12/31/2013

Top 10 Posts in 2013



2013 was a slower year for readers, but definitely not for me.  As I reduced my posts, traffic stayed strong throughout the year.  You may be wondering why the reduction in posts this year, but back in January of 2013, I committed myself to my motto, "Quality over Quantity."  And I did just that throughout the year.  I'm thankful for my motto and my ability to stick with it, and I will definitely use it to carry me through 2014.

A few highlights this year for me.


  • A 4 month summer long vacation in San Diego, California while my husband interned at Qualcomm.
  • Checked seeing Garth Brooks live in concert off my bucket list.
  • Got to see The Postal Service in concert.
  • I competed in Creating with Stars hosted by East Coast Creative.
  • Met and chatted with Candice Olson.
  • Several opportunities to work with larger companies in the 2013 and the 2014 year.
  • I was published in two magazines - Homespun + kleinformat
  • Matt, his poor 34 year old soul with a family, finally graduated with his electrical engineering degree. (still working on that master's though)
  • A few shout outs on larger blogs like Young House Love, Apartment Therapy, Craft Gossip, and U Create.
  • Created and sold my very first sewing pattern, Wonky Triangles.
  • This was my first year of real quilting.
  • I opened up publicly about my past.



Let's take a look at the top 10 posts of this year, excluding giveaways, which has a nice mixture of home decor and sewing.

#10

The day I said screw it and went all black.



#9

The popular Let's Get Acquainted! Blog Hop.  A nice, quick read for anyone new to this blog and enjoys sewing.


#8

Get your hex on with this clock.


#7

The Triple Zip Pouch




#6

Flying Geese Mini Quilt.  Still one of my favorite finishes.






















#5


25+ Sharpie Projects || Roundup



#4

A bedroom makeover for a family adopting.



#3
I may have tricked a few of you with  "A new addition to the family."



#2

DIY Illuminated Sign




#1

$5 wall treatment  With the use of a projector, the internet, and a Sharpie, this could be yours too.



I hope your year was awesome.  If not, you're human.  It's easy to focus on the could of, should of, would of's in your life, but now is the time to move forward and not look back.  There's probably a lot I would have changed or done differently, but that is what makes human life so interesting.  We change.

Cheers to a new year with 365 days of possibilities!

xx nancy



Find me elsewhere: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Etsy, and Bloglovin'.

12/30/2013

A Mini for Art Gallery Fabrics

I hope you all had a great holiday and were able to spend time with family or loved ones.  My Christmas was wonderful, and I am excited to share with you what my husband made for me.  But I will save that for another day.  Here is a mini quilt I worked on the last few weeks.

Original design and made by me, owen's olivia.













I had some fabric left over from the Minimalista quilt I had made the other week, so this mini was a thank you gift to Art Gallery Fabrics.  I am always amazed at the generosity of companies here in the US, and I hope that is something that never fades.

Mini info:
Used White Linen and Minimalista fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics.  (Solids were scraps.)
Cotton batting
Aurifil Mako 28 wt in 2024* for the quilting
Forgot to check the size but I'm guessing 34" x 18-20"



This was my first time pebble quilting, and I really enjoyed it!  I was not aware the dense quilting would pull the fabric in the center, which caused the mini to look wavy.  With the help of Instagram friends, I was able to block the mini to get it to lie flat.  I was surprised at how easy blocking is.  Blocking and ironing the mini did cause the fabric to shrink a little and flatten the whole thing out, which is visible around the quilting.  Just a little fyi to anyone who may try blocking in the future.  It was extremely helpful though!



*My Bernina 550QE does not handle the very popular Aurifil 50 wt (orange spool) well, and I have heard from other Bernina users that the 50 wt is too thin for their Berninas too.  I switched over to the 28 wt, and I no longer experience thread breaks or tension issues while using their thicker thread.  This comes on the gray spool.  The 28 wt also shows up better for quilting, so it's a win win.

Have a great day!

xx nancy


12/18/2013

New Read || SCOUT by Lisa Tile || DIY and Crafting Digital Magazine







I have been following Lisa Tilse of the red thread blog for quite a while now.  She is a huge inspiration to me, and I just absolutely love her work.  I think you will too.  I am anxiously awaiting for my copy, and I just know that I will love every page and project.  At $10 for a copy and 146 pages of work (all ad free), I know this is a bargain!!  Click here to get your copy today.

12/16/2013

Recovery + Three Lessons That Helped Me Understand My Self Worth

Photo credit via


*I try not to talk about anything pertaining to religion on this blog, but the story of my life is a religious one.  

Every once in a while my heart will pound.  If you are a member of the church and have ever experienced a testimony meeting, you may understand this feeling I am speaking of.  It's not pounding because I just worked out or pounding from anxiety or nervousness.  It's pounding because the Spirit is telling me, "Speak up."

To publicly talk about this is a bit scary, more out of human fear of what others will think of me, but I trust in the Lord that there is a reason.   That there must be someone out there who can relate or who will gain a better understanding of whatever it is they need to know.

Over these last few months, I have been blessed beyond measure.  I feel that I am generally blessed with good things like health, family, friends, comfort, and talents.  But this blog has opened a few doors that I never knew would open, and so today I am feeling grateful for that.

These opportunities, among other things, have made me reflect about my life, and it really has made me question, "Why?"  I pose this question to the Lord more than to those close and dear to me, and I am constantly amazed by the Lord's outpouring of love for me.

To understand the lessons I have learned and why I ask "Why??" to myself and to the Lord, you must first understand what happened in my earlier years.  My past is a dark one filled with many dark moments, depression, and thoughts of suicide.  I tear up as I type that because those words remind me of those moments when I felt so lost in the world, so alone, and so worthless.  My mother passed away when I was 15, and that was the turning point in my life.  She was not the true cause of my despair, but it definitely was the push that sent me rolling down a hill.  Soon after her passing, I began to experiment with cigarettes and alcohol.  Then I started to smoke marijuana.  By the time I graduated high school, I was smoking weed weekly, if not daily, and drinking any chance I got.  After leaving my hometown, I started to experiment more with harder drugs like hallucingens and cocaine.  This lead me to mischief and small crime.  My life really started to spiral downhill, and one night when I had hit the lowest point in my life, I found myself curled up sobbing in my bedroom.  I was ready to end it.  I seriously felt like Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail.  I felt there was no hope for me, and I had no hope in the world or in the people around me.  I pleaded fervently, yet silently, for someone to hear me.  For someone to pull me out of this heavy blanket of depression, dishonesty, and drug abuse that I was tucked under.  To this day, I still do not what happened in that moment in the bedroom other than there was an awakening of my soul.  I realized something needed to change, and it needed to change NOW.  By the time I turned 21, I cleaned up.  I started to go to church, and guess what?  Life became good.  Life was still not perfect.  I relapsed a few times, but they were quick, and I found myself getting back on track.  I got rid of my old "friends" and got new ones who shared good morals and values.  It was really difficult to be in a new place and make new friends.  It was tough, but I did it.

In retrospect, I firmly believe the Lord helped me get out of that dark pit I was in.  He was there casting his flashlight on me when I only thought it was the sun.  I know He could see my potential, and He did not want to see me suffer any more.  I cannot express the following enough.  I SHOULD be in jail or in the grave right now.  I am SO serious when I say that, and that is why I am ever so grateful today for the current state I am in and question the Lord, "Why??"

1.  The atonement is real.

I am a walking testimony that the atonement is real.  I have seen the power of it in my own life.  I know this post will shock many (Hi Dad! I love you!) because, if you have ever met me, you would never think in a million years I did those things.  People can be forgiven.  The atonement can CHANGE people.  The atonement is for EVERYONE and EVERYTHING.  It's not limited to race or sex, age or religion, sin or sorrow.  The atonement can be used for all sorts of things.  It is there for any pain or affliction.  It is there for real world problems in life.  It heals any heart broken by sorrow.  It heals, so people can move forward in their lives.  There is hope, peace, and happiness, which can only be found in the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  And I am not talking about the superficial, instant gratification kind of peace or happiness, but the kind that calms your soul for a long time.

2.  I am loved.

I know I broke my Heavenly Father's heart, and I contributed to a lot of the blood that the Savior shed that day in Gethsemane.  But I also know that I have been forgiven, and they have an unconditional love for me.  When I look back at certain moments in my life when I chose to do wrong, I know there were heavenly angels watching over me.  I don't say this as to go out, do bad things, and you will be watched over and cared for.   I'm just saying there must be a reason why I am still on this Earth.  Maybe I have completed that mission by bringing Owen into the world.  Who knows, but what I do know is that I am loved.  It is manifested daily in my life.  I caught a glimpse of this love by having my own child.  I will unconditionally love that boy even if he hits or kicks me or says he hates me or is an ungrateful brat.  I will still love him, and I will do everything in my power to keep him.  I know my Heavenly Father loves me the same way.

3.  Heavenly Father wants me to be happy.

I wasn't brought into this world to be unhappy.  Yes, there will be moments of pain and suffering, but that is the process of life.  Just as I want Owen to be happy and to experience all that life has to offer, my Father in heaven wants the same for me.  I witness this in my life when little things, like the doors that have been opened through blogging, happen in my life.  I'm sure He is looking down at me responding to my question, "Because I want you to be happy."

I am eternally grateful for this second chance at life I have been given.  I'm still learning to forgive myself, which is part of the atonement process, and maybe this is my way of helping to let a chunk of it go for good.  Even though this post will be around and my poor decisions will now be publicly known on the internet, this may be my way of shutting that door and throwing the key away.  Yes, I have made some terrible choices, but hopefully, my bad choices can help prevent someone else's.  And this can be applicable to anything in life, not just drugs and alcohol.  ANYONE can change, and everyone has the POWER to change.

I can go ahead and say right now that making poor choices will not get you the grand opportunities your heart desires, so please do not think, "Well Nancy did x,y, and z, and look how great she turned out!"  I have suffered and paid for my consequences, and on occasion, I am reminded of my poor choices.   If you could take a glimpse into my brain, you would understand the mental torment and hell my body has experienced, and it would easily persuade you to never go down the path I did.  There are still some real consequences I suffer from like short bouts of depression (I'm not on any meds.) and short and long term memory loss, but I am healthy and alive!!  I know that one day I will be made whole again, and my brain will be restored back to its natural, healthy state.   It was so easy to belittle myself as soon as my memory reminded me of the mistakes I've made, and sometimes, it still happens.  I'm human.  But once I understood those three things - the atonement, His love, and my happiness - I was able to move on.  Maybe not completely or all at once, but I am able to take bigger steps, no leaps, to forgiving myself and allowing myself to live the grand life I deserve.  I still may question why at times, but I quickly remind myself why.  And in the end, I am always amazed.


Matt and I // 2007 

xx nancy

If you think you know someone who might benefit from this post, please feel free to share this post.




12/10/2013

Textured Gift Wrap || C.R.A.F.T.





Today I am over at C.R.A.F.T. sharing a tutorial on my textured gift wrap for her Wrap It Up series.  I like to keep things simple, especially during this hectic time of shopping and preparing.  I generally do not use the typical Christmas color combinations of green and red, but you can easily change this to fit your taste.   There are also other tutorials for this series, which you can find in this post.

So are you done shopping for the holidays?  Do you wait last minute?

xx nancy

12/03/2013

Minimalista Quilt + Giveaways from Art Gallery Fabrics

**This giveaway is now closed**

You may remember this Instagram I posted two weeks ago.  Well, my Minimalista quilt is finally finished.  (Anyone interested in naming this for me, since I am not particularly fond of naming quilts.)




















Find Art Gallery Fabrics' Minimalista at these fine retailers:

Bobbie Lou's Fabric Factory
Stash Modern Fabric
Fat Quarter Shop


Quilt info:

66" x 77"
The petals are outlined in White Linen.  Background color is Mystic Grey.  Accents inside of petals are Moonstone, except for one, which features Script Noir.  The quilt back is Flora in Turquoise and is hand bound in Squared Elements in Shadow.  All fabrics are Art Gallery Fabrics.  I used Aurifil's Silver Gray #4060, which is variegated and 28 wt, for the quilting.  Quilter's Dream cotton batting.





xx nancy

Find me elsewhere: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Bloglovin'


My quilting book released Sept. 24, 2015 and is on Amazon.  Check it out!





12/02/2013

Etsy Find || Pigeon Toe


I stumbled upon Pigeon Toe this past Black Friday and was immediately drawn to its clean aesthetic.  I love the simplicity of their white ceramics yet striking designs.  There is something calming and peaceful about this shop, and I can already imagine where some of their pieces would go in my home.   Maybe we can convince them to make faceted drawer pulls too?  Pigeon Toe was a featured Etsy seller back in 2010, which you can read more about their shop.  All their products are made in Portland, Oregon.

All images belong to Pigeon Toe.

Stalactite Garland via Pigeon Toe


Faceted Hanging Tray via Pigeon Toe


Square Handle Basket from Pigeon Toe

Faceted Magnets via Pigeon Toe
Large Disc Chimes via Pigeon Toe


Utility Spoon Rest via Pigeon Toe
Split Fringe Necklace via Pigeon Toe

xx nancy

11/28/2013

A few Black Friday Sales

Happy Thanksgiving!  For those of you living outside of the States, now may be a good time to take advantage of a good deal!  If you buy too much fabric this weekend, it ain't my fault.  (I'm already trying to figure out how to hide the fabric that's heading my way.) And let's pray no one dies in a Wal-Mart this year.  Enjoy your holiday and the sales and be safe!



  • Friday, Nov. 29th  Maze and Vale will further mark down Misprints and will carry some Sample Packs, which sell out very quickly.

  • Stash Modern Fabrics has 20% off all bundles, including you pick your own fabrics bundles.  No coupon code necessary.  Free shipping on orders over $50 with code SHIPFREE50.

  • Tactile Fabrics has 20% off bundles, yardage, and pre-cuts.  Save an extra 15% with coupon code CYBER2013, which is good Friday, Nov 29th - Monday, Dec. 3rd.    

  • Poppyseed Fabrics is offering 20% off everything in the shop thru Monday, Nov. 29th at midnight. Minimum purchase is $15.  Use coupon code HOLIDAY20


Also, there are a few spots left in the Anna Maria Horner Dowry Charm Swap, if you are interested.

xx nancy

11/25/2013

AMH Charm Swap - DETAILS + SIGN UP




Last week, I announced the idea of an Anna Maria Horner  Dowry Charm Swap, so let's do this!!

Here are the details.  Please READ carefully, as you agree to the rules when signing up.

I hope you will join us!



What are we swapping?

One yard of (56) 5" x 5" charm squares, which will include all 24 prints of AMH's Dowry plus four additional AMH True Colors Collection prints.  You are ONLY responsible for Dowry.  To make things easy, I have assigned True Colors to two ladies who have already agreed to ordering, so please do not buy True Colors for this swap.

via Marmalade Fabrics
Charm swaps are a great way to get an entire collection without spending a fortune.

via Marmalade Fabrics

via Marmalade Fabrics



Rules:

  • There are 24 spots available.  Each person can take a maximum of two spots.  The swap will not start until all 24 spots are taken, so please help spread the word!
  • Due to time and shipping, this will be a US only swap
  • If all the spots are filled, there is an alternate list in case someone needs to back out after signing up. (Alternate list is found via sign up sheet below)
  • Each person will buy one yard, or two yards in the event you take two spots.  You may want to purchase an additional 1/4 yard to allow for any mistakes.  If you take two spots, you will buy two different prints.
  • No duplicates will be allowed, so please pay careful attention to what has already been purchased when selecting the print you want to buy.
  • All fabric must be new, unwashed, and handled in a smoke free home.  For those who may have pet hair or dander allergies, please do not allow pets to lay on the fabric.  
  • Precision cutting is important, so I recommend ordering an extra 1/4 yard if you happen to make a cutting mistake.  Please click here for a great tutorial on how to cut 5" x 5" squares.
  • Once your fabric has been selected, immediately upload the image to the AMH Dowry Charm Swap Flickr group.  
  • Once all the spots are filled, you will have up to two weeks to purchase and upload your print to Flickr before an alternate person will take your spot.  This will only insure that all those who are participating will receive their charm packs in a timely manner.
  • If you forget to send a prepaid envelope with your charms, it's not the end of the world, but it does make things a little more difficult and pricey on your part.  Please note that I will not ship the charms back to you until I receive payment.  
  • If you run into any problems, please contact me!  I want to make sure you get Dowry!


How to enter:

SIGN UP HERE.  You may also include the name of the print you wish to purchase, but it is imperative that you upload an image to the AMH Dowry Charm Swap Flickr group.  Please list the name of the print.  For example, "Postage Due in Toast."  No duplicates are allowed, so it's first come, first serve.  (But we will all end up with the same prints in the end :)

Commenting below will not guarantee a spot, but if you are having issues signing up using the Sign Up Sheet,  please let me know ASAP.  I will most definitely be checking my emails periodically to make sure things are running smoothly for you all.


What do I do?:

In no way does the information below mean to sound condescending in any way, but I remember with my first swap thinking, "What do I do????"  So I hope this helps for any swap virgins.  :)


  • After receiving your fabric, you will press your fabric, and cut it into 5" x 5" squares.  You will get 56 squares out of one yard.  
  • Place your squares in a small Ziploc bag (or any other sealable bag will do).  Please do not fold your charms in half.
  • Write the following on a card: your name, email address, Flickr user name, and mailing address.  Place the card inside the bag.
  • Place the bag into an envelope, but DO NOT seal it.  
  • Take it to the post office with an extra envelope that is self addressed. (Please write down my address too, so I don't have to that 26 times.  :)
  • Have the post worker weigh the envelope and the charms.  Have them print out a prepaid mailing sticker, and place it on the empty self addressed envelope.
  • Place that self addressed envelope inside the envelope that will be mailed to me.  
  • Once all the charms have arrived, I will divvy them up, and mail them back to you using your self addressed envelope.

When should I get my charms back?:

  • Once all the spots have been filled, it should take no longer than 4-6 weeks to receive your charm pack.



Are there any Dowry sales going on right now?:

Stash Modern Fabric currently has 20% off any bundles, including the pick your own fabric bundles, so you can buy Dowry for 20% off!  Beth also offers free shipping on orders greater than $50 with the code SHIPFREE50.

Marie - Madeline is currently offering 20% off Dowry.

I do not know when these sales will end.


Helpful Links:

Sign Up Sheet  **there was a minor error this morning, but it is fixed.  to add your name, please click a box below Name.   if you cannot edit the list, please try opening in a different browser.  

AMH DOWRY CHARM SWAP FLICKR GROUP

My email:  owensolivia at hotmail dot com


xx nancy



11/22/2013

AMH Dowry Charm Swap


Photo credit AMH



Okay, this is a totally spur of the moment post, but while I was browsing fabrics, I wished I could get my hands on Anna Maria Horner's Dowry collection without spending an arm and a leg.

How about a charm swap using all of the prints in Dowry??  I know, right?!!!

General things you will need to know that will help you to decide if this swap is for you:


+26 spaces available (I'll account for the other two making 28 total)

+ each person buys 1.25 yds  (.25 yard allows for any cutting mistakes)

+ charms are 5" x 5" squares and precision cutting is important

+each participant will receive 2 charms of each print in return for a total of 56 charms

+ each person is responsible for cutting, mailing, and paying for postage to mail the package back to you

+ fabric must be new and handled in a smoke free home

+ open to US residents

+ charm swaps typically run 4-6 weeks long to allow buying, cutting, and mailing time

+ sign ups will start this Monday, November 25th.

**There are 24 prints in the Dowry collection, but I would like to take a vote after the group is filled as to whether or not people would prefer additional larger scale Dowry prints or a few prints from other collections like Hand Drawn Garden.  We'll need 4 additional prints, but we can work this out later.

Okay, so what I want to know is who is in?!  Are there 26 people out there who would be interested??  In the meantime, I will work on another post with a sign up sheet, and all the other information that you will need.



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