Just so you know.

Where did all my crochet cloths go? I am in the process of switching my shop over from one filled with items that are made-when-ordered to one that is full of in-stock, ready to ship items only. That means that it will take me a few days to get caught up on all the crocheting.

Why is this a good thing? It is great for customers because you will get your goodies very quickly. It is also good for me, because I can share my hobby with you, yet have more time with my family.

As for custom orders, I am still open for those. I just love doing them, so feel free to contact me so that we can create something beautiful together.

Phew.

Well, my new goodies are all up in the shop, and it feels great to have that accomplished. I have several more baby rag quilts that are either halfway done or finished and ready to be photographed, so you can look for those next week.

And now on to the weekend.... We have a really busy one planned. Some wonderful friends of ours from out of town were gracious enough to come help us tile our kitchen floor. And mudroom. And bathroom. And we are going to try to get it done this weekend. Hmmm... should be interesting.

By the way... Where in the world did my little baby boy go? Elijah will be 18 months tomorrow, and I'm not sure how that is possible. He spends most of his days chasing his brother, trying to climb the stairs, and eating more than I thought possible. Here are a couple pictures of me and my baby Eli last year at this time:

Just a few things...

Yay, check out the latest post on the Heather Ross blog. This past weekend was her first Weekend Sewing Retreat, and she included lots of info and pictures. It made me so much more excited than I already am. Did I mention that the last time I was in Vermont was five years ago for my honeymoon? :)

Here is a fun photo from today. Weston made a camera out of his magnet blocks and said that he was taking pictures like Mommy does... what a sweetheart!

And last, here are a few new travel quilts, all ready to be posted in the shop first thing tomorrow morning...

Music to sew by.

If you know me, you know that I love to listen to music. I always always always have it playing through my house, and one of my favorite things to do is watch live music. I especially love to listen while I'm sewing. I do the bulk of my sewing during the afternoon while Weston and Elijah are napping. It is a special time of day for me. The house is quiet, the toys are picked up, even the pets are napping. I get to escape to my sewing room for an hour or two with some beautiful fabric, a cold can of diet Pepsi, and some good tunes. Some of my favorites (currently) to listen to : Pearl Jam (Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild), Oasis, Jack Johnson, Cat Powers, Citizen Cope, and Neil Young. Here are a couple great songs for you to check out...





I spend a lot of time cutting fabric and crocheting while the boys nap, too. When I am doing that I love listening to podcasts on my iPod. My favorites are the weekly sermons from pastor John Piper. He is really great, very passionate for Christ. I definitely recommend any of his lectures or books. Find him here.

Do any of you have specific music you like to listen to while sewing or crafting? I'd love to hear!

time.

I am amazed at how fast this summer has gone. I truly think that it is the fastest summer I've ever had. Yes, I know that I tend to exaggerate, but I really do mean it. Time is so funny, isn't it? I think back to when Steve and I were dating while he was in chiropractic school. Time moved so slow then. I would count the days, waiting for our next visit. It was the same with the days before our wedding, and also while I was pregnant and very sick. But not anymore. For me, that shows contentment. Back then, I was just wishing away the days until I could see Steve, or until I could hold my baby in my arms. But I am just so content where I am right now. I am not wishing away the days at all, but rather am wishing they would slow down a little. Told you time is funny...

Speaking of time, I am almost ready for a big shop update. Still planning on Friday. Here is a sneak peak of just a few of the many new quilts...

PS - Yes, those are gnomes and vans and goldfish and bicycles and ribbons and dots. I actually did it, I cut into my rare, out-of print Ross/Schmidt stash. It was hard, you should be proud of me. Just don't expect me to do that very often. :)

Good morning!

Hi friends. I'm excited, I finally purchased a Made by Hank purse this morning. I've been wanting one for quite awhile, and I just love this grape color:

If you've stopped in my little shop the last couple days, I'm sure you've noticed it is looking rather sparce. As I've posted there, I am partly closed for the week. The only things for sale are items that are ready to ship. I am using this time to catch up on a couple orders and to sew like crazy. I am hoping to have many many new quilts finished and ready to post this Friday. I've been collecting fabric for quite awhile now but have had little time to sew. So that is my plan for the week.

Also, I have a new favorite shop on etsy. It is alicebgardens, and I am just in love with her photography. Here is one of my favorites:

I hope that you are blessed and have a happy Monday! :)

I panicked.

Yesterday I was checking my Google Reader (if you read blogs, this is the most convenient way to keep up-to-date), when I saw this lastest post from Heather Ross declaring the fact that there were only 3 spots left in her August sewing workshop in Vermont... Yikes! So I panicked. I had yet to decide if I was going to go for my birthday for a couple reasons. For one, I don't love having a lot of money spent on me. Two, it is an entire three days away from my family. Three, it is an 8-hour road trip by myself. I haven't done that since Steve was in chiropractic school!

After reading her post, I guess you can say that my decision was made for me. I quickly emailed Heather to reserve me a spot, and she was kind enough to email back to tell me that I'm in.

Oh, and did I tell you? Not only is Heather going to be there, but Denyse Schmidt is, too! If you are unfamiliar with either of their work, check out this previous post to see some of their goodies.

Here are a couple of quilts made from the HR Mendocino line that are for sale in my shop:

WHAT?????

So... I have the sweetest, most thoughtful and romantic husband. It is true. My birthday is coming up in the end of September, and Steve told me yesterday what my gift can be this year if I want it. Let me tell you first that he is the greatest gift giver I know. Two years ago was a surprise weekend getaway to Chicago to see my favorite piece of art, the Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso.

My gift last year was an amazing queen size quilt he had one of his patients make for me. It is even hand-quilted...

Along w/ that a big box of my favorite candy (peanut butter whoppers) and a Steelers hoody (I love Troy Polamalu).

And now on to this year... If I would like, Steve is going to treat me to a Weekend Sewing workshop with HEATHER ROSS! I didn't realize, but she is hosting two of them this summer in Vermont, and I may be going to the one in the end of August. Can you imagine? Steve knows how much I love her fabric, so he looked her up to see if she did any classes. Check out this link for more details, and if any of you are going, let me know. :)

Good morning friends!

I hope that you all are doing well! I myself am having a spectacular, yet busy, weekend. Yesterday was breakfast with an old college roomie, an afternoon lunch date and movie (I adore Harry Potter), and then dinner with some dear friends. Today is part two of a local quilting class, and tomorrow is full of Doc is running a half marathon and me teaching the children at church... Whew, what a weekend!

I've been playing catch-up at the shop, sewing and crocheting as fast as my hands will allow me. I have a couple custom quilts I am still working on, and then BIG plans for some new quilts in the shop. Even though I've been too busy for a shop update in quilt awhile, I have been collecting lots of fabric. Be on the lookout for some beautiful new quilts in the shop. I also got my hands on some new organic cotton yarn in amazing colors that I can't wait to share with you.

And now a sneak peak of the fabric I have been collecting... I am so in love with these rare and out of print goodies! First, a small portion of my stash by my favorite, Heather Ross...

Some HR Rabbits and Racecars... I'm finally ready to cut into this.

My other favorite, Denyse Schmidt. Sigh, aren't the lovely?

Aren't these blues and browns perfect for a preppy little boy quilt?

Just right for an adult size throw, isnt it? I love these fall colors.

PS - Sorry, I call dibs on the pinks for a lap quilt for myself... :)

The latest from Etsy and the world of blog. :)

I just got this lovely new fabric in the mail this week. Isn't they so adorable I got it from Kerri at sewdeerlyloved. She has the cutest shop with great Japanese prints, so if you love them like I do, make sure you check it out. Her sewing blog is also really great.
If you are a fan of FabricWorm, make sure you swing over to Cynthia's blog to sign up for a great give-away. But hurry, it ends tomorrow night!

I am a huge fan of Heather Bailey and her amazing fabrics. Who new she was such a big Harry Potter fan? She has some really fun recipes over her on her blog to go along with the release of the latest movie in the series.

Also, I've been featured in this lovely blog... Thanks so much! :)

Harry Potter

Are any of you Harry Potter fans? I started reading it years ago when there were only the first two books out and quickly became a huge fan. I can't WAIT to go see the movie this week! Steve and I are going Friday afternoon for a little movie and early dinner date. It is hard waiting, because I'm so excited!! Check out the preview, if you haven't seen it yet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wclDW5nAaBc

good morning!

My friend Kim (slinkymalinkicat) always makes such beautiful treasuries, and her latest hit the front page really early this morning. It was so sweet of her to include my Feathered Friends rag quilt. Thanks Kim! :)

another FP

The latest treasury I curated made FP this morning... such a nice surprise! I really loved this one too.

busy busy busy!

I've had a very productive week at the shop, and yesterday was a first for me. I had so many packages to ship, that I could not carry them! I had to put them in a couple reusable shopping bags. How fun! When I got to the post office, there was only one other person there. When I left, there were 6 people waiting in line behind me. Whoops. :)

If one of these packages are yours, I hope you LOVE your new goodies! :)

hmmm...

I am not a big fan of video games. I think it is just because it is such a time drain, kind of like the internet, right? Despite the fact that I dislike them, this photo of my boys is just too sweet.

a new Storque feature

I am a huge fan of Etsy's blog, The Storque. The articles are really great. They are very informative and include so many amazing artists. I am thrilled to be included in it again. Check out this awesome article, Etsy Finds: Everybody Wants to Save the World.

yay, tshirts!

I love love love a good tshirt. It is my absolute favorite thing to wear, and lately I've been shopping on Etsy for some. This morning I discovered one of their new Gift Guides - The Perfect Tshirt. There are so many great ones, I can't decide which ones to get! :)

in the press

Raggedy Owl has been featured on some really great websites lately. Please check them out:

http://www.distillate.com.au/content/grumpy-owls-patchwork

http://etsylounge.blogspot.com