Easy Street Step #6

...was a breeze.  Already complete by Saturday night were 128 double bricks and the sliced and diced greens.

As I'm not in labor yet, I'm looking forward to New Year's Day, when I hope to squeeze in step #7.

My black-on-whites, something I had only one piece of in my stash, are getting low, so I took advantage of the LQS's end-of-year sale and picked up a few more fat quarters.

While I'm enjoying the process of a mystery quilt, part of me is already thinking I won't do one like this again.  I would rather have the directions closer together... I don't like to leave projects hanging.  That's how things become UFOs.  But then I did order this fabulous fabric for Judy L's Back to Square One Mystery.  I suppose if I don't like it, I can always quit!

The mystery from the beginning:

Easy Street on Bonnie Hunter's blog

Fabric Selection

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
Katie Z.

Merry Christmas

and happy birthday, Jesus!

Short List Shortening...

What I really wanted to do Friday was complete step #5 of my mystery quilt, but instead... I let the Assistant dig out her sewing machine (which we must replace, as it is a piece of junk and not at all conducive to enjoying sewing), searched out a tutorial for peasant dresses, and spent a significant portion of the next 36 hours trying to keep my temper as the Assistant and Spunky did everything within their power to foil what should have been an easy project.  So it goes when you teach a 6yo and 4yo to sew, create patterns, and pin.

At least the dresses are done!  I used the pattern found here.

They don't stand still often, so I had to get an on-the-go picture!

The fabric had been selected by the Assistant and me after a sew-in at Material Girls Quilt Shoppe while waiting for Zdh to have some truck repairs completed.  I wish we had had a few inches left to make some belts, but I didn't know what we would do with the fabric when we purchased it.  Ah, well.

And Bear Cub Q in his train PJs... erm... all-the-time wear!

Since the girls had new fun sewing goodies, I pulled out a quick project for Bear Cub Q.  A lovely friend send me a gift certificate to a Hancock's of Paducah, so as part of my goodies, I picked out some Thomas the Train fabric.  Bear Cub ran around with the remaining train fabric draped around his shoulders like a shawl, announcing, "I Jesus, Mommy.  I Jesus."  Meanwhile, I whipped up a pillowcase.  He's so easy to please, it's beautiful.  He's also obsessed with trains right now, so he has exactly three shirts and two pairs of pants that are acceptable to wear!

That's two quickies from the short list!

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

Easy Street Step #5

My ironing board and iron are in the barn, so I still have some pressing to which to attend (long story... LONG story).

I've had a sleepless night or two with some serious contractions all night, only to let up around dawn. My due date is 17 days away, so I'd enjoy the contractions leading to real labor any day.

All the distractions aside, I've finished the latest step.  Some of my favorite fabrics are included in this step (I love turquoise and metallics and was able to use both in this step!), and cutting squares was much easier than lots of triangles, no matter how much fancy rulers simplified the steps.  Let's just realize that I am not the most accurate cutter!

Anticipation is beginning to build as I wonder how all my random bits and pieces will join up in the end.  Fortunately, I've kept up so far, so even if I can't finish the remaining steps for some time, I will know I have some significant piecing already complete!

The mystery from the beginning:

Easy Street on Bonnie Hunter's blog

Fabric Selection

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

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

Short List Updates

Since I've completed over half of my short list, I'm going to remove the completed items and add some new ones that need to be complete (eventually... no promises now that the baby due date is 21 days away!)

Finished:
1. Quiet Time Quilt
2. Scrappy Strings
3. Teacher Quilt: the Blues
5. Twirly Skirts for Alzbe
8. Top Secret Twirly Skirts

On the updated short list:
Easy Street for Fun!
1. T-shirt quilt
2. Sampler Quilt
3. DWR quilt for Alzbe
4. train pillow case
5. twirly skirts for my girls
6. A's baby quilt
7. girls' dresses
8. Easter clothes

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

Fiber Finishes

'Twas the week before Christmas,

and all through the house

were strewn bits of yarn

in grey, white, and red.

I've been kept busy with a wholesale order for Zana's Ninis, so my sewing fell by the wayside this week.  In the last two weeks, I've managed to churn out four knight's helmets, five Santa hats, and a chunky wool blanket.

Today, Thursday, due to a ice-bound day (it was slicker than snot this morning, apparently, so the kiddos and I are at home instead of running errands), I made some new pouches for my diaper bag.  When we have newborns, it's too much work to carry a diaper bag and a purse, so I've made a mini purse for my wallet, keys, etc., and a bag for all those nursing mommy necessities.  I think I may still try to make a project bag to carry sewing or crocheting in (although, let's be honest... I won't sew or crochet for a while), but there are lots of other projects to complete, so who knows?!

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

p.s. (Tomorrow, I intend to link up to CrazyMomQuilts)

Easy Street Step #4

Done, done, and done!

I was more particular about lining up my strips for cutting with the Easy Angle ruler this time, and I could see a vast improvement in my sewing accuracy.

I still need to work on being gentler with my pressing as some of my geese are a bit warped.  Given the number of geese so far, maybe we'll make 32 more, and that time I'll focus on being less enthusiastic in my pressing!

With only 23 days until my due date, I'm grateful the steps and my schedule have been so accommodating.  School ends Thursday.  I certainly hope the kids won't mind if Mommy is a little preoccupied Friday morning.  Maybe I should bake another batch of sugar cookies and let them decorate unsupervised!  (I'm not sure anyone but a sugar-fiend could eat some of their creations.)

Many people have begun playing with layouts, but at this point I am content with simply finishing each step.  There are so many other things for me to piece together right now, that for this quilt I am enjoying just cutting and piecing.

There is still time to begin the mystery if you care to join.  Click on the links below for more!

The mystery from the beginning:

Easy Street on Bonnie Hunter's blog

Fabric Selection

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

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

25 Days and Counting

Where did the time go?  I only recently realized I'd hit the "less than a month" mark in the pregnancy.  Of course, if JoJo is overdue like his siblings, we may be at the 32 day mark.  Either way, the days are slipping away.

It's a good thing too, in some selfish ways... I can't get socks and shoes on very well.  I see myself in the mirror and am ever surprised at just how far my belly sticks out.  I've had contractions on and off since 18 weeks.  I'm running out of clothes that fit!  Still, I have no interest in struggling to be the parent of a preemie, so I'll waddle along for a few more weeks with gratitude.

Today, with our pleasantly warm weather, DH and I kept busy.  First, Bear Cub Q had a long-overdue haircut.  The hair on the back of his head was tangling where it rubbed on the pillow at night, and no matter how often I brushed it, it became a hairstyle from an anime film within minutes. He was far from happy with the procedure, but submitted under duress and coaxing.

I ran three loads of laundry, hanging up two to help with humidity in the house.

DH went to Lowe's to price insulation, etc., for the loft of our "barn."  Meanwhile, the chilluns and I braved Toys'r'Us.  What was I thinking?  Anyway, we had a few toys to return, and I had hoped to snag a new, not-so-feminine diaper bag.  However, the average cost was $50.  No, thank you.  I don't need it that badly.  Instead, Percy the train, a movie, and construction paper followed us home.  The kids were very obedient, which made the insanity of the store so much easier to bear!

On returning home, I baked four loaves of bread and a double batch of chocolate chocolate chip muffins.  I had intended to make some toaster pastries too, but frozen butter and a tired back stopped me.

Next up came the installation of blinds.  When we moved in, the previous owners took half the window treatments and left wretchedly installed curtains in a few rooms.  No blinds.  We opted for blackout blinds in the bedrooms, and our bathroom, whose window looked out onto the deck, had nothing.  It was time for the tacked up curtain to go.  Half of our blinds arrived yesterday, so DH and I worked out a system for hanging (preferably not backwards and upsidedown... Oops).  They are all up and splendiferously dark.  Now we wait for the blinds for the kids' rooms and dining room.

I think I might be nesting.  What say you?

Good night, baby-no-longer!

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

Twirly Skirts

And now, I think I have them out of my system for a little bit.  Maybe.  Until someone else needs them.

These are for two sisters, a little bigger than my last two.  I used Vicki Welsh's hand dyed fabrics (surprise, surprise) again, and these are secret gifts for family and friends...

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

Sampler Quilt

...otherwise known, at least in my brain, as bane of my existence.

I purchased the mulitcolored fabric after someone's wedding with the intention of making them a bed quilt and having that fabric be the borders.  Over time, I collected the blue and light blue from my stash, ordered some Kona muslin to ensure a constant dye lot, and finally found the red somewhere.

Then the fabric sat in a box.

And sat.

I'd occasionally pull it out, develop a plan, and prepare to sew it.  I ended up with always a reason that interfered.

There was the plan to make the whole quilt a strippy quilt and practice my free motion quilting.  Nah, my machine has tension issue.

At the beginning of this year, I intended to make the blocks to make 350 blocks with Prairie Moon Quilts, so I thought the Just Takes 2 quilt would stretch my quilting horizons and provide me with a splendiferous quilt.  Well, there were printing and direction corrections with the Just Takes 2.  I had several times where I printed promptly, only to find corrections posted later.  I don't like corrections after the fact, so I gave up on the Just Takes 2.

Then, morning sickness kicked in.

Back in a box the project went, deeper and deeper in the the boxes of packing, and onto the shelves when we finally moved.

Now, I've decided it's time to at least make progress.  I tacked a flannel-backed table cloth to the wall, stripped down the "border" fabric to be the in between trips.  Then, I decided I'll do two strips of red-and-muslin blocks, two of the blues, and one of blue and red blocks.  Maybe I'll blend the colors later, but for now, I want them separate.  To make a queen-sized quilt, the strips will go horizontally across the bed rather than vertically.

Progress is being made, slowly but surely.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Easy Street Step #3

Step 3 was much nicer to sew than step 2.  I think I understood more about the rulers, some of the pieces were a little bigger, and there weren't as many to sew!

As with the last step, I will trim the dog ears, just not yet.  Last step's are trimmed, and when I have more blocks to cut for my sampler, I'll get back to trimming these up!  For now, I have two twirly skirts to sew.

The mystery from the beginning:

Easy Street on Bonnie Hunter's blog

Fabric Selection

Step 1

Step 2

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

TWO Finishes!

These skirts were requested by my sister... a long time ago.  Let's just say that if you say you're not in a hurry, and you're family, your request goes at the bottom of the list... and goes back to the bottom of the list when there are more pressing business orders.

I love my sister.  She does all the awesome photography for me (I do the bad photography all by myself, thankyouverymuch).  She even runs her own business!

She has a little girl 5 1/2 weeks younger than Bear Cub Q, and her second little girl is due 6 weeks after  baby JoJo, so when she requested twirly skirts, I said, "Of course."  Then I added, "Eventually."

So eventually has come.

I used, once again, the fabulous hand dyed fabric I purchased from Vicki Welsh on Etsy.  If you haven't purchased her fabric yet, WHY NOT?  Red Dawn is the gradient I used for the two skirts.  The bitty skirt is only pink and purple, as babies are tiny!  Nuggette will get the other, and I sure hope it's long enough as that girl has LONG legs!

I will have to come back and add photos of the girls (when they are both out and about, you know, since Lil Bit is still in utero) as these skirts are much more precious on girls than on the floor.

Now for some more twirly skirts for gifties for other lovely girls (ssh!).  I'll be using the Strawberry Red  gradient.  I don't see it on Vicki's site right now, but it will probably be there soon.

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

Easy Street Step #2

128 flying geese complete.

Pictured are 90, as I was losing daylight and wanted a "decent" photo.

All 128 still need the last dog ears trimmed.

I must confess my sewing of this round is not the most impressive.  I had a lot of slipping during my cutting of the black-on-white triangles.  The end result?  My triangles didn't match up as nicely as they could (and should).  In the future, I will starch my strips before I slice and dice on the bias.

I also cut my 2"x 3 1/2" rectangles of black and white, but they are tucked away where my preggo brain can remember them!

I also finished a few more spools.

The mystery from the beginning:

Easy Street on Bonnie Hunter's blog

Fabric Selection

Step 1

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.