Tiny Tuesday...

Joanne asked how I was going to choose which of the 52 blocks to leave off from the 49 I plan to make. I'm skipping the hard ones..... so why did I do this one? I didn't think it would be as difficult as it turned out to be! This is a very dense one but it is DONE! That gives me 47 of these blocks completed. 46 have their yellow frame on. 2 more days in the year....  I have 'five berries' prepped and hope to get that one completed tonight. That leaves one more before the end of the year. I have those difficult 4 all traced...... maybe I'll just make my own for the last one?  A palm tree maybe? These are from the midget appliqué blocks from sentimental stitches.com

The last RSC Saturday in 2015.

It is hard to believe another year of the RSC Challenge is coming to an end. It seems like just yesterday I started making my blue trip around the world blocks and now I have made 9 - all by hand with 2.5 inch squares this year. I hope to press the seams this week with my new iron and stitch them together.... with some new Roxanne needles. I can't wait to try them. I think I decided on dark corners (greens, red and blue) and teal in the middle.

I did finish something this year - the twinkle stars quilt! My only finish from this years blocks. My phone is thinking it is full so won't let me take a picture of the finished quilt. The binding is done, I promise!

I got 13 dresden plates made..... but they are waiting patiently to get appliquéd onto the background. I am going with a plain white background... I think. I have it purchased and folded with the plates, somewhere in my sewing room.

I got the 2015 sampler blocks completed but life prevented me from sewing them together this month. 

I added some birds in the air blocks (BITA) to a previous year's stash of blocks and made this beautiful quilt for a wedding present. Ok, I'm counting this one as a finish for the challenge as well. :)

I'll continue making 16 patches next year and the plan it still to make it into a Good night Irene once I decide what colors will go where so I can make the X alternate blocks.

I am still hand quilting this little number from a previous RSC year of appliqué orange peel blocks. I have 9 peels to go and I can turn the second corner on the last border. Progress. I will try and move this one along as I am trying to take it easy and get over this cold.... that I have had in various forms since the 13th. The 2 days in bed on the 23+24th were not fun but at least I am up and moving around now.....unfortunately I passed that one along to the hubby who is down for the count today and probably tomorrow.

I make notes during the year under my projects tab and for 2016 I have the following noted. Scrappy houses, Umbrella - make bigger than 4.5 inches, BITA and black surround for the hexagon flowers I made a few years ago. Bow tie blocks have always intrigued me but I have yet to really make any. I think I am going to let myself choose what I want to make each month this year.... along with making the row sampler Angela is designing from my scrap bin. I still have plenty of blocks from this year and years past that have yet to be completed into quilts. Maybe I'll concentrate on finishing up one of those per month this year? Time will tell.

Head on over and see what other plans are in store for the RSC Challenge 2016. I'm also linking up Sunday with Slow Stitching Sunday and Oh Scrap.

Christmas stitching...

While watching movies today (Toy Story, Harry Potter) I got a Butterfly done!
One more Midget Appliqué block checked off the list.

Merry Christmas

I have the only kids in the world that dug into the presents to find the ones they made and handed those out first with one person opening them at a time! Took them a while to get to opening their presents, silly kids. Emily got her rescue helicopter, connects and a neat game called story cubes from Santa. Aidan got a brother sewing machine, a bike helmet and some story cubes from Santa.
I am feeling better today, thank goodness. Two full days of sleeping all day is not fun. We delayed Christmas with the in-laws for a couple of days. Gives me time to clean the house (being gone for 5 days and then sick for 2...) and prep for meals.
Emily is watching Christmas shows from the DVD Grammy and Grandpa sent down. Aidan is in his room listening to his CD player and Uncle Jim's CD. I think I'll grab a shower and then relax with some hand work.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Wednesday....

I had two little kids at the airport on Monday to meet me... with their Dad. It was a long night but... we got home in time to watch the SpaceX launch from the driveway.... in our jammies.  No coats... just pajamas!
Tuesday was Christmas at Grandma's house.... delayed from Sunday since I was gone. We did not head to the Hommasassa Springs  for the lights as it was raining over there.
The kids got bean bags and their own portable CD player with ear buds.... and a special CD their great uncle Jim cut just for them of him playing some of their favorite songs on the guitar.

We got the kids home and into bed by 7:24. It was a late night the day before. Today... I had promised cookie decorating. I made the dough yesterday morning and cooked it off today - in between coughing. By the time the extra two kids left I had a splitting headache, and was dehydrated so into bed for me for the next 4 hours.

I am supervising a bath of the girl now so decided to make my post. I did a little hand work last night while watching a movie with Greg. I got this one finished and the yellow put onto three of the previous blocks. Of course... I found another one under my computer this morning that needs the yellow. I really should count and see how many I have left to make.

 

The girl is wrapping up her bath so it will be reading time and I guess I should make some soup for my dinner. The crackers hit the spot so I should have something else. Hard to believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I really need to asses and see what I have and if I need anything... other than groceries to host Christmas. That will be for tomorrow to deal with. I see wrapping (or supervising wrapping) in my future tonight.

I'm leaving on a jet plane....

Heading home to warm and sunny Florida today. We got great news this morning - Dad will be released from the hospital probably tomorrow to go HOME! He made an awesome recovery over the last few days and is up and walking and able to move everything. He will need some therapy for mobility on his left hand but his memory is sharp as a tack and he has been keeping the nurses hopping with his sense of humor. We got our Christmas wish and are extremely happy.

I have not touched my hand work at all.....maybe I'll get some stitching in on the planes today.

Weekend in Vermont....

I am up in Vermont with family this weekend while Greg and my MIL handle the kiddo's. My Dad had surgery on Wednesday and had a stroke during surgery and one later that night. He is doing much better yesterday and we are hopeful a good nights sleep will see even more improvement today.

I took that little bag I had prepared last Saturday with me but decided to watch tv on the plane, played with the phone in the airports and the stitching only came out a little bit yesterday in the ICU waiting room. It has been nice to visit with my siblings and see my parents.

No snow here....although there is a chance for flurries today. I think I'll get a little more stitching in today and finish up one of my midget appliqués. We are hopeful he will be moving to a step down or regular room today. I didn't reverse this when I traced it so it is backwards... but who is really going to know?