Whirl into Winter Giveaway!

The winner of my drawing is littlepeepsmom! Your package will be winging to you this afternoon!

It's winter, and I love winter because I love snowflakes! I'm also loving the chance to have new visitors by having a giveaway, hosted by Debi. Be sure to stop by the main blog for more giveaways.

My giveaway includes: Celtic Geometric Quilts by Camille Remme, a fat-quarter of green-ribbon fabric (ovarian cancer awareness), a 1/2 yard of hand-dyed fabric, and approximately a yard (in 2 pieces) of "In the Beginning... XOXOX Cat" Fabric. Plus some surprises if I can fit anything else in the box. (I have a few template books that look like fun, but that I will never use. They may join in the trip to your home, should I draw your name!) The assistant may contribute something, but she tends to be pretty random (she is 2 3/4 years old, after all). Does this sound like fun to you?

Then come back on or after January 1 and follow the directions to win. I will NOT accept entries left before January 1! The drawing ends January 14 at 12:00 noon my time. I will announce a winner on January 15.

1. Answer this question: What do you love about snow? If you don't answer the question, you can't be entered!

2. Either have your email visible on your profile or leave your email. You will NOT be entered to win if I cannot reply to your comment or enter an email. I will NOT visit your blog and leave a comment there. Last time, I had 150 comments, and that's too many to hunt around for contact information. I NEED AN EMAIL ADDRESS! (I will ship international, so anyone is welcome to enter.)

3. Earn an extra chance to have your name drawn by mentioning my blog in a post on your blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #52

Gulp. Well, we'll do the report first...

OUT this week: 5 yards
OUT YTD: 183 1/4 yards

IN this week: 38 1/2 yards
IN YTD: 211 1/2 yards

TOTAL YTD: 28 1/4 yards IN

Well, I finished a quilt and a skirt, but Christmas gifts happened. I can't complain, but there goes staying in the "OUT" category for 2008. DH was very generous, and I'm glad to be able to afford fabric. Next year, that may not be the case. After my birthday, I am busting some serious stash! There are some major quilts due in May!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Christmas Goodies

I hope you all had a merry and blessed Christmas. My family had a wonderful Christmas day - and it's not over until January 6 for Epiphany (and my birthday).

Here you can see the end of my stash-busting efforts for 2008. I'm toast.

These are some lovely fabrics purchased for 50% off at Granny's Attic. Great service, speedy delivery - and 50% off! I bought them, thinking they were supposed to be my birthday gift, and I would have all of 2009 to make up for it, but DH changed up the gift-giving plans...

So here's 38 1/2 yards of fabric, including yardage of the blenders, 1/2 yard cuts of hand-dyed goodies, and 3 star fabrics for my dear sister and for my hexagon project. DH kept one piece of hand-dyed for a later date - and I don't even know what it looks like!

Good thing my parents gave me Judy Hopkin's book 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks. 501 blocks might make a dent in these fabrics.

I did manage to sew a skirt for my sister and finish a small lap quilt for my dad. (I'm sorry the picture is so dark. When I had the flash on, it was too washed out.) It's made with a Coca-Cola fabric I've had since I was in college, and I've always saved it for "something for my dad." Well, I finally made it! You can see Screamer sitting next to the quilt.

Stash Report Week #51

Nothing in. Nothing out.

Now, I MUST go finish a quilt for Christmas. I'm finishing hand quilting, so it will be close!

from the room of zana's ninis,
katie z.

Living Deliberately

I woke this morning to 2" of snow, with more falling. The weather said it would be a dusting. Dusting? The Assistant is begging to play in it, but it is too cold for Screamer, who would freeze in 2 minutes flat. We'll wait until Screamer's naptime, although that seems an eternity to the Assistant.

I have been debating whether or not to stay at my job. It is terribly difficult for me to work 15-20 hours a week with my girls. I could find a sitter (maybe), but that's not what I want to do... or I don't work and we lose 1/3 of our income for next year. I really enjoy working for the Church (most of the time - there are aspects of my job that pain me), but I don't know if that's better than raising my girls. It's not bad to be poorer.

Besides, DH and I have been talking about materialism, money, living simply, and what we want to teach our girls. Is it better to work when we would need another car (we only have one, and this winter, that is proving to be a challenge), spend more money on eating out because I don't have time to cook or just am too tired? Plus, by next year, I may get pregnant again - if it is God's will.

These last few weeks I have been trying to slow down and enjoy time with the Assistant and Screamer. Last week, I didn't touch the sewing machine until Saturday night. The Assistant thought I must have gone crazy. Who doesn't "nini" everyday?

I am so blessed to have such amazing girls. The Assistant is a drama queen, but she is so helpful and funny - and gosh darn cute! Screamer is her own brand of mischievousness. I can't wait to see what happens when she gets older! And DH, of course, is fabulous.

So I'm going to live deliberately in the moment instead of zoning out with junk and unimportant things. Speaking of which, Screamer says it's time to go.

Stash Report Week #50

I sent away 1/2 yard this week to Jodie.

18 3/4 yards in.

OUT this week: 1/2 yard
OUT YTD: 178 1/4 yards

IN this week: 18 3/4 yards
IN YTD: 173 yards

YTD: 5 1/4 OUT... I still blame the DH.

This week, I hope to finish quilting the blocks for my dad's quilt, then start on the spacer bars... and maybe work on Star Struck.

It is bitterly cold, so I will be working from home tomorrow, so maybe I can sneak in more quilting this week than last. Either way, I am grateful to God that I have a warm home!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

It's Not My Fault

About the 17 yards of fabric... I still maintain it's not my fault. It happened like this: we had to repair our garage door, and it cost significantly less than we were afraid it would, so DH said if we had any money left after buying a new camera, we could go to JoAnn's.

I selected a cutting board (50% off) and sew rotary blades (also 50% off). Then I bought some Kona bleached and unbleached muslin on sale. That would be 10 yards. Then DH looked at the remnants, as they were also 50% off, and picked 3/4 yard upholstery, 3/4 yard polyester (I obviously haven't educated him well enough), and 1/4 cotton sateen. Then I bought 4 yards of a red-striped canvas (with my 50% off coupon) to make grocery bags. Then the assistant and DH picked out a fat quarter bundle of metallic circles - they wanted PINK and I put my foot down. 1 1/4 yard. And a sewing basket that I'm supposed to pretend I don't know about.

Then we got home and I realized the sewing basket (that I don't really know exists) was supposed to be 40% off but didn't ring up that way. That would be $17 I could spend on other stuff! So on Wednesday we went back and...

bought a package of batting (I can't afford a roll), 2 fat-quarters of star/snowflake in yellow (for the quilt I will get started some day), and... another fat quarter bundle of pink and purple chosen by the assistant. I said okay because 2 of the fabrics are stars. I need them for the quilt... 1 3/4 more yards.

At least I have still used more than I (or DH!) bought... and it's not my fault. Besides, when the assistant smuggles half of it away in a box like this, I can't be responsible for it. She may need a few boxes for her stash so I don't count it in mine. (VBG)

Chicken Home

What a day!

To start with, yesterday it was 62 and today it's snowing! The wind is blowing, and we are forecasted to get 2-4". That made me decide I'd better go in to work this morning and not wait for this afternoon. It's not so much snow, but people around here forget how to drive in snow over the summer. The assistant keeps saying, "It's rainin'."

She also says, "Don't wanna watch Chicken work. Wanna watch Chicken Home." I suggested we bring her favorite movie, "Chicken Run," to work so she could watch it while I get ready for tomorrow. She just doesn't want to go to work, but since my mom isn't coming over this afternoon to let me go to work myself (due to the forecast), we're going to have to go this morning!

Then... Screamer pitched herself head-first out of her high chair this morning. She didn't pass out, but - AAAHHH! is all I can say. I think she's okay, but we'll be keeping a special eye on her.

Later today, I will have to tell you about what DH did. That would be buying 17 yards of fabric. For me. To go in my stash. What happened to stash busting?

And, I have a new camera (old...from a pawnshop... but new to me and not $200!), so there will hopefully be a return of quilty pictures. I will have to take pictures of the fabric that was FORCED upon me. Forced, I say! I can take no responsibility for it. It's all his fault! (Hehehe.)

Stash Report Week #49

IN this week: 0 yards
IN YTD: 154 1/4 yards

OUT this week: 1/2 yards
OUT YTD: 177 3/4 yd

TOTAL: 23 1/2 yards OUT!

I finished my camel, 12 blocks quilted, and some work done on Star Struck. All my projects are long and slow at this point, so I'm not expecting any more finishes beyond my dad's quilt. By the end of this week, I may have all the blocks quilted, so there is a chance it will be done for Christmas. If not, Epiphany!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Yuck!

Apparently I haven't recovered as much as I thought, and I am house-bound again. The assistant is threatening to be sick (please, God, that just wouldn't be fair to her).

On to quilting things... I finished my camel for the Jesse tree. I cut the squares for my Bonnie quilt. I quilted two blocks yesterday. But STOP! That was yesterday, when I felt fine. We'll see what happens today. It's COLD! in the sewing room; I think we might be below 50.

Screamer is having a blast pounding keys on the keyboard and learning to drink out of sippy cups. We learned she LOVES, LOVES, LOVES beans!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.