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I'm so glad it's Friday. Do you ever have a week that just seems to go on forever? Well I'm glad this one is over. I just can't seem to focus on work when I have so many quilting projects I want to finish. Now I have a whole 2 days that I can spend stitching away. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can finish a third UFO for January.

I'm posting a picture for all the poor Aussies I've been reading about who are melting with their 100+ degree temperatures. This is what our yard looks like after the big storm we had on Wednesday. At least with all the new snow our temperatures have risen above 0.

i am so proud of me

We were all ready to head to Marden's and I said "I really don't need anything." I knew that looking would lead to trouble so we went straight home. April still can't believe it. :D

sunday stash report

I'm going to be out for most of the day today so I'm going to do my report early. I spent a lot of time yesterday working on a quilt I am making for one of my coworkers. He asked last year at about this time, but I told him there were a lot of projects ahead of his. I have already made 6 quilts for his 4 children in the last few years. He and his wife redid their bedroom and now he wants one for them. I've had the fabrics pulled out since he asked, but of course I made some changes when I went to cut.
I haven't purchased anything this week, but I am fighting really hard to resist this ad from Marden's. We are heading in that direction today. :D I'll let you know how I do.


Fabric in: 0
Fabric in ytd: 0


Fabric out: 6.625
Fabric out ytd: 11

i need help

I knew when I did it it would be a challenge, but I just couldn't resist. I mean could you resist those faces? We were having a REALLY rough year, my mom was sick, we moved, my son had gone off to college and my daughter had to move to far away Denver because the ballet company she was with had closed. I was walking through a fog and my husband felt a pet would really help. I grew up with cats and had them all my life until our son was diagnosed with allergies 16 years ago. He had just left and I really needed a pet. We decided against a dog since we are at work 10 or more hours a day and started searching shelters for one short haired kitten. I had found one online a couple of towns away and we were on our way to see him when we decided, before making the trip, we would check our local shelter one more time. There was a litter of 5 in one cage, all so adorable. Dusky chose me first. He put his head on my shoulder, started purring and fell asleep. Then, I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but Misty was coming too. We decided that while we were at work they could keep each other company.
I have been so happy that we got both except for one thing... cat hair. It's everywhere. The quilt I finished and put on the bed last week already has little cat hair balls sticking to it everywhere. Every day when I make the bed I pick them off. The quilts hanging on the wall. It floats up as they run by and sticks. Forget polar fleece. All of our jackets have it permanently wound into the fibers from laundering. We have tumbleweeds floating around all the time. I swear I could vacuum hourly and it would still be in everything. Don't get me wrong, I would not trade either of my babies for a thing in the world, I am just hoping that out there somewhere there is someone who might have a suggestion as to how I could minimize the shedding. Anyone have similar problems? What has worked for you?

another one bites the dust

I finished the hand stitching on the binding and hanging sleeve on my second UFO for January. Gotta email May Britt and Kris for some credit. I just love this Whimsicals pattern. This is the 5th one I've made. It's been sitting around for over a year just waiting for sleeve and binding. Can you imagine??

I am so pleased by how this challenge has motivated me. It has done wonders with my desire to finish things. It's great getting some of these done and out of the UFO tote.

The next contestant is ready for sleeve and binding. It got it's backing and quilting this nice long weekend. An extra day off is better than chocolate (well... almost). I doubt I will finish it this month because I have some other things higher on the priority list, but it's a sure thing for February.

sunday stash report

....early monday. I worked on some small UFO's this weekend. I am trying to combine my stash busting with my UFO completing. I got a small wall hanging backed and quilted and a table runner ready to quilt. I also have another small wall hanging ready to bind. All totalled not much fabric use, but a great feeling of accomplishment.

Fabric in: 0 again :D
Fabric out: 2.625 yds

Fabric in ytd: 0
Fabric out ytd: 4.375 yds

a place for me

In the spirit of keeping up with all my challenges for the new year I have decided to get more organized. Before Christmas I had to spend quite some time clearing off the end table where I usually sit and sew. It gets hectic with all my Christmas projects and things were stacked precariously. Something would fall whenever I tried to find anything. I knew what was there, but it certainly wasn't easy to get to.

I have created a handwork station under the end table. Inside this basket I have divided the space with a plastic protector to hold my hand sewing tools for bindings, hand quilting and applique. Around the center are my knitting needles as well as my latest knitting project. The little basket hanging on the side has my knitting gadgets, stitch holders, stitch markers, measuring tape and crochet hook in the unlikely event that I might make a knitting mistake. :D

This sweater is the next UFO I need to work on. It's for a friend of mine and it is way past due. I am hoping having it right beside me will be motivating.

look what you can do with a clean sewing room

My first UFO finish of the year, fulfilling my January challenge commitment.
This has been waiting for binding for some time. I got it back from my friend who quilted it just as I was starting Christmas crafting a couple of years ago. Then my mom died shortly thereafter and things got a little crazy. It had been put away and more or less forgotten about. When I signed up for this challenge and sorted through my UFO's I knew this was the first thing I wanted to complete. It's going on my bed tomorrow. Sorry I don't have a better picture. Everyone besides me has gone to bed here so there isn't anyone to hold it up.

stashbusting sunday

I spent the day working in my sewing room and kitchen. I am trying to be more organized having meals mostly prepared. This should make my week less stressful and give me more time to sew. I bound an old UFO as well as the final round of my round robin. I am mailing that off to Karen tomorrow. I think she is really going to like it.

Stash report:
fabric purchased: 0
fabric used: 1.75 yards

fabric purchased ytd: 0
fabric used ytd: 1.75

I'm a slow starter, but I'll do better next week.

sewing room saturday

Now that DD has returned to Denver, the frenzy of Christmas is behind us and I have gone back to work, I am ready to start tackling those challenges I undertook for the new year. Stashbusting and UFO completion. I also watched an Oprah with Suze Orman on Thursday so I am all motivated to make 2009 a better, more productive year. (As a side note until Thursday you can download a money management book for free from Oprah and Suze Orman).

On Friday I made lists. Lots and lots of lists. I decided nothing could be done until I cleaned up Santa's workshop out of my sewing room. I have no idea how it got so bad, but I couldn't even get to one of the light switches without running an obstacle course. It took me most of the day, but here is what it looks like this morning. Wonder how long I will be able to keep it that way.

I'm off to spend my day in there. I have a list :-D of things to accomplish today.

returns

DD has returned to Denver. :*( She ended up leaving with 2 pair of legwarmers and a new rice bag in addition to her Christmas presents. I did this pair a little differently. Straight knitting instead of rib. She picked the yarn. Very princess.

She had burned the rice in her old rice bag by heating it too long in the microwave. Evidently everyone in the studio always knew when she was coming because of the burned rice smell. She has a new one scented with essential oil. They will smell sugar cookies now. :-D

Almost 15 months ago I joined a round robin. It was based on rules that May Britt had originally posted about one she had done. It sounded like fun and not a huge commitment so I signed up. This month is when they return to their original owners and mine arrived today. I absolutely LOVE it. I started with the little star up in the corner. I also sent a mini composition book with it and had everyone write something in it . It was so nice reading all the little notes with everyone's thought processes. The appliqued flower is from a photo of a Civil War wallpaper design. I am so pleased and touched with the time and effort everyone put into making my little quiltlet.

sunday stash report

DD and DS are still here so no quilting has been accomplished this week. I have managed to use one skein of yarn. I made DD a pair of "dancer" legwarmers. She has been cutting a hole for the heel in legwarmers, but they fray and unravel. After a couple of false starts, many fittings and the first half of season 1 of Dark Angel, I managed to come up with the first one. I finished the second one this evening. When I asked her to model she refused to point her toe. She kept saying "I'm on vacation". So this is a picture of a dancer, on vacation, modelling her new legwarmer. Kids!

Hopefully by next week I can have started on stashbusting 2009 and the WISP challenge I joined with May Britt and Kris.

christmas, the finale

I think my niece liked her quilt and my BIL liked his hat and scarf.

It was a nice, relaxing, fun day. After dinner my sister wanted to see how the Wii Fit I had bought for my husband worked. My nephew has a Wii and she was thinking she would like to get the Wii Fit for herself. My nephew is a goof and was more than willing to try and demonstrate all the different games. We all laughed so hard. Hula hoop was the funniest. Then after he had gotten everyone warmed up, my niece and sister gave a few of the games a try. We laughed so hard at my sister heading soccer balls. The game throws cleats and teddy bear heads at you as well. She was so funny trying to duck instead of lean out of the way. My BIL kept telling her the board couldn't register ducking. I'm sorry I missed pictures of that. :D

merry new year?

DD made it in from Denver on an "uneventful" flight. We finally got to celebrate Christmas. It was a fun day, but so close to New Years. No time to breath in between. My dad, sister and her family will be over on the 1st to see DD and exchange gifts. They only get to see her once a year. :-(
Misty and Dusky though that opening their stocking was great fun. There were some catnip toys in there and they were searching them out. The treats were a big hit too.
I got some great Secret Santa Gifts. Quiltygal from Australia made my SSCS gift this year. I showed in an earlier post how she had cleverly packed my package with a teaser unwrapped outside the main gift. Here is the beautiful wall hanging she made me. I have been admiring stitchery quilts on a number of blogs. I love it.
I also joined in a Spirit of Christmas swap set up by Janet at Wildcraft Farm. I got paired with Tracy at Sunny Corner Farm. She sent me a cool assortment of things. Check out the reindeer hanging... and Homespun. My favorite Australian magazine. I was so excited I took it to bed with me to read.
I was really happy with my stuff I hope my partners liked theirs as well. Here is what I sent Tracy. Some napkins, towels, spice coasters and dishcloths. Anne got this bag with wool applique pocket and goodies inside. I wrapped each thing individually and then put them inside the bag before I wrapped it. I hope she likes opening.
I almost forgot.

Happy New Year!!!