More blocks finished...........

A few blocks a week might not seem like much to some folks, but I am more than pleased at the progress I am making. What with work, family obligations, etc., I think that I am putting out a fair amount of work. And anyway, it is about enjoying it. But I think that I will enjoy it more when I "catch up", and I am within 4 blocks of being at what I consider my "catch up" point. Then I can begin to finish UFOs, and maybe even start a new project, again.

Last night I finished the second Thimbleberries block for this year. It had way too many pieces and it is not perfect., but the fabrics are nice.

Another block that I finished this week was the last basket block from the Red Hen Fabrics BOM for 2006. These blocks are wonderful and were a real joy to make. They now join my numerous sets of blocks waiting to become quilts. I do have the setting fabrics, and they are lovely.I have also spent some more time on the baby 4 patch and should finish the handquilting this w/e without fail. Then I will just need to bind it, so perhaps it will be a finish for March. I will obviously not get three UFO finishes for March, but that is okay, since I have gotten all of these blocks done. Perhaps two finishes a month is a little too ambitious in my situation. We will see.

Thought I would share another flower picture with you. This is one of my African violets, and I don't know the name of it, but I love the color, with the little purple specks in it. I have perfect lighting for growing violets, and with violets, that is what it is all about.

I hope to get a little stitching done this w/e, but probably not much. Tomorrow will be spent going to grandchildren's ballgames..........soccer and baseball. And then I have to clean and cook some for next week.................

Have a great w/e!

Moving right along

I continue to make progress on my BOM commitments. It has been hard work trying to catch up, but the stack is growing smaller, and that is a good feeling. Of course, the stacks of blocks are growing larger, and that is a whole other issue unto itself. I will address that once all of these individual blocks are caught up.

The March Little Quilts SS block is one of my favorites. I love the colors and the pattern. Don't know what the name of this block is, and they didn't provide it. I can just see it in monotones as a way to use up stash, as in Judy's March Stash Challenge.

I had decided not to participate in the Little Quilts Applique SS Blocks this time. I didn't need another applique project. But after they said that there would be a setting to combine the pieced and appliqued blocks, I reconsidered. I am fusing and machine buttonhole stitching them. I truly don't have time for another hand or invisible machine applique project, but machine buttonholing I can do. Thought they turned out pretty well.

The first day of Spring here has been incredible. The temperature was 80 degrees with plenty of sunshine. Thought I would share a photo of my pansy bed before it got too warm and the heat did them in. At this rate, it won't be long!

Welcome Spring

I love being able to go out to the yard and pick flowers for the house. The camellias and daffodils are always among the first flowers blooming each Spring.

On a stitching note, I have gotten a bit more done on the handquilting of the 4 patch baby quilt......it really won't take too much longer to finish the quilting.

I have also been hard at work on the Thangles sets. I am now up to date on both sets..............7 blocks made this week. The blocks on the left are 6 months of blocks from Little Quilts (I am making one per month); the blocks on the right are from Heritage quilts, and are three months worth of blocks (I am making two per month). Obviously, the program at LQs started before the other one. Both are quite different, but are the same size, using the same patterns. I like them both.

I have got to get busy on my rug hooking over the w/e, as I have my class in Athens on Monday. I have been so busy trying to catch up on my quilting, that I have neglected my rugs.

So many projects, so little time. If only I were rich and didn't need to work for a living!!!

Off to bed........

Happy Birthday Debbie

Tonight we celebrated quilting buddy Debbie's birthday and presented her with her quilt. She seemed really pleased and surprised. And it was lots of fun to get to know some of my new quilting friends a little better. I have been asked to join their informal group, "The Pitifuls"....so named because when they first started quilting they were "so pitiful". Let me tell you, that is not the case anymore!

Today I made it part of the way through the Stashbusters WebRing. Looks like there are several new members and lots of really great stitching going on. Welcome, everyone. I haven't been on the WebRing very long, but there are lots of nice folks who encourage you with great feedback. Makes you want to finish lots of projects.......and start some more too :-)

I have decided to keep up with what I am doing each month.........this is the idea of someone else on the WebRing, I just can't remember who right now. Anyway, I thought it was a great idea. I think that it will help me to appreciate that I am making progress.

Today I spent my 15 minutes.........plus a tiny bit........and made some of the components for more of my Thangles blocks. Part of this I did while waiting for DH to finish getting ready for work this morning, and the rest tonight before going to the birthday celebration. Those few minutes really did amount to good progress.

Good night!!

Where does the time go?

It has been almost a week since I posted.........or accomplished very much. Life just gets in the way..........and more often than I would like! At any rate, DH is now much better and will probably be able to avoid surgery and go back to work tomorrow. A very good thing.

I had thought that I would finish handquilting the baby quilt last week, but it just wasn't to be. I am still plugging away, but had to stop and play catch up on a couple of things.

Tonight was the second meeting for Thimbleberries at my LQS for this year.........I missed the first. I don't get into their extra projects as a rule, but I do usually like the big quilts. I particularly liked the fabric line this year, and chose the light and bright version. I got my first blocks done for tonight............

Last Saturday was SS at Little Quilts in Marietta, and I picked up my SS block and my Thangles block. I have fallen behind two blocks on the Thangles blocks, but it won't take long to catch up. Here are the four I have done so far. I really like the fabric selection for this project.

Hopefully I will be able to catch up and keep up with these BOM type projects so that they will not become UFOs for next year! It all sounds simple enough.........a block commitment here and there.........but it is amazing how quickly you can fall behind and become overwhelmed. I will strive not to go there.

Tomorrow night is going to be so much fun. A group of us quilting friends have gotten together and made a group quilt........chickens and roosters...........for a friend of ours who is having a birthday, and is generally in need of some special TLC. We are going to meet at her house and surprise her with it. She is going to be so overwhelmed!!! I will try to take some photos to share.

Off to try to finish one more Thangles block.............

I am plugging away at this one...............

and hopefully it will soon be done. It is a 4-patch baby quilt, started sometime in the 80s, way too much handquilting for a baby quilt, and poly batting no less. You live and you learn. At any rate, I am determined to finish it and cross it off my UFO list. It has been good practice for handquilting, and will work nicely on the baby bed that DGs use when they come to visit. And if it gets messed up, no great loss. Hopefully I can get the handquilting finished this week and perhaps bind and label it this w/e. Then I can chalk it up as another finish!!

Had to miss my Hooking Group tonight because DH really needed me at home. He is a little better, but still can't bear weight. Tomorrow after I get off work, we will go for his MRI. We anticipate that it will be a torn meniscus and he will end up with arthroscopic surgery..........again.

DD#2 and DGD came over to eat dinner with us, as they were alone tonight. DGD is growing like a weed, pulling up on everything. She will be walking before we know it.

Thanks to all of you who are reading my Blog.......this is really more fun than I had ever expected. Thanks, too, for the compliments on the blended quilt...........it is a favorite for me. I have to admit, I did not chose the fabrics........it was a kit. But, it was perfect for my house. It is unusual to find fabrics that are just right in a kit, but this one was IT.

Off to handquilt!

Could it really be Sunday night????

I guess so, but I don't know where the weekend has gone. The house is clean, and that is a plus. I seem to be obsessed with organizing the past couple of weeks. Some crazy way of dealing with my grief?? Who knows..........but I am getting lots of things cleaned up and out.

On a very positive note, I finished my "Hidden Meadows" blended quilt. It is 54" x 68", and I machine pieced and quilted it. I am pleased with the way it turned out, and even happier to be able to remove it from my UFO list. I would really like to finish 3 UFOs for March since I only finished one in February.

DH has been having some knee pain the past week or so, and on Saturday morning as he was leaving to go volunteer at the genalogical library, his knee gave way with him and he ended up on the outside steps. The DSILs were both unavailable, and I wasn't able to budge him........he is 6'5", 275#. Had to run to the local pharmacy and buy some crutches, and we finally got him in the house. He hasn't been able to bear weight on the leg at all, so it looks like we will be seeing Ortho tomorrow, and probably ending up with an MRI and arthroscopic surgery. He has been a good patient.

Nothing else exciting in this household this w/e..............