What happens in Vegas.....

Weddings!  Ours!

5 years ago!!

Yes, we were married in Las Vegas.  At the Little White Wedding Chapel.   I'm wearing flip flops and tye-dye.  We have a total of 23 wedding pictures.  This is the best one.  There is a cheesy picture of a waterfall on the wall behind us and lovely fake flowers on the columns.  We bought rings at the outlet mall on our way there.  It was fun and it was just for us.  We still have plans to someday have a party with all the family and friends..........someday, someday.  Maybe for the 10 year?

Anyone else elope?



 

THE BEST WEEKEND EVER

I know, I can be a leeeeeeetle bit dramatic sometimes, but really, it was the best weekend ever.  And I can sum it up with this picture. 

I was so so so happy this entire weekend.  It was for meeeeeeeeee, and there hasn't really been anything like that in my life since....forever it seems.  I really realized that I cannot be a good spouse or a good parent or a good employee, or a good anything for that matter, if I am not a happy person.   Yes, I got that from this weekend.  Sometimes, you just need a break....

I learned quite a few things about garment sewing, pattern use, invisible zippers, elastic, carbon paper, and much more.  Which every time I said ooooh, or aaaaaah, Anna Maria would point out that all of these things were discussed in her book, and if only I had read her book.......  She is seriously so darn funny.  And so is Heather.  Between the two of them, I couldn't stop laughing all weekend.  I am fairly certain that all of us had a super great time.  I am bummed that I missed the group photo, but I would have been all sweaty in the picture from schlepping the ridiculous amount of fabric I brought, from my room back to the car.

I am not a dress person, but I've loved Anna Maria Horner's Evening Empire dress.  Except for the gathers at the waist.  I can't have that (less, less in that area!).   Soooooo, I/we decided to mix the top of the dress with the Yard Sale Skirt from Heather's book-basically just cut out the 6 gores.  It came out insanely cool.  There was math involved, and measuring, and the making of a muslin for the top of the dress(my first).  All in all, I came to the sewing realization that those extra few steps that seem like a waste of time-- are really quite worth it!

 And carbon paper!  All this time I had the tracing wheel- and never knew the true use.  I really should read the front of my sewing books more!  So much information! 

The group of ladies that were there with me this weekend were so much fun.  I really did not take enough pictures and I wish I had more of everyone there!  I just had so much fun hanging out with people who sew and know the words that I say (please tell me that you know what I am talking about).  It was like a Mod. Quilt guild meeting, but all freaking weekend!!!!  Awesomeness!

If anyone out there ever has a chance to do anything like this - DO IT!!!  It was such an amazing experience!!  Thank you to everyone who was there......it was the best!!

I'll try to take some pics today of my stack of AMH Bohemian for the giveaway........hopefully I can get that posted within the week........

xo
Raven

Heather Ross Winner!

The winner of the Heather Ross stack is......102

Megs from Australia!

I used True Random Number Generator  (no idea how to get the pic here)

Congrats!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

The Pillow Quilt (WORDY Wednesday)

First and most importantly - all your comments made for the BEST Sunday morning ever!!!!!  I seriously had the biggest smile on my face!  I feel soooooo much less nervous now- THANKS!!   As I tried explaining to my husband why I was so happy, he looked at me and said "You are giving away how much fabric?  And this is the person you are meeting this weekend, yet your giving her fabric away?"    He doesn't get it! 

Yes, I am giving away a good chunk of fabric, but percentage wise, it's not so much.  I have an 18 gallon tub of "usable" Heather Ross.  I have a small bin with FQs of all.  That's my fire bin.  Hahaha, how embarrassing, but yes.  We have had two major fires nearby in the last few years.  After my first evacuation, I realized that I would be devastated to lose this fabric.  Is that sick?  All the kid pics are on the computer.  I grabbed the paperwork we needed.  What else?  I decided after that first evacuation that a little Fabric Fire Bin would be a good idea.  I seriously cannot believe I'm admitting to this!  It does sound a little shallow.  Of course, watching the aftermath of people losing everything makes you realize it really is just "stuff."   And I have a lot of stuff!  So, rather than have it sit in a bin- I could never use it all-I would rather share it.  I'm trying to be less "greedy" with my fabric.  I really don't need a yard of every colorway of every fabric I like.  I've learned that it really doesn't make my life better.  But, one of you will really appreciate that 11.75 yards of fabric way more that I appreciate my 18 gallon tub.  Sad, isn't it?  I really want to change that about me.  I really need to learn some gratitude. I was raised spoiled, and have outgrown a lot of it, but the "want stuff" part really lingers on!

Alright, a little ramble-y this morning......

About this quilt....a thrift store find!

I literally about fell when I saw it!  Have you ever seen anything like it?  I'm calling it the Pillow Quilt, as it is literally, a bunch of little (3.5"-4") pillows hand sewn together.  I guess it would be whipstiched together?  I would call this a small twin.  It's apx. 63"x 88" and  16 pillows x 22 pillows  I am fairly certain the pillows are machine stitched.

It's crazy well made.  

How did I know this?   I know it was not smart, but I put it in the washing machine.  I just had so much faith  that it would survive a cycle, on delicate of course.  Man, I did have some nervous tummy butterflies for that 46 minutes!  I can't explain it, but I just felt such a connection to this quilt.  It could just tell that it was strong.  I know.  I know  My husband has reminded me.  It's just a quilt.

 

But SEE!! I was right!  It made it.  I dried it in the dryer too!  I know, seriously, I did.  It's awesome!  So, since it survived and has been with us for approximately 2 months now, I have really had a chance to bond with it.  It's so great, people!  I had it on my daughter's toddler bed, folded in half, during the "cold" spell here in CA. 

I have officially decided I want to make one, but it's going to take forever.  I went a deep and thoughtful and (hormonally) decided that each little pillow is going to represent something in my life, something major for me.  And so it will be my life in a quilt, if you will.  

There will definitely be a pillow for this coming weekend(Aaaaahhhhh, freaking out), one for the wedding, one for each birth(2),  some for sad things and some for happy things.  You know, how life is.

Maybe I'll use one of Atlas' old shirts for his birth "pillow." Lila's munki jumper that's almost worn out for her birth "pillow."  A piece of the totally worn out black pants that I decided last week I could no longer wear in public, that I also wore to my Vegas wedding, will be for the wedding "pillow."   The two rejected color 5" Mendocino squares that I received from HR in the studio sale last year will be her "pillow."

Isn't that what quilts are?  They are all the quilter.  It really doesn't matter whether or not the receiver loves it or hates it, does it?  It's always better when it's well received, but it's all about the making.

I never learned to appreciate"the process" when I was younger.  I think that this is something I will make sure my kids have instilled in them.  I have no idea how to do this, but we'll learn together. 

Okay....That was a long one!  If you made it here, a sincere thanks for taking it all in!  It does feel good to share a bit more about myself after all the great comments!  Thanks for the nudge Brooke!

Sunday Stacks - One for me, One for you :)

Sunday stacks- this one's mine.  I've been adding to and taking from this pile for almost 1 1/2 years.  Hmmmm, maybe I should get a round to making a quilt with it.......

It's orange, brown, yellow, with some almost reds and hints of pinks.  I especially love the Amy Butler Coriander and the Moda Lush in there! (Top left two fabrics)

And this loverly stack of Heather Ross- well this one is for you!

25 different prints!  11.75 yards of fabric.   

Those are yard cuts on the right, 1/2 yard cuts in front of my toes, and FQs at the top

WINNER GETS ALL!!

I love Heather Ross.  I will be meeting her next Friday afternoon.  I am so crazy nervous.  Not so much about meeting her, but more being out of my element, away from my everyday norm, around a bunch of "strangers" (can I describe them as strangers if they love sewing and HR as much as I do?)  I have never left my kids overnight, let alone for a whole weekend.  I will be 5 hours away from them!  I had to change from a shared room to a single room so as not to scare my roomie with my bawling about missing my kids.  I thought it better to play it safe and not frighten anyone.  Hopefully, if I state my nerves here, they won't show up when I get to the hotel, right?.  What if I'm introduced to Heather and start crying?  No really, this has played out in my head.  My "sewing" is so intertwined with me having kids and dealing with Post-partem depression and figuring out what to do with my life, so it's not like I'm just meeting someone who designs fabric and had a sewing book published, I'm meeting someone who has had a major flippin impact on my life, ya know?  I feel like my entire sewing life would not exist were it not for HR, her fabrics, and her book.    Okay, a little over dramatic......but if you knew me in real life.........that's me!

Oh, and just wait for my post about how I love  Anna Maria Horner.  It's all about hormones and breastfeeding and how I used to utterly detest her fabrics (not any more).  I am very convinced that I will cry when I meet her.

And finally, I actually have sewn something in the recent past.  This quilt is just waiting patiently for the binding to be sewn on.  I did not like it as I was making the blocks, but now I am so in love with this one!  I've been doing a ton of hand sewing with felt- toys for the kids.  I'll get some pics of those- so fun!

FOR THE GIVEAWAY
1. Leave a comment.  Let me know something about you, about your sewing, about your kids, pets, life, car, neighbor, anything really.

2. Become a follower.


I will leave the comments open until I get back from my "Weekend Sewing" (closing 1/24)

Good Luck and Happy Sunday!!

{this moment}

my sunrise
Originally uploaded by oversewn
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.