The Communique Layout

Popularized by Rhonda Dort, who uses the layout in her classes, the Communique Quilt Layout works for both featuring large fabric and panel pieces, as well as a basis for multiple block designs.

About Me

Welcome to Mouse in My Pocket! I'm Andrea, a web developer living in rural America with her husband and daughter. I'm excited to share my life with you as I explore some of the great things about living in the middle of nowhere.  Be sure to check out the blog below to see a few of the things that are speaking to me right now.

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On the Blog

quilt blocks

WIP Wednesday

By Andrea | August 14, 2019

I finished the 2 quilts in the last couple weeks, and I’m super proud of myself, but I still have many quilts that have been in a giant UFO stack for the last couple of years. With fall, and Halloween coming up soon, I decided to pull out the spooky wall hanging quilt I’d left…

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glasses

#EyeCandyProject52 – Weeks 29-32

By Andrea | August 10, 2019

Week 29 Summer TimeFor me, summer time means two things, heat and allergies. I have never handled heat well, and am allergic to pretty much everything outside, so I present to you air conditioning and weeds. Photos taken with my Nikon. Week 30 ReflectionThe reflection off of my computer glasses, which have a special coating…

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fuzzy duckling quilt

The Long Awaited Fuzzy Duckling Quilt

By Andrea | August 9, 2019

Before Mil was born, I picked out a lovely collection of fabric to make her a quilt. It was a big stack of mixed prints, and the Little Golden Books Fuzzy Duckling Panel. I had the whole thing pieced and ready to baste, but she showed up a week earlier than expected (which was extra…

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quilting fuzzy duckling quilt

WIP Wednesday

By Andrea | August 7, 2019

Sewing seems to have it’s good days and it’s bad days around here. Some days, I manage to finish my last piece of stitching just before my bobbin run out, other times, I end up with a machine malfunction and a quilt stuck in the machine. This was a quilt stuck in the machine sort…

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strawberry jam quilt closeup

WIP Wednesday

By Andrea | July 31, 2019

It’s been ages since I’ve really had the chance to do any sewing or quilting. I’ve hardly touched my sewing machines since Milli was born, but with two new babies due in the family in the next couple of months, I’ve gotten my sewing machine back out. Now, Mil is still much too little to…

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mildred using her tablet

Tech and the Two-Year-Old

By Andrea | July 30, 2019

I’m the mom that bought her two-year-old a tablet. Granted, there’s lots of research out there about how it’s a terrible idea for your young child to be in front of a screen all the time, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some good apps out there to help her developing brain. — And,…

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we have always lives in the castle book cover

What I’m Reading

By Andrea | July 18, 2019

Recently Finished The Shadow Land by Elisabeth KostovaThis book was an interesting read. Kostova’s ability to fuse past and present into one intricate story line made this story of communist and post-communist Bulgaria into one that I just couldn’t put down. I still think I prefer Kostova’s debut novel, The Historian, best but this book…

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white flowers

#EyeCandyProject52 – Weeks 25-28

By Andrea | July 12, 2019

Week 25 The Golden HourHaving a tiny human, it’s hard for me to get the time to take shots during the golden hour. We’re usually too busy with our nightly routines at that time, but I did get lucky enough to be headed home during the golden hour one night, so I stopped at the…

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red clover

#EyeCandyProject52 – Weeks 21-24

By Andrea | June 14, 2019

Week 21 Still LifeThese are some red clover that my daughter picked from the ditch across the road from our house. She loves these little flowers, and often asked to go pick the “purple green.” Week 22 Negative SpaceThis was just a simple shot of my “to read” stack. Week 23 DiptychA diptych is a…

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hangman's daughter ebook

What I’m Reading

By Andrea | May 21, 2019

Since my last post in March, I’ve finished reading a few more books. I’m actually ahead for my reading goal for the year, which with the tiny human is only 1 book per month. If I meet my goal by July 1, I’ll probably double it, and see if I can keep up with an…

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mildred makes bubbles

#EyeCandyProject52 – Weeks 17-20

By Andrea | May 17, 2019

Week 17 Candid/Snapshot LeShawn chose a great week for the snapshot theme. Easter made for a great opportunity to take some lovely candid shots. Week 18 Food Food really should have been a simple prompt for me, because I love taking photos of my food, but this week just didn’t seen much in the way…

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new growth

#EyeCandyProject52 – Weeks 13-16

By Andrea | April 17, 2019

It’s time to share another 4 weeks of photos with you! Week 13 Centered CompositionI’m very used to working with the Rule of Thirds in my photos, so it was really hard for me to come up with a shot that seemed right being directly centered. In the end, I ended up doing some product…

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