milkandhoneydesigns

Book Review : another Bite of Schnibbles

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

another Bite of Schnibbles
by Carrie Nelson

I love all the quilts by Carrie Nelson. She designs the kinds of quilts I like to make. They are all pieced, which is my very favorite part of quilting, and all her designs are amazing. Each design works well in whatever fabric preference you have, which is the true test of great designing. For each quilt design there are two patterns: you can make the quilt using 10" squares or using 5" squares. I love that for each quilt, you get to see 2 colorways because she makes them with different precut lines.

My favorite? The Getaway pattern is really fun. It can blend well, or it can be striking and stark. I love it. I think it would be perfect for all my stacks of precuts. Yes, I have stacks of precuts waiting and longing for me to make use of them. If you are like me with stacks of fabric waiting to be sewn and cut, you should totally get this book. You will love it.

Book Review of back to Charm School

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

by Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene

There are 20 cute and fun quilts to make in this fun book. All the quilts are small, table or wall sized, and they will take you very little time to whip up for yourself or a loved one.

My favorite quilt is the pattern called..."Don't Tip your Chair at the Table." It is the fun method of piecing a quilt, and then cutting out squares and repiecing it to make it look wonky and like windmills. I am a sucker for quilts made in a different and unique way. I love it, and I totally want to try it out.

There are also patterns for a fun and funky pillow, and a super cute tree skirt. You should totally check this book out.

Book Review of Urban Country Quilts

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

by Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks

The cover quilt on this book is so super duper cute. Check it out here. I love it. I want to make it right now. It is totally my style. As I thumb through the pages of the book, there isn't one quilt that I don't like. That is saying something! All of these quilts are cute and fun. They are traditional with a twist of modern that appeals to this young (ish) quilter.

There are patterns to make a variety of sizes of quilts, wool wall art, and pillow cases. I love that there are a bunch of patterns to choose from, and I like all the instructions. I really enjoyed learning how to frame the applique patterns. I have been wondering how to do my own framing for awhile, and now I have the information I need. ya hoo! I love having good information.

Book Review of everyday Handmade

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

by Cassie Barden and Adrienne Smitke

I love the idea behind these everyday Handmade books. I love the return to making things yourself. Everything from wallets, bags, stuffed animals, aprons, etc... Returning to self reliance, to giving gifts made from the heart, to spending time and energy to make something special, it all kinda makes my heart go pitter pat.

If you are looking for an easy project or something a little more complicated, this book has something for you to try out. I SOOO want to make the messeger bag, but I know it is going to take hours (something I don't really have). But, the cute fun iPad case I could totally take care of in 1 hour.

Go to amazon and check out all the projects. I guarantee there is something there you will just have to make!

Book Review of Fast and Fun First Quilts

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

by Sara Diepersloot

I loved it when my sweet kiddos saw this book on our counter. Mitchell leaned over to me and asked me if I wrote this book. After I said no, he said, "Did she steal the name of your book?" ....the answer is NO! Okay, it is similar, but this book wanted to stay away from the flirty idea which has earned me some funny looks. I guess the other Sara is a little smarter than me.

Okay, onto the Book Review. This book has 18 fun projects to choose from. The author clearly loves large scale prints (as do the rest of us quilters), and the fabric does most of the work here, so you don't have to. Any quilter who needs to get a quilt done in a hurry will love these quilt designs, they are perfect for weekend projects, and great first quilts for those who are beginning their addiction to this fun art.Check it out....and have fun.

2012-01-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

After getting my super cute business cards printed from WHCC.com I had to make a business card holder to take care of them.

I found a great tutorial on The Crafty Cupboard.

The only real difference with mine, is I used laminated fabric as the outer fabric. Yes, a little hard to work with, but it will stay cleaner. And, we all know that mothers with 4 little children need all help we can get. ALL THE HELP!!!!! ( am I getting this across...my children have been messy lately, breaking more things than I would like to say, but at least I can protect some stuff....like all important business cards)

Okay, to not scare you off, I have to say this project took me 1 hour. That is it. I was even acting as a parenting referee for part of the time, and trying to get dinner on the table. If I can do it, you can!

All my supplies.

I marked the center to put my button in by folding

the fabric in half. You probably didn't need that explanation,

but someone did...and this is for them!

Showing all the layers, ready to go...yep, that is a

red hair elastic for the clasp.

Maybe it is just me, but sewing on laminated fabric,

especially Moda's is challenging. It is thick, and

doesn't glide well. Oh well, the seams were almost perfect.

Clip those edges. I almost always forget to do this

before I turn the edges.

The finished project. Everything looks

way better after a good ironing (on the non-laminated

side of course)

Closed.....

Open....those are my cute cards inside.

Sew...it's ART.

2012-01-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

Remember a while back, I posted about this

and this...

and this?

Well, now we are asking for more help to further the cause.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and as such I am a member of the Relief Society organization. Our purpose of Relief Society is to provide support to those in need....it doesn't matter where they live, they could be neighbors, or live in distant lands. We simply want to lift the weary hands that hang down (Hebrews 12:12).

As part of our efforts to help others in need, we have organized a project called Sew...it's Art. We are working to provide wall hangings for orphanages and institutions around the world. On Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LDS church building at 939 W. Chapala Drive there will be an exhibition showing all the great wallhangings, after which the quilts will be sent off to their new homes.

We would LOVE to see your wallhangings join ours.

YES, I am asking you to contribute to the fun. Go to the Sew..it's Art website, and follow the instructions on how to make the wallhanging. Nothing could be simpler. Plus, there are so many that will benefit from your generosity. Not only will orphans from around the world get to see something beautiful, but you have the chance to learn a new skill. Maybe there is a new method you would like to try out? Maybe you want to work on your binding skills? Maybe you have always wanted to tackle curved piecing....maybe it is machine applique? Whatever you want to learn, try it out on this small canvas. Not only will your skills improve, but your heart will grow in size as well.

I know as I put aside my own to do list, and help others, magically I am blessed. I find time to get work for others done, as well as the things on my list. The small things I have done to help others, blesses me much more than I bless others. I am constantly in debt to a loving Heavenly Father, who wants to bless the efforts I make to serve Him.

I hope you will join me in this effort. It's a small thing, but will mean so much to those for whom you do it. When you are ready to send it, you can send it to me. Just email, and I will let you know my address.

PLEASE read the guidelines page before you start. A couple key guidelines are:

quilt any size between 18"x18" and 40"x40"

NO fabrics with WORDS, LETTERS, FLAGS, RELIGIOUS, OR MILITARY THEMES

(as this is going to many different countries and religious organizations)

THANKS for being willing to help in this cause!

Headband tutorials....just in time.

2011-12-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a super easy headband tutorial, just in time for your friends and neighbors you love so much. Last night, my sweet daughter needed some quick gifts for friends, so I whipped up 8 of these babies in about an hour. That is my kind of gift.

Okay, it may take you longer than an hour (if you have never made one before), but not much.

Here's what you will need:

1 - 2 1/2"x 21" strip (this is the length of a fat quarter, or half width of fabric)

1 goody hair elastic (the thick ones)

1. First cut your strip. Clear a spot from your overflowing cutting area, and give yourself a small area to make a cut. (Oh, you are more organized, and have a clean work space...congrats to you!)

2. Cut the corners off...this is so the headband tapers down to your neck. I cut off 1/2" on each side over 4 inches....does that make sense? Look at the picture, you will understand better.

3. See.....it is tapered.

4. Fold the fabric over twice (a little less than 1/4"), and iron in place. You may want to use a spray starch to keep it in place.

BIG TIP...if you have a rolled hem foot use it. I used it last night and all my dreams came true. It was awesome.

5. Pin down your ironed edges....just to help yourself a little.

5. Using a super small seam...sew the edges down.

5. Get ready to put your headband together...use the goody hair elastic.

6. Fold your raw edge over first.

7. Now, fold the folded edge over the elastic, and pin in place.

****This is where you need to use your brain. Check the size of your head. How tight do you want this to be, how loose? And adjust your folds accordingly. The bigger the fold, the smaller the headband, etc. For adults, I folded it over twice about 1/2", for children, maybe it was 1" (as you can tell, I am super precise).

8. Do that to both sides. And then sew in place.

9. Clap and cheer, you are done, and you have a super cute headband.

10. Give it to a loved one, make them put it on ....then and there, and they will LOVE you for always and forever.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our house to yours....have a beautiful Holiday!

WHCC

2011-12-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

These are the Rep Card offered by WHCC. A number of times I have been asked for my business card, but had nothing to offer. So, finally, I put one together using photoshop. I knew it had to be cute, and I wanted it to reflect my personality, as well as show some of my work.

This is the result. I love it. I printed these using the pearl finish, and I love the look of it. I totally won't be embarrased to give these little babies out.

The cost? $12.00 for 50. I know it is a little steep, but I think it is reasonable for me. Of course, if you are printing more, the cost is less per card. If you are looking for a unique business card, or unique cards, wedding announcements and more, check out whcc.com.

Artisan Bread, wheat style

2011-12-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

Today I made creamy chicken noodle soup for the teachers at my kids elementary school. I made enough for our family tonight, but we definitely needed a starch to accompany it. We are trying to be healthy, so I thought maybe grinding wheat and making 100% wheat artisan bread.

Grinding the wheat was fun, Noah hasn't seen me do that since he has been old enough to get excited about it. He loved it, he kept wanting to watch those little wheat berries get ground to bits. Then came the mixing of ingredients.....let's just say, this was a much less wet mixture than with white flour.

As you can see, Noah liked the mixing the ingredients too. He really wanted to get as dirty as possible. I tried to keep him out of the dough, but finally gave up, and just gave him a small portion of the dough to call his own.

And this is how they turned out. The master recipe can be found here. I used 12 cups wheat flour, and 1 cup regular white flour. These loaves were a little more dense than usual, but they were still yummy!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

My family has discovered Kid History. This is episode 7, the Christmas Episode, and I had to share it with you. If you like, check out the rest of the kid history's, they are hilarious. We quote them quite often in our home, and they are a source of lots of funny joy.

I hope your Christmas season is going well. Things are moving along pretty well here. I have been busy working on many Christmas cards for friends and friends of friends. I am happy to say I just completed my last card. The shopping is all done, and the gifts are all wrapped and under the tree. Do you think now I can go to the sewing room? We can only hope. I have tons of fun designs dancing in my head, waiting to come out. Wish me luck.

Merry Christmas.

Digital Card Tutorial

2011-11-29T09:34:00.001-08:00

Using digital cards is really fun and easy. I have provided three free Christmas cards for you all to use as you will. There is a new one this year, Blessed. Anyway, back to the tutorial.

Download here.

1. Download the .png file from the website. This is more than just copying it from my blog, you must download the file as a .png for it to work for you.

2. Use a program that work with a .png file. I use Photoshop, but PSE works too, as well as picasa and paint.

3. The cards are like physical layers, imagine you are really scrapbooking. Put your photos beneath the .png overlay. You can change the order of your photos and the card by dragging the side bar (as shown in the illustration below).

4. Once you have completed your cards, upload them to costco.com, (upload them at the slower speed), and then print.

The internet is a great resource. I have learned the majority of my photoshop skills from researching it on the internet. If you have questions, play on google, be patient. Ask friends, ask me, ask on internet forums, ....there are some great resources out there.

Good Luck and Merry Christmas.

I have changed this card to be blank where the year is. You can simply use the type tool to add the year to the card. I typed mine in white, an then changed the opacity a bit.

Here's the link for the above card.

Here's the link for this card.

This time of year...

2011-11-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

I always forget how incredibly busy November is. For me, it almost feels busier than December. How is that? There are family pictures to take, christmas cards to make for our own familly, and Christmas cards to make for others. There are neighbor gifts to plan, and make, and sweat over.

Plus, for me, November is a crazy time for my calling (Stake Primary Music Leader). A new year means new music, new training for the ward choristers, and going to all the wards Primary Programs in our stake. So wonderful, and a little busy. Luckily, we just finished making our Christmas gifts for all the wards, and my gifts for the music leaders are half finished. Should I be sewing those now instead of writing on this blog?
Don't understand what I am talking about: go to mormon.org

All this to say....this time of year is busy. We are all preparing for the end of the year. Closing out this year, and beginning new projects, giving gifts, and being grateful for all we have. It's an awesome time of year isn't it? Maybe you need a little ME time. Perhaps you would like to immerse yourself in fabric, thread, and a new pattern? If you aren't too busy doing all the crazy things that happen in November...maybe you can join me in a little ME time.

ARE YOU TOO BUSY? If you have a couple hours to spare, would you like to JOIN me? I am lecturing and teaching a class for the Green Valley Quilters guild on Nov. 18 (lecture) and November 19 (class). If you can join us, you TOTALLY should. Here is the guilds website. They meet at the American Legion building at

1560 W. Duval Mine Rd., Green Valley, AZ

The class is at Friends in Deed

301 W. Camino Casa Verde

I will be teaching my Dripping Diamonds quilt starting at 9 a.m. We are going to have a BLAST! If you would like to take the class, please contact Green Valley Quilt Guild, and they can set you up. See you soon.

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-11-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here's hoping your Halloween was as awesome as Pooh Bears!

Now onto the ....Holidays. I'm in the middle of working on gifts for friends, neighbors, church friends, family, and working on the second book. I have no idea if the second book thing will happen, because life is well....FULL. Happily, and awesomely.....FULL.

Full of JOY!

Working hard....

2011-10-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is what I am currently working on. It's quilt for my parents. They commissioned me to make them a quilt for their home (to cover an unsightly wall).

Full disclosure, this is the "teachers" quilt from a class I took at Quilt Fest. Mine will look the same but different.

I love taking classes, I don't have to think about the pattern, and this class had the fabric all ready for us. Pretty awesome.

As I am piecing this though, I keep wishing the whole thing was put together an easier way. Some parts are stretching, and moving....argh. But, I am a quilter, I can make it work! Plus, this is fun to work with. The colors are amazing, and I can already tell it is going to be perfect for my parents.

Hem those jeans

2011-10-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

I found this fun and EASY way to hem levi's this summer at a family retreat. I actually just overheard this way of hemming jeans, so I may do it a little different....and that is okay.

Step 1. Measure - figure out where you want your jeans to fall. You'll figure out how to measure once you read the whole tutorial.

Step 2: Sew - now sew along the folded edge....just like the picture below.

Step 3 - hey, do the other leg too...

Step 4 - this is how the inside of your pants should look. YES, you could use matching thread, but I thought you might want to see the thread....also I am too lazy to change the bobbin thread.

Step 5- Now, place the fold on the inside of the pant leg, so you can see the original hemmed pant leg.

Step 6 - tack the fold down. I sewed along the seam edge just to the top of the fold. Please, secure your stitches.

You are done! Sew easy (ha ha ha). Seriously, I like this method because there is no cutting, nothing permanent, and it can be done in about 5 minutes. That is my kind of project. Happy Sewing.

Congratulations...the winner is....

2011-10-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Congrats to BEV from Mapleton, UT. She is the winner of the new book....

Which project will she make first?

you can....SEW the PERFECT GIFT

2011-09-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

It's a wonderful surprise to find a manila envelope on right outside your door. It's an even better surprise to open it up and find a book with a few of your projects inside. It's been so long since I have worked on this, that I almost forgot about it. Phew. Now, I am wondering where my projects are....but that is another story.

HELLO...this book is adorable. I had no idea what to expect from this book. We authors are all a little different in our styles, project preferences, etc....so I was excited to see how it all came together. It came together perfectly. It is so fun. It's very rare that I look through a book and want to make all the projects. They are all so super cute.

So, who wants to win one?????? Just enter your name, and where you are from for a chance to win! I'll draw the winner next week.

Okay, here are my projects. When I was making them, I so wanted to share what I was up to. That is what is hard...I can't prepublish my stuff...but I totally want to. Okay, so here is the pillow I designed....I had almost forgotten it. Hello friend, I can't wait to see you again.

And below...that is my take on the "three trees," I can't help but be a little funky. I absolutely loved how these turned out. I loved making them, I loved it all! So fun.

Okay, below are some of my favorites from the book. This is a super cute bag pattern, and guess what I just bought at Quilt Fest? Tons of fabric.

This apron below is perfect. Not too big, not too small, and I LOVE seriously LOVE the use of laminated fabric. Man, I love that stuff.

2011-09-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here I am, in Provo, Utah at the Annual Quilt festival for the Utah Quilt guild. I have gotten in trouble a few times today for my lack of awesome blogging. Oops. At least there is always room to improve, right?

Today I met some blog readers, and that was a treat. Sometimes, I feel like no one is really out there in blog land, and it is fun to hear readers stories. The woman I met today, is around my age (probably younger, I am getting to a ripe old age). She became acquainted with quilting by reading my blog, which she found from my friend Summer...(thanks Summer for directing people my way). Now, she has started quilting, and brought friends along for the ride, and I feel so excited. Excited, because the whole point of me writing a quilting book was to help others to LOVE quilting. It sends warm fuzzies all over my little heart to know I have made a difference in at least one persons life.

Now, I am preparing to return to my sweet family (thank you Facetime for letting me see them each night). I can't wait to see my perfect little babies and the fabulous love of my life. Yet, I am sad to leave my home state, the wonderful FALL weather, and the inspiration which surrounds me at Quilt Fest.

There is always next year....

ADORABLE!

2011-09-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't that the cutest little guy you have ever seen. Yep, I am a little partial to my sweetheart of a baby. But, oh my goodness, he is heart melting. Yummy. Okay, moving on.

What are these itty bitty tiny quilts? They are little wall hangings I made for our church. We are doing a service project for sweet little babies in other countries. These babies are having a hard time developing the ability to see because they have no contrasting colors..staring at white walls all day.

Here comes the little quilts. So, to do our part to help these little ones, we are making little quilts for them to gaze at.

My goal for this project: 1) get it done in a couple of hours, 2) make the quilts using lots of contrasting colors. So, I sorted through my scraps, I used only left over quilt blocks from samples I have made, or blocks left over from big projects. Get it done in a couple of hours.....CHECK. This really was a fun project to do, it took so little time, but I still got to sew (I am missing that with my little joy ...shown in the pictures above and below), and I know it is for a good cause.

If you are looking for a small project to tackle, maybe you need to get your feet wet in this new hobby, consider sewing a little something for someone in need. It will fill your bucket!

I promise.

Master chef....

2011-08-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

Our kids have been watching Master Chef this summer. They are absolutely adorable...they keep saying I should go on the show, and cook my best meals. I know better. I am no "master chef," I cook to stay alive. Of course, if I am going to cook it better taste good, but I can't say that cooking is a passion of mine.

However, this summer has seriously cramped my creative style. I have had very little time to do anything that could be described as creative. Unless you call cleaning and entertaining children a creative outlet. So, when my kids challenged me to be like the Master Chef's and make them eggs benedict, I did it. The kids loved it, and it was good for me to try my hand at something new, and actually succeed.

Want to try, here is the recipe.

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
3 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 pinch ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 eggs
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
8 strips Canadian-style bacon
4 English muffins, split
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

To Make Hollandaise: Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Make sure that water does not touch the top pan. Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon water.
Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time while whisking yolks constantly. If hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm.
Preheat oven on broiler setting. To Poach Eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. Bring water to a gentle simmer, then add vinegar. Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Yolks should still be soft in center. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate
While eggs are poaching, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast the English muffins on a baking sheet under the broiler.
Spread toasted muffins with softened butter, and top each one with a slice of bacon, followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.

For the love of....

2011-08-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

JAM

It's that season. School season, oh yea, and summer too. Long ago in my Michigan days I would go to the Upick strawberry patch and spend the day picking berries with my babies on my back. Then I would go home, wash the berries, then take the stems off the berries, then make the jam.

It was a long process. But the results were so great, I had to do it. It was one of my favorite jobs as a mother. Providing homemade jam has always been a "need" in our family, and I love that our kids appreciate the difference between real jam and store bought jam.

But, things are different now. First, I live in the desert. Second, my time for making jam has seriously eroded. Who knew having 4 kids could completely eat up all free time?

What's the solution? In true Sarah fashion, I make jam the easiest way possible.

Step 1- buy the bags of berries from Costco (frozen berries)

this time it was 2 bags of strawberry and 1 bag of mixed berries..

why? because strawberries are cheaper, but the mixed berries are fabulous

Step 2- Defrost the berries by sticking them on an outside table for an hour. This may take longer if you live anywhere reasonable.

Step 3- Blend up the berries. We used a handmixer in one big bowl. It took about 5 minutes. Maybe.

Step 4- Using the freezer jam pectin from ball (shown in picture above), make jam by mixing packet with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 4 cups of fruit. Stir for 3 minutes and you are done.

No cooking! Nothing could be simpler or better!

Saving time never tasted so delicious!

Everyone Needs a Potholder

2011-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

While in my hometown, I like to do a little quiltin'. This time, my sister Brooke (pictured below in the brown), asked me to do a little class for her ward. Who knew there would be over 20 people in this class? Not me, but what a great surprise.

We spent 2 hours learning about cutting, piecing, pressing, and quilting. A potholder is the perfect little quilt to learn all the steps in making a quilt.

And, to get it all done in 2 hours is pretty great.

I was sincerely shocked and awed, in how well these women did. Some of them had never ever machine quilted before, and yet still did some amazing machine quilting. WOW.

I have no idea how many of them will become addicted to this past time we all love, but I have a small hope that someone was introduced to their "great love." Non-romantically, of course!

Pieces of ME: Quilted Expressions of Human Ties

2011-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

While we were in UT we went to visit the exhibit at the Church History Center. It was awesome. They had a number of quilts to look at, but the most fun part was the center they had the for the kids (and adults). They had a HUGE magnetic wall full, so you could design your own quilts and blocks using the "quilt" pieces they had on hand.

They also had a quilt block you could quilt yourself (using rope....as seen below).

Liz did a great job quilting her block. She wanted to stay here all day and get this baby done! SOOOO Cute.

I think I am going to call him an expressionistic quilter. He certainly has a great imaginiation!

Playing Catch Up

2011-06-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

I am "paying" for it. Now that the vacation is over, work has begun. My first week back (last week) was a little bit of baptism by fire. I felt a little crazy, so much was going on, so much to keep track of. And the worst part, my parents (who I went to visit) weren't even here to take care of me. I am realizing I am a little too spoiled when I go home. Oh well, I enjoyed the break.

Now I am home, I am supposed to do things like cook, clean, care for my children, take them a hundred places, and be their summer entertainment. Oh yeah, maybe I should make one of the quilts I have been working on. Hmmm, that sounds nice. But, I'll have to get to that after..... blah blah blah. You don't want to know my list of boring to do's.

This last week I spent some time with McKayla a young girl from my ward. I have to say, teaching young people to quilt is my favorite. They don't have fears, or feelings of inadequacy, they just jump in and do it. Maybe it's because they aren't experts in anything yet, so they don't feel intimidated by possible "mistakes." Whatever the reason, I love it. Saturday we went fabric shopping, and I have never been in and out of a store so quickly, we found what we needed in the sale section (my favorite section of any fabric store), and we were off to quilting. She is making my Circle of Friends quilt for her sweet sister, Elyse. Elyse and I have a history as well... I was her YW leader in church...and we have a fairly strong bond. She ROCKS, and she is getting married soon.

Clearly, she is going to be making it in different colors. Imagine, Gray, yellow, orange, and turquoise. I can't wait to see the end result.

I hope your summers are going well. I hope your home town isn't as swelteringly hot as mine (argh), and I wish you all happy quilting.

Looking for a deal?

2011-06-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Fat Quartershop has my book on clearance...lucky you.

There's only 1 left, go for it....it's only $12.50

Bringing Joy

2011-05-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

While running on the treadmill, I found this little GEM and it cracked me up, big time. I hope you enjoy it.

(I found this video on youtube, the quality is pretty poor, but you get the idea. One important item was left out of the video....the VERY best part is, at the end, Ron tells her there is a person on fire in the park. HILARIOUS!)

What up?

2011-05-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

What's up?

Today, I am experiencing a "first." It's my first experience with a cleaning lady.

I am loving it.

I spent the morning on errands (cleaning cars, library, bank, grocery store)...and my house was still getting clean.

Now I am home, baby is sleeping, and I just finished 3 loads of laundry.

Yes, even with a cleaning lady I have "tons" of chores to do. Which got me to thinking...."what would I do if I just had a few more moments of time?"

Would I...quilt, clean, spend time with my little ones, read books, get caught up on scrapbooks, organize my pantry, have lunch with friends, take a walk, organize my inbox, etc...

What would you do?

With all this thoughtful introspection (insert laugh and smiley face), I think that maybe we should just do it. Do whatever we are waiting for time to do. We keep inventing things to make our lives easier, and yet we are all crazy ladies and gentlemen trying to do more and be more.

What would happen if you stopped whatever really important thing you are doing, and went and spent 20 minutes doing something you want to do? Maybe 30 minutes....or even an hour (the shock, the horror)? Would it bring you joy? Would it bring others joy?

Would it make you a better person?

Just DO it!

13 years and counting....

2011-04-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Each year my hubby gets one of these "babies" as his anniversary gift. A year in the life of the Bisel family. I love it. Each year, I get to look back at what has happened. I see the happy, the sad, the exciting, the terrifying, the ordinary, and the extraordinary.

I am one lucky gal to have been so poor our first year. If we hadn't been poor, I probably would have bought him something for our anniversary instead of starting this tradition.

Tender Mercies.

I thought maybe someone else in the universe might like to do something like this for their own family. So, here is the link to the anniversary template I used. It is in photoshop, a .psd file.

Here's the steps to a successful collage.

Size is 11x14

1. go through each month of pictures, and pick 2 pictures per month. There are 22 slots, so you will have extras (and it is always good to have extras to choose from).

2.photoshop your images to make them look printer ready

3. crop the images into the size of the slot. there are basic sizes here....2x3, 3x2, 2x2, 3x3, 4x3, etc.. the only crazy size is the one in the left corner 4x2...sorry.

***As you crop, be aware of how the photo will be seen. If it is in a frame, allow a little more room on the sides so faces won't be cut off.

4. place the photos below (in the layers palette) the anniversary template (this makes it so the black lines show).

5. I used gill sans light font to write a one word description of our pictures.

Enjoy!

Each Life that Touches ours for Good....

2011-04-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Heavenly Father welcomed home brave little

Adelaide Ann Otte

2/27/2011- 4/24/2011

Visiting her in the hospital on Friday brought so much joy. I could tell she was a strong, brave, amazing soul. Her parents are beyond amazing, through each trial they have been a source of strength and Christlike example. I am continually amazed at Jessica (her mother) who is wise, calm, a momma bear, loving, selfless, and beautiful. Her dedication to her sweet Addie fills my heart. And Preston (her dad), full of optimistic hope, belief, and knowledge that Addie is happy and well in the arms of her Savior.

I am ever grateful for the knowledge of the gospel.

Those of us who knew and loved her have hearts that ache, yet we know she is happy, at peace, and out of pain. I am grateful for the tender mercies I have seen throughout Addies life.

We love you Addie.

Here is a sweet video of her at the hospital getting her first bath.

Favorite Spring Treat

2011-04-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Have you notice the strawberries are out in force this time of year? We sure have.

As you can see, the strawberries don't last long at our house. We have found the perfect snack, and I thought I would pass it along to you.

It's simple, the ingredients are:

Graham crackers

whipped cream

sliced strawberries

Simply slather the whipped cream onto the graham cracker, then layer on the sliced strawberries. Your mouth will thank you, and your waist line won't mind too much.

Not Dead....yet

2011-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

I got a little something in the mail that reminded me that I am a quilter. A couple books from Martingale always brighten my day. I have been fighting Bronchitis the last couple weeks, and it has seriously kicked my booty. But, I am counting my blessings, it is not pneumonia, and I have a great man who takes good care of me. I am blessed.

During dinner last night, I started thumbing through the pages. I have to say, I love that there are 50 quilts to choose from. I also love that these are classics. Clearly, my style is a little different from Judy Hopkins (I hope so, I am a different person after all), but I could see these patterns made with my fabrics, my personality, my touch. That is the mark of a great pattern, one that can fit spunky modernists, and beautiful classicists alike!

Go check it out on amazon.

Do you have lots of little pieces to play with? A bunch of left overs? You need a reason to get quilting? This book has the inspiration you are looking for. The patterns offered are just what the quilting Dr. ordered. You will love the complicated patterns requiring lots of little pieces, as well as some easier patterns to whip up in a weekend. Want to see more, go check out the images on amazon.

Now that you know I am not dead, how are you all doing? Is spring treating you well? Is there something you wish you knew how to make? How to use? I'm here to serve!

Fighting the Funk

2011-04-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a funk? Where you find yourself stuck, unable to move forward, unable to progress, unable to improve?

I have been fighting a creative funk for sometime now. I have been dreaming, drawing, and drafting my ideas to make them a reality. But something small is preventing me from making my dreams into a reality.

This is my something small. He's adorable, snuggly, full of personality, and oh sooooo needy.

The other day I was working on a digital card for a friend, I spent 2 hours on and off of the computer trying to get it done. Each time I sat down, he would run to me with his arms up, asking to be held. Once I had him, he wanted to run the computer.

It is just THAT time. The time he needs me. After having 3 older kiddos, I know how fleeting babyhood is, I am a little less likely to power through these moments. I give in, I hug and love him, and put off until later the creative things I want to do, and I spend my time and love on him.

I am getting precious little accomplished.

I am okay with that.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier.

However, I am happy my book is inspiring others to learn to quilt. Thanks to Denise, for letting me actually put a stitch or two in her quilt, it was nice to get my hands on some fabric for a change.

Hitting Shelves....

2011-03-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's amazing, I know, but Ty and I have begun a relationship. For so long, I was just an admirer. Watching from the comfort of my couch while he outfitted homes on trading spaces. Since then, things have changed. 1st...my cable is gone, and so is trading spaces. 2nd...He now has his own show. 3rd...I have my own book, and 4th Ty and I now share something pure and strong...

the love of fabric.

Poor Ty, he has totally missed out on meeting me (and sharing a true connection with me), but we share some pages in the new April/May edition of Quilters Home. This time, I actually have a quilt pattern featured. Can you believe it? I love the pattern, you will TOTALLY have to check it out. It's called Tender Bloom's (pictured below in the middle).

But for now, head on out and pick up this months copy. You won't be sorry...I mean who can resist TY,...oh and me too.

Book Reviews

2011-03-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

One of the fun parts of being an author for Martingale, is that I get to review books for them. Seeing new designs, new designers, and different ways of doing things is so fun. Each quilter tends to have their own way of doing things. We all have our own style and personality. Some of us like bright and cheerful, some of us like things bold and daring, while others love the subdued and calm. Whatever style we adopt, we can always appreciate the work that others do.

So...let's start the appreciation!

What a fun book! You can find dresses, tops, accessories, home accents, and some great basic sewing instructions in this great new book. This author did a great job showing how inventive one can be with thrift store finds. My favorites are all the purses and accessories, she takes fun sweaters and turns them into some really fun things. You should check it out!

4 Stars

Amy Ellis takes a totally unique look at quilting. She teaches, you don't need a dedicated sewing space, you don't even need a stash of fabric, you just need some fabric and a sewing machine! Her simple designs make it easy for any level of quilter, and each quilts design is new and fresh. These quilts are modern but certainly have traditional roots. I love the colors, the design, and the personality that shines through each quilt.

4 Stars

This book offers 9 different patterns for you to satisfy your country quilt whims. Each quilt is easy to make, and great for your precut fabrics. The quilts that feature applique have just enough applique to satisfy your urge to handstitch, but you won't be handstitching for the next 2 years just to finish! (of course, you can always machine applique too). If you are a country girl, you will love the quilts in this book!

5 Stars

When I received this book, I had no idea I would be reading about history as well as books. I probably should have known, I mean look at the title. This book is full of great information about the civil war and the role that quilts played in its history.

4 stars

Jelly Rolls, here we come. 18 quilt designs beckon us to take the challenge, and make quilts using up our 2 1/2" strips. The designs

lend themselves to any kind of jelly roll. She has examples in brights, muted, pastels, etc. But whatever colors you like, you will find a pattern to showcase what you love.

4 stars

You may not know this, but I am a total sucker for wool. I love it. Absolutely adore it, so this book is a winner in my book. This book is the pattern to 1 fabulous quilt, and a 8 smaller projects that use the appliques from the larger quilt. This is the perfect book for someone who wants to work with wool. It is fun, beautiful, and endearing.

5 Stars

Get 'er done!

2011-02-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know how you feel, but I have been needing some serious organization around here.

My kids have been "free range" children for too long.

Of course, we have chores. But, each day I feel so bad for asking them to do one more thing. Yet, their rooms have been HORRIBLE. Towels on the floor, beds a mess, clothes littering their rooms, and stuff....the stuff.

Enter...the CHORE CHART. It's highly exciting, and it is actually working (so far).

What is on the chore chart? Well, morning chores are pretty demanding: get dressed, eat, brush your hair, push your drawers in, etc... You can see what a slave driver I am.

Afternoon chores (these are pretty difficult too): hang up your backpack, put your shoes away, etc... but there is the clean the sink, toilet, empty garbages, clean up backyard, and tidy room in there too.

The house is looking better. And, maybe now I will have time to work on a little of this....

Quilter's Home Magazine-Bookmarked

2011-02-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I got a call from Quilters Home Magazine, asking if they could do a small little ditty on me for their magazine. Clearly, you can see my answer. I was so excited. I mean, I am virtually a "nobody," so I was happy to get out there in the quilting world.

I went on a treasure hunt to find the mag when it came out, found it at Barnes and Noble, and I have been pleasantly surprised since. This magazine is perfect for those of us who are slightly cheeky. It is fun, light hearted, and informative. You should definitely check it out.

Oh, and if you are looking for me, you can find me on page 69. I know, you can hardly wait!

On to the really exciting stuff. Yesterday was Valentines Day, and I had a full one. Lucky for me, my sweet toddler threw my phone into a yard garbage can full of water on Saturday while I was working on science projects and hot pads for a class I am teaching tonight. That made me have a couple chores on Monday.

On the list: get a new phone, get valentines presents for the kids (oh yeah, probably should have done this earlier to have them all ready valentines morning), do all the laundry, get a Rx for a new sinus infection (yeah for me), and go out to celebrate. I almost got everything done, but the laundry is still not put away.

My fever totally knocked me out by the end of the day....laundry can wait.

Here is my Lizard while we were waiting at the Pharmacy for my Rx to get filled. I love her green teeth from eating her Valentines party. And the photo...taken with my new phone a mytouch. I am loving it!

Even Slower

2011-02-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Things are pretty crazy over here. After recovering from a pretty awesome stomach flu last week, we are now dealing with strep throat and head colds/flu.

I have been feeling sorry for myself because I am the opposite of productive.

Then, I got a super fun box in the mail. It was from my MOM. She always makes me feel special, remembered, and loved.

I read a blog earlier this week about love. Not the romantic kind, but the charity kind of love. I have been thinking about it a lot. How many times do we think about how wonderful someone is, and keep it inside? I know for me, it is often.

I am surrounded by amazing people. They are everywhere. They are in church, at my kids school, in my neighborhood, at the store, and far far away. So many people are appreciated silently. What if we all took a moment to recognize 1 or 2 of these people?

Go ahead, send an email, a real handwritten letter, or give someone a call. I can guarantee it will lift their heart as well as yours.

Moving Slow.....

2011-02-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have started working on more sewing projects. I am moving at an incredibly SLOW pace. Way too slow. What is inhibiting me? Well, those lovely guys shown above take up a fair amount of my time. This motherhood thing can take all your free time if you let it (insert small chuckle). Honestly, I am loving motherhood, and I am happy to put off my projects to enjoy moments like the one above. Oh, the joy of watching my kids enjoy each other. It is precious and perfect. One of my big dreams for my family is for my kids to love each other, to want to be around each other, and to be on the same team. We certainly aren't there all the time (as I am writing this I am breaking up squabbles), but I love the shining moments of joy. Ahhhh, deep breath.

Also taking my time was a little rearranging in our home. Shopping has taken up quite a bit of my time. I am serious. And no, I don't love shopping. I wish I did!

Yeah, in true Sarah fashion, I had to re-do something in my house at the start of the new year. Luckily, this year, it isn't anything major. Just rearranging. What did we do?

Well, in order to create a more orderly life, I think having one of our computers downstairs will help us. Help with calendaring, emails, etc. It's a challenge to be with the kids downstairs, and be working on "work" upstairs. To move the computer downstairs we needed a spot.

Well, we have a little cove in the kitchen (previously occupied by the hutch in the picture below) where a computer would work. But, then we had to move the hutch.....where? Into the living room, which we turned into a dining room/piano room. We got rid of our couches, had to get a new kitchen table ($300, thanks to the Sharp's from Craig's List), and got a new desk from Costco. So, the pictures below are from the new dining room/piano room. I would LOVE to show you the new computer area...but alas, the desk we got from Costco was broken out of the box. NO more desks were left. More shopping. I found a desk from JCPenney and it is on its way.

Maybe after we get the desk in there I can work a little faster to show you something FUN!

Back to work....

2011-01-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

photo from JessicaSprague.com

Finally, I have started thinking about quilting again. Right now, I am printing out templates for my next series of quilts. Yes, I said series. I am hoping to pull myself together and make a "seasons" quilt collection.

My inspiration? You guessed it....pictured above is a shape. I love the shape of that tag, and I am working a similar shape into these 4 quilts. I am excited to start again, and I am pretty happy because these quilts will be so easy for people to make. Easy to make, display, and finish.

As, I am pondering on how to make them, I have to think about my instructions. What will be the easiest instructions, the best way to make this understandable....and what really comes to my mind is freedom. I love that quilters have freedom in making the quilt their own. I am thinking of making mine a wool/cotton hybrid. But, I think it would also be fabulous with only cottons. And, what about the method of applique? Raw edge, needle turn, machine applique....all of them work.

I learned from writing my first book, that publishers want precise directions (down to the color to choose in a quilt), and I prefer to use vague directions (so people feel free to make their own choices). So, when you read instructions on quilt making, I hope you open your mind. Adjust things, change a method, do your own thing. It's okay to be different, it's GREAT to be different.

Now go make something! I know I will.

Weekend

2011-01-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

So, what did you do this weekend?

You can tell we had some fun. I made a quilt for a dear friend, but of course, in true Sarah fashion, I forgot to take a picture of it before I sent it off to its new home.

But, I did get a picture of my daughter's science project.

(*** News Flash: Good and Plenty's explode in Diet Coke, just not as well as Mentos do).

And we spent a good amount of time blowing glass at Sonoran Glass Art Academy.

Did you have fun? Were you busy?

What did you do?

Connecting Threads....

2011-01-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness.

Just as I was clearing out my emails, I got this one in my mailbox. Hello...there couldn't be a better surprise! A whole email about my book. Go check it out!

Thank you Connecting Threads, you made my day!

Neglected

2011-01-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

The blog has been seriously neglected.....

What have I been up to?

Life. Taking care of a toddler is a seriously busy job. I thought I was busy with a newborn. HA! I was, but man, this is pretty crazy here. He is one serious toddler. Even the Dr. commented on how active he is. I have to agree. He is active. We are working hard to keep the lids on the rice and flour, as he is all about spreading the love all over the pantry. He loves to play outside, climb up the ladder, and scare us all to death. Yes, I have been busy watching my baby.

I have also been working hard to get back on track with our scrapbooks. Gone are the days of perfect scrapbooks. I thought I could document every little thing, and now that I am 3 years behind I am painfully aware that life gets away from you. So what am I doing? Project Life. I started last year, and I just finished it up. All that is waiting is a nice proofreading session before printing that bad boy. I have also been working on the past years....but just doing a month by month scrapbook. It's not perfect, but it will be a completed scrapbook, and that is all that counts at this moment.

So, what have you all been up to? Were the Holidays good to you? Do you have any new goals? Starting any new quilts? Enquiring minds want to know!

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

2011-01-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

I tried this salsa the first time when I was at Red Dirt Retreats....HELLO. So super fabulously yummy. This is totally my style of food. I love avocado, beans, cilantro, etc. Everything about it is super great. LOVE it. Thanks Krista for the recipe.

So, I providing you the original recipe. You will love it.

***Something interesting to note is that I fudge with recipes all the time....even this time. So, what did I do different? I added frozen corn (about 1 cup) instead of shoepeg corn, Lime zest and the juice from 1 lime, green or red pepper chopped, and instead of making my own dressing...I just used good seasons dressing made with red wine vinegar. Also, you can use number of different bean types....depending on what you have on hand. The white beans are great, and I love to add a little color in there with a black or red bean. I know, I know....I don't follow recipes. Oh well.

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

1 can black eyed peas-drained

1 can shoepeg corn

2 Roma Tomatoes-diced

1 bunch green onions chopped

2 avacados chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro-chopped

2-3 cloves garlic minced

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1 t cumin

1/2 t salt

Making Snow

2010-12-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

When you live in sunny AZ, there are few chances to see any snow. We decided to make some of our own snowflakes. Wanna know how? Here it is:

1st: make a square out of your paper, by folding opposite

corners together, and trimming off the extra. Save the extra

for later....to make tiny snowflakes.

Fold opposite corner to corner again.

And...again.

Now start cutting. You can round off the top of the snowflake

to make it a circle if you want, but I didn't. Start cutting nicks, curves

lines, etc. out of your snowflake. The most important thing to

remember is to keep connecting points. If you don't, your snowflake

won't be sturdy. There are many cuts in the flake above, but

there are enough connecting points that it is still

robust.

Unfold that baby and see what it looks like. This is

my favorite part. I am always surprised at what awaits

me. My cute hubby made one that looked like

a transformer, and I made a tiny one that looked

like 4 tiny skulls. Neither of us did it on purpose...just

the fun that comes from being crazy.

Display those babies, wherever you can. On windows,

hanging from your ceiling, etc...

Merry Christmas!

Dying to know?

2010-12-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

Are you dying to know who won?

Joyce won the Bloom Creek and Treasures from the 30's

SewCal Gal won Charmed I'm Sure and Country Comforts

Sonia won Sew the Perfect Bag and the New Handmade

and BillieBee won Simple Blessings and McCall's Fast Favorites from Quilting

Thanks so much to everyone for the fun. If you won, send me an email with your address.

I really really really super duper want to share some fun ideas with everyone. It's crazy how Christmas takes over your life. My days are filled with school parties, neighbor gifts, church assignments, making food, more food, and loving my babies. But, soon, very soon, I will have some fun ideas for you.

Super Big Book Giveaway

2010-12-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas, I am doing a huge giveaway. Are you ready for this? A BUNCH of you are going to win, and you are going to win....not 1 but 2 fabulous books from Martingale Publishing. This is going to be perfect for your loved ones who loved sewing, quilting, or crafting. Sweet! Or, maybe this is for you...to secretly love and cherish. Whatever...I just hope you enjoy.

What do you have to do to win? Put this giveaway on your blog, facebook, twitter etc., then make a comment and let me know which prize you want to win, and where to find your blog, facebook, or twitter, etc. You will receive 2 chances to win per medium. (ie. 2 chances on your blog, +2 more chances when you facebook it, +2 more chances if you twitter it).

Want an extra chance to win? Follow my blog and I will give you an extra chance to win. Have fun and Good Luck. The contest ends December 13th.

Here are the Prizes:

Prize #1: Country Comforts and Charmed I'm Sure

Two seriously fun books. You are going to love all the simple inspiration.

Prize #2: Sew The Perfect Bag, and the new Handmade

These books are going to be perfect for someone who loves accessories!

Prize #3: Simple Blessings and Fast Favorites from McCall's

Tons of great designs any quilter would love! This is some great stuff.

Prize #4 Bloom Creek Quilts and Treasures from the 30's ***** There will be 2 lucky winners here.

I loves these two books. The simplicity of Bloom Creek Quilts speaks to my soul, and the fun quilts in the 30's book brings a smile to my face! You lucky ducks.

My Loss, Your Gain: Free Christmas Goodies

2010-11-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I entered a contest for Becky Higgins free Christmas card templates. Unfortunately for me, she didn't choose my cards as a winning template. But, fortunately for you...I am still going to give them away.

Feel free to use these for personal use.

The size is 6.5 x 7, the Costco size. The best deal out there...I say.

I hope you have a very very very very Merry christmas.

Go here for the card above.

Another One Bites the Dust

2010-11-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Yes. Another fine person accomplishes their dreams. Oh...okay, maybe not their dreams, but my sweet sister in law finished her quilt. GOOD JOB! She came to my house last Wednesday to quilt this sucker. I am amazed. She worked hard pinning, quilting, and binding this baby and she did it all in 3 or 4 hours. WOW!

She is even pregnant and has a 2 year old in tow. Seriously, WOW! See, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Do you have a project you want to finish? Just do it! Don't be afraid. You can do it.

Who cares if the project takes over your house? That is the fun of it. Then everyone knows you are being productive! See....you can spin it. It's not messy....it's productive. (I have had a little practice at this, and my dear lovable and wonderful hubby has totally bought it.)

Go QUILT!

What have you been up to?

2010-11-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

So, what have you been up to lately?

I have been working on some Christmas goodies. It has been fun working in a Christmas theme, preparing for the fun in the next few months, but making it a little spunky. Who knew that bright pinks and funky greens could look so festive. Loving it.

I am also enjoying the straight line quilting thing. So easy, so fun to look at. And as you can tell, I am no perfectionist.......but I think the imperfections bring a little something extra. Really. I am all about imperfections. Maybe it's the crazy lady in me, but imperfections make me smile.

Only a couple more hours until my box is off to the post office, and a little stress can leave my house for a minute. I love it when stress takes a vacation.

Classy, real classy.

2010-11-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

As I lay in bed last night, my mind was filled with my to do list. The majority of my to do's have to do with quilting. I have a deadline, which is today, for a book with Martingale....which I will not meet (luckily, they extended the deadline 'til Friday for me....ya hoo!).

Anyway....this got me thinking about this blog. Yep! I realized, the blog readers here don't really know me. I post random stuff.

So, here is the first installment of "get to know me" moments. It is just a snapshot of a moment in my life. I hope these little snapshots will help shed a little light into my life as a momma and quilter/creative lady.

So, the picture above is of our house, the morning after. After what? Soccer practice until all hours of the night. Bj (my one true love), stops to get everyone a drink on the way home, and we all chow down on the dinner I have made (and salivated over) while they've been gone. Then in the morning, it seems I have this huge pile O'garbage to clean up. However, I try to make my garbage pretty, if I can.

If you pay attention to detail, you can see pillows stacked on the rocking chair, and you will have a tiny clue as to what I have been working on lately.

Inspiration

2010-11-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

What inspires you in your art? Is it nature? Is it architecture? Is it other artists? There are so many ways to be inspired. As I started making sketches for the quilts in my book, my eyes were opened to the world around me. A motif decorating our local library helped me come up with my bird quilt. Flowers in nature, inspired charming gardens....the brick pattern, helped set the background for the cocoa cakewalk quilt.

The unnoticed things in the world are some of the most extraordinarily beautiful things we see. I encourage you to open your eyes, in a way you haven't in the past. Notice walls, freeways, architecture, the texture of leaves, flowers, colors, the way the leaves swirl in the wind....Anything, and everything can be an inspiration, if you let it.

Be inspired.

Oops I did it again...

2010-11-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

I am going to be on the Morning Blend on Tuesday, Nov. 2 (yes, voting day...I voted early) to discuss the joys of my book (again). Join me, it starts at 11:00 a.m. on channel 9 (in Tucson). Don't live in the sunny land of hotness? Well, just go to their website, and catch a glimpse of me by watching one of their videos. Party on.

Luckily, I have a couple friends of mine going on with me. I am excited to have them come with me.

And, side note, to those of you who think I might be the worst blogger ever. You might be right. However, I anticipate being far less busy in the upcoming weeks. I have been working hard to be a good(ish) mom, fair wife, moderate friend, and have been developing some patterns for a book for Martingale (a book with many contributors). So, hopefully, I will have fun things to look at, cute ideas to spur your own exciting projects, or something interesting to you. We'll see. I know the holidays are coming up, that means a mad dash to try to make cute things for neighbor gifts and the yearly insanity that comes from designing my own Christmas cards (I really do love it). We're all in this together... the holidays bring such fun to all of us.

I'm off to work....the best hubby in the world just took all 4 kiddos to soccer practice so I can have an hour and a half to get busy.

Retreatin'

2010-10-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

To Retreat:

to withdraw to a safe or private place.

We all need to retreat at some point. These past couple months, I have had my share of retreats and it has been so fun. Preparing for the retreats took some effort....but it was worth it. The first retreat, Red Dirt Retreats, took place in Old La Sal, UT at a beautiful home. I can't call it a cabin, it was too amazing. As you can see from the photo above, the deer were happily playing outside while we sewed (notice sewing machine in lower corner of photo...and deer only a few steps away). It was amazing.

Can you believe it???? Someone is in serious contemplation over my book!

Here's my cousin Krista, master planner, and head chef. We had the best food ever. Seriously, ever. The price of this retreat was nothing compared to the amazing food offered.

I loved that at Red Dirt Retreats, there was no where to go. You could get totally immersed in a project, and not worry about a thing. Every detail was taken care of for you, meals were prepared perfectly, deliciously, and without any effort. I could work until meal time, then eat, and then get back to work. If you ever have an opportunity, you should TOTALLY go!!!

Now we enter Zermatt territory. Hello!!!!! This was amazing. I have been to many a Utah Quilt Guild Quilt Fest. This was, by far, the best. I loved the accomodations, it was beautiful, and the weather was fantastic. The fall foliage was heart warming, and the cool weather was such a great break for me. I needed it in a big way.

My table for the meet and greet with the teachers. (Funny side note...when they gave me my teacher packet, they kept looking at me funny, then asked if I was really the teacher. Apparently, I am a little young for quilt teaching).

I was pleased as punch when I saw my quilt made up with American Jane fabrics. And, check out those kits in the basket below. I talked to the owner of this cute shop, and I was just so tickled someone actually liked my book. I directed all book sales to her that week... She is also an amazing wool felt.

Those dancing bears brought a smile to my lips everytime I saw them. (which was a lot)

Here is my class. I was amazed anyone signed up for this. Seriously, I am packed and gone usually by this time (2 - 5 p.m. on Saturday).. But these women are awesome. We worked and sewed and had lots of fun making our own quilts and learning something all the way.

Meet my sister Brooke, this is her first year at Quilt Fest, but hopefully not her last.

Retreats are essential for quilters! Why? You get inspired by others, introduced to new methods, and to new ways of thinking. You get time to sit and work (or talk and eat chocolate...whatever). It's simply wonderful to be around creative people!

Sitting at the Airport

2010-10-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Here I am sitting at the SLC airport, patiently awaiting my flight back home. I can't wait to see my family, and I am excited to squeeze my main squeeze.

The Zermatt was a beautiful place to stay. I took advantage of their workout facilities (you know, you have to try to work off all that "quilting" chocolate), and even used the hot tub and sauna. The national teachers each had something new to teach me. I just said a nice goodbye to Mary Stori a few feet away at the Delta gates.

I got some work accomplished, but not nearly enough to brag about. Instead, we spent our time, looking at the quilt show, shopping at the vendor mall, and visiting with family. This is the first year for my cousin Krista and my sister Brooke to come, and we just had to show them a great time. We learned from each of the national teachers at our luncheons, and I came away with renewed appreciation of the art of quilting, and how it means something different to everyone.

My class was fun. I am amazed that anyone came to it, being the last class of the last day, but there were 6 students in all, and it was so fun to see everyone's choices. One lady even made a traffic light out of her 3 big circles....some seriously inventive stuff.

I am sad to leave the cool weather, colorful fall mountains, and dear family. But, my sweet babies are awaiting my return, and I can't wait to see them.

Birthday Quilt - Revisited

2010-09-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

I made this "funky" birthday quilt while at Red Dirt Retreats. It was so fun for me to play with different colors, fabrics, etc. I love that one pattern can look so different depending on color, types of fabrics, and methods used.

So, how is this different?

Clearly, the fabrics are totally different. I went from calm and clean, to funky and wild. The colors, are different too, focusing mostly on greens and blues. But another difference is the cake.....the first one is made from wools. Ahhhh, I love wool. But, this time, I used raw edge applique, and wild fabrics to make the cake. I love it.

So, which is your favorite?

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

2010-09-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

I have had this book for over a year now, and I have baked from it on previous occasions...but I got started again now that fall is here. Don't be confused, it is still in the high 90's or 100's, but I am sick of it being "too hot" to bake. So.....I said, too bad, I don't care, I am going to bake some bread if I want to.

Yum, yum, yum. I love crusty, hearty, artisan bread. It speaks to me in a way that not many things do. It makes me feel warm, safe, and happy. Yes, I am a carb lover.

This is the deal. You make the dough (wet and sticky), and keep it in your fridge. When you are ready to bake it, you take a chunk out, form it into a ball (in 30 seconds), and then bake. It is simple, wonderful, and quick.

Then you go hug and snuggle your baby while you are waiting about 40 minutes for it to rise. Oh....babies are cute!

Now the bread is ready for the oven, and it bakes for 30 minutes on 450. Now you have the perfect bread you always dreamed of. You should try it, seriously. Go to this link for the master recipe, and try it for yourself. You can thank me later.

Red Dirt Retreats rocked...

2010-09-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to post about Red Dirt Retreats because I was waiting for my photos....

You know me, I am the smart woman who took a bunch of photos (with my point and shoot, I was too scared to bring DSLR), and then left the camera there. Yes, I am one big smarty pants.

So, I still don't have the photos, but the camera has been located and it will arrive shortly.

Yet, I have to share. Arriving at Red Dirt Retreats, I came to amazing accommodations just an hour outside of Moab (La Sal, UT). It was gorgeous. We were totally secluded. Not a soul in the world around, just a bear (I never saw it, just heard....), plenty of deer, and a very friendly cat. Peaceful, beautiful, and for those of us who care....COOL. It was perfect for me. I needed a breath of fresh, clean, and COOL air. Ahhhhh.

As soon as I arrived, I had a class to teach. Yep, I was a little nervous to teach everyone. But, it was fun and wonderful. Everyone was ready to learn, and laugh, and get silly. After classes were over, we of course, had to eat.

HOT DOG!....No we didn't have hot dogs, but boy was the food amazing. And I mean amazing. Seriously, everything was homemade, beautiful, healthy, from the garden, and plentiful. None of us were going to go hungry. Krista (our host, and my beloved cousin), was constantly in the kitchen making our stay better than we could possibly imagine. She made our weekend perfect!

That is how the weekend was spent. Enjoying the splendor of nature, quilting, learning, and not having to worry about a thing. Meals were prepared and handed to us when we were ready, friends were ready to be made, and the deer happily ate the leaves on the trees surrounding our dwelling.

If you live anywhere close to Southeastern UT, you have got to schedule a retreat. You will thank your lucky stars you did.

***Have a family reunion you want to plan....it sleeps over 40 people. Contact Hidden Oaks Lodge.

Home

2010-09-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am home.

I had a great time teaching, learning, eating, cleaning, and loving at Red Dirt Retreats.

It was so fun to work with my cousin, aunts, mom, and new friends. It was crazy busy and wildly fun to be together with everyone. I can't believe how much energy some people have. I am only slightly embarrassed about how much I had to blow my stinkin' nose while I was there (yes, sinusitis joined me on my trip). Oh well, life is like that.

Home is now my friend, and I have spent my time cleaning, doing untold loads of laundry, hugging, and tucking in..... to tell the truth, I am exhausted. Happily exhausted.

Oh....and that picture??? That is the fabric the Fat Quarter Shop sent me....laminated fabric that is needed for all wild and fun families. I love it! Too bad I can't iron out those wrinkles....let's just pretend they are not there.

Charming Gardens Workshop

2010-09-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

I had a blast teaching my friends about quilting last weekend, and I have pictures to prove it. I love that the quilting bug has been passed on, and hopefully the bug will grow into a monster. I love monsters (as long as they are quilting monsters).

Currently, I am readying myself for Red Dirt Retreats this weekend. I have cut and organized 11 kits, made worksheets, and ordered more fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop than I really should. But I am getting ready. Emotionally....not quite ready. This is my first trip away from Noah, and my heart is palpitating. I know, I know, get over it already...but he is my baby....sigh. He just turned 1 yesterday....sigh again. So, wish me luck in my preparations, and my teaching, and let's pray my heart stays in my chest.

Charming Gardens.....

2010-08-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I spent the day with some of my favorite ladies. We spent the day learning, sewing, pressing, and laughing. I can't tell you how much I love to teach people how to quilt. I love it. I love seeing someone go from scared of quilting to empowered. It's one of the best feelings ever, to share something I love with someone else.

So, here is the first quilt top finished. I got the picture on Saturday night...

go Katie, you worked hard, and you did it!

I love how this pattern works so well with any charm pack. It looks yummy, no matter what! I also love that I have planted a love of "good" fabric in my friends hearts. It's always nice to be addicted to the same things.

Go quilt today!

Schnibbles Times Two Book Review

2010-08-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Schnibbles Times Two

What a fun book. Do you love layer cakes and charm packs? Do you wish you knew what to do with layer cakes and charm packs? I know we all love these little bundles of love. We adore the variety of fabric we get with each bundle. Ahhh the joy.

Here's the perfect book for those of us who love the variety of these fabric packs. There are twelve patterns, each given with two varieties. One pattern for a 10" layer cake, and one pattern for the 5" charm packs.

Each pattern is adorable. Seriously adorable! I know there are some books that have beautiful patterns...and then some patterns we know we will never make. Not in this book. Each pattern draws you in, and makes you think of how you could make it, and who it would be perfect for. I can't wait to get started on some myself.

Go check it out on Amazon....I know you will love it!

Fat Quarter Shop has Great Customer Service...

2010-08-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

I recently made a big purchase of fabric for kits for my classes at Red Dirt Retreats. It was such a fun thing to buy fabric for lots of quilts. I love fabric shopping. The Fat Quarter Shop was a very pleasant online marketplace. I made my order, used a fabulous coupon, got free shipping, and was very pleased with myself.

The order came. I went through it all with excitement. Uh oh. I noticed I got 1 yard of the fabric above, instead of 2. Oops. I called to sort it out. I have to say, these guys have learned that a problem is really an opportunity, and they have made a permanent customer out of me. Not only did they correct my order, they went the extra mile by sending me a little extra, and they didn't charge me for the 1 yard piece they originally sent. Every interaction I have had with them has been great, they even gave me 20% off my order....even though I didn't give them the code until 6 hours after I placed the order.

It's always nice to find a place to buy fabric you can trust. I trust The Fat Quarter Shop. Go check them out!!!!!

Getting Ready

2010-08-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Red Dirt Retreats is coming up fast. I have quite a bit of things to do before I am ready to go. I am so excited to share my love of quilting with others.

One of the classes I am teaching is Birthday Bash. This time, I am still doing it out of blue/green/yellow....but FUNKY. I am excited to see how it turns out.

I love this quilt. I love that I have a "you are special-birthday" quilt. I love that my kids get excited to pull it out and hang it up during their birthday month.

I love decorations I can make, put my signature on, and can enjoy for years to come.

The fun thing about these patterns, is they work for traditional styles as well as the super fun funkylicious styles some of us love.

What is your style? How would you make Birthday Bash your own? Bright pinks? Bold colors? Black and White? Orange and Blue? Red and Gray?

First of many?

2010-08-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

The other day, I got this picture in an email from a dear friend.

She put this baby together in one day, I am so proud of her.

I love seeing quilts people are putting together. I love it even more when I feel like I have helped someone create something they love.

Thus, the book.

I hope with the release of my new book, lots of new quilters are born. I hope veteran quilters are inspired, and energized.

So, what have you created recently? Has anyone else there in blogland made a quilt from my patterns? I would love to see it!!!

Want to make me swoon? email me.

August 28th-It's a Date

2010-08-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

It looks like the 28th will work best for everyone. I'm excited, are you?

So, let's get to it. We'll meet at 9 a.m., at my house.....(want to know where that is? email me, and I'll give you the address).

Please Bring:
Sewing Machine
(if you want to just sit and watch, you are welcome to not bring the sewing machine)

Charm Pack (50 squares, you might need 2 charm packs)
3 Yards of coordinating Ric Rac
Basic Sewing kit (ie, pencil, scissors, pins, etc)

Iron
(I have 1 I can share, if you don't like waiting, bring your own)

There has been some concern about fabric. I'll make this easy on you. Just buy 2 moda charm packs. They come in a variety of colors/designs. You are welcome to mix and match, when you do that, make sure they are in the same "family"...brights, muted, funky, etc. Also bring 3 yards of large ric rac (you can find it prepackaged....or by the yard at Hancock's...or Joann's). I have plenty of scraps for your applique, so don't worry about that!

***You are welcome to cut 50, 5" squares, if you choose.....the charm packs are just much easier, and you get a lot of different fabrics - for good variation.

Online places to buy fabric: overrainbow.com, fabric.com, thefatquartershop.com, or simply do a google search.

My favorite Moda Designers?

3 Sisters (classic styles-sophisticated)

April Cornell (classic)

Bonnie and Camille (slightly more funky)

Fig Tree Quilts (soft muted colors, classic)

French General (beautiful reds and greys)

Lila Tueller (more funky)

Momo (funky)

Sanae (funky)

Sweetwater (modern)

Tula Pink (Funky)

Of course, these are my favorites. I may have left some out, so feel free to explore. Also, visit your local quilt shops. I know the quilt shops on the East side are a little more well stocked. You may want to call first...but I know Bella Quiltworks and The Quilters Market have some fun fabric.

Have I totally confused you? If so, make a comment, and I'll clear it up.

PLEASE, if you plan on coming, let me know. Everyone is welcome, and I will be best prepared when I know the correct numbers!

Have a creative day!

Arizona people...this is for you!

2010-08-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Live in Arizona?

Want to have some quilting fun?

This is for you. Come to my house, in Tucson, and learn how to make a quilt.

What do you have to do?

Let me know you want to come, and what Saturday in August works for you. I will try to accommodate to get it to work for the most people. The workshop will last about 3 hours.

What?

We will be learning how to make Charming Garden.

Bring?

Sewing Machine and basic sewing kit

55 charm squares (5" precut squares) in light/medium/dark colors

3 yards large Ric Rac

Charming Garden is great for beginners. Nothing intimidating here! We will enjoy being together, laughing, learning, and getting something done. I'd love to have all my friends, old, new, and yet discovered come and spend the day with me.

Are you in?

Red Dirt Retreats

2010-08-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought to yourself,

"I would love to have a quilting get away, where I can learn, grow, relax, sew, get stuff finished, and eat yummy food." ?

Well, look no further. Come with me to Red Dirt Retreats. Where????

In the foothills of the La Sal mountains near Moab, UT.

See the accommodations here.

I will be teaching a number of my quilt patterns from my book, Fast, Flirty, and Fun. You'll get to relax and learn all at the same time. Plus, the food, the fabulous food! Yum.

Plus, the joy of being in the mountains. What could beat it? Nothing.

When?

September 9-September 12th of this year.

Cost

$235

Being with ME...

Priceless. (ha ha ha)

Seriously, Come, it will be so fun.

Do you live far away? Me to, so I am flying in. How great is that, you can fly to Moab....who knew? Nothing can stop us now!

Free Burp Cloth Pattern

2010-08-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to share this for too long. This pattern for super cute and fun burp cloths was originally included in the book, but the book ran long (all those basic instructions take room ya know).

So here is something FAST and easy, and perfect for someone you love. How to get it? Go to martingale's website and download.

Quilter's Haven book signing

2010-07-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 17 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. I will be signing copies of Fast, Flirty, and Fun. I would love to see you all there.

Quilter's Haven

583 West 2600 South

Bountiful, UT 84010-7717

Kids can quilt, so can you!

2010-07-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

Having a mother as a quilter gives my children an opportunity to catch the quilting bug early. My oldest daughter started with a needle and thread when she was four. Now she is almost 10, and she enjoys spending time with me quilting. Now, my 6 year old is getting started and I am pretty excited to share my love of quilting with them.

Of course, with little ones, allowing for a number of mistakes is always a great thing. Really, anyone starting something new needs to feel like they are doing okay. It's great to give instruction, let them do it, and praise what they did well. Praise goes a long way. Everyone loves to be praised. I sure do!

I have a number of quilting books to review for Martingale publishing, and as part of the

review process I wanted to try out some of these quilt designs....and there is no better way to do it than to use my children in the process. This way I can see how well these books translate to beginners.

Madeline chose a pattern from this book. She chose a simple design that will work great for her. Today we started with piecing the strips together. I have to say, even though the book clearly shows that this is a large quilt, I was rather shocked to be cutting 3 1/2 inch strips, and 9 1/2" blocks. I am so used to using smaller cuts of fabric that this was a little bit of a shock. Of course, I got over it.

We sized the quilt down, and have been working on it this afternoon. I am loving this time I get to spend with her.

My little Lizard wanted to make a quilt of her own. She has a love of all things pretty, and also enjoys looking at and cutting my fabric. Lizard chose a pattern from the book Take 5.

Is it okay to be amazed at the ability of your children? I say yes, my Lizard sewed a pretty great 1/4" seam. Impressive.

Do you know how to quilt? If so, go teach someone you love to quilt!

Do you want to learn to quilt? Grab a loved one who knows how, and start today....or head on over to my house, we can make a party of it!

Are you?

2010-07-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Are you dying for a little push? Some inspiration? Something fun and easy to accomplish?

This summer has been crazy, pushing me out of the sewing room, and into every other room of the house. I spend an inordinate amount of time with my washing machine.

Anyhow....I want to give you guys something fun. Something easy to work on. So here's a twist on the windmill block. All straight edges, strip piecing, and quick. You are going to love it.

These are the instructions for just one block. Make the quilt as large or small as you desire.

What do you need?

Solid fabric (white?), cut into 2 1/2 strips

2 1/2 strips of "fun" fabric

1. Sew the strips together, and press to the darker fabric.

2. Cut the strips into blocks. Cut into 4 1/2" blocks.
***What if you want to make your strips different sizes? No problem. Cut your strips into squares by adding the width of the two strips, then subtracting 1/2", that will be the size of block you need to cut.
Super Easy.

3. Arrange the blocks so they look like this. Then sew together, and press!

4. Sew the two halves of the square together, and press.

Happy day, the block is done, and it was easy. You feel happy because it is so cute, you can hardly handle it.

So, what's so great about this block? I love it because it allows you to use a million different kinds of fabrics, and still ties them together. Notice in this quilt (look at the one at the top of the page, or this one...whatever), how I have super modern fabrics, mixed together with very traditional fabric. I simply picked 2 colors as my guide, and let the rest follow. Of course, there are more than 2 colors, but there are 2 "main" colors.

Do you want to try it out? Make a small quilt like this, and email them to me, I'd love to show the world your creations! Do you just want to sew the blocks? Email me the pics of those too!!!

Lucky Me!

2010-06-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am one lucky chick-a-dee. Jolly Jabber did a feature of Fast, Flirty, and Fun on their blog today.

Go check it out!

Jolly Jabber.

Trunk Shows- For Quilt Shops

2010-06-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

What's the deal with trunk shows?

Trunk shows allow you to get 3 quilts to display in your shop. My trunk show is visiting each shop for roughly 1 month. It will arrive at the first of the month, and the quilts will stay at the shop until the trunk show needs to be shipped off to the next location.

The only cost to the shop owner is the postage to the next location.

Quilt samples help boost sales of fabric, notions, and the book. What's great is that Martingale has a great "no risk" return policy, any books unsold can be returned to Martingale! Risk free is easy.

This is a great opportunity to teach a class from the book, you will have an example ready to go.

So, email me fast to set up your trunk show. I have two trunk shows, and they are filling up quick. Contact me at here.

Party Time

2010-06-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading a little story to that Liz of mine...and now my mind in working in rhymes...let's see if I can make this post in time.

The book release party came and went,

and I can't tell you how much it meant.

To have friends and family from near and far,

to join us to celebrate at our little bazaar.

We had some yummy food,

and my quilts were previewed.

There were lots of kids, parents, and noise

and we all enjoyed the walls of turquoise.

This morning a little mopping I had to do,

as well as clean the windows so we could view.

And now our fridge is full to the brim,

and I feel so lucky to have satisfied my every whim.

Welcome Home Quilts

2010-06-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome home quilts. I have missed you.

You have made trips I can only dream of. You've been to Quilt Market.

Lucky!

But, now you are safe at home. I am all too happy to have you back. But, prepare yourselves for another adventure....

Trunk Shows.

If only I could travel with the quilts in their box.

Until then, I will cherish their snuggling ability in my home.

Quilt shop owners:

Please contact me at sbisel@comcast.net if you want my quilts for a trunk show.

Book Release Party

2010-06-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

You are all invited. Seriously!

Amazon Ships!

2010-06-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

For all you quilters out there....the book shipped. How exciting, I can't wait to have everyone get their books. The fun begins!!!!

Now, we need to have a book release party. May the planning begin!!!!

Appearance

2010-06-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Do you want to see it? Check out my appearance on Tucson's The Morning Blend.

http://www.tucsonmorningblend.com/videos/96177159.html