Maybe My Weekend Sewing Project?

I was thinking that I might make a Forth of July halter top for Lily this weekend.



maybe with this pattern.



I am not sure how much time I will have but wouldn't it be cute?!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

If Only Life Was This Simple

Just a bunch of friends hanging out



and having fun



no judgement



no fear



just good friends




solving life's troubles over a good cup of coffee



If Life was only THIS simple!




Brought to you with the help of my newest little friends



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

We Have Now Entered The....

rice cooker zone...

After years of burning my rice but insisting I would NOT burn it the next time, I caved. Now we are officially rice cooker owners! It seemed like such a frivolous thing to own but now that we have rice cookers, I think why did I not buy these sooner! They are like a dream. Rice is a staple in our house. The only problem I am having is figuring out if we need a third or fourth rice cooker.



Ok, let me hash this out loud...

For a meal with rice I would cook on the stove seven cups of dry rice and 14 cups of water. That is what feeds our family. I have no idea how many cups of cooked rice that makes. Keep in mind though that my stove rice is usually burned and/or a big starch mush.

Now, each rice cooker makes 6 cups of cooked rice. To get that the cooker uses 2 1/4 cups dry rice and water to the correct fill line (whatever that amounts to I do not know). Now this rice is not burned or a big lump of startch mush.

Ok, so my little Pooh brain thinks I would need a third rice cooker. Maybe I should have researched different size rice cookers so I would have only needed to purchase one? Although it seems like it to me, the small appliance world does not start and stop at Wallmart.

Another thought is will my kids want to eat more rice since it actually tastes good? Which leads me to wonder about a fourth rice cooker....

Help! Get me out of the Rice cooker zone fast!!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Deep Conviction

I want to live my life with deep conviction.

With an unmovable conviction.

A burning conviction that my life is not mine but it belongs to God.

And because it belongs to God, I want to walk wherever he asks me to go.

Right now that is giving all that I have to my family.

"After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what is our proud reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before our Lord Jesus when he comes back again. For you are our pride and joy."

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20


This is super hard.

Sometimes I feel walked on or over looked.

Sometimes I feel invisible.

Sometimes I feel so selfish and unloving that I refuse to lay down my life for anyone but ME.


But then I reread this verse

"After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what is our proud reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before our Lord Jesus when he comes back again. For you are our pride and joy."

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20


and it reminds me that I want to live my life with deep conviction.

With an unmovable conviction.

A burning conviction that my life is not mine but it belongs to God.

And because it belongs to God, I want to walk wherever he asks me to go.

Right now that is giving all that I have to my family.

But then I remember that that is super hard to do sometimes....


Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

I'm In Love

Well,nothing new when it comes to fabric.

I found this treasure!

Beatrix Potter panel from 1993.

Aren't the blocks just absolutely adorable!!!!!!!!







Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Random Weekend Stuff

What a weekend it has been.

Let's see...

This past week Jeff has been extra busy at work. I do not understand everything that goes on over at Thomson Reuters but I know a tiny tiny bit. The little I know was this past week and weekend was very important for a group of the people working on a main-frame project. I think there is a new system (?) going public on Monday so this last week there has been a lot of running tests to make sure the data transitions smoothly. Blah. I am sure I blotched the explanation up. I guess I do not know much about Jeff's job! Anyway, Jeff had to work pretty late Friday and most of Saturday.

In all of Jeff's 16 years at Thomson it has only been a few dozen or so Saturdays or late week nights Jeff has had to work. I am used to him being home to put the kids to bed. I'm so babied! I was getting a little stressed Friday evening thinking about the night ahead of me with the kids so what did I decide to do? Get the crew or as many who were interested and walk to McDonald's to get this old mom a much needed iced mocha and the kids to a treat as well.

I wish I had pictures. We had fun. I had a crew of 12 of my own children and a couple of the Grant and Alan's friends join us. Joyce wanted to stay home and enjoy a little quite and Elena was at a concert with her friends. It was part one of a battle of the bands concert at Club 3 Degrees.

Gee, I was such the proud mother duck with all my chicks. My kids do not read my blog so I can call them all my little chickadees without them rolling their eyes at me. The walk to McDonald's was just what I needed.

Saturday, Jeff went to work and then right when he got home took Elena to another concert. It was part two of a battle of the bands type concert up at Club 3 Degrees. There were so many good bands. Just in case you were interested, Love Out Loud won first place, Nicole Serrano won second, and Boiling Point won third. Elena was pretty exited because a former Skillet band member was one of the judges.

Saturday was such a pretty day. It started out rainy but by late afternoon the sun was out and the temperature was perfect!!!!

I shared the pictures of Lily, Grace, and Joel's tea party yesterday. Here are the rest of my Saturday random pictures.


Joel had an idea to make MacDonald's french fry bags for all the kids just in case, you know, they would have a need for such a thing. He revised his project from french fry bags to little popcorn bags. The kind one would get at a ball game or somewhere like that. I made him a big batch of popcorn and after he made bags for everyone he filled them up with the popcorn and passed them out.

Joel and Lily enjoying their popcorn.




A sweet picture of Naomi.



Grace playing her house game.



A cute picture of Lily and Grace.



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Another Tea For Three

A late afternoon tea always hits the spot, especially outside!





Can't wait until it is lemonade and freeze-pop weather!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

She Does It With So Much Beauty And Grace

Who?

MRS. TIGGY-WINKLE, of course.







And she hung up all sorts and sizes of clothes—small brown coats of mice; and one velvety black moleskin waist-coat; and a red tail-coat with no tail belonging to Squirrel Nutkin; and a very much shrunk blue jacket belonging to Peter Rabbit; and a petticoat, not marked, that had gone lost in the washing—and at last the basket was empty!

Then Mrs. Tiggy-winkle made tea—a cup for herself and a cup for Lucie. They sat before the fire on a bench and looked sideways at one another. Mrs. Tiggy-winkle’s hand, holding the tea-cup, was very very brown, and very very wrinkly with the soap-suds; and all through her gown and her cap, there were HAIRPINS sticking wrong end out; so that Lucie didn’t like to sit too near her.

When they had finished tea, they tied up the clothes in bundles; and Lucie’s pocket-handkerchiefs were folded up inside her clean pinny, and fastened with a silver safety-pin.

And then they made up the fire with turf, and came out and locked the door, and hid the key under the door-sill.

Then away down the hill trotted Lucie and Mrs. Tiggy-winkle with the bundles of clothes!

All the way down the path little animals came out of the fern to meet them; the very first that they met were Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny!

And she gave them their nice clean clothes; and all the little animals and birds were so very much obliged to dear Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.

A little from BEATRIX POTTER'S "THE TALE OF MRS. TIGGY-WINKLE"



There is a lot I could learn from this sweet hedgehog!

Warmly, A Patchwork Mommy

A Happy Birthday To Naomi!!

Naomi turned 9 years old yesterday!




Anya,Ekie,Lily and Odell waiting for Naomi to open her gifts.



Naomi,Anya,and Ekie looking at Naomi's new color book.



I love this picture of Naomi deep in thought while we sang happy birthday to her.




I love you Naomi!!!

I hope you have a great ninth year!!!!!!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

My Mountain Man

My mountain Man

We might not go on huge vacations or fancy dates as a couple but honestly and truly it's the little consistent, thoughtful things make me feel more special than anything else Jeff could do for me.

Jeff has, for most of our 17 years of marriage, brought me home some sort of Monday flower or other treat.

He would with a smile on his face, drive somewhere at 3 in the morning (I'm a night owl) to get me some pop just because I mentioned I was thirsty.

He let's me indulge in my many on-a-whim sewing adventures most of which once made sit in a bin. He knows the end result but still gives me the room to create.

I like things constantly moving and flowing. It is hard for me to sit still for long,mentally that is. Jeff, listens and comes along for the ride.

He will load us all in the van and drive us all around (I do not know how to drive) with no real destination just to let me clear my head and think and breath.

Sometimes there is nothing like the pressure-cooker of life in our large family to bring out so much icky in me. Ha, it can spew out from me for days at a time. It's landing destination is my dear husband. Poor guy. But he still loves me.

Jeff spoils me,indulges me,lets me run,but he also trusts me,encourages me,counsels me,guides me,protects me.

He is a real man.

He is my mountain man.

And I love him deeply.

One of the biggest privileges I will have in my life is to grow old with him.

With my husband.








Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

A Half Finished Project

I am starting to clean out my sewing room and came across one of my half finished quilt projects from last summer.

Here is the story behind it:

I was at the grocery store and ran across this book in one of the isles.



It is such a beautiful little book.

I love the pictures!



I thought I would try to make a quilt with my existing scraps that reminds me of the book. Too bad I did not have more vintage colors for the nine-patch blocks.




I really should finish it up this summer.



I also last year at an antique show ran across this pattern. The clothes remind me of the book as well.



I thought this was interesting...If you look at the pattern pieces the dress sleeves are a part of the sides of the dress.



Here is a closer look. Isn't that interesting. It seems like a easy dress to sew. I kind of stink at button holes but I am very intrigued as to how this dress sews together.



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

More Bits Of Random

I made a few more batches of granola the other day



I served the granola with blueberries for a fun dinner



Mmmm... it was a very tasty meal!



Our new round of school materials all ready for the year. It looks like a lot doesn't it? I'm exited for this year. Since we teach year round some kids will start their new year of school soon and others will finishing up this past year in August then on to their new school year.



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Now This Is Just Sweet

Odell made Lily a dress!



It's Odell's very own creation



She worked very hard. Look at the sweet flowers Odell made and sewed to the dress straps.



It took Odell all morning and she sewed it all by hand.



They are both VERY pleased.

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy