April showers bring May flowers

Recently on Instagram, I had a blast taking a sneak peak into the #quiltvsquilter posts! They had a picture of the artist in the center with various finished projects, the best of the best, displayed in little images all around creator. It was fantastic! Snipits of information, who they were, things about them and so forth. And though I didn't join, I realized, that I don't give too much of myself away on Instagram or in this blog. So... today... I'm going to let you know a little bit about moi.

For starters, I love animals. We have lots of them around our house. At times I feel like it's Snow White's forest. The animals we intend to feed: our wonderful super dog Charlie, Dora and Lucy (the cats) and our 6 chickens (Pecos, Clara, Betsy, Dahlia, Gina, Pena) ~ all named after streets in Colorado. Hence, we decided to get the chickens on our family trip. And NO, I'm not happy about the fact that they were named. The animals we don't intend to feed: coyotes, foxes, other people's dogs, other people's cats, squirrels, deer, skunks, possums, groundhogs, and the ever wonderful buzzards that our home has been notoriously known for. From March till late Autumn these giant vultures perch themselves on our roof. Might I add, daily. We even had the local paper write a story on us years ago.

My paying job? I'm a memory support nurse, specializing in dementia care. I'm also an nursing aide instructor for the skilled nursing center I work at. This means everything I say, I repeat, multiple times... even to my children and hubby ;)

Nursing is not where I intended to be. I have a degree in the Arts with a special focus on painting. The game plan was to be an art teacher. Somehow, I swayed off that road and found myself doing something I believe needed me more. At least for now. One thing very few people knew about me until now ... I still paint. It's relaxing just like I find sewing to be. Maybe one day, I'll post my pictures.

So how did I get started up with sewing? I took a Home Ec class in middle school, made a sweatshirt and a backpack. That was it. I was hooked. That Christmas, I asked my parents for a sewing machine. and ever since, I've been puttering away.

Random things, I love donuts. Heck, I love food period! I'm a messy cook. I rarely have my nails painted. I love digging in the dirt. And I collect rocks and vintage sewing machines.

Well friends, I think that's enough about me. Let me finish this post by sharing something more noteworthy. This awesome Campfire Quilt!!!

I love these fabric patterns working together!

My daughter & a quilt her mama made:)

How gorgeous is this? Ya, it's got a couple wonky lines, but I don't mind. I'm so thankful to the local Little Red Quilt Shop for getting my top quilted. This was not as easy peasy as I thought it would be. I think I made a mistake right from the beginning when I chose fabrics that were NOT part of the same manufacturer. I know what some of you might be thinking. Cotton is cotton, right? Not really. Just and example, take Art Gallery fabrics and Cotton and Steel. They're both cotton fabrics, yet they have a completely different drape/feel. Plus, the pattern calls for thin, long strips. It was inevitable that my quilt shape would give way. Eventually, it began to distort so much, I didn't bother finishing the last couple rows. It's okay, I still love it. Hands down, it's still a stunning pattern! There was a faint 'bubble' which one can hardly tell because head quilter Karen did such a great job on the long arm! Can't wait to use this piece under the summer stars!

On the forefront, I'm in the midst of starting multiple projects. Why why why do I do this to myself??? Something tells me I'm heading toward a crafty mess in the sewing room. But I bet it will be a beautiful one!

Till next time friends! Happy Trails :)

Crystal Knob Rack

So... what can you do with a piece of wood measuring 45 inches by 3 1/2? Well, if it's 1 inch thick, you can use it to make the cutest wall rack. But instead of using hooks, use drawer knobs! Here's how the idea got started. I needed a place to photograph kids aprons. Now, most of you know that my girls have been modeling them, but they can't model toddler aprons, right? All I could picture was a gorgeous crystal knob rack used to display those mini aprons I love to make. And after searching in stores and online, I realized they are not very easy to find. Soo...... "oooohhh hubby.... can you drill a few holes in this piece of oak wood I found in the barn?" Of course he did it in a heart beat & he even sanded it down too! The holes were positioned like this: I did the two outer ones first, then measured to the center in between those. And again, the middle of the center and outer one. Got it? I took some regular creamy white wall paint I had left

The Ogden Cami ~ A Review

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful February and a great start to March! Spring is right around the corner and I'm counting down to daylight savings on March 10th! Hooray for longer sunshine! Lately, I've been longing to go back to stitching up clothes. And... I ended up finding the cutest pattern to get me back in the groove at Hawthorne Threads . The Ogden Cami by True Bias Patterns is perfect and quite simple! I started off by making a test run with some red, light-weight fabric, figuring if this comes out good, I'll have 2 tops! And guess what? It came out awesome! Making a practice piece was a great idea. It's always recommended and there are so many reasons why. In the instructional booklet, I wrote myself little notes. ~ cut the fabric 1/4" larger at the sides so I can use a serger. This will allow me to have finished ends and still a good seam allowance. ~ cut the straps 1/2" larger, so the

January.... you're almost done!

Hello friends! I feel like it's been forever since my last post. I suppose some might even say I've been spending nearly all my time on the forefront of creative madness along with trying to continue healing. Holy smokes! Chemo and radiation will change a person forever. I'm continuing my healing journey, and staying hopeful that I'll remain in the 'clear' for a long time. It's odd, the way you feel, when everything you've gotten accustomed to: the running around, working day to day, rushing here and rushing there.... how quickly it changes when it's no longer a necessity. Yes, I am extremely thankful that my spouse supports and pushes for my healing time, omitting nurse life as it was, but like I told my girlfriend the other day, "how many craft projects can a girl possibly do?" ..... Well let me just tell you..... A LOT! Today's post will revisit some Instagram pics, (in case you don't follow along) with some of my most recent

The Mint Needle

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