Life Gets In The Way!

Just a quick note----I know I have been "missing in action" for the last couple of weeks. Things have been VERY busy around here and although I have been quilting (of course) I just haven't had time to blog about it. Work is consuming me right now---I have LOTS of deadlines, but hopefully, after next week I can take a bit of a breather.

I have had to prioritize what I want and can do, in relationship to my quilting goals. I am not going to complete the CW blocks "Of the Week". The blocks are too small and too much trouble/time for me to enlarge to 12 inches, so I am putting this to the side....plus I don't have enough CW fabrics anyway. I am going to try instead to do the GO! Mystery Quilt. This is an opportunity for me to use fabs from my stash. Unfortunately (for me) I didn't have all of the dies that are being used, so I HAD to purchase several (tongue in cheek). Several places were having sales so I have the Chisel, Circle, Critters, and Blazing Star on their way! .....I will need to work a couple of extra shifts to repay the budget---oh well, such is life! Except for a couple of strip dies that I would like, I now have the majority of the dies that I will use. Diane purchased herself a Valentine Gift of the GO! so it will be fun to have someone to really talk to about the cutting system. This also gives us yet another thing in shopping common so it will be fun!

My UFO Challenge for Feb. is coming along very slowly. I knew it would though---you can't whip through a apple core like I did the January quilt. I will just have to be behind those who finish, but I still am anticipating that by year's end I will have completed my list of UFO's---I may have though added 12 to replace them, but compared to some, I don't have that many UFO's anyway.

I am also going to enter a couple of quilts in a show. I have them completed, but will need to sew the hanging strips on........so you see, I am a pretty busy girl!!!!!!!!

Well, gotta go---I have work to do to prepare for an important meeting on Tuesday. Take care and don't give up on me. Although I am not getting any comments, I can see I am being visited! Keep coming, it does a heart good to see that so many are interested in my little blog! Have a wonderful Sunday and coming week!

xoxo

How Many Applecore's Are Too Many?

I have cut 922 Apple Cores. The quilt I am making needed 461 blocks--that is one light core and one dark core per block. Although I have always loved the Apple Core block, there is NO way I would have made this quilt and cut each of these out with a template. The GO! allowed me to cut them all within two days. I could have cut them all at once, but I had other work to do and so couldn't devote the time in a block. The quilt will be 19 blocks x 19 rows. I would have liked to make it with 23 rows, but I ran out of blue and white, so it will be square. I am working hard, but I don't' think I will have this done by the end of this short month. My special machine foot makes sewing the core pieces together easy, but I have to switch to my regular foot when I start putting block to block. I do think this will be a pretty quilt. I think I will back it in muslin like most antique quilts are, since it really does look antique to me.

Well, just wanted to keep you updated. The sun is shinning bright here although it is very cold!!! Next week it will be in the 60's---almost dyeing weather!!!!!!

Hugs! and have a great week-end!

Super Bowl Sunday!

I am making my apple core's using my GO! This makes it possible for me since I would NOT cut all these out with a template. I love my GO! I think this was a appropiate purchase for me. When you cut the core there are little notches that make it much easier to put them together. It is still curved sewing but with my little gadget below, it is a little easier.

My curve master foot that I am using to put the apple core's together. It makes it easier, but there is a learning curve I am still on (the picture is turned sideways for some reason--sorry). I am a bit inconsistent, but I have decided to not obsess about that. I am also trying to not obsess about the placement of the colors either. I just want to have fun and moving things around 100's of times isn't making this fun.

This is UFO #10. ...my blue/white/neutral CW apple core that I am working on. Diane gave me some of her blue CW scraps so I have a pretty good variety. CW as I have mentioned before isn't really my favorite period or fabrics, but the blue and white/neutral looks so crisp to me. It will be a nice summer quilt I think. It will be queen size when I finish (of course). I haven't decided yet if I will leave the edge scalloped or not. I think the scallop will look pretty, but it all depends how I feel once it is finished. I don't think I will finish this in February....but I am going to work really hard to. I have about 50 of the two core's put together, and about 200 blocks cut. I think I will put them together by 4's and then 8's and then sew those together...(what I did on the far right in the picture). I will still have a long seam to sew in joining rows but I think it will be more manageable. The way I am figuring, I will need 20 rows of 18. I am going to put the first 4 rows together and see if it will be big enough. No, I will definitely NOT finish this in February.

Normally after church I go to a LQS or to Joanne's to look around at the very least. I really didn't feel like doing that this year. The weather was sunny but cool and after coming home from church and putting on my pj's, I really didn't want to get dressed. After church I had dinner with two of my kids and got a take-out for DH, so I didn't even have to cook. I did make some cookies for my grandson and his friends (my grandson is such a picky eater, I made him a grilled cheese sandwich with sides for dinner and he was happy), but other than running the vaccum in the downstairs den I really didn't do anything other than sewing a little.

Hope you Sunday was a wonderful one and your week will be just as great!.

UFO Challenge!

I completed the January UFO Challenge (UFO #6) without any real difficulty at all. I finished it, quilted it AND put my binding on (including sewing it down) all within the month of January. The UFO for February is #10. For me that is a apple core quilt cut in blue and neutral CW reproductions. As I have mentioned before, the CW period isn't my favorite and I actually once didn't like the fabrics. I however have changed my mind a little since there really are pretty bright CW's. Brights, Kaffee prints and batiks are still my favs, but I also think you have to broaden your view. The apple core is going to be a challenge for me, but I am going to complete it...I AM, I AM. The quilt will be larger (of course) and I have purchased a machine foot that I hope will make putting it together easier. We'll see---stop at Judy's site and see the other UFO Challenges.