Grammy

I finished up the gift quilt I've been working on (which I'll blog about next week, after it's been given - don't want to ruin the surprise!), I had to start packing for our impending vacation...you know, because I actually had something to pack!

In doing so, I found these: reasons why I'm hoping sewing (or crafting in general) is a genetically passed on trait. My grandmother made this sweater:

Which unfortunately doesn't fit me - sleeves are too short, and the neckline is a bit...um, unattractive, as well as uncomfortable, because it's just a straight line. But Grammy made it, so I'll keep it, of course!

I also have these two afghans:

I don't keep them out right now, as I don't entirely trust my cats not to have a good time with them (read: claw them to bits, as Molly is wont to do)...but they're delightful, I think, nonetheless. :)

Unfortunately, Grammy passed away in 2001, long before I took up quilting or sewing or any such things. She tried to teach me to crochet when I was 7 or 8, but I wasn't interested. She also taught me counted cross-stitch, but that didn't show results fast enough for my pre-teen self.

Do you have crafters in your family who inspired you to get involved with sewing or other such endeavors?

Request - help!

Can someone point me in the right direction for a tutorial on properly squaring up a quilt? The process makes me REALLY nervous - I put all this work into this thing, and now I have to do what? Cut some off!? Yikes!

I'm working on some quilts with more intricate designs - half square triangles, hexagons (hey, I'm a beginner) and don't want to screw up more than necessary along the way. I know I've made the mistake of not squaring up all the HSTs before sewing them into rows...but I've learned the error of my ways...and figure I should probably square up the rows themselves before sewing them all together, right?

Thank you, and have a great weekend!

Hooray for me!

Nothing like a self-indulgent title like that, huh? I think I deserve it, though - my boss told me today that I'm getting a $500 merit bonus based on work I've done to increase our customer retention numbers! The email he sent out about it makes it look like I might have the chance to earn this much extra every month - but even if I don't, that's a HUGE complement from him, considering I've NEVER gotten a bonus that big before!

The last bonus I got was last summer, when I got $300 - I managed to acquire $1,000 in old school tractor-feed paper for free, so my boss gave me some of the savings. Woot.

Anyway...what to do with it!? I know I *should* save it, or put it towards the house - we have two more bedrooms and a bathroom to work on, and those are expensive projects...

But the other part of me wants to buy a bigger one of these:

(self-healing rotary cutting mat, Gingher, $69.99 from Joann)

or maybe a bunch of pretty fabrics.... or maybe even one of these:

 

 

I have no idea what I'd DO with an iPad...but they're neat looking. LOL. 

What do you do to spoil yourself when you come into a bonus like this???

Ten on Tuesday - vacation style!

 

I'm leaving for vacation in less than 10 days, so my 10-on-Tuesday will be all about that! 

10 Things I'm Looking Forward to Whilst on Vacation

1. The Smithsonian Institute National Museum of Natural History! My husband and I are huge science nerds - he's getting a Master's in biology while on his way to pursuing a forensic anthropology career, and I married him, so that explains me. ;) The Smithsonian's got a Human Origins exhibit going on right now, and we're really excited to see the casts of the different species that led to us! This is in addition to the amazing ocean exhibit and the dinosaurs that were there when we went last time. 

2. Getting time off work! It's been since our honeymoon two years ago since I got to take more than four days off in a row - this time I'll get, um, six. Hooray! :)

3. More museums! Going along with number 1, we're also heading to the Mutter Museum (warning: website not for the faint of heart!). It's a museum of medical history and oddities, including more skeletons and specimens and all kinds of things like these skulls: 

4. Visiting with my favorite aunt, who lives in Delaware. We chat via email all the time, complaining about all the usual things - work, husbands, family, etc. The best part? She's a crafter/sewist, too! Her fabric stash is huge - she's instructed me to bring an extra suitcase to fill with fabric so I can make more lovely jelly roll quilts (she's a big fan of the ones that I've made/started so far). Can't wait!

5. Going to my cousin's wedding. My cousin's fiance was finally able to get a visa to move to the US from Mexico, so they're finally able to be together! They were originally planning to get married back in April, but as with all things bureaucratic, it took longer than expected. It's probably for the best, though, since she's a teacher and will get to have a week or two off after being married to stay home and enjoy that! If you're interested in donating to a very worthy cause, check out her DonorsChoose.org page. :)

(Phew, 10 is harder than I expected, and I'm writing quite the novel! Oops!)

6. Food! There are a bunch of east-coast places I don't get out here in California, like Rita's Italian Ice, that I'm looking forward to!!

7. Podcast love! I have a TON - literally like, six months' worth, if I listened to them all day, every day - of podcasts on my iPod that I have to catch up on. Old episodes of Loveline (mmm, Dr. Drew!), lots of Adam Carolla, and all kinds of other things. Plane flights = iPod time, at least for me!

8. Not having to cook or drive: Not that I really cook, um, ever, and I don't drive much at all, either, but since we'll be staying with my parents and won't be renting a car, I won't have to worry about either task!

9. Not listening to talk radio: While yes, I will be listening to my own pod casts, as mentioned up there in number 7, I don't have to listen to any of hubby's talk radio - which means a break from Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern. I don't mind TOO much, but a break will still be nice. :)

10: Have I mentioned not being at work? I did? Oh. Well. It's important enough that it deserves two numbers!!! :)

Wow! Hi Everyone!

Wow, the Small Blog Link-Up sure has been great - I've almost  officially doubled my followers in only a few days!

I'm thinking a giveaway at 50 followers and another at 100 - sound good to you guys? I'm sure it does!

So here's the question - what sort of fabric do YOU want to see as a prize? Scraps from my (admittedly meager) stash? Gift card someplace? Some fancy charm pack or jelly roll?

Tell me!

Small Blog Link Up

Hi everyone! I'm joining up with Lily's Quilts for the Small New Blog Meet Up! I've increased my following by one this week to 12, so I still definitely qualify!

My blog name, Hope Sewing is Genetic, comes from my beloved grandmother's gift for sewing. She was able to do any craft possible, it seemed, from quilting to crochet to counted cross stitch; her gift for creating extended into her lovely gardens, too. 

(still unfinished quilt for our bedroom)

I started quilting in November of last year, when I purchased a cheeeeeap Singer machine during Target's Black Friday sale. I was getting out of playing World of Warcraft and looking for a new hobby to replace it. I figured, "Well, Grammy was good at sewing, and I certainly spent enough time at her house growing up, so some of it had to have sunk in...right??"

Things have gone well so far - I have sewn several projects for around our house and a bunch of skirts for my good friend's daughter. I've already moved on to Bertha, my Brother CS6000i, who I am very much in love with (just don't tell my husband!).

I finished my first quilt this weekend, in fact: a jelly roll race quilt, in lovely shades of pink and purple and white, for a coworker whose girlfriend is expecting their first daughter any day now!

(My first finish, hooray!)

Other than quilting and sewing projects, you'll find some book reviews/comments, updates on the status of our various home improvement projects, and darling pictures of my kittens!

(This is Molly, our acro-cat!)

Thanks for visiting, and I look forward to following you back! :D

July to-do list recap

Reading:
-Finish 7 books - mostly things that are wished for on Paperback Swap: I didn't do as well as planned, but started off strong. For whatever reason, I can't seem to get myself to finish the Martin book - perhaps I'm subconsciously trying to ration it!?
     -Book 5 of George RR Martin series, as soon as it comes!!
     -All the Names, by Jose Saramago (recommended by Allison)
     -A Country of Strangers: Blacks and Whites in America, by David K. Shipler
     -The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes: And Other Surprising True Stories of Zoo Vets and Their Patients (I'm finally going to finish it, honest!)
     -Gracefully Insane: Life and Death Inside America's Premier Mental Hospital, by Alex Beam
     -If You Can Read This: The Philosophy of Bumper Stickers, by Jack Bowen
     -Born to Buy, by Juliet B. Schor
     -Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages, by Ammon Shea 
     -Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity, by Kerry Cohen




Sewing: - Made huge progress, though on projects I added to the to-do list mid-month. I finished my first quilt this month, and gifting it felt SO good. :)
-Start gift quilt number FIVE. OMG. (fabrics picked - design picked - fabric cut (started 6/28) - strip made - strip sewn into top - backing pieced together - wash fabrics - quilt together - bind  - rewash - ship)
-Work on gift quilt number SIX. OMG x2: (fabrics picked - design picked - fabric cut - strip made - strip sewn into top - baste - quilt (in progress 7/20) - wash - wrap - give!)
-Work on quilting hexagon quilt.
-Finish sewing rows for halfsquare quilt.
-Find more fabric for boys: bought apple for back of T, bought striped flannel for ??
-Finish PJ shorts
-Finish shower curtain
-Make skirt for wedding!

Working: I did great! I have planned times now to do his work (Tuesday evenings, when I know he's out, and again on Thursday nights, if need be). Go me!
-Keep up with binders for Dan - no more than three day turn-around: Why am I such a failure at this? Oh yeah, because I barely get enough pay to justify bringing his crap home. - doing better! note to self: continue doing this on Tuesdays, when I know he won't be at his computer in the evening.

Gardening: Didn't make much progress in the yard, but I did keep up with weeding/watering.
-Keep up with weeding and watering!
-Weed back garden - attempt not to make fence fall over in the process
-Get Jeff to dig out front mimosa tree, side mimosa tree, thing next to garage, weird thing along back fence
-Give agave and cactus plants away on Freecycle - he's come and dug out three of the six agaves so far, hooray. Supposedly will be back.

Home Improving: The bathroom project didn't get finished, but a LOT of progress was made, considering how dang hot it's been.
-Bathroom remodel:
     -Have Mark complete work as outlined below:
     -Have Mark install outside light
     -Repair area of wall that was opened to do Mark's work with scrap drywall
     -Have Mark install light switches, outlet
     -Repair window area in wall
     -Install light fixture over sink.
     -Install new door
     -Get rid of shitty looking texture in room (sand)
     -Joint compound- window wall, washer wall
     -Prime, paint walls
     -Buy baseboard, paint, cut, install
     -Come up with some sort of solution for area under the sink
-Get frames, hang up diplomas