Brrrrrrrr, so quilting!

Oh so cold outside today! Layers of clothes but still quite cold on the bus! Decided I didn't have to be outside anymore than absolutely had to, so sewed/quilted.

Got my version of "Starry Nights" completed.

Way past bedtime so am off for today.

~Irene~

Still quilting

Still quilting away as time allows......great way to pass the time as the cold winds howl!

Selected three blocks from a swap and make a tablerunner this time around.

Saw the new Keepsakes Catalog, (http://www.keepsakequilting.com/) and oh my! Love some of the patterns! Now, how can I justify buying them and starting more projects before I have this list of UFOs finished?????

~Irene~

Another UFO bites the dust!

Not much hapening this week. Braving the cold and snow! Had a wonderful birthday and now must get back to doing stuff in "my world!"

Quilted my Jaunty Rails last weekend and finally finished

the binding this week. Will either give as a gift or keep for

future grandkids.

I also started machine quilting my Starry Nights, but messed up in the borders so am in the process of unquilting...uck! So back to the chair with my ripper and book on tape! Should keep me out of trouble for a bit!

~Irene~

UFO Progress

Joined a few friends over the weekend to quilt and sew. Made some progress, but didn't completely finish anything. Quilted a baby quilt and tablerunner, but they still need the bindings sewn down. Started another new quilt, yes I know, I supposed to be finishing quilts, not starting them, but...........I have a lot that need to be quilted, so I may have to set up the hand quilting frame and start hand quilting again. Would rather machine quilt them, but can't quilt the bigger ones on my machine.......maybe I can get some done over the next long weekend?

Thanks to Sherry for the bed and getting a room for us! Thanks to Sherry, Bonnie, Lesa, and Lucille for your companionship! I totally enjoyed myself! Now it's back to the working world tomorrow.

~Irene~

Cold weather, warm quilts!

Winter has come to NE Ohio! Cold, windy, icy, and snowy! Not the kind of weather I like for school bus driving!

On the quilty side, I finished piecing my leaf quilt (Third Week in October) on Saturday! Every spare minute I had last week was spent trying to get this top done! Now, to get it quilted...hope it doesn't take me 15 month like it did to piece it!

Now, what is my next project???? I will contiue to work on my UFO's but for those of you that know me, I just have to have a WIP too! Am thinking about a black and bright batik of some kind...will see what comes up this weekend!

Going to visit quilting friends for 3 days....and yes, my pal Lesa will be there too.....oooooooooo we may get into trouble looking at patterns, fabrics, quilts, etc......wonder if we will get any sleep?????

~Irene~

Another UFO becomes a quilt

I finished up another UFO. I am determoined to clean out the cupboard of unfinished projects! I know there are some in there that I no longer like or want. They will be donated to PL or some other group. Now, to figure out what to do with the fabrics I don't care for anymore......

~Irene~

Still quilting

Had the honor of Lesa visiting last week for a few days and sew/quilt we did! She made a bright flannel quilt (http://www.lesabame.blogspot.com/) and I managed to make two more tops to add to my UFO pile! Hopefully I will get them quilted soon!

I have been struggling with the actual machine quilting--doing more unquilting than getting anything finished! I have joined Ohio Quilters UFO challenge (10 finished in 6 months???). One is done...only 9 more to go! Sad to say, this only puts a small dent into the UFO pile!



Not sure how much I'll get accomplished over the weekend (working tomorrow). Break was wonderful and I really didn't want to go back to that big yellow school bus yesterday, but survived the two regular days. Tomorrow will be short, but good pay. I will most likely work more Saturdays since a coworker has been diagnosed with cancer and starts treatments next week. Prayers for John would be appreciated!

K.....off to fight with that huge flannel quilt again!
~Irene~

The last of the 2007 quilts

Finished up two more quilts on New Year's Eve.....

A bargello wall hanging

and a baby quilt made from swap blocks.

Now I need to do another invetory and decide what I will work on in the year of 2008! Slowly my pile of blocks are becoming quilts!

~Irene~

Update

Time is flying by! I am on break and loving every minute of it!

Christmas was a happy time at our house. Just the seven of us but we had fun eating exchanging gifts, and playing games!

Mic is coming along really well with her rehab...in fact, if her brace arrived, she will throw away the crutches tomorrow--oh happy day! She is walking around the house without them anyway but they protect her when she is out and about. We are so thankful that she has very little pain! Only occassionally uses Advil--no prescription drugs anymore!

Most of us are fighting allergies right now--it's no wonder! First is below 32 the warms up to 45 on Christmas day...crazy Ohio weather! Have had a lot of rain again but at least it's not SNOW!!!

I've been working on my TWiO quilt......am beginning to wonder if I'll ever get it done? Moved my sewing room into the living room today setting up two tables. Have some quilting friends coming tomorrow to spend a few days. My sewing room is just to small for more than one person so we are taking over the living room!

Now I must get some sleep as I know I won't sleep much the next 2-4 days as we tend to sew late into the night/morning when we get together! Oh I can hardly wait!

Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year.

~Irene~

Finishes

Finished my BellaBella top.

And the Baby flannel rag quilt.

This-N-That

Cleaning--YUCK! I hate to do it, but it must be done! This week I worked on getting my sewing room back into a presentable condition! It was messy and dark! Tubs and bags stashed everywhere and half the time I couldn't find what I needed/wanted although I was sure I had it!

Before: (because of the poor lighting, you can't see the mountains piled under the table)

After:

I still have a set of shelves that need to be sorted, but at least now I know what I have and can find it! Oh, and it's a lot nicer sewing with more lighting! The ceiling fixture needs an electrician and he can't come until later this month.

As far as sewing/quilting this past week. I did finish a baby flannel rag quilt. I will either store it for future grand kids or give it to my neighbor who is due on Christmas Day.

I also worked on my BellaBella. I need to add the center circle and it will be pieced. Want to pick up a yellow thread first. Need to find a quilter for this one.

Then I started setting my Autumn Trails blocks...need to make more blocks to have a nice sized lap quilt. So I guess I know what to work on in my spare (?) time this week! DD starts rehab and I am driving more as we have a lot of Holiday concerts to take the kids to plus basketball games. Company coming Friday so also need to make sure the whole house is spotless! Maybe I should go grocery shopping too so there is food here too????

Have a wonderful week!

~Irene~

Post-op

Mic had her ACL surgery yesterday. Long 12 hrs. in the hospital but she's home and is doing great so far. One pain pill every 4 hrs. seems to be enough for now. She had a great night last night (only got me up once) and is about to settle down for tonight. Did have some visitors this evening and she enjoyed that.

Back to see the Doc on Wed. then will find out when rehab begins (ut-oh). She's been doing the little stretch/bend exercises he told her to do so am hoping thatis helping.

Thanks for your prayers!

~Irene~

Flannel Quilts

So have you ever made a flannel quilt? I'm not fond of working with flannel, but I just can't pass up that yearly swap! The quilts are soooo warm! This year we did our blocks a little different, raggy style! Got my oldest daughter, Stacy, to swap too so we'd have more blocks. Of course, she then got the finished quilt too!
(front) (back)










I also am working on finishing last years blocks. Am waiting on the last border fabric to arrive as I ran out and had to order more...Mic will get this one then all my kids will have warm flannel quilts. Does mom get one next year?

Also pulled out a raggy baby flannel quilt I started about 2 years ago and never finished. My neighbor is having a baby around Christmas Day....might make a nice gift?


~Irene~

Frustrating Day

Why is it when I want to get a lot done, nothing goes right? Trying to get some swap blocks done, first I cut wrong--how can you cut 2.5" strips wrong? I can and did--grrrrrr! Finally have them all cut correctly and start sewing---now I need 14 blocks--no big deal--wrong again! Half of them I had to unsew and redo! After five looooooooooooong hours they are finally done!

Also need to make two more of the 30's blocks so I have enough for a baby quilt....pieces for those are cut. Am hoping to still finish them tonight.

Then I'd also like to start seting my flannel blocks from the 2006 swap, bu I can't find them! Mic and I have turned this sewing room upside down and then some looking for them! I am beginning to think that I took them to retreat with me and left them there..will have to call Sheryl and see or did I take them along to Lesa's and leave them there? Don't think so as I didn't see them last weekend. huuuummmmm

Did get the 2007 flannel blocks into a quilt yesterday before work..It's a "raggy" quilt so still have all the snipping to do. (Picture later).

Now for the good news! I WON a door prize during Planet Patchwoos One Day Mystery Event today!!!!

Hopefully the rest of the week will go much better sewing wise! I need to get a few things added to the finished list before the new year rolls around!

~Irene~

Sewing frenzy

Spent a few days with Lesa last weekend.....made progress on many "little things." The BellaBella is getting bigger! Am now to the point of connecting the four sections---am stuggling with it, but----am also down to making six sets of HSTs and adding the final borders for the "Wedding" quilt! Yippee! Some "top" finishes coming up soon, at least I hope so! Also made 120 2.5" HSTs for a Jaunty Rail Quilt made of 30's fabrics.

Lesa and I were busy sewing, shopping (ut-oh!), and playing with her new Pfaff mid-arm! Thanks Lesa for a wonderful weekend!

Happy thanksgiving to each of you!

Week of appointments

This past week was our week of multi-appointments! UGH! I think that ehausted me more than working 12 hours days!

Mic had a MRI done on Monday, results on Wednesday. She did tear her ACI (plus other damamge in there) in her left knee. As of now, she is scheduled for surgery on November 30th. There is a lot this mommy has to get done before that day rolls around! I have asked for a week off but haven't been told I can have more than three days.

I am slowly getting the top made for Ry and Amber. Still have to make 20 HST's but need to sew more dark strips together. Wonder how I managed to miscount my strips? I am using the pattern "Ripples."

I am also working on another flannel quilt. These are blocks from last years swap. Still collecting the blocks from this years swap. Yep, a year behind again!

Since it's cold, rainy, and windy outside, I'm off to cuddle with a quilt and a book for this afternoon.

~Irene~

Updating

November and no snow!!!!! Altho the mornings are frosty and nippy, I have been able to go to work with mostly a sweatshirt, but I think that is coming to a hault as there is snow in the forecast..brrrrrrrrrrr..and I don't like driving the bus in the snow, but then, we've made it so far without snow and that's unusal!

Not much sewing going on this week, been running with Mic. She will possibly have ACL surgery yet this month or early December.....not what we had in mind for the holiday season, but..............

A few more "comfort quilts" I've had a hand in making this year:

Month's End..........

......and I feel like I haven't accomplished much of anything! Looking over my chart, I do see that three quilts are completed! WAHOO!

I also, ummmmmmmmmm, joined two block swaps. Oh boy, I'm not supposed to be doing that! My goal is to empty the block drawers NOT fill them up! But, I only had to buy one yard of flannel for the two swaps, the rest of the fabric came out of my stash! This does justify joining the swaps---right?

It's time to pull out last years flannel blocks and get them done---that four lettered word I don't like to hear (namely, snow) is in our forecast for next week....guess fall is about over? Will need the flanel quilts, jammies, etc. if it's cold and the fuel prices keep going up!

Wonder if I can accomplish anything quilty in November?



~Irene~

Duh!

One of these days I will learn not to try sewing when I am tired! Everything I pieced Tuesday night, I have to undo and try again! ggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Maybe it's time I take a breat, clean up the messy room and hand quilt for a day or two? But wait, I can't do that right now, I have to get 12 blocks made for a swap I join (which, by the way, I cut wrong too and have to recut!) Oh well, more fabric into the scrap bin. Someday I'll figure out what to do with all those scraps...............

Weather turned cooler. Had lots and lots of rain the lst few days. Windy and the leaves are falling fast. They say we could have our first hard frost this weekend. Brrrr I'm not a fan of cold weather!

Well, best go see if I can salvage any of my booboos. (altho today I'd rather curl up on the couch with a book and quilt!)

Later

Irene

Busy, busy, busy................

Time to slow down! I am tired! Helped at school a lot last week, very emotional week, but God is giving us the strength to go on. Celebrated Mic's 18th birthday over the weekend---where has the time gone? My "baby" is ready to spread her wings (well, as soon as she graduates high school!). Weather has been so beautiful so am outside as much as I can. Just a few more hours and we will be ready for the snow (gasp). The leaves aren't as pretty this year, but there is still some color around!

I am working on my quilting too. The three quilts for the "kids" have the bindings on, are washed & dried, and ready for their new home.

Also made a Homespun Rag Quilt for the shop.

Now, it's time to clean up the sewing room and start (or finish) another project.


Enjoy the fall weather!
Irene