Sock Monkey hats...super addicting.

I bought some patterns this week and have been making some sock monkey hats.  It's so much fun.  They come together so fast.  I sold this one very fast but plan to make many more.

This week I'm doing final enrollment for my youngest and spending some quality time with him by himself this week.  He turns 4 on Saturday and I can't believe it.

I've been looking at my scrapbooks and realized something.  I don't want a newborn again..no way.  I would like to time travel and visit little baby chunk and little pooter.  They were so cute.. they didn't talk back they were cherubs and so sweet.  They were such easy fun babies.

Now they are just trouble....   this picture was just the beginning of their hijinx.  I hear it gets worse.

Gingham...i love it....

Taken in the morning behind the trees...

I just finished up this quick quilt.  No frills really simple...very busy..I've noticed it getting busier and busier...oh well.  I might just tackle some unfinished scrap quilt tops in my stash and quilt them up real quick.  I'm enjoying the finished feeling.

finishes....

Since my last post was about unfinished things.  I thought I would focus on what I finished last week.

I'm debating on whether to list the quilt in the store.  My friend's brother was seriously injured in Afghanistan.  He is a triple amputee and they are having a benefit for him on August 6th.  I am donating something, but I'm unsure exactly which quilt.

The doily is for sale.  I'm testing the waters trying to see if it sells.   I will probably end up giving it away but if I could sell it, it would be a more profitable craft than quilting.

I am making another Twin sized quilt for my friend.  Holy Cow this fabric is beautiful.  We are going with Amy Butler Soul Blossoms.  Here's the yummy surprise I got in the mail today!

In other news I entered my quilt in the Riley Blake contest.  http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/cutting-corners/contest/

Please go vote for my quilt.  A cruise would be awesome.

flight of ideas

Here's the BIG question.  When is someone seriously creative and when are they crazy?  Since leaving my job over 6 years ago and actually starting when my oldest child was 15 months old and I discovered "me time,"  I have been creating.  It increases when I have something on my mind.  I work through some things.  I mourn and worry about something when I am extra creative.  I go though phases.  Guitar playing is something I do when I am lonely and looking for love...i know this after 8.5 years of marriage.  I have very dusty guitars and mandolins all over the house, under beds and in closets.    I have learned that you can't have an organized house if you don't have an organized mind.  To prove this, here are just SOME of my projects going at once.  I also have a big to-do list that just gets lost, one of which is applying for my alternative certification and actually going to OSU-Tulsa and talk to a counselor.  Or getting my resume together for job interviews in the fall.

Two granny squares that I love...i need to make more and do something with..

Hideaway charm quilt...need to piece the back and sandwich.

All Star quilt, sandwiched and ready to be quilted.

my patterns and my knit fabrics....to make work clothes.

This is a little crazy even for me...A Hawaiian Quilt block.  

Pineapple Doily in the making...only need 3 more rounds.

My to be made pile of fabrics...

Wow...I still have several scrappy quilts to be made...that are in all honesty UGLY.

I might be a tad bi-polar ...that's all I'm saying...

courtesy of mommypeace@flickr.  

I get compared to my Great-Grandma alot by my family.  They will say "the Charity Willis gene is strong."  They don't know how very right they are.

My dress...

And pretty much the only think I've made for myself that looks and felt good.  I have learned because of my short waist that I have to take 1 inch from the top, and I actually have to take 1 inch or so off my neck or back measurement.  So Knits are my new favorite material except for getting a good seem to lie flat...that was annoying but i found a way around it.  It seemed to be a flattering cut for me which is always a plus.  I have 4-5 more fabrics to try.  But I have some quilting to catch up on.

okay...okay....i'll admit it....

Quilting makes everything better.  Washing and drying the quilt...does wonders for little mistakes and things you don't LOVE.   Since I've been saying I'm trying to finish it i thought I would update everyone.   It's nice to move on to other projects.

finished 4 patch posy quilt made with Kyoto by Alexander Henry plus some Kona Solids...and other solids that will only be known to me :)

Another Shot of the quilt.

Back of quilt...

Yes it's upside down....d'oh.  It's 104 degrees I'm not retaking the picture.

Detail of Quilting...

frying on the vines

I haven't had a chance to get caught up for many reasons.  We were out of town and wouldn't you know when I come back my A/C broke.  Apparently they never flushed the lines from the condenser to the unit (yeah I'm making that up totally).  So we left for my mom's again.  I got home and had to clean and get the house back to messy , er normal.  I went to pick some vegetables in my garden and through the abundant weed crop I picked several cucumbers and tomatoes.  Our watering system isn't so great.  Green beans were white and wilted, tomatoes are black on the bottoms and the cucumbers are terrible.  I have to figure out something else.  I think we are not soaking at the root level and this is hurting the plants.

I'm still trudging along quilting my 4 patch posy.  It has reinforced how much of a rut i am in in quilting.  I  need to get a walking foot that works.  My straight line quilting has to be done with my free motion foot or I will have creases...bad.  So the straight lines are only wobbly and sorta straight---which is fine for me...i hope they are fine for the people i have made quilts for.  I've never heard "you know, those lines were awfully crooked."

I finished my first afghan, placed it on my couch, and then left for a few more days.  In that time my husband must have laid on the couch and turned or flopped or SOMETHING, because it looks like I have to repair one of the blocks.  I'm a little irritated.  Oh and see that couch??  Don't expect ANYTHING to look nice after two boys.  I'm just saying.  One cushion has a sharpie on it.  If you do get a couch get the kind with the cushions that you can flip.  It makes a nice change of pace.  "Honey -should i flip the cushions to the stain or the marker?"

I have two new additions to speak of.  I ordered two new books.

Love Love Love, them!  Also I have a new machine and have purchased some knit fabric.   I gotta love Fabric.com.  With these knits I can whip out some interview/professional blouses and dresses in no time especially with my new Janome Serger.

I only played with it the other day.  After I got all my spools installed I started going and wow ...super fast.  I learned that I need a lint/thread catcher really fast so I made it and just set my serger on top of it.

I hope to finish the 4 patch soon and get started on other projects.... One to include a quick quilt made with Moda Hideaway.  I grabbed some charm packs a few months ago.  How cute was this fabric line?  I don't think I heard much on it or saw alot of examples but I think it's darling.  The Gingham check fabric looks so cute with all the swiss"y" fabrics.