April fools stitching

 It appears I was in a hand work mode yesterday. Unfortunately, the special elections were not my district in Florida.

I added the grey surround on these two while waiting on my 20 minutes to stretch the sourdough bread. I let it double overnight and then formed it into my loaf pan this morning. It took another few hours to rise and I have it in the oven now baking. I logged off work as I was tapped to drive my FIL to his Dr appointment today. (Standard eye doctor appt as he has missed a year from being in rehab) Greg's head is feeling wonky. I had offered and he took me up on it this time. I'll work tomorrow morning at work to make up the hours. 

I had time at my lunch to stitch a few of these purple hexagons and then finished them off after work and got them into a twosie. I also got one of the 3 browns done. 

Then I opened the baggie with the string of bead blocks and the yellow had one peel attached. I added the other two and have the third one pinned, before I needed to make dinner and then pick up Emily from flag practice. It appears they are now prepping for a fun show the end of the month, so instead of 7:15 they only practice until 6 and then fold the floors for a 6:15 pick up. I have more of these bead blocks prepped - light and dark blue, light and dark pink and this yellow. I have one red completed and a light and dark purple. I believe I was planning 2 of each color and the outer 4 peels will be a consistent green. The four middle petals change to the color of the month. I saw this pattern back in the 1990's and loved it in purple and green. It only took me 30 years to finally give it a try! 

Dinners so far this week. Monday was eggroll in a bowl using some hot italian sausage and the leftover cabbage I had in the crisper. Tuesday was Crispy Parmesean baked Chicken and veggies. Aidan mentioned the shrimp in the freezer, so tonight I'll grill those up with various veggies and maybe some sweet potato fries. 

Spring 2025 UFO list

Well, no finishes happened in the Winter 2025 quarter. Something about Covid with no energy for a month, colds and busy children. I did get to have 2 weekends at the beach though - valentines weekend with my sister and this past weekend with my daughter. I also had a weekend with my son in St. Pete for the Indy car races.  Do I feel bad leaving my hubby and son home.... nope! I will drag them all to the beach at some point this year though.

The list of UFO's -

 1.) I know I have at least one more cut somewhere to fill that open spot for a 7x6 setting. *** found the parts in a baggie!  These are hand pieced.... and might need a little fixing along the way on some of those middle joins. Just ordered some kona solids for an alternate block for these to become a quilt. From Inklingo lemoyne stars. Might need to order more since I am using that bolt for a few things! The blocks are 4.5 inches.

 

2.)  I think it's a 6.5 inch cut center of greys and 2.5 inch strips. Finishes 10 inches. 

3.) Midget Applique quilt from Sentimental Stitches. I need to add more flowers and leaves and the vines... and the last border. Hand pieced and hand appliqued. Started January 2015 as a car line project. One block a week.

4.) triangle pyramids. started June 2024.

5.) 2024 RSC - Arkansas Traveller Quilt.

Progressed to a top in the winter quarter 2025.

6.) Midget block collection - I started these in Vermont in 2010! I have a light blue for sashing.

7.) Birds in the Air block collection - counted and needed 27 more blocks made for the size I wanted. I believe I have made 20 of those 27 in Winter 2025 quarter. Progress.

8.) Erin's Butterfly - I made the wings in 2021.  Need to add one more set of wings... thinking 9 is a nice number?

9.) mostly cut out and some 9 patches are made. Hehe... from the first quilting book I had and made a quilt from. Introduction to Quilting 101 - the basics by Sharon Hultgren. I think this was Sunrise Surprise! The four patch from this book is at my Mom's hanging over a crib still!

10.) I forgot I had this. It is a cute birdhouse wall hanging but is foundation pieced, which I dislike. Maybe I can deal with it enough to get this done? Or rework it?

11,) This is a kit I purchased mid-90s - butterfly's. I think all the parts are there and I did start arranging them.

12.) Quilters Patch. A sew along that I completely did not meet my goals on in 2022. One block is done.

13.) Scrappy Flowering Snowball - I started cutting these with my accuquilt from scraps with the color of the month in 2020. I think it is time to start stitching them together. I see I need some orange added and purple and lots of lights! I have been searching for these and they seem to be playing hide and seek. I have yet to find them!

 

14.) Bittersweet Briar - pattern in Kim Deihl's book and kit of fabric.

15) Brimfield Awakening EPP. I did start this and have the first fabric thread basted in purple!

16.) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - On Ringo Lake - maybe step #2?

17) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - Grassy Creek (2020) Think I am on step #4.

18.) 30's log cabin tulip quilt.

Quilt Tops: 

 19) Ella Maria Deacon Blocks. Hand pieced, machine stitched together into a top. Patterns from Sentimental Stitches.

 I need to measure and see if it is happy with it's size or now. All my quilts seem to have a mind of their own!

20) Vermont Quilt Festival Booth Hop from either 2008 or 2009.  it is 71x71.

21.) Y2K Joann's BOM - quilt top

22.) 1857 Quilt Along Top - This one is in the hoop for hand quilting as of December 2024.

23.) Spring Hexagons - not sure if this wants to be bigger or not.... 

24.) Triple Irish Chain - green. 80x80 I think. I did find both fabrics extra with it... Might need a green or cream border first or both... Made in the early 2000's. circular feathers in open spaces.

25.) Harmony - hand pieced project started March 2021-

2/5/24 it is a top!

26.) Hexagon flowers on a black background. These are a stack of blocks I hand pieced a few years ago then hand appliqued to the black background a couple years after that!  

Slow Sunday and TSC

 

These ladies were the inspiration for the song lyrics challenge this month. I had found various yellows and was sewing them together earlier this month with the thought of  'You are my Sunshine' running through my head. After a weekend at winter guard as a chaperone and hearing their routine song of 'Stand by me' (over and over again!) I decided to go with that instead.

Notice the umbrella's in their routine. They also did 2 flag colors and riffles.

I made this placemat. Not the prettiest, but it sure did use a bunch of scraps hanging around!

I pulled this pretty for the backing from my mystery box of fabric. 

After two very long days (Thursday and Friday) Saturday was a walk on the beach and relax day. Em was exhausted, and took a good 3 hour nap in the afternoon. I had the balcony window open and enjoyed the sound of the waves, watching the water and stitching. These sets of 2 became sets of 4. Now to sew them into their column to add to the big quilt!

Linking up with Joy and the Table Scraps Challenge and Kathy with the Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Yellow RSC

 Not much yellow this month but the bita and alternate blocks got made.  

I brought a yellow beads block that I hope to work on later tonight in the hotel. I'm stitching this yellow set of qayg hexagons together now while the girl relaxes for a bit before we wander and explore Daytona. 

Winter guard team competition is done. JV team placed 4th and Varsity placed 2nd. Both improved scores each competition.

A relaxing day at the beach before we head home tomorrow. 

Linking up with the RSC.

Winter guard Championship weekend

 We headed to Daytona Beach yesterday for the JV guards last competition of the season. Varsity performs today.

What a long day! I ferried 5 girls including mine for the 2 hours over. We spent the whole day at the convention center. They pulled a few floors for other schools and performed a little after 8pm. They did so well! This is a state competition so there were 17 teams in their group.  They placed 4th and improved their point score each competition.   They were 2 point from a medal. The coach said it was the highest score recieved for the school in her 4 years of coaching.

There were some issues and all kids handled them well. 

One uniform had some transfer from a late washing Wednesday night. Hopefully it is not noticeable today on the floor.

After awards, we went out for pizza and wings as is tradition. I might have taken a wrong turn so Emily directed me there. We had a blinking yellow. The other car had a red. Yup, the were going. Thankfully no contact and we continued on our way. Parked on the street and I walked them the block to the restaurant.  A few others parked in a waffle house. It was after 10pm. When we were leaving around 11:30, 3 of the waffle house  parked cars were towed. All the props and costumes and luggage in them!

I drove my crew back, the others walked with chaperones the 17 minute walk. One car took the towed owners to the impound lot. $170 each but got the vehicles and settled in to the hotel by 1:30am. 

Breakfast got pushed to 11am. Varsity performs late afternoon.  

It has been an eventful time so far. Emily and I are staying until Sunday.  Let's hope today goes smoothly. 

A few photos. 

My view this morning. 

Finally to hotel after midnight. 

Coach made her get a photo for me!

This is 4 divisions that performed yesterday.

The start of the show.

Beach photo when we first got to Daytona about 1pm.

Time to help with breakfast and more advice for the headache.

Weekend

I finally got a few minutes in the sewing room this morning to finish adding the big yellow triangle to the birds in the air and the alternate birds in the air blocks. Who knew a mistake would become a new block to make? I believe I just need 7 more of these BITA blocks before I can assemble them into a top.

 I've been plugging away adding a few granny squares with the grey surround this week. I laid out a few to see how they might be put together. We will see.

I've mostly been doing QAYG hexagons. I sewed a bunch of existing ones into sets of 2 and then prepped and stitched up a bunch through the week.

Linking up with RSC on Saturday for yellow and Slow Sunday Stitching.

Saturday was a run around day. I was lazy and slept in and spent the morning browsing the internet. Then walked the dog and showered. Headed over to visit my FIL - who lives about 45 minutes away. The boy planned dinner and pulled out some fish from the freezer for fish tacos. I had the girl drive me to the big Walmart to get his requested soft corn taco shells and a few other things. I was looking for 1/2 gallon mason jars and pickling lime. I've been looking at water glassing eggs for storage since we have lots of them right now. Alas, no pickling lime. 

She cleaned the chicken coop while I cooked my dinner (scallops yummy!) and then headed to Sams in the evening to get a few things and get her more night driving time. 

Planned the meals for the week. Since the roaster chickens were gone (7PM!), we are going to do steak and veggies on the grill in what I call a deconstructed kabob!  Peppers, zucchini, onion, mushrooms and whatever else I find in the crisper. Monday will be chicken shwarma I think. This is a new to us recipe. I've got pita in the freezer and salad things to go with it. Tuesday will be stuffed peppers. Quick and easy. I use the Spanish rice mix from rice a roni and add a pound of cooked ground beef.

Wednesday - I'm thinking $5 sushi from Publix since it is early release day, but Em has a last guard practice and 7:30 show for parents. Thursday we head to the beach for competition. The boys are on their own!