Is this possible?

Tonight the realtor comes over to give us his estimate of what we should ask for our house. I spent the majority of this day cleaning and scrubbing this house yet again before he arrives. I feel like that's all I'm ever doing now a days. It's so frustrating! Anyone who has ever moved and who has small children can testify to this I'm sure. I feel like I'm neglecting my children just so that the house can look tidy and spacious. While the house is looking quite nice I can't but help to feel a little bit sad. As I go through each room I can see all of our memories. It starts with us walking through the "not yet our house", before we even bought it. This house holds the memories of our first year of marriage, my first real job, and our life going through medical school, internship, and residency. I remember watching horrific things happen to our nation during this time, Sept. 11, the space shuttle breaking apart over Texas, and the capture of Saddam Hussein - to name a few. Another ongoing memory being built is our life with children. The birth of our boys is something I will treasure in my heart forever. Bringing them both home to this starter home of ours was special. It suited us just fine. And though I know we are outgrowing this space and that we have a fantastic new space waiting for us, I can't help but be sad. This is our home. This is where we have made so many memories that are unique to only us. I see Jonah as an only child, running up and down our hallway. I see him helping Daddy finish the basement. I see Jackson being introduced to Jonah for the first time and Jonah suddenly looking like a very big boy. I see Jackson now doing some of those things that I remember Jonah doing so clearly. Will they even remember this place we have all come to love? Will they remember the blood, sweat, and tears we have all shed while living here? Trying to sell this house is quite bittersweet for me. It's not the biggest house. It's not the most beautiful house ever built. It's not...it's not...but it is our house for now. And for some very strange reason I can't help but want to be anywhere else. I want to cling to the memories we have made and keep them alive and fresh in my heart.
It's kind of funny but Mike and I have said how us looking forward to being in our new home is somewhat like us waiting for the day when we'll be in heaven. While we don't have much space here at our house in Baltimore and we don't always feel safe, we know that there is a day in the near future when those things will be in the past and that the place we are going will be so much better than we could ever hope for. We'll have land! We'll have space to spread out! We'll be in nature and not surrounded by building equipment and Johns Hopkins! It's almost a stretch to compare us moving to being in heaven, but it's as good as I can do for now. So, while I'm sad I'm also trying to keep my eyes focused on what is in store for us. Better things are ahead!

Ten Things About Me

Here's how you play. Once you've been tagged you have to write a blog of ten weird, random things, facts or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose five people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them to be tagged. Don't forget to leave them a comment "You're it!" and tell them to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag that person back, let her know when you've posted your blog so she can read your answers.

I was tagged by my older sister, Alyssa. Most of these things won't come as a surprise to anyone but here it goes:

1. I play the violin (duh!) and right now I'm trying to teach my oldest son how to play but it's driving me crazy! He's lost some interest and I'm going bald from pulling out all my hair during practice sessions - which seem to be few and far between these days!
2. I knew pretty much from the first time I met Mike that he would be the one for me. We sat down next to each other at a dress rehearsal dinner and as I was putting my napkin in my lap it was as if God was talking to me. He said "This is the one for you, the one you'll spend your life with." I felt like a lightbulb had gone off and I felt so at peace with this! Of course I didn't tell him that God just told me he was going to marry me! He'd think I was nuts!
3. I stink at painting.
4. I love trying to sew things that are unique. I"m not the greatest but I have fun making them, and making them fast!
5. I wish I had more close friends. I know a lot of people but I wouldn't consider them all to be my close friends.
6. I'd like to think that there are some things that only I can do, or that there are things that only I can do well. But that simply isn't true.
7. I hate talking on the phone to people I don't really know. I have this thing with not being able to find the right words when I actually have to speak. I'm ok with my family and a few friends but anyone else I completely break a sweat. It's silly really.
8. Quilting is something that I would love to do more often I think. It's time consuming but I think there is something so special about pieces of fabric put together for someone else. I would love to be part of an old fashioned quilting bee and hand quilt a project. Crazy, isn't it?
9. I love, love, love to read. Currently my favorite authors are Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, and Stephanie Grace Whitson.
10. I'm excited to be moving back to SD but I"m not looking forward to having to start all over finding a church and friends.

I know this was all terribly exciting to read... so I'm tagging a few others...they may not all have blogs so if they so desire they may post in the reply/comment area. Thanks for playing!

1.Erin Cosby
2.Laura Carter
3.Sylvia
4.???
5.???

Gee whiz

It's been so long since I've posted anything! And unfortunately it's going to continue for a while...we are trying to put the house together so we can sell it. This means that I haven't touched my sewing machine for a while, or done anything craft related for that matter. It's really hard not doing something. At any rate the house is coming together nicely. Mike added some small pot lights to our bedroom and our closet. I'm so surprised with how large the room feels now that we have lighting in the bedroom! It's awesome. We've also touched up several bathrooms with a fresh coat of paint and we've repainted the trim in the kitchen. We've taken pictures of the house for a flyer and Mike has been on the phone with a few realtors to talk about asking prices. One will be over to size us up on Tuesday. Let's all hope for the best!
I have weighed myself for the past two weeks and nothing has really changed. I'm at a standstill right now. I've got to really buckle down if I want any kind of results!!!
That's about it for now. More will come later!

So, what will you be having tonight?

Today is Valentines Day. Chances are either you love this day or you don't care for it much. I think it might come as a surprise to some people that I fall in the later group. I really don't care much about this day. I think it's a shame that people feel pressure to tell those they love that they love them by showering them with flowers and gifts that they may or may not need. I feel so horrible for the guys during this time of year - to be flooded with all those "romantic" commercials on T.V. telling them that they must get the best diamond ring for their special someone. How awkward for those who don't get those pricey presents and were kind of expecting them to show up because they fell for those commercials on TV? Bleh! I'm tired of all the hoopla and added pressure that comes with this day. That's why this year my husband and I decided to not get each other presents or cards! We know we love each other. But instead of spending our precious money on things we don't really need or care for we have decided to spend more time with each other. That is something we haven't been able to do for quite some time. I think we go on dates about 3 or 4 times a year...isn't that horrible? It's not because we don't want to date each other, it's because of our current situation. That will change soon enough. But for now what we will give each other is our time. This Saturday we'll be doing just that. Just the two of us. I really can't wait! The other thing we do to "commemorate" this day is to have a nice meal. We don't go out to eat much and when we do go out to eat we often leave feeling that we could have done a better job with the meal ourselves! So we fix ourselves a mighty fine meal. Something we wouldn't fix on a day to day basis. Something special. So tonight we'll be having a great meal (See below) with our two boys and just enjoying our time together. So, what will you be having tonight? Here's what we'll be doing:

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb
with some lovely roasted vegetables. For some time I've been interested in doing something with parsnips. I don't recall that I've ever had them and I've heard they taste wonderful - so I"ll be roasting some parsnips along with sweet potatoes, onions, and some cherry tomatoes dressed with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

For all of you out there, Happy Valentines Day!

5 new blocks!

These are the newest blocks that I have finished piecing together. Jonah will either love this quilt or go crazy from all the fabrics I used! Here is a picture of all finished blocks...and what it could look like if and when I ever finish this quilt!

Gee-has it been a week already?

Yay!!! Down another pound and a half!!! And how is it possible that another week has managed to fly by? I'm a little embarrassed to see that I haven't written anything with substance for a long time!!! So Sorry!

A new me - update

Yes, I did weigh myself this morning and the good news is that I haven't gained any since a week ago! The bad news is that I didn't lose any from the previous week, something I attribute to getting lazy with writing down everything I've eaten and not exercising. Last week I wasn't able to go to my classes because we were dealing with pinkeye in both of Jackson's eyes! I really missed being able to work out. This week I'll try to be more mindful with keeping my food and points journal and I"ll try a little extra harder to push myself with the exercise.

More charming than meets the eye!

I found some lovely fun fabric at Joanns the other week and felt compelled to do something with it. I finally had some time in which I could sit down and cut fabric out and sew. I was so excited that I just wanted to get it all over with and see the finished product. I made another "Charming Handbag" from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing book and I love, Love, LOVE how it turned out!
(And yet another use for my green velvet ribbon which I love!)
With each thing I make I can tell that I have improved which is exciting. With this bag I decided to add a few pockets since the original pattern did not call for any.

I thought I would add just a simple pocket on one side and on the other side I would add a fancy zippered pouch. I've never put a zip on the inside of a bag before so I was just making up my own rules. It didn't turn out the best but I think it will work for right now.
I love the colors - they remind me that spring is not too far away!

New quilting project

A while ago Mike and I were talking about how I should make each of the boys a quilt. We discussed making a quilt using lots of various shades of red in it. I came across several pieces of fabric that looked fun and several that had a firetruck theme to them, some fire hydrants, fire, firetrucks and firemen hats and suits. Since Jonah and Jackson are so excited whenever firetrucks pass our house I thought it would be fitting to quilt about it but not to make it the main theme of the quilt.

have loved looking at newer contemporary quilts and have imagined being able to come up with something unique that wasn't too difficult. With that being said, I am in the process of designing my own version of a log cabin quilt. It will be pieced together in the traditional style of the log cabin but my added twist is making each strip a different width. I finished cutting out all my pieces and started sewing them together. So far, this is what I've finished:



I have no idea what fabric I'll be using to join all these blocks together, or what fabric I'll be using for the back side. I'm just having fun trying to piece these all together right now.

More improvements!

We (when I say "we" I actually mean Mike) started to put some finishing touches on our main floor bathroom. It's not totally finished as of yet but pretty close I'd say. We picked out some hardwood laminate flooring at IKEA over the weekend and I must say that I really like the way that it looks. What do you think?

For a Friend

I made this the other day for a friend...can't disclose who yet because the recipient hasn't gotten it yet! But I really love the bag. It would be perfect as a music bag, as there are three big pockets in the front. This pattern came from the book Simple Gifts to Stitch by Jocelyn Worrall. Best of all, I made it in an afternoon, kids and all! You might recognize the material from another cute "Charming Handbag" that I made a while back. I love how it looks and would definitely make it again.

Weigh-In

This morning was the first weigh-in and I have to say that I absolutely love the very first week you are counting points on weight watchers because you lose quite a bit. I lost 5.5 pounds! I can't let myself get too excited about it because I know the following weeks won't see as much of a drop but it's a start and I'm excited and totally committed to seeing a change and changing my lifestyle for good.

Oh! I almost forgot!

It's funny that I called this blog "My Patchwork Quilt" seeing as how I've never ever made a quilt in my life. Well, that has all changed. For Christmas my side of the family drew names and I got my older sister and her husband. I decided that I would try to make a lap quilt, so it wouldn't be a huge and difficult project. There was a similar quilt in the Bend the Rules sewing book which I really liked but I decided to put an extra twist in it so it's not identical to the books quilt. I finished it and really liked how it looked. Then I remembered that my grandfather was having a 90th birthday celebration after Christmas and I knew I had to make one for him too. I went about making his quilt and for some reason it just didn't turn out the way I had envisioned. I made it a little bit differently than my sisters and was just flying by the seat of my pants. I whole heartedly own the fact that I have NO IDEA how to make quilts, I was just guessing for most of it! I was a bit embarrassed with how his turned out. I guess it was another learning lesson for me, and that's OK. The above picture is the lap quilt for my sister and her husband and it was taken before I quilted the front and back together - but you get the idea, right? My grandfathers quilt was made out of a lot of the same material and it had a different backing to it - I have no picture of it (which is probably a good thing!)

New projects on the horizon

Since we returned home from SD I just haven't been able to get my groove back. I thought that if I were to take out some of my fabrics and just look at them that I'd be able to get some of the creative juices back that have somehow disappeared with the rest of my brain. Well, looking at the fabrics has gotten me excited about getting back into the craft mode but so far nothing has happened. However, I did take a few pictures of the fabric that I know I'll be using in the near future...so here they are!


These two fabrics I do know what I'll be doing with...Remember that gorgeous pleated beauty bag that I just adored? Well, these two fabrics will make one of those. The outside will be this really cool pink fabric, and the pleats and inside will be made of the blue fabric. I'm a little nervous about making a pink bag but for some reason it just feels like the right thing to do. I plan on keeping this bag just for myself!Hmmm...I'm starting to see a strange pattern...pinks and blues... Actually I've already used these two fabrics for a small zippered pouch but I loved how it turned out and would love to use them again. They are simply dazzling together.
This is a collection of four fabrics that I found at Joanns that were drastically lowered in price. I fell in love with the red cowboy pattern and decided that I needed to make something boy-ish for one of my boys. I still have no clue what it will be. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. (They are fat quarters each.)

Happy New Year!

I realize it has been way too long since I have posted over here on My Patchwork Quilt. I guess the season and traveling can do that to a blogger! We had a great time in SD over Christmas with our families. It's a new year and even though I'm not crazy about resolutions it's time for me to make some. I have been inspired by my sister in law who has lost a considerable amount of weight since March. So I have decided to get back on weight watchers, although I won't be attending any meetings, and I will be exercising (step aerobics and walking) to boost my efforts. The reason I'm writing about all of this is so that I might keep myself accountable. It is a scary thing to admit to the entire world wide web that I have a weight problem, but it needs to be done. Here are my resolutions for this new year.

1. Eat healthier, using the points system
2. Formal exercise 3 times a week
3. Lose a total of 25 pounds (that's my baby step goal. My ultimate goal is to lose between 45-50 pounds).

I would love to be able to lose the twenty five pounds by the end of June but realize that a more reasonable amount would be somewhere between 3-4 pounds lost in a month. We'll see how it goes.

At the very bottom of my blog I have posted a weight ticker...a way for me to track my progress and a way to keep me accountable to you!

I'm not liking this much right now but I know that if I want to be around for a long time I need to change a few poor habits of mine. I officially started yesterday and each Monday I'll have a weigh in day. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be easy for me but I know that when I reach my goal I'll feel really good about myself.

Here's to a new me!

Clutch

Ok, I have to admit that I just LOVED that cute little pleated purse. I had a little bit of material left over and decided to make another artsy clutch to go along with it. I also included the embellishment on the clutch that I put on the bag itself. I love how it looks. I used a bit of red to spice it up a little...some red rick rack for the closure along with the red buttons. Love It!

Happy Birthday Sylvia!

I'm not even sure if she even reads this blog or not...but how cool is it that my sister in law has the same birth date as I do? I'm telling you...November 21st was THE DAY to be born people!!! For Sylvia's birthday I made her a little girly purse. This was before I got my way cool "Bend the Rules - Sewing" book. This little purse was a design that I made myself without the aide of any pattern. After I finished sewing all the sides together I realized that I forgot to add the thicker interfacing to make the bag a bit sturdier. I"m telling you, I'm learning as I go along! I also decided to try using the already made purse handles for a different look. I liked how they looked but didn't like the clasps where they connected to the purse so I made a few fabric yo-yos's to place on top of the clasps. It looks like a very feminine purse and I like how fresh it looks. Hopefully Sylvia will like it too.

Happy Birthday Sylvia! I hope you have a really great day!

A simple tote

Again, I must be pretty bad with measurements. After I made this cute bag and turned it inside out, the handles just seemed to be way too long. For one, the handles are supposed to be different sizes so that the longer handle can loop through the smaller one and act as a closure. But these handles were longer than they were supposed to be so I had to get creative and figure out how to shorten them. (It's all about the process for me. I'm learning so much every single time I make a bag that it helps me make my next things much better.) This bag is truly simple - it has a simple pocket on the inside and no other embellishments. It's also a very small bag. Perfect for holding a lunch or perhaps keys and a wallet on the run.

I've got the sewing bug...

Yep, it's true. There isn't a single day that goes by when I'm not thinking about something that I could be making. I've been busy over the past week or so making something for a dear lady that has volunteered her time to watch the boys every once in a while so Mike and I could go out. She doesn't ever ask for any payment and the boys love her so. I decided that I was going to make her something. I picked out some beautiful blue paisley fabric and after I had started the project I got a little jealous because I really liked how it turned out! I wanted it! But I really wanted to give her something in appreciation...so I'm going to part with this lovely "Pleated Beauty Handbag." There were actually a few surprises to this bag when I started making it. I had a really difficult time getting the pleats to turn out just right. I sat on the floor for several nights holding the fabric and trying to pleat it every which way, and finally on the third day the lightbulb went off and I knew what I had to do. So, the front of this bag has some very unique touches to it. I hand embroidered a flower and some "loops" on the side along with using a new foot on my sewing machine made for free quilting. I had so much fun making this quirky little loopy design that I ended up making an "Artsy Clutch" in the same fabric just so that I could use that new foot again. As I was putting the bag together I thought to myself how much it looked like a cute little cheerleaders skirt...and it made me think of how much I had always wanted to be able to wear one of those...but that's another story for another day! And finally when I was ready to turn the bag inside out, I realized that the bag was extremely large. I think that I must have had my measurements off by a bit. This bag was like a large suitcase! So I trimmed off what seemed like more than half of the bag and got it down to a much more reasonable size. I love this bag. I love it, I love it, I love it! I can only hope that she will love it too.

Happy (early) Birthday to Me and More projects!

First of all, here is my new sewing machine! After looking around a bit I decided upon this one, a Brother CS 6000i. So far, I love it. It has many neat features that I am still learning how to use.

Tea Towel Aprons! Two, to be exact. I found the towels at IKEA and thought they would make nice Christmas aprons.

This is called a "Charming Handbag" and making it wasn't quite so charming. In the book a few measurments were left out so I ended up making up a whole bunch of them! It turned out ok but next time I think I'll make the bag larger, with larger handles. I love the velvet ribbon!

More coasters...why in the world am I making so many is beyond my reasoning, but they are easy and don't take too much time.

Here is another small zippered pouch. I found this cute bee fabric at Joanns and lined it with a yellow-ish fabric with circles. I really like how it turned out.

This is called an "Artsy Clutch". Very simple idea - and here again I used the same bee fabric and yellow circle fabric on the inside.

Here is another "Artsy Clutch" that I made with some fabric I forgot I had, it was kind of funky but I like the end result. I ended up giving this one to a friend for her birthday.