RSC 2014 - The first Saturday of the year!

I have to say, I am so happy to be in a new month and a new year. December 2013 was a rough one for me medically and I am so happy to turn the calendar to a new month and year!
I checked back and in January 2011 I was hooking up with SoScrappy for a blue scrappy month! How is it that after 3 full years I seem to have MORE scraps than I did back then? I think the fabric has parties at night and multiplies.... It couldn't possibly be from me adding to the stash =).

This year I am going to finish off some orange peels which will become the nice scrappy border for my Hugs and Kisses Quilt I started last year in the challenge. These are great for doctor office visits and waiting for the kids. Sorry - I was too lazy to lay them out again but that last X has been made.

I am also joining the hexie craze (I do have willpower - I held off for 2 years!) and I think I will make a nice garden of flowers all with a pretty yellow center of some sort. That will be the constant as I think yellow goes will all the colors in the rainbow and tends to be the center color for most flowers. I made one here using the  english paper piecing method. I have not decided if I will applique them down onto a background or create paths to go around them. Plenty of time to figure that out.

I have two more cut out and traced to be hand pieced. I'll do some each way and see which one works better for me.

This year Angela is hosting a 6 inch sampler block quilt along with the RSC challenge. I dug into the bins and created these two blocks with some scraps. I think they are cute! I could really see a whole quilt of colorful hst's in that first block.

I also finally got into the sewing room today and started on a quilt I am testing the pattern on. Nothing like waiting for the last minute- those darn medical issues! Here are my first two blocks.

I have the rest of the blocks cut out.... but may switch to the paper pieced borders since this part went smooth. My hope is to get some sewing time in tomorrow while everyone is home. As for tonight - we have been invited to Grandma's for dinner. I believe she said the kids made Chicken.

Head on over to SoScrappy and see what other projects are being started or continued this year.

2014 - Hexie time

This is the year of hexie's for me. I found this website a long time ago where I can print out hexie papers at 1 inch per side. I saved off the PDF onto my computer so I will always have it. Now to cut them out and prep some fabrics. I cut a few out last night and think I need to make them a bit bigger. Any tips for me?

I am not sure exactly what they will turn into but with a bunch of doctor appointments already scheduled for this month I am sure to have plenty of wait time for these and finishing up some orange peels for the border on one of last years RSC quilts.

A new year......

Time to show an old project that I made a couple of months ago and still have yet to mail out to a few people. Sometimes life just gets in the way. When I got the 'Remembering Adelia' book last Christmas I flipped though it and knew I was going to play with Orange Peels but I was also intrigued with a little needle case. I finally made a few of them up back in October or November. I have been using mine and it sure does come in handy. Sometime in the next month or two a couple of them should find their way to the post office and be shipped off to their new homes.

Slow Stitch Monday

I've been sitting on the bed putting a few slow stitches into Easy Street. Yes, it lives on the bed and is in use but has not quite gotten all the binding sewn down. Hopefully over the next few days I can remedy that. See the cool binding clips I got for Christmas?

The rose is for all those up in the north with all the snow. This is a rose in bloom out front right now. I guess I didn't kill all the bushes when I hacked them all back in November. =)

Head on over to Kathy's Quilts to see some other slow stitching.

Quilting recap for 2013.

I decided to do a recap post of what I have finished this year. I know I have worked on a bunch of other things that are just in the block stage including the grandmothers choice blocks, the midget blocks, orange peels have been sewn into X and O blocks... so maybe those will be in the show next December as completed. For now, enjoy the mini quilt show of completed things this year.

Baby Quilt for Jordan - Irish chain. Aidan's PreK teachers baby girl born last January. She is walking now and getting into all kinds of mischief.

Aidan's Twinkle stars quilt - on his bed.

Easy Street -  On my bed and no, I still have not completed hand stitching the binding down. Maybe over the next week I'll work on that.

Pink Scrappy X - Gifted to Aidan's PreK Teacher Ms. Dawn.

Log Cabin Quilt - scrappy.

Pineapple Blossom Quilt -  Gifted to Ms. Tammy at the PreSchool.

9 patch and hourglass - Gifted to Ms. Tori Aidan's PreK teacher (and Emmy's this year too!)

Bricks and Cornerstones -  Given to my nephew Charlie.

Kaleidoscope - Graduation quilt for my niece Jillian.

Nabby's Dowry - sew along. My quilt from leftover HST's from a quilt a couple of years ago.

Boo Quilt. Made from cookie cutters and started last September 2012 when my Mom was down. Finally finished this year.

Strawberry pinwheels. Leftovers made into a little blanket for Emily's cow Strawberry. Hand quilted stars in the open blocks.

64 patch star given as a Christmas/birthday gift to Papa Andy. Made this year with the RSC Challenge.

 Checkerboard quilt - made last year with the RSC Challenge. Handy to have for a quick gift if needed for a baby to come.

Coin Quilt. Will be a baby gift in February.

Firecracker quilt - QOV gifted to a grandson of Papa Andy who was injured in Afghanistan this summer.

Apple Quilt - started in September with hand applique of the apples (from a coloring page). Hand quilted and finished today! Emily's feet are in the photo - she had to see what Mommy was doing.

 I guess those little bits of time sure do add up in the sewing room! Hoping that I am as successful next year in getting a few quilts completed and a bunch of new ones started.

A slow 'take it easy' day .....

I think today is going to be a slow and easy day around here. Presents are not wrapped, cards are not sent but... I think I have purchased everything I need except for food. I had a quick run to a Walgreens yesterday while at work to grab some water bottles for the work fridge and got the last few things for the kids. Guess I will have to brave the grocery store at some point today to get some food into the house. Never good when your frozen veggies are down to cauliflower and brussel sprouts and the kids don't like either of them! Christmas day will be just lots of snacks and appetizers at our house this year. Nice and easy. I'm thinking grape jelly and chili sauce meatballs, fried ravioli, salami roll ups, a cheese ball, veggie platter and maybe an artichoke dip or crab cakes. Maybe some shrimp will find a way to the house too. Prime Rib for New Years.... I can't wait. =)

Emily came down with a high fever on Thursday and was home the last two days of school. She curled up on the couch on Friday afternoon and took a 2 hour nap! I guess it was 'cozy'.

Daddy was taking the kids to Grandma's yesterday and made it about 12 minutes of the 45 minute ride before Aidan threw up. They turned around and got him home with a fever and whatever Emmy had on Thursday/Friday. He seems better today and is watching Finding Nemo in the living room. Emily is watching Tom and Jerry in the play room. Daddy is in our room napping... after he said he is starting to feel off. I had a little lay down earlier today but some Advil seems to be working just fine for me right now.

I put the last hand quilting stitches into the apple quilt on Friday night. I just need to trim it up and add the binding. I should be able to do that at some point today so I can work on the binding tonight. A few stitches need to be taken to fix a couple of the apples where the applique stitches are coming up - must not have done a good knot on the end. =(. It has been so fun working on this I am going to be so sad to have it end. It is so relaxing to take a few stitches here and there and just slow down and think during the day. Good thing I have one waiting in the wings all ready to start!
Head on over to Kathy's Quilts and see some other great hand stitching projects.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge Top - Snails Tail

I have to thank Nancy O. from up in Vermont for the inspiration on this one. She submitted a colorful snails tail quilt to the quilt show a few years ago and I knew someday I would make one. This year it was a great time to make a couple blocks each month with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I added another two blocks for an even 24 blocks and now have a nice 4x6 setting for a wonderful quilt top that measures 48x72 inches. A perfect throw size as is. I think this just needs some nice quilting of swirly loops and a scrappy binding to finish it off. I got the pattern here.

Head on over to SoScrappy on Saturday and see what other wonderful quilts are being finished off in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this week.