What's On My Design Wall-Week 5

I've been working off and on trying to figure out the row robin. Every time I think I have a plan, I change my mind. I made the row of picket fence but I need a transition row to the tulips. I made the birdhouses and butterflies to put on as side borders but I've changed my mind about that--today anyhow.

I've folded the rows up and put them away. This is the movie watching bed and today the kids will be here and probably at sometime want to watch a movie. And my brain needs to work some more.


This is what is on my longarm. I'm about 2/3rds done with the quilting but Hubby wanted to go over to dad's to see the new tractor. So we did, then came home and crashed on the couch. I'm anxious to get this UFO crossed off the list.

Ooooppps, I forgot to add:
Check out Patchwork Times for other What's On My Design Wall Posts. Thanks Judy for keeping this going.

Peaceful Morning

This is the view out my kitchen window this morning. (I really need to trim the azalea but I can still see around it so I won't!) When I went out earlier, the birds were singing a hallelujah chorus. It was beautiful, no traffic noise, no lawn mowers, nothing, just birds.

The neighbor was trimming some brush up his driveway and came over to thank Hubby for mowing the edge of his long driveway. Hubby loves to use the brush hog and drive his tractor.

Enjoy your day.

It's Done!

And I am happy, happy, happy! You know how it is when you get going on something and then it turns into an obsession??? That's how I felt yesterday. I wanted this quilt done. I turned off the sewing room light at 11:45 pm.

Now on to the next UFO. Actually, I have a small wall hanging to finish and then the last quilt of Crystal's to do. I think I'll load the wall hanging on and get it done and then I can obsess about Crystal's.

I'm going to get her's done and then I have 3 in line for myself. Backs need to be made but I have the fabric right here to do it with. Imagine that!

"We Are Free!"...

.
...say the 10 little chicks.

We let them out this afternoon. Taylor, DJ and Tony were keepers of the flock. They did fine. It was fun to watch them discover their wings. I've seen them do it before but not like today.

Today was filled with all kinds of activity. We went to a bunch of garage sales. I passed up 3 sewing machines! 1 was too much money for what it was, another looked like a junker and the 3rd one, I'm kicking myself in the hinnie for not getting. An old New Home in a cabinet. $20! Darn me! Maybe I'll go back tomorrow and see if it's still there. Maybe not.

Then Grampa took us to lunch. He hasn't worked the last couple Fridays........I'm hoping if this continues--4-10 hour workdays--I'll get used to it. You know how it is when you get in a rut (most people call them routines) and someone or something comes along and messes with it. I know it's Friday but my brain is thinking Saturday.

After Taylor went home, I went into the sewing room and finished the quilting on my UFO #2. I am going to get the binding made and sewn on tonight and then I am going to try sewing it down the way Judy L shows in this post with the video. I've tried it before but she makes it look easier than the way I did it. I think I needed to use more pins. I can't wait to give this quilt to the lucky recipient.

So I am out of here and into the hidie hole to make binding. Wish me luck!

Through The Eyes Of A 9 Year Old

Taylor is staying with me for a couple days and today decided to take the camera out and shoot some pictures. She has always loved to take pictures and has learned a lot just watching her Aunt Jen. Above is Tony and DJ. I'm surprised they stopped moving long enough to have their picture taken.

This is a bird's eye view inside the chick's run. (Don't look at the poo on the perch!) Missy Chick is giving Taylor the stink eye!

These are the year old hens that give us an egg or 2 every day. Taylor named them Sally, Jessy and Sue. As soon as we heard Sally and Jessy, we waited for her to say Raphael (Sally Jessy Raphael--tv talk show host in the 80s with those fabulous red glasses --I loved her and watched daily!) We aren't sure which girl isn't laying the egg so we blame Sue the Slacker--not named after my Sissy, really, we wouldn't do that!
And this little Missy, I think is trying to escape. I wonder if she is the same one that got out yesterday. I'm not quite brave enough to just open the door to the pen and let them go. Will they come back in at night??? So I'm easing it along. First into the little enclosure and maybe this weekend I'll open it up for them to free range.

What's On My Design Wall-Week 4

I love What's On My Design Wall Monday from Patchwork Times. If you click on this link, you can go blog hopping and see what other are working on. But don't come back here yelling at me because you got sucked into blog world and spent way too much time in front of your computer. :-)

The past week has been crazy so my design wall has not changed much from week 3. I did get my center row taken apart and new sashing made and it's put back together. Now I need to do the same to row 1. But I didn't have much sewing time and the time I did have, I spent quilting.

This is my friend Sharlene's quilt she made for her daughter. I don't want to show the whole quilt but I can tell you about it. It's the BQ Quilt Pattern from Maple Island Quilts. I used the Maple Syrup Pantograph from Willow Leaf Studio. She has wool batting and flannel back with the batik top. Let me tell you, I wanted to take that quilt and wrap up in it and hide for a while. Talk about yummy. I plan to use wool batting in one of my own quilts as soon as I figure out which one I want on my bed next.

Since I have the day to myself, I am going to spend it quilting UFO #2 that should have been finished in March. I'm behind on that project too! But I'll get there, it just might take me a while. And when I want to sit down and have a cuppa, I'll take that darn row 1 apart.

What's on your design wall? Post about it and then link to it at Patchwork Times so the rest of us can cheer you on.

Wanted: 2 More Hours Just For Sleeping

I'm having a week short on sleep. Late to bed and early up. Someplace to be or something to do every day this week. Tomorrow, after Hubby leaves for work, I am going back to bed and not getting up until I want to!

I bet I don't even think of going back to bed. The garbage truck should be backing up the driveway about 6:30, the big dog will bark like a maniac and little dog will try to get under the covers. The birds will be singing and the chickens will start their daily gossip session.

I have flannel yardage in the dryer to make into a back and load that on the machine. I have to pick up Taylor so she can spend the night and while I'm in town, she can help me grocery shop. We have a picnic to go to on Saturday and on Sunday the family will be here for a BBQ.

With all of this on my mind, I wonder when I can sneak in just a couple more hours of sleep. Now??? Yes, I think I will go to bed now, maybe I'll read for a while!!!

I saw this huge butterfly hovering over my flowers this morning. She was so busy, she didn't notice I was there. I took one picture and then left her alone.

What's On My Design Wall Monday-Week 3

This should read What's Not On My Design Wall. On Thursday, I was so excited to finally be putting my BOM together. The sashing pieces were completed, then I started sewing sections together. I did section 1, moved on to section 2 and hadn't started to put section 3 together. I was having a tough time getting thing together. I hadn't bothered to check measurements. I just kept on sewing like a woman possessed.

I got sidetracked and left the project on the wall for a few hours. Crystal commented on how puckery it was. I told her I must have stretched the blocks when I took the paper off the back. That made sense to me. I know these blocks finish at 12".

I started thinking and went in and grabbed the ruler, measured the sashing pieces. Damn! I cut them at 12", not 12 1/2". What was I thinking? Wait, I wasn't. I am now spending quality time with my seam ripper. Last night I pulled section 2 off the wall and started taking it apart. I have both rows of sahing off and apart.

I'll work on this during TV time with hubby. That means I won't work on it tonight. Monday night he watches rasslin' and I shut myself in my sewing room. Maybe I'll cut some new sashing and sew the star points on........Maybe.

Go on over to Patchwork Times and see Judy's design wall and click some links to other gorgeous design walls. I love Monday blog hopping from Patchwork Times.

We Have A Winner!

Through a very scientific method-numbers written on paper, put in a bowl, then mixed up-we drew a winner for the fabulous prize I offered while begging for help with the UFO on What's On My Design Wall Monday post. Several people posted VERY good ideas and now I have a plan and have actually worked on my plan. Yeah. Thank you all for your ideas and inspiration.

Congratulations to Julie from Through the Barn Door. I "met" Julie while blog hopping and visit her blog often. On Monday I will be mailing Julie her prize package and will show it off to you after she receives it. I don't want to spoil her surprise. ;-)

How much do you love my photo today?? Miss Clella loves shoes. She isn't fussy about who's shoes she wears. Her boots go lovely with Elliot's crocs. If she could figure out a way to wear all the shoes she has collected, she would be even happier.

There is a new infomercial on tv for some fabulous garden groom thingiemabob and from what these happy people are telling me, I gotta have this thing! I must go now and turn off the tv before I.....

......punching the tv sounds so violent!!!

The Mojo Is Home!

Yeah, the Mojo is home to stay for a while! I hate it when it goes away and comes back for a little while, only to leave again. But it's back in full force now. And for that, I am happy. I decided to make this big post before I lose my pictures on my computer. This brand new computer is giving us fits! And yes, I have things backed up! Weird, I know!!

Last week at Marian's I made my 2 June blocks for the Stashbuster BOM and yesterday I did the 2 for July. I am in love with this quilt finally. I'm so happy to be caught up with the blocks. I hope I continue this new trend I have going! Having the July blocks so early is kind of scary for me......what if I forget about this by August!

This beauty is the 2007/8 BOM from the Carol Doak Yahoo group. I finally got the fabric for the sashing and borders. This morning I made my star cornerstones for the center and now I am sewing the rows together. I'm hoping to have this UFO marked off my list soon.
Speaking of UFOs...Here is my plan for Bamma's Flower Garden. Thanks to everyone for the fabulous ideas. I have renewed energy for this now and have even completed a couple blocks for the side borders. I have to make a trip to the quilt shop tomorrow to find the green fabric I want for the grass/picket fence area I have planned. Ideas are still welcome and your name will be added to the others in the drawing. Fun time!

This morning, UFO Mom posted the next UFO number for our small group. It's #6. My UFO is a mystery from a different online group.........yeah, I belong to several.....and I've never been happy with the final border, the binding is even made. I have some fun fabric to use for the back and I've decided I am going to get it quilted and finished and give it to my friend Nadine for her charity. Someone else will love it. And besides, I have 3 new pantographs to try out!

What's On My Design Wall Monday

It's Monday and Judy at Patchwork Times has reminded us to show our design wall. This is my wall as of this morning. I am asking for some help with this one. If you enlarge the picture, ignore the extra business in the picture. :) (And please ignore the wrinkles......I should have ironed those before taking a picture!)

Way back in 2001, I was involved in a row robin with an online group. My row robin was titled Bamma's Flower Garden. One lady had some life issues and couldn't complete her row so I was going to do it. I folded the rows up, put them in a bag, put them away. All these years this has been on my UFO list and I've ignored it. Not totally ignored it, it's been nagging at me all this time.

When my small online group started the UFO challenge, this quilt was listed first. Guess what May's number was? Guess who just pulled this project out of the box? Guess when the new number will be called? Answers are One, Me, Tomorrow!

I don't know what to do to this quilt top. I have some of the background fabric left, just under 2 yards and I have quite a bit of Kona white. And lots and lots of other fabric. I even have some books! Right now it measures 60" across and the way it is right now, not sewn together, not quite 60" long.

What would you do? I think I need a row of white background between the bottom 2 rows. I also think I need something very green for the bottom row. And I'd like to add some borders to make it wider. What I really need is to get going on this so I can call it finished.

Help me please, leave me a comment with an idea or 2 or 12 and I will put your name in for a drawing for something fabulous. I'll draw a winner Friday evening. Thanks in advance for your help.

I Think I Found a Little Mojo

I'm finally excited about sewing. Not so much quilting, although I did make 2 blocks for my Stashbuster Not So Ugly BOM while at Marian's on Wednesday.

I've been in need of a new swimsuit for a while now. After searching online shops, almost ordering fabric, I remembered I had done that a couple years ago. So I unearthed the box and found my pattern and spent this morning sewing this up. I was a bit excited when I tried it on the first time and it was a bit too big. Yeah! So I made my adjustments and now it's finished and ready for the real test, the hot tub. I think after my day, a nice soak is in order.

The baby chickens are growing like crazy. They are going to be ready for the big pen in no time at all--I'm thinking in 2 to 3 more weeks for the older girls. They sure are fun to watch.

Time to get dinner started. Friday night, pizza night. Yummers