Thank Goodness for FNSI!

Thank goodness for FNSI! Finished the quilting on the last table runner and got labels & bindings attached to both. Only the final hand sewing on these left to do! They'll be gifted out before we know it!

Since I was going strong and the space heater had my basement sewing nook warmed up, I figured I should keep that pedal pushing! Sewed up these two pillowcases. Love the "miracle" of the Burrito Pillowcase! Anyway, see the "Forever Sisters" written on the fabric? I made these for my twin nieces. Even though they're 17 years old, I think they'll love them! I've got more "Frozen" fabric ... need to whip up a few more pillowcases!

I hope everyone that participated in FNSI got a lot accomplished. It's a very busy time of year and we surely need a little breathing room as a treat for ourselves.

On a side note, the applique group that I belong to met this morning. There were some beautiful Mosaic projects making great progress. My poor Mosaic hasn't left the tote that I brought it home from class in! So pathetic! That, my friends, is ONE of my New Years Resolutions: Make more time for applique!!!

Have a good weekend!

FNSI

No time for much except announcing that tonight is Friday Night Sew-In! Get yourselves checked in HERE then get to your sewing room and sew, sew, sew!!!! Special thank you to Wendy for keeping us organized and putting together a chance for a gift!

Not sure what I'll be working on just yet, probably Christmas. How about you?

Catch-up Time!

Wow! I've got a lot to share today! Sit back and see my promised finishes!

My absolute favorite cowl! It's being gifted for Christmas and I'm almost done with a 2nd one. I swapped out the colors on it and it's looking gorgeous too!

The pattern is Lophelia by Laura Aylor. You can find the pattern Right Here! It's actually an easy pattern to knit. You just need to know how to knit short rows! Brilliant! 

Check out my handsome rooster! Isn't he sporty  in a Thorne cowl, pattern also by Laura Aylor. This pattern can be found Over Here!

You may have guessed by now that I was participating in a Cowl-a-Thon sponsored by Laura on Ravelry. It was so fun to see what others were creating at the same time. All so beautiful! In future, I plan on joining other Laur-a-thons. She is incredibly talented!

Being as it IS the beginning of December, I went to the APQ 2016 UFO Challenge to see what the project for the month would be. I kind of figured it out on my own since it's the last but I needed to double-check for myself. It's this one:

Original Post

Current Status

You may remember this was a guild challenge. It needs finishing. I seem to remember that I wanted to make a scalloped bordered on it. However, Christmas will be getting in the way for sewing UFOs this month. I think this one will be making a return to the list for 2017!

Speaking of UFO Challenge 2017, you can get all the details HERE . You will find the link for the Challenge Project Sheet and another link for the Facebook group to share your finishes. It's great incentive for progress all year long. Who knows? Maybe you'll finish a few project too -- like me!

On a personal note, my daughter came in from Alexandria, Virginia for the Thanksgiving holiday. We enjoyed "Moana" at the movie theater. Reminded us of the five years we spent in Hawaii but we agreed that it was based a little more on Tahitian or Maorian (is that a word?) heritage rather than Hawaiian.

We also spent an afternoon at the St. Louis History Museum*, which I didn't even know existed. It was fabulous! We enjoyed all of the exhibits -- Toy, Route 66, and the St. Louis World's Fair. Sarah had just read a book that had some of the history of the St. Louis World's Fair in it so she thoroughly enjoyed it. Me? I fell in love with the building itself! The ceilings are spectacular. Love!

*Side note: The museum was FREE, as was parking! Score!

On the day before Thanksgiving I had the Mohs surgery done on my nose, right nostril to be precise. Sarah stayed home to bake the pumpkin pie while Fred took me over to SLU for my 7:30am appointment. UGH!  I came home looking like the picture on the right. Not too bad.

Today is ten days since. While a lot of the swelling has subsided and the bruising is looking more green & yellow than purple, my eye continues to blacken.

Here are current pictures of me taken this morning. The one is what Fred calls my "Phantom of the Opera" look. The other is what I call my Tareyton-cigarette-commercial look -- "I'd rather fight than switch!" Yes, showing my age here. Sarah doesn't even remember cigarette commercials! "We've come a long way, baby!" *wink*

Stitches come out this Wednesday. Trying to decide: Should I bring a stud earring with me so that, when the stitch through my nostril comes out, I can stick the earring there as a wonderful reminder of this procedure and so that I may be more like my daughter?? Nope, I don't think so .... Haha!

I just had to share on last picture of the Lophelia cowl.

Couldn't resist!

Until next time!

FNSI Update

🎶🎵I feel GOOOOODDD!!! 🎵🎶

I organized, basted, and quilted both table runners Friday night. I also got the binding strips cut, sewn, and ironed. Just need to square up the runners and then get those bindings sewn on!!! Love FNSI Progress!!!

I hope you all got as much as I got done and maybe even MORE!!! Thank you, Wendy, at Sugarlane Quilts for organizing the fun!!

Have a great week!

FNSI, Gloves, and Candy Buttons!

Happy Thursday! One week until Thanksgiving. I hope you have been busy planning your dinner and getting ready to be with family and/or friends. My daughter arrives Saturday evening from Virginia and I AM EXCITED! Love her so much!

With all the business of preparing for her arrival, my upcoming BCC Mohs surgery on the day before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving itself, and then my 38th wedding anniversary the day after Thanksgiving, it's a wonder I can remember my name!!! So let's move right along now....

Tomorrow night is Friday Night Sew-In and I'm ready! I actually have a couple of pillowcases ready to sew and two table runners marked and ready to complete! My stars! Where has the "real me" gone??? Hahaha! Anyway, don't forget to sign up and have fun tomorrow night. My last check showed 23 of us all set to go! It's a great excuse to have some "ME" time!!

Sign Up Here

Lately, I've been busy knitting up a storm. I finished my gloves for Loopy Academy. They really were not that hard but you do need to pay attention ... OK, so that part was hard! I made them in this really funky color but, trust me on this, they look great with my pink jacket!

As for the other two projects for my Junior Year 1st Semester at LA, my socks are done except for the bobbles, which are a requirement. We also have to knit a toy. I've got it picked out but am waiting on yarn to arrive at The Loopy Ewe. They said it would be here in the Fall but I'm starting to wonder if it'll be here in time for me to finish by the December 15th deadline ... I'll post pictures of both when they're done.

Of course I couldn't let it rest at that. I joined in on a Laura Aylor Knit-A-Long. Actually it's my 2nd. The first, a mystery shawl, is done with the exception of the outside border. As for the Cowl KAL, we are to knit two of her cowl patterns by November 30 and we'll get a brand new pattern of hers FREE! I've got the first one done except for weaving in the ends and the 2nd one has been started -- barely, but it is started! I'll share pictures of these also when completed!

I thought I'd also share a picture of my kitty quilt. Ta! Da! Finished!!! Doesn't it look great draped over my new glider/recliner? I can't wait to snuggle in it this winter! And, by the way, that's another APQ 2016 UFO Challenge project F.I.N.I.S.H.E.D!!! Woo! Hoo!

Recently I talked my husband into a beautiful autumn drive to Shelbyville. It takes just under 2 hours to get there but there is a quilt store that was featured in Quilt Sampler magazine that I wanted to check out. I found an adorable table runner pattern there but I had to buy a kit to get the pattern. I didn't understand that until I got into it -- it's their very own pattern and it's called "Candy Buttons" ... like the old-time dot candies on the paper! Remember those??? Anyway I stitched mine up lickety-split and loved it so much I'm making four more! The kit I picked out used Deb Strain's Welcome Fall fabric line by Moda. My LQS didn't have the Candy Packs, only the Charm Pack so I MUST make four to use them up! How do you like my rationale??!! I'll be giving these away as Christmas gifts and/or Thank You gifts.  I love the richness of these colors. Bought extra yardage too because I'm envisioning a Maple Leaf quilt done with these fabrics! Maybe next year!!!

This post has gone on long enough. Time to order my fresh turkey for the holiday and make up a fresh bed! Have a safe holiday, especially if you're traveling! 

APQ 2016 UFO & Irene Blanck

This has been such a wonderful month! I was only able to work on my projects for the last half of the month due to being gone on vacation. Am I complaining? No way! Love vacations but sometimes it does interfere with my "normal" life.

Let me start with Loopy Academy. I've completed my gloves and am just about finished with a pair of socks, complete with bobbles or popcorn stitches. I've got them going 2-at-a-time, toe-up for an extra challenge. I've done 2-at-a-time before but they were cuff-down. Glad I tried as I can't think of a reason to ever knit one sock at a time ever again!

The sock pattern is a knit-along with www.KnitPurlHunter.com , who is also known as Michelle Hunter! I really like the chains going up the fronts and the stitchery going up the back is unique. Simple patterns yet keeps it interesting.

Let me get on with the applique & English paper-piecing class I was fortunate enough to take. Irene Blanck worked in classes all over the USA coinciding with Quilt Market in Houston. She hails from Australia so that right there tells you what a treat it was to take a class from her. Some of her methods I was familiar with, some I was not. It's so fun to take classes from different teachers because there's usually a bonus tip you can pick up ... or it is just the Aussies? Case in point, I took a wool applique class a while ago. The instructors were Australian and I picked up stapling (yes, you heard me, stapling!) my wool pieces to my background before stitching. Such an eye-opening tip!!! Totally portable!!

I think maybe that's key for the stitchers from Australia. Irene was very big into getting things totally glued in place before sewing. She also stressed keeping everything portable!

Yesterday I checked & checked the website for the APQ 2016 UFO Challenge. I wasn't the only one either judging by the comments! I went to bed last night and still didn't know what project was chosen. When I woke up this morning, still no post. However, I checked about an hour ago and there it was -- #9.

Check out what was in my lap this morning! Yup! Finishing up my September APQ 2016 UFO Challenge! I've actually finished since this picture was taken this morning and I look forward to cooler (even COLD!) temperatures which will be coming eventually!

I predict a lot of applique in my future. I went to a one-day retreat Friday and I to my applique project!

Have a great day! I'm sharing a picture I took on my walk this morning. Loved the cool, crisp air, the warm sun on my back, and the clematis still sharing joy in blooming just for me!

FNSI Wrap-Up

It doesn't look like much but I actually got quite a bit done. If you remember, this was my September APQ UFO Challenge. My September UFO is bleeding into October. Here's my excuse: I was gone for 2 weeks the end of September and mostly into October. How was I supposed to finish September let alone October????

Friday night found me in my sewing room. I actually got 6 or 7 blocks quilted! I thought I only had 6 more to go but it turns out I had 8. Since then I've finished off three more = only 5 more to go!!

Here's the picture before Friday Night Sew-In (Apparently I didn't take a "before picture". OOPS! So here's my most recent photo taken before Friday night):

And here's the picture as of today:

               

 I'm even sharing the back. This has been fun & easy to quilt since it was a "cheater" top. Each block has three borders to quilt and then there's 1 or 2 puddy tats. Depending on the details of the block, they only take about 20 - 25 minutes to do!

And here's a picture of the UFO I was supposed to be working on this month. Not going to happen which makes me sad. This quilt is supposed to go on my bed since it's queen-sized. Really, really, really wanted it on our bed this winter. Blah! 

As for my Loopy Academy projects, I've got 1 glove completed and the other about 80% done. Need to knock that out since the library book with the pattern I'm following is due Tuesday. Because I can't focus on only one thing at a time, I've also started a pair of socks. The requirement was a project with knitted bobbles. These socks will have that PLUS I've challenged myself into trying out 2-at-a-time, toe-up! Go, me!!!

I'll try to keep you up-to-date on my next project. We have an Australian quilter coming to teach us her method of applique and English Paper-Piecing (EPP) this Tuesday & Wednesday. See?? This is why there is no way I'd ever get my October UFO Challenge done this month. Not my fault!

Hope you managed to get in some stitching time this weekend. Here's to a great week ahead!

FNSI Tonight! (and Catherine Redford Class Projects)

I thought last week was FNSI until I checked the calendar. NOPE! So I knew I had a whole week to get my post together. YUP! Didn't happen and now I'm scrambling. UGH!

So here we go! Sign up HERE at Sugarlane Quilts, our hostess. Set some time aside tonight and don't forget to check on what others are up to at tonight's FNSI party! As of right now there are 22 of us!!!

We had a SUPER speaker at guild this month. Her name is Catherine Redford and she hails from up north, Naperville IL. That's close to Chicago! She showed us her embroidered projects and all I could say was, "WOW!" I was so happy that I was signed up for her embroidery class the next day. As if that wasn't enough fun, I decided to join in on the wool applique class on the next day after that!! Here are my projects. Catherine kept both classes fun, educational, and relaxed. LOVED BOTH!

 

   

Got my flu shot yesterday. Check out that Hunter's Orange Band-Aid!!! Doesn't help to wear it after I'd already been "shot"! Hahaha! Get it???!!

I'll check back in with you after tonight's FNSI and show you what all I managed to do!

Happy Friday!

Ta! Da! FNSI was pretty much successful. Got the quilt pin-basted. Had to go back upstairs afterwards because my feet were killing me. Standing on the hard, concrete basement floor just plain hurts!

What really hurts, though, is what I realized after taking my pictures for the post. Check it out ... the backing fabric is directional and of course I've got it on upside-down! Am I going to re-do it? Absolutely NOT!! Quilt Police be damned! Hahaha!

On Saturday I managed to almost complete two of the Farmer's Wife 6" blocks. I say "almost" because I was short a piece of background fabric so couldn't complete the first block. On the 2nd block I got the components pieced but not assembled. I'll get there!!!!

Have a great week!

Happy Fall 2016, WV Quilt, UFO Challenge!

I'm very much behind in my posts but I'll try to get us caught up. Probably most on my mind has been my poor nose. In a nutshell, once again I'm scheduled for Mohs surgery on November 23rd to get rid of basal cell carcinoma, this time on my right nostril.

"What?" my husband asked. "The day before Thanksgiving?"

"It'll be OK", I replied. "I'll bake the pumpkin pie the day before. You may have to grill turkey wings though!"

I'm taking liberty with the quotes but this was the gist of the conversation! Hahahaha!!! This year may be a first and I'm considering ordering our dinner from the local grocery store??!!?? Either way, I'll be fine by Christmas when my daughter will be arriving from VA and my brother's family from NC. It's all good!

Speaking of good, I did manage to finish my Bluebird Quilt for the WV project through my guild. I know that people always feel so bad for New Orleans, but there was A LOT of flooding in West Virginia and people there also lost EVERYTHING. I felt compelled to make a quilt for someone there especially since I had just won a jelly roll. Seemed preordained! (News tidbit: My guild donated 92 quilts!!!!!)

In the meantime, APQ 2016 UFO Challenge has been determined. #12 is next on the list. Here's a picture of how it was at the beginning of the month and how it is today .... same picture! Try to keep in mind that I was thoroughly obsessed with my WV Quilt! However, tonight is Friday Night Sew-In and I plan on getting this pin basted and a quilting plan established and maybe even started! I always have such high hopes!!

Tomorrow is my Applique Group's meeting. Looking forward to seeing what is in store for us in the morning. Afterwards I plan on starting my guild's BOM and maybe my LQS's BOM too! Yup! High hopes!!!!

Have a great weekend!

FNSI Results

Always, always, ALWAYS I never get as much done as I'd like. Perhaps it's because I'm so tired by Friday after getting up at 4:45am through the week (and sometimes I'm up even earlier! Insane!) that it's hard to concentrate on sewing Friday Night. I always try anyhow because I figure that after my week, I deserve it! Which is what Friday Night Sew-In is all about!!!

So without further adieu, here's what I got done. I'll admit it doesn't look like much but it's progress after all!

What started out like this, then got batting and backing fitted for it. It wasn't until this morning (Sunday) that it got basted so just ignore that part for FNSI progress, OK?

After that tedious part of quilt-making (do you also feel that way??), I went upstairs to watch a little of the Olympics and see how our St. Louis Cardinals were faring. I picked up my applique and got four out of these six petals done. It's the beginnings of a Dawn Heese pattern that I've wanted to make since forever. Again it doesn't look like much but it truly is more than I had done before Friday night! I'll keep you posted on this one!

Have a great Sunday!

FNSI & Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Pictures

This post will be long on pictures but OH! there are some WONDERFUL pictures of BEAUTIFUL quilts!!!! I'm sure you won't be too terribly upset, right?

While visiting my sister in the Denver Metro, we took a day to head over to Golden to visit the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. My sister had never been and the only time I managed to get there years ago, the museum was closed due to a water main break or no heat or some other catastrophe. And I do mean catastrophe! I was so devastated that I next headed over to the Coors Brewery to drown my sorrows! Hahaha!!!

This summer my visit was successful! There was an exhibit of Australian quilts. I wish I had (and probably should have) taken a picture of the card with the artist's name and title of their piece. In spite of this, please enjoy the show!

Check out these hexies!!!

I took a closeup so you could hopefully appreciate the size of the hexies.

Look at the applique on this masterpiece!

This quilt was amazing! The white fabric was layered on top of the darker brown. Plenty of reverse applique here!

I have to say that the Australian quilters have a love for hexagons and they know how to use them! Check out how the center designs have beautiful fabrics showcased in the centers!

                                                                  

I am very happy that I did in fact get the information on this quilt. I about fell over since I'm signed up for a class in October with this fabulous quilter!!! She is going to teach us her techniques for applique and English paper-piecing. I am so looking forward to this opportunity!!!!

Before I leave you after these breath-taking pictures, I want to remind you that tonight is FNSI!  Go HERE to get signed up! Wonder what I'll be working on tonight?