CLEAN quilt room!

I did it - I cleaned it!
Much better, yes?! It took about 1.5 hours, but I also did a few loads of laundry and stopped to read magazines and books as I put them away in that time. Now it feels much better and there and I don't dread going in. However I think I should start putting the cover on my sewing machine - look what I found...

I also wanted to show you these fabulous boxes.
You ladies in UT will probably have seen them. They were all over the place when I was there this Summer. All the shops there were packing their kits in them and tying them up with pretty bows. My MIL, Carmen, and I went to Xpedex and they had hundreds of them. I had to think hard about how many to get since I knew I'd have to bring them all the way back to NH. I got 3 of each of the 2 sizes. Don't ask my MIL how many she got. It might be rather embarrassing for her lol! But she loves them and is making wonderful use of them. I'd love to find a local source. They're just so handy to have around, expecially because they stack wonderfully.

I'd encourage you to read one of my MIL's blogs, Quilt Stories Become Me. She is writing about the stories behind the quilts she makes, and it's so interesting. A real treasure for our family. You should in particular read this one - I make a starring role in it! The particular project she is talking about is the cleaning out of her living room which we took on this Summer when I stayed with her. My MIL is a quilter of unparalled proportions. You have NEVER seen a stash like hers. But I swear, she knows where every little scrap lays hidden. She mostly uses it to make charity quilts. That woman has a heart of gold and I really lucked out in the Mother In Law department:)

Messy Quilt Room

A couple of weeks ago, UpstateLisa showed us her sewing area in before and after photos. She did so because she saw a challenge here at VintageChic to show the messiest room in your house and perhaps win a prize! So in the spirit of full-disclosure I show you my quilt room as it looks right now. This is looking in... and from the side looking towards my machine...And one more just because I like to torture myself with public humiliation...Now in my defense, the mess is not all mine. I had some quilting to do in here recently and I guess I just let the kids play in there while I was quilting, and well nothing has been cleaned up yet. Plus I purged things from my bedroom and bought them down here in baskets. You can see how successful I was at putting them away.

Next time you see this room, it WILL be back to normal! You can see here and here how it looked when it first became a quilt room. A sneak peek if you don't want to follow the links...
It shall look this way again! And now that I've put it out there, I have to keep my word, right?

Autumn has arrived

The kids and I went to the park to play after school today and oh boy the colors of Autumn are so impressive this year! It seems like the colors are extra bright and clear, and I couldn't help but snap a few photos. So come take a walk with us through our neighborhood, and make sure to click on the photos to get a really nice big view...
















I think it's safe to say that Autumn has arrived.

Valori Wells Fabric Challenge

Don't faint at the fact I have done TWO posts in one day. I know, I know, I nearly fainted myself.

OK folks, head on over to Nancy's blog and vote for one of the projects made with Valori Wells fabrics. A few months back, Val had a giveaway on her blog, and a bunch of us got a pack of fat quarters from her. You can read about it here. Nancy thought we should have a challenge using our free fabrics, and you can see the results on her blog. Some really creative things were made. I love the fabric and have bought almost the entire line now! I'm taking off the sneak peek of my project on a previous post, just so you don't guess which is mine, and it can be as fair as possible. If these photos whet your appetite, there are additional ones on Nancy's blog :)

Brooklyn

My niece, Desiree, just had a baby, so of course I just had to show off my brand new great-niece, Brooklyn Rachelle Reid. Only problem for me is she is all the way over in New Zealand! I used to change Brooklyn's Mum's diapers and now she has a baby of her own? Crazy! Makes me feel a little old. I am a great-aunt many times over now. Sigh.

Don't you love all the hand-made clothes on her? They look suspiciously like my Mum's handiwork....almost makes me want another baby, just for the baby clothes alone.

Now you see this picture below? That is my brother, Peter, holding his new (and first) grandbaby in the hospital. Now see that photo on the wall behind him? That is a photo the hospital took of Peter holding his youngest daughter, about 12 years ago, and which they still have on the wall in the maternity wing. Isn't that crazy? Crazy in a fantastic way!

Do you think I'm a little bit homesick??

Oh and by the way, this is Desiree when she was about 34 weeks pregnant...
And this was just a week ago...The baby was 9lb, 4oz. Need I say more?!!