Thursday, March 31, 2011

It's finished and just in the nick of time!

I had to have this done by 11 p.m. and I just barely made it.  I had so much fun making it and can't wait to get it hung up.  I am going to get a better picture tomorrow once we have some sun.  Goodnight! :)

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

I know I did more than this...

This week has flown by and by the looks of it, it is only going to get worse.  I have had two days of vacation and although I've been working on a lot of things, one big quilt I am piecing won't be ready to show until late tomorrow night.  So, I will start with this and hopefully tomorrow I will have my quilt finished. :)
My son really likes this Chicks Candle Mat by Bareroots.  He says they look fuzzy.  We sat in the doctor's office for 4-1/2 hours on Friday, and I almost finished the whole thing while we waited.  Thank goodness I always have something packed in my purse to work on as I have a terrible time just sitting still and waiting.
Two more grandmother's flower garden blocks...well, 2-1/2 really, but I don't want to post the other one until it is finished.  It almost seems like I'm cheating if I post a picture of it before it is completed.  I'm getting excited as I have 20 blocks finished now.  We stopped at a quilt store (Olive Juice) in Onalaska, Wisconsin, this weekend, and I picked up 600 more hexagons so there is no chance of me running out now.

I'm actually having a lot of fun making a Christmas ornament a week.  This little baby ornament kit was given to me by my mom.  She had placed an order with Magic Cabin Dolls and they sent this as a gift.  The pattern is called Holly Baby Kit by Annima Designs.  The kit was made in England and everything is metric which messed me up a little bit...BUT...by son has been studying the metric system lately and he was ready and willing to help me convert the measurements.
Remember when I said I can't stand to sit still and do nothing?  Well, I wasn't kidding.  I also can't ride in the car and not do anything because when I look out the windows I get sick . So I knit, and I knit, and I knit.  And when I'm in the car most times I will make dishcloths as well as at baseball games, soccer practice, and basketball practice.  If I'm sitting I'm knitting.  This is from last summer. I give them as gifts and use them myself.  There used to be 50 in my pile, there are now 37.

I made these while riding to Onalaska for the pinewood derby, while at the derby, on the way home from the derby, and on the way to the Mall of America on Monday.  And I'm giving them away.  All you have to do to win two of them (we will have two winners) is post a comment that says you are commenting, have become a follower of my blog, have posted a link to my blog on your facebook or blog, and left a link to your blog.  So you can have four chances to win!  Your friends can win, you can win, and you can share with your friends.  Just please number your chances in your comment:  1. Comment, 2. Follower, 3. Facebook, 4. Blog link.  That's all you have to do.  We will draw the names on Tuesday, April 5.  Check back on Wednesday because I'll need to get your address so I can mail them to you. :)  If you aren't on facebook or have a blog, you can always tell a friend by mouth and include that for another chance.  Any questions....leave a comment with your question. :)  See you Wednesday, if not before.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Spring is here...almost

Spring is here, according to the calendar.  I'm looking out the window at the snow we got yesterday and I'm wondering what happened to those beautiful warm days we had . We are all ready for warm weather and some sunshine.  I have the sunshine today, but it is seriously cold out.  Guess that means I just have to stay inside and finish something else. :)


This first project is from Little House Needleworks and it came in three parts.  It was so much fun to do and I can't wait to get it framed. I think it will be perfect in my office.

Then there are my snowmen.  I love snowmen...not in April, but once November gets here, I'm ready for the snow to fly.  Minnesota never seems to fail me, especially this year. 

   






I had taken a punchneedle class a couple of years ago and it was so fun I started this project...and then ran out of thread.  I found the thread this weekend and finished this one up.  Now I am thinking I should tackle a couple of more...something bright and springy maybe?



Once again I have two more grandmother's flower garden blocks completed.  I lay out all the blocks and dream of it being one huge quilt.  They really didn't take very long to complete this time, I think it was all the frustration of my son being sick, the dog being sick, the thunderstorm that was going on, and my just praying that all that water wouldn't run into my basement.  I'm looking at my basted hexagons putting all possible combinations together, dreaming of it being completed, hoping and praying that it will be by the end of the summer, and believing it will be. :)

Thanks for stopping by....I'm having so much fun finishing all of those things I started at one point and had to leave for some reason or another.  It is funny, my husband used to tease me that I never finished anything...now he is asking if there is anything left....oh if he only knew. :)  (Course he does now doesn't he?)

Friday, March 18, 2011

Wow, what a week!


Okay, so I know it has been more than a week...but not only have we had a lot happen, I have actually finished a few more things!  This Spring Rabbit Banner has been calling my name for many, many years.  I started it and had the border and spring letters done and then left it . Every spring I pulled it out, looked at it, and then put it back away.  Well this spring she called my name and it was the perfect project to work on while I watched all the news coverage of the earthquake in Japan.  I still have to put the backing on, but that will be done tonight (hopefully). :)



Remember this project?  It's Leprechaun Lodge from http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/.  Last Saturday I decided I would make the tuck pillow for it. I didn't actually have a pattern for the pillow and it was a bit more complicated than I thought...as you can see I ended up making three pillows and there are a lot of other scraps on my ironing board.  I may still end up taking it apart again, but that will be next year.

This little pin cushion was a lot of fun to do...and I love the wool that was in the kit.  I know when I bought the kit I thought the flower was going to be purple so I was a bit surprised to open it and find blue.  I really do like it now that it is done, so sometimes surprises are good?!

And last, but not least, is my Christmas ornament bird from Lizzie Kate.  I love her!  It was so fun to make and just cute.  If I keep finishing an ornament a week, I could have about 40 ornaments for my tree by the time I decorate it.  FUN!  A good incentive to keep working on them.



I should probably make a little confession...I thoroughly cleaned my house the week after Christmas and organized all the projects I've had for a long time that need some kind of finishing, have been started and left, or have never been started and made a goal of trying to see how many I could finish in one year.  I've got a pretty good start.  Hopefully I can continue to make my "to do" pile a lot smaller.  See you soon!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Busy, busy, busy

Okay so March is going faster than February did and I thought February flew by...but then I've been busy again..and I have finished a few more things this week.  YEAH!


These are from my block of the month from This and That.  They were more complicated than the first two blocks, but I love them.  Now I need to go and pick up my next two blocks for March, which I plan to do this weekend when I get to go on a quilt shop hop!!!  I'm going to try and be good and just get my blocks, but I have five stores to stop at..and well, you know, they all have such great ideas.  :)



Some of you have seen this this scarf before, but I wanted to share it with those of you who haven't. I finished it in January I think...and I finally tackled cables and they were easier than I thought they would be.  In fact, I have avoided them all together for a long time because I thought they were too complicated.  If you would like the pattern it is free at http://www.helloyarn.com/irishhikingcarf.htm.  The little pillow was a free pattern too from Lizzie Kate, but I received that with a purchase a long time ago.  She might have it on her website under free patterns if you would like to check.



This last project is a free pattern at http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/ under freebies.  I love it, and I'm going to attempt to make a little pillow like the one I used for the Lizzie Kate pattern, but I bought the star one.  I wanted to get this St. Patrick's pattern up here so if any of you would like to make it and finish it before the 17th you'd still have time.  I just used a left over piece of linen to make mine.

Well, do you suppose since I boiled my potatoes dry I should take the hint and get started on making some new potatos for dinner or maybe just try to eat them.  I hope your dinner is better than ours tonight!  Thanks for visiting.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

A very productive week :)

This is for my block of the month project I am participating in this year.  The pattern is by This and That.  I'm really enjoying working on it.  I really like the fabrics, and we make two of each block each month. 

This next project is from Heart and Hand and I started it in 2001. I had a major problem though, it had a unicorn on it for the "u" and I used to have nightmares about unicorns.  So instead of just stitching the unicorn I left it sit.  I finally drew up an umbrella this weekend and stitched it..and I really like it!  I kept thinking this piece needed a little more purple in it. :)



 I also finished some more Christmas ornaments.  My little tree is down now, but I have a box I am bound and determined to fill with finished ornaments this year.  Hopefully when November arrives and it is time to decorate that tree I will have quite a start.  I'm motivated so hopefully that box will be full.

Last, but not least I finished some more grandmother's flower garden blocks.  The more I work on this quilt the more I love it.  I still have a lot of hexagons all ready to stitch together, I just need to make my color combination choices.

This week has been kind of a rough week...and when I get stressed I either stitch or clean and pray and obviously I stitched this week.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my stressful week.  :)  I'm hoping this next week isn't as stressful, but is as productive.  I have a large "to do" list so we shall see.