More blocks needed.

 We got a new bed which is a king size, and I have NO quilts that size! In a pinch, my granny flowers on black is being used, but it is a little too small. What's a girl to do?

I have a collection of 12 inch blocks in flowering snowball and shoo fly, waiting patiently for me to sew them together. I think I'll hand stitch another 23 of them and make it a nice King size before it gets sewn together. That had me checking for the background - Kona eggshell. I have some left, but not enough for 23 blocks. I'll be checking MSQC over the next months to pick up another 10 yd of it on sale. I've got a couple yards on the bolt so can continue making blocks for a bit. I cut out one flowering snowball and two shoo fly blocks using my Accuquilt dies. I have the Flowering snowball and the 8 inch cube - 1+3 shapes used for the second block.

Thank goodness this is a scrappy one in blue, green and purples so it should be fairly easy to add to! 

Now that I have a plan for that, I think I will plan to hand quilt the graduation quilt - bear paw for Aidan.  I have the backing but need to get it prepped to size. I also looked up the big roll of batting I got from MSQC - natural cotton and it says it can be hand quilted. So, I'll plan to use that for the batting. We will see how it goes. It's been a while since I have loaded something onto the frame so I'll have to rewatch the Grace EZ3 loading video again.  That will be my afternoon plans!

Linking up with the RSC.... I think I did some of these blocks with the RSC...years ago!

Sunday Stitching

There will be some Sunday stitching, but I really do need to do a bunch of things I did not do yesterday. Yesterday, I put the frame into my new office space and started hand quilting on the Birds in the Air. Turns out, I was not in the mood to do curves on the big triangle so I think it will be just free handed straight lines! Much easier to do on the frame.

I have 4 of the 8 peels appliqued onto this block. The four outer green ones will get added this week. This is the last of the 16 String of Beads blocks to get completed.

All the Flowering snowballs and shoo fly blocks have been hand pieced for the Flying Snowball quilt. I'll probably machine stitch these together into a top. I pulled blues, teals, purples and greens for this one.

Friday I went to the away football game at The Villages as a band chaperone. The band performed after the game. So we got home about 11:30PM that night. Then, Saturday I dropped Emily to school for 10:45 AM for practice before they headed to Tampa for a competition that evening. They placed 2nd in their division. Not bad. It was a late night/morning. The bussed arrived back at the school around 1:45AM. I think I headed to bed at 2:30AM. She is still sleeping, and I'm not going to wake her or check until at least 2PM. She does have homework to get done today and wash to do! The boy had a night out for a friends birthdays and was about 40 minutes from home. He got in about 11:30 and stayed up chatting with me until about 1AM, when I headed out to get Emily from school. Greg and I went out to dinner last night, as a late anniversary date since both kids were gone. 

I'll do some housework that needs to get done and then try and figure out how the rest of my new office room will be set up. I've got a new desk (Emily put it together for me Wednesday night) and my hand quilting frame is in there. I need to figure out where things will go, so I can put quilts and pictures up on the walls. 

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.
 

Sunday

 I did have a finish this week. My cross stitch had the last few stitches taken in Take time. I'll need to figure out how I want to finish it off but the stitching is completed.

It was an early wake up today for the F1 race in Baku - 7AM our time for 3PM their time. The dog is impatiently waiting on his walk. Look at that face! I'm stitching on the peels on the last String of Beads block. One peel down, 7 to go!

The front room finally got cleared out yesterday afternoon. Well, the Victrola and a telescope are in the middle of the room under a sheet. Emily and I did the first coat of what we could reach without ladders late evening. I did the edge work with a brush while she used the roller. The dark maroon wall (that I have hated for 14 years) is nearly gone. The model home we bought had lots of accent walls, and all were maroon. Greg is taking over my office area and decided to keep the table I had in there as my desk (my old kitchen table). He ordered me a rising office desk like we got Emily last year for her room. It will fit nicely against the front side half wall. The hand quilting frame will be in there as well. Aidan's racing and flying gear set up is now in his room - I have yet to go see how crowded it is in there.

I've been drawing different patterns into this triangle space to figure out what I want in there. I think I have settled on the green spot. We will see if I keep it hand drawn or make a template for it. Everything is stuffed into the sewing area of the finished garage area next to my old office. I can't get in there yet, but maybe by tonight.

I have a couple of hst's stitched for the next shoo fly block. Plenty of things to keep me busy this week.

Greg is going with Em for horses today (it is 50 minutes away now and she is not comfortable driving herself there yet). I've signed up for another cookie decorating and topper class this afternoon. I'm hoping some painting happens at home while I am away this afternoon! 

Nothing too special planned for our 19th anniversary today. I did get a pretty bunch of fall flowers handed to me yesterday. 

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Sunday stitching

 I've been making good progress on this stitchery this week. I just have a few more of the sea green to stitch above the peach shell, and then the backstitching and words will be the last steps. I forgot how fun it is to cross stitch - I think the last time I did was around 2005.

I'm still adding blocks to the flying snowball quilt. I'm in the final stretch on this one and have hand pieced over 40 blocks. The final count is 49, so a few more to go. They did all get marked for stitching during a staff meeting this week, so that task is completed.

Today, I'll be deciding if I hand quilt or machine quilt my BITA quilt. It is 90x90 and I'm not sure I'm up to trying to machine quilt that on my machine. I am planning to move my quilting frame (which will fit this!) into the front room that I have cleared out this week of the futon, coffee table, extra boxes. I'm hoping to finish clearing out in there this week and get it painted, so I can move my office in there along with the quilting frame and maybe throw a tv on the wall in there as well. I've also got some more weeding to do in the garden, so that can get tilled and planted soon for fall. Slow progress all around, but progress is happening. 

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Slow Sunday Stitching.

I'll be picking up some stitching after I finish this post. I will probably add some applique to the sting of beads blocks in teal/aqua as they are the last 2 needed for that project. 

I have a feeling they will go with me to the quick care later this afternoon with 1 or 2 kids for ear checks. Aidan can't hear out of one ear now and knows when the 4 hour Advil wears off. He does have a movie with friends at noon, so I'll take him after that, if he can stand it. He might opt to reschedule that and do the quick care. It took a while to figure out what quick care or ER is on my insurance plan. Ridiculous. 

Emily said her ear hurt before leaving at 4AM on her 18 hour day to FSU  yesterday.  She has a high tolerance for pain and gets them a lot. If hers is still bothering, I'll pull her with us as well. I think they are both day 3 or 4 of ear pain, but told me late Friday for both. Sigh. They are both doing Advil and swimmers ear drops.... but it's not helping so must be an inner ear one.

Progress on the cross stitch. I forgot how long these guys take! The starfish is now done and below is a clam shell that will be outlined later. 

 

I have one long seam to sew for this to become a top. I need to press it first, as a set of 8 rows and a set of 7 rows will be easier to press than the whole 15 rows. This one is a big one - 90x90. I got the last 7 rows stitched together yesterday - 105 blocks.

A couple of flowering snowball blocks got hand stitched the last few days as well. 11 more of these blocks to go to reach the 49 needed for that quilt.

 

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

A little hand work

 After the binding it was back to hand stitching blocks. I did the flowering snowball and parts for the shoo fly. I'll finish that one later tonight.

Since I got a finish, I was looking at my list of UFO projects. I have 2 Bonnie Hunter mystery quilts that have been solved but I am still 'in process'. Ok, they are sitting in their respective boxes waiting to see the light of day again. I did buy the digital PDF's for them last year since I could not find all the directions. I have Grassy Creek and On Ringo Lake. I believe Grassy Creek is farther along. 

I also have all the Birds in the Air blocks waiting to be stitched together. I think that one will happen first, and then I'll see how Grassy Creek is looking. There is something about working on projects with fall colors.... when it is almost fall. 

I've got a quick planning meeting tonight for girl scout events and a get rid of stuff shop. I'll be bringing a box or two of things to get out of the house.... and helping to unload another car or two of things for new troops or various troops. Nothing is coming home with me.  See, I am trying to get rid of things in the house. I also listed the futon/daybed on Facebook marketplace. I'd like that out of the front room, so I can clear everything out and paint the walls. Then have stanley steamer come in and deal with the carpets in a few of the rooms. At this point..... who know's when the county will ever make an offer, so I'm going to make that into a nice usable room again (and kick the boy's racing things out and into his room that he keeps saying he will do and doesn't). I'm going to move my hand quilting frame out there and mount a tv onto the wall. Guess I should mention that to hubby. We have plenty of tv's hanging around this house. That will get it out of the bedroom and the cats eating the ties and messing with batting. I think the purple 1857 quilt will go on that and I'll just do smaller quilts in the hoop - like Harmony, Ella, Erin's butterfly's, etc. That is the plan in my head anyway.

Slow Sunday

 It has been a busy last 2 days, but time spent with my girl and some winter guard Moms! Friday was the band trip to a pre season game in Citrus county. It was the first time the football team has won a game in over 3 years... it was called for lightning in the area after a 30 minute delay where we all had to go to the busses to wait. After they called it, the band had to go load their instruments into the trailer in their cases, and finish getting everything tucked away. I think they played the touchdown fight song 4 times...which is more than they have played it the last 2 years Em has been in band. Who knows, maybe we will win a game this season?

Saturday, I drove us to Orlando (almost 90 minutes away) for a guard class. It was a higher level than Em is, but she learned a few things in the 6 hours. She was exhaused after the first week of school and a late Friday so we headed out about 45 minutes early to head home. I think she picked up a cold over the week as well.  The first part I was playing on my phone, but then I did pull out some fabric and thread and got the purple shoo fly and the teal floweirng snowball blocks stitched while watching.

This was her before they opened the doors at noon. She signed out a practice flag and riffle from the Winter Guard coach to have for practice. She is in the marching band for football season but will try out for the Winter guard in November. The coach said she will make the team already.

After sleeping in until close to 10AM, (girl is still sleeping with the dog at 11:15) I am having a relaxing morning. At some point today, I'll add hand stitches to this Arkansas Traveller quilt that I did on the machine this week and get my first quilt finish for the year! I should have this completed in a few days. I think the quilt is around 70 inches square, but don't hold me to that. 

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

As for starting something new..... I did open the little snowman stitchery ornament this week and seperate the single floss strands into like piles. Then figured out what color is what and laid them out on a sheet of peper and taped the whole lot down. How do others sort/keep track of threads in projects like this? I'm going to give this a whirl after I finish the binding above. A finish deserves a start =)

Mid Week Check in....

 I have the whole day today... to finish quilting the AT quilt. I'll get started on that in a bit.

The dog got a long walk on a new route. The 3 big barking dogs, were not in their back yard when we walked past their house. It appears they are prepping to move out, so maybe the dogs have moved out with their adult kids? The dog whined a bit, but walked past good. They are the reason we only walk a set route each day, him pulling past the barking dogs was horrible. He enjoyed all the new smells and was a happy camper after a longer walk this morning. We will try that route again on the weekend and see how it goes.

I started a 'bundle' shipping over at Missouri Star Quilts last week and added a bit to it over the week with their daily deals. It started with the Life of the Ridge Charm pack (2 at the lower price!). The colors remind me of Kim Diehl quilts. I also added a couple yards of Kona Eggshell, so I have enough to make more of the flowering snowball and shoo fly blocks. I grabbed the Colorworks Solid Medley of tiles - (42 - 10 inch squares). The Vintage Valor charm packs caught my eye, so I got 2 of those with the lower price. Normally they only allow one charm pack at the low price, but this time they allowed 2. Yesterday was my final day and I got in before the 9AM cut off... and picked up the 9 yard bundle of Kona - 3 yards each of white, black and snow. That should keep me busy and out of trouble for a little bit. No plans for them, but I'm sure something will call their name.

Meals this week - which people have turned up their noses at! We had a pork loin, that I separated into 2 and roasted with different herbs. I did one as rosemary and garlic and one as herbs de province, and cut some carrots and onion to go in the bottom of the pan with them. Mashed potato went with it. Tuesday was stuffed peppers - I use Rice a Roni Spanish rice and add a pound of cooked burger meat to it, then stuff the peppers and bake it with some tomato sauce on top. Wednesday was leftovers. Tonight is baked code with veggies and roasted potato I think. Friday, I'm going with the band to a pre-season game in Inverness, so the boys are on their own. Saturday, I'm taking Emily to Orlando for a flag and riffle training session for winter guard. She really has not been taught, so is hoping this will give her some pointers. We will see how it goes. 

A little hand stitching. I've got an aqua shoo fly in process. 

Off to weed a bit of the front beds before it gets atrocious out, then making an appointment to see the new doctor who just got my bloodwork from last week. We will see what she recommends to even things out. I will say the brain fog is gone, which is very nice. The itchy skin has also eased and general mood is better. Wish my normal dr would have asked more questions or mentioned any of this over the last 10 years. 

RSC Saturday

 Well, I have not played much with teal/aqua yet but that will happen this weekend. I have nothing scheduled at all for the weekend.... well, I told Emily I'd help with a complete change out of the chicken coop. We picked up the bedding yesterday afternoon. That should just take an hour or less tonight when it gets cooler out.

I did make progress on an RSC top Arkansas Traveller, which is now pinned for machine quilting. That should begin today =)

Progress this week was marking all the parts for the 13 blocks of shoo fly and flowering snowball. I was testing a phone app at work and the load time let me mark one or two parts. There were lots of files to load and test. I did get a few stitched up the in evenings as well.

Linking up with the RSC on Saturday.

Aidan's rose is blooming out back. Such a pretty peachy pink color.

The girls got a little roaming time earlier this week. I've kept them in the last day or two as there has been a chicken hawk spotted nearby. They do have a good size run and coop in the shade to hang out in. Ignore the overgrown weedy garden. I need to start tackling that so I can plant it next month for the fall.

I am feeling more 'myself' the last couple of days. I made an appointment with a hormone therapy APRN, since I asked my current provider (another APRN covered by insurance) about hormone therapy. She said a referral to an obgyn or no referral needed for a hormone specialist. I had this persons name as a hormone specialist and contacted her for an appointment Thursday. No insurance taken there. We had a 45 minute no rush visit and chat. She prescribed a set of bloodwork and sent in a script for Progesterone. I took it Thursday night and slept through the night! No waking up to pee. Just a great nights sleep. My Fitbit gave me a 93 for sleep score... which was normally in the mid 80 range. Friday I had a positive attitude when I woke up (which I used to have!) and lots of 'pep'. No brain fog.  It is oh so nice to feel more like myself!  I did the bloodwork Thursday afternoon, so we will see when my next appointment is and what she sees and recommends for balancing things out for me. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. I met her back in November but am so glad I made the phone call for an appointment. 

Sunday

Sunday and a migraine. Sigh. I went back to bed after about 30 minutes and slept until after noon. A bit better. No, I am stubborn and have not taken the meds for it. I will though, as I'd like it gone and I normally have multiple days once I get one. Mine tends to be behind the right eye, but thankfully light and sound don't bother me too much. 

I did get a new to me car yesterday! We got it through Carvana and traded in the 2016 Kia. I now have a 2018 Honda CRV EX-L. It's got about 45K miles on it and drives well. I'm happy to be back in a CRV. They delivered it to our door and everything!

 Aidan is driving my 2014 Crv. Emily has Greg's 2013 Tacoma truck. It got stripped down and painted over the summer and looks like a brand new vehicle for her. She has been driving it to horses on Saturdays and will be driving to school this week for marching band practice. They are doing one week instead of 2 this year, so it is a long day for them. 8-6. The teacher is pregnant and due the end of November, so she is very organized this year! 

I did a little hand stitching in between things yesterday. I just need to sew the rows together on the shoo fly block. Then move onto the curvy parts of the flowering snowball. I had just a wee bit of thread left, so added that yellow square with it yesterday. I think it is around a one inch square, so just a few stitches and it was attached. This is my current hand piecing project. 

I'll also work on crocheting the grey around the last 6 granny blocks this week before I figure out how to assemble the box of them into an afghan. 

I'd also like to get these last two teal blocks finished this month. I have 14 of the 16 string of beads blocks completed.  These are needle turned applique. They need a press, as the travel bag got them a bit wrinkled. I drew on the peel placement with pencil. My two teal colors and the outer dark green peels are marked and ready to go.

 This is the first 12 of them. The orange ones did not make it into that photo, but they are completed.

Plenty to keep me busy and out of trouble this week! Linking up with Kathy and the other slow Sunday Stitchers. 

Seeing the results of Kathy's unpicking on that pretty bird cross stitch, I might have to revisit the January cross stitch design that has been at a standstill for too many years due to a counting mistake. It might be time to figure out where I went wrong and unpick so I can get that one moving along again. 

Erin's Butterfly blocks

I had good intentions to press and load a quilt top and backing onto the boards for pinning yesterday. That would have involved clearing off my sewing table. The backing blocks and the parts for Erin's Butterfly were sitting on my cutting mat. I had zigzag stitched the pink and a light blue one earlier this year. Instead of moving them..... I decided to cut the fusible to attach to the wings, pressed them on then placed onto the background and machine stitched them down. All eight are ready for the body to be attached by hand, (the pink was done) and then they need embroidery for the antenna. I do need one more of these made... so I think that will be the next step in the sewing room. Dark green I think - I'll steal from the greens I got for the Christmas tree quilt I have yet to make for those wings. Julierose - this one making progress should make you happy! I know you've been rooting for this one to be moved along for a while now.

I hand stitched this purple shoo fly block yesterday as well. 

I'll link up on Saturday with the RSC for progress on some purple sewing this month!

RSC in purple

 I should get a little sewing area time later today to see what purples I have.

I do know my next hand pieced block will be in purple. I did a shoo fly block in blue last night while listening to an audio book - No Mallets Intended - Book 3 I think of a Victoria Hamilton cozy mystery series.

I'll be marking this one with it's 1/4 inch stitching line today on this Flowering snowball block. I was thinking of names for this quilt while driving home to Florida from Vermont. I'm thinking Flying Snowballs? The two blocks are Shoo Fly and Flowering Snowballs. Any other good name ideas?

Linking up with the RSC.

Time to go drop off the car for an oil change and to see why the oil light keeps coming on and off. It started happening on the drive home Monday afternoon. I pulled over right off and checked the oil level and it was fine. The intermittent shaking, that I thought was fixed with 2 stays at the car place before we left, was still happening on and off. I might be looking for a different vehicle now. It is just shy of 70K miles and a 2016 Kia Sorento. Time to go back to a Honda, I think. That has been my go to vehicle - as I had 3 honda civics, then after kids I got a dodge caravan. When that got totaled, I got a Honda CRV in 2014. That is currently Aidan's vehicle to drive now. Emily is very happy, we picked up the 2013 Tacoma truck that was getting a new paint job while we were gone. It looks like new (the old white paint was all peeling from the sun down here) and she is a happy camper with 'her' vehicle. Looks like Mom and Dad get to share a vehicle. It is a good thing I work from home and Greg is pretty much retired at home at this point.