Motivation Friday and an Irritation!

So far this week I've been keeping busy. I've got the chunky churn dash and the pink isolette cover to the hand sewing part of the binding. I've prepared a backing for a quilt. I made binding for another quilt. Hope to get the next quilt loaded on the machine by tonight. I've been laying out my fabric and planning pillowcases for next weekend.

Cold and dreary out today. I took some of the ham and have ham and scalloped potatoes in the oven, and a batch of bread baking. Yum! The hambone and rest of the ham is in the freezer to be made into ham and bean soup later on.

I also was sorting items in the spare bedroom. Found my winter gloves (I'd been looking for them!) But what I really was looking for, I couldn't find. I've lost my bathing suit. Yup. Have no idea where it is. Not in my "swimming bag". I've looked on the Internet for a new one (gulp!) but it's so hard to find one that is three sizes bigger on the top than the bottom! And no under wires--I swim laps, I don't want things digging me in uncomfortable places! I know I really need a structured exercise program, and like swimming and the underwater treadmill the best. As soon as my new suit arrives I'm sure the old one will show up.

PS--ordered a suit from Land's End, hope it fits!

Working Wednesday

Today I am working hard. Meals will be leftover ham sandwiches. I have made the binding for the chunky churn dash quilt, sewn the binding on the pink isolette cover, and the blue one is waiting for it's turn. I put away the bricks and stepping stones for the moment, I will have to come back to them later.

Oh, how many of you have leftover Halloween candy? Yes, me too! I had a whole big bowl of assorted candy bars.

Ken ate the Snickers, Hershey bars, Reeses, and Kit Kats. He also ate MOST the Milk Duds. He left the Whoppers! LOL I checked LB's pail I had gotten ready at her house, same thing, only Whoppers left. Was there any candy left at your house??

I'm also thinking ahead to next week's Heartstrings Sew In to make pillowcases. If I have time, I am going to cut them ahead of time and have them ready to sew. Please come and join us!

Monday Goals

Boy the week went fast! Time for goals.

1. Bind the chunky churn dash and the two isolette covers
2. Load and quilt a top
3. Work on the Bricks and Stepping Stones

I'm home again, Mason went to daycare this week. No one to dance and sing with now. (I'm getting good at "wheels on the bus go round and round"!) I have a ham in the oven, that will make several meals so I can work. Last night after I got home I unwound by ironing all the bricks and 4 patches. And I made this bag for Ken.

Ken doesn't take much to work with him, paperwork, schedules, newspapers, manuals on farm equipment. He won't take a regular bag, he has for YEARS used 3-4 WalMart bags all stuffed together. I hated them. They looked awful. They were noisy. So last night I made him a "manly" bag---blues and blacks as he has a black coat with that shade of blue on it. I don't think he was impressed, but he used it!

Well, I best be getting to work. "Vacation" this past week put me behind schedule.

Sunday Stash Report

Fess up time here! 22.5 yards in, none out. Bought 2 yards of black for my 4 patches, that is cut and sewn up already. Bought 11.5 yards--about 6 yards go to a friend for backing/binding her quilt, the rest I will make QOV pillowcases out of. And the last 9 yards, part is for backing my QOV (forgot I didn't have anything that would work) and the rest I will use in pillowcases. So I hope to have most this sewn up before Christmas. THEN I will have some finishes to reduce my purchases!!

I have been busy today, Mason hung out with his parents (they were having "Mason Deprivation Syndrome" and I sewed. I have all the 4 patches sewn and ironed. Enough bricks sewn to 4 patches to make two tops. And the rest is waiting for me. Glad I had that little project all ready!

Saturday Sewing

I made it to Saturday and I'm busy sewing. Earlier this week Mason and I sewed the 4 patches together. In one long string. That is 352 4 patches in one long string. Ugh, now I have to press them!

After pressing SOME of the 4 patches I laid everything out in my queendom.






Then I counted out 112 bricks. Um, that little pile in the front of the box is 112 bricks. My box still has LOTS of bricks in it.

Next I sewed them together.

Okay, ready to press again. Think it's time for a break! And I did all that in two cups of coffee's time.

The bricks and stepping stones pattern is a great "take along" project. I've made several of them, and it's so easy. And with 352 4 patches I have enough 4 patches made for 3 tops.

Motivation Friday

Slow start today, Mason and I have been napping. Not a bad way to end the week!

So my goals--

1. I've been working on the 4 patches for my bricks and stepping stones, but still have a pile to finish.

2. Work on the kit I brought along, haven't gotten it out yet. Oops!

3. Snuggle Mason--well that is one goal I've gotten a lot of!!

Yesterday a friend who lives 1.5 hours away came to visit. LB was off work at noon, so after lunch my friend and I went shopping. Yes, I bought fabric. And I used a coupon! I was bummed because they didn't have enough fabric of one kind, and my coupon was good for only "one cut" of fabric. So I had to pay "gasp" full price for the 2nd piece. I had forgotten I needed backing for a quilt and I found a piece that works. And I found some primitive patriotic fabric that I will use to make pillowcases.

I'm watching the weather here, I won't try the 5 hour drive home unless I know it's going to be nice.

Wednesday Ramblings

So far, so good. Mason and I get along great during the day, very little fussy time. I had to enlist Laura Beth to help get a picture of him with his eyes open.



Yes, Grandma took my clothes off for my bath and that woke me up!

Sometimes I entertain myself and Grandma gets time to sew. She has made herself the queendom in the basement again.


I was on her bed playing and pretty soon we both took a nap!

The 4 patches are fun to sew, I got them ready before I left SD. Today LB doesn't work, but Mason has a checkup and his first set of shots, and she is going to catch up on some work things, so I will babysit part of the day. I hope to get out later to run a few errands. We'll see.

Monday Goals

Greetings from Mason's house! But we have to be quiet--he's

Yup, sleeping!! We've played and snuggled and napped so far today. Doesn't he look comfy??

So I'll work on some goals.

1. Sew my black/white 4 patches together, work on the Bricks and Stepping Stones

2. Check the kit I had put together, it's what I cut when I was cleaning my cutting table

3. Snuggle and play with Mason (oops--not a quilty goal!)

Think that's all I can do this week, I'll be busy with Mason and won't be home until next Monday maybe.

Sunday Stash Report

This week I bought two yards of different blacks. I have already cut them up to use in my Bricks and Stepping Stones project. I used one yard of stash to make a pillowcase. I also got the binding ready for two quilts. I know it looks like I've been backsliding, but as soon as I put the bindings on, that will use some significant yardage!

Busy packing here, want to be in Mankato before dark. I have my featherweight, cutting mats and rulers, my pink and white sewing box (that holds all my "necessary" items), a plastic tote holding the bricks, and in the baggie are boxes containing the cut 4 patches and another project I cut out when I cleaned OFF the cutting table.


I may not have my clothes or anything else ready, but I have my sewing packed!

I don't have any fabric (can you believe that!) to make pillowcases out of for the Heartstrings Sew In the weekend after Thanksgiving. Yes, I know you find it hard to believe, but anything that vaguely resembles patriotic colors has been used. I have bits and pieces I can maybe do trim and ends with, but nothing in bigger pieces for the main part. BUT, I have a coupon for my favorite store, so will have to stop and see if I can find a piece that would work.

Saturday-Packing and Pillowcases

I've trying to catch up on laundry, make lists, and plan food for when I stay at LB's and Nick's taking care of Mason next week. But I was having a bit of "sewing deprivation" so I decided to try making a pillowcase. I used this link http://www.operationsupportfordeployedmilitary.org/PCDir.php
to make this pillowcase--



It was a lot easier to follow the directions after seeing one made. So now I am ready for the Heartstrings Virtual Sew In November 29th and 30th!

I am hoping to work on a Bricks and Stepping Stones top while I am in Mankato and catch up on my blog reading.

Motivation Friday

My goals this week aren't doing so well. I am waiting to hear back from a customer about a quilt, so I haven't loaded anything. And I've decided against taking bindings to be done along to Mankato, too bulky, my car is little you know! So instead I am taking some bricks I have already cut, and the black and white strips to make Bricks and Stepping Stones blocks. Thanks Bonnie--I love that pattern.

Yesterday was spent running errands. I bought these--


I get cold feet easily, these have a padded non slip sole, will be nice when I wear my wool socks!

And then when I bought groceries, I saw this sign---


I had a coupon from buying groceries, so received an additional 7 cents off. Is this when I remind Ken he said we would take a short vacation to visit relatives if gas got to $2.00?? I FILLED the pickup.

A picture out my front door, not too bad here, 20 miles north of me the interstate just opened again.


Yes, that's a snowblower parked beside the steps. I admit to being a bit paranoid about snowstorms and cold weather. I bought this too--


I've also located my butane camping stove and have two propane tanks downstairs. And I've got two flashlights with new batteries. And those long lighters you use to light your grill, yup, got them around too!! I also have an antique kerosene lamp that works quite well. Why am I so paranoid? A couple of years ago our town was in a terrible ice storm and we had no power for five (??) days? Yes, it got fairly cold in our house. So I am practicing "being prepared"!