LOVE is written in the stars.....feels good to piece a lap quilt once again!

Erica is a dear friend of mine who was recently married. I was waiting to piece a quilt for her when inspired by a pattern that would fit her soul.....POOF! Having fallen in love with Tula Pink and her modern alphabet, her LOVE quilt pattern spoke to me. Then I decided to tweak it and add my favorites, wonky stars....There are more stars to be created and will be placed haphazardly with text reading, "Written in the Stars". And the kicker tonight was Noah looking at these blocks and having a suggestion, stay tuned because it is a fun one that looks to be used for the final quilt. As much guff as the boys give me for this hobby, they sure are supportive! Happy Weekend, friends! Em

A reunion of sorts! Kat, Stephanie, Nifty, Mary K.......

This post is about a whole lot of LOVE.....and the missing moments when your LOVE is put on the back burner for other LOVE.....At Second Nature we gave an assignment entitled, Mandala. It was having a person draw themselves then portion out their being and give name to each piece. I enjoy thinking about this as a meditation and the boundaries bend and fold depending on the day, moment or need. So it is with the LOVE I have for Blogland.....

Last night I had the delight of blog surfing while Noah was falling asleep.....Oh how I realized how quickly I can pass an hour or more with old friends and new! I also am reminded that when I blog surf that I want to make 5 new projects right then :)....can you relate? or even more fun, seeing your projects and celebrating their wonderFULLness....Below is my Muertos gift card I created yesterday for a dear couple who just had their one year anniversary and their wedding theme was Day of the Dead. Kathryn loves owls and they have a pet bird, Jim, hence hanging from the fiddle. And then I found a FABULOUS house quilt with Day of the Dead! Kat at http://kellygirlquilts.blogspot.com is such a fun quilter and her blog is not one to miss! Hop over and CELEBRATE her fun!!!!The Day of the Dead quilt is a particular fav of mine and her text is wonderful!!!!!

Since last fall I have been a type of bubble that had me floating here and there but not real grounded with you, blog friends. Oh how I have missed visiting you but also noticed that my home life was free of the "Mom, are you looking at blogs again....Why can't you just watch tv without looking at blogs....Are you going to blog that too?...." Feeling torn, family became my focus and keeping the eye to making the goal of the move to the NW happen....we are here, we are settled and I am getting back. I have some catching up to do but my treats last night were oh so YUMMY!!!!!

X Marks the Spot....Hugs.....Cross my heart......Crosses galore in modern quilt designs and my fav....Memories of Grandma Eileen writing me letters and always ending with XOXOXOXO. Want to feel a hug of color envelope you? Visit http://quiltzbystephanie.blogspot.com for fabulous photos and quilt ditties woven for uplifting posts. Her fun little art quilts are a sure smile for you!

I can imagine that Nifty's inner clock chimed and chimed as she received an email from a wonderful quilter and also heard that all of her quilts were hung for display in a NW quilt shop. It was my TIME TO DANCE when she and I chatted this morning about going to see her quilts in the near future! A woman whose quilting gift and spunk is awe inspiring. http://niftyquilts.blogspot.com is her fun neighborhood and it even has a pink retro toilet!!!! Because of Nifty, I got to spend the day with her and Gwen Marston CELEBRATING the tiny quilt.....SO FUN!

And this final photo is a child's drawing I loved.....It instantly reminded me of Mary Keasler's floral beauties that she creates! I could envision her taking this artpiece and making it her own. I think it is the sharp petals that were a particular reminder for me. She had some recent fun at a workshop. She is FIBERLISCIOUS at http://fiberliscious.blogspot.com. Get inspired each time you visit her! And it will be TIME TO DANCE when I hope to see her in August here in my NW land. Off to make my wonky stars, my old standby that I love to create. The top photo of my love blocks will be the star centers and shining above a wonky neighborhood...The text will be, "Written in the Stars" for a newlywed couple who are patiently waiting for their quilt.......Just not enough time but with what we are given, MAY WE CELEBRATE WHAT WE DO GET DONE AND ENJOY THE RIDE! Love, Em

Tula Pink's Modern Alphabet Pattern....Swoosh of an S....Sliced bread....Camera tricks....

Isn't it fun to create a quilt for someone and choose fabrics intentionally that tell you a story within the pieces? So many fun fabrics for Marte to CELEBRATE her teaching and joy Noah felt while in her class for a short while. A quickie and definitely a quilt I create again. I am thinking about Christmas for a theme in new future. Do you wonder why I included the heart shaped bread slices? To send some love to Stephanie who loves heart shaped rocks. Even when prepping dinner I think of blog friends :). Happy Friday, friends. Em

A B C's....a scrapbuster fo sho!

Friends, It has been a night of sewing along with Roxy and tears at times just because...ever shed some of those?.....Noah and I are solo this week because Sean is working in St. George. He has kept his company there and will do minimal travelling and this is one of those times. Noah is 10 and is described as having a WISE SOUL....early Sunday Sean flew out and whispered to Noah, "You are the man of the house this week." I thought I would lose it.....Noah got in the car and told me, "I miss Dad but I like the feeling of being the man of the house." When Sean is gone, Noah is particularly lovey with me and almost a different side comes out. He joined me at the quilt shop yesterday and we found some fabric for last year's fab teacher, Marte. Then to Barnes for mag perusing to find pattern, THAT WE DID!!!! I apologize for not knowing pattern but will find out then blog. This ABC quilt is designed in honor of the fun pattern but of course, not using beautiful fabrics but instead my stash. Noah told me to make it crazy like Marte's creative persona and that is what she will get! I am smiling as I type this and I hope that you are smiling as you read between the words in my post, those emotions that cannot be typed.... And a THANK YOU for support and energy about my new job. It is a very exciting time because I was able to have 3 months of sabbatical with my husband and a gift we will always treasure. But....I am a career woman at heart and it was time to get back to my skills and out of the spa. My new job is welcoming my energy about empowering techs and teaching them the rationale behind best practices. BIG DEAL! to have a new company curious about my ideas and extending open arms. I will be a charge nurse for an inpatient unit of general psych diagnoses although I have a feeling I will be wandering to the detox unit. My specialty and love......giving my heart and hope to clients who are battling battles I cannot imagine. Love, Em

Do you love when the UPS man shows up and knocks?

Saturday's silly fun project. This is a birthday card for my SIL, Kim, who is coming to our home for a visit. She is as sassy as this pinup and it was fun to CELEBRATE her upbringing in suburban California while creating a pic of a little birdie whispering love and inspiring visions of her under an umbrella in the fall. I giggled when I saw a Facebook post that she had her birthday party at the pool, Godwink! Playing with the idea of creating a neighborhood quilt of these silly landscapes that I have been playing with. And of course when I type Neighborhood I am reminiscent of when Beth celebrated her 1 year blog anniversary with houses giveaways. Oh how you blog friends dart in and out of my mind! Happy Monday, Friends! Em

Happy Hands passing on happy news! Miki, WAHOO!!!

Hi, Friends! This week I started a new job and this photo is how my partner and I opened up the orientation when asked to draw what it means to work as a team.....Joy and good spirits in the workplace can be contagious and when passed on, healing and fulfillment are the fun bug. Today a smiley face is for you, MIKI, for winning the menu giveaway. Thank you all for playing along! "YES!"....A favorite word of mine. Since making this a mantra of mine as a mom and individual, I have come to enjoy the pleasures and opps that would not have been mine if I had said NO. And if a NO is necessary, how about presenting choices instead. An amazing tool I have used over the years in my career and in my home. It works to take out the power struggles. A little art card for a neat woman who caved when a community of friends told her, "Why not say YES!?" Studying this wood grain for the quilting of my modern poppy quilt that I finished months ago and Roxy has been begging to quilt. It will be shipped to Costa Rica and I am realizing how many WIP I have.....and now a new job....Breathe in and breathe out, Em..... And of course a new project is always brewing....In this case it will be a collaboration with Sean. He chose the Tula Pink fabric grouping and asked about the potential for a spider web design. Looking in a fav coloring book I found this pattern...Maybe? Love to you all on this Saturday and may you have a moment, an hour or a day or month of celebratoins!!! Em

What's on your menu?......It could win you fabric from Green Fairy...again!.

Follow your heart...... What a whirl of 3 months.....We have dived in head first to our new life in the NW and continue to thank God for the fun and beauty we discover each day. My quilting has become little ditties that are moments for reverie as I piece and quilt them. The above small quilt was inspired by a family mountain bike ride Saturday morning and the pattern, Little Hills. I started with a pattern but that didn't last long.... he he. Biking In Paradise.....Quilting this was great practice. Became a gift for a couple who have a small child who will one day mountain bike with them as NOah is doing with me and Sean.....A sort of early celebration for them! When asked by people why we moved...answer is easy, leave a demanding career to return to my roots of family and nature and exercise and offer new oppurtunities for my son....my trails in St. George have become trails that are ever changing in Seattle. Below was a mountain bike trail but then....just didn't like it. When I chopped here and there it exclaimed to me, "I am a retro vase..." Today is my last day of my sabbatical and it has been a delight! It has been PURE BLISS! The above retro floral is for my newest fav bistro, Skelly and the Bean. The business story behind its opening is amazing and a celebration of community! Google if you have a chance. I am creating this little ditty for her quaint self. The green on the bottom of the quilt is to mimick the retro formica tables we have all eaten on. How can you not fall in love with a eatery when it has the below menu...look at the a la carte! And on the back will be a cheeky little label honoring Noah's duck confit biscuits and gravy.... Quilting can be so entertaining for me and I hope that you have enjoyed this random little celebration on Monday. MONDAY'S MANTRA....What's on your menu? I had so much fun giving away fabric last week that why not do it again! Leave a comment about the mantra and tomorrow morning I will announce the winner. Make it a delicious comment to satiate my hunger of hearing from you! Savory or sweet, up to you...... Love, Em

What was beautiful becomes personal....just insert people!

A sunset in Kirkland, beautiful and inspiring but no personal attachment.....Like a post that I title and give you a pic of quirky quilts imploring you to tell me stories.... Just as my boys bring life to this scene, so do your stories you leave with me on my blog. I have read and reread the quips you left for the giveaway and thank you! Why I blog.....to connect and have fun seeing the fun that my quirky spin on quilting inspires. Who dares to be like my Tonyaesque LOVE block above and get caught in mid-somersault stance? If you find yourself inclined to get crazy, do it and leave me a note! or let it be something completely out of character and watch the person's face for a reaction, a fav doing of mine!!!!! Celebrating a quiet home while Roxy purrs.... my thoughts playing like a kitten with a ball of yarn bouncing down the stairs.....from you to you to me to you! These three teeny quilts are a riot to embellish with Roxy, something so cute about somethings that are so small. Like a onesy for a newborn...cute on a 8 pounder but no so cute on me! Conjures up a funny picture though! The exception to this visual is that large quilts are beautiful for me to behold but not to quilt with Roxy....and until Green Fairy is caught up...I am destined to make teeny! Now to quilt the sky and get attaching my teeny clothes and quilts...... Love, Em

Do you recall the days of clothes pins or fun commercials of children hiding amist the clothing on the line?

This quilt is proving to be very fun to create! Tiny clothes and tiny quilts necessitate tiny clothes pins.....And Roxy loved quilting this tiny 5" quilt. Today will be fun making progress. How is your day shaping up?

Deconstructing paper dolls.....I

Funny how adding a few items of clothing can transform this piece. Fun to cut out the clothes from different novelties fabrics of mine. My original plan was to purchase some Barbie clothes but no near shops last night during the hangout phase of the day with Noah. Sean and I decided to leave this quilt as it is and save a city skyline and apartment residents for another day.....Noah is creating some graffiti designs that will soon be template for a quilt for him. To have my boys advise, humor my hobby with all of the shop hops and now wanting to help design patterns, what a gift for this woman! Off to a conference today but wanted to leave some love before I do so. Happy Friday, Em

Quiltmania, you inspire me!!!!! And....Karen, you lucky quilter you!

Just the beginning but a quilt has got to start somewhere!....This quilt began at Quilted Strait on Kingston Island when I spied the cover of Quiltmania. I apologize but I do not know quilt designer but......it is fabulous! I decided that my spin for the design would be to create colorful quilts in tiny dimensions that I have been wanting to make in large sizes and know that I will never do so......VOILA! The tricks we can play on ourselves to get our fix with fabric, Huh? Reading the New York Times, there is a fabulous city skyline of building that I will use as silhouette for each side of the laundry lines.....and of course, my little crazy people with their heads poking out of windows. That is when it will be very fun and a few giggles exclaimed in the quilt room. I wish one of you could join me and we could be silly when picking out people and text to accompany them! And a special someone that is the lucky winner of the Green Fairy 25.00 shopping spree is Karen. Congrats, friend! Please email me when you see this notice and I will set up with Judi and Clint. May your days and eves be filled with the BIGS of the tinies!!!! Em

Would you like a shopping spree at Green Fairy? Can you imagine living under this roof? Who do you relate with this as you read this post?T

Do you ever do something just because it makes you smile, reminds you of the playful side you love, or just BECAUSE? The giveaway continues.....If you posted yesterday then feel free to enter again. The prize will be a gift certificate to Green Fairy quilts and I will let you know when it closes. This post's entry for the giveaway is leaving a little ditty about a story that accompanies this art piece or leaving a note of who you best relate with in the photo. Have some fun with it! I am using small quilts to practice my fmq. I find that they are a quick fix for wanting to create while not using a lot of my fabric while giving a sense of immediate gratification. Large quilts may be a thing of my past but then again, I long to create a traditional quilt someday....With this small piece I am praciticing decorative stitches on my machine and precision by outlining the florals in the outer border and working on perfecting the tension on the back of the quilt. Always my nemesis! Speakling of perfecting......My Noah is participating in the long jump this Wednesday and has been practicing with Sean. Tonight he asked me to join instead of staying home to quilt and remarked as we were leaving the home, "This is how athletes are made.".......Practice practice practice whether it be with a needle or running shoes! Sending care your way! Em PS.....I wanted to write and let you know that I am appreciative of your comments and they make me smile. Since moving to the NW, I have been working on balance between my personal time and family time. I am sorry that I do not always respond to your comments but I love them and that you support me!

CELEBRATE with me! It has been too long since I did a giveaway.....

Reality show takes over my little abstract quilt. I so badly attempted to make a simple solids abstract house boat floating in Lake Union but then....the drawer of people and text lured me in! Can you imagine living under this roof for an evening, week or until the season is cancelled......I cut out the UPS delivery man but figured I had to stop before it was over done!

As I review photos of quilts that I have designed and created since moving to the NW, I am curious how our creative souls can be tweaked by environment, stations in life and.......WHAT? Celebrate with me how your creative soul is influenced! My top photo is an abstract interp of the floating home on Lake Union posted below the quilt. I have wanted to play with the abstract ideas and the buildings of Seattle and this is my first attempt. So badly I wanted to leave without an embellishment, but could not. I love this text quote and found it on my recent trip to West Seattle. There are more from where it came! My place mats with silly ditties are taking off and I am delighted because they are a riot to create. These 2 are based on the theme, "NATURE".....more about human nature than Mother Earth but I could not resist when I found beach fabric and Want Ads for Paramours.....Thanks to the Quilting Loft in Ballard! And of course the staple of Seuss and Dick and Jane will continue to be incorporated. So excited! I have gotten a commission to make another Tree of Life. It will be based on my original posted on Green Fairy's Blog but with certain animals chosen by Jess who is requesting the quilt. I am tickled that I can supplement my income doing something I love. I realize that my style is not for everyone but with each hobby comes a group that will enjoy the jounrney and so I thank you who follow me! I will leave the contest open for a couple of days for the drawing. CELEBRATE! what's on your heart and what makes it beat! Leave a note of what you would like the prize to be.....It is your drawing, make it matter to you! Love, Em

Guess what?

I can barely contain myself!.......Visit the Green Fairy today!