Slow and Steady

All right, fess up!  Who stole my week?

I thought I had things under control this week, but then I went back to volunteering at school for a few hours, got sunburned during said volunteering, and ended up with a three-day migraine.  It's not crippling, but the feeling of "not-quite-rightness" certainly saps my energy.  Oh, well.  That's the only lesson I will present outside, so I won't repeat that mistake.

My Barn Dance blocks are so happy!  Those two brown ones looks awfully similar, but one has yellow and one doesn't.  In the end, they won't be side by side, so it's fine.  I only have four of these blocks left to make before I lay them all out.

Five more rows sewn on Bits and Bobs means only four left.  Part of my considered being ambitious and attempting a few more, but instead I opted to quilt my ABC quilt, which now awaits binding.

I forgot about Monday and the eclipse!  We had about 94% coverage, I think.  I hadn't really paid attention to "eclipse coverage" so I was surprised to see the crescent shadows under the trees.  It was great fun!

In retrospect, it was a splendidly full week, and beyond the headache, lovely.  I think I approached eight hours of actual sleep for the first time in... years.  As I haven't slept through the night in twelve years, eight hours of sleep is hard to come by!

I'm looking forward to the new color.  (Be sure to check out the projects this weekend!)

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.

Stash Report Week #33

It's been a few weeks since a stash report.  Between traveling, surgery for JoJo, and school, there's been less sewing and blogging.

I finished off a few more spools for a total of 21 for the year.

I also finished a small donation quilt.  DH bought home a yard of fabric from Ireland.

IN this week: 1 yard
OUT this week: 4 1/4 yards

IN YTD: 167 yards
OUT YTD: 102 3/4 yards
YTD Total: 64 1/4 yards IN

I'm not sure I have 64 more yards of use in me for the year, but I'll work on it!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Missing Neutrals

This week has been a tumult of school preparation, last minute summer adventures, and schedule adjustments.  The morning school started, I also picked up our new meat chicks from the post office, creating even more insanity than already existed.  Next week should be calmer, as we'll finally have a "normal" week (except for the eclipse.  That could be a crazy Monday.)

I eked out time for my mini 9s and ironing the Garden Party blocks.  They are, sadly, mostly lacking in neutrals.

After a week away, I've struggled to return to my Bits and Bobs.  Clipping, pinning, and sewing rows are not my favorite sewing tasks.  I have my five rows sewn and pressed, so I less than half the rows left to pin and sew.  The assembly of the rows, despite the tedious method of them, does make me so happy.

The alphabet quilt also had its share of time under my needle.  I'm delighted to have the flimsy finished.  Meanwhile, my backing is 3" short in width of being wide enough, so I'll have to decide what can be done to manage.

Ah, neutrals.  I wiped out my neutrals in my 2.5" strip bin in cutting my hourglass, so I've been sewing with them all year, leaving few this month.  In my mini 9s, I have a few black and white and neutrals, but I've also used up all those in my Bits and Bobs block.  My Garden Party blocks have neutrals in the corners and were in the alternate blocks.

I love all the blocks I've seen over at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge hub, soscrappy, that have only neutrals, so I think next year, should they show up again, I need to find a project I can actually use them in, alone, without colorful compatriots!

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Not What I Intended

I managed to press the first few rows, but didn't get to sew any more.  There just wasn't time.

 I did manage the applique for the ABC quilt.  I'm currently working on the sashing, but there's not much done there either.

 The serious attention was given to the rail fence quilt.  I quilted it and attached the binding, and then finished the binding in the waiting room of the hospital.  JoJo has a mouthful of crowns and was begging to go back to the hospital to "fix" his mouth, but we survived.  Recovery has been difficult, since his sleep was thrown off and he's been miserable, but every day is better.

I had hoped to sew more neutrals, but it just wasn't possible.  I only had a few half days of time available with surgery Monday and class Tuesday afternoon-Saturday night.  Next week, right?

 Spunky thought she was clever to make a face of elderberries.

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

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Beginnings

The bigs made it home from Ireland as scheduled, much to the relief of Miss G (and the rest of us, of course).  She was beginning to think Daddy would never come home and she would pine away with grief.  Between the unpacking, catching up on the farm, and gearing up for school, there wasn't much sewing.

I did sew up the last of my hourglass blocks.  Next month, I may be making a quilt of them!

I also began the machine stitching around my ABC quilt.  Each letter is made from corresponding fabric, such as A is for angels, B is for bricks.  I have several sets of these letters cut and decided I need to sew up another to use up a bit more of the lingering fabric.

The big work of the week was webbing my Bits and Bobs quilt.  See the lovely pile of it down below?  It's time consuming and dangerous work to pin each row.  The pins want to fall out; PK wants to help; it's a pokey business.

Oh, and the ironing.  I MUST clean off my ironing board this weekend so I can press the rows as I sew.  Otherwise, who wants to press an entire 90" quilt all at once?

Sewing will be scant next week as well.  I have class several days, and we're beginning the week with JoJo being hospitalized for sedation dentistry.  My mommy heart is a little nervous, so please keep us in your prayers!

Be sure to check out the neutrals this weekend!  I don't have many neutrals, but I'm trying to play along.

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

August Goals

In July, my goals were:
1.  Tame my blue scraps: trim, Garden Party, mini 9s, hourglass, orphan blocks, and Barn Dance.  Maybe, if a miracle occurs, I'll lay out my Bits and Bobs and begin piecing the top.  DONE!

2.  Get as far as I can on finishing Tell it to the Star.  I have four blocks to hand quilt, and I will finish at least two.  Completely DONE!

3.  Rose appliqué: keep quilting.  YES.

4.  Finish my flying geese quilt.  I have a quilting plan and threads selected.  DONE?

5.  Make Sneaky Pete's name letters for the closet door.  DONE.

6.  I would love to finish a few centerpiece mats for my mom, but I think I need my sister to do some embroidery, so I'll do my bit, mark them, and send them on.  I'll at least make the tops and make progress.  My part is done, the rest gathered and passed on.

In August, I would like to...
1.  Sew up the neutral scraps: trim, Garden Party, mini 9s, hourglass, orphans, and Barn Dance.  Also, get Bits and Bobs to the flimsy stage.

2.  Rose appliqué: two threads a week, quilting

3.  Rail fence: done, preferably by August 18.

4.  ABC appliqué quilt. As time allows after the above goals, maybe finish this one?  The letters are glue-prepped and ready for stitching.  All the sashing, etc., is cut.

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