Bay Beach/N.E.W. Zoo

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Today was another busy day. We walked/ran the bike path in town. Then headed to Green Bay to Bay Beach and the N.E.W. Zoo in Suamico. The temperature was great for going to see wildlife. Almost all of the animals were out and about. It was nice to see they have a new male lion. The last time we went their male lion wasn’t in very good condition and passed away shortly after.

I talked hubby into stopping at the Silver Thimble Quilt Shop since the last time we tried to stop, they were closed. It was smaller than it looked from outside. I ended up not buying anything.

After taking a little break after getting home, we continued priming the porch railings. We’re 9 years a little behind in painting them. We now have 2-1/2 of the 4-1/2 sections primed. I wish we didn’t have to still paint them too.

Tomorrow night we’re tentatively planning on going to the Brewers game. Tomorrow morning we’ll continue working on getting the house ready for the party. I’m not sure if we’ll be going to the Milwaukee zoo and/or the domes before the game. Depending on when we leave, maybe I can talk hubby into stopping at Patched Works.

I forgot, I cut the pieces out for Block #6 of the Apple Cider Medallion BOM. I'll start sewing it together tomorrow morning.

I love vacation. I could get used to this, but I have a long way to go before I can retire.

Week #26 Stash Report

We're at the halfway point and this week I have a bunch of goose eggs. Nothing in, nothing out. It was way too hot here to sew. In fact I only made two 4 patches for Pick & Choose, otherwise I stayed out of the sewing room. Now had we gone on our vacation to Missouri and Iowa like we'd planned, my added number would have been way different. So I guess it's a good thing we decided to just stay home although I do like visiting new (to me) quilt shops.

Here are my numbers to date:

• Fabric Added: 0 yards
• Fabric Added to Date: 84.50 yards
• Fabric Used: 0 yards
• Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 108.00 yards
• Net Used: 23.50 yards

This week I want to start making some of the Pick & Choose blocks and work on the Apple Cider Medallion BOM (since I'm a couple months behind).

It'll be interesting to see how I do the rest of the year. I looked back at my numbers from last year and July through September I seemed to acquire quite a bit of fabric. I know my numbers will take a hit when Aster Manor comes out this fall, but otherwise I'm hoping to keep that added number to a minimum. Plus, I'll have at least another 18 yards from the FQ monthly club.

Vacation turned into Staycation

Hubby is on shutdown for two weeks, and I have vacation all next week. We had talked about going on a little (only 500 miles each way) road trip to Missouri and Iowa to watch races but only if there was zero chance of rain. After hubby got home on Thursday we (OK, I) decided not to go. Hubby was beat from the heat and humidity at work and there was a chance of rain in Iowa but I didn't really want to do the long drive or deal with the mid- to high-90 degree weather. So now we're just going to do some day trips instead. (I was kinda looking forward to going because one of our stops would have been the Fons and Porter quilt shop, but maybe it'll happen next year.)

So yesterday we trekked into town and bought some paint for the porch railings. We're having a party for the 4th of July so we have to do some work around the house. Then stopped at Sears and ordered a new treadmill. I would have preferred not to have the extra expense, but the belt keeps slipping on our current one so I won't use it. With it being so hot out now I haven't walked outside much. I'm not a morning person so I can't drag my butt out of bed to go walk before work when it's cooler.

Our friends were taking their new (to them) boat out for the first time so we went out on Elkhart Lake for a couple of hours. Hubby did a little bit of water skiing. It was nice and relaxing. So much that I forgot to keep putting on more sunscreen and got a nice sunburn on my legs and shoulders. :0( It hurt some last night but not too bad today. So like that song from several years ago goes.....Don't forget the sunscreen!!!

Today we haven't done much. Next week we'll check out the Milwaukee Zoo, Domes and probably take in a Brewers game. And work on cleaning up the house for the party. ;0)

So with the heat and now vacation, no sewing going on here right now. I hope to get some in next week. It's not suppose to be so hot which is a good thing.

Week 25 Stash Report

I've been cutting fabric here and there for Pick and Choose this week. I managed to use another 3.75 yards with no new fabric coming in.

Here are my numbers to date:

• Fabric Added: 0 yards
• Fabric Added to Date: 84.50 yards
• Fabric Used: 3.75 yards
• Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 108.00 yards
• Net Used: 23.50 yards

Judy mentioned that we're almost halfway through the year and if we're on track with our busting. I'm happy with how much fabric I've used to date. I know I won't get as much sewing done soon because I have several huge project deadlines coming up at work, but I think I can meet my goal of 150 yds used by the end of the year. I had hoped that my net used number would have been bigger at this point, but I'm slowly chipping away at it. At this point, I'll be happy if I can finish the year with using more fabric than I bought.

My goal for this week is to keep working on Pick and Choose.

Elkhart Lake Triathalon

Yesterday we went to the Elkhart Lake Triathalon again. This year I remember to take the camera. The top picture is of a the 860 some swimmers getting ready to take the plunge. The second picture is the corrale for their bikes (with part of The Osthoff in the background). Once things get going, it's pretty chaotic with people running all over the place to cheer/see their person. We didn't know anyone (or so we thought). We ended up seeing one kid coming back from the bike portion that we knew who played basketball a couple of years ago. I give anyone who even attempts this, regardless of their time, a ton of credit.

Unfortunately there also was a sad experience. One of the swimmers in the first group ("sprinters" as they call them) had to be helped out of the water. According to The Sheboygan Press she had started walking out of the water when she complained of chest pains. Another swimmer and a lifeguard helped her to the beach but then she stopped breathing. They did CPR on her for a long time before they transported her. Unfortunately they could not revive her. She was only 54 years old. My sympathy goes out to her family.

Week 24 Stash Report

Nothing too exciting this week. Continued to work on the Hot Cross top (it's a Schnibbles pattern by Miss Rosie Quilts Co. aka Carrie Nelson - Schnibbles). I just put the last two borders on this morning. Used 0.25 yards for the inner border. I'm hoping to get it quilted next weekend while hubby is at work.

Here are my numbers to date:

Fabric Added: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 84.50 yards
Fabric Used: 0.25 yards
Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 104.25 yards
Net Used: 19.75 yards

My goal for the week is to quilt Hot Cross next weekend. Continue cutting pieces for Pick and Choose.

Is Collecting "Stuff" Genetic?

Yesterday I went over by my brother's house to drop off my niece's birthday present and pick up some hay bales for the goats. It's been a while since I've been in my brother's house because usually we just hang out outside or by the barn to check out any new animals. I was amazed to see how many books my brother has "collected" since the last time I was in the house. Seriously, he could start a library! Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that he's reading and it's his "release" from work/stress.

This got me to thinking because my other brother "collects" football/baseball cards and NASCAR stuff. Over the years I've collected Precious Moments, Cherished Teddies, books and now fabric. My mom doesn't collect things but my maternal grandma did. So is collecting/pack-ratting/hording, whatever you want to call it, genetic? Can I blame my need to collect fabric on my ancestors? Is this something out of my control? That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

On a quilting note, I finished making the Hot Cross (it's a Schnibbles pattern by Miss Rosie Quilts Co. aka Carrie Nelson - Schnibbles) blocks. They're squared up and ready to be sewn into a top. I still need to cut the piano keys for the border. I really liked making this. I'm eyeing up some of her other smaller patterns. I would like to make more smaller quilts to hang up in the house. The walls are just too bare!

Week #23 Stash Report

I had a great stashbusting week. I donated 8 yards to St. Vinnie's, gift a kit of 3.5 yards to my niece for her birthday (sweet 16, gulp how did that happen), and 1/2 yard for the last Patchwork Party border. I received my monthly FQ bundle which added 3 yards. I'm excited to be over 100 yards busted! Now to work on keeping that "added" number to under 100 (at least until October when the Moda Aster Manor fabric collection comes out)!

I had an urge to go quilt shop hopping the other day, but I resisted going anywhere since the gas prices are skyrocketing! I did poke a couple buttons but it was for patterns and books only.

Here are my numbers to date:

• Fabric Added: 3 yards
• Fabric Added to Date: 84.50 yards
• Fabric Used: 12.0 yards
• Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 104 yards
  Net Used: 19.50 yards

My goal for the week is to finish the Hot Cross blocks, 7 more to go.

Hot Cross

I made some progress on Hot Cross today. I don't know why I started another project, especially after seeing how many tops that need to be quilted. I really must get at least one of those tops finished this month! Maybe that will be my Saturday project. I've been feeling the urge today to go quilt shop hopping, but I'm trying to ignore it because there really isn't anything I'm looking for except maybe the Hole in One fabrics. My boss loves to golf and I was thinking about making him a quilt for Christmas. I'm not sure I'd be able to get it done in time though since I'll be working overtime/weekends in the near future through the beginning of November.

I also took over 600 pictures (from two different cemeteries) of tombstones. It was such a gorgeous day out and they're talking rain tomorrow afternoon and Saturday so I figured I better get the pictures while it's nice out. Now I have to transcribe them all!

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

It's the Weekend!!!

Things were a little slow at work this week so I decided to take vacation today and tomorrow. My goals for the next four days are working on Hot Cross blocks, transcribing and photoing more cemeteries for the local genealogy websites, and housecleaning (getting rid of old stuff).

I already cleaned up the kitchen on Tuesday night. Last night I started going through some of my clothes. Before I could get to some of the clothes I had to move the overflow fabric containers. There were also a couple bags of leftover batting pieces which reminds me I need to work on some smaller projects so I can use some of this up. I filled up three garbage size bags with old clothes. Plus three smaller bags full of craft paint from when I thought I could teach myself to paint. (I'll stick with quilting.) I dropped the bags off this morning before I had a chance to rethink any of the items. I also have a bag full of books for my niece.

OK, enough computer time, gotta get back to work!