Sunday Stash, 2/27/2011

Well, the postie decided to show up today. Yay! But oh, what I did... Sale + free shipping + a weak moment? Many thanks to Clint and Judy of Green Fairy Quilts for this box of lovelies!


A Basic Gray Origins layer cake...




Prayer Flag by April Cornwell jelly roll, plus one in white and one cream--I really love the solids precuts--they make for very speedy quilts! (PS, a little birdy told me that GFQ is also carrying lots of other Bella Solid precuts, like charm packs, layer cakes, and fat quarter bundles. Ok, I saw it on their site, and I thought I should enable you. You're welcome!)




I saw this great kit full of Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas, and since I have a couple of charm packs but not enough to make what I'd been thinking of making, I snapped this up--more for the yardage than the cute pattern. I do love the little canvas bag, though. :)





And finally, some charm packs. 2 Chrysalis, 2 City Weekend, and one each of Hoopla and Clermont Farms.



I have some secret-like sewing going on this weekend, so there should be outage to report next week. (Don't I always have an excuse?) But the numbers this week? Oy vey...

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 3.5 yards
Added this Week: 22.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 46.25 yards
Net Used for 2011: -42.75 yards

*Edited to add: GFQ is not a sponsor. I just really love their shop!

Sneak Peaks...

Working hard on my main swap project for the Urban Home Goods swap over on Flickr.

Wanna see?


Essex Linen blend in Natural, some Amy Butler Love hexies, lots of straight line quilting...



One down, two to go...

Wordy Wednesday

I think sometimes as bloggers we forget that readers don't really "know" us. I mean, you know I'm a UFO queen, and the slowest quilter on the planet, but what do you know beyond that?

Here are a few things you may not know about me...

1) My first job was at a video rental store. I was 15, and worked there until I went to college. (That's right, pre-dvds, folks.)

2) I hate eggplant. I knew I'd met my soulmate in the madman when I learned he also hates it. :)

3) I'm a cat person who was raised by dog people. (My brother is also a cat person.)

4) I snore.

5) I sleep with earplugs, because the madman also snores. So do three of my cats! (er, the snoring, not the earplugs.)

6) My favorite comfort food is spaghetti marinara.

7) I love to cook, but never use recipes except as a "jumping off" point. As a result, we never have the exact same thing twice.

8) I cannot bake bread to save my life.

9) I played clarinet for 4 years. That was more than long enough to realize I have no musical abilities!

10) I have 15 tattoos. You cannot see any of them unless I'm wearing a tank top or no socks.

11) I used to have 11 piercings. I've let most of them close up. (I was young, what can I say?)

12) I've been wearing glasses since I was 5 year old.

13) I would live in jeans, if I could.

14) I consider purses necessary evils. Cute and evil go together well.

15) I'm allergic to kiwi.

16) I've never broken a bone. *knock on wood*

17) I'm totally a glass-half-full kind of girl. To a fault.

18) I set my alarm clock forward by 10 minutes, and have it set for 7:01. I know this, and still manage to fool myself.

19) I am chronically early. I've been known to sit and read in my car if I'm more than 10 minutes early somewhere. Being late makes me super stressed.

20) I took French for 10 years. It's now only useful for yelling at my cats. Makes the neighbors wonder!


So, if all's fair in love and blogs, tell me something more about you!

Sunday Stash

On Monday, again.

The past week or so has been all about evolution. I've sorted, ironed, folded, shifted.

I started out with my office/sewing room looking like this.

(If you are sensitive to photos of wanton stacks of fabric, unsorted, haphazardly folded in various sizes, you might want to scroll past the next few photos. They may shock you. You've been warned!)


Pulled out of my closet and onto my sewing table. No room to work! No wonder I can't get anything done in here!



The stash in flux. Some neatly folded and put away. Some waiting for the royal treatment. God, what a sty.



More stacks, pre color sorting, ironing and folding.




Soon to be happy fabric, posing with the new love of my life, comic book boards.


Did you make it? Are you ok? It's over. I promise.

Let me show you what all of the stacks and mess has turned into...


Warm and neutrals. See the issue here? Yeah, no room for orange. I'm working on that...


Altogether now. A spot for oranges. On the bottom left, you're looking at FQs in the front, with a project bin, all 3 purple fabrics I own, plus my FMF and AB Love stashes.

Off to finish with the oranges, and see if I can get my solids organized! (Thank goodness for Presidents' Day!)

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 3.5 yards
Added this Week: 2.75 yard (Found a couple of great deals on Etsy. I need to stay off of that site!!)
Added Year to Date: 23.75 yards
Net Used for 2011: -23 yards

Erk. Need to finish cleaning so I can get sewing!

Sunday Stash (on Monday!)

This is going to be a bit of a drive-by posting. You see, with winter receding a bit (52 degrees outside--the warmest it has been in my neck of the woods since...October?), I've rediscovered my social life! Sushi with a former co-worker, movie-night with the madman, dinner out with friends--on a Friday night?! I know, crazy talk! It has been really lovely to reconnect and go out and be social.

However, it has made for NO sewing. None. Not one bit. I managed to do a little stash culling and reorganization over the weekend, but I'm mid-project and would rather show off when it's done...maybe next week?

In the meantime, since I worked on Sunday and came home too knackered to do more than plop on the couch with a book, here's my belated stash report!

Used this Week: 0 yards (I have grand plans for some stash-busting, but then, don't I always??)
Used year to Date: 3.5 yards
Added this Week: 1 yard (A kind bloggy friend sent me some of her scraps--lots of strings for my string-quilt-to-be!)
Added Year to Date: 23.75 yards
Net Used for 2011: -20.25 yards

Here's to hoping for more time, and more productivity! (I know, right?!)

No sewing...

But lots of cutting.

I've been a little braindead lately. Well, moreso than usual. I'm suffering hugely from cabin fever this last week. Our front steps are an icy mess. And after an inch of rain and a brief thaw, so is our driveway. It took me four running starts on Saturday night to wind up kitty-corner halfway up the incline of our driveway. I slipped and slid my way to the garage door and called my husband, who was on his way home, to warn him. Poor guy spent a half hour in the drizzle and the dark when he got home trying to at least get both cars in the driveway. What an ugly mess. Add to that the thaw means that we have water coming in through one window in our living room and seeping in one ceiling corner in my sewing room (ugh!), and you can begin to see where my head is at, yes?

So there hasn't been any sewing for about a week. I've mostly been sorting scraps, ironing and cutting some of them, and making pretty little stacks...




I've long admired the Strips and Bricks pattern by Malka Dubrawsky, and the versions made up by Rita of Red Pepper Quilts, shown here and here. When Malka revamped her pattern and made it available for pdf purchase a few months ago, I leaped on it, having missed it in its originally published magazine in 2009. I've finally started sifting through my "low volume" fabrics, and have started putting together the soothing, gorgeous palette used in the original, as well as Rita's two incarnations. Sewing is a ways off yet, as there's a lot of cutting yet to do, but I can handle that.

Just don't ask me about our weather. Deal?

Sunday Stash, 2/6/11

The confession edition.

Well, two giant boxes showed up at my house this past week--snow, ice and rain still (mostly) can't deter the postal service.

The first contained the damages from my stop over at Aunt Bea's online store closing sale. I'm so sad to see that shop close up, they really had some amazing stuff. I say had, because apparently, I bought it all! (PS--Totally blaming Ashley over at Film in the Fridge for posting about the sale when I was having a weak moment. Just saying...)

On to the carnage!



First, some super-cute fabrics for little boy quilts. I come across boy-appropriate fabrics fairly infrequently, so I tend to stock up when I find something I like. From the left, Michael Miller Plaidsportation, Alexander Henry elephants, and the last 4 are from Robots by David Walker for Free Spirit. I actually have one of the other focus prints from the Robots line, and I think they're adorable. Now I just need more friends to have boys... *crickets*

Moving on...


Adding to my AMH Good Folks stash. I LOVE this print.



Weekends, Mingle, and Meadowsweet in sort of a pink/orange/white trio.

And finally...



A couple of yards of Japanese imports. Top is Isso Ecco for Lecien of Japan, and the bottom is Kei Honeycomb. I have SUCH a love affair with honeycomb dots. Did you know that until a couple of years ago, I hated polka dots and owned none? Scary, I know. Apparently, I am now making up for the error of my ways--with interest.

Which brings me to package #2. Are you tired of fabric yet? Me either!

The second package came from the lovely Kerri's Etsy shop, Sew Deerly Loved.



At the top, 6 yards (I KNOW) of Kona solid in Medium Gray. This is going to be the background for my Single Girl Quilt-Along quilt. I'm still pulling fabrics for the rings, but you can get a tiny peek if you look at the left side of the first photo in this post.

Don't worry, I'll wait...


...


I'm thinking prints of mostly white, turquoise and aqua with navy and lime accents on a gray background would be stunning, but we'll see what happens when I get into that.

Back to the goodies Kerri sent. There's also a yard of Essex Cotton/Linen blend in Natural for part of my Urban Home Goods Swap project. Then *looks down* a few other things jumped in my cart. Like the cute little elephants. And the cool Alice Kennedy red and white leaf print. And more Honeycomb dots, this time in orange. I SAID I have a problem!!

So where does this leave me in the realm of stash busting? Are there awards for "reverse" busting? No? Crud.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 3.5 yards
Added this Week: 22 yards (OMG)
Added Year to Date: 22.75 yards
Net Used for 2011: -19.25 yards

Looks like I have my work cut out for me--literally!

Sunday Stash, 1/30/11

Stash in action!



To say I feel a bit better about my productivity this weekend would be an understatement. I listened to music, and cooked, and most importantly, I sewed. This will be one quarter of My Quilt. I've gone whole hog with this quilt, cutting into my Heather Ross stash for the star centers, and even going so far as to cut into my Flea Market Fancy scraps for some of the star points. Crazy, I know! But I figure that if it's going to be the first quilt that I make for myself, it should be special, right?

It is also going to be HUGE. Each block is finishing at 12.5" square--what's on the design wall now measures just over 36"x48", and that's just a quarter. Finished, this puppy should be a fairly enormous 72"x96", a very generous twin size. PLENTY big for cuddling under. And considering that we're still buried under 4 feet of snow, with over a foot predicted to fall in the next storm slated for Tuesday/Wednesday this week, I think a big quilt is a very good idea.

I've done some shopping this past week, for a couple of reasons. When we were assigned our partners over in the Urban Home Goods swap on flickr, I had an immediate lightbulb moment. And then there's the Single Girl Support Group bunch on flickr--we have mentors helping us through making this slightly intimidating but very cool pattern by the very talented Denyse Schmidt. So while I decided to make the rings of said quilt with fabric from my stash, I didn't have the 5.5 yards required for background. So... I went over to Kerri's Etsy shop, and found everything I needed for both the quilt AND my idea for the UHG project. Those items aren't here yet, though, so I'm not counting them as adds to my stash this week, but I promise pictures in next week's post...

And then...there was the other purchase. See, I can justify (excuse?) the yumminess on its way from Kerri--even if a few extra odds and ends did happen to jump into my cart... But the other? Well, I'm blaming Ashley over at Film in the Fridge. She happened to mention the closing of a certain online retailer in a post this past week, and having caught me in a weak, snowbound moment, I caved. And boy, did I have fun!! So there will be more photos of guilty pleasure incoming.

In the meantime, I will look anywhere but directly at you and whistle innocently while I post my stash report for this week...

Used this Week: 0 (not counting the blocks on the design wall until they become a bona fide quilt top)
Used year to Date: 3.5 yards
Added this Week: 0
Added Year to Date: .75 yards
Net Used for 2011: 2.75 yards

Sick and tired

You remember that week I had off? Well, I woke up on the first day of said week with a cold. Not like the sniffles, or a little frog in my throat. I mean a full on upper and lower respiratory monster, complete with with a cough that I'm still working on kicking two weeks later and a fever.

Yup. I spent that week's vacation looking like this:



Curled in the fetal position, adorned with cats. Special thanks to little Beans (L) and Domino for posing so nicely.

My MRI had to be rescheduled because I couldn't lay flat for an hour without hacking. Same went for the couples massage my husband and I had planned. Going out to eat was sort of senseless, since A) we'd have to sit in the plague section and B) I couldn't taste a thing.

The upshot is that everything fell by the wayside, including my grand quilting plans. Oh wait, did I mention we've had 4 feet of snow in the last month? That's right, one horking storm a week, a foot at a time. Reallllly sick of that, too.

Here's what I've accomplished in the last 2 weeks...



Pretty. Pitiful, but pretty. Hoping for a little more pretty and a little less pitiful this weekend!

And, while I'm not counting it until it's in the house, I've fallen off the wagon with the fabric diet. So while tomorrow's Sunday Stash won't look like much, next week's? Wooo doggies, that's going to make for some pretty pictures!

Have a great week, and stay healthy!

What I did with my snow day

Last Wednesday, New England got socked with our third snowstorm in three weeks, and it was a doozy! Here in my part of Connecticut, we got just over two feet of snow--enough to break records in some places. And really, once you're counting it in feet, who cares how much there is? It's a LOT.

Thankfully, my uber-boss (the town manager) decided to follow the Governor's directive and close municipal offices last Wednesday. An impromptu snow day--yay! The madman was already scheduled to be off that day, so we spent a cozy day snowed in together. And while he played video games, I got all caffeinated (I may or may not have also cleaned the kitchen during my coffee-fueled frenzy--the details got blurry) and came out sewing!

I joined the 3x6 Beehive Mini-Bee over on flickr this year--this is my first quarter with the group, and I have to say I love that I have a three-month chunk of time to make up blocks on my own schedule. So I figured I'd at least make a dent in my blocks on Wednesday. Thanks to my caffeine buzz, I made quick work of the demo block, in my own colors of green, gray and white:



I love the look of maverick stars, and with fewer seams and points to match than traditional star blocks, they work up really quickly.



This quickly, in fact--they're all done! Even better, they were all pieced from my scraps and stash--NO purchasing came into play for these puppies. You can see red was a VERY popular color in our little hive. I had such a great time with these blocks, it gave me the push I needed to finally start working on a project I've had bouncing around in my head for over a year--you saw hints of it in yesterday's Sunday stash post. I'm on vacation all week, and hope to get some more sewing done, so pop back here later this week, and there should be more progress!

Sunday Stash report

For me, I got quite a bit accomplished this week. I look around at my other quilty, bloggy friends and am often in awe at how much they manage to crank out, week after week, even with jobs and families and pregnancies and all sorts of other distractions. Heck, I just work, take care of the Madman, and indulge in a couple of other hobbies *coughWarcraftcough*. How do I manage to lag behind so terribly? Do you ever feel that way?

Part of it, I know, is just perception. And part of it is that they blog more often, and take prettier photos!

In any case, I finished my blocks for the first quarter of the 3x6 Beehive mini bee, all pieced from stash--I'll have photos of them tomorrow! I made one for each of the 6 other girls in my hive, plus one mock-up block in my own colors, just as a test run. They were not difficult, went together quickly, and used up a mighty amount of fabric--wonky piecing always seems to do that.

Oh, I got an update on the baby quilt I made and sent out last week. Even with all of the wild weather the East Coast has endured the last week and more, it got there in time for the baby shower! YES! And since I had finished one old UFO with that quilt, I figured that gave me license to start something new. Logic? Has no place in a quilter's studio. Heh.

So I did something crazy...


I got out all of my Heather Ross fabrics. ALL of them, all of the Mendocino and FFA2 and Munki and Lightning Bugs that I have been hoarding in scraps and bits for over a year...



And I started cutting! Oh yes, I did. Squares, 4.5" each. Lots of them. Some turned into triangles, some are staying square. What will they be? MY quilt. I decided it was high time I had a quilt of my own (to which the Madman says "It's about time! Dang!"), and what better to make than a quilt of some of my favorite fabrics ever? I have a whole week off from work (the Madman and I refer to it as "post holiday recuperation") and lots of time to sew. *happy dance!*

Oh, wait, this is supposed to be a stash report, right?

I'm counting fabric out as the tops and quilts are finished (or bee blocks, if pieced from stash), sooo...

Used this Week: 1.75 yards (yardage and scraps for bee blocks)
Used year to Date: 3.5 yards
Added this Week: 0
Added Year to Date: .75 yards
Net Used for 2011: 2.75 yards

I promised a finish...

And I'm delivering!

First finish of 2011, and I feel so good about this. You have no idea.

I started these blocks with no real goal in mind about a year ago. And lost interest after 5 blocks. Set them aside, and played with other things.

But with a friend's baby shower coming up (this Saturday, in fact), I got moving on this project again just after the first of the year.

Piecing, borders and basting on Saturday, quilting and binding on Sunday, and it was in the mail to Georgia on Monday. Sadly, I won't be able to join it for a little Southern-style party this weekend, but I'll be there in quilt and spirit!



It finished at about 36" x 45". And I love it.

Some of my favorite bits...


A bit of Pinocchio Munki, just the perfect color and size.



AB Coriander, Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet from Red Letter day, and Tula Pink Ladybugs...




Hedgies!




Backed with this great argyle print from Riley Blake's Hooty Hoot line, and bound with my favorite KJR basketweave in aqua.

I went with a free-motion meander, which turned out a LOT better this time around. I did find that after switching bobbins once, I had some tension issues. That required some ripping, machine fiddling, and tension resetting, but ultimately fixed it. Only to break my darning foot. /facepalm Thankfully, the Madman got some crazy glue in his stocking this Xmas, and I used that to fix the foot. Everything else went according to plan!

Here's to hoping that my dear friend loves her quilt, and that her little boy-to-be will love it for years to come.

Now, onward to use the rest of my mid-week snow-day (we topped out at just over 18" here, though after a bit of sun it looks like we may get another bit of snow after all /sigh) for some more sewing!

In the meantime...

While keeping track of my stash for 2011, I'm not counting my last two purchases of 2010, courtesy of Kathy at Pink Chalk Fabrics and Jackie at Canton Village Quilt Works. I have plans for a number of quilts involving solids, let's see how many I can finish in 2011!


Such a stack of loveliness...


Speaking of finishes, off to stitch the binding on my first finish-to-be of 2011. This is where I park to do my hand-stitching...


My end of the couch, cuddled up against the pillow I received from Kendra in round 4 of the flickr Pillow Talk Swap. I LOVE this pillow--such a bright little spot of sunshine! If you haven't seen Kendra's blog and all of the awesome craftiness this woman is capable of, go now! How she manages all she does, and three boys, too, I don't know. Thanks again, Kendra!!

Hopping on the Sunday Stash bandwagon...

Angela over at Cut to Pieces has issued a challenge. A fabric diet. As we looked at the new year, she said, "Hey, I have a lot of fabric. I know I'm not alone. I'm going to try not to buy any new fabric for 2 months. Who's with me?"



That would be me. I have a lot of fabric. And I'd like to work pretty hard this year on using up some of what I have. I know I'll add some in the meantime, too, but perhaps I might try and keep track? So I'm going to join Judy of Patchwork Times and her Sunday Stash group to see if I can't keep up with what's actually going on with my stash.

I'm not telling you how much stash I'm starting with. I don't know, and I don't need to know! (Ok, I'm afraid to find out. I said it!!)

So, in the name of full disclosure, I'll start off by saying that I've already failed terribly! LOL Only a few days into the new year, and I added to my stash. Whoops! It's not actually here yet, but I figured out what I wanted to do with my 12 Days of Christmas charm pack (day late, dollar short, yeah, yeah, I know--always next year, right?). Only problem? I needed 2 charm packs to make the design I sketched out work. And I'm apparently enough of a dope that I bought only 1 charm pack to start out with. *sigh* So, I cruised Etsy and found one on super duper sale. And bought it.

It's not here yet, but I feel the need to confess! So I'm counting it as an add to my stash for this week.

But, there's a project in the works that is counting for some busting, too--pics of that soon! Sashing, backing and binding all are from my stash. Huzzah!

Used this Week: 1.75 yards
Used year to Date: 1.75 yards
Added this Week: .75 yards (1 charm pack)
Added Year to Date: .75 yards
Net Used for 2011: 1 yard

What about you all? Anyone else willing to take up Angela's and/or Judy's challenge?

Out with the old, in with the new...year!

A lot of my bloggy, crafty friends are posting huge mosaics of what they've accomplished this year. Not that they're bragging--in many cases, they're as shocked as their readers! But it's left me feeling a little bit out of sorts, like I should somehow be managing to be more productive.

Then I decided that some accomplishments were better than none, and what the hell, I'm celebrating my little triumphs, too!

I've made a pillow cover, a mug rug (my first!), a table runner, tea towels, coasters and a drawstring bag for 3 rounds of swaps in flickr groups...


1. PillowTake 4, take 1, 2. Saavy Seasons Swap gifts!, 3. Urban Home Swap, sneak peek


I've finished 2 baby quilts, 1 small throw (for another swap), and one large throw...




1. Baby quilt, finished!, 2. 398.2 baby quilt, finished!, 3. Urban Home Swap 2, 4. jay's quilt, finished


And I've made lots and LOTS of blocks for my two bees this past year!




1. Flying Geese, for Jo, Dec. Beehive , 2. 9.5" block for Belinda, 3. 18.5" block for Belinda, 4. Beehive blocks for Mel, 5. 2 Blocks for Feb Coast to Coast bee, 6. Beehive blocks for Bec, February, 7. Beehive block for Bec, February, 8. Jennifer's block for March, 9. March Beehive block, for Kat, 10. May CtC Block Party block 2, 11. May CtC Block Party block 1, 12. Beehive May block for Julie, #3, 13. Beehive May block for Julie, #2, 14. Beehive May block for Julie, 15. CtC Block Party April block for Tracy, 16. String blocks 1-4, Andi's July Beehive blocks, 17. string block 5, Andi's July Beehive Block, 18. Amy's June Beehive block, 19. Susan's blocks, July Coast to Coast Block Party Bee, 20. Bibi's Block, C2C bee, August, 21. CtC Block Party block, September, for Wendy, 22. Beehive block, September, for Angela, 23. Oct Beehive block #2, for Karlyn, 24. Oct Beehive block #1, for Karlyn, 25. Sheridan's block #1, 26. Sheridan's block #2, 27. Sheridan's block #3, 28. Sheridan's block #4, 29. April Beehive block 1, for Tanya, 30. April Beehive block 2, for Tanya


So, while not a lot of finishes, still plenty of sewing. Since I figured out that quilting at the dining room table is so much easier than trying to do so at my little sewing table in my office, I hope that I'll be able (and willing) do quilt and finish a number of my works in progress before it gets too warm to think about quilting for awhile! Here's to more finishes for 2011! Have a safe and happy New Year!

My naked design wall

It seems as though I've had some project or other on my design wall nonstop for month now. And with the madman's quilt only requiring binding (this evening's chore), there is nothing on my design wall.

Blank. Zilch. Nada.

It's disconcerting for me to walk into my sewing room and see nothing on that wall--it's the first thing I see when I walk in. I have a wee baby quilt to finish by mid-January for a friend's shower, so I'll have to pull those blocks out (I have 7 completed, just need to make another 5) and put them up on the wall this week.

Anyone else have that sense of momentary panic when they've completed a project? And be honest--how many of you wind up starting something new instead of picking up a UFO?

How I spent the last weekend before Christmas...

Finally finished my Grandmother's Christmas present. Because really, what do you get for the 87 year old woman who has everything? This matches the colors in her living room quite well. I hope she likes it--I find giving handmade gifts rather nerve-wracking!!



This weekend, my sewing machine has taken a bit of an excursion. Out of the sewing room/office and out to...


The dining room table! Complete with Christmas wrapping paper detritus, centerpiece left over from Thanksgiving, platters set out for hosting Christmas Eve, as well as extra chairs for said holiday hostessing event. Nine people for cocktails and hors d'ouevres? No sweat!

What was I saying?

Right!

What you see here is my new vantage point. It means that not only do I have all the table space I could ask for as I quilt miles...




And miles...


Of my husband's Christmas present (doing organic shattered line quilting), but I also have the TV across the room to keep me company. The finished quilt will be about 50" x 60", a decent sized throw for the Madman's Man Cave--plenty big to cuddle under when he's watching movies on the wide-screen, seated in his recliner. He helped me baste it, so it's not a huge surprise, but it will be done on time (barring any and all catastrophes), and that's what counts. He's out tomorrow night with the guys to see Tron *yawn*, so I'll spend tomorrow evening watching something, anything else, while hand-tacking the binding.

The wrench in the works...

Isn't it always the way? Grand plans, detailed schedules, all's going according to plan and then...

Disaster.

In the post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas rush of things, I had a great schedule for working on my husband's quilt, finishing my Pillow Talk Swap pillow, a few odd crafts for friends and family, and it seemed for a minute like I might even make it.

And then I came down with the icky stomach bug that's been going around. And thought I was better! And then it came back. YUCK. Four days, gone. And now my poor madman has it. He is not a good patient.

So we're struggling along here. And I'm sorry there's nothing to see. And I'm sorry I keep starting sentences with "and".

Here's to hoping for a HEALTHY end to this year, and beginning to the new one. Because being sick is seriously cramping my Christmas spirit.

Bits of sewing

Thanksgiving went off without a hitch! Well, unless you consider the gravy flood of 2010, but otherwise, everything was great. Hehe.

In the last week or so, in and amongst preparations for the holiday, I managed a bit of sewing!


First, I volunteered to be an angel for this round of the 3x6 Bee over on flickr.com. I knew I couldn't devote a lot of time to being part of a beehive this quarter, but I've liked helping out when I had some free time.



Dipped into my stash, and found I rather love the color combo. Not sure it would work in my house, but it's one more reason I love bees--I get to play with fabrics and color combos I might not otherwise sew with. Also, I love maverick stars. LOVE them. So quick and easy--I have a feeling that my Heather Ross quilt may be made of these. Ah, one day...



In other news, I'd mentioned that I'd finished the last 10 blocks of my husband's quilt. Here they are together on the design wall. They just need sashing and sewing together. I may move them around some, as I see a few spots where the red is pretty concentrated.


I've got a couple yards of khaki solid for sashing. And that dark print with the little spots? It's a Japanese import, little owls on an indigo background. My husband fell in love with it when I was using it in one of the first months of my first bees last year--I tracked some down on Etsy, and have slowly worked along on improv log cabin style blocks. It should be big enough for a good-sized throw (just shy of a twin bed size), and will go well with the reds, blues and tans in his man cave. :)

Now, for a little more recuperation from yesterday's holiday marathon. So far, today has been nothing but lounging and napping. However, I do have a hot date for some leftovers, drinks and video games this evening. How can a girl resist an offer like that??

Hibernation instinct

You know, I don't much care that the Weather Channel keeps telling me that the Northeast is running about 10 degrees above average. It's cold most morning when I'm going to work. And it's cold most evenings when I'm getting out of work. My house is cold--the heat clicks on. We have piles of covers on the bed, and the cats sleep on the bed in shifts to be all snuggly and warm. The littlest one has started her annual habit of burrowing under the covers and napping there all day long.

My Yankee instinct at this time of year is to hibernate. A warm cup of tea after a hot, comforting dinner. Curling up with a blanket and a cat and a book in the evenings.

There has been a bit of sewing. I finally caved in and joined the Pillow Talk Swap over on flickr, this being their fourth round, and my first. I've got the front pieced and quilted--I just need to put it together with the back. I finished the last 10 blocks of my husband's improv log cabin quilt, and will spend the weekend sewing on sashing and sewing blocks together.

That just means I have to survive Thanksgiving! This is my second year hosting--last year was extremely stressful, but both my mother and husband have noted that I seem much calmer this year. If you don't count the massive muscle spasm I've carried in my right shoulder for the last month, I'd agree with them. I feel fairly well prepared--I'm doing less this year than I did last year. I'm doing the bird, gravy and three sides--two of the sides will be done and ready to be reheated by tomorrow afternoon. Mom's bringing pies and 2 more sides. My in-laws and their friends are bringing befores. I delegated pretty well this year, and the house is clean--it'll just need a quick once-over that morning. And there's only 11 of us this year. Still too many for a sit-down dinner in my teeny-tiny little house, but less than last year's 14.

And once it's done, I get to enjoy three more days off--here's to hoping I have enough energy for some sewing! And to my readers--have a happy and safe holiday. See you on the flip side, with photos of what I've been working on!