TO-DO TUESDAY #129. Feb 28th

  

  I’m linking up with Carol at Quilt Schmilt for another edition of TO-DO Tuesday

Last week my list included:

1. Work on SAHRR. Flying geese from round 4 and square in a square from round 5 need to be done. ✅

2. Post to February Table Scraps Challenges at The Joyful Quilter. ✅

       My project is redundant to most of you! I used it to meet more than one challenge.  Here is the post I wrote and linked to The Joyful Quilter.

3. Stitch on November Year in the Garden block! ✅. 

           I finished the green leaves and am starting on the flowers using two shades of coral. There are lots of four petal flowers. 

4. Write post for February OMG finish. ✅

             Read my post here then  check out the others at Elm Street Quilts .

I feel good that these tasks were completed. 

The upcoming week is busy too! First and foremost is helping our granddaughter! She’s taking an online class necessary for a new job. So we will be…

 1. Taking the littles to school each morning. 

2. Complete and post about Project Quilting 14.5.  “Sew Not a Square”!

3. Put sashing pieces on the star blocks for Long May She Wave. 

4. Sew something for RSC 2023 as soon as Angela announces the color for March. Hopefully tomorrow!

5. Visit my old workplace on Wednesday - there will be cake! A late birthday - last week there was a snow storm.

6. Attend Thursday Stitchers at our library. We missed last week 'cause it was -19 degrees when we needed to be there. We cancelled. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

February 2023 OMG Finish

My goal for this month was to keep up with the prompts for each of 6 rounds for the SAHRR hosted by Quilting Gail . Her announcement post is here.  A center block was chosen and 6 fellow bloggers joined in to suggest a round each week. The first round was announced January 23, and the last one will be announced February 27th. 

My goal was to keep up and to have a flimsy ready to turn into a garden bench pillow. In between snowstorms, Mr. Busy measured my bench and says the pillow needs to be 38 to 40 inches long. 38 is the size for a pattern I have seen. So that is what I am going for, somewhere between 38-40 inches long. 

January 23- Round 1- Spools

January 30- Round 2- Stars

At the end of rounds 1-2, this is what it looked like on my design wall. I had made a decision about combining  the spools and the stars. 

Round 3:  Hourglass Blocks.

   I made two different sizes and finally settled on the smaller one. In the corners.

Round 4: Flying Geese :  

    Same green and speckled fabric . I made 4. It needed something else to fill the space. I didn't think one more on each side would work and look balanced so I added a spacer block instead. They sort of have an obelisk or lozenge-like shape!

 

Feb 20th. Round 5.  Square in a Square ~ 

I'm working toward  a 40" horizontal rectangle.  

Alternating solid magenta and polka dots, square in a squares that are 3.5" unfinished. The green hourglass blocks and flying geese have not been attached at this point. Nor have the pink square in a square row.  I am waiting to see what the next round is on the 27th. I apologize for the shadowed photographs. I sew in the basement. Only old fashioned small windows. This is my extra design wall in the hallway. I love that light fixture, but it is not good for taking pictures. 

Feb 27th. Quilting Gail revealed the last and final round. Pinwheels. I’m making oversized ( I think) purple/lilac and white pinwheels. I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, trying to make these rounds. I had to use 4 different purples and the last scrap of white had to be pieced to make enough for eight 3 " square to get 16 hst for 4 pinwheels. If I participate next year, my notes to self will say, “ have a plan, bring more fabric”!

Here is the flimsy done. I was hoping to be able to go outside to photograph it on the bench. But, there is still snow on the seat. I promise when the pillow is done and residing on the bench (even if Mr Busy doesn't have it refinished yet) I will share a picture. 

This is the most unusual project I have ever done. Rewarding and gratifying but "yikes, its WILD!"

I'm linking up with Patty at:

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - February Finish Link-up

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

ScrapHappy Saturday ~ The Last of the pink scraps

I haven’t posted here recently, because I’ve only been plugging along using up pink scraps and bits. And I’ve posted these blocks at To-Do Tuesday.

But at the risk of being redundant, here are my pink scraps! 

A hodgepodge of crumb blocks! 

Some string blocks from the early part of the month! 

Then more strings and 4 more crumb blocks! 

And just for variety, here is a cut paper bouquet sent from our daughter for my birthday on Thursday! 

It’s got all my favorite colors. Purple, green and even some PINK! 

And speaking of pink flowers, my holiday cactus will be blooming well before Easter, I think! 

I’m linking up with Angela at Soscrappy and ScrapHappy Saturday. today!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Finished or Not Finished Friday!

Every week when Friday rolls around I don’t think I have a finish! I seem to just keep plugging away at the UFO projects on my list! 

But this week I actually finished one! This was on my UFO challenge for Jan! Better late than never, I guess! 

Finally this table topper is done! Too late for the more recent Christmas, but way early for Christmas 2023!

The backing looks brown, but it’s a deep red, with some of the more modern Christmas colors from the front. Aqua, lime green, and yellow gold. A Nancy Halvorsen Christmas fabric that has been in my stash for years! I stitched around the outside edges only. That worked for the Fall themed one I did a long time ago, these are rarely in the laundry. If I need to do more quilting, I can add some big stitch quilting around the embroidered hexagons! 

Whoo Hoo, a finish to link up with. Alycia at  Finished or Not Finished Friday! 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

February Table Scraps challenge ~ Pink and M and V!

The block has pink. The RSC color for February.

The name of the block is 54-40 or Fight! It was a slogan or “MOTTO! Ok, technically that’s stretching it!

From the World Wide Web:

“While slogans and mottos are both short, catchy phrases, a motto focuses on expressing a belief or idea rather than grabbing the audience’s attention to sell something. Mottos are predominantly used in written form rather than word-of-mouth, like slogans and taglines.”

And there is the “M” shape. In fact 4 of them!

And if there is an M , there is a “V”!   Background has “verbiage”!

Did I check all the boxes? I think I did! 

Linking up with The Joyful Quilter and ABC Table Scraps Challenge 2023,

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

I LIKE Thursday ~ What's your Love Language?

LeeAnna’s prompt:
what thoughtful things does your special person do for you, or you do for them? Little things that mean something to you... for example brings home flowers,
or folds the towels the way you like it, chores or little hugs when you're disappointed, shares secret jokes, watches a movie he knows you'll like just to be nice.


When I first read LeeAnna prompt I was put off! I tend to complain a bit, wish for more!


We have a routine , I do all the in the house things, he mows the grass and takes care of the vehicles. I can put fuel in my own vehicle, but he usually does. He does help change the bed when I clean on Wednesdays. I fuss a lot! I’m not as appreciative as I should be.


Monday of this week, he said, “ I have to go to town. Do you want to ride along?”He always asks. Most times I’ll go, sometimes I stay home and sew. This time I said yes. He said he was going to Hobby Lobby for plastic for his plane. He missed the turn! No worries! He missed the next turn. I was beginning to worry about his cognitive abilities. Finally he turned into the Events Center in our community. Then said, “ Guess the jig is up, I’m here to purchase tickets to see the Celtic Angels on March 6th! Happy Birthday!”







I was flabbergasted! Touched! And very surprised!


So yes, mostly our life is in a rut after nearly 59 years, but he can still surprise me!
Now, I wonder if I can surprise him? I’m not a very good secret keeper.




Hop on over to Not Afraid of Color and check out how our fellow bloggers answer this question .


Other likes this week!
It’s snowing again so I got my snowman mug out of the cupboard again.
Do you have a special mug for special days?





This is a favorite supper. Follow the directions on the box of Lipton Onion Soup mix, add cut up Polish Kielbasa or other favorite fully cooked sausage, and a bit of fresh garlic. Serve with salad and bread.
It’s good with dark beer or wine if you prefer!






My holiday cactus has blooms.







We got snow on Monday, our granddaughter comes to shovel after dropping her kids off at school. It still looked like this on Tuesday morning! She does a really good job!



Then of course this happened and Wednesday they closed schools and city/county offices.


This morning on the back deck. I think a good 7 inches.









Today is my birthday and I had hoped to go stitch with friends at the library. But I can’t get out of my garage because of a snowdrift. And although the city plows have plowed our street, they pushed the snow into our driveway. And the expected high temperature is -1 F and not until 4pm. It is. -21F right now at 6:55am as I write this post. And it will only warm up to -15 at the time we normally meet. Too cold to be out and about!




Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

TO-DO Tuesday #128

Good Morning fellow list makers! I’m joining Carol at Quilt Schmilt and friends to share my list and let you know how I did!




Last week
Feb 14- Feb 20
1. Complete the project for Project Quilting 14.4 “A Novel Idea!” ✅


My post to Persimmon Dreams is here!


2. Keep sewing PINK something. ✅.


Four string blocks and four crumb blocks. And all the brownish mauve-y pinks are gone!


3. Hexie stitching at night while watching Suits ✅


The stitching together is complete. I layered it with the backing and batting and got it sewed on all sides. It’s turned and pressed.  It is stitched closed and now it needs some quilting. Probably like I did the fall themed one. I stitched 1/4" in from the outside edge.  I used a different batting on this one. It's a bit poofier! I may have to do some quilting in the middle, but these don't get washed often. Will see how it looks after the edge stitching is complete. 

The back. It looks brown in the photo but it is a deep red. A Nancy Halvorsen Christmas fabric. 

Next week.
Feb 21 - Feb 27


All the pink bits are sewn so:
1. Work on SAHRR. Flying geese from round 4 and square in a square from round 5 need to be done.
2. Post to February Table Scraps Challenges at The Joyful Quilter.
3. Stitch on November Year in the Garden block!

4. Write post for February OMG finish!  

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Project Quilting 14.4.

PQ 14.4
February 12 noon CST to February 19 noon CST

 Welcome to Busy Hands Are Happy Hands. And welcome to the wonderful world of Project QUILTING hosted by Kim Lapacek @ Persimon Dreams!!  Trish Frankland @ QuiltChicken is the creator of the crazy challenges that participants will face during the next 8 weeks. Trish picks the challenge prompts because that allows our hostess, Kim L. to participate just like the rest of us.

This is my 1st year of participation in the Challenge.

We can blame Joy at The Joyful Quilter for this madness added to my somewhat stressful life. I admired from the wings all her creations in this challenge and she has been a supportive friend as I have tried to spread my creative wings. She has a willing and very creative partner. Her friend LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color joined her. And that continues this season too. Lee Anna has been an encourager to me via blogland. She is amazingly creative! 


This is my 3rd project. I missed the 1st week, because we were traveling . I may go back after the entire challenge is over and try to do the first one. It looked like a fun one and maybe I have an idea. But here are the links to 14.2 Pink TInt and 14.3 54 40 or Fight. This week the prompt from Trish is PQ 14.4 A Novel Project .

I’m linking up at Persimmon Dreams

The project should be inspired by a book or reading.  I couldn’t limit my project to just one book. I read all kinds of books. Current bestsellers, chick lit, cozy mysteries, biographies, autobiographies, Young Adult, even some thrillers . Our own public Library has been undergoing protests, threats and forced reforms due to a certain faction of our community objecting to some books in the children’s section of our library. Certain books have been pulled from the shelves, some have been relocated. The County Commissioner have forced the library to cut their affiliation with the American Library Association and the Wyoming Library Association. This appalls me!

 Several years ago I made this bag and a second one donated to the silent auction that the Friends of the Library holds every pre Christmas season as a fundraiser.

Side One:  I embroidered titles of some of my favorite books at the time, on some of the spines. 

Left to right:  ROOM, A Man Called Ove, The Fault in Our Stars, Elm Creek Quilts , (Your Cat and You, not a real title, but I couldn't come up with a cat title to use on that cat fabric!), Brown Girl Dreaming and Most Wanted.  None of these books are banned titles. 

 



Side Two




This time my mini wall hanging is based on this bag pattern. It was a free download in 2012. It is no longer available.

 



I had some text print fabric that has been in my stash for a while. It is excerpts from Anne of Green Gables. It’s my background. I elected not to piece the word READ this time and instead use appliqué.

The letters for applique were included in the pattern, I reduced them on my copier.

The backing fabric is some from a donation tub. I do like to read, so why not "smiley faces" and this time I put hanging triangles in the top two corners for a dowel rod and added a small pocket to the lower right hand corner(from the front). I will keep a list of the banned books I have read and also the ones I will read this year! 

The first I will choose is And Tango Makes Three. A children’s book written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson. Illustrated by Henry Cole. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

I LIKE Thursday!

How did I know he was the one? I didn’t! I was only 17!  We met working in a grocery store after school! He was handsome I thought. I’d never had a boyfriend! I was shy. He offered to take me home from work one evening because I needed a ride. It wasn’t uncomfortable to sit quietly. He was tall and made me feel safe. We married a year later, right after HS graduation. In June it will be 59 years! 

I took no photos this week, except Project Quilting ones and I can’t share yet. 

Spaghetti and Chicken Alfredo were on the menu. Both good. 

We watched a new episode of 1923. On a three way phone all with DD ( now in Loveland CO )and DS

In CA. It was a good one!

We are still watching Suits and Mr Busy is watching YouTube. 

Today I meet with friends at the library to do handwork! 

Check out other blogger’s response to “how did you know he/she/they were the one?”  Go see Lee Anna’s list of participants at Not Afraid of Color. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!