Once again, an apology for the blog break. Since I last checked in we've celebrated Jaxon's 2nd birthday, and I've completed two quilting classes: machine quilting and hand quilting. I haven't been brave enough to apply what I learned yet...
And I have, of course, been working on my tenure case and sewing.
It's been awhile since you've seen this, and I finally have it basted but I am a little nervous about quilting it. I used the Sharon Schamber method of basting (parts 1, 2) and it really made it easy! Here it is ready to be basted.
And a friend of mine just started a job at U of Cincinnati so I made her a little congratulations gift.
I did some "cheap" decorating the week of Jaxon's party, including these colanders I picked up on sale at Sur La Table (please ignore the lack of lighting fixture above our sink -- we're getting there).
And did you know the post office has a series of stamps celebrating the Eames's work? I bought a frame half off and had a matte cut, and including the cost of the stamps I have a nice piece of art for less than $20. I also got some great old airline ads framed for the kitchen, but I haven't hung them yet.
I have 5 quilts at some level of completion, from basted and ready to quilt (above) to cut and ready to be pieced. I'll share those when I can -- unfortunately Charlie's grandfather passed away yesterday and we will be away for a bit. Don't forget to give your loved ones a squeeze!
7.29.2008
Checking In
6.26.2008
NQA 2008
I had the opportunity to attend this year's National Quilting Association show and expo (thanks to mom for babysitting!!) and I got to see some great stuff. I took lots of pictures and here are the quilts I found most inspiring:
And of course there were lots and lots of vendors -- here's my haul:
Clockwise from upper left: Timeless Treasures Taxi; a Moda Jelly Roll of Sandy Gervais's Merry & Bright; Large Ric Rac; Northcott's Kitty Kaleidoscope; Andover's Duck, Duck Goose; two 1/2 yards from Urban Chiks by Moda (clearance!!); three 1/2 yards from Fresh Cut by Heather Bailey for Free Spirit (clearance)!!
I better get sewing!
6.21.2008
Where I've been
My grades were turned in Wednesday and Summer has officially begun! I'm still going in to school three days a week to work on my tenure case, but with no students around I get so much done!
Before the quarter's end I attended a conference at Princeton. Here I am looking as if I walked off the set of "A Beautiful Mind."
And before I left I wrapped up an independent study with two of my students, Tom and Wes. The focus was on pre-visualization for special effects and for their final they attempted to composite fire onto video of their apartment building. They needed someplace safe to film the fire so we did it in my backyard. It was great fun and a learning experience for us all.
Also, I finally had a chance to update the Etsy shop with a bunch of stuff, and I'll be adding this Rock 'N' Roll blanket tomorrow.
And a little gift came for me in the mail. This was meant from Charlie and Jaxon for Mother's Day but it had to make its way from Singapore. It went with me to Princeton and to NQA, which you will be seeing more of in the next couple of days!
6.01.2008
Desperation
So I read in the Big City's daily paper today a call for submissions. I immediately broke out the camera.
The headline read "Let us help you get organized." An expert in home organization will help one lucky reader declutter a room in his or her home. It just so happens that I am DESPERATE for some help in this area...
The room in question happens to be my sewing room. It started out as my office and as my sewing hobby grew I just kept adding piles and piles of fabric and assorted supplies. Now that Jaxon is running around, I'm constantly stepping on toys and picking up bobbins with long tails. I need a place for everything and everything in its place. The above picture was taken AFTER I straightened up. 
Why can't the rest of the room look as simple and clean as my Eames rocker? *sigh* Yes, that is the ironing board on the floor. When I started sewing regularly I moved it from the laundry room and for awhile I would store it in the closet, but I am using it so regularly I tend not to put it away.
The room is lined with books. We bought supplies to build some (more) bookshelves in the living room, but that is pretty far down on Charlie's priority list. I would like to turn our old baker's rack into an ironing station, but the only place to put it would be where the bookshelves currently reside, so I haven't done it yet.
Ah, the true mess. Fabric piled in plastic crates, fabric piled in cardboard boxes, fabric piled under the table, fabric piled ON the table. It doesn't end. I think I would like to have one big shelving unit to hold it all, but where? All that clutter includes the things I use regularly, but isn't there a way to store it all that it would be close-at-hand but hidden?
See the cutting mats on the floor? There is no surface big enough or clear enough to use them except the floor, so that's where I leave them.
And finally, the closet. I've tried for organization -- you can see it I think -- the desk with plastic storage drawers underneath; plastic crates for supplies, magazine boxes up top. It just isn't enough. I think some things have to go, but it is going to take someone more ruthless than I am.
So what do you think? Cluttered enough but with enough potential to be chosen? Fingers crossed.
You might have noticed a WIP in the above pictures, hanging on the closest doors. It's an almost complete skirt that I am very excited about. I need to move it to the back burner for a few days while I work on my student's finals and complete a couple of other projects. Here's some more work on the funky quilt:
And look how sweet my boy is saying "Hi" to this goat at the petting zoo. He loved it!
5.22.2008
In a blink of an eye....
...almost two weeks have passed. AH, spring quarter.
Here's what I have been meaning to tell you about!
I received this beautiful little quilt from Ginger of Paisley & Polkadots in the Four Seasons Quilt Swap for Spring. Ginger was inspired by a bib of her daughter's -- and I have the same bib for Jaxon in blue! Kismet! I can't decide what my favorite part of this quilt is: the sweet pink hand quilting around the squares or the pieced back that makes the binding pink AND green. Thank you so much Ginger, I love it!!
And speaking of sweet gifts, here is a collage (because the pictures came out so poorly) of my Mother's Day gifts. The necklace on the left was made for me by Jaxon at school. Wooden beads + finger paint + glitter = gift goodness!! The necklace on the right is from Charlie and Jaxon (and I assume the pets) and was purchased from The Vintage Jewelry Box on Etsy. The bottom shot is of a tote bag and notepad (and sweet Jaxon) from my sister–in–law. The bag is super cute and the perfect size for carrying Jaxon's things to and from daycare.
And here are a couple more works in progress. If only I could finish something....
A sneak peak of my Ohio Sky quilt, began in class and finally assembled. Now I need to add the border and the top will be done.
One completed square of what I am calling my funky star quilt. This was begun WAY BACK when I took an online quilt course and I just now have the confidence to start assembling. I would have 6 more squares to show you but something is up with the tension on my machine. *sigh*
For those of you stateside, enjoy the long weekend. I have lots of grading to do, but first we have tickets to see Indiana Jones tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to the film, but I think I am even more excited to visit a movie theater!
5.11.2008
ANOTHER Black Hole
Don't worry -- I wasn't swallowed by a black hole. Our film premiered at the film festival, I survived multiple awards banquets (AH, Spring Quarter...), and I spent a couple of evenings last week interviewing students for a summer project. Things should slow down *slightly* (besides grading) before the end of the quarter. I logged into Google Reader and I have over 500 new entries in the blogs I subscribe to!! I am way behind.
Here's a little of what I've been up to...
This will soon be a belated wedding gift, the back is ready to go, just need to baste and quilt.
My Aunt Beth starts her new job this week, and unfortunately her favorite bag has the logo of her old company. She asked me to do something to cover it. I embroidered her initials on some matching fabric, turned the edges using Steam-A-Seam and hand stitched it to the bag. Here's a closer look:
Mother's Day gifts...the ones on the left are sewing kits, on the right just pin cushions.
This is the quilt I made for the Spring Four Seasons Quilt Swap. I might have been a little too ambitious on this one, but I still think it's cute. I haven't heard from Nicole yet and it's been a couple of weeks so I hope she has received it.
In my next post...the beautiful quilt I received in the FSQS, my first quilting class and the resulting blocks, and my Mother's Day gifts! I leave you with my sweet boy trying to wink at me.
4.03.2008
Contrast.
Wednesday:
Home with Jaxon. Massage. Sunny, clear skies. This Song. Sewing. Outside Play. Grilled Chicken and Fresh Veggies. X-Files. A good day!
Thursday:
Work. Meeting. Teach a class. Meeting. Lunch meeting. Meeting. Meeting. Our film made it into a film festival. It's not done. Hair coming out in clumps. Not good.
I had this guy to keep things cheery, though.
In other news, I attended a meeting of Etsy Team Columbus to learn about good ways to stage merchandise and take photos. Thanks to Michelle at Luxury for hosting! I did a little practicing in the nice weather yesterday. Still not sure how to best capture these things...
Here are some samples:
And my order from ruralFABRIC came today...half yard cuts of all the fabrics in Amy Butler's Midwest Modern -- Ohio Sky palette. Beautiful!
3.28.2008
An unexpected break
Well, I didn't mean to take a month-long blog hiatus, but it happened just the same. Things were (and continue to be) extremely busy at work and I've been trying to finish up a giant pile of UFOs. It's pretty bad when you get phone calls asking you to update your blog!
I missed telling you about my birthday, a blizzard, and lots of Easter candy. I also added a few more entries in the "Books Read in 2008" list on the right!
The blizzard actually hit on my birthday. All plans were canceled for the weekend, but it was still a great day. Charlie watched Jaxon all morning while I sewed, then we played outside in the snow for a bit. In the evening we braved the weather to grab dinner at the local Mexican restaurant. And Charlie and Jaxon got me a necklace off my Etsy Favorites list similar to this one by GreenSpaceGoods.
Here is a picture of me and Jax in the snow. The ground was bare three hours before this:
During my sew-a-thon I made this for a friend's birthday (she's a math teacher):
And cut quite a few diapers and wipes cases (which now only need grommets):
I have a couple of baby sets almost ready to go for my Etsy shop, plus I made this one for a school fundraiser. I thought it was a silent auction but I found out later it was a raffle so I hope the person who won this is happy! The baby's best friend blanket is sock monkey fabric backed in red minky, the diapers and wipe case and burp cloths are sock monkey flannel. I have another set like this in yellows ready for the shop, and a larger blanket in pink monkeys that still needs binding.
Finally for tonight, I just finished a quilt top I've been working on. I am completely in love with this fabric. It's all Two Young Street by Prints Charming except the turquoise inset and striped corners. I haven't decided how to quilt this yet, or even what to back it in, but the colors make me happy! I also have another quilt in progress that I keep modifying, and so I need more fabric.
I saved some things to share with you later so I won't take such a long break!
P.S. I have a slight obsession right now. I made a resolution to watch every episode of "The X-Files" and the first movie before the sequel comes out. When I made that resolution I thought the sequel came out next Christmas, but it is actually this July. I've watched at least one episode a day (and on my birthday a lot more than that). I am almost through season 2, which means I have to average about one season a week until the movie hits theaters. Side effect: I am now highly paranoid and see conspiracy theories everywhere. I may need to take a break!
2.24.2008
Cold Weather Fun
We've had lots of snow and ice this week, and we have all stuck pretty close to home. We've had lots of comfort food, a little crafting, and a lot of playing.
I finished three embroideries for blankets this week:
I also had my first Etsy sale! I was very excited to see the email -- then I saw that the buyer was my sister. That still counts, right??
I had an email from Lucy inviting me to take part in a recipe round robin. I'm typing up the recipe for the email, I might as well share it with everyone!
Here is the yummy dinner we had Friday night:
Slow cooker chicken
1 small chicken (3 pounds-ish)
salt, pepper, paprika
1. Wad three pieces of aluminum foil into 3 to 4 inch balls, and place them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Rinse chicken thoroughly in cold running water and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper and paprika and place on top of aluminum foil balls in slow cooker.
3. Set the slow cooker on high for 1 hour, and then put on low for about 8 to 10 hours.
That's it, and it is super yummy. I've done lots of variations including a garlic rub with slices of lemon.
Oven roasted potatoes
1.5-2 pounds of Redskin Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion Salt
Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Clean and cut up potatoes into 1.5-2 inch chunks.
3. Place potatoes on one layer in a casserole dish (I use a 8" x 10" pyrex dish)
4. Drizzle with olive oil and then season to taste. Stir to evenly spread seasoning and oil.
5. Cover (I use aluminum foil) and bake for about 1 hour. Uncover and bake until browned (about 10-15 minutes).
Super duper easy and everyone (except Jaxon) is happy!
We also played in the snow today.
