Design Wall Monday - 3/31/14

Saturday was the last day of shop hop so I worked at the LQS. It was nice and busy, especially nice given the weather they were predicting.

You see we had this little snow storm Saturday night. Oh , I don't know 3" or 4" of the stuff, it's hard to tell cuz it was super wet and heavy and compacted itself pretty good. It was still nasty enough Sunday morning that they cancelled the controlled burn the fire dept was going to do. That allowed me to stay in bed and finish a book. Heaven!

Yes that is Squeaky's ear as she watched the antics from the window box.
Zorro is gonna have a surprise come summer and the snow isn't holding that mower upright.
I was impressed with his climbing ability - he did it exactly as the squirrels do it too!

As soon as I got up tho, Zorro wanted outside. First he had to make sure there were no squirrels in the feeder and then he had to inspect my car. Luckily he has long, fuzzy belly fur to keep him warm. He wanted out several more times during the day too.

Next order of the day was to finish the sashes for my nephews. I know it's hard to guess but I am pretty sure they liked them.

Last order of the weekend was to make more mugrugs and the best part of these rugs is that, except for the blue star fabric, everything else is scraps. Whoo Hoo! I think that gives me about 10 that need quilting so I best get on that...

Don't forget to pop in tomorrow - it's out next official Bibliofile Files linky party!

Feline Friday - 3/2/814

Promise not to tell Momma??     I was playing with her iPhone!!!     Good aren't they?!

 

Do you like to take selfies with your Momma's phone?

Thursday Mish Mash

I've been a bit remiss in sharing my first gift from this year's guild secret sister! The potted centerpiece is just adorable and reminds me every day that spring will get here eventually. LOL! Unfortunately, I keep forgetting the brownie bites at home. Thank you SS!!!

I also have to admit that I came across some 1" jewel papers on my cutting table and put them to use immediately so they didn't get lost again. Any excuse, huh?!

Six semi-local quilt stores are having a shop hop this week - I'm off to a new-to-me store tonight to see if anything catches my eye. Not sure what I'll find but I have $$$ burning a hole in my pocket!

Our next Bibliophile Files linkup is Tuesday...have you read anything interesting lately?

Wordless Wednesday!

Basket blocks!

Having worked on mugrugs over the weekend meant I also got to work on my leader/ender basket blocks. At times I did have to remind myself not to use the mugrug itself as a leader/ender. LOL!

I was able to finish another five 4.5" baskets over the weekend.

Yes, the photobomber had to be bribed with food but only cuz he had been naughty
and didn't want to get near Momma who might still have a squirt bottle.

This brings my grand total to 63 blocks so far. It's now officially time to find a bigger (prettier?) box to store them in. I wonder if they would fit in the large hurricane jar I have? They might get dusty but visually it would remind me to work on them...

No, I don't keep a jar of medium salsa on my cutting table...
it's a recycled jar of jelly beans :)

Bad news for the day? I wore the wrong glasses and my eyes are going wonky. See, I have an older pair of glasses where the lenses are pretty small - they allow me to look thru them to see the tv well enough and under them to do handwork perfectly. I forgot to switch back to my regular glasses before going to work...ugh.

Design Wall Monday - 3/24/14

Other than a birthday party where we got to learn belly dancing at the local dance studio - it was fun and much easier than expected, but my hip is bothering me again  - I had most of the rest of the weekend at home to sew. And very little of that involved hexies. Amazing, huh?!

I started the weekend by making this mugrug, seminole piecing style, as part of my gift for the party. The gift was completed with a new tea cup, a couple tea bags, chocolates and white choco smores gooey cake bars.

Just the day before I was mentioning to Denise and a couple other people that maybe the new tea house in Mt Morris would be interested in selling some mug rugs. I was already in mug rug mode so I just kept going! Even if they are not interested, mugrugs make great gifts and you can never have too many on hand.

I pulled out the finished mugrugs from my inventory box to see what I had and then started pulling fabrics for more. Finding fabrics buried in my FQ boxes and scrap bins is fun; deciding which pattern to use and designing new ones can be a bit tedious. That's why I tend to make multiples of the same design with different fabrics...makes life easier...

Of course I had my little helper to keep some of the scraps in place. I didn't photo the messy pile of smaller scraps I need to clean up - I hope you'll understand! I will suggest you check out Chantal's posts over the weekend on how she deals with smaller scraps. I can't wait to get home and "clean up."

Of course I still have this pile of fabrics to work thru...which creates more scraps. LOL! It's a never ending battle but at least one we enjoy. Happy Monday!

Feline Friday - 3/21/14

Momma told me that all y'all are just sitting on pins and needles (is that really a smart idea?) waiting to hear about my new hobby!

Last Sunday was a lazy sunny day for this tomcat and my sissises. I basically hogged the window box most of the day.

Really Mom?  Mid bath?

Don't get me wrong cuz I was very entertained with what Momma calls "the stupid squirrels" in the bird feeder. Eventually I decided to go outside and get those squirrels out of Momma's bird feeder.

Where did they go?

I tried several ways to get to the feeder, eventually getting on top of the garbage bin and jumping over. Hey, if the stupid squirrels do it, I can too!! Luckily the squirrels weren't there any more or I would have had to teach them a thing or too. Phew. Even luckier - Momma didn't catch my second jump on film - it was not nearly as successful as the first.

I've been checking the feeder every day this week and I'm happy to say, No. More. Squirrels. Score one for the man of the house!!

Busy Work Blog break

I've got some busy work things to do during lunches this week (which eats in to my blogging time) and there's not much to report anyway since I'm getting ready for a dinner meeting for 19 at my house.

I think I'll put the blog on break until we're back Friday with a hilarious photo for you...Zorro has taken on yet another hobby!

See all y'all then =^,,^=

HeLP for Hexie-aholics!

Hello to all my fellow hexiologists and welcome to another Hexie Linky Party!!!

As you probably already know and are bored to tears with, I have been focusing on my Twisted Hexies. Last week I finally laid out the large rosettes on my bed to get an idea of how many more I'll need to make.

If I want this much of a hangover on both sides I will need 10 more large rosettes plus smaller ones to square it up. It's a lot more than I expected. The fireman quilt that resides on my bed has a nice overhang when the bed is made but I do wish it was a bit bigger when I'm under the covers :) so I might as well do the long overhang on this one.

My original plan had been to use this gorgeous batik for borders but I think the quilt is just too busy. I'll probably use this batik on the back and finish the front with a simple black binding.

Sew...What have you been working on? Something old? Something new? I do hope you'll share. Just remember to link to the actual post and not you blog in general.

Feline Friday - 3/14/17

I've decided to take up some new hobbies.

I think it's safe to call this one cat-tortionism. Momma thinks it's hilarious and uncomfortable. I think it's a lot like yoga - stretches all the kinks out.

My personal favorite is the balancing act. I can balance all my fav toys for a good long time! Only downside is it requires an assistant ...

Don't forget that Monday is very important - not only is it HeLP for Hexie-aholics but it's also Green Day and I'm gonna kiss Momma cuz she's Irish. I might even kiss my sissies!

Kisses for all my friends in blogland too!

Calm after the storm

Did y'all miss me yesterday??

I had planed on a wacky weather wordless Wednesday post but when the boss said it was ok to go home at 10:30 am due to the blizzard, I beat it w/out a thought to posting anything on the blog. I'll save my photo for HeLP for Hexie-aholics on Monday so that gives you a hint as to what my photo was...

Of course, instead of heading right home, I had to make a small detour. The bookstore next door was having an everything 50% off 50th Birthday sale so I picked up this darling tea pot. As soon as I got home and shoveled into the driveway I made a pot of blueberry kona bliss. Yumm!

I had plans of working at home - typing library minutes, working in EQ7, dishes, laundry, etc. I ended up spending a delightfully lazy afternoon on the couch watching Bones on DVD and working on hexies. I almost got another 2 small rosettes done! And despite it being mom's suggestion, I even took a little nap. I suppose that helped with the chore that waited for me this morning.

This is on the least windy side of the house

All day yesterday, I had 3 lazy bone cats napping away. Zorro never once asked to go out so he clearly had an evil eye on the evil weather. Even this morning when I was going out to shovel, Zorro barely got near the door. Squeaky wanted out but was quick to change her mind once she realized was what waiting on the porch for her.

Yes - it was still dark out when I started shoveling and the falling snow created streaky photos. The birds weren't even out yet! I have no idea how accurate this drift is as the snow tends to blow across the driveway but the whole driveway was about as deep as the front of my car - at least 12" to 15". Thankfully the neighbor came out to help me finish the heaviest snow at the end of the driveway. Thanks Gregg!

Eventually the sun came up and it's been blue skies and sunny since.
Uhhh - did I mention it's going to be in the 40s tomorrow??!!

Calm before the storm

Yesterday and (especially) today are definitely the calm before the storm!

Yesterday was more overcast than sunny but when I was driving home it was 49F. I had the windows open and the heat on. LOL. The 2 ex-strays wanted outside ASAP when I finally ambled home. Zorro snoopervised while I refilled the bird feeders and then Squeaky was lured back inside with dinner. A certain other cat decided to forgo dinner for a while and explore the weedy flower beds. He was not happy when I later had to clean up his muddy feet.

I thought someone was regretting her decision....so I opened the window wider.

Today I decided to walk up to Subway for lunch. It's a *perfect* blue sky kind of day and I was not walking fast, well that and it's a steep hill and someone who might be getting bronchitis probably shouldn't run up that kind of hill. I have 3 weather apps on my phone and they never agree - who knows which, if any, are accurate - so we'll go with the average of 49F. Delightful!

Back to the storm part of this one sided conversation. At 2am we are expecting a storm that will dump up to 17" of snow before 2am Thursday morning. Woohoo! I actually enjoyed winter this year because of the extra sunshine. This girl does enjoy the sun, even if it is -9F! The storm might play havoc with some activities over the next 2 days but this is Western New York so just wait 5 minutes and the weather will change. Who knows, cuz we might not get any snow. That's what usually happens - for all the hype of a big storm we get less than an inch...

Design Wall Monday - 3/10/14

Saturday was the 2nd half of my latest Quilting 101 class and I needed a sample to demonstrate adding flanges and bindings. I had this sample block when from when I was prepping for my birthday party so I decided to quilt it up quick to use in class. Now I'll finish the binding my machine and I have a nice little table topper. Oh, who am I kidding, the cats will sit on it more than I'll ever use it on the table...

I also completed another twisted hexie and my February BOM heart. I was a little worried about the choco fabric being too busy but it was my only choice as I couldn't find a coordinating fabric in my stash. In the end, I think it looks fine. They will both be 'finer' when they get a good pressing :)

And last but not least for my weekend report...Tomorrow is the official Bicentennial Launch Party for the town where I work. The party is at the Arts Council across the street from my office. There will be Congressional proclamations, quick speeches, lots of memorabilia on display, local historians to answer questions and we'll be selling our bicentennial calendars. What else does one need for a party? Refreshments of course!  Several of us were asked to make cookies so I whipped up my fav Molasses Krinkles. Molasses Crack would probably be more accurate since you can't eat just one. LOL.

Now to decide how many to keep at home for me...1 for the party, 2 for me...

Feline Friday - 3/7/14

I'm going to say this once and only once so listen closely:

At night I like to snuggle under the covers and use Momma's arm for a pillow. 

I don't do it every night cuz I don't want her to get too used to it but she *is* sick so I'll let her believe what ever she wants for now and then I'll set her right later.

Don't you dare tell anyone...

Thursday mish mash

Ever the one to put the cart before the horse...

I have finished the borders for my Celtic Solstice quilt when the blocks aren't even half way done. Any progress is good progress!

I finished the 32 hexies I need to make the February BOM. Tomorrow night is hexie night so maybe I can make some good headway on assembling the heart ... and then get on to the 4 leaf clover for March.

Seems it's time to recover the ironing board - my lime green cover is looking pretty dingy

I also had to baste more black hexies to be used in my twisted hexies. I generally only make enough at one time to use up the pile of 2" hexies - which means I'll be able to baste about 5 more tonight. I've also bundled up the rest of the half hexie batiks into about a dozen sets. Now I really need to lay out the large rosettes on the bed to see if I have enough pieces cut or I'll need more.

And last night's lesson? It's ok to stick a threaded needle in your loosely knit sweater while you binder clip the next piece to baste but it's NOT ok if you are getting up to check your cell in the studio, letting the cat in the dining room door and then switching the DVD back in the living room. I sat back down on the couch, covered up with the afghan and then noticed the needle was no longer stuck in my sweater. I found the thread stuck to the afghan but after patting down the afghan and crawling around on the floor in 3 (large) rooms last night and again this morning the needle is no where to be found. It's one thing if I get stuck but I would be horrified if something happens to the cats or to a guest who sits on the couch. I was/am soooooooo furious with myself...

Wordless Wednesday!

The Bibliophile Files!

Hello and welcome to The Bibliophile Files - a monthly linky party to share what we are reading. I am reading towards 2 specific challenges but you might be reading books, magazines or even cereal boxes.

Since my last report on 2/4/14 I haven't finished as many books as I would have liked but never fear, as I have 12 books and audiobooks checked our from the library to take care of the following letters: ABEEFMMMORRV and 3 colors. I am pretty sure the library has me on their radar for too many checkouts...

Below Stairs (2/13/14) - I obviously picked this book during a Downton Abbey spurt. It was a little bit of a hard read at first as it's autobiographical and I wasn't used to her writing style but the information she shared on her rise from kitchen maid to cook was fascinating. The book was obviously a source of information for the DA show and it was fun to hear where the details came from.

The Moore (2/15/14) - This audiobook is #4 of a Sherlock Holmes series titled Mary Russell. I always the deductive reasoning by Holmes and his wife Russell as they solve yet another who-dunnit.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey ( 2/18/14) - Yipper, another Downton Abbey audiobook pick but this time about the Carnarvon family who lived in Highclere Castle, now home to DA. It certainly was a life of luxury!

Last Precinct (3/2/14) - This is book #11 in the Kay Scarpetta Series. I'll be honest, at first I thought this audiobook was too much of a rehash on the last book with nothing new to add but eventually new details came to light making this book more interesting than expected.

Currently in my stereo and on my nightstand...
International Bank of Bob
The Guardian 

Ok, now it's your turn to join in. Link up a post to share your own challenge progress or just a recent read. No post? List your current read in the comments below! Don't forget that links should be to a specific post and not your blog in general. Lemme know if you need help linking properly.

Happy reading until we meet again next month!

Design Wall Monday - 3/3/14

After SEVERAL discussions on wrinkles, the newest QCO finally got the hang of properly holding a quilt in place without wrinkling it. That allowed me to finish the sashing...

...and then the borders on this Disappearing 9 Patch class sample.

The purple border looks like a strip in this photo - hadn't noticed in person. Cool!

As an option to the sample, I'll be making hexies to place at the intersections with the large purple squares. Obviously I won't be using the fabrics below but I already had this rosette done for another project and it worked for the photo. It also showed me that the hexies will need to be really light or dark to contrast with the purple fabric.

The back 3 fabrics below are scraps from the quilt and the front 2 FQs are new fabrics I thought could work for the hexies. Now I'm not so sure there is enough contrast in the dark purples. I intend to piece the hexies so maybe I can still use these fabrics but add in more lights or maybe even some black somewhere.

Tonight I have to do the housework I successfully avoided all weekend...ughhh...

PS - I almost forgot to remind all y'all to come back tomorrow for The Biblipphile Files and let us know what you're reading!!