What luck!

I've had a streak of luck recently in the quilting world and I am thrilled!  I recently entered a giveaway on Diary of a Quilter and won a $30 gift certificate to Bloomerie Fabrics.  I would normally drool over fabrics on a site like this for hours, but I decided I would try something new ;)

Hooray for winnings!

Please excuse the terrible photo as it was nighttime and I was just so excited to get my new toys!  I chose a package of small Clover Wonder Clips, my first spool of Aurifil in Dove Grey, and the Night Sky pattern by JayBird Quilts.  I broke open the wonder clips right away and used them when binding my Penny Patch quilt for my mom.  They were amazing!  Because I only had the 10, I used them in conjunction with pins, but I will be purchasing more of these little guys.  The were so simple to use and held the binding without distorting the fabric, which has been my experience with pins in the past.  They were especially helpful for getting the crisp mitered corners.  I definitely recommend these clips.  Have you used these clips before?  Do you have experience with the other sizes of Clover Wonder Clips?  What size would you recommend?

I haven't used the other two items yet, but I will let you know how it goes when I do!

Penny Patch Finish

Success!  Completed just in time to deliver to my mom during our visit with her in the hospital, my Penny Patch Quilt was a thrilling finish for me.

It is a lap-sized quilt with simple cross-hatch quilting based on the QAL at Stiched in Color. I really enjoyed using so many neutrals so those pops of purple and teal really come out of the quilt.  I back the quilt in a fun flannel combo of purple chevrons and that fun little bird print.

Thankfully my mom's stay at the hospital was mostly successful as well.  Her cardiologist is hopeful that this new medication will work for her and she will be able to avoid surgery.  Thank you all for your support.

Squishy Mail!

My husband doesn't get it (do any of them?) but the best thing about coming home from work, after the hugs from my kids, is getting squishy mail out of the mailbox!  I recently received a package with this batch of fabric.

From Windham Fabrics, these are all selections from a line called Harmony.  After the cool jewel tones of my Penny Patch Quilt, I think these warm colors will make an excellent project for use in my home in the fall. 

What would you make with this little fabric bundle?

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday at QuiltStory, Sew Cute which is being hosted by Sew Delicious this week and WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

It's a process

My husband is out of town this week for a business conference and man, is it putting a damper on my goal to have my Penny Patch Quilt finished for my mom's stay in the hospital next weekend.  Most days I can get about 30 minutes of uninterrupted time after dinner is done and the baby is asleep.  But this week that 30 minutes is spent more like this -

Yes, it seems that my son thinks the best way to baste a quilt is with a John Deere... perhaps he is right! 

Thankfully, hubby comes home tomorrow and I should be able to make more progress.  

Linking up with I Quilt Thursdays at Pretty Bobbins, Esther at Esther's Blog, and Fabric Frenzy Friday at Forth Worth Studio.

Penny Patch Quilt

My mom is amazing.  I won't get into all the reasons she is the perfect mom for me here, but just trust me ;)  I have been working on the Penny Patch Quilt with Rachel at Stitched in Color since she began her blog series last fall (yes I am slow! I have 3 tiny humans!).  But recently, I have found the motivation to pick up the pace on this fun project.  My mom is going to be spending three days in our local hospital for monitoring as her doctors adjust her heart-related medications.

Penny Patch Quilt

Now this is all standard and totally precautionary, but three days in a hospital, regardless of the reason, is no day at the beach (something my family much prefers)! I want my mom to have something special with her so this quilt is for her!  I have two weeks to finish it up.  I have one final row to piece and then it is on to basting, quilting and binding!

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and Can I Get a Whoop-Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Thanks for stopping by!

Tiny Habits Day 1

This week I am participating in a program designed to help you create new habits in your life one tiny step at a time!  The Tiny Habits program, developed by Stanford professor Dr. BJ Fogg, helps you begin that new habit with the smallest first step.

The program lasts only 5 days which is great for a busy, working mom like me.  Once you determine the 3 habits you would like to cultivate, you then determine what the very first step to take in that habit.  For instance, if you want to develop the habit of running everyday, the first step is to put on your running shoes. It is much easier to accomplish this simple task than to actually go out running!  Each day for 5 days, a personal coach sends you an email and all you have to do is respond - and hopefully follow through on the 3 tiny habits you have decided on.

So here are my tiny habits for the week and my intentions behind them:

1. After I get up from my desk, I will pour a glass of water. (I want to drink more water but the first step is to put it in a glass!)

2. After I put the kids to bed, I will go downstairs. (Instead of going to straight to bed, I am trying to accomplish more in the evenings.)

3. After I put on my pajamas, I will fold any clothes that I wore that day. (Instead of leaving them on the window seat to gather in a pile that I never put away.  Perhaps they won't actually get put away, but at least they will look nicer than a huge pile.)

I look forward to working on my goals this week, but only a tiny bit!

Beautiful, thriving

I am struggling.

That is my reality.  I am struggling.  I don't care for my job.  It frustrates me, depletes me, it does not fulfill me.  My house is chaos.  I don't mean the life in my house - although 3 very small children are in fact their own chaos - but I mean my actual house.  I feel that the walls are caving in on me.  The STUFF we own is too much.  There are repairs that need to be done and changes I want as well.  My marriage could use some work as well, as I'm sure all marriages and particularly those with small children do.  Our nanny quit yesterday too.  There are moments when it is devastating and moments when it is okay.  It is a lot to process.  I am thankful that we have time to process.

Perhaps many people would read that paragraph and say "Welcome to Adulthood" or "Well, that's life" and I don't blame them.  I read it and agree for that matter.  But I am wandering through anxiety and depression and so these things seem overwhelming.

So what's the point of writing all of this down and putting it out there?  I believe that I am on a journey, a really important one.  The journey where I find the woman I am supposed to be - the thriving woman with a beautiful life.  Not the perfect one, not the pristine one, but the beautiful, thriving life.

I think that is why I started quilting.  Quilting is a place to be creative.  It is a place to take something whole, cut it up into tiny pieces and put it back together into something still whole, but more complex and beautiful.  In many ways that is what I am trying to accomplish.  And just like quilting, this is a complicated process, and it may require a seam ripper.  But I will know in the end that whatever the result is, it is beautiful in its own right.