Tuesday, September 30, 2008

September Monthly Report

I managed to get more sewing in this month than I had thought I would. Most of it was hand sewing though -- applique and bindings. I also squeaked two finishes in within the last week.

September Accomplishments:
  • Spent 38 hours sewing
  • Completed Harvest Welcome wallhanging
  • Completed Midnight Mischief wallhanging
  • Started and finished Snapshots-In the Pink top
  • Finished 6 (of 13) Patchwork Party Summer 08 blocks
My monthly goals for October are listed over there -----> on my sidebar.

I have two more days of work and then I'm going shop hopping to solve the murder mystery for the Wisconsin's Most Wanted Shop Hop!!! There are 12 shops participating from the SE Wisconsin area. I'm going to some of the shops on Friday, and my niece and I are taking a bus to the ones further away. My niece is just starting to quilt so it should be really fun. You collect clues at each shop and you can win prizes if you solve the murder.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Another Finish!!!

I got worried that I didn't have a finish this month so I went into overdrive and now have my second finish in the last four days!! Midnight Mischief is done!!! I want to hang it on the wall in front of my sewing machine, but first need to hang the curtain rod. The problem, my huge table is in the way and I won't be able to move it. So I'll have to think about how I'm going to do this. Even more exciting is this marks my 12th finish for the year which surpasses my goal of 11!!! There are three more months to go.

This week I'll work on one of the Patchwork Party blocks, plus sewing the backing together for Snow Wonderland which will be the next top on the frame.

Stash Report - 9/28

This week I finished Harvest Welcome (1/2 yd for backing and binding). I'm working on sewing the binding down on Midnight Mischief (1/2 yd). Hopefully I'll finish it this month yet.

I added 8.5 yards with the FQ bundle I got for the NPNT project. (Although the "boys" actually bought it for me for my birthday...so really it shouldn't count. *giggle*) I also bought 2-1/2 yards of red from the guild "rummage sale" at the local quilt show yesterday which will be used for a future QOV top.

This week's numbers:

Fabric Added This Week - 10.5 yards
Fabric Added as of Apr. '08 - 241.25 yards
Fabric Used This Week - 1 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date - 63-1/2 yards

I've added my weekly/monthly goals on my sidebar, rather than listing them with my stash report.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

NPNT, Block Party & Finish

I have received block party blocks from two members of the Quilter's Anonymous online group. Shirley made the blue/pink snails trail block on the left and Lara made the two red/blue blocks on the right. They are awesome!!! I am going to use these to make a quilt for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Thanks gals!


The other day I mentioned that my Nice People Nice Things pattern set arrived. Today the boys waited patiently for me at the door so they could show me that the Love Is (by Nancy Halvorsen) FQ bundle arrived. I just need to decide on the stitchery background and I can get started.
I finally have a finish for September. YAHOO!!! Harvest Welcome is done and ready to be hung at my cubicle at work. Although it really should be called "If I Only Had a Brain". When I was trimming the batting and backing off, I accidentally cut into the binding. Then when I cut another piece, it ended up being about 2 inches too short. This is a picture of it with the binding sewn to the front. Hubby thought it was a lion at first. :0(
Tomorrow I will only be working half a day. I might try to finish the quilting on Midnight Mischief, but then will try to take a nap before I head to the races. There is a two day race that I have to work at. It usually gets pretty late (or should I say early in the morning after we get all the lineups, re-draws, etc. taken care of).

Depending on how tired I am, I would like to go to the local quilt show on Saturday, especially since it's my birthday. Then I have to be back at the track by 2 p.m. Speaking of my birthday, I did buy myself a little something from where else, but Fat Quarter Shop. I ordered the Portobello Market kit. Isn't it just delicious?!?!? According to the UPS tracker, it should be here on Monday!!!

Landscapers

How can you tell that fall has arrived??? When the leaves fall off the trees/bushes. Look at my Mockorange bush....it hardly has any leaves on it. Oh wait, we're not that far into fall, so why are there only leaves on the top of this bush??? It must be the new landscapers. Meet one of my new landscapers.....Buddy.
Here is Buddy's helper.....Roxie helping Buddy with a tree in the back yard.
Despite hubby's efforts of keeping them away from my Mockorange....Buddy squeezed behind the chair and crate and continued "trimming" my bush.
The last two days they have become escape artists. Roxie has figured out how to squeeze between the clips on the door to their pen. Buddy leans against the fencing, puts his front feet on the barrier in front of the door and then kinda somersaults head first over the door. So they were out of their pen ALL day, snacking on my flower bushes. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. Hubby has been given a "nudge" to get some better fencing, which I had told him already when we first brought them home...but what do *I* know. ;0) I hope he starts soon!!!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tuesday Update

Dear hubby decided to share his cold with me so I felt pretty run down yesterday. I'm feeling better today so I've been working on sewing down the applique on Harvest Welcome. I just have to add the "Xs" for the mouth and sew buttons on and it will be ready to quilt! Yeah!!! I also finished another PPS08 block too. I hope to have pictures the next time I blog!

Yesterday my Nice People Nice Things (NPNT) pattern set came in the mail. Now I just need to wait for the FQ bundle to arrive and decide on the background fabric and then I can start.

The other day hubby was telling his friend that he "had" to go to the quilt show with me the other week. His friend said he likes looking at quilts, that when his mom was in the nursing home they would raffle quilts there and he and his brother would fight over which one to buy. So I'm thinking of making him a quilt, but I'm not sure what colors to use. I really would like to use fabrics from my stash, but a lot of my fabrics are BRIGHT so I will need to dig around!!! I think I found the pattern to use in the new The Quilter magazine.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

One Down, One To Go

One busy weekend is done. The dog show went well. We were kept pretty busy in the food stand and sold out of a bunch of items which is good so we didn't have to take anything home. Next week there is a 2-day race special which I have to work.

The PPS08 Capital City Grille block is now done. Last night I worked more on Harvest Welcome. It seems like it's taking a long time to sew these pieces down. I am just over halfway stitching the hair down. Then I need to sew the buttons on and it can be quilted. I just may have this done before all the leaves have changed color. :0) I can hopefully finish the applique during the Packers game tonight.

For my stash report, I used 3-1/2 yards on the In the Pink Snapshots top and 1/2 yard for Harvest Welcome. Since I didn't post a stash report last week, I need to add the fabric I bought at the Quilt Show. I didn't count what exactly was in the one kit so I'm guesstimating at 30 yards for the two kits and the misc. yardage. (Oops!) After next weekend I'm going to concentrate on getting these tops quilted so I'll be able to post more in the "used" fabric. Woohoo!!!

This week's numbers:
  • Fabric Added This Week - 27 yards
  • Fabric Added as of Apr. '08 - 230.75 yards
  • Fabric Used This Week - 4 yards
  • Fabric Used Year to Date - 62-1/2 yards
Goals for the Next Couple Weeks:
  • Finish quilting Midnight Mischief
  • Finish sewing down applique on Harvest Welcome & quilt it
  • Work on another PPS08 block

Friday, September 19, 2008

Harvest Welcome Progress

Leaf stems and collar are sewn down on Harvest Welcome. After I get done posting this, I'm going to start on the hair. Earlier I started the 4th block for PPS 08, and I received the first block kit for PP Winter 08. :0) I've listed the blocks for each on my sidebar so I can keep better track of them. Once things settle down here after next weekend, I want to concentrate on finishing some of those UFOs on the sidebar and working on the projects that are waiting to be started.

Tomorrow I'm going to the doctor to see about my coughing and wheezing. A co-worker suggested that I get an inhaler. It sure would be nice to sleep through the night and not have to prop myself up so I don't cough. Then I'll be off to help at the food stand at the dog show. I'd much rather be home sewing though! ;0)

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Blogs Are Bad....

for my checkbook. I keep seeing all these cool projects on everyone's blogs and I just can't help myself. After seeing Happy in Quilting Peg's blocks, I ordered the Nice People Nice Things pattern set. (My birthday is coming up next week after all.) The blocks have stitched sayings and pictures in the center. These are just too darn cute! You know what? I've NEVER done any embroidery stitching (only cross-stitch) before so I don't know how this will go, but I'm not one to back down from a challenge. It may take me a while (OK, a long while), but I'll get it done. So if any of you stitchers out there have any advice for me.....please leave a comment!! There is a quilt-along blog for this quilt. If you click on the picture, you can see how everyone else is doing on their blocks. I'm planning on bringing this to work so I have something to do during my lunch break. Before we know if there will be that white stuff (sorry, don't throw anything at me) on the ground, and I won't want to leave during lunch.


Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Snapshots Top

Our internet has been out since Sunday but we're finally back up and running. Since I couldn't surf online, I worked on the In the Pink Snapshots top. It just needs the borders and it will be ready for quilting. I'll post a pic after I get the borders on. I also finished Patchwork Party Summer (PPS) 08 block #3.

Otherwise it's still been busy at work. This weekend I have to work at the local dog show so no sewing this weekend. :0(

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Madison Quilt Show & Wisconsin Dells

Friday morning hubby and I headed out early for the Madison Quilt Expo. Hubby has gone along when I've stopped at a quilt shop, but stays in the car and reads the paper or naps. I was a little nervous about him going to the show since I figured it would be at least 2 hours to get through. I started down the first aisle of vendors and he hung out for a couple booths and then said he would wait at the end of the aisle. Apparently ladies were asking him if he was working at the booth. He would wait outside when I went in to further inspect items. *chuckle* So when I got to the end of each aisle, he'd get up and go to the next set of chairs. He would usually speed walk through the aisle and when I'd get to the end he'd be like oh did you see that Halloween quilt. (I think he had secretly fun.) I thought it was funny when we were walking up to one booth and he was all put out. He's looking at one quilt and said that quilt would have been nice if they hadn't put those stupid squares over the quilt. I just had to chuckle. The quilt he was referring to was like above (this one was in the quilt show). He didn't like the squares around the center lone star. Later we went through the actual quilt show and he commented on almost every one. Again, I think he enjoyed it more than he thought he would....although he'd never admit it. ;0) You can see pictures of the quilts by clicking here.


One thing I was looking for at the vendor booth was the Heritage quilt kit. The very first booth I went to had them for $128, but I held off in case another vendor had it for less. I did find the kit at two other booths but they were charging $150. So after I'd gone through all of the booths, I headed back with my fingers crossed they'd still have a kit....and they did! I also bought some FQ and half yards of black and white FQs for a future project and some baby half yards. The other purchase I made was the Fruit Salad kit. I had seen the paper-piece pattern in a magazine last month and really liked it. SewBatik had the kit! I wasn't going to buy it but then saw they had a special "show" price so I caved. There were a lot of beautiful quilts and ideas that I would have loved to brought home with me, but I stopped at the above items.

After the show we headed for Wisconsin Dells. It was the Wo-Zha-Wa (a Ho-Chunk word meaning fun) Fall Festival weekend and they were having a running race on Saturday morning. We were starved by the time we go to the Dells, so we stopped at the Paul Bunyan to eat. You get more than enough food to eat. They serve it family style and the majority of the workers are from other parts of the world. They have like a foreign exchange workers program so many of the workers at the Dells (especially during summer) aren't from the area.

We stayed overnight at Wilderness Resort. They have 3 indoor and 2 outdoor waterparks, along with an arcade and several restaurants. Of course, since I "made" hubby go to the quilt show, I had to reciprocate and go on the water slides. I hate wearing a swimsuit, but I decided that I wasn't going to let it bother me. I was going to have fun. There are women and men of all shapes and sizes and if I grossed anyone out they didn't have to look at me. I went on all of the slides at least once. Afterwards we ate and then later went to the arcade/kid's fun area. They had a climbing wall that hubby wanted to try. Then we played a shooting game and did some mini-bowling. But the most fun was the Timberland Playhouse. You're never to old right?!?! This was a climbing gym for kids, but on the second level they had these air cannons and you could shoot these little foam balls at people on the other side. This one adult was shooting at his son and we decided to help the son out. By the end there were two couples and two other single adults shooting these balls at each other. It was hilarious. We all were sweating from running around picking up and dodging these foam balls! It was a blast! The next morning it was raining so hubby decided not to do the run so we left home early to get back early enough for the races, but they were also cancelled so we went out to eat with the neighbors as sort of a "bust up" racing party.

Yesterday I finished the second Patchwork Party block and started cutting fabric for the Snapshots pattern in Happy Hour. I'm using an In the Pink FQ bundle. Another busy work week coming up so may not have much progress.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

A Day to Remember

I still remember that fateful day 7 years ago. I was busy at work and heard a co-worker in the cube next to mine talking about a plane crashing into the Towers. I thought he was full of crap (he was known to be a joker) or that it was plane failure. So I went on Yahoo and realized it was NOT a joke and definitely not an accident. I was totally in shock. How could this happen? I also remember watching the second tower crash. I happened to be walking past one of the meeting rooms where someone had turned on the TV. I just couldn't imagine what all went through. Later that day I found out my cousin's wife had an uncle at the Pentagon who was missing. A couple days later they found his body in the wreckage.

So on this anniversary, take some time out of your busy day to remember those who lost their lives at the Towers, the Pentagon, a Pennsylvania field, and on a battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan. Also say a prayer for those who are currently fighting for our freedom. And NEVER forget.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Patchwork Party - Winter 2008

Did you see??? The Winter edition of Patchwork Party will be available this Friday!!! I was just checking out their website and the gallery shows the finishing kits that you can buy. The fabric line is Cottage Romance by Willowberry Lane (Maywood).

I haven't decided if I'm going to do this one yet, but I like the Calico Cat and Quilters Quarters finishing kits.

On a side note, I DID start the 2nd block last night from the Patchwork Party Spring edition earlier this year. :0)

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Stash Report - 9/7

During the week I didn't get much sewing time in. Yesterday I did get the backing pieced (3 yds) for Midnight Mischief and got it loaded on the frame. Today I started quilting it until the boys were feeling neglected (see below). I also got the applique pieces fused down on Harvest Welcome, along with the first border. I need to sew the applique pieces down and add the second border and then it can be quilted!!! I'll probably work on the applique tomorrow night while watching the Packers game.

As I had mentioned last week, I went to the closing sale at one of the quilt shops in the area. I added 20 yards along with several books. Friday I will be going to the Madison Quilt Show. I'm planning on behaving though and just taking pictures, unless a vendor has the Heritage quilt kit. ;0)


This week's numbers:
  • Fabric Added This Week - 20 yards
  • Fabric Added as of Apr. '08 - 203.75 yards
  • Fabric Used This Week - 3 yards
  • Fabric Used Year to Date - 58-3/4 yards
Goals for this Coming Week:

  • Finish quilting Midnight Mischief
  • Finish Harvest Welcome top
I had hoped to get more sewing done today, but the boys had other ideas. Sonny (right) loves playing fetch with the ball (or one of the many hedgehog toys). Riley (left) loves to steal the ball from us and not give it back. He'd rather play keep away....the little poop.



















Saturday, September 6, 2008

Wonderful Saturday

It is a wonderfully cool (mid-60s) Saturday here in Wisconsin. My allergies are better today but not completely gone.

This morning Riley and I took a trip to Appleton. (Sonny went with "Grandma and Grandpa" to get his eyes checked.) We went to Sam's Club first. There was hardly anyone there so I got out of there in like 20 minutes. Then it was off to Patchwork Sampler for the closing sale. I got backing fabric for Tilt-A-Whirl and Midnight Mischief, and some other fabrics that will go along with some future projects. The shop is closing in mid-October so I'm not sure I'll get back before they close the doors.

Next Friday I'm going to the Madison Quilt Expo. This will be my first time there. I'm really looking forward to it, but I gotta remember to behave myself. I'll take lots of pictures!!!

I'm watching the Badgers pull away from Marshall, but want to get into the sewing room for a little bit before the in-laws drop Sonny off. They haven't seen Roxie and Buddy yet so they'll wanna check them out.

Tomorrow will be a sewing day!!! I'm hoping to get Midnight Mischief on the frame and quilted.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

New Quilty Eye Candy

While looking for the elusive Fabshophop bunnies today, I saw one of Judy Niemeyer's new patterns called Amazon Star. I absolutely love her patterns. I have several of them but have yet to actually MAKE one. Someday!!!

Speaking of "someday" projects, Jen was blogging about her quilty "bucket list" today. I had started such a list (although I called it my "Someday" list) a couple years ago. Here's the start of my quilty bucket list:

  1. Mariner's Compass
  2. Lone Star
  3. Vintage Moments (which is patiently waiting for me to start)
  4. Samoyed memory quilt
  5. Be Colorful - Circle of Life (also waiting for me to start)
  6. Samoyed applique wallhanging
  7. Hunter's Star
  8. Trip Around the World (also waiting on my to-do list)
  9. All of the projects on my Haven't Started Yet list. LOL

Tonight I worked more on Harvest Welcome. The four leaves are done, and I started piecing the scarecrow's head.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Our Family Has Grown

Today was the 4-H small animal auction at the County Fair. Local businesses bid on the animals and the money goes towards a scholarship for the kid who raised the animal. Our friends own a business and last year they won a toulouse goose for us. This year they didn't have any geese or ducks that we liked at the auction so they ended up buying us a GOAT! Her name is Roxie and she's 5 months old.

When we picked up Roxie, we come to find out that she needs a "buddy" or she'll be very unhappy. After listening to her bellar on the way home, I realized we DID need to get her a friend. Luckily my brother raises goats on his farm so we called him up and asked if he had any goats he wanted to part with. He had a couple of weathered (fixed) males. So we put Roxie in the pen that had been for the geese, but they don't use it, and went trekking over to my brothers. So, now we have a companion for Roxie. My niece hadn't named him yet so we're working on a name for him yet.

Our happy "little" family now consists of two dogs, three geese, one duck, two goats and lots of angelfish. Now we can finally sit down and relax on our day off. LOL