January update

We had an icy mix today so I chose to stay home rather than ice skate to work. I spent the day productively. After vacuuming and starting laundry, I spent the day in the sewing room. The mojo is still here!
This week, I finished two scarves that I started in December. They were supposed to be gifts for the gals at work but never got finished. Instead of just tucking them away, I plodded on and finished them. They will be put away for gifts for next winter!

I also made three sets of Mastectomy pillows which is my guild's community project for this year. I still have a half a bag of fiberfill so I will be cutting more sets to use that up. We hope to make at least 200 sets to donate to Hartford Hospital which happens to be where I go for treatment. Last year, they gave away 700 sets. Breast cancer touches far too many lives.
The set in front was made from a 20x 20 pieced square I bought at a tag sale probably 10 years ago! Why was I holding onto it?? It made perfect pillows.

Finally, I finished piecing the pillow shams that match my rectangle quilt. I just need to get a copy of the ginko panto from my longarmer friend so I can echo quilt it on the shams. This is one of the fronts.

I am headed to our annual Rhode Island quilt retreat on Friday. I have packed three projects:

1. my underground RR quilt. I hoped to finish this as part of Finn's New Years challenge. I looked at it today and don't know what has taken soo long to finish it! The top and the back will be pieced this weekend.

2. A wool pillow kit that I bought last year.

3. Snowman wall hanging. I bought the pattern back in November when I met with Libby at the Quilted Crow. I have pulled all the pieces together and if all goes smoothly, I may get to this project as well.

Hope your January resolutions to do more quilting (whatever that may be) are still holding true!
Check back next week for my retreat pictures!

Til then, Quilt til you Wilt!!!

RESOLUTIONS REVISITED

Well, only 9 days into the New Year and I am doing some re-examining of my goals. I was so impressed by Jeanne at Spiral and her B-a-D project that I thought I could do the same. Sadly, just 3 blocks into the project I am baling out! Here are my three blocks which will be added to the Orphan Box. My DH finally made me see the light ( Are you crazy??? were his exact words) and I realized that with working, going to the gym and radiation treatments, I was not going to be able to keep up with this project.



But I have joined Jeanne and lots of others over at Barbara Brackman's new project, Civil War Quilts, where she is providing a block a week as well as interesting history from that era. Now a block a week I know I can do! And here are my first two blocks, Catch me if you can and North Star. I'm really using this project to keep me motivated to get into my sewing room. After finishing these two blocks, I started piecing my pillow shams to go with my recently finished quilt. Sewww, you see it's working!


Finally, here is the snow we received Friday night into Saturday. We got about 10 inches, though the totals varied dramatically over the area. And after shoveling out on Saturday, we got another 2 inches overnight. I guess winter is really here. I love how it makes the garden look. Time to hibernate in my sewing room!

Good Riddance 2010, Welcome 2011

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, it's a day or two late but I finished my rectangles king size quilt ( I think there are about 600+ rectangles) which was my promised project for Finn's New Years' Challenge. I got it back from my long arm quilter last week and had the binding all ready to go. I'm going to make pillow shams to match and my goal is to have them done by the end of January.

Here is a detail of the quilting. I picked the ginko leaf which looks pretty nice with the taupes and japanese fabrics.

As far as quilting goes, 2010 was pretty pathetic with only 3 quilts finished. I, for one, am glad that 2010 is finished. The last half was tough but as my dad always said "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I'm feeling pretty strong and I'm ready for 2011!

We had a quiet but lovely Christmas. Here is my favorite quilty present from my hubby. He even wrapped it in a patchwork of paper.

It's the Shape Cut Pro which cuts fabric strips the width of fabric.

We also had a very quiet New Year's Eve. We didn't kid ourselves. Knowing we wouldn't make it to midnight, Bob popped the champagne at 9 and we pushed 2010 out the door and welcomed in 2011.

I'm pretty excited about quilting in 2011 and got my quilting mojo going early. I have already made some blocks for 2011. this year, I have been watching Jeanne of Spiral complete the Block a Day project. She did an amazing job! Go check out her blog for the tally of quilt tops. As I was watching her work her way through the 366 blocks, I decided to buy the calendar and this year I am going to try to repeat Jeanne's phenomal achievement!

I started making the blocks using what was on hand and with no real plan (i.e., my usual way of doing things!). January 1st block was the snowball. So I pulled from my precut stash and made two blocks. And like Melanie talked about this week, I hate to waste the little triangles, so I sewed them together and made another block.

I was going to just add the blocks to my box of orphans until I came up with a plan but looking ahead on the calendar, I quickly realized that I would probably end up with a mish mash of blocks. So I went back and pulled fabric for the first few blocks which relate to snow. I've got January 1 and January 2 blocks finished and have cut the pieces for January 3rd. I'll share these at the end of the week.

I also pulled out my orphan block box to see what was in there. What a mess!!

Not only were there lots of errant blocks but lots of parts, 1/2 square triangles, bits and pieces, leftover sashing. So I sorted everything, grouped some things together that actually might make up a quilt or two, and went through the parts. I had enough 1/2 square triangles to make these blocks.

My quilting resolutions this year (I must have one or two!) are to do more handwork while I sit in front of the TV, try to clean up some of the Pigs in the Poke that have been there forever, but also work on some new things which I think will keep my mojo going .I also want to post to my blog on a more regular basis and the B-a-D project will help me do that.

I want to wish a Happy New Year to my blogger friends. I really appreciate those of you who have checked in on me over the last few months. It really lifted my spirits. I'm through with chemo and start radiation treatment on Monday. By mid-February, I will be done with that and then will be put on a daily medication. I"ll know more about the paticulars of that when I meet with my doc at the end of the week.

Until then, Quilt til you wilt!