Mingling

This week I was invited to some really fun parties.

First up was Mingle @ Soel

My dear friend Jane put on this amazing party.

If you've never seen her blog I suggest you go there right now!

It was such a fun night!

Lots of cool giveaways and amazing door prizes from these sponsors...

If you live in my area you should definitely 

be on the lookout for the next one!

Hey look!  It's Jef with one F!

Jef Holm's company, People Water, was one of the sponsors.

So weird!

I have been watching him on TV every Monday night!

I have to tell you something, the TV DOES NOT do this guy justice!

He's way good looking in person!

And he's seriously such a cool guy.

The very next night I went to Material Girls for a blogger's meet and greet.

Me, Natalie, Heather

Fun fact:  I went to high school with Heather.

I haven't seen her in 18 years!!!

AND... I had no idea she's Heather of Quilt Story.

So crazy!  I've been on her blog a million times.

It was so fun to see her again :-)

More amazing ladies!

Calli, Heather, Amber, Sachiko, Erika and Amy

I had the best time being with all of these talented women!

They are all so wonderful :-)

Lately....

It's Friday!!!

Oh, it's not?

Actually, I have no idea what day of the week it is.

We are having the craziest summer!

We have been up to our eyeball's in summer school, tennis, basketball, scout camp's.

Who signed my kids up for all this stuff???

Anywhoodle, I'm done with Sasha's top stitching.

Just some double cross hatching.

Remember, were going for Feminine Tomboy.

This is just the backside.

I'll give a full reveal when the binding is done and the quilt is washed.

Have I already told you that I LOVE this quilt?

Quite possibly in my top 5!

Next up....

I'll be cutting into these beauties for something top secret special.

I'm super excited about it!

Hopefully, you guys are getting more done than I am.  

I tell you what, if I could plug my sewing machine into my car 

and sew while I wait for pick up's and drop off's

I'd be killing it!

Demolition and summer sewing with kids

Remember this post about summer vacations?

Well ours has officially begun.

My husband started tearing down the deck this week

which gives me plenty of sewing time!

(when I'm not staring at him while he works :-)

I have been doing the top stitching for my On a Whim quilt

but I took a break to do some projects with my kiddo's.

Last year we made bean bags and pillow cases 

so I figure they were ready for Jeni's Drawstring bag.

These bags are soooo easy and fun!

My Roan is a BYU and Jimmer enthusiast!

I really tried hard to get him to choose a cooler print

but he was having none of that.

Sasha's bag is so girly and fun!

I love all of her selections!

And we used all peak hour prints for Hudson's.

I sewed his entire bag.

He's just a wee bit young still!

I love this want ad print!

I have loved seeing them ride their bikes 

with their bags tied to the handle bars.

They have been filled up with snacks and candy, 

airsoft guns and ammunition, sunscreen and water bottles, 

matchbox cars and scriptures on Sundays.

Sasha tells me it's the most special thing we've ever made!

Really?  Wow, we've made a lot of stuff!  

So if your kids are bored with summer already 

this pattern will be the best $6.50 you've ever spent. 

Now I've got to get back to my top stitching!

On a Whim

I am nearly finished with my On a Whim quilt!

I can't wait to get started quilting it.

I'm going to keep it simple.

Nothing loopy or curvy.

Most likely, some cross hatching.

My daughter is feminine but she is NOT frilly.

She likes bright beautiful colors, but nothing too floral.

I used mostly geometrics in all her favorite colors.

I might have snuck in 2 florals.

Shhh!  Don't tell her.

Maybe she won't notice :-)

This is what's going on the backside...

I found this PB Teen sheet set at Down East Home for $14.99!

Not only do I have a flat sheet for the back 

but I also have a fitted sheet and pillow case for her bed.

SCORE!

Even though it's taken me ages to get this quilt done I still really love this pattern!

I'm cruising now...

I've lost momentum on my On a Whim quilt that I'm making for my daughter.

It's such a fun quilt to make but I'm kind of like this dog....

"squirrel!"

In other words, I get distracted easily.

So far I have 9 blocks done, 11 more to go.

It's been a long time since I've worked on it.

But I gotta get her done!

Recently my friend Natalie whipped up this quilt top in all of 5 minutes.

I might be exaggerating but it was seriously fast!

She told me that she did them assembly style instead of by individual blocks.  

Well that's not very fun!

But guess what, she was right.

Don't mark my words,

but I think I'll have this quilt top done today!

Thank goodness. 

It's going to feel real good to cross this one off the list!

Moving On

Okay y'all, sorry for the public meltdown the other day.

I probably shouldn't have posted all of that but I received a bunch 

of emails and comments that were incredibly helpful!

I'm grateful for blogs and the way they bring people together 

no matter how far apart you really are.

And I'm particularly thankful for this little circle I run in online.  

The women of the craft world are so amazing!

I have spent the last several days cleaning out my pantry, fridge, and makeup bag.

A lot of stuff had to go!

But I'm ready for the change and moving forward :-)

Onto more fun things, I have been playing with this pattern.

I took 5 million pictures!!

But I just couldn't get that "WOW" shot.

So you'll just have to take my word for it.....

This quilt is sooooo cute!

It's for my dear friend, Becky, who just had a baby.

She has this very urban cool style so I couldn't just make her the average baby quilt.

And the white binding is so impractical!

But no one ever accused Becky of being practical :-)

I really wanted to give her something special since she has had many 

heartbreak's in getting her family here. 

I hope she likes it!

Fabrics:  Kasbah, River Shine, and Souvenir by Amy Butler, Mezzanine by Jenean Morrison,  Flock by Thomas Knauer, and Skipping Squares by Aneela Hoey (also used on the back) 

Bad News

To make a long story short.....
I was driving to the grocery store this time last year when black fluid shot through my vision.
I immediately called the eye doctor since it stayed fixed in my sight.

I learned that I was suffering from a hemorrhage in my eye.
Basically, my retina was suffering from so much inflammation it just bled out.


At this point I was the lucky recipient 
of a Steroid shot right into my eyeball.

Since then I have been tested for everything from Leukemia,
MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, yaddy yaddy, yadda!

After a year, a couple steroid shots, and a million tests later the swelling has not gone down too much.
The bleeding is under control but the swelling can't stay or I will suffer another hemorrhage incurring even more permanent damage to my vision.

I'd really like to keep my eye sight. 


Finally, after ruling out every terrifying disease and condition it has been determined that I, most likely, have some very bizarre allergies.

Today I learned what those allergies are and it's still sinking in.

Cottonseed Oil (Margarine, Mayo, chips, chocolate candies)
Annatto (additive found in most cheeses, butter, rice, desserts, etc.)
Sodium Propionate (found in pizza, pie crusts, baked goods, frostings, jams, jellies, cheese)
Peanut (ARGH, I love peanut anything!)
Apples (so very sad about this one)
Red Grapes/Raisins (also super sad)
Olive (How one earth will I live without olive oil???)
FD&C Red #3 (In pretty much everything, makeup, hair products, soap, lotion, pretty much any food that has any hint of color)
Along with some other lovely molds that naturally occur in any environment.

I'm feeling soooo discouraged.
We are talking about a COLOSSAL life change!
Basically I can not eat any single thing that is prepared by friend, family, restaurant, food manufacturer.

I'll be taking some time to research what all of this means for me on a daily basis.
I'll be back next week with some fun finishes.


But please, if you have any experience with this kind of thing 
do share!