AAQI

I had half of a stomach bug (by which I mean I felt sick, had a fever, thought I might puke for about 24 hours but thankfully never did). I was so glad to wake up today feeling better!

My quilt for AAQI is ready to be mailed tomorrow- got my number today. Which means I'll have to brave the snow they didn't predict to get to the post office.

I wish I were a meteorologist! They get paid an awful lot for being wrong all the time!!! Seriously, last time they said 3-6" and we had less than one. Today, it was supposed to be less than one and we have nearly 3" already!

Stay tuned for-- GASP!-- a giveaway!!!! On the 22 of this month, I'll be passing along some of my recent good fortune to one lucky winner.

I'm off to go make some more kitchen cotton dishcloths- I've been converted! Plus, I made 2 yesterday that will be gifted next Christmas. how's that for planning ahead?

Enjoy the weekend! Travel safely if you're getting surprise snow, too!

Very Hungry!

A very hungry wallhanging.

 A friend of my mom contacted me about making a baby quilt and a wallhanging using The Very hungry caterpillar as the theme.

How could I resist? I love Eric Carle's books and artwork! I'm pretty pleased with the way these came out.

 I love the baby quilt. Especially the food fabric (I'm way too happy about having extra bits of the food fabric).

I used the other half of the panel for the back.

I have one more baby quilt to make, but it's not "due" until late summer- however, thinking ahead, I ordered enough of the dots, food fabric, and an extra panel so I can make another very hungry baby quilt! I'll probably change up the color placement, and it will be with different greens/red/yellows, but I love knowing that the design part is done already.

Want to know the BEST part of all?

I used my profits from this quilt and wallhanging to pay for my textbooks so I can start studying to be a personal trainer!!! EEK!

How's that for investing in my future? I can't wait until they arrive on Wednesday!

(The only bad news is that I'm out of spending $ for now... guess that means I'll have to actually use my stash! This could be a good thing!)

Ch ch ch changes!

I made this last week... I've been waiting for St Paddy's fabric to make another on the other side so it will be a reversible, multi-holiday table mat. I love that it doesn't scream VALENTINE'S DAY like hearts would.

And now, why the title of this post.

Due to recent, and not so recent rejections on the job front, due to over 200 job applications filled out and nothing more than a summer golf course clubhouse job, due to my drive and ambition to DO SOMETHING, I have decided (after mulling it over for almost 2 years in which I submitted those 200+ applications) to become a personal trainer.

I want to help others find the self-love I've found through exercise and activity. I want to help others get healthy, stay healthy, and pass it along to their families.

Frankly, I read every ounce of exercise-related media I can get my hands on anyway. And I'm slightly obsessed with The Biggest Loser. I watch the old episodes on Netflix daily.

It's kind of a big deal. If I succeed in this, I will be my own boss (at least partially). I will be helping others, and myself, to be Fit for Life.

And, I'll be well prepared to fight off quilter's butt for life!!!

Wish me luck. My cousin made this decision when he was 40, and he's opening his own CrossFit gym next month.

This is a reachable goal. Now, I just need to put on foot in front of the other, flip one page after another, and I'll reach it, just like I'll finish my first marathon this fall.

Up, down, all around

It's been a roller coaster of a day.

This morning, I squealed with delight when I found out that I won a charm pack of Domestic Bliss.

This afternoon, I wanted to cry/binge eat all the candy in the house/crawl in bed and sleep for a week when I found out I didn't get yet another job.

And then this evening, I've been giddy with excitement over the cutest quilt. The goal is to piece the backing and quilt  tomorrow so I can share it in all its marvelous, head-exploding cuteness.

Perhaps this up-down-up is why I'm soooooo exhausted now!

At least this weekend brings good news: DH's Biggest Loser-style competition starts, so he'll be back to eating healthy rather than binging on crap to try to pad his starting weight. It makes it easier on me to keep eating right when he's eating well, too.

Enjoy the weekend!

One Word

I've seen One Word posts all over blogland, not just with fabric friends but with runners, readers, and all sorts.

Perhaps, by picking one word, I will have more focus. Perhaps it will shape my year. Perhaps it will help me achieve my goals this year.

Given that I 1) am running my first marathon in September, 2) have a Dear Jane quilt started, 3) am trying to get more of a career than a job this year, I think this is a good word for me:

FINISH.

I will finish what I start. I will follow through. I will not quit.

Fabric Tuesday!

Yay, Fabric Tuesday is back over at Quilt Story!!!

It's a fun linky party they hold, of course, on Tuesdays.

So here's what I've been up to:

You already saw my tutorial for this composition notebook cover:

I've started plotting out the year's race schedule, which helps frame my training schedule. I officially signed up for my first full marathon on New Year's Day. This notebook will be one of my tools to help gauge my progress and stay injury-free. I cannot wait to run a full marathon!

And, speaking of marathons, of sorts, my Dear Jane blocks now number 6 total:

One machine appliqued, one paper-pieced, one hand-appliqued, and one simply pieced.

I think this must be the easiest block of the whole book!

 I've been making them in similar color families to the originals, or at least similar values, though obviously not reproductions by any means (See that tea fabric in the first DJ photo? That's right, my DJ has novelty fabric!).

Don't you love that oriental brown with its tiny chrysanthemums? This was one of the FQs my mom gave me for Christmas.

I think this will help with color balance once the whole quilt is assembled. The original looks marvelous when it comes to color balance, so I hope this works!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I have to run (4 miles today) and then it's off to my sewing room to work on Orca Bay.

Last year's scraps

Surprise! A tutorial for you! How to make a fabric notebook cover:

Materials: SCRAPS!!! Enough string to make 2 string blocks, and enough 2.25" binding scraps to measure ~42" total.

 

All seams are assumed 1/4" unless noted.

Step one: Make 2 8.5" string blocks. There are multiple sources for these; I suggest you google it if you don't know how. There are some fabulous tutorials already out there.

 Stitch your two sting blocks together. Then, stitch a length of unfolded scrap binding RIGHT SIDE TO WRONG SIDE OF BLOCKS:

Do not press that crease, it will help later. Do the same for the other side:

 Normally, right now, you'd be yelling, "ACK!" But don't worry!

 Press the edges of the binding under just less than 1/4", then fold and stitch down. This is why it helps to not press that nice crease out.

 See, I caught just the edge.
Now, trim 1/4" from each non-binding side:

 Take two more pieces of binding, leaving them FOLDED this time, and stitch the raw edge down.

 Press towards the strings, then fold the binding at the crease so none shows on front. Carefully turn the tiniest bit under (Some might want to do this by hand) and stitch a small curved corner.

 And voila! You can cover your composition notebook!

Say hello to my new training log. 

See how last year's scraps can be put to use this year?

Let's hope 2012 brings all the dreams we've dreamt to life!