love the smell of new fabric in the morning...

It's been a long while since I ordered or purchased new fabric...and then last weekend I picked up a few pieces at my LQS (just a few 1/4 yard cuts of Gooseberry, of course I have zero plan for them, just liked them).  And then the other day I placed an order with Fat Quarter Shop and these goodies (all Kona cotton 10" squares) arrived:

and then yesterday I placed ANOTHER order (this one is a bit larger, adds up to 14 yards of fabric)...and hopefully it won't be long before that package arrives...


but I took one of the sets from above (the Julie Herman coordinates set) and got started turning it into HSTs:

and by the end of the week, hopefully this becomes a quilt top.  This is one of 5-6 quilts (and all solids...which is exciting as I've never done an all solids quilt before, and now I'm trying to do several in a short period of time) I'm trying to get done before December 25th. 

I don't know what it is about this time of year...but I must sew all of the things!  So that I can gift all of the things!

I love the madness of Christmas sewing!!!

well darn...

I had posted in September that I wanted to post more, and then just like that I disappeared again for over a month.  What can I say...October was a busy month.  Oh well.

I have been sewing...a lot actually...I finally finished up all the blocks for my Red Letter Day quilt, and pieced together a quilt top from the leftover blocks of a previous quilt:

and then promptly found more HSTs that need to be turned into blocks...so the quilt top isn't quite done yet.

I've also got a few other projects that have been started (and in one case finished) or work continued on:

The top two images are for Christmas sewing projects...and both need to be done by Thanksgiving.  And then there is the Trail Tote that I made my daughter (and I'm secretly jealous of and want one for me).  And last there are my postage stamp blocks that will be a work in progress for a good long while.

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but as soon as November rolls around...all I can think of is all of the gifts I would like to make and give for Christmas.  So I've ordered some fabric and have about 4 other quilts on my to do list this year.  Here's hoping I actually get it all done.

well...

Took a long break from this space.  Wasn't intentional, just a lot of things going on and a complete lack of motivation for sewing.  As the weather starts to cool, my urge to stitch has returned.  Of course all of my previously unfinished projects still sit unfinished...as I've started some new ones.  No idea how far I'll go with them, but it feels good to be doing some kind of sewing.

So that's that for now...hope to return again soon!

Wellness Wednesday...ep. 17

I kicked up the running a bit  (woohoo...did 10 miles!) this past week.  Long run of 6.17 miles over the weekend had me feeling pretty good.  I did miss a regular weekday run because I was mowing our horribly overgrown yard, so I'll just call that cross training.  Beyond that I did a bit of foam rolling and not much else.  I'm aiming to add in a bit more cross training over the next week, and at some point get my rear end back to yoga.  I started my run yesterday on the treadmill...but barely made it a mile before I had to take it outside...the weather was gorgeous, and lately me and the treadmill haven't been getting along.

April miles: 20.6

Miles YTD: 136.3

in the pink

It's a rainy Saturday...and time for me to kick my sewing mojo in gear! Last weekend I started working on a baby quilt for a good friend:

and my goal today is to actually turn it into a quilt top! Fabric is Joel Dewberry Notting Hill, the tangerine (I call it the pinks) color palette.  I've used these fabrics before, and had plenty left in my stash for this quilt.  I'm using the Fat Quarter Shop Charm Box quilt pattern.

Funny...as I was deciding on the pattern and fabric...I fell in love with quite a few things from my stash...and I think I have quite a few more quilts planned in my head.  I'll be happy to just get back to sewing!

Wellness Wednesday...ep. 13-16

Wow...really really didn't mean to go so long between posts (again).  It's been a little crazy in my life.  Some things that have been in progress for the past 2 years are FINALLY coming to a close, we had Spring Break in there somewhere, and finally the weather is actually feeling like Spring (lots of yardwork)!  Not to mention...I've actually done some sewing...and I will get a post up about that this week!

On to the Wellness part of this post...after the two races in March...I pretty much took a month off.  It wasn't intentional...one thing led to another (see my paragraph above) and I didn't get any running in...didn't go to yoga.  Was pretty much a lazy lump.  And you know what...oh well.  It was needed, my legs were dead, my heart wasn't in it, and so I just didn't.  Then last week...it really was time to get started, my mojo was up, I was getting the itch to get going, and I signed up for another race.  This time it's the Asheville Half Marathon taking place on June 6th.  Figured I have enough time to get back to half marathon distance.  This will be half number 6, and I'm doing this one again with my mom!  I'm very excited, and the running is feeling pretty good I feel better now that I'm back to running.  I'm really slow, and the distances have been fairly short, but I'm moving!

April miles: 10.5
2015 miles: 126.2

Wellness Wednesday...ep. 9-12 (March)

Happy Thursday Friday (so long since I blogged I forgot to actually post this yesterday)!  It's been a long while.  Life in the month of March has been more than a bit hectic in my house...so I figured I'd just throw out a March recap on the health and wellness side and then hopefully by the end of the weekend have some sewing to report.  Please sit back and enjoy this slightly lengthy post.

At the end of February, my Mom and I flew out to Dallas to run the Cowtown Half Marathon.  What we could have never planned for was all the lovely snow that was falling when we landed in Dallas.  Had a great time having snow ball fights with my nieces and nephew and my sisters and brother-in-law.  We had a blast!  Unfortunately that night over in Ft. Worth, they got hit with ice.  So we started the day before the race not knowing if we would even be able to run a race, or how we were going to get from Frisco to Ft. Worth when the road conditions weren't looking too good.  We eventually were able to get a train from Dallas to Ft. Worth (it was fun!).  When we arrived in Ft. Worth we could barely walk out of the station to the sidewalk, everything was covered in ice.  My Mom actually spent most of her time sliding around.  Unfortunately there was a bit of a freezing mist/fog that was still coming down and the temps were around 30 degrees.  We eventually were able to get a cab to take us to our hotel.  And then we finally made it to the the expo.  While at the expo they announced the cancellation of the Full and Ultra Marathons.  The roads and course were just too risky, but they were going to be able to get the Half course cleared/sanded/salted enough for us to run the next morning.  Mom and I ran the next morning, it was a great race, great course.  It was about 30-32 degrees the entire time...so we ran out of energy over the last few miles, but we finished!  Right now the plan is for me, my Mom and both of my sisters to run it next year!!!

After the trip to Texas, I had 20 days to get ready for half marathon #5.  Which resulted in one run of a distance of 4.9 miles.  I had a bit of a cold before I left for Texas, and by the time I got home from Texas...I had a bit more of a cold.  So all the running plans I had to keep my legs ready for the next half went out the window as I concentrated on just trying to get healthy.  A few days before the race I was actually able to start going back to yoga, so between that one run and a few yoga classes...I made it to the start line of the Newberry Half Marathon this past Saturday.  And for the most part...had a great run.  It ended up being a bit warmer than expected, so the last 4 miles or so of the race I had the sun beating down on me...but again...hung in there and finished.  I was really not happy with my time...slowest one yet...but given how worn out I was going into the race...I'm just happy to have finished.

So that brings me to this week...where a few interesting things have happened.  After the Newberry half, I planned on taking the month of April off, focus on yoga, maybe get back on the exercise bike...but to give my feet and legs a break from running.  Well...plans have changed.  Monday starts Full Marathon training...because I was one of the lucky runners whose number came up for the Marine Corps Marathon in October!!!!!!!  I was orignally planning on running a Full in December.  But last Monday...I decided that I was going to try putting my name in the lottery to see if I could maybe get in the race.  Something was just telling me that the MCM was the race I needed to at least try for...and I was thrilled yesterday morning when I got the email telling me I was in!  So then I started mapping out my training plan (my plan is based on the Galloway Marathon Training plan) and it worked out perfectly to start next week.  I'll get into more of my actual training plan next week.

So there you have it!