Our mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions....

Monday, February 28, 2011

A bit of sewing

Got my 5th row sewn together on the strip quilt for church.
Day 374

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Birthday...

Well, this has been a relaxing day.  I actually didn't do any crafting and that feels strange...Church, brunch out, a visit from a dear friend, 2 hours of reading my current book (Stephen King "Under the Dome") a couple of calls from family and friends, a skype with my daughter and suddenly the day is over.  It has been a lovely day and I am so blessed.  Happy birthday to me!
Pete took it easy too.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Snow and Sewing

Did some cleaning and then some sewing.  Ironed the bright church quilt and added a final border.
Also began to sew together the strips of the strip quilt- got 3 strips together.

Day 373

Friday, February 25, 2011

It's Friday

We are back to winter again!  What a great, snowy winter it has been.  After a busy day at work I sewed the bright cat quilt together for church.  Have not had a chance to press it yet.
Day 372

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Spending time with my daughter

I believe this was my 4th day of no work.  Got the grocery shopping done (with coupons) and then did some sewing on the coordinated strip quilt for church.  We went to a matinee movie this afternoon called "Gnomeo and Juliet" and it was cute.  Then came back home and I worked on some more sewing for church and Micaela sorted through 3 boxes of mostly paperwork from her room.  It was a huge job but she stuck with it.  We had a great dinner with more sorting and sewing tonight.  It was a good day.

Day 371

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Too much going on

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with how many projects I have going on.  Yet it is the way that I work.  I think it is just everything happening now in my life.
Got a few blocks sewn for the other church quilt.  It is fun to dig into the pile of strips that I have been cutting for forever and begin to use them.
And my little girl is close by.
Day 370

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Sewing a strip quilt

Well, the 3rd day of having hours cut...did some computer work, cleaned in the sewing room, washed clothes, ironed and folded clothes.  Started the wallpaper removal in the family room.  Pleasant surprize was there is some kind of paint on the sheetrock.  Bad news is that it took me 2 hours to get a 24 inch square done....
Sewed 3 of the rows of the strip quilt.
Day 369

Monday, February 21, 2011

More fabric cutting

I guess after 365 days I have created a habit...worked on that massive pile of fabric from church.  (After we did some more clearing of the driveway from the record breaking snowfall of yesterday!)
day 368

Sunday, February 20, 2011

DAY 365

Well, I did it!  Actually accomplished the goal I set January 1 of 2010 to craft for 365 days.  It took me longer than 365 consecutive days but it is accomplished!  The last 2 days we were out of town- went to LaCrosse Wisconsin to celebrate our anniversary (last September, 2010). On the drive to LaCrosse, Friday after work, I worked on yo-yo's which are such a good car craft.
Our nighttime view.

Then some antiquing, quilt shop stops and Hobby Lobby.


Old Town Antiques.....

Olive Juice Quilts in Onalaska...
Hobby Lobby.


Saturday evening after a lovely dinner at Carlos O'Kellys we relaxed and watched some cable TV.  This is a treat as we have never had cable.  I worked on making some more yo-yo's which made day 366.

So the big question now...do I continue with another 365 Craft Blog, change the blog theme and continue, stop blogging altogether, or wait until Micaela reaches her 365 and then decide...Hummmmm, somthing to consider...anyway this evening I did some cutting of church fabric into blocks...which made day 367...

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Day 364 - Almost There!!!

Wow!  I have been crafting for 364 days...Today was my second day of "not working" because my hours at work have been cut.  Grocery shopped and then got into the bathroom on the main floor and began taking the wallpaper border off.  What a job... it took most of the day but it is done!

When my arm needed a break I laid out the strip quilt for church done in green, blue, purple and yellow.   Now it is ready to be sewn together.

On another "arm" break time I laid out the other quilt that I am working on for church.  Finally figured out what kind of a pattern I could do with this.

After dinner I worked a couple of hours on squaring up all of the blocks for this quilt as they are slightly longer than they are wide.  I got about half of them cut.

A productive day being unemployed.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Day 363 - Block cutting

Did  3 hours of cutting church fabric into various size squares and strips.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Day 362 - Another Church Quilt Top

My first day of my hours being cut so I didn't "work" today.  Walked on the treadmill, did up all of the laundry, dishes, cut coupons, did some computer work.   Then Micaela came over as she had the day off.
We went through all of her clothes left in her bedroom closet and sorted them out.  Then did some planning and brainstorming on her Christmas tree topper angel (see Day 301- November 29,2010).   Then had some lunch- macaroni and cheese.
We then began to brainstorm on figuring out how to make a small version of a bear paw block for her Yellowstone quilt.  Looked online, in books and patterns.  Tried making a sample.  She ended up designing her own and was able to figure out how to make them a paper-piece pattern!!!  On the 2nd try she got it to work!  Now she has to make 25 of them.  End of the evening she has 4 made.  I worked on sewing another church quilt together today.  We had a nice break for dinner and made a T-bone steak.




Monday, February 14, 2011

Day 361 - Church quilters meeting

Met again tonight for some cutting of quilt tops.  There were only 3 of us there!  Did some block cutting and found a little "project" needing some attention.  Brought home a few pieced pieces and found some bright colors that could be cut into larger in between blocks.  We will see...

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Day 360 - Let the Cutting begin!

Busy day with a family gathering for lunch...out of my bedroom window I can see our little trailer and the snow has begun to melt off the top!  It got into the 40's today! Those are rabbit tracks to the trailer!
Those bags of fabric I brought home yesterday from church are calling
so I did some cutting today.

Even sitting next to the iron Pete still had a cold nose.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Day 359 - Saturday Church Quilters

This morning met with the quilters from church.  We had a bunch of boxes of new donations so our 3 hours were spent organizing the new fabrics and also some from the fabric closet.  Here is what our work area looked like!


Remember that big bag of tiny pieces of fabric I brought home to cut into squares and strips one of the last times I was at church?
(See day 323, January 9, 2011)  Well I brought that back empty today!  BUT
look what I came home with to cut up and go through!

This is about 4 times the amount I bought home last time to go through!
Yikes, what am I thinking.  I will never get back to my own quilts....
And my little buddy Pete found a cozy spot to snuggle into...

Friday, February 11, 2011

Day 358 - A little change on a friday night

To help ease the boredom/cabin fever/indecision I did a bit of sewing on another strip quilt.  This one has a variety of colors.  It is also for the church as it is fabric that I have been cutting into strips from some of the bag of fabric I brought home to work through.  Nice change for the evening.
Good buddy.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Day 357 - Are you getting tired of these???

I really am not but I am just having some motivational problems.  Nothing seems to be peaking my interest.  Perhaps it is the February doldrums...lack of sunlight...hours being cut at work...my cough being back again.
Nothing is making the creative juices flow...so here are my blocks for the evening.
My almost 3 inch stack of finished blocks.

My faithful gal pal- Pete.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Day 355 - and more...

Only got 4 blocks sewn today....

Had some nice company on the new rug.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Day 354 - Strip quilting again (still)

So I am restless.  Maybe it is the snow/cold, lack of vitamin D, coughing like the pneumonia is back.I don't know.  I am beginning to tire of the strip quilting.  Sewing room is a mess too.  Possibly too many things going on at once...
Did get 6 blocks sewn.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Day 353 - More driving yo-yo's

Coming home from Duluth today... a familiar sight...

The yo-yo's of the day.