Nine Years and Going Strong!

We are a few pounds heavier, but there is a whole bunch of love!!!!

Nine years ago on August 19th, I married my best friend at a river side wedding (it was hot!!).

It was a fantastic day and exactly what I had dreamed of. Our marriage has been full of laughter, some tough times, some heartbreaking moments and most commonly - just plain normal days of fun.

Here is to 9 more years! I love you, Snakes!

(You like my dog in the background! He thought he should make a cameo in our photo.)

Busy Busy!!

I start back to my classes a week from today which equals less time to sew (BOOOOO!). Here is what I have been working on:
I kind of distorted it, but this is the free pattern download from Moda called Figgy Pudding. Too cute, huh?

Here is all of the fabric I need plus I have a few others tucked away in a basket too. I can't wait to start!!!

My friend hired me to make some blankets and burp clothes for some of her friends who are expecting babies. 4 girls!!! I have four burp clothes put together and still need to assemble four more. That way each mom can have two burpclothes and a blanket. I am also adding a bib from the same material for each baby too. Whoo - that's a lot of sewing. I hope to complete this project in the next two weekends! I have to say this project has been fun because I love the pink and zebra!!!

I also have been cutting out 192 strips of fabric for the Scrappy Christmas Block Swap. What fun!! I think I like the Modern Quilting better than classic. I have to assemble 12 blocks and I am making myself two extra blocks too. I also received my first set of two from one of my partners. I can't wait to figure out what type of projects I want to make with all of these blocks.

I suppose that is enough updating for now. I am also finishing up another swap item for one special gal who never received anything from a swap and a weekender bag for my friend Sarah!

Not to mention a million other projects I have on the planning board. Never enough time!

I spent last night watching several movies on my laptop while I was cutting and assembling. It made me wonder - what do you do when you sew? Listen to music, watch tv, watch movies, enjoy the silence, etc? I would like to know what most of us do when we sew. Leave me a comment and then I will update everyone in a couple days on what people do most often while sewing!

More Updates!!

I have been working on some projects.... slowly here and there! I am clearing my cutting table of projects, so pictures will come soon. As any good crafter does, I have about 5 projects going at once!! See you tomorrow!

Because I Matter Challenge

Voting for July's projects will start tomorrow night! I am taking the top two winners. If you are in this challenge, get your photos to me by tomorrow night! If you aren't in the challenge, stop back by tomorrow for your chance to vote on your favorite project!!

Looking for a Holiday challenge?- NOW CLOSED!!!

THE SWAP IS NOW CLOSED!!!!!!

Time to think of making yourself a Christmas Gift?

Join this swap! Click on the icon above. You can make 6 blocks or 12 blocks!

Camera Found!!!

I finally remembered that I took my camera to a pool party not too long ago!! So - here are some of the projects I have been working on. They are long term projects and will probably continue to be long term (it seems like they never end!!!).

Before I show you my projects - look at this awesome find from Craigslist for SUPER cheap- My husband took it for a test ride!

I have started to sew and make triangles for my zig zag quilt with some awesome Heather Ross fabrics.

I worked some more on my Quilt made from one of my favorite Heather Bailey prints. I have been stitching around some of the patterns on the fabric.

I started crocheting a Ripple Afghan for the fall/winter.

I need to do a little more sewing for my friends and myself this month. The heat wave here in the South is taking it out of me. I just don't feel like sewing when it is so hot. I just want to lay in a pool all day long!! I hope to have some more projects soon to post for you all to see!

Wanted: Missing Camera

So much for an update!! I can't find my camera all the sudden! Maybe I left it at work. As soon as I find it we will have some updates. Good gravy - I am a mess!!!

Updates Galore Coming!!

I have a couple photos of what I have been working on lately and I am wrapping up a few swap loose ends. I haven't done much sewing this month so far, but I have done tons of needlework. I also have the winners for May and June's Because I Matter Challenge to post. I have decided to enter the two top winners each month so that there will be 8 selections to choose from at the end of the summer! Keep watching for more photos of all the projects this summer. These ladies are making some great items!!!

See you tomorrow with updates!

Because I Matter Challenge Voting Round Two

It is time to vote for your favorite June item. I changed the voting this time. You will find the voting to side of this post. You can only VOTE ONCE, so choose your item wisely. Once you have voted, you CANNOT VOTE AGAIN! You can only choose one item to vote for as well. Spread the word on your blogs so we can get a ton of votes.

To see the photos, go to:
Because I Matter Flickr Photos

This month's photos are at the front of the downloads. There are still photos from last month. Any photo from the picnic placemats on were last months. Vote on the photos before the picnic placemat.

Good Luck Everyone! Voting ends July 8th!

I Need Your Help!

My Coworkers niece has done an amazing thing and needs your help with votes. She is participating for a scholarship by joining the duct tape prom dress contest. Her name is Amanda and she took strips of duct tape and knitted a prom dress and items for her date to prom. You HAVE to see this. She is incredible. If she receives the most votes - she will win a $3000 scholarship!

You can see her story HERE. She is all over the internet. How cool! Voting lasts until July 2nd and the judges are asking for people to vote once a day for their favorite. If you like her dress and want to help, please stop by and vote for her. To vote go to stuckatprom.com and go under vote now. You will find Amanda under the vote now page and she is entry number 36.

Thanks!

Finally.... here are some projects

An obama apron for my boss. She loved it!!!

My bag for the Seams to Me Swap. It was really hard to not keep it for myself!!

More to come too!

The Finalists are.......

the Chickenfoot Runner and the Hutch Redo for May's challenge. Congrats. Since it was a tie, both will be added into the final voting in September for a chance to win. I have to say all the projects so far have been so great! I can't wait to see next month's entries.

I have done some sewing on the home front and have some updates to show you. I will be home tomorrow night, so stay tuned for an apron, a purse and my niece's birthday present!

Thanks for voting and get to work (hee hee)!!!

It is voting time!!!

I need your help. The first month of Because I Matter Challenge has come and gone. Now I need you to vote for your favorite project. The one project that wins this month will go on to the final round of judging for the prize in September. You may vote as many times as you would like!! Let's get a ton of votes that way all my ladies will feel motivated to continue on sewing for themselves this summer. Here is how the voting will work:

I have named the projects at the bottom of my blog (sorry, it was the only place it would all show up!).

Follow the flickr link to the projects and choose your favorite one.
FLICKR LINK: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1105320@N20/

Return to my blog and vote away!!!

Voting will occur from Sunday until Friday at midnight. Get the word out about your favorite projects on your blogs and get some people to vote with you. Good Luck to all of my challenge ladies. May the best project win!!!

Ushering in a new era in our household

Back in 2000, my mom took me to Walmart in Waco, Texas and bought me a $100 sewing machine. I remember her exact words were "Let's make sure you are really going to do this sewing thing before we buy you a nice machine." I began sewing off and on over the years, but did not really start my sewing "hard core" until the fall of 2006. A new day was born in the household. My spare bedroom went from barely holding anything in it - to being completely monopolized by my obsession. Fabric began exploding from the walls!! For nine years, my faithful little Brother sewing machine helped me create some fun projects. My machine heard the language my grandparents would have been horrified to know that I used!!! My machine saw me through some hard projects I swore I would never make again. This weekend, my Brother sewing machine finally began it's retirement. While a side of me was sad, I was mostly pumped as I thought about what new machine I would replace it with.

Tonight, we went to a local sewing machine store and a new member of the family was brought home. Allow me to introduce you to my new machine:

Just like in 2000, my mom bought this machine for me. (My mom reminded me now that she bought this machine for me, I now can complete her wish list of projects!!!). I knew I wanted a Janome and there were several models I was interested in. Most of the ones in another store we stopped out were sold out. I had been interested in the machine in the photos when the lady at the store gave a demo. The nice thing about the gem 760 is that it is 3/4 the size of a regular machine and it weighs 12 pounds. The other great thing like an article I read said was that usually a slightly smaller and light weight sewing machine means you sacrifice things and usually A LOT of things. With the gem, you get a normal sewing machine just a bit smaller and a bit lighter. Awesome. We are pretty sure we will move in a couple years and when that happens, I know we will be down sizing (my husband is uber green!!). This machine with it's smaller size only made the most sense!
The difference: the arm length is 1" shorter and the width is 1/2" difference. That's it! I know - crazy, huh?

This machine has 60 stitches, several which can be used on quilts. I played with it just a bit tonight. Tomorrow night when I have more time I am going to finish up some projects that I was afraid to continue with my old sewing machine's health declining! I have some picnic placemats to show you and also an apron I received. The apron is PERFECT. I will try to pry myself away from the machine at some point tomorrow night and attempt to show you some pics!

Now...... off to prepare a pillow for my machine to lay on so I can wake up in the middle of the night to check on my new baby!!!!

Voting will start soon......

for the Because I Matter Challenge. Watch for more details. If you guys would help us vote for a winner in May, that would be great. There is still time to join. I will be cutting off the chance to join in the next couple of weeks, so if you have been thinking about joining, do it soon!

I will post a link soon for you to go and view pictures and where to vote. I also have been getting some sewing done this weekend, so check back tomorrow for some updates.