Another one of my baby quilts has been featured in another treasury on Etsy!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c51e22e18676d918745fa23/new-hampshire?index=0

Lately, though, I have had a few different things to motivate me to get myself back in gear, update my blog, update my Etsy shop, and start sewing again. The first one was the fact that one of my baby quilts was recently featured in a treasury on Etsy. This was really out of the blue. I had kind of given up on my Etsy shop for a while, out of just getting bored with nothing ever selling, so I didn’t think anyone ever even visited my shop any more. So, not only having someone visit my site, and say they liked my quilt enough to feature it in their treasury, really got me to thinking that maybe people are still visiting my shop, so maybe I should start making more things to sell in it.

The second thing was the fact that one of my baby quilts that my step sister, Beckah, was selling in her store (Little Sweet Pea Boutique), sold. Finally. She’s had four of my baby quilts for sale in her store since like, April, I think. And one just finally sold the other night. So, that too has given me some motivation to get quilting again.

Another thing is that I really want and need to start saving some serious money, for a couple of different reasons. The first being that Corey and I are planning a cross country road trip for August or September, 2011. It’s going to require some serious cash flow and I really want to contribute to it, so we can make it happen. We’ve both always wanted to go on a road trip, cross country and Corey already has a map planned out with every place we want to stop to see and visit. I really, really want it to happen. It could be a lot of fun.

The other thing I need to save money for I can’t mention. It’s a secret. And I don’t want it ruined. ;P

So, in other news, it seems like the only time I ever update here is when I’m sick with Pneumonia. Last night I was reading the last posts I had made and they were all “I’m sick…” or “I’m still sick…” :/ And here I am again, sick. And on antibiotics, again. Christ! When does it ever end?

Tonight Corey and I went to JoAnn Fabric’s to pick me up some embroidering floss, so that I can finally finish some stuffed animals and cat toys that I had started months and months ago. I had run out of black floss then and just never got around to buying more, until today. While we were there I looked in their sale section and found a small rotary cutting machine for sale for $80. I showed it to Corey and all he did was ask “Will this help you?” and all I said was “Yeah, I think so!” and he bought it for me. This should help me cut my fabric. I am physically unable to use an actually rotary cutter, so I have to always either cut all my squares and strips by hand, with scissors or wait for someone else to have the time to cut it all for me. And that rarely ever happens, that’s why I haven’t made a quilt in such a long time. I have a ton of fabric (Corey thinks I have too much) too.

So, I’ll try that out tomorrow and I’m really hoping it works good and does what I need it to do. And if it does, I should be able to crank out a new quilt every few days. I shall let you know how it goes.

That’s all for now, I think. Please motivate me to keep updating more often! I need a lot of motivation or else I procrastinate and slack off! ;P

More another day…

<3 Love Jessica Always <3

I’ve also been dealing with other health issues too. I was having some blurry vision so I had to get glasses for reading and being on the computer. I’ve had a lump in my left breast since May. I was told then it was nothing to worry about. I had an ultrasound of it back in August and was told it was just a cyst. Since then another one has formed and they’ve both gotten quite big and painful. I had another ultrasound about two weeks ago and have to have them biopsied this coming Friday morning. Then I woke up a few days ago with a sore and slightly swollen right index finger that’s been driving me insane.

It seems like I can’t get one problem fixed before another one pops up. It’s taking it’s toll, that’s for sure.

Usually I sew to help take my mind off of things that are bothering me, but I just haven’t had the time or motivation to do so. It feels as though I spend all of my time either scheduling doctors appointments or at them. It’s no fun when pretty much the only time you leave your apartment is to go see another doctor.

That is all for now. Maybe I’ll write more later or tomorrow.

I’ll make another post this weekend, with probably the photos of the project I started  a couple of weeks ago for my grandparents anniversary later this month. I haven’t finished it yet. Kinda stumped at to what to do with it next.

I might venture out to Micheal’s craft store tomorrow evening with my boyfriend if I’m still feeling good. They’re having a sale until Wednesday and having ribbon priced at 5 spools for $1. I’m going to be using ribbon as the ties on my baby bibs. If they still have some by the time I get there, I’ll be able to get quite a bit ribbon for practically nothing! So, that’s good.

That’s all for now. Just wanted to say that I’m still alive.

In other news, one of my Aunts (Ants?) called me the other night to tell me about a surprise dinner/party she’s going to have at her house on the 21st of November to celebrate my Grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary. So, that has me thinking of making something for them. I am thinking maybe a pillow, a small wall hanging, a table runner, or something along those lines. Maybe doing some hand embroidering of hearts and/or flowers. Maybe putting a saying on there like “60 years of love”, “Happily ever after”, “All you need is love”, “Forever and always” etc. You get the idea. Or do you? Do you have any ideas or suggestions? I always need help making decisions. LOL! I was looking online earlier today to get some ideas/inspiration/motivation. I want to be able to do all or at least most of it by hand, since I’m still sick and have been needing to be in my bedroom, hooked up to my ventilator/oxygen so much lately. (For those that don’t know, I usually only use my vent and oxygen to sleep and/or lay down. When not sick, I am able to breathe fine without them both throughout the day, but when sick, I need to use them more often.)

My “craft room” is in our spare bedroom and there is no way for me to be in there, while using the vent, to use the sewing machine. I unhooked from my vent for a little while earlier tonight and went in my craft room for a few minutes. I wanted  to look through all of my fabric to pick out the fabrics and materials I’m thinking of using. I’ve had this round pillow form for like two years now that I’ve been wanting to make a cover for, but just haven’t yet. I could use that if I do in fact decide to make them a pillow. I don’t know if I do want to make a round pillow though. I’m thinking more along the lines of a heart shaped pillow or a stuffed heart decoration to hang on the wall, from their fire place mantel, a door knob or something. My boyfriend will be gone all day tomorrow (as he is most Saturday’s) to go to his RC (Remote Control Car) races, so this is most likely what I’ll be working on all day, while I am home alone and have nothing else to do.

Oh! I made my 6th sale on Etsy the other day. A guy from Canada bought the queen sized quilt that my mother had made for me to sell. He bought it for his fiancee. I have to ship that out within the next week. I got the box ready for it earlier tonight. Sort of. I need my boyfriend to buy some packing tape sometime this weekend. I’ll most likely get it all packed up this weekend and then ask either my boyfriend to bring it to the post office for me on his lunch break on Monday or ask my “cleaning lady” to take it there for me when she comes on Monday. She’s a “Personal Care Person” or “Aid”. I don’t know what they are called officially. She comes once a week to help me with things that I can’t do, like run errands, do the laundry, clean the bathroom or vaccuum.

More good news. I had applied for a grant from the Harry Gregg Foundation back in August to get money to help me purchase a portable, electric wheelchair and I found out the other day that I was approved for the money! I contacted the company(1-800-wheelchairs) that I am ordering the wheelchair from and they are going to send me an invoice. I then have to send the invoice to the people at the Harry Gregg Foundation and they will send the payment to 1-800-wheelchairs. Shortly after that I will have my very own portable wheelchair! Then I will be able to go out and not have to be pushed around in a manual wheelchair anymore! I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost four years now and I think we have only been out shopping and/or to dinner and such a handful of times without him needing to push me around everywhere! I can’t wait to have my independence back!

I think that is all for now. I wasn’t planning to make such a long post tonight, but look at me rambling on and on!

More another day! Take care!

Love Jessica Always.

I got a message on Etsy just now saying I was included in a treasury on Etsy. I’ve never been in anyone’s treasury before. This makes me happy.

Check it out here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=89229

There are some other really cute items included as well. I love that little bear that I made. He’s my favorite. He’s even cuter and fuzzier in person. That photo really doesn’t do him justice. I almost don’t want him to sell, just so I can keep him for myself, since he is one of a kind, made of just a little scrap piece of fabric that I was once given.

Anyways, I’m still sick and feeling like poo, but I just wanted to post about that, since it did make me feel a little bit better.

Hope everyone reading is healthy and warm!

So, last week we drove down to CT and we had such a great time. We stayed two nights at the MGM Grand Hotel, right there connected to the casino. Every single thing about the entire place was amazing. We had a suite on the 18th floor that was just absolutely beautiful!

A waterfall behind the check-in counter.

A water fountain in the lobby of the hotel.

Our bedroom area.

Our view.

The living area of our suite.

Living room.

Bathroom.

Jacuzzi tub.

We had dinner reservations both nights that we were there and the food was so good. Neither one of us had ever been to such a nice place or had food that tasted so great.

So, that’s what we were up to last week. And this week I’m sick, like I mentioned and don’t feel up to doing anything except sleeping and trying to get better.

I’ll post another update soon, that will hopefully be more positive, when I’m feeling better and motivated to get back to work on my baby bibs. I’m also thinking of a new quilt that I want to start soon. I’ll tell you more about that in my next post.

More another day.

Love Jessica Always

It seems like a really great thing and something that I want to be a part of. A way to find (”meet”) other quilters and bloggers and a way to get more people to my blog and Etsy shop.

The quilt I’ve decided to “enter” doesn’t really have a story that I can tell yet. I chose it, though, because it is the one baby/lap quilt that I’ve made so far that I am the most proud of.

Being a disabled quilter, in a wheelchair (I have Muscular Dystrophy), I am physically incapable of cutting fabric with a rotary cutter. I just simply don’t have a way to do it or enough strength to put the amount of pressure on it that it requires. Because of that fact, I have to have someone cut my fabric for me. Or do it myself by hand, with scissors. As all quilters know, using a rotary cutter makes cutting fabric much easier, faster, allows you to cut multiple layers at one time, cut a very straight, even line and have a nice, smooth edge after. Cutting by scissors is kind of difficult, takes a long time and doesn’t guarantee a clean, straight cut.

When I got the idea for this quilt, I decided I didn’t want to wait around for someone to cut my fabric for me. I was in a quilting mood and didn’t want it to pass me by. So far I don’t follow any patterns. My quilts have always started with an idea in my head, stemming from a fabric color and I draw the pattern or design out on paper with markers that I think will best showcase the fabrics. With this quilt, I had purchased some pre-cut, white squares with pink, purple and yellow polka dots off of eBay. It just so happened that I had some pink, purple and yellow fabric in my fabric collection that matched the polka dots perfectly. One day, while sitting in my bedroom watching TV, I cut more solid white squares and all the pink, purple and yellow strips. It was a lot of work and took me a while, but I did it myself and that was all that mattered to me. Some people don’t consider a quilt a quilt unless it’s “quilted” or has binding as a border. I know this quilt is kind of simple and plain compared to some more talented, experienced quilters work, but I like it. I don’t know how to do actual “quilting” and don’t have the machine for that.  I use ties with embroidering floss at each corner instead. I do love the quilted look and hope to learn how to do that some time in the near future.

Growing up disabled, I never liked having to depend on others for things. I have always prided myself on being independent and I try to do whatever I can with the least amount of help possible. I do realize though, that there are some things I just can’t do. But if I can, I will.

I love quilting and making things. I make baby and lap sized quilts, mainly because I can’t physically handle sewing anything larger than that. But I also love the thought of making things for babies.

Making quilts makes me realize that there is something in this world that I can do, and be good at. Just because you are disabled doesn’t mean you should let that keep you from doing what you love, even if it means you have to have a little help now and then. Just do what you can, try your best and be proud. While making this quilt, I was disappointed in my cutting job, was worried that the strips weren’t even, that it would make the sewing difficult and the corners not match up. I wanted to give up a couple of times, but I did the best I could and sewed very carefully and it came out fine! It’s now one of my favorites.

One day I hope that whoever either buys this quilt from me, or whoever I give or donate it to, will appreciate all the work and dedication that was put into this quilt and be grateful that it’s theirs. I’m sure they will create their very own story for it.

(Although, as other quilters probably know, it is difficult to choose one favorite out of all the quilts you’ve made. I fall in love with all of my quilts. Please check out my Etsy shop for more beautiful quilts and thank you for stopping by!)

My step sister, Ashley (www.fernanimals.etsy.com), had given me a bunch of baby fabrics last year and I fell in love them so much, I didn’t want to use them. Or waste them. So they’ve been sitting in my storage cabinet all this time. But since my quilts haven’t been selling, I didn’t want to use the fabrics on more quilts that won’t sell. I was thinking of other things to make and remembered the pattern for the bib.

Like I said, I started cutting the fabrics yesterday. And cut some more today. I was thinking of making them double sided, with a different fabric on each side, so it would be like having two bibs for the price of one. That way if the baby was to stain one side, you could just flip it around and use the other until it’s either worn out from washing, or stained too. I don’t have any children and don’t know anything about baby products but it seems like a good idea to me. At first I thought of using snaps for closure, but I don’t know how to apply those and was thinking ribbon would work better, so that it could be tied as tight or as loose as it needs to be. A snap and/or velcro would make it so it wouldn’t be adjustable at all. A coordinating ribbon will work, I think. I’ll try it and see and post photos of course along the way.

I also took new photos of my pot holders yesterday, on a little table by the window in my living room. Those will be to put them up for sale in my Etsy shop. I haven’t gotten around to uploading them onto my laptop yet though. I’ll do that sometime within the next few days. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon, so it most likely won’t be then. Probably Saturday, since I’ll be home alone all day while my boyfriend goes to his RC racing at the hobby store.

Well, I think that’s all I have to say for now. Just wanted to update everyone on what I’m working on right now. I got called “productive” by a fellow Etsy team member yesterday on Facebook. That made me laugh. I don’t feel productive very often. I think I’m lazy and wish I was way more motivated than I am!

Please leave me some comments  and  suggestions for the baby bibs or anything else you think I should make! Thanks!

More another day.

Love Jessica Always