Design Wall Monday

It's been a tough week here.

My dad passed last week after a battle with cancer.

My mind has been a jumbled mess and I find it hard to concentrate on much of anything.

So lots of things got worked on a little.

I thought I had finished with my On The Road Quilt.

After it was dog approved, I started to fold it up.

Then I noticed I need to add 2 hexies to one side!

I'll get to that this week.

The backing arrived and I'm anxious to quilt it.

I pulled out some panels from the bag my friend gave me.

Ran them through the washer and dryer and pieced a back for the January UFO top.

I've had this table runner basted for a while so I decided to try to quilt it.

Threads were chosen, 

quilting started,

interest lost.

This happened all week!

When we thought it was over,

we woke up to 4 more inches!

Winter is not over!!

These 2 needed to cuddle so to the couch we went with our favorite quilt and a book.

There may have been a Sunday morning nap.

Check all the wonderful design walls shared today at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts. 

On The Needles

Some weeks are sewing weeks, some are knitting weeks.  This week was sewing, I worked on this and this and not much knitting. I didn't pick up my Dreambird project once.

When I did knit, I worked on the Rivel Cardigan. I am now at the short rows for the shoulder and need it to be quiet so I can concentrate or I will be doing what I did one evening this week.

Unknitting is not fun!  I somehow messed up the cable section and didn't notice it until I was back at it to do the next right side row.

I am not confident enough to just pull the needles out on this one so it was unknit one stitch at a time. And total confusion on my part at the cables.  I sniveled and whined until I was ready to knit again.  Maybe I should have just wined...........but we are moving forward again. Stay tuned for more progress.

See other fabulous On The Needles projects at Patchwork Times.

I'm Kind of Pouty

No, I'm not kind of pouty, I'm really pouty. That blue ice bag is sitting on my knee. The one I can't seem to get healed up. I finally went to the Dr yesterday when I could no longer put any weight on it and couldn't walk around. I was miserable. It appears I have a torn meniscus (?). So now I am sitting with my leg elevated, with a compression bandage on, sporting my ice bag and having a pity party.

The good side of all of this......I am able to work on my hexies without guilt. I am able to knit and read if I want. But I had a hard time focusing today.  Today was supposed to be fair day with the grands. I missed out on seeing the chickens and turkeys and ducks and horses. Most of all I missed out on seeing the great big stinky pig! A highlight every year. Big pout!

So now I am headed to bed. I'll try to read for a while but I'm hoping to fall asleep pretty fast tonight. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Excuse Me While I Cry

I'd finished sewing all 8 sections of the star that I've been working on--see this post.

This block printed 2 sections per page.  1 section didn't fully print the top seam allowance.  I had drawn the cutting line on 3 sections but not the 4th.  Guess who should have done that!  I had trimmed 4 sections before I did this.....oh boy!

So now I will tape my paper back together, tape the seam lines, unsew several of those pieces, cut new pieces and resew this section.  After I cry..........

Speaking of tape---you know Carol Doak recommends the Soctch Removable Magic Tape to tape your papers with.  For some reason it is kind of hard to find around here and I was getting low.  So yesterday I ordered some from Staples. I also ordered a super cute pink high heel to hold the tape, I needed some ink pens and a few other things and if you order more than $45, you get free shipping.  So I did.  Thank goodness I did that.  Who knows how much tape I'm going to use to tape up this whoopsie!

Oh and Staples---you rock.  I ordered yesterday morning and this morning, the UPS man handed me my complete order.  WOW.

I'm done crying now.  Guess I'll have some lunch and get back to it.  I'd like to have the block finished today.

At Home Retreat Day 3

When I went to bed last night, I couldn't sleep thinking of sewing the last 2 pieced borders on Orca Bay.  Finally I was in dreamland, dreaming of quilting fabulous feathers all over Orca Bay on a yacht.  I have some pretty weird dreams.

When I woke up this morning, I felt like I had been run over by a big ole truck.  My head hurt, my throat hurt, I felt like crap!  So I did what I do best when I don't feel good, I went back to bed!  Then I tossed and turned until I couldn't stand it any more and got up and parked myself in the recliner with my blankie.  I did fix myself a piece of toast and a cup of tea, thinking it might make me feel a little better but it didn't.

So needless to say my third retreat day was a bust.  But not completely.  I worked on my granny squares and made pretty good progress.  Instead of going all willie-nillie, I sorted out my squares and made myself a plan.  I have 8 different squares and need 15 of each.  I marked how many of each I had and am now doing them in sets, like an organized person would do.........what's with that???  So I have 1 set complete, with a second set well on it's way with only 5 left to do before I start round 4 on this set.

Once in a while I would browse Blogland and while doing so I found a new to me blog called Bearpaw.  She sent me on a search of African Flower Hexagons, which lead me to this tutorial.   And then I have to pin all the goodies to my Pinterest and that led to looking here and there and everywhere.  I did make the day go pretty fast.  Well maybe the naps helped too.  I am ready to put on my pjs-it's only 6 pm here-and think about what I might do tomorrow.

Oh My!  Will I ever get all my want to makes made???

Frustration

I had my day planned. I knew what was going to happen. Things were going to sail along smoothly. Then it happened! Here's the story.........

I was drinking coffee and reading blogs this morning. I found a new to me blog, The Way I Sew It. The first sentence I read includes the words 15 Minute Challenge. If you know me at all, you know it doesn't take much to send my off in a new direction......hence my new plan for today. I decided to go about my plan only I would use the timer set at 15 minutes and keep a list of accomplishments. I use the timer a lot and know that I can get so much done in just a few minutes. Then I would come here and tell you how great I did and how much I got done.

So I go into the sewing room to get the timer. I want to finish the quilt that is on the frame and decided to go ahead and put in a new needle (I quit yesterday when I broke the needle!) and get her warmed up. So I set the timer and got busy. After she was warmed up, I started doing some stitch in the ditch-not my favorite thing to do-and broke another needle (slow stitching on paper pieced blocks with thick seams)! Damn!!! I put a new one in and turned the needle down to pull up the bobbin thread and it hit the bobbin case. The darn thing is now out of time! I turned off the light, grabbed the timer and decided to sit down with a cup of coffee and vent.

Now I am going to vacuum, then sit on the couch and fold laundry as I watch the dvd (again) that shows how to time the machine. It should only take a few minutes. Thank you P. for inspiring me to do a day of 15 minute challenges. I think I will stay out of the sewing room for a while and do some domestic stuff and then see how many 15 minute blocks it will take me to time my machine.

What Do You Do When...

...your Mojo goes missing? I had to go on a major hunt for mine but I think maybe I found it again. I don't like it when my Mojo is missing. It makes me whinnie.

I can't seem to shake this darn cold so have spent lots of time pouting, sitting, knitting, tv watching and napping. I'm tired of doing that. So yesterday I decided I would sew while I tv watched. I've said before how obsessed I am with Grey's Anatomy and am now watching season 3. The problem is that I can't watched it in my sewing room--Netflix only comes through the blu-ray thingie and that is in the living room.

My solution was to get out my current quilt as you go string project and open up my beloved Singer 401A and sew for a few hours in the living room. Hopefully by the time this GA obsession is over, this quilt will be finished, my batting scraps and sting bins will be reduced to almost nothing and that yellow fabric will be gone. Reality says there are enough batting scraps, strings and yellow fabric for another quilt.

**I use the tutorials from Sew Many Quilts - Too Little Time blog when making my Quilt As You Go String Blocks. How to Make the blocks here and how to put them together here.

All I Need....

...are a few more hours in my day! I have so much to do and so many places to go that right now I am feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Thank goodness my list is in order! What if I forget to pick up Taylor. What if I forget to pick up the things Ernie asked me to get for him. What if I forget to get the groceries. What if, what if, what if...........

The library! I forgot to write the library on my list! It's there now. Thanks for reading my vent. I feel better right now......see ya later~too much to do~~~

**Afternoon edit: Everything has been marked off the list. I was early to pick up Tay, had lunch with friends, did the library and groceries. Now to mark a few things off the home list.

I Can't Get Sick, I Just Can't!

Warning: this post is full of sniveling and whining.

I'm feeling a little blurry, kind of like this flower. I'm cold and achy and crabby! I want a nap and I can't get comfortable because I'm cold!

I have a quilt retreat this weekend. Ernie has surgery next week. I do not have time to get sick! I cannot be sick, he cannot be sick. That's just the way it is!

It's just after 4 and I'm going to put on my pjs, build a rip roaring fire in the stove and cuddle up in my clean flannel quilt. Tomorrow I will pack for the retreat, I will feel great! I have to. This is my only retreat this year......I have to feel great!