Bunny Eggs Tutorial

Hippity Hop on over to the Moda Bake Shop for my quick and easy Bunny Eggs Tutorial.

Great project to do with your kids or grandkids.

Love this picture of Paige... she was getting a little frustrated because her fabric pieces kept getting stuck together from the Mod Podge. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)

Happy Easter!

"Sweet as Kate" Quilt

Last year I tested out a quilt pattern for the talented, Jenny Garland.

Jenny is a stay at home mom, pattern designer, and a Moda Bake Shop Chef.  I recently had the pleasure of meeting Jenny and her two adorable little girls and we have now become good friends. She is super sweet and very creative. 

Her new pattern is called "Sweet as Kate" which was named after her daughter. The instructions are very well written and easy to follow. I absolutely love the way mine turned out! 

I think Paige and Matthew love the quilt just as much as I do! 

Pattern Designer Crush

Okay... so I confess, I have a few pattern designer crushes that I must share with you all. If you are looking for a great new pattern that is well writtern and CUTE... here are a few of my favorite pattern designers that you must absolutely own at least 1, 2, or all of their patterns.  I personally want to own ALL of their patterns.

Melly and Me
I own this book {signed by Melly herself!} and LOVE IT!!!  I hope to make something out of it very very soon for my kiddos.

My daughter is very much into horses at the moment and plan to make her this cutie for her easter basket.

Izzy and Ivy Designs
I met the lovely Izzy and Ivy girls at Market last Spring and was immediately attracted to their patterns... every single one!  I want to own every single one of their patterns... but for now... I think I will be making this cute little bag in the next week or two.  Have my fabrics picked out... pattern purchased... supplies ready... now just need a free day to make it. Hmmm... maybe this weekend.

Thimble Blossoms
Simple, beautiful designs come from this talented designer, Camille.  I have a couple of Camille's patterns and have recently made a quilt from one of her patterns.  Must make another!  Maybe I shall give this pattern a try next...

Amy Butler
I have been making things from Amy Butler's patterns from the time she was designing through Country Living Patterns.  Love all her designs, very easy to follow, amazing product outcome when completed.  I think the majority of the patterns I own at the moment are by Amy Butler.  I have all her books and even have one of them signed.  I have recently made a few bags from her patterns and plan to make more in the very near future.  AMAZING patterns! Going to make this pattern next...

Anka's Treasures
Heather was such a wonderful and sweet lady to meet last Spring at Market. She has designed some of the most beautiful quilts in her books and looking forward to make a quilt from this book...

Bananafana Designs
Jess Goldman is the designer for Bananfana Designs and I have made several of her pattern designs, including a skirt for my daughter {LOVE this skirt}, a skirt for myself {so CUTE!}, and a Bag {very creative}. I hope to make another one of her patterns sometime... maybe this one...

I think I could actually continue to list all my favorite designers, but I'll save the others for another post.

Thank you to all you pattern designers for taking the time to create such wonderful designs and writing very clear and easy to follow instructions.  It makes a difference!  I believe the way a pattern is written can either make or break the future sales of your patterns and you all have done an outstanding job with your instructions!  Thank you!

Who is your favorite pattern designer?

Flat Emelie and Matt Tutorial

Do you love paper dolls? I do... but the paper tears so darn easy! 

My daughter has the same love for paper dolls as I did as a kid, however her dolls just kept getting torn up by her little brother.  Even the magnetic ones lost their heads!  So, I was on a mission to figure out a way to let her be able to enjoy her paperdolls without the fear of her little brother being able to tear them apart.

Then it hit me... I can make some out of fabric! Genius... right?  So... out with the drawing pencils, paper and a couple hours later, I had my "Flats" templates.  Can you tell how excited I am about these little pieces of fabric?

As I was making these little flats, I decided they needed a bag all to themselves to be carried around in.

UPDATE: Fabric collection of "Flats" was released by Moda in 2013.
"Flats" panels by Quiltsmart coming Fall 2014.

Momma got a brand new bag!

I love this bag!  I made this bag for my mom for her birthday back in December. She wears black and white all the time, so I thought these fabrics would be perfect for her.  I wanted to keep it for myself... love the black dottie on it... oh, well... will just have to make myself one now.

It is even reversible!  I used Amy Butler's Swing Bag pattern.

For my mom-in-law's Christmas gift, I made her this bag using Amy Butler's Birdie Sling pattern.  It, too, turned out very cute!  I can't believe how big this bag is... great size for everything and very usable pockets on both sides of the interior lining.

These bags were very fun to make! Great patterns... great fabric... great bags... great Mom's!  Love you both!

A Quilt for Rachael

Rachael is my little sister {we are actually only 15 months apart} and I wanted to make her something special for her Christmas gift.  

So, I decided to design a quilt myself.  A Moda Honey Bun, a little bit of yardage, and some sketched flowers later, this quilt was created.   

I love the way it turned out... easy, quick, and unique.  She has had it for over a month now and I think she really likes it, too. 

Love you, Rach!

Vintage Inspired Bear Paw Quilt

Check out my new "Recipe" over at the Moda Bake Shop!

Inspired by my all time favorite quilt made by my great-grandmother.

What inspires you?

"Ganks"!

Last Friday, Matthew received a VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY!

Packed full of presents and treats!

Look at all this STUFF!

Paige even got to share in the fun and gifts...

Thank you...

Thank you...

Thank you all!!!  You made one little boy very, very happy!

Matthew would like to send his Hugs and Kisses to everyone in the Marketing Dept at Moda.

"Ganks"! ... Love, Matthew

Matthew's home!!!

A 3 year old little boy, 6 days in a Children's Hospital, and 6 medications later equals 1 exhausted mother.

Wednesday night (one week ago), Matthew woke up with a limp on his right leg.  Later that day it progressively got worse to where he could not even stand on it and was in severe pain.  So, off to the Urgent Care, ran blood tests, and then off to the ER.  He had a Septic Hip... basically it is arthritis in the hip that had developed a bacterial infection so there was fluid.  They believe that it could have come from his ear infection that he had a couple weeks ago. 

Thursday morning, they did surgery on his hip to drain and flush all the fluid out of his hip. 

Friday afternoon, he started to develop breathing issues.  Is this his first episode of asthma?  His sister is a severe asthmatic and my husband and I both have asthma.   They began treating him as an asthma patient and also with his orthopedic care from his surgery. 

Saturday, they ran a blood test and his CRP test came back lower than what it was when he was admitted... this is a good thing. This number along with the ESR blood test lets the doctors now if there is an infection or inflamation in the body. 

Monday, they ran another blood test to make sure the CRP and ESR was okay.  CRP came back elevated... more than when he was admitted... not good!  We had to stay another day and hope that the number goes down the next day.  They were thinking that it went up because of the inflamation in his body from his "asthma".

Tuesday, they ran the blood tests again.  Finally, after several days in the hospital, he was discharged from the hospital.  His CRP number went down enough for him to go home. 

Now, Matthew will have to go through a month of antibiotics and another blood test at the end of next week to make sure the infection in his hip gets better.

Some of you were following Matthew's progress on Facebook and I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU for all your thoughts and prayers.  He is doing much better!

Authentic Baby Mine Quilt

An authentic quilt for my brother, James, for his Christmas gift.

Fabric... Authentic by Sweetwater for Moda {LOVE this collection!}

Pattern... Baby Mine {boy version} by Camille of Thimble Blossoms.

Awesome pattern by the way. This is the first quilt I made from Thimble Blossoms and the instructions are very well written. 

He loves it... that makes my heart happy! 

A New Year...

What a year!!!  And it is only 8 days into it!  Would have never guessed in a thousand years that a new year would begin this way.  It all started the day after Christmas when little miss Paige and Daddy started to get a little cold. 

Then 2 days later, I got sick with laryngitis and then next... you guessed it... Matthew.  Matthew and Paige started running fevers, sniffing, coughing, etc.  Common cold stuff, right?  Come to find out Matthew had developed an ear infection.  So... in goes the amoxicillin and all is well. New Years day was spent giving the kids and us meds, breathing treatments, meds, juice, meds... you get the point.  Fun stuff. 

5 Days into the year Matthew is potty trained!  HOORAY!!!  I can't even start to explain how excited I was about this.  One tough kid to potty train! 

Later that night gave the kids their meds. Not even an hour later, Matthew started to get little red bumps all over his belly... SCARY.  This is suppose to be my healthy child!   What the CRAP! A million things start going through my head.  Is this chicken pox? What did he eat? What are these bumps all over his belly?  Then it dawned on me... the Amoxicillin.  But he has been taking it all week... why now?  So, in goes the benedryl to see if I could get the rash to stop.  Call the after hours nurse line. Hives gradually get worse.  He is itchy and uncomfortable... my poor little boy.  And I did not know what else to do.

Follow up with the doc the next morning and sure enough... allergic to amoxicillin.  Is it possible for the rash to get worse even if I am giving him benedryl?  It is possible.  How much worse? How long is it going to take for the rash to go away? 4-5 days. 

Two days pass and he is still breaking out with really bad hives now spread to his arms, legs, feet, hands and head.  Last night was very scary... lumps all over his scalp. face all swollen from the hives. fever.  Called doc and in goes a steroid to help the swelling and control the itching.

Today, steroid started to kick in and he is playing and doing so much better.  I just hope and pray it continues to get better.