Snow Days Quilt Top is FINISHED!!!

Yup.  That's right!  I am done!  Finished!  

I am so pleased - with it AND with myself - I can barely stand it! This quilt top has taken a very long time to complete.  I started it in March of 2011...5 1/2 years ago.  And, now that I am this far, I would love to have it custom quilted; therefore, I need to save some pennies (dollars!).

But, hey!  You don't want to hear all of that...you want to see it.  Right?

Okay,  here we go...

(be sure to click on the photos to get the BIG picture)

66 x 66 inches

  

bottom left

middle left

top left

top right

middle right

bottom right

So.  There you have it.  What do you think??


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

A Mini-Vacation and a Long Break Ahead...

Tag and I went on a mini-vacation...we house sat for my friend, Claire (former landlady, current friend and Tag's vet).  We stayed at their house from Friday late afternoon through this morning.  It's always fun to have a bit of time out in the country. 

This is Tag's friend, Blue.  He is a Portuguese Water Dog...and quite the goofy boy.  Tag was not quite in the mood for Blue's exuberance; though, for the most part, he calmly put up with his antics. 

What really fascinated Tag was the fish tank.  He kept going into the room where the tank was and would stand there looking...and looking.  Sometimes, he would bark at the fish...just a quiet 'woof'.  ~grin~  I am disappointed that I did not get a good photo to show you...but sometimes the orange fish came down to the bottom of the tank to look back at Tag...as if to say, "hello, there!".   But, here is one that did turn out...the brown boy watching the fish.

We had a good time while there and I thoroughly enjoyed the quietness of being outside of the city/apartment environment.  

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I am about to go on a long break.  Not from this blog and not from sewing in general.  But, from the business that I have been wanting to get started for a long while...that of developing a line of doll clothes.  What will I be doing instead?  I have several commission-type projects that I need to work on.  Some that I have been putting off and some that are fairly new.  Plus, at least two quilt tops that really need to be sandwiched/basted/quilted in the near future!  Too much going on in the next several months to tackle everything.  So, I think this is the best way to do this.

And, I need to finish my Snow Days quilt.  I am at a good place with it...all the embroidery stitching is done and the center blocks need to be pieced.  Sharon, who did the Snow Days BOM with me, chose to purchase the fabrics along with the pattern.  Which, of course, means that each month she received fabrics along with specific block patterns.  I purchased my own fabrics, so I need to do some serious color planning...to decide which fabrics will be used for what sections of the center blocks.  

So.  That being said, here is a little commission-type project I finished the other day.  Three earbud cases (first shown here) for Cyndi...

and I have more to make.

I am happy that my sewing business is busy right now...it's the perfect time of the year for me to be busy.  The gray and gloomy days of winter are gone and the warmer weather is here...I am full of excitement and energy for getting these projects worked up and checked off my list.

Have a great week!


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Stitching On Snow Days...

I am actually following my plan and getting some stitching done in the evenings whilst sitting in front of the tv! 

I told you that there were mostly tree branches that needed to be drawn/extended onto the pieced blocks.  And, that's exactly what I've been drawing...tree branches!  It's much more difficult, though not impossible, to trace these lines through colored fabric than it was to trace through Kona Solid in Bone.  I am getting it done...though stitching lines that I cannot see is definitely a first!  Good thing no one else will know exactly where those stitched lines should be, hey?  ~grin~

It does make a huge difference in the look of this project.

Here is the 'before' photo of block 14...

And, here is the 'after' photo...

I am in love.  Course, I have been since I started this project 4 years ago.  I guess I forgot how much. 

Tomorrow is Friday...according to the weather people, we're in for some warmer (30's+) temps!  woohoo!!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Snow Days Revisited...Again...Seriously!

You will be happy to know that I am working on my Snow Days quilt.  Again.  Seriously!    

For those of you who have not been reading my blog for the past 4 years...here is a quick recap.

Sharon - of MoosecraftUSA blogging fame - and I started a BOM in February of 2011.  Snow Days.  She actually did the BOM thing...where she received a box of fabric from the host shop each month.  I received the pattern for my birthday and bought my own fabrics.  

Here is the pattern cover...

And, here are the fabrics I purchased...

To continue.  I finished stitching all 14 blocks within 11 months.  woohoo!  And, then I did nothing for a year.  In 2013, I pieced all of the fabric blocks that go around the border of the quilt...those that attach to the stitched blocks I had completed.  Since then, I have done very little with it.  So.  Here we are in 2015...I must be able to work on this in only the odd-numbered years.  (huh?)  

Today, I cut stitched blocks to size and sewed them to pieced blocks.  I have four more to go, but I am done for today.

Here are the blocks that are now ready for the next step.  (Ignore the measurements written on the paper tags...those are the sizes I needed to cut the stitched block.)  Without further adieu...

 

There is more stitching to do on some of the blocks.  Extensions of the tree branches.  That will keep me busy in the evenings for awhile.  And, I need to piece all of those center blocks!  I will get this done!  

Hope you're having a pleasant and productive weekend!


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Snow Days...a Finish!!

Nope, not me!  Sharon finished her Snow Days quilt and she did an absolutely awesome job with it!  I am so proud of her.  If you recall, we started this project back in 2011...and I have a long way to go on mine before it's finished.  Please take a moment (or several) to visit Sharon's blog (click here) and see what a beautiful quilt she finished.  I can only hope that I finish mine mine looks as good as Sharon's...whenever I get it finished.  Here's a peek of Sharon's quilt...but, seriously...click on the link and visit her blog so you can see the entire beautiful piece of work!!

In the meantime, I received a belated birthday gift from my bff, Janer.  I asked for dish towels and she found the perfect ones...and sent along a pair of slippers! with them  She also sent a few toys for Tag (photos are too blurry to show).  Thank you, Janer!!

I guess I best get my butt in gear if I have any hope of getting my Snow Days quilt done by next winter.  Unfortunately, other things distract me and keep me busy, but I am now a bit more motivated.  ~grin~

It's Friday!  Have a great weekend!





"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

And, She's Off!!!!

I have been off my game these past days.  Not sure what's going on...not really sick sick, but certainly not feeling well.  I feel okay today, though.  And, I am happy about that, for sure!  I did manage to eek out a few hours of sewing here and there.  Doing things that took little time, energy and brain-power.

I bought a new doll dress pattern, so I did some sewing on two outfits...

need to make bloomers, yet

mottled pink will be bodice.  need to make panties, too.  see the birds?

I quilted 4 pillow covers...

quilted on each side of horizontal and vertical seams

quilted on each side of horizontal, vertical and diagonal seams

quilted in diagonal lines inside and around middle piece

quilted on one side only of horizontal and vertical seams

I need to buy backing fabric and pillow forms, yet.  I didn't go much of anywhere this past week.  Am hoping to get to Hobby Lobby sometime in this next week.

Sharon (my cohort in quilting the Snow Days quilt), has been hard at work piecing her stitchery blocks to her pieced blocks.  If you have a moment, you really should pay her a visit and see how wonderful her quilt is looking!  As for me and my Snow Days quilt?  I have some serious catching up to do, as there is nothing going on with that right now.  It's at a point where I need to think...and we all know that there are days when thinking is really difficult for me!  ~grin~  Besides, I am totally distracted with/by a few other projects right now.

And, that's about it.  No knitting, no quilting, no nothing else going on.

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Did you sign up for the giveaway?  It ends tomorrow, so you still have time to enter the drawing!  Find the post here. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Sunday Sundries...

On sewing...As I've mentioned before, I joined the Strawberry Pincushion Swap.  On Friday, partner assignments were received...and I am quite excited!  Whilst stalking her checking her out, I noticed that we seem to have a few things in common.  How fun is that...especially when partners were randomly assigned!  I have several ideas floating around in my head...which one to do?  No clue, and we have only two weeks to get our pincushions in the mail.  What to do?  I think I'll make each of my ideas and then decide which one to send.  Or...perhaps I will send all of them.  ~grin~  

In the meantime, I thought I would spend some time making strawberries.  I gathered up fabric, ribbon, lace and buttons and have been happily putting them together.  Here's what I have thus far...

 

Some with lace, some with buttons, some with both, some with leaves...all of them different.  I have everything I need in a basket here at my side table, so whenever I have a few minutes, I can put one together.  Fun and easy to make...delightful to look at!!

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On fun things...I found the best app for my mobile device...one that helps me to take my medications on time.  I take one med twice daily and the other one once daily.  I never remember, so this is very helpful to me!  It's called MediSafe Virtual Pillbox.  With it, I can name the medication, choose what it looks like, select how many milligrams each pill is, indicate how many to take and when, mark that it was taken, as well as tell me when to call for a refill.  Now, how fun is that!  When it's time to take the medication(s), my mobile device pings, even if it is asleep.  Then, every 10 minutes - until I go into the app and mark the med(s) as taken - I get a reminder.  That reminder is the sound of a pill bottle being shaken.  Cracks me up!  When one is in the app, it shows a round pillbox divided into morning, noon, evening and night...with the pills that you take in the appropriate compartment.  It's so nice to have this!  To date, this is the best app!!

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On health...I was not feeling well yesterday morning, so cancelled Kaylynn's overnight visit.  I was very disappointed.  I took a nap in the afternoon, and then I seemed to feel better.  Hope it was nothing more than a little bug.

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On tv watching...I am on episode 13 (of 16) of White Collar, Season 4.  The new season will begin in October, but alas, I do not have the USA channel.  I'm hoping it will be available somewhere so I don't need to wait until next year to watch it.  Love that show!  And, I have just 3 episodes left of the final season of Burn Notice.  As each episode becomes available on Hulu, I watch it here on my laptop.  I am going to miss that show...it was a good one.  Looking forward to seeing how it ends...no spoilers, please!  The new season of fall shows starts this week.  I have my dvr all set to record several series.  I sure don't want to miss anything!

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On Snow Days...still planning on working on that in the near future.  It's my 'sit in front of the tv and stitch' project.  Now that I have all the pieced blocks made for the borders, I need to sew the stitched blocks to the pieced blocks and add the extensions of stitching lines to the pieced blocks.  And...stitch them.  Then, I need to make all the blocks for the center portion of the quilt.  ~sigh~  So much to do and so little time.  Course, if I would push myself a bit, I could get everything done that I want to.

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On that's all there is...that is all I have!  

Hope you are having a good day.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Reading...or Not!

It has been over a month since I have read a book.  Yes, I know...very unusual for me.  I have read only 12 books thus far this year...that is less than one book per week.  My norm is more than one per week.  I guess I have been distracted by a few things.
 
I've been working on my 'Snow Days' block units...

All last week, I had the blocks laid out on my dining room table.  I wanted to make sure that I was balancing the colors/values before I sewed the block units that will make up the left border.  So far, so good, methinks.  I put them away last night, and began cutting out the pieces for the remaining blocks...only 4 more block units to go (of the border blocks, anyway).

And, as I mentioned before, I've been watching 'Burn Notice'...

 

I've watched 80 of the 81 episodes (5 seasons worth) thus far...and will watch that 81st one this weekend.  I discovered that Season 6 begins in June, so that is something to look forward to!

I did mange to sew something this week.  

When my sister, Joyce, saw the cover for my eprinter, she asked me to make one for her.  She keeps her eprinter in the kitchen, on an out-of-the-way countertop.  So, of course, I made her cover with a kitchenwares fabric, first shown here.  I did some simple straight line quilting...various widths.  I think it will look great in her kitchen!

Perhaps I will get back to my reading very soon...I have many books waiting to be read.



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

I Sew.

I've been taking little bits of time to sew all week...10 minutes here and 15 minutes there...and these 'snow days' blocks are getting done!  I've now finished 10 of the 14 outside border block units!  Yeah, I guess I really should be calling them block units...they are units of pieced blocks to go with the stitchery blocks I stitched.   So, when I say block 7, it's really the unit of pieced fabric blocks that go with the stitchery block 7.  Got that?  ~grin~

I am very excited and so happy with how these are looking!  YAY for me!  (yeah, I know...I'm gonna break my arm patting myself on the back.  I remember me Mum saying that to me...have you had that said to you??)

Block 7...

 Blocks 8 & 9...

Block 10...

 I went to the lqs today...bought some fabric.  (No kidding?!  haha.) 

See the tannish brown with kitchen things on it?  That is for sister Joyce's printer cover...her printer sits on the kitchen counter and really should be covered when not being used.  I thought it would fit in nicely...and she likes it!  YAY!

I also bought 4 shades of blue embroidery floss and 2 yards of Robert Kaufman's Essex in Ivory linen (linen/cotton blend) to make Mother's Day gifts for me Mum and Aunt.  I think they will both be happy with what I'm making for them. 

It's Friday night...another weekend.  Have a great one! 




"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Easter Evening...

 I hope you all had a Blessed Easter!

It was quiet around here.

I managed to get some sewing in.

Here are the pieced blocks to go

with stitchery block 6...

 

(I apologize for the sad state of my stitchery pieces.

They are obviously in desperate need of pressing!)

I also had time today to cut all the

pieces for the next set of blocks.

It surprises me how quickly

I am getting these done. 

But, you know...

when working on these blocks, 

 I think that I spend as much time

choosing the fabrics and cutting the pieces

as I do sewing them together! 

ohwell...I am having fun!

Have a great work week!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

TGIF!

Though I try to not wish the days away, I am always happiest when it is Friday!  Nothing can ruin Fridays for me, for in my world, Friday is a magical sort of day for me.  Why?  Because it means that the weekend will be starting as soon as I leave work (and I only work until 2:00, you know!)

Yes, indeed...the weekend. 

What do weekends mean for you? 

For me, the weekend is leisure time...I stay up late...I read til my eyes fall out of my head...I sew my fingers  to the bone...I eat until I am so stuffed that I cannot move (oh.  that's actually not what I do)...I sleep in (I don't do this, either)...I talk on the phone until I have elephant ear (ouch)...and I play my music loud (hoping that others around me have the weekend off work, too!).

But, mostly...I am happy that it is the weekend because there is no schedule.  Or, rather, the schedule is what I make it. 

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I haven't done too much sewing this week, but I did get some pieced blocks made for Block 3 of the Snow Days quilt. 

 
And, I got the baby squares quilt top put together...am working on the quilting now...

I have books to read and fabric to sew...must get moving.

Have a great weekend!




"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

More Snow Days!

You can see in the photo below that there are many, many blocks to piece for this quilt.  After the blocks are pieced, I will attach them in sections and do the additional stitching (extending the trees onto the pieced border blocks), then I will sew the sections together.  It is going to take some serious time to complete.  And, let us not forget about the custom quilting on this one!  I will show you blocks as I get them done...just wanted to prepare you to not expect a finish in the very near future.

Here is the pattern cover... 

Here's what I did yesterday...

With the knowledge that 'snow days' is going to be an ongoing project for quite some time (I really want to get it done by next winter), I really feel the need to have other projects to work on.  Really?  So, I went ahead and cut out some 3 1/2 inch squares from one of the groupings of fabric from Cathy...see this post.  

These prints just seemed to belong together, so how could I resist?  I may have a few in my stash to add to them.  I will for sure add some white squares to make it a nice baby quilt size.

Gosh, could a girl have too many wip's?  Well, perhaps.

At any rate, I am having fun.

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!
 


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Snow Days!

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a long while may remember that I started working on a quilt called, Snow Days.  Two years ago.  My good blogging friend, Sharon, and I are doing this together.  Across the miles.  Yes, two years...I know...I can hardly believe that myself!

I worked gung-ho on the stitchery blocks and finished those up in 11 months.   The last stitch worked was in January, 2012.  And, then it sat.  There seemed to be always something else calling to me and I just didn't get going on it.  

Until now.

I took a deep breath and jumped into it last night and started piecing the fabric block to go with the first stitchery block. There is still one more part to go and then I need to attach the stitchery block and do some more stitching on the pieced block.  It is going to be awesome!  (I hope.)

I thought I had a photo of the 'snow days' quilt here on my blog, but cannot find it.  I will have to scan one in.  

Have a great weekend!





"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11