Snow and Ice and Snow and Ice and Rain

Yep, we are caught up in the snow mess that hit the deep south.  Overnight we got about 8 to 10" of snow. 

Last week we moved the forsythias from the side of the front of the house to inside the backyard fence in the corner.  They had taken over the bed they were in.  I'm looking forward to seeing them going wild in this location.  And, honestly, if I had been supervising this they would be farther apart.  They'll be too crowded in two years.  Evidently some daffodil bulbs got moved with them.  Should be a beautiful yellow display once spring decides to come. 

The dogs are on my bad dog list.  One went to bed last night without relieving himself.  Then this morning at 7 when they wanted to go out neither of them did their business.  No breakfast for bad dogs.  Heck, no water either.  About an hour later I took Kona out.  Pat had cleared off the deck and walk way by the grass.  She was totally freaked out over falling through the thin layer of ice over the snow.  Grr...  Raggs wanted to go out when I went back for him.  He must have been desperate as he was done and on to breakfast quickly.  

Meantime, I stomped around in the grass trying to make a space that Kona won't fall through the snow. Silly dog kept jumping to the unpacked snow from where I was working and then running back to the sidewalk because she was falling through.  Eventually there was success.  Breakfast was served for her too. Water was restored.  I can't wait until lunch and dinner... right.

Forecasters are calling for more snow, sleet and rain starting around noon and lasting most of the afternoon.  We are thrilled to have power still as trees are icy.  I'm heading up to the studio to work on an embroidery that will say SPRING!  I will be more than ready for it when it decides to come our way.  Now if we can just keep electricity while I work.  Hopefully I can post a photo of my sweatshirt tomorrow or the next day.

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 2-10-2014

Pictures are worth a thousand words.  (or maybe 450!)

The borders are on.  On to figuring out if I bought enough backing fabric.... 

The stained glass quilt is done and on the wall.  My quilt on the bed is all different colored blues and the yellow on the pillow shams.  I have a trip around the world quilt in the works that is burgundies, peaches, and a variety of red which is why the border on this was cut so more of the pinky/red color was evident.  I want to be able to use the wall hanging no matter which quilt is on the bed.  Of course, I have to put the border on it and quilt it so it isn't going to happen this week.  

Wanda, Barbara and Kay show off their team's QOV done at guild meeting Saturday.

Have you seen the disappearing 9 patch star pattern?  Country Piecemakers had a sewing day after our normal meeting Saturday.  We were broken into 3 teams and pieced enough stars for 3 quilts!  Here's how we did it.  We took donations of red and blue fabrics.  The guild bought white fabric for the background.  Late January we had a cutting party and cut all the fabric.  We are a generous group -- we had enough reds and blues for something like 15 quilts.  After the cutting party two gals took fabric bundles home, added their own background and finished their tops before the meeting.  During the sew-in two tops were completed.  The third one has been taken home as blocks and hopefully will be a top soon. It is a pretty forgiving pattern.

I did pretty well on last week's goals.  YEA! 

Week of February 3, 2014

Finish & mail hearts for Quiltville Hearts group√

Make block for CP bom lottery√

Make first Christmas Favorites bom√ started

Work on A Tisket, A Tasket oops!

Mail Valentine T Shirts for Natalie & Sophie√

Make & mail FCQ Equilters blocks made 4 but want a few more done before mailing

Finish borders on Split 9 Patch√

Make backing for Split 9 Patch didn’t get to this.

Now what do I want to do this week? 

Week of February 10, 2014

Continue working on 1^st Christmas Favorites Block

Make more FCQ Equilters blocks & mail

Make backing for Split 9 Patch

Work on A Tisket, A Tasket

Embroider lavender sweatshirt for me!

Cut & sew units for Mystery for Relay Quilt #?? It’s a UFO now.

Make another pincushion for swap*

* I've already made one but I'm not thrilled with it.  I bought a ton (ok, maybe a pound) of ground walnut shells to fill a pin cushion (or 40) with. I had wanted to make an inner lining to hold the walnut shells but the first pin cushion finished I couldn't figure out how to add it to the cushion.  So, back to the drawing board.  Eventually I'll post pictures but not until my swap partner receives her pin cushion! 

Stop by Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times to see what others are working on these days...

Happy Quilting All 

Design Wall Monday -- 2 - 3 - 2014

Did you hit a Super Bowl fabric sale?  I did.  And it was great fun and great bargains.  I had to be talked into going but with a week before the sale I was all excited.  And, I had some plans -- I wasn't going shopping without a list. 

First I needed to figure out some quilts or UFOs to focus on.  Well part of that was easy.  I had already decided that I would do an An Art to Heart Christmas Favorites quilt as my own block of the month.  I decided to look for a border fabric for it, some beard fabric, and maybe a stripe.  

Next up I picked a UFO. I won a set of 12" blocks of red and pink hearts on black backgrounds last year.  A while ago I had decided to use a book called Circle of Nines to figure out a setting.  Hum, I couldn't find the book at either Martingale's or C&T. Here's what I did find -- Quilting a Circle of Nine.  It is based on the same layout concept, but not the book I have.  Late Saturday night I was playing with the blocks and came up with two possible fabrics to use.  Here is fabric one.  It is "newspaper" bits with funny quilting events.  Ok, that might work. 

And layout number two. This is a darker picture when you realize how bad the fabric above looks.  The grey is a sueded look and it is leftover from Easy Street (which I haven't finished....) Does one appeal to you more than the other?  I just now thought I might like to see it with a red and white fabric I have in the stash.  Hum.  I really like the layout, I just need to figure out the fabric.  On to the list went fabric for a border or maybe a backing. 

Then I pulled out the 8 blocks I have finished of the A Tisket, A Tasket from Bunny Hill's bom in 2009.  (Nobody can accuse me of rushing through things!) I had gotten 6 pinks from Pink Castle in their monthly Short Stack mailing last year.  I plowed through all my pinks and came up with one that I think is perfect. The picture is fuzzy but the fabric I chose was perfect.  Then I decided I need either a small inner border or a final border in green or maybe a blue.  So that idea went on my shopping list.  By now it was way past my bedtime and was time to quit coming up with stuff to shop for!

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon where I joined Kay and Jane for lunch and then on to shopping.  We hit Rose's Quilt Patch in Crewe, Virginia close to opening time. Once I got the lay of the quilt shop I was grabbing bolts and fat quarters. I found a great green for A Tisket, A Tasket. A possible border for the hearts, a border for the Christmas quilt along with beard fabric. Then I threw in a white on white stars fabric. I don't know about you but I can always use white on white. There was a line to have your fabric cut and a line to pay but we had a great time. And, perhaps the best thing is I stuck to my list.  Of course, I will need to finish a quilt in February to keep my fabric used bigger than my fabric bought! 

Here's the goals from last week which are mostly checked off. Good week. 

Week of January 27, 2014

Finish borders on Split 9 Patch -- one is on, one is cut and pinned

Quilt brown and blue quilt√

Make and put binding on stain glass quilt√ done

Write a shopping list for Sunday’s quilt shopping expedition and go shopping! √

Embroider shirts for Sophie and Natalie nope Dumb.  Some how this was duplicated last week. 

Finish√ & mail Valentine T Shirts for Natalie & Sophie

Get hair cut√

And this week's plans: 

Week of February 3, 2014

Finish & mail hearts for Quiltville Hearts group

Make block for CP bom lottery

Make first Christmas Favorites bom

Work on A Tisket, A Tasket

Mail Valentine T Shirts for Natalie & Sophie

Make & mail FCQ Equilters blocks

Finish borders on Split 9 Patch

Make backing for Split 9 Patch

And, I leave you with a photo that came into my email box this weekend. 

Ellie wearing her Valentine shirt that I embroidered.

Make sure you visit Patchwork Times to see what folks are showing on their design walls today.  

Happy Quilting All!