Weekend finishes

I have had a miserable week. I've been ill and I almost never get sick. However, when I do I'm through completely off. This has been a miserable week of coughing and headaches and chills. It started at the beginning of the week, and here, Saturday, I'm still dealing with it. I won't be healthy soon enough.

Even though I wasn't feeling well, I did attempt to work on some things and managed a finish.

 

Friday night had me done to the point of hand stitching the binding.

 

Saturday, again between coughing fits, I managed to get the hand-stitching done and attached this adorable polka dot ribbon for ties. 

This project is done !!!

(image from internet)

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

Giveaway Roundup

There's a new site I want to share with you. It's called 

The Giveaway Roundup.

I've got you linked up and I have the button on my sidebar. Make sure you check it out and sign up for the giveaways. 

This is going to be a lot of fun.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

Another snow day !!!

These numbers are VERY deceptive. A high of 20 degrees today? I don't think so. We had negative windchills again this morning. Enough so that not only was school closed today, but my Bible study was cancelled.

The house is at a constant 67 degrees, but I'm feeling just enough under the weather that I'm really cold. The dogs go outside, but it only takees them a few minutes to take care of things and they're ready to come back in the house.

With it being so cold, I'm perfectly content to stay home and in-doors. To that end, I'm trying to find things to keep me busy. My monthly craft goals have been met, next month's already started :)

So I've been putsing around with some new little projects, until I come to a road block:

 

The first project I pulled out is a UFO from a couple of years ago. This is where my love affair with houses. This was a block of the month that stitched up very quickly.

 

 

And aren't they just adorable?

I spent Saturday evenign adding the buttons to the borders for embelishments. The pattern had little flowers or leaves or snowflakes or whatever was appropriate, but I wanted to add some dimension and chose the buttons. My favorite month ended up being May - I love the boy and girl buttons.

Next up, I found a pin cushion project in a Gooseberry Patch book. This is as far as I got, using a green chillies can for the "pail". The felt colors I needed/wanted, I didn't have. So maybe Wednesday I'll run out and get them with the buttons I didn't have for the house quilt. But so far, very cute :)

Next up, this cute stitchery from Jenny of Elelfantz. Jenny offered it as a free tutorial for a journal cover. I would like to turn mine into a needlebook. So far I'm just at the stitching stage. Fortunately, my hands are warm enough to stitch - if slowly - but the typing not going quite as well. Thank goodness for spell check :)

I fussy cut my flower centers and am matching up the threads to do the stitching. Hoping this to be finished by Wednesday. We'll see if I can hang in. I've managed to get a head cold. The aches, sore throat and tender tummy are not helping my focus.

So what else is going on . . .

The Apron Swap

The rules are here and here.

The deadline for signing up is February 26, 2015. So if you are still on the fence, the deadline is quickly approaching. Time to make a decision.

I'm signed up - this is going to be fun. I've participated in a couple of other swaps and have enjoyed them. So it didn't take much to convince me to join this one :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

"Vintage"

The joy of being a woman of "a certain age" is that not only do you appreciate all things vintage, but you have fond memories of them as well.

One of my best memories is there was always tablecloths on the table and doilies on arm chairs and end tables and coffee tables. The ones I grew up with were stitched by Mom and aunts and I've been fortunate to have some of them handed down to me.

Last week on Pinterest, there was a post for a "vintage" tablecloth. I LOVE tablecloths, so I pursued them.

I fell in love with this printed cloth. I will press it and get it on my table :)

Monday was spent in my usual fashion: clean sheets, laundry, vacuuming, washing floors.

We got quite a bit of snow over the weekend again. It feels like March may be coming in as a lion this year. We'll see as it's just around the corner.

Thank you for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

FNSI

I hope this Sunday evening finds everyone warm and safe. We are getting more snow this evening. Not sure how much fell on Saturday. We managed to spend the day at home - all snug and cozy and safe. 

I spent my weekend working on my crafts and even found some time in the sewing room to get some things put away and re-organized.

I spent my Friday, day and evening, working on a new doll. I've had the pattern and fabric for a number of years, but didn't feel motivated to make her.

She's turning out a lot smaller than I anticipated, but I'm going to finish her.

This is my progress so far, she still needs hair. I have enough fabric to make another one. I'm going to use a different pattern and make the doll a bit bigger.

I still think she's cute and worth finishing.

I spent Saturday evening working on another UFO :)

I'll have more on that later in the week.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

So C - O - L - D

It's so cold here !!! Temperatures are started at -8 and rising to 10 by 7 p.m. this Friday evening. It's been so cold the schools are closed for Thursday and Friday and my motivation has been zapped. I'm blaming the cold, but maybe I'm just not in the mood to do anything after such a productive beginning. It is much harder to get things accomplished with constant interruptions of "I'm bored" !!! I don't usually have that problem :)

My beautiful swap from Stitchery Club is being displayed for Valentine's with a red vase my Honey Do sent to me several years ago. I love the simplicity of this display. I didn't have fresh flowers to add, but that's ok. 

Kubie made her post card and I've attached her address label on the back, so I can stay in touch.

It's time again :) Head over to Wendy's to sign up - it's not too late for the Northern Hemisphere :)

As for me, I'm working on my doll. I was debating about putting her away - another UFO - because I just didn't have the motivation, but I've decided to try again and see if I can't get her done.

She really is too cute to make her another UFO.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

S - L - O - W week

It's been a very slow week for me, at least as far as sewing is concerned. I spent some time on Sunday trying some new-to-me block patterns.

These were using up some leftover scraps from my Trip-Around-The-World quilt that I worked on Saturday.

I also started a new project - just because I wanted to :)

It's a new doll. I've had this fabric for a long time and had intended it to be a doll. I just never got around to making her. Originally, I was going to make her for BFF's mom. And that's probably why I'm pulling her out now, in her memory. BFF is missing her terribly and I'm trying to decide if I should make her and give her to BFF. The debate continues. In the meantime, I'll finish making her on Wednesday.

Monday, there was no school so I got my house in order and the laundry caught up. In purusing Pinterest, I found a 40-day decluttering challenge. 

I started really strong last year, but summer came and took my time to garden and do yard work amongst my crafting, so it went by the way-side. Now that lent has begun and spring is close at hand, it's time to take control of the clutter before the outdoor activities begin. I'm also encouraging my father-in-law to come for a longer, if not permanent, visit. Therefore, a permanent space must be established for him, which needs serious decluttering before that can happen. Bag #1 has already left the house :)

It's also that time of the month for 

Head over and see Wendy to sign up.

Speaking of Wendy, she and Jenny are hosting an Apron swap !!!

I've already signed up. Head over to either site and sign up. Should be a lot of fun.

Off to work on my doll.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

Successful Saturday

 

I spent my Saturday working on another UFO.

This is a Trip-Around-the-World quilt top that I started in August, 1997.

I had three of four quadrants finished. The fourth quadrant was missing blocks of the red print to finish. As I looked at it to try and figure out (again) how to finish it, It was suggested that I just leave the last row off and remove the very top row. I tried for a very long time to find that red and couldn't. It never occurred to me to just remove rows to make it a finished top. 

I spent my Saturday finishing the top, sewing all four quadrants together and adding two borders from the remaining fabric. 

My goal for March will be to tie and bind this quilt. I am so very happy to have this almost 18 year old project grazing the finish line.

I hope you all had as blessed a Saturday as I have.

Thank you for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

Productive week

It's been a very productive week for me.

 

Monday saw the completion of four !!! quilts. Three just need the binding on quilts for community service projects from our fourth, fifth and sixth grade Vacation Bible School attendees last summer. The fourth is my Gnome for Christmas quilt designed by Wendy

Wednesday was the completion of a Valentine wallhanging that was actually begun in January. No UFO for this project :) Wendy also designed the stitchery I used for the center block.

Thursday had me catching up a Mystery Quilt designed by Moira.

The fun didn't stop there, I completed my Quilted Gardener's swap blocks for this month. Don't you just love the lady bugs for the pin heads :)

I couldn't be happier, not only with how the blocks turned out, but that they are done well before the end of the month. 

I'm spending Friday afternoon finishing the shop block from last month that is part of my collection. The one I made for swapping has been sent and received by my partner.

I'll continue to work down my list of monthly projects. I'm not stressing if they don't get done, but with my progress so far I don't have to worry about that as long as I can keep the momentum going.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.

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A True Mystery Challenge

 I accepted the challenge to participate in a mystery quilt. I've done this before, but usually you get a pattern and picture of what the next section of your quilt will, or should, look like.

In the case of this "mystery quilt", we are receiving measurements and instructions, but no pictures. BFF and I agreed last year, that we would challenge ourselves in our chosen crafts. She's much more advanced quilter than I am, but I'm more daring and willing to find a new challenge to play with.

Recently, I've become acquainted with Moira of The Quilted Snail. SHE KNOWS HOW TO CHALLENGE !!!! And I'm loving it.

Step 1 - at least my version of it.

Step 2 was really easy :) sew all the block togeether and add a circle. I still need to do my hand stitching, but really like it so far. 

And finally, on to Step 3.

Waiting for Step 4.

Take the challenge and join us for this fun quilt project.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with creativity.