A Tuesday update

I figured it was time for a midget update. I have all the papers off the back of the blocks and just need to  make a few fixes where the fabric was not quite big enough and pulled apart a bit when I tore the papers off the back. I still need to trim down the applique blocks to the proper size too but progress is being made. I did pick out this pretty blue print as my sashing print. Now the decision to make it a straight setting or go wonky and see if that helps 'hide' the different size blocks. Time will tell.

It has been a while since my last post and a lot has happened. I've been to way too many doctor appointments and spent much too much time laying down in bed. Last Thursday evening I was diagnosed with Bells Palsy. WebMD has a good write up on it here.  The pain in the ear started on November 30th and progressed a bit each day until Thursday afternoon when I got the nice eye lid not closing and a slight droop on the left side of my mouth. The kids and Greg have been great and my MIL has been a great help coming over and watching the kids so we could do the Quick Care Thursday evening and then picking up kids and entertaining them yesterday afternoon for me while I was at the doctors again. I had to add another medication for nausea to the mix of things I get to take for a few weeks. So far today it seems to be helping. Much better than tossing your cookies in your daughters classroom bathroom when you drop her off to school like yesterday. She was a trooper when I picked her up yesterday. Keep in mind she is 4 years old. She told me to get in bed and pulled back the covers. Went and got her stuffed animals she sleeps with and tucked me in with them - buddy the dog, strawberry the cow and Minnie Mouse. Sang me a song and then read me a book and told me to sleep. Turned out the light and closed the door. It was too cute. Then she was 'picking up' the house. She decided to sweep and pick up the kids bathroom and sweep the kitchen floor for me. Since my eye gets tired easily I will take it easy and do as little as possible until I am feeling better. TV, Computer and reading all seem to bother it after a little bit so that really takes the fun out of things. I was only able to do about 30 minutes in the sewing room on Sunday afternoon before I needed to take a rest. I did get clue one of the Celtic Solstice mystery completed. I am just going to save off the rest of the clues and hopefully can start in again in a couple of weeks. I also sewed two rows of the snails trail together and then had to call it a day. Maybe I can try 10 minutes a day and see if I can make some progress somewhere on something. Hopefully after the 10 days of meds I will feel better and be able to get back in there and sew away.
If you read this far - thanks for sticking with me. I'll check in when I can and hopefully will be back to sewing up a storm very soon. =).

Midget Blocks.....

With little sleep last night for 3 out of 4 in the house I figured it is a good day to pull out my Midget blocks and see how many of these I have. Emily is home again today with a 100 degree fever and a constant cough. We heard it all night long! It was really loud as she moved from her room to the living room right outside our bedroom! Saturday night, Sunday and Monday it was sneezing and runny nose and now the cough and fever. Since she has been coughing all over me I am sure I am getting it too. I've been popping Vitamin C and a multi vitamin to try and avoid it. At least she got a little snooze this morning as I ran the month end reports to the accountant this morning.

I started this journey back in Vermont on October 7, 2010! This was a really long term project and will be even longer as it will wait for hand quilting once it ever gets done to a top stage. I was hoping I had about 120 blocks for  a10x12 setting and guess what? 121! Woo hoo. I think that is enough blocks for this quilt top. Now the fun part starts. They each should finish at 4.5 inches. Well, some are bigger and some are smaller and it will be 'fun' to add the sashing to get these to a similar size in the quit top. First - there are lots of papers on the back of the majority of the paper pieced ones that need to be taken off. Maybe I can get a few taken care of before we head out to pick up the boy from school.

Midget block #107 - Garden Maze

I'm a little late this week with my tiny Tuesday but after all the sewing on Monday - things around the house needed tending to - kids play dates happened and I finally got to sew a bit this morning while waiting for the HIPPY instructor to get here. I guess I did have time for a walk since she is 45 minutes late. Oh well, maybe I'll have Emmy go for a bike ride with me after lunch and before we go to pick up her brother.

Garden Maze was paper pieced in 12 tiny sections and then sewn together. I really need to lay out my blocks and see how many more I need before calling these blocks done. They have been so fun to make and I have learned and tried so many new things with them over the last 4 years. The majority of these are free over at sentimentalstitches.com if you'd like to challenge yourself and try some new things. I've learned how to paper piece, hand piece, hand applique and work on a more precise 1/4 inch seam allowance. All baby steps to being able to make the more complicated quilts I love to look at.

Tiny Tuesday... Lucky Star

This week I paper pieced Midget Block #108 - Lucky Star. This one was very simple to put together and I love the purple fabrics in this. These are from the free pattern section over at Sentimental Stitches and each block will finish at 4.5 inches.

This weekend I finally finished the binding on this purple pineapple blossom quilt. It was gifted yesterday to Ms. Tammy at VPK. I hope she likes it.

Tiny Tuesday...

Today I finally got an applique block completed that has been prepped since June! Yikes. Thank goodness that little bit of cream is in the seam allowance and will be taken care of once I start sewing things together.
This is block # 129 from Sentimental Stitches Midget blocks and is called Springtime. Blocks 50-159 are free right now if you'd like to join in the fun.

I have also won some things or been gifted things over the past few weeks. Carla was so nice to pass along some silk YLI thread and I won a Kona charm pack from Connie. I have been working on a little thank you gift that I will post about later today..... if I can steal away into the sewing room for about 30 minutes to finish things off.

As for me - The boy is off for teacher in service today and is still snuffly. He so kindly passed it along to his sister who keeps trying to get the frog to jump out of her throat! (Mommy might have started that by putting my hand in front of her mouth and asking the frog to jump out!) Since he won't - she was 'ribbeting' and hopping around on the floor! Too funny. Her school called and a few VPK teachers are out sick today so that tipped the scales to keep her home today with a slight fever and sniffy nose. I see movie watching in our future today - as long as I don't have to have someone sitting on me, maybe I can get some stitches in on the apple quilt.

Yesterday we spent some time decorating cookies. The recipe for these wonderful sugar cookies can be found here - I use half the recipe and put about half of the baked but unfrosted ones into the freezer. Pumpkins and witch hats!

Tiny Tuesday - English Ivy

This week block 106 - English Ivy was completed. I think it came out pretty cute! It was a paper pieced pattern from Sentimental Stitches. It will finish at 4.5 inches and will fit in great with all the other little blocks I have made over the last few years.

Tiny Tuesday - Night and Noon block 109

I grabbed a quick block to make this morning as I only had about 35 minutes to play in the sewing room. This one went together very easily and I didn't need to think as I pulled scraps to make this one.
I could see this as a bigger block made into a real quilt.... Hmmmmmmm.

I have to thank Cathy for letting me know how she makes the turnovers she posted about a few weeks ago. Last night was the night - I made some apple filled ones. They were very yummy! I just cut them up into chunks and put them in a skillet with some butter for a few minutes. Added some cinnamon and brown sugar and a little corn starch and cooked until soft for a few minutes. At that point, two kids popped their heads up in the living room asking what smelled so good and could they have some! After letting what was left cool, I put a spoonful into the puff pastry square, folded it over and crimped the ends. Baked in a hot oven for 20 minutes and added a powder sugar glaze to the top. Did I mention how yummy these were?

Tiny Tuesday...... Snails Trail.

Oh My Goodness. This was 2 hours of my life to get this little 4.5 inch block done this week. It's a good thing it is a very rainy day and perfect time for sewing. After some fixing on one of the blocks where I missed one of the triangles and got to pull out three parts to correct it, it is now finished and crossed off the list.

Last night I was baking some potato's in with the meatloaf when I heard a pop. Yup, a potato exploded. What a mess in my oven. I guess I am really going to have to clean it now =(.

I have 15 minutes until I have to go pick up Emmy - so I am going to go throw two more boarders onto Easy Street. That will leave me with the last green boarder to put on this afternoon (I hope). I am trying to get that one finished in the next week or two. 

Tonight is Open house at school - Aidan is so excited to show us his classroom. It should be a fun night.

Tiny Tuesday - Indian Hatchet....

Well, I did mark this one before I cut out all 16 parts to paper piece it BUT.... somehow I mixed it up. So this is a unique version and I am happy to call it done as it is certainly not perfect.

Tiny Tuesday

This week I got around to block number 94 - Contrary Husband. This one was hand pieced and then I sewed the four blocks together by machine. Another one crossed off the list.

Tiny Tuesday - Magnolia Bud

This week I made block 100 - Magnolia bud. This was a paper pieced block and went together very easily while everyone in the house was napping on Monday afternoon.

Tiny Tuesday - Double T

Today I made block number 120 in the midget block series - Double T. Other than having to go look at the instructions again to see how to put the four parts together, it went together very easily.

I have been reading a bit lately. A new to me author is Cindy Blackburn who has three funny mystery books written about billiards. I finished the first one in two days (Ok - instead of doing any sewing Saturday evening I read!) and am onto the second one thanks to my Amazon Prime lending abilities. I got to meet Cindy this summer while I was up visiting my parents. It turns out she wrote the books while at her cottage at the lake in the summers! She also helps out at the Lake Association Bingo held on Wednesday evenings  - real high stakes - a dollar to get in and 3 cards for a buck. It is so much fun and the kids had a great time there this summer. In fact - coming up with words that start with B on the way home from Emmy's speech lesson I mentioned Bingo and she said 'We went to Bingo in Vermont this summer with Grammy and Grandpa!'

Time to start thinking of dinner - Taco's tonight - one of the kids favorites. I use this recipe for the seasonings. Yummy.

Tiny Tuesday....

I pulled an easy pieced one to do today. I have Aidan home from school since they do a 1/3 start for the beginning of this week. He must be extremely overtired and overstimulated from school yesterday since he was a terror last night for Daddy and was starting out the same this morning with me. He was much better after we dropped Em off to school this morning and was very good and helpful. Then..... he turned into a terror again after she got home. I was so hoping this behavior would stop after the 'anxiety' of school starting happened. Both are napping and hopefully will turn into my good kids after a bit of sleep.

My easy block was number 111- Wedding Ring. Very easy to put together.

While someone was being good this morning we made some banana muffins. He scooped the batter into the mini muffin cups all by himself. They sure were yummy. I think I'll enjoy the quiet of a sleeping house and work on a binding and watch a show while I can.

Tiny Tuesday.... a day late.

Yesterday I got a little sewing time in while Emmy napped and Aidan had a 'rest'. I prepped a  bunch of 2 inch squares for my little Saturday apple project. Then I made Midget block #103 - string.
This was paper pieced and went together very easily. Aidan helped tear two sections of the papers off.... I think I'll have a job for him since I have a lot of papers still on the backs of these blocks.

Tiny Tuesday - Turkey Tracks....

The midget block 98- is called Turkey tracks. Other than creating my own block by marking the brown paper pieced parts a little wrong, I'm calling it done. My quilt will be very unique! This was sewn together on my kid free day on Saturday.
After working for the last two days I am looking forward to a little bit of sewing time sometime today. First, I need to stop at Emmy's school and fill out her paperwork since I don't have a sitter this evening and can't go to the normal registration. Then it is swim lessons and dropping off all the clothes I cleared out to Goodwill. I think I should be able to squeeze in some sewing this afternoon! Do I pin a quilt for quilting, add borders to the Easy Street Mystery or be good and learn how to do back baste applique so I can finish off my last Grandmothers Choice block..... Decisions, Decisions.

Tiny Tuesday.....

Well, the block is partially done. 132- Radiant Star can be found here in the Midget section on the sentimentalstitches.com website. I had prepped this one before vacation and started to hand piece the middle blue star during swim lessons this morning. I was able to add the outer parts while supervising a game of go fish (thanks Mom and Dad.... we've played this daily since we got home!). Emily is recognizing more of the cards but still needs help with 6,7,8 and 9's. I just need to add the little petals to the middle and then a circle on top. If I don't get it done tonight... there is always swim lessons tomorrow and Thursday.

I've also made some progress on the baby afghan using the slanted shell stitch. This is so easy to do and the yarn is so soft and fun to work with. Well...... the three hours of untangling the middle part on Saturday night and Sunday morning I could have done without. Oh well, I have one skein done and the next one is ready to be added on. I think I will probably need another one or two skeins of the off white and then maybe a pretty pastel color to go around the edge. We'll see.

Friday catch up.

I finally got into the sewing room last night after unpacking, dusting, cleaning bathrooms and cleaning the fridge while it was fairly empty and then going shopping to restock everything. The kids were busy playing with toys they had not seen in three weeks. They also spent some time splashing in the pool with Daddy (lots of jumping in by Aidan and swimming by Emmy) and testing out the dive sticks Grandma sent over.

I got two of the Grandmother's Choice blocks done. Just one more to go and I'll be all caught up. These are week number 45 and 46 - Aunt Mary's Favorite and Barristers block. I just need to print out week 47 - Heroine's Crown and I'll be caught up. I believe there are two more weeks to this BOW that I started last August over at Grandmothers Choice.

I also stitched down the last two outer tulips on my Midget block for this week last night while watching the Harry Potter movie on TV. This is number 97 - Western Rose. I'll straighten it up a bit when I trim down the background to 5 inches.

Now I just need to pull out some teal fabrics if I can find some and make a snails trail and 16 patch block for Saturday. First I think we'll head to the playground this morning. It had been closed for a while and finally reopened a couple of days before we left for Vermont. There are lots of new trails and equipment for the kids to play on. We can't wait to go explore.

Tiny Tuesday - Midgets

This week is applique since there is not a sewing machine in sight. I had prepped block number 128 - Four Winds earlier this month and was able to get it sewn the last two days. It is an unusual block and my little cones are not perfect but it is done!

Mom also had some hand towels that needed some crochet on the top so she can hang them on the stove. I cut them in half and then do some crochet on top of each towel so they can be hung. She gets to add the buttons! I have one more set to do in the next week.

We finally made it to Ben and Jerry's yesterday. The kids got their ice cream sample at the end of the tour - although I think Emily got more on her face than in her mouth. We took a little hike to the flavor graveyard and then some time on the playground on the way back to the line to get a dish of ice cream. A very yummy lunch!

They had some free spin art as we were going in. The kids each did a little masterpiece that was hanging to dry until we left a couple of hours later. The green outer one on the top row and the orange, yellow and blue one next to it were Emily and Aidan's.

We also did a quick stop at Cold Hollow Cider Mill - Mom wanted some cider donuts for Dad. They were not pressing apples since it is not fall but they did have a little video on how it is done. The store has lots of cute little things... I really love a couple of the baskets but nothing came home with us except the donuts. There is also a bakery there that made the whole place smell wonderful.

The weather has really changed here - close to 90 degrees and humid. I think I'll take the kids to the beach today for a couple of hours so they can play in the sand. We also need to either give the kayaks or the paddle boat a test drive today. I think it will be the paddle boat since I can put both kids in that one. My goal is to tire them out a bit since naps are not happening out here.
Have a great Tuesday.

Slow stitching at camp.....

The sky is a little overcast today, so while we are waiting for the sun to peek through I'm going to do a little slow stitching on my Mideget block for this week. Grandpa is entertaining the kids by doing some fishing off the end of the dock. Grammy is enjoying a cup of coffee and I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet until my sister and her family arrive.

Head on over to Kathy's Quilts and see what other slow stitching is happening today.

Tiny Tuesday - Cat's Cradle

I remember playing Cat's Cradle when I was growing up. Do you?
This is number 101 in the Midget series and was rotary cut and pieced. This block finishes at 4.5 inches so yes, those triangles were very tiny to work with.