Andriella's Attic

Well, I know it’s been quite a while since I updated my blog, but holy cow! I logged in to the admin page and saw that I had received over 1800 comments that were pending approval. Really? 1800? I have sorted through 200 of those comments and so far Chester Honneyman and Girls Gone Wild both think I have the best blog ever! Well, that should count for something, right?

The truth is that I am suffering from a serious creative slump. I have many many wips that have caused me nothing but problems. I work at a quilt shop that carries some of my most favorite fabrics, but I can’t seem to come up with a new project that my boss is interested in having as a sample. I need help!  Any suggestions?

Okay, so I’ve been wanting to try improvisational piecing for a while, so I decided to make a baby quilt.  We have a family friend who recently adopted a baby.  I was told that there was going to be a welcome party for the new baby and parents at the end of July, so I set out to work right away.

I didn’t have the owl fabric at first.  I found it after I picked the rest of the fabrics, and I think it works perfectly!  I immediately started cutting and sewing.  It was a lot of fun!

I finished 8 of the 9 blocks.  It then occurred to me as time went by that I didn’t hear anything else about this “Welcome Party.”  The date came and went.  Apparently there either was no party, or we weren’t invited.  Either way, it appears I didn’t have to be sewing with such urgency.  The family will still get the quilt, but in it’s own time.  Sigh.

Okay, so this blog has been so neglected, and I’m sad about that.  However, I recently started a modern quilt guild and we are lucky enough to have many great bloggers in our midst.  Each time we meet I am inspired to stop making excuses and to update my own blog.  So here we go!  I decided that I will just post what I am motivated to write about and not worry about staying in chronological order.  I get so bogged down in the details, that I overwhelm myself trying to play catchup.  Instead, I will just write about whatever floats my boat on that particular day.

Today, free motion quilting floats my boat.  I’ve been doing a lot of it lately.  It offers so much freedom, and with a little practice, looks very cool!

This is my “picnic quilt.”  It’s just so pretty and girly!  When it’s done, I will post a pic.  I made a HUGE quilty faux pas with this one.  I wanted some hand stitching to work on when we went on a road trip.  I didn’t have enough time to finish all of the quilting and machine stitch the binding before I left.  I decided that since it was well basted that I could just quilt the outer edges of the section that wasn’t finished in order to stabilize the edge.  I then machine stitched the binding on so that I could hand sew the binding in the car.  The thought of having to sit for multiple hours without anything to do causes me great anxiety.  I feel the need to have options to keep my attention when I am idle.  Mind you, this does not mean that I have actually finished the binding yet.  As a matter of fact, the trip was in May.  It is now August and the machine quilting is still not done.    I just needed to know that IF I got bored, it was there to work on.  Oops!  I know, bring out the smelling salts for the quilt police!  Has anyone else ever taken short cuts with their quilts?  I’d love to hear those stories–both successful and not so much!

See ya!

Andrea

I’ve been away from blogland for a while, but there has been much going on.  Our family has been focused on our 4 year old son, Connor.  He was diagnosed with mild Autism.  We have been so wrapped up in his diagnosis and search for treatment that there has been time for little else.  I am finally reaching a point where we need to focus again on the joy that life brings us.  There’s always so much to worry about, but there’s also much to celebrate.  Which leads me to my big announcement. . . I am starting a modern quilt guild, actually I am starting the Brighton Modern Quilters.  I was inspired by Alissa of  Handmade By Alissa.  She created the LA Modern Quilt Guild and has reached out to others across the country to do the same in their areas.  Since I work at Monarch Quilts, I approached my boss/owner Jane and asked for permission to use Monarch as the meeting location since it is centrally located and of course, the best most Modern quilt shop in the area!  I’ve created a group on ning.com and I’m working with Alissa and Angie, a Monarch customer to get this going.  You can visit our group at brightonmodernquilters.ning.com.

Iwill be posting more soon!

I know, I know.  It’s been forever since I posted.  The worst part about it is that I hate it when my favorite blogs aren’t updated on a regular basis!  At first my excuse was the start of school and issues with Connor, babysitting, and Daisies.  Then, my camera battery died, and we couldn’t find the cord to charge it.  I absolutely refuse to add a post without some pictures.  I mean, who really cares about the blathering I’m capable of?  The people who visit this blog are really only doing so for the pics.  Well, when I visit blogs, I’m mostly just interested in the pictures.  So, without further ado, here’s what’s been going on for the past 2 months!

     We had our reunion over Labor Day at my inlaw’s house.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pics at the function, itself, just this one of the kids baking the blondies we took.

It was a nice weekend.  The kids had a blast playing with their cousins, and the food was awesome.  It was great to hang out by the fire and tell stories.  Eventually, though, we had to get back to real life.  The first day of school was the next day.  Laurel was excited to be back, and she loves her teacher.

She and her BFF Aimee aren’t in the same class, but I think that actually helps them to get along better. 

     Connor’s first day of school did not go well, as most of you know.  We ended up putting him in the 3 year class, and now he’s doing great!  The teacher is fantastic and it’s a small class.  The kids are adorable!  His teacher, Mrs. Pekins, hosted a “Woodland Wonderland” outing at her house.  It was phenomenal!  Her property was set up better than many parks I’ve been to!  We had a map to follow and stations to stop at and activities to do to learn all about woodland creatures and their homes.  Connor’s favorite part was walking and playing with his friend Myla.  She is cute beyond words.  The pics that follow do not do justice to the work Mrs. Pekins put into this.

Yes, this is part (only part!) of her back yard!

Connor and Myla in the “cave.”  How cool is that?

Connor and Myla in one of 3 tents set up to show what it’s like to camp.  The kiddy pools were set out to keep the kids dry.  She thinks of everything!

One of many learning centers.

Two little monkeys!

Who knew how fun it could be to throw golf balls down gutters and pvc pipe?

Laurel isn’t the only budding artist in the family!  Connor named this particular work “Pumpky.”

Work is still going great.  It’s my new medication.  When I’m feeling down, it’s like visiting sisters who are passionate about the same things.  And, touching the fabric doesn’t hurt either!  I introduced you to my friend Robin earlier, and now it’s time to meet Diane.  She is hysterical!  She comes across as very innocent, but once you get to know her, you find out how wicked smart and funny she is.  I won’t bore you with all the details behind the whoopee cushion.  Just know that yes, a real fart was involved, and no, we didn’t just walk away and pretend it didn’t happen!

Next, we’ll focus on Halloween.  Thanks to my friend Sharri, who had a party on the 17th, the costumes were finished well in advance of the holiday.  Connor originally wanted to be a fan, however, he decided that Spongebob would be the next best thing.  Phew!  I didn’t have to figure out a bunch of mechanics afterall!  Laurel wanted to be a popstar witch, which apparently meant that you add hot pink to a witch costume.  Easy peasy!

It was cooollldd on Halloween, so we didn’t get to see Spongebob’s kneesocks or the witch’s skirt very well, but you get the idea.  Connor and Laurel had been watching Spongebob earlier that d

Well, summer is almost over.  I don’t know how to feel about it.  I’m sad, because I kind of like the lack of routine and being able to do things on a whim.  I’m not good at structure and being overscheduled.  I am excited, though, because Laurel thrives in school, and Connor gets to go to preschool this year.  I’m also scared because I don’t know how Connor will handle the new schedule.  We also have several things up in the air with his schedule, like therapy, and perhaps another preschool option offered by LESA.  I think I’ll be on edge until we get some of those things nailed down. 

Work is going great!  I didn’t realize how badly I needed an outlet like the quilt shop.  It’s nice to bring home a paycheck (a miniscule paycheck, but a paycheck, nonetheless!).  I started feeling noticeably happier in the middle of the summer, and I was trying to figure out why.  It took me a couple of days to realize it was because of work!  I started working every Thursday at the end of July, and although it’s a really long day and exhausting, I absolutely love it!  I love our customers, I love the staff, and of course I love the fabric!  Most of all, I think it’s improved my self-worth.  I can be paid to do what I love, and darn it, I’m good at it!  (Insert pat on the back)  Anyway, enough of that!  I know you guys just want pics of the kids, so we’ll get to the entertaining part of this post. . .

As usual, I’ve been doing some sewing.  Included in that are some back-to-school clothes for Laurel.  Can’t you see how thrilled she is?  I’ve been excited about upcycling some of her old jeans.  Since her waist is so tiny, she gets too tall for her pants before she grows out of the waist.  So, I’ve been using her old jeans to make new skirts. . .

This next one is her “Popstar Outfit.”  She was excited about this one.  She can’t wait to wear it with her “Twinkle Toes” shoes that Grammy got her!

She’s trying to look cool while I take her picture.  She has put on several shows for us.  They include singing songs from “KidzBop 16″  while dancing in this outfit.

Last Saturday was Abbey Bean’s birthday party.  Connor was excited.  Excited about what, you ask?

Why, CAKE, of course!

Laurel decided it was time to learn how to use the sewing machine.  I taught her how to raise and lower the presser foot, how to cut the threads and push the foot pedal.  Apparently, that’s all she needed to know!

Ta daaaahhh!  Purses!  She figured out how to make them all by herself! 

This week will be a busy week.  We’re getting ready to start school, but we are also getting ready to come to Niles.  Yesterday, Craig made his pizzelles while listening to Christmas music.  Tomorrow, I’ll be baking some other kind of cookie.  You can always tell when we get a little homesick, because you’ll start to see things like these coming out of the kitchen. . .

My rendition of Antone’s past with fried cheese.

And, Craig’s awesome rendition of Alberini’s pepperoni rolls!  Doesn’t that just make your mouth water??  These are so good that our neighbor has asked if he can start placing orders and buying them off of Craig!  Perhaps there’s another career opportunity for him!

A couple of weeks ago, our friends Mark and Marla spent the weekend with us.  They brought their awesome dog, Chloe with them.  Let’s just say that she kept the kids busy so Marla and I could sew.  Introducing. . .

Super Chloe!!!  Oh, and Kelly, if you read this, here’s a little tease. . . The fabric in the lower right corner is from Ali’s outfit!

Well, I think that’s enough for now.  I need to go back to working on ML’s table runners.  No rest for the wicked!

Well, yesterday my friend Sharri and I took the kids to a circus in Flushing.  It was good for a laugh!  Can you imagine the smell of elephant poop in the middle of a crowded tent in sunny, 85 degree weather?  Mmmmm, refreshing!  The kids were miserable and hungry, the drinks cost $4 each, and we were out of cash before intermission.  I thought, at least they have fans!  There were a couple of industrial sized fans around the perimeter of the tent.  During intermission, I was taking Connor to go potty, and we stopped to look at the fan.  He went under the tent flap to the outside, and I thought he was just going to look at the back of the fan.  Oh, no!  He decided to drop his drawers and take a wiz right out in the open.  I started yelling at him, which only drew more attention to the situation, so I decided to let him finish.  Apparently, the boy REALLY had to go!  Thank goodness kids are not as jaded as adults because, Barnem and Bailey, this circus was not!  I haven’t had an alcoholic beverage since balloon fest, but a beer was definitely in order at dinner.

Back to the summer shenanigans update. . .  A couple of weeks ago, we went to Niles for Connor’s birthday.  He turned 4!

All he cared about was getting cupcakes.  It didn’t matter what other presents he got!  We decided to take the family out to Wagon Trails Animal Park in Vienna.  It was great.  I’ve never seen so many large tongues in my life!  We road on a tram and got to feed lots of different kinds of animals.

Hey, this is a family program!!

Just one of the highlights of the visit!  Here’s another. . .

We finished off the trip to Niles with an outing on Kool’s boat.  The kids had a blast, but Laurel does not want to go tubing again until she’s 40 years old!

Well, I’ll leave you with just one more picture.  Craig’s Sacred Heart quilt is finally done.  It was entered into our guild’s quilt show last week.

Now, it’s off to Joann’s with us!  We’re meeting  Bethany and the girls there to discuss Halloween costume options.  Yes, I know it’s still August!

Okay, so it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I have the most lame excuse.  I got a new camera for my birthday, and it took me a while to get with hubby to figure out how to upload the pics.  I think blogs without pictures are boring, so the last thing I wanted to do was just write a bunch of drivel without something interesting to look at!  So, here’s what’s happened over the last month. . .

The 4th of July was spent sewing.  I gave Laurel a long piece of muslin and let her draw on it.  She drew pictures of our family watching fireworks, complete with Connor holding a cookie.  I then turned this into a skirt for her to play dress-up with.  She decided to wear it to see the fireworks that night.

I took many, many pictures with my new camera.  It’s so much better than our old camera.  The detail is amazing.  Then, I tried to post the pics on the blog, and it said the files were too big!  No wonder the resolution was so awesome!  So, Mr. Techy, aka Craig, had to help me out.

So, let’s all sing together. . . “All I want is a room somewhere. . .”  Welcome to my favorite “room”  in my house:

It’s the perfect vantage point to watch the neighborhood.  Or to catch Connor on the run. . .

He won’t go far.  Probably just on his way to “Miss Befany’s.”  We tried to stay busy this summer.  Some days we just hung out at home.

Other days we went to the local beach. . .

and met some new friends while we were there. . . Looks like Connor has some competition for the Cheez-Its!

Well, that’s enough excitement for now.  Tomorrow I’ll do another post with more of our summer hijinx.  I’m getting tired now, and I must deposit my oldest into her bed!

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