A country mouse in the city

I'm still here...but not "here"

2009-09-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone who is still visiting me here or has found this blog. I have been through a life altering event, and finally feel like I am becoming myself again. To help me in my fresh start I have also started a new blog. I will be posting at least once a week and hope to be blogging much more by the time the holidays roll around. If you would like to visit me at my new blog you can visit me here. I will still have my main focus be on quilting, but also sprinkle in my love of running and cooking. I will no longer be posting here, but I would again like to thank all of you who have come to visit me while I was here.
Warmest country wishes,
country mouse

testing, testing, 123

2008-12-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

Do you see what I see?

2008-11-18T10:33:00.001-08:00

Yup, that's snow! Actually I'm kind of excited about it. Living in Ohio I've come to really love the changing seasons. I remember what was going on when I was younger because the seasons trigger memories. I couldn't imagine living somewhere where the change of seasons weren't so pronounced. Well, for the last couple years winter snow has come quite late (we've been lucky to have a white Christmas the last few years). I was really starting to miss the snow in November around Thanksgiving and in December at Christmas time, and it looks like I won't be missing it this year. Yippee!! Ok, yes, I know I'm weird :cP Another thing that has me excited...one of our local radio stations has already started playing Christmas music! Now I will admit that maybe it is a little early to be playing it 24/7 (I hate when people just gloss over Thanksgiving, it is one of my favorite holidays) but I love the fact that when I feel in the mood to hear some Christmas music...like when I am working on those Christmas gifts...the music is only a button away. Both of these things have given me a lift on a day when I can really use it. My personal situation is making it a tough day for me. I'm on a total emotional roller coaster. I keep reminding myself that, yes, things are tough but the end is in site and I WILL make it through. I try to keep focus on the positive and find some time to do a few things that will make me happy. So with that said, I am about to go make myself a nice big cup of cocoa, open the curtains wide, turn on some Christmas music and get some sewing done :cD I'll try to have a quilty update for you next post. Til then, warm country wishes all!!

P.S. Go check out Paula's blog. She is giving away 2 beautiful little quilts to celebrate both her blogaversary and 200 posts...not to mention she just has a great blog :cD

Simple is best

2008-11-13T07:26:00.001-08:00

Happy Thursday everyone. Been quite a week here. Sometimes the stress of daily life for me makes me feel as though I am in a vice, or maybe being drawn and quartered :cO I'm sure we've all felt the pressure of feeling like you are being pulled in so many directions you don't know which way is up!! So I have been trying my best to enjoy some of the simple things in life. Sometimes it isn't that easy to focus on these things. They can be the little things that we sometimes overlook. A child's laughter. Those few moments of silence we can find, even in some of the most unexpected of places. Watching a cat stretch and enjoy that warm spot on the floor created by a brilliant beam of sunlight. The sheer joy in the process of creating whatever it is you put your hands to. A good home made meal. Things we can take for granted. Things we do everyday that, since we are in a constant state of "go go go" we don't take time to appreciate. I would like everyone to take at least a minute or two to focus on one simple pleasure today. Take a few deep breaths, and enjoy at least one thing that will bring you a smile :cD

The sewing process has been kind of slow here as of late. I have been able to get some more string blocks done, and a little more done on my quilt-along. I am VERY happy to announce that after what probably seems like forever, my pay it forward gifts are DONE!!! YIPPEE!! Now all I have to do is get some addresses and I can get them in the mail. I do have a picture of what I will be sending, but I will wait to share it til they reach their destinations.

I was also thrilled to receive an fat little envelope in the mail yesterday from Andrea. I was lucky enough to win a contest on her blog and won this adorable little pincushion and wonderful fabric.

I haven't decided what I will do with the fabric just yet. I think it would make great fabric for a Christmas project, but for sure it will be used for something special :cD Thank you soooo much Andrea!!!

I am hoping to get out to the fabric store today, it is a dreary fall day here in Ohio so (in my opinion) it is the perfect kind of day to go get cheered up by some bright, beautiful fabric. Hope you all have a great day!! Warm country wishes.

Its Election Day!!

2008-11-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking of how blessed I am to live in a country where we are able to have a say in who it is who leads our country. Now I am not going to endorse any candidates. I feel everyone should educate themselves on the candidates and issues they are voting on and make the decision that they believe to be the right one. It is a great honor and responsibility that we have. So I would like to encourage everyone out there to get out and vote, but just in case you need some extra incentive....I just had to share this picture :cD

Ok, I just couldn't help but share that picture. Please don't think it is in any way making light of the seriousness of the elections this year, but I pass this sign every time I go to my friends house and the chalkboard part at the bottom changes from time to time, and I just got a chuckle out of it.

Not too much quilty to share this time. Been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and the fall foliage. Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday and again...PLEASE get out there and vote. Thanks

Warm country wishes

new month = fresh start

2008-11-01T10:46:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Wow its November already. The summer months just flew by and now we are closing in on the end of the year. I can hardly believe it. I feel a renewed sense of energy and a new desire to get back to "normal" (believe me, in my family normal is a VERY relative term lol) The air is getting cooler and fall is definitely in the air. And so with the beginning of the season, I too, am going to try my darndest to focus on a new beginning of my own. I had to get a quick picture of the pumpkins on our porch. We did have 2 that we had carved, but they were well past their prime. I just love the rich orange colors! The painted one one of the mouslings picked out, and the one on the right came home from a field trip (and that one is going to be turned into pumpkin pie on Monday ;cD)

Also snapped a picture of a lone little dandelion among the fall leaves on the ground. Now is it just me or is this little one a bit of a late bloomer? I just don't remember having dandelions this late but then again, I could be mistaken. I just had to snap a picture after my little one said "Mommy, look its the first flower!" Too cute!!

On to quilty news :cD Yesterday I spent part of my day in Amish country on a shop hop. I never have enough day to do as much as I would like. So much inspiration!! So much fabric!! One of these years I am going to have to try to get to all 12 shops. Their theme this year was Pineberry Creek. I really liked the fabric...very country...and picked up a couple kits that I plan on turning into some throw pillows. I've also gotten some sewing done. I finally got those borders for the quiltalong quilt started. I love to use up as much fabric as I can. I hate to see any go to waste if I can help it. So I used up the scraps I had, cut them into strips and, well here is what I have so far...

Also got several string quilt blocks done. I have 256 done and I need 308 although I can't for the life of me figure out what I wanted the dimensions of the quilt to be :cS I just know I wanted a BIG, WARM quilt for the winter and these string quilts (with extra fluffy batting and flannel for the back) really fit the bill.

This is just part of the blocks I have. I have another stack just as big as the one on the right put aside waiting on the rest of the blocks to be done. I just love these string quilts. I love looking at all the blocks and seeing all the different fabrics and remembering the quilts that the fabric went into. Well, I am off to get some more things done. Not the least of which is to put finishing touches on my PIF gifts. I am soooo excited to finally have everything almost ready and ready to mail out by the end of the week. Hope everyone has a weekend filled with lots of your favorite things. Warm country wishes all!!

Purging

2008-10-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have been going through all my stuff (read fabric, blocks, tops etc) and have come to the conclusion that I may have to do some purging of my stash. Yes, it pains me. All the fabric I have I have picked out because I saw some beauty in it or it was gifted to me. And I tend to keep all my scraps because I am so the scrappy quilter, but I am moving on with things in my life and am feeling more and more like I need to leave some of those little pieces behind or get rid of them. It is so hard to go through and get rid of some of this fabric because even the littlest pieces are beautiful, but then I realize that worrying about all those little pieces and what may become of them are a stress I don't need.

That got me to thinking about life in general. How much do we carry with us that are those 'little scraps' that tend to weigh us down. All those little inconsequential decisions that really haven't or won't effect our lives that we drag around and question. We second guess ourselves. As I am moving forward I am going to really try to have more confidence in myself. To know that I am able to make decisions and that not everything is worth the worry that I bestow upon it. It can be very hard at times, but I AM trying.

On a more positive note, I have been able to get some quilting done. It is a lovely thing when life starts to reach a state of equilibrium after a LOT of turmoil. I have been able to get some hand quilting done on my scrappy bargello quilt. I have also gotten several more blocks done for my string quilt that I have been working on FOREVER! lol and I think I may have found my next long term project (like I don't have enough of those already :cD). I have seen a few log cabin quilts that were made with itty-bitty blocks. Well, I printed out the paper piecing pattern for a 4 inch finished log cabin block. I only have one done, but I love that little block. So I am keeping at least some of the little scraps I just can't bear to part with to use in more of those blocks. Now I am thinking it will take me quite a while to get this done, but I really feel it will be well worth the effort.

I also have to admit that the weather is also helping to cheer me up. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I have to get out and get some pictures of the beautiful fall foliage to share. Well life is still rolling along at full throttle, and I have to go try to jump back into things, but I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Wednesday and warm country wishes!!

Is that a hurricane? No that's just my life :cP

2008-10-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I can't believe its been so long since my last post. Life just hasn't slowed down for me, but at least I can see a light at the end of a very long tunnel. Just a quick update on me...things look like they may finally settle down a bit. I will most likely be moving, so I may not have computer for a little while, but I am looking into cell phone plans that may let me mobile blog. At least then maybe I can stay in touch and get a little more consistent with being here. Right now that is probably my one main goal after getting things in order is to at least get a little more consistent. I have been sewing a little bit. Here are a couple tops I've gotten to work on. Both are without borders just yet, but I have ideas for both. The first is from amandajean's quilt-along. The second is my second full sized Random Ohio Stars top.

One of these days I'm gonna have a big ol' quiltfest and just baste and quilt up a lot of these puppies. Right now I'm just enjoying the process of sewing and reaping the stress reducing benefit it gives me. I also will have the pay it forward gifts in the mail before the end of the month. I really have to thank those that signed up on my blog for their infinite patience, and I am excited to have things 90% of the way done and ready to mail out. Well, I'm sorry this is such a short post, but I really felt that I needed to at least check in. This weekend is busy for me, so with any luck I will be back on Monday to check in with y'all again. Warm country wishes all!!

Enjoy the journey

2008-09-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know that title may be a little cliche, and maybe not so creative on my part, but I am truly starting to appreciate that saying. Like everyone else, I have my up days and my down days, and today while sewing (yes, I actually did some sewing today :cD ) my mind started to wandering.

With all the pressures of life that weigh me down, why do I not try to find the joy in the simple, everyday things that I do? Why do I put more pressure on myself? I'm going to focus mainly on my quilting, but these thoughts apply to other areas of life as well. My blog used to have a UFO list. I started thinking why do I daily remind myself of what I haven't done? Do I really need to be reminded of all those things? Didn't I enjoy the process that produced those "UFOs"? and Why shouldn't I continue to enjoy that process? I haven't pieced many blocks of late, and I truly enjoy that process. I love to challenge myself with more complex blocks. I love to see the level of accuracy that I have been able to reach with the more simple blocks. I love playing with new fabrics. What is the harm in having some orphan blocks? Having a few more flimsies in the closet waiting for the quilting never hurt anyone did it?

Why do I stress over perfect points? Why not just enjoy the creative process? I really don't think when we are remembered by our family and friends the conversations are going to start with "Boy do you remember the perfect points her/his blocks had?" or "I'll always remember her/his perfect quarter inch seam allowance?" As time goes by and life continues to hand me challenge after challenge I am beginning to more and more appreciate the process and to be happy to be able to create things of beauty, things that will be used, things that will be loved whether they are "perfect" or not.

So tonight I broke out some block kits from a shop hop I participated in last fall, and just enjoyed cutting the fabric, peicing the blocks, pressing the patches, heck even the 'frog stitching' I had to do. Let me just say it does really help to read the instructions BEFORE you start stitching :cD...found that out tonight. lol Are my points perfect? Some are, some aren't. Are my seams perfect? Well, no. Hence the not-so-perfect points ;cD But after some thought here are the truly important questions (to me, at least) Is my stress level down? Yes. Do I feel happier? Yes. Do I feel like I accomplished something? Yes. And I know in the end when this quilt is finished the recipient will love it. Not because it has perfect points. Not because of its accurate seams. Not because of the consistent stitch length of the quilting, but because it is something that is beautiful, and made especially for them with their favorite colors and fabrics and the best effort I could put forth. And the fact that it will be appreciated makes me feel happiest above all others. I know I have UFOs sitting in my closet, and drawers, and boxes, and... well, you get the picture. But I know that most of them will get done eventually, and I will no longer feel guilty about having them or starting a new project. I will focus on the joy the process brings me, and continue to quilt on. Quilt on my quilting friends!! :cD

In praise of small projects

2008-09-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, its me. Remember me? Boy I hope so ;cD Let me start off by saying its been too long since I've been here and blogging. When you almost don't remember your password to log-in...well...need I say anymore? lol My life is still kinda upside down. I want to apologize for not being more sharing about my situation. I don't know why I can't bring myself to just tell you all what is going on, but I just can't yet. I want to thank all of you who keep me in your thoughts and prayers. They are all so appreciated!!

On to more fun stuff. You all know the kind of fabrics I tend to lean toward. With the name Country Mouse I'm sure you all noticed that I tend to gravitate toward the darker, richer country colors of lines like Thimbleberries and such. So someone please tell me how I end up with fabric like this?

Ok, seriously, no one needs to tell me how I ended up with them. I have a horrible fabric addiction and sometimes the colors and fun designs just scream out to me (like the third one down on the right hand column...I LOVE that one :cD) and I just HAVE to buy a fabric. That and I have two little mouselings that love to pick out fat quarters and how, in good conscience, could I not encourage their love of fabric *grin* So what have I been doing with these little treasures (most of them are just fat quarters)? Here is my new little obsession...

This is my own pattern for a tri-fold wallet. Why did I start working on these? Well besides the fabric I wanted to use, and I think this is a great way to use that fun fabric that may not make it into a quilt, I had been looking for a wallet, found one at a dollar store that I liked, but when I started using it found it had some flaws that I really didn't like. So I designed my own that was similar yet different. I'm still working out some of the details that I'm not happy with yet, but the one in the picture above is the one I use and I am really happy with it. Perfect or not. Also with life being as topsy-turvy as it is I love having small projects that I can get done. It feels good to feel like I'm accomplishing something in some area of my life when I feel like I'm just running and getting nowhere in others.

I am still working on the setting blocks for my quilt-along. I want to send out a HUGE thank you to amandajean. She saw my last post and offered to send me some more of the fabric I needed for the setting blocks if I didn't have enough. Well, I didn't and not just the fat quarter I needed to finish, but about a whole YARD of that fabric showed up in my mailbox a few days ago. Now I know I have enough coordinating fabric for binding and everything. I am working on a little something to let her know how much I appreciate her generosity :cD Hopefully I will have a picture of a finished quilt to really soon.

Well, I am going to hop off here. We are supposed to get some thunderstorms today, and the pressure shift is wreaking havoc on my sinuses. Pair that with a monster migraine, and, well... :c( At least I know they won't last forever, thank goodness. Gotta keep thinking of the positive! Hope you all have a great day & warm country wishes to all!

Just a quickie :cD

2008-08-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

First off I wanted to thank all of you for the compliments on the quilt top in my last post. I am thrilled that so many of you liked it and got the feeling of stars over a mountain range. That was exactly what I was hoping people would see :cD

I also wanted to share a picture of my finished blocks for amandajean's quilt along. I am going to move some of the blocks around so I have the fabrics more evenly spread throughout the quilt. I just happened to notice that the three blocks on the far right hand side all have the same fabric in them. Gotta space those out ;cD

I'm also excited that I happen to have 2 fat quarters that are the same color stripes, just different widths, so I think I may have enough of them to use for the setting blocks. Yea!! I'm going to get to cutting and hopefully have a picture of some setting blocks to share soon. Also going to get working on getting my Pay it Forward gifts done. My goal is to have them done by the end of the month. I finally feel like I may be getting back on track (well with my sewing anyway), and that feels sooooo good! Warm country wishes all!!

One loose end tied up...well, almost

2008-08-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Hope you all had a good week. Things are still rough around here, but I was able to make time for myself and the mouselings. First off this past weekend was the Football Hall of Fame parade. I was able to go with a friend of mine and we had a great time. It never ceases to amaze me how many people show up for it. We parked in a nearby store parking lot (so I could get myself some coffee and a chocolate chocolate chip muffin...yum!) and walked down to the parade route. We were near the end of the route and even there there must have been a couple thousand people within a 3 block span...and the parade route is about 2 miles long if I remember right!! I really wish I would remember to take my camera to these things cause I would LOVE to have pictures to share with you. Then on Monday the mouselings and I went down to the Ohio State Fair. We had loads of fun! The kids got to ride lots of rides, we watched the pig races, caught the bear show, had some fair food, and just had a blast! Again, I need to remember to take my camera along because, again, I have no pictures to share :c( One of these days I'll remember to start throwing that camera in my purse before I leave the house!

Anyway, on to quilty news. I finally was able to get one of the "loose ends" tied up. My last on-line group swap obligation was to make a quilt top from blocks that your swap mate would send you. Remember these? Well, I started thinking about stars...seeing stars, stars and stripes, moon and stars....and here is what I came up with.

I hope my swap mate likes it. Her only request was that she wanted scrappy. I thought about traditional settings, but really, I like to find interesting setting if I can. I may like traditional quilts and colors, but I also like to think a little outside the box sometimes. I also want to thank my swap mate for her incredible patience with me. I am so sorry to have taken so long to get this done. Now all I have to do is get this baby in the mail and I can move on to the next thing on the to do list :cD

Well, I'm off to get some house work done, and hopefully get a run in before I have to head off to work today. Hope you all have a great weekend!! Warm country wishes!!

Could it be? Yes, it is!

2008-07-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

I actually got a little bit of sewing done! Ok, not much, but all considered I'm happy to get ANY done lately. It actually felt really good to hear that familiar old hum of my sewing machine. And I know she missed me too :cD Here is a picture of blocks 10 and 11 of amandajean's quilt along...

Also, remember all those little Ohio Stars? Well here is the end result (mind you its not quilted yet)...

Don't ask me why I've never made many little quilts. It is a nice change of pace to have an almost instant gratification project. This came together pretty quickly, and quilting it will be a breeze compared to the bed sized quilts I normally make. I guess I just automatically equate "quilt" and "bed covering". I think I'm going to be working on more little quilts for a while though. Two reasons...1. with all I have on my plate right now, the thought of a large quilt is rather overwhelming. Working on smaller ones will give me the opportunity to create quilts without feeling the "Well, here's another quilt for the UFO list" feeling. 2. You all know I am a scrap quilt freak, and I keep scraps that are smaller than most people would keep, and these little beauties will give me the chance to use up some itty-bitty little scraps. Happy happy happy :cD

I'm off to finish up a few more things before I have to go to work. At least I have a short shift, I could use the hours, but I think I could use the time off a little more. Anymore, as long as things go smooth I'm one happy mouse. I think if I get the chance I may actually get a little more sewing time in yet today. Aaaahhhh...sewing therapy...is there anything any better for relieving stress? Ok, maybe some retail therapy, maybe I can squeeze some of that in too ;cD Hope you all have a great Thursday. Warm country wishes!!

An unexpected absence

2008-07-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hi to everyone out there in blog land. I have to apologize for my absence as of late. I will be completely honest and let you know that I have been dealing with some personal issues the last couple months, and haven't really been able to find time for a lot of things I would normally do in my spare time. So unfortunately that means not a lot of sewing to talk about. I have gotten one teddy bear done for a friend that has asked me to make some bears out of her late father's old sport coats, and since a post with no pictures can be boring, here is at least one. His head wasn't sewn on quite straight, and I thought about taking out the stitching and reattaching it, but decided against it in the end. I think his "not quite straight on" look gives him some charm. I am hoping to get at least one more done this week or so then I'll be evaluating the fabric left from the coats and maybe making one more after that. Everything you see was from part of the jacket, from the button eyes to the silky lining for the ears and pads of the feet to the felt nose.

I have been slowly but surely working on the quilt along...no I haven't forgotten about it. Just wish I had more time for it. I am actually going to go and work on it after I'm done blogging and surfing just a little bit. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to share soon. Also to those who are doing the PIF exchange I haven't forgotten about you either. I have been able to work on your gifts and hope to have them done soon. I can never thank you enough for your patience with me.

As for my life in general, I've had quite a curve ball thrown my way. I really don't want to get into details but it is one of the toughest things I've ever had to deal with. Hopefully I will be able to look back at this time in my life and see the lessons I've learned, the strength I've gained and be able to use them in my future. I think things are starting to settle into some sort of "normal", so I hope I will be able to get back to some sewing, blogging and visiting my blogging friends more than I have been in the last month and a half. Please know that I am still lurking around and as soon as things settle down a bit more, I will be back and blogging like before. Warm country wishes y'all!

Block number 8 and a big beautiful stash buster :cD

2008-06-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am so excited to post some progress today. First I want to share my quilt along block number 8. It feels so good to be all caught up.

Now then, remember this one? Well this baby is all basted and ready to go. I got the backing pieced tonight, and I am one step closer to another finish. Yippee!!

Here is the front...

Here is the back...

I don't know exactly how much fabric I used up from my stash, but I do know that the entire quilt is made from what I had on hand here at the house. Well, except for the batting, I had to go buy that. I have been on a big 'use up what I have already' kick lately. Even more so than when I started blogging in January. We have been having some personal issues here and finances are a bit tight right now so I am doing my best to curb my spending. I figure I have enough finished tops and fabric in the house right now I should be able to keep busy for a while, and save my money for a big shop hop coming up in late October and early November ;cD (and one of these days I'll figure out how to take better pictures)

We never did get to the movies earlier this week, so I guess we'll have to rent Alvin and the Chipmunks. We did, however, get to go out to Chuck E. Cheese tonight. Mouseling number 2 has been asking to go since her older brother got to go with his classmates as an end of the year field trip. We had sooooo much fun!! The mouselings had a blast riding the little rides and playing the games. We are saving the tickets they won so they can add them to the ones they win on the next visit. I really have to remember to carry a camera with me, because I wish I had some pictures to share. I'll make sure to toss it in my purse next time.

Well, I have to work a big 'ol double tomorrow at work, so I am thankful to have gotten to have some fun today. Hope you all did too. Until next time, warm country wishes :cD

Tell me again what month this is?

2008-06-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I just couldn't help but ask that question. Here it is the middle of June, and the temperature this morning when I woke up was 47 degrees!! Yup 47!! Now I have to admit that I am a cooler weather person. I love the spring and fall seasons, but really now, this is darn cold for what is supposed to be early summer. At this rate we will be able to get out to go swimming in December! Seriously though, I do hope it warms up. Its hard to want to get out and play when the weather is just cold and gray. On the other hand it is rather conducive to quilting ;cD Speaking of which, I did get block 7 of amandajean's quilt along done the other day.

Here is a picture of the blocks I have done

I'm really happy with how they are coming along so far. I think I want to make sure I use more of the green in a few more of the remaining blocks as well as the striped fabric. Now I am starting to consider how I want to handle the setting blocks. I would love to use the fabrics from the bundle, but I'm wondering how controlled scrappy would look. Maybe I'll make a block up to see how it looks. I do need to get out and get more of the background fabric to make sure I have enough. I've also been working on my Pay it Forward gifts. Hopefully I will get them done by the end of July, I am really excited about what I came up with and can't wait to pass them along :cD

Well, its been hectic at work. Once school is out business always picks up, pair that with losing 3 kitchen employees in a week and a half and you can guess why I haven't been able to get done all I have been hoping to. I am so looking forward to my day off on Saturday. Gonna try to have a true Country Mouse kind of day. Some sewing, some baking, and some fresh air will do me a world of good I'm sure. I think I may indulge in a little 'retail therapy' too and do a little fabric shopping as well :cD Hopefully I will have a lot of progress to report. Hope you all have a wonderful day. Warm country wishes all!!

P.S. Though it might be fun to change my template. I'm gonna play around and see what else I can do. I would love to customize mine like some of the other great blogs I've seen :cD

So what am I working on?

2008-06-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I just wanted to pop in and let you all see what I've been up to. Not a whole lot really, but I have gotten some sewing done today. Wanna peek? Here you go...

Wow! Ummm, ignore the shape of that pressing board :cS Hey at least I can say it's a well loved piece of quilting equipment :cD Life is just still so crazy right now, I haven't got a lot of sewing time. But even just a little makes me feel so much better. Also got to do a little sewing on my Cathedral Windows the other day. I need to update the picture at the bottom of the page here. I am hoping to get block 7 of amandajean's quilt along quilt done yet tonight.

The mouselings are out of school and we are enjoying the sleeping in! Got to take them to their first real movie in a theater. A local theater is doing a kids summer movie fest that is free on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We went and saw Bee Movie this past Thursday and it was lots of fun. Mouseling 1 got a little restless part way through, mouseling 2 was absolutely mesmerized by the huge screen and sat on my lap the whole time. I think we are going to go this week too to see Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Spent most of the day cleaning...a normal Monday for our house, but did get out to enjoy the weather. We had some storms roll through last night that brought us a nice, cool, NOT humid day today. Hope we have more of the same tomorrow. Well, I know this is a short post, but I just wanted to check in. Hope to have more to share next time. Til then, warm country wishes!!

Summer already?

2008-06-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Where did the school year go? I can't believe this is the last day of school before summer vacation!!! I have to admit I will miss the 'me' time I had when both mouselings were at school, but I am looking forward to a fun summer...not to mention sleeping in :cD Time goes so fast!!!

I am excited to announce that I do officially have a UFO coming of the 'to do' list. This quilt was a round robin that I participated in a couple years ago. I designed and pieced/appliqued the center square then sent it on with the instructions that I just wanted anything spring-y, be it block patterns, colors, etc. I finally got around to machine quilting it and I just finished hand stitching down the binding yesterday. The piecing is not perfect, but I still love it. The colors are so bright and cheery. I think we are going to use it as a 'porch quilt'. We have a swing on our front porch and I thought this would be an nice quilt to use outside on those cool nights when you want just a little something to cover up with, or to add some softness to the swing itself.

I also wanted to share a picture of my quilt along block number 6. I can't believe that I am actually up to date on these blocks. Now I just have to catch up on some other stuff...a quilt top for a swap, machine quilting 2 tops that are ready to go. Then of course there is the other boring stuff, you know that house work stuff. Actually, its not that bad. My house is never going to be perfect, but I do love the sense of accomplishment that comes from walking through the house and seeing the beds made (covered with quilts, of course), the floors vacuumed, the dishes done. *contented sigh* Ok, maybe secretly I kind of enjoy housework, but let's keep that our little secret ;cD

I have also finally decided what I am going to do for the pay it forward exchange. Well, at least part of it. If anyone wants in I have one more spot available. Right now I have Purple and Paisley, and Sara that have signed up to play so if you would like to join in please let me know.

Well, its been a couple days with very little sleep for me so I am going to try to take a power nap and get some things accomplished before the day slips away from me. Hope you all have a wonderful day! Warm country wishes all!!

Hi. My name is Country Mouse, and I can't read...

2008-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Or I can't write, one or the other. Let me explain. I am doing the quilt along with amandajean at Crazy Mom Quits. I wrote down the instructions for block number 5. I was all excited to give it a try. Its a bit complicated, but I love complex blocks. (I did one for my BOM 2006 that had 96 pieces in a 12 inch block...yes you read that right!) So I went about cutting the pieces, laying them out on my portable pressing surface by my sewing machine and got to sewing. Everything seemed to be going fine, but I noticed that I had HUGE seam allowances on my flying geese units. Like almost a half inch as opposed to the quarter inch you are supposed to have. I thought to myself "Well, maybe my sewing is off a bit, so I'll just keep going." I got the block about 1/2 way put together when I started to realize "This just doesn't seem quite right." So I took the block apart and trimmed my blocks to give them the quarter inch seam allowance I thought they should have, all the while thinking the worst case scenario was I would have to completely re-do the block. After trimming all the units, back to the sewing machine I went and got to sewing. The result...

Ok, don't ask me why that loaded in here sideways, but you get the idea, everything came out just the way it was supposed to! So then I started to wonder. I knew I had my hand written instructions somewhere, did I write the wrong measurements or was there a typo in the instructions? Well, I checked amandajean's instructions and lo and behold I wrote the instructions down wrong. What a goof I am!! Guess the stress is getting to me :cD So anyway after taking the long way around to make this block, I double checked the measurements for block 6, and now it is ready to be sewn. I will say this, though, because I had to trim I had perfect quarter inch seams and my points on this block are better than I could have hoped :cD guess there is a bright side to everything, right?

I'm off to try to get block 6 done. I'm really enjoying this quilt along as well as blog hopping and seeing all the different color combinations that everyone is choosing. Not that I needed to add another UFO to the list, but I couldn't resist a star quilt ;cD Oh, and with any luck the next time I post I'll be able to move one of those UFO from the "to do" list to the "done" list AND have a couple pictures to share. Til then warm country wishes to all!!

I'm still around....

2008-05-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. First I want to say thank you to all that have continued to visit me. I really did not plan on taking a break from blogging, but, well, life has really gotten crazy around here. Not much time for quilting, but I have been sewing some when I can. I do have the first 4 blocks of amandajean's quilt along done. Recognize the fabric? :cD I am hoping to at least get the fabrics for block 5 cut today.

I've also been working on quilting my round robin quilt from a couple years ago and squeezing in other projects when I can. I am also deciding what I will make for the pay it forward exchange. So far I have 2 people signed up and there is still room for one more if someone else out there wants to play. I have been so busy with other things lately that sewing and blogging kind of fell off the radar for a while. Unfortunately, I can't promise that they are going to be regular things in the near future either :c( But I will try my best, they are a couple of my sanity savers.

Well, I know this is a short post, but I wanted to check in and let all of you that come to visit me that I am still here and when things start to calm down I promise I will have some more interesting reading for you ;cD Until then I will be lurking around blogland when I can, and am thinking of you all. Hope you are enjoying springtime and finding time for the special people and things in your lives! Warm country wishes all!!

A country mouse for Country Mouse

2008-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time can fly by! I'm telling you, it seems as though I can blink and a week has passed me by. Time has been filled with spring cleaning, school activities, yard work, and yes I have gotten a little sewing done too :cD I wanted to share with everyone what came in the mail yesterday. A while back I signed up on Ellen's blog for the Pay it Forward exchange. Yesterday I found a sweet little package on my front porch, and inside I found....

This beautiful table runner in wonderful warm country colors. It goes perfectly with the rest of the decor in my house!

And this sweet little country mouse! I wish I could figure out how to take a better picture of it, it is absolutely darling!! (and I really want to find a way to use it as the picture with my profile) Ellen used the same fabric you see in the table runner to make her and embroidered the eyes and nose. I love my PIF gifts, I can't thank you enough, Ellen!! Now its my turn...

"It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based on the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on.So here’s how it works:I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. Since this should be fun let's give a reasonable amount of time for the handmade item to be made and then sent to the recipients - how about 2 months? I will email each person for their mailing addresses and send a handmade gift and maybe some extra goodies.What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog to 3 different people. Unfortunately this is only possible for those of who have a blog. So come on.....and see who wants to pay it forward. :)"

Well I'm off to get some projects finished so I will hopefully have some more quilty pictures to share next time, as well as make time to work on some gifts for those who decide they would like to participate in the pay it forward exchange. Warm country wishes all!!

Monday, monday

2008-04-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Ok so I realize its back to the grind today for many of you, but no reason it can't be a happy day anyway, right? :cD I had quite the fun weekend. First off the fabric that I won from amandajean came on Saturday. I just love seeing something in my mailbox other than bills and junk!!

Oh so pretty. I love blues and greens! Thank you so much amanadajean!! She is starting another quilt-a-long on her blog today. Its stars with alternate setting blocks, and I know just what fabrics I'm gonna use ;cD I am really looking forward to starting something new and different, and besides, star quilts are my favorites!

Next, I want to thank all of you that commented on my label making tutorial, and let you know the winner of my itty-bitty drawing is niki! If you could please send me your info I will get your set of quilt labels in the mail for you. I also went ahead and entered the tutorial contest at sew mama sew. I'm so excited that they decided to post my tutorial, especially considering it was my first try at one. So I want to say a warm welcome to anyone who is visiting my blog via theirs :cD

Now for some quilty stuff. I actually sat down and got a little sewing done. I have been working on a string quilt for a while. No rush to get it done really. Its going to be for my bed, and I already have one. I just want to make one with more of an overhang, then the one that is there now will go to one of the mouselings. Well, as I was sewing along trying to add strips to my 6.5 inch foundation squares I realized I have been acquiring more and more pieces of fabric at are just not big enough. So I started thinking, I can't bear to just throw fabric away. I just can't. So what do you do? Here's what I did...

I call them crazy cabin blocks. I'm sure its not a new idea, but I just took any old fabric scrap and built around it log cabin style. Once they were big enough, I squared them up to 5.5 inches. The only "rule" was to have good contrast between light and dark. I think they will make a fun scrap quilt, and I've used even more of the 'unusable' fabric. Gotta love that!!

Final picture to share is what I've been playing around with as far as my other hobby is concerned. I haven't been playing with my beading and jewelry making much lately, but I got stuff out to play around and made a couple fun cell phone dangles. Just some fun small projects :cD

Well, the weather here in Ohio has taken a dramatic turn. After several days of sunshine and 70+ degree weather, we are sitting here with seriously dreary skies and temps in the 40s! What a change!! I am still going to go out and run, but the rest of the day will be devoted to the sewing I haven't been accomplishing lately, and making some homemade chicken pot pie, mmmmm...... Hope you all are having a wonderful day, and get time to do the things you love with the ones you love. Warm country wishes all!!

Up and down, ebb and flow, wax and wane...

2008-04-25T07:08:00.001-07:00

Want to see the quilting I've gotten done this week? Really? Here ya go!

Not too impressive, huh? Actually here is a much more common scene from my sewing area this week...

This is our cat Xerxes looking at me saying "What? Not going to sew today? That's OK, I like sitting by this window best anyway!" I felt kind of bad that I haven't been sewing, but then I got to thinking, you know, I think all quilters (or anyone with any kind of hobby) goes through these times. You know, "down times". Times when for whatever reason you just don't 'feel it'. I know I go through these every once in a while. Right now I am just at a motivational low. I think its just a natural thing. I think maybe it has to do with the change of seasons too. Spring has finally burst out all over here in Ohio, and I am just aching to get out and enjoy as much of it as I can right now. So while my sewing has slowed down, my running has picked up. I actually went running on one of the trails that runs next to a river here with one of my friends from work. And while there were no wildflowers just yet, everything was so green and beautiful. The beauty made our 4 miler just fly by. I really have to learn to carry my camera more often because I really wish I had a picture to share with you. I'll have to remember one next time. I'm sure we'll go back because my friend said he really liked running there.

Then there's the yard work. Today I got to get out and trim down the shrubs between our house and our neighbors, trim up the rose bushes, and trim some stray branches from one of the smaller trees on our property. I have to admit I can tend to put off working out there, but once I get going, I love it. Not to mention that I love the way a nice, neat, freshly groomed yard looks. Hopefully we will get out to get some flowers this weekend or next :cD

The final baby quilt went to mom-to-be on Monday afternoon. She really liked it. I'm so glad! As funny as it sounds there is always a little part of my that is afraid of a reaction like "Oh, that's nice" then it just gets set aside. I'm sure many of you can identify. We put so much effort into our creations, and nothing can hurt more than an indifferent reaction. Well, for me anyway. I think I am going to try to work on something this weekend. I have that swap top to work on, and I'd really like to get some more blocks done so I can get a feeling of what my idea on paper will look like translated into fabric. I want to give myself enough time that if I don't like how its turning out I can go with plan B and still have it done in time.

Well, another weekend approaches. I have lots to do to get ready for it, so I will just finish up by wishing you all a great weekend and warm country wishes!!

More quilt labels

2008-04-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

Kris at quilted simple had asked me if I would do a tutorial for my quilt labels. Well I've never done one before, but thought what the heck, I'll give it a go. Most of the labels I do are paper pieced so that is what I chose to show, so it will be a try at doing a paper piecing tutorial as well. So without further ado...here we go!
How many of us have bins overflowing with scraps? Or leftover fabric from a quilt you would like to do something special with? Well, here is your chance to make a little something extra for your quilts. Use those scraps to make pieced quilt labels!

I like to use paper pieced patterns to make most of my labels. This is a simple flying geese pattern that I drew up myself, but you can also use modified traditionally pieced patterns. I'll show an example of that later.

First, choose your scraps. For this one I am using mostly blues and cream. Make sure your scraps will be big enough to cover the shape you are using them for as well as leaving you enough fabric for a seam allowance. In this example I need to make sure the blue is big enough to cover the larger 'geese' and the cream covers the 'background'.

Choose the fabrics you will be using to be covering numbers one and two. Place them right sides together then place your fabrics on the wrong side of your paper (the side that is not marked.)

Flip everything over, and stitch ON the line between numbers one and two. You will want to shorten your stitch length so you will perforate the paper so when you take the paper off it will be easier and your stitches won't be pulled out. I have a computerized machine, and I set my stitch length to 1.5.

Next, fold the paper on the line you just stitched and cut away the excess fabric to leave your 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Now flip and press with a dry iron.

Next, choose what fabric you will use for piece number three, and put it right sides together with the one/two unit. Flip your label over and sew on the line between (in this case) numbers one and three.

Again, flip and press with a dry iron. Here is your first geese unit. At this point you can eliminate some waste by doing the following.

Flip your label over to the drawn side and fold the paper back on the next line you will sew on.

(This is a picture of the paper folded back)

Now trim away the excess to about 1/4 inch.

Now you will be able to line up the next piece you will sew with the finished unit and you will already have your quarter inch seam.

Line up your next piece of fabric, flip your label back over and sew on line number four.

Keep sewing adding pieces in numerical order until you have a completed piece. Now its time to trim.

Using your ruler and rotary cutter, line up the 1/4 inch line on the outside line of your label pattern. Trim off the excess so you have a 1/4 inch seam the entire way around your label. Then remove the paper from the back.

And here we are! You can call it finished at this point, but I like to take it a step further so I will have finished edges to work with when I go to sew it on my quilts.

Place your label right side down on a piece of lightweight fabric. I usually use muslin, but I have used used dryer sheets. You could also use fusible interfacing.

Sew a quarter inch seam on all four sides.

Trim your edges even. I also trim my corners on a diagonal to make turning them a little easier.

Cut a slit in the back and turn right side out.

Give it a good pressing (unless you used the fusible interfacing) and ta-da! One finished quilt label ready for signing and attaching to your next creation! They may take a little time, but once you start making them they are kind of like potato chips...you can't make just one. Well, its like that for me anyway ;cD

Now for those of you that don't like paper piecing here is my favorite modified traditionally pieced label. It is a modified churn dash. Start with a 3 1/2 inch square for the center (this is where you will sign the label) then four 1"x 3 1/2" rectangles of both your churn dash fabric and background fabric as well as two 1 7/8 inch squares of both your churn dash fabric and background fabric. Then just piece your block.

Here is a picture of my finished churn dash label :cD

Well, there you go!! I hope I didn't confuse anyone too much. I know there are some great paper piecing tutorials out there if mine didn't quite make sense. There are lots of paper pieced patterns to be found that can be used as part of a label. I also have a book called Foundation Pieced Quilt Labels 30 designs by Linda Causee that has awesome patterns in it. If you modify a traditional pattern, just make sure to leave enough room to sign it. (Like in the above example I enlarged the center square of a traditional chrun dash so there would be plenty of room to sign it.) Like I've said, I've been making lots of these lately and while I was stitching these I started thinking that maybe for those of you who don't have time to make some yourself or for those of you looking to jump start your collection, I would like to give away a set of 6 labels. Just leave me a comment and you will be entered into a random drawing. I will take names until April 27, then I will draw and post the winner next Monday. If you make some labels, make sure to post a picture. I would love to see them.

Well, I'm off to try to squeeze some more into my day. I hope you all find some time to do the things you love. Warm country wishes all!!

Another finish, another 'addiction', another weekend

2008-04-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

First I want to welcome all of you that have visited my blog, and for all the compliments on my last post! I have a neo-counter on my page and when I checked it about this time yesterday I had about 650 visitors, now I'm up to 770! Wow!! So a big welcome and thank you to all who have visited and to those who were kind enough to comment. Its so much fun to see that counter go up, and to meet new bloggers!! :cD

Now then, the quilt you see on the left here is my latest finish. I know its not the greatest picture, but...well...I don't think its the greatest quilt either. It's not a 'bad' quilt. I like the pattern, but I would definitely make sure all my lights read LIGHT and all my darks read DARK next time. Then I used a high loft bat... a really high loft bat. Ugh, never gonna do that again. I just tied it so its very fluffy and warm, but wrestling with that bat was not so fun. Then to put the binding on. My hands have never gotten so tired putting on a binding. So all in all this quilt was a bit of a learning experience (see you never stop learning, I've been quilting about 6 years and still learning), but it will make a nice warm quilt for someone. I think I may just donate this one. I feel good about getting another quilt finished, but I have to be honest. I am about ready to start on a new project. Its not that I don't want to finish what I've already started, but I think we all know the fun and excitement of starting something new. Maybe I'll try to finish one more UFO before really starting a new project, but I don't know if I can resist the temptation ;cD

I have made a few more quilt labels. Boy are these little guys addicting!! The one with the basket still needs more button 'flowers', but I think its my favorite so far. Before long I'm probably going to have as many quilt labels as I will need for all the quilts I will ever make :cD lol!

Maybe I'll find something else fun to do with them ;cD

So many other fun things going on here too. First I won a guessing game on crazy mom quilts. I couldn't believe I won! Thank you so much amandajean!! Someone had asked her how many quilts she has in her home so she made a game out of it. You'll have to go over and check out the beautiful, HUGE stack of quilts she has in her home. Also been running consistently. That feels sooooo good!! And I may have actually found someone to go running with! I can't tell you the number of times I have had a friend of co-worker say to me "Boy I should start ________. (fill in the blank: running, walking, swimming, biking, etc.)". I love to get out and do those things, and love to get others involved when I can. I used to be a personal trainer too, so I like to try to motivate others. Whenever someone tells me that they would like to be more active I warn them that they better be serious because I will do my darnedest to get them out the door!! Well, a friend of mine from work said he wanted to start running so I told him where I would be yesterday, and that he was welcome to join me. Well, he showed up! I was so excited that someone was finally serious. So now I have a running partner for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Yippee!! We started some spring cleaning today too. OK, I know thats not necessarily fun, but it is nice to get the house cleaned and aired out. The weather has been absolutely beautiful. I will try to get out and get some 'springy' pictures to share. Finally I've decided that I will try to post something that I am thankful for at the end of each post. Like I've said before, I have been blessed, and I need to try to remember that always.

What am I thankful for today...

1. the beautiful sunshine we have had for the last several days.

2. my children, who despite being the occasional pains in the you-know-what, bring me such joy

3. my health and being able to enjoy running outside in the warmer weather

Well, I'm off again, hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! Warm country wishes all!!