Movin' It Forward Monday!

Movin' It Forward Monday always presents the opportunity to see how much progress we've made since the last time we've posted. I think it also keeps us focused on our projects so we have something to post! Haha! So, with that in mind, here's my last block to Hospital Sketches, the BOM from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts blog.

 I'll need to put it all together and make a final decision on the borders.

Miss Polly didn't really like me invading her space. She wants ALL the sunshine to herself!

This weekend I also started thinking a little more about Halloween. After all, October 1 is not far away ... like tomorrow! When Hubby & I went to Colorado to visit his sister, we stopped at Quilters Station in Kansas City. What a fabulous store!!! If you're ever in KC, this is a must. Truly! You must trust me on this! Anyway, I picked up this pattern for little wool pillows.

Saturday I pulled some gorgeous hand-dyed orange wool from Primitive Gatherings (another MUST SEE store!) and grabbed some black and got myself set up. By Saturday evening I had this whipped up. It actually took longer than I thought it would because it's a bit fiddly.

Then on Sunday I put this together. All those little, tiny curves were definitely fiddly!

Unfortunately, I overestimated how much black wool I had at home so these will be the only two until I order up more black. That's OK, I've got other things planned ahead.

Yesterday I also decided to make some Peanut Blossoms. They're always a big hit around here.

We're finally expecting some Fall weather by the end of the week. Will probably have to whip up something pumpkin! Until then, have a great week!

Linking up with Em's Scrapbag for Movin' It Forward Monday!

Good-Bye, Purple!

Made my Tiny Tuesday block this morning before heading out to walk the dog. Finished the corners when I got back. Ta! Da!

I absolutely love partial seams so this was a joy to sew for me!

This is also the end of purple -- bye! bye! It's been sweet but Tuesday, October 1, will bring a new and possibly final color. Here are all four of my Tiny Tuesday blocks for the month of September.

And just as a reminder, here's one last look this month of my purple String-X.

What have you been up to? Hopefully something that will get your heart singing. Make it a great weekend!

Linking up with Angela at So Scrappy. There is so much talent there -- Go check it out!

Movin' It Forward

Today is Monday. What have I been movin' forward lately? Two words -- Hospital Sketches. This past week I finished Block #8 of Barbara Brackman's Hospital Sketches. You can find this free pattern on her Civil War blog.

When I added this block to the others, the project looked like this.

Now this may or may not be the final layout. We'll just have to wait and see what the two holes end up looking like!

In the meantime, I have gone back to do the very first block. Actually I did the large version of Block #1 already. It's the large wreath in the middle. I've now started the "sprout" #1 block and I've purposely changed up the colors because I felt like it should look different than the wreath.

The 9th and final block will be published Wednesday. I've got stitching to do and I'm already wondering if there will be an outer border or not and, if so, what should it look like?

Here's my question to you though concerning the pineapple blocks in the corners. Should they all point inward or outward making the bottom ones look upside down? Or should they all be right-side up? I'd appreciate your thoughts on this design element.

Now I'd better get back to the applique at hand. Wednesday is only the day after tomorrow!

Linking up at Em's Scrapbag for Movin' It Forward Monday! Make it a great week!

Tiny Tuesday, Knitting, a Bonus, & Planning

Happy Saturday! I feel good as I've been busily catching up with some of my projects and actually completing one or two! There's satisfaction in finishing and being able to move on without any guilty feelings. I had a friend once tell me that I should've been Catholic --- she said that she was and that it was a religion full of guilt. While I'm not exactly sure what that meant, she would chuckle and we would move on. And speaking of moving on .....

Here's this week's Tiny Tuesday. Angela wanted to make a Card Trick block but feared it would be too difficult due to the size. She came up with this pseudo-card-trick block and I love it! If it was done in reds and/or pinks I would call it Hearts All Around. Do you see it? Thank you, Angela, for another wonderful TT block and, this being #3 purple block, we now have only one more purple block to go this month for RSC. Linking up with Angela at So Scrappy!

Last night was Friday Night Sew-In and I thank Wendy at Sugarlane Designs for getting us together last night once again. It's a super party of talented women that share just what they sewed last night. You can admire their work HERE! As for me, I started in the afternoon. I figured that I was still actually sewing with some of the folks in Australia due to the time difference!

While my sister was visiting and we were out shopping at fabric shops, I saw this beautiful panel for an apron and knew it should be made for my daughter. She'll be making pies & cookies this Fall and she should wear an apron, of course! Turns out, panels were on sale that week and the backing fabric I wanted was clearanced! You can see it on the back of the strap on the left. Wish I'd bought more of that -- that green houndstooth is amazingly gorgeous!

This past week I also finished the scarf I was kntting for my daughter. If you recall, she brought me this beautiful, hand-dyed skein of yarn that her friend bought for her for her birthday. She said it should be enough for a scarf and would I make it for her, please? I found a pattern on Ravelry called One Row Handmade Scarf and it was EASY PEASY! Great knit while watching the St. Louis Cardinals finish the season! The beauty of this pattern is that it is the same front & back = reversible! 

I also managed to finish the 4th pineapple block on Hospital Sketches QAL. No picture because you've already seen what it looks like three times before! Ha! I finished my evening determining what fabrics for the next Hospital Sketches block. Let's hear it for progress!

Have a great weekend!

So Much To Catch Up On!

I'm back after a bit of a long absence. We left August 22 and arrived in Loveland CO on the 23rd to visit my sister-in-law and to get a few things straight for her. She needs rotator cuff surgery so household chores are difficult for her right now. I helped her make a fresh bed with clean sheets and folded the newly cleaned ones to put away, vacuumed behind her bed by the wall, and noticed a few things for her brother to take care of, such as to put up her towel bar which had come off the wall during one of her falls! We took her to Wally World to do a bit of shopping which included light bulbs for over her sink in the bathroom. The burnt out ones were then replaced as she shouldn't be climbing on stools. But the most fun she and her brother had was shopping for a new TV! She still had the big, old, HEAVY TV! She now has a new television with HD!! Her cable company came out and hooked her up with an HD box and she is amazed at how wonderful her picture is now.

Fred & Bonnie at Loveland Lake

We returned home on August 27th to enjoy an evening full of pizza, salad, and wine with houseguests -- my mother, my brother, and his wife. They had arrived two days before and kept Mom company while she cat-sitted Polly!

24 hours later, my brother and SIL were on their way to Colorado Springs to see their son at the USAF Academy. It was Parent Weekend and this is his junior year - he's now an upper classmen - do they even call them that any more?

My brother & nephew at the Air Force vs Colgate Football game

Now I had a week to catch up on our laundry from our trip and reassess the pantry for a shopping list. One week later my brother & SIL returned along with my sister from TX, a surprise to Brother & SIL!

My SIL loving on Gracie!

We had a wonderful reunion, Mom with all three of her children. It's been way too long!

Mom and her three children

We enjoyed dinner that first night and then enjoyed another dinner, this time with hubby's brother & SIL from Iowa. They were down for a Hoover Family Reunion the next day! My brother & wife left the next morning and we were off to the reunion.

Hubby (right) with his brother & sister

Hubby (right) with his brother, sister (in red),
NC niece (floral shirt), and Las Vegas niece (in pink)

The reunion was Saturday and my sister didn't leave for her home until Thursday. We made the most of it and visited four quilt stores and went to my Tuesday night guild meeting. She enjoyed my Polly and Polly was actually sort of enjoying her!

Now that ALL our company is gone, it's time to get started on neglected projects. It was announced that September would be PURPLE in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Out came the purple scrap bin and I sewed up the Chinese Lantern.

Purple Chinese Lantern nestled among the petunias. Pretty!

In between sewing this block up, I used my Sting-X segments as leaders & enders. I got three pieces sewn and the last one is only about 1-2 strips away from completion too!

This could have been my Scrappy Saturday post but today is Movin' It Forward Monday! What did I "move forward"? I finished the last piece of the Dresden Quilt Workshop project!

Ready to start  putting this one together! Yippee!

Linking up with Em's Scrapbag for Movin' It Forward Monday! My goodness! You should see what projects are getting worked on!!!

Have a great week!

Feeling Good

Feeling good because I AM moving things forward lately. I've been working diligently on my Dresden Workshop Challenge quilt. I had decided that I didn't want to applique the word "Quilt" in the large 9" x 21" block. So, if not that, then what? After considerable thought, I knew the direction I wanted to go but then I had to decide how exactly to put it in motion and what fabrics to use. Here's what I've sewn so far, pinned to my design wall.

See that big empty spot in the upper left? Here's what's going there once I've finished it. It is, after all, still a work in progress.

I think it'll look really pretty in that spot. Now I'm looking at the empty spot on the right. Guess I have a couple more blocks to go! But hey! Progress is progress!

My little Circus Embroideries now have two blocks done.

This little bear will join the previously finished clown.

I wonder which block will be next -- a pony or an elephant? And then I'll have to decide on what color to embroider it -- maybe red or green? Here's a picture of the fabric that my niece Kelli and my mother helped pick out. We were all together in Pennsylvania for my cousin's daughter's beautiful wedding in the Poconos with a few free hours so SURPRISE! I managed a little shopping excursion!

I've got a busy week with company coming in this week. Hope to find a little sewing time!

Linking up with Em's Scrapbag for Movin' It Forward Monday. Check out all the projects going on over there!