Another Wonderful Suprise

I'm sorry it has taken me to long to post this one, I've been crazy busy and my laptop broke, so I'm using a desktop that I'm not familiar with.

Last week I received this in the mail

It came on a super busy day, I was prepping to take a weekend trip to Anchorage to spend Thanksgiving with Mr. Chaos.  I did a million loads of laundry, cleaned the house and entertained my children - who had a snow day.

When I finally got to open the package, after all the littles were in bed, I think I actually squeeked.  why, you ask?

Because this scrap was on the top of the package

I have NEVER found these mermaids in any grab bag or scrap sack.  I adore them.

There were allso the larger fat quarter and 1/2 yard pieces in the photo above, AND a bunch of nice sized scrap pieces.

Thank you.

I've decided that once things calm down and I get caught up on my bee blocks, I am going to make a few quilties and pretties from all these awesome fabrics I've received and do giveaways.  Sort of a thank you.  Maybe one of the wonderful fabric fairies will win a nifty little pretty.

In other news, Miss Mae finished up her very first quiltie.

She did everything, and I am so proud!  She received this kit from Starlit Nest a million months ago, and we finally got around to finishing it. 

I'm up here in Anchorage enjoying a quiet day.  I brought a few hand sewing projects, but mostly I'm relaxing.  Tomorrow I shall fly home on 4 different planes thru 3 different time zones.  It's what you call cheapest flight possible!

Since I enjoy flying and people watching I should have a good time.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I had to laugh.

I sat down to upload some pictures of the stuff I've been working on this weekend and was greeted with these photos.

They snagged my camera while we were at the studio on Saturday for ballet.

It made me smile on this Monday morning.

Friday Night Sew In Results

Well, I wasn't quite as productive as I had hoped.  When we went to pick up our pizza I managed to lock my house key in the house.
Sigh.
We spent 1/2 hour threading or way through traffic towards my sister's house to pick up my spare key.

Dinner was late.

And then I had to find my sewing space.

But I did get a few things accomplished.

Sorry for the utter cruddiness of the pictures.

October Bee Blocks!

For Not Your Grandma's Quilting Bee - Bumble Bees:

For Sew Buzzy

And for Christmas in July

Then I moved to my closet of almost ready quilt tops

These are too big to fold, so they are hanging.  I worked a bit on the CRM QAL #5, and measured some of the others so I can pick up backing if I see something on sale that works.

Then I ate apple pie and went to bed.

:)

Thank You. I Cannot Say It Enough.

I was totally expecting the post man to knock on my door this week with a couple of Christmas fabric orders.  So I wasn't surprised when he knocked and handed me a couple of packages.

I had ordered from Connecting Threads for the first time.  I needed some red and greens for a couple of Christmas gifts and they had this great sampler of 24 fat eighths.

Yummy!

 I also got a kit for a Starburst Mini I think one of my friend will love.  The fabrics fit her PERFECTLY!  plus, the kit cost less than $9.

What I wasn't expecting this

This wonderful gift included 1/2 yard cuts, fat quarters and nicely labeled baggy of Verna scraps and the two little packets of precuts.

I can't express my surprise and gratitude enough.

I was blown away by the kindness of the first packages, but that it continues is almost unbelievable. 

The next day this surprise was waiting for me.

This little packet is just as special to me as the previous ones. 

I think I'm going to get a bit more personal than I have in the past.  been thinking about it for a while...

I'm bipolar. 

I have other mental health quirks that also stem from the bipolar.

I was diagnosed in high school, almost 15 years ago.

I'm 31 years old and was diagnosed at 17.

I take medication everyday to maintain my ability to function as a normal human being.

In "real life" I don't make friends easily.

I'm a homebody.

Given the opportunity I would probably become a hermit.

I don't like talking to people I don't know, because sometimes almost always my words get twisted on the way from my brain to my tongue.

I take my medication everyday because I love my family.

It wouldn't be fair to them if I decided I didn't like the side effects of the medications.

I am content and love my life.

Having said that, the fact that so many people from across the country have read my ramblings here and were so touched as to find my address and send me something is almost beyond my comprehension.

Stumbling across the quilting community in flickr and all the wonderful blogs has probably been one of the best things for me.

One of the side effects of the medications is that it stifles my creative abilities to design anything.  Show me a picture and I can build it, but ask for a design and I struggle for hours.  The blogs and flickr discussions have really helped to focus what little creative ability I have available to me.

I thank you all for that.

I thank you for the happiness and sense of self that being a part of this community has given me. 

As silly as it sounds it is nice to be known as something other than "Miss Mae's Mom"

Well there you go.  Probably a bit more than you really wanted to know.

Thank you again my fabric fairy friends.  It means a lot and touches my heart that the gifts continue.

I Need a Cape...

I had a super-mom adventure last week.

Friday was Muffin's birthday.  Our conversation that morning went like this:

Me: "Happy Birthday Muffin!"

Muffin: "Thank you. can I pick out the fabric for my birthday dress now?"

pause.

(first I've heard of a birthday dress)

Me: "umm, sure. you want to be able to wear it to your party tomorrow, don't you?"

Ladies and Gents, I managed (among other massive plans for the day) to finished a gray and pink polka dot dress with sparkly buttons and bright pink yo-yo flowers.

ready for the party.

I didn't buy a thing.  I used a pattern I had been gifted (Simplicity 5489) and pulled the fabric from my stash. I actually had two different possibilities - Gray with Pink dots or Black with Red flowers.

The stems to the flowers are "supposed" to be embroidered on, but when I did that I didn't think they stood out enough, so I used some totally wonder-iffic faux chenille that came as a goodie with this mini.

The flowers came out of some of the fabric the Fabric Fairy had sent my way - the bright pinks were PERFECT.

The buttons (which you can't see) have tiny rhinestones at their centers.

The shirt she's wearing underneath the dress was the activity at the party.

I'll save the party details for another post.

:)

Friday Night Sew In!

Tonight's the night!  It's not too late for you to sign up!

 

I plan on putting the kids to bed and turning on the discovery channel.

My list is divided into 2 sections, "have-tos" and "want-tos"

Before I can even get to my list I have to find my sewing area. 

Currently it is COVERED in birthday party shrapnel

and bits and bobbles from Nutcracker costumes.

and a stack of JoAnn coupons.

and piles of patterns for Christmas gift ideas.

and junk mail.

you get the picture.

To top this all off I only have my singer to use this tonight.  My trusty Brother is spending the weekend in California with the Nutcracker Wardrobe person.  The ballet's machine is currently on a ferry towards Achorage and she needed a machine for repairs.

aren't I nice?

It was kind of like letting my kids stay at a friend's house.  I kept telling her about its quirks and other bits of info.  Finally she said, "Don't worry, I understand.  I'll take care of it."

sniff.

 

Anyway, here's my lists

 

Have To:

1. Adjust the hook and eye tape on 4 Party bodices
2. Finish (add elastic and hem) 6 pairs of men's "skater" pants
3. Add Snap tape to 8 men's Party Vests
4. Build a pipe pocket for the Big Show Drop
5. Finish October's Bee Blocks (I'm a bit behind)
6. Print, prep and send info out for my month in Sew Bee It
7. Work on Surprise Quilt

 

Want Tos:

1. Work on a mini for
2. Finish the last two steps in CMQ QAL #5
3. Work on November Bee Blocks
4. Find a happy setting plan for my Alice Quilt

Come back on Saturday and I'll post pictures of what I got done and what I didn't get to!

 

 

Busy Busy Busy!

Nutcracker Tour starts today.

Single parent mode engaged.

Coffee is ready.

Laundry is being cycled through.

Lists are being made.

Five Years Ago Today

We welcomed the smallest of my littles into this world.

Muffin was born almost 8 weeks early.  She was just over 5 lbs, and she couldn't breathe on her own.  She was rushed to the NICU where she spent the next ten-ish days (sorry, the details get fuzzy after 5 years).  She was hooked up to IV's and breathing tubes and tons of other tubes and cords. 

I do remember the first time I got to hold her.

It was on my birthday, when she was 3 days old.

It was the best birthday gift I have ever received.

I also remember leaving the hospital without her.  Worse feeling in the entire world.

 

This one was taken just before she was allowed to come home.

You can see the bruises on her tiny hands from the multiple pokes and IVs.

Six Months

Twelve (ish) Months  (She wanted to go play outside with the big kids)

Eighteen Months - Easter.  Completely annoyed she couldn't find as many eggs as the other kids.

Three years old - A photo shoot for the Nutcracker Tea

It was about this time that she got her nickname of Muffin - She's always a ragamuffin, even when I try to do her hair and clean her up.

Four - Riding Beth's horse.  She looks so tiny.

We have a joke that stated about this time.

She asked if she could go play outside and my answer was "Not in bare feet."

Her response was "I have kitty feet, not bear feet!"

she got to play outside in her bare "kitty feet"

and

Five.

Happy Birthday Muffin.

Happiness is a bag of scraps

Scraps.

I adore scraps and scrap quilts. 

I also adore organization. 

organizing scraps is like herding cats.

I had been using Bonnie's method, which basically to sort by size.  That worked for a while, but I found myself looking for specific colors more than sizes, so I switched to colors.  It was still a big jumbled mess in the drawers.

I was reading a magazine I had picked up - Sew Scrappy - and they had little tips from quilters on the pages.  Usually the tips aren't overly helpful, but then on page 37 I found it.  Someone who usually buys 1/2 yard cuts (just like me!)   She cuts it into two FQ, saves one, and cuts the other into strips of varying widths.

Doesn't sound overly impressive, does it?

But I got to thinking.

I have too many sizes of my scraps.

I needed to simplify.

My scrappy plan:

New Fabric:

Cut into 2 FQ.

Cut one of them into two 6 1/2" strips and two 2 1/2" strips.

Done! 

6 1/2" gives me plenty to work with and I seem to use a lot of 2 1/2" strips.

 and I still have a whole FQ admire.

What about leftovers and remnants from finished projects?

Cut into the above width strips, (in my world a "strip" is defined as at least 12" long).

Smaller scraps will be cut into:

5" squares (charms)

2 1/2" squares

2" squares

1 1/2" x up to 8 1/2 strips , cut to the nearest half.  (super scrappy log cabin anyone?)

and if I REALLY love the fabric, 1" strings.

I'm still going to sort by color, but everything will be cut and ready to use.  I'll know exactly what sizes I have.

The part I'm not looking forward to is going through what I already have.

Unbelievable

Today, Miss Mae got the mail.  She's eight and is very interested in what comes in the mail.  She wanted to know what I had ordered from "The Fabric Fairy" and where that store was. 

My jaw just about dropped.

I was in the middle of draining a pot of boiling penne, and it almost landed on the floor.  

The kids almost got to have cereal for dinner.

There were two packages, one of which had "The Fabric Fairy" listed as the return address. 

I am in total shock. 

Today I received two more packages from the Fabric Fairy. 

Wow. 

completely unbelievable. 

that makes three anonymous gifts of beautiful fabrics.

I cannot express in words the overwhelming gratitude and appreciation I feel.

I'm not sure what I've done to deserve such kindnesses.

One package had a Santorini charm pack (yumminess in pinks and greens!) and two coordinating fat quarters. (loving the little birds!)

The other package (which smelled wonderful - like fresh lavender) included a figgy pudding charm pack, a fat quarter and five fat eighths. All are super wonderful, exactly prints I would have chosen for myself.  (had I actually gotten past the point of feeling guilty about buying fabric just because it's pretty.)

I called Mr Chaos to share the news about the surprise packages and his response was,

"Karma babe.  you do good things.  what goes around comes around."

Thank you fairies of fabric happiness.

Thank you, for sharing a bit of these wonderful fabrics with me.

Fabrics I will be fondling and petting for....well, awhile.

I'm still unsure of what I've done to warrant such kindness, but I am appreciative.

I am enjoying the fabrics.

I am enjoying teaching my children about random acts of kindness.

I am enjoying thinking about all the possibilities that exist in my little corner of fabric heaven.

Last night I petted, sorted and re-sorted the botany layer cake.  Mr. Chaos just smiled and shook his head.

There are No Words

I don't even know where to begin. 

wow. 

I am truly speechless.  

there are no words to describe how I feel.

my children want to know why fabric has made me cry.

Today I received a package.  (sound familiar?)

with no return address. 

this is what I found inside.

a botany layer cake, a 12 days of Christmas panel and two coordinating fat quarters. 

I am overwhelmed that someone sent me this.

Someone out there in blogland cares enough about me to send this my way. 

And they knew what kind of fabrics I like.

unbelievable.

I had been eyeing the Christmas panel, hoping it would still be around after Christmas.

(on clearance, you know)

And a layer cake? of botany?

with express instructions to make myself something?

I am truly appreciative of your kindness, fabric fairy. 

I don't think I've done anything to deserve such a meaningful gift. 

Thank You. 

Someday, when my children aren't so small and money isn't so tight, I will pay it forward and surprise someone with a gift of fabric.