Purses, purses, purses

Today I got a package in the mail addressed to me, return address from me. ????? It was mailed from Anchorage, Alaska. But, I'm not sure who from or why. Seems to happen to me too often anymore. I love the purse. It is red and is pretty. Isn't the inside wonderful??? So, maybe I'll find out soon. I looked on some of my groups, and I didn't see anyone from Alaska -- is Just Judi still around.

Then, I remembered that DD wanted to give the girl that does her nails (when she goes with Mom and I to our nail appointment, the nail lady's daughter is there) a 16th birthday present. I forgot to get it done. I wanted to make her a purse. She likes red and black. So, I got the brilliant idea to make a red and black purse. So, I tried a new pattern. I embroidered a letter K on the fabric.This is the front.This is the back. Now, all was going well until I wanted to put the bottom in. They said to just straight stitch it in. All fine and good, but it is stiff interfacing that they had in the pattern. It did not want to bend at all. so, I have a hole in one corner. I didn't want it to fall apart, so I zigzagged all around it. Now, I need to figure out how to fix the hole. I might just need to hand stitch it to make it work. I don't want to think about it tonight, I'll think about it tomorrow.

Sunday update

Well, I think I go in cycles on what I actually get accomplished. But, here is my status of what I've done this week, so I keep up with Judy L's challenge.




So, what have I done this week?




Fabric Added This Week - 0


Fabric Added Year to Date - .25 (I was given a FQ this week)


Fabric Used This Week - 3.35 yards


Fabric Used Year to Date -5.93 yards





I've been working on mostly fabric postcards, Valentines PCs and Winter PCs.





I did finish a baby quilt that is for one of the teachers at DD's school. She is having a baby girl. This was another UFO, so that is wonderful for me.





I've also been working on the Carolina Crossroads by Bonnie Hunter. I still have the one corner to finish before the center is put together. It hung on the design wall for all week, but I am making progress on it now. I finished the center tonight.





I've been embroidering too. That does not use much fabric. LOL But, I am making some hanging hearts for the Red Hat Cibolo Buffalo Gals for Valentines day. I have 3 more of these lovelies to make. Then to find something to attach them to. Maybe some tea?



The other project is a heartstrings project. I normally do the entire quilt and make it for a local charity. But, this time I ma making prayer squares for my church.

They give this little quilts to folks going through rough times. They are not quilted, they are tied. For every knot that is made, a prayer is said for the individual. So, I have 7 tops here that I need to make backings for and birth them. My Mom will do the tying for me and then we will pass them on to our church.

post cards

I've not been doing lots this week. Too cold, too sore, too cranky? I'm not sure.
But, I've been working on Valentine postcards. I'll show you when I get the other 2 finished.I think I might have to add something else, but....

Winter Postcards

Well, I've been putting these off and putting these off. I needed a Winter theme. Well, winter in Texas is not cold, it is not much of anything but changing weather. sunny one day. Cold the next. So, I decided to do blues with a little yellow on the cards. Then, the gold trim just jumped out, so I played with it. Not sure I like some of them, but... Winter Blues are my swap postcards.

I'm working on the Valentines swap. I think I only need 3-4 so far, so that shouldn't be too difficult.

I finished the binding on the baby quilt, but then today I heard that the Mom found out that she was supposed to be having a girl, but now they are not sure. So, I think pink hearts with ballerinas is probably not the right quilt to give to her. So, I'm waiting on the label to officially finish the quilt.

I sewed some

I laid out the Carolina Crossroads. I need a quilt that isn't square, so I'm either going to have to make more Ohio stars and the alternate block, or just make it a tad shorter. I'm leaning towards it being shorter. LOL

I have so many things I need to work on and no energy. Everyone is home, so I doubt I get much done today.

Family fun

I had my red hat group meeting this week, and we went to the Olive Garden. What a great group of ladies. (I'm the second from the left, right next to my Mom on my left)

Well, DD is a fun loving girl, as always. She was wearing my red hat and dancing around. I got a couple of photos. She is so much fun.

We went to the Magic Time Machine for lunch this weekend, and DD had to have her face painted. So, she got a star. Our little star is such fun to be around. Ace Ventura was our waiter. DD couldn't understand why he was wearing a tutu. LOL

nothing done

As you can tell, I've not been on-line much this week. I've not been in my sewing areas at all either.

I've hemmed 2 pants for my Mom and I've made a dog bed for the neighbor's new dog -- DD did the stuffing and some of the sewing.

No photos and not fun. Praying next week is somewhat better.

STASH BUSTING TALLY YEAR-TO-DATE -- .88 YARDS!!
Incoming - 0 yards
Busted - .5 yards

Royal Mail

I received a prize today from Sharon. Isn't it fun? A wonderful needlecase, some great charms and some ribbon that DD is trying to steal from me. Thank you Sharon for the 100th post prize.

I didn't get to sew today because of doctors visits and helping DS to get home from college. LOL

QWL #25 quilted

I had the QWL loaded and just needed to focus and quilt it. So, I put flowers on and meanders around it. I hope it is OK. LOL

I didn't do anything else tonight, but I did that.

So, now I can put the baby quilt on the long arm and get it quilted this week and bound and labeled.

weekly update

Judy has us do a weekly status report, and I love what is there.

I finished the top for a baby quilt, this is for one of the teachers and is all from stash. I've got the backing from stash too.

I've caught up on Carolina Crossroads and am awaiting the next step, I am making winter postcards and got some of the fronts done, I've completed a birthday block for the month, I did a love block, and I quilted 2 more QOVs (2, 3) and have them delivered. She passed on 2 more for this month, so I need to get to those quickly.

I've not bought anything this week, and I used some of my stash, especially scraps. I am in the process of ironing open the hst that I use for leader/ender projects. This takes so long and I tend to procrastinate with them.

You make my Day award

Thakn you Kim for presenting me this award. You are an inspiration to me on a daily basis!
The rules for this award say to choose up to 10 people whose blog brings you happiness & inspiration and makes you feel happy about Blogland. Let them know by posting a note on their blog so they can pass it on. So I award, Bonnie (of course there are lots of others that will feel the same), Alycia (for the variety of her quilting), Dawn (for all the laughter she is bringing to all of us), Karen (a fellow Texan working away at things I only imagine), Mary (for her wonderful quilts), Solvi (I'm amazed at all she does and enjoy seeing it), Leah (always amazed at how much she gets done in a day.) There are many others, but I check these lots.

My 2 NYE baby quilts

Instead of making one larger quilt, I used the blocks and made 2 baby quilts.

One is finished and delivered.

The other is in top form and has a backing ready to be loaded. (after I get the QWL quilted). I didn't have enough of the purple to use for the outer border.

Hope this helps LL see this beautiful quilt.

Small Quilting group

It was my day for my small quilting group. The 3 standard folks were there today. I worked on the Carolina Crossroads and other things today.
Wanda was working on an applique baby quilt that was applique and paper pieced. This is the basic layout with a few log cabins still needed. She finished the applique on the little piggies. Aren't they cute.

Lana pieced a 30's top and I love this tulip pattern. She also was working on her Santa, and I didn't get a photo of it.

Carolina Crossroads Part 6 has 3 sub-parts to it.

Part 6 sub-part 1

Part 6 Sub-part 2

Part 6 sub-part 3

I put the borders on the NYE Mystery that I tested. This is another baby quilt for a teacher. I need the backing and hope to use some flannel. I need this done quickly. It will be quilted after the QWL that is now loaded.

I have postcards to make for the Winter theme and then for the Valentines theme. This is my start of the winter cards. I think I'll embellish them with gold yarn and snowflakes or something.

The birthday block for January for birthday runaways was the bear track, and is for Chizura.

Not much sewing done

I've been running around to doctors appointments for most of the week, so I've not got much sewing done.

I did find that the next clue for the Carolina Crossroads mystery is up. Now to do some sewing.

I have all day Saturday dedicated to sewing, so I'm excited about all this. I've been putting my list together on what I want to take with me.

1. They want to learn about fabric postcards, so I'm taking my Christmas cards (my wall looks bare now) and the others that I have collected. I'm also taking stuff to make Winter and Valentines postcards for a swap that I'm in.

2. I am taking the heartstrings I was working on last month.

3. I'm taking the extra heartstring blocks and some backing fabric to make prayer squares. If my Mom makes it over, she can do the tying of these little quilts. I need around 10 of them.

4. I have fabrics for the house blocks we are talking about making

5. I hope to have Mom's pants hemmed, if not they are coming with me.

6. I might work on the Carolina Crossroads.

7. I need to make a couple of pincushions

8. I have a birthday block to finish up.

9. I have some dog beds that need to be stuffed. If Mom is coming, I'll make the beds up and let her stuff them. Then, it will be 3 generations working on them.

I think that is enough for 7 hours of sewing. LOL Not all will get done, but I can pick and choose what I want to work on.

I have loaded a QWL, but have not had any time to quilt , so it is waiting.

QOV #58 done

Well, I got the last QOV finished. I did flowers and leaves meandered around the quilt. It looks OK, and it is what the owner wanted, so....

I also finished the love block in orange and green.

I am playing with a wedding quilt done in red, yellow and blue.

Which one do you like best. A or B ? I think this one would make you go blind. LOL

Kim is talking all of us into working on the Quilters Alphabet pattern. Can you name all the patterns?

I don't have the pattern yet, but this is my guess so far at this time of night. LOL
Attic Window

Basket

Contrary Wife Dutchman, Clays Choice

Eight Pointed star

Four Patch

Geese

House

Indian Hatchet

Jacob's Ladder

Kansas Troubles

Log Cabin

Monkey Wrench

Nine Patch

Ocean Waves

Pinwheel

Quarter Log Cabin

Shoofly

Tic Tac Toe

Union Square

Variable Star

Weather vane

X -X block

Yankee Puzzle

Zig Zag

Help me out with the other ones. LOL Thanks, Beth & Leah

I pulled out some fabrics for a birthday block for my birthday runaway group. That is next.

QOV #57 done

It took me 30 minutes per row to do these little mazes, but they are done. I think it turned out well. The template worked well, and I got better at arranging it.

The front is very pretty.



The back shows the quilting best.



I have one more QOV to finish (they were actually December QOVs that I had a hard time getting to). Patty said not to worry, so I focused on other things.

Sunday update

It is Sunday again, and I found that I forgot to report last week. So, if you want to see other reports, got to Judy's site to see what folks are doing.

What I've done so far this year includes quilting a QOV and working on the 2 others from the Patty.

I caught up on the Carolina Crossroads Part #2, Part #3, Part #4, Part #5 and am anxiously awaiting Bonnie's next installment to the mystery.

I have to tell you what I did the week before (that I forgot to report on). LOL

I made a beautiful star block for a love quilt.
I did Part #1 of Carolina Crossroads.
I was making pillows. LOL A baseball pillow, a pink leopard pillow, and 2 minke pillows (what a mess minke makes).
I also made some towels for neighbors.

I'm happy to report that everything I did (including the towels) were done from stash. Yeah!!

I didn't even go to the store that is closing, so I didn't buy anything this week.

Thanks for keeping me accountable.

QOV #56 quilted

I got the quilt loaded and quilted vines with leaves all over in a random pattern.

I now have 2 more from the same lady. She does incredible piecing. You never have to worry about things being flat.

I think I know what I want to do on this one. I think I'll do a meander with the geometic design as a basic pattern. Well, I changed my mind on the design - this happens all too often. LOL I found a template by EZ quilts (I think that is who made these) and decided to use it. I've only done 4 of the blocks and 2 half blocks, so it is not a quick process. I think I figured out there are 24 blocks and 4 half blocks to do. This is all for tonight. Time to call it a night.

But this third one is baffling me. I am not one to do feathers yet, so I don't want to attempt that at this point. The border has some butterflies, but Ithink that centering them would not work well, so they would need to be random around the quilt. Then, I think about duplicating the pieced block in the solid blocks. But, I'm not sure that is a doable task. Any suggestions?

Finished Clue #5

Finally got into the sewing mood and finished up the 100 QST. :)

So, I'm ready for the next clue.

In the meantime, I need to get these QOVs and QWLs completed.

As soon as this is posted, I'm going to load my next QOV.

more Carolina Crossroads

Well, I tried to find my companion ruler today. No luck. But, I tried to get another ruler to work, but I didn't figure out the correct size of the strips. So, I just used the trusty way of making hourglass blocks of using 2 squares into hst and then into qst.
I got 30 made and pieces done for others.
Cleaned up the sewing area some. Did some housework. Played with DD and had a relaxing day.
I go in to my follow up on the blood pressure medicines tomorrow morning.

Carolina Crossings

Clue #4 is finished. I had fun with these triangles. Now that Clue #5 has been loaded, I'll be working on it tomorrow. I hope to be caught up then. Bonnie has been making this mystery fun.

Thanks, Bonnie.

Carolina Crossings

Clue #3 is complete. I'm on to Clue #4. All the pieces are cut out and I started sewing. Then, it was time for fireworks.
Tomorrow I can finish Clue #4 and I'll be caught up.
Have a GREAT 2008!