A Closer Look

Here is a closer look at one piece of the focus fabric and the border print. I cut the cow strips out and pieced them together to get the narrow border on the top and the bottom. I didn't want to make it too much longer.

Later today I am going to go see about that cow spot flannel. Wish me luck.

Quiltathon Continues

When I get excited to complete a project, I let everything else slide by the wayside. This morning I wanted to finish my UFO #2 top. So I made some little pinwheels, added a side border and a row of cows across the top and bottom. It is going to make a great couch/nap quilt.

When I go to town again, I will have to go to our local quilt shop and see if she has any of the flannel cow spot fabric left. That is what I really, really want for the back but if she doesn't have it, I will have to create a back from all of the farm prints that I have.

I have several chunks of fabric left so I am going to piece together the binding and get it ready. Later today I am going to piece the back for the bear paw quilt but I must go dance with the vaccuum cleaner. I hate it when he starts yelling about being lonely.

Quiltathon Day 2

I had a very productive day today. First thing this morning, Hubby took the dogs for a ride to the store and got me a "fancy" coffee. Yummmm. I started sewing before they got back. I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish for this quiltathon and I have almost everything marked off the list.

I put the last border on the bear paw quilt this morning. Yeah! I have the flannel prewashed and ready to make the backing. I think that will be my project for tomorrow and maybe I can get it loaded on the frame.

Then I started working on my UFO #2, the cow print blocks. I finally decided how to set them together and 4 of the 5 sections are complete. I am hoping to get the last section done tonight and figure out if the fabric I have for the border will work or not. I'm thinking of a creative border treatment so it doesn't look like I didn't have enough fabric. HMMM, I may have to think on that one for a while. Not too long though, I only have until April 10 before the next number is drawn and I want to have this finished before that.

Thanks for the fun weekend Judy. Let's do this again soon.

Quiltathon Progress

I started slow this morning after a nice sleep in. Not too often do I sleep past 7 but I did today and it felt good. After I showered and putzed around for a while, I quilted a row on Crystal's quilt--that is her and her quilt in the photo. After she got here with the kiddos, we loaded up in her mommy missle and headed up to the local little town for a quilt show. We didn't stay long because someone was not in the mood for a quilt show. We did a quick walk around and decided to come home and have lunch and a nap.

While he napped, I finished the quilting on her quilt. It turned out awesome and I can mark that one off my list for today. Now I am going to go make BLTs for dinner and then I am going to get the borders put on my bear paw quilt and work on my UFO#2.

That's my plan, don't know if I'll stick to it.

TTFN

Weekend Plans

Busy, busy day for me so far today. Now I am taking a little blog break. This weekend Judy L at Patchwork Times is hosting another Quiltaton and I am planning on quiltatoning. I started my Quiltaton this morning. I have a plan that I am hoping works out for me.

The first quilt is one I finished this morning for my friend Marian. She found this cute fabric and made 2 small quilts from it and I donated my quilting time to her. She is a special lady and is very generous with her charity quilts. Click the photo to enlarge it and see how stinkin' cute that fabric is!

First thing this morning, after a few household chores and before finishing Marian's quilt, I worked on my bear paw top. I'd like the top finished this weekend. I sat down and sewed half square triangles together for a border.

I sewed the top and bottom border on, then sewed on a side border. When I looked at it, It looked weird. So I looked at the instructions and actually read them. I already knew I blew the size of the half square triangles. I was trying again to be an over acheiver--will I ever learn?--so I made a bunch of 2" HSTs. Then the instrucions come (after someone even warned me they may not be the same size) and said 3" HSTs. Being the rebel that I am (Ha!), I decided to use what I have made. No problem.

Then the weirdness at the corner. After looking closely at Judy's picture, I see I have them sewn wrong. I am not taking them off, I will leave them and call it a design decision. :-) I took the corner HSTs off and added a background square. It looks fine, just different from Judy's. Yes, a design decision.

So my plan for the weekend is this:
Finish Marian's quilt, put the remaining 3 borders on bear paw, load and quilt Crystal's green and pink quilt, make UFO #2 into a complete top.

Dinner is going to be bbq chicken pizza. Now I am going to make me some lunch and then load a quilt.

Starts and Stops

Lots of starts and stops this week. Not only in Crystal's quilt (which I just finished quilting) but in my general sewing the last few days. This is a beautiful quilt. I should be like my girls and ask if I can have it? Crystal, did you make this for ME??? That's how they do it. And I usually say yes.

It seems that every time I sit down to sew, someone calls, someone comes over or we need to leave. I'm not complaining--everything I have done the last few days has been fun!

Before quilting today, I made wheat bread from a recipe that Judy L of Patchwork Times shared today. OMG is it ever delicious. She uses fresh ground wheat, I used wheat flour out of a bag. My bread was awesome and this will be my wheat bread recipe from now on. Thank you Judy.

I think it's time for jammies and a good book. Tomorrow is sewing day at Marian's and I have all my things ready to go. It's supposed to be a nasty, rainy day so it will be a great day to spend with friends.

Where Are the Bears Step 4

I spent this morning putting the last of the step 4 borders on my version of Bears In The Farmhouse from Judy at Patchwork Times. Next I am going to count my remaining half square triangles for the next border. We will have the next step in a few days. I'm pretty excited about this quilt.

I spent the rest of the day with Elliot and Clella while Mommy went and did errands all by herself. Oh how I remember those days. When going to the grocery store alone was a treat. Sometimes I miss those days.

I am totally exhausted now but I need to fix some dinner. So I'll post more another time.

This Is A First!

This is a photo of my scrap basket. I've had this basket for a little over 3 years and this is the first time I have seen it empty since the day I brought it into my sewing room. I should have taken a photo of it before I started! It took me all day to get it empty, my shoulders are tired and my eyes are crossed but it's a job I can mark off my list for this week.

It holds lots of scraps. There were 4 pieces of yardage that are the thin fabrics so I hunked them up for string block foundations. Then all the other fabric was cut into 2 1/2" strips--my bin was almost emtpy, bricks, squares and half squares, 2" strips and strings.

My plan is to stay on top of my scraps now. I have a couple of zip bags full that need to be taken care of and I probably have others stashed but for now I'm feeling pretty darn good. I do know there is one bag from this summer when I bought a bag of scraps. Oh, I buy scraps! When you can cram a bag full of fabrics you don't have for only a few bucks, that's a bargain. I passed up a super sale this summer when the lady said I could have the whole basket for $5. It was the same size as my basket and I've kicked myself in the hinnie every since. I was trying to be so good. That will never happen again! I'll buy the darn scraps.

I collect scraps, I make scrap quilts, it's what I love, it's what I do, it's what I'll continue to do! Who will the next one be for? I don't know, I'll figure it out when I figure it out.

UFO # 2

UFO Mom has picked March's number. I will be working on # 2. These blocks were made in 2004 by members of another online group. We did a swap called SWAN-Swap Without A Name. I made one quilt from the blocks for a school auction for my Grandkiddos. Then these blocks were put away with plans to make a few more blocks and maybe make a couple charity quilts.

A couple of them were set on point for a center block but now I'm rethinking (actually I forgot what I had planned to do!) and may take the corners off.......I don't know. I'm going to leave them up on the wall and look at them for a few days.

I finished quilting one of Crystal's quilts. I have the second one loaded on the frame. After dinner, I'll wind some bobbins for her quilt and several more for a couple of charity quilts I am doing for my friend.

I spent a good part of the day cutting fabrics from my scrap basket. I'm not making a dent! We have a retreat in less than 2 months and I found a new (yeah, I know!) scrap project I want to work on.

Time to heat up the leftover roast beef dinner from the other night. Hubby came home hungry as a bear. I think I might take some pumpkin out of the freezer and make a couple pies tomorrow. It's supposed to start raining and be regular Pacific Northwest weather again so comfort food is calling me.

TTFN

It Will Not Be A UFO!!!

Remember back in Febraury? I know, that was last month and for my mind a long time ago. Well, I started Quiltville Bonnie's Strip Twist aka Super Bowl Twist because it was the project for Super Bowl Sunday. I started the quilt on February 1 and today I quilted it and will put the binding on it after dinner tonight. I'll stitch the binding down tomorrow at Sewing at Marian's.

I ordered some thread the other day from Columbia River Quilting. I love ordering from them, not only are they local, they are fast with their shipping. You know how it is when you are browsing around a webstore, you find things you need/want?? I've wanted Suzanne R. Earley's book, Meandering Magic for quite a while so I ordered it.

When I opened the book, it opened to page 15. This shows how to do Ribbon Curls. How awesome is that. My fabric has curls on it and I knew I wanted to do something curly but didn't know what or how. It had to be a sign. So I got out my pad of paper and my pencil and started to doodle. Then I went it and loaded the quilt and started. I thinks it's not too bad for the first time doing it. And I love that it will be done soon and not be a UFO.

My next 2 projects for the longarm are 2 of Crystal's quilts. I'm such a good Mom!!! And Judy gave us the next clue today for the bear paw project. And March's UFO number will be assigned this evening. I think I'll be okay with having things to work on.

March 11 - The quilt is finished! Yeah for me!

Do All The Math

The other day, I was bragging about having leftover half square triangles from my bear paw blocks to use in my depression block quilt. When will I learn to do the math? Not just some of the math but all the math. When you make 12 bear paw blocks with 16 half square triangles in each block, that equals 192 HSTs. I thought I was pretty clever making 252 of those little buggers.

Last night I was showing Hubby my blocks and I started thinking about the border. Judy used a whole lot of HSTs and the amount I had left after my blocks is only a drop in the bucket for a border and none for my other quilt. I love the look of the borders on her quilt so I sat down this morning and made up a bunch more papers and have been making HSTs and watching the snow fall.

I am not feeling any pressure this morning to do anything. The bed has been changed, laundry is started and I'm staying in the house.

Ready For the Next Step

Wow, Right now I am feeling like I may have taken on one project too many! I just finished my bear paw blocks for Judy's Quilt Along.

For the life of me, I cannot remember when the due date for these are. But I'm thinking it is Monday so I worked hard and got them done instead of trying to look up the post that has the dates. (I tend to get sidetracked when I'm on line.)

Now I am going to go take a nap for a few hours.....

Stash Project and a New Baby

I did it! I started making my blocks the day Judy at Patchwork Times posted the instructions for this Stash Project. And I finished my top today! I'm not loving this picture but it's the best of what I took.

She posted the finishing instructions on Friday. Thursday, I had my blocks all set the way I wanted them and sewed them into rows. I didn't sew the rows together because I wanted to know how Judy did her setting triangles---just like I do--so I waited for her instructions. Friday morning I started working and wanted to get the top finished. But when Crystal called, I went in to town and babysat Elliot and Clella so she could have some alone time to run errands. I had the first 2 borders on and would finish it in the morning.

I knew I had all day Saturday to myself. Hubby had Gun Safety Class all day and then he was coming home to shower, change and head into town for the Friends of the NRA Banquet. Big day for the big guy!! I was going to sew all day long.

Then at 7:30 am, my phone rang. It was the baby's coming call. I headed into town to help out with the other kids and forgot all about sewing. I went to baseball practice and then brought Taylor and Ashton home with me while we waited and waited. By bedtime, the call hadn't come yet so they spent the night.

We now have a brand new family member.....Jaelynn Renee joined our family last night around 11:00. I haven't met her yet because I am waiting to have her without all the hospital visitors. I am a shameless baby hog. I want her all to myself! I took Taylor and Ashton into town this morning and came home to work on my top.

Now I am going to work on my bear paws blocks. I hope this isn't a long babble post......I think I need a nap!

Keep On Keepin' Up

Things are looking good on the keeping up on the current projects front. Stashbuster Yahoo group gave us our next 2 BOMs for the Sunshine Sampler. I did them both yesterday. They are the top blocks in the photo. So far I like it. I hope I remember to take a photo each month as I finish the blocks. I think I will make the bottom right block into a pillow. I exchanged that one for the one on the bottom left. I like it so much better.

I finished sewing up the blocks for the Stash Project, put the first borders on the Strip Twist. My big jobs for today are to finish the borders for Strip Twist, finish the borders on the Double Delight and cut the pieces for my last Carol Doak pp block so I can sew it tomorrow. I'd also like to get the backings made for both top and cut the batting for both of them. I want to get them finished and marked off my list! And if I get all this done today, I am going to work on that darn homespun plaid quilt top!!! I must get that one out of my way!

I'm at a stand still on the quilt on the frame. I didn't like the quilting on part of it and I don't have a thread color that I do like. So I will take it off the frame and take it with me to get some thread to match. And while it is off the frame, I'll take out the stitching I don't like.

~TTFN, I have stuff to do!

What Happened to the Weekend?

Some weekends fly by. I have no idea where the weekend went. When the alarm went off this morning, I wondered why we had to get up so darn early on Sunday! It took quite a while to figure out it really was Monday. Saturday was spent with Taylor. We made cookies for Grampa then Grampa took us out to dinner and shopping. She was in bed right around 9 and we weren't too far behind her. Another exciting Saturday night!!

How do you like my latest art piece designed by Miss Taylor? It is very cool looking and is hanging right here by my computer. Aren't pipe cleaners great!


I didn't sleep worth a darn and was up very early. I played on the computer and did some fabric cutting. When directions call for 2 2" x 7" rectangles, they really do want 2! I'm sure glad I caught that before I started sewing. Then the rest of the day was spent with family and supervising the assembly of a new computer cabinet.

You remember I wasn't starting anything new??? Forget I ever said that! Judy at Patchwork Times is doing a Stash Project. I have stash, I like a project. Especially when you just go in and pull fabrics. This time I kind of went with mostly tone on tone or there about fabrics. I had a lot more of these that I thought I did. Lots of fat quarters. So I cut my pieces and patiently waited for today's post. Then I sat down and sewed all of my blocks and am now patiently waiting for her next instructions. I already have a plan for my next quilt like this!

Now I am headed outside for a while. We are supposed to get a week of rain and I want to get some things cleaned up before it starts. We all know that a week of rain could turn into a month of rain around here. But all the rain keeps us very green and gorgeous! And I have a few projects to work on.