Been busy!

I haven't posted in a few weeks.  I have been super busy!  In that time, I have knitted my son a balaclava (which came out AWESOME), knit myself a slouchy hat, cooked a turkey dinner with all the fixings and have almost completed the second quilt for my friend.  And the most exciting thing about all of this is...I TAUGHT MYSELF HOW TO FREE MOTION QUILT!!!  (Using Oh Fransson's tutorial).  Whoot!  Go me!!  I had read the tutorial about 20 times before, but finally decided to use some scrap material and made a quilt sandwich and tried it.  I don't know why I was so intimidated by this method of quilting!!  It is fun and I find it easier than the "X" quilting and definitely easier and neater than straight line quilting.  I like it soooo much that I am planning to do the unthinkable this weekend.  I plan to rip out the binding and all of the (not so) "straight line" quilting that I did in the "Shock the Monkey" quilt.  The more I look at the back of that quilt the more I see my errors.  I did a pieced back on the monkey quilt and it somehow shifted when I was quilting and the "straight" lines show off just how crooked everything is...(to me anyway).  I am learning lots of things...1.) that I am a bit of a perfectionist, more so than I ever thought. 2.) sometimes you just need to jump in with both feet and try something new and scary!.  3.) Sometime less is more....this is a rule I follow with lots of things in my life, but with quilting I seem to go overboard and want to show off all of my skills and fabrics.

Re: #3  As I said I did a pieced back for the monkey quilt.  Now on the current quilt, I used a $4.00 solid color sheet from Walmart.  And I think it looks fab.  Nice and clean!  I have seen pieced backs that other people have done and they look stunning.  When I try it - it just looks wonky and cluttered.  From now on I will stick with my new rule of less is more when it comes to backing.      

What else???... Oh I have been on a never ending mission to purchase some attractive, solid color, stackable recycle bins that will not put me in the poor-er house.  I thought I hit the jackpot and ordered a set of three frosted white stackable recycle bins on Amazon.  They were delivered today and they were all cracked and shattered.  These obviously will not work for me and my family.  We are...how should I say?.... not delicate!  And if these could not stand up to being shipped in a box then they definitely will not endure being kicked and dragged up and down stairs and thrown on the side walk by our not so delicate trash collectors.  So needless to say they are back in the box, and awaiting the UPS pickup that Amazon has set up for their return.  In the meantime, we will continue to use our ugly, bulky, non matching non stacking (but we make them stack) pine green and bright orange Sterlite containers in our modern newly redecorated and tiled kitchen, UGH!  Who'd a thunk it would be so difficult to find some space saving, durable yet somewhat attractive bins so we can be green in style.  The search continues...

Shock the Monkey

A friend of mine asked me to make her four quilts for three of her friends and her sister, all of whom are pregnant or have just given birth recently.  Actually...my friend asked me to knit blankets for all of them.  I told her I knew I couldn't commit to such a long project.  So I suggested I knit stuffed animals for all of them.  She liked that idea...and so did I (at the time).  I was so excited about the projects!!  That night after work, I stopped home to pick up my son so I could tote him along for a fun filled trip to Joann's.  I picked out yarn and bought a new set of circular needles and another set of DPN's to replace my misplaced size 6's.  We got home and I started the monkey's body right away.  I was cruising along, every day during my lunch breaks and when I could squeeze some time in at home.  I finished Mr. Monkey Man...all but his ears, tail and half a sweater.  I seriously just could not bring myself to pick up those damn needles to finish.  Honestly, it would take me one lunch hour to finish him completely and I could bless this little boy with a fun monkey to play with and snuggle.  NOPE!   I had become quilt obsessed again and could not think about knitting.  All I could think about was using my 50% off coupon from Joann's and getting some new fabric!  So one day, I saw her on Messenger and sent her a quick IM and confessed my scatter-brained, project commitaphobe tendencies and asked her how she felt about quilts for the kiddos.  She was on board...phew!   About a month has passed and I have just completed Quilt #1, which I have named, "Shock The Monkey". 

First Blog entry - Whoo Hooo!!

So here goes... After thinking long and hard; and I mean hours, about what to write my first blog entry, I am still kinda blank.  I suppose I should write some little tid bits about myself.  Maybe write about a project I am working on or try and come up with something witty.  I don't want to bore you all with random babbling that will most likely ramble off topic several times (as I am prone to do) so I decided on a bullet point list of  fun facts about me: "Mama No Time".  Ready, here it goes - randomly listed... not in any particular order.

• I am a mother 
• I have a teenager and a toddler
• and 2 dogs
• I may be crazy
• I reluctantly work full time
• I wish I had a magic wand
• I am a fabulous cook
• I love being artsy fartsy
• I wish I had more time to spend with my family
• I have road rage
• I want to buy a house
• My kids drive me bat shit and brighten my day all at the same time.  Amazing creatures!
• I wish I was organized and disciplined enough to make a living making and selling my crafts
• I NEED MORE SPACE
• I'm totally in love
• I don't get enough sleep
• I rolled down a hill the other day for the first time in probably 25 years
• I should be working right now
• I am cynical
• Haven't been on a vacation since 1998, *edit* I have been reminded my last vacation was actually in 2001 or 2002
• Need a vacation
• I taught myself how to knit
• I could fill a book with the one liners that flow out of my "Hubstah's" mouth...and it would be a top seller
• Been with the same man for almost a decade and a half and we are not married.  Why fix something that ain't broke? or Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?  My thoughts and feeling on this one vary from time to time
• I think Lenny Kravitz and Johnny Depp are the cat's pajamas
• I can't commit to a hair do'
• I am a recovering Facebook addict, that still dabbles in it more than she should.
• I talk in my sleep
• when I notice that it is 3:04, I always announce that it is hoe o'clock
• Always strapped for time, I often pluck my eyebrows in my car... but only at red lights.

Although I could go on forever, I think that's enough for now - as my work day is nearing it's end.  Hooray!  Until next time!