Modern Blocks Book

The new Modern Blocks book is arriving this week! I am super excited about this book, partly because I am one of the contributing authors and I have 2 quilt blocks published in the book.  The book is published by Stash Books and can be purchased here.

Here is a little peak at one of my blocks in the book... Line Up.

This block was inspired by a tuxedo shirt and can easily be made for any gender or generation with just a quick change of fabric choice. Here is a fun little layout of how you can mix and match fabrics and embellishments.

I am joined by many other talented designers in this book.  There are so many great blocks in this book, it is so hard to narrow down my favorites, however here is a sneak peak of just a few...

A Twist of Lemon by Ellen Luckett Baker

Checkered Fields by Yvonne Malone
Please note that there was a misprint in the book that says this block was designed by me (Angela Yosten), when it was not.  This fantastic block was designed by talented Yvonne Malone and all credit should be given to her. The publisher knows of this misprint and has corrected the name in the electronic version of the book and it will be corrected in all future prints of the book.

Fussy Cut by Susanne Woods

Lemons and Limes by Latifah Saafir

Missing your Kiss by Penny Michelle Layman

8 Months.

8 months down... 6 weeks to go! I cannot believe there are only about 6 weeks left before our new baby boy will be here.  I am so excited and am finally getting the baby room put together. Procrastination? Not really... just extremely busy!  There just is not enough hours in a day to get everything done that I have on my to do list.

I am hoping to have all the baby bedding made very soon so I can share.  The furniture literally just arrived last weekend. It is actually starting to look like a baby room now. YEAH! Anyway... more to come.

Giveaway! Teacher's Pet Skirt

UPDATE: Congratulations to the Skirt WINNER:

rebekah said...

I'm a fan of yours and Shabby Apple's. My favorite teacher was my high school physics teacher. She was a sarcastic hoot.

Rebekah... Please be sure to contact me with your contact, mailing and size info!  Congrats!

I am sure you have heard of Shabby Apple by now if you read my blog. Their clothes are fabulous and the fit is exceptional. Well, I have an exciting giveaway to share with all my readers.

Teacher's Pet Skirt by Shabby Apple

How to enter:

1. "Like" my Facebook Page
2. "Like" Shabby Apple's Facebook Page
3. Leave me a comment letting me know that you did #1 and #2 and tell me about your "Favorite Teacher" memory.

For example:  "I am a fan of your page and Shabby Apple.  My favorite Teacher was Mrs. James in 2nd grade.  She let us write notes to our friends and we had our own mailboxes in class to mail them to each other. She made learning fun and I still remember the sign language she taught us in class."

One lucky winner will be selected on Monday, October 17, 2011.

Tutorial: Retro Pot Holder & Towel Set

Supplies:
1 Hand Towel {featured: Family Recipe Towels by Moda Home}
1 Pot Holder {featured: Family Recipe Pot Holder by Moda Home}
1 Medium size button {The button you select will need to be able to fit in the loop of the pot holder.}
Fabric pen or pencil {I like to use the Sewline Fabric Pen}
Pins
Coordinating Thread
Ruler or Measuring Tape

Instructions:

1. Fold your  hand towel in half, short ends together to find the center. Make a crease or draw a line down the center using a straight edge and fabric pen.

2. Using a basting stitch on your sewing machine, stitch down the creased or drawn line in the center of your towel.  Back-stitch at only one end.

3.  From the end that you did not back-stitch, pull the top thread to create a gathered effect. The gathered length should measure the same width as your pot holder width when folded.  See step 4 to find the appropriate size for your pot holder width.  Tie off the thread to hold the gather in place.

4.  Your pot holder should have one corner that has a loop built in to hang from. Fold your pot holder in half so that your loop becomes the top of the pot holder. Measure the folded edge of the pot holder so you know how much to gather your towel in step 3.

5. Pin your pot holder in place at the top corner. Then pin each folded edge to the gathered ends of your towel.

6. Take the pin out from the top corner and open your pot holder so that it lays flat on top of your towel. Pin the center of the pot holder along the gathered center of the towel.

7. Stitch your pot holder to the towel along the center fold of the pot holder.

8. Attach a decorative button to the top corner of the pot holder, that does not have the loop.

9. Fold the pot holder in half and use the loop as the closure around the attached button.

 Hang and enjoy the multi-purpose pot holder and hand towel in your kitchen.

7 months.

This week marks 7 months of my pregnancy and the beginning of my third trimester. Only 2 more months to go!  I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone by already.  Some days feel longer than others but when I look back at the months, they have flown by.  So far I have only gained 20 lbs with this kiddo... which I have to admit, I am very excited about.  My other two kids... let's just say I gained quite a bit more with them. Drinking lots of water, eating fruits and vegies, and yes... CHOCOLATE! This last month I have craved chocolate, dairy products like cottage cheese and milk, and beef.  Mmmmm.

A Shabby Apple Dress

If you are ever looking for a dress for going out, to work, or simply for a casual occasion, you must check out Shabby Apple!  I am in love with their dresses.  The dresses made by Shabby Apple are made for real women.  You may have seen a post before I got pregnant about a dress I purchased to wear for Easter. Tailored with simple, clean lines that are flattering to any body type. So you could just imagine how ecstatic I was to find out that they also have maternity dresses! 

 

Most dresses made for maternity are very baggy and feel like you are wearing a sack. Not their dresses... the fit is perfect and makes you feel absolutely beautiful! 

 

Pictures courtesy of Shabby Apple, http://www.shabbyapple.com

 

I have the Aphrodite Maternity Dress and absolutely love it! It is made from poly/rayon/spandex jersey blend fabric and is stylish and comfortable. The eggplant color is absolutely gorgeous and is also available in a dark teal color, the Odyssey dress {shown above}. I especially love the details in this dress with a long tie beneath the bust line that wraps around the waist several time and can be easily tied in the front or back. 

 

 

Shabby Apple also focuses on helping women worldwide. Through their charitable work with women throughout Asia and Africa, they are able to convert dress sales into lifestyle changes for women and children.

 

The children dresses are especially cute and well made as well.  My daughter has this dress from the Shabby Apple line and she loves to wear it!

Pictures courtesy of Shabby Apple, http://www.shabbyapple.com

Best of all... Shabby Apple is offering all my readers a special 10% off discount!  How great is that!

Simply enter angelayosten10off in the discount code when you checkout. Hurry... This offer expires at the end of September!  Great time to buy your holiday dresses for Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.

Also, be sure to "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook to stay up to date with their latest styles and promotions.

Back to School.

Today, it is back to school for Paige and Matthew.

Paige starts 1st Grade.

Matthew starts Pre-K... half a day.

5.5 months

5 1/2 months gone and 3 1/2 months left before our new baby boy arrives! I can't not believe how much time has flown by... I really can't believe that I only have 3 1/2 months left to get the baby room ready.  Can you see the little fabric lint all over my black tank?  I have been playing around with the fun little fabrics this evening, trying to plan how it is all going to come together. Want a sneak peek???  Soon, my dears... very soon. :)

Anyway, this month's baby checkup... good heartbeat, good measurements, and... I gained 5 lbs this month... WOO HOO!  So far 13 lbs in 5 1/2 months.  I think I gained 13 lbs in first two months with my other two kiddos. I am sure it will catch up with me before too long.

Toothless.

They are all gone!  Paige lost her two front teeth yesterday eating pizza. They have been loose for a few weeks now and they finally came out.  First thing she asked me to do... that is after all the blood and tears were gone... was to take a picture of her. OKAY!

She is so excited... the tooth fairy even spoiled her a bit with a $5 bill for the two teeth.  Maybe it was the cute little picture she colored for her that gave her a little bonus. ;)

A Sonogram.

20 weeks have quickly flown by and finally time for a sonogram! We were so excited to finally be able to see our new little one and to find out if it was going to be a boy or a girl.  I have been anxiously waiting to find out so I could start planning all the new little things the baby would have for it's room and to wear.

 

So.... any guesses as to what you think it is???
The sonogram showed that the baby looked perfectly healthy and is growing like it should be.

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

4 months.

Just a quick belly update...

1st Trimester is over and on to the 2nd.  Luckily during my first trimester I experienced no nausea or morning sickness. I did seem to get tired fairly quickly and I actually have had a very healthy appetite with this pregnancy which is sooo completely different from my previous pregnancies.  With my other two kiddos, I craved very unhealthy foods and could eat and eat.  Not with this one... which I actually am kind of thankful for. :)  My cravings consist of chicken and fruits... lots and lots of fruit. My energy level is finally ramping back up and I am feeling pretty darn great!

Anyway... stay tuned for the ever growing belly shots.

Firecracker Favors

Check out my latest tutorial posted on the Moda Bake Shop!

This project is fun to do with your kids or simply to make for you friends and family to celebrate our Independence Day!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe July 4th!

NEW LENS: AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G’s

I ordered a new lens just released on the market and recently received it for my Nikon D60 camera and am so syched about it!  If you have a Nikon D-SLR camera, then this is a must have lens!


Image from I AM Nikon blog

 It is a 50mm lens and has an auto-focus and manual focus option built in.  The pictures are absolutely amazing!  If you have ever wanted to take pictures where it focuses in on one object and then everything else is kind of a blur, then this is the lens for you!  I LOVE IT!

Read more about this lens and how to get it from the I AM Nikon blog.  Awesome article... you won't be disappointed.

NEW Modern Blocks book...

Guess what!?!  I am so excited to announce that I am one of the authors in the new upcoming book, Modern Blocks, by Stash Books.

This new book contains 99 Quilt Blocks from your favorite designers and 2 of the blocks in the book are mine!

The book will be available October 2011.  You can pre-order your book now here. I will even sign my blocks for you if you would like.

Weekend Book Signing

This past Saturday, Jenny Garland and I were invited to The Quilt Asylum in McKinney, Texas to attend a book signing for the Moda Bake Shop's new book, Fresh Fabric Treats! 

We had a wonderful time meeting several quilters that were regular visitors of the quilt shop and some that had traveled from miles away to see the quilt shop and get a signed book.

Thank you to The Quilt Asylum for having us and to all of you readers that came to visit us!  YOU ALL ROCK!

Just arrived!!!!

The NEW Moda Bake Shop Book, "Fresh Fabric Treats", have just arrived at my door!

If you pre-ordered a copy, your book will be shipping very soon.  If you have not purchased this book yet, you can do so here.  You will want to be sure to get a copy of this book... it is very very YUMMY!

Oh, and have I mentioned that I am one of the 15 Authors in this book???  Sorry, just a little (tiny bit) excited. :)

Spilling the Beans...

Any guesses as to what I may be spilling the beans about?  I have a few surprises to share this year with you all, but I can't spill all the beans at once. So, I will share one of my surprises....

I am very excited to announce that I...

Oh wait, did I tell you about that one time in band camp... JUST Kidding!!!!! I was never in band.

Okay, okay... back to what I really wanted to tell you...

I am Pregnant with child #3!  YEAH!!!! 

Baby is due December 11, 2011, so that makes me almost 11 weeks.  Had our first doctor appointment this week and heard the heart beat and so far everything looks great! 

Paige and Matthew are so excited that they are going to have a little baby sibling.  When we asked if they could pick, what kind of baby would they want mommy to have... Paige answered with a Baby Sister and Matthew said... a Baby Robot. 

Hmmm... what is your guess?

Baby Blanket and Scratch Mitt Tutorial

Check out my latest tutorial published over at Janome's website.  Make this super cute and soft knit baby blanket and scratch mitts set for a Mommy to be that is handmade by you!  Super quick and easy tutorial using your favorite Janome serger machines.

Check your local quilt shop for the super soft knit fabrics by Moda Fabrics.  LOVE these knits designed by Oliver + s for Moda.

So, go now... Knit Baby Blanket and Scratch Mitts Tutorial

Garden Party Favors

Every little girl loves flowers and butterflies!  Here is a quick and easy tutorial for party favors that will work with any girly themed party.... especially Garden Parties!

1. You will need a butterfly flower stem.. these can be found at Hobby Lobby, JoAnns or other floral department stores.

2. Little individually wrapped flower pots.  I got mine from the dollar section at Target.

3. Precut round Tulle circles... these can be found in the wedding section at Hobby Lobby, JoAnns, and other floral department stores.  You will also need some twistie ties.

4. Place one of your flower pots in the center of one tulle circle.

5. Pull the sides up and pull tightly together at the top.  Using your twist tie, tightly wind around the top of the tulle to hold in place.

6.  Using a pencil twist the stem of your floral stem of the butterfly tightly around the pencil to create a cute little curly stem.

7.  Push the stem off the pencil and twist it around the tulle top of the flower pot.

You now have a cute little favor that any little girl will love.  Make several of these to pass out as favors at your next party!