Design Wall Monday-Leap Day Edition

Finally a design wall post that isn't full of fabric strips!

I cut the rest of the blocks and strips needed for the Raggy Quilts yesterday.

Big job,

Big pieces of flannel!

I only have the two blocks finished but I wanted to see

what they were going to look like,

and how big I really needed to make the quilt.

One will be like this-with black alternating blocks.

One will have the red.

I can't decide which one I like best. 

The process is slow but I should finish the rest of the blocks today or tomorrow.

Then begins the quilting of each block.

The logs get a spiral.

I think the plain ones will get a tic-tac-toe pattern.

They will be nice and snuggly warm when finished!

Time vs list

Why is it that I can never get everything done in one day that I put on the list?

  Even when it's fun (ish) stuff?

Oh, Well tomorrow is another day.

I'll give it another try.

Warm and windy.

Spring is making an attempt at arriving, but I'm not giving up on winter just yet!  March is very unpredictable-unfortunately it isn't likely to get really cold again.  For the second year in a row we haven't really had winter.  Makes me wonder why I have a snow thrower.  My friend in Montana posted a video of the snow falling in the Grasshopper valley-big, fat, wet snowflakes and lots of them.  Spring snows are so pretty as they stick to everything!  Then you can walk under a tree and it will dump on you!

I did some cleanup in the garage this morning.  You know that place where everything gets shoved until it gets warm enough to deal with.  I've heard you're supposed to put your car in them of all things!  I drive a pickup, it doesn't fit, sigh.  There's still more work in there left for tomorrow but that's ok eventually I'll have it tidied up--for about 15 seconds.

Then I wrestled with large pieces of flannel.  I made the back for Stitch in nine-hope to get the sandwich made tomorrow.  Stitch in nine will be the biggest quilt I've done at home, wish me luck. And cut strips for the boys ragged logs, will need to finish that.  I really hate dealing with great BIG pieces-they slip and slide and just make life yucky for the whole time you're cutting or whatever.

More progress was made on the stocking-I got in a whole cute little mouse head!  I guess after all the stockings I've stitched in reverse my eyes have figured the whole thing out, so far I haven't caught myself going the wrong way!

Now it's time for Miss Quinn and I to hit the feathers!  Nite-Nite.

Thursday Evening Cross-stitch Update

I've been working on Nora's stocking almost every day.

It doesn't look like I've made much progress, but these designs 

are complex.  I've already spent some time un-sewing, too. Cause I can't read instructions!

I found that a seam ripper works really well for taking out stitches!

Especially those embedded in other stitches-you can just cut them and get at the other side.

Remember I just began this one last week.

That candy cane has five rows in it, two different reds, white and two different blends.

  The swirls on the side have blending filament in them so they sparkle.  

(I don't think you'll be able to see that).

I've learned a new trick for the filament-which is notoriously difficult to work with-just

use the thread conditioner!  I have some I bought for quilting, just lightly run the thread over the block and instant behavior!

I hope next week will have more done. 

It's always slow getting started as you want to get the foundation right for the rest of the sock.

Full week.

Most weeks I go to the Trails Museum on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Maybe I do some grocery shopping.

Or take an outing.

Not much else.

This week has been crazy!

Ethan Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.

Trails museum Tuesday.

Yearly appointment with my primary care Doc 

and volunteer lunch at the Trails Museum.

Tomorrow back at the Trails Museum.

Friday some shopping.

A very busy week for me and the house is beginning to show it!

I have managed some sewing time in the evenings and progress while slow is steady.

I like that.

I'd like next week to be a bit slower please.

Busy Days!

I've been missing from the blog for a couple of days!  Surprise, surprise. 

On Sunday I spent most of the day cooking.

A most enjoyable time as I hardly ever do it!

The reason was Beth and Lucas's birthday dinner!

Every one gets to choose the menu and they chose

Shrimp and Steak

Cheesy Potatoes

Wedge salads

Hot rolls

Strawberry Napoleon

Oh so yummy!

And everyone took home some leftovers.

We enjoy each others company so it was a fine day.

I was tired though!

Yesterday, I was scheduled to have a meeting with a realtor.

Then this guy (Ethan) happened (realtor postponed.)

The school and I have different definitions of illness!
He was sent home sick.  He wasn't sick, just had an adjustment to one of his many meds.
I know he wasn't sick because of this:

He spent plenty of time jumping from one dot to another.
Practicing his colors and same/not same.
As well as playing for hours with the four little airplanes.
He couldn't go back until 1pm today so he came again this morning.
I took his to Beth around noon and then went to the Museum to work.

I'm tired.

Brown!

Here are the brown bits so far this month.

First up are the string tumblers.  I will make some more of these as I still have strips left. 

 After I set up some sort of pressing area closer to the machine!

A closer look!  When you are sewing them they don't look as varied and interesting.  I like them.

Next are the four patches.  This is all I have fabric for--unless another box appears!

 Light browns.

 Dark browns.

I spent some time today adding red strips to the rag log cabin blocks. 

It's a tedious process!  I'm glad there are only 32!

Tomorrow it our birthday celebration for Beth and Lucas. 

 Much cooking for me!

Today, in keeping with my intention to be a tourist in my hometown

I visited 

The National WWI Museum and Memorial.

Known locally as the Liberty Memorial.

I don't know much about World War I - or rather I didn't as I learned quite a bit today.

I will never be an expert but at least I know more than I did.

I was most impressed that they didn't just report the US story but made a real effort to tell the whole story.

Panels told the story by main events each month through the years of the war.  Panels like 

this one

I picked this one specially as the photo of all the smiling lads was of the Anzacs when they arrived in Paris.  They had previously been mentioned in Galliopli and as having escorted merchant ships.

After Paris they were swallowed by the British forces.

But this is what I mean about telling the whole story.

They have lots of "Stuff" aka artifacts.  Guns, artillery pieces, knives, grenades, even two planes!  There are uniforms and more uniforms, and more uniforms!  There is a life-size trench that runs the length of one exhibit hall!

Exhibits on the US home front included this

 The blue stars are for those serving and there are names in all the white spaces.

It is extremely threadbare, almost as if it is made of silk and the silk shattered.

The most heart-wrenching part is the entrance/exit. 

 A glass bridge over a field of poppies.

When you are in Kansas City I would highly recommend a visit here, it is well worth the time.

Oh So Very Windy!

While today was warm, very warm, it was also extremely windy!  Gusts up to 40 MPH. Trash cans blown over, while driving down the road the cover on the back of my pickup flew up!  (I started to say blew up but it's still there and attached.)  Apparently I neglected to lock it down when I last opened it.  It was kind of exciting, and I had to get out at a stop light and shut it.  Locked it this time!

I dumped the dirt out of some pots-left from last fall when shoulder issues were bad.  Spring will be coming and I might want to use one or two of them.  I don't plan much of a garden this year as I am trying to move.  Must put "Call the realtor" on the to do list.

Finally slowed down the director at the museum enough to discuss what to do with the next segment of the Mattes Collection. Oversize. When I looked at a couple of folders there are a lot of maps but there are other things as well some of which are not oversized at all!  They are the old style black copies with white writing, copied from some microfilm somewhere most likely.  Interestingly some of the writing was printed BACKWARDS.  So I'll be hauling a small mirror to the museum next week because I need to know what it's about before I can file it.  I have no intention of transcribing the stuff though-I'm just the sort, organize and catalog girl.

Tonight in the studio I finished the first black round on the rag logs.  Then I worked on Nora's stocking.  I only have 1 row completely finished and two rows half finished so I'll wait and show you my progress next week!

Spring?

Today was an absolutely amazing day!

Warm, springlike, I only needed a polar fleece jacket when I went out to run errands!

Tomorrow is forecast to be in the 70's (F).

Perhaps even to break the record high temperature of 74!(F)

It's February though so I think the more normal 40's(F) will be back with us soon.

It is a nice break though.

Quinn, of course, lived outside today and tonight! 

This afternoon after our walk I left the deck door open for her.

She really loves that!

She comes in periodically and checks up on me, waits for me to say hi then goes back out.

She's so silly.

I hit the cross-stitch shop for blending filament for Nora's sock and some beads as well.

I CANNOT make a French Knot!

I've tried and tried.

So instead I use beads.  It works.

Then I went to Costco to buy ink cartridges for my printer.

They didn't have the ones I need.  Next up is ordering them from Amazon.

I did however manage to spend money on food and laundry detergent.

Plus I bought myself a new sweater.

Began making the log cabin blocks for the rag quilts after dinner.  

I need 36 so I am chain piecing them.

I need to set up ironing and cutting stations that I can use without all the up and down stuff!

I had an interesting thing happen last week. 

I found a new cousin.

We've worked together at both the Historical Society and the Museum and only

discovered last week that we have mutual ancestors!

Small world.

One last thing.

I've been discouraged about cooking for one.

Feeling it wasn't worth the bother when it's just me.

It just struck me like a log-

"Since when am I not good enough to cook for?"

That led to a whole lot of other things I decided I was enough for!

I never even thought I was putting myself in a lesser place!

NO MORE!

The Final Stitches!

I just took the last stitches in Fairies All Around!  Sorry the pictures aren't great, inside, night, no one to hold it up --the same old things!

The Front.  Made from some yardage of a border by Michael Miller.  I made the blocks for the fiasco of the guild mystery last year.

The back is a Michael Miller panel that came in a scrap pack from eQuilter after I had the other.  

It still needs washed and it isn't laying flat around the edges.  Truthfully, it is not my best effort.  I am not about to let perfect be the enemy of finished!  It'll keep me warm that's what counts.

Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope all of you with loved ones celebrate that love gigantically!

As for me,

I've already made this

Copycat Outback honey-wheat bread!

Rob found the recipe and asked me to make it for their dinner.

He is re-creating their favorite meal at Outback Steakhouse!

I made it a couple of weeks ago just to check it out.

So, Yummy!

It's very easy.  I made it with my stand mixer but you can do it with a

bread machine or by hand.

You can find the recipe HERE, just in case you want to try it.

I'm off to the studio (just sounds so much better than basement, which is where the studio is.)
I'll do a bit of quilting on Fairies All Around.
Work on tiny brown strips and
begin Nora's stocking.

Let the fun begin!

Starting soon!

I picked up the fabric for the rest of the Christmas stockings yesterday.

It had to be special ordered so I got enough for 4 more.

I only need 3 more!

This is what I'll be starting soon!!!

This one is for Nora.  Remember I have to do it backwards!

All the others have toes pointed the other way, sigh.

On top of the whole backwards thing it has blending filament in it, urgh.

And many beads.

I'll have fun and it will be really great to have it done.

As a reminder to me!

And so can you!

I acquired a new desk!

Here it is!

Old age is setting in and one of the more difficult things for me to do is put on makeup!  

I cannot see the mirror in the bathroom without my glasses!

So I decided I would look for a smallish desk to use as a vanity.

I found this one online but it was in a small vintage shop.

Solid maple-heavy.

What sold me on it though are those curved shelves.

I've ordered a lighted makeup mirror which should arrive Saturday.

All of my makeup (there isn't much) and hair stuff will go in the drawers.

I'll bring up the small piano stool and be all set.

Quinn's nose may be slightly out of joint as I had to move her Coolero/bed!

I just put it back where it was originally so she'll get over it.

I'm off to do more quilting on Fairies All Around.  

Perhaps I'll finish the center!

Then I'll have to figure out how to do the borders.

I can only do straight lines!

No bad news!

Just because yesterday was full of it! 

 Kolby was here today as he has had strep throat (everyone knows THAT just goes around and around at the grade school!)  He's been on antibiotics for a couple of days so he couldn't spread it around anymore but was not really ready to go back to school.  He'll be headed back tomorrow, but by then it might be Brayden's turn! 

 He brought his ipod and kindle along to play games and watch ytube (it's too cold for the recovering kid to play outside!!!) but those run low on power and have to be charged so when that happened we watched How to Train Your Dragon Two. 

While he was messing around within geekdom I was tidying up in the studio.  I found a whole shoe box of brown fabric!  Mostly scraps but a few fat quarters.  This just goes to show that I should never put fabric into boxes!  Now my pile of 1 1/2" squares is quite a bit bigger as is the pile of thimbles.  Not to mention the strips of various sizes.  Perhaps I'll sew some brown together this week. 

 I must finish the quilting on Fairies all around first though.  A couple of more nights at that one. 

 Still need to cut black large strips and alternate blocks of flannel but I'm waiting for new rotary cutter blades which are due to come tomorrow.

And she bit the dust.

My Elna, that is.  I spent some money last year getting her fixed up and she did run but when I tried to sew last night I just got nothing.  Well, the light came on.  I don't think I'll do anything more to her, she will be lovely studio decor or a big paperweight! Also last night, I was trying to quilt some of Fairies all around and the stitching just kept getting tiny.  I tried stitch adjustments and rethreading, everything I could think of.  Quit and went to bed.  Tonight I took the walking foot off and everything is just fine.  Guess I won't be using that foot any longer!

I am now officially behind on this weeks stitching.  Kolby's coming for the day tomorrow though so I may get a little caught up while he's here.

I did finish the big section of the collection at the trails museum though!  We'll label and give them their permanent homes as soon as the director decides on the design for the label.  Really feeling accomplished.

Now, for whatever reason, I'm really sleepy-have been all day, so I'm off to bed.

Design Wall Monday and a finish!

First the finish!  Card Trick!

This one may need a few stitches yet in the center but it will look awesome on the table in Ceili!

Appropriate as I bought it on a trip!  To Las Vegas!

My design wall looks like this:

The black and red are flannel for Brayden and Kolby new rag quilts.  The black for the wider strips and blocks is to be cut tonight.

There's a bit of brown to be cut for four patches, strips and thimbles.

The tan is flannel for the backing of Stitch in Nine and the fabric on the right of it is for the binding.

I also have about 14 fat quarters which will have strips cut:  1 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch for other projects.

I swear I've ironed the wrinkles out of SO much fabric in the past two days!

Will cut tonight and hopefully do a bit of sewing.

Fairies all around is ready to be under the needle for quilting on the Janome and the Elna is set up for the log cabins out of red and black flannel.

Also think I'll get another cross stitch project out to finish for someone else!

Catching up!

My oldest brother, Jim, and his wife, Jessie, came for the weekend from Denver.  Boy, what a whirlwind!

On Friday, I did a bit of shopping before going to my Dad's house to visit.  I hit World Market hoping they'd have Australian tea, since Ann Campbell sent me some I'm hooked and hoping to find it somewhere in the states.  Must check Amazon.  Anyway, I did find some Irish tea I'd never tried.  Unless I had it in Ireland and didn't know it which is possible.  Besides the tea I wanted these

Magnetic spice tins for Ceili.  Now I need to hit IKEA for the metal sheets to hang in the closet (I call it the pantry-hangers don't really fit) to stick them to.  With a travel trailer one has to make enhancements to suit oneself.  (Well, really no different than a house.)  I've decorated Ceili in brown and turquoise (brown because, well, it was already brown and turquoise because I like it.)  I've been buying all sorts of turquoise things-plastic dinnerware, plastic glasses, rugs, towels, etc.  No sheets yet.  One of the things I hoped for but really didn't think I had any hope of finding was a tea kettle in turquoise. Like this one

For once in my life I have actually chosen a color which seems to be in fashion!  Very rare for me.  It seems there is so much for me to choose from now.  I think I might have reached my limit on accessories for Ceili!

We had dinner out as a family on Friday night-came home stuffed.

On Saturday, Jessie and I went back to Weston.  I've created a monster there!  4 years ago she wanted to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving--biggest, most horrid shopping day in the US--to which I thought "Oh Hell NO!"  Instead I took her to Weston.  Weston is an old Missouri River town just a couple of blocks long with cute little shops and eating establishments.  You see things there you never see elsewhere and we always have a great time.  She always wants to go to Weston!  I don't mind.  So, yesterday she bought a few things and so did I!  Here's most of what I bought.

A Bluebird for my living room.

A new Fairy named Jessie!  So I won't forget when and where I bought her!

Another new fairy, named Annie.  (Yes, Ann Campbell that's for you!)

This Irish blessing ornament which I put in my office.

I forgot to photograph the tiny bluebird (maybe 1/2 inch in size) I got for the dollhouse,  the brown sugar bear that will keep it moist in the jar and the button I bought Jim that says

"I speak fluent blarney" cause he does!

We had a lovely, large lunch at the Avalon Cafe. Before we headed back to my house.

Then we all met up at my cousin Bruce's new house before going to dinner.  I didn't contribute much to the dinner (nor eat much) as I'd developed a headache somewhere along the line.  Bad enough that I considered skipping dinner!  Then it was home and into bed with a puppy who was really glad her mom was home at last!

         Today we met for lunch before they headed to the airport to go home.  I feel like I've done nothing but eat this weekend!  Really, had a fun time with them.  After lunch, I hit the quilt shop.  They aren't usually open on Sunday but every year on Superbowl Sunday they have a big sale. I  did what I said I wouldn't do this time around on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I bought fat quarters in this months color-brown-as I really didn't have much.  Having cut it all for a log cabin that is still in progress.  Now, I'm taking myself off to the studio to sit and sew!

I've been MIA

So, Monday's splendid day of getting quite a lot done was followed by a very short night (could not sleep) then by a full day of being away from home.  Visited the good Dr Symmes, my chiropractor, did my volunteer gig, picked up dinner and visited with Kolby and Ethan while Beth and Lucas took Brayden to Anne Frank at the K C Rep.  I got home about 11pm from that one.  Guess what?  Wednesday, I. did. nothing.  Well okay I sat in my chair and read.  I didn't touch needle and thread for any of those days.  Today, I did a bit more cleanup and my volunteer gig.  I'm still very tired.  The older I get the longer it takes to get over being sleep deprived.  But speaking of my volunteer gig, I finished the biggest part of my project.  The one I've been working on for several years!  I only need to finish filing and checking numbers etc.  Then we will label all the boxes with a special label for that collection which will make it easier to read.  After that it's on to the oversize drawers and then photos.  I do believe that I might finish with that collection in this lifetime!  

I finally found by walking foot so I can begin quilting the tops that are finished.  I started on Card Trick tonight.  I also set up the Elna for sewing that isn't quilting.  I still haven't gotten the fabric, well really I don't expect it for another week or so and I didn't pick up another unfinished piece just yet so there's nothing to show.  Maybe tomorrow.

What I did today

Baked Bread

Did the laundry

Changed the Sheets on my bed

Cleaned off my Desk, sigh

Organized tax stuff, health care stuff

Paid the bills

Took Quinn on a walk

Nagged Suzie

Gathered the trash and recycling

Put trash and recycling on the curb for pick up 

Did 15 minutes of family transfer

Started pinning "Card Trick"

I'm sure there was something else but I'm too tired to remember!

Tomorrow.