Crud Keeps On

 Sorry for no post yesterday, but since I spent most of the day Thursday either giving piano lessons or laying on the couch because of a sinus headache (and the worst runny nose I've ever had), there really wasn't anything to record or photograph (that you'd really want to see).

It was mostly like this all day..........

I'm guessing I didn't look that adorable when I was sleeping.  Fortunately, it kind of subsided in the late afternoon.  

Friday morning I was finally able to finish W-2's and 1099's.  They were delivered, picked up a few groceries at Walmart, another prescription, drove through the car wash, and finally got my hair cut.  I was 3 weeks over due and had trimmed my bangs twice myself.

After a nap, Mabel and I made our way to the sewing room.

She supervised from the sewing chair while I prepped Sarah's t-shirts for her quilt.  I was able to get the first column of shirts fused and trimmed.

If I zoom in on the picture above, you can see Mabel expressing her opinion.  Notice the gray tub precariously balanced on the stool behind her............right after I took this photo, she jumped in the tub which promptly tumbled to the floor with her in it.  

I'm hoping to get more of the shirts done today.  I have to make some things for the charcuterie board I am taking to the playoff party we're going to this afternoon.  Once the shirts are prepped, it's a pretty fast sew........................so, it's off to the sewing room!

Christi

A Little More Sewing

 Yesterday morning was spent on some housekeeping and laundry as well as kitchen time.  I made a brownie and jello and a delicious chicken and rice casserole for lunch.  Today will just be leftovers which is nice.

When I made it into the sewing room, I finished cutting the first 3 deer aka Rudy for the Randolph and Rudy quilt.  Then I started the sewing.  I had to do a little "surgery" on the ears as I used an incorrect piece at one point.  (This means I'm going to have to cut a few replacement pieces for future deer.)  

Each deer face has 51 pieces!  So add 153 to the current total.  Those little triangle pieces around the nose are almost microscopic!

Then, I decided to clean up the piles of fabrics and reorganize so that I might work on something else for a bit.

This stack of fat quarters arrived this week and I will be making the hashtag pattern for a new quilt for Sarah's bed.  I also went digging and found the background I want to use from my stash.  I set those aside too as my next plan is to work on her t-shirt quilt.  I was able to borrow a couple of very large rulers from a friend at quilt guild, so want to get that one underway.  I'll probably get started today in between piano lessons.  

I did have a little time for sewing last evening, so whipped up 2 pair of our block lotto blocks for January.  These were super easy after deer and bear faces.

I'll put these in the block lotto at the meeting in February.  Maybe I'll win all the blocks!  I doubt it.  I'm not good at "winning" this type of thing.  They were fun to make and a super easy sew after what I'd been working on.

Today is a busy one with lessons in the morning and afternoon.  We're also planning to go to a basketball game this evening, so there will be very little time for sewing.

It's supposed to warm up a little today and tomorrow so hopefully some melting will happen.

Christi

Sunshine and Sewing

After getting brushed yesterday morning, Willow spent some time inside.  She and Mabel shared the dog bed in front of the picture window

They kept shifting around in the sunspots.

Eventually Willow got too warm and went back outside, so Cici took up the sunny corner.  You can see by her color that she spends lots of time sunbathing.

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room and finished the next 3 bear faces.

Mabel eventually came up to take up her position on the window ledge where she could supervise the world, inside and out.

Then, I cut the last 3 bear faces and got them sewn up.  So 37 pieces per face x 9 faces brings us to 333 pieces in this quilt so far.

I was debating what blocks to work on next.  I was really leaning to the pants or sweaters, but David advised to go ahead and make the deer faces.  So I started cutting those but didn't get finished with that before it was time to go to the guild meeting.

I took a few photos from my favorite show and tell items...........

This was the second patriotic barn quilt Linda had made.  The first was given as a Quilt of Valor.

And I love this one.  I think it's another Elizabeth Hartman pattern.  I may have to add it to my list of patterns.

Carrie's heart mat was very cute.  It makes me think that I need to get out my Valentine's decor.

This was Pam's creation.  She purchased all of this ombre fabric several years ago when a group of us went to the quilt show in Paducah.  This is the third large quilt she has made from it.  

It's another cold day here.  Mabel is monitoring the bird feeder from the window seat.  I have a few housekeeping items and laundry on the agenda but hope to get back to work on some deer faces.  I also borrowed a really big ruler from another guild member last night so need to get started on Sarah's 4-H t-shirt quilt.

Christi

Smokin'

 Well, Walmart did have plenty of cream cheese............

I helped with the unpackaging and loading the grill.  It was plenty cold yesterday.  We saved all the foil wrappers to wrap the smoked bricks in.  It's all stored in the frig now and yes, the refrigerator smells very smoky.

I did a few housekeeping chores in the morning and then spent the early afternoon sewing the Randolph & Rudy blocks I had cut.  Esme supervised.

I was able to finish the 3 bear heads I had cut and I cut 3 more.  Each block has 37 pieces, some as tiny as 1" square.

I saw 3 piano students and directed bell choir rehearsal and was tired so crashed most of the evening in the recliner.  

This morning brought some appointments in town, and I just finished brushing Esme, Mabel, and Willow.  Cici somehow escaped.  I also spent some time trimming Willows paws.  It's supposed to warm up for a couple of days and I know there will be some major melting going on which will mean lots of mud for Willow to wander in.  I thought it best to trim the paw hair to alleviate some of the mess.

After lunch I'm hoping to create some more bears!

Christi

Slow Stitching Sunday

 It was a slow day yesterday.  We went to church and I didn't sing.  Those who know me, know that I love to sing the hymns in church, but refrained from attempting this yesterday for fear that coughing fits would overwhelm the entire congregation.  

After church, I baked all the ham balls and added the glaze.  We had a nice lunch and then I packaged and froze several bunches of ham balls.  I did the church bookkeeping that needed to be done and then settled in to finish the binding on the Marbled Cheesecake quilt while watching football with the hubs.  His team was playing.  We joined a football group last fall and every member was given a team.  For every point your team loses by, you owe 10 cents to the pot.  I had the Carolina Panthers and I was the BIG LOSER for the season, owing the most money.  At least my team is done losing money now.  David has the Buffalo Bills and they won yesterday and are looking like a good team for the Super Bowl.  Now, you would think this would be a good thing, but if your team makes it to the Super Bowl, you are in charge of organizing the group activities and hosting the Super Bowl party next year.  So, this is one of those instances when striving for mediocrity is a good thing.  I am starting to get very concerned about his team making it (I know they would have to defeat our beloved Chiefs to do this, but I think there is a strong possibility of this happening.) to the Super Bowl and I don't want to have to host the party next year.  

Mabel joined in trying to support the other team.

I finished the binding on Marbled Cheesecake and didn't even see the end of the game because I promptly napped under the newly finished quilt.  Hey, you have to make sure it's a good one, right!

All of the blues are batik scraps.  Most of it came from leftover jellyroll strips.  I especially love the quilting pattern called ocean waves.  My waves are running up and down the quilt since I loaded it in the longarm sideways................no, it wasn't all the medication I was taking, that was the actual plan.

After my nice long nap, we made some supper snacks and watched an episode of Home Town.  Then, since I was so well rested, I made a batch of banana bread and went to the sewing room to start cutting Randolph & Rudy.  I cut the backgrounds for all the heads and then cut enough to make 3 of the Randolph (bear) heads.  I think I will sew those up first and then cut some more.  There are about a million little pieces in this quilt, so it might be easier to keep things straight but cutting a little at a time.  And no word yet as to the mystery piece of mushroom fabric.

David is taking all the recycling to town today (I don't know how 2 people can make so much trash), and then he's going to smoke some cream cheese for me.  I only need a couple of blocks and it seemed a waste of good smoke not to do more, so I sent a query out to my guild on facebook and now he's doing 16 blocks which I can deliver at guild tomorrow night.  This means a quick trip to Walmart this morning to pick up more cream cheese - yes, and the big question - will Walmart actually have 16 bricks of cream cheese?  You'll just have to wait and see!

Piano lessons are resuming today.  I hope I'm up for it.  And bell choir is starting this evening.  I'm guessing I'll be snoozing in the recliner this evening.

Christi

Yesterday..........

The day started rather uneventfully............a couple of loads of laundry and some dusting.  Wait!  Did I really say dusting?

Cici and Mabel had been lounging in the window seat watching the action outside at the bird feeder.  However, having never seen a human dust before, their attention was diverted from bird watching for awhile.

Later in the morning, David took me to Brunswick to Sew Sweet Quilt Shop.  We left Mabel in charge.  YIKES!

It was so nice to be out among the living for the first time in 2 weeks.  (I don't count doctor's office, hospital labs, and pharmacies as among the living, and a trip to Walmart is just a visit to the pajama pant clad zombieland.)

I did spend my gift certificate (was there any doubt!).  

Here are the 2 patterns I got for Christmas.  I did end up purchasing the fabrics to make Randolph & Rudy.  I'm going to shop my stash for the Lookout quilt.

Here are the fabrics (it was a kit) for Randolph & Rudy.................I changed the background to the light blue dimples.

Now, I spent a good part of the afternoon reading the pattern and caressing the fabrics and can not figure out where that mushroom fabric comes in.  I'm thinking it somehow got into the kit by mistake.  It's a half yard and unless I am supposed to feed the mushrooms to the bears and deer as I make them, I don't know where it goes.  I have messaged the quilt shop and await a response.

I also purchased the dot fabric on the left of this photo.  The fabrics in the bag are scraps I've collected to work on my guild challenge project this year.  The check fabric on the right was the fat quarter I received that has to be used in my project.  There are size restrictions and it has to have at least 4 blocks, and there are some color restrictions (which I may violate).  I have a cute idea and it is something I want to make for ME!

 We went to lunch at Well Seasoned, a new place in Brunswick.  It was very good.  We had to bring some leftovers home.   I napped some in the afternoon and was going to work on W-2's and 1099's, but Turbo Tax didn't have the forms ready yet.  So instead, I mixed up some ham balls to bake today.  The recipe makes an enormous amount, so there will be some freezing going on.  I spent the evening working on the binding of Marbled Cheesecake

Obviously being in charge of the house left Mabel exhausted.  This hampered my binding time somewhat, but I'll probably get it finished today so that I can take it to guild on Tuesday.

I realized that I never posted my quilting stats from 2024.

I started 2024 with 22 UFO's and they were ALL FINISHED!

I had 26 new starts in 2024 and 16 were finished which leaves me with 10 UFO's for 2025.

2025 UFO List

1.  Marbled Cheesecake (finishing binding!)

2.  Hidden Log Cabin (already finished!)

3.  Bricks in the Barnyard (working on borders)

4.  Leaves (working on blocks)

5.  Sarah's 4-H T-Shirts

6.  Sarah's College T-Shirts

7.  Orange Crush (already a flimsy)

8.  Potato chip (working on blocks)

9.  Four Placemats (already finished!)

10.  Spangled (cut out)

Of course, now Randolph & Rudy are really calling to me, so I'm sure another new start is coming!

Christi

In the Sewing Room..........

 What with all the Christmas activities and then being sick (yes, I didn't even feel like sewing most of the time), not a lot has happened in the last month.

It took me over 3 days to cut the pieces for a quilt I want to make called Spangled.  I'm using reproduction fabrics that have been picked up at garage and estate sales.  Mabel was on hand to supervise.

And of course she helped "organize" all the pieces in the box.

It was exhausting work.

Here is a photo of the chaos that was the sewing room.........note the tissue box close at hand.

And Esme was purrturbed at Mabel's encroachment on her sleeping spot.

The Stashbusters online group I'm in was doing a Hidden Log Cabin sew along between Christmas and New Years.  I managed to get mine sewn together before the worst of the sickness and later got it quilted and bound.

And my favorite quilt shop, Sew Sweet is having a sew along during December and January of a pattern called Orange Crush.  Making the blocks was kind of mindless sewing, so I did work on it some while I was sick.  Here is my pile of blocks.

And as of yesterday, the top is completed.  Mabel got banished to the outside while the blocks were all laid out on the floor.  She just has too many opinions about arrangements of blocks.  Esme is a much better helper for this.

And one of our guild's charity projects for 2025 is to make placemats for the Home Delivered Meals recipients in Saline County.  We'll need close to 70.  I picked through my scrap basket of leftovers from other projects and came up with four placemats.

This one uses the remainder of the scraps from the Hidden Log Cabin above.

This one used all the bonus half square triangles from my Star Trails Quilt last year.

Remember this quilt?  All those purple stars yielded bonus half square triangles that had been hanging out in a basket on a shelf in my sewing room.  Glad to put them to good use!

And remember this snowman quilt?  I had some sections of leftover red strip sets that got turned into a couple of more placemats.

Ta-dah!  And now all of those leftovers are gone!

Of course, the basket is not empty anymore.  There were some leftover blocks from the Orange Crush quilt above.  Stay tuned to see what might happen to them!

I haven't been out anywhere (except the doctor's office, the hospital lab, and to get meds) since Dec. 28th.  I think David may take pity on me and take me to Brunswick today to the quilt shop.  He got me a gift certificate for Christmas and I also got some neat sewing supplies from Sarah.  And I got 2 Elizabeth Hartman patterns!  You know, the ones with a million pieces that take forever to cut out and sew!  I can hardly wait to start one.  We also want to try a new restaurant up there for lunch.  

And, while I was sick, Sarah felt sorry for me so went to check out a quilt shop that is really close to her house.  The Quilted Cow!  She called me from the shop and described what she saw.  She even sent me a picture of a really cute pattern (another Elizabeth Hartman pattern) she liked.  We will definitely be visiting the next time I am in St. Peters.

I'll let you know how the day pans out!

Christi