pinwheels

Pinwheels are my nemesis. I loathe them. They're so simple yet to me they never turn out right for me. Oh well, I'll get over it! That's what squaring up is for right?? These are my blocks for Rachel's Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along.

update your links

not sure how all this stuff works but I believe that if you subscribe via a reader you have to update your links. pickles & bacon is going to it's own DOMAIN! the new address is very simple, www.picklesandbacon.com i'll be making the switch on SUNDAY so update your links so you can still keep reading :)

new quilt done!

I was hoping to have this done by Valentine's Day (why I don't know because I hate that "holiday") but I was waiting on binding fabric to come. I used Blush by Moda and it took 1 jelly roll and 1 charm pack. It's backed with Blush Chocolate Grunge. It's in the washer right now, I can't wait to see how crinkly it gets :D Not a big fan of the brown thread I used to stipple the top but what's done is done! It's about 45x45 inches.

just some ramblings

I find myself thinking all the time of a new life. I'm not at all satisfied in my marriage for a number of reasons, in fact, we haven't acted like a married couple at all for nearly 2 years and neither of us has worn our wedding rings in that amount of time either. There are a lot of reasons why but I'm at the point now where I just want it over and will do what it takes to get it that way.

Respect is a major issue. I ask him to do something and it never gets done. The kids see this and think it's ok. It's not. I'm not only stressed because I'm so miserable in this relationship but school isn't helping much either. We have PEPP next Monday, we start our trauma mod in 2 wks, and I still need 40 calls to be done on the ambulance. When I'm stressed I eat. My weight is getting ridiculous. So I'm stressed about that. My house looks like a bomb went off. I clean every day and if I leave for whatever reason it's always back to the way it was no matter how long I was gone.

Quilting is my stress relief. Sometimes it causes stress but that I can walk away from, it can't talk back.

I've already made up my mind to leave. Some things need to happen before I can do that (like getting my medic license and finding a job), I'm already dreaming of having a house that doesn't look (or sound) like a war zone. I'm going to take very few things with me because I have very little attachment to it. Most of what comes will belong to the kids.

Most of all I'm looking forward to being happy, something I haven't been in many years.

only 12 more weeks of school!!!

we have a winner!

Thank you all for the wonderful comments and all the love for Plume! I'm glad you all like this fabric as much as I do. There was a total of 208 eligible entries! I do have one project in mind with Plume but I have to get some other projects done first, we all know how that goes! One of those is a quilt that was supposed to be done for my son for Christmas. Well, yea, that didn't happen LOL!

Ok, I've stalled long enough so lets get on with the winner! Of the 208 eligible entries random.org chose:




Congrats KarrieLyne!! Email me your address (click contact me at the top) and I'll get your prize out!

And because I like giving away fabulous fabric I'm also going to give a plume charm pack away to a second winner:




Our 2nd winner is Nanotchka!

Congrats to the winners!! Please use the contact me button at the top to email your addresses so I can get your prizes off to you!!

it's GIVEAWAY time!!

So I have a little problem. I went crazy buying all of this:


It's 2 layer cakes, 3 charm packs and 3 jelly rolls. I must say, I *LOVE* this line! I bought what I needed and a little extra to share with one lucky winner, I'm giving away a Plume jelly roll and a charm pack! I'm in love with this new line and plan on making the spiked punch quilt (from a few posts down) for myself in the large size.

this is what you will be winning!


So, here are the details, you can get up to 5 entries! here's how:

for one entry just leave a comment!

for a second entry become a follower

for a third entry tweet this giveaway

for a fourth entry post this giveaway on another website

for a fifth entry blog this post!

For each step, leave me a comment along with a link to the appropriate site. The way blogger works with my comments is that every 200 comments it starts counting over, so if I get above 200 comments the next set would be 201 through 400. I will use Random.org to pick a winner! Now, you don't have to leave the comments all at the same time, I'll leave this giveaway up for 5 days so you can leave a comment each day if you'd like.

International entries are welcome!

Since I'm posting this late in the day you will have until MIDNIGHT CST on 2/21/10 to enter!

something in the works

I'm planning a GIVEAWAY! can't tell you yet what it will be but the retail value will be right around $50. This isn't a sponsored giveaway but rather coming out of my own pocket. I'll post the official blog entry when I have everything in hand! Keep an eye out for it, plus there will be ways to enter more than once!

big plans!

Despite being busy as can be with school I still have plans floating around in my head for some more quilts! I bought this awesome Tula Pink pattern

I'm planning on making this in the 96x96 inch size for my bed. This one will DEFINITELY be sent out to get quilted!

Sketched out a pattern using jelly rolls.

Bought my backing and binding fabric for the pinwheel quilt using this for the backing


and this for the binding


And I want to make Easy As Cake from the Moda Bake Shop. I would LOVE to make this quilt in Plume, I think it would look awesome!

Also decided it's probably best to buy a roll of batting because it doesn't go on sale very often, and because I have so many projects in the works. Going to get my hands on some Plume, Hunky Dory, and probably some of the make life dots.

But I must finish 2 quilts before beginning any other ones. At this rate I may exceed my goal of 10 finishes this year!

whirlwind

This week has been CRAZY!!! It started last Friday with an ER clinical, a call-less 12hr ride on Sunday, our Peds & OB/gyne mod test (which btw, I ROCKED!), an event filled ER clinical on Tuesday, more class on Weds, peds ER yesterday, and an ER tonite! I'm very thankful we have an 8 hr limit per 24 hrs on our hospital clinicals, I'm already wiped out from this week.

Tomorrow I am off! Going to take some time and spend with the kiddos tomorrow (I'm thinking the arcade would be a WONDERFUL plan!), going to one of my local quilt shops that just got some Verna yardage in for my pinwheel quilt, I need to get a new ironing board, and then work on another quilt for charity. I am SO looking forward to it! Back to the grind on Sunday for some time on L&D. Have a great weekend y'all!

done!

second finish for the year. one of the Christmas quilts is done!

i'm so ecstatic, this one gave me tons of fits in every way possible but i learned a lot from it. it's in the washer right now so I can't wait to see how it comes out! i think i'm going to lay this on her bed for when she gets home today, i can't wait for Valentine's day! i have an ER clinical tonite and won't be home when she gets home from school so i think that she will love coming home to this surprise on her bed. don't have measurements yet, will post them when its out of the wash.

outgrown

after today's disaster quilting my daughters quilt and just being frustrated every damn time i use my machine i can definitely say that i've outgrown it. it doesn't do the things i'd like (drop feed dogs), or have features i want (large spool holder), or have the consistency that i want. the harp is small. the presser foot bounces all over even when it's tightly attached, stitches are uneven on any given day. the only bobbins that work in it are the ones that came with it. even the singer brand sold at walmart don't work. they're slightly shorter than the bobbin casing and this causes the thread to pop out and make nasty nests on whatever i'm sewing.

it's easy to thread, easy to clean, easy to oil, easy to sew on, but i just feel very confined by this machine. my daughter has been begging for a sewing machine so i think it's time to invest in a new one and pass this one on to her, it's a perfect beginner machine.

my mom gave me this machine for Christmas one year, i've made many baby gifts, stuff for my own kids, even pieced together 5 tops, 4 of which were quilted on this machine, a shower curtain, scrubs for me, and a bunch of other stuff.

so singer 1120, it's been a good ride, but it's time to retire you.

quilty goodness!

ok, so i've been a busy little bee working on quilts and such. i was playing with a little of this


and FINALLY got one of the 2 christmas quilts quilted and the binding stitched to the front


i did a really crappy job on this one, it only puckered in one place but i didn't sew all the strips as straight as i thought and there was some fullness in the top. i did some really wonky lines as quilting, hopefully when it's washed it'll be decent looking. i'm hoping to get the binding hand stitched to the back today. it's going to be a Valentine's Day gift for my Lexi girl.