Rainbow Scrappy Saturday--BROWN!!

Hooray!!!  Brown!!  Its one of my favorite colors.  I'll have no problems making brown blocks.  Here is the first one I made for browns--

This is a Missouri Star 4 Patch Star.  Its easy and I am using repurposed 4 patches in the center.  Please see what everyone is doing with brown at SoScrappy.  Did I remember to tell you how much I LOVE brown??

A variety of scraps/colors are needed for the planned boy quilt using the b/w 4patches I found.  A wonderful friend sent me TWO boxes of scraps and fabrics.  

Here are some of them I pulled out to use.  Its so much fun to have a variety of fabrics to use.  So many quilts--so little time!  Thank you my friend!

This week a blizzard hit parts of Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota.  Not usually a problem except Ken was scheduled for shoulder surgery on Wednesday.  The storm was coming Monday night through Tuesday for sure.  We threw our suitcases together and headed to Laura Beth and Nick's--they live in a suburb of Sioux Falls where the surgery was to take place.  I'm glad to we did--it was a nasty storm!  

Looking out Laura Beth and Nick's garage door

Lorri2Rs got 15", Mary in Vermillion got 17".  High winds and no visibility.  All roads were closed.  Luckily the storm was over by Tuesday night and plows began to clear the roads at 4am.  Ken didn't need to check into the hospital until Noon so it worked out.  The surgery went well and he was able to leave Wednesday evening.  We stayed with the kids Wednesday night so we didn't have to travel the snow and ice packed roads in the dark.  We're home now, we had very little snow from the storm here.  Whew! 

So there hasn't been a lot of sewing.  I've been christened "Nurse Ratched".  Ken delights in being waited on.  I know he's feeling better, he asked for a Coke and Oreos!  Although we're not football fans he's asked for me to make "football dip" for the game.  I'm waiting for the commercials and the halftime performance of Coldplay.  Did you know the big screens used in the stadium are made by the South Dakota company Daktronics?  

Which team are you rooting for?  Are you attending a Superbowl Party?  Watching at home?  Or maybe not watching and sewing??  (that's me).

~LORI~
 

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

These blocks are on the ironing board-

The start of Simply Woven by Moda Bakeshop.  Its a free pattern, check it out!  I'm using two jelly rolls and whatever else appeals to me.  Please see everyone's Design Wall Posts at Patchwork Times.

The quilting is done on Raggy Flowers--

Its been trimmed, the binding stitched on and now on the Happy Binding Pile.  It is #9 in the Gauntlet Toss.  

Weekly Goals--

Finish last seven seams on Star Struck

Quilt another top

Find backings for two tops

Search closet for blocks in rows

Pull 112 Bricks for swap with a friend

Simply Woven-next strip

Binding beside recliner

Looks like lots of projects?  I don't intend to do them all, but do need to list them to focus my attention.  Last night after I was in bed I had a 

and had to go search for an old project in my sewing room.  Immediately.  Yes, an OCD moment.  I have another "guild quilt kit" and I remembered some black/white 4 patches from a long forgotten UFO.  Drat, they are not the same size as the kit's squares.  Do I cut the squares smaller?  I'm thinking I will.  From 6.5" to 5.5 inches.  They are a good color--wine reds to purple reds.  I can add another color from my stash.  There are at least 50 B/W 4 patches already made. This year I'm working on "boy" quilts to donate.  My search was prompted by seeing this photo I had saved--

I can't remember where it came from--but loved how the 4 patches are not all B/W but you only see the dark/light diagonals.  I think this will be a good pattern to use some of my unloved 5" charms. I have more new starts floating in my head, but I need to get cracking on a few older projects first.  Still need to quilt 3 tops for my personal Gauntlet Toss.

There's a blizzard watch, I'm hoping we are on the edge and most of it goes southeast.  Lorri2Rs better stay home, she's right in the heavy snow zone.  

I'm ready for April, tired of winter.  Sigh  

~LORI~

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday--more blue

Four more blue Jacob's Ladder blocks--

The four patches are re purposed leftovers from a previous project.  These blocks are going to be addictive!  Please see everyone's blue projects at SoScrappy.

Time to check on my goals--

Quilt Easy Street (Lorri2Rs)--DONE

Star Struck to Flimsey stage--NO

Simply Woven--1st step--YES

Alletaire--reassess what I need to do--NO

Mindless piecing (there is one of those on the fringe of the design wall)--YES

Keep working on binding beside recliner--YES

 

Another top is loaded on the Princess.  Its an OLD project, I think close to 10 years old.  Its aged long enough.  

The week has been quiet.  One day for errands/groceries.  I'm whittling away at my goal list.  The weather has warmed up enough to melt some of the snow.  We may get another winter storm on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday.  I hope it goes to the south of us.  

Have you kept busy sewing?  Have you finished any projects?  

~LORI~

 

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

The design wall is full--

There are 90 Star Struck blocks made.  Its taking a little longer because I am "twirling" some intersections--

Every blue/blue, neutral/neutral, and red/white intersection has to be opened and twirled.  Not hard, just takes extra time, but it helps the blocks lay flatter.  

Notice I said "flatter"--my blocks are not completely flat and there will be some missing points!  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

My favorite machine is home from the spa--

Becca the 201 is my favorite piecing machine.  Chuckie the 15-91, Irene the 401a and Evelyn the 301 all pitched in but I am used to Becca.  I like where her light is positioned (in front) and I prefer her drop in bobbin.  She has a slightly bigger throat space and feeding through chain piecing is so easy with her.  She is fast and quiet and we are happy together.  

Its cold here, not frigid cold, just cold enough for this--

Ice cold beer in the snow on the deck.  Ahhh!  I am enjoying it as I type.  

Weekly Goals--

Quilt Easy Street (Lorri2Rs)

Star Struck to Flimsey stage

Simply Woven--1st step

Alletaire--reassess what I need to do

Mindless piecing (there is one of those on the fringe of the design wall)

Keep working on binding beside recliner

Perfect--an assortment of projects for the week.

Yesterday had a few interruptions.  Ken and a coworker were working on bathroom plumbing in spare bathroom.  They needed to use the access door which is in a closet where I store batting.  Egads--I practiced Superman moves--leaping rolls of batting in a single bound!  Since sewing was impossible while they were working I replaced the florescent light above my cutting table.  I think age had finally caught up with it (at least 50 years old) and I replaced it with an LED fixture.  Today we tackled the many sewing machines sitting around--4 went back into storage in the basement and two cabinets into storage.  The batting was sorted out and put back in closet.  I'll need to pull it all out again when they install the new bathtub fixtures.  Still 3 rolls of batting and an ironing board set up but I can live with that.

Stash Report--

Stash In--12.5 yards yds

Stash out--00.00 yds

Stash in YTD--15.25 yds

Stash out YTD--6.00 yds

Stash is ahead 9.25 yds!

2 one yard pieces of black prints (I'm low on blacks) and 4 yards of a focus print for a boy quilt. 6.5 yards of wide backing.  This week I also finished quilting the RWB Monkey Wrench/9 Patch and added it to the Happy Binding pile.  I only count stash out when its completely done but I'm happy with my numbers.  I save my binding for summer unless I am on a deadline.  I want to finish assemblying the Star Struck blocks so album blocks can go on the design wall. I NEED more finished tops to quilt, the Gauntlet Toss is always on my mind.  

I don't think I have lots of errands this week.  Bathtub fixtures and groceries but that's it.  

I watched a lot of Weather Channel this weekend.  The weather here was normal, no big storms.  Were you where there was lots of snow?  Did anyone lose power?  Did you do lots of sewing if you were housebound?  How about internet purchases??!!

~LORI~

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday--More Blue

More blue blocks--

I have lots of blue to use!  Please see everyone's blue projects at SoScrappy.

Last weekend I sewed with the Iowa Sweat Shop Ladies.  A few pics--

Donna was binding her beautiful Labyrinth quilt.

 Kathleen was meticulously piecing and appliqueing new placemats.  

 Lorri2Rs was working on this Dragonfly quilt.  

This beauty is an original design by Sharon's son, embroidered, pieced, and COLORED by Sharon, with help from her DIL Rhonda.  Doesn't it remind you of a Spirograph?  Do you remember them?  The center design is embroidered and then colored with the wax ironed off.  

I mitered the borders on this top.  The blocks are from RSC 2015.  Bias binding from the border stripe is made, now I have to find a backing.   

Meet Aiobhael the Goth Fairy!  Its a paper pieced design by Janeen Van Niekerk.  Lorri2Rs made it for me out of satins, embellished with netting, crystals feathers silver cordings.  The eyelets on the boot are hooks from hook and eye sets.  She even has red fingernails.  Don't you love the feather halo??  Lorri2Rs is a talented doll maker and enjoyed this challenge.  Aiobhael is ME on Stashbusters.  I always wanted green eyes!!  Thank you Lorri!!

The weekend is going to be devoted to sewing.  I'm watching the weather on the East coast and hoping no ones loses power.  Yesterday we did errands, bought groceries and there is no reason to leave the house.  The weather is clear and cold but nothing extreme.  

How is your weather?  Are in the path of Jonas?  Will you spend time sewing?  

~LORI~

Sunday Stash Report

This week I had a finish--

A quilt I made using a kit from my guild.  Kit is not a very good description--there were 70 precut squares--6 to 6.5" squares.  I used about half of them, and added my own fabrics for the rest.  Its a simple Disappearing 9 Patch.  61 x 78".  I'll estimate 6 yds from my stash.  I forgot to take a picture of the backing, I used two pieces of pink/white flannel--a plaid and a polka dot.  Maybe not the prettiest quilt (I might be biased as I'm not fond of purple) but the flannel backing made it cuddly and the pink and purple pansies in the border were cheerful.  On Stashbusters a topic has been how there is a need for more "boy" quilts versus "girl" quilts for donation.  Last year I tried to choose fabrics for QOV that were more masculine--its hard!  This month at guild I picked up another "kit" that has a lot of deep wine reds--it WILL be a boy quilt.  

New Numbers are--

Stash In--0.0 yds

Stash out--6.00 yds

Stash in YTD--2.75 yds

Stash out YTD--6.00 yds

I'm ahead 3.25 yds! 

Please see everyone's stash report at Patchwork Times.

~LORI~

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday Blue

More Jacob's Ladder blocks--

There are lots of blue scraps here and we're only half way through January--more blue blocks to be made!  Please see everyone's blue projects at SoScrappy.

Ruby loves when I sew binding.  She slowly inches over until she is laying on whatever I'm working on--

All the quilts I make have been Quality Control Tested by Ruby.  

Its been a busy week.  Wednesday was an evening of babysitting, Thursday night was guild.  Friday night was Ken's Christmas party.  Today I'm heading to Iowa to sew with the Iowa Sweat Shop Ladies.  Its going to be bitter cold but Lorri2Rs house is toasty warm.  Ahhhhh!  

~LORI~

 

Sunday Stash Report

My first stash report for 2016--

Stash In--2.75 yds

Stash out--00.00 yds

Stash in YTD--2.75 yds

Stash out YTD--00.00 yds

Stash is ahead 2.75 yds! 

What did I buy?  A jelly roll to add to my planned Simply Woven start!  Please see everyone's stash report at Patchwork Times.

A few random pictures--

What is that?  Cheezit crackers with peanut butter and a baby aspirin--Ruby the Quilting Dog is almost 15 yo and has arthritis--one or two baby aspirin a day really help her.  She gobbles them--GULP!! GONE!!

On Stashbusters Yahoo group 2016 is the year of Faeries.  We have fairy names, and magic doors to pop through, and magic faery dust, oh, whatever you can think of!   I am a "goth" faery.  

 

My Faery name is Aiobheal

While Lorri was here she began paper piecing me a faery wall hanging--

She has lots of patience!  She's using satin and netting--Lorri is a talented doll maker so the fiddly work is her thing.

 A closeup of an eye--some pieces only have 3 stitches holding them in place.  

And since this is the year of faeries--I found some faery fabric in my stash--I'll have to use it somehow.

Have you ever wanted to be a faery?  

~Lori~

 

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday and Progress

January's color is blue--I made this blue block using the Missouri Star Pattern "4-Patch Stars"--

A very simple block and I'm using leftover 4 patches from several years ago in the center.  A few each month will yield a nice size quilt.  Please see what everyone is working on at SoScrappy.

Lorri2Rs was here for a visit.  Look what she did--

I'd sorted my leftover bits of batting by type and early one morning she sewed the scraps together into usable size batts--she even labeled them with the size!  Thank you Lorri!!  

Last year I made Monkey Wrench/9 Path blocks and I've gotten them set together--

The borders are made but not on--they are the striped fabric with a narrow blue strip.  

A completed quilt found a new home--

Cecely has graduated from college and will be moving to Nashville.  I was lucky to volunteer with Cecely, I am so going to miss her!  Cecely has worked three years for the Army Corps of Engineers as a Park Ranger while in college.  Lucky is the company who hires her!!  

The weather has turned COLD!  We have a little new snow but not much. Groceries were bought on Thursday and I plan to stay inside all weekend and sew.  Some peasant stew with lots of black eyed peas and kale sounds good.  Ken is a good sport and eats it but I will make him something he likes too.  He doesn't share my love of dried beans and green things!  Ken has one great food love--a burger.  

Has the new year brought you lots of sewing time?  Are you finishing any old projects?  Started any new ones?  How are your resolutions?

~LORI~
  

2016 Goals and Guidelines

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

 Its a new year, and I'm using my 2015 Guidelines again--

2016 Guidelines

Refold/organize ONE cube/spot in my stash per month

Work on ONE UFO per month and move it One more step towards completion.  (add borders, set blocks into a top, etc)

Any piece of stash less than 9" WOF goes into the scrap box to be recut into usable units--noodles, 3.5" x 6.5" bricks, 5" charms.  

Finish a UFO before starting a new project (this one is a bit iffy)

I plan to participate in Design Wall Mondays, Stashbuster's UFO Challenge, Rainbow Scrap Challenge and other internet fun.  Even Stash reports!  I may not post to each one every week--but I enjoy them. 

I plan to make quilts for donation and for family. 

I will participate in internet fun.  

I will remind myself its the PROCESS I love the most!

 

 My words for the year are ENJOY, FOCUS, and BALANCE!!

They have worked well for me, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"  I did add Focus and Balance to my words.  

How has my year totalled up?   My stash report shows me buying 109 yards more than I used, but I have seven tops to hand sew the binding, I don't count stash out until that step is done so I think I'm pretty close to break even.  Refold/reorganize one section of stash each month has been great.  I find fabric I have forgotten and use it.  Lots of quilts have been finished this year and several of them have new homes.  I've learned a new very helpful phrase--Just One Thing--JOT.  Even if you don't think you have time or don't feel like it, do JOT.  Wind bobbins.  Rip the mistake you laid to the side.  Press the blocks you pieced.  JOT can be locating a pattern, doing math, or making lists.  JOT is a task that might take 15 minutes.  Its a great tool, its used a lot. 

My UFO's numbers have decreased, currently count 42, although I am sure there are more hiding.  

I've been limiting my internet time and sewing more.  Gauntlet Toss--A challenge to anyone to a quilting marathon.  My goal is 12 tops quilted by May 1st.  Tonight I finished #7.

Christmas was postponed due to 9" of snow.   The grandsons got nerf bullet guns, games, toys and new shirts.  They are young enough its great fun.  

Today Lorri2Rs is coming to sew for a few days.  We're going to work on lots of things, Alletaire is a mystery no longer and we can hardly wait to finish ours!

I'm planning pork, cabbage, and Hoppin' John for today.  All supposed to bring you good luck in the new year.  Do you have a special menu or tradition for today?  

~LORI~

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Nothing on my design wall but I did load a top on the Princess--

Spool blocks I made 3 or 4 years ago for the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge.  Its ready to go whenever I get the urge to quilt.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Part 4 of Alletaire is being worked on--

Headless flying geese!  Its no secret I don't like diagonal seams.  There are 480 in this clue alone!  Arrggghh!!  The neutral bits need to be sewn to the red bits yet and then this step will be done.  There was a bit of frog stitching--

Both seams angled the same way

Red fabric wrong side up

I like my bits pressed flat.  Once all the parts were pressed I laid them neatly underneath a cutting square--

 Next I weigh the square down with a couple of quilting books--

This insures the pieces will be nice and flat when I come back to sew them together.  I know I know--OCD!!

There was baking today--

Spritz cookies!  Two batches--one of green trees and one of red wreaths.  Ken helped me dip the Buckeyes, Ritz/Peanut butter crackers, and I made a batch of Haystacks (corn flakes, coconut, nuts coated with chocolate and heaped in little mounds).  The outside freezer is where I store my goodies.  I need to store them further away--they are too close!!!  

Liz on Stashbusters issued a challenge/quilt-a-long.  Its Simply Woven at Moda Bakeshop (free pattern)--

Isn't it a great looking quilt?  NO DIAGONAL SEAMS!!  And its very stash friendly--you can cut it all from fabric you already own.  I found a jelly roll in the closet that contains these fabrics-

Its called "Sweet" by Moda for Urban Chiks.  The pattern calls for two jelly rolls, I'm not sure if I'll dig deeper in my stash for fabrics or possibly buy some.  If you'd like to sew along you can join Stashbusters at Yahoo Groups or just sew one.  

Weekly Goals--

I'm still "eating the elephant".  Its a good goal at this busy time of year.   More blocks need to go on the design wall and Alletaire and Star Struck are keeping me busy.  A few more Christmas goodies to be made.  There has been no time to sit in the chair and hand sew binding. 

Are you thinking about goals for 2016?  New Projects?  UFO's to finish?  Any goals that aren't quilty??  

~LORI~