Another Snow Day

We were stuck at home today. The boys were home from school, again, due to the wintry weather. And I was determined to get something accomplished.

We had a movie day. They seemed to be content and occupied watching their DVD's. And it was perfect for me to do some mindless quilt marking.

Although my Round the Block quilt is coming along well, I still need to add more rows to it. During the movie, I could sit with my boys, watch/listen to the movie, and mark-out the quilt pieces for the blocks. Once they are marked, I'll cut them out, pin them together, and get them to the sewing machine sometime in the near future.


It's pretty simple work. I'm using my handy dandy plastic margarine lid templates, again! I just marked the fabric with square grids for the templates to be marked in. Both parts of the block are marked in each square. It was the best layout, with the least waste, that that I could think of.

Even though winter has pretty much just started, I am already sick of it. I'm ready for the approaching warm weather... I can look forward to that in about three more months. Three months of wishful thinking! Oh, boo who. I'm just so pitiful!

Jane

No More Snow Days!!

Here in southern Indiana, we've had another snow storm. Nothing tremendous, but enough to slip and slide along the roads and the kids had to stay home from school.

I had just a little time to myself today. With both of them home, I've had to make sure they were busy with something, otherwise they will find each other and start pestering one another. I just don't know if it's the age difference (the older thinks the younger is a big baby, the younger thinks the older is bossy- both are right!) or if that's the way brothers are.

But wouldn't you know, it was announced that we have another school cancellation for tomorrow. I think we will do something productive, such as cleaning their room, sweeping the floor, so I can feel like I'm actually getting something done tomorrow!

I'm really going to try to fit in some quilt-work for tomorrow, one way or another. Just breathe, just breathe!

Jane

Love My Followers

I enjoy visiting other blogs. To see what they are working on, the photos of their projects... I have a long list of my favorites and I feel as if they were my close quilty friends.

And so I'm very flattered to see that I actually followers that actually visit my blog. To think that someone is enjoying seeing what I am up to.

Recently, I had noticed that I had a new person added to my followers list. WOW!! YAY!!! I had noticed that she was a crocheter. Now, I've have been doing a little bit of crocheting lately- I repeat "a little bit." I was feeling a little stressed. I was going to be a big disappointment to this new follower- I'm a quilter!

After all the worrying, I found out that the new follower was just my sister! She is on the process of starting her own blog and I'll be visiting hers also. I'll be her biggest fan!!

Jane

Christmas Show and Tell

I had started crocheting a little bit here lately. It's a great break from my quilting when it becomes mundane. I can still be creative, keep my hands busy, and have a finished product in the end.

My sister, who is a crocheter, had gifted me a crochet book for Christmas. How tempting!!! It is "Crochet It. Love It. Wear It." from the Crochet Dude, Drew Emborsky.



I love the cardigans shown in this book. They would be very useful in this cold weather now! And there is a pattern for a "little black dress." I can't believe a crocheted dress could be so sleek and stylish! There is also a pattern for a baby doll shirt that I can really see myself in! Now, I really don't how long it would take me the actually finish a large project like these. I have to be realistic and start small.



I love vests. I have made several quilted versions but I have never made a crocheted one. I think I may have to start with this one. Not sure on the color or the yarn, yet. Perhaps a nubby sage green or a flannel-like grey????


I can get myself all enthusiastic about this project until I sew the difficulty level.

Intermediate

(definition- projects using a variety of techniques, such as basic lace patterns, mid-level shaping and finishing).

I'm pretty sure I'm not quite there yet, or perhaps my sister has great confidence in me!! But when have I really done anything easy. I love a challenge! I'm just going to have to familiarize myself on all the crochet abbreviations and terminology so I can follow the pattern.
Thank you so much, Sis!! I have already started researching other wearable crochet items. With her help, my yarn stash will be growing larger pretty quickly!

Jane

Block of the Month Obsession

I just can't resist a good Block of the Month pattern... especially when it's free. What could be better, a new block every month!

It's only the first of January and I had already found two that I just fell in love with!

The first one is from Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs (bunnyhilldesigns.com). She has done other BOM's in the past: 2010's Snowbound (great for fans of snowmen) and 2009's A Tisket A Tasket (just for basket lovers). This year's BOM is named Henrietta Whiskers.

It features a cute little squirrel. I just love Anne's design style and her applique work. This is her third free BOM that I have printed out and I'm sure this year will surely be equally impressive.

The next one is from the The Quilt Show (thequiltshow.com). Now, I apologize. The Quilt Show is a membership site. You have to pay a fee to access special aeras in the site (such as this BOM) but there is still a lot to see even if your not a member (I love their Daily Blog!).

2011's Ruffled Roses is The Quilt Show's fifth BOM. Sue Garman has been the designer for each one (looovvve her work!). I've printed out their 2008's Bouquets for a New Day and 2009's Stars for a New Day and I even I even attempted to start Stars for a New Day. I have most of the fabric purchased but there is just one fabric that I cannot locate. I didn't start this quilt right away, so a lot of the fabrics that were used in the quilt has vanished by that time.

I'm not sure when I'll start either one of these quilts. I love the start of a new quilt project (the fabric searching, fabric cutting, the piecing...) but I've got to get those UFO's out of the way!!!! For now, I'll just print out the patterns each month and stash them away for later- maybe get some fabric from time to time ;p!

Jane

Just Testing

I've been testing out some quilting designs for my Square- Or Is It? quilt. I thought it would be pretty easy because its blocks are a simple square shape. But some of them have one or two smaller squares appliqued to them and I had to figure how to work around them.

With a little bit of experimenting, I came up with this:


Just test driving it a while to see how I like it. What do you think?

I found it very easy to trace the image from behind the light fabric, but it was very difficult to see through the dark fabric. Even with a bright light behind it. So devised a template that can be traced from the top of the fabric.

I had used my handy-dandy plastic margarine container lid. Once I had traced the pattern on the lid, I cut out an approx. 1/8th inch slit where the pencil marking was. It is in these slits that I'm going to mark my fabric.

I'll try it out for a while and once the quilt-top id finished, I'll have to mark each and every 225 square blocks!!

Jane

Did You Miss Me?

I'm back!

It seems like forever since I've been here!! I mean, it was last year since I last posted! But seriously, it has been just over a week and 2011 is now upon us. It is this time of year that I make my resolutions.... here's just a few...

• Take better care of myself. I'm sure I'm not the only one - I tend to care for everyone else and I forget about ME. So I'm planning to exercise (yoga) and do some light-weight training 3 times a week. Drink more milk. Take my vitamins like I'm suppose to.
• In connection to the above resolution, to get myself back into shape so that I may recuperate quickly from my next knee surgery. I'm scared to death and I've been postponing the surgery. I need to get it over with.
• Be more patient with my boys (and that includes the hubby!). I need to let them act like "brothers" sometimes (but not all the time!) and just let a little chaos happen.
• Get myself more organized. Not sure exactly how I will start this. Working on it a little everyday, it may be a year long endeavor.
• And I need to get these quilts finished!

I can't just give them up. I look at them and I can still see the masterpiece that I saw when I first started them. And now that the quilt shop will enable me to used their quilting machine, I'm hoping to quilting process will go a lot more quickly. I've got about 4 to 5 packages of batting ready to go.

My Square- Or Is It? quilt is almost done. Will need to figure out the quilting design to use on the square blocks and I still need to purchase the backing fabric. I'm envisioning a curvy-swirly print.

I'm also trying to get my Round the Block quilt completed. I already know how I want it quilted and I'm wanting to use a check fabric for the back. If I can get it done pretty quickly, I can get it on the quilting machine once they are ready.



Now back to work to better myself and working on these quilts!!

Jane