My Oh My

Every semester I'm optimistic that I can do more, but I'm always mistaken. Last week, I had an exam that took every moment of my time to study for it. I believe I did well enough, but the course kind of terrifies me.  To reward myself for getting through it (and for all the time I devoted to it last week), I spent some serious time in the sweat shop over the last 48 hours.  I'll tell/show you what I've been up to, but first a little progress report.

I'm making a wall quilt for February (yes, I'm aware that the time has passed... but there's always next year!). I'm using a Miss Rosie pattern called Speck.  I'm making both X's and O's using a charm pack each of Chemistry and Always and Forever. Since I'm using two charm packs and the pattern only calls for one - so naturally, I cut twice as many little white blocks for the corner. Unfortunately, that was not nearly enough. As it happens, I had to cut four times as many!! I ended up becoming so frustrated that I had to set them aside for a bit (before I threw them somewhere they didn't deserve).  This is how far I've gotten on that project:

So, I'm very behind on my BOMs. There was a bit of a glitch on my Memories of Provence BOM deliveries which meant that I ended winter break behind where I had planned to be. In addition, I keep getting two blocks a month and I haven't worked on it since January! I'm feeling bad about that.

Then there's the Blogger Girls BOM. The third month was just posted last week and I'd only completed the first month. So after I cleaned up the shop and put away my birthday purchases (tell you about that in the next post), I got down to business to at least get month two's blocks completed.  I'm doing the full-sized option so making two versions of each block which also means that I'm four blocks behind. But four blocks is a whole lot less than 7 or 8 behind (as with Memories of Provence). So, that's what I tackled first. 

I had cut out the background fabric and the colors for the first block and was in the middle of piecing it when I turned back to my machine (from ironing) and found this:

I tried to move her, but she wouldn't budge until I got the camera out. The turkey!

Anyway, I love the first version of this block. It's pretty much perfect.  The second version went through some changes. I initially planned on using three fabrics, but after constructing the first three stripes and auditioning the third fabric, I decided to repeat the second fabric instead. I'm happy with the results.

Here's a close-up of the version 2 second fabric. I love the little stars in the check.

The hubs was on spring break this last week and finished the trim for the back door we put in. The travels for his job this week as well. The most important thing, though, is that I have spring break next week!! I can't wait for this week to be over.  We just got some icky weather topped off with lots of snow. So not only am I looking forward to the "break" (which isn't much of one because I have lots of homework to work on before the end of the semester), but I'm also not looking forward to travelling in this crud. Oh well, it's just one more week, right? :) I plan to at least finish catching up on the Blogger Girls BOM.  Hopefully, I'll start on a birthday gift for my mom and another for my sisters. 

Next time: what I bought with my bday money!

Making a little progress

Classes began again on January 7th.  My classes were scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday and Monday night I went to check what rooms I had to go to only to discover that my afternoon class had been moved to Wednesday morning at 9am. Now, keep in mind that I live nearly 3 hours away from campus and this would mean getting up at 4:30am Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday to get to my classes in time.  Luckily, I had an understanding professor and I only have to get up that early on Tuesday and Wednesday instead.  I still have a crap-load of reading and homework each week, though. It's taken a few weeks to develop a  routine... to be honest, I'm still working on it.

I did get caught up on my Memories of Provence BOM. Of course, the next round of block kits arrived the following day. But for a night I was caught up!

And I started to work on my February wall quilt. I honestly haven't made much more progress than where I was in this picture, but I have made some by stealing a half hour here and another there.  

I may (or may not) have this done in time for Valentine's Day, but it will be close.

Finally, there are apparently big plans in progress for my mom's 60th birthday. So when I'm not reading or taking notes in class... I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do for it since I won't be able to travel for her day (her birthday falls in the middle of April which is pretty much the worst time for me to get away).  I have a few ideas, but I'm not very thrilled with the plans yet.

One Last Post This Year

I know I'm pushing it close. It's almost 11pm here in CST, but I wanted to update everyone on the last of my finishes for the year.  First up, another baby blanket.  I love this color! We don't have anyone expecting right now, but there's always someone around the corner and now I won't have to scramble.

Next, I am able to cross this nursery rhyme quilt off my 2012 list! Isn't it cute? It's 37" x 46". This one also will be waiting in the closet for a new owner.

Finally, there's this cute little wall hanging I made the hubs for Christmas.  He used to live in the Florida keys and is a HUGE Parrothead (fan of Jimmy Buffett) so I thought this would be a nice trip down memory lane for him.  He was very surprised and pleased.  We try to do at least one handcrafted gift to each other each year.  I had wanted to do more, but ran out of time. 

So, that's it for this year.  I'm pleased with my quiltiness this year.  I've pushed myself and tried some new things.  I made the biggest quilt thus far. I have done some blanket-stitch applique. I've gained some confidence in my quilting ability and feel good about my progress.  Tomorrow, I'll talk about my expectations for 2013.  In the meantime, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

Feeling like Fall?

Despite the 90-105* weather here, I have been craving a fall craft.  I happen to have this adorable wall quilt all cut out - which I did about 7 or 8 years ago and packed away for three moves to new states over that time.  

Obviously, it was time to take it out.  I've promised the hubs for three years that I would get it done for Halloween, but this time I think it's actually going to happen except that school keeps getting in the way.  

I managed to put all of the pumpkins together the week before classes began.

Then during the first week of classes, I put the blocks together.

Then last week the momentum slowed way down and I only got one strip of candy done.

I'm supposed to be canning tomorrow, but I'm going to fit in a little sewing as well.  What do y'all think? Cute so far, eh?

A Little Help...

Progress on the HS quilt is slow. I tire easily with the fussy cutting of the 9-patch squares and have become bored again.  So, I moved on. I'll come back to it, but I needed to make some visible progress on a project.  So, I finally finished the binding on this:

Yeah! So, I'm continuing at least one finish a week and I feel good about that.  I'm working on a couple nameplates for Christmas stockings.  Those should be completed this week too... if I have time.  We have company coming.  A lot of company.

Anyway, I would like your feedback/opinion on what to work on next.  I need a wall quilt to switch to when July is done (but have no idea what it should be - should I continue with the summer theme or go for an autumn look?), I also have a couple Halloween projects to work on, and an anniversary wall quit (or four) to complete.  So where do you think I should go with my next project?

Fourth of July Finish

I finished this wall quilt this morning - just in time for the fourth!

Last week, I pulled together reds, whites, and blues from my stash to create this fun holiday quilt.  I have been very neglectful in my decorating and in creating fun holiday-themed items, but have made a minor resolution to correct that.  So this is the first of two items for the Fourth of July that I've been working on.  The other is not quite finished, but all cut out.  So I'll post tomorrow with a WIP.

I had the Henry Glass fabric for the light inner border and the navy blue with stars on it in my stash, but had to run to the fabric store (oh darn) because the red I was going to use turned out to be too busy and there was already a lot going on with the words and stars ... and when the hubby says "you should buy a different red tomorrow" what's a girl to do, I ask?? Go to the fabric store, of course!  I just bought a half yard of a red I had used in the stars so, it looks good. The light fabric of the inner border has the Pledge of Allegiance written in blue ink on a cream background.

I'm really happy with this one!

Christmas Projects

I did work on a couple Christmas projects this year.  I made these coasters for a friend who I thought would enjoy the kind of French Country house feel to the fabric, but it didn't seem to go over well.  Lesson learned.  If anyone is interested in this using this fabric or receiving a project form this fabric, let me know.

But the big project was this wall quilt for Dr BB's office.  I worked hard to design the college's logo in quilt form.  The center portion of the M was the hardest part to get right.  Here's a sketch and some squares I used to visualize the appropriate sizing.

The school's colors.

Surprisingly, cutting and putting these squares together wasn't as hard as my brain wanted me to think it was.  

I've got it all pinned together to do the quilting here.  Dr BB liked the white of the batting so much he (not so subtly) suggested another border of white would be particularly nice.  So, after I quilted the flimsy, batting and backing together, I put a narrow, white border around to make the man happy.

I hate to say it, but he was right.  The white border with the burgundy binding does make the quilt pop!  Here's the finished product:

Now he just needs to hang the quilt rack (which is currently laying in our entry with the starter kit and seed catalogs) so he can put the quilt in his office!

And that's a couple completed projects! Yeah me!

Advent

I've never given advent much thought.  We don't have kids in our household and the days leading up to Christmas is a very busy time about here. As a result, we are rather boring by putting mini candybar bites in our calendar's pockets and forgetting about it.

(The advent calendar my MIL made for us.)

But last year I made an advent calendar for my sister and her family (who do have small children).  She posted a question on Facebook that asked what ideas others had for putting in the pockets.  One woman suggested a small lego project to build little by little each day which I thought was amazingly clever!  However, the more I thought about  it, the more I worried about lost pieces and/or choking hazards.  

So, my question to you, dear readers, is what non-food items would you suggest putting in the pockets (about 2"x2")?

(The advent calendar I made for my sister's family)

Is it bad...

that I've started a new project? I have project ADD, I swear. Mr BB got tired of waiting for the penguins and asked that I make a wall quilt for spring. I took a bunch of the hand-dyed fabrics my MIL created and cut them into 3.5" squares which I then cut into triangles. Here are some pictures of the layouts I've tried.

This is the first time I'm using my Singer Serger since Mr. BB bought it for me two Christmas' ago. The tension is all messed up on it.

I rethreaded it, but the under loop is still too loose to be effective.

As you can see, when the triangles are separated to make the square, the stitches pull apart.

I've done some research online and I have one more thing to try before I give up on it - at least until we move and get help from a quilt shop.