Sewing and Sorting and it's Snowing!!!

{Wanted to post and say that we are now getting SNOW!! Yes that white stuff that all the northern states don't want any more of. We are finally seeing some fall tonight and it's so pretty.}

Today I will be sewing and sorting!

Goals for today are ....
1. Trim those HSTs for Judy's Quiltalong -- these are now trimmed and waiting - I'm ready for the next step Judy (lol)

2. Work on a sewing project -- I pulled some blocks from a BOB

Made up a few more blocks and added setting triangles. I am going to try and turn into a HUG quilt for my aunt. :o)

Here is what I finish today. It is not fully assembled. Some are in rows but it is not all sewn together yet and needs backing too. Just wanted to share my progress. Should finish this in the morning before church.

3. Sort through my stuff and make progress on organizing my sewing area - made some progress but have been cleaning and sorting throughout the house instead of just in my sewing area. Not sure I will show pictures but maybe. I have made some major progress on sorting and cleaning in my sewing room today. I am proud of the amount I got done and how nice it looks. No photos of this though sorry.
until next time ....

Just how old is your oldest UFO??

I just went through my list of UFOs to the left there and listed the dates I started making these UFOs and I am curious to see who might have the oldest UFO out there?
I have a couple more that are not on the list that I might never complete so I didn't add them to the list to complete. I know there is one or more from the first part of 2001 but other than that I don't have one older than that. I didn't really start quilting until 2001 and was a good girl and completed my projects as I went but that was when I first began quilting and didn't know any better. But that changed once I got bit really good by the quilting bug ... now I can't stay focused on one project at a time and therefore have created my lengthy UFO list ;o)
I have a goal list there to the left also to work on a UFO before starting a new project and another to reduce my UFOs by half (?) by the end of the year. I would like to try and really do this as I feel kinda guilty to have so many projects started waiting to be finished. They are getting left to the side while I keep dreaming of new projects to create. (shame on me!) So along with stash-bustin and using thread on hand I will be striving to work on these UFOs this year too. Anyone else committed to doing the same this year? would love to hear from you.
would also love to hear who has the oldest UFO? and will you complete it?
until next time ...

Question about thread color choice

Wanted to see how you choose what color thread you use to piece your blocks, projects and quilt your quilts with? I have lots of odd color threads and have been using them up in my scrappy blocks as I don't think the quilt police will come get me for not using grey or beige or white in my scrappy blocks/projects. But ... after I use all these up I want to know what to keep on hand for future quilty items. {Granted it might take me awhile as I have so many still to use up. I'll try and post a photo on all of them soon.}
I am curious to see what color thread most people piece with and why? If I swap out blocks/projects I normally use beige, white and sometimes black depending on the fabric choices used. I don't think I have to use these but feel safer for the thread not to show through the lighter fabrics on swap blocks.
so what color threads do you have on hand and use most often??
until next time ...

Stash Bustin Report Week 8

Here's my weekly report for the 2009 Stash Bustin Challenge I joined on Judy's blog. You should check out the other's blogs and see what they are up to. Reports for week 8

This week I was able to make those 24 String blocks I posted about earlier (well 22 as I started the week with 2 made) and I sewed 252 - HSTs using 3inch squares. To me that is just great progress.
Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Fabric Used this Week: 4.25 yards
Fabric gifted this week: 0 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date: 23.75 yards

Here's my thread usage to date --I started with 34 total spools of various sizes and colors on hand on last count. (nothing finished off this week but close on two different spools so maybe next week??)

Spools added this week: 0 spools
Spools used this week: 0 spools Total
Spools used to Date: 3 spoolsTotal
Spools bought to Date: 2 spools

until next time ....

Feb Quiltathon - Day 2

with coffee in hand ... I am off to start working on all those HSTs I made yesterday. I have about an hour before I get ready for church. I will have made some progress on them at least before I go.
Hope to complete trimming all these today and that is my only goal for today. I'll be checking out what everyone else is up to though as I am nosey ;o)

until next time .....

Feb. Quiltathon

Judy at Patchwork Times is hostessing her monthly QUILTATHON to motivate us all to work on our quilty projects.

Today is DAY 1 and I hope to have something to say I completed by the end of the weekend. I got up early and did a few things already to get my started on the right foot. Coffee is ready and waiting to help me along too.

My Quiltathon Goals are ...

1. Finish up four string blocks for a swap using the rest of these from my assembly line of pieces.

Goal 1 Completed!! Here are all 24 of the string blocks I've made.

2. Clean up the rest of the string/scraps on the table - remember the pile from the other day when I started working on the string blocks? well ... it has been sorted and cut and is now lots neater and more work-friendly. I have a decent pile of 2.5 in strings to work with on another project. I few different size squares to put in their hiding places for other scrappy projects. I have a few bigger scraps that I will need to cut down and put away too. Love the way that a cleaner sewing area helps to make your project flow more smoothly.

Goal 2 completed!!! Everything but the HSTs pile is now cut to size, put in there proper storage container and put away and where it should be. Nice and neat again. YEAH!! Wonder if this will last long.

various squares in their stacks

nice stack of 2.5 inch strings

3. Work on HSTs for the Quilt-Along using these 3 inch squares I have already cut.

Progress on Goal 3 -- HSTs are sewn - now to cut them apart and press and trim them. Then I'll be ready for the next step for this challenge.

Lookie Here ... remember the pile of 3 inch squares I started using this morning to make these 192 HSTs? Here is what's left of those squares ... I didn't make a dent in them. Good thing is there are so many there I could do another set or two of these HST, already cut and waiting. I didn't use any fabric twice. I even cut and sewed more HSTs than I needed to have a few extras to play with.

Sounds simple enough right? I hope so. I won't have all day and night to sew this time around but it will still be nice to quilt along with ya'll and share our progress.

With coffee in hand .. off I go to sew ...

Until next time ...

Spring??? Is that you???

here are some signs that Spring is just around the corner.
I saw these on Sunday and snapped a picture of the daffodils ...

then found a few more were blooming today ...

and found some of the crocus blooming too...

Hope these will brighten your day as they did mine.

until next time ....

Stash Busting Report Week 7

Doesn't seem like we should already be on week 7 - boy how the year is just flying by.


Here's my weekly report for the 2009 Stash Bustin Challenge I joined on Judy's blog. You have got to go check out the other's blogs and see what they are up to. They are blowing me outta the water so far. Week 7 Reports but ... I am happy with my progress.

This week I got the backing pieced for my Scrappy HST Quilt and adding an outter border to that quilt and made some potholders and a hotpad for a swap I am doing. To me that is just great progress. I have a UFO almost done. It is on it's way to Tirane to be quilted. So I might be able to cut those pesky UFO/Bobs down by half by the end of year if I keep this up ;o)

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Fabric Used this Week: 8.5 yards
Fabric gifted this week: 0 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date: 19.5 yards

I am also tracking my spool usage too --I started with 34 total spools of various sizes and colors on hand on last count. To me that sounds like alot. But ... with my scrappy quilts I know I am going to make a big dent in those this year. I will only need to buy beige/grey or white as needed.

Spools added this week: 0 spools
Spools used this week: 0 spools Total
Spools used to Date: 3 spoolsTotal
Spools bought to Date: 2 spools


until next time ....

Quiltalong with Judy

I am going to do the Quiltalong with Judy ... check out the preview for it here Quilt-Along I am going to do mine ... totally scrappy - imagine that ... lol ... I will be using from my stash ... so here is a picture of what I will be using .. not all of it of course but some from each bin.

I'll pull fabrics as we do each step. I have never tried to make this block before so bear with me - no pun intended there either. I might post fussing and fuming about the blocks not turning out and asking for help along the way.
I really want to try this though and hope it will be a learning experience too as I have never done a quilt-along or this block pattern either.
will keep ya posted
until next time .....

Saturday Sewing time ...

I have most of my household chores done for the day so I plan on sewing today. I need to make a potholder set for a swap I am doing and then I can play with all these strings ...

Hope to have a good day for string reduction so I can post a good report for this week. Follow the link to find out more about the challenge Judy's Stash Bustin Challenge. I need to find fabrics for Judy's newest Quilt-Along that I am going to try and do too. Should be fun.

I didn't get to work with those strings today but ... I did get these potholders and this hotpad set done for a swap I am doing. Whatcha think? They can be reversible I guess if you'd like. She wanted sunflowers, greens and yellows and this is what I came up with. Hope she likes them.

until next time ....

gonna have a finish for February ....

I am going to get a finish in February. This one is just about done. I pieced the backing for the scrappy HST quilt ... here are pictures of the top and the backing. The top is now about 84x86 in size.

For the backing I used leftover pieces of prior backings - squares that were cut but not used and pieces of backing I cut off before doing the bindings. This is what I will call a 'leftovers' backing ... lol ... little bit of this one and a piece of that one ... (can you tell the wind wasn't behaving during these photos? we have a storm brewing out today.)

for the rest of the day I am going to do mindless stitching ... I'll be playing with strings .. I need to make 24 blocks for a swap I am doing. Should be able to get part of these done.

until next time.

boring borders

Is it just me or does everyone else seem to get into the rut of making boring borders?
I was piecing the one border for the scrappy HST top yesterday and thought to myself ... when are you going to try something different? I have this great book I swapped recently for that has all kinda borders in it. A new goal is to start using some of these ideas/patterns to finish off the UFOs / BOBs that I complete this year.
Hope to sew more today and get the Scrappy HST Quilt ready to mail out to be quilted. Will update later on today on that.
Little man is doing a bit better this morning, the medicines are doing their job to kick this flu bug.
until next time ....

ups and downs of the week ...

My little man is home sick today with the flu - he will be outta school until Thursday. So I will have to work from home until Thursday. So far me and DD are not sick and do not have any sorta signs of getting the flu. Of course the down is having little man sick - he is feeling like a blob right now. Poor thing. I hope the meds they gave him kick in soon and he gets to feeling lots better soon. Working from home is an up! I have more time to fill in the gaps by doing housework and sewing and whatever I want to. With little man being sick, I will be cleaning and santizing as I find the need to. I have the bedding washed and out on the line drying in the breeze. So another up is having a clean house for most of the week at a leisurely pace.
Off I go to work on that pesky border I keep pushing to the side.
Update ... I added one border to enlarge the top and am thinking of adding another white strip to finish it all off ....
until next time ...

Peace of the Early Morning ..

I am so enjoying this peaceful early morning time. The kids are still asleep. DD had three friends to spend the night on Friday and two stayed another night last night. Needless to say we haven't gotten much sleep but my inner alarm clock wouldn't let me sleep past 7:30AM. I have been doing busy work in the kitchen and made myself some fresh coffee to open my eyes a bit.
Thought I'd pop in to say that early mornings are indeed a blessing in disquise. The silence is wonderful - I can hear myself typing ... lol.
I am hoping that after we come back from church I can sew on outter borders of that one pestiky quilt I need to complete that keeps getting pushed to the back burner. I haven't sewn on any quilting project this week. I need some quilt therapy.
until next time ....

Stash Bustin Report Week 6

Here's my weekly report for the 2009 Stash Bustin Challenge I joined on Judy's blog. We are currently on week 6. Mid-February already and I don't have a finish to post about. I didn't use one inch of fabric last week. But ... next week will be a different story ;0)

You have got to go check out the other's blogs and see what they are up to. They are blowing me outta the water so far. WEEK 6 REPORTS

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Fabric Used this Week: 2.25 yards
Fabric gifted this week: 0 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date: 11 yards

I am also tracking my spool usage too --I started with 34 total spools of various sizes and colors on hand on last count. To me that sounds like alot. But ... with my scrappy quilts I know I am going to make a big dent in those this year. I will only need to buy beige/grey or white as needed.

Spools added this week: 0 spools
Spools used this week: 0 spools
Total Spools used to Date: 3 spools
Total Spools bought to Date: 2 spools

until next time ....

lost in blog-land

do you ever get to looking at blogs and then look up and hours have gone by and you have gotten nothing done around the house? I do it too often to count. I have found some really great blogs though - so many new ideas and tips and some great photos to drool over. My link list just keeps getting longer ... and longer ... and longer. Careful though ... you too might get lost in blog-land by taking a gander at them. ;o)
I have been updating my blog layout today - hope you like what I am changing/adding.

until next time ....

Stash Busting Report Week 5

I know ... I know ... I am a day behind on posting this and I'm always a dollar short too.
Better late than never though ... Here's my weekly report for the 2009 Stash Bustin Challenge I joined on Judy's blog. We are currently on week 5. Wow this year is just flying on by.
You have got to go check out the other's blogs and see what they are up to - here is the current week's thread. They are just amazing quilters. WEEK #5

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 0 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 2.25 yards
Fabric gifted this week: 0 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date: 11 yards

I have been tracking my spool usage too --I had 34 total spools of various sizes and colors on hand on last count. This is a shame to have so many that are just sitting there going unwasted. With my scrappy quilts I know I am going to make a big dent in those this year. I will only need to buy beige/grey or white as needed.

Spools added this week: 2 spools
Spools used this week: 1 spools
Total Spools used to Date: 3 spools
Total Spools bought to Date: 2 spools

until next time ....