NOT Tiny Tuesday....

Instead of the tiny midget appliqué blocks....I concentrated on the teal hand pieced trip around the world block and I'm happy to say it is DONE!!!! That makes 9 for the year. All hand pieced 2.5 inch squares.

Now I just need to decide how the colors should lay out and then hand stitch them into a top. I changed the initial thought of hand quilting each block and will hand quilt the whole top. One of these day's I'll actually do a quilt as you go... but not with this one. Now the difficult decision... what order do I put these blocks in for the quilt?

Rainbow of colors?

Tried to put the lights in the 4 inners and dark in 4 corners.

Purple and teal swapped around? Maybe teal in the middle and blue in the bottom corner?

What are your thoughts? I'll mull it over for a day or two and then flip a coin! The blocks are appearing darker due to the morning inside photo's - it was 40 degrees out so no outside pics this morning.
Mom - I'm helping in Aidan's class today 10-12 and might do lunch with him after. Tomorrow morning first thing is Polar Express at School with Emily's class (I did Aidan's yesterday mid-morning). They board the 'train' and have their ticket punched, have the story read to them and then enjoy cocoa and a big sugar cookie. They are given a little package with a small candy cane and a jingle bell on a yarn necklace to take home. The kids can even wear their pajamas to school that day =).

A couple more options after my FB group chimed in asking for yellow and orange in the middle.

Linking to OhScrap.

Slow Stitching Sunday in December....

Kathy asks us how we 'cope' with all the added tasks this Christmas season. I have some things in my mind that I like to do with the kids and try to spread it out this month - make gingerbread houses from a kit, decorate sugar cookies, go out at night and see the lights (4 times already!), watch Polar Express.... I find it is the little things like this that the kids look forward to each year and ask to do. Everything else.... if it gets done, great but if not as long as we spend time together and make memories I figure it is a good December.

For me - I requested chili and cornbread tonight and after a few texts at work to find ingredients they made  what smells like a wonderful batch of meat and bean chili and cornbread for dinner tonight. Aidan and I picked more beans from the garden and checked on the peas which are starting to bud and make peas. The beets are looking like they can be picked soon as well! I'll have to work them into meals this week with the lettuce that is ready as well.

Tonight - I see some relaxing slow stitching as my hand quilting has not been touched all week (something about not liking what hubby was watching at night so I moved to the bedroom tv - without the ott light and my recliner). I hope to get 10-12 of my peels outlined inside and out on that last border tonight.

Not too shabby with this quilt all coming from the stash of scraps!

Earlier this morning I was working on adding this round to my teal trip block. It is waiting on a finish to join the other 8 - 30 inch blocks I have made this year. I will hand piece the 9 together and this will become the next hand quilting project once the above one is done.

I am slowly plugging away at both projects with the hopes that both are completed before Christmas. If not... no worries - there really are not hard and set deadlines as there is always another day to finish it.
Head on over and see what others are slow stitching today. Also visit Oh Scrap for some great ideas and she has a special write up about the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Both of my projects are from the RSC Challenge - the trip around the world block is from this year and the orange peel quilt above called Hugs and Kisses is from a couple of years ago.

RSC - trying to finish.....

I am working on the last of 9 trip around the world blocks. Each measures 30x30 inches. This last one is teal. Sorry for the bad shots - they were taken last night. I used 2.5 inch squares and added them in rounds for a continuous stitch up to the white round.

All squares cut out.

I was too lazy to lay all of them out again so grabbed this photo. The green block is finished and teal is nearly done. This will pop to work with me today - maybe I can add a round or two?

Trip Around the World blocks

Head on over to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and see what other projects are coming together in December.
I was playing with the sampler quilt earlier this week. I have not started sewing the blocks together yet - maybe next week? You can read about it here and here.

Garden produce......

I survived the field trip. No stress as the group stayed together.. unlike LegoLand. It was a good time and they learned about the old Christmas traditions around the world and hand dipped some candles to take home. We got back to school a few minutes before release so I collected Aidan and took the kids home.

I popped out to the garden and there were lots of beans ready for picking. I cooked a few up on Sunday night but more where ready today. I have a huge pot full ready to cook for dinner. I also got some swiss chard picked. That bit of rosemary will go into the rosemary roasted potato, onion and pepper. I think that will all go well with the baked cod for dinner =)

Tomorrow I really need to go out and weed... and plant some more things. I think the lettuce will be ready next week, scallions/onions are happy and all four of the garlics have shoots up! I should try a beet and see how big those are - the tops are looking good so something is growing down there.

Girl Scout leader meeting tonight - cookie training! Yikes - next month we start taking orders. It will be  a busy January and February.

Tiny Tuesday...

Did you think I forgot? Just busy this morning running errands (two banks to deposit to for girl scouts), Walmart and then picked up my friend Deb for a Sam's Club run. Remind me to go alone next time... although Greg won't have to stand in the pantry with the door open saying 'there's no snack foods'. It will be easier to pack lunches as well - especially since Emily and I have a field trip tomorrow to The Barberville Pioneer Settlement. We were completely out of lunch snacks.... so the pantry is now stocked with fruit and veggie chews, animal cracker packets, cheese puff balls and granola bars. I also got some clementines.... so yummy, too bad my kids won't eat oranges.

I started this little shoe in the car line yesterday and finished it up last night while watching the Charlie Brown special ... well there is still a bow that should go on it but... I kinda like it plain so it may stay like this. Too bad the show was on so late -9PM on a school night so the kids were unable to watch.

The kids have done really good going to bed and getting up for school. No tantrums and no yelling at all (by me) ! It will be so nice to have Greg home again tonight though..... even if they go back to normal kid behavior. I've been bribing them with little car trips at night to see the Christmas lights =).

Better test out the new broom in the kitchen before heading out to pick up the kids from school. 

Oh - for those who love to read and have a kindle or nook I was on bookbub.com last night and loaded a bunch of new free books onto my kindle. You can customize to see what types of things you enjoy reading. Think I'll bring my kindle in the car with me today for car line.

2 posts in one day!

Progress! This is what I am thinking for the borders.... the corners are in thought process. I think I will just do a straight line to connect them to the corner.... that way I don't have to extend into another border. I think it will work.... now to find any purple and pinks of the hand dyed fabrics. I sure hope I have some more...... I have all the parts for the light blue, yellow, brown and red already sewn. Just need to cut more background but that will have to all wait for tomorrow. Must do a few things before picking up the kids.

Design wall Monday....

Lots of progress on my RSC Sampler - alternate blocks on Saturday. I only have 5 to go... and 3 to fix before I can start sewing them together =).

Emily was a trooper and did a great job ringing the bell for her Community Service with Girl Scouts on Saturday - 2 hours of ringing by my 6 year old with no complaints. She had fun and did a great job... and people were extremely generous =)

Someone in the house is very happy the tree is up and the Christmas tree skirt is down. This will be her spot (Maxie)  until the tree comes down. Sophie will watch the tree from her spot on the couch!

Linking up with Design Wall Monday over at Patchwork times.