Driven to Distraction

You can quickly see why nothing got done over the past few months….

I worked for months on creating the perfect vintage table displays for the wedding. Vases trimmed in antique lace filled with spring bouquets, antiqued books, and vintage dollies.
Do you know how long it takes to collect enough props for 23 tables….Forever!

There were about 70 books that I specifically searched for in the colors of grey, aqua and cream. Then they were sanded down, then antiqued using ink pads. Three were tied together with ribbon, then a vintage tag and skeleton key added.

Then I had the brainy idea to do the floral arrangements myself as well…..80 boxes of fresh cut flowers arrived the day before the wedding. I had a ton of help from my wonderful family…Dear Old Mom cleaned the greenery and cut the hydrangea to size, Dear Youngest Daughter cleaned the thorns and leaves off  hundreds of roses, a very pregnant niece, helped arrange the displays and Dear Hubby asked what was for lunch_)(!#(#&_!(#_*##).

Productive Day

I was up and out of bed at 7am…had my coffee and by 8 was down in the sewing room. I wasn’t really planning much, whatever got done was fine by me.

It turned out to be a productive day.  I thought it would be a good day if I could even managed to get my latest block of Penguin Cheer completed. I had traced the pieces and fused them to the fabric the night before , but that’s as far as I got. I started cutting, laying out and appliqueing and about an hour later it was fully done. Not as bad as I thought.

By now Dear Hubby was up and looking for something to amuse himself  with….

Hey today might be a good day to cut the trim I’ve been nagging about for the last 2 weeks….

I don’t feel like it…

You could use your power table saw…

Measure where you want them cut……

Oh the power tool of suggestion! 

The trim is for the quilting room and I managed to get it nailed up  as well. The quilt table wrecks havoc with the wall every time I push it back into place. We had paint chipped off and  dents in the wall from years of good use, I’m not complaining, we just needed some cosmetic upgrades to alleviate the problem.

I also managed to quilt my sister- in- law’s table topper, my sister- in- law’s runner and a large lap quilt that had been desperately waiting to be quilted.

Did I mention I stayed in my pyjamas until dinner time? I know why even bother getting dressed at that point…but I had to visit Kindred Spirits for their open house, and while they probably could have cared less that I showed up in my PJ’s…I do have standards.

Further Distractions

Did I mention I made my daughter’s bouquet?

Dear Eldest Daughter requested a brooch bouquet. We collected her favourite pieces for months on end and then paired them with off white silk peonies. We had her favourites….a K for Kyle, a blue Eiffel tower(as she needed something blue), a classic high heeled shoe, and her favourite…her westie. I even hand sewed bling letters onto the handle which spelled  “I DO”.

The wedding invitations were crafted from the bride and groom’s suggestions and the church programs included their engagement picture.  If I see another paper cutter, it will be too soon.

Dear Eldest Daughter looked amazing in her classic, traditional wedding gown. She was adamant that she did not want a strapless and her choice looked stunning on her.  We had a beautiful sunny day, even after days of threatening weather.

I love this picture of her just about to leave for the church…angelic, which I can guarantee you she is not…remember the church pew bows story!…..they look no worse for wear.

Distractions

People had been asking me why I hadn’t posted to my blog in a while….I was distracted

By Dear eldest daughter’s nuptials

Did I do a few things for the wedding…that perhaps is an understatement, you should ask, “what didn’t I do”.

This is just part of the breakfast spread I put on for the wedding party the morning of the wedding….let’s see we had strawberry yogurt parfaits with candied oatmeal sprinkles, fresh fruit with cream cheese and yogurt dipping, broccoli and cheese quiche and cheese and ham quiche, along with cinnamon bun waffles(to die for), and low call too, and of course orange, cranberry, or pom champagne mimosa’s.

I  hand made each of the 4 bridesmaid’s bouquets….silk hydrangea highlighted with paper wrapped roses, highlighted with aqua, green beaded wires to tie in the dresses. They looked gorgeous.

The dog was decked out complete with matching couture bow tie…and so was I….I love this picture of my daughter and I together. Another favourite picture was the 3 generations of wedding rings…my daughter’s, mine and my 88 year old mother, bless her heart.

I have to stop cooking with cheese

Or chocolate chips……

If these boys are ever to move out! I think the reason that my boys, actually not boys but young men, are still at home is because I make it too tasty for them.

You should see them inhale these muffins. I don’t bake them in the typical muffin pan with the typical muffin liner but use these great tart muffin liners. They look super cute and you get more muffin top than your typical muffin to eat.

This is a great recipe…enjoy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine dry ingredients; add alternately with applesauce to the creamed mixture. Stir in oats and chips. Fill paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Yield: 12 muffins.

Somebody’s hooked

This is my sister in law’s newest quilt….she started with a log cabin, then bought a layer cake and made this lovely addition. Since this one, she has taken the beginner class and competed a table topper, a runner class, a charm quilt, a fat quarter quilt is started and she is finishing off a queen size log cabin. I’d say she hooked, wouldn’t you?

She also showed me a few kits and yardage that she picked up at the Creative Sewing Festival in April.

This quilt is a combination of batiks and she chose a lovely purple basic for the backing…it was quilted with the pattern Taro.

I’ve created a monster!

It’s good to have options

I had given Dear Eldest Daughter and her new hubby a Thimbleberries quilt for their new home several months back. As I was perusing my stash I came across a jelly roll that I had originally earmarked for a jelly roll race quilt.  As I looked at the colors , I realized it would be far better suited for a log cabin variation and that it would also be perfect for Dear Eldest Daughter’s bedroom. I’m showing the quilt on my bed, but their bedroom is painted a deep burgundy with rich taupe color drapes. The colors were a perfect match.

This pattern is a slight variation an a log cabin and is set on point. I quilted it in the pantograph pattern, Country Rose.

I bought extra fabric that was used for the setting triangles and made 2 matching pillow sham. Now she has a few options for the look of her room.

It was worth the mayhem

I travelled with Amy and Michelle to Market in Pittsburgh last month and we had a blast together……however…..organized and neaty pies they are not.

And this is just the first days’ buying spree.

I’ll have you know that my purchases were neatly stacked, packaged  and catalogued in the other corner of the room.

Pretty little maidens all in a row

There was tons of prep for Dear Eldest Daughter’s wedding…was that really over a month ago already.

I had these pew bows hanging up in the family room for weeks before the wedding. all beautifully steamed, all ready to be taken to the church and draped around the pews.

I found these little candle wreaths which I used as decorative trim and they matched the bridesmaid’s dresses perfectly.

I could go on to tell you the night I lost my shit cool when Dear Eldest Daughter decided she would start packing and with a huge storage bin in hand tried to dodge the hanging bows and let’s just say the bin won out. Down came all the bows, that had been painstakingly hung on a rod, painstakingly steamed, painstakingly measured and trimmed……

I heard the ruckus and came in to find Dear Eldest Daughter sitting on the floor covered in layers of crumpled tulle….about to burst into tears.

Now any mother knows that you do not screw with Bridezilla a week before her wedding, so very diplomatically I said…”oh honey are you OK?….let me help you…”

NOT…I can’t tell you the exact verbiage that came out of my mouth, let’s just say Dear Eldest Daughter was ready to pack up and leave that exact night. What are the chances that you would walk by the hanging bows, with a bin and manage to hit a hole in one! Our family room is huge! It would never happen again in a million years!

It’s all good…It’s all good…see they recuperated and so did I and they looked gorgeous at the church. **_*_)$*_!&*$_!_*$!_)

I’m cheering for the Penguins

This is another block from Penguin Cheer offered as a free BOM from Fat Cat patterns. I am having so much fun with these. Each month I get so excited to see the newest pattern come out and to get started creating these adorable little guys.

I opted to do the pattern in Christmas fabric and I think it will look really sweet during the holiday season once completed.

Gotta love this one

Pat did an amazing job on her take of Labyrinth. I think this is the second class I have taught with this pattern and each set of students has produced some amazing combinations. Everyone is different. I love the way the aqua pops on this quilt. Very stunning. Pat is a relatively new quilter so great job Pat!

An apple a day……

I’m in love with these table runner patterns from Shabby Fabrics…there is a complete set for every season….and I’m gonna make them all. I love the apples on these, so cute and delicious. I think it’s a Delicious, could be a Gala though.

The fall pumpkins is next on my agenda!