New hobby

I've started something new in my "spare" time.  Well I guess it really isn't new because I've been doing it for a year but I've just fully embraced it!  I've started quilting.

My mom quilts and she was a member of a quilting group/bee when we lived in Richmond, VA.  I remember her quilting and I know she enjoys doing it.  She is a hand quilter and uses her machine to piece the squares.  Well some of my mothers of multiples friends were starting a bee last year and I decided to join in.  I finished that quilt, my first, in January (of this year).  I waited for some of the blocks and then I was going to hand quilt it and didn't like doing that so when I got my sewing machine for Christmas (I was using my mom's Bernina, which meant I could only sew at her house) I decided to start machine quilting.

I love it!  I finished my first quilt and then joined a class online and finished quilt number two.  I have an insane number of projects, but I love it.  I love the fabric and deciding on colors and designs and quilting designs and everything :-)  My favorite part though is putting on the binding, which most people don't like to do, but I love spreading the quilt out and feeling the little bumps from the quilting and hand stitching on that very last finishing touch.

So here is quilt number two: Cascade

meandering box stitch

The Front



The back


So what I'm working on now:
Binding stage-
Modern Mini Challenge quilt

Quilting stage-
Lily's pinwheel

Blocks-
Asterisk blocks
Granny Square
Paint Box kinda

Planning-
Sophie's star quilt using Sarah Jane's Children at Play
Swoon using Urban Chiks' Urban Cowgirl

Mug Rug

I decided to compete in Ellison Lane's Modern Mini Challange

So below is my entry. It was going to be a granny square but I messed up the 1/4 in seam allowance and well happy accidents. I love using minis to try new free motion techniques. I tried the flower in the middle of this one and I love it! I'm going to use it on Lily's quilt.

Anyway tada:




Full view


My quilted flower


Better lighting :-)


In use!

Geo-caching

In January (I think, all the months run together!) my dad had to go down to Texas for some work.  He was gone for two weeks and discovered a new hobby, geo-caching.  Since returning home he has gotten J hooked.  Geo-caching involves basically a treasure hunt and the girls love it!  So we've spent the last few weekends going treasure hunting, which is what the girls call it.  J took them twice this weekend, and twice last weekend.  I like it because sometimes I go and it is a blast but it is also something J doesn't mind doing without me, so I get a chance to stay home and relax child-free.  This is a very new experience, I usually have to leave the house to be without children!

Here are a few pictures we took last week:



One of Sophie's treasures- a green dino (she loves dinosaurs!)

J and Sophie trudging through the woods.  Soph is a trooper and loves to collect sticks and rocks as we walk.

Soph showing off her cold weather fashion.


 

The girls, we trudge through the mud and everything.  Like my hat?  The girls wouldn't wear it.

(This is a Sophie heavy post, didn't realize it.  Lily loves to treasure hunt too.  Her favorite is to ride on someone's shoulders and she provides valuable entertainment- singing)

Surgery

A few weeks ago we had our 6 month ENT check up.  The girls had tubes placed in their ears when they were 10 months.  The tubes have been fantastic!  We had one ear infection, as opposed to 6 and 7 in 3 months without them.

At the last 6 month check up neither of the girls' tubes were working and both had fluid.  So they signed us up for a new set.

A little back ground on Soph.: she has had a runny nose since she was 6 months old and snores like an old man (poor thing).  So since before the last set when in I've been talking to the doctors about what to do with her nose.  Is it allergies?  All they've told me is eh.  So I finally get the ENT to do an x-ray of her adenoids.  They are huge.  So she had them out.

Everything went well.  Both acted as though nothing had happened.  They were out playing later that day, which I probably shouldn't have allowed but oh well.  Soph still has a runny nose but I think she got a cold from me.  The snoring has pretty much stopped yay!

Lily and dad eating a popsicle post surgery in the recovery room.

A rare opportunity for me to snuggle Soph while she was still out.

Reading with dad waiting for Soph to wake up

Popsicles and Nick Jr.

Pop Pop and Lily with her second popsicle

Dino pjs, popsicles and a milkshake for Soph

Later that afternoon

Snuggling with Nana

Feb photo a day part 2

Time




Something I hate to do (break up fights)




10 am



Dinner



Phone




Drink




Handwriting



Favorite pic of me




Bathroom cabinet



Shoes



Green




Food (post surgery)



Listening to (maroon 5 but my iPhone has issues)




Where I work

Fat Mum Slim is hosting a Feb photo a day I've been participating in.

My view

Words

Hands

Buttons

Stranger

Sun

Front door

Something that makes me happy

Blue

Heart



Closet



Something new


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Mail Pilot

I had to post about this, I know it's been a few months but Mail Pilot is an innovated new email platform that was created by a Virginia Tech student and Alum.  It is an amazing new organization system for email and the creators are selling subscriptions.  Go and check it out, it's really awesome and has gotten some great feed back from the New York Times and Wired.