A few loose ends...

I eventually made my way downstairs after a 10:00 brunch of french toast and pork sausage.

I didn't feel in the quilting frame mood, so I dropped the backing fabric off on it and headed to my quilting room. Looking around, I saw a heap of binding strips that have sat since I was gung-ho on finishing up Red Blossoms and Blue Ridge Beauty back in March. The binding of BRB was finished, but I never got around to RB.

Binding complete. Sadly, this quilt nor BRB made their way to the Japan Earthquake relief, therefore I think Alycia will be receiving a package soon (once I finish Maltese Star quilting).

I saw this little crib quilt that was tossed in the same corner (back from March 23); was never finished either. A few more 2.5" binding strips created and another quilt to check off the list. WHY didn't I just spend the 30 minutes to do this back in March????

My 2.5" square scrap box was organized into piles of like-colors....

Angela's post the other day was still teasing my creative side, so I played. She shared with me that the squares were 2.5" and the white strips were 1.5"...."...and the rest of the math is pretty easy." Psht! It was, BUT, don't you people realize that it's summer vacation!?!? And on summer vacation I like to turn off my "math mind." ;0)

Two and a half finishes with a Stash Report

Ugh. BOY, I've been in a slump lately and have allowed myself to play the victim instead of making the best of it and moving forward with a few different things at work. This slump has migrated its way to my quilting life; not having much of any motivation to do anything.

WELL! What a poooooooh way to live, huh?

So, this AM while catching up on blogs, I read Bonnie's "A Heart for Japan" post where she was requested to get the word out for assistance on sending quilts to Japan. Putting everything into perspective, my life is no where NEAR as bad as what it could be, so ..... I shook out of my whiny-victim mood and said....."stop sulking and get busy Amy!"

Having been two weeks since I really spent any real time quilting, I started with the quilt that was on my floor---Maltese Star (QOV Mystery #24). The final borders needed to be pieced onto it. 20 minutes later, measuring at 64"x80"----top done :0). It has been set aside because it IS meant for donation to QOV, but I wanted to get busy on some Japan donation quilts.

While I was finishing up Maltese Star, I started doing some brainstorming on how to finish up my Red Blossoms quilt that STILL was displayed on my design wall. I thought it would be a perfect quilt to finish up and donate!

A small 1" light inner border was added, in addition to the pinwheel extensions to the top/bottom, and one final 5" red border, finishing this quilt at 66"x76".

Find fabric for a backing wasn't super easy, but I think I pieced it together well enough to accomplish its job. This is yet another project showing the symmetric nature to just about everything I create. 180 degree rotational symmetry, slightly off-balance, shown here. The larger red pieces are a hand-dyed fabric that was in one of my many storage boxes.

I didn't change out my pantograph at all---still using my 4.5" Chinese Crescents, a perfect "loose" pantograph.



While I was quilting Red Blossoms, I needed a small break, so I pulled my Blue Ridge Beauty off my 'waiting table' to trim off the excess batting/backing from quilting it a few weeks back. Then took a few moments to prepare some binding and zooooooomed away, finishing off this quilt at 68"x80".

As much as I really was looking forward to having this join me upstairs as my new snuggle-quilt, it is needed much more over seas. So, off to Japan it will go!

I'm pretty tuckered out, but rather pleased with my day's progress. Another hour of binding is needed and I'll be able to check Red Blossoms off my list, too.


I mentioned a few weeks back that the girls and myself have been doing some puzzling; DH caught us in the act last weekend (it was a PJ day for sure!)


Stash Report: March 7-20
Used/week: 6.07 yds
Purch/week: 5.0 yds (backing for Raven Stars)

Used/year: 42.75 yds
Purch/year: 11.0 yds

Net Used: 31.75 yds

Raven Stars; Red Blossoms; RRCB; BIL visit; Stash Report

Since Raven Stars isn't a mystery, AND for the fact that I want to show you all that I HAVE been doing something quilty this weekend.........my quilt center has been pieced despite having two more steps yet to be printed for y'all. This is merely the quilt center; I am still planning a simple border.

A shot of my design wall, still housing Red Blossoms; the border pinwheels were my leader-ender project for the day.


At the end of the day, with about 30 minutes left on the clock before I knew I needed to pack up, I pieced together 10 of the string blocks for RRCB.

Amazingly, for much of the day though, I was upstairs watching "Uncle Ryan" and Cassie and all the others play the Wii. Simutaneously, I worked on a puzzle that has been out on our side table since Christmas; I'm not much of a puzzler, but.......I finished it. Sorry Cass!!!!

Although a good amount of sewing happened this weekend, my stash report still won't change (much) since all the fabric used had already been recorded. However, I will at least get updated numbers to include the fabric used last weekend for the mini-nine-patches.

Stash Report: Feb. 14 - 27
Used/week: .61 yds
Purch/week: 0.0 yds

Used/year: 34.93 yds
Purch/year: 6.0 yds

Net Used: 28.93 yds

Blue Ridge Beauty top done; Red Blossoms gettin' there

Blue Ridge Beauty (69"x80") - pictured sidewaysThe final borders were put on this morning---there will be no continual UFO status for this thing!!! A backing was pieced from a large amount of blue that I found in the donation boxes and already loaded up on the frame. I was hoping to get a start on the quilting today, but not so sure that will happen now.

I also worked on Red Blossoms today. Thanks to Amanda, I feel just fine only having pieced one more block to have the center finish square. (Speaking of Amanda...be sure to check out her Scrappy Red words quilt!!! As for my red quilt...the center has been pieced together, and I even spent some time piecing the bonus triangles into pinwheels for some sort of pieced border. Now that my design floor is clear of Blue Ridge Beauty, I think I'll play around with border layouts for Red Blossoms. I definitely need to break up the center from the pieced border with a light/white inner border strip.

And, as the meteorologist promised, today the temps hit the 50's!!! WOW! Heat wave! Naturally, I needed to make the most of it!!! Laced up the tennies and ran 1.8 miles once DH returned home from fishing with Caitlyn.

Oh ....
Caitlyn had a wonderful time! It was just DH and her, so she was on the receiving end of all the attention....

I have NO CLUE what this picture is all about, but DH sent it to me.

DH is cleaning the fish right now; I'm finishing up a few loads of laundry; Caitlyn and Cassie are outside feeding the animals, and Candace is writing her name on all the valentines for her class tomorrow; all signs that the weekend is coming to an end.


Stash Report Feb. 7-13
Used/week: 4.67 yds
Purch/week: 0.0 yds

Used/year: 34.32 yds
Purch/year: 6.0 yds

Net Used: 28.32 yds

Saturday sew-in status...

1. Piece Maltese Stars step #5 - DONE!

2. Piece Blue Ridge Beauty blocks into a top (and open up my design wall!) - SORTA DONE!
I pieced the blocks together into the quilt center, but haven't added borders yet. However, my design wall was finally clear again :0)

3. Write step 2 of Raven Stars - DONE.

4. Piece 1 OR 13 more Red Blossom (Pineapple Blossom) blocks - NOT DONE, but the blocks have taken over my design wall.


DH was off of work early yesterday, so he volunteered to drive the 80 miles down to Eau Claire to pick up my machine that has been sitting, waiting, since Monday. Ah yes, a lovely husband :0) Mind you, he also enjoyed his stop at the Sporting Goods store down in that area... :0) The verdict on my machine: a gear had loosened which is why is was so noisy, and the fact that the gear was loose was causing my needle/bobbin to be out-of-sync. No gear replacement was needed; just a tightening.

And all day long, I've been working some more on the RRCB HST units as my leaders-enders project.

But now...I'm a bit peetered-out. DH was up bright and early at 5:30 to head out with a family friend for a day of ice-fishing. As hard as he really tries at being silent, it still doesn't matter. I'm such a light sleeper. He apologized when I came rolling out of the bedroom at 5:45, but I simply shrugged and said "no biggy." It's the weekend! No stress and I can get my day started before the girls wake up.

Design "floor" Monday; Red Blossoms

Since my design wall still houses the Blue Ridge Beauty blocks and I can't see taking them down until they are pieced into a top, AND since I don't really want to work on those blocks right now....

I shooshed all of the girls' toys to the side to open up some floor space to get a glimpse of how the Red Blossoms blocks looked since I finished piecing the 35 of them tonight. Originally I was planning a 5x7 layout, but....I love this "barn raising" layout. It's a symmetrical layout, and 35 blcoks just aren't going to play well without a few more. Now to decide....just whip out one more for a 6x6 layout, OR 13 more to have a 6x8 layout??? Mmmmm... I think this is an easy answer for me since I am not a big fan of "square" quilts. 13 more blocks to find scraps for.

And so far, 140 bonus tris that will find their way into a pieced border.

Also, I ran on the 'dreadmill' tonight. Nothing long; nothing fast, but I ran. One mile. I wasn't in the greatest mood when I arrived home, BUT Amy, Infinity Quilter kinda got me motivated via an email today to get my butt going again! We shared a couple of emails say "Woo-hoo to the Pack" {{she's a fellow Wisconsinite}} and she made a comment about running the Green Bay Cellcom 5K in May because it finishes with a lap around Lambeau Field. I ran it back in 2006 (I had told her 2003, but I was mistaken.) Anyway.....I kinda thought it may be nice to get my butt motivated again and get some races on my 2011 calendar! So, I spoke with a coworker who has finished one 5K in her life and thought she might like some motivation as well! We're going to see about runnin' it up together!
So anyway, got home...not too happy, but for one reason or another, I stuck to the gameplan to get on the treadmill. I did a little run/walk interval workout and sure was huffin' it up by the close of the mile! When I was back upstairs, I read over my mail (BONNIE'S BOOK ARRIVED!!!!) and listened to Caitlyn read her Reading assignment for the night; looked through the kitchen cabinets to find something for dinner; decided on homemade pizza (the easy way with a package crust); started frying up some pork sausage for toppings; had the girls get bundled up again to leave to pick up Cass from basketball practice. And....I was feeling TONS better than what I would have HAD I not run! I guarantee it! So, this is my reminder-----I will HATE running on the dreadmill, but....I WILL feel so much better once I'm done.

There!

Happy Monday!