January Accomplishments

I have had a busy month.  It's been bitter cold the whole month.  Almost everyday temps in the -double digits.  This is the weather I remember as a kid.  My fingers get really cold and painful quickly.  I had severe frostbite when I was 7.  I couldn't even hold a spoon.  This weather is just like it was then.  I remember that vividly!

Just what have I made you ask?  Lets take a peak! (hopefully lots of pics will be showing)

I wasn't going to make Bonnie's Celtic Solstice until she posted her clue with the 4 patches.  I decided to make mine smaller using 2 1/2" units instead of 3 1/2".  I haven't finished the top yet but am starting on the blocks.

pinwheel & chevrons

peaky & spike

Celtic Solstice

Here is the January block for Judy's (Patchwork Times) Scrap Challenge.  We share the same feelings with scrap quilts.  If I'm to shrink my stash I need to work way out of my box.  This challenge should help.

January organized scrappy

4 bonus corner triangles for each diamond

12 blocks later

This was a quilt as you go without any hand sewing.  It just needs binding. I used the bonus HST's for the corner stones on the sashing.  It's a very pretty baby quilt.  5 1/2 yards was used.  All from my stash!!!!

In between these I was playing with different blocks:

dancing stars

maple leaf

mini puddle jumping

I took Camille's Craftsy Class:

Hash Tag - class exclusive pattern

Swoon

mini swoon- just had to make it smaller after making the big one!

These are not all that I have done this month...more to come on that later....Dona

I don't make resolutions, I make new goals.  Here are a few for sewing that I'm going to try this year:

1.  Fabric Diet!
         My stash is HUGE.  I have a large amount of scraps (what I call scraps).  When we moved I said                  things were going to get organized as it came out of storage.  This is a slow progress.
2.  Yardage Used Chart
         I have watched others keep track and am amazed.  I never kept track of how much fabric a project              takes.  This will also help me keep track of projects I've made.
3.  Blog more
         I have already messed up.  Well I guess if I keep to some of the other goals, I might make a post once          a month.
4.  No new UFOs
         By using the fabric usage chart, I hope things will be completed instead of being just a flimsy.  I really          don't have the space to store them and I do get bored easily.
5.  Finish old UFOs
         I have to many of these to count.  The get stored in a couple of totes.  Those that need to become a              flimsy and another that are finished tops.

I still do not feel like this is my home.  Maybe it's because I lived so long at the other place, maybe because my dad will never see or give his approval of this home, or maybe it's because I don't have my own little space yet.  My room that was to be my sewing area has become the catch all room.  Maybe I should make a #6 goal.  Little by little my space is coming.

So I'm going to try and stick to these 5 and see what happens.  Just writing this has me thinking of others that I can add but I don't want to overwhelm myself (I tend to do that).  This blog should become my life's journal.  I'm a very private person and it's hard for me to share myself.

Here's to new beginnings.....stitch by stitch....Dona

It's been awhile...

Ok, I enjoy reading other people's blog more than writing on my own.

August consisted of 3 quilt deadlines.    Two of those were met.  One is a top that still needs basting.

This is Annie & Randy's wedding quilt.  One of the 3 deadlines. It's reversible and all flannel.  It gets cold up here in Vermont.  She is further north than I am.

Here is my first barn quilt spotted in Vermont.  I didn't know there is a group doing this.  I have always enjoyed the ones posted that are out west.  My dd took this.  It's in Sheldon, VT.  She did a great job, it looks like a postcard.

While reading other blogs I found this Quilt Along.  Molly Sparkles is/was doing this.  I kept trying to use will power to not join but you can never have enough projects going on at once, right?  I caved....my stash is multiplying like rabbits.

These are the blocks that I have completed so far.

The center 4 blocks are already quilted and joined.  It would be nice if all the sashings would line up.  Oh, well.  This is planned to be king size when finished.  I found a nice tutorial for joining.  No hand sewing, all done by machine.  I really like it.

 I love halloween!!! Here is a kit that I picked up at Vermont Quilt Festival.  It's a Wooden Bear pattern and kitted by Traditions at the White Swan (favorite vender at festival).

This is the base of my punkin Jack.  It's going to be a twister quilt.  I forgot to take the picture before I started cutting the twister part.  That's what you see at the top.  My family couldn't believe how much smaller it is going to be when completed.

This is what I wake up to every morning.  The colors are starting to show.  This pic was taken back in July or August.  Colors are starting to show but you can't see them in the dark.  I have been having to work very early shifts lately.  I'll try to get so pretty foliage ones this week.  Hopefully I can remember to post.

I've got some more sewing to do, so till later.....Dona

Side tracked...

Surprising how time flies.  I hadn't realized a month has gone by since my last post.

I have gotten side tracked with family history.  I took advantage of the few nice sunny days a couple weeks ago and visited some of my families cemeteries for pictures.  Of course then I had to post them on the family tree which seemed to bring up one question or another...that lead to another task which lead to another, etc.  Why is it that no matter what task we choose there are always loose ends to be put off until another day?

My work schedule has also been crazy.  Road construction season has started, it's everywhere.  My commute is 1/2 hr. one way on a normal day.  Depending on what time of day the drive is another 1/2 gets added.  I'm beat or hungry when I get home.  No energy to set up to sew.  Cool, damp, rainy weather doesn't help.  On the up side, the mountains are beautiful in their different greens.  Early mornings watching the fog burn off with the cardinals signing is awesome.   I just want to take in this beauty (can't see it when I sew).

This is my organized box of scraps less than 2" after I saw this post:

http://temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/2013/04/instagram-i-am-adding-another-form-of.html  

I love mini's!  I have been know to work with 3/4" strips.  ( have an awesome one going right now, more later)  Most of my mini's work with 1" to 1 1/4" strips.  The "to do" list is some string blocks at some point.

 I started going through my "basket" and came up with this to be used as leaders and enders.  Of course once I started one I couldn't stop.  Sound like the "Lay's Potatoe Chip" ad.

These blocks are 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".  I searched for different bowtie settings.  I found one laying the blocks out like the left side picture.  Of course there is more to be added to the 4 bowties to complete the block.  I'll post more on that when I get to that stage.  I need to see if I have more FQ's or yardage of some of these.  The completed block uses 4 of the same print.  I'm still not comfortable with the scrappies.

  

In looking for "extra" fabric for my bowties, I found these:

They became another leader ender project. So far it has become this: (over 100 pairs)

Here's just 20 pairs laid out randomly.  This is going to be a good size quilt when done.

There isn't one print duplicated.  I think I was collecting for a true charm quilt.  Some where there is an applecore baggie that I knew was to be a charm quilt. 

  Oh, oh, oh... the sun is making an appearance...gotta go play.

Have a great day!

Happy Mothers's Da!

Happy Mother's Day to all moms.

Rember the pile of leaves and sticks?  Here is Thursday's pic:

notice the stick is now sideways

this was Saturday morning's picture.  Where is the stick?

 I was worried about how we were going to give the lawn it's first haircut of the season without disturbing this.   I had to work yesterday afternoon and evening, so I didn't find out.  We live in a very nice mobile home park with lots big enough to put 2 homes on it if you needed to.  When I arrived home I wondered why the lawn wasn't completely done?  "Go check out your camera"  The following 2 pictures are what I saw!

Those are wild violets and a "new dandelion" in the front just to kinda give you some size reference.  It kept wanting to drizzle off and on all day. 

Here's a closer pic:

My daughter says it will fit in the palm of your hand and they think this is the only one.

I grew up in the country on a small farm.  I had discovered bunnies in their nest in the fields during the first mowing season the farmers do, usually the end of may.  I was so excited and curious when I discovered it in my own yard!

I will see if I can get better pictures today before mamma moves "shim".  (she + him)

Have a great day.....I will!

Recycled and reused

This was my grandmother's.  I have kept it for sentimental reasons but wasn't really liking the picture.  What to do, what to do?

I went looking for ideas and found these amongst the scraps and stash.  They kinda play nice.

The floral fabric is what I used as the curtains and the shower curtain in our bathroom.  I love the green and I'm very partial to teal, so I then made these:

I always find myself gravitating to making mini's.

Sorry it's a blurry picture but that is a dime.  Sew a few of these together and I have this:

It measures about 12 1/2" x 19 1/2".  I quilted it on the diagonal only in the green rows in both directions using 2 layers of felt.  Can you guess what I did next?

I wasn't so crazy about the teal but I figured I'd leave it.  I can live with it.  It's going in the bathroom and be the new home to my "stuff".  I don't put things on the back of doors.  It will dress up an empty wall.

When I finished this I enjoyed a bit of the beautiful weather we are having.  I had to check on a spot in the lawn that we have been watching.

Just as I snapped this picture the ground moved.  I'm gonna keep it a surprise as to what it is....no it's not snakes or mice!  I don't know how long it will be here though.  I'll try to keep posting about it.

Gotta go find another project to do.   Till later.....

Fruggly!

What's a Fruggly you ask?  Freeking Ugly!!!  (that's just MY opinion) My 17 year old disagrees with me.

These fabrics:

Very fuggly!

Became this:

Still kinda fuggly.

This is May's Vintage Schnibbles.  The center of the quilt is from my 5" scraps.  The purple in the borders was 1/2 a FQ (scrap bucket). 

I had two things in mind when I started this, well actually three.  I wanted to make my Schnibbles using up my scraps as part of my down-sizing (big time) my sewing items.  I succeeded in all.  It only made a teeny dent in the down sizing department.

This had the same goals in mind and was April's Scnibble "Hat Trick".  It was done in time but I forgot to figure out how to link and sign up.

 

Not so fuggly.



I'm gonna try and figure out how to link to Kim's Scrap Basket Sunday and sign up for Vintage Schnibbles.  I'm glad the girls decided to make it vintage this year.  I participated the first year, then life got turned upside down and I'm slowly getting back to my old self.  Sure feels good! 

I'm gonna enjoy the beautiful weather we are having right now.  Probaly be stitching something later.  It's my therapy! 

Till then...