Sunday, September 1, 2013

#21 New Beginnings

 Let me say that this week has had its challenges....mostly emotional!! My husband and I just got back from taking our son and last child at home to college. I have been on a roller coaster of emotions all week. Fine one moment and on the verge of tears the next, out right crying when I least expect it. Sunday morning I drove to church with Adam and on the way there talking to him about school, I broke down and cried. (we both joked about how much of a nut I am!)  I have tried so hard to stay busy just to keep my mind off of the inevitable. It is so much harder this time than with the other 2 kids.... or maybe it just feels that way. On the way home from dropping him off I told my husband we should mark the calendar, because everything changed today! I know he'll be home weekends, holidays and summers, but he's tasting freedom and when school is over, he'll want to be on his own! As it should be!
 I will have to come to terms with the fact that we have reached the threshold of "empty nesters" !! I'm just glad that I have about 3 years to prepare myself to cross it!! lol
Enough about this or I will probably start to cry again!


On to happier  (or at the least  less emotionally charged)  new beginnings....a new Instagram friend @francesnewcombe (Belly Buttons Boutique) has helped me give the blog a new look! Really she did it, I'm just posting it!! A new background and banner! (oops technical problem! hopefully the banner will be up soon) 

What I've been up to:

I finished the String of Pearls QAL on time!!! 

oops I forgot to add the black border before I loaded it to quilt!! Oh well! So I improvised and although not quite what I was going for I like the way it turned out!! Another learning experience!!

For the bindings Made strip sets and cut at 2.5"
sewed them to a 1.5" strip of black


I prefer to hand stitch the bindings

 

I found the Lunch Bag and the Origami Drawstring Bag on Belly Buttons Boutique (link above)
Lunch Bag





Origami Drawstring Bag, this is adorable! A center drawstring pouch and to side pockets with flaps






 Another 3 blocks in the City Sampler QAL

This sampler table runner is constructed from the blocks I made in a beginner piecing class I took when I started quilting almost 2 years ago now!! When does a WIP officially become a UFO?? lol Oh well either way, it's done!! 



Keeping to my promise, I quilted with a stippling stitch!! It was amazing! A few minor not worth mentioning errors! (keeping it real!) It felt really good!! More practice, more experience, more joy!!!!


If you are following the blog, I did promise more on the baby quilt this week, but between the roller coaster of emotions and a bad back, I just didn't get there!! Next week for sure!!

Happy Sewing!





Late Entry:

The request for a Favourite Tool Linky Party has come from Sew Mama Sew !
My problem... How do you choose just one?? So I choose my utensil holder!! With all of my favourite tools, right at my finger tips!! Marking pens, pencil, rulers, scissors, rotary cutter, that purple thang, magnet (pick up pins), bookmark (for paper piece folding) and of course my reading glasses!!! (because without the glasses nothing is going to be right!!! lol)

18 comments:

  1. Your work looks so amazing! Thanks for making the projects on my blog that was just too sweet of you!
    I love the table runner your projects are so beautiful.

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    1. Thanks, Frances!!! It was a good time to keep busy!! And now I have 2 more gifts in my gift cupboard for some lucky person!!
      Thank you for my background and banner graphics!! I love the new look!!

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  2. Your string of pearls looks great. I'm done quilting mine, but I still have to add the border; you and I did the negative space on the edges the exact same way (well, except your quilting looks nice and neat and mine is pretty wonky). I love how the rest of your negative space is quilted as well.

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    1. Thanks, Jess!! I will have to go check yours out!! I'll say hello when I get there!!

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  3. I just found your blog tonight and I love your work. I have only been quilting for about three years and I must say your first quilts were way better than mine. I am looking forward to watching your journey.

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    1. Thanks!! I'm glad you liked my work!!! Hopefully you will continue to enjoy the quilting journey with me!!!

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  4. Congrats on becoming Empty Nesters!! Really, it's OK. It will take a couple of months, maybe up to a year, but just get ready because you thought you were busy before?? No way! Now it starts! Without the schedules of kids which you have been used to, you and hubs will begin to find yourselves accepting invites to events you never would have thought before. You'll do weekend getaways, find new hobbies to do together, and when people ask if you have kids, you'll begin to use the EN's standard answer, "Nope! We have Adults!" LOL And guess what eventually comes with having Adults? GRANDCHILDREN!! YAY! And if you thought the joy of children was bliss? Just wait until the grandbabies arrive and you can spoil, and quilt, and sew, and then give them back. :) Grandbabies are "do-overs" and this time you know the ropes and have the wherewithal to do it right. Starting on this chapter of your life is super exciting. So no more tears! Just get ready to begin the absolute best time of your life! ((hugs))

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    1. Thank your so much for stopping by my blog and leaving such an encouraging note for me!!! I know you are so right!!! Still feels a little sad, but no more tears!! Lol! So that is a step in the right direction!!
      The rest sounds like a great adventure, that I look forward to going on!!! My oldest, is getting married in November. So grand babies are hopefully in the future!!!

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  5. Sad at first, but I hope you are adjusting. You are just gonna have to quilt your way through it:) I just love what you did with your binding!!! This quilt is soo great.

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    1. Yup, that's what I've been doing!!! And will keep keeping busy for the next while!!! It helps, but I truly enjoy piecing quilts!! I am even starting to enjoy the quilting part!!! Lol!!
      I was really happy with the binding too, though my intention had been to sew a small black border and than add the coloured strips.....but it all worked out great!!!

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  6. I love how your binding turned out. That strip of color on the back is beautiful!

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    1. Thanks, Mary! I was really happy with the way it turned out too!! First time trying something other than a 2 1/2" strip for binding!!
      Sorry, I somehow missed entering this as a reply when I answered you!!

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  7. Thanks, Mary! I was really happy with the way it turned out too!! First time trying something other than a 2 1/2" strip for binding!!

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  8. Fantastic work! I just love your quilting on your String of Pure Style and awesome detail with the binding! It looks so great!

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    1. Thnanks so much, Snips!! It was a great challenge! I'm feeling better and better about quiling!!

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    2. That should be "quilting" lol

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  9. I also have a cup with all of my favorite tools but not as nice as yours, mine is just a plain glass. I have enjoyed looking at your quilting projects, they are all so beautiful

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed looking around my blog!! I'm having so much fun learning all about quilting!! So many projects, not enough hours in the day!!! Lol

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