Another Challenge

In keeping with my "I will not make New Year's Resolutions" resolution, I am taking part in another Challenge to make sure I keep on track with getting things done next year and using up the fabric in my stash.  The last challenge that I posted about was Judy Laquidera's UFO challenge and this challenge is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

See this site (and I have a button on my sidebar):

http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2010/12/rainbow-scrap-challenge.html

Superscrappy will post a different color selection each month and regularly post suggested designs to work with - no quilt police and no hard and fast rules!  If you have enough stash to sort some scraps by color, go ahead and get started.  I have some limitations (like I don't have much orange), but I can work around that. 

With both of these complementary challenges, I should be getting some projects completed and using up some stash, too.  I'm getting organized for a fresh New Year!  I'll keep ya posted ...

Taking On the UFO Challenge

I've decided that after the holidays I will put some more structure in my life (but in a fun way, of course).  This is not a New Year's Resolution because I don't do well with those ... LOL!

I have decided to get on board with Judy Laquidara's 2011 UFO Challenge.  See her blog and a description of the challenge over at Patchwork Times:
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2010/12/13/ufo-challenge-2011/

I've put a button on my sidebar and hope to keep updating my progress on the UFO finishes.  It should be interesting to see if I stick with pulling the number out of a hat and working on that designated UFO, but that's the fun part!  I'm going upstairs now to count my UFOs (and try to find where I've hidden them all ...).  Here's a peak at the first couple that are in zip lock bags or in the basket waiting to be quilted:

Blocks from block swaps

Waiting to be quilted

And, BTW, it is cold once again in Florida.  This is the frost that was on the ground still at 10:00 this morning (this side gets the afternoon sun).  Even with the frost, this little iris just keeps blooming ... what a cheerful plant.

This post is now edited with my first 12 UFOs for the Challenge:

30s Sampler

Trail to Treadlonia

Batik Squares

Pink/Green Antique Tile

Mary Englebreit Panel

Blue/White Monkey Wrench

Green Swap Blocks

Fall Square in Squares

Scrappy Strips

30s H Blocks

30s Scrappy Hearts

Bears in the Farmhouse



Christmas Presents

Like most quilters, I was lucky enough to receive some quilt-related Christmas presents.  I can't wait to read the book ... I have trouble with just pulling scraps from my stash and making an attractive top, and this book gives you tips and pointers that will make your scrap quilts sparkle!  This is what I got:

Merry Christmas

What's On The Agenda

I’m sure you can guess what will be going on at my house this week … this is what I picked up at the grocery today in preparation for what'll be happenin' in the Kitchen soon:

So go ahead and laugh along with these fabulous (and TRUE) Cookie Rules:

Christmas Cookie Rules

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh from the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the Test Cookie and thus calorie free.
2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.
3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend.  Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, Rule No. 1 means that yours is too.  It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.
4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move.  This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.
5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.
6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories.  Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter.  Make more red ones!
7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on
   34th Street", 
   "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.
8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking the cookie causes calorie leakage.
9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate.  We all know how calories like to cling!
10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes never have calories.  It's the rule!

A big *Thank You* for this list to:   http://lavieenrosie.typepad.com/
 

Please go visit this great quilting blog site and be sure to stop by Miss Rosie’s Quilt Company (no affiliation – just like her stuff!).

Pillowcase Gift

Let me say right up front that I do not like working with satin!  Satin just slips and slides and ravels and makes your life miserable.  Now that I have that out of my system ...
I just finished making a set of satin pillowcases for my mother.  She likes them because she says her hair-do lasts longer.  Whatever.  Anyway, I now have a greater appreciation of photographers who take photos for catalogs and make everything look great.  A cream colored satin pillowcase does not photograph easily!  Here is one finished and a detail of the decorative ribbon.  I  must admit, they did turn out well, but I'm glad to get back to my quilts and cotton fabric.

Merry Christmas, Mom (no, she doesn't read this blog).

Antique Quilt

Since I've been too busy to sew, I thought I'd post a picture of an antique quilt that I own.  This quilt was made by one of my great-grandmothers, but, since it has no label, I don't know which one (several of them were known to be quilters).  My mother has changed her story three or four times about who made it (her memories are no longer reliable) and there is no one left who can confirm it for me. 

It was made in the 1930s (or maybe early 40s) and it has more than a few worn places where the batting comes thru, as it was used heavily before I got it.  It was made in the days before queen size beds so it just covers the top of one in this picture.  The blocks are string-pieced diamonds making the spider web design that uses up every scrap - very modern - I guess quilt designs tend to return in cycles!  It also is bound in the method that brings the backing fabric forward onto the front (in this case, muslin).  It is hand pieced and hand quilted - I just love it.  Enjoy!

Shows the pieced diamonds



Close-up of some of the fabrics



One of the bad spots that needs repair - batting coming thru.

Why I've Been Busy

I have had no time to update my blog or quilt since I finished the last baby quilt.  First came the lost dog.

This adorable Husky was wandering loose by a nearby elementary school on a deadend street.  I was afraid he would find his way up to the busy cross-street, so I took him home and got my dog's leash and started walking the nearby neighborhoods.  He had a collar, but no tags.  He was thin but otherwise healthy and well-cared for.  I thought it would be easy to find his owner nearby.  Too late I realized that I should have taken him straight to the vet and had him scanned for a microchip.  By the time I thought of it, the vets were closed and, of course, closed the next day on Sunday.  He was well-trained in the house, but not leash-trained and he was a strong dog!  I can see why they are well suited to pull sleds.  If only I was young enough to rollar-blade he would have been a blast.   Finally on Monday I was able to get him scanned and after a long song and dance (chip registration hadn't been updated), got him back where he belonged.  And that was almost 20 miles away.  Turns out he was just over a year old and still very much a puppy - loved to play, loved rawhide bones, loves stuffed animals and loved to run.  Way too energetic for our household and our 7 yr old furball.  I'm sure glad this story had a happy ending.  I guess the moral is to get those pets microchipped and be sure to update it if the animal changes owners or moves.

The second thing that has kept me from quilting is that while searching for a possible owner or rescue group on-line, I got a rather nasty virus.  Our computer was locked up for most of a day until we could get rid of any trace of it.  What a mess.

I hope to be back on track tomorrow!

On My Walk

I finally got back to walking regularly and I remembered to take my camera with me today.  I saw several things that reminded me of quilt projects that need to be completed:

First was the Beauty Berries

Second was the Pansies

The above reminded me that I had won the purple and yellow blocks from the Sunshine Quilt Guild block lotto and I needed to put together something.  I think if I get this quilt done soon, I will have a box full to send off to Wrap Them in Love.  I'll keep you posted.  These are the blocks (in no particular order yet) - the top right and left corner blocks have pansies - very pretty!

Baby Quilt Finished

I had a houseguest and got behind in making the baby quilt.  I was going to hand it off last Saturday to a friend who is attending the baby shower (since I can't be there) but I'll have another opportunity tomorrow so I've finished it just in time.  The pictures were taken this evening and the colors aren't right so I hope to take some more tomorrow in natural light before I wrap it.  The fabric is Debbie Mumm and is called "Kitties at Play" - they are having fun with bicycles, pogo sticks, hopscotch, etc.  Here's the first shots:




Detail with Backing

Pause for a Baby Quilt

I was on a good roll with completing some UFOs for donating to my favorite children's charities, but today I had to pause.  I just received short notice of a baby shower for a friend's great-grandchild (all three generations were child brides apparently - my friend is only in her 60s!).  So today I'll show the first few blocks and some of the intended fabrics.  I hope to be done by Saturday ... maybe ....

Two Finishes

I finished quilting and binding these two.  Can't say much about those non-parallel lines on the star quilt (ok - enough true confessions - no more self criticism). Next time I'll be more careful with which corner I take the picture of  :).  I'm back to working with those scrap strips now.