Wednesday Ramblings

Tonight will be Ken's first night back at work. I know he is going to be sore, can I come visit you for the next week??

Yesterday we ran a few errands, Alycia's box is shipped (watch for it Alycia!!) and I stopped at the fabric store for a few things I needed. Yes, NEEDED! And yes, shopped my stash first. Drat!

Today I will make a dish Ken loves for supper, we call it "football dip". Make with browned burger, onion, salsa, canned chili/no beans, a little taco seasoning, and Velveeta. You eat it with tortilla chips. And a pan of brownies.


I've been working on my goals. Readying a top to load. The Chocolate Covered Cherries are waiting for their border. Remember the blocks I found and I couldn't remember why I made them? I found the book where I got the idea, soon I can work on them! The Christmas Courthouse steps are trimmed waiting for the next strips. The "Manly Happy Blocks" are now a top waiting for a border.

I also love to bake, and one of my favorite things to make is bread. Here I made two loaves of raisin cinnamon bread.

I hope you are getting in the sewing time you want. The weather has warmed and I feel much more like sewing.

Monday Goals

Isn't today a holiday? Does that mean I don't have to set goals? Okay, enough slacking for the day! Goals for the week---

1. Load a quilt
2. Work on Christmas Courthouse steps
3. Work on a UFO
4. Finish Chocolate Covered Cherries to a top

Okay, that looks like a good week for me. I was going to run errands today, but then realized half the places I was going to go were closed for the holiday. But I did do a few things yesterday. Alycia--this box will head to your house tomorrow!

I will be sending it UPS because of it's size. And I trimmed my latest round on the Courthouse steps, only 4 more strips to go!

When this quilt is finished I think most of my old Christmas fabric will be gone. Next--maybe my 30's reproductions?? What are you going to work on this week??

Sunday Stash Report

0 stash in, 0 stash out.  0's for the year so far!    Been sewing madly, but no finishes.  Sheesh, you'd think I'd have one pretty soon! 

Decided the D9P was a bit small so made another row of blocks on the top and side.  Now it will be big enough to cuddle in without my feet or my shoulders hanging out.  Must be the cold weather we've been having, I need snuggle room!  Today I'm going to box up the quilts for Alycia, want to send them off tomorrow.  Sewed another two strips on my Christmas courthouse steps, today I will trim them.  All 64 of them!  Only 4 more strips to go.  And, if I have time, I am going to sew my "Happy Blocks" together, I haven't seen any I would move while they've been auditioning on the wall.  So although my numbers haven't moved, I'm still getting things done.  So it's been a good week!  How have you been doing?  

Motivation Friday

Time to see how my goals are coming. I've worked on a UFO. I'm going to work on my courthouse steps tonight. I haven't loaded another quilt, hoping that goal will be achieved this weekend. And I have Ann's QOV done.

I knew I wanted to quilt this in white, but the backing was an almost solid navy blue. But I did anyway--do you like it? I used a panto called Plumage.

The backing is two different pieces of dark blue, but after quilting you really have to look to find them!

I now have three quilts with pillowcases ready to go to Alycia, so I will write in cards and get them ready to ship over the weekend. I have two more to quilt from Jane M in WI, they are next. Jane--do you have a blog I don't know about??

I also put together my D9P blocks into a top, I think I will give them a dark border out of the black fabric in the blocks. pdudgeon gave it a name--Chocolate Covered Cherries! The name evokes wonderful memories of my mother and grandmother--who always had those chocolate covered cherries at Christmastime. It's a great memory--thanks pdudgeon!!

I have supper in the crock pot, I'm trying more recipes from A Year of Crock-potting--the Ham and Lima Bean Cassoulet. It smells really good, I think I will make a batch of fresh bread to go with it.

Wednesday Ramblings

It is COLD out today. Did some errands earlier, now I plan to stay home---where it's warm! I have started my grocery list, I stocked up early in December, but even the staples are starting to get low.

I have the binding sewn on Ann's quilt, I just have the hand sewing and the label left. The polka dots make a great binding.

Pat said her New Year's resolution was to try something out of her comfort zone. Hmm--good idea! I have always wanted to try making a disappearing 9 patch--so I did that last night. How do they look??

I think they will make a nice quilt when they are set together--I found the tutorial on Pattilou's Quilts.

Monday Goals

Okay, I think my goals will be simple this week.  

1.  Bind Ann's QOV
2.  Load another quilt
3.  Sew on the courthouse steps
4.  work on a UFO--ANY UFO

We drove home last night and in places the roads were ice and/or snow packed.  We took our time and it was fine.  Stopped and bought a few groceries--you know, the necessities--milk, eggs, bread, chocolate!  We talked about waiting until this morning, and now we're glad we didn't.  It is NASTY out!!  So nasty the state has called all the snowplows in, and no travel is advised.  High winds with blowing snow and zero visibility.  

 

You can see to the next lot, but the wind is blowing and my house is rattling.  Good day to stay inside and nap and sew!

Sunday Stash Report

Boy, time flies when you're having fun.  I haven't finished a project, so no stash used.  And although I bought some fabric, it was for a quilt I was commissioned to make, so I don't count that in "my" stash.  Anything left over will get counted when I'm done.  So it's a boring report, zero used, zero bought.  

By next week I will have a Ann's QOV done, it just needs the binding applied and sewn down.  And I hope to get another quilt loaded.  Since I feel better I WANT TO SEW!!

Saturday Shopping

Today Laura Beth and I are going shopping.   We have not been doing much, sitting, coughing, comparing illness symptoms!   Mason has a rattly cough we all wish would go away.  But no fever and Dr. said not necessary to bring him in.  Grandma and Mom worry a lot you know!  

 

Here is a picture of Mason and Grandpa--why is it men and babies always sleep when when the men have to babysit??  

And Ruby the Quilting dog--well, she has her spot, her blanket is behind Mason's swing, and she naps there while he sleeps, must be keeping him company!! 

 

Motivation Friday

Well, my cold is better, although it's not completely gone, I'M HUMAN AGAIN!!!  And for a week that started off so bad, it's turned itself around.  I've gotten the top I loaded on the machine quilted, and I liked how it turned out.   As soon as it is "done done" I will take a picture.   I also put another round on the Christmas courthouse steps, and sewed some UFO blocks into a top.  They are waiting for "inspiration borders".  

But we are in Mankato, arrived last night.  The patient is complaining the car ride made him sore, so he is busy whining.  But not too sore to entertain Mason with some "tractor noises".  John Deere B tractor noises!

Wednesday Ramblings

It's amazing what a few days do! I'm not 100% yet, but I am doing things and want to SEW! Life is good again!

I loaded a quilt yesterday, and I trimmed another round on the courthouse steps quilt. I may try to quilt a bit today. So many options when you're upright!

And I have distressed Ruby the Quilting dog, she had two "burp rags" of Mason's she was keeping track of by laying on, and I picked them up and washed them. Now she's not sure where to lay. No goodies on the floor. The edge of a blanket hung off the couch and she tried to lay her head on that! Poor Ruby.

Ruby is such a quiet dog, she won't pick up anything and move it, just stretch her body out and try to lay on them both. When I am home she is "my" dog, when Ken is home she is "his" dog. And she doesn't care WHO is holding the leash ready to leave--she is "their" dog!!

If we all feel good, we plan to go visit Mason this weekend. And maybe I will peek in a few quilt shops. (Shhhh--don't tell Ken!!)

Monday Goals on Tuesday!

Feeling much better today.  We are hoping to go visit Laura Beth and family on Thursday, so I won't have much for goals.  

1.  Work on Courthouse steps
2.  Load a quilt

While I was "down and out" I spent time reading quilt magazines and books, and have a new project picked out.  It's scrappy, and I won't have to buy a thing!  But I have to finish piecing my courthouse steps first!  And a few other projects.