Tuesday Rain

Well, it's Tuesday and raining and thundering outside.  Most people don't seem to like rain and thunder.  I guess I'm not most people.  Something alive sparks inside me when I hear thunder and smell the rain.  When I was little and a storm was approaching, everyone would head to the house except me. I'd run outside and into the field, throwing my arms up to the loud voice of heaven.  My entire world opens up during a storm and for a moment, I am everything that is beautiful and peaceful.

Anyway, on to real life.  This is my little Ladybug's last week of kindergarten.  I can't believe it!  It seems I was just pregnant with her.  She has learned so much this year.  Of course, the only thing she really wants, is to know when she can "do anything she wants".  Our conversation kinda went like this..

Ladybug:  Mama, when I'm 11 can I do anything I want?
Me: No sweetie.
Ladybug: What!  What about when I'm 16?
Me: Definitely NOT!
Ladybug: Gee Mama when are you going to stop telling me what to do?  What about when I'm grown?
Me: Maybe
Ladybug:  What about when I'm a Mama?
Me: *silence for a moment*  Yes, when you're a Mama you can do anything you want And you can tell your little ones what to do!

Oh she liked that!  It suited her just fine knowing that she'd be able to be the big Bosslady one day!

I still haven't finished her teacher's quilt. *sign.  But I have completed a few things

X and O quilt - So fun to make!

X and O quilt

My X and O quilt is done and ready for the shop.



























And Mao Mao's little quilt is ready.  Of course, he thinks himself above sleeping in a little box on a mere piece of cloth.  He has elevated his household position to King or maybe Emperor.  In any case, he won't sleep on the blanket I made him.  *sign.  It's such a soft and cute blanket.

Mao Mao's quilt

Mama's yard flag

I also finished a yard flag for Mama.  I made it patriotic for Summer.











And I finished a first-aid pouch for my purse.  My little ones love band-aids!  The slightest scratch and Mickey Mouse, Dora, Toy Story, or Barbie band-aid is the only cure.  I can live with that.  :)








I hope your Tuesday is as beautiful as mine.  April@Little Mama Hen

Sharing at

Quilting by the River
Canoe Ridge Creations
Quilt Story

Finding Fun Stuff

Valori Wells Give-away

I love the designer Valori Wells' fabric and patterns.  Her blog is always so personal and inspirational.

Well, today I noticed that she is having a give-away of the book We Love Colors.  The book shows off the work of 16 quilt designers with Kona Solids!

Hop on over for a chance to win!  There are no rules, just leave a comment.  And check out her cute and oh so Mommy way of picking the winner!  love it!

Valor Wells Fabric Designer Give-Away!!

Tanya's Dresden inspired Quilt @ Squares and Triangles

Another Fun item I found is the EZ Dresden Challenge.  It looks simple and no follow along deadline except for the entry deadline in September!  I think I can do that.  Great give-aways and they have a blog hop over the next few weeks for inspiration.  I'm especially loving Tanya's inspiration at Squares and Triangles.  Check out the Challenge and see if it looks fun to you!

EZ Dresden Challenge

I mentioned earlier how I've discovered Ebay and how much fun I was having finding vintage fabric.  Well, I wanted to share one of those stores with you and another I found on Etsy.  I'm not getting any kind of kick-back on any of this stuff, I just like to share.

Newberry Boulevard

The first store is Newberry Boulevard.  They have fat quarter bundles that are really cute.  They even have some Moda fabrics.  They had some sweet bunny fabric that I ordered and when I contacted them wanting more, she found some for me!  They have fast delivery time too.  They have some Red fabric with white geese that I'm eyeing at the moment!






Land of Oz Fabric Shop is another fun one on ebay!  Moda fabric! yay!

The Etsy shop that I found is Tessy Lou Co. I love her Moda Fabric and she has the best prices I've found so far.  She also gave me 2 extra inches on my yardage and my edges were already pinking sheared for prewashing!  Now that's service I like!

What good deals and fun have you discovered?

Find something fun to do today! Little Mama Hen

Happy June! Old Lists New Ideas

Ok, so I didn't get my List for May completed; however, I had a lot of fun looking at it and thinking 'Gee what was I thinking!"  Now, if I had paid more attention to the list and not wandered of the given course, I might have actually finished it.  Of course, as I've mentioned, I lack the linear skills to stay on course.  I like to wander off, it's amazing what you discover when you do!  


List for May
1. Make Little Dress for Africa - Charity  Yay!
2. Pillowcase Challenge (make more) - Charity  :( but these are so fun, I know I'll do more soon!
3. Finish and mail my quilt for Bumble Beans Inc. Charity   Yay!
4. Finish my sister's quilt!  I'd better!  Her birthday is this month!!!  Yay!
5. Finish Mama's mother's day gift! oh she's gonna love it! oh Yay!  she did love it! Pic below!
6. Complete quilt for my Little Ladybug's Kindergarten teacher I'm SO close!  I've got one week before Summer Vac.!
7. Make Pillow Shams for Family Room chairs - I've never made shams before.  Didn't even come close! lol
8. Make quilted kitchen towel holders - Any good ideas out there?  Still looking for a cute pattern
9. Make trash bag holders for bathrooms  Nope
10. Make trash tote and bag holders for sis and mama Nope
11. Make a scrap quilt top (just the top!)  Started it!  
12. Make something for my honey!  It's his birthday this month!  Yay!    Peanut Butter Pie checkout  this easy and soooooo yummy recipe!

Even though I didn't finish my list, I did accomplish a lot!   Thanks Amanda Jean / Crazy Mom Quilts for the wonderful idea, it was a lot of fun!  Below are somethings I discovered/accomplished while wondering of the path of my List for May!

1. Made Mama and Sis Soap Bottle Aprons!  so fun!  I still need to do a tutorial on this
2. Opened an Etsy shop! no way, right!  haha well, now that I'm addicted to sewing I've got to find a way to earn my keep. ;)
3. Discovered EBAY!!!  OMG! It is such a good thing that I don't Gamble!  Bidding is such an addiction. And oh the fabric and deals I found!  example: 5 yards of Thomas Strahan vintage fabric for $8! Beautiful!
4. Decorated some towels for Mama.
5. Made Dresden Coasters and a Daisy Mug Rug
6. Made coin/ring purses
7.  Adopted a homeless kitten! Mao Mao
8. Finished another baby quilt, well almost.  I'm just hand binding it.

For June, I'm considering joining a Quilt Along or Dresden Challenge.  I'm not sure though, since I don't do well with deadlines and schedules.  Have you ever joined a Quilt Along?  Is it fun?

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Find something new and try it!  April@Little Mama Hen

Sharing over at
Crazy Mom Quilts
Lily's Quilts
Amy Lou Who
Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Decorated towels for Mama

Mao Mao

Dresden Coasters

Thomas Strahan Vintage Fabric

More vintage fabric.  Love the Bunny!

Mama's Mother's day gift

My new ring purses!

Soap Bottle Aprons

Baby/Lap Quilt. Love the colors!

Daisy Mug Rug.

Ring/Coin Purse

Just been playing and having fun today!

Ever need something safe to put your rings in while at the gym?  Tada! The Ring Purse.  Of course, I don't work out or go to the gym so coins will go in mine.  :)  I know I know, I should workout.  My angel wings are getting larger and larger.  What's an angel wing, you ask?  Well, stand in front of the mirror while wearing a tank top.  Now wave vigorously at yourself.  If you have skin flapping in the breeze where your triceps should be (like I do) then you have angel wings!

Oh, and the last picture is of Mao Mao, our newest addition to the family.  Mao Mao was abandoned earlier this week and he found his way to our front door.  We took him to the vet and have been loving on him ever since.  It's amazing to me what some people consider trash.  This little guy is such a sweet and cherished treasure.  Scott, my husband, suggested the name Mao Mao.  He studied Chinese in California at a Linguist School.  Actually, that's were we met; I was studying Arabic.  But that's a story for another day.  Hope your Saturday is full of cherished treasures!! - Little Mama Hen.

Mao Mao (sounds like pow pow or cow cow - it's Chinese for Cat)

Sharing @

Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Amy Lou Who
Tea Rose Home

X and O Quilt

I love making quilts.  I love finding sweet fabric and dreaming about what I can create with it.  For me, making quilts is a lot like painting.  I LOVE to paint, of course, I don't have much time for painting these days.  Painting takes a lot of me just sitting in front of a blank canvas; it's sorta like waiting for water to boil. I have to wait for inspiration and that takes time and thought.  With two little ones my thoughts are very scattered and unfocused. Of course, I'm a little scattered and easily distracted all on my own! hahaha

Anyway, I adore this new fabric I found.  It's sweet and just so...Me.  ;)  I still need to add some sashing before I started pinning.  I found my inspiration for this quilt on a tutorial by Missouri Star Quilt Co.  Their tutorials are so fun and easy!  (no, I don't work for them or profit from them in any way.  I'm just new to quilting and they have a bunch of easy to follow ideas!)  It's an X and O variation pattern.

Little Man insisted that I take a picture of his little Lizard.  He says it has crazy eyes.  :)
 Loving Life, Little Mama Hen.

Sharing over at

Freshly Pieced

Quilting by the River

Missouri Star Quilt Co.

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

What better way to meet quilting bloggers than to join in on an Online Quilt Festival!  What a great idea!  When I first saw information about this festival over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict , I didn't know what quilt I should show off.  What better place to start than at the beginning!

A few months ago I was rambling through Etsy when I happened to come across quilts.  They were so beautiful! Each one was a work of art and they were so expensive!   I thought to myself, "I can do that!" I didn't know anything about quilting. NOTHING!  I didn't know about fabric weights or quality, nesting corners, binding, piecing, 1/4" seam allowances, but I was determined to make something beautiful.  My Mama bought me a rotary cutter and I bought a Dresden ruler that came with a pattern and I started cutting and cutting and cutting. I thought I would be cutting for the rest of my life! Then I started sewing and I thought I'd be sewing little petals together forever!  But it was fun!  When Little Ladybug was at school and Little Man took his nap, I'd turn on Murder She Wrote and work on my quilt.

One Saturday afternoon, my five year old Little Ladybug came meandering in my room just as I finished pressing my last Dresden petal.  Her little eyes lit up when she saw all those beautiful little petals.  "Mama! can I help!?" clasping her little hands together.  She was so excited and we had such fun together that afternoon.  She helped me design my flowers, laying them all carefully together.  Telling me which ones should go together.  All my petals were from scrap fabrics I had around the house and were different colors, weights, and textures.  Some matched, some didn't.  I even used fabric from a curtain I had never used. lol

Now when I look at this quilt and wrap it around me, I don't think about the imperfect stitches or the uneven corners. I think about my daughter's sweet little voice and I see the excitement in her eyes, just to spend a little time with Mama.  I'm beginning to realize and appreciate that each quilt has it's very own story.  Sometimes the story is about the quilt and it's beauty, complexity, and/or perfection, and sometimes it's about the events and people surrounding the quilt while it is being made.

Find something that inspires you and then share it...share it with the world.  -Little Mama Hen

Little Dresses for Africa

Well, as I continue working through my List for May, I am reminded that I don't really do well with Lists.  I find myself doing every other craft imaginable, except what I wrote down to do!  However, I am still working on it. One of my favorite items to accomplish is for a charity called Little Dresses for Africa.  I found this charity last year when I was looking for a tutorial on Pillowcase dresses.   Nancy, from the website Nancy's Notions gives a wonderful video tutorial on how to make a pillowcase dress with yardage.  She includes a PDF pattern too.  I loved making the dresses and I can only hope that it inspires you to try one too.  Whether your dress is for your own little princess or for one thousands of miles away, it's a wonderful and quick project for summertime!!  Happy Sewing.  Little Mama Hen.

WIP

On another item, I'm still working on it!  This is a quilt that I'm making for Ladybug's Kindergarten teacher.  Her teacher has really inspired a spirit of learning, fairness,  and good citizenship with my little Ladybug.  She loves her teacher so much and I really want to do something special for her.  Hopefully, I will complete it before the end of the school year, just a few weeks away!!!!  I love the brown and aqua, such a pretty contrast.  Now, go find something fun to do!  I think I'll go check on my two sleeping cutie pies; that's always a highlight for me.  :)  Little Mama Hen.

Linking up over at

Freshly Pieced

Quilting by the River

Peaches

Left-Me   Right-Peaches

Happy Birthday Early!!

My sister came to see me today and I just couldn't wait any longer to give her the quilt I made her!  Her birthday is Saturday and I'm sure I'll see her, but I couldn't WAIT!!!

There are some people in life that you will find that are easy to be around.  You don't have to dress up, or mind your manners, and that person loves you and it's obvious!  Peaches (her nickname) is like that.  I don't have to worry about what she thinks of me; she loves me and I don't doubt it one little bit.  She has loved me my whole life and I'm a better person because she is apart of me and my life.

my first free motion quilting!!!!

I love you Peaches; I'm grateful every day for being able to share life with you.   You make me smile and you're the only person in the entire world that runs circles for me. ;)  Happy Birthday!!!

Little Man and Ladybug's sweet toes!!  His feet are black!! lol

Sharing at these other lovely blogs.  Check'em out

Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Amy Lou Who
Crazy Mom Quilts Flickr Group

Bumble Beans Charity

One of my May List items is to finish a quilt for Bumble Beans Charity .  Victoria at Bumble Bean is calling for help to donate 700 quilts to families in need in New York.  What a great idea!  I love to sew and quilt; finding ways to use my talent to help others just makes me feel good.

I love navy and white.  My Kitchen is covered here and there with blue and white.  Sometimes simple is just so elegant!  I love this quilt and the simplicity of it.  I hope that it will make someone smile and feel warm and happy.  Thanks Victoria for giving us a chance to help!!





I also worked on some more aprons!!!   My sister wanted some to give as gifts to some of her friends.    I'd do anything for her!  She wanted the aprons for Lotion bottles (Bath and Body size) not Dish Soap, so I adjusted the size.  They are so fun to make!  I've about got it down pat and then I'll share a tutorial!

Linking up

Crazy Mom Quilts Flickr Group

Amy Lou Who

Confessions of a Fabric Addict

List for May

As I've mentioned before, I'm a very spacial person.  I don't do well with lists, I lose them.  I don't do well with lines, I color outside of them.  I am horrible at details, I'm so easily distracted (I don't know how I ever made it through Air Force Training!).  My Mama use to lovingly say I was always in my own little world.  I still am!  

However, AmandaJean over at Crazy Mom Quilts had a great idea.  She made a sewing/crafting/quilting 'TO-DO' list for the Month of May and invited others to do the same.  Everyone will blog about their progress and post pictures on her FLICKR GROUP .  So here goes!

1. Make Little Dress for Africa - Charity
2. Pillowcase Challenge (make more) - Charity
3. Finish and mail my quilt for Bumble Beans Inc. Charity
4. Finish my sister's quilt!  I'd better!  Her birthday is this month!!!

Car trash tote and bag holder

5. Finish Mama's mother's day gift! oh she's gonna love it!
6. Complete quilt for my Little Ladybug's Kindergarten teacher
7. Make Pillow Shams for Family Room chairs - I've never made shams before
8. Make quilted kitchen towel holders - Any good ideas out there?
9. Make trash bag holders for bathrooms
10. Make trash tote and bag holders for sis and mama
11. Make a scrap quilt top (just the top!)
12. Make something for my honey!  It's his birthday this month!


Well, I will be so happy if I get all of that done!  However, it's very possible I wont get anything finished! With two sweet little ones...well, if you're a mama you know.  ;)

What do you want to accomplish in the month of May?  Make room for something fun!

Little Mama Hen