Friday Night Sew In report

I managed to spend a good chunk of time sewing yesterday evening.  DH took Zeke, our dog, to a 5 p.m. vet appointment so he was gone from 4 to 8.  Ah…so much gets done when I am home alone.  I can never figure out why that is. 

I finished the block that is due for January for Quilting Block Swap Adventure.  I also finished my contribution toward Fiona’s goat in the Sisterhood of the Travelling Goat.  Only sneak peeks are available of these two items.

Here is the block for Alexis.  Yes that is Origins fabric.  I bought some at the quilt store in America before Christmas and don’t know what I’m going to do with it. 

And here is a little peek at Fiona's goat…

I feel so accomplished

Janet

Giveaway at Lila Tueller Designs

I haven't advertised other people's giveaways before because, well honestly I can only spend so much time on the computer.  But this giveaway requires the entrant to link on his/her blog, and gee, I really want to enter this one.  So check out this site http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-giveaway-time-again.html and enter the contest for some fabulous fabric.

Janet

Mail, PIF and my lack of progress

January begone I say!!  December and January are hard months.  Here in the Yukon it is usually cold (-25 today, -30 yesterday, - 40 last week) and it is dark.  It gets light around 10 and dark around 4.  The sun is UP for about two hours, after it comes out from behind the mountains, if it comes out from behind the mountains.  There are lots of grey days and snowfalls.  But the daylight is returning at the rate of 2, then 3, then 4 minutes a day by the end of January.  Soon will be into February which is usually cold but sunny and getting lighter all the time.

I often feel depressed in December and January.  This year has been particularly bad for me.  I have to force myself to go out for a walk, ski or snowshoe every day, otherwise the depression gets worse.  The toll has been taken on my sewing this month.  I haven't done much.  But in an effort to be cheerful, I'll share the things that have brightened my days over the last couple of weeks.

Mail in the form of a pay it forward from Deanna at Wedding Dress Blue.  She sent me this pretty needle case - along with the Christmas card.  Love them both, even though they arrived long after Christmas.
 

So I am willing to Pay it Forward to two people who leave me a message.  I will commit to making you a nice gift within the next six months.

Next I received this gorgeous block for the Christmas Block Swap Australia.  (I'm not sure why it is called that but it is...) 

Linda sent me this one, along with this lovely pile of Christmasy fabric.   Love the fabrics in the block Linda - they look very modern to me.  Oh and all the other fabric too.  You are so generous!

Sewing progress has been slow, but I have made this block for a round robin with Sue.  We signed up to do an intuition quilt with Victoria from Bumble Beans.  My block is done and in the mail to Sue for the next round, or side or whatever she decides to do.

And finally, I've added a few more blocks to my colours quilt...

I desperately need yellows.  If anyone has any yellow strips (need 14 inches long or shorter and any width down to 3/4 inch) that they feel like sharing please let me know.  I really only want your scraps...not your main meal.  :)

Janet





What did I do with my two days alone?

It always amazes me how quickly two days can just disappear - pffft.  There I was just planning all the things I was going to do in my time by myself and DH walked in the door.  I restrained myself from saying “Back already?” 

So what did I do with that two days?  Well I went for a couple of long walks, one alone and one with my friend Nancy.  I made (and ate) caramel popcorn.

I made three blocks for my colours quilt.

I made four loaves of sourdough bread – two white and two whole wheat.

I watched two movies while doing some hand stitching.  I’ve decided that I don’t like watching movies while sewing because I don’t really look at the movies and so much of the charm of movies comes from viewing them.  The two movies I (sort of) watched are The Life of David Gale and Frida.  I’d recommend them both. 

And what was I hand stitching??? Well I finally got Laura’s goats for the Sisterhood of the Travelling Goat done and they are in the mail, winging their way to Australia for their next round of attention.  Just a little peak of them here in case Laura is looking.

Other than that I fed myself, kept the kitchen clean and took care of the chickens.  Seems like I should have been able to accomplish more . 

Janet

A day to sew

DH has gone on a gruelling winter “boy’s” trek up to a cabin that we  go to sometime.  It requires skiing and snowshoeing to make a trail into a snowy mountain pass.  He’ll be home on Monday.  Even the dog (male) has gone on this trip.  So I get to do whatever I want for the next two days!   I love having time alone at home.  It doesn’t happen often.

Not much sewing lately.  I made this holder for my measuring spoons as I got tired of never being able to find them in the drawer. 

Not much mail either.  I received my December hexie from Toni.  Another lovely hexie and look at how those stripes line up!  Amazing!  Thanks Toni.  She also sent me a cute button snowman.

Sorry this is not the greatest picture.  I joined up with Angela to do the two month fabric diet – trying to limit myself to using the fabric I already own.  So what did I do?  I went out and spent double my two month fabric budget on a new camera!  It’s just a day old and I’m learning how to use it.

I am interested by the fact that the two hexies I’ve received so far in the Inchy Hexie Swap have been in the blue/green colour range.  I wonder if this will be the trend…..not that it’s a problem, just interesting.

I sent this hexie to Maria in Denmark for the January hexie….She asked for strong colours…you know I LOVE to play with strong colours…

 

I’ve just started reading At Home; A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson.  I love his writing; it is so interesting and humorous.  Here are a couple of short excerpts I have to pass along.  The first chapter is setting the stage for the book by talking about The Great Exhibition in London in 1851.  The first excerpt  from page 22 is for DD # 2 in Newfoundland.

“Not all displays were equally scintillating.  Newfoundland devoted the whole of its exhibition area to the history and manufacture of cod liver oil, and so became an oasis of tranquillity, much appreciated by those who sought relief from the pressing throngs.”

The second excerpt, also from page 22, is for all you quilters and sewers…

“Elias Howe’s sewing machine dazzled the ladies and held out the impossible promise that one of the great drudge pastimes of domestic life could actually be made exciting and fun.”

And with that I must go sew….I hear some goats bleating for me.

Janet

More mug rugs!

My finish for today is the other mug rug that I needed to make for a Christmas present.  My friend is away until tomorrow so I’m not too much in trouble for being late.  My friend Nancy owns a grey parrot that thinks she is its mate.  Nancy loves her bird as well.

I almost like the back better than the front.  I used my home dyed fabric because it was just the right colour.

I received this mug rug in the mail from Quilt Sue.  I love the colours and the embellishing stitches.  So pretty with such simplicity.  I always seem to make everything so complex.  For all the mug rugs I’ve made this is the first one that I own!  It’s not really droopy on one side – I think I need to iron it.

JANET

PIPs (Pieces in Progress) to finish in 2011

I am going to add my list to Judy’s UFO Challenge at Patchwork Times.  I won’t necessarily do the projects according to the numbers she pulls however as there are some things that I want to have done by specific times.

3 Cat Stories Quilt – Made from scraps from my exchange with Vesuvius Mama last summer.  The top is 9/10ths finished.  I really want to finish this quilt.  I really like it.

Christine’s Quilt – 65 blocks left to sew out of 195.  I’d like to finish this one by February as she is coming for a visit then.

Kim’s flying geese quilt – Top is done, just needs to be quilted and bound.  This one has been in the works for three years.

Tammy’s quilt – a duplicate of Kim’s, only it isn’t nearly as far along.  The flying geese are made but not sewn together yet.  I need to get these two done at the same time.

Sunflower wall hanging – this has been on the go for several years as well.  I need to do some minimal hand piecing on it, then can put the blocks together and quilt it.

Celtic Knot table runner – this is only a year old.  I have done about half the quilting on it.  Not much to do to finish this one.

One block wonder – this quilt is for our bed.  I need my big design wall free to figure out the block placement.  This project is only six months old.

Postage stamp quilt – I’ve got 475 of the needed 525 blocks for this quilt.  Time to start putting them together.  I am sashing between each block so this is going to continue to be a leader/ender project, but I would like to finish it this year.

Colours quilt – No new blocks since I last posted about this quilt a few weeks ago.  I am still excited about it and want to work on it.  It is only a couple of months old.

Mushroom and toadstool pin cushions – pieces are all cut out and I’ve done half the embroidery.  Started these in October; time to get them done.

Puzzle pin cushion – I started this one in October as well.  Didn’t like the progress on it and I think I’ll restart and make the pieces bigger. 

Brown bag quilt – this is due by March so I need to get working on it.  Have the fabric and the idea but haven’t started cutting yet.

There’s my twelve.  I’ve got other unfinished pieces but if I get these ones done I’ll be happy. 

Here is my last completed item from 2010 – I do get some things done!  Mug rug for my friend who we had dinner with last night.

Happy New Year everyone!

Janet