And the winner is...

I bid on a silent auction item at the local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, and found out today my $70 bid won!

The item included all 12 months of the BOM, as well as over 8 yards of backing fabric - and it's all Michael Miller fabric.  Very excited!  I looked at some photos of the finished quilt online, and it looks really nice. 

When I was at St. Vinnie's today, there was another complete quilt kit in the next silent auction -- of course I bid on it!

This month's Grandmother's Choice blocks are all done:

I used a paper piecing pattern for the coffee cup block - a 4" block, and then increased it by 200%.  Seemed a lot simpler - and I'm all about simple!

I'm getting over pneumonia - - made it through the whole day at work today.  I'm exhausted, and weak as a kitten - but glad to be back at it.

Itty Bitty is home

All done his second year of university, Itty Bitty has returned home and trying to take over his bedroom my sewing room.  We had a "discussion" the other day about trying to coexist; there were clothes all over the place, my design wall his bed a rumpled mess, random things falling out of the closet.  I felt we had come to a common understanding.

Now this.  A stack of books on my sewing table.

Itty Bitty is a criminology major.  Judging by the book on the top, he is well aware that dangerous psychopaths live among us - - he's just not extrapolating the idea that he could have a dangerous psychopath living WITH him!  He is definitely playing with fire and needs to get his shit off my table.

Me? Sick?

I haven't sewed in days. I've had a terrible cold, and finally went to a walk-in clinic yesterday and learned I have pneumonia, and got a prescription for antibiotics.

I've had four doses now, and actually feeling well enough to be out of bed.  Hubby wants to practice his guitar (which makes me mental!) so I thought I'd head into the sewing room and do this week's Grandmother's Choice block.  I have no thread.  Geeeeeeezzzzzzzz

Bad cold...Good thrift!

Last night I went to bed with the beginnings of an annoying cold in my head.  I shouldn't complain because I NEVER get sick.  I believe I have an iron clad immune system.

Even though I planned on a pj weekend, I convinced hubby to go out with me this morning to check on an auction item at the local St. Vinny's - a complete Keepsake Quilting block of the month kit with the backing fabric.  The auction ends on Wednesday and I wanted to be sure no one had outbid me.

So glad I went - - look what I got for $3!!!!

Nine fat quarters and a Marti Mitchell Sashing Stars Set.

I like all of the fabrics, except for one.  They each still had price tags attached!

I haven't posted for a bit...

Nothing dramatic or anything. Just haven't been sewing too much, so nothing too much to post about.

Could I have lost my quilting mojo?  Naaaaaaaa

I am planning a laid back, pj weekend - with lots of quilting.  I read an article "What the Most Successful People Do With Their Weekends"  earlier this week.  Point #3 really resonated with me, because I tend to leave all of the household chores, laundry, shopping for Saturday & Sunday. It makes sense to use the weekends for fun rather than tasks. I shared this article with Hubby, and together we made some extra efforts each evening to keep on top of the housework, toss a load of laundry in, etc.  Now we are looking forward to an improved weekend, with more time for our interests.

I picked up a magazine that was new to me - - 

- - very enjoyable!  There's a couple of projects I'd be interested in making. Isn't there always something on the Someday List?

I've been reading:

The Violent Friendship of Esther Johnson

Quilted camera case

Inspired by this tutorial by Sew-Mad Musings & Makings, I practised doing some machine quilting this afternoon.  

Can you believe I don't have a snap or any velcro?  oh well...it will get finished.

I had to practice and practice making button holes in order to put a button home in the top flap to pull the wrist strap through. 

UPDATE!!!  

I couldn't leave it the way it was...so I did a remake.

Coming along...

Just relaxing...

I hardly took a stitch yesterday, but spent most of the day out shopping.  One of my stops included a thrift store where I picked up a cutter shirt.  Deboned, pressed, trimmed, and folded, with a pile of strings besides. The colours look vintage - blue-grey, cheddar, and purple - and so does the print.  I've cut out a few hexies too, to make a GFG.

Another project I'm working on is inspired by Crazy Mom (Amanda Jean)'s Choose Joy pillow.  I'm making a matching one at the same time, with a different message.

I've put a small turkey in the oven today, and have spent most of the day just puttering around, tidying up a few things.  I've got the windows open a crack to let in a fresh spring breeze.  Yep, I think I should take holidays more often!

Such a great sewing day!

Remember when you were a kid, and excited about Christmas?  You'd be awake in the middle of the night, wishing and wishing morning would come?

That was me this morning.  Laying in bed, thinking about starting to sew.

I had a blast yesterday.  

I made a fabric box for my knee highs - - a little disappointed, because I didn't use heavy enough interfacing.  Oh well, it will still work.

I also figured out how I'm going to finish off Virginia Bound.

I'll take the light border off and string piece blocks - - triangles a la Dear Jane!  I measured, and sketched, and prepared paper backings.  Looking forward to some more mindless string piecing.

I also cut hexie papers for Grandmother's Flower Garden while watching "Bates Motel" last night.  

But the project that had me awake before the birds this morning was a cushion that I'm anxious to start.  I dug through my bucket of crumbs and box of strings to pull out "low volume" prints.  Now I have to figure out how to piece "a slab".  I'm anxious to get started!

April Goals - - waffling

I don't know what to choose for my April UFO goals.  I'll keep up with Dear Jane blocks and Grandmother's Choice blocks, but...

I'm on holidays this week!  This was a last minute decision - I have four weeks to use up before mid-August, and this week didn't look too messy, so I just booked it off.  Hubby is home today for Easter Monday, but I have the next four days to myself!  So here's what I'm thinking:

While I've got the extra time, I want to get over 'the hump' on a couple of bigger projects.  You know what I mean...the next step that seems too difficult or too fussy to take on - but once done, would open the door to a finish.  

• Heart of the Home - it's been on my Goals List for Feb & March, but incomplete.  It's the basting that I'm not into. 
• I have thought of an idea for the borders on Virginia Bound - but there is math involved.  If I can get past the measuring and calculating, it should take too long at all.
•  I need to cut some more hexies papers to do some more flowers for GFG, but that means changing the ink cartridge in the printer, trimming freezer paper to the correct size.

I'd also like to finish a couple of projects.  There's a couple of pillows that I'm anxious to make using these sampler pieces.

I also want to make a fabric basket to store my knee high nylons in.  The need for knee-highs is nearly over as the warmer season finally comes upon us, but I'd like to tidy up my drawers, and this would help. I have saved a couple of ideas for this on Pinterest, and I've got some girly fabric set aside in my stash that will work well for dainty storage.

March Finishes

I finished a total of seven Dear Jane blocks in March.

I pieced the blocks for Plaid Obsession - here they are!  All ready to be trimmed up.  I spent a couple of evening watching BBC period dramas on Netflix and doing this mindless sewing.  Gibby even joined me on the sewing table, and meowed every time I pulled a string out from under him.

I finished four Grandmother's Choice blocks.  The block above is called Tinted Chains.

I also finished piecing the top and backing of Shirt Stripe Boxes, and made a couple of  journal covers, and even did some mending!  It's been a pretty productive month.