Motivation Friday

Time to check my goals--

1. Quilt Swoon--half way
2. Sew binding to 4 Patch Posey--no
3. Pink Cake Stand blocks--no
4. Sew Birds in Air blocks together--no
5. Borders on DeeDee's Star top--no
6. Applique flowers on block 11 of BTCT project--yes

Good grief--have I been doing ANY sewing??  Lots!  A lot of time so far on Swoon--I'm not sure why but it seems to be taking longer than planned.   I decided to prep two more applique blocks--

This is Block #16 of Beyond the Cherry Tree.  There are 120 grapes in this block.   I'm using pennies, dimes, and nickels for templates to make grapes.   Since my "grapes" are bigger than the pattern I doubt I'll need 120!   There is an entire blog devoted to quilters who participated in this project--Beyond the Cherry Tree.  Mimi's quilt is finished and is entered at Lancaster and Paducah.  Some are being quilted, some are completed tops--and some like mine are still "works in progress".   If you have a quilt you've always wanted to make but wondered if you "had it in you" DON'T WAIT!!  Start!!   Get your bucket list out and pick one.  Or two.  Or ten!!   

I had a finish this week.  You know--a F-I-N-I-S-H.  Its the Blue Urban Cabin.

Twin size--64x85".  Its a great pattern, I've made two and Henrietta made one. 

The weather is going to be nice this weekend, maybe Henrietta and I will road trip.  And more quilting--hopefully Swoon will be finished.  What do you have planned?

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Swoon is loaded and ready to quilt--

Check everyone's Design Wall posts at Patchwork Times.
Weekly Goals--

1. Quilt Swoon
2. Sew binding to 4 Patch Posey
3. Pink Cake Stand blocks
4. Sew Birds in Air blocks together
5. Borders on DeeDee's Star top
6. Applique flowers on block 11 of BTCT project

That should keep me busy.  Last week was busy with family matters.  But I got a few pictures--

Life is better with Chocolate Cake

Asher wants the WHOLE Banana

Laura Beth described Asher as a "little caveman".  "He yells, grunts, and pounds on things when he's mad".   Pretty good description of that age!

It was very busy here, somehow I missed taking a picture of Mason.  He keeps me busy--EARLY one morning as I snuck to the bathroom (remember those days??) I had a shadow.  As we headed back to bed (I thought) he asked me sleepily while rubbing his eyes "Grandma--are we gonna cook now??"  Although I persuaded him we were going back to bed, it didn't last.  We did manage to bake some cookies while he was here.  

The sun is shining, its warmed up a bit and some of the snow has melted.  Its "cheap burger Monday" and maybe Henrietta, Ken and I will eat out tonight!

Design Wall Monday--Weekly Goals--Happy Birthday Henrietta

This week my design wall has blocks I made last summer--

Birds in Air blocks.  My goal is to get these blocks sewn together during February.  Check everyone's design walls at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

1. Finish binding Blue Urban Cabin
2. Make binding for Garden Gate Plaid quilt
3. Sashings and Borders on DeeDee's Star
4. Sew binding to Henrietta's 4 Patch Posey
5. Quilt Swoon

That's enough for this week.  

Henrietta had a birthday!

Happy Birthday Henrietta!!  Please note--that is a LEMON cake she is holding.  She requested a lemon cake and I didn't have a recipe.   A LEMON cake with GLAZE.   Thank heavens for Cooks.com! 

The weather was warm over the weekend (+40F) but today the high temp will be +17F.  All the puddles are frozen and a strong wind out of the North all week.  I'm planning to stay inside and sew--what's planned for your week???

Motivation Friday

Time to check my goals--

1. Finish quilting  Henrietta's 4 Patch Posey--done
2. Load another top--yes
3. Sashings on Dee's Star--yes
4. Finish applique block--yes
5. Keep binding--slogging away
6. Purple cake stand blocks--no
7. Make a binding--no
8. Yoyo block--no
9. 12 Double Wedding Ring arc--yes

 The goals are going well this week.   A few pictures---

DeeDee's Star pattern

This quilt has moved off the design wall and onto the hanging rod--next will be the outside sashings and borders.  

Beyond the Cherry Tree Block #9

25 blocks to the Cherry Tree quilt--I'm not doing them in order but I'm almost halfway.   That's a bird in the middle of the block--on the original quilt they weren't sure if it was an actual applique piece or just maybe a quilting motif--I went with a bluebird.  I think he needs an eye--later when I'm adding the embroidery details.

Next on the design wall went my Birds in Air blocks.  Mostly already in rows--a few more to add and then I can start putting them all together.  I've seen this pattern with a few appliqued bird outlines (more birds!) and I think I'd like that.  Maybe birds in an assortment of colors--blues, browns, reds, yellows.  Hmmm--what do you think??  Each bird is just the outline made with one fabric. 

 I'm not slowing down much to bind--I want to quilt while I feel like it--I can bind anytime.  What are you working on this week?  Are you sewing over the weekend?  

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Over the weekend I made a few more double nine patch blocks.  Pink--I know--but last month the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color was pink and wanted to catch these up.

 More 30's fabrics.  See everyone's design walls at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

1. Finish quilting  Henrietta's 4 Patch Posey
2. Load another top
3. Sashings on Dee's Star
4. Finish applique block
5. Keep binding
6. Purple cake stand blocks
7. Make a binding
8. Yoyo block
9. 12 Double Wedding Ring arcs

Lots of variety on that list.  Nothing is better than being able to hop from project to project.  Yesterday I started out with applique, then quilted 1/2 of the Posey quilt, made two pink double 9 patch blocks, 6 more wedding ring arcs, a bit of hand sewing binding, and then more applique. 

The blizzard wasn't too bad here--only about 9" of snow--and if the wind doesn't pick up most the roads here will be cleared by late afternoon. 

No cooking today--yesterday I pulled three packages from the freezer--one was well marked, one I knew what it was after it thawed, and the third, well--I THINK I know what it is!  Meatloaf, Ham and Bean soup, and the ??? package is something chicken, rice, corn and smells Mexican.   Does that happen at your house?  Do you and your husband stand there with the lid off the container guessing at the contents??  

Sunday Stash Report Week 6

Time to update my numbers--

Stash In--22 yards 
Stash Out--0 yards
Stash in YTD--22 yards
Stash out YTD--4 yards
 
STASH IS AHEAD--18 YARDS

Would you believe the "I had a coupon" line?  Well--I DID!!  And used it!   Check everyone's stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Rainbow Scrap Saturday and Motivation Friday

Purple is a hard color for me.  I don't have much in my stash.   Then I remembered I have a box of 30's fabrics.  Here are my blocks---

The solid purple is not quite that bright--it actually is a soft 30's purple.  A couple of weeks ago I was in my stash of old magazines and found this---

Its such a simple block--sashed with a tan print.   Maybe this is a good use of all those 30's prints I'm not as in love with as I used to be.   See everyone's purple blocks at soscrappy.

Checking my goals--

1. Sew binding on Blue Urban Cabin--in progress
2. Load another top--yes
3. Quilt another top--not yet
4. Finish Star quilt to a flimsy--stuck on sashing ideas
5. Trim Pink Horror--in progress
6. Yoyo block--nope
7. Applique block--in progress

Bit by bit I'm chipping away at my list.  

Winter storm/blizzard is forecast for late tonight.  Possible 12" of snow.   If the wind blows AND we get that much snow it might be nasty.  I'm stocked up on everything we need.  

I'm planning to sew!  What is the weather like where you live?  Are you staying home and sewing?

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

This is my design wall, I'm using charms from Jackie, Mary Kay, and my scrap box. 

The blocks are large--they finish at 13" so 20 blocks with sashings and a 5" border will be about 70x90".  I call it "tall soldier bed size".  This complies with QOV's guidelines.  See what everyone is working on at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

1. Sew binding on Blue Urban Cabin
2. Load another top
3. Quilt another top
4. Finish Star quilt to a flimsy
5. Trim Pink Horror
6. Yoyo block
7. Applique block

I think that is enough--I like to have variety and choices with my goals! 

Today is errands and the week (I hope) will have lots of sewing.  

Oh No!!

Dear Lord save me---I just checked soscrappy and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for February is PURPLE!  January's color was pink and I struggled through pink cake stands and quilting the pink horror.   Purple is my least favorite color to work with.  I am doomed!
 

Motivation Friday

Time to check on my goals---

1. finish quilting pink horror--YES YES YES
2. finish hand sewing binding on red/white quilt-yes
3. machine sew binding on another top-yes
4. load a top to quilt-no
5. start applique block-yes
6. yoyo block-no

And I was so happy to be done with the pink horror I took a picture--

Something was delivered to my house that distracted me this week--

A box of scraps from a fellow stashbuster who was cleaning her sewing room!!

How much fabric was in there?  Jackie said 20#.  It was a LOT!!!  Jackie described these scraps as "chunks".  

All of which was approved by Ruby--

Hey--that's not a dog bed!  Maybe they'd be safer in a laundry basket--

How much fabric was in there?  Well, I've cut over 500 bricks and 400 charms.  Half the basket is left to organize.  Enough for 8-10 twin size quilts?   The odd bits were tossed into my double wedding ring basket. Thank you so much Jackie!

Organizing scraps made me think of Mary Kay's box.  Mary Kay--I've been cutting your scraps to fit too!  Then I stopped to count my bricks basket.  I have over 1,000 bricks.  Liz (a fellow stashbuster) was starting a Bricks and Stepping Stones quilt--I offered to send some bricks her way--

I've already started sewing a project with these scraps.   Maybe on the design wall for Monday--a QOV I think...

My sweet tooth has been calling me.  Whoopie pies--I've never made whoopie pies before--

They were easy to make--the filling is a giant marshmallow I cut into thirds and then put the bottom cookies back in the oven and softened/toasted the marshmallow.   Then I squished the top cookie on them and let them cool. 

Its Superbowl weekend.  I'm spending it sewing.  And watching the commercials!  
What are you going to be doing?