{~*Circa50*~}

in

With everything safely in the mail, I'd love to share with you guys my Circa50 quilt for Birch Fabrics Quilt Market Booth!

I love love love this quilt! It was definitely a labor of love.

I received the whole line in February and slowly worked on it but nothing I was making really *caught* me, I felt like I wasn't doing the fabric justice. I'd been commissioned to make a quilt similar to this one and for some reason, I just couldn't get it to look right! Then I realized I was going about it the complete wrong way...that quilt is very winter-y, whereas Circa50 is very summer-y & Southern California.

So I kept at it, sketching, sewing, sketching, sewing. I looked a lot of websites, bought a few copies of Atomic Ranch, went to the library, etc. I made a *lot* of houses before I got it right. I'm really thankful for my friends Brenda Lou & Liz because at first, I was making the houses slowly and carefully measuring and sewing them together according to my sketches...they gave me the idea to foundation piece them instead. SO much better! You can see my first round of adobe illustrator sketches above, with Liz & my notes.

Once I figured out illustrator and how I wanted things to look, it was a lot of getting up, sitting down and sewing, tweaking something on the computer, reprinting it, resewing, back and forth. Foundation piecing is really precise and while I *love* that, it's not completely my style, I like a bit of organic feeling to my quilts, so in some spots I let the lines be a little bigger and a little "off". You can see the fabric I based the houses on here!

The quilting was insanely fun! I knew I wanted to really do something fresh and unique. So leading up to the homes are cobblestone walk ways, the palm trees have coconuts, there are little conversation bubbles with musical notes coming out of the birds mouths, some atomic starbursts, etc...it was just REALLY fun. By using white thread, the quilting is there, but not really "in your face", I think if I'd done a color thread it would have just been tacky, but with the white, it's faint and charming.

Because I normally quilt things to death, I had to really stop myself and walk away a few times. It's easy to get carried away & I kept telling myself simple was best! A huge thanks for Yahaira who provided me with much needed support via text message. I swear I was feeling VERY insecure at this point. I kept worrying & worrying! But once it was bound, I was glad I followed through with all my ideas.

I also made this 1950's style dress out of one of the prints for Cynthia's Blythe who will be attending Quilt Market. So cute! I've been making dresses for custom orders a lot the past few months and this one was SO fun! I loved finding the little belt buckle online & then making a little tote from the fabric, she's gotta have a tote to carry around all the fun stuff she finds at the booths! Please ignore Paprika's hair, she's very uncomfortable without her wig on ;)

I had purchased some handmade Blythe dress hangers from my friend Rebecca so the dress is shipped on a little hanger on a piece of cardstock with some vintage teeny tiny ric rac. The quilt & the Blythe goodies were then packed in organic cotton produce bags that are basted shut with bits of the scraps I had from the line! Super cute & reusable! I like shipping stuff in these bags because it stops stuff from getting dirty but it also is ecofriendly, plus it's fitting for a 100% organic fabric company!!! I make all my thank you cards from scraps as well :)

I hope you liked this little peek into the process of a commissioned quilt! If you are going to Quilt Market, check out Birch Fabrics! I'm really excited to see how their booth looks, they are number #3725!

They have some *fantastic* upcoming lines, Circa60 which I know is going to be fantastic, those campers! those polka dots! And the under the sea themed Marine is so great, those colors are phenom!

A huge thank you to Birch for this great opportunity and the chance to follow my ideas! You guys are the greatest! :)

Have a great Wednesday friends! My next post will be from Gridley, CA; we are leaving tomorrow morning! I can't wait to unpack! ;)

{*~On Sewing~*}

in

I'm back from an insane few days!

Phew! I vended my first craft show in Redding, CA and it was a really great experience.

Being fortunate enough to surround myself with quilters here in Eureka has spoiled me. Being fortunate to be part of a large online community of quilters that I consider friends (hopefully I'm your friend back! lol!) has realllly spoiled me. I very much take it for granted that sewing is completely normal because for me, it is. I surround myself with blogs of people who are creative, local friends who sew with me during the day, online friends who I text with daily and my three very best friends (Phy, Aric & Jenny) all are super creative in their own ways that I admire so much!

People were genuinely surprised that I love to sew, that I can sew, that sewing is my sole income, that I'm "only" 27, that I taught myself, etc. "YOU made ALL THIS" was something I heard over and over again. Incredible!

A lot of people that came by were genuinely excited by the stuff I make, which was REALLY neat. It's cool to be featured on blogs, have people leave comments on flickr, send sweet emails, but to have face to face conversations with people who really think your neat is kinda surreal. Mr. McPorkchop kept saying "I told you!", but heck, he's my husband, I figure he just says nice things because I make him brownies and cookies from scratch whenever he asks! ;)

I think that stepping away from the online experience of it all has shown me a few things:

  • When people appreciate handmade stuff, they REALLY "get" it. They understand that they are buying something made by a person, not a factory.
  • Some people don't understand why I don't work a 9-5, but still manage to support myself.
  • Sewing *isn't* a dead art. Just ask the manufacturers of sewing machines, quilt shop owners, fabric distributors, etc. ;)
  • The average person doesn't really care if your free motion quilting skipped a small stitch, or your seam is slightly crooked, they are genuinely amazed that people still "make stuff".
  • People are curious and will ask questions to things that I assume are common knowledge...because they are..if you quilt, lol. But if you don't sew/quilt/craft, it's a *completely* different set of vocabulary!
  • People want to touch quilts. They want to share their memories with you. Quilts bring out a really neat side of folks.
  • Spending 15 hours on quilting? People are impressed in real life. They want to touch it. They are amazed. They follow the thread stitches with their fingertips. Spending 15 hours on quilting and showing online friends? Meh! Sure, they get it, but a lot of times they are comparing you to someone else who posted a photo 5 minutes ago on flickr.
  • In real life, people are comparing you to a COMPLETELY different set of standards; it's more a matter of "I love this fabric, the scooters are so cute!" not "I love this fabric, echino is so great and you used it so well". The average person has no idea about fabric trends, they just like what they like!
  • On the other hand, some people just don't get it and think you are crazy for spending a lot of time on something as "silly" as a quilt. And that's ok too!

While I love blogging, flickr, etc; it's really easy to be overwhelmed and intimidated by the folks who seem to make a quilt every other day, who can sew perfect straight zippers 24/7, who can basically do it all and I feel like sometimes I lose my urges to create...because heck, with some of the creative folks out there, why bother (these are also those days that require copious amounts of chocolate and a heating pad...if you catch my drift ;)) But it's nice to know that some stuff I make not only makes me smile, but other people too! And that's my personal goal.

I'm not going to lie, there were a few times during the day that I felt a little weird, having a little booth and putting all your creative stuff out there is a big risk. With etsy, you pay 20 cents and you can walk away from your computer...with a craft show, you have a lot into a booth space and you sit with your stuff and see EVERYONE'S reaction when they stop or walk by. Especially since the average persons first thought of a quilter, is someones grandmother, not a twenty something with tattoos. Whereas when I turn on my computer, all I see are hip quilters, lol.

I sold my Hey Geese quilt. I'd brought a few quilts to just hang behind my table to add some color since my banner wasn't made in time, it was an impulsive idea. I was surprised how many people were interested in them. I had a lot of offers on them but I couldn't bring myself to sell them until one woman came up. It was SO obvious how much she loved it, she was so incredibly nice and I just *liked* her. I wanted that quilt to go to a good home if it wasn't with me anymore. Today I'm rebinding it, I'd machine bound it and felt it was sloppy, if I'm going to sell a quilt, I want it to be done 100% right. I'm going to rent a movie on roku and hand sew.

I've been asked if I'd post more in progress photos or talk more about process, I'd be glad too! I feel like sometimes I'm a little too word-y in my posts but I realize I LOVE seeing those things on other blogs, so sure! Why not!

Mr. McPorkchop & I are moving on Thursday! Exciting stuff! This week I'm finishing up all my projects, packing all my fabrics and sewing on my little featherweight as my bernina is already moved! Eeep!

I have a lot more to share, but I gotta get sewing ;) This post is alllll over the place, lol.

xo

{*~Hanging~*}

in

Thanks so much everyone for your kind emails & comments with regards to gulf help! It's so great to be able to put out an idea and have it met with such positive thoughts! I'm super excited & I'll blog more once I figure a few things out!

It's been a verrrry long past few days.

I found out the results from my first batch of blood tests and I can no longer have a few favorite foods which is a bummer (I'm looking at you hazelnuts!). Next is environmental allergies & a CT scan of my sinuses...what a treat ;)

I did a *lot* of sewing this weekend. Like 9-13 hrs at a time. Somethings got finished, somethings are progressing at a decent pace and other things are slow going. It feels really good to be able to sew for long amounts of time again. I realize I'm ok if I'm sitting in front of the dehumidifier, it's great!

  • I made my first batch of sun tea this weekend, it was warm enough! Mint with fresh mint from my windowsill! I'm using glass jars that I haven't had a chance to bring to the recycling center and I genuinely like using them better than the pitcher I was using. I cleaned them with some baking soda & vinegar. Perfect!
  • I can't get enough of paper foundation piecing!
  • Cosmo Cricket & Riley Blake fabric. I'm a girl obsessed!
  • I've been making a lot of pizza lately. But its more like flat bread with roasted veggies. Broccoli, tomatoes, a tiny bit of ricotta, spinach, mushrooms, a smidge of lemon...
  • My favorite time of night is around 1-4 am when I read and should be sleeping. I'm currently deep in book 4 of Sookie Stackhouse. Let's just say that I started book one 2-ish days ago. Eep! They are addictive!
  • I'm doing my first craft show this weekend in Redding! I have not a single thing ready for it, as I've been working on some orders...eek! I'm nervous & excited all at once!

I hope your Monday is going well!!!

{~*Gulf Help!*~}

in

(all images from modern organics fabrics etsy shop)

There is something I've been thinking about a lot since last night.

The Gulf Oil Spill.

More specifically, the birds and animals who will need help. It's migration and breeding season for a variety of species

As a 7 year old watching the news in 1989 during the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, I was a wreck. I didn't understand why my parents wouldn't let me fly up to Alaska and help out. Mind you, I was also the kid who would make paper from scratch in my bedroom past my bedtime & was a subscriber to National Geographic. In the weeks after the oil spill, I was really, really upset about the images that were on the news, in magazines and in the newspapers. Oil covered animals who's only help was humans.

After seeing some images that the oil spill is heading towards land, I realized, hey! I'm NOT 7 anymore! I CAN DO SOMETHING!

I can design and make a mini quilt, auction it and donate 100% of the proceeds to a animal rescue organization. To help with the cleaning of the animals and to help them make it through it ok. I think sometimes in natural disasters animals are an after thought (which is completely understandable, please don't get me wrong!), but this is something I really believe in and want to help!

After tweeting some ideas, I remembered that I'd tweeted yesterday about really loving Beyond The Sea from Cloud9 Fabrics and a plan is hatching! How perfect would it be to make a ocean themed mini quilt, with organic fabrics, auction it off and donate a bit of money to help?!

I purchased a fat quarter set of Beyond The Sea from Modern Organic Fabrics and I'm hoping to get some sketches drawn up next week at some point after I finish up my current obligations.

But I need some help, my reader friends!

How does someone find an ethical organization? How does someone create an auction? Can I use eBay? Do I ask other bloggers/friends to link to my auction?

I really really really want to do this and I think there are some folks out there who really like my mini quilts;  not only would I be able to create a one of a kind mini that someone can love, but I can also help out in my own way. It's a win win situation!

Please feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment! I'm up to my ears in work but I'm going to stay up late keeping an eye on the news, watching the situation as it progresses and researching researching researching!

Have a great Friday folks!

{*~girl on the run~*}

in

(oops! mistake potholders!)

It's Wednesday & I'm a girl on the run.

Kinda like band on the run, only no band, just one girl...!!!

Deadlines deadlines deadlines! I have some really great projects to finish up this week & I've been really putting some miles on my machine.

This weekend is going to be spent working on a few smaller commissioned sewing projects after I finish a few other big projects by Friday. Then next week I'm starting to prep for a craft show on May 8th! Then we get home & it's our last week in Eureka before we head home for the summer! Holy smokes!

A few quick notes:

  • If your interested in ecofriendly cloth products, I'm not sure when or if I'll be restocking any time soon & I appreciate your understanding!
  • If your interested in a custom camera strap, tote bag, mug rug, something you may have seen on flickr, please don't hesitate to contact me. I love custom sewing & new challenges! I'm not quite clever enough to link to my email address but I'm pretty sure you can just click any of the contact buttons on the side bar! ;)

And a few things I'm obsessed with lately:

I hope your having a great week so far!

xo

{*~goals~*}

in

It's 12:04 am.

My name is Amanda & I'm finally coming out of a self inflected disarray & I'm totally a glutton for punishment.

Well...I got a ton of cutting done. In fact, I thought it was a good idea to cut fabric for 8 hours straight. Stopping only for bathroom breaks and eating some granola while standing. I should note that my cutting area is my grandmothers old desk. My grandmother who was 4'11. My desk only comes to my mid-thigh & I'm 5'6. The next day I woke up and my neck and shoulders were screaming. Well dur, I was hunched over cutting for an entire day the day before, wearing a not so supportive bra and not really paying attention to my posture. So of course, like any obsessed creature, I simply took a metric ton of tylenol & cut for TEN more hours with a heating pad on.

No big deal right?

Wrong.

Enter me being stuck on the couch for 2 days straight laying flat on my back. Oh and that new diet? Kinda ruining my life. I'm cranky, I want toast with peanut butter smeared all over it, diet coke? Hi, I miss you!

We watched some bad movies on netflix (Cobra with Sylvester Stallone anyone?!) and I read. A lot. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if I didn't have books to read, it would have been a LOT worse. Yesterday he took me on a car ride & we went to a local fabric store. Then I come home and slept for 6 hours. I woke up, watched more bad movies. Discovered the joys of icy-hot, slept some more then stayed up til dawn reading. Slept from 5 am til around 9 am. And realized I could move! So I did a bit of house cleaning and went to starbucks for an iced tea. Then I came home and started planning our week & Mr. McPorkchop took me to see Kick Ass. I was a slob in the back row of the movie theater. Camo sweatshirt? Check. Mens sweatpants with tapered legs? Check. Those weird heat packs that you can stick to your skin for 8 hours? Check. Smelling like a Canada mint? Check. I'm just staying classy here folks!

I have this strange sense of what my body should do and how it should react to things.

For example; I never think *any* illness should last more than 24 hours. And yet if they do, I am *so* annoyed and surprised. Where did I even come up with this idea that HEY! Don't worry, it'll be over in 24 hours?! I kept telling Mr. McPorkchop the first day "Oh! I'll be better in the morning". And he sort of looked at me like I was crazy. And when I woke up the next day & I couldn't do jumping jacks, much less move my neck, I was stunned. Who even thinks like that? ME! I put unreasonable expectations on EVERYTHING.

Let's not even get into how I've over scheduled myself for the next 3 weeks. Because..you know...3 weeks of work can totally be done in 24 hours!

;) Have a great Monday!

xo

PS I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. I'm realizing I'm tired of seeing white/cream/beige sashed quilts in my personal projects. I'm experimenting with color color color in my sketches and I can't wait to get caught up on everything so I can try some combos out!!!!

PSS I finally got some insul-bright for the pot holder swap! Woo hoo!!!!!

{*~quiet~*}

in

I spent the beginning of the week asleep or wishing I was asleep. And watching hulu like a lump on the couch under a mountain of blankets.

I went Monday morning to get some blood work done, more food allergies, hormone levels, thyroid, vitamin levels, blood count, etc. It was the most they've ever taken in one sitting and I'd been fasting so by the time I got home after 1:30ish...I was done & down for the count.

My doctor put me on a restrictive diet until my blood work comes back. No dairy, corn, soy, wheat, nuts, raw fruits/veggies, limited caffeine. And eating something every 2ish hours. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this, partly I'm excited because I love a good cooking challenge, partly I'm bummed out because that really really really limits & gets rid of some of my favorite things! (dairy & nuts! I love cheese & almonds!) And I'm *really* bad about remembering to eat all the time.

It might be a little quiet around here at Chez Mc. Porkchop, today is my first day sewing in a little while and I'm running around like a headless chicken, not having any "convenience" food (yogurt...I miss you already!) will mean a bit more time in the kitchen. I'm hoping to make some bigger dishes that can be frozen & portioned through out the week tonight. I found this recipe for homemade bouillon that I'm going to try! I can already tell that I'll be using Heidi's website even more than normal!

Or, I might get so inspired with all the sewing & cooking & hopefully feeling better that I might be a posting machine! Who knows!? I gotta make up for a few lost days ;)

In other news, Mr. McPorkchop helped me with kindle! He downloaded calibre and I've been able to read pdfs in kindle format! He got me two entire SERIES of books for under $10! 14 books total! Score!

If you've sent me an email recently, I'm sorry, I'm very behind on replies/comments/questions! I'm trying to get caught up but as this is now a coffee free environment, it might take me a little longer! ;)

I hope your having a Wednesday! I got caught up on flash forward & chuck while sewing and holllllly smokes! SO MUCH STUFF!!!!! gah!!!!!!!!! Just when I thought I was over those shows...they sucked me right back in ;)

xo

{*~Saturday~*}

in

Happy Saturday everyone!

We visited the local farmers market in Arcata this morning and the day has changed from a foggy overcast to a wonderful sunshine sky!

I'm not too comfortable taking photos of things in public, I'm very much afraid of someone yelling at me and I'm a little bit too shy to ask for permission. Today I thought I'd simply shoot on the fly, which was me, being oh so subtle, raising my camera & firing off a quick shot without focusing, using the light meter or really thinking. I took 5 photos and I liked 3 of them! Go figure!

I left with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a small cactus, a GIANT leek, some spinach & salad greens (I'm determined to try a spinach smoothie this week!), a baguette, and a new honey! I'm a bit of a honey fiend, I obsess over new honeys...this one is called "sand dune"! If the sun stays bright today tonights dinner will be something simple, a roasted potato spinach salad with sauteed leeks on baguette, but if it starts to cool down, I'll make potato leek soup!

Yesterday was pretty interesting, we decided to take a break from work, me sewing, Mr. McPorkchop studying to see a movie. We saw Date Night, which was truly *hilarious*. I am a huge fan of both Tina Fey & Steve Carell. Without about 20 minutes left in the movie, the power went out! So we got replacement tickets and came home..only to find no power here either! For over 2 hours! After it came back on we were watching hulu when we heard a very loud noise and a bit of a shake. Earthquake! I think the only reason we felt it was because we were in bed and our windows rattle big time. What a crazy day!

I'm not sure if it's my medicine or if I'm not sleeping well or what but I am seriously BEAT today. I feel like I could sleep all day and all night with no problem. I quilted three mini quilts this morning and I'm not sure I like how one of them came out...hmmm.

I hope everyone  is having a great Saturday!!! xox

P.S. Is anyone else extremely annoyed with amazon/kindles pricing of eBooks lately? One day a book will be $15.99, the next $13.99, then $8.99 and then back up to $13.99. It's to the point where I hesitate to buy any new books because the price might change, not only that but paying anything above $9.99 for an ebook is so silly when I can go to Costco and buy the hardcover for the same price or cheaper! I notice a lot of people selling eBooks on eBay as pdfs but I haven't figured out how to make them actually readable on kindle, the font is so tiny & the text is a mess!

{*~My Take~*}

in

Rachel posted this fun little meme today & I thought I'd answer some questions this afternoon!

1. When do you feel happiest? I'm happiest when I'm spending time with Mr. McPorkchop. Car rides are especially my favorite. If I'm stressed or sad, he always suggests a car ride and I feel a lot better afterwards.

2. How do you take care of yourself? I sadly am not one to take very good care of myself. Today being a perfect example, I've been sewing allllll morning & afternoon and completely forgot to eat, even though I was with friends who were eating. As a result, I have a migraine from hell blooming. I have been painting my nails often...does that count? And I take my medicines every morning at the exact same time, I should get a bonus point for that!

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated? I think I'm a little bit of both. Sometimes I have to turn off the computer & focus on what I'm working on because I find myself being overwhelmed by other peoples work, but other times I get so focused on what I'm working on that I burn myself out & love to look at other peoples work as inspiration and motivation! It goes both ways!

4. What do you do for fun? Lately I've been painting an hour a day! That's a big thing for me because I hate wasting any sort of time & I genuinely feel bad taking time for myself when there are a zillion things I need to do in a day, but I've started to realize I need a balance and painting calms me down and forces me to concentrate.

5. What intimidates you? Can I answer what *doesn't* intimidate me?! Haha. I'm very easily intimidated. Girls with perfect hair & bodies, I'm chubby & my hair is straight & a little boring! At the moment I'm intimidated by anyone who can stipple well, I've got a long way to go. Anyone who can sew a perfectly straight line too, no matter how hard I try, straight lines aren't my thing! Also anyone who can balance a zillion things at once. Oh! And 98% of the people I went to high school with, they all have fancy careers or are finishing up grad school, it intimidates me in the sense that I dropped out of college because I hated it & I don't have the sort of stability that a 9-5 offers, I think a lot of them think less of me & what I do. That's a very strange feeling, like I'm insecure and at the same time, defensive!

6. What is something you're proud of? I'm proud of how my sewing skills have grown! I'm proud of my design sense in quilting!  I'm proud that instead of wasting $$$ on my last semester of college for a degree that I didn't really want anymore, I walked away to pursue my dreams, it took a lot of balls! I'm proud that I've been a vegetarian since late December & it's inspired me to cook in a completely different way! I'm proud of the fact that I can mend my husbands clothes, cook him an incredible homemade meal & keep him warm with quilts, sometimes all in one day ;)! I'm proud of my cooking skills in general! I'm proud that I can sew, knit, crochet & make cheese from scratch! I'm proud of my fabric knowledge! I'm proud of my small windowsill herb garden! I'm proud of my best friends & I'm excited when they achieve things! I'm proud of how much I read!

7. Finish this sentence. I never _____________. am content! Ever! Each day I want to do more more MORE!!!!! I want to grow more as a person each day, both emotionally and physically. But not physically in the sense that I want to get chubbier...haha! ;)

8. Favorite vacation spot. Mmm so many options! Probably San Francisco, it's my favorite city! Although I'm pretty keen on

9. Today is a (rate from 1 - 10). 8.5! I got to sew with my friends, accomplish a lot of sewing, eat the first strawberries of the season, give a birthday gift to the cutest little 5 year old but I nicked myself with my rotary cutter & have a bit of a headache...so 8.5 it is! It'll go up to 9.5 once Mr. Porkchop is home for the night!

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know _____________. that I sneeze verrrry quietly, I can't handle my alcohol at all & I hate having my photo taken with a fierce passion (see both in the photo below!)

Happy Thursday friends!!!! I hope your week has been going *great!*

xo

{*~complications~*}

in

If I could sum up the past few days, I'd use the following phrases:

"bloody nose","this is why we can't have nice things" and "does this taste like metal/fish/spoiled/off/gross to you?".

Mmmm yes. Excitement around this place! Broken electronics, total klutziness, strange side affects from medicines and a whole lot of cussing & laughing. Typical McPorkchop behavior!

I'm doing a little bit of sewing today...in between projects I made Mr. McPorkchop this doodle jump inspired mini quilt. It's all free motion quilted & applique. Wayyyy too much fun. It's a blast mostly because it's scribble-y! I'm sure if you aren't familiar with the opening screen, this mini just looks like a hot mess, but accurate to the game, haha.

I'll be updating etsy later on this week with slots for custom mini quilts (provided I have finished the 3 orders I already have!), some patchwork camera straps that are cuuute, four mini quilts, kindle pouches, some mug rugs & some patchwork zippered pouches! woohoo! I hope that if I type this out, I'll actually update it, someone should hold me accountable, haha. I have no self confidence with these sort of things, I talk myself out of selling stuff because I'm convinced everything has some tragic flaw which is my excuse if things aren't 100% factory perfectly made, for example, one of the custom mini quilts I'm finishing for the FOURTH time because I'm not satisfied with it. Yeah. I'm a bit hard on myself.

A few things I like today:

This bread which is free of all my allergens and still tastes great! However, it's extremely expensive ($7 a loaf!!!). But doesn't upset my stomach...so I'll buy it as a special treat every once in a while.

This set of paper, I got it as a gift! I'll be using it for this class!

This dress that I can't stop lusting after. It appeals to my New England roots & my inner smothered yuppie who's tired of wearing jeans, teeshirts, flannels & reefs.

This fabric which is begging to be beignet.

Speaking of patterns, I adore this but the largest bust size is too small for me!

I'm off to iron some fabric & work on a custom mini. I just finished season 3 of Buffy last night...watching her graduate high school & say goodbye to Angel was so bittersweet. How the heck did I get sucked in so completely?! Not to mention the first episode of season 4 is her at college...oh how I could relate to her first day college experience...minus the whole vampire slaying ;)

Have a great Tuesday!

xo

{*~roadtrip!~*}

in

The Porkchop & I took an impromptu trip to the valley this week. My sewing machine was acting up and bringing me to the verge of tears. We decided we'd go home Tuesday night, fix the machine on Wednesday, be back here early Thursday.

That turned into "lets stay longer & come home early Saturday am". And while I was at it, I pretty much brought Yahaira with me. She was getting so many picture & text messages from me! It was like vacationing with friends! Poor girl ;)

We visited some wildlife refuges, I was able to add a few new birds to my life list (I need a wordpress bird life list widget!): American Bittern, Marsh Wren, Yellow Rumped Warbler, Western King Bird and Common Moorhen, Common Snipe, Gadwall, Black Crowned Night Herons (roosting & at first we thought they were plastic bags caught in trees!)  my new favorite: Black Necked Stilt (he reminds me of a Mondrian painting with his colors & legginess!)!!! Turkeys & pheasants are all mating this time of year so they were out in abundance & full of color & displays! It was a great time for birding.

We drove a different route this time, which was kinda nice. Normally we drive highway 299 that crosses a  range of mountains but my eustachian tubes are filled with fluid (tmi? maybe!) and the thought of changing altitudes was NOT appealing. We did that during spring break without thinking and hollllly smokes was that painful. I'm taking medicine for it but thats another story for another time! So we drove highway 20, which goes down 101 and then over. It was a pretty drive but about 6 hours...eeep! It goes through Mendocino, Clear Lake and then pops you out at Williams on I-5.

Today I'm playing catch up, emails, blogs, quilt stuff, business stuff, bills, etc. Last night I downloaded an app for my phone, I'm not really an "app" person, I like accuweather, tumblr, flashlight but thats about it. Rangsiwan suggested one called "doodle jump"

Let's just say that's the best little game EVER. I'm pretty much in love! He's hilarious with his little jet packs and four legs!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, I'm going to leave you with a treasure I got this morning! Refrigerator dishes! I was a hard bargainer & I got them! Mr. McPorkchop was impressed by my ferocious bargaining skills....hey! We are Porkchops on a budget! I think refrigerator dishes are going to be my "thing", there are so many uses for them, craft supplies, snacks, medicine holders, planters, etc! The same dealer had a pink one, but I couldn't tell if it was an actual pink one or a red that had faded. Hmmm.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

xo

{*~Colorful~*}

in

I've been taking fresh colorful photos because the world outside my windows lately is bleak. Gray! Dim! Not in some large philosophical sense. But as in the weather conditions!!!

The weekend was spent oversleeping, reading (I've just finished up with the entire series of "Bones" books!), spending time cooking some fantastic meals, trying to stay warm, wearing rainboots to get the mail, sewing & hating the things I was making & daydreaming of sunshine & flipflops.

Today I almost went indoor tanning, the feeling of drab oppression from the constant rain was getting to me! But my wallet, skin & tattoos would be mad at me. So I drove away. But now I'm kinda wishing I'd gone!  Brrrr!!!

Also, a very huge thank you to everyone who commented on my quilt over at sewmamasew! Everyone has been so kind! Thank you thank you thank you!

Have a great Monday friends!

xo

{*~TGIF!~*}

in

This weekend I'll:

  • be finishing a custom mini quilt
  • working on stuff for this class
  • catch up on blocks for this quilt-a-long
  • bake brownies from this cute post!
  • catch up on the buffy dvd netflix delivered
  • be finishing up on secret projects
  • fill out my census form
  • figure how why I can't get my gravatar to show up on my blog! It works on others! GAHHHH!
  • crochet a cozy cowl!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!

{~*Like A Good Neighbor*~}

in

This week has been insane! So much stuff getting done! So much stress! So much running around!

Today is my day to play catch up...in a good way. Catch up with google reader, catch up with 2 months of magazines, catch up with some errands (new Liberty rain boots became mine as a gift from Mr. McPorkchop!), catch up on taking photos.

I thought today I'd share some of my favorite flickr friends. Do you ever look at a persons photostream & wish they were your neighbor? Like someone you'd love to spend an afternoon with and you just *know* you'd have a blast?

Let me introduce you to some gals I have a flickr neighbor crush on! I'm building my own personal neighborhood of awesomeness!

First up, jenib320!!!! Ok, not only does she sew some super cute stuff, but she is seriously the queen of awesome thrifting! She finds the BEST stuff ever. Every time she posts I think "mmm I should visit a local thrift shop"...and I'M ALWAYS LET DOWN! I think she just has a great eye & fantastic luck! Add her as a contact and you'll see what I mean! And she has a cuuute blog!

Secondly, The Sometimes Crafter! Gosh, this gal knows her way around a camera! She takes beautiful photos, sews some great stuff and documents life beautifully. Plus, she's GORGEOUS!!!! Her blog is full of great stuff as well! I feel like she & I could be great real life friends!

Every neighborhood needs someone ultra hip & a great place to sew.... theworkroom! She is a great flickr contact to have, she posts a lot of beautiful photos that aren't always posted on her blog. I really like seeing the creations her customers make and I'm constantly finding inspiration in her personal projects! She makes some incredible dresses from Japanese craft books that are stunning!

I think this is a good place to stop but I think I'm going to keep introducing you to more people I'd love as neighbors. Of course there are my besties, which I think I'll blog about next week!

Have a great rest of your weekend!

P.S.: If you'd rather I not use your photos/blogs/flickrs, please let me know & I'll gladly take it down :)

{*~Welcome Back~*}

in

Hi Friends!

It's surprisingly nice to be home!

We've been back since Sunday afternoon and we both have been running around like crazies since then!

My days have been spent on the phone, sewing with friends, cooking up a storm and making exciting plans. Some stuff I can't wait to show you, other stuff has to wait until I can share them.

I've been feeling better and worse all at once. Better because I'm only using my rescue inhaler once or twice a day, which I know still isn't *great* but it's a heck of a lot better than it has been. The worse is being on steroids has made my already chubby body gain weight and it's made me extremely self conscious. Like can barely button my pants self conscious. But being able to breathe is great! The valley was very dry and I could sleep like a rock at night. I got some sewing done and a lot of reading as well! I put a lot of miles on my fold up rocking chair!

There is so much good stuff I want to talk about, some quilt alongs, some shop news, some stuff thats been inspiring me, a few recipes to share...woohoo! I'll be updating a lot this week as stuff gets finished & inspiration strikes!

I think I'm going to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on hulu tonight while I'm organizing some stuff, have you guys seen it? A few of my friends have been talking about it nonstop!

So whats new with you guys? Anything fun going on?

xo

{*~be back soon!~*}

in

Mr. McPorkchop & I have decided to go away for ten days (his spring break!)...heading to the valley so I can dry out my lungs. A few days in the drier climate will hopefully make me feel better. Unfortunately the specialist I wanted to see has a 4-5 month long wait list for an appointment...unacceptable!

I can only do about 15 minutes of gentle yoga before I'm winded, I can get in about an hour or so of good sewing time before my body hurts. I'm not used to this at all, I used to be able to piece together a quilt in a day or two, I'm normally a ball of energy. Turns out you really do need oxygen! ;)

I've been slowly working on a very fun custom order and working more and more on hand piecing & sewing. I finished up this weeks pinwheel blocks, made myself a camera strap early yesterday morning, working on a mothers day/birthday gift for my mom. I get angry at myself because I can't work as hard as I *need* too! It's one of those things thats beyond my control but drives me insane regardless! Me + Patience = Not HAPPENING! But I've been cooking slow meals, I'm currently obsessed with barley, we eat a lot of brown, wild & exotic rices so barley is a fun change, the texture is incredible, esp. w/garlic, shallots, eggs, salsa & spinach! I got some amazing oranges this morning so I've been sprinkling them with pineapple mint from my windowsill and devouring them.

Since I moved my sewing machine, I can watch hulu while I sew/draw! That's pretty fun! I got caught up last night on Psych, I love that Shawn Spencer! I like having noise in the background when I sew...it's either been pandora or Buffy these days so it's nice to switch it up a bit!

I'll be leaving either Thursday or Friday & won't be blogging while I'm gone unless I sit at starbucks, but I'll be continuing my 365 in a completely fun way...FILM! That's why I made a camera strap! I'm hoping to unplug my macbook, iphone, digital camera & relax....low tech wise! I'm bringing my little featherweight sewing machine, my manual Nikon EM, some magazines, a sketchbook I made and Paprika! I won't kid myself and go completely tech free, I need my kindle ;) I'm hoping for some fishing, long drives, evenings by the fire, quiet sewing on Bee & maybe starting my garden!

Until then, sewing, cleaning, taking it semi-easy & packing! I lost my house keys so I gotta find them too!!! >:(

xo

{*~Machine Inspiration~*}

in

I thought I'd blog today about sewing machines that are unique! I know some people prefer the clean white lines of a nice sewing machine but I think if your going to sit at it for hours a day or just a few hours a month, it should reflect your personality & make you smile! Sewing = Smiling, so Sewing Machines should REALLY equal BIG SMILES!

Here are three of my favorite flickr finds!

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At some point in my life I'd LOVE a pink sewing machine!

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I added this raccoon sticker this morning! You can buy the same ones here!

This is the front of my machine! Kawaii sticker central!!! I collect them & love sticking them to stuff. I just indulged in some japanese washi masking tape, so I'm sure I'll stick some of that to my machine :)

I also really like this post from Hambly Screen prints! I think it looks classy!

So have you stuck anything to your machine? At first I was scared to stick anything to this machine but I got over that fast ;)

Happy Friday friends!

xo