OMG Accomplished! And a Pressing Question

Thank goodness I ramped down my expectations for myself this month!  With a senior graduating from high school, I have had no time to sew during these past two weeks.  Fortunately, my One Monthly Goal for May was to finish my neice Cacey's wedding quilt top (she got married this past Saturday, congratulations Cacey!!)  and I did that early on in the month.  So happy I was able to finish and get it into the OMG Parade!   Cacey understands that there is no way I was going to be able to get this done in time for her wedding so I am grateful for that grace.

Tonight is graduation night so I've got a lot to do and I'm afraid this is going to be a short post.   This is my last child and then I will be an empty nester.  I don't like to think about it because it's going to be weird.  My baby is going to college to become an English teacher!  And I will miss her like crazy.

I do have a question I've been wanting to ask you more experienced quilters though.  It has to do with pressing.   What has been your method of choice?  Do you always press your seams open?  Always to the side?  A little of both?  What is your preference and can you tell me why?  I do so appreciate gleaning from those of you who have much more experience than I do and I think others will enjoy reading your comments as well.  I realize that some are just going to say to do whatever works best for you, but I want to know what YOU do.  

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Linking to:

Crazy Mom Quilts

One Monthly Goal May Finish Linkup

  

Do You Need Something Quilted?

I will tell you in a little bit why I asked that question.  It will be worth it, I promise!  I have to tell you this story first.  It's all related.  

See this gorgeous little quilt?  This was pieced by Vicki of Vicki's Crafts and Quilting.  When I saw it, I REALLY REALLY wanted it.  I have only been quilting on my own for a year now but so far, every quilt I've made and quilted has been for someone else.  I have no quilts of my own!   And I'm not seeing any time in the near future where I will be able to make one.  Now don't you think it is a shame for a quilter not to have any quilts?  ME TOO!

So I bought it!  My intention was to quilt it myself so I could at least say I had done that much, but again.  It is not looking like I'll find time any time soon.  

Aren't these fabrics just gorgeous?

Yummy, yummy colors!

Anyway, back to the story . . . one day I happened to be chatting with Jen Strauser of Dizzy Quilter who is right smack dab in the middle of starting a new quilting business.  Yay for entrepreneurs!  I love having adventurous friends!  I asked her teasingly if she needed any quilts to practice on and she said she does!  She is offering to quilt something for the first ten people who express interest for only $50 (queen or under).  $75 if it is king size.  So I am going to send her this quilt to quilt for me!

How special is that?  Not only will I finally have a quilt of my own, but I will have a quilt made by a blogging friend in Minnesota and quilted by another blogging friend in New Jersey!  I am so looking forward to having it to snuggle under!

And yes, I did get permission to "out" her offer before she did.  So if you have any quilts you want quilted for a very reasonable price, give Jen some practice!

And on the quilting front in my own sewing room, I got Cacey's top finished!  Cacey and I need to get together and choose some fabric for the backing and binding.   I will hopefully be starting on Kenzi's quilt next.  Then finish Ashley's  . . . then make one for my son Morgan who graduated several years ago.  I feel so bad for getting to him so late!  I do have the pattern and fabric picked and purchased though.  He has been so patient and telling me not to stress about it.  Thanks, Morgan!  And somewhere in there, finish quilting my mom's quilt too.  (sigh)

On the house front, we just got a full price offer!  Plus they want us to build a shop too.  We have until the end of June to live in the house we're in, and after that, not sure what we'll do.  Probably some kind of RV for a couple months.  I'm trying to imagine how I'm going to sew but I guess if Louise (Quilt Odyssey) can do it in a boat, I should be able to figure out something!  This will be interesting.

State track meet tomorrow!  This young lady is competing in four events in her senior year.  This will be the first state meet that hasn't been freezing cold.  It is supposed to be sunny and warm this weekend.  Yahoo!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Linking to:

Needle and Thread Thursday

Temporary Scrambled Up Mess

FINALLY some progress on Cacey's quilt.  Here it is with chunks and strips sewn together.  I am hoping tonight to have it assembled in a recognizable form.  Right now it's just a mixed up mess.

Sheesh!  When you have a graduating Senior, the last month of school is crazy.  In the last week, I have only sewed one night!  

This will be a very short post because I am headed out the door to the rest of our District Track meet today.  Yesterday my trackster qualified for the State track meet in three events!   High jump, triple jump, and 100m hurdles.  Yahoo! 

Here is the update on the house.  Siding is done and now painted!  The white stuff on the front is where the stone is going to be go.  Next week will be a lot of progress on the inside.  Right now it's just still the studs.  They have begun installing the insulation, and will be starting on sheetrock.   We had some potential buyers come by and look at it yesterday.  They have been looking at a lot of houses and scratched most of them off the list but ours is still on!  They are looking at a bunch more today so we'll be waiting to hear back from them.  In the  meantime, we'll just proceed as if we're going to move in.  If they decide to buy it,  we can rent where we are for one more month but not sure what we'll do after that!   

Have a great Saturday!

Linking to:

Crazy Mom Quilts

Busy Hands Quilts

Sewing? What's that?

It has been five whole days since I have had time to sew.  What with my niece and my daughter's graduation activities, it's been nuts!  I forgot to tell you that my niece (the one I'm making a wedding quilt for) just graduated from college on Saturday her wedding is in ten days.  She really knows how to pack things all into one month!   On top of that, my beautiful daughter-in-law is getting ready to have a new grand baby for me in a few weeks.   It hasn't seemed real before now, but reality is starting to sink in!

Photo taken by Francelle's Photography who just happens to be my daughter-in-law's sister.   She is AWESOME and doing Ashley's senior pictures too.  I can't wait to see them!

So anyway, I don't have any quilting things to share today but for those of you who are interested, here's a building update for you.  Things are moving along very quickly!

Here is what the outside looks like now.  The roof and walls are all enclosed now.  You can see on the left that the siding is going on.

Closer view of the front porch with the designer and builder (my hubby) taking a look around!   Let's go take a look at the inside.

Corner fireplace being framed in . . .

The ceilings are taller than normal in this design.  Most ceiling heights are 8 feet but these are ten.   Makes the rooms seem much larger than they are.   You can see that the doorway has a small arch.  That is going to be moved down lower to make room for some crown molding around the top of all the walls.

Today one of my husband's workers was in an awful crash.  Do you think we have guardian angels?  I do!  He should have been killed.  He was driving 55 mph down the freeway when a semi pulled out right in front of him and he had zero time to react.  Hit that semi so hard it spun it around 180 degrees.  He is very lucky to have walked away with only a broken arm and a few broken ribs.  I'm thanking God today for His protection and a well-made Chevrolet.

DrEAMi Moment and May OMG

Sandra at Mmm! Quilts! coined a new quilters phrase called DrEAMi (Drop Everything and Make It!) Moments.   She has a linky party for anybody who has had a DrEAMi moment.

I am facing several big projects and decided to stop and take a break and just do a quicky little project for fun.  I am doing a Block of the Month project by my local quilt shop.  Block 1 has been patiently waiting for me to make it.   So that is my Dreami Moment for today.  Turning this little pile of fabric . . .

to this!  Block #1 done.  (Sorry about the color of this picture)

Last month I submitted my one monthly goal and BOY was I overestimating what I could get done!  Sheesh!   I thought I could finish, baste, and quilt three quilts!  What was I thinking?  Out of the three I thought I would get done, I only got one flimsy finished and that's it!  Not only did I not meet my goal, I forgot to post the April finish.  That's the third time in a row I have missed it.  What is up with that?  I'm going to try again.

So, for the month of May, I am going to be more realistic.   My goal is to get Cacey's flimsy cut and sewed together.  I got the cutting part done tonight!
(Kenzi, your's is next!)

I'm going to have to take a break to get some graduation announcements done one of these days.

Building update:  The roof trusses are up and most of the sheeting on.  

Next comes siding!

Linking to:

Mmm! Quilts!

Elm Street Quilts

Let's Bee Social
Midweek Makers