_______ Holder

I finally made it!

That's not a ghost..

I used Tim-Tex to make it stiffer because I don't want the contents to get broken in half or beat up. It was my first one and can use some improvement and now I know to do things differently like sew the top stitching right after I sew the fabric on to the zipper! Other wise you can't sew all the way around it because of the zipper pull. You can see how my sewing stops about a half inch from one end. Anyway, I really like it! I copied the idea from an Etsy seller but can't remember who (it was a long time ago). That background fabric is from my Japanese fabric stash. I got most of the fairy tale fabrics they had so I can eventually make a quilt.

It's Africa hot!

I took Emily and Ava out to the side of the house today so Emily could play in the blow up pool. It was disgusting hot. Sweat-running-down-your-temples-and-other-places hot even when sitting and doing nothing! And I just want everyone to know that Ava is not fat but big boned! I swear I'm not feeding her anymore than I did Emily at that age. Ava is now....get ready... brace yourself...18 and a half pounds at 6 months!! Emily was 17.7 pounds at 9 months.

For others

A mini for Kelly (she requested it). See, I can think of other people! It's made in miniature from a book we have at the store-can't remember what it's called and too lazy to get up and look. The original is supposed to be wall hanging size.

I got wall letters for Emily and Ava and for Madison and Sierra's birthday's (Jenny B's daughters). These are from Pottery Barn Teen. They're huge!
This is for whoever I was telling that I like Emily and Ava's initials all over their room. I maybe have gone over board...there are more than in this picture..

Samples and stuff

I think I found a new way to display some embroidery! We sell these wire frames at the store.
A couple of samples for the store. Stamping, embossing and tag punch.

We spent the day in Heidelberg and Mannheim yesterday (Jon had a knee appointment). These are some photos (above) from the car ride and the girls laying on the floor in the waiting room. I love the bib Ava is wearing because it's small (so she can't rip it off) and water proof but it often looks like an Elizabethan cat/dog collar:) Here is our new German playpen!! Thank you Mary!! I LOVE it!! I mean LOVE it! After this picture I put her play mat and bumbo seat and lots of other toys in it for her. That's Emily asking to get in it.

Two new mini's and Patterns

Large quilt and mini on the right by Corinnea on display in the store.
Two new mini's up close

Heather Bailey has patterns for sale now!! They will be on their way to me in mid August:)

tHe PaRtY

Cake made by Jenny B,
Party at The Store.
Cookie dough made by Corinnea.

Plate made for Emily by Kelly.
Thank you Mary, Jennifer and Corinnea for the cake, dough and helping with the party:) You 3 doing all this made my life SO much easier! Thanks Kelly for the birthday plate! As usual you did an awesome job! I know Emily had a really fun time as did Jon and I (me and Jon?).

I'm so glad everyone showed up:)

It meant a lot to us.

Happy Birthday Emily Larue!!!

Happy Birthday!!

I know she reads my blog religiously so I can tell her how much me and daddy love her and I'll stop there because I will start crying! My baby is 3!! It seems like just yesterday I was in so much pain pushing that baby out..oh wait, that was 6 months ago..with Ava! It's still fresh in my mind. Emily's birth experience is fading. I do know it hurt SOOOOO bad and I'll never forget that. Never! Ava's will probably stick around longer (the pain memories) because she really hurt and the problem with epidural, and she was in the NICU for so long, blah blah. This was supposed to be about Emily and I made it about me! At least I'm predictable:) OK, We love you Emily! Have a fun day at the babysitters and when you get home we'll have all your presents from family waiting for you:)

One for Me one For Kelly

Mini quilt made from Amy Butler Fabric (can't remember the name of it!). We just got the line in on Monday and it's really really pretty. Corinnea gave me scraps from cutting Charm Packs so I was able to make two mini quilts (I had to buy a little more for the borders, binding and back). I made this one for Kelly's mini clothes line in her office but she has to agree to hang it by the fabric for a couple months or she doesn't get it:). I could not think of what quilt block to do since the fabric is so modern so I just cut strips at an angle.

Almost finished!

Log cabin started about 4 years ago! Only the strips were cut. I put it away and started it again a couple of months ago. Now it is quilted (by Leah on the long arm) and just needs the binding which is already cut. I'm almost there! **it's a present for someone who I hope never sees it on this blog! Probably shouldn't have posted about it but I'm so proud!

P.S....I love this movie too!!!

Thank you Sasha for recommending this movie! Something about the way you recommended it that made me want to watch it...could it have been hot Irish guys?? So I watched it last night and cried the whole movie too! I will definitely own this one. I thought it was David Duchovny that was in it (which is good too-"David Duchovny Why Don't You Love Me?") but when you said hot Irish guys I looked at the cover more closely and realized it was Gerard Butler! Mama like!! I have a soft spot for Scottish guys:) Doesn't it look like David Duchovny on the DVD cover if you look at it real quick though? No?

Art Smock

Thank you Mary for suggesting I bring Emily's apron to her birthday party because if you hadn't I wouldn't have finally made her one!! I can't believe I took this long to do it. I've made and sold so many but never one for my own child. This is a Simplicity pattern and it includes other apron and smock styles. It is soooo cute on Emily!! I'm glad I made this for her and not for the store because it's my first one of this style my stitching is SO bad! It's all wobbly and I had to go over the bias tape in a couple of sections a few times, blah blah. It's bad but it's for Emily so it's OK.

Mushroom and Gnomes

I don't even know when I started these adult pajamas but I finally finished them! I think it was when I bought my Pfaff in maybe 2004? It was the one and only time I tried the letters. I don't care for them (it says "Jennifer" on the back pocket). You can't see them very well because of the gnome but mainly because they run together and the "F" looks like an "E". When I pulled these out to finish, I realized all I needed to do was put the elastic in. I had put it in before but the rise was too high (I probably could have pulled them up under my arm pits) so I had to alter and then make a casing. So simple yet they sat in my box of unfinished projects for 3+ years? I found another pair made from a tiny purple print and all they needed was to be hemmed!

Cuckoo Clock

embroidery pattern from Pimpstitch. I think this might be the perfect baby shower gift for my sister's friend Trasi. She and her family lived in Germany for 6 years I think and now live in Romania (her husband is a pilot in the Air Force). This baby will be their 5th!! They LOVED Germany and I think bought a house here in the Ramstien area before they left (they rent it out). Anyway, Trasi really really helped me out with moving here and what to bring and not to being etc.

Goldfish

New pj pants for Emily made from Heather Ross Goldfish fabric. I should have ironed them before taking a photo...

For Kelly

These are USB drives! Have you seen these? From here. Might make a nice present for Rob. The price range is from $50-$150 (1GB up to 8GB) but oh so cute! There are 4 more but they are sold out; Chewie, Darth, R2D2 and Stormtrooper.

Past embroidery projects

Red Work
Wee Wonderful embroidery.

I finally took photos of MOST of my completed or almost completed embroidery. I did all the Red Work before I realized you can do colors! Stupid, I know. But I never knew about embroidery before I worked at the store. I only knew about cross stitch.

I've been feeling crappy mentally lately so I've been sitting on the couch for the last couple of evenings embroidering a special project I'll post about after a certain persons birthday. I watched Troy again after reading Helen of Troy. The Troy movie is not based on this particular book but after reading it I had to watch that movie again since it has all the characters. This book starts with Helen from a young age up till the end. It is from her point of view. And it makes Achilles out to be this horrible, unfeeling monster. In the movie Troy, you don't feel any sympathy for Helen and Paris but in the book you kind of see what "really" happened (this books version anyway). Very fascinating read. Jenny B loaned it to me and now I'll borrow Mary Called Magdalene. There is also Mary, Queen of Scotland and the aisles, and several others that look really good.

Flowers and Bees

Sublime Stitching pattern for display in the store (to get people motivated and in to embroidery!

(I did it again. If you click to enlarge the pants picture it takes you to the Sublime website. At least it doesn't take you to Corinnea's like last time! I have no idea how I do this..)

I'm not one to talk and you didn't hear it from me but someone rolled over yesterday!

Jon called me at work to tell me that Ava had rolled over and was now crying because it scared her! Just once she got completely over but after that she kept throwing those tree trunks over and trying to make her body follow. **Look at those creases on the back of her knees! I found loose change in there the other day...and a pretzel.

4th of July Fest

another Sublime Stitching embroidered baby tee for the store.
Our little 4th fest on the base. It's German fest stuff (food rides, etc. all German). Kind of expensive but aren't all fairs expensive these days? One kabob of chocolate covered strawberries was $5.50 USD!! That's maybe 5 strawberries on the stick. Oh well. Emily rode the two rides a couple of times with Jenny B's girls. It's a good thing we saw them there because Emily wouldn't ride them by herself.

Oh My!

holy crapola! The Black Apple has teamed up with Sublime Stitching! I just ordered these and the new Russian Dolls one too! This makes me giddy!