Let's see what have I been up to this week....

• I went to the Harlem Globetrotters on Tues, was alot of good, clean family fun.
• I have been working on my pincushions for the exchange.
• I have only 2 blocks left of the Sister's Choice quilt.
• I am going to see the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest tonight.

Gotta keep busy in January or you will want to hibernate...

Suday Stash Report and Block Exchange fun !!

Stash Report: I did buy 2 fat quarters this week. I used up 2 yards of black for my 4 patch posie top pictured earlier this week.
I still have about 1.5 totes.

To bust the stash I am going to make locker hooked rugs with my scrap fabrics; and I think I am going to make another rag quilt. I have other ideas for the charm packs I was given for Christmas. I think a disappearing 9 patch is in one.

The block exchange was fantastic!! I learned so much from everyone there. I learned that mixing hand quilting and stippling looks beautiful. I learned that making a Dear Jane is possible, A, started in Dec and she has 84 of the little blocks done. I have someone to help me paper piece if I can't figure it out.

I also learned that every one is so creative and had such great ideas. Embroidering X cross stitch in seams was a great addition to a quilt top. I also had a great time visiting.

We are going to exchange blocks again next Nov. a tutorial will be posted soon for my Circle of Friends in the exchange. Watch for it on the side column.

Here is the Road to the White House Block Exchange 2009 !

Here is a preview for the next block exchange:

Block Exchange this Weekend

I have been working on ideas for the next block exchange with my circle of friends. I believe that we are going to do a Kansas Dugout Variation in black, white and a quilter's choice for the accent color. I received inspiration from Quilt Dad's blog and this particular block (I received permission to link to this photo)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jqa/2755041885/

Here is my version. Needs some tweaking in my pattern. I will try another version tomorrow.

MLK Day

I am fortunate enough to have the day off today. I spent the day doing lots of projects and very little cleaning!! I actually made it to the gym and worked on cardio only. The last weight training caused back pain so I am going to slow on that and it has taken me a week to not have pain. More of the exericse to come.














I sewed my 4 patch posies together. I have just enough black fabric in my stash. I have just barely enough black for a 2" outer border. Then I need to decide a wider second border. It feels good to have this top together.


I just added the weather widget today. It is the first day in a few weeks that it isn't feeling like the artic. It is actually sunny, icicles dripping and no wind. The long cold, dark days make me want to either hibernate or go to Florida!! Well since niether is in the budget I just need to keep active.

Our satellite added new radio stations and the classic rewind is my favorite. I have been listening to oldies and finished the rest of the following:









Yes it feels good to have a productive day that was fun and not tied to hard labor, you know, housework, snowblowing, organizing closets......

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

I have not sewed any new projects this week. BUT, I have not purchased any fabrics. I have 6 blocks left to quilt on Sister's Choice.However, tomorrow is a holiday off from work for me. I plan to do alot of sewing.

Pictured is my progress on the knitted sampler throw. I have a row started. I start to question myself at this stage of assembly but I think it will all come together and look ok. It is supposed to be a scrappy sampler without much of an organized look.

I am still stumped on pincushoin choices. I am going to try one tomorrow too, a flower one with spools of thread on the outside. Sigh, so many ideas...

The block exchange is next weekend. I am excited to see what everyone has done. I am still waffling on ideas for the next exchange, possibly in the fall.

I am slowly working on my projects. I am looking for patterns and ideas for pincushions for the pincushion exchange I am participating in. Lots of ideas but so far no plans on which ones I will do. I need to make three in the next month.

So, off to quilt on the Sister's Choice quilt.

A 5 year old UFO

Here is the beginning. When I was practicing my knitting stitches 5 years ago, I had a plan of using up all the odd balls of yarn and make a sampler. I made the large panels which is pictured above and they were joined together this week. See the little stack of squares? There are about 35 of them and the plan is to join them as the outer boarder around the panels. They will all be joined with the white yarn as "sashing" and a final egde in white. It is not perfect. It is made from all acrylic "ugly" yarns (due to fiber content I love working with all natural fibers now) and I learned about many stitches. I even learned how to cable on a small block or two. So this is a nice learning piece.

I have been hand quilting too. I am planning the block exchange party on the 24th. I am stuck on a theme for the next exchange. Let's see we have done: blue and yellow, fall flannel, Chirstmas flannel, Civil War Repros and the Calendar and finally the Road to the White House. I am not getting the vibe that people like the pattern being pick as in this last exchange. I think I will go with a color combo like burgundy and gold. Any great ideas?

Sunday Stash Report

I haven't done any sewing from my stash. I helped my friend sew from her stash for the block exchange that is to take place in a couple of weeks. She will make it, she is a sahm and only has 19 more blocks to go!!

Added to stash: 0
Used from stash:0
Total Stash: 1.5 30 gallon tote

I started to work on another UFO yesterday. Joining the block on my knit sampler. I have 13 blocks to hand quilt on Sister's Choice.
I am going to felt my completed bags today.

I have done something new....

I made my first gnome tonight. I love it. I found the pattern on http://weefolkart.com/. They have a wonderful site with lovely patterns and ideas. I want to have a village of gnomes. I have enough wooden bases to make 4 in total.

Off to work on my quilt!

Order, Order, Order in this house!

Did you ever have a day where you worked so hard, yet have nothing to really show for it? That was my Sunday at home. Ice storm showed up about 730am and church was cancelled.

So I took down the tree. I quilted a block by hand on the Sisters Choice, I knitted the white bag and it is ready to cast off. I spent time with the fam, talked on the phone, played video games and watched an incredible amount of football. I also cleaned the house up. I have no photo opportunities for the day's accomplishments.

Stashbusting Report

I didn't sew at all this past week. I am working on UFO's. I am posting each Sunday to track my additions to the fabric stash. My goal is to have my stash reduced by half by the end of this year.
I am measuring my my relatively smallish stash by "tote"s. I was given several charm packs for Christmas and I purchased 3 fat quarters over the past week, on sale of course!!

See the side bar for my goals and the pledge made for 2009. In the Chinese Year of the Ox, I have declared this to be my personal year of the UFO and finish up every UFO I have while busting this stash. Watch for the UFO updates on the lists. I have several not listed there. I am not finishing inhereted UFO's at this time. If money is tight and I can't start new projects those are there!! :)


Stash added 3 FQ plus gift Charm packs (6)
Stash busted 0
Total Stash 1.5 Totes

Happy New Year!!

I stayed up until midnight last night and rang in the New Year. I watched the ball drop in Times Square and hummed Auld Ang Syne. I spent a quiet day with my family playing Animal Crossing, watching movies, Survival Man and the top 100 Heavy Metal Songs on VH1. During all of that I was crafting, Of Course!!

I wove the tails in on the hand towels and put the shell edges on the washcloth. I put the towels in the kitchen, finally.

After much pondering on how to finish, I basted and quilted one square on the Sister's Choice quilt. It is flannel, sandwiched in the middle is flannel and the back is cotton. It is still heavy, but not puffy. I love this quilt.

And here is the WIP's. I am finishing the blue cosemetic bag. I need to sew a liner. I have a zipper and plan to embellish with a wool applique. I am at the halfway point on the white felted bag. I love the mindless knitting with towels and bags. I need to be doing something but I can't always have my mind on counting stitches.

I hope everyone has a great New Year's day and that 2009 is the year of joy and happiness hoped for by all.