OMG - March goal is met....

I did it! I got the first three 1857 Album blocks completed and  two more are nearly done. They just need their peels added to the edges. These patterns are available over at Sentimental Stitches. They are free each month when she releases 3 or 4 then pop into her shop a the end of the month. She will release some new ones in April. So far 11 have been released.

Alas.... I have given no attention to the Grandmothers Choice blocks this month. There's always next month for that one!

Linking up to OMG - head on over and see how everyone did this month.

Easter Weekend Wrap-up

How can it be the last Saturday in purple already? Yikes....  must find time to sew more purple until the end of the month!

I did add one more house block to the pile this week - total of 4 this month. Oops... guess I did a purple one back in January on the blue month!

And the 7 more birds in the air blocks that I needed. 17 made this month in purple.

I also made progress with the 1857 appliqué blocks.... I have 5 of them appliquéd now.... but need to add the peels to the last 3 blocks.

Head on over to see what the other RSC projects are looking like on Saturday and Oh Scrap on Easter Sunday.

My hand stitching for Slow stitching Sunday with Kathy's Quilts will be adding some peels to those appliqué blocks and starting to add a yellow round to my hand pieced 2 inch trip around the world quilt.

I marked 68 of those tiny yellow squares last night for hand stitching. I finished up the last row of purple this week and decided to go with the alternate yellow color for the next round!

Greg has taken the kids to Grandma's today. I have errands to run and a house to clean (with a little sewing time this afternoon I hope!). Tomorrow will be Easter lunch with Grandpa A, Grandma H and probably a bowling friend T who has no family in the area. Yes Mom, the one I took to the ER last Thursday. The kids reminded me today I needed to get their Easter baskets out so the Easter bunny can fill them tomorrow after leaving an Easter Egg hunt for them through the house. Greg is trying to convince them bunnies don't go out in the rain...... I don't think they are buying that one!

Off to run errands so I can get everything done.... so I can SEW!!!!

Mystery quilt....

I figured I'd post something different for a change. The last month of posts seem to be mostly appliqué. The sewing machine is getting some attention as I did a couple of mystery clues from my old guild up in VT. One of the members decided to do an on-line mystery through their Facebook page. She posted the 5th clue yesterday. It has been very easy to do over the last 2 months and will make a little throw as a 2 color quilt. I chose white and a blueish purple fabric I purchased in Ohio 5 years ago. The clue released yesterday was to use 4 of the units to make a pinwheel!  I did not see that one coming but it is so darn cute! Once she gets 10 'done - ready for the next step' she'll post the next clue. I can't wait to see how this one gets finished. It will be 40x48 when done...... but I have more fabrics so it might get extra borders =). We'll see.

Tuesday Applique?

This is the fourth block of the 1857 Album quilt. I am working on block 5 despite the need to prep some peels to add to the corners of block 3,4 and 5.....

Greg was home yesterday to help keep Aidan entertained while I worked and Em was at Grandma's house. Today... the kids did a good job playing outside and entertaining themselves most of the morning. I boiled up some eggs around lunchtime and let them color them while I finished the last hour of work on the computer. Sugar cookies are now baked off... only a few bunny heads and carrots got decapitated... along with one of Aidan's chicks. The eggs and flowers came out great though!

Slow Sunday....

It's a nice quiet Sunday so far. The kids are playing in the play room keeping entertained. Greg is sleeping in and I am enjoying some peace and quiet.
It has been a long weekend... mostly due to Friday night's drive in campout with Emily. Lack of sleep led to a very lazy Saturday. Lots of games, puzzles and movies as both kids and I were tired. I snuck in some hand work yesterday on my 1857 blocks. Today the house really needs a cleaning which means I get lots of breaks to stitch =) My reward system. The kids are going to Grandma's house with Emily staying for a sleepover.... after Grandpa comes for his visit mid morning.

I've been working on my 1857 quilt blocks and have the first 2 completed and just a little bit left on the third one. I hope to get this one finished off today - turning those 4 little circles and adding the 4 peels to the corners. She released the 11th block this weekend..... so maybe I'll start on the 4th block tonight after I finish off #3?

Head on over to Kathy's Quilts and see what others are stitching around the world today.

Some pics for Mom - Emily and I got the tent set up Friday night at the Drive in. First time for me and yes, I did add the stakes to the rain shield in front. Good thing - it rained for hours but we stayed dry in there.

We got the tent set up.

Watching Zootopia.

Morning after breakfast.

Ride home - almost asleep but woke up when we got home.

lots of tomato plants... guess I need to prep the garden.

RSC Saturday in purple......

So happy I get to join in this week. I managed to carve out a little sewing time and played with some purple during the week. 10 minutes here and there can really get things done.

A house got built....

Some Birds in the Air blocks flew out of the sewing room

My 1857 album quilt just happens to be in purples so I am including the progress on those blocks as well. The patterns are free over at sentimental stitches.com for these.

Head on over to the RSC Challenge on Saturday morning for the link up. I'll link up when I get home from an overnight girl scout slumber party at the drive in. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. That kicks off the kids school vacation (with Friday being their first day of vacation).

Finally something completed!

I finished turning this flower last night and then decided to go ahead and add the four peels to the corners. Finally, a block of the 1857 album quilt is completed. Now to go and put the four peels onto the first block.... before I get farther into block 3. So glad I decided to go with purple and green for this one.

March 13... and a time change...

Wow - I have not posted since last Sunday and no sewing at all has happened! Same photo from last week... maybe I'll actually get to turn this one into a completed block this evening?

My week - Monday started my new job up in VT. It was only on-site for M,T,W and then I will work from home mornings while the kids are in school. Monday night was out to dinner with my friend Michelle for lots of chatting.
Tuesday - work and then hung out with my old bowling friends in VT in the evening.
Wednesday - half day of work, lunch with Mom and Dad and then airports and plane rides. I got home at 11PM.
Thursday - dropped kids to school, got my computer for work set up onto the wireless and printer, then bowling. Put in Avon orders and lot of phone calls while kids are home and helping with homework. A meeting at school on the Sea world field trip at 6. Then back and forth with my district manager at Avon on my recruit.
Friday - worked for a few hours, then errands - garbage and recycle after cleaning out the fridge, a trip to the girl scout store and lots of chatting with Raey there (she is my contact for questions!), then quick back to pick up kids and an extra one. Home and then a play date that lasted until after 7 when Greg got home. My friend Deb needed to chat as she had a rough week. The kids play so well together we just let them be outside.
Saturday - Greg took kids to Grandma, I headed to our store to run errands - bank, drop packages to ship, store - busy so jumped in to help, updated the books, Sams club for gas and groceries then back to the store to put the order in. Home for lunch... and the phone call from Grandma - come get them. Emily has been sick and she was too! I headed over to get them (40 minutes away)  as Greg was not feeling great either. Got Emily home (good thing I grabbed a bucket!) and into bed, made meatloaf and headed to the Walmart with Aidan to get some groceries and birthday presents for a party today.
Time change. Emily was up in the night.....
Sunday - Girl scouts horses is this afternoon - we'll see how Emily is doing. So far so good with no fever and keeping toast down. Aidan has boy scout camp cards to sell this afternoon 1-3 with Greg. Then a quick over to his friend Thomas (play date from Friday) for cake and ice cream around 5.... assuming I go to horses this PM with Emily 1-4.

I really am looking forward to some slow stitching tonight! I think I deserve it.

Wow - if you made it this far head over to Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday..... less stressful reading I promise!

Slow Stitching Sunday

This was my hand work on the first plane yesterday morning. I plan to finish this one off with the purple flower this evening in the hotel. I am back basting this so it is all set to go. My second block of the 1857 Quilt.

Today I had a nice brunch at my brothers house and all my siblings and parents were there. Thank goodness I feel lots better today than yesterday after traveling. All I was good for was napping yesterday afternoon and evening so I missed the concert my niece was playing in. The three nights of little sleep with a sick child and traveling caught up with me. Today we'll hit Kohls looking for a game to help my Dad with his concentration and then might hit a sugar house for some sugar on snow with a sour pickle and donut. Yummy (I'm more into the pickle and donut than the sugar on snow). I also need to grab some syrup to take home with me.... my normal delivery is not happening this year as Mom and Dad will stay home in Vermont instead of coming to Florida this month.
Time to get off here and head out to see some lovely scenery here in Vermont.
Linking up with the Slow Stitchers at Kathy's Quilts.

RSC in purple....

I did manage to find a little purple to play with this week. Two scrappy purple houses with yellow windows.

Head on over to the RSC Challenge and see what other purple is popping up today. 

For me... I'll be heading on a jet plane with some stitching... which happens to have shades of purple! My 1857 appliqué blocks are traveling with me to VT so I can get a computer and quick training for my new job I start Monday. I'm working as a computer programmer part time  for a former client of mine when I was consulting before kids. It is scheduled for the next 4 months mostly while the kids are in school - 20 hours a week. I'll  be working from home other than the first couple of days on site. It worked out great... as Today is Mom's birthday and I'll be there to celebrate with her. We'll also go see my niece play saxophone tonight in Barre with The Limes. I can't wait. Happy Birthday Mom and I'll see you soon!

Wish Greg luck - I was home with Aidan yesterday - fever and chills with a terrible sounding cough. Hopefully he recovers quickly and Em doesn't get it (or me!).

OMG for March....

With a little traveling this month I think I will pick an appliqué block or two to get completed for my One Monthly Goal. I have one completed (ok, the middle is done but the peels on the edges are not!), and 10 have been released in the 1857 Album Quilt  since January. I hope to have the first 3 blocks that were released in January completed by the end of March. Looks like the link is still available if you'd like to join in. She will be releasing the blocks over a span of 20 months... so plenty of time to join in. I am back basting these so I draw it on the back, including a line for the 10 inch block and the 10.5 inch block for cutting.

I decided to make mine in purples and greens rather than the red and green colors of the original quilt.
My first block looks like this. I used two pieces of freezer paper ironed together to make my circle and added it on - still not very round.

I'll add a picture on Friday... I'm sure I will be home with a sick child as my son popped a good fever and achey half way through a girl scout cookie booth (I had 2 moms running the booth while us leaders were with our sons!)
Linking up with OMG at redletterquilts.com.


I'm also attempting to finish a few of the ahem.... 22+ UFO's I have in the house so in keeping with the purple of the RSC Challenge this month I will pull out the Grandmothers Choice blocks and try and piece them into a top this month. Not sure it will happen as I start a new job on the 7th but at least the blocks will be taken out of the drawer and have a chance to see daylight. Who know's,  maybe it will become a top?

Crochet.....

I'm cutting it close on the baby quilt but the binding should be completed tonight and a quick wash and wrap for tomorrow will have it all set for the baby shower.

Since my applique is not as small and not prepped I have yarn in the bag. Last week I finished off this knitted dish cloth.

Yesterday I finally started a new crochet pattern for dish cloths. I've had them printed off for about a year now. I started it in the car line and finished this one while Emily was doing her homework. The pattern for textured crochet dish cloth can be found here. I do love how it looks. I used a I instead of the recommended h hook. Yes, I know I have one somewhere but could not find it when I wanted it. I'm sure it is in with my last afghan yarns....

I started this one at the dentist yesterday.... the pattern for  the crunchy stitch dish cloth can be found here. So nice to be able to change things up a bit and do something with yarn once in a while.