Tula Pink

Tula Pink, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

Today's post hailed another anxiously awaited package! I just recently discovered Tula Pink. I am taken with just about all of her fabric. But, I am most especially in love with "Plume" at the moment. It was not easy to find. But I located 3 charm packs and 3 yards of coordinating prints. Not sure yet what I will make with it, but I can't wait to make it! I found the fabric on quilt sandwich.etsy.com check out their etsy store if you get a moment. She has some very bright, fun fabrics listed. Their customer service and shipping times were excellent!
Off I go to quilt :)
Rob

Another 5 10 20

Another 5 10 20, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

So, this is what I did with my evening. Actually, not my entire evening. More like the last 2 hours. With my little ones, finding time to quilt is a challenge. Ok, honest truth? Finding time to think is a challenge!! However, with potty training so close that I can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, I have taken to spending some time each evening in my quilt studio to work. My friend Robin suggested that I try just utilizing snippets of time here and there to sew. She was right. As long as I have a way to keep the munchkins away from my work area, I can leave everything out and ready to go so that it's all available to me whenever I find a spare moment. This has been a revelation. I have sincerely gotten more done in the last 2 months than I have in the last 2 years. My quilting really got a jump start when I spent a weekend in Laguna Woods on a Two Wacky Woman retreat. I think I have blogged about it before. I am lucky enough to belong to the most amazing friendship group. 2 of our founding members started a quilt retreat business a few years ago. They do such a great job that the retreats fill up more than 6 months in advance! They have a website. www.twowackywoman.com Check them out if you get a Moment they are also both very talented designers and sell their original quilt patterns as well. This quilt top is one of them. I am so excited to get this one put together. Now, when the Tula Pink fabric I ordered online over the weekend arrives, I will be able to get started immediately on the next project! Ha, I think I may be hooked :)))))

Joel Dewberry Fabric

Joel Dewberry Fabric, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

This is the fabric I mentioned purchasing from Sewdeerlyloved in a previous post. I love it! I have no idea what I am going to do with it though! Any suggestions? There is a pattern called "Victory Gardens" that I saw on Heather Bailey's blog. I am thinking that this may be a possibility. I still have my 5, 10, 20 quilt top working, so I have a little time. Also, I started another Birdie Sling from some cute peace sign fabric for my sister in law's birthday next week. Any recommendations anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

Homemade Peach Pie

Homemade Peach Pie, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

I have always wanted to bake a peach pie from scratch. Last night, I did just that. I didn't start the process until after 8 PM, so it wasn't cooled enough to eat until 11 o'clock. Needless to say, I had to wait until this morning to taste it. I didnt have time to eat my pie at home before leaving for work, so instead I packed a piece to take with me. I sent one with my husband to work, and took one for myself. As I settled in to my desk to read my morning e-mail - I opened my pie to enjoy along with my coffee. There is no really adequate way of describing just how radiantly good this pie was! I sincerely thought for a moment that I would feign a sudden illness so that I could go home and spend the rest of the day on my couch with just a fork and the rest of that pie!!! To further affirm just how good of a pie this was, my husband text me just after 8:30 from his office. I guess, he too was eating his pie at his desk with his coffee. He told me it was so good, that he ate the spoon! He also told me that he was going to be going home for lunch to eat the rest of the pie :)
Moral of the story, if you've never made a homemade peach pie before, do it. it truly is worth the time and effort.

Design Wall Monday

5 10 20, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

Ok, so here is my very first "Design Wall Monday" post. My friend Robin Gall is a part of a group that posts every Monday about what's on their design wall. I thought joining in would be a good way to keep me moving through my projects. Maybe if I knew I had to post every Monday, it will be more of an incentive to keep me on track. I don't have an actual design wall. So, I just laid everything out on my cutting table. I am working on another 5, 10, 20 quilt top. This pattern was actually designed by my friend Robin. I posted a pic of my first top in an earlier blog. You can either use 5 yards, 10 half yards, or 20 fat quarters. The more variety of fabric, the scappier the outcome. For this top I have 20 different fat quarters that I purchased at The Sewing Party in Laguna Woods, CA. It was the first time I had ever been in there. If you are a fan of Amy Butler, Kaffe Fasset, Hailey Bailey and the like, then this is the shop for you. It's a bit of a drive for me, but I will definitely be back. Also, I think this quilt pattern is becoming my favorite. You can find that for purchase thru Robin's site. Her blog is listed in my fav blog section. I just ordered 10 completely different yards of Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow today from Sew Deerly Loved at www.etsy.com. I found Joel Dewberry while perusing www.quiltdad.com. Come to think of it, that's how I heard of Sew Deerly Loved! Check out her Etsy shop. She has some great stuff for sale. Ok, enough from me. I have 4 more blocks to sew then it's off to fold laundry and lay out the babies clothes for the morning.
Night all!

My fabric haul

My fabric haul, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

Today was perfect day. I drove to Los Alamitos with my hubby to meet up with my son and favorite nephew for breakfast at Hof's Hut. I used to work as a manager at Hof's, so it was a nostalgic visit. I still knew some of the servers and I also knew the General Manager. It was fun playing "remember when" with them. I enjoyed showing off my son and nephew. They were about 5 and 6 when these folks has last seen or heard from me. They couldn't believe those small boys were the handsome young men in front of them.
After breakfast my hubby and I got to spend a few hours kicking around Belmont Shores. This too was a stroll down memory lane. DH and I spent the first year of our marriage in the cutest 2 bedroom house located in the shore. After that, DH was kind enough to take me to M&L fabrics. It has been so long since I had been in there. I honestly could not remember when was the last time. I was able to find backing for 3 quilt tops, fabric for 2 toddler dresses and another birdie sling purse from Amy Butler. I can't wait to get started.

Nutty Orange Coffee Cake

Nutty Orange Coffee Cake, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

So, I decided to celebrate the south today. Although I was born and raised in California, I love everything about the south. Mind you, I've never been there, but that hasn't stopped me from being completely enamored of all things southern. So, I made sweet tea and nutty orange coffee cake. The recipe for the coffee cake came from my Paula Deen cookbook. You fill buttermilk biscuits with cream cheese, dredge them through melted butter and a mixture of sugar and chopped pecans. You place them in a bundt pan and poor the rest of the butter and the sugar mixture over the biscuits. You then bake till gold and bubbly! You immediately turn the cake over onto a plate. Then you mix some orange juice and some powdered sugar to make a glaze. Let me tell you, this is a recipe I will be making again and again! Major YUM!

5 10 20 quilt top

5 10 20 quilt top, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

This is a recent finished quilt top of mine. My friend Robin Gallagher designed this new pattern. The material list calls for 5 one yard cuts, or 10 half yard cuts, or 20 fat quarters. The more fabrics you use, the scrappier the finished product. The top you see here is comprised of 10 half yards. I actually ordered the fabric, sight unseen, from a seller on www.etsy.com. I messaged the seller and requested 10 different Amy Butler fabrics and this is what I got. I rather do like the combo. I would have seriously obsessed about what to use and where if I had stood in a shop and picked them myself. I love scrappy quilts, but can never manage to just pick and sew. I always fuss and fuss over the layout. Putting the top together this way really helped me over come that problem. I actually have another top in the works using this same pattern, but with 20 different fat quarters. I will post that one just as soon as I get it put together.

Blog photo

Blog photo, originally uploaded by rkkilmer.

Having been the lucky receipient of a new ipad this part Friday, I decided to make my new gadget a kitchy little carrying case. I found this patten on www.modabakeshop.com
I used scraps from a recent quilt top that I had just completed. I really do love it. I lined it with soft felt, so it acts as a little claening cloth each time I pull my toy out to play.