Signs of Spring

I look for three things to signal spring in Indiana... the first is the robins... but I can't use that this year cuz the little buggers never left! They were out and about in January!! The second thing is my pileated woodpeckers... I have a pair that swing by every spring... hang around for a few weeks then move on... they come back again the fall... I saw the male on my woodie feeder on Friday!!! I heard the female out in the trees calling ... I'm so excited! I just love these birds... they are very large and absolutely gorgeous! The third sign is the warm rains that soften the earth...well we had major rains this past week... and saturday the earthworms were out and about!! That means the ground is soft and warm... wooo hooo!!!!

I spent this week working on this and that and the other thing mostly... I have a baby quilt for a shower gift sandwiched and 1/2 way tied... I added a number of rows to the scarf and found a cute pattern for fingertip washcloths... I knitted 3 of these this week... they only took about 2 hours and they are quite cute! I think they would be great for little ones as their whole hand would fit inside... maybe I'll make some in primary colors and add some soap sticks for their christmas stockings!

I finished up my blocks for this month... sentimental journey is done... the barn block is done and the wisconsin block of the week is done..... I also ventured into the world of triad interlocks...wow... I made a table topper using batiks!! It came out quite nice...even though I hate working with batiks.. they feel funny! lol

I also have 3/4 of a spring purse done.. trying a pattern from a company I haven't used before for bags.... it's looking pretty nice and the instructions are very well written....... Lazy Girl Designs is due out with a new bag in April so I'm sure I'll make that one to go with it...I always carry a bag and a tote for work.....

I hope this week to finish up the bag and the baby quilt...... I have some strata left from the table topper that might work out well for a wonder wallet or two... might take a bit of tweaking and twisting but I think I can make it work.....

Guess that's it for now

See you next time
Lish

Spring is in the air!!

It's almost spring in Indiana... of course that's subject to change every 20 minutes or so here but for now it's bright and sunny and temps close to 60! That's incredible! Hubster and I went to the zoo over the weekend and it was a gorgeous day!!! A sweatshirt was plenty to keep the chill away. The animals looked happy lying in the bright sun too!

This week was a productive week, but not a finish week. A lot of things were done... strips sewn together... baby quilt top cut and sewn....some kits made for future sewing days... patterns and fabric gathered for assorted projects.... but nothing completed except for the GoldenThimble Barn Block and the Barn Quilts of Wisconsin BOW.... that little thing gave me fits this month! I reversed the colors on the center pinwheel and that threw my colors off all over the block......so it's done and it's nice but it's nothing like it should be!... it's staying the way it is! lol Yet to go is the block central sentimental journey March block..then the blocks for this month will be done....... I have several block swaps that are finished for March also......and just one of those left to do.......

I have a long list made up of things that need to be complete by the end of March... with any luck they will be.

On the UFO front... the baby boy quilt binding has been started.... a few more rows were added to the christmas scarf and I found where I put the sack with the dishcloth in it...... now maybe it will get some knit time of it's own. I found a cute pattern for a knit mini wash mitt that is just begging me to be done..... perhaps one more started project won't matter....provided it's finished by the end of March! lol

I'll post the barn blocks at the bottom as usual...and you can visit the photo site to see the swap blocks. Hopefully this week will be even more productive

Have a wonderful springy day

Lish

The Olympics are Over and so is February!

Tomorrow is March 1st.... wow........ I know february is a short month but it sure flew by quickly!!

I didn't accomplish as much as I had hoped to this month... but I still got a lot done..

I managed to complete one of the UFO's...the pink baby quilt..... it's all bound and stored in the box now awaiting the next baby girl to come along. The blue boy quilt is now in the process of having it's binding stitched down...... so hopefully that will be a finish for March

No progress on the dishcloth goal...the sock goal or the scarf... just couldn't seem to find the time to do any knitting this week.....

I did get some kits made up......which is good........ I cut a quilt called Up the Lazy River... it's all cut and bagged and ready to sew... .I also cut 12 wonder wallets and have them bagged and ready for pressing top stitching and sewing......

I made a few table runners this month also....... those pics are on the flickr site and I've completed my 30's repro BOM...and my block 8 of the Barn Quilts of Wisconsin...

My stash/scrap totals for this month are.........17 3/4 yards of stash and 5 3/4 yards of scraps... 1 1/2 yards of batting... a few buttons and some ribbon........ I think this was a productive month!!!

I'll post the BOM's below and the other photos are all on flicker.....

I also want to mention that Jen of Cre8tivequilter has started a flickr group for the Wisconsin Barn Quilt Blocks... right now it's just hers and mine but hopefully the others will join in too! http://www.flickr.com/groups/barnquilting/

I think March is coming in like a lamb.... so the rocky weather isn't quite done yet.... but I know spring is close by.... I can almost smell it!!

til next week

Scrap busting Olympics

This week was not much of a sewing week........ it was, however, a Scrap Busting Olympics! For some reason my scrap bag #1 just got the best of me and I spent most of the week watching the olympics and cutting and organizing scraps....... I made 32 more scrap diddly blocks...that gives me a total of 65 scrap blocks now....that's enough for TWO throw size scrap quilts!! That's 2/3rds of my scrap quilt goal for the year!! I may have to increase that but for now... this is GOOD!! My XXXL zip lock bag is now down to about 1/4 full...... my scraps that were not used for the scrap blocks are organized by color in shoebox size plastic containers...... all of the containers at this point are pretty well full.... these will be used for paper piecing projects and small quilt blocks.......the scraps that are left from these scraps will go in a bag and then make their way to the local animal shelter where they will be used in pillows and mats for the animals that reside there... this is a no kill shelter so some of the residents are there for quite awhile before they are adopted. I recently sent 4 big bags of scraps down to them.

I did make 2 burpers and 6 pee pee tee pee's for the box..... I have several babies coming and dont' know if they are boys or girls.....so I'll be making a few sets of tee pees and a number of burpers to bust the flannel stash. One of the UFO baby quilts is 2/3 done with it's binding.... about an hour or so and it will be completed! The boy quilt has it's binding on and is next on the wob list. so bring on the babies!! I'll be ready!

I also embroidered and made a table runner...... this will be a club project for March so this runner is my sample... it will then become part of my personal table runner collection... I love placemats and table runners of all sorts!!

Block 6 ( I think) of Crea8tive Quilters Barn Quilts of Wisconsin has been completed also. That pic will be posted below as well as the burps and teepee's...... the rest can be seen on the flickr site......

I've been knitting a few rows each nite on the scarf while watching the olympics so that's coming along also.... about 8" long at the moment.... so quite a ways to go.

Thats it for this week...... Happy Sewing

Lish

February is 1/2 way gone already!

Can you believe it? Tomorrow is the middle of february already...sheeesh!!
Ok... I have a UFO update.... two baby quilts are now tied and have the binding on... just ready for handstitching now...... I'm excited about that!! Dishcloth and sock status are the same... nuthing new on either of those....... I'm slowly making progress on the scarf I started so that's good .......

I've posted some pics on flickr..... some samples for a paper piecing class..... the swap blocks for my March swap........and my Barn Block...... I'll post the barn block at the end of this post....... I really like these... they go quickly and they are going to make a really fun quilt/wallhanging/something... not sure yet what i'll do with them... or how many I'll do. Guess that depends on what I want to do with them... lol

I have 1 1/2 sides to finish binding on a baby quilt for the end of february... that will get done during the olympics tonite..... in fact... I think a lot of knitting might get done during the olympics over the next two weeks......

So far theres no sign of spring coming anytime soon either..... more snow is expected this week and it's COLD!!!! We didn't get as much as they expected... but enough to be annoying! and did I mention... it's COLD!!!

I've also posted pictures of some origami Jolly bags that I made.... they are from the same place that I got the origami pockets from... RomanianQuiltStudio... these are really fun and can be made easily from any size square.. the itty bitty ones have potential to become christmas magnets or ornaments...

ok... that's it for this week........back to the olympics!!

Lish

Super Bowl Sunday

I got up early today so I could get things finished before game time....... I plan to knit and root for the Colts!

I finished Block 2 of the sentimental journey BOM....... block 5 of the Barn Quilts of Wisconsin BOW....Barn Quilt by Golden Thimble block 1....a bunch of origami pockets which are too cool and so much fun to make.......I sandwiched and tied the notre dame baby quilt... also got the binding ready for it and cut a pillow case to put the quilt in when it's finished! I'll post a few pics here but the rest are on the photo site...

We had about 6 inches of snow friday and saturday and they are calling for another 6-8 possible monday nite and tuesday... this is officially starting to suck! I want spring... I want flowers and most of all I want WARMTH! lol Of course binding quilts is nice cuz it's very warm under there.......

Not much got accomplished in the UFO department except to gather all the UFO's I could find and put them all together in one spot....... I have a lot of work ahead of me this year! The sock stayed at the same level but I did start a scarf for next years xmas... it's a new very simple pattern and if it works out there will be a lot of these in the christmas box......the dishcloth is also at the same level....Once I get the baby quilt done I can move on to more stuff but the shower is the end of february and this has to get done!

ok... here's a few pictures.... check the photo site for more goodies and stay warm...

Lish

Tools Down Hands UP January is DONE!!!

Not too bad a month really.... as far as goals go I have 3 UFO baby quilts sandwiched and ready for the quilting..... 1/2 of one sock is done...... I'm starting the instep part....... still just 1/2 of one dishcloth......all of my BOM's for January are complete....all of my swaps for January are complete..... my BOW Barn Quilt Blocks of Wisconsin is almost up to date... I need to do block 4... that was on todays list but I ran out of time...... several gifts have been added to the Christmas 2010 box and my stash has been reduced.....

19 yards of fabric/fat quarters
3 5/8 yards of scraps
5 1/2 yards of batting used up
8 zippers... hand full of buttons...couple of D rings.. 1/2 yard of insulbright...2 kitchen towels and 2 adult bibs..... all used up in January.... not bad at all~

Pictures have been posted on the Flickr site and I'll post Block 3 of Jen's Barn Quilts of Wisconsin Block here..... yep.... January was a good month! We'll see how February goes~