"B" and a Big Blue Surprise

Today's block is fun because I have a lot of people in my family who have names that start with B.  I doubt I would ever make a B quilt for them, but it is fun to associate the block with people I love (my  husband, my mom, my father-in-law, my dog).

The odd thing about this block is that the little triangle is applique...I was not expecting that..I thought the entire block was pieced. I think if I made it again I would try to figure out a way to piece it.  My fabric is a little too see through to just applique it over the blue.  This is block number 251 of 366 and it is a 7-1/2 inch block.

Now for the Big Blue Surprise....My girlfriend and I were talking a couple of weeks ago and she mentioned that her mother had bought a raffle ticket and won a beautiful quilt that weekend.  We were both discussing how fun it would be to win something like that and how nothing like that ever happens to either of us.  That week I had entered a punch needle project at the state fair.  I have never entered a punch needle project in anything before, let alone the state fair.  The competition there is fierce and I did not expect to see this when I got there...

I knew before I went that I had won, but I had no idea that I would receive anything like this.  So my friends, do not ever think that you can't achieve something.  It may take years of trying, but anything worth accomplishing is worth the work!  It may not be entering the state fair, it can be anything you want to achieve be it big or small.  Now I'm trying to decide where to hang this beautiful ribbon.  The snowman is also going to find a special place in our home...and honestly, I think it will be the Christmas tree. :)  And about that drawing for the fabric and rulers from the Blog Hop...Barbara, you have until Saturday, September 8 at 10 a.m. central time to contact me, otherwise I will be drawing another name (quick, if your name is Barbara check your facebook messages, I know you have seen it, you need to respond).  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

"A" and 9-Patch Link Up

All I can think of as I see the "A" is the Fonz from Happy Days saying "AAAAA" with his thumbs up.  Okay, so I'm so dating myself here, but you know how it goes some days.

This block is fun, and I have so many ideas of ways to use it.  I guess I will just have to see how well I like the other letters before I decide which way to go with this..and no, there aren't 26 of them, so the next 26 days won't be a letter a day, there are only five.  They are all the same size at 7-1/2 inches which makes me wonder which ones are hard to make at 7-1/2 inches.  I suppose I could get some graph paper out and try and figure them out. :)  This is block number 250 of 366 and I just realized I've made 250 blocks...wow.  To be honest there have been a few days when I wondered if I would make it this far...only 116 to go.

Here are my 9 patches and I now have 129 finished.  Guess I need to make one more to have an even number and then I will start trying to get this quilt top finished.  Link up if you have some 9-patches to share with all of us and/or go to the Meadowbrook facebook page to share there! Happy Stitching!! --Kristen

School Boy

I've been up for almost 24 hours give or take about 15 minutes.  We had a terrible storm last night, so terrible in fact that we had huge trees down, no power for 12 hours, no internet for 15 hours (GASP, although I do work from home so that was disastrous), and a freezer and a refrigerator with food that could have been really yucky if we left it without power for much longer than we did.  Thankfully we could use a generator to keep those two appliances going.  It did make us realize how much we depend on electricity and how thankful we were when we finally had it again.

I don't even know where to start with this one.  I wasn't going to applique the brim to the hat tonight, but the poor kid looked like a pencil so I had to.  I have that song "Can't Touch This" in my brain from the 1980s-1990s...you know where they did that shuffle dance and wore zooba pants, although with the hat he looks Amish.  Hopefully when I put this block with the school girl block things will be better.  And like I said, I'm working with no sleep so it may just be me...and that funny sleep deprived feeling that comes on.  He still needs shoes, but that is something for tomorrow.  This is block number 249 of 366 and it is an 8 x 12 inch block.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

School Girl and Our WInner

I did draw early today for the Blog Hop with Giveaways winner, but I haven't heard from her yet...so we will go on to today's block and see if she has answered me yet by the time I finish writing this.

Today's block is giving my Sunbonnet Sue a run for her money in the cute department.  Her arms look a little odd, but then I just figure she wants to give me a hug. :)

Her shoes and belt were a treat to make as there were no cutting instructions for them.  What I did was add 3/4 of an inch of black fabric and then cut the other end of the piece so that whole measurement ended up being what was called for (the shirt is a 2-1/2 inch square with the black added).  It only took me twice to do the belt...once again, measure twice cut once. :)  This is block number 248 of 366 and it is an 8 x 12-inch block.

Now for the giveaway.  I had so much fun reading all of your comments, and you all blew me out of the water with as many as there were.  I think crayons, markers, and pens were the favorites, but there were a few who also added Trapper Keepers which made me smile...I loved my Trapper Keeper, although it was so heavy I could hardly carry it, and it barely fit in my book bag.  So thank you for participating and giving me so many comments to read.  Thank you also to all the new followers...it is always fun to have new people reading about my sewing adventures (and misadventures).  So, now that I wish I had a prize for each of you, if your name is Barbara check your Facebook messages...I'm having a terrible time contacting you and if I don't hear from you soon I will have to go back to the Random Number Generator and draw another winner.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Old Home

Well, this house is more my type of house compared to last night.  But then again, when I look at last evening's block I think it is more of a milk house rather than a house anyone would live in, and that may be why it had two chimneys and tonight there is only one.

This house needs a wreath above the door I think.  It is block number 247 of 366 and it is an 11-inch block...which is a very odd sized block, that being said, it is the perfect block for today as today was quite odd.  I keep forgetting that today is Monday as it was a holiday.  Tomorrow, I will be drawing for the Blog Hop With Giveaways and you can enter until I do the drawing.


Stash Report....

Used this week:  0
Used year to date:  10 yards
Added to this week:  2.5 yards
Added to year to date: 107.50 yards
Net used for 2012:  -97.00   

Wow has it been a while since I've done my stash report.  Nothing to report...and it is pretty pathetic looking isn't it?  For those of you who are new, I'm not counting my block of the day blocks in my stash report until the end of the year...or I start finishing some quilts with these blocks.  One of these days...(a person can dream can't they?)  YIKES...told you I couldn't remember it was Monday, Sunday is supposed to be the stash report.  I have a feeling it is going to be a very long week.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

House on the Hill

This is one of the oddest house blocks I have ever seen.  First of all it has two chimneys, but it is a small house.  It has one odd window and one big door on the end.  My husband builds houses so I'm pretty sure it is not up to code...at least not in our town that has so many "codes" it is hard to keep track of them all.  So, I just decided why not make it colorful...

It looks like the circus lives here and they are jumping up and down.  I think I also need a dog or a cow on the "hill."  :)  This is block number 246 of 366 and it is a 12-inch block.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Little Red Schoolhouse

Whenever we go to my husband's family cabin we pass a little old schoolhouse a couple miles before we arrive at the cabin.  It is a very long drive, and when we stop by the little schoolhouse my husband always say, "I used to go to school there."  Our son used to say, "but dad it is so old now and it doesn't have a front door anymore, no one could go to school there."  Then we will laugh and I will have to break the news that my husband never attended that old run down school, but some kids did long, long ago.

Whenever we pass that old schoolhouse I think of the TV show Little House on the Prairie and imagine the kids walking to school with their lunch pails and little girls with braids swinging.  Of course the boys probably had a few frogs in their pockets.  :)  This is block number 245 of 366 and it is an 8-inch block.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen