Weekly Progress - Spring Break

The Dude and I had a fun spring break, filled with cleaning and organizing. No, I swear - he had fun! He made a creeper with his closet organizers...very easy to make him happy.

I snuck in a little sewing - I scheduled what will probably be my last toddler-free quilting session for Thursday, so I did a quick inventory on what I could get done.

Answer: table runners. And more table runners. Mostly because the backing is all the same size, so I can sew the ends together and just keep quilting on down. Then I don't have to worrying about loading the longarm again.

And that will give me plenty to bind for a while!

I also pieced all the square-in-square blocks, so now I just get to put together Spin Cycle blocks at my leisure. Nine more to go!

And my weekly churn dash. This is from a doll dress I made for my niece. Yeah. Slim pickings in the purple scraps for favorites! I actually do have a couple well-loved bits, but not enough for a churn dash. I may add them to the RSC'13.

And the only new purchase from Spring Cleaning Week. Most of the shelving here went to the Dude's room, or became a fridge for the play kitchen. This nice big shelf can hold/organize almost everything that used to be crammed into random places, or on the floor.

And that's about it. This week, I need to fix the Dude's Cub Scout uniform - the Blue and Gold Banquet is coming up and he's still, according to his shirt, a member of the Oklahoma council. And of course, the first thing I'm quilting on Thursday is the Little Man's quilt.

But mostly, I'll be waiting on pins and needles for the final approval phone call.

Linked:

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River

Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ SoScrappy

Scrap Basket Sunday @ Kim's Big Quilting Adventure

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Fort Worth Fabric

Weekly Progress - Airplane Germs

Well, it was inevitable with 24+ hours in airplanes. I came down with a head cold of sorts and spent the last week sleeping it off and drinking tea. So not that much got done in the sewing room.

Spin Cycle - added one more block...of course, the one that Bad Kitty is sitting on.

At that block, I ran out of square-in-a-square pieces, so it was time to start chain piecing some more. Woohoo.

Weekly Churn Dash - this was from one of my very first projects, a purse that I put together totally wrong and never fixed. It's a good reminder of how far I've come!

And I stitched down the applique on Goodnight Monkey, and started prepping the back. I'm using a panel and the leftover pieces from the front.

And, very exciting for the Dude - we're spending Spring Break cleaning and organizing closets, which includes swapping out some of my sewing room shelving. So far, his room is looking a lot better...and the rest of the house is looking a lot worse.

Linked:

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River

Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ SoScrappy

Scrap Basket Sunday @ Kim's Big Quilting Adventure

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Fort Worth Fabric

Weekly Progress - Swapping

My mom was here last week, so there wasn't much sewing. We did do a lot of general house organizing {sometimes you just need someone else to look at the fridge and say, "that weird shelf is for soda cans."}

And we undertook a big sewing/playroom swap. Just rotated everything 90º around the room, so that the sewing stuff lines one wall and the kid stuff lines the other. Now the cutting table has the best light by the front window {bonus: can see the bus stop} and the storage units are right by the TV cable.

Obviously there's still plenty of boxes to be unpacked and organized - but we're getting there.

Meanwhile, I finished my niece's weighted blanket.

And I started relearning paper piecing for St. Paul's Cross. Ugh. I remember why I hate paper piecing. My first block was totally off. I've got everything printed to the same scale now and I'm getting better at remembering all the steps. Still, not my favorite piecing method!

I didn't add anything to the design wall this week. {Flirt Marks the Spot}

And barely added to my RSC pile. But I did do the math and I think I need to do 14 of these little blocks each month...which means I'm now 42 blocks behind and haven't even started cutting baby blues!

Linked:

Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

       

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

       

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story

Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ SoScrappy

Scrap Basket Sunday @ Kim's Big Quilting Adventure

Weekly Progress - Making Some

Slowly, things are getting into place. I think we have about ten more boxes to unpack, and we're actually putting things away...in what may be the permanent location! {Maybe. I changed the layout of the dining room six times...and it's the smallest room!}

The top half of my shelves is looking good. If you can get fabric to reach the ceiling, it's a good day...or the ceilings are low. I prefer the scrap boxes separate on shelves like this, so I can browse easier. My fat quarters are in the boxes, too - anything more than a half yard is wrapped on comic book boards and shelved.

Bottom half is still pretty much a disaster...and I pulled a ton of the FIZ {fabric in ziploc} and put them in the striped boxes. I need to find the bins that go in the shelving unit and hide some FIZ in there. Or, you know, work on them.

Meanwhile, at the sewing machine...

Working through the snowball-ish rectangles for Flirt Marks the Spot...which made it to a quasi-design wall. {I've got a plan sketched out for a PVC pipe frame...but the hacksaw hasn't been unpacked yet. Thought about pinning it to the shelving unit until then...but I can't find thumbtacks.}

I started putting together a weighted blanket. My sheet set is terribly wonky, so there's been a lot of trimming, but other than that it's coming together very nicely.

And my faithful Rainbow Scrap Challenge leader/enders. My reds are some of my favorite fabrics, so this little stack makes me happy.

I also went to the Buggy Barn Quilt Show, but more on that later.

Linked:

Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

     

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

     

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story

Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ SoScrappy

Scrap Basket Sunday @ Kim's Big Quilting Adventure

Weekly Progress - Little Bits

I am still slowly unpacking. We're at the lovely point where it feels like it will never actually get done, and we will drown in piles before we figure out where everything goes. So.Many.Tchotchkes.

This, of course, extends to the sewing room. I have no idea where I'm going to put a design wall. 

My two corners of the room look like this:

And this:

 

Wall space is pretty much gone. The front {toy} half of the room is all windows, so I'm not gaining any wall there. At this point, I think pinning a flannel-backed tablecloth to the archway is my only option. Sigh. I hate trying to fit into a new place!

But anyway, in between bursts of unpacking, I did manage a few little things.

Cut all the reds for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge leaders/enders.

And while I had the box out, I cut the reds for my Rainbow Chevron quilt.

And since I clearly hadn't spent enough time at the cutting table, I cut the first piece of Ripples & Reflections. It's actually the third color, but the first one is the border and the second one is the huge corner setting triangles - no need to cut those down for another year or so.

And I finished the nine-patches and four-patches for Flirt Marks the Spot. Still have snowball-ish blocks to piece before any sort of assembly, though.

Linked:

Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

    

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

    

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story

Rainbow Scrap Challenge @ SoScrappy

Scrap Basket Sunday @ Kim's Big Quilting Adventure

Weekly Progress - Moving In

Well, I am slowly getting unpacked. Just about to the horrible stage of where to actually put everything.

Seriously. Why do I have this much stuff?

At least the Dude will be keeping me company as he organizes his half of the room.

Well, at least someone is happy with the room the way it is. He's a lot happier to crash here all day, knowing that I'll come around every few minutes. He's been stuck to me like glue since the other cat died.

I've made a smidgen of quilt progress. In between emptying boxes and crying at the thought of putting things away, I've been sewing nine patches and other parts for Flirt Marks the Spot. I really should be working St. Paul's Cross, but I need something a little more mindless than paper piecing.

Linked:

Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

   

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

   

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story

End of Month Report - March

Oh, March. You were...a month.

Family: my black cat has cancer. And my baby turned eight! 

And I'm starting to panic about our pending move. Quilters who have sold their homes - what did you do while the house was on the market? Keep just a few piecing projects around? Quilt through a pile of tops? I'm losing my sewing room {will get to keep a table in the office} and definitely losing my cutting table. 

And obviously I have to keep things picked up, so my sewing table can't look like it looks now!

Adoption: as far as we know, the time in country is back to normal, which is a huge sigh of relief. There was a possibility we'd have to spend 2-4+ weeks there, which is a bit harder with an older kid who should really not miss that much school. Now it's back to the week. Hopefully.

Running: two half marathons down! And I am officially a Half Fanatic. My times weren't quite where I wanted them {even though one was a PR.} But hey - I've got two more before the end of May to get the time I want.

Sewing: in March, I planned to...

Keep up with Cat Tails - I'm a couple blocks behind due to Spring Break, but I'll catch up in April.

Quilt Star Wall Hanging, Frolicking Pinwheels, and Skorca. Haha, no. I didn't quilt anything in March.

Make a new Creeper pillow. The Dude changed his mind and it's a Zombie pillow.


Make seven out of fourteen Boardwalk blocks. I made four. BUT - I have an excuse. I can't, for the life of me, figure out how I cut five blocks out of one pink fat quarter. I need five from the remaining teals, so I need to figure that out first! {Or buy additional fabric.}

 Also worked on...

{Some day I'll be a nine patch just like the big kids!}
Turning Flirt strip sets into blocks.

{RSC} orange - not something I have a lot of, but I've got all the blocks cut and ready as leaders/enders.

{NewFO} I should have done one from my list, but my sister ordered a baby quilt for a friend, so I'm counting that and not unrolling a jelly roll... It's basted and on it's way to being done this week. 

 So, plans for next month...

1. Get the house ready to go on the market. Wait, that's not very glamorous. Or sewing-related...other than the complete removal of my sewing stuff.

2. Finish the Cat Tails top and the Saturday Sampler top - which really means, get down to the store for more black!

3. My commissioned project for the month, a fireman t-shirt quilt.

4. Boardwalk...get those last blocks done!

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 - Bad News/Good News

Bad News: my sweet baby kitty has lymphoma. Not the white one who lives in the quilt room, but the black one who prefers the sunny spots. I got him almost twelve years ago as an eight-week-old kitten, so this is...hard.

Good News: he's responding well to steroids and chemo for now. It's palliative care, but I'm happy that he's comfortable. And he's certainly loving the extra cuddles.

Bad News: my calf is pretty sore...

Good News: ...because I did this...again.

Bad News: I got almost no sewing done in the last two weeks...

Good News: ...mostly because I was prepping for and then going on a cruise. {Or cuddling with the cat.} 

Oh, and you should always do a half marathon before a cruise. Then when your judge-y husband is questioning how many ice creams you've had that day, you can be all "I just ran a half marathon!" Even if it's Thursday.

It was very hard to leave my Wedge at the vet for a week, but she wanted to observe him for a few days into the treatment anyway, so it worked out okay. And by okay, I mean, I nearly started crying into my third glass of wine at the fancy steakhouse on board. But okay.

Anyway, I did get some sewing done.

{Finished} the Dude's birthday present, a Minecraft Zombie pillow. He sleeps with it every night, and it is affectionately known as "Zombs." Yeah. He's weird.

Pieced all the strips for Flirt Marks the Spot, and started pulling the strips into blocks. {And that color is not at all accurate. New sewing room = bad lighting.}

{Design Wall} ...sigh... I should just stop posting. Haven't finished any new blocks, therefore the Wall is not changing. Going to make Boardwalk a priority this week.

Color pull for a Disappearing Four Patch with a Twist quilt for my sister. I need three more yellows...

{Fifteen Minute Challenge/Rainbow Scrap Challenge}
...so I pulled my yellow/orange scrap box to see what I could come up with. I'm massively behind on orange for my RSC, so it was about time I got sorting this box in my fifteen minutes.

...oh, and I got a commission for a rainbow chevron quilt {ala Red Pepper Quilts} so I'll be pulling for that, too.

Last week during my fifteen minutes, I worked on organizing some of the random projects in my old sewing space, and learned two things.

a} I have too many UFOs/PIGs. Some of those are stalled projects...some have never started. At least they're labeled now?
b} I may have too many shoes.

Linked:

Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

 

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

 

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story

Weekly Progress - Some...

I did not get a ton done this week - life got in the way of the sewing room. And it is continuing this week, to the point that there will be no post next week - I'll be on spring break.

Continuing my trend of only finishing pillows, this is the top for the Dude's birthday pillow. It's a Minecraft zombie, which is obviously vastly different from the Creeper.

This week's Cat Tails.

With Boardwalk base blocks as leaders/enders.

Which means the design wall hasn't changed, since none of the blocks are actually done.

Flirt strip sets are slowly becoming block pieces.

{Fifteen Minute Challenge} On Monday I pulled out all my orange from the big scrap box for my Rainbow quilt. It's not much. I still have to dig through my yellow/orange bin and see if I can come up with ten blocks worth.

But the BIG fifteen minute thing was moving my fabric shelves into the playroom/soon-to-be-all-mine-room. I've been sorting old projects and fabrics and actually organizing what goes on the shelves. Clearly, the cat goes on one of them.

Linked:

Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

 

BOMs Away Monday @ What A Hoot

 

WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced

Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story