Christmas Card 2013

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

It seems like just a few days ago I was making last year's Christmas Cards.  The years seem to tick past us quicker and quicker as we grow older.  This year has been wrought with challenges, but we are also constantly reminded of how blessed we truly are. Here are just a few:

• Christina turned halfway to 70 and it was a pretty difficult birthday to swallow. :/
• We connected more with our church and community and have grown to love where we are planted!  Matt has some great fishing buddies and Christina feels pretty loved on.  We look forward to being able to bless those people as well.
• Matt also coached with the same group of guys that he was with last year in Bothell.  His team didn't fare as well this year, but the coaching staff is awesome and we look forward to spending a few more years hanging out with them.
• Christina took on quilting as a hobby.  If you are reading this blog, you can see most of her works here as well.We did some minor traveling--visiting family mostly. Probably one of our favorite weekends was spent at Samish Island, up in the Puget Sound, near the San Juan Islands.  It was a weekend filled with friends, good food and wonderful R&R!
• Matt was laid off in October and has been diligently looking for new work (work that would be stable, predictable and better supply for us financially). 
• Christina continues working as a therapist at the Seattle's Union Gospel Mission with women coming out of domestic violence and addiction.  If is completely rewarding and she loves it.
• Matt and Christina are beginning the process of fertility treatments.  In November, they held fundraiser events in Port Angeles and Bothell and have been overwhelmed by the financial blessings from people close to us.  Thank you for your continue prayers about that.  It can be a pretty stressful process and we will need your continued prayers. 
• Matt and Christina both did excellently in their Fantasy football leagues.  Christina took the TOP honor (after the league told her she had the worst draft?!?) and Matt came in second in his league. We have so much fun watching football and learning about all the players around the league rather than just our beloved Seahawks!

We pray that this season has been filled with blessings and lots of love and laughter and that more than anything you are reminded of why we celebrate Christmas--the gracious birth of Jesus!

Love,
Matt and Christina Konrad (and Saben)

Sept/Oct/Nov Blocks

I continue to learn so much about quilting as I finish the yearlong journey that has been the Amish with a Twist quilt.  I have learned the precision absolutely matter.  I have learned that grace is necessary for many parts of life, but expecially for quilting.  Those two lmost contradict themselves, but I find them both helpful and necessary reminders as I venture further down this path.

This month, I shared with someone that I quilt and they were surprised by it.  They had assumed that quilting is a thing of the past and I assured them that they could not be more wrong.  Quilting has a cultish following.  People do it and do it well.  There is pride in their creations and generosity in their hearts.  I love that I can go to class on any given day and absorb wisdom and pointers from a plethora of more experienced devoted quilters.

These are the final three blocks of my 104"x104" Amish quilt.

Bear Paw

 

Double Wedding Ring

 

Tea Cups and Saucers

I should start putting the whole thing together soon!  64 of 64 blocks done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Casual Saturday Fun

Today started with my leaping out of bed at 7:32 needing to be at a class at 8 o'clock.  It was an interesting start.  Apparently, Monroe isn't as far away as I thought, because I was on time!

I showed my tree quilt as "show and tell" and got a lot of compliments.  I love that I am learning new techniques!

When I got home, I was inspired to work on something in my sewing room.  I have a lot of projects started, so I thought I should work to finish them.  Makes sense, right?

Well, the first thing was to make pillow cases for throw pillows for the guest room to go with Bird Quilt. (See April 2013, Bird Brained Bizarre).

This is how they turned out!  I am pretty stoked for this guest room to come together completely.  It's going to be SO CUTE!  Right now, I have pillows and new curtains.  The quilt is at the quilter.  It's the little things that make me :)!!!

SAMISH ISLAND

I think Matt and I might have a new favorite place!  We were invited to spend the weekend with our Goode friends in early August at Nathan's family cabin in Samish Island, near the San Juan Islands.  We had a lot of fun, but I think Saben had the most fun!

While we took walks, Saben went fishing.  She really enjoyed finding oyster shells.  She was the happiest medium-sized puppy out there!

We checked out a Whiskey Distillery.  Interesting tidbits learned: A small whiskey barrel costs about $200.00 and they only use it once.  That's crazy! 

We ate this DELICIOUS cheese!

We walked around this little town called Edison.  I loved this pic because of the afghan hanging in the window at the top.  It reminds me of my great grandma, Elma Mydland.  She was a precious little lady.

I just liked the name of this store and the fact that there was a huge nest on it's sign.

 
And, you can't forget to have ice cream!  Yum! 

We also ate a lot of CRAB that weekend.  This is us going to throw out the pots!

 

Beautiful, Washington summer sunset.  Love me some ocean and sun!

August Block

More "hourglass" and "birds in air" blocks sewn together in a different way.  I love how this one really takes on a new look as you spin it!

Whoooohooooo!!!

July Block--The CENTER!!!

This month was so fun!  We took the mosaic stars we made a few months ago and made a border for one.  This will become a center mosaic piece for the entire quilt.  The border is mainly made up of "hourglasses" and "birds in the air".  Different people call them different things.  I am so consumed with learning all of these new blocks and techniques. When I showed it at class, my teacher said it was exquisite!  I was pretty honored to receive such a compliment.

 

At this point, we are so far along that I couldn't resist laying out the blocks I have to see what it's going to look like as it comes together. I am so excited to have us a new, humongous picnic blanket!!!

 

You can DEFINITELY see the light, medium, and dark variations. Quilting is so fun!

More Patriotism

In July, I worked hard to make 3 quilt tops to donate to a unit of soldiers who are being deployed to the Middle East.  I pray that these blankets not only bring comfort to the soldiers, but that God covers them with safety and peace as well.

 

Patriotism in a Quilt

I have been learning the art of quilting this year. It is quite amazing how many designs and methods there are for quilt making! It is customary to follow a pattern when making a fabric mosaic but I like to color outside the lines a bit! This patriotic one, I designed myself, using a few blocks I have learned to do in other quilts.

Apparently, making quilts to donate to wounded soldiers is pretty common in the quilting community. I think that is amazing and such an amazing way to honor our brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms. So, I have been hoping to get a few done this year. My neighborhood quilt shop has a contest, but I am actually donating my quilts to another cause. An old friend has put out a request in the cyber world asking for people to make patriotic quilts for a unit of soldiers who are being deployed in August. These are men and women from my home town and some of them are friends, neighbors and teachers of people I actually know. 

If this is something you would be interested in helping with, please contact me asap! They should be patriotic but not an actual flag and twin-bed sized!

LOG CABIN BLOCKS

Oh my!  These are said to be easy, but personally, I found them to be monotonous!  (Sorry Grandma for making you make me one of these back in 1998!)  I personally like things that come together a little quicker and have the gratification of a finished product a bit sooner.  With these, the cutting AND the sewing took what felt like an eternity!  Thankfully, my mom helped me cut the darks, so I only had to cut 1/2!  She rocks! 

Nonetheless, my quilt block of the month class required us to make them!  36 of them!  At this point, I have 28 done...and 8 more to go.  Once I have them done, the count for the entire quilt will be at...57 done, 7 more!  I feel the end is near!  What an exciting accomplishment!

Just a side note, I am pretty excited that you can see the variation of shade (dark center diamond, lighter corners edges!) when the blocks are laid out together.  When I was looking at them individually, it was hard to see!  Phew!

This is actually what the corners will look like...! Lighter stripe through the centers of the corners!  So cool!

May's Block

Mosaic Star

This one was a little more of a challenge...although, if you read the directions correctly and cut the pieces correctly, it might save you time! :)

I also learned that pinning REALLY can help align corners!  What took me so long?!?!

June Block!

Our class this month was so interesting to this history nerd!  The Block we are doing is called "Churn Dash" to some, but to others it is "Shoo Fly".  When I was making my birdy quilt a couple months ago, I used "Churn Dash" which I found amongst a line of blocks called "Farmer's Wife" Blocks.  They are bocks that were traditionally made by farmers' wives and there is a book that accompanies the blocks telling the story of each block--this one resembling the perimeter or a butter church. 

Well, this month, our teacher, did some research about the history of the block and she ended up giving us an entire history lesson on the Underground Railroad--the plight of runaway slaves and abolitionists helping them.  I guess I knew all along, as a history teacher, that abolitionists helped slaves escape their persecution through signs, symbols and song, but I never connected that that could have been by hanging a quilt on the fence.  Amazing!  So, this block is also one of many that when slaves saw a quilt hanging out on someone's laundry line or fence they knew to go in a certain direction or to stay in hiding or that certain farms were safe, etc.!  You can read more about other blocks used in the Underground Railroad at http://ses.westport.k12.ct.us/squire/idivsquares.htm.  Enjoy!

Here is my block!  The colors are strange, but I think once the whole quilt comes together, it will look ok!

Craft Room/ Office DONE!

For the past two years, we've been living in a little box with things dispersed here, there and everywhere...We have a tiny house and I am amazed at how much stuff M and I have together...This weekend, I spent the majority of my time organizing that back room so that it can actually be functional...rather than the storage room of piles of stuff!

This is what it looked like when I started...so embarrassing!

So excited to be able to sew in there rather than the kitchen table!
So excited to have a desk to work at rather than having to spread out all over the couch!
So excited to scrapbook again!
So excited have shelves for my sweaters and scrapbooks instead of random storage in closets or under beds!
So excited to have gone through boxes that have been moved multiple times and I had no idea what was inside of them!

Here's the finished product.

Shelving along one entire wall!

Sewing Table.
















Desk area.



Such a relief and accomplishment...

AND, I worked in the garden!  So happy my tulips are growing abundantly.

Next nice weekend, I'll be planting more!

A New Collection...

I have this slight obsession with serving trays. I feel like I need one for each unique event that might arise. I think it started when I helped throw a baby girl shower and I wanted a pink tray! I had a hard time finding one and the obsession began.

The Pinterest came along...so dangerous! Those two ideas have meshed into my head and here is my dream--a whole wall in my home filled with trays!!!

I like bright, but somewhat muted colors (bright but not florescent). They make my surroundings feel happy and homey. I think it goes back to my love of rainbows...well, what rainbows stand for that is. But, I don't really want lucky charms or leprechauns in my house so bright colors all over it is!

Anyway, I got some great FiestaWare pieces for our wedding. That was the start to a collection I hadn't even conceived yet.

The fish below was my first addition! I had to have it so I watched it at Target for months...until it went on clearance! I was so happy. Not only is it my favorite color, but it is representative of my Norwegian heritage! Love it!

More to come!

Freezer to Crock Pot

One of the things I've struggled with since getting my new job is time management. Mostly because a couple days a week I am gone for about 11-12 hours. I only work for 8-9 but I spend a lot of time in the car. I have felt very inadequate as a wife, unable to provide meals for Matt on those days. It's hard because this is the most amazing job I've ever had but being gone so long each day was starting to produce anxiety.

Around the end of November, God really told me that peace can be mine. As with all of the Fruit of the Spirit, we must choose to access these gifts in times where we could choose, or would normally react with, the opposite. God told me to choose it and it could be mine! It was so clear. So, this is one way that I am choosing peace--the good ol' crock!

I found a bunch of recipes on the internet and Pinterest for freezer meals. All I have to do is let it thaw and add it to the crock pot!

I made 12 meals on a Saturday afternoon. I'm pretty sure I could do it more cost effectively, but this was my first time!

Here they are:
Beef Fajitas x2
Chicken Teriyaki x2
Pork with Apples
Sausage and Peppers
Beef Stew x2
Chicken with Cilantro and Lime x2
Beef and Broccoli x2
Most will be served with rice or pasta

Now my freezer is full and my peace of mind is appeased!

New Years!

We had a fun day exploring new campsites, walking around in the snow and watching our puppy have the best time. You could tell she was grinning from ear to ear!

Birds!

I love birds. I love watching them. I love listening to them (with some exceptions). I love how they flit and float and hop around my garden. I especially love how they remind me that I am precious because Jesus told us that we are even more precious then they are and they have every need taken care of (Matt. 6: 25-26). I have a fetish right now.

Our bathroom has birds nesting, but the PartyLite Winter/ Spring catalog has a ton of birds and I am so excited.

Here are just a couple of the items that I have on hand. They are taking over the living room now too!!!

Bird-Brained Bizarre!

What do you get when you find a panel of fabric in your favorite colors AND your favorite decorative motif?  A new quilt planned around that panel of cuteness for our guestroom!!!

What a labor of love!  I knew that I had a timeline and I needed to finish before I went to Montana on our trip to visit the grandparents...so, I was on a mission.  I drew the pattern, figured out measurements (all around the middle "tree" square), found more options for filler blocks (see all the posts on the Farmer's Wife blocks) and forged ahead without hesitation.  I wish I knew more techniques and how better to make things look professional, but I got a complement from grandma, so I think I am on the right track. :)

Note: The quilt in the picture is hanging on my grandma's clothesline outside their cute little house.  The old wooden building in the background is the shack that my grandfather lived in from the late 1940s until the early 1950s or so.  There is a top row of blocks folded over as well, so it's a bit longer! 

Quilt in a Day: Disappearing 9 Patch

Disappearing 9-Patch (Variation)

 

I took a class at the local quilt shop and finished this one in a little over a day!  The quilt was fairly easy, but the blocks could get confusing if you did more than one at a time, so it was time-consuming.  I finished all the blocks at the class but had to add the sashing, cornerstones and borders at a later time...

 

I am on a big consolidating kick...trying to make life a little neat and tidier...so I am making a couple quilts that can be used in out living area, as well as when we have visitors and need extra blankets.  My goal is to get rid of the 37 extra, mismatched blankets we have laying about.

 

So, I am half-way there.  (Well, actually a little closer because I have the pieces for my next one cut out...I just have to sew them together!)

Darting Bird (Farmer's Wife) Block

So...I had a bird theme going and to stay consistent with the 9-patch Farmer's Wife blocks...I needed one more space filler.  I did a lot of research and I found this one!  I am not sure if this is the real name, but it was the closest I could find for this one. 

Also, I don't particularly think it looks like a bird.  It looks more like a rudimentary stick figure man drawing with a disproportionately large head...but it's a bird...use your imagination!

I found a few examples online.  One is from heikescharmann.wordpress.com

So, here is mine!

Cannot wait to show you the finished product!!!



Freezer-->Crock Pot// Fajitas

Fajitas
Ingredients:
·        Beef or Chicken
·        1 green pepper
·        1 colored pepper
·        1 onion
·        Some cilantro
·        1 sm. can diced chilies
·        Seasoning
·        ½ c. water

Directions:Put in freezer bag: meat, peppers, onion and cilantro.

When you are ready to cook:Place contents of freezer bag in crock pot with ½ c. water mixed with the seasonings and diced chilies. Cook on low 5-6 hours or high for 3.

Serve with tortillas, sour cream and any other condiments desired.