modern quilting

Do you like quilting? Or like to hang out with people that like quilting? Are you inspired by the amazing, modern and exciting new fabrics out there? If you've answered yes to any of these questions and you're in the San Francisco Bay Area you should come check out the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild! The Bay Are Modern Quilt Guild is just one chapter of the greater Modern Quilt Guild and chapters are popping up all over the place. So even if you're not in the bay area there's probably a guild that's close to you. {check out the right side bar on the Modern Quilt Guild page for a list of all the chapters}

So far we've had two meetings and while we're a small group, we've had a blast. We've done fun things like swapping scraps and we're just starting to do a charity quilt for Doctors Without Boarders. My favorite part though has been the show and tell. I love seeing what everyone has done or is working on. Plus, knowing that there'd be show and tell gave me the kick in the pants I needed to finish my Mendocino quilt {yes, I know I haven't posted about it yet - I promise it's coming soon}. Oh and somehow... I ended up as treasurer. So, I'm in for a good while, but that's ok 'cause this is a great group and it's only gonna get better. You can email me or leave a message if you have any questions. I'm more than happy to give ya all the info I've got!

{p.s. check out the side bar on the quilt guild page - it' my picture! I feel so famous - well maybe that's not quite the right word, but I get super happy when I see it there.}

pillow talk

Can I tell you, I fell in love with a pillow? When I saw a package in the mailbox I just knew it had to be my pillow {yay for mail forwarding!}. I just didn't know what it would look like - swapping surprise! I was thrilled when I opened the package and this lovely pillow peeped back at me. I love the colors, the quilting, the amazing attention to detail! It looks so professional, yet with the warm touch of handmade.

I thought I was gonna need a new pillow form, but Lukas let me know that the pillows on the couch were not 12x12 like I thought. Instead they are 18x18 and the perfect size. Move over old, boring pillow my hope valley zigzag needs your pillow form!

Here you can see the pretty back too!

show and tell

First off, I don't usually win things. I get these great "feelings" like Oh, I'm gonna win! but they usually are all for not. Secondly, me and estimating numbers, time and distances don't exactly go hand and hand {just ask Lukas}. So when Pamela posted about this great bookshelf and asked for guesses as to what she paid I took a stab at it, without much hopes of getting even close. But I guess since she got it at such a great price it was anyone's guess and it happened to be mine. When she announced the winner I had to click on the linked "Megan" just to be sure it was me. My winning guess got me this sweet birdy magnet. Super cute, super strong and a sweet extra touch to make the new place more like home. {I guess I could find something prettier than the fix-it list to hold for the picture, but... this is true to life.} PS. Pamela has a beautiful blog and has just reopened her shop with beautiful unique jewelry - go check her out.

And so unlike me, I won another give away - this one didn't require any "expert" guess work. Jody of Because I'm Me had a give away in honor of her 500th post to her blog and she offered up a custom small quilt. I gave her a little direction with the colors and waited with excitement to see what would come. And... it's perfect. The beautifully pieced scrappy triangles remind me of mountains and the whole quilt feels very natural. It has found its home on the back of the green chair {post to come}. Perfect for snuggling under when watching a movie or reading a book. PS. If you like quilting or looking a pretty quilts check out Jody's inspiring blog. Oh, and here's a few more pictures Jody posted.

treasure hunt

As promised here are the pictures of our recent flea market finds {well, most of them}. Few words, mainly pictures, but if it were me I'd only really want to ooogle pictures anyways.

::glass dress knobs {not pictured} that almost exactly match those already on my dress to replace a couple that had broken - pretty sweet find!

::pyrex bowls found at different stalls but they make a cute little set {nice and green - Happy St. Patrick's Day!}

::little green glass jar - for a cool buck, it will make a great little home for some spring flowers

::cast iron pot - gonna be used for camping, but maybe I'll clean it up tonight and use it for some posole tomorrow - got to use up some chipotle peppers... recipes anyone?

::small wood cabinet {love this piece!} - the find and bargain of the day!

just popping in to say...

we moved! The weekend was a crazy blur of lots of cleaning - I mean lots! And moving, except Lukas, with the help of our friends, and his brother did most all of that. Lukas's mom helped me clean - such a huge favor! The picture on the right shows trip number 3 - they were determined that there wouldn't be a trip number 4. All are chairs went belly-up when they were told we were moving.

Posts you can look forward to in the coming week {the list it starting to stack up}... flea market finds, a new green chair, my unusual winningness, possible plans for a garden, and oh! the new place.

But for now I must go unpack some more, clean up the kitchen from dinner and get ready for another day - that's life.

in one day

In one day... the boxes that have begun to take over every free inch of floor space will make their way to a new place.

In two days... all non-essential dishes and such will be wrapped in paper, boxed and taken to the new place.

In three days... all other little things that can be boxed will be boxed and moved - leaving just the big items for the big moving day.

In four days... goodbye couch and goodbye chairs, goodbye bed and goodbye dressers. Only for a short while though. Because after all that moving and then some cleaning it will be lots of unpacking, arranging and making a new home. I'm excited!

Yesterday was our last Monday in this little apartment. Today is our last Tuesday. And even though I'm super excited about the move I thought it would be good to remember the things I loved about living here.

::the excitement of signing my first lease on a place I didn't have to share with roommates - I felt so "grown-up"! {ps. our landlord has been great!}

::the morning walk to the train station. My first day of work the sun was shining and the air was crisp. I was excited to be starting a new adventure. I smiled and said good morning to the people I passed - the guys wiping down the cars at the dealership, the man waiting for the adult day center bus, the woman walking her daughter to school. In the past year I've continued to do this. Helps put a smile on the day.

::the farmers market {when I remember to go}

::quiet mornings when the sun comes through the front window

::hanging Lukas's photos on the walls. Taking them down for the move is what's really going to make it all feel real and the apartment feel empty.

Here's hoping the crumminess I've been feeling goes away so I can pack and move without feeling yucky.

{p.s. The picture above is of my Mendocino quilt. The quilting is done and the binding is 3/4 the way sticked down. I'm hoping to finish tonight - get it done before the big move!}

Life without the internet

Tomorrow the internet will cease to exist. Tomorrow we will be forced to slow down. No more communications at the speed of light. No more constant updates, up to the minute reports, mechanical beeps and buzzes telling us the world around us is moving. Information will not be an express way any longer. Instead, it will spread and grow organically – building instead of flashes of brilliance that blaze out quickly.

We will loose the ability to simply push a button to find what we are searching for. But, in this loss we will be returning to processes that we have begun to forget. There is something special in the journey that takes you to an answer. It is something that cannot be measured or achieved with button pushing.

The internet has made our world smaller. Creating communities of people separated by many miles and oceans. We support each other, encourage each other, and challenge each other. But while the world far away has come close through the internet, we may loose touch with those close at hand – our neighbors, our families. Without the internet the world will grow larger and international community may be impractical, but community will not be lost. We are not isolated (unless maybe you live in a remote research station in the frozen tundra). When we cannot turn to the machine that connects us we can turn to the people that are close. Build our communities, nurture each other, and grow.

Tomorrow the internet will cease to exist. But let us remember the things most important – to build a better world. That can start in our home, with our families, with our local communities. It does not require instantaneous communication or lightening speed answers. It only takes a smile, an outstretched hand, an open heart.

**Mabel's Labels is running a contest - Mabel’s Labels BlogHer ‘10 Contest. The winning prize is a trip to BlogHer and a position blogging for Mabel's Labels - how cool!! They gave the following writing prompt: "Electrical storms are going to wipe out the Internet (perhaps forever). You have one day left to write about your passions: what do you want to say to the blogosphere in 300 words or less?". This post is my response to it.

tethered threads::january

I totally forgot to show the blocks I sewed for January. I even had to check my archives to be sure I hadn't shared about these yet. Gosh and it's already March!

This was my first time working with half-square triangles... they're fun. I thought I was so clever getting my seems to line up by pressing them in opposite directions, only to learn a little bit later that this is a pretty established trick to do.

This first block really popped with the green on the white. I had to have Lukas help me with the layout - it was horrendous prior to what you're seeing here.

The pinwheel on the second block didn't quite work. I hadn't read this post on Old Red Barn Co. yet {in my credit, the post wasn't around yet}. Lights and darks are important to keep in mind - now I know.

Tonight was spent working on the wedding dress. Grrrr... arms are tricky. I think I need to modify/redraft the sleeve pattern. But I know from experience some times it's best to walk away and come back to it another day.

Ten days and counting till the big move!

play me some righteous tunes...man

Lukas has been making leaps and bounds with his guitar playing. I remember back in college when Lukas tried to pick up the guitar - I think he go Twinkle Twinkle and Free Falling. But, the strumming and playing just wasn't clicking. I was quite surprised when Lukas tried guitar again and it just clicked! Now we have fun singing sessions together.

I saw this guitar strap on House on Hill Road and got inspired. Erin makes some beautiful camera straps too. Lukas wants something that's removable for his camera strap so that's been on the back burner. But I showed him the guitar strap and he liked it too.

Lukas picked out the fabrics - baseballs with tan for the front and cozy plaid flannel for the back side. I copied Erin's idea and bought a cheap nylon guitar strap for the hardware. Hmmm now what to do with 60" of nylon webbing? Anyone looking for some... it's your's for the asking.

The hardest part of the whole thing was turning the long skinny tube inside out after sewing the front to the back. I added one layer of interfacing between the two for extra stiffness.

It was a quick project and the recipient is quite happy. Yay!