Joshua's Angels

 

This is Joshua and my son Ty (with the hat).

 

Joshua is 5 years old and has Cystic Fibrosis.

 

The son of Mark and Nicole. Very loving and devoted parents, amazing people and friends of mine.

 

Me, Mark, and Nicole

 

"Joshua's Angels" was created in 2008 as the team name for the Great Strides walk in Manchester NH, to find a cure Cystic Fibrosis. I joined the team in 2011 after learning all about Joshua from his Gramma, Fran, whom which I work with.

 

Fran and me

This past weekend, Joshua spent time in the hospital fighting a bacterial infection.  He is home now, still on medicine for the infection but feeling better.

 

 Time seemed to stand still this weekend. It affected me in an unexpected way.  I felt helpless.  All I could offer were my thoughts for him to get better.  I kept checking facebook for his mom's posts and pictures, and word that he would be coming home.

 

And then I had an idea... The Great Strides walk is May 18th. If I can make and sell some quilts between now and then, I will donate all profits to the walk and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I have never sold a quilt. Heck I haven't even finished one for my family to keep yet. (Although my youngest son's top is almost complete.) I have only completed 4 quilts ever! All gifts.  I have had many people suggest I sell them but always felt that I should make my kids quilts first at least.  Maybe someday I thought.  Maybe that someday is now.  Maybe this is how I can make a difference.  I called my husband and told him the idea and he was all for it.  We all know support from our loved ones is important.  Now all I had to do was work out the details.  And ask Joshua's mom if it was ok that I use his picture in this post. :)

 

The helpless feeling went away. I was excited. I am excited. I can do something I love, share it with others and donate money I earn to help find a cure for Joshua and so many others fighting CF.

Now...to make a few quilts and find a few buyers. That is a challenge I am up for!



Linking up (even though I don't have a quilt started for this little project of mine, I thought sharing the idea would be ok)



Around the Block

I can finally post about this lovely quilt! We had a baby shower at my work for our co-worker and her husband and beautiful baby girl on Monday. It took me only four days to make this quilt. I am so excited to share it with you so enough words...lets get to the pictures. Warning: There are a lot of them!

 

Day 1:

 

 

I am sorry for not so great picture. It's a cell phone pic.

 

I cut and pieced the top in one day. A first for me. It was a super easy pattern. I found it here via pinterest.

 

Day 2:

 

 

I usually spray baste. But this time I ran out of spray adhesive about a 1/4 of the way through. So then I pulled out my safety pins. Ran out of those too. So I packed up my daughter and we ran out to the dollar store. Why? I am not sure. I guess because it was close. I will never make that mistake again. The pins kept on bending on me. Shrug. Oh well...I got through it.

 

 

Day 3:

Quilting

I had seen a couple of quilts with a big target looking quilted pattern on them and thought this would be perfect for this quilt. So I gave it a try. I didn't measure, just eyeballed it.

 

 

 

 

Two more cell phone pics, sorry.

But I really love the way it came out.

 

 

Day 4:

Binding

In a lovely Kona solid, I wish I knew which color. Sorry. It is the same solid on the top of the quilt.

 

 

 

Had to wait a few days for some sun to take some pictures outside.

 

 

 

 

 

I really, really love this quilt. Part of me didn't want to even give it away, but a beautiful little girl, born 6 or so weeks early will love it. And hopefully have it for a long time. It measures approximately 51 inches x 51 inches. Only thing missing is a label. I will hand embroider one and then add it to the quilt.

 

Hope you like it! The baby's Mom and Dad do!

 

I'm linking up today too!

 

 

 

and

 

 

 

 

 

Scrappy Trip Around the World

Look what I made...

I finally have done something for me! Yup, this one is for me. I had these fabrics handy and decided to try one of these blocks that everyone keeps posting about. I am planning on making a block from scraps of each of the quilts I have made (that number is still very small, 4 completed).  I don't even know how big I am going to make it.  Just going to see where it takes me. I am so excited!!!

 

The corners aren't perfect, so don't look too carefully.  And I just realized the block is upside down...sorry little birds.

 

Still can't post about my project. The new parents haven't received it yet. 

I conquered!

My anxiety over working with something new, that is!

 

Ran out of spray adhesive 1/4 of the way through. And then ran out of safety pins. No the project isn't huge, I just don't normally use a lot of pins so I don't have many. Ran to a local dollar store to grab some more pins....yeah, shouldn't have done that. They kept bending on me. Oh well. It is done at least. And when I head back to Joann's to get the binding fabric (yup forgot all about it) I will restock my spray adhesive and better safety pins. Sigh

 

No pics yet. Sorry. 

 

 

One of those days

I found this blog today. Honest Mom. There is so much to it. It is amazing. She tells it like it is and seems to have no fear to tell her story. At times, I felt like I was reading about myself. And it is nice, no - more like...comforting, no - hmm, not sure how to describe this feeling, to know that I am not alone. Others go through what I go through. Have the same struggles from time to time.

 

When I had the idea to start this little blog, I struggled with a name. I wanted it to be a quilting and sewing blog and felt the name should fit that. But I wasn't really into the craft yet so I put it out there on my facebook page for ideas. To my surprise, that is how I got the name. An old friend suggested it. I thought...how perfect. Putting the Pieces Together. That was what I would be doing after all...sewing fabric together. But it also left the door open to make it about more. About life, kids, work, love.

 

Isn't that what life is about anyways...putting all the pieces together?

 

Like tonight. I sat on my computer reading blogs, and procrastinated basting my latest project. My anxiety was high. I bought a fabric this morning that I have never worked with. It is a super soft fleece-like fabric. What if I do it wrong and mess up the project? I am sure it will be fine, but it is taking that giant (ok, not so giant, but it sure feels that way to me right now) leap into something new.

 

So here I am, quilting away (except on anxiety filled nights like tonight) and trying to put the pieces of my private life together. I guess I thought that by this point in my life they would be together. Will they ever be together? Are your pieces together? I have shared a small amount about my family here. Only a few pictures of my kids. And yet there is so much more to me. And so many more pieces that I am still trying to figure out. Will I be able to step out of my box and share more, like Honest Mom does or will I stick with my pieces of fabric? Only time will tell. 

 

After feeling pretty defeated, I am obviously back on my computer (I seem to hide in front of it often) and sharing with you a little more about me and my thoughts. Is this even something that you want to read, or should I just stick with my sewing projects?

Yup.

 

And this too...

 

 

I miss it.

 

 

 

 

 

   

Check these out!!

 

The colors are so much prettier in person. Guess that is what I get for taking them at night instead of in the natural light.

 

Can't wait till the washer is done...then the dryer...I want to get to cutting these beauties.

I am linking up with Quilt Story today. And these beautiful fabrics will be my next project for week. I only have a few days to complete it and don't want to give away what it is for (in case the recipient of it is looking) so you will have to check back next week for more pictures. Follow me so you don't forget. :)
(Plus I would love to know that I am reaching more people in the wonderful blog world. Hehe. We all want to feel loved, right?)

Update: 11pm Tuesday night...I cut all the fabric and completed the top of the quilt today!!! I can't believe it. I am absolutely amazed that I did it so fast. I forgot to buy batting so I will be off to the store tomorrow to do just that...and a backing fabric too.



Discovery

I follow a lot of blogs. Love looking at all the amazing projects that people around the world are creating. They inspire me to do more. To try new things. They introduce me to a whole different world. One thing I have had a hard time understanding (keep in mind that I am new to sewing/quilting), is how people have so many projects going at once. Some that sit for months, even years. I have only finished 3 quilts, and only have one in the works. And with the expectation of stopping one quilt to make another for my son's teacher's baby, I have started a project and worked on it till it is complete. I was feeling very guilty about putting aside my son's fabric and making  something else actually.

 

But after several months off from sewing, I started back, making my son's quilt. And I have made a discovery...I understand now why people have more than one project going! As much as I love the fabric my son has chosen, I am getting a little bored with it. Would love to work with something else for a bit of a change of pace.

 

I have so many ideas in my head of things I want to make. So many fabrics I want to buy (wish money grew on trees...don't we all wish that). What do I do first though? And I don't really have a big enough fabric stash to start a new project. Well I do have this lovely bundle of fabric for my oldest's quilt.

 

 

I love the jungle theme. Just hoping by the time I get to it he still likes it too. But I can't really do anything with it yet. You see the pattern he chose is for a baby quilt and I am making him a twin sized one for his bed. So I have some figures that need playing with so I can cut the right sized pieces. Never done that before so it may be a challenge. Any suggestions that may make it easier are more than welcome.

 

Yesterday I came up with a new project, however. A friend just had a baby girl the other day...about 6 weeks early. It is her first child. She is a beautiful little girl and both mom and baby are doing well. She is in the NICU to make sure her lungs develop however. Sooo...I have a few days, maybe, to make a quilt for her. A tall order, I know. But I am up for the challenge. And it means I get to go buy fabric!!!  Mom's favorite colors are pink, orange and green. I have been looking online all morning...found a few I like that should fit the bill.

 

Like Savanna Bop, or Hello Sunshine, or even this one - Enchanted Garden. I would even love to pick some fabrics from Bonnie & Camille's Marmalade . I would love to order something but unfortunately then I would have to wait for it to be shipped. And there is now way I could get it done before she goes home. (Not even sure I will be able to do that buying fabric locally)

 

So this evening I am off to my local fabric store to hopefully find the perfect fabrics to make a beautiful quilt for a precious little girl.

 

Wish me luck!