The Insipid Geranium

Well, here it is, the “Insipid Geranium”……. The pinwheel blocks began life as part of another quilt. They looked terrible so I rushed to my Local Quilt Shop to see what I could do with them. This geranium fabric seemed to fit the bill even though I thought the flowers were faded and past their prime. I even used the flange on this quilt. I have always liked them. The original quilt is still incomplete. It needs to be quilted and I hope to finish it in 2007.

Darlene has gone public with her plan for clearing out unfinished projects. One thing about blogging, I feel obligated to do what I say I am going to do each month. I find that I am more productive knowing that I wrote down in public my goals…………………..

For the year 2007 I plan to finish a quilt each month or two quilt tops. Completing a quilt means that it is ready to use complete with binding and label. Completed quilt tops will be bagged with the label, binding cut, backing stitched together and ready to layer.

I am sitting here and mentally reviewing what is on the top layer in the studio. I can easily name 12 tops to be assembled. These are all machine piecing projects, no appliqué or hand piecing on this list. I have the fabric for all of them………. They will be listed on the sidebar. I will only list 12 of them. I will also have a hand quilt project, a knitting project (probably a sock) and an embroidery project to work on upstairs in the evening.

There, I have said it………….. Now let’s see how well I can do it…………..

The Last Ones............

I do apologize for the terrible picture. I just can not seem to hold the camera still these days.......

These are the last of the Holiday Swap Blocks......

I mailed them off yesterday. It does feel rather strange. I can work on anything I want to........ I have no deadlines looming now.............

Rebekah and I are getting into the holiday spirit starting this week by playing Christmas music and putting up the tree.

I can't put mine up yet. I will be using it to put the beaded tassels on for the Christmas Party.......... I will get it back next week and perhaps by then I will have my little stuffed angels ready to put on it. I am even thinking about making a tree skirt.

Break time is over so back to work for me. 

Eight of the Blocks

I can't seem to get a clear picture these days........... Anyway, here are 8 of 12 blocks I need for this quilt top...........

Next Up...........

I found this fabric in the discount bin at Big Horn Quilts...............

It is so bright and alive that I just had to order it............. That was 2 years ago...........

On New Years Day, 2006, while surfing the net I found Planet Patchwork. They had a Block of the Month that seemed really easy.

I checked out the fabric I had on hand and this piece spoke to me. I added a green and a yellow. The sashing will be burnt orange and the cornerstones will be peacock blue. This is one quilt that will keep you awake unless you close your eyes fast........................ There are 12 blocks and I have 8 completed. The instructions for the sashing and cornerstones and borders has not been posted yet. I hope to have all the blocks done by the time it comes out online..................

I am giving serious thought to trying to complete one quilt or two quilt tops each month for the year 2007.

Gratitude

Well, here it is......... My Hour A Day Quilt for November.

Judy at Sunshine Quilts designed this for us to enjoy. She does such wonderful things with sashings and borders that make such a difference in the quilt.....

I am so pleased with the way this one came out. I went to Thousands of Bolts and ordered this backing. I plan to get this quilted right away.

I still have one more block for the Holiday Swap to finish and I can mark that off my list of November projects.

More surprises tomorrow.....................

Not Bad.............

 

Wishing everyone....

The turkey is in the oven and I am back to the studio to stitch. Just Lem and I today. Rebekah and Robert are off to Mississippi to celebrate with his mother. Kim and Jason are in NC where all of Kim's family are supposed to show up for the holiday.

Today I will enjoy the quiet of just the two of us because I know how things can change so rapidly in ways you never imagined...................

Baking a Turkey

Only Norman Rockwell could paint a turkey like that one. I never could get mine that perfect.

I well remember the first one I baked. My parents and my in-laws were eating Thanksgiving at our house. I was baking the turkey. I was not to pleased because I did not recieve the giblets and was really feeling slighted with only the neck of the turkey wrapped and placed inside the bird. I washed it well, covered it with butter and wiped the inside with salt as my mother had instructed.

I brought it out on a platter and my husband began to carve. It does seem as though someone could have told me that the giblets would be wrapped in paper and placed in the neck part of the bird and not inside. There the were, still wrapped and completely baked......... Oh the humiliation of the moment.......... I can laugh now but not then.............

There are so many traditions associated with holidays and each family makes their own traditions.............. One of my favorite stories is about a Christmas Ham.

The mother is preparing the Christmas ham to bake and her small daughter asked her why she cuts the end off before she bakes it........... "Because my mother always did" was the reply.

That afternoon when the grandmother arrives the small girl asked again why you should cut off the end of the ham before you bake it........ as before "Because my mother always did" was the reply.

When the great grandmother arrives the girl again inquires " Why do you cut the end off the ham before you bake it?" "Well" her great grandmother replied, "because my pan was not big enough."

Rebekah called last night for the recipe for dressing balls. "I don't have it" I tell her, "You are supposed to have it."

"I cannot find my copy now and I need it, it isn't Thanksgiving without dressing balls"

I suggest she try Google and there it is, the recipe she needs.......... Think I will fix dressing balls myself tomorrow.

Three Sets Done

Here they are... Three of the four sets I need for the swap. How good to have them done. The other set is paper pieced and I need to pick up some paper for them. It will be so easy to get them done this weekend and mailed on Monday.

I still have 10 tassels to knit and that project will be drawing to a close.

This morning I found some time to work on my Gratitude quilt. I am still in hour five but when that part is done it should move a bit faster.

Off to the library to see if there are any talking books. The last ones I checked out were mostly duds........... I also need to stop at the knit shop near the library for some needles. I know I have them but they are among the missing right now.

I see that if I apply myself, I could actually finish my goals for November.........

Good Morning All

My friend Lu stopped by on Saturday with chicken soup and fabric. What a treat........ Great soup and great finds and the local church sale. All the fabric was $3.00...... I will get it washed and into my scrappy stash. I have it set up the way Bonnie Hunter recommends. It works great for me that way. I know exactly where to put each piece. Anything that is trimmed and too small to use I toss in a basket. That goes to make doggie pads for the animal shelter........... Nothing wasted.

I am feeling much better today. Staying in all weekend was the right thing to do. I even got most of the blocks made for the swap. I will be wrapping that project up this week and the tassel project will be completed next week. I anticipate starting the New Year with no deadlines looming. I can start on the Pink Heart quilt and enjoy working on it.

Holiday Swap Blocks.

Sorry the picture is blurry. I can't seem to hold the camera steady these days. Must be all the meds.......

This weekend I am finishing my Holiday Swap blocks. I now have two sets complete and two left to make. I do hope to get them in the mail by Wednesday at the latest. 

Beginner Sock

Beginner Sock

There has been some discussion recently about knitting your own socks. I find it a wonderful way to sit and relax in the evenings. The new yarns available now are computer dyed and yield wonderful patterns. The link above will provide a mini-sock to knit. It is a great instructional sock and many thanks go to Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer for providing this pattern.

If you would like something with a little more challenge try some of Jackie's lace sock patterns or beaded socks. Her instructions are concise and easy to follow. She no longer sells retail but she has a store locator on her site that will provide information needed to purchase her designs. I have to order them from a shop off Cape.

I can also recommend Earthfaire. She carries some of Jackie's sock patterns as kits so that the beads are included.

Enough said about socks. I am going to stitch a few quilt blocks while I am still on bedrest.

Another Vacation Photo

Here I am with Mama, my husband and son. Batteries were low on the camera and the flash did not recover fast enough to get a good picture.

Thank you to all that sent me get well greetings. I think I am among the living again. Moving a little slower that usual (and that wasn't all that fast).

I looked at the November list and realized that I will not complete all the tasks I had assigned myself to complete. Sure am glad I am not being graded on this..........

Tomorrow is the day I have assigned myself to finish my Holiday Swap blocks. The deadline is fast approaching on that project. Then I will have to finish the beaded tassels. Time waits for no man or women for that matter. 

A Few Days of Bed Rest

Well, it is official……………I am not well. Just saw the Dr and she sent me home to go to bed till the temp is normal. And I was making such great progress on my November list. I still think I will be able to get everything done on time that has a deadline. The other things might get put on hold for a bit. I do have the blocks I prepped for the quilt Rebekah and I are working on. I think I shall go home and play with them while I rest…….

I will share the photo of my first block from the Gratitude. I am most grateful to Judy for providing such a delightful quilt.

A Spot of Local Color

Here is Vickie Wilder, the manager of my Local Quilt Shop. On the occasional Friday morning, we meet for breakfast before work and the Homeport Restaurant.

They have grits on Friday and being from the south I am partial to them.

I am pleased to report that my attendance report is finished for the month and filed. I got little else accomplished this morning. The cold that began Sunday is working its way into a real inconvenience.

No sewing done this morning, perhaps I can find an hour when I get home.

Last night I got 20 of the tassels completed. I am looking forward to putting that project to rest...........

Monday, Monday

I still haven’t read what everyone did while I was away. I will get to it as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome home.

Lem and I are both starting to get a cold. He has a Dr’s appointment on Wednesday and I plan to tag along. Perhaps we can get something to encourage the cold to leave….

I did get some sewing done this morning. This quilt is going to be so lovely. Thank you Judy for sharing this with us. I am thinking this might be a good setting for some Dear Jane blocks I have from swaps….. It will take some effort on my part but surely worth it.

I am going to try flying again. I have been in remission for some time and it is time to get those wings out and go again. Anyone want to join me just go to www.flylady.net. She has a great method for keeping you on track and making life so much more pleasant.

Break time is almost over so I will add my picture of my Gratitude quilt so far.

Hour One

This morning I did get the first hour done. I am not as swift as some and it did take me 2 hours but they were time well spent.

Then upstairs to complete the house blessing. That was longer as I had to finish the unpacking and putting away suitcases and such.

Now I am a wee bit tired even though I did fit a small rest in there.

I have a cup of tea waiting and I am off to finish working on the beaded tassels......... there are 60 of them all knitted but not finished. I want to get 15 more done this week. A friend will check on the number needed.............

There are so many pictures to post and stories to share and I just don't have the time just yet. Perhaps tomorrow................... 

Here's Mama

Here she is, my dear mother. She turned 90 in August so Lem and I met the children at her house for a few days. We all had a grand time and more pictures will follow later. I have much reading to do to catch up with what everyone is doing. Just wanted you to know we are home and were blessed with a safe journey.