Needles and a Pen » Knitting, Sewing, and Nursing School

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  • Welcome to my blog!

    Hi! I'm Traci. I'm a Registered Nurse who loves quilting, knitting, cross stitch, and the great outdoors. In my pre-scrubs life, I owned Real Photography, and you can still see my old wedding and portrait photography site here .

    I've created a map that shows links to our camping/hiking/general family fun review posts that you can find here. It's pretty much the coolest thing on this site. Thanks, Google!

    I great big puffy heart *love* comments, so please let me know you visited! I try to always reply!

checking in with my paper pieced diamonds

***Cool announcement:  the subscribe by email feature in the sidebar to the right is now working!***

Look at this poor little neglected blog!  It was a busy summer that included a week-long evacuation from a wildfire that we thought for a few days had destroyed our home (I even had a blog post planned out titled “well, that’s one way to take care of the WIPs”), two more camping trips, a teeny tiny bit of sewing, and lots and lots and lots of wedding photography.

I thought I’d check in with a project that will last me to my nursing home days–my English paper pieced stars.  I posted about them previously here auditioning backgrounds, here to share my storage method, and last in May 2011 (over two years if anyone is counting, which I’d appreciated it if you didn’t) to show my progress.  

Try not to be awed and humbled by my incredible progress in the last two years.  😛

But, it’s comin’ along!  😛  I’m actually loving it right now at piano lessons (Will’s) and during my preschool mornings with Ellie while she works on various projects.  (I’m homeschooling Ellie for preschool this year but am having a hard time getting past the stigma.  We were at Gymboree picking up some fall clothes [20% off coupon on top of 30% off already marked down clothing?  don’t mind if I do, Gymboree] this week and the woman asked “is she in preschool?” and I said “yes” and Ellie piped up “I go to homeschool preschool” and then I died a long denim skirt and Reeboks death right there at the checkout counter.)  I expect to see, you know, like three whole stars added onto this bad boy before the end of the year!

I’m not loving the way the tumble blocks pop out right now versus the stars, but my plan to quilt this in pearl cottom in the outline of the stars will make a big difference to the final quilt, I think (slash hope). Anyway, that’s it for my dip back into the waters of this blog.  Hope to see you around again soon!  🙂

Laurie - A big stigma about homeschool preschool? I don’t get it.

Love the paper pieced quilt – what an heirloom it will be!

Melissa - I think you should submit a UFOctober pledge that says “I will complete one whole star by October 19, 2013” (the next FRMQG meeting). Yoooooooou caaaaan doooooo eeeeeeeetttttt!!

Speattle - So glad to see you back here. Your blog is always full of wonderful inspiration.

Sherry - Love the way the quilt is coming along. I have been working on a Grandmother’s Flower Garden, but in a diamond shape, for over three years during carpool. I figure by the time all three graduate high school I should have a lap quilt!

Pamela - How is this coming along now that it’s 2016?