Friday Night Sew In

Tonight's the night! I'm working on a quilt for my boss. He's retiring in the next month or two. The original date has been pushed back a month already, which is nice for me, because i have more time to work on it!

I'm also finishing up my prep work for my upcoming quilt camp :-D. I've got some cutting left to do (not counting the fabric winging its way to me as we speak, since I miscalculated my yardage!) and HST to sew as prep for the main class I'm taking. I also need to pack up some scraps for the mystery project.

Hope you get a chance to join!

~QB29

GO BIG BLUE!

BIG BLUE ROCKS!

I'm a Winner!

Today I fell victim to the (not-so) dreaded Sunday-Afternoon-Nap-Syndrome (SANS). When I woke up, I jumped online for a little bit to check blogs and emails before I have to go back to church. I had a couple of comments on my blog and look what they were congratulating me for ....

Look, what I won:


Yep, I won this month's Friday Night Sew-in sponsored by Heidi over at Handmade by Heidi. Thank you Heidi for hosting this monthly event and thank you Arrow Sewing Cabinets for sponsoring this month's giveaway. I've been wanting a cut 'n' press to take on trips, so this will be perfect. :-)

~QB29

FNSI &NQD updates

I've been working on the apron. I used 25 strips from a honey bun to make the apron and lined it with matching fabric. I added trim to the bottom. I just need to add the straps, which will cover the curved edges that are open still.

~QB29

National Quilting Day

Did any of you know that Saturday is National Quilting Day? I'm celebrating by staying in my sewing room (that is, after I get back from the gym :-)). How will you be celebrating?

~QB29

FNSI tonight!

Don't forget - tonight is Friday Night Sew-In. What are your plans?

I am working on an apron for my upcoming quilt camp. They usually have a special theme for the brunch on Friday. Last time it was "Christmas at Camp Horseshoe." They had the dining hall decorated for Christmas and even gave out little Christmas presents to everyone. A tea party was another theme. This year we've been asked to wear a favorite apron for the brunch. Since the only cute apron I've got is a Christmas apron, I'm making a new one. It's out of a honey bun I won online a few months ago. Shortly after winning it, I happened to pick up some matching yardage off the the $3 table at Fabric Shack :-D. I've just been waiting for the right project to use it. I'll use the scraps to make some little things (potholders/hotpads/placemats, etc.) for my kitchen to coordinate with the apron.

I also would like to finish stitching the binding to Bubba's football quilt so it's ready for me to hand-stitch down.

Looking forward to seeing all the goodies made tonight!

~QB29

Catching Up

Let's see - where do I start? It's been almost 4 weeks since my last post. Since then ...

February Friday Night Sew-in did not happen. I ran home for the weekend to celebrate a family birthday. The boys got to come over for the meal, and unlike last time, they were not multi-colored. :-). When I picked them up last in January, one had purple marker on his check, the other had teal and purple on his check plus a purple eyelid and teal on his head. Plus their puppy (a Beagle mix with light colored, short fur) was purple from the waist (if puppies have waists, lol) to his tail. That weekend went downhill from there :-). This time they were much better behaved.

I then got to hang out with a close friend and her friend the next weekend. We had lots of fun going Goodwilling and I introduced them to the joys of Izzy's, or as we tell my older nephew, the Pickle Place :-).

I've been to quilt camp! I forgot my flash card, so no pics :-(. I had a wonderful time and plan to go back for more camps. The camp was at YMCA Camp Willson in Bellefontaine, OH. They run the fiber arts camp once a year, which is for quilting, knitting, crochet, and scrapbooking. They also run a women's weekend twice a year, which I hope to try sometime soon. I've got a conflict of schedule with the spring one and possibly the fall one, but there's always 2012. I've only got one weekend scheduled that far in advance, lol.

At camp, a teenager named Abigail presented the project she did for her Gold Award for Girl Scouts. She started a Quilt for Kids chapter in her area. She passed out kits, and I picked one up. I've got it pieced and hope to get it quilted/bound by the end of the month to send back. It was a simple pattern, and I hope to make a few more for her this year.


We did a fabric exchange at camp and look at the cute print I picked up. I may use it in a Quilts for Kids quilt :-).


I also finished my Block Lotto blocks for the month:


Lastly, I finished some UFO's. First - my dad's placemats. They're double-sided - fall on one, Christmas on the other. This is #5 on Judy's list, so I'll need to plan a substitution.


No pics, but I also finished the binding on Zoo Parade (#6 on the list) and finished quilting the football quilt. I'm working on the binding now, but should have it done next week or so. It's #2 on the list. I'll get these pictures taken in the next week or so.

Stash updating -
I stopped at Fabric Shack on the way up and purchased 8 1/8 yrds (10 FQ @$1.25 each plus 3 yrds. from the $3.00 cart). I gave away a FQ plus 3 1/4 yrds in the fabric exchange and picked up the 1 yard. I also used 36 5" squares

last recorded week (7):
Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 20
Net Used for 2011: -15 yards

current week:
used this week: 4 yards
used year to date: 9 yards
added this week: 9 1/2 yards
added year to date: 29 1/2 yards
net used for 2011: -20 1/2 yards

~QB29

I'm Blaming Bonnie!

Goodwill Shopping - Need I say more?

~QB29

Design Wall Monday - 2/14/2011

First up - my picture from Saturday's Christmas Quilt-A-Long showing the 2nd block. Don't worry, I did get more done than just this 2nd block - I pressed quite a number of triangles, sewed (and subcut) the 4 1/2" inch units and added a number of triangles :-).


Do you see the diamonds? While playing with the units for Star Struck, I realized they made diamonds when 4 were arranged in a different manner :-). This is a put-away-for-later idea for a scrap quilt, but I thought I'd share with you anyways.


Head over to Judy's to see more Design Walls!

~QB29

Stash Report Week 7- 2/13/2011

2/6/2011

Gonna go ahead and get this posted tonight:

Added - no adds! :-)
Used some 2 1/2" strips, but once again I forgot to count :-(. When I get them counted, I'll include them as an adjustment.

current week (7):
Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 20
Net Used for 2011: -15 yards

Quilting A Long with No Pics

I sewed today. I promise, I did. I even worked more on Dad's Star Struck, which is suppose to be his Christmas present. I sewed several strips sets, pressed all the triangles waiting to be pressed, made some pairs, added the dark triangle to the few awaiting one, and finished off the afternoon by making another 16" block, so now I just have 28 to go! Alas, my camera died moments after I turned it on to take some pics. I'll take pics when I get the batteries recharged.

Hoping everyone had a productive Christmas Quilt-A-Long!

Tonight's plans are to eat pizza (in the oven as I type) and bind while watching the movies I picked up from the library earlier today - Anchors Aweigh with Frank Sinatra, Follow the Fleet with Fred Astaire, Boys Town with Mickey Rooney & Spencer Tracy. Can you tell what kind of movies I like to rent?

Talk to y'all later!

~QB29

Weekend Plans

Well, no sewing's going to happen tonight. I'm beat. Tonight was the Valentine Banquet @ church and I worked nursery. I had 11 girls ages 5 to 7. They were all good and I only had to remind them a couple of times that we use our manners and say please, thank you, and you're welcome and that we say nice things to each other. The girls played hopscotch and pretend during drop off and while we waited for supper. Pizza was delivered about 7:15 for all of the kids and the nursery director provided juice boxes and a cookie for dessert. After eating, we made our pasta hearts (colored pasta glued onto a heart shaped piece of cardstock) and then made bookmarks. My helper, J., led them in a game of "Horsey, Horsey, Where's Your Heart?" (the V-day take on "Doggy, Doggy, where's your bone?" since we had a heart cutout that we were using). Then we had the Rice Krispy treats I made and finished out the evening with a quick game of musical chairs - to Christmas music. Apparently the 3 year-old's (the classroom we met in for the evening) haven't changed their CD since December :-). I gave all the kids goodie bags to take home - a Frisch's kids meal coupon, 1 small sheet of stickers, a heart shaped mini-notepad, 2 pieces of candy, and a pink hairband.

But, my tomorrow looks pretty free! I'm planning on going to the gym in the morning since I didn't get to go tonight. Then I need to take care of some basic housekeeping issues around my house and then I get to sew! Saturday is the 2nd Saturday, so it's the Christmas Quilt-A-Long, which means that at least some of my sewing needs to be Christmas related - either for me or for a present. Lucky for me, I get to kill 2 birds with one stone by working on dad's star struck UFO. So without further ado, my goals for the weekend:

1. mail BL blocks. PO opens @ 9, not 8 on Saturdays (my first fail). Envelopes are completely sealed and addressed (my 2nd fail). Hopefully 3rd time's a charm and I'll get to the post office with everything ready to go when it's open :-).

2. Dad's Star Struck - UFO #10 on Judy's list. Also qualifies for the Christmas Quilt-A-Long. I've got enough units cut for 18 16" blocks, but need need a total of 30 12" blocks or about 200 more 4" units. So my goal is to cut enough darks so that I can finish piecing the 4" units and maybe even start making the 16" blocks. I've got plenty of lights cut.

3. Dad's placemats. His bday is later this month and I want to give these to him with his present. I did not finish binding all of them before Christmas, so I had to take back 3. I think this is the first I'll have seen him since then, so I better have them ready!

4. Zoo Parade binding - need to finish binding this quilt, it's my UFO #6 from last month that I never finished

5. Make "fabric" out of 2" violet squares to use for either a purse or a Bible case. Quilt it if I get a chance. Qualifies for Judy's monochromatic challenge for the month.

Since I've got some hand work going on, I may see if I can run by the library and rent a DVD or two to watch.

Hope y'all have a good 2nd Saturday tomorrow!

~QB29

FNSI signups - Feb. 18th!

FNSI signups are up - go visit craftyvegasmom's blog to sign up - she's Heidi's co-host this month.

~QB29

I have a date on Tuesday!

With Mr. Hamilton Beach!


We will be pressing these:


They are more units for the Star Struck quilt. Don't ask me how many - I've totally lost count. I know I still don't have enough, but I'm getting there. If I haven't mentioned it before, this is UFO #10 or Judy's pick for the month. This project is a multi-month project - 1 for piecing, 1 for quilting, and 1 for finishing :-). So I need to have this all pieced by the end of the month!!!!

~QB29

design w all monday

I've actually got a design wall monday post!

4 8" blocks sewn into a 16" block for my dad's Star Stuck quilt. Made using Bonnie Hunter's Star Struck pattern. Only 29 16" blocks left to go :-). This was my oops, it's not actually a Christmas Quilt-A-Long Saturday project. I'm making the quilt 5 x 6 blocks, with no borders, for a finished size of about 80 x 96.

Check Judy's page for more DWM posts!

~QB29

Week 5/6 Stash Report 2011

2/6/2011

Well, I didn't get to post my report last Sunday, so this one is for two weeks combined. I've decided I am going to add my fleece in (as a separate total), but I need to measure that, so it will be added next week. Doing so will give me accountability in using it.

Added:
batiks: 6.5
safari: 2.5
sun bonnet sue: 2
purse kit: 1.25
secret sister stash: .5
total: 12.75

used - haven't measured, so going to have to count them as a zero this week. Will measure for next week:
some violet 2" squares
some 2 1/2" strips for dad's quilt
binding for Zoo parade


week 4:
Used this Week: 3.75 yards
Used year to Date: 5 yards
Added this Week: 7.25
Added Year to Date: 7.25
Net Used for 2011: -2.25 yards

current week (5/6):
Used this Week: 3.75 yards
Used year to Date: 5 yards
Added this Week: 12.75
Added Year to Date: 20
Net Used for 2011: -15 yards

Check Judy's page for other stashes :-)

~QB29

Saturday Sewing

I did actually get to sew some today. Not as much as I planned, but I got side tracked organizing my sewing stuff. I got a lot of the cleaning/organizing done and then started to cut fabric down to 2 1/2" strips. Rather than keep random amounts of fabric, I'm going to start cutting them down. For now I'm only doing 2 1/2" strips, as I can use jelly roll patterns with those. Once I get more of my fabrics cut down and am organizing my scraps better, I'll cut other sizes too.

Cutting the fabric made me think of my dad's Christmas quilt. It is UFO's 10, 11, and 12 on Judy's list (piecing, quilting, finishing). Since #10 was drawn this month, I need to get it all pieced this month. So tonight seemed like a good opportunity to work on it. Plus, someone mentioned on their blog that today was the February Christmas Quilt-A-Long, so working on the blocks would kill two birds with one stone. However, the Christmas Quilt-A-Long is actually next week :).

My dad's quilt is Bonnie Hunter's Star Struck pattern. I started it over a year ago when I took her workshop. Well, tonight I got several strip sets made and cut down to 4 1/2". I started adding the corner blocks and have run out of 2 bobbins, so I'm going to call it a night. I'm hoping to get some more work done tomorrow on it :-).

~QB29

Skating

Wow, it's been years since I've skated. I forgot certain muscles existed! At first, I had to sit down every couple of laps because my shins were hurting so bad. By the end of the evening, I could go 6 - 8 laps without sitting :-).

The brown leather and orange wheeled skates are gone. I kinda missed them.

The days of having to skate up to the DJ and request a song are over. Now you can text your requests directly to him.

The rink has $2.50 Tuesdays, so I'm going to try to go every week. I hope to take my nephew in about a month when my church back home (the one he gets to go to with me when I'm in town). But I need to get back in the saddle, so to speak, so it's practice, practice, practice for me.

Did you know the kids text and skate know-a-days? or talk and skate? I was amazed that they could hear over the music to carry on a conversation.

Back when I skated all the time, no one wore their book bags on the rink, yet probably 2 dozen were wearing them tonight. One nearly wacked me with his a few times as he weaved past me (the straps weren't tight enough and it swayed back and forth).

Did you know you should wear pants with ventilation when skating? Seriously - at least half a dozen girls had jeans with holes in them. :-). Another half a dozen must have thought they were sleeping at the rink and were wearing pajama bottoms.

Lastly, I must have been an annoying kid, as I constantly weaved through people back in the day. I was at the rink nearly every Saturday morning/early afternoon unless I had a ball game for quite a few years.

Times have changed at the skating rink!

We'll see if I can move in the morning :-).

~QB29

Weekend Sewing Goals

Very little Friday Night Sewing for me - I'm going rollerskating tonight! A co-worker and I are meeting up for it @ the local rink :-).

But my Saturday looks pretty clear for a sew day, so here are my goals:
1. Finish binding Zoo Parade (my #6 UFO on Judy's list - did not get done in January)
2. Work on monochromatic challenge for month - violet purse made using 2" squares left over from a doll quilt project. (if I can find the fleece batting @ Joann's today).
3. Block Lotto string blocks (need 9).
4. mail out January BL blocks.
5. piece backing (or search stash for big enough piece) and baste Gold Coins

I know the Big Game is Sunday, so I may do some Super Sunday Sewing in the afternoon before church :-). Or fall victim to the "Sunday Afternoon Nap" :-).

What are your plans for the weekend?

~QB29

It's a Gift!

I'll leave it on my co-worker's desk before she comes in. Hopefully she's in tomorrow to get it! (it's for her daughter).

~QB29