Wednesday Ponderings

A while back Stephanie had a giveaway on her blog.  2 yards of beautiful Michael Miller fabric.  I won it!  Thanks Stephanie--I love it!  I am saving it for an apron or a bag or maybe borders on a quilt.  My colors, a brown background and teals and pinks and lime green and orange. 

I am waiting on two fabric orders, my stash report will take a hit!  But that's okay, it's a "need" vrs a "want"!  When I feel like buying fabric, that's my mantra--"is it a need or a want?"  It helps, less impulse buying for a quilt that I'm going to make "later".   What helps you when you get the urge to buy fabric?? 

Monday Goals

My goals will remain the same, work on the curry top on the machine.  I'm coming back down with the crud, so a call to the Dr. is needed.  

I enjoy each week of stash reports, I try to go to everyone's blog and go thru what they've posted the last week.  So if you're on the stash report, even if I haven't commented, I've probably been reading!

Everyone has so many pictures of their flowers.  It was windy and cold, and has been raining off and on--here is a picture of my only flowers blooming.

Yes, that's it, six pink tulips!   I have lots of other things growing, but these are my only blooms! 

Sunday Stash Report

Can you believe, I went fabric shopping and DIDN'T buy anything~!  Nope, couldn't find what I needed, but hopefully I can find what I want online.  So, no finishes and no buys.  No change in the stash report.

It is soggy out, we drove in rain, and found out later it was 3" plus hail.  We missed the hail, thank goodness!  Watching the news, we saw that the hail completed covered the ground, and the rain washed it into big drifts.  Rain is forecast for the next 10 days off and on.  I do have some tulips blooming, and my perennials (and the weeds!) are going wild. 

Motivation Friday--On Saturday!

Here I am, a day late again!  I have been volunteering, and the weather held me up.  No sewing done so far this week, maybe this weekend I will find a bit of time.  

We were supposed to have a picnic to meet the Colonel, but it was rainy, so instead the "picnic" was held in the maintenance shop the next day at noon.  I'm sure the army has eaten in less "welcoming" surroundings! 

We had grilled rib eyes and chicken breasts and lots of other food, it was a good time.  

I hurried home, Laura Beth stayed overnight.  Today she has a bridal shower and tonight a bachelorette party for her best friend.  Ken and I are going shopping,  I need some fabric for a special project.  I tried shopping my stash, but I don't have anything that will work.  

It's been raining since Thursday night, and is supposed to rain all next week.  If I'm not too tired when I am done volunteering for the day I will sew.  Don't hold your breath--last week I went to bed one night at 7:30pm!  And when I tried to catch up on my blog reader, it was empty!  I will have to start over.  So if you know I read your blog, let me know and I can add you back in! 

Wednesday Ponderings

I took this picture while Henrietta was here, she was showing my dad a video on her computer and he was riveted to the screen.  It was a video about where she lives (a LONG ways away) and he watched it for almost an hour!  

My dad is 90 years old.  Think of all the changes he's seen in his life.  From working in the field with horses, to watching video's on the internet!  He's lived through electricity, running water, modern healthcare.  The telephone!  And through it he has maintained a sense of humor.  Makes me wonder, will I live to be 90, and if I do, will I be like him??

 

Monday Goals

Even though it's busy, I need to work on goals.  If I use "busy" as an excuse all the time, nothing will get done!  Priorities!

So, that said, I do have one goal for this week!

1. Quilt on the Curry 9 patch and snowballs

Okay, maybe that doesn't seem like a big goal! I will be gone part of the week, and Laura Beth will be here this weekend.  Just Laura Beth--the rest of the family is staying home because mom is going to be busy with a shower and other things for her best friend who is getting married.  I have reached a stalemate on the disappearing 4 patches, I am waiting for the order of more black handspray fabric for the sashings.  sigh  Usually I am not so bubble brained and KNOW whether I have enough fabric, but this is a major booboo!  Not even enough for sashings one way, let alone clear round the blocks!  Must have been when my brain was so foggy!

And this is what I bought in Minnesota with Sue--it's GREEN!!

New Header

The new header is a picture I took at Gavin's Point Dam, Yankton SD.  This is the view I have every day when I am volunteering.  Usually the gates of the dam are closed, but I happened to be there one of the days they were "testing" them.  Henrietta made it for me--I love it!  

Sunday Stash Report

My stash report is unchanged, nothing finished, nothing added this week.  But, I did poke a button when I discovered I didn't have enough fabric to finish my sashings on the disappearing 4 patch. 

It was been busy here the last week.  Tuesday Henrietta packed her bags and I drove her to the airport in Minneapolis.

Henrietta, Ken and Ruby  

It's going to be so quiet here and I am going to be SO LONELY without her!  We both took turns having the "crud" while she was here.  We didn't get to sew like we wanted, but we still had lots of other activities.  

Sue and I at the Quilt Cove

 

After Henrietta left, I met with Sue from MN and had lunch.  Next we went to one of her favorite quilts shops, the Quilt Cove.  We tried to decide what color fabric to stand in front of, which color made us look thinner?!!  Although I looked at lots of fabric, I only bought a seam ripper.  I've met several people via the internet, and they have all been great people.  I wouldn't miss the chance!   

On the way back to South Dakota I stayed overnight with Laura Beth and Nick.  It gave me time to play with Mason.  He is starting to talk, so it's a lot of fun.  I got there before everyone came home from work, and laid down to take a nap.  Mason woke me by poking my face!  He's getting so big and is staying such a lover.  And grandpa, we went for ice cream but Mason didn't want any!

Laura Beth and Mason "exercising"

Laura Beth has a wedding soon where she is matron of honor, and she is working at losing a few inches.  Well, I think carrying Mason while on the treadmill is hard work!

Mom, can I have a cookie before I go to bed??

Here is Mason getting a bedtime snack before heading to bed.  Although he is might be saying "cookie" I think mom was saying "banana"!

I try hard to take pictures of Mason, but most of them end up like this one--

There's Grandma with that silver box again.

He wants to be VERY CLOSE when you are taking his picture!

On Monday I head to Yankton for my summer volunteer job.  The camper went before Easter (right before it got really windy!) and today Ken and I took a load of "stuff" down.  The next load will go with me on Monday.  I will be volunteering Tues-Wed-Thur-for a while.  I was asked if I would do the educational powerplant tours while my boss is out having her knee replaced.  Sure!  I drive back and forth a lot, so it's not like I'm missed too much at home!  I need to work in my flowers, and see what I am going to plant in my garden this year.  Not much, I think tomatoes, dill, and pumpkin.

I hope the weather is wonderful wherever you are.  I have so many tops to quilt, and I need to make a few more yet this summer.  How do you spell "overwhelmed"???
 

Wandering on Wednesday

Yes, it's truly "wandering Wednesday" here!  I'm in Minnesota at Laura Beth and family, I will head back to South Dakota and post more from there.  I packed in a hurry, and although I brought my laptop, I FORGOT THE POWER CORD!  I will have to save any pictures etc until then.   I can't even figure out how to copy my signature!  Oh, you guys have fun, I think Mason and Grandma are going to eat supper at a restraurant and have some quality Mason time.  Grandpa isn't here, but he would insist that I take Mason for ice cream, so I'm off to please the men in my life!

Monday Goals

My goals won't be much this week.  Still getting over my cold, have to go to Minneapolis and be gone a few days.  We've been sewing, have another UFO ready to quilt. It's called American Pie and is by Miss Rosie.  This one is done in 30's.

 I also walked around outside, things are greening up and it's going to be in the 80's today.

Here is part of my rhubarb.  It's about 6 inches high.

Y

Yellow iris with purple coneflowers.

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This is "snow on the mountain".  It spreads like crazy, but it grows and is green!

It's going to get warm today, about 83F.  Right now I think it's a good time to take a short nap!

We're still here, and we're sewing!

We've been sewing, and have made a bit of progress.  We had decided to try to make a 4 patch stacked posey quilt, I had bought fabric to try it a LONG time ago.  Henrietta and I attack a project differently.  She makes a few blocks, auditions sashings etc, and then proceeds.  I cut and sew all my blocks first--THEN decide where I'm going.  So here's our progress--

Henrietta's blocks are smaller--with two sashings (another black sashing will be added) they will finish about 7.5"

My blocks right now finish about 8.5 inches

I am toying with the idea of using a striped sashing with 9 patch cornerstones, and set the blocks on point.  I like how Henrietta's smaller blocks concentrate the designs in the fabric.  


In between blowing my nose and coughing and sneezing, I have been reading blogs.  Not much commenting (my brain is fuzzy!) but I AM reading.  


I hope everyone is having a good weekend, I need to make a quick trip to the grocery store, and then I can sew some more.  

I'm Still Here

Still here, Easter is over, Laura Beth, Nick and Mason have gone home.  I've come down with a cold, so slightly under the weather.   Cold and drippy out, but no real rain--yet.  I have done a little sewing, started to put sashings on my disappearing 4 patches.  Don't laugh, I KNOW some are on the wrong side!  But it will be fine, I will assemble it in groups of blocks. (ala Pat!)

The original plan was no sashings, but after putting a few together I decided I didn't like them.  A light sashing didn't define the blocks, so I used a black.  I will play with it more tomorrow maybe.  

No goals this week.  My brain is too foggy.  

Happy Easter!! and Sunday Stash Report

Happy Easter Everyone!  We had supper Saturday night with Ken's family.  Great Aunt Jo had a fun time with Mason.  She was kept busy blowing bubbles for him.

S

 

See the bubbles Mason?

Darn, it disappeared into the carpet!

L

Let's try it again!

Today we have a family get together at our house, very informal!  

The stash report.  Well, nothing finished, but we HAVE been sewing!  And I reduced the stash 44.75 yds.  Yes, we sent another box of fabric to the 4H group,  I'm sure they'll have fun with it!

So the totals for this week are--

Bought this week--00.00

Donated this week--44.75 yds

Bought Year to Date -39.60
Finished YTD 45.60
YTD  +50.75 yards

Henrietta and I loaded another small top on the long arm, and I hope to get to it after Easter.  Laura Beth, Nick, and Mason are here until Monday--so I plan to get in plenty of snuggles and grandma time!

Motivation Friday

It's been a busy week.  But we've managed a little sewing.  The "cracker crumb" top is quilted, and I have the binding made.  I made my only goal!  

Henrietta saw some blocks I had on my design wall and fixed them.  Uh, operator error by the person making them originally!  

Oops, Henrietta didn't quite have the top hung up yet~!

Here's that top!  Henrietta has an excellent eye for fixing what I WAS going to toss.  The sashings were fixed,  another blue for each corner, and then a honey tan marble separates the inner blue and the outer red border.  I thought the red and blue being the same VALUE would be boring, but dividing them with the tan border just made the colors "pop".  For a while we were calling it "the quilt that never ends"--because it took FOREVER to finish.  Lots of unpicking.  Whew! 

I put together some blocks Jay used to WRAP THE SLIDE PLATE on the sewing machine head he sent home with me!  I love them, they are vintage preprinted blocks in a Pennsylvania Dutch style.  A couple were not in the best shape, but I ended up with eight that squared up fairly well.  I haven't finished squaring the top, but wanted to show you anyway.  Henrietta has suggested a bit more of the green for a float, with a narrow white and a narrow green border--like stripes on the edges.  Vintage looking--I think I like that idea. 
 

 

Tomorrow night Laura Beth, Nick, and Mason will be here.  Ken picked our Easter menu--grilled burgers and hot dogs!  I had several different menus I suggested, but this is what HE wanted.  Oh, we'll eat lots of things while everyone is here, so it will be fine.   (And he's volunteered to cook the burgers and hot dogs!)