Rainbow Scrappy Saturday and Motivation Friday a Day Late

Last of the pinks for Rainbow Scrappy--

Album blocks with pinks

 My friend Liz doesn't have a blog but loves the RSC and she made this--

Pink Baby Blanket

Liz makes many baby blankets to donate.  She is harboring my Mojo, she lives in Houston and Mojo hates cold winters as much as I do!  Please see everyone's RSC posts at soscrappy.

Time to check my goals--

Quilt Birds in Air top--DONE
5" challenge project
Binding for Cheddar Delight
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Liz's Squared Project
Backing for Cheddar Delight--DONE
Load another top on the Princess--DONE

The binding is on the Birds in Air quilt and its on the hand sewing pile!

My timetable has been moved up.  Grandson #3 will arrive March 11th instead of the 18th.  Unless it gets moved up even more.  PANIC!!!  I am not packed.  Laura Beth is not packed!  The stress has caused me to break out the peanut butter M&M's. 

Wedge Wednesday

Wedge Wednesday--time to dust off your ruler, dig in your stash and have some fun!  Over the weekend I cut out my Christmas Tree skirt using the 10 degree ruler--

Read your directions carefully and mark the ruler with tape per the directions.  I found it easiest if I left my ruler where I made the last cut, remove the cut wedge to another table, and then flip my ruler for the next cut.   My strips were pressed using lots of starch to control the bias edges.  

This project has me looking more closely at patterns.  Dresden plates--wedges.  Grandmother's Fan--wedges.  New York Beauty--more wedges!  

Have you started your project?  See how many projects using wedges you see this week!

 

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Sunday I worked on my "Two Lips" blocks.  Parts of the sashing and blocks are sewn into rows.

Feels good to get this project moving again.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

Quilt Birds in Air top
5" challenge project
Binding for Cheddar Delight
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Liz's Squared Project
Backing for Cheddar Delight
Load another top on the Princess

Lots of sewing over the weekend.  The columns are all pieced for the 30's projects and the pieced border is started.  Sewed on the 5" challenge project and cut my Wedge Christmas Tree skirt.   Lorri2Rs and I found a pattern suitable for my guild small quilt challenge.  I played with the "squedge" ruler but will have to study the directions a bit more. 

Its still very cold and staying in and sewing sounds like a plan.  Some peasant soup is planned.  How are you bearing the cold weather?  

 

Sunday Stash Report

New numbers this week--

Stash in this week--2.5 yds
Stash in YTD--64 yds
Stash out this week--16 yds
Stash out YTD--44.5 yds

Stash is ahead 19.5 yds

But I'm gaining!  There are four tops on the binding pile.  I did buy 2.5 yards of two different stripes to try a wedge ruler.  

Please see everyone's posts at Patchwork Times.

 

Motivation Friday

Time to check my progress--

Load another top to quilt--DONE
Sew binding on Album Quilt--DONE
Binding for Island Chain--DONE
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Binding for Cheddar Delight
Backing for Summer Nites at the Lake--DONE
Backing for Cheddar Delight
5" challenge project--Taking to Iowa
Liz's Squared project--Taking to Iowa
Finish 30's challenge columns--Taking to Iowa

A good week so far.  Another top is loaded on the Princess and bobbins are wound.  I've been counting tops that are ready to quilt--eight!  I was brave and checked the closets--only 3 sets of blocks in rows on hangers.  PROGRESS!!

Tops to quilt

Blocks in rows

Don't worry, there are plenty of UFO's packed in EZStor bags.  The closet projects are ones I've targeted to finish.  They are well aged!

Binding Pile

I'm trying to have a large stack of tops to hand sew binding.  By this time next month I plan to be on "grandma duty".    My sewing machine etc will go along but I'm not sure how much time I'll have to sew.  ;-)

This weekend is sewing with the Iowa Sweat Shop Ladies.  I'm packing lots of projects.  

Have you sewn with friends lately?  Is it a regularly scheduled thing?  Do you meet at a shop or at some one's house??  Social sewing is so much fun and you just feel GOOD.  

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

No piecing this week, I've been quilting and hand sewing binding.  Honey Sweet Pinwheels is done.  This quilt is almost totally from stash, I did buy the narrow blue border fabric.  The pattern was free at Moda Bakeshop.

Honey Sweet Pinwheel 83x99"

Next week I will be able to deduct it friom my stash--16 yards.  The Album top is quilted and binding is made.  Just needs trimming and the binding sewn on.  The blue Jacob's Ladder has its binding sewn on.  The hand sewing pile is growing!  

Weekly Goals--

Load another top to quilt
Sew binding on Album Quilt
Binding for Island Chain
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Binding for Cheddar Delight
Backing for Summer Nites at the Lake
Backing for Cheddar Delight
5" challenge project
Liz's Squared project
Finish 30's challenge columns

Ahh--I love variety!!  I'm trying to get tops quilted and ready to bind.  Laura Beth is due the middle of March and I will be on Grandma Duty.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

 

Wedge Wednesday

Its Wedge Wednesday--time to find your ruler, pick a pattern and check your stash for fabric!  I've chosen a Christmas Tree Skirt using Sue's tutorial.  Saturday I sewed my strips together.

Lorri2Rs is a social butterfly.  123 quilters were busily sewing on Saturday at the Sew Day and Lorri chatted with each of them.  One lady was despondently studying her project.  After a few trips past Lorri asked her what was wrong?  Paula's day had a rocky start.  She'd forgot her power cord for her machine but persuaded her husband to meet her halfway with it.  Luckily it wasn't very far.  Next she pulled out her project.  No pattern.  Okay--its all cut out, just need to assemble it.  It wasn't going well.  Lorri asked more--it was a WEDGE RULER CIRCULAR QUILT!  Lorri told Paula the other Lori had brought the ruler and the pattern.  Yippee!!  After eating a "smart cookie" (all quilters need sugar and chocolate) Lorri and Paula found all the pieces and it was a done project.

Paula after smart cookie

 

Aren't the colors bright and cheerful?  Makes me think SPRING!!

 

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Saturday was spent sewing with Lorri2Rs at the June E Nylen Cancer Center Quiltin' Bee fundraiser.  I did lots of socializing and some sewing.  I added the blue strips to 90 blocks I've been working on.

These blocks are now ready to go on the wall.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Monday is when I set weekly goals.  Let's see how last week's goals did.

Quilt blue Jacob's Ladder
Finish hand sewing binding on QOVe
Make and sew binding on HoneySweet Pinwheels--binding made
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Binding for Chedder Delight
Sew on 5" challenge
Finish piecing columns on Tangerine 30's
WEDGE CHALLENGE!!

I sewed like crazy but think I overestimated my abilities!

This week's goals--

Make binding for Blue Jacob's Ladder
Load/quilt another top
Sew binding on Honey Sweet Pinwheels
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Binding for Cheddar Delight
Backing for Birds in Air
Backing for Summer Nites at the Lake
Sew on 5" challenge
Finish piecing on Tangerine 30's

Another ambitious list.

On the way home from Iowa I stopped to visit the grandsons.  I do not like "fiddly" sewing projects.  I HATE to make bags but Lorri2Rs helped me make little "snap" bags.  The Sew Day had four demonstrations and these bags were one of them.  They also gave everyone a kit for each project they demoed.  I made little Valentine Day bags for the boys and stopped at the Dollar Store for fun things to put in them.
 

Asher with bag and frog

Asher is fascinated with tiny soft plastic lizards/frogs.  I told Mason and Asher I made them bags for Valentine's Day because I love them, explaining about Valentine's Day/love/gifts.  Told Asher (who is always losing his lizards and is heartbroken) that his bag is a "lizard house" and he can keep his lizards in it.  He carried his bag around with him all evening.  Remember the balloons with the rubber band handles that you "punch"?  Found them at the Dollar Store--they lasted all evening so for $.50 they were a bargain.  

Mason with Punching balloon

The weather is dreary and overcast, but warmer.  I am counting the days down until spring!

Sunday Stash Report

Another week has sped by.  Time for new numbers--

Stash in this week--0 yds
Stash out this week--16 yds
Stash in YTD--61.5yds
Stash out YTD--28.5
 
Stash is ahead 33 yds!

The blue Jacob's ladder top is quilted, another one for the binding pile.  Not sure which top I'll quilt next.  Please see everyone's stash report at Patchwork Times.

 

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday

Pink for February!  Although I am not a pink person, I had plenty of pink.

Pink Album Blocks

I enjoy making these blocks.  It satisfies my need to play with my scraps.  Blocks made with several fabrics just do something for me!  A few more pink are planned--a pink with brown and a pink with purple.  Leftover 2.5" squares go in my "Album Blocks" container.  A scrappy quilt using 2.5" squares is in my future.  The neutral strips are precut and corralled in Ziploc baggies.  Please see everyone's posts at soscrappy.  

Thank you Angela for hosting this challenge, it is my favorite!  

 

Motivation Friday

Time to check on my goals--

Quilt blue Jacob's Ladder
Finish hand sewing binding on QOV
Make and sew binding on HoneySweet Pinwheels--Binding is made
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Binding for Cheddar Delight
Sew on 5" challenge
Finish piecing columns on Tangerine 30's
WEDGE CHALLENGE!!

Wedge Ruler Challenge Strips

The strips are all cut for the Wedge challenge.  I'm taking them to Lorri2Rs sew day this weekend.  Last night I made a binding for a wall hanging my friend Pat passed on to me.  I am getting too efficient, I already had a binding made!  I have several projects packed to sew on this weekend.

Anyone joining the "Use Your Wedge Ruler" challenge?  There are a gadzillion different wedge rulers!  Maybe one block for a wall hanging or potholder to say you've figured out how to use it.  Several Stashbusters are making Saucy Spicy Table Runners.  

 
 

No Wind!

There was no wind this afternoon and it warmed up to 24F!  I was able to take a picture of Trail Mix--pattern by Mabeth Oxenreider.

Trail Mix 90x106"

Its dragging on the 2 foot drift but I declared the pic "good enough"!  Trail Mix was mostly from my box of Civil War repros.  I bought the fabric for the skinny inner borders because they went with my outer border fabric.  That fabric has been in my stash FOREVER.  The large print made it hard to use, but I like it as a border.  But, I lacked about 2" when I was ready to use it.  ARRRGGGHH!!  Unwilling to cut/piece it I decided to add some leftover trail blocks to the border.  

I also finished the binding on the guild's QOV and I'll take it back at the next meeting.  It didn't use any stash but I can declare it as a finish.

Guild's QOV

Yesterday was spent in the recliner.  Lorri2Rs is much more energetic than I am!  It was a good opportunity to catch up on my binding.  

Pink is the color for February Rainbow Scrappy Challenge.  A few Album blocks yet today maybe.

 

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

A Bricks and Stepping Stones top is on my wall--

Bricks and Stepping Stones

Its my favorite "go to" pattern for scraps.  You can find it at Quiltville.com.  I tried to make this a more masculine quilt--it will be donated to a group home for boys.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Lorri2Rs and I have done lots of sewing.  She helped me load a top so its ready to quilt. 

Blue Jacob's Ladder

Some second thoughts on this quilt.  Its big--108x115 or so.  I considered taking it apart and turning it into two quilts.  But "done is better than perfect" so I dyed some 120" muslin a pretty blue and its ready to quilt.  

Last week's goals-

Sew binding on Trail Mix--Done
Sew binding on guild QOV--Its on and half way hand stitched
Load a top to quilt--Done
Make a binding for Honeysweet Pinwheels
Make a binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Make a binding for Cheddar Delight
Finish piecing columns on Tangerine 30's--Almost done
Make binding for Pat's Purple Wall Hanging
Sew on 5" challenge
Pick border for Bricks and Stepping Stones--Done and on
Make backing for Album Quilt --Done


I haven't made the bindings but the fabric is pressed and hanging--ready to cut.  Backing was prepared and dyed for Island Chain, Album/Granny Squares, and Blue Jacob's Ladder.   They can go in the ready to quilt queue.

Weekly Goals--

Quilt blue Jacob's Ladder
Finish hand sewing binding on QOV
Make and sew binding on HoneySweet Pinwheels
Binding for Summer Nites at the Lake
Binding for Cheddar Delight
Sew on 5" challenge
Finish piecing columns on Tangerine 30's
WEDGE CHALLENGE!!

Yes, I must sew on the Wedge Challenge!  While out and about Lorri2Rs and I checked out all the different wedge rulers.  I challenge you to pull out that wedge ruler you bought and have never used!  We have 10 degree rulers and I plan to have a tree skirt finished by Christmas--10 months away.  One degree a month sounds like a plan. ;-)  I often receive comments on my long goal list.  Although its a big list, I don't plan to get it all done.  Its more to remind me and focus me during the week.  If I write it down I am more likely to work on it.

Lorri2Rs is heading home today as long as the roads are clear.  We've had a great time--sleep overs at any age are fun!  We are going to a sew day in Moville IA next Saturday.  Can you say ROAD TRIP??!!  

Cold snowy weather has made for lots of sewing.  We did hand sewing of binding during the Super Bowl.  Did your team win?

Sunday Stash Report--Happy Birthday Nick!

New numbers this week.  

Stash in this week--17.5 yards
Stash added YTD-- 61.5 yards
Stash out this week--12.5 yards
Stash out YTD--12.5 yards

Stash is ahead 49 yards!

My purchases this week were 16 yards of wide muslin to dye for backing.  Its already dyed and matched to tops!  1.5 yards for a bag my friend Lorri2Rs made for me!  

Bag, bowl holders, and block

Chicken fabric inside bag

The bag and bowl holders are made from "special" fabric.  I am NOT a morning person.  If you enlarge the pic the fabric is coffee cups with the sayings "Good Morning" and "Wakey! Wakey!" under them.  There is chicken fabric.  I LOVE chicken fabric!  A block for an upcoming sew day Lorri2Rs and I are attending.  Lorri2Rs can whip out a bag in no time flat.  I LOVE my new bag!  Thank you Lorri!  (she even made my block for me!)  The bag pattern is a Kwik Sew Ellie Mae Designs K118.

Hand sewing the binding was finished this week on the PInk 30's Uneven 9 patches.  12.5 yards out.

Uneven 9 Patches and 30's blocks

The pink quilt is made from blocks I rediscovered while organizing my sewing room a few months ago.  

My purchases have been used to back tops I'm quilting.  Eventually they will be completely finished and my stash report will look much better.  Please see everyone's Stash Reports at Patchwork Times.

Lorri2Rs and I are residents of the "Workhouse on the Prairie".  She is visiting me and we are hard at work sewing.  Lorri2Rs is upholding the tradition of the Iowa Sweat Shop Ladies and toiling tirelessly.  She was the "Ironing Fairy"--she pressed two backings for me.  Today she helped me load another top on the Princess.  She's sewn a binding on a king size quilt she's finishing and working on a medallion quilt.  The weather today was rain/sleet/snow and now wind.  There is no where we need to be so tomorrow will be MORE SEWING! 
 
Happy Birthday to our Son in Law Nick!

Mason, Nick, Laura Beth, and Asher

We are so lucky to have Nick become part of our family!