Design Wall Week 10 Monday and Shopping

      Not much for the Design wall.  Looks same as last time(s).
      Today was a day for shopping.  A lot of my coupons ran out so I had some major running to do after work.
 I found the awesome link:   http://thecouponproject.com/downloads/savings-tracker   It is a spreadsheet to track my grocery shopping and sale prices and coupons.  I am doing better than I thought!  This will also encourage me to cut back, especially since it does all the MATH for me!!
       No sewing today.  After Shopping, unloading and feeding dog and cats it was time to start dinner, clean up time and then, well..... bed!! 

Stash Sunday - Week 9

Week 9 Stash Report
Used this Week:  0 yards
Used Year to Date - 2 yards
Added This Week - 4 yards
Added Year to Date - 17 yards
Total  Fabric Busted in 2011: -15 yards

I wish I had more time to work on the quilt.  Maybe next week!! 

Cardboard and Quilts

Weighting the pieces down.

More blocks sewn!

     A rather laid back day.  I surfed the web, watched a few shows on the computer, worked on the Cardboard piece and sewed some more blocks for Violet Quilt.   I know that it will not be completed by the end of February.  Sad, but true.  I will have to make smaller projects for the rest of the year if I expect to finish each Item in the month I start. 
     I charged into the cardboard project.  I am always in such a hurry.  I had to add more cardboard to the sides.  And I will probably add another piece to the back too.  It was just too flimsy and needed more strength.  I didn't think it would need more strength when I planned this out.  But that is ok.  It is cardboard.. Just add some more!  Luckily this is a small project and not a large piece.  The paper mache part is more time consuming that I thought it would be.  Of course, trying to do this while watching a movie on the computer, and working on a small surface (tv tray) was not the smartest way to do this!

Ice Skating With the Car

Pine Trees

See how the wind blew the snow.

We got hit with a lot of snow.   I can't believe these picture turned out so good.  I stuck the camera out the front door at arm length and snapped the pictures.  Hmmm maybe I should do that more often!!  lol

I should have stayed home.  But I really thought I should be at work.  I followed Tom in to town.  I had trouble in the daylight seeing where the tracks were because the snow was so clean and the sun was bright off the snow.  I would have gone off the road if I had tried to leave at 5am and in the dark.  I did fine until about 3-4 miles from work.  Came off the ramp and when I got onto the Interstate I hit a slick spot and spun around... twice...  It is true what they say "it is like slow motion" and you can't do anything but ride it out and pray.  I saw the post coming that I knew I was going to hit and I had no idea what kind of post it was.  Lucky for me, it was just the one that holds a reflector.  I hit is sideways.  I don't know if it slowed me down, or it was all the snow, or a combination of both.  I didn't go down the ditch or flip, Thank God!  and I tell you what, it couldn't have been but about 2-3 minutes later that a State Trooper pulled up and helped me.  What a blessing.  I was all nerves and tears at that point.   After helping me to his car, he went back and put tape on the car and as I watched, he had a look on his face that made me turn to see what he was staring at.  OMG.  There was a van doing the same spinning that I did.  Coming toward us.  Holy.......    It's spin took it past us.  Thank you Lord!!  From what she described, she had to have hit the same patch of Ice that I did.  Lucky for all of us we did just fine.  Nobody hurt and no other accidents happened because of it. 

This is enough excitement for me.  I was not worth a whole lot after that.

Violet Quilt

Not much today.  I did sew a little on the Violet Quilt.  Still lots of blocks left to sew on.  We had leftover ham and beans.. Still delicious!   :)    and that is about  all.  Hugs

Ham & Beans

 

 

 

Soaked the Beans Yesterday

Ready to eat!

I soaked about 1 pound of  beans yesterday and kept them soaking overnight.  Then before I went to work, I drained and rinsed them and put them into the crockpot and covered with water.  Put the Ham bone in and turned it on low and went to work.  Oh my gosh.  The house smelled soooo good when I came home from work!  I made some cornbread.  Served the ham and beans in the bowls.  Yummy!!

Stash Sunday - Week 8

Week 8 Stash Report
Used this Week:  0 yards
Used Year to Date - 2 yards
Added This Week - 4 yards
Added Year to Date - 17 yards
Total  Fabric Busted in 2011: -15 yards

Obviously I need to SEW MORE!  ok and complete more, since I decided not to count fabric as USED until I finished the project.  (hopefully this will also encourage me to finish these projects!!
Please check out Judy's Blog to see what others have been doing!!
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/02/20/stash-report-week-8-2011/

Wow, I guess writing it down IS a good idea!!  I've gotten in gear and have a lot done on the Violet Quilt.  And I have even planned tonight's dinner AND tomorrow's dinner AND the night after that!.   Tonight, we are having chicken, carrots, Baked Sweet Potato and even Baked a Cherry Pie (Tom will be impressed... or at least he should!!)  Well, Wed. Dinner may have to be rethought.  Unless I cook more chicken!!  lol

Chicken and Carrots

Dinner and Desert, Yummm

Beans soaking for tomorrow

Violet Blocks laid out

Some Strip sets cut and ready to be sewn

My plan for tomorrow is to Start the beans & Ham in the crockpot before going to work, come home & make the cornbread.  There, dinner is done  :)    Then spend more time sewing on the Violet Quilt!!  

Sidetracked Again

Guess that title says it all.  I've been researching "making your own cardboard furniture"  or accessories!  I can get cardboard free at work (hmm I wonder if they would pay me to take it away?  Nah... lol )   So working on the Violet Quilt has been moved aside.  BUT, I will work on it today!  Going to put on a podcast and get to sewing.

Framework

This is the Framework of what will Hopefully be a Quilting Tool Caddy.  Section at the back will be for the rulers, Bottom two sections will become pull drawers and the two sections above them will be for things like Rotary Cutters and Pen/pencils.  So far I've only invested time into this and the cost of some wallpaper paste. 

I thought about going "back in time" and creating a blog entry for the days I've 'missed'.  But I decided that would be silly and take time away from what I want to get done today.  (maybe I'm getting smart??)

Design Wall Monday February 14, 2011

       My wall looks that same.  I really need to get that done and off the wall.  BUT.... I blame Judy here.  lol  She keeps coming up with fun projects and they take my attention away from the design wall!! (that is MY story)  If you go here:   http://trishquilts.blogspot.com/2011/02/easy-quilt-idea-brrrrrr-its-cold.html You can see what is still on there. 
       However, on my other design wall.  a.k.a. My Dining Room Table, my Violet Quilt is moving right along.   Here are more strips ready to sew together.

More strips ready to sew together.

I know you would like to see what everyone else is doing, so please go here:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/02/14/design-wall-monday-valentines-day/  and check out all the other wonderful blogs.  :)
       Freckles is doing her Doggy Duty by sleeping right in the doorway of the sewing room.  So I get my exercise stepping over her constantly!!  Good Girl!! I was going to take a picture, but the room is soooo messy, I'm rather embarrassed about it. 

Stash Sunday - Week 7

Week 7 Stash Report
Used this Week:  2 yards
Used Year to Date - 2 yards
Added This Week - 0 yards
Added Year to Date - 13 yards
Net Used 2011: 2 yards

Sunday and my day off :)   I have been busy working on the Violet Quilt by cutting out lots of strips and then sewing lots of strips.  Imagine that! Here is a picture of what I have sewed so far.  More to be done.

Stacks of 10 Strip Sets

Goofy Dog

Freckles is so funny.  Here she is eating.  Talk about lazy!!  If you click on the picture, it should enlarge it.  I accidentally got an "action" shot.  She eats, turns her head and spills the food on the floor.  What a girl!!  I need to send this pic to the kids, they will love it!

Goofy Girl's Action Shot

I need to work on the Violet quilt today.  First, need to get off the computer!!

All the Violet out  :)

 Yippee!!  Working on the Monochromatic Quilt.  I have sewn lots of strips together.  The 'hardest' part so far is matching up the strips.  Some of the medium match up well with any dark; but, some really have to be specifically matched which meant I tried to NOT match the same ones together consistently!  Then I said "forget it"  Either they will be different or the same.  Get it done!!

Score!!

Coupon Shopping.  I've been trying this method since November.  Today I Succeeded!  I bought all this for just $29.00.  That is a tad over $1.00 each. (28 items).  Now, if this happened every time!!  But, of course, it won't.  I want to catalog my good days, though.

$29.00 Shopping Trip!

 Don't get me wrong.  I've had some good buys.  This is just an exceptional one, and one that I've really paid attention to!

Easy Quilt Idea & Brrrrrr It's Cold

   
 Brrr It's Cold Outside and  Inside! 

     Brrr, Brrr, Brrr.  It is now 4:30pm and the temperature is 3 degrees.  The house was 60 degrees when I arrived home from work.  Threw a LOT of wood into the furnace and it is cranking out the heat.  But it will still take time to heat the whole house.

     New idea for the Easy Quilt, which is taking longer than I thought for a "quick quilt".  But that is my own fault, not the fault of the pattern or the quilt itself!!  Thank you, Judy D in AZ, for this suggestion!!  Cut Strips of black to sew to the squares to finish out the block.  Then add a wider strip of black for the border.  Love it!! 

New Plan

      I need to get my grocery/coupon list together to I can shop tomorrow after work.  I could do the shopping on Friday.  But ewwww, I have to work later and then there will be too many people out shopping by then :)  
     Brrr, Brrr, Brrr.  It is now 4:30pm and the temperature is 3 degrees.  The house was 60 degrees when I arrived home from work.  Threw a LOT of wood into the furnace and it is cranking out the heat.  But it will still take time to heat the whole house. 

Design Wall Monday February 7, 2011

Design Wall Monday February 7, 2011

Design Wall Monday

      Yep, you guessed it. Not much has changed.  I've tentatively laid out the Border pieces a different way.  They are very narrow compared to the other picture.  Not sure I like this either.  Maybe the black border needs to be wider?  I hate being indecisive about how to finish this quilt.  Sometimes I think I should just put a wide black border on and bind it with the "leftover" pieces sewn together randomly and cut the binding.
       Anyway, Hop on over to Judy's site to find the links to others' Design Walls.  These are always fun to check out!!  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2011/02/07/design-wall-monday-february-7-2011/

Stash Sunday - Week 6

Week 6 Stash Report
Used this Week:  2 (Rough Guess-tamate from Table Runner )
Used Year to Date - 2
Added This Week - 3 yards
Added Year to Date - 13 yards
Net Used 2011: 2

Alright!  I have kept track for 6 whole weeks!!  It has got to be a record for me!  I don't know how much I used for the table runner, but 2 yards is a good guess.  It is rather wide and longish and of course it is Bound and finished!!   As always, please check out Judy's sight to see what she and other quilters are doing!!
http://www.patchworktimes.com/ 

I will be working some more on the Violet Quilt.  I need to get those 2.5" strips cut down into Rectangles so I can start sewing. 

3:00 a.m. Is Too Early

I had to get up at 3 a.m. this morning to get ready and head out to work.  This is way too early!!  I came home.  Checked my email, couldn't keep my eyes open and took a nap.  Good thing I asked Tom to wake me up at 5pm.  But, of course, it is now 5:30p.m.  and I don't feel like I've accomplished anything (ok, ok, I did at work, just not here at the house... smarty!)  Now to see if I can actually wake up... before I have to go to bed for the night.  (is it just me, or does that not sound right??!!)

Violet Quilt

I had to set aside some time for cutting the rest of the Violet Quilt fabric.  I say "had", because otherwise I think I would have floated through the rest of the without accomplishing this!  It will have to be done over a couple of days, but I have the fabric ironed and the strips cut, Yeah!! 

'Lost' Violet fabric cut into strips.

I just realized that I haven't written my resolutions for February.  Hmm.  have to make dinner.. lol  ... Will have to come back to this one!!  Have you written yours?

Back to Work

Pretty hard going back to work.  We accomplished a lot.  Wish I had done the same thing at home  :(    .  Dinner was great, though.  Pork Chops, potatoes and Veggies!  Peeled 3 grapefruit for tomorrow.  Yumm.
Yes, I know.  Pretty boring.  We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Violet Quilt and After the 'Blizzard'

 Lots and Lots of Snow.  Here is Tom working on the snow.  I, however, am inside where it is warm!!

Busy with Snow 'Pushing'

What a Cutie!  She Loves my being 'stuck' at home!

Violet Quilt Pieces

Here are my Violet pieces.  I don't get it, I thought I had more fabric than this?  Why do I have many darks when the fabric was all piled up it seemed that I had more lights?    Well............... when I went to type this on the blog I found this:

Lightest Violets

Grrrrrr.  The Go Cutter is all packed up, the cutting mat and rotary are all packed up.  AND  I have to go to work tomorrow.  (more growley noises here)   Well, mystery solved.  Just wished I had noticed this about 3 hours ago.  Not sure when I can get the rest cut up.  I have to work this weekend.  Such is life.  :) 
It is better to smile than cry during moments like this.

What's For Dinner and Violet Quilt

What's For Dinner?  I'm glad you asked.  I actually have something planned!  And it is healthy!  Not something I'm very good at.  We have Turkey Polish Sausage, Shrimp, Blend of Wild Rice & Rice, Salad and Green Pepper and Baby Carrots.  I slice the sausage and cook it in a skillet and when it is just about done I throw in the shrimp.  These are salad shrimp.  These are smaller than I usually use but were all that they had.  Well, I didn't want the JUMBO shrimp, the idea is to keep everything small.  I bought this rice but haven't tried it yet.  The directions seem simple enough  :) 

Dinner Ingredients

Yummm   

Purple selection

Pattern Choice

 According to Judy at http://www.patchworktimes.com/   February's color is VIOLET.  Wow, really challenging us at the beginning of the year!!   I have a pattern, I have fabric, what I am not sure of is:

• 1.  Doing the whole quilt Monochromatic.
• 2.  Do I have definite Light, Med and Dark Violets
• 3.  Can I add Green instead of White or black????    lol 

Those 4 fabrics in the Medium pile look dark.  But, when put with the Darks, look medium.  What is a girl supposed to do???   I'm thinking I will have to be very aware of where I place them.  :)   Here is the pattern I want to do.  The problem.  It will be a large quilt.  Probably king size.  I wonder.  Maybe I should do a strip quilt.  Keep the Dark Purples for the center Stripe, Then I can play around with the blocks and create an interesting pattern with them.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Maybe I should invest in EQ7.

The storm is still blowing.  Tom said lots of drifts and even places where the road is just blown clean.  Of course the ice on the road is still there.  Darn wind, why doesn't it just blow the ice away!?!   I'll have to get pictures either later or wait until tomorrow. 

The other Item at hand is Judy's Pick for our UFO Challenge.  I failed miserably at January's.  In fact, all I did was to get it out, put it on the couch and then NOT EVEN TOUCH IT.  For the whole month!   *sigh*   The new UFO is #10.  Happy Smile.  It is my Bright Quilt.  And all it needs is the binding sewn on.  :)   Keep asking me about it.  Keep me on track! 

Completed Table Runner and Big Tent

Yes!!  The Table Runner is now Completed!!  Binding is all sewn on.  I tried the method where it was sewn on the front, raw edges together, then flipped to the back, pinned, and stitched again from the front.  It has too much 'edge' past the stitching for my taste.  But it is done!!  Good way to practice a new technique.  I see more table runners being made so that I can perfect this technique.  Maybe I'll try using fancy stitches instead of a straight stitch next time.

Completed Table Runner

Brrrrrr Snowy day

You can see the snow blowing in.

Snowmen playing on the New Table Runner!!

I have been listening to pod casts from Big Tent while sewing.  I found "Quilting for the rest of us" and scrolled to her first session and have been working my way forward.  I have to say that this is like having a friend or two sitting in the room, having a discussions and you can just listen in and get a lot of you own work done!!   I am surprised that I am experiencing such a great feeling of accomplishment for completing "just a Table Runner". (which is what I am saying in my head)  But it sure does feel great!!