What a Monday: Preemie Memory Quilt, Girl Gift Set, and a Feature!

I couldn't wait to get home from work today to post the latest pictures and news. My sister so loved the Memory Quilts we're making that she quickly gathered up her daughter Daisy's preemie clothes and promptly dropped them off at mom's house for quilt construction. Daisy was born at 2 lbs so most of the preemie clothes swam on her. And with her time in the NICU, my sister was always washing the clothes - so Daisy really got alot of use out of her few outfits. Mom didn't have alot of clothes with which to make a quilt, but she did manage to get 20 squares. In fact, she even used Daisy's hats! The knit hat was made by our Grandmother and I had mixed feelings about cutting it for the quilt, but it is here - and quite a cool square you can see in the close-up pic:

My cousin in Minnesota needed a girl baby gift for a shower - so we put together this bright pink tulip set for her. It is a long-sleeve onesie, bib, flannel-backed burp cloth, and a receiving blanket. I love this tulip fabric and I think after this blanket was made, it is finito. Thanks for thinking of us Cuz!!

To cap off the day - Audrey over at Audrey's Country Crafts asked to feature our shop on her fantastic blog. Today we were posted - so please pop on over to her blog and check it out - and all the other amazing features she has. THANKS Audrey!

Long Beach Strawberries!

We have a narrow strip of ground between our fence and driveway. The neighbor planted strawberry plants that have come under the fence and filled this space. I'm happy bc now I don't have to plant with annuals every year and I don't have to weed - and look what we get to eat! (Second batch no less!)

I've Been Tagged: by Chocolate and Steel....

So Chocolate and Steel tagged me and I was kind of in the mood for one of these since I wanted to save the pics from my next Memory Quilt (a girl one!) for another post and I wasn't sure what to write about. And these are different Qs from the other times I've been tagged - yay! Here goes...hope you find it semi-interesting.

1) What is your current obsession? Orchids. I posted about my new obsession with them back in February and now that I've been reading up, there are soooooo many people in the same boat! I have a few new types I'd like to get, but alas, not yet. Here is a picture of the white phaleonopsis Hubby got me for Mother's Day:

2) What is your weirdest obsession? After reading "Chocolate and Steel"'s answers, she going to think I'm the worst person, but I have to say killing the goddamn snails and slugs that are sliming all over my plants and killing my flowering cherry tree!! I put down the pellets that kill them and that was great - until the 40-days-and-40-nights of rain we've had. Now it seems all the poison has washed away. My poor pansies rebounded and are flowering again, but tonight I pulled 2 snails from the pot and threw them into the street. UUGH I HATE THEM! What purpose do they serve??

3) What are you wearing today? A Mossimo black short-sleeved, collared jersey dress with a little waist tie (I got it at Target 4 years ago) and a pale-pink 3/4 sleeve Gap cardigan (I think I got it about 7 years ago). And I wear panty-hose to work because don't think it is appropriate to wear bare legs at work - I know, get with the program. The only way I go bare legs at work is if my skirt almost hits my ankles. Since I just took pics of the orchids, I decided to throw one in of the outfit...

4) What's for dinner? Regular and Banana Walnut Cheerios (the nanny feeds Ryan and hubby won't be home)

5) What's the last thing you bought? Gap kids clothes for Ryan and got a matching outfor for her cousin Daisy. BTW, there are amazing sales at Gap Kids!

6) What are you listening to right now? The hum of the ceiling fan and Dora The Explorer from the other room. I know, bad mom - I should be putting her to bed instead of blogging. :-0 She has been outside all day and she really wanted to watch Dora, so I caved.

7) What is your favorite ice-cream flavour? Vanilla (but would add caramel or strawberry sauce if it was available!)

8) What do you think of the person who tagged you? I think "Chocolate and Steel" makes the coolest jewelry....take a look at these favorites of mine from her Etsy shop....

9) If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? All paid for? All the taxes too? I'm be where I am in Long Beach - right by the Ocean with a decent piece of property so I could have a greenhouse and garden. Oh, and a house big enough for me to have my own sewing room!

10) If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Jacksonville FL to visit my brother, SIL, and niece.

11) What is your favorite colour? Green - although Blue is a close second.

12) Which language do you want to learn? Polish because it is my hertiage and Ryan now knows it from having a Polish nanny - she even speaks it. My SIL is Polish so Ryan should be able to maintain it, but I want to learn it also.

13) What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? A sleeveless collared navy blue v-neck I got at Loft 3 years ago - it started me on my navy kick and I wish I could buy this same shirt in different colors. You probably think I don't have new clothes with my answers to this post! I do, just not as many with this economy....I DO pare down the closet and donate to goodwill. :-)

14) What's your favourite magazine? Country Living and Coastal Living (bc I would love to live on a farm by the Ocean!)

15) If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on? $20 to Starbucks card....$50 on some orchids I'd like to order.....$30 for a mani/pedi.

16) Favorite artist/s? Henri Matisse....and a painter I found on Etsy - Tracey Gurley - I LOVE LOVE her flower paintings.

17) What's your favorite season and why? I like all seasons and glad we have all in the northeast, but Spring is my favorite because the flowers start to come out and weather gets nicer.....

18) Describe your personal style? Easy and comfortable, but not sweats comfortable - cargos and sandals on weekends - easy dresses for parties - white pants in summer and jeans in winter are MUSTS. I also wear glasses and usually do the Sarah Palin hair with a clip - as I've had that for years - it is just an easy style for long hair! Hubby says I have the 'dirty librarian' look.....

19) What are you going to do after this? Put Ryan to bed and eat my Cheerio dinner while watching "Deadliest Catch" from Tuesday night.

20) What are your favourite movies? I don't see many movies, but I can watch "Thank You for Smoking", "Where the Heart Is", "She's Having a Baby", "Snatch", "The Sound of Music" over and over.

21) What's your favourite fruit? How to choose?? watermelon.

22) What inspires you? Just about anything now a days - I find all I want to do is sew - and sew things I haven't done before like summer tunics and dresses and skirts....

23) What music do you like this week? Allman Brothers Band - makes me think of outside late-afternoon BBQs by the beach

24) What is your dream job? Farming and sewing - but I also work in commercial real estate and have gotten back into that area at my current job - so I'm really happy now!

25) What is stopping you? I'd need 48 hours to my day

26) If you could change something in the world to make it a better place what would that be?
Acceptance of those not like ourselves.

27) What do you have planned for tomorrow? Work....it is the Friday I go into the office. I have every-other Friday off - so another reason to like my day job.

The rules :1. Respond and rework; answer the question on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own. OK - I didn't do this bc I didn't read the rules first...

2. Tag eight other people.

My Rambling Thoughts

Oceanside Creations

If I Had a Hammer

Life of a Bird

Have You Seen My Dragon?

Live, Love YARN!

Just be Happy!

Designs by Vanessa

Memory Quilts: Part 2

Here are pictures of two of the three finished Memory Quilts from my college friend's stash of her boys baby clothes. One is done in blues and whites, and the other in blues and reds. The third we're working on will be blues and greens - we're still trying to find the right combination of fabrics for the top.

In case you may not see at first glance, if you look at some of the squares, the clothes were re-worked to enable a 'square' - the front of overalls do not lend to a 'square' and even less-so on sewing around gromets. The thickness of some clothes is also a hindrance, so the seems need to be ripped out and re-attached to provide a 'thinner' fabric. I cannot take any credit for these reworkings as it was all mom - she is truly talented with the projects and machine!

Can you see the collar parts she put together with backing of fabric from the body of the outfit?

Saturday at the US Open

So off we went this morning and arrived by 10am. With little grandstand space (no surprise there), we did get to see alot of great players and some good, but fewer great shots. With the rain rolling in, we were stuck in the mud, but remained relatively dry with the umbrella. And, it is amazing how much the seats clear once Tiger moves to the next tee-box. We called the 15th green our home today and got to watch Stricker, Weaver (my new fav), Campbell, Furyk, Olgivey, Jiminez, Weekly, Poulter, Edefors, Harrington, Stricker, Westwood, Leonard, Woods....and I just cannot remember all the others. BUT, by 4:15, we called it a day. And are happily watching the start of Round 3 from the comfort of our living room couches - glass of red wine in hand. I'm a happy girl.

Goooooooooo Weaver! and Gooooooooooo Tiger.......I have to root for him to have a big comeback, repeat on the Black, and repeat last year.....

2009 U.S. Open: Bethpage Black

For those of you that follow golf, I have to say, the Black course seems absolutely brutal! After last year's Open, I went into the lottery for tickets to this year's event. I figured I'd go for the Wednesday practice round and the Saturday regulation round. Sunday is not only Father's Day, but also Ryan's 3rd birthday.....so family time will be spent by all! AND both are families are players so there will be no argument over turning on the TV that afternoon. :-) BUT, I digress....

So we went yesterday and besides the forecast for clear skies, we could not bring cell phones or BBs, so it actually felt like a vacation! With rain the last 12 of 15 days, the course was fairly dried out, but there were patches of just 'wet'. With today's rain cancellation, I don't know how all that water is going to soak in enough to make it playable. But, they are pros and the purse is $7.5 million - thems alot of clams on the table! BUT, I digress again....

Bethpage Black - the infamous course an old friend used to sit in his car on weekend mornings in order to get a tee-time (that was before the 2002 US Open was held here - and now there are so many people vying for times, I don't think camping out for 2 days would do the trick). Here are teh Black stats: 7,426 yards with a rating of 78.2 and a slope of 152, and a par of 70 ....thats right - 70 (the pros are playing to these specs). The Black course is a monster with good reason. The 13th hole is 605 yards....three of the par 3s are more than 200 yards. Now, I'd have the 'ladies tee' advantage, but with the tee distance to the fairway and the fescue leading up to it? I'd lose a dozen balls just trying to hit my tee shots.

As for yesterday, we did see some big golf names - Veejay Singh, Jimenez, Westwood, Weekly, Cink, Anthony Kim (who was playing alone and walked with an entourage of 10 people including 2 state troopers - WHO is he again??), and my new pro-favorite, Ernie Els. Why? Ernie was super crowd friendly, he gave autographs with a smile, wasn't so serious in playing with his pairing of Swartzel (Ernie putted in one of Swartzel's misses), and played good golf!

A co-worker has a pool where I need to pick 4 golfers and a tie-breaker score. For the record, my picks are Woods, Michelson, Furyk, and Els....I waivered on Furyk with Mediate (bc I just adore Rocco's down-to-earth attitude and he has a great smile), but went with Jim at the end of the day. I'll likely regret this decision. I have alot of respect for the pro golfers - and jealousy bc I'd love to have that life - AND I think that after this tournament on the Black course, the pros will give it alot of respect as well - not only because it is a hard course, but also because it is the only truly PUBLIC golf course that is played in a USGA event (the fee for a resident during the week is $50 and on weekends $60).

NOW, if only the rain would stop!!!!!

Memory Quilts of Baby Clothes: Making 3!!

An old friend from college was clearing our her attic and came upon her sons old baby and toddler clothes. All those clothes that she had stored away after having three boys. We had talked years before about making quilts and she decided to send the clothes to us so we could make her three Memory Quilts - one for each son's family when the time comes. So here is what arrived - two big boxes of clothes!




We started sorting by color and fabric and weight. We planned a layout in the Crazy Quilt style and patchwork style - and she would like patchwork.


All three will incorporate different fabrics and we are grouping by colors....Here is the layout of two so far.....





I'll post pictures when we're done!

The Little Pansy: Part II

So that little pansy that started growing in our brick front door staircase is still living. Get this - it bloomed a second flower.....and today when I checked, it has 3 on the way out and a bud getting ready to open. Who woulda thunk it??

My Little Handbags

When I lived in my NYC apartment and then moved to this Long Beach house, my mom, ever the talented lady with the sewing machine, offered to make me curtains. So off we went to Duralee Fabrics in search of the perfect design for my windows. Of course, with our different tastes, we rarely agreed, but in the end, I got cool curtains and also loaded up on some fabulous designer fabrics!

What to do with such a stash? After sewing so many baby quilts and animals, I decided to try making some fun little handbags. I always carried a big work bag (and I'm not one for actual purses), so I wanted something fun, easy, and light - something that could fit a small wallet, keys, cell phone, and lipstick. Voila - my little bags were born! For my button bags, I've used buttons hoarded away by my great-grandmother Emilia - she had some collection. I've had people buy them for Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, teacher gifts, and to use as gift-wrap. What do you think??

ETSY Advanced: Seller Tips

Pop on over to Jessica Schope's site to get her latest book titles "Etsy Advanced" - I'm looking forward to getting my copy since I need serious help to kick some sales my way.