Splurge

At one of my local quilt shops, Quilt Expressions, they mail you out a postcard during your Birthday month and you can go in and save 20% on your purchase. Since today was the last day of the month, and heaven forbid that postcard go unused, I ventured into the shop. I had intentions of buying some precuts as I've never purchased or used any before. Turns out, it would help if I knew what I wanted to make and who I wanted to make it for before going shopping for fabric. Sooo....I ended up with a quilt kit, spent way more than I intended to (especially considering I got 2 gift cards for my Birthday for a different quilt shop...but that means I still have them and can get precuts after I decide what and who they would be for).

This beautiful fabric is for this quilt pattern:

Photo courtesy of Fat Quarter Shop

I'm super excited to start this quilt, but I think that it's going to have to be put away until after we're moved and settled in. If I start another new project I will never get this house packed! Maybe this quilt kit will give me the motivation I need to get through the moving process! Oh, well that and my new quilting space that I will have!

Wordless Wednesday (AKA Why I Haven't Been Posting Much)

"Get 'er Done, Got 'er Did"

Love that line from "About the South" by Rodney Atkins!

Like I was tellin' ya, I got my hair 'did' yesterday! I had my sister take some before and after photos. Now, keep in mind that I hadn't done anything to style my hair in the before...it was just some wash and go action, no product or heat had touched it (i.e. it looks like a nasty mess and I don't usually just wear it this way) but you get the idea:

After (mostly the same length, I think she took an inch or 2 off and added a bit more layering):

Can you see the new colors (a caramel-ish color and deep red)? I look a little 'crooked' in this one, but it shows the colors a bit better than the one above it.

Happy Sunday!

Superhero

Our Oddball knitting group was challenged to do a Superheo blanket. Maybe it's because I have two boys but when I read it, I really wanted to have my section include a 'logo' for a superhero rather than just colors to represent a certain character. I settled on Batman so I searched for patterns and found this one. Next, I had to learn how to knit with different colors in a pattern...yeah, I'm really going all out here. I was the second knitter on this blanket, it arrived at my house and the first section was a beautiful red, white and blue to represent Captain America. I had this blanket in my possession a little longer than most of the blankets I work on because I was searching for the perfect pattern and had to learn (and hence practice several times) a new technique before adding it to this project. Once I had it all figured out, I went to town on this blanket and it really didn't take that long to whip it out.

After I was done, I had loads of ends that I needed to weave in:

Overall I'm really happy with my section. I put a lot of time and effort into it and, while it is far from perfect, I'm proud of myself for taking the time to learn a new technique and spending time to make this a wonderful blanket for some lucky little boy (I'm assuming it will go to a boy, though I suppose some girls might appreciate it too).

Enjoy your Saturday. I'm getting my hair "did" and looking forward to a new cut and color!!!!

Shopping Around

Let's say I'm in the market for a new sewing machine.

I want one for piecing as well as one that works well for quilting

(because, even though I've only finished 2 complete quilts,

this is something I really want to do more of).

What should I look for (size, features, whatever)?

What do you use and what are some of the features you love about it?

I know you can go from mild to wild here and I don't even know

right now what price range I'm going to be looking in so just share

what you want and then I'll narrow it down after that!

Thanks!!

Keeping Up

things are crazy right now:

-turned in my application for nursing school last friday

(almost cried while standing there as the guy was filling

out my received receipt - can you say PMS emotional).

the application process required some fabulous testing

first and i learned that i really don't know as much

about Excel as i thought i did

-we're trying to buy a house

-i'm trying to keep up with bee blocks

last month's was finished on the last day:

this month's are done but waiting to be mailed:

working on cutting my fabric for my quilt group:

(they all have the fabric now, can't wait to see

what i get back next month!)

(my block design from Oh, Fransson!)

also thought I'd have the group do a charity baby quilt:

-i think i've signed up for more oddball

blankets than my life is allowing right now

recently finished my section in this one:

just finished this one last night:

this one is next - Superheroes

and i'd love to make a batman section

with the batman logo in the center

(never done anything like this so it's a bit

of a looney goal if you ask me) and

a "Wizard of Oz" blanket is in the mail

so i can add a section to represent munchkins

-i've been really exhausted all of the time so

usually i'd rather just go to bed than to work

on the things that are on my to do list

-my iphoto was full so i'm working on moving

pictures to disks so i can get the photos

off of my camera. i had a dilemma, save

photos to disks or thumb drives?

disks seem easier because i can write dates

on them and file them in order.

i would inevitably lose thumb drives.

How are you today?

Inexpensive Rotary Blades - whodathunkit?

Whodathunkit as one word is fun!

Check out today's Tidbit Tuesday at Freckled Whimsy to hear how to get rotary blades for $1.49 for 2!!

Blue Hawaii

Over the weekend I managed to finish my section of Blue Hawaii for the West Coast/Central Oddball Knitters. I have had this blanket in my possession for quite a bit longer than I should have, but with 2 bouts of illness I really wasn't wanting to sneeze or cough my bugs into this pretty blanket. I loved the colors of the first 2 sections (and the white) but I didn't have anything in my stash that would compliment them at all...so I got to go yarn shopping!!! I was on the hunt for a perfect yarn and, not to brag but, I feel I found the perfect one! Carol, from Hawaii, started the blanket and did the first section in a "Diamond Brocade pattern - reminiscent of Hawaii's famous landmark, Diamond Head." As you can see in section 2, there are some "holes" (sorry, not sure if there's a proper term) in the shape of diamond throughout the section. The white section is sort of diamond-ish too, at least I believe so. In my section, it's sort of hard to see, but I used a Large Diamond pattern to compliment the other sections.

I'm sure I've mentioned before that we mail blankets to one another adding a 4 inch section to the blanket - 6 sections total and then a lovely crochet border- then the blankets are donated to a hospital and given to babies who might not otherwise get such a wonderful blanket. Let me know if you want more info on how to join our group (or the one for your region)!

Google Reader Feature Randomness

I love this new to me feature on Google Reader - add a button to your bookmark bar that allows you to go from blog to blog viewing the new posts in your reader. I'm not good at explaining it so you can find out how to do it in this post at Cluck Cluck Sew (love this blog). This makes it so quick and easy to read the posts - loving it so far!!

On another, completely unrelated note, this young man lost tooth #2 today - haven't taken a picture yet...we're all a bit under the weather today. We were actually on the way home from a doctor visit when he said ever so calmly "hey mom, my tooth came out." He's now on a course of antibiotics for a low grade atypical pneumonia...hopefully that will be all he needs to get rid of the nasty cough he's had for over a month now.

My triceps hurt today, but it's a good hurt (can you say oxymoron?). I guess doing skull crushers with a 50lb kettlebell will do that to you. Just have to say that I love kettlebells and the variation of workouts that I get in my classes!

Winner and Exclusive Invitation

THANKS TO ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS, NEW AND LONG TIMERS!

The winner of the $25

CSN Stores giveaway is:

Congratulations, Domestic Diva!

I will send you an email shortly!

Even if you didn't win, have I got a treat for you all:

Have you heard about Joss & Main? It's an exclusive private sale site that CSN Stores recently launched. It offers exclusive sales on top brands and designers for the home at up to 70% off retail. Sales only last 72 hours, but new ones are launched daily and all are backed by the high levels of customer service and quality that you’ve grown to value from CSN.

Access is restricted to members only and I'm inviting you to join - Click here to sign up, it's easy and FREE!

Giveaway Reminder

Don't forget about my Followers Giveaway from CSN Stores! Drawing will be this afternoon and there is a LOW amount of entries so chances are good!!

Happy Tuesday,

These Boys...

...are silly. They certainly make me laugh every day - love them for that!

Followers Giveaway - CSN Stores

Have you heard of CSN Stores yet? CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be swingsets, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware! Oh, how I would love a swing set for my boys - maybe soon...when we have our own home.

This giveaway is for my followers - because I thank you for being here! CSN Stores has offered to give the winner a $25 gift certificate (code) to use as you choose!

Rules To enter:

1. You must be a resident of the US or Canada (CSN only ships to these countries so the code wouldn't be useful if you live in Boliva...or wherever else).

2. You must be a follower of Bailey and the Boys to enter - all non follower comments will be excluded.

3. Please leave me a comment if you are interested in winning - just because you're a follower doesn't mean you're automatically entered. You will have to work just a little bit here people :)

4. If you would like an additional entry, please feel free to share this giveaway with friends on your blog. Leave me a comment with the link to the post for a second chance at winning.

5. I must know how to tell you that you won - please make sure you are not a "no-reply blogger" or leave your email address in your comment.

6. Leave your comments by Tuesday, February 15th, I will choose a winner at 1pm MST using the True Random Number Generator.

Thanks for following Bailey and the Boys!

Transformation Part 2

This was a quick, no-sew project, there's not much, but you can see Part 1 here. This isn't a tutorial, all I did was use Heat 'n' Bond (so follow the directions on the package) to apply the images to the burlap that I covered the original wall hanging with. Easy 'nuff. First I had to sketch out what I wanted things to sort of look like and then I cut the pieces individually from the Heat 'n' Bond backed fabric. This allowed me to play with different layouts.

I used this Heat 'n' Bond because it was all that I had, probably could have used the heavier duty version for the burlap, but this worked just fine, just had to apply heat a little longer than the instructions indicated.

Don't forget when using Heat N Bond to keep in mind what side you need everything to be on or you'll end up with your images flipped. No big deal here, I just cut the tree into 3 sections and 'pieced' them together.

And....voila, a little family of owls (they represent the family members of my friend's family)!

I loved making it for you, Annie, and hope it works for what you need it to!

Transformation Part 1

Come back and see how I'm in the process of making over this wall hanging for a dear friend's new baby nursery.

My friend wanted to turn this bee wall hanging from her daughter's nursery (from nearly 5 years ago) into something with owls for her new baby boy. I told her I would do it for her as a gift....and since Liam is nearly a month old, I had better get it finished!

(pictures aren't showing up too great, but guess that helps to keep a bit of the element of surprise in play)

Hey, I never claimed to be an artist!

Now, if only I could reclaim my crafting area (aka the dining room table)! Mama needs, okay, wants a sewing room in a bad way! It will be designed similar to this!!