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!