And the bag goes to.....

COURTNEY!

My first quilt!

Previously on Katie's Korner...I won a stack of fabric on Anna Maria Horner's blog. (As you'll see, this was the most expensive giveaway I've ever won.) I finally decided to make my first quilt, after seeing a great tutorial on Diary of a Quilter. I made the quilt top. Then I was paralyzed by the fear of what to do next. I checked other blogs for tips and talked to my friend Rhonda, who confirmed that a lot of people take their finished quilt top to someone with a long-arm quilting machine, and she finishes it for you. YES! I was so glad to hear this. I dropped off my quilt about a month ago with a woman Rhonda recommended. Today, I picked up this.

{Now you must listen to me brag and look at too many pictures.}

I know, right!?!

Needless to say, I am in love.

Leah patiently endured many fabric consultations, and we finally decided on this blue Anna Maria Horner Cathedral fabric for the backing. I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

Ahh...so proud of how those seams line up. (They're not all that neat.)We chose this gold thread for the quilting. I love how on some squares it really blends in... ...and on others it really stands out.

I can see how people really get hooked on quilting. Such a sense of accomplishment! 

Up next: A quilt for my little boy's room using David Walker's robot fabric. I need to get to work!

Sneak Peek

My party planners (Steph and Leah) are coordinating a cowboy-themed birthday party for Luke (more on that later). I'm working on the favors for Luke's little friends.

I found a great tutorial to make a crayon roll on a new-to-me blog called Skip To My Lou.

Cindy's instructions make it super simple. (Cindy also was very helpful sorting out my interfacing confusion.)

I couldn't find enough crayons to fill up all of the slots, but you get the idea.

I used Katie Jump Rope bandanna fabric, and instead of ribbon I used pieces of leather to tie up the roll to give it a bit of a cowboy look.

I think these will be really handy to throw in the diaper bag when you're going out to eat or to the doctor's office.

We're going to print some cowboy-themed coloring pages from the internet and make little booklets for the kids. Should be cute! Stay tuned for the finished project.

Saving the Earth, one bag at a time / GIVEAWAY!

The Green Bag Lady has sewn and given away more than 5,600 reusable tote bags, just because she cares. (In fact, if you head over to her blog now, she has a giveaway going on until Saturday.) After I received my Green Bag Lady tote in the mail, I decided to try to make some of my own using her helpful pattern and YouTube how-to video. Here's my first attempt:I used Mexican oil cloth that I got on the cheap from the Etsy shop RR Mexico Supply. (On second look, I see that they offer the following: "If there is something you need or want from Mexico and we don't have it already in the shop, just send us a convo and we might be able to get it for you. We have contacts and friends in may parts of Mexico, so even if we cannot find what you want in our town we can get it from other places at an additional cost."

Hmm. Not sure that's on the up-and-up, but oh well!

Anyway, my first tote bag attempt is far from perfect, but it would be a good little shopping or library bag. I need more practice for sure, so I'm giving away this one away to someone who can overlook its imperfections. Just leave a comment on this post, and I'll pick a new home for the tote bag on Friday night.

Sleepless Sundays

I never sleep well on Sunday nights. Maybe it's because I'm obsessing about the coming workweek. Maybe it's due to my Sunday tradition of a nap + a large Diet Coke from Sonic. Regardless. Last night my sleeplessness was compounded by two factors.

Factor 1: Foghorn toilet. That's right, foghorn toilet, people. As we were drifting off to sleep, we kept hearing a loud, high-pitched sound coming from an undetermined location. Baby monitor? Nope. Humidifier? Nope. Finally we pinpointed the bathroom as the source of the sound. After some time consulting Google, we diagnosed the problem as foghorn toilet (something about air getting in the pipes and pressure building). So Justin turned off the water and drained the water from the tank (as Google instructed). Problem solved. Seriously.

Factor 2: True Blood. Man, I love this show, but it gives me some messed-up dreams. Last night every time I closed my eyes I saw poor Lafayette chained up in the basement of Fantasia. {Spoiler alert!} Did he seriously dig an artificial hip out of that dismembered leg? Shudder. He's going to make an awesome vampire, don't you think?

It's going to be a looooooooong day.

Don't forget: Eli Stone returns tonight!

Final four episodes, starting tonight.

Hooked

It's official. I'm hooked on Burn Notice. We're halfway through the season 1 DVDs. (Season 3 is currently airing on USA.) Michael Westen (played by Jeffrey Donovan) is a secret operative who has been kicked out of the CIA (he doesn't know why) and relocated to Miami. He has a bit of a Jason Bourne thing going on, but Michael's meddling mother and ca-RAY-zee ex-girlfriend add a lot of comedy to the show. He works odd private investigator jobs while trying to figure out why he got kicked out of the CIA.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Jeffrey Donovan is rather easy on the eyes.

Cupcake slipcover

Do you have one of these unsightly tomato pincushions?

Give it a face-lift with a cupcake slipcover!
(Pattern here.)

You're starting to think I'm weird, aren't you?

Watch it: Up

We finally went to see Up. It's a sweet movie, although the premise is a little sad. My favorite: Dug the talking dog.

(Yes, we took Luke. Feel free to think we're crazy. He did okay. He definitely got restless at times, but he was pretty much happy as long as he could hold the popcorn.)

Add this to your summer reading list

If you're looking for an entertaining book to read this summer, pick up a copy of David Cristofano's The Girl She Used To Be. The synopsis:

When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family. She's been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others--everyone but the one person she longs to be: herself. So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in another town, she's stunned when a man confronts her and calls her by her real name. Jonathan Bovaro, the mafioso sent to hunt her down, knows her, the real her, and it's a dangerous thrill that Melody can't resist. He's insistent that she's just a pawn in the government's war against the Bovaro family. But can she trust her life and her identity to this vicious stranger whose acts of violence are legendary?

I found Cristofano's writing to be a little corny at times (I think it's because the author is a man but the narrator is a woman...) but it's a fast-paced and compelling story that provides some insight into the always-interesting worlds of the mafia and the witness protection program.

Thanks for letting me borrow it, Marilyn!

Meet Chickummyjig!

I made this little guy from the Chickummyjig pattern on the blog Myrtle & Eunice. I think he's pretty cute!
I'm kind of impressed by my hand-stitching around the eyes.

Click here for the free pattern.

Luke is fond of him.

Side note: He always does this thing with his fingers when we're talking about birds or chickens. It must be the sign for something...

Mama's new ride

Today we said "ta-ta" to the Titan...

And "hello" to my new car, a 2009 Dodge Challenger (with a Hemi, natch).


Kidding, Kidding.


Really, I got this lovely new-to-me 2005 Altima.
Sure, it's not as badass as the Titan (or the Challenger, of course), but the gas mileage sure is better! Plus, it has heated leather seats, which will be nice for about four days in Alabama. And just think of all the places I'll be able to park!

She needs a name, no?

Pink bathroom makeover

Have I mentioned my pink bathroom? The previous owners of my house obviously loved pink. The sink, tub, toilet, cabinets, and tile are all a lovely shade of rose, accented by classy Donald Trump-gold fixtures and hardware. Oh, the humanity. Some day we'll redo the bathroom, but we're going to have to gut it and start over. That's not in the budget right now, so instead we went for a quick weekend makeover. (By "we," I mean my dad and Justin. Emphasis on the dad.)

Cabinets before.

Cabinets after: new hardware and espresso paint.

Yes, the sink is still pink, but I find it more palatable with the brown cabinets.

Before: Oh, did I forget to mention that the walls were painted a lavender/blue color? There was at one time a floral border above the tile, but we took that down when we moved in.

After: The walls got a coat of Powell Buff. It looks yellow here, but it's really more of a khaki. We got a 5-gallon bucket of this Benjamin Moore paint when we moved in two years ago, and we've now used it in the bathroom, living room, hall, and sunroom.

I'm very excited about this print that will go in the wall pictured above. (From Etsy, of course.)

A little bit of paint makes a big difference here!

Color me skeptical

I'm generally in favor of all things M&M, but Strawberried-Peanut Butter M&Ms? I guess I'll have to try them to be sure...

Summer's hottest accessory

When I first saw commercials for this Off Clip-On, I mocked it. But the more time I spend outside, the more I think I'd like to have it on my person at all times. Would you make fun of me?

Birthday suit

I have decided that Luke needs this Kapow! Shirt (or at least he will in 52 days...). It seems to suit his personality. Lucky for me, the fine folks at The Silly Wagon are giving one away! (If I don't win, I'm buying it anyway.) Enter here before June 9 if you'd like a chance to win. They have shirts with numbers 1 to 5, and lots of other cute kids' stuff too.

Fabric = love

I've developed a full-blown fabric obsession. My latest aquisition: David Walker robot fabric to make a quilt for Luke's big-boy bed. I think it's really cute but still boyish. I can't wait to get started. Don't worry, I'll be sure to bore you with the progress.

I've fallen in love with the quilts on this blog: Film in the Fridge. Seriously, if you look at her quilts and don't immediately want to start sewing (or at least buy a quilt), there may be something wrong with you. Please look at this quilt. It is INsane. Maybe someday I'll make something with a fraction of the awesomeness...

Don't forget: Man vs. Wild with Will Ferrell tomorrow

Tuesday on Discovery