Snow is a 4 Letter Word

It is supposed to be spring.  What did we have today?  SNOW...at this point in time it is a 4 letter word to me.  It actually covered the ground, but then a breeze blew in from the south and it was gone by the time I was supposed to go back to work.

I am finally starting to get my energy back, and do a little bit of sewing.  I finished cutting out all of my parts for the Grand Illusion quilt and decided to fold up my fabric sitting around.

Fat quarters all folded and ready to put away.

Half yard cuts.

Yard or more.  They are folded on comic book boards and put away.  I think DH was slightly thrilled to be able to see the dining room table. 

The final two steps of Grand Illusion all cut and getting sewn together.

I actually finished sewing together all of the units today.  These are steps 4 and 5.  I had a little bit of time after I finished up all of the units and made up one block today.

I know a lot of people were not happy with how it looked but I think it is fun. 

I wanted to share the lovelies that arrived in the mail.  I had won a charm pack of the Bella Solids from Felicia at The Slow Quilter for her birthday give away.  The lovely Felicia threw in a pack of Lovely by Debbie Beavers for RJR and a sweet little turtle. 

The turtle now lives with my chicken on the window sill in my sewing room.  I think I may need to add a cow soon. 

Spring Has Arrived

Spring has arrived, well at least per the calendar, as to around here, maybe not so much.  I have been MIA for over 10 days.

It all started about two weeks ago.  I just felt extremely tired, so when I would get home from work I would curl up and sleep until I had to go back.  Friday, DH wanted to go to a home improvement store in Ohio.  By the time we were heading home, I was feeling a wee bit ill.  I could feel the cold settling in my chest.  Add to that by midnight I had a stomach flu going too.  Not much sewing going on, and after at least the flu part was finished, I just was extremely tired and was back to the work, sleep, work cycle.  I had a couple of days where I would sew for 15 -30 minutes but that was the extent of my sewing.

If you are feeling ill, maybe sewing is not the best idea.

See the basket in the 4th row?  Yep it is sideways.  I also didn't like a couple of the other blocks so I actually took a couple apart and turned them to get them going to right way. 

I finally finished all of the units for part 3 of the Grand Illusion quilt.  Since I am finished I should probably gather up all of the green which is laying on the dining room table and fold and put away.

I started cutting out the parts for the 4th part.

I actually have all the black squares, yellow squares and have started on the HST for the units.  Maybe this will go together faster than the last one.  I need to see if I can find some more aqua fabrics in my stash. 

All of these HST have been part of a leader and ender while I was sewing.  I selected Moda Bella Bright Turquoise solid I think I need to figure out something to do with these. 

I have never made a quilt using flannel.  The bag ladies project for guild, the first group of fabrics I received to work with were these. 

This is the block I am making.  I hope it works out alright because of the bulk, and the points.

These are my recent purchases.  Some pipe cleaners to get into the hard to reach places in my machine, some Organ needles, and a box of Schmetz needles.  Normally I purchase Schmetz and I don't have many problems with them, but they are kind of spendy.  I wanted to try the Organ since they are less expensive but DH insisted that I purchase the big box of the Schmetz needles and a small package of the Organ to see if I like them. 

Are you as happy that spring has arrived as I am? 

The Blame Game

I started this week with good intentions.  I was going to limit my time on the computer, cross stitch a bit, embroider a bit, exercise a little, and sew a little.  Yep that lasted one whole day.  Tuesday after cleaning my bus multiple times just in the morning I was late leaving work, had to run home, then to the gas station, and to the feed store to get the girls some feed.  I visited the girls when I got home, and ate breakfast, talked to my mamma...you get where I am going.  I did do a bit of embroidery while I was waiting for a computer download, decided I needed a nap, and my day was just out of whack.

I did do a bit of sewing.  I am going to blame Dawn at Sew You Quilt 2, she keeps making these cute little kite type blocks, which she has actually turned into a candle mat/mug rug.  Dawn has done one for every month of the year.  So of course I wanted to make one and had to buy the ruler.  I  really needed to do something different just for a short project, and I knew that the ruler was wandering around my sewing room somewhere.

This is what my cutting table looked like after looking for my ruler.  I did get some things put away into their proper places. 

OK I am wondering who has this many rulers?  Really?  And I use all of them, and I know there are a few more playing hide and seek in there somewhere.  Anyway I did find the ruler.

Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, and I was formerly a McDonald, and the youngest daughter's significant other is a McGinn, I thought they could use a little something to decorate for the upcoming holiday. 

The green is Celtic crosses, and the white are shamrocks.  Did this not turn out sweet?!?! I know that I need something for a backing but I was just a wee bit excited with how it turned out, and it only took me about 20 minutes.  I just need a backing but now I know why Dawn loves making these. 

I had a package waiting in the mailbox today,   Dawn sent these to me.  A sweet zipper bag, a pair of pillowcases, a dream catcher, quilt pattern, and planet and galaxy fabric, as well as some candies. Bloggers are such great people and I have some great bloggy friends. 

Maybe tomorrow I will get back on track. 

Daylight Savings Time Lament

I don't know if it is that I am getting older....yes I did just recently celebrate a birthday, but I am having a harder and harder time with the time changes.  After the change in October I had the hardest time sleeping until 4:30 am.  Many times I was awake at 3:30 am, 4 am at the latest.  We have now once again changed the clocks and it makes me wonder how messed up my circadian rhythm is going to be now. 

Add to the time change I have a bit of a cold and the weekend was pretty much a complete waste.  The grandson came and he and DH worked on a dinosaur model, and he went out to help feed the girls.  He had to be home by noon, but we did have a fun breakfast of waffles, and a trip to the hobby store for the next project that the boys can share. 

Saturday I had a package which made me smile.

My friend Nancy from Pug Mom Quilts! sent me these super cute rooster fabrics.  Maybe I can make a pin up for the Clucky Girls using these. 

I also took an organization  hint from Kris at Kris Loves Fabric and purchased a cutlery tray.

At least I don't have squares falling all over the room now.  

Remember my block I chose for the Bag Ladies group at quilt guild.  Well I started to shop my stash looking for fabrics to use for the block.

The bird fabric will be the main fabric.  The yellow was Moda Grunge, the blue was a Kaufman fusions, and the beigy text print.    Wasn't really popping to me.

Switch out the text print and replace it with a gray cross hatch by Timeless treasures.  Liking it a bit better.

Change out the yellow grunge and throw in the green, and I was wavering between the gray cross hatch, and the text. 

I asked DH for his opinion.  He thought the bird print, green, and the gray cross hatch, and the blue Kaufman fusions would be nice.

I made up the block.

I am just not loving it, not enough contrast.  Neither is DH.  Not too sure if I should change out the green grunge and the gray and go with the yellow grunge instead and a white of some sort, or if just changing out the green will be enough.  

I have been working a bit on my Farmer's Wife getting it put together.  A little bit at a time I guess eventually it will get done.

How did your weekend, and that one hour lost go?

Weekly Update and A Winner!

The first week of March has been thankfully uneventful.  I haven't done a whole lot of sewing, other than some sashing, cornerstones, and setting squares for the Farmer's Wife. 

I love the yellow setting squares.  I need to trim down my sashing strips.  I cut them a wee bit too big and need to trim them down. 

I made a few of these too.

OK I know that you are really checking this out for the give away.  There were 16 visitors, and twelve followers for a total of 28 entries.  I wrote down everyone's name and folded them up into teeny tiny squares. 

Then of course we had to put them into some kind of container.  To the rescue the gigantor John Deere coffee cup.  This baby can hold 6 cups of coffee!  DH is forbidden to use it because when he uses them I don't get any coffee. 

Enter the oldest grandson.  He came to visit for the evening and to work on his dinosaur model. 

Since he is so scientific he was our method of choosing.  He closed his eyes and chose a slip.

Congratulations Missy!  I will be sending your the information regarding the gift certificate.  Thanks for celebrating my ups, downs, 2nd blog anniversary and birthday! 

Goal Planning for the month of March

The first day of March and I slept in!  To 7:30 am which is a good thing.  I looked out the window and it was snowing.  Argh!  OK what do you do?  DH was going to make me breakfast but he was called into work.  So I decided I would work on some unstitching, creating a couple of posts for the blog, and some sewing.

What can I do that is exciting for the month of March?

1.  One of the high on the list tasks is to sew up a test block for my guilds bag lady group.  I chose a block, now I need to shop the stash and figure out what fabrics I want my quilt made out of.

2. Farmer's Wife quilt-  Keep sashing and making corner stones.  I ordered some fabric for the setting squares which should be here in a couple of days.  They didn't have enough, but I will wait until more comes in and order some more and pray the dye lots are close.

3. Grand Illusion step 3 I keep cutting, trimming and sewing and don't seem to be making a whole lot of progress, but maybe it is because I have been using a lot of scraps in it too.

4.  Quilt Group Blocks-  They are starting a new project this year, but I don't think I will join.  I have a lot of things to work on finishing up.  I think I have several more blocks to make to have all of the blocks made, and 5 more connector blocks to be ready to sew it together.

5.  Quilting-  I have my basket case quilt, and my charity quilt for the guild to work on.

6.  My slow stitching is still my words of wisdom blocks, and my tractor cross stitch.

7.  Yellow brick road I would love to get finished at least the blocks and it put together.

8.  Drunkard's Path I love the simplicity of the block just need to settle down a bit.

9.  Aurifil BOM for 2014 I need to get the blocks prepped for the setting.

10.  I think I need to do something new but can't quite figure out what yet.  Sometimes something fresh helps your spirit. 

I know a long list but when I look at the list and see what I accomplish it makes me smile, and also helps keep me on track.   I think that right now I am kind of in one of those loops where I have had so many projects that finished at once and now it is getting the "business" portion of those projects finished that will help get it to the flimsy stage.  I don't live and die by my goals, nor am I too harsh when I don't hit every one.  It is a fun way to keep me on task.

When you make goals are you a stick to em' type of goal maker or are they just a mere suggestion and you will go with the flow type of goal maker. 

February Is a Wrap

I am so glad that the month of February is finished!  I don't feel like I have done a whole lot, but pictures do tell.  So here is my February wrap up.

I read 8 books in the month of February.  I would have had a couple of more, but I kind of stalled out the last two weeks of the month. 

1.  I need to square up my Farmer's Wife blocks which are finished.  I would at least like to get that finished this month, and possibly start to put the lattice around it.  I also need to decide on the setting squares. If I do just 5 a day I would be done by the end of the month having the quilt blocks squared up.***  Check all squared up, on the design wall in a pleasing layout and I am working on the sashing, cornerstones, and I finally chose a color for the setting blocks.  

2.  Setting blocks for the 2014 Aurifil block of the month.

I started to work on it, and figured out that I had not enlarged my pattern correctly.  So I have to start it over to get it right.  At least I have the fabric to finish it. 

3.  Yellow Brick Road quilt  I would love to get this one finished up.

I actually buried this one under a ton of fabric...well maybe not a ton, but as I was cleaning it up it seemed like it. 

4.  Finish up Step 2 of Grand Illusion and maybe work a bit on step 3. 

 I finished step 2 which seemed like it took forever but step 3 is not a whole lot better!

5.  My quilt group BOM.  I am about 12 blocks behind now!   There are some ladies that actually have finished their quilts.  Five blocks.

 Twenty setting blocks.

 I realized that I needed to make a lot more blocks and the alternates to get enough to make this a big quilt. 

 6.  Quilting for charity quilt.  I feel bad I haven't worked on this quilt since before Christmas.

 7.  Quilting for Basket Case Quilt which I almost have loaded on my frame.

Got the quilt loaded started to quilt, and all of a sudden had tension problems  Grrr!  I had a bit of unpicking to do to start on it again.

8.  Maybe work on some drunkard's path blocks.  After finally getting all the rearranging done in the house I haven't touched these since before Christmas either. 

9.    Some slow stitchingHaven't touched my Words of Wisdom redwork other than to move it from spot to spot. 

But I have worked a wee bit on my tractor Cross stitch.

Overall not a bad month, but I know I didn't always use my free time to the optimum and probably could have done a bit more if I had.

I did make a mini for a friend as a thank you which I feel turned out sweet.

I also did a dog pillow for one of the Quilt guild charities. 

I also redid an old Christmas stocking saving the Cross stitch and using it to make a sew sweet pillow.

I am looking forward to March, warmer temperatures and days filled with smiles.  How was your month?

Don't forget my giveaway.  You can enter here.