2016-02

Globetrotting is now bound and hanging on my living room wall.

This was a 2014 BOM designed by Pat Sloan that had been pieced and waiting its turn to be quilted.  Snowmagedden enabled me to catch up on customer work and gave me an opportunity to complete some of my projects.  :)

Earlier in the year I joined a postage stamp swap... unfortunately I didn't understand all the details until the last minute. We were to cut sets of 25 different 1.5in squares.  No problem!  right!? I cut up some left-over chunks of fabric from two recent projects and packaged 12 identical sets (one set for each registered member) then emailed to confirm. Well it turns out that a set consists of 25 identical pkgs of 25 different squares! Ooops.  I had to go digging into the smaller scraps to complete all the sets, but I made it!  Here's a picture of the first 12 when I thought I was done... I neglected to take a picture of the whole set of 25 packages as I was in a hurry to make it to the post office.

I've begun work on a wedding quilt for my husband's niece who will be getting married in August.  She chose Trip Around the World for a pattern and I chose these fabrics based upon her color preference.  (Yes, some of these fabrics were used for the swap above... I bought lots of extra for another project I want to do later.)  The pattern is for a twin bed calling for 8 fabrics.  I'm guessing and hoping that these 12 fabrics will enlarge it enough to work for the queen size bed they will be sharing.

We haven't had a lot of snow since Snowmagedden last month, but several smaller storms bringing from a dusting to 3inches of snow have kept schools closed for the past week... and I have been entertaining my grandson all week.  We colored, we played with cars and lincoln logs, we read books and worked a reading program online.  But I also needed to sew... so I convinced him to try making a pillow cover from some FQs he chose on our last shopping trip while I treadled away on a project.  I drew a line on the fabric and sat him down with a needle and thread... putting it in an embroidery hoop for easier handling.  He worked for about 2 hours!  But then he wanted to sew faster on my treadle.  He couldn't reach the peddle and sew too so he stood there and guided the fabric and I treadled for him.  Success!



I walked out to the mailbox Thursday to find a package from Quiltville!!!???  I didn't remember ordering anything from her recently.  Looking closer I realized it was addressed to hubby.  He doesn't quilt so I knew it was for me.  I waited VERY patiently until he arrived home from work and handed it to him.   Happy Valentine's Day he says :)  I apparently had talked about it and he went searching and ordered it for me!  :)  And yesterday he came home with a dozen red roses!  He's a keeper!

2016-01 ... Snowmagedden and UFO progress

We had snowmagedden here in Tennessee and along the east coast.  Nine inches of snow is unheard of here and everything just closes down for a couple days until it all melts.

We had our eldest grandson for the week while schools were shut down and among other things we had fun sledding down the front street and experimented with making SnowCream...YUM!
  

When I wasn't entertaining the kids I was sewing.... I finished piecing, quilting and binding Little Monkey for my grand niece.

I also quilted and am working on the binding for Globetrotting.

2015 Update and start of 2016

I had difficulities with both the camera and the computer in 2015 and I didn't post very much.  So, here is a brief summary before I try to begin posting activities for 2016

Family gathered for last goodbyes to my mother-in-law in January

We survived the ice storms of February..

We redid my sewing studio and under-stair storage area after heavy rains caused water damage in April ... and reorganized my scrap stash... although it needs a lot more work!

 

 

In the spring, I wanted to plant a rose garden near where the big trees were removed in 2014... unfortunately... there were way too many roots and we began the big dig in July...

I finished the Savannah Squares quilt for Sr. Doris in September... and the niece it was gifted to was thrilled!

I finished my grandson's Big Brother quilt in October

     

It turned out totally different than the orginal plan.  I had laid the blue/white pieced blocks out on the floor for grandson to see... and his only comment was... but Nana.. there's not enough red.. red is my FAVORITE color! there has to be more red!  So I added red bandana fabric sashings and cornerstones and borders and it grew to nearly king size!  It is draped over the queen size bed he sleeps in and he pulls down one corner and snuggles in.

In September I started work on Little Monkey for a new grand-niece born in July

Activities with our grandson included a week of cabin camping with a waterslide near our cabin, a visit to dinosaurland, exploring caverns in KY, visiting several local county fairs, and a trip to Disney, SeaWorld and Sanibel Island and a trip to Nashville to see the Christmas lights and eat at the Aquarium restaurant in December.

    

 

An online friend from Alaska stopped in for a visit  ... and I met other online friends at at a retreat in Virginia Beach...

Matthew and I won ribbons at the fair....

And I had a very successful booths at Rugby and Santa's Workshop...

 

Other activities throughout the year included working the church rummage sale, working with Cookeville Jr. Women's Club at Santa's Workshop,  various activities with TTU college students, making woven placemats  and christmas trees with Matthew and his friends at Hope Academy.

 

I'm sure there is a lot I've forgotten but these are the highlights.  I hope to be better at posting, maybe monthly in 2016.

I hope you had a good 2015 and are looking forward to 2016.