Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

These blocks are on my wall--

Fall in the City blocks.  I have lots more to put up yet.  Please see everyone's posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

Quilt a top

Dye a backing

Work on Fall in the City

That's enough for this week.  I was gone four days last week so I didn't get as much done as I wanted.  I'm tired of winter.  Can it be April now??

~LORI~

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

This week I finished putting the Double Square Star blocks together--

Now I have to find borders for it.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Last week I was Queen of the UFOs on Stashbusters.   I had lots of fun!  Wore the Royal furs, the jewels, and had the palace staff to do my bidding.  I picked the "theme" for the year.  I chose women's sports--and picked a roller derby name--Skye the Bloodthirsty!  We each an elf to help us, I have Goron the Werefolf elf.  And our own personal flying dragon--mine is Brynioth the Brave.  Although I had a week to complete a UFO, I did not!  I would have to give up the furs--it was nasty cold in South Dakota!  I love wearing the jewels, the crown, the scepter.  And the palace staff--scullery maids, house maids, footmen!  It was heaven!  But now the crown has been passed and I'm back to myself.  The penalty is a FQ paid to the Royal Treasurer--a small price for a week of fun!  Also on Stashbusters there is the WITB challenge--"Whats in the Box, or Bag.  Pictures have been posted, Stephanie so far has the most boxes to open--222!  Some are small, but some are stuffed full!  I haven't found any boxes here I haven't already opened.  So I did WOTT--What's on the Table.  The table under the Princess collects things.  

Did I find anything unusual?  11 Flashlights.  13 post it pads.  3 Staplers.  The only item I found that I had been looking for was a charging pad for my tablet.  There's not a lot of difference between "before" and "after" but its been sorted.  Only four flashlights now--if you have a long arm you probably know what they are used for.  To check your bottom tension you have to get underneath your quilt, and its dark under there!  Can't see the stitching in the dark. 

Weekly Goals--

Quilt one top

Sew binding on a top

Dye or piece a backing

Sew on Fall in the City

En Provence

Its going to be a busy week.  Not sure how much I will get done.  But last night I did finish quilting this top--

Pieces of Eight by Victoria Eapen. 

~LORI~

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 

 

 Its a new year, and I'm using my 2016 Guidelines again--

 

2017 Guidelines

Refold/organize ONE cube/spot in my stash per month

Work on ONE UFO per month and move it One more step towards completion.  (add borders, set blocks into a top, etc)

Any piece of stash less than 9" WOF goes into the scrap box to be recut into usable units--noodles, 3.5" x 6.5" bricks, 5" charms.  

Finish a UFO before starting a new project (this one is a bit iffy)

I plan to participate in Design Wall Mondays, Stashbuster's UFO Challenge, Rainbow Scrap Challenge and other internet fun.  Even Stash reports!  I may not post to each one every week--but I enjoy them. 

I plan to make quilts for donation and for family. 

I will participate in internet fun.  

I will remind myself its the PROCESS I love the most!

 

 My words for the year are ENJOY, FOCUS, and BALANCE!!

They have worked well for me, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"  I did add Focus and Balance to my words in 2016 and I'm using them again in 2017.  I've learned a very helpful phrase--Just One Thing--JOT.  Even if you don't think you have time or don't feel like it, do JOT.  Wind bobbins.  Rip the mistake you laid to the side.  Press the blocks you pieced.  JOT can be locating a pattern, doing math, or making lists.  JOT is a task that might take 15 minutes.  Its a great tool, its used a lot.  I've been limiting my internet time and sewing more.  

Today I'm cooking ham, black eyed peas and kale in a stew.  All supposed to bring you good luck in the new year.  Do you have a special menu or tradition for today? 

~LORI~ 

Design Wall Monday and En Provence

This pattern is free currently on Connecting Threads and I really like it--

Its Wooden Spools by Mari Martin.  (Thank you Connecting Threads)   I've always wanted a Spool quilt so I made a few blocks--

These finish to 6" so its a good size.  You need 16.5" of a 2.5" strip for the focus fabric.  I'm adding these blocks to my Rainbow Scrappy Challenge blocks for 2017.  The pattern has a black background, but a dark background is hard for me to sew AND since my stash and scraps are mostly mediums and darks I opted to use a light background.  This is an apricot peach solid I had in my stash.  How did I choose my focus fabrics--they were on top the box of chunks I found recently.  Yup, pulled out the first 4 fabrics that I found.  I wondered if I could use lighter fabrics for the focus print--and I think the light pink I used will be OK.  

Next I finished trimming my En Provence Clue 5 units--

I made mine using squares and drawing a line diagonally.  Old school.  You can see I had very little to trim off.  I'm linking to Patchwork Times and Quiltville.  

Weekly Goals--

No weekly goals.   There are 2017 Guidelines to think of.  The next En Provence Clue is Friday.  A few New Starts to work on.  The Double Square Star blocks are now sewn into 9 bigger sections--I work on them each night before I'm done for the day.  A few seams each day moves them along.  And I have a few more tops to prep for quilting.  Next is getting backings made/dyed/planned for the tops backlogged.

One more Christmas celebration and then its on to the New Year.  Its cold and windy and we've had an inch of rain!  Rain is usually not a Christmas occurrence!  

~LORI~

Design Wall Monday and En Provence

Sunday was "fun" sewing so I made these blocks--

 Ritzy Cracker blocks from Moda Bake Shop.  These blocks were made using "chunks" on the cutting table.  This is the top of my cutting table--

Its nine foot long, see the cleared cutting area on the right??  There is a pile of chunks on left side, they're smaller than FQ but not a scrap.  I AM NOT putting them back.  I will continue to sew them up in different projects.   

En Provence Clue 4 was pretty easy.  80 train wreck units.

All done with only a few rejects.  I can relax until the next clue.

I'm linking up with Patchwork Times and Quiltville.  

The tree is up and most the decorations are out.  No goals this week, its for wrapping presents, baking cookies, and whatever else that comes along.  

~LORI~

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday

This week borders were found for a top made with album blocks from 2014 & 2015 RSC--

Not the best picture but its crowded in the sewing studio! (The quilt is hung sideways).   Remember when I bought a "brown" box and a "green" box last winter?  The perfect brown border fabric was in it--

A simple border treatment but I think it really goes with the deep teal background.  The R/W/B Album blocks top had been waiting for borders since last April.  Lots of fabric was auditioned. 

First a light blue border made from leftover dyed backing.  The red TOT fabric is directional--so it was used as side borders (the quilt is sideways in the picture).  The striped fabric has writing on it and needed to be a horizontal border.  I had to piece it and think I did a pretty good job--

My thumb marks the seams.  Both these quilts are ready to be quilted.  Please see what everyone is doing at SoScrappy.

Its going to be bitter cold, snowing, and windy.  I made a batch of Cheddar Chowder soup and a fresh loaf of sourdough bread--

This was made in the Oster bread machine--for some reason it doesn't brown as much on top as the Toastermaster machine, but the bread is almost perfect.  Someone asked for the recipe, and I don't have one.  The starter was made using instant potato flakes, water, sugar, and a dusting of yeast.  I take out a cup of starter (no, I didn't measure) and feed it a little potato flakes, bread flour, honey, and warm water and left it grow for about 8-12 hours.  Then I add a little sugar, bread flour, a scant tsp of yeast, a T. of butter, salt and warm water.  I usually reset the bread machine so it kneads an extra time.  The starter is also fed again and it goes back in the fridge.  This loaf is slightly tangy and makes the most wonderful toast.  

Christmas shopping is pretty much done.  We need to buy wrapping paper so that part can be finished.  I haven't done any baking yet, Ken and I don't NEED to be eating all that--so will do it right before Christmas to share.  

No travel is advised here due to blowing snow and bitter low temperatures.  I'm going to do lots of sewing!  

Are you done with your shopping?  Did you make Christmas goodies?  If you are where its nice and warm--PLEASE SEND ME PICTURES!!  Better yet--send me an airline ticket!

~LORI~

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Last week I threw these blocks on the wall--

Double Square Star by Missouri Star.  Now that they are on the wall I can play with placement of the units.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Grandchild #2 turned five last week.  Grandpa and Grandma bought him Ninja Pajamas--

They were a hit!

I wonder if his parents will get them off to be washed in a week or so??

Weekly Goals--

Rearrange the Double Square Star blocks
Prep a top for quilting
Make a binding
Start a new project or two

This week was the 3rd Clue for the Bonnie Hunter Mystery, an easy one--more 4 patches--

168 4 patches using light and dark purples.  En Provence Part 3.   I'm so glad this was an easy clue!  I keep all my bits in a basket--

The neutral 4 patches are on the bottom.  Bonnie said there would be no more 4 patches in this quilt!  

Its turned winter here, we have been below zero.  Brrrr!  

~LORI~