The "S" word!

The weather folks have been telling us for at least 5 days that we were to get more snow. Everyone around us got lots - several inches at our son's house and enough in the school district where DH works that he's had no school since Tuesday. But all we had was VERY low temperatures for us - the high teens in the day time and low teens at night. We got snow - tiny little pellets that looked like that pellet ice cream and blew away almost as fast as it fell. I was SO disappointed.

Then yesterday the temperature started to rise. It got above freezing for the first time in almost a week. And this morning about 6:30 a.m., as I was heading to Starbucks and then to watch Joseph, it really started to snow. It's still above freezing - 34 - so finally the flakes a huge and feathery and it's piling up on the ground and trees. I'm ecstatic! Fred is home so I called him, told him how to use the camera, and asked that he take pictures for my blog. He hardly ever takes pictures so hopefully he got some good ones that I can post when I get home! In the meantime I'm going to try taking some with my cell phone.

Stay tuned!

Welcome To Quilter Blogs

If you are like me you already read so many quilting blogs that it's almost impossible to keep up and still have time to sew. Nevertheless, I'm always looking for new blogs - one never knows when a newly discovered blog will fast become a favorite.

Here is another great source of quilting blogs. Over 100 blogs are listed What's even nicer is that on this site one can see highlights of many posts on many different blogs. If you'd like them to include your blog just send them an email with your blog URL.

Thanks, Kathie, for bringing this site to our attention!

Another postage stamp top completed

Tuesday night I ripped out the incorrect stitching, but I didn't have a chance to work on the top until today. I did put all the blocks, sashing, and cornerstones on the design wall to make sure I stitched it correctly this time. It isn't exactly the same as the Evelyn Sloppy quilt, but that's OK - this is how I envisioned it when I first got the idea from the picture of her quilt. I've never made sashing and cornerstones like this before, and I really like how it looks. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I used this setting again sometime. This top took 24 blocks - exactly how many I had. How's that for luck - since I certainly didn't plan for it to happen! The borders are wider than I would usually make, but I had to make them that wide in order for the quilt to be the required size for Hotel Hope quilts.

Now I'm finishing backings for both this top and the top I finished last Monday, as well as for the one top hanging in my closet that has no backing. So I should have a good stash report on Sunday - hooray!

A fun surprise

We are regulars at Applebee's, eating there at least once a week. Because we come in so often we are assured of great service and usually special attention. Last night, however was a little more than expected. When Brian the bartender brought me my Long Island it had this really cute Quilt Shop ornament hanging from the straw. I just looked at him and said, "OK Brian, don't tell me you've been out looking for Christmas ornaments!" He gave me a "you've got to be kidding" look and then glanced at Susan, who was sitting on the stool next to Fred. Susan used to be a waitress there before she graduated and started teaching first grade. She and her husband are also regulars on the same night as we come in. She'd seen this at Joann's and said she just had to get it for me. What a very fun surprise!

Now - if only I can find the time to start decorating the tree!

Whoops! It's "Rip It" time!

I was reading blogs on Sunday, and saw this picture on one of Nicole's posts. It immediately spoke to me, telling me this was the perfect way to set the extra 24 postage stamp blocks. So I started sewing them together yesterday. As I was pressing the first two rows I realized immediately that something was wrong.

Quilter's Dyslexia strikes again. Obviously I need to take a better look at the picture of this quilt. A MUCH better look. So I've pulled this book from the shelf (Forty Fabulous Quick Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy) and placed it on the cutting table - I figure I'd better have it right in front of me or there's no hope at all of duplicating this setting.

Now to get out my reverse sewing machine!

(Double whoops! Guess it's a good thing I got a pedicure last Saturday LOL!)

Charity Top Completed

After all this time I should be able to better estimate how quickly I can finish something. My goals for last weekend look really amusing right now - I sewed all weekend and still didn't finish this charity top, much less get any other tops quilted. Turning the postage stamp blocks into giant churn dashes took a LONG time. I just finished adding the borders about 30 minutes ago. I still need to piece a backing.

So - one day late - here is my weekly stash report. I bought nothing! I was tempted several times but didn't cave in. As far as usage - I estimate the fabric needed to complete this top - churn dashes, sashing and borders is approximately 3-4 yards. So this week I have a net loss - hooray!

Much to my surprise, when stitching the rows of 6, 2" squares together, I completed 24 additional blocks above the 20 needed for this quilt. So I have plenty left for a second charity quilt. I'm going to put those together in a slightly different manner - one that should - hopefully, any way - take less time that it took to finish this one.

And I still have hundreds and hundreds of 2" squares. I think this time I'll create some 4-patches while using them as leader-enders.

Tangled Threads Christmas - 2008

An evening with friends - just the best!

Our Tangled Threads quilting group has been together for almost 23 years, and it's been my great privilege to be part of this group for over 21 of those years. Over the years a few members have moved away, and others have joined to take their places. We are each other's best friends. I can't imagine my life without these wonderful ladies. We meet once a week to visit and stitch - any week without that time together seems empty. For nearly ten years now we've gathered in early December to celebrate a holiday dinner together. The first few years Lanny and Kim cooked their signature prime rib and twice baked potatoes. These days - with most of us attending weekly weight watcher meetings - we've gone healthier - as long as one doesn't count all the melted butter and bread! The menu has revolved around Dungeness crab - in my mind the tastiest crab of all - from our own Pacific northwest. In spite of the solemn faces - I guess everyone was too hungry to smile! - we had a marvelous evening together.

My Christmas wish for all my friends in Blogland is that you can experience the blessings and joy of belonging to such a wonderful group of women.

Hmmm . . . I think this will be OK

I'm still not sure about this sashing. I wanted something to bring some life to the top. I tried a much brighter orange Moda Marble but it was too bright - took all the attention away from the blocks. I like this sashing, but now the whole quilt looks just a bit dull. Now that I see this much finished I wish I'd used a whiter background fabric for the pseudo-churn dashes. Oh well - I'm not ripping. This is a charity quilt, and I'm sure someone will love it. Now to finish 16 more blocks and then get it all together into a top.

We were supposed to head to Newberg tomorrow to celebrate Chelsea's birthday, but Sophie has started running a fever. Sure hope it's not the same stuff that brought Joseph's other grandma down for the last two and a half weeks! So I guess I have the entire weekend to sew after all. Hopefully I can finish this top, make a back for it, and get at least three or four quilts quilted. A tall order - I will actually be happy if I can get half of that done!

Not much quilting this week

It's been another Joseph week - and at 20 months he's a ton of fun to watch but he really doesn't give me a chance to sew while I'm with him. My eyes haven't been up to appliqué so all I really wanted to do when I had the chance was some mindless machine sewing.

Remember those 2" squares? (If you've not read the story of why I have hundreds and hundreds of 2" squares to use up, there are three links at the bottom of this post that tell the story..) I've been sewing lights and darks into pairs as my leader-ender project - and the drawer of squares seemed bottomless. Doing something with them seemed like the perfect project for a couple hours of mindless sewing last night. So I dumped out the bin where I'd been putting the pairs, and was amazed at how much I've accomplished. I'd even sewn together lots of strips of 6 squares, and sewn enough of those together to make five blocks. I dug some OLD darks and lights from my stash - the light is a pin dot from the 80's! - and started framing the large squares, turning them into modified churn dash blocks. I got the idea from one of Judy's Hour-a-Day quilts - thanks Judy! I really like how this is looking. I'm hoping to have time this weekend to finish the quilt top - it will be just perfect for charity.

My weight loss report isn't that great this week - too much holiday I guess. Up one pound. It could have been lots worse!