End of Month Report - February

Man, this short month went a bit too fast! Who ever decided that February should get shortchanged? Darn you, Caesar! What was so wrong about making January, February, and March all 30-day months?

Family: We got orders! Surprisingly early! Back to Fairchild AFB, WA. There are a lot of mixed feelings about this...but at least the place makes us happy. We'll move sometime this summer - school doesn't start until after Labor Day {and Oklahoma gets out before Memorial Day} so we have a lot of time to work with.

Adoption: Still waiting to hear the revised timeline and requirements...and trying not to worry. I'm hoping we know before we schedule the move - obviously, it would be nice to be settled before the Little Man comes home.

Running: Little Rock Half is this weekend, and I feel insanely prepared. At some point, full marathon training stopped being tiring and started being, "oh, no biggie, I have a 2:30 long run this weekend. AND I WILL DO IT IN 2:20!!"

Sewing: I planned, this month, to... 

Quilt Star Wall Hanging and Layer Cake Snowballs

Ah, no. Finished Snowballs under the wire {post will be up tomorrow} but Star isn't even basted.

Pick 16 Saturday Sampler blocks to set on point and do that

Yes! Not only that, but all the on point blocks are sashed and I started putting together the other blocks. And then I ran out of fabric. Man, when you have a lot of negative space, you need a LOT of that fabric!

 
Figure out what I'm doing with Boardwalk and make at least ten blocks

Uh, sure. If you count slicing the setting pieces as "making blocks."

 
Keep up with one Cat Tails block each week

Yes, I'm up to nine blocks. And out of space on the design wall, again! Four more to go...I think. I should really come up with a plan...

And then also...

Starburst Pillow - I love it! I'm really glad I decided to make it pillow-size. Now I can enjoy it instead of letting it linger on the to-be-quilted pile.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - ten cute little purple blocks!

And then there's my NewFO. I did not plan on a NewFO this month. I blame my mother-in-law - she ordered me quilt magazine subscriptions for  Christmas. I couldn't resist making this one in Flirt!

As for March...it's got Spring Break and two half marathons, so I'll try not to be overly ambitious.

1. Keep up with Cat Tails - I should finish the cat blocks and have them ready to set in April.

2. Quilt Star Wall Hanging, Frolicking Pinwheels, and Skorca. {I know, three. But two are small and should not take that long! And I know I'm going to keep putting Skorca off.}

3. Make a new Creeper pillow for the Dude's birthday. {The first one went to a friend. The second will be properly pixelated.}

4. Make at least half of the fourteen remaining blocks for Boardwalk. Luckily, they're all blue/teal, so the pink will be balanced.

Linked:

Nothing But UFOs
A Year of Finishes
Getting It Done
Year of the Finished Project
Just Three

Fresh Sewing Day @ Lily's Quilts
NewFO Challenge @ Cat Patches 
Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ SoScrappy

Weekly Progress - SNOW!

First a little bit of snow - about 3" that canceled school. 

{Lumps the Snowman}

And now, the big storm. Or not. I'm writing this Sunday night and we still have no idea if it will be snow or rain. School has already been canceled, so we'll see! At least I'm over the sinus crud, so I can enjoy...shoveling.

And now that it's morning, it's still unsure if it's going to be snow or rain! I watched it go from rain to sleet to snow to sleet to rain all over the course of thirty minutes.

{Design Wall/BOM} Saturday Sampler, at the point in which it will no longer fit on the wall. I'm {fairly} confident in my math and starting the work to pull it together. I should have an empty design wall by the end of the week!

I realized February is almost over...with no UFOs started finished. Oops. So I got out Layer Cake Snowballs and got started. 

{This isn't comfortable, but it's annoying, so the cat continues.}

So far, I echoed the lines of the blocks. I think it needs more...but I don't know what. I don't particularly want to outline all the corners because I don't want to bury all those threads!

Then I used the {perfectly} leftover batting to baste the Starburst pillow cover. Only made it through three lines before running out of thread, though...and probably won't be running to Hobby Lobby today!

{Fifteen Minute Challenge} Green box is organized! And I don't think there's a bit of the Pantone Emerald in it.

Next I'm going to tackle the random scrap/project box. That should take a couple weeks.

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 

BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Weekly Progress - the Creeping Crud

Yesterday was a day off, so I forgot all about posting. It doesn't help that my husband and I both have the basic winter-y sinus crud, so I barely got anything done this week. So this will be short and sweet before my next nap. I hate being sick!

{Finished} Triple Zip Pouch

{Design Wall/BOM} I finally decided to trust my math {after triple checking it 4x} and started setting Saturday Sampler. I need to pick four more from the top to set on point - there's also four in progress by the sewing machine.

{Fifteen Minute Challenge} I finished organizing the Christmas scrap bin, including yardage and fat quarter sets. It's ready to {sadly} be packed away until after the move.

I then pulled out my solids bin and fished out any black that could be used for the Sampler, then moved to the green scrap bin for organizing. There's another Creeper pillow in my future.

So...really slacking on the UFOs this month. At least I haven't added anything to the to-be-quilted pile other than the Starburst pillow, which is ready to quilt once I can sit up longer than five minutes.

Linked:

Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 

BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Triple Zip - Finished!

Whew - I survived three zippers!

Made using Debbie's tutorial on A Quilter's Table, with the Alternate Ending at Marci Girl Designs, as part of the Triple Zip Along.

One thing I did differently from the tutorial was leave my tabs uncut until the end. I found it was easier to start sewing in the to-be-cut-off zone. Even still, I broke a needle going through the zippers. {Argh!}

I also used a firm fusible interfacing from my stash instead of fusible fleece. I think it's stiff enough as is!

I read both endings about a million times, and I still didn't do it right. I couldn't tell where to start/stop sewing to make nice corners - mine are, well, less than perfect.

But hey - it fits my electronic essentials!

Fabrics:

Dear Stella Bukhara

RJR Fabrics Momma's Apron Strings

Japanese print scrap

Interior pockets - muslin

Linked:

Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

TGIFF @ Sewing By Moonlight

Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

Link A Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya Quilts 

Fifteen Minute Challenge - Share Your Space

This month's theme for the Fifteen Minute Challenge is "have a dedicated space." Kate asked us to share our sewing space, so... Here it is, in it's usual disarray. {It wouldn't be honest to clean it first!}

This is my main space. When we first moved into this house, I shared the office and this was a book nook. Now the bookcases are in the office and I'm where there ought to be a formal dining room.

The U - cutting table, ironing board, and sewing table. The sign above the ironing board says "Quilters always press to the dark side." Love! Everything I really need is right here. {Including the cat on the chair.}

The other side is mostly storage - fabric, projects, sewing machines, unfinished tops, cats. It's very disorganized. I'm not even going to show the wire storage unit on the back side of the cutting table. It's very far beyond disorganized.

My wall o'fabric. I use comic book things to wrap fabric under three yards. Over three, leftover Hobby Lobby bolts. Lots of plastic bags grouping scraps, even more shoe boxes grouping scraps and projects.

BUT... I'm prepping for my third sewing space move in this house. We'll be putting the house on the market this spring, and in preparation, we are getting rid of our guest bed and making that bedroom into a sewing space/nursery. {Even though the Little Man will probably not be here before the move.}

The closet is currently the Dude's toy closet, as evidenced by the dinosaur chilling with my bolts and scrap boxes.

The plan for February is to swap the toys and the sewing stuff, while doing a MAJOR purge and packing up stuff that can be stored until after the house sells. {Like the Christmas fabric.}

Notice the lack of the design wall? It's currently in the hallway, threatening to fall on anyone who walks by. Very conductive to the design process. That's why having a dedicated space is so necessary!

Weekly Progress - Giveway Winner!

Last week was busier than normal, for no real reason. Just a lot of other stuff that kept me from the sewing room. So not much progress in there.

But first, a winner!

Which is SewCindy! Congrats, I shot you an email!

{BOM/Design Wall} No change on Saturday Sampler. I have a good sketch and hopefully good math on the layout, and another 3.5 yards of the black to start setting it. Once I double check my math again.

{Cat Tails} Block #7!

{Boardwalk} The centers of the three pink blocks are done.

{Starburst Quilt Along} Block is finished, backing is prepped, and I've even decided how I'm going to quilt it!

{Fifteen Minute Challenge} Now this I actually have been working on daily! I decided to tackle the Christmas scrap box, so it could be fully organized and packed up for our house sale. And it is taking the full fifteen minutes every day. Please, no one let me buy any Christmas fabric this year. I don't care how cute Sandy Gervais' line is going to be.

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 
BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced
Starburst Quilt Along @ Happy Quilting

Kats with Kate - Six and Two Layouts

{Giveaway over here, if you're interested.}

Time for another Kat Kwilt update for Kate and me!

I have six blocks done now, and I'm starting to debate layouts.

{Please forgive the pictures - the design wall is occupied and it was impossible to get high enough at the right angle to get the floor shot.}

This is the original layout from the pattern. I would make it slightly different because I don't want any partial cats - so the ones that reach out of the main pattern {like the red one on the bottom} would be surrounded by negative space/background fabric.

I like this layout because I think the little pinwheels formed by the ears, and the odd-shaped-bowties by the butts, are cute. {Okay, I love secondary patterns. Possibly more than primary patterns.}

And then Lies Koster suggested this. Now look at THAT secondary pattern! But, the cat groups don't stand out quite as much.

So... I don't have to make a decision for a while - I have seven more blocks to make, after all. But if anyone else wants to start having opinions, that's fine!

And because no cat post is complete without an actual cat...

Mom's pile of unfinished/partially finished/finished quilts + sun = happiest kitty in the world

Olivia Schnibble - Finished!

{I have a giveaway going on. Free stuff - what's not to like?}

This one didn't marinate on the to-be-quilted pile too long - I finished the top in November.

It's Imagine from Schnibbles Times Two. 

{Which, imagine was one of my son's vocab words last week. Which led to the  following conversation...

Dude: I need a sentence with imagine.

Husband: I believe your mom has that covered.

Me: Imagine all the people, living life in peaceeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Dude: How do I write that?

Me: With a lot of e's. Imagine there's no heaven.

Husband: Yeah, that's not going to go over well in Oklahoma.

See, this is why I miss him when he's deployed. No one backs me up quite like him!}

{And he raked!}

Although Schnibbles are usually from charm packs or layer cakes, I used a yard and two fat quarters, because that's what I had. I think it worked out fine.

I don't usually cobble together backs, but I had the panel and leftovers from the front, and I'm determined to USE THINGS UP this year.

And I ended up with a front an back nearly the same size...which is fun to baste. But it worked out, luckily.

The quilting is echoed straight lines on either side of the pink pinwheels.

The binding is Boutique by Chez Moi, from my stash.

It measure 32x48" - great stroller size.

Linked:

Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

TGIFF @ Kit Lang Art

Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

Link A Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya Quilts 

Finish-A-Long @ She Can Quilt

Let's Make Baby Quilts @ Michelle's Romantic Tangle

Weekly Progress - Super Bowl Style

Or lazy Super Bowl style. Didn't care about the teams this year, so we put very little effort into the food {more free time!}, went to a party at someone else's house {no cleaning!} and I spent half the game hand-stitching my hanging sleeve on Two of Hearts.

Oh, and I pulled together a giveaway. You might want to check it out. You know, if you like free stuff.

{Finished} The Olivia Schnibble - went with fast quilting and completed it in less than an afternoon.

{BOM} Finished the last three for Saturday Sampler!

{Design Wall} And here they all are! I need 16 on point, so I'm starting by picking one from each colorway. I also worked on the math for the setting during the Super Bowl.

{Starburst Quilt Along} Laid out my block to start sewing...hmmm... I appear to have miscalculated something.

{Triple Zip Along} Bought my three zippers. Still being a complete chicken about putting it together.

{Cat Tails} Sorted out the colors I have and counted. I had to cut out one more red block, but this will leave me with eight blocks to make and 13 total.

{Boardwalk} I decided to use the remaining pink fat quarters for the setting triangles, so I cut those and used the leftovers to prep a couple blocks.

{Fifteen Minute Challenge/Rainbow Scrap Challenge} I slacked off in the beginning of the week, but when the RSC turned purple, I grabbed the box and got to sorting. Friday/Saturday was sorting, Sunday I cut the pieces for the RSC. All ready to be leaders/enders this month!

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
UFO Sunday @ the Free Motion Quilting Project 
Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 
BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 
Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story 
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced
Stash Blaster @ Prairie Sunrise
Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ So Scrappy
Starburst Quilt Along @ Happy Quilting

100 Follower Giveaway!

I've been meaning to get this together since I hit 100 last week, but I'm behind on everything online. I'm trying to keep up with blogs, but my poor old laptop can't handle it, and while I read on Flipboard, I end up commenting less because the iPad likes to change my words. #firstworldproblems

But I really do appreciate you followers, and to prove it, I'm going to fall asleep on the couch before finishing this post give away some things.

The newest issue of American Patchwork Quilting, a Jaybird Quilts pattern, and a Denyse Schmidt small project pattern set.

You have two chances for entry. 

First, by being a follower {in the little gadget over there ----->} and commenting as such.

Second, by commenting with your favorite Queen song. "None" is not an acceptable answer. Neither is "the Muppets singing Bohemian Rhapsody" {get off the computer, Dude.} If you really don't have a favorite, put "Fat Bottomed Girls," because it's my favorite and I like to skew the results.

Giveaway will remain open until next Sunday morning, and Mr. Random will choose the results. As always, don't be no-reply. Seriously. Just don't.

And thanks!

Fall-gyle - Finished!

Another finally finish.

Started in the fall of 2011, with the Argyle Quilt Along on from the blue chair. Her instructions were clear, but I didn't have the skills {or the patience} to do it right.

{Have I raked yet? Nope!}

I used the fabric I had, so I went off pattern, and I had no idea how big it was going to be. It ended up 70" square, but it still looks wrong. It should have been longer than it is wide...like the diamonds.

Quilted in a nice argyle-esque pattern. Alas, I don't remember any of the fabrics and the selvages are long tossed. The backing is a burgundy flannel and the binding is some fall-ish print from Jo-Ann's.

And here's where it went so wrong. Check out those LOVELY matching seams. Like, not even close. Some I could fix, but some were hopeless. So eventually I gave up.

So it's done, but I don't really like it. Maybe I'll like it next fall when it comes out of storage...

Linked:

Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

TGIFF @ Quokka Quilts

Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts

Link A Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya Quilts 

Finish-A-Long @ She Can Quilt

Flaunt Your Finish @ OKC MQG