Get It Done: February Goals

January is my birthday month, and, in general, I am sad to see it over, but I confess February is looking pretty good right now.  It can't possibly (don't test me on this) be worse than January.

My goals were:

1.  Tell It To The Stars (the next mystery by Judy Laquidara) step 1. DONE!

2.  Scraps: bright blue: Carrie Nation blocks of my 1.5" and 2.5" scraps, Omigosh bits as leaders and enders, cut a strip of fabric from each of the blue fabrics in my stash for 4" charms as well as scraps for my scrap bin, and a blue skirt.  Too much.  DONE!

3.  Quilt and finish Easy Street, which has been aging a year.  DONE!

4.  Quilt and finish Falling Leaves, a pattern from Weekend Quilts, one of Judy Laquidara's books.  QUILTED, TRIMMED, and awaiting binding.  ALMOST!

5.  Prepare a backing for Back to Square One.  DONE!

6.  Three vests for Easter/wedding clothes.  No.  I made a new apron and dress for the Assistant instead, since she needed them for school.

7.  Quilt all the blue inner bits of the melons on the DWR quilt.  Yeah.  I think I got a little too big for my britches, so I thought I'd get half of it quilted.  I have 18 if 72 rings completely quilted, so not as bad as it felt.

For February, my goals are:

1. Tell It To the Stars step 2.

2. Scraps: pink.  Carrie Nation blocks, Omigosh bits, a strip of each fabric for 4" charms, and a twirly skirt.  I'll also make some Rainbow Scrappy Sampler blocks.  This is a much smaller task than mentioned for blue as my pink stash would fit in a shoebox.  My blue stash would fill at least one large rubbermaid.

3.  Finish Falling Leaves.

4.  Baste Back to Square One.

5.  Three dresses/vests.  I need two dresses, three vests, and one skirt done by April 20, so I can't let this linger.

6.  Quilt 36 of 72 rings.

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Pink

My pink scraps are pretty slim pickings, so I'll be cutting into stash for my scrappy projects this month.  Here's what I've accomplished so far!

Check out other fabulous pink projects as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

January Block Count

8 sampler blocks
12 "Judy" scrappy blocks
6 Carrie Nation blocks
1 2" block
---
27 blocks

I wonder who will have the biggest total?

Judy's Scrap Challenge

Since my picture taking ability is... nonexistent, just imagine you can see all these blocks up close and personal.  As part of Judy's Scrap Challenge and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I made scrappy blocks in blue.

I'll be making my son a row quilt out of Judy's chosen blocks, and here's the first one sewn together!

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

Stash Report Week #4

I spent too much time in the hospital to have any time to swing by the quilt shop.  Since I have plenty of projects to finish I really don't NEED more fabric right now.

IN this week: 0 yards
IN YTD: 17 yards

I did finish a skirt for myself and a dress for my daughter.  I never hand stitch hems and waists anymore, but this week, I did, in order to keep busy in the hospital!

OUT this week: 4 yards
OUT YTD: 23 yards

YTD Total: 6 yards OUT!

Scrappy Sanity

This has been a long week.  A long two weeks.  You might read here if you're interested about why I've been hand sewing everything I can while in the hospital.

This week, by the grace of God, in between hospital visits and frenzied attempts to keep the house in some semblance of order, I've been ordering myself to sew.  I needed it.

I finished my "Judy" blocks but haven't sewn them into a row yet.  They make me happy, all lined up together.  Now I need to ponder what I'll put in between these blocks and the next color.  I have maybe 100 1.5" squares of blue I could make into something, but what, I don't know!

I added a few sampler blocks from Angela.

One more 2" block was added, a carryover Rainbow Scrap project from last year.

Not pictured, I made myself a new skirt (blue!), and while in the hospital, hand stitched the waistband and yards of hem.  I always resort to machine stitching for both, but I needed my hands busy while waiting.

Finally, my daughter has been hand piecing a scarf for her godmother, my best friend besides my husband.  This is the long strip of four patches and squares.  While in the hospital, I've been finishing it for her, as she is getting tired of it.  I do sew a bit faster than she does!

Be sure to check out the other scrappy projects that are part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

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

Life's Little (and Big) Hiccups

I knew, January 1, when I laid out my goals, that there were too many.  Still, how bad could it be?  Oh, let me count the ways.

1. Our living/dining room floor was replaced last week.  There were several hiccups in the progress, including an entirely new subfloor, which required the boys and I to leave the house every day last week.  The dust everywhere and furniture in the kitchen were among the trials to be endured.

2.  My grandmother died last Tuesday.  Phone calls, travel for the funeral, and general malaise took precedence over quilting.

3.  This little booger of a project.

My Assistant needs to dress up like Laura Ingalls Wilder for Kansas day next week.  We had nothing that would fit her, so Mama went into overdrive, finishing the apron (which the Assistant wore for ANOTHER presentation last week, in the midst of death and destruction, and why didn't she tell me until two days before?  God bless my daughter.  Her sense of timing is horrible) by last Wednesday.  Today, after some days in the hospital, I finished the dress, including a fully lined bodice and hand stitched hem.

4.  That hospital business.  Tuesday, my mom was taken to the hospital via ambulance.  She underwent surgery Wednesday to remove a section of her bowel due to ischemia.  Fun times.  I depend on my mom for moral support, so it was hard arranging for friends and family to watch my kids so I could take my turn at her bedside.  Fortunately, she does not have cancer and avoided a colostomy, so her prognosis looks good.  Still, this event has decisively ended her Monday visits to help me clean and watch the boys while I volunteer.  Remind me to tell you about her near miss with a burr hole and brain surgery.  Hilariously hysterical.

Now, as a respite to the above insanity, I'm going to quilt before I head out for the hospital.  Please pray for us!

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

DWR: the Impossible Project

Oh, my dear sister, I have had such high hopes in finishing this quilt for you.

First, I got pregnant and had the house on the market, so had to pack the project away at the "cut and partially sewn" stage.

Then, a year later, a busted out the quilt top and deliriously expected to finish by December 1.  Other deadlines interfered, as well as the reality that to quilt it "right," I needed more time.

Thanksgiving threw me a hiccup, then Christmas.  I started the new year off with a bang, quilting away, and foolishly thought I could finish in time for Mom to bring it to you in February.

Grandma died.  My floors were being redone.

Now, with Mom in the hospital, my days are consumed with driving to and fro and trying to keep the house in some sort of shape.

I am so sorry, and I promise I will finish it for you.

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

Stash Report Week #3

I finally finished Easy Street (2012 Mystery by Bonnie Hunter).  I have down in my notes that the quilt would use up 19 yards, so that's what I'm counting!

I also finished, on an emergency power sewing basis, an apron for my daughter for school.  Somehow she failed to mention the need for an outfit until two days before, and since we were out of the house due to noise and dust while the floor was being redone, this was barely complete.

This means, fortunately, that I'm out of the hole...

OUT this week: 21 yards
IN this week: 0 yards

OUT YTD: 21 yards
IN YTD: 17 yards

YTD total: 4 yards OUT!

Check out other stash reports at Judy's place.

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

Moody Blues

This week turned into a disaster.

We had planned to replace our nasty cream carpet in our large living/formal dining room.  Who puts cream colored carpet under a table?  Not me!

This became more complicated than desired, enough so for an entirely separate post.  Suffice it to say, the boys and I left the house each morning by 10 and arrived home to a disaster of a house at 3:50 every day.  Not much sewing time, and crabby kids to boot.

Add to that the sad (for me, not for her) passing of my beloved Grandma Bessie, for whom I made a Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt in 2013, and I was not myself this week.  I need to remind myself that there is great joy in an end to her suffering, and she is finally reunited to her husband after a separation that spanned nearly four decades!

So 6 new Carrie Nation blocks.  I need to work out my pressing on these, as I have a few lumpy spots, but otherwise I love the way they look.  For some reason, in my mind, I want to call these "Cherokee Nation" blocks!

I hope there are 49 other scrappy projects to see as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (last week we had 50 links!).  Go drool!

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

Stash Report Week #2

Nothing in, nothing out.  I have hand stitching on a large quilt to do this week, so there is hope of 19 yards out next week!

In this week: 0
Out this week: 0

In YTD: 17
Out YTD: 0

YTD total: 17 yards stashed!

Winter Blues

... but only the kind that accompany a Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

This month began busy and only seems to be speeding up!  I set some lofty goals for myself and may just have to let some of them fall away, including plans to dive into my luscious blue scraps, as I have a little girl who needs a "Laura Ingalls" dress and pinafore by the end of the month.  I've got to get crackin'.  As it is, here's what I accomplished before and after quilting Easy Street.

There are blocks that are part of Judy Laquidara's Scrappy Challenge.  I plan on making 12 - 6" blocks each month for a quilt for my son's full size mattress.

Then there are the blocks Angela shared and some tiny 9-patches and 4-patches:

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

Tell It To The Stars: January

Month one is satisfactorily complete.  I am anxious to see how this develops as it is another fabulous collaboration by Judy Laquidara (design) and Vicki Welsh (fabrics).  Since none of the fabric kits were quite to my liking, I decided to shop my own stash, so here I am!

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

Stash Report Week #1

Starting out a new year with a bang, I went shopping for my birthday and ended the day 17 yards richer and more than a few dollars poorer...

OUT this week: 0 yards
IN this week: 17 yards

OUT YTD: 0 yards
IN YTD: 17 yards

YTD total: 17 yards stashed

Check out the other stash reports at Judy's.  Maybe others have shown more restraint than I have!

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

Super Scrappy Saturday in Blue

Be sure to check out the other scrappy projects (new and continued) in luscious shades of blue that are part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

 I think I took leave of my senses this year.

To start the year of with a bang (and a sore forearm, unfortunately), I cut a 4" strip from almost every blue in my stash.  At one point, I faithfully cut a 4" square from every fabric as I bought it in order to save for a fabulous charm quilt.  Then, oddly enough, with the calmness that is my life, I stopped.

Here we are, cutting 4" strips, hacking off a square, and cutting the rest for scraps.   I doubled my scrap collection in two day.  As you can see from the bottom stacks, each is several inches high.  I cut all the blues as it would be a nightmare trying to remember what I had already cut when another shade came up later, so at least this is done for a portion of the year.  Since no other color is quite so well represented, I should have the worst of the work behind me.  I also cut up lovely bits that had been lingering because I loved them but unused because they were too small to stand up alone in a quilt.  They'll be great mixed with other scraps!

Now I've pulled all the appropriate blues for my projects and hope to cut and sew later today, after quilt guild!

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

DWR Progress

Do you see what I see?  Oh, yes, a climber!

 That's what he runs off to do while I try to do this:

I'm finally quilting the blue!  This, as it is all straight lines, is moving along lickety split in comparison to the gold!

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

December Block Count

I finished 32 leaf blocks and a stray alternating block, bringing the 2013 total to 1057.

I don't think I will be quite so enthusiastic in 2014 since I have no intention of making quite so many tiny blocks!

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