Lit and Laundry

Needlework Tuesdy: Santa's Village part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:49:00 +0000

I've been plugging away at my little houses for Santa's Village. Just finished the fourth one, "Mrs. Claus' Cookie Shop."

It will have a chocolate chip cookie button added at the end. She'll also get little French knot eyes. Now on to the next row. I'm a little behind, but I'm still hoping to get this one done by this Christmas.

Drama Girl took three Advanced Placement tests for college last week. One more yesterday. On Saturday she collapsed on the couch and watched a couple of episodes of Aly McBeal. I haven't seen that show in years but it's still funny. I needed a change of pace from my big project so I made this tiny cross stitch while I watched with her. No reason really, except I'm fond of little patriotic things. I think it looks cute on my little red chair.

Drama Girl called me from school yesterday to tell me she'd been called into the principal's office. Imagine my reaction. She built it up all that she could until she finally exploded laughing and said that she'd qualified for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Way to go Drama Girl!

I'm linking up today with Heather at Books and Quilts.

Roses

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:54:00 +0000

This is a painting my husband did recently. I found this frame around the house but I want to get a better one.

I think some of my love of flowers is rubbing off on him. He paints all kinds of things - still lifes, portraits, copies of famous paintings. These are some of the tiny climbing roses in our yard. I love this picture.

Mother's Day was full of adventure. We visited the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. I could have spent all day there but I spared my family. Of course I had to stop in the gift shop. It was lovely. Jewelry and posters and art supplies and Little Golden Books. I could have stayed in there all day as well. My son was hovering a bit while I shopped. I remarked on a cute Minnie Mouse clock and laughed about how we haven't had a copy of Dumbo in the house for years. After a while he suggested I go see what Drama Girl was making in the art room. While I was visiting her, my son reappeared with my husband and the kids handed over the following little gift:

I had to laugh. Way to go with the covert operations! The story came out that they had been looking for a copy of Dumbo for the past week but had been unsuccessful. All's well that ends well. Remind me the next time I'm in a gift shop to admire all the expensive jewelry.

The day finished up with a trip to see The Great Gatsby. I really liked it, although I kept remembering the Robert Redford version, which made me feel kind of old. I don't like seeing remakes of movies that came out in my lifetime. It's like I'm overdue for a remake.

Hope you had a lovely Mother's Day!

My friend Buck

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:46:00 +0000

This is my friend Buck. At least that's what I've named him. He's been hanging out in my shady front yard off and on for a few weeks while his antlers are growing in. Yesterday evening I caught this quick shot of my cats looking at him.

He was under the window because he had just been over to the side of the house to see if the gate was open again. Smart guy. The phone repairman left the gate open last week and Buck slipped into the back yard and made a feast of my flowers. I made my husband go out there and shoo him out again. I have all kinds of respect for those antlers, even if they're still covered in velvet.

It's funny, when I see him outside, I often see one of the neighborhood cats nearby. Curiosity? I don't know. My cats are always interested when he's near the window. Maybe they just find him as cool as I do.

This would all be unremarkable if I lived out in the woods somewhere, but I'm in suburbia. Houses all around. I think the deer will just always be here, hiding in hedges and steering clear of cars and dogs. As long as there are yummy gardens to munch on.

My Morse

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:51:00 +0000

I'm in love. I saw this beautiful pink vintage sewing machine on eBay and I couldn't resist. It's steel and chrome and about 40 lbs. The seller says it runs great but I'm going to take it to a shop to be checked before I plug it in. The plug is very vintage and very sketchy-looking to me. It was a bit dirty when it arrived so hopefully the shop can help me get some of the grime off of it.

I can't find much information about these old machines. This model is from the mid-50s I think. The color is a bit more vibrant in person. It was made by the same manufacturer who created a line of cars. It's even stamped "Toyota" on the bottom. I understand men and vintage cars a little bit more now. This beauty was built to last, but is also beautiful to look at. If it were a car it probably would have huge fins. Like an old car, the parts are easy to come by and everything is accessible if one wants to tinker around and do repairs. As fun as that sounds, I'm going to take it to someone who works with vintage machines all the time.

I always said I would never be one of those people who has extra sewing machines around the house. I'm also the one who tells my kids to "never say never." *sigh* Don't tell anybody, but this is sewing machine number 4 for me.

Everything Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:17:00 +0000

Do I look different? I feel like I do. A few days ago my six year old laptop turned up its toes and died. It wasn't a happy day. All I got was a blank screen. Even with all the clever tricks I know, I couldn't resuscitate it. So I looked online (on my smartphone) for help. That place that rhymes with "zest guy" quoted $250 for diagnostic and data recovery. Ouch. I turned to Yelp. One guy was really highly rated, and ironically, has a shop just behind zest guy. First thing Monday morning I packed up my dead laptop and headed out.

Now I can insert a long story here about this guy who drove up on his awesome motorcycle just as I pulled up. His old curiosity shop with a murky aquarium and high tech clutter mixed with vintage weirdness. I could tell you about cables that didn't fit my external hard drive, a trip to yet another quirky computer guy who had my daughter's hard drive and cable - that guy had a shop full of birds of all kinds, one of which wouldn't stop wolf-whistling at me. I could have stopped in there for hours just to talk about the exotic lutes he had on display. What is it with colorful computer repairmen? Anyway, it's a typical story of the bizarre world hidden behind the shop fronts I drive by every day.

In the end, with a cable that worked, he was able to take all my data off my laptop. Between all these trips around town, I stopped into zest guy and bought a generic, somewhat cheap laptop. It does about 10x what my old expensive laptop was able to do.

And now I am completely lost.

Windows 8. Do you have it? You can't get a computer without it these days. It's a bit bizarre. I'm trying to be patient while I learn but one wrong swipe of the mouse or keystroke and I am suddenly three screens away from where I was.

Also, this keyboard is about a millimeter different from my old one. I seriously have to retrain my fingers to type. It's taken a lot of effort just to get the periods to show up on this page.

I had some pictures to go with this post. I haven't gotten my camera software to load yet though.

Perhaps most frustrating of all, this laptop doesn't know me. I suddenly find I have to remember a million passwords, some of which I haven't entered in years.

So - happy to have new technology at my fingertips, but not really enjoying the process of getting up to speed with it.

I miss my old dinosaur laptop. I've turned into one of those people.

A Letter From My 16 Year Old Daughter to the Senate

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:45:00 +0000

Today, I am ashamed to call myself an American.

I will carry this shame with me until the Senate decides to pass a bill that expands background checks on purchasers of guns. Any bill, whether it’s President Obama’s gun control package or the Manchin--Toomey plan. Any bill at all that does anything to atone for the violence and hatred that has been so recently running rampant throughout our country. Anything at all to comfort, however slightly, the heartbroken families of the Sandy Hook victims and the countless others suffering because of loved ones lost to gun violence. But until that day, I am ashamed.

I know there have been compromises proposed by both parties. I will not pretend to be an expert where gun control is concerned. But I do know that President Obama has proposed measures expanding background checks and banning certain military-style weapons. I have no statistics for you, no data that says the number of attacks that would be avoided because of these measures or how many potential murderers will be stopped because of them. If you want this kind of evidence, then my argument is already lost, because I believe that this is not an issue of science or numbers but of human compassion and responsibility. I have no data, only this simple belief--that more background checks would decrease the number of mentally unstable people purchasing guns. Even if it only stops one person, just one person who could have bought that gun but was stopped, then maybe that background check just saved an entire elementary school. To me, this is the same principle as airport security--as American citizens, we are willing to undergo certain inconveniences for the sake of our safety. I will not argue against the right to carry a gun, only against the assumption that everyone has the right to do so. There are bad people in this world.

I hope that you will understand why I feel this way, because I have tried and tried but I still cannot see your point of view. I cannot understand how you can look at these victims, how you can look Gabrielle Giffords in the eyes and say to them, “I want to help.” You said that to them when you chose to serve on the United States Senate. You took a promise, your personal moral values aside, to help the people of this country. Yet in the very room where that hope and promise of the future is supposed to be brought about, by you, you instead turn to these families and say, “I will not help you.” Though to be fair, perhaps in your mental narrative it goes something like this--”You see, I want you help you, but--” And then perhaps you will go on to explain yourself. You might mention the pressures of the National Rifle Association, or were there political factors that were involved in your decision. I only hope, that when you offer some sort of excuse for yourself, you will not embarrass this nation further by claiming that you acted on your own conscience. If that is the case, then my shame is only worsened, because instead of weak-willed political puppets making decisions about my safety, instead I have monsters. Instead I have people who cannot empathize with the suffering of their country.

Before, I was not afraid of guns. I am a sixteen-year-old girl living in the Bay Area of California, a place I believe to be one of the most open-minded and safe places to live. I thought I was removed from the horrible deeds of the world. I didn’t have to worry about getting shot on my way to school. But wasn’t that the same train of thought subconsciously running through the minds of those elementary school children on their way to Sandy Hook? Didn’t they believe they were safe? They didn’t realize it, but they had you to protect them. That is your job. To protect every child who is simply going to school. To protect every single person in this country. They trust you, whether they have learned about our country’s government system or not. They know that there is someone out there looking out for them, someone who can make a difference.

There are bad people in this world. I am old enough to understand that, and I had hoped that you are too. Sometimes, these bad people can’t be reasoned with. There isn’t always a happy ending for their story, and they will go on to do bad things. But we have our government, our lawmakers, and our policemen, actively protecting us against anything that would harm us. There are laws in place regulating unsafe working conditions and laws against murder. These are beautiful things that our country has created, that our government has created. These laws act to protect the most important human right we have--our lives. And we have you to thank for that.

Until today.

Until today, when suddenly I am very, very afraid of losing that right which I hold dear. Now, I am afraid. It is not because there will be more violence, and it is not because I am now more aware of it. I am afraid because the people I thought would protect me have left me, and I suddenly feel very small.

I’m just a teenager trying to get through my junior year. I don’t really mind blending in with countless other Americans right now. I don’t need to stand out or do important things, because at the moment, I am only responsible for myself, my family, and my friends, and that’s enough. When I am old enough to vote, I will be responsible for my country, and I will take that right more seriously than anything else I have done so far. Because in that small way, I can speak directly to you, a single, tiny voice in a vast crowd, shouting to be heard by you, the people who can make a difference.

Today, my voice is lost. The voice of the nation is lost in that room where you voted today. I don’t know how you drowned out the voices of nearly 90% of our nation, but somehow the sound must not have bothered you enough.

So here I am, bothering you. Do you know how much difference one annoying person can make? Almost as much as an entire country. We will be here, shouting at the top of our lungs. We want to be safe. We want you to be our protectors. That is why we chose you. Now, we just want you to do your job.

Please. Because I just want something to hold onto. Some good people in the world for me to turn to as I grow up and see more bad things, more violence and hatred and evil. People I can trust. People who I know will always, always do their very best to protect my life and my rights, so that I can still feel safe on my way to school.

Will you be that kind of person for me?

With heart and hands

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:02:00 +0000

It's been a rough few days. I think it's just best to acknowledge it as life moves forward. I was pretty shaken by the bombings in Boston. I remember the feelings I had after 9/11. Not feeling safe. Feeling exposed.

My kids were very small on 9/11. They've grown up in a world where these things happen. Just like they've grown up in a world of computers. This is their reality. They seem to handle the news better than I do. Do they see the world differently than I do? I imagine they must. The shock is not as great. For them there never was a time "before." I try, as a parent, to teach them resilience skills. Sometimes I learn from them, as I check in to be sure what they are feeling is not indifference.

On Tuesday after running some errands I picked up a small journal at a shop, bought a burrito in another, and went and sat in a park for a while. I don't usually treat myself to time off like that, but I felt the need to get out of the house. I watched the kids play and the gardeners mow the grass. The gardeners tested the sprinklers and used the lawn edgers and I sat and felt the sun and smelled the fresh-cut grass. And I wrote. I wrote and wrote and wrote in that little journal. All the jibberish of my feelings and ideas.

This morning I woke up at 5:00. Not insomnia really - the cat has been waking me up early every day. Today I didn't go back to sleep though, I grabbed another journal that was handy and I wrote and wrote. Pros and cons of a decision I have to make. Lists of things I want to do. Ideas for the blog. Ideas for a book. Pages and pages of thoughts and ideas.

You'd think with all that practice writing I'd put posts up on my blog more. But this was a different kind of writing. Cathartic and healing. It's a very positive practice for me. It is a form of medition and mind-clearing. It helps my brain move on.

My heart goes out to everyone who was affected. To honor them, I started on another charity quilt. Moving my hands also helps my heart. The recipient will probably not have anything to do with the Boston tragedy, but it doesn't matter. It's all about tipping the scales further in the direction of love for humanity.

These are not tough times we live in. They are not bad times, or evil times. It is just the time we have. I am grateful for so much, not the least of which is the abundance of affordable journals available everywhere now.

I wonder if many people are using those journals like I have over the past few days. Most of all, if you are reading this, I hope that you find an outlet that helps calm your nerves and heals your heart and gives you strength.

On a desert island

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:39:00 +0000

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Sometimes it feels like a desert island around here. We've been having a lot of trouble with our internet connection. As I type this I'm looking at the router and its internet light is red. I have several tabs on my browser spinning around trying to load. Then they do. Then they stop. It's so aggravating. I've spent hours with a customer assistance person with the lovely but unlikely name of "Autumn" trying to troubleshoot everything.

Of course, when she checks from her end, everything is fine. *sigh.*

I've moved that router all over the house. I'm going to try attaching it to the ceiling with duct tape next I think.

I've been thinking today about how I've grown so dependent on wifi. Living without it, even for short periods, feels like I imagine it must feel to be marooned on a desert island. How would I find vintage needlepoint kits on ebay? Or sync my calendar up across my phone and laptop and kindle? How would I find well-tested recipes? How would I load even more books onto my kindle? And how could I possibly live without Pinterest??

Let's hope it never comes to that. And while I'm on the topic of troubleshooting, let me remind everyone that google reader is going away in July. Obviously they didn't ask me if that's okay. I think it's a big mistake. I'm jumping on the bandwagon with other bloggers an using Bloglovin. Click on the link at the top of this post and you can migrate your feeds too. If you don't use a reader yet, let me recommend it as a great way to stay in touch with the blogs you enjoy.

Now I'm off to find the duct tape.

Vintage finish and Amish progress

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:39:00 +0000

I just finished this hand-pieced hexagon quilt. This is the first I've tried with elongated hexies and it had its tricky moments. I pieced a lot of it in the car on the trip to and from Disneyland. It was fun to use some of my reproduction prints.

I still struggle with my hand quilting. This is about the only size I can handle right now. Anything bigger would frustrate me too much I think. These little quilts are more work than their size would imply.

So the various stuffed bears and rabbits around the house will get to enjoy my hand work efforts while the kids will have to settle for my machine work.

This is the quilt on my design wall. It's getting huge so the lower border is just pinned up right now. That will go on and then the next set of borders have applique. Lots of hours to go before this one is finished.

I'm linking up to Design Wall Monday. Lots of beautiful work there every week.

Another finish in wool

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:45:00 +0000

This banner is supposed to be a topiary in a creamer. It's cute colors but I'm having a little trouble adjusting them so you can really see the blue of the eggs and the pink of the creamer. I need to figure out some of the finer points of my camera.

Yesterday Drama Girl auditioned for the advanced dance class at her high school. We have a tradition in our house that any time anybody auditions for something, they get a McFlurry from McDonalds. We started doing this years ago. Auditions can be a strain mentally and physically and are often nerve-wracking. This one was no exception apparently. Very few open spots in the class and a lot of kids auditioning. Drama Girl has had many years of ballet but she was also required to do a lot of hip-hop as well as jazz and modern. She was so sore afterwards she could hardly walk. If she doesn't get in the class she either takes P.E. or weight training next year to finish her P.E. requirement. Fingers crossed for her, she'll know on Monday.

My husband saw her walk in the house with her McFlurry and asked if he gets one too. He got a big promotion yesterday. I think that deserves something a little more special than a McFlurry.

Santa's Village Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:24:00 +0000

I've just finished the Post Office in Santa's Village. I'm a little behind schedule getting these done if I want to have them all completed before next Christmas. I'm enjoying the designs and the colors. The next house is Mrs. Claus' cookie shop, which also looks pretty cute.

Busy few weeks here. We spent Spring Break at Disneyland. Not my first choice but the kids and husband really wanted to go. It was too crowded for me. I don't walk very fast since my hip replacement so I couldn't optimize my time in the park since I was always in a sea of crowds. Ordinarily, I can plan a sequence of rides with minimal wait times if I can move easily between them. This time I stayed in one area at a time and did the rides there if the wait times were reasonable. I got on fewer rides and waited a little longer than usual. Still, it was great to be at Disneyland and away from usual responsibilities. The kids had a great time. My husband sat and sketched at times. I think the crowds were a bit much for him too, but he didn't complain.

Drama Girl is rehearsing almost every day for Pride and Prejudice. The college brochures are coming fast and furious at our house and I watch her eyes glaze over as she scans them. Not sure what her thinking is along those lines right now. Next objective for her is to find a prom dress.

Life just seems to move along faster and faster. I think putting my feet up and doing needlework is my way of coping with it all. This is done and is permanent and will never change. These kids, on the other hand, are changing every day. It's fun to watch them but a real challenge to keep up with it all.

Subtle Messages

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:43:00 +0000

There are days when I am juggling so many things that my brain hurts. Sure I'll drive you to your play rehearsal. Sure I'll order some more ballet shoes. Sure I'll run to the music store to get new reeds for your saxophone. Sure I'll reschedule dinner because you have to work late.

Everyone deserves help. But some poor souls just don't nag loud enough. Like this plant. Seriously, it is right in the middle of a main traffic area. I see it 100 times a day. I remind myself I need to water it every single time. But obviously, I'm slow. Poor thing. It always perks all the way back up as if nothing happened. Definitely the most forgiving of my naggers.

Then I found this:

Apparently I have been very negligent about baking cookies or muffins or anything for the cake stand. There is now a rubber dragon in there with a plastic drumstick.

I think it's some sort of hint.

Back from the woods

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:47:00 +0000

I had a wonderful time at my machine quilting class at Asilomar.

This is the first mini-quilt I worked on. I need to get the binding on and then I can wash out all the marks. It's about 18 inches on each side. Not very big but a lot of work. I used "Radiance" fabric which is about half silk/half cotton. Slippery to work with but the finished piece is pretty. I also used silk thread for the first time. Took a while to adjust the tension on my machine just right but now I feel like I know how to do it. Sort of a mixed blessing because silk thread is really expensive. But if you're going to make something heirloom-quality, better to use the good stuff.

This mini quilt I did manage to finish and bind and rinse. It's my first trapunto piece, and now I'm hooked on using this technique. I never looked much at whole cloth quilts before but this class really gave me an appreciation for them.

This is also a change for me because I really love quilts that have a riot of color going on. Now I'm going to keep my eyes open for fabric that's pale and demure to show off the stitching. My shopping options just expanded.

Of course, even though my goal was to come home without another unfinished quilt to work on, I just couldn't resist starting another much bigger trapunto quilt. I had a big piece of this soft pink fabric so I just dove right in. Yet another project to divide my attention.

I met many wonderful women there. I even met a blogger I've visited online before! Go visit Tami at Lemon Tree Tales. She's wonderful.

Another literary win

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:21:00 +0000

by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

I couldn't be more excited. It's absolutely true that Drama Girl has always made it clear how much she dislikes my favorite book. In part I suspect it was part of a general separation from anything that mom found cool.

But as Elizabeth Bennet would say all that is behind us now. My pride and her prejudice have reconciled over this wonderful event.

Funny thing, the whole family kept it a secret from me that she was auditioning for this. I knew she was trying out for a production, but she never really answered questions about it and let me think it was another student-written play.

Guess who's studying every page of the book now?

I'm trying so hard not to gloat. All I can say is, watch out Mr. Darcy; if anyone was born to play the smart, bookish, opinionated Elizabeth, it's Drama Girl.

Here's another picture of the sampler hanging by my harp:

Off to sew!

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:15:00 +0000

Sew Forth by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

I'm leaving Friday for a six day class in machine quilting at Asilomar. This is always so exciting for me. Being around amazing talented women is like taking creativity vitamins. I get inspired not just by the beautiful work that everyone does, but by their energy and their stories. Quilters love to talk about their quilts and I love to listen.

Here at home I have a hard time stealing hours to quilt because of our busy family schedule, but for this one week, quilting is the only job and the only expectation. When I'm free from the demands of kids and laundry and volunteer work, my brain explodes with creative ideas and energy.

But the work I get done is only a part of it. Meeting quilters from all over the country is great fun. New people who all share a common love. Conversations at dinner always start with quilting and what we've learned and sewing machines, but they soon move on to families and life and what we all share as women in the 21st century. Quilters are the greatest people.

Then there's the beautiful setting. Beach and forest and no televisions! My kind of place.

So wish me luck - I'm hoping to become better at what I love to do. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity.

Finished for Friday: Block keeper

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:53:00 +0000

Some quilt blocks take a long time to put together, or embroider, or embellish. I used to roll them up carefully or try to set them on a table between work sessions hoping things wouldn't shift around too much. Of course some clever quilter came up with a pattern to keep blocks in progress.

I made this from an orphan block. I made the block in an applique class years ago and it's been sitting in my pile of orphans. Perfect size for this project.

The front and back pockets have foam core inside and a flannel surface for blocks in progress to stick to.

Here's an example of some hexies ready to go.

I'm excited today because Drama Girl is coming home tomorrow. She's been on an extended trip through the South visiting historic civil rights sites and meeting people who were involved. It's a huge history lesson and we've enjoyed hearing her talk 90 miles an hour on the phone about the whole adventure. Ten days is a long time though (for me!) so I'm ready to have her come home and tell me everything in person. I'll be a wreck when she goes away to college. I can already tell.

Patriotic Quilt - Done!

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:11:00 +0000

This quilt is called "Celebrating Freedom" and the pattern is from McCall's Quilting May/June 2012 issue.

I'm proud that almost all of this fabric was from my stash - so the quilt was free, right? The picture doesn't quite show how scrappy the reds are, but there are a lot of different fabrics in there. I love scrappy quilts. I spend a lot of time moving things around on my design wall and planning them so they look totally unplanned.

I'll always remember this quilt for the half-square triangles. Not my favorite thing to sew up. See all the tiny ones on the outer border? I was brilliant enough to sew two sides of the border completely backwards. Had to take the stitches out between every set of triangles and restitch them the other direction. I'm pretty sure I'll never make that mistake again.

This is a summery quilt, but it gets to stay out on display now because it's new. I think it works well in my colorful living room.

Oh Downton!

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:29:00 +0000

The Sorrow We Share by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

Oh Downton! How could you do this to us? And yet we've known all along that under that classy, well-dressed veneer you were just a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

But I regret nothing. I'm glad I watched despite the tears. Because Carson with a baby? Priceless.

I actually made this toonlet a few weeks ago after that other bad thing happened. Seemed appropriate to post again today.

I'm off to have some tea and a sniffle...

Rabbits Prefer Chocolate - Done!

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:59:00 +0000

This project has been rather epic. I started it years ago and have chipped away at it off and on. It's an Easter quilt really, but I'm hanging it on my wall now.

The pattern is "Rabbits Prefer Chocolate" by Bunny Hill Designs. You can get it here. The rabbit shapes are based on antique chocolate molds.

I added a Ghirardelli chocolate ribbon as a scarf to one of my bunnies. It's a San Francisco chocolate company, for those who haven't heard of it. Of course I was careful to pick off all the stray threads before I took pictures and here you go - stray thread on his car. It's gone now.

There are lots of embroidery and buttons and ribbons and ric-rac details. I could probably go on embellishing this one forever but it's time to stop and move on to the next project.

Doing the happy dance now that this one is done!

Applique Sampler finished

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:07:00 +0000

I'm on a mission to finish up a bunch of my UFO's ("unfinished objects") this year. Thankfully, I've found a great group on Facebook with the same goal so we've been cheering each other on. Last Saturday many of us did a 12 hour marathon and I managed to get this quilt all quilted and bound. I had already done some of the quilting and it took the full 12 hours to finish it. My family was great about giving me the day off from my usual mommy chores.

Hedgehogs! Pretty much the whole reason I got the pattern.

Not only did this project give me a chance to practice my applique skills, but I used it as a way to practice my machine quilting skills. It's a small quilt but I went through two big spools of thread.

I tried out different kinds of background filler in different blocks.

I even practiced my freehand double feathers, which turned out a bit wonky. I like to think of them as "casual." This whole quilt is just a practice piece. It's so girly I wont display it much.

But I do love those hedgehogs!

Needlework Tuesday: California Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:03:00 +0000

We don't get snow around here, but for some reason all of my current projects have snow on them. Here are the first two months of Santa's Village done. There are buttons and beads and French knots that will go on later.

Here is my wool banner for January. The original pattern had a dark shawl but I thought that was too drab so I gave her a pinkish one. I have no idea why she has ice skates. Or feet for that matter.

For some reason I just got the urge to make this snow bear after I saw the pattern on Pinterest. I think I needed a break from my usual embroidery and quilting. Looking at his hat, I think it could use a pom pom.

Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Heather at Books and Quilts.

Still Dreaming

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 02:17:00 +0000

by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

The Joy of Returning

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:41:00 +0000

Once in a Lifetime by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

When I was a new mother I felt there was always so much emphasis on keeping baby books - first steps, first words, etc. With three babies in the house I never was able to keep much track of that stuff. What I didn't realize is that there are some momentous firsts that nobody ever tells you about, and there are no pretty scrapbooks for. Falling in love with Mr. Rochester for the first time is one of them.

The conversation from the comic strip happened a few days ago. I'm getting the play-by-play of what's happening to dear Jane. I've always loved this book and to watch Wasabi Girl discover it has been wonderful. I'm not sure how she's managed to stay unaware of the plot for so long. I've watched various versions of the movie but I guess she didn't watch them with me.

She is totally in love with Mr. Rochester and told me proudly that she knew he was the fortune teller all along. We agreed that we dislike Blanche Ingram. I am savoring every chapter she tells me about.

Drama Girl, on the other hand, seldom reads books I suggest to her. She has little patience right now for the classics. She did, however, curl up with The Hobbit one rainy day and concedes that it was a very good read. I hold out hope that we'll have some overlapping taste in books.

In the meantime I can hardly wait to gently open more doors for Wasabi Girl. When she recovers from Mr. Rochester she'll be ready to meet Heathcliff. *sigh*

Needlework Tuesday: Santa's (Invisible) House

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:21:00 +0000

Here is my progress on the first of 12 Christmas houses I'll be working on this year. Guess which color was backordered? I just got the hazelnut for the house so I'll start on that today. Then I'll get started on the next one, which connects up just to the right. At the end of the year, if I keep up, it will be a village of 3 rows of 4 houses each. The pattern is by Country Cottage Needleworks.

Christmas at our house is all packed up. I just have a mug full of leftover candy canes on the counter. I also need to list out all the Christmas cards we received so I make sure to include everybody next year.

I haven't started decorating for Valentine's Day yet, even though the stores are full of stuff and I have quilts and decorations I can get out. The house looks absolutely empty. It needs to breathe and rest a little after the long string of holidays.

The kids are finally back at school. Drama Girl is all signed up for her SAT test in a few weeks. I'm still in complete denial that all this is happening. She did well on her PSAT and there are many chances to retake the SAT if she wants to improve her score.

Saw "Les Miserables" with the family over the break. I think it's one of those 'love it or hate it' type films. I absolutely loved it. Worth the admission and the long length just to see Anne Hathaway. Have you seen it?

Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Heather at Books and Quilts. Be sure to visit today and see her wonderful triangle block tutorial.

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Threeundertwo) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:39:00 +0000

The beginning of January is one of my favorite times of the year. I learned years ago not to make resolutions, but to make goals instead. When I have all my goals listed out, I feel like the year ahead is full of possibilities and fun.

First, I have a lot of quilts I really want to finish. It's sad how many quilt tops are waiting patiently to be basted up and quilted. Then there are so many new quilts waiting to start! Yay! I have big plans.

Next there are some goals to change things around in the garden. I hate gardening, but I love flowers so it's up to me to rip out some old stuff and treat myself to some new pretty things. If I can stay focused on how I want the yard to look, instead of how it looks now, I can stay positive about this one. Once again, Pinterest is helping me a lot with inspiration. My goals involve tackling just one small area at a time.

Reading goals. I've learned that I'm not good with the online reading programs I sign up for. I get too distracted with other books that I want to read. So my goals this year are just to be sure I read every day. It's a pleasure I sometimes skip in favor of answering emails or other mindless activities. So I've started a list for myself of the various wonderful books I've been meaning to read. I've given myself permission to change the list and just read whatever I like.

Husband and I have a big goal of finishing off the garage this year. Our neighbor the contractor has offered to work on this for us. It's an oversized garage without cars inside, so we hope to adapt the space for my sewing and my husband's art. I'm drooling over studio designs and thinking about what I want. I'll just be so happy to have cabinets in there to store all the holiday decorations and various outdoor supplies.

This year will also reveal what lies in Drama Girl's future. A year from now we will probably know what college she will attend. I'm very nervous and excited about this. Lots of trust and hope and thinking about this part of her future.

I'm off to cook up a big ham. New Year's Eve is pretty quiet around here. I'm just happy to welcome in a new chance to get things right.