Week in Review

Motivation Friday--I worked on sample blocks with a bit of applique

Sunday Stash Report--nothing bought, nothing finished

Monday Goals--Work on next round of red/white swap

Design Wall--These are a few of the blocks I worked on this week.  I love basket blocks.  

I'm not sure I like the basket with cherries.  The stems and leaves make me think an alien is crawling out of the basket.  I do enjoy appliqueing the handles.

Tonight was Halloween.  I was ready.  Two mixing bowls of candy bars.  Lights on, inside door open.  sigh  I didn't have one trick or treater.  I think they all went to Stephanie's.  

A small crisis at our house.  Since the TV in the living room doesn't have a working remote, Ken's retreated to the bedroom.  Can't find THAT remote.  Asked me if I hid it?   No, not this time.   I thought maybe I had accidentally taken it to the laundry room when I changed the sheets.  It was found wedged between the mattress and footboard. 

Tuesday--Week Planning

I am OCD.  I like to plan my week.  So far I haven't planned a thing.  Its windy and damp, rained yesterday.  Puts a crimp in the things I want to do.  


But it's QUIET at my house.  The remote for the TV in our living room doesn't work.  Its wonderful!  Please--do not tell my husband how to fix it!  

New Recipe

I love to cruise blogs--especially those I find links to on my friend's blogs.  Jay, found this one on yours!  Making homemade bread is one of the things I love to do.  Homemade bread toasted--ahhh!  Maybe a bit of my homemade jam.  I found this recipe on Apron Revolution blog.  

Simple but very good.  Since it's my sister's birthday, I will give this loaf to her! 

Do you bake your bread in "other" pans?  I like this shape, bread bakes evenly.  It is a vintage Glasbake pan.  Sometime after 1961.  Early '60's I think.  An auction sale treasure. 

Sunday Catch Up-State of the Stash

Blogger is not playing nicely.  Lost my first post.

My life has been taken over by harvest.   I am thinking about making another pan of jumbo size rice krispie bars.   The ones that use 12 cups of cereal to a pan.  Why??  They're easy.  Pack well in field lunches.  Don't require a fork or plate to eat them.  No refrigeration.  And, I have 3 jumbo bags of cereal.  Yeah, I know.  Overkill. 

To keep my sanity I have been practicing applique.  Different shapes.  Some day I may even incorporate applique into a quilt.  I like making vines and leaves, so a quilt with a bit of that winding in a border may work.  Here are a few I'm worked on lately---

The bottom block needs a flower at the bottom.  Jay, recognize the blue polka dots?  I think it was a pocket in its former life!  I wasn't able to attend Jay's Heartstrings Sew In on Saturday.  I thought about them all day!  Jay and Julia--I plan to see you later on, a trip south (Nebraska!)  So Jay, save those scraps, it's hard for me to find quilting mojo without them.  

State of my stash?  Hmm--best figuring I'm about even for the year.  I'm happy.  My blogging and sewing have all been slowed by my body.  Carpal tunnel and arm/shoulder problems.  Aging body and all that!  I'm catching up on blogs, I'm reading but not commenting much--blank brain! 

And before I forget--Happy Birthday to my sister Kathy!!

Weekly Goals

I had one goal last week, bind the pink/yellow quilt.  Made it!

I know, not the best picture.  That's what happens when you rush.  This is one of Henrietta's quilts.  Done Henrietta!!  

Missed the Sunday Stash Report--but I can report 3 yards in.  2 yards of background shirting fabric, and 1 yard of fabric with dots.  I wanted some polka dots!  And I've already cut into the shirting fabric--

I use mostly solids as background, and know I should have more variety.  Another sample block.  I didn't like making this block, it will be the only one.  But good practice.  Found a few more scraps from Jay, and made another twirling tulip--

Recognize that yellow Jay?  I know it came in one of your boxes.  

The first round of the red & white swap arrived.  

I haven't any setting/finishing plans for these blocks, I will wait until I have them all. 

Harvest is here, I have lots of hats to wear.   Cook.  Combine operator.  Parts runner.  Mechanic.  I'm not much of a mechanic--I just keep track of nuts and bolts and all those little pieces.  You know--those pieces you have left over when you're done, and wonder why!  

Remember "I love my digital camera"?  Last week Ken was describing to the parts person what part he needed.   I KNEW that poor parts person had no idea what he wanted.   I wasn't sure, and I had the part in front of me!  Yes, he was VERY confusing.  And then the light came on---"take a picture so they can SEE the part!"  

Yes, I had my camera with me, never know when you might see something blog worthy.  The parts person just looked at it and said "oh, you have THAT one."   Whew!  

 

Motivation Friday

A quick note--I have 7 minutes before the timer rings.  I'm not done binding the pink/yellow quilt, but I did work on it this week.  I played with an applique block.  Right now this is what I'm doing--

Cooking dinner.  (dinner at our house is at noon)   Harvest season is  here and its the usual thing.  I plan dinner for 12:30.  Phone rings--"Can we have dinner early?"    Sigh  The celery in the pan?  I lay the browned pork steak on it and then put it in the oven to finish cooking.  

I better go, almost time for them to get here, and I'm told I have to help in the field this afternoon.

Heartstrings Quilt Project/Fremont Sew In

One group I am very proud to be a member of is the Heartstrings Quilt Project.  On October 23rd I will be going to Fremont NE for a sew in.  There will be laughter, camaraderie, and JAY'S SOUP!   An excerpt from Jay---

Just a brief note to let people know that the Nebraska sew-in in coming up very quickly. It will be held Saturday October 23, 2010. The location is the same as the previous sew-in, which is Keene Memorial Library, 1030 Broad Street, Fremont, NE. It will be starting at 9 am and go until 5:30 when its time to clean up. Lunch will be provided, which will be Chicken and Noodle soup, carrot cake, and dinner rolls.

The focus of the sew-in will be to tie quilts for immediate use and delivery in the Fremont-Omaha-Lincoln metro areas. I would like to think that we should be able to get 8 quilts finished and that's my goal, more would be fantastic as well.

There is also a quilt show that Friday and Sunday, across the street, and three buildings down from the library.

As a note, for those you need to batting, JoAnn's has 40% bulk batting this weekend online offer only.

Link to Jay in Nebraska

Heartstrings Quilt Project is not limited by pattern, method, or receiving charity.  Which is good, since I'm out of scraps.  But, dear Jay has promised to save me some!

 

Monday Goals

Busy week planned here.  One goal--

1. Finish binding the pink/yellow quilt

   
I love applique.  I suck at doing applique!  But, as my friend Henrietta says, I have "dug my German toes in" and persist in trying.   I dedicate this block to Lillian--I know she does beautiful applique.  

Yes, I know there are some lumps and bumps.  hehe  Gives it character!  This was done using a glue stick.   I wanted to make these for my red and white swap.  I will practice one more out of some scraps--I put these in a pile and call them "Jay's blocks".  Really--it's just a name--I know Jay doesn't WANT any blocks!  

 

Things You See Later or Aren't Digital Camera's Great

Just a quick note--please go to the previous post with the Trip Around the World quilt.  Enlarge it and study the yellow next to the green.  It is an obvious stripe, and most the squares are turned the same way.  MOST!   The couple who made these quilts used whatever fabric they had.  The quilts were meant to be used, and I understand they were prolific in making them. 

Sunday Stash Report

Nothing bought, nothing finished.  


Oh, maybe I better say more than that!  It's been very busy the last two weeks.  Have a minor but painful health issue--costochondritis--which is just inflammation of where the cartilage of your ribs attaches to your breastbone.   Which affects my shoulders, and neck, and down my arm to my hands......well, you get the picture!  

Last weekend there was a 3 day quilt show in Nebraska--spread out over 200 miles.  15 different towns along the Outlaw Trail.  I missed the speakers, but did make 7 of the stops.  It was WONDERFUL!  

First--they were organized.  Every stop had several signs---

 

Made the stops easy to find.  And then there were the quilts--

Embroidery quilt

Two Color Quilt

Two Color Quilt

A Very Scrappy Quilt

Another Very Scrappy Quilt

The two scrappy quilts above were made by a woman and her husband.  He'd had his leg amputated, and after that he did the cutting and she did the sewing.   Yes, on her treadle.  And those quilts had EVERY different type of fabric in them.  At these shows you could get "up close and personal" with the quilts.  Many of them had been taken off their owners beds, washed, and were heading right back on the beds.  This couple were quite prolific at quilt making in the area. 

Hexagon Quilt

Hexagon Quilt

Both the hexagon quilts were made by the same lady.  Hand pieced--the hexagons are about one inch finished.  And hand quilted.  The fabrics were all solids.

Vintage Feedsack Quilt

The owner of this feedsack quilt had no idea what a feedsack quilt was until the show.  The pumpkin color was popular at that time.  

Scrap quilts with Tiny Pieces

Classic Scrap 9 Patch

One of my Favorites--it was GREEN!

Does anyone recognize the pattern used in this green quilt?  I really like it, and would like to make one.

Applique Sampler

150+ year old Red and Green Rose of Sharon

I wish you could see this quilt close up, it has the tiniest, almost invisible stitches.  I was in awe.

Thanks to everyone who made that weekend happen!

Harvest has started here, and I'm still volunteering.  The weather has been unseasonably warm, I turned the air on today.  But very appreciated!  No rain recently and perfect sleeping weather at night.