My Design Floor Monday

I don't have a design wall set up at the moment, so my floor usually serves that purpose.    I've continued to juggle several projects this past week.  

Making progress on the 1" hexies project

I just love working with these fabrics

A new project--5" log cabin blocks (1/2" logs) from scraps I purchased at The Buttonhole in McPherson, KS a few years ago.  You could fill a zip lock gallon baggie with all you could squeeze in for $5.  They had just dumped some scraps from the cutting of a Christmas kit so I scooped up all of them in addition to a few others.  That meant the strips were already color coordinated.    I'm finally doing something with them though I'm not sure of the layout.  Here's one for now. 

I love the non-traditional blue fabrics in the mix.

I still have strips left, so I'll keep making blocks until I run out.

What got me started on this?  I spent a couple of days folding more of the fabric I received from my friend and re-organizing my stash.  In the process I found that bag of scraps so of course I got side-tracked before finishing the job.  But I did get 6 sections done.  Five more sections on that wall to go and then a second wall........

We are under a blizzard warning here..not common in this part of the country.  I'm more concerned about the possibility of ice which is supposed to hit tonight.  I've had a big pot of bean and ham soup simmering all day and just ready to put some squash bread in the oven in a few minutes.  Crossing my fingers we keep electricity.



Happy Birthday Kansas!

150 years ago today Kansas became a state.  Not surprisingly the block for week 5 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War BOM is the Kansas Troubles block. Lots of triangles.  Mine aren't perfect, but close enough to suit me and call it done. (I crop my pictures, so there really is adequate seam allowance on the outside).

Now it's time to curl up in the recliner with some more hexies and watch golf while waiting for the KU / KState game to start.



This and That

It's hard to believe we are in the last week of January already.  If this is an example of how fast this year is going to move, then I think I should start baking for Christmas.  I don't know why time seems to be moving so quickly but it feels like I'm not getting anything done. I also feel like I'm going in a dozen different directions. 

Even though I've been bad about posting, I have managed to do a bit of sewing.  I spent a couple weeks this month appliqueing a block as a pattern tester for a designer.  It's a lovely block but I can't share it until she publishes the pattern which probably won't be until this summer.  So you'll have to trust me..it turned out pretty nicely and it did take a lot of hours.  That explains some of January.

I'm still trying to get the remaining quilt pieces cut out by my grandmother turned into finished projects.  I'm  mostly down to these

I made five more Brilliant Star blocks in the last 3 weeks

I think I remember one of my aunts having a dress from this fabric

A relative shared some scraps with Grandma and I in the mid 70's when we were making crazy quilts.  This fabric was left over from P.J.'s she made for her sons.

Another of my aunt's dress scraps

 The day our great-granddaughter Aly, was born, I needed a good take along project to keep me busy while we waited, so I grabbed the little hexagons in Grandma's pieces and started working on these Flower Garden blocks using English paper piecing. It does get addictive and I've made a few more in the evenings since. 

I think I have enough of her pieces to make about 27 blocks.  They are small, so maybe I can make a table topper or runner out of them.  The fabrics are older than the ones I'm using for the Brilliant Star blocks.  These look more like vintage 30's or 40's fabrics.  I don't have any memories of any of them in clothing.  Perhaps Grandma got them as scraps from her mother?   The center muslin pieces are somewhat discolored with age.  At first I thought I'd cut out some new muslin, but then decided to go ahead and use the aged fabric.  It's vintage fabric..and I want it to retain that look.  Besides it's for me and not the quilt police.

Oh, BTW, the quilts are laying on my new kitchen floor.  That took most of a week  out of my month.  New floors in our kitchen, hallway and front entry to go along with the two new bathroom and utility room  floors in Nov/Dec. You would not believe the number of quilt magazines I had to remove from the kitchen in order to move bookcases, etc. out and empty the room.  My dining room table is still full of most of them.  Then there were the over 300 cookbooks that live in my kitchen.  So two days of moving stuff out and two or more of moving SOME of the stuff back.  In the middle were three days of our former grandson-in-law putting the floor down.  I love it!

hallway

front bathroom ..the same flooring went in utility room and front entry

While we were in the middle of redoing the kitchen floor a friend called and asked if I'd like some of the fabric she and her mother no longer needed.  What quilter ever says no?  So approximately a dozen BIG shopping bags full of fabric were deposited in my living room.  I'm still working my way through it.  It's wonderful quilt shop quality fabric, but it's all been washed and now needs pressed and refolded in order to make it fit in my stash somehow.  So much for reducing the size of that! 

Last week our chicken and noodle dinners at church started up again, so one day was spent baking four pies for that.  Three made it to the church. One custard pie ended up upside down on my new floor.  Don't ask!  All I will say is that custard pie cleans up a whole lot easier on wood floor than it would have on the carpeting that was there three weeks ago.

And despite my vow each January not to get involved in new BOM's, you all know how easily I cave on that one.  I've posted the four blocks I've made this month for Barbara B's Civil War BOM.

With this being the 150th anniversary of the Civil War I'm seeing projects relating to this popping up all over the web and I know I'll not be able to resist.  I'm already downloading patterns and hoping to start two more.  What can I say....I'm weak!

So why do I feel like I haven't accomplished anything this month?



Texas Tears

Block #4 of the Civil War Quilt BOM

Seven Sisters

This week's block for Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilt BOM.  It's based on the first flag of the Confederacy and called "Seven Sisters".  You can read more about that flag, events surrounding it and other quilt patterns inspired by it on Barbara's blog. She also provides links to other sites if you want to investigate further.

I used reverse applique to make my block.  For me that is a really easy way to go.

Frosty

This week's contest theme at the Quilting Gallery is Snowmen.  I made this little wallhging in 2003.  It's called "Frosty".  It's my original pattern.  I gave him 3-D snowballs (pom-poms) to juggle and did some sponge painting on the tree.  It's still one of my favorites.  Go on over to Quilting Gallery to vote for your favorite.  It doesn't have to be mine.  There are some really cute quilts this week.

Lucky Day!

I received an email today letting me know that my Dutch Gold quilt won a Judge's Choice award in last week's contest at the Quilting Gallery.  What a great way to start the day!  I received a free online interactive cooking lesson from Sympoz,  Thank you, Michelle and thank you to my blog friends that voted for me (even though I didn't win the Viewer's votes). 

Busy with new floor installations this week.  Maybe I'll get some quilting done tomorrow.

Hope my U.S. friends are staying warm. I heard on TV that 49 states have snow.  Only Florida is snow free!

North Star

It's Saturday, which means the second block of Barbara Brackman's Civil War BOM is up. Today it's the North Star (aka Sawtooth Star) and here's mine.

And because it's my blog and I can shamelessly brag about our two newest great-grandbabies, I will.

Kelley, Derek & Bryce

Alyxandria Jayden with mom Caitlin

And with dad, Luke

Cousin Maison

Cousin Jeramiah

And ready to go home.

Both babies are home now so we'll anxiously awaiting more pictures from Massachusetts!

Quilt Contest

I entered my gold Dutch Treat Quilt in the weekly quilt contest sponsored by the Quilting Gallery.  If you are so inclined I sure would love to have your vote.  My quilt is shown under the title "Quilting in Oz".  Don't know if I goofed up when I submitted it or if they did when they uploaded the entries. 

Take a few minutes to visit the site and vote for your favorite (even if it's not mine).

Thanks.

Aly Has Arrived

For the second time this week..a day apart...we welcomed a new great-grandchild into the world.  Alyxandria Jayden was born Jan 5 and weighed 8 lbs 4 oz, 21 inches long.  We were fortunate to be able to be at the hospital when she was born and saw her not long after.  She is beautiful!

Cousins Jeramiah and Maison think she's pretty neat, although when I asked Jeramiah (7) if she looked like he had imagined her his reply was "no, I thought she'd be cuter...she doesn't smile much". 

I think everyone else was smiling though!



Raggedy and Friends Blocks Four-Six (and waiting!)

Granddaughter #2 is in labor!  Unlike the GD that delivered yesterday several states away, this one lives in MO, so I'm hoping to see a new great-granddaughter this afternoon. 

In the meantime...I finally finished piecing Raggedy and Friends blocks four-six.  I had the embroidery done last week or before. 

Block Four

Block Five

Block Six

The first six  (still need sashing and cornerstones between the two rows)

A Birth

Woke up this morning to a phone call letting me know our fourth great-grandchild had arrived.  Bryce weighed 8 lbs 14 oz....a big guy.  I'm sure Mom and Dad, Kelley Ann and Derek are proud as can be.

This picture sure looks like his Grandpa Mike, who weighed 8 lbs 10 1/4 oz. 48 years ago next month.

Now if only Bryce wasn't half way across the country from us! 

Granddaughter Caitlin is due to deliver Alxyandria Thursday, but could be any time now!