i get by with a little help from my friends.

my dear dear friend Ella is in the Heal circle with me.  i followed her on flickr as she made this beautiful, beautiful quilt.  i told her how perfect it was and how i thought she was a genius for using hope valley and how much i loved it.  i told her that her hand quilting was gorgeous!  i told her that if she ever were to tire of it that she could surely send it to me, i would give it a loving and safe and happy happy happy home.

 and that crafty little fox...
she did!
  i couldn't believe it.

i was so touched.  my heart broke open and i cried and cried.
the note that she included with the quilt said...
"sometimes quilts choose their owners and this one was destined to be yours."
my heart grew three sizes and i cried and cried.
it is gorgeous.

 ella honestly is one of the kindest most giving people i have ever met! and yes, i have met her in real life! (isn't she adorable)

and her gift to me, to help heal my heart, to help me feel loved and thought of was amazing beyond any words i am capable of.  i love you dearie!  smooches! 

♫What would you do if I sang out of tune,

Would you stand up and walk out on me.

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,

And I'll try not to sing out of key.

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends.♫

the day after christmas, spencer got sick, terribly sick.  throwing up all day sick. couldn't move out of bed sick.  it was bad.  the day after that... i got sick... super sick, ♫i got a fever of 103♫... couldn't get out of bed, body aches, skin hurt... sick... sick... sick!!!

and in the middle of feeling so sick i started feeling so sad.  this was the first time that i had been sick since my mom passed away.  it was hard not to be able to call her and have her tell me what to do and to chastise me for not going to the doctor with a fever that high.  i was still feeling sick when the doorbell rang the next night and the UPS man left me a big ol' box.
i was surprised. i had no idea what was happening
and when i opened the box and found this:

i fell on the floor and sobbed.
big huge sobs. racking my body sobs. kinda scared my kids sobs.
poor little H said... "mom you are ok?"

it was overwhelming to have so many of my dear friends make something so incredibly full of love for me. to help my heart heal.  it was also the perfect day for it to arrive.  after i had been so sick and missing my mom so much to have some of the most dear people to me send such an amazing gift was beyond my comprehension.  

and to look at the quilt and find their names written or stitched into the quilt has been so much fun and very touching.  it is like my own personal wheres waldo...

so to:

Melissa

Jessica

Jacey

Sara

Rhonda

Jules

Holly

Debbie

Jessica

Chawne

Ella

mere words cannot express how deeply my heart has been touched by your love and support of little, little me.  i love you all so much and wish i could give you all a huge hug and a big fat kiss on the lips!

xx

nicke

handmade for Newtown

have you seen the handmade for newtown auction???

my dear friend rachael of imagine gnats and kelly of casa crafty were so moved to help the poor community of Newtown Ct that they asked several of the crafty folks they knew to help also.  and handmade for newtown was born.

i made a little itty bitty 241 tote for the auction... it is seriously adorable!

what little girl wouldn't want an adorable purse with bunnies and teddies on it???

i used some pearl bracelets from lizzy house and the pink box dot from aneela.  the bunnies and the inside cherry stripe are a japanese print i picked up from the gathering place (one of my awesome lqs's)

it measures 7" from bottom to bag opening and 13.5" from bottom to the top of the strap.  the bag will arrive complete with lots of girly paraphernalia stuffed into it. 

so go on over...  

bid and help a very worthy cause.

and if you have a little girl in your life that needs an adorable purse... here is where you need to go.

 For each item sold, 100% of the price goes to the Newtown Parent Connection.  Bidding for this auction will be live through 10 pm EST on January 18.

if you want more info please read rachaels blog.  

http://imaginegnats.blogspot.com/2012/12/handmade-for-newtown.html.

new year... new toys...

i've been trying for a long time to decide on a new sewing machine.  the janome horizon is so highly coveted and with its amazing features it almost sucked me in.  

but i kept going back to the juki TL-2010Q.  

miss jen aka bettycrockerass has done amazing things with hers... as has amber, and amanda jean.  

but i wanted to give it a test drive first. luckily  there is a juki dealer a few hours away from me and over new years weekend, i was able to go. 

long story short....  i got the TL-98Q, which is the older model... it was being sold on consignment (aka half price) and they offered a 90 day guarantee.  

SOLD!  

i am very happy with it and as chris says... it eats thick seams for b-fast!  

also, i am super happy that i convinced my sister, with very little effort, to get one as well.  now we will be sewing machine twins, well kinda... she got the 2010Q.

i have a few reservations and i hope that it is just that it is a new machine for me and will be resolved as we get to know each other.  i had a terrible time trying to thread my aurifil thread in it.  the threaded needle wouldn't catch the bobbin thread and stitch through.  i'm still not sure what i was doing wrong.  i finally gave up and re-threaded it with some essential thread and it has been sewing like a dream.  it is so heavy duty and it really does just sew through thick seams like it is nothing.  i also hope to find a universal 1/4"piecing foot for it.  just have to search.

i have made two 241 bags with it already and i am very happy with how consistent the stitches are and how easy it seems to be to use it. 

this is for my sister in law jennifer

and this is for my sister candy.  

i hope to figure out the aurifil situation soon as i love the hell out of that thread! oh oh oh.... and the automatic thread cutter!!!!  i don't know how i ever lived without it.

one last thing....  i am also anxiously awaiting this....

i had a friend let me borrow her camera that was the older model of this one.  i loved it, it was very easy to use and i thought it took great pictures.  the shutter speed was very fast and the pictures always were very clear and needed very little editing.  i am really looking forward to having it.

so here's to a new year and to a few new toys and lots of good things to you all...

xx
nicke