Aaaah...Nap Time

This is what nap time looks like for mommy: Blogging, snacks, new Japanese quilt books and TV. Yes, TV in my bedroom. We just got a TV this past weekend, and its the first time I've ever had one in my bedroom. Todd and I are both pretty anti-TV in the bedroom, but I decided I needed one to keep me company while he's out of town. And I'm just loving it!

Guess what I got in the mail last week?! My quilt from Doll Quilt Swap 6!!
Isn't it GORGEOUS??!! I absolutely LOVE it! I almost died when I opened the box! It came with some other goodies, but I'll have to post those pics later, cause my camera battery died!! THe quilt is made from Darla fabric, which I absolutely adore! I cannot wait to put it up on my studio wall! I feel so special that super-talented Tina made such a beautiful quilt! Thank you again, Tina! You're the best!

I'm still here!

I bet you all thought I disappeared! Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I went up to Pennsylvania to work at the Lancaster quilt show. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of work! The first day of the show (I had already been there a few days by then), my special friend Cara came up. It was the first time we got to meet in person. I got about a 45 min break to "power shop" with her. She did all the reconnaissance work throughout the day, and staked out the top booths! So off we went!
Our first stop was the quilt books. I picked up Piece O Cake's "Aunt Millie's Garden". I've been eyeing it for awhile, but after this torture, I just couldn't take it anymore. I also got Fig Tree's new book, and "Material Obsession"--which I would've bought for the quilt on the cover alone! I love vintage style quilts with a twist! And see the "Mother Earth" book? Well, the author was THERE!! Yes, she was! I got mine signed for Liberty and Wyatt.

I also managed to do a little shopping in the booth I was working at, LOL! I picked up some wool and a kit/pettern for a bag with yummy Lakehouse fabric. The last booth we made it to was the same one I saw and loved at Hampton--The Christmas Shoppe in New Hampshire. I grabbed some Lecien Durham fat quarters and a BOM pattern just as they were closing. And guess what I saw there? Bren's new quilt, "Benji's Pockets"! I was so excited! It is just beautiful, and seriously, there are never any good quilt patterns for boys, let alone FABULOUS ones! So I planned on going back the next day when I got a break so I could take a picture (gotta figure out all those fabulous fabrics).

Well, guess what? I got a call from my hubby--Liberty was throwing up. Inexplicably, I burst in to tears. I could hear her in the background whimpering for mommy. It was decided by me and the girls that I would go home. I hemmed and hawed, but I'm sure glad I did, because when I walked through the door at 2 a.m., little Wyatt had started throwing up. I spent that day at the hospital with Liberty. She was seriously dehydrated, and with little kids, that can get really scary, really fast. I caught a little nap here and there with her on the hospital bed. Other than that, my husband and I didn't really sleep for days. Poor Wyatt almost had to go to the hospital, too. I spent a whole day feeding him Pedialite through a syringe. But they recovered, just in time for me to catch what they had!

Long story short, guess what appeared in my mailbox yesterday? The "Benji's Pockets" pattern! Thank you so much Bren! You really are my "Quilting Guardian Angel"!! Now I am carefully picking out my fabrics, and getting so excited to start sewing!! My poor baby boy needs his own special quilt!

When I came home, there was a package from Superbuzzy in my studio that I had ordered before I left. I get so much of my inspiration from all the Japanese fabrics.

I loved this panel:

The words are all German. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, but I HAD to have it!

I also picked out this adorable felt deer kit, along with some cute half-yards. I'm all about Matrioshka's lately!

Whew! That's it for me, peeps! Happy stitching!

Snapshots of My Day...& a Recipe!

Fabric set out for my next projectA dress for Liberty in the works (Pop Garden fabric)

Wyatt's first solo

Japanese fabric from Etsy

Bubblegum Basics (by Quilt Soup) stash

Tomorrow I have another quilt class. This one is going to be a fun one! But then, aren't they all? On the menu?? Chicken salad croissants, strawberries & cream cupcakes, fresh lemonade, and a charm pack quilt! We will be using Moda charm packs to make Miss Rosie's Plan C mini quilt.

The batter for the strawberry cupcakes (recipe at the end of the post!)

I leave Tuesday morning for a quilt show in Lancaster, Pennsylvannia. I'll be working at the shop's booth. Daddy will be taking the week off of work to watch the babies. To be quite honest, I'm a little terrified. Not about him taking care of them, but of being away from my babies. I have never been away from Wyatt for more than a few hours, I've been away from Liberty for one night. I don't know if I will survive! Hopefully I will be so busy that I won't be all weepy!

Now, for the recipe. Its one of my "arsenal" recipes. You know, those ones you pull out when you really want to impress people? Well, this one is perfect! You'll never find a better cupcake recipe.

Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

Cupcake batter:
¼ lb butter, softened
1-cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups sliced strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Insert liners into medium cupcake pan.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix for 3 minutes. With rubber spatula, fold in strawberries and vanilla.
Fill cupcake liners one-half to three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 T butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly sift in powdered sugar. Fold in vanilla. Frost.

Winners!

I was right when I said I couldn't leave the quilt shop empty handed! Look at the yummy Minny Muu fabric (on the right) I came back with! Isn't it just cheerful? Hmmm...I sense another giveaway coming soon!
I've also made some headway on my quilt for the Doll Quilt Swap 6. I hope my partner likes it! I still need to add a few little things and some embroidery before I quilt it and ship it off!

Okay...now for the winners! The winner of the Moda flannel is....Joy! And the Moda U charms go to...Julie Isa! Ladies, please email me your mailing address and I will ship them off to you! There's a link to my email on my profile page! Congratulations, ladies! Everyone else, stay tuned for the next giveaway!

A Good Day

Today was a good day. It was my first official day in my new studio. It was a dream! I started off by plugging in my iPod and dancing with Liberty. It was one of those moments when you just feel so blessed. I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with my babies, and dance if we want to!

Then I worked on a few projects: some hexies, a new pattern, and my Autumn House BOM.

Wilbur got a new bed yesterday. Isn't it cute?Of course, it didn't take him long to fall asleep. Lazy dog! Yucky lighting behind him. I still need to find a cute lamp. There's no overhead lighting fixtures in the room. If there was, I'd hang a chandelier!

Tomorrow I'm off to teach beginning quilting, my favorite class to teach. Then I'm sure I will manage to come home with some more Pop Garden and Minny Muu fabric. Hey, I've got a doll quilt to make!

Studio Makeover, Part One--& a Giveaway!

One of my New Year's resolutions was to remodel my studio. Over the last 10 days, I have repainted the walls a light yellow and purchased new furniture from Ikea. I spent the last two days alone, just going through all my stash!! I am exhausted! Here's another shot from a different angle:
As you can see, I've still got a lot of work to do:
New lighting
Window treatments
Decorate the walls
Find a better sewing chair
But I am loving it so far! Everything is organized (for now!). I got rid of a lot, and am planning on putting some things up on eBay. I have the Moda "Piece & Plenty BOM" to sell. I only did the first block. So if any of you are interested in purchasing it, send me an offer! I will also be listing on eBay a "Dandelion Girl" jelly roll.
I also have 2 complete Fig Tree charm packs (I think its Dandelion Girl, but I'm not sure, because I removed the packaging), a couple of Moda U tins (they have materials and instructions for one block, plus a pattern for a whole quilt), and a whole mess of Moda flannel that I started cutting in to squares to make a rag quilt (I think its Northwestern Flight. I also have about 4 yards backing). Sooo....how about a giveaway? I'll divide it into 2 prizes: the charm packs and Moda U tins, and the 'manly' flannel. To win, just make a comment on this post between now and midnight Friday night. Good luck!

Hampton Quilt Show

Yesterday was a very exciting day-I went to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, Virginia. I went with some new quilting friends, and we had a blast! The pictures are all over the place, because, well...I was all over the place! I think I've got them a little more organized, so here we go! First off, the quilts!

I loved this outfit. I just LOVE bluebirds!

Now, for the shopping! I came across an adorable little booth by a shop from New Hampshire. They definitely got a portion of my economic stimulus package! The owner was super nice and she had a gorgeous selection of Lecien fabric and trims! If any of you live near the shop, its definitely worth checking out. The rest f us will just have make do with their website!The first thing that caught my eye was two quilts by Bren. Imagine my shock when I heard the owner telling another customer that they were the actual samples made by Bren herself! With a gasp, I pulled out my camera and started clicking away. It was like seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre!

I know a lot of you would've loved this little booth...it was all vintage trims and linens!

Now for a few pics of my loot! I picked up Elly Sienkiewicz's "Baltimore Elegance", since a Baltimore Album quilt is my next big project!

A few vintage finds for my studio remodel

And some fabric! The bright polka-dot fabric is for a project using these, I'll being making some hexies out of the "Baskets of Flowers" charm pack, a "Soiree" jelly roll for a quilt for MOI, and a stack of Lecien fat quarter!

And, lastly, a little announcement. I've been delaying telling you all this, just in case it fell through. But since the contract is signed, I think it might be okay. Yep, that's it, down below, along with some fabric I am using in a new pattern (more on that later).Anyhoo, I sold the rights to a pattern to the AP&Q magazine family. The pattern is going to be published in their upcoming special issue, "More Fast & Fabulous" (a follow-up to last year's "Fast & Fabulous"). I owe it all to Monica, for making me send a picture of the project to the magazine. Seriously, she is a total rock star. I wish she would adopt me. I could follow her around all day and say things like, "Yes, Monica. That's perfect, Monica. You are so fabulous, Monica." And overall, just bask in her creative fabulosity. Okay, back on track. I made the project using my stash of April Cornell fabric from about 2 years ago. In celebration of the 'launch' of the magazine, I am going to be giving away kits on my blog! So keep checking back.
Happy stitching!