Chocolat Progress

This is my friend Kellies "Chocolat" quilt. Its a BOM that we started a couple years ago. Where hers has churn dashes, mine has pinwheel blocks. We suspect the pattern was an EQ design from one of the people who worked at the shop we ordered it from. The directions and measuring leave ALOT to be desired. Consequently we have changed several things on the quilt from the original design. For her, thats not unusual - now for me? Well I just want to jump in and finish it, not think about it, just get it done. So I have put it away several times and restarted several months later. Usually after Kellie has figured out how to fix the problem we came up against. Thanks Kellie- your the best!!
Today I finished my pinwheel/churndash blocks. I really want to get it finished and use it on my bed. Decided to paint the bedroom one of the teal/blue-green colors in the quilt.
I had forgotten how much I love the fabrics. Both the feel and the colors! Can't wait to finish it!
Better get going Kel :)

Wings for Blogger

I read an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book. Its REALLY good, and plan on buying one of my own.
If you're an avid reader- you should check it out too! I highly recommend it!

Blocks corrected

My CrazyBet blocks are finally all corrected. Whew! Its taken all week, working on them for a couple hours a day.
The fusible bias tape maker was kind of a bust. The Clover fusible tape isn't easy to work with, and a bit too fragile. Instead I used small strips of the "steam a seam 2" and it worked much better, although it didn't fit in the little hole on the bias maker. So did the bias strips and then put the fusible on them. I'm just soooo glad I'm caught up on those blocks.

This week was Derek's last tennis matches - Wed and Thursday. They are ranked 1st in the region and Derek and his doubles partner have gone undefeated for the season. Regionals is on Saturday, I hope they do well.

Yesterday, Cindy Carroll, http://cjcarrollphotographs.blogspot.com/ did his senior pictures. The raw images are great! Can't wait to see what she does with them! The 2 older boys we took to a studio and they didn't catch the kids personalities- Cindy does such a great job of that! It was soo nice!

Contemplating focus

Saturday I went to Joannes to buy a fusible bias tape maker. I was in the quilting notions isle , looking all over the place, couldn't find it. Kept looking... then the iron caught my eye. I remembered in a review I read for the bias tape maker they said the mini iron worked well and was less cumbersome than a regular iron. So I thought about that iron, looked at the regular mini iron next to it. Went back and forth..." do I buy it? no... yes ... well the attachments would be fun with paper, fiber art stuff ..." justification . So I threw the mini iron in the cart. After all I did have a coupon :) Re focused I started again to look for the bias tape maker. "Where is that stupid thing? I know it should be right here ." Now I'm frustrated and murmuring quietly out loud. I start up and down the isle again. I find it , right where I had been standing all the time, not too far above the mini iron attachments. Actually much closer to my line of vision than the iron was! :/ UGH!
Sunday morning while doing my hair I thought about this experience. How many times do I do this and not notice. With things in my life I get frustrated and stressed . Is it because I'm focusing just a fraction of a horizontal row above or below where I should be? Is what I really want right there within my grasp and I can't see it because my head or heart isn't clear enough to see the "big picture"? Many times over the last year I have had to step back to be able to grasp the big picture and close in on what is really important... Sometimes life's learning curve is ssssooooo high it seems more like a mountain than a curve. It seems I to have to restart at the beginning of the curve a lot more than I'd like to :/

"Crazy Bet" BOM- Crazy Me!

"Crazy Bet"
Reproduction style quilts by Paula Barnes

I've been recieving this BOM (block of the month) for about 8 months. Kept up with it fairly well for the first 3 months or so and fell behind as other things came up. Well- the first rule of quilting or sewing is to read the pattern all the way through- Like read it so you understand not glance and assume you understand.
Who does that? Do you do that? I don't. I'm too impatient. Just show me pictures or the finished product and let me get on my way.
Anyway...I been working on getting caught up for the last few nights. All the blocks are caught up- or so I thought...silly me .
The handles on the blocks are appliqued on, I started looking through the pattern to find out when I do this. Well..humm..one really should read the directions all the way through ;/ I should have been doing it all along! So now I am making fusible bias strips for the handles. I'll need to either (A) turn the ends under and stitch them at the top of the baskets, or (B) I will need to rip out a small hole in the seam on each side of the top of the basket to slip the handle into. Then resew them. (A) seems easier time wise, however (B) will totally look better in the end. If I choose (A) I'll hate the way it looks and probably never finish the top of the quilt :(. Tonight I'll be working on (B) and growling the whole time at myself.
I know- nobody would know...But I'll know, and it would make me nuts... guess what I'll be doing tonight...and tomorrow...and...

Working on....

Well the house is caught up so been working on some BOM (block of the month). Have more than a few going and not caught up on many of them. ugh!
Caught up on Cabbage Rose, and Quilters Bee batik BOM... need to work on Crazy Bet baskets and Charleston Harbor.
Found this craft website/blog http://craftgossip.com its got some great fun stuff on it. I may have to try that card table tent for the grandkids... they like to play under the pool table and make tents.

Its a girl!

Monday I came home from Holbrook, after spending the weekend helping Alli and Kyle unpack. On the way stopped in Fountain Hills for Derek's tennis match. Lost singles, but won doubles. Yeah Derek! It's a yucky place to watch a tennis match :/. Chris called and said Kati had been to the Dr. and she could have the baby soon. Monday night I felt anxious so I decided I'd head up on Tuesday morning. When Kati & Chris have a baby I usually go up for several days ahead, Kati and I work on projects that she'd like to get done. Tuesday morning I got up early with Robert, cleaned the kitchen, did some laundry, shampooed the dogs, general pick up. Basic stuff you have to do when you have been out of town and left a couple guys on their own. Got in the shower, figured I'd finish packing, go get my nails done (I know- not necessary- but I love getting my nails done) and head to Tucson. Nope...that's not what Baby Girl Carbonneau had planned:) Chris called when I was almost ready to leave and said Kati's water broke... I knew I better head out cuz she "goes fast". No grass grows under that girls feet - not even when it's time to have a baby!

So off to Tucson I headed- part way there I realized that Kari -Kati's mom was a few miles behind me. We played tag on the way, dodging through the retarded trucks! Didn't they know we had a granddaughter to welcome into the world!? Got to the hospital with about 20 minutes to spare. It was so nice of the baby to wait for us :). We hadn't missed one yet, but we were afraid this was going to be it...

Brelee Kate was born at 11:21, 6 lb. 13 oz, 20 1/2 inches long.

She is adorable and the little boys love her! Well Nathan started to love her after she was home a couple days, and when he realized she wasn't going to leave :) Travis loves to play with her little hands, and Wes likes to kiss her head. it is soo precious to watch.

Brelee Kate Carbonneau * April 7, 2009 * 6 lb 13 oz * 20 1/2 inches long

Brelee and Kati came home from the hospital on Wednesday. Alli and Macy came from Holbrook to visit the newest addition to the family. We got some cute pictures of the little girls. Macy seems so big now! She is a tiny little thing , but not compared to a newborn. Every time Kati snapped the camera and the flash went off, Macy giggled! It was the cutest thing!

Brelee - 2 days old, Macy- 3 months old

Travis, Wesly, Nathan
Macy, Brelee

Kari had to head back to the valley, and Alli to Phoenix to help Kyle with his High School Choir music tour. Thursday when Chris got home from work I took Macy to my house and kept her till Saturday. It was so fun! She is such a good baby, sleeps great! Course what Grandma doesn't like to rock her sweet grand babies?
Saturday Alli came out to Buckeye to pick up Macy and I headed back to C&K's .
This morning was fun to see the little boys hunt for eggs that the Easter Bunny hid in the house. We watched a movie about the Resurrection, Grandpa & Derek came down after church for dinner. Steven and Meghan stopped by on their way home from Benson.

I am truly grateful to my Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ for the blessing of the Atonement. I have felt it work in my life- can't tell ya how it works...only that when my heartache feels like too much to bear, and after humble prayer, He does lift the burden and I feel relief. Relief that I know is only possible through the great blessing of the Atonement.
We have a wonderful family, with so much love. Each donating a different gift or talent to make us a perfect family unit. I can't imagine my life without any one of them, and look forward with excitement and anticipation to the additions that are yet to be made.

Beans, blessings and painting

Long-lots of pictures...one of these days Ill figure out how to make this thing cute and not haphazard :/ in the meantime..it is what it is, right?


Friday Meghan brought her pressure caner over, I borrowed one, and we wet canned pinto beans. It was fun. I love the feeling of accomplishment seeing the filled jars in the pantry :) Thanks Meghan for the lesson and encouragement!

Saturday Alli, Meghan and I headed to Marana for Katis baby girl shower. It was so nice! She got tons of adorable baby girl dresses. The food and punch was wonderful and her friends are as nice as they could be and so friendly!



Kati, Meghan, Me, Alli







All the married kids stayed the night Saturday night. We went to the Buckeye Pioneer Days Melodrama. Several of our friends were in it and were just hilarious! Wes and Trav sat and watched the whole time! Had to be pretty entertaining to keep the attention of a 3 and 4 year old!
Sunday was Miss Macys blessing. It was great to have all the kids at church together, interesting to get 11 people ready for 9am church though ...lol!. Kati made crepes for breakfast and they were fabulous!
How blessed we are to have such wonderful kids, and kids-by-marriage :) We love them all sooo much! Macy wore the dress that my Grandma Randall crocheted for Allisons blessing. I made the slip and crocheted a ruffle around the bottom (with a lot of instruction from my friend Monika, Thanks Monica! I owe you!) After church we came back to the house. Whitney, Tyler, Stormy and my parents came over also. Its great to see the fun they have together!








The whole lot of us










Mr Wes and Miss Macy






















Four generations
Grandma Bochat, Macy, Alli, Me in the back







Grandpa Bochat, Wes, Trav















Tyler, Whitney, Stormy, Zues, Macy, Kyle and Alli













Nater doing his favorite thing, stirring and playing with pots :)









It was a GREAT weekend! I LOVE having all my kids around :) It makes me happy.

Monday I headed to Alli and Kyles. They were suppose to move into their new house but the people who write loans for a living- well they screwed up. Hummm...interesting. Anyway. I called the real estate agent (Alli was chicken) to ask if we could paint and she called the seller. They said yes! Woo Hoo!! So we painted Tues, and Wed. Living room, Macys room and the bathroom. Macy was sooo good while we were painting (she is an excellent baby!) Can't wait to see the rooms with the furniture in them!


Alli painting the bathroom. It looks great! Promise!










Im home- need to clean my house- do laundry and all that fun stuff.