The End of my Favorite Color

Feeling abysmal aside, I have enjoyed what sewing I was able to accomplish this month.  Turquoise is undoubtedly my favorite color.  I have made some interesting observations as I've worked with my fabric this month.

I have exhausted a good portion of my blue-leaning fabrics.  Since I can't fit all my blue in my bin, I won't be purchasing any more to fill in the blanks until the pile is gone.  Blue-leaning is my preference over green-leaning, and yet I have made more quilts from the green side rather than blue side.  My observation to this is that the green fabrics play together much more easily, and it is harder to get a range of blues to all work (and to have them in my stash in the desired quantities when a quilt rolls around!).  To correct this, I'm going to continue using those lovely greens, but when it's time to replace I will make a concerted effort to purchase blues!

My sampler blocks have a decided green leaning, probably because I cut these blocks as I was cutting strips from my green stash.  I'm behind on these blocks, but as long as I eke out eight a month, I'll be okay.  My plus sign and basket could use a little work, but I think in the grand scheme of things, they'll be okay.  I also fouled up my snowball block- they're not snowballs now!  Again, of well.  They're pretty.

What color do you think is coming up for us?  Be sure to check out all the other lovely blocks that are part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

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

Tell it to the Stars

Month three!  I admit to a moment of panic this week when I realized how many tasks I failed to complete in previous weeks.  There are, of course, excellent reasons, but even the best of reasons do not fix the length of the to-do list.

I cut and sewed yesterday, before heading out to visit a friend in the hospital, and found myself a little closer to complete.  Today I've been sewing up a storm, trying to complete my teal sampler blocks and my two blocks for Judy.  Why did these blocks take so long?  Maybe next month I can pull them out early in the month.  Maybe.

Aren't they lovely?

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

New Quilt Top

I really need to stop making so many quilting goals for each month.  Fortunately, beginning this year, I think I have a plan to make my life easier... for next year!

The fact of the matter is that it has been my habit to make a quilt for each of my children's teachers.  This year, what with starting a new school, having giant gardens, and having four kids, I didn't really think about the two quilts I needed until... November.  Oops.

This is the top for the Assistant's teacher.  I am aiming to finish it in April because May will be full of first communion, a wedding, gardening, and the end of school madness that arrives each year.  I considered adding a border but decided lap size is great and I will only create backing nightmares for myself if I make it any bigger.

For next year's three quilts, as Bear Cub Q will be in prek, I am utilizing my rainbow scrap blocks.  Depending on what I do with my 2" 36 patches, I may have all three quilts ready to go by December! I will definitely use my Carrie Nation blocks and my sampler blocks to make teacher quilts, so there will be no mad piecing to do.

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

Teal, Aqua, Turquoise

Ah, Spring Break!

That fabulous time of spring where you have so much to accomplish, and even more that you think you should, and... you accomplish very little of it.

I did finish a few lonely sampler blocks, one only of which do I have a photo.

In the meantime, I finished an apron for a shower gift and a dress for one of my girls (one dress left!).  I also assemble my twelve "Judy blocks" in a row (and a thirteenth for the aforementioned sampler blocks).  I couldn't quite fit them all in the photo, as I had to resort to the floor and I'm not tall enough to fit in 6 feet of blocks!

 I am very happy with the way they turned out, and even more happy to revisit some of my favorite fabrics.  Yum!

I have a teach quilt top to tackle next week and a turquoise apron to eke out.  Maybe, if I'm feeling very well, I will even finish my woefully neglected sampler blocks.  Or maybe not!

Be sure to check out the other lovelies created this week as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

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

DWR: it's all downhill from here!

Sometimes, I really struggle to remember to blog.  Saturdays, I eke out my rainbow scrap challenge post, and since I feel like the week has wrapped up, sometimes I manage a post on my other projects. Often, however, I don't. It's hard to blog during the week when I haven't "finished" what I want to for the week, and finding computer time to edit and upload photos can be a little like finding the fabled El Dorado. JoJo is, after all, an inquisitive and therefore destructive little boy.

I'm plugging away at this beautiful DWR quilt for my younger sister.  With 23 rings left to quilt in blue, I'm over 2/3 complete.  Morning sickness has kicked my tail, so I'm behind where I'd like to be, but I really, really, really want to finish this quilt before my younger brother's wedding.  I can do it, surely, even with the insanity of planting a garden right now.  Right?

If I can finish two more rings this week and four next week, I won't be far off my original goal for the month, but I also need to remind myself that failing at this goal for good reasons is not something to shame me.  I want the quilt done right, and that takes significant time.

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Love!

I really love these blocks.  I love this layout.  There's only one {small} problem with it: it requires eight of each color, and I've only been making six.  I think, since I really, really, really feel happy with this layout, I'll go back and make the extra blocks.

Just not right now.  'Cuz, you see, I'm 10 weeks pregnant and not feeling too whoopy.  (I am very excited, although I wish people would stop asking me if I'm pregnant with twins.  I don't know!)

There are bound to be lots of inspiring photos as part of this Scrappy Saturday, so be sure to check them out!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Slow and Steady

Feeling off doesn't lend itself to much sewing (neither does a toddler who wants to explore the sewing machine and cut with the rotary cutter!), so this week was slowing going.  I was able to cut and prep plenty of blocks, but it's been difficult to get to the machine.

I managed to cut my 4" strip off each of my greens to make sure I have all my teals ready to go.  Since this is my favorite color, it's my go-to for quilts, and I find the pickings are getting a little slim. Still, I'm not quite ready to spend money, so I won't be replenishing my stash right now.

I did finish there more 2" 36-patches, to bring my total to 25.  Only 10 more to go!  This is definitely not the final layout, but I am enjoying looking at what I've already sewn.

In the cutting arena, I have all the bits ready for my 6 Carrie Nation blocks, 13 Judy Laquidsrs scrap blocks, and the scrappy sampler blocks I haven't cut yet.  That should keep me busy for a few weeks!

Off to sew!  Be sure to visit all the other Rainbow Scrap Challengers to be inspired by teal!

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

Stash Report Week #9

I missed a few weeks, but the current state of my stash is...

IN this week: 0 yards
IN YTD: 17 yards

OUT this week: 6 yards for wedding outfits
OUT YTD: 43 1/2 yards

YTD total: 26 1/2 yards OUT!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: My Favorite!

I love teal, turquoise, aqua, and so on, so there will be no shortage of scraps this month!  I am still going to trim my greens to make sure I have all possible color variations available to me.

This evening, after one of those days where you didn't do anything but you're still so stinking tired that you must have done something, I sorted by scrap containers.  There are plenty of lovely scraps already set aside for my Carrie Nation blocks (I have an excess of 1.5" squares... That means I have a full sandwich Baggie of them.).  I've drawn out my blocks for the rainbow sampler quilt and will tackle those another day.

I even picked fabric to make myself a new apron, as the pockets in my old standby have almost ripped a large hole in the belly... Right where I need the apron!

You can check out other rainbow scrap challengers (some have blocks completed!) at superscrappy.blogspot.com.  I'm posting from my iPad and it's giving me fits!

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