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 ...

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 ....

Scrappy String Quilt

Another one is complete!! I finished piecing the backing for this one before work this morning and it is in the mail to Tirane to be quilted! This is my scrappy string quilt made from 6.5 inch blocks pieced on a foundation block. I love it and hope one of my brothers and sisters will too as it will be a gift for one of them.

I have one more to piece and then three to bind by Christmas - ish. I am running late with these a bit I know but .... remember me saying I felt like I was getting sick ... well ... I did get sick. In fact me and the kiddos all had strep throat and they have gotten better faster than me. Mine seems to be hangin on for dear life. I am sick of being sick and taking all the medicine I have to to feel okay to work. I have just a couple days left at work before we are off for the Christmas holidays so I am trying not to miss work. I did miss last Friday though .. that was the major start of this stuff and the day we all went to the doctor. I am so looking forward to being off and having some down time and catch up time. I have lots I want to do while I am off and I need some rest.

I have some Christmas shopping done but nowhere near all of it done. I will finish the rest of that up and wrap the presents this weekend while the kiddos are with their dad. I haven't baked one thing which is not like me. Christmas is my holiday and I love it and look forward to it every year but this year I have not felt up to it. With lossing me dear friend and my mother in-law both in November and all the stuff with my ex and me being sick this last week I have not done much in the way of getting ready for Christmas. I haven't even called my family to plan the meal for Christmas day. I tell ya ... time gets away from ya quickly. So lots to do this weekend and lots to plan too. I think I need to start a reminder list to myself so I can remember what all I need to do and buy and who to call and such.
The kids had their Awana Christmas party last night at the skating rink and they had a blast. It was such fun for them. I failed to bring my camera so no pictures of that to share. I need to try and remember to bring my camera to outting like that more often. I miss so many photo ops!

Here are some of the kiddos attempts at the Christmas card picture ... the first one is how they are part of the time and the others are how they are the rest .. don't want to mislead anyone into thinking I have two little angels here ... I think all and all they turned out nicely and I got copies and put them in the Christmas cards that I finally mailed yesterday.

thoughts and blessing ... I am learning how to let it be and let it go and it is not easy to say the least. I am trying to learn to turn things over to God and let him handle my troubles and struggles. Haven't mastered either of these things yet but I am working on it.
I am so thankful that the kids are feeling so much better. With us all sick we were all cranky and life was not fun for us this week. I am so thankful that the temps are rising around here and it is not so cold ... means less gas to heat the house .. which saves me money. I am so blessed to have wonderful parents ... they are simple folks and have a giving heart even though they have less than most. My mother called me at work on Monday and told me to come and get a bag of pecans they had to share with me. I go over yesterday (as I have been sick and didn't want to give it to them) and there was a half of a brown grocery bag full of lovely pecans. Now to get them shelled and into the freezer for baking. YEAH!! Another money saver. I am so blessed to have my dear friends who listen to my struggles and offer their advice and never give up on me even when I want to give up on myself.

didn't mean to write so much ... guess I am making up for the days I was sick and not able to post.

until next time ....

BowTie Quilt is in the mail

today I have the blahs ... I feel bad like I am coming down with something. I can't get sick! I don't have the time to get sick. (have you seen that commerical where the lady is in the Drs office where she is told she has the flu and she looks through her date book and finally says that she doesn't have time for the flu right now - too funny)
I took some time last night and added those final small borders on the BowTie quilt and got it all packaged up to mail out to Tirane to be quilted. I still have two more to complete plus this one by Christmas. Better find more time to sew. I swear .... next year I am only working on my UFOs, BOBs and things I want to make for myself. (does that sound greedy of me?)
The strips and strings are still sitting on my sewing table waiting to be used up. That pile seems to be taunting me as I walk past it ... saying ... aren't ya gonna sit and sew awhile?? ;o) Hope to fit in some time tonight after church to sew with those. We will see though.
I am so thankful for my job, so many are being laid off, let go or places closing altogether around here it is really sad. I am so thankful for the rain that came last night, it cleaned the air and everything is so fresh again. I am so thankful that I have the funds to buy the kids a nice Christmas this year.
until next time ....

Quiltathon - Day 2

even with getting a late start on this with some Christmas shopping time thrown in ... I have made some progress today. This is day two of the QUILTATHON

I got the backing pieced for the BowTie quilt. Pl;ease ignore the strings that are still showing the the picture. I wanted to get this picture taken to share with ya'll.

I got this kitty box bedding made. Our kitty Smokey is an outside cat and he needed some new bedding for the winter. I stuff this with the trimmings I keep from cutting squares from my fabric. When I get enough I make a new one for him. It's not fancy but it's comfy for him.

I am going to play with these strips and strings and make some more string blocks to hopefully finish another UFO for a Christmas gift. I'll update when I can with how many I get done.

last photo and entry for this quiltathon ... almost time for bed and the kids are now home. Here are fifteen string blocks to add to my collection. Lots more to make to finish the UFO but at least I made some more progress on it. Can't tell I even used any of the strips and strings from the pile. Plan on leaving those out and work on them each day until I get this one done.

until next time ....

sewing on Sunday

Last day of the long weekend and I finally have some free time today to sew -- I'm gonna take advantage of the quiet house (the kiddos went to do a late Thanksgiving supper with their dad) and get some work done on the Betty Boop Quilt and sew on a couple other projects.
I have the string blocks sewn into sets of four now and they are laying on the floor of my living room for me to admire for awhile. These squares each measure 6.5 inches and go together quickly so I am hoping to make more blocks over the coming weekend and finish this off.

I have the fabric all cut for the setting squares of the Betty Boop quilt. Gonna go sew on that one for awhile now. Update ... I got the center of this one together and the first border attached before the kids got home. I have the fabric cut for the middle border and hope to do attach that soon. I want this one done and outta here. I haven't taken a picture yet so that will come later. Thanks so much for your help Tirane in the layout of this one!!
I was sitting in church this morning with one kiddo on either side with their little heads laying against me and I thought to myself how blessed I am to have them. I love them so much. I am so thankful for my kids and the times we have together and the hugs that we share. I am so thankful for the holidays that bring our families closer together - seems like over the holidays we are able to spend more down time reconnecting to one another. I am so thankful for the food in my pantry that I was able to put up this past summer and we are now able to enjoy - we ate green beans, peas and squash for Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for my sewing time - I use it to destress and it is my outlet - even if it is not every day - I look forward to it and enjoy it.

until next time ....