Simplify

A plan

Farmers wife- I got out my templates and book the other night and got distracted by an "urget" email.  Never made it back to the farm...

A few days ago I was reading a blog I've read for a long time.  This blog used to have amazing content, and was one of my favorites to look at.  Over the past several years it has lost what made it so interesting, as life has taken over, and the person who writes it is obviously very busy with other commitments.  There are still new posts being written occasionally, but it just isn't there anymore. I miss it!  Have you noticed this happening too?

It got me thinking.  

I don't want this to happen here, but it is so hard to fight it.  When I am designing fabric that won't come out for a year and a half, I'm not supposed to show it now.  The past few weeks I've been working on a scrappy quilt that I am writing a pattern for, but it wouldn't be released until the fall so I can't show that yet.  When I am sewing like a mad woman, (In January I made 14 quilts.  Yes, 14.) but I'm not allowed to show them until the book is close to being released, there isn't anything I can do about that.

That is pretty much how it goes these days.  So much to do, and so little I can share.  To sum up:

TOO MANY SECRET THINGS.

And too little time to just think up fun projects, sew 'em, and get out my real camera and post pictures.

I just want to make things I love because I want to, dang it.

I keep thinking (and telling my friends and family, they can attest to this) that as soon as I finish up THIS project (book, market, photogaphy, new patterns, next fabric line etc...) I'll have my normal life back.  I'll have more time for just hanging out, sewing for fun, or actually cooking. So far it hasn't happened.  But today I am going to change that.  I'm changing one thing (and not the cooking one).  I'm taking back my sewing time.  Even if it is in the middle of the night while everyone else is sleeping.

I'm going to sew something fun and post about it at least once each week.  The posts may be super short, but there will be more of them.  With camera photos instead of instagrams.  Hopefully.  (I miss my camera!) And being accountable to all of you is going to help me out.  Kinda like those people who exercise and post their miles.  At least I think that's what they are doing.  (Someday I'm going to do that...) 

So, at least once a week.  Every week.  Even it if is just one little Farmer's wife block. I'm going to do my best.  You are so welcome to join me, if you'd like. 

I'm starting with this tonight:

I'll let you know how it goes.  

Really, I will.  

 

Sewing along

There are lots of fun things going on out in the sewing/blogging world this summer, and I thought I'd tell you about a few of them in case you want to play along.  

*Fat Quarter Shops Vintage Modern Block of the Month.  I know I'm mentioned this a BOM a few times, but I finished Block 1 a while back and cannot wait to make Block 2.  Sounds like a lot of you feel the same way!

*Technically this isn't a BOM or sew along, but have you been over to Film in the Fridge to see Ashley's Ruby strings quilt?  I've been following along with her progress, and darn it, I want to make one.

*Spools quilt along with Nicole, Thelma and Lisa.  I haven't heard what Thelma and Lisa are sewing out of, but it looks like Nicole is sewing out of Marmalade and Vintage Modern.  Yay!  I can't wait to see what they come up with.

*Vintage Holiday Quilt Along with Heidi. They will be sewing two Vintage Holiday blocks each week, and it sounds like she has some pretty great stuff planned, and some amazing prizes, so head on over and join her.  

If you want to sew along, (or even if you want to just sew) use promo code QUILTALONGPDF (Code has expired) to get Spools and Vintage Holiday PDF patterns for $5 for the next week.   But only if you promise you'll show me a picture of your quilt when you are done.  Deal?

Today I'm staying in and sewing something scrappy.  Mixing together Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern and Marmalade for something I've been dying to make for months.  C'mon naptime!

 

The good and the bad

 

Things I'm particularly bad at right now:

*Cooking.  Anything.  (See above) It's 110 degrees, people.

*Responding to emails in a timely manner (sorry)

*Blogging (again, sorry)

*Twitter (so, so bad at this)

*Keeping the spray paint on the drop cloth instead of the garage floor (sorry husband)

*Putting on makup (what's the point? it just melts right off)

*Remembering to pick a winner from the Marmalade giveaway (CoDele who is finally making a quilt for herself, Congrats! Email me your info and I'll get that right out!)

 

Things I'm relatively good at right now:

*Hauling kids to swimming pools to keep them happy (and not melted)

*Going on train rides and celebrating boys turning 7 (especially that one)

*Getting orders out in a semi-timly manner (no small feat with 3 little helpers)

*Automatically sending PDF's ;-)

*Snuggling with teething babies (poor thing)

*Instagram (I'm in love.  Come find me @croskelley so I don't have to feel so guilty about neglecting my blog)

*Building train tracks on the new family room rug and dealing with the general chaos of a house full of boys (I'm beat)

*Missing my parents- they were here last weekend and it was so much fun having them around.  (And not nearly as much fun with them gone.)

*Eating ice cream (I'm really, really good at this)

*Keeping up with the Fat Quarter Shop Mystery BOM.  (But to be fair, it's only the first month)

What are you good at right now?  And don't say cooking.  

(Unless you are one of my neighbors. In that case, we'll be right over)

In approximately 6 minutes

I'm going to be making a fool of myself live with Pat Sloan on the American Patchwork & Quilting radio show.  True story.  Come join us!

You can also listen to it here later on too.

Yikes...

Wish me luck!

 

Summer

my (still somewhat cluttered) cutting table, ready to go-

It's busy over here.  

Summer is in full swing, kids are out of school, we have swimming lessons to be to every day, and it is supposed to be 105 degrees tomorrow.  Yikes.  Summer!

I've been working like crazy finishing up book stuff, working on a few random assignments, gearing up to photograph the book next week, and mom is flying in later this week so we can work on our next fabric line.  

Like I said, busy!

Last summer I made Farmers Wife blocks to keep my sanity when I was stuck inside, and this year I plan to finish up Farmers Wife, sew along with the Fat Quarter Shop Vintage Modern BOM, and dig into my stack of Summersville that is calling my name.

Anyway, I was trying to figure out a few other summer projects and decided a visit to the Thimble Blossoms/Bonnie and Camille flickr group was long overdue.  Good grief you guys are awesome!  Here were just a few of the many (many) projects that caught my eye... and made me want to sew.  Now!

(Click on the photo for more info on who made the quilt, links to blogs, flickr streams, etc.  The pattern or book will be linked in the title.  Hope that makes sense.)

Cherry Christmas Vintage Holiday by Annela

Neptune Jelly Filled by Jessie

Children at Play Swoon by Lara

 

California girl Spools by Shelly

Solid Jelly Filled by Janice

Swoon by Sarah

Scrappy Swoon by Deb

Ruby Pinwheels by Carla

Ruby Hopscotch by Fiona

 

June bug by Ellie

Jellybean by Cheryl

Farmer's Wife by Erin @ Why Not Sew? Quilts, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whynotquilt/6813010114/">

Farmer's Wife by Erin

Ruby Sewing kit by Amy (I have one of these and I looove it!)

Hopscotch by Vanessa

Strip-smart quilt by 3littlepeople

 

Merry stockings by Cherie

Ruby Puzzle by Danielle (from American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine)

Recess Wild Thing by eatplaysew

Amazing mini by mindboggled

Coming Soon by Melissa

 See what I mean? I could keep going and show them all, or you could hop over to the flickr group, take a look around and leave all these girls some love. Thank you so much for sharing your photos with me. Every time I see something made from one of my patterns or made from our fabric it makes me ridiculously happy inside.  Even when it is 105 degrees outside.  So really, thanks. :-)

One more thing, leave a comment here telling me what you are working on this summer and I'll send one of you some Marmalade. Though I can't promise it won't be melted.  It's really hot here. (Did I mention that?) 

Happy summer!  

 

The one with a few things hung on the walls

Umm, I may have underestimated the response I would have to that last post.  I'm still working on sorting through and responding to requests, but I'm getting there!  Thank you so much, all of you!  

I made up a few Cotton Blossoms bundles, and I still have a few more things to list over the next few weeks, it will just be a matter of getting around to it.  Keep an eye on the shop, or again, feel free to email me if there is something you are looking for.  Oh, and also after a little coaxing, my mom has a few things from our first few lines available in her new shop.  Yay mom!

Back to the house stuff...

When we moved into this house a couple months ago, we were beat.  It was so much work getting it ready to move into, that once we moved there was no motivation left to do anything else!

Slowly the husband hung the blinds (a must, here in the heat) and after Quilt Market was over I hung a few things on the walls, dug out the guest room, and unpacked almost all of the remaining boxes.  It is finally starting to feel like our home. 

So here's a little tour with a few more photos, the post with a lot of the source info can be found here and a few more things here.  

Nope, still no drawer pulls.  Someday?

(sorry about the dirty floor.  a herd of little boys had just run through the house to the backyard)

A week or so ago I was browsing Craigslist during lunch and found a 1950 Baldwin Acrosonic console piano.  A local thrift shop had listed it that morning.  I was on my way there a few minutes later, and 10 minutes after that 6 men loaded it into my poor van.  It was only $150 dollars and plays beautifully, even though it could use a little tuning.  

And a little less attention from the little people.

The bedrooms are coming together, slowly.  Nothing super fancy.  

My sewing room is done, although it has been a disaster since I've been in there sewing most nights.  I'll tidy it up one of these days and take more photos.  

Several of you asked for a photo of the whole Ellen's sewing basket block from this post, so here you go.  There are actually a few.  I couldn't pick.  Shocking, I know.

That's about it.  No, it isn't perfect (or finished!) but it has come a long way. We have another 100 projects on the list, but with this heat, and now that school is out, who knows when we'll get around to it. Someday!  That is a word I'm starting to come to terms with since it has been used many, many, many times with since we bought this silly house.  

And you know what husband, you were right during that first walk through.  

Definitely right.

There, I said it.  ;-)

(Love you)