Seedlings!

I planted seeds several weeks ago and have been anxiously awaiting their sprouting. Fortunately, almost everything has at least one sprout! My seeds I saved from last year's tomatoes seem to be doing as well as the fresh tomato seeds, and I also have chives, parsley, cilantro, eggplant, and tomatillos growing. The only thing that has been a complete dud is the "Heinz" tomato seeds I bought. Ah, well. So far I am doing better this year than last (our house is too cold without help from a heater vent under the seeds). I will also eventually start luffa seeds, and the onions are growing well in their own bowl!

This means spring is coming!

Now, if only 25% of my seeds weren't backordered or out of stock. I will definitely be more diligent about saving seeds next year.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

What Would You Do With This?

One of my goals this year was to use up a box of "yuckies." They're not really all ugly, but include things that I will have difficulty using, especially if DH chose them, or just are old enough that they need to be used. Please pardon the sideways picture; I don't remember what to do to turn it. (You know being pregnant drops your IQ, right? This time, I think it's dropped 30 points!)

I have either used or chosen a use for all the rest of the box, but I have these two pieces remaining. First, let's address the apple strip. It's about 4" wide by perhaps 2 yards. It's not really enough to put a border around anything substantial, but what else do I do with such a large print?

The other is the piece from Moda, a yard in length, of the British Empire. I have three repeats of the entire world. DH chose this fabric 13 months ago at a quilt shop that closed. He really likes it, but I don't have many colors like this in my stash, plus I just don't know how to cut it! Should I make him a pillowcase? I will probably still need to purchase matching fabric, but would like to know what can be done with such an odd piece!

I will be grateful for any suggestions!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #9

IN this week: 0 yards

IN YTD: 48 1/2 yards

OUT this week: 15 yards

OUT YTD: 68 1/2 yards

YTD Total: 20 yards OUT!

This week, I used up a bolt of black broadcloth to pin up behind our bedroom curtains. Our neighbor sometime leaves her living room lights on all night, and they shine right in our room. That was 6 yards, with another 1/4 yard to make DH a sleep mask. I have to have enough light to see sleep-walking kids and nurse a baby once he comes, so we can't leave the room pitch black!

I also finished all the hotpads for my sister's baby shower for two yards out and dresses for each of the girls (3 3/4 yards) for Easter/Q's christening. The dresses are very cute (I think), even if I think I made Screamer's dress too long. I also gave my older sister some fabric when I discovered I had been mistakenly given some of her fabric. I cut it up, but she didn't mean for it to come my way - she thought my younger sister had it for table cloths. Oops!

The quilt for my sister-in-law is 2/3s quilted, and I've cut the pieces for the last baby quilt that I want to complete. This week I'll quilt another row and then piece the top of the baby quilt. I'm also cutting for a quilt for someone (if I get it finished this summer), and I'll be working on a skirt for me to wear after Q is born (I don't have much that will fit, so I'm throwing together a sloppy at-home skirt). I am now 35 weeks pregnant, and this week has been full of nights lying awake with horrible indigestion. I hope it doesn't continue this way. Soon enough it may get REALLY quiet on this blog.

Fortunately, I have busted 20 yards, so even if I go shopping while I'm in labor (a tradition), I won't be doing too badly on my goal for the year!

Check out the other stash reports on Judy's blog. If you are interested in helping a poor, crazy pregnant woman, would you also look at this blog post? I need some suggestions for a few stray pieces of fabric!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #8

If only I had sewn as quickly at the end of the week as I did at the beginning, there might be more pictures.

This week, I finished another quilt that I'm calling Tranquility Blues. This will be for DH's cousin who is having a baby in August. It went quickly. I'm a little disappointed in that not all the blocks of color match up across the quilt, but I had trouble with fabric slipping. There are more of these fabrics, and I want to make something for myself. Now to figure out what it is I want to make with it!

We also went shopping for fancy white fabric to make a christening gown for Q, as I learned DH's gown is not available for use. My brothers wore a white knit outfit that will probably drown a newborn (I don't know how they managed, except that my youngest brother was a big newborn). Now we have a gown; I know I tried to take a picture, but it's not on my camera, so I'll have to try again another time. Of course, while I picked that fabric out, the Assistant had to get her own goodies. Pink, of course.

I finished 14 hotpads for my younger sister's baby shower (less than a month away). They're green, and I shall also be making some yellow, as that is her favorite color. She's having a girl, so I've already pulled out my boxes of newborn girl clothes. Awww. I remember how much I loved dressing the girls in the cute little dresses.

IN this week: 3 1/4 yards

IN YTD: 48 1/2 yards

OUT this week: 6 3/4 yards

OUT YTD: 53 1/2 yards

YTD Total: 5 yards OUT!

This time last year, I had purchased 73 yards and used 25, for a total of 48 yards in. I'm definitely doing better this year, but there is that little thing called a baby that will call a screeching halt to quilting for a while at least!

For the coming week, my goals are to quilt another group of blocks on my Aunt Martha's Irish Chain, finish the yellow hotpads (quilting and binding are all that is needed), work on the girl's Easter/spring dresses, and begin work on the LAST baby quilt needed for this year. Any if anyone else decides to have a baby, I don't promise a baby quilt!

I will also be secretly (sneakily) working on a quilt from the Assistant's pink fabrics. She's chopped them into such small pieces that I am having to choose small blocks to make, but eventually she will have her own pink quilt. Either she'll love it, jump up and down and laugh, or she'll cry and say, "I didn't want you to nini my fabric!"

Check out the other stash reports on Judy's blog.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Dreary Friday

I finished another quilt last night, but pictures will have to wait for Sunday. I'm too tired to find the camera cord right now. I'm just tired right now...

...which is bad for the last two baby quilts I need to finish. At the VERY least, I need to finish handquilting the Aunt Martha's Irish chain for my SiL. Too bad I can't motivate myself to do that right now.

On a positive note, the Screamer, who turns 2 in less than a month, has decided to start potty-training herself. Not all the time (we're definitely still wearing diapers all the time), but she used the potty this morning. Hooray!

We baked some whole wheat sandwich bread from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. I think I didn't let them rise long enough, but they'll be delicious with soup at my sister's house tonight. Yummy. And there's the perk that I don't have to cook dinner.

I wish I had a wood-burning stove in my house on days like this. It's a perfect day to curl up next to a warm stove with a good book (and maybe a quilt) and snooze. Someday... someday soon.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #7

I didn't buy anything this week, no matter how sorely I was tempted. I need to fill up my green box sometime, you know? We can't let it empty entirely!

There were plenty of finishes, detailed in these two posts: Pre-Quiltathon and Quiltathon. I also finished, Saturday afternoon/evening, a glove bag for DH. It hangs by our back door for all his gloves, hats, and scarves, as we don't have any closets except in bedrooms. It makes it hard to store winter things.

I made dumplings for the first time, and we took a tour of our land in the afternoon on Saturday. It was quite a day. Today, my sister should be bringing kolaches, and we're having other Czech food in honor of the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Mmm, cream cheese kolaches.

IN this week: 0 yards

IN YTD: 45 1/4 yards

OUT this week: 10 1/4 yards

OUT YTD: 46 3/4 yards

YTD Total: 1 1/2 yards OUT!

I am finally on the right side of the numbers. There's still a long way to go to 50 yards out, especially as I know I need to buy some green fabric and some light blues, but I have three more baby quilts to finish in the next six weeks (if I can). There are also some shower favors for my SiL's and younger sister's baby showers that should get finished.

I also need to focus on our garden. I try to start as many of our plants from seed as possible, and that means I need to get to it BEFORE Q is born!

Check out the other stash reports at Judy's blog!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Quiltathon in the Morning

The day began badly... I spilled my breakfast all over. Oops. At least the girls slept for a while, so I finished quilting another baby quilt, and this morning, I finished it!

There are still plenty of other projects to work on today, but we might take a trip out to the land we purchased with my dad. I did manage to clean out the scrap drawer again, so everything is trimmed and in the proper place.

I also worked on cutting pieces for some yellow hotpads and sewing binding on some green hotpads. If I have a chance, I will work on a glove bag for DH (to hold all his work gloves, etc.), a quilt for my SiL (quilting in progress), and plan another baby quilt. Whew!

Tomorrow, since it's Sunday, I think I'll work on a christening gown for Q. We thought we had one from DH's family, but apparently it's framed and thus not available for use. It won't be fancy, but it will be something I made!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Pre-Quiltathon Finishes

It's been a busy week of little finishes...

First, there was a new diaper rag holder. The old one I had is going to my dear younger sister, who is having a baby three months after me. This is some home decor fabric I was gifted by my step-mother-in-law for my birthday. It's hanging next to Screamer's dresses, as we have only one small closet for all three kids. That was 3/4 yards out.

Then there is ANOTHER baby quilt, for a lovely friend who's having a baby 2 or 3 months after me. It's reminds me of the Bento box patterns I've seen, but I made it up myself. That was 3 1/4 yards out.

Then I made a clothespin bag, essentially in the same way I made the diaper rag holder. I have a new umbrella clothesline for the spring, and need somewhere to put all the pins. Yeah, not using the drier! This is more birthday-gift fabric. That was 3/4 yards out.

Finally, pre-quiltathon, I made an apron that will be mailed as soon as I get around to packaging it. The angel fabric was a gift, and as soon as I saw it, I thought - I know who this is for! That was 1 1/4 yards out.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Homemade Pasta

Last night, when my best friend was coming over for dinner, I made homemade pasta for the first time. It took a LONG time - almost an hour, and my arm sure hurt afterwards from all the cranking. Mmmm... it tasted delicious. We had a slow-cooked chicken and alfredo sauce (sinfully cheesy and fatty) in addition. The Assistant, who for the last month has said, "I don't like it," actually cleared her plate! Woohoo! DH, who was going out to dinner later, had to join us for a plateful (or two!), because it was so yummy.

I will definitely make pasta again, but now I know how long it will take. The Assistant tried to help with cranking, and when she is strong enough to help, it'll take me a lot less time! It wasn't the prettiest pasta, but it's nice to have one more skill (partly) under my belt.

On a side note, the Strip Twist pictured in my stash report was given to DH's Nana as a spur-of-the-moment gift. I asked my mom as I was packing, "Do you think she'd like it?" and she said, maybe, so I brought it along. Apparently Nana has been sad, so she was glad to get something unexpected.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #6

Two finishes for the week! I finished some baby things for 1 3/4 yards out, and I finished my charity quilt for the year, Strip Twist from Bonnie Hunter's quiltville.com website. I used 2" strips instead of 2.5" because that's what I've been cutting for a long time. I don't think the gallon bag of 2" strips is an emptier than when I started 7 months ago, though, so I have plans for a pioneer braid (or whatever it's called) quilt for my next charity project. That was 10 3/4 yards out. The Strip Twist is approximately twin sized (but laying on a queen-sized bed), and I used Bonnie's method of cutting 10.5" squares for the backing as the only piece I had big enough didn't really work with the front. It's some fabric I really enjoy, so I don't want to waste it feeling like it didn't fit. Please excuse the messy bedside storage. I have two girls who rearrange everything, so there's no point to cleaning up!

Having finished the Strip Twist but having no home for it means I have a growing pile of finished quilts in my quilting room. This is unusual for me because I don't normally make so many baby quilts or so many quilts that don't have a home by the tim they're complete. Of course, there will be a need soon enough, I have no doubt!

IN this week: 4 yards

IN YTD: 45 1/4 yards

OUT this week: 12 1/2 yards

OUT YTD: 36 1/2 yards

YTD Total: 8 3/4 yards IN

I am making progress on conquering the glut from my birthday! DH was a love to find me so many lovely yards of fabric, and I've found a use for several, plus one gave me a great idea for a baby quilt (and I need enough of those that I am grateful for new ideas).

My green bin of fabric is definitely beginning to empty. Lori, what do you think about my lacking your favorite color? It's still more full than my purple bin, as well as pink/red/yellow/orange, which are all in one bin. DH seems to think I should go shopping, but we don't have that in the budget right now, and I'll wait until I REALLY have holes in my stash before I request a major shopping trip. I've always wanted to try Marshall Dry Goods and stock up on blenders. Maybe I should do that the week Q is due, as something to look forward to after he's born - I can pet fabric even if I can't cut into it!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Wandering Wednesday

Not on bed rest. Thank you, God, for not putting me on bed rest. The doctor says I need to take it easy, but I haven't dilated at all, so it could be far more serious. I just need to be more careful. The wedding this weekend might be fun. I just won't be carrying laundry or suitcases.

However, being required to sit more, I've almost finished my scrap quilt. Today will be hand-stitching the binding, so I may have an unexpected finish for the week!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Meandering Monday

I had great plans today for laundry, cleaning, and beginning to pack for departure on Thursday.

(Screeching of tires inserted here.)

I'm spotting this morning, at 32 weeks pregnant, so my mother, a nurse, has put me on temporary light duty until I contact my doctor. So much for getting lots done in 4 days. I guess I need a break.

Light snow last night means DH probably slid around a little on the way to work this morning, but I'm not going anywhere! Maybe the girls and I should just go back to bed and I could go to sleep!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.