31 July 2013

. . . #julysewphoto . . .

. . . this was fun . . .
. . . maybe you've already seen 
these instagram photos . . .
. . . one each day . . .
. . . it was really interesting 
to see how different posters 
interpreted each day's topic . . .
. . . i, for one, am guilty of lots of
   s t r e t c h i n g   
to make the photo fit the challenge . . .
. . . it's fine . . .


. . . month at a glance . . .
. . . for those of you in my age bracket, 
larger individual photos 
{complete with witty captions} 
follow . . .
{truth be told --- many of these photos should only be allowed 
to be viewed on an iphone size screen --- eek!}
. . . i love the comments, too, 
but you'll have to check my instagram feed 
for those . . .
. . . i'm too lazy to retype all of them! . . .
. . . also missing here 
is my fantastic use of emoji . . . 
. . . sorry 'bout that . . .

1july2013 - entering approximately 487 receipts into my checkbook register, balancing against my bank statement, and paying bills for the month - by check | and yes, as a matter of fact, i AM old school | and i keep costco and hobby lobby in business #thankheavenforcalculators #idontknowhowtouseanabacus #imnotTHAToldschool


2july2013 - i hope they call me on a mission | mostly because that would mean my husband was feeling well enough to go | i made a promise that when he is healed, we will serve | #hestheonewhoREALLYwantstogo


3july2013 - probably not exactly what @kritta22 had in mind for today's #julysewphoto, but this family of mine was definitely made just for me | each child, each spouse, each grandchild is so unique and awesome | bill and i feel extremely blessed to be parents and grandparents to such a fine bunch of young people | #eighteenofus #sofar #readyformoreanytime


4july2013 - the view out my front door | much love for the stars&stripes and all they represent | thanks harmony park ward scouts for posting the colors all over our neighborhood | #yayfortheusa


5july2013 - lots of sharp stuff | pictured: scissors {cheetah handles optional - for you, not for me}, rotary cutters, blades, stylus/awl, machine needles, hand sewing needles, straight pins | not pictured - seam ripper


6july2013 - yep . . . same photo as yesterday | but, hey!! sharpen those scissors | change your rotary cutter blade {i always wonder what took me so long?} | use a new needle | throw away bent pins {love doing this} | and for pete's sake treat yourself to a new seam ripper - you'll love the way it slices through the threads of your sewing booboos 


7july2013 - let's be honest | i'm just NOT an animal person | at all | BUT i do love a good cheetah print | so this is as close as it gets | #shoesfromdrewandjessalynswedding #iputupwithalhasaapsoforfourteenyears #ivedonemytime #ripmaggie #alldogsgotoheaven


8july2013 - the color i painted a lot of freshly installed beadboard a few months ago | two coats of primer and two coats of paint | you really should see the "before" photo | it's on my blog today and it's spectacular | think wallpaper | think waverly | think floral | think everywhere | #mrmiyagiandthekaratekid #paintfence


9july2013 - vintage bernina 830 | she isn't new | she isn't fancy | purchased for $1500 (that was a lot of money!) in april 1979 in downtown provo, utah, with money we received as wedding gifts | how nice is my husband? | bernie's the only machine i've ever had | well . . . besides two sergers | every time i take her in for repairs or routine service, they say, "when you're ready for a new machine, don't even think about getting rid of this one - they just don't make 'em like this any more!" | over the years, she and i have sewn many little girls' dresses and costumes. lots of super ruffly curtains, baby bedding, quilts lately, and literally thousands of oops! | #costperuseiswaaaydown #ithinkillkeepher


10july2013 - best sewing gift | see that quilty runner down there? | i loved the birthday when @pegmoff gave me a cute prezzie of mary engelbreit charm squares and a couple of fat quarters | it took me a while, but eventually i figured out what to do with them | and now, seriously, i think of her every time i walk past | #ithinkofpegnotmary


11july2013 - welcome to what i lovingly refer to as the "let's keep stephanie sane" room | i know sewing stresses lots of people out, but for me . . . ahhhhhh! {i hear angels singing} | all i need is a little fabric, bernie, a frosty dirty diet coke and daniel grayson on the tube | and it's relatively cheap therapy | #winwin #itsworkingsofar #ithink #itisntalwaysthisclean #waititisntEVERthisclean


12july2013 - this was an easy one | @etcaz for the win | owner @marti_lynn_jones is great at what she does | what started as a small scrapbook store has grown into a mega fabric/quilt/scrapbook shop of amazement | fun classes with an enormous classroom | friendly, helpful staff | large inventory | and a soft spot in my heart | all three of my daughters {@amberhansen01 @mandersras and @ameliajohnson} were employed there in their youth - luckily that was during the pre-fabric days | #fabrickindofscaresmyoffspring


13july2013 - you've heard of #throwbackthursday and #flashbackfriday | well . . . today must be #scarysaturday | so many things here i'll never do again | let's start with perms {my husband refers to this as the sphinx phase} --- never again | dresses made from three mens tshirts --- never again | splatter paint --- never again | shoulder pads --- never again | also {sadly} i'll most likely never be that thin again! | #allthosethingssoundedlikegoodideasatthetime #ishouldprobablyneversaynever


14 july 2013 - to tell you the truth, i'd never even looked at the craftsy website before today | just to let you know --- i'm kind of/extremely stubborn and independent and i'd usually rather figure stuff out myself | two exceptions: a beginning quilting class at a local quilt shop {not to be confused with MY local quilt shop, please} where i actually did learn a few very helpful tips that i use to this day; and the monthly card making classes that i faithfully attended for over ten plus years at MY local scrapbook/quilt store {but, seriously, it was never really about the cards - rather, it was another form of cheap therapy!} | HOWEVER --- if i WERE to take a craftsy class, it would most likely be @croskelley's because i'm in awe of all the darling fabrics she designs {with her cute mom},  patterns she creates, the way she tackles projects around her home, all the while raising three adorable little boys {and a husband!} | #shecouldprobablyteachmeathingortwo


15july2013 - my to do list for the day | three out of four's not too bad, i reckon | #tomorrowisanotherday #lofty goals


16july2013 - an unfinished object | and i'm saying to myself ---"self! just finish it already!" | left to do : outer pieced scalloped border {it's cut out}, pieced bee block for back label, figure out what to use for the back, get it quilted, make binding, and bind it | i'm so close | no big whoop | #justdoit #beeinmybonnetrowalong


17july2013 - "go to" fast dinner? | that's an easy one | "go to" taco tuesday | where else are real tomatoes and limes used as edible wall art? | #caferio #doublecheckyourtakeoutorder #corntortillasmandatory 


18july2013 - sorry @kritta22, but you canNOT ask a musician/music lover to choose just one song | impossible | too many genres | too many seasons of my life | BUT --- if i HAD to choose {at least in the popular music realm} it would most likely be something by my guy sweet baby James Taylor | and it's pretty handy that my appreciation of his longevity in the music business, his dexterity on the guitar, and his magical baritone pipes is shared with my husband | if James' tunes are in the CD player or on the iPod, we're both happy campers | #justkiddingaboutcamping #youvegotafriend #carolinainmymind #yoursmilingface #somechildrenseehim {that one's on his Christmas album - you should buy it}


19july2013 - a special #oops order for some fans of the louisiana state university fighting tigers | orange is at the top of my "least favorite color" list, but purple is kind of up there, too | yet purple and gold are the school colors of my beloved mesa high | our nba phoenix suns team's colors are purple and orange | AND the living room furniture we inherited from my cute mother-in-law included two of the prettiest purple chairs you ever did see | so . . . there's that


20july2013 - tv and i --- we're good friends | and please bless the genius who invented the dvr | it's a good thing today's photo wasn't supposed to feature our favorite tv commercial, because i haven't seen one in years | so many shows . . . but i decided to narrow it down to some that are currently airing new episodes {with special thanks to the usa network for their summer seasons} | burn notice {favorite character: jesse}; covert affairs {favorite character: auggie}; suits {favorite character: donna}; graceland {favorite character: johnny} | these are some of the "friends" who keep me company while i sew | #ilistenmorethanwatch #favoriteshowschangewithseasons #theysaybullsh*tontheseshows #thatbugs


21july2013 - maybe it isn't cool or politically correct in this day and age, but my dream job has always been to be a wife and mother - even a stay-at-home mom | i'm thankful every day that circumstances were such that my dream came true | i love this family of mine | the six of us have grown into eighteen {so far} and i'm really proud of each one of them | now --- since my "never again" photo was such a hit last week, here's another treat | this time from easter 1989 | please enjoy our coordinating outfits and big big big hair 


22july2013 - a work in progress | yay! we have scalloped border blocks | i swear --- when this quilt is finally and blessedly finished, we will ALL be grateful, won't we? | #imtheslowestquiltmakerintheworld


23july2013 - let me explain: "bucket list" is derived from the phrase "kick the bucket" --- meaning a list of stuff to do before you die | so here's the deal --- everything's relative, right? | truth is: i only •thought• i was going to die if i didn't get my nails done today | but, seriously, the gel was super chippy and scraggly and snagged on my clothes and just generally bugged | but they look awesome now and . . . bam! life goes on | photo credit: thuy | #dramaticmuch?


24july2013 - today's assignment is "check on new years goal" | well --- sadly --- i've never really been much of a resolution maker | i'm more of a day to day type person | i DO make lots of lists, though | and who doesn't love checking stuff off their to do list? | so satisfying | #stillneedtogototargetisee #iadditemsAFTERidothemjustsoicancheckthemoff #youknowyoudotoo 


25july2013 - "maybe christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store --- maybe christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more" | and pretty much anything else jim carrey's grinch character ad libbed in the 2000 live action remake of the 1966 animated version of dr. seuss' 1957 book | what's your favorite grinch quote? | #wrongo #loatheentirely #itsbecauseimgreenisntit #imsurekrittameantchristmasFABRICline #mybad


26july2013 - there are so many positive things about the quilt process | one of my very favorite parts is choosing fabrics - love that! | piecing - love that! | quilting? - hmmm - not so much - that's why awesome long-arm quilters were invented - love them! | binding - love that! | but today has been spent unsewing - what is the •opposite• of love that? | #myownfault #gottapayattention #thankfulforabrandnewseamripper #taketwo


27july2013 - gotta be gold canyon's pomegranate | every time one of the neighbor kids comes around selling these to raise money for {fill-in-the-blank} school/sport/club, this is the flavor i buy | maybe i should branch out | what's your favorite scent? | i'm open to suggestions | the founder of gold canyon served as a missionary for our church right here in my area for part of his mission | these candles are yummy | #youshouldbuyone


28july2013 - well . . . lately - it would appear as if my favorite color combo is pink&cheetah | on my feet | on a gift | on my blog | and on an #oops | but --- ask me at christmas time and i'll tell you it's definitely red&white | what's your go to color? | #cheetahreallyISacolor


29july2013 - i've been lucky, over the years, to see some pretty darn amazing places | the grandeur of national parks and little weekend day trips and picnics as a child with my parents and siblings | a cross country drive {AZ-NJ} with my dad | golf trips with my husband and friends to the east coast and the west coast and lots of places in between, and not in between - hawaii, france, belgium, england, wales | cruises {alaska was a favorite} | countless theme parks with our children | but to tell you the truth --- i'm a homebody through and through | living out of a suitcase drives me crazy | i like my own bed and my own stuff in my own closet and my own drawers | my favorite days are those when i don't have to go anywhere at all | and, at this point in our lives, isn't that lucky? | thirty years ago this month, we began construction on the home where we've lived ever since | that constancy is something i'm thankful for every single day | #imneverboredeither


30july2013 - weak | my idea list for august photos is really really weak | #sorrykritta


31july2013 - and all i've got are excuses Excuses EXCUSES | my goal was: finish and deliver #beeinmybonnetrowalong quilt to my favorite quilter, @maraeharris, by the end of july | status: derailed | contributing factors: 1-@beelori has a darling book {including this pattern} in the works - which i have pre-ordered, and so the block details are no longer listed on her blog; 2-after a tiny panic attack, i decided to try to figure out the label myself: 3-my embroidery skills are sub-par, and there's quite a bit of info to be stitched by hand; 4-the fabric for my backing has not yet arrived {perhaps that's because i just ordered it today} | so . . . amended goal: finish embroidery before backing arrives by mail, and deliver to quilter as soon thereafter as possible {i've already contacted her} | #bestlaidplans 


. . . i love to see the temple . . .

. . . on this cloudy day,
i loved seeing the palm trees 
and old glory
waving in the breeze . . .
. . . in this photo, 
the temple represents my faith 
and the flag represents my country, 
where i am privileged to worship as i choose . . .
. . . today marked the fiftieth anniversary
of dr. martin luther king's
historic "i have a dream" speech . . .
. . . listening on the radio, 
i've heard snippets of his talk all day . . .
. . . his words were powerful . . .
. . . dr. king was definitely on the right track . . .
. . . we have a loving god, 
our heavenly father, 
who cherishes each of us,
his precious children . . . 
. . . we need to do the same . . .


. . . i love to see the temple . . .

. . . after two weeks of it being closed . . .
. . . it was such a good feeling 
to be back in the temple tonight . . .
. . . i'd missed it . . .


. . . and bless the hearts 
of that cute couple 
getting married 
in august 
in arizona . . .
. . . it's a little toasty . . .
. . . and swampy . . .
. . . i guess love makes us do crazy things . . .


27 July 2013

. . . row row row borders . . .

. . . time to sew the rows together . . .
. . . the rebel in me had to change up 
the order of the rows just a little . . .


. . . originally posted at bee in my bonnet 
on 19 march 2013, 
i decided to toss in 
one last bit of cheetah print . . . 
. . . and i made this stop border 
just a titch narrower 
than the tutorial called for . . .


{this was also the day [13 june 2013] 
i spilled an entire 44 oz diet coke 
all over me, this quilt, the floor, 
and a huge box of bloops! swaddling blankets
 when the kitchen chair i was sitting on 
went all goldilocks on me}


. . . sporting a mild whiplash, 
yet undeterred, 
i chose these fabrics 
for the scalloped outer border . . .
. . . this tutorial was originally posted 
on 20 march 2013 . . .


. . . the blocks went together easily . . .


. . . but i somehow managed 
to sew the top and bottom border rows together 
in exactly the opposite order 
than i had planned 
for my modified roygbiv effect . . .


. . . i lightly swore . . .
. . . and then i put my new seam ripper 
to good use 
and took the rows apart . . .
. . . and sewed them back together . . .

{it's a modified roygbiv 
because technically there's no 'o' or 'i' or 'v', 
but i threw in a little 'p' instead}

. . . and now, slightly less than a year 
after i spent a couple of hours 
wandering through corn wagon quilt co 
in springville, utah 
selecting fat quarters 
for a quilt i'd never seen . . .
. . . i've got a completed top . . .
. . . YAY!!! . . .

. . . looking forward 
to working on the cutest label 
you ever did see . . .

{total number of pieces in borders: 172}
{total number of pieces in completed quilt top: 1791}
{dimensions: 68" x 86"}



16 July 2013

. . . fighting tigers . . .

. . . another special order . . .
. . . this time for fans of 
louisiana state university . . .
. . . the fighting tigers . . .


. . . in all their purple and gold glory . . .
. . . a color combo i would be likely 
to mock relentlessly . . .
. . . except for the fact . . . 


. . . that those are my high school 
alma mater's colors too . . .


. . . and nobody better relentlessly mock 
the mesa high jackrabbits . . .
. . . for whom i've also done special orders 
in the past . . . 


12 July 2013

. . . oops! and a LOT of 'em . . .

. . . well --- it's been quite a while 
since any oops!
{#bestburpclothsever} 
or even a few bloops!
{#bestswaddlesever}
have graced the ol' blog . . .
. . . don't worry . . .
. . . i've still been sewing . . .
. . . we've just been hanging out 
on instagram instead . . .
. . . but they're super teeny tiny 
over there . . .
. . . so --- here's a bunch of them 
in their extra large photo glory . . .
. . . ordering is easy 
using the email link 
at the top of my sidebar . . .
. . . just in case 
you see something 
you can't live without! . . .
. . . you can refer to them 
by the extremely clever 
photo captions ;) . . .

{girls gone wild} 


{boys gone wild} 


{think cool} 


{sunshine} 


{minty crest} 


{black&white i love lucy} 


{sock monkeys} 


{strawberries 'n cream} 


 {he grays}


 {she grays}


{red&white fight team fight} 


 {pink - the other best color}


{utes} 


 {byu demanded equal time}


{summer solstice} 


{4abby} 


{weaving 101} 


{sugar&spice} 


{handlebars} 


{boy oh boy oh boy} 


{mmm . . . chocolate}


{coralicious} 


{flag day}