Star Struck flimsy

Star Struck - 72" x 88"

The border treatments for Star Struck were finished up this morning; simple, yet effective, I dare say.  Backings were the next "B" word to tackle -- always a struggle for me!!!  I like the simplicity of having a constant backing, however RARELY do I have enough of any one fabric to manage this.  My next stand-by backing is to cut apart left over yardage into 10.5" squares for piecing;  I was figuring that would be the backing of choice for this quilt.

However, I spied a bolt of blue/neutral flannel on my shelf.   In the end, there were around 5 yards on the bolt -- I truly never measured.  I simply unrolled it and placed it on top of the quilt top spread out on the floor.  I have only backed one other quilt in all my years with flannel, but I had just enough yardage to piece a length-wise backing.  It simply will have to work.
Therefore, the batting I prepared was NOT warm-n-natural.  Instead, I used up the last of my Thinsulate batting as well.  This quilt really is using up every last bit of a few different things :)

The backing is pieced and loaded on the frame.
The batting has been cut, pieced and on the frame as well.
That's as far as I will take things today.  The temps downstairs are quite chilly, and my hands/fingers have finally warmed back up from getting everything loaded on the frame.

We will finally be back to a normal schedule tomorrow at school.  And I can guarantee at LEAST a few students who will insist on complaining that we didn't get more days off of school;  there are always those few.

Scrappy Happy Scrappy

With oodles of bonus HST triangles collecting, I figured I would utilize the ol' border standby -- PINWHEELS.  These bonus triangles really do multiply, specially if they don't get used in the quilt that they were created from.  I think many of these are from Oklahoma Backroads from YEARS ago, in addition to... well.... umm.... probably the Star Struck blocks.  

Barely a dent in the box later, I had a couple dozen pinwheels pieced with a few boo-boos to boot.

However, after a simple test run, I wasn't likely 'em much :\   They would finish at 3"; the Star Struck blocks were 8" finished (4" sub-units).  I dunno, but they simply didn't make me feel all warm-n-fuzzy.

Therefore, I walked away.  And went back to the drawing board (ie: Google search) for quilt border treatments.  So much inspiration can be overwhelming the brain waves in matters of minutes with typing a a simple "Quilt border treatments" phrase in the search bar.  Images upon images putting the sense of vision on overload.  Not to mention what it does to the whole ADHD many of us quilters have!

But then, something else was happening to my sense of sight and the brain waves....

and the eyes grew heavy...

And then they closed....for a BRIEF time.  Truly.  Short-n-sweet 15 minute power nap.  

Once alert again with a focus in mind, a simple, 2.5" square scrappy border was started before needing to break for dinner.

As if almost on cue, my cell phone jingled to announce yet another school closing for tomorrow.  When I read that Bonnie was Quilt-Cammin' tonight-----I.  Was.  Like.  Totally. There!

And Paul here was being a goof, reacting with an...."OMGoodness....is that THEEEE Bonnie??  Oh boy... I can't contain my excitement!  I'm, like, totally Star Struck!"

LOL.

He actually ventured into my sewing room to ask if my QuiltCam stream would be affected if he were to do some research for some fishing-thing-er-another.  Awww.....how considerate of him to ask!  He knew I was looking forward to my Bonnie-time! ;)

Since I have another day off tomorrow to work on Star Struck,  I decided to leave the border laying as it was...

and grabbed some more scraps.  Yup, Alycia!  Total SQUIRREL move tonight!

When I started out with this block of Judy's (January Big-T Scrappy Challenge block), I had plans only of using up some of my blue scraps.  However, not only do I have lots of blue scraps, I also have lots of reds due to my QOVs over the years.  So.... I'll try to wade through some of my RWB scraps throughout the year with Judy's Scrappy Challenge.   

Four Big-T 9" blocks done tonight.

And, although many would call this a scrappy block... I feel like I cheated by using a WHOLE 3.5" square in the center!  I have so few 3.5" scraps in the bins anymore!  But lots of 2" strips!  I had the Companion Ruler all set with some 2" blue strips to make some hour-glass center units, but I was starting to fade by 9:00, so I used the 3.5" squares and called them done.

Goal tomorrow:  

Piece Star Struck into a flimsy.  

Piece a backing for Star Struck.  

Load Star Struck on the frame.

Happy Monday everyone!

Star Struck center

This online community of quilters is truly amazing, filled with brilliant suggestions.  I'm thankful we aren't afraid to suggest ideas, tips and the like to each other!

Angela's afterthought comment from my last post was extremely helpful.  With a little rearranging, a little ripping, and a sewing/scrap frenzy of piecing another 12 blocks... the scattering of the gold stars became an intentional design layout.

The center is now a 7x9 layout, rather than a 7x8 as I mentioned yesterday.  7x8 wasn't enough of the 'golden ratio' for me :D

Celtic Solstice has taken over my leader-ender project as I've been working on Berquist Beauty and now Star Struck.  Another 20 blocks in the making here.... all L/E.

And the 20 blocks on the stool here were all L/E'd when working solely on Berquist Beauty.  Bonnie hit the jackpot with the L/E idea!  No doubt!

Oh...yes...

BTW.  We received the call from the school district last night at 8:30 announcing the closing of school for the day due to extreme cold weather.  After watching news this AM, I can't see how the school CAN'T make the same call for tomorrow since tomorrow is expected to be even colder.  Crazy cold weather this year for much of the nation, that's for sure.

It's hard to believe it's THAT cold out when the house is a ROASTING 85 degrees!!!!!!  Between the wood furnace AND the extremely deceiving sunshine, the girls and I have elected to change into some shorts! LOL.  

#2 and #3 are playing the Wii;  #1 is wasting time "researching" on YouTube.  LOL.

I just came upstairs from piecing the center of Star Struck.  I'll throw together a light lunch since Paul made a yummiful brunch for all of us at 10:00, and enjoy some down-time looking through Bonnie's patterns to find a border treatment.

The school's band is having a Cabaret Concert at the end of February and the director is asking around to local businesses for raffle items (I just caught up on school email where he was filling the band parents in the latest happenings.)  So.....  ...... I haven't said anything yet, but I'm thinking I COULD get this quilt done by then and donate it to the band if he is interested.

Just thinking aloud right now.

Happy Monday.

More forgotten blue scraps...

Seriously....

I can't believe I had forgotten about this box, prepped years ago when I wanted to start working on Bonnie's Star Struck.  

In a different container, I found my Star Struck blocks.

And now I remember why I had stashed them away -- the splashes of yellow weren't making me happy, and I needed a break from them to think about what to do.

Well.... four years later (!!!!), I think it's time to just "know what to do."

Plan:  make up a few more blue blocks to bring the top to a 7x8 layout;  add a border or two.  And be done!  I think I'll donate it over to a school group that has silent auctions;  we are the Blue-n-Gold Lakers, after all.

But now... I'm truly pooped.  I DID sew for a few hours and I have Jen's Berquist Beauty ALMOST sewn into a quilt top.  Four more seams to go, and the quilt center will be ready (minus a simple border).  I simply don't have the energy left to finish up the last few seams.

I'm HOPING against hope that our school district makes a call for school tomorrow.  I know, I know... it seems that teachers beg for snow days more than students, but.... 

I'm pooped.  

It's been snowing all day.  However, that won't be the potential reason for another school canceling.  Windchills are predicted < -35 degrees F.  Schools around the area are already starting to make some calls;  one has made a call for tomorrow AND Tuesday already; although they are about 120 miles south of us.

*sigh*

Time for some down-time crochet.

More Basketball, more snow, more cold...

It really does feel like we've reached the stage of time where everything seems like its stuck on a repeat button.    Yesterday morning, we were able to sleep a few minutes later than a typical day, but were on the road by 8:15 to start the day of basketball...again.

First stop of the day:  4th grade Clayton Basketball Tournament - 49 miles logged.

The team has 9 girls;  two of whom had scheduling conflicts, and another who was hit with one of the many illnesses flying around our school, which brought us down to 6.  These kiddos aren't red-faced for nothing!  LOL.  They plays lots and won their games for a First place finish.  It was just Candace and me in the stands today since Dad was working and Cassie was at her own tournament....

By 1:00, we were on the road, heading to catch the end of Cassie's tournament.

Stop #2 of the day:  7th grade Chippewa Falls tournament -- another 70 miles logged.

This tournament was 10 minutes away from Uncle Travis's house, so he and the family came out to support Cassie when we couldn't be there.  How cool, right?!?!

{{Yes, quite the facial hair there, Trav!!!}}

The competition was STEEP, facing schools and communities much bigger than us.  As a former coach, I understand the reasoning for facing such tough competition.  The girls' schedules are getting super loaded, and..... they're starting to face exhaustion.  Compound that with the illness bugs spreading through the school... there were some tired girls at 6:00 last night! Thankfully, they are mostly still keeping their chins up despite the losses ---- and I think everyone is looking forward to a day OFF today, with some ibuprofin.  

PARENTS INCLUDED!  :)

So, after logging another 70 miles to reach home, the circle of traveling for the day was complete.  And everyone enjoyed changing into PJs and snuggling on the couch for relaxing TV entertainment.

My sister's double-golden birthday was this past week.  Clearly, her Berquist Beauty quilt hasn't seen a finish, but I have been using my basketball-bleacher time to make a bright-n-colorful scarf for her.  

The house is only a minor disaster.  Dishes have piled a bit.  Laundry, amazingly, has been kept under control with a few loads here-n-there throughout the week.  I'd love more than anything to just relax a bit today... and I will, without MUCH internal guilt happening.  Of course, there will be a bit of time to spend downstairs with a project or two.

The snow has started coming.  Again.
The extreme cold is returning.  Again.
I honestly can't even tell you how many inches we're expecting, nor what the predicted windchill forecast will be.  It's kinda turned into the norm this winter.  A new norm, certainly.  I can't remember the last winter we've had so much accumulated snow.  Winter-sport heaven, though!  And I have NEVER lived through such an extremely COLD winter.
**shrug**
We have shelter.  We have warm clothing.  We have heat, despite the LP shortages, thanks to our stockpile of wood and the wood furnace.

We just continue pressing the repeat button... living for those moments when life veers a bit for memorable moments.  Right? :)

A memorable day; exhausting but memorable

My day started out quite non-stressful.

Teachers had a half-day inservice in the afternoon, therefore the morning schedule was a bit of a mix-it-up day.  From time to time on early release days, in attempt to "balance out" missed classes due to early releases, the schedule skips some early morning classes, and rearranges to allow for afternoon classes instead.
Therefore, my first class today was my 7th period small-group Math RTI (Response to Intervention) class -- 7 students.  The class that did NOT meet today:  AP-STATS.  Therefore, today was the FIRST morning all year that I didn't need to sit and fret over being prepared or not for my 1st hour class.

Instead, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up an apple coffee cake and some SunnyD for my RTI kiddos.  Today, being the last day of the 1st semester, meant that I needed to do some benchmark testing with them.  So, we had a little "family" breakfast before the assessments :)

The good news:  They all improved.  Substantially, for most.  One of them improved out of "below average" to "well above average" AND she earned graduation from the additional assistance group!  Another student also earned graduation, but he actually chose to stay -- he's so proud of his success -- and confidence!

The next class was my typical 2nd period class;  small quiz planned today.

THEN...
the entire student body headed to the gymnasium for a surprise send-off for one of our staff members who is leaving on his 3rd deployment for the National Guard.
Pete is a Special Education instructor at our school;  his wife is the 7-12 Guidance counselor, and he has three children still in the school system, grades 4, 8, 10.   Pete received a QOV last year from me;  the presentation was extremely emotional.  Today was no different.
Mr. Hopke's Send Off www.youtube.com
A coworker recorded the first 14 minutes of the 45 minute presentation.  There were many teary eyes in the gymnasium.  The sacrifices that our military and their families make.... there are no words that can truly describe appreciation for what they do!
Our middle school science teacher (in the video) shared a wonderful analogy of the meaning behind our nation's Pledge of Allegiance.

Once the assembly came to an end, I was emotionally spent.  Truly.
I believe it was also slightly compounded by a bug hitting my system;  the bone-aches and headache were starting to settle in.

The day was finished with two more classes and hours of semester-end to-do lists during the afternoon inservice.  Followed by a birthday party and a late-night arrival home just to prepare everyone and everything for a full-day of basketball tournaments tomorrow, going as a solo-parent.

And now, at the end of the day, I watch Pete's send-off video again... and the reality of what he and his family will be living for the next year sinks in even more...... and it makes me so super appreciative of my husband and family.  I take so many things for granted far too often.

May your weekend be filled with happiness!
Happy Friday.

A rescue...

I know, I know...

Sometimes it's just easier to THROW IT AWAY.

I'm sure that's what my husband was thinking when he did this terrible, terrible TERRIBLE deed....

I got home tonight and found THIS in the garbage.....

LOL!  Silly, silly husband.  Sure, sure....the arm is torn apart.  No biggy.  Sure, sure... the collar is a disaster of tears.  No biggy.  Sure, sure... there are scattered worn holes.  No biggy.

There is STILL some usable fabric in this TRIPLE-X sized shirt!  

;)

He's forgiven.  Don't worry :)

Yummy fabrics calling to me...

The other day, when I had a moment or two, I started looking through my shelves for fabrics that have been brewing for a year, or two......or....ummm....five. !?

  

In 2009, I purchased a handful of FQs (lower left) and yardage (the dark olive fabrics) from the Twilight Frost line of Connecting Threads. The line has since been discontinued.

A visit to the local quilt shop added 5 yards of a frost-fern batik background, a yard of a dark purple batik, and 2 1/3 yards of a medium purple for a potential border and/or sashing.

I HAD a plan in mind for them, but... I'll let the idea continue to simmer and percolate before making a definite decision.

Afterall, we all have a pretty good idea of how many projects I have all in different stages around the sewing room.  Time to finish, finish, finish before I "squirrel" and start, start, start.

;)

Happy Tuesday