American Classic finished; Hannah's Rotation progress, May UFO

American Classic bound...

Labeled...

...and boxed, ready to be shipped to Alycia.


So, now....I MUST concentrate most of my time on Hannah's Rotation.
The top two rows...

... and bottom two rows
are complete. Just two more rows in the center to finish up this top! GOAL: Finish up the top by Sunday!!! It sure would be nice to put this project behind me.


Nancy (Patchwork Penguin) choose #3 for the May UFO. That would be my Steppin' Out quilt I am making with some batik-ish looking dyed fabrics. Back on April 11th, this was the status of the top...I am VERY near a complete finish with this one; just awaiting a final border and then quilting.


Gosh, I feel good today! I think I really needed this weekend in front of the two sewing machines! I was all smiles today at work; was my normal "cheerleader" self to most of the students who are slowly starting to sense the end of the school year {{sorry kiddos! You have 5 weeks left!!!}}

If I can stay this happy and stress free, Hannah's Rotation just MAY NOT kill me! :0)

Happy Monday!

Planting; American Classic quilted; Stash reports April 19-May 2

The mid-morning hours were spent planting seeds...
the whole family was involved....
Caitlyn and Cassie filling containers with dirt...

Candace checking to see if the hole was there...

Even I had my pic taken. DH thought he was being so sneaky. Hmpf--I knew he was there the whole time!

Yeah---this'd be DH

In the end, oh gosh---I don't even know how many of each we planted: tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, cucumbers, beans... Those of us who live in the cold north don't even THINK about putting plants outdoors until Memorial Weekend (end of May). In fact, last year on June 19 we had frost!!!! I remember this well because we lost LOTS of plants!!! We're ready this year though---have been saving up the milk cartons for mini-greenhouses and frost protectant once we get to the outdoor stage.

This is a cute lil' indoor greenhouse my parents bought for us two years ago; I can't remember what the occasion was. It's fun to watch the little seedlings sprout, and well.....we live in a cold climate! The only way we'd ever had veggies at a decent harvest time is to start them indoors.

On the quilting front...
I finished up Deer Camp last night, binding, hanging sleeve and label all complete. I still need to hand stitch the label and hanging sleeve down, so ALMOST done....

American Classic was just pulled off the frame and I hope to get binding made up and put on yet this evening. I also am working on the label to attach right away too. It would be nice to ship out some of these quilts that have been just sitting around. I have three ready for Quilts 4 Kids and now the American Classic for Alycia's Warrior Games or No Solider Forgotten.

Happy Sunday...
hopefully one more post to come tonight. I haven't done a stash report in two weeks!

8:45 update
Yeah---I've parked my butt and haven't done anything downstairs other than turn everything off. I'm tired and am enjoying putting my feet up.

So...here's the weekly stash report:
Stash Report: April 19 - April 25
Used this week: 1.778 yards
Purchased this week: 18 yards
Used-to-date 2010: 105.05 yards
Purchased-to-date 2010: 131.75 yards
Net used: -26.7 yards
{{uh-oh! Even MORE in the red}}

Stash Report: April 26 - May 2
Used this week: 7.264 yards
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Used-to-date 2010: 112.314 yards
Purchased-to-date 2010: 131.75 yards
Net used: -19.436 yards

Deer Camp quilted; American Classic started....

The quilting room was humming at 7:00 a.m. My littlest alarm clock dragged me out of bed at 6:15 since she was ready for breakfast. I guess there is something to be said about those internal clocks... (YET, this is the one who drags her feet on a typical morning). Hmpf....never fails!

But that's okay---
I finished putting borders on American Classic and then pieced a backing and cut batting. By the time I finished up those steps, it was time for a mid-morning breakfast and then a shopping spree for that brown thread I ran out of last night (the spree also brought home seeds, potting soil and a few other supplies for starting some tomato, pepper and watermelon plants. That project awaits tomorrow morning).

Deer Camp quilting was more time-consuming than Leapin' Lizards. a) it's larger. b) I didn't do an overall panto pattern.

Border treatments used this little design. Also, I wasn't sure about how to do the side borders; I THINK I read somewhere that ladies i) finish up the quilting everywhere else, ii) remove the quilt from the frame, then iii) reload quilt in opposite direction to finish side borders. Well---that's was I did and it worked.

The inner panel was quilted with a panto. They are SO much nicer to follow when first starting out on the frame rather than just doing free-hand.

Binding awaits yet, and that may be what I'll work on when I head back downstairs.

American Classic was loaded around 3:00, and I have a bit more than half finished, but my back is letting me know that I've been quilting most of the afternoon. I find that my frame is a bit too low for me; I wouldn't mind having it a bit taller. Considering how short I am (5'4" on a good day), I wonder how taller ladies manage on this frame.

We just had some "Brupper" {{Cassie's term for breakfast at supper time}}. Scrambled eggs for some; eggs-over-easy for others; toast-n-jelly....

And just a bit ago, I kicked DH off the computer for an hour so I could update. It's almost 7:00 and I hope to have a couple more hours of work to show before the night is over.

Happy Saturday.

Sat. morning update...

First----Paul caught me "studying" online the other night and snapped a picture. I didn't even realize it until I uploaded pics to the computer.... Anyone dare to guess what I was "studying" on YouTube??? ;0)

Last night, I pulled out my Shades of Green top that was started LAST March! I had intentions of finishing it by quilting it in sections, but .... well....now that I'll have a frame (how far away is TUESDAY!?!?!?!), I pulled out the three sections and started piecing them together.
I needed to halt when getting to the borders, because I didn't have my original-planned border fabric anymore, so I needed to go shopping. {{yeah, Helper-Caitlyn couldn't resist posing}}


Since I needed fabrics for Black/Red Pineapple Blossoms and Steppin' Out and American Classic, and now Shades of Green, it was time to go shopping!!!

I choose THREE fabrics to use as a triple border for Shades of Green, bought some red for Pineapple Blossoms, some different "starry" red for American Classic,, an AMAZING fosil-fern (sp??) fabric for Steppin' Out, and OF COURSE....a few odds-n-ends in the form of FQ's ("shirtings" and some red/blues for the BOM). I also picked up some lovely double-pinks and pink paisley, in addition to a blue (reminds me of civil wars, but not quite sure since I've never really researched them)....And to finish it off, 10 yards of white (not pictured). I just LOVE LOVE LOVE quilts that use white in the background-----ANY color matches!

The only sewing I've accomplished so far is so put together a pillow for Cassie's horse latch-hook that she finished up last weekend. Simple pleasures..........she hasn't stopped hugging it.

So---we've had an early lunch and I'm back off to downstairs.
The house is a mess
Laundry is piled
Dishes are piled....

{{shrug}}
I sense a huge multi-task frenzy......but not now.

Maybe tomorrow?????
;0)

A quilt-TOP-in-a-day {{almost}}; Stash Report

The day started rather normal; browse around internet to catch up on blogs.....
And seeing Alycia's blog update this morning, I was {{sorta}} guilted motivated into digging into my box of 2" red/blue/white strips I've been collecting for the past couple of months. Afterall, I DID have a goal in JANUARY to get a top/quilt made for Alycia's No Soldier Forgotten 2010 challenge. Almost eight hours later---a top {{minus one more little border}}. I need it just a wee bit larger; currently it's 56"x76". Name: American Classic

Update from yesterday... Steppin' Out rows were sewn together and now awaits a shopping spree; I simply don't have ANYTHING in my stash that is batik-ish enough to use for borders.

I kind of looked around the sewing space to see what to work on next. TRUST ME---I have plenty of projects lying around....

I pulled out Deer Camp {{which, BTW, was finished last month and will await my frame for quilting}}. I dug around to see if I had some appropriate fabric to use as a backing. Lo-n-behold, I found JUUUUUST enough of this brown to use {{see it hiding behind the top???}} It will be tight!!! There's barely 1-2" hang-over on each side, 'cept the top.

Mid-day yesterday, Cassie came marching down the stairs and said "here ya go Mom! Surprise!" I guess she had drawn up a "plan" for a chair and asked Dad if he would be willing to help her make it. Graciously, he did. And as in most designs, plans were altered; the back-rest was left off; the chair seat was prettily "sculpted". And of course, as any proud mama, I accepted it with hugs. I'm actually thinking of doing a simply upholstering to it for the girls to have a little "bench: to sit on when hanging downstairs with me. I actually considered using it as a little pressing table for next to my sewing table, but it's just too short :0(

I did not report my stash last week {{yet again!}}, so I'll report both weeks right now...
Stash Report: March 29 - April 4
Used this week: 2.431 yards
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Used-to-date 2010: 89.512 yards
Purchased-to-date 2010: 86.25 yards
Net used: 3.262 yards

Stash Report: April 5 - 11
Used this week: 7.844 yards
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Used-to-date 2010: 97.356 yards
Purchased-to-date 2010: 86.25 yards
Net used: 11.106 yards