Cherry Blossoms and Brown Fabric Giveaway

I got the blocks for Cherry Blossoms sewn together!  I worked the borders through as leaders and enders while the rows were being joined, and so those are almost done as well.  I think the pattern calls for both inner and outer borders.  Those will need some time to ponder I think.

In celebration of UFOs crossed off the list, I am going to open the giveaway for the brown fabric hand dyed just for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge by Vicki Welsh.  To enter, just leave  comment on this post with the name of the UFO you plan to finish off next.  I'll draw on before the next ScrapHappy Saturday.
To join in on the ScrapHappy Saturday linky party, just scroll down to the post below. 

New Fabric

I got new fabric in the mail yesterday.  It is a fat quarter bundle of a  new fabric line from Connecting Threads, designed by Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts.  It is in the laundry now, because I am a pre-washer.  Hopefully it will be ready to use this weekend.  I can see a few oranges in there after all.  

While searching through my photo stream, I kept finding pictures of the kids.  This is Sydney on the school bus.

Here is Anna with her BF.  I wonder if they realize that I see all of their photos?

Sunset Fabric

It was a cold and rainy evening.  Football practice was cancelled, but I was on gymnastics duty and it doesn't stop for rain.  It was almost bedtime before everyone was home and showered.  I could have easily called it a night myself after settling the kids in, but stopped to check on blog posts. There was Bonnie, live with another quiltcam post.  I couldn't just sit and watch of course, so off I went to iron some of the new fabric that just came in from Connecting threads for Hawaii Sunset.  I think I could still use a few more pinks, there are 24 geese in each block I think, 5 pinks won't go far.  There is plenty of green in my stash, not sure about the blue status.  I'll have to check.  One color I completely neglected in my shopping was "chrome yellow"  I am thinking a nice mustard or two would blend in just right.  Hmmm..... I'll give it some thought while I start cutting into my new fabric. 

Fabric Fun in the Mail

 I got home from work today to find a box of fabric happiness had been delivered.  I love fabric in the mail!  Mostly I was shopping for sale fabric.  What can I say?  I'm thrifty. 

I also picked out this bundle of solid fat quarters as well as some silk thread for applique and a bottle of glue baste.  I love free shipping with orders of $50 or more.  I also came home from work to find the bug guy turning my kitchen into a toxic wasteland.  We've been invaded by a combination of ghost and white footed ants.  Oh, and two of our three air conditioners are broken.  There are downsides to living in a tropical paradise.  So worth it though, in case you were wondering. 

President's Day

Today was a day off school for the kids but not for the teachers.  Kurt took the day off and went with the kids to Legoland.  It is new and we hadn't been yet.  It was a big hit.  So much so that they had record crowds and ended up staying open late to accommodate everyone.

That left with me with some quiet time at home after my training.  Allergies have gotten the best of me, and I didn't feel much like sewing.  I did spend some time ironing and folding though. Not all of this fabric is new, some just got pulled and auditioned or had some cut off to be used.  It does seem like a lot of fabric though, doesn't it?  I'd better get it put away before people start asking what it is all for. 

Priorities

I wasn't in a piecing mood this morning after finishing the Loggies.  Instead I pulled out Baby Nines and got it loaded onto the frame.  In the process of digging, I unearthed Monkey Business which is for my nephew Zach.  It is supposed to be two quilts, my sister and I finished the first while I was staying with Mom after her surgery this summer.

I'll be seeing her again soon, so finishing off those quilts percolated to the top of the list.  I didn't have anything for backing or batting of course, so me and my Joann's coupon needed to make a trip out.  Foundation piecing paper was on the list as well and the girls want "grass" to put under their doll houses. 

While I was running out these little cuties were finishing up in the wash. I haven't got a large stash of 1930s fabric and have been trying to get a little collection going for the midget quilt.  Mom called me from a quilt shop near where she lives and was telling me about all the great fabrics they had.  She isn't a quilter, but was there with my Aunt Marilyn who was visiting from out of town.  Marylin is a big hand quilter and is always working on something for her church.  I told Mom to ask them if they carried any depression era reproductions, and she picked out a stack of fat quarters to send to me.  Aren't they cute?  I especially love the floral on the left end, I know just the block that it will go into.  So now that I am stocked up on new fabrics and foundation paper, I am inspired to work on a midget block, but I guess I'd better work on the other quilts first. 

Puttering

I head back to school next Wednesday and the kids will be back one week after that. This week has been for getting ready and trying to finish off the loose ends that have been left dangling. Doctors and errands and shopping, so much scurrying around!

After an afternoon of sorting through the school supplies we already had on hand, I was left to wonder why we needed to buy anything at all.  We seem to have plenty of crayons, markers and pencils to supply an entire classroom!  Still, we took our list and checked things off, making sure everyone had what was required.  They each picked out a first day outfit and we supplemented supplies of necessities like socks and underwear.  Anna couldn't remember the last time she needed socks, they just don't go with flip flops!

I spent an evening using glue to connect the corners on the bow-ties for Bonnie's challenge.  I don't like pins on leaders and enders but have been known to drop the entire basket after getting all the pairs matched up.  I only used a dab of glue stick on the outside corner which is going to be trimmed away after ironing anyway.  It seems to be working well so far and about a dozen finished blocks have already come out the other end. 

I also got some fabric goodies in the mail. While I was in Georgia with Mom I put in an order to Connecting Threads. I focused on blues, browns and backgrounds. The blues and browns are for RRCB (which I seriously need to get back to) and the backgrounds are just to try to replenish my stock.  I also got a few spools of thread for the quilting machine. 

Mergers and Aquistions

The new fabric I bought Monday had worked it's way through the laundry cycle by this afternoon so I took few minutes to get it ironed, trimmed and settled into my stash. Most of these are for midget blocks, but I loved the butterflies and thought I might use them as an inspiration to help Sydney choose a new theme for her room.
It's an continuous process of introducing fabric to go with new and ongoing projects while trying to creatively blend in the extras and work them through the system to produce finished quilts. While I love the quilts that come from perfectly matched and coordinated lines of fabric, It's much more fun to collect little bits and pieces along the way. I had seen a tutorial for crocheted pillowcases a while ago on You Go Girl! and had been saving it in the back of my mind. So before the kids hopped off the bus this afternoon I put one of those together with the butterfly fabric and started to work on the blanket stitch edges. I would have finished it off, but the kids got report cards today and wanted to go to Krispy Creme. They heard a rumor that they could get a free doughnut for every A. Can you believe that they got 6 free donuts each and wouldn't share a single one with me? The machine was very cool to watch and kept them all fascinated for ages.
So, this morning I popped my oatmeal into the microwave. I like to use a mug instead of a bowl because it's easier to carry. When I came back to check on it, it had boiled and exploded over the edge. I grabbed the camera, because I thought it was a funny sight. The kids guessed immediately that I was going to put a picture up on my blog. They thought it was a strange thing to do, but still knew immediately what I was up to. Sometimes when I read other peoples blogs they seem so polished and professional. It's a little intimidating to think about the shiny perfection that they portray. My life doesn't look like that at all, mine looks more like an exploded bowl of oatmeal.

Fabric Goodness in the Mail

It wasn't that long ago that I ordered fabric online. I always make sure to pick out $50 worth at Connecting Threads to qualify for free shipping. They carry fat eighths which should be perfect for my diminutive blocks. I think I ordered two sets of solidish cuts and two of reproduction type prints along with some random sale fabric. I also got a jelly roll from Hancock's of Paducah along with a charm pack of Kona Solids. My mom is in town for the weekend, so there won't be any machine time to work on new blocks, but I did print out some more patterns and start matching up my new fabric bits with the patterns that I think I will use them for. Such fun!

Fat Quarters on SALE

There was a fat quarter sale at Joann's a couple of weeks ago, and the kids helped me pick out small scale prints to use with the Midget Blocks. I think they did a great job. I don't have specific blocks in mind yet, because I'm working strictly in order, one block at a time. The fabric has all been prewashed and nicely ironed. Now I'm ready to use it and make some more blocks.

Goodwill

We haven't been dropping off at Goodwill recently because the Red Cross picks up at the door once a month. It has been very helpful with trying to keep things organized and get rid of things we don't need. They will visit while we are on our cruise, so I took a load over to the NEW Goodwill. I have gotten shirts at the old store, but even shopping the sale tags, it doesn't turn out much cheaper than buying yardage. The new one has a clearance center though, with clothes for $0.99 per pound! I found these 9 high quality cotton shirts along with a two yard piece of fabric with the tag still attached. The grand total, along with three paperback books was just $5.44. They are all in the washer now. When they come out I'll spend some time cutting them up. I'm thinking of making a simple quilt with the same basic pattern of four patches that the quilts for kids uses. 6.5 inch squares alternating with four patches that finish at the same size. It should come together quickly and I'll have something else to use for quilting practice. I tried to pick out spring sherbet types of colors. I could have also gone red white and blue, those seem to be popular colors. I may make a denim quilt next time. It would be more expensive because denim is heavy, but it wouldn't need batting and it would be nice for using outside.

Yellow or Green

Here are some Sister's Choice blocks with yellow sashing:
Here are the same blocks with a green sashing:
Any opinions? I know what I think, and I have a vote from Kurt. I guess Mom should get a vote as well. Any other suggestions?

I continued cutting out blocks for Mom's Sister's Choice quilt today. After a bowling trip this morning the kids accompanied me to the fabric store to pick up some fabric for sashings and backings. I got 8 yards of green and gold backing fabric from the half-off clearance shelf for $2 each! Also some fat quarters and remnants jumped into my cart while we were there, and I found the buttery yellow that you see in the first photo.
The kids kept me busy most of the day, but I did get some fabric ironed and put away as well as working on tidying the study and laundry room some.
Anna went over to her friend Sierra's house for a play date this afternoon. They hang out for hours and days on end, so I didn't expect to hear from her until after dinner. When the phone rang at 4 it was Anna in tears. After getting her calmed down enough that I could understand what was going on, I learned that she and Sierra had given their Baby Wets and Wiggles dolls a bath and they were broken. The girls have been taking care of their dolls like real babies. They brought them fireworks so they could play together. They put them in matching outfits. I don't think Anna could have been more upset about a real baby being hurt. So when she got home, we did a little baby doll surgery and took everything apart to let it dry until morning. She put all of the broken bits and pieces into a pillow-lined basket and took it to bed with her.

Slow and Steady

Sydney learned a new song in music class. It starts, "Slow and steady, always ready, I will get there some day soon." Then the second verse starts, "I'm the fastest bunny rabbit, running is my happy habit." I like to think I'm the slow and steady, but lately I've been more like the rabid rabbit.
Last night was the second quilting session for our Girl Scout Troop. We are making good progress on the quilts. I always have a bell ringer to keep the girls busy while everyone is showing up. Last night I had them work on hand sewing the bindings on the quilts we had already finished. They are all still seriously lacking the fine motor skills to handle a blind hem stitch, but they gave it a good try. It was so busy that I forgot to take pictures, but when the quilts are finished, I'll get a picture of all of the girls with their quilts. They are all pretty proud of themselves.
Tonight was the leader meeting and training for cookie sales. We don't start selling cookies until January, but there won't be any more of the service unit meetings until after then. Kurt has clients in from out of town, so he's been out with them for the past two evenings. Sydney and Ryan entertained themselves in front of the TV last night during scouts, and all three of the kids came with me to tonight's meeting. I'll have to spend some quality time with them tomorrow to make up for it, because they were all very good.
Obviously there hasn't been a lot of progress on a personal quilting front. I finished chaining together the rest of my leftover Dresden plate blades. The plan was to turn them into a couple of lap quilts, but when I finished putting them together, I stretched them up and down the stairs and there were 6 flights! I Wrapped them up around a 12 inch ruler and counted 53 feet. I guess that is a little more than a couple of lap quilts. It does demonstrate the power of leaders and enders though, all of that was "free" sewing.
I finished gathering up the trimmings from the finished lap quilts and threw everything into my scrap basket. It is overflowing with lots of good stuff. Maybe my weekend project will be sorting through and cutting some more bits and pieces. It is like meditating for me, but with pretty colors. I also ordered a couple of scrap bags from Homestead Hearth, which I had seen linked in someones blog. They had some great sale fabric and I got several cuts along with the scraps. They have been washed, and are waiting to be ironed now, so I can get them put away.
I hope you are all having a good week, there is a cold snap here, and if it doesn't end soon we may have to turn on the heat! It made me think of the snow flurries I've seen mentioned already in other people's blogs and give thanks for living in Florida where our high near 69, low in the middle 40s seems like a hardship. The kids have had to find long pants and jackets! Happy quilting to you all, and stay warm and safe.

If Every Day Were Saturday

There was a 15 K this morning that everyone was running, and I really should have done it, but Ice Skating doubled up with Cub Scouts this morning, and two parental units were needed to make all of that happen. After that, I spent the afternoon getting ready for tomorrow's big quilting extravaganza. I was afraid our troop wouldn't get enough done, so I invited over another troop to use as extra help. Miss Sheila came over after lunch and we got the backs pressed, the batting layered and the bindings pressed and ready to go. When my troop worked on the quilts on Monday they had trouble getting the first strip to lay flat and true. Hopefully the preparation will make the actual quilting go more smoothly. We'll be quilting from 1 to 4 and then skating from 4:30 to 6:30, so the afternoon should be busy.
After the prep work, I went ahead and chained through some blocks that had been laid out earlier. I got some 10 inch squares from Keepsake Quilting a while ago and went ahead and layer cut those into a modified 9 patch. I think there used to be more brown blocks, but I stole them for the OHR quilt. I'll come up with something for a border on this one and it will be just the perfect size for another lap quilt. I also put together the extra geese units from Dad's Plaids, but I won't have a picture of those until they are together as a flimsy. While watching the election returns on Thursday I was puttering around on the computer and put in an order for some goodies from Z&S Fabrics. They had some REALLY good sales going on, and I got a couple of backing lengths, but mostly half yard cuts of things that I liked. I found quite a few black and brights, but also a few Christmas fabrics and a collection that might turn into a princess quilt for my niece. I should start wrapping things up for the day, it's starting to get late and I'm feeding the neighbors dog while she is out of town for the evening. I have a long runs scheduled in the morning, so I need a good nights rest.

Helping the Economy

I haven't taken any new pictures recently, so I thought I'd post this one of Sydney on the 4th. She has more personality than any one child deserves!
I seem to be in a shopping groove lately that doesn't end. Like quilts, one thing just seems to lead to another. I recently got the new Gwen Marston (Collaborative Quilting) book in the mail which inspired me to pick up some black and white fat quarters while they were on sale. Then I ordered a running book on Amazon and remembered that the other Gwen Marston (Liberated Strings) book was still in my cart. I think I got a deal on shipping because my order was over $25. Today was a housekeeper day so I was out killing time with Ryan. We ended up at Walmart because there aren't that many places to hang out at 8 in the morning. I was only shopping for sale stuff, but ended up with a cart full of clearance summer clothes for the kids and a few more school supplies to cross off the list. By then AC Moore was open, and they are having a HUGE going out of business sale. They don't really carry fabric, which is why I never shop there, but I managed to find a couple of quilt kits in patriotic colors and a few things for scrap booking. Then when I went to put away the couple of scrap booking things, I realized that I needed to order some page protectors. I have been using Creative Memories strap-hinge albums, but they are changing their page size. I didn't want to end up in the middle of an album and not have the right pages, so I had to do an inventory and find a good transition spot. This made me realize that I had some old albums that didn't have page protectors on all the pages, which led me to another inventory and an order for 6 packages of page protectors! Now I have to decide whether to switch to the new size of Creative Memories pages or switch to the other kind of album so that I can get them in regular stores. My Creative Memories consultant would probably turn her nose up at that, but she hasn't been having many crops lately, so keeping caught up on supplies isn't the easiest thing to do. Now I'm feeling a little guilty about spending too much money. Summers are always like that around here, just because I have time for projects, and those always need stuff.
On the quilting front, I got some more Dad's Plaids blocks put together and cut out most of the rest. I think I have about 90 done so far, out of the 144 I need for a king quilt. I took a break because I needed to iron and didn't feel like getting everything out. The house is all nice and clean from a combination of company and the housekeeper. Projects can wait for another day.

Relaxation

I was supposed to be gone all week. I had strategically scheduled everyone for camp so that I could go and learn about fish this week. Well the fish stood me up at the last minute, leaving me with all the children scheduled already. All I had to do was get everyone delivered to their various camps and I could have a day for myself. Ryan's camp started first at 8:30. It was at a park several miles south of our house. Anna's camp started at 9:00 and was at a girl scout facility that map quest said was 19 miles to the north. It said I could make the trip in 29 minutes. No problem, that gives me one minute to spare! So I could drop off Sydney at 8, pick up our car pooler at 8:15, deliver Ryan at 8:30 and arrive with my one minute of leisure time. Never believe map quest. It doesn't know about construction and traffic. Thankfully my husband realized the insanity of my plan and stepped in to arrange a cub scout car pool. So I skipped the drop off Ryan part and moved everything else up by 15 minutes. Thankfully that only left me 5 minutes late. Where did my one minute of leisure go?
Having already driven halfway across the county, I thought I should get some use out of all that gas and make a stop by the Hancock's Fabric. I never go north, so I hardly ever go there. Now that I am learning the differences in the quality of different fabric manufacturers, I can appreciate the selection that they have compared to Joann's. I found three nice 1860 shirting reproductions, a batik to use for the back of the sea star quilt, another small print for the back of the OC quilt, and best of all -- manatees and penguins for my marine science series! Still no sea turtles, but not a bad haul at all. Of course, by the time all of that was done it was lunch time and I had only two hours before it was time to start the afternoon pickup routine. Still, two hours is quite a lot when there is no one home, so I pulled out the Elm Creek blocks and started setting them. No pictures yet, but I'm using Bonnie's Happy Houses setting. I think I got 6 done before it was time to make dinner.
I was supposed to be gone all week learning about fish.

I'm the Winner!

I entered a fabric giveaway a while ago at Embroidery Treasures. I was the lucky winner of a fat quarter bundle. It came in the mail today and just made me smile. I love the bright and happy colors! I've been in a happy colors phase lately, maybe as a rebound from my patriotic colors phase from before. I have a buttons and bow ties WIP that has happy colors, and I might try to work some of these new fabrics into it. I also think it would be really cute with the Crazy Mom Quiltalong star block quilt, but I shouldn't be starting anything new right now. I love new fabric and all the new possibilities it brings. Thanks Serena for the fun giveaways.