan, I can't express to you the significance of Bin Laden's death (but I don't need to, as it's clear to everyone). I must admit a sense of relief knowing that he is no longer alive (even as someone who doesn't favor the death penalty and other such acts), as he was responsible for so much death, destruction, and sadness. I'm not sure that any other end result could have provided the same sense of resolution that is now felt by so many of us. Let us all remember those who were victims of terrorism and honor their memory by working toward tolerance, peace, and ending hatred.

Anyway...

This is it - my last few days in the Big Apple. So bittersweet. I feel like I still have a million things to do but I'm trying not to worry as I'll be back in about a month! It's not like I'm leaving forever, thankfully. :) But I have finalized that agenda for the last few days. I also plan on pretending to be a tourist and am toting my camera with me for the new few days.

I've been packing (ugh I HATE packing as I always bring too much) and cleaning and organizing. I don't think I'll be sewing much but I'm going to try to work on a few things in between all the stuff on the to-do list.

But I did have one big finish: my Supernova quilt! It's all done and I love it. I backed it with some solid brown fabric and a few prints from Robert Kaufman's "Mingle" line in coordinating brown/green prints. I bound the whole thing with scrappy binding made up from some Katie Jump Rope strips. I'm so glad I finished it and can leave it here with my sweetie. Big thanks to Lee for a great quilt-along.

I'm off to start my busy day - hope everyone has a good Monday!

Enjoyment

2011-04-27T17:47:00.002-04:00

I will be leaving NYC one week from tomorrow. Fortunately, I'll be back soon - and often, as my sweetie will be staying here in our apartment, at least for a little while. Also, my sister will be moving here in July!

Anyway, there's a bunch of things I have planned - crafty and not - for my last week here. The weather has finally turned to spring (almost summerlike, actually!) so all the more reason to get out and take advantage of the city.

Firstly, I decided that it was a little ambitious (and frankly unnecessary) to make another quilt to use on my bed in DC since I already have one that will be perfect. While I've been having a good time working on a new quilt top, it's big and involved and I'm thinking that I don't want to rush it. And frankly, don't want to be glued to the sewing machine my last week in the city. Don't get me wrong, of course I love it but I'm worried that's all I would be doing which is silly. I would love to try my hand at sewing a skirt or simple dress as I already have some fabric and patterns but I'm thinking that's also a big undertaking. I think I'll just continue to work on the never-ending stack of WIPs that I already have in my fabric cabinet. I'm not bringing my sewing machine to DC right away but I may bring some embroidery and/or knitting. We'll see...

Other things on the agenda: dog park (as many days as possible since this is Louie's last week here too!); manicure/pedicure; dinner at our favorite neighborhood spot; stocking up on some NYC faves (Zabar's coffee); and a number of get-together dates with friends. It's hard to believe that I'm almost leaving - I feel like I just got the offer! These 6 weeks have flown by...

And then we came to the end

2011-04-27T13:13:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is my last day of retail work. HURRAY!!!! I've been lucky - I work in a lovely store with fun people that sells great stuff (with a nice discount). It could have been way worse. However, I can't even begin to describe to you all the euphoria that comes with knowing tomorrow is my LAST DAY. It's been quite an experience.

I'll be back later with some other crafty stuff and more details about what I have planned for my last week in NYC. Whoa!

3 weeks

2011-04-22T14:47:00.002-04:00

Exactly 3 weeks from today I will be moving back to DC. Whoa.

It's been one crazy week. Plans for Passover, stomach bug, oversleeping one morning (oops), and death of a family member. In between all the madness was finalizing travel plans (to my parents house, to see my sister graduate, and then to DC), crazy spring weather, another friend getting a job (hurray!), and just the day-to-day stuff. Needless to say, there hasn't been too much crafting (but there has been lots of TV watching). Today I basted and started to quilt the Supernova quilt, as I want to get it done before I leave in a few weeks. It will be staying here with my sweetie. :)

My grandmother - my last living grandparent - passed away on Wednesday. She had been in a nursing home for a number of years with dementia. I made peace with her illness and ultimately the loss of the woman I actually remember from my childhood a long time ago. She died peacefully and painlessly after a long, fruitful life at the age of 91. She was always creative and quirky: visits to her apartment in Queens were filled with singing showtunes at the piano, wearing crazy hats, plenty of delicious sweets (Seven Layer Cake and other classic Jewish desserts) and crafts of all kind. She mostly painted but was always into art in general, buying me many a gift from the Met's gift shop. She definitely has influenced my own creativity and I'm sure she's so proud of my developing skills as a crafter and the person I've become in general. The funeral will be on Sunday (we're Jewish so Easter has no bearing on the plans, though we're not very religious so Passover doesn't dictate where/what we can eat after) and will be small. My grandma was filled with hilarious phrases and quirks - I look forward to sharing wonderful stories about her life with family and friends in a few days. She embodied so much of what is familiar about New York City Jewish culture (not to mention she was a constant source of Yiddish phrases) and always made me feel like living in NYC, even though she lived in a nursing home outside the city, bonded us in a small way. I know she's still singing along to "Carousel" and "Guys and Dolls" somewhere...

To Edna, and all her creativity. 1919-2011. xoxo.

Featured - again!

2011-04-18T06:04:00.001-04:00

Happy (very early) Monday to everyone. Make sure you go check out Melanie's post on Sew, Mama, Sew - I'm featured! :) A big thanks to Melanie!

Big tops

2011-04-16T13:50:00.007-04:00

I have 2 tops to show you today. One is from the lovely ladies of Bee-Stitched, which has actually been done for a while now. It came out great - thanks ladies!

I also just finished my Supernova top - and it's so awesome (and huge, as you can see - my sweetie is holding it up and he's 6'4"!).

Sorry for the dark pics - I just wanted to take some quick shots and it's pretty gloomy outside so we just snapped some in our apartment. I'll take better pics once they're all done.

And just another Louie glamour shot, snuggling with a quilt (yep, he did this himself!).

Creativity

2011-04-15T17:01:00.007-04:00

So I started another quilt. I know, I know. How many projects can one person undertake at once? I felt inspired. It happens. Maybe it's because I've been reading Patti Smith's book and it's filled with creative juiciness. She writes beautifully! Not to mention I love reading about NYC back in the day. She still lives here apparently. I bet if I hung out at the Strand or MoMA, I'd spot her - $10 says she lives down there.

Anyway, this new quilt top is awesome and huge. Well, it's not huge yet but it will be. Current calculations put it at about 90" square. I know, I'm crazy. But I have so many awesome fabrics that I wanted to use, and after the huge success of my last big quilt, I can't imagine making another small one right now. I'm also thinking that if I really keep it moving, it'll be done before I leave for DC and I can use it on my bed (I think that I'm almost set for housing - it's with a friend which is nice and super cheap but I'll have to get a twin bed. Good thing I'm little!). The only problem will be backing. I'd really like to not purchase any but I'm not sure I have the patience (or the right fabrics) for the back. Anyone want to give away some fabric? Preferably just big pieces of solids or really modern prints? Figured I'd throw it out there... I'm too lazy right to take pictures but I'll get around to it. It's using mostly Habitat and Innocent Crush fabrics in various sized squares. Yum!

Anyway, I have exactly 10 work shifts left (hurrah!) and about 3 weeks (I think...still finalizing the travel plans) left in NYC. I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. I'm really looking forward to this job but it's a huge life change - back to DC when I thought I'd be here in NYC for a while, starting without my sweetie after living together for a year and a half, and so many other little things. But I know it will all be OK eventually. If there's one thing I've learned this past year and half, it's patience.

It will probably be quieter around these parts once I move. If I move into the room I think that I'm moving into, I won't be taking my sewing machine, at least initially. Since *my* space will be small (and temporary) I won't really have room for it and all the associated items. I'm actually OK with that as I know it'll only be a quick bus ride away here in NYC. I plan on taking some embroidery stuff with me and armed with my Kindle, I'll have plenty of non-work related ways to relax. I know that the first few weeks will mostly consist of work, eat, sleep as I get used to a new job, life back in DC, etc. so I know I'll be OK. Not to mention, I have lots of people to catch up with, new restaurants to try, fabric stores to scope out...

It's my sweetie's birthday on Sunday and we're heading to one of our favorite bar-b-que places (there's one back where we grew up too) for dinner.

Have a great, fun, creative weekend everyone!

Mid-week musings

2011-04-13T14:17:00.006-04:00

It's a rainy, spring day here in NYC (as I assume it is in many parts of the Northern hemisphere) and I'm happy to be home from a morning at work, just now lounging around. As I get closer to my departure date, I'm taking care of little things here and there: clothes sorting (which I try to do every season anyway), file clearing (always feels so good), and all the other associated tasks that come with relocating. Fortunately, I've lived in DC before (for grad school) so it's not unfamiliar territory though working there will certainly be different than student life. Also, I was lucky enough to avoid DC summers so I'm certainly trying to brace myself for the insane humidity that blankets the area - and working on keeping a light wardrobe!

As I will be going and my sweetie will not be, Louie will be heading Upstate to hang out with Winston and with his grandparents for a bit while I settle in. The next few weeks will be quite hectic as I leave NYC (with Louie), head to Atlanta (for my sister's college graduation), and then back Upstate for a few days THEN down to DC. Phew, makes me tired just thinking about it. I just found out that I still have one little stubborn kidney stone hanging out in my right kidney so I want to be extra mindful of managing my stress, anxiety and diet as the more those all spiral out of control, the higher the chance is for the stone to try to pass. Ugh, trying not to think about. (Sorry if all that was TMI - here's my post from the original ordeal a few months back.)

In between all my tasks, I'm enjoying dreaming of a few new things for a new space. And this doesn't even include any of the many Etsy things I'm lusting after.

(Click on each picture to be taken to the source.)

And not to mention, some new fabric from my favorite designer! Certainly saving up for a FQ bundle of the new collection falls within StashPact11 since she's my all time fave.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Today

2011-04-12T14:17:00.002-04:00

rain boots * dogwood flowers * westie belly * four cheese cheez-its * monster cookies * just kids * sorting clothes * baby quilt top * supernova blocks * bethenny on dvr * spring air through the windows * chai tea * catching up on the economist * frizzy hair * travel plans * cd mix making

Shop bonanza!

2011-04-08T11:28:00.008-04:00

I promised you all that I'd be doing a big shop update and I've been working hard at filling it up! I've gotten a whole bunch of goodies listed so go check it out!

And before you think that maybe I'm some kind of superwoman and made tons of bags in a ridiculously short amount of time, I must confess that these have all been either living in a big box here or at my parents' house for a while now. I attempted to list some of them months ago but needed to really develop my brand more before trying again. I think that I've really connected to a lot of awesome people and groups through the sewing/quilting communities and now am going to break out all my handmade goodies again. Not to mention, make some new ones. Check out this yummy bunch of fabrics, all decorator weight, just begging to be made into bags:Here's the deal: I'm so excited to finally be working in a job that allows me to use all my skills and knowledge from graduate school but am a little nervous about the transition (moving, full work days, etc.) sooo not only do I want to get this stuff out because 1) the warming weather is perfect for cotton bags and 2) I need all the space I can get (and have fewer boxes to pack!) but 3) I also need some serious funds for moving! So help support this little peacemaker and buy some awesome handmade goodies. :)

Featured

2011-04-07T14:34:00.002-04:00

My wonky solids quilt is featured today on Modern Day Quilts! Yay! :) Big thanks to Heather for posting about my work!

New beginnings

2011-04-06T19:04:00.003-04:00

Well, it's finally happened.

I GOT A JOB. A real, honest-to-goodness, master's degree relevant full time job.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

For those of you who have been long time readers, you know that this has been quite a process. I am beyond thrilled to let you know that the search is officially over. Your support/positive vibes/encouragement/prayers/etc. has been so important to me - I can't thank you enough!!!

In 6 weeks, I'll be moving back to DC. It's still sinking in...

(Stay tuned for MAJOR updates in my Etsy shop. We're talking HUGE!)

More dog/quilt shots

2011-04-03T16:17:00.003-04:00

I made my sweetie's parents a quilt for this past Christmas and kept meaning to get the pictures that his mom took from her so you all could see it in action. Well, here they are! Buster, their hilarious maltese/shizhou mix approved immediately. Right when they opened it up, he made himself right at home on it! I used this pattern with navy and red fabrics (to match their living room).

Ahh

2011-04-03T16:04:00.002-04:00

Always feels so good to get "refreshed."

Working on my Supernova quilt, listing to another fabulous redhead.

Home

2011-04-02T09:06:00.003-04:00

I'm back upstate for the weekend (where I grew up, at my parents' house which will always truly be "home") and psyched for a relaxing couple of days. We rented a car for the ride up here and back (SO much cheaper and way more comfortable at this point for 2 adults + Louie) and had an easy time on the road (nope, no snow here - for once!)

This weekend's agenda:
- Hair color appointment (when you've had one person who you trust for 14 years coloring your hair, you make sure to get in to see them when you can!)
- Raiding mom's fabric stash
- Hanging out with these monsters (who - of course - within 5 minutes of seeing each other fell right back into their old, playful ways)
- Trip to Marshall's (=always good finds)
- Lots of yummy food
- Planting my butt on the giant leather couch. Ahhh.

Hope you all have a great weekend. Be sure to stop over and wish my awesome gal pal, Brooke, happy birthday today!!

A bath, a quilt, and some fabric

2011-03-31T10:54:00.006-04:00

This weekend my sweetie and I are heading back upstate to see our families for a quick visit. We haven't been home since the holidays and we're both looking forward to a much needed escape from the city. Not to mention a trip to Wegmans and a hair appointment for me. :)

Louie got a bath and a haircut yesterday and I'm amazed how how shaggy he looked before (and how smelly he was - ugh). He's all set to go home and play with Winston!I'm working on a few crafty things today in addition to a bunch of other random (non-fun) items on the to-do list. I don't have my solid fabric for my Supernova quilt but I'm thinking a trip to Joann's this weekend will remedy that (I'm a sucker for coupons and cheap prices for Kona Cotton solids). I've started a new baby quilt for a friend (see picture below - using a simple pattern by Elizabeth) and I'm aiming to make more progress on my quilt for Modern Relief.

Also, I treated myself to a few quarter yards (purchased from the lovely, custom-order accommodating ladies of quiltsandwich) of Jay McCarroll's* "Habitat" which I've been coveting since I first saw it (since I'm so obsessed with it, it falls within the allowances of my Stashpact11). I have a few ideas for how to use this (and what it surprisingly goes with) but you'll have to wait and see...

*I've seen him in person, as he came into the store where I work a few weeks ago!

(Another random geek-out sighting was Brett, seen yesterday. I think I freaked her out a bit when I told her I knew who she was but because I'm a regular reader of her blog and Design*Sponge, where she's often featured, I recognized her. Pretty cool!)

Fabric love

2011-03-29T13:34:00.004-04:00

My bank account prevents me from getting any new fabric at the moment (as does my StashPact11 contract - nothing new unless I have funds/space/REALLY love it) but that doesn't mean I can't look! Here are some of my latest crushes:

Some fun transportation themed fabric (my sweetie loves everything transportation and I promised him that someday I'd make him a quilt with all things for getting places!)

Tula Pink Parisville - I already used this print in another color way in my big quilt and now I want to get this one too!

Alexander Henry's Rainforest Honeycomb - I love the colors and texture!

Quilter's Linen in gray by Robert Kaufman - cotton fabric that looks like linen = genius!

Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 - I love these colors!

All fabrics are available from various sellers on Etsy.

A new project

2011-03-28T11:58:00.005-04:00

Yep, I've started something new. Still waiting to hear about DC and so therefore needed another distraction, a productive one at that. Lee is hosting a great quilt-along on her blog so I figured I'd join in.

After originally planning to use my Katie Jump Rope fabric for a different quilt, I decided that I wanted to use it for the quilt-along instead. I've spend the last few nights ironing and cutting up my carefully hoarded...*cough*...I mean preserved stash of the hard-to-find fabric - and it felt great! Not to mention, I still have a whole bunch left which will now get dispersed for use in other projects.

I've finished the main cuts and am now playing around with block arrangement. The mosaic below isn't the final order of the blocks but I wanted to prove to you all that I did in fact slice up the fabric. Yay! (And more points for me on my StashPact11.)The blocks start with 3" strips of fabric. I'm now moving on to more specific cutting. Her design uses 9 blocks but I'm going to make (another) big quilt and use 12 instead, especially since I STILL have fabric left. I'm going to use either white or neutral Kona cotton for the solid. If you're interested in joining the tutorial, check it out here and follow all the participants' progress in the Flickr group.

Wednesday

2011-03-23T16:39:00.005-04:00

I couldn't think of a clever title for today's post. It's soooo dreary outside. It's been snowing/raining/sleeting/spitting since early this morning and the temperature is hovering around 40 degrees. All this makes it a perfect day to hide inside (fortunately, I didn't have to work today).

It's been sort of a blah day. It always amazes me how much the weather really gets to you! I spent a little while this morning working on my quilt for Modern Relief. I used another pattern from this book (I made this quilt from a different pattern) and have the blocks already assembled - they just need to be sewn together. I didn't actually have a Jelly Roll but I do have my AccuQuilt Go Cutter and a 2.5" die so I was able to make my own strips. The patterns are really well written and all the quilts look much more complicated than they actually. The authors also give you tips on pressing which is IMMENSELY helpful when nesting the pieces/strips together. I ended up finding a handful of Japanese fabrics in my stash (they're actually for sashiko but look lovely on their own) and paired them with some fun, bright prints.

Now that I finished a whole handful of quilts, I'm itching for another project (even though I definitely have some other WIPs I could work on...). I'm thinking that it might be time to cut into my Katie Jump Rope. I love the pattern using this line in the Material Obsession Two book and while I'm not one who usually considers using the pattern fabrics to make my own quilt, I'm tempted to use them here because it just looks so cute in the book! We'll see...

Well, time to go lock Louie in the bedroom while I vacuum (he tries to attack it). My sister is coming to visit for a few days as she has a job interview (yay!) so I probably won't be back here (or back sewing) until the weekend.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

(P.S. I'm back on Twitter after a long hiatus. I think I got overwhelmed by it but now I'm ready to jump back in. You can follow me at "lilolivebranch.")

Spring

2011-03-22T15:14:00.002-04:00

I have gotten such nice feedback after posting my latest quilts on Flickr. Thanks everyone! You're all so sweet. :) And all of those listed in yesterday's post are for sale in my shop so check it out if you've found one you're in love with.

Worked for most of the day. Now I'm home and enjoyed the lovely sunshine with Louie. Spring is definitely on its way - birds chirping, flowers popping up, not much bite left in the wind... If only we could fast forward to sandals/dresses weather.

I'm off to work on my quilt for Modern Relief Japan. Looks like there are going to be some gorgeous ones up to bid on - and for such a worthy cause.

More quilts!

2011-03-21T18:31:00.003-04:00

More updates in my shop - quilts and scrap bundles!!!

Helping those in need

2011-03-18T13:19:00.004-04:00

Coming soon...(More info on Heather's blog. Stay tuned to find out how you can help, thanks to your crafty community...)

More goodies

2011-03-18T12:50:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to pop in here and let you all know that I added a whole bunch more stuff to the shop this morning. I'll be adding more throughout the day and through the weekend (and will try to post after I do some big additions) so keep checking back.

It's gorgeous here - almost 70 degrees today - so Louie and I are heading to the dog park later for some much needed sunshine. Have a great weekend all!

Destash and shop update!

2011-03-17T11:01:00.002-04:00

Over the next few days, I'll be updating and adding to my Etsy shop. This will include new fabrics, bundles, quilts, and bags. Keep checking back through the weekend for some goodies.

A little help

2011-03-15T20:18:00.002-04:00

In these difficult times, asking for help can be tough. There are many crises that require attention, aid, money, etc. All those who give - in any way - should always be commended.

On that note, if you're looking to help the people of Japan, please consider a donation to the Red Cross, as that is one of the most transparent and ways to help.

On another note, of smaller scheme, my friend Brooke has a pretty sick kitty. For those of you who have pets, then you'll understand how scary the prospect of losing these members of our family can be. If you're able to help at all, please visit Brooke's blog post here.

She knows (as we all do) that times are tough for everyone but the kindness of those who can and do help, will be much appreciated. Karma can be a wonderful thing, folks!

Projects, colors, etc.

2011-03-14T17:14:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe that I only have one month in one quilting bee left after this month. It's my month now for Quilting newBEES and I had everyone make blocks like the following scrapbuster square:
(Don't mind the poor quality photo - just wanted to get a quick shot!)

Originally, I planned to start working on a baby quilt for a friend this afternoon but after working on the block above, I think I'm "sewed out" for the day! (To all my bee ladies - I love you guys for making these blocks for me, as I know they're no small task!!!) I'm sooo psyched that I'll eventually have a big quilt filled with blocks like the one above, including so many little snippets from everyone's stashes. The block is about 15" square so the quilt will be BIG - I'm thinking that I'll actually be able to have a bed quilt from these ones. Yay!

In light of the randomness of the block above, I wanted to talk a little bit about choosing fabrics and picking projects. Both Brooke and Jeni have blogged about these steps in the creative process, and it was something that Brooke and I discussed yesterday too during our chat. I love that there are so many different ways to approach quilting. Some people use patterns, some go from their own design. There's a widely used software for quilt design out there while many people use graph paper. I think the best thing that I've discovered about quilting that while there certainly are a few basic aspects of the craft used by most, there's no right or wrong way to make a quilt! My love for knitting will never go away but when you mess up in knitting, it's pretty obvious and that can be a big frustration.

I'm someone who doesn't really have a set way for quilting. I have built up a collection of fabrics I like, not really paying attention to pattern size or color balance. While I certainly understand the color wheel and the need for harmony when quilting, a lot of times I find that rules don't really matter and if you like it, then go for it! That's pretty much how I approached my most recently finished quilt. I definitely paid attention to color coordination, but I wasn't too concerned with exact color matching, print size, etc. That being said, I have great respect for people who have a much more thoughtful, planned process. I wish I had the patience sometimes to approach a project like that! I think we all just grow into our own style of quilting that works for us. Along the way, we may pick up new tips here and there but once you get in your own groove, stick with it. Sometimes I like to use patterns, sometimes I don't. I've said before that I don't have too much patience with the math part of quilting so I try to keep things simple. When pulling fabrics, sometimes I'll use a whole collection (or just a few from one) or sometimes I'll mix it up. I'm pretty new to this whole quilting thing (just under 2 years!) so I'm definitely learning as I go. And I'm having a blast! :)

My best one yet

2011-03-14T12:24:00.003-04:00

I'm now convinced that this quilt is definitely my favorite. It's HUGE, snuggly, crinkly, bright, and dog-approved (of course). On Friday I figured I'd tackle just the basting but I got so excited that I quilted AND bound it. We washed it yesterday and now it's officially usable.

I ended up just doing some parallel line quilting along the seams. I originally had plans to also do some free-motion quilting on the border but ultimately decided against it. I love that this quilt is all about the fabric (as most of my quilts are!) so I wanted to keep it really simple. I love the fun binding and am really getting better at putting it on in general.

This past weekend was nice. The weather here felt spring-like and my sweetie and I spent a lot of quality time together. We saw "The Adjustment Bureau" (awesome - go check it out), took Louie to the dog park (where we haven't been in months), spent a leisurely Sunday with bagels and the newspaper (my sweetie only had a little bit of paperwork to do), went to dinner with friends at our favorite neighborhood place, and I Skyped with Brooke - for an hour and half!! It was awesome - we chatted about our pets, quilting, life in our respective cities, and everything else. It was like a virtual coffee date with a friend. :) I'm so thankful that she and I keep finding things to connect about and that we're able to build a friendship, even though we live over 300 miles apart! I'm sure there'll be many more chatting sessions in our future.

I'm not working today so I plan on doing some more sewing, as I have a few ideas bouncing around in my head. Trying to keep myself busy while waiting for more info about DC (should hear something in a couple of weeks...). I'm going to keep working on other job stuff and probably squeeze in some reading and cooking later today.

I'll be back later with some more updates about fabric selection, project ideas, etc.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Music for a rainy day

2011-03-10T17:09:00.003-05:00

Some favorites...

Adele

Florence + The Machine

Ben Harper

Jason Mraz

Ta da!

2011-03-07T10:20:00.007-05:00

Here's the whole quilt top! I had to get creative in order to take picture. It's almost 80" x 80". I'm IN LOVE with it.
Be sure to visit my flickr photostream for more pics.

Here are just some of the fabrics included, all from my stash:
- Innocent Crush (Anna Maria Horner)
- Tufted Tweets (Laurie Wisbrun)
- Greenfield Hill (Denyse Schmidt)
- Flea Market Fancy (Denyse Schmidt)
- Parisville (Tula Pink)
- Impressions (Ty Pennington)
- It's A Hoot (Momo, for Moda)
and many more...

The border is Kona Cotton in my favorite shade of gray. The back will be pieced from some big cuts of Alexander Henry's "Boule" and Dena Designs "Monaco," plus some bright blue cotton. Some major furniture moving will have to be in order to baste this monster. Should be able to get to that later in the week. I have this awesome varigated gray/black/white cotton thread from YLI that I plan to use for some simple parallel line quilting. I just can't *wait* to snuggle under this one with Louie and my sweetie!

(Off to DC for round 2! Send me good vibes!.....)

Comfort

2011-03-04T12:28:00.006-05:00

In light of all the ups and downs lately, I decided last week to pull a whole stack of favorite fabrics and make a largish lap quilt (bigger than some of the ones we already have but slightly smaller than twin size). I think this was because I find that quilts are very comforting. During tough times, it makes me feel better to knit/read/watch TV/snuggle with Louie and my sweetie/etc. with a quilt. Why not make one that had a whole bunch of fabrics that I really loved?

I looked through my quilting books and ended up choosing a Kaffe Fassett pattern, adapted with my own picks.
I have been taking my time with this quilt. I've really enjoyed playing with all the fabrics and it's come together in a lovely way. It's going to be a big quilt so that even my sweetie's feet won't stick out if he's covered up. Here's a sneak peek...

I think I'm going to use solid gray for the border and make a pieced back (yay for keeping with StashPact11). I might even have enough batting. If not, I'll wait for a Michael's coupon to pick some up super cheap.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Easing into the week

2011-02-28T09:29:00.004-05:00

Monday: no agenda. After the craziness of last week, I'm sticking to my guns and going to take it easy. A few things to do but I will not be making obsessive lists or spazzing out about getting things done. The only must-do is call the doctor to set up an appointment. Other than that, whatever gets done, gets done.

Here's to a smooth, stress-free week.

And a few pretty fabrics, to get your creative juices going:

(All fabrics from Hawthorne Threads, one of my favorite online shops.)

Stoned

2011-02-26T13:31:00.002-05:00

Remember this post? Yeah, we had a major drop in the rollercoaster yesterday: kidney stones! (Clearly the mind-body connection through stress/change/etc. is totally real - not that I had any doubts but this past week completely confirmed it). Ugh, who knew at 28 you could get kidney stones? Apparently you can because I did! Even if you eat healthy and try to manage stress.What I thought was something else quickly spiraled into the worst pain EVER. My second trip to the ER within the last year ended with a diagnosis of a few small stones that fortunately passed during my time at the hospital (with only microscopic pieces left, seen in the x-ray). In my nearly 30 years on this earth I have only ever been to the ER three times: once for when a dog bit me while living in London, and now TWICE within A SINGLE YEAR while living here.....

Um, so yeah. So I think it might be time to get outta here. Come on DC...don't fail me now...

(Today I am feeling MUCH better. And armed with a whole slew of strong meds just in case. We're taking it easy for the weekend here - lots of down time - and I'll go in to see my regular doctor for a full work up this week.)

Now back to the GU/SU basketball game (we live in a divided house here so it's getting heated!)

My favorite part

2011-02-23T17:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I decided to pull out all my unfinished projects so I could size up where to start. See, I have this little problem of having a million things going at once (I know that so many of you understand) and then it seems to get to a point of just bordering on chaos. I was starting to feel that pressure so I figured it was time to take them all out and work on those suckers.

One thing that is very clear from my stack is that piecing quilts is my favorite part of the process. I currently have 4 - yes, FOUR - completed quilt tops there, as well as one almost finished one AND 2 quilts that I'm in the middle of quilting. Well, not really, since I just finished quilting one of them so just one quilt that needs to be quilted and another one now in need of binding.

Honestly, I think the actual quilting part is my least favorite part! Does that make me a bad quilter? Haha. I'm much more energized and excited about designing and putting together a quilt top. I think that the monotony of that comes with quilting just doesn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, I don't HATE it but it's definitely not my favorite part. I even sort of like binding (not the MAKING of the binding but putting it on since you get to be that much closer to having a finished quilt!).

I think that my lack of enthusiasm for the quilting step also comes from the fact that I feel like that's the point where I can really see the limits of my machine. It's just a simple, sweet Kenmore and I love it but I think it definitely gets cranky after running at full speed for the long period of time that is needed to quilt. I've told myself that if I truly keep quilting in a few years I'll buy myself a fancier machine. For now, I'm letting mine rest. Maybe I'll start pulling some fabrics for a new quilt...

;-)

::breathe::

2011-02-22T15:52:00.002-05:00

Tired of winter. Feeling frustrated and impatient about jobs. Mushy and out of shape. Stressed. Anxious about money. Craving warmth and sunshine. Ambivalent about where to start. Too many to-do lists.

Trying to remember to breathe in the midst of the ups and downs.

Girl crush

2011-02-21T17:11:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, you just need to blast some tunes. (Thanks to my fabulous music twin for turning me on to these guys!)

I may or may not be having my own private dance party (fabulous shoes included).

Growing up

2011-02-19T14:12:00.005-05:00

I had coffee yesterday with a sweet college friend who I haven't seen in months. She was the one who got married in Hawaii this past July (will forever be sad that my sweetie and I couldn't make it there for the wedding) and she just started a PhD program in September that she's loving. But the best news of all is that she's pregnant!!! She's my first close friend that's pregnant. Now I know that I'm finally growing up. She looks gorgeous and had all sorts of fun pregnancy stories to tell (fortunately, it's been a pretty stress-free pregnancy). She's due in July and you can be sure that a custom quilt will be in the works shortly...

It's been a quiet Saturday here. My sweetie is working (thankfully, from home) so I've been sewing up a storm. I just finished the quilt top for the Timber/AccuQuilt quilt (pictures coming soon). I also made some fun applique tree blocks for Judy in Quilting newBEES.

I think some baking, some more sewing, and definitely a movie will make up the agenda for the rest of the day. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Fun Friday

2011-02-18T13:28:00.007-05:00

It's almost 60 degrees here so I'm about to head outside to the park with Louie but wanted to post some crafty stuff first. I spent the morning doing other productive things so once Louie is sufficiently walked (and his paws are super muddy...awesome...) I'll be back in to do some sewing.

Next month is my turn for Quilting newBEES (my other 2 bees have both finished and this one will only have one more month after mine). In light of my StashPact11 promise to not buy any unnecessary fabric, I'm focusing on a scrapbusting block. I made this block for Greta way back for another bee and have decided to use it for my month.

I'm going to supply my fellow quilters with some squares that I specifically want to be used un-cut (2.5") and others that can be used for the half-square triangles (3"). I'm trying to decide what neutral I want to use. I love the gray that we used for Greta's block but I already have a fair number of quilts that I've used gray in recently and I'm thinking I'd like to try something different. I love my Kona Color Card - so helpful! I am also considering some quilter's linen, or grunge.

grays

whites/creams

3" squares - for half-square triangles

2.5" squares - to be kept as they are

I only have one more block that I'm delinquent on so I'll probably work on that this afternoon.

My mom sent me a bunch of stuff this week and I had also ordered a few books online so now I have a selection of crafty reads to enjoy!

Have a great weekend everyone!

It wasn't my fault

2011-02-15T17:20:00.003-05:00

Is anyone else having trouble resisting eating their entire box of Valentine's Day candy? (My sweetie knows my weaknesses...er, I mean loves!)

If mine is empty before dinner, it wasn't my fault - it was calling my name.

Just sayin...

;-)

According to my calculations

2011-02-13T15:45:00.003-05:00

I've talked about my love/hate relationship with math here before. It's not that I really love it or hate, actually, but more that I never really enjoyed it during school (and now in life, for that matter) but fortunately I wasn't that bad at it.

So, in working on the Timber quilt (talked about the super fast cutting process here), I had spent waaaay too much time trying to calculate how to arrange the blocks. I'm not a super picky person when it comes to layout, and without a design wall (read = no space), I tend to lay out quilt blocks on my bed, then stack and label the columns before piecing (and so that we actually sleep in the bed, heehee).

No matter what I did, I could not figure out a perfectly even layout for this quilt. It consists of the following:

100 4" blocks, plain cuts of all the prints
50 4" pinwheel blocks, 2 repeats
25 4" four square blocks

I don't use any sort of spreadsheet or quilting software, just plain old pen and paper (and a calculator!). Try as I might, I couldn't figure out a layout that really used all the prints in an evenly repeating/symmetrical/etc. pattern. Then I just decided, to heck with it, I'm going to alternate between the plain prints and the pieced blocks, trying not to put the same prints next to each other and we'll see how that works out.

Of course, that still came with a few obstacles in the form of left over blocks but over all I'm happy with it. It's going to be 12 x 12 blocks and the left overs will be used on the back (probably a strip of them and then the rest will be some sort of solid).

How do you do layouts???

They're all sorted into columns and labeled and I think I'll start piecing them tomorrow. For now, I'm off to finish up The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (and to be honest, I didn't really LOVE any of these but felt interested enough to read all three...anyone else feel the same?). Dinner tonight with friends at Momofuku Noodle Bar for their famous fried chicken dinner.

Here's to a good week!

History

2011-02-11T18:59:00.002-05:00

This post is a bit of a departure from my usual crafty musings. Forgive me but it's too important not to bring up. I could go on and on (seriously, you have NO idea...) but I'll try to just keep it brief. I'd love to hear your thoughts about all of this - please feel free to comment or email me directly.

Today has been an incredibly historic day. Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has resigned. He has been in power for pretty much my entire life. While Egypt has long been a US ally, its citizens have never fully experienced a free, democratic society. Everything is changing from this moment forward.

While I can't imagine how proud Egyptians must be today, I feel a sense of victory as well, even from my couch in the cold Big Apple, as opposed to Tahrir (which means "liberation" in Arabic) Square. (I was listening to the daily broadcast Brian Lehrer who was holding a special talk that included practitioners, scholars, activists, and people who have lived through various revolutions/transitions around the world.) Professionally, academically and personally I am committed to conflict resolution, especially in how people cope after conflict (or transitions). My interest in Egypt isn't simply that of a well-read Westerner, but as someone who has been - and will always be - devoted to peace in all aspects of my life. I even have a graduate degree in this.

But regardless of who you are, where you live, or what you do, one guest on the radio today put it best: "Today we are all Egyptians."

There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.

Perfection is overrated

2011-02-10T11:56:00.006-05:00

I have never been a perfectionist. I am someone who appreciates meticulous and thoughtful crafting (and general approaches to other things) but am by no means the kind of person who gets bogged down in making things perfect.

Behold the beauty of imperfections, seen in the slightly wonky piecing of my solids quilt.

I totally love this! I think the quilting will be wavy horizontal lines.

I've been crafting here and there over the past few days. It's been quite cold again (sigh) so a lot of time has spent snuggling on the couch with Louie and in front of the sewing machine (me, not Louie - he's not really a quilter...heehee). I ended up powering through a whole bunch of (late!) bee blocks and realized that I only have one active bee right now (and will finish up in April). I've really enjoyed the bees but am pretty much over it, at least for now. I also have been working on my projects for the Spicing Up the Kitchen swap. I made this cute little mug rug in addition to the pear potholders.

Today will be pretty low-key. Laundry, some more sewing, the usual job stuff, and some reading. Almost the weekend!

Dreaming

2011-02-09T20:09:00.002-05:00

I've been a very good girl and have stuck to my personal StashPact11 rules. Basically, I'm limiting myself almost entirely to my stash this year but I'm allowing a few purchases here and there for necessities (backings, bindings, etc.) and for major fabric crushes. Here are a few that have been sitting in my cart on one fabric website:Sigh. Not yet. But soon.

Let's try this again

2011-02-09T13:29:00.004-05:00

So unfortunately (for her) but fortunately (for the rest of you!) my winner never emailed me back. Since it's now been 4 days, I decided it was time to do another drawing and voila:
Congrats to Celeste! I already emailed you for your info.

Right now:
Seeing: the mess that is my desk (must be cleaned ASAP)
Feeling: chilly! (even inside the apartment)
Tasting: Butternut squash/apple soup. Mmm.
Smelling: I think Louie needs a bath...
Hearing: pipes (which reminds me to call the super...)

Stay warm - I'm off to sew!

Me

2011-02-07T17:15:00.003-05:00

Tobono symbol: from the Adinkra alphabet, stands for strength, confidence, persistence.

I love the simplicity and beauty of the Adinkra symbols. I even have a tattoo of one. My mom got me this necklace here.

Been wearing it constantly. Perfect.

Winner!

2011-02-06T12:05:00.005-05:00

A HUGE thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway. A winner has been chosen:Congratulations, Karen P. - I just emailed you. :)

My DC trip was super successful - tons of networking, contacts, and interviews (with more coming up)!!! Thanks for all your kind words and well wishes. Hopefully more good news from here on out...

I'm not a huge football fan and since my sweetie's team isn't one of the 2 playing, we'll only half-watch the game (gotta see the commercials - especially the E Trade baby ones!) and eat yummy food and sew. Happy Sunday, everyone :)

All systems go!

2011-02-02T07:25:00.002-05:00

I'm off to DC! The "snowstorm" didn't really hit us at all...thankfully! Some ice but nothing major. Armed with my Kindle and some knitting, I'm ready to hit the road. Weeee! (I haven't been back to DC since I finished grad school over a year ago - too long!)

Back in NYC this weekend. :)

Don't forget about the giveaway - open 'til Sunday!

Inspiration

2011-02-01T10:54:00.003-05:00

As I get closer to my DC trip (leaving tomorrow - take THAT, snowstorm!), I find myself getting nervous. I am typically someone who doesn't get intimidated by meeting new people, going to new places, interviewing, etc. but still...the anxiety is creeping in, I think because I'm so ready to jump back into what I'm passionate about. After what seems like never-ending searching, I finally feel like this week I could make serious progress in my journey to find a job that allows me to use my master's degree and start my true professional path.

One of the ways that I calm the crazy monkeys in my head (besides sewing/quilting/knitting) is to peruse some of my favorite books. Heroes, true pioneers, and others who write about things that interest and stimulate me remind me that this is what I want to do.

I'll be back blogging next weekend... 'Til then, cross your fingers and toes for me!

(And don't forget about the giveaway!)

Taking the plunge (plus a giveaway!)

2011-01-30T13:05:00.006-05:00

I've decided to do it: I just posted a listing for a larger quilt (lap size) in my Etsy shop. Up until now, I've only sold baby quilts. But I finally feel confident enough to take the plunge and start selling larger quilts. I spent a lot of time determining price and feel comfortable with the offering. I absolutely adore this quilt and know that someone else will too. We have many quilts around our house already (and many more in the works) so I decided that this one could go live somewhere else. I do hope that it finds a happy home!

But there's more! I've decided that I'm also going to offer a giveaway! I have a big week coming up: I'm going to DC for a bunch of meetings about jobs. I'm super pumped and ready to get the ball rolling. Since it's such a big week for me, I wanted someone else to benefit too! I'm offering the following items to giveaway: a handmade tote bag, a bunch of 1" hexies, and a few scraps of Heather Ross "Far, Far Away II" fabric!!!This giveaway will be open until Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 12 PM EST. Then I'll close it and choose a winner through the Random Number Generator. Here's how to enter:
1. Post a comment on this post.
2. Follow me and post a comment that you do so. You can follow me through a reader or Google Friend Connect. Just make sure you comment and let me know!
3. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
4. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

That's 4 chances to win!!! Open to ALL! Good luck and thanks for your support! :)

Rocking out

2011-01-29T09:27:00.004-05:00

Do you listen to music while you sew? How about watching TV? Typically, when I'm cutting and ironing, I watch TV if I have a lot to do. Otherwise, I listen to NPR or music. I'm a huge NPR nerd so I always have podcasts handy. I also have pretty eclectic music taste so I could be listening to anything from John Mayer to Marvin Gaye to Billie Holiday to the Beastie Boys.

After receiving the awesome wall quilt from Brooke, I got a big kickstart of creative juice to finish my project for her. Here's a little sneak peek!

My sweetie is still sleeping but since I bought some new kick-ass headphones (I was still using the crappy ones that came with my iPod), I'm sitting here blogging, sipping coffee, and listening to music. I think it's time for the crafting to begin...

Happy weekend, everyone!

Buried! (Under fabric, snow, yarn...)

2011-01-27T14:57:00.006-05:00

Greetings from snowy (yet again) New York City! Even though I wasn't supposed to work today, I'm still having a snow day, like the rest of the city. We got about 19" here in Manhattan, and with decent temperatures, everyone seems to be having a blast playing outside or hibernating in! I've been doing both! Yesterday, I baked these amazing cookies (this is now the 3rd time I've made them) and may or may not have had one after breakfast ;-)
Firstly, I have to just say that I am so fortunate for all the new friends I've made through my blog, flickr, swaps, and virtual quilting bees. Brooke and I have become good friends, finding that in spite of over 300 miles apart, we have tons in common and get along like we've known each other for years. She always sends the best packages and yesterday she outdid herself: she had been posting sneak peeks of a secret project she was making for a friend, whose identity she kept quiet - and yesterday I discovered I'm the lucky recipient!!! We had talked a while back about doing a side swap for each other - she's clever and crafty and started on this soon after. She made me this AMAZING mini quilt depicting the beauty of summer in Maine (which I'm CRAVING right now) that will live in my bedroom (once I attach some loops for hanging to the back). It's awesome and I'm so honored to call it my own. And something may or may not be in the works for her... ;-) Thank you, sweetie! XOThis morning I decided to try out my Accuquilt Go! Cutter on a big pile from my stash. I didn't really have a specific project in mind OR a specific person so I just decided that I would pull out my stack of fat quarters of Timber and get cutting. The cutter came with one die that included a big square, small square, and 4 half-square triangles. I decided to use this die for each FQ. Let me tell you - math is not really my strong suit (well, that's not true, I'm actually pretty good at math, I just don't really enjoy doing it!) so I didn't really calculate how many squares I'd end up with. Let's just say this is going to be a HUUUUUUGGEEEEE quilt that I'm thinking will end up in my Etsy shop. And let me stress (and no, I'm not getting compensated for this): THE CUTTING WAS SO FAST IT WAS RIDICULOUS! I - like most quilters, I'm sure - don't enjoy the measuring and cutting part of quilting. Not to mention a friend had an incident a while back with a rotary cutter...we won't go there... Anyway, all the FQ are completely cut up and I've already started sewing some pinwheels and 4-square blocks. People, this is going to be one fantastic quilt. I'm just not sure where I'm going to lay it all out in order to figure out the layout! Haha, I'll worry about that once the blocks are all set. If my calculations are correct, there'll be about 300 blocks. Woooooweeeee! What an adventure. And it feels SO good to cut into a huge pile from my stash. :)
I have a million and a half things I'm working on at once and since I spent the morning doing crafty stuff, I'm off to spend a little time on real life stuff. But have no fear, I'll be up to my elbows in fabric and yarn this evening.

And I'll leave you with some awesome pictures of the snow (check out my Flickr stream for more!):
My patio

Riverside Park

Distraction

2011-01-26T11:38:00.004-05:00

I'm trying to pretend that this isn't in the room. I still have too much to do before I can play...

(From my awesome parents for Hannukkah/my birthday.)

Squeeeeeee!!!!!!

190

2011-01-25T15:37:00.003-05:00

I finished sewing together each row of my hexagons. I ended up with 190! The scary thing is that I have tons more. I'm not sure what will ever happen with them... Anyway, now that all the rows are ready, I can sew them together. I've already sewn 3 and 1/2 rows and have realized this will be pretty slow going. That's OK, I'm actually enjoying it more than I expected.

I also started a new embroidery project. I may or may not end up giving it to a friend for a present.

I spent the morning doing some job stuff and going through clothes (ended up adding a bunch of things to the sell/donate pile!). This afternoon, I started working on my Spicing Up The Kitchen swap projects. I'm going to make 2 hot pads and either a mug rug or some napkins. I'll post some pictures of my progress soon. My partner has very specific taste (which isn't a bad thing!) so I've been very cautious in planning and working on her items. I hope that she'll like them!

On a whole other note, I finished a long-standing WIP and am thinking of selling it. I love it but am thinking that I'd really like to try listing it in my Etsy shop. So far, I've only had baby quilts up, so this would be the first larger quilt I'd sell. It's about 50" square and is a perfect lap quilt. I spent a fair amount of time on it and it's made from only Kaffe Fassett fabrics so it's worth a lot. For those of you who sell larger quilts, how do you decide to price your quilts? To be perfectly candid, I already have a number in my head but I'd like to hear from you before I go ahead with it. If you don't feel comfortable posting your info, you can always email me at rlevenkron@gmail.com. I'd appreciate any information! (And yes, I'll post some more pictures soon!)

Well, off to do some more sewing, walk Louie, and get everything ready to make potato soup.

Brrr!

2011-01-22T10:24:00.002-05:00

As I type this, I'm currently sitting under a wool blanket, with a hoodie and some sweatpants having just finished a yummy bowl of oatmeal (brown sugar AND raw honey, thank you) and figuring out how to spend the day INSIDE. It's a brisk *ahem* 16 DEGREES outside. Louie and I went out for his morning walk and nearly froze (well, more me than Louie, since he has a fur coat and all) but met a very chipper bulldog puppy named Hazel. Then promptly skipped (carefully!) back to our toasty apartment.

My sweetie had a really rough work week with lots of late nights so I'm going to let him sleep and am off to do some crafting.

Happy Saturday - stay warm! XO

(And yes, I grew up with temperatures like this on a frequent basis. However, I NEVER enjoyed it. Ugh.)

Whoops

2011-01-21T17:12:00.004-05:00

So after taking a fabulous fall on the sidewalk in spite of plenty of salt and while wearing hard-core winter boots with insane traction. Yup, awesome.

Most of the afternoon was spent with a cold pack. Not much crafting. Lots of whimpering (to Louie, who looked at me skeptically, as if to say, "Really? You didn't break anything so why are you whining?").

True. Except my pride.

Sigh, oh well. Ended up letting Louie out onto the patio and then coming back inside to sew hexagons and plan a new embroidery project.

Ah well. ::Takes a bow::

Happy Friday

2011-01-21T10:13:00.003-05:00

I woke up to a beautiful dusting of snow today. We got a few inches last night and it's fluffy and lovely. Maybe it's due to the snow, maybe it's the need for creative activities but I'm in a serious picture-taking mood today (sigh...can't WAIT to get a digital SLR camera - long way off but definitely something in my future). Snapped a whole bunch this morning while enjoying my coffee and now I'm off to do some "real" (aka not fun) stuff before getting back to crafting and such.

A few things... Finally finished my Kindle 3 cover. I don't know why it seemed so complicated but I guess I was just having a major brain fart about putting this together. Spatial stuff is so not my thing (I know, you must be laughing, this coming from a knitter/quilter) but I think I'm getting better at it. Anyway, reworked an Etsy pattern and whipped up a cute little case. Have to go to Michael's to get some Velcro to seal it up. Also off to the post off to mail some fun mix CDs (hi, brooke!) and to the library where The Gourmet Cookie Book is waiting for me on the hold shelf.

Stay tuned for some more pictures later today. Happy Friday, everyone!)

Bumbling

2011-01-20T15:43:00.002-05:00

I feel like today (and the past few days, for that matter) I've been sort of bumbling about. Don't get me wrong, I've been productive, but I feel like my head is in 20 different places. Between working on the job search, planning a trip to DC, getting a hold on my finances ::gulp::, and trying to work on some creative stuff, I'm a bit all over the place.

I think I'm going to take a shower and sit and chill for a bit. Yep, in the middle of the afternoon. Sometimes we need that right?

Perks

2011-01-19T17:12:00.006-05:00

One of the perks of being crafty is that I'm able to make things that I need! My sweetie got me a Kindle for this past holiday season and I ordered this awesome case below:

However, the cover won't be shipping until the first week of February! Well, I'm eager to take my Kindle with me on my upcoming trip to DC so I'm making one to be used in the mean time. Not to mention, the homemade one will probably go with me when I vacation at the beach (wouldn't want that leather case to get all gross!)...

I bought a pattern but after using it, I decided to take apart the cover I made and completely redesign a cover. :) Sometimes you have to try things out to realize that they don't work but also to realize that you have more skills than you thought...

Pictures of crafty progress tomorrow.

Evening

2011-01-18T19:17:00.005-05:00

A quiet evening ahead, starting with a hot bowl of chili (yum!) and a stack of hexies to sew.

Some internet browsing for admired Etsy items...

Glowbowls iPod case
linen necklace

For the children (in all of us)

2011-01-17T13:42:00.004-05:00

President Obama's recent speech at the Tuscon memorial service made me think a lot about childhood dreams. Remember when we were young and hopeful? There is so much negativity around us today and so much that we experience that prevents us from even admitting, let alone achieving our dreams.

Me (Age 3 or so) and Grandpa Joe, who I know would be proud of me and all I've accomplished

Let us all work toward the beautiful, peaceful, hopeful, and positive dreams we had as children. For there will always be children around to remind of us that and force us to remember back when we were children and viewed the world with starry-eyed wonder...

Me (also 3ish? 4ish?) and my Grandma Florence, who was always filled with fun, warmth, and style

Tribute

2011-01-17T08:30:00.001-05:00

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let us all try to work within the dream of Dr. King...

To Do

2011-01-13T09:18:00.002-05:00

Job stuff (always top of the list *sigh*)
Vacuum/mop/laundry (remnants from snowy slush on kitchen floor = gross!)
Catch up on emails
Groceries
Mail out swaps and Etsy sales
Bake some cookies (another cold day just begs for warm ginger chewies from here)
Crafty fun!

Yep, another day of no work. (In all honesty, I wasn't scheduled for work today but let's just pretend it's a snow day because that's always more fun...)

Positivity, productivity, and insanity

2011-01-12T16:04:00.003-05:00

I've been talking a lot about positivity here. I don't really do the whole new year's resolutions thing, but I try to pick one general thing that I'd like to focus on in the coming year. For me, this year it's positivity. I've been going through a lot of tough stuff and have trouble remaining positive. There are days when I just don't want to get out of bed (we all have those, huh?); days when I am so tired of having to work at keeping the momentum that I just want to give up. This is mostly related to the job search. However, I vow to not to let the whole process consume my life. Yes, I slip here and there, but overall I really want to try to focus on other things around me, while putting energy and effort into the search but not letting it take over and interrupt everything else.

I think this is why I've been so continuously productive when it comes to my hobbies, especially quilting. As I struggle through the job search process, there is very little result, especially tangible result. By quilting, not only do I use a different part of my brain, but I also throw myself into the task at hand (ie. distracting myself from the negative thoughts/anxiety), but also work toward a tangible goal that feels good in the process. As many of you know, if you've been in - or are currently in - similar situations, searching for jobs and submitting applications is incredibly tedious. It also makes you feel very vulnerable, especially when you see a negative response (or no response at all - so common). By quilting, I'm not only able to work through a process/task that brings enjoyment, but also results in something! When we create, endorphins are released - who wouldn't want an opportunity to feel that?!You end up with an actual result for all that effort and hard work. I know that eventually, the job search will end up essentially the same way, as I will have a job (not tangible, but definitely a result).

For now, in order to keep the insanity/negativity/anxiety away, I just keep on creating.

The Ultimate Scrap Box

2011-01-12T13:42:00.003-05:00

Phew, it feels good to keep cleaning! I went through my scrap bin (SCCARRYYY) and realized that I won't use basically more than half of what I had! Sooo....I decided to pay it forward (or at least, pay it back to me a bit - heehee!). I've created an Etsy listing in my shop that includes this huge bunch of scraps. I'll ship them in a USPS Large Flat Rate Box ($14.95) to the lucky buyer. This includes a whole slew of awesome designers, all usable pieces of fabric (nothing smaller than 2.5" square) and a number of cuts of hard-to-find prints (Katie Jump Rope, Liberty for Target, etc.). I tried to set what I thought to be a fair price and I'm hoping that someone will snatch this up, as these are all great pieces!!!

Waiting

2011-01-11T20:05:00.003-05:00

Well, it's now 8 pm and still no snow. I'm kind of annoyed that work canceled my shift for today seeing as how not a flake has fallen yet. ::hrmph:: Obviously, it's canceled for tomorrow too since the snow is actually going to start in a few hours and continue all day. My poor little bank account. The switch back to part-time is definitely not good. While my main focus is on meaningful full time work, at this point mostly in DC, I still need something now that actually allows me to pay the bills. Hopefully I'll be able to find something quick (and yes, I'm going to just stick to easy things like retail since I think that'll happen the fastest...sigh).

Sorry for all the pouting. In spite of a lovely weekend a few days ago, 2011 is off to a bit of tough start. I'm really focusing on positivity, like I promised. I'm trying to keep things in perspective. This too shall pass, right?

My sweetie is out of town through Friday so Louie and I are holed up here, waiting for the snow. I spent the day alternating between job searching/emailing/applications and sewing. It helps to keep a balance since the two activities are so different. In keeping with the StashPact11 promise, I dove right in and hacked up my Kona Cotton jelly roll. I picked a simple pattern from this book and the quilt top is coming together fast! (Check out the progress in my flickr stream.)

I better take Louie out for his evening walk before it actually starts snowing (wet, smelly paws are no good for snuggling!). We'll probably watch some TV and knit. Well, I'll knit as Louie doesn't have thumbs... ;-P

Stay warm!

Gearing up...

2011-01-10T20:11:00.005-05:00

...for another storm! Supposedly the Northeast is going to get some snow starting tomorrow into Wednesday. My work shift tomorrow has already been canceled. My sweetie has to go out of town so Louie and I may be snowed in without him! Hopefully, this storm won't be as big as the last one (our garbage didn't get picked up for almost 2 weeks - it normally gets picked up every other day!).

I had a fabulous birthday weekend - thank you for all the warm wishes! Nothing extravagant - lots of quality time with loved ones, plenty of crafting, and of course eating. :)

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! I used the Random Number Generator and it picked #7 - congrats to webmailaddress2@yahoo.com! I've already emailed you.
I'll post again tomorrow and give you a status report on my destashing, crafting, and upcoming projects. Be sure to check back in as we hunker down here and watch the flakes fall!

You say it's your birthday...

2011-01-09T11:24:00.004-05:00

Today is my birthday! Here's to entering a new year with positive thoughts, creative goals, and in search of happiness. :)

A day planned for comfort and fun: relaxing with my sweetie and Louie, off to explore the wonders of Eataly, some time for crafting, and dinner out. (Yesterday was filled with pampering, crafting, and lots of relaxing!)

Thank you to all my blog readers - you guys rock!

Weekending...

2011-01-08T19:48:00.003-05:00

The hours are ticking down as I get closer and closer to turning 28! Eeek! It's been a great weekend so far. Last night my sweetie and I went to Braai where they had some service issues but more than made up for it with heaping free glasses of pinotage (my fave!). The ribs doused in rooibos/chocolate sauce were AAAAMAZING. Seriously. As always, our dinner made me miss SA like whoa. *Sigh* Can't wait to get back. Some day...

Today was spent doing fun things: sewing (placemats!), groceries, shopping (including a very hilarious conversation with an adorable 2-year old and his mom on the subway - he had awesome orange/blue sneakers - too cute!), mani/pedi (SO overdue), and lots of quality time with my boys.

Looking forward to a night in, with breakfast for dinner (mmm) and one more sleep til my birthday...

Hope you're having a nice weekend!

More fabric!

2011-01-07T11:22:00.003-05:00

I think I've finally (phew!) finished my big fabric reorganization. I've listed a TON in my Etsy shop so be sure to check it out.

Now, I've decided that I'm willing to just continue with the goodwill of the recently past holiday season and offer a giveaway! I have this bunch of modern dot fabric that I'm offering up - there is a lot of fabric here folks - for FREE. Not to mention, it's my birthday on Sunday and I think it's only fair to give you all a gift! ;-) All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment in this post. To qualify for a second entry, become a follower of my blog (either through Google or through a reader) and let me know in a separate comment. Your comment can be anything! It can be a recipe, new year's resolution, etc. I'll choose a winner on Monday, January 10th at 5 pm EST.

Be sure leave a way to contact you if you win!

Also, check out my Flickr stream as I have some other fabric that I'm interested in swapping...

Good luck and happy Friday!

Happy Friday

2011-01-07T08:18:00.003-05:00

I love, love, LOVE Jason Mraz AND Sesame Street - check out this cute video of the whole gang singing to the tune of "I'm Yours" replaced with "Outdoors."

To Do

2011-01-06T21:43:00.003-05:00

(for tomorrow...as right now I'm snuggled with Louie under a quilt on the couch with hot chocolate and a book):

1. Put together giveaway fabric stack
2. List remaining fabrics on Etsy
3. Get/fill flat rate USPS medium box for more fabric
4. New projects: mug rugs, spiderweb quilt (not new but haven't worked on in a while), Kindle cover
5. Self indulgence (aka trip to Sephora - with gift card!)
6. Dog park (in the snow???)
7. PO to mail out swaps/purchases
8. Pick restaurant for birthday dinner (Sunday!)

Streamlining

2011-01-06T15:03:00.003-05:00

Phew, it feels good to organize and list those fabrics! I'm going to keep adding more, so be sure to check back over the next few days as I fill up my shop with fabrics that I can bear to part with. Nothing like a good cleanout/organization to get the creative juices going!

The new year is off to a busy start. I'm pushing hard for the job search while continuing to focus on staying healthy and positive in all aspects of my life. There have been a few bumps in the road already but I'm still hanging on.

This Sunday is my birthday so I took off from work - which means yay for a three day weekend! No big plans, but plenty of quality time with my sweetie and Louie, as well as some other fun activities (pedicure, dinner out, maybe Ikea shopping trip, etc.).

I just picked up my machine from getting a tune up* and it's like a brand new beast! I'm loving how the tension is spot on now and there's seriously not a speck of dust. The repairman said it was really, really dusty ::shamefully hanging head:: and that I should ALWAYS keep it covered when not in use.

Anyway, the first few projects for the new year are already in the works! I really want to get this awesome cover for my Kindle but they don't have one for mine yet (I have the newest version). In the meantime, I bought a pattern here and am making one! I finished it but decided to backtrack and take it apart to tweak a few things. Once it's all done, I'll show you.

What are you up to?

*For those in the NYC area, I got my machine serviced at City Sewing, recommended to me by the fabulous ladies of The City Quilter. I was super happy with the whole transaction and highly recommend them for repairs/servicing/etc. And just so you know, I'm not getting compensated for this plug! :)

A fresh start

2011-01-05T09:58:00.002-05:00

MAJOR FABRIC DESTASH!

The fabric you see above is only the beginning of my major cleanout! In an effort to start fresh in 2011 I cleaned out my fabric cabinet and MAN did it need it! I have so much fabric that deserves a better home than I can offer so you're all in luck. I'm destashing over at my Etsy shop BUUUUUTTTTT I'm also willing to swap things but only if you have something really unusual rare. I don't want to just simply accumulate more fabric I won't use! The only things I'm looking for are Denyse Schmidt's "Flea Market Fancy" (I have NONE) and Anna Maria Horner's new velveteens from "Innocent Crush." Also, please keep in mind that I've tried to be reasonable about prices. If you REALLY, REALLY want something but the price isn't work, please shoot me an email and we can try to work something out. I'm reasonable, I promise! :)

So, check out my shop and KEEP CHECKING BACK as I'll be adding TONS - and I mean TONS - of fabric throughout the rest of the week.

Happy shopping!

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T15:50:00.004-05:00

I can't believe that it's 2011. This is going to be a big year, I can just feel it.

I hope everyone else rung in the new year with friends, family and fun. My sweetie and I enjoyed some delicious home cooked food and watched the ball drop from the comfort of our couch. It was lovely and just the way I wanted it.

I'm not someone who makes strict resolutions, but of course I like to think about goals for the coming year. Hopefully this year will hold many more positives things for me than 2010.

Here's hoping...

~ Trying to generally live a healthier lifestyle. This means the food I eat (which is actually already very healthy - I just want to keep it that way!), exercising more (I'm so bad about this), and focusing on mental health (mindfulness, yoga, etc.).

~ I have been a model citizen when it comes to finances. I've really learned how to budget and want to continue to do that. Hopefully I'll have a much greater income starting at some point in the first half of the year, letting me save some money (!), pay down student loans, and continue to pay off credit cards (which I haven't really been using for over a year now - woohoo!)

~ Make sure to create, spend time with friends, and remain positive.

Here's to a wonderful year!

Cheers - xoxo.

Reflections - Part II

2010-12-23T13:46:00.003-05:00

As of right now, I officially on vacation – yay! I won’t be heading back to work until next Wednesday so I’m definitely a happy camper. Annnddd, I’m leaving tomorrow to head upstate to visit my family. While we don’t celebrate Christmas, my sweetie and his family does so there be plenty of eating, present swapping, movie watching and all manner of relaxing, cozy activities. Not to mention, plenty of snow!

In my last post, I reflected on the past year related to crafty endeavors. This post is a bit more personal. While I have chosen to make this blog mostly about all things crafty, bits of real life sneak in. This post falls in that category. I hope that it inspires you to reflect on your own year gone by and helps you think positively about 2011!

My sweetie and I have been living together in big, bad, New York City for just over a year now. The living together part is GREAT, as we spent the previous 3 years at least 200 miles apart (and during one year it was over 1000 miles apart). We are having a blast sharing physical space and making a home (even though it’s a rental!).

A few things about living in New York City: I can basically sum up living here as a constant love-hate relationship. My whole family is from here; my relatives emigrated from mostly Eastern Europe, going through Ellis Island and building our family here in the Big Apple. My sister and I (as well as cousins) are the first generation to grow up some place else. I spent much of my childhood here when we visited family and always knew I’d come back to live on my own. After college, I did that for almost 2 years before heading down to DC for graduate school. Now I’ve been back and while we don’t want to stay here forever, I find it hard to think about leaving as it’s such a fantastic place. You can’t beat all the restaurants, museums, parks, and general melting pot that is New York. However, it’s loud, dirty, crowded, expensive and has been disappointing on one major front: I have spent a year trying to get a full time job that allows me to use the skills/knowledge from graduate school and have been unsuccessful. This has been emotionally and financially challenging and while I’m trying to stay positive, there have been major changes made to my job search approach that I hadn’t anticipated. But, life goes on and you have to just roll with it. Hopefully, good things await for me in the new year. I’ve been fortunate to hold a job with benefits, but it does not challenge or stimulate me in the way that I long for.

In spite of all my frustration and general ambiguity, I am happy and healthy and thankful for all my wonderful friends, family, and my sweetie. I know that I’m young and only wonderful, exciting and unexpected things lie ahead.

Here’s to a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous New Year. I’ll be back to blogging in 2011!

Cheers! XOXO

Reflections - Part I

2010-12-21T13:14:00.005-05:00

If you're a regular reader of my blog, then you know by now that I'm pretty reflective person. In general, I try to be as self-aware and aware of the world around me as I can. I look forward to milestones, holidays, and other moments that invite reflection and positive thinking.

The ultimate cliche of New Year's reflection is one that I always make sure to note. It's been one crazy year (and really, for my own personal reflection purposes, I'm including a few months of 2009 too since so much happened at the very end) and I feel like there are many ways that I want to look back on the past year (and change) in order to get ready for 2011.

I plan to do a series of posts about reflection, some of which are craft-related, some of which are not. Pick and choose which ones you'd like to read. And be sure to drop me a line if you plan to write about your own reflections!

Firstly, this has been an enormously crafty year for me, in part due to my limited employment (look for employment/job-related reflections in another post coming up soon). While obviously I would have preferred gainful employment in a degree-using job, I am thankful in a way that I've had the time and space (and the resources thanks to a generous support circle and very forgiving roommate who lets me take over a corner of our tiny living room - thanks sweetie!) to create a serious bunch of quilts!

I have compiled a list of all the quilts I've finished (including all the way back to June 2009, when I finished my first quilt!), as well as the bee blocks completed (see this pic - it's missing a few still but it'll give you an idea of how busy I've been in the virtual quilting world!), and also unfinished projects and random projects.

In looking back, I'm very proud of how much I've made. I feel like I have a definite "style" when it comes to quilting, and have gained a lot of knowledge about the craft itself.

In light of that, my knitting has sort of taken a back seat. I've been knitting for almost 12 years now and I don't think anything will comfort me like the sound of clicking needles and the feel of a handknitted garment in my lap. All the hats I wear are my own handmade creations and I have a number of sweaters that I treasure. We also have a cozy lap blanket knitted up that has recently made it's winter debut on our sofa (brr, chilly temps). Part of the lack of knitting is due to my newfound interest in quilting, but also to the simple fact that knitting is expensive! Yes, yes, quilting isn't exactly cheap but I would argue that through various means, it's cheaper to make a quilt (and build a fabric stash, at least for me). When I knit, I usually buy wool for a specific project. I'm also kind of a yarn snob (haha, big surprise, I know) so the skeins I covet are typically on the expensive side (hello, my newest love, Madeline Tosh Pashmina!). While I have a number of unfinished projects (2 gorgeous sweaters) as well as a handful of ideas for new wares, I've definitely focused more of my creative energy (and my wallet) on quilting. Knitting is like an old friend - I know that we can always pick up where we left off, even if we spend time apart. I do plan to get back into knitting after the new year. In fact, I've just dropped my sewing machine off to be serviced and plan on taking this "quilting break" (haha, except for when I head upstate at the end of the week and will most likely be using my mom's machine!) to focus on knitting, embroidery (another new skill gained this year - check out my first completed project) and some hand sewing (yay hexies!). I finished my quilty holiday gifts and will post pictures of them after they make their way to the recipients!

So in general, I've had a very good year, craft wise. Now, for the lists/numbers/descriptions:

Quilting Bee Blocks
I'm a member of 3 different virtual quilting bees. One is ending this month (though I still have to finish the blocks for it...) and the other two will end early next spring. In total, I have completed 41 quilt blocks (with 3 currently waiting to be worked on). I've done log cabins, string blocks, ticker tape blocks, and so many others. I've loved being part of each woman's creative process and look forward to assembling the blocks I've received for my months (2 out of the 3 bees so far). Be sure to check out this set to see all the blocks I've worked on. Thanks to Erin for all her hard work organizing and running a big part of the virtual community related to bees! Check out Quilting Bee Blocks for pictures, interviews, links to Flickr, and more.

Swaps and Quilt-Alongs
I've jumped on the swap train that is currently taking over Flickr. Thanks in a large part to Heather and Kerri, swap mammas extraordinaire, I've participated in the last 2 rounds of The Pillow Talk {Swap} and am definitely hooked. I've received 2 gorgeous pillows and can't wait to get more (though my sweetie may roll his eyes - we'll need more furniture to hold these pillows! Haha). A number of blogs have held quilt-alongs and serve as fun, community-esque places (albeit, virtual) to work "together" on projects. I finished the quilt top for Julie's Hexagon Quilt-Along but it has yet to be basted or quilted. Stay tuned in 2011 to see it pan out.

Etsy
I've gone back and forth about my Etsy shop. Ultimately, I haven't put as much time or effort into it as it really needs. I will probably close it down soon. I'm not really that upset, since I'm still having a blast quilting!

Other crafty connections
People have definitely been able to see my work. A colleague commissioned me to turn a handful of her sorority teeshirts into a quilt. It was my first true commission and I look forward to many more! The amazing virtual world of quilting has definitely drawn me in. There are a whole handful of incredibly talented crafters whose blogs are my go-to ones in my Google Reader. I've learned so much and been inspired by so many of you - thank you! Special shout out to John, Greta, Leanne, and Brooke, as you've all been great pals through instruction, creative process, and just general life. :) But seriously, you ALL rock! And to my readers, whether or not you're quilters, sewists, knitters or none of the above, THANK YOU! I read all your comments and am profoundly grateful that you check in here to my little corner of the virtual universe.

Here's the total break down:

Quilting Bee Blocks: 41
Swaps: 2 pillows sent, 2 pillows received
Quilt-Alongs: 1 (quilt top completed)
UFOs (unfinished objects): 10 (some completed tops, some need to be pieced, etc.)
Other crafty/quilty projects: lampshade, embroidered quote, a ridiculous amount of handsewn hexagons
Finished quilts (since June 2009): 20!!!!! (check out most of them here)

Stay tuned for more reflection posts before we ring in 2011...

Sometimes, we need a little magic...

2010-12-20T17:59:00.003-05:00

Dear Santa,

I know that you're very busy, especially as we're down to the wire here, but I wanted to put in some requests. I've been very good this past year and feel that I've really been tough through many bumpy moments. Here are just a few things on my wish list...

1. World peace (I know, I know...I'm totally up for helping out on this one - in fact, that's what I went to school for!)
2. No more gray hair (seriously - I'm not even 30! Make it stop!)
3. More trees in my neighborhood (but less jack hammering on weekend mornings...)
4. A real-life, grown-up, master's-degree-using job (um, have you been reading my blog? This is a biggie)
5. Some new undies (we all need new ones - admit it)
6. This yummy fabric by this amazing woman:

Thank you for reading my wish list. Stay warm and enjoy the milk and cookies!

Love,
Ruth

P.S. Louie has been a very good boy. He would like some new toys but would settle for dirty socks. Yum.

Last minute

2010-12-18T14:34:00.002-05:00

Need a gift for a new mom/dad/baby? I still have some great baby quilts in my shop! At this point, nothing is guaranteed to arrive before Christmas but could certainly get there soon after. :)

Fabrics

2010-12-16T11:50:00.002-05:00

I've been stewing over a snow-inspired quilt. Here are some fabrics for more inspiration...

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Inspiration

2010-12-14T08:36:00.003-05:00

My sweet blogging buddy Brooke and the super creative and social Heather started a great new Flickr group as a source of inspiration for quilting. They've called it {portland pairs}: inspiration through photography (they're from Portland, Maine and Portland, Oregon respectively). Members have been posting photos of anything that can serve as inspiration for quilts! Brooke has made some AMAZING quilts inspired the coolest stuff, particularly musicians. Make sure you check our her Flickr stream.

This morning, here in the Big Apple we have a light dusting of snow and VERY chilly temps. I'm finding myself dreaming of a white/gray/sparkly quilt...

What inspires you?